My dear little broccolis💚💚💚

~ So remember that Jace is five years older than Clary in this Fic. (I am not removing this warning ever, because some people forgot on other fanfics, and got shocked 60 chapters into the story)

~ Also, there is a Pinterest board for this story, so go check it. out.

~ Just so you know, this chapter was supposed to be combined with the last one. So ... it was supposed to be a massive chapter! But I cut it in half, and clearly don't regret it.

~ And guess what?! I got myself a beta, so your eyes won't bleed over all my mistakes. Haha. So big thanks to 500 Years of Winter

~ ‼️ Also, remember that the story is RATED M. I mean, if you can't handle mature content, you shouldn't keep reading. I know that I am repeating myself here, but I know what this story will contain, and I don't want to read complains about this content. ‼️

~ Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and sorry, this chapter is awfully huge. I couldn't cut it. I won't get it this long next time.

Love, Mina💚💚💚

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Chapter 8: Okinawa (6,4K)

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

Okja. So this time, while writing, I watched a movie that I already knew, and that I love. If you haven't already, you should really check this movie out. It is completely worth it, I really liked this movie.

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

Jace's PoV

"We need to talk, Jace."

For a brief second, Jace froze on himself, his breath catching in his throat at the seriousness behind his boss's tone. Of course Valentine could be calling him for various reasons, but Jace didn't like that he was calling him mere moments before he and Clarissa were supposed to head to the airport.

With suspicion, Jace secured his gun in its holster and checked through his peephole if there was anyone at his doorstep. He didn't doubt that Valentine would send some of his men to pick up his daughter and kill him in the process. But when he saw that the corridor was clear, he relaxed a little, trying to rationalize with himself a little. After all, just because he was planning on coming clear to his boss, that didn't mean that Valentine already knew what was happening between him and Clarissa.

"Can't it wait a few hours until I get back?"

"Not really. Well, it depends on you," Valentine shrewdly said, making Jace even more nervous. For all the years he had worked with the man, Valentine had never eluded the words he wanted to say. He had always been direct, probably because he was a man of power who had learnt to impose his will just by his words and the strength of his voice.

When Jace didn't say a word, waiting for Valentine to continue, the mobster explained: "Clary wants to stay a week more in Japan; she called me yesterday to let me know that she wants to go to Okinawa."

As the words processed in his brain, the first feeling that came to him was confusion. He couldn't understand why the redhead hadn't talked to him about this change of plans in the morning, or even the night before. He never actually stopped her from doing anything, even when he knew that any other man of Valentine would have tried to put a veto on her whereabouts. He simply let her be, simply tagging along, without ever nagging her about it (even when it came down to shopping). So he simply couldn't understand why she felt like she had to go behind his back, and ask her father about this without letting him know about it.

"I won't ask you to stay if you don't want to, Jace. I know this "mission" isn't what you had in mind when I told you that I was sending you to Japan. If you made plans, or if you simply don't want to stay there longer, I would understand, and have you both back as planned," Valentine said when Jace didn't give him an answer.

Jace sat on his bed, a new feeling growing in his stomach that had nothing to do with anxiety or nervousness. He was angry. But the thing was, he couldn't really tell if he was angry at Clarissa for going behind his back and therefore, treating him with as much respect as she would give a rat; or if he was angry at himself for believing that this arrangement they had between them would imply that she would actually give him a little more respect outside the bedroom.

He hung his head low, pinching the bridge of his nose as he realized how pathetic this whole situation was. Just a few moments ago, he was there, looking at the girl and wishing that those two weeks they shared would never end, when all along, she only saw him as a boy toy. This was the only justification he could find as to why she didn't discuss her change of plans with him. His opinion in the matter didn't matter to her.

"Jace?" Valentine pressed on the other end of the phone, bringing the young man back to the reality of the moment. He clenched his jaw, wishing that someone would suddenly barge in on Valentine with an emergency that would require Jace back to US soil. But when nothing of the sort happened, Jace said with his most neutral voice,

"I have no say in the matter."

Valentine sighed from the end of the line, before he specified, "I know that whatever I'll say, you will do as asked. But here, I am not ordering you anything. I am asking for your opinion. If you want to come back, I will let Clary know that Okinawa will have to wait for another time."

