Chapter 45
Simon
Penny is driving us both mental with her wedding arrangements. It's not that we need to do very much, it's more that she is driving herself mad while trying to arrange everything for her wedding in America while she's here in London. She said that she handed over most of the small stuff to Micah's mum but she's constantly calling her and checking and then rechecking all of her arrangements. I can hear her muttering to herself about flowers and bands and table arrangements and something called a pre-wedding dinner. Honestly I have no fucking clue about all the stuff she's banging on about half the time and I'm starting to worry that I should be doing more, but whenever I ask her she says I've done enough, and I've hardly done anything.
I bring her cups of tea and then try to steer clear of her. It seems safer that way.
I'm back to doing life drawing and tonight I had a class so it's late when get home. Penny is skyping Micah.
"I know I said your mother could organise it." Penny huffs, "But I don't really like her choice of flower arrangement for the tables, she sent me three different ones and they're all grotesque."
"They're not that bad Penny, and it won't be an actual disaster if they are not exactly as you want." Micah says calmly.
"Of course it will!" she shrieks at him. It's hard to believe this is the same person who helped me track werewolves through Soho and fight off dragons. She's like a completely different person.
Micah sighs and speaks calmly. "Okay Penny, if you don't like them why don't you just tell her."
"I don't want to upset her Micah." She says taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyes. "But I think I need to do that."
I sneak into my room to drop off my bag, taking my time in there. When I come out a while later she's still at the kitchen table googling florists in New York.
"All right Pen?" I ask, putting the kettle on to make her a cup of tea.
"Yes Simon."
"Need anything?"
"No." she says. Then, "Yes."
"What?" I ask, a little nervously. I don't know what mood she's going to be in these days.
"Can you tell me how Merlin's name I'm supposed to pick flower arrangements in New York when I'm all the way over here?" She snaps.
"Um, send them a picture of one you want?" I shrug, passing her a cup.
She stares at me for a long time and I think she's going to snap at me but instead she shakes her head. "Why didn't I just do that in the first place?" she mutters, and then she starts typing furiously on her keyboard. "Yes!" she says a few minutes later, punching the air with her fist. She finds what she wants and sends a picture to Micah's mother.
"Done." She says, snapping her laptop closed.
"Sorted?" I ask hesitantly.
"Yes Simon, thanks. You're a genius!" She smiles a tired smile at me. "Why didn't I think of that?"
I shrug and get on with preparing dinner. It's my night tonight and we're having pasta. Baz should be here any minute, he had football practice today.
We eat dinner quietly and Penny is preoccupied with more wedding arrangements, she has a book that she keeps everything in and it's next to her while we eat and she keeps flicking through it, muttering to herself all the while. Baz looks like he's going to say something cheeky but I look at Baz and shake my head. She'll probably cast Cat got your tongue on him the way she's going.
When we go to bed I pull Baz close to me.
"I don't want a big wedding." I tell him.
"The smaller the better." He agrees.
"I mean, Penny's a mess and I don't want to waste a year of our lives worrying over one day." I go on.
"Complete waste of time." He nods against the pillow.
"In fact, the smaller the better." I say, then I realise Baz already said exactly that and I grin at him.
"Yes." he grins back.
"And I don't want to spend a year planning it." I tell him, warming to the idea now. "When we set the date, I want it, like, three months away. Okay Baz?"
"Sounds good to me." He says. His tone is light.
I fall asleep quickly after that. Now that it's off my mind.
Penny
This semester is flying by and between uni, work and wedding planning I don't have a moment to spare. Simon, bless him, has been so helpful, he's been my voice of reason whenever things get too testing and I start tying myself in knots over arrangements.
Last week I spent the entire week researching the hotel's wedding menu and discussing all of the various options with Micah and his mother, only to have Simon suggest that we talk with Alex, who knows her food, or her boyfriend Marco who's a chef. So we did just that and they were extremely helpful. They helped me select the entire wedding menu and pre-wedding dinner menu over coffee at Alex's café, taking into consideration the countless dietary requirements of Micah's family.
And this week he reminded me to buy shoes, because I had a wedding dress but no shoes. That would have been an unmitigated disaster! I sorted that out the same day. I don't know where I would be without him.
Today he's managed to convince me to go back to my yoga class. I hadn't taken it back up since I returned from America, but he says that I need the distraction and it will help me focus my mind. And I dare say he's right. I just finished my first session and I feel more relaxed than I have all semester.
