Baz

I don't know how long Simon and I have been sitting up here in this tree, waiting for the rain to stop so we have a clear path back to our tent.

I really do want to kiss Simon though. When is an opportunity like this going to come up ever again? Right now Simon has snuggled into my arms and his head is resting against my chest, eyes closed.

Unfortunately the reason for this is not that Simon Snow is hopelessly in love with me, but that the both of us are probably going to end up with hypothermia.

So, my cowardly self notices that Simon is shivering in my arms. What do I do rather than kiss him? I smooth his damp hair out of his eyes and kiss his forehead. In my mind that counts, because I'm shitting myself right here in this moment while I wait for him to do something.

The thing is he doesn't do anything. I think that's a good thing. I was ready for him to chuck me out of this tree. After I kiss his cheek he lifts his head from my chest to look at me.

The thing is he seems bashful. Oh and did I mention so damn cute. Shouldn't I be the one who's shy? I give him a faint smile and he buries his face back in my chest.

The rain eventually stops, but it's too cloudy to locate our way back to the tent. Simon looks up again. "Baz?" He says.

I lean my head against the tree trunk and close my eyes. "Hm?" I say.

"Can't vampires kill wolves?" My eyes fly open, and I hope he can't read the emotions on my face. The thing that's killing me is not the question in itself, but in the tone in which the question was asked.

I could tell by his tone of voice, that Simon is not mocking me. It is a genuine question. He genuinely thinks that I'm a vampire.

"I-I, h-how should I-" I don't know how to answer Simon's question. Suddenly the memories come flooding back to me. I wasn't born a vampire, and Simon can't stand me for being one.

The way Simon is looking at me initially causes the tears to begin flowing. I turn my head to the side, hoping to conceal the worst of my breakdown from Simon, though there isn't really anywhere to go in a tree.

"...Baz." Simon puts his hand on my shoulder. If I'm not completely and utterly screwed at this point, I don't know anything anymore. "Talk to me Baz."

I love how Simon is trying to comfort me, at least I assume that's what he's trying to do.

I sniff. "Talk to you about w-what?" He looks down. I don't know what exactly he's thinking or feeling. Is that… sympathy?

Simon

I feel like shit. For bringing up the vampire thing. And sure -my suspicions are now confirmed. But there's definitely something Baz isn't telling me, something that goes deeper.

For one, he never once made a move on any humans. He could've easily killed me in my sleep many times. He acts like he wants to kill me though…

At the same time, all I asked was if vampires can kill wolves, when he broke down.

Then he kissed me. Okay, it wasn't really a kiss. But it was so unlike Baz. I don't know if that's his way of mocking me… but then he smiled at me. A genuine one too.

He really is messing with my head.

I put my hand back on his shoulder, because once again, I really do feel bad for making him like this.

"I'm a vampire, Snow. You were right." My breathing hitches. Sure, I knew from the moment that he broke down that he was a vampire, but he just flat out admitted it to me.

Baz's face scrunches up and he begins crying again when he sees the reaction his confession got out of me. "Stop Baz, please." He wipes at his face and looks down, but goes on.

"I was one of the babies in the nursery attack, Simon. The only one turned."

Oh my God. Did I say I feel like shit before? I don't even know what to say right now. Much less what to say to Baz.

Instead I hug him. I press my forehead to the side of his face, so I'm breathing on to Baz's cheek, where the tears flow. We stay like that for a while, and Baz's breathing turn's back to normal.

I'm hoping to reassure Baz that he isn't alone. I've sure made him feel that way with the things I said over the years.

He looks up to see the sun peeking through the clouds, lighting up his grey eyes. Baz looks back at me. "I'm sorry, Baz. I don't know what to say. I don't think there's anything that I can say that'll make everything I said over the years any better."

I place my hand on his bicep. "Thank you. Thank you for telling me." I say. Since the sun is now up, we climb down from the tree and I remember something.

"When the wolves came… you -you sent me up the tree first." Now I'm getting emotional.

Baz put my life before his.

Baz tilts his head upwards, so the sun showers his face. His eyes brim with tears and he bites his quivering bottom lip. "Yeah. Yeah, I did." He says it in a hushed tone.

As we walk back to our tent, I notice the deer Baz caught, or was feeding on, has been ravaged by the wolves. I'm starving.

"Where'd you leave that bag we got from the big house?" I ask Baz. He points in the general direction that we're heading. "I left it by the tent when I hunted that deer."

When we find the bag, Baz opens it up and starts to rummage through its contents. He holds out a first aid kit. "Need it?" I shake my head. He tosses aside a coil of rope, then pulls out two daggers.

I expect him to hand me one, but he holds one in each of his hands. Baz gets up and whips his head in every direction as he stalks forward, looking for any sign of animal life.

Baz spots it before I do, but that's definitely a rabbit. It pokes its head up looking for any sign of danger, but the poor rabbit's back is to us.

Like lightning one dagger flies out of Baz's grip and lands at the rabbit's feet, but before it can react, the second dagger pierces its abdomen.

Baz is breathing heavy as he walks over to pick up the rabbit. I follow him. I can't help but admire how good he is at wielding that dagger.

He hands the rabbit to me. "Here." Baz says as he places it in my hands. It's not very big, but probably enough to hold one of us over.

"Why are you giving this to me?" I ask. Baz shrugs. "You're hungry."

I gape at him "Like you're not?" He shrugs again. "Sure I am, but I had some blood from that deer before, I can hold off longer than you'll be able to."

I start a fire and cook the rabbit. I insist that Baz have some, but he keeps shaking his head and refusing.

We're both sitting by the fire when the sun starts to set. Baz is bandaging a cut he got oh his calf when I pulled him up the tree. He's so focused on his bandaging that I take a moment to really look at him, I haven't before.

His eyes. A stormy grey that until now, I hadn't realized how truly mesmerizingly beautiful they were. His raven black hair. Unruly from the day we just had, it frames his face perfectly. It falls in bone straight strands, he blows one out of his eyes. My heart stops, and I'm forced to ask myself a question.

Am I attracted to Baz?