A/N: Based on the music video and song You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift. Anything you recognize, from the song, the video, or the book, isn't mine.
It's been forever since I listened to a Taylor Swift song, and then I heard this one, and for some reason I really wanted to write this. It's an AU where Simon and Baz become friends during their fifth year (you know, when Simon was stalking Baz obsessively), and the story takes place during their seventh year. Told from Baz's POV.
Also, just to clear up any confusion, the Humdrum does exist, but for the purpose of this story, assume he's decided to take a leaf out of Voldemort's book from Prisoner of Azkaban and go on a much-needed vacation with all of his Dark Creatures.
And also I'm really sorry about Agatha being kind of horrible.
o-o-o-o-o
Simon's fighting with Agatha again.
Apparently, he'd made a joke about something, and Wellbelove had taken offense. They're arguing about it now, in the middle of the Dining Hall, in front of everyone.
It wasn't like it hadn't been funny- the joke, I mean. It had been. Apparently Agatha just didn't get his sense of humor.
Bunce and I swap exasperated looks, but neither one of us says anything. There's nothing to say.
On my other side, Dev is watching hopefully- he's had a crush on Agatha since forever. Niall couldn't care less.
I care. And not just because Simon is my friend- but because I'm in love with him. Have been since we were fifteen, and he found me drunk out of my mind in the catacombs. He knew I was a vampire, and he never said anything to anyone.
We stopped fighting. And then we became friends.
I'd been in love with him before that, though.
"I'm sorry," Agatha suddenly sobs. "I'm really sorry, Simon." I roll my eyes.
"It's, um… It's ok, Agatha," Simon says, clearly baffled by his girlfriend's sudden shift in mood. "We're ok, right?" Agatha nods.
"Great. Well, I'll, um… I'll see you tomorrow, then." He turns to me. "Coming, Baz?"
I stand and follow him out of the Dining Hall, up the stairs to our room at the top of Mummers House.
It's almost the end of the year. The annual Ball is this Friday, and I don't have a date, because the only person I'd want to ask is unavailable.
We get back to our room, and I want to tell him… I don't know. That I understand him. That I know him. That I would be better for him than she is.
I don't know that I believe that last one, though. Me being a vampire, and all.
"I hate Tuesdays," Simon groans, dropping onto his bed and pulling out a pile of homework. I shake my head at him.
"How are Tuesdays any different from any other day of the week?"
"Homework."
I laugh. "That's your own fault, Simon. You shouldn't have left it for the last minute." I grab my iPod from the nightstand and slip on the headset. We're not supposed to have electronics, but I spelled this to work at Watford. Simon grumbles something that sounds suspiciously like "Fuck off," but he's grinning at me. I can't help it- I grin back. His smile is contagious.
I scroll through my playlist until I find a Michael Jackson song. Agatha hates Michael Jackson- I'd gotten into an argument with her about it last year.
Simon will never admit it, but he loves my music. All Agatha ever listens to is Katy Perry and Taylor Swift.
o-o-o-o-o
Simon's late to Magic Words class the next day. We're taking notes; Miss Possibelf is up at the board, lecturing. Simon sits at the desk next to mine.
I scribble something on a piece of paper and pass it to him. You ok?
Simon writes something on the back and hands it to me. Tired of drama.
I believe it. Watford's big football game is tomorrow, and Agatha's captain of the cheer squad. No doubt she's been blabbering on about it nonstop. She'll be out there in her short skirt, waving her pom poms, and I'll be on the field, trying to pretend it's me Simon's watching.
Who knows. Maybe one day, he'll decide it's me he's been looking for.
I scribble Sorry on the bottom of the note and pass it to him. He smiles at me, then pulls out a pen and starts taking notes. I yank a fresh sheet of paper from my notebook, intending to do the same.
Instead, I find myself writing I Love You across the page. I fold it up and shove it in my pocket. Next to me, Simon crumples the page he's been scribbling away on and shoves it into his backpack.
o-o-o-o-o
Simon has changed out of his uniform and into a pair of jeans, and the two of us are sitting on a bench outside of Mummers House.
It's so easy to be with him like this. Just the two of us, laughing and talking. It makes me wonder why we spent five years hating each other.
He's smiling- he hasn't done as much of that lately. I swear, his smile could light up the world. Forget going off- his grin is twice as brilliant.
He doesn't smile like this around Agatha.
The girlfriend in question chooses that moment to saunter up, grinning from ear to ear. "Simon!" she cries waving. Simon stands with an apologetic shrug, and Agatha kisses him. I look away, rolling my eyes.
