My dear little broccolis💚💚💚
💚 Give Me The Daddy, I'll Give You The Sugar 💚
"The best investment I ever made, was when I lost fifty million dollars and met the love of my life as a result of that."
‼️Rated M - {Out Of Characters/All Human/Alternate Universe}‼️
‼️Romance/Angst/Drama/Lemons‼️
‼️Clace/The Waylands/OGs/Magnus Bane/‼️
💚 READ & REVIEW, DON'T BE A SILENT READER 💚
Chapter 15: Spiced Rum (9,8K)
During the week that followed her return to New York from Honk Kong, Clary did not hear a word from Jace, which, though it seemed a bit off, she did not think much about. This was how Jace used to be before they started becoming proper friends. And she was far from minding, this was what she needed not to fall completely and utterly in love with him. She needed him to treat her as a business transaction and nothing more.
And this was why she did not try to contact him either. First of all, if he had to go to Macau on a limb, she was sure it was because of a crisis and she knew there was no point in contacting him when his business was not going as good as he wanted. His focus was on what was happening to his investments, and she didn't want to call him just to feel like an afterthought.
Second, she herself was really busy with work. Valentine was making her work more and more since she had told him that she was taking seriously the opportunity that he was giving her to go to London in a year. She had become his shadow, drinking every bit of knowledge she could from him, and loving every minute of it. She was very well aware of how lucky and privileged she was to be able to work with such a great lawyer, and that, if it hadn't been for Jace, she never would have had these opportunities.
And more than that, she had come to enjoy Valentine as more than a mentor, but also as a friend. And though she was doing her best to never talk about Jace with him, more than once Valentine, or his wife, would have a little comment about her 'couple' with his client. Nothing ever degrading, but little words that she knew were meant to be friendly but only reminded her that her whole relationship with Jace was based on a lie.
In fact, it was Valentine who told Clary that Jace was back on US soil and in New York by implying that the young blond's foul mood would be much better once Clary would make him some food. But instead of going to his hotel as she took the habit of doing when he was in town, Clary went back to her place this evening, doing her best to not cry.
Jace had always made a point on telling her when he was in town, even if it was just by teasing her, saying that he was famished and underfed. But this time, he gave her just what she wanted, he reestablished the rules of their relationship. She was an afterthought, something to parade on his arm when he was going out to the world, and barely think of otherwise.
She knew that she shouldn't be hurt by his behaviour because this was who he was. In fact, this was exactly what he warned her about, this was the reason why he asked her to pretend to be his girlfriend. He didn't do feelings, and at the time, neither did she. She was more interested in building herself and her career first. But now that he had given her the tools to do so, she wanted more than she could have.
For a couple more days, she waited for Jace to contact her, staying awake at night staring at her phone, her thumb hanging over the button that would call him, before she would chicken out, scared of what he might say. And she hated it. She hated that this felt so much like a breakup when they hadn't even been in a real relationship, to begin with. She wanted nothing more than to get advice, but she knew what Magnus would tell her, he would tell her to end things if she felt too involved with someone who wasn't. And no matter how unhealthy she knew it was for her, she wasn't ready for it. She selfishly wanted to make that sweet illusion of a fairytale last as long as she could.
On Sunday, she volunteered as usual at her soup kitchen, being cheered up by Seb. In fact, he told her that he intended on auditioning for SNL for when the new season would start. He was a bit saddened over the news of her departure, joking that she was his lucky charm, but celebrating her success nonetheless.
When they finished, he proposed her to go for a drink with him, but that idea died out when they saw Jace leaning against an expensive SUV, glaring at Seb. She hugged him goodbye and walked to the car, looking at Jace with a smile, even though he was anything but smiling.
Once she was at his level, he opened the door to the car and told her, "I'd like to take you out for dinner."
"Oh, hello, Jace! Long time no see. How are you doing?"
"Get in the car, Clary. I'm not in the mood for niceties."
She got in the car, rolling her eyes and explaining as Jace climbed in next to her, "It's called courtesy. I'm pretty sure Celine taught you those growing up. But apparently, only Alec was listening."
He did not respond anything, though he took the time to glare at her before telling the chauffeur to drive them to a certain restaurant. For a moment, none of them said a word, Clary looking through the window, and Jace sending a text or an email via his phone. She only turned her head to him when he said,
"I was expecting you to find you back home when I came back here."
"ii was home, Jace."
"You know what I mean."
"I got busy with work. I assume the same goes for you, and I don't hold it against you. Because it's what we agreed on, work comes first."
He nodded his agreement, though he reached to take her hand in his. She didn't try to remove it from his grip, and he nudged her so he could kiss her forehead and apologise,
"Sorry for earlier. I've been in a bad mood lately, but I shouldn't take it out on you."
She smiled to wave it off, briefly squeezing his hand to let him know it was all forgotten. When they arrived at the restaurant, she wasn't surprised that it was one of those fancy and expensive restaurants Jace liked so much. He never complained when she dragged him in real restaurants that had souls and were not pristine and all about the bling. But she knew he was more comfortable in luxury.
