#alright time to catch up on shadowhunters

[soulofapatrick]

Domesticated - Jace Herondale x Female (Daylighter) Reader

Summary: this is a 5 + 1 of all the times you and Jace act like a couple even before you admit feelings for each other

Words: 6k

Warnings: injury, bleeding, blood drinking

Y/N’s POV - 

Part One

I’m not really sure when Jace appearing at random hours of the day in my apartment became a normal things. He’s dirty and covered in ichor from a demon hunt the Clave sent him and Alec on and he’s grumbling to himself as he shrugs off his leather jacket. There’s dried blood on him from wounds his iratze rune probably healed and he’s toeing off his shoes before grumbling more about the demons. 

“I’m going to shower.” He tells me, voice gruff but there’s a softness to it as he addresses me. 

“Alright Jace.” I respond, turning back to the show I was watching, waiting up for him to get back as it’s nearly 2am. Being a vampire is weird, especially a daylighter like Simon as at first I was nocturnal and now, suddenly, I’m back to daylight hours. It was weird getting used to humanity again but ever since Jace has been coming round it’s been easier somehow. 

As I listen to the sound of the water running in the bathroom, I can’t help but think about how effortlessly Jace fits into my life. We’ve been…friends? Yeah, friends for so long, and lately, it feels like we’ve crossed some invisible line into something more. But whenever I’m around him, my heart would be pounding if it could still beat and there’s a stirring in my undead soul, a flutter of excitement I though I had long forgotten. 

If it weren’t for Jace, I might have left the Shadowhunter world behind altogether, taken Magnus up on whisking me somewhere far away, maybe Canada, Clary and Simon, my own best friends, seem to have forgotten about me again, lost in their own adventures and relationship. And Luke, the only parental figure in my life, is more invested in his pack than checking up on me. But somehow, Jace always manages to find his way back to my doorstep, like a guiding light in the darkness. 

I remember the first time he appeared on my doorstep, how he looked at me with those piercing golden eyes and saw something in me that no one else seemed to. He didn’t treat me like a monster or a freak because of what I had become, but instead, he saw me for who I truly am—a creature worthy of love and friendship.

And now, sitting here on the couch, waiting for him to remerge from the bathroom, I can’t help but wonder how the hell we ended up here in this weird dance and routine, so domesticated. One moment we’re battling demons and next, we’re lounging on the couch like a couple of teenagers on a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

Finally, after what feel like an eternity, Jace remerges from the bathroom, looking surprisingly innocent and boyish in a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a graphic tee-shirt that I’m pretty sure is either mine or my brothers. His hair is still damp from the shower, tousled in a way that makes him look disarmingly handsome. Despite the exhaustion tech into his features, there’s a spark in his golden eyes that never fails to draw me in. 

Jace collapses onto the couch beside me, his head finding its place on my shoulder, it feels like the most natural thing in the world. His weight against me is comforting, like an anchor tethering me to reality amidst the chaos of our lives. I close my eyes, revelling in the warmth of his presence and the steady rhythm of his breath against my skin.

As exhaustion finally catches up to him, his breathing evens out, lulling me into a sense of peace. I listen to the sound of his steady inhales and exhales, a gentle melody that soothes my restless mind. And as I drift off into sleep, I'm enveloped in the cocoon of his scent—sunshine and something uniquely Jace, mixed with the subtle fragrance of my shower products. It's a comforting aroma, one that fills me with a sense of belonging and contentment.

In the depths of slumber, I feel his warmth beside me, a constant presence that eases my fears and worries. But when I wake in the morning, he's gone, leaving behind only a hastily scrawled note on my coffee table. My heart sinks as I read his words, explaining that Alec called him in early for paperwork and debriefing on the previous day's hunt.

Despite the pang of disappointment at his absence, I can't help but smile at the thought of him, out there in the world, fighting alongside his fellow Shadowhunters. And as I rise to start the day, I carry with me the memory of his presence, the echo of his warmth lingering in the air like a promise of his return.

Part Two

I awake to a crashing and the grumbled cry of Jace, my panic immediately vanishing at the sound of his voice. My phone reads 7.03pm and I’m realising my nap was longer than I had planned or anticipated, having tried to stay awake for Jace who had messaged me to say he’d be home in time for dinner. 

As I groggily process the situation, something within me stirs at the realisation Jace used the word “home” to describe my place. It’s a simple word, but coming from him, it carries a weight that sends a flutter through my un-beating heart. I push aside the covers and pull myself sleepy from bed, feeling the fabric of a shirt that definitely isn’t mine brush against my skin as it reaches mid-thigh. 

Shuffling towards the kitchen, I’m met with the sight and smell of chaos. Jace is in the midst of a culinary disaster, his brow furrowed in frustration as he grumbles to himself. The scent of burning food fills the air, assaulting my sensitive vampire senses, But despite the mess and the mishap, there’s something oddly endearing about the scene—the way Jace is so determined to make dinner for us, even if it means nothing is going according to plan. 

As I approach him, I can’t help but smile at the sight of him, his hir tousled and his expression a mix of annoyance and determination. Despite the chaos, there a sense of warmth and familiarity in the air, a feeling of him that I’ve come to associate with him. 

I head straight for the fridge to grab fresh ingredients as soon as I get the gist of what he was trying to make by the minced meat and the spaghetti, catching the way he looks at me. There’s a softness in his gaze, a silent appreciation for my presence and the way I effortlessly step in to salvage the situation. But when I reach for the pasta sauce, Jace stops me, holding up a jar of red liquid. 

My heart tries to burst out of my chest when I realise what it is. Jace wasn’t just trying to make dinner for us; he was trying to recreate a meal I loved as a human, altered for my now vampire self. It’s a small gesture, but it speaks volumes about his thoughtfulness and the depth of his care for me. 

“Raphael said it was the best of the best and told me how to prepare it so it doesn’t…” Jace waves his hands around trying to think of the word Raphael used, “Separate?” 

I can’t help but laugh softly at the face Jace makes as he says the word ‘separate’. It’s moments like these that remind me of just how endearing he can be, even when he’s trying his best to navigate unfamiliar territory like helping a vampire like me. 

Stepping closer to him, I wrap my arms around him in a hug, feeling the tension in his muscles as he hesitates before finally relaxing enough to return the embrace. His strong arms wrap around me, pulling me close as he buries his face in my hair. In the moment, with the scent of blood and spices lingering in the air and the warmth of Jace’s embrace surrounding me, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and love for the man standing in front of me. 

Reluctantly, Jace finally lets me go, suggesting we try cooking again. As I try to assist him, he’s suddenly spinning me back to face and him and gripping my waist in his strong hands, lifting me and sitting me on a clean area of the counter top, “You’re to just sit there and look pretty while I work this out.” He says with a smirk, a hint of redness colouring his cheeks. 

I can’t help but let out the most embarrassing giggle at his sudden shyness, feeling a warmth spread through me at his playfulness. As I watch him move around the pitch with practiced ease, a sense of contentment washes over me. Despite the chaos and mishaps, being here with Jace feels like home. 

And as I sit on the counter, watching him cook, I cant’t help but feel grateful for moments like these—simple, ordinary, mundane moments that remind me of what I could have had when human. Surrounded by the warmth and aroma of our makeshift meal and Jace’s soft humming as he cooks, I know that no matter what challenges may come our way, as long as we have each other, we'll always find a way to make it through.

Part Three

The library is quiet as I slip inside, the familiar scent of old books and parchment greeting me like an old friend. Alec had given me permission to use the Institute as a safe haven whenever I like, and I often find myself wandering towards the library. It’s become my sanctuary, a place where I can escape the weird world I’m now a part of and lose myself in the pages of novels and histories. 

As I roam the aisles, my fingers trailing along the spines of countless books, I feel a sense of calm wash over me. The library is a treasure trove of knowledge, and I’ve made it my mission to learn as much as I can about the Shadowhunter world. I immerse myself in the histories of the Clave, learning about the battles fought and the heroes who rose to prominence, the history of the main families in this world. 

Eventually, I pick a book off the shelves, one that Alec had actually recommended to me during one of our conversations. It’s a thick volume filled with tales of Shadowhunter lore, and I can’t wait to delve into its pages. With a contented sigh, I sink into one of the soft loveseats scattered throughout the massive library, feeling eh weight of the book in my hands as I lose myself in the pages. 

For the rest of the afternoon, I’m lost in a world of magic and mystery, my surroundings fading away as I become immersed in the story unfolding before me. The hours pass in a blur, but in the moment, surrounded by the knowledge and history of the Shadowhunters, I feel a sense of belonging and purpose that I’ve been searching for since the day I was turned. 

My attention is momentarily drawn away from the pages of the book in my hand by the faint murmur of voices approaching. It takes a moment but I’m recognising the voices, the cadence of their speech familiar to me even from a distance with my new hearing abilities. But it’s the sound of the library door opening that truly captures my attention, and when I look up, my heart skips a beat at the sight of a familiar blonde figure standing in the doorway. 

Jace. 

His golden eyes scan the room, searching, until they land on me. A smile spreads across his face, lighting up his features in a way that never fails to make my heart flutter like it’s still beating, “There you are, Mouse,” He greets, using the stupid pet name he’s decided for me, “You weren’t at home.” 

As he strides over, my attention is captivated by the way his muscles ripple beneath the fabric of his tight black shirt, each movement a testament to his strength and grace. My pulse would be skyrocketing if it could, and I can feel a flush from the recent blood I drank creeping its way up my neck as he stops in front of me, his presence commanding and magnetic. 

“Hey Jace,” I manage to say, voice betraying the flutters of excitement I feel within me. 

He smirks, golden eyes dancing with amusement as if he knows what he’s doing to me, “What were you doing here all alone?” He asks, tone teasing yet filled with genuine curiosity. 

I just shrug, attempting to maintain an air of casualness despite the turmoil of emotions swirling within me, “Just needed the quiet.” I reply, my voice soft. 

He nods in understanding, his expression softening as he reaches out to gently tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. The simple gesture sending a shiver down my spine, igniting a rush of sensations that I struggle to contain. His proximity, his touch—it's all too much, and yet not enough.

“Hey, listen,” He says, his voice warm and inviting, “We’re all heading to the Hunter’s Moon to hear Simon sing, You wanna join us?” 

The thought of being surrounded by so many voices, sounds and smells—the overwhelming sensory overload—has me shuddering involuntarily. I feel a knot form in my stomach, a wave of anxiety washing over me at the mere thought of venturing out into the bustling world beyond the quiet of the Institute currently. 

With a shaky breath, I shake my head almost aggressively, “No, I think I’ll pass.” I reply, my voice barely above a whisper, “I’m… I’m not really in the mood for crowds tonight.” 

Jace nods in understanding, his expression sympathetic, “Hey, that’s okay,” He reassures me, his voice gentle, and he’s surprising me by leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to my cheek, “You do what feels right for you. But if you ever change your mind, we’ll be there.” 

I offer him a weak smile, grateful for his understanding, “Thanks Sunshine.” I murmur, the weight of my anxiety slowly easing with his words of reassurance and his sweet actions. 

As Jace turns to leave, I watch him go, feeling a sense of longing wash over me like a gentle tide. His departure leaves an ache in my chest, a yearning for something more, something I can't quite name. But then, I feel the lingering warmth of his kiss on my cheek, a fleeting touch that sends a jolt of electricity through me.

Despite my reluctance to join them, a part of me wishes I could be there, sharing in the camaraderie and laughter with Jace and the others. The thought of being by his side, laughing and joking like we always do, fills me with a bittersweet longing. 

In the moment, as I sit alone in the quiet solitude of the library, the whole interaction feels strangely domesticated, as if it’s something we’ve done a thousand times before. Jace’s kiss was casual yet intimate, like it was a natural extension of our friendship, and yet it leaves me yearning for more. 

I can’t help but replay the moment in my mind, the sensation of his lips against my cold skin, the warmth of his touch. It’s a memory I want to hold onto, to savour and cherish, and yet it only serves to deepen my desire for him. 

As I sink back into the soft cushions of the loveseat, the ache in my chest lingers, a constant reminder of the feelings I can’t shake. I want him to kiss me again, to make me feel alive in a way I never thought possible. And as I close my eyes and let out a heavy sigh, I know that despite the risks and uncertainties, I can't deny the pull he has on my undead heart.

Part Four

I honestly have no idea how I ended up in the training room with Jace but I definitely know how I ended up on my ass glaring up at his laughing figure. Jace decided that he was going to teach me how to defend myself as Alec wants downworlders to help Shadowhunters on patrols to bridge the gap that had formed since Valentine. 

So here I am, climbing to my feet and glaring at Jace who readies himself for another round and my body is already aching. Jace is already readying himself for another round, and I steel myself for the onslaught, determined to at least make him break a sweat. As he lunges at me, I use my vampire speed to dodge and jab him in the back with my elbow with precision. But before I can revel in the small victory, he’s already spinning around and swiping my feet out from underneath me again. 

I hit the ground with a frustrated grunt, the air would have been knocked out of me if I were still breathing. I let out a sound of pure annoyance as I lie there, staring up at the ceiling, feeling so goddamn angry that I haven’t managed to get Jace down once. 

“Come on, Mouse,” Jace says, offering me a hand up, “You’re getting better, I promise.” 

I take his hand and pull myself to my feet yet again, but the weight of defeat still hangs heavy on my shoulders. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to measure up to Jace's level of skill and agility. It's frustrating, disheartening even, to constantly fall short despite my best efforts.

With a heavy sigh, I get back into position, expecting Jace to do the same but instead a small gasp is drawn from me when I feel his body practically pressed to my back as he adjusts my positioning. I feel a rush of warmth as he nudges my feet into a better position and adjusts my arms, guiding them a little higher. 

His touch is firm yet gentle, his hands moving with practiced precision as he adjusts my stance. And then, his hands fall to my hips, twisting them slightly to improve my balance before he steps back, satisfied with his work. 

I’m left standing there, the lingering sensations of his touch sending a shiver down my spine. Despite the lack of a heartbeat or any physical sensations, I can’t deny the way he makes me feel. Safe. Protected. As if, just for a moment, the weight of the world is lifted from my shoulders and I can simply be. 

With a renewed determination, I square my shoulder and focus on the task at hand. As we being sparring again, I find myself moving with a newfound confidence, each strike more precise than the last. And then, miraculously, it happens—I actually manage to get Jace down for once. 

I just watch in disbelief as he hits the ground, a surprised laugh escaping him as he looks up at me with sparkling eyes. In the moment, his laughter is like music to y ears, lighthearted. As Jace lies there, sprawled on the ground with a grin that could light up the room, I can't help but feel a rush of exhilaration. His boyish charm and playful energy are infectious, making me forget for a moment that we're supposed to be training. But as he starts to rise, that cocky smirk forming on his lips, I know the challenge isn't over yet.

With a twinkle in his eyes, he beckons me forward, goading me to try again. His confidence is palpable, almost tangible in the air between us. And I, of course, take the bait, eager to prove myself once more. 

But, as I unleash my vampire strength and speed, throwing my self into the spar with all I’ve got, I quickly realise that Jace has activated both runes, his agility now matching mine. His speed rune makes him a formidable opponent, dodging and waving with ease, always one step ahead. 

In the blink of an eye, he’s behind me, sweeping my feet out from under me with a swift motion. I feel the ground rushing up to meet me, but my reflexes kick in instinctively. As I tumble backwards, I grab onto Jace’s shirt, pulling him down with me. 

We land in a tangled heap, laughter bubbling up between us as we lie there, catching our breath. For a moment, time seems to stand still, the world around us fading away until it's just the two of us, tangled together on the ground. I can smell how sweet and like sunshine Jace’s blood smells in his veins and feel the way his heart is pounding as he buries his face in my neck. 

And in the moment, I realise just how much I enjoy being with him, the easy camaraderie and undeniable chemistry between us, making me, again, realise just how domesticated we are with each other. 

