A/N: The song Simon sings to Jace is the one used for this chapter, if that wasn't obvious enough. Also, Max and Rafe have a different age-gap than in the books.

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Simon wanted to surprise Jace. He knew it was kind of cruel to hold such good news from him and not announce them, as soon as he had the word, but it was just such a big next step, that Simon wanted to make it the best memory yet. 

The pencil in his hand hit the paper repeatedly as he tried to think of words that he wanted to put in the form of a song. The afternoon coffee had long gone cold and his phone sat on the corner of the desk, turned to silent. Jace was at work in the restaurant and wouldn't be home until late in the evening, and he was always very busy, so there was little chance he would call. As for anyone else, they knew where to find him. Simon needed the quiet, and his phone had the tendency to go off all the time. His producer kept bugging him about a new album, but Simon felt as if he was being pushed. He always said that he would make music from the heart and for himself and his fans, not for the money or the fame. Even though he was relatively known now, he still refused to have big concerts.

It wasn't his style. Besides, their slightly quieter life style would only be good for this next step... He hummed, writing down a couple of words. It was not going well. He decided to call his best friend. 

Dialing the number, he put his feet up on the table, examining the room. His music room was always cluttered, three guitars propped on the wall and a small drum set in the corner. His notes, lyrics and other papers were on the shelf, neatly stacked, though. Jace was a control freak as much as a he was obsessive about everything being in order. Simon was actually thankful for that - without his boyfriend, he couldn't find anything in this mess. He heard Bessie bark downstairs and rolled his eyes, going to the window. He looked over to the garden, seeing the mailman putting letters into the mailbox. Bessie kept barking, but the mailman seemed unfazed. The call was still ringing when the big German sheppard waltzed in through the open door.

"Uh-uh, stay!" Simon said and the dog halted half-way through the door, tilting his head in confusion. "You know you're not allowed in the music room, sweetheart." he said and then he heard Clary's voice. "Oh, really? Good to know." the redhead said from the other end of the line and Simon chuckled, leaning down to scratch Bessie from behind it's ear. "I was talking to the dog." he replied and heard Clary chuckle. "I figured. What's up, Si?" she asked and Simon smiled, moving out the room and downstairs, snapping his fingers so that Bessie would follow.

"I need your help with something." Simon told his best friend and talked about what he was up to, at the same time opening the front door, to let Bessie out on the lawn. He lingered on the doorway for a moment. "So, I need some ideas. Maybe you could tell me about your favorite memory of us?" Simon asked and heard Clary hum in thought. "First of all, it's such a lovely idea! And I'm so proud of you both, Simon, that's huge!" he could hear the excitement in her voice. He smiled, looking at Bessie, who was sniffing a nearby bush. He closed the door, going into the kitchen to make another cup of coffee.

There's no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard
No song that I could sing, but I can try for your heart
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things
Like a, shoe box of photographs
With sepia-toned loving

He shuffled around the wooden cabinets, light pouring in from the windows and he listened to the noises on the street of the suburb. He never thought he'd be a 'white picket fence' kind of guy, but with Jace, it just made sense.

"I have to say, the funniest and cutest memory I have of you two together has to be the school dance. I mean, you had been circling each other for so long, even you two didn't know if you were together or not. And then Jace came to the dance with Amanda Hollister and you were so jealous, but you were never the type to just go and tell someone off. So you hijacked the stage and sang a song, dedicated to Jace. That was so hilarious, because I know how you hate to be at the center of attention. Ironical, isn't it, seeing who you are now?" Clary laughed and Simon had to agree. He never liked being in the spotlight. He used to think that he'd just write songs and have someone else perform them, but Jace had convinced him differently. "And Jace was just gaping there like an idiot and when you ended the song, you came straight down and kissed him in front of everyone. The look on Amanda's face!" she laughed again and Simon smirked.

It was a night to remember indeed. Jace had worn a white suit. Simon remembered how he looked - dashing and beautiful as ever. If he'd known what the road ahead had in store for them, he would've swept him off his feet sooner. It wasn't until their last year that they finally made it official. After 5 years, those memories were still funny to reminisce on.

"That's actually a pretty good one." Simon said, mixing the sugar into his black coffee. He heard a baby cry and Clary sighed. "Jessamine's up. I gotta go. I'll tell Iz you called, yeah?" the redhead said and Simon nodded. "Yeah, you do that." he said and Clary shuffled with the phone. "Simon?" she said and the brunette stilled. "Yeah?" he asked and heard Clary sighed again. "I think the most important thing about you two is that you make each other whole. What's that Mulan song? One alone is not enough, you need both together?" she said and Simon had to laugh. "Alright, no more Disney for you." he told his best friend and heard Clary laugh. "I am a good aunt, who watches whatever Max wants to watch. That's why he's over at our place more than yours." she announced, making Simon roll his eyes.

