Jace Herondale pretends to be okay with (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} rejection) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} valarlogs,@ 2020-04-18 23:35:00 |
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What: A talk and a change
When: Back in February
Where: Some restaurant
Rating/Warnings: Mild innuendo
Status: Complete when posted
It had been a few weeks since Jace had called things off with Nine but he still hadn’t figured out a way to tell Jesus. They’d both agreed when they started sleeping together to be honest about anyone else. And to be safe so Jace figured now that there wasn’t another person he should probably let the brunette know that to. He poked his head in Jesus’ office as his last morning class let out. “You want to go grab some lunch? There’s a couple places within distance on my bike if you want to go for a ride.” He gave him a flash of a grin. “I promise not to make us late for the next sessions.”
***
Jesus’ main stipulation, when he and Jace had started hooking up, had been that Jace was always honest with him, which was how he’d known that Jace was still hooking up with his ex as well and as long as Jace was safe, that was fine with Jesus. He hadn’t wanted to push Jace into something more that he wasn’t ready for so for the last few months he’d been content with what he was able to get from Jace.
Hearing Jace’s voice, Jesus looked up towards the doorway of his office and smiled back, “Yeah, I think lunch sounds like a good idea.” There was well over an hour until the next class came in so he didn’t see a problem with them both going out for lunch, “Oh, I finally get a ride on your precious bike?” He saved what he had been doing on the computer and locked the screen before getting up and grabbing his jacket from the coat hanger along the wall, “I feel so special.”
***
Jace laughed at that teasing over his bike. He did baby it and he knew that but she was his and working on her was a type of therapy for him. "Weather's getting nice again. And I remembered an extra helmet today. You'll still have to hold on though. Think you can handle it?" He asked leading the way to where he'd parked on the side when he came in early. There was a mischievous tone in his voice at that question.
***
Jesus smirked as he shrugged his jacket on and made sure that he had his keys as he followed Jace out of the office and towards the door, “I think I can hold on alright.” As they headed out the door, Jesus locked it and pulled on it once to make sure the lock caught, “Any thoughts in particular about where to go for lunch?” He followed Jace around to where his bike was parked.
***
Normally Jace would head to the local burger place for lunch but he wasn’t going to take Jesus there. He’d been avoiding it the last few weeks actually. “I was thinking about this deli actually. They’ve got some pretty good food. And order bread from a local bakery.” He wasn’t sure what bakery they used but he knew that it was one in the area. “Unless you were thinking about some other place?” They reached his bike and he pulled out the spare helmet and held it out to the brunette.
***
“That sounds fine to me. I could definitely go for something different than a burger,” Jesus probably should have started watching what he was eating a little more than he was. Sure, he got a lot of working out done at work, but he also needed to change his diet a little.
Taking the helmet, he was glad that his hair was already pulled back so the helmet was easier to slip onto his head.
***
Jace waited until Jesus had the helmet situated on his head before putting his own on and turning to climb onto his bike holding it steady for Jesus and waiting for him to get situated before starting the bike and maneuvering them onto the road. He was going a lot more carefully than he normally did but not all that much slower. There was just something freeing for him about speeding along the roads. Part of why he’d gone for a bike instead of a car in the first place when moving to California.
He saw the turn off for the sandwich shop and made his way to their parking lot, finding a spot easily and parking. He was still grinning as he took off his helmet, waiting to hear what Jesus had to say about his first ride on the bike.
***
Once Jace got on the bike, Jesus swung his leg over and situated himself behind the blond, his arms coming around to wrap around his waist and held on tightly. Jesus had been on a motorcycle before, but never on the back like he was at the moment. Being this close to Jace, he needed to use all his willpower to simply hold on, while he waited for the other man to start the bike instead of slip his hands under Jace’s jacket and shirt. They’d never get to lunch if they did that.
The ride was quick and once Jace parked the bike, Jesus was reluctantly get up for a moment before he finally stood, stretching his legs briefly before removing his helmet and handing it back to Jace as he smoothed a hand over his hair with the other hand, “I’ve probably got awful helmet hair now.” He’d have to take it down and fix it later.
***
Jace immediately missed the feel of Jesus against his back when the other man got off the bike. They would have to go for more rides. Although maybe not on their lunch break so they could get a little further out. He grinned up at him as he took the helmet, locking it on the hook before taking off his own and hanging it there too. “I like it when your hair gets a little messy.” He teased as he climbed off. “But I’ve told you that before.” Usually under different circumstances than this but the sentiment was still true.
***
Jesus shook his head, smirking a little at Jace’s comment; leave it to him to bring up details of their sexual exploits, however vague it was, “Yeah, I know you do,” Still smirking, he gestured towards the restaurant, “I’ll fix it later. Lets go get something to eat,” He’d never been to this particular restaurant before so he was looking forward to giving it a try.
***
Jace hung his helmet and locked it, making sure everything was tucked in his pockets before reaching out to grab Jesus’ arm so that he could try and pull him close to steal a kiss. He’d been thinking about it since before they’d left work and thought he’d done a pretty good job waiting this long. “Now let’s go in and get something to eat.” He said as he let go of his arm, his own smirk in place as he headed for the door.
