Author's Note: Another Chapter! Yay!

I loved writing this, seriously. Lots of Clace! I also had a question for you, do you think she should start talking to Jace or wait longer? Feedback is needed like air!

Disclaimer: NO!

Happy reading . . .


After sixth period, Clary lost sight of Jace and Jon. Izzy had hugged her and told her firmly that she had to meet the group directly after school in the courtyard. Clary had nodded and now she was alone. She had no idea where the hell she was supposed to go and because of her stupid 'condition' she couldn't inform Izzy that Jace was nowhere to be found.

Clary walked through the empty halls, a panic seizing her chest as she continued to look around. Not knowing where she was going. Tears filled her eyes, she felt pathetic and childish, but that feeling of absolute helplessness had her in its claws and was currently squeezing. Her throat became scratchy and she leaned against the wall. Was she seriously having a panic attack because she couldn't find her classroom? Yes, yes she was.

"Clary." His voice sounded far away, even though he was about four feet from her. His easy relieved smile disappeared as he took in her face. Like he knew she was freaking out, when in reality, she was probably still as a statue.

"Hey." His voice was soft.

"What's up? You okay?" He asked bending to her eye level. She swallowed and shrugged.

"I'm sorry for leaving, I figured that Izzy would have showed you where Garroway is. Or at least to the gym. You didn't show, so I came to find you. You're really far away." He smiled slightly, even though there was worry etched into his pretty eyes. Then it hit her, what he was doing. Calming her. He was trying to keep her focused on her surroundings. Her chest squeezed in a completely different way at that realization.

She smiled brightly at him and shrugged. "You get lost?" He joked, eyes still tense. She nodded, briefly meeting his gaze.

"Well it's all good now, Jace the blonde knight is here to save you." He winked and her lips twitched in amusement. She cocked an eyebrow in question. He shrugged.

"I sleep around a lot." He confessed, sheepishly.

She had absolutely no idea why he was telling her this, but her body was suddenly on alert. She swore, if he was propositioning her, he was going to get a knee between his legs. Please, don't be that guy. She begged silently.

"Okay, you look freaked out. Let me explain. I sleep around a lot, but I don't talk about it with the guys. I don't do locker room talk. I actually hold respect for girls and their privacy, so I keep my mouth shut. Anyways, they call me white knight because of it and Magnus is the only one capable of getting away with calling me prince, which he does because of my hair." Jace winked and she cocked her head to the side in interest. That was a very . . . Honest answer.

Clary didn't know what she had expected, but that wasn't it. She pressed her lips together and frowned. "What?" He asked and she stared at him.

"Why does Magnus get away with it?" He guessed slowly and she nodded, her relief nearly palpable. Jace smirked.

"I've known the guy since birth, we grew up in the same foster homes. I kind of love him. But don't ever tell him that, because I will deny it." Jace said with mock seriousness.

A million questions suddenly filled her mind and the desire to ask nearly overwhelmed her. A sudden thought hit her, and she thought it was really stupid, but . . .

She glanced down and noticed he was wearing sweats and a t-shirt, obviously fifth period is gym. She noticed his phone in his pocket. Going with the idea she grabbed her own phone and went to her contacts, which only had two people in it, and pulled up a new page.

She showed it to him and he immediately typed in his number. She pulled up a texting window and pushed his body away from hers. He had a tendency to stand too close and she had a tendency to enjoy it, that needed to stop.

She typed the message and impulsively hit send.

Her: You two are close?

The question was innocent. She needed to start out innocent. She didn't understand this weird attraction or draw to him, but she needed to slow it down before it engulfed her in a way she couldn't control. She was in control right now, and that's how it needed to stay.

Not four seconds later and his phone beeped. His lips twitched and he reached inside his sweats and pulled it out. He went to type but she tapped his wrist and he looked up.

Her: When we're together, you talk and I type. It's all I got right now.

His phone beeped again and his answer was immediately from his lips. "Yeah, we're close. He's currently trying to hide his relationship with Alec from me, it's kind of straining us because of the white lies he tells, but yeah, I'd die for the guy." She believed him.

Her: Izzy and Alec are your adopted siblings?

He nodded at the text, "Yeah, we we're fostered to them at age eleven and they adopted Magnus and I at age thirteen. They have a little boy, Max. He's fucking awesome. Love that kid too, love all of them, though. Not close to anyone truly, but Magnus, but they all get me. So it's cool." He nods and Clary nods back at him, slowly.

Her: Class now?

He smiles and nods, "Yeah, red, class now."

They both turn and walk toward the gym. Not touching, but both extremely aware of the other's close proximity.


Clary didn't have clothes to dress out, which she was relieved with, until Jace offered Izzy's clothes. Clary frowned as she changed into Izzy's super short black running shorts. Clary was a few inches taller than Izzy, so the fact that her shorts did the job of covering just her behind, shouldn't have surprised her in the least. The t-shirt was a little bit too long, so Clary tied it behind her back, revealing a patch of her flat stomach.

