To Hollyd7: Rice Krispies are better than a lot of things, so I'm proud you think my story is better than even the almighty krispies.
TO NICOLE: I need to be your friend. Literally when people review positively in all caps it makes me genuinely smile.
TO ALL MY OTHER REVIEWERS: I love you all like my children, but I think you'd rather get a chapter than more replies to reviews, so…
Jace
When Ma orders Will out of the kitchen because he has attempted to lick the spoon many times, I follow him out.
"So damn close," he mutters falling onto the couch. I sit next to him silently.
"Thank you, for dealing with Simon," I tell him.
"Sherwin deserved it," he begins, smiling at his antics, "but you should know I'd do anything for Clary. She's like my mom and my sister and my best friend all wrapped into one. I definitely like her better than you," he smirks at me and I just jostle his shoulder.
"It's good to know someone else is willing to protect her when I can't," it sounds bitter, but I do mean it. I know I can't protect her all the time, and it's good to know Will and I are on the same page.
"Hey, you can protect her, and she needs you. But I'll just be there to inflict painful, embarrassing revenge," his words are soft and sweet sounding, but what he says makes me laugh.
"As you wish revenge fairy," I laugh at my cousin as Clary comes in to announce dinner is ready. Will jumps up and scoops her up by the waist, screaming about how desert comes before dinner.
Following close behind, I see him spinning Clary around as she laughs and Tessa telling him he wasn't allowed to have any pie.
"Why on earth not, woman?" he stops dead in his tracks, letting Clary escape his grasp.
"Because you ate the entire plate of cookies already and you're going to get a stomach ache," Clary tells him, patting his head.
"Will not," he shoots back.
"Aww, at least let him have one piece," Ma tries, making Will nod and hug her tightly to his chest.
"There are angels on earth," he sighs as he looks up to the ceiling.
"No, he will be bouncing off walls at home then he'll be up all night with a stomach ache," Tessa says, sitting Will the table and she sets a plate of beef stew with rice in front of him.
"I'm not hungry anymore," he pouts, glaring at his plate of not chocolate pie.
"Fine, so I'm going to drop you off at your house and then go to mine," Tessa says nonchalantly.
"B-but what about our movie marathon?" he asks.
"No movies if you don't eat," Tessa tells him. He immediately begins shoveling food into his mouth.
"whipped," I mutter, trying to cover it in a cough.
"I used to have you trained exactly like that," Clary tells me.
"Did not," I reply.
"Oh yes she did," Will confirms, laughing at his memory, "One time she wanted to go into the water at the beach, but it was like March. She threatened to not give Jace a hug for two weeks if he didn't go in with her. He stripped faster than a Chippendale," Will laughs as he recites the story I remember clear as day.
"She can probably still get him to do anything she wanted with the simple threat of no hugs," Will challenges.
"I guess we'll just have to see," Clary gets that mischievous glint in her eye that she shares with Will, making me nervous.
After dinner, Tessa and Will decide to head home, together and Will looks longingly at the pie he didn't have a piece of. Just as Tessa walks out the front door, Clary emerges with a small tupperware and hands it to will. She whispers to him with a smile and he crushes her in a hug. They laugh and Will promises to be back tomorrow.
Soon after, Ma also decides to get going, but will be around soon enough to spend more time with Clary, because you know, I'm chopped liver and everything.
Clary was able to hide a few cookies from Will's black hole of a stomach, so she leaves my mom and me at the front door as she goes to get them.
"So, are you going to make a move yet?" my mom asks, keeping her eyes on the doorway in case Clary comes back sooner than expected.
"Ma, honestly. Relax. She isn't even divorced yet," I tell her, not sure Clary will appreciate extensive advances when what she needs from me right now is friendship. I hope it blossoms into more, but a guy can only hope.
Ma sighs and places a hand on my cheek. "Your right sweetie. You're going about this all right. I just don't want you to wait too long and end up losing her again," she tells me.
"Oh, I promise not to make that mistake again. It would honestly kill me," I tell her. She simply smiles and that's when Clary comes in with a wrapped plate of cookies for my mom to take home.
Clary
I hear Ma and Jace talking in low voices as I'm about to come out with the cookies. I don't want to interrupt, so I wait around the corner. My ears peak in interest when Ma asks Jace if he's 'going to make a move yet.' Who on earth would Jace be making a move on?
Continuing to listen, I hear him tell her that the person isn't divorced yet and ma retorts that he can't lose them again. That's when I realize. I'm not divorced yet. Why would they be talking in hushed voices if it was something they'd be okay with me hearing? Could Jace possibly want to be with me, as more than friends that occasionally kiss?
There's a lack of voices, so I shake my thoughts and emerge from the corner. I hand Ma the plate of cookies that merely escaped Will's sticky fingers and her face lights up.
"I don't know how I made it all this time without your special recipe," she sighs.
"I don't know how I made it all this time without your chocolate pies," I reply. She nods in agreement. Giving me a hug, she whispers softly in my ear.
"Jace loves you sweetheart. He may not show the romantic love, but it's there, I know it for a fact," pulling back, my jaw is slack but she simply winks and goes in to hug Jace. After a long hug, she pulls back and Jace's cheeks are flaming and his jaw is much like mine.
"Well, I need to watch my novels and eat some cookies, so I'll see you both soon," with that, she's gone like smoke.
Jace and I turn to each other and at the same moment say, "What did she tell you?"
Jace
She knows. Clary knows because my mom just told her.
She knows, the next move is yours. My traitor of a mother had whispered to me after her long hug with Clary. Where's the trust! Where's the confidentiality?!
"What did she tell you?" Clary and I ask at the same moment.
"You first," I urge, needing to know if she was bluffing before I reveal what's he told me.
"Uh, um well she said," Clary's cheeks are flaming and I know my mom wasn't bluffing and now I have to fix this before Clary runs, screaming she doesn't feel the same.
"Well, it was a joke," I begin, her eyes snapping to mine, "Yeah, mom loves to joke around," I laugh nervously.
"Really?" she asks, looking to the ground .Her voice sounds hurt and she won't meet my eyes.
"Uh, I guess," I continue, not sure why she feels this way. I thought she'd be relieved.
"Okay, well I'm really tired, so I'm going to bed," Clary rushes out, hugging her arms around herself and as she passes me I think I see her eyes glisten. I stand stunned. Does she feel the same?
Does Clary love me like I've loved her for years?