Phew! Here's yet another Clace fanfic.
I've been planning to write and post this for quite a while, but haven't got around to do it until now! The story itself (not including this Author's Note) is 4,730 words total. Yipee! It's the longest fic so far, not including my multi-chapter one... I'm rambling.
Can we please get some reviews for this? I know you see the box, biscuit. Even if you don't have a FF account, just review as a guest, please. Your reviews make me smile like a dork, and I love reading all of your opinions. Don't be afraid to criticise my writing, I'll take it all in good stride.
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Summary:
In Brooklyn, a letter has arrived that is ardent, sensual...and unsigned. As the letter falls into different hands, the townspeople start to eye one another with renewed interest - wondering who it's from. Determined to find the letter's author, Clary Fray begins a quest involving a certain Jace Herondale, an old friend from her high school days, and Simon Lewis, a young man, very much in her present. The letter changes people and manages to turn the town and it's people upside down.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Mortal Instruments, nor do I own the letter from "The Love Letter" film...
Onward!
N.B. There is an F-Bomb in here and other lighter curse words. Just warning you.
Clary POV
Gosh, I remember high school. Gah. How I dreaded everyday. Well, every day except for the last one. I recall being so ecstatic of being let out of that hellhole.
Well, now, you're probably wondering where I am and what I do now. (Or not, but either way, I'll tell you).
I'm twenty-two, in art school, majoring it...you guessed it! Art. Well, Art History, really. Yeah, I want to teach. After all, someone taught me, so I'm going to teach others. It's just the way I work.
Anyway, back to the bane of my existence. No, not Magnus Bane; high school. I remember a few people. Izzy Lightwood, my best girl friend. Sharp, stunning, and super understanding. She knew when not to mess with me when (read: if) my temper ever flared. Which it did. Quite a lot. There was also Alec, Izzy's older brother. He was quiet and intelligent. Oh, and I'm pretty sure he was gay, too. Then there was Jace Herondale. We were really close friends. My best friend, even. That's it. Just friends. He was kind of awkward, yet arrogant at the same time, but extremely attractive at the same time, making for a quirky combo. We'd always prank the others and laugh later. He made high school a little more bearable.
Anyway. That's that.
Oh, and by the way, I'm Clary Fray. Short, green-eyed redhead with a temper that rivals her hair colour. I don't mean to boast (okay, maybe a little), but in high school, I was smart. And, I knew how to wield my sword. Er, paintbrush. Yes, I was an artist. Still am.
It's summer now, and the slight draft blowing through my window is lovely. It's cool enough to go for a morning run, so I do. Before sprinting out of the door, I check the clock. 6:37 am. Enough time for me to go the long way and make it to my summer job on time.
I worked at the local bookstore. It was a small, cozy two-story building on the end of the street. Hence its name: Bookends. Izzy's mother, Mayrse, decided to let Iz handle the bookstore this summer. So, that makes Izzy the "employer". Yes, the quotation marks were necessary. Lisa Verlac also worked there. She was eighteen and attending Idris High School. Lisa was sweet and petite. She had a face-framing pixie cut and brownish-grey eyes. Her best guy friend, Simon Lewis, also worked here. With unruly brown curls, chocolate eyes, and thick, black-framed glasses, he was quite the charmer. He was a year older than Lisa and usually helped us girls with the higher shelves.
Jace POV
"Hey, look, it's Clary," Helen Blackstairs droned.
We were sitting in the café shop drowning the daily dose and all turned around to watch Clary Fray running past the window. She jumped up and slapped the stop sign, causing her shirt to ride up, revealing her toned stomach.
"Ugh, guys! Stop staring!" Maia Roberts, my girlfriend, complained.
Alec Lightwood, Sebastian Morgenstern, Max, Alec's younger brother, and I all turn around and look at the girls who are wearing identical masks of annoyance and jealousy. It's hilarious, but I contain my laughter.
"There's got to be a rule somewhere saying that too much exersise is bad for you," Maureen moaned.
Max rolled his eyes and took a long drag of iced coffee through the straw.