Part Five

The rain is coming down so hard it’s bordering on hail and as overwhelming as my senses are, the sound of it hitting the windows of my apartment is actually very comforting. Jace is in the shower again, coming back from another demon nest hunt and he’s told me he ordered pizzas on his way home as he invited the others around to jin us for the movie night before he jumped in the shower. 

As grateful as I am for his presence, a flicker of anxiety creeps into my mind at the thought of the others joining us. Alec and Magnus have always been welcoming, their easygoing nature together putting me at ease from the start. But Simon and Clary, lost in their own bubble of love, often seem oblivious to anyone around them nowadays, especially me their childhood friend. And Izzy.. well, Izzy can get anyone she wants with a bat of her eyelashes has me a little jealous. 

As I wait for Jace to emerge from the shower, the sound of the rain drumming against the window grows louder, echoing the turmoil of my thoughts. I find myself questioning whether I’ll be able to navigate the dynamics of the evening, whether I’ll be able to hold my own amidst the company of the Shadowhunters and Downworlders that make up Jace’s inner circle. 

But then, as if sensing my apprehension, Jace appears, a towel draped casually around his waist and a smile lighting up his face. It’s as if time itself pauses for a moment, allowing me to drink in the sight before me. His presence is like a beacon of light in the dimly lit apartment, his golden eyes sparkling with warmth and mischief. With his damp hair tousled and his skin glistening with droplets of water, he looks every bit like an adonis, a vision of strength and beauty. 

The towel draped casually around his waist hangs dangerously low, teasingly revealing the beginnings of his happy trail. My gaze is drawn to the tantalising glimpse of skin, the curve of his hips, the sculptured muscles of his abdomen. It's a sight that leaves me breathless, a reminder of just how effortlessly attractive he is.

But it's not just his physical appearance that captivates me; it's the way he carries himself, with a confidence that borders on arrogance yet somehow remains endearing. His smile is like a beacon of warmth, infectious and irresistible, drawing me closer with its magnetic pull.

As he moves closer, the scent of his shower gel fills the air, a heady mixture of musk and citrus that sends a shiver down my spine. I find myself mesmerised by the play of light and shadow on his skin, the way the droplets of water cling to his body like liquid diamonds. He brushes a gentle kiss against my cheek, his touch reassuring in its familiarity, a warmth spreading through me, soothing the lingering traces of anxiety that had gripped me moments before. His touch is a familiar reassurance, grounding me to the present moment and easing the flutter of my nonexistent heartbeat. 

But before I can fully lose myself in the intimacy of the moment, a sharp knock at the door interrupts us, shattering the fragile bubble of privacy we’ve created. With a playful smack to Jace’s arm I stop him from heading to the door, “Go get some damn clothes on, I’ll answer it.” Before I’m striding over to answer the door, cheeks flushed with a heat that most likely betrays the intensity of my emotions. 

As I swing the door open, Jace is ducking into our room and I’m met with the amused gazes of Alec and Magnus, their eyebrows raised in teasing curiosity. Magnus’ playful smirk hints at the mischief dancing in his eyes, while Alec's expression is a mix of amusement and affection. 

Despite my embarrassment at being caught in such a vulnerable moment, I can't help but smile at the sight of them. Their presence is like a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds, casting a warm glow over the room and dispelling the tension that had threatened to linger.

Suppressing the urge to bury my burning cheeks in my hands, I offer them a sheepish grin, knowing they heard what I said through the door, hoping to deflect their teasing with a lighthearted remark. But as Magnus's eyebrow quirks suggestively, I know that my attempt at nonchalance has fallen short. So, with a sigh of resignation, I step aside to let them in, knowing that there's no use in trying to hide the flush that still colours my cheeks

As I step aside to let them in, Alec hands me a DVD with a knowing smile. I can’t help bit roll my eyes fondly at his choice—Dracula. It’s become somewhat of an inside joke between me and Jace so I just know Jace told him to bring it. But before I have a chance to protest, Magnus is interjecting, his tone unreadable as he tells me “I’m afraid the others won’t be joining us tonight,” 

But Magnus’ words cut through the light-hearted banter, his tone carrying an unexpected weight as he informs me of the absence of our other friends. A pang of disappointment courses through me, a subtle ache in my chest as I realise that Clary and Simon won't be joining us tonight. They were more than just friends—they were my childhood companions, the ones who had been there through thick and thin. Their absence feels like a tangible loss, a reminder of how much our lives have changed since those carefree days of youth.

As I put the DVD in and get it ready, sinking into the couch with a heavy heart, I can't help but feel a sense of longing for the comfort of their presence. But I push aside those feelings, focusing instead on the company of Alec and Magnus, who have become like family to me in their own right. 

I sink into the cushions, allowing Alec and Magnus to take the other couch as we wait for Jace to return with the pizzas. Despite the disappointment lingering in the air, there's a quiet camaraderie between us, a shared understanding that in times of need, we can always rely on each other.

As the anticipation of Jace's return hangs in the air, the sound of the door opening signals his arrival. He appears just in time to answer the door, a grin spreading across his face as he enters with pizzas in hand. The sight of him brings a flicker of warmth to my heart, dispelling the lingering disappointment of our missing friends. 

Jace sets the pizzas down on the table with a flourish, his presence injecting a sense of energy into the room. With a casual ease, he joins us on the couch, seamlessly sliding in beside me. Without a second thought, he wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me snugly into his side. The gesture both  comforting and familiar, a silent reassurance of his affection for me. I lean into his embrace, feeling the warmth of his body against mine as he adjusts the blanket to cover us both. It's a simple act, but it speaks volumes about the bond we share—a bond that transcends words and barriers, connecting us on a deeper level.

With the remote in hand, Jace settles back against the cushions, his gaze fixed on the screen as he starts the movie. As the opening credits roll, I feel a sense of contentment wash over me, grateful for the warmth of Jace's embrace and the company of friends who feel like family.

Despite the disappointments and challenges we may face, in this moment, surrounded by laughter and love, I know that we'll always have each other. And as we lose ourselves in the world of Dracula, I find solace in the simple pleasures of friendship and companionship, knowing that no matter what the future may hold, we'll face it together, as a team.

Plus One

I’m not really sure how it happened but one moment I’m walking home from a day at the coffee shop and the next I’m being thrown into a wall. A wave of disorientating pain washes over me, leaving me gasping for breath and struggling to make sense eo what just happened. My sense reel, the world spinning in a dizzying blur as I try to focus on what just hit me. 

For a terrifying moment, I’m convinced that this is it—that I’m facing my end, torn to shreds by whatever unseen force assaulted me. Panic claws at the edges of my consciousness, threatening to consume me as I brace for the final blow. 

But then, as suddenly as it began, the assault ceases, leaving me trembling and shaken in its wake, unable to heal as I’ve lost too much blood. Slowly, I stagger to my feet, the world still spinning around me as I struggle to regain my bearings.The realisation that I’ve lost too much blood to heal hits me like a physical blow, leaving me lightheaded and unsteady. Every step is a battle against the dizziness and weakness that threatens to overwhelm me, but I push forward with grim determination. 

With each faltering step, the distance to the institute feels impossibly far, unable to use vampire speed without passing out. Panic sets in as I realise that Jace, my lifeline, is at the Institute today, and he hasn’t called to tell me he’s on his way home. Fear grips me like a vice, squeezing the breath from my lungs as I struggle to keep moving forwards. 

The world around me blurs as I stumble out of the alleyway and into the desired streets. My vision swims, the darkness closing in around me as I fight to stay conscious. Each breath is a struggle, my lungs burning with exertion as I push my body beyond its limits. 

Time loses all meaning as I continue to trudge forwards my footsteps echoing in the empty silence of the night. The Institute looms in the distance like a beacon of hope, its towering walls offering the promise of safety and sanctuary. But with each passing moment, it feels as though I'm slipping further and further away, teetering on the brink of unconsciousness.

Desperation claws at the edge of my consciousness as I force myself to keep moving, driven by the fear of what awaits me if I don’t reach the Institute in time. Every step is a battle against the darkness that threatens to engulf me, but I refuse to give up. 

With every ounce of strength I can muster, I push myself forward, determination fuelling my movements as I draw upon the last reserves of energy within me. As I approach the looming doors of the Institute, desperation spurs me to action, and I unleash the full force of my vampire speed. 

The doors fly open before me with a forceful momentum, swinging wide as if welcoming me home. But even as I breach the threshold, I trigger the wards surrounding the entrance, setting off alarms that echo through the empty halls. Before I can fully comprehend the situation, Jace appears before me, his weapon raised in a defensive stance. The sight of him, strong and unwavering, fills me with both relief and a sense of impending doom. I choke out his name, my voice barely a whisper as I struggle to remain upright. 

My knees give way beneath me, threatening to send me crashing to the unforgiving tiles below. But in the blink of an eye, Jace is there, his arms wrapping around me with lightning speed, catching me before I can hit the ground. The seraph blade clatters to the floor, forgotten in the urgency of the moment as Jace sinks us to the floor, cradling me in his arms, his eyes filled with concern and a hint of fear. I reach out to him, my fingers trembling as they brush against his cheek, a silent plea for reassurance. 

Despite my initial resistance, Jace's urgency is palpable, his wrist pressed insistently against my mouth as he pleads with me to drink. Fear courses through me as I shake my head, the thought of losing control terrifying me to the core. But as the scent of his blood fills my senses, a primal hunger takes hold, overpowering my rational thoughts. With a grip on my hair that borders on painful, Jace guides my mouth to the wound on his wrist, his other hand pressing against the back of my head. The taste of his blood is like nothing I've ever experienced before—warm and intoxicating, with a sweetness that rivals the warmth of the sun. 

As I drink, the fog that had clouded my mind begins to lift, clarity returning with each swallow. Guilt washes over me in waves, but I can't bring myself to stop. Jace's blood is a lifeline, grounding me in the present moment and soothing the ache of my wounds. I feed until I can feel the worst of the wounds stopping bleeding, my tongue lapping at the skin on Jace’s wrist to seal it shut. The taste of his blood lingering on my lips, a bittersweet taste. 

With a sigh of relief, I collapse against Jace's safe chest, my body trembling with exhaustion and relief. His touch is gentle yet firm, his hand cupping my jaw with a tenderness that tugs at my heartstrings. I feel his thumb under my chin, lifting my gaze to meet his, and as I look into those golden eyes, I see the raw emotion reflected in their depths.

Tears glisten in his eyes, a silent testament to the fear and concern he's been harboring for me. His voice is soft as he checks if I'm okay, the sound of it like a soothing balm to my battered soul. In that moment, I realise just how much he cares, how deeply he feels, and the thought fills me with a warmth that transcends the physical. 

As he leans down, his lips ghosting over mine with a hesitance that speaks volumes, I can feel the tension building between us, a palpable electricity that crackles in the air. My heart would be hammering in my chest, a rhythm that matches the erratic beat of his own. A small whine escapes my throat, a sound born of longing and need, and in that instant, his resolve crumbles. His lips crash against mine with a fervour that steals my breath away, a kiss so full of passion and intensity that it leaves me reeling. 

In that moment, I feel alive in a way I never have before, as if every nerve in my body is on fire with the intensity of his touch. It's as if he's breathing life back into me with each caress of his lips, each touch igniting a fire that burns brighter than the sun. 

“Maybe don’t almost die to act upon mutual feelings.” Jace is mumbling against my lips, earning a weak smack from me. 

“Shut up.” 

“Make me.” He retorts, kissing me softly once again. 

“Later I will.” 

The Shadowhunters Masterlist TAG LIST - updated 21st Dec 2023

[foodsies4me]

The trainees protecting Magnus is now immortalised as one of my fav head cannons to ever exist. Mostly cause Magnus deserves to be loved and protected and pampered. He has been doing this for others for centuries and secondly he deserves it cause he is just amazing and beautiful soul.

Secondly I actually got so emotional at all the trainees banding together to give him hugs and bring him snacks. Magnus really went from single bachelor with no soul mark trying his is unloveable to the being loved by a handsome Shadowhunter and his clan of protective lil beans. I can only imagine the scene after when Malec are alone and Magnus just breaks down cause ‘fuck, I really am adored for more than my magic’. Cue protective and soft soulmate Alec and just all the emotional reassurance cuteness ☺️

You’re honestly amazing. Like never miss a beat, always on point in ways I could never imagine ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a (waaaaay too late) follow up to the Magnus getting hurt prompt and getting some trainees cuddles. (I am running so far behind on my prompts which I know all meant as prompts but they spark too many bunnies and then I want to write them.😂

Anyway here is the short follow up to that first prompt.💜

Magnus watches as the trainees walk out the door in pairs of two and threes. They’re all stalling, Hideaki “accidentally” forgetting five different pencils while Max forgets his socks, shoes and needs to pee before he runs out of excuses he can use. Clara is clinging to him, pouting and arguing with Alec that Magnus needs another Sad Pancake Day despite his injuries having entirely healed. 

Seeing the displeasure on their faces – the disappointed pouts that not even Aloysius and Ariadne manage to hide has something squeezing painfully in Magnus’ chest. Something warm and tender and painful, tearing and healing old wounds as Magnus struggles to keep his voice light and teasing.

Chairman Meow is pouting as well.

It’s not as visible as the crossed arms and downturned lips the trainees have adopted, but it’s visible in the way he’s swishing his tail and twining himself around the trainees’ legs, trying to stop them from leaving in a way Magnus doesn’t dare to.

“-okay Magnus?” Alexander’s voice pulls him out of his internal stewing. He’s looking at him, waiting for an answer. He has Clara and Steph hiked up on one arm while Leo and Barika are dangling from the other and he doesn’t even seem to notice it and the sight makes Magnus’ heart tighten again.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that darling.”

“I’ll see you tonight?” he repeats, rolling his eyes when the reminder Alexander will be back tonight causes another wave of protests.

“Now, now my darling beans – it’s only until Saturday. I’m sure you’ll all survive a few days without me there.”

“But we don’t want to,” Payton grouches this time around. “Can’t you just come live with us at the institute? And then Chairman Meow can come too and we don’t have to wait.”

“Alright, that’s enough out of all of you,” Alexander interrupts before anyone else manages to fit another word in. “We’re already late so say bye to Magnus so we can go home.”

The chorus of Fine’s that echo through his loft sound somehow even more unhappy and displeased than everything else the trainees have said before this point. They bid him goodbye with quick stolen hugs and promises to see him on Saturday before Magnus is alone again in his too-big and too-empty loft.

“Meow,” Chairman Meow complains when the door shuts behind Alexander, the sound high and whiny.

“I know, Chairman,” Magnus sighs, sitting down on his couch so Chairman Meow can climb onto his lap. His chest is still hurting, his heart overflowing with more emotions than he knows what to do with. “I know. I miss them too.”

If later that night he ends up with tears in his eyes when Alexander hands him the drawings and get-well cards the trainees made him, his heart too full of love and care, then that’s only between him, Alexander’s shirt and the privacy of his wards. 

[hallowpen]

Hi Kodakins! I miss you🙁 Insomnia has plagued me once again, and you're on my list of people I bother when I cannot sleep. Don't worry, I won't put you through another round of either/or😅

Since there are "Top 5" polls going around, I was wondering: 1) Now that ThaiGL has taken over, which top 5 series are you most looking forward to?

2) What top 5 genres/tropes would you like to see from future GL projects?

Thank you for indulging me❤️

P.S. Now that I finally have some free time, I'm catching up on fics that I had saved to read for later and um

EXCUSE ME????? WTF IS THIS????? YOU NEGLECTED TO MENTION SOMEONE DYING!

❤️❤️❤️

Don't worry, I won't put you through another round of either/or😅

Thank you!!!

My Top 5 Upcoming Thai GL Series (I think you can probably predict most of these hehe)

1 - The Loyal Pin It's one of my favorite yuri novels (I own both the Thai and English versions). It's FreenBeck. It's promoting Thai culture on an international scale. It's the first Thai GL series to be backed by the MOC. It will break barriers... and my soul. I AM SOOO READY!!!

