I can't help myself; I've fallen in love with Matt Daddario. Also, maybe I'm imagining it, but there is some chemistry between him and Kat on Shadowhunters. So now I desperately want to right Clarec fics. Hence this new set of one shots. When the muse hits, you've got to strike while the iron is hot! Also, I nearly gave up on Shadowhunters one episode in, but stuck it out (mostly for Matt, I can't even lie)… I'm so happy I did. It's different from the books, which keeps it interesting and surprising, but stays true to the characters. I love it!

So now I am accepting Clace prompts and Clarec prompts for one shots J

I own nothing but the plot.

Title: Broken Bone

Prompt: Best friend's brother… the most overdone prompt ever, but I still had to do it. Sorry, not sorry!

Rating: K

Clary was thirteen when she first met him. She knocked on Izzy's door while waving goodbye as her mom drove away. When she turned back around to the door, he was standing there stone-faced. "Can I help you?" he asked, only making eye contact for a second. She tried not to shiver at his warm and deep voice as it enveloped her.

His black waves were just long enough to be standing up all over the place atop his head – it looked like he ran his hand through the strands a lot. He was tall and lean, with clearly defined muscles. His shirtless body was tan and Clary couldn't tear her eyes away. He was two, maybe three, years older than Clary. And he was beautiful. His bright blue eyes were shining as he looked down at her.

"Uh, I'm, um, here to see Izzy," she said awkwardly. "My name is Clary."

"I don't care… Izzy's room is upstairs second room to the right." With that, he was gone, leaving the large wooden door open for her to follow. Clary silently closed the door behind her and followed the boy up the stairs. He pointed to Izzy's door before going into another room off the hallway. She knocked on Izzy's door, nervous. She'd never had a girl friend before, only Simon. Izzy and her family had only recently moved to New York, and this was Clary's shot to finally have another friend. And she liked Izzy – she was brave, fun, wild, and outspoken, everything that Clary wished she was.

That day was the beginning of a beautiful friendship between the two different girls. And Clary's years-long love for the dark haired boy.

Five years later, the pair finally arrived at NYU, the school of their dreams. As they unpacked their belongings in the small dorm apartment they were sharing, their moms came into the room. "Your fathers are loading up the cars, we're going to head out," Jocelyn Morgenstern said to her daughter, pulling her in for a hug. Maryse Lightwood did the same with Izzy.

"Remember," Maryse said. "Your brothers are here, if you need anything. That goes for you too, Clary. Jace and Alec have been instructed that if either of you need anything, they are to be there." Alec and Jace were both juniors at NYU and lived in an apartment only a few blocks away. Though Clary hadn't seen either of them in months, and they'd never actually been her friends, it was reassuring to have them close by. The redhead smiled at her best friend's mom before turning back to her own and hugging her goodbye once more. When the moms left, Izzy sighed and collapsed onto her bed.

"I can't believe we're finally here, Clary. We made it!" Clary fell next to her, giggling.

"We did!" While the prospect of college and living alone was terrifying, Clary couldn't wait to begin her adventures as an independent adult, with Izzy at her side. They were now three hours away from their upstate New York hometown and in the big city for the first time.

Five weeks later, Clary fell down a flight of stairs. Izzy was in Washington, D.C. visiting Simon for the long weekend and she'd had to stay behind for a major project. She was all alone in the city, three hours from her parents and without her only good friend. She managed to hobble her way back to her dorm room and fall into bed, but the swelling in her ankle was only getting worse as time passed. Tears were pricking at her eyes and she didn't know what to do. Unable to bear the pain any longer, she reached for her phone and called the only person that she could think of.

He got there ten minutes later and, thankfully, let himself in. By that time, Clary's ankle was three times the normal size and she was sobbing.

"Clary? What happened?" he asked quietly, standing in front of her bed.

"I-I'm so s-sorry, Alec. I-I didn't know who, who else t-to c-call," she sobbed, the pain so severe that she was pretty sure she'd prefer to just cut the damn thing off. He silently moved closer, sitting on the bed and putting her foot on his lap. He pressed lightly on the side, causing Clary to hiss in pain and cry harder.

"Sorry, but I think you need to go to the emergency room. It's probably broken," he said, never once making eye contact. That wasn't unusual for Alec when it came to Clary, he didn't really care for her all that much. Ever since the day they'd met, short and tense conversations were the norm for the two. Clary never knew what she'd done to him to make him dislike her; it was just the way it always was.

"Shit."

"I'll take you," Alec offered.

"It's fine, I shouldn't have bothered you. Maybe Jace can take me?" Jace, though annoyingly flirty and egotistical, was at least not completely annoyed by Clary's very presence like Alec. And none of Clary's other friends had cars to get her to the hospital.

"He's away with the soccer team for training this weekend. I don't mind, really." With that, he stood, reaching his hand out to her. Clary took it, shocked by the electricity she felt as he wrapped his fingers around hers. He didn't seem to notice, though, as he pulled her from her position on the bed. "I have my car. Do you think you can walk?" She nodded and went to step forward, when her leg gave out under her.

