"Goodnight, Amatis," Clary called downstairs, closing her door with a sigh. She hadn't been able to find Jace at the victory celebration, though she had been sure she'd seen him a few times; a flicker of his blonde hair, a flash of his dark eyes. But he had never been there when she reached the spot. So she had finally given up, returning to her room before the fireworks even started. At the beginning of the night, she had dreaded wearing the silver gown, afraid it wouldn't look right, but as she looked in the mirror, she like what she saw. It made her look… like a girl. She smiled; if only Jace had seen her in it, he surely would've been interested in her. She leaned on the window, looking down the road to where the party was still raging. Everybody seemed- What was that? She spun around, staring at the opposite window, which was all the way open. The curtains were drawn closed- there it was again. A rattling noise, almost like… it was the trellis. The trellis was rattling, like it had the times she had climbed it. But who was climbing the trellis? Suddenly, she wished she had her Shadow Hunter gear on, or at least something a little more practical than this dress. As she held her breath, staring at the window, her thoughts jumped to Jace. Was it him? But he wouldn't- no, he had climbed in her window, just last night.

"Clary? Are you in there?" Someone was outside her window, urgently whispering to her, and it was definitely Jace. She'd know his voice anywhere. She took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Yes, I'm here," she said, walking to the window and pulling aside the curtains. He lithely jumped into her room, landing with a soft thud, then standing and turning back to her.

"Last time I was in here, the circumstances were remarkably different," he said with a very small smirk. "Clary, I'm sorry I didn't show up-" Clary shook her head, closing her eyes. Why was he here? He was probably just being a gentleman, telling her in person that he wasn't interested. The dress hadn't affected him the way she had hoped; he hadn't even glanced twice at her.

"It's okay, Jace, I understand. She said, and a confused look passed over Jace's dark eyes. "But I don't understand why you're here. If you were successful in avoiding me all night, why did you come here? It would've been easier for both of us if you'd just told me at the party and left. But now you're in my room…" Clary trailed off as Jace's face became more and more a mask of confusion. He took a step toward her, hand outstretched.

"Clary, what are you talking about? Tell you what?" Clary swallowed hard, fighting to keep her face from showing all the emotions that were running through her body. She knew she was failing miserably.

"Well, I assumed that when you didn't show up… Aline said you probably just weren't interested anymore, now that we"- motioned from herself to Jace- "aren't forbidden anymore. And I thought she was right when you didn't show up tonight," Clary finished, barely keeping the tears from spilling over or the quaver from her voice. Jace looked shocked, like Clary had actually slapped him.

"She said WHAT?! How could I… like you were just an item that I could possibly discard? I can't even put into words how I feel about you… but I do know that it is not interested. It's something so much stronger than that." He took another step toward her, and she knew she should touch him, embrace him, something, but she was frozen. She had been preparing herself all day for Aline's words to have some truth to them, for Jace to tell her he didn't want her anymore, and now suddenly they didn't even apply.

"Clary," Jace said, suddenly looking distressed as he realized she hadn't answered him. "Clary," he whispered again, stepping closer. They were less than a foot apart now, and finally Clary unfroze. She blinked a few times, raising her eyes to Jace's face.

"You… you want me?" It was all she could say. Jace smiled, and his eyes warmed as he took her face in his hands, gently but firmly.

"Clary, I will always want you," he said, and said it with such conviction, Clary almost froze again. Instead, she grabbed his arms, pulling herself the last few inches so they were touching. She felt his lips, electric against hers, and she instantly relaxed. As she relaxed, she could feel Jace slide his arms down her back, pulling her tightly to him. She locked her arms around his neck, pulling his head closer to her. He finally let her go, and then she realized how oxygen-deprived she was. She gasped, and looked up at Jace, who was also breathing heavy. He looked… alive; very much alive. The glow was back in his eyes from the lake, and he half-smiled at her, tilting his head ever so slightly to the side, making her heart stutter. Then she remembered what she had wanted to say. She unlocked her arms from around his neck, holding his face in her hands, making sure he was looking down at her.

"Jace, you did all the talking before and you didn't even give me a chance to say anything," Clary said with a teasing smirk on her face. Jace laughed quietly.

"If I remember correctly, and I'm sure I do, you just about cut me off. I would've given you a chance to talk, but you didn't seem up to it." Clary rolled her eyes and got serious.

"Well, let me talk now." She paused; made sure he was listening, and then went on. "Jace, I love you. I love you and only you and I always will. I asked the Angel Raziel for you at the lake because you are the one thing that I truly cannot live without. Not only can I not live without you," Clary said, lowering her voice to just above a whisper, "but I don't want to."

As soon as she finished talking, Jace's mouth was on hers again, this time gentler, slower. He lifted her off the ground bridal style, not breaking the kiss, and sat on the bed with her in his lap. She kept her hands on his face, holding him to her gently. She let her hands travel down his chest, feeling his breathing accelerate, and started to pull his shirt up. He reached down and pulled it off over his head. As his shirt cam off, Clary kissed his shoulder, making a line from his shoulder to his collarbone, up his neck and to his mouth. She could hear his ragged breathing in her ear, and she could feel his heart beating under her hand. She ran her hands up and down his bare chest, memorizing every line as they kissed. He shuddered underneath her touch, and he ran his hands along her back, reaching her dress straps on her shoulders. Stupidly, Clary felt herself stop breathing, stop moving, and a second later he was looking in her eyes with regret and embarrassment.

"Clary, I… I'm sorry. I won't do it again, I promise. It won't happen…" Jace said, obviously regretting his actions. Clary held her breath for one more second and then got up, much to Jace's disappointment. "Clary, please don't," Jace started to say, but stopped as Clary let the dress fall to the ground around her feet, like a silver cloud of smoke. This time he was the one who held his breath, Clary was pleased to note. She also enjoyed the way his eyes were all over her body. She slipped on her shorts- Jace audibly breathed a sigh of relief- and then she slipped back into bed, curling into his side.

"I'm glad you put those shorts on. I… I'm not sure I would've been able to restrain myself," Jace said, an embarrassed tone to his voice. Clary laughed lightly, laying her ear on his heart.

"I think you would've, Jace, but I'm not sure I would've stopped you either," Clary said with a sigh. Jace started rubbing her back, tracing his fingers along her spine, up and down. She shivered under his fingers, wondering at how gentle he was. Then she yawned, and was surprised to realize how tired she was. Jace got the hint. He leaned his head forward so he was right near her ear.

"Should I leave? I don't," Jace said, but stopped when Clary sat up and looked at him with alarm. He laughed lightly and put his arms around her, pulling her back to him. "Okay, okay, relax," he said, and Clary let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. She turned her face toward him, keeping her eyes closed, searching for his lips. When they connected, she gasped slightly, as he kissed her, or she kissed him, she wasn't even sure.

"Stay. Please?" She whispered in his ear as he kissed her down the line of her jaw and down to her collarbone, making her shiver again.

"I'll be here in the morning if you want me here."

"Forever," Clary said, kissing him on the lips again. She could feel his hands on her waist, and his fingers rubbing little circles on her skin gave her goose bumps. She could feel him smile as she pulled her head away, untangling their intertwined bodies just enough so that she could curl up into his side and fall asleep. His arms were around her, and she knew she would sleep soundly tonight.

Right before she was completely asleep, she realized that she would finally get to see Jace in the morning, with his hair going everywhere and sleep circles under his eyes, and she couldn't wait. She sighed, and let herself slip into the dream world.