"Where did you go?" Jace asked the moment that Simon walked through the door, a small plastic bag in his hand.
Simon frowned at Jace as he unzipped his wet black jacket and hung it up before he shook his hair, droplets of water flying from the ends. "To the game shop, Mom," Simon replied with a coy smile.
Jace narrowed his golden eyes. "You upped and left when I was sleeping. You're lucky I didn't follow you."
"Again," Simon added. His dark brown eyes moved away from Jace's face to scan the living room of the apartment. "Where did Jordan go?"
"Work. He made me soup and then left."
Simon laughed and shook his head. "Wow, where's my invitation to the wedding?"
Jace reached over to the couch and picked up a pillow which within seconds was hurtling towards Simon. Maybe a few months ago it would have hit him square in the face, but now he caught it easily and looked at Jace with a dark expression.
"Why, are you hoping to be a bridesmaid?"
Simon shook his head. "Actually, I was thinking maid of honour."
Jace rolled his eyes and flopped down onto the couch. Simon followed and sat down beside him, rummaging in his bag to retrieve his newest Xbox game which had been on sale. Jace un-muted the TV and leaned his head back, his eyes half shut as he watched the news lazily.
"Have you spoken to Clary?" Simon asked without looking at him.
Jace groaned. "No."
"I spoke to her on the phone last night. She's miserable."
"I know."
"You know?"
"Yeah."
"Well, can't you do something about it?" Simon inquired, trying his hardest not to get frustrated with Jace who merely shrugged.
Although Simon couldn't help wondering, how was one miserable person was supposed to make another miserable person happy? Jace and Clary's feelings for each other were so strong that it was like their emotions were connected, feeding from each other's sadness until they were both as sad as possible. He thought they were like E.T and Elliot. Jace being E.T, obviously.
"I don't want to talk about it with you, vampire."
"Why? Because Clary and I used to be together?"
Jace rolled his eyes dramatically and scowled. "No. Because it's none of your business."
"Fine. Suit yourself. I'm going to shower."
Simon was just about to get to his feet when Jace's strong hand pulled him back. He looked at Jace with astonishment and carefully moved Jace's hand away from him, somehow rattled from the unexpected contact.
"What are you doing?"
"I want to ask you something," Jace said, his eyes meeting Simon's with a very strange intensity – even for him.
"Right..."
"Did you and Clary ever...?"
Simon gave him a disgusted look for asking a question so personal. "That really is none of your business," Simon said sharply.
"I want to know. I mean, I don't think you have it in you but I still want to know."
"Well, I don't want to tell you."
Jace sighed lightly. "Please?"
"Fine, the answer is no, we didn't. And don't ask me anything else because I won't answer."
For a moment Jace remained silent but when he looked down at Simon's lips, Simon felt like running away very fast for a reason he couldn't quite place. It only lasted a second and then those golden eyes were looking back at his.
"Did you do anything else with her?"
Simon scoffed. "Why do you care? It's not like we lasted long."
"I need to know."
"Why? If we did, have I tainted her for you or something?" Simon remarked.
Jace's expression was weirdly blank. "No, I just want to know."
Simon shrugged and decided he didn't really care anymore. If Jace wanted to know, then he'd tell him. "We did stuff, yes. And that's all you're getting from me."
Jace looked away from Simon and folded his arms. Simon couldn't tell whether he was pissed off or whether he was just deep in thought. He knew that Jace knew he was the only one who would ever truly have Clary. Everyone knew that, including Clary herself. So how could he be so insecure about their relationship? And so threatened by him of all people? Perhaps it was because Simon and Clary were so close, but it wasn't like there were any romantic feelings left between them. He was over that. He was over her.
So even if they had done stuff, it didn't matter anymore. It had hardly mattered to Clary at the time, he thought, before realising that that was slightly harsh. She had been confused but it wasn't like he'd taken advantage. She'd wanted him to do things to her and had also wanted to do things to him in return. It wasn't a big deal in his eyes. Had he wanted sex? Sure, but it wasn't the most important thing to him and he had never asked her for it.
"Clary and I..." Jace murmured. "Haven't."
Although Simon was surprised, he tried not to react abnormally. "I didn't ask, man."
Jace shrugged nonchalantly. "Whatever. Weren't you going to shower?"
"So what do you and Jordan do here? Play video games?" Jace asked as he leaned against the wall next to the bathroom door and picked at the skin around his nails boredly.
"Uh, do you always lurk around the bathroom door when people are showering?"
"You're not in the shower right now," Jace said with a shrug. "What are you doing anyway? Putting on your make up? I think you have the wrong skin tone for blusher. The living dead can never seem to pull it off."
"I'm getting dressed," Simon replied wearily. "And for the record, yes, that is what we do."
"Sounds dull."
The bathroom door opened suddenly and Simon stood there with tousled wet dark hair and a frown on his face. Jace smirked. But then his smirk faded and he found himself watching Simon with the same intensity he had had earlier. It was strange to him, how Simon and Clary shared some characteristics. They were so in sync and were around each other so much that they'd picked up small things each other did. They both pushed their hair out of their eyes and sighed at the same time. They both folded their arms when they were mad. Just like Simon was doing now.
"You have to stop looking at me like that. I know you're hopelessly in love with me but it's freaking me out."
