Look. I don’t want to push you into anything, but do you maybe want to —†“Call Magnus? Look, that’s a dead end, I know you’re trying to be helpful, but —†<br />“—kiss me?†Jace finished. <br />Alec looked as if he were about to fall off his chair. “WHAT? What? What?†<br />“Once what would do.†Jace did his best to look as if this were the sort of <br />suggestion one made all the time. “I think it might help.†<br />Alec looked at him with something like horror. “You don’t mean that.†<br />“Why wouldn’t I mean it?†<br />“Because you’re the straightest person I know. Possibly the straightest <br />person in the universe.†<br />“Exactly,†Jace said, and leaned forward, and kissed Alec on the mouth. <br />The kiss lasted approximately four seconds before Alec pulled forcefully <br />away, throwing his hands up as if to ward Jace off from coming at him again. <br />He looked as if he were about to throw up. “By the Angel,†he said. “Don’t <br />ever do that again.†<br />“Oh yeah?†Jace grinned, and almost meant it. “That bad?†<br />“Like kissing my brother,†said Alec, with a look of horror in his eyes. <br />“I thought you might feel that way.†Jace crossed his arms over his chest. <br />“Also, I’m hoping we can just gloss over all the irony in what you just said.†<br />“We can gloss over whatever you want to,†Alec said fervently. “Just don’t kiss me again.