We've come a long way, my love

Chapter 6

"I had no time to thank you for what you did today," Alec said as the pair came back to the shared bedroom.

Maryse had been adamant on the matter and her son couldn't do anything except bid goodnight to everyone as he followed Wendy.

The atmosphere was even more awkward with the knowledge they were forced to share the bed, seeing how hard the next day would be. The Clave had demanded a full report on what happened with Valentine and someone was coming to take their testimonies.

The girl only sent him a tight smile as she pulled out all the throwing knives and gently put her Jian back in its scabbard. Usually, Shadowhunters kept their weapons in the armory, but Alec decided to pretend ignorance when his mother asked why Wendy didn't sign the log to leave her equipment there.

"It was Magnus's plan. He's the one who saved the day" she replied.

"You are selling yourself too short, Wendy" Alec shrugged off his jacket and left it on the couch, not sure of what they had to do at that point.

"You take the bed, I can sleep on the couch tonight" 

"No, it wouldn't be right" Alec protested, "And you heard my mother. We have to get used to each other"

Wendy sent him a shocked glance as she misinterpreted his words, something that he quickly noticed and blushed in embarrassment.

"Only to sleep! I won't touch you"

It was already the second time he embarrassed himself in not even 24 h and he suspected it would be even more humiliating if Jace or Izzy came to know it.

Wendy said nothing and spared him more awkwardness as she picked her PJs and went to the bathroom.

Once inside, the blond girl took a deep breath to calm herself. She had shown a perfectly stoic face outside with Alec, but in truth, there was no part of her calm at that moment. The thought of spending the night with him in the same bed shocked her to the very core, only she didn't know what to do.

No man had shared her bed before and Wendy had never had experiences in... other fields. Not sure of how Alec had spent his nights before their wedding, she feared the answer would only make her feel worse.

Quickly showering herself, Wendy followed her usual skincare routine and put the dirty clothes in the hamper under the sink. She had run out of things to do before leaving the bathroom Alec, she checked out one more time herself to avoid embarrassment.

The oldest Lightwood quietly closed the door behind him as he took her place.

"This will be a long night" he commented, hands raking through his black hair in exhaustion as he watched himself in the mirror.

He sure hoped she wouldn't be disappointed in him with the lack of savoir-faire he displayed every time they were alone. Jace would have been much more involved in a hypothetical arranged marriage than Alec, no doubt Wendy herself was thinking he was cold and disinterested.

"Maybe I can pretend I fell asleep in the tub" he commented sarcastically as the water sprayed on his shoulders once he opened the faucet in the shower.

Luckily for him, the girl was already passed out on the right side of the bed curled in a small ball on the edge.

His eyes followed the gentle curve of her cheek as the warmth of the bed turned her skin a delicate pink. Alec left his hair slightly damp as he discarded the towel and pulled back the covers, ready to finally sleep after a day full of exhausting anxiety.

The skin of his bare chest was covered in goosebumps while he tried to stay as far as possible from Wendy's now warm body. 

Whoever told him that sleeping with someone else in your bed, namely Jace, wasn't a big deal clearly had no idea of how Alec was feeling at that moment.