Author's note: I thought it would be fun to see what would happen between Simon and Maia after their time on the ship. I had a lot of fun writing this and getting to know the characters. I'm really looking forward to seeing what will be in the coming chapters. Thanks to my lovely Marcy Jo for running beta and my Ande for all her love and encouragement! Read, enjoy, and review!

Disclaimer: I am not the lovely Cassandra Clare and do not own these awesome characters, I just invited them to play.

Chapter One

Simon grunted as he lifted one of the many boxes of books in Luke's store. He carried it to the front where Maia was working and dropped it on the floor. Maia looked up and smiled as he turned to get another box. Simon returned her smile, but Maia could see that it did not reach his eyes. She felt a twinge of sadness. Simon's smile had always been one of her favorites of his features. It was what made him more human than the rest, even after he was turned.

As Simon walked through the house to retrieve another box of books, he glanced into the living room and saw Clary sitting in the armchair, staring out the window. He paused in to doorway and watched her for a moment. Breaking off the romantic part of their relationship had been one of the hardest things Simon had ever done. Sure, it had been an extremely brief relationship, but he loved Clary with his whole heart. Letting her go like that had been heartbreaking, but losing her completely would have been infinitely harder. Simon didn't want to risk losing her completely. He could, and would, continue to be her support, a rock to lean on and a soft place to fall. That didn't make the knife twisting in his gut hurt any less, though. Simon sighed quietly and walked to the back to sort more boxes.

After staring at the stacks of boxed for a full minute, Simon kicked the one nearest to him. He tried to us restraint, but even the lightest vampire kick would have sent that box across the room. It crashed into another box, which unfortunately was the base of a rather large stack of books. Simon cursed as he ran and attempted to stop the avalanche of books. In his haste, Simon tripped on an extension cord, effectively making him part of the cascade. He rolled his eyes and lay on the floor for a few moments, appreciating the disaster that now surrounded him. He would have stayed there longer were it not for the muffled giggle that came from the doorway.

Surprised, Simon jumped up, which sent the books flying around the room, spreading the disaster. Maia managed to catch a particularly large paperback before it hit her in the face. She burst into peals of laughter as Simon looked sheepishly at the mess he had created.

"Oops," he said as he scratched the back of his head and gave Maia a half-hearted smile.

"Why don't I pick these up and you take a break," Maia offered. "You look like you could use some fresh air."

Simon nodded and went out the back door, careful not to slam it and break the glass. He walked out to the middle of the yard and lay down on the grass. For a while, he focused on the clouds, trying to find shapes in them like he and Clary used to do. The memory caused such a pang in his gut that Simon physically grabbed his stomach, willing the ache to go away. Why couldn't things have stayed the way they were before that night at the club, before Jocelyn was attacked, before Jace and the other Shadowhunters? Simon was a firm believer that in some situations, ignorance is bliss. He missed his life and his Clary

Simon rubbed his hands over his face, and then lazily stretched his arms above his head. He stayed on the grass for quite some time, enjoying the feel of the sun on his skin. He was unsure how long the whole "vampire in the sun" thing would last and wanted to spend as much time as possible outside. With his eyes closed, Simon was unable to keep the images of Clary away. He knew that really nothing in their relationship had changed; in their friendship at least. But Clary was dealing with something that he could not touch. Something had changed the afternoon she went to see Jace. It was like something inside of her got bent or broken and, hard as he tried, Simon could not get in to see what it was. He had tried several times to get her to tell him what happened, but she had completely locked down. Simon knew her well enough to realize when to stop pushing. She would talk to him when she was ready. It was the waiting that was the bitch.

Simon caught Maia's scent before he heard her come into the yard and lay next to him. He looked at her through squinty eyes and smiled. He was always glad to see Maia; sometimes he felt like they were the only two normal people in Chicago, which was ironic seeing as they both fell neatly under the description of "paranormal".

"What's up?" Simon asked casually.

Maia shrugged. "Nothing much, just wanted to make sure you weren't, you know, hanging yourself from the tree or anything. Not that it would do any good."

"Is it that obvious?" Simon went back to watching the clouds float by.

"Only to a careful observer such as myself," Maia replied. "And most of the people in the continental US."

"Great," Simon sighed. "Just what I need: another reason for my Mother to ask if something's wrong."

"Oh come on," Maia gave him a light push. "Lighten up. You don't look that bad. You don't even really look like the walking dead that you are."

