Something New

7. Simon

"Fine," Baz repeats, and something in my stomach unknots itself. Grinning like a madman, I cast,

"Let there be light!" 

Gold spheres of light, like miniature suns, pop into existence around us, floating in midair. Baz's eyes go wide, and the grey turns silver as it catches the glow around us. He's smiling like he's trying desperately not to, and that just makes me smile more. 

"Aleister Crowley, Snow, why have we been bothering with electric lights all this time when you can do this?" I dunno why, but his words make my cheeks go hot-- but not like they were before, when I woke up. Not the dry, itchy hot that means my magic's gone haywire again. A good hot-- a warm, soft hot that feels like sunlight. 

"Come on, Baz. Race you to the other end?" I say, ignoring him. He looks at me a moment, and I'm almost shocked by his face. He's usually so unreadable, so fucking cool. Not tonight. Tonight, his grey eyes are as big as I've ever seen them, and his mouth has forgotten its usual pout in favour of a brilliant smile. I like him like this-- Baz with his brightness turned up. 

"You're on, Snow." And just like that, he's off. I blink, trying to tear myself out of whatever vampire stupor he's put me in. 

I race after him, feet gliding so fast I feel like I'm flying. I'm gaining on him-- though not quickly enough (damn those long legs of his). 

Laughing, I stretch out a hand and grab onto his arm. He spins around, surprise etched on every bit of his face, before catching himself by grabbing onto my shoulders. Once he's got his bearings again, he grins at me. Devilishly. 

"You cheating bastard," he says, his laughing face and sparkling silver eyes taking all the force out of the words. 

"I couldn't just let you win, could I?" I reply. He shrugs, his smile only widening with impish intensity (believe me, I've fought my fair share of imps. Relentless little fuckers, they are). 

"Poor sportsmanship, Snow, you ought to be ashamed. A taste of your own medicine should do you good," he says-- no, he purrs. I don't even have time to react before he's spinning me round and round, and then I'm laughing to hard to say anything at all. 

I like it when we're like this. When the fighting stops for just a moment, when we forget to be enemies, when we forget that his family hates the Mage. When we're just roommates. I like being just roommates with Baz. It makes me think that maybe, if we weren't destined to finish each other off... well, maybe we could be friends.