Micah's also been particularly attentive ever since the flower debacle. And he reminds me constantly that he'd marry me in the registry office if it all gets too much. I'm starting to think it's not a bad idea.
Simon
I called Micah after Penny lost it over the flowers because I thought this was all getting too much for her. I told him that I'll try to help her as much as I can, but could he perhaps call her a little more often, or a lot more, because she's scaring me a little. She seemed to calm down a bit after that.
There is one upside of her being so absorbed by her wedding. At least she's stopped worrying about me for a change. And she doesn't ask Baz or me about our wedding plans, ever, which is good because we haven't made any yet.
The only thing Baz and I have talked about is moving in together once Penny and Micah are married. Penny said that Micah will move here once they're married which gives me the perfect excuse to move in with Baz. He asked me as soon as Penny told us their plans and I said yes straight away. Of course I want to move in with Baz, I'd move in straight away if it didn't leave Penny in the lurch and if she wasn't going slightly mental at the moment.
It's not like we don't spend every night together anyway, and we eat at each other's place as well, and I study there or he studies at our flat. We've done this ever since I came back and we got engaged. I prefer it and I know Baz likes it. I don't really like being away from him anymore.
-oOo-
Baz and I head to Oxford every Friday night for dinner but we haven't been staying many weekends because Baz has football and I'm usually working, but it's midterm break now so we're making the most of the rare opportunity and staying for a few nights.
We're sitting outside on the lawns after a game of Pitch football. It's a new game that Mordy and I made it up recently. There are no actual rules to the game, because I can fly and Baz can use his super vampire speed and we've both got magic so it's kind of a free for all. The twin's main job is to run around in front of Mordy or me and distract us or try to trip us over and then get the ball, and my job is to fly around so Mordy can kick the ball up to me before Baz can get to it and I kick it back to Mordy so she can kick goals. Baz and the twins beat Mordy and me as usual, but we're getting better and we've started to come up with some plays now. Baz pretty much just gets the ball from us and kicks goal after goal, and even though I fly back to defend his goals he still gets them past me.
Mordy and I argued over the name of our game in the middle of the lawn for ages. She wanted to call it Grimm-ball.
"That's a bit grim isn't it?" I said when she first came up with it.
She rolled her eyes at my lame joke. "Well it's better than Snow-ball."
"No it's not?" I came up with the game after all, well, sort of.
"Yes it is. And that will just confuse the twins." She said.
Baz got sick of waiting to play then. "We're calling it Pitch football because I'm going to win anyway. Now let's start before the day is over." And with that he kicked off so we had no choice but to play.
Lucky the staff aren't around today or any other day I fly for that matter otherwise they would have to be spelled innocent all the time because they're all Normals. And the game is quite a spectacle really.
Baz's step-mum brings lunch and refreshments outside when the game finishes. She places the tray onto a table she magicks up and hands out lunch to Baz's siblings, then she takes some for herself and settles into a chair. I grab some lunch and I'm about to hoe into it when she starts asking us about wedding arrangements.
"You've been engaged for almost a year." She says casually. "Have you made a decision on when you'll be married?"
I look at Baz, "Not yet." He says to his step-mum.
She smiles at us. "Whenever you're ready, I'm happy to help. I know it can be overwhelming."
"We're going to keep it simple." I say.
"Small." Baz adds.
"All right." She says.
We don't say anything more while we eat lunch.
Mordy starts asking questions about Watford because she going there next year. We try to answer her questions but neither of us actually like talking about it very much. Baz sticks to talking about the lessons and football, and I talk about my friends and the food and the teachers that I liked. That seems to keep her happy.
After they finish eating, Mordy and the twins run off with the football and start another game between them, each taking turns blocking goals.
"You're welcome to use the gardens here if you like." Baz's step-mum says, looking at both of us.
I turn to Baz and he stares back at me. We haven't talked about anything yet but I kind of like the idea of getting married here because I really love coming here. I smile at him.
"That would be lovely." Baz says.
"Yeah, thanks." I say.
That night Baz and I are in his room lying on our backs on his bed, talking. Our shoulders are touching and I'm holding his hand. He's rubbing his thumb across the back of my hand in that way he does. It feels nice.
"I like that idea," I tell him. "Of having our wedding here."
Baz turns to face me and smiles. "Me too."
Baz
I've wanted this ever since I proposed to Simon. I've wanted to be married to Simon here, at Oxford. We have so many good memories here and I know he loves being here. I can't help smiling.
He props himself up on one elbow and looks down at me.
"And I've thought of something else I want." He says.