"I will go wherever you send me, Valentine. You didn't have to call me for that," Jace argued, his voice still neutral; and something in Valentine's breathing told him that the man was frustrated with this answer.

For a couple of seconds, neither men said a word, before Valentine sighed in what Jace categorized as defeat, and let the blond man know, "I will see you in a week."

Jace hung up, and went straight to his shower. He had always been someone who took quick showers, most because in many of the foster homes he had been to, his foster parents had nagged him about the price of water, and heat, which was why his showers were now always cold. All his life up until his twelfth, he had heard adults blaming him for taking showers that would last more than five minutes, and how he shouldn't use too much hot water and think of other people in the house. And even though he had fled those places more than a decade ago, the habit of a quick and cold shower stuck with him.

But when Jace stepped inside the shower that day, he was so engulfed in his thoughts that he didn't realize how long he'd stayed under the water. He kept on thinking about the fact that this simple little thing that was prolonging her holiday, Clarissa didn't decide to share this information with him. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he was really angry at her. How could she even make the plan, and then pretend as if it was nothing the whole time they spent together afterwards?

It was only when he realized that he was shivering because of the cold, and not anger, that Jace left the shower, his skin all pruned up and white. With haste, he finished packing his bags, doing his best to calm himself and contain his anger. This was something that he was actually very good at, concealing his emotions, but only when people were around. As soon as he was alone, he would be on fire. The only person who actually saw a glimpse of him enraged was Magnus. But then again, Magnus was his best friend, and Jace felt a little fear around him than with other people.

Once he was ready, he headed to the lobby and called a cab while waiting for the redhead. Five minutes later, she came out of the elevator followed by a valet handling all her suitcases, and she smiled brightly at him. But he didn't return back her smile, simply taking his bag and walking straight to the taxi, cursing himself for being so impacted by this woman.

He had no reason to be. Their arrangement was very clear. They had two weeks of fun that they would qualify as a hazy dream when they returned back to the US. There was nothing more to it. He knew that from the beginning, and not even for a second, had he forgotten about it. So he had no reason to feel betrayed by her move. She could do whatever she wanted; it shouldn't have impacted him that she didn't share her plans with him. He actually knew for a fact that it wouldn't have impacted him if the arrangement hadn't been thrown in the mix.

During the ride to the airport, he sat next to the driver, though his eyes did peek on their own through the rearview mirror to look at the redhead. For most of the ride, she looked through the window, a sad expression clouding her face. And no matter how angry he was at her, he didn't like seeing her like that. He liked it better when she smiled, and giggled, and made fun of him.

For the rest of the trip, neither of them said a single word, just like when they came to Japan, though Jace did see that from time to time, Clarissa would glance in his direction. But he never brought up the topic that was upsetting him. He wanted her to acknowledge the fact that she went behind his back, but he also didn't want to show that this little maneuver of hers was affecting him more than it should have.

He closed his eyes once the plane took off, pretending to be asleep, even though all of his senses were on alert during the whole flight. And during the whole duration of the flight, he couldn't tell if he was so aware of his environment because of the mission that had been entrusted to him, or if it was because Clarissa was sitting next to him. But no matter what, he didn't let it show, and kept his features expressionless.

It was only in the cab drive from the airport to a house Valentine had rented by the beach, that Clarissa finally broke the ice between them. Unlike in the first cab ride, Jace had taken his seat next to her, mostly because he didn't want to see her sad face again. She tried to take his hand in hers, but he stopped her from doing so by abruptly putting his hand in his lap.

"Are you angry at me?" She asked in a small voice, but Jace kept his face towards the window, refusing to look in her direction.

"What did I do to make you mad like this?"

"You went behind my back!" He all but barked at her, making the driver worriedly glance at them in the review mirror. Jace locked his jaw, his eyes hard on the girl. She looked down at her hands, fidgeting with her fingers.

"I'm sorry … I … I wanted to tell you this morning, but … "

"But you went behind my back and asked Daddy dearest to break the news for you."

