Clary bounced her way into the kitchen and tossed herself onto the bar stool with a spin.
"You're up late." Her mom casually commented, as she mixed a fruit salad.
"Well, excuse me for taking advantage of what's left of my summer vacation." Clary defended.
Jocelyn gave her a disapproving look. "That is what you call 'taking advantage'? And on today of all days?" She pouted.
Clary reached across the counter and plucked a strawberry from the bowl of fruit. She popped it dramatically into her mouth. "I have no idea what you are talking about…" She mumbled out of her full mouth.
Clary, then, hopped up from her seat and tried to make a dash back for her room but, her mother was faster. Jocelyn ran around after Clary and snagged her around the waist before she could escape farther. She crushed her petite daughter against her in a loving hug.
"Happy Birthday, my amazing, eighteen-year old!" She sang loudly.
Clary desperately untangled herself from the woman's arms. "Shh! Or they will hear you!" Clary admonished in an exasperated whisper.
"Too late…" Moaned a voice from the living room. Clary glanced over to the back of couch and saw Jace stretch and stand up from the other side.
Clary smacked her forehead in frustration. She had tried so hard to keep her impending age jump a well-kept secret.
She looked back up to Jace who was still groggy as he slowly hobbled to the kitchen. He must have fallen asleep on the couch last night as he was still in a t-shirt and boxers. She could never understand how even as disheveled as he was with bed-head and all, he still managed to pull off 'handsome'.
Jace finished rubbing the sleep from his eyes and blinked up at her with smirk. "So, it's your birthday, huh? Finally turning fourteen?" Jace teased. He placed a hand on Clary's head and messed her curls, as he walked between her and Jocelyn.
Clary promptly swatted his hand away with a glare. It only made Jace grin.
Jocelyn stepped toward her with a smile and smoothed her hair with a kiss on her forehead. "So, honey, do you have some fun plans with your friends, today?" She asked.
Clary rolled her eyes. "No, nobody knows, I like to keep my birthday on the down-low, remember? We've gone over this every year."
"Who doesn't tell their friends it's their birthday?!" Jace shouted from the kitchen island, crumbles of Poptart falling out of his mouth.
Clary shot him a look of disgust. "Unlike Izzy or Magnus, who need a whole week celebration, I don't like being the center of attention." She explained.
Clary turned back to her mom and grabbed her hands. "So, we can spend the day together, just you and me. That's how I like it." She said with a genuine smile.
"Oh, I see…" Jocelyn looked worried. "Well, actually, I have to head to work and attend to some stuff." She told Clary with an unsettling tone.
Her daughter made a doubtful grimace. "You never work on my birthday. It's like your favorite holiday." Clary poked with humor.
"It's an emergency thing." Jocelyn quickly argued. She grasped Clary by the shoulders and flipped her in Jace's direction. "Perhaps, Jace could keep you company instead?" She voiced from Clary, sounding suspiciously perky.
At the sound of his name, Jace froze and glanced up at the two women. He had his mouth open wide with a strawberry in his hand, about to take a bite. He could see Jocelyn standing behind Clary, where she couldn't see, making a pleading face. Oh, right, he was supposed to be plan B, Jace suddenly remembered.
"Uhmm, I'd rather just stay by myself then." Clary muttered and started for the stairs.
"No, no, no! I forbid you to be alone on your birthday!" Jocelyn declared as she started backing out of the room. Clary hesitated on the steps, watching her mom curiously.
"Now, I got to get going but, I trust that Jace will take good care of you!" She gave a thumbs-up then promptly left into the hall.
With a furrowed brow, Clary turned to ask Jace what that was all about. She was surprised to see him just a few steps behind her, shooing her up the stairs.
"Go get dressed." He ordered once they reached the top.
Clary whipped around on him, utterly confused. "Jace… we may have mutual friends now but, we don't hang out just us." She clarified, ushering a pointed finger back and forth between them.
"Does it make you nervous?" Jace smirked and took a step closer, closing the distance between them and breathing down on her.
If it was possible for someone's morning breath to smell sweet… Jace's did.
Clary glowered at him and took a step-back. "Fine, where are we going?" She asked, deciding to play along.
"It's a surprise." Jace replied, now stoic as he moved around her to his room.
Clary wandered into her room as well, searching through her dresser, and around her floor. "Well, how do I know what to wear if you won't tell me where we are going?" She yelled annoyed, across the hall to his open door.
Jace's head peaked around the side as he gave her a thoughtful look. "How about just wear as few layers as possible." He said smiling to himself.
Clary threw her hands on her hips and looked at him skeptically. "I could take that as either you're taking me to the pool or you're taking me to an orgy."
Jace barked a laugh and chuckled as he stepped completely into the door view. He was still in boxers but, shirtless this time. "Sadly, neither." He told her.
