Sisters can be annoying.

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The New York Institute had always been a pretty accepting school. There was little discrimination on any front, as many students came from less than favourable backgrounds or had other issues outside of the school. There had never been a bullying problem either, as the students related well to one another.

Now, there are the times when the staff wished the school was more normal. One of those times included the year the student body spent trying to get the gym teacher and the history teacher together.

The gym teacher at the Institute was Alec Lightwood, a wiry guy no one would guess was a gym teacher upon first meeting. He was covered in odd tattoos, all black in colour and beautiful in design. Each tattoo had a special meaning to his family, yet he wouldn't tell the students what they were if asked.

Magnus Bane, the history teacher, was a whole other story. He was outgoing and flamboyant, everyone's favourite teacher. He made sure everyone understood what he was teaching, and he sometimes went off track and did makeup tutorials instead of actual history lessons.

Why any of the students found chemistry between them was beyond the pair. They were simply good friends, despite all of the nudging from the students.

Of course, there was also Izzy Lightwood, Alec's sister, that was trying to get them together. Izzy was the Institute's chemistry teacher, and she was damn good at her job. The students adored her, and she had been the one to start the 'shipping' movement when it came to her brother and Magnus. She thought they would be cute together, and she had convinced some of the students to help her get them together by the end of the year.

Izzy even managed to get some of the staff involved. Clary Fray, the art teacher, was her second-in-command on this mission, and Jace Lightwood, Izzy's brother and the math teacher, was in on it, however reluctantly. The former helped Izzy with her schemes, while the latter just did it to appease his sister. He did want to see their brother happy though, which was part of the reason he stuck around.

Around the holidays, at a staff party, Izzy had had the bright idea to string up some mistletoe around the room in hopes of cornering her brother and Magnus underneath it. She had Jace help her, seeing as he was taller than her, and they'd arrived early just for that purpose. They put up three little sprigs around the room, strategically placed for ease of access.

When everyone else started filtering in, they mostly avoided the mistletoe. They had been told beforehand what Izzy was planning, so they steered clear to help her achieve her goal of seeing her brother happy.

Alec and Magnus entered the room together, talking about something Izzy couldn't hear. She could tell that Alec was laughing though, evidenced by the broad smile on his face and the ways his blue eyes twinkled. He was laughing at something Magnus was saying, which was a good thing in Izzy's eyes.

About an hour into the party, Magnus had gotten up from the couch he and Alec had occupied to go get a cookie from the snack table. Alec ended up following him, hoping for some hot chocolate. They ended up right under a sprig of mistletoe, but neither realized until Izzy pointed above their heads with a knowing smirk.

Looking to where Izzy was pointing, Alec turned to glare at his sister. This was no doubt her doing, as he wasn't oblivious to her little scheme.

Magnus looked as well, but didn't immediately glare at Izzy. He simply grabbed his cookie and went back to the couch. Yes, he may have felt something for Alec, but Alec seemed too focused on keeping things platonic, and Magnus wouldn't push him or make him uncomfortable at a staff event.

When Magnus went to sit down, Alec finished pouring his hot chocolate and went back over to the couch, sitting down next to Magnus as if that hadn't just happened.

"My sister is weird," Alec muttered into his cocoa, earning a chuckle from Magnus.

"That she is, Alexander, that she is," he agreed. He broke off a piece of his shortbread cookie, dipping it in Alec's cocoa without warning before he ate it. Alec just rolled his eyes, lightly shoving Magnus' shoulder.

"Get your own cocoa," he teased, no anger in his voice.

"I'd rather not," Magnus grinned, doing it again just to annoy Alec.

"Idiot," Alec sighed dramatically, holding his cocoa out so Magnus could dip his cookie in it.

"Ah, but is that not just part of the appeal?" Magnus grinned, finishing his cookie.

Alec rolled his eyes, shoving Magnus' shoulder again. "Should we tell her?" he said quietly.

"I believe it is overdue," Magnus nodded. "But how?"

"I have an idea," Alec said, putting his cocoa on the table next to the couch.

