Jace and Clary

   It was one in the morning and Clary was sitting on Jace's bed, drawing in her sketch pad. Jace was in the shower. Isabelle was sleeping, Alec was marking a new dagger in the weapons room and she didn't even know where Simon was.

   "I need to talk to you."

   Clary jumped when Jace's voice close behind her. "I hate it when you do that."

   "I'm sorry." Jace said.

   He had on jeans that rode low on his hips and he had no shirt on, revealing his marked body.

   There was a short silence when Clary realized that Jace was waiting for her to speak. "What do you want to talk to me about?" she asked.

   He came over to sit on the bed next to her. "Remember when we were at Taki's and I told you I was only interested in being your brother?"

   Clary had been trying hard not to think about that day. The day she had finally decided that she didn't care if he was her brother and she wanted him anyway. The day he broke her heart. "Yes."

   Jace looked down at her drawing on the open page and Clary closed her sketch pad. "Well, its been about a month since that day and i can't lie to you much longer."

   "Jace, what are you talking about?" Clary asked in frustration.

   "I'm trying to tell you that it hurts me to lie to you that way." Jace said staring straight into her eyes.

   "Jace...." Clary tried to find the right thing to say, but she couldn't finish. Why was he telling her this? What is he trying to tell her? That he hates her? Clary thought.

   "Clary, I have to tell you the truth. I can't live much longer without you knowing how i feel about you. I can't live without you." Clary couldn't believe this. Jace, who was never open with anyone, was telling her this. She just stared as he waited for a response, but kept talking when one didn't come from her lips.

   "Clary, I could never, ever love you the way a brother is supposed to love his sister. Never. All the time, every time I see you I want to run my hand through your hair. I want to touch your face. Let my fingers linger on your body. Pull you close to me. Hug you. Kiss you. I want to be the one you come to for help." Jace paused and put a hand up to cup her face. He sighed, then dropped his hand. She just continued staring at his beautiful eyes. "I've always wanted to be the one you laugh with. Since the first time I saw you in Pandemonium. I've wanted...you've owned me since then. I know you don't feel the same way-"

   Clary cut him off, "But...I do."

   There was a long silence. They just satred at each other in amazment and admiration.

   "Why didn't you ever say anything? Why didn't you tell me this at Taki's when I was lying through my teeth because I thought I was making you happy, when really I was destroying you?" Jace had a look of anger and yet, still happiness on his face.

   "I tried. I tried to tell you, but oyu kept interrupting me. I was going to tell you that I..." she trailed off.

   "Tell me what?" Jace asked.

   "That I love you." Clary said looking at Jace's bare chest.

   "I love you too." Jace said stroking her hair.

   Clary leaned back against the headboard and Jace adjusted himself so that he was sitting cross-legged, just in front of her.

   "I love you." Jace repeated as he moved his face closer to hers.

   Clary closed her eyes as the rolled into the back of her head. When she opened them again, Jace's face was on an inch from hers. She stroked his cheek and his eyes closed.

   "Jace..." Clary whispered.

   Jace's face moved very slowly, toward hers until their lips met and they were kissing. Clary closed her eyes and twisted her arms around his neck as his hands explored her body. Her shoulders, her arms, her stomach, her hips. Clary tightened her arms around him pulling him closer, as he wound his fingers through her hair, deepening the kiss. Jace let the tip of his tounge trace the edge of her lower lip. She moaned slightly in response and he moved his hands from her hair to the small of her back, pressing her to him.

   "Jace." Clary whispered against his lips.

   Even then Jace did not let his lips leave her skin. They just moved to her neck.

   "I love you." he whispered into her neck.

   Clary took his face in her hands and moved his lips back to hers. Jace moaned low in his throat and it sent electricity through Clary.

   Jace lowered Clary from her sitting position and set her head on the pillow without breaking the kiss. He held his weight on his elbows while he laid abpve her.

   Clary threw her armsaround his neck and let the tip of her tounge glide along the flawless edge of his lower lip. Jace moaned again and Clary moved her hands to his chest tracing patterns on it with her fingers.

   Jace rolled Clary over on top of him and let his tounge slip along her shoulder, tasting her. Then up her neck and his lips found hers again. He slid his hand under her shirt on to her back, pressing her tight to him. She could feel his hearthbeat.

   Jace broke away with a chuckle, "You should probably get some rest." He raised his hand to touch her cheek. "It's two in the morning."

   Clary said nothing, just pulled him close to her.

   There was a bit of a silence. "I'm getting in the shower."

   Jace let her up. "Okay. I'll be waiting here for you." he said with a wink.

   After Clary got out of the shower and dressed in her pajamas, she walked out of the bathroom to see Jace sitting against the headboard with his hands behind his head.

   She went and sat next to him and he put his arms around her and she leaned into his side.

   "You should sleep." he said into her hair.

   "I can't. I have to ask you something."

   "And what's that?"

   "Why did you say that? At Taki's I mean. Why did you say you just wanted to be my brtoher?"

   There was a short silence as he considered his answer.

   "Because I thought I was making you happy. When I was completely wrong about it anyway." His arms tightened around her.

   "But it's not. I love you. I always will. I can't not love you. No matter how hard I try. I can't stop." She said as he breated in his warm scent.

   "I've never felt this way about anyone." He said. "I never thought I could. Ever. But the first time I saw you, the first time I heard you talk, I've wanted you. I have belonged to you. Completely. He said kissing her head.

   Clary yawned and began, "Jace-" but got cut off.

   "Sleep. You're tired."

   With that she slid under the covers and closed her eyes. Jace stayed on top of the covers, but kept his arms around her. He burried his face in her hair and breathed in her sweet,  angelic scent.