She sighed and before exiting, she sent a quick text to Jace.

Her: My legs are longer than, Izzy's, jackass.

She places her phone in her locker, before exiting the empty locker room and walking outside. Jace stood there, leaning against the brick wall, confusion marring his features. His eyes slowly took in her legs and realization dawned. His smile turned lazy.

"Oh." He concludes and she glares.

"C'mon, Clary, it doesn't look bad at all. Besides you don't have an inch of fat on your body, so no fucking self-consciousness." He chastises pointing a finger at her. She gives him a mock salute and a sarcastic roll of her eyes. He grins from ear to ear.

She starts to fidget and they make it to the group. The coach was distracted, but Clary caught the wolf whistle directed at her and the snickers that followed. She kept her eyes on the ground, feeling humiliation burn through her like a blade of fire.

"Blackthorn." Jace said, cutting off the snickering group. A brown haired boy, who had delivered the wolf whistle looked up at Jace easily, a smile still etched onto his features.

"Lightwood?" He returned and Jace smiled tightly.

"Do you like your lips?" Jace asked and everyone cast him a glance while Blackthorn gained a dumbfounded look across his features. He glanced at his boys before frowning at Jace.

"What's your fucking point, Jace?" The boy snapped and Clary questioned his sanity for a moment, not only did Jace have size on him, but he also had width. One shouldn't talk to another like that if said person could kill you with their bare hands.

"My fucking point, Ian, is if that sound exits your lips directed at her again. I will rip them off and I just wanted to make your preference on the subject known." Jace snarls and for the first time since meeting him, he scared Clary. She wasn't scared for her own physical safety, but more along the lines scared of the obvious danger lurking behind the pretty eyes.

Ian lost all visible color in his face and he cleared his throat, looking pointedly away. When that little moment ended and everyone looked toward the front. The coach was watching the exchange with unconcealed boredom. "Are you two done with the testosterone display? Can I get on with my class?" He asked, his eyes firmly on Jace.

"Yes, coach." Both boys say at the exact same time. Jace's voice was slightly tense while Ian's wavered, before he cleared his throat.

"Good to know, today is an easy day. I want two laps around the track and then you guys are free to go." Coach said and everyone moved to their starting line. Clary rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck, before glaring at Jace, who was staring straight ahead. Not at her.

She looked toward the front and calmed her breathing, allowing her body to relax in the anticipation of the first sprint. Clary calculated that it would take her four minutes to complete both of the laps. The whistle blew and she took off.


Clary finished before most were even off their first lap. Three minutes and forty seconds. She beat Jace and she was kind of surprised by that. The coach, Luke Garroway gave her a look of astonishment as she walked past him. She didn't stop.

She changed back into her regular clothes and put Izzy's back into her locker before leaving. She froze as her eyes took in Jace, fully dressed and waiting against the wall in front of her. "You beat the school record. In fact, you beat the damn county record." He said and she shrugged.

Her: Bet you're curious to see what it's like when I actually try.

She winked when he looked up from his phone. He grinned easily, "I think I like it when you're flirty." He gave her a wink of his own and he looked damn good doing it too. Oh, did he now? Well, too fucking bad!

She smiled sickly sweet and he frowned, "You're pissed at me." He realized and she looked away from him, scowling.

"Wow, shit, Clary." He grabbed her upper arm gently to still her step. She didn't look at him, as she shrugged his hand away.

"Is this about that little prick, Ian? Listen, I know I kind of went big brother-." She cut him off by whipping out her phone.

Her: First off, Jon is my big brother, not you. Secondly, you did not 'kind of' do anything. You FREAKED. See all caps, just so you know how bad it was. And third, Jace, Jon does not go all possessive ape shit when a guy does something I don't like, he glares at them, and he calmly threatens them.

She huffed at the end of her silent rant and pressed send. He was grinning the entire time he read the fucking thing and she was glaring, arms crossed and feeling very much like a child scolding a bigger child.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Blackthorn and I have a pissy relationship as it is. I just didn't like the look his wolf call put on your face." He says softly and she stares at him. Then his eyes grew wide and innocent and he stuck his bottom lip out a fraction of a centimeter.

"Forgive me?" He asks, looking like a little lion cub. She internally cursed their connection, because she did forgive him. How could she not? Dammit, she was losing control and she wasn't even noticing how much.

She nodded and sighed. He grinned and fell into step with her. "Don't worry, my awesomeness prevents beautiful women form staying mad at me, don't feel bad." He smirked at her death glare. There that word was again, beautiful. She continued to deny how much she fucking enjoyed him calling her that.

He's just being nice. He probably feels bad for you or something. Don't read to much into it, guys like him are too good for damaged girls like you.

The tiny little insecure voice whispered inside her head and just like every time it decided to speak, she listened. Jace's voice snapped her from her thoughts and made her smile.

"C'mon, I'm going to introduce you to the awesomeness of Taki's."