"Yeah, but then again, Rafe is always here, for maybe just that reason." he retorted and heard Clary scoff. "Anyways, what I mean is this. You both are such great people, wonderful individuals. But there are certain things that only Jace knows about you, not even I know them. The good and bad, he deals with it all and it has made you a better person, just like you've changed him. You're just better together." she said and Simon felt his throat tighten. "Clary, that's- Thank you." he said, swallowing past the lump that had formed in his throat. He heard Clary giggle. "You're such a sap! And You're welcome. Oh, I gotta go now. Bye, Si, take care!" she said and hung up. Simon set the phone down. 

Love is the answer, at least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here? And where do we go?
And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and
Sometimes life can be deceiving

I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together

He mulled it over in his head, everything that Clary had said, and then dialed another number. He heard Bessie bark again outside and looked out the window. She was chasing a bird around the garden. Simon shook his head in amusement. One of their neighbours, Mrs. Willborough, was walking by and she spotted Simon. She waved, a smile on her face. Simon waved back, smiling as the old woman made her way across the street.

"Hello, this is the Lightwood-Bane house speaking." came a child's voice and Simon chuckled, instantly taken over by the cuteness. "Well, hello, there, Lightwood-Bane house. Is that little Maxie I hear?" Simon asked and heard a squeal. "Uncle Si!" he shouted and Simon laughed, holding the phone back slightly. He shook his head. The five-year old was always hyper and loud. "Is dad home?" Simon asked him and heard the small voice talk again. "No, daddy is at work, he said he will be back late but promised to bring me a treat, when he gets back." Max said, clearly pleased with that result. Simon sat down behind the kitchen table. "What about papa?" he asked and heard someone on the other line shout. "Hey, uncle Simon. What's up?" came a new voice and he could hear Max complaining about being relieved of the phone. "Hey, Rafe, what's up my little dude?" he asked and heard Rafael scoff. "Not little, Simon. And it's going alright, I'm on babysitting duty." the teenager said, almost annoyed, but Simon could hear the adoration from his voice from a mile away. Rafael was very protective of his little brother.

"Where's Magnus?" Simon then asked and Raphael scoffed again. "He went out to get groceries, but I don't think-" he stopped and Simon heard a door somewhere on the other line. "Who's that, Rafe?" he heard a distant voice and then there was more shuffling. "It's uncle Si!" he heard Max exclaim and then he heard Magnus's voice. "Hey, Simon. What's up?" he asked and Simon smiled. "You have a minute? I want to talk to you about something. Actually, you can put me on speaker, the boys might as well hear this." he said. Magnus did as he was told and Simon explained everything.

By the time he was finished, all the Lightwood-Bane's were shouting and congratulating him and Jace. "I wish Alec was here." Magnus complained and Simon laughed, rolling his eyes. "Dude, he's just at work. You can tell him in the evening." he said and heard Magnus make a complaining noise. "I swear, you two are like teenagers." he shook his head. "Whatever, Sheldon." Magnus snapped and Simon laughed. He asked them the same thing as he had Clary. Magnus and Alec, along with their two sons, were the people who knew him and Jace the best, besides Clary and Isabelle. 

"What about the time we had a watergun fight! Water was everywhere and it was sooo fun!" Maxie exclaimed with his childish voice. "That's so random, Max." Rafe said and Simon could almost see him rolling his eyes. "Hey, behave, Rafe. Be nice to your brother. I think it's a wonderful memory." Magnus said and then he addressed Simon. "Puberty, when will it end?" he sighed dramatically. Simon laughed again. "Yeah, right. Sometimes, I get the feeling that I'm the adult in this place, not you and dad." Rafe spoke and Simon snorted. "He got you there, Magnus." he said and heard the older man protest.

"The watergun fight thing is good, Maxie. We had a lot of fun that day." Simon said, remembering the hot summer day. They had been babysitting Max and Rafe (even though he didn't need babysitting) and Clary had comer over with Isabelle and Jessamine. The little girl had only been about 5 months old. They put her in the shade and Clary stayed with her, as Isabelle announced a war on Simon and Jace, recruiting Max and Rafe to her team. They had a watergun fight until it was 5 pm and Alec and Magnus finally came back from their date. They all had dinner at Jace and Simon's place.

