Hello everyone! Here's the first chapter :) Or rather "Day 1" as I'm going to call it. Anyways, I kind of rushed through this chapter, so it's a little on the short side, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. I will probably update it later. Jace, I feel, is slightly out of character here, but I tried o.o
Anyhow, rate, review and please do drop a message! :) Anything is highly appreciated ^^ Thanks!
Now, on with the story!
Day 1
Walking on Sunshine
Ryse awoke to the gentle chirping of birds and the soothing rays of sunlight peeking in through the half-shut blinds. It was a beautiful day; the small square of sky the window allowed was a light, piercing blue dotted here and there with drifts of cloud. She could see the lawn of the Institute: green and lush and healthy. With a pang, she was reminded of Idris, of Alicante, of her home. It'd been so long since she'd last been to the City of Glass, but every minute detail of the grand city was still etched into her mind's eye: the majestic glass towers, the heavy wards, the dangerous Lake Lyn. Locking her homesickness away, Ryse averted her chocolate gaze from the scenery, focusing instead on the interior of the room. My room.
It was simple, with only the basic necessities. The walls were painted a soothing baby blue and a poster of Bleach hung proudly on the far wall. A mahogany cupboard rested in the corner, kept company by an empty dressing table. She'd never really been one for make-up and fancy clothes. Isabelle, however, had drilled some basic fashion sense into her otherwise male clothing preferences. Green brings out my eyes, she thought absently. Dust motes waltzed lazily in the air as she yawned shamelessly.
"Easy there, tiger," a familiar voice reprimanded mockingly from the doorway. "That's very poor manners for such a young lady." She didn't even need to see him to know that soothing voice, that cocky attitude, that ever-present sarcasm. She didn't even need to see him to know that there was a smirk undoubtedly carved into those sharp features. She didn't even need to see him to know that it was the one person she loved more words could express - Jace.
Deciding he shouldn't be the only one allowed to have his way with witty words, Ryse shot back, "Poor manners is barging into a young lady's room without even so much as a knock, dear gentleman. Or is 'pervert' a better word?" She remained sprawled out on the bed, legs tangled up in the warm duvet, as his footsteps drew close. They came to an abrupt halt by the edge of the bed. Silence ensued.
Confused, she blinked her eyes open and was met with beautiful golden pools. They were playful and caught the early morning light as though a fire burned just behind them, illuminating them from inside out. Swift as a cat, he raised his hand and made as if to flick her forehead, only to be stopped by her hand that caught at his wrist.
"Domestic abuse much?" Ryse quirked an eyebrow, a small smile playing at her lips.
"Domestic abuse all the way," Jace affirmed, pushing past her restraining arm and flicking her forehead anyway. His trademark smirk was plastered on his face. "'Sexy', 'Irresistible', 'Dangerous'," he listed off, looking thoughtful. "'Nice' isn't exactly in my array of middle names."
Ryse snorted. "You're pronouncing the words wrong," she corrected, looking as mischievous as she'd always been. "You mean to say 'Irksome', 'Sarcastic', 'Foolhardy.'"
He shot her a mock glare before seating himself comfortably on the edge of the bed, his fingers drumming the mattress absently. "How are you feeling?" Ever since Magnus had informed them of her 'condition', the adopted Lightwood had been asking her that question almost day and night. It was uncharacteristic to see him display his worry so blatantly, but a part of Ryse was glad that he was finally being more open about how he genuinely felt behind those golden eyes. Of course though, this side of Jace was exclusive only to the Lovell female. To everyone else, he was still the tough, sarcastic prodigy they all knew and loved - or rather, half loved. The other half most likely wanted to punch him in the face most of the time.
She sat up and propped herself up against the headboard. Placing a gentle hand on his arm, she whispered, "I'm fine, Jace. Today's just the beginning. We still have plenty of time." She tried her best to sound reassuring, to sound unruffled. But she was sure that the misery in Jace's expression was reflected in her own. He was quiet a long while before finally breaking the engulfing silence with, "You're right. We'll just have to make the best of it while the clock's ticking. Come on, get dressed. We're heading out." He stood up and strode towards the door, giving her the privacy to get herself presentable.
