CHAPTER THIRTEEN
YES

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     Adrian didn't know how long he and his friends stayed at Alice and Adam's house. Long enough for dessert to be brought out, peach cobbler with homemade vanilla ice cream. Long enough for Abigail to grow tired of Isabelle's whip and come running up to Adrian again, demanding to know what his main weapon was. There had been mostly silence after that as Michael, Adam, and Alice all listened to Adrian describe his staff, which he'd left at home, much to Abigail's disappointment. And then long enough for Adrian to learn things about them. He learned that Alice worked from home, posting recipes online for commission. Adam worked as a history teacher at the local high school, and Michael was a sophomore at that same school, as well as the quarterback on the football team. Abigail, in comparison, was in seventh grade and in gymnastics. It didn't surprise Adrian at all that his siblings were both athletic; it was in their blood.

Simon was just being forced to show his fangs to Abigail, who looked absolutely delighted, when there was a slight puffing sound above them. They all looked up just in time to see a bit of fire in the air. The fire disappeared, but a piece of paper floated down in the remaining smoke. Adrian immediately plucked it from the air and unfolded the fire message, reading over it quickly. Dimly, he was aware of Abigail wanting to know what happened and if it was magic, and Michael wondering how it was possible. Alice calmly explained to them what a fire message was, while Adrian sighed and leaned over to look at Jace and Clary.

"Did you two forget," he said slowly, slightly annoyed, "that Clary was supposed to have an assessment tonight to document her training progress?" Clary and Jace's eyes both widened, but Clary then started looking irritated. She whipped her head around to glare at Jace, who was the one primarily responsible for her training, and glared until he shifted uncomfortably and rubbed at the back of his head, ruffling his golden hair.

"I...might have forgotten..." Jace said slowly, and Clary's eyes widened. Adrian rolled his eyes as he passed Clary the note, proof that she had indeed received the message. Isabelle and Simon laughed quietly together, their heads tilting close to each other's, while Alec shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. It wasn't normal for Jace to forget about something regarding training, especially assessments, but stranger things had happened, so Adrian thought nothing of it.

"Jace!" Clary said, frustrated, while Adrian shot his parents an apologetic look. Even though it was getting late anyway, he felt like he was leaving far too soon. He had nearly eighteen years to catch up on with them. A few hours didn't seem like enough. Alice and Adam seemed to understand though, because they both smiled.

"Let me pack you something to take home," Alice said firmly, making it very clear that Adrian wasn't allowed to leave until there was a takeout container in his hands. She rose swiftly, gathered the peach cobbler sitting on the center of the table with a cloth thrown over it, and disappeared through back sliding doors into her home. Meanwhile, Adam was rising as well. Adrian stiffened on instinct, though he didn't know why, but much to his relief, Adam didn't come to hug him goodbye. Adrian didn't think he was quite ready for that. Instead, he placed a gentle hand on Adrian's shoulder, squeezed slightly, and then passed him to get to Abigail.

"Abby, come on, time for homework," Adam said, ruffling her messy hair even more. She groaned and tilted her head back to give him a wide-eyed, innocent look. It didn't work, and she ended up being herded inside by Adam, complaining the entire way. Adrian watched them a moment, debating whether he should follow them all inside and say something, but he ultimately decided against it. That seemed like such a huge leap as far as boundaries, and Adrian was still taking baby steps. Simply waiting for his mother to come back would have to do.

"Hey," someone said, and Adrian blinked out of his thoughts, turning his head to see Michael rocking back and forth on his heels beside him. Adrian's friends had already stood from the picnic table, stretching out their arms and legs and groaning about how full they felt. Adrian stood as well, then stretched his arms over his head as Michael cleared his throat and averted his gaze. "Look, I just wanted to say that I'm, um, sorry about what I said to you. I didn't know you...didn't know this whole time." Michael grimaced as he realized how that sounded, but Adrian just smiled and shrugged, waving away his apology. "I didn't know there were, like, laws and shit around this, too. I was never very interested in that side of the family. Not like Abby is."

"I get it," Adrian said, dropping his arms and stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. "This has all been a lot, I know. And for what it's worth, I didn't...say anything to your m—to Alice. I just wanted to see her and make sure she was actually real, you know? I didn't think she'd recognize the ring." Adrian glanced down at the Rosewell ring in question, on the middle finger of his left hand.

"You'll..." Michael trailed off when Adrian glanced up at him, shifting uncomfortably. "Um, you'll come back, right?" At that, Adrian softened, and his smile was perhaps the sweetest thing he'd done in a while.

