Room 301, Monday Late Afternoon

[seveninchmotto]

Well, Alec had crutches but was otherwise fine. Clary and Jace were okay too. Hodge was... gone, without a curse to keep him at the Institute. Clary's uncle person was a werewolf who'd gathered his pack to fight Valentine, but he'd still escaped, taking the Mortal Cup with him. Clary's mother was in a coma, but at least she was in a hospital now.

And Jace and Clary were Valentine's children.

Considering all this was information Isabelle had gained in the last twenty four hours, was it any wonder she had chosen to bail New York a little early in anticipation of her classes, and come back to Fandom? She needed to process. Her parents wouldn't be back in New York for a little while yet, but Jace could take care of Alec. (So could Magnus, who'd hinted as much after he'd spent the night sitting by her brother's side.)

So she was here, and flopped over on her bed.

[ooc: Open door/post! Blah blah references to City of Bones which is just about done now. (Five more books to go. Sigh.)]

Comments

[seveninchmotto]

"Smart move," Isabelle replied, as she slid her hand over his shoulder, to hook her arms around his neck. "I can handle what I'm doing."

[flickofthewrist]

"I know," he returned with a slight nod. "I still worry. You're important to me. That's what happens."

[seveninchmotto]

"Cause and effect?" she teased quietly, letting her nose nudge his. She was staying close now, only speaking loud enough to be heard over the sound of the water. "I wouldn't have guessed."

[flickofthewrist]

"Something like that," he replied, closing his eyes and smiling a little wider. "I'm not going to protectively hover over you but I still worry. And that doesn't go away when you're gone. I'll worry but I won't be overwhelming."

[seveninchmotto]

"Good," Isabelle murmured. "No one needs someone hovering over them when they're battling Greater Demons." She said that pretty lightly for someone who'd been trembling when she'd been doing that. "It's a distraction."

[flickofthewrist]

"Just wish I could help you like you did me," he murmured, sighing heavily. "I wish I could do more."

[seveninchmotto]

"Sometimes staying safe and out of harm's way is enough, baby," she told him quietly. "So I don't have to worry about you, too."

[flickofthewrist]

"There's nothing dangerous going on here lately," he told her, sliding his arms around her tightly, "and everything at home seems to have quieted down."

Which he was grateful for.

"So, you don't have to worry about me."

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle leaned in and nuzzled the side of his face.

"Be a safe thing for me to come back to."

[flickofthewrist]

Flick sighed quietly. "I'm always gonna be here for you to come back to," he told her quietly. "Whenever you need me to be."

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle sighed too. She was pressed close against him, chest to chest. "Good because I think I need it."

[flickofthewrist]

"Then, I'm here," he told her, turning his head and kissing her cheek. "I'm here for you. You're the reason I stay."

[seveninchmotto]

"Yeah. You're mine too."

Reason to come back and stick around. Not... Hers.

[flickofthewrist]

"Good." He kissed her cheek lightly and then just pressed his own wet cheek against hers, breathing in and breathing out.

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle sighed, and shuddered a little bit. She hadn't meant to let that out but apparently it was beyond her control.

"I..."

She trailed off. Reconsidered.

[flickofthewrist]

"You...?" He didn't pull back and look at her, kept his cheek against hers and started running his fingers up and down the length of her back. "What?"

[seveninchmotto]

"Nothing." She sighed again. There was maybe some frustration in it. Some weird sense of disappointment at herself. "Nothing."

[flickofthewrist]

"Okay," he murmured quietly, still keeping his fingers stroking up and down her back and keeping his cheek against hers. He didn't push even if he was curious.

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle shook her head, but not hard enough to get his cheek off hers. She liked it where it was. She liked being close like this.

Especially since words were so dumb and hard.

[flickofthewrist]

"Baby, what's the matter?" he asked, almost in a whisper. He could feel her shaking her head and didn't know what was causing it. "What's wrong?"

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle pulled back to look at him, and put her hands on his cheeks. Her touch was gentle, even if it was meant to keep him looking at her. (As if he needed help with that. She just liked to make sure.)

"I care about you," she told him. "You know that, right? I care about you a lot."

[flickofthewrist]

He was looking at her. Steady and soft even when he blinked away water from the shower spray. He was looking.

"Yes, I know," he murmured quietly. "I know you care about me. Why are you checking? What's wrong?"

[seveninchmotto]

"Because I care about you more than I want to put into words," she said, words all tumbling out in a rush like otherwise she'd have second thoughts and wouldn't say them at all. "And I want to make sure you're at least aware of the part I can manage to say."

[flickofthewrist]

Flick smiled gently at her before he reached for one of the hands on his face. He brought it down to his heart and pressed her palm down before covering it with his own hand.

"I'm aware," he murmured, nodding very slightly. "You don't have to say it until you're ready. I'm not going anywhere, Isabelle. I'm giving my heart to you. So, I'm here."

He smiled again.

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle wasn't smiling. Her eyes were wide and dark and maybe she looked a little like she was about to tear up. She wouldn't, though, because it took more for that to happen, but there was a definite vulnerability there.

Not that he got to see it very long since she leaned into kiss him.