#isabelle lightwood i love you forever

[cassandraclare]

no mourners, no funerals

spoilers!!

poesflowercrown asked: Why didn't we see kit's [Christopher Lightwood's] funeral

Okay, so quite a lot of the questions I’ve gotten are some form of “Why wasn’t there a funeral for Christopher?”

And the answer is that Christopher surely did have a funeral — but that it strikes me as fairly obvious why he didn’t have one that took place during the time when London was under attack by Belial. Also, had they had a funeral in Idris during this time (where his body was, and where they have funerals), we have no POV characters who are there to see it.

After that, we jump ahead six months, and obviously his funeral isn’t going to be after such a long period of time has elapsed — instead we see grief at the stage of what it is often like after half-a-year: the most active part of the mourning is over, and the Shadowhunters are moving into fitting Christopher and the grief for him into lives that go on and go forward. James dreams of dead Christopher almost every night, and yet he is still moving on with his life: they are Shadowhunters, this is how they live, knowing life can always be interrupted by destruction, battle or war, and knowing (in a way mundanes don’t) that any day carries with it the possibility of immediate death and loss.

Now, could I have shattered the structure and timing of the book to shove in a funeral between the coda and the wrap-up of the epilogue? I think it would have been a lot of more jarring and weird than people realize, but I also think that it wouldn’t have offered anything. I get a lot of questions that seem to think a funeral for Christopher would have offered “closure” somehow — either to the characters or readers — and the fact that I don’t think it would have done anything like that, or offered anything useful or meaningful, is partly why I didn’t include it.

Shadowhunter funerals aren’t like mundane (human!) funerals: they’re not for closure, but rather for generally honoring the dead of war, because the Shadowhunters live in a constant state of war. What would have happened at a funeral for Christopher is that he would have been burned on a pyre along with Elias and those who died freeing London; people would have come up and given polite condolences to Gabriel and Cecily, the Consul would have given a general speech, and that’s about it. We see this with Livvy’s funeral. — how it is entirely unspecific to Livvy. We see how much closure her funeral offers her family (none, basically.) I think what people are imagining as “Christopher’s funeral” (everyone cries, makes speeches, has feelings) is not what a Shadowhunter funeral is.

There is one more thing I would say, which is that death, as depicted in art and fiction, is not required to offer closure. Sometimes the point is to sit with that lack of closure, and feel the absence of that person, that character, because living with the death of someone close to you is often living without total closure: sometimes for a long time, sometimes forever. That is okay. It is not required of books that emotions be neatly put away at the end of them, like guest towels. Sometimes they are just there to be felt afterward.

[I have also seen people say that Christopher’s friends didn’t mourn for him — which is so bizarre I haven’t decided whether to address it or just leave it as a Thing We Totally Disagree About, like the many questions I get about how we “never see that Tessa loves Jem” or “Isabelle doesn’t care that Max died” etc. Sometimes you just can’t see eye to eye about things; I don’t really get how Thomas being so stricken by Christopher’s death that his physical appearance is literally altered forever, or Anna “turning to stone” with grief, or Matthew being unable to even say Christopher’s name without flinching in pain, is “not mourning”, but we all have our different ideas of how things should be depicted. I tend to believe in a less-is-more philosophy about showing intense emotion, but we are not all that way!]

Anyway, closure. The intense mourning for Christopher in the Sanctuary is short-lived not because the Shadowhunters have gotten bored mourning intensely, but because of Belial. Because they are at war, and then and forever their grief for Christopher must fit itself within the interstices of them needing to save the world. In looking at research into Shadowhunter mourning, I looked at the way people mourn when they are either civilians in war, or soldiers on the front lines, because all Shadowhunters are all least one of those things. A great deal of intense compartmentalizing is required, because the preservation of life going forward must be the priority. The Shadowhunters know this; they are raised knowing this. They know that not only may you be called upon to sacrifice your own life to be what you are, but that it is likely you will lose other people, and if you lose them in battle, you have also sacrificed the ability to stop the world and engage in just grieving. You sacrifice, sometimes, even the ability to bury your dead or to know where they died. As Lucie observes:

“And now they were back at the Institute courtyard, which was empty and quiet, as it always was. There was no scar here, no sign of the dreadful things that had happened there such a short time ago. Lucie envisioned a plaque: HERE IS WHERE IT ALL BROKE APART. Matthew and James’s vanishing, Christopher’s death—they seemed both very close, a trauma still ongoing, and yet far away.

On the other hand, she thought, this courtyard had been torn up by Leviathan a couple of weeks ago, and there was no sign of that, either. Perhaps to be a Shadowhunter simply meant drawing runes over one’s scars, over and over.”

They mourn, they grieve, they have to go on — to “draw runes over their scars” — because the other option is wallowing in grief and doing nothing to prevent Belial winning. Lucie is feeling these things as “far away” because they have to be shoved down in order for the Shadowhunters to continue doing what they need to do. They can’t lie on the ground and scream NOOOOOO for days; they honor Christopher by going on, by seeing his project through to the end and using it to save countless lives. Which is what Christopher would have wanted — not a cold and monotonous funeral in Idris.

So short answer: I didn’t think a funeral for Christopher would have provided anything worthwhile to the story, but rather would have made it worse. In the end, that’s usual the answer to the why of any decision. :)

#chot #chain of thorns #spoilers

[angelst4re]

So It Goes- Jace Wayland x Reader

୨♡୧ this is the first (and longest) Jamie fic i ever wrote, jace literally owns me. i wanted to post it when my tags started working again but i don't think that's gonna happen :( so reblogs are very much appreciated!! :) <3 UPDATE: MY TAGS WORK AGAIN!!!!

୨♡୧ warnings: NSFW!! smut, oral (f and m recieveing), praise and degradation, jace being jace, spitting, shower sex?, inexperienced reader, experienced jace (ofc), innocence kink?, possibly breeding kink? p0rn with a bit of plot, i could add to this forever, enemies to lovers?, based on a taylor swift song (so it goes IS jace's song, just listen to it!!)

—————————♡—————————

From the moment he first laid eyes on you, he knew you were going to have an impact on his life. He would never say he believed in love at first sight, but it would explain a lot. The way he got excited when you entered the room, he felt himself blush when you’d speak to him, anything you’d do would make him wish for a chance to be yours. But he knew that could never happen, to love is to destroy. 

The first time you met Jace, you could tell instantly that he hated you- despised you, even. You could hear him sigh whenever you entered the room, as if he was already bored by your presence, he’d look the other way when you tried to talk to him. Isabelle had told you he was like this, but you refused to believe this was his normal behaviour. 

You arrived at the Institute a couple of months ago, your family had been friends with the Lightwoods for years, so when you were made to leave your hometown you were told to go there. It was rather nice, but it wasn’t home. Jace made it obvious that it wasn’t your home. 

When the Institute was informed of a large-scale demon attack down in the city, Jace had demanded you stay here ‘she’s too young, she’s not as well-trained as us. She’ll make us fuck it up.’ Oh, how you hated him- but a part of you could never hate him, you were intrigued by everything he did, everything he said, how he fought like he had a death wish, there was a part of you that admired him, maybe even loved him. But he would never feel the same way. 

Once, when it was Jace’s turn to train with you, you had tripped and almost knocked him down with you, but he had caught you by the waist. There was something about the way he touched you that day that told you he may not hate you, maybe it was just more of a dislike. But his hands lingered on your waist for longer than they should have, and as you turned around it took everything inside him, all his strength and self control, to stop himself from kissing you. 

“What do you mean? I’ve fought before-”

“And you almost got yourself killed, y/n.” Jace stated, picking all the  blades he would need for this fight, “I don’t want to risk that- risk you getting us all killed, okay? Just stay here. Leave it to us.” 

“But she’s been training with us for months now! I’m sure she has it in her!” Isabelle said, grinning as she handed you some weapons. 

“No.” Jace demanded again, taking the weapons from you, what is his problem, you thought. 

“Jace, Isabelle’s right. She’s been trained now, she knows what to do.” Alec added. 

Jace sighed, it looked like he was deep in thought. His eyes met yours and you quickly looked away. 

“Fine.” He said, handing you another blade, “but if she gets us killed-”

“I won’t!” You groan, loading your belt up with weapons. 

—————————♡—————————

The fight ended pretty badly. Shadowhunters from all over the country had come to help, it was believed that this was another attack from Valentine. So far, the death count was at 6. Alec was leaning over Isabelle, drawing the healing rune on her as quickly as possible. Her entire left arm was covered in blood, but selfishly all Jace could think of was you. Where were you? Were they going to find you dead or alive? He knew he should never have let you come with him. 

With Isabelle now healed, Alec helped her up and they wandered over to Jace who was sat on the ground, covered in dirt and blood. 

“We should head back,” Alec began, “the suns rising, they won’t come back-”

“Where’s y/n?” Isabelle interrupted, turning to look around. But you were nowhere to be found. 

“Probably dead.” Jace murmured, rising to his feet, “I said she shouldn’t have come with us.”

“We’re going back to the Institute, I need to get Isabelle to the infirmary, why don’t you stay and look for her?” 

“Why should I?” Jace huffed, “she’s not my probl-”

“Jace, she may not be your problem, but if she’s dead that will be our problem.” Alec said, sternly, “and also, if you wouldn’t be so arrogant all the time, you would’ve noticed the way she looks at you.”

And they were gone. 

Jace stayed for longer than he would want to admit, looking for you. Holding his breath as he came to a pile of dead bodies, he prayed that one of them wouldn’t be you. And they weren’t. He had been searching for almost half an hour, and there was no sign of you. His heart dropped and he felt a lump in his throat. He told you to stay behind. He didn’t want you to get hurt, knowing how much that would hurt him. 

Soon enough, he gave up looking. He just accepted that you had been killed and possibly turned to dust, or something along those lines. Why didn’t you listen to him? Maybe because he’s always such a dick, of course you won’t do as he tells you. As he walked back to the Institute he was filled with regret, it became overwhelming. He wished he hadn’t gave the impression that he disliked you, as it was far from the truth. The truth was that he was just scared. He had never felt the way he feels about you with any other girl before, it terrified him. He would do anything for you, but you wouldn’t do the same. 

Once he got back to the Institute, he checked on Izzy in the infirmary. Alec had informed Jace that Magnus Bane would be paying her a visit, as the runes didn’t have enough power to heal her fully. Jace knew how Alec felt about Magnus, along with how Magnus felt about Alec. He simply nodded and left, making his way to his room. 

As he approached his room, he noticed his door was slightly open. Flooded with panic- which always turned into adrenaline for Jace- he grabbed a blade from his belt and slowly pushed the door open. His eyes widened as he saw who was waiting for him. 

“Y/n?” The blade fell to the floor and he rushed over to you, you had a similar problem to Isabelle, yet yours was less severe. Your arm had been caught, possibly clawed by a demon. “What are you doing here?” 

“Alec didn’t want me seeing Isabelle’s-”

“When did you get here?” 

“Just after the others… Jace I need your help,” you motioned towards your arm, “I didn’t want to ask Alec and I can’t draw runes very well with my other hand-”

Wasting no time, Jace reached for his stele and gently held onto the underside of your arm as he drew the mark on your injury. He felt you suck in your breath as he drew over the wound. 

“It’s okay,” he comforted you, “you’re doing so well for me, such a good girl.” 

He barely had time to realise what he had just said, too busy trying to not screw up the mark, as a slight whimper left your mouth, causing his body to stiffen. 

The air in the room had seemed to have thickened. As Jace finished the rune, he looked up at you with a gentle smile as if to say ‘all done.’ This was the first time he had ever smiled at you. 

“Thank you,” you whisper, your hand reaching up to his face to wipe off some of the dirt, “Jace, you're filthy!” 

He was going to something back, maybe along the lines of ‘i can be if you want’, but instead he leaned in towards you. The feeling of your skin on his drove him crazy, he had been craving it for months and now he finally had it he couldn’t hold back. Your lips brushed against each other, and you felt him swallow hard before tangling his hand into your hair and pulling you close, kissing you as if he would never kiss again. 

Neither of you could quite believe what was happening, and neither of you wanted to stop. It was as if your prayers had been answered, you could not ask for anything more than this, than him. 

“Jace,” you whisper as he pulls back for air. You were going to say something but he cut you off. 

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he confesses, “when I couldn’t find you after the battle in the city I assumed you…” he couldn’t seem to say it, the one simple word. As if saying it would make it become true, “and it made me regret everything, I should’ve told you sooner, I shouldn’t have been such a dick towards you. I’m sorry, y/n.”

You couldn’t believe what he had said, he didn’t hate you and he even apologised? Jace wasn’t one to apologise very often, Alec had mentioned once. He’d always be so honest, even if it meant being mean. 

Without replying to him, you pulled him back towards you again, already missing the feeling of his lips on yours. His tongue swiped on your bottom lip as he tugged on your hair, causing you to gasp, your mouth opening enough for him to slip his tongue in, deepening the kiss. Everything about this felt so intimate, you had never been kissed this way before. It had even caused tingles in your lower belly, and you knew there was only one way to relieve yourself of them. 

As Jace’s hands slipped under your t-shirt, you knew how this was going to go. Thinking quickly, you pulled back from the kiss and smirked, running your fingers through his hair. 

“Why don’t we take a shower?” Your tone was very suggestive, there was no way in hell that Jace would turn you down. 

“Sounds great, I was going to mention how you smell like pond water- Hey!” You smacked his shoulder playfully, standing up from his bed and taking his hand, leading him into his bathroom. 

Once you shut the door, you pushed Jace against it, making sure to lock it before wrapping your arms around his neck, pulling him down to your level and crashing your lips together once more. This time was a lot more heated, as Jace played with the hem of your shirt, before lifting it up and over your head, breaking the kiss briefly and throwing it to the floor. You could tell he was quite experienced by the way he easily unclasped your bra, making you feel slightly worried- you had only slept with one boy, and he only lasted two minutes. 

As your bra fell to the floor, Jace pulled back from the kiss, his mouth now kissing down your chest, to your breasts and finally your nipples. They quickly hardened with arousal as Jace’s lips wrapped around them, your hands stroking his hair as your mouth fell open. You had never been so turned on. You needed him, now. 

“Jace,” you whimpered, “I thought we were gonna take a shower?” 

“We will, darling. But you want this, right?” He checks, you tell him how you’ve never wanted anything else more in your entire life, only boosting his ego- in the moment, you couldn’t care less. 

As Jace pulled away again, you felt cold at the lack of his touch. He started undressing, leaving both your clothes a messy pile on the tiled floor. As you began to undo your belt and slide your jeans down your legs, his hands stopped you. He took your hands and lifted them away as his hands slipped into your jeans, pulling them down along with your underwear, throwing them to the side. 

As he went to turn on the water, you noticed that you were both bare, exposed in front of each other. He motioned his finger ‘come here’, and so you followed him. He took your hand as he pulled you into the shower with him. You couldn’t help but giggle as the water fell on the both of you, it was rather cold- Jace noticed this and reached over you, as he pulled back the water started to become warmer. 

You both stood and admired each other, you took in the scars on his skin, old wounds that would have possibly been fatal for any ordinary human. As he looked at you, he was also drawn to your scars, but also your curves. He couldn’t help but rest his hand on your hip, then his eyes betrayed him and you caught him staring between your legs. 

Slightly flushed in embarrassment, you picked up his shampoo bottle. Pouring some into your left hand, you spun around him, so he was now under the water, facing the wall as you ran your fingers through his hair, working the shampoo in and washing out the dirt and blood that had dried in his blonde locks. As it washed out in the water, you couldn’t help but watch in awe as his hands ran through his hair, the way he always did. 

Then it was your turn. After pouring the shampoo into his hands, Jace pulled you close against him as his fingers ran through your hair, he massaged your scalp as he worked in the shampoo. It felt too good. As he accidently caught a knot in your hair, you let out a small gasp and he chuckled, wanting to tug on your hair again- but he decided to save that for later. 

He took the bottle of body wash from the small shelf in his shower and worked it into his hands, before rubbing it across your body. 

“Sorry, love, but you’re going to have to smell like me.” He couldn’t help but start at your breasts, massaging them with the bubbles, before working down your arms, neck, stomach, back- and finally, your legs. As he washed your legs, he got down on his knees. You almost moaned at the sight of it. He poured out some more body wash and began washing your left thigh, moving down to your knee, then your calf, your ankle, and foot. He then repeated this on your other leg. As he washed you, he couldn’t help but catch a glimpse of your pussy, you were practically dripping. 

He quickly finishes, standing again as you now start to wash him. You feel as his body eases under your touch, your hands move from his back to his arms, making sure to clean all the dirt from his skin. You’d never imagine Jace being this vulnerable with someone, but this wasn’t anyone, this was you. You moved down, now to his legs, you try your hardest not to look between his legs, knowing how it’ll make you feel, so you carry on down his legs. 

Despite your inexperience in bed physically, you had come up with many scenarios in your mind. One of them was riding Jace’s thigh, and as your hand rubbed the bubbles into his skin, your mouth was practically watering at the thought all over again. 

“All done,” you smile, standing back up again. Saying no more, Jace pushes you against the wall, his hands on your waist as the water continues to fall on you both. He connects your lips once more, the last time had been more desperate, now this was full of love, passion, want. 

You bring your arms to wrap around his neck again, partially for balance. His kisses trail from your lips to your jaw and down your neck, where you feel him begin to nibble the skin, sure to leave some bruising for tomorrow. 

“Can I go down on you?” He asks against your neck, his kisses now moving down to your collarbone, “please?” 

This completely threw you off, Jace was asking to go down on you?

“Please. Nobody’s ever done that before.” You confess. He lifts his head back up, giving you a look that says ‘seriously?’. 

“Then I’ll be the first, darling. You’ll never forget it.” He says, smirk spreading across his face as he kisses down your chest to your tummy, and gets back down on his knees again. You feel those familiar tingles as he spreads your legs, placing one of them up on his shoulder. “If you don’t like it, tell me to stop, sweetheart. Okay?”

“Okay.” You nod your head, biting down on your lip as you feel his fingers begin to spread your folds, his mouth placing a delicate kiss on your clit. His tongue then began to lick around the nub, gently flicking it up and down as you groaned, your hand coming down to his head. His mouth wrapped around your clit and sucked slowly, stopping for a moment and then sucking again. You felt your core clenching down on nothing, you wished he’d slip a finger into you, but one of his hands was wrapped around your thigh, holding you in place, and the other was holding your hand. 

You were left gasping for air as you felt his teeth graze your clit, the new sensation clouded your brain, it seemed the only words you were now capable of saying were ‘Jace’ and ‘please’. This only encouraged him to tease you further. He wanted to ruin you for any other man, make sure that nothing could ever compare to the pleasure he gave you. 

As he started sucking on your clit again, you began grinding down on his face. Then you felt your stomach tighten, this was more intense than any orgasm you had ever given yourself with just your fingers. You hadn’t yet realised you were holding your breath, but as you came on his face you let out a loud, almost pornographic moan. 

