Here's a fic I wrote for feelingsugoi for the Carry On Secret Santa! (And my first published fic of 2020)
There’s not a lot that can surprise me after the week we’ve had.
So when I open my front door at 6am on New Year’s Day to find Basilton Pitch on my doorstep, I’m not nearly as surprised as I should be.
“Come in, then.” I usher him into the foyer and close the door.
He looks rough. Like he didn’t sleep last night. (I know I didn’t.)
I lead him to the kitchen. “Tea?”
He runs a hand nervously through his hair. “Hm? Oh. Please.”
I’m not going to ask why he’s here, even if I’m bursting to. I can tell he’s working the words around in his mouth.
Even so, he doesn’t speak until I’m sitting across from him at the kitchen table, two steaming cups between us.
“I just… is he… I wanted to know…” He stares down into his tea, and I wait.
He doesn’t go on though. I’m trying to think of how to nudge the truth out of him, but I’m too tired for any sort of finesse and the words tumble out wrong. “How long have you and Simon been together?”
Baz’s eyes shoot up from his tea. He stares at me like I’ve laid a trap. “Who says we’re together?” He cocks an eyebrow, as if I haven’t just rattled him.
I stand my ground. “What if Simon says?”
Baz looks back down at his tea. “But he didn’t, did he?” I think I see disappointment flash across his face.
“Well, not in so many words, no.”
He laughs. “In any words, then?”
“Actions speak louder than words.”
“All right then, Bunce. What actions have told you that Snow and I are together?”
I sip my tea while I gather my thoughts. “Just a sense. And, you know, the way you held him after… after…”
“After everything,” he finishes for me.
I nod. “And you’re being right cagey about the whole thing. That tends to raise suspicion.”
Baz laughs lightly, and I feel like we’ve broken through some kind of barrier. “I’m honestly not sure what we are.” He takes a sip of tea, and we sit in silence for a moment.
“How long though?” He looks at me, his face blank. “If I had to guess, I’d say this has been going at least since the dragon.”
I can see the flinch of surprise flash across his face before he schools it back into boredom. “Why would you say that?”
I shrug. “You both just seemed different after that. More connected.”
He snorts. “You saw how much we argued after that.”
“Yeah, well, I’m getting the sense that maybe arguing is a form of flirting for you two.”
He stares at his hands, and I wonder if he’s blushing. It’s impossible to tell.
“He asked to be my boyfriend on Christmas Eve.”
I can’t tell if I’m surprised. “So you haven’t… everything’s brand new, then?”
He shrugs, and it’s an odd look on him. “I don’t even know if he still wants me, after everything that’s happened.”
“You haven’t even really gotten started.”
He nods. “I wanted to come last night, but my father wouldn’t let me. I just thought— it’s idiotic, really, but I thought that if I were here to kiss him at midnight…”
I reach my hand across the table and cover his. “It’s not idiotic.” We sit awkwardly like that for a moment. “Last night was rough. He was having a hard time.” There were night terrors and tears, but I don’t say so.
Baz lowers his eyes and nods. He understands what I mean. “Is he sleeping now?”
I pull my hand back and wrap it around my cup of tea to warm it. “You want to go see him?”
“I— I don’t know if he’d want me to—”
I roll my eyes. “He’s been asking for you. Which I could have let you know if you’d just give me your mobile number.”
His face is unreadable. But then he holds his hand out. “Give me your mobile, then. I’ll put my number in.”
I do, and he does. “Do you really only have two numbers saved in your contacts?”
I grin. “Three, now. Might even reach four soon. We’ve been talking about getting Simon a phone of his own.” I watch Baz’s face carefully at that, and see a quick, shy smile. Interesting. “Snakes alive, you’re going to be one of those couples that spends all day on the phone, aren’t you?”
I’m certain that this is the look Baz makes when he’s blushing. I can’t see any blood in his cheeks, but he looks mortified. “I’m not sure that we’re any sort of couple at this point.”
I rise from the table. “Come on, then.” I gesture impatiently for him to follow. “Come on.”
I lead Baz up the stairs to my room. Any ordinary day, my parents might have something to say about me leading a boy into my bedroom. Any ordinary day, I wouldn’t have Simon curled up asleep in my bed.
“Simon,” I whisper as I creep into the room. “Baz is here.”
Baz follows me into the room, and Simon stirs. He’s lying on his side, his wings spread out behind him, draped off the edge of my bed. He’s got the blankets pulled up to his neck and his knees tucked up. He opens his eyes blearily. “Baz?”
I nudge Baz forward. “Go on then.” He sits shyly on the far edge of the bed, and I watch as Simon reaches a hand out to him. “I missed you,” he sighs. “Come here?”
Baz looks towards me, uncertainly. I nod, and he turns to pull off his shoes.
Simon holds open the blanket, and Baz hesitates for only a moment before crawling under the blanket and inching towards him.
Simon wraps an arm around Baz, and pulls him closer. Suddenly I feel like I’m intruding.
I turn towards the door to leave. “Get some sleep, boys.” I step into the hallway, and as I turn back to close the door, I see Simon press a sleepy kiss to Baz’s lips.
I think they’ll get started just fine.
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