Fifty Fourth One Shot:
Snowed In
Clary POV:
It was an incredibly cold day in New York and the forecast called for snow later this afternoon. I couldn't wait for it to start coming down. New York in the snow is something magical. It was one of the reasons why I never wanted to leave New York. It was completely breathtaking to see the streets and the parks covered in a white blanket.
Later that afternoon, I stared at the snow fall from inside my gallery and couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. It truly was going to be a beautiful winter season. Since the snow picked up, business has been kinda dead, and I decided that I was going to close early and take a walk around the city before heading home. I didn't know when the next time I was going to be able to walk outside like this, according to the weather, it was supposed to snow for the next week straight, and I was going to take advantage of the first snowfall of the season.
I was walking along the sidewalk taking in the beauty of New York, and smelling the freshly fallen snow. I didn't care the my fingers and toes were basically numb, I was going to get my fair share of snow this season, even if I get hypothermia. I was walking along a sidewalk when my foot slipped from under me and I slammed my head against the cold ground. Before I knew what was happening the darkness consumed me and I slipped into unconsciousness.
Jace POV:
I had just gotten home from Alec and Izzy's and I was walking up to the building when a flash of red caught my eye. I looked in front of me and there was this petite little redhead walking around looking in every direction possible. She was clearly a fan of the snow, and I couldn't blame her. There was something mystifying about the white powder. I smiled to myself but the smile is soon lost when I see she slip on some ice and fall hard. I wait a moment to see if she gets up, but she doesn't. I walk over to her and look down on her, and realize that she's out cold.
I don't know what else to do, so I pick her up in my arms and take her into my building. I know this might seem really strange, but I have no idea who she is, and I'm not going to let her freeze outside. When I finally get up to the penthouse I place her on the couch and grab an ice pack from my freezer. I place it on her head and cover her with a blanket and let her lay there. My stomach began to growl, and there wasn't much else I could do for her until she woke up, so I decided to make some food.
Clary POV:
Pain. Intense pain radiating throughout my whole head, and parts of my body. The last thing I remember was falling down and than absolutely nothing. I open my eyes slowly and realize that I'm in someone's house. But how did I get here? I think to myself as I take a look around. It's a beautiful house, but there is no one around. I sit up, but pain rushing through my head and I wince in pain.
"Careful, you took quite a fall." Someone said and I turned around and was greeted by a face that I never thought I'd see again. Judging by the way he's looking at me, he doesn't remember me at all.
"Why am I here?" I ask and he walks over to me.
"I watched you fall outside, and I went to check if you were okay, and you were out cold. I brought you up here, and when I went to check your phone, you broke it in the fall, so I thought I'd just let you rest." He said and I nodded. This was definitely something I wasn't expecting from him.
"Thanks. Can I borrow you phone?" I asked and he looks at me with confusion. "I need to call my fiancé and tell him I'm alright." I said and I thought I saw a hint of sadness cross his face, but I brushed it off. He walked over and handed me his phone and I called Simon. He didn't answer at first, but he never answers random numbers, so I tried again. Still no luck so I decided to try a third time. This time someone finally picked up, but it wasn't Simon.
"Can you please stop calling this number? We aren't in the mood to buy anything you're selling, but you are certainly wrecking the mood for us!" A high-pitched voice said.
"Babe, don't be rude." I heard Simon say and I wanted to vomit. "Who is this?" He asked and I couldn't believe it.
"Your now ex-fiancé." I said and I heard him gasp.
"Clary?" He said.
"Who else would it be asshole?" I said and I felt tears pool in my eyes, which only intensified my headache.
"I can explain." He said and I let out a dry laugh, which also hurt my head even more.
"I don't want an explanation. I don't want anything from you. I don't want to marry you, I don't want to live with you, I don't want to be friends with you." I said trying to keep my voice as calm as I could. "I'll be by to collect my things as soon as I can." I ended the call, looked at my hand, took off my ring and threw it at the wall. "Simon Lewis, you stupid bastard."
"Are you okay?" I heard from behind me, completely forgetting he was there. "Oh you know, cheating fiancé, now ex-fiancé, and look at that, after 7 years I'm single." I said as I leaned back against the couch. A moment later I felt the couch dip and I looked to my right and Jace was sitting there.
"I'm sorry he was such a dick." He said and I shrugged.
"Men suck." I said and he let out a laugh.
"I'm Jace by the way." He said and it was my turn to laugh.
"I know who you are." I said and I could see he was confused. "We went to high school together."
"I don't remember you." He said.
"We didn't run in the same circle. I stuck to the art wing, and you stuck to pretty much any girl who would make out with you. I'm Clary." I said and he nodded.
"So you had the disadvantage of knowing me when I was a total dick." He said and it kind of surprised me.
"So you knew you were a dick?" I asked and he laughed.
"Not at first. It didn't click until I was almost a junior in college. I ended up dating this girl who I really liked, and she was just playing me. I realized that I had no reason to be upset with her because I had been doing the same thing to girls for years, and I gave it up." He said and I was impressed.
"Wow. That's impressive." I said and he shrugged.
"It actually got quite boring after a while anyway. I realized a couple years ago that finding one girl who I truly got to know and care for was better than countless one night stands." He said and now I was truly impressed.
"So, have you found that special someone yet?" I asked and he laughed.
"No, I'm still single and looking for her." He said and I nodded. "I made some food if you'd want to try and eat something."
"Thanks, but I should probably get going. I need to clean out my stuff from my old place." I said and he gave me a sad smile.
"I don't think you'll be getting there anytime soon." He said.
"Why not?" I asked.
"You've been out for a couple hours, and we're currently snowed in." He said and I stood up went over to the window. The snow was coming down harder, and there was absolutely no people or cars outside. I turned around and groaned. "I'm not that awful to be snowed in with." Jace said with a certain lightness to his voice.
"It's not you, I just I'm in pain, I just currently broke off my engagement, and I was really looking forward to climbing into my favorite pair of PJ's and eating my feelings away in ice cream." I said and he laughed.
"Well, I don't have your favorite PJ's but I have some comfy sweats and a hoodie that's a little too small for me, plus ice cream, and an extra room for you to sleep in." Jace offered and I thought about it for a moment. He didn't seem like such a douche, and I did just break up with Simon, and being stuck in here might be just the little get away I need.
"I guess that sounds like the next best thing." I said and he smiled.
"Would you like to shower, or get your room ready, or eat?" He asked and I smiled at how sweet he was being. I guess he really did change.
"I think a shower sounds nice. I'd love to get out of these jeans." I said and he nodded.
"Follow me." He said and I started walking behind him. When we walked into the bathroom I was blown away. It was the biggest bathroom I've ever seen. "There are different types of shampoo and conditioner in there for you." He said and I walked over and saw feminine products in the shower. I held it up to him and he laughed. "My sister stays over a lot, and she didn't like what I used so she keeps that here in case she takes a shower."
"Right, the Lightwood's." I said as I remembered back to high school.
"Correct, and you know how picky Izzy can be." He said and I laughed. I didn't know how picky she could be. "I'll put the clothes in to the spare room. It's literally right across the hall. I'll be in the living room. Would you like me to put on a movie while you drown in the tub of ice cream you're going to eat?" He asked and I laugh.
"A movie sounds great." I said and he smiled and left the room. I turned the water on and let it warm up before stepping into it. I let the water run down my body and I instantly felt more relaxed. I stood there letting the water warm me and thinking about Jace's hospitality. This didn't seem like something he would have done in high school, but that had been years ago, and I was going to give him the benefit of the doubt, and see how much he's changed.
When I got out of the shower I went into the room with the door opened. There were clothes set out on the bed just like Jace said there would be. I felt a little gross, but I put on a fresh pair of underwear this morning, and I could get away with wearing a sports bra for a couple days without washing it. I put on the pants and hoodie, and they smelled exactly like I pictured Jace would smell. Like sunshine, and peppermint. I took a deep breath and made my way out to the living room. Jace was sitting on the couch doing something with the remote. I took a seat next to him and he looked over and smiled at me.
"They don't look too bad on you." He said and I couldn't stop the blush that crept into my cheeks. "I didn't know what you wanted to watch, but you can pick any movie out on here. Don't worry about the price, it'll just charge my card. I was just about to make myself a cup of coffee. Would you like any?" He asked and I looked at him.
"Coffee would be great. Do you also happen to have any medicine? I still have a bad headache." I asked and he laughed and got up.
"Of course. I'll be right back with your medicine." He said and he walked away. I went back to look at the TV, and there were more movies than I even knew on there. I was scrolling down when Jace came back with a glass of water and two pills. "Would you like anything in your coffee?" He asked as I took the medicine and water from him.
"I like my coffee black." I said and he nodded and walked away again. I went back to searching through the movies, but nothing was sticking out to me. Finally I came across Harry Potter and decided to settle on that. A few minutes later Jace walked back in with two cups of coffee.
"What did you finally decide on?" Jace asked as he took a seat.
"I found Harry Potter, so I thought I'd go with that." I said as I took a sip of coffee waiting for the medicine to kick in.
"I've never seen Harry Potter." He said and my jaw hit the ground.
"Have you even lived?" I asked and he laughed.
