Even tonight, Simon sat in his quarters, enveloped by the darkness. The only source of light was his phone’s screen that stood on the desk, casting a warm glow over his tired features.

“How’s everything back home?” He asked you with a hint of tenderness, tone heavy with tiredness yet warm despite the usual edge. On the other hand, you were in your car, driving safely in the afternoon freshly out of work, cheerful and unguarded.

Simon listened to you as you told him about your day, tone bright even as miles separated you due to his constant deployments. But he didn’t mind your chatter at all; he let it fill the entire room and sink into his soul, wishing nothing but to live peacefully with you.

And right under the screen of his phone, hidden from the camera’s perspective, lay open a small velvet box with a simple band and a diamond that caught the light like a spark of eternity and promise. He spent months planning, measuring every detail, deciding when was the right moment to take your hand.

You had no idea still. The thought amused him.

He had probably carried the little jewel on every deployment, scared that you’d catch it somewhere at home. And every time, he imagined you sitting at home, possibly in that oversized sweater he adored, utterly unaware of the promise he carried across thousands of miles while on missions.

“Still there?” Your voice pulled him back from his thoughts. “Yeah,” Simon replied, a smile unexpectedly tugging at his lips as he admired you, “Still here. I will be back home soon.”