Hi guys! This is my first fanfiction, so I'm just using this as an outlet for my creative juices. Feel free to leave reviews and constructive criticism, and I hope you enjoy reading this!

Disclaimer: The Mortal Instrument series belongs to Cassandra Clare and not me. I wish, though.

I stepped off the plane, my breath catching just a little. As I gazed at the bustling airport life around me, the bright California sunlight streaming through the windows, I couldn't help but smile at the sense of familiarity I felt. Home. I was finally home, after three long, glorious months spent in New York City. Granted, I had worked my ass off at an art academy during those three months and didn't really get to explore at all, but all I could think about at the moment was how exhausted I was of not sleeping in my own bed or having my own bathroom.

"The minute I step inside the house," I decided, "I will take the world's longest nap or so help me God." With that, I marched over to the luggage claim to grab my stuff.

After grabbing my two very heavy suitcases from the luggage claim, it wasn't long before I reached the exit. I scanned the area, growing confused when I saw no signs of my mother's telltale auburn hair floating around in the crowd of faces. I checked my phone. The glowing screen displayed 3:34, and my mom was supposed to be here by 3:15.

I was about to call my mom and ask where she was when the most ear-splitting shriek pierced the air. "CLARY!"

I turned around to see the source of the sound, and there was literally nothing that would have prepared me for the sight I was about to see before me. Standing thirty feet away was my very tall, very athletic, very (currently) self-conscious step-brother in an outfit that looked like a unicorn had quite veritably puked a very pink, glittery mess. A ridiculously tight pink long-sleeve shirt hugged his leanly muscled figure, and some hot pink leather pants that had the word " Y" running down the lower left leg clung to his long legs. To top it off, his once white-blond hair had become a viciously bright shade of pink and covered in what looked like two bottles of craft glitter. Basically, he was the epitome of a hot mess. And my step-brother, while he was always hot, definitely looked pretty questionable right now.

Jonathan Morgenstern, the only son of my step-father Valentine, was utterly gorgeous in a heart-breaking way. We had known each other since we were kids, and we even dated briefly two years ago- before our parents got married to each other last year after a whirlwind secret engagement. Since both of our parents were well-respected and famous people in their field, it made quite a few headlines. Now, he was just my hot-step brother that teased me around with his posse of soccer team friends.

I stood in complete shock, unable to register the horrifying sight before me. It was a few seconds before I saw the figure next to my brother- a figure crouched on the floor howling in laughter and gasping to catch his breath. I immediately recognized him as the one who screamed my name across the airport like a maniac. With a sigh, I stormed over to the two clowns, cheeks heating in utter embarrassment as the whispers and confused stares amplified.

"You two absolute FOOLS better have a good reason for making a scene in a public place like this," I growled. "Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern, I don't even want to know what in hell made you dress like this, and Jace Herondale," I stared at the golden-headed boy who still lay wheezing on the floor like a geriatric man with an asthma attack, "get your ass off the floor before I wipe the floor with it." At this, he looked up with an 'are you serious' expression on his face before realizing immediately that yes, I was very serious and about three seconds away from using my fourth-degree black belt skills to some good use. He quickly brushed himself off and stood up, a grin lingering on his too-handsome face.

Jace Herondale. Best friend of my step-brother Jonathan, captain of the varsity soccer team, infamous man-whore, and utterly gorgeous. With his visuals, it didn't take a genius to figure out why he was a player. Golden blond curls, strong and muscular physique, and the most striking amber-gold eyes that could mesmerize anyone on the spot- Jace was stunning, and as an artist I could freely acknowledge his aesthetic looks. Personality wise, however, was a different story. Like a typical fuckboy, Jace Herondale spared no "unnecessary emotions" when it came to his many conquests and would often be the cause for many broken friendships. Arrogance and cockiness aside, he definitely did have a softer side that would manifest sometimes- like when he was playing with his younger adoptive brother Max. It was sweet until he interacted with anyone with big boobs and an ass, and I would be reminded of his duality. Generally, I didn't have a problem with his whoring around since I wasn't personally subjected to that torture (most likely due to the fact that my step-brother was his best friend), and we were on amicable terms anyways.

