CHAPTER SIXTEEN
IRONWORKS

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     "Do I have to wear a—" Alec started to complain, only to stop with a grin when Adrian ducked his head down and kissed the hollow at his throat. Now that he was silent, Adrian went back to fixing the tie around Alec's throat. Adrian had practically had to manhandle Alec into a suit and tie for Luke and Jocelyn's engagement party at the Ironworks. Alec was fidgeting the entire time, grimacing at Adrian as Adrian threw him one piece of the suit at a time and told him to put it on. It was a miracle, really, that Adrian had gotten the tie around his neck. Alec huffed a huge sigh, a sure sign that Adrian was taking too long, so Adrian tugged on the tie and brought Alec with it, kissing him on the mouth this time. It was more to silence Alec than anything else, but Alec grasped the lapels of Adrian's own suit jacket and tugged him closer, deepening the kiss before Adrian could pull away. Adrian's laugh was muffled, and he pulled away by planting his hands on Alec's shoulders.

"Don't try to distract me," Adrian said, amused as he reached up to chuck Alec's chin up. "And yes, you do have to wear a suit. It's Luke and Jocelyn. We have to look nice." Alec was wearing a simple black suit, and Adrian was wearing a gray one that he'd borrowed from Magnus. Both of them were wearing golden cufflinks in honor of Luke and Jocelyn's wedding. Adrian adjusted Alec's tie one more time, then patted it flat to his chest and stepped back. Or he tried to. Alec was wrapping his arms around Adrian's waist before he could, and he tugged Adrian closer before he could even take a step. Adrian leaned against him and pressed a kiss against the corner of his mouth. "You really don't want to go to this, do you? Alec, it's just a party."

"But I want to be with you," Alec pointed out, tugging Adrian closer and ducking his head down to nuzzle his neck. Adrian pressed his hands against Alec's shoulders again. Both of them had hints of gold in honor of Shadowhunter weddings. Though Luke and Jocelyn weren't Shadowhunters anymore, gold would always be the color of weddings for Adrian and Alec. Alec's tie was gold, and Adrian's shirt was made of silk and a golden color under his jacket, his own tie black. Adrian let himself enjoy the nuzzling for just a short moment, and then he was pushing Alec back again and reaching up to fix his hair.

"I am literally your date to this thing," Adrian pointed out, amused. Alec squeezed Adrian's hips, then sighed heavily—and rather dramatically, if Adrian was being honest—as he started fiddling with the lapels of Adrian's jacket. "Are you done being dramatic, baby? Can we go?" Alec blushed slightly at the pet name, averting his gaze as he mumbled an affirmative, so different from the confident way Alec had kissed him earlier. Adrian smiled, leaned forward to kiss Alec softly, then patted his shoulders. "Come on. We're riding with Izzy, and she said she'd call a taxi around..." Adrian turned on his heel to check the clock on his bedside table. "...well, now. Let's go." Alec sighed and headed for the door—he'd already tucked various daggers and his stele onto his clothes—so Adrian went to his bed. He tucked his stele in his belt, then grabbed his foldable staff Luke had gifted him and tucked it into the inside of his jacket.

He caught up with Alec on the stairs and laced their fingers together, swinging their arms between them playfully. They passed Church at the foot of the stairs, and Adrian halted to bend and scratch the silver, grumpy cat behind his ears. Church purred, got up to stretch and rub against Adrian's leg, then he darted off down the hall, narrowly missing Isabelle's high-heeled sandals as he went. Isabelle scowled after the cat, then turned and brightened when she saw them. She was wearing a floor length, vivid red dress, a slit up the side to reveal an expanse of leg. Her long hair was pulled up, and gold jewelry hung from her ears and surrounded her neck. Her whip was laced around her right arm, and she had Marked herself wherever the dress showcased her skin, using the Marks as decoration more than enhancements. Her parabatai rune was on full display on her collarbone. His own hand went up to his shirt collar, wanting to show off his own parabatai rune on his collarbone as well.

"How do I look?" Isabelle asked, twirling on her golden sandals and making the skirt of her floor-length dress swirl around her. Alec complimented her as any brother would—a muttered comment about how she looked just okay, which Isabelle glared at—but Adrian made a show of whistling at her. She laughed and skipped forward to plant a kiss on his cheek. It must've left a smear of lipstick behind, because she let out a small grunt and started wiping at his cheek with her fingers.

