Chamber by Chamber // Snowbaz

Penny Ships It

Otp Prompt #4: Penny sets the boys up on a little date...

We're trying to find Nicodemus. We need to find Baz's mum's killer, and finding this guy will help us. Penny, Baz and I have been sitting and eating and theorizing all day. For around nine hours. All of us are getting restless, and I'm just about ready to punch Baz in the jaw. That would certainly screw up his perfect bloody jawline for sure. And I'm fairly certain he's ready to bite me. Penny has been pulling on her hair for the past hour. The only reason I'm trying not to pick a fight with baz right now is because we're on a truce. And I know how hard it must be for him; trying to find his mum's killer and all. I think it's time to take a break.

"Hey, we should just pick this up another time." I suggest. Baz nods and Penny thinks for a moment.

She turns to me. "Simon! Are you free Friday night... around eight o'clock?"

"Well, yeah Pen. We should pick this up then."

"Baz, are you?" She turns to him, a smile playing on her lips. Baz nods reluctantly. She's cooking something up... but I can't tell what yet.

"Perfect! How about we all have dinner outside of campus, and then we can come and continue our research?" Baz and I both nod, looking at each other. I see the confusion dancing around on his features, and I know my face must look similar. "Oh, you know what? I actually can't make it. I have a... thing. But you two should definitely have dinner and then come back to research. Or... ya know. Do whatever." She's picking up her things to leave, and Baz and I just stare at her back, dumbfounded. Did she just set me up on a date with my enemy? The thought of being alone with Baz under a romantic pretense makes me nervous for some reason.

With a smile and a wink, Penny leaves the room and shuts the door behind her. I swear to god, she winked at me. That girl. Baz and I just stare at each other for a solid three minutes. Then he scoffs and lays down.

"Well?" I ask him, still staring at the back of his head. He has great hair. Sometimes I wonder what it would feel like when it's not slicked back. Soft, I think.

"Well what?" His voice is thick and like venom. Or like honey. I can't tell which.

"Well... we're not actually going to dinner on Friday, right?"

"I don't see why not, Snow. We can figure out how to find Nicodemus and get some food, too. It might be refreshing," I raise an eyebrow in question even though he can't see me. "Or not, you know. I just thought..."

"No, yeah. That would be, ehm... that would be okay." My voice comes out much higher than I had expected.

"Alright then, Snow. Friday it is."

"Okay."

"And Snow?"

"Yeah?"

"Stop staring." I roll my eyes and flop back onto my bed, pulling my shirt off and tossing it aside. The lights spell off, and I roll over on my side to look at Baz even though he's facing the other way. I'm going to dinner with the person I'm destined to kill. It will be purely professional- only for the task of finding Nicodemus. So then why am I so nervous? Probably because I'm worried that he'll use the dinner to find out more information about me and then use it to plot. Yeah, that's it.

I fall asleep easily listening to Baz breathe.

...

It's Friday evening and I'm waiting at an italian restaurant off campus, waiting for Baz. All week I've been grilling Penny about why she had to set this up. She replied with nothing but a secretive smile. I got here about ten minutes ago, but Baz stayed back in our room for a bit saying he needed to go down to the catacombs and get out of his uncomfortable Watford clothes. I play with my napkin and sip my water until I see all heads turn in the direction of the entrance.

Baz walks toward me, and I've lost the ability to form words. He pulls out his chair and sits down. I can't stop staring at him. His hair isn't slicked back in its usual state, and he has some color from the rats he's sure to have just drained. His collared shirt is unbuttoned part way down, but most importantly (or most noticeably, anyway)... are his jeans.

"Baz! Um, I uh- Baz, you're-"

"Spit it out, Snow."

"You're wearing jeans!" He looks at me as though I've grown another head. His jeans fit perfectly, and the color is amazing. He just looks so... normal. He slowly nods and smiles a small smile. Or at least what could appear as a smile, but could just as easily be a sneer. My breath is still caught in my throat and my heart is pounding an unseemly amount.

All throughout dinner, we talk about random things. The weather, Nicodemus, Penny, Dev, Niall, the Mage. Halfway in, we're both lightly buzzed from the wine we ordered. Or rather, Penny ordered for us in advance. We talk about travel, parents, childhood. More and more throughout dinner, I see Baz as more of a person like the rest of us. Not a monster. Just a boy. An evil boy who wants to off me, yes. But a boy nonetheless. And I do not want to kill this boy. I mean I don't want to snog him either, but I just don't want to kill him. And I don't really know what that means for us. For me.

When we're walking- or rather, stumbling- back to the Mummers house, I stumble and grab onto Baz for support. I start to pull away and mumble an apology, but he stops me. "It's fine, Snow. You're hammered, and I'm buzzed. You can hold on." So I do. I grab Baz's hand lightly, and lean into him every so often. Truth be told, I didn't even have all that much wine. I'm feeling more drunk on Baz, then anything. Which is weird, considering he's probably plotting my death right now.

When we finally get to our room, I still don't want to let go of his hand. Not because I really like him or anything. But because I'm drunk, of course. I just tug on his arm until we're both sitting on my bed. When I lay down on my side, he moves to get up but I stop him by squeezing his hand.

"Stay for just a bit?" I ask. I suppose it comes out as more of a whine.

"You're drunk, Simon." He sounds disappointed.

"I'm not," He eyes me suspiciously. "I'm not really. I'm just... lonely. Please, Baz?" I expect him to spit and my face and go back to his own bed, plotting my death. But he simply sighs, kicks off his shoes, and lays down facing me. He spells the lights off. We stay still for a long time. I try and make out his features in the dark. Why am I doing this? I'm not gay or anything- and certainly not gay for Baz.

Yet, when he moves to get up, I can't help but say, "Please? Just a little while longer?" He stays down and moves his forehead to mine. I snake my arm around his waist and pull him closer. I can taste his breath. It's like the spaghetti he had for dinner. He tugs me impossibly closer, until he's only centimeters away.

"You still drunk, Snow?" He breathes. His breath is warm, unlike the rest of him.

"Only on you, Baz. And you called me Simon before." I mentally slap myself for saying I'm drunk on him. He probably thinks I'm some sort of creep now.

"No I didn-" I crash my lips against his, and his jaw works back with mine. I am so glad that I'm sober enough to remember this tomorrow. I swipe my tongue around, trying to memorize every part of his mouth. How long have I wanted to do this for? A long time, I think. Too long. I should have done this years ago. Shirts come off, and promises are made. And all I can think is

Thank you Penelope.

...

Baz and I get down to breakfast twenty minutes late. I don't particularly mind because it was so worth it. Baz comes to sit down next to me and Penny today. She raises her eyebrow in question, and all I can do is grin at her. I know we must look like a bloody wreck- our hair is messed up and clothes crumpled.

We set down our trays at the table and I try to make a sad excuse of an apology for being late. "Sorry for being late, Pen. I was... doing something."

With a smirk Baz looks Penny dead in the eye and says, "I'm something." The bastard doesn't even blink. I, of course, drop my jaw and swat him on the arm. Penny just laughs and high fives the git. All for the rest of breakfast, Baz and I hold hands. Even though it makes it difficult to eat, I don't mind. Penny smirks and winks at me the whole time, and she never stops grinning.

"You're welcome," She says when she bumps into me on the way to class. And I can't help the foolish grin that spreads across my face. I nod in appreciation.

Thank you.