Disclaimer: I mention a couple of classic TV series but I own none of them :)

The next morning, the pair of them sat outside the community centre on one of the benches, basking in the early morning sunlight.

Nathan was trailing his hand across Simon's wrist, causing Simon to suppress a grin at the pleasantly tickling sensation.

Nathan caught his concealed smile and raised an eyebrow. "What?" He asked.

Simon shook his head slightly before tentatively twisting his hand around and entwining his fingers with Nathan's. The movement was loose with embarrassment so Nathan tightened his grip, reminding himself that it was him who taught future Simon how to be strong.

"This is bizarre." Simon admitted softly, staring at their hands.

"Why?" Asked Nathan, a little too preoccupied with the warm feeling in his palm, and how it made him feel.

"It's just...you know my body so well and yours is completely new to me."

Nathan smiled a little to himself before making a spectacle of retracting his hand and pointing directing at Simon.

"Listen up, I don't want any of that soppy crap." He said playfully, and Simon couldn't help laughing at the totally serious look on his face.

Nathan was becoming very pleasantly acquainted with Simon's laugh. Future Simon had laughed all the time, a strong chortling sound. Simon's was a little quieter, a little more reserved but still the same. Nathan found it completely baffling how something could be exactly the same and yet totally different at the same time.

It made his head hurt, so he chose to ignore it.

"See, you're coming out of your shell already."

Simon sobered up slightly. "So I am." He smiled nervously in response.

Their eyes met and Nathan reached his hand out and took Simon's again. "Yeah." Nathan replied quietly.

Nathan's gaze fell to a groove mark in the bench until he felt a hand against his cheek, easing his face up until he met Simon's eyes again.

"It's okay to be upset." He reminded him quietly, eyes searching his.

It made Nathan feel both special and terrible at the fact that Simon seemed to be at his most confident when he was worrying over him.

It also scared him at how easily Simon seemed to be able to read him, as well as Future Simon could, maybe that had been something that Simon hadn't learnt but something he had already been able to do.

"I said no soppy crap." Nathan reminded him quietly, a small smile playing on his lips.

Simon laughed lightly before boldly leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to Nathan's lips, and suddenly everything was alright with the world again.

They jumped apart at the sound of approaching voices, Nathan watched Simon's Adam's apple bob in embarrassment and swivelled around on his side of the bench to see Curtis and Alisha approaching, chatting together as they walked side by side.

Nathan suddenly felt a twinge of sympathy rock through him at the sight of them, at the fact that they could never touch, he suddenly felt a little guilty that he still made a big deal about holding Simon's hand.

He supposed though, even if they couldn't touch, he'd never leave Simon. Although which Simon he was talking about, he'd never know.

"What are you guys doing out here?" Asked Curtis accusingly as they approached, and Nathan felt all sympathy withdraw.

He glanced across to Simon and saw him shying away slightly at the question, he obviously didn't want anyone to know.

"Just hanging out," Nathan answered loudly, "you got a problem with that?"

"No." Curtis replied, a little taken aback by the sudden reply.

"You seem happier today." Alisha observed nonchalantly as she walked past. Nathan and Simon shared one quick glance before following them into the community centre.

Nathan was so preoccupied with the task at hand, namely scraping poster graffiti of an estate wall, that when he turned around he wasn't expecting to see Curtis, Alisha and Kelly staring at him.

The minute he caught their gaze they all immediately turned away and started working vigorously on their own sections of the wall as if that was all they had been doing.

Nathan blinked a few times in confusion. He turned to his other side to see Simon diligently scraping away and inched towards him. Simon looked up when he noticed Nathan suddenly at his side.

"Why is everyone staring at me?" He whispered, he whipped out his Ipod and checked his reflection.

"I think it's because you're acting more like your old self." Simon pointed out.

Nathan froze from a moment before putting his Ipod away. He sighed. "I must have been an annoying cunt when I was..." He trailed off, not really wanting to go there again.

"You weren't, everyone gets upset."

The pair fell silent.

"Do you miss him?" Simon asked after a moment.

Nathan was silent for a moment before he shrugged his shoulders. "It's fucked up, isn't it?" He commented. "Simon's gone but then he's right here at the minute...I can't figure out if I'm lucky or not."

"I'm sure it'll get easier." Simon voiced after a moment.

"Because ever since that storm struck I must have watched you die a hundred times...and it never got any easier."

Nathan blinked a few times at the unceremonious memory of his Simon.

"Is it weird when I die?" Nathan asked suddenly, causing Simon to recoil.

"What...weird how?" He asked, recovering quickly. Scraping at the wall completely abandoned.

Nathan shrugged. "I don't know. You know."

Simon looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you mean do I get upset when you die?"

Nathan didn't answer and Simon grinned slightly at him. "I thought I was supposed to be the shy one."

Nathan laughed, suddenly feeling a lot more comfortable. He leant against the wall and raised an eyebrow to Simon. "So, how long have you fancied the pants off me, then?"

Simon shook his head and pushed Nathan off the wall, Nathan wiggled his eyebrows at him and shoved him back.

Then everything happened so quickly that Nathan barely registered it. Curtis was on him and dragging him away from Simon and Kelly had her arms on Simon's shoulders and was dragging him away from Nathan.

"Hey, what the fuck are you doing?" Nathan asked as Curtis pushed him against the wall.

"Why the hell are you beating up Simon?" He asked.

"What, I didn't, it was just a playful shove!"

