Espérons Inutiles

A Mortal Instrument Fanfic.

AN: Okay, so I already gave Malec misery a shot, and I'm gonna see if I can swing this. Here's my first shot. You MI fans are kind of lucky, in a way. My other multi-chapter fic is gonna suffer for this, but my heart is determined to get this out. I'll give you this: I have no idea how long this is gonna be, and I'm not entirely sure how to approach this. Let's see where this takes us.

Other notes: I need opinions on length. Seriously, I can easily jump over two thousand words in a chapter, and my first chapter for example totals in at over four thousand. So, yeah, I can slice it in half if you want. Give me an opinion, seriously. Aussi, call me out whenever characters are too OOC for your liking. Lastly, save for the prologue, you get bonus points for knowing the chapter titles are. Even more bonus points for those who can correct it. I wrote a bit more about this fic and my other one (in the making) on my profile, so tell me what you think.

Summary: After six years apart, Alec and Magnus are slowly rediscovering their love for each other. However, the clock is ticking. Fast.

Disclaimer: I don't own Mortal Instruments. Any familiar names, places, etc. are property of Cassandra Clare.

Prologue

Some time in the future…

It felt good. Alec smiled as he felt the flames brushing up against him. It didn't hurt, as he'd thought it would, but it felt very warm. It was nice. He was almost enjoying the warm feeling of the flames on his skin, not with any of the burning pain associated with runes, though leaving their own mark nonetheless.

Alec breathed out. His release of air seemed to fuel the fire onwards. He knew that eventually, it would consume him, and he would no longer feel this nice sensation. That had to be the reason. He had known what would happen, and he had prepared himself for this. He had known that he would surrender to the flames in the end. He had accepted his fate. His destiny. He had been more than ready for this, and he was being rewarded for his readiness. Some part of him was waiting for the fire to turn from warm to scalding. But it never came. Alec tilted his back to the sky, a soft smile flickering on his face.

Fire was a queer one to take company with. You never knew when she was going to be on your side. Sometimes, she was kind and loving. Alec thought of this as the warm fire his parents sometimes started in the Institute's fireplace, making the place bearable in the cold months. However, fire could be cruel and wicked when it wanted to. Alec saw this as the grand fire that had burned down Magnus' apartment. It had ravished the place with its cruel, scorching tongues of flame. The walls, primarily built of stone, were perhaps the only things that hadn't been destroyed.

Today, Alec wasn't sure what to call this fire. He thought it was friendly at the moment. He almost wished he didn't have to feel it on his own. He wished Magnus could know of this surreal warmth. Because no matter how close they had been, Alec had never felt this warm, physically. It was the warmth in his heart that consumed him when he saw Magnus, not this. He regretted not being able to share this with Jace and Isabelle. He almost wished they could feel this too. Then he thought of Talon and Crimson. And his mind jarred back into proper focus.

NO! He would never wish this upon his family! They were so blessed, never having to feel this as he did. He had thanked God and his entire host of angels so many times that Magnus would never be in this position. And he would never, never let Talon and Crimson feel this. It was for them that he was doing this. Them and Magnus. They deserved not to feel this.

And then it happened. The warmth was gone in seconds, and Alec now felt the pain. It scalded. It burned across his body with pain a steel could never hope to create. And he could feel himself being dragged downwards. The fire was pulling him away slowly; it was killing him.

And he opened his eyes for the last time. And he screamed.