"The taxi's here," Alec announced. Adrian turned to see Alec peering through the stained-glass window beside the door. "We better get out there before the driver drives away. Where's Jace?"

"He said he'd meet us there," Isabelle announced. "I think he was planning to meet up with Clary at Ironworks earlier and help all of them set up." Adrian glanced over at her curiously, even as they all grabbed their extra jackets. It was October, so it was starting to get chilly, and Adrian had a feeling the Ironworks party would last long into the night. They tossed their coats over their arms and went out to meet the taxi, piling into the back and rattling off the Ironworks address.

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The Ironworks party was in full swing by the time Adrian, Alec, and Isabelle arrived. Fairy lights were strung up everywhere, spiraling around columns and hanging from the doorway as they walked in. Isabelle decided to stay outside for a while. She claimed she just wanted to peruse the guests, but Adrian knew that she was waiting for Simon. She had been itching to see him ever since the incident with Maia and Jordan, not that she would ever admit it. But Adrian could sense it now, the longing inside of her, as if it was an echo inside of him, so he let her be and focused on leading Alec through the party. He wanted to greet Jocelyn and Luke before he started socializing with anyone else. Fortunately, they were very easy to find, pressed against each other's sides as they spoke and laughed with other adults.

"Congratulations!" Adrian said when he reached them, letting go of Alec's hand just to throw his arms around Luke. Luke's laugh boomed out in surprise as he hugged Adrian back, thanking him for the congratulations, and then Adrian was hugging Jocelyn as well. She seemed surprised by the affection, but she accepted it graciously, a small smile on her lips. Adrian stepped back, casting an apologetic smile at the couple Jocelyn and Luke had been talking to, while Alec congratulated Jocelyn and Luke with a small smile. Adrian waited until he was done to ask, "Do you happen to know where Clary is? Or Jace?"

"Clary was by the food the last time I saw her," Jocelyn offered. She was glowing, and even though Adrian didn't know her well, he found himself feeling happy for her. He gave her one last smile, then turned to search for the tables of food in question. Jocelyn reached out to touch his shoulder before he could turn fully, though, so he turned back toward her with a curious expression. "I just wanted you to know that your parents—Alice and Adam, I mean—they got into contact with me, said they would definitely be coming. I just wanted to make sure you knew."

"Thank you," Adrian said, surprised by her thoughtfulness. He'd already known his family had been planning on coming, but it was nice to know that he had other adults in his corner if it got too overwhelming for him. "But you don't have to worry about me. It's your engagement party. Have fun. Get drunk. I'll be fine." Jocelyn snorted at that, then squeezed his shoulder once before dropping her hand. It made sense that she was worried. They weren't close, but Jocelyn had been the one to tell Adrian about Alice in the first place. She probably felt responsible for whatever he was going through now.

"Found Clary," Alec murmured beside him. Adrian felt him press a hand against his lower back, beneath his dress jacket. Adrian offered Jocelyn and Luke one last smile, then turned to see where Alec was leading him. Clary was sitting alone at a small circular table. There was a white cloth over the table, candles and flower arrangements in the center, and every seat had a plate and utensils sat in front of it. Aside from caterers spreading around glasses of champagne, though, it seemed to be a buffet. There would be no first, second, or third courses brought out to them. They would simply grab the plates and go get food themselves. Clary had already gotten her foot, and a glass of water, but she didn't seem to be eating any of it. Her chin was in her hand, her elbow pressed against the table, and she was poking at her food with her fork. Adrian and Alec shared a concerned glance, then they both sped up their paces.

"You should not be looking as sad as you do," was how Adrian greeted her. "Especially when you look like that." She looked amazing. Her hair was pulled in with golden butterfly pins, a few stray curls falling down to brush against her bare shoulders. She was wearing a simple golden dress, the straps thing, and she had even put on sandals that Adrian wasn't used to seeing her in.

"Well," Clary sighed, offering Adrian and Alec a strained smile, "it's kinda disappointing when you wear the dress your boyfriend picked out, you're excited to show him, and he doesn't show when he's supposed to." Alec frowned as he took a seat beside her. Adrian took the seat on Alec's other side.

