Rora wouldn't call herself a lightweight, she usually took her drinks well. But she was a little more than tipsy by the time Simon decided it was time for him to leave.
„C'mon, you just got here!" Rora whined, throwing her hands in the air. „We still have so much to talk about!"
„It's getting late, Rora," Simon let out a sigh, shifting in his seat.
A few things changed in the two hours they talked on the couch. Kilo fell asleep at their feet and the rainfall grew into a whole raging storm. And the drinks they shared urged Rora to scoot closer to him, her leg almost touching his as she turned to face him with her whole body.
„I'm a night owl," she shrugged her shoulder, his gaze flicking towards her shoulder. She noted how his gaze hardened, getting confused for a bit. But then she pieced it together.
He was looking at the wound on her right side, just below her collarbone, which her tanktop didn't hide. The very wound he caused her when his bullet went straight through Hassan.
It was a nasty recovery. She lost mobility in her shoulder for a long time and had to learn how to make her left hand her dominant one. Leilani and Price forced her to stick to her physical therapy, and it got better with months and months of work. It still wasn't back to 100%, but her doctors have said it probably never will. She learned to accept that, at least she tried to. It was a forever reminder of their mission, and her stubborn ass almost caused her demise.
She almost bled out in his arms.
„It's not your fault, Simon," Rora's voice softened, catching his gaze. By the way he clenched his jaw, it was obvious she didn't convince him. „Shit happens."
And shit did happen. He caused it. And he would never forgive himself.
„And what about that?" he nodded towards her right elbow. Shit, she totally forgot about that one.
There was a huge bruise on her forearm and elbow which she got a week ago while riding her new motorbike. Leilani was so pissed at her for being so reckless, then cried for twenty minutes out of worry. She was a very emotional girl, and she hated seeing Rora destroy herself when she got nothing better to do. So, she went way above the speed limit and was lucky to only earn a nasty bruise on her whole right side. When she crashed her bike, for a moment she thought maybe this was it. And she wouldn't mind it. Not when she always got left behind.
People she loved the most always abandoned her. Her family, Everett, then Simon.
„I actively seek death so I got a motorbike," Rora admitted nonchalantly. Simon didn't look impressed by her words. „I look hot on it, too."
And it's the closest thing that can give the same adrenaline rush you do.
„This is your way of coping?"
„Pretty much," she flashed him a smile, brushing off his somewhat worried look. Or whatever it was. It was still almost impossible to read his feelings if he got any.
„Right," he let out a sigh as he got up, cracking his knuckles in a swift motion. Her eyes fixated on his hands, getting mesmerized by them each time. Then her gaze wandered over his body, noting how good he looked today. He always looked fine, but there was something about him at that moment that really got to her.
And maybe it was the alcohol, maybe only the fact she wasted way too fucking much time denying her feelings, but she reached out to grasp his hand. He stopped mid-step, his head snapping towards her, his dark eyes watching her hand circle around his wrist.
„Stay."
He really shouldn't. Simon knew it would be a mistake to spend more time with her, it was already a big mistake to even come here. With his missions and his side-quest in terminating everyone that had business with ruining her life, he barely had any time to even sleep. But even then he couldn't get Rora Wells out of his head: her smile and her eyes were the biggest demons that haunted his dreams. Her lips against his. Her soft skin. The look on her face when he showed his face to her.
It was full of admiration, like she couldn't believe her eyes. Nobody ever took the time to truly look at him, but it looked like she could see behind any mask he pulled on.
„Stay the night," Rora tried again, her voice coming out barely as a whisper. As she looked up at him, her eyes pleading he just couldn't say no. How could he, when the whole time they were apart she was the only thing that was worth waking up?
With a gentle tug at his hands, he let himself get pulled back on the couch. Her pulled-up knees brushed against his thigh, causing her breath to hitch in her throat at the sudden closeness. The effect he had on her didn't go past his observant eyes, watching as her hand slipped from his wrist to his hand, her gentle and cold fingers brushing against the bruising on his knuckles.
The memory of beating a man to death with his bare hands surfaced in his mind. It was from a mission where he let himself get captured, and since they took all his weapons, he had to use a more barbaric way of taking out his target. And by the small frown on her face, he knew Rora knew where he got it from. Or more like just suspected, but that was bad enough. Nonetheless, her delicate touch smoothed over the cuts and bruises like it was nothing.
