What is up my faithfuls? I'm so sorry I haven't posted in so long. My grandpa recently passed, and things have been so busy. But this makes me so happy, as do seeing your comments and writing in general. It's gotten me through a lot, and I want to thank all of you for being awesome. I just have to impart a little wisdom and say...Don't ever take the time you have with the people you love for granted. You never know what's going to happen at any given moment, so cherish them while you can. Now with that... ON WITH THE STORY

CLARY POV

It was a Tuesday when I finally admitted it to myself. To be honest, it wasn't as world-changing as it would've been in the past. True, it had been building up for some time, so my subconscious must've gotten used to it. The sad thing was, I was more surprised by the fact that I'd forgotten to replenish my hot chocolate stash, which was saying something. Coincidentally, the moment I noticed the empty box was when I blurted it out without thinking to an empty room.

I like Jace.

The three words that should've turned me inside out and upside down had only made me shrug. I hadn't even flinched before I turning back to shuffling through the pantry in hopes that a packet had fallen somewhere unseen. So all in all, if I had taken it in stride, the universe should have too.

That didn't happen.

But this time, I wasn't complaining, because apparently my words must've had some voodoo quality to them. It had to have been magic. Otherwise, my past week would've been normal, but no. Instead, it was filled with the tiniest things that threw my life way off kilter. Even more than my revelation. Well, it wasn't exactly a revelation, but still.

Or maybe Jace just had microphones hidden in my apartment, which was a possibility I briefly pondered. And that consideration was warranted, because if not that, then I must've somehow become fate's favorite person. Then again, all things considered, I could've been the opposite. If I knew what Jace was thinking, I would've been able to decide. As it was now, I chose wisely not to question it. That was becoming harder and harder though.

Flirting was to the max.

They were small signs, a brush of fingertips here, a hand on my back there.

It was driving me absolutely insane.

I muttered curses to myself as I practically stormed up the stairs of my apartment building. Not only did Simon bail on our Marvel marathon, but I found out he did so through his mother. And that was after I stood on his doorstep knocking for a good two minutes straight. And he didn't even have the decency to answer when I called. Granted, he must've been scared of my wrath, so I couldn't overly blame him. My personality lived up to my fiery hair when I was on a rampage.

A text dinged on my phone, just as I reached the door.

Simon Lewis:

At your apartment.

I hissed a string of words that would give a nun a heart attack, throwing the door open with way more force than necessary. Walking through New York City at night wasn't too comforting, despite living here for my entire life, and it being 10 o'clock qualified as that. Of course he was at my apartment, because it was totally logical I had to do all of that only to find I could've waited at home.

It was probably a misunderstanding. I told myself as I took a deep breath in the foyer. That thought was promptly revoked when I walked into the living room. My friends-minus Isabelle-were sitting there, the furniture arranged in a semi-circle with a chair facing the group. At first, there was confusion. Then, my eyes landed on a single face that wouldn't normally be there.

"Dammit, Alec." I growled, the pieces falling into place, "Do you not know how to keep a secret?" The words were getting more shrill as they went on, but there was no fear in anyone's eyes. The same determination was on all of their faces, and I knew I wasn't getting out of it. No one spoke, but Simon rose to his feet. The glare I gave him made him sit down pretty fast.

"Clary, please, sit down." Jordan's voice was more commanding than suggesting, and if Jordan sounded like that, I wouldn't be getting out of it anytime soon. I groaned, plopping down in the singled out seat with a huff. For a while, there was silence. It was honestly starting to freak me out, because it felt like they were digging into my soul with their eyes. Finally, I couldn't take it.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" I asked firmly, but no one responded, all of them sharing glances as if no one wanted to speak first, "This feels like some sort of intervention." Everything honestly reminded me of that guilty pleasure television show, which did not bode well for me. There was only one thing they would want to talk to me about. All because Alec couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"That's because it is an intervention." Simon finally spoke up, a constipated look on his face. I made a noise of exasperation, honestly contemplating just getting up and leaving. Then again, Jordan and Magnus-who was much stronger than his appearance suggested-would force me back.

