Welp, I couldn't resist coming back and writing something else. I don't really have much to say other than forwarning new readers, but I update A LOT. Like, I update maybe up to 6 times a day. I wrote a 26 chapter story in a week because I updated so much. I don't like to start something and only post a new chapter every week or month, I like to get it all done and out there. So if you enjoy frequent updates, I gotchu. I'll always keep you updated on if I'll be slacking or MIA for the day. As well as any reviews, I love them. I read every single one of them and take all of your suggestions, ideas, and critiques. So if you have anything to say, positive or negative, I'd love to hear from you. Anyways, I'll stop rambling and let you read if you even don't read authors notes.
Clary pulled her hair loose as she twisted her house key into the lock, pushing the door open. Her scalp felt tight and sore from having it pulled back in a bun all day from work. The heavy door slammed before she could stop the momentum it had. She sighed and kicked off her heels, her feet more sore than her scalp had been in her tall ankle strapped shoes, the balls of her feet feeling release as she stepped onto a flatter surface. A picture was face down on the side table where she dropped her keys in a shallow bowl mixed with other pairs of keys. She turned it up, looking at it before setting it back down on the table.
Four children smiling back at her pulled at her memory. Two children, a boy and a girl with pale skin and raven black hair that shined from the light, a little red head girl with freckles dirting her face as her and the black haired girl held purple play dough, a smaller boy with glasses that ringed around his eyes and his brown hair in a mess, and a blonde angel boy with a stick in his hand. All four of them beaming at the camera as the photo had been taken. Clary remembered that day, it was her ninth birthday party.
Clary looked at the young children as a smile touched her lips. The two black haired children were Alec and Isabelle Lightwood, Alec was three years older and Izzy was the same age as Clary. The blonde boy, Jace Wayland, had been adopted by the Lightwoods when he was an infant after his parents had passed away. The Lightwoods had moved next door to Clarissa Fray and they became instant friends. The boy with glasses was her best friend before the Lightwoods, Simon. They both started kindergarten together and had sat together for the first month, becoming the best of friends. The families celebrating every holiday together as if they had been blood anyways.
Clary set the photo down and shook out her hair. Heading to her bedroom, she stopped by a mirror that was hung on the wall. She looked at her reflection and imagined the photo she had just looked at. Her red hair had darkened but stayed a vibrant red, freckles still covered her cheeks and nose, a few escaping to her forehead and neck. Her bright green eyes had also darkend with time, if looked close enough, she could see the freckles spotting in her iris's as well. Shades of lavender under her dark lashes making her look tired, and she was. She pulled at her hair, tangled and curling in some spots while frizzing in others, looking like a fiery mane around her. Having her hair pulled back into a tight bun always made her hair seem bigger than it was.
She crossed the room, past the living room and kitchen to her room on the wall opposite. The apartment was decent size for two people. After high school, Isabelle and Clary roomed together while Jace and Alec moved in together. Thanks to the Lightwoods great fortune, they were able to find great places not far from each other and that were great looking. It was large, boxy shaped as the front door had its own little entrance which then opened up to the living room. A large television against the wall and a black 'L' shaped couch pushed in one corner with a recliner closing the circle, a small glass coffee table as a center piece littered with fashion magazines and art supplies. The room behind the couch that had was open to the kitchen, sizable with the newest appliances, a light blue and white tiled floor with white countertops to match and light blue knobs on the cabinets. Across from the kitchen sat a small dark wooden table with six chairs around it, Clary and Isabelle had guests over alot.
Clary's room was opposite of the front door and passed the kitchen. Her room was warm and her bed in the middle of the room against the back wall had the blankets untucked. Clary took the smaller room, knowing that Izzy had much more things to store in her room than Clary did. A nightstand on the left side by the bathroom had a lamp on it that clicked on when she flicked the light switch, her alarm clock glowing red with the time of being just after five o'clock. Clary went to the right of the room her room towards her closet as she unzipped her work skirt, finally feeling free from the restricting fabric as she let it drop to her ankles and slipped on some black joggers. She snatched a black cropped sweater and pulled it on after unbuttoning her blouse and slipping on a sportsbra instead. Finally feeling comfortable in her own clothing, she tried combing through her hair with her fingers to tame the mane.
The front door opened as soon as Clary left her room.
"Honey, I'm home." Izzy called out, the sound of her heels clicking on the hardwood floor as she entered the living room just as Clary entered. She smiled at her roommate and friend.
"How was work, darling?" Clary smiled as she fell on the couch.
Izzy kicked off her heels and dropped her purse to the ground.
