God, you guys can make a girl feel loved! Thank you so much for your review! If anyone here here is into Arrow or The 100, I've just put up stories in those categories :)
"Okay, I've changed my mind!" Clary announced as they approached the tattoo parlor. She had been internally debating with herself the whole way over...Well, when she wasn't over thinking how amazing Jace's body felt under her touch and the vibrations of the bike between her legs. Jace laughed and put his hand on her lower back, urging her forward gently. "I'm serious, Jace—"
"Jace!" The girl in the doorway grinned as they reached the small shop. She was gorgeous—tall, with raven black hair streaked blue and purple, and legs that went on for days. Clary froze as Jace walked over and hugged her, kissing her on the cheek and grinning widely. It wasn't until they had pulled away that she noticed Clary, who was trying to plaster a smile on her face and swallow the jealousy she irrationally felt. "And you must be Clary," the girl held out a hand.
"Uh, yeah," Clarys eyes flared in surprise at the recognition as she shook the girls hand.
"Don't look so surprised, babes," the girl grinned. "Jace has been talking about you for years. My name is Izzy, me and my brother run this place."
"Wow," Clary murmured as she began to look around the shop properly for the first time. There were sketches and photos of tattoos covering the dark colored walls. Music was playing from the speakers placed in the corners of the room, and there was a massive ceiling-to-floor mirror that covered almost the whole back wall. When she turned back, Isabelle Lightwood was gone and Jace was watching her. "She seems really young to run a business."
"Izzy has been looking after herself and her brother for years," Jace replied. He forced a smile and slung an arm around her neck. "Not all of us were lucky enough to get a mum like yours," his voice was light but Clary could hear the underlying wistfulness. Isabelle reappeared a moment later, only wearing her light brown dress now, her jacket gone. Her arms were both covered in ink—they looked incredible.
But definitely not what she was after.
"Uh, I was just thinking something small," Clary quickly said. Isabelle laughed knowingly.
"Don't worry,babes, I know a virgin when I see one," she said casually as she pulled a thick, black binder out from behind the counter. Clarys cheeks went scarlet at the off-hand comment and Jace squeezed her shoulder lightly, grinning.
"She means an ink virgin," he clarified.
"Oh, right," Clary muttered.
"Do you know where you want it?" Isabelle interrupted. She had the binder open to a page with at least twenty small images. Clary chewed down on her lower lip, looking down at her body, lifting her hands out in front of her. She turned her hands palm upward and nodding, holding up the left one. "You sure?" She confirmed.
"Yep," Isabelle confirmed.
"And you know what you want?"
"Cherry blossoms," Clary said with finality. Isabelle snorted, earning a hard look from Jace.
"That's original," Isabelle muttered.
"They're mine and mums favorite flower," Clary shrugged. "We have paintings of them all over the house. They're gorgeous flowers but they're only around for such a short amount of time," she shrugged. "Symbolizes that life is short, so you have to appreciate the beauty while you can." Isabelle raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, yeah, okay," she laughed. "It's your body, I honestly don't care what you put on it. Jace," she pushed a pad and pencil across the counter. "You gonna design it?" She looked over to where two other people who had just come in. "Let me know when you're ready."
"You draw?" Clary asked, looking surprised.
"Couldn't work here if I didn't," he replied as he flipped open the pad and readied his pencil.
"You work here?" Clary asked.
"Gotta pay my way somehow if I'm staying here," he grinned. "Plus I like it. Now, how do you want the tattoo?"
"Um," she pursed her lips and looked down at her hand, flexing her fingers. "I think maybe with the stem further down my arm and then the actual blossom over here?" She pointed to the part of her palm under her thumb. Jace nodded and got to work, scribbling on the pad. A stray strand of blonde hair had fallen in front of his eyes and the tip of his tongue was sticking out of the corner of his mouth. He looked up at her and Clary quickly diverted her eyes, embarrassed by how intently she had been watching him.
