Enough (Simon Minter/SDMN Fanfiction)

15

A/N
I know I don't usually put author notes at the start of chapters, but I think this one might need a bit of a warning. It centers around the death of Chester Bennington and mentions of suicide, so if you're sensitive to this, please do not torture yourself by reading. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy!

      Simon groaned when music woke him up, but then he realized what, or rather who,  was playing. It was Linkin Park, his all time favorite band. He knew none of the other guys listened to them, so he was intrigued. He got out of bed quickly and walked towards his bedroom door. When he opened it he realized the music was coming from Mackenzie's room. A small smile found its way onto his face. He had no idea she liked Linkin Park, but he was glad she did. He knocked on her door, no answer. He figured she couldn't hear over the music and knocking was useless, so he just opened the door slowly. She was laying on the floor, arms folded on her stomach, glassy eyes glued to the ceiling. When she saw the door open from the corner of her eye, she sat up. She reached over and turned down the volume  on the speaker that was blaring beside her. "You like Linkin Park?" Simon asked, his voice still groggy. "You don't?" She scoffed. "No, I do. I love them, actually." Simon said shyly. "Good. Then you can join me in my mourning." She laid back down, turning the music up. Confused, Simon walked towards her and sat on the ground beside her before turning the music down again. "What exactly are we mourning?" He asked. Mackenzie frowned before grabbing her phone, opening it up to the most recent internet search. She handed it over to him, watching his face for recognition as he read it. And she saw it, the way his face fell and the way his chest almost seemed to freeze. "Oh." He mumbled, handed her phone back to her slowly. She didn't say anything, just turned the music back up and let the sound drown out both of their thoughts. Simon focused his gaze on the floor, trying to steady his breathing. He felt like he just lost a close friend. He had lost one of his idols and it crushed him. Mackenzie had grown up listening to their music. That was when Josh wasn't shoving grime in her face. "I figured you two would be together!" Josh called from the doorway, having to yell over the music. Mackenzie groaned as she turned the music down once again. "What do you want, Josh?" She asked. "How are you two holding up?" He made himself comfortable on the floor beside Simon, looking between them. "It's not like we knew him." Mackenzie shrugged. Though she had never met him, never seen the band live, she also felt like she lost a close friend. "Yeah but both of you admired him." Josh said. "Why didn't you feel the need to tell me that your sister also liked Linkin Park?" Simon asked him. "I figured you'd find out on your own." Josh said with a small smile. Simon was excited to have someone he could listen to the music he loved with, but now it just wouldn't be the same knowing that the lead singer of the band was no longer alive. And the way he died was always a tragedy. "You can leave now." Mackenzie said, waving him towards the door. Josh put his hands up in defense before getting up and leaving. Simon watched her face, noticing how much it lacked emotion. He wanted nothing more than to just hold her and reassure her everything would be okay. He took a deep breath, deciding that it was now or never to make a move. "You look like you could use a hug." Simon said, making Mackenzie look over at him from the closed door Josh disappeared behind seconds ago. "Is that your way of asking if you can hug me? Because I feel like we could both use it, not just me." She said with a small smile. Simon chuckled, opening his arms. Mackenzie edged herself closer before falling into him. He leaned his back against her bed and closed his eyes, cherishing the moment. She could feel his heart beating underneath her head and it made her own heart pound. It was a simple hug, but it meant a lot to both of them. "What is your favorite song?" She asked, not moving from her current position. Simon opened his eyes, looking down at the girl who rested on his chest, her arms around his waist loosely. His arms were almost cradling her, which neither of them minded. "I like 'Iridescent'." Simon shrugged. Mackenzie hummed, pulling from him to grab her phone and then immediately went back to her place. She went to her music and began playing the song Simon mentioned, which brought a smile to his face. They sat in silence for a while, dwelling in one another's presence and the sound of the song playing. Mackenzie was the one who broke the silence, wiping a tear from her face as she spoke. "I tried to kill myself when I was seventeen." She said. Simon didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything, just pulled her closer and rubbed her back when she turned into his chest, both of them trying to stop her tears. Simon tried to imagine how she must've been feeling. How much pain she was in. It broke his heart to think about, just like it made his chest hurt now to see her like this. He wanted nothing more than to protect her from everything. But he couldn't protect her from herself. "It's okay. It's okay." Simon said quietly, bringing a hand up to the back of her head and running his hands through her soft hair. "It's not, but thanks anyways." Mackenzie turned her head so she could talk, pressing her ear to his chest. His heartbeat was very intense now, unlike it was earlier. She wondered if she did that with her very deep announcement, or if something else made his blood pump through his veins forcefully. "It is, Mackenzie. I'm just glad you didn't succeed." Simon said truthfully. He was very glad he had met her. He was glad she was here now - safe in his arms. Mackenzie didn't say anything, just closed her eyes and focused on the sound of the music, Simon's rhythmic breathing underneath her, and the feeling of his fingers running through her hair. It was relaxing, to say the least. She loved it, actually. She just wished she hadn't said what she did. She thought she should've waited. She thought he definitely thought differently of her now. But he didn't. He already knew she was fragile and needed to be taken good care of. He already knew he wanted to be the one to take care of her. He already knew that he loved her, and nothing could change that.