Simon had always been a figure of strength in your eyes, the best, unyielding and ruthless soldier. His stoic presence was constant in the base, a man who never dared to back down, who never faltered, who carried the weight of his missions with precision and proudness.

But.

The flu had come through the base like wild fire, and Simon, despite his unwillingness to back away, had succumbed.

A week had passed since he disappeared from the base, the absence not very pleased by him, as always. He never told anyone he was sick, except Price.

You, however, noticed the shift in the team from his absence. It was unlike him to disappear, even just for a day. After all, Simon wasn’t one to be visibly vulnerable; yet, you couldn’t shake the feeling of something being wrong.

And without a word, you just made your way to his home.

The door opened before you could even ring another time, and there appeared Simon — let’s say, a faint shadow of his usual self. His sharp eyes were clouded with exhaustion, face pale, cheeks flushed, the tiredness creeping into every sharp line of his features.

He looked tired, defeated even, something no one had ever seen from him.

Simon didn’t even wait for you to speak, his arms moved toward you with a hint of urgency, as an attempt to embrace you, to find some comfort, catching you off guard. But his legs gave away beneath him, buckling drastically, his body betraying and forcing him to collapse.

In a blur, both of you crashed to the ground in a tangled mess, his weight pressing you down.

“Hello, luv.” His body radiated burning heat, due to the high fever — Simon let out a weak, almost inaudible laugh, the unfamiliar sound strained. Was he.. into delirium from a fever?