Chapter Two: Crucifix

Songs:

Trndsttr: Black Coast ft. M. Maggie (Izzy/Clary)

Arcadia: White Sea (Clary/Raphael)

Here I Am: Asking Alexandria (Jace/Kaelie)

I Went Too Far: AURORA (Jace's thoughts)

Murder Song (5,4,3,2,1)(acoustic): AURORA (Jace/Clary)

He was older than she though he'd be. Izzy had described her brother's best friend as older, yes, but Clary hadn't thought she'd meant a good two years separated her and the unbelievably attractive boy who had just slid into the car and was sitting behind her.

"So, Clary, that's Alec's best friend. His name is Jace, and he is possibly the biggest asshole I've ever met." Izzy took her eyes off the road for one minute to glare, sarcastically or not, at Jace, who rolled his eyes at her.

"And Jace, this is Clary. She's nice. Don't try to defile her, or I will de-man you, and you know that's not an empty threat." Clary tried not to flush at the though of Jace 'defiling' her, as Izzy had so blatantly said,

"You don't have to worry about that. She's not my type anyways" he scoffed, and Izzy rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please, Jace. Everyone is your type" she sighed, and removed herself from the conversation. Jace looked like he had a comeback, a good one, at that, but he kept silent. Izzy's threat didn't seem like an empty one.

Pandemonium looked like a normal club. Clary stepped out of the car, her nude heels hitting the ground. She tugged on the hem of her tight, black dress. She'd wanted to wear a loose yellow dress, but Izzy had handed her the piece of faux-leather spandex and then straightened Clary's hair and tossed it around until it looked wind-blown. Clary felt, to say the least, uncomfortable. She'd shrugged one of Isabelle's fake fur coats on over the small dress to block out the fall air, and she felt out of place. The dance club wasn't prestigious, not at all. She'd never seen more than half of the people who littered the outside of the club, their eyes watching them as the security guards checked Alec's ID and let the rest of them in.

The club was black with lights tossing pinks and yellows and blues around them. Someone took Clary's coat from her, and she made her way with Isabelle into the crowd. A few eyes lingered on them as they passed through the first part of the club, but not enough to phase Clary, or apparently Isabelle, though Izzy was probably used to this. Clary had only been once before.

They stopped in front of a large curtain made of black silk. It was sheer, and red lights could be seen flashing. Izzy pulled the curtain aside and stepped in, yanking Clary in after her. It was a similar crowd, many people had been at The Gardens, but Clary couldn't find the boy she was looking for. The boy Isabelle had pointed out earlier.

"Is Sebastian coming?" Clary asked. Izzy turned to her, her long black hair flipping over her shoulder.

"No. He's to 'busy', but I'm sure he had better plans" Izzy sneered, and Clary could hear the bitterness in her voice. She wanted to console Isabelle, but she would probably only make it worse. Izzy recovered from her slum quickly, and pointed across the room.

"Him. Go talk to him" Isabelle pointed. The boy she pointed out stood across the room, his skin pale and his hair dark. A crucifix hung from his neck, and the collar of his shirt was loose and there was a jean jacket lazily slumped over it.

"Him?" Clary asked, incredulous. His eyes weren't on them, they were on a girl who had just walked in. Izzy nodded, and Clary swept her fiery hair over her shoulder. It looked even redder in the flashing blood-colored lights of the room. She made her way over to the dark-haired boy.

His eyes caught her, and as much as she wanted to stop or look back at Izzy, she didn't. She was confident enough to do this, right? And she'd come here to have a good time. The boy smirked at her. His attention was off the blonde girl who looked vaguely familiar, but Clary couldn't place it. She gave him a small smile back and sidled next to him.

"What's a little girl like you doing here?" the boy said smoothly. Clary smiled.

"I'm sixteen" she stated. The boy laughed and ducked his head so he was closer to hers.

"Is that so?" he asked. Clary nodded, feeling heat flood to her face. He smelled like cologne and champagne and cigarette smoke. The gold crucifix on his neck glinted red in the lights, and it was close to Clary's face.

"It is," she sighed. "What's your name?" she asked. The boy laughed.

"Raphael" he whispered. Clary shivered and glanced back at Isabelle, who was where to be seen.