“Holy shit,” you heard Jace say from between your thighs. His fingers now toying with your clit, causing you to squirm from the overstimulation. “I’ve never made anyone squirt before, that was insane!” He grins, wiping his face as he rises to his feet again. He notices you burying your face in your hands. “Baby, don’t be embarrassed. That was so fucking hot.” He says, moving your hands away from your face, cupping your cheek as he places a kiss on your lips, causing you to taste yourself. As he pulled you closer to him, in attempt to deepen the kiss, you slightly pushed him back, plucking up the courage to ask him-

“Can I go down on you?” 

He eagerly nodded his head.

“Only if you want to, of course.” He says. 

“I want to try it. I’ve never done it before.” You say, settling yourself on your knees in front of him. Before you reach your hand out to touch him, he stops you- you worry that you’ve already done something wrong and look up at him. 

“What have you done before, darling?” He asks, not a single hint of judgement in his voice as he strokes your cheek again. 

“Only the actual… act.” You explain, “it didn’t last very long, either.” 

He frowns, looking down at you sympathetically. 

“Poor baby,” if this was in any other situation, you would’ve smacked him. But right now wasn’t the time, “it’s okay, I’ll teach you.” He says, removing his hands from you. You take his cock in your hand, although it was too big for just one hand. You begin pumping it in your fist, but you worried this wouldn’t be enough, “if you want, you could use your mouth,” Jace says between pants. Like him, just the sight of you on your knees for him was enough to make him cum. You take the tip of him into your mouth, your tongue swirling around it, tasting the pre-cum that had leaked out. You hear him moan your name, knowing you must be doing something right, you continue your actions. 

Soon, deciding you wanted to change it up again, you attempt to take his entire length in your mouth, although you ended up gagging after taking just over half of him. His hand comes down to your wet hair, stroking your head, telling you to only do what you’re comfortable with- but after giving you the best orgasm of your life, you feel like you owed him this. 

So you try again, hollowing your cheeks and you manage to take more of him down your throat. His hand comes down to hold you in place, forgetting in the moment that this is your first time and that he should be gentle, but you didn’t want him to hold back. You gagged around him again, and he quickly removed his hand, cursing himself and apologising to you. But all you did was take his hand again, putting it back where it was and looking up at him as if to say ‘it’s okay.’

You suspected he was close, words fell from his mouth such as ‘good girl, taking my cock like this’, ‘your mouth feels like heaven’, ‘look at you, with my cock stuffed down your throat’, ‘my pretty little slut’. You loved hearing the words that came from his mouth, they only pushed you into taking him further, desperate for him to cum in your mouth. 

“I’m gonna cum, darling.” He warns you, but to his surprise you only suck harder on him, needing to taste him. 

He was pushed over the edge when you looked up at him, your eyes half-lidded, he had never seen anything like it. The way you took his cock, every last inch, into your mouth. You felt his cum start to leak out into your mouth- to your surprise it tasted quite pleasant, unlike what your friends described it as, but maybe it was just because it was Jace. 

You swallowed every last drop, taking him out of your mouth when you knew you’d worked him through his high. You opened your mouth for him, showing him how you had taken his seed. All he could do was moan, and smile down at you. 

You stood back up, holding onto him for support as your knees ached. You were so desperate for him to fuck you now, you felt your hips grinding into his without you even realising it. 

“I need you,” you whisper against his neck, peppering him with kisses, “I need you to show me what it’s like to get fucked properly.” 

Your words seemed to have the same effect on him as his did on you, as you heard his breath hitch and his hands grabbed your hips. 

“Then I don’t think we should do it in the shower, baby.” He says before he turns the water off and helps you step out of the shower. He reaches for a couple towels, wrapping you up in one and him in the other as he leads you back to his room. You begin to dry yourself as he goes to double lock the door- you guess that he had been walked in on before. You try not to think too hard about Jace’s love life. 

Once you were dried, you didn’t bother getting dressed, you just laid back on Jace’s bed like he instructed you to do. He smirked when he came back and saw you doing what he had asked. 

When he was dry, he joined you on the bed. Leaning on top of you as he connects your lips again, his hand coming down to cup your heat. 

“You touch yourself, right?” He asks, to which you nod your head. Afraid that opening your mouth will cause you to moan out loudly again, “of course you do,” he smirks, “I’ve heard you late at night. Such a dirty girl… show me.” He whispers, leaning back, his eyes on you. 

You try to catch your breath, but it was impossible in this situation. Your right hand moves down your body, reaching where you need him the most. You rubbed your clit with your middle finger in tight circles, small gasps leaving your mouth as Jace just chuckled. 

“You can do better than that.” Jace states, and you begin to go faster, feeling as your stomach tightens, you bite down on your free hand to stop the moans and whimpers spilling out, but he moved it, “I need to hear you, love.” He says. 

As you were on the edge on another orgasm, Jace takes your hand in his, making you whine beneath him. He just continues to smirk, enjoying the sounds you make for him. Sounds you’ve made only for him.  

“Jace,” you whisper, your hand tangling in his damp hair as his mouth comes down to your nipples again, “I need you.”

“Where, darling?”

“Inside me. Need to feel you here.” You say, taking one of his hands and placing it on your belly. It’s as if you flipped a switch, he licks over your hardened bud once more before spreading your legs apart for him as far as they could go, his cock pressing against you as his hand holds your hip. 

“You ready?” He asks, his thumb stroking where he held your hip. 

“Yes,” you moan, wanting to just take him and shove him inside you already. 

You knew it would hurt, the size of him and your experience wouldn’t go well together, but you seemed to forget he was also rather experienced. As he begins to push himself into you, he whispers praises into your ear and he kisses down your neck. 

“Taking me so well, good girl. I know you can do it.” He says, your eyes were screwed shut as you ran your fingers through his hair, tugging on it when you were in discomfort. But once he was fully in, he paused for a moment, kissing you on the lips before telling you, “I’ll move when you’re ready, okay? Just let me know when.”

You were so grateful for how caring he had become in this moment, the thought of losing you had made him appreciate you more. He was so careful with you, but once you were both comfortable enough, you wanted that to change. 

“You can move.” You whisper into his ear, and he begins to move his hips, thrusting himself in and out of you. Rubbing against your walls deliciously, each time you clenched around him you heard him groan slightly. 

As his pace quickened, you let go of his hair and flopped against his mattress, the pleasure becoming overwhelming. You had truly never felt anything like it. The way he angled his hips caused him to brush against the special spot inside of you, causing your vision to blur and your mind to become fuzzy. 

“Feels good?” Jace asks, knowing it clearly felt wonderful. “You’re doing so well for me, baby. Taking me so well.” 

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, you feel a sudden pressure on your lower stomach and you look up to see Jace pressing down with his hand. Each time he thrusted into you, you felt like you were going to explode. 

Drunk off the feeling of his cock, you look into his eyes. It was such an innocent thing to do, but the words that were about to leave your mouth were far from it. 

“Jace,” you said between breaths, “I need you to cum inside me, please, please, need you to fill me up, all the way…” You trail off as he lifts one of your legs over his shoulder, reaching deeper into you than you thought was possible.  

“Look at you beginning for my cum,” he chuckles, his voice dripping in lust, “sweet little whore, wanting me to show her how it feels to get fucked right, now wanting me to fill her up.” His words only made you worse, you couldn’t think straight as you clenched around him even more, “so desperate, aren’t you, darling? But you asked so nicely. Make a mess on my cock for me, and I’ll give you what you want, okay?” 

You nod your head, not knowing what you had agreed to exactly, but if Jace was offering something who were you to turn it down?

“Open your mouth, sweetheart.” He says, leaning over you again, his arm beside you, supporting him. You do as you're told, and he spits into your mouth. You hold it there for a moment before swallowing, opening your mouth again to show him you had indeed swallowed it. 

Eager to make you finish before him, he pushes himself back up and begins toying with your clit again, knowing how sensitive it had now become, pinching it, rubbing it between his fingers, rubbing it in tight circles, trying to figure out what you like best. 

“Jace!” You gasp, “I’m gonna…”

“Do it. Cum around my cock for me, and I’ll give you what you want, darling.” He pants. 

And before you know it, your body begins to squirm underneath him as you see white. You can only moan out his name and profanities. Your head was thrown back, your arms coming up lay on the pillows beside you. Jace lifts you by the hips, holding you as close as he possibly can before letting himself go inside of you. He holds you there for a moment whilst he comes undone, as if you’ll disappear if he lets go of you. 

“Jace,” you whisper, his body collapsing beside yours.

“Holy shit.” He gasps, he couldn’t believe what had just happened. “Y/n, I love you. I have done since I first met you, I was just… scared. Scared you wouldn’t like me back. I know this is a lot to take in but-” 

“I love you too,” you giggle, still coming down from the pure ecstasy he had gave to you, “I… I can’t think straight right now, baby. Let’s talk about it later. Right now I just want to cuddle.” You say, snuggling up to his chest. 

“I guess I quite literally fucked your brains out.” Jace said, earning a half-hearted slap on the shoulder from you. “Sorry.” He added, his fingers playing with your damp hair as you fell asleep on his chest.

#jace wayland smut #jamie campbell bower #jamie campbell bower smut #jace herondale smut #jamie bower #jace wayland #jamie bower smut #jamie bower x reader

[froottalks]

Masterlist

Started: 18/08/2023

[Requests are OPEN, you may suggest people that are not on this list.]

Fandoms I write for:

Arrowverse

The Flash

Caitlin Snow

Fractured Promises {Alternate version}

Iris West

Jessie Wells

Supergirl

Kara Danvers

Guiding Stars

Unreachable Skies

Healing Hearts

Unveiling Hearts {part 2 to Healing Hearts}

Twisted Desires

Alex Danvers

Lena Luthor

Tangled Deceptions

Elegance Unveiled

Shadows of Redemption {part 2 to Tangled Deceptions}

Samantha Arias

Maggie Sawyer

Arrow

Felicity Smoak

Mia Smoak

Thea Queen

Laurel Lance

Melodies of the heart

Dinah Drake

Legends of Tomorrow

Sara Lance

Zari Tomaz

Ava Sharpe

Amaya Jiwe

TVDU

The Vampire Diaries

Elena Gilbert

Unexpected Connection

Caroline Forbes

Veiled Secrets

Bonnie Bennett

Katherine Pierce

The Originals

Hayley Marshall

Moonlit Bonds

Rebekah Mikaelson

Freya Mikaelson

Davina Clair

Legacies

Hope Mikaelson

Josie Salzman

Lizzie Saltzman

Penelope Park

Teen Wolf

Allison Argent

Lidiya Martin

Malia Tate

Marvel

MCU

Natasha Romanoff

Sparks in the Ring

Igniting Desires {part 2 to Sparks in the Ring}

A Flame Ignited {part 3 to Sparks in the Ring}

Enigmatic Desires

Countryside Love

Countryside Affection {part 2 to Countryside Love}

Forever Love {part 3 to Countryside Love}

Wanda Maximoff

Serendipitous Hearts

Echoes of Affection

Threads of Fate

Shadows of desire Part 1 - Enchanted obsession Part 2 - Desires Unleashed Part 3 - Veil of Shadows

Whispers of Fate {part 2 to Threads of Fate}

Shattered Bonds

Carol Danvers

Watching Your Back

Kate Bishop

Hello, You

Scream Franchise

Scream VI

Sam Carpenter

Tara Carpenter

Riverdale

Betty Cooper

Veronica Lodge

Whispers of Lost Love

Cheryl Blossom

Harry Potter

Hermione Granger

Ginny Weasley

Fleur Delacour

The Witcher

Yennefer of Vengerberg

The Mortal Instruments

Shadowhunters

Clary Fray

Isabelle Lightwood

#masterlist #arrowverse #the flash #supergirl #green arrow #legends of tomorrow #tvdu #the vampire diaries #the originals #legacies #marvel #mcu #marvel mcu #riverdale #harry potter #the witcher #caitlin snow #felicity smoak #black canary #kara danvers #kara zor el #alex danvers #maggie sawyer #lena luthor #shadowhunters #x reader #x y/n #x male y/n #x female y/n #x female reader

[onetimetwotimesthreetimess]

okay okay so in shrek forever after shrek has like one day to revert the magic and return the world to its original state or it become permanent for good (the only way to revert the magic is with true love kiss btw). what if magnus only realize his previous unmagicified life with alec like 5 minutes before it’s a new day. what then

Part I

Part III

Three months. It’s been three months since Magnus has been living with a huge ass whole inside his chest. Like he went for a surgery where the doctors cut him open but never stitched him back again.

Only the insane part about all of this is that Magnus doesn’t even remember the surgery he went in for.

He’s so fucking sure something is going on, that’s he’s losing it but there’s no one he can go to—no one he can confide in with this problem because how do you solve an issue that doesn’t even exist outside his mind.

But even if Magnus doesn’t understand most things, doesn’t have enough clues, one thing he is absolutely sure about. That this, all of this, connect to one man.

Alexander Gideon Lightwood.

Ever since that Magnus met the man, he’s been feeling a hundred different kinds of way.

And he knows he has a tendency to exaggerate, has time and again blew things out of proportion for an infatuation or attraction but this isn’t it. While he knows he’s attracted to Alec and would love to climb him, he knows whatever this is, isn’t his libido making him feel.

This is something far deeper, far more significant.

“Magnus?” A voice, the voice brings him back from his thoughts.

“Hmm?”

“Where did you go?” Alec asks. “We were discussing about the issue with the demon towers in Alicante.”

“Yes, of course. My apologies, Alexander,” he exhales.

“That’s okay.” Alec takes another sip of his drinks and winces, like he does every time.

I should have made him that other drink.

He’s been having random thoughts like this all the time.

That Alec would prefer a cocktail over this beer he keeps on asking for.

That he would like chocolate bars.

Or that he would like his coffee better if he’d put two cubes of sugar instead of one.

He doesn’t know why but he keeps on thinking he knows more about Alec than he does and what an insane fucking thought is that?

He finally goes to Catarina with this. It surprises him when Catarina doesn’t dismiss him.

“Weirder things have happened in our world, Magnus. If you think something is wrong, we should atleast check it.”

He pulls Cat in a hug, relieved that she believes him. Because of Cat doesn’t believe Magnus, what choices does he have left with?

They go over all the possible theories but come up with nothing.

And then everything goes to shit one fine night as the lot of shadowhunter stands in Magnus’s loft for a demon summoning.

Magnus remembers a demon summoning between the very same loft, one that hadn’t ended well. He’d hoped that this one would be different.

He’s proved wrong not ten minutes later when a memory of the person you loved the most resurfaces for everyone to see.

A memory of Clary smiling appears from Jace’s mind.

A memory of Simon and Alec laughing together from Isabelle.

Magnus sees a small smile appear on Alec’s face at the memory.

It’s Alec’s turn and there’s a memory of Isabelle and Jace and Max.

He expects Alec to smile at the memory but a sad smile appears on his face and Magnus wonders for a second before his heart breaks. He imagines how suffocating and heartbreaking it must be to be married and not in love.

Alec and Lydia do not love each other is a fact that Magnus picked up on very quickly. It’s a marriage of convenience.

He thinks of Alec’s rare smiles that he’s only ever witnessed occasionally. Alec is smart and beautiful and has a dry sense of humour that never fails to make him laugh.

He’s fighting for a better world for shadowhunters and downworlders. He fights every single minute of his life with the world and Magnus wishes that the man had one place, in his home, with his partner where he didn’t have to fight.

Alec sniffles at the memory and looks away but there’s a second when both their eyes match. Magnus looks away for he can’t see Alec in pain and it’s insane because he barely knows the man.

They’ve formed an easy friendship now but that’s what it is—a friendship. Because Alec is married, even if it’s in name, there are lines that Magnus would never cross. And Alec doesn’t seem the type to either.

Then Simon and Clary’s turn comes and for both of them, it’s a memory of the other one. They exchange a beautiful smile at that.

And then in an instant, everything turns to hell when it’s his turn because this time, it’s a memory of Alec.

It’s from one of those rare days when Alec laughed in a way that made his eyes crinkle at the corners. The memory focuses on Alec’s faces and anyone with a single functioning braincell could feel Magnus’s feelings.

“What the fuck?” Jace yells, followed by everyone else.

Alec breaks the circle as he stands up, his eyes widen, face filled with horror.

“Magnus—what?”

He looks embarrassed and it quickly changes to anger. “How could you—what?” Alec tries but nothing else comes up.

“Alexander, listen,” Magnus swallows, knowing that if Alec leaves, he’s never going to be able to fix this. Even though he doesn’t know what this is—he needs Alec to stay. “I know this must all be confusing. It’s for me as well but I think that there’s more to what we’re seeing. There’s something between us and I—-“

Alec raises a hand.

There’s a pin drop of silence before Alec stares at him, fire in his eyes as he says, “Don’t ever come near me again.”

Isabelle and Jace’s eyes sadden suddenly, as if they know, and he’s sure they know why Alec is so shocked about this. Isabelle puts a comforting hand on his shoulder before they all leave.

Clary tries to stay but Magnus asks her to leave.

He needs time.

He falls to the floor, clutching his head in his hand as he tries to figure out what’s wrong. He yells out of despair, of feeling like he’s living with half his organs, half his mind, half his memories and all the pain let’s him to lose control and Magnus unleashes his magic onto the world. He needs to get Alec out of his brain so he wracks inside his brain and takes out all the memories of Alec, from every pit and crevice inside his brain and throws them outside.

A few second in, Magnus is surrounded by blue magic around him, memories and memories of Alec around him. Magnus’s eyes widen as he goes through them.

There are hundreds of memories and he knows for a fact that while these are his memories, he doesn’t remember living them.

There’s his first meeting with Alec. First—first meeting.

Alec and Magnus playing polo.

Alec grinning as he cooks French roast for them.

Dancing.

Alec almost dying. Multiple times.

Magnus in Edom. Alec in Edom.

Smiles and happiness and love—so much love.

The one that completely breaks Magnus’s heart is the one where they’re getting married.

And their wedding night.

Alec becoming Inquisitor and kissing the daylights out of him when he tells him.

Then the memories turn more somber. Darker. Sadder.

“I want to go home.” “This is home, Magnus.”

He doesn’t even have to wait, he knows the words already on his lips.

“I wish I had never married you, Alexander.”

And Magnus remembers.

He remembers why it’s been feeling like he’s living without his heart—because he was. His heart was living outside his body, in a world that’s created by Magnus’s anger and despair.

One moment of weakness and Magnus’s entire life changed.

By his own doing.

“Alexander,” Magnus falls to the ground and cries for his husband. “What did I do?“

After a few hours of lying on the floor mourning his life, Magnus goes to Cat.

He tells her everything and cries in her arms. “Cat, Alec—Alec is my husband. I remember. I remember him. Please I need to—I need to fix this. I need him back,” he cries.

It’s an ancient curse is what their research tells them. Now that he remembers, it’s easier to find the source.

“I need to talk to Alec…I—“

A huge gasp leaves Catarina’s mouth and he turns.

“Catarina what? What now?”

“It’s 11:55pm.”

“And?”

“Fuck!” Cat exclaims.

“Catarina, what?”

