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Alec had always been at least peripherally aware of Jace at all times.That had been true since before they’d become Parabatai. Their soul bond only served to intensify feelings that had already existed. At first, that had scared Alec. The barriers he’d been so good at keeping in place before the ceremony came down too easily the moment they connected on a level no one could understand unless they’d felt it themselves. He’d recognized the moment Jace had felt it all, had reached out for him even before his body had begun to sway beneath the onslaught of emotions coming at him, cradling him against his chest in a way that was as familiar as it was foreign.Luckily, everyone in attendance at the ceremony had chalked the show of vulnerability up to the newness of their Parabatai bond. It wasn’t altogether untrue, and it was no one’s business but their own. That was what they’d told themselves the first time they’d kissed, and by the time they’d fallen into bed together, they were beyond caring about what some Clave Law that no one had ever been able to prove would corrupt their bond said.After that, whatever walls remained crumbled as if they were built from nothing more substantial than sand.That was why, even as Alec focused on Izzy and Max and their retelling of that day’s training session for the youngest Lightwood, it was impossible for him to ignore all of the conflicting emotions he felt coming from Jace through their bond. It took a moment, as it always did, to separate Jace’s feelings from his own, and Alec’s gaze shifted to where his Parabatai stood. He watched silently as the other man stared out the window, arms crossed over his chest. Alec’s eyebrows furrowed together as he tried to discern the reason for it from halfway across the room. He knew Jace had been feeling restless, but Alec had stopped himself from pushing for answers, knowing his Parabatai would come to him with whatever was bothering him when he was ready. Patience was a virtue Alec had learned long ago to embrace when it came to Jace. This was different, though. There was something more to it, and a frown deepened as the melancholy he’d felt flooding into him receded as suddenly as it had appeared. As much as he may not have wanted to push, Alec knew he’d have to ask for answers if he wanted to know what was wrong.Alec shook his head, clearing the wayward thoughts as he turned back to his siblings, sensing more than seeing the way that Jace left the room. He moved to follow him before he’d even made a conscious decision to do so, an excuse already lingering on the tip of his tongue. Before he could say a word, though, Izzy was already nodding, an understanding smile turning up the corners of her mouth as she maneuvered Max back toward the training center, easily distracting him from the tale he was intent on retelling for the third time in the last hour.Alec smiled as he watched them for a moment before following the pull of their bond in the direction that Jace had wandered off in. He already knew exactly where he’d find him before he’d even opened his bedroom door. As expected, Jace was there, sitting on his bed, twirling his stele between his fingers. A small smile found its way to his face as he looked up at Alec, but it was one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Jace looked away again almost immediately, prompting Alec to close and lock the door behind him before he moved to the bed, taking a seat, too. Their shoulders knocked together as he sat down, long fingers wrapping around Jace’s to still his movements.“Talk to me.” Alec’s voice was quiet, barely louder than a whisper, as he shifted closer, turning to the side and reaching up to cradle Jace’s jaw with his free hand. “You know I don’t like to push, Parabatai , but if something is wrong, if there’s something I can help you with, I need to know what it is.”“Nothing’s wrong .” The frown on Alec’s face returned at his response, but it was tempered by the way Jace turned into his touch, nuzzling against his palm without hesitation. He was almost relaxed now, a stark contrast to what Alec had felt only a short time ago, and despite the relief he felt at that, that hadn’t stopped him from worrying.“Then,” he started again, a moment later, worry lines creasing his forehead. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”With a sigh, Jace looked up at him, adjusting his hand so that his and Alec’s fingers were laced together instead. “I’m tired of,” he paused, gesturing absently at nothing in particular in the span of a single breath. “ Everything . With the war over, I just… I want a break from all of it. I want some kind of normalcy, even if it’s short-lived, but I can’t stop thinking about how selfish it is of me to even think about something like that when we’re still so wrapped up in rebuilding and figuring out how our world will go on after all the destruction and chaos and I-” He cut himself off, turning toward the window before he could finish his thought, a soft sigh falling from his mouth before he continued. “I couldn’t say anything to you when the brunt of the responsibility rests on your shoulders.”The hand that had been resting against Jace’s face fell to the side as Alec heaved a sigh of his own. He knew better than anyone else the toll the war had taken on Jace. He’d felt