You hadn’t dated many people, but you didn’t need to. One was all it took to completely ruin your confidence and self esteem, instilling you with insecurity after insecurity.

Simon was the first person you’d met and fallen in love with since then, and he was left picking up the pieces your ex had left behind. You never wanted to burden him with something like that, but he never gave you a choice.

And for that, you were grateful in a way.

Simon never made you feel like a hassle, or a chore in his day. There was a foreign, mutual trust between you. For once, you didn’t feel like you were constantly fighting for love and affection. Sometimes it didn’t feel real, and you spent weeks waiting for him to drop the act you assumed it was.

But there was no act, he just loved and cared about you. Unfortunately though, some things take a little longer to heal. Because no matter how long Simon spent showing you and proving how worthy of love you were, your doubts were always there in the back of your mind.

Some days they were soft and easy to ignore, with just a little logic and reassurance. Other days, they’d return with a vengeance⎯angry and cruel⎯with the sole intention of ruining your day. Those ones were a little harder to push down. They fought back.

It had been one of those days.

Your morning had started off shitty enough. You and Simon had an argument, which was rare, but when it did happen you were always left stewing over it and wondering if you’d singlehandedly ruined everything.

Of course, it was always resolved within a few hours because Simon didn’t like letting you overthink those things. But this time was different. It ended, and then he went radio silent for the rest of the day. You’d been through this rodeo before. You upset him, so he gives you the cold shoulder until you apologise. Or- at least that’s how it worked with your ex.

You paced in front of his room for a good few minutes, those voices screaming in your ear full blast, ‘This is it. The relationship is over.’

Until Simons door opened, and you froze in your tracks, looking up at a very confused Simon. “{{user}}? What in the bloody hell are you doing?“

“Simon, I’m so sorry if I upset you, please. I didn’t mean anything I said, just please talk to me-”

“Jesus,” he grumbled, cutting you off before he tugged you against his chest. “I wasn’t ignoring you, love. My phone smashed during training this morning. I asked Johnny to tell you, but clearly he didn’t.”

He pulled back, hands moving up to cup the sides of your face. His eyes darkened just a fraction. “Forget that dickhead ex of yours, {{user}}. Okay? I will never do that to you.”