A/N: OK I'm aware that this is way longer than usually and I will explain (sort of) why, in the end, but like, bear with me lmao I hope you can still enjoy it.

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The room was filled with some indie rock music and the laughter of people, but Simon still couldn't take comfort in that, or the bitter liquid in his red plastic cup. He let his eyes roam over the living room they were in.

Magnus was sitting on the couch, legs sprawled out and looking like his stylish self (as always), his many rings glistening as he gestured widely, telling a story and his mouth was curved upwards as he smiled. His eyes were sparkling thanks to the golden glitter on his eyelids and the smokey eyeliner was present, along with a matching glittering shirt and leather pants. His right hand was holding a cup as the left was animatedly moving, but then he lowered it, burying it in a mop of black hair, caressing the locks as his attention was on the people in the room, but his hands always acknowledging his boyfriend. The boy, laying on his lap and between his legs, was laughing, his chest rising and falling rapidly in the plain, black T-shirt, his long legs covered by the ripped, skinny black jeans that Magnus had bought him (however reluctantly - if he'd have his way, Alec would be wearing red leather and no shirt at all). One of Alec's hands was on his stomach as the other curved along the couch and almost touched the floor, where his cup was sitting, forgotten (it was his third).

Simon's eyes moved from the couple to the armchair, where Isabelle was lounging on, her long bare legs over one side of the armrest, the short white, backless dress riding dangerously high over her thighs as she squirmed, trying to catch a breath from laughing. Her long, black locks, same color as her brothers, were much more tamed and silky, flowing behind her back. Her left hand was on her chest, where a ruby pendant was resting, and the other held a small bottle of red, clear alcohol and she was swinging her legs, that were clad in bordeaux open-ended platforms, from where Simon could spot her perfectly manicured white toenails. She was passing the bottle to a dark-skinned girl sitting on the floor, her back leaning against the chair. Maia's curly hair were untamable, as she liked to say (never approach her with a comb), and her skinny waist was complimented by the high rise shorts she was wearing, light blue and with a zipper at the back. He dark skin contrasted against the white crop-top and Simon could see the piercing in her navel, a dark blue gem. As she received the bottle, and put it to her lips, which were just as red as her perfectly manicured nails. Her shoes, a white pair of vans, lay somewhere in the corridor.

Moving towards the fireplace, Simon watched as Raphael laid on his elbows, his dark eyes watching with amusement, as Magnus was trying to make Alec to get him another drink. His biceps were strained as he supported himself and from the collar of his dark blue button-up a tattoo peeked out from his collar. His legs, covered with long black jeans, were crossed and his cup next to him held the clear liquid that was water. Raphael never drank with them. The cross on his chest glinted slightly in the sunlight, when he adjusted his posture. Simon looked to his left, on the loveseat he was on, and saw Clary trying to open another bottle of cider. Her face was scrunched up in concentration and her long, red locks fell to her face as she leaned over the bottle in her hands. Her green skater dress brought out her emerald eyes, and the black heels were digging into the carpet as she struggled with the opener.

"Oh, give me that." Simon said, moving to take the bottle from his best friend and opened it for her. She thanked him and laughed. "I must be more drunk than I thought." she admitted, giggling and Isabelle gave a laugh, too. "I mean, it is your fifth bottle." she announced, making them all laugh at the redhead. "Hey, cut the shade, you're on your sixth." Clary noted, but Isabelle shrugged. "I'm sharing." she said, nodding towards Maia, who smiled brightly. Simon noticed Magnus kissing Alec's forehead and the boy smiled at the older one, his eyes sparkling as he gazed at his boyfriend, upside down. Simon felt his heart wrench, remembering again, why he was there.

There was the sound of a door closing and Jordan walked in from the bathroom. His tan skin and his long hair made him look like a surfer, it didn't help that he was wearing shorts and a light blue T-shirt, that had a picture of the ocean and a beach. "Woah, weren't there 6 of you? How long was I gone?" he asked, slightly confused. They all laughed, and Raphael rolled his eyes. "Raph just got here like 2 minutes ago." Magnus cleared up and Jordan smiled at the boy, moving to sit next to him and slapped his shoulder.

