Work Text:
Simon rests his head against the cool window of the car as Johnny sits in the passenger seat. He’s too busy taking in the scenery of Southern Scotland to pay much attention to Johnny and Elowen singing Christmas songs.
Their voices do bring a smile to his face, though. He won’t deny that much.
He comes out of his reverie when Johnny’s hand comes to rest against his thigh. The Scotsman’s eyes barely come off the road, looking at Simon with happy eyes before returning his gaze to the open road in front of them. Simon glances over his shoulder, watching Elowen bob her head along to the songs playing on the radio, her blonde hair moving freely as she dances.
The car ride doesn’t last for much longer before Johnny’s pulling up to a curb. Simon blinks, already missing the sights of farm fields and the forests beyond them. Now, he stares up at a quaint townhouse, tan in color. His heart jumps into his throat at the sight of it.
Johnny shutting the car off serves as a jolt into reality. Simon shakes his head a couple of times before taking off his seat belt and opening his door. The blond takes care in getting Elowen out of her car seat from the back, holding her in his arms tightly.
“Papa,” she says, tucking the top of her head against Simon’s neck. He hums, rubbing his hand across the expanse of her back. “What is it, darling?”
“What’re we doin’?” She asks as Simon follows Johnny up the steps to the front door. Simon notes that Johnny had left all of their luggage in the car. A reminder that this isn’t simply an hour visit.
“We’re meeting your nana and grandad, and a bunch of other family,” Simon tells her, pushing her hair out of her face.
Johnny lets himself into the house, loudly announcing his presence, as he usually does. The sight makes Simon smile. It’s an easy thing for him to be enraptured by Johnny, or anything he does, really. The loudness of the Scotsman has their daughter flinching, though, hiding her face away completely into Simon’s shirt.
“Too loud, papa,” she whines.
Simon’s heart falters at that, an already nervous feeling seeping into him. “I know, lovey, dada’s just being silly. He hasn’t seen his family in a while, he’s just excited, I promise.”
The admission doesn’t have the effect he was going for in the end, though.
Elowen keeps herself tucked away in the pocket of Simon’s shirt, her little body shaking.
As Johnny’s voice carries away, as he goes deeper into the house, Simon sits down on the step.
“Hey, little one,” he says, running a hand through her hair. “Can I tell you a secret?” He whispers, acting like it’s all a big deal. Her eyes poke out from the fabric of his shirt, owlish things they are. Simon’s heart clenches at how child-like and innocent she looks. “Papa’s scared, too. I don’t know anyone in there…But can I tell you another secret?”
Elowen nods.
“Everyone in there is so excited to meet us. Your nana and grandad have been telling dada just how excited they are to finally meet you. And you’ll get to meet your cousins, and your aunts and your uncles.”
Somewhere deep in Simon’s chest, there’s a twinge. A pressure that twists and pulls . It’s something akin to jealousy, grief maybe. In another life, Simon knows they’d be going to his family’s for the holidays, too. He’d see his mom, Tommy, Beth, and Joseph. He’d be so happy to see them. But in this lifetime, that won’t happen. His family is six feet under, their caskets all lined up neatly next to each other in the dirt, their headstones all in one neat line on the grass above.
Simon schools those thoughts away when he hears footsteps coming closer to him and Elowen. His daughter has tucked herself back into the comforting space of his neck, and he doesn’t question it. He twists his body, glancing over his shoulder to see Johnny walking towards the two of them. He’s wearing nice jeans and a nicer flannel, the colors make his eyes pop. Johnny smiles at him, coming to a kneel next to him, his hand finding home in Elowen’s hair. Their daughter hums at the familiar feeling of calluses against her skull, leaning further towards her father’s hand.
“You doing okay?” Johnny asks, voice careful. Simon hums, leaning back towards him. “Just had to give El a little pep talk…We’re all good, though.”
Johnny hums, pressing a kiss to Simon’s temple.
“Well up you get, then, everyone’s waiting to meet ya.”
Simon rises off the steps, adjusting his hold on Elowen as he turns back towards the open door. He breathes in deep, letting Johnny wrap an arm around his waist as he leads him and Elowen towards the door.
