Hey guys! So, welcome to the first chapter ofAngel's Fire.Yes, it needed to be typed like that.
What? It gives it dramatic effect! Anyways, this is my first actual Clace story so I hope you enjoy. And, before anyone says anything, I know this is similar to my Clace one shot (Not broken just bent) and my Percabeth story, Bracelets.
I hope you guys enjoy!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MORTAL INSTRUMENTS *WIPES TEAR*
~o0o~
Clary: 6 years old Jace: also 6 years old
~o0o~
Flaming fart head.
That was what Clary Fray was called every day in first grade. All the kids teased her because of her unnaturally flaming red hair. Then, there was the occasional Grassy eyes comment.
Clary never fought back, she took all the bullying, all the screaming, all of it. She thought that is she kept quiet no one would bother her. She couldn't have been more wrong.
She wouldn't do anything to provoke them; all she did was walk to class, clutching her drawing books tightly, and sit down to draw. During recess she took her crayon set and some paper to just sit and draw. They would come up to her, criticize her drawing, and then push her into the sandbox. Of course, the teachers didn't pay attention.
When she finishes cleaning sand out of her hair and dress, she walks home. Well, that's what everyone else calls the place they live in. Home. Clary never thought of her house as home, it was a prison full of no love, just beer.
Her father, Valentine Morgenstern, never cared about her. He was forced to take her in because her mother had recently passed away; she had inherited a lot of money from her mother's paintings.
Every day when she came home from school, he would lift his head up off the desk and tell her to go to her room until she was called for dinner. She learned very quickly not to reply to him, just a nod of the head and she would hurry upstairs to her room.
She would never get called for dinner, Valentine would eat by himself and go to bed, and it was when he fell asleep that Clary ate.
All of her days were like this. Nothing remotely interesting happened.
~o0o~
Then October 17th happened. It was that day that she got a new student in her class. His name was Jace Wayland.
When the blonde angel stepped into the classroom, all of the girls' eyes were on him. Clary's were too you just couldn't not stare. He had curly blonde hairs surrounding his head, perfectly arranged at his face, and his golden eyes hypnotized everyone that looked at him.
He took one look around, almost like he was surveying the room, and then his eyes locked with Clary's. Clary was shocked. Pretty much no one looked at her; her table was in the dark corner of the room. No one wanted to share a table with her.
He looked at Clary with intensity in his golden eyes then, he smiled.
"Everyone this is Jace Wayland, a new student to our classroom. Say hi everyone."
A chorus of hi's went across the room. Jace said a quick hi and continued to stare at Clary.
"Alright, I guess its introduction time! Hi, my name is Ms. Fairchild but you can call me Ms. Fair." She held out her hand for Jace to shake it, he politely shook.
"Now where do you want to sit? We have a space next to Eric and one next to Raphe-"
"I want to sit over there, next to the green eyed girl." Jace interrupted pointing to Clary in the far corner.
Ms. Fairchild looked uneasy; she had never really like Clary because of her mother. Her mother and Ms. Fairchild had never been the best of friends. Back when Clary's mother, Jocelyn, was a junior, Ms. Fairchild was too. They had hated each other. Clary's mother had accidentally stolen Valentine, Clary's father and Ms. Fairchild's boyfriend, away from Ms. Fairchild. A couple months into her parent's relationship, Jocelyn had gotten pregnant. The school shunned her, especially Ms. Fairchild. She had spread rumors about her mother being a whore, slut, etc. Since day one, the Fairchilds and the Frays had hated each other.
"Are you sure sweetie?"
Jace turned to the teacher with determination bright in his eyes, "I'm sure."
Miss. Fairchild sighed, "Alright, just tell me if you want to move."
The blonde gave her a toothy grin, showing his chipped tooth, "Thank you, nice lady!" with that he ran over to his table he now shared with the red head.
As he got settled in, the class stared at him waiting to see his reaction to Clary. It was very clear that the class didn't like Clary and that they didn't want Jace to like her.
