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Izzy, as a whole, hated surprises.
She had hated them as a child when her parents had pretended to forget her birthday just to surprise her later that night, and she hated them even more now that she was old enough not to be kept in the dark.
However, Clary had always been the exception to her rules. All it took was a hopeful smile and a bat of her eyelashes, and Izzy was at her mercy. Still, she had to admit that being blindfolded and walking through what felt suspiciously like a forest wasn’t her idea of a good time. Especially since she didn’t know what awaited her at the other end of the darkness.
She trusted her girlfriend not to lead her into some strange demon nest as an early birthday present – and yes, Jace had done just that a few years earlier – but Clary’s ideas of fun didn’t always match up with Izzy’s. So really, Izzy thought she deserved to be a little bit anxious.
“Are we almost there?” She asked, a hint of a whine in her voice. “I feel like we’ve been walking for hours.”
“I drove you here most of the way, Isabelle, so please stop complaining,” her girlfriend chuckled. Izzy couldn’t see her face, but she was willing to bet the redhead had rolled her eyes at her at least five times in the last hour. “But yes, we’re almost there. I swear, you’re absolutely horrible at surprises. You’d think after all those birthday parties you threw me in secret, you wouldn’t mind spending fifteen minutes blindfolded.”
“A birthday party is not the same thing as a blind traipse to what sounds an awful lot like the deep dark woods of Edom,” Izzy grumbled, barely holding back a squeal as she felt something brush against her calf. If her girlfriend’s snort of laughter was anything to go by, she hadn’t quite succeeded.
“First of all, you know better than most that there are no woods in Edom,” Clary said cheekily. “And secondly, I promise you won’t find yourself in any kind of dark wood when you open yours eyes. The path to heaven is riddled with thorns and obstacles, Isabelle.”
“Yes, yes, I get it, no need to start quoting your authors or artists or whatever at me. Just please drag me along faster, I’m not sure I can deal with yet another bug on my dress. Oh my god, please tell me I haven’t ruined my outfit because of this.”
“For heaven’s sake, Isabelle, you look fine,” Clary huffed. “You spend your nights getting covered in ichor, but you’re worried about a little bit of dirt? Even if your clothes get dirty, it’s not like we can’t clean them once we get back to the apartment.”
“I know that,” Izzy pouted, almost stumbling as the path under her feet disappeared and was replaced by what felt like long grass. “But I don’t want to look anything less than perfect for our date. You deserve perfection, Clary, and I can’t give you that if my white dress has splotches of brown on it.”
Her girlfriend didn’t answer, but Izzy could almost feel the fondness and exasperation warring within Clary’s heart. The redhead loved her, of course, but Izzy knew she couldn’t sometimes be a bit of a handful to deal with. It was why Clary usually knew better than to plan a surprise date for her girlfriend.
“And we’re here,” Clary finally exclaimed. Before Izzy could complain about the blindfold or whine about how long and tiring the walk had been, her girlfriend was tugging it off her eyes and gesturing wildly around herself. “Isn’t it beautiful, Isabelle?”
Izzy gaped at the field they had walked into, her mouth dry and her words refusing to leave her throat. It truly was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. There were multicoloured flowers everywhere, covering the floor in a rainbow blanket, and Isabelle found herself wanting to roll around on the grass and see if those colours stuck to her immaculate dress.
A huge mansion stood in the background, making Izzy wonder if they had somehow stepped into a fairy-tale. That idea was only furthered when she spotted the area Clary had undoubtedly selected for their date.
In the middle of the field, a single tree towered over a picnic table. It twisted and turned, branches going in every direction, and Izzy could easily imagine her girlfriend climbing up and making silly faces at her, trying to convince her to join in on the fun. The table itself had already been covered with a cloth, and there were piles of food waiting for them.
“Alright, so I may have asked Magnus for his help,” Clary shrugged sheepishly, waving towards the table. “But it was either that or bring you here via portal, and I rather enjoyed our walk through the forest, so I can’t say I regret my decision.”
