One Shots | SIMBAR

it seems to me, for every time, i'm getting more openhearted

"Fair enough," he finally said, and folded his arms on the table, "what about Jazmín, though? How come she took Delfi's side when she..." he thought about it for a second, "idolizes you?"

"Don't remind me."

As if she would tell him Jazmín was mad because she thought Ámbar liked him. Which, by the way, was ridiculous. First, she couldn't believe her friend was stupid enough to go after a guy who clearly had no interest in her, and secondly, she couldn't believe said friend blamed her for said guy's lack of interest.

"Do you miss them?" he asked softly, when he noticed the frown she now held on her face. She had forgotten he held one of her hands on one of his, so when he started making circles on it with his thumb she was surprised once again.

"Well, they're my friends." Simón's lips twitched when she blinked at their hands, "stupidity and all, I like them."

"You should really stop calling your friends stupid," he half joked, half meant it. "Or bringing them down altogether. That's not what friends are for."

She sighed, "stop. I know, okay? I'm trying." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Okay, I believe you."

Her frown deepened, "you don't sound convincing, guitarist."

He ignored the nickname, and leaned in a bit closer to her. His eyes held such sentiment, she felt a bit lightheaded. Stupid beanie boy, with his stupid nice guy attitude.

"It's just, isn't it better be the hero of your own story than being the villain in someone else's?"

"Are you implying I'm evil? Because, rude."

Simón laughed, taking distance and shaking his head at her comment.

"Not all villains are evil, Ámbar. Some are misunderstood."

"You're still saying I'm a villain, and again, rude." She retorted, deep down offended he thought such a thing of her, but she could understand where he was coming from. After all, she had spent most of the time he's known her trying to ruin his best friend's life.

"Here I am, trying to be poetic and you're killing me." He mocked offense.

"Believe me, I'm doing you a favor." She raised her eyebrows, "somebody's gotta save the world from your sappiness."

Simón chuckled lowly, his eyes twinkling with amusement as Ámbar rolled her eyes at him, something that happened a lot. Ámbar was sure he was already used to it, since it happened so often both off and on the rink, many times directed at him. He must have seen it so much he was becoming immune, or simply didn't mind.

"I beg to differ," he joked, "many people love my sappiness and corny lines."

"Equally sappy and corny people, I'm sure." Jazmín came to her mind, and added "or very delusional ones."

Simón, who hadn't taken off his eyes of her, noticed the little twitch in her face when she spoke the last sentence, and how her eyes travelled once again to Delfi and Jazmín's table, and asked, "is Jazmín the delusional ones?" Her back tensed, but didn't turn back to him. Instead, she continued looking straight at her friends. "I'm going to take your silence as a yes. Is that why you're fighting? Because you think Jazmín is being delusional with something?"

"I don't think she is, I know! How would you call being after a guy who clearly has absolute no interest in you? I'm just telling her the truth but of course, I'm just being the mean, bad friend!" Ámbar's scowl was deep, disgusted at the situation. She just wanted to scream at Jazmín to have some self-respect, but the girl was enamored by the idea of the boy next to her, and would listen to nothing.

"I'm sure Jazmín just wants a little support from you. I mean, what if the guy is interested in her and you just don't know?" He was trying his best to sound calming, and she was grateful. However, that didn't stop her from laughing in his face.

"Are you, though?" she turned to look at him in the eyes, his own widened when he realized what she was asking. "Am I lying? Are you actually interested in her?" her words were sharp, daring him to prove she was in the wrong. Gulping, he shook his head.

"Don't get me wrong, I like her, she's a nice and funny girl but she's not- she's just-" he sighed, "I just can't see her as more than a friend."

"She's set on that you're soulmates, and thinks I'm telling her to forget about you because I'm crush-" Ámbar stopped herself a second too late, and Simón definitely caught on her slip.

He inclined closer, teasing smile with underlying hope in his eyes, "you're...?"

"Nothing. Just Jazmín being Jazmín." She shook her head, and avoided his eyes once again. His smile weakened a bit, but didn't push the subject, which she was thankful for. The least thing she needed right now is to talk more about inexistent crushes.

"Well, miss Smith, I think you're a good friend." Ámbar's barely audible huff made him take her hand, squeezing a little so she'd look at him. When she did, he continued, "Seriously. You could have encouraged a fantasy and give her false hope, but you chose to be straight forward about reality. Jazmín's going to thank you one day, especially after I tell her I'm not really interested."

Ámbar frowned, "she's not going to be thankful, if anything, she'll get crushed." Maybe blame me more, her mind added.

"She'll have you and Delfi to fall on." His smile was soft and reassuring.

It only made her doubt more, "aren't you forgetting they're pissed with me?"

"Now, not for long. I'm going to talk to Pedro, so he can talk to Delfi and maybe get their business straight. They both have been stubborn for too long."

She looked at him for a long moment. Her eyes searching for something to indicate he was lying, but she could only see honesty and open concern.

"Why are you doing this? I'm not your friend, you don't have to help me."

Beanie boy grinned, amused at her words, "you've said so yourself, I'm a nice guy, I like helping people." He tapped her nose slightly, confusing her and making her frown a bit more.

"You're a weird guy, Simón Álvarez." She sighed, erasing her frown; her lips twitched upwards as she went to sip on her drink.

"I believe the words you're looking for are thank you, Ámbar Smith. But I'll let it pass this time, because we just became friends."

"Keep dreaming, you sap."

Ámbar nearly chokes on her smoothie when he spoke again, even daring to wink at her.

"Oh, I will, except... In my dreams, we're more than just that."