Snowbaz One Shots

After The End

After everything that happened in the Chapel, Bunce fell asleep huddled in a ball on the ground and Simon in my arms. I didn't. I couldn't. My eyes fell closed as I rubbed Simon's back for hours on end, but sleep never came. Even in his fitful nightmares, Simon held on to me tighter than anyone ever has.

Eventually, Professor Bunce appeared at the scene with her son. Both of them cried. Professor Bunce for Penelope, the kid for the Mage. Simon woke up amidst all of the tears, but didn't say a single word. He just continued to rest his head on my chest, his whole body shaking.

"It'll all be okay, Simon, I promise." I whispered that into his ear, as if "okay" is even an option at this point. Still refusing to move or talk, the only sign of life that Simon showed was a single tear slipping down his pale cheek (He looks about as pale as me now). I kissed it away, but that just made more come.

It took several minutes of coaxing to get Simon to stand up and walk back to our room with me. Professor Bunce offered to spell us up there, but I thought it might be better to walk, the Normal way. We walked together at a snail's pace, Snow still clinging desperately to my arm and staring dead ahead with no life behind his gaze. When we got to our room, I led him over to his bed. He fell on top of his blankets before I had time to cover him over with them, eyes already closed. Leaving Simon to sleep, I went to the bathroom and changed out of my clothes that were now caked in dirt and reeked of Simon's magic. By the time I got back, Snow had somehow switched over to my bed, all of the covers kicked down to the foot of it, as if he were a child waiting for his mum to come tuck him in. I did. Kicking off my shoes, I crawled up next to him, my arms slipping around his waist. Just held him.

This time, we both slept like the dead. For twelve hours, I hear.

Bunce was already there when we woke up, sipping tea in my desk chair and staring at nothing. I shifted to sit up on the bed, but Simon remained in the fetal position.

"Alright, Bunce?"

"Yeah. No. I don't know..." I've never seen Penelope Bunce rendered speechless. "Brought you guys some scones and tea. Figured you might be hungry."

I *am* hungry. Blood hungry. But I don't think I could leave Simon's side right now even if I was going absolutely mad to hunt... so I take a scone and a tea cup from Bunce. I'll go when I have no choice left. I take a bite and a sip, not even caring if Bunce is watching me.

"Hey, Simon," I mutter, resting my palm on his back. "You hungry? We have scones and tea. And butter! We know how you feel about butter..."

"You really should eat something, Simon," Bunce's voice calls, with an edge of true concern.

Stagnant silence.

"Come on, love..." I let my fingers run through his curls, voice breaking apart slightly. He still doesn't move.

"So..." Bunce interjects, defeatedly. "Are you two, like...?" 

A few snarky remarks run through my head, pretty much on reflex. I take a sharp inhale and almost allow one to slip through, but all that comes out is a sigh. Constantly holding up a wall of defenses gets tiresome... and painful. Who cares now? I'm a vampire. The Mage is dead. And I am utterly, disgustingly, absurdly in love with Simon Snow.

"Yeah. We are."

Bunce grins a little bit.

"I never knew that you two... wanted that. I mean, you've been at each other's throats since day one. How long have you...?"

I'm not sure if Bunce intends to ask how long I've loved him or how long we've been an "us." Either way...

"Not long enough."

A few minutes pass, I think. It could have been only a few seconds, but it seems to drag on for a bit. I never take my eyes off of him.

"Baz?"

"Yeah, Bunce?" I respond as I entwine my fingers with Simon's limp ones.

"If you ever hurt him, I *will* kill you."

For a few seconds, I ogle at her in stunned silence. Then, before I remember that I'm not supposed to, I start to laugh. Bunce does, too. It feels good, kind of.

"You know I'm serious, though?" Bunce asks through a pained kind of smile.

"I know you are. So am I."

***

It takes a couple of hours for Simon to come around enough to even sit up on the bed. When he finally does, Bunce crouches down in front of him and wraps her arms around him, muttering in his ear that she's proud of him for all he's done. That seems to trigger something within him for the first time today, and he relinquishes a soggy grin. It's the kind of smile that makes you feel worse for the person than if they just didn't do it at all. Bunce leaves to go call her mum, and I kiss the mole on Simon's cheek (it's my new target). He turns his head towards me just slightly, eyelids flickering in a way that reminds me that he's still alive. His curls crush against my neck as he rests his head on my shoulder.

"I'm proud of you, too, Snow. You're a hero."

"You called me Simon before." Being the first words he's spoken in more than a day, his voice is a truly pitiful thing. It comes out strained and broken. I can't help but go soft a little bit.

"S'pose I did, Simon." My lips meet their target again.

Before I can pull away, he catches me with his mouth. It's a lingering, longing kiss, but a sad one. It's in no way forced or unsure, but heavy and just... pitiful.

His curls fall into my neck again.

"I don't feel like much of a hero."

"To me, love, you've never been and never will be anything short of my very own Superman."

"Whatever you say."

That was the last time I heard Simon's voice for the rest of the day. And the one after.

He clings to me. I let him.