No one had expected it to happen. It was supposed to be a simple patrol. The normal demon attacks that used to happen which should have been able to be handled by two shadowhunters.
But it was a sudden attack and the two shadowhunters were suddenly fighting eight Raum demons. At the end of the fight, Eugenia Lightwood had almost been attacked by a demon on her back while she was fighting another. Well, 'almost' because it was Thomas Lightwood that ultimately got injured when he got in the way the demon to kill him. He could've made it out without any harm if it was a thought out move but instead it had been done on instinct.
News hadn't gotten to Alastair. It would never have if not for Cordelia. She had reached the Institute to train with Lucie when the Lightwoods had rushed in to see Thomas.
It was a patrol. A shadowhunter was injured. It was normal for Alastair to hear but this it wasn't just a shadowhunter. It was Thomas. The person Alastair cared for. The person who had become close to his heart. The person who had spent time with him in Paris even though he never liked Alastair. And the person who threatened him to throw him into Thames of he ever saw Alastair again.
When Cordelia had told Alastair about it, she had said it with a knowing look in her eyes. Alastair had never told her what had happened at her engagement party but she had somewhat guessed that it was related to Thomas Lightwood.
Now during the dead of the night, Alastair couldn't sleep being out of his mind with worry. He knew that an ask during a patrol is normal and it shouldn't take much time for to heal properly. A night in the infirmary can heal him. But there's no way Alastair could make his heart understand that. Before he knew what was happening, he had left his house and started walking around. He was wondering what he should do. He was suffering from one of the battles of his mind and heart. His mind told him to go back to his house and his heart told him to go to the infirmary to see Thomas. He found the second option to be quite stupid but what did he have to lose?
So on he went towards the Institute, still thinking over his decision. When he found himself in front of the Institute, he took a deep breath and went inside.
The Institute was quiet as everyone must have been sleeping. He took quiet steps in case all of the Merry Thieves were there for Thomas. He didn't want another episode of what had happened at the engagement party but surprisingly when he opened the door to the infirmary, no on was there except for a figure turned towards the opposite side of the door, laying peacefully in the bed.
Alastair went in and closed the door. There wasn't much light in the room but it was enough to see around.
Alastair turned his head towards the voice. Well, he had come here to talk to him so he spoke as the voice in his head shouted "Bad idea! Bad idea! Bad idea!"
Thomas slowly shifted on the bed to turn his head towards him.
"Alastair? What are you doing here?" Thomas spoke puzzled.
Alastair was quite shocked at how Thomas had replied. He had expected him to shout at Alastair but this left him speechless.
"I- um, I heard you got hurt during patrol. I wanted to see if you were alright." He struggled in forming a sentence.
"So, you heard of how I ignored the rational part of my brain and stupidly went in front of the demon? Yeah, my arm was scratched and I lost a lot of blood but I'll get back to normal by tomorrow." Thomas said.
"I thought it was brave." Alastair said simply.
Thomas turned his head sharply at that towards Alastair. "You-you did? Why? Any shadowhunter could have made out of there unscathed whereas I got hurt."
"But you weren't thinking of yourself, were you? I heard the whole story from Cordelia. You were trying to protect your sister. And you got hurt trying to save her. There's nothing stupid in that." Alastair had thought a lot about it while he was wandering around. He had then had the thought that it must have happened because Thomas was scared to lose another sister. He had loved his sisters and then one was gone. And the actions taken in love were in no way stupid.
"Ye-yes. That's what happened. I was supposed to go with Anna but Eugenia insisted that she wanted to come with me. It had been long since she fought a demon as she was in Idris. She said she wanted to get back to normal. So she came with me. She fought brilliantly but at the end a demon came at her back. Only two of them were left. Eugenia was already killing one of them and I had just killed one and when I saw the demon going towards Eugenia, all I could remember was Barbara and how she got attacked then. All thought left my mind and I knew I didn't care of anything happened to me, and now I am here in the infirmary but I still don't regret my decision." Thomas said the last statement with a light smile on his face.
"I understand. I would've done the same thing for Layla." Alastair thought for a moment about how he would feel if his sister ever got hurt and all he could find was empty darkness.
"Is your family at the Institute or did they go back?" Alastair asked after a while of silence.
"I asked them to leave and rest at home or else they wouldn't have rested all night and looked after me." Thomas said it as if he had somewhat regretted his decision.
"Though I have been unable to sleep and this night seems quite tedious." Thomas said. "Will you stay? You don't have to stay but I would really like someone to be here."
"Of course." Alastair spoke before he could think about it.
Thomas looked shocked that Alastair had agreed. "Really? You'll stay?"
Alastair replied while moving towards a nearby bed to sit "I'll stay."
Maybe it will be a long time until something can happen between Alastair and Thomas but it was a start.
