When Clary got home she did what she seemingly always did when she was upset, she went to the highest place she could find. Currently she was sitting on top of the roof of the bookstore. From her spot she could see Jocelyn baking in the kitchen, her hips where swaying and she was singing along to a song. At that moment Clary wanted to go down and join her, it would just be the two of them for once and maybe they could have fun. Clary knew that she wouldn't go down there though. Her emotions were running high; they had been ever since Jace kissed her. She didn't know why he did it. Why he kissed her, but it had felt so good. So…perfect. Then he left, he didn't bother explaining why he kissed her out of nowhere, he just left. Leaving her speechless and confused. Why did guys always have to do things like that? Stupid, idiotic things like that. For Clary the sad thing was, she probably liked him way more than he liked her, because the universe just wasn't kind enough for him to like her. Plus he was gorgeous, completely and irrevocably handsome. He knew it too. Clary wished that he didn't affect her like he did. He drove her crazy. Why couldn't she see him as just another guy, why couldn't she see him like she saw Simon? It was pointless Hell would have to freeze over before she would hate Jace. It wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

That night Jace put on pajamas and pretended to sleep. For his own benefit but it was obvious to him that he wouldn't get any sleep. Not after what he just did….but it was so wonderful. She tasted like honey, perfectly sweet. Just thinking about it sent longing throughout his body. He thought for several more minutes about Clary, about the way she smiled and the way she laughed. Then his thoughts took darker roots. What if he shouldn't have kissed her? What if she didn't like him? She was his daughter. Valentine. It almost hurt to say his name. That wasn't her fault though. She was nothing like him. He would not judge her for that. He couldn't. Within a half an hour he was up, pacing back and forth across the room. His emotions were running to high and he would never be able to fall asleep. He needed something to do….his mind was blank. Normally he would go hunting but it just didn't seem right tonight. Tonight he needed to do something else. His stomach grumbled and he realized he hadn't eaten dinner, opting to listen to Clary instead. Now he was starving, Taki's it was then.

Clary crept down from her perch on top of the roof. She was starving but she couldn't face her mom, not right now. With a gentle precision she leaped down from the roof, she landed with an agile like grace on the ground. She smiled to herself before taking another step and falling. For Clary it wasn't the impossible looking jumps that brought about the most horror, but the hard things. Like flat surfaces. With a grimace she picked herself up. Her hand slid into her pocket and she was glad to find some money for food. She let her feet lead her but she wasn't the least bit surprised when she found herself staring at the front door of Taki's.

"Clary?" A voice asked, a voice that she would recognize anywhere.

"Jace?"

"I couldn't sleep," he said with a slow smile while flashing what had to be puppy dog eyes.

"Neither could I," Clary breathed. Jace shifted his feet from side to side. Then he looked at her and a smile lit up his face. It got bigger when he asked, "Would you like to eat with me?"

Clary nodded because she didn't think she could find words that could possibly describe how much she wanted to eat with him, how much she wanted to be with him. His hand pressed up against the small of her back as he led her to a corner spot. His hand lingered on her back a second to long and Clary felt herself blush. As she slid into the seat next to Jace she didn't feel the least bit awkward, she felt for the first time in her life like she was right where she belonged. Like everything was perfect, and it was. Just sitting in a tacky diner with Jace was enough to make her feel perfect.