Jace reached over, aiming for the last of the doritos, when his arm was slapped rather rudely. "Ow." he complained, eyeing the brunette as he took the last chip. "You've eaten the whole pack by yourself, basically, so this one's mine." Simon told him, face immobile as he put the dorito in his mouth and ate it with a crunch. "That's rude." Jace said, rubbing his hand. "Oh, stop being a baby." Simon told him, kicking his feet up on the table.

"Legs off the table, Lewis!" came a shout and Simon snickered, removing his feet when a very sparkly Magnus came into view, face annoyed and holding a little squirming warlock baby, with skin as blue as a blueberry. "And don't you dare teach him horrible manners." Magnus stated, handing the child over to Jace, who cooed. "Yeah, we have Magnus for that." Alec stated, appearing into view as well, looking very handsome in his suit. Simon rolled his eyes, leaning in to tickle Max. "Don't look at me, Jace is the one who always spills ketchup on your carpet and breaks one of those weird doll-thingies you have on the shelf next to your spell books." he stated and Jace gave him a threatening glare.

Magnus gasped dramatically and his eyes turned to Jace, flashing with anger. "You broke on of my Russian nesting dolls-?" he started to raise his voice but Alec set a hand on his shoulder, calming him immediately. Jace was pretty sure, that if it weren't for Alec, Magnus would've turned him into a duck and Simon into a rat in no time. The warlock pinched his nose, taking a breath. "As long as Max is safe and well, I don't care what you do. Call us, if there's anything-" he started but Jace scoffed, standing up and moving around the room, smiling to the small baby who was blowing spit bubbles. "Dude, we're his uncles. His safe with us. You know that." he said, in all seriousness. Well, as serious as one can be when a warlock baby is trying to tear your nose off.

"Magnus, sweetheart, they are going to be fine. It's not like we haven't left him alone with family before. We left Max with mom and she did great. It's their turn now. Come on, we'll be late." Alec said, leaning in to kiss Magnus's cheek. The warlock sighed, turning to their son. "Alright. Behave, Maxie, and don't turn the walls yellow again. I rather like the decor just the way it is." Magnus said in a cooing baby voice and Jace resisted the urge to smile and roll his eyes at the same time. Alec leaned in too and together they kissed Max, with blissful faces. Jace found it to be very adorable. They made good dads.

Once Magnus had, for the tenth time, explained where the food was and when Max should be having his naps and when he should go to sleep, they left for their overnight stay at the Venice Convention for the Downworlder-Shadowhunter Alliance. It was sort of a getaway for them, too, because ever since they adopted little Max, they didn't really have time for just the two of them, besides their positions in the Shadow World. Jace was glad that he and Simon were not needed as representatives at the Convention, because this way, they could help out Alec and Magnus, and also escaped from a boring night of quarreling shadowhunters and downworlders.

"So, little Maxie, what should we do first?" Jace asked, when the door closed behind the husbands and he smiled at the small boy. The warlock baby gurgled adorably and reached his hands towards Jace. The blonde smiled back, tossing him in the air, making Max giggle uncontrollably. Simon came to them and smiled down at him as well. "He is so cute, loot at those little hands." he cooed and let Max grab his finger. Jace watched as Simon played with Max and he felt himself smile brightly. He handed the boy over to Simon, who gladly took him and went towards the couch, saying things like 'who's the cutest baby in the world?' and 'Aren't you the smallest, most adorable warlock I've ever seen?'. Jace shook his head, watching the two with so much joy, it physically hurt his heart.

When life deals us cards
Make everything taste like it is salt
Then you come through like the sweetener you are
To bring the bitter taste to a halt

"Here." Jace said, turning the TV on and displaying a children's channel, while Simon sat down, setting Max in his lap. Max's big, round eyes went to the screen, watching it in amazement. It was a cartoon about Arthur and Merlin, the small boy finding the old wizard in the woods. Jace scoffed, looking at the misinterpretation of the old mythic tale. Max seemed to enjoy it, his hands waving around as Merlin did his magic. Max did a noise and when his hand waved itself around, small blue spark emitted from his fingers. Simon raised an eyebrow.

