chapter: unumbered one shot (maybe more to come)
pairing: simon 'ghost' riley
warnings: nothing explicit. all lowercase.
a/n: because everyone deserves a love that is patient and kind. in spite of everything.
for @wraithdance and @disgustingtwitches
itās why he blames himself when you run.
heās invaded your space, pushed too hard against the ease of the relationship youād found yourselves in. it wasnāt purposeful, but simon knew there was something amiss. could sense it from the way your gait had changed around him. how youād taken to covering parts of yourself from him that youād otherwise let him bare witness to. the clothes didnt change, no, but your laughter did. clipped and short, long enough to fool others but simon knew you better.
he saw you transform into a version of yourself heād only seen before he knew you. a hardened version of you made by the winds that eroded your softness.
youād erected walls for refuge. hiding yourself away from the reach of any hands who tried to tug at you, kind or otherwise.
and yet, simon had been granted access until recently.
heād pushed his luck, known some conversations were likely to push you to the brink, but you held strongly. in the end, it wasnāt even a conversation. youād clammed up mid conversation giggling over childhood talks. heād seen the realization dawn on you in real time.
overexposed, overly comfortable, unprotected.
your things were gone the next day. his side table clear of anything of importance to you. there were still traces of you, lingering in the crevices of his flat but he knew they were there to keep him off your scent. to keep him from being alarmed.
heās a damn good soldier though. better at understanding when someoneās got the urge to run. and exceptionally good at finding people.
he gives you two days. no messages, no calls, nothing.
all so you can breathe a little easier. work yourself out of the state of mind youād found yourself in. leaving you bare and exposed.
then he shows up to your coffee shop. order his drink and yours and simply waits.
the baristas know him by now, and theyāve already known you, so when you approach the counter eager to get your liquid energy they simply wave to simon.
youāre an expert at hiding your emotions. anyone else would have accepted your absence of a reaction as expectation but simon knows better. sees the small inhale, your hands curling on the strap of your bag, other hand clutching your phone a little tighter. youāre unhappy, but not angry.
heāll give you your space, let you run but be within your vicinity. watching you from behind the glass while you get comfortable around again. until you allow yourself to have your back to him, to let your fingers graze the back of his, until you find yourself curled into his side again.
heās willing to wait.
ājust a cup of coffee. take your time, iām not in a rush for anything love. iāll be hereā
dailybridgerton
izzy806
origamiaround
stormborns
baratheonpilled
dededos
yousharknotpass
