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Isabelle was exhausted when she got back to the Institute, a day full of working with Max and going on her own patrols weighing on her bones. It was good that she was keeping busy. It kept her mind off of the things she was most certainly not supposed to be thinking about. She was still going to mundane meetings almost every day, but it didn’t stop the longing from creeping in at the most inconvenient of times. She needed the distractions, the push to try to get back to where she was before. She had no idea if it was possible, if she could ever go back to how things were. She certainly couldn’t go back to her old mindset and pretend that she was invincible, or convince herself that one more time wouldn’t kill her. She knew better than that now, and she never wanted to retreat into the idea that she had control of every aspect of her life only to find out that the opposite was the case. Not to mention, it didn’t only affect her. She had her family to think about.
There weren’t many other people lingering around, most of them either out on their night shifts or sleeping already, and her heels clicked loudly against the floor as she strode through the ops center. She was headed straight for her room, ready to pass out the second her head hit the pillow, but she stopped abruptly to pick up a stele that she had almost stepped on. She recognized it as one of the spares that they kept in the Institute in case there was ever an emergency and someone was separated from theirs. She wouldn’t be surprised for a second if either Jace or Clary needed it because they had gone on another unsanctioned mission and dropped theirs. She went to set it on the table that it had fallen from, a yawn escaping her mouth, when she heard a peal of laughter coming from the training room. It was beautifully familiar, and it made warmth spill in her chest.
The door was open when she approached, and a large smile spread across her lips as she was greeted with the sight of Magnus and Alec. Their knees were bent in defensive stances as they faced each other, but they both wore wide grins, their eyes not leaving each other’s faces. Magnus was dressed much more casually than Isabelle had ever seen before, his all black outfit clearly catching her brother’s attention as his arms were on full display. She was sure that he had seen Magnus like that a million times by then, but it was still amusing to see the interest shining in his gaze.
For most of their lives it was as though there was a thick pane of glass separating Alec from the rest of the world. He was visible, there for everyone to see, but the second someone tried to reach out to him they were stopped by an impenetrable force. If anyone even tried to crack the glass he deflected them, yet somehow it only took Magnus a few weeks to blast right through that barrier like it was nothing. It was miraculous, something that Isabelle had never expected to see. She was grateful to Magnus for so many reasons, but that was the one that gave her the most joy.
She had reached a point where she was terrified that Alec would never see just how much he deserved. He had always underestimated his value, ignored his own thoughts and impulses and hid behind Clave rules and their parents’ wishes, and it was slowly killing him. He had been born with a wildfire behind his eyes, determination to do and be better surging through him with every breath he took, and every time he followed someone else’s orders and ignored what was in his heart it shrunk and became less vibrant. By the time Clary had come barreling into their lives it was close to being snuffed out completely, and Isabelle had been terrified that the red head was going to be the last straw for him, that he would never be the person he was meant to be.
It turned out that all Alec needed was a little bit of encouragement from someone who he hadn’t known all his life. She had tried for years to get him to listen, to convince him that he could have everything he wanted, but there was always a point in which her words just became background noise to him. He needed a new perspective, someone who didn’t know everything about him that could still see the pain and longing that he had inside of him. Magnus was that person, and he always would be. He got through to Alec in a way that no one ever could, not even his own parabatai.
A loud huff broke her out of her thoughts, and Isabelle watched as Magnus knocked her brother to the ground. He stood over Alec with a victorious smirk on his face, but it was wiped away a second later when Alec swept his leg behind Magnus’ knees and sent him toppling down beside him. They struggled for a few more minutes, but ultimately Magnus had Alec pinned, though neither of them seemed too focused on who won. Alec’s eyes were bright as he stared up at Magnus, completely unbothered by the fact that he was vulnerable, and it brought tears to Isabelle’s eyes. A few months ago she couldn’t imagine him ever smiling at someone so openly.
He was in love. It was clear as day, and it was breathtaking.
Alec craned his head up to whisper something in Magnus’ ear, eliciting another laugh out of both of them, and just as they leaned in to kiss she stepped away, not wanting to intrude on their moment any longer. She walked down the hallway slowly, a tiny smile still lifting the corners of her lips as she felt a wave of calm envelop her. Her family was moving forward, doing what was right for them, and it was such a sharp contrast to the environment she had grown up in. It was nice.
“Iz.” Her brother’s voice reached her from down the hall just as she was about to turn the doorknob and enter her room, and she turned to see him walking toward her quickly. He was still panting slightly, but he didn’t seem to be phased by it. She raised an eyebrow at him as he approached her, and his gaze softened as it met her own. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. She leaned her head against his chest- trying to ignore the fact that he was sweaty- and squeezed him back.
“Goodnight,” he murmured into her hair, and she pulled back to offer him a grin.
“Night, big brother,” she replied, leaning around him to wave at Magnus, who was lingering at the other end of the hall, and with one last smile she went into her room, shutting the door softly behind her. She fell asleep that night feeling safer than she had in months, and she could only hope that she would find half of the happiness that Alec did.
She deserved it. They both did.