#shadowhunterschallenge

Jace/Andrew, Rated T, 1k words, Post Canon

Jace needs a bit more cuddles time in the morning. Andrew is very happy to oblige. Love confessions ensue.

Written for @shadowhunterschallenges, Day 7 of the RarePair Challenge: Heronhill

Read On AO3

The warm weight over Jace’s back shifts cruelly away, leaving him alone in the bed.

That is definitely enough to wake him up. He isn’t a big sleeper. Especially when his boyfriend is leaving the bed way too early.

He pulls the white sheets up a little, eyes fluttering open.

Morning light is streaming in the room, catching on the mirror of the wardrobe. Jace buries his face a little further into the pillows. Unfair. It’s unfair that when he manages to fall asleep, when he manages to sleep through the night, he has to be awakened by the loss of Andrew’s body against his.

Andrew walks away from the bed and towards the bathroom, walking in front of Jace and Jace makes an annoyed groan. He’s so not ready to share Andrew with other people. He’s so not ready to be part of the world again this morning.

He shifts slowly, moving his limbs to wake himself up a little. Everything’s still a bit hazy and heavy, and he wants it to stay like this as long as possible.

"If I say there’s a demon in my bed, are you obligated to check it out?" Jace croaks out. His voice is muddled with sleep and rusty from not using it in the past few hours. He needs a glass of water and a coffee but that will have to wait until later. Until he’s been able to get the rest of his cuddles.

"You’re a good enough Shadowhunter not to need the Head of Security checking for demons in your bed, babe,” Andrew replies. He’s barely even looking at him.

Jace pouts. This is not okay. He groans again. He doesn’t care if he’s ridiculous right now, he just needs more of Andrew this morning. Like all mornings.

“Come on,” he whispers, and finally, Andrew turns towards him. His eyes are blue like the sky in Idris and it makes Jace almost forget what he’s trying to get out of being cute. “You’re basically the boss, and I’ll deal with Izzy if she says anything.”

Andrew looks at him with a soft, fond and slightly annoyed look. Jace tries not to focus too much on the fact Andrew’s shirtless and that his abs are level with Jace’s eyes right now. Not only his abs…  

“I just need a tiny bit more of you this morning. Before I have to share you with the world…”

For now, they just get to be safe, quiet, everything Jace needs these days. He’s doing better than he ever has, and that’s partly thanks to Andrew’s quiet love and patience. Some days are just a little harder than others. And cuddles before he walks out into the noisy, busy world make it a little easier.

He has things to do today, people to train and reports to write. Jace closes his eyes for a moment, pushing his face deeper into the pillow and inhaling. He can already feel the stress building back into his body, like a weight over his chest. So many people, expecting so many things.

The bed creaks slightly as Andrew gets on it. He slides under the sheets again and wraps an arm around Jace’s waist, pulling him to him. Jace exhales when his back hits Andrew’s chest. He’s so thankful for this. For this quiet moment.

Andrew presses a kiss at the tender junction of his neck and his collarbone. “You have an alarm on in case we fall back asleep?” he mutters against Jace’s neck, sending shivers down Jace’s spine.

Jace hums in reply. He always does. Andrew swallows and shifts a little to get more comfortable. His hand reaches up to hold Jace’s. It’s so quiet that Jace feels like he can hear both of their hearts beating. Everything’s so peaceful.

Jace twists his hand to kiss Andrew’s knuckles. “I love you,” he murmurs, so incredibly quiet that he doubts Andrew can even hear the words.

“I love you too, Jace,” Andrew replies. “Every day more than before, I think.”

Jace feels a little choked up. He always is when Andrew says things like that. He’s not used to this, never thought he’d have more than one-night-stands and fleeting connections. He’s not used to the idea of a steady love like the one between the two of them, like the one that makes every day easier to deal with.

He never thought he would be able to love someone like this, to be loved back, and for it not to feel like it was consuming him alive, poisoning him almost. He could stay forever in Andrew’s arms, and in his life.

Maybe some days, for Andrew, it’s a burden to always have Jace need him the way he does. Maybe Jace is the only one that’s really content right now… He tries to shove away the sudden paranoia that threatens the quiet perfection of his moment, but fails.

“I’m sorry you always need to take care of me,” Jace whispers. “I’m sorry you always have to make sure I’m okay.”

Andrew huffs slightly behind him. “I’ve never been trusted with anything half as precious as you before,” he answers, voice firm and full of an emotion Jace has trouble dealing with. “I love caring for you. I love knowing that you trust me enough to let me take care of you. I know it can be hard…”

Jace shakes his head. “Never with you. I trust you with my life.”

Andrew holds him tighter suddenly. “Thank you, Jace,” he whispers. “Thank you for letting me take care of you.”

Jace turns around in his arms, all idea of getting more sleep forgotten. He looks at the man that’s holding him now, the man that he loves more than he can actually say because words are still complicated for him.

Andrew looks a little tired like this, all soft against the pillow. His hair is getting a bit long, he needs a haircut, and the curls roll against Jace’s fingers when he reaches up and brushes his hand over him.

He leans in softly, and kisses him. It’s not a heated kiss, none of them really feel like more right now, more than the quiet of this. Jace kisses him, thanks him, loves him in one breath.