As they pass under the threshold, there’s this warmth that envelops itself over Simon. The townhouse is so familial and cozy, especially when Johnny closes the door. Simon looks around, finding people in every corner of the house. Usually it would make him nervous, put him on an edge so far off that his foot would be dangling off. With Johnny and Elowen with him, though, there’s not a drop of edginess in his body at all.
A surprised gasp comes from Simon’s right, and he gives turn towards the sound, trying his hardest to be sociable.
An older woman, that looks so strikingly similar to Johnny it nearly takes Simon’s breath away, stands before him and Elowen.
“You must be Simon, my love, come here.” She’s quick to love, and even quicker to take Simon into her arms, even if he towers over her completely. This has Simon freezing up. But he hugs her back the best he can, with Elowen in his arms especially.
When she pulls back, Simon makes sure to study her face. Her eyes have looked back at him a million times over in the form of her son, and it’s almost a nauseating sight.
“I’m Ceana, Johnny’s mom…” Her eyes notice the bundle of blonde and soft clothes in his arms. Her voice softens. “And this must be Elowen.”
She says her name like a prayer, like a feather riding in the wind. Like the very sight of the little girl in Simon’s arms is enough to bring the world to its knees.
Simon knows that Johnny has told his family how they adopted their daughter…The hell they had to go through to save her…The way they thought she might die before they even got the chance to know her.
So it’s no surprise to Simon that Johnny’s mother treats Elowen like a porcelain doll, full of stitched-up cuts and scars, like she’s always on the edge of a countertop, ready to plummet to the ground below.
Simon shakes himself out of it.
“Say hi, Elo,” he nudges her head with his own. Her eyes pop out again, searching around the room curiously. Her eyes land on Ceana and the kind smile the woman sports.
“‘Ello,” Elowen whispers, voice muffled by the fabric of Simon’s fleece. “That’s your nana,” Simon tells her, and there’s a twinkle in Ceana’s eyes.
“Hello, sweet one,” Ceana says warmly, leaning down to Elowen’s level. Johnny’s mom is patient with Elowen. She lets the little one warm up to her, lets her come out of her hiding place on her own. And soon enough, Elowen is wiggling her way out of Simon’s arms, standing on the floor and holding her arms out in front of Ceana. This has Ceana pulling up short, looking up at Simon with wide eyes. Simon smiles, the expression widening when he feels Johnny’s arms wrap around him from behind. He nods at Ceana, a soft thing just for the two of them.
Elowen is up off the floor and in Ceana’s arms as soon as she gets permission. They’re laughing together as Ceana takes Elowen off into the kitchen, telling her about the sweets she has baking in the oven.
Elowen’s laughing the entire way.
When she’s out of sight, Simon turns to face Johnny. The Scot is wearing a lovedrunk smile, and Simon can see the dilation in his pupils already.
“Downed some drinks already, huh?” Simon teases, putting his hands on Johnny’s waist.
“Aye,” Johnny giggles, eyes sparkling in the light.
Simon just rolls his eyes, rubbing his thumb against the fabric of Johnny’s flannel.
“Your mum loves Elo,” he tells Johnny, watching the way his boyfriend’s eyes light up at the news. “Told you,” he mumbles, but there’s a big smile on his face.
“Now c’mon,” Johnny slurs, taking Simon’s hands in his own. “Everyone wants to meet my boyfriend.” Johnny grins mischievously, tugging Simon towards the living room, where he can already see people waving at him. Simon just smiles, letting himself be tugged into a room full of love and happiness.
*
Elowen is brought back to Simon just over an hour later. He’s sitting on one of the couches in the living room, Johnny strewn across his lap. The TV is on and the Christmas tree sparkles with light next to it, but Simon isn’t paying much attention. He’s talking to Johnny’s sister and his dad, and they’re poking fun at the one in Simon’s lap.
Johnny’s too occupied with the Christmas special on the TV to even retaliate back against them, though.
Ceana comes into the living room with Elowen propped up against her left hip, a plate of steaming hot cookies and biscuits in her other hand. At the sight of Simon, Elowen lights up, squealing excitedly in her grandmother’s arms. Ceana laughs, setting the little girl down carefully so she can run over to her dads. Simon gapes at her overdramatically, pushing Johnny off of him slightly so that he doesn’t get a face full of child when Elowen eventually comes barreling into Simon’s legs.