Simon raised his eyebrows at Maia. "Not helping."

"Look, I think you just need to get out a little," Maia sat up and crossed her legs. "You need to get away from your Mom, and Luke, and yes, even Clary. Have some fun!"

Simon looked up at Maia, clearly unconvinced. "And what, pray tell, would you suggest I do?"

"Come out with me, tonight. We'll go to Pandemonium and get lost in the lights and music."Maia nodded as Simon looked at her, expressionless.

"Can I think about it?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Nope!"

"Didn't think so."

"It's five now," Maia looked at her watch as she stood to leave. "I'm going to finish in there, eat, then go home and get ready. Nine sound okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine," Simon smiled as he waved her away. Maia's enthusiasm was infectious; he couldn't help looking forward to spending the evening with her. They had bonded early over their mutual dislike of Jace, and their friendship had grown since Valentine had them locked together on the ship. Simon knew that he would not have made it through that situation without Maia. Every night since their time on the ship, his last moments with Maia and Valentine replayed in his dreams. He could not close his eyes without seeing Valentine's black eyes as he lowered the Mortal Sword to Simon's neck, feeling the cold metal pierce his skin, and hearing Maia's screams as she tried in vain to reach Simon. One of his final memories before losing consciousness was Maia's tearstained face as she lay sobbing on the floor, screaming his name, her hands covered in his blood as it flowed from him onto the metal floor. In the days following the events on the ship, Maia had stayed by Simon's side until he regained his full strength. He had come to appreciate Maia and look forward to spending any time with her, even just sorting books.

Simon spent the evening straightening up the books in the back, hoping to avoid any future cascades. He ate dinner with Clary and watched a bad horror movie. Clary declined Simon's offer to go with him and Maia to Pandemonium. Simon admitted to himself that it was probably for the best. He loved Clary, but she would have thrown a wet blanket on the evening. Plus, he was starting to think that maybe Maia had been right; getting out would be good for him. It would at least provide a distraction for the night.

Simon snagged a place in line while he waited for Maia to arrive. He looked around and felt like he stuck out like a sore thumb, as usual. In contrast to the leather, glitter, and mesh surrounding him, Simon was wearing jeans, black Etnies, and a black t-shirt with an apple wearing glasses on the front.

He glanced behind him to see how long the line had grown and his thoughts of gratitude for arriving early were interrupted when a girl clad in tight jeans, a black tank top, and black platform Mary Jane's came into his view. Simon was eyeing her appreciatively when he realized she was waving. At him. With a shock, Simon recognized her as Maia. Simon briefly wondered why he had never really noticed the creamy color of her skin, or the colored bands that held her braids.

"Hey party animal!" Maia bounced up to Simon and grabbed him in a surprisingly strong hug. Simon laughed as he caught her and was struck by her perfume. How had he missed that before?

Maia pulled Simon to the front of the line. She blew a kiss at the bouncer, who pulled the rope aside to let them in. Maia immediately started moving to the throbbing beat of the music while Simon hung back, staying on the outskirts of the crowd on the dance floor. He remembered the last time he was here, the night Clary saw Jace and both their lives went to hell. An overwhelming urge to leave hit Simon like a ton of bricks and he looked around, trying to find another exit. When he turned back to the dance floor, he saw Maia moving towards him.

She was slowly swaying her hips in time to the music. Simon's mouth hung open slightly as Maia moved closer. Every curve was amplified by her tight clothes; she looked incredibly sexy and moved like she knew it. Maia crooked her finger at Simon and raised her eyebrows. When Simon still didn't move, she walked up to him and grabbed his t-shirt with both hands, pulling him onto the floor.

They began moving separately at first, facing each other. As they danced, Simon inched closer to Maia with every move. Maia smiled coyly and raised her arms above her head as she danced. Simon placed his hands of Maia's hips and pulled her closer. He could feel the heat radiating from her and see the light sheen of sweat developing on her body. Maia wrapped her arms around Simon's neck and one of his hands moved to the small of her back. The friction of their bodies moving together increased the heat between them, both literally and figuratively. Maia turned so her back was pressed against Simon's front, then reached up and placed her right hand on the back of Simon's neck. His left hand remained on Maia's hip, while his right lightly caressed from her hip up her side and arm, ending at her hand on his neck. Simon felt her shiver under his hands and increased the pressure between them, drawing her closer.

This, Simon thought, is most unexpected.