May 4th, For Izzy

[sayshazam]

Billy clutched nervously at the bouquet of flowers in his hands, shifting from one foot to the other. This seemed like a totally good idea when he was planning it but now he worried if it was too cheesy, too over the top romantic or something just for a one year anniversary for dating. You'd think after all this time Billy would be more sure about the sort of stuff that Izzy liked but nope, a part of his brain wouldn't stop worrying that he was screwing up. At least he didn't freak out anymore that Izzy was going to leave him or actually be upset. At worst she'd probably be amused and tell him it was a sweet effort.

But still, he really wanted her to like his plan. He'd put a lot of work into it but it was worth it. When you loved someone it was worth doing extra work just to make them happy. Billy had even talked to Izzy's boss to let Izzy have the day off without Izzy knowing so that he could surprise her at work that morning. Which is why he was here, in the fancy store, wearing jeans and a t-shirt holding a bunch of orchids (why couldn't she likes carnations, they lasted longer, smelled better, and were way cheaper) while waiting for his girlfriend to show up at work so he could surprise her.

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[seveninches]

She'd messaged Billy that morning to say happy anniversary, a little annoyed that she couldn't spend the day with him. She knows they're planning to meet up later and she knows that likely Billy will have something sweet planned, but it's not the same as getting to hang around him all day.

It's not something she ever thought she'd want, hanging around with someone all day, but with Billy she definitely does. Which is why, even though Isabelle loves her job, she goes to work with less enthusiasm than normal.

By the time she gets there though, Billy is waiting outside The Dressing Room, and Isabelle grins. "What are you doing here?" she asks, reaching him and giving him a kiss before he can answer. If he's come to see her off to work he's very sweet, but she has to start in ten minutes so she doesn't think there was much point.

[sayshazam]

For a moment Billy completely forgot about all his nerves and worry and pretty much everything in the entire world when Izzy pulled him in for a kiss. His knees got a little weak and his stomach did a weird sort of flip-flop and he just felt amazing in general as he kissed her back. He totally had the best girlfriend in the world.

"I'm here for our date," he said, holding out the orchids to her. He meant to play this off totally cool, like it was a casual thing, but he couldn't stop himself from beaming a smile at her. "I mean, I asked your boss like a month ago to give you the day off. Oh right, I told her not to tell you so it could be a surprise..."

[seveninches]

The temptation to stand here and kiss Billy all day instead of going to work is really strong, but Isabelle also doesn't really want to get fired. She likes her job and her boss and everything and she doesn't want to get fired, but Billy is making it really hard to pay attention to anything else.

Eventually she manages to pull herself away and then Billy holds out a bouquet of orchids and her grin brightens. They're gorgeous and more than that it means Billy has actually been listening to her, which is more than she can say for several other boyfriends. It's exactly the kind of thing he would do, which is why she's so glad she met him in this stupid city. He looks particularly pleased with himself, too, but when he continues speaking she decides he has every reason to be.

"You did?" she asks, laughing a little and taking the flowers from him. "I love them. And you." She's honestly surprised he's managed to keep this a secret for so long if so much planning went into it, but it's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for her. It occurs to her a beat later that she dressed for work, not for a date. "Where are we going? I'm not dressed properly."

[sayshazam]

It had never occurred to Billy that Izzy's work clothes and her date clothes might be two different things. She always looked so put together and amazing that he didn't notice her styles so much as that she looked good. Well, maybe he noticed the difference between super tight pants and a shirt that showed off her abs and her work clothes, but that was about it.

"I love you too," he said, smiling at her. Even now Billy didn't smile a whole lot. He didn't scowl as much but he wasn't constantly smiling. Unless he was around Izzy, and then he couldn't help it. He did love her, so much, and he kinda wanted to shout it sometimes. He didn't shout it but that's totally how he felt. "And I promised you that some day you could dress me so... that's what we're doing today. We're going for a walk and a fancy dinner and some stuff but... first you're going to dress me however you want."

[seveninches]

It had taken them a while to say it and Isabelle is glad for that because it means he's not just saying it for the hell of it, but now she doesn't think she'll ever get tired of it. Matched with a smile it's already just about the best anniversary present he could have given her. Isabelle never really thought she'd have this; a guy who wanted to buy her flowers and take her on surprise dates and tell her he loves her. It's nice. More than.