“Hi, lovey! How was baking with nana?” Simon pulls her into his arms, hugging her tightly.
Even if she was in the next room the entire time with Ceana, Simon had been a tad bit nervous.
“Was good, papa! Made cookies ‘n biscuits!” She giggles, pointing at the plate on the coffee table. Simon gasps, going along with her excitement because there’s something so child-like about it, that he wants her to have with her forever. Something that he never got, so he’s going to make sure she gets it.
“They look very good, my love. I’m sure you did a great job helping nana.”
Ceana nods from the other couch across the coffee table, sitting next to Johnny’s dad. “She was the best helper. She even got to lick the spoon after we were done making the cookie batter,” she tells Simon knowingly, and he lets out another over-dramatic gasp, relishing in Elowen’s giggles.
“Lucky girl,” he hums affectionately, settling Elowen against his chest.
When Simon glances down, he sees Johnny staring up at the two of them with heart-eyes. Simon’s sure the minimal amount of alcohol in his system isn’t helping, but the sight of Johnny looking at them with so much love has Simon’s heart stuttering in its beats.
Before Simon can say anything to him, though, Elowen becomes aware of her other dad below her, and she starts talking to Johnny. Whenever Elowen talks to John, she’s a complete chatterbox. Full of stories and childhood wonder, that Simon knows better than to interrupt her. So he moves her, setting her down on Johnny’s chest. She lays so that they’re chest to chest, and she props her head up on her tiny hands, of which her tiny elbows dig into Johnny’s pecs.
But there isn’t a single sign of discomfort on the Scots face.
So Simon settles back into the couch, watching his boyfriend and daughter converse quietly in Johnny’s childhood living room.
Simon’s fingers card through Johnny’s overgrown hair. What once was a mohawk has turned into a short mullet if anything, but Johnny looks so good that he can’t be bothered to tell him to cut it.
As the night continues on, Elowen falls asleep on Johnny’s chest. Her face is smushed against his flannel, but neither he or Simon move her. She’s got a fist wrapped up in the cotton, and the sight is enough to make Simon audibly awe out loud.
Eventually, Johnny wakes up Elowen for dinner. It’s just him, Simon, and Elowen in the living room, as everyone else vacated to the dining room to help set up. Simon had started to get up, entrusting Johnny to not fall asleep and also wake up their daughter, but Ceana had told him to sit back down, to take their time in getting Elowen up.
Simon watches as Johnny, indeed, takes his time in waking her up. He traces shapes on her back, and Simon sees the way her little button nose scrunches up. Johnny’s hand comes up to her face, tracing her nose bridge. Her eyelids flutter at the feeling, brown eyes coming into view.
“Hey, bhobain ,” Johnny murmurs, rubbing his thumb along the expanse against Elowen’s cheekbone.
The little one whines, pushing her face deeper into Johnny’s flannel. “We gotta go eat dinner, darling…Nana made food.”
Simon takes charge, standing from the couch gently and standing over Johnny. He takes Elowen gently, smiling at her when she cracks her eyes open. There’s a tiny glare on her face, and Simon coos silently.
“I promise you we’re going to sleep after dinner, honey, okay? I just want you to get some food in you.”
Elowen nods.
Through the entirety of dinner, Elowen sits in Simon’s lap. She’s sleepy eyes and bad coordination as Simon and Johnny take turns feeding her. There’s a light chatter enveloping the table, and it warms Simon up. He’s not used to this, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Ceana catches his eye from across the table, and she smiles at him.
Simon has to excuse himself for a moment, handing their daughter to Johnny. He leaves the table after he presses a kiss to Johnny’s forehead. He relishes in the way Johnny chases after his body when he pulls away.
The front door calls to Simon as he stands in the hallway. It doesn’t squeak as he opens it. He just stands on the front porch, looking up into the clear night sky. Four stars twinkle brightly at him. His bottom lip wobbles back.
“Hey, love,” a voice comes behind him.
