Happy Birthday, Baz

                                    

                                          
A/N: This is my contribution to our favorite vampire's birthday! I just barely managed to get this in on time because I didn't start it until late last night. I really like it, though, and I hope you all do, too! Also, I haven't abandoned this series. I just haven't had any new ideas for it in a while.
                          
***
                          
Simon
                          
When I wake up in the morning, Baz is already up and dressed, which is strange because I always get up early to beat everyone else down to breakfast, and he's usually one of the last people to get there. I rub my eyes and sit up. Baz has his back turned to me as he pulls on his jumper. He hasn't noticed me yet, and I wonder if that was the point, if he was trying to avoid me.
                          
When Baz turns around to grab something off of his bed, my breath catches in my throat as I get a better look at him. I am sure that I must still be asleep, dreaming, because from here it looks like Baz is wearing makeup, something that I am almost certain I have never seen him do.
                          
"What are you looking at, Snow?" Baz sneers, when he notices me staring.
                          
Definitely not a dream, I think. That's not how Baz treats me in my dreams. Not that I would ever admit to anyone that I have dreamt about Baz before. It was only one time anyway. Maybe twice. It was no more than three times; I am sure of that. Definitely nothing that people need to know about.
                          
"It's your birthday." It's not the words that I wanted to say, but it's what comes out. I wanted to ask Baz if he's wearing eyeliner. It's a very light amount, but I still notice it. It brings out the stormy grey color of his eyes.
                          
"Thanks. I hadn't noticed that," Baz says drily. "Now would you stop staring at me?"
                          
I quickly look away, my cheeks warming. "Sorry," I murmur.
                          
There's silence in the room as neither of us move, and I fight the urge to look at Baz again. Finally, there's the sound of the door closing, and when I look up, it's to find that I am alone in the room now. 
                          
Baz
                          
Simon said that he was sorry. I can't remember a time that he has ever apologized to me before. Our rivalry is more about seeing who can treat the other the worst without both of us getting into trouble for it. He's definitely never apologized for staring at me. And he does that a lot. Probably not as much as I find myself staring at him, but it's still quite a bit.
                          
I just don't understand why he would apologize for it. Maybe he was just trying to be nice because it's my birthday. That's the only reason that I can think of, but it isn't a very good one. He's never been that nice to me on my birthday before. I strictly remember one particularly nasty fight that we got into back in fifth year on my birthday. Although, that was probably more my fault than his. 
                          
That was the year that I realized that I was in love with him. I wanted something from him that I knew that I could never have, and I was upset, on edge. Somehow, it turned into a fight when all I wanted was to talk to him, to have one nice moment with him. Of course, things have never been able to be that way between us. Right from the beginning, we were rivals, and that will likely never change.
                          
I got up early today so that I could head down to the Catacombs before breakfast and still get there before most of the other students. I had hoped that I would be able to get out of the room before Simon woke, but I've never been that lucky.
                          
I can still feel the way that his eyes felt on me as he stared at my eyes. Or more accurately, the makeup around them. I knew that people would be surprised by it, which is why I was trying to avoid Simon this morning. I really didn't want to hear whatever horrible comment he was likely to make about it because even though I would never admit it to anyone, his opinion matters to me.