My thoughts were interrupted as said man-whore pulled me into a bear hug, crushing me against his chest to the point that I was gasping for air in seconds. His clean mint-shaving cream-sunshine scent enveloped me. "So glad you're back, Clare-bear!" he yelled. "Your pissy step-brother here," he gestured to Jonathan, who seemed rather miffed at that insult, "kept griping about his girlfriend. I had to listen to his shit for three whole months."

My vision was starting to go black, and I choked out, "Jace… air" while frantically smacking his back. He realized his mistake and quickly released me, leaving me gasping as I tried to recover from my-almost meeting with Jesus. Next to me, Jonathan sniggered and reached over to pull me in a quick side-hug. I hugged back, getting serious amounts of glitter on my face and hair in the process.

"Well, thank you so much for almost killing me when you haven't seen me in three months." I rolled my eyes at Jace, who grinned back before grabbing my forgotten suitcases next to me. I turned to Jonathan and asked "Where's my mom? I thought she was going to pick me up from the airport."

He sighed. "Jocelyn is currently fighting with my father again, so I figured she probably forgot about this, and I decided to pick you up instead. Besides," he ruffled my glitter-infested hair, "you never called or texted while you were gone, and I missed my favorite redhead."

At that, I laughed. "Too bad, because I didn't miss you idiots at all." Before they could start embarrassing me further, I pushed the two of them towards the exit. "Let's just go home so I can get to sleep in my own bed."

A few minutes later, we were racing down the highway in Jonathan's favorite Mercedes, music blaring from the speakers as wind rippled through our hair. Probably not the best idea, since glitter was flying literally everywhere, but we were too busy laughing to care.

Soon, we pulled up into the driveway, and the familiar sight of my step-father Valentine's mansion was a welcome sight to behold. All I wanted to do at this point was take a shower and go to sleep, and everything be damned if anything stood in the way.

I hurried inside, calling out a general "I'm home!" before rushing upstairs to my bathroom to take the world's quickest shower. As soon as I finished, I wrapped a towel around my body and a smaller one over my long hair and sped out of the bathroom and into my room, where my! very! own! bed! welcomed me. I must've been pretty jet-lagged, because despite my insomnia, sleep overcame me easily.

I woke up with a start. Confused, I glanced at my glowing alarm clock, which read 7:30 PM. The last rays of sunlight fell across my window, and I could hear the neighbors splashing around in their pool. Glancing down, I realized that the towel was still wrapped around me, but so was the blanket. The towel on my head had come undone and lay on the floor, leaving my sopping wet hair to drench my pillow. Probably why I woke up.

Groaning, I got up and stretched my arms before getting up and wandering over to my closet. I pushed past my suitcases that the guys had dropped off and grabbed the first things I could find, getting dressed in a sleepy daze. I headed downstairs, rubbing my eyes drowsily.

To my surprise, I found no trace of my mother or step-father when I came down. Frowning, I ducked into my mother's art studio, the kitchen, and Valentine's study- to no avail. Not too unusual, but I was slightly disappointed that both of my parents had seemingly forgotten my existence in lieu of more important matters. I guess it was to be expected when your step-dad runs a whole company and your mom is one of the most respected fashion icons and artists in the industry. Sighing, I trudged back into the kitchen to make myself some dinner.

I was eating leftover Chinese takeout and catching up on Friends when I heard faint laughter coming from the back of the house. Assuming it was Jonathan, I ignored it and continued to watch my show. Suddenly, I felt the weight of the sofa shift and started, whipping my head around to see who had intruded on my alone time.

And who else would it be but Jace freaking Herondale. More specifically, a dripping Jace Herondale. Even more specifically, a shirtless Jace Herondale. Smirking at me. A wet, bare-chested Jace Herondale, sitting less than two feet away from me. My mind went blank for a second before I realized I was gaping at my step-brother's best friend and snapped out of it.

I groaned. "Jace, you could at least, I don't know, dry yourself off before making puddles on the sofa." His smirk only grew. "Women would fall over themselves to get a good look at this," he gestured to his well-defined chest and abdomen. Classic Jace arrogance.

I rolled my eyes and turned off the TV. "Hey, do you know where Jonathan is? Or my parents, for that matter."