"If he turns my hair pink, would you still date me?" the brunette shadowhunter asked Jace and he laughed, sitting next to them, putting an arm around Simon. "I mean, as long as my hair look the best in this relationship, I don't care." he said and Simon rolled his eyes. Max was jumping in Simon's lap, happy and excited. The way Simon held him, careful and gentle and the way he smiled down at Max, made Jace's heart soar. They looked like they belonged together. Of course, Simon had an older sister, but it's not like he was the one taking care of her, when they were little. More like, they took care of each other. But Jace had noticed from the start that Simon was very good with kids. 

And then you get it, get it, get it, get it 
Hit it, hit it, hit it, hit it 
Flip it, flip it, flip it
You make me say oh, oh

Twist it, twist it, twist it, twist it
Mix it and mix it and mix it and mix it
Kiss it, kiss it, kiss it
You make me say oh, oh

Unlike Jace, who always felt like he might be doing something wrong and was always handling Max like he was something very fragile. In truth, that boy was probably more strong and willful than the two shadowhunters combined. He smiled, staring at the pair. Simon was explaining things on the screen to the baby and Max was blabbering some gibberish and Simon pretended like he understood it, agreeing with the kid. "I think so too, I mean, pointy hats are so unpractical, don't you think?" Simon was saying and Max waved his hands excitedly. "I knew you'd agree." the shadowhunter looked pleased and Jace laughed, earning a confused glance from Simon.

"What?" he asked, looking like a deer caught in headlights. "Nothing. You're just so adorable with him." Jace said and saw Simon blush slightly. It was endearing. Simon was still not used to the way Jace complimented him all the time. But when Jace was in it, he was in it completely. Any relationship he took with all seriousness and with Simon, he couldn't have been more serious. After almost three years, he really did see himself having a family with the other shadowhunter, one day.

"I think we should probably feed him, it's getting late. Could you bring me the bottle?" Simon asked and Jace nodded, getting up. He went to the fridge, took out the milk and went to warm it, until Simon distracted Max, who had become a little more whiny due to his empty stomach. 

"Let me." Jace said and Simon smiled, giving Max to the blonde. The baby was so small in his arms and he, very carefully, turned him in his arms, so he could give him the bottle, but not before testing the temperature of the milk. Once the liquid reached Max's mouth, the baby gurgled happily, looking very content with the situation. Jace took a blanket with his other hand and wrapped it around Max, while holding the bottle still with his chin and helping with the other hand, that was around the baby. When he was done, Simon made a noise. Jace lookedup, seeing Simon's surprised face. "What?" he asked, whispering now because Max's eyelids were now drooping, his eyes sleepy.

"Nothing, you just did that with like, no hands, practically. Any other skills I should know about, Herondale? Or are we ready to adopt one?" he asked and laughed, making Jace flush a little. He didn't feel nervous about the compliment, rather the words. He knew Simon was joking, but he found himself wanting the words to be sincere. 

I like the way you lick the bowl 
Somehow your method touches my soul 
It lifts me up to heights unknown 
So when they ask, "How's life?" I go

He threw the thought away for a moment and concentrated on the small blue-skinned baby in his arms. Max was not eating anymore, his eyes closed and Jace set the bottle down slowly. When he straightened up, Max's little hand grabbed his finger and squeezed it. Jace smiled, feeling overwhelmed suddenly, by the small human-being. "Bed time, little munchkin." he whispered, moving towards his bedroom and the crib. He heard Simon softly following them, and together they set Max into the crib. Simon checked his watch. "It's almost 10. Can you believe that Magnus has already sent me like 5 messages?" he whispered and Jace chuckled while adjusting the blanket around Max. "He is worried. It's what dads do, they worry." Jace said and saw Simon's smile falter a little as he gazed at the small baby.

"Wouldn't know." he said, honestly and Jace felt bad immediately. He put an arm around his boyfriends waist and kissed his temple. "I'm sorry about that. But your mother raised you all by herself and did an amazing job. That was enough." he said and Simon smiled slightly, nodding. "You're right." he said, whispering, and leaned down to brush Max's hair out of his face. "He looks so peaceful." he stated, his voice sweet and loving. Jace stared at Simon. He looked beautiful in the darkened room, where the only light that shone upon them was the one of the corridor, peering in from the slightly ajar door.