„So, since you're staying..." Rora began, the need to lighten the suddenly suffocating mood pressing down on her like a ton of bricks. „I could show you around the city, go places. Have fun."
She almost cringed at herself when she said that out loud. If anybody at least saw Simon once, they knew Simon Riley and fun didn't really belong in one sentence. She thought the most fun he ever had was probably during his killings, which was sad.
Clearing her throat, she poured another round and handed it to him. A drink after that statement was needed.
„I'm good. Everything I wanted to see is right here."
She choked on her drink, the harsh alcohol burning her windpipe with the power of a thousand suns. Rora slammed her chest a few times, coughing for dear life as she tried to force air into her lungs after his sentence. She could swear she saw the corner of his lips curve upwards ever so slightly behind his glass, but once he pulled the glass away there was nothing.
Maybe she was just imagining things.
„That's, uhm, cool," Rora coughed, brushing her hair over her shoulder, suddenly feeling like her skin was set on fire. She wanted to throw herself off a bridge after that answer. Really? Here she was, waiting for him to show some emotions and when he does, that's the answer? Jesus, take the wheel.
Rora leaned back a little, resting her head on her arm placed on the back of the couch, blinking slowly as she inspected him. His hair got a little longer since the last time she saw him, his dirty blond hair making the perfect contrast against his dark eyes. But as she inspected him some more, she started to notice the obvious signs of exhaustion. The way he slumped back on the couch, not really bothering to put some space between them like he usually would. The zipper of his black hoodie came a little lower, and from her position, she couldn't see any shirt underneath it. Just bare skin. Oh my god, was he really not wearing anything under that?
She brought her lower lip between her teeth, trying her best to control her thoughts. But it almost seemed impossible with the alcohol in her system, and the dim lighting only made his features more godly. He had no right looking so fine only sitting there like that.
„Is there a problem?" his voice brought her out of her thoughts, his dark eyes staring right back at her. Her mouth fell agape as she tried to come up with an answer, his eyebrows raising in a questioning manner.
„You just look like you haven't slept in a year," she said the first thing that came to her mind, which was true. He had such heavy and dark bags under his eyes that she was sure those will stay permanently. No sleep could make them fade away at this point. „Like, you're dead inside. You kinda look like shit, if you ask me. On the verge of death, even-"
„I get it," he cut her off, waving his hand in the air in a dismissive manner. Despite the edge of his words, he didn't seem upset by the fact she just told him he looked like shit.
But the more she looked at him, she started to find more truth behind her words. He looked a little paler than usual, which was impressive considering his Brit genes and the fact he wore a mask 98% of the day. And he truly looked like he hadn't had a good night's sleep in years. Which was sad, but not that uncommon between soldiers. There was a lot of shit they had to go through, so night terrors and PTSD weren't unfamiliar to them. But there was something unsettling seeing him out of all people look so vulnerable.
„When was the last time you slept, Simon?" she asked, her voice gentle this time. He looked off to the side like he always did when he was thinking about something. His actions and words didn't need that much thinking, he usually knew by instinct what to say or do to cut a conversation short. But the fact he had to think about this question was a clear red flag. „Oh, my God!"
He sunk a little lower on the couch, letting his head hit the back, an amused glint appearing in his eyes. God, the whiskey really started getting to her for sure.
Rora leaned over as she placed her empty glass on the coffee table, thinking that maybe she had drunk enough for tonight. She didn't want to make an even bigger fool out of herself, so it was best if the only drink she would pour from now on would be water.
She didn't mind too much as her knee pressed against his side, but by the sounds, it seemed like he did. A low hiss slipped from him as he inched away ever so slightly, a muscle on his hand twitching ever so slightly.
„You okay there?" Rora let her eyes scan his body, searching for the thing that caused him discomfort. Maybe she left another little knife between the pillows and didn't remember?
„Yeah."
Maybe exhaustion just started to catch up to him.
„Well," she cleared her throat as she got up, taking both of their glasses to the sink. She will deal with it later. „You look tense. I can do some things with you to help you relax. Like, listen to music, watch a boring ass movie you can sleep on or I can run you a bath."
„I'm good," Simon shut her off quickly, the previous easiness of his tone now gone. She rolled her eyes despite having her back to him. Of course, because God forbid Simon Riley to ever accept a little help.
