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kissmeharderrrr · 2 months ago

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The Mask I Live With - pt. 17

The happy ending :)

I honestly had been going back and forth on this all week about the next post, and honestly I knew I had to give us all the happy ending we were looking for.

Not fully proofread!

Roommate|Reader x Simon Ghost Riley

The months that followed settled into a rhythm that felt almost suspiciously good. There were still sore mornings where your leg ached like hell, especially after nights tangled with Simon, neither of you knowing when to quit. But you learned to read your limits, and he learned to hover close enough without smothering you.

Light duty turned into moderate duty... and then moderate duty turned into cautious, evaluated runs at the flight simulators. Before long, real missions crept back into your life.

The first time you stepped onto the tarmac again, helmet tucked under your arm, and a helo roaring in front of you, your hands shook—not from fear.

From need.

You belonged here.

There were days you thought maybe you had lost that piece of yourself. That maybe you'd never sit inside the cockpit again without reliving the moment you and your Sergeant crashed. But standing there, wind whipping against your fatigues, it clicked back into place like it had never happened at all.

And Simon?

He was waiting at the edge of the hangar when you returned the first day, arms crossed, eyes hidden behind his balaclava. You could practically feel the tension bleeding off him like heat waves. The second your boots hit the ground, he was at your side, hand hovering on your lower back, before his lips brushed your temple in a rare moment of public affection.

Big softie

You laughed. "I didn't crash this time."

"Wasn't takin' any bets." He grunted.

You didn't tell him about the orders until a few days later. Sitting together at the kitchen table, you slid the paperwork across to him. He blinked down, scanning it quickly before his brow furrowed.

"Permanent?" He asked, voice low like he almost didn’t believe it.

You leaned forward, propping your chin on your hand with a stupid grin on your face. "Talked to my commander. Pulled some strings. Used the crash. Used the injury. Hell, I used everything I could think of." You shrugged. "I get to stay here now. No more transfers. No more bouncing around."

He lifted his head slowly, expression unreadable, but his hand reached across the table and settled heavily over yours.

"Y'did tha'... for me?"

You squeezed his fingers, smiling so wide his heart skipped several beats. "For us..." A rare grin formed on his lips before you giggled. "And for Danny, Gaz, Soap, and Price...... For all of it."

He playfully rolled his eyes at the last part, but was happy none-the-less.

Speaking of Danny. . . .

His recovery had been slower. His injuries still needing time to heal. But it wouldn be no time before he could officially fly again per the doctors. In the meantime, he was back into desk duty, barking orders and cracking jokes from the safety of an office chair—which he hated but tolerated for now.

******************************************************

The Shack was alive tonight. Even though you had just gotten back from a small mission, you were surprisingly upbeat and not tired. So you messaged everyone, asking to come to the usual spot for some drinks.

You tucked yourself between Simon and Danny at the table near the back, beers scattered across the wood, the guys already half into a shouting match over who would win an arm-wrestling contest between Johnny and Price.

"You're all dreaming." Danny snorted, shaking his head. "Price would mop the fucking floor with him."

Johnny threw his hands up. "Oi! I've got technique!"

"You got bird bones." Gaz countered, grinning wide. "Price sneezes and you go flying, mate."

You laughed, the sound bubbling out before you could stop it. Simon, sitting so close his thigh brushed yours, leaned in just slightly, voice low against your ear.

"Missed hearin' tha'."

Your chest warmed at the simple truth in his tone. The mission itself had you flying somewhere no cell service for a week, so Simon wasn't lying when he said it. You briefly rested your hand against his leg under the table, a small, quiet anchor between you.

Price lifted his glass toward you then. "So, Lieutenant..." He drawled causing both of you to look at him. "You're really stuck with us for good now, huh?"

Before you could answer, Johnny cut in, smiling like an absolute devil.

"Please. She's just staying for our dear old Ghost here." He said, bumping Simon’s shoulder. "Can’t bear to be away from him."

The table erupted into laughter, even Simon letting out a rare low chuckle. You rolled your eyes, shaking your head, but you raised your glass anyway.

"For all of you." You smiled. "You're stuck with me now, like it or not. You're family."

That silenced them for a second. Not heavy or awkward... just... real.

Johnny grinned even wider, raising his own beer to clink against yours. "Cheers to that, lass."

"Cheers." Everyone echoed, glasses clinking together.

******************************************************

Five years later

The helo sputtered a little as you cut the engines, the rotors spinning down with a high, whining sound that faded into blessed silence. The poor bird was in immediate need of maintenance, but that was a job for another day, and another version of you who wasn’t running on fumes.

You exhaled, muscles tight from the long string of flights, and leaned back in your seat. The helmet that had been digging into your forehead was quickly discarded, resting now on your knee. Next to you, Danny gave a tired chuckled, rubbing a hand through his hair.

