All I Want For Christmas Is You - a Magnus/Alec fanfiction

Chapter 14 - December 14th - Alec

December 14th - Alec

"So," I say. "You got the fire message?"

After I contacted the Silent Brothers, I did the same for Izzy and Jace. We are all gathered in the library, waiting for the silent brother who's going to be carrying out the ceremony to arrive. It's not quite as cold today, and the institute no longer feels like a walk-in freezer. Thank the angel.

"Yes," Jace says. "And I'm not sure why you couldn't have just texted."

"Ah, I...didn't think of that." I reply, honestly. I shrug and Jace laughs.

"Am I having my first rune today?" Toby asks.

"Yes," Izzy says. "The Silent Brothers will be here soon. You don't have too long to wait now."

"Are you excited?" Jace asks and Toby nods enthusiastically.

"So excited." He grins. "Like, really really excited."

Jace laughs. "That's what I like to hear. So, which rune are you having? Have you talked about it with Alec?"

"Voyance." Toby says. "I was going to have Mnemosyne so that I could remember all the information about the shadow world and make it easier later, but I wanted Voyance. And Alec says that's traditional rune to have first. And that you guys all had it first. So I'm having Voyance, like you."

"That's great." Jace says. "You'll come and show us when you've had it done? We'll leave you with Magnus and Alec while you have it done."

He nods. "Yeah, I'll come see you and Izzy as soon as I can. I promise."

"Thanks, Toby." Jace grins, ruffling his hair.

"Can you give us a minute?" I ask Izzy and Jace, and they nod, leaving us alone. Toby is really enthusiastic about this, and I obviously don't want to dampen that excitement, but it would be wrong for him to be underprepared. We talked for a long time last night about how the ceremony would go, but it doesn't seem like enough. I wish he could have grown up like me, seeing people have runes applied all the time, seeing what it was like before I had my own applied for the first time. Toby's a lot more vulnerable, simply because everything is new to him.

Magnus and I sit down on the sofa in the library.

"Come here." Magnus says, making space for Toby between us.

"Toby, there are a few things you need to know before the ceremony." I explain.

"Like what?" He asks.

"Like, it will hurt. I'm not going to lie to you Toby, it'll probably hurt a lot." I tell him.

His eyes widen in alarm and Magnus cuts in.

"But its nothing that you can't handle, or we wouldn't have let you go through with this."

"Yeah, yeah. Of course." I assure him. "But even though it will hurt, you can't cry out. Shadowhunters don't. You need to be really brave."

Damn. Why did I have to freak him out? Magnus naturally counters me with reassurances, but it still annoys me I couldn't have been a little less blunt. Magnus is a natural at this. I'm...not. But I can try my best. I just want to do the best I can by Toby.

Toby looks apprehensive at our words, but nods.

"It's okay, Toby." Magnus says. "Don't worry."

Then I think of something. "And Toby, it's okay if you don't want this." I say gently. "We won't make you go through with this if you don't want to. You can do this later, or not at all. We're not going to...abandon you because you don't want this. We're here for you, no matter what. Nephilim or not, we're sticking by you as long as you need us. I know you're enthusiastic about this, but changing your mind doesn't make you a coward. But if you want to be a shadowhunter, we need to have this ceremony. Okay?"