Work Text:
Simon
I keep chewing on my nails as Penny drives me to my new university. Her mom finally got her a car. The Mage was going to get me one but since I crashed 3 student vehicles, I think it is best that he changed his mind. Generally, he doesn’t even think I should be going to university. We are no closer to stopping the Humdrum then before. But I’m glad that he didn’t really care about what I am going to study. Penny has the wheel in a death grip. She is super mad at me that I refuse to tell her what I’ll be studying. I am just sure that I will fail miserably. Just go up in flames or something because I will certainly fail but I still want to try. It sounds silly when I think about it and I don’t know why I want to do it. Yet I do, I really do. I don’t want to tell Penny and listen to disapproval.
After a while, she lowers her guard a little. “How are you going to function without Baz as your roommate?”
“Maybe I won’t need to worry about being sucked dry anymore.” I smile that she decided to talk to me. “You have lives with him since your first year. You may not like to admit it but you got used to having him around.”
“Sure. People can get used to sleeping next to a busy street or a vampire. Doesn’t mean they are ever happy about it. But I guess Baz wasn’t the worst roommate as he doesn’t stay up too late, bring people over, steal my things, or leave a mess.” I shrug. “Yeah, all those are your job.” I don’t reply as she is kind of right. I will try to work on not coming back bloody at 3 am.
“You’ll be living in a student hostel. So not a dorm for a university.”
“I know, Penny. I know that much. I had to find this place.”
“But I searched the details which you didn’t. You share a room with a guy but there will be girls on the floor. There is a lot of universities around you so your roommate can go to a completely different university.”
“Why should I care? I mean it is just an opportunity to meet even more people.”
“You are too good for this world, Simon.” I grin as we arrive. I get my bags and a huge from Penny.
I sign up and pay upfront for 3 months. I head upstairs to the eight floor. There was no elevator so I had to drag my suitcase by the stairs.
Room 807... Room 807 where are you. I fiddle with the key and hope that I don’t lose it in a week. I finally find the room and sigh. I fiddle with the key and bag, eventually dropping the bag. I unlock the door and my heart sink down to my stomach. I take a step back and fall over the suitcase that I dropped.
“BAZ!?”
Baz
I groan as I unpack my things. After I had a bit of a fight with my father, he decided to not let me have the money to rent a place on my own. Fiona was prepared to fight but I just let my father do as he wants. He gave me enough to live in a student hostel. I had enough to get a private room but the fight happened so recently that when I got to it, the best was a two people room. I had Snow for a roommate, anyone else will be a breeze. We didn’t talk for a week before the last day. He avoided me as he believed that I broke him up with his precious Agatha. I had nothing to do with it. On the last day, we said the words “good bye” and that was it. I can’t believe I still got out alive. I missed him so terribly this summer. Mostly because I knew I wouldn’t see him again in 3 months. The room was alright. I had order a new mattress and got a loveseat style couch because it was all the room could fit. I looked around with a notebook in hand. I was making a list. Mini fridge, kettle, iron, ironing board, probably replace the desk chair with a soft one. So much to do, so little time. I spelled a mop using “We will be human again.” and it finished cleaning.
I was deep in thought when I heard the click of the door. I didn’t react right away. I heard someone fall over pretty hard and scream out my name. I felt butterflies in my stomach. I knew that voice anywhere. I spun around to see Simon Snow on the floor with his leg caught on a suitcase. “Oh fuck no. This isn’t happening.” I shake my head. I cannot live with Simon. Not again. I don’t have the strength any more. I was a pain in the ass since puberty. He started stuttering in coherently as he does. I would have been bright red if I had the blood in me at the moment. “Shut up Snow!” I grab my keys and walk past him. “Let’s go to the front desk. I am not putting up with you anymore.”
Simon
I left my bag in the room as I had no intension of carrying it back down with me. As Baz and I were walking down the hall, or storming as was the case with Baz, we were almost hit by a flying bottle of vodka. I shattered on the wall as we passed. It shocked us both enough to stop. The door to room 804 was wide open. It was a huge mess in there. Two guys who were probably 3rd year students were arguing about something. I am definitely not the most organized person but even I couldn’t take living in a room like that. It smelled like sweat and alcohol. Clothes were everywhere. Bottles, wrappers, and empty pizza boxes were scattered. Baz and I looked at each other and return to our assigned room.
Baz paces around the room as I have seen him do many times before. He changed a little over the summer but not really. He was the same. Same Baz that I got used to seeing every single day back at Watford. As I watched him pace, I got a chance to take in our room. It was clean, he was always neat. I think I just now started to appreciate that. It also smelled like him. It was just a little bit but this room already smelled like our room back in Watford. “Fine.” He finally said.