"Okay, maybe I can't walk."

Alec sighed and bent down to pick her up. Before Clary even knew what was happening, he was carrying her bridal style out of her room and down the hall. Luckily, the dorm was pretty empty since people were gone for the long weekend and it was a Friday night, so they weren't stopped on the way to Alec's car. He helped her in and went around to the passenger side, sliding into the driver's side with ease. He wasn't even winded from carrying Clary all the way to the car.

"You didn't have to carry me. I'm heavy." He laughed at that, like an actual laugh. It was a light sound that sent a shiver through Clary's body.

"Clary, you're basically a feather. Chill, it's no big deal," he said as he pulled out of the parking lot and began driving. Fifteen minutes later, he pulled in to the hospital and helped Clary into the emergency room before leaving. Sighing in relief, Clary filled out the paperwork in peace. Alec walked back in ten minutes later and sat next to her.

"You're back?" she said, surprised.

"Don't sound so shocked. Parking in the city isn't that bad."

"No… it's just. Well, I didn't expect you to stay. You can leave, I'll get a cab home."

Alec laughed again, a deep rumble that once again made a shiver run down Clary's spine. "What, so Iz can murder me when she gets back? I don't think so!" He shrugged, not looking at Clary at all. "It's not like I was doing anything important anyway."

"Okay."

They sat in silence for what felt like hours before a nurse came with a wheelchair to take her to an examination room. She told Alec to stay in the waiting room. Two hours later, with a newly casted broken ankle and a bottle of pain medicine, Clary patiently awaited the nurse to wheel her back out to Alec.

The kind woman came back with a smile on her face. "You know," she said, gesturing to Clary. "You're a lucky girl. That boyfriend of yours has been pacing in the waiting room this whole time. Asked about you three times. He really cares about you."

Clary felt the heat rise in her cheeks, but she couldn't explain why. "He's not my boyfriend," she whispered.

The nurse actually looked surprised. "Well, he certainly wants to be. He does care for you. That is certain." Without waiting for Clary to respond, she began wheeling the redhead back to the waiting room, where Alec was waiting for her. She couldn't help the grin that spread on her face when he came into view. He was tugging at his too-long hair, a habit he'd had for as long as Clary had known him whenever he was nervous. As soon as he saw her, he jumped up and walked over to her.

"It's broken, then?" he asked. Clary just nodded in response. Without another word, Alec took his place behind her and began pushing the wheelchair out towards the car. The nurse kindly brought some crutches as well, which Alec stashed in the back seat after getting Clary into the car.

By the time they got back to Clary's apartment, she was exhausted and her ankle was throbbing terribly, despite the two pain pills she'd taken before leaving the hospital. Alec busied himself making sure that Clary had something to eat while she collapsed on the couch, stuffing a pillow under her ankle.

She still couldn't make sense of what the nurse had said to her earlier. Or why Alec was currently nervously pacing her apartment, waiting for leftovers to heat up. The whole thing was ridiculous. Luckily, the shooting pain in her foot distracted her so she wasn't obsessing – who knew that breaking your ankle had benefits? Before she knew it, Alec brought her some leftover Chinese food.

"Eat," he encouraged, sitting next to her on the couch and grabbing the remote control before flipping on the TV and placing her ankle and the pillow in his lap. Never one for many words, especially with Clary, he silently watched some mindless reality show while Clary ate. When she was done, she placed the bowl on the coffee table and turned her body a bit to face her best friend's brother. He didn't seem to notice her watching him, so she indulged a bit, taking in his chiseled jaw covered in a dark five o'clock shadow and his electric blue eyes framed in long eyelashes. He was stunning. And he was sitting next to her on a Friday night when he should be doing literally anything else. Or anyone else.

"Why are you here?" she suddenly blurted out, her cheeks turning red when she finally realized what she said. Sometimes her brain just couldn't keep up with her mouth.

Alec's eyes finally left the television and met hers briefly. He shifted uncomfortably. "You needed help." It was all so simple to him; Clary couldn't imagine that being the full answer.

"But you don't even like me. You don't have to stay here out of some misguided obligation. I'll be fine. And I'll even report to Iz and your mom that you were awesome and fulfilled your obligation."

"Why would you say I don't like you?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed as he questioned her, staring down at her foot.

Clary chuckled. He couldn't possibly be serious. "Oh come on, Alec. From the first time we met, you've either ignored me or shown outright disdain for me. Don't pretend it's not true."

"It's not true… Clary, I've never disliked you. The opposite in fact." Finally, he made eye contact and Clary felt herself melting into a puddle as she got sucked into his wide eyes. They looked so honestly surprised that she thought he disliked her. All these years, she'd been so sure she did something to permanently piss him off.

"Alec, you have literally made eye contact with me three times in your entire life, two of which happened tonight. You barely acknowledge my existence. What am I supposed to think? And what do you mean, 'the opposite?'"

"I don't hate you. I… I like you," he whispered, his eyes leaving hers and staring down at his lap, where her foot was currently resting on a pillow. "You… you make me nervous, I guess."

