Simon slows the car as much as he can to keep Jace from tripping on the curb and smashing his pretty, pinched face on the sidewalk. He tries not to give Izzy a look, but the 'I knew we should’ve left him behind’ exaggerated sigh says about the same thing.
He parks, breaks and looks over his shoulder through the open door, “Is he still complaining? How is that even physically possible? I mean, it’s not like he can catch tetanus from a car, right?” In theory, at least.
The truth is, as well as he and Jace have been getting along this last year, when Simon suggested they take a fun, romantic road trip? He meant Isabelle and Simon, not Jace and not all of Jace’s luggage. Granted, it’s only two, giant bags so it’s not all that bad. Still. Isn’t Jace supposed to be a warrior? Aren’t warriors supposed to live simple, Spartan lives? Didn’t realize that involved a flat iron, but you learn something new every day.
He gently rubs his temples, because there’s a Herondale-induced migraine swirling behind his eyes, then he’s out of the car and heading around to the other side. He might not be a 'man’, as it were, but he’s still a gentleman and a gentleman opens a door for a lady. Besides, it gives him a moment to bitch under his breath without Izzy hearing it. His grumbling slows and stops and he reaches for the door handle, only to pause and turn to Jace with serious!Simon face, “Do not ruin this for me. Okay, fine, this is Clave business but it’s literally the only vacation we’ve had in a year and I plan to show Izzy a good time. You got a problem with that, Buddy?”
Isabelle would never admit it, but when Simon had first brought up a road trip to Lebanon, she had felt less than enthusiastic about the prospect, but the look on Simon’s absolutely adorable face had made it impossible to say no to him.
Jace tagging along, however, was not exactly what Izzy had anticipated. Despite the blonde’s constant complaining, though, Isabelle found herself rather enjoying the trip. It was so wonderfully mundane to travel at such a leisurely pace, and she’d found that parts of the countryside were almost as beautiful as Idris.
As they finally pulled into their destination, Izzy rolled her eyes at Jace’s eagerness to climb out of the car. “Jace is a drama queen. He’ll always find something to complain about,” she told her boyfriend with a snort, not too bothered by her adoptive brother’s whining.
She watched as Simon climbed out of the car and waited patiently for him to walk around the car. It had taken her a while to get used to it, she didn’t need help opening a door, but it made Simon happy to open the door for her, so she waited, and took the moment to check her lipstick in the visor mirror, touching up the dark red color she wore on her lips.
Jace is out in the fresh air, finally. Taking a deep, dramatic and pointed breath because complaining about the poverty fumes inside that rent-a-crap did absolutely nothing to detour the trip. Of course, now everything he owns is going to have to be dry cleaned to get the stink out of it.
Speaking of, there's a very angry Shadowhunter who badly needs a shower. Actually, he needs a haircut and to trim his stubble before it becomes a full-on beard because an unkempt, hipster Nephilim is a gift to exactly no one. He should've known Hodge was evil a hell of a lot earlier. Because, beard.
He barely throws up a little exasperation hands at Simon's warning and gives his pet vampire a look that says he's in absolutely no mood for this, "That's right, it's Clave business. Not a road trip. Not a vacation. I get that this is frustrating for you and believe me we are both sorry I came with you, but if I smell like I think I smell, right now? You're going to be so very beyond sorry."
Jace walks past Simon, lifting the keys out of his hand as he goes. Makes his way to the back of the car and takes his bags out of the trunk. One of them's long, definitely has weapons in it. The other? It's huge, and most definitely has several changes of faux leather and enough cold cream to make the 1930s jealous. The weapons go over his shoulder, and he pulls the handle out of the bigger bag and drags it behind him --- it is not a pretty picture, "Now, I need a shower and I need to not be here, right now, so-" he gestures over his shoulder to a little country inn a couple of doors down and kitty corner from the pizza place, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." then he's gone, headed for a bed and a bathtub. And, probably, bed bugs.
