The institute burst into raucous noise. People took turns to hug and congratulate Alec and Magnus. Clary and Jace seemed particularly excited. Kit watched Clary throw herself onto Alec, a smile the size of Jupiter splitting her face. Jace thumped Magnus on the back rather aggressively, before pulling him into a bro hug. It was a wonderful thing to see, and Kit watched on from the sofa, not wanting to intrude on their happiness.
Ty moved over to the happy couple once the crowd had dissipated. He was almost the same height as Alec, even though Alec had nearly a decade on him. Kit wondered when his growth spurt would come; Jace was a man of stature and strength, and he seeped intimidation out of his non-existent pores. Apart from their golden hair and last name, Kit and Jace couldn't be any different.
"We now only have..." Magnus flipped his bare wrist over and pretended to check a watch.
"Forty-three minutes until the wedding. You are all invited, naturally, so get ready and get down to the beach." Magnus cocked his head and smiled. Alec linked his arm with Jace's, and Jace took Clary's hand. The four of them left the kitchen, and Julian immediately began herding the others to their rooms.
"Everyone put on your best clothes! Tav's, Mark will help you pick out a nice black suit. Dru, put a dress on. Nothing with skulls."
Everyone complied, leaving the kitchen. Julian approached Kit, who had started for Ty's room. He craned his head up to look at Julian.
"Do you have any suits?" He asked.
"I'm not sure. I have my white one from... But I don't know if I've got any black ones."
"Well you can't go to a wedding wearing that," Julian gestured to Kit's attire, wincing slightly when he noticed his bare feet.
"I can look."
"If you can't find anything, borrow one of Ty's. I know he's a little taller than you, but you can fold the sleeves up. It won't be noticeable." Kit appreciated the help and left the room lighter than he'd come in.
Ty was sitting on Kit's bed when he walked in. He had his headphones on. And he was shirtless.
Kit could have collapsed on the spot. A fifteen-year-old boy with clothes on, a toned, muscled Shadowhunter underneath. Kit saw the white scars where runes used to be, the inky black ones still there. A singular, raised, jagged line shot out from the corner of his Vee, cutting diagonally to his abdomen. It was red, like it had only recently been healed. Kit couldn't recall where he might have gotten it.
It surprised Kit how much of an impact the sight had on Kit. How much he struggled to draw breath. Ty looked up all of a sudden and Kit jumped, stumbling into the door, slamming it closed. He laughed breathily, all too aware of the way Ty's muscles flexed as he stood. He had clearly just gotten out of the shower, his black hair impossibly darker, with a single curl slowly dripping water onto his chest. Kit wanted to throw up. All of his senses felt heightened; he could practically hear the droplets hitting Ty's skin. Ty shucked off his headphones and placed them on Kit's bed.
"Are you okay?" Ty asked. Kit nodded, going pink.
"Mhmm, Just need a suit." Ty stepped away and went to his bed, picking up his button-up and folding his arms into it. With every button done up, Kit could breathe a little easier. He pushed himself away from the door and to his closet, pulling it open to examine the contents. Buried right at the back was a single black two-piece. It wasn't his, and the jacket shoulders were slightly moth-bitten, indicating its age. He pulled it out and laid it out on the bed. Turning his back to Ty, he yanked his top over his head and shucked off his jeans. He froze when he felt a brush of cold air past his back. Ty appeared opposite the bed, leaning over to grab his headphones just as Kit went to grab his shirt. His hand knocked Ty's and he yanked it back immediately, his face burning. Ty looked at Kit; not his face, and Kit watched as Ty dragged his eyes from Kit's boxer shorts up to his neck. It was almost as if Ty had no control over what he was doing. He grabbed his headphones and practically sprinted back to his side. Kit finished dressing in mortifying silence.
He was tying his shoes when someone knocked at the door. Mark stepped in, already dressed in a crisp three-piece. A small golden flower broach was pinned above his breast pocket, shining against the black of the jacket.
"We are leaving in ten minutes, are you ready?" He eyed both boys, who were standing as far as physically possible from each other.
