This is my first story so I honestly just want to know what people think of my writing style. This is going to be a four-shot thing, and if people like it, I have a few other ideas that I'm going to be playing around with. I can't promise when I'm going to upload, but I'll only upload a chapter when I have the next one written, so I know there is definitely something coming up next (I.E. I'm uploading this one as I already have chapter two ready to go). I hope you enjoy.

Word Count: 2,005

Chapter One – Just Us.

10th March, 2010 – Fourteen years old

"Jace! What are you doing? I told you we can't go in there!" I ran after my best friend, hoping to save him from his stupid self. He was running towards the forest that our parents had specifically banned us from entering. They said that there were people in there that weren't very respective of teenagers, and no matter how delicately our parents tried to put it, we knew they what they were hinting at. Despite the risk, I wasn't as scared as I should've been. I had Jace.

"C'mon Red, live a little! If we don't do it now, we'll never do it!" Even in his voice, I could hear his smirk. Only Jace Herondale was able to pull of such a thing. His signature smirk had so many teachers at school pathetically wrapped around his little finger. He managed to worm his way out of everything, including punching my friend Simon which I thought was completely unfair as he had hit him for no reason. However, according to Jace, Simon was stealing me away and had to learn that that wasn't ever going to happen. Despite how childish it actually was the teachers saw it as endearing. That was the day that I learned how protective Jace was of me – even at fourteen he cared for me like he did no one else.

"But Jace, we can't! What if my dad found out?" I stopped running now, looking down at the ground with tears starting to form in my eyes. I didn't hear a response from Jace, but the next thing I knew he was in front of me gripping onto both of my hands tightly. I could feel his golden eyes staring into me, as if he were soul searching, hoping to find me again, despite me standing right before him. One of his hands came up to cup my cheek, forcing me to meet his eye.

"Clary, he is never going to hurt you again. I promise. He's gone, your mum left him, remember? And I will always be there to protect you, no matter what." He smiled at me then, not a smirk, but a beautifully rare smile that Jace only saved for those he truly loved.

"I know but I just can't help but worry. I don't want him to come back and find out what I've done, disobeying adults really pisses him off."

"He won't. I pinky swear." Now his smirk was back; we hadn't pinky sworn in seven years. He linked out fingers together like there was nothing more important in the world at that moment. It was just us, forever. It was with our fingers joined that we both stepped into the forest, our fourteen year old selves being completely oblivious to the fact that this is where our life would change.

We had sat in the forest for hours, just talking about how our lives were. We spoke of how we had met seven years ago when I moved in next door after my mum left my father. At first we hated one another more than anything, constantly throwing seven year old style insults at one another.

"You stink!"

"You suck!"

"Your hair looks stupid!"

"You're stupid!"

It took us a while to become friends, but despite the odds, we became closer than anybody could have ever imagined. It was at school that it happened; Sebastian Verlac had me cornered, laughing at me as he poured brown paint in my hair and saying that it would help me stand out less. He was always making comments about my bright red hair, even going as far as to spread a rumour saying that my hair originated from the devil, making my a devil child. I sat on the floor crying whilst paint dripped down my face, when suddenly someone took my hand and pulled me to my feet.

It was then that I was looking into the eyes of Jace Herondale, making me more nervous than ever. Something had to be up – I know he didn't like Sebastian but I was sure he had hated me more. He smiled at me, and that's all it took for me crack and run away, too scared of what he was going to do to follow up Sebastian's humiliation. I hid in the girls bathroom, ashamed of what had happened, when suddenly none other than Jace himself walked through the doors, his eyes landing on me.

I was petrified, boys never came into the girls' bathroom, and if he had gone to this length to torture me, it had to have been bad. Yet surprisingly, he took me by my hand and walked me to the sink, turning on the tap and telling me to flip my hair forward. I stared at him wide eyed, shaking my head and taking a step back. It was then that we made our first pinky swear – him promising that he wasn't going to upset me. Reluctantly, I flicked my hair forward into the sink, and slowly Jace began washing the paint out of my hair without saying a word. I think I was in too much shock to say anything, let alone pull away. Eventually we spoke again, after me questioning his motives and eventually thanking him, leading to me and him hanging out at break time, playing in the art area. After that we sat together, played together and even worked together every day. Whenever teachers tried to separate us Jace would kick up such a fuss that they gave up and left us to it, realising that when together, neither of us caused a problem in class. Throughout the years, me and Jace had stayed together, helped each other and just enjoying one anothers company.

