"You know, if you wore a color that wasn't black- it'd look good on you?-" Alec teased me as we walked into his room, setting down the multiple bags of items we had bought.

"I wear other colors-" I lightly shrug and set down my bags, "Like- red-"

"I meant colors like green, or- orange-" Alec grabbed my face and pecked his lips into mine, "You know- there's other colors besides blue, black and red?-"

"Green- orange?" My hands moved to his collar, giggling quietly, sticking my tongue out, "Bleh-"

"I thought you might say that-" Alec picked up a bag, slipping it onto my wrist, "That's why I bought the ones you put back-"

"The ones you liked and I didn't?" I looked into the bag, my eyes landing on the two tops that I had put back at the store because I never wore burnt orange or forest green, "Alec-"

"Wear them for me-" Alec kisses my forehead, then turned his back to me and looked through the bags, "They're really good colors on you-"

I stare at the shirts, looking between him and the bag, "Thank you-"

"We should train sometime-" I suddenly spoke, and set the bag down, "I could use a sparring partner-"

Alec looks at me, "Isn't that all you do?"

"Yeah, but- now, Jace was benched- he's staying at Magnus', he hasn't been at the Institute- so there goes my partner-" I reached over and poke his side playfully, "And something tells me, we'll have a lot more fun-"

"Oh, really?-" Alec eyes me for a second, then kissed my temple, making me lightly smile, turning his back to me again as I began looking at the items I had gotten.

"Hey-" Alec speaking again caught my attention, causing me to turn my head and look at him, as he held a small bag in his hand, "I got you something."

"Me?-" I slowly turned.

"Yes, you." Alec set the bag in my palm, his expression looking slightly anxious, but lighthearted, "Open it."

I stammer, "But, the shirts-"

Alec shushed next and repeated himself, "Open it-"

I looked between him and the bag, then slowly pulled out the box that rested in the bag, setting the bag down and opening the box, revealing a gold neck, with a small heart resting as the pedant in the middle.

I swallowed, "Alec-"

"I thought you'd look pretty in it." Alec slowly came behind me, resting his hands on my shoulders, "You only own one piece of jewelry anyway-"

"You bought this for me?-" I was stammering at the sight of the necklace as I placed it in my palm and held it delicately, my eyes glued to the small heart, "Alec-"

"I'm not taking it back." Alec immediately said, pushing my hair out of the way, taking the necklace from me and clipping it around my neck, "See? It looks gorgeous on you-"

"Nobody's-" I touched the small heart and slowly turned to face him, very clearly affected by his gesture, "-actually bought me something before- especially something like this-"

Alec doesn't reply, and only grabs my face, lightly pressing his lips into mine for a few seconds.

"You continue to surprise me-" My heart raced, remaining that speed when we slowly parted, my eyes glued to his, "Thank you-"

Alec's voice was low, "In good ways, I hope."

"Always in good ways." I grabbed his face and pressed my lips into his, not wanting to be apart from him.

-

Kaelie's giggles made me roll my eyes when Alec and I walked through Magnus' living room after getting an alert from the Institute.

I crossed my arms and looked toward Magnus, "How's your new roommate treating you?"

Magnus shot me a look, his eyes darting to the door they were behind, Kaelie's giggles and Jace's laughter muffled.

Alec huffs lightly when he and I slowly made our way towards the room, Kaelie seated right on top of Jace, her bare back to us when we opened the door quietly, "And this one?"

Jace smirked, "Stamina."

"Oh, I like the sound of that-" Kaelie teased, as Jace grabbed her and flipped them over, pressing his lips into hers again, her soft giggles filling the room.

I roll my eyes, grabbing the nearest pillow and hitting Jace in the head with it, "Alright, enough-"

Alec stood with his side to them, his gaze at the wall, clearing his throat, "We have orders."

I ruffled Jace's hair as a small apology for hitting him in the head, "Let's go."

Jace sighed dramatically, and looked at me, giving me a straight smile, "I'm a little tied up."

I glare at him, as Kaelie grabbed Jace's face and made him look toward her, "Not yet, you're not-"

I looked back at Alec, scanning the side of his face, "Do I permission to hit her too?-"

Alec lightly shakes his head, his eyes locking with mine, a small smile playing at his lips.

Jace sat up, as Kaelie covered her chest with her arm, eyeing Alec like he was a piece of candy, smirking lightly, "You're welcome to join us."

I blinked, gaping at her.

Alec denied, looking back at the wall, not even glancing at her, "I have a girlfriend."

Kaelie's smirk grew wider, "And where is she?"

I scoffed lightly, tossing the pillow aside, placing a hand on my hip and tilting my head towards her, "You're looking at her."

Kaelie swallowed hard when she had realized, sitting up fully, shrugging toward Alec, "Your loss."