Once they were sitting, he ordered a bottle of red for the two of them, and she let him do his thing, knowing that Jace knew his wine much better than her. She never had to complain about his choices in the past. They looked at the menu, Clary becoming more curious and anxious what this dinner could be about, and after the waitress took their order, he put his phone in silent mode and looked deep in her green eyes.
"I'd like to talk about this London business."
She put down her glass of wine, giving him all her attention and he stared at her a couple of more seconds before telling her, "I don't want you to go."
"Excuse me?" She mused.
"I want you to stay here. I'm sure Valentine can find you work here that would be as enriching as in London. You wouldn't have to uproot your whole life, and bury yourself in the country of crumpets."
She widely opened her eyes, not believing that Jace 50 MIL Wayland, of all people, would try to interfere with her career when the man clearly told her that there was nothing more important to him than his own.
"First of all, the country of crumpets? Really? Couldn't you go for another cliche? Second of all, I am only going for a year or two. I thought you'd be the first to be happy for me."
"Happy for what? Happy that you're going all the way across the globe where the sun never shines? I just told you, I don't want you to go."
She reached for his hand on the table, and sweetly squeezed it as she condescendingly smiled to him and reminded him, "Jace ... The thing is ... you have no say in the matter."
He opened his mouth, ready to retort, and so she quickly added, "You come and go as you please, and I never said a single word against it. Even when you left me stranded in an unknown country. I understand. It's your career, it's your business, it's your company. I know how important it is to you.
Now, I always told you I wanted to be a lawyer, and Valentine is giving me a shortcut. Of course, I'm going to take it. All I ask of you is to be the supportive person you told me you would be when we started this whole ... affair."
Jace let her words sink in, and refrained from responding when the waiter arrived with their food. Once they were alone again, Clary started eating to avoid his piercing eyes, but she still looked up when he asked,
"What about us and what we have?"
"I think this opportunity comes as a perfect time for us and what we have."
"Agree to disagree. I think this comes at the worst time for us," He retorted, and for a second, Clary felt like she was talking to a kid who was getting his favourite toy confiscated.
She took a sip out of her wine, not sure of how this was making her feel. In a way, her foolish heart was reading more into this than there was. She wanted to believe that Jace was developing the same sort of feelings as she had. But her reason knew that it wasn't the case.
She was stretching him out of his comfort zone, out of this sweet and easy routine she gave him for more than a year and that he didn't want to see end. He liked things how they were, and was not looking forward to the time he would have to replace her.
"Jace ... no matter how closer we have gotten over the months, we both know that this won't work."
"I beg to differ."
This made her heart leap with hope for a moment. But when she looked at him, he was simply eating, his usual unreadable mask on. He was treating her like yet another business deal, and he was playing the cards he knew would work on her. Though she enjoyed being in his company and the wealth that came out of it, she never seemed for it. So he had no use using money against her. He knew that if he had to make her bend his way, he would have to play with her feelings.
And it was exactly what he was doing. Giving her the hopes that there could be more, so he could stay in the comfort and stability she provided.
She deeply breathed in, swallowing back her hurt. She could really blame him for being good at his job. She just wished he would have the decency not to use his business tactics against her.
"Our relationship is strictly business, and none of us has forgotten it. This dinner is proof enough. When you want to talk business, you always take me out for dinner, whereas when you want to talk about something personal, we stay at home.
And I told you before, Jace. I get it. I really do. You've built your whole career out of nothing, so of course, it will always be your first thought, of course, you cherish it. But now, you have to get that I have to think of me as well. I can't always pretend to be your girlfriend. You know that I want kids, and I need a man for that. And I can't actively look for a man whilst being with you."
He glared at her, clearly not liking the fact that she brought up that she thought of other men. She sweetly smiled, and said out loud what she had been thinking for a while,
"We both knew this day was coming. All I did was putting an expiry date to something that was undefined before."
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
Over the next couple of months that followed her conversation with Jace, Clary noticed that he more often than not stayed in New York, and systematically asked her to stay with him. Nothing much changed in his attitude, he was as touchy as usual and worked just as much as he did before, but he stopped taking her out for dinners.
In fact, he started asking about her own career and why she was so passionate about it. And bit by bit, she found herself confessing that she wanted to give the next generation the justice she never had as a child. And though she knew that neither Jace or Valentine could ever really empathised the injustice she felt and how much it still affected her, she still appreciated that they listened to her and tried to understand.
And the fact that both Magnus, Izzy and Jocelyn were her biggest supporters in her quest for fairness only comforted her in her choice of career. Of course, she had known from the start that Izzy and Magnus would be supportive and would understand better than anyone else. What she hadn't expected was that Jocelyn had had a similar childhood as them. If not even more terrible because she still bore the scars of her pasts.
She told Clary one evening after Valentine and she had finally stopped talking business all about how she got her burns, and Clary felt nothing but empathy for the poor redhead. Once again, she found herself thanking her lucky stars for watching over her and making her avoid the true harshness of life.
This was something that she was very much aware of. Sure, she received much more punches than a child should when she had been at the Millers, but she was lucky enough to never have been hurt enough to have scars reminding her of that past, and she never was raped either. so, though her childhood had been unconventional, she knew that others had it much worse than her. This was how she kept on going in life, how she managed to find her own fire and aim to thrive in life.
