Hello, hello! Taking a mini break from the big plot pieces to bring you a ludicrously fluffy (and possibly out of character, sorry) prompt fill! This is for kieren-fucking-walker on tumblr, who asked for Simon teaching Kieren how to play guitar! I kind of went in a different direction with it, but there you go!
The song is 'Anyone Else But You' by the Moldy Peaches (the shortened version from the end of Juno), so lyrics belong to the original artists!
Enjoy! :D
"You really don't have to lie to me, you know!"
"I'm not!" Simon said indignantly, glaring at his giggling boyfriend.
Kieren rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, you loved it," he said, bumping Simon's shoulder. "Those were happy tears in your eyes, and you can't deny it."
Simon snorted. "Okay, it was good, but it wasn't that good, when have you ever known me to cry over some stupid teen movie?"
"It may have been slightly more intelligent than that," Kieren argued, lacing his fingers through Simon's warmly. "Still, it did make you more emotional than I thought it would…"
"Can we not talk about this?" Simon pleaded, wincing.
Kieren grinned cheekily. "My tough Irish boyfriend cried at Juno."
"My eyes watered slightly at Juno," he corrected, glowering. "My contacts were hurting."
"A likely story," Kieren laughed, releasing Simon's hand long enough for him to rummage in his coat pockets for the key. The jovial atmosphere dissipated slightly as the door opened and they once again found themselves in Amy's old bungalow.
"Fuckin' quiet, isn't it?" Kieren muttered quietly.
"It is when you whisper," Simon said pointedly, giving Kieren a look and strolling on in, powering straight to his bedroom. Kieren followed him with a frown- he still hadn't fully mastered the many looks of Simon Monroe. He had no bloody clue what he was supposed to think half the time. Still, he knew better than to ask for explanations, especially in the bungalow. Something about the place made communicating with his guilt-ridden boyfriend much harder- it's hard to talk things out when one doesn't want to be talked to.
"I'm glad you've changed your mind," he called out after the disappearing Irish man, shuddering as his voice shattered the stillness. "About… y'know."
Simon poked his head back around the door, grimacing at Kieren's awkwardly hovering form. "Yeah, well. Can't stay here forever, got to move on sometime," he muttered, stepping out of sight once more as Kieren heard the creak of ancient drawers being yanked open.
Despite the morbid setting, Kieren allowed himself a small smile. Of course Simon wouldn't admit that living alone in the house of his dead best friend was driving him slowly insane. Trust him to make his monumental decision to move in with the Walkers sound like an act of extreme boredom.
Kieren was still giddy thinking about it- not only did he actually have a boyfriend who wasn't intent on hiding their relationship (if anything he flaunted it), he'd also earned his parents' approval and an invitation into the family home. Okay, there was still that whole big thing about the time he almost killed him (which they still seriously needed to talk out) but all in all, not too shabby.
Laughing to himself, he followed the sounds of Simon's rummaging into the bedroom. He leaned against the doorframe, smiling down at the man with his brow furrowed in concentration as he buried his arm up to the elbow in a drawer full of assorted knitwear. The stubborn man had insisted on staying the night in the bungalow until they could move his stuff properly, but allowed himself to be swayed by Kieren's suggestion that they get him some clothes for the next few days and handle to major packing later. He didn't take much convincing- clearly the place was taking more of a toll on him than he liked to admit.
"Jesus, Si, it's for two days, tops," Kieren laughed with a roll of his eyes. "Can't you just grab the first hideous jumper you find? Doesn't make much difference, does it?"
Simon just chuckled. He was quite used to the digs at his fashion choices by now. Kieren grumbled, slouching into the room- making fun of him was much more fun before he'd learned to absorb it. As Kieren occupied himself with exploring the room while Simon co-ordinated his next elegant look, he noticed something lodged in the back of the open wardrobe. He beamed, reaching forward to tug it from its prison of dusty clothes and ratty boxes.
