A/N: So I know I said that you might be seeing the kids in the house again. I'm sorry I lied. They will definitely be in the next chapter! This is a pivotal chapter for Jace and Clary's relationship with each other. I really love it, and I hope you guys do too.
1 month later
Clary was in a dark room. She doesn't understand where she was. The last thing she remembered was that she was curled up against Jace's body, which was warm and comforting, but this room was dark and cold.
"Jace?" Her voice echoed across the room, making her cringe. She crossed her arms over her chest, as she peaked around the room. The bed in the room was huge, which intimidated her. She squealed when she was shoved against the mattress. "Stop." Clary called out, but whoever was pinning her down wouldn't let up. She turned her head, seeing a face she never thought she would see again. "Sebastian?" She whimpered, as her gown ripped. She felt tears roll down her cheeks, as her body went slack against the bed.
"Good girl." His breath tricked against her neck, making her cringe.
OoOoO
Clary sat up, panting for breath. She clutched her chest, lying back against the soft bed. Jace was sprawled against the silk sheets, which wasn't unusual. She snuggled against his side, nuzzling her cheek against his chest. She was happy that God rescued her from him, and placed her in the hands of a man who will care for her.
"Why are you awake?" He grunted softly, wrapping his arm around her waist. She reminded quiet, clinging onto him. A couple tears trickled down her cheeks, as she squeezed him tighter. "Is everything ok?" He whispered, kissing her head lightly.
"Thank you for being so good to me." She sniffed, squeezing her eyes.
"Hey?" Jace pushed himself up into a sitting position. She choked back a sob, putting her hands in her face. "What's going on?" Jace pulled her into his embrace, comforting her entire soul. How could she have had two husbands that were so different from one another?
"I had a nightmare about my late husband." She inhaled a sharp breath, trying to calm herself back down.
"Well he's not here anymore." He assured me, rubbing her back soothingly. She wanted to ignore the dream. She wanted to get lost in the man who was holding her because the other one was dead.
"I know. You are here." She drew away from him, as he wiped the few tears from her cheeks.
"Exactly." He pressed his lips timidly to hers. She responded instantly, clutching his hair tightly. She wanted him to make her whole. He moaned against her mouth, moving to lie on top of her. He landed directly against her hips, making her whimper. She needed this man. She needed him to be with her forever.
OoOoO
Jace was still exhausted when he woke up the next morning. After her nightmare, Clary kept him up for hours. Not that he was complaining. He could tell that she needed him to make her feel loved.
Loved?
The thought entered his mind, and he froze, looking at his sleeping wife. Does he love her? He hummed softly, curling against her back, which was turned away from him. He would probably do anything for her. Is that love?
"Go back to sleep." Clary grumbled, mingling their hands back together.
"Alright." He breathed, burying his face in her neck. His recent thoughts were pushed aside for now, and sleep consumed him once more.
OoOoO
Days later, Clary leaned back against the side of the couch with her sketch pad in her lap.
"Are you almost done?" Jace smiled, poking at her side with his toe.
"Stop it." She laughed, trying not to smear the charcoal across the whole page.
They were lying across from each other on the plush couch in Jace's studio. She guessed it was their studio, but she was still a pupil when it came to her work. They decided to take a break, which turned into her drawing him. The boys were done for the day, leaving them alone in the room.
"Come on, I'm getting bored." He whined, groaning in annoyance.
"If you keep moving, it will take me longer to finish." She kicked him in the stomach, making him gape for breath.
"My wife just hit me. I've been attacked." He teased, throwing his hand over his heart.
"Stop it." She giggled, working on the shading. He was so silly. She didn't know what to do with him half time, but her life was filled with fun and excitement, which never had before. "I'm done." She handed him the sketch pad to see. Jace smiled at the page, trailing his finger along the parchment.
"Could I-" He paused, taking a deep breath. "It is very good." He smiled at her, sliding the book to the floor. "Come here." He leaned up, and grabbed her waist. She laid on him, biting her lip. "You are beautiful." His hand weaved into her braid, as she blushed. She wondered what he was going to ask. Jace pulled her against his chest, holding her close to him. He rested his chin on her head, making Clary smile.
OoOoO
Jace almost asked her the other day to paint her. She wasn't ready yet. He was ready when they met, but he could wait. He was patient. He remembered his thoughts from the other morning. Does he love her? What is love? He wasn't sure because he had never been in love before. He knew this relationship was different, but did that mean it was love? These thoughts filled his mind over their dinner together.
"Jace?" Her voice broke his train of thought. His eyes turned to her, making his heart swell. She looked at him with bright eyes, which begged for his attention.
