Disclaimer: I don't own the book series The Mortal Instruments or the TV show Shadowhunters, nor do I own any of its characters. All I own is my imagination and the laptop I wrote this on.

A/N: It's been too long since I have been immersed in the world of fanfiction and I couldn't stay away any longer. Ever since the airing of the first episode, I have become obsessed with the TV adaption of The Mortal Instruments series. I absolutely love Shadowhunters and how it's running with the book series. One of my favorite pairings might be a bizarre one, considering that Alec is gay and eventually falls for Magnus (a pairing that I love as well!), but on screen Alec and Clary, or the characters that portray them, have an undeniable chemistry and I had to run with it. So I have completely fallen for the Alec/Clary pairing and this is my first take on it. I tried not to go to far and keep them as in character as I could. I hope you like it :) And that I'm not the only one who's shipping these two on here.

Charcoal Lines

"So just come as you are to me."

Due to her inescapable connection to the Mortal Cup and all the lives that were inextricably bound to it, Clary was granted another night in one of the lavish bedrooms of the Institute. As she no longer had a bedroom of her own, she had accepted. As a result, she had been stuck inside of the same four walls for most of the day since all eyes appeared to be on her. She was an asset at the moment because of something that had been locked away in her mind by a warlock a long time ago, but she feared what they would eventually do if she proved unable to recover the memory or subdue her fiery temperament enough for their liking. She didn't feel wanted, even though she did supposedly belong here.

She had sat on the bed for a few hours, interrupted only by a plate of food that Isabelle had thoughtfully remembered to bring by, and had drawn. Everything from Jace, demons, runes and even an outline of Alec's bow, but she could only remain in one spot for so long. There were too many things on her mind she needed answers for. So when it was close to midnight, she left the room and wandered until she found a large circular room that reminded her of a library.

Now Clary sat on her haunches in front of the many shelves, her bare feet warm against the thick carpet. It was the first cozy item she had recognized as such in the Institute and it grounded her some, providing her with just a little bit of comfort. She was searching for something about the Mortal Cup or a Shadowhunter 101 Guide if there was such a thing.

If she had been raised a Shadowhunter, she would have been more alert, but now she was lost in her mind, drawing runes while scanning the shelf in front of her.

She heard the footsteps and voices too late, but he didn't.

Alec had been on her the second her bedroom door had opened. He was at her side instantaneously, pulling her up as soon as he took a hold of her upper arm. Clary gasped and he saw the muscles tense as she prepared herself to tug back. However on her way up she heard the voices as well. Alec brought his index finger to his lips, a movement she tracked with her eyes, and moved lighting fast as he pulled her with him out a door she hadn't seen yet and onto a balcony. He gently maneuvered her back against the brick wall while he closed the door soundlessly behind them. The balcony was small, especially so if you took into consideration how grand the interior of the building was. Alec had to stand directly in front of her to stay out of sight as well.

Less than a second later voices filled the space inside. Clary turned her head slightly, wanting to hear. She distinguished between the two voices almost immediately, recognizing Isabelle's and that of her mother, Maryse.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Mother?" Isabelle inquired, managing to keep her tone somewhere between impatient and curious.

"Watch how you speak to me, Isabelle. You seem to forget that I have other duties to attend to that consume my time enough. Still, I wanted to speak to you about Clary Fray and her temporary stay here."

"She's coping pretty well and-"

"I don't care whether she is or she isn't, and you shouldn't be getting so… attached to her. Do I have to remind you that you are not here to make friends, but to protect the mundane world as well as ours. Now, Jace apparently sees something in her, so we'll keep her around for now. At least, until we know the location of the Cup."

"Her mother was just kidnapped. She has no place to go."

"That isn't our concern, now is it."

"It's called compassion, mother. Plus, I doubt Jace would just sit by while you throw her out."

"Jace should be grateful for what we have done for him. But we did what we did for him because he is a Shadowhunter and one of our own."

"So is Clary."

"Barely."

Clary couldn't help but wince slightly at the harsh words, no longer listening to the conversation between Isabelle and her mother.

"Is she always like that?" she asked Alec softly, not looking at him as she did so.

"You don't know her."

"No, I don't," she agreed with the dark haired boy. "But I'm getting to know Isabelle and if your mom is like that with her… I mean, she's so nice. Unlike you," she couldn't help but take the easy jab at him.

"I spared you the embarrassment of getting caught, didn't I?"

Alec braced himself for whatever sharp comeback she had ready, but instead Clary simply nodded, taking him by surprise. He watched her shiver and noted the somberness that had seeped into her and had replaced the passion and energy he had come to know her for. It was annoying most of the time, but it provided her with the strength she needed to get through all of this.

When another shiver went through her, he finally eyed her ensemble: the loose gray sweatpants and burned yellow tank top were not doing much to shield her from the cold. Alec leaned in closer, hands against the wall at her hip level. "Body heat," he whispered as an explanation.

Clary nodded, welcoming it, keeping her hands tucked in between their bodies while she tried not to let her gaze linger on his lips after he spoke. He was a seductive kind of handsome and from up close it was even harder to deny that. "Thank you," she let him know, purposely avoiding his eyes.

"Now you can't say that I never did anything for you. Although, I remember getting you out of a precarious situation before, but who's keeping track." The corners of his mouth lifted up slightly into a smirk, temporarily smoothing out the hard lines of his features and making him look a little bit more like a normal guy who didn't have the weight of the world on his shoulders. Clary took a mental snapshot, deciding that she preferred him this way.

