PENELOPE

The minute the door slams shut, Simon comes out of his room. He's agitated, and I'm fuming. "Penny, Baz is up to something, I just know it!"

"Merlin and Morgana Simon! He's not your nemesis anymore, he's your boyfriend, kind and misunderstood, remember? Don't storm in here yelling. Ask him what's going on!"

Simon's head snaps towards me. "You know! Don't you? He told you! what is it?"

"Crowly Simon, this has nothing to do with me. You and Baz need to calm down and talk. He can't have got very far yet, why don't you go after him?

Simon looks at the door and I think maybe I've succeeded this time. After all, Simon's always been more for dealing with situations head-on than Baz has, but after two seconds he looks away, and then the bloody idiot walks slowly and deliberately into the kitchen, sits down at the table, puts in his headphones, and picks up the textbook he was reading before Baz showed up. I can't tell if this is all an act, or if some of Baz's remarkable sang froid has actually rubbed off on him. Either way, it's infuriating.

I'm itching to tell Simon exactly what Baz said to me, but what I've just told Simon is true, this whole situation is something that the two of them need to work out, it really has nothing to do with me at all (beside the unprecedented fact that Baz momentarily allowed me to look past his polished veneer, at the emotional turmoil underneath, which is a little worrying actually, since I'm pretty sure what I saw was just the tip of the iceberg).

Also, even though I didn't exactly promise not to share Baz's confidences with Simon, I think it might have been implied, and keeping quiet seems like the right thing to do...sort of.

At least that's what I'm trying to tell myself.

Simon's never listened to me when I've had relationship advice for him in the past, has he? Surely the two of them will be able to work this out on their own. Right?

BAZ

I don't get very far. I regret storming out as soon as the door closes-it didn't just close, actually, I slammed it-but I don't see how I can go back in now. I'm furious with myself for loosing my shit like this-a year with Snow and I've entirely forgotten how to keep my emotions in check? And I'm furious with Snow, for things he can't help. I'm also wondering how much of my anger with him is really just an extension of my anger with myself, which only reinforces the idea that it's me who's a crap boyfriend, not Simon, and maybe that I'm a crap person too. Hell, I'm not really even a person. So I'm just crap, then.

When I feel like this, all I want to do is set something on fire. I toy with the idea and it's more tempting than I'd like to admit. I know how Snow will react to fire, he'll come running in an instant to save me, despite my behaviour. What I don't know is how he'll react to the London Symphony. And I don't want to know. I do know I'm behaving like a prat. I should stop. How hard would it be to turn around, go back into Simon's flat (back into his arms too, It was beyond nice there) and just explain?

I shudder. I can't do that. I'm not as brave as Simon. I can't explain. There is no good explanation for why I'm being such a complete arse, so instead I slip down the stairs and head towards the sewers. It's been too long since I've fed.

SIMON

I can't decide what to think about this whole situation with Baz, so I decide to just not think about it at all for while, which is harder than it should be, I'm out of practice. I read the same page in my textbook over three times before I remember that I should turn to the next one. I have about the same amount of success with that one, and the next. I'm on my third page, and 15 minutes have gone by, when it's finally too much for Penny.

"Circe's swine, Simon! I can't take this any more! Look, I try to stay out of your business..."

I can't stop myself from barking out a short laugh. "That's news to me."

She rolls her eyes and tries again, "I do try to stay out of, well, this isn't even a problem, out of...things between you and Baz," but this is ridiculous. It shouldn't even be a thing. You have to go and talk to him."

"So he did tell you what this is about! I knew it!"

Penny flinches, probably thinking I'm upset that he talked to her and not to me. Actually, I'm thrilled. In a funny way, it makes me feel closer to Baz, less worried that he's keeping some terrible secret from me. Knowing he'd trust my best friend with his problems makes me feel almost like he did talk to me because, let's be honest here, even if Penny promised to keep everything he said to herself, he's got to know her well enough by now to realize that she probably won't be able to keep her mouth shut.

"He only told me a little bit," she says. "He's really worked up, Simon, and he didn't manage to say much, but I do know that the reason he's behaving like a complete git is because he's worried about something. He's not mad or angry and obviously he's not plotting anything. Really, I shouldn't even need to say that."

"And what he's worried about is...?"

"No. I've already told you more than I should've done."

"Did he actually ask you not to tell me?"

"He might have mentioned it."

"And did you promise him you wouldn't?"

"Well...no."

"So there's no conflict of interest here, then. Spill it."

Penny sighs and I can tell I've won.

It turns out it has to do with this concert he's going to, which apparently I'm supposed to be going to as well. I agree with Penny's assessment that this isn't as big a deal as Baz is making it, and that he's behaving like an arse for no good reason. I'm relieved, but at the same time I find my anger starting to bloom again. Why did he have to take the melodramatic approach and leave my mind to run wild with worst case scenarios?

"That's it? He ignored me and then stormed out because of a stupid concert?"

"Yes, but you can't talk about it like that it in front of him. Do you have any idea how important music is to him?"

I don't. Well, I do, but only vaguely.

"Can you please just go talk to him? Or do I have to make you?"

She holds her hand up with her ring pointed towards me and grins wickedly. She wouldn't...would she? Casting any sort of compulsion on another person is against magickal law. Then again, Penelope has never had much use for laws she doesn't see the point in. I get up hastily and she laughs, lowering her hand safely to her side.

"You wouldn't have...would you?" She just laughs again and raises her eyebrows. She is definitely spending too much time with Baz.