A Malec Story

Chapter 24: Sixteenth meet - Alec's birthday

Sixteenth meet - Alec's birthday

A/N: This chapter has explicit sexual content, because it's time, high time!

The buzzer rang. Magnus pressed the button to let him enter, speechless for a moment because he had wanted Alec there, so badly, and here he was. It felt more like magic than anything he could do.

- The Bane Chronicles, What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who has Everything, p. 338

Alec

It had been a fine birthday, just fine. Like any other birthday. With presents in the morning and his mom cooking his favorite dish for dinner. It felt good to be eighteen. To be an adult, officially. Part of the Clave. A Shadowhunter. Starting today Alec would draw a salary from the Clave. He could move out of his parents house if he wanted. Live on his own. Or travel to other Institute's in the world. He didn't want any of that, but it was nice to know he had options. It was a fine birthday, just fine, but not good enough. Alec had a nagging feeling all day, that he wanted to be somewhere else. In a loft in Brooklyn, to be exact.

They had noodles for dinner. Alec requested it because he knew Max liked it. Max had been ecstatic about it, but, as usual, more focused on Jace than on him. He was a typical older brother for Max, telling him to clean his room and study for his Rune test. But Jace... Max adored Jace. It had been like that since Jace had moved in with them when he was ten. Alec was okay with it, he was used to Jace getting all the attention. Used to looking at Jace himself as well, without Jace really looking back, really seeing him. Jace was too preoccupied with his own problems to see any of Alec's.

Alec knew it was like that between them, but today he felt himself think of Magnus a lot. Magnus, who did look at him, who did see him. He still didn't understand why the warlock saw him, why he wanted to be with him. And it wasn't that Magnus was actually saying he wanted to be with him. But on some level Alec could sense it. Today more than ever. As if he heard a siren call from Magnus. It was crazy, Alec told himself. The warlock would probably be working and not expecting him. He was sure Magnus didn't know it was his birthday today. He had told him, but that was two weeks ago and a lot had happened in between. Magnus would have probably forgotten by now. And yet, Alec felt a strong urge to go and see him. To be with him. And why not? It was his birthday after all, he should do what he wanted on it.

After dinner Izzy suggested going out for drinks. Jace was all for it and Alec decided it was as good an idea as any. Dumping Jace and Izzy in a bar was easier than having to come up with some lame excuse why he was leaving the Institute on his own birthday. After one drink, Izzy had thrown herself into the thick of people on the dance floor. Jace was staring into his glass moodily. Normally he would try to hit on a girl on nights like these, but he didn't seem into that anymore. Not since Clary came along.

Alec felt flustered, balancing on the edge of the bar stool, trying to find a way to get up and leave. He didn't know how to answer questions Jace might ask about where he was going. But he wanted to see Magnus, instead of spending an evening with a morose Jace who was barely talking.

He took the last sip out of his glass and decided to plainly tell Jace he was leaving. Jace nodded and kept staring into his glass. Alec wasn't even sure if he had heard him. He sighed and turned around, but just has he was walking away he felt Jace's hand on his upper arm.

"Hey Alec," Jace said, and Alec turned to him, surprised. "Happy birthday, man." Jace gave him a hug and shooed him away. "Now, go." He grinned widely, making Alec's heart jump.

Alec couldn't help it, he still had feelings for his parabatai. Although lately, he did find he was thinking less and less about him in that way. Instead he found he was mostly worried for him. Jace seemed to be constantly suicidal. It hurt, honestly. Because evidently he, Alec, wasn't an important enough reason for Jace to take care of himself.