“Why you…” Izzy started, narrowing her eyes at her girlfriend. As soon as she noticed the delighted grin on Clary’s face, however, the glare melted off her face and was replaced by what Alec fondly called her ‘smitten gaze’. “This is perfect, Clary, thank you.”
“So you’re not mad at me for dragging you through the woods? Even though Magnus could have easily portalled us here?” Clary asked mischievously, grabbing Izzy’s hand and tugging her towards the picnic table.
The flowers seemed to part under their feet, and Izzy wondered if it was another magic trick or if it was just the world’s way of reminding her she was dating an angel.
“Of course I’m not mad at you,” Izzy scoffed. “I may not have enjoyed the walk as much as you did, but I can’t be angry about anything that puts a smile like that on your face.”
“You’re such a romantic, Isabelle Lightwood,” Clary sighed happily. “Sometimes I wonder if you know how smooth you are or if you’re just naturally that charming. Either way, I’m sure it shouldn’t be legal. Someday, I’m going to swoon right in front of you and I know for a fact you won’t catch me.”
“What?!” Izzy exclaimed indignantly, swatting at her girlfriend’s arm as Clary burst into those adorable giggles of hers. “I would definitely catch you, Fray, I’m a shadowhunter! I’ve dealt with a lot worse than swooning girlfriends, believe me. Besides, I doubt that my words will ever truly make you pass out. You’re stronger than that, Clary.”
“Not when it comes to you,” the redhead pointed out, plopping herself down onto the picnic bench. She didn’t even wince at the feeling, even though Izzy knew for a fact that those things were usually uncomfortable and more than a little painful. “Magnus magicked it for us, so stop worrying about your legs and your dress and your pitiful shadowhunter pride and sit down.”
“So demanding,” Izzy smirked, though she sat next to her girlfriend without further protest. “Tell me, are you like this with everyone or just those you love?”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out, Lightwood,” Clary grinned. “We’ve been dating for three years, I think you should know the answer to that by now. And if not, well… Maybe you don’t deserve to know.”
“This is what I mean!” Izzy threw her hands up. “Always demanding more from me. How am I supposed to keep up with you if you’re constantly asking for more?”
“You don’t have to do anything to keep up with me,” Clary rolled her eyes. “You’re already way ahead of me, Isabelle, believe me. Now, how about you eat the wonderful lunch your brother prepared for us instead of complaining about everything else?”
Izzy opened her mouth to tease Clary about her lack of culinary abilities, but her girlfriend took advantage of her distraction and shoved a grape past her lips, bursting into laughter at Izzy’s offended look. The brunette narrowed her eyes at her girlfriend, swallowed the grape, and grabbed one of Alec’s tiny sandwiches.
“Oh, we’re on,” she chuckled darkly, leaning into Clary’s space and waving the sandwich in her face menacingly. Of course, it only made her girlfriend laugh louder, but that had been the goal.
They spent the next half hour feeding each other in increasingly ridiculous ways, getting food all over the table and not caring about in one bit. Izzy didn’t even blink when some of the wine dripped onto her dress, not when it had gotten there in such a delightful manner. And maybe they kissed a little more than what was strictly appropriate for a picnic, but who was there to judge them?
By the time they were done with their meal, Izzy had forgotten all about the walk through the woods and her frustration at being kept in the dark until the very last moment. It wasn’t like she could be angry at Clary, not when she had obviously carefully prepared their date to make it as wonderful as possible.
The field was just as beautiful after their lunch as it had been before, and Izzy gave in to her impulses. Jumping up from the bench, she threw herself into the grass and rolled around happily, grinning brightly when she sat up and noticed the tiny spots of colour littering her dress.
“I thought you didn’t want to get your dress dirty,” Clary chuckled, joining her on the ground and picking out a few field flowers until they formed a tiny bouquet. “What you just did is definitely messier than a traipse through the forest.”
“Hmm,” Izzy hummed leaning her head against her girlfriend’s shoulder. “But these colours are so much prettier than dirt.”
“If you think your back won’t be full of dirt by the time you stand up, you are thoroughly mistaken, Isabelle,” Clary shook her head fondly. “Though I’ll admit these colours look wonderful on you. I should have worn white; then we could have had matching outfits.”