"Yes, we'll be down in a minute," Ty replied briskly, not looking at anything in particular. Mark hummed in response and left, leaving the door ajar. Kit finished his laces quickly and chanced a glance at Ty. Beautiful was the only word that came to mind. The midnight black suit made his grey eyes brighter. The tiny brown freckle on his jawline looked more noticeable as well, and Kit focused on that as he spoke.
"I know it's a bad time, but I think we should talk about the, um, the kiss." his heart hundred as he finally let himself acknowledge the kiss. Ty gave an audible intake of breath.
"It was a kiss," he stated, staring at the open door behind Kit.
"Well, did it... mean anything to you? Or was it one of those 'I thought you were going to die' kisses?" His voice shook, but he refused to recompose himself. He wanted Ty to know how he felt. Ty's eyes shot to look at Kit in the face, not meeting his eyes, but close enough.
"I didn't do it because you were dying. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't... want to." He sat on the edge of his bed and ran a hand through his damp hair. Kit sat down next to him.
"I don't know how to explain this," Ty said.
"It's alright," Kit replied. Ty waved his hands around in front of his face, before motioning to Kit's own hands.
"Can I?"
Kit nodded and held out his hands, letting Ty take them. It seemed to focus him more.
"I guess... I wanted to kiss you... before you got hurt. But when you did, I was afraid that you might not come back. So, yeah, I think I did kiss you because that could have been the last time I ever saw you. But also, because I wanted to. I didn't know if that was something you wanted..." Ty trailed off.
"So you thought that had I died, it wouldn't have mattered if I hadn't wanted to, because I would have been dead." Kit laughed a little, and the flicker of a smile appeared on Ty's face.
"I guess so, yeah." Ty looked at him.
"Did you want me to?" He asked, his eyes wide and frightened, afraid that he may have accosted Kit when he hadn't wanted it. Kit extracted one of his hands from Ty's and stroked Ty's jaw. He rubbed his thumb over the freckle and cupped his chin in his hand. He leaned in slowly and brushed his lips against Ty's. The barest touch, but Kit still felt electricity pulse through his veins, like he had stuck a fork in a toaster. He waited a second to see if Ty blanched back, but when he didn't, Kit pressed his lips firmly to Ty's. He tasted like sandalwood and salt air, consuming Kit wholly. Ty leaned into the warmth of Kit's body, solidifying the kiss. Kit pushed back against Ty's body, moving closer. Ty matched him, pushing back a little too hard, sending Kit's back to the bed. He grabbed Ty's collar and pulled him down with him until Ty was lying on top of him, the kiss never breaking. Kit gasped against Ty's mouth as he felt Ty grab at Kit's bare skin underneath his shirt. Ty pulled back, worried, his lips kiss swollen.
"Did I hurt you?" He asked, beginning to pull away. Kit wasn't having that, and wordlessly yanked Ty back to him, recapturing their mouths. He wrapped a hand possessively around Ty's waist, preventing him from pulling back again, his other hand running through Ty's hair. Ty ran a hand slowly up Kit's side and he sighed heavily against Ty's open mouth. This was heaven, he thought. This was a thousand dreams come true. Kit could die that very moment, and he would be perfectly content with himself. He may not be the greatest Shadowhunter, but at least he got to make out with Tiberius Blackthorn, and not even the greatest Shadowhunter in the universe could say that.
He had lost himself so completely in the feeling of Ty's body on his, his hot hands leaving goosebumps against his bare skin, his soft lips, that he didn't hear Julian's voice from the corridor.
"Guys, we have to leave now, you better be–"
Julian apparently didn't deem knocking necessary and paraded right into the room. Ty removed his hand from under Kit's shirt instantly, and Kit yanked his hand out of Ty's hair, taking a few strands with him. Ty practically threw himself off the bed and to the other side of the room, but it was too little, too late.
Julian stood in the doorway, his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.
"I–um... fuck," Julian stammered. Kit subconsciously pressed a finger to his swollen lips. Ty had pushed himself into the corner of the room. Julian scrubbed at his eyes as if he was trying to erase the image of his baby brother straddling Kit.
"I... just. Downstairs. Leaving." He held up a finger and promptly escaped, the door slamming behind him. There was a brief pause of silence before a muffled scream came from the hallway. Ty and Kit both looked at each other for a moment, before bursting into laughter.