Clary had been my really close friend back in high school, but she never really knew that I wanted to be
more than that. I was pretty much head over heels for her the day she walked into my history class and sat down next to me. I tugged at a spiral of her flaming red hair and soon learned that her temper was just as fiery. We became friends soon after.
Once when I was traveling the world, I sent her postcards from every city. I'd write a small note on the front in the language of the country that I was in, and then stick a letter inside for her to read. I remember when I had written "The Big City Awaits You" on the postcard from New York and then was brave enough to add "I want to spend the rest of my life with you" inside. I don't think she ever really read those postcards.
Clary POV
6:58 am. Yes. I made it two minutes before we open. Now, it's time to burn Iz for being late to her own biz.
The door bell chimed, alerting me that Izzy was finally here.
"You're late," I state.
"Yeah, well, not all of us are crazy people who wake up at the crack of dawn," she retorted.
"Iz, it's your family business."
"Yeah, well, I'm the employer, so suck it up."
"Ew, no thanks. I'm not into that kind of stuff," I quip.
She rolls her eyes.
Soon after, Lisa and Simon enter the store, chatting casually.
"Oh, Clary, I'm gonna go and grab the orders from my truck," Lisa tells me.
She hands me the tray with four mocha frapachinos. Ugh.
"Why can't you just order straight coffee like everyone else, Lis?" I ask. "Do I even want to know how much sugar is in this thing?"
The day drags on by and nothing eventful happens. Typical.
Jace POV
"Look, Maia, I can't do this anymore," I say to my soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend.
Tears glisten in her eyes, but she doesn't cry. I admire her for that.
"Look, Jace, I know that-"
"What do you know, Maia?" I cut her off. "Because I know that you are cheating on me."
There. I said it. I unloaded the ultimate bomb.
"No, it wasn't like that, Jac-"
I interrupt her again.
"Oh, really, Maia? Then what was it like?"
"I-I meant-"
"Go."
"I-Wait, what?" she asks, confused.
"I said go!"
"B-b-but-"
"Go drive your sorry ass to Bartholomew fucking Velasquez!"
"H-how did-"
"Oh, yes, I know all about your precious Bat," I sneer before she can even finish her sentence.
She quickly steps outside and I slam the bloody door in her face.
And then, I'm all alone.
Yet again.
Clary POV
"Alright, alright, everyone out," I mutter as Lisa, Simon, and Izzy make their way out of the door.
"Bye, Clary!" they all shout.
"Oh, I forgot to check the mail. Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow," I inform them.
I walk over to the mailbox near the front entrance of the store and shuffle through the various envelopes.
Hmmm...two are for Lisa, four are Simon's, eight are Izzy's, and three are mine. I order them into different stacks according to who they belong to and notice another letter.
The paper is blue and has not been addressed to anyone. Strange.
I open the tri-fold to read a very, well, loving, and well thought out love letter.
I wonder who it's from...
Dearest,
Do you know how much in love with you I am? Did I trip? Did I stumble - lose my balance, graze my knee, graze my heart?
I know I'm in love when I see you. I know when I long to see you, I'm on fire. Not a muscle has moved. Leaves hang unruffled by any breeze. The air is still.
I have fallen in love without taking a step.
You are all wrong for me and I know it, but I can no longer care for my thoughts unless they are thoughts of you. I feel your hair brush my cheek when it does not. I look away from you sometimes, then I look back. When I tie my shoes, when I peel an orange, when I drive my car, when I lie down each night without you,
I remain,
Yours.
I let out an involuntary gasp. Is this a love letter for me?!
And if it is, then, who is it from?
Simon POV
I'm running along the shore of the beach when I spot Clary jogging. Damn, I bet you that girl was on her high school track team or something. Her toned calves kept pumping at a slightly alarming rate, but she didn't seem to be affected. She was wearing short booty shorts and a revealing (if that was even possible) sports bra. Hey! I'm a guy, and I think like one, and, she's got one rockin' bod, so...
I soon caught up to her and she was only panting a little bit. Man, she was good. I wonder what she's like in... Sorry. I'm getting sidetracked again, aren't I?
"Hey, Clary," I say.
"Simon," she replies.
"So, what if I beat you?" I ask on whim.