“Fine what?”
“I think it is best that we stay roommates... until I get an apartment and move out that is.”
“Really?” I ask.
“You are one of the worst roommates ever...” “Hey!” “Don’t interrupt me. But you are magic and at least I don’t have to cast spells only when I’m alone and spell innocence if I get caught.”
“I didn’t think of that.”
“Of course you didn’t.” I don’t actually mind his sharp tongue at the moment. I have no idea why, but the more I talked to him, the more I felt like I missed him and finally get to see him. I’ve never been this happy to see him. I watch him grab a lighter and a pack of cigarettes and left the room, going to the escape ladder.
I start unpacking. It felt a little funny that he took the same side of the closet as before.
Baz
I did have to admit it was nice that I can now freely use magic around the room without any consequences. I was never a person who believed in ‘fate’ and such other nonsense but I am beginning to think that fate is real and with a nasty sense of humor. I smoke 4 cigarettes before I decide: Fuck it. I’ve done with before. I head back to the room to find Snow unpack the rest of his few belongings.
4 months later
Things turned out a little more different than I expected at first. In theory, we don’t need to spend that much time together. In practice, I haven’t had to spend so much time with him in years. We don’t study in the same university but our lectures are basically at the same time and we have Fridays off. Then we have the issue that living in a student dorm is always a challenge and despite how you feel about your roommate, they are your alley. As we live together, we slowly fit each other more and more into the life of the other. Laundry in this building is a battle. I take nice things to the dry clears only. But Snow and I basically do our laundry together. We have our dirty clothes in the same hamper, that I got for our room. He usually gets up at 5 am on Saturday (the fucking maniac) and puts our things in the wash then returns to bed. The building has so many people and only 4 washing machines and only 1 fucking drier. I gave up and bought a drying rack. I learned a decent ironing spell but it doesn’t get that nice sharp touch that I like. Then there is the cooking. We have a shared kitchen with the whole floor. We keep food in our own fridge. Snow is again a maniac. He fucking cooks. He cooks very well and always makes a lot. I don’t cook or go out. I just eat whatever he makes. I on the other hand keep the place clean. We are a bathroom with another room and they are just two coffee fueled engineering students. In theory, our bathroom is cleaned for us on Tuesday. In practice, a grumpy lady shows up and smears a dirty rag across the bathroom on Tuesday. I end up re-cleaning weekly or even more often, with and without magic.
Possibly the worst thing is that I drive Snow around with me. On the first day that we got here, we both needed to go to the store so I ended up driving us to a large one that was a little far. After that, I would always take him to the store with me. And I’d also drive him half way to his lectures. Does all this extra closeness end here? Of course not. With university being more demanding, we study more and we both prefer studying in our room. We spend most of our Fridays and Sundays together. We also started looking worse by the week. From staying dressed normally all day to sinking to fuzzy socks, onesies, and ear hats. Who are we?
Amazingly, despite all this, I have no idea what Snow is studying. He refuses to let me know. He always brings books from the library and studies for hours. I can’t even peek at them to what he is studying. He falls asleep studying a little too often. He wakes up if I try to snatch them from him. Everything else he keeps on his laptop. I don’t know how I feel about it. I keep getting the feeling that it could be related to something to help him take over after the Mage and that is why he is so stressed. But every now and then I get the feeling that maybe he chose what he is doing and wants to be good.
I really do hate living with him.
I just fall in love even harder.
Simon
I’ve never thought I’d say this, but I love living with Baz. I never thought the day would come that I’d say it. I’ve become friends with a few girls on the floor and all they talk about how messy the other is and how they keep arguing. Baz and I still argue about the little things but it is nothing like before. It is like there is so much to do that is better to do together that we don’t have time to argue. Waking up in the morning is just a little bit easier knowing that he will drop me off right to the right bus stop. I just like the way he drives, except when he starts yelling about other drivers and flips them off. He plays music in the car and I got used to it. I have got a few favorites in his playlist. Particularly Moondust by Jaymes Young. He lets me play my music sometimes. I am stuck on the song All The Small Things by Blink 182.
But recently, I’ve been getting more nervous around him. I can’t really explain it.
Baz
I grumble and curse the ancient mages as I climb the stair miserably. It was pouring outside and I had to park far away. I didn’t think to bring an umbrella this morning. Some arse took my parking spot. I am chilled to the bone. Goosebumps cover my skin, I look paler and bluer than usual. Drinking has not been the easiest thing around but I am able to drink properly every Sunday and I find enough rats and stray dogs and cats. The area actually has a serious problem with it. Each night you can hear a cat fight and annoying meows. I once got so pissed that I just got up, spelled the cats, drained them, burned them, and went back to bed.
