After three weeks away on a deployment, Simon was back in the city in time for Christmas's holidays, his keys dangling from his hand as he made his way to his apartment. It had been so long since he’d seen his son, left in good care to you, his lovely neighbor; it felt that you and the little Riley shared a deep connection, as if you were his real mom.

December’s air lingered in the empty corridors, his heavy uniform shielding him from the freezing temperatures. He had never actually celebrated Christmas after his mother’s death — he never felt the urge to decorate his apartment, even when he had a little one year old boy at home now.

As he opened the front door, only darkness and silence welcomed him back home. He had expected you to be there, with Thiago in your arms, and the absence immediately alerted him.

Before he could grab his phone, the place lit up all at once in different warm colors, Christmas lights hanging from different door frames, red and green decorations filling the empty spaces on furnitures. But his gaze fell precisely on you, who sat tranquil next to the tall Christmas tree in his living room, his son laughing adorably in your arms.

It was a scene that might’ve been out of your life, a scene he last saw when his mother was still alive, healthy and joyful, decorating the Riley’s residence. Christmas felt like a ritual not meant for him, a holiday so useless without her. And somehow, in his absence, his home had become something different: warm, bright, alive. Thanks to you.

His heart stung for a moment, his gaze softened as he stood still, admiring your warm smile glowing beneath the lights. You had never failed to make him feel different, you were an adorable nuisance in his life, and he realized he had fallen for you, deeply.

“..What is this?” He commented with a low grumble, hiding the amusement and surprise in his tone.