Chapter Text
Jace punched the punching bag harder, his thoughts drifting. His father never did anything without reason so when he had gotten a fire message yesterday from him that after being away for weeks, he was bringing a boy home with him, Jace had been puzzled.
Wayland was rarely home so Jace knew every inch of the isolated Wayland mansion and the nearby forests. He wanted to make his father proud, and he knew he had improved his fighting skills when he got punished less and less. However, he loved when Wayland was away, allowing him some peace.
With Wayland everything was a test; he had gifted him a pet falcon and then killed it to teach him about the dangers of love. What was the reason for this boy? What was the test? No matter what it was Jace was determined to prove to Wayland that he had learned his lesson.
The door to the training room opened. Jace stopped his training and tensed, his face carefully neutral. His father entered, a hand behind a boy’s back, guiding him inside with an impatient look.
Jace’s eyes went to the boy. He was older than him, a bit taller, but not as muscular. He had raven-colored hair, but it took a few moments for him to catch his eyes as the boy kept looking down. There was insecurity in his face and eyes, pain…worry. Jace winced inwardly. Everything his father would consider weak. He had expected his father to bring home a superman, someone who was everything his father wanted. That certainly didn’t seem to be the case. Jace’s eyes noticed the boy’s right cheek was slightly red and starting to swell, a small cut there. His eyes went to his father’s right hand when he stopped roughly guiding the boy with him. He had a ring on that hand….
“Father,” Jace said when they reached him, making sure none of his puzzlement showed.
“Jace,” Wayland acknowledged. “You are training; good.” He then waved at Alec who now stood at parade rest. Wayland frowned with displeasure as he added, “Your new friend here will need your guidance to live up to my standards.”
“I will train him,” Jace promised, noticing the boy stiffen, fighting pain at the rebuttal without success.
Jace’s father nodded approvingly. Then, almost as an afterthought he waved towards the boy as he introduced, “This is Alexander Lightwood.”
“Just Alec,” Alec said with a hesitant but inviting smile.
“Nice to meet you, Alec,” Jace said, shaking his hand, smiling back.
“Alexander,” his father began, emphasizing his full name in the same way Jace hated when he used his own full name, “will be living with us from now on.”
“He will?” Jace asked, surprised.
“Alexander’s mother was unique,” his father explained, his eyes shining in an odd way Jace didn’t understand.
Alec frowned as he asked confused, “Were you not my father’s parabatai?”
“Yes, but also your mother’s friend,” Wayland quickly corrected. “Hence why I offered to take you in after I heard of your parents’ tragic accident.”
“But not my brother or sister,” Alec pointed out, unable to hide his hurt and accusation at that fact.
Jace winced inwardly before his father’s hand connected with Alec’s cheek, expecting the hit. Despite the older boy’s meekness before, his siblings seemed to be a weak spot for him.
“You should be lucky I even took you in!” Wayland reminded him coldly.
Alec wiped blood from his split lip but seemed otherwise composed; he knew how to take a hit. Maybe his training so far hadn’t been as soft as Wayland had indicated.
“Yes, Sir,” Alec replied, his voice calm again.
“I hear the Blackthorns have taken them in. They will be fine. Weak but fine,” Wayland said condescendingly.
While Alec looked puzzled at that, Jace knew what his father meant. In his father’s opinion the Blackthorns had polluted their blood by mating with Seelies and thus become weak.
“Will you be staying, father?” Jace asked to distract his father from his clear displeasure with Alec. He wasn’t really sure why he tried to shield Alec. His father had told him protecting others was a sign of weakness.
“I have to go tend to some business,” Wayland admitted. He cast Alec a warning look as he went on, “I expect to see you have improved by the time I get back. I have plans for you.”
Alec stiffened, his hands behind his back tightening almost painfully, “Yes, Sir.”
“Jonathan, you should educate Alexander on the house rules and the price of failure,” Wayland cautioned.
Jace sank, "Yes, father.”
Wayland nodded approvingly before he left. Both Jace and Alec visibly relaxed when they were alone.
“I will show you to your room,” Jace began, trying to shake the boy a bit out of his shocked state. “Is your stuff in the lobby?”
Alec nodded, a small smile starting to grace his lips, “Yes. Thank you, Jonathan.”
“Jace,” Jace corrected. “I never liked Jonathan.”
“I never liked Alexander,” Alec revealed.
They smiled at each other, connecting over this shared truth as they walked to the lobby. There was a loneliness in Jace and a pain in Alec that reached out across the void between them.
That first night Alec screamed in his sleep. Jace ignored it as he had been taught to do despite a small voice that wanted him to act. However, a few days later he was the one screaming during a nightmare….Alec woke him up. Embarrassed, Jace tried to dismiss him, chase him away. However, Alec stayed, insisting he wanted to. Jace couldn’t help but feel warmed when Alec dutifully kept watch over his dreams. No one had ever protected him before, stood by him like that.
Despite Wayland’s teachings Jace found himself smiling more and more whenever Alec was near, Alec’s light overshadowing Wayland’s darkness, guarding Jace towards a better path. Unspoken between them, unknown, a secret vow of unity was slowly starting to take form.