"I'm Clarissa" she sighed. Raphael put his hand on her shoulder and stood up straight.

"Clarissa, do you want to get out of here?" he asked. Clary smiled and nodded, giggling like a schoolgirl. Raphael snaked his arm around her waist and walked her to the very back of the club where a neon exit sign hung above a door. Without giving Clary another glance, he pushed the door open.

The fall air nipped at her bare skin, and she shivered. The door shut behind them.

"Are you cold?" Raphael asked. Clary nodded, and he slipped out of his jean jacket and put it on her. He smirked.

"What?" Clary asked, inhaling the crisp New York air. It was only ten thirty, maybe eleven. Late enough where no one was in cars, only underground.

"You look hot in my jacket" he murmured, putting his lips to her neck. Out of instinct, Clary's hands went to his shoulders. Raphael took that as an invitation, and nipped at the soft skin on her neck. He moved his mouth to hers, kissing her hard. His hands moved to her back, then to her hips, and to her ass. She pulled back, but Raphael leaned forwards. Clary took her hands off his shoulders and moved them back to his hands, trying to pry them off of her, but Raphael gripped tighter, pulling her closer to his body. Clary sucked in a breath as Raphael moved his mouth to her collar bone, one of his hands sliding his jacket aside. His mouth went lower, his chin hitting the neckline of her dress. Clary placed her hands on his chest and pushed, but he was to strong. That, or her small size, no matter how strong, was not strong enough to push him off of her. She tipped her head back and tried to push again.

"Get off of me!" she cried. She felt Raphael smirk against her chest as he moved his mouth lower.

.o.0.o

Something was off with Alec. Izzy had told him so, and he could sense it, but Alec wouldn't talk, no matter how many times Jace handed him a beer or asked tiny questions. Eventually, Alec had told Jace to go have fun without him. It was a seemingly Alec-like gesture, so Jace left.

"So, I see you came without me" a high voice came from behind him. He turned begrudgingly towards the noise, coming face-to-face with Kaelie. She had changed since she'd left his house. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail, and she was in a short pink dress decorated with gold and blue sparkles.

"I don't need you to have a good time." Jace rolled his eyes. Kaelie took a step towards him and smirked.

"Oh, you can do it by yourself, then?" she sneered. Jace sighed.

"That's not what I meant-"

"Good god, Jace. I don't want to hear about that. I know you don't want me gone" Kaelie whined. Jace resisted the urge to yank her hair out. He knew it was a girly desire, but dammit, the color was giving him a headache. Instead, he turned away from her and walked towards the exit of the club. He could hear her heels following him, and her nimble hand planted itself on his shoulder.

"Take me back home with you? I'm sure your parents won't mind the noise?" she whispered seductively into his ear. She was right. His parents wouldn't mind 'the noise', and neither would Hodge or their maid. But it didn't change the fact that he was mad at Kaelie because yes, she'd insulted his manuscript. The manuscript he'd worked so hard on.

"No thanks, Kaelie. I'm sure you can find another boy to fulfill your fantasies" he scoffed, and continued towards the door of the club. It wasn't the entrance, but a side exit. Somewhere he knew he could be alone for a few moments before having to go back in and deal with people.

"But I don't want another boy! I want you to do it, Jace-"

Jace whipped around. "Leave me the fuck alone, Kaelie" he said sternly, and walked out of the side door. He leaned against the brick wall of Pandemonium's outside and let the cold air wash over him.

He and Kaelie had been, well, whatever they were since eight grade. Everyone knew. They weren't exclusive, but he didn't sleep with anyone else, either. He was sure Kaelie did, but whenever she needed someone to attain her torrid fantasies with, she went to Jace. He'd let it get to far out of control. He'd let Kaelie and her stupid games get in the way of his own wants. He'd let her get in the way of his music, his piano. He'd let her get in the way of his soccer, his schoolwork, his everything. Especially his manuscript. The thing he cared most about, more than his family, at this point.

His family. His damn father, the one who wouldn't let his manuscript get through no matter how many times Hodge pressed, no matter how many times Sebastian said good things about it. Jace tipped his head back against the brick wall.

"Get off me!"

