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When one was an omega, they often found themselves being looked down upon, and that was what was happening with Jace Wayland.
It wasn’t usually this bad. Usually, the Lightwoods, Jace, and Hodge Starkweather were the only ones in the New York Institute. This changed one day, when a few more people arrived. A rogue vampire had escaped from its holding cell in another North American Institute and had gone to New York, and the members of that Institute were currently here to arrest it.
“They won’t be here long,” Maryse had told Jace and the others. “Just a few days.”
So Jace decided it didn’t even matter what their names were, since soon, they would leave.
Though now, he wished he did know their names, because it would be hard to file a restraining order without one.
One of the alphas in the group (Jace thought his name might be Milo or Micah or something of the sort… He’d stick with the first one unless proven otherwise) had shown interest in Jace since the beginning. Jace ignored him. He never cared much for an alpha, and besides, the only one who had managed to catch his interest in his entire life was an omega. Alec Lightwood. Yes, Jace had had flings with alphas before, such as the faerie Kaelie, but he had only done it with people he actually found attractive. Milo didn’t apply, and besides, he was a bit too forceful for Jace’s liking.
Jace was usually able to ignore him, until one day, in the halls, when Milo pinned Jace to a wall.
Jace was pretty tall, so it wasn’t often that he had to look up to meet someone’s eyes, but that was what he had to do now. He glared at Milo, who was smirking down at him. “Well, little omega,” he crooned. “I’m leaving in a day, you know. Perhaps we could take this to the bedroom… and if you like it enough, you could come back home with me.” One of his hands drew towards Jace’s face, but Jace smacked it away.
“Fuck off,” he growled.
Milo’s eyes flashed with anger. “Don’t deny it, Jace. You find me attractive.”
“I don’t,” Jace hissed out. “You’re hideous.”
Milo narrowed his eyes. “Oh come on, Jace. Just give it a try. A beautiful omega like you needs an alpha to take care of them, after all.”
Something inside Jace snapped. “I don’t need an alpha!” he yelled. “I’ve never needed an alpha!” He kicked out at Milo, catching the other Shadowhunter by surprise, and then he was running down the halls to the place where he knew he would be safe.
Alec’s room.
He heard Milo’s footsteps behind him, but Jace was faster. He reached his parabatai’s door and quickly knocked on it. Alec opened it, and his eyes widened as he saw Milo. He stepped out of the room. “Micah Chillbreeze,” he snapped, and oh, his name was Micah, not Milo. “Get away from my parabatai.”
Milo - well, Micah - seemed to growl at Alec. “Oh? And why should I?”
“Might I remind you that this Institute belongs to my family, not yours?” Alec questioned.
The two glared at each other for a while before Micah stalked off, muttering under his breath about how embarrassing it was to be ordered around by an omega. Alec spun around and ushered Jace inside his room.
“Are you okay?” he murmured.
Jace nodded. “Yeah. I guess so.”
Alec pulled Jace in for a hug, and Jace hugged back. He felt the safest in Alec’s arms.
Jace stayed in Alec’s room for the rest of the day. The next morning, Isabelle knocked on the door and told them that Micah Chillbreeze and the rest of the Shadowhunters had finally left. Jace cautiously exited before he and Alec walked to the kitchen, intending to get some breakfast. Isabelle trailed after them.
“You didn’t make us breakfast again, did you?” Jace asked Isabelle.
The girl sighed. “No, because I knew you’d complain about how horrible it tasted. Besides,” she shrugged. “I thought you would prefer getting whatever breakfast you wanted today, since we don’t have any guests now.”
The past few days, Maryse and occasionally Isabelle had been making breakfast every day. Though Maryse’s food was amazing, Isabelle’s still tasted horrible. “I’ll find some bread,” Jace decided. “And I’ll toast it.”
Alec raised his eyebrows. “We have a toaster?”
“I saw it in the kitchen three days ago,” Jace replied.
“The Chillbreezes brought it,” Isabelle stated. “Then they forgot it here.”
Jace shuddered. “Micah didn’t touch it, did he?”
Isabelle shook her head. “Nope. He stayed far away from any cooking supplies.”
So Jace made some toast for the three of them, and after a quick breakfast, they retreated to their rooms once more.
Or at least they tried to. But as Jace headed toward his room, he paused, then made his way to Alec’s. Knocking lightly on the door, it didn’t take Alec long to open it.
His parabatai blinked in surprise. “Jace? Is something wrong?”
Jace shook his head. “No,” he said. “I just… wanted to spend more time with you.”
Alec smiled lightly. “Of course.”
Jace entered the room and flopped down onto the bed. He had been there the previous night, and he smelled his and Alec’s scents mixing on it, his more recent than Alec’s, but the other omega’s more present. Jace smiled.
I don’t need an alpha, he thought. But I need this omega by my side, forever and always.
“I think I’m going to sleep for a while,” Jace said to Alec.
Alec raised his eyebrows. “We just woke up.”
“I know,” Jace said. “But my sleep last night was uneasy. I was constantly on guard for Micah Chillbreeze.”
Alec laughed softly. “Alright. I’ll stay with you.” He laid down on the floor, next to the bed.
Jace briefly wished that Alec would come onto the bed next to him, but he knew he couldn’t ask that of Alec. Not right now. So Jace closed his eyes and, smelling Alec’s scent wreathing around him, began to fall asleep.