Of course, as she had expected it, Jace never really knew how to react when she would share with him those little parts of her life, and he always felt awkward, not sure what to do with himself. But she didn't fault him for that. Very few people knew how to react to things they thought only happened in fiction.
If there was one thing that her talking to Jace about her past changed in his life, was the fact that he diversified his charities. When before, he used to only give to international charities, talking to her and taking in her experience made him realise that there were many people in the US that needed help as well.
In fact, for each new charity he wanted to be a patron of, he asked for her input, and her advice was always the same. Sure the money helped, she would never deny that. But there was no price that could be put in a simple act of humanity. And so, twice he accompanied her to her soup kitchen to help feed the less fortunate than him.
She was sure that must have been a strange feeling for him to be stripped down as a nobody whilst feeding people he had ignored for so long, but he never showed it. He took the task and perfectly completed it, forgetting for a moment that he was such an important man who prided himself to be wealthy and luxurious.
Of course, because Jace always knew how to capitalise every single moment of his life, he asked Clary to accompany him to another soup kitchen where he knew the media would be ready to take pictures of them and interrogate him in his sudden interest toward homelessness. She agreed without much thought, because, even if it was her job, it was a cause dear to her heart.
In fact, Jace was asked to be the speaker for a charity that helped homeless youth after he gave a huge amount of money to them. Clary accompanied him and helped him write his speech, pushing him to do it, even though he was reluctant because, in his eyes, he had no business talking about something he couldn't relate to.
"Does that mean? Are you never going to speak out against injustices then?"
"It's not what I mean, Clary. I just ... you should deliver the speech. You lived in the streets when you were young. As you pointed out more than once, I've had a privileged childhood."
Clary rolled her eyes, pointing at the paper for Jace to keep on working on it whilst she was baking cookies.
"It's ridiculous. What you're saying is that, if you haven't experienced it, you should speak about it. So, if I'm with Magnus and Karl, and someone says something about it, I should keep my mouth shut because I'm not gay. Trying to understand and showing your support doesn't mean that you're trying to appropriate to yourself someone's life and experiences."
"I just don't want to be labelled as a woke-tivist who thinks so highly of himself."
"Why do you care what people think? You know deep down the truth. You have my full support. Shouldn't it count for something?"
He smiled, picking back up his pen and looking down at the paper as he admitted, "You're right. I should do it for you, not for the media that would love nothing more than to tear me apart."
She kissed his cheek, leaving in front of him the bowl where she prepared the cookie dough so he could lick it clean like he loved to do every time she baked. She understood why she was worried since tabloids seemed tired to depict as the good man he was and were trying to find a flaw in him. Of course, they respected their part of the deal, and stopped following her everywhere she went when in return, Jace would tell them when there was something worth covering, like him volunteering at a soup kitchen.
But Clary felt that it made the media even more eager to catch Jace do something he shouldn't, just so they could destroy that pristine image he had.
So when came the time for Jace to make his speech, Clary stood close to him, though lost among the crowd. She smiled, showing her support to him, her heart warming up when he mentioned without saying her name that she was the reason why he opened his eyes to what was happening in his own country.
She applauded as loud as everyone else when he finished his speech, and let him have his moment as people were going to him to congratulate him. She quickly went to the bathroom to relieve her bladder, and when she came back, Jace was still talking to many people, so she stayed in a corner, sipping on her champagne as she let her thoughts go that fantasy she liked to dwell in, where Jace and she could somehow become something despite her leaving, and his desire to remain childless and celibate.
"It seems that he is going to be held up for a while."
She turned, surprised by this sudden voice next to her, and she politely smiled when she saw a man that was probably Jace's age looking at her with a twinkle in his eyes.
"To be honest, I always hate those events. They seem shallow and purposeless. I think they should give the money straight to the charity and stop patting themselves on the back when they do," He said, and though she agreed, she did not commit herself to that conversation.
She looked back in Jace's direction, and she heard the man by her side chuckle before he leant and whispered in her ear, "What would make it worth our time, would be for us to get to my room upstairs, and enjoy our time together."
"In case it wasn't clear, he is my boyfriend," She firmly said, pointing out Jace who was still talking with the chairwoman of the charity. The man snickered, shaking his head as he put his arm around her shoulders, making her freeze and glare at him,
"And in case you weren't aware, I was only proposing a casual thing. I myself am married. I don't want commitment. I just want to show you a good time whilst I pound into you."
She widely opened her eyes, not expecting to hear this sort of inappropriate language in the mouth of a high member of the society. But before she could recover her wit, someone snaked their arm on her waist and said,
"Here you are, babe. What did you think of my speech?"
"Very inspiring," She told him, all smiles and hoping against reasons that he didn't witness anything that just happened with the other man.
Jace looked over her shoulder, and curtly nodded, "Richards." Then, he caressed her cheek and kissed her without any warning. A deep and possessive kiss that was only displayed to show Richards that she was with him and that he was very well aware of what kind of game Richards played with her.
When he broke their kiss, Clary repressed herself from rolling her eyes and simply pecked his lips with a sweet smile, staying by his side as he directed her away from the offending Richards.
"Don't you think that the babe was a bit much?"
