Work Text:
Clary couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t been a part of the server Lydia had created.
She knew, rationally, that she had once been a lonely fan who read fanfiction in her downtime and didn’t interact with anyone else outside of the website’s comment section, but she truly couldn’t remember it. She had read five of Lydia’s fics before finally clicking on the discord server link in her notes and getting sucked into a world of friendship and creation and joy like she had never felt before.
She had quickly struck up a friendship with a few of the people on the server, including Lydia, who was one of the sweetest human beings she had ever met; Alec, a slightly grumpy but mostly sarcastic man who wrote more in a day than most of the writers did in a week, and Maia, a reader who cheered them on every step of the way. They spent their days talking, and their conversations – or at least Clary’s and Alec’s, whose sleep schedules were completely messed up – often lasted well into the night.
So when Lydia had announced that the server would be hosting a mini bang for their beloved fandom, mixing both artists and writers, Clary had been over the moon. She didn’t often share her art on the server, too self-conscious to promote herself as openly as others did, but she had to admit she was looking forward to working with a writer and bringing their story to life with her painting.
She had jumped on the artist claims as soon as Lydia had posted the summaries and had gotten her top pick without fuss. And then she had read the list of match-ups and promptly forgotten how to breathe.
***
To: 3 geniuses + 1 cheerleader
RedBiscuit: HOLY FUCKING SHIT LYDIA. How dare you not warn me about who I was paired with? How dare you drop this bomb on me in a group PowerPoint that I know you shared with Alec last week? AND ALEC YOU TRAITOR, I cannot believe you didn’t remind me that one of these fics belonged to your sister. I’m going to die of embarrassment and it will have been your fault.
alphabranwell: Oh please, you absolute drama queen, you got your answer at the same time as everyone else did. Besides, we all know you couldn’t be happier about which writer you’ll be working with.
Archer135: I still can’t believe you chose her fic out of dozens of options. If that’s not fate, Red, I don’t know what is. Honestly, the only reason I didn’t tell you about your match is because I knew you would try to get Lydia to switch you guys around, and that definitely wasn’t going to happen.
RedBiscuit: I hate you all. Isabelle is a goddess of a writer and I will never live up to her expectations.
Archer135: Isabelle is a disaster of a human being and is currently squealing at me about how excited she is to work with you. She has about 24 different ideas for what you could do, and she’s panicking and wondering if any of them are good enough. I assure you, you’re fine.
alphabranwell: azhdskl I cannot believe our two favourite girls are finally going to figure their shit out and get together.
Maia_Hale: This better be about Isabelle and Clary, because otherwise I’ll be deeply offended not to be considered one of your favourite two girls.
Archer135: Don’t worry, you’re still above Isabelle in my book, Maia. At least you don’t force me to beta your porn and insist that me being your brother doesn’t make it weird. I know more about my sister’s kinks than I ever wanted to. Red, however, probably wouldn’t mind listening to Isabelle go on and on about the list of things she wants to make her characters do. So pls, just stop bothering us and go talk to her.
alphabranwell: You’ll have to do it eventually, Red, since establishing contact is literally the first step to the artist/writer relationship you’re going to have to build. I’ve worked too hard for you to screw this up because of a crush.
RedBiscuit: Can’t believe you’re trying to guilt-trip me into messaging her by reminding me of how much work you put into this.
alphabranwell: Is it working?
RedBiscuit: …
RedBiscuit: Goodbye all.
***
When Clary had first heard that Alec had a sister on a server, she had been intrigued despite herself. She had interacted with almost everyone who showed up semi-regularly but none of them had struck her as the kind of person who might have been raised with Alec Lightwood.
As it turned out, that was because he and his sister couldn’t have been more different if they tried. Isabelle – or notabeta, as most people on the server knew her – was outgoing, extravagantly beautiful, and also one of the most generous, selfless, and funniest women in Clary’s life. They hadn’t talked much, because Clary was way too intimidated to message Isabelle privately, but they both liked the same pairings and commented on each other’s creations every once in a while.