"How's this?" He asked finally, turning the pad around so that she could see it. He had drawn the stem reasonably long, maybe ten centimeters, with three closed blossoms coming off the stem, two on the right and one on the left. At the top there was a cherry blossom in full bloom. "I was thinking we could start the stem here," he reached out and brushed the pad of his thumb against the sensitive flesh of her inner arm, a few inches down from her wrist. "And then finish it here," he trailed his finger up her arm, pressing down lightly on her palm, under her thumb joint. His nail scratched lightly over her sensitive skin, sending tingles skittering down her arm. Clary tried to bite back the shiver that his touch elicited but she saw him smirk as he released her hand. "Okay, lets go see Alec."
"You're not going to do it?" She asked as she followed him into the back room.
"No, Red," Jace told her light as he pushed open a side door where there was a gorgeous man with sullen, blue eyes and a table with scary looking instruments. "I'm just here to hold your hand."
"I can't believe I did that," Clary gasped as she stared down at her tattooed flesh, pink and raw at the edges. Alec didn't say anything as he spread cream over it softly and then bandaged it up. "Thank you," she smiled widely at the dark haired boy.
"Yep," he replied, already getting up to clean his needles. Clary looked over at Jace who just grinned and shook his head.
"Later, Alec," he said, taking Clary's free hand and leading her from the room. Alec just grunted in reply and Jace laughed under his breath. "It's not you," he assured Clary as they reached the counter where Isabelle was standing. "He doesn't talk much to anyone."
"All done?" Isabelle asked brightly.
"Yeah, thanks," Clary began pulling her wallet out of her purse but Jace's hand lashed out, shaking his head at her.
"Just put it on my tab, Iz," Jace told her.
"Okay, babes, I'll catch yous later," Isabelle smiled at both of them as Jace steered Clary outside.
"I can pay for it myself," Clary protested.
"It's a graduation present," Jace said easily. She was surprised at how dark it was outside. Her graduation had finished at four and then they must have been at the tattoo parlour for close to three hours. They reached his bike and Jace pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. "Okay, you wanna go get dinner? Maybe a couple of drinks?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her playfully and Clary laughed, looking down at her feet. He reached out and touched her chin lightly, tipping her face upward, her green eyes meeting his molten gold ones. His thumb rubbed over his her lower lip before he pulled away. "Come on, Red. We've got a lot to catch up on."
Clary was a cheap drunk, and Jace loved it. She said that she hadn't been particularly hungry and had only ordered curly fries with aioli sauce at the bar they went to. Jace himself had ordered the biggest burger on the menu, along with a drink for each of them. One drink lead to another, and then three, and by the fourth glass, Clary's cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright. Jace was happy to let her talk, listening as she told him about her mum and Luke and Simon. Then she moved on with how she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life or study at college, which is why she had decided to take a gap year and find a full time job. Jace didn't say much, but he didn't look bored, his eyes on hers at all times, occasionally reaching out to reach her hand or hair.
Every time he did, Clary felt like her body was on fire.
Because of the alcohol, the night all started to blur together. She remembered a song coming on that made her bounce up and down in her seat and Jace laughed, encouraging her to get up and join other people on the dance floor. He twirled her around, bringing her back in so that her body was against his toned one, and the heat of his golden eyes made her stomach tighten.
Somewhere after one, Jace carried her into her apartment and tucked her into bed, before she slipped into unconsciousness.
Now, on another subject; New Year Resolutions and all that shit. I am so not a New Year, New Me kind of person, and I totally mock anyone else who is like that (including most of my best friends) but I do try and make a couple of improvements and beginning of a new year is a good time as any to try. So on each of my updates I'm going to put up two things that has made me happy, or smile, or giggle through the week. It's not going to be anything like my hubby (who is this sexy hunk of awesomeness that lights up my life) or my best friends or family (also complete and utter darlings). It's going to be purely superficial shit, and you guys can do what you want with that information ;)
This week; Ian Somerhalder a.k.a Damon Salvatore. Okay, sooooo if you don't know who this blue eyed devil is, or don't think he's attractive in the slightest then I don't know what you're planet you're from. This guy makes me wet every time he comes on screen. OH. MY. GOD. Second is the song We Come Running by Youngblood Hawke. I know, I know, it's an old song, but I totally hated it until about a week ago when I saw it on a TV series, and then my opinion totally changed. It's just such a feel good song! It's such a feel good, and just makes me want to belt it out from the rooftops...Or scream it out when I'm driving in the car with the windows down.