I'm surprised at that, I thought he wasn't thinking about getting married yet. I've been thinking about it, I've been thinking a lot about how much I want to be married to Simon. "I thought you weren't thinking about our wedding yet?"
"I'm not, not really." He says, brushing a loose lock of my hair behind my ear. "But I want to go to Tuscany for our honeymoon."
I stare up at him, into the blue of his eyes. "And I'll play the violin and you'll draw and we'll make love in the afternoons and dance under the stars?" I say, raising my eyebrow in question. I can't help smiling a little.
"Yes, exactly." He says, grinning at me. And then he leans down and presses his soft warm lips against mine.
"Whatever you want." I murmur, and I pull him back down for another longer kiss.
Simon
The rest of the year flies by and Penny is in a bit better state now that things are starting to come together. Agatha is coming over in a couple of weeks for Christmas again, on her own this time because she's vowed to help Penny with any wedding things she needs help with, and because her parents would freak out if she didn't come back for Christmas. Micah is staying in New York this year because it could be his last Christmas with his family for a while, and he's missed the last two so I think they put the hard word on him.
We're having a rare, quiet Saturday night in front of the telly when Penny turn to me. "Have you thought any more about when you plan on talking with Lady Salisbury?"
I'm surprised she brought this up, I thought for sure she was going to ask me about our wedding plans, which Baz and I have been able to deflect every single time just by asking her something about her wedding.
"Not really." I say truthfully. I haven't thought about when I'll talk to her yet. Baz and Penny know I will now. They already know I've decided this after I talked it through with my psychologist.
"What's the best outcome you envisage?" My psychologist asked me.
"That she'll believe me and want to be part of my life, accept me?" I answered.
"And what's the worst outcome that could occur?" She asked.
"That she won't believe me, or that she will believe me but not want to have anything to do with me." I said. "Or that she'll keel over and die from shock." I added as an afterthought.
"And how would you feel about these outcomes." She asked.
I shrugged. "Dunno." I said. "I'm in a good place now, and I don't really need her approval."
"So any outcome would be acceptable?" She asked.
"Well, any but the last." I said. "I don't want her to keel over or anything."
"Ignoring the last outcome, are the rest acceptable?"
"Yeah I think so. The main reason I want to tell her is because it's her daughter and she should know the truth, not because I need a grandmother or whatever. I have my family, Baz is my family."
And my psychologist nodded, and I thought to myself that I know what I'm going to do.
Penny
Agatha has finally arrived and she's barely off the plane before I grab her and Priya and take them shopping for their dresses. I ask Simon if he wants to come too but he scoffs and says that this is one wedding thing he doesn't want to be involved in.
"Just show Baz when you get them so he can match my stuff." He says as he and Baz head off to the gym. They're back at the gym because football is finished and it's too wet and cold to run and for Simon to fly without warming and weatherization spells.
Priya is over the top excited to be shopping with us. This is her first time as bridesmaid and she hasn't stopped talking the entire way. I think Agatha is getting agitated, she's not used to children demanding her attention like that, probably because she's an only child.
We head to the shop that Baz's step mum suggests. She certainly came through with the shop I bought my wedding dress so I don't doubt her knowledge, and I'm not about to waste any more time faffing around.
We arrive and Agatha immediately is impressed. She knows the shop, in fact her mother suggested it as well.
"She has good taste." Agatha says regarding Daphne.
We enter the shop and a member of staff comes toward us instantly offering her help.
"How can I help you lovely ladies?" she says, looking kindly at the three of us.
"We're looking for bridesmaid dresses, for these two." I say.
"And you are the bride?" she enquires, looking at me.
"Yes." I beam.
She steps back then, and looks them over critically. Priya is shorter than Agatha, but apart from that they have similar builds.
"Hmmm." She says. "What style are you after?"
"Style?" I ask.
"Yes, black tie, formal, morning dress, lounge suit?"
I turn to Agatha for help. I have no idea.
"She's getting married in New York, so definitely not morning dress, I think lounge suit will do." Agatha says decisively.
"What's that?" I whisper.
"More formal than cocktail, less than formal." She shrugs.
"All right." The assistant says, "Take a seat please. Would you like something to drink? Tea or coffee, champagne perhaps?"
"Ooh, champagne please." Agatha says, giggling.
"And tea, for Priya." I add. Priya looks at me and scowls. She flops down on the lounge and crosses her arms.
"How do you know all this?" I ask Agatha once the assistant leaves us to find some dresses.
Agatha shrugs. "I've spent a lot of time shopping with Mother, I went to a lot of gala events."