"Jace isn't here yet?" Alec asked. Clary didn't seem to notice the small bit of concern in Alec's voice, but Adrian definitely did, because Adrian felt concern rising up inside of him himself. Jace was supposed to have been at the party hours ago, helping them set up. Perhaps he'd gotten distracted by a stray demon on the way, but that was hard to believe, considering the sun hadn't even started setting yet.

"He said he got held up at the Institute," Clary said softly, "but since you two have already arrived, I'm guessing that's not true." Before either of them could respond, Magnus and Oliver were beside their table, greeting them warmly. Adrian smiled at them, a little relieved that they didn't have to comfort Clary alone. Clary greeted them warmly, then cast her gaze around. Her expression lit up when she saw someone behind Adrian, and she flew to her feet. "Simon!" she said, and Adrian turned just in time to see them hug each other. Isabelle was at his side, expression cold, and behind her was Kyle—or, Jordan, now. Clary noticed him after a moment and said, rather awkwardly, "Hey, Kyle."

"It's Jordan, actually," he corrected, smiling awkwardly. Adrian gritted his teeth and turned away from him. He couldn't get the image of Maia crying after seeing him out of his mind, so with a wave of his hand, he summoned a caterer and plucked a glass of golden champagne off of his tray. He took a sip.

"So I've heard," Clary said. She slumped back down into her chair and waved at the large table. There was room for everyone, though if Jace showed up soon, Clary would likely have to perch on his lap so no one had to find another table. "Well, might as well sit. I think pretty soon there's going to be toasting and stuff. And then, hopefully, dessert. The buffet is already open if you want food." Everyone nodded, and Jordan—much to Adrian's disbelief—started to pull the seat beside Adrian away from the table. Isabelle was there to sit gracefully into the seat before Jordan could, and then she was waving at the caterer, ordering a champagne bottle for the table. The caterer stuttered that he couldn't do that, but Isabelle simply stared at him until he muttered someone and disappeared. A few minutes later—during which everyone sat in awkward silence—he came back with a new, unopened bottle of champagne.

"So," Magnus said, breaking the awkward silence. "Jordan. I hear you're in the Praetor Lupus. I see you're wearing one of their medallions. What does it say on it?" Jordan was only partly listening. He was watching the crowd, and when Adrian followed his gaze, he saw that Jordan was watching Maia. She looked beautiful, her hair in curls framing her face, her orange dress so low in the back that everyone could see the butterfly tattoo there. Adrian's hand tightened around the stem of his glass. If Jordan even tried to talk to Maia, he would be quick to arrive at her side.

"Beati bellicosi," Jordan mumbled. "Blessed are the warriors." Adrian couldn't hold back his snort of disbelief. He tried to hide it by gulping down his champagne, but the glass was delicate and small, so it was gone too soon. He set it down on the table, just to see that everyone was looking at him. Beneath the table, Adrian felt Alec's hand land on his thigh, squeezing softly. Jordan looked uncomfortable. "Um...Are you okay?" he asked. At least he wasn't looking at Maia anymore.

"No," Adrian said bluntly, "especially since you've been staring at Maia for the past five minutes." Blood rushed to Jordan's cheeks. Alec squeezed Adrian's thigh tighter. Adrian took a deep breath and decided to push the conversation back to its original subject. "Why'd you join the Praetor Lupus? Or did they find you?" Jordan shifted in his seat, and he fiddled with the stem of his glass uncomfortably.

"They found me," Jordan revealed. He looked a bit calmer, after a brief pause as he breathed. "I was newly turned, out of control. I hurt—well, I hurt Maia. I didn't mean to—I didn't want to—but the anger after I turned was..." Adrian stared at him. He, very abruptly, wasn't at the Ironworks party, not anymore. Half of him was far away, inside of a cold office, Malachi Dieudonne glaring at him. His cheek was on fire, and Malachi's voice was saying, You should know better than to make me angry.

"Plenty of new werewolves are turned every day," Adrian said through his teeth. "They don't hit their girlfriends." Jordan flinched, but Adrian barely noticed. He couldn't breathe suddenly. He needed to get away from that table—from the memories Jordan's words had brought to the surface—so he shoved back and fled. He bumped into a few guests on the way out, but eventually he was out on the lawn, fresh air filling up his lungs. He took in a deep, calming breath, then walked until he was hidden on the side of Ironworks. The only thing there was a truck from catering. Adrian pressed his back against the brick and closed his eyes.

