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Title: The Life They Deserved – Sebastian's Life at the New York Institute

Fandom: Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments

Disclaimer: All rights to the Shadowhunters show reserved to Ed Decter, the books the show is based off and its characters belong to Cassandra Clare. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: m/m, wings, alpha/beta/omega dynamics, explicit intercourse, anal, knotting, spanking, bondage, BDSM, hurt/comfort, possessiveness

Main Pairing: Seb/Jace

Shadowhunters Characters: Jonathan Christopher 'Jace' Wayland, Sebastian Verlac | Jonathan Morgenstern, Isabelle Sophia 'Izzy' Lightwood, Clarissa Adele 'Clary' Fray

Summary: It's a normal night at the Institute. Jace is overworking himself again and his alpha is fed-up with that, so it's up to Sebastian to make sure Jace comes to bed and stays there.

The Life They Deserved

Sebastian's Life at the New York Institute

When Jonathan had first assumed the identity of Sebastian Verlac, the plan had been to get Clary's attention, get to know his sister, to see what kind of person the boy was who had always been Valentine's favorite and then... Well. He didn't quite know what then. He just needed to know. He needed to know what had become of Jonathan Christopher Herondale and Clarissa Morgenstern.

Then he met Isabelle Lightwood and from there on out, everything took a different turn.

He didn't just meet Isabelle, he... he made a friend. Never before had he made a friend. Isabelle came to him to talk, about her life and problems, but also asking about him. They spent time together and for the first time in his life, he felt... valued. Like he mattered to someone.

Through Isabelle, he got into the Institute and he met the others – Clary and Jace and Alec. Clary was... nice. She was so pure and friendly. He didn't quite understand. She too talked to him and laughed with him. She seemed to like him and when she talked about Jonathan, she spoke of a broken brother who deserved a second chance. She gave him hope.

And then there was Jace. Jace was – Jace was everything.

He had forgotten that Jace was an omega. And Jace was beautiful. The golden hair softly falling into his face, those eyes like heaven itself with the sun rising in them, golden and blue together, full, pink lips, sharp cheekbones, a handsome, well-trained body and the mightiest angel-wings possible. He had been fascinated by all the different wings – the only other Shadowhunter he had ever met had been his father – but at the Institute, there were so many. Wings in all shades of brown and gray, blacks and reds and even some very colorful. But Jace's, they were the ones of a barn-owl, nearly purely white but dusted with gold. Jace looked truly royal, like a prince among angels. And he smelt like heaven too. Like honey and milk and strawberries. Like... home.

He forgot whatever kind of plans he might have had. Revenge on Jace for... things Valentine had done. But then he walked in on Jace playing the piano and the omega was still suffering so much. That he would just share the story of how Valentine taught him the piano by breaking his fingers repeatedly to an alpha who was essentially a total stranger at that point. Jace was desperate to share his pain, to have anyone understand it and help him. No one would ever understand it the way he could. He had never intended to get close to Jace, but somehow he couldn't stay away. He wanted to hear, first-hand, what Jace had been going through, how Valentine treated him.

He saw it, when Valentine escaped – switching bodies with the warlock. The haunted look in Jace's eyes after they had re-captured Valentine. The slowly fading bruises from yet another stay with Valentine. No, no Valentine wasn't worth it. He had come here for his father, but... Valentine wasn't worth it. So very slowly, he was finally building a life of his own.

For the first time in his life, he was part of a flock. With Clary, Isabelle, Jace, Alec and Max. They welcomed him into their flock, he now had friends, a family. A home where he belonged to. He went on missions with them, had gained their trust. Valentine wasn't worth losing any of this. For so many years, he had craved this, all of this, but for the very first time, it actually belonged to him. He finally had all the things Valentine had denied him, had taken away from him.

Then Aline Penhallow arrived and it got risky. He could lose everything. He had to think quick. To find a better solution than keeping Sebastian Verlac locked up in his closet. So he summoned a memory-demon. This one, he fed off pain and he had enough of that to give. He gave up some of his memories of Edom, in exchange of Sebastian Verlac's memories. They were now there, in the back of his mind, he could access them. He knew they weren't truly his and he still had his own memories, his own self, he wasn't Sebastian Verlac. But now he had the means to access Sebastian Verlac's past in case it came up. Here, in the New York Institute, he was making a name for himself though, he was making friends and a flock of his own. When Aline commented that he had changed, he had laughed and blamed it on the fake addiction he had made up – losing everything had made him re-evaluate his life and his decisions. It was believable enough, people accepted it. They accepted him as Sebastian – and he started accepting himself as Sebastian.

