When Simon woke up, he was in a hospital bed in the infirmary. His whole body was sore, especially underneath the bandage on his arm and on his heart. As far as he could remember, he was walking with Penelope in the park when he tripped and fell on his face. It was just a slip, but maybe it was a little worse than he expected.

His hands and arms were pale over the blanket and his head pounded. And his shoulder felt like it had been stabbed with something.

He did not remember Baz running to catch his body after the spell had broken and all of Baz's comforting words. He could not remember the shock of finding the arrow from the cupid's bow still lodged and now visible in his arm. He could not remember the desperate shouts for help and being carried out of the dorm room. He could not remember Baz and Penelope sitting by his side for days waiting for his to wake up.

The door to his wing opened and behind it was Baz and Penelope talking over a bags of crisps. "Penelope?" Simon said. As Penelope rushed over to Simon and kneeled at his bedside, Baz stood shell-shocked by the edge of the door.

"Simon," said Penelope, "How are you feeling?" Simon didn't have a way to answer to that. His mind was clouded with too many thoughts that he couldn't interpret. And for some reason, Baz at the door was incredibly distracting. The room seem to point at him, as if another warning. Something about his eyes worried Simon. They weren't malicious, but they were hopeful and hopeless at the same time.

Was Baz the reason why Simon was in the hospital? He couldn't tell.

Simon just kept staring at Baz. Even though Penelope was trying to talk to him. When he didn't respond Penelope followed his gaze to the door where Baz stood staring back. There was a tension there. Odd.

"Simon, do you want to talk to Baz?"

Penleope stood up, but Simon grabbed here hand and said, "No. I need you." They looked at each other. Simon looked like a toddler. For the first time in a while, he looked unafraid of asking for help without Penelope having to just assume. For the first time he was unhesitant to vulnerability.

Penelope glanced to the door. Baz had already left. Maybe another time then would the two of them be able to talk.

That night, Penelope and Simon slept side by side like siblings whispering in the dark of the infirmary. "What about Agatha?" he said.

"She just needs some time," Penelope said. "She's been through a lot. At this point I think she just needs some time for herself."

Simon was silent for a moment.

"I wonder why Baz would want to help me," he said.

It was Penelope's turn to be silent. "Let's go to bed. It's been a long day and you need to rest."

"I've been resting for days."

"Well, you need more rest. You were just bleeding out of an arrow wound and recovering form a love spell."

"Fine," said Simon. "Goodnight Penelope."

"Goodnight Simon," said Penelope. "I love you."

Simon chuckled a bit. "I love you too."

"I know that you're the hero and everything, but I can protect you too, y'know. I'll always be there for you."

"You're my hero, Penelope."

Upon being released from the infirmary, Simon had done anything that he could to avoid Baz. After a while of realizing that Simon was avoiding him, Baz started to reflect the same, dodging Simon in the halls and during meals. Sometimes their eyes would catch one another staring and they'd rip their gaze away as soon as possible.

What any of this was happening, Baz still didn't know. Maybe Simon was embarassed. Maybe he felt assaulted by not having any control or memories of what had happened when he was under the spell. Baz started to feel disgusted with himself for relishing every kiss and cuddle that they shared without even thinking how Simon would feel after. After all, if Baz hadn't touched the arrow, none of this would have happened.

All these doubts until one day when Simon appeared in their dorm one afternoon while Baz was studying. Baz didin't hear the footsteps making their way up tot the dorm room door or the door swinging open or the footsteps that lead all the way to his desk. Instead, fingers tapped on his shoulder and Baz turned to see Simon snow standing behind him.
"Simon- I'm sorry," he said.

Simon took a seat on Baz's bed behind him. "Sorry for what?" he asked. "For- I don't really know why." He paused. "I just thought that you were mad at me or that like- there was a reason why you've been avoiding me for so long."

"It took me a minute to get my memories back. I didn't really want to speak to you until I really understood how I felt."

Of course, a perfectly reasonable response. Still, there was a hitch in Baz's breath. There was no way that Simon couldn't know how Baz felt about him if he still had his memories in tact. "How do you feel?" Baz asked.

Simon frowned. "I still don't know."

"Oh."

"Penelope and I have gone over all of what happened it's made me realize a lot of feelings that I've been ignoring. No matter how much we talk, I never really feel like I have the full picture.

"I remember being with you and being in love- I guess- with you. I just wanted to know your perspective."

He was soft. It was another side that baz hadn't seen before. There was no love spell or anger or any distrust. Just pure honesty.

"I don't know what to tell you Simon."

"Why did you shoot the arrow?"

Baz raised his voice. "I didn't! That was Andrea being an idiot."

"And you stepped in?"

"Yes! I was trying to save you!"

"Why?"

Baz went silent. Simon pressed further. "Baz, are you in love with me?"

"I-"

Baz didn't have to say anything. Simon's eyes widened as he realized. "Oh," he said. Baz hid his face in his hands. It was so humiliating. "Was it because of the love spell?" Baz shook his head. There was no point in hiding it now.

"I think I might have feelings for you too."

Baz moved his hands from his face as his eyes popped open. "Listen, I don't know really how I feel," Simon said. "I'm struggling with a lot of shit and honestly it's more than I really know how to deal with." He took a deep breath. "But I do think that I might like you and I think my head would've exploded if I waited any longer to tell you. I'm glad that you feel the same, but I'm kind of overwhelmed and I-"He took another deep breath as his voice strained.

Baz jumped in. "I understand- I mean- I couldn't possibly know what it's like to go through any of this, but I'm here for you if you want to talk. I think that all of us are learning to actually talk about how we feel and be honest instead of holding all of our feelings back because we're scared.

"I get it if you need time before you want to talk about it."

Simon gave a feint smile. Tears dripped down his cheeks, but they didn't talk about it. they just stared and smiled as sun hit one of the windows of the tower and sunlight was casted on their cheeks. Each viewed the other as bathed in sunlight and for the first time, they felt they really saw and were really seen for the first time.

Even though Simon was half blinded by the light and Baz's cheeks burned on account of the vampire skin.

After Winter came Spring and with Spring came football and with football came football victories.

It was a tough game, but Simon knew that if the team won then he'd get free pizza on the pitch again so he mustered all the strength he could to cheer and holler for Watford's finest athletes. When the whistle blew for the final goal of the game, Simon and Penelope jumped form their seats and screamed.

Penelope, who had no interest or knowledge of any sport before coming with Simon to Baz's games, realized her excitement, then promptly calmed down and acted like she didn't know what anyone was excited about.

When everything had finally calmed down and all the other students had left the pitch, the football team and a couple of the 'honorary' members, had pizza on the field as the sun went down. Everyone was laughing and talking and this time even Agatha had come with Penny and broken her vow of silence against Simon.

Simon kept one hand full of pizza and the other full of Baz's hand. He rubbed his fingers over the Baz's knuckles because he knew it made Baz blush. Even when Agatha and Penny talked as if Simon and Baz were listening they each knew well that the only thing that Baz and Simon could focus on were each other, and this time for a reason that was not slightly or incredibly insane. As the sun went down over Watford, Baz rested his head on Simon's shoulder and Simon draped his hand his arm over Baz while he planted kisses in Baz's hair. They held on to eachother, promised to, no matter what they would face.