"None of my friends were ever into it, and I just never got sucked into the whole Harry Potter black hole." He said and I laughed. I originally just found the 3rd one, but after hearing Jace, I went searching for the very first one. When I found it, it was 2 dollars more.
"You don't mind that I spend money on this movie do you?" I asked and he smiled.
"Do you see where I live Clary?" He said and I laughed. "I can afford to spend 5 dollars on a movie."
"I understand that, but I'm going to make you watch all 8, and that's like 40 dollars total, and I wasn't sure if you were okay with spending that much on movies." I explained and he smiled.
"We're going to be here for a while, I might as well see what Harry Potter is all about." He said and I clicked the movie and it started. I immediately paused it and looked at Jace.
"Do you know the basics of Harry Potter?" I asked.
"Isn't it about magic?" He asked and I smiled.
"Yes. It follows the life of a boy named Harry Potter, and his friends." I said and he nodded.
"If I have a question, will you be able to answer it?" He asked and I smiled.
"I like to consider myself a Harry Potter fanatic. So, I will most likely be able to answer all of your questions." I said and he smiled. "Before we start, do you happen to have a blanket I could use?"
"You're already under one." He said and I look down.
"I have anemia, I get cold really easily." I said a little embarrassed. He got up and grabbed a blanket from the closet and made his way back over to me. He placed it on top of me but than got down on the floor. "What are you doing?"
"Well, if you get cold often, there is no reason to be piling blankets on top of you, so I grabbed the heated blanket that I have. I was just plugging it in." He said and I was shocked.
"You know, if you acted this way in high school, we may have possibly been friends." I said and he laughed.
"Why don't we start fresh?" He said and I smiled.
"I'd like that." I said and he smiled.
"Before we start this marathon, I'd like to get to know you a little better." He said and I nodded. "Where did you go to college?"
"Pratt Institute." I said and he looked confused. "It's an art school right here in Brooklyn."
"Is it hard to get into?" He asked.
"About 53% of those who apply get accepted, so it isn't impossible, but it definitely isn't easy." I explained and he nodded.
"What did you major in?" He asked.
"Art." I simply said.
"I should have guessed that." He said and I laughed. "And your job?" He asked.
"I own my own gallery in the city. I don't display much of my own work, but sometimes I get one or two of my own pieces up on the wall." I said.
"That's cool. What do you showcase in your gallery?" He asked.
"Mostly people who are native to Brooklyn and New York who want to give back to the city. They pay a nice chuck of change to have their work displayed in my gallery. It's in a pretty popular part of the city, so it get a lot of attention." I said and he nodded. "What about you?"
"I majored in business at NYU." He said.
"Sounds a little boring." I giggled and he smiled at me.
"It would be if I didn't love it. When I was 24 I took over my fathers company, and it took me two years to learn all the ropes, but I've been CEO for a couple years now." He said and I was impressed.
"Impressive." I said and he shrugged.
"It was kind of always in my blood. My father built the company from nothing, and when he died it was left to his VP, but it was stated in the records, and his living will that I was to inherit everything once I graduated college." He said and I nodded.
"When did he pass?" I asked.
"When I was 7. I don't remember him much. Even the picture in the office building I work in seems a little foreign to me. I wanted to do one better by him and I didn't take over the company fully until I got my masters degree. I wanted to be as qualified as I could be, so that I could run the company how it is supposed to be run. Unfortunately, the VP wasn't that great at his job, so when I took over I kind of had to back track and fix everything he messed up, but there isn't anything else I would want to do." He said and I nodded.
"I'm sorry about your dad. That must have been hard." I said and he shrugged. "Was it just you and your mom than?"
"No. She killed herself when I was a baby. According to her journals that were found she was always depressed, and she thought having me would change that, but after 2 months, she still felt just as depressed, and she even suffered from post partum depression, and she couldn't take it anymore. She drown herself in the bathroom tub while I was napping and my father was out getting groceries." He said and my entire heart broke for him. He never showed any signs that he had such a tough life when we were in high school.
"What happened to you?" I asked.
"I was put in foster care for a couple months until the Lightwood's took me in and they kept me until I was 18." He said and I reached my hand over to his and grabbed his hand. I tried to ignore the sparks that flared in my hand.
"I'm really sorry you had to go through all of that." I said and he gave me a small smile.
"It wasn't a pleasant time. Especially when I learned the truth about my mom, and how terrible kids are treated in foster care, but I got through it, and I feel like once I had fully accepted the hand that I was dealt, I was able to move on and start doing some good for the world." He said and I was truly inspired by the man sitting next to me.
"Well, I think you turned out to be an incredible person, and I've only just met you officially today." I said and he smiled.
"So, let's start this movie. I don't know about you, but I'm a little tired, so we might only get in one movie tonight." He said and I smiled.
"That's okay. I will make you watch every one of these movies at some point." I said and I clicked play.
Jace and I sat there and watched Harry Potter, and surprisingly he didn't have any questions for the first half of the movie, but I felt like as we got farther into the series the questions would start, which I was completely fine with. I didn't realize how incredibly easy it was going to be to talk to him. I mean, in high school he came off as such a player, and a tool, but the man sitting next to me today was completely different and truly inspiring. I guess being snowed in with him wouldn't be that bad, and if it is, it can't be worse than losing your fiancé and your home all in one day.
Jace POV:
When the credits started rolling I looked over and Clary was already asleep. I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face as I looked at how angelic she looked while sleeping. It was weird to me that I didn't even know we went to the same high school. Maybe if I wasn't such a dick we could have been and I had a feeling being her friend was actually going to be a lot of fun. I already liked what I learned about her.
I turned the TV off, and removed the blankets from Clary. I scooped her up in my arms and was surprised at how perfectly she fit. She nuzzled her head into my chest and I took a deep calming breath. She was doing something to me, and I didn't even know it was possible. I've never felt like this around a girl before, and the fact that we were currently snowed in together made it that much worse because we couldn't take a break from each other if need be.
I walked into the guest room that she was going to be staying in and placed her on the bed. I gently moved the comforter back so that I could wrap her in it. This room rarely got used so it was a little chiller than the rest of the house. I could see that she was shivering a little, so I went back out into the living room and grabbed the heated blanket. When I walked back into her room I placed it over her and turned it on low. I didn't want to have her wake up sweating, but warmth was a necessity, and I wanted her to be warm and comfortable here. She stirred a little and her eyes fluttered open.
"Jace?" She said in a sleepy voice which I hate to admit did more to me than I would care to share.
"Yea. You fell asleep during the movie so I brought you to bed." I said and she gave me a sleepy smile.
"Did you have any questions?" She asked which caused me to laugh.
"No, but if I think of any, I'll write them down and ask you them tomorrow." I said and she smiled and curled herself farther under the blankets. "I'll be at the end of the hall if you need anything."
"Thank you Jace." She said and I smiled.
"It's not a problem Clare." I said and her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing evened out.
I made my way back to my room and took a deep breath. I went over to my closet and grabbed my senior yearbook and searched through the pages until I got to Clary's.
Name: Clarissa Fray
Hobbies: Art
Sports: Way too uncoordinated
Clubs: Art Club
Favorite Teachers: Mr. Carstairs, Ms. Gray, and Mr. Morgenstern
Future Plans: Honestly, I have no idea what I want to do in the future, but I hope whatever it is, I love doing it. I want to settle down and have the family I always dreamed about with a man that will treat me the way a woman is supposed to be treated, and spend everyday without regrets.
I looked at the picture of 18 year old Clary and I couldn't help but realize that she didn't change all that much. She of course matured, but she still had that same innocence that is captured in this picture. Our high school wasn't very large, and when I looked at the other side of the page, there was my high school picture. I took a deep breath and read what I wrote.
Name: Jace Herondale
Hobbies: Making out with chicks
Sports: Football (Captain) Ice Hockey (Captain) Baseball (Captain)
Clubs: What do I look like, a nerd?
Favorite Teachers: Mr. Wayland
Future Plans: Who really knows, but I know I'll look good doing it.
I cringed at how incredibly douchy I was in high school. I looked at Clary, and I's pictures and I can't help but hate who I was back than. I can't blame her for not giving me the time of day. I wouldn't of either with how terrible my attitude was. I went to the back of the book, and looked at the clubs photos. I immediately spotted the redhead, and she had the biggest smile on her face. I looked down at the names, and it said that she was the president of the art club with her future looking brighter than the sun.
I closed the book and put it back in my closet. I got out of the clothes and got into a pair of ball shorts and got into bed. I wasn't really that tired, so I just laid in bed and stared at the ceiling. I didn't know what happened today. I saw a girl fall on the sidewalk and decided to take her in to make sure she was okay, and she turned out to be a girl I went to high school with, and we got snowed in together, and now I can't get her out of my head. I looked at the clock on my dresser, and it was nearly 2 in the morning. Clearly I didn't need to get up for work, although I would still use some of the day tomorrow to work from home, but I didn't have to be in the office. I laid there waiting for sleep to consume me while I had that redhead flooding my mind and when I did finally drift off she flooded my dreams as well.
Clary POV:
I couldn't get away. I was running but I wasn't going anywhere. I looked back at he was chasing me. I tried to escape but I was stuck. I was stuck in my worst nightmare, and there was nobody around to save me. I felt something tug on my ankle and I slammed in to the ground. I was flipped around and I came face to face with my father. I tried to scream but nothing came out. It was like I was mute. He smiled at me and his black eyes glared at me.