“I’m sorry, Magnus. But tomorrow morning, you won’t remember him.”

“What?” He says in horror.

“The memories will be lost forever.”

Alec will be lost forever.

#look what u made me do anh #malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood

[malec-ao3feed]

never saw it comin'

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/UWReh7X by storieswithinus //I wish I could fly, I'd pick you up and we'd go back in time. I'd write this in the sky, I miss you like it was the very first night.// Magnus Bane fell in love in 1850 with a beautiful man named Alexander. Then he thought he lost him forever only to discover him alive and well over a century and a half later. Alec Lightwood never thought he would see Magnus again, his love for him lingering throughout the decades. The chance to fall back in love at their fingertips, an opportunity they both thought they lost... Words: 2162, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: Gen, M/M Characters: Magnus Bane, Alec Lightwood, Ragnor Fell, Jace Wayland, Clary Fray, Simon Lewis, Isabelle Lightwood, Maia Roberts, Lydia Branwell, Raphael Santiago Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Past Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, 1850s, Immortal Alec Lightwood, Protective Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, falling back in love, Falling In Love, Boys In Love, Dragon Alec Lightwood, Shadowhunters Aren't In This Story, Dragons, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Downworlders, Downworld Council (Shadowhunter Chronicles), Downworld Culture & Customs, Dragon Clan, Bookstores, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Fluff, Happy Ending, Fluff, Flashbacks, Song: The Very First Night (Taylor Swift), Implied/Referenced Homophobia read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/UWReh7X

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #shadowhunters #tmi #malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #magnus x alec #malec fanfic #the mortal instruments

[ladyhindsight]

It’s kind of funny that Simon drinks Sebastian’s blood for the first four pages of this chapter. Just there, in the background without being mentioned while Clary tries to seduce Jace back from Lilith’s grasp. It is also never explained why Simon needs to do that in the first place, but it’s really like whatever at this point.

→ Could feel and remembering should have counts of their own because this book is littered with this bad writing.

→ I could run, she thought, but seconds later both arms were around her again...

→ His fingers trailed over her back...

Clary turns away from Simon so it needs to be told that she is no longer looking at him. Makes sense.

→ though their presence still shivered up her spine.

I am feeling equally sick, because it does not give a sense of urgency or thread when Clary still has capacity to fawn over Jace’s touch.

First of the wrong things to say. This exact same sentence is in the next chapter:

It had been the wrong thing to say. Isabelle shook her head, her dark hair flying, and moved a little away from him on the settee. “Oh, Simon. Don’t be dense.“

→ The rune on his chest was visible through the torn fabric of his shirt.

→ It was sickening, attached to him like that...

→ His body reacted to her, the drumbeat of his heart....

This is the climactic point of the story and it is so fucking tedious. There’s a lot unnecessary writing that slows down the pace and focuses on inessentials.

→ She whipped it upward just as he had shown her and slashed the blade across...

→ Jace is such a durable guy, has such a high threshold for pain, so don’t for a minute think that he’d cry out from pain.

→ He stopped with a jerk (is sudden as it is)

→ Lilith’s location in this scene is so obscure but she wasn’t next to or facing Jace?

→ Again, why did Simon need to drink it?

Last time Lilith called him Jace Lightwood. It is absolutely senseless how everyone goes from Lightwood to Herondale the very next time they use his whole name.

Scene changes to Alec.

But not killed. 😉

IRRELEVANT. This is reminiscent to the scene in City of Bones where Clary focuses on whether the Forsaken is a man or a woman. Also calling a person “it” before the sex is known? Have you heard of they?

→ Also pointing out here that Sandalphon is italicized.

Alec eventually finds Camille cuffed to a pipe. Then back to the roof garden.

Even Clary as Clary is known for her incredibly unflinching nature??

Her eyes being all black and then bulging and protruding do not negate each other.

Jace, momentarily freed from Lilith’s control, calls his angel blade Michael, which I had forgotten happens and now it seems understandable that Alec was allowed to have essentially the same scene in The Lost Book of the White, because Jace had already done it but to Lilith.

Again speaking about a God but everyone just glosses over it.

Dropping the lore here.

Jace’s angel blade is, unlike Sandalphon or any angel blade, not italicized and now it seems there is a Michael that gets knocked from his hand.

Jace is so awesome, even the great villain calls him the Greatest Shadowhunter in the World! Jace also has to be the character whose whole name is said over and over again. It has to be a kink or something.

Back to Alec and his dumb conversation with Camille.

What fickle love that would be when the helpless person is, in truth, a big meanie who deserves to be cuffed to a pipe.

Camille also explains the plot.

→ Her skin was very pale, and beneath it her veins had darkened...

If this is alluding to the whole plan of Let’s Take Magnus’ Immortality Away that Camille concocts, then it doesn’t make much sense does it? Magnus being mortal does not mean they can be together forever. Otherwise I have no idea what this means.

So Alec, like the dumbass moron he is in this book, let’s Camille go. Isabelle comes to find him, and Alec realizes that Camille is long gone.

Back to the roof. Jace battles Lilith.

Simon is but a vessel to narrate Jace’s appearance.

You mean furious?

Who is this Michael whose light whips around?

→ Jace, the Greatest Shadowhunter in the World, shall never tire.

→ could, could, could. Always could.

→ Don’t tell and give away what happens right before you’re about to show. For gazillionth time.

Though this serves to explain the fact that Clary has not left the roof for safety as Jace originally believed, it’s still so pandering and annoying that no matter the character, everyone will always play into Jace and Clary’s great love.

Jace’s battle with Lilith is just Simon narrating everything and most importantly Jace’s character. How Jace’s death song is his snark, that he will die like a warrior, like a Shadowhunter. How Jace’s clothes are torn, etc. Now Jace’s expressions are Simon’s to explain also.

→ He’d thought she was safe, but Lilith was gloating now...

SO.

Lilith tangles Clary in the air to extort Jace and Simon to play their parts in Sebastian’s resurrection because she can’t kill either of them. Clary, on the other hand, she can hurt. Lilith whips Clary. Then before another slash hits Clary, Simon slides between them and takes the hit. Heaven’s vengeance is upon Lilith and she is destroyed.

The end.

Not. There is still one agonizing chapter of this bullshit.

#Clary Fray #Simon Lewis #Jace Herondale #Sebastian Morgenstern #City of Fallen Angels #CoFA Chapter 18

[hadesrise]

𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗗.

summary ➳ maryse and robert are betrothing alec to someone unknown and he gets enough of it — until meeting who he’s betrothed to; you.

pairings ➳ alec lightwood x male reader

warnings ➳ arranged marriage, reader being hot lmao, probably strong language, ooc maryse, love at first sight

author’s note ➳ it’s a lot boring, isn’t it?

FEM READERS DNI !!

“Alec!” The Shadowhunters had been gathering around in the control room to gather information about the recent demonic activity, whether it’s connected to valentine or not, when Isabelle hurriedly rushed down the stairs.

Jace and Clary stops what they were doing after hearing the distress in her tone and joins Alec’s side. “Izzy, what happened?” Alec asked, concern plastering his face at the look of panic in her face.

“I heard mom and dad talking. They’re going to betrothe you with someone.” She informed, Jace and Clary immediately widening their eyes in surprise and looking at each other.

Alec seems confused, his brows furrowed together to create wrinkles on his forehead. “What are you talking about? They’re going to betrothe me to who?”

“I don’t know, but I’m sure with what I heard.” Isabelle shakes her head. The older Lightwood sighs at that with a look of disbelief, annoyance clearly building up inside him as he huffed, irritated. Forcing him to not develop any emotions was one thing, but making him marry someone he doesn’t even know is just crossing the line.

Do they not understand they can restore the Lightwood name in another way?

He was already stressed out with this demonic activity, he doesn’t need another thing stressing him out.

“There has to be another way, Alec. They can’t just let you marry someone we never met.” Jace insist, grabbing his parabatai’s arm.

“And I know I have no right to say anything, but this isn’t just about restoring your family name. It’s also ruining your life.” Stated Clary, genuinely worried for Alec’s future.

The archer sighed, but didn’t disagree with her. It’s gonna ruin his life forever if they betrothe him to someone, specially if it’s a woman. Alec hadn’t come out yet, so being married to a woman means he has no chance of ever doing so, and it angers him. He wished it was easy to live in the shadow world without any burdens.

“I’m gonna talk to them. See if they will reconsider.” He remained calm despite having many worries and anger running through his veins. “Just don’t stop looking for informations that may help.” That’s all he said before walking away to talk to his parents, Isabelle silently cheering on him from behind.

After he was gone, Clary’s shoulders slumped and a sigh was forced out of her throat. “This is all my fault...”

“It’s not.” Jace and Isabelle were quick to deny, both of them placing either of their hands on her shoulders to cheer her up. They give her a strong gaze of reassurance that nobody’s blaming her for this, not even Alec.

It was their parents’ decision. No one is at fault but them.

Alec now stood in front of his parents with anger flaming in his eyes, scowl plastered his face. “I heard about the marriage.” They both looked down at that. “You’re marrying me off to someone all of us never met? Where did your common sense go?”

“Alec, it is a necessity.” Maryse pushed. “We have to restore our Lightwood name and this is the only way.”

“There is another way, you just don’t look for it.” He snapped, glaring at her. Maryse sighs and looks down, knowing her children won’t understand the sacrifices they have to go through to restore their name.

Robert sighs, understanding why Alec doesn’t want to be married off to some random person and reconsidering their decision. After a while of silence, an idea came up in his head. “Alec, let’s settle this calmly. There’s no need for an argument.”

“Well, it’s very much needed when you’re ready to ruin your son’s life forever.” Alec argued back.

“Just listen to my idea.” Alec raised his brows, shutting his own mouth to let Robert talk. “We have already decided who you’re being betrothed to. You two can meet and if you don’t click or feel interested in each other, we will call off the marriage.” Maryse snaps her gaze towards him and gives him a look of what are you doing? as Robert doesn’t break eye contact with his son.

Alec narrowed his eyes, “Are you being real with this? You can’t step back after we make a deal.”

His father nods, “I know and I’m being completely real with it. Your mother and I will call off the marriage if you two aren’t fond of each other. But if you are, then the marriage will happen.”

Alec thought about it for few seconds, sighed, and finally nodded his head in agreement. “Fine, it’s a deal. You’re not allowed to take it back.” He glared at Maryse strongly in warning and walked out, leaving them arguing on their own.

He walked down the steps of stairs and immediately went back to the mission, tapping on the screen to find more useful informations other than what they have found. As soon as they saw him back, Jace, Clary and Isabelle quickly joined his sides. “How did it go?” Isabelle asked worriedly.

“Dad proposed me a deal. If me and this stranger don’t click or feel fond of each other upon meeting, they will call off this betrothal. But if we do, they will continue their plans with our marriage.” Told Alec, which made all three of them plaster a look of disbelief.

“What, that’s about it?” Jace questions.

Alec sighs and turns to them after stopping. “At least they gave me a choice. And they’re not allowed to back out from this deal, so there’s that.”

Isabelle placed her hand on his shoulder, “There must be another way, Alec.” She softly said.

Her brother nodded. “I know, but a deal is a deal. Get back to work.”

All of them had no choice but to oblige as Alec seemed like he didn’t want to talk about it. One thing’s for sure though; they’re going to meet this stranger as well anytime soon.

A week has passed ever since Alec’s talk with his parents and none of them have yet to meet the person who's supposed to be his partner. No one knows the detail because Maryse and Robert liked to keep it a secret for some unknown reason, which frustrates Alec and the others as well. If they’re getting him married, it’s a common sense that he has to know a detail or two about the one he's partnered to.

“Maybe they haven't found anyone worthy of restoring the Lightwood name?” Isabelle thought out loud, trying to look for an answer to their question.

Alec scowls, giving her a look. “If they haven't, dad wouldn't suggest his idea.” Shutting her down immediately, he let out a sigh as he leans back on the couch. Isabelle shrugs her shoulders, muttering a “good point” under her breath before drinking the wine she found in the kitchen.

“Then maybe they’re struggling to get them come?” Added Jace, speaking out his thoughts with his arms crossed. “Who knows, that person might also not like getting married to some rando and is hesitating to meet you.” The raven haired male sighs at that, but doesn't say anything.

Jace is right, maybe that person refuses to marry as well considering arranged marriage is something people at his age doesn't like. It’s quite common in the shadow world yet none succeeded to last long, they would immediately get a divorce after a year of being married because they can’t tolerate each other. It definitely ruins their life. Alec doesn’t want that and perhaps, neither does the one he’s betrothed with.

“I think you should just be patient, Alec. The right time might come soon enough.” Clary advised, smiling at him. Nodded Alec, agreeing with her and flashing a tootless, small smile.

Well, little do they know that soon enough is too soon.

Alec, Clary, Jace, and Isabelle gathered in the control room to check any other demonic activities that has a connection with Valentine, each of them busy with their own tasks when the entrance doors opens and came in a Shadowhunter with a circle rune on his neck.

Everyone got alarmed as Alec immediately draws out his weapon, shooting an arrow at the male. However, it was easily caught which had them shocked for a few seconds before Jace activated his seraph blade and went in for the attack. Dodging his attacks without shedding a sweat, the male is quick to kick him back in the stomach forcefully, sending Jace on the wall. Clary’s next to attack the male with the seraph blade, only for him to grab her arm and twist it behind her back, the weapon dropping on the floor. Seeing this as an opportunity, Isabelle quickly draws out her whip within three seconds and tries to whip the male.

You caught it without having to look at her way, wrapping it around your arm and looking at her, small smirk tugging at the corner of your lips. Gently pushing Clary forward, you took out your stele and runs it over your rune to undo the disguise, revealing your real self with attractive features. Alec’s brows shot up upon seeing your true self, attraction shining in his eyes.

“Fast reflex, but not fast enough. Still needs plenty of trainings.” Your voice booms all over the heart of the institute yet Alec was the only one who felt shivers running down his spine upon hearing it. Although your words told them they were still amateurs, your face said otherwise. It had an impressed look plastered all over.

“Yeah, clearly.” Jace agreed, grinning as amazement clouds his expression at how you managed to not even get a single scratch by all four of them attacking.

You walked forward, smiling and nodding at them in acknowledgement, gaze lingering longer on Alec who gulped and licked his lips at the tension rising in the air. “Apologies for not introducing myself properly. I’m (Y/n) Blackthorn, sent by the Clave to handle things around here.” You looked at everyone with confidence and high authority, though it was softer than most people from the Clave.

Furrowing his brows in confusion, Alec immediately approached you followed by others. “Wait, hold on. Maryse and Robert Lightwood handles this institute, I don’t think you should be taking that rights away from them.”

A smirk spreads across your lips, happy that there’s at least someone here who isn’t afraid to voice out their opinions against authorities. “They will still be handling this institute, I would just be right beside them to help. I’m not going to take away their rights just because the Clave told me to; I may be the highest member but I don’t turn a blind eye to the Clave’s wrong doings. I believe in fair and just.” You assured firmly, never breaking eye contact with him so he would know you’re sincere.

Alec gives a small smile at that, bowing his head a little. “Thank you.”

“You shouldn’t be.” The four of them smiled when you immediately turned down his gratitude. “Your aim was accurate and precise, it impressed me. Although I think you should learn how to fight with other than bows and arrows, having a specific weapon for yourself is a great thing.” You complimented rather in a flirty manner, mindlessly fixing his collar using one hand for a short amount of seconds.

A deep shade of red appears on Alec’s cheeks at the attention as he cleared his throat, clearly not used to being complimented. It doesn’t feel bad, though. It actually feels nicer than he thought.

Seeing this interaction, Jace shoots his eyebrows up with a teasing smirk while Isabelle smiles, eyeing you two. Clary rather had an amused look on her face than a teasing one since it was unexpected for a Clave member to be flirting with other Shadowhunter. But then again, life surprises everyone in many ways.

You smiled at the look on Alec’s face before turning to the three. “As much as I’d like to get to know you, Maryse and Robert must be expecting me. I will excuse myself, if that’s okay?” Looking between all of them, your gaze stopped on Alec, waiting for his approval.

Jace, Isabelle and Clary looked at him as well. They always make him decide for something even though it's not important.

Alec, upon realizing all eyes were on him, cleared his throat and nodded his head. “Uh— Yeah, of course. Go ahead.”

You smiled, bowed your head in respectful manner and walked away, brushing your shoulder faintly with his as you passed him. That probably wasn’t on purpose, but he sure felt like it.

When he turned back to the others, they all had a teasing smirk on their face causing him to groan in annoyance. “Don't give me that look.”

Jace huffs out a laugh, patting his shoulder. “Oh, come on, Alec. The envoy of the Clave was flirting with you! How could we not give you whatever look you’re referring to.” Alec rolled his eyes at his teasing, though he actually didn’t mind.

“And you’re definitely interested in him too, I can see it in your eyes.” Isabelle assumes with certainty, the corner of her lips twisted upwards into a smirk.

Sighing, Alec rubbed his temples. Now, they would never stop pestering him until he do something about it. At this point, the only sane person in this place is just Clary, which he doesn’t really want to admit since she was the insane one when she got here.

The red head used to always be annoying, making reckless decisions, minding other’s business she isn’t supposed to, even just hearing her talk the slightest bit annoyed him. But now, she rarely ever make reckless decisions unless necessary and has learned to stay out of people’s business when they made things clear that they don’t want her concerns in it. She and Alec had even gone close to the point he treats her like a baby sister, even though he gets annoyed with her sometimes.

“Uhm... Alec?” Clary calls out, gaining all of their attention.

“What is it, Fray?” He did feel like what she’s going to say would make sense.

“Not to be a killjoy, but you’re betrothed with someone, right? I think you should tell your parents about your attraction to (Y/n) as soon as possible before anyone could get their feelings hurt.” She reminds him as nicely as she could, trying to see if she worded it out right. Jace and Isabelle frowned; they had totally forgot about it due to excitement.

Alec sighs, nodding his head in agreement, to which Clary smiles at realizing she didn’t word it out wrong. “I might have a problem with telling them. It’s not really easy to talk mom out when it’s our Lightwood name at risk.”

“Well...” Isabelle sighs out, eyes looking behind Alec. “You might not have to worry about that.”

The older Lightwood furrowed his brows, “Why?”

“Because she’s approaching right now and you’re gonna have to tell her whether you like it or not.”

Feeling a strong, familiar presence behind him, Alec turns around to meet the cold and hard stare of their mother. Jace hisses quietly as he hoped Maryse hadn’t heard anything they said. “Ah, mother. Do you need anything?” Alec’s attempt at making themselves look unsuspicious made all three of them snort, quickly hiding it with a cough when he gave them a side-glare.

“We have to talk.” That was all Maryse said before turning around and walking back the path she came.

Alec sighs, looking back at his friends. “Well, there it goes. i’ll be right back.” They nodded, giving him a pat on the shoulder to show their support. Smiling a small one, he walks away to follow his mother towards her and Robert’s office.

