Chamber by Chamber // Snowbaz

Some-bud-y To Love Pt. 2

OTP Prompt #29: Penny asks Simon about the discarded flower arrangement in his trash bin.

~ Right so I don't remember exactly who requested this, but someone did, I swear. So here it is. Enjoy! ~

"Oh, these are lovely, Simon. Why did you throw them away? Did Agatha get them for you?" Penny picked up Baz's (evil) flower arrangement, trying to smooth out the crumpled petals. I still wasn't sure what was wrong with them, so I had earlier thrown them in the rubbish bin. (I didn't remember bloody gloves, so I could have very well been poisoned. But m'feeling fine, so far.)

I wrinkle my nose. "Agatha? Why would you think those are from Agatha?" They're obviously flowers bourne from bad intentions- I would think someone as skilled as Pen would immediately recognize that. (How they're bad, m'still figuring out.)

"Well because of the arrangement, of course-"

"Oh Pen, I should've said- probably not best to touch those," She drops them in a haste, but continues scrutinizing the flowers, which look wilted and sad. "They're from Baz. What were you saying?" A puzzled look crosses her face, and it's a few moments before she talks again.

"Why would... why did Baz give you these?" She asks it softly like maybe she's afraid of the answer. (She has a bloody right to be, too, knowing him.) I just roll my eyes and look up to the ceiling.

"Because he's evil, Pen. It's obviously some sort of... message, I s'pose. I dunno!" I throw my arms up in the air and think for a moment. (Baz would laugh at me saying that I thought. With my brain.) "So, why did you think they came from Aggie?" I look up at her and she flushes a deep shade of scarlet.

"Well you know how we've been studying flowers in Magicks?" Ah, yes. The one class I either am caught daydreaming or sleeping in all the time. Something tells me I should've paid more attention. Maybe then I would be able to tell what evil message the tosser was trying to tell me.

"Yeah?"

"Well, these flowers - the red Carnations, Hydrangeas, Lilacs, etc - well I mean to say that they all have the same general message. Well, they're of course loose definitions, but-"

"Oh for Crowley's sake Pen, what do they mean?"

She sighs and twirls her gaudy purple ring 'round her finger. "They all tend to mean love. And when a person gives them to another person, it typically means that they-"

"Well maybe Baz wasn't paying attention in class; didn't know what he was giving me?" I feel myself getting worked up in a strop. My magic was on edge from my interaction with Baz earlier anyway (the way he looked so genuinely upset when I looked disgusted by the flowers. Bugger it), and now it's threatening to spill over. I see Penny assess the situation in her head, and she ends up just agreeing with me. (I dunno what I wanted- but I don't think it was that.)

She nods her head and looks away. "Yeah, Si. It's probably just that." But we both know that's not true. Even in the classes he doesn't like, I've never known Baz to not pay attention and ace everything. He's a right prat, trying to get top of everything. (And actually doing it, too.) Top marks in his classes, fluent in at least three languages, and ace on the pitch. (And don't even get me started on the way this bloody git looks. He's too fit for a bloke; s'pose it's the vampire thing.)

...

Later, when Penny's left and Baz still isn't back to our room, I can't stop staring at the bloody flowers in my rubbish bin. I walk over and take them out, sitting down at my desk to examine them. They really don't seem all to harmful. They're flowers for Merlin's sake. And now that I look on it, they're very pretty flowers, as well. I never did peg myself for a bloke who liked flowers, but, well. Baz arranged them nicely. (I still can't wrap my head around that. That Baz arranged them. The Baz arranged them and they mean love. That Baz could... maybe he does...)

But whatever Baz may or may not feel, I know I need to confront him. Ask him what the flowers were really for. So before I can lose the balls to do it, I grab the flowers (why taking them seem necessary, m'not sure) and head out the door to the catacombs. I realize halfway through campus that I probably look like I'm on my way to woo someone, what with my flowers and determination. (I'm not sure I'm not.)

I'm not looking where I'm going (I could get to the catacombs with my eyes closed, now), and so imagine my surprise when I run head on into a fit bloke. In the moonlight, I can see that it's the bloody devil himself. He looks frazzled and tired, and the moonlight shining on his face as he sneers at me only makes it more infuriating.

"Watch where you're going, Sn-" He cuts himself off when he looks at the sad arrangement of flowers in my arms. He looks like he might want to say something, but then he just walks past me and starts his way back to Mummers. But before he can get too far, I reach out and grab his arm, snapping him back to face me.

"Basilton, for fucks' sake, wait," He turns and looks expectantly at me, one eyebrow raised. I realize with a start that I'm still holding onto his arm, so I let go, flustered.

"Well? What is it, Snow?" He barks out. I take a few deep breaths, and thank Crowley that he's being patient and letting me. (I still don't really know what I'm to say. I hadn't thought that far ahead...)

"I just, um- I was wondering, y'know... I know earlier that I, erm- I dismissed you," He's suddenly looking anywhere but at me, which must be hard since we're fairly close to each other. "And, well. I wanted to know, because you never really told me what they meant-" I tug frustratedly at my curls. "Damnit. Just- why did you give me those flowers? What're they s'posed to mean?"

He looks at me then, eyes filled with an emotion I can't quite place. I know him well enough to know that he's debating with himself over something in his head. P'raps whether or not to tell me the truth. (Please tell me the truth, I silently plead.)

He looks exhausted when he runs a hand through his hair (which is unslicked- I love it when it's like this) and says, "Do you want the truth, Snow?" Do I? I wasn't expecting him to be so upfront so easily. Will the truth set me free or will it just hurt? (I can't decide what his answer could be that would make me feel either of those.)

"Yes," I whisper, sure of myself. (What if he says he loves me?) (What if he doesn't?)

"I gave you those flowers because I can't go another four years in love with my enemy without him knowing. I gave you those flowers because I thought maybe you'd been miraculously paying attention in Magicks class," He comes up to me, putting one of his cold, rouch hands on my cheek. I think I subconsciously lean into the touch, but I'm not sure. "I gave you those flowers, Snow, because being in love with someone who doesn't feel the same way is torturous. And even more so when they don't know." He waits for a response. (So do I.) But I have none. I have none because my head and my heart are saying two different things, and I don't know which one to listen to. He sets his jaw as he turns around, shoulders sagging slightly, and starts to walk away.

Before he can get too far, I go to the bouquet (that I somehow dropped some time throughout the whole ordeal) and pick out one red Carnation. I run to Baz and grab his hand for the second time tonight. He turns around and starts to protest.

"Simon, I-" I ignore how lovely my name sounds coming from his lips.

"Hush up, tosser." I shove the flower into his hand, and he stares at it a moment before looking back at me. I'm not good at using words; anyone who knows me knows that. So I rely on this single, measly flower to do the talking for me. And it works.

Thank Crowley for whatever loon decided flowers have subtext.