He had started thinking of himself as Sebastian somewhere along the way. While he might not be the Sebastian of the past, this life was fully and truly his. The other Sebastian would have never made this life, the way he had done. And now, the old Sebastian was no more. Thanks to the demon taking all of Sebastian's memories, the man had no recollection of who he had been. So he had taken the amnesic Shadowhunter far, far away and left him there, in the mundie world, to start a new life of his own too. His first instinct had been to kill Sebastian Verlac, but... the new him was better than this. Was not a slave to his demon-blood and to Valentine's upbringing.

That was his life now. That was Sebastian's life now. He had a fabulous, nosy best friend in Isabelle Lightwood, he helped her in training Max Lightwood, he went out to the bar with his friend Clary Fray and her boyfriend Simon Lewis, he blatantly flirted with gorgeous Jace Herondale, he consulted Alexander Lightwood and became a reliable, trusted member of the Institute.

This was the life Sebastian had chosen and made for himself and for the first time in his life, he was genuinely... happy. He had a place to belong, people to belong to. And he was never going to risk it.

When Isabelle organized the transfer of Valentine, Sebastian volunteered to help. To make sure this man would forever leave his life. Valentine was prosecuted and executed in Idris and it might have been the most satisfying day of Sebastian's life as he watched the life fade out of the eyes of the man who had experimented on him, tortured him and then banished him to hell. And for the first time in his life, he felt truly free. Finally freed from the hold Valentine had over him.

After the execution, Sebastian went out to find Jace. It wasn't hard to find Jace, not for Sebastian at least. The scent was so mouthwatering and always stood out, even in as big a crowd as the execution of Valentine Morgenstern. Jace stood alone in the graveyard, his wings lowered in sadness as he looked at two graves. When Sebastian approached, he saw whose graves they were. Jace's parents. Carefully, Sebastian extended a wing to cover Jace in a warm shield.

"Hey", whispered Sebastian. "You just disappeared after the execution. Isabelle is taking care of Clary, I volunteered to look for you. Are you okay?"

"It's... strange", sighed Jace and shook his head. "He hurt me. Abused me. Broke me. Tried to make me into something I'm not – an alpha and a weapon. But... there is still this part of me... the part that... thinks of the rare, good moments, that still thinks of him as..."

"Father", supplied Sebastian, knowing too well what Jace was talking about.

"I hate it. And I hate myself for thinking it", whispered Jace with a glare. "These are my parents. And Valentine took them from me, took my chance to ever get to know them."

Sebastian tightened his wing around Jace. He could relate to that too. Jocelyn was dead by the time Sebastian returned from Edom. He would never get to meet his mother in any seeting. Jace leaned into the comfort of his wing, pushing his own wings back against Sebastian's.

"They loved you", offered Sebastian after a long moment. "You are... not alone, Jace."

He wasn't good at these, at comforting. It was preferred when Jace's parabatai could do the comforting – Alec was very good, he was very attuned to Jace. But as the head of the Institute that had captured Valentine, he was currently busy with the Clave and the Inquisitor.

"I... know. Grandmother told me that too", sighed Jace and shook his head. "I still... Missing someone I have known is one thing, but missing someone I've never known..."

Stepping closer, Sebastian rubbed his wing against Jace's in comfort, until the omega slowly relaxed and the sour scent of sadness lessened, replaced by the pure beautiful scent of Jace. It wasn't that Sebastian missed Valentine, the heartless bastard had banished him to literal hell. Valentine being gone meant that Sebastian could now truly move on. The chapter was closed, it was time for a whole new book. One of a life filled with comfort, flock, family and... love.

"Do you want to go and grab a bite?", asked Sebastian softly.

"I'm leaving with Imogen after her meeting. I'm going to stay for a couple of days at the Herondale mansion", replied Jace with a frown. "The war is over, Valentine is dead. We... will finally have time to actually talk to each other."

"That's nice, but... not what I meant", chuckled Sebastian. "I meant whether or not you would like to... go on an actual date with me some time. Not necessarily today."

