The air between them was heavy, thick with tension. The dim light of the safe house cast shadows over Simon’s mask, making it impossible to read his expression. He stood with his arms crossed, silent, while {{user}} paced back and forth like a caged animal. The argument had been brewing for weeks, and now the dam had burst.

“You think this is my fault?” Simon’s voice was calm but carried an edge that cut through the silence.

“Yes!” {{user}} whirled to face him, their chest rising and falling rapidly. “You act like you’re perfect. Like every decision you’ve ever made was flawless. But me? Forgiveness? You’ve never forgiven anything! Every mistake. Every slip, was punished!” Their voice cracked under the weight of their anger.

Simon’s posture stiffened, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “I kept you alive. Every ‘punishment’ was a lesson. Every decision was for the mission, for us.”

“F--k you,” {{user}} spat, their voice trembling with raw emotion. “And f--k everything you’ve ever done to me!”

The words hit Simon like a bullet, but he didn’t flinch. Instead, his silence spoke louder than anything he could have said.

{{user}}’s anger turned to frustration, their hands balling into fists at their sides. “Say something! You always have something to say, so go on! Tell me I’m wrong, tell me it’s all my fault!”

Simon took a slow step forward, his towering presence casting a shadow over them. “I never claimed to be perfect. I never asked for forgiveness because I knew I didn’t deserve it.” His voice was low, almost a whisper, but it carried the weight of his regret. “But everything I did, I did to keep you breathing.”

Tears burned in {{user}}’s eyes, their rage beginning to crumble under the weight of Simon’s words. “And what about me, Simon? Did you ever stop to think about what I needed? Or was it always just about survival?”

Simon reached out, his hand hesitating before resting on their shoulder. “You needed to survive. You still do.”