Clary couldn't help the giggle that erupted from her throat. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." And yet, when she glanced back at Alec, his cheeks were pink and flushed. He couldn't possibly be serious. He knew how she felt about him, she was sure of it. He knew and he was using it to torture her.

"I… I'm not joking Clary."

"Just drop it, Alec. It's not funny."

"I'm serious. Maybe when you were thirteen I thought you were an annoyance – my baby sister's obnoxious friend. But it hasn't been like that for years. You're… you're funny and smart and beautiful…" he trailed off, his eyes scanning over her face and a slight smile upturning his lips.

Clary found herself getting angry. How dare he tease her like this? "I think you should leave."

Alec's face scrunched up and his shoulders tensed. "I… I don't understand."

"Just go. Please. I have crutches. I'll be fine. Thank you for helping me."

Alec looked like he wanted to protest, but instead he just sighed and gently removed Clary's foot from his lap. Standing up, he leaned over Clary and kissed her gently on the forehead. "I wasn't joking Clary," he whispered before leaving Clary alone in her apartment.

A few days of struggling alone with crutches, watching Teen Mom, and crying followed for Clary until finally, mercifully, Isabelle came home. She found Clary spread out on the couch, her eyes red and puffy, tears falling down her face from stress and pain. "What the heck happened to you?" is all Izzy had to say before Clary broke down sobbing. Her best friend pulled her close and held her as her tears slowed and finally stopped. Finally Clary was able to describe her horrible tumble, the ensuing drama with Alec, and the struggle she'd had over the long weekend alone with one functioning leg.

Of course, Izzy dwelled on the part involving her brother. "He finally told you!" she exclaimed, smiling.

"What?"

"Alec – he finally told you. I've been telling him for years that you wouldn't reject him if he would just get some balls and tell you how he feels."

"How he – Izzy?"

Izzy rolled her eyes. "He's in love with you Clary. Has been for years. But he's a complete social misfit, in case you didn't know. So he totally freezes up and hides from you." Clary's mouth was hanging open, the shock seeping into her bones. Could it be possible that Alec had been telling her the truth? And she'd rejected him! He was actually nervous around her and she'd mistaken if for anger or animosity?

She felt sick just thinking about it. "Oh my god."

"Wait. Why do you seem so surprised?"

"I, uh, I thought he was teasing me. I kicked him out when he tried to tell me that he liked me. Oh my god, Iz, I'm a horrible person. I thought he found out about my stupid crush and was just messing with me."

"Oh Clary," Izzy sighed. "You've got to fix this. I'll go get him and bring him here to talk to you. It's okay, you can fix this."

"Why would be ever want to be with me? He's so perfect and I'm just me."

"You're great Clary, despite what you think. And you treat him like a person. You don't like him because rich or pretty like so many other girls," she said with just a hint of disgust. "You like him because he's kind and awkward and smart and totally a dork. And that's why he likes you. I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?" Clary nodded weakly, still absorbing the reality.

Ten minutes later, the door opened silently. Clary knew immediately it wasn't Izzy. Izzy couldn't be silent if her life depended on it. "Hi," she nearly whimpered.

"Hi," Alec said, sitting on the edge of the coffee table in front of her. "How are you feeling?" Looking at his face, Clary could tell he was truly concerned. Even after she had rejected him, he still cared.

"I'm okay. Alec, I'm really sorry." She gasped as she sat up, her cast falling from the couch to the floor as she faced him and scooted forward. Their faces were only a couple of inches from each other.

"Izzy told me you wanted to talk to me. It's okay; I get it. You don't feel that way for me. I just... Seeing you hurting and vulnerable was rough. You're never vulnerable, Clary. You're so strong. So seeing you weak for once, I just wanted to comfort you. And I guess I felt like it was time to just come clean. Even if you don't feel that way about me, I want you to know I don't hate you. I could never hate you. I…"

Before he could continue, Clary leaned forward and gently placed her lips to his. He froze for a second, his entire body tense, before leaning in slightly, his arms wrapping around her. She tilted her head to the side and opened her mouth, her tongue running along Alec's lips. A groan came from deep in his throat as he opened for her and allowed her tongue to explore him. He scooted forward, and accidentally hit her foot. She hissed into his mouth and he immediately pulled away from her.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"I'm not," she said with a smile before touching her lips to his again briefly.

And then Izzy stormed in, squealing and breaking up her best friend and brother in order to gather them into a group hug.

"You two seriously should have kissed sooner. Alexander Gideon Lightwood is smiling. I never thought I'd see the day!" she teased.

Clary and Alec both chuckled, staring at each other around Izzy.

"Oh my god, I'm going to be the hottest auntie ever when you two have babies!" she screamed, squeezing them tighter.

Five years later, when Chloe Isabelle Lightwood was born, Izzy squealed as she hugged her sister-in-law close and watched her brother swaddle his new baby girl.

Clary's ankle still sometimes hurt, but she'd never stop being thankful for that broken bone. Because it brought her her own blue eyed boy.