He stretched like a cat and closed his eyes. "Jonathan's in the pool right now with some of our friends, and your parents are out of town, I think. They left after you fell asleep to go to a conference or something." He shrugged, water droplets falling from his golden curls. "You should come hang out with us in the backyard instead of moping around here like usual."

I didn't even have to think about my answer, shouting "I'll see you guys in five minutes!" before dashing up the stairs into my room. I searched frantically inside my closet, looking for my favorite lilac bikini set. There was no doubt that Sebastian, my brother's close friend and the guy I've had a crush on for three years, would be in that pool right now, and I could NOT go out there looking like a sleep-deprived twelve year old.

I dressed quickly and checked my reflection in the mirror, sighing when I saw how… different I looked. My three months in New York was not altogether the best experience, and it had definitely taken a toll on me physically. My cheekbones were definitely more hollow, dark circles prominent against my pale, freckled skin. The bikini fit looser than it used to, and my wrist bones jutted out more obviously. I definitely looked like the epitome of a sleep-deprived twelve year old, but I just shook my head and raced into the backyard.

I don't know what I was expecting when I walked out to the pool, but it certainly was not the sight of my two best friends, Simon Lewis and Isabelle Lightwood, making out in the middle of the pool while everyone else cheered them on. As in, Simon Lewis, my sweet, nerdy best friend of 12 years who suddenly confessed his undying (and unrequited) love for me the day before I left for New York; and Izzy Lightwood, Jace's adoptive sister, my girl best friend of 6 years, and a girl who was hopelessly infatuated with Simon since we were in middle school.

Oddly enough, I felt nothing but relief as I saw them kissing… relief that quickly turned to disgust as I saw flashes of tongue in throats and some serious rated R grinding going on. I cleared my throat loudly, and the two broke apart.

Grinning sheepishly, I gave a small wave to my two friends, who were audibly panting from their heavy make-out session, and winked at Izzy. "I was worried you two wouldn't be able to function without me, but it looks like I didn't need to worry at all." At this, both of them laughed and got out of the pool. I walked to the edge of the pool, waving at some of my other friends who were also on the soccer team with my brother. I looked around, but couldn't see Sebastian anywhere.

Izzy grasped my shoulders and kissed both of my cheeks before pulling me into a hug. "Clary, I missed you so so so much and I thought it was going to be the worst summer ever without you and you didn't even call or text and I got so worried but then Simon and I got to hang out a lot more and then things happened and then you saw that kiss and yeah…" She trailed off as she saw me stifling a giggle. "What? Why are you laughing?"

Simon chuckled and broke in. "Iz, I think you should breathe in between your sentences and let Clary talk too."

I nodded in agreement. "I missed both of you tons and tons and I'm sorry for not contacting either of you." I glanced down at my hands, twiddling with my fingers. "I guess I just got too busy and forgot to call." When I looked up, I caught the concerned glance between Izzy and Simon as they noticed something off about my tone. Hurriedly, I added, "Enough about me! I'm waiting to hear a detailed version of how this," I gestured to the two of them, "happened. Finally."

Before either of them could speak up, I felt someone's strong arm snake around my shoulder. Panicked, I grabbed the arm and twisted it hard, pinning it to their back. My breath came out in huffs as I felt my heart race and blood boil. I peeked a glance at whose arm I was strangling and immediately let go with a squeak.

Sebastian Verlac, in all his dark-haired, sparkling eyed, sun-kissed skin, leanly muscular, dripping wet glory, stared up at me, looking baffled and vaguely in pain. Smiling sheepishly, I offered my hand, grasping it firmly and pulling him up as he dusted himself off.

"Sebastian, I'm so sorry about that. I thought you were someone else and I acted on instinct and now I hurt your arm and I'm so stupid, I should've checked to see who it was-" My rambling was cut off as Sebastian placed a finger over my lips and chuckled. I could feel my cheeks warm as he leaned down and ruffled my hair. "It's alright, Clary. My fault for sneaking up on you like that," he replied in his signature deep voice. Seriously, his voice was the kind that actors in movies used when they were seducing the female lead. All smooth and husky, and it was probably the reason I started liking him in the first place, embarrassingly enough as it is.

I fidgeted with my bikini strap when he spoke up. "So, how was New York? Jon told me you were at some big fancy art academy." At this, my eyebrows shot up in surprise, and I turned to look questioningly at my (now glitter-free) step-brother, who was making his way over with Jace in tow.

