Author's Note: As much as it might seem at first, there is no juicy stuff happening here. It's not going into *that* much detail because I'm not really that type of person. This is strictly rated T here. But I'm willing to write something a bit more detailed on another story on Fanfiction if you want. Just message me or review if you do. I hope you like this chapter because it all came from the heart. In my eyes, this is how the foundation of Jace and Clary's relationship really pans out. Anyways, even if you didn't like the chapter, just tell me and I'll try to write something you will like!

Chapter 10: Clary

There's nothing more frustrating to me than a wedding reception.

It's just a bunch of people (in my case, half of the Shadowhunter population) sending you well wishes and getting an excuse to get drunk. And it makes you wait until you can finally be alone with the person you love most.

I still can't get the feeling of Jace's lips on mine. I realized I loved him when I saw him standing there, in front of Brother Enoch, looking so…worshipful. Like I was an angel sent down from Heaven only for him. And I knew, right then, that there would be no other person for me. Jace was my one and only for eternity. My feelings for him were only strengthened by the kiss and I want so badly to continue it.

The party is bright and loud, just to the point where it hurt. Around me, people dance and chat and drink, all doing something to keep the event alive. I desperately want Jace next to me but for some unknown reason, he's not in the room. Neither is Alec or his father, which worries me to no limit.

Izzy pops up next to me, looking devilishly beautiful in her dress. She has a glass in her hand and her eyes are a bit hazy.

"How's it feel, Clary? To finally be married?" Izzy slings an arm over my shoulder and leans heavily. Barely a quarter into the night and she's already full-on drunk. Impressive.

I sigh. "It feels great but the person I just married is nowhere to be found."

Two strong arms encircle me from behind and Izzy laughs, pulling away. "Oh, really? It looks like he's here now."

I would've glared at her if I wasn't so caught up in Jace. He rests his chin on my shoulder, smelling of leather and soap, the only scent besides cockiness and sweat that I've ever associated him with. His warm breath tickles my ear.

"Just as bored as I am, huh?" he whispers slightly, sending a shiver of pleasure down my spine.

I relax into my new husband. Oh wow, that's going to take a while to get used to. "Not as much now that you're here."

Jace laughs, his muscled chest vibrating. "Cheesy, are we?"

"I could do worse. I could do way worse."

His lips brush my the back of my neck. "Care to elaborate?"

I barely manage to contain the moan that bubbles up. "Not…right now," I breathe, my voice so close to shaking.

I can practically feel his smirk. "Do I really affect you that much, Clarissa?"

I turn in his arms and glare, not manipulated enough to lose my wits. "Apparently not," I reply back, a matching sneer growing on my own face. "I'm pretty sure I can still slap you. And that is something I'd like to elaborate on."

Jace chuckles. "Now, who would dare mess up my beautiful face?"

Snorting, I turn back around, secretly enjoying the feeling of being in Jace's arms. "Clearly, you have a vocabulary problem. You mistook 'horrifying' for 'beautiful'. Do I need to send you back to primary school?"

"Oops, my bad. Here, let me try again: Now, who would dare mess up my horrifyingly beautiful face?"

I slap his arm in response.

As the last of the guests leave, I let out an audible sigh of relief. It's nearing 2 am, almost three hours after the party was originally set to end. I'm not that mad, considering I had almost seven glasses of wine, but I'm definitely not splendidly joyous that it took that long. Right now, all I want is to enjoy some time with my husband, my Jace.

Alone.

Obviously, some people don't get that message.

My mother whirls around me, fluffing my hair while straightening my dress (not my wedding gown but a different one). I don't understand why, taking into account that Jace and I are traveling through a Portal to our honeymoon location. And is Jace really going to care if my dress is slightly rumpled or not?

In the corner of the room the Portal is set up in, Jon is having a private talk with Jace, who's practically bouncing on the balls of his feet and not really listening. Although I have a feeling he doesn't really want to listen anyways.

My mother finally spins in a circle, her face scrunched together in a contemplative expression. She counts on her fingers through her mental checklist before clapping her hands and clasping them on my shoulders.

In the dim light, I can still see tears glistening, unshed, in her eyes. She's smiling, however sad it may be, and just for a moment, I feel bad that I'm leaving her. But then I think about all the missions I've gone on without her and don't feel that bad again.

My mother places a warm hand on my cheek. "Have a great time, Clary. I know this isn't what you dreamt of when you were younger but us Shadowhunters have always been behind the times." Mom sighs. "I just hope you know that Jace loves you with all his heart and in time, I hope you come to feel the same way."

I smile back at her, placing my hand over hers. "Trust me, Mom, I already have."

As she laughs, tears start to spill down Mom's cheeks. "Just remember: Don't worry about stuff back here. Focus on you and Jace, ok?"

I nod. "Of course. It's going to be all about us."

"All about you."

At the other end of the room, my father and Jace's come striding in. Dad's absolutely beaming, his expression so filled with pride, my heart swells. All my life, I've wanted to make my dad proud of me, and here I was, doing just that.

My father embraces me in a crushing hug, which I return with equal fervor. Even though he's never been the huggy type, Dad's hugs have always been the best.

He pulls away at last, holding me at an arm's length while maintaining strict eye-contact. "Stay safe, Clarissa. I don't want you to be hurt."

I shake my head. "I won't. I have my Shadowhunting gear, just in case something goes wrong."

"Let's just hope nothing does." He hugs me one last time before walking going over to my mother and pulling her to his side. She leans into him gratefully. They look so happy, so complete, I know for a fact that they are how I want to be with Jace one day. Complete and happy and totally in love.

