Hello,

This is the first M rated story I have ever written and published on here but I absolutely love The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments. I hope I did the series justice. Oh god, really nervous now. Please tell me what you think. All advice is welcome and just for you to know this is set at least a couple of weeks after the ending of Clockwork Prince so if you haven't read that this will contain spoilers.

Warning - Contains spoilers and sexual content.

Disclaimer - I do not own The Infernal Devices, no matter how much I wish I did. Just borrowing the characters.

Enjoy!

An Infernal Devices story.

Midnight Encounters

Tessa could feel her eyes start to droop as she sat in the armchair by Jem's bed, watching him sleep. He seemed almost peaceful and still in his slumber and Tessa found herself staring at his chest to check that he was still breathing. Her fingers were touching the necklace Jem had given her when he had proposed, casually twirling it around the chain before putting it down on her chest. She hadn't even taken it off when she had changed into her nightgown. The only sound she could hear in the room was the soft tick-tock of her clockwork angel and the even softer breathing of Jem and herself. Tessa felt her eyes close as her head dropped against her shoulder. With a jolt, she sat up staighter in her chair, rubbing her eyes and forcing herself to stay awake.

How can Will stay awake like this? Tessa thought incredulously, pinching the back of her hand to distract herself from sleeping. It must have been some kind of energy rune or maybe umpteen cups of coffee. Tessa turned her gaze on Jem, watching with a small smile as his fingers twitched in a way like he was looking for something to hold as he slept. The blanket? His violin? Tessa's hand? Tessa thought it was the latter and sat forward, reaching out to take his hand when she heard a click.

Tessa looked up to see Will, his dark haired head poking through a crack in the doorway, peering at Jem's bed before his eyes fell upon Tessa's hand. Tessa pulled it back hastily as Will stepped in and closed the door quietly behind him. He was dressed in the same clothes he had worn that evening; a untucked, baggy, white cotton shirt worn open at the top, showing off his pale white collarbones and just the tip of a Mark painted over his heart. His long biege trousers seemed too big for him as they rustled in the air as he padded his way over to Tessa. She glanced down as Will stepped around the end of Jem's bed. He wasn't wearing any shoes, his feet bare and as white as his skin. Tessa could feel his beautiful blue eyes on her as he drew nearer and she felt a shiver run up her spine.

I love Jem. I love Jem. Tessa thought in her head, repeating it like a mantra. I love Jem. I love Will. I love Jem. Jem. Jem! She pinched the back of her hand to distract her once more when she felt Will take her hands gently in to his own.

"Why are you pinching yourself? Stop it." Will scolded as he rubbed the back of her hand soothingly, kneeling down beside her.

"Sorry." She whispered back, her eyes schooled on Jem's face. She would not let Will distract her from watching her fiance. The man she was going to marry.

Will stared at Tessa's bandaged hand, the skin beneath it pink and sore. "What happened to your hand?" Will looked up at Tessa's face as she ignored him, pulling her hand out of his grasp. "Does Jem know you hurt yourself?"

"It's nothing." Tessa said stubbornly, holding her hand in her lap as if in a bid to hide it from Will and his prying eyes. She heard him sigh as he sat down on the floor, crossing his legs and leaning against Tessa's chair.

"Look Tessa, I know you're worried about him, but Jem wouldn't want you hurting yourself because of him."

"How would you know?" Tessa replied scathingly, unsure of why she was being so irritable.

"I've lived with the man for five years. I think I know what he'd want." Tessa hung her head in shame as waves of guilt washed over her. Of course Jem wouldn't want her hurting herself. He was the most kindest, gentlest man she had ever met. He wouldn't even hurt a fly if he could help it. "Why don't you go get some sleep Tessa? I'll stay here and keep an eye on him."

Tessa shook her head as she dragged her seat closer to Jem's bed. She didn't wake Jem up but he did roll on to his side facing Tessa and resting his pale, silver head on his arm like a pillow. Despite having a pillow lying just above his head, he never used it preferring to curl up in the middle of his bed underneath his blankets, like Church did when he was sleeping on one of the chairs in the library. The smile on Tessa's face grew bigger as she noticed his fingers still twitched like he was playing the violin.

