Piano Days and Other Malec One-Shots

Christmas in July

AH/AU

Maybe Seattle was a beautiful town.

Alexander wouldn't know because he was trapped inside Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as a blizzard teared it's way through the port city.

He, along with his fellow holiday travelers, was trying to find a taxi, a hotel room, a rental car, anything to get him out of the city and back to New York.

But his flight from Tokyo had been the last one before the FAA had grounded all flights in the Pacific Northwest. Thus, he was the last in the lines that stretched and snaked around the airport.

Everyone wanted to be home for Christmas but by three on Christmas Eve, they had all realized that wasn't a reality.

Well, most of them.

Some people were still screaming at helpless gate attendants, demanding their problems be fixed. 

Alec just found a corner near a power outlet, and watched the snow fall onto the runway.

As his phone recharged, he enjoyed grown adults throw temper tantrums over their ruined holiday plans.

He had accepted his fate: he would be spend Christmas with thousands of strangers in an airport.

The ban was set to be lifted at 5 pm on Christmas, when the massive storm system would be far enough away for the planes to thaw out and the skies to clear again. Alec was more worried about losing his comfy corner in those 26 hours more than anything.

A little before five, his phone was fully charged again and the noise in the airport had settled to a dull roar.

He had twenty missed calls and thirty texts from the five members of his family.

Most of them were from his mother.

He dialed her number, bracing himself for her inevitable lecture.

After the 12 hour flight, he hadn't been interested in calling her to tell her his flight to New York had been cancelled. He would pay for it now.

"Alexander!"

"Hey, Mom," Alec sighed.

"Where are you?"

"Seattle--"

"Seattle? Why didn't you tell us your flight was cancelled?! Jace drove all the way to LaGuardia to pick you up!"

"I was busy," Alec lied. "Trying to get a hotel room. I'm on a wait list."

"Oh," she said. There was a sudden crash. "Max and Isabelle! Out of the kitchen!"

He could hear his siblings laughing.

"I'm sorry, dear-- Are you going to be home by tomorrow morning?"

"Probably not," Alec said.

"Well, we'll TimeFace you."

"FaceTime, Mom," Alec corrected. "And sure."

"Alright, well, we're thinking of you."

Alec nodded.

"I love you, dear."

"Love you too," Alec said. As his phone hung up, a call came in. "Um, hello?"

"Mr. Lightwood? This is the Regency Hotel. A room has become available but we're afraid you'll have to share. Is that okay?"

Alec looked around. He couldn't sleep here tonight; it was too loud and crowded. Plus, the second he stood up to get something to eat or go to the bathroom, he'd lose his corner and outlet, stuck to find a place on the wall with the rest of the latecomers.