HI! Been awhile... Anyone really invested in this story should hate me because this Chapter has been 95% done for like 8 months... It's not even that long smh... Little bit of writers block there among other things. But we will see the end of the story dammit! Consider sending me some encouragement so I can promptly get more Chapters out :) Gotta get back in the zone. Hope you readers continue to enjoy!

Jace awoke feeling, calm, and content. His arm was already strewn over Clary and all he could feel was soft skin. From her flat stomach, to her bare thighs, to the peach fuzz on her arms. His erection was already full staff and straining against his boxers, eager to touch her skin too.

"That tickles." She murmured sleepily as Jace dusted a fingertip over her shoulder.

He wondered if this was his favorite part. Quiet mornings, just touching her. Because he was allowed to. As if time and the world hadn't started yet. Jace could once name things that made him 'happy.' But after he added Clary to that list, everything else seemed inadequately suited for the word.

As he shimmied down his boxers to match her nudity, Clary rolled over in his arm. She propped up on her elbows and gave his mouth a hard smooch. "Morning, Superstar."

"You're supposed to have on my jersey." Jace immediately complained. He pulled Clary up across him to straddle his lap. His member stood erect between her legs.

"And here I thought me being naked would be appreciated." Clary sighed.

"Well, I have no complaints about the view. But you can't be very comfortable. There is no room for you on my lap with this thing in the way." He nodded to his standing appendage.

"Is that right?" Clary giggled. Jace's hands scooped under her thighs, bringing her forward. Her soft curls dangled in his face.

He hissed a sigh as he pushed her back, this time sliding her crevice right down onto his member. "Ah, much better."

Clary sat up straight with a soft moan. She rolled her hips, getting snug, as they laced their fingers together. She didn't move any further, and Jace didn't urge her to. He merely laid there, content to be tucked inside her.

He brought the back of her hand to his mouth and gave it a kiss. "Just so you know, I loathe every morning that I don't wake up like this."

Clary blushed. "I'm sure in Texas, the athletes have girls put on stand-by for them in the mornings. Along with their coffee and breakfast." She smarted.

Jace made a dismissive sound. "Yeah, but I'm sure they'll all be so sweet and kiss-ass." He complained in disgust. "No one is mean to me like you are."

Clary grinned and leaned back down for another kiss. "Wow, I've really spoiled you." She murmured against his lips. Jace's hips chased hers, his cock getting impatient for more friction.

"About Texas..." He started, but was interrupted by a slamming door.

"Hello?!" Sebastian's voice called from downstairs. "You two awake? Jess and I brought coffee!"

Always quick to panic, Clary quickly scrambled off of Jace, dragging the sheet with her. She looked around distraught for a second, before dropping to the floor and crawling under the bed. Jace pulled the comforter over his lap, as he heard their friends coming up the stairs.

"Since when do you get to let yourself into my house?" Jace barked as soon as he saw Sebastian's face loom in the open doorway of his bedroom.

Sebastian's cocky smile didn't falter. "I used the key under the mat. Thought I would surprise you and maybe get a peek at Clary in her PJs. We got a celebratory pep rally to get to man! Boosters are buying brunch." Jessamine sauntered in past Sebastian and sat on the end of Jace's bed. "Where is Clary, by the way?" Sebastian continued, having noted her room across the hall was empty.

"Haven't even gotten out of bed, yet. How would I know?" Jace retorted, clearly annoyed as he took the coffee Jessamine offered.

Sebastian made a sympathetic smirk and dropped down into Jace's desk chair. "Uh-oh. Did we interrupt you stoking your breakfast sausage?" He jested.

"I was in the middle of my favorite rise and shine. Yes."

Jessamine smiled, coyly. "Well, I can always help you wake up. Seb, get out." She snapped over her shoulder.

Jace grimaced, batting away her wandering hand. "No thank you. Besides, I thought you two were bumping uglies these days."

Sebastian grabbed a football off the desk and spun it in his hands. "Nah, it was just a couple times." He informed. "And what's a few fucks between friends, eh, Jess?"

Jessamine grinned, proud of herself, apparently. "Right. No need to worry. I'm still a free agent."

"Free indeed." Sebastian snorted.