his Parabatai’s pain and guilt and anger amongst a myriad of other emotions. With everything that had been happening, the war that had been raging at their front doors, it had never felt like the right time to broach the topic. Now that he had, though, Alec couldn’t help but feel as if he’d failed somehow. That if maybe he’d paid more attention, or had made more time for just the two of them despite everything else that had been happening, he would’ve been able to do something to ease all the things that Jace had been feeling sooner.With a shake of his head, Alec straightened his shoulders and reached out again, fingers gently stroking along Jace’s cheek. An expression Alec couldn’t immediately put a name to crossed Jace’s face as he leaned into the touch with a soft sigh, mismatched eyes meeting across the scant space between them as he continued, almost as if he hadn’t stopped at all. “Watching the mundanes play in the snow, with not much more to worry about than finding the perfect gifts, and listening to Clary go on about the Christmas traditions she and Jocelyn had… I want that kind of normalcy , Alec. Stupid and silly and ridiculous as it seems, it would be nice to have nothing to worry about but decorations and gifts and keeping warm in front of a fire.”The ‘with you’ was implied, and Alec felt more than heard Jace’s sigh, his shoulders lifting and falling in a shrug even as his gaze wandered to the large window across the room to watch the snow falling outside. Longing . That was what Alec saw on Jace’s face now, and what he’d seen many times before. It had been in the way he’d watched Alec before they’d become Parabatai, especially when he’d been waiting for an answer to that all-important question. Then, after that, it was in the way his hands would hover in the air between them, always wanting to touch and knowing he couldn’t until they were alone. Alec had seen it too many times during the war, witnessed the way it had driven Jace to extremes on the battlefield, all in an effort to get to him regardless of what stood in his way. And, now, Alec had seen it in the way Jace had held himself at the window in the training room. The reason for the feelings of melancholy had become that much clearer.If anyone deserved a simpler life, a break from all the chaos that had consumed their entire existence since Clary had stumbled into their lives, it was Jace. Between being kidnapped, tortured and killed by Valentine, the possession that Lilith had been responsible for, he’d suffered more than anyone else had. All Alec wanted - all Alec had ever wanted - was for his Parabatai to be happy. There was nothing he wouldn’t do, no sacrifice he wouldn’t make if it meant seeing Jace smile - mundane holidays included - because the way his entire face lit up was a sight to behold. Alec wasn’t sure what that would look like, but he did know a few people who would be more than happy to help him figure it out. A small smile turned up the corners of his mouth as he shifted, pulling Jace closer with an arm around his waist and his face buried in soft strands of golden-blonde hair. “So tell me,” he murmured, fingers slipping beneath the hem of Jace’s shirt to trace the rune on his left flank. “What kind of perfect gift should I start searching for?” His knock was harsh, frustration fueling every tap against the heavy wood door until Alec nearly tumbled through when it opened suddenly in front of him. He’d barely managed to catch himself on the frame with one hand as his wide-eyed gaze met Izzy’s. “Wha- Alec?!”Alec had tried, at first, to plan a surprise for Jace on his own. He’d wandered the streets of New York, listening to the passersby in an attempt at learning everything he possibly could about the upcoming holiday. He’d sat in cafe’s, drinking countless cups of hot chocolate - mostly for appearance's sake - as he’d eavesdropped on the other patrons, face screwed up at the way they complained about the snow or the cold or the exorbitant prices for even the simplest of the things before bundling themselves back up and diving right back in to all of it. He’d even gone so far as to follow a couple around the city one evening, invisible to their eyes beneath his glamour because they’d reminded him of himself and Jace.None of it had brought him any closer to understanding the appeal , though. In fact, the more he learned, the more the opposite turned out to be true, and the less he was sure of what it was he needed to do. It took Alec three days of stalking around the city, innumerable reminders from himself of who he was doing this for, and one unintentional run-in with a particularly anxious mundane woman for him to admit to himself that he needed help. He pushed past Izzy, gesturing for her to close the door as he paced across her room. His mouth opened and closed a few times, hands moving wordlessly in the air in front of him, before finally seeming to gather himself enough to look at her, voice as pleading as his expression as he’d finally murmured, “I need your help .”Frustration gave way to confusion before fading into curiosity as Izzy had finally sat down, patting the mattress beside her in encouragement. Alec was usually the picture of control, even in front of those he was close to, and seeing him so out of sorts worried Izzy enough to bite back whatever irritation she had at how he’d showed up at her door. “Talk to me,” was all she said as Alec sat, his shoulders slumping forward almost immediately.