#Ghostxreader

[stanfordswifey]

Ghost as your boyfriend

HEHAHHDHA (help me my crippling insomnia) This is all fluff btw mwamwa

Would deny everything when he first found out he had feelings for you, but you both knew. You just noticed his stare lingering on you longer than usual.

Would take MONTHS to ask you out, probably brings you your favorite flowers too.

When you accept he is in UTTER disbelief.

"I'll protect you forever."

He'd get closer and closer to you every day, to the point where he'd be comfortable without his mask when around you.

When he sees someone staring at you mans would pull you closer by your waist and give that man a stare.

Lowkey relationship but not private, like people know you two are dating but you're not all lovey dovey in public.

Loves when you shower him with kisses, especially when you hug him by his neck while you sit on his lap, man goes FERAL.

Hugs you tightly when you guys sleep, he doesnt mean to but he just really doesnt wanna let you go.

When he sleeps with you it's like his nightmares almost vanish and all his dreams are of you two retiring and living in a comfy house.

Man would be your personal shield in fights. Would always keep you near him at all times.

Drives extra carefully when you're around and the others notice, but they don't DARE to say anything. (Lmao pussies)

You would catch him staring at you most of the time, he just wants to memorize everything about you, incase something bad happens.

He would give you his hoodies and t-shirts to wear, just so that people know you guys are together.

Hella protective, he's always in the same room with you in the base.

Would watch you sleep, mostly because he cant sleep or isnt sleepy so he just watches you, sometimes caressing your hair and cheeks and watching you unconsciously smile just warms his heart.

Uses you as a weighted blanket fr, loves how warm it is when you're on him.

He would go with you during holiday breaks, not having a family to go back home to.

He cant help but feel warm inside and happy when your family accepts him into the fam, he'll promise to keep you safe forever.

[killg9re]

You made me love you.

simon "ghost" riley x gn!reader

mentions: soft simon, fluff with a lil makeout session

Theres nothing but the sounds of clothes being flung off and mouths panting, a never ending string of kisses being connected.

"Simon..please"

he pauses and stares at me, my hand still firmly on his chest. he's so close to me, our faces so close I can see his eyelashes fanning across his cheeks like a fan in a breeze, I'm pretty sure he could hear my heart beating out of my chest as well as his own.

I can see every tiny detail of his face, his skin has always been pale, but now it looks more washed out than ever, like he's glowing from within. his eyes are half closed, his lips are slightly parted

and oh god.

I can feel him. his hands slide up my sides, his fingers digging into my waist as if i'll disappear, he's looking down at me with those eyes of his that remind me of melted chocolate mixed hazelnut he smiles down at me and i reach up to cup his jaw, caressing it gently. his hair is so soft, I want to run my fingers through it and run my thumb over his cheekbones, the way he does when he thinks I'm sleeping.

he leans down again, this time kissing me softly and my stomach flips, all butterflies flying about until they settle somewhere around my heart.

his kiss tastes of minty chapstick, sweet and warm as it brushes against my mouth. i know we're supposed to be kissing, but i don't care. i think i'l die right here and now if he doesn't stop touching me.

he pulls away first, resting his forehead against mine,

"you know what you did to me"

He whispers. i look up at him, his face still inches away from mine, and smile.

"you made me love you sweetheart."

i love him too.

[iaminsane-blog]

Little Lady, Big Guns.

here is chapter/part 2, hope you guys enjoy :)

As I sat in my cozy office decorated with various small portraits and nick knacks, continued to set out the base modeling on a piece of sketch paper for my newest invention. Throwable tasers. A small sketch of balls equipped with two metal prongs jutting out of one vertices. The slightly weighted metal prongs allowed for the taser to imbed itself into the skin of the victim.  This device would be perfect for far scale attacks, I know director Price would be pleased to see my work. To be truthful weapons weren’t my first interest for a career, it all started in a small gun shop off the coast of San Diego. 

Stumbling into the shop was like walking into a small cave, the walls covered in band posters, the slight smell of gunpowder. It was all unfamiliar but nonetheless comforting. An Old man with young eyes sat on a barstool chair behind the counter and his eyebrow quirked up slightly at the sight of me. 

“Can I help you ma’am?”

I held his gaze and let my eyes draw slightly to the right, to the large handheld gun case next to him. 

“I just moved into an apartment alone and I need a gun for safety.”

It was that simple sentence that launched into a full 30 month journey, first with buying, then the training lessons, the cleaning, hanging out at the store day by day. Mr.Wilcox and I had became extremely  close, with his extensive knowledge and my willing to learn we made a good team. It was when that April a call from a local hospital caught my phone. Mr. Wilcox was caught with a nasty case of stage 4 prostate cancer. Apparently he had known for a while, and simply wished to find a suitable heir to pass his beloved shop onto. It was that hot, humid day in April that I sat by his bedside, clutching keys he had pressed into my palm.

“Mr.Wilcox I have to ask one question, why didn’t you tell me?”

His eyes, glazed over and slightly cloudy still sparkled with a twinge of life.

“ If I had told you that I was going to die, you would’ve acted towards me with unconscious entitlement. And that would’ve blinded your true character. I trusted you with my life and now beyond that I trust you with my shop. Thank you Vera, I think its time.”

And as he closed his eyes peacefully I did the same, the only sound being the slow decline of the heartbeat monitor. 

A small wet spot appeared on my sketch and I swiped away at the sudden tears. I didn’t even register the small knocking coming from the doorframe, the tall frame of Soap. 

