Work Text:
“You want to get out of here?” Simon felt the words that were whispered into his ear before he heard them. Jace’s warm breath ghosted over his skin and made his spine shiver in a way that was a little more obvious than he would have liked to admit. If Jace noticed though, he didn’t say anything. The blonde didn’t wait to hear Simon’s response, he was too busy sucking near the sensitive skin at the nape of Simon’s neck. Jace nipped at the skin playfully and Simon let out a moan, low and full of want.
“It’s almost like you read my mind, Herondale.” It wasn’t that Simon was particularly opposed to a little PDA, but things had unintentionally escalated passed just a little PDA. The two of them were outside The Hunter’s Moon, Simon’s back pressed up against the alleyway wall with Jace’s thigh between his legs and the blonde boy’s hand underneath his shirt.
“It’s not hard Lewis. There isn’t much in that pretty head of yours.” Simon could hear the fondness in his voice, even if he tried to hide it with that cocky smirk that permanently lived on his face. That annoyingly infuriating gorgeous perfect face. Despite Jace’s suggestion, it was clear that he had no intention of moving from their current spot. Especially if the way Jace had attached his mouth to Simon’s neck again was anything to go on.
“You think I’m pretty.” Simon quipped back as he gently pushed Jace off him, his face lighting up with the cheekiest grin that he could muster. He watched the look in Jace’s eyes shift from fondness to desire. Without another word their fingers were laced together, and Simon was pulling Jace out onto the busy NYC sidewalk and towards his apartment.
Tuesday – The Week Before – Morning
Simon woke to the sounds of someone banging loudly on the front door to his apartment. With a low groan he slowly began to regain consciousness. The aggressive knocking continued as he tiredly shuffled around his room, looking for a band tee to throw on. Simon was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes when he opened the door to find his best friend waiting on the other side.
“Jesus Christ, Fray. Has anyone ever told you that you knock like a cop?” Clary didn’t bother waiting for Simon to invite her in. She never did, Simon’s apartment was like a second home to her. He couldn’t even begin to count the amount of coffee and Taki’s fueled evenings that she spent over here working on an art project for school, or listening to Simon work on a new song for his band or even just hanging out because she needed the peace and quiet away from her mom and stepdad.
“Simon, you could literally sleep through a nuclear apocalypse. Besides, it’s almost noon and you’re not even dressed yet.” Clary spoke nonchalantly as she raided Simon’s fridge.
“Dressed for what?” Simon called over his shoulder as he went back to his room to get his glasses off the nightstand.
“Please tell me that was a joke, Si?” came the reply from the kitchen. Before he even had a chance to respond, he caught sight of her fiery locks out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see Clary standing in the doorway to his room, looking at him like he had just grown another head.
“We’re supposed to go look at the venue for this weekend’s show today.” She was on her way back to the kitchen before Simon even had time to process that statement.
“Shit! I completely forgot that it was today. Band practice ran so late last night. We were finalizing the set list for this weekend and couldn't agree on the last few songs.” That wasn’t entirely the truth. They did spend part of the practice session working on the set list, but the reason things ran later than usual was because Simon was trying to convince his band mates not to change their name again before they played one of their biggest shows to date. The band changed its name faster than Simon changed his socks.
“Well, if we don’t go lock down the venue there won’t be a show this weekend. They're expecting us in an hour, and I pulled too many strings with Izzy to not show up.” Clary and Izzy had only met less than two months ago, but they had quickly become extremely close.
From what Simon could gather, Izzy was a regular at Java Jones, the café that Clary worked at part time while she was attending the Brooklyn Academy of Art. Simon had a feeling that Isabelle frequenting the little coffee shop had more to do with a certain barista working there and less to do with the incredible dark roast. Unfortunately, Clary didn’t seem to have caught on quite yet.
“If by strings you mean that you finally agreed to go to a kickboxing class with her, then sure.”
According to Clary, Izzy’s brother’s fiancé - a guy named Magnus - was opening a new dive bar/music venue called The Hunter’s Moon and he was looking for local acts to perform for the bar’s opening weekend. There has been a lot of buzz around the new spot recently and it looks like he’s going to have one hell of an opening week. Clary, the supportive best friend of the century, let it slip that Simon was in an up-and-coming local band called Rock-Solid Panda (or at least, that’s what they were called for now). Izzy put in a good word and Magnus had agreed to meet with Simon and give him a tour of the space.
“The things I do for you, Lewis. Now go, take a shower. I’ll make us something to eat and then we can go.”
Simon still isn’t sure what he did to deserve a friend like Clary.
Tuesday – Afternoon
The venue was only about a five-minute walk from Simon’s apartment, he supposed it was one of the many great things about living in New York City. Everything was in such close proximity to everything else. Simon peered through one of the windows as they walked up to the building. He could tell that the inside was still a work in progress, but things looked like they were coming together well.
Simon saw a girl with a head of full of curly brown hair pop up from behind the bar and lock eyes with him. He watched her move an unopened case of what he could only assume was liquor off the bar top and make her way around to the front door. She unlocked the door and opened it just enough to peek her head through.
“Hi, can I help you?”
“Yeah, my name is Simon Lewis. I’m here to meet with Magnus about performing this weekend.” Simon said with a little wave.
“Right, right. Let me go grab him, come on in.” The bartender opened the door enough to let Simon and Clary through before locking it behind them.
“I’m Maia by the way. I’ll be the bar manager here once we finally get this place off the ground.” Maia gave them a small smile as she walked towards the back and out of sight.
“Wow, this place is nice.” Simon said to no one in particular. Clary was wandering around looking at all the art that was hung on the walls, while Simon had made his way over to the stage area.