“It’s Jace.” Alec’s eyebrows were drawn together in thought, distracted enough to almost miss Izzy’s sharp intake of breath as she grasped his arm too hard, and he quickly added, “he’s fine , he just needs a break.” It was an oversimplification of the truth, and by the look his sister gave him, Alec knew that she was waiting for more. His gaze moved back to his hands as he took a deep breath before diving into the story, relaying what Jace had told him and giving her a brief retelling of his own disastrous attempts at surprising his Parabatai with the holiday vacation he’d earned a thousand times over.Izzy was practically giddy by the time Alec had finally stopped talking, her entire body seemingly vibrating with the excitement she was trying to contain. Alec had known that she wouldn’t say ‘no’ to his request, but he hadn’t expected a reaction quite like this one. It was enough to cause a grin to spread across his lips, amusement replacing frustration as Izzy nodded vigorously, reflexively, already appearing to be deep in thought.The errant, but no less determined, comment that they should ask Magnus, Clary, and even Simon for help was not as unexpected as Alec thought it would be once the initial surprise wore off. His instinct, as always, was to say no. Asking Izzy for help was already a little outside of his comfort zone, but fine when she knew and loved Jace almost as much as he did. Beyond that, she’d known their secret from day one and had always been nothing but supportive. Magnus, Clary and Simon were new . Anomalies, even. Sure, they’d learned of his and Jace’s secret on the night the memory demon had been summoned. So far they had been true to their word when they’d promised they could be trusted. But even after all the time they’d known each other, all the battles they’d fought side-by-side, Alec was still uncomfortable with how that had forced him to put Jace’s safety in the hands of those he’d hardly known. Still, Alec was nothing if not practical, and he knew Izzy was right. Despite their combined knowledge and research, they could never hope to know more about Christmas than a centuries-old Warlock and two former mundanes.Alec had barely nodded his concession when Izzy had clapped once, loudly, grinning as she stood up. Her expression softened as she rested a hand on Alec’s shoulder, prompting him to look up before she spoke. “Who knew you could be such a romantic?” Then she was grinning widely again, turning on her heel at the same moment, muttering something about finding Clary before Alec had even managed to formulate a response.His answer would have been Jace . Alec smiled to himself, amused at how surprised his sister would be to also learn that Jace could be quite the romantic, too. Under the right circumstances, anyway. Alec had always thought it a privilege that he was the only one who had ever experienced this softer side of his typically brash and cocky Parabatai. No one knew how far that version of Jace was from the man he was in private - he could be as vulnerable as he wanted to be because he was safe with Alec. That thought was tucked away as Alec finally stood up to follow after Izzy. Now that he had something vaguely resembling a plan - or at least a plan to have a plan - he couldn’t wait to get started.Despite his initial wariness about accepting help from anyone other than Izzy, working with the others had been helpful in more ways than one. Yes, they had taught him and Izzy all there was to know about not just Christmas but, thanks to Simon, Hanukkah as well. He’d joined Clary to shop for all manner of decorations while Jace was otherwise occupied, had gone with Simon to a tree farm so he could choose - and cut down - his own tree, and had been more grateful than he could ever convey that Magnus had offered to let them use one of the many homes he owned. This one was a grand cabin in upstate New York - two stories high, with big picture windows and a large wrap around porch - already surrounded in at least a few feet of snow. Alec’s excitement upon seeing it for the first time hadn’t been quite as obvious as Izzy’s excited squeal had been, but the smile he’d given Magnus in thanks had been filled with gratitude he’d had no idea how to express.After that, the details seemed to fall into place with ease, and by the time the foursome had finished preparing everything at the cabin - even putting all the decorations up by hand, at Alec’s insistence - he almost couldn’t believe how easy it had been. The planning and the execution, while stressful at times, especially when having to work with Clary and Simon more than he’d ever imagined himself doing, had gone off almost without a hitch. Their knowledge had been invaluable , and for that Alec was grateful . He’d admitted as much when the five of them had stood in the center of the living area, turning slowly on the spot to admire their combined handiwork. Even if he still didn’t quite understand why anyone would go through so much trouble for one day out of the year, Alec had to admit that it was so much more magical than he’d thought it would be.The one thing he hadn’t considered was how complicated it would be to hide it all from Jace, especially considering their bond, and the cover-ups Alec offered were clumsy and awkward at best. Alec knew Jace well enough to know that whatever doubts he had were growing, could see the questions in his lingering stare whenever an excuse was made about where he was going or where he’d been, and the only comfort he had was that it wouldn’t be much longer until all would be revealed. That was what he chose to focus on instead, certain that everything would be fine soon enough. It had to be , or everything he’d done would have been for nothing. After all, if there was one thing Alec had learned over the years, especially in the midst of the wars they’d fought, Murphy’s Law was so much more than a scare tactic. In almost every situation they’d encountered, anything that could go wrong did go wrong.