"Do you miss all that?" I ask her. She left a lot behind when she left for America.
She shakes her head. "Not really. I used to think I wanted to do all of that, but I much prefer my life now." She says. "None of that is very important to me. It was more important to my mother."
And then she fills me in on her studies and her part time job and life in California.
The rest of the afternoon is spent with Agatha and Priya trying on lots of different dresses, while I sit back and appraise them and drink champagne. I must say there are worse ways to spend an afternoon than this.
By the time we find the right ones, that look lovely on both of them and are not too young for Agatha and not too mature for Priya, I hardly notice that we've finished the bottle of champagne and it's starting to get dark outside.
"It's lovely!" Agatha says.
"It's beautiful!" Priya cries.
We pick out a third dress, and arrange for it to be shipped direct to New York, since Micah informed me recently that he now has four groomsmen I needed to add Micah's sister to my ever growing wedding party. I hope the dress fits her, I'm sure they can get it altered there if they need. We catch the tube back to mum's to drop Priya home and show mum the dresses and she loves them too. And then she asks Agatha and me to stay for dinner, which we do, and mum pulls out a bottle of wine to celebrate so dad ends up driving us both home because we're both feeling a little tipsy.
It's not until I get home and into bed that I realise we didn't get shoes. Again!
Simon
It's Christmas Eve which means it's also our anniversary, and today is our third. Baz warned me weeks ago that the third is traditionally leather so I've been prepared for a while. I managed to get the whole day off because Alex decided not to open the café, she's having Christmas day at her place and needs the time to prepare.
We're having dinner again at our flat with Agatha and Penny, just the four of us this year. I'm making some new crab linguine dish that Marco suggested and said is really easy, Penny and Agatha are in charge of dessert.
I wake up facing a sleeping Baz. I don't wake him yet, I just watch him. He looks as beautiful as ever sleeping, his eyes are closed and his long eyelashes almost brush his cheeks. I resist the urge to touch them. Instead I think about last night and I feel a stirring down deep inside me so I try to think about something else, but now I can't so I lightly touch his cheek.
His eyes flutter open and he blinks a few times as he looks at me. I love watching him wake up in the morning. I stare at him for a few moments before I say anything.
"Happy anniversary fiancé." I say as quiet as I can.
"Happy anniversary fiancé." He says back, his voice thick with sleep.
I press my lips to his for a brief kiss and then pull back and watch as he slowly wakes.
"Do you want your present now?" I ask eventually, running my fingers across his cheek to his lips.
"No." He says quiet as ever as he pulls me towards him. He presses his body against mine and then stops, raising his eyebrow. He can definitely feel what I want.
"Fuck it." I mumble as I push him on his back and I kiss him. I lace my fingers through his, pressing myself against him so I can feel every part of him under me as we kiss. Merlin he feels good. After a time he pushes my hands away from his and wraps his arms around me tight, pulling me even closer and I shiver at his cold skin against mine, even though it's starting to warm up now. He breaks our kiss briefly and grins at me as he picks me up and flips me onto my back, being careful with my wings as he does, and now he's on top of me pressing his body against mine. He laces his fingers back through mine as kisses me hard and for so long that I have to take in a big breath when he finally breaks away.
He moves to my jaw now and kisses it roughly and then kisses his way down my throat and along collarbone. He's not being gentle– it's rough and needy and I'm loving it. My tail wraps around his waist and pulls him even closer as I wait until he brings his mouth back to mine. He finally lets go of my hands and takes hold of my waist so I push my hands through his hair and clench my fists in it and pull his mouth back to mine to kiss him again and again. He pulls back a little to lick my bottom lip and then his tongue is in my mouth, wet and soft as it slides against mine and I want him so much I think I might fucking die.
-oOo-
I can't stop smiling.
We're lying next to each other holding hands and I'm still a bit breathless from possibly the best sex we've ever had – this week anyway.
Eventually Baz turns to look at me, grinning wickedly and looking incredibly smug. "Presents or breakfast?" he questions. His hair is tousled and slightly matted with sweat and he looks so handsomely dishevelled that I'm thinking about doing that all over again, but I don't think my heart would take it so I think about his question again instead.
"Preakfast." I mumble.
He laughs at me and kisses me quickly. Then climbs off the bed and walks out of the room. I watch him go, he looks so beautiful and I think what a waste all those clothes he owns are because he really doesn't need them, he's perfect on his own. He returns in a minute with a soft gift wrapped package. I sit up.