His brunette hair looked soft, the jawline outlined and his eyes shining in adoration as he peered down to the small warlock wrapped into the fluffy blanker. Simon's hands were on the railing of the crib, a ring on his right finger, glistening metal looking like a wedding band. Jace had thought about marriage before, especially after Alec and Magnus got engaged and finally tied the knot, but he hadn't made any move. The thing was, Simon and he were perfectly content with where they were. At least, that's how he felt and it seemed Simon felt the same. After everything that had happened, they really needed the time to explore themselves and their relationship. They were happy, the way they were, but Jace had always know that Simon was the endgame for him. 

When life deals us cards
Make everything taste like it is salt
Then you come through like the sweetener you are
To bring the bitter taste to a halt

His eyes went from Simon's tousled hair to his glinting, brown eyes, to his light stubble and cheekbones. Simon was beautiful, he always had been, but after Ascension, he seemed to have a glow about him. Like he was finally where he was meant to be, and Jace like to think some of that glow was also because of him. 

He leaned on the crib, eyes going to Max. "He really is a little miracle, isn't he?" Jace said and saw Simon nod, his face a little bit surprised, like he couldn't believe that such a sweet little creature was actually their family now. Jace smiled softly, his hand going to Simon's as he tugged him towards the door. "Let's go." he said, whispering, and pulled his boyfriend from the room, letting the little warlock drift into dreamland. He left the door open a little, ready to storm back in should even a slight sound come from the room. 

They went back to the living room, sitting down and Simon exhaled, rubbing his eyes. "Tired?" Jace asked, moving to take Simon's feet on his lap. The brunette nodded. "A little." he replied and Jace nodded. They had been out on a hunt almost 4 night in a row now, before they finally caught the culprit demon who had been traumatizing young werewolf children. They were both pretty exhausted, but Jace wanted to sit with Simon a little while longer, the thoughts in his mind not letting him sleep anyways.

"We can go to sleep, if you want?" he offered, giving Simon a sincere smile, letting him know that it was okay if the other wanted that. Simon, not to his surprise, wiggled his eyebrows. "Are you asking me to sleep with you?" he asked, laughing when Jace shot him a look. "You know what I meant, idiot. Why do you always have to make everything about sex?" he asked and Simon nuzzled closer to him, yawning a little. "You do it all the time, too." he said, grabbing Jace's hand and the blonde scoffed. "Exactly. We can't both do it, that'd just be weird and uncalled for. I'm obnoxious enough for the both of us." he insisted and Simon laughed softly. His fingers traced Jace's, playing with his hands and he traced a scar on the back of his left hand. He hummed as he did so, a tune Jace recognized. It was Queen, he thought.

And then you get it, get it, get it, get it 
Hit it, hit it, hit it, hit it 
Flip it, flip it, flip it
You make me say oh, oh 

Twist it, twist it, twist it, twist it
Mix it and mix it and mix it and mix it
Kiss it, kiss it, kiss it
You make me say oh, oh 

"What's that song?" he asked, not recognizing it completely, knowing that it would haunt him later if he didn't ask. Simon stopped for a brief moment, blinking up at him. "Save me." he replied, going back to humming, then, and tracing his fingers over Jace's skin. He lay on Jace's chest and he could smell Simon's fresh shampoo. The runes stood out on his pale neck, like painted with a black paintbrush on an empty canvas, the lines curving with his body, every patch of it familiar to Jace. His hands and skin still tingled, whenever Simon touched him, anticipating the feel of him next to Jace. His breath stuttered when Simon's hand moved down his arm, tracing a rune there. Every move was gentle and calculated, only Simon knew how to walk the map that was Jace.

"What's it about?" Jace asked, his voice quiet and full of love, because that's how he felt. He was so in love with Simon, he never thought he'd be capable of such a thing. And here they were. Simon's fingers traced the outline of the rune as he stopped humming to answer. "Basically about how love at first is always so wonderful and good, and then it stops being that. But the people in love never really stop loving each other. We want to be saved by the other, but forget that the love has to be mutual." Simon told him, his voice a little hoarse and sleepy, but still clear. He moved, so he could set his hand on Jace's chest.

