ACROSS THE UNIVERSE - A Petrigrof AU! (Simon Petrikov x Betty Grof)

Pictures Of You

While Betty was on tour, Simon had nothing to do but think. Think of his old life with his Betty, his new life with...Betty, and everything in between. He pondered the future he'd have with Betty, something he was no longer afraid to think about. It felt like a second chance for him now more than anything.

He contemplated life and its brevity, something he, at over a thousand years old, could no longer relate to. Though most of that time was lost to him, he was definitely starting to feel his age. He stared into the bedroom mirror at his reflection, barely recognizing himself anymore. "Well, Simon... you look great for your age. You've still got all your skin...!" He said to his reflection, feeling as if he were crazy after for talking to himself.

He decided to brew himself a cup of herbal tea and maybe pick up a book, or watch TV, or do anything at all to distract his thoughts, but when he opened the fridge he saw no tea, or any other food for that matter.

It wasn't like he could just get food either, he was broke. All the money he'd brought with him from his universe, which wasn't much to begin with, was gone.

"I should really get a job." He said to the inside of the empty fridge. But what job would he get? He couldn't just work the same job as this universe's Simon, if this universe even has its own Simon... another thought he decided not to dwell on for too long.

He picked up a newspaper and flipped through the pages, and happened upon a listing for a job as a barista at the karaoke bar him and Betty went to on their first date.

He really didn't like that place, if he was being honest. It was colorful and noisy, much like his old life as the ice king.

But... he didn't have many other options, this seemed like his best one.

"This'll have to do."

**BETTY'S POV**

The first day being away from Simon was hard for Betty. She was used to seeing him every chance she got, and knowing she wasn't going to be able to do that for a while was hard. She called him every chance she got, but it wasn't the same.

Besides, she was on tour... alone... she didn't get to bring any of her famous friends with her. It was just her, staying in a different five star hotel alone every night. Being on her own made her consider maybe moving in with Simon, or the other way around... maybe Simon could move in with her, since her house was bigger than Simon's little apartment, it had more than enough room for the both of them. Besides, she didn't want to leave behind her garden, she loved her plants nearly as much as she loved Simon. She missed them nearly as much as well, and hoped Babette was watering them twice a day like she was asked to. Babette practically lived at her house with how often she was there, so Betty hoped that she wouldn't mind if Simon moved in, but it wasn't her decision at the end of the day. It was hers and Simon's, and she already really wanted it.

As she lay her head on her pillow and closed her eyes, she heard her phone ring. It was Simon. She answered, albeit a bit quicker than she meant to.

"Simon! I miss you!" She said.

"I know, love. You've told me a hundred times today, and I miss you too. I was just headed to bed, and I wanted to say good night."

"Aw, well, goodnight. I love you... and I miss you!"

**SIMON'S POV**

As soon as he was done saying his good nights, and Betty was done repeatedly saying she missed Simon, he hung up the phone, then turned off his ringer. He hoped that if Betty called again and he didn't answer she'd just assume he was asleep, it was late after all... but he wasn't really going to sleep. He had far more important things to do.

He missed Betty. His Betty. And he was tired of suppressing it.

But also, he knew it was time to move on.

So he went through his things, the ones he had packed away in boxes in the back of his closet. In the bottom of one box with Betty's name on it, there they were...

Pictures of her.

All of his pictures of his Betty that he'd managed to keep for a thousand years, safe and in good condition, all in a small photo album.

So he decided to look through them one last time.

A photo of Betty and himself on their first expedition.

A photo of Betty the day they got engaged.

A photo of Betty the day she got her bachelor's degree, smiling with one of her friends.

A photo of Betty at the beach...

Simon's hands quivered as he looked through the album, tears stinging his eyes and threatening to spill out and soil the photos of his beloved, photos he'd always cherish.

He clutched the photo album tightly to his chest and ran outside of his apartment and screamed with all his might as he threw the photo album into the street, where it landed in the bed of a pickup truck that was passing by. It was gone now, and he was regretting his decision already, but knew this was a necessary step to moving on.

Though, he knew there were a hundred better ways he could've disposed of it. He walked back inside slowly with his head hanging low and his hands in his pockets, hoping that whoever found the photos would lovingly tend to them like he did, but he knew that most likely wouldn't be the case.

He opened his door and trudged back into his apartment, then flopped himself onto his couch and sighed. Tomorrow, he'd go apply for that job he wanted in person. But right now he needed to sulk, and maybe even get some rest.