Work Text:
“There’s no reason for us to be nervous.”
Maia raises an eyebrow at Clary, showing her just how unimpressed she is by her empty words. There’s every reason for them to be nervous and they both know it. Sure, what they’re about to do isn’t exactly outrageous, but it’s unusual enough that there’s a high chance Izzy is going to laugh in their faces.
“What’s the worst she could do?” Clary continues determinedly. “Say no? I’m sure we’ll live if that’s what happens. Besides, every sign seems to point towards her being completely okay with this. I have the feeling Isabelle isn’t the type of person to let social norms dictate her life.”
“Easy for you to say,” Maia snaps, although her words are more anxious than angry. “You’re the one she’s already confessed to. If you broke up with me, you could have her. Hell, I’m still not completely convinced that’s not the best solution.”
Clary slaps her shoulder hard, glaring at her until Maia meets her gaze. They’ve had this conversation plenty of times in the past few months.
It had started with a seemingly innocent confession. A few weeks after Maia and Clary got together, when their relationship was still new and relatively secret, Izzy had told Clary she liked her. Clary, of course, had been flattered but had politely rejected Izzy.
It wasn’t that the redhead didn’t like Izzy, because Maia knew she liked her more than she liked almost anyone, but she had refused to break up with Maia. To this day, Maia still didn’t understand why she had chosen her over Izzy, but she wasn’t about to complain.
However, Izzy’s confession had never really left their minds. They had talked about it a few times, mentioning Clary’s crush on her but her inability to do anything about it. She had never complained, had never made Maia feel like she wasn’t enough, but it had still been a recurring topic in their day-to-day lives.
Eventually, Maia had told Clary about her own feelings. They had both been conflicted, because their relationship was so good as it was, but adding Izzy to the mix had always been an option and the two women had been unable to let it go.
They don’t know, of course, if Izzy would be okay with such a relationship. Triads aren’t exactly rare in the Shadow World, especially not amongst downworlders, but Izzy is a shadowhunter. She’s been raised with a certain mindset, one that neither Clary nor Maia can really understand. They want to believe she’d be okay with their interest, but they’re not sure.
It’s the uncertainty that worries Maia. They’ve been talking about approaching Izzy for months but have only just gathered up the courage to do it.
They chose the Hunter’s Moon, since it’s familiar territory. They’ve had drinks with Izzy there a couple of times, as friends of course, and Maia thought it was the perfect place to start a new relationship.
Or to get rejected, since being at a bar means there’s plenty of alcohol on hand to drown your sorrows in. Maia has no idea what the night’s outcome will be, but she’s ready either way.
“She’s late,” Maia says after a few minutes of silence. They’re both uncomfortably aware of every single who walks into the bar and isn’t Izzy. “Do you think she’s going to bail? Maybe she suspects something is up and has decided to avoid confrontation instead of breaking our hearts.”
“Or maybe she’s just late, as always,” Clary rolls her eyes. “You know Isabelle, she likes making a dramatic entrance. Besides, there’s no way she suspects anything. We do this once a week. She probably just thinks this is another girls’ night.”
“I sure hope she does,” Maia sighs. She’s overreacting, she knows she is.
Clary has always been the more outgoing one of their couple. Maia stands up to people, but Clary is the one who makes them like her. Maia can beat them up, but Clary will be there to hold them and make sure they’re alright. It’s no wonder Izzy liked Clary first; the redhead is like the sun, and Maia… She doesn’t know what she is, but it’s nothing as bright as Clary.
“Hey, listen to me,” Clary snaps her fingers in front of Maia’s face, drawing her attention back to her gaze. “You’re just as amazing as I am, Maia Roberts. I know you don’t believe it, and I know you’re afraid of adding someone to our relationship is going to mess with the way I feel about you, but you’re selling yourself short. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Isabelle or no. Having her with us would be perfect, but if you’re having second doubts, you’re allowed to tell me you don’t want it.”
“Of course I want it,” Maia huffs, annoyed at herself more than anything. “I’ve never wanted anything more than this. Izzy and us, we just…”
“We fit?” Clary finishes for her, smiling fondly. “I know. It’s been torture spending time with her as just friends and acting as though I don’t have the biggest crush on her. I bet we looked ridiculous, pining after her but not saying anything about it. Maybe she’ll be just as relieved as we are to get away from the awkward friendzone we’ve been stuck in for the past couple of months.”
Maia grinned, the smile coming more naturally than her previous ones had. The reminder that Izzy spent her free nights with them and no one else is enough to bolster her confidence. They’ve been over this, they’ve discussed the many possibilities, and they’re almost certain Izzy likes them too.
It’s not about their feelings, though, it’s about how comfortable Izzy is with the idea of dating several people at once. Their crushes on each other have been fairly obvious. It’s easy to see in the way Clary lets herself go when they’re together, in the way Maia lets herself be weak, in the way Izzy leans on them whenever she’s doubting herself. They like each other – Maia would go as far as to say she loves them – but life is a little more complicated than just ‘like’ or ‘don’t like’.
“Sorry I’m late!”
Izzy’s voice breaks through Maia’s thoughts. As soon as she spots the brunette, jogging into the Hunter’s Moon with flushed cheeks and a sheepish smile on her face that only appears when she’s around Maia and Clary, Maia’s worries fade away. They’re still lingering at the back of her mind somewhere, but she’s willing to forget about them for a little while.
At least until the alcohol kicks in.
“We’ve been waiting for you to start drinking,” Maia smirks, letting none of her inner turmoil show on her face. “You know, I thought you would make an exception to your fashionably late entrances for us, but I guess I was wrong.”
