Work Text:
Andrew knows he shouldn’t be encouraging Jace’s habit of sneaking out when he’s supposed to be asleep, but what is he supposed to do, turn his boyfriend in to his mother?! Absolutely not. Andrew’s seen some of Maryse’s reprimands and he does not want Jace to be on the other end of that any more than he already finds himself. Which, to be fair, is a decent amount considering his general inability to follow the rules.
Andrew used to care a lot more about things like that. He still does, as far as the big rules are concerned. Things that would actually put the Institute in danger, or someone into harm’s way… but not so much the little things like sneaking out at night to explore the city, or grab a few drinks at the Hunter’s Moon.
Jace likes to brag that he’s a ‘bad influence’ on him, but honestly, Andrew thinks that all the changes he’s made since starting to date Jace have done him a world of good. Loosening up a bit opened plenty of opportunities for genuine, uninhibited fun in his life - something Andrew was sorely lacking before. Not to mention the confidence boosts that come from being constantly hit on by the Jace Herondale, not that Andrew will ever admit that to Jace and blow his ego up even more.
So yeah, Andrew tips Jace off on patrol schedules and certain sides and corners of hallways that aren’t covered by the surveillance cameras. He doesn’t mind the fact that Jace goes off on adventures without him, especially since most of them are while Andrew’s pulling the overnight shift, but Andrew’s been in a weird mood lately, and tonight he’s feeling particularly lonely and the thought of ending his shift and going to bed alone while Jace is out and about is the last thing he wants to do.
So when Jace mentions his plans to sneak out later and go to a downworlder party he heard about, Andrew frowns.
“Something wrong?” Jace asks, picking up on the shift in Andrew’s mood immediately.
“What if you wait until after my shift and I sneak out with you?” Andrew suggests.
Jace’s eyes widen in surprise. “You? Want to sneak out?”
“Why not?” Andrew challenges, bringing his hands to his hips.
“Because you’ve never broken a single rule in your life,” Jace points out.
“I have, too! I-”
“Helping me break rules doesn’t count,” Jace adds, and Andrew’s retort dies on his lips.
“Well, I want to break one now,” Andrew confirms. “Unless you don’t want me to come.”
Jace balks. “In what universe would I not want to show my boyfriend off at a party?”
Andrew feels the slight flush rise in his cheeks but ignores it. “So you’ll wait?”
“Of course I will. I’ll always wait for you.”
Jace says the words so casually, like they don’t make Andrew’s breath stop and his eyes close involuntarily in reaction - like it doesn’t mean the world to him to know how easily Jace simply loves him without hesitation. It’s this side of Jace, the one reserved only for him, that Andrew appreciates more than anything else about their relationship.
“Hello? Earth to Andrew?” Jace says, dramatically waving a hand in front of Andrew’s face with a knowing smirk. “You went all zoned-out, starry-eyed at me again.”
“Shut up and get ready to sneak out at exactly 11:15, it’ll be right between tonight’s patrols,” Andrew says, trying to change the topic.
“Mmmm, I love it when you talk dirty to me,” Jace says, voice low as he moves forward to wrap his arms around Andrew’s waist and pull him in for a kiss.
"Jace," Andrew protests, his voice somewhere between a whine and a groan. "I'm still working."
"And?" Not only does Jace not move away, he leans in to deepen the kiss.
"And," Andrew says, pulling back. "If you get me in trouble before the end of my shift I'll triple the patrols tonight and sneak out on my own."
"You wouldn't dare," Jace says, but there's a flicker of doubt in his words.
He's right, of course. Andrew wants this night out with Jace too much to ruin it for himself, but Jace caves instead of calling his bluff.
"See you at 11:15 then. Don't work too hard."
Jace gives Andrew a chaste goodbye kiss to his forehead before leaving. Working too hard definitely isn't a worry the rest of his shift - with his mind on the night ahead, Andrew spends most of it counting the seconds until they get to make their escape.