"Great to see you again, man!" he said, over-enthusiastic while Raphael just smiled slightly. He was never the touchy-feely type. "As this is my beach house, I say we get wasted and go to a club!" Magnus announced, earning a cheer from Jordan, and the girls. Alec rolled his baby blue eyes and scooted up, leaning on his boyfriend. "Magnus, we are not 'getting wasted'." he said, slightly slurring. Magnus was way more drunk, apparently (and obviously), because some of the alcohol from his cup sloshed to the carpet as he placed it down on the floor, in order to grab his boyfriend with both hands. Simon rolled his eyes, as Magnus kissed Alec on the lips, earning a cheer from the girls, while Jordan and Raphael shared an annoyed glance.

"Alright, have it your way then." Alec said, slightly out of breath and his cheeks flushed. Magnus cheered and got off the couch, standing up. "I feel like I'm herding a bunch of teenagers." he announced and Alec groaned, clearly embarrassed, while Simon reached over and smacked his arm. "You're only 4 years older than Alec." he said, noticing how the other one gave him a thankful glance. "Yeah, and he is 19. You're all still babies in my my eyes." Magnus declared, looking at the youngest, Clary and Isabelle, who were still 17. He got a terrified expression on his face and then shouted "Am I letting under-aged people drink in my house!?" Everyone, including Simon, laughed and Isabelle raised her bottle. "Yes, and WE LOVE IT!" she shouted, making everyone cheer, while Simon shook his head, smiling to himself.

While everyone got ready, Simon stayed on the love seat. "Si, come on, pleaaaase." Clary begged, after he had made it clear that he wasn't coming. "You'll never stop moping if you don't have some fun. You might meet another girl or guy!" Clary said and Isabelle came over, wrapping a hand around Clary's waist. She might have not noticed, but Simon did - Clary immediately blushed. "Yeah, live a little. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and forget about Cole." Isabelle said, laughing. Clary seemed like she might pass out and Simon wanted to laugh badly. "Well, Isabelle, I am forgetting about him, that doesn't mean I want to make out with the first person I see. I am not in the mood for dancing. You have fun, though." he said, emphasizing his words and Clary gave him a death glare. "Oh, we will!" Izzy shrieked. "Right, babe?" she asked, nudging Clary with her hip. Clary's eyes were full of panic at the endearment but she nodded quickly. Isabelle let her go and clicked over to Maia to borrow her lipstick. Simon leaned over to Clary. "Make a move already. You know you want to, and she clearly likes you too." he said, whispering to the redhead.

Clary eyed Maia and Isabelle, who were painting their lips and chatting in front of the mirror. "I don't know..." she said, hesitant, but Simon nudged her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, Fray. 'Live a little'." he said, mocking and Clary gave him another glare. "Alright, nerds. Ready?" Magnus asked, moving his hands flourishingly. "Yeah, ready to go." Jordan said, but Magnus shook his head. "No, I meant, are you ready for my boyfriend?" he asked and Isabelle giggled. "Oh, I thought we had already seen Alec before. Clearly I was mistaken." Maia observed with an amused expression. Magnus wiggled his finger at her, staggering a bit when he came to a halt next to Simon. "I mad him change. Tadaa!" he said and Alec came downstairs, scowling at Magnus. "Stop being so drunk." he announced, making Magnus laugh. Clary and Maia whistled loudly and Alec ducked his face in embarrassment. Magnus had indeed made him change - his jeans were still the same, but he was now wearing a dark blue shirt with three buttons at the top (two were undone) and he had a black leather jacket on. His hair were falling onto his face and the black dressing shoes were almost gleaming under the lamp light. "Classy, yet badass." Simon commented, eyeing the male.

Alec rolled his eyes. "Don't start, Lewis." he said, making Simon chuckle. "Alright, I won't hit on your boyfriend, Magnus, if you all just leave already. I feel a headache coming on and I need sleep." he said and the sparkly man next to him gave him a threatening look. He went over to Alec and wrapped an arm around his waist. Isabelle cooed. "You two kill me." she said, emphasizing her words by putting a hand over her heart dramatically. Maia shook her head, going over to Jordan and kissing his cheek. "I know, gay people are so much cuter than straight people." she said, making Jordan eye her with disbelief.