When he entered, the first thing he saw was you sitting on a chair in front of their desk before seeing his parents. Confusion appears on his face, brows furrowing together to form crinkles on his forehead. “What’s all this about?” He questioned while closing the door behind him and walked over to sit beside you.

Maryse takes a deep breath, almost nervously, uncertain whether if Alec will accept it or not. “Alec, this is Mr. (Y/n) Blackthorn. He’s one of the people who leads the Clave in order to make the shadow world a better place, quite different from the others we’ve met. He helped us regain our trust with the Clave and taught us many things from a different perspective that is far from ours, but much greater and better.”

Alec only raised his brows with a questioning look, wanting to know how this has anything to do with him.

She made an eye contact with Robert before sighing. “You must be thinking why I called you here. This is about the betrothal, Alec, and (Y/n) is the one we chose to betrothe you with.”

Surprise coating his face, Alec looked at you with wide eyes, as if to ask if it’s true. You nod, smiling at him yet worry was evident in your eyes. “You know you can speak up if you don’t want it, right? We’re not forcing you to accept me.” Speaking softly, you place your hand on his shoulder and assure him.

Alec felt butterflies on his stomach. The (e/c) colour of your eyes brought up your best features, it made him think how perfect you looked as if you were structured by the gods themselves. Everything about you was heavenly — no pun intended and without exaggeration — from your hair down to what you wear. He feels like he’s staring at the personification of beauty and grace. Your presence radiates comfort, kindness, safety and warmth. That made him smile a little bit while getting lost into your beautiful eyes.

“What do you think, Alec?” Robert spoke from where he stood beside his wife.

Alec doesn’t break eye contact with you as he lick his lips and nod his head. “I think it’s great.” All of your worry disappeared at that, your smile now containing genuine happiness which made him smile back.

Maryse smiles, a sigh of relief escaping her. “Okay, good. That’s it. You may go back now.”

“Well, that was certainly unexpected. I was thinking your sister will be the one I’m betrothed to.” You said, walking alongside Alec through the halls.

He raised his brows, “Do you prefer it was her?” You didn’t miss the hint of curiosity in his voice.

“Actually, I was planning to decline this offer beforehand right after meeting you.” That made Alec look at you questioningly. “Well, firstly you caught my attention. Secondly, I sway for the other team. Lastly, I don’t marry someone else when I already have one in mind.” You listed, suggestively looking at him afterwards.

Alec blushed, but a faint smile spreads on his lips. “Actually, I also had the same thing in mind. Jace, Izzy and Clary encouraged me to decline this betrothal after meeting you. Who knew it would go this way?” You smiled, finding it cute how he’s happy about this as much as you are. “Hey, uh...” He stops you from walking by grabbing your arm gently, his hand staying there as he starts speaking. “Can we keep this a secret until mom and dad announce it to the entire institute? I want it to be a surprise.”

Chuckling, you nod your head in agreement and place your empty hand above his that is still holding your arm. “Of course. Though, it’s highly likely that they will announce it tomorrow first in the morning.” You joked.

Alec huffs out a laugh. “It really is. I think they were excited about this betrothal even though it’s for our reputation.”

You agree, “They wouldn’t miss a chance to get everyone’s blessings.” You smiled at each other, not bothering to hide the relief that clouded each of your chests. He was relieved about this as much as you were and although you didn’t share that exact words with one another, you both knew. Fortunately, none of you declined the offer before meeting.

The day passed by quickly with you and Alec getting to know each other while simultaneously doing your jobs; him having to find the connection between Valentine and the recent demonic murders, and you leading the entire institute and giving others instructions on what to do. No one ever suspected your betrothal since they were all busy — Alec’s friends only asked why Maryse called him but never asked about the betrothal, seemingly forgetting about it.

The next day, Maryse and Robert had everyone gather in front of the stairs where they always give a speech.

“Today, we gathered all of you to announce a special occasion.” Maryse starts, raising everyone’s confusion. You and Alec share a glance for split seconds with a subtle smile across your lips as you both stood beside them.

“Right now, we have an engaged couple before you. Let’s all congratulate our son Alec and (Y/n) for their engagement, another couple that will make us proud for their well achievements.” Robert finished the announcement for her.

The crowd instantly booms with surprised noises, not due to both of you being men but due to the fact that Alec managed to get such a high status person’s attention. Nonetheless, smiles plastered everyone’s face immediately and lots of encouragement were shouted as well as plenty of “congratulations” and wolf whistles. Jace, Isabelle, and Clary were, however, frozen on their places because of shock.

You and Alec felt overwhelmed by the cheers yet smiled in joy, your hands unconsciously intertwining with each other.

Maryse and Robert dismissed all shortly after the announcement was made and everyone returns to what they were doing, leaving you and Alec alone. He leans against the railing as you stood in front of him with his hand still holding yours. “They’re too excited, I haven’t even proposed yet and now we’re engaged already.” He complains, though his smile said otherwise.

You chuckled. “Well, I already have a ring.” Showing him your left hand adorned with engagement ring that he gave you yesterday, you smirked, wiggling your eyebrows.

“Right, I meant I haven’t proposed properly. I just gave you the ring.” Alec elaborates, fiddling with your hand.

“Hey,” You gently raised his chin using your free hand. “It’s fine, Alec. At least now we’re engaged, that’s all that matters. No need to overthink.” The softness in your voice made him smile as he nods his head. Bringing his hand up with your intertwined one, you kissed the back of it and watched as a blush appeared on his cheeks. Alec clears his throat in embarrassment, though he doesn’t let go of your hand.

Jace, Clary and Isabelle raised their brows simultaneously at the interaction. How come we didn’t notice them getting this close?

Walking up the stairs, Jace cleared his throat to catch your attention which were obviously only focused on one another. You and Alec instantly let go on reflex. “Well, this is a pleasant surprise.” The blonde spoke, teasingly smirking at them with his arms crossed above his chest.

Alec coughs to hide his embarrassment before smiling, “I know. We were surprised too.”

“And you’ve gotten so close with each other that you have no problem holding hands in public. It’s adorable.” Isabelle teased, causing you to chuckle.

“Congratulations to you two! We’re so happy for you.” Clary squeals, excitement rushing through her.

“Thank you.” You smiled at them, happiness filling your body that they accept you as Alec’s engaged partner. They all smile back with a nod.

This betrothal may be just to restore the Lightwood name, but you and Alec knew deep down that it’s more than just that. It couldn’t be more special, and you’re looking forward to get to know each other more.

Perhaps, betrothal isn’t as bad as you both thought.

© ᴀʟʟ ʀɪɢʜᴛs ʀᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴅᴇsʀɪsᴇ. sᴛᴇᴀʟɪɴɢ, ᴘʟᴀɢɪᴀʀɪᴢɪɴɢ, ᴏʀ ᴜsɪɴɢ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋs ғᴏʀ ᴍᴏɴᴇᴛᴀʀʏ ɢᴀɪɴ ɪs sᴛʀɪᴄᴛʟʏ ᴘʀᴏʜɪʙɪᴛᴇᴅ. ᴀsᴋ ᴘᴇʀᴍɪssɪᴏɴ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ʀᴇᴘᴏsᴛɪɴɢ ᴏʀ ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛɪɴɢ.

#male reader #alec lightwood #x male reader #alec lightwood x reader #alec lightwood x male reader #alec lightwood imagine #shadowhunters #shadowhunters imagine #oneshots #imagines #shadowhunters oneshot #alec lightwood oneshot #shadowhunters x reader #gay

[beclynn-herondale]

“I'm Jace,” said Jace. “I'm Kit's big brother.”

“And I'm Kit. I'm the smart one,” Kit grinned.

Jace glowered. “I'm smart.”

“Sure,” Kit said.

“He's four and is so mean,” Jace pointed out. “But I love him.”

“Aww, what a softie,” Kit joked.

Jace sighed.

“If only someone loved you,” Kit grinned.

“That's taking it too far.”

“Is it, Mr. I'm afraid of ducks?”

Jace and Kit started wrestling.

“Boys, why don't you go play in your bedroom,” Céline suggested. “Just be careful and don't hurt each other.”

They both shrugged and ran off to one of the bedrooms.

“Being the mother to two Herondale boys is hard," Céline said. "And when your wife is a Herondale who only encourages them. . .it can be even harder.”

"I don't encourage them," Rosemary said defensively.

Céline gave her a look. “So it wasn't you who cheered Jace on in the argument against that kid on the playground?”

She shrugged. “We can't help that our son has a sharp wit. He beat that kid into the ground.”

“It's an exhausting job. I love my kids and my wife,” Céline smiled.

“Of course she loves us,” Rosemary crossed her arms and smiled.

“Raziel give me strength,” Céline said.

“Jace and Kit are great,” Rosemary said. “Always pranking each other. What more could you want in your kids?”

“What about how bird poop always ends up somewhere in the house,” Céline pointed out.

“We sanitize everything.”

Céline sighed.

“Where most people say ‘I can't.’ Our boys say ‘I can.’” Rosemary chuckled. “I love them. One time someone told Kit he couldn't climb up a set of stairs and he ran up them so fast. Jace was told he couldn't master piano in a half a year, and he mastered it in two months. They're unstoppable.”

“The boys often play with Michael Wayland's son and Robert Lightwood's kids,” Céline said. “We think Michael and Robert are dating, but we aren't sure.”

“Robert got a divorce a few years ago, couldn't keep a queen.”

“Rosemary,” Céline gasped and hit her arm lightly.

”Anyway, Michael has liked Robert since forever,” Rosemary was gesturing with her hands. “I said we should get them together. But Céline said we shouldn't get involved.”

“Because it isn't our business.”

“Baby, if I hadn't messed around with things that weren't my business, I would have never gotten you,” Rosemary winked.

Céline blushed.

Rosemary smirked. “Is that all? 'Cause I got some other business to attend to.”

They were done, Rosemary pulled Céline toward her and kissed her hard.

______

“I'm Michael,” Michael waved.

“And I'm Robert,” Robert mumbled, never being one for this kind of thing.

“So the big question everyone has is ‘Are we dating?’ We're both single dads. I tragically lost my wife and Robert tragically got a divorce," Michael said. And the answer is; I don't know.”

“What do you mean you don't know?” Robert asked.

“I don't know. Are we dating, Robert?”

Robert turned away.

“I don't know, either,” Michael admitted.

Robert stared out the window.

“But we do watch our kids together a lot, and I like to pretend we're a family,” Michael smiled. “It's nice when we have all the kids here. Alec is the eldest and he's just the best boy, so precious, so well behaved. Isabelle is the next Lightwood, she's a rebel, and is competitive. Then there's Max, he spends most of his time looking at books, which is odd since he's like almost three. And finally, we have my son. Jonathan is a well behaved boy, so sweet. But so naive. He would get in the van with a stranger. Luckily Alec's here. So when me and Robert are taking care of two kids at once, Alec keeps an eye on the other one.”

“I don't what we'd do without Alec,” Robert finally spoke.

“Well, I mean. . . there's me too,” Michael pointed out.

“Oh, yeah? You.”

“Are you messing with me?” Michael demanded.

“Maybe,” Robert smiled a little.

Michael started to wrestle with him, and ended up on top of Robert, they then gazed into each other's eyes.

(the interviewer left.)

______

“Hello, I'm Maryse,” she said. “I'm in a relationship with an amazing man. His name is Kadir. And I have come to the realization that I love him. Which kind of pissed me off a little, but also he's just amazing. And the kids love him. Don't you, Alec?”

“He doesn't talk much. I don't talk much, We have a mutual understanding,” Alec said.

”He's a little blank and quiet for my taste,” said Izzy. “But he loves mom. So, he's all right.”

“He cool,” Max said.

“But yes, I filed for divorce from my husband when I was pregnant with Max. I'd had enough, and I didn't want a new baby in the environment we were creating for our children.”

“Thank God,” Alec mumbled.

“Yeah,” Isabelle coughed.

Maryse stared.

“Maryse?” called Kadir.

“I'll be back.” She got up and left.

_

(One on one with the Lightwood siblings.)

“We're glad our parents got a divorce,” Alec said.

“They always fought. It got really bad at the end,” Izzy added.

“I wasn't born.” Mac continued to stare at his picture book.

“We aren't sad about it. Which might seem cold, but they're both much happier since the divorce.”

“Yeah, and we have two houses. And besides, Michael is awesome,” Izzy smiled. “I think him and dad are secretly dating.”

Alec looked into the camera. “It's uncertain.”

______

"Luke and I grew up together," Jocelyn said. "But I was married to an asshole before him. My two kids are from my first marriage. Luke loves them as his own, though."

"They're my kids," Luke smiled.

“Luke is our dad,” Clary said. “He does my hair. And he always hangs my drawings on the fridge.”

Jonathan nodded. “He also lfits us up really high and helps us pick apples.”

Clary rolled her eyes. “That's not the point, Jona.”

“It's a point to me,” he argued.

“Kids,” Jocelyn said, “behave.”

“I'm just saying,” Clary shrugged, “it's not the point.”

“And I'm saying that I like to be held up high,” Jonathan said.

“Yeah, it's your pride that needs to come down,” Clary stuck her tongue out.

“Says the one with a bad temper,” Jonathan shot back.

“Kids, enough. Behave we're on camera,” Jocelyn scolded.

“I'll get you a book, Clary. And I'll get you a new music CD, Jonathan. If you both behave,” Luke said.

They both stopped bickering.

Jocelyn hit him on the arm. “You can't bribe them every time.”

“It works, doesn't it?” Luke shrugged.

Jocelyn sighed.

______

“Yeah,” said Céline, flushed. “We have neighbors that live a little ways out. There's the Lightwoods, the Waylands, the Fairchilds and Luke. Maryse and Kadir live in the city.”

“Sometimes we have dinner with Maryse and Kadir,” Rosemary chimed in. “They're a cute couple. And Maryse is so chill, now.”

“That's true,” Céline nodded. ”To be honest, we were all happy when Maryse and Robert decided to get a divorce ”

Rosemary cringed. “They were really bad at the end.”

“Yeah,” Céline cleared her throat. “They're better now.”

“Now, we're hoping Michael and Robert get together,” Rosemary said. “Then we'd have a same-sex couple to go out with.”

“Well, and for them both to be happy,” Céline pointed out.

“Yeah. That too.” Rosemary looked into the camera.

Jace and Kit came running in then, they both jumped on Céline and Rosemary.

Rosemary started laughing.

#celine montclaire #celine herondale #rosemary herondale #jace herondale #kit herondale #the blonde family #michael wayland #robert lightwood #alec lightwood #isabelle lightwood #max lightwood #maryse trueblood #kadir safar #jocelyn fairchild #luke garroway #clary fairchild #jonathan fairchild #tsc #the shadowhuter chronicles #the mortal instruments #the secret treasons au

[kiwichaeng]

I was reading Forever Fallen last night and I just- I had to take a second to CRY. I can't hate him...I can't. The boy who's lost everything...the boy that had to see his sister, parabatai, and the love of his life die. The boy who had to kill the only mother he ever knew. The boy who couldn't even grieve for his family. The boy who had his will taken from him. He never got to see them grow... He never got to see Alec become the confident man he is today, the counsul of the clave-in-exile. he never got to be the suggens at his parabatai's wedding. He never got to see his brother love and flirt freely and with confidence. He never got to meet his nephews and love them...instead, he saw Alec and Magnus's dead bodies next to each other... He is the boy who never got to see his sister grow up and be an even deadlier force than she is, who never got to see Isabelle engaged with Simon, who never got to feel threatened by her cooking ever again, instead he saw the life bleed out of her... He wanted to be with Clary, to love her but he never got to see her grow into the brave woman she is, never got to be the head of the institute with her, never got to be engaged to her, never got to see her be a hero, a warrior, instead he got saw her body lying in the wastelands of the desert. He was just a boy of only 16 when his world was torn from under him. He only had 6 years with the Lightwoods and barely months with Clary. He was just a boy who didn't have anyone to blame for the way his life was. So can you really blame him for wanting to kill our Jace and take his place? He wants his siblings back and he wants his mother and his Clary. Janus was just a boy who deserved better...they all did. All of them in Thule deserved better...

#jace herondale #clary fairchild #the mortal instruments #alec lightwood #alec lightwood bane #magnus bane #magnus lightwood bane #twp #the wicked powers #gotsm #qoaad #ghosts of the shadow market #janus #thule jace #forever fallen #clace

[cjfritos]

In Dreams Begin (Jessa wedding story)

Obviously written by Cassandra Clare. I own no rights to this. This was included in first editions of The Lost Book of the White by her and Wesley Chu. It tells the story of Jem Carstairs and Tessa Gray’s wedding and explains why no one remembers it.

Unfortunately it does include some spoilers from LBW so if you have not read it yet, I don’t recommend reading it. Otherwise, enjoy :)

~~~

Magnus Bane was scheming.

         To an untrained observer, the High Warlock of Brooklyn wouldn’t look like he was doing much of anything at all. For one thing, he was wearing purple silk pajamas. For another thing, he was in bed, leaning back against a pile of pillows with a spell book open in his lap.

         Beside him, Alec Lightwood was stretched out on his side, deeply asleep. Earlier that day, Alec had taken their son, Max, to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. This had been at Magnus’s request—he wanted Max to have ample opportunity to tire himself out before bedtime. It worked almost too well. Max had made fast friends with a werewolf toddler named Eliza, and the two of them tore around the gardens blissfully for about three hours straight, Max crawling while Eliza ran, albeit unsteadily. Eliza’s mother had been quite surprised the first time Max levitated. Luckily, he was glamoured so only she and Alec noticed.

         Though not possessed of much vocabulary, Eliza clearly wanted Max to levitate her as well. Fortunately, Max did not yet have that sort of skill. Alec and Max returned home happy, covered in mud, and—best of all—exhausted. Magnus really wanted them all to sleep through the night.

         Magnus shifted position and peered across the room at the mantel clock atop the dresser, a hideous thing covered in putti that Ragnor had given him years ago. The room was lit only by a candle that burned with a blue flame on the table beside him, but he could make out the numbers. It was one forty-five a.m. Surely that was late enough. Surely even the Shadowhunters and Downworlders of the West Coast would be turning in. He’d given Catarina and Jem and Tessa a heads-up, after all, and as for the Blackthorns and Emma Carstairs, they were kids! And not even babies, with their bizarre and erratic relationship to sleep. Surely the would be asleep by now, worn out from running around on the beach or whatever it was that the residents of the Los Angeles Institute did all day. Yes, it was time.

         Snuggling a little farther under the blanket, Magnus looked fondly over at Alec’s sleeping form, his black hair like spilled ink across the ivory pillowcase. He closed his book and set it on the bedside table. He mentally reached within, feeling about for a particular pocket of magic folded away deep inside, a self-contained bubble. I had been two weeks since he’d been freed from the influence of the Svefnthorn, and while the markings on his skin had faded, his teeth had shrunk back to their normal size, and the overcharged magic of the artifact had left his system, this one reserve of magical energy had lingered.

         At first, Magnus had considered hanging on to it as a sort of insurance policy. A little extra magic went a long way, especially when the magic was this potent, and Magnus was quite certain that he and Alec and their friends would have plenty more dangers to face in the years to come. That was their job, after all. But clinging to the magic out of fear of imagined dangers didn’t feel good. It felt like letting demons have a small victory over him, playing right into their scaly, demonic hands. No, instead he had resolved to use the power in a decidedly un-demon-sanctioned manner—to create joy.

         Magnus shut his eyes. Oneiromancy, the study and practice of dream magic, had never been one of his specialties. But with the added kernel of power from the Sveftnthorn, he felt quite confident that he could pull of this one feat, even as complex as it was. The trickiest part, it seemed to him, was holding himself in that drowsy state between waking and sleeping, while maintaining enough awareness to cast the spell. He lay back against the pillows, letting his eyelids flutter shut for just a moment….

