Disclaimer: I own nothing.
This story is inspired by the song Superheroes by The Script
Clary
I have nothing to do. I'm literally bored out of my mind.
My brother and some of his big burly man friends are in the apartment today. I'm scared to set foot outside of my room. My parents are God knows where doing God knows what with God knows who. I don't give a shit. But it's pouring outside and I don't feel like climbing down the fire escape in such severe weather. So I'm sitting in my room on my phone reading wiki bios on famous artists.
I'm reading about Georgia O'Keefe and her famous flower painting, when I get an incoming text.
Unknown: Hey Clary it's Simon. Izzy bought me a phone today.
I smile at the text. Thank God Izzy decided today would be a great day to get her boyfriend a way to communicate. I quickly put his information into my contacts and text him back.
Me: Your girlfriend is a life saver. I'm literally dying up in here.
Simon: You're lucky. My girlfriend took me to the mall.
Me: How do you have my number?
Simon: You gave it to Izzy yesterday, remember?
Oh yeah. During our little makeover session we exchanged phone numbers. I look down and see I have another text from my friend.
Simon: I have to go now. We're going for lunch.
At Simon's mention of lunch, I hear my stomach growl. I look at my alarm clock and see it's already close to noon. I glance out my window. It's still raining, but it doesn't look at hard now.
I have two options: Get lunch here and possibly get into trouble with my brother, or suck it up and get rained on while walking to a coffee joint to eat.
I go for the latter.
I strip from my pajamas and jump into the shower. The water stings the cuts I have on my back, but it also soothes the new bruises I received yesterday night. When I'm done, I step out of the small shower and stand and look at myself in the bathroom mirror. I wince as I examine the huge purple and black bruises on my stomach. The ones on my wrist have faded slightly, but the cuts on my back and shoulders are still visible.
I walk out of the bathroom and over to my small closet. I pull on jean capris and a short sleeve black blouse with a lace design. Then I pull on my sneakers and grab a light blue rain jacket. I take my time on my hair, putting in some product that reduces frizz. Then I brush it out until it's neat and curly. I apply some light makeup, making sure my bruises on my face and wrist are covered.
I put my hood up, bracing myself for the rain. Then I step out onto the fire escape. Immediately the rain soaks me. I keep my head down so the water doesn't cause my foundation to rub off, then I carefully climb down the fire escape.
It's still summer, so it's not cold out. This insures I don't get hypothermia while I walk to get lunch.
The place I'm going to is a small coffee joint called Java Jones. They have cheap and delicious coffee and food, so it's my go to spot when I need to eat out of the house. Thankfully I haven't been here for a couple of months. That means my family hasn't warded me out of the house in a while.
I enter the dry comfort of the coffee house, taking off my wet jacket. I comb my fingers through my hair and then walk up to the counter. I get my coffee then sit down at a table near the front.
I glance around the little shop. It's pretty crowded for a small local place like this. I hear the door open and I look up to see who just walked in. My eyes lock on his golden hair.
Jace hasn't noticed me yet, so I slump down into my seat and turn my body. I get glimpses of him ordering his coffee and flirting with the barista. Then he receives his drink, turns around, and that's when he sees me. I watch a smirk appear on his face, and I politely smile in his direction.
Unfortunately, Jace walks across Java Jones to stand in front of my table.
"Hey, Red," he says. I blush, realizing this is the first time we've seen each other outside of Pandemonium.
"Hi, Jace. How are you?" I ask.
"Nursing a hangover. I got fucking wasted last night." I laugh a little at his statement. It makes me feel a little better, too. Maybe he wasn't in his right mind when he was making out with that blonde girl.
"I haven't seen you around here before," he says, switching the subject. I give a small smile.
"I don't come here often. It's been a couple months. Coming here is kind of a rare treat," I explain.
Silence takes over the conversation. I can see Jace looking me up and down. I shift in my seat, a little uncomfortable.
"You know, this is the first time I've seen you in regular clothes. And without your hair up." I don't know what to say, so I just smile and continue to look at him.
The awkward silence is broken by Jace's phone buzzing. He curses and then pulls it out of his back pocket. Jace takes a quick look at his phone. His expressions hardens and he quickly puts the phone back in his pocket.
"Clary, I have to go. Something came up-" He looks around the coffee shop real quick before turning back to me. "It was really nice seeing you." He's about to dash out of Java Jones, but he hesitates. He turns to me one more time. "Do me a favor and wear your hair down more often." And then he's out of there.