***
Feeling Jace’s hand on his arm, Jesus let him pull him in for a kiss and found himself smiling into it. Jesus had also been thinking about that before they’d left the gym, but had known that if they’d started it was unlikely that they would get out for lunch, “Sounds good to me.” As they crossed the parking lot and headed inside, Jesus looked around to take in the atmosphere of the restaurant. “Have you been here a lot?”
***
“I used to come here a lot more often before I moved. It was a convenient stopping point for dinner between the gym and my old apartment.” Jace said as he looked around for a table. Maybe someplace not surrounded by other people on every side since the conversation he wanted to have would include some facts about him that he didn’t really want strangers having. And also not right outside the bathroom. For reasons he didn’t think ever needed to be said.
***
“So you lived nearby?” Jeuss asked as he watched while Jace looked for a table, “On the way back you should point out your old place.” Jesus didn’t know if that was the place his ex lived, but either way Jesus was interested in seeing where Jace had lived before the place he lived now with his cousin, “So, where should we sit?”
***
“A few blocks over. I’ll point it out to you after lunch. It’s not that far out of the way.” Jace promised with a grin. Nine’s apartment was in a very different building than Jace’s so there was no chance of them running into his ex. That was a meeting he’d happily avoid having for a while. Things were still too raw between them for him and Nine to be friends. “How about that table?” He asked, nodding towards one in a corner where they could talk in private.
***
“Looks good to me. Lead the way,” Jesus followed Jace to the table he’d pointed out before sitting down, he slipped off his jacket, leaving him in a black, short sleeve t-shirt. He draped the jacket over the back of his seat then sat down and picked up a menu, “So, since you’ve been here before, what would you recommend?” He glanced over the top of his menu, blue eyes watching Jace.
***
Jace let himself just enjoy the way that t-shirt fit Jesus for a moment as he sat down, jacket hanging off the back of his chair. Those blue eyes would be his downfall someday and he was actually okay with that. “I normally get one of the burgers. Fries are a must if you get a sandwich. I’m thinking about the club though. I’ll get it worked off this afternoon.” He joked. He pushed himself as hard as he did his students.
***
Jesus had to resist the urge to suggest another way to work off lunch just as the waitress came to ask them for their drink orders. Once she was gone, he closed his menu and watched Jace for a moment, “So, what’s going on? I sense that there’s something you want to talk about.” Jesus had always been rather perceptive and had a knack for being able to feel when someone needed to talk about something. “Everything okay?”
***
“I’m that transparent huh?” Jace said closing his menu and setting it off to the side. He watched Jesus for a few moments before speaking. “Okay depends on how this goes I think. The deal was honest with each other with all this right?” He swallowed, taking a deep breath. “So honesty - I quit seeing Nine a few weeks ago. Told him that I couldn’t anymore. His ghosting me, which I get he had a reason for and it was a good reason, brought up some stuff that I really didn’t realize had affected me as much as it did with my mom’s first husband, Stephen. And I couldn’t get past that stuff with Nine. And then more than all of that was you and I really like you. I like being with you and spending time with you.” The words spilled out of him in a rush and then he stopped, waiting for Jesus’ reaction.
***
Whatever Jesus had thought Jace was going to say, it wasn’t that. He knew how complicated Jace’s feelings had been for his ex so hearing that he’d ended things with him was surprising, but he was glad; not only because he liked Jace as more than just a hookup, but also because he had felt that Jace’s relationship with his ex hadn’t been the healthiest relationship as of late. “So, does that mean you want to spend more time with me?” He quirked a brow, a small smirk upon his lips as he watched Jace.
***
Jace let out a small laugh at that question, relief filling his face as he looked across the table at him. “It means that I want to spend more time with you. And that you’re the only one I want to spend time that way. Is that okay?” He asked him, a little nervous now that it was all out there.
***
Jesus’s brows rose slightly, amused and he leaned over the table a little bit, “Is it okay that you want to spend time with me exclusively? Yeah, Jace, I think that’s definitely okay.” He reached out and took one of Jace’s hands, lacing their fingers together and squeezed lightly, “So does this make you my boyfriend?” Jesus hadn’t been in a relationship in about a year, but he thought that he was ready for one now.
***
Jace hadn’t really thought about what label would get put on them after this conversation but he did like the way it sounded when Jesus asked him that. He grinned at him, the nervousness fading now that the words were out there. He had been scared about it blowing up in his face for no reason and a part of him had probably already known that. Or would have if he’d actually let himself think. He leaned in towards him and gave Jesus a brief kiss over the table. “It definitely makes me your boyfriend.” He hadn’t been single as long as Jesus had been but he wanted this change and he was definitely ready for it. “We keep our honesty policy though? With the exclusive part?”
***
Jesus smiled against Jace’s lips as he kissed him back then nodded in response to the question, “I think it’s definitely a good idea to keep the honesty policy no matter what.” When they had started hooking up Jesus hadn’t really expected them to get to this point, but he was very glad that things had worked out the way that they had.