"Alright, losers, get!" Simon finally said, ushering them out, even though they all protested against him staying at home. Once the door shut behind them, there was an eerie silence in the room. Simon leaned against the door, thinking about what to do next. He wasn't actually sleepy, but he definitely didn't want to be out with his rowdy friends. He loved them to bits, but they always acted the same after one of his break-ups. They would coddle him and then try to get him drunk and hook him up with random people. Sometime it was funny and just what Simon needed. But Cole had been different - they'd dated for almost three years. He wasn't in the mood to do anything except maybe take a walk on the beach.

He went to change his clothes, putting on denim shorts and a white T-shirt, with the words 'I am Groot' written in black with a little tree-like creature on the front. He took his light brown leather jacket over his arm, just in case the night would get chilly and then put on his brown sneakers. After a thought he also took his sunglasses, perching them up to his head. It was 6 p.m and the sun was still up in the sky. He had always loved California, it was warm and Magnus's beach house was just a few hundred yards from the sea. He checked his wristwatch, that was attached right next to his various leather bracelets and sighed. If he was lucky, the others would not return until midnight.

He closed the door behind him, locking it and leaving the key inside the hanging flower pot above the porch. Whistling, he set out towards the beach. He had been right, the sun was still shining in the sky and he put his sunglasses on. His contacts were thankfully not itching, like they used to in the hot dry air. After a week here, he had gotten used to it. They had to leave the day after tomorrow, since everyone had jobs or school, including Simon himself. He reached the beach, his feet sinking into the sand. He liked this part of the coastline, mainly because there were never a lot of people here. Still, he could make out a few groups of people. Suddenly getting the urge to be in the water, he removed his shoes (he didn't put on any socks) and held them in his hands as he touched the cool water with his feet. Sighing happily, Simon looked around and started walking along the beach, occasionally touching the water and letting the waves cool his feet.

He had just spotted a shimmering seashell in the sand, when something rather hard hit him on the side of his head and he tripped over in the sand, falling down face first. He groaned, hearing someone shout, and then rolled himself onto his back. "Ow." he said, to no-one, really. But then he heard a voice. "Hey, man, you alright? Sorry about that, Kaelie is terrible at volleyball." a male appeared into his view and he heard a girl shout in the distance "Fuck off, Jace!". Simon stared up at the figure, who was now crouching over him, holding his sunglasses towards him. The blonde guy was insanely hot. Like, so hot, that Simon was seriously thinking he was in heaven. "If you are an angel, I'm glad I died." he said loudly, his mouth once again having no filter. The guy chuckled, putting the glasses gently on Simon's head and then reached out a hand, which Simon took. "I don't know about that, but I'm pretty sure I'd be someone who'd escort you to hell, rather than heaven." the blonde said, helping Simon up. The brunette groaned, brushing off his clothes and then eyed the guy. He was just a little shorter than Simon, his golden, blonde hair and his bare (!!!!) chest was covered in tattoos, a necklace with a fang on it was hanging around his neck. He had swim-shorts on. Add a surfboard, and he could've been the hottest surfer Simon had ever seen.

"I'm Jace." he introduced himself, smiling, and Simon was almost blinded by the pearly whites. He managed to smile. "Simon." he said, feeling slightly caught off guard. Jace nodded and then picked up the ball. "You play?" he asked suddenly and Simon tilted his head on confusion. "Um, I-" he started, but Jace had already grabbed him by his arm, dragging him along. "Great, I'm a teammate short and I want to win against Helen's team. She's always such a gloat." the blonde said and Simon, to his own surprise, let himself be lead to a net and a group of people standing on each side, chatting and laughing.

Like a stone you watch it fall
And let it roll out over the fields
You take your time and watch it crawl
Like you're the big shot symphony

"Guys, this is Simon. He is my secret weapon." Jace announced, letting Simon go when they were on the left side along with 4 other people. "Picking up strangers already? Not uncommon, but still." a black-haired girl said on the other side of the net. "You're just scared, Aline." Jace said and Simon felt himself get flustered. "Hold on, I'm your what now?" he asked, flabbergasted. Jace beamed at him and Simon felt his knees go weak. "Secret Weapon, Simon. Keep up. Alright, your serve, Helen." the blonde said, ignoring Simon's despair. "Don't worry, no one is expecting you to be like a superhero or something. Jace is just Jace." a small girl said next to him as he was ushered to the corner by her. "Lily, by the way. That's Jason, Gabriela and Mateo." the petite redhead said and Simon eyed the others, who waved at him happily. "You guys sure don't mind strangers." Simon said, feeling very out of place. Lily laughed, a small pink stone gleaming on her tooth.