(Or every time Isabelle posted, in Clary’s case.)
However, what had really cemented the crush Clary had on the beautiful brunette was the day she had spent in New York City with her friends. Alec had invited all of them to spend some time with him, and although Clary had barely seen Isabelle, the single glimpse she had caught of her had been enough to make her heart beat wildly and her thoughts fly out of her mind.
Ever since that day, her friends had been teasing her mercilessly about her feelings for the other woman and Clary’s inability to act on them. It wasn’t like she was in love with Isabelle, but there was something mysterious and inviting about the brunette, and Clary had been pining after her for what felt like years – but had probably only been two months, maybe three.
Honestly, she had been days away from throwing caution to the wind and sending Isabelle a private message, and the mini bang had just given her the perfect excuse to talk to the woman. But for some reason, it felt different. It felt like she was suddenly being thrown into the deep end and asked to navigate a territory she was completely unfamiliar with.
Clary didn’t do flirting, and she definitely didn’t do flirting with gorgeous women who wrote like it was what they had been meant to do. Her only comfort was that, even if she accidentally said the wrong thing, she could always ask Alec for advice. Izzy and he tried to stay separate on the server, but Clary knew she could count on the man who had become her best friend to help her out in case of emergency. Not that she was hoping for an emergency.
She didn’t message her friends again that day and, when she talked to them in the evening, she pointedly didn’t mention the fact that she had yet to text Isabelle. Thankfully, none of them brought attention to that topic again, and Clary loved them all the more for it.
All in all, it took her fifteen hours to gather the courage to message Isabelle. She had half been hoping that the woman would send her a DM herself but, after hours of seeing Isabelle interact on the server with no news in private, Clary had caved. Lydia would be so proud of her.
***
To: RedBiscuit, notabeta
RedBiscuit: Hey Isabelle! I hope your day is going well! I don’t know if you were made aware, but we’ve been paired up for the mini bang, and I was just checking in to see what you wanted us to do about our partnership. I don’t know how much you’ve already written, so I completely understand if you want some more time to think about anything art-related, just keep me updated!
notabeta: Clary, sorry for the wait. Been super busy trying to get some writing done and completely forgot to check my messages >.< I did see we were paired up, but if I’m being honest, I was too nervous to message you. Your art is amazing and, although I know my writing isn’t so bad either, I just couldn’t do it. I can send you what I have so far if you think it’ll help you get into the universe, but I think the scenes you’ll find more interesting happen further in the fic.
RedBiscuit: I would love to see what you have already. I mean, not to sound like a fangirl, but I love everything you write and (maybe) binge-read your fics every time I’m off work, so… I was just as nervous to message you as you were to message me, except I had Lydia on my back making sure I went through with it.
notabeta: Great! I’ll send you the link to the docs in just a sec, and maybe create a groupchat with Alec so he can add his input as my beta. Hopefully you’ll like it (although I’m going to assume you will, since you chose it from quite a few amazing summaries). And that’s right, you’re friends with Lydia and a few other people from the server, right? Came to NYC a while back?
RedBiscuit: Sounds good to me! And yeah, I basically spend half of my days talking to Lydia, Maia, and your brother on our groupchat. We’re close enough that I know even some of your secrets, since Alec adores gossip.
notabeta: I’m going to kill him if he told you anything embarrassing. Or maybe I’ll embarrass him right back and tell you all about his new boyfriend who he’s absolutely head over heels for. I’ve never met two people who are so perfect for each other but also don’t know how to handle their feelings.
RedBiscuit: Oooh, Magnus right? We’ve been trying to get him to tell us more about him, but he’s ridiculously tight-lipped about the whole thing. He’s probably afraid we would just stalk the poor dude and scare him away from Alec. He’s still not over the stunt we pulled with that last guy, Raj or something? Total dick.
notabeta: Oh, absolutely. I can’t believe you were behind his fast retreat! You’re just full of surprises, Clary. Pretty, kind, talented, and a streak of mischief on top of all that? Are you quite sure you’re real?