“ Alec ?” There was almost nothing but confusion in Jace’s tone as he turned on the spot, palm still wrapped around the hilt of his Seraph blade tightly, as if waiting for a demon to appear from behind the Christmas tree in the center of the room. It wasn’t until he’d done a complete circle, eyes wide as they met Alec’s from a few feet away, and he could just make out the hint of wetness in the twinkling of the multi-colored lights strung up all over the place, that he let it clatter to the floor at his feet. “What is… this ?”The confusion was understandable. Alec had expected this reaction even before he’d shaken Jace awake earlier that morning, under the pretense of a nearby demon attack, but he hadn’t realized how adorable it would be, too. He was distracted enough to almost miss Jace’s question but shook it off with a soft smile as he gestured absently at the space around them. “ Surprise .”There were strings of light and strands of tinsel wrapped around the balustrade, suspended from the rafters, and hanging in front of the large picture windows. The curtains were drawn, giving them a view of the winter wonderland outside, and a small stack of gifts sat on a table beneath it, ready to be set under the tree where they belonged. It was the bags and boxes of decorations stacked on the floor around the bare tree that stole Jace’s attention, though. Alec watched, amusement flickering across his face, as he moved toward them, kneeling on the floor to pick up a glass bulb. He turned it around in his hand, brows furrowed together as if deep in thought, before looking at Alec again. “You tricked me.” There was no heat to the accusation, and though it was clear that Jace was still perplexed , the grin on his face was bright, blinding, and there was no resisting the pull of it.“I surprised you.” Alec corrected as he sat down, long legs stretched out on either side of the box in front of him. “Wanting a break we both needed isn’t selfish, and you should know that I’ll do anything for you if it means seeing this smile on your face.” He’d reached up as he’d spoke, thumb brushing along Jace’s bottom lip gently, only to replace it with his mouth a moment later. The kiss was slow, but deep, their mouths fitting together in the same way that their souls had since they were teenagers. It was almost enough to get lost in, in the gentle push and pull as Alec’s hands moved to Jace’s face, holding him close even as he shifted forward until the space between them was nearly non-existent.“I love you,” Jace whispered as he pulled back a moment later, his forehead resting against Alec’s. Words were unnecessary between them when everything they wanted to say to each other was perfectly telegraphed through their bond. Sometimes it was almost as if they could read each other’s minds, if they focused enough. Still, hearing Jace say the words was something Alec knew he’d never tire of - not when there’d been a time when he’d believed his feelings would never have a chance of being reciprocated. He leaned in to steal another kiss, responding with actions instead of words. One hand slid down Jace’s arm, to his hands, taking the ornament from between his fingers and blindly setting it back into the box.It was inevitable, the draw Alec felt to be even closer to Jace - as close as physically possible - driving his every movement. His hands had moved again - one cradling Jace’s jaw, tilting his face up as he nipped at his bottom lip, and the other tangled in the short hairs at the back of his head. It was too easy to forget the rest of the world existed when they were like this. Being alone, together, and so far from the Institute only added fuel to a fire that was always burning just beneath Alec’s skin. The way Jace clung to him, arms wrapped around Alec’s neck as he climbed into his lap and pressed down against him, did nothing but fan the flames.“ Fuck. ”That was the only warning Jace got as Alec fit his palms against his lower back and pulled him in. His fingers tugged at the hem of Jace’s shirt, tugging it up until they were forced to break the kiss so he could pull it all the way off. A groan escaped his mouth at the desperation he could see in Jace’s eyes, and Alec leaned back in, kissing and licking and biting at his mouth until it opened to him. Alec could taste Jace’s desire on his tongue, could feel it thrumming through his veins as if it were his own. It was heady, almost-tangible, and Alec felt drunk on it. His hands roamed over Jace’s back, settled on the curve of his ass as he pulled away with a gasp, eyes darkening at the picture Jace presented - lips bitten red and swollen, face flushed, chest heaving with every breath he took, and pupils blown wide.