A/N: Once again, we all owe a MASSIVE thank you to ShadowHunter303. I just finished writing this chapter an hour ago and she hopped on editing it like a ROCK STAR.
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters/aspects taken from The Mortal Instruments or pop culture references made within this fanfiction.
Jace hurried to the apartment building, cursing himself for forgetting gloves when the wind bit into him once more. He struggled with the lobby key; his shaking hands were inhibiting him from properly inserting the key into the lock and it scraped harshly around the hole before making the connection. When he finally found success, hearing the triumphant click of the door unlocking, it swung open and he rushed in. He hastily pulled the door closed behind him to shut out the chill. Cold fronts like this made him question why he lived in New York sometimes.
Jace paused in the lobby, blowing on his hands in an attempt to imbue warmth into them. Flexing his frozen fingers a couple of times, feeling his skin crack in protest at the movement, he moved to go up the stairs. Before he made it to the steps, he spotted a flash of red in the mail room out of the corner of his eye and decided now was as good a time as any to check his mail.
He approached his redheaded neighbor who appeared entirely consumed in emptying her mailbox, pleased to see her bright, red mane back to its natural state of curls. The strands fell wildly about her shoulders, contrasting prettily with her neat, black peacoat in their chaos. Seeing her seemingly still oblivious to his presence, an idea took shape in his head, his lips quirking playfully. Quietly stepping up behind her, he waited another breath to allow her the chance to realize he was there and then, "Boo!" Jace shouted abruptly in her ear, hands clamping down on her arms in sudden synchronicity.
Clary emitted an extremely loud squeak that he was sure would have had any nearby dogs howling at its pitch, jumping nearly a foot in the air. Jace couldn't help his throaty chuckle as she spun around and instantly began whacking him with the mail in her hand, though admittedly with less gusto than he probably deserved for the stunt.
"Jerk," she muttered, her eyes narrowed in a glare. Her breaths were quick and uneven as she clearly fought and lost a battle not to smile. Jace watched her lips reluctantly twitch up at the sides.
"Just making sure you stay on your toes, Doll," Jace quipped, still snickering slightly and throwing her a quick wink. Thankfully his hands were steadier now; he deftly unlocked his own mailbox, gathering the few items in there and securing the door once more.
Clary exhaled an exaggerated huff, her petite frame rising and falling with it, but then, "I'm actually glad I ran into you." She pushed a long curl from her face, her breathing seeming to steady out once more.
Jace smirked, "Finally, she admits it."
This earned him an eye roll. "I'm found out. Oh baby. I want you. I need you," Clary droned in a monotone voice, her face evincing a look of such utter boredom, Jace couldn't help his smirk widening into a full-fledged smile as he felt his cheeks dimple and eyes crinkle slightly.
"Admittance is the first step to recovery," he quipped. "But then again," Jace stepped closer until he could feel her curls brushing up and down against his arm as she took a large, stuttering breath and continued, his voice dropping half an octave, "sometimes giving in is more rewarding."
Jace watched the muscles in her throat work as she swallowed and wondered for a moment how it would be to feel the movement beneath his lips, staring intently at the juncture where the gossamer skin of her neck met her delicately shaped jaw. Maybe-
His thoughts scattered as he felt her small hand push lightly against his cheek, turning his face away from her as she nimbly stepped back to put a respectable distance between them once more. "You're going to have to try harder than that, Casanova," she said, tapping the side of his face a couple of times lightly.
A laugh rumbled deep in his chest, bubbling out of his throat as he shook his head. They moved together to ascend the stairs and as they started to climb, "I'm hosting an ugly sweater party. You in?" Clary asked.
Jace glanced over at her as they rounded the first landing, "I'm not sure a sweater is capable of looking ugly on me."
Clary snorted, "Even better. I won't have to worry about you winning the contest."
"There's a contest?" Jace questioned. "What's the prize?"
"Bragging rights," Clary said, shifting her mail under her arm.
Jace gestured to his physique, "But I already have so much material for that."
The redhead gently thumped his arm once more with a magazine, "Are you coming or not?"
Jace cradled his "wounded" arm dramatically, smiling when this earned a light giggle from her. "You never said when the party is," Jace pointed out cheerfully.
"Right! I was thinking next Friday," she said.
Jace thought for a moment and shook his head. "Can't. I have work," he said, grimacing.
Clary frowned, "That Saturday?" She suggested hesitantly.
Jace grinned and nodded. "So it's next Saturday," she asserted more confidently.
They reached the fifth floor, "Next Saturday it is," Jace said with a smile. He turned to his apartment.
"Oh wait," Clary tapped his arm and Jace twisted back to face her. "I need your number."
"I'll have you know I don't give my number out to just anyone," Jace said, even as he was reaching into his back pocket and procuring his phone.