"No. I think it was the best thing I said this evening," He retorted with a smug smirk
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
It was only a couple of weeks after that charity event that Cleary realised who Richards was. He was the CEO of a company that Wayland Enterprises was in the process of taking over, and he was doing his best to sabotage the process. She was having dinner at Magnus's and Karl's when the news dropped that Wayland Enterprises was losing the most money it ever lost in all its existence.
Jace had never mentioned a thing to her about being in a difficult situation, and she felt a sort of hurt to have been kept in the dark. Sure, she couldn't have done a thing for him, but she could have been a shoulder to rely on, just like he had become one for her. So she took the leave of her friends, hoping against all hopes that Jace was still at the hotel and hadn't flown to Seattle to deal with this crisis with Aline.
But she found him sitting on the couch, watching the news channel whilst drinking some expensive whiskey. Silently, she removed her shower and positioned herself behind him. She reached for the bottle of whiskey and noting that he hadn't even bothered with a glass. When she tried to take the remote to switch off the news relating of his financial fiasco, he prevented her from doing so, though he still lowered the volume.
So she did what she knew worked best, she gave him a massage. If there was one thing she had to give to Henry, was that he had developed her massage skills to the best. There had been so many times she had to calm him down and relax him, that it was second nature to her now. though, this time she wasn't doing because she feared Jace's actions, but more because she wanted to make him feel better.
As she kneaded into his muscles, he visibly relaxed, closing his eyes and appreciating this moment of peace she was giving him. For twenty good minutes, none of them said a word. She massaged him, her thoughts only interrupted by the news reporter commenting on how Wayland Enterprises just made the biggest mistake of their career and losing millions of dollars.
Jace snickered, saying, though she wasn't sure if it was for her benefit, "They are not even up to date with their figures. This isn't the biggest amount I've lost in an investment."
"Of course." She rolled her eyes. "You know, people are usually butt-hurt about losing money."
Jace opened his eyes, switching off the TV and planting his golden eyes deep into her green ones, and she felt that she was missing something.
"Sometimes, losing money is the best thing that can happen to you."
His eyes were still glued to her, and he rose his hand so he could interrupt her massaging, taking one of her hands in his. Then, he proceeded by making her walk around the couch, never letting go of her hand until he made her sit on his laps. She resumed her soothing massage, a bit self-conscious now that he was looking at her.
"Do you remember how you said a few months ago that you'd still be my friend if I became penniless."
She chuckled, shaking her head and admonishing him, "Don't be ridiculous, Jace. You're far from becoming penniless. It's one bad deal. We all have ups and downs. Don't be so melodramatic."
"I know. I just want to know if you really meant those words, or if they were just words in the heat of the moment?"
She finally looked back in his eyes, having avoided his gaze since she sat on his laps. She stopped her motions, resting her hands on his chest and she asked, "What do you think?"
"I like to believe that it's a fact. But I've realised that, when it comes to you, I'm not that good at reading people. I always think I got you figured it out, and I end up being wrong."
"Well, believe this, me being your friend has nothing to do with the size of your wallet. otherwise, I wouldn't be here trying to calm your nerves, but I'd be out, trying to find myself another rich friend."
He chuckled with her, shaking his head with a mix of relief and disabuse. Then, he undid her hairdo and cupped her face, his eyes flying from her eyes to her lips, and slowly, he leaned forward to kiss her, giving her enough time to stop him if she wanted to.
But she didn't. She closed her eyes and melted to the feel of his lips on hers. In fact, she was the one who pressed herself against him when his hand fisted her hair in the back of her neck. She moaned against his mouth, avidly opening her own when his tongue caressed her lower lip. But before she could even realise what they were doing, Jace stopped them, though he made a point on keeping her on his laps, his forehead leaning against her own.
"This could lead to regrets in the morning. I don't want to take my frustrations out on you," He explained as she did her best to steady her heart. For a moment, she considered lying and saying that she didn't care, but it wasn't true.
It was more than the contract, it was the fact she knew she wouldn't be able to have meaningless sex with Jace, and she was so happy that he stopped when he did and showed more restraints that she did.
His hand left her hair to go to her face, and he asked, leaning back against the couch, "Do you have anything planned for your birthday?"
"Not yet. I'm not sure of what I want to do this year. Maybe I'll stay here and just go clubbing."
She watched him briefly clench his jaw, before looking back at her his hand still gently caressing her cheek, "I'm going to Washington on that weekend. I was supposed to go to Tokyo, but I had to delay it for some award event. I ... I would take it as a personal favour if you accompanied me there and if we spent your birthday together."
"Do I still get a cake and candles to blow?"
"Whatever you want."
She smiled, before getting up, letting him know that she would quickly fix him something to eat. He didn't follow her straight away, though she knew it was because of the 'little problem' residing in his trousers. So, as she boiled some water to make quick carbonara, she let her thoughts wander to her upcoming birthday and how it would feel to celebrate it in Washington.
She had never been there, and she was dying to visit the White House as well as the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials. In fact, she was so happy at this moment that she didn't realise that she was singing until Jace showed up in the kitchen and pointed it out to her,
"And there I thought Beyonce was the only one who could sing Halo."
"I am surprised that you know of the Queen B," She teased.
"I might be older than you, but I am no ancient."