Jace arched a judgmental eyebrow at her. "I'm not interested in the scraps of my scraps."

Jessamine pursed her lips, offended. "I bet you wouldn't have such qualms if I were Clary." She snubbed, getting up to primp herself in the mirror.

"Hah! I bet he wishes." Sebastian agreed, throwing his head back at the suggestion.

Jace could see Jessamine roll her eyes through the mirror. "Not sure what you two find so perfect about her anyway..." She drawled bitterly.

Jace rested back on his elbow. "Unlike you, she has my respect." He laid out plainly.

Sebastian nodded. "Yeah, and I still want her cute-ass to have my babies." He groaned, grabbing his crotch for good measure. Jace mentally started counting to ten.

"She's not even that pretty!" Jessamine whipped around with a scoff.

"Blasphemy!" Sebastian scolded.

Jace's patience was wearing thin with the both of them. "For the record, a pound of makeup doesn't qualify you as pretty, either. Now, both of you get the fuck out and let me get dressed. I'll meet you downstairs." He grunted, frantically waving them toward the door.

Sebastian got up with an eyeroll and Jessamine followed. Jace listened for their footsteps to fade, before leaping off the bed.

A corner of the sheets peeked out from under the bed. Jace fisted the fabric and gave a long tug. Tightly wrapped in the sheets, like a seaweed wrap at the spa, Clary came sliding out. A glare already set on her face.

"Sorry." Jace quickly blurted out with a grimace.

"You know... There is a reason that gossip is supposed to happen behind someone's back. Because that was just..." She trailed off seeming lost for words. Jace hurried and put on boxers and clothes, while Clary tried to get up.

"You might just want to stay there till we leave. Just in case." Jace interjected. Clary paused and then flopped back down on the hard floor, blowing out a puff of air.

Fully clothed, Jace dropped to a pushup on top of her and gave her a kiss. He whispered a goodbye, reassuring he would see her later. Then he fled, leaving her like the secret mistress of an affair. Clary reckoned she had spent an overabundance of time, as of late, on her back or on her knees, questioning her life choices...

Weeks flew by as Jace went from Football straight into Hockey season. Unlike football, Clary didn't miss a hockey game. Though she tried to rein in the enthusiasm, it was quite obvious that she was Jace's biggest fan at the rink. But it wasn't too suspicious. Like everything Jace set his ambitions to, he was clearly a star on the ice. And Clary was a puddle of liquid fire for him after every game. So, their routine felt easy. Eat, School, Work, Hockey, Fuck. If keeping their hands off each other in public didn't require disciplined concentration, it might have been like they were actually dating.

One morning before school, Jace and Clary, along with their parents, all maneuvered around the kitchen. Jocelyn typed on her Blackberry every couple of minutes, organizing a new delivery at work. And Stephan stood in the middle of the room, drinking a large glass of milk while he stared frowning at some itinerary. While Jace toasted a bagel for each of them, Clary got out two glasses and poured orange juice. She took a seat at the counter and Jace brought over their breakfast. Not forgetting to cover Clary's bagel with the cream cheese, that Jace himself didn't care for.

As the two of them sat an ate, it occurred to Clary that Jocelyn and Stephan had both gradually moved around the kitchen and eventually left, all without saying a word to each other.

"Have we finally reached the expiration date?" She piped in the wake of their parents' departures.

Jace shrugged. "Busy morning." He suggested.

If that was so, Clary honestly felt sad for the two. The breakfast in her stomach suddenly felt shaken up with bitterness. She got up, cleaning their plates. "Busy morning... Is that how love works, inevitably? Once it's been decided, you just move on with the other parts of your life. Is it like when I read a book, decide I love it and then put it on my shelf? Most likely to never open it again. But when I do notice it there, I'm pleased by the memory. Yet inevitably, one day, I'll have to make room on the shelf. Does the book make the cut? Or do I decide that though I enjoyed it, I don't technically need it? And maybe it's time to make room for something new?" She rambled, looking across at Jace. And unsure if those were rhetorical questions. God, being a child of divorce had damaged her.

Jace arched an eyebrow. "Are you okay?" He prodded curiously.

