Chapter 5

Keeping Promises

Part 2:

Jace POV

(Jace POV in italics)

"Clary," I whispered as I sat up with my back against the head board. I had managed to get her to sit up next to me and allow me to hold her hand. Her small hands shook within mine as she stared down at our hands. "I'll wait all night if that's what it takes," I said as I rubbed her hands, "You don't need to shut me out." It must have been a good ten minutes when her hands finally stopped shaking, but she remained quiet all the same.

"Do you remember when we got married?" I asked as I stared up at the dark ceiling. It was quiet for a long while before she hummed a reply, "mmhmm." "I remember how it was warm, and bright outside, and how the wind blew just right so that all you could smell was flowers. I remember how your dress fit just right and your hair was pulled up in twists. I remember how you looked walking up the isle and the way you had tears in your eyes when you reached me. I was so scared, did you know that?" I asked as I laughed at the memory.

I looked down and saw her shaking her head, "Well I was, but I kept going because I knew you would be there in the end. Do you remember what I told you that day?" I asked as I stared down at her. "You said I do," she whispered, still staring down. "What else?" I asked waiting patiently for her reply. "You said that you loved me," she said as she whipped at her eyes. "Yes, what else?" I asked, she was getting closer and closer. "You said that this was just the beginning," she said with a sniffle, "that we would make it to the end." "And more," I said edging her further. "And… and that no matter what…" she said with a sob. "Come on Clary," I said as I gripped her hand, "No matter what?" Slowly she brought her head up to face me, she had tears streaming down her face and her cheeks were a bright red, she started whipping at her eyes and trying to look back down, but I wouldn't let her. I cupped her face in my hands and tilted it up so that she couldn't look away.

"When the pastor asked if I would take you as my wife I said I do, and if I were asked right now I would say the same thing. That day, and many other days, I have told you that I love you and nothing, absolutely nothing, has or will change that. When I said this was only the beginning, I meant it. There are going to be ups and downs, good and bad, easy and hard moments in our life, but we are going to finish this from the beginning to the end. And we're going to do it together. I will always be here for you, no matter what," I let out a sigh as I looked down at her, "Do you get that now? I don't know how many times I'll have to tell you, but I will say it as many times as it takes, so please don't push me away. There is nothing that you can say or do to lessen my affections for you, okay?"

Clary POV

"…There is nothing that you can say or do to lessen my affections for you, okay?" Jace whispered as he stared down at me. The pain of realising just how wrong I had been was just as strong as the pain I had felt when I thought I was right. I wanted so badly to tell him everything and never be ashamed again, I wanted to tell him just how sorry I was for pushing him away. If I had known how much this would have hurt him, I would never have allowed it to go this far. I would risk my humiliation for him to be happy again. To have his faith in me returned.

"I-I'm so sorry," I whispered as I buried my face in his shirt and wrapped my arms around his neck, "I… I was just so embarrassed. I didn't want you to see them, they're disgusting." Jace ran his hand over my hair as he pulled me into his lap, "What is? What don't you want me to see?" He questioned as he pulled back slightly to see my face. His golden eyes were filled with concern and were judgement free. It was things like this that made me question why I would ever think he would up and leave me, but that didn't make it any less hard.

"I…" I pulled back from him and kneeled in front of him finding it easier to just show him, "these." Slowly I lifted up the hem of my shirt and pulled the waist band of my shorts down slightly. Light pink lines veined up and down the bottom of my stomach before disappearing under my shorts. I stared down at them, too afraid to meet Jace's gaze, before I forced myself to look up.

Jace POV

(Jace POV in italics?

"I…," Clary started then stopped as she took in a calming breath, "these." Slowly she raised up the bottom of her shirt to show me her stomach. At first I was confused as to why her stomach would matter, it wasn't as if I had never seen it before, when I noticed pale pink lines stretching across the bottom of her stomach, as well as trailing down past the waist band of her shorts. I think I remember hearing some of the women at work talking about something like this, they're called stretch marks, I think. They looked harmless enough, some of them looked a bit like scars, but none of them looked disgusting like Clary had described them.

Slowly, Clary brought her gaze up to meet mine and once she did I cupped her face in my hands and placed a quick kiss on her lips. "I don't see anything wrong with you," I said as I rested my forehead on hers. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth gaped open, then shut like a fish out of water. "W-what?" She managed to get out. "I said," I whispered as I placed a kiss on her forehead, "that there is," a kiss on each cheek, "absolutely nothing," a kiss on her nose, "wrong with you." I hovered mere inches from her lips as I stared at her bright green eyes for permission.

