Piano Days and Other Malec One-Shots

Loneliest Hour

For Shadowhunters. I hope you all are loving the show as much as I am!

His last night of being alone was his loneliest hour.

He'd be crying broken tears all night; the kind that came so slowly they didn't run out. Between headaches and nightmares, sleep didn't come. As for the loneliness, no one was there. His room was far too quiet and unfamiliar. It threatened to engulf him and swallow him whole.

He knew the logical thing to do would be to get up and find his best friend, his sister, anyone. He needed to be assured that he wasn't truly isolated.

But tomorrow night he would have a beautiful, radiant girl at his side and he'd never be alone again. There'd always be someone there for the secrets, the nightmares, and the confessions. But Alexander Lightwood could never confess it all to Lydia.

She didn't deserve his burdens or sins. She deserved to be happy and Alec was determined to give her that at the very least, no matter what it cost himself.

He could almost feel the bags growing under his eyes. He knew they'd be swollen and red unless he gave them time to rest.

So he closed them, facing a new round of darkness.

.........

Max poked at Alec's cheeks.

"'lec. 'lec." Alec dragged his eyes opened. Could Max see the exhaustion on his face? "Is Jace's girlfriend coming?"

"Clary?"

"She's the one that likes Manga right?"

Alec rolled over looking at the clock.

6:07. A little under four hours to get ready.

"Yeah," Alec said, stretching out.

"Good. And her friend-- the one Izzy likes?"

"Simon?"

"Yeah, him."

"He'll be there," Alec said. "Unfortunately."

"And what about the warlock with the blue hair?"

Alec's breath tightened. "No, no, he's not coming."

"I liked him. We should have him over for dinner-- That's what Mom's always doing with her friends."

"Magnus and I aren't friends--"

"Why not?"

"Because--" Alec looked up at Max. His brother didn't mean the harm he was inflicting. But it was like Max kept tripping with knives in his little 12 year old hands and each one managed to land straight in Alec's heart, stopping his breathing each time. "You should go get ready, Max."

Max nodded, sliding off Alec's bed.

"I saw Lydia, you know," Max said, as one final remark. "She looks super pretty. Like better than Izzy."

"I'm sure," Alec said with a smile.

"But I still like that warlock better."

Alec's heart dropped with the slamming of the door.

.......

After Max's visit, he prepared himself for a day of allusions to the High Warlock of Brooklyn.

"I'm so happy you found yourself a lovely girl to settle down with."

"Where's Magnus?"

"Is Lydia just gorgeous? You couldn't have done better, Alec."