Sidemen One Shots

Just a passing stranger- whirlwind

It hurts. Everything. The constant aching from sleep deprivation gets tiresome. Simon hates it. And as he spends another sleepless night alone, he realises. Sleeping alone sucks.

As Simon walks into his favourite coffee shop, he notices something different about the place. It's quiet. Almost too quiet for his liking. It's only him, the cashier, and another guy. He orders the usual coffee and sits in his usual seat. He likes the routine of it all.

Day after day it stays the same. The boy is always sat in the same seat, a beanie covering his brown locks, his back to Simon at all times. In a way it intrigues him. At the same time he doesn't want someone to wreck the perfect routine he's got himself into. He's just a passing stranger after all.

Well that was until he met Josh.

Josh. A guy who wore beanies because he couldn't be bothered to fix his hair in the early morning. Josh, a boy who was out there. Different. A sort of modern day rebel. He wore denim jackets with black skinny jeans. Always had some obscure music flooding out of his headphones.

Yet Simon kind of liked it. Sure he too wore the black skinny jeans and burgundy tops, like most people like themselves. Soon enough he was lusting for a look in his direction. Anything to give him a taste of what the mystery this boy had presented him with.

Yet Josh never turned around. And Simon despised it. One day he'd work up the courage to introduce himself to the mystery male.

-

Days passed and Simon still hasn't made his move. He was just about to give up and start going to a different coffee shop to avoid the boy. That was when he came and sat down at his table.

Just a little bit startled at the fact that the mystery man had sat down opposite him, Simon hadn't yet looked up. His eyes drifted to his face and fuck. He was worth the wait.

Light blue eyes, incomprehensibly straight hair, jawbones as sharp as blades. Simon fell in love with it all.

"So, my name's Josh. Yours?"

And that's where it all begun.

-

It started with early morning coffees before dashing off to class, but it soon became late night whispers under the cloak of darkness. Hushed yawns, tangled sheets and warm bodies.

Simon adored it all. He smiled into early morning kisses, and melted into late night embraces. It is just what Simon needed. Yet day by day the holidays were approaching. The looming fact that Josh would have to go back to his family for two weeks made Simon ache. Josh knew he couldn't take Simon home, no matter how accepting his family was. It just wasn't the time. Simon agreed, slow long counting down the seconds until Josh had to leave.

Unfortunately the day came sooner than Simon would have it liked to. Josh had backed a bag, yet left some remains of the his presence in Simon's apartment.

Snow fell delicately, the small flakes getting caught in the mess that was Josh's hair occasionally. He smiled tearfully as he kissed Josh goodbye for two weeks. Two weeks of sleeping alone.

-

Those two weeks were hell. Barely getting more than three hours of sleep a night, Simon was eagerly counting down the seconds until Josh was back in his arms once more. Texting and calling just wouldn't cut it anymore.

His arms felt empty. His apartment lonely, his bed vacant. He longed for the days where he'd never sleep alone again.

The nights were the worst. Spending countless hours staring at the ever-changing horizon bored Simon. Somehow he was surviving with next to no sleep. He didn't understand how.

-

Josh was back. After a long ordeal of picking him up from the airport, they were both back at home.

"Simon you've not been sleeping while I was gone. Come here."

Simon leaped at the chance to be held again. He buried himself into the crook of Josh's neck, finally succumbing to the sleep he so desperately needed. After being sort of lead, mostly dragged into the bedroom, Josh laid down with Simon already tucked up in his arms. God he had missed this. He played with the small slight blondish tufts of hair on Simon's head, drew masterpieces into his skin, pulled him in even closer, loving the feeling of Simon's warm breath on his neck.

Looking down at Simon, he regretted not introducing himself sooner. They hadn't known each other long, but it was enough for them to have been caught up in a whirlwind of emotion. It was bitter sweet.

He wasn't the type of guy to stay. To get so caught up in it all. To last as long as this. For it to get as serious as this. He loved Simon. He truly did. But he knew, deep down he could never stay forever. He slowly slipped Simon out of his arms, Simon mumbled as if he knew Josh was gone. Replacing his body with a pillow, Josh crept out of the room.

With his bags already packed and ready to go he fled into the night, ready for the next city. Ready for the next person he'd come crashing into. Ready for the next person he'd cause a whirlwind with before letting them turn to dust.

He was a just a passing stranger after all.