"Yeah, I will," Adrian confirmed. Michael relaxed, his own smile appearing. Adrian glanced behind him, saw Clary was talking Jace's ear off much to Isabelle and Simon's amusement, and huffed out a laugh. Alec, in comparison, had stayed near Adrian, watching Clary and Jace with a small frown. Adrian turned back to Michael. "Now that Izzy and I are parabatai, we'll probably start getting assigned more missions, so I can't promise when I'll show up next. But I will."

"That's lovely to hear," Alice said softly, and Adrian whirled to see her standing beside Alec, who was blushing red. She had her hand on his shoulder and was beaming ear to ear. A plastic container full of peach cobbler was in one of Alec's hands, and another container full of cookies was in the other. Adrian stepped forward to take what looked like the heaviest container, though Alec could easily hold both, and then looked at Alice when she laughed. "I was just asking Alec if you were treating him well." Behind him, Adrian heard Michael scoff and move forward.

"Mom, shouldn't you be asking Alec if he's treating Adrian well?" Michael asked, his arms crossed over his chest. "Not the other way around?" Alice blinked and dropped her hand.

"Oh," she said lightly, and then she grinned. "Well, yes, probably, but that seemed rude, and I didn't want to put him on the spot. Though—" Alice shot a concerned look at Alec, who was still red in his cheeks. "—I think I might have put him on the spot anyway."

"Just a little," Alec said weakly, clearing his throat. "And, um, yes. Dri does treat me well. Very well, actually. Extremely well." Adrian laughed softly, raising his free hand to cover his mouth. Alec shot him a short glare, then realized what he had said, and blushed even harder. Adrian decided to save him, stepping forward to kiss his cheek lightly. Alec muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

"You don't have to worry," Adrian told Alice, even as he nudged Alec in the ribs with his elbow. Alec grumbled some more and turned to join their friends, who were waiting a few feet away. Clary had stopped scolding Jace, and they seemed to have made up, because his arm was over her shoulders. "We've always treated each other well. That's not gonna change." Alice smiled warmly, her shoulders relaxing. She must've been worried she had overstepped. "Anyway, um, thanks for tonight. I really didn't mean to just barge in, but Jace..." Adrian glanced at Jace, saw Jace grin and wave, and rolled his eyes. "Well, he's Jace." Alice laughed.

"You didn't barge in," Alice corrected, reaching forward to put her hand on his forearm. She didn't move closer to hug him, though, just like Adam, and Adrian breathed a small sigh of relief. He hadn't exactly set boundaries, but they had read them, regardless. He was grateful for that. "Like I said, you're always welcome here. Even when we're not home. If you need a place to stay or hide..." She trailed off, dropped her hand, then shrugged. Adrian raised an eyebrow.

"Hide?" he asked with a small grin. She gave him a flat look.

"You're a Rosewell with a friend group filled with Lightwoods, a Herondale, a Fairchild, a vampire, a few werewolves, and a warlock or two." He had told them about Magnus and Catarina, about Oliver and Maia. He was touched that she had remembered. "I know for a fact that you're a troublemaker. You get that from me. So, like I said, if you ever need to hide..." Alice shrugged again, and Adrian burst into laughter, absolutely elated.

"Well, thanks, but I don't think that's necessary," Adrian admitted, glancing over at his friends in question. He suddenly realized he should have invited Magnus, Oliver, and Maia along. They would be very upset with him when they learned they'd all met Adrian's family without them. He hummed. "We can get away with more than we could before now. Maryse is running the Institute, Robert is Inquisitor, and we're all kinda war heroes, so..." Alice's eyes widened in alarm, and Adrian trailed off.

The Mortal War, he hadn't mentioned.

"War hero?" she whispered, then she shook her head and motioned for Michael to go inside. Michael started to argue, but Alice shot him a stern look, and he obediently turned to go inside, mumbling under his breath. The sight amused Adrian greatly, if only because they were only a year apart in age, but Adrian was treated as old enough to discuss this while Michael was deemed too young to hear. If Michael had trained to become a Shadowhunter, he surely wouldn't have been sent away. Once Michael was inside, Alice looked at Adrian and murmured, "What war?"

"The Mortal War," Adrian said shortly, frowning. He would've thought Alice had kept in touch with the Shadow World and news, but apparently not. Not recently, at least. "Against Valentine." Alice stiffened at the name, her eyes going even wider. "He's dead. For real, this time."

"Good." Alice took in a deep breath. "I'm glad you're alright. I wish..." Alice bit down on her bottom lip, then shook her head and flashed him a bright smile. "Sorry, I just...keep forgetting how old you are now. How much I actually missed." Adrian swallowed the lump suddenly forming in his throat. Alice waved her hand through the air, forcing a small laugh. "Anyway, please, get home safely, and visit soon! Even if it's just for a minute or two. I would love to spend more time with you. We all would."