"Oh, it has nothing to do with age. I mean, this statement wouldn't surprise me from your Dad. But you, you never listen to music or watch movies. You just watch and read the news."
He smirked at her, watching her pour the pasta on the carbonara she had just made when he was still in the living-room, "Why would I listen to music when I have m own personal jukebox that always gives me the best performances, and food as well?"
"Maybe I should take a page from Frenches's book and strike."
"What would you strike for? Maybe management can be complaisant to you."
"Mmmmh ... I don't know. How about an amazing birthday?"
"That easy? You don't have to strike for me to give you the birthday of your dreams."
"I don't know. That last day in Paris is going to be pretty hard to top."
"What are your plans for the day?"
"I saw an ice-skating ring new Notre-Dame, so I thought maybe I could have a few spins. I haven't done so in years. I want to feel like an irresponsible tween again."
Jace chuckled, putting down his newspaper and looking at her, mirth playing in his eyes. "I have issues picturing you as an irresponsible anything. This word doesn't suit you."
"Oh, you have no idea of what I'm capable of. What I can do would surprise that pristine image you have of me."
He shook his head, and she rose an eyebrow, taking as a challenge the fact that he clearly did not believe her. They finished their breakfast together, which struck her as odd because Jace usually left early to work with Nicolas. This time though, he got ready with her and was even harbouring a pair of jeans instead of his usual designer suits.
"You don't mind if I come along? I don't think I should pass the opportunity to see you flat on your ass on the ice."
She sweetly smiled, giving him her best commercial smile so he wouldn't realise what she was doing as she fixed his jacket. "I don't mind at all."
She walked to the door, and produced out of nowhere his wallet, proudly smiling as she added, "Though you might need if you're going out. Paris is an expensive city."
Jace widely opened his eyes, checking his pockets by tapping them, even though it was clear that she was holding his wallet. "How on Earth did I not feel that?"
She innocently smiled, keeping for herself that she became good at pickpocketing because she had to survive in the streets. She started walking out of the room when Jace still tapped his pockets and realised, "My phone."
She laughed and gave it back to him as he grumbled, "When I think I was worried you would get pickpocketed in Paris."
"I told you many times, Jace. You worry too much for me," She paraded, producing his watch from her sleeve. His eyes showed once again surprise before he shook his head and conceded,
"I get it. You are not as innocent as you look. And you are obviously much more resourceful than I gave you credit for."
"It's all I wanted to hear. Don't worry, my pickpocket days are behind me."
"Yeah, I can see that."
She laughed and took his hand so they could finally leave the room and go to the ice rink. She fell a couple of times, but this was nothing compared to Jace who seemed to have forgotten what balance was. He was so bad that Clary had to hold his hand to help him go forward.
Obviously, many children made fun of him when they saw him shake on his skates when they were sprinting past him, but Clary who understood the general meaning of their mockeries just told him to let it go.
In the afternoon, Jace took her to the Champs Elysées, insisting that the two of them needed some clothes for the evening. She knew he wanted to take her to the Eiffel Tower, but she never would have thought that it required a dress code. Especially knowing it was infamous for its many many stairs.
The surprise of the evening was that Jace took her to watch an opera performance at Garnier. And to make sure her experience would be complete, he reserved for them the box 5, the very same one that supposedly belonged to the Phantom.
After the representation, they went to the Eiffel Tower to appreciate the view of Paris from there. Jace had taken Clary's camera from the hotel room and made sure that she would capture every moment of that magic day that he just gave her
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
When the weekend of her birthday came, Clary went with Jace to Washington, especially since she learned that he was more than a simple attendee, he was receiving an award. On their way there, he tried to convince her to go with her to Tokyo the Sunday, so she could see that other culture he knew she would enjoy.
Of course, she refused, reminding him that she had to go to work on Monday morning, and when he tried to convince her to join him in Macau where he needed to be after Tokyo, he used another tactic. He tried to appeal to her encouraging side, telling her he just wanted to show her what his hotel would look like and he wanted her to see it before the rest of the world because her input mattered to him.
Still, he didn't insist much when she refused, and he promised that he would not work on her birthday. And that's how, she woke up on Saturday morning, feeling excited about her birthday, and even more when she opened her eyes not to Jace looking at her, but to a pile of presents on his side of the bed.
She sat up, stretching like a cat under Jace's attentive gaze as he was leaning against the doorframe, and she asked, "They're not all from you, right?"
"No. They're from your friends. I asked them so you could wake up to them on your birthday."
She grinned, letting him know that he was the best as she opened the first gift. It was from Valentine and Jocelyn, a whole set of pampering, smelling like pear. She smiled, recalling how she had confessed to Jocelyn that she loved pampering herself on a day off. Especially if a good wine was involved. And that was probably why there was a bottle of wine planted in the middle of the products.
Dorothea had knitted her a scarf, a hat and gloves, explaining that, though she was aware it would be of no use to her now, it was so she could think of her when she would go to London. And she loved the gift from the bottom of her heart. More than once, she had marvelled when she saw what Dorothea could do with her hands.
Mary had sent her earring with ruby because ruby was her birthstone. She more than once told Clary that she reminded her of a ruby because she was strong, vigorous and she could tell she was a lady. The note that accompanied it made her blush and she was glad Jace was still by the door frame, unable to read it.