"Well why?" It was common courtesy to ask, even if nothing about this was minutely courteous on their part. I expected them to start answering my question, but instead, they reached for something at their sides. When I figured out what they were doing I stopped them, "No." I refused stubbornly, "There's crossing a line, and then there's crossing a line. So there will be no reading of letters." The tone of my voice left no room for rebuttal.

"I think you know a lot about crossing a line as of late." Maia pointed out, and there were various noises of agreement. Still, they put down the papers, reverting back to digging into my deepest thoughts with their gazes. I gestured for them to go on and get this thing over with. Again, no one wanted to speak. My eyes scanned the people in front of me as I debated who to put on the spot. It turne dout that I didn't get that decision.

"Are you and Blondie sleeping together?" Jordan asked, and I sighed.

"We aren't 'sleeping together'" I defended immediately, "It's just..." Saying the word aloud would be more awkward than ever imagined, especially in front of a group of people. Then again, Alec had already filled them in, so it really couldn't get worse, "...cuddling." I finished, but to my shock, there were sounds of surprise, and my friends' jaws dropped. My gaze snapped to Alec, who was wearing a self-righteous smirk that he had to have picked up from his brother, "You didn't tell them?" I squeaked.

"I figured it would be better coming from you." Alec shrugged as if it was no big deal, and I clenched my jaw.

"What did you tell them?" I questioned sharply.

"I just told him that there's something going on with you and Jace." His smirk became more defined, and I honestly wanted to punch him in the face. His expression fell slightly at my scathing glare, which brought up the tiniest bubble of pride, but that pride was quickly squashed into oblivion, "It's for your own good." I frowned deeply, then turned away from him and to the rest of the group, who were still speechless.

"You and Blondie cuddled?" Simon asked, slight disgust leaking into his tone. I pinched the bridge of my nose, wanting nothing more than to take back those fateful words. That wasn't going to happen, though, so I just had to face the music. I couldn't form the right words, so I nodded.

"How long ago was this cuddling night?" Jordan asked, voice still filled with shock. I contemplated my options. Option A: Tell them the truth and that we'd been snuggling every night we could. Option B: Lie my ass of and act like it only happened once. Clearly, I was about to go for Option B, but that chance was stolen pretty fast. As soon as Alec opened his mouth, I knew things were about to go downhill.

"Almost every night for the past while." He blurted out before I could defend myself. Then, he turned toward me, "Admit it, you weren't about to tell them." I started a denial, but cut myself of, because it was useless. It was obvious that they would take Alec's word over mine at the moment, so I was stuck. Everyone looked dumbstruck yet again, and had it been a different situation, I would've laughed. But right now, there would be none of that.

"Clary..." Simon spoke up, and my head snapped his way, "You know this is a bad idea, right?" He was right. I could admit that much, especially with the feelings that were growing every day. Soon, the late night comfort would end, and we would go back to being just friends.

It's not like you were ever anything more. My thoughts pointed out, and I sighed.

"It's been fine so far." Despite the fact that I agreed, I protested weakly, trying to climb out of the hole I'd dug myself into. It wasn't working in the slightest. Everyone trained knowing looks on me, and I closed my eyes tightly, hoping this whole thing would disappear when I opened them. They were planting well-placed doubt in me, doubt that I hadn't wanted to acknowledge before. It meant nothing to Jace. It was all just a necessity.

"Clary, Jace isn't the type to settle down." Magnus spoke for the first time, worry evident in his smooth words. I pressed my lips into a tight line, simply nodding. Of course they'd figured out how I felt. I was stupid to think I could hide it in the first place. All I hoped for was that they only noticed because they were my best friends, that I hadn't been so glaringly obvious, "I know what you're thinking, Clarissa. You've been subtle. He doesn't even know." That gave me a little reassurance, but not much.

