"Time stands still best in moments that look suspiciously like ordinary life." —Brian Andreas
5/10
Clary limped into the Institute, splattered with mud, blood, and ichor, just as the elevator doors slid open to reveal Isabelle, toweling her wet hair dry. "Jace is up in his room," she said, flipping her head upside down to dry the underside of her hair. "And, boy, is he pissed."
"How mad is he?" said Clary weakly.
"About a five."
"Out of ten?" Clary asked hopefully.
Isabelle let out a snort of laughter. "Out of five," she corrected, grinning at Clary as she flipped her hair right side up again. "Just go and see him. I'm sure he'll be happier once he knows you're alive."
Clary grimaced and entered the elevator. Isabelle gave her a little wave as the grille slid shut and the elevator began to ascend with a jolt. Clary leaned back against the wall, already formulating a strategy for calming Jace down.
One: Kiss him.
Two: Kiss him harder.
Three: Sex?
Four: Threaten him with ducks. No, that wouldn't work. Would that work? Clary filed it away for future experimentation.
The elevator crashed to a stop, the grille opened, and Clary found herself face-to-face with Jace. He was wearing a stony expression.
"Hello," she said. "Um—let's kiss." Smooth. Real smooth, Clary.
He scowled. "What the hell were you thinking?" he demanded. "Going off to fight a horde of demon without any backup?"
"I told Izzy I was going," said Clary.
Jace's scowl deepened. "You shouldn't have gone by yourself."
"Well," Clary said, "I didn't realize there would be as many as there were."
"And how many were there?"
Clary thought about it for a moment. "Fifteen. Wait, maybe twenty." Not helping your case, Fairchild. "But they were all lesser demons," she added hastily. "I barely even got a scratch."
Jace looked her up and down in her blood-soaked gear. "I can see that."
"Okay, maybe a couple of scratches." Jace sighed, but Clary barreled on. "Look, I made a mistake. Won't happen again, okay?"
Jace's expression softened slightly. "Just call me next time."
Clary nodded. "Yes. I will definitely do that."
Jace reached out and pulled her toward him. She tilted her chin up, brushing her lips against his, and he responded by pressing himself against her.
"My master plan is working," she muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing," Clary said, kissing him again. They leaned into each other, entwining themselves. After a long moment, they broke apart. "Hmm," Clary said, scrutinizing Jace. "I'd give that kiss a five."
"Out of five?" Jace said smugly.
"Out of ten."
"I'm affronted," said Jace. "I'll have you know that most girls rate my kisses off the scale."
"Oh?" said Clary, raising her eyebrows. "And which girls would those be?"
"None that matter," Jace said quickly. "So, how can I improve my score?"
"Practice would help," Clary told him.
"Well, that's something I'm definitely on board with," said Jace, bending down to kiss her again.