She's definitely going to need to change if they're going for a fancy dinner, but by the sounds of it Billy is taking her shopping anyway. Maybe the whole point is to dress him but she doesn't think he'll begrudge her if she also buys something to wear out to dinner. She doesn't want to make him uncomfortable or dress him up any way he might not like, but she is looking forward to the idea of getting him to parade around a dressing room or two.

Just not here. Here is work, and Isabelle loves the place but she intends on spending today away from it, now that that's apparently already been arranged.

"However I want?" she asks, mostly just to tease him. She'll have a bit of fun with this first, dress him in something ridiculous before she picks out a nice outfit for him, just to keep him on his toes.

[sayshazam]

"Yeah, whatever you pick out for me I'll wear," he said, still grinning at her. He was pretty sure that she was going to put him in at lest one ridiculous outfit just to see if he'd do it but he didn't mind. Besides, she was the one that would have to be seen with him the rest of the evening. To be honest, Billy totally liked it when Izzy messed with him a bit. It was always a sign of affection, he thought, and made her smile. Billy would parade around in a dress if Izzy asked him to and it made her smile.

"So, I'm your play thing," he said, then scowled a bit. "I mean, dress up person? Just... where do you want to go first?"

[seveninches]

She raises an eyebrow at that, a smirk creeping across her lips. "Oh, no," she interrupts, shaking her head. "I like play thing." She's already thinking of what she'll put him in, glancing him over. Maybe a darker pair of jeans, a nice shirt, maybe even a casual suit jacket. She'd prefer it honestly if she could take him out shirtless, but it's probably not appropriate.

Later, she'll enjoy taking all the clothes off him, but for now she's going to have some fun.

"There's a place not far from here," she tells him, nestling the orchids in the crook of her arm and taking his hand. It's not a long walk and it's a nice day, they might as well make the most of it. "You're going to look so handsome," she tells him, glancing over with a smile. "After I'm done making you look ridiculous, of course."

[sayshazam]

Billy flushed a bit at the "play thing" comment, although part of that was because he probably wouldn't mind it all that much. He enjoyed pretty much everything they did together, even if it was just fighting evil monsters or something.

"I knew it! I knew you'd make me wear something ridiculous first," he said, slipping his hand into hers. Billy was up for it though, because obviously if he knew she would do it and still volunteered for it he was fine with it. "Or this is your chance to dress me in what I normally wear and tell me it's the ridiculous outfit. But there's a reason you're dressing me and not the other way around."

Billy pretty much wore nothing but jeans and t-shirts with a hoodie when it was cool enough to do that. It was simple, cheap, and comfortable- everything he cared about when it came to clothes.

[seveninches]

Isabelle looks at him, one eyebrow raised. He's giving her free reign of his wardrobe, of course she's going to dress him in something ridiculous first. He should have known that was the case the moment he came up with the idea.

"You don't look ridiculous normally," she assures him, shaking her head. Billy had a tendency to dress more tamely than Isabelle, but it was hardly bad. At least he had a tendency to wear more colours than Alec. Besides, Isabelle has Magnus to fulfil her fashion needs, even if her brother and boyfriend are hopeless.

It's a short walk to the boutique Isabelle picks out. It's nicer than your average clothes store, but she's careful to keep within a reasonable budget and not somewhere that's going to freak Billy out entirely. "I'm thinking suspenders," she teases him as she opens the door. "Or some kind of absurd hat."

[sayshazam]

"No one ever looked at a pic of themselves years later and was embarrassed about jeans and a t-shirt. They're classic," Billy said with a nod, like the entire reason that he wore the clothes was because they were fashionable. But she was right, she'd never said anything before about his clothes so it probably wasn't too awful.

"Wait, I thought suspenders were fancy?" he said, walking into the store. Right away he started looking around to try and spot anything that was maybe so weird Izzy would try and put him in it. "Maybe I'll look super cool in suspenders. Like... uh, like... there's probably someone that looks cool in them and I just can't think of them right now."

[seveninches]

He makes a point, but Isabelle doesn't consider not embarrassed to be much of a standard when it comes to fashion. If she's looking back on pictures of herself, she expects to be a standout, to impress. "They're safe," she counters, raising an eyebrow at him.