It's always better when we're together
Yeah, we'll look at the stars when we're together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together

"I like the one from last year, when we all went rollerblading. Remember?" Rafe asked and Simon did. "Yeah, but didn't that end pretty badly? I mean, you got a scraped knee and Jace twisted his ankle." he mused, not really annoyed or mad. It was hilarious, to think about it now. "Yeah, but we fell into like this big tangle of limbs and it was so funny. And the way Jace acted like a big baby was the best part." Rafe said and Simon heard Magnus laugh. "I'm never letting you take our kids rollerblading again, by the way." he said and Simon laughed. "You already said that." he replied. "But what I meant by that it is a great memory, is the way you took care of uncle Jace. You wrapped his ankle into that white bandage or something and carried him to the car. And then we went to the hospital and all sat around his bed until they put a cast around his leg. We played UNO until we got to go home and I won, three times!" Rafe exclaimed, some of the childish demeanor escaping the 13-year old. 

"That's actually really sweet, Rafe." Magnus said from the other side. Simon agreed. That memory had it's ups and downs, but that was just like the life he and Jace lived.

When he hung up with the chaotic Lightwood-Bane family, it was almost 4 p.m. He went back to the music room, scribbling down some words. It was coming together. He took a guitar, setting it on his lap and let his fingers cross the strings, making a melody fill the room. He tried it out in different ways, until he was completely satisfied. At 6, he went to the grocery store, to get things for dinner.

Just as he tried to decide whether to buy linguine or seashell pasta, a familiar voice called to him. "Simon?" a raven-haired woman was coming towards him, arms stretched. Her face was showing signs of old age, but Maryse Lightwood was a beautiful woman, no matter what her passport said. It ran in the family. "What a lovely surprise!" she exclaimed, wrapping him into an embrace. "Hey, Maryse." he said and the woman smiled down onto him on her heels - high, just like Izzy loved to wear. "What are you doing here? Visiting Iz and Clary?" he asked and she nodded, holding up a bottle of wine. "I thought I'd go give them a break and take care of Jessie for a while, so they could have some wine and alone time." she said, her voice sweet and caring. Maryse was a gem to have as a mother-in-law, that much was for sure. She loved all her grandchildren equally and couldn't get enough of them. Robert was just the same, although he loved to spend more time with the boys, teaching them baseball and how to tear apart an engine.

"That's very sweet of you, Maryse. God knows they need it." Simon replied, leaning on the shelves. The woman nodded, light catching on the glasses she was wearing. With time, she had gone to need them, even though she didn't like to wear them. After Izzy had told her, that it looked totally fashionable, she wore them more frequently, though. "And you? Where's Jace?" she asked and Simon smiled. "Working. I'm making dinner, but I can't decide what to make." he said, slightly worried. Maryse eyed his basket and tapped her nose. "Shrimp pasta, so take the linguine. And add broccoli. Oh, and chocolate mousse for dessert? Jace loves your mousse. White wine, Germany. Semi-sweet, but not dry." she said. Simon eyed her and then smiled thankfully. Jace's love for cooking came from Maryse, after all.

"Life savior. I'm a libra, so you know I can't decide anything on my own." he said, beaming at the woman. He decided not to tell her about the big news, mainly because he wanted Jace to have the pleasure of telling his parents himself. Her eyes sparkled as she observed him. "What's the special occasion?" she asked and Simon blushed a little, trying to think of an excuse. "Oh, just... Um, it has been a while, just the two of us, you know?" he replied and the Maryse gave him a knowing smile. He mentally slapped himself. "I see." she said and Simon wanted to flee. "Well, not that we don't- I mean, I was trying to say that we just haven't had the luxury of spending some time doing nothing and just enjoying each others company." he tried to salvage the conversation. He didn't need Maryse to think that Jace and he were going to have sex tonight. Nope, he did not need that.

Maryse, however, was smiling smugly. "You don't have to explain. Have fun, then!" she patted his shoulder and he could've died in embarrassment. "Bye, Maryse." he mumbled and the woman laughed as she walked towards the back of the store. Simon rubbed his eyes and made his way to the cashier, to pay quickly and get the hell home. That was just plain embarrassing.

And all of these moments
Just might find their way into my dreams tonight
But I know that they'll be gone
When the morning light sings
And brings new things

Once at home, he started on the dinner. He did the mousse first, and then started on the pasta. When it was almost half past 7, his phone ringed. He smiled as he read the caller I.D and his heart sped up immediately.