Ruby is also the stone of love and passion.
Don't stress your heart and just follow it.
Especially when ruby is known to bring good luck.
Wear them tonight, and enjoy what will come.
Love, Mary
Izzy sent her a pack that she did not open in front of Jace, recognising the brand as soon as she ripped the wrapping paper. Victoria Secrets. Izzy had joined Magnus in the club of delusions that Jace and she would end up together. Jace was far too serious and professional for it to happen, and she was far too involved to let it happen.
Karl sent her a bottle of homemade spiced rum, and Magnus's gift was very personal, and she knew she was going to cherish it forever. It was something as simple of an album photo, with pictures of the two of them since they have known each other, each picture was tagged by a small note that expressed Magnus's feelings on that moment.
In fact, that gift touched her so much that she had to wipe the tears away from her face.
"That's not what's supposed to happen on your birthday. I promised you the best day there could be. You can't go crying from the start and make me break my promise."
She chuckled, erasing her tears away, and Jace came to sit on the bed next to her, gently caressing her cheeks his thumb removing the last traces of her tears.
"Do you want to open your other presents. Jason and Julian harassed their Dad who harassed me so you could have this one."
She unwrapped it, and immediately put it on when she realised what it was. It was a hoodie with a picture of her and the boys printed on it. And on the back of the hoodie, the boys had signed wishing her happy birthday, their cute little handwriting making Clary smile like a lunatic.
Jace watched her, half-amused, and shaking his head, "You're so easy to please, and yet, every time, I struggle. I had to ask Alec some input since he aimed with such accuracy over Christmas."
"I told you, Jace. Your time is more than enough. We're becoming tourists today."
"That's what he said. He also said something else," He let her know, giving her a birthday card. She smiled, opening the card who only had the note on it,
To the many birthdays to come.
May we celebrate them together.
Jace
And attached to the card, was a bank card. Clary frowned, not understanding what it meant, and Jace put the card in her hands, explaining,
"I didn't react well to that London thing. As you said, I have no right commenting on how you handle your career. However, this card is for you. If your homesick, it will give you the ability to buy a quick ticket for the weekend to visit your friends, the boys ... or even me. Just, promise me you'll use it whenever you feel blue."
She smiled and hugged the blond man. Sure, this was clumsy, but this was how Jace was telling her that he was supporting her career.
For the rest of the day, she dragged Jace in all those famous places she wanted to visit. And Jace made good on his promise. He had made sure to book tours so she could get the full experience that she wanted, and even told her a thing or two that he had learned growing up.
"My paternal grandfather used to be a chef in the White House. Alec and I grew up hearing stories that most people don't know about. Like one of the secret rooms is a cinema."
She marvelled at the little things Jace was telling her about the Oval Office, but when they went to the Lincoln Memorial, it was her turn to brag about things she knew. When Jace expressed his surprise to how knowledgeable she was about the man, she reminded him that Lincoln had started out as a lawyer, even though he never got his diploma.
After being tourists all day long, they went back to the hotel to get ready for the award ceremony, and just as she was putting the last touched on her makeup, Jace crept behind her, and put a necklace around her neck. She frowned when she saw it was nothing like the kind of jewellery he would usually get her, and he explained,
"Mrs Cho gave this to me back in Hong Kong. She said it was for you, and that you would understand."
His eyes fell on her reflection, but she looked at the pendant. It was a simple yin and yang one, made of silver and onyx. She smiled, recalling the words the Chinese woman told her, but keeping them for herself when she saw that Jace was waiting for an explanation.
He did not insist, and the two of them went to the ceremony, so Jace could accept his award, and the word could see what a supportive girlfriend she was. In fact, she didn't have to pretend much when Jace included her in his speech of acceptation, without giving her name though,
"And I'd like to finish by using this saying that my father has lived by all his life. 'Behind every great man, there is a great woman'. For a long time, I always thought that ma father was just saying that for the sake of it because it would please my mother. But now, I understand. I understand exactly what he meant, and why he always used that saying when times were rough.
Because my mother was his rock. She was the one who saw him at his weakest and still managed to build up his confidence. She was the one who gave him the strength to affront adversity. She was the one who told him when he was in over his head. She was more than his lover, she was his confidant, his aspiration, his best friend.
And now, after all those years ... I understand."
He walked off the stage under applause, and when he got back to their table, he blatantly kissed her, pretending not to care that photographs were going crazy with their cameras. Clary smiled, though she was embarrassed by the sudden attention the room was giving her, and once they focused on the next speaker, she told him,
"You could have warned me. I would have worn better makeup."
"You look stunning Clary."
He squeezed her hand, leaning to kiss her cheek and whisper in her ear, "I wanted your genuine reaction. And personally, I think it was priceless."
She smiled, though it was more to hide her discomfort than because she felt like it, and she enjoyed the rest of the evening without any other surprises, and when they went back to their room, she was barely inhibited, just like Jace.
He left her alone for a moment, and she stood by the window, enjoying the view over DC. This was something she would never blame Jace for, his passion for beautiful and panoramic views. In fact, having spent so much time with him, it made her spoilt, and she felt that whenever she would travel, she would always aim for that same view, now.