"Jon told you I was in New York?" I inquired.

"Yeah, was it a secret or something?"

I shook my head. "No, just wondering what other silly things he might've said about me." I smiled sarcastically at him and was met with a smirk. Jon was one of the only people that I told about my big fat crush on his friend, and he made it his job to make it extremely obvious whenever Sebastian was around. No doubt Sebastian probably heard some stupid anecdotes about me already, which meant my life was doomed and my next step of action would be to move to Antarctica so I wouldn't have to look at any of them ever again.

Next to him, Jace snorted. "We didn't say much, Clare-bear. Only about the time when you were nine and threw up on your mom's painting and the time when you got super drunk and tried to kiss-" I practically flew to clamp my hand over his mouth to prevent what he was about to say next.

Grabbing the back of Jace's neck, I yanked it town until his ear was at whispering distance. "If you talk about that in public, I will tell everyone, and I mean everyone, that little Jace," I stared down at his pants pointedly, "is the result of several penis engorgement surgeries."

Jace glared at me. "Little red, that's just pure lies. I'm a natural man."

I smirked. "They won't know."

Rolling his eyes, he huffed in indignation and raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, I won't talk about it anymore. But just for your information," he leaned down, his warm breath involuntarily sending shivers down my spine, "I didn't tell Sebastian about the time you tried to kiss me in a hot tub, sexy as it was."

I hissed in frustration. "Go to hell, Herondale." He shrugged and ambled over to some girls drinking at the edge of the pool. I sighed and turned around, meeting the questioning gazes of my friends and crush.

"It's nothing, just something stupid that happened a long time ago." I brushed off their glances and smiled brightly. "I'm going to get a drink. You guys want anything?"

Everyone, with the exception of Izzy, shook their heads. I grabbed Izzy by the wrist and dragged her back into the house, not caring that she was dripping water all over the kitchen floor.

It didn't take a lot of rummaging to find cans of beer in the fridge. I snagged one and tossed another to Izzy, sighing in bliss as the cold beverage went down my throat.

Izzy cleared her throat. "So, are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Startled, I looked up to see her crossing her arms with an eyebrow raised. "What do you mean? Nothing's going on."

"Clary, I've been your best friend for a while now. This isn't like you at all."

I shrugged. "No clue what you're talking about." What happened this summer in New York was not something I ever planned on rehashing, not even with one of my closest friends.

She huffed out a short laugh. "Clare, did something happen between you and my brother that I don't know about?" My eyes shot up to meet her brown ones, surprised. That's what she was talking about?

I shook my head furiously. "Me and Jace? No way. Nope. Nu-uh. Never. Not in a million gazillion years. We're barely friends, Iz, and no offense, but your brother is probably the biggest man-whore I've ever met."

She snorted. "That's basically the understatement of the year." I nodded, and she continued. "Did you know that he and Kaelie are back together again? I mean, seriously, they're so on-and-off that it's giving me whiplash at this point. Not to mention the fact that she got another boob job and it's totally uneven."

I listened to her talk, continuously gulping down one, two, three, four cans of beer while chiming in occasionally. We were both getting drunker by the minute, and eventually we were reduced to giggles and hysterical fits of laughter as we caught up with each other.

Before I knew it, the timer on the kitchen clock read 2:45 AM. People had passed through the kitchen, murmuring goodbyes to us as Izzy and I chatted away. It wasn't until a familiar husky voice rumbled in my ear.

"Clary, it's late. You should go to sleep."

I hummed and turned around, my emerald green eyes meeting amber gold. It must've been the alcohol, but they seemed to glow under the kitchen light- kind of like ones of a very pretty angel. I shook my head. I was officially losing it. Sighing, I closed my eyes and laid my head on the island, resting my cheek on the cool marble.

All of a sudden, I felt myself being picked up bridal style, and the scent of chlorine, mixed with the underlying scent of Jace's signature mint and shaving cream, enveloped me. That started me awake, and I opened my eyes to see Jace staring at me with an indiscernible look- just for a second- before a devilish smirk blossomed on his face.