"He looks funny when he sleeps doesn't he?" Will whispered, his eyes watching Jem with a grin as he slept.

"Don't be cruel." Tessa scolded as she tugged the blanket on Jem's bed further up to cover him up. Not as if he's dead. It's just to keep him warm. Tessa told herself, however she still found herself checking that Jem was breathing.

"I'm not. It's the truth. Look at him." Will said defensively, gesturing to his friend as Jem curled up even more on his bed tangling the blanket around his body, his fingers twitching as he went. Tessa almost let out a chuckle as she watched. It was true she had to admit. Jem did look a little funny when he slept. Will sighed as he tried to calm himself down. "It'll be a miracle if you get any sleep sharing a bed with him."

That had wiped the smile clean off Tessa's face, her lips forming a tight line instead. Narrowing her eyes at Will from her seat, she tensed when he looked up at her. Their eyes locked just like all the other times she looked at Will. Her heart gave a pathetic flutter as she fell into the almost hypnotic blue eyes of Will. In just that minute she forgot about Jem lying in the bed next to her as she felt herself wanting to touch Will's face, to pull him close to her and kiss him, to make him hold her close and kiss away all of her problems and worries. But she didn't. She couldn't anymore. You are engaged to Jem. She reminded herself. You can never love Will now so just get the thought out of your head. You love Jem!

"If this is you trying to convince me to break the engagement off with Jem, it's not working." She hissed at him.

Will frowned up at her."Who said I was trying to?"

"I love Jem, I am engaged to Jem. I am going to marry him, not you!" She turned her back to him and stared at Jem's face. I love Jem. I love Jem. I love Jem.

"You know the more you say that, the more people would think you're trying to convince yourself." She heard Will speak behind her and she realised that she had spoken aloud. Again. I really need to stop doing that, Tessa told herself. Tessa ignored Will and fell silent listening as Will knelt beside her. She could feel his eyes on her, raking them up and down her body and resisted the urge to shiver in delight.

"If I had proposed to you first would you have said yes?" Tessa had almost not heard him but she suddenly felt his fingertips ghost over her thigh sending hot shivers coursing through her veins and constricting her chest, finding it hard for herself to breathe.

"Why are you asking me this? Jem is right there!" Tessa breathed pointing towards the bed. But still she didn't move away. Even when Will laid his hand flat against her thigh, staring as he slid it slowly up to her hip, she still didn't move. He stared up at her desperately, like a drunk begging for another bottle.

"I just want an answer. I just want to know." Tessa met his eyes and felt like crying. He had crawled around the chair and was now knelt in front of her, her knees pressing hard into his stomach.

"Why are you doing this? I thought you wanted Jem happy." Tessa glanced at Jem to see him still sleeping peacefully. She couldn't decide whether she wanted him to wake up or just stay asleep. What would he think if he saw his parabatai touching his fiance like this?

"I do. Of course I want that but..." Will trailed off staring at his hand as his thumb began to draw circles on her hip. Tessa couldn't breathe as Will brought his hand and trailed it up her calf stopping at her knee. "I can't help it. Everything I do, everything I think always leads me back to you and every time I think of you it hurts. The thought of you marrying him feels like you're stabbing me in the heart a billion times over, and I still want to kiss you. I still want to hold you and feel you against me, listening to your heartbeat. It's torture."

"Then stop thinking about me. Think about something else." Tessa hissed, glancing at Jem and then back at Will.

"You think I haven't been trying? Why do you think I agreed to help train Cecily?" Will snapped. Tessa flinched back in her seat and immediately his eyes softened. His hands moved soothingly against Tessa's thighs, trying to calm her down. "I'm sorry. It's just...I'm trying Tessie, I am. I'm trying so hard to stop thinking about you but I can't stop it." Will laid his head on her thighs, his dark hair splaying against the white of her nightgown. "I just want to know the answer."

Tessa's hands twitched with the urge to run them through Will's unruly dark hair. It felt so much like when Jem had proposed to her, when he had laid his head on her lap this morning. What am I doing? Tessa thought to herself in disgust. She found herself considering Will's question. What if he had proposed to her first? Would proposing to someone something Will would actually do? "I...Yes, no. I don't know. Maybe."

"It's either yes or no Tessa." Will muttered raising his head and kneeling up until his eyes were looking directly into hers. She looked down at her hands.

"I'm so confused Will." She mumbled. Tessa felt his hand leave her hip and tip her head up until she was looking at Will again. Their eyes locked and once again she wanted him to kiss away her problems. His eyes were so blue, more bluer than the sea she had sailed on when travelling to England for the first time.

Then Will said something that made Tessa's head swim. "Kiss me."

"What?"

"Kiss me." Will repeated, his eyes serious and desperate at the same time. Tessa began to shake her head but Will cut her off by taking her face in his hands. "It's just one kiss Tessie. One kiss and I'll leave you and Jem alone. I swear, just one kiss."

"Jem could wake up, he -"

"Jem won't wake up. The man sleeps like a rock." Will rolled his eyes before staring back at Tessa. "Please just one last kiss."

Tessa cast one last look at Jem, seeing him sleeping peacefully like he had been all night and stared into Will's eyes. It's just one kiss, she thought as she felt herself leaning forward. What harm could that do?

Hesitantly, Tessa's lips brushed against Will's feeling her eyes fluttering close and leaving tingles on her lips. She could taste Will's breath against her lips and it tasted of chocolate. Obviously, a midnight snack. I wonder what Bridget would say, Tessa thought. Then she suddenly wondered why she was thinking of Bridget at all. Tessa pressed her lips against Will's once more, telling herself that she'll pull away in a minute. She felt Will's hand travelling up to her hair, pulling out the tie at the end of her hair and letting her hair fall loose and free against the back of her neck. Will pressed his mouth against her, his hand grasping hold of her hair and pulling her towards him. Everyday he had tortured himself with the thought that if she loved him back she would die, but here kissing her like there was no tomorrow, seemed to make everything worth it.

Tessa couldn't stop her hands from weaving into Will's hair, pulling him closer to her. She wanted to feel him pressed against her, wanted to feel his skin on hers, bare and naked as the day they were born. All she could hear was their heavy breathing and the ticking of her clockwork angel. Her body felt tight with need. She could feel Will's hands roaming around her body, feeling every slight curve and every slim part of her. Will's kisses had grown hard and demanding, pulling her tightly against his chest. Everything felt hot and humid in the room around them, but she just couldn't pull away. She wanted more.

Will abruptly pulled away, his eyes wide and dark staring at Tessa as if he was staring at the sun. Tessa didn't even realise what was happening until she felt Will's arms circling around her hips lifting her against him, before he collapsed backwards against the end of Jem's bed. Tessa and Will froze staring at Jem, panic in their eyes. Jem's face began to frown and Tessa thought that he would wake up, when he just rolled over, his back facing them. Will exhaled a sigh he didn't even know he was holding and stared back at Tessa, straddling on top of him, her knees naked and on show on either side of his waist.

Tessa felt her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she stared back at Will looking at her with adoration. She watched as his hands trailed up her thighs, hips, up and up until they were in her hair, pulling her down and kissing her once more. Her hands pressed against his chest, wanting to push him away, but it felt like her arms had gone floppy. She pressed her lips against his wanting him to take away all of the bad things that had happened to her. Will's hands left her hair and trailed against her back, down and down until he touched her knee. Tessa gasped as she felt his warm hand against her bare skin, trailing up her thigh and dragging her nightgown up to her hips. She could feel Will breathing rapidly as he broke off the kiss and pressed his lips against her throat. Tessa arched her back and closed her eyes as Will's fingers drew circles against her hips.