"A... date?", echoed Jace surprised, looking up at the alpha.

Sebastian shrugged. "I like you. You're gorgeous and I enjoy our conversations. Now that we might have peace – or at least some sense of normality – I would like to get to know you better. More... intimately. Not just as Isabelle's brother, but as a beautiful, unmated omega."

"Oh", nodded Jace, cheeks dark-red.

"Well, what do you say, Jace?", asked Sebastian amused.

"Uhm. Yeah. I'd... like that. I think", replied Jace, blinking slowly. "After I get back."

"I'll be looking forward to it", stated Sebastian pleased and leaned in to kiss Jace's cheek. "Enjoy your time with your grandmother. I'll make sure Clary doesn't get herself killed until you return."

"Much appreciated", chuckled Jace, bumping wings with Sebastian.

/break\

"Isabelle? I don't mean to be a bother, but I was wondering if you could help me..."

Sebastian knocked at her door and slowly entered, to find Isabelle spawled out on her bed, reading a book while Clary was sitting next to her, drawing her. His... friends. Never would he have thought he'd have friends. Isabelle raised both her eyebrows and sat up slowly as Sebastian approached her, with three ties over his arm. At first, Clary protested, until she saw Sebastian.

"Oh. I didn't hear you... I guess I was distracted", chuckled Clary sheepishly.

"You're looking nice", commented Isabelle appreciatively.

He was wearing a black suit with a dark-red shirt. "Thank you. It's... an important date. I just can't seem to be able to pick out a tie that fits... It's strange. It's not like this matters, but..."

"Oh my gosh, you're adorable when you're nervous", laughed Isabelle as she stood.

"Who is that special date? I don't think I've seen you nervous since I met you", asked Clary.

"It's... Jace", offered Sebastian, wings raised in instinctual defensiveness.

Isabelle lowered her own wings in a non-threatening manner while exchanging a look with Clary. "Jace? So your flirting with him wasn't just flirting? You... like him. You really do, don't you?"

Sebastian felt his blush darken while Isabelle was picking a tie. "Is that... a problem?"

"You're a good man, Sebastian", chuckled Isabelle, patting Sebastian's chest, her smile was all teeth. "So, as long as you're treating him well, then we won't have a problem. If you hurt him, then I will just have to show you all the different ways I know to hurt you."

"I may not know as many ways to hurt someone, but my dad owns a gun and knows how to hide a body", added Clary, looking about as threatening as a kitten.

Sebastian found himself chuckling at it, looking at them both. "Threat received. I assure you, I have no plans of hurting him. He is... precious to me."

The answer seemed to satisfy the girls. "Good. Now, what plans did you have?"

"I... wanted to take him out for dinner, though I had also hoped to get your help with that."

"Well, what about the Hunter's Moon?", suggested Clary with a frown.

"No. No alcohol. I don't want our first date to be a drunken blur", argued Sebastian.

"Taki's Diner?", offered Isabelle next while fixing Sebastian's tie.

"No. We go there all the bloody time after missions. It's not... special enough", frowned Sebastian.

"So I guess the Jade Wolf's out too", chuckled Isabelle fondly. "Clary?"

"How about a mundie restaurant then?", suggested Clary with a smile. "No demons or Downworlders to distract. Just the two of you and a nice, romantic candlelight dinner."

"That sounds absolutely lovely", sighed Sebastian gratefully.

"Whatever would you do without us?", teased Clary with a grin, cuffing him with her wing.

Oh, she had no idea how true that was. Smiling, Sebastian brushed his own wing against her.

/break\

"This place is... nice", hummed Jace as he looked around awkwardly.

"Good", sighed Sebastian relieved as he pulled the chair back for Jace. "Clary recommended it. I... still don't really know my way around New York, especially not the mundie world."

"Well, neither do I", laughed Jace as he sat down. "You look... handsome."

"So do you", replied Sebastian with a pleased smile.

Jace was wearing all white – Isabelle had taken care of that. As soon as Jace had returned home, Isabelle and Clary had stolen him to help him get dressed for tonight. A white suit with a light-blue shirt. It was nice, considering that Sebastian normally only got to see Jace in black.

"How was it at your grandmother's?", inquired Sebastian curiously as they got their menus.