"Hey, I thought you said you'd left this at the commune?" he said accusingly, holding the guitar up and raising his eyebrow challengingly.
Simon looked up and groaned. "Yeah, for a reason."
Kieren pouted, flopping down on the bed with the guitar in his lap. "Bloody Hell, Si, all those times I asked you to play me a song and you told me you didn't have a guitar anymore!"
"You don't wanna hear me play," Simon said firmly, slipping his selected clothes into his backpack.
"I beg to differ," Kieren said, holding it out to stoic Irish man. "Come on, for me!"
Simon smiled at his eagerness, but still shook his head. "Nah. I was never that good- it was just fun more than anything. I preferred listening to music than actually playing it."
"Spoilsport," Kieren complained, adjusting the guitar in his lap and plucking a few strings experimentally. "I always wanted to play guitar," he says thoughtfully, lying back with the instrument across his midriff. "Never got to, though. I had a few piano lessons once, but there aren't many good music teachers in the area."
Simon dropped his bag by the door, smiling as he walked over to the bed and sat down, stretching out beside the lounging boy. Kieren turned his head so their eyes met across the pillow, and Simon shrugged nonchalantly.
"I could always teach you a few chords," he said noncommittally.
Kieren grinned, rolling onto his side to face the dark-haired man. "Really?"
Simon couldn't keep himself from grinning in the face of such enthusiasm. "Really," he confirmed, leaning forward to press a kiss to Kieren's smiling lips. "But I hope you're ready, 'cause I'm a bloody impatient teacher."
Kieren smirked mischievously, resting the guitar by his other side so he had both hands free to tangle in Simon's hair. "Well, good thing I'm a fast learner then, isn't it?"
"What the fuck is that?"
"It's a G!"
"In what universe is that a G?!"
Jem rolled her eyes at her father as they heard the kerfuffle from the living room. "Well, they're at it again."
Steve nodded grimly, taping another box closed and adding it to the stack. "How about a hand in here, lads?" he called out in an effort to break up the argument.
"In a minute!" two angry voices chimed out in unison (over the sound of flat chords and rattling strings).
Jem winced. "Better leave 'em for a bit, Dad."
Steve nodded in agreement, helping her hold another box closed while she pulled tape over the opening. Looked like they'd be doing the majority of the moving themselves.
Simon was the first to admit that his own guitar playing left something to be desired, but even he had certain standards. And unfortunately, his delicate musician sensibilities were being battered down by the relentless onslaught of jarring chords from the sofa.
"How 'bout you take a break and help out with this," Simon suggested hopefully, gesturing to the box of Amy's stuff he was filling up to put safely in storage. So far they hadn't reached any decisions as to what to do with the bungalow, but tidying Amy's stuff was already a long-overdue job.
"Not gonna get any better if I keep stopping, am I?" Kieren said grumpily, fingers moving clumsily over taut strings.
Simon gritted his teeth, trying his best to focus on the packing and not on the racket from the other side of the room.
The act lasted approximately three minutes before a particularly grinding C chord spurred him into action.
"Can't you practise that some other time?" he snapped.
Kieren jumped, looking up at him with a glare. "Hey, you're the one who told me 'practise makes perfect', remember?"
"Yeah, well I didn't mean practise every single waking moment!" Simon said snippily, slamming the lid of the box shut. "Besides, there's fucking loads to do here, you could maybe think about lifting a finger to help!"
"I have!" Kieren retorted, pointing at Amy's room. "I was already in there helping Jem pack all of Amy's dresses into bags all morning! I'm taking a break, is all!"
"Yeah, taking a break to assault my ears," Simon muttered.
Unfortunately, Kieren heard.
"Great, fucking charming," he said angrily, standing up with the guitar hanging from his grasp. "You're the one who suggested this whole thing, you know- I wouldn't have even asked if you hadn't offered!"