"Ugh, exhausting. I was on the computer all day having to get shipping orders ready and I think my butt is permentally flat." Isabelle rubbed her butt as she went to the kitchen. "By the way, the boys are coming over with Chinese."
Clary flipped through the channels on the televsion as Isabelle returned with a glass of wine.
"None for me?" Clary teased as Izzy sat in the recliner.
She shook her head, "I'm drinking the whole bottle."
Clary sighed but didn't get up to grab herself a glass. They both watched TV in silence until the front door opened again a few minutes later.
"Honey, I'm home." The familiar sound of her friend Jace's voice sang through the corridor.
He stepped around and had a wide smile on his face. His hair was curling in his golden eyes making them darker than they usually are. He still had his work suit on, his tie loose and some buttons undone, but the navy blue suit looked well with his tan skin and golden features.
Izzy stood with her now empty glass of wine as she tossed her long black hair over her shoulder, a black curtain on her back.
"Sorry, I already used that line." She turned her nose up in a joking way as she went back to the kitchen.
Jace rolled his eyes, Alec now coming around the corner to join him. Like Jace, Alec was also in a work suit, but his was a black that matched his hair. It made him look pale but made his light blues eyes glow. He smiled at Clary as he lifted the bag of their dinner.
"We brought food." Alec chimed, now a new face joining as Magnus came around. Alec and Magnus had been in a relationship for the last year and a half. They were all surprised when he had come out of the closet, especially picking someone as flamboyant as Magnus. His eyes were lined with dark flawless liner and glitter eyeshadow. He was in a pair of skinny jeans and a low 'V' cut sweater that showed his body glitter on his chest. His eyes thin but hid the deepest shade of blue to exist, Clary assumed that he used colored contacts since he had a new eyecolor every time she saw him, she wondered what his real eye color was. Magnus grabbed Alec's hand, his nails painted and his fingers long and looking delicate in Alec's strong calloused hands. The two contrasted each other greatly, but they worked well together.
Jace plopped down next to Clary and slung his arm around her shoulder. She instinctively gave him a tight hug, his body smelling like paper and cologne.
Alec and Magnus sat on the other side of the couch, Magnus playing with the end of Alec's hair as Alec pulled out the little white and red steaming boxes.
Isabelle had left to her room for a minute, returning with her full glass of wine and in a change of pajama shorts and a tanktop.
"How was everyones day?" Jace asked aloud, freeing Clary as he headed to the kitchen to retreive plates of everyone.
"Izzy had a rough day sitting." Clary teased and Izzy glared.
"You try staring at a computer screen for eight hours." Isabelle defended.
They could hear Jace's short laugh from the kitchen before he finally returned with plates and silverware, only to take his spot once more.
"Where's Simon?" Clary asked Izzy, Izzy rolled her eyes.
"Home, it's his grandfathers birthday so his family is out to dinner." Clary nodded. Before the Lightwoods had moved next door to Clary, her and Simon had been best friends, and they stayed best friends for a long time even after the came to join the duo. During high school, Simon and Isabelle had begun dating. It was a strange relationship to everyone at first, Simon being the nerdy I.T. guy that tried starting a band in high school and talked to Clary about comic books and the newest video games. And Isabelle, a flawless fashionista that every guy wanted. She was hot and full of energy, all of her energy wanting to make Clary her Barbie doll and play dress up. The two were complete opposite, but they fell in love quickly.
Clary looked to Jace as he started dumping food from the boxes onto his and her plate, "How about yours?" She asked him.
He shrugged, "Nothing too exciting." He said.
Alec swallowed the food in his mouth before speaking, "Tell 'em what Kaelie did before work." He choked.
Jace groaned.
Kaelie was a girl, like many girls, who was desperate for Jace's attention. Clary admitted that Jace was a very good looking guy, she even had a crush on him in high school and he was even her second kiss - Simon being her first - when they were in the seventh grade after a game of truth or dare. Clary realized that Jace would never feel the same way about her and she quickly buried the feelings. She didn't feel the way for him like most people thought. All of her friends and family joked about her and Jace having a secret affair, but the two never took it seriously.
"Oh, oh, what did Kaelie do?" Izzy bounced in her seat. It was actually very sad to know that girls worshipped the ground he walked on and he didn't seem to care. He was a player, ever since middle school when he hit puberty. He also slept around, which didn't bother anyone, it was his body and it shouldn't have mattered. Clary just hated running into the girls he'd hook up with and them glaring at her thinking that Jace was sleeping with Clary the whole time. There were a few moments that Jace had played the fake dating card to get rid of a few psychos, and Clary would help her friend, but the amount of daggers that were thrown through a girls look at her sometimes made her wish she didn't play that card. She only did it to help him, but it was hard for her to stay friends with the girls that weren't awful.