He sits back on the bed and hands me the gift. "Happy anniversary Simon." He says.
I smile at my name and as I open the package and see a soft, black leather jacket. I forgot to set a limit this year when he told me the third anniversary is leather and it looks like he's clearly taken advantage of that. And if I think back now I clearly remember him distracting me as soon as he told me. I look up at Baz, stunned.
"Baz." I say, "It– it's beautiful." I stutter, I'm completely lost for words, which is fairly normal for me anyway, so I just stare instead.
"So are you." He says matter of fact. I look at him and then shake my head in wonder, at his generosity, his thoughtfulness. Then I reach over and kiss him lightly on the lips.
"Thank you." I say, looking at Baz in disbelief. "This is too much."
"No it isn't. It's exactly enough." He says quietly.
I'm still shaking my head as I put on the jacket and I'm running my hands along the soft leather for a long time before I remember his gift.
"Your present!" I say wide eyed. I stumble out of bed and rummage around my bag until I find his present. I climb back into bed with his gift.
"Happy anniversary Baz. I love you." I say, handing him the small box.
He unwraps it and stares at the leather and steel bracelet. A small smiles breaks out on his face. He pulls it out of the box and looks up at me and then kisses me. "Thank you Simon." He says. "It's beautiful."
"So are you." I mimic his response to me exactly. He snorts then and kisses me again. Then he takes the bracelet from the box and I take it from him and clasp it around his wrist. We both look at it.
I kiss him again and he slides his hands under my jacket and around my waist. I can feel the cold steel from the bracelet against my skin and I shiver.
-oOo-
We make it back to my flat late that afternoon, and after Baz pushes me against the door and kisses me stupid we go inside and find Agatha and Penny getting drunk on mulled wine Bellini's. They were a bit of a hit last year so they must have decided to make them again. I'm not sure how they'll go with crab linguine but I don't think they'll be in a state to care. At least they don't notice me blushing.
I set about getting dinner organised while Penny and Agatha finish icing the gingerbread biscuits and start on the dessert. The icing looks a bit wonky but I don't think they really care that much. This year they decided to make bread and butter panettone pudding for dessert, another Marco suggestion and it sounds brilliant.
It's a quieter Christmas eve this year compared with last year but Penny and Agatha make up for lack of people with their shrieks of laughter as they retell stories from their time in America with Micah's Royal family obsessed aunts in the summer and how they're all planning to come over to meet Prince Harry.
Baz and I are happy to listen to them and their boisterous laughter. I hold Baz's hand and every now and again I brush my fingers across his new bracelet. It looks so good on him.
Penny's having a good time. She must need the release after such a hectic year, and she definitely looks happy now that Agatha is here and they've crossed off some more wedding items off her enormous to-do list. Penny's been filling Agatha in all day on everything that she's been up to during the year, and now that we're here she's decided to fill Agatha in on everything that Baz and I have been up to.
"And Simon's been playing tennis at the club a few times." Penny tells Agatha.
"How's your game?" she asks me.
"Pretty good." I shrug.
"When he doesn't use his tail." Baz adds, smirking at me.
"I don't always use it." I shrug again. "Only if Niall is being a dick."
Agatha and Baz snort at that.
I tip my head towards Baz. "I haven't beaten Baz yet, though."
"I don't think anyone's beaten Baz yet." Agatha says knowingly. I suppose she saw Baz play at the club back before she left for America.
"And Baz has been hanging around more with Dev and Niall." Penny continues, obviously eager to catch Agatha up on everything.
"Good for you." Agatha nods in approval. "You were friends for such a long time after all." I nod smugly at Baz. I knew I was right about that.
"And Simon finally passed his driver's licence, and he has his passport too, so he can come to my wedding." She goes on. "And he'll need it for his own honeymoon too I suppose, now that he and Baz are engaged."
"What?"
We all turn to Agatha. I completely forgot that Agatha didn't know yet.
"Yeah." I smile. "And Penny's pissed because we got engaged before her."
This time Baz snorts a laugh.
"That's not true!" Penny argues. "I was annoyed, a little, but only because you didn't tell me for six months." She says, glaring at me.
"You were annoyed a lot." I say. "Because we got engaged before you." I raise my eyebrow at her and I'm grinning.
"I can't believe you two were engaged before me." She mumbles, shaking her head. "I was planning that for ages and you two went ahead and just did it."
"You're engaged?" Agatha asks.
"Yes."
"Since when?"
"Actually, you were here, last year, that night when I told you I got my magic back." I tell her.