"No one is going to save you, you're not worth it." He hissed and I felt tears start to well in my eyes.
"Stop." I finally managed to get out and he laughed at me.
"I never wanted you. You were a mistake, and if I had my way, your mother would have aborted you the minute she found out she was pregnant." He spat as he slapped me across the face. I started sobbing uncontrollably while he hit me repeatedly. I tried my hardest to fight him off but nothing was working.
"Clary." I heard but it didn't sound like my father. "Clary wake up." I heard again.
I shot up in my bed panting after I felt someone shaking me. My cheeks were tear stained and my head was pounding. I looked around and didn't recognize the room I was in. I was taking in my surroundings when my eyes locked with golden ones, suddenly I was very aware of where I was and immediately felt ashamed.
"Are you okay?" He asked and I took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry I woke you up." Was the first thing I said. I should have warned him about the nightmares.
"It's okay. I'm more worried about you." He said and I gave him a sad smile.
"I'm fine." I said and he smiled.
"I'm no expert, but normally when a woman says 'I'm fine' she is in fact the opposite of fine." He said and I laughed. "At least, that's what Izzy tells me. I made that mistake once, she didn't let me forget for an entire year."
"What did you do?" I asked.
"She seemed a little off. She came over one day in a very un-Izzy like outfit and I asked if she was alright, she told me she was fine and I left because I had a date, and when I came home Izzy was livid. She yelled at me for an hour before she finally broke down. I held her until she fell asleep and apologized until I was blue in the face the next day." He said and I smiled.
"What was really wrong with her? If you don't mind me asking." I said.
"Our parents were getting divorced. Apparently Izzy caught my father in a rather compromising position with his assistant. She lost it." He explained and I nodded.
"I can imagine that was horrifying." I said and he nodded.
"You wanna talk about it?" He asked after a moment and I took a deep breath.
"Not really, but I think if I'm going to be here until the snow melts, you deserve to know." I said and he was quiet. "For most of my life, my father was an absent father. He was traveling, and rarely spent a day at home." I explained. I tried to keep my cool, but this wasn't a subject I enjoyed talking about. "When I was 13 his work transferred him permanently to the New York office. My mom and brother were thrilled to have him home, but I barely knew him, so it didn't matter to me whether he was home or not." I said and I took another deep and calming breath. "I came home from school one day, later than normal, because the art teacher needed my help, and I was the president of the art club so I stayed to help. My mom worked late, and my brother was out with a bunch of friends. He was the only one home, and when I walked in the door he was sitting in the living room, and he looked pissed." I said and I took a shaky breath. I felt a warm hand fall over mine and I looked up to see Jace holding my hand. It was rather calmer and I gripped it a little tighter. "Now, I'm not very tall, but my father is close to 6'4" and when he stood up he towered over me. I immediately felt sick. I had no idea why he was angry, or what he was going to do." I said. "He grabbed me by my hair and threw me to the floor. He started yelling at me, and I tried to crawl away but he grabbed my ankle and pulled me back towards him. He straddled me and just kept yelling how much he hated my existence. He was mad when my mom got pregnant again, and he wanted her to abort me, but she didn't want too." I said and I felt the hot tears stream down my face. "I felt like I was trapped for hours just being hit in the face. When he finally got up, I used whatever strength I had left and made my way to my room. I looked in the mirror and my face was bloody, and bruised, and swollen."
"What happened to him?" Jace asked, and he sounded unhappy.
"Nothing. I lied to my mom, told her I came down with the stomach bug. She was always so busy with work, she believed me. I spent the next week at home while my face healed, and went back to school the next week like nothing happened." I said.
"Why didn't you report him?" Jace asked.
"Nobody would have believed me. My father has lived here his entire life. He's friends with the police officers, he's friends with the principal of our old high school. I was doomed to be trapped by that man until I went to college." I said. "How long did this go on for?" Jace asked.
"Until I was 18. I tried so hard to spend as much time at school, or at the library, or pretty much anywhere so that I didn't have to be home alone with him, but some days were just inevitable. I'd come home, he's be pissed, I'd get hit, and repeat."
"Clary, you should have told someone." Jace said and I laughed.
"Than I probably would have been killed. He hates me, and if he could kill me and get away with it, he probably would." I said.
"He's still around?" He asked and I shook my head.
"I went to college, and never went back. I met my ex-fiancé at a local coffee shop when I was 22, and after college we moved in together so I never had a reason to go back." I said and Jace nodded. "I haven't spoken to my family since I was 18, and I don't plan on having a nice family reunion any time soon."
"I don't blame you." Jace said which caused me to laugh. I looked around for the time but there was no clock in my room.
"What time is it?" I asked Jace after a moment.
"It's almost 5." Jace said and my eyes widened.
"I'm really sorry I kept you up. Not really a good way to start off the day." I said and Jace laughed.
"Well, we don't really have much to do considering we're snowed in. So, we can sleep for a couple more hours without punishment." He said and I laughed. "We can start our day now, or I can leave and you can get more sleep. I'm fully awake, so I'll probably go to my office and get some work done."
"You're still going to work?" I asked and he stood up.
"We might be snowed in, but that doesn't mean my company shuts down. I'm pretty productive in the morning, so I might be done before 9 am, and than it's just you, me, and Harry Potter for the rest of the day." He said and I smiled.
"I think I'm going to get some more sleep." I said and he nodded and walked towards the door. "Jace." I said before he left. "Thank you for checking on me, and listening."
"I'm always here if you need to vent, or talk, or just cry. All you have to do is let me know." He said and I smiled.
"You're a great guy Jace, and I'm glad I'm here." I said and he smiled and left the room. I laid back down on the bed and took a deep breath. I tried to think of happy things while trying to go back to sleep so the nightmares wouldn't flood my memory, but the only thing that kept popping up was Jace, and I soon realized that he wasn't going away, so I let the images of Jace lull me to sleep, and for the first time in a awhile I fell asleep content with everything in that moment.
Time Jump – Three Days Later
Jace POV:
"But what I don't get is how the hell does Hermione know everything?" I asked and Clary laughed. We were currently in between of the third and the fourth movie. "Didn't she grow up knowing nothing about magic?"
"Yes, but she reads a lot. She wanted to know everything when she found out she was a witch, so she read a lot about the history, and spells, and everything she could so she was caught up." Clary explained.
"But Ron is so clueless and he grew up around magic." I said and she laughed again.
"He isn't clueless. He just comes off that way. It's annoying because in the books he's actually really smart, but they didn't translate that well into the movies, which sucks." She said and I nodded. "It's like you and I."
"How so?" I asked, curious as to where she was going with this.
"What was your GPA in high school?" She asked.
"I don't remember." I said and she smiled.
"Ball park it." She said and I thought about it.
"Somewhere around a 3.2 I think. I could be totally wrong though." I said and she shrugged.
"Who cares, I graduated high school with a 3.9, and that's only because I got an A- in a calculus class. I was 3rd in our class at graduation." She said.
"And this relates back to Harry Potter because…..?" I asked.
"A 3.2 isn't a bad GPA, but a 3.9 is higher. So technically when looking at just grades alone I'm smarter than you. Same goes for Ron and Hermione. On paper Hermione is smarter than Ron, but in the later movies, and books you see that Ron is actually really intelligent but not really when it comes to a classroom setting. When Ron is our fighting dementors, and finding horcruxes he isn't looking up how to kill them or fight them off in a pocket-sized textbook. He's going on what he remembers, and instinct. Just because Ron doesn't do well in his classes, doesn't mean he isn't smart." She said and I nodded. It was quiet for a minute before I spoke.
"What was your GPA in college?" I asked and she laughed.
"I was just using that as an example. I'm not saying I'm smarter than you." She said and I laughed.
"I'm just curious." I said.
"I graduated Pratt with a 4.0." She said and I was impressed. "But we can't really compare college GPA's because we studied two totally different things."
"A 4.0 is impressive no matter what you study." I said and she shrugged.
"What about you?" She asked.
"3.7. I didn't do so hot in a few of my classes." I said and she smiled.
"3.7 isn't bad." She said and I nodded. "Which classes?"
"Believe it or not I had to take an art class and I did miserably. And I think the other two were some science classes. I mean, I was a business major, I didn't really do well in anything that didn't revolve around business." I said and she nodded.
"Makes sense, but a 3.7 isn't half bad, and maybe one day I can teach you how to draw a tree." She said with a laugh and I smiled. I didn't want to show her, but I was really excited to that fact that she alluded to us hanging out after this snowstorm passed.
"It's almost dinner time, what would you like to eat?" I asked after a moment.
"Hmmmm, well, what can you make?" She asked.
"Anything I have ingredients for. Thankfully right before the storm hit I stocked my fridge, so I have a decent amount of food left." I said and she nodded.
"I'm really in the mood for a killer grilled cheese." She said and I laughed.
"I can do that. Get the next movie set, up and I'll make you one killer grilled cheese." I said and she laughed and turned back towards the TV. I got up and went into the kitchen and got the ingredients for grilled cheese out while Clary flooded my mind.
Clary POV:
Jace was only gone for 10 minutes, but for some reason those 10 minutes felt like an eternity. When he finally came back out he handed me a plate and went back into the kitchen. I didn't want to be rude, so I didn't eat it. A couple minutes later he walked back out.