Clarissa didn't retort with her usual wit, nor did she glare at him, she simply looked down, hiding her face and emotions away from Jace, and unknowingly, bothering him more than the fact that she went behind his back,

"I'm sorry. I just … I was afraid you wouldn't want to stay another week, and I didn't want you to say no to my face," She whispered, taking Jace aback. He had never bothered to see it from her point-of-view.

"You thought that I would refuse to stay a week longer with you?" Jace asked in disbelief.

"I don't know, Jace. I never know what you think. You always keep everything to yourself, and … well, it's not easy to read you," She snapped, finally looking back to him. Jace saw a hint of defiance in her green eyes, as if she was daring him to contradict her words.

They stared at one another for a moment, before she shyly reached out for his hand, clearly fearing that he would refuse her that once more. But when he didn't, she squeezed it, and said: "I didn't mean for you to think that I was going behind your back. I'm sorry."

Jace squeezed her hand back. "Just … don't ever do it again. I don't react well to people going behind my back."

Just as they came to an understanding, the cab driver pulled in front of a house nearby the beach, and Jace repressed himself from rolling his eyes. For as long as he had known the man, Valentine seemed to like his space. Whether it was his mansion, or the hotel rooms he would use while on business trips, Valentine always went for spacious places.

And the house he had rented for his daughter was no different. It was a two story house, large enough for a big family, when there would only be Clarissa and Jace. But the redhead didn't seem to mind (though having lived all of her life like this, she was probably used to it), and she went inside the house as if it was her own. Jace followed her, helped by the driver with all of her suitcases.

Once inside, Jace saw that his expectations of the place were founded, it was ridiculously spacious for only two people. He left the cases in the entryway and followed the noises coming from what happened to be the kitchen. There, he found Clarissa reading a paper and drinking a glass of water.

She looked up to him when he cleared his throat, and she smiled brightly at him. He raised an eyebrow, pointing at the paper that was in her hands, questioningly. So she explained:

"Oh. It's only the instructions from the owners of this place: where the fuse box is, where to shut down the water and gas, where the nearest shops are, etc."

"So in the case of a gas leak, I will have to count on you to shut down—"

"You will have to count on yourself. I'm a rich spoiled brat, remember? I barely know where the sink is," She cut him off, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Jace didn't renounce on that, though he made a mental note to look at the paper when she was looking the other way, and find all of the important places that were mentioned there while she was sleeping.

"So? We're good? You're no longer mad at me?" She asked, putting down the paper and the glass. Jace shook his head, a small smile growing on his lips despite himself. No matter how angry he had been at her, this was how he liked her best: teasing, joking, and carefree.

"So, if you're no longer mad, why are you all the way over there? I mean, I'm no longer a bad girl that needs to be scolded," She continued, her voice far more alluring now. He didn't say anything, letting her lead the path as she swayed her way over to him; and when she finally reached him, she smiled deviously up at him, putting her hands behind his neck as she said:

"Except, if you think that you should punish me … Then, in that case, I have been a very, very naughty girl."

"Naughty girls don't get sex. They get abstinence."

"Then I'm a good girl," She quickly countered, making Jace laugh at her.

"You just can't make up your mind, can you?"

But still, that didn't stop him from kissing her and taking her all the way to the counter top. She weaved her fingers through his hair, bringing his face ever closer to hers while Jace was lifting her skirt up, in search for her sweet spot. Once he found it, he moved her underwear to the side in an impatient gesture, and massaged her pleasure spot, earning a guttural moan from her.

He kept on fondling her, his mouth quickly making its way to her chest and its wonders, and when he judged that she was wet enough, he reached back to her lips, asking her between two kisses, "Tell me, Clarissa. Have you been good or naughty? Shall I punish you, or reward you?"

"Bad. I've been so, so bad," She panted, moving her hips to get even more friction from Jace's fingers.

Jace smirked, removing his fingers and making the redhead pout. She watched him roll a condom on, a little remark about his member ready to escape her lips, but never doing so. Softly, he reached to cup her face and kiss her, but when he felt her taking him in her hand to take him in, Jace stopped her and made her come down the counter. Then he turned her around, and gently thrusted into her until she was enveloping his entire length.

