"The man was rude, crude, and inappropriate. I was taken with him the moment I walked in the door, and I knew the first moment I saw him that it was going to be raw, it was going to be ugly, and I was going to enjoy every damn minute of it." (C.M. Stunich)

Clary slid into the sheets of her bed, shutting her eyes forcefully in attempt to catch sleep. Nothing worked. Growling like a bear who needed to hibernate, she slipped onto her feet and grabbed her mother's coat. She remembered his tawny colored eyes. Ravishing. Magnificent. Divine. He drew her to him even if her thoughts denied him.

Stealthily, she darted down the stairwell of the old apartment and caught a warm night in Manhattan. Smiling, she turned a corner at the alleyway and found him walking away from his spot. "Wait, Jace!" She shouted, finally using his name.

He stopped and turned, shaking his head when he saw her. "What the hell? Isn't it fucking two right now?"

She nodded, her chest heaving. "It's actually two thirty." He rolled his eyes but she saw a flicker of a smile reach his lips. His eyes shown brightly in the dark and her cheeks grew rosy at the sight. Jace didn't notice and trudged away. She grumbled to him but followed, her strides much shorter than his.

"Where are we going?" Clary asked, pushing her hair back.

"It's not like it matters. You'll follow me anyway, right?" His answer made her laugh and she saw amusement in his eyes. Jace was an enigma. Perplexing. Baffling.

They were heading to some run down building with a slightly crumbling roof. She stopped and eyed the structure, a bit of fear clogging her head. Jace whirled and faced her an odd expression crossing his features. "Are you comin' or not?" Clary decided that staying with him was better than being on the streets.

It was too dark to see and Jace brought out his lighter which relieved her worries. They continued walking for a long time passing by broken wood and cement. She even caught sight of a dead bird and a white cat. Gulping, Clary leaned into Jace and felt him stiffen. He didn't say anything.

They reached some sort of steel door and Jace pulled out a key from his pocket. The door creaked open causing a sound that chilled her spine. Jace motioned for her to slip in and after she did he shut the door before locking it. "What is this?" She whispered.

He didn't reply. Jace snapped a switch on and light illuminated the large room before them. She gasped. Words were plastered and slathered against all the walls with black spray paint. The only colors were crimson and black. Without permission, Clary touched the terms in curiousity and awe. "Who did this?" She mumbled, almost to herself.

"It's not a big deal." She heard him say. At that, Clary snorted.

"It's amazing. You're an artist." She marveled.

She spotted a bed at the corner of the room and made the conclusion that he lived here. She was relieved that he had somewhere to stay. Jace lied on the bed and stared at the ceiling, eyebrows scrunching. She skipped over to him and stared down.

"What are you going to do now?" Clary asked.

"Do you ever go away?" He nearly groaned and she stifled a giggle.

"Nope."

Sitting on the edge of the mattress, she watched as he pulled a few pills from his pocket. "What is that?"

He popped them into his lips and swallowed. "Magic." She rolled her jade eyes at the immature response.

"You mean...drugs that kill you." Jace grinned crookedly.

She played with her fingers in boredom and sighed. What could she do now? If she returned, she'd be grounded for months. Scratch that, her life. Frowning, Clary asked, "Do you have something to eat?"

He pointed towards a bag on the ground. She bent lower and rummaged through it finding two bottles of beer and several boxes of cigarettes. "You have nothing in here!" She complained.

"That is my food." He said, letting out a breath. Clary felt her stomach growl. Pouting, she let go of the plastic bag and returned to her seat on the bed.

Something abruptly clanged and she jumped slightly in surprise. Jace immediately sat up, eyes narrowing. She heard the sound of the door opening with the same creak. "Who's that?" Clary asked hesitantly. He stood up and told her to stand behind him. She protested but he glared at her and she listened.

"Ay, Jace! Where you at?" A deep voice called and Clary's breathing fastened. A short figure came into view and Clary recognized it as the same guy who was with Jace the day she met him. He was handsome with tan skin and curly ebony colored hair.

"What is this?" He questioned and Clary swore that he saw her.

Jace rolled his eyes before saying, "Fuck off, Raphael."

The young man laughed and stepped towards them, a smile forming on his pink lips. "Why can't I get a piece of this?"

Jace scoffed, his expression hardening almost instantly. "I said fuck off."

Raphael held up his hands in defense and backed away slowly on purpose, dropping a wink In Clary's direction. He grabbed a few cigarettes and stomped away angrily.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "You're so stupid." Clary began to ramble, eyes wide. "I could've died. Oh god, what would've happened if you weren't here..."

She glanced up hesitently and met his fair gaze. She expected him to scold her but instead he leaned down and covered her lips with his. It came out of nowhere and Clary felt like her head could explode any moment. His lips were warm and shockingly gentle. She shut her eyelids pushing away any invading thoughts and stood on the tips of her toes to reach his height but even then it was a failed attempt. He grinned against her lips at the try but lifted her up so that her legs wrapped around his hips.

She pulled away first, heart beating like thrumming drums. Jace's cheeks were rose colored and Clary could only imagine what she appeared like. "I thought I was annoying." She grumbled, smiling.

He played with a long auburn curl from her hair before responding, "Shut the hell up." With that, Jace pushed his lips onto hers and exhaled through his nose. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and heard him release a groan. The smoldering heat between them only strengthened and Jace mumbled something about her height.

"Fuck off." She mumbled against him.