When he turns, he finds Johnny and Elowen there. Elowen is passed out again on Johnny’s shoulder, and the Scot himself also looks ready for bed.
Simon takes one last look up at the twinkling stars. They wink once, and then seem to blink out. It’s them saying goodbye.
It’s rough to swallow the lump in his throat, but Simon does it anyway. He turns around, walking back into the townhouse, shutting the door behind him. He walks to Johnny on solid feet, his expression blank.
“You okay?” Johnny asks, reaching out to him once Simon is in his space. His voice is so soft and so caring that it has Simon’s bottom lip jutting out again. He just nods, though, resting his forehead against Johnny’s.
“I love you,” he tells Johnny.
Johnny’s eyes soften, adjusting Elowen on his hip.
Fingers brush against Simon’s chin, pulling his gaze up to meet John’s. The touch against his skin is featherweight, something akin to something out of a dream. Johnny is something out of a dream.
“And I love you, Simon. So much.” There’s this hardness in Johnny’s voice that leaves no room for anything other than honesty in the admission.
“ We love you, Simon.”
And it’s enough to nearly bring the Brit to tears.
Simon looks up at Johnny through near-invisible eyelashes. “Let’s go to bed.”
*
Because of the lack of space in Johnny’s parent’s house, Elowen has to stay with them in their room. Neither of them really mind…When they’re back home in Glasgow, Elowen usually spends most of her nights with them in their room, anyways.
They set her down in the middle of the mattress with her raccoon stuffed animal, heading for their bags in the corner of Johnny’s childhood bedroom.
Mostly everything has stayed the same from his childhood, Johnny tells Simon, but the bed has been upgraded from a full to a queen. There’s knickknacks from Johnny’s childhood on the shelves, football trophies and such. There’s framed jerseys and football club flags hanging on the wall.
On his desk, Simon spots a framed photo of him, Johnny, Alejandro, Price, and Rudy on base. The sight of the other men in the photograph is enough to bring a smile to his face.
Johnny’s arms snake around his waist, catching him by surprise. He jumps with a quiet curse, tilting his head all of ninety degrees to see Johnny looking up at him with a smug smile.
“Let’s go brush our teeth,” he says, and there’s a tone in his voice that’s suggesting something else.
Simon thinks Johnny’s still a little tipsy.
He lets himself be tugged, though.
In the bathroom, Johnny invades his space. There’s a fading undertone of alcohol on Johnny’s breath when the Scotsman kisses him. Regardless, Simon’s hands find Johnny’s waist, pulling him closer. The action has Johnny releasing a soft whine into Simon’s mouth, and it has the Brit smirking at the sound.
Simon parts from Johnny’s lips and moves for his neck. Johnny bares his neck, allowing Simon more room to work with. Soft noises pass through Johnny’s lips as Simon nips at his neck, and they only spur Simon on more.
They’re both aware that they need to be careful. There’s too many people in the house for them to go all the way.
It doesn’t stop Simon from reaching for the buttons of Johnny’s flannel, though. He reconnects their lips and starts to pop the buttons undone. He eases the fabric off John’s shoulders, leaving Johnny only in his jeans.
“Damn tease,” Johnny huffs when Simon runs a hand across the expanse of Johnny’s stomach.
“You love it,” Simon replies.
Simon eventually stops their makeout session, too nervous to go too far and get caught. Johnny leans against his chest, and Simon takes the time to regain control over himself. Simon gets back into the right headspace, pressing a kiss to the crown of Johnny’s head as he does. The Scotsman hums, nosing into Simon’s neck.
“Bedtime,” Simon murmurs, leading Johnny out of the bathroom and back into their bedroom.
Elowen is still sound asleep in the middle of the bed, holding on tight to her stuffed animal. Simon thanks whatever higher power he can be bothered to think of at that moment.
Both of them change into pajama pants, but only Johnny stays shirtless. They crawl into bed, cautious of their daughter. Johnny maneuvers her once he’s comfortably in his space, setting her on top of his chest.
It’s how she sleeps at home with them, so it’s how she’ll sleep here.
Simon crawls in close once Johnny has stopped moving around. He presses a kiss to both of their heads before turning off the lamp on the nightstand. He wraps himself around his two loves protectively, whispering sweet nothings to the both of them.