"Yeah, I know, but I didn't think you'd be so…" Simon trailed off, his eyes widening as he immediately realised he'd gone too far.
"So what?" Kieren demanded. "Awful? Tone-deaf? Pathetic?"
"No, I didn't mean-!" Simon pleaded, but it was too late.
"Well, fine then," Kieren said, slinging the strap over his shoulder and storming from the room. "How about I just go practise out in the cold so I don't inconvenience you, then? Sound good? Talk to you later when I'm less appalling, shall I?"
"Kieren!" Simon called out, running into the hallway just in time to see the front door slam shut. He was just about to charge out after him when he felt a hand on his arm.
"I wouldn't, if I were you," Jem said, pushing him back towards the living room. "Best just let him cool off for a bit."
Simon groaned. "I didn't mean it like-"
"Yeah, yeah," Jem said impatiently. "Whatever. Look, you'll be fine, just let him walk it off. Maybe pretend he's not so awful next time he plays in front of you. He'll talk to you again."
Simon sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Jem, am I a complete twat?"
She shrugged. "Maybe a slight twat. But you could be a lot worse," she glanced around at the living room. "Besides, something about this place makes you go a bit crazy. You'll be fine once you're out."
He nodded, reluctantly returning to his packing. Something told him she was right.
The moon had risen over Roarton, and Simon walked alone through the deserted streets, the last box of his stuff under his arm. Jem and Steve had driven home (huh, home, he'd have to get used to calling it that) with the rest of his things a couple of hours ago, but with limited space in the small family car Simon had told them he'd walk along later. He'd ended up waiting for a while for the torrential rain to ease up, but now he was nearly back and he was stressed out of his mind at the prospect of seeing Kieren again. He still hadn't worked out how to apologise, and he wasn't sure a word even existed in the English language to express his regret.
He stood awkwardly on the doorstep, shifting the box under his arm and taking a deep breath. When he finally mustered up the courage to knock, he braced himself for Kieren opening the door with crossed arms and a scowl.
Instead, he found Sue's smiling face welcoming him. "Come in, love," she said, ushering him in and closing the door behind him. As he walked into the living room Sue took the box from under his arm, telling him he could muck about with the unpacking later. Jem and Steve nodded at him from the couch, but then immediately returned their attention to the film on TV.
"He's upstairs," Sue said, nodding towards the staircase. "Better face the music, love."
Simon groaned quietly. Clearly they'd told her already, then. She looked at him sympathetically as she put the box among the rest before joining her family on the sofa. Simon took that as his cue to depart.
He climbed the stairs with a growing sense of foreboding. By the time he was standing outside Kieren's door he felt like he was staring into the abyss. Slowly, timidly, he raised his hand and knocked.
"Come in!"
He pushed the door, poking his head carefully round. "Hey."
Kieren smiled at him from the bed, his wet hair hanging around his face. "Hey."
"Out in the rain?" Simon asked, gesturing to his soaking clothes (or at least the ones he was wearing, His drenched shirt and hoodie had been thrown to the floor).
Kieren nodded. "Yeah. And I had this with me," he said, holding up the guitar apologetically. "So it might be kind of… waterlogged. Sorry."
"S'fine," Simon said dismissively, amazed he'd made it this far without being shouted at. "Never play it anyway," he watched Kieren, still twanging out clumsy chords, before finally building up the courage to say what he needed to say. "Look, Kier, about what I said, I didn't mean-"
"Simon," Kieren said, smiling. "It's fine. Really."
"You sure?" Simon asked disbelievingly, moving to sit next to Kieren on the bed.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Kieren said with a shrug. "I get it. I mean just being in that place stressed you out anyway, and me being there doing this, well…" he plucked another string and winced. "…I am pretty shit, aren't I?"
Simon smiled, putting a hand on Kieren's knee. "Getting better."
"Liar," Kieren said with a laugh.
"Nah, 'course not," Simon said with a grin. "Come on, would I lie to you?"