RedBiscuit: ADKJFJFB YES. Yes, I’m pretty sure I’m real. Real enough that I can tell you about what happened when Alec came over to my house last month (;
notabeta: I’m all ears.
***
After that, talking to Isabelle became yet another part of Clary’s routine. The two of them chatted in between shifts, at night, and even whilst Clary was talking to her other friends. She was addicted to Isabelle’s everything, and she wasn’t afraid to admit it.
She had devoured the other woman’s fic in less than five hours and had immediately screamed at her about how amazing the beginning was and how excited she was to read the rest. She had loved all of Isabelle’s fics so far, but this one was truly something else. Her hands had been itching to sketch something out from the very start and, two weeks later, she had an entire notebook filled with drawings and paintings inspired by Isabelle’s story.
Alec liked to tease them both relentlessly about how excited they were, using their groupchat as his way of trying to push them together. Clary knew there was something between Isabelle and her, and she appreciated Alec’s attempts to make things easier for them, but she honestly didn’t know if she would ever find the courage to take their friendship and transform it into something more.
The signs were there, and they lived close enough to each other that a relationship was technically possible, but…
But Clary liked Isabelle a lot, even as a friend, and she had always been irrationally afraid of messing things up with someone by turning it into something romantic. She had heard wonderful stories about friends who became lovers and lived happily ever after, but she had also heard plenty of horror stories where things went wrong and they could never talk to each other again.
Besides, Clary loved the server Lydia had created, and she knew Isabelle loved it too. If they got together and things didn’t work out, there was a chance they might make things awkward for everyone else, which was the last thing Clary wanted.
Most of all, though, she was afraid of rejection. What Isabelle and she had was different than what she had ever experienced with someone in her life. She wouldn’t say sparks had flown between them from the very start, but they had settled into each other’s day-to-day lives so easily that Clary sometimes forgot she had never actually met Isabelle in person.
The same thing had happened with Lydia, Maia, and Alec, but this was something else entirely. This was a beautiful woman, one whom Clary admired a great deal, showing interest in the redhead and complimenting her art and telling her she couldn’t have been paired with anyone better for the mini bang. This was Isabelle Lightwood, a woman whom Alec had gushed about plenty of times, talking to Clary as though she were actually interesting.
This was Clary, falling for Isabelle faster than she had ever fallen for anyone. The small crush she had had on the woman was nothing compared to what she felt two weeks after truly starting to talk to her. Every time she received a notification from the brunette, her heart sped up and her tongue tied itself into knots. Every time her friends teased her about Isabelle, she lost the ability to express herself correctly, too overwhelmed by her feelings to put them into writing. And every time Alec slid into her private messages and asked her if things were alright, she could only tell him that yes, she was fine, but she also felt very lost and confused half the time.
“I just don’t know how I’m supposed to believe she’ll just… Agree to go out with me,” Clary sighed over the phone one night, having hoped that her best friend’s deep voice would lull her to sleep. She had been feeling restless all evening, unable to focus on her art and unwilling to go to bed quite yet. “I know she likes me. Or at least, I really think she likes me, and you seem to think so too, but…”
“But it’s not that easy?” Alec suggested quietly. Clary nodded slowly, then realised her friend couldn’t see her and hummed her agreement instead. “Isabelle and you… I don’t know what to tell you, because this is your choice, but I really think there’s something there, Red, whether you believe it’ll last or not.”
“Yeah,” Clary breathed out. “But even if I did make a move, how do I show her how much this would really mean to me? The last thing I want is to head into this and realise that our expectations were very different after a month of dating or something. I already care about her so much, Alec, and I don’t want to get my heart broken because I didn’t make sure she cared about me too.”
“Then do something that’ll show her just how serious you are about this,” Alec said. He was probably shrugging, idiot that he was. “You two are working on her fic together, right? Or at least, on the art for her fic. So why don’t you do something special related to that? You could do the painting she expected and then add a little something else, something that’s significant to the two of you.”