She doesn't want to push him too much out of his comfort zone, but she does want to show him how good he can look in something a little nicer. She knows he'll look handsome and she has every intention of making him stand out. After she's done with him, she's going to parade him out to dinner and make everybody jealous that she gets to have dinner with him and take him home.

"Rainbow ones," she amends, tossing him a glance. Now that he's said it though, she has to admit he probably could pull him off. And then she could pull them off him. But first they have to make it out to dinner, so maybe not.

She greets the store attendant with a bright smile as they walk in, immediately going to the racks and running her fingers over the clothes in front of her. It's a nice store and there's nothing that will really embarrass Billy here, but for all her teasing that's not really her intention. Instead, she goes to the back of the store and hunts around until she finds a clean cut navy suit. It's too nice for a dinner date, but the second she spots it she wants to see him in it.

"Here," she calls, pulling it off the rack and grabbing a white button down to go with it. "Very suave."

[sayshazam]

Billy liked going places with Izzy. Not just because he loved her and she was so much fun, although that was like... 99% of it. Part of him really liked going places with her because he was stupid proud to have her as his girlfriend. He was pretty sure that a lot of people didn't even think it was possible that he could be with someone like her so he was kinda smug about the fact that he was.

As soon as they walked into the store everyone turned to look at Izzy. Maybe she didn't notice it the same way that Billy did because she was used to it but even in her work clothes she was the hottest person in the store. Billy was pretty sure she was the hottest person in the city. She was so amazing it was sometimes hard for Billy to think when he was around her. Or when he was thinking about her. It made him super anxious to skip most of the date and just get alone with her, but he knew they'd have fun going out.

It was pretty cool too how she immediately picked something that was his size. He shouldn't have been too surprised though, it was kind of her job.

"I'm going to look like a super awesome spy. Do I need a tie too?" he asked, taking the suit and shirt from her.

[seveninches]

She laughs, holding the suit up against him to check the size. It looks like it'll be perfect, which is good because it means she hasn't lost her touch. Billy has a good frame, one that will fill out the suit nicely, and she's excited to put him in it.

"No tie," she says, shaking her head. It's a suit, but she's going for a more casual hint to it. No tie, a button or two undone at the throat. It's still probably more formal than he's going to need tonight, but it'll be fun to see it on him all the same.

Super awesome spy isn't exactly what she's going for, but she supposes he has a point. On a whim, she grabs a pair of aviators off a stand and pushes those into his hands too, giving him a wink.

Isabelle ushers him towards a dressing room, handing him the hangers in her hands. "Put them on," she orders, giving him a little nudge. If it were up to Isabelle, she'd go in with him and dress him herself, but somehow she thinks the shop attendants might disapprove.

[sayshazam]

"Yes ma'am!" Billy said, grinning at her. He always liked it when she got all bossy, even if it was all in good fun. It occurred to him that this might be more fun if she went shopping and bought clothes to his place to help him change into but that would probably result in them not actually leaving the apartment for a while.

Heading into the dressing room Billy quickly stripped down to his boxers and put the suit and shirt on. It fit really well, snug in the shoulders but not too tight. The pants felt a bit tight too but he was pretty sure that was just the style, which made sense. Izzy really liked when he wore tight pants.

The final touch were the sunglasses before he stepped out of the dressing room.

"Well?"

[seveninches]

Billy disappears into the changing room and Isabelle busies herself with the racks while she waits, pulling out various dresses and skirts for herself. She needs to find something nice to wear if they're going to go out to dinner. Billy is going to look amazing when she's done with him, and she wants to look good for him, too.

Once she thinks she's settled on a dress, she holds it over one arm and leans against the opposite wall.

When Billy steps back out again, Isabelle grins, taking him in slowly from head to toe. He looks good like this, even with the ridiculous sunglasses. The suit fits him exactly as she pictured, filling out his shoulders well and in a tight line around his legs. It takes a little bit of self control not to push him back into the dressing room and lock the door behind them, but she does take a step forward so that she can run her hand over his chest, smoothing out his shirt.

"Dashing," she tells him, nodding. "A little much for tonight maybe, but definitely a good look." She pauses, tilts her head to the side and considers. "Do you have anything to wear to the wedding yet?" She hasn't looked at the price tag, but she can always ask Magnus to acquire it. Billy probably wouldn't approve though, considering the whole superhero thing.

