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This isn't how Simon wanted things to go, to say the very least. If he had it his way, he would already be waiting underneath The Last Tree to speak with you. Yet, here he is, stuck talking with... him. Father, the very leader of Eden. If Simon had to wager a guess, one of his fellow militia members must've tattled on him about how he's been acting around you.
Simon takes a deep breath, turning around to meet Father's eyes. The entirety of Eden has been bathed in darkness, since the lights turned off to signal that it's time to sleep. Father managed to find him, however, since the light from Simon's flashlight gave him away. He respects the man. He truly does. That's exactly why he hates being in trouble with him so much. "Now, my child... Where do you think you're going so late at night? You should be back in the barracks, with the militia." Father tilts his head, folding his arms behind his back. Simon can't lie to him... From the look on Father's face, it's quite obvious he has an idea of where he's going... Simon crosses his arms, as if trying to hold himself together as he speaks "The Last Tree..." "To meet with somebody?" Simon's fingers start to dig into his arms. "Yes."
Father sighs in what sounds like disappointment. Then, he slowly walks over to Simon, his robes swaying with each step. "A civilian?" "How do you know all this?" Father shrugs, his lips twitching into a small smirk "I've heard whispers... The congregation members have been claiming to see you with somebody. One of the gardeners." Simon looks to the side, unable to keep his gaze. He forgot about that... He hasn't been to any services for years. Of course one of them would tell if they felt something was off.
Simon can feel his nerves bundling up from anxiety. Here he is, getting held up by Father, the leader of Eden... Meanwhile, you had asked to meet him at The Last Tree. You asked to meet him, for once. Are you already there? He can almost imagine you waiting for him, feeling disheartened when he doesn't show up. He can't let Father hold him for much longer. He needs to see you. "You're not supposed to be getting so close to the civilians, Simon. You know this." Father says, his eyes lowering from Simon's face to the flashlight clenched tightly in his fist.
"Please, Father... Let me explain." Simon says... No, begs. Father takes a moment to respond, before giving a curt nod "Fine. One chance. You may speak." Relief floods Simon, causing him to visibly relax. He has a chance. One chance. Thank God... Straightening himself up, Simon decides to just get it over with. "This person... They... They are perfect. I met them about a year or so ago." Father raises an eyebrow, as if noting that information in his mind. Then, he makes a small gesture to Simon, barely visible in the darkness. "What makes them perfect, to you?"
What makes you perfect to Simon? Oh, he could go on all day... How peaceful you are compared to himself, to the point it feels practically infectious... How patient you are with him. How you actually care about him, checking in whenever he has an outburst. It's the mere fact that you are you. There's nobody else like you in the entirety of Eden. You are just so...
Simon needs to start talking again, before Father gets impatient. "It's everything. The way they walk, talk, think... They are peaceful in a way that I could only dream of being. They're curious, too... Instead of assuming what everybody says about me is true... They came to me to make their own judgement." Simon pauses, and when Father simply nods for him to continue, Simon does. Of course he does. He can even feel his heart rate rising slightly, alongside his voice "They are so dedicated to their job of caring for The Last Tree. It's almost like the life of it seeps into them. Just seeing them revitalizes me, like how The Last Tree provides oxygen for us..."
Father hums in thought, before asking one last question. "How dedicated are you to them?" How dedicated is Simon to you? He'd give you anything. Yet, that doesn't feel like a proper way to describe his feelings towards you to Father. He wouldn't understand. Simon swallows thickly, speaking without thinking. "Father... I know we've had our own conflicts when it comes to... religion. However, think of it this way: if I didn't know any better, I'd think they were an angel. Sometimes, I wonder if they would be one in another life or universe..." Then, Simon gestures to the man in front of him, grinning nervously "What would you do for an angel? Whatever you would do for an angel, I'd do for them. They're my angel."
He can't tell what Father is thinking. He may have crossed a line. He wouldn't be that surprised if he did, since Father is very, very dedicated to his religion. Most in Eden are, after all. Yet, there's no other way Simon could think of to describe his feelings for you to him. Simon is as dedicated to you as Father is to his holy scriptures. Despite the fact that he should probably just shut up before he earns Father's ire, he continues "If you would preach the word of God, I'd preach the word of them, even if I can't figure out what words would... Would even describe them! If you'd fight for God, you bet your ass I'd do the same for them! I'd do anything... anything." For a moment, he thinks that he's about to be punished for what he just said.
Then, Father suddenly grins. "That's the type of passion I like to hear, my child!" "What...?" Father moves his arms in a grand gesture, laughing. "When you said you met them around a year ago, I realized something. Your performance on the field has been getting better and better since about a year ago. I was so concerned that you lost all your passion when you lost your faith. Now, though? I realize how wrong I was." Father clasps his hands together, almost as if he's about to pray. "You may have lost your faith in God and I may dislike and disapprove of that fact... But you've found your own God, and as much as I may not understand, I can see it's doing you good on the battlefield. It is, in it's own way, beautiful."
Simon is flabbergasted, to say the least... but not in a bad way. This means he can go see you, right? "Can I see them, then?" Father nods, gesturing for Simon to go "You have my blessing to see them. Just don't tell the others. They'll be jealous." That's all Simon needs to turn tail in a mad sprint for The Last Tree. He can't leave you waiting any longer. Hopefully you're still there. He doesn't even know how long Father held him up.
His mind cannot let go of what Father said. "You've found your own God..." Is that true? You weren't some primordial creator of all, that's for sure. You have no powers or supernatural abilities. Yet, you've made him happy with your mere presence. You've shown him kindness and compassion. You've even called upon him tonight, in a sense, and here he is heeding that call. He's fought harder with you as his motivation. Perhaps Father is right, for once.