“That’s… Surprisingly good advice,” Clary admitted, snickering at her best friend’s indignant splutters. “I’m kidding; I know you snagged yourself a handsome man, so there’s no reason for you not to be good at romance now.”
“I was good at romance even before Magnus,” Alec huffed. “But I suppose I’ll take whatever I can get. You sound exhausted, Red, so I’m going to hang up on you with a firm order to get some sleep. I know you want to think about Isabelle and your art some more, but you’ll think better in the sunlight. Get rest, and I’ll talk to you again tomorrow. I love you, good night!”
“I love you too,” Clary murmured, and then she was laying in the complete darkness and silence again, feeling her eyelids flutter shut.
Alec was right; she was too tired to think about anything right now. If she wanted this new piece of art to be perfect for Isabelle, she needed to be fully conscious and ready to come up with actual ideas, not just half-assed sketches she wouldn’t understand in the morning.
But if her brain dreamed up hundreds of colours for Isabelle that night, she certainly wouldn’t complain.
***
To: Lightwood & Co
notabeta: Can you believe the fics are going up in two days?? I am honestly freaking out, cannot believe this thing I poured my heart and soul into is finally going to be out in the world. Seriously couldn’t have done it without you guys, you’re the best.
RedBiscuit: Are you drunk??
RedBiscuit: Alec, is she drunk?
RedBiscuit: You don’t usually get this sappy when you’re sober, so I’m going to assume you had a little too much alcohol whilst you were out drinking with your friends. Just so you know, your fic is wonderful. It’s beautiful, and everyone is going to adore it, because you made it and everything you make comes out perfectly. And we wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for you, so credit to you, Isabelle.
Archer135: what Rd ssaid.
RedBiscuit: … You’re both drunk, aren’t you? I swear, the two of you are unbelievable! Alec, I can’t believe you scolded Maia less than a week ago for getting so drunk she could barely stand, and yet here you are, not even typing correctly. I know you’re both looking forward to the end of this bang, and are also ecstatic about your parents’ divorce, but that much alcohol can’t be healthy.
notabeta: You’re so concerned, Clary, you don’t need to be concerned. Alec and I are doing great! Never been better!!! Honestly, smiles on our faces and glasses – I mean water – in our hands! And we have Mangsu!! He’s always here to make sure Alec makes it home safely, and he takes care of me too. He calls me his sister in lwa, Clary! They’ve been together for less than two months!
RedBiscuit: Right, well, I’ll leave Magnus to take care of you then. I love you both, take care of yourselves, and make sure the cover art is up to the proper standards when you send it to Lydia, or she’ll murder me.
RedBiscuit: Actually, never mind. I’ll do it myself. Good night, Lightwoods. Alec, if a single hair off Isabelle’s head is hurt tonight, I will find you and hunt you down. The alcohol is no excuse.
notabeta: I can take care of myself, Red! But thank you!! Good night!! I love you a lot too <33
Archer135: I’ll look atfre her, dont worryy! G’night Red!
***
Clary glanced at herself in the mirror one last time.
The bang fics were going up in less than four hours, and she had promised Alec she would be at his apartment in three. When he had suggested they meet up – just Lydia, Maia, Isabelle, Clary, and himself – for the big day, Clary hadn’t hesitated. She had been looking for a way to present Isabelle with her second work of art, and this was the perfect opportunity.
Perfect enough that she suspected Alec had planned everything just to make sure things went well between Isabelle and her, but she wasn’t about to call him out on something that mostly benefited her. Well, her and Izzy, if all went well. She had secured her painting in a big canvas bag, making sure nothing would fall out and nothing would get damaged during the ride to New York.
Isabelle had already seen the first painting, but this was something else entirely. Showing her the cover art for the fic had been easy; she had read the fic a couple of times and tried to capture the main characters as well as possible. Isabelle and Alec had helped her come up with the final idea, and the project had been more of a team effort than something Clary had had to do alone.