"So, no bikini, then?" Clary questioned jokingly.
Jace laughed. "You know, as funny as a sight that would be, probably not." He replied, still grinning.
Clary grabbed a hold of her door and slowly began to shut it. All the while, playfully studying him through narrowed eyes and wondering what he was up to.
Just a half an hour later, Clary sat up in the cab of Jace's new truck, her arms crossed and glaring angrily over at him. Jace's "new" truck actually happened to be fairly old. He had bought it off of Luke just a few weeks ago after his own birthday.
But, there he sat now in the driver seat, with a smug smile of satisfaction that Clary feared would only get worse. She had taken his advice and threw on minimal layers, which wasn't that surprising, it was August. She wore a tight, cropped t-shirt with jean shorts and converse sneakers. Jace, however, wore a dark t-shirt and a pair heavy cargo pant along with large boots. It was something quite odd, to wear in this warm weather. So, there she sat, stewing angrily, knowing that whatever was planned, he had screwed her somehow.
"Could you take a break, please? I think the holes you are burning in the side of my head are big enough." Jace asked her mildly.
"I'm just wondering why exactly, you're not dressed in 'as few layers as possible' as well." She said in a heated tone, making air quotes with her fingers while referencing what he had told her.
"You worry too much." Jace calmly informed her, with a shake of his head. He watched her, daring to stare back into her furious eyes as he pulled into a parking space.
Upon realizing that they had now stopped, Clary stole her eyes from Jace for the first time. She looked wearily out the windshield. They appeared to be in the middle of nowhere, till she peered out the other side and found an old wooden cabin. On it was a rusty sign that read simply: "Paintball."
As much as she still wanted to be mad, Clary couldn't fight the excitement bubbling up inside her. She had never had a paintball war and it was always something she wanted try! She looked back to Jace, who was still staring at her smiling.
"You son of a bitch." She shoved him, still trying to hide her smile.
Jace just laughed and Clary scrambled out her side door. Jace jumped out of his as well, and calmly followed her toward the cabin.
"Where did you find this place?" She spun around, seeming giddy.
"I've been out here a couple times with some buddies. It's under the radar but, pretty awesome." He explained.
As they entered the cabin, Clary saw several other guys prepping their guns and gear. There looked to be a group of six or so friends, probably in their mid-twenties. There was also, a middle-aged a man with his kid son. The boy looked just shorter than Clary. She assumed he only ten or so.
Jace stepped up to the man at the counter and gave him their name. Clary noticed the guy made a check on his clip board and realized that Jace must have already made them a reservation. While, he gave the man some money and collected their gear, Clary wondered over to a wide glass window. It looked down over the small ridge side onto a large paintball course. It was equipped with trees, trenches, dirt mounds, small shacks, bales of hay, basically the works.
"Virgin?" A deep male voice asked from just beside her.
Clary jumped slightly, surprised to see the man beside her. He looked a few years older than her, although probably already out of college. He had a rugged handsome look about him with his messy fauxhawk and scruffy beard. But despite the enticing green eyes, that matched hers, or that cute dimple in his cheek… Clary was immediately appalled with him. What a crude pick up line.
"Excuse me?" She said to him fiercely, crossing her arms and facing him straight on.
After a quick look of confusion, the man's face melted and he laughed, covering his eyes in embarrassment. "I meant, like are you a paintball virgin?" He tried to correct himself.
"Oh…" Clary dropped her arms and giggled, now embarrassed as well. "Uhm, yeah, is it that obvious?" She asked in a sheepish voice.
The man chuckled. "Yeah kind of…" He said, giving her outfit a once over.
Clary sighed and ran a hand threw her hair. "Yeah, well, this was kind of a surprise thing I guess."
"Ah, that's okay, you look cute." He told her with a wink.
"Here." Clary felt Jace suddenly bump a helmet into her chest. As soon as she took it from him, Jace set to work loading her gun with the paint balls.
"Oh, is this your guy?" The brown-haired man asked as he offered his hand to Jace. Jace just looked at the guy with a blank face until he eventually dropped his hand.
"No, no. Definitely not together." Clary answered fast.
"Yeah, in fact, I'm her step-brother." Jace told him with an obviously fake grin. Clary could hear the distain in his voice.
"Alright, ew, no not that either. Our parents are just together." She tried to explain to the cute guy, but she gave Jace a playful shove.
"Gotcha, well, I'll see you out there then, Red." He smiled at her and Clary blushed slightly. The man joined the rest of his friends and everyone followed out the back door. Clary and Jace followed the whole group of players as well as instructor, down the back steps that led to terrain.
"He's cute." Clary muttered to Jace as she watched that flirtatious guy laugh with his friends.
"Who? The cradle robber?" Jace grumbled. Clary glanced up to him and saw he was busy checking the scope on his gun.