~~~

When Magnus opened his eyes again, he was standing in the middle of Blackfriars Bridge, the panorama of London spread out around him in all directions.

         He took a deep breath of river-tasting air. The sky was a dark violet, the sun only just beginning to rise. There was no traffic, which was a distinct advantage to throwing a party on a dream bridge rather than on the real thing. There was a warm breeze in the air, and the Thames danced beneath it, silvery in the dawn light. Had he ever noticed wind in a dream before? Magnus wasn’t sure. He admired the view from the bridge—it seemed just about right, though he hadn’t been here for a couple decades. Perhaps some ugly new construction had taken place since then, but who would fault him for omitting that?

         “Magnus!”

         He turned and saw two figures hurrying toward him. It was Tessa and Jem, both in what Magnus assumed was their pajamas. Tessa’s were gray with white rabbits on them. Jem’s were dark-green-and-navy-blue plaid. They were barefoot, but that wouldn’t matter on a dream bridge. He started to smile as they got closer and he could see that they were both giddy and laughing, a hint of disbelief on their faces.

         Tessa threw her arms around him, knocking him off-balance. He marveled at how solid and real she felt.

         “It’s working!” she said in wonder.

         “A magical discipline unexplored is always worth exploring,” Magnus said, stepping back. “I may be late to the game with oreiromancy, but I plan to make up for my tardiness all at once, right now. Is that what your planning to wear to your wedding?”

         “It’s not traditional, but neither was the yellow cotton shirt dress I wore for the courthouse wedding. And I do love bunnies,” said Tessa. “I’m all right with it if Jem is.”

         “I would marry you if you were wearing a barrel,” said Jem.

         “But why would I be wearing a barrel?” said Tessa.

         They were both grinning at each other stupidly. Magnus decided something needed to be done; he wasn’t sure how long his magic would hold out.

         “I won’t have it!” he said. “If I’m to throw you a dream wedding, you must be properly dressed for the occasion. It’s in my contract. I do hope you read the fine print.”

         He snapped his fingers, and Jem’s pajamas were replaced by an exquisitely cut black suit. Magnus aimed for something that suggested the style of the Shadowhunter gear Jem had worn long ago, in the first years he knew Tessa. Wedding runes were intricately embroidered on the lapels in gold thread. As Jem marveled at the excellent fit, Magnus turned his attention to Tessa.

         “I know,” he said, “a wedding dress is a highly personal choice. But as our other guests will be arriving momentarily, and time is of the essence, I’m going to take a stab at it.”

         “You have my express permission,” Tessa said.

         Magnus snapped his fingers again, and the Tessa was wearing a beautiful sleeveless gown of pale silver, with a full skirt that reminded Magnus of the first time he’d met her, at a vampire ball. A couple more flicks of his fingers, and her hair rearranged itself beautifully into an updo, with a few tendrils loose around her face. One more gesture, and Tessa’s familiar jade pendant appeared around her neck—as did the pearl bracelet she always wore, a gift from Will on their thirtieth anniversary.

         Tessa looked startled, reaching up to touch her hair, then brushing her hands over the gown. “How do I look?”

         Jem looked very young again as he gazed at her, his dark eyes full of emotion. “Ni hen piao liang,” he whispered. You are very beautiful.

         Magnus turned away to give them a moment—and felt familiar arms close around him.

         Alec kissed Magnus on his forehead—being slightly shorter than Magnus, he had to pull Magnus down a bit to do it, which Magnus didn’t mind at all—and muttered, “You’re a sentimental bastard, aren’t you?” in his ear.

         But he was grinning all over his face as he turned to greet Tessa and Jem, congratulating them. They both looked delighted to see him.

         “So let me get this straight,” Alec said. “You, me, Tessa, and Jem will all remember this with perfect recall. For the other guests, they’ll remember it at first, but then it will fade away, the way dreams do?”

         “That is correct. They won’t recall it the way we will, but their souls will be present, and glad for it. Well, mostly glad for it,” Magnus said.

         “What do you mean, ‘mostly’?” Jem said nervously.

         “I mean that I’m not sure how Church will feel about the whole thing.”

         “Church!” Alec and Jem exclaimed at the same time, and turned to see the grumpy Persian cat sauntering toward them down the center of the bridge.

         Tessa laughed. “Well, he does sleep twenty hours a day. I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised.”

         “I took the liberty of adding him to the guest list you gave me,” Magnus said. “I’m trying to get on his good side.”

         “Why?” Alec asked, incredulous. “He’s a cat.”

         “So he won’t hate me forever when I do this.” Magnus snapped his fingers, and a silver bow in the same fabric as Tessa’s dress appeared around Church’s neck. Church’s eyes widened for a moment. Then he sat down, and after a moment, became very focused on cleaning his front paw.

         “Now,” Magnus said, “I simply must get this bridge decorated.”

         “It’s decorated perfectly,” said a voice from behind him. Turning, he saw Clary, who was holding Max. Behind her was Jace, followed by Isabelle and Simon, who were leaning together, whispering conspiratorially. Jocelyn and Luke were there, looking slightly unkempt, and Magnus remembered that they were in the process of remodeling a barn at Luke’s farm so Jocelyn could expand her painting studio. Ragnor and Catarina had also appeared, as well as a whole gaggle of kids—the Blackthorn clan. Julian and Helen, Tiberius and Livia, Drusilla and Octavian. Emma Carstairs was with them, though she broke away from the group immediately, running to hug Clary. They were the same height now, Magnus noticed with amusement. Max had escaped from Clary and was riding on Alec’s shoulders now, babbling a story to Helen Blackthorn and her wife, Aline. They looked very amused, though it was unlikely they understood even a quarter of what he said.

         Maryse and Kadir were there too, already deep in conversation with Jocelyn and Luke. Kadir hadn’t been on the guest list Jem and Tessa had given Magnus, because they didn’t really know him, but Magnus had added him as Maryse’s plus-one. It never hurt to butter up your boyfriend’s mother, especially when she was willing to babysit for days at a time.

         A couple Silent Brothers had appeared—Enoch? Shadrach? Magnus was slightly embarrassed to admit that they all looked alike to him, now that Jem was no longer counted among their number as Brother Zachariah. Magnus hadn’t known if the Gregori would be able to attend, since they didn’t normally sleep. One of them—Enoch?—inclined his hooded head slightly at Magnus, acknowledging this mad thing he was doing as worthwhile. At least that was how Magnus chose to interpret the gesture.

         Octavian was climbing Jace like a jungle gym. Clary was talking with Julian and Emma, while Tiberius stood near his older brother, looking around at London with fierce curiosity in his gray eyes. Livia and Drusilla were perched on the railing of the bridge, Livia chatting animatedly with Simon and Isabelle, Drusilla looking around shyly. Catarina went to lean beside her, asking her a question. Magnus looked at the motley assortment of clothing on the assembled group. Mostly casual, though there were more pajamas as well. Magnus made two sweeping gestures, and all at once everyone was looking very sharp in formal attire. Even better, they barely seemed to notice the change. Magnus was impressed. Oneiromancy—who knew!

         A hand gripped his arm. It was Tessa, who looked close to tears. “Magnus. I can’t believe you’re doing this for us. I…” She trailed off, at a loss for words.

         Magnus regarded her fondle. “Tessa, most people’s idea of a dream wedding is not a literal dream wedding. But since yours is, I am happy to oblige. Shall we get this show on the road?”

         Jem and Tessa took their places on either side of Magnus, and the guests gathered around. The sun had climbed well above the horizon, casting rays of warm light between the long shadows of the wedding guests.

         “Dear friends,” Magnus said to Jem and Tessa, “we are honored to share this moment with you, and I am doubly honored to be given the chance to speak. Several hundred years ago I got very drunk and woke up as ordained minister. Today I have decided that doing so was a wise choice after all.”

         Jocelyn snorted, then looked embarrassed. Luke grinned at her.

         “Joking aside, it is impossible to stand here with you all and not feel that there is some greater plan at work, some greater force that has brought these two souls across more than a century to be joined as one.”

         Clary’s eyes were glistening. Jace reached into his pocket and offered her what looked like a handkerchief but was more likely a soft cloth for polishing blades. She gave a wry smile of recognition, and sniffled into it.

         “I debated which customs to follow in officiating this wedding,” Magnus went on. “Whether to conduct a Shadowhunter ceremony, or a warlock ceremony, or even a mundane ceremony, for many worlds have been united in the two of you. But none of these traditions seemed quite appropriate on their own. So I’ve attempted to tailor a ceremony that will honor your unique paths.”

         Magnus nodded to Jem, who reached into his pocket and produced a gold ring. Jem had requested a single word etched around the outside of it: Mizpah.

         “It has been said,” said Magnus, “that when two people are at one in their inmost hearts, they shatter even the strength of iron or bronze. Theresa Gray, are you at one with James Carstairs in your inmost heart?”

         Tessa’s eyes were wide, her face serious as she gazed at Jem. “I am,” she said, offering her hand to him. He slid the ring onto her finger.

         The Magnus nodded at Tessa, who produced another ring, this one from thin air. Magnus had to suppress the grin that threatened to break his calm officiant expression. It delighted him that Tessa was engaging in a small amount of oneiromancy herself, and Jem looked as pleased by it as Magnus felt. This ring was the exact match of the first, and he knew what it said as well: May the Angel watch between me and thee when we are absent from one another.

         “James Carstairs—Ke Jian Ming—are you at one with Theresa Gray in your inmost heart?”

         “I am,” Jem said, delight visible in his dark eyes. Tessa put the ring on him, and they stood for a moment, holding hands and smiling at each other like they couldn’t quite believe this was happening.

         “For I am persuaded,” said Magnus, and Jem and Tessa both looked up at him, recognizing a piece of the old Shadowhunter wedding ceremony, though he had altered the wording, “that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor demons, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate these two.” He stretched out his arms. “Therefore I am overjoyed to declare this marriage consecrated, here in the presence of your friends and family. Tessa Gray and Jem Carstairs, you are married, and the world is better for it. You may kiss each other, not that you really need my permission.”

         The assembled crowd cheered as Jem and Tessa kissed, a kiss that had been long delayed. The kiss continued, and Magnus slowly backed away, joining the cheering audience. “Let’s give them a moment,” he said, and happy chatter swelled around him.

         Magnus noted that Alec was looking very foxy in his Armani suit, laughing with Maryse. Ragnor and Catarina were cackling over something, glad to be reunited now that Ragnor didn’t have to pretend to be dead—or at least, didn’t have to pretend with them. Clary had her arm draped over Emma’s shoulders, and Jace was arguing with Simon about how to properly tie a necktie. Tiberius and Drusilla were watching this argument as though it were a tennis match. Julian had lifted Octavian up so he could look down at the river flowing by beneath. Isabelle was joking with Livia, who was giving Max a piggyback ride. It was a miraculously good wedding.

         Here they were, his friends. They’d literally gone into Hell twice with him now. He found himself reflecting on how much had changed. At first his life had felt like Magnus against the world. Then for years and years it had been Magnus, Catarina, and Ragnor against the world. Now his community was a much larger group, one that had spread wide enough that instead of Magnus and his friends against the world, it felt like Magnus and his friends, a part of the world. Probably the best part of the world.

         It was a good feeling.

         “Look!” a girl’s voice cried. It was Drusilla, pointing up into the sky, eyes wide with wonder. There was a collective gasp as the crowd saw what she had spotted. Two figures flew overhead, riding a translucent white stallion with two gold hooves and two silver. One of them was a blond boy in ragged clothes, who looked down at the Blackthorns and waved. The figure in front of him was harder to make out—a gentry faerie in clothes just as ragged, only he was as translucent as the horse. The blond boy must be Mark Blackthorn, Magnus marveled. He’d “invited” the whole family, not knowing whether those who rode with the Wild Hunt could be summoned by dream magic. He had his answer, but it came with another mystery. Who was this companion, so close to Mark that they would appear together in a dream?

         The riders made a circle overhead, while the Blackthorns shouted and waved, and Mark waved back, smiling an odd smile down at them. Then they faded away into the morning air.

         Magnus saw with relief that Jace, Clary, Simon, Isabelle, and Alec had all move in around the Blackthorn kids, giving them an opportunity to talk about what they had just seen—their stolen brother, visiting so briefly.

         He glanced over and saw Tessa and Jem still standing by the railing. There was a shimmer beside them, at the edge of the bridge, and the hair on the back of Magnus’s neck rose.

         He knew Will Herondale had never haunted the moral world, because he had lived and died happily and had no unfinished business among the living. While Magnus didn’t subscribe to any specific set of beliefs about reincarnation or the afterlife, he had always had a strong sense that Will was waiting on the other bank of a dark river—be it Lethe, or some other border between the living and the dead. He was there among the green grass, the sky above as dark a blue as his eyes, waiting patiently for Jem and Tessa to join him, that he might lead them by the hand to whatever wonders lay beyond the veil.

         The philosophers of ancient Greece had believed dreams and sleep to be the twin of death: Morpheus and Hades, standing side by side. And here, in that space, Magnus would not have been surprised if Will stretched out his hand to those he had loved best in life—to Jem and Tessa.

         He was, after all, a Herondale, and very stubborn.

         Alec sidled up to Magnus, leaving the Blackthorns in the capable hands of his siblings and their partners. The kids seemed to have taken Mark’s appearance as a sort of wedding favor created especially for them.

         Alec twinned an arm around Magnus’s waist and pulled him close, kissing him on the temple. “It was very kind of you to use the last of your Svefnthorn magic on this,” he said.

         Magnus leaned into Alec. “Well, it wasn’t enough magic to send us to the moon, or get us into the front row at the Alexander McQueen runway. So I figured, next best thing.”

         Alec smiled at him pointedly. “Actually, I happen to know that you did it because you are an incredibly kind person, and that is one of the many things I love about you.”

         “Oh dear,” Magnus said, turning to face him. “You know all my secrets.”

         Then they were kissing, and kissing in a magical dream turned out to be just as perfect as kissing in the waking world.

#jessa #jem carstairs #tessa gray #magnus bane #jessa wedding #the lost book of the white #tlbotw #lbw #tsc #the shadowhunter chronicles #cassandra clare #in dreams begin

[half-bakedboy]

thrill of the thrift (read on ao3)

Pairing: Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood Rated: General Summary: Izzy loved Clary, she really really did, but her new obsession with thrifting was getting out of hand.

Written for the live writing 500 word prompts over on the @malecdiscordserver!! 

-------------------💜-------------------

“Oh my god!” Clary exclaimed from somewhere beyond the large pieces of furniture blocking Izzy’s view. “Izzy! You have to see this!” Clary screamed again, lessening Izzy’s worry only marginally. 

“I have to find you first, babe,” Izzy grumbled, stepping through a line of dressers and hutches topped with trinkets that she thought would be way too easy to steal. She would never understand places like that. 

She loved Clary, she really really did, but her new obsession with thrifting was getting out of hand. Izzy had a hard enough time keeping track of Clary in wide open spaces, let alone a shop filled with eye-catching objects that were sure to gather her girlfriend’s attention. Their new home was also suddenly overrun with ridiculous wall hangings and furniture Clary would spend hours working on only to get attached and refuse to sell it like she had planned. 

When she finally turned the corner where Clary’s voice had come from, the brightness of the neon signs seemed to envelop her girlfriend in a colorful glow that made her look even more beautiful than she always was. Angelic was the only word that Izzy could think of to describe her at that moment. She had the biggest grin on her face and excitement bubbled outwardly through her like she had just landed in her place of joy. 

“These are amazing, Iz. We could totally—”

“Clary, no,” Izzy said sternly. 

“But—”

“No buts! We are out of wall space and nothing here looks even remotely like it would fit the theme of the rest of our house,” Izzy argued. 

“You’re saying we’re not going to last…” Clary ran her hand over one sign as she finished, “forever.” 

“Babe.” Izzy made her tone serious as Clary gestured at another sign. 

“Come on, mi amour. Don’t some of these turn you…” She held up a bright yellow sign and wiggled her eyebrows as she read, “On.” 

“Clary, please,” Izzy begged, trying to remain stern, but her girlfriend’s antics were too adorable for her to stay frustrated. 

“At least let us get this one. It’s perfect.” She put down the yellow sign and picked up a flashing red out that said Girls Girls Girls, and Izzy lost it. 

“You’re the worst,” she said through her laughter, pulling Clary in for a passionate kiss to try and stifle both of their giggles as the shop owner rounded the corner suspiciously. 

“See anything you like?” They asked, crossing their arms over their chest and gesturing at the wide array of options. 

“What about this one?” Clary asked, running her fingers over the neon wedding chapel sign that definitely belonged to an Elvis impersonator, Las Vegas type business. She wiggled her eyebrows at Izzy, clearly expressing her interest in taking the next step in their relationship. 

“You’re incorrigible,” Izzy said, tugging Izzy out of the shop quickly. 

The weight of the sparkling emerald ring she had found a few paces away from those signs was heavy in her pocket.

#clizzy #clizzy fic #shadowhunters #clary fray #izzy lightwood #ayyyy i wrote shadowhunters again!! #femslash #my writing #long post

[rhosyn-du]

Never make a mess when a total catastrophe will do - Chapter One

Pairings: Jimon, past Clace, background Clizzy, a bunch of other minor background pairings Rating: Explicit Art: @cor321​ Beta: @all-thestories-aretrue​ Tags:  Alternate Universe - College/University, fake dating, oh my god they were roommates, friends with benefits, idiots to lovers, pining, miscommunication, holidays, drinking games, mistletoe, symbolically significant Oreos, domestic fluff, brief mention of past character death, Jace’s self-worth issues deserve their own tag Summary: What do you do when you find out your sister is not only dating your ex and love-of-your-high-school-life but is also bringing her home for Christmas? Bring your annoying, hot, annoyingly-hot roommate as your fake boyfriend to show them you're totally fine with it, obviously! There's no possible way this could backfire. Link: AO3, Tumblr Master Post

Chapter One

“Lightwood’s Mortuary, you stab ‘em, we slab ‘em. How may I direct your call?”

“You know,” Izzy said, “that joke would land a lot better if you hadn’t turned green last week when I mentioned getting to do my first cadaver dissection.”

“First of all,” Jace said, abandoning his laptop in favor of flopping back onto his bed, “it’s creepy that you say ‘getting to’ instead of ‘having to.’ And second of all, no one wants to hear about how much fun you had slicing up dead bodies over Thanksgiving dinner.”

