Red: A Clace Fanfic

Spider.

Clary screamed.

Her sketchbook fell.

The spider crawled.

"Clary! Clary, what is it?" Jace rushed in, eyes wide, already wielding a seraph blade.

Clary, still screaming, gestured wildly to the spider. "THERE!"

Jace put down the seraph blade.

"NO! Get it away!" Clary climbed onto the table.

Luke, who had heard the screaming, came in. "Clary! What's happening?"

Jace pointed to the spider crawling to Clary's sketchbook. He picked it up and put it on the table before it could reach it.

Luke grinned. "Did she mention her arachnophobia when you asked to marry her?"

Jace laughed along with Luke as Clary stared at the spider.

Jace picked it up gently, then threw it out the window, but not before giving Clary a close look.

Clary let out a breath. She was safe now.

Jace smirked at her.

"What if that was a duck?" Clary said, grinning.

Jace's smile disappeared.

Luke shook his head. "Teenagers." He still used that term, even though they were most certainly not teenagers any more.

Later that night, Jace found Clary browsing through the internet on places that loan ducks.

"Clary." Jace said. "No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"I saw a big spider on the roof the other day. I can go and get it, if you like." Jace raised an eyebrow.

"Fine."

Jace smiled, climbing into bed. Clary lay down next to him; Jocelyn was not here for the night, and Luke had allowed them a sleepover on the condition of sensibility. They didn't ask about what that meant.

He kissed her head as she snuggled into him.

"Maybe we could get a dog." Clary said after a while.

"Or a chicken." Jace sighed sleepily. They fell asleep in each other's arms, and they didn't even notice when Luke poked his head in.

And far, far away a spider crawled out of it's cage.

A chicken wished it could be adopted.

And a duck smiled at it's evil desires.