Dedicated to Ely ( elychan1991) for being my first real fan of this book, my motivation to keep writing, my beta (sorta), and now, one of my best internet friends. Love ya, kiddo (I know you're older than me shhhh).

Kaden really, really, really, really didn't like this 'being left in charge thing'. It wasn't like he wasn't used to it, which he was, but he didn't like having to deal with all the stress.

My damn hair's going to fall out , he thought on more than one occasion, as he rushed to and fro, clearing things out, searching for long lost papers and dealing with everything in general.

One of these times, as he was walking along one of the many corridors of Hotel Dumort, stack of papers on his hand (What was with all the papers anyway? Why didn't they just use computers like the rest of the world? Damn the Shadowhunters and their refusal to install routers in Alicante), he bumped into someone, and sent all the papers flying.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry." the other vampire said, and Kaden sighed to himself.

"It's cool, don't worry."

The person he bumped into kneeled anyway, and helped him pick the papers up.

Their hands touched, and they both looked up at the same time. Kaden gulped.

"Axel."

"Kaden."

The blonde rushed to pick up the papers before stacking them neatly into his arms once more and rushing to his office.

"Kaden, wait up!" Axel called, but Kaden kept walking, quickening his pace.

He reached his office and dumped the enormous stack of papers on his desk. He heard Axel's footsteps and he rushed to close the door, but a hand pushed his own two back.

"Just leave me alone!" Kaden exclaimed, and then pressed forward, using all his strength. Axel pressed even harder, and Kaden felt his feet sliding along the floor.

In the end, Axel ended up winning, almost sending the door off its hinges as he finally stepped inside.

"We need to talk." Axel said softly, but Kaden just backed away.

"No, we don't. "

"Yes, we do ."

Axel trapped Kaden against the wall, using his arms to lock him in place.

The blonde looked to the side and closed his eyes, to avoid looking at Axel. The latter simply took Kaden's chin between his fingers and turned his head to face him.

"Look at me, love." said Axel, leaning his forehead against Kaden's.

"Don't say those things. You've never loved me. It's not fair." Kaden choked out, in a whisper.

"You don't know how I feel." Axel replied. Kaden closed his eyes and pressed his head back against the wall even more.

"I do."

"You don't-you never have."

Axel breathed softly on Kaden's lips, and then kissed him.

Kaden's eyes flew open, and he opened his mouth in a gasp. Axel pulled back and kissed him again, and Kaden slowly gave in, scrunching up Axel's shirt in his fists.

"We-we can't." the blonde said, pulling away. His lips were swollen and he was panting, but even in this haze, he managed to dash under Axel's arm, and run. He made for the corridor, where he made a sharp turn and ran forward. He heard the other vampire's footsteps behind him, and he only ran faster, until-

A hand caught his elbow, and he almost fell forward, stumbling before standing upright.

"I've always been faster." Axel's voice was slightly tinted with sadness-no, not sadness. Nostalgia, as if he were remembering something.

"Let me go." Kaden replied, looking down at the floor. His cheeks were heating up, and he thanked God he couldn't blush.

"No," Axel sounded like he was about to cry, and his voice broke. "Not again."

Kaden looked up suddenly at this statement, as soon as he did, lips were on his, and he was kissing back.

Axel's hands were on his back, and his were around his neck, and they were moving backwards, towards something, until Kaden's back hit a wall.

They kept kissing and didn't break the kiss as they stumbled around some more. It was intense, and passionate, and wasn't ending any time soon. Axel's hands found something, a doorknob, and they stumbled in, and shut the door forcefully.

"Jump," Axel whispered, and Kaden did as told, wrapping his legs around the other's waist.

Axel moved his mouth to the corner of the blonde's lips, then his jaw, the underside of his throat, his neck, his chest.

A bed was behind Axel, and then Kaden recognised this place - Axel's room.

They moved again, and suddenly Kaden was being put down on the bed, and then kissing, more and more kissing.

There were shirts being taken off, and then pants, and oh-

"Kaden, sunshine. Do you want this?" Axel asked, and stopped the whole 'fast' mood they had going on. He was shirtless, staring at a vast expanse of green fields and golden stars that coiled around the green, making it seem like golden ropes tying around emerald shards.

No, no, no, I don't, I don't want this…

"Yes," He choked out, and then pulled Axel back down.

Why? With every touch…

"Ah! There, there, holy hell-fuck!"

With every thrust, Kaden moaned louder, the high pitched sounds muffled by Axel's shoulder.

He burns himself deeper…

"I'm going to-shit, shit, I'm coming, I'm coming, Axel I'm-"

"Let go love, let go."

In my heart.

"I l-"

"Not now, Axel, not now."

And discreetly, so he wouldn't notice (he did), Kaden slipped his hand in Axel's and forgot the world.

"Do you really think it's gonna work? He's got more vampires than you do, more experience more...everything, basically." Axel crossed his arms over his chest, and glared at Archard.

"So? I'm older than Raphael, I can take him on."

"But you're attacking when he's not there," Axel replied, and then spit on the floor. "Coward."

"What did you just say to me?" Archard exclaimed, and then whirled, reaching for his demon blade. Axel saw it coming and ducked, moving to the side, then adopted his initial position.

"I just called you a coward. You boast about your high-and-mighty-ness, but in reality, you're afraid, and insecure. You act tough, but what do you do? You act like a little kid." I am such a hypocrite , Axel thought, but then continued where he left off. "You really want to take over the clan? Then grow a pair, and face him! "

Axel was panting, his face red, fists clenched at his sides.

He expected the attack, and waited. Instead, Archard dropped the knife, and started laughing. Not just laughing, but howling, tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

"Oh wow, Axel, you're so funny!" Crest said, and then laughed some more.

"I'm not joking." The brunette replied.

"Oh? Because this is hilarious." Archard continued.

Axel relaxed himself, and then asked: "What's so funny?"

Then his cousin's face went serious, and he replied. "Your idiocy, Parr. Your idiocy."

"Excuse me?"

The other vampire grinned. "You're only getting so worked up because you're in love, still. With Raphael, or that other one, the one that I'm going to kill-Maxwell, right? I knew his parents. Good people, very good people. I seem to not be able to recall his name."

Kaden, Axel said in his head. His name is Kaden.

"I'm done with your pathetic plan. I'm out." Axel said, and walked towards the door, when-

"If you walk out that door, you'll never walk again." came Archard's voice, and though it sounded menacing, Axel didn't take much notice. He was used to his cousins empty threats.

That was, of course, until, with one foot out the door, he heard the whistling sound of the blade singing through the air-and then the empty sound of it impaling itself in his shoulder.

When Simon got back to the room, he silently opened the door. Raphael was asleep in the bed, and he was facing the empty side of the bed.

Simon changed into his pajamas (Harry Potter tee and boxers), and then got into bed. Raphael's arm wrapped around his waist instantaneously, and he cuddled up to his husband.

He noticed something on his dresser. A flower. A blue flower, the colour of the sky right before sunset, the colour of deep sea. It was in Raphael's coat pocket, the day of the wedding. He reached for it and twirled it around in his fingers. The petals were brighter on the outside than the inside, and the stem had some thorns.

Simon recognised it, from one of Clary's Shadowhunter textbooks:

Daemon caeruleus.

Demon's blue.