“Bedroom,” he breathed out after he’d looked his fill, gaze meeting Jace’s as his hold tightened. It was nothing but a lifetime of training that helped Alec stand to his feet again without dislodging Jace from where he was perched on his lap. The position forced Jace to wrap his legs and arms around Alec, kissing any part of him that he could reach as he stumble-walked the several feet it took to deposit him on the bed in the master suite. For a moment, Alec could do nothing but look , admiration and lust and love coalescing until it was impossible to discern one emotion from the next. But that didn’t matter , not when Jace was looking up at him from where he’d settled, wasting no time to wiggle out of his jeans. It was no surprise to learn that he’d gone commando, as was typical for him, and Alec was quick to follow his lead before climbing onto the mattress and crawling between Jace’s legs.A sharp gasp slipped from both men as they pressed against each other, lost in the intoxicating push and pull when their mouths met once more. Like this, alone, with their carefully constructed barriers down, it became nearly impossible to separate their feelings, tangled up together as they were. Alec never knew where his lust ended and Jace’s began when they were together like this, and this time was no different. It was even harder for Alec to tear himself away, holding Jace in place with a hand on his chest as he retrieved the bottle of lube he’d left in the nightstand drawer. That didn’t stop the other man from rolling his hips with a smirk, drawing a moan from both of them as their hardening cocks slid against each other.Patience was a virtue Jace had always had little time for, and though it was a feeling Alec could relate to well, he still met Jace’s look with a raised eyebrow before leaning in and taking his bottom lip between his teeth. He tugged on it lightly, teasingly, tongue soothing the ache left behind. “So eager.” The words were murmured directly into his mouth, a breathy, barely coherent whisper, as Alec’s own curved up into a playful grin before he began inching his way down.Alec pressed little biting kisses across Jace’s neck and all the way down his chest, leaving reddened marks behind in the shape of his mouth. Jace was pliant beneath him, hips shifting almost imperceptibly at irregular intervals as he bared his neck and arched his back. Jace’s hands were constantly moving, too - tangled up in Alec’s hair, tugging on the mussed up strands, cupping the side of his neck tight enough to leave his own bruises behind, and scratching down the backs of his shoulders with blunt fingernails.With a wet gasp, Alec moved even lower, down his chest and to their mark on his flank, tracing the black lines that bound them together with the tip of his tongue as he spread Jace’s legs even more. The snap of the lube bottle echoed in the room, drawing a shuddering breath from Jace as he adjusted, pushing himself up on his elbows so he could watch as Alec rubbed his slick fingers together, trailed them teasingly over the hard line of Jace’s erection before they moved even lower.There was nothing Alec could think of that would ever compare to the way Jace looked when he was like this. The way he shifted restlessly, whining nonsensically as Alec teased him open, slipping a finger inside him slowly as he pressed open-mouthed kisses along the underside of his cock was incomparable. As was usually the case, prepping Jace became a long, drawn-out worship of his body, and Alec basked in all the sounds he made, his own hips shifting against the mattress in search of some kind of relief from the ache of arousal.In time, one finger became two, and two became three, and Jace’s whining had turned into breathless pleas. His voice trailed off into an open-mouthed moan as he pushed back when Alec pushed another finger inside him, the pads of his fingers brushing against his prostate. When Jace tightened the hold he had on his hair, trying to drag Alec up from between his legs, he went willingly - eagerly, even, their mouths meeting in a hard clash of lips, teeth and tongues. Alec removed his fingers after that, squirting more lube into his hand to stroke his own cock as he moved back up Jace’s body, settled on top of him. Like this, Alec was certain that they were made for each other, made for this - he had been from the first time they’d fallen into bed together. It was a thought he’d had a thousand times over, that he’d no doubt have a thousand times more, but it was no less exhilarating as Alec finally pushed into Jace.His movements were slow, measured, even more attuned to everything Jace was feeling. Everything about them was so entwined, so tangled up together, that there was no way for Alec to know where he ended and where Jace began. Not that it mattered as he slid in further, gasping helplessly at the way Jace clenched down around him, wordlessly urging him on. Alec’s hands slid over sweat-slicked skin, curling around Jace’s hips and holding him tight enough that finger-shaped bruises would surely blossom in their place - a sensation Jace welcomed as he wrapped his legs around Alec’s waist and rocked back against him with a drawn out moan. No further encouragement was needed as Alec took the opportunity to pull almost all