"Why wouldn't we be? Unless you're a serial killer... Besides, Jace owes you, it was actually him who threw the ball at you. Not deliberately, of course, though it's hard to believe..." Lily said, eyeing Simon up and down and then she averted her eyes towards the other team. Simon opened his mouth and then closed it again, not sure what to say. He just tossed his jacket, shoes and glasses aside. "That blonde one,that's Helen. That's Aline, her girlfriend. Then there's Kaelie, she's a bit mean, but you'll get used to it, then there's Matt, Liam and Susie. Susie is their secret weapon, so watch out." Lily concluded, amused at Simon's stunned face.

But oh what would you say if I told you 'the pitch is wrong' with a smile?
I took a trip to wonderland gonna get you nowhere by a mile

"Alright, let's go!" Jace suddenly yelled and the girl, Aline, served. Simon adjusted to everything pretty quick. Sure, it was super weird that he got hit by a ball and was now suddenly playing with complete strangers. But he used to play with Clary back in high school and they were both on the school's teams (girls and boys, respectively), so he considered himself to be pretty good. He'd been team captain anyway. He saw the ball coming and got to it just in time. It flew to the other side and the blonde girl with glasses, Susie, hit it. Lily was not lying, she was very good. After a few back and forth's, the ball came back to their side and Simon saw it fly towards him, close to the edge. He jumped, landing in the sand and just barely hitting the ball, and it landed on the other side, with Aline missing it by an inch.

Lily whooped and came to Simon, high-fiveing him. "Alright, I like this one! We should keep him." she announced, making everyone laugh and Simon gave Jace a glance. The blonde winked at him and Simon felt his face get hot. After some time, what could've been half an hour or and hour, Simon couldn't tell, they had won. The girls on his team hugged him and Simon felt weirdly comfortable with it, considering they just met him. "Secret weapon, indeed. Nice job, dude!" Jason said. He was a black haired dude who reminded him of Alec, being just as tall, but way more skinnier and not that built. Mateo gave him a smug smile. He was definitely part-Spanish or something. His exotic features shined through and the dreadlocks looked really good on him. Not to mention he was almost ridiculously hot. "I really am in Heaven, aren't I." Simon mumbled to himself. Mateo offered him a beer and he took it, thanking him. "So, what brings you to the beach alone, Simon?" the guy asked and patted the blanket next to him. Simon looked around, seeing that all of these people were now sitting on the sand, chatting and drinking.

Simon sat down, catching Jace from the corner of his eyes. He was leaning over a radio, tuning it. "Um, my friend owns a beach house here." Simon explained. "Oh? And why aren't you with your friend?" Aline chimed in, hand over Helen. "Um, me and my friends came here for a vacation. And then they went out, to a bar and club, I think." the brunette explained, feeling the other's eyes on him. "Why didn't you go with them?" Lily wanted to know, sitting next to Jason on a small bench, sprawling her legs over him. "Not in the mood for loud music and drunk people." Simon said, just as Jace got the radio to play some loud rock. Lily laughed and raised her cup. "That didn't work, now did it?" she asked and Simon laughed, too. Jace came over, his brow scrunched for a moment as he observed them and he then sat down on the other side, next to Simon. The brunette scooted over and Jace smiled at him. "Sorry about hitting you with a ball. But it was worth it, you saved our team." the blonde said, raising his bottle. Simon rolled his eyes. "Worth it for you, you mean. I got a bump and also had to save your sorry asses." he said snappily and his teammates laughed, loudly protesting.

Jace smirked. "Sassy one, aren't you. I like it." he said, leaning into him and Simon felt his heart beating loudly in his chest. How was this guy so hot? And why was he sitting so close? And why was Simon feeling so weird around him?