“Are you..are you okay?”

His gentle voice caught me a tiny bit off guard, but I needed to deflect his attention. 

“Yeah I was just you know, chopping onions so the tears.”

He gave me a small perplexed look but a small smirk accompanied it. 

“Well me and the boys were wondering if you wanted to come with us to lunch, we like to give newbies the rundown.” I stood and quickly swept up by drawings into my drawer, turning the lock and placing the small key into my back pocket. My outfit of choice today was another patterned skirt with instead a fitted long sleeve black turtleneck. My glasses had slightly slidden down my nose and I adjusted them accordingly before walking up to Soap with a smile. 

“I just have to warn yah, some of these guys haven’t so much as seen a woman in a while. And unfortunately they’ll see you as fresh meat.”

I gave him a tight lipped smile, I appreciated the warning but however I trusted myself. 

“Thanks Soap, but don’t you worry I can carry my own. Let’s go, I’m starving.”

The grayish lump that they called mashed potatoes and the slight orange burnt piece of meat they called beef steak did little to ignite my appetite. As I followed through behind Soap in the lunch line I got a view of the lunch room. Large metal tables situated row by row, each with a group of men seated. And each group of men seemed to have many sets of eyes, all of which were gazing directly at me. While Soap lead the way to my table it seemed very conversation that I passed had stopped, and each head turned my way. I sat down at the table next to Soap and across from Gaz and Ghost, and ghost still worn that damn mask. 

“Can this even be classified as food?”

I moved around the mash on my plate trying to find it somewhat appealing.

“Well it’s high in calories and resembles some sort of lump, So it’s good enough for us”

i let out a small giggle and reached forward for my coffee, straight black just how i like it. Being on this base for only a couple weeks didn’t give me enough time to fully discover it, and i might’ve heard in passing about a local bar.

“Well being a newbie I don’t get told everything but I might’ve heard through the grapevine that there’s a local bar around here? Do y’all know anything about that?”

the playful hint of my voice drew a slight smirk from Soap, who shot a half lidded glance to Ghost.

“Vera you have just trespassed into a dangerous land.”

His ominous answer only peaked my interest more.

“Come one Soap, let up. I’m a big girl I can take it”

He let out a small laugh and leaned forward, as did the others. Inviting me into an inner circle meeting. 

“Listen for newbies they do a certain, uh. Welcoming ritual of sorts. If you can handle yourself then we’ll swing by after lights out and take you . Just be warned it could get embarrassing.”

“I’m in, this is gonna be fun.”

A buzzing from the phone in my pocket brought my attention to an incoming call, from Director Prince. 

“Sorry boys, business calls.”

I collected my half eaten food and coffee while holding my phone between my shoulder and cheek. Walking away from the group.

at the table

“They’re gonna go hard on her.”

“Let’s just hope she isn’t a lightweight.”

Ghost’s jaw clicked with annoyance. He didn’t want you to get black out drunk in front of a group of eager men. It made his stomach churn and his heart burn. He figured showing chivalry, the one trait most of these men didn’t have…. perhaps she’d take notice. 

[glitterhammies]

Getting dressed with copia

- this man has so many clothes, like he has an entire wardrobe of just the most obnoxious extravagant outfits. 

- you wanted to go on a cute picnic date and asked him to dress in something smart and comfy. he comes out in his white stage costume.

- trousers skin tight, essentially a corset jacket and a large rimmed hat. 

- you looked at him fighting laughter. " my love, you know you don't have to get that dressed up just  for a date" 

- you absolutely adored his outfits especially this one, but surely it cant be comfortable while sitting down and having a picnic. 

- "this is one of my nicest outfits, i wanted to make a effort for you amore mio" he replied striking a pose 

- you decided if he was going all out then you were going all out as well

- you wore one of your skin tight black dresses with long sleeves, a corset belt, pentagram necklace and a crow skull necklace. finishing it off with a regal black rose crown headpiece. 

_ you looked at the two of you in the mirror. contrasting but looking just as elegant as each other.

- copia held out his hand to you "ready to go" 

- "lets go" you responded

sorry this was only short, i had a idea but didnt know how to write it as a story. if you want to see more of this let me know and i might add to it!!

[cosmolog]

Keeping You Warm

Where reader and Ghost are on a Squad mission with the others and have to sleep out in the cold. She insisted on not needing him for warmth but in the middle of the night Ghost hears her still tossing and turning and he's had enough.

Reader's codename is Bell (In reference to COD: Cold War)

Female!Reader

Warnings: None

Other: Cuddling, fluff, whispering, reference to COD: Cold War

Ghost and Y/n had always been close. By close I mean, in friendship and on the field. The odd time they would flirt and do things others would consider 'Couple things'. She went on plenty of missions with both Ghost and Soap, all filled with excitement.

But with this particular mission they were on right now, she had been so focused on it she forgot to bring herself a blanket for the cold night they would have to sleep through.

She shivered, a puff of cold air shooting out of her mouth as she exhaled slowly. She cursed herself for forgetting such a necessary thing, but there was no point in kicking herself over it now.

Ghost lay a few feet away, his back facing her. The slow rise and fall of his shoulders made it look like he was asleep. Yet he wasn't. He had been lying awake, seeming to not get any shut eye. He could only think about the mission they would soon face in the early hours of the morning.

He turning around, his gaze immediately finding Y/n's shivering body, her eyes closed, hoping sleep would take over her body and relieve her from the cold.

