Halftime at the football games was always chaos. People from both schools all flocked to small concessions. Filling themselves with refreshments and taking a break to socialize while the band performed and the players regrouped. Clary liked football and she liked the atmosphere of the games too. The school spirit was nice to be apart of. Plus, she was drunk so the chaos didn't bother her.
Isabelle had put Clary's hair up in handlebar piggy tails, tied with blue ribbons for 'school spirit'. It made her look even younger than she already did. One or two people had already poked fun at her but, Clary didn't care. Isabelle always liked to play dress up with Clary like she was a human doll and somewhere along the line she just got used to it.
As the players walked back to the field, Clary and her friends stood along the gate with other students, cheering them on.
Jace shoved his head back into his helmet, now damp with sweat. In his mind, he was going over plays and analyzing the other teams tactics. They had been neck and neck the whole first half but, he wasn't worried. As they entered the field Jace looked over to the cheering fans along the fence line and spotted a red-head in pigtails. He immediately smiled, unable to help it and was glad that the helmet covered his face. He saw that Clary was waving to someone and showing off the Jersey she wore. He recognized the number on front as Sebastian's. The muscle in his jaw jumped slightly and he wondered who was wearing his. Behind Clary, Isabelle caught Jace's eye. She was waving to get his attention. In her hand was a small wad of cash and the girl eagerly pointed down the gate. Jace was slightly confused till he saw a middle-aged, blonde, trophy wife that he didn't even recognize, wearing his Jersey number. Jace shook his head and chuckled to himself. He waved at the woman and she screamed for him even louder as he took to the field.
Some time later, the gang walked out under the bleachers, abandoning the game. They had already headed into overtime and there were mere seconds on the clock but, St. Xavior was down a touchdown. Clary and her friends paused in a loose huddle, in no hurry to leave just yet. Clary took this as prime opportunity for another drink. She reached into the front of her shirt and removed a silver flask that was tucked into her sports bra.
Simon looked surprised. "And I thought, Magnus was the magician." Clary just smiled back and took a gulp of the vodka.
Isabelle rolled her eyes. "She is self- medicating." She explained.
Clary offered the flask to Simon and he took it with a nod of thanks before stooping lower so no one would see.
Isabelle glanced over to Tessa who now held Will's sweatshirt in her hands. "Why did you take it off already? Don't you want a picture with him?" Isabelle interrogated. Just then a buzzer sounded and the announcer declared the other team's victory.
Tessa blushed. "Well, see, I want to wear it but you know he didn't really ask me to and I mean they just lost so..."
"Tessa, Will is nice. He won't care." She argued.
"I know, but I just thought that—Ah!" Tessa spontaneously stumbled forward into Clary's arms. A group of chatty girls barreling behind her.
"Hello, Prima donnas! Why don't we watch where we are going next time?!" Magnus shouted after them.
The girl leading the small farce whipped around, surely with a smart comeback but, once her eyes locked with Clary's she smiled like a cat.
Clary growled under her breath and passed Tessa over to Magnus. She stomped over the group, none of the girls she recognized but one. "What the hell are you doing here, Tatiana?" She demanded.
Tatiana laughed like Clary was some sort of peasant. "Just visiting some old friends, oh and gloating as my old high school kicked your team's ass. So sorry to hear about your little fiasco at the art showing today, by the way." She said through a smug grin.
Clary narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I bet you are. Are you really that threatened by me, that you would go that far?"
Tatiana scoffed. "Oh, honey, I'm not threatened by you. I just don't want your pathetic excuse of talent stinking up at my school."
"Wow, you know what's pathetic? Listening to your sad attempts to hide your obvious jealously." Clary spat through her gritted teeth.
Tatiana flipped her hair. "Whatever, Clary. I can promise I did you a favor. You wouldn't have fit in there anyway." She condescended. "I mean just look at the kind of people you hangout with..." Tatiana leaned around Clary to give her friends a once over. "A prude... a call girl, a Jew, and... a fag." She sneered while the rest of her posse snickered around her. Seeming satisfied with herself, the brown-haired strutted away.