He let out a grunt of satisfaction, relishing, once again, in the fact that she felt so perfect around him, and that he didn't have to hold back with her. He rammed into her, repeatedly, drawing happy squeaks out of her; and when he felt her inner walls squeeze him tighter and tighter, he smacked her rear, growling between thrusts,

"Come on, Clarissa. Just come for me."

And as his hands connected once again against the skin of her behind, she let out a chaplet of 'yes's and swears. Jace swiftly followed, heaving out a satisfied sigh before he bent a little to kiss the skin of her neck.

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

The next day, Jace and Clarissa stayed mostly in the house, going out only to shop for a few groceries. At some point, she had wanted to go out to eat, but Jace had surprised her by cooking a brunch for the two of them, which resulted in a lot of mockery from Clarissa's part, saying that without his 'monster-cock', he would be the perfect man. Of course, Jace had a comeback about that, saying that this particularity of his anatomy was exactly what was making him the perfect man.

But during their little grocery shopping, Clarissa saw something that she couldn't stop talking about.

"So? We're going to that karaoke beach, right?"

Jace smirked, not giving her a straight answer just like he had been doing for the past hour ever since they'd gotten back. She pouted, clearly not happy at his lack of involvement in the conversation and she pointed out,

"We have to go, anyway. We can't come to Japan and not even karaoke once!"

"Just like we can't get to Japan and not get tattooed. Let me see that ink again," Jace teased, and Clarissa glared at him.

Jace chuckled at the indignation displayed on her face and took their plates to the sink.

"You just don't want to go because you don't want me to hear how awful of an singer you are," She teased, making Jace chuckle a little bit before he sat back in front of her.

"Or maybe I just like making you work for it. You're adorable when you pout."

"I'm not adorable," She countered, her cheeks slightly reddening, and Jace simply smirked at her, picking some berries from her bowl.

They spent the afternoon watching movies. Well, one movie that lasted far longer than any movie he had ever seen before. Apparently Clarissa was a sucker for old movies, and they ended up watching Gone with the Wind. During the four hours of the movie, Jace watched Clarissa more than the movie, trying to understand what she could find interesting in any of the characters on display. Both the girl and the guy were obnoxious to him.

When the time to go to the karaoke came, Clarissa was like a child, which made Jace smile at her enthusiasm. Actually, during their whole two weeks in Tokyo, he never saw her as excited as she was to go karaoke singing. When he asked her about it, she explained that it was because she loved going to karaokes. It was her favorite thing to do with her best friend, that and drinking fruity alcoholic drinks with unpronounceable names.

"But you being boring you, you of course have no idea of what the buzz of the alcohol does to you," She pointed out, looking at the menu songs, before squealing, "They have a Madonna song! I have to sing it."

Jace watched her write down the song that she picked for herself, but he didn't have to wonder for long what was so special about Madonna songs as she explained, "Izzy and I always sing a Madonna song when we go to a karaoke. Because the first song we ever sang together in public was Like a Virgin. Of course, our parents had a good laugh about this because we were seven or something, and completely not getting the meaning of the song. We just thought it had a good beat."

"How can you not get the meaning of the word 'virgin'?" Jace mused, earning a glare from Clarissa.

"Did you hear what I just said? We were seven! Normal seven years old are pure and innocent at that age. Sorry if that wasn't the case for you."

Jace shook his head, looking at the menu for the drinks, pondering if he should tease Clarissa even more and simply ask for some jasmine tea. He was checking the snacks, when she tore him out of his thoughts and asked,

"You're going to sing, right?"

"I never said that I would sing."

"You said that you were just playing around with me. But you're going to sing?"

And it was right at that moment that Jace understood Valentine like he had never understood him before. A part of him had always wondered why Valentine wasn't stricter with his daughter. Not that the mobster let her do crazy things, but Jace noticed over the years that 'no' was a word that had some difficulties coming out of Valentine's mouth when Clarissa asked him for something. The only time he refused her anything was when he was concerned about her safety.