She loved it, of course, and she knew everyone else would enjoy it too, but the other painting she had prepared for Isabelle was what really mattered. It was connected to the fic, pulling on the themes and plotlines Isabelle had created, but Clary had made sure to represent two women rather than two men. This wasn’t about Derek and Stiles’ love story; this was about the possible beginning of a relationship between Clary and the woman she assumed was the love of her life.
She climbed into the passenger seat of her step-father’s car nervously, ever-so-thankful for Luke and his offer to drive her to the big city. Given her state of mind, she would have probably ended up running herself off the road, which was the last thing she needed right now.
And since her step-father was just that great, he didn’t even ask her why she was so nervous, even though he had clearly spotted her usual anxious ticks. Instead, he asked her about this fic she had created art for, talked to her about the story and what he thought he understood, and even mentioned her friends and inquired after their health. As far as step-fathers went, Luke was the best.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t the one who could truly soothe her worries. After a second of hesitation, Clary dug her phone out of her pocket and turned it back on.
***
To: 3 cheerleaders + 1 pining princess
RedBiscuit: First of all, I don’t know who changed this group name, but I disapprove.
RedBiscuit: (not really, though)
RedBiscuit: And also IM SCREAMING, someone please give me the support and strength I need to not tell my step-dad to turn around and head back home. I can’t believe I’m doing this, I shouldn’t be doing this, she’s going to hate it or think it’s took much or reject me and then everything will go to hell and Alec won’t talk to me and Lydia is going to forever remember me as the girl who turned her mini bang posting day into a nightmare.
Maia_Hale: And I’ll just be annoyed at you for being so stressed all the goddamned time. I swear, Red, you’ll be okay. Your painting is amazing, your feelings are genuine, and we’re all behind you.
Maia_Hale: (that last part was from all of us, obviously)
Maia_Hale: [squad.png] And here are these losers. Even Isabelle says hi!
RedBiscuit: Isabelle’s already there? I’m going to be so late compared to all of you! Why didn’t you tell me you would all be there so early, I would have changed my schedule and made sure to be the first one at Alec’s so I could sob in my best friend’s arms and let him comfort me about Isabelle.
Archer135: There will be no comforting, because there will be no heartbreak nor tears nor stress. The two of you have been circling around each other ever since this mini bang started, and you’re going to make one hell of a power couple on the server. And for your information, I would still talk to you even if Isabelle rejected you. You’re my best friend, Red, no matter what you mean to my sister.
alphabranwell: what they said; sending all the love and everything. You got this, Red!
RedBiscuit: Someone’s feeling very generous with the compliments. Geez, Lydia, thank you for that unending show of support.
RedBiscuit: OH SHIT you’re taking care of the bang stuff right now, aren’t you? I’m an idiot, forget I said anything! You’re amazing and deserve all the praise and I literally love you so much for organising this event in the first place, even if it might just give me a heart attack. You did good, Lydia, hope you know that!
Archer 135: (she’s crying now, great job Red)
Maia_Hale: If you’re even half as sweet to Isabelle as you just were to Lydia, I think it’s safe to say you have this in the bag. And considering what’s in your bag right now, I promise you’re good. Just tell your cool step-dad to be careful with his sharp turns; the last thing we would want is for you to show up with a broken painting.
RedBiscuit: You guys are the worst.
RedBiscuit: But I love you, see you all in two hours or so. Oh and, just so we’re clear, I will murder you if you ruin Isabelle’s surprise. I want this to be perfect and it can’t be if she already knows something is going to happen.
Maia_Hale: I’ll keep Alec away from her, don’t worry.
RedBiscuit: Perfect, you’re the best.
Archer135: THE SLANDER! See if I help you with your confession now, Red.