„But I can run you a good ass bath, though! With little candles, maybe even wine-"
„Rora!" his voice came as a warning this time, a thing she missed way too fucking much. A shit-eating grip pulled at her lips as she turned around to face him, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
But the longer she let her eyes wander over his body, the more her smile seemed to fade. It was still a weird phenomenon to see him, sitting on her couch. But the thing that really put her off was his seemingly relaxed form, which she didn't get to see very often. Maybe the only time she saw him this chill was after letting Valeria go and the three of them getting on a plane. And at the same time, there was definitely something different about him, especially by the way he looked back up at her. There was a certain smugness hiding behind the dark of his eyes, making her cheeks flush. Of course, he caught her checking him out.
„Or you can be just boring and take a shower," Rora chewed on her bottom lip as tore her eyes away from his body, focusing back on his eyes. She started to miss his proximity.
And while he occupied himself in her bathroom, she wanted to make herself useful as she took some blankets and pillows on the couch for him. It was refreshing to finally breathe and think normally, his presence not clouding her senses anymore. He was like the perfect drug for her, giving her such a reaction that no alcohol or drug could really give. And it scared her.
After she folded the blankets over five times now, she went back to her room to check on her phone. There was the well-promised text message from Leilani and a fresh picture of her in a full-body-sized mirror, showing off her outfit. The girl was skeptical at first when Rora asked for pictures of her when she was going out.
„It's to prove it's really you who texted me," Rora explained to her one night. „With a picture of your outfit, I can know it's fresh since you always show off your outfits to me before you go out. Many murdered girls have their phone stolen and their murderer tries to pretend like they are still alive, so call me paranoid all you want. I'm just watching out for you."
After that, Leilani never whined about her weird requests, knowing well that Rora has been through some shit that made her so cautious about the world.
The bathroom door opening caused her attention to snap away from her phone. She sent a quick text to Leilani, saying that she could call her anytime if it was needed before she dropped her phone on her bed and went to check on Simon. Rora stopped before her mirror, making sure her hair wasn't frizzy and her make-up stayed intact (the little one she mastered to use) before exiting her room. But what welcomed her was totally not what she expected.
There he stood, the man her heart belonged to for so long now it was ridiculous. He ditched his previous dark jeans and swapped them for black sweatpants, which looked even hotter on him. The sweater he was wearing previously now hung around him unzipped, his bare torso glistening in the dim lighting. Her mouth fell agape at the sight, his muscles contracting as his hands rummaged through his bag, searching for something, seemingly oblivious to her lingering presence in the doorway. She felt her throat dry out as her eyes wandered over his body. That was he was hiding all along under those clothes? She have seen fit men before, but damn, he was on another level.
The rattling of a bottle finally snapped her out of her dirty thoughts, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. She watched as Simon poured a few pills into the palm of his hand, swallowing them dry then tossing back the yellow plastic bottle in his bag.
„I don't think that's healthy for you. Taking painkillers after alcohol," she spoke up, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she stepped out of her room. His head turned towards her, slight surprise casting a shadow over his features. A weak smile pulled at her lips, he probably didn't want her to know he was taking painkillers. „Is it for the joints?"
She saw older soldiers pop painkillers like it was candy before. With the rough, long years of going on missions, getting blown up, shot, thrown around, and maybe even tortured, there were a lot of factors why a painkiller was needed. But one of the most common reasons was because of joints. Pain in the joints showed even in men in their thirties. Rora caught Price taking some, too.
„I don't think it's the painkiller-alcohol combo that's going to kill me," Simon answered, tugging the zipper close on his bag and dropping it back beside the couch. Rora cringed at his words, mostly because it was true. Kilo's eyes snapped open at the sudden vibration he felt from the floor, but Simon reached down to soothe a hand over his head, reassuring him that it was nothing.
It was clear he wasn't going to give her a straight answer like he usually did so. So Rora decided to leave it at just that as she made her way towards him. There was this unexplainable pull she felt towards him, which just turned impossible to ignore anymore. There were a lot of things that lead up to this moment, and somehow Rora wouldn't change a thing, because, at the end of the day, he was here with her, only a few steps away.
Her plan was to sway her hips a little more than usual and sit in her previous spot in hopes to chat with him a little more. Or just drink a little more and let the alcohol drive them. But the whiskey in her system shoved a big middle finger in her face as her foot got caught up in the little coffee table, making her stumble forward with the grace of a dumb truck.
Simon's hand shot out, catching her mid-air. So, instead of the cold hard floor her nose slammed against his warm and hard chest, a pained groan escaping her lips. She was pretty sure that landing on the floor would've been almost as painful.
