"Biscuit?" Magnus' voice broke the barrier of sleep that surrounded Clary. She lifted her slowly, feeling a dull-but fiery-ache in her neck from how she'd slept. Magnus put his hand on her arm, and looked at her worriedly. "Are you alright?"

Clary didn't know if she was okay; she'd kissed Jace. The one person she despised most in the world. Would she ever be okay? Was she loosing her mind? Clary had slept with her head against her knees, while her arms were wrapped around her legs. Clary tried to stretch out her neck, but it made the dull ache flame up. "Not really," Clary managed, as Magnus pulled her to her feet. Her legs felt weak, and numb. Probably because she hadn't moved since she fell asleep. Magnus let her go, and she almost fell over. He caught her, and held onto her this time. He looked worried. "Biscuit, what's wrong?" Magnus asked. Clary almost blurted out that she'd kissed Jace, but figured it might be better if she kept that to herself. But maybe it had been a dream? But then Clary saw her sketch pad open at the drawing she'd done last night, and knew everything that had happened was real. Clary rubbed at her eyes, her hands feeling heavy.

"I went outside to draw last night," Clary said. "And I came back inside, and sat by the fireplace. I guess I fell asleep," Clary shrugged, feeling returning to her legs. Magnus nodded. "Well, I think I know what'll make you feel better. A coffee," Magnus gave her a warm smile, and brought her to the kitchen.

Sitting on a barstool, was Isabelle, who sat beside Alec. On the third barstool, was Jace. Isabelle turned, and looked at her. "You look awful," Isabelle remarked. Clary gave her a look, as if to say no, really? "Gee, thanks, Iz," Clary leaned against the opposite counter than Jace, as Magnus poured some coffee into one of the biggest mugs she'd ever seen. Magnus handed her the mug, and she looked at the liquid. Black. Just the way she liked it. Clary took a big mouthful, and swallowed it. "I found her asleep by the fireplace," Magnus informed them. Isabelle gave Clary a questioning look, but said nothing. "Why were you sleeping by the fireplace?" Alec asked, looking up at her from his bowl of cereal. "Because I was cold," Clary said sarcastically. Alec held his hands up in defense. "Someone's on edge this morning," Isabelle remarked. Clary gave her an annoyed smile. "Really? Maybe its because my neck feels like its on fire every time I move it?"

Clary took another long drink of coffee. "If you're going to be like this all day I am not taking you shopping," Isabelle warned. "This feels like déjà vu," Clary remarked dryly. "That's because we went through this yesterday," Alec pointed out. "Well, Izzy," Clary began. "I am not going shopping with you and Magnus, so just make sure you buy more coffee."

"I'm going too," Alec piped up. "Well, then, make sure I get my coffee," Clary said, and drained the last of her coffee.

"Or what?" Alec asked. Clary grinned at him. "Or else I'll be like this everyday. All day." Alec, Isabelle and Magnus all looked terrified, while Jace laughed at them under his breath. "And that's why I need coffee. Did I get my point across?" Clary asked, her eyes going around the room. "You certainly did, biscuit," Magnus answered for all of them. "Good." Clary set her coffee mug down on the counter, and went into the living room to grab her sketch pad and pencils.

Clary remembered the first day they'd gotten here-given, it was only a few days ago, but it felt like so much longer. When she'd seen the beautiful scenery, and flowers, and promised herself she'd draw them before summer ended. So, that's what she was doing. At the moment, she was drawing the flowers. There was a certain one that seemed to be the centerpiece of them all; a purple flower, with pointy petals, on the bottom, that went up in layers, until the top was just a bunch of petals. Clary was really trying to focus on that more so than any of the other ones, and she had to admit, the drawing was turning out nicely.

"Bye, Biscuit," Magnus ruffled her hair a little bit as he passed by. Clary smiled up at him. "Bye, Izzy, Alec," Clary said as they passed by. They gave waves, as they walked further away, in the direction of the town.