"Nice", replied Jace slowly, frowning thoughtfully. "She... told me a lot about my parents. What my father was like when he was my age. It... I feel... closer to them now... in a way."

"That's good. You deserve it", nodded Sebastian.

"What... about you?", asked Jace slowly, looking up from the menu. "I mean, will you return to your family, now that the war is over?"

Sebastian blinked slowly. He had memories of them, of what Sebastian's parents were like. But they weren't his – it would feel truly fake to return to the London Institute and to be the Sebastian Verlac of the past. There was no way he could give this life here up.

"I have no plans of leaving", assured Sebastian and reached out to take Jace's hand into his. "The New York Institute lost many during this war and if your head will have me, I'll stay."

The small, genuine smile on Jace's face was beautiful. "Well, lucky for you I have pretty good ties to the head. So, if you're not doing too badly tonight, I might put in a good word for you."

Sebastian laughed pleased and leaned back some, marveling at Jace. "That sounds lovely. There's some people here I've grown really attached to."

"Oh? Like?", asked Jace curiously, grinning.

"Isabelle, she's just lovely", replied Sebastian casually, eyes sparkling.

"She's quite fond of you too", agreed Jace. "Just... her though?"

"And Clary is wonderful. Young Max is quite impressive and I'd hate to leave his training", continued Sebastian casually, smirking at the way Jace looked. "And then there's this... absolutely lovely omega. He's a true beauty, but he also has the brains."

"He does?", asked Jace, sounding genuinely surprised.

"Oh yes. Some would say he's at his most beautiful when he's soaring the sky, fighting or sparring. But... I have to admit I have a particular weakness for him in the library, hunched over the old tombs, brows knitted in concentration...", drawled Sebastian, smiling fondly as Jace blushed. "You do this thing where your mouth is a little open and the tip of your tongue is caught between your lips when you concentrate on a text you're reading and it's absolutely endearing."

The blush on Jace's face was just as endearing. Sebastian knew he was completely gone. Everything about Jace enchanted him. At first, all he had seen in Jace was his polar opposite. The angel-blooded omega, pure and heroic. In a way, Sebastian still saw that, but unlike in the beginning, Sebastian didn't see that as a threat anymore. Instead, it was what Sebastian wished to protect. That maybe, if Sebastian could work hard, here at the Institute, if he could protect the pureness in Jace, then perhaps he could repent for his own sins, for his own demon-blood.

/3 Months Later\

Sebastian sighed as he rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling. The bed was too large and too cold. Frowning annoyed, Sebastian reached for the pillow stuffed with Jace's feathers and buried his nose in it, smelling the delicious scent of his mate. What would be preferred would be to actually have Jace here with him, where he belonged at two in the morning. In bed with his mate.

Things had changed in the past three months. For the better. Ever since Valentine had died, Sebastian's life seemed to just keep improving. He started going out with Jace, courting Jace. And he earned the respect and acceptance of his in-laws when he was the one to retrieve the Soul Sword.

After all, he was the one who had stolen it. He just hadn't known how to return it. But then, after Valentine's execution, the Clave focused its resources on finding the last missing Circle members to arrest and then finding the Mortal Cup and the Soul Sword. It was easy, during one of the missions, to place the sword in a Circle hideout, and then to be the one to find it. The Inquisitor praised him personally for it – which was how she met her grandson's boyfriend. And apparently, the heroics weighted heavy because she looked at him with approval.

Finally, Sebastian got to claim Jace as his. His omega. His mate. They fit so well together, the golden couple of the Institute. And suddenly, Sebastian actually had a family. He had his mate and his mate's siblings gladly accepted him into the Lightwood family. Imogen gladly accepted him into her family and it was rather clear that she was hoping for great-grandchildren, something that never failed to make Jace blush and glare. Now, Sebastian truly had his place here.

Sighing annoyed, Sebastian threw the pillow away and got up. If the omega won't come to bed, then the alpha was going to come to his omega. It wasn't rare for Jace to overwork himself. For being a Shadowhunter, Jace could be like a dog with a bone – or a puppy.

"Ja—ace", called Sebastian out in annoyance as he entered the Ops Room.

Jace was the only one present, the room being dark and empty otherwise. They were still looking for the Mortal Cup and Jace, he felt personally responsible for it – he tended to always feel personally responsible for everything. But the remaining Circle members, apparently they were creating new Shadowhunters with the Mortal Cup and for every single one, Jace felt responsible. Today, they had run into another Forsaken. Jace turned to stare at him with large eyes.