"Yes?" He raised his eyebrows, as he began listening to his wife.
"I was wondering if we could go down to the ocean tomorrow afternoon." Clary asked, taking a bit of her dinner.
"Why don't we go tonight?" He suggested, taking her hand into his.
"Alright." She nodded in agreement, forcing back a small smile. He kissed her hand before digging back into his food. He had some idea for the night that would make it very special.
OoOoO
"When you said let's go tonight, I thought you meant before the sun set, not after." Clary clung onto her husband's arm, as they carefully climbed down the stone steps. These steps scared her during the day. They terrified her at night.
"I should have clarified." He chuckled softly, leading her to the next couple of steps.
"Yes, you should have!" She exclaimed, squeaking when her foot slipped. She was even more horrified now. She could hardly see, and she knew how high up these stairs were. Jace might have been walking on the outside, but she still felt like she might plummet to her death.
"We are almost at the bottom." He assured her, helping her regain her balance. She breathed a sigh of relief when her foot touched the sand. She was on the ground safely. She leaned against the wall of the cliff, taking a deep calming breath. They were alive. They survived the walk down the steps from hell.
"Everything ok?" Jace smiled, placing his hands on her hips.
"Yes, I'm alright." She pushed herself off the wall, stepping closer to the ocean. She was breathless. The moon shined against the water, reflecting in a million bright lights. He was right. This was definitely right when he said this was more romantic then during the day. He was always right, wasn't he? It gave her a sense of security because he was completely stable.
"It's glorious, isn't it?" His arms wrapped around her waist from behind, hugging her to him.
"Yes." She exhaled, dropping her head against his shoulder.
"I'm going to make a fire." He kissed her neck before walking off. She could see his figure in the moonlight. She sat by the fire pit, watching him load it with wood that was kept close by. She wished that she could see his muscles coiling and flexing, as he lifted the heavy wood. The fire erupted into flames, sending a wave of much needed heat around them.
Jace sat next to her, and they basked in the fire in moonlight for what seemed like hours. It was the most relaxed they have probably seen together because whenever they were together they were working or being intimate, so this was a change for them. They sat in silence, enjoying each other's company. Clary looked over at her husband, feeling her breath catch in her throat. He was so handsome. The fire accented the golden locks a top of his head, and highlighted his skin. She wanted to paint him. She had yet to paint people, but she wanted to put him on paper and in color. That charcoal drawing she created didn't compare to the man in front of her.
She began to realize that he was also staring at her. She bit her lip, quickly turning her gaze to the bright fire. His finger tucked under her chin, sending shivers down her spine, as he brushed their lips together. Her stomach lit up when he deepened the kiss. They scooted closer to one another. Her heart was hammering in her chest, feeling his hand sink into her locks. She broke away from him, clearing her throat.
"Is something wrong?" He questioned softly, running his finger down her cheek.
"No, I'm just getting really warm to be outside." Her cheeks turned red when she started thinking about being with him here, outside.
"We could go for a dip." He suggested, biting his lip.
"What do you mean?" She hugged her knees to her chest, looking over at him.
"I mean go into the ocean." He shrugged with a smile playing at his lips.
"Are you insane?" She laughed, bumping into his arm. "What are you expecting up to wear in there?" She snorted, putting her cheek back on her knees.
"Well, nothing actually." He forced backs devious grin, as he got to his feet.
"What?" She widened her eyes at him, as he started to shimmy out of his clothes.
"As you said, it's really warm outside." He wiggled his eyebrows, slipping out of the last of his clothes. He ran towards the ocean, his parts flapping in the wind.
"What are you doing?!" She laughed, crawling to her feet.
"Join me! I won't look if you don't want me to!" He yelled, wading in the water.
"You are crazy." She shook her head with a big smile on her face.
"Come on!" He repeated, splashing in her direction.
"Turn around." She giggled, reaching behind her to untie her corset. He spun around, letting her undress in private. She couldn't believe she was doing this. She was stripping out in the open and going into the vast ocean, but what did she have to lose? Nothing. She had nothing to lose. Why did she care if Jace saw her body? He was her confidant, her husband, and her lover. He has done everything to welcome her into his life and home, so why hide herself from him? She crossed her arms over her chest, moving slowly into the water.
"Are you in yet?" He asked, moving his arms over the water.
"Yes, but don't turn around yet!" She giggled, feeling the cold water overwhelm her senses. Her body was submersed, and she swam right in front of him. "Now you can look." She bit her lip, feeling her stomach coil in knots. He turned around, swimming a little closer to her.
"That wasn't so hard." He teased, smiling brightly at her.