"Hmmm," she murmurs, thinking. "I'll make you dinner."
Oh, dinner and a side of some sizzling hot- I'm pulled out of my cough, cough fantasy when I see Clary's, mind I say, booty-ful, backside.
Ah, shit (no pun intended), she's beating me.
I effortlessly sprint to where she's running. And then, she does the unthinkable.
She trips me.
That little bleep can play dirty all she wants, I'm still gonna beat her.
In the end, I'm given a small slip of paper with her phone number and her address.
Dinner it is.
"Bye, Simon. I'll see you Friday at six," she reminds me.
I offer my best shit-eating grin.
"Hey, Si! Wait up, will ya?" my best friend, Lisa calls.
She comes up beside me and looks up. I tower over her small frame and she almost has to crane her neck to look me in the face. It's adorable, really.
"Hey, Vera," I greet her, using the nickname I gave her years ago. It's a slight variation of Verlac, her last name. Besides, it's the only thing I can call her, other than "Lisa" when she won't slap me. And trust me, that girl could slap. Hard.
"Ummm," she begins nervously. "SomydadkickedmeoutofthehouseandIneedaplacetostaycanIstayatyourapartmentforthenight?"
"Care to speak English?" I tease her.
She let's out a frustrated sigh before trying again. "So, my dad kicked me out of the house and I need a place to stay. Can I stay at your apartment for the night?" she asks rather eloquently.
I blink.
"Of course, Vera," I respond without thinking.
She gives me a tight hug and I squeeze her gently.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Si!" she all-but screams near my ear. She's jumping up and down and still hugging me, so we end up doing this two-person jump thing.
"Um, Vera? You can let go now," I say.
"Oh, sorry," she said, blushing.
"It's okay."
Clary POV
Oh, shit.
It was five minutes to six and I am still not dressed. I just got home from the later shift at the bookstore. Thankfully I prepared our dinner during my lunch break.
I swiftly slip on a black dress and apply some poppy-coloured lipstick.
The doorbell rings, jolting me out of my daydreaming.
I race downstairs and find Simon standing on the porch looking a little awkward. He's wearing that huge grin that lights up his whole face.
"Hi, Clary," he mumbles. "I, um, brought you these flowers..."
I smile. "Thanks, Simon."
We go and sit at the table and talk over lasagna and green beans.
"And another time, Vera, I mean, Lisa, pushed me into the swimming pool from the highest diving board. And she knew I was afraid of heights!" he retells.
"And..." I question.
"And then, when I did a magnificent belly-flop into the deep end, my swim shorts had managed to leave my thin, prepubescent body."
The night continues with funny stories and horrible family gatherings.
"Do you want some dessert?" I ask.
"Sure, why not?" he replies.
I grin and tell him to go to the garage to grab two popsicles. Then, I go out and sit on the porch.
Simon POV
Gosh, Clary is such a kind woman. She's so charismatic and witty. I'm surprised that I hadn't noticed that before.
She sent me to go and fetch some ice pops from the freezer located in the garage. I open the door and see her spotless red Mini Cooper parked reservedly. There's the freezer. I grab two cherry pops and notice a blue paper folded and placed on the table. Curious, I open it.
It's a love letter.
Dearest,
Do you know how much in love with you I am? Did I trip? Did I stumble - lose my balance, graze my knee, graze my heart?
I know I'm in love when I see you. I know when I long to see you, I'm on fire. Not a muscle has moved. Leaves hang unruffled by any breeze. The air is still.
I have fallen in love without taking a step.
You are all wrong for me and I know it, but I can no longer care for my thoughts unless they are thoughts of you. I feel your hair brush my cheek when it does not. I look away from you sometimes, then I look back. When I tie my shoes, when I peel an orange, when I drive my car, when I lie down each night without you,
I remain,
Yours.
Did Clary write this for me?
I go to find her sitting on the swing-bench outside on her porch. And, lo and behold, there is a bowl with oranges and apples in it.
I glance at her freckled face and grab three oranges from the bowl and juggle them, causing her to laugh. Suddenly, her laughter sounds like the morning chimes in the sunny springtime.