[sayshazam]

Billy liked the way Izzy looked at him, checking him out up and down. She did that sometimes and always seemed to like what she saw, which was super hot and made his ears turn a bit red. When she started running her hands over his chest it was really hard to focus on anything but pulling her close and kissing her. If he did that though he would totally end up doing more than just that.

"Uh, not yet? Do you think this would be good for the wedding?" Billy asked. To be honest he half expected Magnus to magically dress everyone that didn't have the last name of Lightwood so they all fit whatever theme the wedding was. The idea of him having to buy even more clothes made dollar signs flash before his eyes but he didn't want to say anything. Izzy would never want Billy to spend more than he could afford to make her happy but if she wanted him to wear the suit he'd find a way to make it happen.

[seveninches]

She does think it would be good for the wedding, and she thinks even Magnus might even agree. Alec hasn't mentioned anything about a particular dress code or theme, so Isabelle figures she's free to wear whatever she likes, and so is Billy. Within reason, of course.

"It just looks so good on you," she tells him, giving him a sly smile. If he stays in the suit much longer she's going to want to tear it off him, so she gives him a little nudge back into the dressing room. "I'll let Magnus know. But try this, for now." She pushes another outfit into his arms, a little more casual this time, just a nice navy v-neck shirt, dark jeans and a grey blazer. The jeans are maybe a little tighter than Billy might have chosen for himself, but other than that she thinks she's being fairly tame, trying to keep in mind what he'll be comfortable in.

This time, when he goes back inside the dressing room, she goes into one of her own, getting changed into the dress before she waits for him again.

[sayshazam]

The way she smiled at him made Billy's stomach do flip flops but before he could do anything about it she was handing him clothes and pushing him back into the dressing room. For a second he thought maybe she was going to join him and tried not to be too sad when she didn't.

Instead he just started taking the suit off, careful not to wrinkle it or anything and started to put on the new clothes. The new shirt was easy enough but the pants were a bit of a struggle. They weren't so tight they hurt or anything, just snug in the areas that Izzy liked his pants to be snug. He threw on the jacket and then stepped out of the dressing room.

"What do you thi-"

He didn't get a chance to finish what he was saying though because once he saw Izzy he couldn't form words. He made a noise though, once that Izzy was pretty familiar with. It was the "Billy's mind is broken" noise. He made it the first time he saw her naked (and every time after that first time too) or when she touched him in certain ways or even just sometimes when she smiled at him or said "I love you".

This outfit definitely broke his brain though. The white contrasted perfectly with her skin and hair and it revealed... okay it showed off her totally amazing breasts really well. He kind of didn't know where to look though because you couldn't just ignore her hips. And he couldn't help but look at her lips or eyes too so... brain broken.

"Uhh.... wow."

[seveninches]

He looks good in those, too, Isabelle decides. Definitely a better fit for a night out, and she's already made up her mind that they're buying them. Billy, for his part, seems suddenly much more interested in what Isabelle's wearing than the clothes he has on himself. She plays it up a little, leaning against the opposite wall and cocking a hip out, giving him a slow smile.

"No good, right?" she teases, making a show of shaking her head. "You're right, forget it, it's terrible. I'll just get changed again."

She turns, makes to go back in the dressing room. She still doesn't know where he's planning on taking her exactly, so it could be that this dress is a little bit much for it. It shows off a little skin, but that's never bothered Isabelle before. She'll make it work, it just might mean buying a nice jacket or a scarf to go with it, and she's hardly opposed to more shopping.

[sayshazam]

When she cocked her hip like that Billy almost whimpered a little. It was really, really not fair for her to have curves like that. She looked to... sensual? Yeah, sensual was definitely the right word.

When she acted like the dress wasn't any good, and she totally had to know what that it was good, he didn't say anything at first because he wanted to see what it looked like from behind. And it looked amazing. He wasn't surprised at all though, because Izzy had the best ass in any world ever.

"No no!" he said, stepping forward and putting a hand on her hip to stop her, biting his lip to keep from pressing that much closer to her. They could do that later. "It's- please get that dress!"

[seveninches]

She almost thinks he's going to let her go and her fun be ruined, but then his hand lands on her hip and she turns, a teasing smile on her face.