“If you think the place looks nice now, wait until we finish furnishing it. I’m going for an art-deco meets gothic-sheik vibe.” At the unexpected reply to Simon’s comment, he turned to see a tall, extremely well-dressed and dark-haired man coming from the employee’s only part of the building.
“I’m Magnus Bane. Owner of this breath-taking new establishment.” Magnus outstretched his hand to Simon. The sunlight coming in from the windows caught the gemstones on the many rings adorning his fingers, one of which Simon assumed was his engagement ring but he couldn’t tell which one. None of them were traditional engagement bands, but then again Magnus didn’t strike him as the traditional type. Simon shook his hand and introduced himself as Clary made her way over to the two of them.
“Gorgeous art you have here, Magnus. Where did you get all of it?” Clary asked after coming to stand next to Simon.
“Glad you can appreciate it. Most of it came from my private collection. I figured it would be admired so much more having it here, rather than hanging up at home and collecting dust. Izzy tells me you’re in art school. I’d love to have you paint a mural in here once things aren’t so crazy. Paid, of course.” Magnus’ warm smile was full of sincerity.
“Oh my gosh, yes! I’d love to.”
Simon wished that he could say he was listening to what Clary and Magnus were talking about, but the truth was he checked out the moment that the most attractive man he had ever seen came out from the back, carrying a case of Patron. He was all jaw line and tan skin, golden eyes and golden hair, lean muscle and... Simon subconsciously realized that he was staring, but by that point it was too late. The other guy had already noticed and gave him a smirk that made the blood rush to Simon’s face so quickly the only thing he could do was look at the ground and try to wish it away. That became extremely difficult though, because the Greek god was now walking over to them.
“Tell Maia that I brought all the boxes in from the liquor order. I’m about to get out here.” Simon noted that he was better looking up close. If that was even possible.
“Will do. Thanks again for all your help, Jace.” Magnus paused his conversation with Clary to see Jace off. Jace. God, even his name was hot!
“Oh, don’t mention it, I’ll send Alec my bill.” Jace clapped his hand on Magnus’ shoulder and gave him a wink. Simon thought the gesture would have made him weak in the knees if it had been directed at him.
“Hey, I’m Jace. Future brother-in-law to this magnificently magical man.” Jace didn’t have to wink at him. He made Simon weak in the knees just from the smile that he shot at him.
“Flattery will get you everywhere, my dear. This is Simon, he’ll be performing here for our grand opening.” Simon was so enamored by the man in front of him that he didn’t even realize that Magnus had just given him the gig without even talking things through with him. Clary took notice though and gave a look to Simon that he completely missed. She glanced over at Jace, then back to Simon before having to hide a chuckle behind her hand.
“Well, I look forward to seeing the performance then. Nice to meet you, Simon.” A part of Simon’s brain knew that he should probably respond to Jace in that moment. However, another part of his brain, one much more in control right now, couldn’t stop looking into his honey-colored eyes. Simon had a feeling he would never get tired of staring into those golden orbs.
“Y-yeah, great to see you... I mean, it was nice to meet you.” Simon stumbled over his words and mentally kicked himself for looking like a total dork as Jace turned to leave. He felt Clary grab him by the hand and start pulling him out the front.
“C’mon Si, they still have lots of work to do. Let’s leave them to it.” Clary and Simon said their quick goodbyes and Magnus exchanged numbers with them both, along with promises that he would be in contact with them soon to work out the details on Simon’s gig and Clary’s mural.
Wednesday – Midmorning
Magnus texted Simon the next morning with all the details for the show. He also sent a group-text invitation to what Simon assumed was a celebration of the grand opening for The Hunter’s Moon, but what was actually something Magnus had dubbed ‘An Elegant Black Tie Evening Soiree’ for tomorrow night.
A few people had responded by the time he saw the message. A number that Simon didn’t have saved in his phone sent a text that said Clary would be at the party and that she had already been informed it wasn’t optional. Simon saved that number in his phone as Izzy. Several other unknown numbers from the group sent RSVP messages. Simon wondered in the back of his mind if one of those numbers might belong to Jace, but he quickly pushed those thoughts away.
He and Clary had a very long conversation about Jace after they had got back from The Hunter’s Moon yesterday. It started with Clary teasing Simon about being so obviously attracted to Jace, to which Simon very maturely told her to shut up. When Clary suggested that Simon ask Jace out on a date he thought she was out her mind, and he told her so. He explained that Jace was so obviously straight, to which Clary suggested that he was the one who crazy.
‘Jace was so busy flirting with you he had no idea I even existed. Seriously, didn’t even say hello.’ She argued with him, but Simon told her that Jace probably just figured that Clary was part of the band or something and that there was no way that Jace could be into him.
Because there wasn’t, Jace was so far out of Simon’s league he might as well live on another planet. Simon made the decision not to think about Jace anymore, because there was no use in getting attached to something that he knew he couldn’t have. He convinced himself that the only reason he was concerned with one of those numbers belonging to Jace was because he knew it would be hard not to think about the blonde if he was in the same room as him. Instead of thinking about Jace he would just focus on his gig this weekend and making sure that his band puts on a fantastic show so that Magnus would keep booking them.
Wednesday – Evening
Simon returned to his apartment late that night. The band practiced every Wednesday night and Simon made sure to tell them about Magnus’ party and that the invitation said the whole band was invited. They seemed only slightly concerned about the extravagance of the event. The band practiced until everyone was practically dosing off while playing and by the end of it everyone felt really confident about their set.
Simon crashed almost as soon as he got home, barely taking the time to change out of his jeans and into some sweatpants. As sleep slowly began to creep up on him, he told himself that if his thoughts began to drift towards Jace he couldn’t control his unconscious mind. And so, they did.