"I know." I finally murmured, suddenly very interested in my hands, which were clasped tightly in my lap, "I just can't seem to stop. He's like a drug. Everytime I try to leave, I just end up falling back. He cures the nightmares, even when I can't stop them myself." I realized a second too late what I'd admitted to, and concern crept into their eyes, "Yes, they came back." Everyone shared a look that I couldn't decipher. I decided to keep going anyways, "And I really do care about him. More than I should. But I don't think an intervention will make that go away.

"You really care about him that much?" Simon asked meaningfully. I nodded, not able to put it into words. Several sighs sounded around me, "Are you sure?" His tone was resigned, like he already knew the answer. I nodded again, giving it to him anyways. Another expression bled into the faces of my friends. Silence.

"Then we're here to help." Alec finally broke the quiet, and I had a feeling my eyes were bugging out of my head. I made a noise of pure shock, communicating my confusion.

"I thought..." I trailed off, trying to compose myself, "I thought the intervention was to stop me from doing this.

"That was our initial intention." Jordan piped up, "But we agreed that, if you really do have deep feelings for him..." He exhaled deeply, "We'd do everything in our power to help it along." There was a pause.

"We actually assumed that, knowing how stubborn you are." Magnus laughed lightly, and the air about the room suddenly changed, giving me whiplash. A tentative hope rose in me, "We're your best friends. We're here to support you, no matter what. We just want you to be careful. I was about to reply, but there was a knock at the door, cutting me off. I motioned for them to wait, and I knew that it was Isabelle, who definitely didn't need to hear any of this. Panic spread across the room like electricity. I truly thought about ignoring it, but the knocking grew more persistent.

I got up, walking to the door as slow as humanly possible, dragging out my doom. When it grew to a pound, I quickened my pace. I pulled open the door slightly, hoping to hide the people in my living room from view. As soon as I processed the fact that the person standing in front of me was not Isabelle, my jaw dropped.

"Hey, Shortcake." Jace smiled, as in a real, actual smile. Of course he had to visit for the first time right now, because the universe was just that kind. Note the sarcasm. I slipped out of the apartment and into the hall, closing the door softly behind me.

"Hey, Jace." I forced a grin, trying not to give into the freak-out going on in my head, "What brings you to my humble abode?" Instead of answering, he held up a box. My breath caught in my throat when I saw that it was the entirety of Sherlock on DVD, "I thought you hated Sherlock." I tilted my head in question, my heart beating faster.

"To be honest, I've never watched it." For some reason, he sounded unsure. It was frankly adorable. I opened my mouth to invite him in, but was quickly reminded of the people currently gathered in my apartment. Now that I knew they would try and help, there was no telling what they would do. I swallowed hard, wishing that I didn't have to turn him away.

He must have seen the look on my face, because his smile faded and a wall that hadn't been there began to build up in his irises.

"Sorry, it was a stupid idea." Jace shook his head, trying to hide his disappointment, but I could see it clear as day, "See you 'round." He turned to leave, and I knew what I had to do-what I wanted to do.

"Wait." I grabbed his wrist, and he faced me again with a raised eyebrow, "It's just..." I took a deep breath, "My entire friend group is in there, and they're having an intervention about..." Confusion took over his features, and I wondered why I had blurted out the last part. There was honesty, and there was honesty. Regrettably, I picked the second, "Things." I answered his silent question, and he snorted, but again, I knew it was fake. It hurt me, because it seemed like he really wanted to be here.

Screw it.

"Screw what?" Jace questioned, hurt flashing on his expression as he obviously thought I was talking about him coming over. I mentally cursed myself for saying it out loud by accident. Still, I chose to roll with it.

"Not you." I assured him when I regained my bearings, "The group." I thought it would clear things up, but realized that he had no idea what I was talking about, "Just... come in." Now, my smile wasn't forced. He cautiously let the wall down again, but didn't make a move to enter. It was my turn to roll my eyes, "C'mon." I opened the door without another word. Then, he stepped inside. All eyes immediately snapped to us, knowing looks on the group's faces.

Oh dear lord help me.

30 Minutes Earlier

JACE POV

She's just a friend. I told myself as I scanned the DVD's on her shelf. Yes, I went into her room, but technically, it was a guest room in the Institute. Yeah, that's great logic. Inner me sassed, and if it was a separate person, I knew it would roll its eyes. I shook the thought out of my head, trying to stop myself from backing out. Friends spend time with friends. I tried to rationalize. But do friends cuddle almost every night?