Clary went back to drawing. She began shading the edges of the flower, in a darker purple than the rest of it. After shading, Clary began filling in the flower, just like a colouring book. The lavender purple was almost an exact match to the real colour, but there was just something about the flower that Clary couldn't capture, and she wasn't sure what it was. She must have been so focused on her drawing that she hadn't heard anyone come outside. "I'm going for a swim, want to join?" Jace asked. Clary stopped drawing for a moment, but continued after the momentary shock passed. "Busy," Clary said, trying to dismiss him. But, he sat down beside her in the grass. "The flowers will still be here later," Jace said. Clary looked at him for a moment, but then back to her drawing. "Why can't you go swimming on your own? I'm sure girls would be happy to crowd around you," Clary said, half-distractedly, as she began drawing the other flowers around the purple one. Jace let out a laugh. "I am innately attractive.

Clary raised her eyebrows at him, as she tried to raise one. "Really? I don't see it," Clary looked up at him. He looked down at her. "That's because you're so low to the ground," Clay smacked him with her sketch pad. The sound of her sketch pad making contact with his skin was oddly satisfying. He made a noise of surprise, and frowned at Clary. "What was that for?" He asked. "There was a bug," Clary said sarcastically.

"Are you sure that wasn't just an attempt to touch me?" Jace smirked down at her. "Positive," Clary replied. "Aren't you supposed to be swimming?" Clary asked before Jace could say anything else on the previous topic. "I suppose," he said. "But I think I'll just stay here."

"If I go swimming with you, will you leave me alone for the rest of the day?" Clary asked, feeling defeated. He grinned at her. "Absolutely," he pulled her to her feet. Clary walked up the stairs to the house. "Where are you going?" Jace asked. "Bathing suit," Clary replied, opening the door and going inside.

Clary raced up the steps to her room, and shut the doo behind herself. Clary went through her suitcase, looking for a bathing suit. She found the sky blue one-piece that tied behind the neck, and decided to wear that one. Clary stripped down, and then pulled on the bathing suit. Clary tried to tie the straps around the back of her neck, and actually prevailed. There was no hair caught in the knot, and she smiled proudly at herself. Clary slipped a pair of white shorts over her bathing suit, lathered on some sunscreen, and grabbed a towel before heading back outside.

-*#*-

Jace was waiting for her, right where she left him. He smirked at her, and Clary felt herself involuntarily shiver. Clary walked past him, towards the beach. He caught up to her quickly, having longer legs than she did. "You don't enjoy my company, Red?" Jace asked, giving her a fake pout. Clary rolled her eyes. "I don't think you realize that you are much more enjoyable to have around you are when you aren't making annoying comments," Clary pointed out, which left him dumbfounded. When they reached the beach, Clary unfolded her towel, laying it over the sand. Jace had forgotten to bring a towel, and he mentally scolded himself. Clary turned to Jace, "see, you're being quiet. I like you better already," Clary grinned at him. He glared at the back of her head as she turned away to look at the water.

There was a good amount of people swimming today, and they were all laughing, and having fun. Of course, there was a few old men, who had very hairy chests, and large beer guts, making Clary cringe, and look away. Clary felt hands wrap around her waist, and someone rest their head on her shoulder. She knew instantly that it was Jace. "That's what I'll look like when I'm older," he whispered in her ear, his breath on her skin made her tingle. Clary turned her head around to look at him. "I doubt it," Clary scoffed, and broke free of his grasp. "I thought you wanted to go swimming?"

"I do," Jace said, and kicked off his flip-flops. Clary pealed off her shorts, and threw them on top of her towel. Clary crossed her arms over her chest, as she turned to look back at the water. "And you're coming with me," Jace said, as he stood in front of Clary. Clary looked at him, daring him to do something, and he did it anyways. Jace picked her up with ease, and threw her over his shoulder. "Jace! What are you doing?" Clary demanded, as Jace walked into the water. "Going swimming, I thought that would be evident," Jace said innocently. "And that required you picking me up, why?"

Clary felt Jace laughing underneath of her. He didn't answer her, so Clary spoke again. "Will you put me down?" Clary's tone was annoyed, as she got curious looked from other people in the lake. Clary watched as the water got deeper, and soon the water was three-fourths of the way up Jace's stomach, and she felt her feet getting wet. "If I put you down now, the water would be up to your neck," Jace pointed out. "Where are you going?" Clary asked, as Jace walked further and further away from the beach. Clary turned her head as much as she could to look where Jace was going. "There's a dock we can jump off of," Clary propped her head up and her hand, that was resting on an angle against Jace's back.

