A/N: It's been a while! I really didn't even realize it been this long since I updated, but I'm on break this week so I'm trying to update all my fics (it probably won't happen) (I'm sorry)

Also, special thanks to cal down in the comments for giving me some ideas for their accents! It really helped my writer's block!

Unknown Number: Hello, Simon? so I was thinking

Unknown Number: Movie?

Simon's heart was racing, and through some unprecedented act of self-restraint, he managed to leave the phone alone for 5 whole minutes. He instead filled the time with creating a contact for Baz, and oh-so-carefully planning what he would say in reply.

Simon: Yeah! Which one?

He turned his phone off and closed his eyes, squishing his face into his pillow to wait for a reply.
His phone buzzed again, and he nearly spasmed off the bed. Simon squealed from the bubble of happiness that rose from his chest as he read Baz's next text.

Baz: How about Dr. Strange? I haven't seen that one yet

Simon: I have, but then again I've pretty much seen everything in theatres now lol

Simon: Don't worry I won't spoil it for you ;)

Baz: Well, thanks for that at least. Is tomorrow after I get off work okay?

Simon: Tomorrow's great! Also, hey, I live real close to the theater, so if you want to meet me outside my apartment building we can walk there and talk a bit before the movie starts?

Simon: If you're down for that

Simon tensed up in anticipation. He knew that they hadn't technically said it was a date yet, but hopefully, Simon thought, Baz would read between the lines and make a move, because God knows Simon couldn't be smooth to save his life.

There was an uncomfortably long silence from Baz, and Simon began to get worried. And sleepy. He hoped Baz wouldn't be long, 'cause his blanket was really warm...

Baz's eyes were wide for most of his conversation with Snow.

He'd tried to keep it cool, but it was getting difficult. Was Snow flirting with him? It was so hard to tell. This was sounding more and more like a date, and surely Snow had to know what he was doing? He'd used a winky face, for God's sake...
Baz held their conversation open for a longer time than he'd meant to, trying to get his words casual but not uncaring. In the end he decided to just go with a friendly tone and stop overthinking it.

Baz: Yeah, that actually sounds pretty fun! It'll be nice to actually have a real conversation with you.

Simon jolted back to consciousness from the vibration of his phone and the sudden bright light in his face. The sun had gone down while he'd been texting Baz, and it seemed that all the remaining light in the sky had vanished during the time he'd been resting his eyes.

Squinting through the pain of the light coming from his phone screen, Simon smiled at the new message and typed his reply.

Simon: Yeah, sounds great! See you tomorrow then. Goodnight! :)

Simon texted Baz the name of his apartment complex real quick and set his phone on his bedside table. Normally, he'd play a video game until he was tired, but he suddenly felt exhausted from thinking through what to say in all his texts.

Baz put his phone on the charger after wishing Simon goodnight and decided he'd put this out of his mind for now. There was no point losing sleep over this (beautiful) boy when he had work and a possible date tomorrow.

Still, Baz was having trouble thinking about other things. He kept flipping from one side of his body to the other (he was a side-sleeper) trying to decide if he should treat it like a date tomorrow.

He definitely wanted it to be a date... so maybe he should? Gah. Baz hated all this uncertainty. He was such a precise person in everything that he did, like making sure all his clothes were hung up neatly. In the shop (and any other time the need arose), he followed recipes to a tee. But this? This was a mess, and the emotions Baz was feeling because of it made him want to throw his face into his pillow and scream.

Baz awoke considerably calmer the next day, which was odd to him, considering that he'd been on the verge of a mental breakdown last night.

Baz wore a nicer shirt than usual, as he wouldn't have time to come home and change before it would be time to pick Simon up after his shift.

Simon... Baz really wanted this not-date to go well. He took extra care in his appearance today, making sure his hair was combed neatly and his face was clear of spots.

Well, almost clear, Baz thought. There was still that one evil bugger near his hairline that had been there for a week, slowly fading but still noticeable... Baz glared at it. At least no new ones had cropped up during the night.

Baz made his way to the shop, working through the day with Levi pestering him about Simon and when they were gonna get married and have kids.

"I just met him, Levi," Baz said into his phone, a light blush coating his cheeks. He didn't know what it was, but something about the older man's teasing voice and indulgent smile always made him feel like a like a little kid with dumb, little kid problems.

"Still," Levi insisted. "Baby names?"

Baz almost hit him.

"Penny!" Simon called his best friend frantically from his room, where he was currently pulling every article of clothing he owned out from his drawers and tossing it onto the bed, where they landed in the ever-growing heap of clothes that didn't look good enough for his date that night.

"Geez, Simon, what's going on? What are you looking for?" Penny looked confused, standing in the doorway in her pajamas, holding a mug of tea.

"I have a date tonight!" Simon blurted out, and Penny blink owlishly from behind her glasses.

"Really? Simon that's great!" She said, smiling. "With Baz?"

"Yeah, only..." Simon trailed off. "I don't actually know if it's a date or not."

Penny looked dumbfounded. "Are you kidding me, Simon? How do you not know if it's a date?!"

