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“Oh, Fray,” Simon says, his voice going dreamy. “You are a literal goddess. Thank you!” He takes the coffee from her hands, inhaling the smell and sighing happily.
“Yeah,” Clary says with a wide smile. “You’re hopeless without your coffee fix. I’m just doing strangers the favor of not dealing with you without it.”
Simon makes an offended noise as he opens the library doors, pushing inside. “I’ll have you know I’m an absolute delight to be around.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Lewis.”
Simon shakes his head at his best friend as they find a free table. He sips at his coffee, slowly coming back online before pulling out his notebook and textbook. He’s got a worksheet that’s due tomorrow that he needs to finish for his engineering class. Clary on the other hand, pulls out a sketchbook and pencil.
Simon adjusts his glasses before diving into his work. His concentration is solid, right up until he sees a flash of someone walking passed him from the corner of his eye. He looks up and his breath catches.
Jace Wayland, with his arms filled with returned library books, strides past. He’s dressed in tight, grey jeans, his t-shirt solid black and tight across his sculpted chest. The sleeves are slightly rolled up and Simon’s eyes take in the muscles of Jace’s biceps. Finally he looks higher, butterflies filling his belly as he looks at Jace’s face, his brows furrowed in concentration. His blonde hair is styled back as usual. His gorgeous mismatched eyes dart over to Simon and Simon immediately looks back down at his notebook, not wanting to be caught staring. He can feel his cheeks heating but he ignores them.
Clary clears her throat and he looks up at her. “So,” she says softly. “Next time you might wanna keep your jaw off the floor.”
“Oh shut it, Fray,” he says with a roll of his eyes.
“If you like him you should just talk to him.”
“I’m sorry, what? What do you mean if I like him? I don’t like him! I don’t even know who him is so yeah, whatever.”
Clary stares at him for a long moment before shaking her head. “Right. Whatever you say, Simon.”
Simon glares at her for a moment before huffing. Just then, Jace walks back to the librarian desk, sitting down to get some paperwork done. Simon feels that funny little twist in his belly again. How the hell did he gain such a crush on someone he’s never even talked to before?
It’s not just that Jace is beautiful , because he is. He’s always dressed in something that makes Simon’s mouth water. Or he’s dressed in his sweats after basketball practice. God. Simon is hopeless. How cliche is it that the nerd is silently pining after the gorgeous, popular jock. But it’s more than Jace’s good looks. It’s the fact that he’s smart . The fact that he’s kind, always willing to help whoever needs it in the library. And he does the most adorable little nose wrinkle when he’s really concentrated on his reading.
“You’re really gone on him, aren’t you?”
Simon looks away from Jace, only just now realizing he was staring again. His cheeks heat at being caught and he takes a moment to take his glasses off and rub at his eyes. “Okay, yeah. Maybe. Whatever.”
“Simon,” Clary says, her voice soft and kind. “You should just talk to him. He’s related to Izzy so I’ve talked with him a few times. He’s really nice.”
“I know he’s nice. That’s part of the problem. Do you have any idea how many times I’ve had to watch as he helped some poor floundering freshman? My heart can’t take it anymore!”
“You’re so dramatic,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Just go for it. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Simon snorts. “So many things. Like one of his jock friends could see and start picking on me. Or maybe he’s actually a huge homophobe.”
“He’s not, idiot. His brother is gay and dating a dude.”
“Oh. Well. I still can’t. I’ll forever be the cliche pining from the distance.”
Clary’s eyes flick over Simon’s head for a moment before a smirk lays at her lips. “And what is it about Jace that you like so much?”
Simon lifts his hands, flailing them at his best friend. “Umm… the better question is what not to like about him. For real, Fray, from his pretty golden hair to his pretty mismatched eyes. Then there’s the fact that he’s a bookworm, always reading when the library isn’t busy. And the other day I overheard him talking about his costume this year for Halloween. He’s going as Luke Skywalker. I just can’t help the way my heart looked at him and said, yes, that one, that’s the one we want.”
Simon sighs, laying his forehead against his book with a groan. “It’s hopeless. There’s no way someone as amazing as Jace Wayland could like someone like me.”
“You mean someone who’s handsome in that really cute nerdy way?” a very familiar voice says from right behind Simon. Simon freezes, his entire body tensing. “I think there’s lots of things to like about Simon. Like his cute glasses and the way he always adjusts them. Or the way he bites his pencil when he’s deep in his homework. Or the way he always has a smile for anyone who’s walking past him. I’ve been trying to work up the courage to come talk to him since the beginning of the semester but I was always worried I’d be coming across as weird. Or annoying him while he’s doing his homework.”
Simon finally lifts his head, his cheeks burning bright red. He turns around, his mouth open as he finds Jace standing there, looking at him with a cheeky smile. Those butterflies are back and his head is spinning.
“Wait,” Simon murmurs, looking up at Jace. “Does that mean you like me? Oh my god, why ?”
Jace laughs as Clary shakes her head, her palm colliding with her forehead. “Didn’t I just say enough reasons just now? Or do you need your ego inflated?”
Simon groans. “Okay, yeah. That might have come out wrong.”
“It’s okay. You can make it up to me by taking me out to dinner tonight?” Jace asks. His voice sounds hopeful but there’s a little bit of unease to his eyes. Simon realizes that he’s nervous , which is insane. Never in Simon’s life did he imagine this scenario.
“Yes!” he blurts out with more force than is necessary. He clears his throat, trying to play it cool. “I mean. Yes. I would be delighted to take you to dinner.”
Jace smiles, running his fingers through his long blonde hair. “Awesome.” He leans down, picking up Simon’s pencil and writing his number in Simon’s notebook. “Text me and we’ll figure out the details.”
As Jace walks away back to the librarian desk, Simon sits stunned. “So,” Clary finally says, breaking Simon out of the spell. “I think you owe me coffee for life for helping you with that.”
Simon shrugs. “Yeah, seems like a fair price. Just know I’m gonna get you back when it comes to Izzy.”