"Hey, gorgeous." came Jace's sweet and deep voice and Simon melted. "Hey, babe." he replied, leaning on the counter, swinging the wine glass in his hand. "How's my sexy boyfriend doing on this fine evening?" Jace asked and Simon rolled his eyes, smiling. "He's missing his boyfriend, that's what. When are you coming home?" he asked, not bothering to hide the frustration in his voice. Jace chuckled, the sound vibrating through Simon. "I'll be there in about an hour. Can you manage until then?" he asked and Simon hummed, sipping the wine. "I'm not sure." he admitted, making Jace laugh. "You're so cute, Simon. I'll see you soon, love." he said and Simon felt his heart warm at the endearment. "See you soon, angel." he said and ended the call. 

He went upstairs, to set their bedroom. He brought his guitar and propped it next to the bed. He lit some candles and searched for the photographs. Their albums were stored in the living room, so he went there and picked out the one's he needed. The pictures from the watergun fight. The rollerblading incident. Their prom. The first time they went on a trip together (Greece). The time they took Max and Rafe to the amusement park. The time he, Jace, Alec and Magnus all went to the archery range, so Alec could teach them. And the day they got to hold Jessamine for the first time.

He set them above the bed, on a string with clippings. He also flipped a switch, making the string twinkle in small lights. He stepped back, admiring the handiwork. Then, he took the folder with papers and documents, setting them into a drawer of the dresser.

For tomorrow night you see
That they'll be gone too
Too many things I have to do
But if all of these dreams might find their way
Into my day to day scene
I'd be under the impression
I was somewhere in between

When he was done setting the table, he heard Bessie bark outside once more and then he heard Jace. "Hey, who's my favorite girl? Yes, you are! Come on, let's get you inside." the blonde was talking to the dog. Simon smiled, his heart speeding up once more. He went to lean on the kitchen doorframe, observing as Jace came in, Bessie running in as well. Jace's blonde hair fell to his face as he took off his shoes and shrugged off the jacket.

"Hey, babe." Simon told him and Jace looked up, a smile etched on his beautiful face. "Hey, love. How was your day?" he asked, moving closer and kissed Simon on the lips briefly. Simon's hands went around his boyfriends neck. "I should be asking you that. Mine was just fantastic." he said, hugging his boyfriend. He smelled like fried food, but he didn't care. He was just so happy, to have him there. "Si, I smell."Jace tried but Simon shook his head. "I want to hug you, stay still." he commanded and Jace chuckled, wrapping his arms around Simon. They stayed like that for a few minutes. "Alright, shower and then kitchen." Simon ordered, pulling back. Jace gave him a quizzical look.

"Bossy. Alright, I'm going." he smirked and Simon admired him as he walked toward the bathroom. He went to check on the pasta and when he plated it, Jace came in. He was wearing sweats, like Simon, his chest covered by a black T-shirt and he was barefoot. His hair were still damp. "What's this?" Jace asked and Simon turned. "Ta-daa." he said faintly and Jace smiled. "What's the occasion?" he asked and Simon went slightly red. 

"You'll see. For now, let's just eat, yeah?" he asked. Jace still looked confused, but conceded. They sat down and Jace eyed the plate. "I'm so glad you can cook." he mumbled and Simon laughed, raising his wine glass. Jace did the same and they locked eyes as the glasses clinked. "So, how was your day?" Simon asked, biting into the pasta. Not bad. Jace hummed, chewing. "Well," he swallowed "Rodriguez is doing much better. He even got the steak right today. I'm thinking of making him a permanent member of the staff." he said and Simon nodded. "I like that guy. He has a good heart and he's very dedicated, although he keeps checking you out." Simon told him and Jace's fork stopped mid-air, not reaching his mouth. "He what?" he spluttered and Simon eyed him playfully.

"You didn't notice? Of course you wouldn't, you just assume everyone is checking you out." Simon mused and Jace rolled his eyes. "Yeah, 'cause it's true. Wait, when did you-" he started but Simon stopped him. "Last week, when I came visiting. I saw him checking you out when you were showing him how to flambee. It was pretty funny, actually. When I said I was here to see my boyfriend, the head-chef, he nearly passed out." Simon laughed and Jace shook his head in disbelief. "Well, good to know. I can run away with him if I ever get tired of you." he said playfully and Simon gasped dramatically. "Excuse me? I thought we were in it to win it." he said and Jace eyed him. "Win what?" he asked and Simon rolled his eyes, like Jace was being dumb. "Being the best couple in the Lightwood family of course. I mean, Magnus and Alec are in the lead right now because of the whole 'we wanted to do something nice for our parents so here are tickets to Bora-Bora, enjoy', but we can still have them beat." Simon explained.

Jace was looking at him with amusement. His face was more tired, because he'd been working non-stop for weeks now, trying to make sure his restaurant stayed afloat, since it was newly opened. But Simon found him beautiful, still. He always did. "You're an idiot." Jace shook his head. "We'll see who's an idiot when Robert and Maryse sign the house to Magnus and Alec." Simon mumbled. Jace just laughed.