A smile slowly creeps onto my face as I watch Jace disappear. I look down at my coffee and blush. The feeling of butterflies in my stomach is impossible to explain.
Jace
I run out Java Jones, silently cursing my best friend. He literally has the worst timing. I feel my phone buzz and I pause to look at the text I just got.
Alec: Hurry up. I have a date this afternoon.
I don't bother responding. Instead I resume my running to the police station. I reach the building and dash inside. I hand the guy at the front desk a card. He scans it and hands it back to me. Then I quickly walk towards Alec's office.
Alec Lightwood is Izzy's brother. He used to be an underground fighter like me. But then he met his boyfriend, and he decided to quit the illegal stuff and become a detective. He's never busted the place I fight. Says he doesn't feel like going through the trouble. But I know that secretly he just doesn't want to arrest his friends. Me be one of them, I'm thankful for that.
I burst into the small room with Alec's name on the door. I'm greeted with the sight of Alec at his desk, looking at his computer. When I walk into his office, he just looks up slightly.
"You're late," he says. I roll my eyes and take a seat across from him.
Alec is tall. Taller than me. He has the same black hair as Izzy, but instead of dark eyes he has light blue ones. You might not realize it the first time you meet him, but Alec is gay.
"Sorry, dude," I say. "This hangover has thrown me off." Alec smiles slightly.
"I'm not going to ask."
Alec looks at his computer again, clicking on a few things, then turning the screen so I can see it. My breath catches in my throat as I look at the familiar man on the screen.
"That's him," I say. Alec reaches onto his desk and pulls out the drawing I gave him.
"Where'd you get this anyway?" he asks. "I don't think any of the artists here are this good." Not wanting to tell him I stole it from an 18 year old's sketchbook, I just shrug.
I fix my gaze back onto the computer screen. The white blonde hair, almost black eyes, pale skin and built figure all make this guy extremely intimidating. And extremely familiar.
"Jonathon Morgenstern," I read. The name of the man is printed under the photo. I look up at Alec. "Where did you get this anyway?"
"He was in our criminal database. He has a history of violence and sexual assault. He's at NYU. Twenty one years old."
"Why haven't I seen him around before?" I ask. Alec shrugs.
"He's near the other side of Manhattan. Maybe he's visiting family or friends over the summer. Probably needs a place to blow off steam."
I had contacted Alec a couple of days ago asking if he could identify someone. I sent him the drawing and he was skeptical at first, but eventually agreed to help me. I usually don't do this kind of thing, but there was something about this guy that made me uneasy. The fights I participate in are strictly for money and a little fun. I'm actually good friends with some of the guys I fight. It might sound strange, but that's just how it works. But Jonathon showed up, and during one of his fights almost killed someone.
Alec looks at the clock on his wall and jumps up. "Shit! Magnus is going to kill me!" I smirk.
"Where're you guys going for your date tonight?" I don't miss the blush that appears on my friend's face.
"The club he owns," Alec grumbles. "Pandemonium." I raise my eyebrows in surprise.
"That's Magnus' club?" I ask. Alec nods.
"You know it?"
"Do I know it? It's where I've been going for the past week!"
"Are you going tonight?"
I think about it for a second before answering.
"I'll ask Izzy and see if she wants to go." Alec's expression turns serious.
"You can come on one condition."
"Name it."
"You can't talk to me for the entire night."
-Superheroes-
I'm at Izzy's apartment. She insisted that she teaches me how to do my makeup the way that she does. I declines at first, but then I realized I didn't have a choice. So here I am, holding actual makeup brushes and applying God knows what to my face.
When I'm finished, I'm actually pretty impressed with my work. I smile at myself in the mirror. Then I start to change into my bartending uniform.
Magnus wants me on the long shift again tonight. So I need to leave at 4:30. My job is ridiculous. Since it's still down pouring, Izzy insisted that she drives me there. Well, she says that she doesn't want my makeup and hair to get messed up.
When I finish pulling on my boots, I start on my hair. I try to accomplish the bun that Izzy did on me yesterday, but I fail miserably. So I just curl my hair into actual tame waves, and then throw it up into my signature high ponytail.
I hear a knock on the door from downstairs. I also hear Izzy answer it. I can't hear the conversation that goes on, and I don't try to listen either.
As I finish readjusting my outfit, Izzy barges into her room, causing me to jump.