"I think that the person who needs saving, is the one actually saving the other. They give each other hope for love." Jace replied and Simon hummed in thought. "You could be right." he said, moving his fingers towards Jace's throat, to trace another rune. Jace swallowed, his breath a little shallow from Simon's touches. They didn't always have to lead to something - Simon's touches were soft and gentle, not demanding of anything, but only giving. There was no innuendo to them right now, but Jace knew that it could change at any moment - it was always like that with Simon. He was hard to resist, and Jace didn't want to. Right now, though, he just felt the luckiest person, holding him in his arms, on his chest next to his beating heart, its rhythm slow and steady.

"My mom called today. It's been a while." Simon said and Jace's breath stalled for a moment, before it returned to normal. "How is she?" he asked, a little bit worried. After Ascension, Simon had found a way to keep in contact with Rebecca and Elaine, but Simon's mother knew nothing about who Simon truly was. Nevertheless, she knew about Jace. Simon insisted, that she likes him, even though they'd never met. "She asked about you. How you, us were doing. Said she'd want to meet you, that I can't hide you forever." he snickered and Jace chuckled. "I'm sure she will adore me. You did." he said arrogantly and could almost feel Simon roll his eyes. It made him laugh even more.

Your mama sent us horoscopes 
Had so much fun watching them unfold
You said she like me, I smiled, I know 
So when they ask, "How's life?" I go

"Whatever, Herondale. There are people who don't like you. Magnus is one of them, I bet." Simon told him and Jace smirked. "Nah, he's just attracted to me, but can't do anything about it, so he pretends to hate me. Kind of like you, when we first met each other." Jace said, remembering the time Clary and Simon came into their lives. It all seemed millions for years ago. "Yeah, right. And the fact that I punched you that one time was me saying 'I want to sleep with you'." Simon scoffed and Jace smiled. "See, you get it." he replied and Simon rolled his eyes at him again. "You're going to hurt yourself, if you do that too much." Jace offered and Simon had an unamused look on his face. "I'll stop, when you stop saying dumb-ass things." he said. 

Jace laughed, putting his hand under Simon's chin, making him look up to the blonde and Jace leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. Simon's lips were chapped and they tasted of coffee. Jace hummed against his lips. "You saved me, Simon." he said, tracing the brunettes lips with his own, gliding over them with a feathery touch and felt Simon shiver. "You saved yourself. I just helped." the other shadowhunter said, smiling and Jace shook his head. "No. You helped me see that I can love and be loved. And I have never felt the way I do with you. It's like you are my lifeline, but instead of worrying that I will somehow let go, I know that it's of the strongest rope one could find. It won't ever break, not if I have something to say about it." he spoke with a determination and Simon peered up at his eyes. There was a sweetness to his look, a little bit of innocence mixed with adoration.

"I love you, too, angel." Simon said, using the nickname he gave Jace, after he saw his runes glow golden for the first time. Simon had traced them, their bodies closer than ever before, nothing between them but the air full of anticipation and hope, and he had said those words. "You look like an angel, Jace. Your soul is of an angel." Jace closed his eyes, pulling Simon up to him to capture his lips again.

When life deals us cards
Make everything taste like it is salt
Then you come through like the sweetener you are
To bring the bitter taste to a halt

He parted his lips, letting Simon glide in and he tasted his sweetness on his tongue. It made his skin alight with fire, his mind was awake and fresh, alert to the touches and sounds that Simon made. Jace felt his chest ache with love, the love that he knew would last forever. His heart was beating in his chest, louder than anything he'd ever heard before, the sound obnoxiously loud in his own ears. His hands glided to Simon's waist, fingers crawling under the shirt to touch his skin and when he did, Simon let out a small sigh, muffled by Jace's lips. 

Simon's skin was smooth to the touch, not like Jace's scarred one, that testified to all the years of fighting demons, both inside and out. Simon was yet to live through all that, but Jace would make damn sure that Simon wouldn't have to bare the same scars he did, not the ones that would haunt him forever. His hands were shaking a little as he let them steady on Simon's hips, squeezing them a little to stop the trembling. "Jace." Simon said softly, his voice promising and gentle, it made Jace open his eyes, staring right into Simon's. The brunette was staring at him in awe as he traced the illuminated runes on his skin. Jace stared at Simon, knowing that his runes gave away a soft golden glow, but he didn't care. Simon was so much brighter than anything else.

