Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. All rights belong to Cassandra Clare.
They had won. The first state title in football since 1983. They were presented their medals and their trophy as they basked in the feeling. They were the best team in Ohio and they had the medal to prove it. Jace hadn't cried since we adopted him and he was so close right now. The whole team was still celebrating two days later and Jace was on an emotional high like I've never seen before.
Before Clary had come into his life he had hardly ever smiled. He was a serious guy. Clary had opened up a little, but the smile that was always on his face, was a first for me. The only time he ever smiled for no reason was when he was with Clary, or thinking about her. (Which, to be fair was all the time). But now it was almost impossible to see him without a smile on his face.
Thanksgiving break was the week after they won and basketball had already started, which meant he was back in the gym 6 days a week. At least now, Clary wasn't playing a sport so they got to spend a lot more time together. (When we weren't together) Jon was really good at basketball. Along with Will so they had another chance of advancing far in the tournament. Jace played because he was good, not because he enjoyed it like football. He almost didn't play because if he got hurt his football career would be over, but he needed to stay in shape.
Thanksgiving day the school was closed so they were forced to cancel practice as they fattened themselves with Turkey. Normally it was just the 6 of us but this year Clary, Jon, Jocelyn and Luke were coming. All of us dressed up in our sweaters and ready to eat the turkey and ham. Sitting at our extended dining room table we talked and declared what we were thankful for. Jace had looked at Clary before saying their new neighbors. She had blushed and said she was thankful for us too. That if she hadn't moved she would never have met any of us, and she couldn't imagine what a life like that was like anymore. We toasted to that and finished our meals on a much less serious note.
All of us kids went to the basement to watch movies. Max got to pick first so with little surprise he picked the Avengers. (It was Clary's and his favorite movie) We watched, cuddled together, movie after movie until it was time for them to go home.
Jace had spent the whole night in silence. He had kissed Clary goodnight and held on to her extra tight before she left. Almost immediately after we showered he came into my room. What if she hadn't come? His voice was hardly above a whisper. I was silent because we both know the answer to that. He would still be blindly in love with football and alone in the world. I knew he was scared that she would stop loving him one day or realize that she could do better. I knew it kept him up some nights.
So I told him what I knew. That she loved him. Not like he loved her. Recklessly and without restraint. But always. I knew that there was nothing anyone else could do to make her stop loving him. She wouldn't put up with him being a grouchy moody person all the time, to scared to lose her to love her. But she would forgive him over and over. And love him as long as he would let her.
I told him that she knew football was his first love. He interrupted me there. He told me how he would rather never play football again than live one day without her. The look on his face was dead serious and I knew that he would love her till he died. It wasn't puppy love or high school love. This was it for him. He gave his whole heart to her. His life was now in her hands. Call her. And he did.
I was never much of an eavesdropper but I just had to. So I pressed my ear to the door and heard him confess his undying love for her. I heard him ask her if she new that he would rather never play football again than have to live without her for even one day. I heard him tell her that he loved her. That he would love her to the day he died and if there was a life after that, he would love her than.
I pretended not to notice him sneaking out that night to show her just how much he loved her, or the way he looked at her like she hung the moon after that. I pretended not to notice the way she looked at him with so much love in her eyes or the way she smiled every time she got a text from him. It was almost painful to watch these two. Because this was love. And it made me want it to. But it would never be like this. They were made to love each other. They were lost without each other.