Herbs and Spices // snowbaz

reward system

"No, Snow, you have to work with me here."

"Well, I'm sorry! It's a bit difficult when I don't know what I'm doing."

"That's why I'm trying to show you!"

The two boys sat back, Baz with his hands raked harshly through his hair, pulling it back from his forehead, and Simon trying desperately to cross his arms but struggling to do so with a guitar sitting on his lap.

"It's hard to make my fingers do something they haven't done before," Simon argued, splaying his fingers out in front of him, and Baz raised his eyebrows at the boy.

"I know, but that's why I'm trying to help you," Baz said, inching forward off his seat, balancing precariously on its edge, as he curled his hand around Simon's and pushed his fingers back to the neck of the guitar. "Here, just keep them loose, and let me guide them."

Baz's fingers were cold against Simon's and he felt a shiver go down his spine at the contact, and as Baz raised an eyebrow at him he simply shrugged and blushed profusely.

"Okay, Snow," Baz began, his fingers working Simon's into a wide stance on the neck of the guitar, "This is a C chord, and once you get this, it's not difficult to do, especially when your fingers get used to the position."

Simon bit his lip in frustration as Baz moved his fingers through all the chords, as they occasionally laughed at his fingers complete lack of cooperation.

"Are you guys still struggling with this nonsense?" Penny laughed as she entered the room, a mug held between her hands.

"It's not nonsense, it's a musical instrument, Bunce," Baz smirked at her, "We can't all be bookworms like you."

"Says the boy who came first in our year," Penny shook her head, laughing. "Anyway, you guys just need to use some kind of reward system, it'll make learning much easier. It's what I did when I wanted Simon to study."

"Shut up, Penny," Simon laughed at his friend.

She stuck her tongue out in return, before walking out of the room, leaving only the faint scent of books behind and a lingering singsong of "Good luck."

"Actually, she might be on to something," Baz said, a knowing smile on his lips and Simon's eyebrows quirked up at his boyfriend's mischievous tone. "The reward system, so for each chord you can remember on your own, without my guidance, you'll get a kiss."

"A kiss?" Simon laughed.

"Yeah, you twat, or would you prefer something else?" 

"I mean, some scones would be nice."

Baz pushed Simon back with a flat palm to the shoulder, his voice tinged with laughter, "You're an asshole."

"You love me though."

"Questionable," he quipped, "Now, show me the D chord." 

Suddenly all joking left Simon's face as he concentrated on the guitar in his lap, and the way his hand curled around its neck. He could see the D chord in his mind, but couldn't figure out where his fingers went until he slumped back in defeat. "I can't remember."

Baz leant forward to place a quick kiss on his boyfriend's cheek, and Simon looked up at him through his lashes, "I thought I only got a kiss if I could remember them?"

"Yeah, but you looked so pathetic, I had to do something to cheer you up," Baz winked, and Simon let out a huff of short-lived laughter. 

"Silver lining, I suppose." 

"Okay, now just, here," Baz leant forward once more to move Simon's fingers with his own, "This is the D chord."

The rest of their day was spent in general silence, interrupted only by Simon's frustrated sighs and Baz's gentle reminders and encouragements. Each time Simon remembered a chord, Baz would lean in and plant a gentle kiss at some point on his face; his nose, his eyelids, his forehead, his hairline, his cheeks; any place he could reach, he left soft, quick kisses that left Simon breathless and smiling wide, desperate to get more chords right. 

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I was stuck on what to write for so long ughhh so here's this shitty lil thing that takes place after the events of Carry On, in Simon and Penny's apartment. Anyway, I'll have my hands on Carry On in a couple of days so I'll read that and hopefully have more inspiration!

Thanks for reading, sorry this was soooo short