And when Johnny’s breathing evens out for the night, Simon’s is quick to follow suit.
*
In the morning, Simon wakes up to Ceana knocking softly on the door.
He’s never been a light sleeper.
Ever since they got out of the army, though, Johnny’s been sleeping like a lump on a log almost every night. It doesn’t help that Elowen is pretty much the same.
“I’m up,” Simon calls to Ceana, just so that she doesn’t feel the need to keep knocking. “The other two aren’t,” he laughs. Through the wood, he can hear her laughter, too. “That’s okay, dear. Just starting to wake everyone up for presents!”
Her footsteps retreat, and when they’re fully gone, Simon looks down at the other two.
Elowen’s blond hair is everywhere, and Simon can see a strand or two sitting on Johnny’s parted lips.
Simon laughs at the sight.
Johnny is holding Elowen tight to his chest, and the raccoon stuffed animal is in the crook between his ribs and arm. Simon thinks they look quite cute the way they’re cuddled together.
Johnny comes too not long after Simon wakes up. The pressure of Simon rubbing his forehead probably helps. He looks over with bleary eyes, smiling when he sees Simon there next to him.
“G’mornin’,” he whispers, voice heavy from just waking up.
Simon presses a kiss to his cheek. “Good morning.”
“Should we wake up Elo and tell her Santa’s came?” Simon grins, watching the way Johnny’s eyes light up.
“Yes.”
All of a sudden, Johnny is a new ball of energy.
“Elo! Elo, guess what!?” He’s excited but still calm enough to not freak out Elowen when she cracks her eyes open. She stares at him, unimpressed at his enthusiasm. “Elo–” he deadpans, but there’s a smile itching at the corner of his mouth.
“Santa came.”
And it’s those two words that have Elowen jolting up. She holds her raccoon close to her chest, her tiny body swimming in one of Johnny’s old military shirts that doesn’t fit him anymore.
“Santa,” she parrots back, a giddiness in her voice.
Both Simon and Johnny nod at her, smiles wrapping up their lips.
Elowen clambers out of bed, taking her raccoon with her. When she stands, she looks even more adorable in the shirt–which should be called a dress with how long it is. “Papa, c’mon!” She whines, making grabby hands for Simon. The Brit laughs, untangling himself out of the sheets and standing up. She latches onto his left hand, holding her raccoon with her right.
She looks over her shoulder at Johnny expectantly.
“Dada. Santa. Go.”
There’s a finality in her voice that has Johnny getting up, laughing as he does. She’s sassy, he’ll give her that.
They make their way downstairs, Elowen leading them. She marches into the living room, where her cousins are already sitting by the tree, buzzing with excitement. Elowen squeals at the sight of all the presents under the tree, letting go of Simon’s hand in favor of sitting with her cousins on the floor.
Ceana smiles at the two of them, and Simon watches as the smile loses some of the happiness when she sees Johnny’s bare torso.
With his bare torso, comes all of the scars Johnny had endured while in the 141. The bullet wound from Graves in Las Almas. Burns from when he had blown up Graves’s tank with C4 at the Mexican Special Forces base. Johnny’s body is littered with scars, and they’re all on full display for his family to see.
Simon looks away. He can’t let that bring the mood down this morning.
The kids start tearing through their presents, which serves as a good enough distraction from Ceana’s nervous eyes staring down her son. Elowen is showered with new clothes and toys, and she shows her appreciation for each present that she opens. She shows all her presents to Johnny and Simon, carrying them in her tiny hands.
The sight is enough to have tears pricking at the edges of Simon’s eyes.
She’s so carefree and happy. A completely different girl than who she used to be, swaddled up in the base’s hospital bed however many months ago.
When she’s done with her presents, she sits with one of her older cousins. She watches in trepidation as the elder one opens up her own presents. Simon watches as the little girl pulls a Barbie out of the packaging, and can’t help but realize that it’s a wedding themed Barbie, and Ken is in a suit to match. Normally, it wouldn’t be a big deal. Simon thinks the gift is cute enough, but Elowen opens her mouth at the sight of the suit.
“Oh! Papa has a picture of him and Dada in suits like that!”
