This story...Will is such a cornball at the beginning. A cornball with no butter. I swear, he could do the Kay (the jewelry store) commercial...

Aside from that...it's kind of jumpy with the POVs, but you get it, right? It's in the middle of Clockwork Angel if you didn't know...If you didn't finish CA then don't read it (obviously, unless you have a kinky fetish for spoilers...)

"I love you."

Will blinked slowly at that, and the grin on his friend's face faltered as raven gave no reply. "Okay…" Will finally said, longing to reach out and hug his friend, longing to say "I love you to", save the curse. That stupid demon, Will thought for not the first time.

"You...don't love me?" Jem seemed unusually serious, and to Will's dismay, a single tear slipped down a pale cheek.

He reached out and rubbed Jem's tear off with his thumb, sighing. "Every kiss begins with K." the Herondale murmured, then he gently brushed his lips against his soon-to-be parabatai's hand.
Face flaming, he turned away and, in his head, said, "But I do love you."

10 Years Later

"Remember, when you first said you loved me?" Will asked.

Jem opened his eyes and looked over at Will, who was standing, facing the open window. The wane moon's glow illuminated tousled black hair and strong shoulders sloping into muscled arms and, narrowing into his bare back and waist, where his pajama pants hung low on his hips.

Standing with the grace and silence that was a Shadowhunter's, Jem moved to stand behind Will, arms looping around the taller's neck.

"Yeah, why?"

Will turned then, and the intensity in his dark blue eyes made Jem flush, drop his arms and look away.
"Jem…" Jem's head shot up at the breathy sigh, a smile flitting across pale lips at the frustration on Will's face and voice. "I'm trying to get this out! Right. I loved you back then. As a brother, of course." Will added the last sentence quickly at Jem's amused smirk.

Will ran a hand through his hair—how Jem longed to do it for him—and then he continued. "But now I still love you. Not as a brother."

The playfulness fell from Jem's face and was replaced with shock. "Will, you-"

Will leaned down and silenced Jem with a kiss. He tasted good, Will noted, almost like sugar. But spicy. He tasted like the drug that was keeping him alive, he tasted like the drug that was killing him. Will pulled away and curled his arms around his parabatai's waist. Jem laughed then.

Will frowned. "What?"

"Remember, what you said? The first time you kissed me?"

Will groaned and flushed. "That was incredibly corny."

"I think it was cute." Jem smiled again, hesitantly, and flushed. "Will? Could you…kiss me again?"

Will grinned, nodded, bent down, and murmured against Jem's lips, "Every kiss begins-"

Jem silenced the whisper with his lips, then pulled away to press his lips against Will's neck.

Will's eyes closed and he smiled at the two words that Jem mouthed.

Jessamine Lovelace gently closed the library's heavy wooden door, a small smile on her face. She would tease them about it later, but for now…she slipped back to her room and sighed, the smile still there, but it was more wistful than happy. Tonight, tonight she would tell her secret love how she felt. And hopefully he would respond just like Will had: he would kiss her, and he would court her, and they would marry, and she would leave these stupid Shadowhunters forever.

Jessamine smiled again, clutching the necklace he'd given her. Nathaniel Gray was such a gentleman.

Theresa Gray had no idea of how much love had been made in the safe haven of the Institute. She had made up her mind to venture to Jem, to ask him all of her questions about Shadowhunters, about Downworlders, about Will.

Yes, she was attracted to Will, so much so that it was painful. It was not just his looks, it was the forbidden intrigue, his haunted past, his strange behavior.

"Jem?" she called softly, knocking on the rich wooden door.

No answer, no sweet sounds of violin. Biting her lip, Tessa turned the knob, and

it was open.

She stepped inside and frowned, no Jem, no Will.

Outside.

A figure hurrying away. Tessa frowned. Jessamine? Wherever was she going at this hour?

Tessa made move to follow her, then paused at the library doors. Light seeped through the bottom of the door, but he doors were closed. They were always open when someone was inside, always closed when no one was there.

Maybe someone had forgotten to douse the fire?

Tesaa frowned again, then opened the door. She'd-gasp.

Jem and Will were sitting, bodies intertwined, in one chair. Not unusual, but Jem was wrapped in Will's arms (they were both naked) eyes closed, (naked) a small smile on his face. The latter was stroking Jem's hair (naked), and Jem curled up and nuzzled Will's neck. Naked.

Will huffed a laugh, nudging his nose into Jem's hair, and then looked up. His gaze connected with Tessa's. Blue eyes widened, and then he placed a finger to his lips and looked down at Jem.

Be quiet. For Jem's sake.

Tessa nodded weakly, then turned and quietly shut the door behind her, trying to ignore the breaking of her heart. For Will, for Jem.

Without them, who would she have? Nathaniel. That was a thought. Nate still loved her, right?

Wrong.