„Falling for me already?" the deep tones of his voice came from far closer than ever before, causing her head to snap up. A sassy remark was already burning the tip of her tongue, but when her eyes met his, all thoughts went out the window. No thoughts, head empty.
Their faces were now only a few inches away, the air between them suddenly feeling scorching hot. Her chest started rising more rapidly, matching her breathing as it got harder to function normally when he was this close to her. Rora's lips involuntarily parted, her hot breath mixing with his as her eyes slipped to his mouth. The hand that supported her arm somehow snaked up to her cheek while the arm around her waist gripped her tighter. She caught him sneaking glances at her lips with the same burning passion in his eyes that was in hers. The corner of her mouth curved upwards, his eyes wandering back to her sapphire ones, leaning closer to him a little more.
„Won't you kiss me already, Riley?" Rora taunted him, but the usual easiness in her tone got replaced by suppressed desire, thickening her whispering voice. She noticed how his breathing started to match hers, a mischievous glint appearing in her eyes. She let her free hand wander over his naked chest, the skin beneath her fingers burning her fingertips. „Because, y'know, it's pretty rude to make a girl wait-"
Her words got cut off by his lips crashing against hers. The hand that held her cheek so carefully before now slipped into her dark hair, tugging her closer. For a moment, she was too shocked to react, even breathe in the heat of the moment, but Rora caught herself relatively quickly, returning the kiss with the same burning passion.
It started out pretty innocently but turned very heated in a matter of seconds, both of them holding each other like their life depended on it. Her free arm snaked around his neck as she tugged him closer, deepening the kiss, a satisfied groan erupting from his chest. The hand on his chest wandered lower, her fingernails grazing over his abs, his arm around her waist bringing her even closer, the urge to have her against him unbearable.
Rora jumped and wrapped her legs around his waist, his hands immediately coming to support her, her lips suddenly parting from his. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his slightly swollen lips as her legs tightened around him.
„I'm still pissed at you for ditching me like that," her voice barely came out as a whisper, desire choking her. „And you have to do a lot to make up for that."
„Do I?" his lips barely brushed against hers, Rora's eyes fluttering closed as she nodded. She can make his life hell for this sudden sass after she got what she craved the most: him.
This time it was her who kissed him, his hand grasping under her thigh a little tighter, which only turned her on more. He navigated them towards her bedroom, easily kicking the door closed with his leg as they arrived inside. His hand wandered under her little red crop top, the feeling of her smooth skin under his touch making him lose all control.
Only when her back hit the mattress their kiss broke apart, both of them slightly panting as they looked at each other. The moonlight shining through the big window was the only light source in the room, giving both of them an ethereal look. Her fingers itched to touch him, already missing his heat and touch. When she reached to pull his hoodie off completely she just caught something.
His right side was decorated with gauze, the white square-shaped dressing taped on his skin securely. Still, her eyes caught the little spot where it was darker, indicating that his wound was still bleeding.
„What the fuck?" slipped from her lips, her hand grazing over the dressing with worry. „What happened?"
„Got stabbed. Don't worry about it," Simon replied, tossing his hoodie somewhere to the side, already climbing atop of her to capture her lips again.
She didn't even have time to freak out about the fact he causally got on a plane, traveled around New York, and sat in her living room for hours with a stab wound as her senses and thoughts got filled with him. And only him.
Her clothes quickly got disposed to the floor, he found it impossible to get enough of her. Her touch, her scent, her lips, everything made him lose his mind. She was everything he craved and since he got a taste of it, he couldn't get her out of his head. And now he wanted to make the most of it, while he was here. Giving Rora everything she needed and deserved, and even more. Because if she wanted, he would steal the stars for her just to make her a little happier.
Rora felt like her entire body was set on fire: her fire finally meeting with his gasoline, setting the world around them aflame. The same feeling bubbled inside her when she took the leap of faith from that mountain in Las Almas: the rush, the adrenaline, the falling. Because with every kiss, every touch, and every little noise she felt herself falling deeper and deeper with him. And finally, she wasn't afraid of falling, because she knew he would catch her.
Simon Riley wasn't really into religion, but that night, he worshipped her body like it was the most sacred temple of all time. And she happily gave the rest of her heart and soul to him.
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IT FINALLY HAPPENED GUYS!
im sorry but i just cant write smut for the life of me so you guys have to use your imagination here ^^
there's one more chapter and an epilogue left loves ^^