He wasn't surprised when Alec joined him a few minutes later. He was surprised, really, that it had taken him so long. Adrian opened his eyes and turned his head, finding Alec leaning silently against the wall with him. Alec wasn't talking. He was just keeping watch, blue eyes scanning the area around them as Adrian got control over himself. Adrian swallowed thickly.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, eyelids drooping. "I didn't mean to be so rude to him. I just..."

"Are you okay?" Alec asked, reaching over to take Adrian's hand. His thumb rubbed circles against the back of his hand. "I don't care if you're rude. Be as rude as you want. I just want to know if you're okay, because the look on your face..." Adrian glanced away, pressing his lips together. Alec took a step closer and squeezed his hand. "Dri, were you thinking about Mal—"

"Don't say his name," Adrian snapped, voice coming out so sharp that even he flinched slightly. Alec jerked, eyes widening. Adrian immediately softened his voice. "I'm sorry. Again. Please, don't say his name." Alec studied him for a moment, then nodded and squeezed his hand again, leaning forward to press a soft kiss against Adrian's cheek. Adrian leaned into the gesture, closing his eyes. "I'm so sorry. I never want to talk to you like that."

"It's okay," Alec reassured. Adrian opened his mouth to say it wasn't okay, not at all, but he stopped when Alec wrapped his arms around him. He brought Adrian into a warm hug before Adrian could even recognize it for what it was. Adrian let his eyes fall shut, let him press his face into the crook of Alec's neck. "Don't worry about it. Besides, we've snapped at each other before."

"When we were friends," Adrian said in exasperation.

"Are we not still friends?" Alec asked flatly. "That's embarrassing, because I've been thinking you're still my best friend this entire time. This is very awkward." Adrian huffed out a laugh against his neck, squeezing him around the waist. He was a little embarrassed to find that tears were brimming at his eyes. He quickly blinked them away.

"Jace is your best friend," he said weakly.

"I can have two," Alec argued. Adrian laughed again and nuzzled deeper. He felt Adrian's fingers curl into the hair at the nape of his neck. "Do you want to leave? We can leave."

"You just want to get out of socializing," Adrian huffed, pulling out of Alec's embrace once he was sure he wouldn't start crying. Alec gave him a sheepish smile, but he still looked worried. Adrian glanced down to take Alec's hand, and busied himself by playing with his fingers. "I'm okay. It came out of nowhere. I wasn't prepared for it." He paused, then impulsively asked, "Do you think I'll ever be close with Adam?" Alec frowned at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked, voice soft. Careful.

"I mean..." Adrian stopped to sigh. He glanced off to the side. "I don't even know what I mean. I feel like, with Alice, it's easier. I've never had a mom. I mean, I guess I had Maryse, but I never saw her as a mom. I love her, but I always kept a distance because I knew I was into you. But I did have a dad, and he was..." Adrian shook his head.

"Adam is nothing like him," Alec said quietly, smoothing his hands down Adrian's arms in a comforting gesture.

"I know that." Adrian paused, then corrected himself. "I should know that. But I'm still nervous and jumpy around him. And I can't even talk to him about it, because I don't want them to know. It would hurt them so much to know." Alec opened his mouth to respond, but Adrian groaned and let his head fall back against the brick wall. "Ugh, I don't want to talk about this anymore. It's miserable. I don't want to be miserable. Kiss me." Alec's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"That's...sudden," Alec said slowly. Adrian could've sworn he sounded nervous.

"Well, kissing you makes me feel good." Adrian looped his arms around Alec's neck and tugged him gently forward, until he could brush their noses together. Alec leaned into him, as if he couldn't help himself, and then their lips were pressing together. Adrian let out a small sound of relief and leaned back against the brick wall, eager to fall deeper into the kiss and forget what was troubling him. Alec looped his arms around Adrian's waist and tugged him closer, until they were pressed flush against each other, and Adrian was being pressed harder against the wall. Adrian tilted his head and deepened the kiss, his lips parting. Adrian brought a hand back to cup Alec's cheek, and then laughed when Alec nipped at his bottom lip. Alec broke the kiss and pressed their foreheads together. Adrian opened his eyes to look at him, to take in his dilated blue eyes and the slight flush in his pale cheeks.

