metanoia | alec lightwood

31

Shuffling and movement around me making my eyes crack open, my head in pain, my eyes feeling slightly puffy, exhaustion present in my entire body.

"Sorry-" Jace looked at me when he noticed me awake, setting my drums down, "This is the last of it-"

I blinked a few times, slowly sitting up, looking around my entire room, noticing everything I had trashed last night was back right where I had set it.

It didn't take a genius to figure out Jace cleaned it.

I croak out, "You did this?"

"I- yeah, god you some new sticks too-" Jace held them up, setting them down, "I didn't want you to wake up to a dirty room after last night- I didn't think it'd be good for you."

I stared at him, going quiet, small tears in my eyes.

It was a rare sensation having people who cared.

Especially with how much he's been here.

I slowly got up and walked over to him, pushing myself onto my tippy toes, hugging him tightly, "Thank you."

"Of course." Jace hugged me back, rubbing my back as if he hadn't held me while I cried for hours last night, making us both lack sleep, "You don't need to thank me-"

"No, no- I need to." I squeezed tighter, a small tear falling from my eye, "I know I've been a lot to handle recently- and that's got to be tiring-"

"With how long you've been gone, I'll take anything- alright?" Jace comforts me, "I'm always here- okay?"

I barely nodded, sniffling lightly as I slowly pulled away, "Hey, uhm- I don't tell you this a lot-"

"But, I love you." I gave him my best smile that wasn't very much, "And- I don't know what I'd do without you."

Jace softly smiled at me, putting a hand on my shoulder, "I love you too."

-

"Hey, sorry we're late-" Jace greets when he and I joined everyone in the Ops Center at the table.

"Hey- I've been looking everywhere for Max." Isabelle greets us, "Have you guys seen him?"

"Have you tried the armory?" asked Jace, "He's probably sharpening his blades for his first assignment."

Isabelle sighs, "I checked."

"We have more pressing matters." Alec cuts in, "Thanks to Dot's help, we now have the Mortal Mirror."

Sebastian questions, "And you have it at the Institute, and it's, well-guarded, I presume?"

"The Elite Guards are the only ones who know its location." Alec nods once, "It's safest that way."

"Jonathan went after Elliot and Dot to get the mirror." Clary mentions, "Now- that he knows we have it, he's going to come back for it."

"Agreed." Alec replies, "Report back with any possible scenarios by which Jonathan and Valentine could attempt a breach."

I stared at him for a few moments, before turning and walking away, Isabelle on my tail, "Zee, wait!-"

"Iz, I don't have time to chat right now-" I walked faster, "We're all on assignment-"