Ghost had enough of it. Hearing her shift about all night, trying to keep warm. And now that he's given her a taste of what's it's like when she wants to be stubborn and not take his blanket, he can finally warm her up.

He shifted closer to her, causing her eyes to shoot open and meet his. "Cold?" He whispered. She nodded slightly. "Come're, Bell" He pulled her into his chest, resting his chin on her head.

She instantly sighed, feeling his warmth radiating onto her, warming her entire body in less than a minute. She hands resting on his chest while his wrapped around her body, keeping her close.

"Thank you, Simon" She whispered, smiling secretly.

His cheeks grew warm under the balaclava he wore at hearing her say his real name. He hugged her closer. "Get some rest, sweetheart"

"You too, handsome" She replied, drifting off to sleep.

[demonqueen269]

TMNT Street Punks - Unexpected Encounters: (on Wattpad) NEW UPDATES!  https://www.wattpad.com/1035945795-tmnt-street-punks-unexpected-encounters? (y/n) is 17 years-old girl, she was sweet, kind and mostly quite but has a dark side.. Well don't wanna spoil the story and hope you enjoy reading it

[caffeineaddicted-noonie]

Hey, idk whos gonna read this but sokay hah. im not writing here anymore since..its old ahah and im not in the mood to renew it as well. Thus, i made a new writing account @moondinoowmuah yep. and, im fixating on Ghost (cod) surprisingly bc ive played the game for a loong time but bc my tiktok fyp has been flooding with Ghost edits- they fished me out so- eh. but i’ll be happy to write anyone and anything honestly (minors. D.N.I pls)

currently planning to open forrr:

COD

Spiderverse

DC

Marvel

i allow xCivilian, XHero basically xAnything

so yeah! okies byeee

[nackrosor]

Papa Emeritus III x Reader [One-Shots] (su Wattpad) https://my.w.tt/9GSRw0acpM Papa III is already gone for months now, and I'm missing him so much it's unreal! So i'll try to comfort me and everyone who misses him just like me, with some one-shots x Reader. If you have requests feel free to send them to me! ♡ Papa blesses you all!

[https-escape1]

Death Has A Name (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/story/386026680-death-has-a-name?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_myworks&wp_uname=HttpsEscape "You've become so damaged, Simon, that when someone tries to give you what you deserve, you have absolutely no idea how to respond." I scoff and pull away from his grasp. "That's the problem, isn't it?" "The problem is," He says as he presses his nose bridge in between his fingers. "If I kissed you right now, I don't think I'd be able to stop."

[stanfordswifey]

Ghost Headcanons

Artwork not mine!! @/seviida on twt!

So uh.. got a lil bored, enjoy!!

Angsty

Man is very flinchy when you touch him literally anywhere, would sometimes even get into a defensive position automatically.

Takes his job seriously, he won't admit it but he actually doesn't want anyone to die in battle.

If anyone does die he blames it on himself and gets angry at himself to the point where he would probably start throwing stuff around.

He probably shot his teammate once before because they startled him, thise memories will forever haunt him. And he'll never forgive himself for that.

He doesn't take off his mask, it's like a safety net for him. Doesn't like to look at his face either since all he sees is the bad memories he's been thru (because of his scars).

Because of him not wanting to take off his mask, if he takes a bath and he really has to, he'll keep his eyes shut. He doesn't feel like his body is his own after being repeatedly raped.

Would always turn people down when they confess to him. He doesn't believe that people would actually love him.

Barely trusts people, since he was betrayed more than once in his past he'll never actually fully trust someone.

Would sleep with his gun beside him for safety precautions.

Barely sleeps, he says its to 'train his body' but in reality he doesn't like the nightmares.

Fluff

Has a HUGEE soft spot for dogs, he would probably just babble about it for hours on end.

LOVES tea and biscuits in the morning, gets him in a good mood.

Would slightly hesitate if someone offered him a hug, but would eventually hug them (depending on who the person is , ofc)

Probably bites on his mask at times.

Mans mask probably smells HORRIBLE, he'd be the type to barely clean it.. yuck. (Buts its alr we still love him)

[magneto-was-fucking-right]

The Ghost Next Door - Chapter 1

Prompt: After suffering an almost lethal injury in combat, Simon "Ghost" Riley expected a dull, and uneventful leave back at his shitty apartment. His new next-door neighbor ruins his plans. Pairing: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader (named Riley Thomas for plot purposes)

Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Disclaimer: slow burn; neighbor!Simon; will eventually contain very graphic descriptions of smut;

Chapter summary: Ghost returns home to find he has a new noisy neighbor: a socially awkward veterinarian with questionable cooking skills. Word Count: 1.5k

When Simon Riley limply walked in on his flat after four months of deployment, he could barely breathe. The stale air from the lack of proper ventilation had trapped in the humidity of the past rainy days, the walls poorly insulated, and therefore, moldy. As per usual, the place looked terribly dull, the scarce decorative elements inadequately arranged, but certainly well-fitting to the dingy apartment complex in Manchester.

Dropping his duffel bag by the door dismissively, instead of opening the curtains and letting in the evening light, he first headed to the fridge, analyzing its usual contents: two beers, a carton of milk (most likely spoiled by now), a jar of marmite and an old noodles container from the Chinese restaurant he liked, stinking up the place.

“Forgot ya little fucker” he made sure to remember to throw it out later, before grabbing a beer and plopping himself on the couch, careful enough to not hurt his wounded leg any further. But as soon as he grabbed the remote from under his thigh, ready to turn on the news and resituate himself with the current ongoings of the British populace, he finally paid attention to the commotion next door.

