Clary's POV:

March 13-

"Hey, are you home right now?" Jace asks when I answer the phone.

"Yeah…? Why, what's up?" What is he up to?

"I just have to talk to you about something. You wanna buzz me up? I'll be there real soon."

"Of course! I'll see you soon," I say, more than a little curious as to what Jace would need to talk about. Not two minutes later there's a buzz, and I smirk at how close Jace was before he called. I buzz him up and go back to painting, not turning around until I hear the door open. "So what did you—" I break off in surprise and a bit of fear as I see who's standing there. "Sebastian?"

"Surprised to see me, I gather?" he jokes, Cheshire grin on his face.

I don't smile back, eyes narrowing and hands taking place on my hips. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here."

"But why not? You did buzz me up, Clarissa," he reasons with a menacing smirk.

I grind my teeth when he calls me 'Clarissa,' but don't let him get to me. "I didn't know it was you, Sebastian. I never would've let you up."

He narrows his eyes and walks forward, making me grip my paintbrush tight in fear. Jace is on his way. He'll be here soon, he said so himself. I just gotta distract Sebastian until Jace gets here. Sebastian left the door open, it'll be fine. "I would be more polite to me, if I were you. I did come to warn you, after all."

"Warn me?" What would Sebastian warn me about?

"I am warning you about Jace," he explains. Of course. I knew he wouldn't actually be here to help me. I can't help but roll my eyes at him, and almost regret it when he squints his eyes at me. "I am being serious, Clarissa. I mean you no harm, and if you wish me gone, I will leave with no force required. As long as you hear me out first."

"Sure, Sebby. Tell me all about Jace and how he's some horrible person and I just never knew about it. How he's been hiding his inner demons from me this whole time. How—"

"Jace is cheating on you," he interrupts, looking actually distraught to have to deliver the news. I open my mouth to correct him, and tell him to just leave, but he continues. "I know you do not want to believe me, but I saw it myself. I was walking down the street and I happened to see Jace and Kaelie— an ex of his— engaged in a liplock."

My heart stutters at the mention of Kaelie, but I don't let Sebastian see that he struck a nerve. "I'm sure there is some explanation for this. It probably wasn't even them, Seb," I reason, busying myself with cleaning the paint off my hands.

"Not to start a pointless argument, but I do believe I would recognize my friend of over 10 years. And it is quite hard to mistake the stilettos on Kaelie's feet," he argues, and I feel my heart sink a little at this logic.

I shake my head and raise my chin, staring him down. "I don't care what you saw, if you really saw it. I trust Jace. Even if this did happen— which I'm not sure it did— I am sure that there's an explanation. Jace wouldn't hurt me like that, and nothing you say can make me paranoid enough to run away from someone I love this much."

Sebastian is silent for a short while, just studying me with his constant unsettling dark gaze. "You love him. Already?"

"With everything I have," I admit quietly. "It didn't take long for me to fall completely."

"He will break your heart. You do know that, yes?"

I shake my head, "He won't. Jace loves me, too. He wouldn't hurt me."

"He could, though. Very easily," Sebastian argues, and I find myself actually smiling at how true that is.

"Yes. Jace could just as easily break my heart as blink. That's what's great about what I have with him— about giving yourself to someone so completely. Love is giving someone the power to destroy you, but trusting them not to. And by the Angel how amazing is that? Trusting someone that much," I muse, grinning like an idiot. "Either way I have to say, it would be worth it. He could destroy me tomorrow and I wouldn't regret a thing."

Sebastian shakes his head a little, looking honestly surprised by my answer and my confidence. "You are quite foolish."

"No, you are." I look towards the door and see Jace standing there, hands balled into fists and eyes blazing with anger.

Jace's POV:

I walk up the stairs, seeing that Clary's door is already open. She must have left it open for me.