And now that he was facing a Clarissa that was asking for him to do such a simple little thing, he couldn't find it in himself to refuse her that. He couldn't bear to take away her excitement and happiness of the moment. So he simply shrugged, making her squeal as her eyes scanned the menu she had in her hands.

"How about this song?" She deviously proposed, and Jace simply glanced at the title she was pointing to before raising an eyebrow at her.

"You think I'm not man enough, and that I will cower from the song?"

She beamed at him, before writing down the name of the song she had chosen for him and giving it to the man taking care of the karaoke. Then, they ordered their drinks, Jace remaining soft with his Coke as they enjoyed watching people sing various songs while drinking their beverages.

Jace was actually surprised to see that a couple of people had chosen to sing old French songs, and had he known that there were some in the repertoire, he would have gone to them rather than to the one Clarissa had chosen for him.

When the time came for her turn to sing, she happily jumped her way to the stage, not without asking Jace to record her performance so she could send it to her best friend. Once on stage, she sang Like a Prayer with panache and without a care in the world, shaking her body to the song as if she was performing a concert herself. But as he was recording her antics on her phone, Jace didn't focus on her craziness; he instead focused on her voice and had to admit that the girl could sing. But then again, she probably had private music teachers growing up that taught her how to hit each note properly.

Then, it was Jace's turn, and so he went on stage, leaving Clarissa alone at their table, out of breath. She winked at him, holding her phone to record him as well while a smirk grew on her delicious lips; and Jace decided to simply ignore her. He looked at the screen, a part of him wondering if this would be easier for him if, like Clarissa, he had a few drinks in his system, and alcohol inhibiting him, but then he decided that he didn't care. It was one song, and he knew that he was certainly not going to make a show out of it like she'd just done.

He sang Man! I Fell Like A Woman, his eyes mostly glued to the screen because, though he knew the song, he didn't know the lyrics by heart; and when he got back to his and Clarissa's table, she was bent in half, replaying the video she'd just made of him.

"You have the man shirt, but where is the short skirt, Jace?"

He rolled his eyes at her, taking a swing of his Coke while she kept on laughing at him, playing over and over again the chorus of the song. Then she paused, and put her phone down, her face suddenly serious as she whispered,

"Though if you wear a short skirt, everyone is going to see your monster-cock, and we can't have that, can we?"

"I think you're obsessing over my dick. I'm going to have to put a restraining order against you to protect it."

"Well … if you promise to keep on eating me, despite the ban …" She wiggled her eyebrows at him, and he shook his head, pretending to be interested in the other singers.

They stayed for another couple of hours, Clarissa going back to the stage several times, each time enjoying herself more than the previous time, and each time, bringing a smile to Jace's face, despite the fact that this was against everything he was. Whenever he went out with the guys, or alone, he always made sure to bring as little attention to himself as possible. Mostly because being the centre of attention didn't go with his line of work. But there was something about seeing the redhead being so happy that made him … care less about everything else.

When they made their way home, Clarissa was definitely tipsy, but she wasn't drunk. Jace had seen enough people drunk (including Jordan and Magnus) to know how a drunken person acted like. She made fun of him being so tall compared to her, even though she was wearing heels, she called him a robot for not knowing how to feel or how to have fun, she debated with herself on whether or not broccolis would one day take over the world.

And all the while, Jace silently listened to her, helping her walk straight and keeping to himself that he found drunk Clarissa even more adorable than bargaining Clarissa. They were just on the front porch when it started to rain heavily, and Clarissa spun around under the falling drops, her face facing the sky, giggling with glee while her white dress was getting soaked by the rain.

Without being able to stop himself, Jace interrupted her moment of joy, brought his hand to her face to gently caress her cheek and kissed her lips, being rewarded by the redhead jumping into his arms.

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

Later that night, Jace was awoken by Clarissa screaming beside him. He jolted awake, looking at the redhead who was still screaming in her sleep. After the first few seconds of stupor, Jace gently shook the girl, hoping that it would wake her, but when it didn't, he did it with a bit more heart, softly calling her name.

"Clarissa. Clarissa. Clary!"