2 - The Last Case It's an original script. It stars openly queer actresses. It's being directed by N'App who is also openly queer. ESTER ORUCHE!!! The only reason it's not number one on my list is simply because it is Identity's first series and I have nothing to gauge their production by.

3 - Reverse 4 You I am a huge fan of Be My Favorite and while the premise is not exactly the same, it has its similarities. If this series comes anywhere close to being just as good, I'll be a very happy camper.

4 - Pluto Putting any issues I have with its source aside... I love Namtan Tipnaree. I tend to favor actors who have really great emotional range and Namtan can certainly deliver. Her being paired with an equally compelling actress like Film Rachanun certainly caught my attention. All I can hope for? That GMM will do right by them and the other female actresses involved 🤞🏾🤞🏾🤞🏾

5 - I'm Your Moon "กัษธิษฐาน" (the novel this series is based on) is a story of fated lovers and reincarnation...and that is one of my favorite tropes!!! The series is still in the very early stages of production, so anything can happen...

I'm generally not too concerned about genre or tropes in a series so instead, I'll answer you this...

My Top 5 Hopes for Future Thai GL Series

1 - Alright... there is one genre I want. VAMPIRES!!! Bet ya didn't see that one coming! 🤣🤣🤣 No...but in all seriousness, I'll take anything supernatural. Vampires, Sirens, Wiccans... it's all fair game. Bonus points if there's an incorporation of Thai mythology... there's such a rich history there.

2 - More Inclusivity. I'd love to see more sapphic stories beyond the standard variety. Give me trans leads, give me ace rep, give me neurodiversity, give me more disability rep, more Thai-black rep... there are so many identities that could benefit from more on-screen representation. I don't know if Thailand is fully there yet, but I hope someday we will be.

3 - Original Content. I'd love to see production companies develop their own original stories (much like The Last Case). I'm not saying to eliminate the Novel-to-Series model altogether, but original scripts tend to help diversify a genre.

4 - Step away from adapting Planoy novels. I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but my issue with them goes beyond their writing. I'll continue to say that they have contributed to the harm of the Thai queer community in both word and action. I will never support them and production companies should really stop giving them a platform. There are other, less problematic, GL authors who are more deserving of an opportunity.

5 - MilkLove in another, more mature GL. I'd (selfishly) love to see them in a series more suited to an older/adult audience.

...as for the fic, I don't know what to tell you hehe It's Shadowhunters. These are life/death situations... but just trust me. Not all is what it seems!!! (Thank you for reminding me to finish writing the fighting scenes for that. Those are always the most difficult to do and I've been putting it off for far too long)

[alecllightwood]

“Alright, everyone give me your full attention,” Alec spoke up, eyes glancing at the Shadowhunters and Guardians that stood before him. There’d already been some mindless chatter, mostly between Mason and Rose, but the time for playing catch up had passed. With the recent threats against their town, they had to begin training as they had before. There’d been a shift in dynamics over the course of the rebellion, and although apprehensive in the decision, Alec knew it was his time to step up. He had to lay the foundations, set the rules, and take the brunt of eye rolls and sarcastic backtalk that coincided with being the head of the academy. Confident that he finally had the room, he began listing off the pairings he’d spent weeks considering beforehand.  “Today’s training sessions won’t be finalising your bonds, but they’re a test of balance and chemistry. I need you to work hard, prove to me that you’re willing to put the effort in. — Izzy, you’re with Elijah. I trust you’ll keep him on task,” after the last conversation they’d had regarding the young guardian, Alec knew it’d be pointless trying to pair Isabelle with anyone else. He didn’t agree with it, especially considering Elijah would need to siphon Isabelle in order to perform, but he respected her decision. “Eddie, you’re with Adrian. I see no reason why we should change that.” He addressed them individually as he spoke, holding their gazes and therefore their attention. “Rose, since Izzy’s already paired, you’re now with me,” Alec’s lips pressed into a line, knowing it wasn’t ideal for either of them. But he’d put aside his differences for the sake of the cause. "Mason, Neville's waiting for you in the library, he needs to understand the theory before he trains physically. Max and Jace are there too. Which means Benjamin and Juliet, you’ll be working together. Remember to go easy on him, don’t use your vampire abilities to your advantage. It’s a guardian pairing, so one of you will have to play the front role. It shouldn’t be too difficult. Is everyone clear?”

[bitofanattitudeproblemherondale]

TID characters as Taylor Swift Albums

( i have wanted to do this for so long now)

Sophie Collins as Debut "Its alright to love someone who doesn't love you back, as long as they're worth you loving them. As long as they deserve it."

I mean she totally has those faded blue jeans paired with a tank top aesthetic when you think about it. She fell head first for a boy who showed her what hope was and then grew out of it to fall for a man who lit her world. She is brave and beautiful just like country Taylor.

Tessa Gray as Fearless (Taylor's version) "If no one in the entire world cared about you, did you really exist at all?"

Because she is the epitome of hope, her transition into a new country all by herself is so inspiring, and i’ve always associated Fearless with change, the inevitable beautiful kind, that transforms you into a new person, the sort of change that grows on you.

Jessamine Lovelace as Speak Now "Life is full of risks. Death is much simpler."

Sometimes we don’t say things when we feel them before it’s too late, but like Taylor rightly said “I don’t think you should wait, I think you should speak now.” Jessamine didn’t have much time but she realized things before it was too late. She saved them by sacrificing herself. She became her own salvation.

Will Herondale as Red (Taylor's Version) "Life is a book and there are a thousand pages that I have not yet read."

Yes i promise this is definitely not because Red is my favorite album (mostly). I have always associated Red with love and said that in a way Will taught me how to love. The selfless love that comes with knowing someone, falling head first for someone unknowingly, the sort of love that comes with the risk of them not catching you as you fall. It's ugly but it's radiant. It is the most beautiful shade of red because when you look into their eyes, you know it's worth it.

Cecily Herondale as 1989 "I am not afraid of London.", Cecily said defiantly.

Are you kidding me? She is literally the new romantic. She believed in second chances, she looked for the best in people. She was sweet and the sort of person everyone would want to protect but she also knew how to stand up for herself when come to it.

Charlotte Fairchild as Reputation “What I mean,” Charlotte said, correcting herself, “is that you are a Shadowhunter first, and a lady second.”

Make way for the first female Consul. *drumroll* She is smart, she is clever, she is wise, she is badass, she is the moment. She kind of ran the institute alone for years and took care of three kids with serious issues. She is the definition of being brave.

Gabriel Lightwood as Lover “You may hide here with me, if you wish.”

Please, we can all agree on the fact that Gabriel was the misunderstood lover boy. He is easily overlooked but that does not mean he doesn't have a sparkling personality. He is a pushover but when he knows something needs to be done, he does it.

James Carstairs as Folklore "You endure what is unbearable and you bear it. That is all."

Jem Carstairs is the epitome of wisdom and I consider Folklore the most lyrically established album so I think they go well together. He is like the start of August - when the breeze in the air feels like hope. He knew how to draw stars around someone's scars and heal them. He knew how to be there for the people he loved.

[x-ceirios-x]

(Part 2) City of Lost Souls, Chapter 1: The Last Council

please see the masterlist for notes about this series/collection of works

In silence, the three of them made their way through the corridors of the Institute, oddly crowded now with other Shadowhunters, some of whom were part of the special commissions that had been sent out from Idris to deal with the situation. None of them really looked at Andy, Isabelle, Alec, or Clary with much curiosity. Initially Clary had felt so much as if she were being stared at—and had heard the whispered words “Valentine’s daughter” so many times—that she’d started to dread coming to the Institute, but she’d stood up in front of the Council enough times now that the novelty had worn off. 

They took the elevator downstairs; the nave of the Institute was brightly lit with light as well as the usual tapers and was filled with Council members and their families. Luke and Magnus were sitting in a pew, talking to each other; beside Luke was a tall, blue-eyed woman who looked just like him. She had curled her hair and dyed the gray brown, but Clary still recognized her—Luke’s sister, Amatis. 

Magnus got up at the sight of Alec and came over to talk to him; Izzy appeared to recognize someone else across the pew and darted away in her usual manner, without pausing to say where she was going. Clary went to greet Luke and Amatis; both of them looked tired, and Amatis was patting Luke’s shoulder sympathetically. To her surprise, Andy was still behind her, and both adults glanced at her for a moment before turning their attention back to her. Luke rose to his feet and hugged Clary when he saw her. Amatis congratulated Clary on being cleared by the Council and she nodded; she felt only half-there, most of her numb and the rest of her responding on autopilot. 

She could see Magnus and Alec out of the corner of her eye. They were talking, Alec leaning in so close to Magnus, the way couples often seemed to curve into each other when they spoke, contained in their own universe. She was happy to see them happy, but it hurt, too. She wondered if she would ever have that again, or ever even want it again. She remembered Jace’s voice: I don’t even want to want anyone but you. 

“Earth to Clary,” Andy said in her ear, standing just behind her. “You alright, there?” 

“Yeah,” she said, taking a deep breath. Andy shot her a soft, encouraging smile—much different than her demeanor when dealing with the other Shadowhunters earlier. She stepped to the side slightly, behind her, and began playing with her hair, pulling it into a loose braid. 

Luke smiled at the two of them. “Do you want to head home? Your mother is dying to see you, and she’d love to catch up with Amatis before she goes back to Idris tomorrow. I thought we could have dinner. You pick the restaurant.” He was trying to hide the concern in his voice, but Clary could hear it. She hadn’t been eating much lately, and her clothes had started to hand more loosely on her frame. “Of course, Andy, you’re invited if you’d like to come.”

She gave a noncommittal hum. Not one that sounded irritated, but like she was still deciding. Andy had been spending more time at Luke’s house lately; it wasn’t to see her, though she did check in with her. She and Luke seemed to be getting closer, though things still appeared icy with Amatis. 

“I don’t really feel like celebrating,” she said. “Not with the Council de-prioritizing the search for Jace.”

Andy’s hands paused in her hair for a moment, like hearing the words had startled her despite her giving the news, but she felt one of her nails pull a small piece of hair into the braid again soon after. 

“It doesn’t mean they’re going to stop,” said Luke. 

“I know. It’s just—it’s like when they say a search and rescue mission is now a search for bodies. That’s what it sounds like.” She swallowed. “Anyway, I was thinking of going to Taki’s with Isabelle, Rowan, and Alec,” she said, and turned her head slightly. “Open invite,” she said to Andy, then turned her attention back to Luke. “Just…to do something normal.”

“As long as I don’t get punched again,” Andy said, chuckling. How she could so easily brush off such a hard hit, Clary didn’t know. 

“You got punched?” Luke asked, and Amatis’s mouth fell open. “By who?”

“It was my fault,” she said with a sigh, and tied an elastic around clary’s hair at the bottom of the braid. “Don’t you look pretty?” she said. “I think I’ll skip dinner with you kids tonight, but do have fun.”

Clary nodded, and another time, she would have found it funny that Andy referred to them as ‘kids’ when Alec was barely a year younger than her. Andy took her hand and gave it a quick squeeze, which she appreciated. “Thanks.”

Luke folded some money into her free hand, clearly relieved that she was doing something as normal as going out with friends. “Just promise to eat something.”

“Okay.” Through the twinge of guilt, she managed a real half smile in his direction. She waved goodbye to Andy and Amatis before she turned away. 

***

Andy waited until she was out of earshot to speak up. “I’m worried about her,” she muttered, biting her thumb. “Poor kid’s not eating, can’t sleep—everyone’s doing what they can, but everyone’s a wreck.”

“How are you doing?” Amatis said, to her surprise. “Luke tells me you and Jace really started to bond before…all this.”

Andy stared at her for a split second, surprised at such genuine concern. She shook her head quickly, not wanting to show anyone that she was taken off guard. “I’m perfectly fine,” she said in the most convincing bold-faced lie she could tell her mother. She didn’t seem to believe it, and Luke hid the confused look he gave her well. “I’m doing what I can to support Maryse, especially now that Aric has to leave. And everyone else, Clary included.”

Luke nodded. “Just don’t work too hard, alright? Take a breath when you need to.”

“Thanks, dad,” she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “I’m going to find Alec and see if he and Magnus have anything for me before I go on rounds tonight. The Clave may stop looking for Jace, that doesn’t mean I will.” 

“Andromeda,” Amatis said, just as she started to turn away. 

She stopped, her hair swishing behind her. “What, mom?” she said. There was venom in her words, though she didn’t mean it. It was just so normal for her mom to lecture her with something like this. She winced at her own words and frowned slightly. 

Her mom’s expression saddened, a crease forming between her eyebrows. “I love you. Please be safe.”

It had been a long time since her mom had said those words to her. Maybe she’d been missing her since her move to New York—she wasn’t sure. Her eyes widened for a moment, but she put on her ‘brave face’: a professional, plain expression that she trained herself to pull anytime she was in an uncomfortable situation. It helped her keep control of a conversation when she needed it. “I will,” she said, and smiled as she turned away. 

Over her shoulder, she heard Luke and Amatis. 

“You’re sure she’s doing okay here, Lucian?”

“She’s strong—she’s shown it over and over, in a battle or in her investigations. Believe in her a little.” 

Amatis hummed. She couldn’t hear anything after that. 

***

Isabelle had peeled away from Clary, originally, because she recognized a very tall head of fake-blond hair in the corner. She walked up to Tony Rosenhart, who was chatting with two people she didn’t recognize, and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned, initially surprised, but his face broke into a grin when he saw her. 

“Isabelle!” he said, his blue eyes lighting up in surprise. “It’s great to see you.”

She didn’t answer. Instead, she stood on her toes and hugged him, her arms comfortably around his neck for a moment. He reciprocated quickly, a little taken off guard but happy nonetheless. Tony had been her happy little secret—not that anyone at the Institute couldn’t know about him, but he was someone to talk to that was so uninvolved with all the craziness in the past few weeks, she wanted to keep it that way. Since they left Idris two months ago, the two started texting and had the occasional phone call. Even more recently, they’d started exchanging letters in fire messages, and she’d kept some of his in a drawer in her vanity. He wrote like a poet; sometimes, when she felt a little lonely, she’d reread his letters or text him just to say hi. The time difference made it hard to talk regularly, but they made it work. 

Someone behind him cleared their throat, and she begrudgingly pulled away from him. She missed seeing him in person—they’d danced together at the celebration of the Mortal War being over in Alicante, and while he wasn’t the best dancer, she enjoyed being in his company. Being around him was just easy. It was a nice change from her hectic life lately. 

“Sorry, sorry,” he said, and turned the both of them towards the two standing behind him. “Isabelle, these are my parents. This is Isabelle, my friend that I met when I was up with Uncle Victor.”

The woman, his mother, looked a little sad at the mention of him. She’d never known Inquisitor Aldertree’s first name, or even if he had much of a family. Even though he was a kniving prick that threw Simon in jail and left him to die, she supposed it made sense to miss him. She understood losing a brother. She extended her hand and shook Isabelle’s graciously, both of her hands holding hers. “My name is Miah. It’s wonderful to finally meet you, dear, I’ve heard so many wonderful things.”

Isabelle smiled, and nudged Tony’s arm. “You talk about me at home?” 

He flushed. “Maybe a little,” he muttered.

She didn’t have a chance to respond to him, because his father spoke up next. “You must be Maryse’s daughter,” he said, and shook her hand as well. “You look just like her.”

“I hear that a lot.” Isabelle chuckled. “Do you mind if I ask how you knew my mom?”

“Oh, I taught at the Academy back in the day,” he said cheerfully. Both him and Miah appeared to be about ten years older than her parents, but from what she understood, the Academy hired the best and brightest, not necessarily determined by age. “Your mother was always a bright girl. Her and that Mollie Penhallow were constantly at each other’s necks for top marks. I heard it’s her son that’s missing, along with the Herondale boy.”