"Magnus is your manager?" I look at her, confused, and nod my head. Izzy laughs.
"What's so funny?" I ask her, honestly a little scared of her current state.
"Magnus is my brother's boyfriend! They're going on a date there tonight and Jace-"
"What does Jace have to do with this?" Izzy frowns.
"If you would just let me finish, Clary, then you would already know." I roll my eyes. "My brother, Alec, is a detective. Apparently Jace was at the station today and kind of invited himself. So we're all going to the club tonight. And you're going to bartend for us!"
So this is why Magnus wanted me working the long shift. Because when he goes out, either for meetings, dates, or sometimes both, he can never be a good manager. So he appoints me at bar because he trusts me to keep things up and running.
"Is Jace still here?" I ask, a note of hopefulness in my tone. Izzy smiles at me.
"Yeah. He's in my living room." My stomach does back flips. I can't believe he's right downstairs.
Izzy looks at me and frowns. "Hold still, Clary." She reaches for the foundation on the dresser next to me and gently applies it to a spot on my face. Then she sets it with powder. "You know you should go to the police, right?"
"Izzy, it's not that bad," I lie. "It's just a few slaps now and then, and he always apologizes afterwards." Bullshit. "And plus he'll be going back to college soon, so I don't have to worry." Literally everything I've said is untrue. The abuse is bad, it's more than slaps across the face, and Jonathon goes back in a couple of weeks.
I've never actually told anyone how bad the abuse is. Even Simon thinks it's just slaps. I don't tell him about how bad Jonathon actually hurts me.
Izzy looks unconvinced, but seems to brush it off. Then she pulls me in for a hug. I wince at the light pressure applied onto my bruises, but thankfully she doesn't notice.
"Okay, Iz," I say, pulling away from her. "We better get going or we're going to be late."
Both of us walk out of her room. I take a deep breath before quietly starting to descend the steps. Izzy has a totally different idea, as she clomps down them yelling, "Okay, bitches! Let's get this show on the road!"
Jace is standing in the living room with his back facing the stair case. But when Izzy starts yelling, he turns around to face us. His gaze falls on me. I watch his eyes rake over my body. When he reaches my face, he frowns.
Jace makes his way over to me. My breath hitches when he stops right in front of me. I realize this is the closest we've ever been. His hand reaches behind my head. I have no idea what his intentions are until my hair comes out of my ponytail and falls over my shoulders.
"I told you to wear it down," he whispers huskily. I shiver when his hand lightly grazes the back of my neck.
Then he's gone. I sigh quietly in disappointment. Then I scold myself for feeling this way about Jace. I mean, he's three years older than me. I don't even know his last name, and I barely know anything about him.
"You coming?" Simon asks me from the doorway. I nod my head and scurry after him.
We stand in the elevator in silence. I'm standing next to Jace. We're close. Too close. There's plenty of room in here, yet Jace decided to stand right next to me. When it dings, I quickly step out, trying to get as far away from Jace as possible.
We walk through the parking garage until we reach a sleek black porsche. My mouth falls open.
"I get to ride in this?" I ask, turning to Izzy. She laughs lightly as she climbs into the drivers seat.
"It's okay, Red. I've known her for years and the luxury hasn't become normal yet," Jace mutters as he passes me.
Simon takes shotgun, causing Jace to grumble a few words that aren't deemed polite. So him and me end up sitting in the back of the car. Even though there's a space between us, it's still kind of awkward.
I try to think of how many times I've seen Jace in the past week. Has it really only been a week? He's come to Pandemonium every single night. That's kind of crazy. What does he do for a day job? It's a complete coincidence how we're both connected to the Lightwoods in some way. It's the the universe in pushing us together.
I can't say I'm fond of Jace. I mean, he seems like a nice enough guy. But I've heard from Izzy how he treats women. Humps them and dumps them. For example, he'll probably never contact the blonde girl from last night again. And he's super closed off and mysterious. Plus he can be arrogant and rude.
But at the same time, I find myself liking this man more and more each day. He has some kind of effect on me that attracts me to him. It's not just his hot body and attractive qualities. It's his personality. The way he goes about doing things.
He reminds me of me.
I'm broken out of my thoughts as Izzy swerves out of the way of a truck. I look up, eyes wide.
"My God, woman. Are you trying to kill us?" I say with a glare. I hear Jace snicker from next to me.