"Where?" the raven-haired girl asked just as Jace was about to shut the door.
The corners of his lips lifted into a tight smile. "A magician never reveals his secrets."
The door clicked shut, leaving the young Lovell to ponder on his parting words. Such a mystery, as always, she thought, swinging her legs off the bed.
Surprises and secrets had never really worked out well for her, but..
I suppose some things can use a little changing.
Like my pajamas.
A quarter of an hour later, Ryse stepped out of the shower looking like a wet, sopping mess. Not exactly what one might expect, but then again, she never had lived up to expectations. Her jet black hair tumbled down in tangled knots around her shoulders, rivulets of water streaking down her half exposed back. Her eyes stung and, upon looking in the full body mirror on the wall just beside her wardrobe, she realized that they were bloodshot and honestly pretty scary. "Stupid shampoo," she cursed, flinging back strands of her fringe with mild irritation.
She flung open the doors of her cupboard, distractedly raking through the small stack of clothes for something decent to throw on. She frowned. Most of her clothes had been lost during the accident and without having gotten the chance to replace her inventory, she'd been left with no more than three pairs of jeans and maybe seven tops at best - whatever she'd managed to stuff into her duffel bag just before things had taken a swerve for the worst.
Sighing dejectedly, she threw on jeans and a purple tank top. Nothing spectacular. If Isabelle saw her, she'd definitely have a fit. She grimaced at the thought.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Ryse said, swinging the door closed behind her. Jace was leaned against the wall in the brightly lit corridor of the Institute, eyes closed, arms crossed. Now, he popped one golden eye open lazily, like a feline might, and peeled himself off the floral wallpaper. "Living with you has made it one of my specialties," he teased with his usual dose of humor. "Unfortunately."
Ryse rolled her eyes and together, the two made their way down the carpeted corridor. "So," the girl drawled, trying her luck at perhaps getting the male to trip up in his secrecy. Though, knowing Jace, it was bound to end in her downfall. But trying never hurt, right? "Where'd you mention we were headed to again? Should I grab my blindfold?"
"Only if you want it to be that way. Let me guess, you fantasize about kidnapping, don't you? I'll tell you now; I've got some great kidnappers on my speed dial. I could call in a favor for you sometime," he said, punching the button to call the creaky, old elevator.
"That sounds great," Ryse said, playing along. Fooling around like this was the norm for them and she'd come to grow fond of these silly moments. Life as a Shadowhunter could get rough with the consistent danger, the ferocity of battle and the countless Laws of the Clave. It was only through moments like these that she felt in any aspect normal, like a mundane. She knew how disregarding her kind were of normalcy, of how the they loved the thrill and heat of the fight - Jace more so than most - but she guessed she was different in that sense. "I'm free all afternoon tomorrow; do you think you could arrange for a kidnapping sometime then?"
"Tomorrow at three, Taki's. Be there," he voiced, holding the gates of the elevator open for her.
Ryse slipped through with a small, mischievous smile. "Are you asking me out on a date, mister J?" she sang, giving him a playful chocolate brown wink.
Jace smirked, looking vaguely impressed. "I have to say, Lovell, you've got your way with words."
"I don't hear a denial," she continued, eying him carefully. The elevator ground to a shuddering halt. She cranked the doors open. "Oh and I prefer to think of it as something along the lines of intelligent."
They made small talk while Jace expertly avoided her questions as to where this mystery destination was. Caught up in the casual conversation, Ryse hadn't noticed where the winding path they'd taken had led. Now, she noticed the old, abandoned warehouses, the empty street despite the blaring daylight, the stench that wafted around them. He'd led her downtown to where the vampire nest was - the Hotel Dumont. Ryse was appalled. "Jace?" she hissed, voice deep and hoarse in warning. She struggled to keep a level head."Just what exactly have you got swirling in that blond head of yours? I am not-"
His lips met each other in mild irritation. "By the Angel," he said, grabbing a hold of her wrist and tugging her right past the vampire-infested hotel. "Have a little faith. Any louder and we might as well have waltzed right into that nest. A lovely lunch with Raphael isn't really what I'm looking for at the moment. Unless, of course, miss Ryse Lovell is hiding something from me." He gave her an expectant look.
