Clace - TMI AU

6

The next day Clary got up early. She had hardly slept. She was agitated by her situation with Sebastian but she willed it away, got ready and went straight to Java Jones to meet Simon. If felt like she hadn't seen him in so long. She saw him sitting on a table and hurried over.
"Fray!" He exclaimed hugging her.
"Oh my gosh Simon I missed you so much."
"I missed you too, but not as much as I miss Barcelona."
"Oh shut up. You've not even a little tanned." She said, lightly smacking his arm.
"Urgh you know I never tan, like ever."
They both laughed. "So, how was it?"
"It was so great, just what i needed. Time away from college and everyone. Plus whilst i was away Izzy spoke to me."
"She did?"
"Yeah, she said that she missed me and my 'nerdy jokes'," he said making air quotes whilst he spoke. "She also asked me when i'm coming home and how my holiday was going!"
"Well good for you!"
"So, how was your date?"
Clary went quite for a while before saying "It was okay."
"Clary, I know that face. It's like you forget who you're talking too. It's me Simon in case you had. I can tell when you're lying better than you can."
She wondered whether she should tell him about the kiss but decided not too as she didn't want to be told a second time that she was being crazy.
"Yes of course, everything's fine, I'm fine, I'm with you, my best friend." she said nudging him with her elbow.
He narrowed his eyes looking at her intently but decided to drop the subject. "Let's order, what do you want?" Asked Simon.
"Coffee, black, like my soul."

They sat in Java Jones nearly all day talking and after the coffee shop closed they went back to the institute until it was time for tea. Although mundanes weren't strictly allowed in the institute, Maryse turned a blind eye as long as Simon kept out of sight. Clary missed seeing Simon everyday, he was always so busy with his college work and when he wasn't at college he was doing gigs. He had a band with his three friends, Jordan, Eric and Matt. Jordan was a wolf but the other two were mundanes and had no idea about the shadow world. Clary had been to every single one of their gigs and had helped them think of a name "TMI" standing for The Mortal Instruments. These were very important objects in the shadow world but obviously Eric, Matt and all other mundanes were completely oblivious.

For dinner they decided to get a pizza because Maryse was at a meeting. Clary and Simon went to the kitchen to see that Magnus Bane, Alec's finace, had come over.
"Hey Magnus!" exclaimed Clary, " I haven't seen you in so long!"
"Hey biscuit, friend of biscuit." He replied glancing to Simon.
"I like that, 'friend of biscuit', has a nice ring to it," repeated Jace "I'll do you one better though, crumb of biscuit."
"Ha! That's a good one! That's your name from now on Sheldon, I'm going to call you crumb."
"Say crumb, you're looking a little burnt" said Jace "spent a little too much time under the heat of the oven?"
"Alright that's enough, can we just eat now?" said Clary
"Of course we can biscuit." Said Jace mockingly. She pulled a face at him.
Clary and Simon went and sat between Jace and Izzy and everyone got a slice of Pizza and started to eat. They sat and talked for a while and finished up at around 12 when Izzy said she had to get her 'beauty sleep'. Before she left she went over to Magnus and Alec and hugged them both. Then she went over to Simon and kissed his cheek,
"See you soon." And walked out the room. Simon stood there gawking after her.
"We better go now too, I have a client in the morning," Said Magnus
"A client eh," Said Jace winking at them.
"Goodbye all, biscuit, crumb, spawn of Satan,"
They all laughed as Alec and Magnus left.
Simon waited whilst Clary and Jace cleaned the kitchen. Clary gathered the glasses and took them to the sink whilst Jace picked up the rubbish and shoved it into a black bin bag.
"I'm beat, goodnight." Said Jace yawning, stretching his entire body like a cat.
Clary turned around and smiled at him. "Good night." She said and watched him.
"Do you love him?" Asked Simon.
She smiled at the word love.
"What? No. I don't know." Simon cocked an eyebrow. "Oh shut up."
She finished clearing up the kitchen and walked Simon to the elevator.
"I'm going to miss you so much! Two weeks is like a really long time!"
"It will fly by! You won't even feel it."
"I hope so." She said hugging him. She bid him goodbye and went back to her room. She went over to her bed and sighed before flopping down on it. Maybe she did love Jace. He most definitely wasn't just a crush. Even if she wasn't in love him yet she was definitely falling for him.
At that precise moment she got a text;

Can't wait to see you on Friday!

All her thoughts about being in love with Jace vanished and her issues about Sebastian that were momentarily suppressed came rushing back. She couldn't sleep again that night and agonised over what to do about him for days and before she knew it a week had gone by and it was time for their second date.