Clary wiped her suddenly clammy hands on her jeans. "Yes." She affirmed. "I'm just saying... What if it wasn't just a busy morning?"

"Since when are you so invested in their relationship?" Jace questioned, while holding out Clary's coat. She shrugged into it, and Jace zipped it up snug to her chin. Clary looked up at his eyes. Sometimes, Jace pretended to ask obtuse questions. She knew he did it on purpose. Didn't always know why, though. But she could look at his face and know that he was thinking more than he revealed. But when he pretended, she had to pretend too... Or at least, she felt compelled to explain herself further. Maybe that's exactly why he did it. Using psychology tricks to get more out of her.

Clary suddenly narrowed her eyes up at him, weary of his manipulation. "What?" He baffled. She turned away and led the way out to his truck... He knew what he was doing.

"All I'm saying is that I think we can agree not being step-siblings solves some issues between us." She reiterated on the drive to school. "Them breaking up would be a good thing." The words felt bitter on her lips. She stated them like a presumed fact but then immediately felt herself question the authenticity.

"I agree. We should pull a 'Yours, Mine, and Ours' and get the ship sinking." Jace wagged his eyebrows with mocking enthusiasm.

Clary snorted. "I knew it. You like being step-siblings, you sicko."

Jace smirked and his hand came over to caress her upper thigh. "Can't say it hasn't had its perks." Then, he sighed. "I don't know, Babe. My dad has never been big on commitment and Jocelyn is the first woman he hasn't seemed to falter on. I can't see him jumping ship at this point."

Clary pouted out the window. Jace parked the truck in the school lot and tugged at her chin, dragging her attention back to him. "Not every relationship has an expiration date." He informed, almost apologetically. They were the words he held onto earlier when Clary had a minor meltdown in the kitchen. And now she knew why. Because with that, it went without saying, not everyone gets a happy ever after, either.

Later, Clary stood at her locker, mildly distracted. Jace came slamming into the metal locker beside her but she didn't even flinch anymore. He waved a large envelope in her face. "My official acceptance and scholarship offer right here." He announced proudly.

Clary grinned, snatching it from his hand so that she could hug him around the neck. His body melted into hers all too familiar for a school hallway. Clary quickly cleared her throat, pulling away from him.

"Coach handed it to me this morning." He articulated as Clary peeled into the envelope.

She looked over the papers eagerly. All the main words and phrases popping out at her. And the brochures showed Athletics fit for everything she pictured for him. And the campus was beautiful of course, but it wasn't the city. "This is big." She declared handing the envelope back to him. "I'm proud of you. Although, you getting everything you want really shouldn't surprise me at this point." She smirked.

Jace chuckled with her and then stroked back his hair, looking off, abashed. "Well, I haven't made a final decision, yet." Clary's eyebrows shot up surprised, as far as she knew, Texas was his number one. "I submitted applications to a few schools here in New York." He divulged, casually slapping the envelope in his hand.

Clary's heart started double time as the class bell rang. Jace in New York could mean a lot of things. It could make things more complicated, too. "Really?" She breathed.

Jace nodded. "And I thought maybe you would like to see if Texas A&M would be interested in the likes of you." He said with a tease. But Clary didn't laugh. She had never even considered Texas. To go all the way there to be with him?

"Okay." She whispered to her own surprise and found that a smile graced her lips.

"Okay." Jace echoed in agreement, his grin overshadowing hers. Then he swatted her ass with the envelope and walked away. Clary's head swam with excitement and nerves of what next year could hold. Things she hadn't considered.

That night Jace laid naked under Clary as she rode him. They laid in her bed, her pillows and blankets further surrounding him with her scent. In a hurry to peel each other out of their clothes, all the lights were left on and he could see the sheen of sweat on her skin glisten under the brightness. Her dainty hands pressed into his chest and her head was thrown back, red curls cascading down her back.

Their parents were downstairs sleeping. Therefore, they were breaking a major rule... They were doing that a lot recently. But if Clary wanted to break rules, Jace wasn't about to complain. It's not like they could stay a secret forever. That had generally been his original plan, of course. Indulge in his fascination with the red-head. Leave for college and let live and let die. Risk some awkward future family dinners, sure. But it would be worth it.