"What a bitch. No wonder you have always hated her." Isabelle commented sounding slightly appalled. Clary didn't reply. "Clary? Clary?"
Clary's blood boiled as she watched that snob walk away caring about no one but herself. Thankfully none of her friends seemed fazed by her comments. But she didn't care. Wrecking her art was one thing but, no one talked to friends like that...
Before Isabelle could stop her Clary charged away toward Tatiana. "That's it! I'm gonna kick your ass!" She yelled as she tackled the flailing girl to the ground.
Jace marched off the field along with his team mates. They had been so close! In honesty, he had done all he could do. There wasn't a play or moment that he regretted for not giving his all. But, that was the problem, his best wasn't good enough. And the talent scouts... They wanted someone who didn't lose.
Jace was stuck in his own head as they made the way past the crowd and all the pity cheers. Surprising him, Sebastian came up and nudged his arm. Jace looked up to see him pointing off into the concession area.
"Dude, check it out. Cat fight." He spoke, sounding surprised himself. Jace peered into the gathering huddle of people, merely curious. That is until he saw someone grasping onto a pig-tail of red flames.
He came to an abrupt stop and shoved his helmet into Sebastian's hands. No time was wasted hopping the fence and jogging over to the commotion. Jace shouldered through the bystanders to see Clary's small frame pinning another girl to the ground. They both screamed at each other in a blur of hands and hair. For a split moment he noticed Isabelle and her other friends in some sort of conflict with another group of girls.
Not caring if he got hit in the middle of action, Jace stooped in and grabbed Clary around the waist, pulling her upright. Unfortunately, she pulled the brunette with her by the shirt collar. Keeping one hand secured around her waist, Jace used the other to pry her fingers off the girl. Once the other was free, the girl tumbled back into the huddle of people. Her face was a cross of fury and shock. There was blood running from her nose down to her chin.
In an instant, Jace threw the petite red-head over his shoulder. For a fleeting second it registered to him that he recognized the bloodied girl but he turned and walk back up to the school's athletic center.. Her fists still pounded against his shoulder pads as Jace carried her away. Clary shot out and arm and pointed back at the girl. "Watch your back, bitch!" She shouted. Jace just rolled his eyes and jerked her with his shoulder underneath her, earning a groan.
Once they were inside the quiet building, Jace slid her off his shoulder. "What the hell were you doing?" He demanded from her.
Clary swatted at him and stumbled backwards almost falling. He reached out and caught her forearm immediately puzzled. At first, he was concerned she had a concussion. However, the hiccup in her breath made him think otherwise. "Are you drunk?" Jace asked her surprised.
Clary yanked her arm away from him. "No!" She insisted, followed by another hiccup.
Frustrated, Jace lifted his hand to run over his face. The red smears across his palm made him pause. He instantly checked around himself for any wounds. When he found nothing he grasped onto Clary again and saw that the back of her hand and knuckles were painted in blood.
"Shit, Clary! What did you do? I know her face wasn't that hard." Jace questioned as he inspected the gash.
"I may have accidently punched the concrete at some point." She dragged out. Jace looked at her face and felt his irritation subside. Her eyes, smeared with makeup, were now glassy with unshed tears, though her furrowed brow made her look angry. She really was a mess. Only one of her pig-tails remained and the other side, a large frizz ball. Her face was a deep shade of pink and there were swollen nail scratches along her jaw. Something in the pit of his stomach twisted seeing her this way.
Just then Sebastian came jogging out of the locker room looking around a bit wild. "Bro, Coach wants you in the locker room now. He's pissed." Sebastian proclaimed upon seeing Jace.
"Tell him I'll be there in a minute, I'm taking care of something." Jace ordered.
Sebastian stilled and raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?" He questioned, clearly hinting that that was a bad idea.
"I'll deal with it Seb." Jace confirmed and with that his teammate reentered the locker room. "Come on, babe." Jace quietly spoke as he picked Clary up once again, this time cradling her in his arms.