"What would you like to drink?" He asked.
"What do you have left?" I asked.
"Well, there is water, iced tea, orange juice, and milk." He said.
"Iced tea would be great." I said and he left again. A moment later he walked back out and handed me a glass.
"You didn't have to wait for me." He said and I smiled.
"I didn't want to be rude." I said and he smiled. He took a seat and I picked up my grilled cheese and took a bite. "Oh my god, this is amazing."
"It was the first thing I ever learned how to cook." He said and I laughed. "I've mastered it over the years."
"Well, you definitely delivered on the killer grilled cheese." I said and he smiled.
"Alright, let's see what happened to Harry next." Jace said and I clicked play.
"This is a good one! It might be my favorite one in the series." I said and he nodded.
"Let's hope it doesn't disappoint." He said and I laughed.
We sat there and watched Harry go through the Tri Wizard Tournament but when they got to the end of the second task I started to get tired. I didn't mean too, but my head found Jace's shoulder and I closed my eyes. I guess I was more tired than I thought, because before I knew it, I was slipping into the darkness.
Jace POV:
I don't know when I fell asleep, but I woke up with Clary curled into my side. I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face when I looked down and saw her holding onto me, and completely calm. I noticed the movie was over, and we had missed the ending, but I wasn't going to move if Clary was comfy. I laid my head back and closed my eyes, I wasn't going back to bed, but I figured I'd wait until Clary woke up.
It wasn't long until she stirred awake. I felt her sit up a little, and instantly the heat from her body was gone, and I missed it. I looked over at her and she was rubbing her eyes. When she was fully awake she looked at me and smiled.
"I'm sorry I fell asleep on you." She said and I laughed.
"Don't worry about it, I didn't mind." I said and she blushed.
"We missed the end of the movie." She said and I smiled.
"We'll catch it later. It's getting late. We should probably go to bed." I said and she nodded.
"I am really tired." She said and she stood up, and gathered the heated blanket from the couch. We walked to her bedroom and I paused.
"Goodnight Clary." I said and she smiled.
"Goodnight Jace." She said and she slipped into her room. I made my way to my room and got ready for bed. When I laid down I couldn't get Clary out of my mind. I've only known her for a couple days but I felt like we had this long lost connection. Slowly I felt sleep consume me and I fell asleep thinking of Clary with a smile on my face.
Time Jump – Middle of the Night
Jace POV:
I was woken up when a knock came at my door. I rolled over and the door creaked open, and there stood Clary. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, she looked incredibly tiny, but incredibly beautiful no matter what state she was in.
"You okay?" I asked and she walked in and shut the door.
"The power is out." She said. I looked over at the clock and sure enough it was blank. "I was wondering if you had any extra blankets that I could borrow since I can't use the heated blanket anymore."
"I can do you one better." I said and I shifted in my bed and pulled the covers back.
"Are you sure?" She asked and I smiled.
"We're both adults, and you know what they say, the best form of heat, is body heat." I said and she laughed. She walked over and got into my bed. For a moment it was awkward. She didn't move, she was as stiff as a board. I laughed to myself before I pulled her into me. She squealed at the sudden movement but once she was against me she melted into my arms. It was weird how familiar, and comfortable this felt. I have never experienced this with anyone else before, but with Clary it felt like we'd been doing this for years. I felt her breathing even out pretty quickly, and I wasn't far behind.
I woke up in the morning I had pressure on my stomach that I wasn't used too. I opened my eyes and looked down and saw Clary lying on top of me. My arms were wrapped protectively around her, and she had the smallest smile on her face. I leaned down and pressed my lips to the top of her head. She started to stir and her eyes fluttered open. She pressed herself up on her elbows on top of me, but when she realized that she was on me she blushed and started to move away. I wasn't letting her go anywhere so I tightened my grip on her and she looked up at me.
"Does this make you uncomfortable?" I asked and she shook her head.
"Not at all." She said and I smiled.
"Did you have any nightmares last night?" I asked.
"Surprisingly no. I don't know when the last time that happened." She said.
"Didn't your ex-fiancé ever just hold you until you were okay?" I asked.
"No. Simon wasn't the type of guy who knew how to comfort a person. Normally if I had a nightmare he just got out of bed and slept on the couch." She said and I was a little annoyed that he could be so insensitive.
"That's a dick move." I said and she laughed.
"I don't blame him. They aren't fun to deal with." She said.
"But they aren't impossible either." I said and she shrugged and rested her head back on my chest. I started running my fingers up and down her spine and I felt her shiver at first, which caused me to smile.
"It's so cold." She said after a moment.
"I think that heated blanket can run on batteries, we can look around for some and get it working for you again." I said and I felt her laugh.
"Can we just stay here for a while? I'm comfy." She said.
"We can stay like this for however long you'd like." I said and I could feel her smiled. She started drawing random patterns on my chest, while I continued to run my fingers up and down her spine. We didn't talk the rest of the time we laid in bed, but we didn't need to. The silence between us was a comfortable one, and as long as I had her in my arms, I didn't care what we did.
Time Jump – Two Days Later
Clary POV:
Since the night that I slept in Jace's room things have been different. When we sat on the couch we sat much closer, and we even cuddled most of the time. I spent the past couple nights sleeping in his room so I wouldn't freeze to death, but I also really loved sleeping with him. I didn't have nightmares when he was holding me, and I felt completely safe.
Turns out the heated blanket could use batteries and when we found them I was thrilled. Jace's laptop was fully charged and we decided to watch at least one movie on it, but we found out it had an incredible battery life, so we were able to get a couple movies on it, until it died. Which brings up to now, we decided to play a good old fashioned game of Go Fish, and I don't remember the last time I had this much fun.
"Do you have any 4's?" Jace asked and I looked at my cards, I did have a 4 but I didn't want him to win.
"Go fish." I said.
"You're totally lying!" He said and I couldn't help but laugh.
"No I'm not!" I said through my giggles and he smiled at me.
"You're a terrible liar Clary. You have a 4, give it to me." He said with a smiled and I just held my cards closer to me.
"I said go fish!" I said and he leaned across the couch and our faces were inches from each other.
I don't know how long we were like that because time completely stopped. My heart was racing, and his eyes kept flickering down to my lips. I couldn't take it anymore so I moved forward and our lips touch, and I felt like I had floated to cloud 9. This kiss was something I've never experienced before. It was electric, and passionate, and so long over due. Our lips moved in perfect rhythm and I never wanted it to end. When we finally pulled apart my cheeks were flushed and we were both breathing heavily.
"Wow." Jace said and I couldn't help but giggle.
"My thoughts exactly." I said and he smiled.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." He said and I couldn't help but smile.
"What took you so long?" I asked and he laughed.
"I guess I didn't know how you felt. I mean, it's not like you could leave if you didn't like the kiss." He said and I laughed.
"I liked the kiss." I said and he smirked, a sexy smirk. "A lot."
"The best kiss I've ever had." Jace said and I couldn't help but blush. "I still need that 4 though." He said as I burst into a fit of giggles.
"Fine, but if I lose, I won't be happy." I said and he smiled.
"Duly noted." He said.
"Do you have any kings?" I asked after a moment and he smiled and handed one over. We sat there and played Go Fish like we were a bunch of kids in elementary school who weren't allowed to go outside for recess, but this was all I wanted to do. I just wanted to sit here with Jace, and play stupid card games because for the first time in years I truly felt completely blissed out, and happy.
Time Jump – Two Days Later
Jace POV:
The power came back on last night but that didn't stop Clary and I from sleeping in the same bed again. I don't know what it was but it was like meeting her, and having this time together was a breath of fresh air. She was someone who I was missing in my life that I didn't even know, and not that I had her I never wanted to let her go. I was in the kitchen making breakfast when Clary walked out in one of my shirts, and a pair of sweats. I didn't think anyone could look as sexy in my clothes but she was the epitome of sexy, and I loved seeing her in my clothes.
She sat at the island while I cooked us breakfast. There wasn't anyone in the world that I'd rather stand here and cook for, but that's all I wanted to do for Clary, I wanted to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner for her. I wanted to sit on the couch and cuddle with her while we watched Harry Potter, and play card games with her. I wanted to fall asleep next to her like we've been doing the past couple nights, and I wanted to kiss her. More than I wanted to kiss anyone in my life. I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard a knock on my front door.
"Do you mind getting that for me?" I asked Clary and she shook her head and walked to the front door. I didn't know who would possibly be here, but I wasn't expecting the voice that I heard.
"Who are you?" I heard and I was confused as to why she was here.
"I'm Clary." I heard and than I heard the squeaking on the shoes.
"Jace, who is she?" I heard and I looked up to see Izzy standing in my living room.
"That's Clary." I said.
"I got that the first time, what is she doing here?" She asked.
"The day the storm hit she slipped outside my building. She was out cold, and I wasn't going to let her freeze to the ground, so I brought her up here. We got snowed in together." I explained and Izzy looked back at Clary.
"You look familiar." Izzy said.
"We went to high school together." Clary said.
"Really?" Izzy said and Clary just nodded. "Interesting."
"Here are your pancakes Clary." I said and Clary made her way over to the counter and took her seat.