"Seb. Hey", greeted Jace with an innocent look on his face.

Head tilted up, throat bared in subtle submission, eyes looking up at Sebastian from beneath his ridiculously long lashes. The image of innocence and an obedient omega adoring his alpha.

"You don't fool me, Jace Herondale", growled Sebastian as he leaned down.

He pinned Jace against the chair by his shoulder, backing him off. Jace's eyes widened, pupils too in arousal as he faced his irritated alpha. Slowly licking his lips, Jace offered his neck again. Sebastian's eyes were drawn to the mating mark, the sign that Jace was Sebastian's. That trick usually did work on Sebastian. He liked seeing his mark on Jace. Glaring, Sebastian let his hand slip up, pinning Jace nearly by the throat as he pushed between Jace's legs. He knelt down with one knee between Jace's thighs, leaning down until there was only an inch between them.

"Are you angry, alpha?", asked Jace, eyebrows knitted.

Heaving a sigh, Sebastian leaned in to place a gentle kiss on Jace's lips. Gentle. That was a new vocabulary for Sebastian, but Jace brought that out in him. He still had his urges. To kill and maim. Now he had a way of channeling that – into hunting demons. He had quick become one of the best Shadowhunters of the New York Institute. Him and Jace had become a good pair – on missions too. It was what had brought Sebastian Alec's approval, because with Alec being the head of the Institute, he only rarely got to go out on missions and he appreciated that there was someone having Jace's back and preventing the reckless omega from getting himself killed.

"I love you, my owl", whispered Sebastian lowly. "I'm not angry. Not... the way you think. I'm angry that you're overworking yourself, even though all of us want you to be healthy."

"I'm fine", grumbled Jace, trying to dodge his mate.

Sebastian tightened his grip on Jace's throat. Not choking him, just keeping him in place. Sebastian had gotten incredibly good at controlling himself. It was easy with Jace. Yes, he still had the desire to bruise and mark, but not to break. Jace was his to protect and cherish. To keep safe.

"You're fine, yes?", drawled Sebastian dryly. "Would you like me to wake Alexander? And Isabelle? I'm sure they'd love to hear in detail how fine you are."

"You're a traitor", muttered Jace with an endearing pout. "You're not supposed to rattle me out to my parabatai. That's just unfair and blackmailing."

"Really? If what you're saying would be true, this wouldn't be blackmailing", chuckled Sebastian.

With that, he back off from his mate enough to grab Jace around the waist. The omega yelped as he was hoisted up and thrown over Sebastian's shoulder to be carried out of the room and toward their shared bedroom. They had gotten an upgrade after their mating ceremony. The room in the bell-tower, the highest room, giving much space for Jace to build his nest during heat. Which was the reason they had gotten it. There were only two omegas at the Institute – Jace and Clary. And Jace was the only mated one of those two, so he got the special room perfect for nesting.

"Put me down, you brutish alpha", complained Jace frustrated.

Huffing, Sebastian slapped Jace's butt. "If you won't go to bed willingly, I will be forced to drag you there. And make sure you'll stay right there."

Jace continued grumbling as Sebastian continued carrying him. It was rather endearing. Once inside their bedroom, Sebastian just threw his mate onto their large bed. Huffing, Jace sat up and glared.

"You have been working non-stop all day. You do not get to glare at me for dragging you to bed past two in the morning", stated Sebastian unimpressed. "Strip. Now."

Jace blinked at the authority in Sebastian's voice and eagerly obeyed. Oh, that had been the moment Sebastian knew Jace was meant to be his. To be his mate, not just his boyfriend. Jace took so beautifully to submitting in the bedroom and it allowed Sebastian an outlet for certain tendencies. Once naked, Jace knelt on the bed, staring at Sebastian with hunger in his eyes.

"First, you get your punishment. You were supposed to go to bed three hours ago. When you and I went together. And then you snuck out again while I was asleep", grunted Sebastian firmly.