And it should be a passive comment. It should , but it has most, if not all of Johnny’s family looking over at the two of them with wide eyes.
Simon knows what photo she’s talking about. It’s framed in their kitchen back home in Glasgow. It is a photo of Simon and Johnny, both in suits. But it was a photo of their discharge day. Not a wedding , which is probably what Elowen thinks it’s of.
No one makes an open comment on it, but Simon can feel the eyes on him. Can feel the questions, the nagging of wanting answers coming from Johnny’s family. He just shifts on the couch, leaning into Johnny who’s sitting behind him. John’s hand comes up to smooth across the expanse of his shoulder, acting as an olive branch of comfort.
When the kids finish opening their presents, the adults move onto theirs. Simon makes sure to thank the people that got him gifts, watching patiently as others open theirs.
Simon’s rubbing his finger against the grain of a blanket he’d unwrapped when he feels Johnny move. There’s a bow on top of his head, and the sight makes Simon grin with a stupid amount of lovey-ness in it.
“I’ll be right back,” Johnny says, pressing a fleeting kiss to Simon’s lips. “Okay,” Simon smiles, letting him go.
John doesn’t take too long, with whatever it is he’s doing. He comes back, still shirtless, still with the bow on his head. There’s nothing changed to his physical appearance, but Simon knows him.
He knows he’s up to something.
Johnny sits down next to him on the couch again, seemingly cool as a cucumber. His hands are fidgety, though, and there’s a certain tick in his blinking.
“You okay?” Simon asks slowly, quietly, to not drag too much attention to Johnny. The Scotsman nods, keeping his eyes trained on their daughter on the floor. “Mhm,” he hums, voice spacey and not all there.
Simon doesn’t push at it, though.
Eventually, all the presents have been opened up, and Elowen comes running over to them. “Papa! Help,” she requests, pointing over at her pile of presents. Simon just laughs, getting up off the couch to help her. “Alright, little one…What do you want to keep out and play with? I’ll put everything else up in your bag.”
They work together to separate what Elowen wants to keep out and play with, and Simon takes the rest of her stuff upstairs. When he’s done packing her stuff away, he heads back downstairs.
When Simon comes down the stairs and turns left to enter the living room, he finds Johnny standing alone. The house is relatively quiet, the only sounds coming from the dining room and kitchen a ways away. Simon swallows, making eye contact with Johnny. He also notices the light snow falling outside.
“What’s up, Johnny?” Simon asks, stepping in the threshold of the living room. Johnny startles at his voice, eyes jumping up to meet his.
“Um,” Johnny starts, wringing his hands together. He blinks owlish at Simon. He’s so nervous. Simon thinks he hasn’t ever seen him this anxious.
The stupid bow is still on top of his head, and despite the charged energy, it makes Simon smile.
Johnny moves closer to him, a deep breath being exhaled through his nose. Simon can hear it. He squares his shoulders, standing at his full height. “Simon,” he says, looking up at him with those big blue eyes.
Simon starts to say something, but Johnny takes something out of his pocket. A small black box.
The sight of the thing has Simon inhaling sharply, watching as Johnny lowers himself onto one knee. Johnny smiles wobbly at him from his position on the floor, holding the box out towards Simon. They’re both still in their pajamas–hell, Johnny’s still shirtless with the stupid bow on his head.
Johnny opens the box, and the ring inside takes Simon’s breath away. It’s a thick band with a diamond just off centered, a line of a green gem in the middle of the band.
“John–” Simon gasps, his voice choked out. His eyes flitter from the ring in the box to Johnny’s face. The Scotsman is smiling sheepishly. “Johnny, what?” Simon asks, voice teetering on disbelief.
“Let’s make it official,” Johnny says, voice watery. He clears his throat. “Let’s give Elowen a wedding picture for real.”
“Marry me, Simon Riley.”
And those words have the force of a thousand suns. They knock Simon breathless. They suspend him boneless in the air, staring at Johnny like he’s grown five heads.
“Marry me,” Johnny repeats, and Simon looks back at the ring in the box. He comes down to his knees, tears swimming along his waterline.