"Jace, can I have a word, alone?" Izzy asked and I nodded and took her back to the hallways.
"What's up Iz?" I asked.
"Why haven't you been answering your phone?" Izzy asked.
"Well we didn't have power for days, and it died. It's been in my room charging. I didn't think I'd need it." I said.
"Mom has been freaking out. You never called to tell her you were okay." Izzy said.
"I'm sorry. I was concerned with Clary. She slammed her head hard on the ground." I said and something in Izzy's face changed.
"You care about her don't you?" She asked and I nodded. "Good for you."
"What?" I asked taken aback.
"It's about time you found someone who you actually cared about. I thought after you gave up your playboy ways you'd never settle down. You were turning into an eternal bachelor." Izzy said and I laughed.
"Would you like some breakfast?" I asked and she nodded. "How the hell did you even get here?" I asked after a second realizing that she had to walk in the snow.
"The snow stopped last night, and they started clearing the roads and sidewalks." She said and I nodded. We got back into the living room where Clary was still eating. I made my way back into the kitchen and Izzy took a seat next to Clary.
"Sorry for being so bitchy to you before. I was just really confused." She said and Clary laughed.
"Completely understandable." Clary said and Izzy smiled. "I wasn't meant to be here in the first place."
"Jace told me how you ended up here." Izzy said and Clary smiled. It was quiet for a moment before Clary spoke.
"Hey Jace, can I borrow your phone again?" Clary asked me and before I could respond Izzy did.
"You can use mine." She said and Clary smiled and took it. She dialed a number and after a moment she started talking.
"Hello Simon." She said and she sounded so unenthusiastic. "I don't really care about an apology, I just wanted you to know that I'll be by to pick up my stuff sometime today." She was quiet for a moment. "I don't want to hear it Simon. You cheated on me, and I'm moving out. End of story." She said and she rolled her eyes, which caused me to laugh. "Fine, we'll meet for coffee. How does 2:30 sound?" She asked. "Perfect. I'll see you than." She said and she hung up.
"You're really going to go meet with him?" I asked after she handed the phone back to Izzy.
"If it gets him off my back about wanted to apologize to me, than yes." Clary said.
"I don't like it." I said and she smiled.
"I'm not going to go running back into his arms. I'm just going to hear him out, and than leave and never speak to him again." Clary said.
"Still, if he tries anything, let me know and I'll beat the shit out of him." I said and she laughed.
"I appreciate that, but I can take care of myself." Clary said as she smiled. She pushed her empty plate towards me and stood. "I'm going to change and than had out."
"Where are you going to go after you move out?" I asked her and it seemed to stump her.
"I haven't really thought about that yet. I'll probably stay in my gallery until I find a place." She said.
"Why don't you just stay here?" Izzy said almost like she read my mind. "Jace has enough spare rooms, and he wouldn't charge you rent."
"I don't want to put you out. I mean, you already had to host me for some time now and I don't want to overstay my welcome." She said and I laughed.
"I don't mind one bit you being here Clary." I said and she smiled.
"Well, I guess I could bring my stuff over, but if you want me out, just let me know and I'll find somewhere else to go." She said and I laughed.
"I'll be sure to tell you." I said and she laughed. She left the room and Izzy and I were quiet for a moment before she spoke.
"You're welcome." She said and I laughed.
"I was going to offer. You just beat me to it." I said and she laughed.
"I like her." Izzy said.
"So do I. A lot." I said and Izzy smiled.
"So who is Simon exactly?" Izzy asked after a moment.
"Her ex-fiancé. After she woke up from her fall she called him to tell him she was alright and the girl he was with answered. She threw her ring at the wall and that was that." I said and Izzy nodded. Clary walked out in the clothes that she got here in, since she's been living in mine since she's been here. She walked over to the counter and smiled.
"Do you know where I threw my ring? I'd like to give it back." Clary said and I smiled.
"It should be over by the TV." I said and she walked over. She bent down and picked it up.
"Thanks. I can't wait to give this back and rid myself of him once and for all." She said and I smiled.
"I'll let the women in the lobby know you're going to be staying here, and leave a key down there. I would give you one, but I don't have a spare. It should be there when you get back." I said and she nodded.
"Thank you, for everything." Clary said and I smiled.
"I'll walk you to the door." I said and she nodded. We walked over to the door and we lingered for a moment. "If you want, I can hire some people to pick your stuff up from his house so you don't have to worry about it."
"That actually sounds great. The last thing I want to do is spend more time with him." Clary said and I smiled.
"Just text me the address." I said.
"I don't have a phone anymore." She said and I laughed.
"You'll have one by the time you get back." I said and she smiled. She got on her tippy toes and pressed her lips to mine.
"Thank you. I seriously don't know what I would have done without you." She said when she broke apart from the kiss and I smiled.
"Anything for you." I said and she smiled and than left. I walked back into the kitchen and Izzy was still sitting there eating her breakfast.
"Her fiancé's name was Simon right? Simon what?" Izzy asked after a moment.
"I'm not sure, but I think I heard her mumble Simon Lewis once.
"Why does that name sound so familiar?" She asked and I just shrugged. She pulled out her phone and started typing. After a minute or two she looked at me. "Now I know why. My friend Maia told me a year ago that she met this really nice guy at a comic book store. She said they hit it off really well."
"And his name is Simon?" I asked and she nodded.
"Yea. Simon told her he lived with his friend Carl, and that he worked night shift so he slept all day and he didn't like to be disturbed, which is why she never went to his house." Izzy explained.
"That doesn't explain why when Clary called she picked up the phone." I said and Izzy shrugged.
"Maybe Clary told Simon that she was going to stay late at work and he thought he was in the clear." Izzy said and I just got even madder.
"Why not just break it off, why string her along. Clary said they had been together for 7 years." I said.
"Maybe he just find someone else who he had more of a connection too, but he was already engaged to Clary and he didn't want to break it off." Izzy suggested.
"It just doesn't make any sense. I'd rather someone straight up tell me they didn't feel the same way, rather than go behind my back with someone else." I said and Izzy nodded.
"I agree, but some people just don't think about it that way." Izzy said. "I can't believe we went to high school with her. I don't remember her at all."
"I didn't either. I looked at my old yearbook, and it still didn't click, but Clary said that we would have never been friends in high school. She stayed in the art wing."
"That makes sense. We never went to that part of the school." Izzy said and I laughed.
Izzy stayed for a couple more hours, and I eventually called my mom and told her that I was okay, and that I was sorry for not calling. Talking to Izzy and calling my mom made me realize how fortunate I am despite what happened when I was young. Clary had no one, well she had me, but it still made me grateful for the people who I had growing up.
Clary POV:
I made my way to the coffee shop and ordered my drink. I took a seat at a table and waited for Simon to show up. I was nervous to see him, but not because it had been some time, but because I didn't know how long I'd last without pouring my hot coffee all over him. When the doorbell rang and I looked up, in walked Simon and he gave me a smile, which I didn't return. He took a seat I waited for him to start, since this was his idea.
"Hi Clare-bear." He said.
"Don't call me that. You lost the right to call me that when you cheated on me." I said and his smiled fell.
"How are you?" He asked.
"As good as I can be. I slammed my head on the ground really hard the day the snowstorm started, and I've had a dull headache ever since, but other than that I'm fine." I said and he nodded.
"Where have you been staying?" He asked as he fidgeted with his fingers.
"Well, after a slammed my head on the ground, I was knocked out cold. The next thing I remember was waking up in a strange house. Turns out a guy I went to high school with found me outside his building and he took me into his house so that I wouldn't freeze, and we got snowed in together." I explained and he nodded. "I assume you were snowed in with your girlfriend."
"Yea. It definitely wasn't planned." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
"So the whole cheating part was planned?" I asked and he looked at me.
"I didn't mean for it to start. We met one day at the comic book store, and we just got along really well. Before I knew it we were going out for coffee, and meeting for lunch, and before I knew it we were kissing, and I liked it to much to stop it." He said.
"You promised me forever Simon. You got down on one knee and declared your undying love for me 2 years ago. Where did all that go? Or was it just a bunch of bullshit from the beginning?" I asked.
"Not at all Clary. I do love you. I've loved you for 7 years, but I guess it just faded." He said and I let out a dry laugh.
"Why not break off our engagement? Why do this to me?" I asked.
"I didn't want to hurt you." He said.
"This hurt me Simon. You went behind my back and started dating someone else when you promised me a future." I said and I was surprised that I wasn't getting overly emotional. No tears were being spilled, and I was glad for that. "Do I know her?"
"No." He said.
"Did she know about me?" I asked.
"No." He said.
"Did you tell her?" I asked.
"Yes." He said.
"And she stayed?" I asked.
"She was pissed at me for a day, but once I told her you broke off the engagement she forgave me. We're doing good now." He said and I nodded.
"I'll have people over to collect my things." I said.
"Where are you staying?" He asked.
"With the friend from high school. He offered me a room, and since I have nowhere else to go, I took him up on his offer." I said.
"Did you two ever date in high school?" He asked after a moment.
"God no. He was a total dick in high school. He didn't even recognize me when I woke up." I said with a smile.
"I don't think he's good enough for you Clare." Simon said and that really hit a nerve.
"Oh and the lying son of a bitch in front of me is?" I asked and he took a deep breath.
