Only Four Seasons- Joe Purdy

"Jace," Clary murmured into her pillow. The quiet cry would have been carried away by the noise seeping in through the open window, if only the person who was listening we're normal. Jace looked sadly at her sleeping. She looked frightened, but he knew that if he woke her there would be a long list of things he would have to explain to her. Jace knew he shouldn't feel this way about her, he was her brother after all, but he just couldn't stop himself. She was just so perfect, and it pissed him off. It made him angry to think that he would have to let her go, watch someone else care for her, when Jace could perfectly see their future.

He tensed in the corner he was standing in as Clary rolled over in her bed, getting tangled in her sheets. She kicked them away from her legs, her breathing no longer relaxed. She opened her eyes, and stared up at the ceiling. Clary's green eyes were shaded by her long eyelashes. A tear escaped her eyes, and Jace's hand twitched. He yearned to touch her, brush his hand across her cheek, erasing the tears that were falling from her eyes. He desired for her lips, just a soft kiss that warmed his whole body, and made his heart flutter madly. Not harsh or fierce like their last kiss, he missed her, and he could feel it burn in the back of his throat. He couldn't stand it anymore, and he slowly made his way over to Clary and sat carefully on the plush bed. She didn't see him at first, only a flash of gold that told her that he was there. She turned her head, and almost as if in a dream, she smiled at Jace like she did in the conservatory. He felt his heart race when she looked him, searching his face as if it were an open book.

"Jace," It was how she said it that made him nervous, like she had to say his name, had to have him. He reached out to wipe her tear away, but stopped short. He didn't deserve Clary, and anyways it was wrong. It was disgusting to other people, a brother and sister in love? But they didn't understand, Clary was the only person he had ever loved like this, the only person he would love.

"I can't," it was harder than he expected to get those simple words out. Her smile faded, replaced with only sadness that seemed to touch her face more and more these days.

"Why not?" She whispered, her pale hand settled on his knee. Even that small gesture made it harder for him to concentrate.

"Because, once I touch you, it's never enough. It's never good enough to just feel your skin below my fingers. It's just so hard to not kiss you. It's wrong, and I'm just not good enough for you, I don't deserve you. I can't just forget about you though, God, why did I have to fall in love with my sister?" He spoke the last line to himself, but Clary felt her heart flutter when he said love. Jace leaned in and fit his head into her shoulder, pressing his lips against her neck and wrapping her in his arms. She folded herself into his chest, finding comfort in his loving embrace.

"I love you." Jace pressed his cheek to the top of her head, finding pleasure in Clary's words as they hungrily stung at his heart.

"I love you, too, but that just gets us back to where we started."