"I am being serious, Clarissa." The voice is unmistakable, and makes my blood boil. "I mean you no harm, and if you wish me gone, I will leave with no force required. As long as you hear me out first." Like hell she does. Oh, I am so gonna kick his ass that sick—

"Sure, Sebby," I hear Clary respond, the disdain evident in her voice. "Tell me all about Jace and how he's some horrible person and I just never knew about it. How he's been hiding his inner demons from me this whole time. How—"

"Jace is cheating on you," he interrupts, and my heart stops in my chest, true panic taking over my system. No. Nonononono. Stop talking. Go away! Stop it! "I know you do not want to believe me, but I saw it myself. I was walking down the street and I happened to see Jace and Kaelie— an ex of his— engaged in a liplock."

There's silence on Clary's end, and I feel my heart beat faster. "I'm sure there is some explanation for this. It probably wasn't even them, Seb," she reasons, although she doesn't sound too sure to me.

"Not to start a pointless argument, but I do believe I would recognize my friend of over 10 years. And it is quite hard to mistake the stilettos on Kaelie's feet," Sebastian argues, and I can practically hear the gears turning in Clary's mind.

"I don't care what you saw, if you really saw it. I trust Jace. Even if this did happen— which I'm not sure it did— I am sure that there's an explanation. Jace wouldn't hurt me like that, and nothing you say can make me paranoid enough to run away from someone I love this much." Fuck yeah! Take that, Seb. Your 'input' isn't wanted here.

Sebastian is silent, and I wish I could see what body language was occurring between them. "You love him. Already?"

I barely hear her whisper, "With everything I have. It didn't take long for me to fall completely." If I weren't so manly, I'd swear my heart did somersaults in my chest.

"He will break your heart. You do know that, yes?" No I won't! If you'll just let me explain—

"He won't. Jace loves me, too. He wouldn't hurt me."

"He could, though. Very easily," Sebastian argues, and I have to wince at the track record that Clary must be thinking about right now.

"Yes. Jace could just as easily break my heart as blink. That's what's great about what I have with him— about giving yourself to someone so completely. Love is giving someone the power to destroy you, but trusting them not to. And by the Angel how amazing is that? Trusting someone that much. Either way I have to say, it would be worth it. He could destroy me tomorrow and I wouldn't regret a thing." I love you, Clary.

I hear Sebastian scoff, and like that my mood turns from adoration for Red to hatred for Seb. "You are quite foolish," he tells her. Alright, that is it, you cumdumpster!

I step into the doorframe, hands balled into fists and eyes blazing with anger. "No, you are." Clary and Sebastian both look surprised to see me standing there, but I can't pay it any mine. I have an ass to kick. "What are you doing here, Sebastian? Did you really think your attempt to ruin our relationship would be anything but a failure?" I ask, stalking towards Seb.

I take note of Sebastian's hands forming fists also, and soon Clary is moving between us. "Jace, don't do this. He was just leaving." She turns back towards Sebastian, her hand still on my chest, "Right, Sebastian?"

He opens his mouth like he wants to make a smart remark, but thinks better of it and snaps his mouth shut. "Of course, Clarissa." He walks past us both, my hands still balled at my side. "Jace," he acknowledges, nodding his head. I see a trace of sadness in his black eyes, and feel a twinge of sympathy for someone who used to be my best friend before shaking myself of that crazy shit.

"Don't come back, Sebastian. Ever," I seethe. Seb nods again and backs out of Clary's apartment, closing the door behind him. I swear on the Angel, if he ever bothers us again, so help me—

"So uh," Clary starts nervously. "How much of that did you hear?"

I wince a little, and although the fire in my veins is extinguished, my face is still scrunched in anger and frustration. "I'm not cheating on you," I tell her.

Clary's face flushes an adorable red and she looks down, as if embarrassed about something.

"Kaelie and I did kiss, though," I admit, and her head snaps up so her eyes meet mine. Shit, no! "Wait, I mean, she kissed me," I explain. "We uh, we saw each other, as a coincidence, on the street. And I was gonna just walk past and ignore her, but she wanted to apologize about her big scene that night."