"No. I'm not good enough for you. I hurt you, and I lied to you, and I should have been more of a man and told you the minute I met her and when I started getting feelings for her. I was a coward and I know that, but if this guys a dick, I don't think you should involve yourself with him."
"Too late Simon." I said and his eyes pulled together.
"You're already sleeping with him? I thought you were saving yourself for marriage." He said with a harsh tone in his voice.
"Not that it's any of your business, but we aren't sleeping together. Not sexually anyway."
"What the hell does that mean?" He asked angrily.
"It means, the power went out, I was freezing due to being anemic, he offered his body heat and I took it." I said and I could tell this was pissing him off but I couldn't find it in me to care.
"You've known this guy for what, a week, and you're already cuddling in his bed?" He asked.
"Why is that a problem Simon? You were cheating on me for who knows how long." I said.
"Because it took us 3 years to share a bed, and you just jump into this guys bed with the excuse of being cold? I thought you were above that Clary." He said and I stood up.
"You have no right to judge what I do Simon." I said with my voice raised, and I felt people's eyes on me. "So what if jumped into his bed after knowing him for a week? So what if I confessed the darkest part of my past with him after a couple days? So what if I'm moving in with him after a week? Why the hell do you care about what I do Simon? I'm not yours to worry about anymore. You gave that right up the minute you decided to fuck another woman while we were engaged." I was fuming at this point and I realized the whole coffee shop was quiet. "I'll send men over to collect my things. Everything better be there, and if she wore any of my clothes, you might as well burn them because I don't want any of that skanks skin particles within a inch of me. Rot in hell Simon." I said and I started to walk away.
"He's going to hurt you Clary, and I won't be there to pick up the pieces of your broken heart." He said and I turned around. I walked over to him and tossed the contents of my coffee in his face.
"You did a pretty great job at breaking my heart already Simon. If anything, he picked up those broken pieces and mended them." I said and he wiped the coffee off his face. "You're a coward Simon Lewis, and I never want to hear from you ever again." I took out the engagement ring and dropped in front of his feet. "I'm glad you showed your true colors before we got married. Marrying you would have been the biggest mistake of my life. Have fun with your new girlfriend, I hope karma bites you in the ass so hard." I said and turned around. I started walking out of the coffee shop when I heard clapping and whistling. I looked around and everyone was smiling at me and clapping.
"Way to show him girl!" Someone yelled and I just laughed. I walked outside and took a deep breath feeling so much lighter.
I made my way back to Jace's building. When I walked in I walked right up to the woman in the lobby and smiled.
"Hi dear, what can I do for you?" She asked.
"Jace Herondale told me there would be a key waiting here for me." I said and she smiled.
"Yes he did. One moment." She said and she started searching. After a moment she held up a key and handed it to me. "Here you god doll."
"Thank you so much." I said and I walked over to the elevator. I hit the PH button and waited for the elevator to make it to his floor. Thankfully the elevator didn't make too many stops and I was at the top before I knew it. I tried the door, just to see if it was opened and of course it was. When I walked in, Jace wasn't the only one there. I was greeted by 4 new faces apart from Izzy and Jace.
"Hey Clare." Jace said as he made his way over to me. I couldn't help but smile as he pressed his lips to my forehead. "How did it go?" He asked as he led me into the living room.
"Well, it ended by me pouring my coffee in his face, dropping my engagement ring on the ground and walking out to a huge round of applause." I said and Izzy laughed.
"I got a video." Izzy said after a moment.
"What do you mean?" I asked as I walked over to her.
"My friend works there, and I guess she saw what was going down and started recording." She showed me the video and I shook my head.
"He deserved it." I said and everyone nodded.
"This is my family Clary. You already know Izzy, but the rest are Alec, Max, Maryse and Robert." He said and I nodded and waved. "Everyone, this is Clary, and she'll be staying here for some time."
"Are you two together?" Maryse asked and my cheeks flared red.
"We haven't actually talked about anything yet." Jace answered. "I'll keep you posted."
"So dear, what exactly happened at the coffee shop?" Maryse asked as we took a seat.
"My ex-fiancé was cheating on me. And he kept asking if we could meet up so we could talk, and I was getting so sick of him asking, that I just said yes. And that was our meeting." I said and they nodded.
"How long were you engaged?" Robert asked.
"About 2 years." I said.
"And how long were you two together?" Maryse asked.
"7 years." I said.
"Oh my, that's awful." Maryse said and I shrugged.
"Breaking off an engagements a lot easier than filing for divorce so I'm glad I found out when I did." I said and they all nodded.
We stayed there and talked for a couple hour before they all needed to go. Jace and I said goodbye to everyone and than it was just us. We took a seat on the couch and it was silent for a while before I decided to ask a question that had been on my mind since his mom brought it up.
"So, are we together?" I asked and Jace looked at me.
"Do you want to be together?" He asked.
"Why did you just answer my questions with a question?" I asked and he laughed.
"Why did you just do the same?" He asked and I laughed.
"Alright, serious now." I said and he nodded. "You did offer me your house, and ever since the night the power went out we entered a grey area on what we are exactly."
"We have." He said and I nodded.
"So what I guess I'm wondering is if you want to be in a relationship with me." I asked.
"Are you kidding?" He said and I was kinda confused. "I've never wanted anything more than to be in a relationship with you." He said and my eyes nearly popped out of my head.
"Really?" I asked and he laughed.
"I have loved getting snowed in with you Clary. It makes me wish I knew you in high school, although I doubt we would have been friends." He said and I laughed. "I feel this incredible connection between us, and I can't even begin to explain it, but I want to see where it goes."
"I feel it too. I have never felt so safe in someone's arms than I do with yours." I said and he smiled at me. "I was with Simon for 7 years, and I didn't date before that. So I might be kind of sucky at being a girlfriend." I sad and he laughed.
"The last serious relationship I was in, was that girl who played me in college. I'm a little rusty as well, but the past week has been great, and I can only imagine it getting better from here." He said and I smiled. I leaned over and pressed my lips to his and I felt him smile in the middle of it.
"I should warn you about something though." I said when we broke apart.
"What is it?" He asked.
"I don't know how much this will impact your decision to start a relationship with me. It might be a deal breaker for a lot of people, but I figured I might as well tell you now so that you know and aren't blindsided…"
"Clary." He cut me off and I realized I was rambling. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it won't make me run for the hills."
"I'm saving myself for marriage." I said and I was half expecting his face to become saddened but his facial expressions never changed.
"Okay." He said and I was a little confused.
"You're okay with that?" I asked and he laughed.
"I would never force you into doing something you don't want to do. You want to wait until marriage, I respect that. As long as I can cuddle you at night, and kiss you whenever I want, I'm totally on board." He said and I laughed.
"Thank you." I said and he pulled me closer to him.
"You don't have to thank me for respecting your decisions." He said and I melted into him. I don't know how long we stayed tangled together but I couldn't force myself to move, and he didn't try to either. We just sat there in complete and utter bliss of our new relationship.
Time Jump – One Year Later
Jace POV:
"Jace, are you sure you want to do this? It's a huge decision." Izzy said as we looked through the store.
"There isn't anyone else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with Iz. She's it for me." I said as I looked at the rings in front of me.
"You've only been together for a year Jace, are you completely sure?" Izzy asked again and I looked up at her.
"I love her Iz. More than I've ever loved anyone in my life." I said and she smiled.
"You sure this just isn't you getting one step closer to getting in her panties?" Izzy said and my jaw dropped.
"Sex is the last thing on my mind when it comes to our relationship. She wants to wait, and I respect that. This is me letting her know that I want to spend the rest of our lives together. I want her to know that I'm serious, and that I love her." I said and I saw Izzy give me a genuine smile.
"I'm happy for you Jace. You picked a good one." Izzy said and I smiled. I looked at more of the rings before I saw one that really stuck out to me. It was a square cut, with a huge diamond in the middle surrounded by smaller diamonds.
"Can I see that one?" I asked the man behind the counter and he nodded and took it out of the case. He put it up on top and I inspected it. "What do you think Iz?"
"I think that looks like the most expensive ring you could find." She said and I laughed.
"Excuse me sir, how much is this ring?" I asked the man.
"9,500 dollars sir." He said.
"That's not too bad." I said and Izzy's jaw dropped. "What? I'm a CEO Iz, I have money."
"What a lucky girl." Izzy said and I smiled.
"I'll take it." I said and the man nodded.
"Do you know her ring size sir?" The man asked.
"4 ½." I said and he nodded and looked at the ring.
"Wow. Perfect size." He said and I smiled.
"Perfect. I plan on purposing soon." I said and he nodded and walked to the back.
"I can't believe you just spent that much money on a ring." Izzy said as we made our way over to the register.
"She's worth every penny Iz." I said and she smiled. The man packed up the ring, and I swiped my card, he handed me the bag and we walked out of the store.
"So, now what?" Izzy asked and I smiled.
"Now we start planning the proposal." I said and she got super excited. I knew Izzy lived for this kind of stuff, and I needed a females perspective.
We spent the rest of the day thinking of ideas, and after a couple hours we finally had something planned and I was super excited to have this whole thing planned out. I wanted to ask her as soon as possible, and I wanted us to plan the wedding and get married, so we could start our lives together.