"You can!" Clary suddenly exclaimed, and then she was digging through her bag. A moment later, she skipped forward and handed Alice an invitation for Jocelyn and Luke's engagement party. "The engagement party was real. The excuse I used when we first met, I mean. Mom said you two were friends, and I'm sure she'd love to see you again. We're all going." Adrian shot her a thankful smile as Alice slowly took it.

"Thank you," Alice said softly, grinning at Clary brightly. There were tears in her eyes again. "I'd love to go—if that's okay with you, Adrian." Alice looked at him then, and Adrian grinned back just as brightly.

"I'd love that," he said softly, and he couldn't quite swallow the lump in his throat again when his mother let a small tear fall.

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Adrian and Alec ended up walking home slowly, their hands clasped between them. Isabelle and Simon had disappeared soon after they had left the Montgomery's home, saying they would have a little date together. Clary and Jace, in comparison, had rushed back to the Institute. It wasn't too late for Clary to do her assessment with Maryse, so she had created her own Portal with her stele and they had jumped through, though not before Alec and Adrian had shoved the takeout containers into their hands. Now, they were left alone, and after getting off the subway to cut their trip by an hour, they took their leisurely time getting to the Institute. Every now and then, Adrian would bump into Alec on purpose with his shoulder, leaning against him until Alec pushed back.

"So," Alec said eventually, once they could see the Institute in the distance. Their feet had slowed into a snail's pace. Neither of them wanted to be home quite yet, surrounded by the guests that hadn't left yet, or worse, had to stay over because they were too drunk. Going home meant no longer being alone—though Adrian knew how to avoid guests if he really wanted to, and could drag Alec along if he wanted. "How are you after that? I think you're alright, but sometimes, you're very good at hiding stuff like this."

"I'm alright," Adrian said with a laugh, squeezing Alec's hand in his own. He bumped into him again, shoulder to shoulder. "Better than alright. I'm actually really glad Jace has absolutely no boundaries whatsoever. I don't think that would've happened if he hadn't jumped the fence." Adrian stopped then, realizing they were across the street from the Institute. Lights were still on inside, and he could distantly hear adult, drunken laughter. The party that had once been for Adrian and Isabelle had now turned into a drunken party for older adults only.

"I'm glad then," Alec murmured, stepping closer as Adrian studied the Institute and pressing a kiss on Adrian's jaw. Adrian hummed under his breath, one of his hands coming up to sink his fingers into Alec's hair, the other bracing itself on Alec's shoulder. One of Alec's arms had looped around Adrian's waist, keeping him there as Alec kissed lower, the soft space between his neck and jaw. Alec stopped there and nuzzled for a moment, his arm tightening, and Adrian responded by throwing his arms around Alec's shoulders, properly embracing him. Alec sighed against his neck, nuzzled again, then softly said, "I love you so much. It's hard to think about anything else sometimes."

"Well," Adrian said with a laugh, his heart squeezing in his chest, his lungs constricting. "You can't expect to say something like that and expect me not to kiss you until you can't think at all." Alec laughed against his neck, then nipped at Adrian's throat lightly. Adrian jumped at the feel of his teeth, a startled yelp leaving his mouth, and Alec laughed again, louder this time.

"Say it back," Alec ordered, something he was often prone to saying to Adrian when the word love was involved. Adrian often got overwhelmed when Alec said it, briefly thinking to himself that this could all be a very long and very wonderful dream, and so he would often make a joke. It had bothered Alec at first—Alec hadn't said so, but Adrian knew him—but now Alec saw it as what it was. Adrian simply needing a minute to process that Alec actually truly and deeply loved him back.

"I was going to, there's no need to bite me," Adrian said, laughing again as he pulled back to cup Alec's face. Alec was flushed a little, which must've been why he had tucked his face against Adrian's neck in the first place. Adrian ran his thumbs across Alec's cheeks as he cradled his face, then leaned forward to kiss him gently, eyes fluttering shut. Adrian suddenly felt an overwhelming, competitive need to one-up Alec somehow, so he smiled against his lips and said, "I love you more than words can possibly describe." Alec knew immediately what he was doing, and laughed, leaning back a bit.

"Now you're just being dramatic," Alec accused, though he looked no less touched.

"Maybe," Adrian admitted, "but that doesn't mean it's not true." He reached up a hand to push Alec's hair out of his eyes, wanting to see the vibrant blue of them clearly. "Why do you think I have to stop and process each time you say you love me? You say it's hard for you to think about anything else, but for me, it's just hard to think at all. You're everything I've ever wanted and more, Alec Lightwood." Alec's reaction to those words wasn't what Adrian had expected. First, his blue eyes flared, like he was seeing something exciting—and then they darkened, and a new flush crawled up his neck, reaching his cheeks.