***
By the time Luke and she reached New York City, Clary was feeling a lot calmer. She had texted her friends on and off, asking about Lydia’s progress and stress levels and making sure Isabelle would truly be there. The rest of the time, she had been singing along to old tunes with Luke and sketching the landscape as they finally left Jersey and made their way into New York City itself.
Clary had always dreamed of studying there but, until she could afford a place in New York City without being a complete burden to her parents, she would dutifully stay in Philadelphia and admire the big city from afar. Although lately, it had been harder and harder to force herself to wait. Alec was in New York, Isabelle was in New York, even Lydia was about to move there… Soon, all her friends would be there, and she would still be two – short but long – hours away.
Although she had been to Alec’s apartment before, she was still amazed at how beautiful his building was. His parents had given them a fortune on their 18th birthdays, and Alec had used a lot of it to make sure he lived somewhere he could see himself building a future in.
(Frankly, Clary wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he was already thinking about asking Magnus to move in.)
The reminder that Isabelle was just as well-off and used to a life of luxury in New York didn’t do anything to settle Clary’s nerves, but she was so riled up that nothing could have made things worse, so she didn’t let it bother her too much. Isabelle wasn’t her money or her lifestyle, just like Clary wasn’t. Yes, they were different, but they had clicked because of their differences, not in spite of them.
This didn’t change anything. They weren’t identical, but they still cared about each other and shared a fandom. They still squealed over each other’s creations and spent hours talking about their favourite pairings long after they should have been asleep. They had bonded over so many things, so a slight difference in status wouldn’t change anything.
At least, not for Clary.
Maybe she hadn’t come driving up the street in a limousine, but she had come bearing gifts, including one very special gift she had been working on for over a month. She had never been as proud of her paintings as she was of this one, and she could only hope that Isabelle would appreciate it as much as she did.
Anxiety taken care of and worries lessened, Clary took a deep breath, thanked Luke for the ride again, and rang Alec’s doorbell with forty minutes to spare until the fics were posted. There had been more traffic than they had expected between the two cities, but the important thing was that she had made it on time.
Alec buzzed her in, his cheerful voice making Clary feel even more confident, and then she was going up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time – it made her breathless, but it also meant she would reach her friends and Isabelle that much faster – and replaying the plan in her mind over and over again.
It was simple, really. All she had to do was wait for the fics to go up, art included, and then she would reveal what was in her canvas bag to Isabelle and offer her this small piece of her heart that was the closest Clary could come to admitting she loved the brunette without actually saying the words. There was absolutely nothing complicated about the plan, but her fingers were still shaking as Alec opened his apartment door and spun her around in his arms, and as her other friends shuffled around them and took their turns greeting Clary.
There was nothing complicated about it, but she was still trembling internally when Isabelle leaned over to hug her and whispered a quiet ‘hello’ into her ear, her breath ghosting against Clary’s neck. There was nothing complicated about it, but she still felt herself falter when Isabelle asked about what she was hiding in her big black bag – she didn’t answer, but she made it very clear that it was not a body, Isabelle.
The minutes ticked by painfully slowly as the group of friends lay around Alec’s apartment, talking about the best moments of the mini bang and the instances when they had hit a dead-end. Alec ranted about his fic for a good ten minutes, telling them he had had to change the ending three times before it felt right. Maia pouted about being left in the dark even though it wasn’t against the rules, and the rest of them laughed at her antics. Clary spoke about her own art block and how hard it had been to live up to Isabelle’s fic, relishing in the blush that bloomed on the brunette’s cheeks at her words.
Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, it was time for the fics to be posted. Lydia made the announcement, Isabelle and Alec hurried to post their own creations, and then they all raised their flutes of champagne, congratulating themselves on a job well done.
(It was too early for them to be having alcohol, but it was happy hour somewhere, as Alec had so wisely told them once.)
And then, all her friends bar Isabelle turned towards her with expectant expressions on their faces, and Clary realised it was time. All the hard work she had put in over the last month was finally going to be revealed, and so would her feelings.