"Remind me why we thought this was a good idea again?" He joked, voice hoarse from yelling over the comms.

You giggled, voice just as wrecked. "Cause we're idiots."

He snorted and pushed himself up, joints popping loudly. "And here I thought retirement sounded boring."

You smiled as you leaned forward, fingertips brushing the worn metal of the dash one more time before standing. But the ache in your bones wasn’t just physical. It was the weight of time but even through it all, you were still here... still flying... still chasing the sky.

Danny hopped out of the helo first, boots thudding against the concrete. You followed, stretching your sore leg carefully as you climbed down, wincing a little at the familiar pull. Sometimes it still ached... sometimes it still whispered those awful, distant memories you didn’t talk much about anymore.

The hangar loomed ahead, the evening light spilling across it in brilliant golds and oranges. You barely took a full couple of steps before you saw him.

Simon.

Casually leaning against a humvee parked near the hangar doors, his frame relaxed but unmistakably alert, civilian clothes hanging loose over his broad, muscled frame. The familiar black surgical mask covered his mouth, along with dark shades hiding his eyes.

But that wasn’t what had your breath catching hard in your chest (like it did every single time). It wasn’t what had your feet picking up speed without thought. Tucked securely in his arms, head resting against his chest, was a little girl.

Your daughter.

Three years old. A little ball of fire and sweetness, with wild curls that refused to be tamed and big brown eyes that somehow managed to look exactly like both of you. She was fast asleep against him, one tiny hand fisting the fabric of his T-shirt like a lifeline, and the other clutching her battered old stuffed bear that went everywhere with her.

The world around you—the ache, the exhaustion, the buzz of everything—blurred into nothing.

Simon tilted his head slightly when he saw you, that silent, familiar greeting that you could read in your bones after all these years.

Missed you. Proud of you. Come home.

Danny followed your gaze and let out a low whistle, clapping a hand on your back. "Look at that. Your welcome party showed up."

You laughed under your breath, quickly blinking away the sudden burn in your eyes. You wiped your gloves on your pants, shaking off the exhaustion and picking up your pace despite the tired pull in your leg.

You barely registered it, already running on something deeper; something that hurt in a sweeter way.

When you reached them, Simon straightened, peeling his mask down with one hand just enough to press a kiss to the top of your daughter's head before he reached for your without hesitation, his thumb brushing the inside of your wrist.

"Hey sweetheart." He quietly said, voice low and soft in a way he reserved for the only two people in this world. "Missed you."

You whispered back. "Missed you more."

You reached out, smoothing a stray curl away from your daughter's forehead. She blinked up at you sleepily, heavy-lidded and disoriented, but the second she recognized you, a slow, shy smile bloomed across her face.

"Mama." She mumbled, little hands stretching toward you instinctively.

Your heart shattered into a thousand pieces in the best way possible.

Simon shifted, carefully transferring her into your arms. You cradled her close, small body pressing against yours, and the presence of her—solid, warm, yours—banished the mission behind you.

You kissed her soft cheek, taking her in—sunshine, soap, and the faint lingering trace of Simon’s cologne.

He rubbed the back of his neck, mouth tugging up in a sheepish, boyish smile. "Figured... we could meet ya. Thought she'd like to see her mum be a badass." He muttered, almost embarrassed.

Danny chuckled behind you, slinging his gear bag down with a heavy thud. "Hell of a welcome wagon, mate. Setting the bar high."

You laughed, the sound bubbling up unfiltered, before you rested your forehead against Simon’s for half a second. Just long enough to feel him soak you in. Long enough to remind him you were real.

"Always knew you were trouble." You softly teased.

He smirked, the faintest crinkle hidden at the corners of his eyes behind his shades... but even though you couldn't see them, you just knew.

"You're stuck with me forever, love." He replied, before leaning down and giving you a sweet, lingering peck on the lips.

The kind of kiss that said: I’d wait a thousand lifetimes for you.

You cradled your daughter closer, your free hand gently grabbing his shirt, anchoring yourself to him like you had all those years ago without even realizing it when you were just........ roommates.

Well... that's it for my little story about roommate reader lol! I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I wrote it! As always, please like, comment, repost, and give me feedback!

If you're new here and interested in seeing my other stories, please check out my masterlist link below!!!

The next story I will be finishing is "Before The Ghost"!

Love you all!!!!

-Daydreamer 🩵

Pt. 1; Pt. 2; Pt. 3; Pt. 4; Pt. 5; Pt. 6; Pt. 7; Pt. 8; Pt. 9; Pt. 10; Pt. 11 (Simon POV); Pt. 12; Pt. 13; Pt. 14; Pt. 15; Pt. 16

Masterlist

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