Jace tilted his head to the right slightly, watching as Simon's brown eyes followed him. "It's weird. You and Clary do the same things sometimes."
"You know how you always complain when I say things that supposedly don't make sense? Well, this is one of those times, except you're not making sense."
Jace shrugged and smiled easily. "Never mind, vampire. It's not important anyway."
Simon nodded. "I guessed as much."
He attempted to walk past Jace but for some reason unknown even to him, Jace put a hand on his arm and pulled him back. Simon blinked with surprise and tried to get his arm away from Jace's grip, but he had a good hold on him.
"I miss her," Jace mumbled.
Simon looked at him strangely, perplexed by his sudden decision to share actual feelings out loud. "Then call her or go find her."
"No. I can't. It's complicated." Jace sighed heavily and raked his free hand through his blonde hair. "If she knew I was here, she'd be glad. She'd be happy that I'm protecting you. She wouldn't hate me as much."
"Right," Simon said. "You keep counting on that."
"Be serious for a minute."
"I wasn't aware that we were joking." Jace shot him a look which promised death and Simon sighed. "Okay, fine."
Jace looked at Simon for a very long moment before he inched closer to him. The idea of him being close to Clary made him feel close to Clary. And Angel, he missed her. Simon didn't have chance to move away before Jace's lips were delicately on his, filling him with the same warmth he'd felt when he'd tasted Jace's blood. The thought that he was one nip away from Jace's blood through his lips turned him on more than it should have.
Jace tongue traced slowly against Simon's bottom lip and without realising he was doing it, Simon grabbed the front of Jace's shirt and brought him closer. Neither seemed worried about the consequences, all that mattered was the moment and what they were feeling – if what they were feeling had a name. Suddenly Simon pressed against Jace's chest and looked at Jace with utter confusion. Jace looked back at him, not at all sure why he'd kissed Simon.
"What...the hell?" Simon whispered.
"Shut up, Simon," Jace groaned as he attempted to press his lips back against Simon's.
"What? I'm supposed to just...go with it?" he asked with outrage.
"That's exactly what you're supposed to do."
"I don't understand."
Jace shrugged. "Neither do I."
But this time it was Simon who kissed him first and Jace let go of Simon's arm in order to place it on his neck, a more affectionate than sexual touch. Simon's hand resumed in pulling Jace closer to him and he parted Jace's lips with his, resisting the urge to moan with pleasure as their tongues touched slightly, and then again with more force and longing. The words gay, bisexual and straight meant nothing to Jace anymore. This was nothing to do with any label.
They stumbled down the hallway, pulling off each other's shirts as they went and when they reached Simon's bedroom Jace kicked the door shut behind them and shoved Simon onto the small single bed. He stood over him with a wicked smile on his face and Simon watched as Jace unbuttoned his own jeans and kicked them away from him. Slowly, Jace crawled onto the end of the bed and gently traced his fingertips from Simon's shin to his waist where he undid his jeans and tugged them off.
Jace made a pleased sound in the back of his throat and then moved over Simon, covering his body with his own until their lips met and their chests touched.
Ice cold against burning hot.
Jace lowered his body completely and smiled against Simon's lips when he felt just how turned on Simon was. He moved his hand from beside Simon's head and felt down his chest until his hand rested on Simon's crotch. A place which, frankly, Jace had hoped never to touch. But now was different and he wasn't sure why.
Jace grinned and pulled away from Simon. With that mischievous smile still on his face, he moved further away from Simon, kissing his chest and then the spot just below his navel and then once more, further down.
Simon gasped as Jace pulled down his boxers, the eye contact never breaking. When Jace took Simon in his mouth, Simon attempted to curse but found the word 'God' got lodged in his throat and instead he could only cry out both from the shock and the pleasure of it. Jace didn't stop until Simon was practically writhing on his bed, his face contorted with the strain of trying not to end the experience too soon. When Jace had decided Simon had had enough, he pulled his mouth away and grinned again. He knew that if Simon needed air at all, he'd have been panting.
Simon looked into his eyes. "I don't know if we should do...it," he said, sounding like a much younger version of himself. He hadn't heard his own voice so petrified in a long time.
Jace shrugged, his chest slick with sweat and again moved to hover over Simon, their faces within kissing distance. "Me neither. Alec said it feels good, though," Jace informed him as he planted soft kissed along Simon's neck and collar bones.
"But what about Clary?"
Her name was like cold water. Jace sighed and stopped his kissing to look at Simon. "Just give me one night where I don't have to feel guilty about her. Just please let me," Jace murmured.
Simon looked into Jace's golden eyes and nodded. After a moment of watching each other, Simon pulled Jace back to him and kissed him deeply – this time there were no reservations. The hesitance was gone and they both knew it. Simon gripped Jace's back, harder than he probably meant to but Jace didn't complain. Jace's hips were moving against his and in that moment he couldn't imagine a better feeling.
Suddenly, Jace's lips were at his ear though his body still moved. "Turn over," Jace whispered gruffly.
Simon frowned. "We don't have anything."
"Oh yeah," Jace said with a cocky smile. "I forgot you never get laid."
Simon laughed and stole another rough kiss from Jace's sore lips. "Well, that's about to cha-"
"Hey, Simon, do you have the new game tha-" Jordan stopped in the doorway and his eyes widened, his dark brows about to reach his hairline. He struggled for words before he settled on, "I was not expecting this."
