There was something in the way Sebastian spoke that quickens Jace's pulse and it's an odd mixture of danger and thrill of the hunt--or the hunted? It's the smile that he returned, real and yet still hiding the sudden suspicion he suddenly felt, as he slid to one side to give Sebastian room.
He had no reason to be suspicious, but Valentine had them all on edge lately.
"I know of it. Can you keep up?" Always a challenge. He knew it wasn't his most lovable trait, the constant desire to be the best, to win, to treat everything as a challenge. He blamed Valentine for part and the rest he knew was simply who he was. Sometimes he wondered if he had any lovable traits. And then he remembered Alec would kick his ass if could hear his thoughts.
"If you play as well as Izzy says you fight..." He smirked, fingers lightly touching the keys as he waited for Sebastian.
Sebastian laughs, humbled, thrilled, angry even if that part doesn't show, and he slides next to him so their knees touch on the small bench.
"Izzy is quite the flatterer. She knocked me down flat in less than 10 seconds the last time we sparred." It was something he certainly enjoyed--it's hard not to. Izzy is a charming girl, beautiful beyond words. Almost as beautiful as Clary.
Sebastian begins to play, and when he does, it matches Jace perfectly. They're in tandem, rhythmically, musically, and for a moment Sebastian things perhaps spiritually, too. He almost feels peaceful.
Jace doesn't miss a note, keeping steady along side Sebastian and the piece they're playing together. He's impressed. And enjoying this immensely. Including the image of Izzy putting Sebastian on his back.
"She's been trying to do that to me for years."
He's very proud of her. But he never doubted Izzy's abilities. She's always known what she wants and who she is, no apologies to anyone.
It's the mention of Clary that catches him a bit off guard, causes the cocky grin to disappear and he misses a note. Just one and he quickly compensates, falls back into the rhythmic flow of the music. But he's already given himself away with that single note and now he can hear his fathers disapproving voice, almost feel the phantom pain of a broken finger.
"I wouldn't know. Not my business anymore. But I hear she's happy."
There he is, always better, always one step ahead. Sebastian's mostly bothered by the fact that there's truth in that bravado--he is good. As good as Sebastian? Probably not.
Besides, Sebastian's won. He notices it, that little blip, that little imperfection. He notices it, and he hones in on it, because it's proof Jace isn't perfect.
When he plays, it's with more confidence than usual. That's one broken finger, Wayland. Sebastian still has all five.
"You're not the boyfriend she was telling me about?"
"If she used the word cute to describe him, absolutely not. That would be Simon."
It's an unspoken challenge the way he catches that subtle change in Sebastian's playing and Jace inhales through his nose, sharp and quick, matching him note for note. It's a slip he won't make again. Cocky and well deserving of that word. It's rare he finds anyone other than Alec and Izzy a challenge so he's equally annoyed and pleased Sebastian isn't making things easy for him.
But he does slip again, catching himself before he hits the wrong note fully because his thoughts strayed too far. He tries to tell himself it's just piano. It's just music. It's not a battle.
Sebastian's the one to stop first, and it's abrupt and purposeful, because he's stopped and is now looking at Jace.
"There's something else you're thinking about." He's not psychic, no, but he knows Jace because he knows himself--whatever strange need to win is also carved into Sebastian, etched into his heart with a knife courtesy of his father and mother.
But he smiles, he smiles and it looks like he means it--like he doesn't scoot over because he wants to wring the other's neck, but because he cares for him.
Several things seem to happen all at once, catching Jace off guard, something he's not completely sure how it makes him feel. But the music has stopped and what had been a slightly warm press of thigh against his own has suddenly become a full body presence.
Sebastian's smiling at him as if he really could hear his thoughts and Jace can't imagine a near missed note could give him away. He's always been careful not to share too much. It reminds him of Alec and the bond they've shared long before they spoke the words and drew their parabatai runes.
