WHERE WE COME ALIVE | SHADOWHUNTERS FF

FIVE

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Soft laughter bounced off the walls of the kitchen. Two different people enjoying the others' company without having to worry about demons, downworlders, or orders.

There was only the two of them, and the Chinese takeout that filled their bellies.

Lyra's laughter turned into stifled giggles as she tried to cover her mouth with the hand holding her chopsticks. She still sat on the counter where Jace had lifted her onto, her legs crossed while her other hand held a small entree of noodles.

She didn't want to wake the others with her loudness and she certainly hoped Hodge didn't come down to scold them for being up so late.

Across from her, Jace leaned on the ledge of the cabinets. His lopsided smile was wide as he tried to continue his story. But he couldn't help but laugh too, especially with how cute he thought it was that Lyra's nose crinkled and small squeaks escaped with every inhale.

"Alec, Izzy, and I tried like hell to sneak back in but Mom and Dad found us—Alec and Izzy were trying to lift me into the window. Gosh, the look on Mom's face when she saw us bringing mud into the study..." Jace shook his head as his laughter faded into a fond smile at the memory.

Lyra noticed the look on his face and she was happy to see that behind the bad boy facade, there was a man deep down who actually cared about his family so deeply.

He'd explained how the Lightwoods took him in at the age of ten, for reasons that he didn't go into. He was more than happy to share how he and Alec grew up to be more than brothers—parabatai— and even more so, how Izzy was the little sister than he never wanted. Robert was the father figure to teach him how to tie a tie. And Maryse was the mother figure who used to sing to him before bed when he was scared. He spoke of them highly, and from what she gathered, they really were his family.

It made her think back onto her own family, and she couldn't agree with the sentiment more. They meant everything to her.

Lyra snapped out of her reverie when she realized she was staring. Her eyes looking down to her cup just when Jace finally looked to her.

"You know, I've been raving on about me and my family, but you haven't said a thing about you. What's that about?" Jace asked, raising a brow. He set aside his empty cup of noodles and crossed his arms over his chest.

Lyra shrugged lightly. "There's not much to the Sommercrest family," She mumbled. When he gave her a look of yeah, right, she decided to continue. "My dad travels to Idris a lot on business, so he's always away. My mom runs the Institute there alongside him. And I have two siblings, Jack and Sera. Jack's only a few years younger than me, but he's obsessed with being the first Shadowhunter to kill demons with a lasso."

"An admirable goal," Jace teases, to which they both laugh.

"And last, there is Sera. She's only ten." Lyra smiled sadly, suddenly missing the little squirt. "With my parents always so busy, she clung to Jack and I. When I left, she was devastated, but my father was taking her to Idris for her studies anyway. I'd hoped she is doing well, she's quite the troublemaker..." She laughed softly to herself but her sadness poked through.