I, I could light it up for you
I, I could light it up for you

"Hey, are we doing this or what?" Susie yelled and everyone cheered. Simon looked alarmed. "Doing, what?" he asked, panicking. Jace laughed, standing up. "We're going swimming, it's almost sundown." he said and Simon shook his head. "No thanks, I'll just stay here." he said, watching as everyone took off their clothes, revealing their bathing suits. "Oh, come, Simon!" Lily yelled, laughing when Jason put arms around her and twirled her around. "Yeah, it'll be fun." Mateo said, smiling at Simon. He watched as the guy took off his shirt and then hummed. "Well, maybe I could come." he said and Helen laughed along with Aline. Jace made a noise of disapproval, earning Simon's attention. "But I don't have swimming shorts." he said to the blonde, who eyed Mateo. Did Simon imagine it or did he seem to be angry at the other guy? "Well, do you need them?" Jace asked then, his eyes glinting as he smiled at Simon.

The brunette felt the hotness of the gaze and hid his shiver, by scoffing and rolling his eyes. "We just met, I'm not getting naked in front of you." he said to Jace, who laughed. His voice was deep and melodious, making Simon feel giddy inside. What the hell?

"That's too bad. The water is really nice." Jace said, moving his hand to brush his hair away from his face. Simon couldn't help but eye the mouth-wateringly good-looking muscles on his arms and the the abs on his stomach. He groaned, giving up. "Fine, I'm coming." he said, making Jace smirk. "That's a bit straightforward, but okay." he said, making Simon go red. He took off his shirt and threw it towards Jace's face, who caught it, laughing. "Jerk." he said and moved to unbutton his shorts. He wasn't going to get the shorts wet, that's for sure. He regained his posture and looked up, seeing Jace's eyes roaming over him. He felt another shiver make its way down his spine and with satisfaction, he saw Jace lick his lips. "Well, as much as I would've hated to give you a concussion, I am glad the ball hit you." Jace said, eyeing his torso openly. Simon tried not to look at his eyes and started towards the water in his boxers.

We, we ain't got a shot to lose
Put it on but fade it out tell you that you weren't enough
Acting like your favorite drug, raise a cup
We can light it up,
We can light it up

The girls squealed as they ran towards the water. When Simon got to the edge, he didn't think. It was always best to just go for it. He jumped in, letting the waves crash above his head. It was refreshing, once you got over the coolness. And very beautiful. The sun was just setting on the horizon, painting the sky a vivid red and the waves were soothing. He could hear seagulls above his head and saw the light gleaming from the coast, slowly coming to life in the nearing darkness. Then, he turned his head, seeing Jace almost right next to him. "Well? Aren't you glad you joined us?" the blonde asked and Simon could, for the first time, observe his eyes. He realized there was a speck of brown in one of them, but other than that, they were a piercing blue. He smiled at Jace and nodded.

The blonde seemed satisfied with his answer. He swam closer, and Simon felt anxious again. When the blonde approached him, it wasn't that he was nervous (although that too) it was more like - he couldn't wait for what he would do next. "See that? That's our house for tonight over there." Jace said, pointing into the distance, once he was next to Simon. Their shoulders were touching in the water as they floated in the sea. He tried to ignore the touch and looked ahead, seeing a white beach house near the coastline. "It looks great." Simon said lamely. Jace laughed. "I meant, ours, like yours, too. If you don't want to be alone. I can sense that you're not alone, just because you don't like drinking and clubbing. In fact, I think you absolutely love that sort of stuff." Jace said, eyeing the brunette now.

Simon turned himself towards Jace. He saw the water dripping from his hair onto his face and in the setting sun, it looked ridiculously beautiful. "Um." he said and Jace smiled disarmingly again. "Yeah, well. I went through a break-up recently." Simon stated, not even knowing why he would be saying this to a total stranger. "I thought something like that. So, if you feel like having a great night, you can stick with us. We're a bunch of crazies, but I swear, it'll be a night you won't forget." Jace said, his smiled so infectious, Simon found himself grinning as well. "That sounds awfully suggestive." he said playfully and Jace's eyes widened a bit. "I mean, only if you think it might be." he said back, and Simon was at a loss of words. Jace's mouth curved upwards in a smug smile as he moved closer. Their chest were almost touching.

"Hey, freaks! Let's go, it's getting cold!" Matt yelled and Simon snapped up, seeing that the others were swimming back to the shore. "We should go." Jace said, although Simon thought he saw a glimpse of disappointment. He felt a weird sense of happiness at that.