"Oh, shut up." She scolded and lightly smacked his arm. "I think eighteen must look good on me." She said sensually and flipped her hair. She strutted out further toward the rest of the group and through his scope Jace got a good look at her from behind.
He quickly dropped the gun from his eye and stared after her, biting the inside of his cheek. She was right about that one.
Jace jogged to catch up to the group as everyone formed a line, listening to the manager explain any rules.
"And last thing, everybody have a good time!" He finished, while some of the group gave a quick applaud.
"Oh, one more thing, we have a special attendant today. This little missy just turned eighteen today!" The instructor, who surprisingly sounded southern, pointed out to Clary.
The red-head looked up at Jace surprised and blushed. She gave a slight wave as all the players clapped for her. She even earned an encouraging holler from her "new friend."
"Well, since she is an honored guest today, I think any returning players will know what that means. Come on up here young lady." Ordered the instructor. This earned a laugh from some of the other players.
Clary tossed Jace a quick glare before begrudging stepping out in front of everyone. Jace, however, looked down right giddy with humor.
Jace watched as the man helped Clary with her helmet and pointed to the tree line farther down the terrain. She looked weary but still, jogged her way over.
"Alright, Missy, we are gonna have you run straight from that end all the way to the stack of hay bales on the other side. The exciting part here is that, all the other players are gonna get free range to shoot you with as many paint ball as possible." He stated flatly.
"WHAT?!" Clary's screech practically echoed. Jace couldn't do anything but snicker to himself as he watched her threw his scope.
"Do you see what I'm wearing?! There is zero protection here." Clary yelled back angrily.
"Should have come prepared." The instructor said, now smiling.
"I would have but—" Clary's excuse was cut off by the instructor's whistle. As soon as it blew, the line of other players began firing. Clary took off down the tree line. Jace watched as tried to stay low and almost dropped her gun. He took a couple shots at her legs but, didn't want to pelt her too hard. She was probably getting enough from the other players. As she reached the end near the hay bales, she took a long leap and dove behind it for protection.
The players all held fire, waiting for her to come out. A couple seconds later, Clary came crawling out from behind the hay bale, now covered head to toe in mud. Guess she didn't notice the hidden trench there. Jace fell to his knees, buckling over in laughter.
Just then, another whistle sounded, signaling the players to disperse and find position. Jace knew they had about thirty seconds now before the air horn blew and the game began. He chucked his helmet on and took off to the right. He glanced back to see Clary scrabbling to her feet and chasing after him.
"I'm going to kill you!" She shouted, already blasting paintball shots at him. Luckily none of them hit home as he jumped over mounds and obstacles to get away from her.
"All is fair in love and war, baby!" He shouted back and took off around a curb.
"How is that even relevant, you idiot!" He heard her yell to him, just as the air horn sounded.
Jace caught glimpses of her throughout the game but he mainly tried to avoid her, taking out other targets instead. He had been here a few times and hadn't lost once. Every time a player was eliminated a whistle blew. From his count there were just two or three of them left now.
Jace crouched behind a low barrel that lay between two leafy bushes. He scoped out the course, looking for the last players. His eye caught sight of something red moving beside several stacks of hay. He peered through the scope on his gun and saw Clary stooped low, refilling her gun. He was honestly surprised, she had lasted this long.
Well, he figured now was as good a time as any to finally take her out. He aimed low for just the side of her leg. Just as he pulled the trigger, a black mass swooped in and knocked her out of the way. Jace's shot splattered against the hay bale that was behind her. He glared frustrated through the scope, searching for her. He found her lying under the "cute" older guy from earlier just a few feet away. The man removed his helmet as well as Clary's and offered her a hand, pulling her up into the sitting position. Jace stared on patiently, as they smiled and chatted to each other, debating where that douchebag deserved it most. Then, he noticed the position that the guy was knelt, and a slow smile spread across his face. He faced Jace with one knee on the ground and the other propped out on his foot. It was almost too easy.
Without another second to lose, Jace let out a rapid fire. Right into the guy's crotch… He swiftly fell back in pain, holding on to his genitals. Through his scope, Jace could see Clary covering her mouth in surprise shock. But he could also see the grin pulling at the corner of her mouth. Jace looked back to the guy, he was still huddled on the ground but, reaching for his gun to stand back up. Just as, Jace was preparing another shot, his vision blurred as pink paint splattered all over his goggles.
He sat back stunned and swiftly whipped his goggles off. There across the field was Clary jumping up and down for joy, the gun still in her hand. Jace laughed to himself and admitted defeated. He stood up from behind his barrel and gradually applauded her. However, Clary only took that as an opportunity to charge and pelt with more paint balls!
