Chapter Text
The crisp evening air carried the soft hum of laughter and clinking glasses, the remnants of a celebration that had drawn to a close. Jace and Simon stood on the balcony of their loft, their wedding bands catching the light of the cityscape beyond. The world below bustled on, but up here, they were in their own bubble of peace—a perfect, quiet afterglow to the whirlwind of their wedding day.
Simon leaned on the railing, the soft breeze tousling his hair. "Well, Mr. Lewis-Herondale," he began, his voice laced with playful formality, "how does it feel to be a married man?"
Jace turned toward him, his expression soft, golden eyes reflecting the city lights. "Like I won the lottery,” he said simply. “Twice."
Simon snorted, shaking his head. "You’re really leaning into the sap tonight, aren’t you?"
Jace smirked, stepping closer until their shoulders brushed. "I can tone it down if you’d like."
Simon glanced at him, his brown eyes warm with affection. "Don’t you dare."
They stood there for a while, the silence between them companionable. The faint strains of music drifted up from a nearby rooftop, mingling with the distant honks of traffic below. It was perfect—messy, and completely theirs.
Jace broke the quiet, his tone thoughtful. "Did you see Alec during the ceremony? He actually teared up. I didn’t think he was capable."
Simon chuckled. "Oh, I saw. Izzy was holding it together for the both of them. You think she’s mad we didn’t do a full Shadowhunter wedding?"
Jace raised an eyebrow. "Mad? Probably. But she’s also the one who told me, ‘If you make Simon wear ceremonial runes, I’ll disown you.’ So she’s conflicted."
Simon laughed outright at that, his voice carrying into the night. "I can’t blame her. I think Magnus nearly choked when he saw I wasn’t wearing glitter."
Jace grinned, slipping an arm around Simon’s waist. "Magnus was too busy crying to care. And for the record, I think you looked perfect. Glitter or no glitter."
Simon leaned into him, his head resting on Jace’s shoulder. "You’re not so bad yourself, Herondale."
“Lewis-Herondale,” Jace corrected, the name rolling off his tongue as if it had always been theirs.
Simon hummed, a contented sound that settled into Jace’s chest. “You know, I wasn’t sure about this whole ‘marriage’ thing. Not at first. It always seemed... too big, too permanent.”
Jace’s hand tightened slightly at Simon’s waist. "And now?"
Simon tilted his head up, his gaze steady. "Now it just feels like us. Like coming home."
Jace leaned down, brushing a soft kiss to Simon’s temple. "Good. Because I’m not going anywhere."
Simon grinned, pulling back to look at him fully. "You’d better not. I’ve got plans for us."
“Oh?” Jace asked, his tone light. “What kind of plans?”
Simon’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “The kind that involve breakfast in bed tomorrow, a lazy day spent in our PJs, and maybe, if you’re really lucky, I’ll let you pick the movie.”
Jace laughed, the sound low and warm. "Deal. But only if we watch Die Hard."
Simon groaned, rolling his eyes. "Is it really Christmas if we don’t argue about whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie?"
Jace smirked, pulling him closer. "It’s tradition."
Simon pretended to pout but couldn’t keep the smile off his face. "Fine. But only if you make the popcorn."
“Deal,” Jace said again, his voice softer now.
They stood there a little longer, wrapped in each other and the quiet of the city at night. And as Jace held Simon close, he couldn’t help but think that, for the first time in his life, he didn’t just have a home. He had a forever.
《Break》
The sharp, shrill ring of Jace’s phone shattered the quiet morning air. Both he and Simon stirred groggily, sunlight just beginning to peek through the curtains of their bedroom. Jace groaned, blindly reaching for the device on the nightstand.
“Who the hell calls this early—” he started, his voice still hoarse from sleep, but as soon as he glanced at the screen and saw Alec’s name, his body went rigid.
He answered on the second ring. "Alec?"
"Jace, we need you at the Institute. Now," Alec’s voice was tense, clipped, and utterly devoid of the calm he usually carried. “There’s been an attack. We don’t know how many are injured—or worse.”