"Simon!" she says excitedly. "That's wonderful news! Congratulations!" And then she stumbles as she gets up and gives me a hug and then she tries to hug Baz. "Congratulations Basil!" she says, and when Baz peels her off him she hugs me again.
By the end of the night the girls have polished off most of the Bellini's and half the wine and half the pudding. I polish off the rest. I wave my wand and clean up the mess and Penny and Baz look at me, smiling. I've had my magic for an entire year and they still act like its new whenever I use it. I don't mind, I love having my magic back and especially since it actually works like it's supposed to now and I don't blow things up anymore.
"Baz is making French Toast for breakfast." I announce as we get up to go to bed. Baz rolls his eyes but he's smiling at me.
"Yum." Agatha says, and then hiccups.
"Thass great, because I don't think I'll be able to." Penny slurs.
I watch as the two of them stumble to Penny's room. I hope their hangovers aren't too bad tomorrow, it is Christmas after all. At least neither of them has to do anything tomorrow, just turn up at their mum's by lunchtime. And Penny can always cast Hair of the Dog if she needs to. I could do it now too I suppose, although I don't think I'll ever use that spell again after what happened the last time, no matter how much better my magic is.
I pull Baz into my room and kick the door closed as I kick off my shoes. I peel off my jeans and pull off my tee shirt and drop them on the floor. My leather jacket is hanging on the back of my chair and I touch it fondly, it's so soft.
I watch Baz as he peels off his jeans, then takes off his shirt and removes his cotton slouch beanie that I gave him last anniversary and I wait for him to place them neatly over my jacket. He sees me watching him and he looks at me, questioningly.
"Baz?"
"Snow?"
"You know that spell?" I ask hesitantly. "The soundproofing one?"
"Yes?" He says, a slow grin breaking across his face.
"Reckon you could cast it now?"
And Baz is on me like a shot, backing me up so fast that I tumble backwards when the back of my legs hit my bed and he's right there on top of me. He gropes around for his wand and waves the lights out, and then casts the soundproofing spell that we've never used and I wonder briefly why, before I stop thinking of anything but him.
Baz
We unwrap our Christmas presents with my family around the tree before everyone else arrives. My parents bought Simon another suit, this time in a dark grey, almost charcoal and a tennis racquet and bag. They bought me another suit as well, in a very dark purple, it's almost black. I like it, I think I'll wear this one to Bunce's wedding. They also bought me a new tennis racquet and some music books that I'd asked for. We hand out our gifts to my family and my siblings unwrap their mass of gifts and squeal with delight at their haul.
I bought Simon a new leather satchel this year. His old canvas one was in pretty bad shape from the last few years use as well as being dropped from a height last year. I also made him a photo book. While Simon was gone last year, Bunce told me that he didn't have any photos from his time at Watford or any other time. So I spent the year chasing down Wellbelove and Bunce, and even their parents, scouring through their photographs and together with mine and some from my step mother, I managed to put together a half decent assortment.
He forgot to set a limit on what we could spend this year and I've taken full advantage of that. (I may have had a hand in his forgetting, lucky he's so easily distracted.) He touches the satchel fondly and thanks me, and then he looks at the photo book for a long time before he looks back up at me and smiles a slow, wide smile, and then he thanks me again.
Simon hands me my gift last and I am so surprised that I laugh out loud. It's a magic book that I've been looking for and haven't been able to find.
"Where did you find this?" I ask him, eyeing the cover of Rarest Spells of the Millennia.
He shrugs. "Penny helped me. I knew you were looking for it." I shake my head in wonder at him and I smile. He smiles back and I can't wait until we're alone so I can thank him properly.
Fiona arrives just as we'd finished handing out our gifts, and hands out a bunch of toys and gifts to my siblings. Then she hands me an envelope.
"This is for the both of you. Enjoy."
I open it to find concert tickets to one of my favourite bands, Simon's too. It was sold out months ago.
"How did you get these?" I ask, suspicious. Although with Fiona, I've learned not to ask too many questions.
"You don't need to know that, just thank me already." She snaps.
"Thanks Fiona" Simon says.
I can't help rolling my eyes.
Christmas lunch is much the same as last year and even though everyone is getting used to Simon being here, some of my relatives still stare across the table at him during lunch. At least he doesn't notice, or he does notice and he doesn't care.
I can't help watching him as he eats and talks with Mordelia. He's laughing at something she's saying and he looks so happy. He looks over to me at catches me staring at him and he smiles and I feel myself blush. Crowley I'm blushing at my dinner table with all of my relatives around, only Simon can do that to me. Then I think about last night, at Simon's place. His misplaced sense of loyalty to Bunce has stopped us from ever doing that while she was home before. I wonder if we get to do it again. I blush even harder.