Thursday – Afternoon
Simon spent most of his morning on a three-way call with Clary and Izzy trying to decipher what was acceptable attire for Magnus’ party. Izzy informed them both that Magnus’ themes were more suggestions than rules. Magnus would certainly be dressed on brand though, so it was best not to look underdressed. Which... didn’t help. After fifteen minutes of back and forth about whether converse could be considered ‘Black Tie’ or not, Izzy suggested that Simon should just let her come over and style him for the party. Clary wouldn't let him say no. So that’s how he ended up with his best friend and someone who Simon had a feeling he would be seeing a lot more of in his room sorting through all his clothes and laying out the strong contenders on the bed. He had to say, some of their choices seemed interesting.
“So, who’s all going to be at the party?” Simon was changing into his fourth shirt of the night when he asked the question, so it was easy to hide the grimace that crossed his face at how lame that question sounded. He tried to convince himself it wasn’t about Jace, and he was doing a pretty good job so far.
“Translation. Is Jace going to be the at the party?” Clary did a little wiggle with her eyebrows as she handed him another shirt to try on and if Simon wasn’t such a good friend, he would have whispered some very unkind words to her.
“Why would I care if Jace is at the party?” The words came out a little harsher than he meant them to, considering Jace’s sister was in the same room as them.
“Because you do.” If Isabelle took any offense, she didn’t show it in her face or the tone of her voice. She actually was smiling at Simon with a look in her eye that he could only describe as playful. Simon didn’t know what to do with that response. It left more questions than it did answers. How did she know he had a crush on Jace? Did Clary tell her? She wasn’t exactly shooting him down. Was Jace not straight? Or was he already in a relationship. Guys that attractive were always taken. Simon’s train of thought was accelerating at an alarming rate and there was no end in sight.
“He'll be there. Jace was the one who told Magnus to invite your band.” Simon came close to giving himself whiplash at that statement. The train came to a screeching halt. The way that she said it so nonchalantly was probably the most shocking part. Simon didn’t say much else after that.
Thursday – Evening
After Clary and Isabelle finally landed on a winning outfit for Simon, they both went back to Clary’s place to get ready and left Simon alone to contemplate the absolute bomb that Isabelle had dropped into his head. He decided it was best not to dwell on it too much and took a shower to try and help him relax a little bit before he got ready.
Simon had to admit. The outfit wasn’t bad. Isabelle dug deep into his closet to find the tightest pair of jeans that he owned “they’re black and they make your butt look really nice.” she told Simon after he put them on. She was right. Clary found the black blazer that Simon forgot he owned hanging in the back of his closet. Simon only ever wore it to weddings and funerals, and he hadn’t been to either in a while. It was probably a little small on him but when he pointed that fact out to Clary, she just told him it would look like a trim fit and to ‘trust the process’. He wore the blazer over a plain grey V-neck T-shirt, the grey Chelsea boots were the only thing he was wearing tonight that he picked out for himself. Simon was standing in front of the long mirror in his room, appreciating the look when his phone lit up with a text from Clary saying that she was in front of his apartment.
“Not exactly ‘Black Tie’ but you still look hot. Which I think we established is the goal here.” Clary said to him when Simon answered the door. She did a twirl as she stepped into Simon’s apartment, showing off her emerald cocktail dress.
“Is your band meeting you there?” She asked after doing a quick sweep of his apartment.
“Craig says he has to study for finals, and I think Eric was out when he heard the word soiree. What happened to Izzy?” Simon started getting an Uber on his phone, Clary made her way over to the couch and sat down.
“She’s already over there. She left my place early to help Magnus finish setting things up. Looks like it’s just us.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Thursday – Later That Evening
By the time Simon and Clary arrived at Magnus’ place the party was already in full swing. Magnus greeted them at the door with cocktails and a kiss on the cheek for each of them. He was dressed in a navy and black tuxedo that made him look like someone who just walked off a Hollywood red carpet. Izzy wasn’t kidding when she said Magnus would be dressed to theme.
“You two already know Izzy and Maia. This tall drink of water is Alec, my fiancé.” Magnus introduced them to the group gathered in the living room of the loft before making a statement about hors d’oeuvres and disappearing into the kitchen.
The group questioned Simon about his band and the show he was playing tomorrow. They asked Clary about art school, and she discussed ideas for Magnus’ mural with them. Simon was so involved in the conversation that he didn’t even notice Magnus returning to Alec’s side with a tray of finger food. It was hard not to notice the strong build and golden hair of Jace as he came out of the kitchen shortly after Magnus. It was even harder not to notice when he came and sat down next to Simon and flashed him a little smile that made his heart melt. Simon had it bad. He had come to terms with that fact. He caught feelings fast and hard . Some would call it a plus; he has a lot of love to give. The drink in his hand that Magnus handed him earlier suddenly became very interesting, grateful for having something to keep his hands busy. He knew that he would be fidgeting uncontrollably without it.
Jace looked incredible. The black button-down shirt he was wearing was a tight fit. It clung to every curve and divot of his torso and made his muscles look absolutely shredded. Simon wasn’t sure that he had ever met another guy who could get away with having so many of the buttons undone and still look sharp. It really drew attention to the man’s chest, and Simon had to check himself more than once to make sure that he wasn’t staring. Jace paired it with dark slacks that made it obvious he had never missed a leg day in his life. It was a simple look, but Jace didn’t need to be dressed extravagantly when he looked the way he did.
Shortly after Jace joined the conversation Magnus said that he needed to ‘check on something’ with Alec and that they’d be right back. That was over twenty minutes ago, so Simon wasn’t really sure if he’d them again tonight. Izzy, Maia and Clary had made their way out onto the balcony of the loft and Simon could hear the laughter streaming in from outside. That was how he ended up sitting next to Jace on Magnus’ couch, just the two of them.
