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Magnus knows Jace Herondale, and that isn’t a particularly good thing. Mostly from social encounters, with Jace managing to get invites to a few parties and clubs that Magnus frequents from the Downworlder girls he so often flirts with, being around Jace usually leaves Magnus rolling his eyes and walking away.
The problem with Jace is that he’s cocky. Not confident, but the sort of arrogance of someone who probably doesn’t deserve to actually be arrogant, but forces the persona until it sticks. Magnus doesn’t know why, but it rubs him the wrong way.
So when Magnus is told that he’ll be working on a council with Jace Herondale, he isn’t thrilled. In fact, he nearly declines the offer altogether, and it’s only Raphael and Meliorn’s involvement that keeps him.
When the four of them meet up for the first time Magnus’ expectations are lower than the basement-level floor below their feet.
It isn’t half as bad as Magnus expects. In fact, Jace only thoroughly annoys Magnus once, doubling down on some ridiculous Nephilim-propagated opinion with that arrogance Magnus hates in him so much. But now, in this setting, Magnus recognizes it as a defense mechanism.
“Hey Jace,” Magnus says after their discussion. “A little professional advice? When someone calls you out on being a dick? Don’t be an even bigger one in response.”
He expects it to ruffle Jace’s feathers a bit, but Jace doesn’t say anything in response. He doesn’t even meet Magnus’ eyes before turning and walking away.
Magnus doesn’t expect anything to change, but at least now he can say he tried.
Except, during their next meeting when a similar situation arises and Jace begins to defend himself again, he stops, takes a deep breath, and pauses.
“Okay, so explain it to me,” Jace says instead of arguing. Magnus, after recovering from actual shock, does explain. And Jace listens.
Maybe Magnus didn’t give him enough credit before.
Magnus isn’t sure when his crush actually starts. Over the next few weeks, he gets to see a side of Jace he never imagined possible. Jace is someone who cares about his people, sometimes to a fault, but who is willing to learn and be better about it. He changes his opinions the more he learns, and doesn’t hesitate to defend the Downworlders to the Clave. On top of all that, once he gets to know them a little better, Jace lightens up and actually has a personality - and a sense of humor to boot.
Magnus does a spectacular job of working with Jace and the rest of the group as if his entire world isn’t being turned on its head by the revelation that he’s falling for a Shadowhunter.
Raphael knows him better than most, though, and is the first to call him out after a meeting.
“You do know there are four of us at the table, right? You don’t have to make heart-eyes at the Shadowhunter the entire time.”
“I am not,” Magnus defends, but the look on Raphael’s face tells him that it might be more obvious than he thinks. “Am I? Shit.”
A week later Magnus throws a party that Jace doesn’t have to sneak an invite to because Magnus invites him personally. If Jace looks flustered when Magnus hands him the invitation, he writes it off as simple surprise.
“I didn’t realize you actually like him,” Raphael says after Jace is a safe distance away.
“I don’t,” Magnus insists.
“MMhmm,” Raphael says. “You wouldn’t risk voluntarily inviting a Shadowhunter to one of your parties if you didn’t actually like him.”
Magnus doesn’t dignify that with a response, even though they both know Raphael’s right.
The night of the party arrives and Magnus has to admit that yeah, okay, maybe he does like Jace. And maybe he’s considering putting a feeler or two out about it during this party… until he actually finds Jace there.
Jace stands with a pretty Seelie girl on either side of him, rambling off some story that makes him sound like a hero, with all that unfortunately conceited preening that Magnus always hated about him so much. It’s like all those weeks of getting to know Jace vanished the second he stepped foot into this party.
“Nice to see you could make it,” Magnus says, sidling up next to him.
“Well, it’s about time you started actually inviting me to liven up these parties.”
“Is that so?” Magnus asks, eyebrow raised.
“Of course. Everything’s better when I’m around,” Jace says with a wink.
Magnus turns and walks away without another word. He doesn’t talk to Jace the rest of the night, or in the days leading up to their next meeting. Even then he does his best to address Jace as infrequently as possible.
When the meeting is over Jace corners him before he can make his escape.
“What’s up with you?” Jace asks, brow raised.
“Nothing. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere to be,” Magnus says, stepping around Jace. For a second he thinks that Jace is going to let him go, but then he hears his name.
“Magnus, wait.”
Magnus has half a mind to keep walking, but there’s something in the uncertainty of Jace’s tone that stops him.
“Why aren’t you talking to me?” Jace asks. It looks like it physically pains him to ask, to voice this obvious vulnerability. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Does it matter? I’m sure you can just go liven up someone else’s party and make a new friend,” Magnus replies.
“You know I didn’t mean that - you parties are great! They always are!” Jace insists.
“It isn’t about what you said,” Magnus admits. “It’s how you said it. And how you were that whole party.”
“How was I?”
“Like the way you used to be before I got to know you. Or at least, thought I got to know you better.” Magnus wishes he didn’t sound so sad to admit that, the disappointment shining through his every word.
“You did get to know me better. Really. I guess I’m just so used to being that way in front of other people…” Jace shrugs, his eyes daring to his feet before slowly rising again to meet Magnus’. “Give me a second chance?”
“Why should I?” Magnus wonders aloud.
Jace spends a few seconds with some sort of internal struggle written all over his face before he speaks again in a rush, as if forcing the words out. “Because I like you. And I didn’t mean to fuck it up already.”
Well, here’s Magnus’ answer to wondering if there are any feelings on Jace’s end of things.
“You don’t have to put on an act. Just be you. But the actual you, and not that asshole everyone expects you to be. Think you can do that?” Magnus asks.
“Absolutely,” Jace agrees immediately.
“Then you get one more chance. Impress me by not trying to impress me, Herondale.”
Jace laughs at that, relieved. “I think I can manage that. Maybe over dinner? We can even go dutch so I don’t look like I’m trying too hard.”
Magnus rolls his eyes, but not in the annoyed way he always used to - now it’s an act done with reluctantly amused fondness.
“Lead the way,” Magnus agrees, curious to see where this new beginning might take him.
Magnus catches Raphael’s eyes on the way out with Jace and knows he’s absolutely never going to hear the end of this - all he can do now is hope it’s worth it.