And then you get it, get it, get it, get it
Hit it, hit it, hit it, hit it
Flip it, flip it, flip it
You make me say oh, oh 
Twist it, twist it, twist it, twist it
Mix it and mix it and mix it and mix it
Kiss it, kiss it, kiss it
You make me say oh, oh 

Simon's fingers traced the rune on his neck and Jace's breath got caught. "I want to have a family with you." he blurted out, almost on instinct. He felt himself go red but didn't care. He was watching Simon intently, for any signs of hesitation and insecurity. Simon gave a small laugh, admiring his skin. "Really?" he asked and tilted his head, an amused look on his face. Jace bit his lip. "I mean, I don't think we have to married for that, do we? I mean, we can if you want, but I just thought... I just want to be with you, forever. And I want us to have what Alec and Magnus have, but on our own terms." he said carefully, holding Simon close.

The brunette shadowhunter raised his eyes to him, shining with joy. His smile was sweet and he leaned in, to press a kiss at the corner of Jace's mouth. "I want that, too, Jace." he said quietly and Jace's heart leaped at the words, not realizing how much he wanted to hear them. He moved, pinning Simon down on the couch, making the brunette laugh, the sound pure and real.

"You mean that?" he asked and Simon caught his breath, trying to still. He stared up at Jace, incredibly beautiful under the soft lights of the city that never fell asleep. "About adopting a kid? Yes, of course. I think we've been ready for some time now." Simon said and Jace smiled, leaning down to kiss him again. His veins were fire, his breath was stalled in his lungs, his legs weak and his mind at peace. He felt his heart thump loud, the hand that was on Simon's chest felt his heart, too. When he kissed Simon, it was bliss.

And then we lay it back, talk the rest of the night
Things that we can light make me say oh, oh
Talking about what you wanna do, whether it's wrong or right
I am followin' you 'cause you make me say oh, oh 

Say, I don't know what I'd do without you in my life, it'd be so sour
I'm hoping that everybody can experience what we have in ours

The way Simon's hands entwined in his hair, softly tugging at them, the way his mouth chased Jace's whenever he pulled back and the way Simon responded to his touches, every time. It was all so much. He wanted more and yet, it was too much. Jace had never felt such a profound love before.

Simon pulled him closed, chest to chest, his mouth sliding against his and Jace made a small strangled noise when Simon's hand moved behind him and his teeth grazed his lower lip. "Simon, Max is literally right there." Jace warned the brunette, realizing they were both now breathing hard, their faces flushed and eyes alight with something other than love. Simon smirked. "He is sleeping." he stated and then he gave a thoughtful expression. "If we have a kid, are we not allowed to have sex any more? I'm pretty sure Magnus and Alec still do it 24/7. That poor kid is going to start walking in on them as soon as he learns how to walk." Simon said and Jace laughed, hiding his face into the crook of Simon's neck. He loved him, so much.

"Of course we're still having sex. I mean, have you seen you?" he asked with disbelief and Simon smacked his shoulder. "Haa-haa." he said, unamused and unflattered. Jace laughed, pecking his lips. Just then, Simon's phone binged. He groaned and Jace smiled as he let Simon get up. As soon as he got the phone, Jace pulled him back down on his lap, feeling Simon relax against his chest.

When life deals us cards
Make everything taste like it is salt 
Then you come through like the sweetener you are
To bring the bitter taste to a halt 

"It's Clary. Isabelle finally asked her out." Simon smirked, reading through the messages. Jace whooped. "About time. Wait, what did she say?" he asked, knowing Clary turned into a mess every time Izzy approached her. Simon laughed loud now, tearing up. "What?" Jace wanted to know, and read the message. "She panicked and said 'I'm not gay'? Is she taking these things out of the "How to act very gay but deny it" book by Alec Gay Panic Lightwood?" Jace asked, making Simon laugh even more. He pressed the call button on Isabelle's number and waited.