So to speak of the Devil.

Warm, calloused figures slip into mine, clasping themselves firmly. I look back to find Jace gazing at me with so much love and devotion, my heart cracks just a little. There's nothing I wouldn't do for this man.

It's funny how our relationship has escalated so quickly, yet we are still so confident in how strongly we feel. I've never been one to truly believe in fate, but damn it all, Jace and I are soulmates. I have absolutely no doubts.

"Ready to go?" He whispers softly. Those three words send my heart into a racing whirlwind, prepared to explode at any second.

I squeeze his hand. "Wherever you go, I will always follow."

His answering smile is response enough.

With the final farewells from the assembled family members, Jace and I go to stand in front of the Portal.

My stomach flutters as the moment we are finally alone draws near. I've always imagined this moment but never really thought that it would come. But it has.

Jace looks at me one more time before we step through the Portal and into our new life, together.

"Don't let go," he whispers, just loud enough for only me to hear. His golden eyes burn into my own green ones, almost praying that I will respond with the only thing that will complete his sentence. As if I would do anything else.

"Never."

Each step he takes toward the whirling blue screen is another eternity. It seems as if a million years have passed when the wind finally grabs a hold of me and sucks me in like a whirlpool.

But our hands never let go.

The first thing that greets me when I arrive is Jace's strong arms. The second is his lips, already descending onto my own.

They are soft and warm, molding over my own. Waves of pleasure roll through my body and I sigh. This is what I've been wanting to do since Brother Enoch declared us husband and wife.

Passion would not be a word strong enough to describe the feelings sparking through this kiss. However slow it may be, I can't even begin to grasp all of the feelings—of Jace's body pressed against mine, of his hands making their reverent descent down my torso. It's all too much, too many new emotions and sensations for me to fully understand what is going on. The only thing keep me grounded is Jace. What an irony.

Jace picks me up, bridal style, and starts walking toward an unknown destination. I'm too dazed to notice where. I'm actually too dazed to notice anything, since he's still kissing me.

A soft, feathery mattress cushions me as Jace lays me down gently on the bed. For a moment, I'm cold and empty but Jace soon returns, his face directly over mine but not quite close enough to kiss.

"Clary," he breathes. His face is flushed, his lips puffy and swollen. But even in his rumpled state, Jace hasn't lost his breathtaking beauty. I feel like I've been seeing him through half-lidded eyes all this time but now I can truly look at him. He's like an angel, a clear-cut handsomeness specially crafted by the hands of God.

My hand shakes as it comes up to embrace his cheek. Jace closes his eyes for a moment. When he opens them, I'm almost scared by the desire burning through, turning his golden irises dark.

"Jace," I reply back, my voice barely above a whisper. But I need to go no louder because I'm certain that Jace will always hear me, even if I'm all the way across the world.

Jace trembles, bowing his head at the sound of his name escaping my lips. He looks up when he starts speaking, "I love you, Clarissa, so much. I will kill any anything that stands between you and me or even send the wrong look your way. I will protect you and love you and care for you until the end of time, and if there's a life after that, I'll love you then. You're my everything and…" he trailed off, letting his eyes tell the rest of the story.

I let my fingers trace the lines of his face, let the words spill from my mouth. This is the time to be honest, to get rid of any walls separating us. "I will always be here for you, Jonathan. I will be your rock, your weapon, your shield, your love. I will heal you and fight with you and fight for you. But most importantly, I will love you, just as much as you do me, if not more. Because you complete me in ways I never thought possible." My fingers leave Jace's face and drift toward the stele, which is sitting on the bedside table. I had felt its thrum of energy as soon as Jace had carried me into the room, and I know exactly its purpose.

Fingers closing around the cool metal, I bring it back. I keep eye-contact with Jace as I unbutton his shirt, pushing it off after I pop all the clasps.

I raise the stele to his chest, letting it hover just above his heart, right next to his parabatai rune. Jace watches with rapt attention, his eyes never leaving mine but always aware.

With deliberate slowness, I start drawing the second rune of Marriage across his pectoral muscles. My eyes dip to the graceful mass of swirling lines, watching as my hand moves of its own accord.

Jace's breathing grows ragged, his eyes shut tight as I trace the mark of the angels onto his skin. It's not like the rapid rush of emotion like the runes were in the Accords Hall but slow and steady, one part of an eternal bridge being built.

Wordlessly, Jace takes the stele from me as I finish the last curl. He trains his attention on me as his finger slide down the straps of my dress, one after another, exposing my chest to him. Both of our heartbeats increase, pounding against the bounds of our bones, aching to reach the other.

I let out a gasp as the stele connects to my skin. As it slides over my body, the rest of our bond is being strengthened. It feels as though I can read Jace's mind, share his feelings.

That we are one.

Jace sets the stele back on the table and we just stop. The air is thick with tension, almost suffocating.

And then it breaks.

We collide, crashing together like two comets on the same path. Our bodies fit together, like destined puzzle pieces. Our mouths embrace the other's, an endless war of tongues and teeth. While earlier may have been reverent and gentle, now was passionate and needing.

Item by item, we are torn from our clothes, leaving us as bare to the other as the pages of a book. My hands map out Jace, from his soul to his heart to his body. He's always had a part of him in hiding but now I can see it, plain as day.

At the final moment, when it's only each other, when we're finally joined together as one, I see the last wall Jace put up come crumbling down. And as we fall together, as one united entity, I know for a fact that it is, truly, all about us.

Forever and ever, about us.

By the way, Happy Belated Valentine's Day!