He sat down at the edge of the bed and patted his lap. With a furious blush on his cheeks did Jace reluctantly climb onto Sebastian's lap, ass high in the air. Jace liked his spankings; when they were playful. But when Jace had actually agitated his alpha and got an earnest spanking, he was a bit less of a fan. Without a warning did Sebastian let his hand come down hard for the first time. Jace jumped a little and before he could sit fully back again, Sebastian let it come down again. He spanked Jace hard and firm, spreading the hits out to cover all of that round, firm butt and his thighs. Jace's wings were jerking violently as the omega endured his spanking. After the last slap, by the time Jace's behind was a beautiful scarlet red, Sebastian gathered Jace up in his arms.

"You did very well", praised Sebastian, pressing a kiss to Jace's temple.

Carefully did Sebastian spread his lover out on the bed, pinning Jace's wrists to the corners of the four-poster bed. The rope tying the curtains to the posters had already often been used to tying Jace to the bed and Jace looked eager as Sebastian did so. Parting Jace's legs, he sat down between them and slipped two fingers into the already dripping-wet hole to prep his lover. Spankings always turned Jace on, making the omega produce slick, greedy for his alpha. He only pulled out once Jace was a complete mess, writhing and begging beneath Sebastian. A pleased smirk found its way onto Sebastian's face at the small whine Jace made at that. Thought Sebastian was quick to replace his fingers with his cock, pushing into his lover. He wasted no time, knowing Jace loved the burn. While he fucked his omega, Sebastian twisted and tugged on Jace's feathers, knowing exactly where to touch to make his omega come completely undone. Putting more pressure onto certain, sensitive points on Jace's wings, he made Jace howl and arch his back. The omega was trying to free himself, to reach out and touch his alpha, or to jerk himself off, but the ropes were holding him in place. Sebastian's knot was already swelling at the desperate little sounds his beautiful omega was making, but he wanted Jace to come first. Leaning down, he kissed Jace's neck, sucking a mark onto his mate-mark while teasing the joints of Jace's wings. With a drawn-out moan did Jace come, without Sebastian even touching his cock. Smirking proudly at that, Sebastian thrust even deeper into his omega as his knot caught, effectively locking them both together. Jace moaned as the knot kept swelling, stretching his tight hole impossibly, all through his orgasm. Jace was incredibly pretty, tied to the bed like this. A small whine came from the omega as he tugged on his bonds.

"Se—eb. Untie me", whined Jace frustrated.

"Why would I do that?", drawled Sebastian unimpressed as he reached for a towel from the nightstand to clean up his omega. "You'll only run off again to work instead of sleeping. As long as you're tied down, you can't run off. It's pretty simple logic, don't you agree, my love?"

Grumbling in utter frustration, Jace allowed his alpha to clean in up. In the end, Sebastian did untie him and adjust them both carefully to lay fate to face, Jace tugged against Sebastian's chest and with his legs wrapped around his alpha's waist, Sebastian's knot still keeping them tied them together. Jace yawned, eyelids heavy as he cuddled up to his alpha.

"Sleepy, are we?", asked Sebastian teasingly.

"Mhm... maybe a little", yawned Jace with a sigh. "I just... I need to be useful."

"You're not very useful when you're too exhausted to think straight", sighed Sebastian. "Please be reasonable, my love. Me and Alec and Izzy and Clary, we're just worried about you. You can't just take care of the problems of the world. You have to take care of yourself too. And if you can't, well your flock is more than happy to take care of you. Your alpha is willing to take care of you."

"...You're so stubborn", muttered Jace in utter defeat, pulling his wings up to cover them both.

"Because I love you, my owl", huffed Sebastian amused, kissing the top of Jace's head.

"I love you too, my... my... falcon", whispered Jace, voice breaking a little.

He had once owned a pet-falcon and Valentine had broken its neck. Sebastian glared and covered Jace's wings with his own mighty falcon-wings, brushing them against Jace's cheek.

"Valentine is gone and he will never break me. He will never hurt either of us again."

~*~ The End ~*~

Author's note: This fic is brought to you by people coming to my tumblr inbox, complaining how s03e03 should have rather featured Sebastian dragging Jace to bed than trying to kill him (feel free to drop by at mine at takaraphoenix too ;3).

So I kinda started spinning a fix-it fic that would cover Sebastian, you know, not being dead. And being good instead. ABO helps there; experiencing the bond of having a flock of his own here, of being trusted and finding friends. This was a lot of fun to write, though it was supposed to be smut-only. Somehow, there was a lot of plot and redemption happening all of a sudden.