"Yeah, Iz. Your driving skills are as crap as your cooking skills," he says. Simon laughs when this is said.
"Hey! You try driving in the city at night!" she retorts. I see Jace raise an eyebrow.
"I bet that Clary can drive one hundred times better than you can. Right, Red?" I look at him with a blank stare on my face. I fiddle with my hands and feel a slight blush form on my cheeks.
"I've actually never driven a car before."
"What?" all three people in the car with me exclaim.
It's true. I've never driven before. Partly because we live in a city, partly because my parents would never give up their time to help me get a licence. I've had no interest in driving before. I mean, I don't need it. But now I'm eight-teen and I haven't even sat in the drivers seat before.
"Geez, Red. You really are city bound. What kind of parents do you have?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," I mutter under my breath.
The rest of the short ride is silent. When we park in front of Pandemonium, I jump out of the car and head inside. The club is quiet and empty, but the bar is surprisingly full. Happy hour does start in a couple of minutes, though.
"Your late," Maia whispers when I drop my bag. I glare at her.
"Sorry. My friend's a shit driver." That's the thing about Maia. You never know how she's going to be that day. Sometimes she's sweet and helpful, other times she's bossy and rude. I guess today is one of her off days.
Out of the corner of my eye I see my friends enter the club. They weren't that far behind me, but if I had to guess I would say that Simon and Jace got into some sort of argument. Sure enough, both of their fists are clenched and Isabelle is wedged between them.
I work on people's drinks. The bar is already crowded and the rest of the club is opening pretty soon. It's almost been an hour since we've arrived. Jace, Izzy, and Simon are on the other end of the bar. My end is too crowded.
I finish mixing a margarita and hand it to someone, when I hear someone to my left say, "Hey, biscuit!" I look up and see my very sparkly manager with a tall man that looks a lot like Izzy.
"Hey, Magnus!" I say back. Magnus is an Asian man. He has short black hair styled into spikes and yellow cat eyes. He wears bright and sparkly outfits 24/7 along with makeup. In other words, he's openly gay.
"Alec, this is biscuit. Biscuit, this is Alexander." I drop the towel I have in my hand and hold it out. Alec takes it. I smile at him.
"I'm Clary," I say. He smiles a little.
"You can call me Alec." I beam at him.
"You know, you look exactly like your sister," I say. Alec looks like he's been caught off guard.
"You know Izzy?" I nod slightly.
"Yeah. She's over there." I gesture to the other end of the bar where she's sitting. Simon and her are sitting close. Simon's arm is around her waist and they're both looking in our direction. Izzy's waving at her brother and Simon has a nervous smile on his face. Jace is sitting next to Simon being the obvious third wheel. He's facing the other direction and sipping a glass of brown liquid.
"We're staying over here," Alec mumbles. I laugh.
"What can I get you?"
Magnus orders a martini and Alec asks for an Old Fashioned. I get to work making their drinks. When I'm done, I hand both of them their beverages. Magnus takes a sip of his martini.
"And this is why you should hire all of your bartenders at age 15." I blush and quickly thank him.
"You've worked here since you were 15?" Alec asks, raising an eyebrow. Then he turns to his boyfriend. "The legal age to start bartending is-"
"I know, Alexander," Magnus says, cutting him off. "But biscuit was in a low place, and I needed the extra help. Plus she didn't start serving drinks until she was sixteen." Alec grumbles something that sounds like "I can't believe my boyfriend breaks the law so damn much." Then Magnus says a quick goodbye. I wave and then move to a person who just sat down.
"Biscuit, huh?" I look up at the person who just sat down. "I like my nickname better, Red." I roll my eyes.
"You want anything?"
"Nah, just want to talk." I quickly scan the bar and look back at Jace. Then I cross my arms over my chest and look at him impatiently.
"Jace, I have a bar full of people that I need to take care of. Maybe we can talk later tonight?" Jace smirks and shakes his head.
"Lucky for you, the bar isn't your responsibility anymore," he says. "I got you the night off." My eyes widen as I look at him in shock.
"What?" He shrugs.
"Alec and Magnus wanted a date night. I was bored, so I decided to bribe them. If your manager gave you the night off I would stop bugging them. So here we are."
"I can't just not work," I splutter. "Who will help Maia?" Jace points towards the entrance to the bar. Sure enough, one of the bartenders from the VIP club upstairs is now down here. And he doesn't look happy about it.