"Hey!" He shouted and charged down into the valley toward her. As he got closer, to his surprise, Clary didn't stop running. Instead, she leapt up and wrapped herself around him, knocking them both right over.
She giggled hysterically as they rolled around in the mud. "I totally beat your ass!" She squealed with glee.
"Yes, and I admitted defeat, so don't shoot me again." Jace urged with a laugh as he yanked away her gun.
Clary finally stopped rolling them and came to a stop, straddling Jace's hips. She looked down at him simply grinning and he couldn't help but look at her the same. Yet, as her eyes glanced up behind them, her face fell and she speedily climbed off and stood to her feet.
Jace was confused and rolled his head to look behind him. He saw that the other guy was still at the top of the hill staring awkwardly down at them.
"Come on, let's go turn in our gear and get out of here." She said.
Jace looked back up at Clary and saw she was smiling kindly again with an outstretched hand. Jace took it gratefully and slung an arm around her shoulder as they headed back up to the cabin.
Jace and Clary arrived back at the house awhile later. As they walked up the steps, Jace wasted no time peeling off his mud-caked clothes and threw them into a pile. Clary was flustered at first but then saw he had worn a pair of shorts under those cargos.
"I'll hose those off later." Jace said, nodding.
Clary rolled her eyes and went to unlock the door.
"Woah, there." He interrupted. "Your mom is going to be pissed if you track in all this dirt." Jace explained. He then turned offering his back to her. "Hop on."
Clary crossed her arms and looked at him with skeptical humor. "This seems highly unnecessary." She argued.
Jace looked back at her with a smirk. "Just trying to save you some cleaning, later."
Clary sighed. "Alright, whatever." She grabbed onto his shoulders, noticing how the muscle flexed under her small hands, and with a small jump pulled her-self up onto his back. Jace locked an arm around her leg for support and let them inside.
As tiny as Clary looked, Jace wasn't surprised that she practically felt weightless on his back as he carried her up the stairs.
Once they reached the bathroom, Jace let her down in the tub. "Thanks." Clary spoke politely. After a pause she realized Jace wasn't leaving. He just stood there looking at her. Clary shifted her eyes around awkwardly but, he didn't look like he was going anywhere.
"Uhm, can I shower now?" She asked him dubiously.
"Sure." Jace shrugged. In one fluid move, he detached the shower head and cranked the faucet.
Cold water shot out from the nozzle, soaking her shirt and stinging her skin. Clary squealed in shock and grasped for showerhead. Her hands wrapped around his trying to yank it out of his grip but, to no avail. Jace chuckled loudly as the she fought him, only soaking herself more. The once dried and matted dirt in her hair now ran in dark streams down her face.
As her eyes began to sting, Clary cried out in frustration. She let go of the shower head and tried to duck away. She reached out grasping onto one of his legs, pulling him to her. Jace yelled aloud as he lost his balance and fell in tub over Clary, pulling the rod and curtain down on top of them. Clary took the opportunity to grab the nozzle away from him. Jace now fought against her as she tried to drown his face. Instead, of grabbing it away from her, he circled both her wrists and encaged her in his arms with her hands pinned behind her back.
"Truce, Truce, I was just trying to help." Jace teased through a smile as he caught his breath. At some point Clary's squeals had turned to laughter as well and she too was panting. They were both sprawled out in the shower tub. Their limbs entangled and feet dangling out the edge.
"You are awfully helpful today." She noted, gazing at him in their close proximity.
Jace switched his hands so that he encased both her wrists in one. She dropped the shower head from her grip and could hear the water running down the drain. With his free arm, Jace brought up his hand to caress the side of her face. She could feel the pad of his thumb gently wiping away the streaks of mud. His eyes lowered, becoming soft and calm. As he opened his mouth to say something, there came a sudden vibrating from underneath them.
"Oh, shit, I forgot I had my phone." Jace released her and climbed out of the tub. He took his phone out of his pocket and dried it off with a nearby towel. Jace checked the screen and cursed again as he saw just how late it was getting.
He rushed to grab the shower rod, hanging up the curtain rod between them but, Clary still chilled back casually in the tub.
"You need to hurry up and get ready or we are going to be late for the party." Jace insisted. At once, the shower curtain stilled.
Clary hurried up to her feet, trying not to slip. She tore open the shower curtain to see Jace standing there frozen. His eyes were screwed shut in obvious regret.
"Party?" Clary repeated, menacingly.
"More of dinner." Jace corrected himself, trying to soften the blow. He went over to the sink, scrubbing his face with warm water.
Clary crossed her arms. "So, now I get it. You were playing distraction all day." She said to him, knowing that it was very well the case.
Jace just shrugged. "Try to act surprised." He said with a sarcastic grin. With that he stepped out the door, leaving Clary to shower.
Wow they are just getting so handsy;) Apparently, Jace is jealous of something he doesn't have hehe