Jace & Clary | Clace

Two

Jace Herondale pulled his collar up to try and cover his ears from the biting cold, then he shoved his hands into his pockets. He was freezing and his jacket was old and worn.

Even with three jobs - the coffee shop in the evenings, construction sites in the early mornings, and bartending at the club when Simon's band played - it was hard making ends meet.

He tried to get by, and although he was content for the most part, a part of him always felt empty.

Jace was almost at the church, the address the redhead, Clary, had given him earlier, and he slowed his pace.

He didn't know why he was going to meet her.

Maybe... he was just curious.

And there was something about her that was vaguely familiar, although that was impossible. He had never seen her before, because he would have remembered her.

Anyway if things got weird he could always leave...

Clary, leaning on the stone railings, watched Jace Herondale approach the Institute, his shoulders were hunched against the cold and his hands shoved in his pockets.

As he got closer Clary felt a wave of relief wash over her, and a twinge of joy that made her cheeks color.

He had come. He had actually come.

"Clary." Jace smiled when he reached her.  He took a hand out of his pocket and run it through his hair.  He shook slightly from the cold.

"Jace." Clary smiled. "You came."

"I came." He glanced up at the Gothic Cathedral. "It's not abandoned."

"No, it's not." Clary agreed.  She watched him closely, a little sad and apprehensive, knowing that in a few moments his life would change.

And what if he didn't want any of this?  What if he preferred living with the mundanes, safe and in complete ignorance of this world of demons and magic?

But he was the last of Will and Tessa Herondale's bloodline, and Tessa had searched high and low for him.  Tessa's heart would break.

It was not Clary's decision to make, she was a soldier with a mission and she had almost completed that mission.

"Do you want to come in?" Clary asked gently.

The choice was his and he stared at her trying to make sense of the situation.

Clary could almost hear his thoughts, wondering if he should truly trust her or not.  Why was he really here?  And who was she?

If he said no... she would tell Tessa she had failed and the trail had run cold; that there was no Jace Herondale, that Magnus Bane had been wrong.

If he said no... and Clary's heart hitched curiously, unexpectedly, from fear that she may never see him again.

Her face reddened. "Jace."

Jace looked at her, the way she had spoken his name like a plea.  He noticed her demeanor change; she had gone from confident and aloof, and then a look of pure panic had crossed her face, coloring her cheeks bright red.

"Yes." He responded to her question and to the unspoken ones, if it meant never having to see that look of fear on her face again, he would do almost anything. 

She had protected him once and she would do it again if she had to.

Clary reached for him, closing her fingers around his wrist, and her breath caught in her throat at the shock that went through her as his skin touched hers.  She felt the runes on her skin tingle with new energy and the blood in her veins seemed to sing in rapture.

Clary looked sharply at Jace and Jace was watching her.  If he'd felt anything he didn't reveal it on his face.

A small smile played on his lips. "Should I be worried?" He nodded toward the Institute door.  "This isn't dinner, is it?"

Clary's hand tightened around his wrist, as if she could stop him from suddenly fleeing. "No.  And no.  Trust me."  She smiled.  "But I did promise you something to eat and I will deliver."

They walked up the stairs together and at the door Clary instructed him to open it.

They had to know if he was a true Shadowhunter.  Because if he wasn't then the Institute door would remain closed to him, in every sense of the word... possibly.

Jace placed his hand against the cold wood and the Institute door exploded wide open, creaking loudly on its very old hinges.

Jace took a step back in surprise, but Clary laughed softly, "Angel." She confirmed.