"Really, you think so?" she asks, feigning innocence. She's already had the sales girl ring the dress up, she'd just wanted to test out the reaction. It was definitely worth it. Now that she's chosen her own outfit though, she turns back to the clothes she's put Billy in, sizing him up.

"How do you feel?" she asks, giving him a once over. He looks good, better than, but she doesn't want to force him to go out in an outfit he's not comfortable with. Isabelle learned a long time ago that confidence is key, and that she always looks her best when she feels her best. It might be fun to dress Billy up some more, but she's happy with what she's picked out and she doesn't want him to feel self conscious at all, that would ruin the whole thing.

[sayshazam]

"Uhhh, like I can't decide if I want you to wear that dress all the time or to rip it off of you?" he said, completely misunderstanding the question. It was hard to think of anything else though when how he felt was "super turned on". He was still just sort of staring at her with a look of worship on his face when he finally understood what she was talking about.

"Oh! Uh, better than I thought I would? I mean, it's not as comfortable as my hoodie but I kinda like the jacket? I'd probably wear the jeans pretty often too. I, uh, I don't mind how tight they are as much as I used to and I like how you act when I wear them," Billy said. He figured that if he admitted how much he liked when she did that she might do it more. "Do you want to pick out another one just for me to try on? One that you really like but know I probably wouldn't like wearing?"

[seveninches]

She grins when he misunderstands, doing a little twirl for him in the dress, just because. Both of those options are acceptable to her, but only one is going to be suitable in this shop. Isabelle doesn't intend on being banned for life, so she settles for giving Billy a chaste kiss.

"I definitely like them," she assures him, nodding. She doesn't think she can be blamed for that, really. For a moment, she considers whether she wants to dress him in anything else, but she's not sure that she does. Dressing him in something he wouldn't normally wear might be a bit of fun, but she gets more enjoyment out of seeing Billy happy.

She smooths her hands down her dress, giving him a bright smile. "I think we look pretty perfect as we are, don't you?" They certainly look good enough to turn heads in the street on the way to dinner.

[sayshazam]

"I always think you look perfect," Billy said, smiling back at her. It maybe sounded like flattery when he said stuff like that but he always meant it, was always completely genuine about it. She totally looked better sometimes than others- like right now she looked way, way better than she did in her work clothes. But to Billy she always looked perfect. It was hard to explain so he just figure it was one of those "I love you" things. He liked it.

"But yeah, I like these outfits. Can they just scan the tags for this without me having to change and then we can go to dinner?"

[seveninches]

From anyone else she might think it sounds like a line, but with Billy Isabelle always knows he's genuine. She's happy that they're in a place now where Billy doesn't question what she's doing with him anymore or anything like that, but she does like that she still has the ability to make him do a double-take.

"I think so," she agrees, taking his hand to lead him towards the counter. Isabelle knows for a fact that if this were her workplace, she'd be more than happy to scan clothes already on a person if it meant a sale. It's not that Isabelle is particularly concerned with the money, but she likes her job and she likes Kate, so she doesn't want to give her any reason to doubt her.

Just to help their case, Isabelle flashes the girl a bright, friendly smile as they approach, and politely asks if they can wear the clothes out of the store rather than getting changed.

"Where are we going to dinner?" she asks Billy while she fishes her purse out of her bag.

[sayshazam]

Billy felt the butterflies in his stomach flutter when she took his hand (every time that happened, it was probably ridiculous) and he gave it a little squeeze. It was kinda hard to believe that it was a year already. Izzy was such a part of his life, such an important part of his life that it seemed like longer. In a good way, though.

When the girl at the counter said it was fine if they wore the clothes out of the store Billy was relieved that they wouldn't have to find someplace else to chance. He also grabbed his wallet and pulled out his credit card before Izzy could get her money out. This was his treat tonight and he would cry about how expensive it was later.

"And we're going to a nice restaurant near here... but we're going someplace else first. Just a quick stop though, I promise."

[seveninches]

Billy moves to grab his wallet before Isabelle can pay for anything, and she lets him, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. She's more than happy to pay her own way, but she knows that part of this is Billy wanting to spoil her, and she's happy enough to let him.

She does borrow a bag from the girl at the counter so that she can fold up and put away their old clothes, and then she links her arm back through Billy's, the bag and her flowers in the other. He's already taken her shopping and is promising a nice restaurant, so Izzy isn't sure what else he could possibly have in mind.