Before I had the chance to say anything, Jace rushed into the living room and quite literally dumped me on the sofa. My head hit something hard, and I winced in pain. That was when I realized my head was in someone's lap; more specifically, Jonathan's lap.

Flustered, I sat up and looked around. Most of our friends had left, and only Izzy, Simon, Jace, and Jonathan remained. Izzy and Simon were sitting in one of the loveseats, whispering quietly to each other with lovestruck grins plastered on their faces. I smiled. Seems like Simon got over his feelings for me quickly, and I was glad for that.

Jace plopped down on the sofa next to me in all his shirtless glory. I scowled at him. "Thanks to you, my head feels like it's been cracked open with an axe already, and I'm not even hungover yet."

He stuck his tongue out childishly and snickered. "Sorry, Clare-bear, just thought it would be fun." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Go home already, it's almost 3 AM," I deadpanned.

"Nah, I'm too lazy to get up. Besides, your parents won't even be home."

"Jace, you live NEXT DOOR. Haul ass before I make you."

He sniggered. "Little red, you're way too drunk to do anything right now. It's not like it's my first time staying over either."

Next to me, Jonathan laughed. "Clare, let him stay. Jocelyn and my father called earlier, and they won't be back until Sunday anyways. It'll be fun to have company and hang out."

I sat back and crossed my arms. "Fine. I'm gonna watch a movie, so don't bother me." I grabbed the TV remote and turned on Netflix, browsing for a good show. I settled on a horror movie and laid back, the two boys settling besides me.

Some time later, Izzy and Simon got up to leave. After giving me a quick kiss on the cheek goodbye, Iz called out, "Meet me for breakfast tomorrow at IHOP, 9 o'clock sharp. Love you Clare-bear!" I yelled my response and returned my focus onto the movie.

A couple of minutes later, Jonathan got up suddenly and went upstairs. Jace and I looked at each other like, "Where's he going?" and shrugged. We settled into a comfortable silence, and I leaned into Jace's body, which radiated warmth.

Soon, Jonathan clambered downstairs, wearing a fresh change of clothes and holding more clothes in his hands. When he reached us, he tossed one of his bigger shirts to me and some sweats to Jace. "Clary, you were shivering so hard the sofa was practically vibrating. Surprised you didn't notice you were cold." He gestured to the goosebumps on my arms.

Grateful, I quickly pulled on the shirt. It smelled strongly of Jonathan- laundry detergent and pomegranate- which meant he had been using my shampoo while I was gone. That thief. I dismissed that thought for now and curled into a ball. My eyes were slowly growing heavy, but I wanted to finish the movie first, so I got up and went to the kitchen to make some green tea.

When I came back to the living room, I had to stifle a giggle. Jonathan had taken over both mine and his seats and draped across the sofa, his eyes closed and mouth slightly ajar as he let out a soft snore. Jace, on the other hand, had quietly transferred himself to the floor and was sleeping peacefully.

Of course I had to take pictures of this. I grabbed Jace's phone resting on the coffee table and snapped at least fifty pictures of the two of them. I was scrolling through his messages to send the pictures to myself when suddenly, a text alert from someone named 'H' popped up at the top of the screen. I clicked on it accidentally and was about to exit when the message caught my eye.

"Jace, I'm still in love with you."

I stared at the phone. This definitely wasn't uncommon for Jace, since he slept and dated so many girls. I don't know what this nagging feeling in my gut was. Something told me this was different from everyone else.

Before I could process what had happened, Jonathan stirred. Startled, I quickly dropped the phone back onto the table, just as Jonathan woke up and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Did I fall asleep?" He inquired in a gravelly voice. I nodded and pointed to Jace, who was still fast asleep. Jonathan nodded sleepily and plopped back down, falling back asleep in record time.

I got up and shuffled over to the nearest bedroom and grabbed the pillows and blankets off the bed. Dragging them out, I set down a blanket and propped a pillow for Jonathan and moved over to do the same for Jace, feeling a bit like a mother hen. On a whim, I tousled Jace's golden curls and leaned down to press my lips against his forehead for a second before jerking back up. What the hell was I doing?

I decided I was too tired to make sound decisions and quickly, but quietly, tiptoed up the stairs and into my room. My pillow was blissfully cold from my wet hair earlier, and I found myself drifting off to an uneasy sleep.