AN: Hello. This is FishShips, back from a very long fanfiction hiatus. This fic was inspired by Cassie Clare's "The Evil We Love," part of the Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy collection. It actually starts from a specific part of that short story, so, and this is just a suggestion, you may want to read that before starting this fic. Anyways, I am clearly not Cassandra Clare, and this all belongs to her. So , without further ado, the fic.

"They'll think you're disgusting."
"Like you do?"

A voice at the back of Robert's mind said, Stop.

It said, This is your last chance.

But it said so very quietly. He almost missed it.

It took Robert time to gather his thoughts, and even longer for him to turn them into words.

"Like Valentine will. Like only I won't."
"He doesn't."

Michael said the words with such conviction that Robert took another step back. Michael looked up at him with a mixture of fear and pity. The expression was foreign to Robert; it didn't belong on his parabatai's face.

Michael continued slowly.
"He knows, has known, how I feel. He doesn't think I'm disgusting at all. He actually told me not to tell you. He said that you'd freak out, and that you'd never talk to me again."

The words hit Robert like a slap to the face. In his mind, he could see it clearly. Valentine had caught Michael alone, had come like a friend. 'I know your secret.' He had offered Michael protection from the hatred that he had feared. Valentine made himself the only person Michael could trust.

Valentine was right. He was always right. Robert kept worrying about what would happen if he did just… accept his Michael was. What would Maryse do? What would everyone else think?

Michael whispered something else, and Robert leaned in to catch it.

"I told him he was wrong, though. I told him that you were better than he thought. But, I had to prove it. And now—"
"I can't… love you, like that."

The words came like gravel from Robert's throat, and though his muscles resisted every movement, he sat back down on the log.

"I know," came the weary reply. "It's just… I just don't want you to think of me differently. I want to keep being your friend. I want to keep talking to you, and doing stupid things, and breaking rules, and everything else. I don't want to be treated like I'm weird, or—"

Words came more quickly now.
"I already treat you like you're weird. You are weird, Michael. You don't eat bacon, and you actually like Ragnor Fell, and you can literally fall asleep anywhere. You may be the strangest person I know, and you're still my best friend. So, just add another weird Michael fact to the pile, you nutjob. It's not like you can get any stranger."

Robert turned his head to Michael, and saw his friend shaking. Soft laughter diffused the tension, and Michael gave Robert a small smile. Even in the darkness of the forest, he could see how his friend's eyes brightened.

"So, nothing's changing?"
"Actually, there are a few new rules I'm gonna have to put down."

Michael's face fell before Robert kept talking.

"First, Maryse gets to know that you're in," he stumbled over the words, "in love… with me. Otherwise, she's very protective, and I'm pretty sure that she'd figure it out herself, and then, she would not be happy with either of us. Mainly you."

Michael raised his hand suddenly, his normal inquisitive expression returned.
"Quick question: Is it just going to be Maryse, or is everyone going to…?"

"First, you're telling Maryse and—"
"I'm telling her? Why do I have to tell her? She's your girlfriend!"
"She's also likely going to kill whoever tells her, so…"
"Wow. Good to know you've got my back."

"Whatever," Robert quipped, "B: I get to rub this whole thing in Valentine's face. He'll be so surprised; I have to see his face."
"No fair. I wanted to see his face."
"That's tough. I get to tell him to eat it. After all, he did insult me, not you."
"Fine. Just tell me where it's going to happen. A Farsighted rune should let me do the rest."
"You're a creep. You know that, right?"

Michael just shrugged. "It's not often one gets to see Valentine Morgenstern caught off guard."

Robert sighed. If Michael wanted to see Valentine embarrassed, he was going to see it. There wasn't much arguing with his parabatai once he had his mind set on something. Robert had already seen Michael's tunnel vision in action, and he had the scars to prove it. He was not about to try to experience that again.

"It's a deal. Three, you are going to tell me, right now, if this thing with Eliza is real. You can't just lie to her. Because you never hurt me, but you sure as hell could hurt her, even if she is weird."

"I like her," Michael said clearly. "I know that much. I like her, and maybe, I might even love her. But, it's just different from how, you know. So, I'm going to keep dating her. And maybe it'll work out, and maybe it won't. And I'll move on, and I might date someone else. But I am not lying to her. I promise."

"Okay, now I'm just confused. You're in love with me, and I'm a guy."
"Yes."
"And now, you're telling me you love Eliza, who's a girl?"
"Yes."

"Well then, I guess there's a Rule #4. You are going to give me some serious time to get my head around this whole thing. At least a month before we bring this up in detail again."
"I'll give you a week."
"Make it three."
"Two weeks, max."
"Fine, two weeks it is."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. The moonlight seeped through the thick summer foliage, outlining them both in silver. A cool breeze rustled the trees, and Michael stood up slowly. Robert looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.

"That's it?" Michael asked.
"Yeah. Well, at least, that's all I have to say."
"So is there anything you don't have to say?"
"There is one thing."

In a fluid motion, Robert slid from the log onto his feet and pinned his friend in a bear hug. Michael struggled fruitlessly to free his arms before surrendering completely. He just gave his parabatai a sly smile.

"I'm not saying you should let go," he started. "But, you are uncomfortably close."
"Don't care," Robert stated.
"I didn't mean I was uncomfortable," Michael corrected. "It's just that this could very quickly get uncomfortable for you."

Robert let go instantly, and sat back down on the log.
"Not funny."
"I actually thought it was pretty hilarious."
"That's because you're weird."
"I think you covered that before," Michael said, sitting down beside his best friend.

"What do you think we should do now? It's really late."
"We could stay out here. It's warm enough."

Silence filled the darkness, and Michael laid his head on Robert's shoulder. Robert said nothing, and leaned to accommodate him. Michael had done this a thousand times before, and this time was no different. At least, until Michael started to snore. Robert nudged his friend to wakefulness none too gently, just as exhaustion claimed him.

"We should get back to the Academy," Michael yawned. But on the forest floor, Robert was already asleep. In a few seconds, so was he.

AN: Never forget to review. I don't expect you to follow or favorite my work unless you want to, but critiques and compliments are something I expect from all my readers. It doesn't have to be much: a line you liked, an out of character moment, something you found sweet, or sucky. Let me know.

Thank you,

FishShips