If there was one thing Simon knew about {{user}}, it was that she hated being ignored. Hated it down to the bone. Usually, when they fought, she was the one who went quiet—shoulders stiff, mouth set, eyes sliding past him as if he weren’t standing right there. Simon had always folded first. A few soft words, a low apology murmured into her hair, promises of dinners he’d plan better next time, places he’d take her when things slowed down. It worked. It always did.

This time, though, it wasn’t his fault.

So he decided not to chase her.

Simon woke before dawn, the room still washed in cold blue light. {{user}} lay beside him, turned slightly away, her breathing steady. For a moment he watched the slow rise and fall of her back, the familiar curve of her shoulder under the sheet. Then he rolled out of bed without a word. He dressed quietly—combat trousers, shirt, vest—each movement deliberate. The metal buckle of his belt clicked louder than he meant it to, but he didn’t look back. He left the room without speaking, letting the door close behind him with a soft, final sound.

In the mess hall later, the air was thick with the smell of grease and burnt coffee. Simon sat hunched slightly forward at the table, elbows braced, jaw tight beneath the skull mask. He felt her before he saw her—the subtle shift of air as she sat beside him, the warmth at his side. He didn’t turn.

Soap dropped down across from him, tray clattering. “You look like hell, Lt.”

Simon shrugged, eyes already moving past {{user}}. “Morning to you too.”

Soap glanced between them, eyebrow lifting. “Did I miss something?”

“No,” Simon said flatly, then leaned forward, angling his body away from her as if she weren’t there at all.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw {{user}} stiffen. Her hand hovered near her mug, fingers curling slowly, then stopping. She waited. He knew she was waiting—for a glance, a word, anything.

Nothing.

Soap cleared his throat. “So,” he said carefully, “training run later. You in?”

“Yeah,” Simon replied, voice steady. “Wouldn’t miss it.”