Jace sat up so fast the sheets tangled around his legs. "What kind of attack? Demons? Downworlders?"
Alec’s pause was enough to send icy dread crawling down Jace’s spine. When Alec spoke again, his voice was grim. “Demons. A coordinated strike. High-level ones. This isn’t random, Jace.”
“On my way,” Jace said immediately, hanging up before Alec could say more.
Simon stirred beside him, still half-asleep. "What’s going on?" he mumbled, rubbing at his eyes.
Jace was already moving, pulling on his gear with practiced efficiency. "There’s been an attack on the Institute. Alec needs me."
Simon blinked, the seriousness of Jace’s tone snapping him fully awake. "An attack? Is everyone okay?"
"I don’t know," Jace said, buckling his weapons belt and grabbing his stele. "But I have to go."
Simon slid out of bed, catching Jace’s arm before he could make it to the door. "Hey. Be careful, okay? Do nothing reckless. Come back home. To me."
Jace paused, his golden eyes locking onto Simon’s brown ones. For a moment, the chaos and urgency of Alec’s call faded, and all he could see was the man he’d promised forever to. He placed a firm, reassuring hand on Simon’s cheek.
"I will," he said, his voice low but steady. "I always do."
Simon’s lips twitched into a weak smile, but the fear in his eyes betrayed him. "You better," he whispered, watching as Jace turned and disappeared through the doorway.
The Institute was chaos when Jace arrived. The gates were torn open, scorch marks blackened the stone walls, and the acrid smell of sulfur hung heavy in the air. Shadowhunters rushed about, some shouting orders, others dragging the wounded to safety.
Alec was near the entrance, his bow in hand, his parabatai rune faintly glowing as he gave instructions to a group of younger Shadowhunters. When he saw Jace, a flicker of relief crossed his face, but it was fleeting.
"Thank the Angel you’re here," Alec said, striding over. "It’s bad, Jace. Terrible."
"How many?" Jace asked, his voice cold and professional now.
"Too many," Alec admitted grimly. "We’ve got at least a dozen injured, and the demons are still inside. They’ve barricaded themselves in the training rooms."
Jace’s jaw clenched, his mind already racing through strategies. "What demons?"
"Ravener and Raum," Alec said. "But they’re working together. That’s what makes little sense."
Ravener and Raum demons didn’t cooperate. Ever. This was coordinated, deliberate. It had to be someone—or something—controlling them.
A chilling thought struck Jace. "Where’s Magnus?"
Alec shook his head. "I called him, but he hasn’t answered. I don’t think he knows yet."
The knot in Jace’s stomach tightened. If Magnus was in danger, too—
"Let’s clear this mess first," Alec said, interrupting Jace’s spiraling thoughts. "We’ll deal with the why later."
Jace nodded, unsheathing his seraph blade. Its glow cut through the dim chaos like a beacon. "Then let’s finish this."
As they moved into the Institute, the heavy silence of the corridors was unnerving. The usual hum of activity was gone, replaced by distant growls and the occasional echo of something heavy being dragged.
They reached the training room doors, which were splintered but still intact. The air was thick with demonic energy, a suffocating, oppressive force that made Jace’s grip tighten on his weapon.
Alec gestured silently, counting down from three with his fingers. On one, they kicked the doors open.
The scene inside was carnage. Ravener demons, their grotesque, serpentine bodies coiled around broken training dummies, turned at the intrusion. Three Raum demons, massive and hulking, snarled from the far end of the room, their claws dragging deep grooves into the floor.
And in the center of it all stood a figure cloaked in shadows, its face obscured but its presence commanding. It turned slowly toward them, and Jace felt a cold, primal dread settle in his chest.
The figure’s voice was a low, guttural rasp that echoed unnaturally. "Ah, Herondale. Just the one I was hoping to see."
Jace’s blood ran cold. Whoever—or whatever—this was, it wasn’t here for the Institute. It was here for him.