"Don't be ridiculous," Ryse scoffed, feeling the blood rush to her cheeks. She felt stupid. Of course Jace wasn't going to march the both of them right New York's coven of vampires. How could she be foolish enough to think that?
As if reading her thoughts, Jace pressed his lips into a small smile. "You doubted me. Now I'm hurt." Those beautiful features contorted into an expression of mock hurt. "You know how you can make it up to me?" Ryse narrowed her eyes. 'Making it up' to Jace was never an easy feat. Last time he'd asked her to scale the Institute walls while tipsy. Thank goodness it'd started raining and he'd called off the stunt.
Ryse sighed. "Do I want to know?"
Wordlessly, he dragged her into one of the empty warehouses and kicked the door shut. It complained like an old lady before closing with a loud bang. Momentarily, he gazed into her eyes, baring his feelings to the young woman. And then his lips descended on hers. The kiss was hot, hard and quick. But it was enough for Ryse to understand him, the depths of his feelings and how much he'd missed her while she was comatose.
Ryse was slightly stunned. Truthfully, she hadn't expected her first kiss after waking up to have played out, well, like this. She supposed it was a nice change of pace though.
"Did I pass?" she whispered a little breathlessly, forehead touching his. Jace smirked, visibly happy perhaps for the first time in a long time.
"Debatable," he replied fondly.
"Better prove myself then." And she pressed her lips against his once more. This kiss was gentle, slow and sweet. It represented all the longing she felt for him, all the love she held for him within now and for as long as she lived. As long as I live, she thought sadly. I won't be living for much longer.
Pushing those thoughts out of her head, she pulled away a little reluctantly. "How did I do this time?"
His breath caught slightly at his throat as he said, "Not too shabby, but it could be even better. Practice makes perfect."
She smiled. "Practice could be in a much better place too," she whispered in his ear, gazing around the warehouse. "Don't tell me you dragged my butt all the way here to do this."
He chuckled then and pulled away, fingers laced with hers. "Well, this was just a momentary distraction. I could do with some distracting. But no, it's not what I brought you here for." He lifted a bony finger and pointed at the shattered glass that carpeted the cement floor. "Look," he commanded.
For a moment, Ryse was lost. All she saw were pieces of glass. Some looked like they might have been parts of a chandelier or perhaps an elaborate chalice. Frowning, she opened her mouth... and closed it again.
Each and every little piece caught the sunlight shafting in through the dirty window, reflecting it, refracting it. The result was stunning. Miniscule rainbows overlapped one another, blanketing the surface of the floor like a mist of color. Jace, seeing her expression, grinned and stepped into the broken glassware. They crunched under his boots. But from her point of view, it looked like he was walking on a myriad of colors. A sea of colors. Sounds like something right out of a myth.
She struggled for the words to say. Nothing would suffice to describe this phenomenon. After several moments of dumbfounded silence, she finally managed, "They should change the expression 'walking on sunshine' to 'walking on rainbows.'"
He shook his head. "You've got a horrible sense of humor, you know that? Maybe you should start taking lessons from me." He held his hand out to her, inviting her into his embrace.
"I'll choose to ignore that," she said, taking a tentative step forward. The floor looked almost too good to be stepped on. She almost felt guilty for intruding. "Unless it's free of charge." Her foot landed amongst shards of glass; they were sharp and threatened to slice her foot to ribbons. She sucked in a sharp breath.
Just then, Jace caught her and pulled her into his warm embrace. "Playing with broken glass is dangerous, young lady."
Ryse grinned widely. "I like the danger."
They shared another passionate kiss. Above them stretched broken tube lights. Below them stretched the river of colors. And smack in the middle of them both was the most wonderful thing Ryse could imagine. Being together with Jace.
Thanks guys! :D I love you all and we're not even really into the story yet, haha! :D