“Izzy told me that you were the one who invited me and Clary. It’s been a blast. Thanks.” Simon gave Jace a sheepish smile and set his empty glass down on the coffee table. Before everyone else abandoned them it was easy to hide behind the conversation of the group. Now that he was alone with Jace it was hard to ignore the intensity of the blonde’s gaze. It was also very hard to ignore how close he and Jace were to each other right now. Or the way Simon’s stomach did backflips when he felt Jace’s leg graze against his own.
“I’m glad you came. We didn’t really get the chance to talk much the other day when you came to the bar.” The look on Jace’s face as he said it was enough to tell Simon that the blonde still remembered the way that Simon completely fumbled their first encounter. Simon hoped his face wasn’t as red as it felt right now.
“Yeah. Sorry if I was acting weird. You’ll find that it’s my natural disposition.” Simon played absentmindedly with the hem of his shirt. He was trying so hard to avoid Jace’s eyes. He knew it would be impossible to hide his feelings from Jace once they made eye contact. Simon would get lost in that liquid amber again and then his secret would be out.
“Don’t apologize. It’s not uncommon for people to be speechless from my charm and boyish good looks.” Jace smirked as he said it. The same smirk that Jace gave Simon the first time they met. The cocky, arrogant smirk that Simon was sure would make his blood boil if it had come from anyone else. This was not easy.
“Well, I’m glad to see it’s kept you humble.” The sarcastic retort slipped out of Simon’s mouth before he had a chance to think about it. Jace laughed. It was the kind of laugh that reached all the way up to his eyes and lit up his whole face. Simon didn’t think he had ever seen someone laugh so beautifully. This was really not easy.
“Always.” Did Jace just wink? He did. Jace just fucking winked at Simon. Holy shit, Clary was right. Jace was flirting with him. That realization hit Simon like a truck, and it took every ounce of willpower he had to keep his composure. He wasn’t sure what to do with this information, and he really was not sure what to do about the look that Jace was giving him right now.
“You clean up nice, by the way. Not that you need the boost to your ego.” Simon wasn’t sure where the surge of uncharacteristic confidence came from, but if Jace was going to flirt with him so brazenly he would be an idiot not to capitalize on the opportunity. Even if he wasn’t exactly sure where this was going.
“Careful, Lewis. A guy could get used to that kind of praise.” The look on his face betrayed the joking tone of Jace’s voice. Simon was so enraptured by the way Jace looked at him that everything else around them seemed to fade away. There was just him and Jace and this moment.
When Jace’s hand brushed against his own it was like touching a live wire. Like a current of electricity had just shot throughout his entire body and stopped his heart. Simon spared a glance down at their hands, as his eyes drifted back up to Jace the silence that filled the room became deafening. Their faces were inching closer, but he wasn’t sure which one of them started moving first. He didn’t particularly care. The only thing that he cared about right now was how impossibly close they were to each other. Jace was looking at Simon like he could see through him to his core and Simon would have been a fool to look away. They were close enough now that Simon could hear the steady rhythm of Jace breathing.
“What would you say if I told you that I really want to kiss you right now?” Jace’s voice was barely above a whisper. His eyes darted to Simon’s lips and back up so quickly that Simon didn’t think he would have even caught it if he wasn’t hanging on to Jace’s every move right now. Jace brushed a stray strand of hair out of Simon’s face and the way Jace’s fingertips drifted over Simon’s cheek made every hair on his body stand on end.
Simon didn’t trust whatever words were on the tip of his tongue, begging to be said. He didn’t trust himself not to ruin this moment. So, he didn’t say anything. Simon leaned forward and closed the remaining distance between Jace’s lips and his own. In the moment that their lips met, everything felt like it started moving in slow motion. Jace’s hand moved up to rest on Simon’s neck and he deepened the kiss. The touch turned Simon’s body into putty, and he melted into Jace’s side. Simon noticed that his hand had moved to Jace’s chest, but he didn't remember telling his brain to put it there. Although, he couldn’t really tell his brain to do much of anything right now. Jace was making sure of that. Simon hummed when he felt Jace’s tongue slip into his mouth, the hand on his neck migrating into his hair and pulling him in, impossibly closer.
They broke apart to the sound of someone clearing their throat. Simon turned around to see that Alec and Magnus had returned from wherever they disappeared to. Based on the way Alec’s shirt was on inside out Simon had a pretty good idea. The look of amusement on both of their faces was enough to bring the heat back to Simon’s face. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as a nervous laugh left his mouth. Jace, on the other hand, was glaring daggers at his brother and his fiancé. Simon tried not to find it attractive.
“Terrible timing, as always.” Jace said begrudgingly as the couple entered the sitting room. His hand came to rest on Simon’s thigh and the musician felt like the butterflies in his stomach were going to burst out of his mouth. When Jace turned back to him and mouthed a ‘sorry’ Simon just gave him a quick smile and placed his own hand on top of Jace’s. Jace turned his hand over and laced their fingers together and all Simon could think about was how perfectly his own hand fit in Jace’s.
“Oh, don’t let us stop you. By all means, feel free to take this party back to your place.” Magnus probably didn’t mean for the comment to come across as suggestive as he made it sound... or maybe he did. The way he wiggled his eyebrows at Jace told Simon that it might have been intentional.
When the girls returned from the balcony and saw Simon practically sitting in Jace’s lap he pretended that he didn’t see the raised eyebrows and ‘I told you so’ looks that Clary and Isabelle gave the two of them. He knew that Clary wouldn’t let it go unsaid and prepared to have that conversation with her later. Simon didn’t move from his spot on the couch next to Jace for the rest of the evening. The group rekindled their earlier conversation and Simon thought to himself how natural this all felt. Sitting next to Jace, surrounded by their friends and family. Their fingers laced together, Jace’s thumb subconsciously rubbing the side of Simon’s hand. The sound of soft music in the background almost drowned out by the conversation.