I can feel Agatha's stare burning a hole straight through me, but I ignore her. I swear, she know how I feel, and she goes out of her way to be a bitch about it.
Simon waves as Agatha drags him away, and I lift my hand slowly, wondering. Even if I hadn't been in love with him, I'd have wanted to know what the hell someone like Simon was doing with someone like Agatha.
He could do so much better. He really could.
And I know he's not happy. Oh, he'll tell me he's just fine, but I've known him since we were eleven. I defiantly know him better than that.
o-o-o-o-o
It's the day of the football game, and I'm lacing up my sneakers, getting ready. We're facing some prestigious Normal boarding school's team, and there's a strict No Magic policy in place. Simon's up in the bleachers- I know exactly where, I could catch his eye if I wanted- and Agatha's warming up the cheerleaders. She's left a pair of ridiculous high heels on the bench. I snort, rolling my eyes.
I can't help myself; I look up, staring directly at Simon. He's watching Agatha, but then he turns to look at me, and gives me the thumbs-up. His bronze curls are practically glowing in the sunset.
o-o-o-o-o
Last Easter, Simon ended up at my house.
I'm not sure why, just that he came down from Watford right before the holiday, and we spent the day in my room, listening to all the music Agatha hates that we both love so much.
We ended up talking about what we wanted to do after Watford, and I told him I wanted to teach. Like Mother.
He had no clue what he wanted. I guess, when the fate of the world rests on your shoulders, you don't really get to think much about your own future.
I'm not sure why I'm thinking about this now. We just won the game. Agatha and Simon are standing at the foot of the bleachers, and it looks like they're arguing. Dev is with them- he's also on the team, and from the sound of it, Agatha had been flirting with him. I make my way over to them, but before I get there, a few of my teammates run over, hoisting me up onto their shoulders and cheering.
I had scored the winning goal, but I almost didn't care about that now.
o-o-o-o-o
The Minotaur knew there wasn't much point in assigning real work this late in the year. I mean, the Ball was that night.
Not the leaver's ball- that was tomorrow, and as seventh years, Simon and I couldn't go. Tonight was just a party for the rest of the school.
We've been given a stack of worksheets for the summer, and the Minotaur told us to get a head start on them now (I was already finished).
A piece of paper slides onto my desk. I set aside my book and glance down at it.
You going tonight?
No, studying, I write, handing it back to Simon. It's a lie- I'm ahead in every single one of my classes.
Wish you were.
I look up in surprise, but he's already gone back to his worksheets.
o-o-o-o-o
I made sure to feed right after class, draining the blood from a half-dozen rats. It's just good luck that I had a spare suit in the back of my wardrobe.
I hadn't been planning on going to the Ball, but Simon wants me there. I know this won't turn out like I want it to, but I'm still going. Because if Simon Snow told me to throw myself off a cliff, I'd probably do it with a smile on my face.
On a whim, I shove a certain folded piece of paper in my pocket. I really hope I don't regret this- but I can't live with the secret any longer.
o-o-o-o-o
The Lawn has been transformed into a dance floor, and there are strings of fairy lights hanging over everything. But I don't notice any of that. I'm too busy looking for Simon.
There he is.
He and Bunce are standing by the punch table, chatting. His back is to me, but just then, Bunce looks up. A small smile appears on her face, and she says something to Simon.
He turns around and sees me, standing in the open doorway. And then we're both moving, pushing through the crowd toward each other.
I freeze as Agatha appears next to Simon. She wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. For a moment, I think he'll leave with her- but he doesn't.
He's been looking at me the entire time, and when he pushes her off, I can see the outrage on her face. But I really couldn't care less.
And then we're right in front of each other.
I can't say a word. My throat has closed up, and all the blood I drank earlier has rushed to my face. So I pull the folded piece of paper from my pocket.
I unfold it slowly, holding it in front of me for him to read.
I Love You.
A small smile spreads across his face, and Simon pulls a crumpled-up ball of paper from his own pocket. If I didn't know better (And I don't know better), I'd swear it was the same piece of paper he'd been writing on in Magic Words class. He uncrumples it, holding it the same way I'm holding mine, so I can see the words written there.
I Love You.
We're both grinning like idiots now, and one of us has moved closer, because now we're practically breathing the same air. Being this close to him is intoxicating.
"You belong with me," I say, wrapping my arms around his waist. He nods in agreement.
And then we're kissing.
But this isn't the end of our story. It's only the beginning.
Fin.