When recess came along, Clary was getting ready to take in her art supplies when Jace walked up to her.
Clary's head snapped up to meet golden ones. He was staring at her so intently that the whole class had stopped what they were doing to see what Jace was going to do.
The red head braced herself for a push and then something shocking happened, Jace held out his hand and said, "Hi I'm Jace, what's your name?"
To say that Clary was only surprised was an understatement. She was beyond shocked.
"M-my n-name is C-Clarissa…" she said so quietly that Jace almost hadn't caught it.
No one ever called her Clary, her nickname, except for her brother Jonathon. Of course, he was dead. After the funeral she made a vow that she wouldn't let anyone call her Clary.
He gave her a frown and said, "Clarissa is too long, can I call you… Clary! Yeah, can I call you Clary?"
He gave her a huge grin at the end topped with puppy dog eyes.
Clary couldn't give in she couldn't betray Jonathon. The puppy dog eyes were very tempting though. She was about to say no but then her worst bully stepped in and said, "That's enough! Why are you talking to her Jacey?! You don't talk to Flame head unless you push her down like this!"
With that, the one, and hopefully only, Kaelie Court pushed Clary against the wall she was near and was about to slap her, and then something beyond logic happened. Jace caught her hand and pushed her away from Clary, and then he went to stand in front of Clary.
"No one touch Clary," he shouted at the people approaching to push Jace, "Or I'm telling Ms. Fair!"
The bell rang. All the students ran back in before Jace could do anything. Once everyone was inside, Jace turned around to help Clary, he held out his hand.
Clary just stared at the hand with curiosity, why is he helping me?
He chuckled, "I don't have cooties if that's what you're thinking, I want to help you."
Clary smiled lightly and took his hand. It was when she stood up she realized how much Jace towered over her, it's true she had always been the shortest in her class but she felt like he was a titan against her.
The blonde said it before she could, "Wow, I'm so tall against you! I know what I'm going to call you! Clary Cherry! You know because cherries are small! Can I call you that?"
Clary laughed, he's so silly, "Yes, you can. Thank you, for uh helping me."
"It's no problem, I have to help a pretty girl when she's in trouble." He grinned at her as he said it.
Clary's cheeks burned a bright red almost like- "Hey you look like a cherry when you blush! I was right to call you Clary cherry!"
Clary looked down embarrassed, "Cherry, can I ask you something?"
Clary snapped her head up again and nodded, "Will you be my best friend?"
Jace looked almost worried that she would say no, but Clary started grinning widely and replied with, "Yes, I would love to be your best friend!"
Jace grinned at her in return and said, "Great! Let's go inside!"
Clary only nodded and ran with her now blonde best friend.
~o0o~
At the end of the day Clary was beyond happy, she was ecstatic. She walked out of the school, her backpack on tightly, her books in her hand, with a gigantic smile on her face, and she skipped to the crossers lane. Clary was about to cross but then she heard a certain Golden boy call her, "Cherry! Wait up!"
Clary turned to see the Jace running, hair tossed around, jacket barely on. She smiled.
When Jace had caught up to her he asked her, "Where do you live? I want to walk you home."
Clary was in shock as she gave out her address to the boy she barely knew, he smiled when she finished and said, "You live right next door to me! That's so cool, my best friend lives next door to me!"
Clary's grin widened as he said best friend, never once in her life had she been called 'best friend' it warmed her from the first strand of hair on her head, to her toes in her white worn out flats.
Jace turned his head to see the light change from red to green, he smiled and took Clary's hand, "Come on, we'll walk together."
Clary just nodded in response as they started walking to their apartments.
The walk was quiet, it held a silence that said everything that the two kids wanted to say, they were happy.
They had just exited the elevator to their floor when Jace had stopped her, "Cherry, keep your balcony door unlocked tonight, alright?"
Cary just looked at him in curiosity, "Why?"
Jace looked up at her with a small grin on his face, "I'm gonna come over!"
Clary smiled, "Okay, I will. Thank you for walking me home, Sparky."