"Feel better?" Alec whispered, leaning in to kiss the corner of Adrian's mouth, then to kiss his jaw after that. Adrian hummed and encouraged the kissing by tilting his head back. Alec dipped his head down to kiss the side of his neck.

"Very," Adrian murmured, fingers playing with locks of Alec's hair. "Maybe we should leave." Alec snorted in amusement. Adrian opened his mouth to say something else, tempted to actually leave the party early just to continue kissing Alec, but he stopped when he heard a stumble nearby.

"Son of a bitch," a familiar voice hissed. He and Alec turned just in time to see Michael whirl around so that his back was to both of them. He sounded embarrassed and mildly disgusted as he said, "Mom and Dad are looking for you, so I offered to find you, and—god, get a room, would you?" Michael was gone as quickly as he came, eager to get as far away from them as possible. Adrian and Alec immediately pulled away from each other, took a moment to make sure they both looked alright, and then they were hurrying back toward the party. Alec was blushing fully now, embarrassed at having been walked in on, but Adrian was eager to see his biological family. Alec had made him feel much better, and now he felt okay enough to see them without the risk of getting upset.

"Izzy looks annoyed," Alec noted as they went back inside. Adrian had spied his biological family by then—they were talking to Jocelyn and Luke—so he didn't have a chance to look around for Isabelle. Alec just kissed his cheek and said, "I'll find you later." Adrian nodded, pushed his fingers through his hair, then made his way over. Michael was dressed in a suit he didn't look comfortable in, and Abigail was twirling around in a blue dress, stretching out the skirt to play with it. Adam was dressed in slacks and a plain dress shirt, and Alice was wearing a navy blue dress. Out of all of them, Abigail was the one who noticed him first. Adrian was shocked—and a little touched—when Abigail's expression brightened in delight.

"Adrian!" she cried out, lurching forward as soon as he was in reaching distance. He caught her just in time, and laughed when she wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug. "Can I play with your seraph blade again? Please?" Adrian's next laugh was louder.

"I don't have my seraph blade with me, sorry," he told her, patting at her hair comfortingly, careful not to disrupt the clips there. He had his staff, so he hadn't felt the need to bring a seraph blade along, but he doubted Abigail was allowed a weapon that big. Or a weapon at all. "But you know what's cooler than a seraph blade? A werewolf. And Luke is a werewolf." Abigail's eyes immediately widened in wonder, and then she was off, wedging herself between Adam and Alice to ask Luke a million questions per minute. Alice and Adam finally realized Adrian was there then, and Adrian felt himself once again grow stunned when both of their expressions brightened. He'd been right before, about not wanting them to know about Malachi. It would do nothing but hurt them, and Adrian didn't want that.

"I was hoping you'd find us," Alice said warmly as she approached him. She didn't hug him, but she did adjust the lapels of his jacket, the way his tie sat. It was like she simply couldn't help it.

"Actually, I found him," Michael cut in. He refused to look at Adrian's face. "I am owed compensation for trauma. I cannot unsee what I saw."

"He's being dramatic," Adrian quickly said, when Alice developed an alarmed look on her face. "I was kissing my boyfriend." Feeling a sudden urge to tease strike him, Adrian turned on Michael with a mischievous grin pulling at his lips. "You know, if two guys kissing bothers you this much, maybe you should check your homophobia—"

"I am not homoph—" Michael started to rant, his head flying up like that was the most offensive thing to be called. He caught Adrian's grin and immediately broke himself off, glaring in irritation as his cheeks flushed. Alice raised her eyebrows, looking a little dazed, like she had never imagined her two sons teasing each other. Adam, in comparison, was trying to hide his amusement by drinking from a champagne glass. Michael let out a sound of frustration. "I'm going to get food. You're annoying."

"Never been a younger sibling, huh?" Adrian called at his back. Michael flipped him the middle finger over his shoulder, and Adam choked on his drink. Alice was shaking her head, a small smile on her face. She shot Adam a fond look as he recovered from choking, throwing an elbow into his ribs.