Late into the evening, Jace excused himself from the group and went out onto the balcony alone. Simon tried to ignore how empty his hand felt now that Jace had released it. Simon watched as he stepped outside and when he turned back to the group, he could feel more than one pair of eyes on him. Clary shot him a look that said ‘Go to him. You know you want to.’ And Simon didn’t argue. He loved that he and Clary had their own language, that they could say everything they needed to with just a look.
Jace was leaning against the railing, watching the cityscape when Simon joined him on the balcony. He had a cigarette between his fingers and as Jace brought it to his lips to take a drag Simon was instantly reminded of what it felt like to have those lips on his own.
“You didn’t tell me you smoked.” Jace turned around at the sound of Simon’s voice so that his back was now leaning on the railing. His elbow was propped up and he ashed the cigarette over the side. Simon thought that he looked good like that, like something straight out of a movie.
“You never asked.” He put his cigarette out as Simon approached. Simon didn’t smoke. Jace couldn’t have known that about him though. Which is probably why he found the gesture so endearing. It was considerate.
“Fair point. I guess there's a lot I don’t know about you.” Simon had his hands in his pockets and kept shifting his weight from one foot to the other. They had that incredible kiss in Magnus’ loft and yet Jace still had a way of making him nervous just from being close by. Jace grabbed Simon by the wrist and gently removed his hand from his pocket, pulling Simon towards him until their bodies were pressed together.
“I like to maintain an air of mystery.” Jace’s hands came to rest on Simon’s hips. His voice was teasing, but the look in his eyes was one of affection. Simon gave Jace an affectionate look of his own, in total disbelief that Jace was feeling anything towards him. Simon grew silent, lost in thought. His hands absentmindedly stroking up and down Jace’s arms.
“I can practically see the wheels turning in your head. What’s on your mind?” Simon noticed the way that Jace’s eyes searched his face. What Jace was looking for though, he wasn’t sure. Simon didn’t respond right away. He was still turning over his thoughts in his head, trying to arrange them into patterns that made any sense. He took a deep breath and very slowly exhaled before speaking.
“I don’t know. I guess I just can’t stop thinking about how intense this all feels. I don’t understand how I can have feelings this strong for someone that I just met two days ago.”
Simon was a talker. He talked. A lot. He talked when he was anxious, he talked when he was scared, he talked when he was excited. Right now, Simon was somehow managing to feel all three of those emotions at once. Naturally, once the words started to flow out from him there was no stopping the torrent. He knew it was coming.
“Someone, I might add, who is extremely attractive. Like, offensively attractive. And that someone also has feelings for me, which sounds completely fake, but okay. We barely know each other; we just met two days ago and yet I feel like I know you. Then I start to think to myself that I’m coming on too strong and that I should chill out a little...” Simon knew he was rambling but was powerless to stop it. He wasn’t even looking at Jace anymore. He was just staring at the view from the balcony, almost in a state of disassociation as he spoke.
“I guess I’m just waiting for the other shoe t-.”
“Simon, if you finish that sentence, I’ll beat the shit out of you.” That shut him up. Jace somehow made something so violent sound so fond. All Simon could do was just stare at Jace; his mouth still open to speak the words that were now dead in his throat.
“I like you, Simon, okay? I’m into you, you stupid adorable idiot. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have kissed you.” Jace spoke with a softness to his voice that Simon had never heard before. Looking into Jace’s eyes when he spoke to Simon was like staring directly into the sun. There was such radiance in those eyes that Simon had a hard time believing it was all for him.
“You’re right, we’ve only just met, and we don’t know each other very well. But there’s a connection between us, neither of us can deny it. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, we can slow things down. Besides, we have all the time in the world to get to know each other.” Jace’s hands slid their way under Simon’s blazer and over his back. He rubbed soothing circles with his thumbs as he spoke. After Jace finished speaking he was quiet, comfortably standing in silence with Simon while he processed the other man’s words.
“Yeah... yeah, okay. Sorry. I guess I’m just being dramatic and over thinking things. More of my natural disposition.” Simon hands were linked behind Jace’s neck. As he spoke, Simon rested his forehead against Jace’s
“Stop apologizing. Never apologize for speaking your mind.” It was such an intense statement from such an intense person. Simon felt, more than he heard, the words that Jace said to him. Jace brought his hand up to cup Simon’s cheek and Simon instantly leaned into the touch. He felt Jace’s thumb brush over his cheekbone and Simon once again had no idea how to describe what he was feeling at that moment. So, he didn’t try to. He closed the distance between their lips and showed Jace how he was feeling.
“I can’t wait to see your show tomorrow. I’ve been dying to hear what kind of performance Rock-Solid Panda puts on.” Jace spoke with a smile after they broke apart.
“Damn it. Now I have to change the band name. I hate the way it sounds when you say it.” It was Simon’s turn to give the smirk to Jace. A smirk made all the more satisfying by the little eye roll that Jace gave him at the comment.
“Thank God. It's awful.” He said, unamused. Simon swatted Jace’s shoulder, trying and failing to hide his laugh.
Simon was all smiles and warmth when he and Jace returned from the balcony. The party looked like it was quickly coming to an end and Simon wondered just how long he and Jace had been outside. Time seemed to move in strange ways whenever Jace was around. Izzy informed them both that Maia had just left because she had to be at The Hunter’s Moon early tomorrow to make sure the bar was customer ready. Clary passed out on Magnus’ couch, and when Simon tried to wake her Magnus just shooed him away and tiredly mumbled something about a ‘sleepy biscuit’. He shuffled off to his room without saying anything else, Alec following close behind him. Jace made a joke about how Magnus should list his couch on Airbnb with the amount of people that he lets crash on it. Izzy told him that Clary might have had one too many to drink and assured Simon that she would make sure Clary got home after she was done sleeping it off.
