Roommates & Soulmates

Jace's Date

Jace felt like the whole 'planning an anniversary' concept was a task for men far more impressive than he. Rationally he knew he didn't have anything to be nervous about, but his rational brain seemed to have taken a vacation. Jace has this strange feeling that something was going to go horribly wrong. He wasn't yet sure what, but he felt sure there was something, or someone, out to ruin his night. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

"Coming," Clary's voice replied cheerfully. Well, at least she was starting the night off in a good mood, Jace thought. Now, the trick was keeping her in one until the end of the evening.

When the door opened, all other thoughts were temporarily driven from Jace's mind. He just stared, his eyes wide, and mouth slightly open. Clary had been overwhelmingly sexying in all that lingerie. She was hot in his old t-shirts, and beautiful in her frumpy sweaters, but tonight she was more than sexy, hot, and beautiful. She was elegant. The neckline of her dress plunged in a deep V, with thick straps over the shoulders. The dress itself was hung loosely with light flowing fabric, mostly black with pink around the bottom four inches. There were flower patterns in purples and greens around her waistline, and both above, and mixed into the pink hem. The green in the stems of the flowers brought out her eyes in a subtle, but stunning way. Rather than taking away from her natural beauty, the whole outfit made everything Clary inherently brighter.

"Cleans up nice doesn't she," Magnus's voice entered Jace brain, though he couldn't tell from where. "You're welcome." And Jace knew who had been the mastermind behind her outfit tonight.

"Shall we go?" Clary asked, holding out her hand to him. Jace gulped before taking it. She giggled at him and told him to relax.

"Sorry," Jace mumbled. "I don't want to mess this up."

"Silly," Clary said shaking her head. "What could you possibly do?"

"Oh, I don't know," Jace said. "I'm sure there's a way."

"You really are nervous, aren't you?" Clary giggled as they walked arm in arm away from Magnus's apartment. Jace nodded. "You don't have to be, but if you insist, how about this? You tell me the plan, and I will tell you if it's a good one."

"You picked the plan," Jace reminded her. "Restaurant."

"See perfect plan," Clary told. "Nothing to stress over."

"You are right," Jace sighed. He stopped and turned to face her. "I'm sorry I'm so tense. I'm just in awe that it's been a year. A year since you said yes and kissed me in that hallway."

"Ah yes," Clary laughed. "A year since I got carried away." She was smiling at him, and Jace felt a sudden need to explain himself fully.

"I loved you for a while before that," Jace said. "A long while, though I couldn't tell you exactly when I recognized the feelings for what they were."

"That I understand," Clary said. "I remember when you tried to tell me, not even I believed you."

"If you'd told me back then that I'd one day be walking arm in arm with you down the street on my way to celebrate being your boyfriend for a year, I'd have asked you what you were smoking," he laughed.

"It's true you've changed a lot," Clary replied. "But for the better."

"Thanks," Jace smiled at her. "I couldn't have done it without you." She squeezed his hand affectionately and they started walking again, keeping up a casual conversation as they went. It was a beautiful night. There was no wind to speak of, and the air was fairly warm for January. The snow on the ground crunched under their feet. The sun was low in the sky, with clouds covering most of it.