"I was thinking about the music." Not about Sebastian being cocky about his playing or how he'd love to take this to the training room and see how cocky he can be there.
Their knees bump each other, but Sebastian doesn't draw away. Instead, he places one of his smiles on his face, looking not flustered, but polite, like he wants to be civil when he's reigning himself in as best as he possibly could.
"I know we don't know each other well, and I wouldn't--I wouldn't want to be presumptuous, Jace, but I can't help but think that you're lying."
He licks his lips, finding them suddenly dry and cracked, before launching in before the other can stop him. "I know what it's like, to bottle things up, and it never ends well."
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He had no reason to be suspicious, but Valentine had them all on edge lately.
"I know of it. Can you keep up?" Always a challenge. He knew it wasn't his most lovable trait, the constant desire to be the best, to win, to treat everything as a challenge. He blamed Valentine for part and the rest he knew was simply who he was. Sometimes he wondered if he had any lovable traits. And then he remembered Alec would kick his ass if could hear his thoughts.
"If you play as well as Izzy says you fight..." He smirked, fingers lightly touching the keys as he waited for Sebastian.
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"Izzy is quite the flatterer. She knocked me down flat in less than 10 seconds the last time we sparred." It was something he certainly enjoyed--it's hard not to. Izzy is a charming girl, beautiful beyond words. Almost as beautiful as Clary.
Sebastian begins to play, and when he does, it matches Jace perfectly. They're in tandem, rhythmically, musically, and for a moment Sebastian things perhaps spiritually, too. He almost feels peaceful.
Almost.
"How are things with Clary?"
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"She's been trying to do that to me for years."
He's very proud of her. But he never doubted Izzy's abilities. She's always known what she wants and who she is, no apologies to anyone.
It's the mention of Clary that catches him a bit off guard, causes the cocky grin to disappear and he misses a note. Just one and he quickly compensates, falls back into the rhythmic flow of the music. But he's already given himself away with that single note and now he can hear his fathers disapproving voice, almost feel the phantom pain of a broken finger.
"I wouldn't know. Not my business anymore. But I hear she's happy."
Distancing himself from Clary hasn't been easy.
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Besides, Sebastian's won. He notices it, that little blip, that little imperfection. He notices it, and he hones in on it, because it's proof Jace isn't perfect.
When he plays, it's with more confidence than usual. That's one broken finger, Wayland. Sebastian still has all five.
"You're not the boyfriend she was telling me about?"
no subject
It's an unspoken challenge the way he catches that subtle change in Sebastian's playing and Jace inhales through his nose, sharp and quick, matching him note for note. It's a slip he won't make again. Cocky and well deserving of that word. It's rare he finds anyone other than Alec and Izzy a challenge so he's equally annoyed and pleased Sebastian isn't making things easy for him.
But he does slip again, catching himself before he hits the wrong note fully because his thoughts strayed too far. He tries to tell himself it's just piano. It's just music. It's not a battle.
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"There's something else you're thinking about." He's not psychic, no, but he knows Jace because he knows himself--whatever strange need to win is also carved into Sebastian, etched into his heart with a knife courtesy of his father and mother.
But he smiles, he smiles and it looks like he means it--like he doesn't scoot over because he wants to wring the other's neck, but because he cares for him.
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Sebastian's smiling at him as if he really could hear his thoughts and Jace can't imagine a near missed note could give him away. He's always been careful not to share too much. It reminds him of Alec and the bond they've shared long before they spoke the words and drew their parabatai runes.
"I was thinking about the music." Not about Sebastian being cocky about his playing or how he'd love to take this to the training room and see how cocky he can be there.
no subject
"I know we don't know each other well, and I wouldn't--I wouldn't want to be presumptuous, Jace, but I can't help but think that you're lying."
He licks his lips, finding them suddenly dry and cracked, before launching in before the other can stop him. "I know what it's like, to bottle things up, and it never ends well."