She exasperated to the sky and threw up her hand. "Honestly, how do you get yourself in these situations?"

"I don't know, it just happens!" Simon insisted lamely, throwing another shirt onto the pile. "What do I wear on a date that might not be a date?"

Penny stared him down for a moment before rolling her eyes and setting down her mug. "I can't believe you seriously don't know if it's a date or not. Look, do you want it to be a date?"

"Yes."

"Then it's a date. Treat it like one." She handed him a nice red flannel shirt and a black undershirt. She left him to change, and Simon smiled to himself. Penny always came though, and always seemed to be right... Alright. He'd treat this like a date and hope for the best.

It was a little bit before dark when Baz walked to Snow's apartment complex. When Baz saw Snow under the fading light of the sunset, his first thought was that it didn't feel like they made it out to in the movies.

Baz's breath wasn't knocked away, his mind didn't short-circuit into nothing; instead, his thoughts swirled faster than they ever had before. Thoughts of how amazing Snow- Simon- looked in person, without the barrier of a screen between them, and how much Baz ached for this to be date, and for it to lead into many more dates to come.

Baz's heart was pounding in his chest, faster than he thought it'd ever gone before, as he closed the gap between them a little faster than he'd intended.

"Hey!" Simon said cheerily, and for a moment Baz thought the shorter boy was going to hug him- but he didn't, so Baz put his hands in the pocket of his jacket instead.

"Hey," Baz replied with a smile, and they stare at each other for a moment before Baz breaks the silence.
"Ready to go?"

Simon smiles impossibly wider as he nods and they start walking in the direction of the theater. Their pace is on the slower side, but by Baz's calculations it should be fine. They had plenty of time before the movie was scheduled to start.

"How was work today?" Simon asked, and as Baz turned to look at him, he once again found himself unable to think of a good response.

Simon seemed to sense Baz's distress, so he continued. "Anything special happen?"

"No, it was pretty normal day," Baz said, struggling to remain casual-sounding. "It was a little busier than normal, but honestly, I've been kind of spacing out all day. I hardly noticed."

"Ha," said Simon, not actually laughing. "I've been so nervous for this that I couldn't think straight! I've been freaking out preparing all day, but now that it's finally here I'm like…" He made a little hand motion. "Chill."

"You were nervous for this?" Baz asked quizzically, tilting his head as if he hadn't just been freaking out himself on the walk over.

"Yeah," Simon confirmed, grinning charmingly. "I wanted you to think I was cool."

His smile was sheepish now, but Baz thought it was adorable. What about him made Simon want to impress him? Whatever it was, Baz didn't want it to stop.

By the time they got to the theater, they'd learned a lot about each other.

Simon learned that Baz was from England, and that was why he had a British accent. He came to America with his Aunt Fiona when he was 15. He didn't say why though, and Simon hadn't wanted to pry. But now that they were off the topic and it would be weird to ask, Simon found himself burning with curiosity.

Baz learned that Simon was from Texas, and he learned that he was really, really obsessed with Simon's Southern drawl. Like, too much obsessed.

There was an awkward moment where Simon and Baz both tried to hold the door open for each other, and ended up blushing and laughing as they went in.

They each paid for their own ticket, which Baz took to mean it wasn't a date, and Simon took to mean Baz didn't know it was a date.

So, how to make him realize? Simon brainstormed.

"Do you think Benedict Cumberbatch is hot?" Simon asked out of the blue, and immediately mentally slapped himself for not thinking things through before he said them.

"I guess?" Baz replied, clearly confused by the sudden question from Simon. "Parts of him are hot, but I don't think he's as great as everyone thinks he is. I mean, he's no Chris Evans. But he'll do."

Simon nodded solemnly. "Amen to that. He's hot, but like… calm down."

Baz made an agreeable noise. He was saved from the pressure of having to think of a reply, because it was their turn to buy food.

Simon was standing in front of Baz, and fully intended to use that to his advantage.

"One cherry Coke please…" He turned to look at Baz. "What do you want to drink? Oh, and do you want to split a popcorn?"

"Dr. Pepper, and, uh, sure." Baz replied, and when Simon turned back around, he smirked.

How's that for a friend outing? Simon thought evilly. We're gonna romantically share this popcorn, and I'm going to pay for it.

Simon could practically hear how uncomfortable Baz was about him paying, but it was too late. The dude at the register had already taken Simon's money.

Simon spun around to face Baz and tried to look as nonchalant as possible.

"You didn't have to do that," Baz said, and Simon could tell it was as much of a question as it was a statement.

"I know," Simon said casually, and decided to leave it at that. Let Baz wonder why he did it, and hopefully, along the way, he'd figure out that Simon wanted this to be a date.

Baz was confused.

He knew he'd said he was gonna treat this like a 'friend thing,' but Simon was really pushing the limits of friendship at the moment. Yeah, friends could share popcorn and pay for each other's food… but the first time they met? Wasn't friendship supposed to go slower than that? Baz didn't know. Simon was hurting his head, and somehow, Baz didn't think it was accidental.

