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The fact that you had one of your tiny fingers in his thigh searching for a bullet he was shot with couldn't stop Simon from watching your pretty face.
Your brows were furrowed in concentration and it was all he could do not to reach out and smooth them with his thumb.
"there she is.. nestled up against the bone" you said as you pulled forceps out of your medkit "this is going to hurt but do your best to keep still for me" you spared him a glance and a smile that made a sound bubble from his chest that you mistook for pain and frowned.
Without wasting a moment you inserted the forceps into his thigh and latched them onto the bullet before pulling it out. As soon as it popped out you pressed gauze to his wound firmly while placing the forceps on the ground next to you.
You smiled at him again, this time cupping the side of his masked face and praising him for how well he did. "You did so well, Sweetheart. All that's left is to make sure the bleeding is finished and to stitch you up"
The pet name "Sweetheart" from you made his heart beat faster, he hoped you couldn't feel it through the throbbing of the wound on his leg.
After helping him to the safe house, you deposited him on the couch and helped him lay out to rest.
He watched you flit around the space and started to think back and wonder when it was that he developed feelings for you.
Price had suggested you to Laswell as a field medic, saying he had known you for many years and that you were trustworthy.
He hadn't expected a tiny thing like you to show up nor for you to be so experienced with field medicine. That's not to mention how good you were with combat.
You were in your mid 30's, had once been a nurse with your country's military, having known Price for near a decade and had worked on some pretty dark stuff together that neither of you were too keen to elaborate on.
Your bedside manner went from soft encouragements of "you're doing so well, sweetie" to "If you do not stop fighting me I will strap you the FUCK down to this god damned bed!"
You absolutely lost your shit at his and Soap's terrible jokes and puns, Simon often found himself pulling out his best ones just to hear you snort and giggle.
At some point he must have fallen asleep because he woke with his hand in yours and your fingers on his pulse point. "You can go back to sleep, extraction will be here in 3 hours" you say quietly.
He chuckles "can't leave ya sittin 'ere alone, can I? Wouldn't be gentlemanly of me"
You keep his hand in yours, patting the top of it gently "You're definitely a gentleman. Try and rest either way, you lost a considerable amount of blood back there".
As you stand to move away he gently grabs your wrist and sits up on the couch before pulling you down next to him. He knows you let him as you plop down next to him on his uninjured side, he has seen you dead lift more than he weighs in the gym before.
"you should rest too, ya damn near carried my ass here" he whispered as he moved his hand from your wrist to hold your hand.
He sees your cheeks tint red even though your face is covered in dirt and dust.
This man was going to be the death of you, you were certain. You leaned back on the couch, closed your eyes, hand still in his and sighed "you're right, I probably should rest some"
The mission was supposed to be recon, you sneaking into the ceiling of a few buildings and placing wire taps while Ghost watched your six. You had to sit still and quiet for an extended period of time causing him to worry and come closer than he should have. You tried tapping morse code on your mic to tell him to stay where he was but he didn't hear or didn't care to listen. You were used to being crouched in a spot for hours at a time but he for some reason wasn't content on waiting.
In the end he ended up taking a bullet to his thigh, lucky for him it missed any major arteries in his leg.
You couldn't be too mad, you both got out in one peice more or less. Though the mission had been a bust, luckily it should be salvageable.
You could feel his eyes on you again, even with your eyes closed. His hand tightened slightly in yours.
Things had begun to change between you two, the hand holding being most evident of that, but you weren't sure what to think. You know you're about 5 years older than him, you felt too old for romance, you were closer to 40 than you were 30.
You had noticed the both of you touching each other more than was necessary as colleagues, you could almost always feel him looking at you, sometimes he wouldn't look away when you caught him looking.
"I can hear you thinking from here, luv" he said with a tired drawl "50 pence for your thoughts?"
You let out a breathy chuckle, looked at him, then down to your joined hands and lifted them slightly "I was thinking about this and what it means".
His gloved thumb stroked the top of your hand "What do ya want it to mean?"
You could feel your heart thump harder with anxiety "Truthfully? I don't know, I know I like you more than I would just a friend. But this feeling makes me anxious as fuck. Past a few shags here and there I have very little experience with romance and I have a feeling you want more from me than a passing shag"
He hummed "You're right, I do want more than just a passing shag from you, luv. I'd like to spend time with ya, go on dates, hold your hand, kiss your forehead, hold you close and get to know more about you" he moved his fingers to interlock with yours "If ya want that is" he finished with an almost pained laugh.
Looking up at him you searched his eyes for a lie but only finding softness "It doesn't bother you that I'm almost as old as Price?"
"What? No? Why would ya think that? I'm almost 30, I'm no spring chicken either" he laughed before taking a serious tone "Maybe I need to have a word with whoever made you feel like you're old"
You giggled, not meaning to and suddenly feeling embarrassed, not able to stop yourself from stuttering slightly "Th-Then I think I would like to spend more time with you too, to get to know you better. Maybe I could make you dinner some time while you're recovering?"
You could tell from the way his mask moved and his eyes crinkled that he was smiling "Then when we're alone together how about you call me Simon?" he offered.
This had you smiling and testing his name out "Simon.. I like that"
Simon brought your hand to his face, lifting his balaclava up enough to place a kiss on your hand "My name has never sounded so sweet before".
The two of you ended up sitting together hands linked only breaking when you checked his wound again and extraction came.