"how do you usually deal with breakups?"
they’ve been quiet for the last few hours, the only sound in the room that of turning pages as they flip through the mess of books sprawled out in front of them. now his voice breaks the silence, the question almost sounding casual enough except for the way his tone curls around the words. he’s not obvious about it, but there’s a layer of hurt underneath the words, something she can pick out just barely. the sigh ghosts over her lips as she closes the book, her attention turning toward him instead. she can’t meet his gaze with his eyes turned downward, and she doesn’t try to catch his attention. instead, she simply waits, eyes scanning over his profile. he’s not the same nerdy kid who first came barreling into the institute on clary’s heels, with glasses slipping down his nose as he tried to keep up with everything around him, but despite the (literal) transformation he went through, he’s not far off it, either. he might not wear the glasses anymore, and might seem more comfortable in his skin than he did when they first met, but she wonders how long that’ll last. heartbreak has a way of breaking down barriers and walls build up, and shattering any sort of self confidence built.
she still remembers how broken clary looked, sitting on her bed and crying because of what happened in the seelie realm. she doesn’t know what to expect from simon.
“i guess the way most people do,” she replies with a small shrug, lips pressing together as her head tilts to the side, considering the words, “except things are either usually casual enough that there’s not really a real break up involved, or i’m the one to do the breaking up. the last time someone broke up with me, he tried doing it through a letter that he planned on sneaking in and leaving for me to find— he ended up leaving with a broken wrist, and that was before jace had a chance to get to him.” it’s probably not the answer he’s looking for, and izzy shrugs again. “not that i’m suggesting violence as the answer, especially in this case. but i’ve always found hitting something is a good way to release tension. or eating a tub of ice cream. that sometimes helps, too.”