“Max wanted to hear about it.”

“Max also can’t wait to get to middle school because he heard you get to use actual fire in science class,” Jace pointed out.

“Max is just into science like his big sister,” Izzy countered breezily. “Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about Christmas.”

“Please,” Jace said with far more enthusiasm than the situation probably warranted. “I’m desperate enough for any distraction that will take me away from trying to memorize third declensions that I would love to discuss whatever family holiday drama is so colossal I’m hearing it from you instead of Alec. Is Robert planning to show up uninvited to Christmas dinner with his girlfriend again? Oh! Did Mom finally snap and kill him? Is that why Alec isn’t calling? Is he helping her hide the body?”

“Oh my god,” Izzy laughed. “Dad and Annamarie are spending the holidays in Provance with her family, and there are no bodies to be hidden. This is what you get for taking Latin instead of Spanish like a sane person.”

“This coming from a woman who’s studying both,” Jace pointed out.

“Yeah, because a basic understanding of Latin and fluency in Spanish will both help me get into med school, and I need all the help I can get if I’m going to get into Grossman. Besides, I’d never imply anyone in this family is sane. If you studied more, you’d know that ‘Lightwood’ is just Latin for ‘totally fucking cracked.’”

“Please,” Jace snorted. “It’s not even a Latinate name. It’s Germanic. ‘Lightwood’ is Old English for ‘totally fucking cracked.’ Speaking of which, what’s the Christmas disaster?”

“It’s not a disaster exactly,” Izzy hedged, and Jace felt a sudden frisson of actual unease. Izzy normally had no problem speaking her mind. “It’s not a disaster at all, actually. It’s just. I invited someone.”

“Oh.” Jace relaxed. He didn’t know why Izzy was making such a big deal out of this. In the years since the divorce, Maryse had often encouraged her kids to invite any friends without a place to go to join them for holidays. Izzy’s own roommate had come for Thanksgiving last year. “That’s cool.”

“No,” Izzy said, like he was missing something obvious. “Jace, I invited someone. Someone I’m seeing. Seriously.”

“Oh,” Jace said again, this time with dawning comprehension. “That’s great, Iz. I’m happy for you. Wait, Mom’s not doing her overprotective, no-one-is-good-enough-for-my-children thing again, is she? Is that why you called, you need me to run interference?”

“No, no,” Izzy reassured him, although her voice still held an underlying tension. “Mom’s been great, actually. They knew each other already, so that probably helps.” Jace heard a shaky inhale before Izzy continued. “You, um. You know her, too, actually.”

“Oh yeah?” Jace said with forced ease, wracking his brain for any clue as to what could have Izzy so freaked out. Whatever it was, Jace wasn’t going to add to her stress. As far as he knew, Isabelle had never even been serious enough about someone before to even use the term girlfriend or boyfriend, let alone bring them home for Christmas. “Who’s the lucky lady?”

“It’s Clary,” Izzy said in a rush. “I’m dating Clary.”

The world seemed to tilt on its axis, and Jace was glad he was already lying down.

“Clary?” he repeated. “M—” He just barely stopped himself from saying “my Clary.” Because she wasn’t, not anymore. Not for a long time. “Morgenstern?” It was a clumsy recovery, but it was the best he could manage. “You’re dating Clary Morgenstern?”

Jace and Clary had met at the beginning of Jace’s junior year of high school. Clary, a year younger, had just lost her mom, and the two initially bonded over the shared experience of having lost parents. But Clary was fierce and bold and so full of passion even in the depths of her grief that Jace really couldn’t help falling in love with her. They’d dated for nearly two years—practically forever in high school terms—and even though they’d both known they were growing apart by the time Jace had to choose between his first-choice college in Boston and staying in New York to go to NYU, Clary would always hold a special place in Jace’s heart as his first love.

“Yeah,” Izzy said on a heavy exhale. “For a while now. That—that’s why I called. I didn’t want it to be weird, you know? For us all to just show up and for it to be a surprise. But I guess I probably shouldn’t have done it over the phone, either. I just didn’t think—”

“Izzy,” Jace said, much more calmly than he felt. “Breathe. It’s okay.”

“God, I should have told you sooner,” Izzy continued as though he hadn’t even spoken. “I just knew it probably would be weird for you, so I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure—”

“But you are now,” Jace interrupted again. It wasn't really a question. “Sure.”

“Yeah,” Izzy breathed. “I’m so sure.”

“Then it’s not weird,” Jace lied. “I mean, come on, my sister is dating someone who makes her happy and who I know will treat her right. What kind of idiot would I have to be to complain about that?”

“Really?” Izzy pressed. “Because I told Clary I wanted to talk to you before we finalized plans. So, if it is weird for you, or even if you just don’t want to be the only single person at the table on Christmas—”

“I won’t be,” Jace interrupted.

There was a pregnant pause, and then Izzy squealed so loud Jace had to pull the phone away from his ear.

“Oh my god, Jace! That’s amazing! Why didn’t you just say you were bringing someone, too, you jackass? Do you know how worried I’ve been about telling you about me and Clary?”

Which wasn’t what he’d meant at all—he’d only meant that Maryse was single, too—but Jace couldn’t resist the excitement in Izzy’s voice, not after her earlier panic.

“If I’d known you were all freaked out, I would have said something sooner,” Jace improvised. “It’s kind of new, and I haven’t even had the chance to tell Mom yet.”

“Let me,” Izzy insisted. “I’ve been trying to get her to admit that she and Luke are an item for ages, and maybe knowing that we’re all happily attached will be the push she needs.”

“Hold up. Mom…and Clary’s stepdad?” Jace was starting to wonder if this was some bizarre stress nightmare brought on by impending finals.

“Yup,” Izzy confirmed, popping the “p.” “They’re not even subtle about how much time they’re spending together, but Mom keeps talking about how they’re ‘just old friends.’” Jace could practically hear the eye roll.

“Anyway,” she continued, “if I leave now, I can catch Mom closing up the bookshop and maybe finally get her to crack. Don’t worry about Christmas plans. I’ll take care of everything. Talk to you later!”

“Iz, wait,” Jace started, but he was interrupted by the telltale beep of the call ending.

Jace stared at his phone, wondering how, exactly, he’d managed to make such a disaster of things. He couldn’t deal with this right now, he decided, tossing his phone aside. He just had to get through finals, and then he could come up with some excuse for why his nonexistent girlfriend couldn’t make it for Christmas. An excuse that wouldn’t make Izzy suspicious. Or Clary. Or Alec. Or— Fuck. Not thinking about it.

He turned his attention back to his laptop only to realize after several minutes of staring blankly that he wasn’t prepared to think about Latin anymore, either. Fuck it. He was going to spend the rest of the evening on the couch, drinking beer and watching stupid people doing stupid things on TV and thinking about absolutely nothing at all.

Because Jace just couldn’t catch a break, he found both the couch and TV already in use. He wanted to be annoyed, especially since he knew this was at least the dozenth time this semester his roommate had watched Return of the Jedi. Part of him was annoyed. But another part of him was…not annoyed. And that was yet another thing Jace wasn’t going to think about.

Jace’s first impression of Simon Lewis, when he’d walked into History and Literature of Music their freshman year, had been that he was kind of hot, in a nerdy way. His second impression, when he actually talked to Simon a few days later, was that the guy was annoying as hell. Over the course of the year, as they somehow ended up hanging out with the same group of friends, it became a tolerable sort of annoying. So tolerable, in fact, that when Jace found himself desperate for a roommate the next summer when Raj bailed on him last-minute, he’d agreed to let Simon have the second room in the surprisingly affordable apartment he’d found.

Jace’s third impression of Simon came four days after they’d moved in together, when he happened to be walking down the hallway at the exact moment Simon stepped out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist, a stray droplet of water trailing down his surprisingly well-defined abs. In that moment, Jace must have lost his mind, because he had the sudden, almost overwhelming urge to follow the path of that droplet with his tongue and, oh. Oh no. Jace had been wrong this entire time. Simon wasn’t just annoying. He wasn’t just nerd-hot. He was annoyingly hot.

And Jace was maybe just a little bit in trouble.

Because he’d seen the kinds of people Simon dated. Thoughtful. Driven. Well-adjusted. Unlike Jace in pretty much every way that mattered. Not that Jace dated, but he wasn’t the kind of person Simon hooked up with, either, he was pretty sure.

(Jace confessed his fourth impression of Simon to Maia several months later, after many, many shots of tequila. Maia laughed at him for a solid five minutes, but she also poured them another round and never mentioned it again after they sobered up because she was actually a pretty good friend despite how much she always seemed to enjoy Jace’s suffering.)

“What’s wrong?” Simon asked around a mouthful of instant ramen. Jace refused to acknowledge that the way his cheeks puffed out when he ate was cute.

“Just.” Jace shook his head. “Holidays. Family stuff.”

“Your sister planning to make Christmas dinner again?” Simon asked.

“Worse,” Jace said, flopping onto the other end of their stained Goodwill couch. “She’s dating my ex.”

Simon winced. “Ouch, dude.” Simon poked at his noodles with a pair of well-used disposable chopsticks. “You still have feelings for your ex?”

“What? No, of course not. It was ages ago, and we were practically still kids. And the breakup was mutual.” He made a face. “But Izzy’s bringing her home for Christmas.”

“Okay, yeah, that could be a little awkward,” Simon conceded.

“It gets worse,” Jace admitted. “When she told me, I kind of panicked and said I was bringing someone home, too.”

Simon frowned. “I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”

“I’m not,” Jace told him. “Which is kind of the problem.”

“Wow. You really know how to make things difficult for yourself.”

“Thanks,” Jace said. “Very helpful.”

Simon shrugged, then said, as casual as if he were offering to toss Jace’s towels in with his to make a full load at the laundromat, “You could always take me home with you.”

Jace stared. “What?”

“I mean, I’m going to be in the city anyway,” Simon continued, “and it’s not like my family does Christmas. I think Mom and Becky can manage the traditional Chinese takeout and Fast and Furious marathon without me.”

“Your family watches The Fast and the Furious on Christmas?” It was the only part of that Jace was emotionally prepared to process.

“It used to be Die Hard, but Mom’s got a thing for Vin Diesel, so now we alternate years.”

Jace stared a moment longer, waiting for any of this to make sense. On the television, Boushh threatened Jabba with a thermal detonator.

“Right,” Jace said when it was clear the situation wasn’t going to make sense of itself. “Okay. Rewind to the part where I’m supposed to take you home with me for Christmas and, what, pretend you’re my boyfriend?”

He could picture it all too easily. Simon wielding his enthusiastic charm to keep Izzy out of the kitchen while Jace helped Maryse make dinner. Simon joining Alec in coaxing Jace toward the piano when it was time to sing carols. Simon flushed and smiling after a couple mugs of Magnus’s deceptively alcoholic eggnog. Simon’s hand in his because that’s just something boyfriends do.

It was a horrifyingly tempting prospect.

Jace pushed those thoughts away, crossing his arms over his chest and directing all the scorn he felt at himself into the stare he leveled at Simon. “What’s that supposed to accomplish other than giving me a headache?”

“Hey,” Simon said, setting the dregs of his ramen down on their secondhand Ikea coffee table, “I’ll have you know that I make an excellent boyfriend.”

That wasn’t exactly news. The fact that Simon was friends with basically all of his exes said as much. But Jace wasn’t about to let on that he paid that much attention to Simon’s dating habits. Or to pass up such a good opening. “That why you’re single?”

“Not the one currently desperate for a holiday date here, pal,” Simon pointed out.

“I don’t know, you seemed pretty eager to be my holiday date just a second ago,” Jace said, adding a wink just to be obnoxious.

“It was an offer, jackass. One which I now deeply regret.”

“Which you should,” Jace told him, turning to the TV and pretending to watch. “Now we can both forget this conversation ever happened, and I can go back to figuring out what I’m going to tell my family about why my nonexistent significant other can’t make it for Christmas this year.”

“Right,” Simon muttered, picking up his bowl and turning his own attention back to the movie.

Jace told himself he didn’t feel just the tiniest bit disappointed.

“The thing is,” Simon said several minutes later, as Boba Fett tumbled into the Sarlaac pit, “my cousin Rachel is getting married on Valentine’s Day. And my Bubbe Helen is still pretty cranky with me for breaking up with Maia.”

Jace frowned at him. “You and Maia dated for like a month and a half. Over a year ago.”

“Yeah, well,” Simon said, “Bubbe Helen really liked her, but I think maybe that’s because Maia’s the only person I’ve ever brought to a family function. So, I was thinking maybe if I brought someone else to Rachel’s wedding, she’d get the hint and drop the Maia thing. And then you suddenly needed someone to take home for Christmas, and I thought we could, you know, help each other out.”

It was a terrible idea, and Jace meant to say so. He really did. But what came out of his mouth instead was, “You want to introduce me to your grandmother?”

“I mean,” Simon said with a shrug, “she’d probably be happier if you were Jewish, but I honestly think she’d be happy to see me with anyone who’s not a total asshole. Ever since she found out Maia and I aren’t together anymore, she’s been acting like I’m going to end up a lonely old maid or something, which I totally don’t get, because A, I’m only twenty-one, and B, she doesn’t think it’s a problem that Becky’s single and Becky’s two years older than me.”

“Glad to know I meet the very minimal requirement of not being an asshole.”

“Not a total asshole,” Simon corrected with a teasing grin.

“You’re really making a compelling case for trying to convince our families that we’re a couple,” Jace said drily. But he was maybe just a little bit weak for Simon’s smile, so he added, “But you might as well tell me how exactly you think this would work. Theoretically.”

“Theoretically,” Simon repeated. “Right. Well, we’d need to come up with a game plan, obviously. And rules. Rules that we actually follow, because that’s where things like this always fall apart, when someone ignores the rules.”

“Where things always fall apart,” Jace repeated. “Is this something you do often?”

“What? No! I just mean like in movies and stuff. Fake dating is practically its own genre, so we have a ton of examples for how not to do it, and…” Simon frowned as his voice trailed off. “And now that I’m saying this out loud, I’m realizing how dumb it sounds. You’re right. We should forget this conversation ever happened.”

“Or,” Jace said slowly, knowing he was going to regret it but unable to stop himself, “we could spend some time coming up with a plan and then decide if we think it will work.”

“Wait, really?” The slow grin spreading across Simon’s face did nothing to ease Jace’s sense of impending doom, but it did fill him with a soft warmth that made the doom easier to ignore.

“Why not?” Jace shrugged with practiced nonchalance. “I’m done with classes at noon tomorrow if you want to do it then.”

“I’ve got a break from then till three if you don’t mind meeting near campus,” Simon said. “Say, Java Jones at twelve-thirty?”

