They reached her door. She leaned against the wall beside it, looking up at him. "Thanks for the birthday picnic," she said, trying to keep her voice neutral.

He seemed reluctant to let go of her hand. "Are you going to sleep?"

He's just being polite, she told herself. Then again, this was Jace. He was never polite. She decided to answer the question with a question. "Aren't you tired?"

His voice was low. "I've never been more awake."

She smiled tentatively as he bent to kiss her, one hand moving to her waist. It was sweet and brief before Clary pulled away. Realization deflated her like a balloon. "Simon..."she groaned, Angry at herself for not remembering him.

Jace just blinked. "What about him?"

"He's in my room..."

Jace frowned and dropped his hand back down beside him. "Simon, is in you room." He repeated slowly, confusion breaking through his dream like trance. "Why?" He asked, trying very hard to keep the annoyance out of his voice. Stupid Simon. Trust him to wreck this, the weasel.

Clary glared at him. "He had nowhere else to sleep! Its not like you guys were being overly hospitable!"

He breathed out with relief. That was all. Simon and Clary were just friends. Thats it. He had still, however, managed to wreck Jace's night.

Clary glanced back at the wooden door behind her nervously. "I don't want to wake him..."

Jace nodded, still fuming inside his head. "I guess I better go then...Unless of course you want to come back to my room?" He smiled hopefully and crossed his hand mover his heart. " I swear on the angel, there's no man in my bed."

Clary grinned. "I should hope not." She looked at the door and then back at Jace, deliberating.

"Your room then."

His eyes gleamed as he grabbed her hand and half dragged her back in the other direction. He led her through a labyrinth of decorated passages, before stopping back in front of a different door. "My room," Jace said, pushing the door open and letting her in. She stepped past him into the plain, white washed room, brushing his arm as she went past.

He watched her with a sort of blatant hunger as she examined his meticulously clean bedroom. She ran a finger over his book collection on his dresser and turned shyly back to look at him, still leaning in the open door frame.

Jace entered the room, kicking the door shut behind him. It closed with a muffled thump. He crossed the wooden floorboards in three strides, coming to a stop in front of Clary. When he reached out to touch her she stiffened slightly, then relaxed into him. Clary rose to her tiptoes as he kissed her. He pulled her hard against him, letting her wrap her arms around his neck. Her delicate hands entwined them selves in his hair. It felt like golden silk. Sweetest sixteenth ever.