“What’s going on?” Isabelle asked, frowning at the quartet confusedly and huffing when none of them said anything. “I should have known you guys planned something else without telling me. Alec’s been acting suspicious all day, and I’m going to assume it has something to do with whatever silent communication is going on right- What is that?”
Clary turned a bright red as Isabelle’s eyes finally settled on the painting Clary had just pulled out of its canvas bag. It wasn’t the biggest piece she had ever worked on, but it was definitely larger than the one she had done for the fic’s cover art. But in this case, the size really didn’t matter, not when one compared it to what was inside the frame.
Isabelle’s fic had followed the story of their favourite characters as they fell in love one morning at a time, watching the sunrise and having breakfast and trying to forget about the nightmares that came with darkness and sleep. It had described their love story, how they had found themselves in each other and in the world around them, and Clary had adored every word of it.
So really, choosing the theme she wanted to draw for Isabelle had only taken her a few hours. She had painted a beautiful sunrise at the edge of a forest, just like her fic depicted, but the figures sitting in the foreground weren’t the two men Isabelle had written about. Instead, a small brunette held onto an equally small redhead’s hand, their hair shining in the early sunlight and barely-visible smiles on their faces. Clary had chosen the colours with care, making sure to dress Isabelle in red – her favourite colour – and to surround them in a halo of light that made it clear they were the focus of the painting.
She had worked for hours and hours on this painting and, even if Isabelle hated it, Clary had never been prouder of herself.
Still, she had never felt more relieved than when Isabelle raised a hand to her mouth and shook her head disbelievingly, tears welling up in her eyes as her gaze darted from Clary to the painting and back again. Clearly, she knew exactly what this piece represented, and understood exactly what Clary was asking her in colours and figures rather than words.
And although Isabelle was usually a woman of words, waxing poetry every day and writing prose as though it was what she had been born to do, it seemed when it came to real love, Isabelle was the type to act rather than speak.
She closed the distance between Clary and herself easily, taking one last look at the painting before carefully setting it back down. Then she was right in Clary’s personal space, her forehead pressed against the redhead’s and her smile inches away from Clary’s lips.
Her eyes were soft and questioning and, as soon as Clary nodded minutely, she was taking in a stuttering breath and leaning in until their mouths were slotted together like two puzzle pieces. Her tongue swiped out to tease at Clary’s bottom lip, and her lips moved slowly but firmly against Clary’s. As far as first kisses went, Clary had to admit that she had never been quite as moved by one as she was by Isabelle’s.
(Although maybe that had more to do with the woman than the kiss itself.)
And when they pulled apart, matching grins on their faces, it was to the sound of their friends cheering behind them, holding the painting up high and beaming as brightly as Clary and Isabelle were.
“You are absolutely insane, Clary Fray,” Isabelle shook her head, speaking as softly as she could whilst still being heard over their friends’ voices. “You didn’t have to do this, you know? You already gave me one amazing work of art.”
“But you deserve so much more,” Clary shrugged, staring down at the ground before looking up at Isabelle through her eyelashes. “Besides, you like it, don’t you?”
“Of course I do, Red,” Isabelle breathed out, her lips curling into an awed and loving smile. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, right after you. Can you believe my luck? I get to spend the rest of the evening with a stunning woman and the gorgeous art she created for me. I don’t think things get much better than that.”
“Yeah,” Clary murmured, pressing another quick kiss to Isabelle’s lips. “I don’t think so either.”
They smiled at each other like they held the answers to every question in the world, and Clary knew she would do anything to hold onto this woman forever.
When, years later, she had to speak her vows at their magical summer wedding, she smiled just as brightly as she thanked the people who had made hers and Isabelle’s love possible. She thanked Lydia for creating the server and hosting the bang, she thanked Maia for always being supportive, she thanked Alec for pushing Isabelle and her together, and she thanked her new wife for giving her a chance.
(And to no one’s surprise, Clary’s painting of two women watching the sunrise together remained their living room’s centrepiece for as long as they lived.)