“Sure,” Jace agreed to the background of Jabba’s sail barge exploding. He hoped that was less metaphorical than it felt.

~~~

“I thought we were planning a couple of fake dates, not staging a major military operation,” Jace said as he surveyed the notebooks and stacks of paper strewn across the rickety cafe table in front of Simon.

“Oh, sorry,” Simon said, hastily shoving exactly one of the many notebooks into his backpack. “I was just reviewing notes for my econ final while I waited.”

“Is all of this really necessary?” Jace asked, attempting to clear enough room on the table for his coffee and the banana muffin that was attempting to pass for lunch.

“It’s so necessary,” Simon told him, reaching over to steal a piece of Jace’s muffin. “I don’t want to end up like Melissa Joan Hart in My Fake Fiancé.” He popped the piece of muffin into his mouth. “Or Melissa Joan Hart in Drive Me Crazy. Oh! Or even worse, Melissa Joan Hart in Holiday in Handcuffs.”

“I have no idea what you just said.”

Simon sighed heavily. “I’m saying we need clear, well-defined rules if this is going to work.”

“Is rule number one ‘don’t be Melissa Joan Hart’?” Jace asked, snatching his muffin away when Simon reached for it again and taking a pointed bite.

“No,” Simon said, with far more seriousness than Jace thought the situation warranted. “That’s rule number two. Rule number one,” he continued, opening a blue notebook to a fresh page, “is ‘absolutely no sex.’”

Jace choked on his muffin.

“If there’s one thing everyone seems to agree with, it’s that things always break down when that rule gets broken,” Simon continued as though Jace weren’t struggling to breathe around a mouthful of muffin and why Simon thought they even needed a rule for that.

Jace washed the remaining crumbs of muffin down with a generous swig of coffee, then leaned back in his chair with a deliberately cocky grin. “I mean, I know I’m damn near irresistible, but do you really think you need a rule to keep from jumping me?”

“Rule three,’’ Simon said, scribbling furiously in the notebook, “treat each other with the same respect we’d treat people we’re actually dating.”

“Hey, I would have the same question for someone I was actually dating.”

Simon looked up from the notebook. “That explains so much about your dating history.”

Jace flipped him off, and Simon flashed him a shit-eating grin. “Nope, sorry, rule one. But,” he continued, serious once again, “we should have rules about what kind of physical affection we are comfortable with. Like, I know we don’t normally do hugs, but it would be weird if we never hugged in front of your family if we were dating, right? What about holding hands, is that too much? And what about kissing? I’m definitely cool with cheek kisses, but I don’t know—”

“Simon,” Jace interrupted before he could get too worked up. Or make Jace think about more things he really shouldn’t be thinking about. “You’re allowed to hug me. And hold my hand. Honestly, I’m sure I’d be fine with anything you’re comfortable doing in front of my family, so how about we just go with this: casual touches are fine and for anything else, I’ll follow your lead.”

The look Simon gave him was so searching that Jace almost worried for a second that Simon would be able to see right past his crossed arms and feigned nonchalance to the part of him that was less worried about showing physical affection than how much he wanted it, the part that avoided hugging Simon because he liked it.

“Okay,” Simon said finally. “But you have to promise you’ll tell me if anything I do bothers you even a little bit.”

“You mean like singing Shake It Off at the top of your lungs in the shower?” Jace asked.

“That was one time!” Simon protested. “I was up all night studying and under the influence of too many energy drinks. We agreed never to mention it again.”

“No, you told me never to mention it again and I laughed at you.”

“See, this is why we need rules. You’re already breaking number three.”

“Yeah, because we’re not pretend-dating yet,” Jace said. “That one might be a little rough, but I’m sure I can manage with some practice.”

There was that searching look again, but then Simon nodded like Jace had said something particularly insightful. “You’re right, we should practice.”

“We—what?”

“If we’re going to convince people who actually know us that we’re dating, then we should practice first,” Simon said, like it was the most reasonable thing in the world. “Not just the rules we know are going to be hard, but all of it, so we can work out any kinks in the plan before showtime.”

And maybe it was reasonable, but it was one thing to put on a show for his family, for Simon’s family, for a few days at a time in places that might be familiar to each of them individually, but that weren’t theirs. It was entirely another thing to do it here, in the cafe they went to at least twice a week, or on campus where they’d first met and had to keep on attending classes for at least another year, or even worse in the apartment they shared, around their friends—

“I really should have thought of it earlier,” Simon continued, blissfully unaware of Jace’s inner turmoil. “My best friend back home, she’s an amazing liar. Like, seriously, she got away with everything when we were kids. But any time she needed me to back up her story, she’d make me practice with her like a hundred times until she knew I could convince her mom and stepdad, even after I got good enough that I didn’t have to practice to convince Mom. Man, those two could sniff out the tiniest discrepancy in any story. Like, if normal parent bullshit detection is a one, my mom’s is probably a solid three, but Fray’s parents? Eleven, easy.”

“I’m pretty sure no one I’m related to has supernatural bullshit detection,” Jace told him. “And it’s common knowledge I’m a better liar than you are, so if you can fool your mom without practice, so can I.”

“Maybe,” Simon conceded. “But a little bit of practice couldn’t hurt, right?”

Jace was pretty sure that it could hurt, actually, but he was also pretty sure he was the only one in danger of getting hurt, so it probably wasn’t worth consideration. Especially weighed against the hopeful enthusiasm in Simon’s expression.

“What did you have in mind?”

“We could start by pretending we’re on a date right now,” Simon suggested. “We’re already sharing a muffin. So, just treat me like you’d treat anyone you were on a date with.”

“My dates don’t usually involve this many notebooks,” Jace told him. “And if my date stole my muffin, the date would be over.”

“Come on, you’re not even trying,” Simon said, gathering up the papers and notebooks. “You’d really ditch your date over a muffin?”

“Absolutely,” Jace insisted. “They’d have to be seriously good in bed to make up for it, and I’m pretty sure rule number one says you’ll never get muffin-stealing privileges.”

“If the biggest benefit to sleeping with you is getting to share your muffins, then I’m not the one missing out,” Simon told him.

“You selling your body for muffins now, Lightwood?” an amused voice interrupted. “I bet I know a few people who’d toss a bran muffin or two your way for a chance at that ass.”

“Which is why you’re not my pastry-pimp, Roberts,” Jace said, smirking at Maia as she helped herself to one of the table’s empty chairs. “I only trade this ass for top tier, gourmet muffins. If your muffins don’t have at least two Michelin stars, I’m not interested.”

“I give him a week until he’s working corners for Entenmann’s,” Simon told her. “He was just threatening to walk out on our date over a bite of mediocre banana nut.”

Maia’s eyes widened. “Your— Oh, shit, sorry,” she said, scrambling out of her chair and throwing them both an apologetic smile that Jace was pretty sure wouldn’t be directed at him if he were sitting with anyone other than Simon. “I swear I didn’t mean to interrupt, I just thought you were studying or something. You guys have fun, and I’ll just—”

“It’s a practice date,” Jace interrupted, “not an actual date. And Simon’s a dirty muffin thief who won’t even put out, so I’m not sure it really even qualifies as any kind of date.”

Maia looked between the two of them, then slowly lowered herself back into the chair. “I know I’m going to regret asking this, but what exactly is a ‘practice date,’ and why are the two of you on one?”

“Jace needs a fake boyfriend to take home for Christmas, and I need a fake date for Rachel’s wedding,” Simon explained, snatching the last bit of Jace’s muffin without remorse. “And we thought we should practice dating before trying to convince our families that were actually, you know, together.”

“That’s a terrible idea, and I regret any part I played in the two of you becoming friends,” Maia said flatly.

“Yeah, that would probably worry me more if you didn’t say that like twice a week,” Simon told her.

“Oh god, Simon, what did you let Jace talk you into now?” another voice asked, and suddenly there were three more people crowding around their tiny table, because apparently all of their friends were at Java Jones today. Which, in retrospect, Jace should have expected, given how often they all hung out there.

“It was actually my idea,” Simon told Maureen, sliding his chair closer to Jace’s to make room for her, Bat, and Lily. “Jace is taking me home to meet his family over the holidays, and I’m taking him as my date to my cousin’s wedding.”

This proclamation was met with a stunned silence that was broken when Lily turned to Jace and punched him in the arm.

“Ow! What the hell?”

“That’s for abandoning me, jerk,” Lily told him. “Not that I can really blame you—either of you,” she added, giving both Jace and Simon an appreciative once over, “‘cause damn—but I thought we had an understanding.” She sighed heavily. “Now that you’ve gone over the dating Dark Side, who’s going to be my wingman? You’re probably going to start doing all kinds of relationship-y things and talking about feelings—” she said it like it was a dirty word “—and crap like that.”

“I am not going to talk about my feelings,” Jace said, at the same time that Simon said, “We’re not actually together. We’re just pretending.”

“They’re planning to try to convince their families they’re dating even though they’re not,” Maia explained. “Because they apparently think that’s not just a disaster waiting to happen.”

“Oh,” Lily said, sounding oddly disappointed.

“Fifty bucks,” Bat announced, “says that when this blows up in their faces, Jace is the first one to break down and call Maia in a panic.”

“Hey,” Jace protested.

“Oh, you’re on,” Maureen said, ignoring Jace entirely. “Sorry, Simon, but no one panics quite like you.”

“I’m in,” Lily said, “and I agree with Maureen that Simon will break first, but his call to Maia will be interrupted by Jace calling five minutes later.”

“Why am I the one getting all of the panicked calls?” Maia wanted to know.

“Because you’re the only person at this table who isn’t an asshole,” Simon told her, “but nothing’s going to go wrong, let alone panic-inducing levels of wrong, so you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“Dude,” Jace said, “she’s an asshole to me.”

“You like it,” Maia and Simon said in unison, causing the rest of the table to collapse into laughter.

“Okay, fine,” Maia said around her giggles several minutes later, “if you’re all betting, then count me in, too. I bet that these fools,” she looked pointedly at Jace, then at Simon, “don’t call me when this whole thing goes to hell, but I somehow end up having to haul their asses out of trouble, anyway.”

“I rescind my assessment of you as not an asshole,” Simon told her.

“I’d think twice about calling the woman who’s going to haul your ass out of trouble an asshole if I were you,” Bat said.

“Back to this pretending to be together thing,” Lily said. “What exactly does that entail?”

“That’s actually what we were trying to figure out when you guys showed up,” Simon told her. “We started a list of rules, but we only made it to four so far.”

“Your list should definitely include making out,” Lily said decisively. “Having made out with both of you, I can say with confidence that you’re definitely missing out if you don’t. In fact, you should try it now so we can let you know if it looks authentic.”

“You just want to watch them make out,” Maureen said.

“Yes,” Lily told her. She didn’t add ‘duh,’ but it was implied. “I always want to make hot people make out. But in this case, I’m also being helpful.”

The ensuing argument over the line between helpful and self-serving was thankfully cut short by the opening guitar line of Blonde Redhead’s Barragan.

“Sorry, I’ve gotta take this,” Simon said, holding up his phone. “I’ve been playing voicemail tag with Becky all week.” He looked at Jace. “Talk more about this later?”

“Sure,” Jace told him.

“Tell your sister I said hi,” Maia called after Simon as he headed away from the cafe’s crowd.

“You know,” Jace told her in a low voice, “you could always tell her hi yourself instead of always asking Simon to pass messages.”

Maia gave him an unimpressed look. “After everything I just heard, I’m pretty sure you’re the last person in this room I should be taking relationship advice from.”

“Bite me,” Jace told her, but he didn’t disagree.

#shadowhunters #shmb2021 #jimon #jimon fic #jace wayland #simon lewis

[skylar102]

Soulmate prompt: Everyone has heterochromia, one eye is your natural color, the other is your soulmate’s natural color. Once you meet all eyes return to natural color. How is the life of a Shadowhunter with one hazel eye and one golden eye? ~

Well I tell you this took weeks to figure out, I really mean I had no idea how I wanted them to meet so I came up with this canon divergence. I hope you enjoy! ^_^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you are born, you have two separate eye colors. One that is yours and one that is of your soulmate. Your eyes will stay that way until you meet your soulmate and your eyes return to their natural color. You don’t know what eye is your true color which makes the moment you meet your soulmate even more exciting.

Alec stares at his reflection in his bathroom at the Institute. His hair is neatly styled and he’s wearing one of his better formal attire. 

Alec sighs as he looks at his one cat eye in the mirror. Twenty-four years of living with his soulmate’s eye and he still has a difficult time seeing his reflection. It’s not his soulmate’s fault, Alec would never blame him for what he was naturally born with.  It’s the Clave’s fault that downworlder’s are viewed in such a harsh light. If this is how Alec is treated as a Shadowhunter for having a cat eye, he can hardly imagine the discrimination that his soulmate had to go through. That’s why he’s started the Downworld Cabinet, to let the downworlder’s of New York know that the Institute has their back. 

He adjusts the collar of his button-up for the tenth time. He doesn’t know why he’s so nervous about this first meeting. He’s been in correspondence with the leaders of the New York Downworld for weeks now making sure that everything is ready to go for this gathering. 

He’s known Maia for as long as he can remember. She’s been his friend ever since his siblings have been dragging him to Hunter’s Moon to “let loose” and he sat at the bar chatting her up every night. Her saying yes to this was a given, knowing how much he wants to make the downworld feel safe in this city they call home. 

Raphael was a bit more difficult getting him to agree to come to the meeting. Of course, Alec mentioned that the meeting would take place after dark or if Raphael had requested it, in a windowless room and hire a warlock to portal him there. He didn’t know why the vampire had such issues with him. 

At first, he thought it was because of his eye from the few times they worked together taking down illegal dens. Alec would sometimes catch him staring at the eye with a blank expression. He eventually agreed because of Izzy. The vampire had taken a liking to his sister more than him but he wasn’t going to look too closely into why that was.

The seelies were a struggle to get an answer out of. Their queen loved to create trouble and inconveniences out of nothing so getting them to agree was tiring and took longer than necessary. He will forever thank Raziel that they are sending Meliorn to be their representative for this meeting. He and Alec have a respectable relationship if you could call it that.

Last but not least the mysterious High Warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane. Since becoming Head a year ago, Alec has not once interacted with the man. All of their correspondence has been through either fire message, texting, or calling. Alec had tried to suggest email once and Magnus had gagged on the line over the phone. Alec thought it was a tad dramatic but the noise had gotten a laugh out of him. Alec also saw this as the perfect reason to have Magnus look over the Institute’s wards. Two birds, one stone kind of situation. Thankfully Magnus agreed.

He’s taken out of his thoughts but a loud knock on his door.

“Hurry up, Hermano!” Izzy’s muffled voice says. “They’re going to be here any minute!”

“I’ll be right out.” One last look in the mirror, a slight adjustment to the cuffs on his suit and he opens the door. Izzy looks him up and down, clearly judging his appearance as if she wasn’t the one to pick the outfit.

“You look great, Alec,” she settles on. She steps forward to adjust his lapels before making her way out of the room with Alec in tow. 

“Thanks,” he mutters, easily catching up to her strides. “Has the room been prepared?”

“Yes, for the millionth time, everything is ready.” Izzy rolls of her eyes. “You didn’t spend the last week locked away in your office planning out everything just for it to go wrong.”

“I know, I know,” he sighs. “I just want this to go right.”

“And it will. Alec, they wouldn’t have shown up if they didn’t believe this cabinet meeting could lead to something better,” she reasons as they turn the corner leading to the meeting room. 

“There’s no one else who could pull this off but you, Alec,” Izzy praises. “I guarantee that none of these leaders would be here if it was our mother.”

That picture gets a laugh out of him. He can barely imagine any of them being in the same room as their mother. Though he does know that Magnus would gladly go toe to toe with Maryse. He’s witnessed that first hand when Magnus came by the institute when he was younger. He wasn’t able to see the man, but his words were loud enough that a ten-year-old Alec heard them from his room late one night. It’s how he’s been able to stand up to his mother now.

Of course, he hasn’t told Magnus that. The High Warlock would never let him hear the end of it if it was discovered that it was thanks to him that Alec was able to take the Institute from his parents and create this cabinet.

Alec steps into the meeting room and is blown away by the decor. Banners of each faction hang on the wall behind the round table. Each chair looks the same, no difference in material or texture. It looks equal.

“Izzy this is beautiful,” he compliments, wrapping his sister in a hug. “This is really happening.”

“It is,” she laughs. 

Footsteps approach behind them. Jace is standing at the entryway with a big grin on his face.

“They’ve arrived,” he announces.

“Thank you, Jace.” Alec nods his head towards his brother. Izzy helps adjust his suit for one last time before they both approach the door. 

Maia is the first one to enter. Her matched eyes widen at the sight of the room. 

“Ms. Roberts,” Alec announces. “Thank you for coming.”

Maia snorts at the introduction. “I bet you rehearsed that in your bathroom.”

“Of course not,” Alec denies, he nods towards his sister. “I rehearsed it with Izzy.”

Maia and Izzy laugh at the joke. Izzy loops her arm around her soulmate’s, pressing a kiss to her cheek. She leads Maia to the table while Alec remains at the door. He might as well let the two have a few minutes alone before this meeting begins.

Meliorn is the next to arrive. He is escorted by a single guard which strikes him odd since Meliorn is the leader of the Seelie Queens Royal Guardsmen. His confusion must be visible by the smirk he receives.

“Meliorn,” Alec greets. “Thank you for agreeing to come and represent your people.”

“Of course, Mr. Lightwood,” Meliorn bows his head, “and apologies for the plus one. They will be staying out in the hall while the meeting is going on, but my Queen requested that I bring company in case this was a rouse.”

“That’s alright, though I would have hoped the queen had more confidence in me.”

“Oh she most certainly does,” Meliorn cryptically says. “She’s very interested in the Nephilim who’s fighting against his own people.”

“Of course, she is,” Alec chuckles. “Always the curious one.”

That gets a real smile out of the Seelie, both knowing what Alec truly meant by the words. The Seelie Queen always liked to shove her nose where it didn’t belong and this was only the start. Alec wonders, as time passes, if the Queen herself will show up to one of these meetings. The thought along makes his body shiver with dread at the thought of her mind games and cryptic answer during a meeting that not only has Maia and Raphael but Magnus as well.

Meliorn nods to his guard and they go to stand against the wall opposite of the double doors leading to the meeting room.

“If there is anything you would like while you wait for the meeting to adjourn, please let my sister, Isabelle know,” he says. The guard looks at him with curious eyes before a smile appears, acknowledging his words.

“I will keep that in mind,” they say. “Thank you, Mr. Lightwood.”

Alec smiles back and turns towards the next guest to arrive. 

Raphael has a scowl on his face as he approaches Alec. It took a while for Alec not to be offended by that look as it seemed to be the man’s permanent expression, but it is looking particularly more loathsome tonight.

“Raphael,” Alec greets, holding out his hand. “It’s good to see you. Thank you for agreeing to this meeting.”

“It’s not like I had a choice,” Raphael states, rolling his eyes. “Our mutual friend was very adamant that I go to this and show appreciation for the effort you are putting forth.”

“I see,” Alec says, there’s a smirk on his face. “Magnus must have some good dirt on you to get you to come then.”

Raphael’s scowl turns into a small smile, the kind of smile that Alec knows will make his life hell during this meeting. He’s only seen that smile twice before in the times that he’s interacted with the vampire. Once when they were about to go into an illegal den and the second time when he asked Alec about Izzy. 

Though as much as they give each other flak, Alec likes to think there is a mutual respect between them the people they lead. Since Camille was taken out of the picture, meaning arrested and locked away in the Gard, the tension between the werewolves and vampires has decreased immensely. 

“I’d be careful what you say at this meeting, Lightwood,” Raphael warns. “We wouldn’t want anyone to think the Head of the Institute has favorites.”

Alec feels his cheeks red but keeps his face neutral. While it is not well known that Alec has developed a small crush on the High Warlock. It’s kind of hard to keep it a secret from the man Magnus practically raised like a son. Especially when Alec has not so subtly asked about the man when he visited the DuMort not too long ago. 

Raphael gives him a once over and heads towards the table. Three down, one more to go.

Alec looks down at his watch and sees that the meeting is supposed to start in five minutes and the High Warlock has yet to arrive. He taps his foot on the tiled floor deciding if he should wait for Magnus or get the meeting started. He looks back at the table and sees that everyone is already seated and looking at him. He lets out a sigh and makes his way towards the round table.

“Magnus running late?” Maia snickers as Alec sits down.

“It would seem so,” Alec sighs. “I would wait for him, but knowing him. He’s probably going to be as he states ‘fashionably late’.”

Maia snorts at the comment while Raphael rolls is eyes. Meliorn just smiles at them for their reactions. It warms his soul that they all feel comfortable inside the Institute. It took a lot of work this past year to get the Institute to get used to seeing downworlder’s inside its walls and make sure that everyone felt welcome.

It was a mess of people requesting transfers and patrol changes, but Alec took it all. What surprised him was the number of people requesting to come here. Alec was sure that he would lose a lot of shadowhunters with the changes he was making, that it would be a while before those numbers rose again. At first, a few people requested a transfer to New York and by the end of the first month, he had more people coming in than out. Jace and Izzy made fun of him because of the smug look he had that entire week. 