I stepped closer, my voice lowering, staring at her dead in the eye, "His only loss is that he hasn't gotten me in bed yet-"

Kaelie shot me a sour look, then slowly got up and walked out of the room, as I called out after her, "Yeah, find your way out while you're at it!-"

Alec placed a hand on my lower back and kissed my temple, then looked at Jace with a look of complete disapproval.

"This is your solution?" I crossed my arms, staring at Jace, "Hiding out at Magnus' and screwing that bitch?-"

"I wouldn't exactly call this hiding." Jace glared when he caught his jeans that Alec had thrown at him.

Alec stares, "We have obligations."

"Obligations." Jace repeated and put his jeans back on, "Aldertree wanted me gone and I'm gone."

"So- you got demoted." Alec tried to be there for his parabatai. "So what? You'll work your way back up."

Jace shook his head, "You don't understand."

"Then spit it out." I interjected, "How are we going to understand if you're not going to tell us? It can't be that bad, Jace-"

When Jace doesn't reply, Alec swallows hard, "So-you're just gonna turn your back on us? On Isabelle? Clary?-"

Jace stood up, "I told you I'm not discussing Clary-"

"Oh, shut up-" I snipped at him, rolling my eyes, "You wanted to screw your sister, big deal- get over it, you have to adapt to the fact that she's your family now-"

Jace snipped back, "I don't need a reminder."

"You know, you guys should go." Jace huffed, then snapped at the both of us, "We don't want you both getting benched, too."

"When you're done being a dick-" I stepped closer to him, my voice low, staring up at him with a hard look on my face, "Come find us."

I spun and started walking out of the room when I heard Alec's low voice, "This isn't you."

-

"Any idea what this is about?" Clary came to my side when Alec and I walked through the Institute.

"Heard a big storm's moving in." Alec replies to her shortly, "Always increases demon activity."

Clary swallows, "And Jace is-"

I abruptly said, "Not here."

"He's totally shut me out." Clary exhales deeply, coming to a stop, "He's not answering my texts-"

I rolled my eyes, grabbing Alec's hand and forcing him to a stop as well, looking toward Clary, "Something tells me you're the last person he wants to talk to, redhead-"

Clary confided in us regardless, "I don't understand what's going on."

"Me neither." Alec swallows, then pulled me along, "Come on-"

"What did we miss?" Alec asked when him, Clary and I made our way over to Isabelle.

"Let's see." Isabelle sighed and touched the screen, "The Citadel was breached, Magdalena is dead, Cleophas is missing."

"Oh, my God." Clary gasped lightly at what she had heard, then sighed, "Valentine?"

"I don't know, Clary-" I used her name this time, looking toward her in fake curiosity, "Is there another murderous, barbaric psychopath plotting mass genocide in our city?-"

Isabelle swallows hard, "Aldertree's heading to Idris to meet with the Council-"

"I'll go check with ops." Alec pressed a kiss to my head before walking away from us.

My eyes were glued to Isabelle, taking a step closer to her, my voice lowering, "Are you alright?"

Isabelle looked at me quick, "I'm fine-"

"Are you- sure?" I stared at her suspiciously, "There's something off, I can feel it-"

Isabelle shook her head, placing a hand on my shoulder, "I'll be fine, don't worry about me-"

-

[ alec's pov ]

"Where have you been?" I spotted Isabelle, walking towards in through the Ops Center later that day, "Had to slaughter a horde of Shax demons in Grand Central, could've used your company-"

"Just my company?" Isabelle quickly shut what she was looking at before I walked over, then turned to face me, "Not my help?-"

"I'd say could've used your help, but- Zee," I was swooning, smiling to myself as I leaned against the small pillar between us, "God, that woman is amazing-"

Isabelle stared at me, a small smile beginning to form on her lips as she watched me talk.

"I mean- she's literally a one woman army-" I began rambling, "She can do anything- and she's so pretty- you should've seen her when we were at Magnus' today- she has a snarky comeback for- everything-"

"I like this side of you." Isabelle cut in before I could go any further, "You're so in love with her-"

"You have no idea-" I groaned lightly, leaning my forehead against my arm for a second, before lifting my head up and looking at her, "What were you doing?"

"Uh, Aldertree has me on a special assignment." Isabelle swallows, "I'm checking out some rogue vamp dens."

My eyes scanned his face, "Are you okay?"

Isabelle quickly replies, "Yeah, I'm fine."

I was suspicious, "You don't seem fine."

"I'm tired." Isabelle sighs quietly, then changes the subject, "Yeah- um, your message said you wanted to talk, do you have a lead on Cleophas?"

"No." I shook my head, "Not yet."

Isabelle stares, "Then what is it?"

"It's about Zee." I slowly trailed off.