“We’ve been doing this for months,” Izzy chuckles, sitting down in between Maia and Clary as always. It feels right, for some reason, having her in the middle. “When have I ever been on time?”
“Never,” Clary grins. “Not for lack of trying, I’m sure. You look like you went on quite the run. Excited to see us again?”
“Always,” Izzy answers. She’s teasing them, but there’s a hint of sincerity behind her words that makes Maia relax even further. “Now, what are we drinking to tonight? Is there a special occasion we’re celebrating?”
“None at all.”
“Not yet.”
Maia narrows her eyes at Clary, who only shrugs unrepentantly. This wasn’t the plan. They were supposed to work up to the difficult topic, not jump into it heads first. Izzy’s already perking up, gaze eager and curious. Maia knows there’s no way they’re getting out of this without telling her what’s going on.
“Spit it out, guys,” Izzy whines. Clary and Maia glance at each other. For all the confidence Clary had shown earlier, Maia knows she’ll be the one to ask the question in the end. Clary always tells her she’s stronger and braver than her. Maia just thinks she lacks a bit of a filter. She’s too blunt for her own good, as her friends love to tell her. “I’ve had a long day, and I need all the gossip.”
“There’s no gossip,” Clary corrects. “Maia and I just wanted to talk to you about something. Nothing bad, I promise, just something that’s been on our minds for a while. We want to know what you think about it.”
“Alright, well now I’m really curious,” Izzy claps her hands together, looking between Clary and Maia expectantly. “I swear, if the two of you don’t start talking right now I’ll tell Alec about that one time when I caught you fucking in the-”
“Don’t you dare ,” Maia growls. There are some things Alec doesn’t need to know, and that is definitely one of them. “And excuse us for taking a while to work up to it. We’re nervous, alright?”
“You, nervous?” Izzy grins. “This must be really serious.”
“We like you,” Maia blurts out. Clary giggles nervously, Izzy gapes, and Maia takes a second to hit her head against the counter. Really, subtlety is not her strong suit. “And not just as friends, I mean. We know you have a crush on Clary, or at least you did a few months ago, and I completely understand if you’re not interested in me at all, but we really like you and we think you might like us too and we want to do something about it.”
Clary is laughing now, trying to hide her amused grin behind her hands but failing miserably. Izzy is still gaping, staring at Maia as though she didn’t understand a single word of her speech. Maybe she didn’t, since Maia isn’t sure she was making any kind of sense.
“Isabelle?” Clary asks quietly, poking Izzy’s arm until the brunette snaps out of her daze. “Did you hear any of that?”
“Yeah,” Izzy breathes out. “Yeah, I did. I’m just… Not sure how I’m supposed to answer. When you say you want to ‘do something about it’, what do you mean exactly?”
Clary turns towards Maia again, but she shakes her head firmly. She did the hard part, and she refuses to go through it a second time. Clary can giggle if she wants to, but she’ll have to do her part and participate in this conversation, because there’s no way Maia is going to make it through alone.
“A relationship,” Clary finally says, slowly and tentatively. “With both of us. We know it’s a bit strange and unconventional, but we both want to date you whilst still dating each other, so… It’s the only solution we came up with. I’m not going to break up with Maia for you, but I still like you a lot. The same goes for her.”
“I just…” Izzy licks her lips. “Really? Both of you? I mean, I noticed the way you seem to stare at me appreciatively and talk to me a lot and everything, but I thought it was just physical attraction. Do neither of you have a problem with sharing?”
“Not really,” Maia shrugs. She really doesn’t. She understands why some people might, doesn’t think monogamy is a bad thing, but to her, dating two people just means twice as much love. There’s nothing wrong with it. “We understand if you do, though. We wouldn’t have brought this up if we didn’t think there was a chance of you wanting this as much as we do, but we wouldn’t think any less of you if you refused.”
“I’m not going to…” Izzy starts, shaking her head and clearing her throat before beginning again. “I’m not going to refuse. Dating the two of you at the same time sounds like a dream. There’s no way I’d ever say no to something so wonderful. I’m just… surprised, I suppose. The two of you fit so well together. Don’t you think adding me to the mix might mess things up?”
No, Maia doesn’t think so at all.
Izzy, despite what the woman herself might think, is perfect for them. She’s outgoing and kind like Clary, but also sarcastic and confident like Maia. She’s stronger than the both of them combined and hides a heart of gold underneath her impassive and sassy exterior.
Most importantly, Clary and Maia love her, or are at least falling in love with her. There’s no reason for her not to fit into their little triad, especially considering the fact that they’ve practically already been going on weekly dates.
Some of their feelings must be written on their faces, because Izzy mutters a small ‘ oh ’ before her face breaks into a huge grin.
“Does this mean this is a date?” she finally asks. “Because it’s much nicer to think of it as that than another ‘girls’ night’ spent with me pining after the two of you. I was starting to wonder if I should just stop coming, because seeing you act all loving with each other was more than a little heartbreaking.”
Maia takes one of Izzy’s hands, seeing Clary do the same thing on her side of things. They both look at the brunette softly, leaning in to press a kiss to each of her cheeks and grinning at each other around Izzy.
“We won’t leave you out anymore,” Clary beams. “I promise we’ll be as loving to you as we’ve always been to each other. Besides, it’ll be hard to kiss around you, since you’re constantly in the middle.”
“I guess I’ll just have to steal all those kisses for myself, then,” Izzy shrugs, a mischievous gleam entering her eyes. “The only question is, which one of you gets the first one?”
Maia lets herself be surprised for a moment before narrowing her eyes at Clary over Izzy’s head. Her girlfriend – one of them, at least – raises an eyebrow challengingly, and Maia returns it with a smirk of her own.
They’re on .