Her eyes, which had been filled with disbelief, softened and I took that as my answer. I kissed her slowly at first, hoping she would get the message I was trying to tell her. 'You are beautiful and perfect in every way possible.' But I know it isn't that easy. If it were none of this would have ever happened, I guess in a way I failed as a husband. I didn't let her know just how much I believed that, I didn't let her know just how perfect she is to me. I guess I'm going to have to spend the rest of my life convincing her, and the Angel knows how much fun this is going to be for me, I might as well start now.

I broke from her lips, but continued a trail of kisses from the corner of her lip, to the line of her jaw, to the hallow of her neck. I sucked at the pulse on her neck, I wanted to leave a mark for her to remember all of this. Her breath hitched as I continued down her neck and her head rolled back as a sigh escaped her lips. This only drove me further, she had no idea what she did to me. Her hands found their way underneath my shirt and I sucked in a breath when her cool hands brushed dangerously low. I felt constricted in all of these clothes and I wanted them gone in that instant, and it seemed Clary did too for she was already making good work at the buttons on my pants all while trying to lift my shirt off.

"Multi tasking I see?" I laughed as I lifted my shirt up and over my head. "Oh shut up," she laughed as she pushed me down on the bed. My heart raced when I heard that and my hands moved to grab her wrists and I pulled her close. I held her close to me and we lay that way, chest to chest, as I captured her lips with mine. "I missed your laugh," I said in a breathless whisper after we pulled away, "Don't ever let it die again." Clary sat up a bit to pull herself closer to me until she sat straddling my hips, "Okay." "What was that?" I laughed as I pulled her back down to me. "Okay," she whispered before placing a soft kiss on my lips.

She pulled back but kept her hands on my chest as she hovered over me. Her hair fell around us, encompassing us in a thin veil of red. Slivers of moon light shone in and made her creme colored skin glow, and her green eyes shined as she smiled down at me. She was beautiful and all mine. Slowly I brushed one of my hands across the line of her cheek bone, then I traced the outline of her lips with the tips of my fingers, before pulling her back down for a kiss. "You're so beautiful. So smart. So kind," I whispered against her lips before flipping her so that she lay beneath me on the bed, "and so, so mine."

I found my way back to her neck before dipping lower to her chest. Before I realised it she had wrapped her legs around my waist and was pulling at my hair fervently. "Jace," she sighed as she drew her chest nearer, "its so hot in here." I couldn't help but laugh at her excuse for undressing, but I complied all the same and soon we were both in nothing but undergarments. I found my way back to her lips once the clothes were out of the way, but found that I had lost control, apparently I hadn't been fast enough for Clary.

She pulled me down to her, arching her back against me and wrapping her legs around my waist as if she would float away without me. It was moments like this that made me feel like I was important in this world. That someone needed me. That Clary needed me. Her hands tangled into my hair as she pressed our lips closer in a painful bliss, and I was vaguely aware of the taste of blood. "Please," she whimpered against my lips and I just about lost all control from that one word. It seems I hadn't been the only one in need. It was hard, painful almost, but I had to restrain myself. She had to know just how much she meant to me, and that meant not just body, but soul too.

-Haybell

Authors Note:

Hey guys! Sorry about ending whereI did but I really just wanted to leave it there. I think it might take away the innocence of everything that he was talking about with her if I tried to write an entertaining 'heated' scene for you guys, so... it didn't happen in this one. Also what do you guys think of the Jace POV, he was the major teller in this chapter and I really do enjoy writing from him. If you guys would like I could keep him throughout the rest of the story, if of I'll switch back to Clary. I understand if its a bit confusing for you guys to read since the first story was all from her.

Anyway, now that most of the family things are cleared up, I'm hoping to try and take the story back in the direction I had originally planned when thinking of this story, it just took so long because I don't like stories that have a big thing, like children, and then completely ignore it. now that also means that there may be time changes, I'll have how long of a time change at the beginning of the chapter, but I just wanted to warn you all about that.

Oh also, this really doesn't have much importance, but I found a song that I think reminds me of the beginning of these stories where they meet up in the abandoned house. Its called Four Walls by Broods! If anyone has songs that they think would go along with the story I would be so happy to hear them, I always love listening to songs that fit with a story when I read or write them. Man this was a long authors note! Look thank you for reading, you guys are absolutely wonderful and I love you all!

-Haybell