Adam watched him with shy, lingering glances. He appreciated how respectful Alec was of Adam’s secrets, and was amazed by how easily Alec trusted him despite those secrets. It impressed him how much Alec noticed and correctly surmised. He was as intelligent as he was skilled, remarkable in every way, including his loyalty, and ferocity, and gentleness. Adam thought about kissing him, and how easy it would be to lean forward and taste Alec’s lips. But that wouldn’t be fair to Alec, who already carried so many burdens. Adam wasn’t about to ask him to carry the burden of being gentle with Adam’s crush.
“You’re going to be Head of the Institute,” Adam said, after a long and thoughtful pause. “And you’re going to use that power and stability to be a force of balance to the Clave. It’d be easier to disown it, or even to destabilize it. But you’re going to work tirelessly to make it better.” To protect Izzy and Jace, and Adam, and his Institute, and the city. Maybe even to protect the Clave itself. Adam didn’t understand it, but he saw it clearly in the way Alec handled duty. Loyalty went hand in hand with his sense of fairness and justice.
He was a different kind of king than Gansey, but Adam saw that same nobility in him. Alec was born to lead, and Adam wanted earnestly to belong at his side. The thought was followed immediately by the wrenching reminder that he no longer had a place at Gansey’s side. Alec would put him aside just as easily, when his warlock came back, or whenever the next love of his life came along. Sooner or later, Alec would realize that his path didn’t need Adam as anything but the magician beneath his Institute.
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“You’re going to be Head of the Institute,” Adam said, after a long and thoughtful pause. “And you’re going to use that power and stability to be a force of balance to the Clave. It’d be easier to disown it, or even to destabilize it. But you’re going to work tirelessly to make it better.” To protect Izzy and Jace, and Adam, and his Institute, and the city. Maybe even to protect the Clave itself. Adam didn’t understand it, but he saw it clearly in the way Alec handled duty. Loyalty went hand in hand with his sense of fairness and justice.
He was a different kind of king than Gansey, but Adam saw that same nobility in him. Alec was born to lead, and Adam wanted earnestly to belong at his side. The thought was followed immediately by the wrenching reminder that he no longer had a place at Gansey’s side. Alec would put him aside just as easily, when his warlock came back, or whenever the next love of his life came along. Sooner or later, Alec would realize that his path didn’t need Adam as anything but the magician beneath his Institute.