loveless marriage with Price :/
No warnings but it’s gonna be a slow-ish burn so be ready for multiple parts!!
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Simon saw the way your expression dropped every time Price brushed you off. Every time he would pull away when you rested your hand on him, every time he turned so you’d end up kissing his cheek. You, being the angel you were, never made a scene. You just forced yourself to not be embarrassed and carried on like all was good. His first time meeting you, he passed it off as Price just having a weird day or maybe you’d gotten in an argument. It wasn’t his relationship, who was he to judge so quickly?
But time after time after time he noticed, and every time you would look a little more hurt. Well today, you’d come to base to drop something off for Price that he’d forgotten at home. Except you couldn’t seem to find him. You walk around a bit aimlessly until you see a familiar figure turning a corner and you hurry to catch up.
“Simon!” You grab his arm to slow him down and he tenses but looks down at you.
“Hey you,” his voice softens without him realizing it and he takes in the sight of you. “What are y’doin here? Price forget his shit again?”
You nod, hand dropping from his arm. “Yeah, except he wasn’t in his office and I’m guessing he’s busy because he hasn’t seen any of my texts. Do you know where I could find him?”
Simon nods and motions for you to follow, taking you to one of many conference rooms and holding the door open for you. He waits as you go in to give Price his things, brow furrowing when he sees Price dodge another kiss. You pause for a second, debating saying something but decide against it and walk back out. Simon walks you back to your car, mind racing with all the things he wish he could tell Price off about. But then you reach the car and bring him out of his thoughts.
“Thanks for getting me there. And back.”
“Of course, love.” He nods, glancing down at you as you get in the car. “Any time.”
“What was that?” You laugh when you hear what he called you, nose scrunching ever so slightly with confusion. Simon looks you up and down before hitting the roof of the car twice.
“I said, of course. Get home safe.”
You return home and for some reason, Simon calling you ‘love’ kept replaying in your head. When was the last time John called you anything other than your name? It was a small thing, insignificant especially coming from Simon. You were just friendly, you did see him pretty often when John would hold get-togethers. Maybe it was just manners or something.
You forget about it after a day or two and don’t even think about Simon until another night where John tells you the guys would be over on Saturday to watch a footie match and to be sure there were enough snacks for everyone. You say okay and go right to the store, browsing the aisles for what felt like hours. You got the usual game snacks and beers but freeze when you reach for a bag of crisps that you remember Simon didn’t touch last time. He didn’t like them. So you come home with a different bag and John looks at them curiously, asking why you didn’t get the usual ones.
“Not everyone likes those. These felt like a safer option.”
On Saturday, everyone arrives right on time and you let them in since John was busy grilling out back. Simon gives you a lingering look as he passes by with a quiet greeting. You damn near break your neck watching him walk out back, making a face when you realize your heart rate had picked up. But you shove it down and just be the good hostess you always were. John brings in the food and you set out the snacks for them.
Eventually you all end up in the living room watching the tv, Gaz and Soap occasionally yelling at the screen as if that would affect the match in any way. For once, you weren’t trying to scoot closer to John. The first time you did, he shifted a couple inches away when he thought you wouldn’t notice and you haven’t tried again since. After a while you get up and go outside to see if the grill was cool enough to cover back up.
Simon watches you leave and glances at Price but of course the man wasn’t paying you any attention so he takes the chance to follow you. His footsteps creak on the deck as he comes down the stairs and over to you.
“Y’don’t like football very much do ya?”
You look up at him and shrug, suppressing a smile. “Not necessarily. I just watch because there’s nothing else to do.”
Simon nods and looks away at the grill. “Let me clean that for ya. Can tell Price is bloody terrible at it.”
“Was that a joke?” You tease and hand him the grill brush and let him start scrubbing away, barely being able to see where his jaw clenched under the balaclava. He just answers with a huff and scrubs until all the burnt pieces of food and build up were off the metal and he shuts the lid. He hands it back to you and doesn’t pull away when your fingers touch, instead staying there for longer than was probably acceptable. “Thanks, Simon.”
“Of course, love.” He finally pulls his hand away and goes back into the house, leaving you standing there like a schoolgirl with a debilitating crush.
Part 2