Yet, it was way more worth it than he realized. What he had found in Clary, in what felt like such a short time but also gruelingly long, felt like all he would ever need. She had become the central part of his revolving mind. There wasn't a part of him that didn't warrant a physical reaction to her. Her words, the sound of her voice, the dance of her gaze, the sway of her hips... They sent tension to his chest, an ache in his hands, and a pulsing in his groin. He could sense her as soon as she entered the same room like she was tethered to him. And when they were fucking, God, when they were fucking it felt like... not being broken for once.

Jace groaned as his balls grew tight. He clenched Clary's hips stilling her desperate humping. "Slow down, babe. I don't want to be done yet." He pressed.

She lolled her head to the side, smiling at him through soft pants. Like a damn angelic vision. Her hands gripped his shoulders urging him closer and Jace sat up pressing their chests together. Her fluttering heart beat against his. Clary wound her hands around Jace's neck, fingers threading into his hair. Jace's firm hands roamed up her back pressing her into him further, if that were possible. Their lips caressed and her shuddery breath exhaled into him as she slid her hips down his length once more. Her hips rolled slow, but it did nothing to dampen the pleasure peaked to burst between them.

Jace was lost in her heavy gaze. Sometimes it felt like too much with her. Like it wasn't just his body feeling euphoric, it was his fucking soul. Sex with all the previous girls felt like nothing. A mere blip on his time span. A train ride compared to this roller coaster. Jace came with a deep guttural groan staring right into her emerald eyes as she did the same. All the while his mind reeled with words that he was surprised didn't make it past his lips.

He gingerly slid Clary onto the bed where she buried her face in the pillow, reaped with exhaustion. Her previous panting breaths became deep and soft. He thought she may fall asleep right there. Jace's hand caressed over her bare behind adoringly before standing up to get redressed. The pounding of his heart had yet to slow down however.

"Clary, we need to talk." He said confidently, tying the drawstring of his sweat pants. "I need to tell you something."

"Stop!" She yelped, suddenly.

"What?" Jace whipped around, startled by her tone. Alert, she sat up in bed, the comforter gripped to her chest, hiding her naked body. She looked spooked.

"I don't know what you're about to say." Was the first thing she blurted out, fully aware that it sounded dumb. But it was exactly the truth of why she was afraid. Whatever Jace wanted to tell her could only go two ways and she was not sure which one she dreaded more.

Jace's confusion deflated. "Ah, an unfortunate side-effect for the non-clairvoyant. Don't worry, Babe, I'll teach you." He jested and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

Clary swallowed, ignoring his lax attitude. "I mean I do know what you're going to say." She amended.

"Well then that makes two of us." He quipped. Clary fought an eye roll.

What happened between them just a few minutes before was intense. It felt like that every time. She could feel it in her bone marrow. It wasn't just static between them. It was raw energy. Things were far from platonic with them. And it was no high-school crush either. He knew as well as she did. Which meant he was either going to insist that things were too intense and needed to end. Or possibly worse, he would call it for it was and then there would be no going back. Clary couldn't even wrap her mind around that.

"Just don't say it, Jace. Promise me you won't say it." She pleaded. Jace's amusement faded as he frowned at her curiously. "I'm happy." Clary professed. "I'm so happy with what we are. I want this! I don't want less and I don't want more. And if you say anything else, it's going to change that." She ranted. "Please, promise me, you won't say it."

Clary looked down at her hands miserably. Whichever words it was he concealed, she felt like a coward for avoiding. Pathetic and selfish. Every option she was faced with felt like a selfish one. She glanced back up at him and he watched her with pity. Dammit, she wanted to smack him with a pillow. Had she always been so prideful?

"Fine. I promise." He murmured, getting up and then dropping a kiss to her forehead.

Relief washed over her. She could go on pretending to be ignorant. "So, we're good?" she piped.

Jace smirked down at her and thumbed her lip. "You worry too much, you know that?" He replied.

"That's because you don't worry enough!"

"Yes, yes. You're perfect for me. We know." He mocked listlessly as he walked out her bedroom and shut the door behind him.

Clary smiled to herself, mindlessly stroking along her collar bone. God she just... adored him.