"But what about her?"

"This mission is important for the team. Who understands that better than you, Riley?"

If it was possible to go back in time, Simon would have refused and left Price's office at the exact moment. The very idea of faking his own death didn't seem wild to Simon. Hell, he would have done it without batting an eye, because he knew it was an important part of the plan. They weakened the enemy, made them think that they had won the mission. All in order to end Makarov once and for all.

But nobody talked about prices, right? Well, the price that Simon paid was too high. He lost you.

The plan was too secret, all information was kept confidential.

Simon could only guess what your reaction was when you were informed that he was dead. He could imagine you shaking in sobs, and the usual gleam in your eyes disappeared when you picked up his dog tags. Confirmation that he is no longer there. An imitation that was too serious not to believe in.

But over the past almost a year, Simon has never stopped thinking about you for a single day. He missed having you around. Your sincere smile and snort when you noticed that he had added your unloved mustard to the hot dog again. He missed your laughter and the morning hugs when you snuggled up to him right after sleep, wanting to stay in bed longer. But it was no longer a reality, but only distant memories that warmed his heart.

Simon was sitting in the cafe and watched you talking to a guy. He started following you recently, when the noise subsided and everything was relatively safe. He wasn't proud of this decision, not at all. Damn, he hated himself for invading your life. Because he was no longer a part of it. But he wanted to.

You were still just as beautiful. His heart sank when you smiled at your date. Everything inside him seemed to shrink, and he wanted the damn cup he was holding in his hands to crack.

It was all just a set, a disguise so that you wouldn't notice him. You were so close. But so far at the same time.