Of course, she wouldn't have much of a choice in London. She had already settled her accommodations there, since one of Mary's sons lived there, and had accepted her to stay with him for as long as she needed. In fact, she had already met him when he came to visit his mother over the past month, and he reminded her a bit of Valentine ... if Valentine had been gay.
She closed her eyes for a moment, playing with the necklace Mrs Cho had gifted her, and trying to see clear in the mess that she was. On one side, Jace had been more present, more touchy, and making declarations such as the one he just made during his speech. On the other hand, she wasn't sure if she was reading more than there was.
She knew that she would be more than happy to try a relationship with Jace. she would be ready to make compromises like going to London if he were to accept the possibility of children. But what if it was just an illusion. What if she had gotten so lost in the lie that she no longer knew where the barrier was. What if she realised that she should have needed this month ago?
Because one thing was sure, she more than loved Jace, she was in love with him. Despite all his flaws, despite the fact that he didn't really know her, she was still in love with the man. And this was why she couldn't wait for that London break. She would have to have that serious talk with Jace when he would come back from Asia. That make of break talk.
Jace silently walked behind her and gently undid her hairdo, letting her hair cascade on her back. Then, he gathered it and slung it over her shoulder, so it would be on the front side, and he massaged her exposed shoulders, looking at her reflection in the window.
"There may or may not be an opera ready to be eaten in the other room, covered by a few candles."
She smiled, though she did not make a single motion to move from her space. Even though she couldn't wait to blow her candles, she was too comfortable in her position to try and move. Jace's eyes gently scrutinised her in the window, and he took a mini step closer, letting her know,
"You're so beautiful." She didn't reply anything, keeping her eyes on the thousands of lights she could see through the window.
Once again, he took a small step toward her, making them stand so close that all she had to do was slightly lean back and she would touch him. "Thank you again for coming tonight. You were the highlight of my night."
He kissed her just at the conjunction between her neck and her shoulders, and she did nothing. She did not protest or tense, but she did not lean into his touch either. She just kept on staring at the window, unsure of what to do, or what came over Jace.
He kept on massaging her shoulders, something in the way he touched feeling much more intimate than when she massaged him.
"There is something I have been meaning t tell you for a while, Clary. But I've kept postponing this conversation. I just haven't been fully honest with you over the past year ..."
This finally made her look away from the lights and at Jace's reflection in the window. He held her gaze, his hands tracing her arms from her shoulders to her hands that he held in his own, "Ever since Vegas, I've forsaken a habit that had forged who I was before. In fact, more than once, when we slept together, I woke up in the middle of the night wishing nothing more than to take you right there and then; and I had to go to the bathroom to take care of that problem."
She kept looking at his reflection, keeping for herself her surprise that she never heard him get up so he could jerk himself off in the bathroom. She had always been a light sleeper, except when she was comfortable enough to not pick up the slightest noise. So she guessed she was comfortable enough sleeping with Jace if she never heard him relieve himself in the next room.
Jace kissed her shoulder once again, his hand going to her stomach, and she snapped back to the present moment. There was no misunderstanding as to what Jace wanted to this moment. She said his name, but it was ridiculous. Even she could hear the lack of conviction in her voice.
He was standing closer to her, his front to her back, though there was still this thin amount of space between them. She could feel his clothes on her skin, but not his body. He kissed his way from her shoulder to her neck with open kisses that were warm and inviting.
"You've haunted so many of my night, Clary. You have no idea how much I think of you when you're not around."
"Jace ..."
And finally, he stopped. He completely froze, one hand on her stomach, the other on the zipper of her dress. "Stop overthinking. For once, just feel. Feel me."
She reached for her necklace, feeling Jace in a way much more physical than he had meant, on her lower back. Her brain tried to interfere, warn her against that bad idea without reasonable words such as regrets and heartbreaks, but she shut it down. It was still her birthday after all. So she closed her eyes, and leaned against Jace, giving him the go he had been waiting for.
The hand on her stomach flattened and he undid the zipper at the back of her dress, resuming his kisses on her neck. Slowly, his hand on the front made its way to her breast and fondled it as he made sure that there would be no space between her back and his front. When she had to repress a moan and felt her nipples erect, she turned and aggressively kissed him.
He answered with just as much vigour, taking her in his arms and walking them to the bed where he delicately laid her down, looking in her eyes with lust and desire. He peeled her out of her dress with reverence, kissing very inch of skin he could access to, and told her, "You're so beautiful, Clary. All I want is for you to be mine and mine only."
She moaned when his lips found their way back to hers, and she reached to feverishly undo his shirt. Once he no longer had anything on his chest, she found herself staring, her fingers endlessly playing with his muscles.
"Oh ... the things I would do for you, Clary."
She smiled, showing nothing but trust and confidence, and he kissed his way down, removing the panties that had the offence to be on his way before he feasted on her. She tried to compose herself, but he was relentless, on a mission to make her lose her mind, his tongue playing with her clit whilst his fingers played music inside of her.
She grabbed his hair, tightly clenching it as cloud nine came crashing down on her, and she screamed his name, not caring the least in the world if someone else could hear them. She felt Jace's eyes on her as she came down her high, his fingers still playing inside of her.