She nods slowly, waiting for me to get to the part where Kaelie kissed me. "And she seemed really heartfelt, honest. But then she said that she hoped we could 'get back to where we were,' and kissed me." Clary doesn't look very convinced, and I feel my sweat collecting at the back of my neck. I grab her by the arms, holding her still and looking in her eyes. "Clary I would never hurt you. Those things you told Sebastian, how you… how you said you felt about me. I feel that too, with you. I know that you would never hurt me, just like you know that I would never hurt you. You have to know that."

"I do," she interrupts, smiling at me. "I meant what I said. I believe you. I know you wouldn't cheat on me."

My shoulders relax and I lean forward to give her a kiss on the temple. Thank the Angel. "Good. I'm so glad, Clary. You just, you didn't look like you believed me, and I got worried."

She grins and grips my hand, squeezing it a little as if to reassure me. "Honest, Jace. It's okay. We're all good."

I smile, but it doesn't reach my eyes, and I voice my worries before she can stop me. "I just don't like this. Any of this. I almost feel like people are targeting us, what with Kaelie, Sebastian, the shooter—"

"You really gotta let that go," she interrupts, with eyebrows raised. "It's New York, people get into dangerous situations all the time."

"Not you," I insist stubbornly.

She lets out a chuckle and rolls her green eyes. "Let's just be grateful that I'm okay, okay? It's over, done, in the past."

"Yeah, but—"

"Jace. Please," she begs. "You've let the burglary haunt you long enough. Sebastian and Kaelie are just… annoyances that don't know when to quit. But they're gone, and if they come back, we'll deal with it again."

I smile again, fears melting away with the words of wisdom from the girl in front of me. "You're right. I know you're right. I just want to protect you from everything, and I know I can't, and I know I don't need to either. You're so strong, I just keep forgetting that."

She gives me a kiss, running her fingers through my hair in a truly distracting way. "So what did you need to tell me, anyway?" she asks, wrapping her hands around my torso. When I give her a confused look, she clarifies, "When you first called me. You said you had something to talk about."

"Oh! Well, I was gonna talk to you about Kaelie. About what happened." Although I didn't really get the chance.

"You were gonna tell me?" she asks, looking surprised.

"Yes. I knew that I had to tell you; you deserved to know. And I knew that if I didn't tell you, you would have found out somehow. These things always have a way of coming out, I just didn't imagine that Sebastian would be how it came out. Or that it would come out so fast," I explain, drabbling on. Little shit made it sound so much worse than it was.

She kisses me again, mouth firm against mine. "What was that for?" I ask, smirking down at her.

She shrugs, content smile on her freckled face. "You're just kinda perfect. And I don't tell you enough, because I'm just not that kind of person. And I know you're cool with it and all, but still. You deserve to be told how awesome you are. Which is very. You are very awesome," she finishes, giggling.

"You're pretty awesome yourself, Red," I respond, kissing her back. As our mouths move together, I feel her hand drop to the waist of my pants, pulling me toward her. I smile against her mouth and follow enthusiastically, both of us chuckling when she accidentally backs into her doorframe. I sit down on her bed with her perched on my lap, hands getting lost in her shoulder length red curls. Clary's hands again fall to my waist, removing my belt briskly. I kick off my shoes and soon she has my jeans zipper all the way down. I shed my pants quickly and try to flip us so that she's on bottom, but she resists.

When I look at her confused, she blushes and closes her eyes, leaning her forehead against mine. "I want to show you this time," she says quietly, a few loose strands falling onto my cheeks.

"Show me what?" I ask, pushing the hair back behind her ears.

"You've always… taken the lead here. But maybe I want to try to make you feel good."

Fuck, Red. "You really don't have to do that," I tell her honestly, running my hands up her thighs in a reassuring gesture.

"I want to," she insists, staring at me intently. "So would you just lay back and let me show you how much I love you?"

By the Angel… "That has to be the hottest thing I've ever heard."

