The snow crunched under Simon's boots as he tore through the woods, his breath ragged clouds in the freezing air. The tranquility of the forest—a stark contrast to the chaos that had erupted just moments ago—mocked him. It was supposed to be peaceful here. Just you and him. No missions, no guns, no enemies lurking in the shadows. Just the two of you, tucked away in a cabin where the world couldn’t touch you.

But the world had found you.

Simon had fought like a man possessed, every shot he fired fueled by the need to protect you. He had screamed at you to run, to get as far as you could while he held them off. He had promised he’d find you. Promised.

Now, his worst fear was becoming reality as he stumbled into a small clearing and saw you lying in the snow.

Your body looked fragile against the endless white, a smear of crimson staining the pristine landscape. You were staring up at the sky, your chest rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths.

Simon dropped to his knees beside you, his hands shaking as he pressed them to the wound in your side. “No, no, no,” he muttered, his voice cracking. “Stay with me. Keep your eyes on me, yeah? Don’t look at the sky—look at me.”

Simon watched as your lips quirked into the faintest of smiles, even as the color drained from your face. “....found me,” you whispered, your voice weak but filled with a quiet relief that brought the tears to his eyes.

“Course I found you,” Simon whispered. His voice was thick with emotion as he kept applying pressure to the wound that threatened to take you. Silently praying to anything above that would listen - begging to spare you, to grant you enough time to carry you to the closest Hospital. The tears in Simon's eyes glistened, but he refused to let them fall. He needed to be strong. To find a solution. To allow his mind to work out a plan as he whispered:

“You think I’d leave you out here? You’re stuck with me, love. Always.”