“You’ll walk me home?” Simon asked after he was finished saying his goodbyes. His voice was soft when he spoke, but the look on Jace’s face was even more soft when he reached out his hand and laced their fingers together.
“Of course.” came the simple reply from Jace, as he led them out the door.
Friday – Afternoon
Simon checked his phone for the tenth time in the last five minutes. After making it back from Magnus’ loft last night, Jace walked Simon up to his apartment and put his number into the other boy's contacts. Simon made Jace promise to text him when he made it home safe, and they had been messaging non-stop ever since.
Simon was grateful that Jace didn’t ask to come inside. He knew that he wouldn’t have been able to resist inviting that perfect face into his place if Jace had asked. Simon also knew how quickly things would have escalated once Jace made it over that threshold. Hell, they had practically escalated to that point right outside of Magnus’ loft. And in the elevator ride up to his apartment. And in the hallway in front of his apartment...
They agreed that they would take things slow, but that was so much easier said than done. Things with Jace were just so easy. Being around him felt like waking up for the first time, like taking a breath of fresh air after being underwater.
Simon sent a text suggesting that they play a game of twenty questions, so that they could finally get to know each other better. Jace responded by asking Simon if they were in middle school, but he played along anyway. The questions started like they always did, surface level and impersonal. He learned Jace’s favorite color, his favorite book, whether he liked sweet or salty snacks more. But as morning changed to afternoon and their conversation continued into much deeper territory Simon got the feeling that Jace was revealing things to him that he hadn’t told anyone other than his family.
Jace told him about his biological parents, and how they had passed when he was just a baby. He talked about his really shitty foster father that had abused him before he got adopted by the Lightwoods, and about how he had been to plenty of therapy since then to deal with it. Jace told him about his job as a stunt coordinator for movie sets and how much he loved choreographing fight scenes. When Simon told him just how fucking cool he thought that was Jace didn’t brag, simply telling him that he just kind of fell into it. The more Simon learned about Jace the tighter that feeling in his stomach became every time he thought about him, which at this point was pretty much constantly.
Simon was in the middle of replying to Jace’s most recent text when the band showed up to help load the van for the gig. Clary stopped by after her shift at Java Jones with an employee discounted cold brew for each of them. She sat on the couch and listened to them argue about the order of the set list for probably the hundredth time since Wednesday and gave her opinion when asked. Simon was shocked that she never asked him about Jace. Then again, the look that Clary gave him every time his phone lit up with Jace’s name told Simon that Izzy had probably filled her in on the events of last night.
Friday – Evening
The Hunter’s Moon was packed. Like, really packed. Simon told the band that this was going to be one of their biggest gigs to date, but the reality of that statement was terrifying now that it was finally in front of him. It was standing room only at the music venue and Simon was scanning the sea of people from the stage, hoping to land on a familiar face. Simon knew that Jace was in that crowd somewhere, but dwelling on the thought made his stomach twist into knots. It was a feeling unlike any other pre-show jitters he had ever encountered. Once the band started playing though, all of it went away. He lost himself in the rhythm of the music and putting on a fantastic show suddenly became the only thought in his head.
Rock-Solid Panda performed like they never had before. The energy of the crowd was intoxicating. Simon felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest, but the adrenaline running though his veins kept fueling him. Simon sang with a passion in his voice that made it sound almost foreign to his ears. He shredded through all his guitar riffs like he was never going to touch another instrument again. Before he knew it, they had played the entire set list. The show was ending, and the crowd was roaring.
“Simon! Oh my god, that was incredible! You were on fire up there.” Clary flung her arms around his neck as she spoke, and Simon returned the hug with a smile. She was waiting for him by the backstage entrance after the band played their last song.
“Seriously. I’ve never seen you play like that. All those extra practices really paid off.” Eric told him, patting his back as he and Craig made their way back to the green room to relax before they had to start packing up all the instruments. Clary wasn’t going to give Simon that luxury it seemed, she had him by the hand and was navigating them through the dense crowd towards the back, near the VIP sections.
Simon spotted several faces he recognized at one of the tables and realized that Magnus had reserved a spot for his new friend group. Magnus himself was nowhere to be seen, but that made sense. Simon knew that he was probably insanely busy right now. Alec was sitting next to Isabelle, a beer in his hand as he talked over the loud hum of the crowd. Izzy was drinking a colorful cocktail herself, her head thrown back in laughter at something Alec said. Simon couldn’t help but notice the severe lack of a certain blonde-haired boy that he was dying to see right now. He did his best to hide the look of disappointment on his face as he and Clary took a seat at the table with them.
“Is Jace not here?” Simon finally managed to work up the courage to ask, after thanking Alec and Izzy for the compliments on his performance.
“He’s here somewhere. He said he was going closer to the stage for a better view and then never came back.” Alec responded, taking another swig of his beer. The relief that Simon felt at hearing that Jace didn’t skip out on his show was staggering. A part of him knew that Jace wasn’t lying to him when he said he’d be there, but anxiety was a tricky thing. He couldn’t control the way his mind liked to play with his emotions.
“Maybe he stepped out to smoke a cigarette?” Isabelle suggested after scanning the bar for her brother.
Simon tried to pay attention to the conversation that was going on at the table, but all he could think about was Jace right now. Did he enjoy the show? What did Jace think of their set? Oh God, what if he hated it? He probably did go out for a smoke, but how long could it take to smoke one cigarette? Maybe the reason he went outside was to get away from the music. Simon checked his phone to see if Jace had messaged him. He hadn’t.
“Simon, go look for him. You’re so antsy, it’s making me nervous.” Clary teased, rolling her eyes at Simon’s constant fidgeting. He didn’t even realize he was doing it. Simon gave her a sheepish smile before excusing himself from the group and making a beeline for the door that led outside.