Flashing his light into the darkened atrium, Simon is quick to spot you sitting under The Last Tree. You're staring up at the branches, looking as patient as ever. He turns off his flashlight so he doesn't accidentally shine it into your eyes, before calling out "I'm here! Sorry I'm late... Father has to talk to me about something." You turn to look to him, the only light in the atrium being the lights of the thousands of dead stars... Yet, those lights frame your face perfectly, making you look practically ethereal. "Don't worry about it, Simon. I was guessing something like that happened."
He can feel his heart pound, and at this point, he isn't sure if it's from sprinting over to meet you or just the sound of your voice saying his name. Slowing his pace, he walks over to sit beside you under The Last Tree. He takes a moment to look up to the sky, before relaxing against the trunk of the tree. "So... Was there a specific reason you wished to see me?" he asks, looking over to you. You're so close to him...
You give him a grin, before nodding excitedly. Then, you chirp happily as you rummage through one of your pockets "Yeah! See... you've been so nice, buying me gifts and such. I wanted to give you something in return. Though, I didn't have enough money to buy something, so I made it myself... expect it to be a little wonky." A gift? Something you made for him? Simon is pretty sure he's grinning like an idiot at this point, and he doesn't even know what you made for him, yet.
You giving him a gift is something he's dreamed about. This isn't close to how he imagined it. It's even better than he ever thought it'd be. Just you and him, sitting underneath The Last Tree, with just the dim lights of the long gone stars illuminating the two of you... He watches, silently, as you pull a small box from your pocket. A circular box, with an olive green coloring, a hinge, and a tiny opening even when closed. There's a little leaf painted onto it, too... You present it to him proudly, holding it out for him to take. Simon has to suppress a shudder when he accidentally brushed his fingers against yours.
"This is pretty... What is it?" Simon asks, his voice a quiet whisper. He's almost scared that if he speaks any louder, he might ruin the quiet moment between the two of you. You scoot a little closer to him, pointing to the box as you match his volume. "So, it's like a... a protective case for your bracelet's charm. If you open it up, it's lined with a soft silicone padding." Simon raises an eyebrow, before popping the box open. Sure enough, inside is lined with silicone. He looks to you, as if silently asking why you decided to gift him this. "I figured you'd find it useful, since you work for the militia. It can protect your charm when fighting the C.O.I."
Simon blinks a few times, before quickly clipping the box over his bracelet's charm. It's surprisingly light... It wouldn't get in the way on the field. He lifts up his wrist to watch it hang from the string. "And the leaf design?" he murmurs, never taking his eyes off of it. You chuckle, speaking softly "Well, with the case, you can't see the seed and leaf from The Last Tree. So, I put a leaf on it so you will still remember what you're protecting. You know?" He's going to melt. Before he knows it, his breathing starts to become uneven, his eyes grow misty... Now that he thinks about it, when was the last time he was given a gift?
Opening his mouth to thank you, all that comes out is a sob. You flinch, before stammering out "Are you okay...? Do you not like it?" He takes a breath, trying to keep himself together, only to practically fall apart. He doesn't hate it. He adores it. You wanted to give him something, thought about what he might want and need, then made it with your own two hands for him. He can't remember the last time somebody did that for him. His emotions are suddenly all over the place and he can't help but cry.
Simon looks to you, stumbling over his words "No, no... I love it. It's perfect." He quickly starts trying to dry his eyes with his sleeve as he continues "I just got a bit too emotional..." Your concerned expression melts away, before you give him a warm smile. Damn it. He wants to talk. He wants to tell you just how much he adores this little thing you made him. Why did he have to get all sappy like this? "That's so sweet..." you say, before letting out a tiny chuckle "I'm glad you like it. I was a bit worried you wouldn't. I never made anything like it before."
He gives up. He can't calm himself down, now. Here he is, a trained militia member, crying over a tiny little case you made for him. Meanwhile, you're sitting next to him, completely comfortable with that fact. Next thing he knows, without thinking, he's wrapping his arms around you to hold you close. You return the hug, giving him a slight squeeze. Then, you both stay like that for a while. Long enough that Simon feels his breathing even out, his tears stop falling, and his eyes grow a bit heavy from sleep. You pull away slightly, and Simon silently looks to you. For some reason, your face seems a bit pink in the dim lighting. He can see you hesitate, before speaking quietly "It's getting late. I should get going."
No. No, he doesn't want you to leave. He wants you to stay here longer. He wants to keep holding you like this. You fit so perfectly in his arms, after all. If he could, he'd just... keep this moment going forever. Yet, he knows he can't. You both need to sleep. He can feel his mind growing a bit hazy from exhaustion. Simon lets you go, sighing a bit when you're out of his grip and already standing up. "You won't... tell anybody about this, right?" He can't have you telling anybody about this. Well, more specifically, about him sobbing like a child. He'd never live this down...
You raise an eyebrow, before shrugging and pretending to zip your lips shut. "My lips are sealed. I won't tell a soul." Then, in a quieter voice, you add "It's okay to cry, though. You can cry around me." With a wave and a goodbye, you're already off to return home, leaving Simon to try to process everything. He stands, brushing himself off and breathing in deeply. Turning his flashlight on, once again, he makes his way through the dark halls the way he came.
You really are an angel. The closest he has to one, at least. You just solidified that fact, tonight. Holding him close, giving him comfort, protecting the things he loves... You're an angel.