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Jace had everything right where he wanted it in his life. He had a purpose as a Shadowhunter, demons to slay and people to protect. And if every demon he killed was one step closer to getting revenge for his father, no one seemed to question the motive. He had adoptive parents and siblings to love and support him, and in every part of his life he had Alec; through battle and blood and tears and everything in between.
Jace had everything in place, and then Clary Fray appeared in his life and she was a whirlwind tearing through everything he had built. It was messy and exhilarating and he wouldn’t give her up for anything in the world. Jace just wished his relationship with Alec hadn’t gotten quite so disordered in the process of her claiming her space in his life.
Alec and Jace fought like they never had before, every little disagreement becoming magnified in this new structure to their relationship. Jace never once thought they wouldn’t get past it. And then a warlock portalled into their lives and suddenly Jace and Alec weren’t trying to see how they fit around the new Clary shaped obstacle in their relationship, Alec was being pulled away by magical mixed drinks and kohl-rimmed cat’s eyes.
Who the hell was this Magnus Bane, to think he could waltz into their lives – or be dragged in by virtue of their needing his help, whatever - and seek his parabatai’s attention? Distantly, Jace recognized the ugly feeling as jealousy. In the future, when they were comfortable with each other again and Alec talked about his first impressions of Clary and everything that followed, Jace would vehemently ignore the irony of the situation.
_
“So do you guys always keep jewellery stashed away in secret compartments like that? Or is it because it’s magical? Wait, is magic like radiation? Should we be touching the ruby?”
Jace could feel the force of Alec’s glare trying to go through him to Clary and steadfastly refused to look at him.
“Do all mundanes talk so much? You’re starting to sound like the other one.”
“Do all Shadowhunters have such a hard time learning people’s names, or is it just you? His name is Simon and – “
“Alright you two no need to kill the mood before we even get to the party. C’mon, it’s a downworlder rave! Try to lighten up a little.”
“It’s a mission, Izzy, not a party.”
Isabelle hooked her arm through Alec’s and started to drag him away. “Yes, yes of course. So we should go secure the perimeter while Jace and Clary wait in line.” She threw a wink over her shoulder as they walked away and was pleased to see Clary smile in return. Her brother could be such a buzzkill.
_
Alright, listen. Jace knows he can be a little narcissistic at times. It’s not really his fault; he’s skilled and he knows what he looks like, and he’s had typically cold and aloof adoptive parents sing his praises his whole life. So his ego might be justified. Jace might know he’s good, but he’s never once thought he was better than everyone else. Or at least, he’s never thought he was better than Alec or Izzy. Clearly he’s better than Simon, but come on.
So when the warlock pointedly remarks that he hadn’t been calling Jace 'pretty boy', he’s a little taken aback. It’s not that he thinks he’s the only one in the room that could possibly be described that way, but it was habit, alright? He’s been called pretty boy his whole life, and normally it’s more of a sneer than a compliment. So he reacted, sue him.
And then he looked at Alec and the completely unguarded little smile that said he was genuinely pleased to be called pretty boy by this warlock, and Jace felt something terrible uncurl in his core. Alec never smiled like that at strangers. Blinding smiles that never reached his eyes to charm a mark? Sure. But real smiles were reserved for Jace, Izzy, Max, and their parents. And occasionally Hodge. They were not for warlocks with glittery hair and wandering eyes.
_
“So what is the deal with you and Alec anyways?”
“I warned you, mundane. Leave it.”
“No, no, I heard you. But since you saved me from that demon thing and you know Clary would never forgive you if you maim me and we have at least another ten minutes before we get back to Magnus’ place with the ingredients I just thought – “
“Alright! Stop rambling. There’s nothing wrong between me and Alec. Brothers fight sometimes, it happens. We still have each others backs.”
“You seem damn sure he’s going to show up tonight.”
“Alec has never and will never let me down.”
“It’s just, this seems like a pretty one-sided deal you have going on.” Simon’s face goes through a complicated range of emotions, like he can’t quite believe he’s trying to defend a guy that refers to him as ‘it’ and refuses to learn his name. Clary had tattled, and it had made him love her a little more to see her so angry on his behalf. “Like, you’re always asking him to bend over backwards for you but it doesn’t seem like you’re willing to be quite so flexible.”