"It's never just a 'playful shove' with you..."

"Uh, you're such a prick." Alisha chimed in.

"Shut up!" Simon shouted, causing everyone to stop and stare at him. "Just leave him alone, stop being such dicks!"

Nathan swallowed, Simon had a hard expression on his face and with his shoulders squared he looked almost exactly like his Simon. Like he was back with him.

He couldn't help but be reminded of something Simon had told him once, that it was him that made him who he was.

"Fine." Alisha snapped before turning on her heel and walking in the opposite direction. After what appeared to be a few seconds of deliberation, Curtis let Simon go and followed Alisha.

Kelly gave Simon a reassuring shove and he smiled nervously in return before she walked off. Simon hoped she wasn't reading any of their thoughts about any of this.

Simon turned away and was met with Nathan's eyes staring at him wearily. Taken aback, Simon shifted slightly under his gaze.

"What is it?" He asked, concerned.

"Yeah." Nathan replied after a moment.

Simon's brow furrowed. "What?"

"I miss him."

Simon turned his head away momentarily. This is going to take time, he reminded himself.

Nathan looked around Simon's bedroom with his eyebrow raised. It was very neat, it even looked like he had specific places for specific things.

He supposed his Simon had been quite neat, but there was quite a large difference between scattered paperwork and important countdown clocks and every series of Battlestar Galactica organised perfectly.

Nathan looked up when he watched Simon walk back in.

"You're a total nerd." He observed.

Simon rolled his eyes slightly. "Thanks." He answered, a little stiffly.

Nathan stuffed his hands in his pockets and took another look around the neat space, trying in vain to feel less awkward than he did.

"Where are the rest of your family?" He asked, recalling vaguely that Simon had mentioned a sister to him once. He also remembered the nasty remark that had come with it and tried quickly to expel the thought from his mind. He couldn't spent the rest of his life apologising to Simon, it was highly impractical.

"My sister is on a school trip and my parents are at a salsa class."

"Salsa?" Nathan pulled a face.

Simon smiled nervously. "Yes, I don't condone it."

"So...we're all alone?" Nathan asked rhetorically.

"We are." Simon answered.

The pair lapsed into silence.

After a moment, Nathan swivelled around and began to study Simon's film collection again but Simon knew it wasn't Star Trek Voyager that was on his mind.

Nathan had changed in so many ways since all of this began, but every now and then a part of his old self would shine through and it made Simon smile.

He wasn't smiling now, though.

He didn't know how he felt. He'd thought about Nathan before, in a boyish crush kind of way, and always alone. Never as a thing that would actually happen in the real world.

But over the time the pair had spent together, Simon had felt himself kind of enamoured with Nathan, he couldn't help it. Nathan was gorgeous and kind and broken and Simon had somehow put it upon himself to fix him.

Simon sank down on the edge of his bed and stared at Nathan's back.

"Come sit down." He said awkwardly.

Nathan glanced back at him, unsure as to how to respond. Tentatively, he crossed the room and sank down on the bed next to Simon, unceremoniously reminded of the very similar scenario he'd been in with the future Simon the very first time they'd met.

He was about to make a comment about it until he was cut off by Simon kissing him.

Simon was trying to be as confident as his future self, and he relaxed when he felt Nathan begin to respond to the kiss.

Their kisses had become quite common now and Simon enjoyed it a lot. When he thought about kissing Nathan, he'd always imagined he'd be quite hard and unforgiving because all he wanted to do was fuck.

But in reality Nathan was soft and warm and his kisses made Simon feel safe, what he didn't know was whether it was his future self that had made Nathan this way or whether he had always been like that.

He wanted to come out of his shell, he wanted to become the person Nathan remembered.

They were new and fresh and everything was awkward and weird but somehow Simon knew this relationship was worth trying for.

After a few moments of pleasant contact, Simon reached his hand out and tentatively touched the exposed skin of Nathan's abdomen. Nathan shivered slightly at the suddenly cold contact.

Feeling bolder than ever, Simon began to place a few kisses on Nathan's neck like he'd seen people do in films a million times. With no idea what he was even attempting, but knowing that Nathan felt good under his touch, Simon ran his hand further under Nathan's shirt and then suddenly there was nothing but air against his finger tips.

Simon opened his eyes to see Nathan had scooted rather hurriedly down to the other end of the bed with flushed cheeks and eyes wide with worry.

Simon felt himself go hot around the ears and tried not to take it personally. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, "I shouldn't have done that, I..."

Nathan shook his head, swallowing. "Don't say sorry, it's not you. It's never you. I just can't, I'm not ready..."

Simon nodded quickly. "I understand."

Nathan looked suddenly self-conscious.

"Maybe we can just stay here..." He began nervously.

Simon smiled reassuringly at him. "Sure, do you want to put a film on?"

Nathan nodded.

Simon hopped off of his bed, suddenly self-conscious, and selected a film at random. He slid the DVD into the player and was fiddling with the remote when he felt a tug on his sleeve.

He turned to see Nathan perched in the middle of his bed, smiling slightly up at him.

Simon allowed himself to be pulled down onto the bed and settled himself against the headboard. Nathan wriggled next to him and stole the remote from his hand, pressing play.

It was about 15 minutes into the film that Simon felt the comforting weight of Nathan's arm around him.

He tried to conceal his elation and merely rested his head against Nathan's curls.

He'd lived in this house for many years yet this was the first time he had truly felt at home.