I pause before the door as I had an odd feeling that something was wrong. I quietly unlocked the door to hear Snow crying. I quietly walk in. Simon has barely slept the last few days. He would always fall asleep in the car. I’d drive him to his university but he persistently won’t let me know. The room was very hot. He used up all the air in the room and didn’t open any window. He just covers his head when he realizes that I was there. I open the widow a little and take off my wet outer clothes. He keeps trying to focus back on his work but his hands are visibly shacking and he looks like he is about to pass out from exhaustion. I sigh, walk over, and close his laptop. “Baz, leave me alone. I need to work.” It didn’t sound like a fight but a plea. “Simon, you are not learning or making any decent work in this state. You need to sleep.” He shakes his head. “No. You don’t get it.”
“Then explain it to me god damn it!” I raise my voice out of frustration but drop my stance as he looks like he is about to go off. “I knew I would probably fail at this course but I had such a good start. I need to pull myself back together.”
I take the pen from his hand, put it in the book in front of him, and close it. “Get up, Snow. “
“You called me Simon before.”
“No, I didn’t. Get up and get your ass into bed.” He looks like such a soft broken puppy. I just want to grab him and kiss him so hard he falls off his chair. Instead I drag him to his bed.
When he falls, he reaches out and grabbed me by my shirt, pulling me down with him. I tried to get up but he just says: “Stay.” I don’t have the strength to resist him. All he has do is ask really and I’d do anything for him. I lie down next to him and I watch his exhausted red eyes. “What do think would happen if you were to tell me what you are studying?” I ask. “Hear what I know it already is, that it is stupid.” He coughs drily. I can’t help but think his eyes are beautiful. The redness sort of made his blue eyes even more vibrant. He was gorgeous. I just want lick him from chin to eye line.
“Do you promise not to laugh?” He asks.
Simon
I pull my duvet over my head. “I won’t laugh, Snow. I think you are being a little too dramatic about this.” I can barely breathe from under the blanket but I can’t show my face. I have no idea why I asked him to stay. I am even more confused as to why he agreed. He has leg pressed to mine and I just focus on it.
I let out a breath. “I’m studying to become a chiropractor.” I actually regretted the very second that I said it but Baz never mishear or doesn’t catch something.
“What?!” He coughs out.
“Shut up!” I said. What was I thinking.
“Simon, that is amazing!” Did I mishear him? “You should have told me. I was thinking that you were taking something that the Mage made you take. Wow. Why did you choose it?” I push of the stupid duvet. “I can’t really explain it. It is very interesting. There is so many people who are just hurt in some way and I always wanted to help.”
“Fuck...” He laughs.
“You promised not to fucking laugh.”
“Idiot, you are a fucking saint. What did this rotten world do to deserve you?” He rubbed his head. “You are the fucking superman of this world. Always fucking righteous. Always trying to do good and help. You fucking idiot... The world never thanks you like you deserve it yet you are always there with your ridiculous kindness.” His hands run through his hair frantically, he never loses his composure. Even I have hardly seen him this way. I feel wide awake. The room and everything about it changed, as if it became of lighter and softer colors. We were both weak but nothing felt really new. I wonder if we were always a little weak, a little scared.
He looks at me with a thunderstorm in his eyes. Always beautiful, always perfect. To me.
Baz
My mind was racing. The atmosphere changed completely. Who else in this world mattered? What was needed to be done? What could stand in our way from anything? It was as if he would give me strength. I can’t help but lean in closer to him. I wanted to bury my face in the crook of his neck and enjoy the smell. I wanted to kiss him. Why did I think I could continue living with him without losing my mind? I begin to lean away; I really wish I could kiss him. I close my eyes so I don’t have to look at him. Pulling away from him while looking into his eyes was almost impossible.
The very second I close my eyes, I feel a very gentle and soft kiss against my lips. This cannot be real. I peek open my eyes to see Simon’s eyes closed and his lips kissing mine. I close my eyes again immediately. As if, if I were to open them, this would all be over.
I try to kiss back and he makes it so easy. He is so gentle yet relentless. I thought of kissing Simon so many times but I’ve never thought about it could be like this. There isn’t a thing in the world that I could want. God himself can’t offer a better deal. We kiss slowly but it grows into something more desperate. Craving. Desire. Simon.
We lose ourselves into the night.