Butcher! Simon x SingleMother! Reader
cw: Talks of violence from Simon and mentions of abuse from Reader
a/n: Thank you guys from all of the responses to the poll, I really hope that you guys like this chapter! My taglist is now closed, thank you for everyone who asked to be put on the taglist! I will also say that I am working through my master's degree and I am about to get fairly busy, so chapters might come a little slower, so thank you for your patience!
Simon was used to battlefields, shots ringing out close to his head, and pulling off some of the most dangerous missions unknown to the normal civilian. But right now, he felt like this was the hardest thing he had ever set out to achieve:
Successfully go on a date with the pretty woman next door.
He had been debating his outfit, whether he should bring her something, which cologne to wear, and many, many other things since his feet hit the floor at 4 am. He had settled on a nice black button-up (one that highlighted his biceps; he really hoped she would be into it) and a pair of black pants with his boots. He sprayed on a little bit of his cologne, not wanting the smell to be overpowering if she was sensitive to the smell, and took one last look in the mirror.
As he looked into the mirror, he brought his hand up to his mask, lightly tugging at the edges to adjust it. Should he take it off? How would she react if he did? Would she scream in horror and slam the door in his face? Would she vomit right there in front of the door? Would she call the police? He was beginning to spiral deep into his insecurities, and quickly shook his head to snap himself out of the downward spiral before he became too lost in his own head. Taking one last glance in the mirror, he checked the time on his watch.
Perfect. He adjusted his mask one more time and grabbed his keys and wallet before heading out. He walked the few feet to her door and gave a gentle knock to let her know he was here to pick her up. What greeted him, however, was an unfamiliar face.
"Who is it-?" The woman asked, pausing as she was met with a broad chest, slowly dragging her eyes up to meet Simon's eyes underneath his mask and let out an unholy scream before slamming the door shut. Simon didn't even flinch, as he was used to those reactions whenever people saw his face, or at the very least letting a grimace show on their face.
"I'm telling you we need to call the cops! There is literally a robber right outside the door with a skull mask and everything! I'll grab the bat, and you take Nugget and yourself into the bathroom-!"
He then heard the gentle voice break through the panic, soothing her friend.
"That's Simon, the guy I told you that I was going on a date with today and why I asked you to watch Nugget. He's not a robber, I promise. He's a very sweet man; he's helped me and Nugget several times."
"Are you certain about going on a date with him?"
Simon's heart skipped a beat at the confidence in her answer, and he couldn't stop the smile that spread underneath his mask. The door opened again, and there she stood looking like she came straight out of a photograph. She wore a cozy cream sweater and her bottoms were a good contrast to the sweater, and her boots were a good combination of practical and stylish. His mouth went dry as he looked at her, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Y-Yeh look great, luv." He said softly, offering his hand for her to take. She smiled and gently placed her hand within his own, giving it a small squeeze. "You look handsome as well, Simon."
She turned back to the door where Nugget was standing with her friend, letting him run into her free arm as she squatted down and gave him a tight squeeze. "Behave for Miss Carol, okay Nugget?"
"I will, mommy! 'll be soooo good!" He gave her a smooch on the cheek, causing her to giggle and kiss his head.
"I love you too, mommy! Have fun wi' Mister Simon!"
After watching her friend and Nugget go back into the apartment, Simon gave her hand a gentle squeeze as they began to walk towards the apartment parking lot. "Go' a question for yeh, luv."
"Yes?" She blinked up at him, tilting her head ever so slightly.
"Woul' yeh prefer to take a normal car to the cafe or…we could take my motorcycle there?" He kept his eyes on her face as he watched her reaction. Her eyes went wide, squeezing his hand tighter as her face lit up. "You have a motorcycle?! I've never ridden on a motorcycle before!"
Simon chuckled, pulling out his keys to his motorcycle and guiding her over to his ride. It was one of the first things he had done when he went into retirement from the military. He had found it alongside one of the roads for a cheap price and had spent months finding parts and fixing it up by hand until it was in perfect condition. He prided himself on his 'baby,' and he enjoyed the look on her face as she looked over the motorcycle.
He went around to the back and pulled out two helmets, walking back over to her after setting the larger of the two helmets on the seat. "Hold still for a sec, luv."
He gently slid the helmet over her head, being careful not to mess up her pretty hairstyle. He softly explained what he was doing as he went through the motions of adjusting the helmet to fit her head, being careful not to let the straps pinch her or let the helmet be too tight and squeeze her head.
Once he was satisfied that she would be safe should anything happen, he slid his own helmet on and adjusted his straps. He slid onto the motorcycle first, adjusting to sit comfortably.
"Alrigh' luv, slide on behind me and hold on tight. Don' wan' yeh falling off and hurtin' any part of yeh." Simon smiled as he felt her carefully slide onto the bike behind him and felt her arms wrap tightly around her abdomen. He started up the motorcycle and pulled out onto the street, glancing to make sure nothing was coming before starting down the street. He didn't go as fast as he normally would, considering that he had precious cargo riding with him this time.
The day was pleasant, with a chilly but bright blue sky over them as they made their way from street to street. The breeze that blew over them was refreshing, letting the cool breeze soothe his nerves. He felt her arms tighten around him further to get closer to his warmth, letting out a chuckle. "Yeh doin' alright back there, bird?"
He felt her nod against his back, reaching down to squeeze one of her hands. "Almost there."
