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Jace grumbled, rolling over onto his side to check the time.
1:37 pm.
Fuck.
He supposed that was what a hangover would do to you. Sighing, Jace rolled his neck back onto his silk pillowcase. He winced at the knot in his right shoulder. His limbs ached, and his mouth tasted like death, if there was such a thing. He had spent the previous evening at the Hunter's Moon sharing far too many drinks with three, four, five different women? And after stumbling back to Magnus' loft, blackout drunk, at nearly three in the morning, the thought of personal hygiene had not even remotely occurred to him before he was throwing off his shoes and flopping right into bed.
This had become Jace's nightly routine. He told himself he was just fine to fill the ache in his chest with alcohol and a warm body or two in his bed, but he knew it wouldn't last. It wasn't what he wanted, and he was imposing on Magnus' space, Magnus' life, Alec's life. He didn't want to be a burden, but he felt so completely and utterly stuck. Back to the way things were.
He kicked himself for being so naive as to genuinely believe that things would finally be better. That for once, something good in his life would stay. But alas, he was wrong.
Gathering his bearings, Jace scrambled onto his feet and padded over to the adjoining bathroom to rinse the foul taste from his mouth. He finished up, taking a few sips of water from the sink's faucet and throwing on some clean clothes, before he exited the room, hoping to find some coffee in Magnus' kitchen.
He had barely stepped out of the doorframe when the thought got away from him, distracted by the faint voices he could hear coming from the living room. He assumed Magnus was meeting with a client, and he rounded the corner to see what he was up to. The sight that met him was not what he had been expecting.
Magnus was facing the window, a smile gracing his lips, laughing as he tried to escape the grasp of… of Alec. Alec, who had his arms wrapped around Magnus' shoulders from behind, whispering something into his ear that made the warlock gasp quietly.
Jace felt like he was intruding on a private moment, but he couldn't help but stare, engrossed in the scene before him. Alec had the biggest grin on his face, and he was acting all… giddy. Jace had never seen his brother in such a state, and he began to wonder when the change had occurred. When had Alec become so irrevocably carefree? So happy?
The Alec Jace had known throughout his life had been, more often than not, solemn. Alec was always drained. He rarely took a moment for himself. Just to breathe. To be. And every time he was given the opportunity to slow down, he would throw himself back into the chaos of the Institute and the Lightwoods. It was all he knew. He worked his ass off; Jace knew that. He knew how much pressure Alec was placed under, especially during the past few months, but Alec would never complain, and he would never ask for help. He was stubborn like that. He would keep to himself and put on a nice smile for Max and Izzy, but Jace saw through it. He could feel it. The constant stress looming over their bond that he could only describe as a foggy sense of hopelessness. He'd been so used to living with it that he hadn't even noticed the change, and the more he paid attention to it now, the more he could tell.
That feeling was gone.
He couldn't place his finger on when it had happened. But as he watched Alec now, he saw a side of him he'd never known before. An Alec not carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. An Alec that could laugh freely as he tumbled onto the couch with a partner.
Alec effectively sprawled his upper half across Magnus' chest, burying his head in his neck. He was kissing a line down Magnus' throat, taking involuntary giggling breaks as he went. Jace could hear them now.
"Alec I-" Alec took that moment to suck on a particularly sensitive pulse-point. "Alexander," Magnus scolded, but there was no real heat behind it. "I have a client who's going to be here in ten minutes, and I'm not nearly ready!"
Alec groaned and gently pushed off Magnus, a mischievous smile creeping onto his face. "Can't you magic yourself ready?" He whined. "Cause if you did," he leaned forward slightly, "I'd only need those ten minutes…"
His voice got quiet once more as he whispered into the warlock's ear. Jace couldn't make out what he said, but it made Magnus' eyes widen comically. Magnus closed them momentarily in thought, and Alec grinned, convinced he had gotten his way, but "No. Nope. After!" Magnus exclaimed abruptly. He leaned forward to quickly peck Alec on the lips, of whom looked highly unsatisfied with such levels of attention.
Magnus rose from the couch, and Jace felt it best to make his presence known. He stepped into the room and let out a small cough.
"Ah, the monster rises." Magnus teased as he strolled over to the kitchen to fill up a mug of hot water.
Jace chuckled.
"Long night?" Alec asked, standing up.
"Yeah, something like that." The blonde said a little sadly.
Alec looked puzzled. He gave Jace a sympathetic smile, pausing in thought.
Jace could tell he was about to start asking questions. He would poke around in typical Alec fashion, desperate to make Jace feel better. He would dig just that little bit deeper than Jace would be prepared to requite, and so he figured it best to just avoid the ordeal entirely, quickly cutting off the words on the tip of Alec's tongue.
"Jace—"
"What have you guys been up to?" He said, a bit too eagerly.
Alec's face fell into a slight frown, but he understood. They would revisit the subject later.
"Just… just some fun, I suppose." He blushed at that. "Magnus just has the one client today, and uh, no Institute duties for me on his free day. Not if Izzy has any say in it." Alec smiled fondly.
"And myself, of course." Magnus re-entered the living room, holding two mugs of tea. He handed one to Alec with a warm look.
"Thanks, Magnus."
"Mhmm," Magnus leaned forward to softly press his lips to Alec's, the smile never leaving his face. Alec's unoccupied hand curled around Magnus' side, as if by second nature. Jace half expected Alec to pull away or turn tense, but he practically melted into Magnus' embrace. Alec had always been profusely amiable and caring to those he loved, but this open and relaxed? No. Magnus had softened the man.
The warlock drew back slowly.
"Jace, tea, coffee?"
Magnus was being awfully nice to him. More than he deserved. As much as Jace tried to hide it, he suspected that Magnus too could sense his forlorn mood. Or perhaps it was just a consequence of Alec's confidence. The pair had known each other for mere months, but Jace knew that Magnus had quickly found his way beneath Alec's tough exterior, and anyone who had met Alec knew that this was no easy feat. Jace was glad. He was really glad. It was what Alec deserved, and more so, it was what he needed, what he had needed for a long time.
His earlier desire for coffee had dissipated, replaced by an ache for some fresh air. "Y' know, I'm…I'm all good. I think I'm just going to head out," he motioned backwards, "But thank you."
"Okay, well, we'll see you," Alec said with a smile.
"Yeah," Jace glanced between the two, kindly, before shuffling his feet and turning towards the door.
He left the loft a touch more content than when he had returned in the early hours of the morning. He found some peace in Alec's joy. And the warm feeling in his chest, a definite result of their bond, was enough to get him through the day.