Roommates & Soulmates

Jace's Potpourri

November dawned colder and darker than October, the sun setting sooner each day. Term papers were coming due and exams were just around the corner again. Simon was out of his sling, but attending physio theory sessions every week. His new girlfriend usually went with him to physio, but sometimes Clary tagged along. It seemed time had made Izzy warm up to Clary. Though Jace was a little bias where his girlfriend was concerned, he did understand Izzy's issue there as Jace had once had similar feelings towards Simon. However, Jace was giving himself more credit since he'd been jealous of Simon when he and Clary were actually a couple, rather than over a year later. Then again, Jace remembered the power of those new possessive feelings in his first few months with Clary, and he couldn't judge Izzy too much for feeling similarly.

Simon was spending half his time at home and half at his girlfriend's place these days, but to Jace, all this meant was that he saw less of his friend than before. The same could not be said of Jordan. It seemed Paige had many roommates where she lived, and much preferred Jordan's place to her own. This meant that Jace was becoming very familiar with the blonde haired women being around the apartment.

With Simon deep in new relationship mode, and Alec overwhelmed with wedding planning, Jace often found himself lacking for guy friends. Jordan was around, but it wasn't the same. Jace and Jordan were more friends of friends - than friends themselves - and to top it off, he was usually hanging out with Paige. This might have been why Jace was so on alert for the door. He was expecting Clary home any minute. Hearing the ding, Jace jumped up and had the door open as she was walking in.

"Oh, um hi," Clary said with a slight laugh, clearing being surprised by his presence right at the door. "Have you been waiting at the door for me?"

"If I have, does that make me pathetic?" Jace asked before kissing her hello.

Clary chuckled then said, "Maybe a little."

"Exams are soon, and I have so much work to do," Jace began. "But I don't wanna, and everyone else is busy."

"Oh no, you poor thing," Clary teased him. Jace was having none of this teasing nonsense so he just rolled his eyes at her and pretended to be indifferent to his lack of company.

"Have you figured out what you want to do for Christmas this year?" Jace asked.

"Our second Christmas together," Clary smiled. "Well... we spent the first one at my parents place."

"And we spent the summer with my mom," Jace added.

"Still, I wouldn't want to deprive your mother of you two Christmases in a row," Clary grinned at him.

"I think it's best we go to see your family again," Jace argued. He didn't want to say it out loud, but he was worried Sebastian was still in his hometown. He'd tried to convince his mother to move cities, but she'd fought him at every turn. Celine was nothing, if not a stubborn women.

"It's just your mom right?" Clary asked, as she dumped her school bag on the chair.

"What do you mean?" Jace replied, following Clary as she moved down the hall and into their room.

"I mean, you have no other family to go home to?" Clary explained, opening her drawers.

"Yeah, that's right," Jace said, enjoying the view as he watched his girlfriend change. "Unless we count Will, though it seems like he doesn't visit his much either."

"Why don't I ask my parents if Celine could come join us for Christmas this year?" Clary suggested, now wearing comfy jammies. "That way you still get to see your mom, and annoy my brother." Jace agreed with this idea easily, then moved onto more pressing concerns.