Simon didn't imagine ever being worthy to earn such a love in his life.

The kind of love that makes you freeze for a second and check if it's really happening and you're not dreaming. That pushes you to make concessions that you didn't realize you really needed before. That brings up all those good qualities out of you that you were sure you weren't capable of before.

Simon has experienced a lot in his life. A difficult childhood, where, as a little boy, he could only cover himself with his hands from the constant beatings by his father, and when he grew up, he taught himself to protect his younger brother and mother. The difficult financial situation and lack of prospects in his unsafe area of Manchester forced him to join the military in order to have a stable income and give his mother and Tommy a better future.

While serving in Special Forces, he seemed to fall too fast into this seemingly endless pit of darkness. He still sometimes saw the shocked faces of the hostages and the screams of his teammates, who were unlucky enough to come under fire or get targeted by a well-hidden mine. Each mission forced him to close in on himself, bringing to the fore what he needed to survive – to be physically able to move.

And until a certain moment, he thought that it was enough for him. Until he met you.

He resisted, wasn't completely sure if he should have opened up to you. But Simon didn't even notice how the balaclava stopped hiding his face in your presence, and the corners of his lips curled up more and more often in the semblance of a smile.

You were what he needed. It's like you've pulled him to the surface; he was drowning in an abyss of self-neglect and workaholism. You turned out to be his fresh air, his light summer breeze, the warm sun and the pleasant birdsong.

With you in his arms at nights, his nightmares began to stop, allowing him to finally truly enjoy his sleep. With you, he began to enjoy simple walks through the nearest parks in the evenings, when there were no children on the playgrounds and athletes on the bike paths.

He started breathing with you.

"And then she said she'd do it later, but I– Babe, are you listening to me?" You asked in the middle of your monologue when you saw that Simon was looking at you with admiring, shining eyes.

"I'm so bloody lucky to have ya." He replied without thinking, sitting just a foot away from you on the couch.

And this life, life with you, was worth everything he had to go through.