Work Text:
Penny
“Why are we out here again?”
I look back at Baz, exasperated.
“Come on, Ba-sil-ton! It’s beautiful out here!” It really is. We’re hiking up a forested mountain. Through the trees, you can see a cobalt lake glimmering down below, with a small island in the middle. The view is stunning, but a certain someone won’t stop complaining.
“It’s mountains and a lake, Bunce. There are bugs everywhere, and my hair keeps getting in my face!”
“Well, you should’ve used bug spray! I offered you some, but-”
“Guys, don’t argue!” Simon interrupts. “Come on, love. I brought some hairbands if you want them, and we’re almost at the campsite. Right, Penny?”
“Yup!” I nod excitedly. “Agatha’s meeting us there! We’re going to get to see her again. Aren’t you excited?”
After a few more minutes of walking, we reach the campsite. It’s a small clearing near the top of the mountain. There are two tents set around a fire pit and some other equipment, but no people. Penny looks around.
“Where is she? AGATHA!” A blonde head pops out of one of the tents, then looks at us.
“Simon! Penny! Baz!” Agatha runs over to us. “How have you been?”
Baz
The rest of the day is pretty uneventful. After some small talk and a tour of the campsite, we go swimming and have dinner. Snow introduces me to s’mores, which are incredible and should be an everyday staple of life. At last, the time comes to go to sleep.
“Alright,” I say, standing up. “Snow and I can have that tent, and you-”
“No, no, no!” Bunce says, interrupting me. “I am not listening to you two going at it all night. Simon and I will share a tent, and you and Agatha can share the other one.”
Ten minutes later, Simon comes over to my tent and sends Wellbelove across the campsite.
“What did you do, Simon?”
“Complained so much that Penny sent me over here.” I laugh, then roll over to go to sleep.
After a few minutes, though, it’s obvious that both of us are too restless. I wriggle out of my sleeping bag and grab Simon’s hand.
“Come on, I want to show you something.”
Simon
I follow Baz through the forest to the top of the mountain. Up here, it’s barren rock, and you can see everything for miles around. I turn around to see Baz unpacking a small bag with a blanket, a star map, and…
“Scone?” He holds one out to me. I grab it and dig in, sitting down on the blanket beside him. With the silence between us, I really notice the stars for the first time. They cover the night sky, with the Milky Way arcing above us in a silvery band. Baz reaches for my hand, and I take it.
“ What if
What if we run away
What if
What if we left today”
Baz is singing. His voice is incredible, a bit hoarse but sweet and mellow, and so utterly, completely Baz that I could cry.
“ What if
We said goodbye to safe and sound
What if
What if we're hard to find
What if
What if we lost our minds
What if
We let them fall behind, and they're never found ”
The music wraps around us, encapsulating our souls in a blanket of melody and starlight.
“ And when the lights start flashing like a photo booth
And the stars exploding
We'll be fireproof ”
Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch is angling his head towards the night sky, gently letting notes flow from his lips and upwards to the moon, and it is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
“ My youth
My youth is yours
Trippin' on skies, sippin' waterfalls
My youth
My youth is yours
Run away now and forevermore
My youth
My youth is yours
The truth so loud you can't ignore
My youth, my youth, my youth
My youth is yours ”
He looks away from the sky, away from the moon and stars, and into my eyes.
“ What if
What if we start to drive
What if
What if we close our eyes
What if
We're speeding through red lights into paradise
'Cause we've no time for getting old
Mortal bodies, timeless souls
Cross your fingers, here we go
Oh, oh, oh
And when the lights start flashing like a photo booth
And the stars exploding
We'll be fireproof ”
And then we’re kissing, and it’s amazing. It feels like going off, but there’s none of the burning sensation that came with that, only joy and love and breathless energy. It’s all I’ve ever wanted and more, and we fall asleep under the sky.