West of Words (Alec Lightwood)

🗝 Chapter Twelve 🗝

"Isn't it a bit early for drinks Varian?" Maia spoke to Varian the second he stepped into the Hunter's Moon. The Downworlder bar was nearly empty, only a few Vampire's that got trapped before the sun came up and the various Seelies to drunk to make it home.

"Then why would a bar be open all day?" Varian smiled as he said it, before immediately shaking his head. "Not here for me. I need twelve pints of 0-neg, to go?"

Maia looked confused, but started to collect the order. "Either your appetite changed, or you gained a Vampire roommate."

Varian winced, thinking of Simon all alone at the apartment. "Fledgling. Showed up at my place a few hours after turning. Sweet kid, has no idea what he's doing."

"Good thing you've got him then." Maia said it with a smile and Varian just nodded. She turned, setting a cooler on the bar top. "There."

"What do I owe you?" Maia waved his question off, and Varian smiled, stuffing a ten dollar bill in the tip jar. He grabbed the cooler off of the bar top, and as he started towards the door he threw a hand over his shoulder to wave goodbye. "See you around Maia."

"Don't be a stranger V."

"I won't!" It was hopefully true. Varian wanted to introduce Simon to the bar that way Simon wouldn't have to worry as much when it came to finding something to eat. There was so much that Varian would need to teach Simon, or try and find him a clan to take him in.

Raphael would be a good contender, if not for the fact that he had a hand in Simon's turning, and as Varian drove home he couldn't help but wonder if he still had that notebook from one of Ragnor's Vampire friends. Knowing Varian he probably did, he never really throws anything out, but his baba  is much worse about it. There's eight storage lockers full of his stuff in just New York, not to mention the other apartments and houses around the world he owns.

When Varian reached his floor there was an odd feeling in the air, like something was being forced, and as he approached his front door he realized why.

There, ringing his doorbell, was Clary Fairchild, and Varian did not want to talk to her.

"Clary." Varian forced a smile.

She spun quickly, blushing red when she realized she was caught. "Sorry, is Simon here?"

Varian knew that she knew that he was, but it was more out of courtesy than anything that she was asking. "Yes." Varian set the cooler on the ground, pulling his keys out of his pocket and unlocking the door.

"Can I see him?"

Varian elbowed the door open, before shoving the cooler inside with the ball of his foot. "Nope." The door shut between the two of them, and with a wave of his hand the doorbell no longer worked, at least for the next few hours. "Clary was here to see you Simon. I told her no."

He waved his hand, the cooler lifted itself off of the ground and all the way into the kitchen for him. Varian was shocked when he stepped in, Simon was sprawled out in the middle of the floor, tears pouring down his face and a tub of ice cream in the crook of his arm. He sat up when Varian stepped in, rubbing his nose with his arm as he sniffled.

"I can't even have ice cream anymore." He said it in such a way that Varian felt heartbroken at the sound.

"I'm sorry Simon, but we can work on that alright? Soon you'll be a walking, talking, eating-normal-things-Vampire." Varian spoke with a smile, but he knew how long it would be until he could live a vaguely normal life. "Come on then."

Varian waved his hand, the ice cream cleaning itself off of Simon before disappearing all together. He holds a hand out to Simon who takes it with a sloppy sad smile.

"Uh, thank you Varian." Simon smiles as Varian offers him another glass of O-neg.

"Simon, you don't have to keep thanking me." Varian grabs a bottle of soda from the fridge before taking a seat on the counter top. "You can stay here as long as you need, and," Varian waves his hand and a key appears on the table next to Simon, "That's for you."

Simon smiles brightly as he picks it up, all the tears gone from his eyes as the idea of having a home with Varian. And Varian had to be honest, the idea of having a Downworlder roommate sounded great. The last time that Varian had lived with someone was three years ago just when his baba  became the High Warlock of Brooklyn. Not that his baba  didn't want him in his flat anymore, but more so so that the pair of them were able to go about their business as usual without having to bother each other.

Varian missed it, he genuinely missed it, so the idea of having Simon as his roommate was just as wonderful as Simon having Varian as his.

His phone started to ring, and Varian groans. The kitchen was peaceful until that had happened, and then Varian remembers that only one person had the number, and the person calling him wasn't his baba.

"Hullo?" Varian answers it with a question, and smiles once the voice speaks on the other side.

"It's Izzy, I need your help."

"Wow, three times in just as many days, should I feel special?" The sarcasm was strong in Varian's voice, but he did feel just a bit special.

"Maybe," Varian could practically see the smile on Izzy's face. "Can you portal into a room if I send you a picture of the room?"

Varian considered it for a minute, before shrugging his shoulder (even though Izzy couldn't see it) before speaking. "Depends. What do you need?"

"I need Alec's stele, and he's not going to let it out of his sight at the moment." Izzy sounded scared, and Varian would do anything to help.

"Do I want to know?" Varian didn't, but he wanted to ask.

"Let's just say if involves a Seelie." Izzy was being cryptic, but that was enough for Varian to want to help.

Varian hopped off of the counter top, and started towards his workshop. "I can create a small portal and grab the stele. Usually it wouldn't work, but in this case I've seen the object enough times to make it work."

"Great!" Izzy was too excited, and Varian hoped whatever came to pass would genuinely work out for her and the Seelie.

"You'll have to come get it from me." Varian pressed the phone into his shoulder as he crushed some moonstone and yellow moss together into his mortar and pestle.

"I will, thank you so much Varian. What, what do I owe you?"

Varian smiled and sighed, "Nothing Izzy. Except for a favor in the future, I'll call on you."

"Thank you Varian."

She hung up before Varian could say anything back, and he smiled to himself before putting some more pressure into crushing the two ingredients together.

"Who was that?"

"Jesus Christ!" Varian nearly dropped his mortar when Simon spoke, he clutched at his chest and looked up at the amused Vampire with a smile and a shake of his head.

"Sorry." Simon looked embarrassed, but Varian waved off the apology.

"No I just, I get distracted and kind of forgot you were here." Varian continues crushing the ingredients together, "It was Izzy, asking for help."

Simon started to ask questions, all of which Varian was glad to answer. He asked about the ingredients he was using and what he needed to do, and the excitement radiating off of the young man was coming in droves when Varian started to actually preform the spell necessary to get the stele.

Curiosity is a beautiful thing.