Simon Riley can be called many words, but not patient.

He always clearly separated his private life from his work environment. The only member of the team who knew about his terrible childhood in Manchester, as well as the presence of his brother, was Johnny. Soap was one of the many people Simon could trust with his life unconditionally. Apart from his mother. And you.

He carefully protected you from all the horrors that were stored in his memories, and also left in the form of scars on his body. You were that bit of normality in his life that he didn't realize he needed. And that's why at the very beginning he walked around you like next to a mine, which he shouldn't show that he was scared, otherwise it would explode.

But you were a tough nut to crack. College taught you that.

It took you a while to even allow yourself to plunge into a relationship with Simon. Because honestly? You couldn't imagine that a man more than decade older than you, with his own house, car, and steady income, could be interested in you. Because between classes and bedtime, you were working paying off your student loan. All these years, you've been saving on everything you could afford to put the extra aside to pay off your tuition fee.

And when it finally happened, it wasn't just you who breathed a sigh of relief. But also Simon. Because it was hard for him to see how you denied yourself your favorite things in order to save every pound.

He saw how your eyes froze on the shop windows when you were walking after a night out in a cafe. How you looked at the advertisement with a new collection of jewelry and just scrolled down, shaking your head. And how you stared at the beautiful shoes of the woman who stood in front of you in the supermarket queue. Jeans and a hoodie along with worn sneakers were not your style. They were the forced sacrifice you were making.

But when you finally paid off your debt on your own, the last reason for Simon to let you do this to yourself fell. He believed that you were independent and could achieve your dreams with your own skills. But he also wanted to show that he wants and can give you the best in life.

"Where are we going? I thought the restaurant was that way?" You asked questioningly when Simon missed the turn.

It should have been a regular weekend out the restaurant you've been going to for a couple of years. Or so you thought.

"I'm takin' ya shoppin'." He said, gently squeezing your thigh, one arm at the wheel. "Skirts, blouses, dresses, heels, rings. Will buy ya everythin' ya've wanted for so long. 'cause ya deserve it, luv."

And you felt like your heart was filled with gratitude and love.