Clary laughed and took his phone from his hand, texting rapidly until he heard a ding go off in her pocket. "Don't worry, I only plan on using it for bathroom stall graffiti."
Jace smiled, taking his phone back, "As long as it's tasteful."
The next day Jace was punching his time card at the station when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Nodding to a couple of the guys and making his way over to the break station for some coffee, he tried not to scowl as he thought of his defunct Keurig.
When his phone went off again, reminding him that he hadn't looked at the message, he pulled it out of his pocket and opened it to a number with no name attached to it in his contacts.
'Hey bby what u doing tonight? the bathroom at Taco Bell says you're a good time'
Jace chuckled quietly to himself and quickly replied.
'Babe, I'm always a good time.'
'And really Fray? Taco Bell? I thought we were keeping this classy?'
He was just sitting down with his coffee when his phone was buzzing in his hand again.
He read, 'I wanted a crunchwrap. don't diss the Bell!'
Before Jace could type out a response his phone vibrated again, with
'What r u doing?'
Jace typed back in rapid succession. 'Didn't realize you were so passionate about tacos. Just finishing up my coffee and starting work. You?'
Once again, he didn't have to wait long for Clary's reply. 'Oh just banging my head on the desk because i can't seem to get the hands right in this portrait.'
After taking a quick look around to make sure the chief wasn't waiting on him for anything, Jace took another sip of his coffee and replied, 'If you need a model, you just have to ask. I'll even pose nude ;)'
He finished off his coffee, crumpling the Styrofoam cup in his hand with a satisfied feeling. The station seemed quiet today. 'I'm certain I don't need more anatomy to struggle with, but thanks ;)'
Jace felt his blood rushing a bit faster through his veins when he saw her send a winking emoji back and quickly replied, wanting to talk to Clary as much as possible before he had to stuff his phone away for the day. 'Well, the offer stands. I have to get working, but try not to bang your pretty little head too hard.'
"What are you smiling about Herondale?" Hodge asked as he round the corner.
Jace quickly stuffed his phone in his pocket and tried to school his face into a mask of stoicism, "Nothing, Sir."
The chief raised a brow at him, but carried on his way. Jace felt a smile bloom across his face once more when he pulled out his phone one last time to see, 'Screw it. I'll just give him a hook. Pirates are in! Have fun at work! (:'
The next week and a half passed quickly, filled with overtime and texts from Clary and before Jace knew it, he was panicking. It was Saturday, the 'Ugly Sweater' party was tonight, and Jace now realized that he not only didn't own any ugly sweaters, but he wasn't sure where to obtain one.
He briefly considered texting Alec, knowing that Magnus and Izzy often referred to his brother's sweaters as "unfortunate," but he was also pretty sure that it was mostly due to the fact that Alec wore them until the color faded beyond recognition and holes began to form. Jace couldn't exactly rapid-age a sweater and he wasn't about to drive several hours to borrow one of Alec's. Plus, he didn't think that was quite what Clary meant.
This was how he found himself walking out of Target, grateful for self-checkout so no cashier could witness his shame. His purchase was a $20 maroon sweater reading "Merry Elfin' Christmas" that he had deemed the least embarrassing of the options. At least he wouldn't have to travel beyond the hallway in it to get to Clary's apartment.
Saturday night rolled around quickly and Jace took one last forlorn glance at the sweater before pulling it on over his white t-shirt and walking over to Clary's. He knocked twice and the redhead opened the door quickly. She was wearing a loose, dark green sweater that might have been decent once upon a time. As it was now, someone had sewn bright, gold garland into it, vaguely in the shape of a Christmas tree. There were small, fuzzy balls in a myriad of colors hanging off the garland and it looked as though someone had dipped the hemline of the sweater in rainbow glitter. It was a lot to take in.
Jace glanced up to her bright, smiling face as she said, "Merry Elfin Christmas?"
Jace shrugged a single shoulder, "I warned you no sweater could be ugly on me."
Clary giggled and stepped back, gesturing him inside. "It's a tough life you lead. Now come in. You're late!"
Jace walked into Clary's rather festive-looking apartment, taking in the shimmery silver garland around the TV and small Christmas tree in the corner. When he turned to his right, he noticed twinkle lights lining the kitchen counter and at the start of the hallway he thought he spotted mistletoe hanging from the ceiling, a rosy-cheeked elf sitting atop the green sprig.
Clary moved past him into the kitchen as he found himself greeting the same group from Friendsgiving. He hugged Isabelle, who seemed to have go all out for the occasion sporting an ugly sweater dress with an obnoxiously bright pattern and her hair tied up in a bow that would have looked tacky on anyone else, but she somehow seemed to make it into a sleek up-do. Jace watched with narrowed eyes at how she seemed to lean into Simon's side, placing a possessive hand on the arm of his Darth Vader sweater that really had nothing "Christmas-y" about it other than the text, "I Find Your Lack of Cheer Disturbing"
Jonathan disturbed his scrutiny of Isabelle's behavior when he clapped him on the back, greeting him. The blonde man's sweater was simple, but vulgar, reading 'Jingle My Bells' and after seeing Jordan and Maia's "He's Naughty" and "I'm Nice" couple sweaters and Eric's "Yeti to Party" ensemble, he felt a bit more comfortable in his own unfortunate garb.