"What about my tips?" I protest. Jace reaches in his back pocket and pulls out a stack of wadded bills. "Jace-"
"It's not mine. It's Izzy's. She gave it to you as a thank you for playing human Barbie with her. Now take the damn cash and get your ass on this side of the bar."
I grin appears on my lips. Then I kick off the boots I have on and drop them with the rest of my stuff. Then I run out of the bar and to where Jace is. He's standing at a slightly different area at the bar now. In front of the new bartender.
"What are we waiting for?" I ask. "Let's dance!" I start to walk away, but Jace places a hand on my shoulder and spins me around. "What?" I ask with a pout, crossing my hands over my chest. Jace lets out a deep laugh.
"You need a drink first." My eyes bug out.
"Jace!" I hiss. "I'm underage!" He raises an eyebrow.
"You're telling me you've never drank before." I shake my head. Jace brings his hand up to his forehead and sighs.
"We've got a lot of work to do," he says. Just then the bartender sets two shots in front of us. I recognize them immediately.
"Red Headed Sluts?" I says, raising an eyebrow. Jace hands me a shot and then takes the other one.
"Well, you are what you drink," he jokes.
You slut.
Worthless slut.
Stupid slut.
Slut.
Slut.
Slut.
"I'm not a slut," I whisper. Jace looks at me. He has a concerned expression on his face.
"Clary? Are you okay? I was just joking, you know that, right?"
I snap out of my trance, and look into Jace's golden eyes.
"I know. I'm just- sorry," I finish weakly. Then to avoid anymore conversation on this topic, I tilt my head back and down the shot. It burns as it goes down my throat. I squint my eyes and swallow. After a few moments, the burning feeling subsides and it's replaced by a floating sensation.
I watch Jace take the shot, hardly flinching. He looks at me. "You're good?" I nod and giggle. Jace smirks. "I knew you'd be lightweight." I frown and gently hit his arm.
"I'm not drunk," I say. My voice is stable and firm. Jace laughs.
"You won't get drunk after one shot. But you're tipsy, no doubt about that."
Jace orders one more round of shots before we make our way to the dance floor. At first I feel out of place, but as soon as I start dancing I don't care about what other people think. Jace and I dance together. At one point I get brave and start grinding on him.
We stay in the middle of all those people for a while before going back to the bar. Jace orders me a Vodka Martini and himself some other drink. We sit down at the bar.
"You promise you're not trying to get me drunk so I'll have sex with you?" I find myself saying.
"I promise." To my surprise, there's no humor behind his tone. He sounds one hundred percent serious.
We sit in silence sipping our drinks. There's pounding music in the room, but it seems so much quieter than it actually is.
"What's your last name?" I find myself saying, turning to the man beside me. Jace chuckles before answering.
"For what reason would you like to know my name?" he asks. I shrug and look him in the eyes.
"If you don't tell me I'll just ask Izzy." This causes Jace to laugh. Then he gets serious.
"Wayland," he says with a smile. "Jonathon Christopher Wayland." I raise my eyebrows.
"Your first name is Jonathon?" He nods. "My brother's name is Jonathon." I see Jace tense. What's that about?
"What about your name?" he asks in a strained voice. I look at him in confusion before answering.
"Clarissa Adele Morgenstern." Jace's eyes turn dark. "Are you okay?" I ask, even though he's clearly not.
"I'm fine," he growls. His stance and expression I've seen before. It's the way Jon looks before he starts hitting me. I need to get out of here. Now.
"I'm going to go home," I say abruptly. I stand up and go to the other side of the bar. I put my shoes on and grab my stuff. Then I start for the exit of the club. At the last second I decide going home isn't worth it. So I scan the club for my manager. Magnus is sitting at a table with Alec. I walk up to him trying not to trip in my dazed state.
After receiving a key for one of the bedrooms on the second floor, I walk over to the staircase. Pandemonium has these rooms for celebrities or employers. It's like a mini hotel above the club. Magnus has let me stay in the rooms a couple of times. I only stay here when I need to.
I throw my stuff in the corner of the room and grab a water from the fridge. Then I sit down on the bed.
"What the hell is up with Jace?" I mutter to myself.
A/N: And that, ladies and gentleman, is the longest chapter I have ever written. I wanted to write it for two reasons.
1. In honor of finishing my other story.
2. I have to go back to school tomorrow. So updates won't be as frequent.
Thank you all for your ideas and support!
-SneekAttack101