“Bloody fucking hell” He groaned “What’s all this racket?”

He heard thumping, scratching, something breaking, quick footsteps and what seemed to be a gentle voice cooing “oh no, please, not again”. Just as he was processing the fact that he didn’t remember having any horizontal neighbors since he first signed the lease (one of the main reasons why he even signed in the first place), an aggressive knock on his door made him instantly rise to his feet, grabbing a black facemask from his bag and moving silently to peek through the peephole.

“Mr. Riley!” The old woman on the other side called out, still knocking, and Simon sighed deeply in annoyance. “I know you’re in there, I saw you come in earlier.”

“Fucking cunt” He muttered under his breath, weighting whether ignoring her would make her leave at once (it wouldn’t, and they both knew it).

He took a deep breath before unlocking the door, regretting it immediately.

“There ya are” She started, shoving a couple papers on his chest, and forcing a pen between his calloused fingers “I need you to sign this immediately.”

“What are you on about?” He tried his best to keep it polite and cordial, but the woman’s presence and constant complaints always filled him with inevitable rage.

“Your neighbor” She pointed to the door next to his, where a great deal of noise still stemmed from the walls “She cannot and will not stay here. She is insufferable.”

Well that makes two, innit? He thought to himself, biting down his tongue.

Faced with his menacing silence, she carried on with her melodramatic monologue:

“It’s a petition to kick her out, I’m getting everyone to sign, even the new tenants, then I’ll arrange a meeting with the landlady for a formal hearing.”

“What the fuck did she do?” Simon inquired, clearly irritated, reading the five signatures on the first page. He was pretty sure three of them were in the same handwriting.

She looked at him indignantly, extending her arms at the door once again, indicating the ongoing clatter.

“She has a bloody jungle in there! Cats, dogs, birds, and God forbid, rats if you can believe it!”

“Mrs. Parsons, I think we all had rats in our apartments at some point this year.”

“Not as pets! It’s disgusting, and everyone’s been complaining about the noise!”

He glared at her indifferently, eager to return to the comfort of his privacy and wallow in his frustration, giving his leg some much needed rest. She stepped back, seemingly realizing that Mr. Riley was in one of his moods, not keen on indulging in useless chatter or gossip.

“Right, well, not interested.” He tried to return the signatures, to which she vehemently refused, pushing them back to his chest.

“At least consider it Mr. Riley. She lives right next to you and the walls are thin. Your signature’s the most important one.”

“Will do.” He shut the door on her face, mindlessly throwing the papers and the facemask on the coffee table as he limped back to the couch and turned on the tv. He hissed after realizing he had ripped his stitches as he sat down aggressively, a splotch of blood soaking the fresh bandage he had been arranged on base.

“Fuckin’ hell” he sighed tiredly, deciding he would deal with it first thing in the morning.

***

As the pandemonium progressively decreased throughout the night, Simon had fallen deep asleep on the sofa, tv still on and feet kicked up on the table. But when there was a new knock on the door, this time softer, he felt like he could have only been sleeping for five minutes, exhaustion and grumpiness still ingrained in his bones.

“What now?” He groaned to himself, massaging his sore neck, and finally remembering to kick off his boots. He was so used to sleeping fully clothed, often even geared up and ready to go, that he always took some time to remember how to act like a civilian again once he was back home.

Just as he readjusted himself to go back to sleep, his lids semi closed and arms crossed over his chest, one more knock arose anger in his belly at his newly interrupted rest. Frustrated, he sighed before getting up, easing up the pressure on his wound as the sharp pain reminded him of the ruptured sutures from the previous evening.

Facemask on once again, Simon opened the door aggressively, expecting Mrs. Parsons to come collect her newfound project in ruining other people’s lives, and therefore halfway of saying “What the fuck do you-”

“I-I’m so sorry! I know it’s early and I was probably a huge bother all night, but I wanted to apologize before leaving for work and-”

“Slow down.” He commanded, stopping the young woman’s panicked rant. He had barely rubbed sleep from his eyes and his mind wasn’t yet ready to take in another dreadful monologue. He observed her intently, as he often did to potential threats (usually concealed by the shadows), but as the circumstances proved different, she observed him right back. He always felt strange and vulnerable without the skull mask, regardless of the black facemask covering half of his visage anyway.

She couldn’t possibly be over 25 years old, her bright and cheerful complexion not carrying the weight of the tired lines that came at 30. She was considerably shorter than him, but still quite tall for a woman, her frame concealed under oversized scrubs that seemed ridiculously out of place; her hair messily tied in a long braid. She held up a tray with what seemed to be freshly baked cookies, but about half of them were burnt.

As she smiled nervously, he noticed one of her canines was slightly chipped, and the small white scar across her right eyebrow almost distracted him from the dimples. If she had noticed him stare at the small imperfections, she didn’t seem bothered at all, continuing her anxious speech as if she had practiced in front of the mirror beforehand.

“Right, I’m sorry, I really hoped we could meet in better circumstances.”

“What time is it?” Simon groaned, looking at his wrist to check his watch. “Fuckin’ hell, it’s 6 in the bloody morning.”

“I know, I’m sorry, I was gonna bake you a cake and offer you tea, but I was called in unexpectedly yesterday an-”

“That’s lovely and all, but why are you knocking on my door at six in the morning with half-burnt cookies?” He interrupted moodily and almost regretted it once he saw her smile falter and her cheeks redden in shame.

