Hello readers! Sorry it's taken me a few days, but here's chapter two! Hope you enjoy it!


Clary sank into the couch with a groan, her muscles aching in protest at the movement. As soft as Luke's worn out couch usually was, she felt like she threw herself onto a broken sidewalk. It had been a long day of training with Maryse and despite the irazte rune she had drawn onto her forearm, she was still feeling the aches and bruises from the lessons. Her trip home from the Institute was a blur; she barely had enough energy to shower and change into a tanktop and shorts when she got home. She knew that training would be tough when she decided to become a Shadowhunter, but she hoped at least some of it would be instinct to her, the way it seemed to be for Jace and Isabelle. She felt as if she was waiting for some latent Shadowhunter skills to surface, like the slowly returning memories that Magnus had taken from her as a child.

But like everything else in life, becoming a Shawdowhunter took time and effort. Which meant hours devoted to reading every topic related to being a Shadowhunter, from demons in the North China Sea and how to kill them to medicinal herbs found along the coast of Ireland, and to rigorous training.

'At least Maryse is taking you seriously,' Clary reminded herself as she rested her head against the back of the couch, remembering the hand-to-hand combat lesson she had had earlier today, quickly followed by an ass kicking at the hands of Maryse. She wondered tiredly if training had been this hard for everyone when they started before remembering everyone else began training when they were still kids.

A knock at the front door drew her from her thoughts, a soft groan escaping her lips. She was on the verge of sleep, her exhaustion threatening to pull her under. If it wasn't for the person who was standing on the other side of the door, she would be tempted to tell them to go away and fall asleep on the couch.

Clary forced herself to her feet, trudging to the front door. As she opened the front door, she held a hand up, shielding her eyes from the rays of the setting sun. It was one of her favorite times of day to draw, the sky tinged with several shades of pink, orange and red. While she normally would have appreciated the beauty of it, right now she could only focus on how blinding the light was.

"What, don't want to see me?" Jace asked teasingly, his lips quirked into a smile. His blonde hair seemed even brighter under the sun's rays, his eyes a deep gold. Clary could feel her heart beat a little faster at the sight of him, drumming out a rhythm that only ever happened when he was around. She wondered distractedly if it would always beat out this particular beat for him. "I know my good looks can be too dazzling sometimes."

She rolled her eyes playfully, stepping aside for him to enter. "I'm only letting you in because you brought food," she replied with a grin. "And I'm starved."

Jace stepped forward, moving toward her until they were chest to chest. Clary could feel herself blush slightly, her breathing coming a bit faster. "Guess I'll have to earn my keep then," he murmured before kissing her.

Before Clary could react, he was stepping away from her, moving further into the house. "Come on, you don't want the food to get cold," he called over his shoulder.

She shook her head, trying to catch her breath as she locked the front door. 'I'll never need to have a stress test if my heart can survive kissing Jace,' she thought, following him back to the living room.


"Looks like a Greater Demon," Jace commented, tossing the last piece of his fortune cookie into his mouth as Godzilla rose out of the ocean, its tail swinging as it headed toward the island.

"Godzilla is not a Greater Demon," Clary replied as she relaxed into his side. She sighed contentedly as she rested her head on Jace's shoulder, her legs resting across his lap. He was much more comfortable than Luke's couch.

Their empty take-out containers from Taki's littered the already crowded coffee table, the only light in the living room coming from the television. After flipping through the channels-Clary thought Jace didn't watch enough TV-they settled on a Godzilla movie marathon. Three movies in, Jace was still entertained by the idea of a giant dinosaur destroying Tokyo. It was a perfect quiet summer evening, absolutely normal and relaxing. Just what she needed.

Jace's arm wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her even closer as his face pressed into her red curls for a moment before looking back at the TV screen. "I guess that's something that we should be grateful for," he mused. "I don't think we have a weapon big enough to take down a demon that size. We probably don't have enough Shadowhunters."

