West of Words (Alec Lightwood)

🗝 Chapter Sixteen 🗝

"I'm not sticking around." Varian said it in a confident voice, and nearly convinced everyone but Clarissa spoke before he could leave.

"We still need your help!" She was to excited, but the panic was still in her voice.

Varian didn't respond, but he didn't try to leave.

Michael Wayland looked much to confident in his surroundings for someone who spent the last ten years locked in a closet. He looked around the docks with a steady gaze, before approaching the restaurant with easy steps.

Varian started to follow, but felt shaky on his feet. His hands started to shake, and his knees felt wobbly. He reached a hand out to Jace, who took it without needing anymore prompting.

Jace helped him to follow his father into the Jade Wolf.

Varian hadn't been to the Jade Wolf in a long time, at least two years, and the last time was because he was dating a werewolf part of the pack. They broke up for reasons beyond Varian, but the annoyance around the breakup was too much for Varian to want to go back to the restaurant.

But he was here, and he wasn't in a particular mood to put up a fight.

"Simon?" Varian asked, letting go of Jace's arm and moving to Simon. He shoved him over in the booth and took a seat.

"Hello?" Simon asked, not really reacting when Varian put his head on his shoulder.

Michael Wayland and Luke were already greeting each other by the time Varian walked in, they appeared to be old friends, but Varian couldn't focus on the words being shared between the two.

The strange feeling that he had felt all day and the situation that brought him to Jace and Clarissa was still firmly in the front of his mind.

"Clary." Varian muttered in a way of reminding himself that that is what the girl preferred. Simon looked over at him, but Varian just shrugged him off.

Luke Garroway had taken Jace into the back of the Jade Wolf to clean him up after the blood that was all over his clothing started to attract the attention of the few Mundane workers. Michael was left with Clary, Simon and Varian, and the later was attempting to pick the man apart.

There was something off, and as Michael Wayland started to speak to Clary they both took a seat on the other side of the booth.

"I'm- I feel as though I know you." Michael looked between Varian and Clary as he spoke, as if he recognized Varian for one reason or another. There was a vague similarity if you looked between the two for long enough, but someone who had just met them would not see it. "You're so much like your mother. You're fearless, loving, and you've got a mind of your own." He laughs, "And maybe a little stubborn too."

"I should probably work on that." Clary said it with a smile and a laugh as she attempted to relax into the not-so-comfortable booth.

"Maybe not," Wayland shrugged. "It served Jocelyn well, she hid you from Valentine long enough for you to grow up without poisoning her mind."

"It was complicated, the way I grew up." Clary shrugged, "But I know she loved me, whatever else."

Varian felt strange, hearing his sister say that the way she grew up was complicated threw him in for a loop, but he didn't comment.

Michael seemed to answer quickly, "There was no 'whatever else' for her. I knew she was carrying you when she fled Valentine. But I never told him, no matter how much he tortured me."

Varian lifted his head off of Simon's shoulder, finally deciding to glare firmly at Michael. There was something strange about the way that the man acted that Varian couldn't quite place, but he was decided he was finished with this conversation and this entire situation.

He stood, almost to aggressively as his magic reacted slightly and made the tables around them shake. Varian pushed away the light headed feeling that came with standing as he spoke firmly, "I'm leaving." He looked at Simon, "Do you have the key I gave to you?"

"Uh-" Simon dragged out the word as he searched through his pockets, "Yep, yep, here." He held it up.

"Great, put it in any lock and it'll open the door home." Varian nodded to Simon, before glancing at Clary and entirely ignoring Michael. "I will see you next time."

Varian started to the door, pushing away the lightheaded feeling as he opened the front door and stepped out. He paused once he stopped outside, unsure if there was a better way than portaling to get home.

There decidedly wasn't, and Varian sighed as he created the portal and stepped through.

His apartment was warm when he landed on the other side of the portal and Varian was glad for the warmth. He waved his hand, the kettle clicking itself on and the cabinets rummaged for hot chocolate powder and a mug.

Varian made his way to his room, changing into sweatpants and a jumper, before collecting his cup of hot chocolate from the kitchen. Varian had told the pretty blue-eyed Shadowhunter that he didn't have a phone, and that was mostly true. Sitting on a little table next to his armchair was a very  old rotary phone.

It very rarely rang, because only one person had the number, and that was his baba  who usually just came by when he had to talk. But this was the first time in a long time that it decided to ring. Varian took it in hand, curling into his armchair and balancing his mug on his knees as he answered.

"Hullo?" He asked, lightly sipping at the top of the cocoa that nearly burned his mouth.

"I was making sure you were home." It was his baba, as he expected.

A knock sounded on the door before his baba  came in with a sad look on his face.

"Hey Birdie." He made himself a drink first, before coming over and taking a seat on the end of the couch closet to Varian.

Varian could instantly see the blue tendrils around him, and asked after it. "What is it?"

"The boy, the Shadowhunter you like-"

Varian was quick to interrupt, blushing furiously and shaking his head. "Who says I like him?"

His baba  laughed, a full chested laugh that nearly made Varian copy him. "Your face, your action, your insistence to come with me to the Institute all those days ago even though you'd prefer not  to be around Shadowhunters."

"Ya Tuhan baba, maybe a little."