Coming Home // Sidemen AU (Minizerk)

A Problem

"Yeah?" Josh turned back slightly, a questioning expression on his face, like he was trying to judge if this would be a good or bad question.

"Do you want to come round to mine one day, for dinner?" Simon asked hurriedly, a huge smile on his face. It faded quickly however when did not receive an answer straight away and he mistook Josh's silence and unblinking stare for unsureness. "It'll be awesome," he quickly exclaimed, "I've got a massive garden with a trampoline and we can play football with my brothers. And my dad makes really nice pizza and we've got loads of movies to watch and games!"

He smiled widely again although his heart was beating in his chest. He was worried Josh was going to turn him down after he'd already planned out what they were going to do. He was worried that maybe the other boy didn't like him as much as he thought. What he did not think of, was that the other boy might have been just as worried as he was.

Still staring at him with large eyes, Josh finally managed to stutter out, "Y-You want me there?"

Simon was taken aback. "Uh..." he hesitated, not quite sure what Josh meant by that.

"You really want me in...in your home?" the dark haired boy clarified.

"Yeah...why wouldn't I?" Simon asked in a small voice.

"And your parents don't mind?" Josh continued. "You won't get in trouble if I come over?" It was weird, he sounded almost like he was nervous for Simon. Why would I get in trouble for having friends around? Simon wondered. Well, maybe when he'd been really naughty but he hadn't, he'd been good at school and home and his parents were going to treat him with a trip to the zoo soon!


"No...they're the ones who asked if I wanted a friend around," he assured.

"We're friends..." Josh said slowly, like he hadn't even considered it before.

Simon folded his arms defiantly. "Of course we are."

"But I'm not even from your ends."

"Huh?"

"We don't go to the same school. You go to that school you have to pay for."

"So? You don't have to just be friends with people from your school." And just as well. Some of the kids in his school were stupid.

Josh was still silent and in a moment of empathy well beyond his years, Simon got the sense that perhaps this was the first time Josh had ever been invited to a friend's house before. "Here," he said, holding up his tiny hands to turn the other boy's head to face him. "Your hair's longer than mine so we can do this," he explained, brushing Josh's dark hair to one side and flattening it against his right cheek, careful not to press to hard in case he hurt him. It looked like it hurt a lot. Once he'd finished he sat back and admired his work. "There, now you can't see the bruise."

Josh paused and brought up his own hand to feel his hair. "I look silly!" he proclaimed.

"Yeah, you look my Grandad!" Simon giggled; a giggle that turned into a laugh when Josh started laughing too, and then calmed down when the smaller boy was suddenly hugging him.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"You're welcome..." Simon replied, pleased he'd been able to help. "What for?" he asked a moment later.

Letting go, the other boy looked him straight in the eyes. "For being my friend," he said simply.

Simon smiled again, one corner of his mouth quirking up unto a cheeky dimpled grin. "I'll always be your friend Josh," he vowed.