"What's the stop?" she asks as they head out of the clothes store, grinning a little in anticipation. Generally speaking, Izzy isn't a huge fan of surprises, but Billy has so far managed to surprise her in all kinds of ways that she's enjoying. "What else could you possibly have up your sleeve?"

[sayshazam]

"It's a surprise, you'll have to see if you can figure out when we're there," Billy said, grinning as he fought back the urge to let her in on the secret right then. It would be more fun if she could work it out on her own since it wasn't anything special to anyone except them. Walking arm in arm he thought he did pretty good not glancing over at Izzy's outfit too much. Mostly just when he turned to talk to her his eyes... wandered and lingered. But only a bit.

It didn't take them long to get where he wanted to go. It was where they had first met, when the sight of her distracted Billy from his parkour and he totally fell off a fire escape. Izzy had been nice enough not to be too amused by the fact that her appearance had literally made him fall. He was pretty sure she would recognize the place.

[seveninches]

They don't have to walk for very long, and as they get closer it starts to click in Izzy's mind exactly where he's taking her. She spots the patch of grass in the park she remembers laying on, remembers the throbbing ache in her head and the confusion of turning up in this place. It feels like an entire lifetime ago, but she smiles when she thinks about it.

When she spots the fire escape, Isabelle gives out a small laugh, nudging Billy in the side. "Are you going to fall off another fire escape for me?" she teases, looking at him fondly. She hadn't expected him to bring her here, and she knows that to anyone else it would be a completely inconspicuous patch of grass. She remembers that day as vividly as ever, remembers how adorable she'd thought he looked after she was done pointing her knife at him.

They've come a long way, but Isabelle's never really stopped to consider it until now. She moves in front of him, stopping him walking with a hand on his chest so that she can lean in and kiss him, slow and proper. They're in public but she couldn't give a damn. "I love you," she says when she pulls back. "Even though you're terrible at parkour. Maybe because of that, actually."

[sayshazam]

Billy watched Izzy realize where they're going. She looked over at the grass and the fire escape and he knew that she remembered it too. It didn't surprise him, not really, because Izzy remembered that kind of stuff. Even though Billy had been with someone else at the time it was impossible not to remember Izzy. She was unforgettable.

"I'm pretty sure I never stopped falling for you," Billy told her with a grin. It was a totally cheesy like but he thought he should get some credit for the fact that he came up with it right on the spot. But then she was kissing him, slow and deep and he didn't care about anything else in the world. His entire world was Isabelle Lightwood and how she was kissing him, how her lips felt against his. It felt like little electric sparks moved through him when he wrapped his arms around her waist to hold her close, only pulling back and starting to walk to the restaurant again when he realized if he didn't stop kissing her then they'd never make it to the restaurant.

"I love you too. Even if you're better at me than parkour. Definitely because of that actually. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. No friends or family or magic could make me feel better than being with you does. I just wanted to say.... hold on," Billy told her. One of his shoelaces had come untied, probably because he thought he'd be taking his shoes off constantly and trying on lots of outfits so he didn't really tie them tight. Stopping, Billy got down on one knee so that he could get it tied and wouldn't fall on his face while walking.

[seveninches]

It's totally a line, but she laughs at it anyway. Billy has a way of saying completely cheesy things and still sounding entirely genuine, which she doesn't think she's ever heard anybody else be able to pull off. Isabelle moves into his arms easily when he tugs her closer, sliding a hand up his chest as he kisses her back. It would be easy to just stay here like this for the rest of the night, but eventually he pulls back and keeps walking, and Isabelle follows, trying not to be too put out.

She's definitely better at parkour than him, but she thinks that's what comes with a lifetime of training, so she can't really hold it against him. He's being ridiculously sweet and Isabelle doesn't really know what to do with all of the things he's saying, but then he gets down on one knee and she feels her stomach twist into knots. Oh, no. She loves him, really she does, and Alec is getting married so maybe there's just too much wedding in the air, but this is not how she wanted this night to go. Isabelle doesn't even know if she ever wants to get married at all, and it's going to make things really awkward in a moment.