"Shut up." I said aloud, hoping to keep myself under control. My fingers skimmed the box sets, finally coming to a stop at her favorite show. Sherlock. Despite the fact that I teased her relentlessly about being a nerd, I'd never actually seen the program. Yes, I said I hated it, but only because it got on her nerves, and she was cute when she was frazzled.

Really? Cute?

I pointedly ignored my silent mistake, grabbing the series and rushing out of the room. What I didn't expect was to run right into Isabelle. Immediately, I hid the discs behind my back. She trained a confused gaze on me, and I tried to find the words to explain. When I couldn't, I settled on smiling. It must've been awkward and suspicious, because she narrowed her eyes.

"Where are you off to?" She asked, tone full of suspicion. If she found out, I would be six feet under in a second. Knowing Isabelle Lightwood, she would jump to the conclusion of a romantic relationship, but it wasn't that. Not even close. Not. At. All. At the moment, my denial seemed to be stronger than my processing and acknowledging skills.

"Just out." I shrugged nonchalantly, "To Seelie's." I added before Izzy could open her mouth. Her eyes narrowed, as if she was digging through my soul. Luckily, I repressed a hard swallow, because she would pick it up in a second. She had the scrutiny of a hawk, and sometime, she even knew me better than myself. I stared evenly into her eyes, hoping my carefree expression would hold long enough to avoid giving myself away.

"Okay..." She drew out the word tentatively, "I'm trusting you, Jace." i knew she was trying to guilt me into saying something, and it almost worked. It was hard to keep my composure, so very hard. I managed an eye roll, then stepped past her, barely remembering to keep the DVD set out of sight. For a minute longer, she stared at me, then sighed in resignation, "Have fun." Slight disgust leaked into her voice, because she assumed she knew what would go on if I was with Seelie. I used that to my advantage.

"Bye, Iz." I reached a hand up to ruffle her hair, but she slapped it away before I could, frowning as she fell for my distraction. Trying not to push my luck, I rushed away and out the door. When I made it to the sidewalk, I let out a breath of relief. Then, nerves began to take over, and I looked down, clenching my fists...

Only to find that I was in pajamas.

I cursed under my breath, but I knew that going back inside and making an effort would further my sister's suspicion. Clary wouldn't care. But I was worried about something more serious. Would she take it as something suggestive? Would she have expectations because of it? I dismissed the questions, knowing they would only make me second guess myself. With that thought in mind, I hailed a cab. Like magic, one appeared just in time.

I made sure I had my money in my pocket, slightly wanting an excuse to refrain from going. But I couldn't. Not now. Not before I lost my courage. So i opened the door to the taxi, slipping in and giving the driver Clary's address.

Then commenced the longest ten minutes of my life.

After what seemed like an eternity, the car pulled up to the curb. I muttered a quick "Thank you" to the driver, handing the money over and getting out onto the sidewalk. For some reason, I stood in front of the main door, fists clenched with nerves. I shouldn't be so worked up about this. It was just a marathon with a friend. Simon did it all the time, so I could too. Those thoughts were my mantra as I stepped inside.

As fate would have it, the doorman was asleep at his desk, so I climbed the stairs without detection. When I reached Clary's door, I froze. My fist was halfway raised, but it couldn't move from there. I briefly contemplated going home, but I'd already gotten this far, so I might as well go through with it.

Just a friend. I repeated over and over again, Just a friend.

Then, I knocked.

So...Jace is obviously in denial. Like to the max. I mean, seriously dude? "Just friends"? Yeah... I don't think so. And I have wanted to write the intervention scene for SO LONG. Alec's lack of keeping a secret makes me happy :D I know, I'm twisted, but seriously, it was so fun. Now I have a VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER, SO PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU, TAKE THE TIME TO ANSWER.

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH LOSS?

With so much love to my faithfuls,

Shadowhunter5801