Simon could tell that it was almost closing time by the way a crowd of patrons had gathered on the sidewalk in front of the bar. There were several people with blonde hair outside and Simon’s eyes quickly darted to each of them, but none of them were his blonde. He wasn’t really sure when he started thinking of Jace as his. Simon couldn’t consider it for long though because a pair of strong arms had just slid around his waist, the weight of another person pressing against his back.
“Hey there rockstar.” The voice was low in his ear and Simon instantly recognized who it belonged to. He relaxed into Jace’s hold on him as he felt all the anxiety melt away. Jace had a very interesting effect on him, one that he could get used to.
“Hey yourself. I was wondering when I’d get to see you.” Simon turned in Jace’s arms so that they were now facing each other and wrapped his arms around the other boy’s neck, instinctively pulling him closer.
“Sorry about that. I was going to text you where I was, but then my phone died, and the bouncer wouldn’t let me back in because it was after last call...” Jace splayed one of his hands and slowly rubbed it up and down Simon’s spine as he spoke, his other hand never moving from its place at the small of his back.
“Your family to the owner. That’s got to count for something.” Simon’s hands drifted into that golden hair that he couldn’t get enough of. His fingers started moving on their own, lightly massaging his scalp. Jace’s eyelids fluttered closed, enjoying the sensation, and Simon felt the corners of his lips turn up. He would never get tired of looking at that face.
“I’m not one to name drop.” Jace gave him a smirk and all Simon could do was laugh at him.
“I don’t believe that for a second.” Simon shot Jace a smirk of his own, his hands coming to rest on the firm muscle of Jace’s chest. Jace touched his forehead to Simon’s and when their eyes met everyone and everything around them simply vanished.
“You were incredible Simon. Honestly. I saw a whole new side of you tonight. It was hot .” The way that Jace said the word hot, all husky and guttural, made Simon’s face feel like he was standing next to a bonfire. Jace always knew what to say to get a reaction out of him and he seemed to take great pleasure in that ability.
Simon couldn’t take it anymore. Jace was so close to him and yet he was nowhere near close enough. So, he grabbed Jace by the front of his shirt and kissed him like he was trying to steal the oxygen right out of his lungs. Jace hummed into the kiss and swiped his tongue across Simon’s bottom lip, begging for entrance. Simon gave it to him and suddenly the kiss was all passion and eagerness, hunger and yearning. Jace started walking them backwards, off the sidewalk and into the alleyway where the employee entrance was. His lips never left Simon’s mouth, and once they had a little privacy things only intensified.
Simon’s back hit a wall and Jace was pressing their bodies together, the tightness in his pants quickly becoming very uncomfortable. Then Jace rolled his hips forward and the friction of their growing erections rubbing together felt so incredible that Simon moaned loudly into his mouth. Jace’s hand worked its way under Simon’s shirt, slowly creeping up his abs and over his chest. His other hand was squeezing Simon’s ass now and he didn’t know how much more he could take. Almost as soon as the thought entered Simon’s head, Jace broke the kiss and brought his mouth to Simon’s ear.
“You want to get out of here?”
Friday – Later That Evening
At first, Simon felt a little bit guilty about leaving Craig and Eric to pack up all the equipment on their own. Then he remembered all the times that they had done the exact same thing to him after previous shows, and he didn’t feel as bad about it. He sent Clary a quick message letting her know that he’d left with Jace so that she wouldn’t worry and rolled his eyes at the string of sex-associated emojis that he got as a response.
Simon could not get Jace back to his place fast enough. The five-minute walk to his apartment felt like it took hours. He wondered if Jace felt as impatient as he did right now, but as soon as they were in the elevator and away from prying eyes the blonde seized his lips into another mind-blowing kiss and Simon got all the answer he needed.
They practically sprinted to the door and Simon awkwardly fumbled with his keys trying to get it unlocked. Jace chuckled at his eagerness, his finger tracing down Simon’s spine very seductively. Which like, okay... not at all helpful. Simon had barely gotten the door closed before Jace was spinning him around to reattach their lips, his hand palming at Simon’s crotch. Simon was fully hard now, so he couldn’t control the way he threw his head back and whimpered at the touch. Jace took that opportunity to nip at the skin between his shoulder and neck.
“You sure about this?”
“Jace, if you don’t fuck me right now, I’m going to beat the shit out of you.”
Simon watched Jace’s eye darken at the words and suddenly, the blonde was on him again with a renewed vigor. Simon didn’t think he could get any hornier, but then Jace gripped his thighs and lifted him up into the air with ease. Simon wrapped his legs around the other man’s waist and now that their hips were pressed together, he could feel that Jace was just as hard as he was and holy shit, he needed him right now .
“Take me to the bedroom. Down the hall and to the right.” Simon purred; his mouth right next to Jace’s ear. He nipped playfully at the lobe and kissed a trail down Jace’s jawline as the man carried him across the apartment. They entered the bedroom and Jace kicked the door closed with his foot as he brought Simon over to the bed. They collapsed onto the mattress and Jace straightened up to pull his shirt over his head, discarding it on the floor. Simon gawked at the chiseled muscles of Jace’s body as the blonde’s hands worked to unfasten his belt. Jace noticed and raised an eyebrow at him with a smug look on his face.
“You going to lay there and keep drooling over me or are you going to take those clothes off?” His voice was teasing, but Jace couldn’t hide the predatory look in his eyes as he ripped off his pants and boxers in the same motion.
Simon made quick work of his own clothes and sat up to toss them into the growing pile on the floor. Jace was looking at him with hungry eyes as he placed a hand on Simon’s chest and gently pushed him back down onto the mattress, following Simon’s body with his own. His mouth explored its way across Simon’s chest, small gasps escaping from Simon’s lips when he felt Jace’s teeth graze one of his nipples. The blonde continued his journey downwards, pulling a moan from Simon’s lips when a tongue licked the underside of his shaft. Then Jace’s warm mouth was completely engulfing his cock and Simon’s back arched off the bed at the sensation.