Time Jump – One Week Later
Clary POV:
Izzy called me earlier asking if I wanted to get a manicure and pedicure with her today and I had nothing else going on so I said sure. I walked into the nail salon and Izzy was in there waiting for me. When she saw me she stood up and gave me a hug.
"What would you ladies like today?" The woman at the place asked and I was about to answer when Izzy cut me off.
"We'll both get manicures and pedicures. French tips on both the fingers and the toes." Izzy said and I looked at her. "What?"
"Why don't I get a say?" I asked and she laughed.
"I have something in mind, and that will be the best for it." She said and I knew sometimes Izzy did really random things, so I just learned to go along with it.
"Alright, I trust you." I said and she smiled and we were lead back.
Izzy and I had a great time getting our nails done, and when we left Izzy asked if she could come back to Jace and I's place for a minute or two and I nodded and we made our way back. When we walked in she went straight for Jace and I's room which really confused me. I followed her back there and she was going through my closet.
"What are you doing Iz?" I asked.
"Picking out an outfit for you." She said.
"Why?" I asked as she walked out of my closet.
"Jace asked me to get you ready. He's taking you out tonight." She said and I couldn't help but smile.
"Okay. Let me know when you find me something." I said and I walked out of my room. 15 minutes later Izzy called me back and when I walked back into my room there was an outfit sitting on my bed.
"There will be a car here at 6, the driver will know where to go, so just get ready and wait!" She said and I smiled. She pulled me into a hug. "Have fun!" She said and walked out of the house. I looked at the outfit that she picked out for me and it was pretty. A simple black dress, with black stockings, and black little booties. She got out my black dress coat, and a pair of earrings and a necklace. It was simple enough and I decided to get a shower before getting ready.
When I got out, I dried my hair and began getting ready. I didn't realize how long it was going to take me, but when I looked up at the clock it was nearing 6. I took one last look in the mirror and felt like I was ready enough to be going out on a date with Jace. I walked out in front of the building when a car pulled up. The window rolled down and there was a man sitting in front.
"Clary?" He questioned and I nodded. "Jace Herondale instructed for me to pick you up." He said and I got into the car.
We drove for about 25 minutes when we pulled up to a beautiful restaurant. I got out of the car and started walking towards the entrance. When I walked in Jace was waiting there for me dressed in an all black suit looking sexy as hell.
"Glad you made it." He said as he leaned down and kissed me.
"This is rather fancy Mr. Herondale." I said and he smirked.
"Only the best for you." He said and I blushed. We were led to our table and seated in a semi empty section. We ordered our food, and Jace bought a bottle of wine and we started eating dinner. Dinner went by like all our diners do, filled with laughs, and jokes, just like the rest of our relationship was.
By the time desert rolled around I was stuffed, and didn't think I could eat another thing, but when the plate was place in front of me there wasn't food on it, but a black velvet box. My eyes immediately shot up and looked into those golden eyes that I loved so much.
"Jace." I said as I took the box and opened it. Inside there was the most beautiful ring I've ever seen.
"I have loved you since the moment we got snowed in together. There isn't anyone else on this earth that I'd want to spend forever with. I love you more than I though possible Clary, and I want to build a life with you, and a family with you." He said. He stood up and walked over to me and got down on one knee. "I promise to love and cherish you for the rest of my life. And if there is a life after this, I will love and cherish you than as well." He said as he took the box and took my hand. "Would you do the honor of becoming my wife Clary?"
"Oh my god, yes." I cried out. He put the rings on my finger and scooped me up into his arms. I couldn't believe this just happened, but I was so incredibly happy that all I could do was cry and smile. It was weird, being proposed to by Jace felt incredibly right, and amazing, as when Simon proposed it just felt like another regular day. Jace put me down and slammed his lips to mine. When we broke apart I couldn't stop the smile on my face.
"I love you Clary." He said and I wrapped my arms around his neck.
"I love you too Jace." I said and he kissed me again. I couldn't wait to start planning our wedding, and spending the rest of our lives together.
Time Jump – One Year Later
Jace POV:
Not to my surprise at all Clary didn't want a big wedding. She just wanted a few of her friends from college and my family and some of my close friends there. I didn't mind a small wedding, but Izzy wasn't pleased. She was so excited to plan the biggest more elaborate wedding she could possibly do, considering I didn't give Clary a budget. I wanted her to have her dream wedding, and whatever she wanted, I wanted.
When Clary told Izzy she didn't want anything big Izzy didn't speak to us for three days, but finally came around when Clary said she needed her for dress shopping, and Clary allowed her to help get the most beautiful dress there was. It made Izzy insanely happy, and I was glad that her and Clary were getting along. When I watched her walk down the aisle I nearly fainted. She was an angel, and I had no clue how I got so lucky to call her mine. We had been married for 6 months already, and Clary was almost 4 months pregnant. When she told me, I nearly had a heart attack. I still remember that day like it was yesterday.
Flashback:
I was at the office late today trying to get everything organized for the meeting I had tomorrow, and I felt awful because Clary told me she wanted me home for dinner, but I just didn't have the time. Of course she understood, considering she's the most understanding person I've ever met, but I still felt horrible. I promised to make it up to her and she was okay with that, but it didn't make letting her down any less hard.
I walked into our house to find the kitchen table was still set from dinner, but Clary was nowhere to be found. I walked into the living room and Clary was cuddled under her favorite heated blanket sleeping peacefully. I walked over and leaned down and pressed my lips to her forehead and her eyes fluttered opened.
"I'm really sorry I missed dinner tonight." I said and she smiled.
"It's okay, I just wanted to talk to you about something." She said in a sleepy voice. I was a little confused, because if she needed to talk to me, she should have told me and I would have been home. Work is important, but if Clary needs me, I'll be there.
"Why didn't you tell me? You know if you needed to talk to me I would have been here." I said and she gave me a small smile.
"Don't worry about it. You had work, and I get that." She said and I brushed a curl out of her face.
"Can you tell me now?" I asked and she giggled a little, and I could tell she was still half asleep, which was weird because it was barely 10 o'clock and Clary is normally a night owl.
"I'm pregnant." She said and my heart nearly ripped out of my chest.
"You're pregnant?" I said and she simply nodded. "How far along are you?"
"Almost 2 months." She said and I couldn't believe it.
"I'm going to be a dad?" I said, mostly for myself but I said it out loud and Clary giggled.
"You're going to be a daddy, and I'm going to be a mommy." She said and I leaned forward and pressed my lips to her.
"I love you." I said and she smiled at me.
"I love you too." She said and my hand rested on her belly. Our child was growing in there, and I couldn't wait for him or her to enter this world. There wasn't anything else in the world that I wanted to do than start a family with Clary.
Flashback Over
Since I found out she was pregnant, I work from home a lot so that I can be here for her. The first trimester was brutal. She could barely keep anything down, and she could barely go to work. She was constantly tired, and in pain, and I wanted to be here as much as I could for her, so I worked a lot from home, which I found surprisingly easier than in the office. Which was a good thing, considering when our baby arrives I'll be doing the same thing. Of course I'll go into the office, but if I didn't need to be there, I would be home with Clary and our baby, no doubt about it. I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard the front door open.
"Jace!" I heard and I smiled because man did I love that girl more than anything.
"In here!" I called from my office and a moment later the door opened and there revealed Clary and the adorable baby bump that I've grown to love so much. "What's up?"
"It's our 10 year high school reunion next week." She said as she walked over to me and took a seat on my lap. My hands immediately went to her baby belly as she opened the letter.
"I totally forgot about that." I said and she laughed.
"I RSVP's no when it originally came out." She said.
"Why?" I asked curiously.
"I thought it would be weird to bring Simon along since he didn't go to our high school. I mean, we got this invitation like 3 years ago to make sure everyone could make it. Who knew I'd be married to you." She said and I laughed. "Did you RSVP yes?"
"Yea, but only because Izzy wanted me to go with her." I said and she nodded.
"Do you still want to go?" She asked and I shrugged.
"Can I bring you?" I asked and she read the letter.
"It says if you want to bring a last minute plus 1, we have to fill this out, and send it to this address no later than tomorrow." She said and I took it and filled her name out.
"Done, you are officially my date to our 10 year class reunion." I said and she laughed.
"How sweet of you to bring your wife to her own high school reunion." She said sarcastically and I reached up and gave her a kiss. "I'm going to start dinner, you want anything special?"
"I was actually craving Chinese food." I said. She laughed and got off my lap.
"Than I shall order Chinese food. I'll call you out when it gets here." She said as she started to walk out of the room.
"Love you!" I called out and I heard her laugh.
"Love you too!" I heard and I went back to my work. I couldn't get the smile off my face because if someone told me years ago that this was going to be my life, I would have laughed for being so incredibly ridiculous, but I loved my life, especially my life with Clary, and the life I created with Clary. I couldn't picture a better person to be by my side, and I was glad the universe brought us together.
Time Jump – High School Reunion
Jace POV:
Tonight was the night of our high school reunion and I was pretty excited. Some of those people I haven't seen since high school, and I was curious to see where everyone ended up, because I know nobody will expect where my life went, but I think that made it all the more exciting. I was sitting in the living room waiting for Clary, and she was taking forever.
"If we don't leave soon Clary, we're going to be late." I yelled and I heard the clicking of the heels. I stood up and turned around and there stood Clary looking more beautiful than ever. "You look amazing." I said and she smiled and walked over to me.
