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A N G E L I C
F A C E S
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The Losses and Magnus were in the guest room, where Caroline was still stuck in bed healing, when there was a knock at the door. Since Magnus and Catarina were having a very lengthy discussion about the hospital in New York - the Losses were thinking of staying in New York, since Caroline had always wanted to visit the city and Chris had grown quite close to Magnus - Caroline ushered her brother away to get the door.
He sighed, not wanting to leave her bedside, but moved anyway, fixing his sweater so he didn't look quite as disgruntled as he felt. He had slept in the chair beside her until Catarina had forced him to move. Chris had missed someone fussing over him like his mother did, and though he did want to move back to Oxford, he didn't think living in New York was that bad. They did need a change after all.
Chris' face fell when he saw the Shadowhunter standing at his door. He wore a black shirt, dark jeans, his face brooding and his eyes downcast. Chris hadn't seen this Alec in days. But god he had missed him. He had missed his fluffy hair and the deflect rune on his neck and the way he carried himself. His eyes travelled down to where the other Alec had worn a necklace with his initial in it. This Alec did not - obviously, but Chris wasn't sure why that bothered him.
"Oh."
"Hey."
Alec's voice was soft, as if he was afraid that him speaking would hurt Chris. He knew that Chris was hurting. He didn't want to inflict more pain on him. But god, just him standing there was enough to make Chris' heart hurt.
"Tired of bickering over your guest list for the wedding?" Chris asked sharply, leading the way into the apartment. He had left the door to the guest bedroom open so that when Magnus looked he understood what was happening. Out of the corner of his eye, Chris saw Catarina and Magnus watching them behind the door. He usually would have laughed, but hid mood had dropped. He only felt sour.
"I need to ask you something."
"Yes, no, a cat, 1.77245385091."
"Yeah, the square root of pi isn't really the answer I was looking for." Chris felt an amused smile tug his lips upwards, but he fought it off. He was meant to be angry at Alec. And he was. He was upset, heartbroken. And no, Alec didn't owe him anything, but he didn't like the way he toyed with his feelings only to get married to a girl.
"Will this take long?" Chris asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he stopped by the drinks cabinet. Magnus and Catarina were rolling their eyes at him. "I'm a particularly busy warlock, and I don't really want to talk to you."
Alec sighed, and Chris turned away from him. If he was going to have to talk to Alec, then he at least needed a drink. Maybe Alec thought he was an alcoholic. Sometimes, Chris felt like he was.
"It's not about me or...any of that." Chris scoffed. "It's about my sister."
"Well, I just got my sister back, so."
"Wait, Carrie's back-"
"Don't call her that!" Alec flinched at the harshness in Chris' voice. The warlock's glare did not warm up. Instead it became icier.
"Christopher!" Alec's head snapped over to where Catarina and Magnus were standing in the doorway. Between them was the very tiny Caroline. She looked mad at Chris.
"Carrie, you need to be in bed."
"Is this Alexander?"
"Um, it's Alec..." The Shadowhunter nervously rubbed the back of his neck as four sets of warlock eyes settled on him. He couldn't help but notice Catarina's blue skin, and Caroline's cat whiskers. Warlock marks. He supposed they used magic to cover it up when they were with mundanes. He wondered what Chris' was.
"You should help him."
"You should be in bed."
"Chris-"
"Car-"
"Enough!" Catarina sighed, throwing her hands up in the air. Bronze magic shout of her hands causing Christopher to be sat down in his chair while Caroline was thrown back into bed. Alec's eyes widened. He didn't want to see how their family arguments ended.
"Fine, continue Alec." Alec sent Catarina a nod of thanking and she nodded back, before going to pull Magnus back into Caroline's bedroom so that she could close the door and give them privacy, but Alec stopped her. "Actually, I kinda need Magnus too." Chris and Magnus shared a look, but Catarina merely shrugged, slamming the door shut and leaving Magnus to cross the silent room to sit beside his friend.
"Izzy's on trial for treason."
"Ah, Lydia wants to get her out of the way I see, Christmas dinner should be awkward." Chris' comment made Alec frown more, and so Magnus nudged his blonde friend in the ribs. He rolled his eyes but did not apologise. He wasn't going to apologise. He shouldn't be expected to.
"What can we do for you, Alec?" Magnus asked, snapping his fingers so that a martini glass appeared in his hands.
"My sister wants you, Magnus, to be her defense attorney, and she wants you, Chris, to be there, at the trial." The two warlocks looked at each other and back at Magnus. "I said I would ask."
They both wished they could go to the trial. But they knew that they weren't allowed. It was a Shadowhunter only sort of thing, and so they would not be allowed entry. They both liked the female Shadowhunter, she was kind and funny and a little mischievous. Chris texted Isabelle a lot, and he had missed talking to her since he got out of the Alternative Universe, he couldn't wait to tell her about it.
"I'm sorry for wasting your time, I know a Downworlder can't defend a Shadowhunter in court." Alec turned away from them, ready to leave the apartment, but Magnus stopped him.
"But a Shadowhunter accused of a crime can choose any advocate." Alec turned to them, his eyebrows furrowed.
"That can't mean a Downworlder." Chris shrugged, swirling his drink in his hands. God, Alec was so pretty, it hurt.