She frowned slightly. “It is. I grew up with the Ashfairs, he’s like my little brother.”

Miah elbowed her husband. “By the Angel’s name, Rhys, you may understand demonic languages but you are certainly terrible with people,” she said with a sigh. “I apologize for him. All of us fought for the continuation of the search for the boys.”

“Thank you,” she said. “We’re doing what we can here, too. Thank you all for coming, too.” She looked at Tony for a moment when she said that, and he smiled down at her. 

It was quiet for a moment. Miah looked between the two of them and got an unreadable look on her face, but it appeared to be a very mom-type look. “Actually, dear, why don’t we go find Maryse ourselves? Say hello? I—oh, see, she’s there with your little protégé, too!” She grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him across the room, over to where Maryse and Aric were standing. 

“Sorry about them,” Tony said. “I am really happy to see you.”

She shook her head, smiling up at him. “I think they’re charming. I wish my mom would embarrass me sometimes, she’s so uptight.”

He visibly relaxed at that. “I know you and Jace are pretty close. Sorry about all this—I can’t imagine—”

“I’ve heard it all so many times today,” she said with a sigh. She didn’t mean to be rude and cut him off, but she was tired of the condolences. “I thought we agreed on no apologies for things we have no control over? A while ago.”

“Of course,” he said. He extended his hand with his pinky sticking up—it was childish, but she liked the bit of childish humor he had. “Promise to keep an eye out for everyone, though. They’ll come home if I have anything to say about it.”

Isabelle could have melted in that moment. She couldn’t say he barely knew her, not anymore. She’d spent too many nights calling him as soon as he woke up, talking when it was midnight for her and six for him. He admitted, once, that he started waking up earlier to talk to her and enjoyed his morning coffee and early breakfast before he ���had to be a real person’ during the day. Like he didn’t have to be what he was expected to with her, but could just be him. And she swore she could do the same with him. There was no stress when she talked to Tony, or listened to him play piano as she faded off to sleep. He was quite good. 

She wrapped her pinky around his and nodded. “Thank you,” she said, smiling up at him. In the last few weeks since they’d seen each other, he seemed to have grown into himself a little—when they first met, he seemed awkward and closed in, but today, he looked a little stronger. In his confidence and, though she wasn’t looking, physically. What happened to teenage boys over a few weeks that they could change so much? Jensen, she thought, was not allowed to grow up like that and had to remain an awkward dork for the rest of his life. And she was going to allow herself to think about that because he would come home, and she would get mad at him in a few years when he grew up, just like Alec and Jace did. 

“Izzy!” a voice called from a few feet away. Aline walked towards them, waving excitedly. Beside her stood a blonde girl who was very pretty, and had pointed ears that stuck out from behind her hair. Just behind them was Lian Mayhew, who still had his crutches, but seemed to walk a little better than the last time she’d seen him. 

She waved hello to everyone, and noticed quickly that Tony hadn’t dropped her hand, just let them fall together, between them. He didn’t say anything about it, and neither did she. 

***

Magnus and Alec were no longer where they had been a moment ago. Glancing around, Clary saw Izzy’s familiar long black hair through the crowd. She was standing by the Institute's large double doors, talking to someone Clary couldn’t see. Clary headed towards Isabelle; as she drew closer, she recognized one of the group, with a slight shock of surprise, as Aline Penhallow. Her glossy black hair was cut stylishly just above her shoulders. Standing next to Aline was a slim girl with pale white-gold hair that curled in ringlets; it was drawn back from her face, showing that the tips of her ears were slightly pointed. She wore Council robes, and as Clary came closer, she saw that the girl’s eyes were an unusual blue-green, a color that made Clary’s fingers yearn for her Prismacolor pencils for the first time in two weeks. 

On Aline’s other side, stood another boy with very dark hair, standing a few inches above her. She noticed that he was hunched forward slightly, leaning on forearm crutches that helped support him. Like Aline, he wore no Council robes, and instead opted for loose khakis and a plain T-shirt. The bottom of a parabatai rune poked out from underneath the sleeve of his shirt, placed in the middle of his bicep. The boy next to him was much taller and slim, with bleached-blond hair and a soft sort of expression that reminded her of Simon. He wore Council robes that sat open over ripped jeans and a loose-fitting sweater. She, by chance, noticed that he was casually holding Isabelle’s hand, and quickly decided it would be better not to comment. 

“It must be weird, with your mother being the new Consul,” Isabelle was saying to Aline as Clary joined them. “Not that Jia isn’t much better than—Hey, Clary, Aline, you remember Clary.”

The two girls exchanged nods. Clary had once walked in on Aline kissing Jace. It had been awful at the time, but the memory held no sting now. She’d be relieved to walk in on Jace kissing someone else at this point. At least it would mean he was alive. 

“Short introductions,” Isabelle said, and began to point at each person in turn as she announced their names. The blond boy, who had since dropped Isabelle’s hand, was Tony Rosenhart, whose parents ran the Brussels Institute. He was also Inquisitor Aldertree’s nephew and a much better guy, she said, than the Inquisitor was. He flushed at the statement. The boy with the crutches next to Aline was her parabatai and childhood friend, Lian Mayhew, whose parents ran the Beijing Institute. He bowed his head slightly in greeting. 

“And this is Aline’s girlfriend, Helen Blackthorn,” she said with heavy emphasis. Clary shot her a glare. Did Isabelle think she was an idiot? Besides, she remembered Aline telling her that she’d kissed Jace only as an experiment to see if any guy were her type. Apparently the answer had been no. Lian snickered at her comment, for which Aline elbowed him. He muttered something in a language she didn’t understand, but based on her reaction, it was probably along the lines of yeah, finally. “Helen’s family runs the Los Angeles Institute. Guys, this is Clary Fray.”

“Valentine’s daughter,” Helen said. She looked surprised and a little impressed. 

Clary winced. “I try not to think about that too much.”

“Sorry. I can see why you wouldn’t.” Helen flushed. Her skin was very pale, with a slight sheen to it, like a pearl. “I voted for the Council to keep prioritizing the search for Jace, by the way. I’m sorry we were overruled.”

“As did I,” Tony spoke up. “I was just telling Isabelle about it. The decision was frustrating for many.”

“Thanks.” She struggled to come up with more to say, but as she wracked her mind for better words, a new figure joined the group. 

Rowan, still rubbing their knuckles, found her and stood to her side. They barely had the chance to say hello before Aline lunged for them, leaving Helen a few steps behind her. She wrapped her arms around their neck and squeezed them tightly, swaying side to side. 

“Good to see you, too,” Rowan said breathlessly. They awkwardly patted her shoulder. 

She pulled away, hands still on their shoulders. “I am so sorry about Jensen. Dad’s distraught, I hear mom’s pissed about the whole meeting, plus with your dad getting sent to Moscow—”

“Thanks, Aline,” they said, painfully monotonous, and offered a clearly fake smile. 

She frowned, but returned to her place with Helen and Lian. “I was surprised Uncle Aric didn’t put his name in for the Inquisitor position himself. He does so much with Mom, you know. Hey, Izzy, did you know your dad put in for it?”

Clary felt Isabelle freeze beside her. “No. No, I didn’t know that.” There was a silent exchange of looks between her and Tony, but Isabelle quickly turned back to the conversation at hand. 

“I thought he was pretty committed to running the Institute here—” Aline broke off, looking past Clary. “Helen, I think your brother is trying to make the world’s biggest puddle of melted wax over there. You might want to stop him.”

Helen blew out an exasperated breath, muttered something about twelve year old boys, and vanished into the crowd just as Alec pushed his way forward. He greeted Aline with a hug—Clary forgot, sometimes, that the Penhallows and the Lightwoods had known each other for years, even before the Ashfairs threw themselves into the mix. He looked at Helen in the crowd. “Is that your girlfriend?”

Aline nodded. “Helen Blackthorn.”

“I heard there’s some faerie blood in that family,” said Alec. 

Ah, Clary thought. That explained the pointed ears. Nephilim blood was dominant, ant the child of a faerie and a Shadowhunter would be a Shadowhunter as well, but sometimes the faerie blood could express itself in odd ways, even generations down the line. 

“A little,” said Aline. “Look, I wanted to thank you, Alec.”

Alec looked bewildered. “What for?”

“What you did in the Hall of Accords,” Aline said. “Kissing Magnus like that. It gave me the push I needed to tell my parents…to come out to them. And if I hadn’t done that, I don’t think, when I met Helen, I would have had the nerve to say anything.”

“Oh.” Alec looked startled, as if the impact of his actions hadn’t really hit him yet. He glanced at Lian, who smiled sheepishly. 

“That’s funny, Aline. I said the same thing at the big party,” he said, his eyes casting downward. “Not that I’ve told my parents yet. They might have my head.”

Rowan nodded in agreement. “I just barely got my dad to wrap his head around some of this stuff. I get where you’re coming from.” They looked at Aline. “How’d yours take it?”

Aline rolled her eyes. “They’re sort of ignoring it, like it might go away if they don’t talk about it.” Clary remembered what Isabelle said about the Clave’s attitude toward its gay members. If it happens, you don’t talk about it. “But it would be worse.”

“It could definitely be worse,” said Alec, and there was a grim edge to his voice that made Clary look at him sharply. 

Aline’s face melted into a look of sympathy. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Tony’s the lucky one, his parents couldn’t care less—”

Tony shot her a look that insisted she needed to stop talking. They seemed to know each other well, she noticed. “I’m fortunate in that my parents are more open minded than most,” he said, looking at Alec apologetically. “My sister, Amelia, wasn’t born a girl, but she felt better living as one, so they did her best to support her how they could.”

Rowan’s eyes widened slightly at his words, like his explanation of his sister piqued their interest for the first time in this conversation. “Was? What happened?”

“A bad mix of fae and human drugs,” he said plainly. “Overdose.”

Isabelle frowned, and Clary thought she grabbed his hand again. “You never told me that.”

“It was ten years ago.” He, very pointedly, tried to change the topic. “My point just is, if any of you need a decent vacation spot or something, my parents are really accepting of anything and would love the company.”

Lian spoke up. “Oh, and Miah makes these apple pastries that are absolutely the best. She makes me a batch every time I visit.”

“Well, either way, I shouldn’t have said anything right now. Not with the boys missing. You must all be so worried.” Aline took a deep breath. “I know people have probably said all sorts of stupid things about jace to you. The way they do when they don’t really know what to say. I just—I wanted to tell you something.” She ducked away from a passer-by with impatience and lowered her voice. “I remember when you guys came to visit once. I think I was thirteen, would have made Jace twelve. We borrowed some horses to go see Brocelind Forest, but you know the woods. It’s impenetrable. I was terrified. I thought we’d die there.”

“I remember that day,” Rowan said, cutting into her story for a moment. They stared at the floor like they were stuck in the memory. “Barely. But I remember being stuck out there for a long time.”

Aline nodded. “Jace was never scared. He was never anything but sure we’d find our way out. It took hours, but we finally found the treehouse in the backyard of the manor. I was so grateful but he just looked at me like I was crazy. Like of course he’d get us out. Failing wasn’t an option. I’m just saying—he’ll find his way back to you. I know it. And he’s not going to let anything hurt Jensen. I know he wouldn’t.”

Clary didn’t think she’d ever seen Izzy cry, and she was clearly trying not to now. Her eyes were suspiciously wide and shining. Alec was looking at his shoes. Rowan’s expression was hard and they had their fists balled at their sides, digging their nails into their palms. She felt a wellspring of misery wanting to leap up inside her but forced it down; she couldn’t think about Jace when he was twelve, couldn’t think about him lost in the darkness, or she’d think about him now, lost somewhere, trapped somewhere, needing her help, expecting her to come, and she’d break. “Aline,” she said, seeing that none of the Lightwoods could speak. “Thank you.”

Aline flashed a shy smile. “I mean it.”

“Aline! Lian!” It was Helen, her hand firmly clamped around the wrist of a younger boy whose hands were covered in blue wax. He must have been playing with the tapers in the huge candelabras  that decorated the sides of the nave. He looked Jensen’s age, about twelve, with an impish grin and the same shockingly blue-green eyes as his sister, though his hair was dark brown. “We’re back. We should probably go before Jules destroys the whole place. Not to mention that I have no idea where Tibs and Livvy have gone.”

“They were eating wax,” the boy—Jules—supplied helpfully. 

“Oh, God,” Helen groaned, and then looked apologetic. “Never mind me. I’ve got five younger brothers and sisters and one older. It’s always a zoo.”

Lian chuckled. “That’s why I help babysit now that I’m with Aline more.”

Helen looked at him gratefully. Jules looked from Alec to Isabelle to Rowan and then at Clary. “How many brothers and sisters have you got?” he asked. 

Helen paled. Isabelle said in a remarkably steady voice, “there’s three of us.”

He looked at Clary, then his eyes narrowed on Rowan. They rolled their eyes, clearly not entertained and probably having got this question before. They had very similar hair to the Lightwoods, but upon looking closer, they didn’t look much like Alec or Isabelle. “I’m not related to them,” they said. “Just good friends. You’d like my brother, though. He’s an inquisitive little—”

Aline coughed. Rowan forcibly grinned. “—kid. Just like you.”

Jules’ eyes focused on Clary, then. “Me, neither. I don’t have any brothers or sisters.”

“None?” Disbelief registered in the boy’s tone, as if she’d told him she had webbed feet. “Is that why you look so sad?”

Clary thought of Sebastian, which his ice-white hair and black eyes. If only, she thought. If only I didn’t have a brother, none of this would have happened.  A little throb of hatred went through her, warming her icy blood. “Yes,” she said softly. “That’s why I’m sad.”

[lynne-monstr]

Fic Writer Interview

i was tagged by the lovely @forerussake, thanks so much!! what a fun list of questions. alright, here goes

name/nicknames: lynne

fandoms: mostly the king’s avatar these days, though i lurk and read fic in others

two shots: i’m assuming this is a two part fic. i don’t think i’ve ever written any of those, at least not deliberately. I do have a two chapter fic but the chapter break was added specifically to integrate my big bang artist’s piece into the fic, it wasn’t originally by design.

fic - Five Times Yu Wenzhou Gets Stuff Thrown At His Head and the One Time He (Finally) Catches Something

most popular multi-chapter fic: haha well i write almost exclusively one-shots so there’s not much to choose from. 

and anyway, metrics are a finicky thing.

by kudos, Dressed for Sin (Shadowhunters) is the most popular. But that’s just because it’s the biggest fandom i’ve written multi-chapter fic in. By relative popularity within the fandom, this one would probably be pretty low on the list. But it’s one of my favorites because i got to write one of my favorite tropes: alternate first meetings.

fic - Dressed for Sin                                

Since it’s the end of the year i can indulge in a little navel gazing and say that my most popular fics overall were in leverage fandom, probably due to the size of the fandom at the time and writing What Fandom Wanted (ot3 with a focus on eliot, getting together fic with feelings).

If I was going to list my Most Popular (TM) fic based on my vibes for relative fandom popularity I’d probably say the de-aged ywz fic. I wouldn’t say it’s a popular fic overall, but in terms of what i’ve written, i feel like it’s the multi-chapter that’s gotten the deepest engagement. lol maybe because it’s the longest.

fic - Means of Transportation

lol that was a lot of words for someone who has written prob less than 10 multi-chapter fics but the year is ending and is there a better time to be self-indulgent?

actual worst part of writing: when i know exactly what i want but i just can’t get the words right. either because i don’t know exactly how to shape the plot or because the vibes are off or because i just can’t wrangle the dialogue or characterization. knowing what i want and being unable to get there is incredibly frustrating.

how do you choose your titles: I cry.