Smiling, Clary leans back over me, making me fall back onto the bed and pressing her lips onto mine. After stripping her of her shirt, one of my hands instinctively travels to her ass, the other undoing her bra and letting it fall. She gasps against my mouth as I palm her breasts, and I take the opportunity to look at her.

"You're so damn beautiful," I say, jaw clenched. "Fuck, I'm so lucky."

"You're stupid," she says simply, green eyes looking down at me with love.

"And you're amazing," I retort, catching her lips in a kiss. Clary lowers herself until our bodies are pressed against each other, the buldge in my boxers very prominent against her thin leggings.

Clary's fingers play with the waistband, looking up at me with question in her eyes. Like you need to ask. I nod my head and shift so that she can slide them down my legs. When she reaches the end of the bed she stands, removing the last of my clothing and then the last of hers. So beautiful. Twisting a curl nervously, she crawls back on top of me, chewing her lip furiously..

"Clary," I breathe, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. By the Angel, she is perfect. She grins at me and places a kiss on my lips, mouthing 'I love you' against them.

Huffing out a breath, Clary rises up on her knees. Not looking away from my lustful stare, she grips my length and aligns it with her center, whimpering quietly as she works her way down. I can't believe she's being this bold. I'm so fucking lucky, I love her so much.

It doesn't take hardly any time for us to adjust, and as soon as we do Clary leans down to kiss me, winding her fingers into my hair. Shit. I groan against her mouth when she starts to move, my hands trailing to her waist and then exploring every inch of her.

Breaking our liplock with a growl, I move my mouth along her throat. "Shit you feel good," I tell her. By the Angel this feels so fucking fantastic. Clary moans as I cover her chest with kisses, her fingers gripping my shoulders.

I wrap my arms around her back, tilting my head back to press our mouths together. Her hands travel along my arms, my muscles flexing under her grip. Fuck. I thrust slightly off the bed and Clary gasps, making me smile. She bites lightly at my bottom lip as she picks up the pace, forcing me to release a groan. God damn it. My fingers dig into her hips, making sure not to hurt her as I practically lose my shit.

Clary's hands fumble in the sheets above my head and she breathes my name. Her freckled face is tense, eyes scrunched closed in pleasure and fiery hair falling around us, pink lips parted. Fuck, it's almost too much. Too much pleasure, too much Clary. They're one in the same.

"Blondie," she whispers, movements slowing and uncontrolled. "I can't do— it's too—"

"It's okay." I understand completely. I prop myself up on my elbow and rub the back of her neck. "Clary," I question, waiting for her to meet my gaze. When she does, I stifle a moan at how dark and wild her emerald eyes are.

I lean forward to kiss her shortly and wrap an arm around her, my other hand splaying on her thigh to keep us entangled as I flip us. When I grind into her she gasps loudly, fingers gripping my hair as her head tips back.

She wraps both of her legs around my waist, and I lace our hands together, pinning them to the mattress above her head. I breathe heavy for a minute before I trace patterns along her neck and shoulder with wet kisses.

Clary's fingers flex in my hands as I continue to move above her. "Jace," she says like a warning, her brows furrowed. I lift my head to rest it against hers, trying to convey that I understand what she's feeling. Fuck, I'm feeling it too. I release her hands and instead grip her hips, my thrusts getting faster and less controlled.

Clary immediately wraps her arms around my neck, nails digging into my back as she arches into me. And just like that, her walls flutter around my length, signaling her impending orgasm. I'm right there with her, holding onto her tight as we bare ourselves to each other completely.

Author's Note:

Kay hey guys! I added this chapter and then removed it when I realized I didn't have an Author's Note about next week. So I hope I didn't fuck anything up! Anyways, as I stated before, next week is Week 25. THE LAST CHAPTER! I'm excited and sad at the same time. Be here to see the (hopefully) astounding conclusion to my first ever FanFic!

Love you all!

-MAC

(Changed my username from MaximumClaryAnna to MaximumAnnaClary cause FanFiction was giving me shit. I don't attempt to understand them.)