“I could make you a flower crown to go with my dress,” Izzy suggested, perking up at the thought of doing something silly and simple with her girlfriend. They so rarely let themselves go, since Izzy usually preferred going to the restaurant for their dates, and Clary tended to pick art galleries or museums. “Then we’d be the two prettiest girls in this field.”
“We’re the only girls in this field, love,” Clary rolled her eyes, though she was smiling at Izzy like she had never met anyone as wonderful. “However, I would love a flower crown. I wasn’t aware that was something shadowhunters taught their children, but I’m glad to hear you still had a childhood outside of that miserable church.”
“First of all, how dare you insult the Institute!” Izzy gasped, raising her hands to her heart. “You love that place as much as I do, though I’ll admit our apartment is slightly better in terms of neighbours.”
Clary snorted, but Izzy shushed her, picking a few white flowers and putting them onto her lap for her girlfriend’s crown.
“However, I don’t actually know how to make a flower crown,” Izzy continued, smiling sheepishly at Clary. “You’re right, it’s not exactly a shadowhunter skill. It’s not like our mother would have taken us to a field like this one just to teach us how to weave flowers together. You’re going to have to show me how it’s done.”
“Oh, I see how it is,” Clary laughed. “You want a matching crown!”
“Of course I do,” Izzy said haughtily. “You can’t reign by yourself, Clary Fray, it would be selfish.”
“It certainly would,” Clary said mock-seriously. “You’re absolutely right, I should make you a flower crown too. Not because you need help, of course, just because you’re my queen. Every queen deserves a crown.”
“Especially us,” Izzy corrected, already glancing over at Clary to make sure she was copying her movements down to the tee.
They stayed silent for a few minutes, both focusing on their crowns. Clary was doing a much better job of it than Izzy, unsurprisingly, but the brunette was trying her best and she knew her girlfriend would appreciate the gesture either way. It took her a while, but she eventually managed to string together a dozen of flowers and proudly presented them to Clary, who accepted them with a bow.
A second later, Izzy was bestowed with a matching crown of bright red poppies. She bowed just as formally as her girlfriend had and rewarded her with a peck on the lips.
“Oh really,” Clary whined. “I make you my queen and gift you a beautiful crown, and that’s all you’re going to give me in return? Maybe you don’t love as much as you said you did.”
“Oh, for angel’s-” Izzy huffed, leaning and pressing her lips to Clary’s again, lingering for a while longer.
Her girlfriend melted against her, twisting around until she was sitting on Izzy’s lap, and Izzy didn’t protest when Clary deepened the kiss, stealing her breath away. They stayed there for a while, exchanging kisses and whispering sweet nothings against each other’s lips, and Izzy felt her entire body fill with happiness.
Suddenly, Clary pulled away and looked at Izzy seriously, fidgeting with the hem of her dress as she worked up the courage to say whatever was on her mind. Izzy waited patiently, smiling reassuringly at Clary, and rubbing soothing circles into her back.
“You know, I’ve had something on my mind for a few months now,” the redhead finally murmured, letting go of her dress and twirling a strand of Izzy’s hair with her fingers instead. “And I haven’t been able to tell you because I feel like no moment is perfect enough for this, but… I’m not sure it’s going to get any more perfect than this.”
Izzy’s breath caught in her chest. She had a feeling she knew exactly where this was going, and she had no clue what to do about it. Her hands tightened around Clary’s waist as she eagerly waited for her girlfriend’s next words.
“Sitting here, wearing a crown that makes me your queen, I want nothing more than to do this over and over again until the end of my life,” Clary said, her voice cracking as she spoke. “I don’t have a ring for you, not yet, but I’ll buy you a thousand pieces of jewellery if it means you’ll marry me.”
There were tears streaming down her face as she nodded in acceptance, not trusting herself to say anything. Clary threw herself at her, making them crash onto the ground together. Their lips found each other again, and Izzy smiled into the kiss, wondering if she had ever been this happy.
They lay there in a field of flowers and joy, and Isabelle lost herself in hers and her fiancée’s love.