To Protect Your True Love (Malec Fanfiction)

Chapter 7

Alec walks through the Institute doors, it's quiet. Not surprising as everyone is asleep, nix a few who are still awake. He makes it back to his without being noticed, or asked questions. When his head hits his pillow falls asleep in an instant.

The next morning Alec presses his palms to his eyes; being a Shadowhunter has made it to the point where Alec is an early riser, even if he doesn't get to sleep until one in the morning. "Alec, are you awake?" His sister asks on the other side of his door.

"Yeah." He groans looking at his clock: 8:25 A.M. it reads. Shit. He's late for work.

Without even asking if it's all right to come in, Izzy enters his room as Alec jumps out of bed trying to get a clean pair of pants and a fresh shirt that doesn't have any huge holes or has been tarnished by demons.

"How do you feel?" she asks.

"Fine." His heart is pounding in his chest. Heads of Institutes are never late for work. Never. In fact, to keep up with work from the Clave Alec gets up earlier than usual so he can finish more work since he's the youngest Head ever; most Shadowhunter Institute leaders don't get to be them until they're in their mid-thirties, he's still in his twenties. That is an accomplishment within itself.

"Really? You've been asleep for over a day."

"What?" His heart has a brief stop. He's supposed to have a date with Magnus on Saturday, if he's been asleep for over a day there is a very good chance that it's Sunday right now and he missed his date with Magnus. Magnus is going to be furious with him than he already is. "What day is it?"

"Saturday." Izzy stares at him, giving him a quizzical look. "Why? Do you have something planned?"

"I have a date with Magnus." Alec doesn't think about what he's saying as he just looks for a shirt now.

"What did you just say?"

"I asked what it is and you answered with Saturday."

"No. I mean you, Magnus, date. What is going on?"

Alec stops what he's doing and stares at her. Did he really tell her that he has a date with Magnus, the father of his unborn child?

The older sibling takes a deep breath before saying anything else. "Yes. We have a date. Tonight. So I'd really rather do a quick training session before I start my work day----that I'm already behind on."

"Actually," his sister's voice is unusually happy. "You're under strict doctor's orders to do no strenuous activity until that wound you have is healed. And that means no training."

Alec groans. He hasn't been on many missions lately and training has been the only thing that keeps his skills sharp. Now he can't even do that? By the time he gets back to training Jace, Clary, and Simon will probably be able to kick his ass and Simon doesn't even train as a Shadowhunter.

"Doesn't matter. I can catch up on the work I missed yesterday."

"Alec." The change in Izzy's voice has Alec look at her, after putting on a shirt. "You were hurt. Mom and Dad understand that. They want you to take some time off to recover. Until then they'll be splitting the duties of the Head of the Institute."

This is a first. All his life Alec has never thought of himself as good enough for his parents until he was going to marry Lydia. They never expressed to him that they're okay with a child who likes the same-sex, they never even came to help him before. In the past Alec has always dealt with the burnt end of the stick when Jace and Izzy did something stupid (albeit because he took it at first to try and cover for them, and that hasn't seemed to stop as they got older).