“Yes,” Simon whispers, laughing lightly. “Yes Johnny,” he looks up at the Scotsman. He leans their foreheads together, allowing a tear to fall from his eyes. “I’ll marry you.
Johnny laughs, almost in disbelief, looking at Simon with twinkling eyes.
The ring slips onto Simon’s ring finger with ease, settling against the base where his finger connects to his hand. Simon can’t help the blinding smile that eases over his lips.
“Perfect fit,” Johnny whispers.
And Simon just looks at him like he’s hung the moon and the stars for him.
“Perfect fit,” he echoes.
A childlike squeal comes from the doorway, and there’s a pressure against the back of Simon’s legs in an instant. He smiles, looking over his shoulder to see Elowen standing there with a big smile. He breaks from Johnny momentarily, leaning down to pick up their daughter.
“Hi, pumpkin,” he greets her quietly, holding her close. “What do you think?” He asks her, holding out the hand that graces his ring. She gasps, tiny fingers encapsulating Simon’s ring finger.
“Pretty,” she whispers, smiling up at Simon.
“You think so? It means that Papa and Dada are gonna get married,” he grins at her. “You get another suit picture, and you get to wear a pretty dress.”
And the giggles that fall from Elowen are all worth it in the end.
When she calms down, Simon tugs Johnny into his arms. A family group hug.
“Fiancé,” Johnny murmurs, looking at Simon through lidded eyes. Simon quirks an eyebrow, laughing under his breath. “Let’s go get some food in you,” Simon tells him, pushing Johnny’s hair out of his face. “What do you think about that, little one, hm?” He turns his attention to Elowen. “Some yummy food?” She nods, resting her head against Simon’s shoulder.
And when they enter the dining room, Johnny’s entire family is waiting for them, waiting at the table with smiles on their faces. It’s obvious that Johnny had planned this whole thing out.
Simon just smiles sheepishly, his face burning bright red. He raises his hand, the ring glinting in the light. Johnny’s family shouts their congratulations at the sight of it, gushing over how pretty it is and how fitting it was of Johnny to pick out that ring.
“Y’know,” Johnny starts, when Simon is dressing Elowen’s pancakes with maple syrup and butter, “I’ve had that ring for the longest time.”
Simon looks at him when the words leave his mouth.
“Got it in Las Almas. Alejandro and I went shopping together. It was that day where we had the morning to ourselves before we were set to leave. Alej wanted to show me around, and when we passed by this little shop, I saw it in the window…” He stares at Simon for a moment, his eyes tracing over every feature on the Brit’s face. “I knew I had to get it,” he whispers, smiling bashfully.
Simon reaches out and takes his hand, not trusting his voice.
“It’s beautiful, Johnny,” he eventually gets out. The ring glints in the light, and it reflects in Johnny’s eyes.
The morning continues on, but all that Simon can do is run his finger over the ring in disbelief. He joins Elowen in the living room where she’s playing with her new stuffed animals. All while he’s watching her, he’s subconsciously rubbing the ring. Johnny joins them soon not long after Simon enters, the bow out of his hair. He’s got a shirt on now, too. When he sits down next to Simon, the Brit sees his arm raise above them out of his peripheral.
When he looks up, he rolls his eyes jokingly. Johnny had snuck a piece of mistletoe out of the dining room.
Looking away from the mistletoe, Simon finds Johnny looking at him with a shit-eating grin.
“Uh oh,” he says, with no remorse in his voice at all. “Caught under the mistletoe.”
And Simon partially wishes they were alone just so that he could get back at Johnny for being such a damn tease.
Simon isn’t one to shy away from a chance at kissing Johnny, though. Even if his family’s in the room. He leans in, letting his left hand come up on Johnny’s cheek. The feeling of metal against skin has the Scotsman shivering.
When they break apart, there’s a dazed look in Johnny’s eyes, and the mistletoe has been dropped to the floor. Simon just smirks, settling back against the couch as he looks over at Elowen, who’s still playing with her toys.
Johnny tucks himself into Simon’s side, pushing his forehead into Simon’s skin. Simon smiles, wrapping his arms around John’s shoulder.
They’re content where they are, here in Johnny’s childhood home, newly engaged, watching their daughter play with her Christmas presents.
Simon wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.