Who: Izzy and Jill Where: Izzy's place When: Satursday 15th June (pre-Cruise plot) What: Visiting and boy woes Warnings: Low/None Status: Closed | Completed gdoc
Jill hadn’t seen Izzy --- hadn’t really seen her -- in forever. Not since moving out, actually. It made her a little sad to think about -- not that she was mad!upset or anything, but Izzy was her sister-person, damn it. Wedding planning shenanigans did that, though. Jill had gotten the text from Izzy this morning with a distinctly desperate-sounding tone and promptly started laughing. Of course she’d come over to visit, Jill had reassured Izzy.
And so there she was, standing on Izzy’s front porch. The front porch that had been hers. She still had her keys, actually, but since she no longer lived there she figured it might be rude to just walk on in unless they actually told her she could. She’d have to ask Izzy about that. Hrm. She also had to ask Izzy about something for the wedding but at least it wasn’t plans. She hoped Izzy would at least like her questions.
She was still giggling at herself a little when the door finally opened a moment later. “Hi!” she said cheerfully. “Where’s my nephew person and how are you?”
Priorities, after all.
***
Izzy actually felt really bad that she’d not seen Jill in so long, she’d promised they’d still be close when Jill had moved out and she felt like she’d let her down. With the wedding coming up scarily soon now she’d found a moment to invite Jill over and escape the wedding craziness to see how her sister person was doing. She was hoping Jill would have enough gossip to keep her mind off serious grown up things.
“Hey, he’s sleeping but it won’t be long before he’s awake now his auntie Jill is here I’m sure” Izzy said moving to let Jill inside, “I’m good, mostly. You know you don’t have to knock, it’s still your home too” she added because she wanted Jill to know she would always be welcome.
***
“Just making sure,” Jill said with a laugh as she walked in. “I mean, it’s the first time I’ve been over since I moved out -- even though I still have my keys, it’s nice to make sure I’m allowed to just wander on in. Don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of just randomly letting myself on in after this.”
Well, she would!
“So! I have a wedding-related question and some non-wedding related whining,” she said. “Which one would you like first?”
***
“Excellent, just remember anything that may cause you to need therapy is not on us” Izzy teased with a wink, though the chances of that were slightly less now that they had Max. Jill was a little safer than previously.
“Okay, let’s get the wedding related one out of the way first. Then I can forget about it for a while” she grinned, “I can’t wait to marry Johnny don’t get me wrong but honestly the organising bit is just stressful” And that was even with Sue’s amazing help.
***
“Don’t worry, I think this one might be helpful,” Jill said with a laugh. “At least, I hope it will be. Okay, so. I know Sue’s helped you take care of everything which means you might have this one taken care of already in which case it’s totally fine, don’t worry.”
Because breathing was entirely optional if you were Jill, remember?
“But I was thinking, if you haven’t picked it out yet, I could maybe make the garter. I mean, I want to do something to help for your wedding but that’s still small enough not to step on any toes or be too annoying to you or anything like that.” Well, she’d kind of started breathing once she stopped talking.
***
Izzy’s smile grew as Jill continued speaking, her excitement and nerves were amusing but adorable to see. And Izzy was touched by her offer, her and Johnny’s wedding was going to be a sort of hybrid ceremony with some of her shadowhunter traditions (such as wearing gold instead of white) and some mundane traditions (like the old, new, etc) so Jill’s visit was very timely.
“That is very sweet of you and I would be honored to have you make the garter” Izzy told her with a smile, moving to give her a hug, “If only all wedding related conversations were as good as this one” she grinned.
***
“I know, right?” Jill laughed as she returned the hug. “I’ll need to get a couple measurements for it -- I’ll do that later, don’t worry -- and I’ll need to know what colors, though I was thinking blue and gold. Blue because duh, and gold because I know there’s that whole tradition of yours.”
She listened when Izzy talked about home.
‘“But anyway, enough of all that wedding talk.” Jill sighed as she went to collapse on a couch. “Now we can talk about how my love life is a hot mess.”
Much more interesting, Izzy, isn’t it?
*** “Of course” Izzy said, “And those colors sound perfect. I’ll show you my dress as well so we can match the gold” Izzy was touched that Jill remembered, it meant a lot to Izzy since she knew her home was rather different to Jill’s.
“Oh no, what’s he done? I can always kick his ass you know” Izzy immediately offered, and yes this was far more interesting. It was exactly the sort of thing she would rather focus on. Thank you Jill.
***
Jill sighed. “He’s from a different point in time than I am, you know that. Well, unfortunately, that comes along with all the fun self-doubt that he had at that point. I get that, I honestly do. Except he refuses to listen to me when I tell him about everything that happened between us before. Or at least, refuses to listen to me when I tell him that we do get past all of the awkward.”
She ran her fingers through her hair. “He’s so… I don’t know if it’s that he’s angry or what about not being able to be on my detail bu he’s pushy at the worst times. Like the Beltane thing? I was at the strip club because damn it if I want to be, I can. I wasn’t even there to do anything, I was just there. And his response? Was to pull the ‘this isn’t an appropriate place for a princess’ crap and push at me to leave. And we wound up doing something really stupid.”
She was sure Izzy could figure it out.
***
Izzy could understand the self-doubt issues and it must be hard for him to be from a different time point, she knew that from experience but to not listen or believe Jill was silly. It wasn’t like she’d lie to him about something so important. Men could be truly dense sometimes.