"He has your sense of humor," she murmured to him. She probably thought he couldn't hear her, considering her voice was so low, but Shadowhunter hearing was already naturally enhanced, and one of the runes he'd Marked himself with before leaving was the enhanced hearing rune. Just in case, after the sun went down, a few vampires tried to cause trouble at a werewolf party, or demons appeared out of nowhere. Adrian pretended not to hear, though the words did something funny to his stomach. He had Adam's sense of humor. He'd never thought of himself as having anything from Adam before. He took in a small breath as Alice turned back toward him. "So, Adrian, you'll be eighteen soon. Where will you go for your travel year?" Adrian blinked at her. It took him a moment to even remember what a travel year was.

"By the Angel. My travel year. I haven't even thought about that," he said, a disbelieving laugh leaving his throat. Usually, the travel year was an exciting time for any Shadowhunter. But after having been in a literal war, Adrian found that the travel year seemed like a waste, especially since he knew he would always stay in New York. He would love to visit another country and culture, of course, but he wasn't planning on transferring anywhere else. He shook his head, then gave Alice a curious look. "Where did you go?"

"Here," Alice said, brightening a bit at the memories. "New York, I mean. It's where I met your father." She reached over to squeeze Adam's arm. Adrian felt a jolt go through him. "He came back with me and prepared for Ascension, but..."

"Valentine," Adrian sighed, rolling his eyes. If he never heard Valentine's name again, it would be too soon. He looked at Adam with the same curious look he had levelled Alice. "Do you think you would've made it? Through Ascension, I mean?"

"Well, I like to think so," Adam said with an easy smile. It was such a different response than what Malachi would've done and said that Adrian didn't know what to say. He twisted the Rosewell ring around his finger for a moment, feeling a little anxious. He found himself wondering what kind of life he would've had if Valentine had never taken the Mortal Cup, if Alice and Adam had actually raised him themselves.

"Do you—" he started to ask, planning on asking them if they wanted to sit down and eat, to talk more. He was interrupted by Isabelle saying his name, who was leading a small pack of people his way. Magnus and Oliver weren't there, but Maia, Jordan, and Alec were. Isabelle had an expression on her face that was a mix between irritation and worry. Adrian immediately shifted his focus. "What happened?"

"The big bad Praetor Lupus guard lost Simon, that's what happened!" Isabelle said, jerking a thumb over her shoulder to gesture at Jordan. Adrian raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"I'm sure he's here somewhere..." he started slowly, wanting to calm Isabelle down. He recognized the frenzy in her eyes. She was about to go on a witch hunt.

"He's not," Alec said, moving through the small group to reach Adrian's side. "We've literally looked everywhere. Simon isn't here. And he wouldn't have left Jordan, since he's supposed to be guarding him."

"Something's wrong," Isabelle added, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Okay, so, best case scenario, where would he have gone?" Adrian asked the group, shoving his hands into his pockets. He was aware of his parents watching him, but his main focus now was Simon. He didn't like the thought of Simon going missing, especially since so many people had been after him lately.

"Back to the apartment," Jordan responded. "Worst case scenario, he's been taken by someone." He shook his head. "I'm going to head back to the apartment and look for him. If he's there, great. If he's not, that's still where I should start. They know where he lives; they've been sending us messages there. Maybe there'll be a message."

"Wait," Adrian cut in, frowning. "Simon has been getting messages? Why didn't you tell us?"

"I don't trust Shadowhunters," Jordan said stiffly.

"I'm Simon's friend," Adrian said sharply. "We all are." It was Adrian's turn to shake his head. "We're coming with you." He didn't have to ask if Isabelle and Alec were coming along. He already knew they were. He glanced at Isabelle then. "Should we tell Clary?" She shook her head.

"It's her mom's party," Isabelle said dismissively. "Let's not freak her out unless we need to. Simon could be fine. He could've just left on his own like an idiot." She glanced at Maia. "You coming?" Maia just gave a simple nod, and that was that. Alec went to collect their coats, and Jordan rummaged around until he found the keys to his car. Adrian went to follow him, but stopped when Alice reached to grab his arm. Her grip was gentle, but her eyes were worried.

"Be careful," Alice whispered, squeezing his arm. Adrian smiled and reached up to squeeze her hand back.

"Always am," he promised, and then he was joining his friends, off to find Simon Lewis.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm starting to think my writer's block is just depression because what even is this nonexistent update schedule.

This is severely unedited. Like, I didn't even skim over it once I finished it, unedited. I'll do it later lmao xoxo Love everyone who's managed to stick around after basically no updates. It means a lot. I promise I'm not abandoning it.