Bloody Lining ➳ Alec Lightwood

chapter five

coxcomb 

noun | cox - comb | meaning - a vain and conceited man; a dandy.  

chapter five

The main room of Magnus Bane's hideaway was filled with warlocks of all shapes and sizes. Some of which Beckett vaguely recognized, others were completely foreign to him, but all of them looked entirely weary and drained. Beckett felt a twinge of shame for not noticing them all when he had come here in order to get Magnus' help to find Clary. Hiding from Valentine's men were taking it's toll on the people, understandably. 

Beckett looked over to Magnus, whom had just led Beckett and the shadowhunter, Alec, into the room, and opened his mouth to say something, but lost his train of thought as Clary walked into the room. Next to the fiery haired girl was the young warlock girl from earlier. 

"Magnus," Clary called softly. 

The warlock turned his head, his eyes falling onto the young girl that Clary was escorting. He welcomed the younger of the two with welcome arms, looking down at her with a gentle look that Beckett had seen come and go far too quickly. "Go join the others, dear," Magnus told the clearly fearful girl. 

The girl nodded and turned to walk away, but stopped shortly when she realized Beckett was there to. She looked up at the werewolf with big curious eyes, probably knowing who he was seeing as he was no stranger to Magnus and those in the warlocks life, and Beckett knew she had to be wondering if he was the same werewolf that had just been shielding her in his husky, dark wolf form. 

Beckett tried clearing his throat, hoping it'd give him time to think of something to say to her. Rather awkwardly, he knelt down in front of her. He put his best effort into putting on a kind smile, but it wasn't something he was actually sure he knew how to do. "Hey, sweetheart," he finally said in a tone as soft as his voice would let him go. In all truth, it wasn't far off from his usual, gruff voice. "Are you okay?" He questioned. 

The little girl nodded gently. Her eyes were looking at him expectantly, and Beckett still couldn't help to feel surprised that she was so interested in him and not afraid. He wasn't someone who was usually good with kids, he normally didn't even like them very much, but she seemed pretty okay with giving him a chance to prove himself as a good person. In a way, it reminded Beckett of Clary when he had first met her years ago. 

"Why don't you go find some of your friends, does that sound good?" Beckett asked. He found himself reaching out without thinking about it, his big hand enclosing around the girls quivering shoulder. 

Again, the girl nodded. But before she went off, she hurried towards Beckett, wrapping her small arms around his neck and hugging him as tightly as she could, which in all fairness wasn't that tight, especially for someone like Beckett. He was quit taken aback by the gesture, and having little experience, didn't have time to figure out how he wanted to react before the young warlock girl loosened her grip on the usually brooding werewolf and ran off to find others like her. 

Beckett stood up and straightened himself out. Almost immediately he realized that both Clary and Magnus were looking at him with amused smirks and raised eyebrows. Instinctively, he cleared his throat once again quite meaningfully and gave them both his best glare. If they hadn't known Beckett, they might've been a little scared of him in that moment.