Baz took his drink from Simon and they walked side by side to the theater. As they were going in, Simon was stopped by a small, pixie-ish looking girl, with the appropriate name of Trixie.

Simon leaned closer to Baz during their conversation- Baz didn't know why. Comfort, maybe? Maybe Simon secretly didn't like this Trixie.

"And who's this?" Trixie asked with a grin, causing Simon to jump off Baz's arm like he'd been burnt.

"This is my… Baz." Simon said haltingly, and Baz could practically see a piece of him die inside.

"Your Baz?" Trixie asked mischievously, and Baz could tell she knew exactly what she was doing.

"Yes. Basilton Pitch." Baz stepped in, holding his hand out. He could see that she was shocked by his accent and weird name, so he used it to get away. "Nice to meet you, but if you'll excuse us, we're going to be late."

Baz sidestepped Trixie and steered Simon into the theater by the small of his back.

"Thanks," Simon whispered as they made their way to the top-ish middle. "Trixie's not exactly my favorite person."

"I could tell, Baz said, amused. He removed his hand so Simon could sit down.

"She's just…" Simon sighed. He couldn't think of the words. "Trixie, I guess."

Baz nodded sympathetically. Then, the last ad finished and the movie began to play.

In Baz's opinion, the movie was good.

In Simon's, well, Simon thought it was fine. He did more staring at Baz from the corner of his eye than he did watching the movie, anyways; after all, he'd already seen it. (And Simon thought Baz was prettier than Benedict Cumberbatch any day.)

"So, what'd you think?" Simon asked, grinning widely at Baz and leaning forward ever so slightly.

"I think you need to work on your finesse," Baz replied smoothly, picking up the empty popcorn container and his drink. "Your eyes were practically burning a hole in the side of my head."

Simon sputtered a barely comprehensible, 'whatever' before quickly changing the subject, face red and flustered.

"About the movie," Simon said, careful with his wording this time, and jogging to catch up with Baz, who had smugly passed him by after he'd been incapacitated with embarrassment.

"The movie was good," Baz said neutrally, throwing the empty bucket away. Simon wondered how he managed to be graceful with every single thing he did. "I won't pretend to have some vast knowledge of Dr. Strange hidden away anywhere. But I still enjoyed the movie. It was funny."

Simon flashed back to when the movie had been at it's funniest. Baz had looked so adorable n Simon's eyes, chuckling into his hand like he didn't want to show the world his smile.

"Yeah, it was!" Simon said. He was always pumped after seeing Marvel movies (even when he was only half-watching). The violence really did a number on his self-control.

Baz smiled at him fondly, and Simon felt both like an over-excited child and like he was walking on a cloud.

They exited the theater into the crisp beginning-of-winter air and began walking back.

Their conversation was still on the movie, (they were now discussing the beginning, and how it was basically a Sherlock Holmes doctor AU) but they were talking more quietly, as if the darkness was prompting them to silence.

"I literally couldn't tell the difference," Simon said, laughingly. "Dr. Strange or Sherlock? The world may never know."

Simon feels something wet drop down onto his nose, and knows they're about to be in for a rough time.

"I feel rain," Baz says, and looks up towards the sky, where gray clouds are beginning to gather. All Simon can do is nod before they start to run, laughing, towards Simon's apartment.

The complex was still a ways away, and Simon and Baz can't escape the downpour. By the time Simon dashes under the awning to the right building, they're completely soaked.

Breathless from the exercise, Simon turned to thank Baz for the night. But when he looks, all he sees is Baz, who had been barely behind him the whole time, skidding to a stop. Except he couldn't.

Shoes wet from the rain, Simon recognizes the beginnings of a fall. So he does the only logical thing someone in his position would: he rushes forward and grabs Baz in a tight bear hug.

Baz wraps his arms around Simon a second later, as if to say, 'I'm good now, thanks for saving me,' and Simon thinks now is probably a good time to remove his face from Baz's neck.

Still hanging from Simon in their accidental tango dip, Baz looks up at exactly the time Simon looks down, and Simon swallows.

"Can I kiss you?" He whispered.

Baz can barely nod before Simon's lips are on his.

It was very sweet, as far as kisses go; it seemed a bit like a testing of the water, so to speak. It's over in a moment, and in Simon's eyes Baz can see the worried expression and unspoken question: Was that okay?

Baz only kisses him again, harder this time, in response.

"Baz?" Simon murmurs after a while.

"Yeah?"

"I don't think I can hold you any longer."

"Right."

Baz awkwardly gets to his feet, running a hand through his wet hair sheepishly. He's forgotten about his could-be catastrophe.

"You know, I was trying to get you to do that all night," Simon said, signature grin returning.

Baz raised an eyebrow. "You were? I didn't even know this was a date."

"Did you want it to be?" Simon asked, remembering when Penny had asked him the same thing just yesterday.

"Of course," Baz replied with a smile. "But I thought you were straight."

"Don't you watch my videos?" Simon asked teasingly.

"Yeah," Baz said defensively.

"I literally have a video titled, 'I'M BISEXUAL!' in big bold letters!" Simon exclaimed, and Baz just stared.

"...I must have missed that one."