Once Upon A Time In Brooklyn

Chapter Fifteen: Ribbit

Alec had watched Magnus mope about for weeks. It wasn't what he'd expected after they had finally got together. Or at least, he thought they were together. When he really considered it, they hadn't exactly put a term on what it was they were yet.

He spent nights at Magnus' apartment as often as he could. He made sure to respond to messages quickly. He even tried a few times to get Magnus out of the house and on a date.

But nothing had inspired Magnus to get out of whatever funk he'd been in since Simon had turned.

Magnus felt further away than ever...

*

Simon took a deep breath and hugged Clary gingerly. He managed to keep his baser impulses in check. Behind him, Raphael lurked, eyes watching his every move.

Things had been different now he was a vampire. He had slowly gotten used to the increased speed, strength and superior senses, but there was an encroaching loneliness that he couldn't fight.

Raphael had been his support, the only one who had been what he had been through who Simon trusted even remotely. Raphael had held him through days when he had cried himself to sleep, his homesickness so strong that he had barely been able to stop himself shaking. Raphael had taught him how to say the word "God" again, even if he was still only just getting the hang of it. Raphael had taught him how to tell when his body was craving blood, when he was at the limits of his powers, when he was staying outside a little too late before the sunrise.

Yet nothing else had happened. Their relationship, that had been building slowly over the last six months, had changed. It wasn't that the tension wasn't there any more, it was more that...

Simon didn't feel Raphael desired him like this at all. Perhaps Raphael had merely wanted a subjugate? Perhaps that was what Simon had been becoming? Perhaps he had wanted Simon as a blood bag and not Simon as an immortal partner of whom he could never be rid of?

Simon let Clary go. Her eyes watched him as he took a few steps back. His best friend, forever wary of his presence now.

"It's great to see you," he said, smiling and realising that it showed off his fangs and immediately wishing he hadn't. Clary smiled back though, her wariness vanishing.

"I can't believe how lucky we were that it was vampires that attacked you and not something worse," Clary said. Simon felt a chill go down his spine.

The sounds of sucking blood, the pain, the indescribable feeling of life leaving his body, the taste of blood in his mouth.

"Yeah. Lucky."

Raphael stepped forward and put his hand on Simon's shoulder. Clary looked between them, obviously not sure of her faux-pas and then plastered a smile on her face.

"Well, you two seem to be getting along," she said. Simon didn't know where to look, but Raphael's hand on his shoulder squeezed tightly.

"Vampires look after one another," he said. Simon tried to relax a little, but Raphael just moved in closer to him. "Though I guess, Fairchild, you wouldn't know too much about that."

"Raphael, I'm not here to start a fight or ask anything of the vampires. I just wanted to see Simon," she said, holding up her hands in a placating gesture.

"Tell him how lucky he is that we buried him? Or that even though his best friend is a Shadowhunter, she wasn't around to protect him-"

"Raphael!" Simon wasn't sure why Raphael was attacking Clary, but it certainly made him uncomfortable. Clary looked taken aback.

"What is wrong with you?" Clary asked. Simon felt Raphael's hand slip off his shoulder.

"It's been weeks since Simon was attacked. And you're no closer to solving why he was turned, are you?" Raphael demanded. "You haven't even tried. The Lightwood is too concerned with keeping Magnus alive. Your Golden Boy is too busy showing his bravado by massacring minor demons. Even the Lightwood girl would rather play with fairies than help Downworlders when Shadowhunter help is needed most!"