(okay, i actually do have a document where i keep snippets of lyrics and poetry but tbh they rarely come in handy. a lot of times i just blindly google lyrics to songs on my spotify playlists and hope for the best. my favorite is when i can snip a piece of narrative or dialogue to use as a title but oof the stars really have to align for that to work)

do you outline?: if the fic is longer than a scene or two, yes. it’s very helpful to know where the story is going. i also color code my outlines as I write (green, orange, red for written, in progress, and haven’t started writing yet) so i can get a quick view of where i am.

sometimes my outlines start as rambles and end up as real writing and then i can copy-paste that part of the outline into the actual fic and that is very satisfying.

callouts @ me: write that stupid, self-indulgent, silly idea!! it doesn’t have to be good, it doesn’t have to be a complete idea, it doesn’t have to be anything but fun. also, don’t feel bad about writing fifty thousand fics for the same pairing, you’re not here to be well-rounded, you’re here to have fun.

best writing traits: when i’m determined and in the midst of a project, i can be very good at sitting down regularly and doing 500 words of writing a day. which is wonderful for making progress. also i often get compliments about my characterization and humor in my fic, which i work very hard at.

spicy tangential opinion: i’m sure i have many of them but as usual, when i am asked to list them, they all *poof* into thin air. I have a not-so-spicy opinion that I hate 97% of epithets I come across and would like to throw “the smaller male” into the sun.

tagging: @glorious-spoon, @junemermaid, @afincf-tirwer, @tehfanglyfish, @beatperfume, @undead-robins, @gingersnapwolves, @la-muerta, @vampirenaomi, @dirty-corza

[myulalie]

Ten Random Lines

Rules: pick any ten of your fics, scroll to the midpoint, pick a line (or three) and share it. Then tag ten people.

I was tagged by @polarnacht1 and this looks like fun, thanks!

I've decided to go with the most recent works on my AO3 and scroll down to pick any fic that caught my eye so, here we go...

Eyes on Fire

Teen, Teen Wolf, Sterek (read here)

For once, he’s not likely to find bruises there when he looks in the mirror. Derek doesn’t exactly hurt him usually, but before… The born werewolf couldn’t quite find that sweet spot between manhandling Stiles to his liking and not leaving bruises, which often resulted in an impressionist painting on Stiles’ dainty throat.

Talk shit, get kissed

General, Teen Wolf, Sterek (read here)

“Alright, I’ll just… pretend I’m still asleep.” “I know you’re not,” Derek mumbles, and after a beat, he adds. “You smell like pack.” “Better than smelling bad.”

Idris Tour Sweethearts

General, Shadowhunters, Malec (read here)

“Thanks,” Magnus breathes out when they take a seat in front of the fire. “Don’t take me wrong, I’m only doing that so I can get a piece of those Lava Cookies I saw in your bag,” Alec teases. “I bought them in Hoenn, they’re authentic,” Magnus replies, grinning. “Maybe I’ll share if you wash the dishes.” “Deal.”

The Cure

Mature, Teen Wolf, Sterek (read here)

“Hey, I’m sorry to call out of the blue, but a girl disappeared at Beacon Hills Primary,” Derek says in one breath. “Apparently, the police station received another set of coordinates immediately after so we have high hopes of finding her alive this time.”

Something in the Water (calling my name)

Teen, Teen Wolf, Sterek (read here)

Behind Stiles, Scott scrambles for the toilet, promptly throwing up.

A million stars trapped in glass

Teen, Alex Rider, Yalex (read here)

Yassen puts the glass down on the floor, pale pink wine shimmering in the artificial light, and leans against the back of the chair, leveling Alex with a look the spy can’t decipher. Yassen’s mind and heart were never the easiest to break in, he assumes, but it doesn’t stop him from trying every combination that comes to mind, ranging from utter provocation to sheer empathy. Why not flirting too?

Wooing the Hale out of Derek

Teen, Teen Wolf, Sterek (read here)

The gift card catches Derek’s attention almost immediately as it falls out of the book, and he wipes his fingers on a napkin before picking it up.

17 Suits

Explicit, Shadowhunters, Malec (read here)

As she said in French, out of sight, out of mind. Camille never saw Magnus indeed, and he freezes with the heart-wrenching revelation.

The Mortal Instruments: Skyrim

Mature, Shadowhunters, Malec (read here)

The sun warms Magnus’ skin as he trudges through knee-high shrubs to harvest some lavender, eager to fight the scent of filth away with the purple flowers.

The impulses of the fallen

Mature, Shadowhunters, Malec (read here)

The fabric of Magnus’ pants is taut over his backside, and reminds Alec of their first meeting in Pandemonium, lurking in the crowd like Magnus was prey, and Alec ready to pounce.

I'm tagging: @wildelydawn, @1lostone, @kelkblr, @one-fandom-became-all-fandoms, @silver-lily-louise, @sterekxhale, @aceon-ice, @cristalknife, @brightasstars, @machsmile!

[alecmagnuslwb]

hello! how have you been? its been a while since i asked something but life gets crazy sometimes and it is what it is but im back! and i hope you don't mind me asking again for your help finding malec fics, you are really the only one who helps me lol

so, magnus is chasing a warlock who has been killing people to resurrect his lover who was mortal or something, when magnus catches up with him he tells magnus he should understand because his shadowhunter was old and surely didn't have much time and wouldn't magnus do the same in his place? i think madzie was helping too, magnus goes back to the loft to alec who is indeed rather old at this point, i don't remember how it ends, if alec dies or turns immortal

thanks a lot!

hi anon, I'm doing alright and hope you're doing well as well!

Unfortunately I won't be any help with this one, I tend to stick to exclusively immortal Alec when it comes to in canon universe fics.

Maybe someone out there could help out??

UPDATE: Anon check the replies to this @silver-lily-louise might have the fic you're looking for!

[flickerof]

Fic rec: summer fics

because they’re set in the summer, or just remind me of it. enjoy <3

rivers ‘til i reach you (friends with benefits, pining, very nostalgic) AU. Louis studies astronomy; Harry studies Louis. They spend their summers on the water and it shouldn’t be complicated (spoiler: it is).

Escapade (Jack, the ziall olympics, of course he plays golf. I would die for dolce) In the grand scheme of things, finding a date for a wedding should be no problem for Louis Tomlinson. He’s rich. He’s handsome. He’s reasonably well behaved. But when the wedding is for his lifelong best friend (and former boyfriend), and is happening in under a month, finding a date for the ceremony and accompanying festivities becomes more of an adventure than he ever could have planned for.

Promise You’ll Remember That You’re Mine (summer camp AU, Louis in panties) What he doesn’t expect is to see Louis in their bathroom wearing panties. Not even like standard panties, they’re fucking black and sheer so Harry can see Louis’ full arse and there’s even lace trimming the edges. He nearly has a heart attack.

Pull Me Under (the classic, footballer Louis, fake relationship) AU. As the first British footballer to come out at the prime of his career, it helps that Louis Tomlinson is in a long-term, committed relationship. Even if that relationship is fake.

in the heat where you lay (canon, iconic tbh) Harry and Louis fuck after Brussels.

that good girl faith (and a tight little skirt) (summer camp AU, girl HL) Harry and Louis are camp counsellors. They hate each other. The amount of sex they have in the camp showers probably contradicts that.

Oh Glory (olympics AU, medal bondage) Harry Styles is Team Great Britain’s newest swimmer, and has spent his whole life training for this moment, a chance at the gold medal in the Rio 2016 Olympics. All his training, hard work, and dedication to no distractions is tested when he’s assigned to the same Rio apartment as Louis Tomlinson, British gymnast and Harry’s childhood crush.

no pressure, no diamonds (thieves AU, past relationship) Louis is a thief, Harry a grifter. They are thrown together for a huge diamond heist in Paris, where their past soon catches up to them.

above your head (space AU, pining, petition to turn this into a movie) Louis is an astronaut. Harry works for Mission Control. They don’t get along.

Swim In The Smoke (pirate AU, ABO, he jumped off the SHIP) “What about this, Captain?” Liam asks, nudging the boy kneeling between their feet with the toe of his boot. The boy hisses and swipes at him, slurring out something unintelligible around the makeshift gag Niall had to stuff in his mouth. He misses by a mile and tries again, just as ineffectively.

Harry looks down at him, at the way the sun streams over his face and shoulders, at the way the gag stretches his mouth, lips pink and chapped. He’s lithe and pretty, smudged all over with dirt. They had found him tied up below deck, mostly unconscious, next to a barrel full of gold. He’s clearly a prisoner, but there’s something familiar about him, something that niggles at Harry’s brain. Something he can’t quite put his finger on.

“Put him in my cabin,” Harry decides.

Glow (alien prince Harry) (A summer barbecue at the Tomlinson’s is interrupted by a naked visitor from a peaceful planet far, far away. Can an alien and a human survive a summer together for the sake of the human race?)

Wild and Unruly (emotional cow births) Harry is a cowboy sitting on the biggest oil reservoir in Wyoming, and Louis is the paralegal assigned to pressure him into selling his land.

another hazy may (army AU, this fic changed me) Louis is a terrible poet and Harry lives in the now and they have six weeks to fall in love but, really, it only takes six seconds.

Speaking of Marvels (old school, the first fic I ever read on AO3, bless) AU. Louis is a nanny in suburban New Jersey, and the neighbors’ son is home from college for the summer. It was supposed to be a fling.

May We Stay Lost On Our Way Home (fairy Louis, wing kink) On March 31st, Harry Styles disappears. Though many speculate, only two people know where to find him: Niall, his former guitarist, and Zayn, who follows where Niall leads. The fact the biggest boy band in the world broke up two weeks earlier might be related to the disappearance. The fact Harry meets a fairy named Louis in the woods is a whole other matter. (Liam is a centaur.)

Purer Than The Water (like we were) (mermaid AU) Louis is a merman and Harry is a boy. The lake is a good place to fall in love.

Into The Blue (another classic, friends with benefits) AU. In which Louis is Harry’s scuba instructor and quite happy to provide the requested special treatment, pun fully intended. It can’t be all that difficult to convince Harry that they’re on the same page, right? Also, Niall and Liam may or may not be dating, and Zayn is surrounded by emotionally stunted idiots. He bears it with dignity.

Jump Before We Fall (another classic, hotel AU) Louis and Zayn’s lives revolve around running a hotel by the sea, Harry is a student who wants a life far from home for just a little while, Niall doesn’t know where life leads him and Liam thinks he has already found all purposes in his life.

you drive me wild (you know you do) (canon, jealousy) Louis flirts with the Australian interviewers and Harry gets possessive.

Ache To Know The Song He Sung (club AU, banging on a roof terrace) Louis is a bartender and Harry is a DJ in a club in Barcelona. All they really need to do is get their shit together. Of course, that’s not what happens.

i’d burn this city down to show you the light (a mood booster) Harry’s a sheltered rich kid and Louis’s a punk with a heart of gold. They meet when Louis breaks into Harry’s house, Harry obtains an instant and all-encompassing crush, and they spend the summer falling into a whirlwind romance.

Finding Lou (books, adventure and romance) Louis is the nomadic stranger who wanders into Harry’s bookstore. Harry is the skeptic who falls for him.

Counting The Steps Between Us (all the pining, friends to lovers) AU. So, yeah. That year abroad helped Harry establish that he is in love with his best friend. Now, if Louis would stop treating him like a little brother, that would be awesome.

This Wicked Game (bachelor AU) An AU in which The Bachelor is gay, Louis is a contestant, Harry is the bachelor, everyone drinks a lot of champagne, the entire world gets to watch them fall in love, and no one plays by the rules.

run away home (horses!!! trust me it’s beautiful) Louis is a successful jockey down on his luck, struggling to get his life back on track after an injury. Harry has a horse, a house fit for a prince, and a broken heart.

[heliads]

The Hellhound and the Shadowhunter (Part Two)

Based on this request: "After the party at the end of part one, the reader and Maryse have repaired their relationship. There’s a one-year time jump. Y/N and Jordan are back in California, and are married with a baby boy named Benjamin Parrish. Y/N and Jordan visit New York so that Y/N’s siblings can meet Benjamin."

part one / masterlist 

Your husband finds you standing in a corner of your kitchen, clutching a perfectly typed invitation like it’s a sacred talisman. Although you’re the head of the California Shadowhunter Institute, and are thus kept quite busy with the day to day errands of the western Nephilim, he’s been coming home later and later as well. As it turns out, being a hellhound in a place that’s host to both werewolf packs and angelic warriors tends to attract a lot of supernatural foes, and he’s been forced to use every available minute of the day to make sure his friends will be alright.

Jordan still manages to come into the house with a smile, however tired. It slips into a frown when he notices the paper in your hand, the way the envelope at your feet has been scrawled over with protective runes. Most Shadowhunters in the area would just pay you a visit at the Institute, but someone’s taken the time to write.

He eases into the room, pressing a kiss to your head so he can steal a glance at the paper in your hand. “What’s that?”

You smile over at him, taking in the trepidation in his voice. “It’s good news, actually. Might be the first time in a while that I’ve gotten good news from New York.”

Jordan arches a brow. “We’ve gotten word from New York? How are they doing? How’s Alec?”

You laugh at his question. Alec has always had a rather good friendship with Jordan, something about the fact that they’d both turn into the most fearsome warriors imaginable when it comes to protecting the people they care about. The events at Alec’s almost wedding last year only solidified their camaraderie.

“Alec is great, actually, that’s why he’s writing. He’s getting married, but this time for real.”

Jordan looks delighted. “Don’t tell me Magnus finally proposed. I thought they’d never get around to it.”

You bite back a grin. “You know, you’re awfully involved in this. I seem to recall both of us dreading a trip over to the New York Institute the last time he was getting married.”

Jordan waves a hand dismissively. “That was before, and your family is much cooler about the whole ‘children dating Downworlders’ thing now. I hate to say it, but I’m almost excited to see the in-laws. Honestly, we should have them visit more often.”

You smile contentedly at him. While you were in New York, you had the opportunity to really talk with your family for the first time in a long time. You were inspired by your twin’s courage in standing up to your parents, so you figured you could use a little luck yourself.

The end of the night had found you and Maryse Lightwood walking through the corridors of the New York Institute, just catching each other up on everything that had happened over the last few years. You’d shared your thoughts on plenty of past grievances, such as your mother’s excessive expectations for Alec and yourself, as well as her attitude towards Jordan.

To be honest, you hadn’t been sure how well it would go. Maryse is a classic Shadowhunter, she always has been. She follows the rules because it keeps her in a safe sort of spotlight. No one looks twice at someone they think they can trust.

Still, that conversation had revealed much about your mother that you hadn’t even begun to realize before. Over the course of a couple of hours, your shoulders lost their stiffness, and you talked with her, the real sort of talking you’d only managed with Alec, Izzy, and your younger siblings before. It was as if you were looking at Maryse through a window newly cleared of fog, and you only wish that you could have achieved that sort of reconciliation a lot earlier.

She admitted that she was quite proud of you for all of your work with the California Institute, even if it was far away from home. Also, she finally started seeing past Jordan’s life as a hellhound for the wonderful man that he is, and they’ve quickly grown close.

There’s another person that’s been helping your relationship with your family, too, and he’s a beautiful little boy sleeping two rooms down. Benjamin Parrish, born about six months ago, is everything you could have hoped for in a son. 

At first, you were afraid of how the Clave would react to a boy that’s half Shadowhunter and half Downworlder, but looking at your child, you know that you would risk the entire race of Nephilim and their criticisms just to keep him safe. There’s nothing you wouldn’t do for him and Jordan.

Needless to say, you’re actually quite excited to go to your family once again. Jordan feels the exact same way, and soon enough, you find yourself touching down in New York. It’s been about a year since you visited for Alec’s supposed wedding to Lydia, but it feels like you could have never left. You hated that, once, how it seemed like you’d never be free of this place, but now it feels more like a happy memory welcoming you home.

The city and its blazing lights aren’t the only ones delighted to see you back. Izzy all but sprints to you once you first walk through the doors with Jordan, and Alec and the rest aren’t far behind. Through the haze of thrilled Lightwoods, you see Magnus approaching through the crowd and starting to talk with Jordan. They’ve been getting along well, too, something about the shared exhaustion of trying to date a Lightwood. Heaven knows you and Alec haven’t made it easy for them.