I took a shot and missed the mark
Well every single day I multiply
A million drums of kerosene
Baby, like a hotel in the sky

Once on the shore, they changed again and Jace gave Simon a towel, to dry himself before he would slip back into his pants. Simon also dried his hair, and the rest of his body, slipping the shirt back on and the jacket on as well, it was getting chilly. Kaelie came over, offering him a bottle. "What is it?" Simon asked and the girl smirked. She did look a little mean, but when she spoke, it was sincere. Simon guessed she just had one of those faces - looked like a bitch but was really sweet on the inside. "Take a wild guess." she said to him and Simon rolled his eyes, sipping from the bottle, that he now identified as whisky. The liquid burned his tongue but he liked it - he had always liked the taste of whisky. "We need someone to go shopping for more drinks and others will go back to the house to make preparations for snacks and and for the movie. Oh, and the hot tub." Aline said, coming up to them and nodded towards Jace.

"I'm going shopping, who's with me?" he asked and caught Simon's eyes. The brunette smiled. "I'm in." he said and earned a very flirty smile from Jace. "Yeah, me and Helen, too. Mateo?" Aline said, moving her gaze toward the guy in question. Mateo was just about to open his mouth when Jace interrupted, slinging a hand over Jason's shoulders. "I think Jason should come with, he is the only one sober here, after all." he said nonchalantly and Simon suppressed a snicker. Mateo seemed disappointed, but Lily, oblivious to this, moved over to kiss Jason's cheek. "Alright, meet you back at the house, babes." she announced to them all, moving to leave the beach with the rest of them. Aline, Helen and Jason started towards the stairs to get back up to the streets and Simon and Jace followed suit.

"So, Simon, what is it that you do for a living?" Jace asked him, while they walked. The 24/7 supermarket was not far from the beach. "Um, IT. I write codes and programs." he said, feeling very self-conscious all of a sudden. Jace moved next to him very gracefully and Simon couldn't help but to check him out. The blonde was really something. "That's neat, so you're like super smart, right?" Jace said and Simon scoffed. "I wouldn't say super smart. I am, after all, accompanying total strangers to 'the supermarket', which, for all I know, could be code for 'let's kill him in this alley way and sell his organs'." he said. To his surprise, Jace started laughing and he could see the blonde was truly finding him funny. "Sorry, you're just so-" Jace started, when he caught Simon's amused expression. "-so different." he finished, wiping the tears from his eyes. Simon felt very satisfied with that announcement. "Thanks. So, what do you do?" he asked and the blonde's smile faded a bit.

"I work as a doctor. A cardiothoratic surgeon." the blonde said and Simon whipped his head towards him. "Heart surgeries." Jace clarified, when Simon had a confused look on his face. "Oh, I knew that." Simon said, his face red and Jace chuckled. "But that's great!" he said then, searching Jace's face for traces of the slight sadness he had seen before. "Yeah, it's great. I love my job. I just wish I didn't have to move. I love California." Jace said then and Simon gave him a questioning glance. "Move?" he asked, his heart slightly contracting. Why did he feel disappointed? "Yeah, I have to fly to Houston in two days, got a job offer I just couldn't refuse. That's why we're here. They all wanted to have a big send-off." Jace concluded, nodding towards Aline, Helen and Jason, who were bickering and laughing ahead of them. Simon had a thoughtful expression on his face. "I'm sure you'll love it there." he offered, feeling very out of place with the conversation now. Jace nodded, thoughtful too now.

I just want to see all the sparks you're trying to hide
Let's take a trip to wonderland, we can just tune this fire tonight

When they reached the supermarket, they got inside and Aline jumped onto a cart, letting Helen move her around, giggling. Jason loaded the cart with liquor and Simon helped along with Jace. Once outside, Jason took out a packet of smokes and lit a cigarette, leaning over a wall and set the bags down. Helen and Aline sat on the curb, leaving the cart next to them. Jace moved towards the cart and the smiled at Simon. "Get in." he said, suddenly a mischievous smile on his face. Simon raised a brow. "Excuse me?" he asked and Jace laughed. "Come on, Simon, just do it." he said and for some reason, Simon felt like he could trust Jace with anything. He had never felt that way before, not towards a stranger. "Helen, Aline, I challenge you to a race!" Jace announced, once Simon had fitted his long legs into the cart. The girls laughed, but Aline stood up immediately. "Alright, nerds, you're on!" she yelled and got another cart, letting Helen climb inside, this time.

