riverviewlogs | Home for the Holidays (Closed)

[The music room isn't quite up to the standards Alec had had in Idaho, but it was close. He misses the variety he'd had in his shop, but he has a good collection to build off of and he'd been picking up Christmas music throughout the month. 'The Christmas Song' plays softly on the stereo while Alec checks the ornaments on the tree even though he knows it's cat proof.

Turning when he hears Jace, he grins at his parabatai.] Merry Christmas, Jace.

[Moving toward Jace, Alec gives the box a curious look before taking it from him and sitting down on the couch.]

I thought we were waiting until morning to exchange gifts.

[ Alec really shouldn't smile at him like that. It's addicting and beautiful. And Jace has to look away, just for a moment, to compose himself before he gives himself away. ]

You know me. Impatient and impulsive. I couldn't wait.

[ He should have waited. Giving Alec his gift surrounded by family would be a perfect disguise. But looking at him now he knew he couldn't wait. Even if it meant losing a little more of himself. ]

Open it.

Like back at the Institute. [Even referring to when they were kids, Alec can't quite call it home. The only time he'd felt comfortable with himself was with Jace and even that had faded eventually as Alec had realized his feelings for his best friend weren't platonic. But that hadn't been Jace's fault and for awhile it had been someplace special for them both.

Alec had done everything he could to make Jace feel loved, including exchanging gifts that his parents wouldn't have approved of with his best friend late on Christmas Eve.]

Or you wanted to bring back an old tradition?

[Maybe that's why Jace looks a little nervous. Trying to rebuild their relationship sometimes made them both jittery.]

Are you going to sit down while I open it?

[ Jace rubbed his palms against his jeans and shook his head. ]

Are you?

[ Maybe they both should sit he thought, taking a breath and glancing at the sofa before gently directing Alec over to it, one had on his arm and the other at his back. Just touching him made Jace's heart beat faster lately, but he couldn't not touch him. After nearly losing him Jace had promised himself he wouldn't do anything to hurt Alec again. That promise meant he wouldn't distance himself no matter how much his heart ached.

He loved Alec as he always had. Alec needed to know that hadn't changed. But he didn't need to know how that love had evolved so unexpectedly. ]

I waited long enough to give this to you.

[Although he pretends not to notice, he does see the signs that Jace is nervous. It's been happening more often, but his parabatai has been trying new things, moving past the role that he'd been forced into as a boy. At least that's the reason that Alec's been focusing on. Magnus might suggest another one that they may discuss later.

Letting Jace move him to the sofa, he laughs softly at his parabatai's determination as he sits down. Juggling the box, he catches the waistband of Jace's pants, he pulls him down next to him.]

How long is 'long enough'?

[ It's not often-next to impossible most of the time-to catch Jace off guard, but Alec dragging him down by his jeans is definitely one of those moments. He'd been so caught up in worrying over the gift he hadn't expected that. ]

A few weeks. [ He had needed time to do the research, find the materials, make a few mistakes in the process of learning. ] It's not perfect. But it's strong. I tested it myself.

[ Rubbing his hands together, he smiled at Alec. It made him happy to see Alec smile, to hear him laugh. ]

[Smirking when he realizes that he really had caught Jace off-guard and his parabatai isn't just pretending to make Alec feel better he settles the box in his lap. The comment about testing it and strength surprises him. Arching an eyebrow at his parabatai, he wonders what Jace's gift could be that would make him so nervous.

Slowly he begins working at the tape, not wanting to ruin the effort that Jace had put into the gift.]

It'll be perfect because you gave it to me. Just like all those silly things I gave you when we were kids.

Nothing you've given me is silly.

[ Even as he says the words he knows knows he's failing keep the emotion behind them under control. ]

I may have acted like I didn't appreciate them as much as I should have, but I've loved everything you've given me. Not just gifts.

[ Friendship. A safe place. Understanding. Patience. Even tough love when he was being an idiot and a jerk. Alec had given him so much and in return he'd probably been the worst parabatai in history. Even Valentine had lectured him about the way he'd treated Alec. ]

So this...just open it.

[ Jace laced his fingers together and squeezed, nudging Alec with his elbow. ]

[Alec begins to protest, thinking of some of the more ridiculous things he'd given Jace in the past. Mostly when he'd been a boy trying to fix a situation that he knew was impossible to change. He hadn't had much back then that wasn't related to training, but he'd tried to give whatever he thought might help an orphan boy who had nothing.

I gave you ratty books and almost as ratty clothes.

[Both had been silly gestures but it'd been the only think he could think of doing back then. There'd been bigger, grander, gestures and he knew his parabatai meant those as well but he isn't sure what to say about those.]

We've both given each other things that were important. Things we needed even when we didn't realize that we did.

[Friendship and acceptance. Seeing the potential no one else had until Magnus noticed him. There were so many times that it would have been easy to give up if he hadn't had Jace believing in him and needing him.

Looking over at Jace, he can't quite hide his amusement at how impatient his parabatai is before starting to rip off the paper. Pausing when he uncovers the box]

Are you sure you don't want me to wait until tomorrow?

You were a child.

[ And Jace had loved them all despite behaving more like a feral animal at the time. Alec never gave up on him no matter how horrible he'd behaved. ]

Still are sometimes. [ He teased, trying not to look guilty for having been such a jerk most of their lives.

And then Alec proved his point by refusing to simply open his present.]

I'm sure!

I had better things I could have given you. [Except the best things Alec had owned then were weapons. Which hadn't been something Jace needed back then. He'd needed things to help him forget seeing his father die and the abuse that Michael had inflicted.

Pretending to glare at Jace, he makes sure to pause from opening the box just to annoy his parabatai. Once he made sure he's proven his point, he pulls the lid off the box, staring at what is inside.]

How did you find one so... [Even the bows in Idris or the ones the Iron Sisters made weren't as beautiful as Jace's gift.]

No. They were perfect. [ The words were spoken so softly, but he knew Alec would hear them.

And then he would be distracted by the gift so maybe he wouldn't notice how deeply affectionate they sounded.

FINALLY!

Jace's heart felt like it stuttered in anticipation. Did he like it?]

It's not perfect. I made a few mistakes. Broke a few strings getting the tension just right.

[Alec doesn't really want to protest that his silly presents hadn't been perfect. Maybe for Jace they really had been since before Alec had given him whatever toys or books he had, no one had ever given him anything because of kindness.

Carefully pulling the bow out of the box, he holds it balanced between his hands, shocked at the beauty of the wood. The grain of it reminds him of some of the antiques he'd seen during his trip with Magnus. The bow itself could have easily been in a shop in Idris.

Occasionally I break a few strings. That doesn't mean it isn't perfect. It's stunning. I've never had a bow that was meant to be something beautiful.

[ Jace couldn't help smiling like he was the happiest person in this world, or any world. Alec liked his gift. Now he felt a little silly for being nervous about it to begin with. ]

It's strong, too. [ It reminded him of Alec in so many ways, but he couldn't explain what he meant without giving himself away. ] I didn't have time to make arrows.

I can tell. [His voice has a hint of awe to it as he begins running his hands over the polished would. Maybe one of those shops in Idris would have something similar, but nowhere in New York. Even the shops he'd visited on his tour around the world hadn't had anything as elegant as this.] How did you learn how to make a bow?

[Even without testing it, Alec knows that it would hold up in most fights. Maybe not against Greater Demons or the kinds of beings Sebastian had called up, but it'd be perfect for regular missions.] You don't have to make arrows. I go through too many of them to have ones that match.

Home for the Holidays (Closed)

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