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PHOENIX WAS A MAN WHO EXISTED ON THE EDGE OF PREPAREDNESS, A RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE INGRAINED IN HIS VERY BEING. Even when their mission promised a guaranteed success, an unquenchable fire drove him to train well into the night, allowing himself rest only when it became an absolute necessity. And while the results spoke for themselves— having become one of the institute's best soldiers, it was a habit his brother Jace and the Lightwood siblings tried to steer him away from. It's for your own good, they'd insist, their voices tinged with worry. But Phoenix would merely shake his head, brushing aside their well-intentioned admonitions. The life of a Shadowhunter left no room for personal indulgences, and even now, when the looming mission beckoned him to dress for the occasion, he found himself inside the institute's training room. Standing with a blindfold securely tied around his eyes, Phoenix moved with fluid grace, fighting an invisible enemy.
Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, catching the soft glow of the training room's lights, as if tiny stars had descended to witness his extraordinary prowess. Heart loudly thumping against his ribs, Phoenix pushed on, ignoring the sound of doors opening. Under different circumstances, Phoenix would have halted his practice and swiftly vacated the room. He was not one to relish being observed in his most vulnerable moments by a stranger. But the electricity that washed over him was one he was all too familiar with. "What brings you here, Alec?" Phoenix asked, however, he didn't stop his fluid movements.
Alec thanked the heavens above for that comfort as the blush decorating his cheeks would have given his secret away. Without Phoenix's vision, Alec could take in the image that graced his eyes in its entirety. With the shirt that clung to the man's chest, it left little to the imagination. Alec's gaze traced the lines of his shoulders, the subtle indentations along his abdomen, and the way the fabric dipped and rose with each breath. Realizing he'd been silent for a while, Alec cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "We leave in half an hour."
Stilling his movements, Phoenix turned to Alec's voice and smirked. "I'll be ready in five." Laughing at the groan the eldest lightwood released, Phoenix continued his training when a large hand grabbed at his forearm. "Under different circumstances I would let you train more, but if Izzy is going to play dress up with me, you also have to endure it."
"Bold of you to assume i'm going to listen, Mr. Lightwood." Quickly getting out of Alec's hold, Phoenix had the man pinned beneath him in a swift, fluid motion. Alec's breath hitched, not only from the unexpected turn of events but from the close proximity of Phoenix's body. Chest to chest, Alec could feel the rumble of Phoenix's chest as he laughed. It would be so easy to pull the other man down and feel his lips against him, but Alec restrained himself. Nothing had told him Phoenix felt the same for him; Alec didn't want to ruin everything due to a silly infatuation. "Seems like I caught you off guard." Phoenix teased, his voice a low murmur that sent shivers down Alec's spine.
"You have a talent for that, don't you?" Alec replied in all seriousness. This caused Phoenix to lean back and tilt his head in confusion. "What?"
Alec didn't know what pushed him to do this, but it felt right in that moment. Gently reaching torward the blindfold, his fingers ran over Phoenix's golden hair until they stopped at the tightly wound knot. "Ever since we've met you've managed to surprise me." Working on the knot, Alec felt Phoenix bow his head slightly, as if unable to accept his words as fact. "Unpredictable, yes, but also comforting. I've learned a lot from you." As the blindfold slowly slipped away, Phoenix blinked in the sudden light. His striking blue eyes, like sapphires that seemed to hold the depth of an ocean, met Alec's gaze.
His eyes, clear and filled with warmth, seemed to pierce Alec's soul. And then there was the scar, a testament to the life Phoenix had led, stretching from the top of his eyebrow to the bottom of his lower eyelid. It was a mark of his resilience, his strength, and Alec couldn't help but be captivated by it, even though he wished he could take away the pain it represented. Reaching a hand to touch the scar, Alec flinched when Phoenix's weight suddenly dissapeared and coldness replaced its spot. "You have me mistaken." He voiced from the entrace of the training room, his shoulders visibly tense. Phoenix knew Alec didn't mean harm, but when the man uttered those words he was taken back to his father and how his unpredicatble nature could be used for 'good'. How Michael would compliment his skills only to beat him when those skills became troublesome. NOTHING BUT A SOLDIER. The mattra engrained to his very being. Alec was mistaken. Phoenix wasn't someone worthy of being looked up to, especially by the insititute's future leader. No, he was just another cog in a machine, nothing special about him.
Walking out of the room, Phoenix brushed past Jace who had a worried expression on his face. "Phoenix—" he began, but was quickly interrupted. "I'll meet you guys at the weapons room."
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