She laid like a rag doll in his arms. "Where are we going, now?" Clary whimpered, sounding completely exhausted. Jace didn't reply, but at the end of the hallway he stepped in through the open door of the Trainer's office. The room had a few tall, padded benches, much like that of a doctor's office. Jace gently set Clary down on one. The Trainer stood up from his desk looking confused.
"Just fix her. I'll be back." He explained to the man, and walked out without another word.
Twenty minutes later, Jace finally walked out of the locker room. He paused for a moment and just sighed. The rest of the team already left. It had been a long night... He probably spent five minutes getting cleaned up and the rest of the time getting chewed out by the coach for being an 'insubordinate little shit who forgot how to throw a football.' Being the star player, Jace rarely got shit but, Coach sure knew how to give it out when he did.
Jace made his way back into the Trainer's office and saw Clary conked out on the bench. "Is she, okay?" He sternly questioned.
The trainer, a young guy just out of college, was tall with large shoulders and muscles. He had short brown hair and eyes. Jace and him had gotten to know each other well. He stood up from his desk and flipped through his clipboard. "She's fine, just some scrapes and bruises. I wrapped up her hand. It will probably be sore a couple days but if she has any trouble moving her fingers later she should go get X-rays. One of her knuckles could be fractured." He recited, simply giving Jace the run-down.
Jace nodded, still staring at the groggy freckled-face girl. "Thanks, Thomas."
Thomas crossed his arms. "So, are you going to tell me what happened." He urged.
Jace laughed and ran a hand through his damp hair. "Girl fight. She's a spitfire." He offered.
Thomas nodded in understanding. "Right, well, when she sobers up. She can take some mild painkillers."
Jace cringed internally, though it was completely obvious, part of him was hoping Thomas wouldn't notice how drunk she was. "Hey, about that, let's keep that part between us, okay?"
Thomas sighed looking conflicted. "Jace... you can't ask that of me. It's my job—"
"She is going to be in enough trouble as it is." Jace interjected.
"That's not my problem Jace. You know I can't do that!" He warned.
Jace reached into the pocket of his sweatpants and pulled out his wallet. From it he produced a crisp hundred dollar bill, courtesy of Stephan, and tossed it onto Thomas's clipboard. "I think you can." He stated.
Not waiting for a reply, Jace leaned over and scooped up Clary. She moaned lightly as he moved her. Before walking out the door, Jace turned back to look at Thomas, wordlessly asking for confirmation. The young man glanced up and gave him a guilty yet satisfied nod and Jace left.
Once he reached the cab of his truck, Jace used one arm to open the door and the other to sit her inside, her legs still dangling out the door. She was more awake now but, still in a drunk daze. Jace centered Clary's lobbing head between his hands. "Come on. Sit up babe, so that I can fix your hair." He coaxed. Jace pulled out her dangling pig-tail and gathered her hair into a bun.
Clary let out a giggle. "Babe. Why do you always call me 'babe'?"
Jace shrugged. "Habit, I guess, so I don't get girl's names confused."
"Oh." Clary's giggles immediately stopped, instead she kicked out her foot into his knee.
"Ow!" Jace jumped back with a pained laugh. Clary smiled smugly at him.
Jace raised back up onto the truck step to continue fixing her hair, his face hovering just above of hers. "So, are you going to tell me why you were drinking?"
"Does it really matter?" She drawled.
"Maybe not at this point. But, past experience tells me, that you like to get drunk to avoid stress. Therefore, why were you drinking?" He repeated as he secured her hair bun.
Jace looked down at her face and saw that she had a mesmerized stare set on him. He quickly moved back down off the truck step, bumping her leg in the process. Clary gasped as she slipped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck for balance. Jace instinctually grasped her waist holding her still on the seat, though her chest was now pressed against his.
Clary's lips parted and her eyes were hooded as they flickered to his mouth. From around his neck, her unbandaged hand came forward, lightly brushing his cheek. For a moment Jace closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. Her skin was always so soft. His eyes snapped back open as he felt her thumb brush over his lips. He wondered what she would do if he took her thumb in his mouth to lightly suck.
