Short one shot. Song fic, but not the whole song; fear not.
Also, don't worry. I intend to update There For You, but I want the next chapter to be longer so that'll probably be a few more days.
He recognized the footsteps. After all, he had memorized everything about her. His love. His sister.
He had never hated a word so much.
The footfalls stopped outside the music room. He would use this opportunity to make her listen. She didn't want him to tell her how he felt, but she'd hear it anyway. He gave no indication that he knew of her presence—although she probably knew he knew—other than to switch songs.
In the Space between what's wrong and right…
Jace had found that space. Why, oh, why couldn't she? Why couldn't she just realize they were doing nothing, absolutely nothing wrong? He knew her reasons. What would our mother say? What would Alec and Isabelle say? They hadn't been raised as siblings. Isabelle was his sister more than Clary and Jocelyn would never be his mother anyway. Those reasons were excuses. She was afraid and he knew it.
You will find me waiting for you. All your fortresses go down in the night.
She came to him sometimes at night. She'd have nightmares and he'd hold her until she could sleep. They'd tell themselves it was okay, that he was being a big brother but they both knew there was nothing brotherly about it. He knew it and she knew it and it gave him a hope that perhaps he had no right to feel.
Til the dawn I'll see you through. 'Cause I know that you know you're all over me now.
And she was. Her essence, the feel of her, the memory of her lips on his. He was hers, unalterably. Every piece of him longed for her. She was everywhere. The thought of her kept him warm, kept him going. He only wished he could do that for her.
"Jace." Clary said, entering the room.
His fingers played on but he turned the majority of his attention to her.
"Yes?"
Their eyes met and, finally, she opened her mouth but snapped it shut, shook her head, and walked away, her heart breaking more with every single step, and every single step further breaking his.