Then you’re enveloped in a hug by Maryse, who looks towards Benjamin with shining eyes. She told you once that she’s been terrified of continuing on the family legacy, because with every successful generation there’s twice the pressure on the following children to keep up the good work of everyone else. 

The way she looks at your son now, you know for a fact that she can finally relax. You’re okay, you’re all okay. The family will stay strong, and not just through tradition. There is more than one way to live a proud life.

You arrived a few days early, but the day of the wedding arrives sooner than you thought. You can’t help but compare the two ceremonies in your head. The first time around, Alec had practically been tearing his hair out due to nerves, but he hadn’t been able to realize the reason why he was freaking out so much until Magnus showed up to interrupt the wedding.

Alec now, though, is practically a different person. You regret the distance between your Institute in California and Alec’s home here more than ever. When did he start shedding some of that ice around his heart? When did he start letting himself live? 

There are moments when Alec is laughing at a joke Magnus or Izzy makes that you almost don’t recognize him. There is a darker, quieter boy that has been permanently retired to some part of Alec’s mind. Your twin doesn’t need that permanent shield up around him anymore, and you couldn’t be happier to see it.

At last, the day of the wedding arrives. You take a seat in the chapel besides Jordan, with baby Benjamin in between the two of you. Apparently, your child knows enough to stay quiet during the ceremony, and just watches everything around him with the quiet delight of a dreamer. The light fading in through stained glass windows paints his hair and skin with bright colors, and his eyes shine like precious stones.

There is nothing you wouldn’t do for him, your son. When you were younger, you wondered if you wanted children. Even though it was surely expected for a Lightwood, you were never certain. Part of you never knew if you’d survive long enough in a world crawling with demons in monsters to even truly consider the question, or if you’d marry for anything other than title.

Looking at Jordan, though, you couldn’t be happier. You took your risks, but they’ve paid off, all of them. You are here with a husband who loves you, a husband who chose you because he’s willing to fight off the entirety of his chaotic world just to pick you again and again and again. You’d do the same thing for him.

And, up ahead of you, you get to see your twin brother make the exact same choice. The walls of the chapel are bedecked with flowers and plants, making the whole scene look like something out of a fairytale. This could be nothing but a blissful dream, but even the illusion of seeing your brother marry the man he loves would be worth the lie.

It’s true, though, all of it. For once, it is wonderfully true. You can’t stop a few happy tears from trickling down your cheeks during the vows, and then the ceremony is complete and everyone is clapping like they’ve just witnessed a miracle. Looking between your sister and brother and family, you might have. 

Alec finds you after the ceremony, smiling so hard you almost think you’ve met a stranger. You hug him, pulling him close and hoping that you can silently communicate just how happy you are that he’s found this epilogue to his life, because you don’t think that you could put it into words if you tried.

“Thanks for coming out,” he says, “I’m so glad to see you. Honestly.”

You laugh. “As if there was a chance that I wouldn’t come see you get married. I couldn’t be happier for you, Alec. I’m so glad you got to have this, after everything that’s happened recently.”

Alec shudders. “Tell me about it. I was never really sure if this day would come, although I hoped like hell it would.” He chuckles, scratching the back of his head awkwardly before continuing in a rush.

“You know, I was always jealous of you for being able to go. I’ve never been able to say that without sounding jaded before, but it’s true. I remember watching you take off for the California Institute and wondering when I’d get something like that for me. Especially after you found Jordan. It seemed unreal, how happy you were.”

You reach forward, taking his hands. “And look at you now. You have Magnus, who loves you more than anything. You’ve still got your family. You’re still Perfect Alec, but you get to take whatever risks you want to.”

Alec snorts. “I was hoping you’d forgotten that nickname. I haven’t heard that in years.”

You smirk. “Never. I’d say it’s especially true now, though. Look around you, Alec. This is what you’ve always wanted, and it’s not an exaggeration or a luckless hope. Let yourself breathe.”

He smiles, looking out through the room until his eyes land on Magnus. “It is good, isn’t it? We won. At everything.”

“Yeah, we did, didn’t we?” 

You’re not looking at Magnus anymore, or even Alec. Instead, you’ve just seen Jordan around a group of people. He’s holding your son in your arms, and smiling like he’s just seen a sunrise for the first time. He meets your eyes across the room, and his face lights even more, if possible. You do have it pretty good, don’t you? You wouldn’t change a thing about it. There’s no way to make this any better than it is.

teen wolf tag list: @thatfangirl42, @rogueanschel, @lovesanimals0000, @rafecameronswhore, @bellabadacadabra, @watchreadfangirlrepeat

[jasminedragonart]

📘

i'm intrigued 👁👁

Okay, to preface, I have a few in mind for shadowhunters and a few for atla.

I'll post the ones for atla.

So the ones I have for atla are Zukka ones. The one I did for little Korra being brought up by Zuko and Sokka is most predominant in my mind. TW for suicide and child neglect. Also spirit death

In this one, Aang, if you've seen the other posts, dies in the North Pole after having his face stolen by the Face Stealer. Korra is born in the South Pole despite no one knowing that Korra's mother was pregnant. For this to make sense, basically, Hakoda heard that there was a fire nation attack at home and went to go see if everyone was alright. He gets there and his mother tells him that his kids have ran off with the avatar. While they're there, one of his men gets together with Korra's mother and for the first couple of years she's convinced that it's him (it is)

Back in the North Pole. Aang died in Zuko's custody. Sokka and Katara were ready to kill Zuko there and then, but Sokka figures Aang probably wouldn't want Zuko's death to be a consequence of his own, also that it wasn't Zuko's fault that Aang died. They take him prisoner instead, bringing him back home. Also, during all of this, Yue dies trying to save the moon spirit, meaning there's no moon anymore. Zhao has control of the North Pole, he has Iroh prisoner and the ocean spirit at his beck and call. Meaning that the sea is basically his to command now.

Back South, since there's a bit of time between Zhao taking over completely and getting proper control of the seas, Sokka, Katara and Zuko arrive home. Hakoda is gone, chasing after where Kanna sent him since he still believes that his kids are chasing the Avatar. Katara immediately goes after him, wanting to catch up. Sokka wants to go with her, but the village really needs him so he has to stay and he makes Katara promise to write to him every month so he knows she's safe.

Katara goes off. In the South Pole Zuko's kept in an igloo for about a month before Sokka decides he needs to put the stupid muscles Zuko has to good use. He has Zuko doing a lot of manual labour, and Zuko does it because his way home is essentially gone, like he's officially in exile forever now the Avatar is gone and he doesn't know when or if it'll be reborn because of the spirit influence in Aang's death. Around three years pass. Katara meets up with Hakoda but we don't really hear much about that. Instead Zuko and Sokka have become almost friends. Like Sokka's still wary around him, but Zuko's the only other guy his age in the village right now and there's not a lot he can talk to the little kids about.

At three years old Korra spies Zuko doing some firebending since Sokka makes Zuko cook a lot of their food and light a lot of their fires to cook said food. She tries it for herself and is successful, then she goes home to show her mother who, well, is horrified. Rumours start spreading in the village that Korra's father wasn't that man she said it was, and in fact she's either a firenation sympathiser or you know, something funny might have happened when Zuko's crew landed three and nine months ago.

Korra's ostracised, so is her mother, and Korra finds herself even more alone because her mother doesn't want anything to do with her. Eventually she comes across Zuko again, and Zuko, being the secret softie that he is, has heard all about this other firebender in the South Pole. He asks if she'd like to know more, and that it would be safer for her to do so she doesn't hurt anyone. Korra agrees and her and Zuko start meeting in secret. Sokka finds out, because Sokka is Zuko's jailer and he's bored, and he sees the two doing firebending. At first, he hates the idea. But the more he thinks about it the more he realises that Korra actually does need instructing, and that she's just a kid at the end of the day.

Things get worse for Korra at home. By five she's spending more and more of her time with Zuko and Sokka. It all comes to a head when news, since it's slow to reach the South Pole, comes that the Fire Nation has razed the Earth Kingdom. Korra's mother kills herself meaning Korra's left on her own. She ends up moving in with Sokka, Zuko and Gran Gran.

By the time Korra's nine she's pretty good at firebending, and she's happier than she has been in a long time thanks to growing up with people who care about her. She still gets name called by the others in the village, but so does Zuko and she doesn't feel so alone now. Ten and eleven find the letters from Katara stopping. The last Sokka knew Katara was saying something about going back to the North Pole with their father to try and help raise a resistance against the Fire Nation. Sokka's deeply worried, and now that a few more men are old enough to protect the village, he decides to go after her. Zuko wants to go with him, but someone has to look after Korra. Coincidentally, a week before he plans to leave Korra and Zuko (because it's known him and aang sometimes have the same dreams in the comics since he's descended from a past avatar) have a dream about the spirit realm. When they wake up, Korra blows the roof off their tent with airbending, which is when they all come to the horrifying conclusion that Korra's the avatar.

With this in mind Zuko insists that they come with him, at least until they get to Kyoshi island. He knows he won't be welcome, but with Korra's avatar powers coming in people will becoming more aware of her (like the priests and the spiritual people and whatnot). Sokka agrees, knowing Korra also needs to start learning the other elements, he's not letting someone else die because they were unprepared. So they head north, taking a dingy boat.

Things aren't as they left them however. There are literally no other boats allowed in the water but fire nation vessels. They find, when they get to Kyoshi, that they need papers in order to sail, and when they don't have them, while they manage to escape the guards, word is sent to Zhao who's on the lookout for a dingy water tribe boat now.

The Kyoshi warriors are gone. They start to look elsewhere in the earth kingdom, but a lot of it is either under fire nation rule or in ruins. There's no underground resistance to be found. Eventually, Sokka gives up looking for them since he needs to see what happened to Katara. They head North again. On their way, they stop a few times for food and supplies. Korra has a dream about a boar before one of these stops. They end up finding Toph running an underground earth rumble and Korra, who's still a little badass, wants nothing more than to learn how to kick people's butts like Toph. Toph, surprisingly, agrees. Since Korra's learned firebending before any other element she's still light on her feet (i think firebending and airbending are actually the closest in terms of styles) and she gets Aang's would be nickname. The Earth Rumble, on learning that this little nine year old, is the Avatar, remember another little kid who also needed their help and decide to tag along too. So now Sokka not only has a former prince, the Avatar and Toph but a bunch of muscly guys crammed into his tiny boat.

They head further north which is when they first get a taste for how Zhao has kept other boats out of the ocean. With the water spirits help he's managed to turn the waves against them, creating whirlpools and waves as big as buildings. They barely survive. Korra, as a result, decides she'd like to learn waterbending alongside her earthbending. Sokka ends up trying to teach her everything Katara showed him, but it doesn't work. Not because he's a bad teacher, but because waterbending doesn't exist anymore. Without the moon spirit, the ocean doesn't have the balance it needs and decided to punish those with its gifts by taking it away from them. Korra can't waterbend no matter how hard she tries. She does learn some airbending however. Zuko remembers he kept a lot of airbending scrolls and books he'd 'borrowed' on his hunt for the Avatar the first time. They go to this offshore place Iroh had bought for when the men and Zuko needed leave from their trip. There they spend a few months learning all they can about the elements while Sokka tries to find a way to get to the North Pole without dying in the ocean.

They head further north by taking the mainland this time. They eventually come to the end of the Earth Kingdom where they really do need a boat in order to continue. All of them end up taking a fire nation vessel hostage. They don't throw the people overboard, instead they keep them prisoner, hoping that by no one telling the fire nation there's anything wrong Zhao won't know.

They make it to the North Pole. Toph and the Earthbenders hate it. Zuko's used to the cold by now so he doesn't complain nearly as much as the others do. The whole place has been taken over, Zhao installed as the leader. They find Paku, who'd managed to escape the cull by offering his services as a healer, near the edge of the city, which is where they learn that the people inside the north pole can waterbend. Zhao is forcing the ocean spirit to allow the North Pole to keep their gifts, but only because they're using it to his benefit. Pakku tells them that Katara is here, so is Sokka's father. He takes them to some secret tunnels where Katara has been training with a few other waterbenders in her craft. They've planned an attack. There's a happy reunion, Sokka introduces Korra and Katara to each other, Katara is happy, but also sad that the Avatar is so young.

Katara is all ready to go with her plan, except Korra tells her that they can't leave anything to chance. Despite being nine, she's been having dreams these past few months about a way they can restore the moon spirit. If they did that, they wouldn't have to rely purely on the ocean spirit to give waterbenders their powers. They wouldn't have to worry about it being taken away in the midst of battle. Katara, because it's Katara, believes Korra without hesitation, asking how this is possible. The answer is that they need to go somewhere spiritual so Korra could help Katara and her to cross over. they don't know where that is, but Zuko thinks his uncle will.

They find out that Iroh is still alive. Katara and the others have heard news about him over the years. Apparently after the north pole he was delivered back to the fire nation. In his grief over losing his nephew and being branded a traitor, the fire lord had offered Iroh an option. Either die, or help the fire nation. Iroh didn't want to give up hope on seeing good die out so he decides to help the fire nation. He took over ba sing se with Azula, but while Azula is being groomed in the fire nation palace to take the throne, Iroh rules Ba Sing Se in her stead, delivering reports to the fire nation about the quelling of the earth kingdom every now and then.

They go to ba sing se where they find things not as they seem. It appears that the fire nation rule, but it's actually quite pleasant in ba sing se. The people are allowed to do what they like, a lot of refugees are earth benders too. Ba Sing Se is a safe haven now for those escaping persecution and the camps a lot of benders are put in when they're found. All of this is a secret however. Iroh has the Dai Li hypnotise any who want to leave with stories of fire nation rule and whatnot.

They find Iroh, who is very happy to see his nephew. He helps them by telling them about a few sacred places in the world that he travelled to when he was trying to get his son back. One of which is in Aang's old air temple. Suki, who's actually a guard in Iroh's palace now, agrees to help them get there, and together they all make it to the air temple- there's some shenanigans, I don't know, this is all an outline.

Anyway, they get there, Korra leads Katara into the spirit world. Together they journey to where the moon spirit would have lived, Korra telling Katara that the only way for it to be restored is for another spirit to take its place. Korra wants Katara to tell Sokka and Zuko that she's happy they were the ones to raise her, that they were very kind to her, as she planned to sacrifice herself to help the world. That's what the Avatar is for, and she knew if she brought Sokka or Zuko they would stop her, but she didn't want to be alone at the end. Katara sees a lot of Aang in her, and this is kind of their goodbye as Katara decides to become the moon spirit instead. Katara spent years researching spirits after what happened to Aang in the hopes she could get him back. She couldn't, but she could do this before Korra sacrificed herself.

Korra comes back and Katara is gone, Sokka's devastated, they all are, but balance is starting to be restored. They head back to the north pole where, with the spirits help now katara controls the moon, they defeat Zhao and gain back control of the waters. With the water tribe back, they start planning a proper resistance against the fire nation, Zuko going back to his uncle in the hopes of getting them on their side too.

Some other stuff happens I haven't planned out.

They win. Zuko's firelord, Sokka's an ambassador, Korra grows into the Avatar and in the night sky Katara and Aang's spirits are back together again, Katara her fourteen year old self following Aang as they have adventures in the stars.

[melanielocke]

Alastember - day 7 - one night in Alastair's life

I found this a very difficult assignment because it was a little vague so it took a while before I had a good idea (I wrote day 8, 9 and half of 10 before this one) but I like this one. It's set just before yesterday's piece, but you don't need to read that one to understand this or vice versa.

@alastair-appreciation-month

‘No bed! No bed!’

Rostam had been screaming and shouting for over half an hour now that he didn’t want to go to bed. Alastair had never known children could be so exhausting, had he been like this when he was two?

‘It’s time for bed, Rostam,’ Sona said, her posture betraying how tired she really was.

