Work Text:
“Damn, today's rehearsal were exhausting,” Jeremy said, stretching.
They had stopped just outside the auditorium door, at the end of that rehearsal afternoon. The rest of the troupe had already left, but Simon and Jeremy, since they were out and officially a couple, liked to take their time. Especially since they used to go to school and then ride home with the same car, once Jeremy's, once Simon's. That day it was Simon's turn.
“Yeah, having to kiss your scene partner – who's my best friend by the way – must be veeeery exhausting...” Simon mocked him, with a smile. “What am I supposed to say? I have to watch you do it!” he joked. Actually it was kinda fun, because the troupe teased him and Robbie about it and they both liked to pretend to be jealous.
“Well, in Spring Awakening -”
“That was different!” Simon replied, blushing almost imperceptibly. “Unless you like girls, now.”
“Do you, Mark?” Jeremy teased, getting down a few steps and catching Simon up at the end of the little concrete staircase where he was standing, waiting for him.
“Me? No way.”
“Well, me neither,” and he pecked him on the cheek. “Hey, it's not my fault if Mr. Mazzu cast me as Roger and Lilette as Mimi, BUT, if it makes you feel better, every time I have to kiss her I think of you. You're my Mimi,” he smiled and winked at him.
“Oh,” Simon smiled back, his heart jumping a little in his chest – his boyfriend's smile always had that effect on him. Every single time. “I wanted to say you're my Maureen, but that doesn't end well, so...better not,” he laughed.
“Why don't we rewrite Rent with Mark and Roger getting together? It would be lit!” Jeremy uttered.
“I think Rent is already perfect as it is, but there's always fanfiction about that.”
“I know, but it's not the same! What's the use, if I can't do it with you?” Jeremy put his arms around Simon's waist and hugged him. Simon drew even closer to him; Jeremy smelled of good, of home, and every time he held him like that Simon felt safe. It was the best feeling in the world.
“We have real life now,” he replied. “We already had our stage moments, but real life is better, isn't it?”
Jeremy pulled away and looked at him. “A hundred percent.”
Simon smiled. “'Let's go now or your mum will never let you come home with me again! We're always super late,” he took Jeremy by the hand and they slowly headed towards the parking lot.
“She doesn't care, and besides, she adores you, so we're fine, don't worry,” another kiss on the cheek.
Simon chuckled and intertwined his fingers with Jeremy, as they walked to the car. Nobody was there, but even if they were, he wouldn't care. Sure, it was still hard to face the looks people gave him when he was with Jeremy, but every day he felt a little stronger. There were good days and bad days and that was a good one.
The Stanton parking lot was quite big, but there were lots of students and also professors and school staff who used their car to get to school, so every day finding a good spot that didn't make you do miles to get to the entrance was a matter of luck.
It was all empty now, so Simon spotted his car as soon as they turned the corner. Jeremy's chatter was a nice background, with his impersonations of Mr. Mazzu or other troupe friends and Simon couldn't help but laugh, adding some contributes too, here and there.
“...and when I jump on the table during La Vie Boheme, I see out of the corner of my eye – hey, it's really funny trust me! Is everything okay?” Jeremy asked, noticing that Simon had stopped, looking at the car with the keys in his hand. “Don't tell me you forgot to fill up and we don't have enough to get home.”
“No, I just...I didn't notice it this morning when we parked...” Simon replied.
“Notice what?”
Simon turned. “The car space.”
Jeremy took another look around. “Did I park here yesterday and you accidentally did the same today?”
Simon couldn't believe his ears. “Are you kidding me? Don't you recognize it?”
Jeremy rolled his eyes and chortled, amused. It was so easy to goof on Simon, he fell for it all the times.
“Of course I do, this is where we –”
“First kissed,” Simon finished the sentence. “And don't – I know what you're going to say,” he added, seeing that Jeremy was about to apologize once more for kissing him in public when he wasn't out yet.
“But –”
“It's fine, you’ve already done it a thousand times and I forgave you. It's all in the past, okay?”
“Okay” – Jeremy took both Simon's hands and gazed at him – “what did I do to deserve you? Like for real.”
Simon's face turned pink. “I could ask you the same thing...”
Jeremy then leaned in and kissed him, softly but not quickly. He loved to kiss him anytime and anyplace, but that parking lot somehow called for it. Power of memories, anyone?
“You know, maybe this place has some kind of spell that literally leads me to kiss you,” Jeremy laughed. “We're here next to your car and see? I can't help it...” and he grabbed Simon's smiling lips again.
Simon's heart was beating almost as fast as the first time, but his mind was definitely less confused. It was a way different situation now, compared to then; he felt different and the same old self at the same time, maybe he was just finally honest with himself (and with Jeremy), which was quite a big thing after all.
“Mmmh, I suspect this spell follows us everywhere...not that I'm complaining,” Simon giggled.
“How could you? When you have this incredible kisser as your boyfriend...” another peck, which made Simon giggle even more. Jeremy felt extraordinary smoochy, that night. “But it's not the first time we pass through here. Why have you mentioned it tonight?” Jeremy asked.
“Because we parked here and I don't think we ever did it after that day. Kinda weird, uh?” Then he became serious. “But, uhm...we didn't just kiss here, remember? We talked too.”
Jeremy nodded. “Yes, about our feelings.”
“And you asked me something, but I never answered. Do you remember what it was?” Simon remembered every word and he was sure Jeremy did too. And he did.
“If you felt something when we were together.”
“Yeah.”