He pulled into the parking lot of the cafe a few minutes later, helping her off once he cut the engine. The warmth of the cafe was pleasant, and the atmosphere was comforting. The smell of coffee and pastries hit his nose, and he felt his stomach grumble. He glanced down at her, watching her glance at the menu and the glass case that contained replicas of the food they sold. Her eyes roamed over all of the different options, but her eyes lingered on a breakfast croissant sandwich. The longing in her eyes could be compared to that of characters looking at each other in a romance movie, and the thought made him almost let out a loud laugh.
"Get what yeh want, sweetheart." He gently nudged her and gave a nod at the register. "Brunch is on me today."
She looked nervous as she went up to the register, giving her order of a small coffee and a simple blueberry scone on the menu. Simon was in shock as he heard her order the scone with the way she was looking at the sandwich, but he figured that she felt like she was going to be a burden if she ordered what she truly wanted. He racked his mind for a way to fix this, a small idea popping up in his mind.
"Luv, why don' yeh go find us a spot to sit?" Simon gently placed his hand on her lower back, guiding her towards the tables. "'ll order mine and meet yeh at the table."
She gave him a little nod and walked off towards the tables, letting his eyes linger on her figure for a moment longer before turning back to the register. "'ll take a large black coffee, a chocolate muffin, and 'd also like to add the croissant sandwich to the order as well."
Once paying, he slid his card back into his wallet and began to scan the room for the woman he absolutely adored. His eyes locked onto her sitting by one of the large windows at the front of the shop, looking outside as she rested her head on one of her hands. He could have sworn that she looked exactly like a painting, and wished that he could capture this moment. Simon walked over to her table and slid into the seat across from her, watching her startle for a moment and then relax once she realized that it was just him.
They chatted for a few minutes as they waited, and he saw the staff member bringing their food over to their table. Her eyes went wide as both the scone and the sandwich was placed in front of her, her eyes darting up to him with a slightly accusing look on her face. He laughed as he watched her reaction, finding her pout absolutely adorable.
"Seriously, Simon? I would have been fine with just the scone, really…"
"Sweetheart, you were staring at that sandwich like it was the long-lost love of your life. I couldn't jus' let yeh walk away without getting it. Now, eat up and no more fussin', got it?" He playfully pointed a stern finger at her, raising an eyebrow.
She pretended to pout for another moment before sighing dramatically. "Yes, sir. But I won't enjoy a single bite, you hear me!" She took a bite out of her sandwich, and he watched her visibly melt and close her eyes in pure bliss. He took a sip of his coffee as he kept his eyes on her, enjoying her reactions to her meal.
He wondered how often she got to enjoy things like this, especially seeing how worried she always looked when money was involved. She always seemed to put Nugget's enjoyment and needs above her own, and he wondered if she truly ever got things for herself to enjoy. The thought broke his heart, he wanted to be the one to ensure that she and Nugget never had to worry about financial needs ever again and that they would have whatever their hearts desired.
"Sweetheart, how often do you do something for yerself…?" Simon asked gently, grabbing her hand delicately and allowing his thumb to rub over the back of her hand. She bit her lip as she considered his question, looking a bit melancholy at his question.
"Nugget is a child; his needs and wants are more important to me than my own. He deserves the world, and I wish I could give him everything he could ever want or need. It breaks my heart to see him look at the toy stores while we walk home and ask for something and have to tell him no. Right now, it's just hard to get back on our feet after the divorce, and I didn't really ask for any money from my ex since I just wanted to get us as far away from him as possible."
"Sweetheart…" He understood the feeling, and was grateful that she was being honest with him instead of continuing to hold it all in. "I'm so sorry yeh had to go through something so horrible. I suppose I got a glimpse of what you had to experience for so long the other night, but I want yeh to know that I am here if yeh need anything. I want to be there for yeh and Nugget, and I want to show yeh that what I feel for yeh is true."
"Simon…" He could see her eyes watering, but a genuine smile had made its way to her lips as she looked up at him. "Thank you, thank you so much!"
"Since yeh have given up multiple parts about yerself, I figure it's abou' time I did the same for yeh." He took a breath, giving her hand a small squeeze as he readied himself. "I…I was in the military. A very special part of the military where our missions were classified. Pretty much ''ll-have-to-kill-yeh' if yeh knew. 've taken plenty o' lives and seen many lives taken, and it still gives me nightmares every night. t's another reason I wear the mask, 'm not the most handsome bloke because of the scars 've gotten and 've made plenty of enemies." He kept his eyes downcast from her face, not wanting to see the disappointment and horror that must have been on her face as he spoke about what he had done.
"Simon…" He tensed, waiting for the yelling, the screaming, telling him that he's a monster and that she never wants to see him again. "…I think you're really brave."
His head shot up, his eyes wide in shock as he looked at her. "B-Brave?!"
She nodded, a confident look in her eyes. "Yes. You served your country, you had to see and experience so many horrible things, and I'm sure you lost many people who you were close with. Yet you still get up every morning, you run your shop, you take care of others, and you've opened up about that part of yourself to me. I think you're really brave, and this doesn't change a thing about how I feel about you!"
Simon was stunned into silence, his heart pounding and face bright red as he tried to make his mouth function again. Her own face was red, but she still clasped his larger hand in her smaller one and a determined look in her eyes. "I-if you still want me after hearing about what I have been through, then- then I still want to be by your side after hearing this, if you'll have me!"
"O-Of course 'd still want yeh, sweetheart. I would love nothin' more than to be a partner worthy of you, and to remain by Nugget and yeh. I…I want to be with you, if yeh'd be okay with that…?"
Her face lit up with a smile, leaning over to press a kiss to his masked cheek.
"I would want nothing more, Simon <3."
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