The night was drawing to a close. People were coming to their last reserves of energy as they danced and laughed and drank their way to the end of the reception. But for one couple, the night was only just about to begin.
Simon Lovelace, né Lewis, lingered in the corner by the top table and faced the crowd, steeling himself for what was coming. Clary Herondale was at his side, returning the favour he had done her earlier in the day. She squeezed his hand, pulling him to face her. She smiled reassuringly, which he attempted to mimic, but which ended up as a grimace. Clary laughed at the face he was making, but not in a mocking way – more like a distraction. She wrapped her arms around him, holding on to him tightly, lending him her strength as they had done every day since they met – although it had become less metaphorical since Simon's Ascension and their parabatai ceremony.
'You're going to be fine,' she whispered in his ear. 'You got her to fall in love with you at least twice – this will be nothing compared to that.'
'Why did I decide to do it like this? So… publicly?' Simon shuddered. 'I should just… put it off. Wait til we get home. Take her out to a nice dinner. Or a romantic weekend away. Yes. I'll do that. Come on, Fray – Fairchild – dammit! – Herondale – let's go.'
Clary was about to roll her eyes when the lights in the marquis all went out. A spotlight, brilliant in the sudden darkness, shone on a point about two metres from where the pair stood. A smile spreading across her mouth, Clary leaned over to him and murmured wickedly, 'Bit late now.'
Simon glared at her, before taking a deep breath and stepping into the spotlight.
'Hey, everyone,' he began. Clary could see him wincing at his clumsy start. 'I realise that this is a rather unusual situation, but I would like to request a song for someone very special. Jace?'
Heads turned in the direction Simon was looking, where Jace had appeared with a keyboard he had produced from the Angel only knows where. With a slightly sheepish grin on his face, he began playing the intro to a song that seemed vaguely familiar.
Simon grimaced again, almost as if he were asking himself why he was doing this, then took a deep breath and started singing, his experience in his band that never quite came up with a name invaluable when it came to this, his most important performance.
Though I've tried before to tell her
Of the feelings I have for her in my heart
Every time that I come near her I just lose my nerve
As I've done from the start.
Clary recognised the song, but couldn't quite remember the name, nor who had sung it originally. All she knew was that it was relatively old, that it was very appropriate, and that it was completely and utterly Simon.
Every little thing she does is magic
Everything she do just turns me on
Even though my life before was tragic
Now I know my love for her goes on.
She remembered the song now. She didn't know it well, but she did recall the first time she had heard it. The five of them – she, Izzy, Jace, Alec and Magnus – had just returned from the demon realm. She had killed Sebastian Starkweather after he had trapped them in that realm, having promised to leave the rest of the world alone, on the condition that she joined him. He had been obsessed with her, claiming that her father had betrayed his, that she owed him a blood debt, and that she would only fulfil it by becoming his queen.
Do I have to tell the story
Of a thousand rainy days since we first met
It's a big enough umbrella
But it's always me that ends up getting wet.
She stabbed him with the sword she had imbued with Jace's heavenly fire, burning the part of him that was demonic – too big a part of him to be able to save the rest. After his death, the only escape from the demon realm was for Simon to give up his vampire immortality and his memories of the Shadow World. Upon their return to New York, Clary had gone to see if he remembered anything of his past life. He hadn't, but had invited her to one of his gigs. She and Isabelle went to watch, simply because of the name they were playing under at the time: the Mortal Instruments.
Every little thing she does is magic
Everything she do just turns me on
Even though my life before was tragic
Now I know my love for her goes on.
They had played this song, and after Simon got his first lot of memories back (courtesy of some only slightly illegal magic on the part of Magnus Bane), he had always associated this song with Isabelle, and with her bringing him back to his old self.
I resolved to call her up a thousand times a day.
And ask her if she'll marry me in some old fashioned way.
But my silent fears have gripped me long before I reach the phone
Long before my time has tripped me must I always be alone.
Jace stopped playing and everyone began whispering, heads twisting in an attempt to see Isabelle's reaction. As Simon sang, she had maneuvered herself through the crowd to be standing in front of him. She was glaring at him, in a way that anyone who didn't know her well would interpret as being annoyed, but Clary could tell it was to cover the fact that she was trying not to cry.
Simon held out his hand to her, a silent invitation. She stepped forward to take it, stepping into the spotlight with her boyfriend. He looked at her almost pleadingly, as though saying, 'Please don't kill me for this.'
Then he got down on one knee.
The whole room fell silent, everyone craning forward for a better vantage point. Isabelle had covered her mouth with her hand in shock, even though the huge, visible gesture was so unlike Simon she must have been tipped off that something was up.
'I realise this is the end of a long night, and that everyone is probably wanting to Portal home soon. So I'm going to keep this simple: Isabelle Lightwood. Izzy. Will you marry me?'
At this point Simon produced a ring from his pocket. Even from her spot a few metres away Clary could see the gleam of the diamond fixed into the simple gold band. Simon had been planning this almost as long as Clary had been planning her actual wedding, so he had done his research. It was both extravagant and understated, simple and detailed. Exactly like Isabelle.
Isabelle slowly lowered her hand from her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears. She opened her mouth to speak but found nothing would come out, so she simply nodded.
The room erupted. Everyone was cheering, whistling, laughing, pressing forward to congratulate the new fiancés. But they only had eyes for each other as Simon slipped the ring onto Izzy's finger, stood, and pulled her in gently for an ardent kiss. Isabelle melted into him, her body fitting to his as his arms wrapped around her waist, her arms twining around his neck. The music came back on, picking up where Simon and Jace's duet had finished.
Every little thing she does is magic
Everything she do just turns me on
Even though my life before was tragic
Now I know my love for her goes on.
The pair finally drew apart, the crowd's wolf-whistling and cheering bringing a deep pink flush across both their faces. Isabelle glared at the people staring at them, then half-smiled as Simon sketched an elaborate bow. He held his hand out for hers, he tipped his head towards the floor, silently asking: One dance just for us? Her fingers twined themselves through his, the diamond on her hand glinting in the bright witchlight, as he pulled her in towards him and stepped to the side to turn on the spot.
Oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah
Every little thing, every little thing, every little thing, every little thing
Every little, every little, ever little, every little thing she does
Every little thing she does
Every little thing she does
Every little thing she does.
Simon spun her around under his arm, making them both laugh as he almost fell over – even his experience as a vampire, followed by Ascension couldn't make him completely sure-footed. Eventually he came to the conclusion that extravagant and showy dancing was going to get him nowhere, so pulled his new fiancée in close, wrapped his arms around her back and simply swayed on the spot, as Izzy leaned her head on his shoulder, fingers tangled in the hair at the back of his neck. They were still standing there, swaying slightly, long after the song ended, perfectly content in each other's arms in their own little bubble.
The song used in this chapter was 'Every Little Thing She Does is Magic' sung by the Police (although in some ways the version by Mitchel Musso seems more Simon-esque. You decide which is better). Full credits to the artist(s) and songwriter(s).