"No, it wasn't." She rolled her eyes at him, still having a grin splayed across her lips. His eyes were looking at the water in front of her. It made her heart pound a little faster in his chest, but she determined that she was done hiding from him.
"I've been waiting to get you naked for a month and half, and now I have you that way, but I can't see it." He laughed, moving closer to her. "Darn you night time." He chuckled, keeping his eyes on her.
"That doesn't make me feel any more comfortable." She stammered, feeling her cheek set ablaze.
"I'm not trying to." He leaned his head forward slightly, pausing in front of my lips.
"I know you're not." She inhaled a deep breath, biting her lip.
He hesitantly put his lips to hers, drawing away almost immediately. He wanted to make sure she was comfortable, which she greatly appreciated. "Is this ok?" His voice was hoarse, as his hands brushed along her thighs.
"C- Could we go back inside first?" Clary took a deep breath. She felt her heart hammering against his ribs, making it hard to breathe.
"Of course." His hand cupped her cheek, as he brushed their lips together again slowly.
OoOoO
Jace tugged on his pants, keeping his eyes turned away from Clary, as she got dressed. He wanted to look, but he resisted. He took her hand, leading her back up the steps. They were giggling like children.
"Jace, slow down." She laughed, as they got higher in the air. "We are going to fall and die." She held onto his arm, making him go slower.
"Forgot about the whole plummeting to death thing." He chuckled, still dragging her up the hill. She was naked in front of him! He didn't really see anything, but he was almost completely positive that she was going to let him see her tonight. He couldn't contain his excitement, which made him feel like a child.
They hurried into their room, and he dropped their left over clothes on the floor. They were wearing the bare minimum, which left Clary in her slip. It was clinging to her body, making his blood go haywire. It was closest he had ever gotten to seeing her naked form. They stood in front of each other, shivering from either the cold or the anticipation. She bit her lip, looking down at herself, and back up at him. He knew she was nervous. He took a step towards her, holding her arms gently in his hands. He traced circles along the uncovered skin, as he stood chest to chest with her. He exhaled a long breath, dropping his forehead to hers. "I never thought I would get married." Jace adjusted his footing, putting his toes against her. "But I'm so glad I did." He brushed their lips together, sliding his hand down to hers. He mingled their fingers together, kissing her again.
"I am too." She stuttered, moving to wrap her arms around his neck.
That was all they needed to say. His mouth latched onto hers, as his fingers fisted against her slip. Something was different in the way they kissed; in the way they felt each other. He didn't know what it was, but he loved it. She seemed less hesitant, making him feel like she was giving herself over to him. He loved her. The words entered his mind, but it didn't shock him. It made sense. Everything he felt for her led to that concussion, and it didn't scare him. Her finger pulled at his hair, while her body molded against his. He felt too into the feeling of her to say anything in this moment. He inhaled deeply through his nose, lifting her up bridal style. He loved this woman, and he was going to show her. He rested her gingerly on the bed, shifting over her petite body. He felt one of her hands grip his hip, pulling him down on her. He smiled against her lips, pushing her hair back from her face.
Jace sat up slightly, reaching for the hem of her gown. She gulped, resting back against the pillows. He turned his eyes to hers, wondering if this was alright. He started to bunch it in his hands, as he slid it up her legs and over her hips. This is the furthest he had gotten before. He opened his mouth to ask if taking it off was ok, but she was already nodding, like she could read his mind. She lifted her arms over her head, letting him remove it from her.
She was beautiful. He ran his hand down the curve of her smooth waist. He pressed his lips just above her chest, drifting his fingers lightly against her sides. Her hands caressed his hair. He wanted to worship her entire torso, which he intended to do after his mouth connected with hers once more. She whimpered softly, when his tongue peeked into her belly button. He breathed in her sweet scent, needing her with every fiber of his being, but he could wait. He wanted her to understand how much he appreciated her trust.
A/N: Jace has admitted that he loves her! It seemed so perfect to put here. I was between two things for this chapter and this one won because I felt it was more important. The next chapter will have the other characters in it. I promise. We will see more of the kiddos and Isabelle along with a couple other people. There will be another time skip because I want to get to when Clary is working on commissioned art. It takes a long time to master painting. The time skip won't be too long, and she won't be working on commissioned art yet, but I thought I would give you a heads up.
A special thanks to my beta HeronFrayWood! I'm not the best writer grammar wise, so thanks for putting up with me.
Is there anything you guys want to see? Other than just the painting stuff! Painters didn't just paint all the time. Lol.
Please review! I love hearing from you guys! It makes my day to see reviews in my inbox.