I catch Simon's eye again and wink at him and quirk up my mouth in a small smile. This makes him blush as he smiles back at me again before he dips his head. It has the desired effect; at least I'm not blushing any more.
Penny
Thank magic that Agatha arrived this Christmas when she did. She's managed to help me sort out most of my wedding arrangements without sending me into a panic attack. She also organised her and Priya's shoes, which was a relief, so by the time New Year's Eve came around I felt organised enough to be able to enjoy the evening when Baz suggested we go out to dinner again.
It was only meant to be the four of us but then Alex suggested her boyfriend's restaurant, so Simon invited her and her flatmate Zoe, and Alex's sister Vicki and husband Kiaan. And they all said yes.
Dinner is wonderful and it's fairly relaxed until Simon tells everyone after dessert that I'm getting married next year and Marco brings over a bottle of champagne and we all toast to my upcoming wedding. So I tell everyone that Simon and Baz are engaged, and there are congratulations all around again and we all toast them. Even Marco and Olivia join us for the toasts once the restaurant closes.
Then as expected, Baz suggests we go dancing to celebrate and Simon groans and Alex and Agatha said yes!
"Come on Simon." Agatha says. "You know it'll be fun."
"We've done this so many years in a row now, surely you expected this?" I say.
"Judging by that suit I'd say he did." Alex chimes in.
"It was a Christmas present." Simon says defensively.
"I must say, you two look rather dashing this evening." Vicki says, looking between Baz and Simon.
"Hey, what about me?" Kiaan says to his wife.
"You always look dashing Kiaan." She soothes.
"Well I'm in." Zoe said, her eyes lighting up. "Never know who I'll get a new year's kiss from!"
Marco and Olivia join us then and Alex tells them we're all going dancing so they need to hurry up and get changed. Then we head to the same club we went to last year and Baz gets us in just like he did last year, without waiting and in front of the entire queue that's so long it snakes around the corner.
I grab Agatha and Zoe and we head straight for the dance floor, and Vicki and Kiaan follow. Baz and Simon join the others at the bar where Marco buys a round of drinks and starts talking passionately about something, gesticulating wildly as he speaks.
Simon
Baz checks his phone as we enter. I look at him questioningly.
"Dev and Niall." He says smiling as we head to the bar. They must be texting to wish him a Happy New Year. They seem to have become friends again, hanging out at the club sometimes while I work. It's good for Baz, he seems a lot happier with his old friends back.
Marco hands out some drinks and immediately starts on about football. He waves his arms around madly as he talks about the latest game. He's always either talking about football, or food or clothes. They're his favourite topics as far as I can tell. I'm happy to talk about food, although it usually makes me hungry, and Baz loves talking a about football and clothes, so he has a captive audience between us.
We finish our drink so Baz drags me to the dance floor and he wraps his arms around me and pulls me in close.
"Did I tell you how gorgeous you look tonight?" He whispers into my ear.
"Not yet." I smile.
"Well you do." He says, brushing his lips lightly across my cheek. Then he pulls back a little. "Are you happy? That they all know were engaged?" he asks.
"Yes of course." I tell him immediately. I hadn't got around to telling them but I was planning to. After we told Baz's family and Penny and then Penny's parents, I didn't get around to telling Doc and Mrs. Wellbelove until Agatha arrived, and I wanted to tell them before we told everyone. Now everyone can know for all I care.
"Are you?" I ask, looking into his beautiful grey eyes. His eyes twinkle as he smiles.
"Of course I am. I would have told everyone straight away if you'd let me."
I smile at that, and I pull him closer and don't wait for the countdown to kiss him.
By the time midnight arrives, we're all on the dance floor and we stop dancing to wish each other a Happy New Year. Penny hugs me after she pulls Baz off me and then Agatha hugs me too, I pat her back as she does.
"I'm glad you're here." I tell Agatha. "Penny was going crazy for a while there."
"She says you were doing a great job as man of honour." She says back.
"Yeah?" I ask. I'm a bit surprised. I don't think I've done anything useful. "I don't know what I'm doing half the time Agatha."
"Well whatever you're doing, don't stop." She says before turning to finish her Happy New Year wishes.
I give Alex a kiss on the cheek, "Happy New Year Alex." I say. "Have I ever told you that you're the best boss ever?"