Jace's hands unconsciously tightened against her waist. For the umpteenth time over the past year... he wanted to kiss her and he told himself if she kept looking at him that way, this time he just might. Although, she looked like she might just kiss him.
"Because..." Clary's soft voice whispered. It was all Jace could do to keep from crushing her to him right there.
"...because it's been a long day." She sighed and leaned back as if now broken from her trance. It took Jace a moment to realize she was answering his previous question. Clary gave Jace two awkward pats on the cheek before bringing her hands back to herself.
Jace blinked and released her waist. "That it has been." He muttered. Once her feet were tucked up in the passenger side, he closed the truck door beside her.
Jace stiffly drove the streets home while Clary sloshed around in the seat next to him, her eyes still drooping. Eventually Clary grumbled and laid down across the seat all together with her knees tucked up and her head resting on Jace's thigh. He jerked at first, surprised by that kind of contact but quickly relaxed.
"Don't you dare puke on me." He warned her. He could feel her silent laughter against my leg.
"No worries. I'm not a big puker." She replied.
"Good, because spitters are quitters."
"Oh, shut up." Clary snickered and playfully swatted his knee before lightly gripping around the inside of his thigh for a brief moment. Jace flinched. Damn, this girl was handsy when she drank.
Jace gazed down at her and noticed she was staring off into space as she picked at the tiny fuzz balls on his sweatpants. It made him smile for a reason unbeknownst to him. As they drove on, he continued to glance down at her every few seconds. Eventually, Jace couldn't help himself, he hesitantly lowered his hand and brushed aside her red tendrils with his fingertips. Clary closed her eyes at his touch and for the rest of the ride Jace continued to stroke her hair.
Jace pulled up to the house and thought that Clary might have fallen asleep again. He was strongly entertaining the idea of letting her stay there and just sleeping in the truck all night. Then Clary stirred and yawned.
He nudged her to sit up. "We're here. Let's get you to bed." Jace hopped out and pulled Clary out behind him. She moved to walk by herself but, he scooped her back into his arms still not convinced of her balance. She didn't object.
After Jace laid in her bed, he went to grab the bathroom waste basket for her... just in case. Upon returning, he heard her groaning with an arm thrown over her eyes.
"What's wrong? Does your hand hurt?" He assumed.
Clary threw her arm down. "No..." She pouted. "...I'm just thinking about the shit show that today was."
"Want to talk about it?" Jace asked earnestly. He could barely see her features in the dark room, the only light coming from the crack in the door.
After a long pause she spoke. "I didn't get the scholarship."
"Well, I've seen your work so I can tell you right now that they made a mistake." He replied instantly.
"They liked my work but, that girl sabotaged my display so they took it down."
"Ah." Jace nodded in understanding.
"And she made fun of my friends so, you know... I broke her nose." She explained.
Jace fought his smile. It seemed like a good excuse as any to him. "I'm sure she deserved it."
Quiet fell around them till Clary shifted and groaned again.
"What's wrong now?" He prompted.
"My hand hurts."
Jace chuckled and reached a hand out for hers, his eyes adjusting to the dark. "Here, I have something that will help." He offered.
Clary trustingly laid her bandaged hand in his. He shifted the bandage around slightly before leaning forward and leaving a soft peck along her knuckle. With a satisfied smile he set her hand back down.
Seeing the frown on Clary's face, Jace couldn't help but laugh aloud. "What? That really does work! I read somewhere that the softness of a kiss compared to the pain of the wound confuses the nerve endings." He elaborated, but Clary still seemed unconvinced. "But, in case that doesn't work..." Jace reached in his pocket to produce a small pill bottle he had also brought from the bathroom. "…Here is some ibuprofen." He set the bottle on her nightstand next to her glass of water.
He could then see the curve of a smile in the shadows that cascaded across her face. "Why thank you, Brother." Clary replied.