Jace locked eyes with Simon as he swallowed the entire length and slowly worked his way back up. Simon couldn’t help but think that Jace looked incredible like that; all flushed cheeks and blown pupils, his mouth filled with cock and hair falling in front of his face. Simon’s fingers threaded through the golden strands and Jace started sucking faster, one hand stroking his own erection and the other gliding over Simon’s torso. Waves of pleasure and ecstasy shot through Simon’s body as Jace continued to bob on his cock, climax slowly building in the pit of his stomach.
“Holy shit, ah, Jace I’m so close.”
As soon as he heard the words, Jace pulled his mouth off Simon’s dick and sat back on his haunches. Simon let out a whine at being denied release, but Jace leaned over and caught the sound with his mouth, the taste of salty precum on his lips. Jace brought a hand to Simon’s neck, softly pressing down on his throat as his tongue mapped the inside of the other mouth and Simon was so aroused now, he was seeing stars. Simon bucked his hips and their cocks brushed together making Jace groan in pleasure.
“You have lube?”
“Nightstand. In the drawer.” Simon barely managed to get the response out around his ragged breathing.
Jace grabbed the bottle of lube and returned to see that Simon had already flipped over onto his stomach. Simon was on his knees now; face pressed into a pillow and ass in the air, waiting for Jace.
“God, you look so fucking hot like that.” Jace said mostly to himself as he grabbed Simon’s thighs and pulled him toward the edge of the bed.
He used both hands to spread Simon’s ass open and licked a stripe up his taint before burying his face in those cheeks. Jace’s tongue lapped at the tight ring of pink muscle and traced circles around Simon’s hole. Simon bit down on the pillow when he felt Jace’s tongue push at his entrance ever so slightly and he lifted his hips to give the blonde better access. Jace slapped his ass in response and Simon let out a shocked moan. Jace seemed to enjoy teasing Simon with his body just as much as he loved to do it with his words, and it was driving Simon insane.
Simon heard Jace open the bottle of lube and felt the cool substance drip onto his hole. The way that Jace was using a single finger to spread the lube over his rim made Simon want to cry from sexual frustration and when Jace slowly inserted the thick digit into his entrance Simon became a whimpering mess. He adjusted to it quickly and felt a second finger slip inside of him, slowly stretching him open even more. Jace worked his way up to a third finger and Simon didn’t know how much longer he was going to last.
“Jace, please... need you inside me.” Simon could hear the desperation in his own voice, but he couldn’t care less at this moment.
“Mm, love listening to you beg to get fucked. You ready for my cock Si?” The gravel in Jace’s voice as he spoke made Simon’s dick throb with anticipation.
“Yes, yes. Oh my god, yes.”
“Turn over.” Jace commanded with another slap on his ass, and Simon was eager to do as he was told.
Jace poured more lube on his hand and used it to slick himself up while Simon flipped onto his back. Jace lined himself up against Simon’s entrance and slowly pushed his way inside until he bottomed out. Holy shit, Jace was big . It was uncomfortable at first, but after the burning tingle subsided the feeling of being completely filled with Jace’s cock was electrifying. Even more so when Jace started to move. The pace was excruciatingly slow at first, but Jace slowly built up speed as he experimented with different angles, searching for Simon’s sweet spot. It didn’t take him long to find it.
“Fuck Jace. Right there, just like that.” Simon cried out in pleasure.
Jace reveled at the encouragement and now the speed of his thrusting was brutal. He hit Simon’s prostate with every roll of hips and Simon was coming apart underneath him. Simon started to stroke his neglected manhood, but Jace batted his hand away and replaced it with his own. He used his free hand to grab both of Simon’s wrists and pin them to the headboard as he continued to wreck him.
“Cl-close... I’m so close, Jace.”
“You’re taking my dick so well, Si. C'mon baby, cum for me.” Jace’s breath was warm next to Simon’s ear, the sweet nothings whispered to him making his whole body tremble as Jace coaxed him towards release.
Jace’s mouth was on Simon’s neck, peppering the surface with purple marks as Simon chanted his name. Jace pulled the sensitive skin between his teeth and bit down on it gingerly and that was all it took to send Simon over the edge. His seed exploded out of him with enough force to hit Simon in the face. Jace continued to fuck him through his orgasm and Simon could feel tears building at the corners of his eyes from how intense the feeling was. After seeing Simon reach his release Jace passed the point of no return. He tried to pull out of the man underneath him, but Simon wrapped his legs around Jace’s waist and held him in place as Jace came inside of him.
“Fuck Simon. Give a guy some warning next time.” Jace mumbled breathlessly as he pulled out and collapsed next to Simon.
“Sorry. Sort of a split-second decision...”
Their exhausted panting was the only sound that filled the room as they lay next to each other and basked in the afterglow of the incredible sex. After Simon had some time to come down from the high he rolled onto his side and nuzzled his face into the crook of Jace’s neck, the blonde’s strong arms surrounding his body and pulling him closer.
“So... does this mean we’re dating now?” Simon asked after a few minutes, picking his head up to look at Jace. Blonde eyebrows pinched together in confusion and Jace’s hand brushed the hair out of Simon’s eyes.
“If you think you can get rid of me that easy, you’re an even bigger idiot than I thought.”
Simon returned his head to its resting place and felt Jace kiss the top of his scalp. He let out a sigh of contentment, the rhythmic sound of Jace’s breathing and the thought of getting to wake up in his arms gradually lulled him to sleep.
They still had a lot to learn about each other, but Simon felt like he could spend the rest of his life learning about Jace. Somehow, he knew that Jace felt the same way.