“Oh…” She lowered the tray, her eyebrows scrunched as she analyzed the overcooked treats and tried hard to recover. “Well, I just wanted to apologize for all the noise from last night before I left for work. I feel terrible about it and-”

“Apology accepted.” He stepped back, ready to shut the door.

“Wait!” She held it with her foot, nervously trembling under his cold gaze. She took a deep breath, and he sighed, his head slightly tilted to the right, as if deciding what to think of the socially awkward woman meddling in his business. “I just…”

“Go on.” He encouraged, trying to speed up the end of the uncomfortable encounter.

“I’m new here.” she blurted out “I moved in about a month and a half ago and people don’t seem to like me very much already” she sighed, and he noticed the dark bags under her tired eyes.

“So I’ve heard.”

“I work at the Vet clinic a few streets nearby-”

“I didn’t sign it.” He interrupted once again, and she would certainly be frustrated if she wasn’t so happy about what he said.

“The petition?”

“Yeah.”

“Really?” Her face gleamed with relief “Because I-”

“I’m due to consider it.” He added, her expression quickly dropping to disappointment.

“Why?” Her soft, defeated tone could almost pull on his heartstrings. If he had one.

“I don’t know if you’ll bother me yet.” Now he was just messing with her.

“I won’t!” She argued, defensively.

“Alright. I’ll think about it over that cake.” He closed the door, leaving her open mouthed in shock, the tray of cookies still in hand.

He heard her softly press her forehead to the door after a thoughtful moment, and then yell out:

“Are you allergic to anything?”

“People.”

A/N: I'm back! I wrote this months ago but only just decided to start posting these series :) I LOVE writing porn but when it comes with a cute backstory attached it's just *chef's kiss*. I plan on keeping the chapters simple and comforting - writing has been really helping me cope with seasonal depression, and the boredom of routine in general. New chapter coming soon... Enjoy!

[magneto-was-fucking-right]

The Ghost Next Door - Chapter 8

Prompt: After suffering an almost lethal injury in combat, Simon "Ghost" Riley expected a dull, and uneventful leave back at his shitty apartment. His new next-door neighbor ruins his plans. Pairing: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader (named Riley Thomas for plot purposes)

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7

Disclaimer: slow burn; neighbor!Simon; explicit sexual content; unprotected sex;

Chapter Summary: In which Simon and his neighbour exchange confessions (and bodily fluids).

Word Count: 3.9K

Come Monday evening, Simon Riley found himself facing his hardwood floors, strong, firm biceps holding him steady in a strong plank. 

The heavy rain splattered loudly against his windows, the howling winter wind unrelenting against the building’s edges. He had turned the small heater on hours ago, but he knew if he wasn’t settling his daily score of push-ups he would be freezing regardless.

Johnny had left the previous evening, taking the overly excited pup out of his neighbor’s hands, and Simon had busied himself with deep cleaning the flat, finishing the day with some much needed exercise to take the edge off. He both loathed and yearned for the anxious nerves bubbling in his stomach everytime he thought about his last encounter with the young woman next door.

He had found no relief in the familiar touch of his own hand, nothing nearly satisfying enough to keep his mind from wandering back to her kitchen, and the wetness coating his fingers inside her warmth. 

He felt his cock twitch in his sweatpants once again, permanently hard with the worst case of blue balls he had ever experienced, since he first felt her eager grip around his base, and the languid strokes that had almost brought him over the edge. Johnny hadn’t shut up about having caught them in the middle of something, despite Simon’s unyielding denial and threats to dump his corpse over the canal, and he knew he would never let it go.

He pulled himself off the floor, joints popping semi-painfully as he checked his watch.Simon couldn’t deny the unsettling concern twisting in his stomach as he checked the time again: Riley should have been home at least an hour ago. He admonished himself for having studied her routine so well, knowing she would most likely find it creepy, but as soon as he pulled his hoodie over his head, he heard her keys jiggle in the hallway.

As per their usual routine, he waited for her to be ready to spend some time with him, putting on his face mask and walking over to the stove, beginning to heat up dinner as he heard her move about. 

Was that…sniffling? 

He knew something was off the moment she meekly knocked on the door, and he wasn’t surprised to find tears rolling down her freckled cheeks, hair messy from the wind, still in her oversized scrubs reeking of cat piss.

“Bloody hell…” He recoiled from the stench. “Wha’ happened to you?”

“I had the worst day ever!” She cried weakly, shoulders slouched in defeat as Simon softly pulled her inside.

“I can see that, love.” He cocked his head to the right “Wanna talk about it?”

“I had to put down a puppy.” She sobbed into her hands and his heart broke at the pain in her voice, the way she trembled. “Then we got two feral cats to spay and one of them pissed all over me, I stepped on dog shit on the way home, got soaked from the rain because I forgot my umbrella and my hot water isn't working.”

She sighed, exhausted, and Simon waited patiently for her breaths to slow down, stepping closer carefully.

Then he wrapped his arms around her smaller frame, engulfing her in a loving embrace that had her head buried in his chest. At first she had resisted, palms pressed against the muscled span of his broad shoulders.

“Simon…I stink.” 

“So do I, love.” He muttered into her hair, holding her tighter until eventually she relaxed, sighing deeply at the comforting touch, her hands holding onto his hoodie as if she was afraid he would let go too soon. He wouldn’t.

“I ain’t very good with words.” He admitted, arms still secured around her back as she inhaled his scent, his chin propped up on her head. “But how about you take a shower here while I fix yours, and then we eat some dinner, yeah?”

