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Simon looked up at the roller-coaster. It loomed over him like death, tall and menacing, ready to collapse.
“Simon.” He turned and glanced at Agatha, who had her arms crossed and was tapping one foot impatiently.
“What, Ags?” he replied, letting his gaze linger a few more seconds on her before fixing themselves back on the thrill ride to his left.
“Will you look at me?!” She exclaims, and Simon stifles a sigh as he faces Agatha.
“Thank you. It’s not that scary, you know. It’s just a ride. Plenty of people have ridden on it before. Please come, for me?” Agatha tilted her head to one side and blinked, pouting.
Simon knew from the moment ‘please’ came out of her mouth that he wasn’t getting out of this.
“Fine. But we go on the Ferris wheel once you’re done, yeah?”
“Thanks, Simon!” she says, wrapping her arms around him for a brief hug before bolting to the back of the line.
Simon mutters under his breath about demanding girlfriends and queues up, adjusting the plush under his arm to make room for the other one while he took Agatha’s bag (sometimes he swore he was a hat stand) (or maybe even a storage shelf).
The line inched along, Agatha got more ecstatic with every step. Simon, however, was paling visibly.
“The-The ride. It’s um, pretty high, hey, Ags?”
“Don’t be a wuss, Simon,” Agatha scoffs, turning back to her conversation with the girl behind them. Simon looks over her shoulder to see another guy, also carrying his girlfriend’s prizes and bags.
“Got dragged to the fair too, hey?” The guy asks, nodding at the assortment of plushies in Simon’s arms.
“Nah. Thought it would be romantic- I show my manliness and win her a prize, tunnel of love, kiss under the fireworks. All she wants to go on are rides. Not so romantic when I puke on her shoes,”
The guy laughs, and nods along.
“Penny here dragged me along thought it would be a fun bonding activity. Thus far she’s talked more to strangers than to me.” It’s Simon turn to laugh, and they all shuffle forward.
“Thing you do, eh?”
“Yeah,” Simon replies unconvincingly, looking at the way he’s staring at Penny, like she’d just given him the sun (Neither of them ever looked at each other like that- was something wrong?)
The line moves forward again, and Agatha turns to Simon.
“I gotta go to the toilet. Can I have my bag?”
“Sure,” Simon says, handing over the tiny red purse. “I’ll come with, make sure no clowns get you.”
Agatha just shoots him a glare, and Simon shrugs.
“Micah and Penny are coming too. Hold our place in line, yeah?” Simon barely has time to respond as they all duck under the rope, Micah shrugging quickly as the girls power-walk away.
‘Wait!’ Simon wants to call ‘The line’s too short!’
But they’ve already disappeared into the crowd.
The line jerks forward again, and there’s only two couples before Simon. He watches and feels his stomach drop as he finds the coaster, filled with eight screaming faces as they plummet down a drop.
“Look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” A voice taunts, and Simon sees the guy manning the booth. Simon’s eyes fall to where the guy is pointing, assumedly the name of the ride- ‘Golden Ghost’.
“Ha-ha,” Simon replies crudely, forcing the flush in his cheeks down.
“Where’s the girlfriend gone?”
“Loo.”
“Ah. Got sick of you, eh?” Simon feels the need to explain himself to this snarky stranger, albeit the anger rearing in his chest.
“I don’t even want to go on this anyway; her idea.”
“Always is,” The guy responds, stepping out of the booth and onto the platform just as the coaster rolls in.
Simon watches in muted horror as the people step out, vomit covering the back of two and the mouth of one, another girl with wracking sobs followed by a boy bravely biting his lip. Another guy is comforting the vomit-girl, and the final two look like they have literally seen a ghost. None of them respond as Baz (his nametag says) lets them out, bar a pointed sob from the weeping girl.
Simon feels his Adam’s apple bob as the couples in front of him step forward, and the one behind him jostling past. He’s standing stock-still, and Baz has an eyebrow raised.
“No sign of the girlfriend?” he jests, and Simon summons up the last shred of courage he’s sure he’ll ever have.
“I will if you will.”
“I can’t. Gotta run it.”
Simon makes hesitant chicken noises, but is silenced by a glare.
“Fine. But whoever screams the most buys the winner a candyfloss.”
“Deal.” Simon says, and he realises the poor decision as soon as he takes a step forward.
“Actually-“
“Lean back.” Baz commands, and Simon does so, feeling the mechanism click into place. Baz walks over and does something to the controls, and jogs back to Simon, leaping over and pulling the contraption over his head just as the sound of ghosts starts.
“Baz!” Simon exclaims, looking over at him with pure fear in his eyes. Baz meets his gaze and grabs his hand just before it starts, a scream exploding from Simon as it jerks into motion.
The ride shudders to a halt, and Baz lifts the bar around his shoulders quickly, jogging (albeit a little unsteadily) towards the controls and flipping a switch, releasing the rest of the bars.
The guy’s blonde curls are a blown-back mess, whereas Baz knows his is still fine, even though it is hanging in pieces around his face. He offers a hand to the pale mess, who accepts, standing on wobbly feet as Baz leads him to the booth. He leans against it, exhaling slowly. They watch the rest of the riders stumble past, and Baz just needs to know one simple thing before the guy (admittedly hot) goes back to his girlfriend.
“What’s your name?”
“Simon, Simon Snow,” Simon breathes, and Baz doesn’t hear it the first time so he makes him repeat it.
“Well, Snow, you can wait with me if you’d like. I’ll put up the sign at the back of the line. You owe me a candy floss.”
“No way,” Simon protests, but they ring on deaf ears as Baz saunters to the back of the line, putting a chain across with ‘Ride Closed’ emblazoned on it in red letters, a ghost screaming in the corner.