"Are you going to share this idea, or am I to be left in the dark?" Magnus asked with an arched eyebrow.

Alec leaned over and whispered his idea in Magnus' ear, earning a grin from the history teacher.

"Brilliant," Magnus said when Alec pulled away, placing a hand on the gym teacher's knee.

Izzy was hanging around the edge of the room with Clary and Jace, trying to figure out a way to get Magnus and Alec alone to just talk about their feelings and shit. She had an eye on the pair as they sat on the couch, eyes narrowing when Alec leaned in to whisper something in Magnus' ear. What could Alec possibly have to tell Magnus that couldn't just be said normally?

Clary, meanwhile, was watching the pair from the eyes of an artist. They were physically appealing models, and she often did drawings of her friends for practice. She was memorizing the way they sat, Magnus' hand on Alec's knee and Alec's head leaning against Magnus'. It would make for an adorable Christmas card, that was for sure. She was also looking at them the way Izzy was: contemplative and curious. They were being more touchy than normal, and Alec had let Magnus dip his cookies in his cocoa. From from Izzy and Jace told her, Alec never shared cocoa with anyone, not even them.

Back over on the couch, Alec had his head leaning against Magnus', his cocoa cradled in his hands. Magnus' hand was still on his knee, and the two had fallen into a companionable silence. They were waiting, waiting for Izzy to either notice or come over. When she finally made a notion that Alec read as her noticing, Alec turned his head so he could kiss Magnus' cheek.

The action Izzy witnessed had her eyes widening. That wasn't normal Alec behaviour, not at all. He wasn't overly affectionate, at least not to Izzy's knowledge. She didn't react immediately, watching them to see what happened.

Alec pulled away from Magnus' cheek, Magnus moving his hand from Alec's knee.

"Think she saw?" Alec muttered softly.

"Think she did," Magnus nodded.

"Good," Alec muttered, wrapping his free arm around Magnus and taking a sip of his cocoa. Magnus adjusted himself so he was nestled closer to Alec's side, occasionally dipping more cookies in Alec's drink.

After a few minutes of just watching them interact, Izzy finally went over to them. They were being more annoying than usual, but the kind of annoying Izzy wanted them to be. If they weren't together, why were they playing it up like they were? To get her off their backs? The whole school knew they were both queer, so that wasn't a problem in the matter. Hell, most of the teaching staff was queer, Izzy included. It made shipping them so much easier when neither of them were straight.

Sitting on the edge of the table in front of the couch, Izzy cleared her throat to get their attention. "Something you'd like to tell me, big brother?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Alec looked up at his sister from behind his mug of cocoa, the grin on his face obscured by the gaudy porcelain. "Oh, nothing, Iz," he said casually, amusement lacing his voice.

"What about you, Bane? Anything you'd like to say?" Izzy said, switching tactics and going for Magnus. Magnus was an open book most of the time, and he usually answered questions honestly.

"Anything I'd like to say?" Magnus hummed from his spot at Alec's side. "No, can't say there is," he grinned.

Okay, now Izzy knew something was up. They were amused by her question, as if they were hiding something from her and they thought it was funny. She narrowed her eyes at the pair, thinking for a minute before those narrow eyes widened. "Wait," she muttered in realization. "You're already together, aren't you?"

Alec chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Took you long enough, Iz," he grinned.

Izzy let out a noise that was a mix of excitement and accusation. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, eyebrows creasing.

"It's funny, watching you try to set us up," Magnus supplied with a smirk.

"It's nice that you care, though," Alec added.

"How long?" Izzy asked, eyeing the two.

"Since New Year's," Alec grinned.

Izzy made that noise again, the excited, accusatory noise. "Almost a whole year?" she muttered. "And you didn't tell me until now? Oh big brother, I'm both angry and impressed."

Alec chuckled. "What can I say? I didn't want to ruin your fun."

"You're lucky I love you, Alec," Izzy teased. "Or I'd probably have to hurt your right now."

"Guess I am lucky then," Alec grinned.

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