The Other Wayland

Girl talk and Romantic First Kisses.

Jace's POV
When I pushed open the door to the institute the first thing I noticed was the uncomfortable silence that filled the place and then the thick layer of tension in the air. Something had happened, I could sense it.
"Where are they?" Izzy muttered breaking the tense silence.
"Would they have gone out?" Alec asked looking around.
I shook my head. "They're probably just watching a movie or something."
"No, something's wrong, I can feel it." Clary whispered to me.
"Beth!" I shouted. "Joe? We're back!" A few minutes later a weirdly cheery Joe appeared.
"Oh hi, I was just going to make some food do you want some?" He asked smiling.
"Where's Beth?" I asked suspicious. During their time here so far, I was yet to see them alone for more than a few minutes.
"Oh I don't know. Of somewhere pretending nothing is wrong." He shrugged like he didn't care.
"Because that sounds like nothing's happened." Izzy called voicing my own thoughts.
"It's between me and her." He frowned and walked away apparently forgetting his search for food.
"Well then." I said. "That was weird."
"Tell me about." Alec rolled his eyes. "Who knew that one fifteen year old girl could cause so much drama?" He said sarcastically then glared at Clary. "Oh wait, I did know that."
"I think you'll find that I'm sixteen now." She retorted glaring at him then walking away.
"Really Alec? Did you have to do that?" I turned on him. "Can't you just leave her alone?"
"Just because you're too whipped to see the trouble she's causing us."
"Whatever. I'm going to find Beth." I walked away from him. I reached Beth's door and knocked loudly. When I got no reply I pushed open the door. Beth was fast asleep on the bed hair splayed out across the pillow around her head. I shook her carefully and soon she woke up blinking up at me.
"Hey sleepy head."
"Oh you're back." She mumbled still half asleep.
"Yeah, I thought I'd come say hi." She stretched and sat up rubbing her eyes.
"Hi." She shivered. "By the Angel it's cold." She pulled her bag out and retrieved a cardigan and pulled it on.
"Feeling better?"
"I don't really know. I kinda just feel the same." She shrugged and got out of bed. She slapped her forehead. "I've left all my stuff out in the greenhouse. I completely forgot about it. I'm going to go put it away."
"What were you doing in the greenhouse?"
"Painting." She sighed. "Look I really should go put them away." She stood up and slips her heels back on before walking out the room.
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Elizabeth's POV
When I reached the greenhouse I found Clary there admiring my painting.
"Hey." I called over to her and she jumped a little.
"Are these yours?" She asked motioning to the sketches.
"Yeah. I didn't mean to intrude if you needed some time alone." I said walking towards her.
"You're good at watercolours, do you do any other type of painting?" She asked curiously as I sat down on the cold ground still too sleepy to stand.
"I dabble in a few things. I'm impatient, I like water colour cos it dries the fastest." I told her.
"Not much time for drying when you're saving the world from demons." She said sighing and sitting next to me.
"You're right, there's not much time for anything." I sighed too. I had decided that I liked Clary, she's a sweet girl and she had a different perspective on things being raised mundane. It made her interesting to talk to. "So what about you are you more of a painter or a sketcher?"
"I draw." She nodded. "I never got the hang of painting. My mom she...umm.. She painted though."
"Nice what about your Dad?" She suddenly tensed up and cringed. "I'm sorry. Is it a touchy subject?"
"A little bit. I never met him, my father and then I find out he was the most evil shadowhunter to ever walk the planet." She smiled tightly.
"Oooh, that's not great. I mean my father wasn't terrible but he wouldn't have won any father of the year awards." I smiled.
"And your mom? You and Jace don't have the same mom's do you?" She asked.
"You're right, clever deduction there, his died after he was born, mine ran away within hours of my birth." I shrugged. "Neither of my parents were great as you can tell. But your Mom, tell me about her."
"She was great, more like a friend really. I miss her so much." Her voice cracked.
"We will get her back. Jace will stop at nothing to make sure you're happy." I tried to comfort her by patting her back awkwardly.
"What makes you say that?"
"Jace might think that to love is to destroy and all that crap but in reality he is one of the most loving people I have come across and he will stop at nothing to make sure the ones he loves are safe and happy. Just you wait and see." I told her.
"You know you're very wise for a fifteen year old." She said laughing.
"What can I say, I've seen a lot." I said giggling. "However I am terrible at this girl talk thing."
"Oh you're not that bad." She tried to reassure me but I shook my head.
"I've never really been around other girls. It was just me, my dad and Jace at first, then it was me and Joe. I haven't had chance to hone that skill."
"Me either." She giggled. "So Joe. "
"What about him?" I asked shrugging.
"How does this whole partner thing work?"
"So your parents have to make the request. Then your child officer comes and meets with you and then pairs you with a similar child in their care. After that the two of you get placed in institutes willing to take on children until you find the one that's right for you. Having a partner is supposed to make it easier, makes things more stable but it can cause a lot more problems when it comes to kids like Joe and I who are too attached to separate but still haven't been placed yet, it becomes a challenge of finding an institute willing to take on two teenagers and that both of us would fit. Eventually they would have split us up. Coming here was just speeding up the inevitable " I explained to her. "At least this way I get to stay with Jace."
"That is cruel." She said decisively.
"It's the way of our world." I shrugged. "I don't know what I'm going to do without him though. It'll be like having an arm cut off."
"Cruel." She said again. "You too are just friends then?"
"I don't really know. He was my first kiss actually." I admitted to her.
"Really?" She said surprised.
"Yeah, not that he remembered it. I think we were both drunk." She raised an eyebrow at me. "It was my birthday. We stole a bottle of wine and we sat on the roof of the Venice institute and watched the sunset and then we kissed. He was more drunk than me though. So I remember, he doesn't." I laughed, she was such a good girl, she seemed so appalled by this. "We just never spoke about it again."
"That is both romantic and a little bit crazy." She sighed.
"He brings the crazy out of me." I smiled and she grinned at me. "But now, it's strange, we talked about being in love with each other and then we kissed but we haven't really talked about it. You know?"
"Yeah. Were you both sober this time?"
"Yes I don't make a habit of getting drunk, hangovers suck and there isn't a rune for them. All though I did have an adrenaline high and we were sitting in my bathroom."
"Wow that tops it for world's most romantic kiss spot."
"Alright then, let's hear about your first kiss." I challenged.
"Well, we were stood in the greenhouse, on my birthday and he gave me a witchlight and then we were kissing." My eyes widen at her revelation.
"Oh you're talking about my brother aren't you?" She nodded. "Ewww, I don't want to hear that. That's my brother!"
"You're the one who asked!" She said in defence.
"But still gross! But romantic." I shrugged.
"Oh there you are." Jace said sighing looking at me. "You're like a little spider. There one minute, scurrying across the floor out of sight the next. Almost impossible to keep up with. "
"Excuse me, did you just call me a spider?" I stood up and walked over to him.
"Yes I did." He looked down at me with a look of concern on his face. He knew I could floor him if I wanted to.
"That isn't very nice of you Jace."
"Joe is waiting in your bedroom for you." He said changing the subject. "He says you need to talk."
"Oooh the words no girl wants to hear. Ever." I winced. "I'm sorry Clary, I guess I'll have to cut our girl talk short and go have a different talk."
"Have fun." She called after me as I walked out of the greenhouse to my room to meet my fate. I shut the door after me and when I turned around I was met with a pair of lips on mine. I guess this talk was going to go a little different than I thought.