The Apartment, New York, Friday

[seveninchmotto]

Since the half-move to Alicante back in August, Isabelle hadn't spent a whole ton of time in New York. Sure, she was at the Institute a lot, helping her mother and using the training rooms with her brothers and Clary, but as the months had rolled on she'd found herself thinking of Alicante more and more as home. Even with the unease of sharing a house with her father.

Guess there was something to be said for being somewhere where everyone was like her. She didn't feel like she was the same as Idris-born Shadowhunters, not entirely, but still. Itwas the same culture she'd lived in within the Institute walls.

And Idris was where Flick was, most of the time. It was a pretty big motivator to stick around, all on its own.

But New Year's belonged to New York. New Year's belonged to the city and the place that was going to become home once more after Flick's Ascension. So she was already here, in anticipation of the holiday. Even if right now, she was sitting by one of the big windows in the living room, with a packet of last night's takeout. It counted as anticipation. And appreciation of New York.

Her father's house in Alicante didn't have this view, and Alicante didn't have takeout.

[ooc: NFB but open!]

Comments

[seveninchmotto]

"We did." She nodded. "But it's not exactly a Shadowhunter tradition."

Seeing as Christmas in general tended to be celebrated only by those who'd picked it up wherever they were stationed.

[flickofthewrist]

"And were there presents under the tree?" Flick asked her curiously. "Did you wrap stuff up your brothers and friends?"

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle snickered. "Isn't putting presents under the tree for children?"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, something tempered her expression into something milder. Not exactly sad, but definitely not laughing.

[flickofthewrist]

"I think it can be for everyone," he said, reaching up to brush a thumb across her cheek. "Not just kids."

[seveninchmotto]

"Sure," she replied, leaning subtly into the touch. Her smile had dimmed, somewhat, but it was still there.

Her fingers brushed lightly through his hair. "We didn't do that, anyway."

[flickofthewrist]

"Okay so no presents under the tree," he said, nodding. "Did you get anything good from your brothers? Clary?"

[seveninchmotto]

"Oh, trinkets," she sighed, leaning forward so she could rest her head in the crook of his neck. Really felt like doing that right now. A comfort thing, for something she didn't want to say.

She exhaled a huff of a laugh against his neck. "I got Clary a dress that made her blush."

[flickofthewrist]

"Oh?" Flick asked, rubbing a hand up and down her back gently. "Was it see through or something?"

[seveninchmotto]

"Not in any significant way," Isabelle replied. However, Clary may have been of a different mind - Isabelle's ideas of what was perfectly acceptable was not quite everyone's idea. "That girl needs to learn to show off her assets. I keep telling her."

[flickofthewrist]

"And she has yet to listen to you," Flick remarked with a snicker. "I think that means she's immune to your charming ways of persuasion."

[seveninchmotto]

"I know," she replied, half in an exaggerated whine that got muffled against somewhere around his collarbone. "It's unfortunate, is what it is."

[flickofthewrist]

"You need more girl friends," Flick told her, shaking his head. "Like Joi or my mom or something. Though maybe you've given them clothes like that too. If you have, don't tell me."

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle laughed, and actually pulled back from the comfort of his neck enough to actually see him.

"I did not get your mother anything see-through," she said. "It was a lovely scarf, I'll have you know."

[flickofthewrist]

"How was she?" Flick asked curiously. "She do all right with everything?"

[seveninchmotto]

"She's well," Isabelle told him, her voice softening a touch, with a little smile. "She was okay. Don't worry."

A beat. Then, a little brighter:

"Also, I took the liberty of telling her we'll come see her on New Year's Day."

[flickofthewrist]

"Look at you, taking liberties with my mother," Flick quipped, snickering. "Good thing I was able to make it home or I'd have felt like a jackass for making you a liar."

[seveninchmotto]

"If you hadn't made it, I would've gone by myself, and we would've talked about your childhood some more," she teased, with a lopsided smirk. "Beth and I would've made it work."

[flickofthewrist]

"I'm a little frightened with how friendly you're getting with my mother," Flick told her, shaking his head. "It could be dangerous."

[seveninchmotto]

"Please, one of us has to be friendly with someone's parent," Isabelle replied, with a joking dismissiveness. Even with how relatively often he saw Robert now that Isabelle half lived at his house in Alicante, it wasn't exactly a warm thing they had going on. And Maryse seemed to still be holding off until seeing him Ascend.

You know, since Maryse was such a warm and friendly person to begin with.

"I like her."

[flickofthewrist]

"I'm glad," he said sincerely. He pressed a kiss to her nose and smiled. "She likes you too. Probably more than me since you're around her more."

[seveninchmotto]

"She likes me. She loves you."

She knew it was a joke but she couldn't help stressing this to him anyway. (She had a whole big thing about making sure he knew he was loved and important. Some things just stuck with you.)

[flickofthewrist]

"I think she loves you too," he told her, bringing her closer for a hug. "I'm actually sure of it. And I love you more."

[seveninchmotto]

"I love her too." Well, it was no big secret. Isabelle embraced him, maybe a little more tightly than might have been expected. "And I love you."

[flickofthewrist]

"I would hope so," Flick said, blowing a raspberry against her cheek and laughing. "It'd make this marriage thing a lot harder if you didn't love me."

[seveninchmotto]

"Don't be an ass, I'm being serious." Not really. She sounded amused, and also went and tried to nip at his jaw, as if that was some kind of a punishment. "I love you. You should remember that."