A smile began forming on her lips once more at the mention, "More about her?-"

"There's always more-" I exhale deeply, feeling slightly nervous, "Look, um- how do you know, in your experience, you know, when's the, uh- the right time?"

Isabelle's eyes widened so quickly, "Oh, my God, are you talking about having sex?"

I was quick to shush her, looking around to make sure no one heard, "Can you not discuss my sex life with the entire Institute, please?"

"Alec- is this your first time ever?" Isabelle was piecing it together quickly, "It all makes sense now-"

"That's why you didn't want me to meet Jessica Hawkblue." Isabelle pointed, then her face dropped, "Wait, was there ever a Jessica Hawkblue?-"

I stare at her, "Are you done?"

"Okay." Isabelle exhales, beginning to actually give me advice, "You and Zee- you want to?"

"I think so." I huffed, "I don't know."

"Alec, you care about Zee- and she cares about you." Isabelle told me, "It's okay- just don't do what you always do."

My eyebrows furrow, "And what's that?"

"Overthink it." Isabelle called me out, then points right at me, "Like you're doing now."

"No, I don't overthink things." I shook my head and stammered, "Do I?-"

Isabelle folds her hands, "Look, if it's what you want, if it makes you happy then go for it."

-

[ zee's pov ]

Alec walks into his room, where I stood holding his bow after coming back from the training room, looking anxious, closing the door behind him quickly, "Hey-"

"Hi-" I stared at him suspiciously, looking down at the bow and held it out towards him, "Oh, sorry- I borrowed it so I could practice a little- I just came to put it back-"

"Are you busy for the rest of the night?-" Alec looked the door and pulled off his leather jacket, tossing it to the side, "Any missions, duties- anything?"

"No?-" I set his bow down instead, running a hand through my hair, "Why?-"

Before I could finish my sentence, Alec had grabbed my face and pushed me into the wall, his lips pressed hard into mine.

I kissed back, my arms slowly wrapping around his middle, melting into the kiss, before slowly pulling back, looking between his eyes.

Alec leaned his forehead against mine, "What?-"

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly due to how close we were, "You're being abrupt-"

Alec swallowed hard, his anxiousness returning, "I- I just thought you know, I thought we could take the next step."

"The sex step?-" I already knew, looking up at him.

"Yeah." Alec lightly said, his head now straight, looking down at me, his hands still holding my face.

"Alec-" I was suddenly concerned, "What I said at Magnus' place, when we saw Jace- I didn't mean for it- to pressure you into that- you don't have to-"

"You didn't pressure me- not at all." Alec lightly shook his head, then worry began shining in his eyes, "Wait- do you not want to?"

"No-" I shook my head, then quickly spoke to correct myself, "I mean- yes, of course I want to-"

Alec stares at me, as I pinched the bridge of my nose lightly, "I just- I mean- are you sure you really want to? I don't want you to feel vulnerable- or-"

"Zee, you have nothing to worry about." Alec back down and closer, his lips brushing against mine gently, "I want this- god, I want you-"

His words had locked me into him, as I grabbed his collar and connected our lips again, his hand slipping down to my leg and hooking it around his waist, pressing himself up against me.

-

The sunlight shone on my eyelids, making me squint the moment I opened my eyes, feeling nothing but warm on my bare body.

Flashbacks filled my mind, making a small smile form on my lips when I felt Alec holding me from behind, my eyes noticing his bare arms and the chest hugging to my chest.

I slowly turned in his grip, looking at him, noticing he was already awake and watching me, his deep, raspy voice filling my ears, "Good morning-"

"Morning-" I moved up his hold, holding the sheet to my chest and leaned my elbow against the bed to prop myself up, grabbing his face with my free hand, pressing my lips into his for a few seconds.

"Oh man, what time is it?" Alec said the moment we pulled away, reaching his arm out to grab his phone and look at the time, "I have duties-"

I blinked, caught off guard, starting to slowly get off of him so he could get up, "Oh?-"

"No, I'm just kidding-" Alec set his phone down and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me back into him, a smile stretched on his lips, a soft laugh leaving them, "I'm just kidding-"

I scrunch my nose and ruffled his hair in response.

Alec's innocent voice sounded, his eyes glued to mine, "Were you really afraid I was gonna go?-"

I played it off cool, "No way-"

Alec's tone suddenly went quiet and serious when I laid my head on his shoulder, "What are you afraid of?-"

I drew shapes on his chest, "Clary Fairchild-"

"Oh, come on, Zee-" Alec replied to my remark quick, "I'm serious, you've been through so much- forgetting who you were- losing your mother- being manipulated by your father- what scares you?"

I stayed silent for a few moments.

There was one thing that came to mind.

And only one thing.

My voice was low as I replied, "Weakness."

authors note:

alec and zee going on dates >>

alec giving zee the necklace >>

alec spoiling zee >>

i'm so soft for them, fr

thank you for 14k !

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