"That Clave was so rigid and prejudiced-" Chris cut Magnus off to say 'still are' causing them both to smile slightly. "-back in what they call the Time of Angels that they didn't dream of a Shadowhunter asking a Downworlder for help, they didn't even bother to exclude us."
"So-" Chris jumped to his feet, grinning. "-As you all say." He bent over, mimicking an old man as he spoke "The Law Is The Law." Alec chuckled, causing Chris to grin brightly. He loved that laugh. "There's no stopping us from slipping through this gaping loophole."
Chris stopped. He and Magnus shared a smirk and then looked back at the Shadowhunter whose eyes were glinting as he stared solely at Chris. It made his insides burn. Every bones, every muscle, every vein in his body begged for him to touch Alec, to take him into his arms and hold him against him. He saw Alec's lip twitch and he had to stop himself from lurching forward and forcing the Shadowhunter to rethink every decision he had ever made.
"For the right price."
"Name it."
Magnus' eyes glittered as he raised his drink to his lips, glancing over at his blonde friend by his side. He smirked, and swallowed. Every move he made was slow until finally, he cocked an eyebrow at Alec.
"You."
Chris' face paled at Magnus' answer. His eyes widened and his head snapped from Alec to his warlock friend. He looked like he might throw up. He felt like he might throw up. Of course, all he wanted was Alec. He had Carrie back, Catarina was here, Magnus was here. There was nobody and nothing else - if you don't include the fact he'd love to get rid of his demons - that he wanted more than Alec. But he would never have him.
"Anything else?"
"What else is important to you?" Chris couldn't stop the words from falling out of his mouth. Alec's eyebrows raised at him, and Chris knew he had to make something up quick. Honestly, he would help Alec even if all he wanted was his neck scratched. He would do anything for the Shadowhunter and that's what hurt him the most. "What tells me that your sister means enough for you to make a real sacrifice?"
Taking a leaf out of Magnus' book, Chris spun around as he talked, pacing back and forth and tapping his lip against his cheek. Eventually he spun around, raising said finger to the air in a sort of eureka moment.
"I know!" Alec looked worried. Chris felt bad. "Your bow and quiver." Alec's mouth gaped open, and out of the corner of his eye Chris saw Magnus' lip curve up into a cruel smirk. The warlocks were being horrible, they knew that, but it wasn't their fault that they felt as if Alec had merely strung Chris along.
"Done."
They both hummed and shared another look. Alec's face had dropped into a deep frown and a crease had appeared between his eyebrows. Chris wanted to kiss it away. Fuck, Chris wanted to do a lot of things to Alec. All he could think about was how the other Alec had kissed him. It made him feel like he was worth someone. He wanted to feel like that again, but this Alec would never kiss him.
"We'll see you at the trial!" Magnus waved his hand and turned from Alec and Chris, making his way back to Carrie's bedroom, where she and Catarina had been listening behind the door. When Magnus opened said door, they both fell back, letting out squeals as they fell to the door. Chris hardly noticed, he was still watching Alec. And Alec was still watching him.
"You should get back to your fiancée." Alec nodded, looking over his shoulder as if he was expecting her to turn up. It was almost like he wished that she would be standing at the door forcing him to leave. But it was also like a part of him was trying to stay, keeping him rooted to that spot in front of him.
"I should."
"I bet she's looking for you."
"Probably."
"You don't want to keep her waiting."
"No."
Alec looked at Chris again. He had dropped his head, allowing short blonde curls to fall into blue eyes. Alec's frown deepened and he stepped towards Chris. The warlock looked up, his breath getting caught in his throat as he realised how close the Shadowhunter was standing to him. If either of them moved the wrong way they might end up kissing.
Chris found himself getting lost in Alec's face. He drank in his bourbon eyes. Smoothed over his chiseled jaw. Ran down his strong nose. Across his perfectly trimmed eyebrows. God, Alec always looked so beautiful and he didn't even have to try. He was born looking like a literal angel. Chris couldn't help but wonder if maybe Alec wasn't a real Shadowhunter. If maybe he was an actual angel, sent down from heaven to protect them.
"Yo, dude!"
And the moment was lost as soon as the door slammed shut behind the werewolf who had just entered the apartment now shared by Chris and Magnus. Chris let out a sigh as Alec's eyebrows furrowed, his head slowly turning towards the noise. He was glaring. So was Chris.
"I brought pizza, for your sister, who I want to meet, because she sounds hot!"
There was a giggle, and when Chris looked he saw Caroline standing at the doorway leading to the guest room. He didn't even bother to tell her to get back into bed. He was still mad that his 'moment' with Alec was ruined. And apparently so was the Shadowhunter.
"I'll see you at the trial."
Before Chris could stop him, Alec was flouncing out of the apartment, his footsteps heavy and his shoulders set. He heaved a sigh, sending his werewolf friend a chilling look. Zach merely stared back at him, wide eyed, and then lifted the box of pizza.
"You're not you when your hungry?"
"I'm gonna fucking kill you Zachary Martell."
A/N:
imma kill you too Zach what a cockblock
and yes the Losses are gonna stay in New York ofc and get their own apartment next door so that Chris can stay with his best buddy Magnus yay