"I'm the only boss you've ever had Simon." She laughs. "And I hope we're friends too."
"Of course we are." I say back.
"And I expect an invitation to your wedding." She says pointedly.
"Yes of course Alex." I say, rolling my eyes. "I wouldn't have it any other way. You know, this is pretty much my entire group of friends right here, so you have to come."
She laughs at me and then finds Baz and pulls him in for a hug. Baz's nose twitches a bit but he lets her, but only because he really likes her.
I shake Marco's hand, and then Marco kisses both my cheeks, and then I shake Kiaan's hand and kiss Vickie and Zoe on the cheek, then I turn to Olivia.
"Happy New Year Olivia." I say, giving her a quick peck on her cheek. "I'm glad I found you in class, uni would have been crap without you this year."
"Me too Simon. It's been a good year." She says. "You've kept me in line this year. And congratulations, on your engagement. Wow, that was a surprise."
"Yeah, thanks." I say. And then I remember that bloke from the football game that she's been seeing. "And how are things going with that bloke?" I don't like to pry so I haven't asked since the first time they went out.
"Yeah good Simon." She nods. "We've been out a few times and it's been fun, nothing too serious though. I'm not in any hurry. Not like you." She elbows me in the ribs.
"I'm not in any hurry either." I shrug. Well I am, actually. I can't wait to be married to Baz.
She laughs at me and shakes her head. I don't think she believes me. "Anyway, he's away with his family for Christmas so we're going to catch up when he gets back." She finishes.
And I'm glad for her because I really do like Olivia "That's great." I say, and then Baz finds me again and pulls me close to his side as we all head back to the bar.
"You know, Snow," he says, "This is becoming a bit of a tradition."
I roll my eyes. "Yeah, yeah."
"Crowley Simon, you're so adorable when you do that." Baz whispers into my ear.
"Do what?"
"Try to roll your eyes."
"I thought I was getting quite good at that?" I question, trying to raise my eyebrows at him. "And adorable? Really Baz, I'm not a puppy."
"If you were a puppy you wouldn't be adorable, you'd be lunch. You're definitely adorable Snow."
I let out a snort. He doesn't mean that – he'd never have a puppy for lunch. (I don't think so anyway.)
"Well you're as sexy as fuck then." I tell him.
His eyes light up as he smiles at me. "Thanks." He so loves a compliment.
When we reach the bar he glances over towards the entrance. "Looks like we have a few late comers to the party."
I turn to look where he's looking and see of all people Dev and Niall waltz up to us. Baz must have got them into the club past the long line. They nod at Baz and me and he shakes their hands and wishes them a Happy New Year and introduces them to everyone before taking my hand again and pulling me close. Dev blushes when Agatha says hello, and Niall's eyes nearly pop out of his head when Baz introduces him to Olivia.
I catch Penny's eye and she snorts at me. "Hah! This is all your doing Simon." She says. I elbow her in her side and she spills a bit of her champagne, then she waves her ring and catches the spill before any of our Normal friends even notice.
Penny drags me to the dance floor when we finish our drinks, probably figuring I need to get away from those two, and Olivia and Agatha follow, probably to get away from those two. Dev and Niall have been hovering close to them all night asking a lot of stupid questions. Eventually the music gets everyone away from the bar and onto the dance floor, except Dev and Niall, they stay at the bar drinking and watching everything. Baz pulls me into him and we dance close, and when Niall catches his eye at some point, Baz look at him like he give exactly zero fucks, which I know he does, as he kisses me again and again.
Baz
Fiona phones late on New Year's Day and yells at me without saying hello. "What the fuck Basil?"
"Happy New Year Fiona." This could be about any number of things.
"Yeah whatever." She sucks in a deep breath, she sounds like she's smoking. "Considering I'm the one that helped you get back together with your chosen one, when were you going to tell me you bloody well popped the question?"
"I don't believe it was all your doing."
Simon looks over and raises an eyebrow in question.
"Pffft. You'd still be crying into your tea if it wasn't for me."
I sigh into the phone. Best get this over with. "I was getting around to it." I tell her. "You've been away."
"Well fuck Basil, haven't you ever heard of a fucking telephone?"
"Fine. You've made your point. We're getting married Fiona, all right?" It's probably better to let her get this off her chest rather than argue. Simon snorts.
"All right then." She calms down a little. "Now, if you want to stay my favourite nephew I expect a starring role when you two tie the knot."
"I'm your only nephew." I remind her.
"That's beside the point." She says dismissively. "A role Basil. And it had better be a good one."