“I’d do anything for Alec, and he knows it. End of discussion.”
Jace sounded so unshakably confident Simon decided to let the matter lie. The silence dragged on, and Simon had never done well with silence. Jace hadn’t killed him yet so maybe it was safe to ask.
“So, virgin shadowhunter energy? Is Alec really – “
“Shut up, Simon!”
_
The whole building was shaking with magical energy when they made it back to Magnus’ lair and Jace ran into the room, seraph blade ready, fearing the worst. It might as well have been. Luke was hanging on by a thread, only tethered to this world by Magnus Bane’s magic. Magic being supplemented by Alec. Jace watched as Clary put the finishing touches on the potion, eyes constantly drawn to where Alec and Magnus knelt on the floor. He could see Magnus pulling on Alec’s energy, could see that Alec was letting him in completely, with no shields or resistance, nothing stopping the warlock from draining him until nothing was left. Jace had never seen anything so terrifying in his life.
How was Jace supposed to protect his parabatai when he was walking into hell with open arms?
_
“Jace! You’re back already, what happened with the werewolf?”
“He’s alive, talking with Clary right now –“ Jace did a double take, blinked a few times, and made sure he wasn’t looking at some kind of glamour. “Izzy, what are you wearing?”
“What, are you saying I don’t look good?”
“No. You look great. I just can’t see quite as much of you as I normally can. It’s different.”
“I’m trying something new.” Isabelle raised her chin and managed to look down at Jace even from the greater than normal height difference – those heels were not as high as she usually wore. Typical Lightwood stubbornness, he would get nothing more out of her.
“Alright, you look great Izzy, as always. Speaking of trying something new, you realize that warlock is trying to steal our brother away? We need to do something.” Jace was not pleased to see Isabelle’s eyes light up like she’d just heard the best news of her life.
“Wait wait wait! Tell me everything. I knew he wanted Alec’s number to ask him out, but I figured I would have to wear Alec down before he said yes!”
Jace threw his hands into the air in disgust. “You can’t be encouraging this! Alec doesn’t even know if he’s interested in guys! Magnus is just going to take advantage of him. Izzy, you should have seen how unguarded Alec was tonight. Magnus could have killed him and I wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it.”
Isabelle shook her head a little and sighed, looking to the sky as though asking the Angel for guidance. “Jace, I love you. But you can be a complete idiot sometimes.”
“Excuse me? Ow!” Jace pulled the most offended look he could manage, rubbing his arm where Isabelle had smacked him.
“Of course Alec’s interested, and I will not let you ruin this for him. Magnus is going to wine and dine and give Alec someone to talk to who doesn’t expect him to be the perfect Clave soldier, or the perfect big brother. Someone he doesn’t need to protect. Alec needs this.”
“Alec has us; he doesn’t need a warlock for anything.” Jace crossed his arms; he could do Lightwood stubbornness too.
“Oh? Like you don’t need Clary? Like I –“ Isabelle swallowed around the sudden lump in her throat. “Like I didn’t have my other distractions? We’ve always had all of Alec, but we’ve never given him the same. Let him have this Jace, please.”
“We’ll see.”
_
It turns out Isabelle wasn’t completely right, and if Jace wasn’t so happy for Alec he would never let her live it down. Only Alec could take the guy his sister wanted him to use for some well needed tension relief and wind up finding his soulmate. Well, his other soulmate. Jace still likes to remind Magnus that he was there first when the warlock is being particularly smug and infuriating.
_
“Look, if the Circle gets their hands on – “
“We get it. Hellfire and Brimstone, bad news for everyone.” Jace felt rage well up inside him as the warlock physically held up a hand to stop him from continuing.
“Would you stop interrupting me!” He saw Alec grin, bright and open and so much freer than before he had Magnus. “Alec! This isn’t funny.”
Alec was happy, happier than Jace had ever felt him through their bond. And it smarted at first, to know that Jace wasn’t enough to bring that out in Alec. He was self-aware enough to realize that he could be petty and selfish with his loved ones. If the warlock would just stop shushing him, Jace figured he could work a little harder to make some space for him. For Alec’s sake.