Hello

When We Were Younger And Free

Rory Shadowwood was never very good at being subtle, and he rarely had any interest in being so. So when he walked up to Jace the day after Magnus had shown up at his house, Jace knew there was going to be questions. It really didn't help that Magnus wasn't there again.

It was Jace who trained Rory for the most part. Jace, and Clary. His fathers were still caught up in each other when Rory was old enough, and Jace was the next best thing. Chris didn't have any family, and no one was going to interrupt Isabelle while she was training Simon. Jace knew Rory's every movement, had instilled them in him from a young age, and they way the boy was walking toward him betrayed anger and curiosity.

"Will, Amanda, why don't you go and help your mother with lunch?" He told his own children. Will sighed and put away his weapons, but Amanda put up more of a fight.

"But Dad, we need to train. When you were our age, you were so much better. Uncle Alec says so," she said, sounding so much like her uncle it was shocking.

"I was raised by Valentine, who happened to be homicidal and insane. Now, go help your mother," he said right back. Amanda glared at him but cleaned up and left with her brother. Her mumbling could be heard as the twins left. Jace was glad that Rory had the sense to not mention Magnus with them there.

"Jace, who is Magnus to my dad?" he asked the moment that they left. Jace sighed. He was getting so tired of being the one everyone was going to.

"Chris, to my knowledge, has only ever met Magnus here," he said. Rory rolled his eyes.

"Not Chris. Alec. Who is Magnus to Alec?" That was the question, wasn't it?

"The truth is, I don't know," Jace said. It wasn't technically a lie. Jace had no idea what they were at the moment. And then Jace cursed Shadowhunter stubbornness because the next question out of Rory's mouth was,

"Then who was he?" That question wasn't any easier, but it did have a simple answer.

"Everything. Once, Magnus was everything to my parabatai," Jace told him, a laugh in his voice as he thought back to when those words were reality.

Jace noticed that Alec wasn't at training. Again. Honestly, this was getting annoying. He was the only one who was any good at the bow, and Clary needed to learn. Clary herself was currently sparring with Izzy, and was losing, badly, but was okay.

"Give me a sec, I'll call Alec," he called out to the girls. Izzy nodded in his direction. She knew exactly where her brother was, and really, she wasn't worried. Alec deserved some happiness and peace. Now if only Jace could figure that out.

Jace had stepped outside the training room, and took out his phone. It only had a few people's numbers in it: Clary, Simon, Izzy, Alec, the Lightwood adults, and Magnus. In reality, he only ever called Clary. He clicked on Alec's name, and waited for him to answer.

"Hello, Blondie, what is it that you want?" That was not the voice he was expecting. In the background, Jace could hear Alec laughing.

"Why do you have Alec's phone?" Jace asked, playing overprotective best friend for the first time in his life. There was more laughter from Alec.

"Because at the current moment, I am tickling him, and he is incapable of speaking, let alone answer the phone," Magnus replied. Jace had heard—and done—a lot of strange things, but a warlock tickling a Shadowhunter and getting away with it was certainly new.

"You're...tickling him?" He asked just to be sure that he had heard correctly. Magnus laughed, and then said,

"Alec, baby, Blondie wants you." Jace could picture Alec rolling his eyes and blushing. There was the annoying sound that signifies a phone exchanging hands, and then it was Alec on the line.