I'm A Wreck // SnowBaz

6

"I'm back."

"You still look awful."

"Sod off. How's he doing?"

"Same as when you left."

Baz sighed and collapsed into the chair next to Penelope, twisting Simon's tail around his hand. "He's not doing any better?"

"No. But he's not doing any worse either, so its not that a bad."

"Not that bad? Bunce he's in a fucking coma. We don't know when or even if he'll wake up and-" Baz took a deep breath to calm himself, unclenching his fist from where it was curled in his lap.

"I just- I just...."

Penelope, taking herself and Baz by surprise, leaned over Baz's chair and pulled him into a one armed hug. "I know. I know. He's going to wake up, okay? This is Simon we're talking about. He's too damn stubborn to die, you know that. He'll come back," she whispered, squeezing him tightly.

Baz would never in a million years admit it, but it helped. It really did. "Thank you, Penelope."

Just then, the door opened, and Baz sprung away from Penelope like a frightened cat. "I'm sorry it took so long Penny, I got the first flight I could and- Oh, hello Baz. What's he doing here?" Agatha stood in the doorway, frowning.

"I told you on the phone, remember? Baz is a good guy? Him and Simon are dating? God, I've only told you a thousand times. Here, sit down." Penelope spelled a chair next to Baz's, and he gave her a pointed look.

"Of for Christs sake, stand up!" Penelope dragged Baz out of his chair, making him wince slightly when he cut his palm on Simon's tail. Penelope took the spot previously occupied by Baz, letting Baz sit in the chair by Simon's head.

The three of them sat in a thick silence, all staring at Simon's unconscious form.

The last time Baz and Penelope had seen Agatha, she was running away from the biggest battle in the history of mages. Running away from the dying goat heard that had just saved her life. Telling them to run with her.
It had been a few years since that happened. This was the first time Penelope had even reached out to her since.

"What even happened?" Agatha asked after a few minutes.

"Goblins," Baz answered, his voice thick. He hated thinking about it. Of all things, it was a goblin that bested Simon Snow. A bloody goblin.

"They're still stuck on the king thing?"

"No fucking shit, Wellbelove," Baz growled, clenching his jaw.

"Baz, hey, calm down. She was just asking a question." Penelope placed a hand on Baz's forearm, giving him one of the looks she usually reserved for Simon. You're being thick, the look said. You're being thick and you're going to regret whatever comes out of your mouth next, but I care about you so I won't say that outloud.

Baz pinched his eyebrows together, slumping forward slightly. Why was Penelope being so nice to him? Sure, they were friendly. They spent almost every day around eachother, considering the fact that they lived in the same flat with Simon. But she was treating Baz like he was... Well, like he was Simon.

And Baz wasn't sure why, but despite how much it helped calm him down, it pissed him off.