Rostam was almost two now and had grown into a tiny demon. Every day was like this, and it was a struggle to get him to do anything. Eat his food, go to bed, wear clothes. The answer was typically no.

‘I’ll take him,’ Alastair said to his mother. ‘You need rest.’

He knelt down in front of Rostam. ‘If you don’t go to bed, then Kamala and I won’t be able to take you to Hyde Park tomorrow,’ he said. ‘You’ll be too tired and you’ll need to nap all day.’

‘Not tired!’ Rostam protested. ‘No bed!’

‘You are tired though,’ Alastair said. ‘I can see your eyes falling shut. Like this. I can sing you a song if you like, or read you a bedtime story.’

That seemed to catch Rostam’s attention. ‘Song and story!’

‘Okay. Let’s go upstairs then, alright?’

This trick didn’t work every day, but Rostam was fond enough of Alastair’s songs that it usually had some effect at least. Just a week ago he’d had to take Rostam to the Silent Brothers for a health check and he’d had to sing the entire visit to get Rostam even remotely calm enough to allow Brother Zachariah to examine him. With any other Brother, it would have remained impossible. Alastair wasn’t sure whose idea it had been to put the entirety of Shadowhunter healthcare in the hands of creepy men with no eyes.

Alastair carried Rostam upstairs and changed him into pajamas, putting him in bed with his rabbit Francois before starting to sing a Persian ghazal he knew Rostam liked. Then he read him a story from a children’s storybook his mother had saved.

He returned downstairs with Rostam sound asleep and his mother sitting in the living room, two cups on tea in the table.

‘Alastair joon, can I speak with you?’ Sona said.

Alastair sat down on the couch opposite of his mother. ‘Of course.’

‘You are not Rostam’s father. I never meant for you to take on that responsibility after Elias died.’

‘I don’t mind taking care of him,’ Alastair said. ‘And you need the help.’

‘I want you to live your own life, azizam,’ Sona said. ‘I overheard you and Thomas speak about getting an apartment together the other week. And I think you should.’

‘But you and Rostam…’

‘We’ll manage. He’s not the first child I’ve raised, and I have Risa to help me,’ Sona said. ‘And I don’t want to hold you back from your own life. You have Thomas, and I think living together will make you happy.’

‘I’ll think on it,’ Alastair said.

‘I know you sleep better when Thomas is here,’ his mother added. ‘And you can still see Rostam. I want you to be an older brother he’ll look up, someone he has fun with. But you don’t have to put him to bed when he doesn’t want to or change his diapers or manage his temper tantrums. That is my responsibility. You’ll have to change plenty of diapers when you have children of your own.’

‘Thomas and I can’t have children,’ Alastair said, not sure how his mother was picturing him having children.

‘You could adopt. So many shadowhunter children become orphaned and you’d be an amazing father to one of them someday.’

‘Maybe,’ Alastair said. ‘I’ll start looking at apartments.’

‘There’s a new flat just a couple of streets away from here,’ Sona said. ‘It looks nice on the outside at least, you and Thomas should make inquiries.’

‘I will,’ Alastair said. Moving was something he found difficult, he guessed. After years of moving from place to place, moving felt more like running away. Even if it was the right choice for him, even if Thomas wanted nothing more than to get a place together. And it felt wrong to leave with Rostam still so young. But his mother was right, he wasn’t Rostam’s father.  

Taglist: @alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @life-through-the-eyes-of @styxdrawings @justanormaldemon @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised @amchara @all-for-the-fanfiction @imsoftforthomastair @ddepressedbookworm @queenlilith43 @wagner-fell @cant-think-of-anything @laylax13s @tessherongraystairs @boredfangirl16 @artist-in-soul @broodyhawthorne

[liron-ao3]

Happy birthday, Alexander

A Malec Oneshot 🔞

Having your birthday on a Sunday has its perks. You can sleep in, have a relaxed breakfast in bed, can cuddle with your partner for hours. Okay, you might have to interrupt it for all the birthday calls, but really, no one can drag you out of bed if you don't want to.

And Alec definitely doesn't.

The bed is empty beside him, but he can hear Magnus puttering about in the kitchen. He probably has bought Alec's favourite chocolate cake from the Parisian patisserie they had their first overseas date at. Or maybe he conjures up a French toast feast or Belgian waffles. Alec scents the air, but the bedroom is too far away from the kitchen to smell what Magnus might be up to.

It doesn't matter anyway. Alec is already in high spirits. This is their day, painstakingly shovelled out of their busy schedules. It's one of many things that Magnus has taught him. It's important to take time for the things you care about. And caring about their husband, both of them do.

There are footsteps and the sound of quietly clacking dishes coming through the open bedroom door, and it doesn't take long for Magnus to appear in it, a delicately filled breakfast tray in hand, red rose and all. He wears the maroon dressing gown that Alec loves so much on him and the warmest smile that still elicits tiny butterflies in Alec's stomach. This man is his, and Alec is the luckiest guy in the world.

"Good morning, Alexander."

Alec smiles back at him. "Good morning, love."

Magnus puts the tray on the bedside table and leans in for a languid kiss that makes Alec's blood rush south. By the Angels! Magnus is such a good kisser.

Alec pulls Magnus on top of him, and then they make out for long minutes, only shortly interrupted by a snap of Magnus' fingers to keep their coffees and oven-fresh pains au chocolat warm.

Alec's hands run over the smooth fabric of Magnus' clothes. He loves the feel of Magnus' muscles under his hands, the knowledge of how wonderful the skin itself would feel if he'd pull the gown away from his husband's perfect body.

Alec knows every millimetre of skin, every edge and curve of Magnus' body. He mapped it out a thousand times with his hands and lips. He loves his scent, especially in the morning when the remnants of his shampoo and shower gel have dissipated and Magnus only smells of himself.

Alec rolls Magnus on his back and kisses him fiercely. Magnus lets him, moans quietly into his mouth. It's a heated slide of lips and tongues, teeth joining now and then. It's perfect, familiar and still full of surprises. Kissing Magnus never gets dull. And judging by the way the warlock returns it with enthusiasm, Magnus would agree with his husband on this.

Alec pulls back after a while, catching his breath. He sends a questioning look down to chocolate coloured eyes. They perfected these silent conversations over the last two years, the wordless 'Can I?' hanging in the air between them.

Magnus smiles at him softly as he usually does, his lips red and slightly swollen. Alec gets rid of his boxers, opens the belt of Magnus' bathrobe and pulls his satin shorts down, just enough to settle his throbbing erection in the crease right above Magnus' hip bone. To his surprise, Magnus lets out a discontent sound. Alec furrows his brow in confusion.

"It's your birthday, Alexander."

Alec huffs a laugh. "Yes, and?"

"You can have me."

It takes Alec embarrassingly long until he understands. His cock gets the message immediately after, though, and a shiver works itself through Alec's body.

"You don't have to," he replies nonetheless when the spike of arousal subsides. It's nice that Magnus is willing to sleep with him from time to time, even though he doesn't derive any pleasure from it. At least not in the traditional sense of sexual satisfaction. But Alec would never expect this from him, much less over the fact that it's his birthday. He wants Magnus to be in the mood for this kind of intimacy.

Magnus cards his fingers through Alec's hair, just the way the shadowhunter loves it. "I want to," he simply states.

And it is that simple. Honesty, that's what they promised each other. No pretending to be fine, no important words postponed to later, no doing things out of a misguided sense of duty.

Alec dives in for another kiss. He'll never get enough of these lips, of this man, of holding his heart and Magnus his in return.

He brushes the fabric to the side and kisses a long trail from the spot behind Magnus' ear to the place where he should have a belly button. Alec grins and enjoys the goosebumps that he can conjure on Magnus' skin when he does things like this. His husband is so responsive, and Alec loves it. Loves him so much.

When Alec pulls down Magnus' shorts, his dick is lying there, not even semi-erect. Alec ignores it. He learnt that Magnus' arousal is unpredictable and says nothing about how much he loves him, of how beautiful Alec is in his eyes, of how much he likes to feel and taste him.

Alec's eyes roam over Magnus' caramel skin up to his beautiful cat eyes. They smile at each other for a long moment as if frozen in time. Alec could bathe in the glow of their love for all eternity.

Magnus breaks the moment with a snap of his fingers, and Alec chuckles in surprise when he feels his fingers slick with warm lube.

"Impatient, are we?" Alec smirks.

"For you? Always, darling." Magnus grins up at him and spreads his legs invitingly. Alec's eyes fix on the inviting hole. He gives his own cock a few strokes before he touches the rim, a heady feeling overwhelming him.

It's not that they never have sex. No, far from it. Alec enjoys Magnus' body, his hands and mouth ever so often. But this here? This is special. This is something they haven't done since their wedding anniversary.

Alec loves being inside Magnus. It's not that he loves it more than all the other sexual things they share, but it's different. Very good different. Nothing compares to the tightness of Magnus' ass, the way he clenches around him, the feeling of being so utterly connected that they become one.

It's stupid, Alec thinks, as if we weren't one at all times and especially in bed. But tell that to his cock that springs excitedly at the mere thought of burying himself in Magnus' narrow heat.

Alec pushes a finger slowly inside. It always fills him with wonder how easily Magnus lets him in. It's trust in its purest form, and it doesn't cease to amaze him, doesn't cease to flood his body with all-encompassing want. Magnus does this for him out of love because he wants to give him what Alec could live without but is happy that he doesn't have to. They always do this on Magnus' terms, and knowing that his husband wants it, too, makes the sex for Alec only better.

"I love you so damn much," Alec breathes, looking up in his husband's eyes, and Magnus clenches around him as he laughs.

"I love you too, Alexander." It's spoken with such joy and sincerity, it takes Alec's breath away. How is this not a fairy tale?

"I can take more," Magnus states, and Alec chuckles. He complies, feels Magnus stretching around his fingers.

Briefly, Alec wonders if he is the only gay man with a cis partner who has no clue where his lover's prostate is. He only knows that he will stimulate it by mistake when he adds a third finger. But Magnus takes it. Alec hates it when he makes him bolt up the bed, the touch too intense and arrow sharp, nothing like the pleasure Alec experiences when Magnus does the same to him.

"Sorry," he mumbles.

"It's quite alright, Alexander," Magnus breathes. "I think I'm ready."

Alec furrows his brow in concern, but Magnus is already moving. He cleans Alec's hand with a snap of his fingers and pushes him on his back. Alec can't help but think that he's one lucky bastard as he watches his husband getting ready to ride him. He loves the sight of Magnus hovering over him, lining himself up with his dick. He looks so good like this, all sexy muscles framed by maroon silk, a masterpiece of art.

But it's nothing compared to the feeling of Magnus sinking down on him. Alec closes his eyes for a moment, tries to keep in the lewd moan threatening to fall from his lips.

Magnus clicks his tongue in disapproval. "Let me hear you, Alexander. Your passion is my greatest reward."

And so, Alec lets it out, moans Magnus' name and praises him as he starts moving. The drag of Magnus' walls over his cock, the quiet moans falling from his husband's lips—Alec can't help but think that Magnus enjoys himself.

It's not exactly true, he knows that. But Alec learnt to relish it nonetheless. Magnus wants to make him feel good, and who is he to deny his beloved anything? Magnus is in charge, can control the intensity of what he feels. And Alec is in for the ride, can enjoy the pressure of Magnus' hand on his chest and the slide of his ass over his cock.

Magnus moves his hips exactly how Alec likes it, pulls himself up just to slam down again, a constant assault on Alec's nerve endings. It feels like ages and seconds, an eternal tide. Alec gets lost in it, lost in Magnus' loving ministrations.

Alec hums when the telltale sign of concentred heat pooling in his stomach announces his near climax. He doesn't warn Magnus, well-knowing he might stop and prolong their love-making. But this is enough, will always be more than enough for Alec. The fact that Magnus allows him to have him like this—glistening with a sheen of sweat, eyes closed in concentration, his body moving in ways Alec's blood-drained brain can't properly process but that he enjoys to the fullest—is the greatest gift of all, birthday or not.

But something must have given him away. Magnus surely knows how to read his body, or maybe his mind even. He opens his unglamoured eyes, looks at him with so much adoration and love, it pushes Alec only closer to the edge.

"Come for me, darling," Magnus huffs out, strain clear in his voice, as he keeps on slamming their bodies together with clear intent. And Alec does. His body spasms, his sight is replaced with darkness and fireworks. He moans Magnus' name as he fills him as if there were a way to get even closer than this.

When he opens his eyes afterwards, his brain still far from being back online again, they are already magically cleaned, and Magnus lies in Alec's boneless arms.

"Happy birthday, Alexander," he chuckles against his shoulder.

Happy birthday, indeed.

[rinadragomir]

Here's the thing: our precious @666-notsatan is leaving us for an indefinite period.😿 She’s safe and sound, but she said that she will not be able to be on tumblr again and create content until she is 18 years old. She told me that she wants me to post the second part of our collaboration.💥 

💓She was very upset that she had to leave us, but she hopes that you will appreciate this work and will wait for her.💓

Story belongs to our little @666-notsatan 

↠𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐱 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐫

The last place Thomas had thought he would be in for winter or for shadowhunting business was back in Paris, but here he stood, Alastair by his side, gazing over what everyone claimed was ‘the most romantic city in the world’. The claim was rather anticlimactic when you were there with someone who hated your guts, cleaning up their exe’s mess.

The breeze blowing through the streets was bone chilling, and Thomas pulled his cloak around himself tighter, shivering. Alastair seemed entirely unbothered by it, his dark hair blowing around in silky strands, his face thoughtful and not sneering for what seemed like the very first time. Thomas only had a second to admire him, because then Alastair turned, face back to stern neutrality.

“Alright Lightwood,” he announced, “You know why we’re here. The goal is to be in and out as soon as possible and fix bloody Charles’ mess. Clear?”

Alastair put emphasis on spitting out Charles’ name, and Thomas raised an amused eyebrow, but nodded.

They moved through the streets in silence, the locals of Paris rushing past in a monochrome blur, everyone’s clothing in the same shades as the dull sky above. The energy of Paris was the opposite of London’s - nobody was in a rush, and the streets were clear, showing clean cobblestones. Thomas remembered the very first time he’d been here. It had been summer then, and rather hot. It had not been as it was now - it had been bustling with a sense of purpose. Now, everyone was collectively just enjoying a stroll.

“You can’t admire Paris all day,” Alastair looked up at Thomas, looking annoyed. “We have business.”

“Tessa and Will were meant to be doing this, the Clave won’t have much expectations for them to be home soon,” Thomas said, but Alastair just looked away, ignoring him completely.

It was going to be a long trip.

—

Alastair hated this. Even the hotel that had been chosen for them to stay in was the same as what he’d stayed in last time, with Charles. This whole blasted city was one, big reminder. Even Thomas.

Alastair stole a quick glance at his companion, and had to catch his breath. The light had caught perfectly on Thomas’ features, making the planes of his face smooth and elegant, a handsome beauty unique to only him. It felt odd sometimes around Thomas - sometimes, Alastair wanted to run away from him and never look back. Other times, the only person Alastair wanted around was Thomas, a steady and comforting light in his dreadful life.

“Your staring.”

“Am not.”

Thomas chuckled and pushed the door to the room they had to share open. “You’re in a rather difficult mood, aren’t you?”

Alastair ignored this and pushed past into the room, which was spacey and had a light feel to it, the curtains blowing onto the open balcony which overlooked the Louvre, a rather convenient view. A shame the hotel wouldn’t be getting any money from their week long stay - the glamor they had on meant that everyone thought this room was closed for maintenance.

Setting down his bags, Alastair set up camp by one of the beds, making it to his taste as Thomas looked out from the balcony, not bothering to be as organised.

The afternoon sun was already going down, the winter coming to take hold of the night.

“We should probably get some dinner,” Thomas yawned, and looked down at the street, then up at the sky. “But we can’t go out: it’s going to snow.”

