He almost ducked away from Adam when he reached for the phone, unsure of what the magician planned. Not pulling away when Adam caught the phone, he stared down at him, waiting for... he wasn't sure, but he didn't expect an offer of compromise.

Or to know that what he'd guessed about Adam's past was true. He was like Jace in some ways. His parabatai had been beaten regularly for the slightest error or for wanting things that Valentine had thought would 'make him soft'. And just like with Jace, Adam would probably be furious if he acknowledged that abuse.

"I can try." That was all that Alec could promise. Thinking of himself as important was new. It went against what had been drilled into him for years and what his own personal code demanded. If he got hurt protecting his siblings, it didn't matter. If he lost something he wanted so that they could be happy, he would accept that situation and not dwell on it. At least not often.

"But I don't always know what I want or what I'm feeling because I've spent years suppressing those things. Not because I'm gay but because that's what Shadowhunters are supposed to do." Or certain ones like Jace or Alec. The ones that had to be perfect. "We were taught from the beginning that we're resources, not..."

Slowly he held out his free hand, letting Adam decide if he wanted to take it or not. "I will try to compromise but there are some things I refuse to do. We can talk about them, but I doubt I'll change my mind."