Chamber by Chamber // Snowbaz

Use Your Words

Otp Prompt #16: Baz and Simon are assigned to duel together and things take an interesting turn when they have to duel with compliments.

We're in life skills class (some git thought it would be a good idea to teach us about life in the Normal world) when our professor gives our assignment. "Find a partner- you're dueling," My eyes spring across the room to where Snow is sitting and he looks at me, too. When everyone gets up to pair together, it's like Snow and I are drawn together. (The only time he's drawn to me is when it's time to fight... it's bittersweet). I get out my wand, mentally going through all of the spells I know. When everyone has a partner, the professor starts speaking again. "In the Normal world, of course you can't duel with wands. In fact, you can't duel at all. So today I will teach you how to 'kill them with kindness' as the Normals like to say. You will be dueling... with compliments." I groan and roll my eyes at the same time as Snow shoots his arm in the air.

"Professor, I didn't know this would be the assignment. Can I have a new partner?" It almost hurts (almost because I've hardened myself to it. Mostly) when he seems to seem so genuinely horrified at the prospect of complimenting me. (I can't say I blame him. There's not much to compliment). The professor simply shakes her head and continues on with the lesson. We have to keep complementing one another until one of us fucking ceades. But I know for a fact that both Snow and I are too stubborn to back down- we could be here for hours. Hours of complimenting each other, yes, but in a way that's even more tortuous than actually dueling.

"Turn to your partners... and begin." Everyone turns to one another, chatting and smiling. Snow and I just stand there, both of us waiting for the other to say something.

"Well?" I sneer, and he rolls his eyes, but begins nonetheless.

"I guess you're a decent person to share a bloody bathroom with." He mumbles it, but it comes out clear enough. I roll my eyes and try to ignore the flips my stomach does when he blushes as he looks at me. He kicks my toe with his foot, telling me to go. I can't bloody well say Simon Snow I want to fuck you, or, you are the most intensely, painfully beautiful thing in this world.

"I suppose you're not the most infuriating person at this school." I lace my voice with more venom than usual as I see him glance up at me in surprise. I tried to say it like I was mad at him, but it didn't change the fact that it was nothing like anything I'd ever usually say to him.

He shakes himself out of his muttering (and adorable) stupor as he contemplates what to say next. He still sounds angry as he says, "You're good at school, I bloody suppose..." I try to hide the surprise on my face with a smug grin. Of course neither of us is going to back down, so the compliments will have to get nicer and nicer as the class ticks on. I consider saying that he has a nice girlfriend, but even I think that's going a tad too far.

"You seem to be loyal enough, I suppose. To Bunce and Wellbelove." He gazes up at me (Crowley, this was a bad idea) so I can just barely see his (extra)ordinary blue eyes through his bronze thatch of curls.

"You think so?" He asks me. I roll my eyes once and give him a curt nod, but I don't give him the satisfaction of answering with words. "You're great on the pitch." He smiles a little bit, but his words still come out harsh- like he's shouting the compliments at me. This is weird (and frankly fucking arousing), but I suppose I can't do anything but match his intensity.

"I admire the way you take care of those around you, even if they don't deserve it." I don't even think about the words before they tumble out of my mouth (still laced with anger and venom), and he looks just as surprised as I feel. I admire him? What the fuck was that, Baz? I mentally curse at myself as he stands up straighter, looking at me in the eyes.

"You are ruthless friend," I raise an eyebrow at him before he stutters and clarifies his statement. "In a good way. To Dev and Niall..." He trails off (I hate it when he does that), but he doesn't drop my gaze.

"You are a good Chosen One, even though you set half the things you touch on fire." He smiles at that with me, and his grin makes my heart flip. Bloody fucking hell, Simon Snow. His smile shouldn't make me feel this way.

He leans forward and drops his voice to a whisper as he says, "You aren't a monster, Baz." I freeze for a moment before scoffing and rolling my eyes. He takes a step closer so I have to tilt my head slightly down to look him in the eyes. He still sounds mad at me, but what else is new? Simon Snow doesn't think I'm a monster.

"You have a nice smile," I fucking hate myself as he smiles even wider.

"Your eyes are a nice grey colour." I can feel my breath get caught in my throat. We're yelling at each other louder now, right in each others' faces. But normally we wouldn't be yelling such nice things to each other.

"I love your curls!" I shout.

"Your bloody hair is fucking gorgeous!" He yells right back. I'm having trouble standing, but I'm not about to back down and lose the duel. (This is either the best duel or the worst duel I've ever experienced- I'm not sure which).

I take a step forward so our chests bump into each other as I spit, "Your moles make me want to die." He doesn't even seem fazed steps (impossibly) closer.

"You are the smartest and best looking bloke I've ever met!" I can't even see straight. People have stopped what they're supposed to be doing, instead watching (but not getting in the middle of) us fight. (Is this a fight? It feels like a fight... but different. Good different, I decide).

"I hate the fucking way you make me feel, Snow!" My voice hitches in the middle of the revelation. I can feel his breath and smell the smoke of his magic. He looks so angry I think he might be about to burst.

"You are so...so..." He scrunches his nose and screws his eyes shut, searching for the right words.

"Use your words, Simon!" I spit. He snaps his eyes open, and in a move that I can only describe as ninja-like, he takes me by the collar and pulls me so close to his face that our noses touch. He's so close. I think I might kiss him. All around us, people are staring, but right now it's just him and I... the rest of the world melting away.

"Baz..." He growls.

"What?" I try to make it come out as rude, but it sounds too breathless. (Everything feels breathless right now).

"Kiss me." It comes out throaty and it seems as though he's forgotten that we're in the room with other people, too. My breath comes out as shaky as I soak in what he's said. He wants me to kiss him. I want to protest- I want to laugh in his face and then pull away and demand he tells me he was joking. But since he's Simon fucking Snow and I'm in love with him, and because I'm a spineless git...

I lean in, just giving him a ghost of a kiss on his lips- a whisper. "I'm so what, Snow?" I murmur against his lips. He looks at me in the eyes as he contemplates what to say next.

"You're so beautiful, Baz." He states it simply as though it were a fact and not a (very, very wrong) opinion. But it's all I need to lean down and kiss him with everything I've got. The way his jaw works with my mouth and the heat of his mouth and his soft whimpers and this thing he does with his jaw and-

I am kissing Simon Snow. He pulls back a bit and gives me the biggest compliment of the day.

"I love you, Baz."