Clary gave up on asking Jace to put her down, and waited impatiently until they got to the dock, and Jace sat her down on it. The water hadn't gotten much deeper, but Clary was sure it would be over her head, if she stood flat on the bottom. It barely touched Jace's neck, as he stood flat on the bottom. Clary huffed out her breath, and cursed her shortness. "Why are you just standing there?" Clary asked, watching as Jace stood pretty much still in the water. He shrugged, sending ripples through the water. "Do need someone to grab when you jump off?" He inquired, and Clary glared at him. "Do you really think I can't swim?" Clary asked, as she grabbed onto the edge of the dock, feeling it move with the water.

"Can you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, and smirking at her slightly. Clary used the hand hold on the dock she had to push herself off. She sunk down in the water, and floated back up, wiping water from her eyes. She was kicking in the water, to keep herself floating. "I can, thank you very much," Clary answered his question. She grabbed onto the dock again, and turned away from Jace, pulling herself back up onto the dock, and sitting so that she could dangle her feet in the water. Jace walked over to the dock, and pulled himself up, too. He was standing near the edge. He walked over to Clary, and pulled her up, so she was standing too. "Jump," he said, once they were standing near the edge of the dock. Clary gave him a peculiar look, but said nothing, as Jace jumped into the water. There was a big splash, and then he resurfaced a moment later.

Clary did a cannonball, but barely any water splashed up. Clary broke through the surface of the water again, and found that she was close to Jace. Very close. He wrapped his arms around her waist, as Clary blinked some water out of her eyes. Somehow, Clary found that she was wrapping her arms round Jace's neck, as he leaned in to her, closing the small gap between them. Clary was being held up in the water by Jace, otherwise the water would be a few inches above her head. He finally closed the gap between them, and Clary's eyes fluttered closed. His lips were warm and soft against hers, and she knew she was supposed to hate him, but she didn't. She relished in the way she felt in that moment, like there was no place she'd rather be.

When Jace finally pulled away from her, she was slightly disappointed. He looked in her eyes, and she looked in his. "I'm supposed to hate you," Clary finally said. He gave her a crooked grin. "But you don't," he said. "I'm supposed to loathe you, and stay as far away from you as possible."

"Yet you don't want to," Jace said, still holding her tightly.

"I shouldn't feel like this."

"But you like it," Jace said, with that stupidly cute, crooked grin on his face.

"And I can't stand it," Clary said, kissing him again.

Magnus had gone off to get drinks for the three of them, while Isabelle and Alec sat on a bench in the park they'd seen yesterday. "They hate each other," Isabelle said. "How are we supposed to get them together?"

Alec looked at his sister, and remembered how they had decided to set Clary and Jace up together, a few days before leaving for the trip. "Jace doesn't hate her, he doesn't know how to act around her," Alec said after a moment. "He thinks I don't notice how he's always looking at her. I think he's trying to hate Clary, just like everyone thinks he does," Isabelle nodded in agreement.

"I don't know what to do about Clary, though," Isabelle sighed. "I think Jace needs to make the first move, before anything will happen," Alec seemed to think about this. "What if we go out during the day, and leave them alone?" Isabelle raised an eyebrow at him. "They don't have to talk to each other, I don't see how that would work," Isabelle said, as she sighed in frustration. "But they will, eventually." Alec added.

Isabelle looked over at her brother. "You're right, we can't just force this on them; it won't work," Isabelle rubbed her forehead with her fingers. "So, we just give them time? See what happens?" Alec asked. "We can try it," Isabelle said, as Magus approached.

"Oh, what are we talking about?" Magnus wiggled his eyebrows at Alec and Isabelle, as he handed them each a bottle of water, bags hanging from his arms. Alec smiled at him. "Nothing, just debating how much glitter you use on a daily basis," Isabelle nearly burst out laughing. "That is my business," Magnus said, squeezing himself in between Isabelle and Alec, forcing Isabelle to move over, as she glared at Magnus' glittery head. "But, let's just say I once bought the entire stock of glitter from a craft store."

Okay, what'd you guys think? Did you enjoy all the Clace I put in there for you?

I hope so, because things are about to change.

Muhahaha

Either way, yes, if you're wondering, I am trying to make your death slow and painful.

Oh, and review, or don't. Whatever.