The wind picked up a little and blew her loose and fiery strands across her face. She turned her head, her fingers grasping at Alec's jacket without realizing. Alec allowed it, recognizing the comfort she was seeking in order to stay grounded in the midst of the whirlwind of recent events and realizations. It wasn't as unpleasant as he would've thought, looking at the girl in front of him with a set of different eyes for one of the first times. He could finally accept the characteristics of her as more than merely beguiling, but as something that could draw people in, even someone as closed off as himself.

"We have to take into consideration the blood that runs through her, which isn't just Jocelyn's, but also Valentine's. Unfortunately. I am not just going to sit back and see whether nature or nurture prevails," Maryse finished making her point to Isabelle.

Clary heard Maryse's heels click against the stone as she stepped off the carpet and headed for the door. Isabelle's frustrated sigh was noted by her as well before Isabelle followed her mom out of the library.

Clary let go of Alec's jacket, her hands flying off as if she had burned herself. "Guess your mom feels the same about me as you do." She shook her head before he could so much as open his mouth. "It's fine, Alec. You're all entitled to your opinion." He stepped back enough so she could get to the door.

He watched her hurry back inside, leaving the door open to a crack for him. He contemplated getting Jace or calling for his sister, but there was a part of him that wanted to protect Clary from any further humiliation.

She had had enough for today.

So it was him who followed her back to her bedroom and who entered it without knocking, closing the door behind him to keep anyone from seeing or hearing them.

Clary had thrown on her coat over her sweatpants and tank top and shoved her feet into her combat boots while reaching for her bag and sketchpad.

"You look ridiculous," were the first words out of Alec's mouth, holding up both of his hands when Clary glared at him.

"I don't care," she retorted in a childlike manner. "Plus, it's not like anybody will see," she referred to the invisibility rune Jace had put on her earlier.

He watched her reach for the balcony door and tug at it a few times as she remained unable to open it due to a lock she hadn't seen yet. "How do you open the door?"

He forced himself to keep a straight face as he made his way over to her in a few large strides. He leaned over her to reach for the lock and flicked it upwards. "You'll freeze or fall to your death."

"Oh, like you care, Alec." She brushed a few strands from her face as she glanced at him. "You've wanted nothing but to get me out of here. At least you have a home, a mom, a bed, which is much more than I have at the moment." Clary pressed down on the door handle. "And your mom is right, the last thing I want is for anybody else to die just because I might someday be able to tell you where the Moral Cup is. And that is a big if." She pushed the door open, looking out into the night as she added, "I just want it all to be a bad dream and go back to normal. Where I turn 18 and celebrate by getting into a club and spending time with a guy who isn't Simon."

Alec snorted. "Yeah, we are definitely a step up for you."

Clary let out an annoyed huff, but before she could open the door further, Alec had grabbed the handle, blocking her path. He sighed when she tried to push past. "Listen, reality is harsh and you should have just been able to turn 18 and have a party with your friends, but Shadowhunters don't get that." He glanced down at her to meet her gaze as it swiveled upwards. "Yeah, well, so far being a Shadowhunter sucks."

"Come on," Alec began while closing the door, turning his body so he could lean back against it as Clary took a few steps back towards the bed. "We have steles that light up, magical runes, glowing swords... Stay."

Clary turned around to face him, the look in her eyes doubtful of his words and he couldn't blame him. "But your-"

"My parents, especially my mother, can be a handful."

"They don't want me here."

Alec pushed himself off the door and moved closer to her. "For a Shadowhunter, you really need to get thicker skin." He shrugged. "They'll get used to it."

"Have you?"

He revealed a faint smile. "How about I admit to the fact that you're growing on me."

Clary lowered her head, her smile matching his."Thank you," she told him as she dropped her things on the bed.

Alec pocketed his hands. "Let's just keep this freak-out between us, kay?" He nodded in the direction of her sketchbook. "Go draw something."

Clary lowered herself on the bed as she kicked off her shoes, her hands already working on her coat while Alec slipped out of the room.

Clary had only been asleep for a few hours when there was a knock on the door, causing her to stir from her somewhat awkward position on the bed: flat on her stomach, with part of her face resting on her upper arm while the other had used her sketchbook for a pillow. Her red hair was sprawled around her, a sight that Alec would remember and take with him that day.

"No…" Clary moaned. "No, I refuse to stick to crazy early Shadowhunter hours." She turned her head slightly to find Alec looking at her, one hand on the door while the other was in his thick dark mane. Something akin to humor was behind the gleam in his eyes. "For your information, Sleeping Beauty, it's 10 AM."

"No, get out."

Alec chuckled and Clary lifted her head at the unexpected sound. "You have charcoal on your cheek," he pointed out. "Draw anything good?"

Clary's fingers went to her cheek while her eyes flew down to the drawing that lay open before her. A faint blush piqued his interest, but he let it go. For now. Since he wasn't ready either for what it meant.

"Isabelle kept a plate of breakfast warm for you."

"I'll be right there."

"10 minutes. Don't keep us waiting."

Clary gave her drawing one more look, before closing her sketchbook and getting up into a sitting position. The darkness of the charcoal suited him in every way.

Please review? :) Please let me know what you think? And if you have any other Alec/Clary stories on here (or on archiveofourown) that I need to read? I would appreciate both of those things and until next time.