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Simon was starting to slowly understand just why other Downworlders disliked Shadowhunters so much. He didn't really see how Clary had thought it would be a good idea to wake Simon up at two in the afternoon (night, for him), make him walk all the way over to the Institute, and then tell him he could've just walked ten meters over to Raphael's room since they didn't actually need him, just Raphael.
Well, actually, he could've just rolled over and elbowed Raphael in his side, but that was beside the point. No one knew that Simon was spending his days sleeping next to the recently crowned clan leader, anyway.
Clary defended herself by saying she missed seeing Simon, and besides, their mission was "intriguing, so I thought you might want to take part." Simon was skeptical. And tired. He missed caffeine.
It wasn't as though they really needed Raphael for anything either, in Simon's opinion. They could've simply looked the information up from books, or even the internet as he had suggested. But as it was, apparently Raphael had some important, secret knowledge that was vital for the success of their mission, and therefore Simon had been called in to be a negotiator. Which, in this case, translated into 'call Raphael and get him here, Simon, you're the only one of us who has his number'. This was the part where Simon begun to shake his head in protest.
"Listen, guys," he started. "I don't think you realize what kind of schedules vampires keep." Everyone present - Clary, Jace, Izzy and Alec - looked at him with confusion.
"What do you mean?" Jace asked, frowning more than usual.
Simon gulped. "I mean, it's, what, three o'clock? Raphael's sleeping." Or at least had been when Simon had sneaked out of the bed. "Or, you know, probably is. I wouldn't know, personally, but it's an educated guess."
Izzy looked at him with raised brows. Simon was seriously starting to think that his rambling was becoming a problem. Fortunately, Clary saved him from further embarrassment.
"But can't you try calling him, anyway? He sort of likes you, right, so he most likely won't be more than just a bit pissed off?"
Simon sighed. He loved Clary, he really did, but sometimes he wondered how much easier his life'd be if he'd never been friends with her. Which was a treacherous thing to even casually think about, but he couldn't help it. Instead of calling up nearly comatose vampires, he could've been playing on his PlayStation.
"I- okay. I can try. But I can't promise he'll wake up, much less willingly help you guys if he does." Which was understatement of the year, because unless it had to do with Simon's well being, Raphael was the least helpful person he knew. Kind of sweet, really. Simon shook his head. Time and place.
He fished his phone out of his pocket, dialing Raphael's number as the Shadowhunters watched him. Simon frowned. "Why can't you have Alec call his boyfriend, by the way? I'm sure Magnus knows a lot of things, too," he asked as he waited for Raphael to pick up.
Alec blushed crimson red. "He's not my-" he started to say, at the same time as Isabelle said,"We need specific vampire related knowledge."
Simon nodded slowly, taking sympathy in Alec who was now awkwardly shuffling his feet and adamantly staring at the floor.
The line clicked, finally, and Simon was honestly surprised Raphael even bothered to answer. "Hey," he said.
"Why aren't you in my bed?" Raphael asked in a husky voice. Simon thanked every deity in the world that he couldn't blush, because otherwise he would've been even darker red than Alec right now.
"Um," he tried, painfully aware of his friends still watching him, "Something came up. I sort of need a favor."
He could hear the ruffling of the sheets as Raphael, presumably, sat up. "What is it? Are you alright?"
Simon would've been touched by his concern, had this been literally any other time ever. "No, I'm fine," he reassured him, and watched as Jace snorted. Fucking Jace. "It's just that, I'm at the Institute."
There was a pause at the other end of the line. Then, "Let me guess," Raphael muttered darkly. "The Nephilims need me for something."
Simon smiled nervously, even though Raphael couldn't see him. "That'd be it," he said and, to his credit, tried to sound apologetic.
There was inaudible mumbling and a muffled crash, followed by a string of Spanish swear words. "What was that?" Simon asked, concerned. "Are you- did something break?"
Silence.
"No," Raphael said, sounding more awake than a few seconds ago. "I just. Well. I might've dropped something, but it's not important. Listen, tell those friends of yours I'll be there, but this is the last time I'm doing anything for those ungrateful bastards, and only because you asked, alright? Te amo." Raphael hung up, leaving Simon to stare at his phone for a long while with a confused expression.
"Well?" Clary prompted, waving her hand in front of Simon's face. "Earth to Simon, hello?"
He snapped out of it, blinking. "Yeah, uh, he says he'll be here in a few and is more than happy to help," Simon lied brightly. Admittedly his Spanish was rusty, but he was pretty sure Raphael just told him he loved him. This came as a less of a shock to Simon as he would've thought.
"Right," Jace said, interrupting Simon's thoughts. "So now we just wait, right?"
"Yep," said Clary, standing up. "Anyone want any coffee or tea?"
It took Raphael half an hour to show up, and Simon strongly suspected that was only because he'd spent fifteen minutes doing his hair and eyebrows, and the next ten deciding on what to wear. Which paid off, needless to say. Simon felt under dressed in his Star Trek shirt as Raphael sat down next to him on the couch, wearing a ridiculously expensive looking dark blue shirt with a black waistcoat.
Jace looked at him up and down. "You didn't need to dress up, dude," he said. Simon simultaneously admired him and feared for Jace's life for calling a seventy-something year old vampire dude. Raphael seemed too tired to care, however.
"Simon called, I am here. Now what could you possibly need from me?" He asked, throwing one arm over Simon's shoulder and pulling him closer. Simon froze.
"Um," he turned to whisper directly into Raphael's ear. "I've mentioned this before, but they still don't know. About us. Jace probably thinks you hate me."
Raphael seemed taken aback. "Dios mio, you still haven't said a word?"
Jace looked impatient. "What's the matter?"
Alec, seemingly sensing the impending awkwardness, quietly slipped away from the room.
"Nothing's the matter, Nephilim," Raphael said. "I just thought Simon would have told you all about our relationship already."
Simon wanted the Earth to swallow him whole, or optionally for him to combust into pieces, as he slid down lower on the couch. "You didn't have to be so straight forward about it," he mumbled. Raphael smiled smugly.
"Wait," said Clary. "You two are..."
Simon deemed the situation already catastrophic enough for it to be able to get worse. "Yeah," he confirmed Clary's unfinished question. "Involved, dating, seeing each other, in love, the whole bunch."
He paused. "Well, no, you told me you loved me," Simon continued and poked Raphael in the chest to emphasize who he was talking about. "I never returned the sentiment. Yet."
Raphael gave him an unimpressed look. "Are you planning on returning it, then?" He asked, his eyes softening.
Simon shrugged. "Sure. I love you too."
Izzy looked at them both with amazement. "That," she said, "was officially the lamest love confession I've ever heard."
Simon huffed. "What, would you have wanted me to tell you about all the specific things I love about him? Because I'm doing that later. In private. Not while we're having a moment in front of you people."
Jace looked vaguely disgusted. "Didn't need to hear that."
Clary, who seemed to be taking the news in a stride, sat down on the chair next to Jace with a cup of tea. "Right, well, now that that's settled," she said. "We did actually need you for something."
Raphael rolled his eyes. Simon found it endearing. Simon realized how very, truly fucked he was. But he didn't mind all that much, really.
Later, Simon found out that the crash he had heard before had been the alarm clock Simon had bought as a joke, which had been thrown against the wall. He didn't dare to wake Raphael too early up after that.