"I don't think I need to remind you that I'm not actually your step-brother." He articulated to her. Jace felt compelled to always make that distinction clear.
She yawned and stretched before cozying up into a ball. "Yes but, it's safer that way." She murmured on the verge of sleep.
Jace frowned, not quite sure what that meant, although he knew it wasn't something worth pushing. He sat there, at the side of her bed, silent. Just listening, until her breathing became soft and even. Then, he drew up the quilt around her, adjusted the waste basket, and headed to bed.
The next thing he knew, he was in a bundle of sheets, twisting and moving about. There was soft, milky skin moving against his. Jace hitched the girl's leg up around his bare hip. He ran his mouth along her neck and wisps of fiery curls tickled his face. He pinned her beneath him, inhaling her fresh and sweet scent. The sheets practically floated around them and the girl left breathy moans in his ear. She felt good against him but at the same time felt like she wasn't there at all. He ground his pelvis deeper against her hoping to feel more of her. 'Jace' She whimpered. At the sound of her voice, Jace wanted to kiss her but, he couldn't find her face. His name continued to roll off her tongue and Jace could feel the pleasure within him building. He wanted to see her face, see her eyes but, all he could see were pieces of her. And he was losing himself in the sensation of her moving against him. Jace. Jace.. Jace...
"Jace!"
Jace shot up as his name came in clearly. He instinctually grabbed his pillow and placed it over his lap. "Jesus Christ! What do you want!?" He shouted angrier than he intended to but he could hear his pulse pounding in his ears.
His eyes came into focus on a disheveled Clary standing in his doorway. She squinted at the sunlight that pierced through his window blinds. Her hair was matted in ways he didn't understand and her eyes looked like raccoons. She only wore one of her sleeved band t-shirts that was definitely pushing it when it came to a nightgown.
"How did I get home last night?" She questioned, desperately confused.
"You had to wake me to ask me that." Jace asked dumbfounded. His breathing still harsh.
Clary slouched against his door frame. "I mean, I remember punching her in the face... Then, you?... Taking me to the trainers room. And the rest is really a blur." She mumbled, sounding like she was mostly talking to herself. "Did you take me home?" She wondered aloud, looking over at him.
"I can't believe you don't remember but yes, I brought you home." He confirmed.
Clary looked a bit embarrassed. "Thank you." She said sincerely. Jace nodded.
She moaned in frustration. It wasn't lost on him how similar it sounded to the ones in his dream just moments before.
"Ugh! I'm going to be in so much trouble." She whined and raised her hands to her forehead. Consequently, her shirt lifted too and Jace got an eye full of the cotton panties at the apex of her thighs.
He immediately felt a twitch in his already stiff situation down below. He gripped the pillow tighter to him diverted his eyes to the ceiling. He blew a hissing breath out between his teeth.
"What's the matter with you?" Clary commented.
Jace chanced another look at her and was relieved to see she had lowered her arms once again. The girl was so oblivious. He grasped for another pillow behind him and chucked it at her. "Nothing, brat. I was trying to sleep. Now get out." He demanded.
"Fine, last time I wake you up." She sneered.
"Well, thank God."
Clary slammed the door behind her. Jace sighed and dropped back onto the mattress.
Not a moment later, Clary's voice came again from the other side of the door. "Do you want any eggs?" She shouted at him.
"Yes." He told her reluctantly.
He swiftly lifted his head. "With cheese!" He added as a late thought.
"I know! I know!"
Jace laid down staring at the ceiling. That is until his junk began to ache. He groaned and rolled out of bed. "Apparently, my shower is going to be cold."
I kinda love it guys... The sexual tension with the sibling comradery and how they flip back and forth. Its kinda cute. Kinda kinky. Idk, I'm feeling it.
Thank you guys for all the positive reviews so far! Makes me happy! (: Hope everyone continues to enjoy because there is still lots more to come.
Oh and just a P.s... Clary and Jace are gonna bang next chapter. Teehee. FINALLY! Amiright?