Finally she snapped her eyes open and sat right up, taking in her surroundings before lying back on the bed, leaving a dumbfounded Jace staring at her. They had spent thirteen nights together, and this had never happened before. He watched her fall back to sleep as quickly as she sat up, and when he was sure that her breathing was regular, he lay back next to her, making sure to take her in his arms.

For a moment he simply stared at the ceiling, resisting the temptation to check on the time as his thumb mindlessly caressed the girl's bare arm. They hadn't had sex when they came back to the house, because no matter how pushy Clarissa had been, Jace didn't like the idea of having sex with someone who had more than a couple of drinks. It was a rule that he had imposed on himself, if he was sober, he was going to make sure that the girl he would bring home would be sober enough as well.

So when they came back, Jace had to bargain with Clarissa to drop the idea of 'getting some of that monster-cock' with them simply going to bed and seeing where the morning would take them. Not that he felt like he was losing anything in that bargain.

Slowly, he started drifting to sleep, when Clarissa stirred a little next to him, and moved so her head would rest on his torso. Jace didn't think much about that, until she mumbled,

"I don't want to go back, Jace. I'm good here, with you."

Jace froze, waiting for her to say something else, but when she didn't, he called her name a couple of times before coming to the conclusion that she was sleep talking. But those few words that she had uttered kept him awake for the rest of the night, because, if he was honest with himself, a part of what she said could also apply to him.

He did want to go back, because no matter what, he liked his job. Even if he had killed people, even if he had threatened people, he still liked his job. Or more, he liked working for Valentine. But … he was also good with Clarissa. Having her in his arms at night was something that he had come to like very much, and knew he was going to miss that when they got back to the US.

And then came the question of will he have a future? He was planning on telling Valentine, because he never kept anything from his boss, and felt that this was the one thing he really shouldn't keep secret from the mobster. He didn't really know how he would tell Valentine without being too explicit about his actions (or even the feelings he was doing his best to deny), but he knew he would come clear, but would Valentine let him live?

Over the past three years, Jace had seen how Valentine handled the few boyfriends Clarissa had brought home to him. He saw how Valentine always made sure that Clarissa would never suspect he was the reason her suitors broke up with her a month after meeting him. So as far as he knew, Valentine never hurt any guy that Clarissa was seeing. But Jace was more than any guy, and he did more than see Clarissa. He fornicated with her, and by doing so, he betrayed the trust Valentine had in him. And Jace knew firsthand what Valentine did to the people who betrayed his trust.

When morning light peeked through the curtains, Jace got out of the bed, making sure that Clarissa was properly covered before he went to do what became his usual exercise while in Japan. Then, he started cooking breakfast, a part of him liking that Valentine took a rental rather than a hotel. He liked to cook, and if the day before was any indication, he liked that Clarissa liked his cooking.

"Do you really think that I can eat that much pancake?" Clarissa's voice echoed behind him, full of sleep and astonishment. Jace turned, smiling at the redhead as he pointed out,

"These aren't pancakes. They're crêpes. They're much thinner and much tastier."

Clarissa rolled her eyes, sitting at the table after having poured herself a glass of water, and they ate in silence for a little while, Jace seeing from the corner of his eye that she was enjoying his food, even if she thought it was too much. He waited a little to see if she would bring up her nightmare on her own, but when she didn't, he simply asked,

"So? You want to talk about last night?"

She smirked at him, biting her lower lip as she reminded him of something else entirely, "What? You won't even let me digest first? You should have brought it up before I started digging into those delicious pan— crêpes."

"That's not what I meant. You woke up screaming last night.

This had the merit to stop her jokes and make her frown. He was about to insist, when a sad look of nostalgia clouded her face and she said in a very evasive tone, "I used to have night terrors when I was little. The rain probably triggered them to return."

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

The week that they spent at Okinawa was far different than the weeks they spent in Tokyo. For starters, Clarissa didn't ask even once to go shopping, which was a real relief to Jace. Not that he would have argued with her if she had decided on doing so, but he could really appreciate the fact of not being trapped following a girl from boutique to boutique and waiting for her in front of the changing room like a creeper.