Jace sighed and ran his hands through his hair before speaking.
"She pretened to have tripped and spilled water over us. Basically it was an excuse to touch me all over." He laughed at the memory, knowing how pathetic the attempt was.
Clary glared at him, "You still hooked up with her, though. Didn't you."
He smiled at her and shrugged, a goofy look on his face answered her question.
Izzy shook her head and swallowed the food in her mouth before speaking. I swear, Jace, you are actually the worst person." Izzy laughed in disbelief at her step brother.
Clary leaned back in the couch, "How come you can hook up with girls and it's no big deal, but when I want a guy, you won't let him near me?" Realizing that everyone just dismissed Jace's antics and how protective they were over her bothered her. The last time she had had a boyfriend was freshman year of high school, and that relationship did not last long with Jace's brother-like protectiveness ending that relationship. Boys ran away from Clary after meeting Jace, he acted like a father when it came to guys.
Jace put his head on her shoulder and looked up at her lovingly, "Because someone has to be your bodyguard. And I'm the best of the best."
She shook her shoulder to get him off, his goofy smile stayed on as everyone chuckled.
"I swear, I'm going to be single forever." Clary grumbled.
Izzy sat up quickly, "Uh-huh. If we're both not married by fifty-five, then we get married. Remember?" Back in their teen years, Izzy and Clary had been heartbroken by boys they had feelings for and made a pact that they'd marry each other after a certain amount of time.
But Clary had made a pact with just about all of her friends since each of them had an easier time finding someone than Clary had.
Clary shook her head, "Says the girl who's in a committed relationship with someone for the last four years."
The crew laughed until Jace looked at her, "I thought you made a pact with me at sixty to get married if we were both single?"
Clary chewed on her Chinese food, swallowing before speaking as everyone continued their laughter.
"I feel like that's more realistic just because you never actually date anyone." Clary joked.
They all laughed harder and continued their dinner, a bad Hallmark movie playing on the television but no one really paying attention. Before they knew it, Jace and Alec were four beers in and Izzy had finished a bottle of wine to herself. It was nearly eleven at night when they called it a night. Magnus was going to drive since he let Alec and Jace drink, but Jace seemed too comfortable to move.
Alec and Magnus stood and put their suit jackets on, "Jace, you staying here tonight?" Alec had asked Jace.
Jace sipped on his beer and pulled on Clary's curled hair.
"Up to you." He asked her.
She smiled, "I don't mind. He'll let you two have a night alone." Magnus leaned down and kissed Clary on the cheek and Alec kissed Isabelle on hers before they said their goodbyes and took off.
Isabelle had said goodnight and nodded off to bed. Clary standing and collecting the plates and beer bottles on the coffee table.
Jace soon followed her as he tipped his beer all the way back and finished the last swig, rinsing out the glass and tossing it in the recycling.
"You do laundry?" He asked her as he helped put the dishes in the dishwasher.
Clary nodded, "You know where to find your stuff."
Jace kissed her on the top of her head before he went to her room to change in some clothes he'd left. It wasn't unusual for him to stay the night, and it wasn't unusual for Clary to stay with him. They had all been having sleepovers since they were young, granted, their parents weren't very willing once they got older. But as adults, it was harmless. For a long time, it was weird, but they didn't hook up ever, it was just a casual sleepover. Clary and Jace were practically brother and sister, even they would have thought it was weird if they tried hooking up.
Soon Clary joined Jace in her bedroom, he was already in her bed looking at some loose art that was by her nightstand. She grabbed some clothes and hurried to her bathroom, changing quickly into pajama shorts and an oversized shirt. She returned and Jace set down her art work as he patted the empty space beside him. She climbed under the covers after clicking off the light, the darkness making her feel small.
She felt Jace's arms wrap around her as she faced away from him, another usual thing for them to cuddle, it was harmless to them, they had grown up together.
She felt him kiss the top of her head before nuzzling into her hair, "Goodnight, Clarissa." He said quietly.
She smiled as his warmth surrounded her, "Goodnight, Bodyguard."
Clary felt him shake once as he chuckled, the smallness she felt not so bad when her best friend kept her safe.
Well, a typical best friends story. I'm sure you can guess what could happen later, but this story might be actually planned to be longer. Leave me any reviews, I don't know if I'll update tonight but double check when you go to bed in case I do. You're reviews mean the world to me and I get so excited and giddy reading them. If you have any suggestions on something you want to happen or any critiques, I am always considerate of them. Anyways, I'll catch you guys in the next chapter, thanks for sticking with me.