With only two
Just me and you
Not so many things we got to do
Or places we got to be
We'll sit beneath the mango tree now

When they were done with dessert, Simon cleaned up. "Wait, let me, you cooked." Jace said but Simon protested. "Nope, not happening. You can keep me company, though." he said, getting the plates and putting them into the sink. Jace leaned next to him on the counter and Simon smiled at his boyfriend. "Where's Bessie?" he asked and Jace's eyes scanned the room. "I think she went to sleep." he said and Simon nodded.

Jace moved closer to him, wrapping his arms around him from behind Simon's back. "Jace." Simon said, not actually annoyed, but still sounding like it. "What?" Jace asked, kissing his neck. Simon shivered a little. "I'm trying to wash the dishes." he stated and the blonde's breath on his skin was warm and enticing. "I'm not bothering you, am I?" Jace asked, faking hurt and Simon chuckled, drying his hands. He turned around and stared at Jace. "Never." he stated and leaned down to kiss his boyfriend.

Jace tasted of the chocolate mousse and wine, his tongue expertly entering Simon's mouth and turning the brunette's legs into jelly. "Let's go upstairs." Jace said huskily and Simon nodded, when he pulled back. They had to, anyway, for the next part of Simon's plan.  

Jace kept kissing him and Simon kept letting him, completely lost in his boyfriend. He only remembered his plan when Jace stopped at their bedroom door, eyes wide as saucers. "What-" he started, looking around. Simon took his hand and set him on the bed, Jace giving him confused glances. "I have a surprise for you. I asked our friends and family about what were their favorite memories of us, and I hung those pictures up there. And I wrote you a song." Simon said, taking up his guitar and sitting opposite to Jace.

The blondes eyes were already watery. "Simon..." he whispered but the brunette just started to play, letting the song and words speak for themselves. Jace stared at him and the photographs, lost in the memories.

Yeah, it's always better when we're together
We're somewhere in between together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together

When he was done, Jace's cheeks were wet with tears. "You're not allowed to attack me like this." Jace announced and Simon laughed, leaning in just as Jace did, locking their lips, the guitar separating them. "There's just one tiny little thing..." Simon said then, as he pulled back. Jace gave him an incredulous look. "There's more?" he asked and Simon could hear his excitement.

He put the guitar down and, with a wild beating heart, took the documents from the drawers. He handed them to Jace, who took them, confused. He sat and watched, as Jace came to a realization. His head whipped up, mismatched eyes wide as he stared at Simon in disbelief.

"The papers came through. We can officially adopt little Will." Simon said, voice barely above a whisper. He saw Jace's eyes go back to the papers and then to Simon. "This is- I can't believe this!" Jace exclaimed and then Simon was pushed back onto the bed, Jace on top of him, kissing him breathless.

When he pulled back, Simon smiled brightly. "We're gonna be dads?" Jace asked and Simon smirked. "Yup. We're gonna be dads." he replied and Jace whooped, his fist going into the air, the papers on the side of the bed. Simon laughed. "This might be the best day of my life. I can't believe you did all this, instead of just telling me." Jace shook his head, admiration shining through his eyes as he stared down at Simon.

I believe in memories
They look so, so pretty when I sleep
Hey now, and when I wake up,
You look so pretty sleeping next to me
But there is not enough time,
And there is no, no song I could sing
And there is no combination of words I could say
But I will still tell you one thing

"Of course I did. You deserved it. You deserve more than that." Simon said and Jace leaned down, pecking his lips. "I have you, I don't need more than that. And soon, we're going to have a son." Jace said, staring at Simon dreamily. The brunette felt his heart pound painfully in his chest. He loved this man, so much.

He pulled Jace down, back into him, kissing him with all he had. Their lips met in a whole new way, the kiss something else entirely. They knew they would be a family, not just two, but three. Four, counting Bessie. Life was perfect, as long as they we're together. "I love you, angel." Simon said, in between the loving kisses. "I love you, too." Jace replied, slightly out of breath but with the biggest smile on his face.

We're better together

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A/N: *sniff* I mean.......... I love my gaybies, so much. Phew, I'm thinking of writing a Malec short story, but idk, like, I still have 'Stay with me' to write and I need to start on 'The one that came back'. Idk idk. I guess, once I start writing the Malec stuff, I might not have time yo update the oneshots so frequently, which is why I'm maybe stalling on writing them. IDK. Anygays, I hope u liked this one, okay, biiiiiiiiiiii xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx