a/n: this is my first time writing for the tmi fandom, and my first time writing fanfic since march, so i hope this is okay? also i'm really bad with titles, hence the super cliche title. beta'd by the lovely nina (dylanobriens). this is for marian (habooshky on tumblr) in the shadowhunter secret santa!
summary: featuring clary and jace in an eventful shopping trip in which jace learns the true meaning of christmas.
"Why do mundanes have so many stores?" Jace Herondale asked, raising his eyebrows as they passed Pacsun.
Clary Fray rolled her eyes, but smiled inwardly. She had taken Jace Christmas shopping in the city, and for the past hour or so, he had been eyeing the stores confusedly. Every time they entered a store, Jace would find something to complain about, whether it was the weird perfume smell or the too-bright Christmas lights. So, as a result they hadn't accomplished much of their shopping. He kept repeating the same questions, which was cute at first — he was like a puppy exploring a new playground — but now it was just plain annoying.
"I don't know." She shrugged. "I guess that even though some stores may sell similar items, they have different prices." She didn't really have a better answer and didn't want to talk about it anymore, so she changed the subject. "Anyway, what do you think I should get Isabelle?"
"Well, she's into fashion, so some clothes or something?" Jace answered. "Maybe a pair of shoes? I don't know — we don't celebrate Christmas, but on her birthday I usually just get her a new weapon."
Clary's eyes lit up. "That's perfect! I'll get her a pair of combat boots, and some Uggs just for the sake of getting her something 'mundane'."
"Speaking of Uggs, why do mundane girls like them so much?" Jace said as a group of teenage girls wearing matching Uggs walked past. He shook his head. "They're so Ugg-ly." He chuckled at his own joke.
"Jace, that joke is so old. Be more original," Clary said. "And I honestly don't know why they're so popular. They're cute, I guess, but I've never really been into them." Noticing that they had reached Nordstrom, she stopped walking. "Hey look, we're at Nordstorm. They have a lot of shoes and really good deals."
As Jace followed Clary into Nordstrom, he commented, "And why do mundanes make such a big deal out of Christmas? I don't see the point of all these lights and songs. Besides, Clary, you're not even Christian."
This made Clary rather angry. She kind of regretted bring Jace along on this shopping trip, but she would teach him the importance of Christmas and insert some Christmas spirit into him by the end of the day even if it killed her. "Sure, it's originally a Christian holiday, but it's also about giving back to the community and expressing your love for the people you care about. You're such a grouch, Jace. Lighten up. Please."
He mumbled something inaudible. Clary sighed and walked over to the shoe section, where she found a pair of black combat boots with three-inch heels.
"Isabelle would love those," Jace said, surprising her. He smiled sheepishly.
"You think?" Clary grinned back — looks like her reprimanding had succeeded! Maybe not fully, but at least she was making progress.
"Of course! She feels like such a badass when she wears heels. Honestly, I don't know how she doesn't trip." Jace said, which elicited a laugh from Clary.
She picked out a box of the combat boots in Isabelle's size. "Now for the Uggs!" Clary went over to the section of Uggs. They had Uggs in all different shapes, sizes, and colors — from the classic tan ones, to slippers, to tall ones and short ones, and even to Bailey Bow Uggs. Yes, Bailey Bow Uggs. Those were Clary's favorite and in her opinion, the only Uggs worth buying. "What's Isabelle's favorite color?" she asked Jace.
"Black," he answered.
"But Bailey bows are cutest when they're colorful!" Clary protested. "What's her second favorite color?"
"I don't know, blue? You should get the bright blue ones, because I don't think the navy blue ones are 'colorful' enough."
Clary narrowed her eyes and playfully shoved him.
"I'm kidding! I genuinely think the bright blue ones are adorable, though. How much do they cost?"
She checked the price tag. "Uh, $119.99." She already knew what Jace was going to say before he even got a chance to react or open his mouth: That's expensive. "Yes, I know it's expensive, but it's already on sale and the price really doesn't matter; it's about giving."
Jace opened his mouth, then closed it. "Okay."
After they paid for the shoes and left Nordstrom, Jace seemed to be in a better mood. He came up with gift ideas for the others, such as a new video game and bass for Simon and a glittery scarf for Magnus.
Clary suggested that they take a break and go to Starbucks. She was tired from all the shopping, not to mention cold, and desperate to sit down and have a warm drink. Thankfully, Jace didn't mention anything about "not understanding why mundanes love Starbucks so much".
On their way, they passed Hollister. Jace stopped in his tracks and raised his eyebrows. "Damn," he said, eyeing a poster of one of the models. "They're hot, but not as hot as me. Maybe I should quit being a shadowhunter and become a Hollister model instead..."
Clary shoved him lightly. "Jace, oh my God." She acted exasperated on the outside, but she was smiling on the inside. Her boyfriend was adorable.
"What? I'm kidding!"
They had reached Starbucks by then, and the warm air made Clary feel instantly better. She ordered a chestnut praline latte, which Jace gave her a strange look for. She thought she heard him mumble something along the lines of "why are there so many types of coffee?"
He ordered a simple plain latte, and they sat down at a table. They were silent for a while, sipping coffee and listening to Christmas carols.
"You know," Clary mused after a while, breaking the silence, "my favorite part about gift-giving isn't the gifts itself — it's making the card. I self-design and draw all my Christmas cards, and then I write a personalized message reflecting on amazing memories with the person."
"That's really nice of you," Jace said. He didn't seem to really be paying attention though — he was staring into space and drumming his fingers on the table.
Nevertheless, Clary managed a smile and the two of them retreated into silence once again. The only sounds that could be heard were their sips of coffee, Jace drumming his fingers on the table, and "All I Want For Christmas Is You", her all-time favorite Christmas song.
I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
The song seemed to stir something in Jace. He suddenly stood up and announced, "I need to do something. I'll be right back."
Clary watched him, confused, as he threw his unfinished latte away and practically ran out the door. "Um," she said after he had left. "That was interesting." Everyone was staring at her — after all, she was alone at a table because her boyfriend has just walked out and she was talking to herself. She got up, threw her own unfinished latte away, and exited the Starbucks as discreetly as possible.
She got out her phone and texted Jace:
Where are you?
Clary waited for a minute. No reply.
She decided to call him instead. It went straight to voicemail.
Sighing, she entered Michael's with the intent of finding a present for her mother. She might as well take her mind off Jace for a while. He would come back and find her soon, she was sure of it.
She had just payed for new paintbrushes and paint when her phone dinged with a text from Jace.
Meet me in front of the big Christmas tree in the square.
Clary smiled. Leave it to Jace to give her the vaguest directions possible, but thankfully, she knew where to go. It started snowing on her way there, and she laughed gleefully. She loved snow. It was so beautiful.
She power-walked to the Christmas tree, and found Jace wearing a Santa hat and hiding something behind his back. She caught a glance of a Hollister bag — featuring a shirtless male model — and laughed out loud.
"Clary!" Jace waved her over. Then, noticing that she was laughing, he followed her gaze to the Hollister bag behind his back. "Hey! That's for you, so no peeking. That's where I was, actually, buying gifts for you."
"Oh," Clary said, but it came out more like a question. She silently cursed herself for that.
Jace didn't seem to mind. He continued, "Hearing that song, "All I Want for Christmas is You" made me think of how lucky I was to have you. I hadn't gotten a present for you yet, so that's why I ran out so suddenly. Sorry."
Grinning, Clary pulled him into a bear hug. "It's okay!"
Jace smiled and kissed her forehead. "It felt really good. Buying you a present, I mean. It made me feel all warm inside, which was weird. I'd never felt that before."
Clary laughed. "That's called 'Christmas spirit', and I guess you finally have it."
"Yeah, I guess. You were right. Christmas is about giving; it's about so much more than just cookies and candy canes and bright lights. In addition to buying you something, I also bought a jacket for a homeless man on the street. He looked like the happiest person in the world and wouldn't stop thanking me. That felt really good, helping the less fortunate."
"Aw, Jace, I'm so proud of you. I just — I haven't gotten you anything yet, and you went to all that trouble to get me a present, wait no, to get me presents, and I thought you were ditching me or something so now I feel really bad, and —" Clary realized that she was rambling by this point and quickly closed her mouth.
"Shh, it's okay. I already have everything I want, because all I want for Christmas is you."
Clary blushed. So cliche, yet so sweet. Their faces were two inches from each other. They had moved during the conversation so that they were no longer near the Christmas tree and instead, they were near the entrance of Macy's. She looked up, seeing green leaves and red berries, and pointed out, "Oh, look, mistletoe. It's tradition to kiss under mistletoe, you know." She blushed even more as she said this.
Jace tilted her face up to his and their lips met in a long, lingering kiss. "All I Want for Christmas is You" started playing again in the background.
For a glorious moment, they could forget that they were Shadowhunters, forget about all the demons, forget about their battle scars. They were just two teenagers standing in a street with snow in their hair and not a care in the world.
After a while, Jace pulled away and said, "Merry Christmas, Clary."
"Merry Christmas, Jace."
happy holidays, everyone! :)