So by Jace helping me wash my hair, he and I became best friends.

Jace and I lay in the forest, staring up at the slowly appearing stars. Our pinkys were still laced together, and we just basked in the joy of one another's company, words being unnecessary. Thinking about our friendship, I realised I was incredibly lucky – very few people had a person that they could undeniably trust, who would never question them or leave them despite all their faults. I turned to face Jace, finding him already looking at me. I met his gaze with a smile, noticing how, in the light, his eyes looked much darker and far more intense.

"Clary?"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever been kissed before?" His face held a hint of nervousness, as if the topic was making his palms sweat.

"Aside from my parents, no," I stated, curious as to where the conversation was going. Family kisses didn't really count in my books; they were a necessity in life. Ever since I was little I hoped for my first kiss to be like those in the fairytales, my handsome prince looking at me as if I were the only one in the world, feeling the never ending warmth in my stomach like a fire was blazing, ready to overpower my body, and it was because of those dreams that I had held off. Looking at Jace, I began to wonder whether he could set off those feelings, dragging me into oblivion with just the touch of his lips.

He turned back to look at the stars, but I carried on staring at his face. "What do you want from your first kiss?"

I stuttered, unsure whether I wanted to admit my desires. "I... I want the feeling of comfort and safety, but at the same time I want for it to be dangerous, like it could consume me if I slipped too far into it." I was now heavily blushing, shocked at my own admittance. I turned away from him now, content with having an unwinnable staring contest with the stars. It was unfair that even after they died, their light lasted for millions of years – their impact was undeniably impressive. Whereas my impact on the world would be insignificant; eventually I would become dust that nobody would think twice about brushing away.

Whilst looking at the stars, I hadn't noticed that Jace had moved closer to me until he cupped my cheek and turned my face to look at him. He stared at me and I at him, the air between us becoming thicker. "I want that too, but I want it with someone special, not with someone I'm going to randomly hook up with." At his statement, I realise what he is implying, and my breathing became heavier. His face started moving closer to mine, both our eyelids beginning to droops. Breathlessly, I respond to him: "Really?"

And then our lips touch. It was light, as if feathers were touching our lips nervously, but the sparks that shot through my veins made it feel like my blood was boiling, ready to split my veins and come pouring out of me. Evidently Jace felt the same, because suddenly he pressed his lips harder to mine, taking his hand from my cheek and gripping onto my waist. My hands came up and knotted into his hair, pressing our faces together, and despite this being my first kiss, it felt perfect. Jace's lips gently teased mine despite the pressure, and when he pulled away a sound of disapproval left my mouth, for it to be met by Jace's tongue smoothly running over my lower lip, asking for permission. I didn't even give it a second thought when I opened up to him, allowing his tongue to work its way into my mouth. The fight for dominance wasn't really a fight at all; he had it from the very beginning. With our bodies already pressed flush against one another, Jace rolled us over so he was on top, my legs automatically opening so he could situate himself in between.

His elbows were by my ears, leaning over me and trying his hardest not to crush me, whilst my hands were gripping his waist, trying to pull him closer and closer. Our kiss sent tingles down my spine, and my hands gradually worked their way up his shirt. Jace let out a groan from the back of his throat, pressing his hips harder into mine, resulting in a moan escaping from my mouth. I pushed Jace off me, to then follow him and straddle his waist. Slowly, Jace grinded his hips into mine, making me aware of a slight bulge forming downstairs. With us being best friends and nothing more you would have thought I'd have stopped us there, but something in my mind was blocking out all rational thoughts and pushed me to recapture his lips. Gently but none too slowly, Jace worked his way up my shift to the back on my bra, slowly teasing a finger over the clasp, causing a shudder to run through my body.

The shudder seemed to wake both of us up from our bubble, making us realise what we were actually doing. We pulled away from each other rapidly, shock evident in both of our eyes. I slowly climbed off Jace's lap to sit cross legged across from him, unable to meet his eyes. A couple moments passed before we both burst into laughter, turning to lie back next to one another and clasping hands to stare at the stars.

"We never do that again, right?" Jace chuckled, nodding his head.

"Absolutely! But I'm glad my first kiss was with you, despite it being quite intense for the first time." I squeezed his hand harder, so that he knew I meant it.

"Me too – I wouldn't have changed it for the world."

We fell asleep like that, Jace and I. I woke up to find myself in bed the next morning, and the only recollection I have of actually coming home was Jace carrying me bridal style out of the woods, smiling softly and rubbing his thumb gently over my shoulder.