Jace looked at her, "Sparky? What's that suppose to mean?"
"It's hard coming up with nicknames for a blonde!" the red head argued.
Jace laughed lightly and said, "Jace is already a nick name, Cherry."
"A nick name for what?" Clary asked
"Jonathon. My name is Jonathon Christopher Wayland." Jace gave her a look saying that he never liked his whole name it was too long.
Clary couldn't hear him after he said Jonathon. Immediately, her mind was filled with thoughts of her dead 15-year-old brother. Sure, it was a huge age gap but they were closer than anyone. They were each other's best friends.
Clary tried to hold back her tears but she couldn't hold in the one lone tear that escaped from her eye. Jace stepped closer and quickly wiped it away, he spoke quietly as he saw her red eyes, "Hey what's wrong?"
Clary looked up through teary eyes, making her vision slightly blurry, "M-My b-brother's n-name was J-Jonathon."
Right after she had said his name she burst into tears in the middle of the hallway and collapsed into Jace's arms.
One of his arms went around her waist, and the other on the top of her head, patting it lightly.
It worked. She had never been held this way by anyone since the funeral of her mother and brother. It felt… nice to be held closely like this.
Clary's sobs had become light hiccups as she pulled out of his arms. She wiped furiously at her eyes, embarrassed she had let anyone see her cry. After she had gotten herself together, she said to Jace, "Thanks. N-No ~hiccup~ one has held me like ~hiccup~ that in a l-long time."
Jace smiled slowly, "It's no problem I'll always be here for you cherry."
Clary smiled lightly before walking towards the door, "I'll see you later Jace."
Clary turned her head to the blonde, just in time to see him slightly smile, "Yup. Bye Clare bear!"
With that he ran into his apartment without a care in the world, except for Clary of course.
She laughed before she stepped into her home, eagerly waiting for the night.
~o0o~
Once Clary stepped through the door, she knew that it wasn't going to be a happy wait for Jace to come. She could smell it in the air.
Alcohol.
Not just any alcohol, daddy's favorite alcohol. Clary knew to be scared when daddy had alcohol.
Alcohol to daddy is like candy to kids. Every time he had alcohol he would hurt the tiny red head. He would slap her, sometimes kick her. All she did was endure it and cry in her room when he left for something.
She made a beeline straight to her room, not bothering her father. She knew better than to bother him while he had the bottle in his possession.
She was just a step away from her room until she heard her father, "Claaaaaary, where are you, you little bitch?"
She stood still at her door, not making a sound.
There was never a way out when he noticed her. She could never run into her room, she just had to stand still, one move and she's slapped.
Carefully. Valentine walked up the stairs, not making a sound so the little 6 year old wouldn't hear him. He couldn't control the creeks that were heard from underneath his heels.
Clary tensed slowly dropping her hand to the doorknob. Another creek, "Claaaaary? Come over when daddy's calling you!"
Clary stilled immediately when she saw the long tall shadow of her father. One more step and he would be close to her.
Very close. One reach of the hand and he would be able to grab her throat. Valentine turned his head towards his target, slowly grinning, and said "I've found you Clarissa! It's stupid to play the game of tag when one person is standing in the middle of a hallway."
He laughed like he had said something funny. Nothing was funny. Not to Clary.
He stepped closer to the red head. She trembled. Valentine reached his hand towards Clary's throat. His large hands circled her throat tightly lifting her off the ground.
Clary didn't struggle. She stayed completely still in the man's grip her eyes slowly growing wide.
Valentine pouted, "Awe you aren't any fun today Clary. You aren't struggling. Guess I have to do something about that."
He set her down, not so gently, and quickly slapped her cheek turning it bright red.
Clary collapsed and held her hand to her cheek. Valentine laughed, "What, you can feel that you little bitch? Does it hurt? Hell yeah It does."
Valentine continued laughing as he turned to go down stairs. He stopped near the last step and said, "Oh, and Clarissa I will be gone for 4 days, try to not break anything."
With that, he stumbled down the last step and went out the door.