the way out before he snapped his hips forward, again and again, reveling in the feel of Jace’s fingers digging into the backs of his shoulders with a grip that should have been painful; that likely would have been under any other circumstances.As it were, all Alec could focus on was the pleasure - both his own and Jace’s. The way it bounced back and forth between them through their bond, the nearly overwhelming intensity of bliss that coursed through their veins, made them both tremble. Hands wandered, grasping and grabbing at bare skin or getting tangled up in sweat-matted strands of hair as they moved together, hunger fueling every touch, every brush of their lips, and every stuttering breath they took.Alec was content to go slow, to take his time taking Jace apart, but he knew that his Parabatai rarely had the patience for that. Alec could do nothing but grin, hiding the look in the crook of his neck, as Jace’s touch shifted until he was pushing at Alec’s shoulder while he slid his free hand between their bodies, pressing the heel of his palm against his erection. It was all the invitation Alec needed, though, and he shifted to his knees, hands moving to keep Jace’s legs spread wide as his movements sped up, compelled by the pleas of “ more, harder, faster” that fell from Jace’s lips in a never-ending stream, cursing and whimpering with every press of Alec’s hips against his own, and nearly howling with pleasure as they ground against each other.The way Jace felt around him, beneath him, pliant and vulnerable as he was, had always turned Alec on even more. Impossibly so, sometimes, because it was impossible to wrap his mind around being that aroused. And, yet, it barely held a candle to the burst of pleasure that shot through him as his gaze trailed down, over Jace’s glistening chest, pausing briefly on the way his own hand looked as he stroked his cock with increasing franticness, before continuing to where they were connected. His eyes darkened further as he watched himself disappearing inside Jace’s body, palms curving around the backs of his knees to pull the other man against him, hard, hips snapping forward at the same time.Over and over he went, driving them both to the very edge, and it was Jace’s incoherent whispers, “ Alec… Parabatai…” that finally sent him tumbling over it. All Alec felt was a white hot pleasure as his hips stuttered and stilled, body trembling with the sheer force of his orgasm, and Jace’s name falling from his lips like a prayer. He was barely coherent enough to feel Jace falling apart, too, the other man’s arm wound tightly around his neck as he pulled himself up, buried his face in the crook of Alec’s neck, gasping and moaning and shuddering through his own release.Alec woke to an empty bed, the spot where Jace had been sleeping already cold, and he couldn’t help but frown. When they’d crawled back under the covers - after cleaning the mess they’d made - Alec had been more than content to remain right where they were, arms wrapped tight around Jace’s middle as he’d nuzzled the back of the other man’s neck until they’d fallen asleep. That contentment was swiftly replaced by confusion as he swung his legs over the edge of the mattress and pushed himself to his feet, mindlessly crossing the room and padding down the short hall and around the corner. The sight he was met with was enough to bring a smile to his face again. And, for a moment, Alec leaned against the wall, taking in the way Jace looked as he sat at the piano bench, lightly fingering the keys so they barely made a sound as a prism of color danced across his face. Even if Alec hadn’t been able to feel what Jace felt, the look of happiness, contentment, and awe was so clear that it made his heart clench in his chest.This was what Alec had wanted when he’d decided to surprise Jace, uncertain as he might’ve been about how it would all work out, and he couldn’t help the rush of love that flowed through him with the knowledge that he’d done this. He’d put that look on Jace’s face, had made him feel as loved - more than, he hoped - as he deserved to feel.“You don’t need to stare at me from so far away.”The music had died down to a light plinking of keys and, as Alec startled from his thoughts, he could see the corners of Jace’s mouth curled up into a grin from where he stood. He rolled his eyes, though the gesture was nothing but fond, as he pushed himself away from the wall and cleared the distance between them. As soon as he was seated on the bench, Jace scooted closer, leaning his head on Alec’s shoulder with a soft, content sigh, eyes falling closed even as his fingers began moving again. It was a familiar tune, one that brought a gentle smile to Alec’s face as he listened to it, the melody calling to memory the first time he’d heard it so many years ago, shortly after Jace had first come to live with them.For so long, Jace playing the piano was not necessarily something Alec would call a good thing. The music he made was always beautiful - enthralling, even - but always with an undercurrent of pain that Alec knew stemmed from Valentine’s lessons . That had changed as the years had passed, the music taking on a much lighter tone as they’d gotten older. As Jace seamlessly transitioned from one song to the next, though - ending with a series of Christmas carols Alec had only recently learned in their entirety - there was an ease about him that had so rarely been seen after everything they’d been through.