Piano Days and Other Malec One-Shots

Jace and Clary

Panic surged through Alec, coming out of nowhere.

He'd been sleepless all night, worried about nothing, but still feeling like the world was falling in on him.

So he tossed and turned in bed for hours, until this one moment, when he sat straight up, pulling all of the covers off Magnus in the process.

"Alexander," Magnus mumbled, grasping for blankets that weren't there.

"Something's wrong," Alec declared.

"No. Everyone is fine--"

"Jace isn't fine," Alec said. He'd ran through every other scenario. It had to be Jace.

"Okay," Magnus said, rolling over and facing Alec. "Call the Institute."

Alec leaned over Magnus, grabbing his phone. Jace was #1 on his speed dial. As his fingers swiped the phone open, it started ringing.

"It's Jace--" Alec answered the call as Magnus practically rolled on top of him to hear the call. "Hey--"

"Clary's in labor-- I need you here."

"Why me?"

"Because I'm freaking out and Isabelle said if I freak out, Clary will freak out and-- Just get here, please."

"Jace, everything is going to be okay--"

"Alec, please just get here."

"Okay," Alec sighed, hanging up the phone. A part of him was just relieved that he'd solved the mystery.

"Are you leaving?" Magnus asked.

Alec nodded.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Magnus asked.

"I'll call you if I need you," Alec said, pressing a kiss to Magnus' forehead. "Go back to sleep."

Magnus sighed, allowing Alec to go.

..........

Alec could hear Clary's screams as he was coming down the hallway.

Jace was pacing outside.

"Why aren't you in there?" Alec asked.

"Because I'm freaking out!" Jace shouted.

"Don't yell," Alec said. "That doesn't help."

Jace took a few deep breaths and stopped pacing.

"Give me your arm," Alec said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a stele.

"What are you--"

Alec drew a calming rune, identical to the one he had drawn on himself on the way there to nullify his second-hand panic.

"You need to be in there," Alec said. "Your wife is in labor. She is in pain--"

"That's why I can't be in there--"

"Shut up," Alec ordered. "She will kill you if she doesn't see you. She needs your support. You've been by her side for all sorts of injuries. This is no different--"

"Are you saying giving birth is comparable to having--"

"Jace," Alec growled, opening the door to the infirmary. "Go."

Alec had no idea how labor worked but he was guessing Clary was on some sort of break because she wasn't screaming for the first time since he had arrived.

"Walk up to her, taking her hand, tell her she's doing well, and compliment the hell out of her," Alec whispered. Jace walked forward, almost mechanically.