“But you kissed me back, I got my answer anyway. Okay, you ran away then, but still somehow you answered, don't you think? Not very clearly, but you did. Or anyway you did it later when we talked about it and then when we got together.”
Simon shook his head. “It's not the same.”
“Why are you thinking about it now? It's been months...a lot of things happened, it was just a question, it's not that important,” Jeremy shrugged.
“It is important. Clarity is important and I guess I still have to completely forgive myself for not being honest with you, back then.”
“It was –”
“Yes, I know you told me it was understandable, but still it wasn't a nice thing towards you.”
Jeremy sighed. “So what are you gonna do? You can't change the past.” He felt bad at the idea of Simon still beating himself for that, especially since all that had happened between them since then.
“No, but I can answer now.”
Jeremy raised his eyebrows and scratched his head, “Oh. Well...fine. I think I already know what you're gonna say and as I told you there's no need for that, but if you really want it...” and he leaned against the car, waiting.
Simon looked at him. “No, not...like this. You” – Jeremy blinked, confused – “have to ask me again.”
“Do you want to do the whole scene?”
“No, not the whole thing,” Simon chortled. “Just the question, but more or less like you did it then, so...” and he gestured him to move away from the car.
Jeremy sighed and obeyed. “You're acting weird tonight, Si.”
“Shut up, you're ruining the moment,” Simon replied with a laugh. Now that Jeremy was standing in front of him, even more handsome than before (if that was possible) and looking him in the eyes, he felt like a shiver down his spine – not a terrified shiver, like the first time, but more like a thrill. He didn't want to run away, he wanted to stay there forever.
Jeremy cleared his voice. He still thought it was a little strange, but eventually he was getting excited too for this repeat, sure he wasn't doing anything wrong now. His mind was clearer and not a tornado of questions and feelings like the last time; still being there with Simon once again stirred something inside of him.
“Do you...do you feel something when you're with me? Do you feel this, right now?”
“I love you.”
Jeremy's eyes widened and twinkled, before a silly smile appeared on his face. “What?” he murmured.
“I love you,” Simon repeated. His heart was literally racing. “I feel it right now, every day and probably even then, already, although I was too scared to admit it.”
“I love you too, Si,” Jeremy took a step forward and took Simon in his arms, before leaning in for one of those big kisses you always see in the movies. He could hear the bells ringing. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” he said again, as he covered Simon's face with pecks.
“You knew what I was going to say, uh?” Simon laughed as Jeremy was smooching him all over the face. “See? I surprised you.”
Jeremy stopped. “Wait, did you set this up?”
“No, I didn't!” he uttered, but Jeremy didn't seem convinced. “Okay, well...I've been meaning to tell you for a while, but I never found the right moment, so...”
Jeremy gasped. “So you were plotting behind my back, uh?” and he started to poke him on his sides, with Simon giggling as he tried to stop him.
“No, just...” Simon said when Jeremy finally let him go. “You know, I replayed that scene in my head a hundred times since we got together and it always had a different ending, this ending. Or sometimes I wouldn't say I love you, but simply yes, I do and I'd never run away. Never. So when today it happened to be here again...I did it. I made it real.”
“And another first,” Jeremy added. They had never said I love you to each other until then and finally doing it right there? Pretty amazing, if you'd ask him.
“Yep, crazy right? I guess this is officially our place, now,” he said with a smile.
“Absolutely,” Jeremy agreed and went over to cuddle a little before going home, even though he didn't want to leave. All the after rehearsal tiredness had disappeared and he felt almost euphoric; all he wanted to do was spending the rest of the day with Simon doing nothing but cuddling, kissing, chatting...okay, maybe more of the former and little of the latter.
Simon was feeling pretty much the same, but he knew it was getting late and they had to leave, because homework and their parents waiting and all that boring stuff.
He was about to say something, when Jeremy's phone rang.
“It's my mum,” he said looking at the screen.
“See? I told you.”
He picked up. “Hey mum. Yeah, I'm still here with Simon. I know we're late, but we're fine, don't worry. We're just leaving.” He took a look at Simon who had already opened the car, thrown his backpack on the backseat and was now sitting in the driver's seat waiting for him. He had an idea. “Uhm, listen can we have Simon over for dinner, tonight? Please! Thank you, mum! You're awesome. Bye.” He hung up and uttered: “Dinner at Travers tonight!”
“Yay!” Simon said as Jeremy got into the car. “It's been a while, thanks for the invite.”
“You're welcome,” Jeremy quickly kissed him on the cheek.
“What time? Around eight? I guess I can study a little, before.”
“Oh you're not going home first, we'll study together at my place and then dinner. And if you want to stay a little more after that, I won't mind of course,” he chuckled. “I said a little!” he added already knowing Simon was going to object because it was school night and parents and so on.
“Study?” Simon replied, laughing. “You know we never manage to do much when we're together.”
Jeremy shrugged. “Then we're gonna copy from someone tomorrow...today's special, after what we told each other we have to celebrate, so you're all mine for the rest of the day,” and since they hadn't left the parking lot yet, he took Simon's hand and kissed it.
“Sounds perfect,” Simon replied. “Well, maybe not so perfect for our grades, but – ouch!”
Jeremy had given him a little slap on the hand he was still holding. “Shut up and drive,” he rolled his eyes, holding back a smile and trying to stay serious.
Simon looked at him and couldn't help but cracking up and immediately Jeremy followed him. Damn, Simon could listen to that laughter all day and he'd never get tired of it.
Beaming, he started the engine and and set off.