"Ready, Simon?" Jace asked, leaning closer to him and almost whispered in his ear. Simon felt a shiver run down his spine, again, and he observed the empty parking lot, the street lights flickering in the darkness falling upon them and saw the last rays of sun disappearing, making room for the half-moon already in the sky. He felt like he could do anything right now. "I think I was born ready for this." he said jokingly and Jace laughed, moving to line them up with the girls. Jason, still smoking, had a very amused smile on his face and shook his head. He moved his hand up and when he let it fall he yelled 'Go!'. They set off, not even knowing what was their finish line supposed to be and Simon felt the wind gushing through his hair and whistling in his ears. He held onto the cart, a laugh bubbling in his chest and he let it free, hearing Jace laugh as well. He felt free and the feeling of infinity, that he had never felt before, was evident in his body.

I, I could light it up for you
I, I could light it up for you

When they stopped, Jace and Aline both out of breath, on the far end of the parking lot, they were all laughing. "We won!" Aline said, helping Helen out and twirling her around, kissing her. Jace rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you wish." he snorted, lending a hand to Simon, so he could climb out. Simon chuckled, taking the hand, but his leg got caught as he climbed out. He put his hands on Jace's shoulder in shock for support, but that didn't stop him from knocking them both down on the ground. Jace fell down and groaned, when his back hit the pavement and Simon was on top of him. "Fuck, sorry about that. Are you okay?" Simon asked immediately, his eyes clouded with worry. Jace let out a small laugh and his eyes found Simon's.

Suddenly, the brunette was very aware of Jace's hands around his waist and his own on Jace's shoulders. He was so close he could feel Jace's chest rise and fall and his breaths on his face. Absentmindedly he brushed a stray strand of hair from Jace's face. The mismatched eyes gleamed back at him and they were as intense as they were soft. Simon didn't know, how that could be possible. "Never better." Jace said softly, smiling at Simon. His facial features seemed even more beautiful up close. He felt Jace's hands hold him in place and was painfully aware of how their bodies were pressed together. He cleared his throat. "Um, Jace? Maybe let me get off you know?" he asked, slightly nervous and Jace's eyes changed. "Right, sorry." he said hastily, letting the boy go.

We, we ain't got a shot to loose
Put it on but fade it out
Tell you that you weren't enough
Acting like your favorite drug, raise a cup

When they stood up, Helen and Aline approached them, bursting the weird intimate bubble they had been in. "As fun as this was, we should get back. Going away party, remember? Simon, are you coming?" Helen asked, her hand in Aline's. Jason was approaching them with the bags. Jace gave him a longing look, that even Simon could decipher. Jace didn't want him to leave yet. To his surprise, Simon found himself not wanting to leave either.

"Sure, I just have to text my friends, let them know where I am." Simon announced and saw Jace's face light up. He couldn't help but smile at him. "Okayyy... If you two are done staring at each other, let's go." Aline said, making Simon blush again and take out his phone, while Jace pushed Aline playfully, a smile on his lips. Simon texted Magnus and then, with a second thought, texted Alec. Then, realizing, that they could both be drunk, he texted Raph. When he was done, he caught up with the other three, falling into step next to them.

They walked in a line in the middle of the empty high-way, singing and shouting like teenagers who had just discovered alcohol. Simon gave Jace a look that said 'Are you always like this?' and Jace smiled back at him. The brunette felt his breath get caught when he observed the beauty before him.

The moon was now shining in the sky as they made their way towards the white beach house.

We can light it up
We can light it up

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A/N: LISTEN. I had my thesis defence today (yes, I'm that old) and I needed something to calm my nerves. Like seriously, I know how long this is, and I will have a PART 2 for it, so I'm sorry that it's so much longer than usually, I got carried away with describing the people, BUT I NEEDED TO LET IT ALL OUT OKAY okay. That's all, I hope you still enjoyed it. Biiiiii xxx