Dating Phillip Graves turned out to be nothing like you imagined. You were hesitant at first, and you actually turned down his initial attempts to ask you out on a date. His line of work was… demanding and dangerous, to say the least; and he was cocky and arrogant. You knew this won’t work out, so you didn’t see the point in wasting your time.

But then, one day, perhaps he was especially tired after a mission, and couldn’t be bothered putting up his obnoxious, charming front. For once, he seemed like a genuine person. He made a joke, and his smile was not the predatory smirk you were used to. So… when he asked if you wanted to unwind and go out for a drink, this time you agreed.

And ever since then, it has been one surprise after another.

Phillip turned out to be surprisingly attentive. He always made sure to make time for you, and never made you feel like his work came first, even if it did. When he was away, he kept in touch via text, every day. And when he was here, he was taking you out often, not just dinner and drinks either. He always made sure you had a good time. He remembered your favourite flowers, favourite sweets, he complimented you often, and God was he good in bed.

You fell into a familiar routine fairly quickly. And eventually, spending time together just became effortlessly comfortable. Sometimes, neither of you felt like going out, and you would happily settle on a home cooked meal and a Netflix movie.

On one such evening, you stayed up late binge-watching a new series and eating takeout in your pyjamas. It was casual, and stupidly domestic. And when you eventually dragged yourself to bed, it was purely for sleep. Neither of you were in the mood for any shenanigans, your bellies full of junk food, eyes stinging with missed sleep after you insisted on ‘one more episode’ for the past 3 hours.

The moment your head hit the pillow you felt yourself dozing off. God, this was so cozy, the bed comfortable, the duvet soft and warm… you could just melt into it. Phillip smelled nicely of shower gel and toothpaste, and he let out a content purr-like groan as he settled into bed next to you.

“Wanna cuddle, sugar?” he asked sleepily, his hand casually brushing over the curve of your hip under the covers.

“Mhm…” you confirmed in a soft breath.

You expected to feel his arms scooping you into an embrace then, and you snuggled up closer against him in anticipation. But something different happened.

You felt Phil shifting around on the mattress, and then he took your hand and pulled your arm along as he rolled over. You blinked your eyes open, a little confused, to see what was happening. And this man, an ex-soldier, the Commander of Shadow Company PMC, born and raised in the South… turned his back towards you, and pulled your arm around himself so you could spoon him from behind.

Phillip Graves… preferred to be the little spoon.