𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐀
༻❁༺
Hot showers might be my favorite thing ever. Because, listen: the warm water softly running down your body, caressing your skin, loosening the tension in your muscles. The fog in the bathroom that—even though it steals a little bit of your breath—it promises to keep you warm. I could stand under the shower for hours and never notice those hours pass by.
But sadly, my stomach rumbled with hunger, interrupting my shower sesh, demanding to put some food in her. It had been about an hour since we arrived back at base 77. I had wanted to join the rest and interrogate Valeria, but as soon as I got the thumbs up, that I was clear to go and get some rest, I couldn't resist the temptation.
I threw the door of my room open. The air hitting my wet hair made me shiver, but I really liked the feeling of it. I wondered if the men were done with Valeria. I wondered if Simon was done with it too, and if so, why wasn't there any light coming from his room? Right as the thought ran across my mind, a light came through the gap in the door.
Okay. So, he was done.
I let myself smile at the thought of him. And as I walked down the hall to get some food, I couldn't help but think about him some more.
When I got in front of the fridge, steps rang across the kitchen and Alejandro appeared through one of the entrances. It confused me, what he was holding, that was. But then everything it took to understand why Alejandro just burst into a room holding a 24 Corona was a look at his face; He was glaring. Something was bothering him, and I knew he'd need about eight beers to start complaining about it.
Alejandro slammed the box on the table and turned to me. "Esta noche se toma." Tonight we drink.
"Oh? Por qué? De qué me perdí?" Why? What did I miss?
"Se que debería decírtelo, pero en serio Valentina, no quiero hablar de esa madre hasta que este pedo. Así que, jalas?" I know I should tell you, but really Valentina, I don't want to talk about that thing. So, you down?
I didn't understand what was happening to him, but I felt that I don't want to talk about that deep in my chest. So I smiled and told him, "Give me one."
He grinned. "Good choice."
Suddenly behind Alejandro, holding the same box of beers above his head as he stepped around Rodolfo, came Soap yelling, "Weeo Weeo Weeo, get out of my way, mate—Oh, hello Val. Good job out there."
"Thank you, Jabón."
He placed the box next to the fridge and approached me after he snatched my beer from Alejandro. "I owe you one. Had it been me, I wouldn't be here tonight."
"You're a smart guy, you would've found out a way—and that was my beer!"
Soap paused with the bottle pressed to his lips, and then grinned. "Not anymore."
*ೃ༄
I took a sip from my second beer and smiled. "Your Now is so cute, Soap." And it was. I realized I wouldn't get bored if he decided to say it all of the time.
He lifted an eyebrow and looked at me like I was crazy. "I have a long list of the things I've been called by women before, and cute was never included in it."
"Nauwr."
"Okay, now that's racist Valentina."
A snort came out of me as I punched him in the shoulder. "You'll get over it."
A few beats later, Soap leaned closer to me. "Did you know the heart of a shrimp is located in its head?"
Oh my God, he and his random facts. I'd been sitting here wondering where the hell he gets these thoughts from. Soap was the most random guy I'd met. "I didn't know and I didn't need to. I hate shrimps."
He leaned his elbows back on his chair and grinned. "Today's your lucky day, then."
I rolled my eyes. "If what you're referring to is what I think it is, I'm gonna punch you hard in your face."
"I wasn't talking about me," he laughed, his eyes going behind me. "I was talking about Ghosty."
I chocked. Excuse me? "What?"
"Don't call me that," came a rough voice from behind me, my insides reacting on autopilot at the sound of it. Simon was standing by the entrance, arms crossed over his torso with a tight long sleeve black shirt. His body looked deliciously good making my body lit up. When will I get tired of it? Never, I thought.
"You know you like it," Soap teased.
Simon dragged a chair behind us, yet so close to considering himself between us. "Not even close to my liking," he murmured, meeting my eyes for a split second.
"What do you like to be called then?"
"The way your mother calls me when I visit her."
Oh. I burst out laughing. Simon's response was so unexpected, my stomach began hurting and I clutched onto it.
"Woah, chill. Did the Simon Ghost Riley just insult my mother?" Soap leaned closer to Simon. "Are you sick, mate?"
Valid question. Was he sick? Because normally Simon would just sit quietly and let Soap annoy the living shit out of him until he decides to leave him alone.
"Be quiet," Simon growled.
"You are lucky you are no shrimp. Now that I think about it, I even envy my mother. Goddamn it, woman, how could she do this to me?"
"How would you know?" I dared to ask.
Soap sent me a look. "Have you seen the man?" His hands pointed at Simon, making my eyes trail to him. Ahh, yes, I have seen him and every time I do, I can't think straight.
I couldn't. Every time I'd meet his eyes, I'd start thinking about the ways I wanted to do him. And the most recent thought: I wanted to take his mask off and kiss him and caress his jaw and face and meet his hair to run my fingers through it and pull. Shit. A thought I knew perfectly I shouldn't have.
Simon glared at Soap. "When is the time you finally stop flirting with me?"
"When this..." Soap motioned his whole face, talking about Simon's mask, "is off."
Simon sighed. "I'm bound for life." My stomach sank. I guess I am, too.
Soap clasped his shoulder. "Aw, don't act like you don't get off when I flirt with you."
"I don't." Simon pushed his hand away. "You're not my type."
"What's your type then?"
He met my eyes and made my body rise into flames, then looked away. "Certainly not you."
"I know you're lying." Soap teased.
I groaned. "Get your kinky dominatrix shit a room. I don't wanna be part of it."
Soap laughed. "Kinky dominatrix shit? How about a very Hot Wheels act?"
I burst out laughing.
*ೃ༄
Rodolfo had pulled me up to dance Rock'N Roll like the old times, spinning me around and tugging on my hands. It felt like it too. It brought me back to the time we danced in that bar, drunk, with Manu and Alejandro and their wives too. Now we were in a kitchen, in a military base, after we'd just gotten free from death.
We weren't the best at dancing. We knew the basics and we could defend ourselves, but that was all it. It had all started when I opened my mouth and blurted out my mom used to dance with grandpa, and after he passed away, she had taught me. Surprisingly, Rodolfo's grandparents had taught him too.
I always ended up laughing. Dancing Rock'N Roll made me happy. The spins brought out my deepest laughs but never left me dizzy.
Soap suddenly got up, and told us that it seemed fun and he wanted to try. He was swaying when I taught him the basics, already drunk to the point he was dizzy. I told him that he was in charge and that he shouldn't dare to let go of my hand. "I wouldn't dare," he said. And what was the first thing he did?
Soap let go of my hand when he was supposed to tug, and we both stumbled back. With laughs and screams, Soap landed on the floor while my ass landed on some pretty nice cushion, or so I thought. Hands gripped my waist to help and steady me. When I looked down, I knew those hands like the palm of my own.
Oh, I already knew where I landed. On Simon's lap, and he didn't seem to mind at all, because when I tried to get up, he held me there and pretended to be invested in Soap's fall.
I did too. Rodolfo and Alejandro helped Soap to his feet while he was trying to apologize to me. I couldn't help but start laughing again.
"Alright, buddy, we're off," Rodolfo said as he slung his arm over his neck and started dragging him out of the room. "Get some sleep you two." They didn't even look behind, they just left.
And just like that, the party was over and Simon and I were alone. Once again.
*ೃ༄
𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐄𝐃...
Lol if you don't remember Manu, check chapter 2 because he'll be back :)
Or just let me summarize it to you: he's an old good friend that used to be a Vaquero but retired to take care of his family.