Kieren raised his eyebrows. "Is that a trick question?"
"Okay, so I don't have the best track record for honesty," Simon laughed. "But I mean it."
"Well… I did practise all day," Kieren said shyly, plucking a string on the sodden guitar.
Simon chuckled, leaning back against the headboard beside the younger man and nudging him with his elbow. "All right, then, let's hear it!"
"Oh, come on, you don't really want to hear me!" Kieren laughed, smacking his arm. "Earlier today you were telling me I sounded like a dying cat."
"I never said 'dying'," Simon argued, gently squeezing Kieren's knee. "Now, come on. Let's hear the result of your hard work!"
"Well, all right," Kieren said grudgingly, and then his eyes lit up. "But you have to sing with me!"
Simon's eyebrows shot up. "What? No!"
"Please?" Kieren pleaded, widening his eyes to puppy-ish proportions.
Simon stared for a moment, then cursed under his breath. "Fucking Hell. Fine, I'll sing."
Kieren beamed triumphantly, before turning his attention back to his hands on the neck. "Great. I think you know this one- you were crying at it not two days ago!"
As the clumsy, rattling chords started to take some kind of shape, Simon's eyes widened. "No way."
"Yes way," Kieren said firmly with a mischievous smile. "You start us off then, Si- take your time, let me know if it gets too emotional for you!"
"Fuck off," Simon grumbled, but smiled all the same. They both knew he'd do whatever Kieren asked if he thought it would make him happy. As the shabby chords formed some kind of clumsy melody he jumped in with the first verse when he thought it would fit.
"You're a part-time lover and a full-time friend, the monkey on your back is the latest trend- I don't see what anyone can see with anyone else but you…"
Kieren grinned, and took over for the next line (even though his chords immediately fell apart the second he tried to sing at the same time).
"Here is the church and here is the steeple, we sure are cute for two ugly people- I don't see what anyone can see with anyone else but you…"
Simon sang without even thinking about it, staring at Kieren's concentrating face lovingly.
"We both have shiny happy fits of rage, I want more fans you want more stage- I don't see what anyone can see with anyone else but you…"
His fingers clattered loosely on the strings as Kieren looked up at Simon's face, but he didn't really care anymore.
"We're always trying to keep it real, when I'm in love with how you feel- I don't see what anyone can see with anyone else but you…"
Simon's hand wandered up to Kieren's neck, stroking the hair at the base of his skull softly.
"I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of the train, kiss you all starry-eyed my body sways from side to side- I don't see what anyone can see with anyone else but you…"
Kieren closed his eyes and leaned his head against Simon's shoulder, not really caring anymore that his melody has completely fallen apart.
"Pebbles forgive me the trees forgive me, so why can't you forgive me- I don't see what anyone can see with anyone else but you…"
Simon wrapped his other arm around Kieren's body, smiling against his hair as they sang the last line together.
"I don't see what anyone can see with anyone else but you."
Silence fell, the only sound the slight whisper of their breaths. Finally, Kieren spoke.
"So, how was it?" he asked with a little laugh.
Simon pulled back to look at him, and cracked a smile. "You know what, I completely forgot that's what we were doing."
Kieren smirked. "Me too."
He pushed the guitar aside and sat up, wrapping his arms around Simon's neck and kissing him softly. "Thank you," he said quietly into his ear.
"What for?" Simon asked, pulling him into his lap and kissing his neck.
Kieren grinned. "For listening."
Simon kissed his way from his neck to his chin, and then back to his mouth. "Always my pleasure, love…"
Well, hope that wasn't too terrible!
Hopefully won't be long 'til the next chapter of Broken Masks is up, and I'm currently working on a (ludicrously angsty) Still Alive AU! Gonna get a few more chapters written before I publish though (and then publish with a heap of trigger warnings because I go into way too much detail...), so this was just my fluff break!
Until next time! :D