I take one and begin to peel it slowly and in a way that I hope comes off as seductive. My eyes never leave her face and I take a bite of the succulent citrus fruit.
And then, a look of realization graces her delicate features. She lets out a small shocked gasp.
"You..." she trails off.
I nod and then lean over...
Clary POV
...I see Simon's face dipping down towards my own. Oh, my gosh! What is he doing?!
Ugh. Shut up internal dialogue.
He closes the distance between us and I can't help but feel a small tingle that starts in my toes and sweeps over my entire body.
When he pulls away, I look up, slightly breathless.
"Clary," he murmurs into my hair. His hand cups my face and he leans in to kiss me again.
And then, reality jolts back to me.
I stand up abruptly. "You need to go."
"I-I... Okay," he mutters.
Once I'm inside, I plop on the couch and put my head in my hands.
"Oh goodness, Clary," I tell myself aloud. "What have you gotten yourself into?"
Finally, the weekend is over and I go back to work at Bookends. Izzy, Lisa, and Simon are late yet again. I busy myself with the books upstairs.
Blast that stupid love letter. The words are going on repeat in my head.
The floorboards creak, informing me that someone is coming up the stairs. It's Simon.
And he's shirtless.
I take a moment to admire his toned chest, but then realise...
"Go put a shirt on."
"What?" he asks.
Damn him. "I said go put a shirt on."
"Why?" he scoffs.
Come on, brain! I need an adequate excuse to keep me from ogling his chest. "Because you stink."
"What?" he inquires, incredulous.
"Simon, go put a bloody shirt on because you reek."
He gave me a look of clear disbelief, but pulled his shirt over his head nevertheless.
"Anything for you, Miss Fray," he says simply to infuriate me further.
The door chimes and in walks in Jace Herondale. My old friend. I greet him and he goes to search for a couple of books. When he finds them, I ring them up and am about to say goodbye when Izzy steps in.
"Oh, and what's this?" she asks, motioning to his books. "'Why Doesn't Anyone Love Me?' and 'How to Cope With a Breakup' and 'Dealing After She's Gone'? My, Jace, what has happened?" she says, mocking him slightly.
He simply shakes his head and walks out of the door.
"Well, that went well," Izzy notes.
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing, Clary. Nothing."
Hmmm...
Izzy POV
Ugh! What is up with Clary these days? She acts so suspicious of all the males that she encounters and has rarely spoken to me in the past week.
Once everyone has left Bookends, I lock up and get ready to, but notice a blue slip of paper on the floor. I bend down to pick it up. Then, I open it.
Dearest,
Do you know how much in love with you I am? Did I trip? Did I stumble - lose my balance, graze my knee, graze my heart?
I know I'm in love when I see you. I know when I long to see you, I'm on fire. Not a muscle has moved. Leaves hang unruffled by any breeze. The air is still.
I have fallen in love without taking a step.
You are all wrong for me and I know it, but I can no longer care for my thoughts unless they are thoughts of you. I feel your hair brush my cheek when it does not. I look away from you sometimes, then I look back. When I tie my shoes, when I peel an orange, when I drive my car, when I lie down each night without you,
I remain,
Yours.
Oh, my gawd! It's a love letter!
I gasp aloud.
I know who it's from!
I knew it. I knew Jace was always secretly in love with me! Who else could write this well?
I drop by Clary's place in the evening.
"Clary, Clary, guess what!"
She rubs her eyes. "What, Iz?"
"Jace Herondale has been secretly in love with me all this time," I squeal.
Her face morphs into a mask of utter disbelief.
"What?!" she asks.
"Yeah, here," I say pulling the letter out of my bag. "Here's the proof."
She takes the letter and reads it. Then, she shakes her head.
"What is it, Clary?" I ask.
"Iz, this isn't for you..." her voice fades off.
What?! "Clary, you're supposed to be my friend. Why can't you ever be happy when I find love?" I ask, upset.
"No, look, Iz, it's... Mine. I dropped it when I was leaving today."
"Oh! That's bullshit, Clary!" I shout, enraged. "You are such a liar!"
I promptly storm out of her petty shack.
She runs after me and grabs hold of my arm.