"Thanks. I couldn't decide what dress to wear, so I went with the one that showed off my bump." She said as she rubbed her belly.
"Good choice." I said as I gave her a kiss. "Come on, Izzy is probably already there waiting for us." I said and she laughed.
We made it to the school and I hadn't been back here since high school, so it was pretty nostalgic to be back. I parked the car, helped Clary out and we walked in hand in hand. When we got inside I took Clary's coat and she turned towards me.
"Why don't you go find Izzy, and I'll put these where the coats are being held." I said and she nodded. I had to admit, our high school did a pretty impressive job at making it look like we were in a fancy hotel. I walked over to where there as small line and waited to get to the front once I was there, I handed the two coats over and was handed a ticket. I put it in my pocket and went to go find Clary.
I walked into the main area and it was completely filled with kids from our year. Someone of them I knew immediately, and some I've never seen, but I'm not surprised since it took me 7 years to even meet Clary. I started weaving through the crowd looking for Clary when a hand grabbed my wrist and turned me around.
"Jacey, it's been a while." Kaelie said and I rolled my eyes. "Damn you look good."
"Good to see you too Kaelie." I said trying to be polite. She looked exactly like she did in high school, but I guess that's what plastic surgery can do for a person.
"Why don't we sneak away to our hold janitors closet for a walk down memory lane." She said and it made me sick that I even associated with her.
"You see, I'd love too, but I don't think my wife would be too happy with that." I said and her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
"You're married?" She said and I smiled and nodded. "Since when?"
"About 6 months ago." I said as I showed her my wedding ring.
"Do I know her?" She asked as she crossed her arms over her obvious fake chest.
"I don't know, but she went to school with us. In fact she's here somewhere." I said looked around when I caught a glimpse of red. I smiled and started walking completely ignoring Kaelie, but I had a feeling she was following me. I walked over and wrapped my arms around her and rested my hands on her baby belly.
"You married the freak?" I heard from behind me and I turned around and saw Kaelie looking absolutely livid behind us. "You didn't even know her in high school."
"Correct. We officially met a couple years ago, and look at us now." I said and if it was possible, she's have smoke coming out her ears.
"I can't believe you went from me, to that." She said and I pulled Clary closer to me.
"I'd love to sit here and talk about your feeling's Kaelie, but I just really don't want to talk to you anymore, and you're really killing my mood." I said and she stormed away. I turned back to Izzy and she couldn't stop the laughter.
"I have to admit Jace, I've been waiting for you to tell that whore off for years!" She said and I laughed.
"Man I was a total idiot for ever involving myself with her in high school." I said and Izzy laughed. I looked down at Clary and smiled. "Pay no attention to Kaelie, she's just as much of an attention seeking whore today, and she was back than."
"Trust me, I know. She was exactly pleasant to be in school." She said and it pissed me off that Kaelie was ever rude to Clary.
"Well, on the bright side, you two are married, and starting a family, and she's still single as a pringle." Izzy said and I laughed. "I need a drink." She said and I took Clary by the hand and led her to the bar.
"I'll have a rum and coke, and she'll have a Shirley temple." The bartender looked at me with confusion and before I could open my mouth Clary spoke.
"Could you give me extra cherries, this baby is craving them." Clary said as she rubbed her belly and the bartender nodded and started making out drinks. "Is it like a crime for an adult to still enjoy Shirley temples? Cause whenever you order one for me, we always get a weird look."
"I think they just aren't used to it. If you're an adult, you get a dirty Shirley, not a Shirley temple." I said and our drinks were put on the bar. "Thanks man." I said and I gave him a tip and we walked away.
For the rest of the night I caught up with a bunch of guys whom I played sports with in high school while Clary and Izzy walked around. Her standing by my side talking about sports wasn't fun for her, so I let Izzy kidnap her from me, and I think she was talking her ear off about baby stuff. Another thing Izzy was over the moon about, buying baby clothes for her niece or nephew. You couldn't rein that girl in if you tried. I was standing around in a circle talking when Sebastian mentioned Clary, not by name of course, but I didn't like it.
"You see that smoking hot redhead with the baby? I didn't know she went to school with us." Sebastian said and I was about to say something when another buddy cut me off.
"That's Clary, she was that art girl who was always asked to paint the murals around the school. Her initials are all over the walls at this place." Jordan said.
"I wonder who she married." Sebastian said. "And maybe I could possibly get her number." He said and I rolled my eyes.
"I don't think her husband would like that very much." I said and they all looked at me.
"Do you know him?" Jordan asked.
"Very well." I said.
"Who is he?" Sebastian asked.
"Me." I said and they all looked stunned.
"You married Clary Fray?" Jordan asked and I nodded. "How the hell did that happen?"
"We bumped into each other a couple years ago. I didn't even recognize her, but we became friends, and 6 months ago I married her." I said and they all looked at my left hand. "Were you checking to see if it was true?"
"You were just never the type to settle down." Jordan said. "It's shocking to know you married someone we went to high school with, and you didn't even know when you actually met her."
"It was strange, and I pulled out my yearbook and looked her up, and sure enough there she was." I said with a laugh.
"How far along is she?" Jordan asked. He was always one of the nicer guys that I hung out with in high school.
"Just about 4 months." I said.
"Do you know what you're having?" He asked and I was happy that he was genuinely interested in my life.
"We will be able to find out at our next appointment, but I don't think we want to know. I think we want to be surprised." I said and he nodded. "Izzy isn't handling that too well though. She's been dying to get started on the nursery and buy baby clothes.
"Isabelle, there's another hottie. Is she single?" Sebastian cuts in and I glare at him.
"I said it in high school, and I'll say it again. Stay away from my sister." I said and he rolled his eyes. I felt a hand on my arm and I turned around and Izzy and Clary were standing there. "Hey."
"Hi." She said and I kissed her forehead. "Jordan, it's good to see you again." Clary said as she gave him a hug.
"I didn't know you two knew each other." I said as Clary stepped back towards me.
"Jordan and I had a lot of classes together. I helped him pass art senior year, and he helped me get that A- in calculus." She said and I nodded.
"Without her, I would have been stuck in high school forever learning how to draw a tree." Jordan said and Clary laughed.
"I think at some point the school would have taken pity on you, and just let you go." Clary said and Jordan laughed.
"Congratulations on the marriage and the baby." Jordan said and Clary smiled.
"Thanks. You married yet?" She asked and Jordan shook his head.
"Nope. Not really looking to settle down just yet." He said and Clary nodded.
"Isabelle…." Sebastian started but she cut him off.
"Dude, are you ever going to give this up?" She said and I couldn't help but laugh.
"It's been 10 years, we've both changed." Sebastian said.
"We are never going out on a date." Izzy said and he rolled his eyes and walked away from the group. "God, you think he'd give up."
"One thing about Sebastian, he's very determined." I said and everyone laughed.
The rest of the night went by smoothly, and by the time we got home Clary and I were both exhausted. We got into bed and she curled into my side and before I knew it we were both asleep. When I woke up the next day I really didn't want to do anything. It was one of those days where I just wanted to spend the whole day with Clary doing absolutely nothing. Thankfully I was my own boss, so I had the luxury of giving myself the day off. I got out of bed, not disturbing Clary and went into the kitchen to make Clary something to eat. Since she got pregnant, she hasn't liked breakfast food, so I decided on the next best thing. A few minutes later Clary walked out and took a seat on the stools at the counter. When I turned around I put the plate in front of her and she smiled.
"This better be one killer grilled cheese." She said and I smiled and she took a bite. She smiled while she chewed and I knew it was good. "You've done it again Mr. Herondale."
"Anything for you Mrs. Herondale." I said and she blushed and continued to eat. I made my own grilled cheese and I sat down and we ate together. When we were done eating we took our respective places on the couch and turned the TV on. About an hour into watching TV the power cut out.
"Again?" Clary said and I got up and looked outside. I knew it was calling for snow, but I didn't expect to be caught in another snowstorm.
"Looks like we're going to be here awhile." I said and she smiled. She pulled out the heated blanket and a deck of cards.
"How about a good old fashioned game of Go Fish?" She asked and I laughed and made my way back to the couch.
"You are so on." I said and got under the blanket as she dealt the cards. It seemed like our lives were destined to be controlled by the snowstorms that locked us away in our home, but as long as I had Clary, our heated blanket, and a deck of cards, there isn't anywhere else I'd rather be than snowed in with her.
Authors Note:
So, Shadowhunter paigeok21 requested a one shot where they were snowed in together, and inspiration struck me and this was the end result! I hope you enjoy this one shot as much as I enjoyed writing it. I was suffering from a case of writers block, but I think writing this story helped me get past that a little, and I hope that my creativity comes back soon because I hate leaving you guys waiting for so long! Let me know what you all think and leave a review! :)
Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter, they belong to the fabulous JK Rowling and I simply used them because I love Harry Potter, and Freeform is currently having and Harry Potter weekend, and I'm so incredibly happy! Anyway, thank you all for being so incredibly patient with me, and allowing me to take some time so I could write a kick ass story! Also I think this is one of my longest one shots ever, and I'm super proud of that! Alright, enough rambling! Enjoy this story, and let me know what you think! :)