“You can’t always be the one cooking, you know.” She frowned, lifting her head up to look at him.

“Nonsense. M’ home all day anyway.” His thumb wiped away stray tears, a gesture he had so quickly become accustomed to. “Besides, we both know I do it much better.”

“Asshole.” Riley giggled, wiping her nose, and Simon smiled under his mask in genuine happiness.

***

Riley Thomas crossed her arm over her chest, fully naked in her neighbor’s bathroom as she reached for the fluffy towel he had arranged for her. Her scrubs and underwear were discarded on a messy pile on the impressively clean tiles, and she grimaced at the view.

She shivered, freezing, despite the heater Simon had bothered to move to warm up the small space while she washed, quickly realizing she had forgotten to ask him to retrieve some of her own clothes.

“Simon?” She called out nervously from behind the door, but got no response. She sighed deeply before walking out into the hallway, towel wrapped tight around her body as she walked around the flat, trying to find him.

The decorations were overall scarce, most of the rooms in desperate need of a woman’s touch, but she couldn’t help being surprised at how immaculate he had left his home, so in contrast with the constant layer of dust and pet fur in her apartment.

She slowly walked into the last room at the end of the corridor, feeling vulnerable as she found his bedroom, just as tidy as the rest of the house. Simon was nowhere to be seen, but she felt oddly watched as she noticed a picture on top of a dresser, the dim light coming from the window barely enough to make out the silhouettes. She stepped closer, curiously.

Two very young boys smiling brightly, sitting on a young woman’s lap. A scrawny, odd looking man behind the three of them. The father, she figured. 

Riley marveled at the chubby blonde boy’s face, frozen in permanent happiness, big brown eyes so innocent and endearing. She lifted a finger absentmindedly, eager to touch the family portrait.

As her skin neared the cool glass, cased between the frame, a deep, gravely voice spoke, like a ghost in the shadows:

“I was 8. Tommy was still a little lad.” 

She startled, eyes snapping back to him, gripping the towel closer to her frame.

“I was looking for you.” She muttered, as a form of apology, but he didn’t seem even remotely upset.

“Just fixed your shower.” He lifted her apartment keys, turning on a small lamp and stepping closer, setting them down on top of the dresser.

“Did you check on Milo?”

“‘Course. Big geezer. Sleeping on your pillow.” Simon kept a respectful distance, but frowned at her bare feet on the cold floors.

“I forgot to ask you for my clothes.”

“Thought about’it. Didn't wanna touch your stuff without your permission, though.” He shrugged apologetically before pointing at his dresser. “Make yourself at home, take whatever you need.”

Riley turned away from his gaze shyly, looking over her shoulder at his room.

“Your bed is huge.”

“I’m a big man.”

“That you are.” Her eyebrow rose in delight as she quickly looked him up and down, and Simon didn’t miss the mischievous glint in her eyes at the double meaning of her words.

He blushed, trying his best to keep his eyes on her face, taking the initiative to pick warm, comfortable clothes for her to wear.

“Your mother is beautiful.” She spoke softly, careful of what her words might trigger.

Simon froze, silent for a whole minute, before he replied:

“That she was.” His heart ached at the thought, but Riley’s presence seemed to somewhat soothe the deep, unforgiving pain of grief. 

She went quiet, afraid she had overstepped some unspoken boundary, but Simon was quick to dismiss it as he passed her a pair of thick woolen socks.

“Put those on, before you catch yourself a cold.” 

“You know…I didn’t expect you to own face wash.” She tried to change the subject as she sat on his bed, dismissing his command.

Simon turned, offended.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, you know…big, broody, mysterious guy…just didn’t seem like the type to worry about skin care.” She shrugged, teasing him.

“I’ll let you know I have wonderful skin.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Who taught you about skin care?” Riley leaned back on her arms, less worried about holding the towel as she relaxed further into his bed.

“Why? You jealous?” 

She pressed her lips into a thin line.

“Maybe.”

“Hm.” Simon stepped closer, slowly kneeling in front of her bare legs. Her heart skipped a beat as his calloused fingers casually wrapped around her cold ankles, grabbing the socks and pulling them gently over each of her feet. 

“I’m not the one going on dates.” He fired back, and she felt her cheeks heat at the accusation, removing a foot from his grasp.

“Never thought it’d bother you.” 

“Never said it did.” He countered, heavy gaze challenging hers.

“Well, did it?”

“Did it what?”

“Bother you?”

He cocked his head to the right, considering his next words carefully. He was about to stand up, but she pressed her foot into his shoulder, holding him down. Simon’s breath quickened at the bold gesture, fingers digging deeper into her calf, teetering on the edge of self control.

“You’re a single woman.” He grumbled, noncommittally. “You’re free to do whatever you please.”

“That right?”

“Of course.”

“What if I want to do you?”

The tension between the two only deepened as she leaned forward, chest heaving under that damn towel he couldn’t wait to get rid of.

“Choices have consequences.” He muttered, gaze unfaltering as he gently grabbed her ankle and slowly lowered it from his shoulder. Instead, he yanked it forward, pulling the young woman closer to the edge of his mattress. If he so much as looked down he would have the perfect view of her naked sex, kneeling there so menacingly between her parted knees. His eyes, however, wouldn’t leave hers as he awaited for her next move.

Riley’s breath caught in her throat as she quickly held the towel against her breasts, legs trembling slightly. Goosebumps littered her skin as she bit her lip, considering his words.