Once she recovered half of her brain, she returned his smug smirk and rolled them so he would be the one laying on his back. Without much warning, she returned the favour he had just done for her, and Jace was just as vocal as her, though his mouth was much pottier. She put in her mouth as much as she could, playing with the rest of his length with her hand after having spat on it to lubricate a little.
But before she could make him come just like he had just made her come, he yanked her up and threw her on her back. In one swift motion, he filled her up making her moan with pleasure. He thrust for a moment, before swinging her legs above his shoulders and ring into her as if there were no tomorrow. She clawed his biceps, loving the cadence he was imposing them.
The headrest kept on banging against the wall, but she didn't care, and he seemed to care even less. All he seemed to care about was the little yelps she made at each of his thrusts, most of them being an incomprehensible mumble of his name. She started losing her breath, but barely paid mind to it, lost in the pleasure Jace was bringing her at this moment.
When he slowed down a little, she took control, flipping them so she would be on top and imposing them a different cadence, slower, but more sensual. Jace kept his eyes on her the whole time, mesmerised by the sight of her with her bouncing breast as she hopped on his engorged member.
After a while, as she started going faster, feeling her peak coming, he sat up, losing his hand in her hair and kissing her senselessly as his other hand helped her bounce faster and harder on him. She felt him tense beneath her before he released, and barely half a second later, she followed him suit, collapsing on top of him, all sweaty and sticky, but not caring the least in the world.
She fell asleep listening to Jace's heartbeat and feeling him lazily play with her hair.
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
She woke up in the middle of the night, her bladder bursting for relief, so she rushed to the bathroom. Once she was done, she went in the kitchen to drink some water, and found her forgotten birthday cake with the melted candles on top of it. She put it in the small fridge and went back in bed, where Jace was still soundlessly sleeping, his arms and back marked by her nails.
When she slipped back in bed, Jace instinctively cuddled against her, and she couldn't help but smile. This was the thing she had appreciated the most about sleeping with Jace over the past few months, it was the spooning. She loved spooning. though, soon, another part of Jace made its presence noticeable.
He tightened his hold on her and didn't bother with words, kissing her neck as one of his hands went between her legs. It was clear that he was now fully awake, and it was even clearer that she didn't need much stimulation. In fact, she was the one who reached for Jace and guided him inside of her.
He readjusted them so she would be on all four, and started thrusting in her with a brutal and fast pace that was only encouraged by Clary's moans of pleasure. She loved how it felt much more raw and animalistic, and when she reached for his hand, guiding it to her hair, he seemed to pick up what she wanted. He slapped her ass whilst his other hand tightly gripped her hair, and she let out a loud yes of satisfaction.
Unlike their earlier coitus, this one did not last long, but they found their climax together, and Jace collapsed on top of her, kissing her shoulder as she happily smiled of content, loving the feeling of his weight on her.
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
When she woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky. She didn't need to reach for Jace to know that he wasn't here. It was Sunday, and he had an early flight for Tokyo. He probably barely slept an hour after their second round.
Lazily, she rolled in the bed, staying in its warmth as the events of the previous night came back to her. And so far, she had no regrets. The only alarm that rang to her was that she would need to take a morning pill because she only realised then that they didn't use protection. She doubted Jace walked around with condoms after so many years of not fapping, and she had stopped taking the pill after Henry.
In fact, she had only taken the pill because it suited him. But the pill had terrible effects on her, the most noticeable ones being the migraines and the mood swings. So after she broke with Henry, she stopped the drug and swore to herself that she would not let another man forced her to take drugs her body couldn't process.
So it was with the reminder that she needed to take the morning-after pill that she went to have a shower, enjoying the hot water and fantasising about what could happen from there. Of course, her hopelessly romantic side went to what could happen in the bests of worlds. And it was just as Magnus had depicted all along.
Jace would confess his undying love to her, and they would start a real relationship with her going to London and realising soon after that she would rather be with Jace. They would wait a year, and then, start popping children that would be loved like she never had the opportunity of being loved.
And of course, their sex-life would never die. Especially if what happened that night was just a preview of how they could please one another. She couldn't even imagine what a bit more confidence and communication would do to them. She wondered if Jace enjoyed his time as much as she did, though the proud part of her reassured her, reminding her that she was bound to be good, she was the first lay he had in years.
She got ready, packing her suitcase in that same blissful state, and when she was about to leave the room, she saw an envelope next to her purse, alongside a note. She frowned, all her wellbeing leaving her, and for the second time since they started their relationship, she had to open an envelope. And though she did not count it, there were at least twenty thousand dollars in that envelop.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked at the note that he didn't even bother signing, the regrets finally catching up with her.
We need to talk.
Call me when you get back to New York.
I'd like to update the terms of our contract.
❌PLEASE DO NOT COPY, DOWNLOAD OR SHARE THIS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN HERE❌
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚
💚 So, I know there is no point asking questions about the whole chapter because you guys are only going to focus on what happened in the end. But if you can, did you catch the hints hidden in this chapter about what's to happen ...
💚And what do you feel about Jace? His present? His move on Clary? And his note?
💚 I'm always curious about your favourite part, and what you think will happen next, so let me know.
💚 Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.
Love, Mina💚💚💚
