Belonging | Alec Lightwood

(15) One step forward, two steps back

I knew that I looked good, yet his eyes have stayed on my face the entire time.

Way to humble a girl's ego, Alec.

"I-uh, I couldn't find a weapon," I say uncertainly, not sure if he wants to know the why or if he's just telling me to grab something so I don't end up dead if something goes wrong. He raises his brow and momentarily gazes to the now open weapons cabinet.

He must think I'm an idiot, not being able to find a weapon in a room full of them.

"Why not? You can pick whatever you want, doesn't have to be what you're familiar with." He explains, his head slightly tilting to the side and I almost smile since after observing him, his head tilt was something he did when trying to figure something out.

And it was pretty adorable.

"Yeah I know, uh, Jace told me to find a weapon that can be concealed- "I start, "But, Um, I couldn't find anything that would fit under my dress" I say, licking my lips as I feel my cheeks heat.

Why am I acting like a little school girl around her crush?

Immediately, Alec's eyes drop to my body, like me talking about it was an invitation to do so, and as his eyes rake over my figure from head to toe, I feel my stomach churn, the darkness that overtakes his eyes as he looks me over making the heat rush over my body.

Good god.

He slowly swallows and licks his lips, "It's tight" He states rhetorically, his eyes shifting between looking at my dress and trying to keep his gaze on my face.

Ok, you've restored my confidence, Alec.

"Yeah, I was going to go change into something- "

"No, don't change" He swiftly says and I almost reel back, my expression shocked and I bite my lip, not wanting to ask why but also desperately hoping he'd continue speaking.

That's very unlikely though.

Predictably, he doesn't continue but instead clears his throat gruffly before standing up, his gaze flicking awkwardly over the room, as if he had just realised what he'd said, and I frown, feeling myself deflate.

One step forward, two steps back.

"I have something that you can use for your ring knives" He abruptly says, his body tuning further into the weapons cabinet as he roughly opens a higher up drawer and pulls out something before shutting it again. He unclasps the item before turning back to me, his arm holding out the item, which looked like a holster, and I quickly move forwards and grab it from him, my brow furrowed as I attempt to works out where it goes.

"It goes around your thigh" He says, and my eyes snap to him, and I smile discreetly noticing the slight pink tint over his cheeks as he scratches his neck, as if thinking about it going around my thigh was bizarre. "You can strap the knife inside so that it won't be obvious that it's there, plus it shouldn't be hard to take out" Alec explains and I nod slowly, gazing at the holster.

"Thanks"

I open the holster up and examine it, quickly realising how it would work and begin to take the clasps off to put it on. In the moment I didn't think of going to another room, since Alec looked busy and I didn't think it would take long.

I was wrong.

After failing attempting to slide the holster over my thigh whilst standing, I sighed, my eyes flicking over the room for somewhere to sit and upon realising there were no chairs in sight, I rolled my eyes before making my way over to the table that Alec was working on and swiftly jumping on the edge, sitting as far away from Alec as I could.