“Can’t blame me for the enjoyment I get from watching you like this.” Alec had taken longer than necessary to respond, as lost in the music and the body heat emanating from Jace as he had been, but now that the room had fallen silent around them again, giving voice to his thoughts came easily. His head was angled slightly down to catch a glimpse of Jace’s face again, taking in how rested and relaxed he looked after only a few hours away from the Institute and all the responsibilities that came with their positions as co-heads. That alone was all the reason Alec needed to turn Jace’s face toward his own, absently noting that his lips were already parted - in invitation or offering, he wasn’t sure. Not that it mattered when their mouths met, the kiss slow and deep and so achingly gentle as they traded wet gasps and muffled moans.All too soon, Alec was pulling away, a smirk on his lips as he watched Jace chase after him with a pout. There was an amused glint to his eyes as his thumb brushed the corner of Jace’s mouth, a hint of laughter in his tone as he murmured, “as much as I’d love to keep going, if I let you distract me again , we’ll never get around to decorating the tree.”With a flourish, he gestured toward where it stood, still plain as the day they’d cut it down. At the reminder of the ornaments they’d abandoned in favor of their earlier tryst, Jace’s eyes darted to the tree, face lighting up in excitement. It took him no more than a handful of seconds to stand up, dragging Alec along behind him only to drop his hand once they were stood in front of it. The tree was taller than even Alec, who hung back for a moment, scrutinizing what they had to work with. He knelt down and started sifting through the bags and boxes at their feet.Their first attempts at stringing the lights up around the tree were less-than-graceful, with cords tangled around their legs and clothes getting caught on branches, but they soon fell into an effortless rhythm. No words of instruction were needed as they moved around each other, passing boxes and packages between them. As they worked, Alec told Jace how he’d planned this surprise for him, with help from the others, pausing as he placed the last gift beneath the tree before stepping back again to take it all in.As with nearly all things mundane, everything about the sight before them had never before been enough to capture his attention like this. For the most part, the Christmas holidays had always been something that had existed on the peripheries of his existence - there, but easy enough to ignore. However, as Jace snuggled up against his side - arms wrapped tightly around his waist - Alec could just as easily picture this becoming a Christmas tradition of their own. Shaking himself from his thoughts, Alec returned the embrace, content to just stand there holding Jace for as long as he possibly could - loosening his grip only when Jace shifted in his hold, moving to stand in front of him instead.His face was tilted up, bottom lip trapped between his teeth and eyebrows furrowed together as he rested a hand at the back of Alec’s neck and pulled him down into a kiss. It was one filled with so much love and gratitude for what Alec had done that he couldn’t even begin to express them with words. He tried anyway, murmuring directly into Alec’s mouth as he said “I love you.” It was an ardent whisper - one that Alec returned in kind - each word punctuated by a press of his lips until they weren’t doing much more than sharing breath, caught up in something they rarely got to indulge in like this.After a moment, Alec took Jace’s hands into his own, leading him to a long couch that had been arranged in such a way that it offered them a view of the tree they’d just decorated and the snow that was still falling outside the frosted windows. They settled on it nearly wordlessly, with Alec wrapped around Jace from behind, his chin resting on top of his Parabatai’s head as they settled against each other.Almost on cue, the clock struck midnight and Alec’s lips curled up into a smile, a whispered “Merry Christmas” falling from his lips before he leaned over Jace, catching him in a kiss. There were cookies that needed baking, and mugs of hot chocolate waiting to be drunk, but Alec couldn’t find himself to care about any of that as Jace shifted in his hold, staring up at him with an intensity that was accompanied by a flood of emotions through their bond that would’ve made his knees buckle if they hadn’t been laying down. Alec turned into Jace’s touch, nuzzled against his palm as it rested against the side of his face, and went easily as he pressed their foreheads together.“Merry Christmas, Alec.” The ‘ thank you ’ was implied in the slant of his lips, the gentleness of his touch, and the nearly overwhelming amount of love that flooded their bond. Alec was lost to it, to the feelings Jace evoked in him and to the new memories they were creating together. Surprising Jace had been more than worth the effort everyone had put into making the holiday what it was, and before they could lose themselves to each other again, Alec made a mental note to thank the others for their help once again - and to find time for him and Jace to get away more often.They both deserved it.