“Well it could have gone worse” Izzy said, “I’m guessing even after that he’s still pulling the not good enough crap? Making your choices for you?” Izzy assumed that was why Jill was still so frustrated instead of happy they’d moved on in their relationship.
***
“Yeah, he is,” Jill said with a sigh. “And, I mean, I get it -- to a degree. I know it’s different for him when he’s from. I know he feels differently as opposed to later. But… wouldn’t you think that my telling him everything would at least give him the push to start changing his mind? Or at least start considering it?”
She did feel bad that she’d maybe been pushy, but she was so damn frustrated. He was driving her up the wall and she didn’t know what to do. Which was kind of why she’d come to Izzy.
Well, she’d come to Izzy for hanging out sister-times. But Izzy was up on the “halp I’m tired of not knowing what to do so give me advice” list.
***
“Of course, he’s entitled to feel a little out of place. But you would think he’d listen and consider what you’re saying” Izzy agreed, “Especially after everything that has happened between you” To sleep with her and still be pulling this crap was really not on.
“My usual resolution would be just to kick the crap out of him but it’s a pretty niche idea that doesn’t work on everybody,” she said with a wry smile.
***
“Yeah, I don’t think that one’s going to work for me,” Jill said with a laugh. “But if things start going really badly, I’m just gonna have you come kick the crap out of him. I mean, it’s kind of an idea, right? Right.”
Well, maybe not the best idea, but still an idea.
And proof that she’d spent probably too much time around Izzy, if there was such a thing.
*** “It’s definitely an idea and one I highly approve of. You know my ass kicking abilities are always at your disposal” Izzy told her with a smile, “I mean it might get the message across”
Before she could say anything else snuffling and noises came through the baby monitor, “Ooops sounds like Max might be waking up to give his input on Auntie Jill’s problem”
***
“Even so, I think I’m gonna hold you in reserve,” Jill said. “I mean, I’m not quite there yet.”
She wasn’t really far from it, though.
“And yay, Max. Gimme my baby.”
*** “I think that’s fair” Izzy nodded, they should at least give him time to come to his senses without being beaten up. For a while longer anyway.
Laughing Izzy got up and went to retrieve her son, passing him over to Jill once she was back in the living room. Max grinned at Jill and clapped his hands, “Little devil is walking now, he’s speedy too” she told Jill, and he was getting bigger almost every day it seemed.
***
“Aww yay,” Jill said, perching Max on her knee. “How’s my favorite Max, huh? Yeah, how’s my favorite Max?”
She adored the hell out of the kid, how could she not? He was the son of two of her favorite people, two of the first few people she’d met in town. The people who’d taken her in when she’d needed somewhere to stay.
“You’re so lucky I haven’t tried to steal him yet, by the way.”
***
"Ha" Izzy said, "You'd soon bring him back now he's walking and into everything. Wouldn't she Max? You'd drive Auntie Jill crazy soon enough"
Max grinned at her in the silly way she swore Johnny had taught him and simply said "Mama" before laughing once again. It seemed his nap had agreed with him and he was in a good mood.
***
“I said steal him, I never said I’d keep him,” Jill countered, laughing as she hugged the little boy. “I mean, there is a difference. When people try to keep him, you have to check their car before they leave.”
Not wrong, not wrong at all.
“But mostly I’m pretty sure you and Johnny would miss him a lot if I stole him,” she said. “Plus I’d have Alec coming after me to kick my ass and I’d like to avoid that, too. I like your brother, but he’s intense. I don’t wanna see him if he turns scary.”
She’d never seen it, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t good.
***
Izzy laughed, “Fair” she grinned, there was definitely a difference between stealing and keeping there was no way she could deny that.
“Yeah, we’ve gotten used to him now. Our little potato” she said snorting when Max repeated the word potato in his little kiddies way, there was no doubt he’d picked that up from Johnny but it was kind of adorable.
“It takes a lot for Alec to lose his cool but yeah it’s a pretty scary thing when it does happen. It’s rare though so I wouldn’t worry too much” she added.
***
“Yeah, I figured as much,” Jill said, nodding. “All the same, I’m gonna leave the little potato where he belongs. I’ll just borrow him a whole bunch and babysit him when Auntie Sue can’t. How’s that sound, little guy?”
Max made cheerful noises that she assumed were in the affirmative because who knew with kids his age.
“You know, Izzy, you always have a way of making everything seem better for me.”
*** “You know you are always welcome to borrow him or come round whenever you like” Izzy told her with a smile, “We all love seeing Auntie Jill”
Max was an incredibly happy child in general, he went through phases sure but overall they were pretty lucky.
“Yeah? Well I’m glad to hear it, everything will work out Jill, it just might take longer than you want it to”
***
“You’re right.” Jill sighed. “Of course you’re right. And wait, you’re the one telling me to be patient? You? Okay, when did you become the patient Lightwood? Come on, did you and Alec swap personalities or something, because that’s so him. Don’t tilt my worldview here.”
At least she was joking, however lame it might be.
“But… you’re right. And I know that, I do.” A sigh. “I can deal with it, as long as I’ve got my friends. And this little guy.” She tickled Max playfully, listening to him giggle. “I’m always gonna need happy baby joy, thank you.”
It made everything better.
***
Izzy laughed, “Maybe it’s part of the maternal me? I mean I’m still terrible at patience but I can totally tell others to be more patient” she winked at Jill.
Lame or not Izzy was still glad Jill was smiling.
“And you will always have it. You’re family and we don’t let family go” she reassured Jill.