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

Chapter 9 - December 9th - Alec

December 9th - Alec

"Back again?" Jace grins, leaning against the doorframe.

"Yes, and it's freezing." I say, rubbing my hands together.

I'm frozen, as my coat is draped around Toby's narrow shoulders, trailing almost to the icy ground. Despite the sub-zero conditions, Toby is grinning, almost bouncing from foot to foot with anticipation. He reminds me of Jace, with his natural flair and passion for shadowhunting. I smile. Maybe he was born to do this. Maybe he's made to be a shadowhunter. I think back to the look on his face as he looked down at Luke's old stele, now his own, in his little hands. I remember the way his fingers curved instinctively around the adamas, feeling the warmth of the instrument in his hands; a feeling I knew and adored. Then my mind goes to those same small hands hugging my shoulder, his face against my arm as he hugged Magnus and I. I smile and take Magnus's hand, his fingers wrapping around my own.

"Come on in." Izzy says, appearing in the doorway and ushering us inside. Even she - who lives in minidresses - has thick black tights on under her emerald velvet dress. Wrapped around her is a long black cardigan, and despite the fact that all she's doing today is training, she has flawless makeup and intricately curled hair.

Toby goes to pull my jacket off.

"Alec, would you like your coat back?" He asks me.

"No, no. You keep it. The Institute gets really cold in the winter." I answer.

He smiles at me gratefully before turning back to Jace.

"We're going to try some work on runes today," Jace announces. "So Clary's coming down later to help out."

Toby nods and pulls the Codex from under his arm, where he had it, protecting it from the biting wind on the way over here. As we boarded the subway, whilst most travellers browsed newspapers, Toby pored over his Codex, gaining many a charmed look from fellow travellers. I don't like travelling out in the open, unglamoured, on the overly busy and bustling mundane public transportation. But it's almost worth it to meet the gazes of impressed strangers who glance at Magnus and I, enamoured by Toby. Magnus strikes up conversation with passengers beside us while I smile and laugh when appropriate.

Now, Toby rests the Codex in the crook of his elbows, flicks to an early section and points.

"Runes - the Gray Book. It's actually green and it has all the runes in. It's one of the most important book for shadowhunters." He defines.

I exchange a look with Izzy, and we laugh.

"You already know it all!" She jokes. "Why are you even here? Get out of here, Toby, with your shadowhunter smarts." He giggles and she pushes a hand through his hair. "Come on, let's go get a copy of the Gray Book for you."

Toby's eyes light up like he's just been told he's won the lottery.

"The Gray Book? I can read it?" He asks in a hushed, reverent tone, hurrying down the corridor after Izzy.

"Sure, it isn't very exciting though."

Toby looks like he thinks that's highly unlikely, and his blue eyes crinkle as he smiles. He's babbling questions to her as they walk, cutting over her answers with new questions before she's even finished her sentence. She shoves him gently in the arm as they round the corner, then pulls him towards her, slinging a one-armed hug around his shoulder.

I look over as Magnus stifles a laugh behind his hand. I have to admit, Toby looks hilarious. Never has anyone looked so enthusiastic about endlessly copying out runes. Even I, who really was interested in my shadowhunter studies (at least most of the time), often tuned out in Marks lessons. And Jace will never let me forget the time I fell asleep with my head on the desk. Most of the time, however, I could be found practising my rune work, reading books in the library, or improving old work. When Jace arrived, I worked more on my physical training than before, but paperwork was always my area. Especially runes. I take pride in my runing prowess. Perhaps that's one of the reasons I wasn't Clary's number one fan when she arrived; I wasn't the best anymore. Not the best with runes, like Clary. Not the best with fighting, like Isabelle. And not the best shadowhunter, like Jace. However, I've learned over time, I am the best. I'm the best at being... well, Alec. The best big brother to Jace and Izzy. The best archer in our institute. I don't need to compete.

I'm lost in my reverie until Magnus huffs a laugh. I look up, and see Toby's lips moving, muttering the names of runes under his breath. Under each rune, he carefully prints its name. The drawings are a little messy, but Clary's helping him. She's been sat beside him for hours on end whilst Magnus and I sit watching her explaining exactly what each rune does as he draws it. I almost forget that Clary has only been involved in the Shadow World herself for two years. She fit straight in, her transition into Nephilim life natural. I only hope Toby's immersion into our world is as smooth. If Toby can be as influential a force as Clary, do as much good, that would be amazing.

I've started to notice, as I watch him, how Toby idolises Jace. I anticipated Toby would look up to Jace, being his half-brother and, well, Jace. But Toby's absolutely in awe, as if he's in the presence of immense, incomparable, unsurpassable greatness. Maybe it's because they're related, of because of his fighting prowess, or maybe simply because he's Jace. I idolised him too, despite him being two years my junior. But as Jace comes to read in the library, or watch the lesson, or talk to Clary, Toby's eyes never leave him. I'm not sure whether or not I'm jealous of this. A little, I guess. But I can't blame him; I loved - love - Jace, just like Toby. When we first discovered Jace and Toby were related, I admit, I was jealous. But I can't be, not now.

Jace sits down beside me, on my opposite side to Magnus, and I close the book I'm reading.

"Toby adores you." I say, and Jace flashes a blinding grin.

"Of course he does; I'm fantastic." He replies, but he has the good grace to look at least a little humbled.

I look up as Toby puts down his pen.

"Do they have runes for downworlders, too?" He asks, his eyes wide and inquisitive, as per usual.

"Just one." Clary replies.

"Which one?"

Clary nods to Magnus and I, indicating we take over. I roll my sleeve up to the elbow to show him the binding rune on my lower arm. Magnus pushes his cuff back, displaying the identical one on his wrist. Seeing our binding runes is like how I imagine it feels when couples see their wedding rings. My mind goes back to that day in the hall of Accords. That day, I realise, didn't just change my life. It changed other people's too. Helen. Aline. All the other shadowhunters who've told me how much they appreciated what I did. A kiss. Who knew a kiss could be so influential? I remember the way my hands felt, shaking and numb, as I took Magnus's wrist, how scared I was I would mess up the rune. But then it went okay. And I felt the mark start to work, felt bound to Magnus in a way unlike love. And then...the kiss. The binding rune. The fearless rune. Why do all Clary's runes end with me coming out? I grin and catch Magnus's eye. He smiles. Toby turns back to Clary.

"What does it do?" He asks.

"It's a binding rune. I made it. It means that the two people who put the runes on one another can fight together in battle as one." She explains.

"Like parabatai?" He adds.

"Yes, sort of!" She agrees.

Toby pauses then.

"Wait, you said you made that rune?" He asks. "You can't just make runes. The Codex says they're all predetermined in the Gray Book. How did you do that?"

"Yes," she says. "It's like a special power."

"Do I have a power?" He asks. "Everyone else does. You can make runes, Jace and Isabelle can fight, Magnus can do magic..."

I grin. "What about me?"

"You're sensible." He replies instantly and I give a choking laugh.

"That's my power?!" I laugh. "Toby, that's boring! I want a cool power!"

"You know what they say," Magnus grins. 'With great power comes great responsibility'."

I roll my eyes and elbow him in the ribs, making him cry out and slap my hand away. Toby laughs and goes back to his rune work with Clary.