"Look, Iz-"
"No, Clary. You look! I am done. D-O-N-E! I'm done talking to you. I'm done being your friend. Okay?"
"I-I-" she begins
"Goodbye," I cut her off.
Clary POV
Simon is waiting outside my door. I run to him and throw my arms around his neck. I pull him into a passionate kiss and whisper in his ear.
He nods his head and we head upstairs.
Hot, languorous kisses lead to curious, wandering hands which eventually begin to remove and rip away at clothing, which leads to ruffled sheets in the morning.
I wake up with a strong, warm hand around my waist.
Simon.
I quickly slip out of his grasp and dress quickly before he wakes.
I go for my morning run and run into Jace. Literally.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," I say.
He looks down and smiles. "It's okay, Clare." Clare... Only Jace called me Clare.
I get slightly lost in his molten gold eyes, but rush over to the bookstore.
Weeks fly by. My summer days this year were filled with Simon. His warm kisses, his dorky jokes, his awkwardness.
Nothing changes between Izzy and I. It's sad, but we'll dig ourselves out of this fight eventually.
We always do.
Jace POV
I pop by Clary's house to drop off some things and find Simon Lewis sitting on her couch as if he were waiting for his lover.
"Hello, Simon," I greet him.
"Hey, Mr. Herondale," he responds.
"Oh, it's just Jace, thanks."
"So, why are you here?" he inquires.
"Just dropping some things off, Simon."
He nods.
"When are you going back?" I ask just to start a conversation.
"Where, sir?"
"College," I respond.
"Oh, in a weeks time," he says.
I nod and then leave her house. I wonder why Simon was waiting inside her house...
Simon POV
I'm sitting with Lisa beside the lake. She shaved her head.
"What do you think, Simon?" she asks coyly.
"Well, you have a, er, nice shaped head," I tell her.
She giggles.
We sit like that for a while and eventually, she rests her head on my shoulder and falls asleep.
I stand up and cradle her small body to my chest.
I take her to my apartment and let her sleep on my bed.
"Sleep, Vera," I whisper.
I am not leaving today.
Lisa (Vera) POV
Simon is leaving today.
Izzy POV
Simon is leaving today.
Clary POV
Simon is leaving today.
I meet him at the dock.
"Hey, you," I say and the breeze carries it to him. He looks at me with a smile so much brighter than the sun. That's something I'm going to miss.
"Clary," he says after he kisses me.
"Simon."
"Clary, I'm not leaving," he whispers.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not going back to school. I'm going to stay here with you."
I blink. "You can't do that, Simon."
"But Clary, I-I have to."
"No, you need to go to school, Simon."
He looks down and leaves.
"Hello, darling," Magnus' voice floats through the room.
"Maggie?!" I gasp.
I run to him and hug him tightly.
"Oh, Mags, it's been too long, I've missed you!"
"And I you," he replies.
"I'm so glad you're here, Magnus," I say seriously.
Magnus Bane has been like a father to me ever since my parents died. He was always there when I needed him and was as caring as ever. He treated me as if I was his real daughter.
"What made you come, Mags?"
"Oh, I have a loadstone rock* here in Brooklyn," he says mysteriously.
I grin.
I see Simon outside my gate.
"Oh, Simon!"
"Clary, you were right, and I will go to school, but not before I tell you something."
"What is it?"
Brown eyes meet green ones.
"I love you."
I pull him to me and bring his lips down on mine.
"I love you, too," I reply breathlessly.
He leaves and I go back inside, but stop short of the entrance.
Jace Herondale is sitting on my porch wearing the most heartbreaking expression on his perfect face. Judging from that look, I immediately know that he heard every single word Simon and I uttered.
"Oh, Jace!"
He just shakes his head.
"Jace, I'm sorry..."
He raises a flawless eyebrow. "For what? Being human?"
I rush inside, the tears pouring down my face.
Magnus POV
I go to the local bar, Mozart's Cat and find a young Simon Lewis sitting there.
"What's wrong, son?" I ask him.
He looks up and takes my entire ensemble in.
"Just a girl," he responds.
"Oh, who?" I ask, ever the gossip.
"Clary Fray," he says through sniffles.
