F.R.I.E.N.D.S

07.

Accepting;
The Good & The Horrible.

Simon Ember.

It wasn't shock —no he had expected this, so what this was, he could accept that it was awe tinged with a lot of apprehension, but everything was overshadowed by seeing Love smile, and be what he claimed to be in his life, a friend, Simon hadn't gotten a lot of those since he had been an outcast but having a friend now who just didn't say things but acted on them made it even more precious, —He was lucky.

They were all seated in Love's lounge, the incredibly spacious room didn't feel as big with how it had been furnished and the people around him, people he knew he could let his guard down around. "So how did you figure out it was Melissa and Hale?" Finn questioned and Love just chuckled, a form of dismissal Simon picked up on easily. "Does it matter, you're not out to kill Simon, and now you know that Martin was paid to take those pictures." Love exclaimed with a smile.

"Yeah Finn, Love's right, take the win." Maverick pointed out in support of Love, something Simon needed to get answers over when it was just him and Love, because he had tried to pry out any information from Maverick and the overly large teen kept dodging his questions, he had to concede that they had been a bit too intrusive. "You're right, —you're right, this is good." Finn muttered in acceptance as they all sipped on juice except Love who had chocolate by his lips.

"Simon." Finn suddenly muttered gaining his attention, they had both been civil to each other after realizing everything and both of them coming to Love's house for answers. "Yes." Simon answered with an expecting tone. "I'm sorry, —for threatening you, and Love, I'm sorry I rushed to conclusions just because I thought you would want to get even after the hell we put you through last year, I don't know if it's enough but I'd like to start over as friends, —hopefully." He explained and his apology was something Simon wanted to hear but being friends with someone who bullied you, —though a power move wasn't something Simon was up for yet.

"Thank you Finn, I trust you now, I do but I need time before you and I are actually friends, I need to process everything till now and move on, it doesn't mean I don't want to be your friend, it just means I need time." Simon exclaimed apologetically. "It's okay, I get it."

With that Simon smiled toward Finn who reciprocated it, when he turned to look at Love, he was surprised to see him giggle to something Maverick most likely said. As his friend he wasn't jealous but knowing Charlie wanted Love back it made him queasy and awkward about the situation, he needed to get answers and be rid of Charlie before something dramatic happened and he was sucked into the center of it.

"So I need to head out, still got school in the morning." Finn suddenly announced as he got up. "Oh right, hanging out with my baby totally had me forgetting I had school, —just like old times eh." Maverick exclaimed and Simon could've sworn he heard the slightest hint of an english accent from the teen. "We would stay up till morning, those were crazy days." Love replied with a smile, Simon just awed.

"I'll see you in the morning, you too my friend." Maverick stated as he placed a kiss on Love's forehead then shook Simon's hand, the gesture itself for Simon was something he wasn't used to but he liked it. "Bye boys!" Love saw them off and Simon grabbed their glasses going off with them to the kitchen.

"First sleep over, I like it." Love came in cheering as Simon finished placing away the glasses. "I've never had a sleepover before, well there was that one time we were stuck at my aunt's house on thanksgivings day, yeah not a day to remember." He asserted earning a hearty laugh from Love which was something he was really happy about. "Thank you by the way, —for fixing everything." Simon finally said it, the reason why he had come over in search of Love.

"You're my friend, —if I could help you in any way or shape possible, I will and would, its what friends are for." He reassured him and somehow Simon knew those words were meant from the heart. "Now come on, —for your first official sleep over, let's get you pruned, with a mask on your face, plus movies and junk food." Love announced and he was all for the idea but he needed to talk first.

"Love before that, I need to talk to you about something rather some one, two some ones infact." Simon quickly explained and Love gestured they sit and he nodded for Simon to begin. "I know Charlie is the guy who broke your heart." He confessed and Love raised his eyes brows in surprise. "Well I'm not surprised you figured it out." His friend began to say but he stopped him. "I didn't figure it out, Charlie came to me." Simon explained and now Love seemed to have taken interest in what he was about to say.

"He asked me to discreetly check up on you, see if you still had feelings for him and if there was a chance you two could get back together." Simon added further and waited for Love to say something. "Go on, —I have a feeling that's not all." The curly headed beauty accosted as Simon nodded.

"He saw Maverick when you were helping me with my project, I had no idea who he was so he asked me again to see if he was competition I guess, —which honestly seems like it to me, Maverick is whipped with you." Simon chuckled lowly as did Love who just shook his head and sighed. "I'm not angry, rather glad you told me about Charlie than secretly try interrogate Maverick for information." Love mentioned as Simon tried hard not to seem guilty because he had done that already.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." Simon apologized just as his friend took his hand. "Next time you see Charlie, tell him you're not going to spy for him, if he was man enough he would have come himself to confront me about our combined feelings, and besides I don't feel anything for him anymore, we've been separated for so long that I realized the feelings I had for Charlie are gone, he's too little too late, when he had the chance he lost me." Love confessed with a teary smile.

Simon felt like a monster for putting his friend through this but it needed to be said. "As for Maverick, ever since I left his mother's estate in England things are different for both of us, I had feelings for him and I guess it took me leaving for him to realize he had feelings for me too despite claiming he was strictly straight." Love chuckled as did Simon realizing how stupid it had been to feel so much apprehension over everything.

"It's kind of hot you know and chivalrous, like how English men are, he followed you all the way to another continent leaving everything behind for you." Simon pointed out with a cheeky grin earning a laugh from Love. "I guess in a way it is, —he's here with his dad so he didn't leave everything behind and since he's here now, I guess we'll figure it out, whether it works out or not I'm sure we'll be okay." Love conceeded and Simon moved to hug him.

He had to confess that after having this conversation with Love, he felt better, felt as if he should've come clean when everything started, but now he felt and realized that talking it out with his friend was a better option than discreet investigations which always end up horribly. "Thank you Simon for helping me get the whole Charlie situation off my chest." Love confessed as they separated. "What are friends for Willows."

"So can we finally get this two person sleepover party started?" Simon demanded as Love cheered and they moved to grab all the junk food they would need from the pantry, Simon having to carry most of it since his arms were bigger. "Hmm I think you should consider going to the gym." Love suggested opening the door to his room taking Simon's breathe away but he kept it cool. "I should shouldn't I." Simon responded as the door shut behind him.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Saint Jay