"Billy, no," she says firmly, shaking her head and reaching out to try and pull him back up. "I love you, I do, but this is not--" She's not sure how she's supposed to say I don't want to marry you without sounding horrible, so she trails off instead, the look on her face about as panicked as Isabelle ever gets.

[sayshazam]

Billy's head was suddenly spinning. It wasn't like he hadn't said any of that stuff to her before. Maybe not all at once or in a setting like this but she knew how much she meant to him, right? And he totally got that he probably wasn't doing this "love" thing right. Isabelle had other people that she also loved. She had family an close friends that she loved and Billy didn't.

Izzy was the first and only person Billy could ever remember loving so she kind of got the brunt of his affection. So he knew sometimes he probably said stuff that she couldn't say back, like how he loved her more than anyone else. Billy never expected her to say stuff like that but he didn't think she had a problem with her saying that or just him rambling on about his feelings for her.

He was pretty sure he was going to throw up though, hearing her say those words. "Billy no." "I love you, but..." For a moment he felt dizzy and thought he was going to pass out. He tried to stand up but his body just wouldn't move.

"Izzy... Izzy what are you saying?"

[seveninches]

His face falls and he looks for a moment like he's been crushed underneath one of her heels. All of a sudden she feels like the worst person in the world, but this really isn't how she expected this to go. There are probably a thousand better ways to handle it, plenty of girls who would be over the moon if this happened on their anniversary, but Isabelle isn't one of them.

"Just--" she makes an impatient gesture for him to stand up, desperate for him to get off his knee. At least then she can look him in the eye while she tries to explain. "I'm not exactly wife material, Billy," she says after a moment, frowning. She's a Shadowhunter and that's always going to come first. She thinks he understands that, even, so maybe that's not an obstacle the same way she sees it. Or maybe she's got this completely wrong, but now that she's started she feels like she has to see it through to make sure they're on the same page.

"This is all really sweet and I'm sure if I was anybody else this would be perfect, but it's just not me." Not now, anyway. She doesn't want to say she's ruling it out for all eternity, but it's not something she ever really saw on the cards.

[sayshazam]

It was almost hard to hear her through the ringing in his ears. He didn't even know it was possible to have your ears ring like that without being punched in the head or something. The was emotionally the same as being punched in the head though. Billy would rather Izzy had punch him in the head.

What did she even mean about wife material? Billy definitely couldn't ever see him wanting anyone else than Izzy, it wasn't like he was in this just for a temporary thing, but he'd never said anything about it. He figured it was implied that he wanted to be with her. Where had she gotten all this marriage talk from? She was definitely spending way, way too much time with Alec and Magnus and all their talking about weddings. It wasn't like he was going to get down on one knee anytime soon and-

Oh. Oh.

"Izzy, I'm just tying my shoe!" he said, gesturing down at the shoe that he was kneeling down to tie, showing her the laces were undone. "I'm not proposing! Holy crap, I'm only 18! I'm just trying to not fall on my face!"

[seveninches]

"Oh, thank the Angel," she breathes out, half laughing in relief. The last thing she wanted was to ruin the night they've been having by making things awful. She looks at his undone shoelace, and she'd feel a little embarrassed if not for the fact that Isabelle refuses to be embarrassed about anything.

This will be something that Alec teases her about mercilessly if she tells him. She's pretty sure that once Billy gets over the shock of it he's probably going to make fun of her too, but she doesn't mind that much. She lets him tie his shoelace, and then she tugs him back to his feet again.

"Okay, good," she says, kissing him quickly again. "Not falling on your face is good too, but maybe give a girl a warning before you get down on one knee." She raises an eyebrow at him, a bemused smile on her lips. "On one knee on our anniversary, where we first met." She's pretty sure she's not the only one who would have jumped to that kind of conclusion, given when and where they are.

[sayshazam]

"No way, you totally freaked out and it was amazing. I'm going to start proposing all the time now. If you're going to completely reject my not-proposal I'm going to make sure I get a lot of fun out of this," Billy said, grinning at her. He figured that the best way he could deal with the whole thing to treat it like it was hilarious. It was hilarious, no doubt about it, but some of the stuff she had said bothered him a little. Yeah, it would have been stupid for them to get engaged right now but it still sucked to hear she didn't want to. Feelings totally didn't have to make sense.

"Also, we definitely need to revisit 'not wife material' at some point. But it doesn't have to be right now."