Clary re-entered the room with two beers in hand, passing off one to Jace which he took with an appreciative nod. Music was playing, snacks were out, and the time passed quickly as Jace settled into the jovial vibe of the party.
A few hours in, he found himself seated on that small, olive couch once more. Clary was sitting next to him, her leg tucked underneath her and her thigh pressed closely into his own. She was telling him a story about her first day of college classes when she had accidentally walked into a senior level economic course. She had realized her mistake ten minutes into the class and tried to sneak out, but the professor scolded her and told her to be seated. So she spent the next 90 minutes pretending to take notes until the class was dismissed and she was forced to try to explain to her Accounting 101 professor why she had missed the first class when she e-mailed him for the syllabus.
The flush on her cheeks as she recounted the experience was mesmerizing. Maybe it was the beers he had drank or maybe it was the way she smiled and leaned into him as she spoke, but Jace couldn't help but reach out and lightly trace her cheek; the urge to feel the warmth of her blush beneath his fingertips overwhelming him. Her eyes widened slightly. Jace was ready to pull back quickly and stutter out an 'I'm sorry,' but then she tilted her head leaning into his touch and the apology died in his throat.
"Yeah! Get it, Lewis!" Eric's slurred cheer captured Jace's attention, snapping him out of what had felt like his and Clary's own, little world. Jace lifted his head to see his sister tangled around Simon underneath the mistletoe and it looked as though they were trying to eat each other's faces. That was an image he wasn't going to be able to unsee, the beer churning bitterly in his stomach as he took it in.
Then, he watched in horror as Simon slid his hand downward, stopping at Isabelle's bum and squeezing. "Oh Hell no," Jace growled. He was up from the couch in a flash, roughly pulling Simon off his sister before hauling his fist back and punching him squarely in the jaw.
"Jace!" Isabelle shrieked harshly in his ear as Simon crumpled unceremoniously to the ground. He shook out his fist and watched apathetically as she fawned over the brown-haired boy. The nerd was conscious, so Jace wasn't sure what she was so worried about.
"Are you kidding me?" Jace turned to his right to face Clary as the angry words spilled from her lips. A furious expression was etched into her features and he leaned back slightly, unprepared for the fire burning in her eyes directed toward him.
"What? He was groping my sister!" Jace defended himself, though it only seemed to anger Clary further as she drew up into the tallest version into herself, her own hands balling into fists.
"They were kissing," the redhead hissed. "And if Isabelle didn't like it, I'm sure she would have made it known!"
"So I'm just supposed to just sit by while he paws at her in public?" Jace asked incredulously.
"Well, you don't PUNCH him!" Clary's voice rose an octave and she took a deep breath before continuing in a lower, but shaky voice, "I think you should go." Jace sucked in a sharp breath, unprepared for her words or the disappointed way she was looking at him.
"Clary," Jace said quietly, pleading with her to understand. He knew hitting Simon was an overreaction, but this was his little sister and he just saw red for a moment and didn't think before he acted. He just wanted a chance to explain. Simon would be fine and Jace would even apologize.
He felt a hand clamp down gently on his shoulder and turned to meet the eyes of a grim-looking Jon. "Come on buddy, I'll walk with you."
Jace turned back to Clary and then glanced away quickly, seeing a broken look in her eyes that would haunt him in the days to come. He nodded numbly and within minutes he was standing in front of his own apartment door with Jon.
"I…" Jace began and trailed off helplessly, unsure of what he could say.
Jon just nodded, a frown pulling at his lips. "I get it," he commiserated. "But the guy is her best friend. And Clary really hates violence. Just," he paused for a moment and shrugged, "just give her some time to cool off, yeah?"
Jace mumbled out a, "Yeah, okay," before turning to unlock his apartment door as Jon patted him sympathetically on the back and walked back over to the party. He leaned against the door once he was in his apartment, banging his head against it and closing his eyes in frustration.
Merry Elfin Christmas, indeed.
A/N: AHHH, don't kill me! 0:) I knoooow this isn't fun, but this fluff piece needed a little bit of conflict! And I think (well, I hope!) that you will all be pleased with the resolution in the next chapter. Just stick with me - there's only a few chapters left in this story!
Also, we're almost to 100 reviews! That is so exciting and I'm truly grateful to all of you!
Reminder to vote in the poll in my profile! Also, leave a review & I'll send a preview to tide you over until next week! ;)
