#and i would love to bring up 'jem is my great sin' and the parabatai curse keeping jem alive theory

[darcyolsson]

bestie I need your help because I always see people mention that it's canon that jem and will were in love but I can't remember anything like that in the books so are they just kind of exaggerating or is it actually canon 😭😭 it's been too long since I read these books

so the answer no but also yes but no but yes hope that helps :)

if your question is "do they have an on-screen romance on par with the other romances in the books which involves them mutually acknowledging their romantic feelings for one another", the answer is no. in the infernal devices, their relationship is presented as a really close platonic relationship (with notable homoerotic overtones, but which man in tsc hasn't been there). HOWEVER,

there's two quotes from other tsc stories that people usually bring up when disussing this:

Clary took a deep breath. "Were you ever in love? Before the Brotherhood? Was there ever anyone you would have died for?" There was a long silence. Then: Two people, said Brother Zachariah. There are memories that time does not erase, Clarissa. Ask your friend Magnus Bane, if you do not believe me. Forever does not make loss forgettable, only bearable. (city of lost souls)

and

“What you said before,” she asked. “That Jace Herondale loves Clarissa Fairchild more than anyone you’ve ever known except someone — you never finished the sentence. Who was it?” “I was going to say you and me and Will,” he said. “But — that’s rather a strange thing to say, isn’t it?” “Not strange at all.” She cuddled in close against his side. “Exactly right. Ever and always, exactly right.” (after the bridge)

both of these are notably from spinoff stories set 100+ years after the infernal devices, though, so basically..... interpret it how you want to. cc said she did not intend to write them as a romance (and i don't think they are in tid), but that's what death of the author is for.

in MY humble opinion they were in love but only in the same way will & jem are one person. so like, yes, but not in the most literal sense, but it's kind of woven into every word in those books so you'd have to be quite blind not to catch it, and the story is stronger for it being a natural interpretation of the text rather than it being something that is outright stated (more than a few times, at least). but what do i know. hope this helps!