"Probably not," Clary agreed with a laugh, her eyes closing for a moment. She forced them open again, feeling her exhaustion slowly catch up with her. While she knew she could use the rest, the last thing she wanted was to go to sleep. She was finally getting some private time with Jace, free of interruptions, and she wasn't going to let that chance slip through her fingers. She stifled a yawn with the back of her hand before laying it across Jace's torso. "We'd have to call in Shadowhunters from around the world."

He nodded in agreement, his fingers playing with the ends of her hair. "Not to mention a lot of Downworlders with the new laws; we can depend on their help at least," he said softly, glancing down at her. His thumb caressed her cheek gently, a smile spreading across his lips as he watched her eyes close. "You're tired; you should go to bed."

"No, no, I'm fine," she replied, shaking her head as she looked up at him. "I'm alright; I want to finish the movie."

"Are you sure?" Jace questioned teasingly. "I don't want you blaming me when you're falling asleep during your lessons tomorrow."

Clary swatted his chest lightly, laying her head back on his shoulder. "Shut up and watch the movie; you're distracting me."

Jace laughed, capturing her hand in his. "Once you've seen one giant lizard destroy a city, you've seen them all," he chuckled.


The next thing Clary was aware of was being surrounded by warmth and being gently rocked. For a moment she couldn't remember where she was or what she had been doing, her sudden awakening leaving her disoriented. "Jace?" she mumbled sleepily, her eyes opening slowly. She quickly recalled her movie night with Jace, watching TV with him on Luke's couch.

"I'm here," Jace replied softly, the stairs creaking beneath his feet as he carried her upstairs to her bedroom. "So much for finishing the movie."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to fall asleep," Clary yawned, her eyes slipping shut again. She pressed her face against his chest, inhaling the familiar scent of her boyfriend. She could feel her body relax further; it wouldn't be long before she was asleep again. "It's been a long day."

His lips brushed against her forehead, causing her heartbeat to stutter momentarily. "Training with Maryse will do that," he chuckled as he nudged her bedroom door open. Jace carefully laid her on her bed, brushing her red curls from her face before grabbing her blanket and covering her with it. "Go back to sleep, Clary; I'll see you tomorrow," he murmured, brushing his lips against hers lightly. "I'll lock the door on my way out."

Clary's hand shot out as he turned to leave, grabbing onto his. "Don't go," she said, her bright green eyes dulled by exhaustion.

"What?"

She blushed slightly at her boldness, grateful for the darkness of her room. "Stay with me," she answered quietly, suddenly feeling shy, but not wanting him to leave. "Please. Please stay."

Jace looked down at her for a moment before nodding. "You'll have to let go of my hand so I can take off my shoes at least," he replied gently, a teasing edge to his voice.

Clary released his hand, curling up beneath her blanket as she got herself more comfortable. Less than a minute later, she felt the other side of the bed dip beneath Jace's weight. She moved closer to him, her eyes widening in surprise as she felt her legs brush against his bare ones.

"Can't sleep in jeans," Jace murmured, answering Clary's unspoken thoughts. His warm arms pulled her close to him, allowing her to rest her head on his chest. "Is this alright?"

She nodded slightly, wishing, not for the first time, that she had Jace's skill with words. She wanted to tell him that it felt more than alright, it felt like coming home after being lost for a long time, like every comforting feeling she had ever experienced wrapped into one moment, like a piece of her finally slipping into place, making her whole.

Clary didn't have words to tell Jace all the things she felt, but she knew it was important that he know them. She rubbed his arm lovingly, feeling the small scars left behind by old runes before pressing a kiss over his heart. "Sweet dreams, Jace," she murmured sleepily. She was already asleep as Jace kissed her forehead, whispering good night to her.


In case you didn't know, I'm all about the sweet fluffy moments between Jace and Clary. Please leave a review and let me know if there's something you'd like to see!

-ninjanervana