“I want you.” She whispered, as if afraid the words would force him to retreat and hide behind his cold and detached demeanor. “I don’t care about anything else.”

“You should.” He leaned closer, fingers trailing up her calves and the back of her knees. “There’s lots of things you don’t know about me.”

She cradled his face carefully, looking down into his eyes so adoringly Simon felt his heart skip a beat. And then her fingers were hooked on the sides of his mask, pulling it down ever so carefully. He saw her hold her breath in anticipation.

A strong nose, probably broken one too many times, Riley noticed as she traced the small bump with her pointer finger. A massive scar that went all the way from his left ear to the underside of his chin, splitting the side of his chapped lips in a pinkish and white trail of skin. She felt her hand tremble as she softly grazed it with her nail, feeling his fingers gripping her legs tighter. Her thumbs caressed the sides of his stubbled, strong jaw as she admired his features in a trance.

“Then tell me.” She begged, face so close to his they were sharing avid breaths.

“For starters” His dark brown eyes finally moved down to her lips, incapable of facing her potential judgment “I’m 35 and I ain’t never been in a serious relationship. Not that there haven’t been any deserving women. I just thought they deserved better than me.”

Riley opened her mouth to speak, but he shushed her with a gentle finger to the lips, silently willing her to listen.

“Don’t have much of an education either. After I was done with school I was a butcher’s apprentice, and then I joined the army. All I was ever good for was a night of quick fun. No strings attached.” Simon admitted, large hands now back on her legs, rubbing soothing circles on the cooling skin.

“I don’t care.” She whispered, joining her forehead to his, fingers delving into his blonde locks.

“You’re not listening.”

“I am! I just-”

“I’ve killed people, Riley.”

Simon could physically feel the change in demeanor. He expected it. He noticed how her shoulders slouched, how dozens of questions flashed through her mind and her fiery persistence was considerably doused when faced with reality. People always preferred to ignore what being a soldier actually meant.

“I’m damn good at what I do.” Her fingers tightened in his scalp. “And my performance solely relies on the premise that I have nothing to lose. If I allow myself to indulge in this, as much as I’d love to - and trust me, I fuckin’ want to - I won’t be able to keep doin’ my job. And the job is all I know, all I’ve ever had.”

A long minute of silence ensued, their foreheads still joined together.

Simon’s stomach twisted with anxiety, and he could feel cold sweat starting to bead on his back. He was trying to mentally prepare for her rejection, but he realized he couldn’t. He had never cared this much about anyone before.

What he wasn’t expecting was the feel of her soft, tentative lips pressed against his own, cold on warm skin as her fingers locked him into place in a determined kiss. Simon groaned into her mouth, blood immediately rushing down as her tongue slowly explored his parted lips, fingers pulling on his scalp.

He couldn’t think. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t fight it any longer as Riley pulled him impossibly close, hands descending into the hem of his hoodie and tentatively roaming under the fabric. She sighed contently into his lips, feeling the firm muscle and the soft trail of hair she was so eager to explore.

She gasped, tilting her head back as his warm lips moved to her neck, calloused hands secured around her thighs, kneading the flesh slowly. With eyes shut, thoughts lost in the bliss of finally feeling his tender touch, Riley pulled down the towel, baring her round breasts and letting it pool on her navel.

Simon’s lustful gaze darkened, descending his trail of wet kisses all the way down to her collarbone, lovebites marked upon her cooling skin as his hand reached up to knead her tit.

“You sure about this?” he murmured against her skin.

“Are you gonna make me beg?” She sighed deeply in pleasure as his thumb and pointer finger rolled her peaked nipple carefully. He licked a long stripe between the valley of her breasts, humming softly with eyes shut as if he was savoring her taste, before his lips left sloppy kisses along her other mound.

“Maybe.” He teased, tongue darting out to circle her left nipple, wetting it for a few seconds before retreating as soon as he felt her fisting the comforter, a strangled moan barely having left her pretty lips. “I think I’d enjoy the sound of that.”

“Simon, please…”She whispered as he licked the other one, this time for longer, before suckling on it, a deep groan rumbling in his chest.

“I was right, I do enjoy it.” He taunted before sucking her tits patiently, and agonizingly slow.

Riley trembled under his touch, trying not to seem too desperate as warm slick pooled between her naked thighs, fingers tangling in his scalp and pulling roughly as he reached a particularly sensitive spot that made her walls clench.

“Fuck” She moaned as his mouth parted from her chest, thumbs rubbing circles on her nipples, coated in his saliva. “Please…”

“Please what, love?” She sighed in desperate frustration, grinding her hips into the air when he pinched her sensitive skin.

“I need more.” She pawed at his hoodie, trying to pull it over his head.

“Greedy little thing.” Simon rumbled as he helped her strip his torso, a mass of muscle, scars and tattoos that left her breathless as her hands eagerly reached for his abdomen. But Simon wasn’t done yet, palm pressing against her chest, softly coaxing her to lay back down on the mattress.

“Simon…”

“Hm.” He grunted, lips already pressed into her inner thigh as he lifted her knees, placing her calves on each of his shoulders. He felt her legs tremble uncontrollably as he removed the towel from her lower body at once, exposing her glistening cunt, and making his half-hard cock twitch in his briefs.

“You don’t have to” She muttered as he sucked a hickey into her supple flesh, nearing the apex of her thighs, stubble tickling her sensitive skin. Riley’s fingers dug into the comforter, eyes shut in anticipation and nervousness as she felt his open mouthed kisses almost reach her folds.