She thought that she should stop, stop before things went too far. Tessa felt Will's lips trailing down her throat to her collarbone as he pulled her hips against his hard. Stop Will, she wanted to say. Stop Will before Jem wakes up. But the words stuck in her throat. Will pulled Tessa against him and rolled until he was looking down at Tessa, her loose hair spread across the floor underneath her. He could feel her moving against him and he loved it. This was exactly what he had been dreaming of ever since he had fallen in love with her. He felt his heart swell inside of his chest as he desperately tugged his shirt over his head and kissed Tessa, her mouth hot and wet against his.

Tessa closed her eyes in bliss, wrapping her legs around Will's hips pulling him closer as he kissed her throat. Will's hands were all over her, tugging her nightgown up her stomach, the sound of a tear letting her know he had ripped her clothes. She found she didn't care. She wanted Will. She needed him. She let out a whimper throwing her head to the side as Will pressed a hot kiss against her breast through her nightgown. She opened her eyes and almost let out a scream as she saw Jem's silver eyes watching her and Will with hurt.

"Stop! Will stop please!" Tessa hissed pushing Will away, clamping her hand over Will's mouth and stared at Jem. She blinked in confusion as she saw the silver locks of the back of his head. "We have to stop. I just thought..." She felt Will pressed his forehead against her chest, his body tense. Tessa thought he was just going to carry on when slowly, ever so slowly, he started to retract his arms away from her, pulling her nightgown down and untangling himself from her. Tessa sat up trembling and wrapping her arms around herself. She felt dirty and vile. She could've stopped at any time before, but she didn't.

"Don't cry." Will whispered to her and she realised that she was indeed crying. "I'm sorry, it's my fault."

Tessa looked at Will to see him sat as far away from her as he could get. He was shaking with his arms clasped around his stomach. Tessa felt sick with herself. "It's not. I could've stopped you at any time, but I didn't. Oh god..." she pressed her hand against her mouth to stifle a sob. "What does that make me? What kind of wife will that make me for Jem? I just threw myself at you as soon as his back was turned. I'm a horrible person."

"No you're not." Will spoke firmly, shaking his head at her. "I told you to kiss me. It's my fault." He started to crawl towards her and Tessa could see his eyes welling up and turning puffy. "Please forgive me. I'll try harder to stop, I swear on the Angel. I'll try harder to stop thinking of you. If only you'll forgive me."

Tessa felt herself nod her head. Will let out a sigh of relief and leaned forward to press a kiss on her forehead and stopped. "No. I can't trust myself around you anymore." He ducked his head and snatched up his shirt, dragging it over his head and stood up. "I'm sorry." He told Tessa one last time as he walked towards the door.

"We can't ever tell him." Tessa spoke causing Will to stop and look back at her. "I love Jem and so do you, so we can't do this to him. It would break his heart." Will nodded and bumped into the end of Jem's bed, swearing under his breath before he escaped through the door.

Tessa hastily stood up smoothing her hair and her nightgown, wondering how she'll hide the tear from Sophie in the morning, and sat down on the edge of Jem's bed, waking him up. Jem rolled over and groggily rubbed his eyes. "Tessa, what's wrong?"

"Nothing...I just thought you weren't breathing." She lied as Jem sat up and pulled her into a hug. She immediately began to calm down, hugging Jem tighter to her.

"There's no need to worry, I'm alright. Look at me." He said soothingly, stroking her hair and rubbing her back. She wiped away her tears as they began to come thick and fast, pulling away and giving Jem a kiss. He kissed her back and laid back down pulling Tessa closer beside him. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and they wrapped their arms around each other holding the other close. Out of the corner of her eye, Tessa spotted Will staring back at them through the crack in the door. His mesmerising blue eyes fixed directly on her.

She turned her head up to her fiance. "I love you Jem."

"I love you too Tessa," he grinned tightening his hold of her as he closed his eyes. Tessa stared back at the door to find Will still there, staring back at her. She felt a flutter in her chest.

God help me.