Everything was quiet. Clary should've enjoyed it but instead she created noise. She broke something.
The red head had a fiery aura around her as she destroyed everything around her. The lamps all smashed. The pillows ripped. She was going all out. She was sick of all the torture. She was sick of all the abuse.
She could care less about her father. She knew if she destroyed everything that it would give her consequences. But she didn't care. She was mad.
And she was showing it.
~o0o~
At 9:00 that night
Knock knock!
"Just another second mom." Clary turned to the other side mumbling random words. Her cheek still hurt so she had to be careful where she laid her head.
To say it hurt would be an understatement. It burned her face so much it felt like fire was trying to scorch off her very existence.
Knock knock!
Clary groaned as she struggled to get out of the bed, trying to pin where the sound was coming from.
Knock knock!
She turned. It was at her balcony. Who's at my balcony at 9:00?
She looked at the balcony, only seeing a silhouette of a small boy with curly hair.
Clary squinted, Jace?
She walked towards the doors to the angelic boy only a couple feet away from her.
It all clicked. Jace was meeting her tonight at her balcony for reasons unsure to Clary.
The red head looked through the foggy glass doors, surprisingly seeing the flicker of light gold highlights from Jace's hair.
With a small smile, Clary unlocked her balcony doors to see the angel sent to her.
Jace was casually up against the wall with a smile on his face, he turned when he heard the doors unlock, "Hey Cherry! I've been knocking since-"
He stopped talking as he saw the bruise on her cheek. He frowned looking worried and angry.
"Clary, who did this? It's not good to hit people. It's bad." Jace carefully brushed his fingers on Clary's cheek; she winced immediately as a burning sensation went through her body.
Clary looked at him with her big green eyes, pleading, and said "Promise you won't tell anyone. Okay?"
Jace's eyes widened as he saw the red head's eyes. The green emeralds were filled with worry and hurt. Pleading him not to say anything she was about to say.
Jace nodded still not processing that someone had hurt his Cherry.
Clary just turned and walked into her room, making sure Jace would follow.
She sat on her bed, waiting for the blonde to sit next to her.
Jace sat on the bed, waiting for an explanation. Who would do this to an angel?
Clary took a deep sigh. She opened her mouth to begin but then hesitated. If I tell him, will he call me weak? Lame?
Instead of telling Jace, she looked up at him with wide teary eyes.
Jace's own eyes widened.
Clary struggled to get words out. She kept thinking he would just judge her and then leave her and call her Flaming Fart head.
"D-Dad… he… got m-….mad…" Clary barely had uttered out her words before she just collapsed against Jace.
And she cried. She cried out all of her emotions. She cried out all of the times she wished she could lean against Jonathon's shoulders and tell him all about their dad. Tell him that she needed him. She needed him to protect her. Lastly, she cried about how she couldn't cry to anyone. She cried because no one was there.
Except for Jace. He saved her. When he talked to her today, she felt like she had finally made a friend. Someone she could cry to.
And here he was. Letting her cry into him just holding her like her mother or Jonathon would hold her.
She felt at home. She felt loved.
It took a while for Clary to get herself together. She pulled away from Jace when her eyes had dried. She was surprised to see Jace's eyes slightly wet.
She smiled a little smile, "Don't cry for me. It's not worth your tears."
Jace looked down and shook his head, "I just can't believe someone would hurt you…"
He brought his head up, his eyes filled with pain. Pain for her.
He brought his fingers to her bruise, lightly caressing it, careful not to hurt her.
Clary smiled, "I won't break like a crayon, Day."
Jace looked confused, "Day?"
"You are now Day. Because you look like a happy sunny day!" Clary said enthusiastically.
Jace grinned, "I like it. But, call me Jace when we are out somewhere."
Clary looked confused; she thought it was a clever name, "Why?"
"Because that's your nickname for me and for no one else. Only you can call me Day."
Clary smiled largely, "Day, can you promise me something?"
"Of course Cherry."
"Promise we'll always be best friends?"
Jace smiled, "Pinky promise."