Baz admits the riders and starts the ride, then leaning out of the booth to nudge Simon.
“Snow, I found your girlfriend. She’s alone.” Simon stands up, quicker at the last part, in time to see some guy grab her hand. The blush is visible from here, and Baz can hear a faint gasp as he kisses her.
Baz pulls a face as she kisses back, breaking them apart and tugging him behind a ring-toss stall suggestively.
“Agatha,” Simon breathes, and Baz comes outside in a few quick steps, hugging Simon to his side.
“That’s a shitty thing to do-“
“Don’t call my girlfriend shitty.” Simon defends instinctively, but breaks into sobbing as soon as he realises. Baz cradles him close, patting his back semi-awkwardly as Snow continues crying into Baz’s shitty, too-small shirt (it’s standard- they didn’t have his size).
“I’ll take you to candy floss- I’ll buy you one, and then we can go confront your girlfriend.”
Simon protests weakly, but Baz knows he’s won as he unlock the teens from the seats, all of them stumbling out unsurely.
Simon breathes slowly, like Baz told him, and eventually stops the shaking in his shoulders. The connection he feels with Baz- it’s uncanny. It’s weird and natural all at once.
“Thanks for this, by the way. For comforting a terrified guy with no girlfriend.”
“Anytime,” Simon isn’t sure he heard Baz right, but Baz corrects himself at the last minute.
“I’d do it for anyone. It’s not my first rodeo.” Simon smiles weakly in return.
The people pass like leaves in autumn, fluttering and falling about the pair. After the last giddy thrill-seekers disembark, Baz turns off the lights and grabs the keys, and Simon has to rethink so he doesn’t grab Baz’s hand. They wander off into the fair, stragglers still milling about for the fireworks and the stalls. Baz manoeuvres them to the candy floss stall, whipping a note out of his jeans and paying before Simon can even touch his pocket. He waves away repayment, and then Simon realises that they’re holding hands as Baz drags him over to where the guy spins the candy floss, handing them each a stick of spun sugar and wishing them a good night.
They wander through the crowd, Simon enjoying the treat and Baz on the lookout for Agatha, or Penny and Micah for that matter. They end up in the open field beside the fair, sitting on the grass and talking aimlessly.
More people start to settle around them, and Simon realises that the fireworks are about to begin just before the first one goes off, a whoop echoing from the people gathered beneath. In the twenty minutes they’ve been sitting, Baz’s hand had crept over Simon’s. Simon didn’t mind the warm pressure.
Simon’s fixated on the show overhead, but looks at Baz when he touches his shoulder.
“What?” Simon whispered, slightly annoyed.
Baz just points over Simon’s shoulder, and he looks, finding Agatha’s glittering golden locks in an instant.
Only problem is, she’s making out with the guy they saw her with before.
Fireworks forgotten, Simon rises to his feet, ignoring protests of annoyed watchers as he stalks over to Agatha. He says nothing as he stands over them, and he can feel Baz’s presence slightly behind him, giving him strength.
“Who. Is. This.” Simon hisses, and the couple jolt apart.
“I- Well. I could ask you the same question.” Agatha’s demeanour is cool, frosty even, and just because Simon thinks of himself as single now, doesn’t excuse why Agatha is kissing another guy when she thinks they’re still together.
“I asked you first.” Simon feels Baz squeeze his hand.
“This is Patrick.”
“And why are you kissing Patrick on our date?” A jolt comes from Patrick, obviously surprised at this information.
“You told me you were single.” Patrick hisses.
“It’s not like me and Simon were ever serious.” Simon’s jaw drops open and he can feel Baz go still.
“Well, we’re not now, anyway. Goodbye, Agatha.” Simon says, turning around and walking back to where they were sitting previously.
Baz hisses once at Agatha, for good measure. When he finds his way back to where they were sitting, Simon’s shoulders are shaking. It’s all Baz can do to not kiss him, although directly after a breakup probably wasn’t the best of times to start off with. Instead Baz sits beside Simon, pulling him into his side where Simon’s whimpering and shuddering. Once again, Baz hushes him, and it takes longer than before, but finally Simon’s eyes are dry.
“Let’s not make this a regular thing,” Baz comments, and is rewarded with a watery smile.
“Come on. There’s one more ride open.” Simon obeys silently, and Baz isn’t entirely sure that it was just him putting the effort in when their hands link again.
Baz powers through the crowd, sneering at anyone who gets in their way, until they reach their destination.
“Come on, Snow, look up.” Baz smiles as Simon lights up, gazing at the lit-up Ferris wheel in awe.
Baz nods to the attendant and she opens the gate, nodding back. They clamber into the carriage, and somehow he ends up next to Snow.
The ride shudders into motion and Simon jolts, moving closer to Baz.
“I don’t really like heights,” Simon whispers, and Baz snakes an arm around him.
“I don’t like them much either, but the view is worth it.” Simon smiles at him in the dim, multi-coloured lighting.
They climb and climb, and Baz grabs Simon’s hand at the climax.
“Look,” Baz breathes, and they both do, relishing the lights below, the fireworks, and the bright lights of the city in the distance. Baz turns to Simon, who’s looking like a child, grinning manically at the lights surrounding them, one hand pressed against the mesh.
Simon turns to look at Baz, and suddenly there’s electricity instead of hemoglobin and oxygen and blood cells.
“We’re up high,” Baz can feel Simon’s breath on his face, warm and sweet.
“Yeah, that’s kinda the point of a Ferris wheel,” Baz retorts, getting a small chuckle from the other.
“Can I kiss you?”
“Yeah,”
The fireworks encase them, slowly burning into their veins and filling their hearts.
Baz knows, and guesses Simon does, too.
There’s no place they’d rather be.