“How can one be so sure of the weather?” Alastair joined Thomas out on the balcony, following the other boy’s gaze.

With a quick look at Alastair, Thomas shrugged and moved back into the bright room. “Sometimes, you just know some things everyone else doesn’t.”

Alastair couldn’t help but think the words were directed at him.

—

After two days of fixing up Charles’ mess, everything was finally back in right orders.

But, that also left them with another four days to kill.

They returned back to their room, covered in ichor and utterly exhausted. Alastair left to wash up, and Thomas stripped off his gear and hastily changed back into trousers and shirtsleeves. He changed as quickly as possible, so as to avoid the awkward situation they’d encountered yesterday.

Thomas had been in the middle of changing his shirt when Alastair had barged in, dark wet hair dripping onto the carpet and mouth open as he’d beheld Thomas without a shirt. Both had avoided the topic like a plague, but Thomas couldn’t help but remember the way Alastair had gawked and blushed. It was horribly awkward.

They’d fallen into a routine early on - each morning, Thomas would wake first, wash up and make breakfast. Alastair was a late sleeper, and it was usually ten o’clock before he awoke. Every morning without fail, he’d scold Thomas for not waking them, claiming they’d lost a good three hours of what could’ve been used to work.

Most of the day, they were out in Paris, visiting local haunts and talking with the downworlder residents of Paris. Lucky for the both of them, Alastair knew a great deal of French, learnt from his brief times in the great city.

On the first day, they had visited a small cafe, which was bustling with people, and Alastair had suggested Thomas order, using some simple French. They’d also decided this was the best cafe to go to for their week here, and had decided to introduce themselves. Unfortunately, Thomas’ ability to learn languages quickly had not worked, and the introduction had gone sideways.

“Repeat after me: Bonjour mademoiselle, je m’appelle Thomas. Comment ça va?”

Thomas had claimed he could recite the phrase, but had ended up saying something that roughly translated to; “what a horrible day, goodbye.”

Their nights were spent wandering around the small, forgotten parts of Paris; the places that were hidden in alleyways with bright window displays, the other shops with crowded store fronts no one ever bothered to look in, and many, many bookstores.

The unanimous conclusion had been everyone back in London at least deserved a souvenir, which had been turned into a book each. Indeed, a small pile sat on a desk in their room now.

The routine was a simple and steady rhythm both had followed to the letter and now that they were simply getting time off, it was about to change.

Today was a sunny day, and Thomas snatched up one of the books, moving out onto the balcony and taking up a spot on one of the small, lattice work metal chairs. It was far too small, but there weren’t any other choices.

“Thomas,” Alastair came out onto the balcony, in a white shirt, suspenders and a light coloured pair of trousers. “What are you doing?”

Thomas held up the book and smiled lazily, letting his head loll back. “Relaxing, you should try it some time.”

Alastair shook his head, and sat down opposite Thomas, catching the afternoon sun. It seemed to highlight Alastair’s features perfectly: add a golden sheen to his cheekbones, make his brown skin glow, and his hair shimmer like droplets of water in the light. Catching himself before the other boy caught him looking, Thomas began to read again, but only to appear busy.

“A Tale of Two Cities? Isn’t that the one Herondale’s parents are obsessed with? What the younger Herondale’s named after?”

“Do stop calling them all ‘Herondale’ Alastair, ‘Herondale’ has a name too.”

Alastair scoffed and crossed his arms stubbornly. “One of them’s marrying my sister. I have a right to act indifferent towards them.” Thomas just shook his head.

“They claim it’s one of the greatest love stories, you know,” Alastair said, gesturing towards the book. “I don’t think it is.”

“What makes you such an expert upon the topic of love?”

“A great deal more than you could ever imagine.”

Curious, Thomas shut the book and looked up. “What do you mean?”

Alastair sighed, and gave Thomas a long look. “Do you want to hear about why we’re actually here, cleaning up after the supposed future Consul, and not someone else?”

“Is that even a question?” Thomas laughed. “Of course I’d like to know. Tell me everything.”

—

By the time Alastair finished his tale about his and Charles’ relationship, it was midnight. They’d missed dinner, talked about Alastair’s relationship, and then moved onto the topic of love in general.

The opinions each of them posed were opposite to the others - Alastair believed the only way you could love was by sharing your heart fully, giving everything you had and showing everything you were so that the person truly fell in love with you, and felt comfortable enough to give everything back.

Thomas argued that love had to be a shared thing, a shared realisation that you couldn’t live your life if the person you loved wasn’t there for every day of it. Alastair had watched Thomas the whole time with an odd expression, but had never interrupted, nor pushed the topic any further. Now, the conversation had dropped to a companionable silence, Thomas gazing at the moon, and Alastair - in secret - at Thomas.

It wasn’t the first time that Alastair had been stealing glances, Thomas had noticed. It was always in the quiet moments, when it was just him talking. The feeling of knowing that Alastair was watching him always made Thomas nervous. You shouldn’t have felt the way you did around a good friend.

“What would you do if someone said they were falling in love?”

Thomas brought his mind back to the present moment and tore his gaze from the moon. “What?”

“What would you do if someone said they were falling in love?” Alastair repeated.

“It’s not Charles again, is it?”

“No, someone with a steadier presence, someone trustworthy and reliable. Kind and fair.” Alastair bit his lip and smiled to himself. “Some might say they’re even handsome.”

Alastair was so beautiful. The thought hit Thomas like a train, seeming to knock every other thought from his mind, the overwhelming desire to know everything about Alastair, not just the past, but to make his future, to be his one last love and only true love. But there was no way Alastair could have meant Thomas. There were many good men in the world, ones who would hold no past grudges, or who could probably ruin Alastair into pieces like he had been in before.

“But who?” Thomas asked carefully.

Instead of replying, Alastair got up, and went to the far edge of the balcony, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, putting pressure on the balcony railing as he pushed on it, and then pulled back on it. The words he was mumbling seemed to coincidentally rhyme with ‘duck’.

“It’s you.” Alastair finally said, voice barely audible.“It’s you, Thomas, and it just feels so right.”

Too shocked to speak, Thomas let out a strangled sound. “Me? You mean me, of all the people in this world-“

“Yes!” Alastair threw his arms wide, laughing. “Yes you Thomas! But you’re too good for me, and I have insulted you before this. I don’t deserve to love you if you’ve never done me any wrong. It is I who needs to atone for the past.”

“I don’t care if you were a total ass in the past anymore,” Thomas said, keeping a firm voice as his heart beat sped up. “I’ve come to know this Alastair, the new one, the one who is caring, and hurt and easy to love. The one who has guarded walls, who has a kind heart hidden by the mind of a protector and defender. I know you said a lot in the past, and they are not things to be proud of, yes. But I really don’t want to dwell on what has happened.”

“What are you saying then?” Alastair whispered.

Thomas stood up and came over to where Alastair stood at the railing, moonlight the only illumination. “What I’m saying,” Thomas whispered back, “is just this: what if I loved you too?”

—

Alastair felt like every breath had left his body.

Thomas loved him too?

Neither of them seemed to have words anymore. Thomas stood stiffly in front of Alastair, and the latter was gazing up in surprise at the former. What was meant to be said now?

“I love you,” Thomas seemed to just be saying the words now, as if to just reassure himself. “I love you Alastair.”

“And you mean it?”

“Yes, yes I do mean it. I truly do.”

“Then prove it,” Alastair said, voice low. “Prove to me you love me.”

Thomas looked sheepish as he replied; “how?”

Gently, Alastair guided Thomas’ hands onto his waist, and looped his hands around Thomas’ neck. “Kiss me, Thomas, and I will know you love me.”

Thomas leaned down, but didn’t kiss Alastair. “How could you possibly tell from one kiss?”

“When Charles kissed me-“

“Let’s not talk about him,” Thomas muttered, and finally kissed Alastair, holding onto him tightly. Even being tall himself, Alastair found that he had to rise onto his tip toes, trying to gain a bit of height between them.

Thomas’ lips were soft and gentle on Alastair’s own, a whisper of a kiss, barely a brush of lips.

But Alastair wanted more - it was an incoherent wanting, overwhelming but pleasant. He didn’t feel off as he had in the past, with that sickening feeling of dread. No, this made Alastair feel like he was finally at peace, that he’d found his place in life.

“Alastair,” Thomas whispered, stroking Alastair’s cheek. “I never thought…”

“It doesn’t matter what you think,” Alastair drew Thomas back into the room, directing them to the couch. “As long as you stay, it is all that matters.”

“I have been yours since the first time in Paris,” Thomas’ voice was low and gravely, desire taking over. “This is us, now and forever.”

@magnus-the-maqnificent @livvyheronstairs @kit-12 @stxr-thxif @runecarstairs @22herondale @yesimsufferinginside @itsdaughterofthemoon @herondalesunsetcurve @silvenys @too-many-aspirations @megs-readstoomuch @fair-but-wilde-child @thewolfnephilim @emablckthrn @lucieeblackthorn @cupcakesandkittens @fictionally-fantastic @dustandshadowsdtj @dustandshadowsworld @clockworkprincess19 @tsccreatorsnet @asphodelmeadowss @lucian-evander @textrovert-01 @youngreckless @lxcieherxndale @luciestale @lunalitha @lunar-martini @grass-m8 @rosewines-world @dianasarrow @panicatwallmaria @my-archerboy @dirigibledinosaur @dreamofmysoul-tsc @shadowhuntertrash @jesse-blackthorn-is-the-best-boy @tscfangirl-blackstairs

[iloveallmyocs]

the Dawn of a friendship

Ariadne didn’t know how long she had been waiting in the games room, hoping Anna would show up as was Anna’s routine in grand parties like the one of the one they were having.

Eventually, Ariadne got herself to step out of the games room and picked up the courage to scout for Anna herself. She needed to tell Anna that she had heard what Anna had said to her at the infirmary.

James Herondale’s and Cordelia Carstairs’ engagement party was one of the most luxurious parties Ariadne had attended, consisting of numerous respected members of the enclave, but it wasn’t hard to spot Anna among the crowd.

Anna was always easy to spot, the aura around her just commanded people to pay attention. It had always caught Ariadne’s attention.

But then, at that moment, what caught Ariadne’s attention was not Anna Lightwood. What caught her attention was the sight of a boy, looking around the same age as Ariadne was, storming out of the ballroom looking distraught.

Even though she didn’t know the boy at all, Ariadne felt a surge of protectiveness overpower her. The boy was heading away from a group of teenage boys. Ariadne was able to recognise the group of boys. Everybody knew the group, it consisted of the children of the most popular shadowhunters of the previous generation.

Matthew Fairchild, who looked positively furious, was part of the group. He was the Counsul’s son and so Ariadne had been acquainted with him. He was fair company, but  promiscuously quoted Oscar Wilde every five minutes or so.

As if by instinct, Ariadne found herself sprinting after the boy, only to have her path blocked by-

“Anna?” she panted, peering outside the door to catch a glimpse of the boy.

“Ari, you look healthy-” Anna began, her cool and unworried tone clashing against the mood Ariadne was in. Ariadne could no longer able to see the boy.

“Anna, please do excuse me for being impolite, but I have an important matter to attend to” said Ariadne apologetically, pushing past Anna even before she had the time to respond.

Ariadne, on any other day, would have shuddered at the thought of dismissing Anna for going after some boy she didn’t know anything about.

But there was something about the boy. No, Ariadne was not in love with him, she didn’t even know him properly. In fact, she would never love any boy, she was certain of it. No matter how many times she had been warned of the dangers of being the way she was, she was certain that no matter how hard she tried, she would never fall in love with a boy.

“Stop”, Ariadne called out when the boy was finally in her line of vision.

The boy whipped his head back to look at the source of the voice. His face wore an alarmed expression and upon closer inspection, Ariadne could see tears spilling out of his eyes.

“I’ll be with you in a moment” announced the boy, before facing the other direction and furiously wiping off his tears.

“What’s the matter?” asked Ariadne when he was done and turned towards her once more.

“Miss Bridgestock, everything is alright, just don’t mind me and return to your party. why did you come after me?”

“I just wanted to make sure everything was fine” shrugged Ariadne “It’s not at every party that Thomas Lightwood is the cause of a grown man’s tears”

The boy scoffed and later held out his hand, preparing to leave “I’m Alastair Carstairs, it was nice to-”

“Carstairs?” Ariadne interrupted .“I don’t think you should be going anywhere now, are you related to the would be bride?”

“I’m her brother” revealed Alastair, which resulted in Ariadne arching her eyebrows up in a display of disappointment.

Taking notice of Ariadne’s expression, Alastair folded his hands and struck his chin out. “Yes, I know should be in there, but just want one day to myself. Is that too much to ask? Also, stop being so judgmental, you barely know who I am or what I’ve been through”

“Then tell me about it” said Ariadne, gently nudging Alastair with her elbow.

Alastair looked perplexed. “Good lord, you’re impossible to dislike” he remarked, looking up to the sky in exasperation.

Ariadne’s eyebrows went up again. “Why would you ‘dislike’ me?” she asked, her voice full of curiosity. What would a boy whom she had never met before have against her?

“I just said that I didn’t” muttered Alastair “well, for a time I did, because of Charles”

“Charles Fairchild? The one ‘Charles’ I was engaged to?”. Ariadne had gotten somewhat of an idea of where the conversation was going, but wasn’t very confident about it and let Alastair explain it himself. Also, they were in England and in England there were as as many Charles’ as there were mice.

“Yes. Him” confirmed Alastair “I presume you already know that he likes men, don’t you? I was told that you know”

Ariadne nodded. “I know. that is why I agreed to the engagement in the first place”

“Well, the thing is, Charles and I were together at the time of your engagement” Alastair confessed, “I just broke things off with him”

“Is that why you’re upset?” asked Ariadne.

“No. I actually feel like a load has been lifted off chest, actually” said Alastair, smiling sadly. “Why I left early is because I tried to make amends with a few boys who went to the academy with me and it didn’t go well”

“What went wrong in the academy?” Ariadne inquired, feeling as though she might explode if she didn’t receive all the answers to her questions.

“You ask a lot of questions” laughed Alastair, his mind distant.

Ariadne patiently waited for him to answer.

Alastair gulped, not sure if he was making the right choice by spilling out all of his problems to his previous lover’s previous fiancée.

“I wasn’t treated right, when I first joined the academy. Well, you should know how it is” said Alastair, gesturing to Ariadne.

Of course Ariadne knew how it was. Both her overprotective parents had tried to protect her from the harsh realities of living in London while looking the way she did. And yet, she knew. 

She knew it from the way the guests arriving in her house looking for inquisitor Bridgestock always looked down upon her. Some even assumed that she was bought for money by the Bridgestocks, not as a daughter but as something else.

That was what people normally assumed of you when you were from a country that was colonised by the country you are presently residing in. 

“I more than ‘know’ how it is” retuned Ariadne.

For a moment they stood in silence, neither knowing what to say. Alastair finally broke it by asking “How do you bear it? I sometimes feel like screaming until nothing comes out, but I have my mother and Layla who are like me but you-”

“-am adopted” finished Ariadne “It does get frustrating. My parents want me to forget that I am an Indian and once had another name. they want me to forget about my birth parents, their-” Ariadne broke off bursting into tears.

“Oh god, this was supposed to be about you” sniffed Ariadne as Alastair wrapped his coat around her.

“Why don’t we go to your house and talk about it over a warm cup of tea, which  probably was imported from India, Miss Bridgestock?” he asked in a desperate attempt to cheer Ariadne up.

“Alright” Ariadne laughed, then with a solemn face face, added “call me Kamala, it is my birth name”

*********************************************************************************

An AU (idk if it should be classified as an AU) instead of Lucie, Kamala chases after Alastair at the end of ChoG. I probably should have written this before Choi came out and its tag was flooded with HCs about Alastair’s and Kamala’s friendship.

@cant-think-of-anything let me know what you think (I don’t have anyone else to tag lol)