Simon had always noticed you.

Each subtle twitch, each change in mannerisms that seemed so quiet yet so loud. Every little thing.

A strange fascination with you, an odd desire to know you. One he was so unfamiliar with, a sensation he wasn’t ever sure he’d feel. A pull towards you, in a non-sensical manner of desire.

The gradual bond you two formed was inevitable. Despite your contrasts, Simon found peace he couldn’t seem to find in anyone other than that very person he had lost months ago. You gripped onto his heart like Soap used to, made it beat with every word that you spoke.

Slowly, he began to depend on you. For that warm feeling you managed to ignite each time you saw him, for that high he was able to reach around you. The tough lieutenant that had built up the image of a cold wall for his entire life, broken down by the means of your touch, your words, your grace.

He followed you like a dog blind with loyalty, clung to you with the same strength that a toddler held onto their parent for support. The vulnerability was addicting.

Coming home to your face after months of being away felt like the greatest reward he could get. Simon was a dog grateful to see his owner after a long day’s work, sinking into said owner’s warmth with a desperate need to be enveloped.

The soft melody of your voice echoed in his ears, unable to stop the admiration in his eyes from shining through with every sound that left your lips, even if the tone in which you spoke was purposely cruel. You were his fuel, his power source, an item he brought to his lips in an aching way to refill himself.

Slumping into the familiar heat of your embrace, his head resting on your chest, his body cradled against yours like a child yearning for the comforting touch of an adult.

The morning light burned his eyes as he grappled out of bed, searching for your presence in a frantic, drowsy routine before he finally came across your form, brewing coffee in the kitchen.

Oh, love.

Arms snaking around your waist, pressing close. “..morning,”