Love. A word that ran bitter in Simon’s mouth. Ever since his childhood and seeing his parents fight relentlessly, he swore to never love someone in fear of it turning rotten.

He thought joining the military at a young age would stop him from meeting a special someone, and it did, until he met you. God, why did you have to slip past the walls he built around his heart that he spent so long working on?

He thought you were annoying at first, with your stupidly pretty face and the way you spoke only when spoken to. You were like him, and for some reason he just couldn’t help himself. He found himself looking your way every now and then when you talked during meetings, blocking out all background noises just to hear your voice in all its glory.

The affectionate gestures started off small, giving you small pats on the back after a mission to sending nods your way every time you looked at him.

But as time passed and his love for you grew as well as your friendship, so did his gestures. He playfully shoved you around sometimes or hugged you until you stopped crying in the safety of your quarters, like now.

He had you in a tight hug, hushing you quietly as he whispered soft nothings into your ear. He never thought he could be affectionate, but here he was.