Alec starts the meeting with a discussion about any issues the others were having in the past months. Any issues with shadowhunters or downworlders alike. Though Alec doesn’t want to intervene in downworld issues, he still wants them to know that if its a situation the shadowhunters could help with, he was willing to send his best people to assist.

About 20 minutes later the doors to the room burst open and a man wearing the most beautiful outfit storms in. Alec pauses mid-sentence to take in the man.

“Dios mio,” sighs Raphael.

“Sorry I’m late everyone or should I say I’m not late you are all early?” Magnus jokes as he approaches the table. His head is still down looking at his outfit, fixing it up where he can.

“You do know how to make an entrance Magnus,” Meliorn comments, looking back and forth between Alec and Magnus like he’s waiting for something. Raphael does the same but more subtly.

“Yes, well what can I say? I love being fashionably late,” Magnus trails off as he lifts his head and makes eye contact with Alec.

Alec feels his voice gets stuck in his throat as he takes in Magnus’ eyes.

One cat eye and one hazel.

Alec feels the change and sees it at the same time. His left eye shifts to a normal pupil shape while he watches Magnus’ hazel eye disappear into another cat eye. Something in Alec’s chest fills and he finally feels whole. Like the missing piece of a puzzle was found and locked into place.

Silence fills the room, everyone holding their breaths as they watch the Head of the New York Institute and the High Warlock of Brooklyn stare at each other in wonder.

“Oh.”

#malec #alec lightwood #magnus bane #meliorn #raphael santiago #maia roberts #izzy lightwood #jace herondale #shadowhunters #soulmate au #canon divergence #fanfiction #heterochromia #my writing

[cakelanguage]

Another gift I made for the Malec Secret Santa 2020, this time for yorit1 on AO3! It was my first time venturing into high school AUs, and it was actually quite fun. I hope you enjoy this goofy and fluffy high school au <3

You can also read this on AO3

--

Alexander Lightwood was different. He was nothing like his brother, Jace who was the star quarterback of the football team and a bit of an egomaniac at times. He wasn’t like his sister, Isabelle who was free-spirited and made a statement with her fashion choices and opinions.

No, Alec was quiet. He tried to take up as little space as possible no matter how much room he was given. Despite his towering stature he tended to hunch unconsciously. Like he was afraid he was always taking up too much room.

But he was stubborn and terse to the majority of people and doted on his family. He stood up for others and advocated for LGBTQ+ rights at school and outside it. He took in those who wormed their way into his heart with nary a thought but kept them away from knowing him besides the front he presented.

He was an array of contradictions that only made him more interesting in Magnus’ eyes.

And he stared. At Magnus. A lot.

Initially, Magnus hadn’t even noticed Alec’s gaze. He’d only realized it when Ragnor and Catarina had brought it to his attention.

“You’re being watched,” Catarina commented offhandedly, taking a bite of her salad.

Magnus smirked. “I’m always being watched,” he purred.

A groan echoed beside him. “I swear, if your head gets any bigger they’ll be no way to hide it,” Ragnor groused.

“I refuse to have this negativity within my eyesight.” Magnus made a shooing gesture. “Remove yourself at once.”

Catarina giggled at their banter before clearing her throat. “I’m being serious, though. You’ve been being watched by mister brooding over there.” She inconspicuously pointed to somewhere diagonally to them.

Not one to shy away from attention, Magnus whipped his head around to try and meet the gaze of his admirer. His eyebrows shot up when he met the gaze of Alexander Lightwood.

Alec seemed to have met his eyes too because his face reddened. The boy gave him a timid wave before ducking his head to gaze at his food, seeming to ignore the other occupants at his table.

Magnus would have continued looking at the bashful boy if his vision wasn’t suddenly obstructed. He squawked and turned a glower to Ragnor. “Are you really trying to cover my face up with a paper bag right now?”

His best friend grinned. “You were staring.”

“He was staring.”

“You wouldn’t have even noticed his staring if Cat hadn’t informed you.”

Conceivably, there was some truth to that. He wasn’t short on admirers so it didn’t surprise him that he hadn’t noticed one person’s attention.

He was curious to see how this would all play out.

It happened at a party.

A Magnus Bane party.

Magnus Bane had risen to popularity with these outlandish parties he threw while his father was away on his business trips. They were grand with drinks flowing in red solo cups and music blasting so loudly that they had the cops called on them more than once.

Magnus could easily party the night away. Immerse himself in the sweaty, hormonally charged throngs of his fellow student body. Ordinarily, he would.

But Alec actually came to this one and that wholly couldn’t be ignored.

The boy still hadn’t acted on what Magnus assumed was attraction to him. He merely continued to covertly admire Magnus from afar. The few times they’d talked, Magnus had reduced the boy to scrambled word-vomit. Alexander was bright red and Magnus was beyond flattered.

Here under the colored lights, the boy was a wallflower if he'd ever seen one. He stuck close to the wall and people watched with a dour expression. Magnus had seen people more excited about midterms than Alexander looked at one of his parties. And that wouldn't do at all.

Optimistically, this conversation would go better than their previous ones.

He saddled up to him with an extra cup of whatever brew Catarina had concocted and a charming smile. "Staying over here all by your lonesome, pretty boy?" Magnus inquired lightly.

Alec lurched beside him and looked at him bug-eyed. "What?" He asked.

"Well, you're denying the party-goers a fine specimen while you hunker to the shadows." Magnus couldn't tell if the boy was blushing with the colored lights gleaming across the room but his expression seemed flattered if not terribly shy.

It was adorable.

"I'm uh—My siblings wanted to come."

Magnus hummed thoughtfully and looked around the room until he spotted Alec's sister dancing amongst the crowd. "Ah, Izzy seems to be having a blast." He turned to Alec with a smirk. "I'm assuming Jace and Clary are making out somewhere around here."

Alec groaned and thumped his head against the wall. "I didn't even want to come." His eyes widened, and he jerked his head back to Magnus with his hands raised. "Not—Not that it isn't a great party because it is uh—everyone loves them and I—" he sighed and shrugged his shoulders, "Parties have never been my scene and it's just easier to stay on the sidelines."

"Perhaps," Magnus conceded, "or maybe you just need to keep trying." He handed the extra drink to him. "Start with something to drink. It'll do wonders to relax those tense shoulders of yours." And what gorgeously broad shoulders they were.

Alec shook his head and pushed the cup away. "Can't, I'm the designated driver."

Magnus arched a brow and poured the new drink into his original cup. "More for me, I suppose." He took a sip, ignoring the fire that licked his throat on the way down. "In the meantime, we might as well see if we can entice you into enjoying the party,” he set the cups down on a random table and held out his hand, “dance with me."

It wasn't a question and Alec recognized that but still, he shook his head. "Unless you want me to accidentally break your toes, I’m gonna… I'll just stay here."

"Pretty boy, I taught Ragnor how to dance." It'd been his own personal hell for half the summer but Ragnor had gotten significantly better at dancing enough so that he didn't look like he was suffering a seizure when the desire to dance struck him. "I'm sure I can teach you something."

Alec swallowed and looked around the room for anything that might help him. "I'm really not a good dancer," Alec insisted even as Magnus started to coax him from the wall. "I'll look stupid which means you'll look stupid."

Magnus waved him off. "Practically everyone looks silly when they dance, so you won't be alone there." He seized Alec’s hand and pulled him away from the wall. “Give it a try for five minutes, and we’ll see how it goes.”

Alec let himself be dragged to the dancefloor with consternation. “Five minutes and that’s it.”

This conversation was going lightyears better than their first few conversations. “If you want to stop, that is.”

He let go of Alec’s hand to grab ahold of Alec’s hips. “We’ll start with a sway, literally everyone can sway,” Magnus instructed as he started to sway his hips with Alec’s. He quickly directed their swaying to match the beat of the music. “See? Just gotta listen to the music; your body should pick up on the beat.”

A nervous laugh bubbled from somewhere in Alec’s throat as he bopped his head. “Yeah—okay, now what?”

“Arms, you don’t want to just flap them about.” You could knock someone out by accident if you did that. “Though if that’s your style, we can work with that.”

Alec raised his arms, shifting them side-to-side like muscled windshield wipers. “This?”

Magnus threw his head back and laughed. “God no, that’s—“ Magnus dissolved into another fit of giggles, waving a hand at Alec, “I’m not laughing at you, I promise. I just—I wasn’t expecting that.”

Alec scowled. “Then show me how to do it,” Alec commanded.

The scowl on the boy’s face resembled more of a pout than anything scary so Magnus figured the boy wasn’t too bothered by his laughter.

“You have to loosen up. You’re too tense!” Magnus ran his hands down Alec’s arms, relishing the shiver that ran through Alec’s body. “Relax your shoulders.”

“They are relaxed.”

He quirked an eyebrow and massaged at Alec’s shoulders feeling the tight muscles jump and release under his ministration. “Darling, I’ve seen assholes looser than your shoulders.”

Alec wheezed, his face twisting up, and squeezed his eyes shut. “That’s—why did you have to say it like that?” Alec groaned with a snort like he couldn’t decide whether to be upset or laugh at Magnus’ comment.

A Cheshire smile spread across his face. “I’m not wrong.”

Alec flushed, his eyes settling everywhere except Magnus’. “Well, I’m relaxed now.”

“Good, now just watch me for a moment.” He winked, biting his lower lip. “Try to keep your gaze virtuous.”

The laughter that tumbled out of Alec was beautiful and something he’d never heard before. His laughter echoed between them, somewhere caught between rough and warm. He’d never heard the boy laugh before.

But he wanted to hear it forever.

Magnus swayed his body, gyrating his hips and moving his hands up his body, letting them move with him. Lidded eyes gazed at Alec who’d stopped dancing altogether and was just staring at him with a familiar intensity.

“Feel free to admire me.”

Alec grinned and shook his head, already miles past his original comfort levels. “Thanks for the consent.” He crossed his arms and gave him a look. “You want a complete too? I feel like your fishing for one.”

“I very much am fishing for compliments,” Magnus said, “I’m just waiting for the hook to pick some up.”

“Normally people don’t admit to fishing for compliments.”

“Normal is subjective, Alexander.” He beckoned Alec over. “Now come join me, let that body talk.”

Alec shook his head again as he walked back over. “You’re so weird.” But his voice was husky belaying his real feelings on Magnus’ behavior. He clumsily joined Magnus and was soon following the beat more or less.

Magnus had thought this would be an innocent folly – just figuring the other boy out – but he found he was having fun. Alec's inexperience and awkwardness were endearing, and Magnus couldn’t turn his gaze away.

And he didn't want to.

He wasn't even sure what it was about Alec that drew him in. Magnus lived for partying, standing out, and being unashamedly himself. He wore glitter and sheer shirts that got him dress coded constantly.

Conversely, Alec was an introvert who orbited around the ones he loved. He'd started an archery club and followed all the school rules to an alarming degree. The only thing Magnus had thought stood out to him about Alec was that he was openly gay.

But just from his interactions with the boy tonight had revealed a hidden charm behind that stoic front. He had a laugh that made Magnus' heart skip a beat. His smile lit up the room way more than the assortment of lights did. He could dance only marginally better than Ragnor could now – which wasn’t saying much – but it made Magnus enjoy dancing with him all the more.

Just these observations made him wonder why he’d never noticed Alexander Lightwood before.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Alec interrupted, nudging him in the side.

Magnus shook his head from his previous thoughts. “My thoughts are worth plenty more than a penny,” Magnus sniffed.

Alec rolled his eyes. “Offer still stands.”

Magnus closed the distance between them. “You surprised me.”

“I surprised you?”

“Don’t sound so shocked.” Magnus put his arms around Alec’s neck and slowed their dancing down to a sweeping sway. “You’re more than I expected when I came over to you.”

Alec frowned. “More...?”

He shook his head. “I mean that in the best of ways,” Magnus reassured. “There’s just something about you, Alexander.”

Alec ducked his head down sheepishly. “There’s uh… something about you too.”

Magnus grinned, running his fingers through the short strands of hair at the back of Alec’s head. “Glad we’re on the same page about that.” He chanced a look around the room his eyes zeroing in on the clock before turning back to Alec who was finally looking at him again. “It’s been more than five minutes, still want me to leave?”

Hands grabbed at his hips as Alec leaned his head closer. “Please stay.”

Any quieter and Magnus would’ve missed Alec’s plea, but his grip on Magnus was telling enough. “Only if you’ll keep dancing with me.” Magnus gave Alec an exaggerated pout.

Alec snorted, shaking his head. “Stop being so cute.”

“Can’t, darling,” Magnus sighed, “it’s a curse.”

At this point, Magnus could feel Alec’s breath against his lips. With each moment his restraint grew smaller and smaller. He doubted Alec would gather the courage to mention his feelings. But he wasn’t going to wait for the other boy to make a move first. “Maybe this is the alcohol talking, but I really want to kiss you right now.”

Alec’s breath hitched, and for a second Magnus thought he’d ruined their moment until Alec let out a pleased sigh. “I – you uh… If I let you kiss me,” he paused to gather his thoughts, “You have to let me take you on a date.”

Magnus’ face lit up. “You wanna take me on a date?”

The tips of Alec’s ears practically glowed. “I’d like to.”

“I think,” Magnus drawled, twirling a piece of Alec’s hair, “that would be more than okay.”

The other boy’s mouth gaped and he seemed caught between awe and joy. Alec pressed their foreheads together. “So do I get that kiss now?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

Magnus bumps his nose against Alec’s. “How are you feeling about parties now?” Magnus inquired. He genuinely wanted to know if Alec’s opinion had changed.

Alec hummed thoughtfully before shrugging. “I won’t say I like them, but I got to spend time with you.” He brushed his lips against the corner of Magnus’ mouth. “So if you’re there, I can see the appeal.”

“Sweet talker.”

Magnus closed the distance between them. Alec’s lips were dry and deliciously warm against his. Just like his dancing, Alec’s kiss was inexperienced and their teeth clanked together before they got the right angle. Magnus led the kiss, coaxing Alec’s mouth to move with his own. It was hungry and sweet and profoundly earnest.

It was perfect.

Reluctantly Magnus pulled back to let them both breathe. Alec tried to chase his lips for a moment longer, eyes still closed as if he thought he’d open his eyes and Magnus would disappear.  Eventually, Alec did open his eyes, and quiet awe transformed his face.

“Would it be greedy to ask for another?” Alec asked between them, their lips still barely an inch apart.

“Terribly greedy,” Magnus chided with a grin, “But if you take me to that Thai place four blocks from the movie theater I’ll happily give you another.”

Alec laughed, their noses nudging against each other’s. “Promise?”

No answer was needed; his kiss was enough.

#malec #malec fic #malec secret santa 2020 #Magnus Bane #Alec Lightwood #highschool au #alec is a gay disaster #magnus is a bisexual king #my fic

[malec-ao3feed]

never saw it comin'

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/VBJp2mM by storieswithinus //I wish I could fly, I'd pick you up and we'd go back in time. I'd write this in the sky, I miss you like it was the very first night.// Magnus Bane fell in love in 1850 with a beautiful man named Alexander. Then he thought he lost him forever only to discover him alive and well over a century and a half later. Alec Lightwood never thought he would see Magnus again, his love for him lingering throughout the decades. The chance to fall back in love at their fingertips, an opportunity they both thought they lost... Words: 7521, Chapters: 3/?, Language: English Fandoms: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: Gen, M/M Characters: Magnus Bane, Alec Lightwood, Ragnor Fell, Jace Wayland, Clary Fray, Simon Lewis, Isabelle Lightwood, Maia Roberts, Lydia Branwell, Raphael Santiago Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Past Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, 1850s, Immortal Alec Lightwood, Protective Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, falling back in love, Falling In Love, Boys In Love, Dragon Alec Lightwood, Shadowhunters Aren't In This Story, Dragons, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Downworlders, Downworld Council (Shadowhunter Chronicles), Downworld Culture & Customs, Dragon Clan, Bookstores, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Fluff, Happy Ending, Fluff, Flashbacks, Song: The Very First Night (Taylor Swift), Implied/Referenced Homophobia read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/VBJp2mM

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #shadowhunters #tmi #malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #magnus x alec #malec fanfic #the mortal instruments

[welldressedllama]

Fave characters from the last 5 things I’ve watched/read/seen/etc:

I was tagged by @a-lil-bi-furious forever ago, and I’m finally doing it. Yay. Go me. Long rambly post ahead.

1 - Isabelle Lightwood (Freeform’s Shadowhunters)

Izzy, Izzy, Izzy. There are so many good things to say about her. I love that she's so versatile; she's one of their best warriors, she's the Weapon's Master, she's a skilled forensic pathologist. She's incredibly intelligent and strong and also unabashedly feminine. She's faced demons and warlocks and rogue shadowhunters, and she beat them all in five-inch heels.

I love that she's so in control of and unashamed in her sexuality, despite her mother's and other's comments and snipes about it. She's gorgeous and enjoys sex and she owns it, and I'm so proud of her. I wish she got better love interests (like Clary), because I realize I didn't particularly like Raphael or Simon.

One of my favorite things of the whole show is her love for her family, most showcased with Alec. Her unwavering support in him, and trying to help him be his best, authentic self, is so pure, and her supporting him and Magnus is so refreshing compared he rest of their family just...not.

2 - Bonnie Bennett (The CW’s The Vampire Diaries)

Bonnie was my favorite from the moment I started (and probably one of my favorite characters of all time), and it broke my heart how the show treated her. She was a bold, brave, and powerful black Bennett witch who was controlled by racist writers and manipulated by selfish vampires.

But even with those obstacles, she did some incredible feats. She went up against (and beat) Originals multiple times, the first after she'd only been a practicing witch for a few months. She singlehandedly held back hellfire for a time and saved Mystic Falls (and all its residents' undeserving asses) numerous times and never got the appreciation she deserved.

She deserved her happy ending with Enzo and I will never forgive Plec (or Stefan) from taking that away from her. Even with everything she went through, she was kind, she was compassionate, she was understanding, and she was more forgiving than she probably should have been. Her interactions with Nora in season 7 warmed my heart.

3 - Maria DeLuca (The CW’s Roswell, New Mexico)

As Liz said, “Maria DeLuca is her own savior, every damn time.” And it's really unfortunate that the show (and the fandom) really make her keep proving it. This woman has so much on her shoulders, a sick mum and running a business. She's constantly alone, left out, and used as a prop for other's stories, and I hate it. Making her the obstacle for the fandom's favorite-gay-ship™️ was a bad move on the writers' part, and the treatment Heather Hemmens has received in playing her is horrendous.

With all that, Maria is still lively and outgoing and fun. Her wit is phenomenal, and any scene with her and Isobel snarking at each other is a hoot. Her little interactions with everybody are my favorite honestly. She's fiery and strong and bold, but I also so appreciate when we get to see her vulnerable. (Also, she looks like a goddess in that first gif.)

Full disclosure, I had a hard time deciding between Maria and Jenna Cameron as my favorite, and they literally have had like two scenes together at the end of S2 but I ship them hard. So if the show could just get on that, that'd be appreciated.

4 - Olivia Baker (The CW’s All American)

Words cannot describe how much I love Olivia. Just gotta get this out of the way, Samantha Logan is exceptionally gorgeous, and even my gay ass can't decide if I should pay more attention to Olivia or her brother when they're both on screen. But that's not important.

Something about Liv and her story just really resonated with me, and episode 1x12 had me bawling. Watching this good, kind, bright girl feel so alone and isolated was heart wrenching. She deserves the world, and I'm glad she's finding a good support system.

My favorite thing about Liv is how much she cares. If she sees something wrong or unjust, she does not hesitate to call it out, and if something is happening to her family or friends, she does everything she can to help. And that's a good thing, but I worry she focuses to much on others, at the expense of herself. I'd love if, in the coming season(s), she learns how to and is allowed to work on and take care of herself.

5 - Anissa Pierce (The CW’s Black Lightning)

My kick-ass superhero baby. She's a black, lesbian medical student and part-time teacher. Her love for her family is undeniable, as is her hatred if injustice. This drives her to become a vigilante superhero after only days/weeks of discovering her powers, and she fought her dad to a standstill (neither of them knew who the other was, but he was far more experienced than she was).

She's shown to be perhaps the physically strongest in the show (which I fucking love), and her fighting prowess is near unmatched. So like, that's obviously all cool, but it's only part of why I love her so. She's a force to reckoned with no matter what identity she's in (Anissa, Thunder, or Blackbird). She's passionate and loving.

Speaking of loving, her and Grace own my heart. An interracial wlw badass superpowered couple is basically everything I could want. They (and this whole damn show) are SO GOOD.

I'm tagging @rosaortecho and @wonderdoves, but like, no pressure. Or anyone who wants to, just say you were tagged by me so I can see y’alls opinions.

First Bonnie gif is from @bob-belcher, second from @imaginingxmen. For some reason I cannot get the formatting done with hers, just the others, so.

#i watch too many cw shows #shadowhunters #the vampire diaries #roswell new mexico #all american #black lightning #isabelle lightwood #emeraude toubia #bonnie bennett #kat graham #maria deluca #heather hemmens #olivia baker #samantha logan #anissa pierce #nafessa williams #tag games #llama's tagged #pretty women