He snapped his head up from his revere, turning towards the cry. He hesitated. Maybe it had been part of his imagination, but the cry came again, followed by a string of Spanish.

"Perra estúpida. Cállate."

Jace took a few steps towards the corner, turning around it. A boy with dark hair and pale skin stood, his hands pinning a small girl against the wall. The girl turned her head, and a flash of orange-red was visible. Clary.

Jace silently walked towards the two, his hand closing around the boys arm. The boy jerked back, his face turning towards Jace.

"Qué mierda, hombre? Suéltame, bastardo. No ves que estoy en medio de algo aquí?" the boy cursed. Clary looked shocked.

"Salir de aquí antes de que llame a la policía en su culo, conseguido eso?" Jace sneered. The boy laughed.

"Crees que soy miedo de la policía , niño bonito? Pruébame."

Jace twisted the boys arm, and he winced.

"O le gustaría que yo cuidaré de ti mismo?"

The boy paled, his skin getting lighter. The boy turned to Clary briefly, muttering something in Spanish, before writing out of Jace's grip and racing down the alley.

Jace watched as Clary dropped the jean jacket she was wearing off her shoulders and lift the neckline of her dress up. Red marks lined her arms. Jace bit his lip to restrain himself from saying anything he knew he would regret.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Clary bit her lip, her eyes welling with tears. She looked as if she were about to say something, but instead, she threw herself into Jace's arms, her body shaking with every ragged breath she took.

"God, thank you," she whispered, her voice muffled against his t-shirt. She looked up. "I didn't know you could speak Spanish."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me," Jace said with a smile. "And you're welcome."

Clary dipped her head back into his t-shirt. Jace looked at the top of her head, the way the orange glittered in the moonlight-

His phone buzzed, knocking him out of the moment. Clary drew back from him, her eyes puffy and wet with tears. He pulled it from his pocket, clicking 'answer'.

"Where'd you disappear to, man?" Alec's voice came from the other line, static and forced.

"I, um, stepped outside for a second. Kaelie wouldn't get away from me" Jace sighed. Clary had turned away from him and was rubbing furiously at her eyes.

"Okay," Alec seemed hesitant. "I can't find Izzy, so we won't be leaving anytime soon. Just making sure you were okay."

Making sure he was okay. Alec had always been protective of Jace, no matter how many times Jace said he was fine and could protect himself. Alec's little brother had died in a car accident with Alec when he was just six, Alec seventeen. Alec had been closed off since his brother's death, but he often exerted his elderly brother instincts on Jace. Alec wasn't okay, and everyone who knew him could see that, but checking on Jace made him feel better. And truly, it made Jace feel a bit better as well.

Alec had hung up, and Jace slipped his phone back in his pocket. Clary had stilled in front of him.

"Oye, estás bien?" he muttered. Clary turned around, her face stiff.

"Sí. Estoy bien. Gracias por salvarme, guapo" she said sternly, walking past Jace. He let her go, his own body frozen. Yes. I'm fine. Thank you for saving me, handsome. Jace shook off the feeling. He didn't get feelings like that; fuzzy feelings that made his stomach fill with warmth. Not even from Alec and Izzy. Not even from his parents when he was younger, before they'd dropped him with a line of nannies and babysitters.

Jace looked up. Clary was standing not to far in front of him, her face turned up to his. He smiled.

"You look lost," she choked out. "In your thoughts."

"I'm right here" he reassured her with a forced smirk.

"You seem a thousand miles away" she whispered, turning her head away. Jace dropped his smirk, his lips turning into an unwarranted smile.

"I swear," he sighed. "Do you need something?"

"I know I said it, but… Thank you."

"No need to thank me" Jace bolstered. Clary took a few steps forwards, closing the space between them. Jace looked down at his feet as she stood on the tips of her toes and pressed a small kiss to his cheek before turning back to the side door of Pandemonium and re-entering the building.

Jace smiled to himself, cramming his hands into his pocket.

"So, she's your girl, then?" a deep voice said from behind him. He turned to face the boy with dark hair.

"Dios mio, don't you take hints?" Jace sighed. The boy rolled his eyes.

"Responder a la pregunta , imbécil."

"Don't tell me what to do" Jace grunted, turning away from the boy and stepping back into the club, leaving the asshole outside.