They actually spent most of their time either at the beach, or at the house, but mostly together. Jace taught Clarissa how to cook French toasts, as well as his favorite dish, Chana Masala. She made him watch several other old and long movies, though they weren't as terrible as he thought. When Clarissa asked for his opinion of Gone with the Wind, she told him to not view the movie as a romance, but as it was, a life story of a woman who braved a world of man and war to survive and perpetuate her family name. Clarissa also used the opportunity to reveal that there was a piano in the house so she could teach Jace a few easy and simple children's songs, though she was surprised to learn that Jace could play guitar.

The few times they weren't together were when Clarissa was on the phone with either her father, or Izzy, or when Jace worked out (making Clarissa once again make fun of him for not relaxing fully during his holidays). Jace texted Valentine a couple of times to know how things were going back in the US, just like he had when he was in Tokyo.

And just like that, their week in Okinawa flew by, without Jace even realizing it.

It was only when he'd packed his bag that something out of this week struck him as odd. He was checking his toiletry bag, and realised that the box of condoms had been untouched during the whole week they had spent on this island. They hadn't had sex even once, after their time in the kitchen. And, actually, neither of them had even asked for it. They joked about it, with Clarissa endlessly teasing him about his 'monster-cock', but they never actually had sex.

But he didn't get to linger on that realization for long as Clarissa pressed him to hurry, or she wouldn't have time to wander off in the duty free area. Jace half smiled to himself, seeing the crazy shopper making an apparition, and he finished packing before she was even dressed, making sure to tease her about it when they got in the cab.

The flight was as uneventful as usual, but when the captain told them that they would soon arrive in New York JFK, Clarissa sat up straight and turned her head to Jace.

"Since we're still not on American soil, I just want to remind you about the deal, Jace. What happens in Japan, stays in Japan."

"I know."

"I mean it! I don't want you running to my Dad and telling him all about our time there."

"You know that I am going to talk to him, Clarissa."

"No! What happened was fun while it lasted, but now that it's over, there is no point of you telling him, especially since it's something that has no meaning now that we are back."

Jace didn't retort anything to that, though all he could think about was that the past three weeks meant something to him. No matter what, even if he knew it was just for those three weeks and that they will never get to go back to them, they still meant something to him.

"Please Jace. Just do that one simple thing for me," She pleaded as the captain was telling them that they'd landed safely, and Jace unbuckled his seatbelt as he promised her,

"I won't say a word."

They got off the plane in silence, falling back into the people they were when they boarded, heading to Japan, and Jace felt his heart fall deeper in his stomach when he saw at the checkout point, Valentine and Magnus waiting for them. When Clarissa saw them as well, she happily waved at them before rushing to her father and hugging him in a loving embrace.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were coming to pick me up?"

Valentine didn't say anything, his brown eyes solely on Jace, making his daughter grimace. "I just got back, and you're going away?"

This seemed to break Valentine out of his stare, and he looked at his daughter with love and adoration, kissing her forehead as he told her,

"No, sweetheart, I will see you in the morning for breakfast, and you will tell me all about your trip. But for now, I need you to go home with Magnus. Evan is waiting for you in the parking lot."

"You're not coming?"

Valentine looked back towards Jace, as he explained, "Not right now. I have some business to attend to with Jace."

.

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚

.

~ So this was a chapter with a lot of ... dare I say it? Fluff! Yeah, you read write, I can write cute stuff from time to time!

~ For the tiny hint I mentioned, the one person who pointed it out is the one person I couldn't answer to ... But keep it in mind.

~ Also, in case you didn't noticed/know, I put my other stories on hold, because I want to focus on this one and my other novel (that you can read on FICTIONPRESS, so go check it out and leave me a small review, that would make my day). But don't worry, I will get back on them soon enough. I just need to clean the mess of my life right now. Then, I will get back with daily updates and multiple updates.

~ Anyway, question time:

💚What do you think of Clary actually? I never asked you guys! What do you think of her?

💚What do you think of Jace and his thoughts of Clary? And please keep in mind that last conversation they had!

💚 What do you think Valentine wants with Jace? Is this how Jace will end?

💚What did you think of this chapter overall? And what do you think will happen next?

💚What was your favourite part?

Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.

Love, Mina💚💚💚