I nod. I had suspected something earlier.
We talk for a few more hours and a find he is quite smitten with my little redhead.
It's past midnight and I light my cigarette to find Clary sipping some brandy from a shot glass. I jump involuntarily, not expecting to find her there at this time.
"What is it, pet?"
She looks up at me, bleary-eyed. "Simon Lewis."
I nod.
"Your affair with him is very... French," I comment and then leave the room.
Clary POV
Simon left today.
I go to the bookstore to work and found that Izzy was at her brunch break and Lisa was sick. I guess it's just me, myself, and I today.
The doorbell rings and in walks in Jace Herondale himself. He seems to have forgiven me.
My eyes flutter and he offers me a smile.
"Meet me at Java Jones today at six," he calls over his shoulder as he is leaving.
I squeeze into a pale green dress and apply some mascara and lipstick and go to meet Jace at the café.
I bust open the doors and find him sitting there with two piping hot coffees at a table for two with my well know favourite blueberry muffin.
"Clary, I'm sorry," he says once I take a bite of a blueberry muffin.
I frown slightly. "Why, Jay?" The nickname just slips out.
He smiles softly.
"For judging you about that Simon Lewis fellow."
"Oh."
"Clary, will you give me a chance?"
I try to raise an eyebrow, and fail, so I lift two.
"Okay," I respond.
"Great."
I'm about to leave when he says, "Oh, and Clare? Remember, Prague is pink!"
It's a reminder.
Once I'm home, I go to the attic and find the box of postcards that Jace sent when he was touring the world.
I go through them all and find one for New York, New York that says: the Big City awaits you! I open it and find a note that he wrote in his inscrutable scrawl.
It says: I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Clare.
Magnus POV
I'm at Alec's place and we're sitting on either end of the room.
"'Dearest,'" I quote my own words. "'Do you know how much in love with you I am?'"
I hear Alec gasp.
"Do you remember that, love?"
"Yes," he responds, smiling a rare smile.
"Hmm, I didn't think you would rip up the paper, though."
"What?" he asks, surprised.
"Look," I point to the reassembled letter.
"Oh, that wasn't me..."
I kiss his nose affectionately.
"Darling, we must talk," I tell Clary.
"What is it, Mags?" she asks using that inferior nickname which I've somehow grown very fond of.
"You should sit down, sweets."
"Okay."
I take in a deep breath. "You remember when I said I would tell you why I came back later?"
"Well, yes," she says.
"Well, now is later."
"Okay, Mags."
"I came back because I am utterly in love with someone here."
She raises her eyebrows.
"Who is she, Maggie?"
"You see, that's the thing..." I trail off awkwardly.
"Huh?"
"I'm in love with Alec Lightwood."
Her eyes widen in surprise. "Oh."
"That's right, Maggie's a queer," I spit the word.
"No, no, Mags, I would never think that!" she shrieks vehemently.
"Oh," I say, genuinely surprised at her outburst.
"I'm glad you found your love," she says, hugging me.
"Me, too, biscuit, me, too."
Clary POV
After I tell Iz about Magnus and Alec, she grins.
"I can't believe it! Magnus of all people."
"I know," I smile back.
"Oh, and Alec... I'm so glad he had someone all this time."
"Me, too," I concur.
She embraces me. "Oh, Clary, I've missed you too much!"
"So have I, Iz."
"I'm sorry, Clary. I should have listened to you about that blasted letter."
We both laugh.
Gosh, it's so good to be friends again.
I am waiting at Java Jones for Jace. When he walks in, I smile and kiss him.
His lips are warm and supple. Instinct take over and my arms wrap around his neck. His hands are planted on my waist and my hand disobeys me and tangles itself in his golden hair.
When we pull apart, I look at him and gold clashes with emerald.
"Well, Jay, the Big City awaits us."
And...fin!
I hope you enjoyed. Please don't forget to review...
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*a loadstone rock is powerfully magnetic; essentially, Magnus has someone or something that is pulling him back to Brooklyn.
Feel free to PM me or write a review about any other Clace (or any other TMI character pairing) that you would want me to write. I'm definitely open to ideas.
Until next time!
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