Alec cupped Adrian's face and kissed him then, kissed him so hard that Adrian stumbled back a step, scrambling to find purchase under the weight of his lips. Adrian's hands locked around the lapels of Alec's jacket, and he pulled himself upright as he returned the kiss as best he could. Alec's arm was still wrapped around his waist, and Adrian was startled when Alec turned them swiftly so that Adrian's back was no longer facing the street. Adrian stumbled when he did, mind still foggy from the kiss, and then his back was against the brick wall of the abandoned building they were standing next to. Adrian gasped into Alec's mouth, and Alec simply pressed an even hungrier kiss against his lips, his hands grasping Adrian's hips. He felt Alec's bare fingers against the skin of his hips when his shirt rode up a little, and Adrian instinctively pressed his hips forward, one of his legs shifting to curl around Alec's own.

"God, Alec," Adrian gasped once his lips were free, both of them breaking apart to breathe. Feeling a little like he had to break the tension suddenly suffocating them both, he joked, "We are in public." It hardly meant anything. They had put on glamours to make themselves invisible after getting off the subway, and their street was almost always empty anyway. No one was watching them. It worked, though, and it made Alec laugh as he dropped his forehead against Adrian's shoulder. He mumbled something then, his mouth pressed against the leather of Adrian's jacket, and Adrian tilted his head. He ran his fingers through Alec's hair once, then turned his head to brush a kiss against his temple. "What was that? Couldn't hear you."

"I said," Alec said, sounding mildly embarrassed, "that you should take me inside, then." He groaned a moment later, as if that line was the most embarrassing thing he'd ever said in his life, but Adrian didn't think so. His mind had completely short-circuited. He could've sworn he had heard Alec incorrectly. Even if he didn't, he had processed the words themselves incorrectly, and the meaning behind them.

"Wait," Adrian said, pulling back slightly, trying to see Alec's face. Alec wouldn't let him, as his face was now glued to Adrian's shoulder. "Wait, hold on, do you mean like—take you inside, as in to your room, or like—"

"Adrian," Alec sighed, finally raising his head from Adrian's shoulder. He must've realized Adrian was much more flustered than he was. "Come on. I've been dying to get you alone for weeks. Do I really have to spell it out to you?" Adrian opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

"Actually, yeah," Adrian murmured, licking his lips. "That would actually be nice." He managed a teasing smile. "Spell it out for me." Immediately, a scowl twisted Alec's lips, and he took a step back just to cross his arms over his chest. Adrian laughed softly, enjoying making Alec squirm for a moment.

"You're enjoying this," Alec accused. Adrian's teasing smile grew wider.

"Very," he said, laughing more. He tilted his head thoughtfully a moment later, deciding to go easy on him for now. After all, this was a very important conversation. "Are you saying you're ready to have sex?" It was blunt, his question, and it hit Alec like a brick, red instantly flowing to his cheeks. Alec seemed frustrated by his embarrassment, huffing as he glanced away and running a hand through his hair.

"It's not even embarrassing, you're you, I don't..." he said, mumbling more to himself than to Adrian, but Adrian softened nonetheless. He reached forward to take Alec's hand, running his thumb across the back of his hand softly. Alec glanced down at it, and suddenly, his entire body was relaxing. He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then met Adrian's gaze and smiled. It was, perhaps, the most beautiful thing Adrian had ever seen. "Yes, Adrian, I'm ready. Now would you please just—"

"You're beautiful," Adrian blurted out. He had heard Alec say yes, that he was ready. Of course he had. But he was still very much caught up in Alec's smile, and every thought except for how beautiful he looked had flown from his head. Alec stopped, blinking rapidly as Adrian laughed and tugged on his hand. Alec stepped closer, and Adrian pressed a kiss to his lips, short but soft. "I just needed to say that."

"I want to call you beautiful too," Alec murmured after a brief pause, "but I feel like I'm copying you now, and that's not fair." Adrian laughed louder then. He didn't much care if Alec called him beautiful or not, and he showed that by cupping his face and kissing him again.

"Come on," Adrian said softly, tugging on Alec's hand. They crossed the street to the Institute quickly, so different from their earlier slow pace, and when they got into the foyer, they chose to take the stairs instead of the elevator, which would signal everyone that they were home. They managed to get to Adrian's room without running into anyone drunk enough to want to hog their time, and then they were kissing as they fell through the door, laughter on both of their lips.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: So sorry this took so long and is shorter than usual, but at least it's something xoxo