Jace watched, amused, as his boyfriend tried to steady his breathing. "Iz, go back there and kiss her. She'll say yes to the date. That's it, that's the advice. Now go." he said, hanging up. Jace raised an eyebrow. Simon held up his hand. "Wait for it." he said and they both stared at the screen of his phone. Soon enough, there was a new message from Clary. "What did you say!?" it said. Jace laughed but Simon typed quickly. "I saved your gay ass. Go have a great date." he typed and threw the phone away.

"Where were we?" Simon asked then, and Jace gulped when he saw Simon's eyes darken. "Uhm, not about to have sex because Max is right there?" he asked, hesitant, but Simon smiled, moving to straddle him. "Is that so?" he asked and leaned in, kissing Jace's neck, his tongue touching his skin and his teeth slightly nipping at the skin. Jace moaned involuntarily and Simon smiled triumphantly. "That's more like it." he stated, proudly and Jace wanted to protest, but there was a sound of a baby announcing himself. He breathed out, not really sure if to be thankful or not.

Simon, however, looked entirely disappointed. "What a cockblock." he mumbled and Jace laughed, kissing his temple as he got up, going towards Max's nursery. He was awake, holding onto the cribs. "Hey, there, little guy. What's wrong?" he asked and saw that Max had tears in his eyes. He couldn't have been hungry, so he must've just had a bad dream. He took the warlock baby out and moved to the armchair next to the crib.

And then you get it, get it, get it, get it
Hit it, hit it, hit it, hit it
Flip it, flip it, flip it
You make me say oh, oh 

He sat down, cradling Max as he stopped crying, blue eyes wet with tears. "Shh, I've got you. Don't worry, your daddies will be back sooner than you can even miss them, and until then, your uncles will take care of you. No one can harm you, little Max." Jace cooed to him, rocking the baby in his arms. Max calmed down, slowly his eyes began to droop again. Then, his fingers sparked in blue and an illumination caught Jace's eyes, as he stared up at the ceiling.

There were little yellow stars and a pale, silver moon, gliding underneath the ceiling, like they were gazing at the night sky. Jace stared at them in awe and heard Simon chuckle. He looked up to see him leaning on the doorway. "I guess he likes a nightlight?" he stated, amused and Jace smiled down at the now sleeping baby. "You look like you were born to do that." Simon said then, his features soft as he stared at the pair. Jace smiled up at him, still moving Max in his arms, to rock him to a deeper sleep. "Well, I can just hope to be as good a dad as Alec and Magnus are." he said, with a longing he didn't know he possessed. Simon came over, kneeling next to them and kissed the baby's forehead. "They are amazing, but so will you, Jace. In your own way, you are a wonderful person and any kid would be lucky to have you as a father." Simon told him, gently brushing a strand of Max's hair from his eyes.

Twist it, twist it, twist it, twist it
Mix it and mix it and mix it and mix it
Kiss it, kiss it, kiss it
You make me say oh, oh 

"Thank you." Jace said, whispering. He looked at Simon, who now turned his gaze to him, the brown warm and inviting. "No need to thank me, babe. Being here, with me, being you, that's good enough for me." the brunette said and Jace sighed, leaning on press his forehead against Simon's as they looked down at the sleeping Max. "I can't wait for our family to get bigger." Jace said then and Simon laughed softly.

"With all the people we already have, we might be traumatizing the future Herondale-Lewis." Simon said and Jace gave him a weird look. "Oh, are we hyphenating now?" he asked, slightly amused and Simon shrugged. "I don't really care. The only thing that matters is that he or she will have a happy life, surrounded by the people who will love that baby for the rest of their lives. Just like Max." Simon said and Jace smiled brightly. 

Jace's phone buzzed and he quickly handed Max to Simon, reaching for the phone and clicked it, so the sound would not wake the little warlock. He glance at the clock as he did so. It was past 12 now. "How is he?" Alec asked and Jace rolled his eyes. He turned, to see how Simon tucked Max in, his hand caressing his cheek as he made sure the baby is comfortable. Jace smiled again, his heart slowing down, enjoying the sight.

"He couldn't be better. He is with us, remember?" Jace said and heard Alec exhale. His voice was sincere and full of trust and love as he replied with a simple "I know." 

You make me say oh, babe

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: I love Jace and Simon being uncles to baby Max. It's adorable, come on!! Anygays, I hope this made up for the ANGST and TERRIBLE sadness of the last chapter. Okay, biiii xx