“Don’ worry, love. This will be the best meal you’ll ever serve me.” She smiled shyly, cheeks heating at his gravely words.

Simon stuck out his tongue, but instead of placing it where she needed him most, he gave a series of slow, calculated licks to the delicate skin right next to her folds, as if he mimicked what he would do to her bundle of nerves in a few seconds. Riley whimpered at the tease, trying to wiggle her hips to reposition them under his mouth, but his hands held her down firmly.

“Where were we?”

“Huh?” She groaned in frustration, and he chuckled against her skin.

“With the begging.”

“Simon!” She whined as he licked around her folds once again, humming contently as he avoided the center of her sex. “Please!”

“Please what?”

“Please, eat me out!” She sighed deeply, cheeks bright red at the filthy words, but the embarrassment was quickly forgotten as he placed a delicate kiss on her clit, slowly building it up with languid movements of his tongue, side to side, as if he was making out with her cunt.

Riley let out a strangled moan, slack jawed and back arching from the bed as he carefully kissed, licked, and sucked on her soaked folds, tongue circling the small bud expertly, before moving down and teasing her entrance. Her hand reached down blindly, and he was quick to hold it with his own, fingers interlacing as he lapped at her sex hungrily.

The young woman was burning up under his touch, breath quickening too soon, too easily, and she felt embarrassed at how fast she’d crumble if he kept up his ministrations.

“Simon..”A warning.

“Hm.” He grunted into her, lost in her pleasure before he aimed his tongue lower and licked her from hole to hole, and then hole to hole to clit.

“Oh fuck.” She moaned loudly, and he hummed in approval, repeating the action again and again until he felt her tightening her grip on his hand, the other hand firmly gripping his locks.

“Please.” She begged, and he couldn’t refuse, using his thumb to collect the wetness at her entrance and sinking it into her tight hole slowly.

“I’m gonna cum.” Her voice broke, chest heaving.

“I know.” He latched his mouth onto her swollen clit, tongue gliding on it from side to side in quick movements as his calloused thumb slowly massaged her inside.

The pleasure blinded her as she reached her peak. The way her whole body trembled at once, toes curling and breath caught in her throat, back arched as she fisted his hair painfully tight. Simon didn’t care, he didn’t stop for one second, even when his tongue began cramping.

At last, Riley grabbed his shoulders, still panting as she reached for him, and he made an effort to get off his knees.

“Fuckin’ hell.” He groaned as his joints popped painfully.

She was already grinning and giggling as he held her gaze.

“Not a word, kid.” He warned and she laughed even harder, reaching her arms up for him to join her.

Simon pulled down his sweatpants and briefs, rock hard cock springing free before he carefully placed his body on top of hers, forearms bracing his weight.

“Hello, love.” He kissed her nose tenderly, before kissing her cheeks, her chin and her forehead, as she had once done to him on that drunken night. She smiled happily, before pulling him in for a passionate kiss that tasted like her pleasure, legs spread to accommodate him.

“Hello, Lieutenant.” She teased and he nibbled on the side of her neck playfully, making her giggle. “Getting a little too old to stay on your knees for so long?”

“I didn’ hear ya complainin’ two minutes ago.” He taunted, hands rubbing the sides of her thighs as her nails grazed his muscled back. 

“Fair enough.” She reached down between their bodies, pumping his thick cock with a lustful gaze.

“Still up for it, love?” Simon tried to not act as eager as he felt, so close to his peak that he’d be lucky if he gave her three good pumps.

“Get inside of me.” She commanded firmly, spreading further.

“Yes m’am.” 

Simon Riley obeyed, always good at following orders. 

He rubbed his leaking tip on her sensitive clit, eliciting a low moan from her pretty lips, before trying to sink it in slowly.

“Bloody hell…you’re so tight.” He groaned into her ear, stopping slightly as he heard her hiss in pain at the stretch of his thick shaft.

 “You okay, love?”

“It hurts…” She whispered, legs trembling at the intrusion once he penetrated a few inches deeper deeper. “It’s okay, I’ll get used to it.”

“If you need to stop, we stop, yeah? No questions asked.” He reassured, kissing her sweaty brow.

“Please don’t stop.” She begged, readjusting her hips for a smoother entrance.

Simon kissed her neck tenderly, letting his cock sink into her wet heat a little deeper, feeling her breath quicken with his own.

“Relax, love. It’ll make it easier.” He coaxed into her ear, feeling her nod against his skin as her body slowly loosened up under him.

He began a series of shallow thrusts, working his way inside her tight hole inch by inch, feeling his meaty length get progressively wetter, movements becoming sloppier as he finally bottomed out, the sound of skin slapping on skin almost drowning out their moans.

“Oh. My. God.” She whimpered in between thrusts, Simon’s pace quicking as he felt her moving past the pain and into that fucked out expression he had dreamt of seeing so many nights.

“If you keep moaning like that, this is gonna be over sooner than expected, sweetheart.” He panted, body now slamming forcefully into hers, her tits bouncing with each rut of his hips.

“I hope your pullout game is good” She blurted out, eyes rolling back as he hit a lovely spot inside her walls, wrapping her legs around his hips.

“Yeah, princess, me too.” 

Simon couldn’t take it anymore. Her breathy moans, the headboard slamming, his heavy sack sticking to her sweaty skin each time he moved, the tight grip of her walls around his fat cock and the vulgarity of her spread legs were sending him spiraling.

But it was the adoring way in which she looked at him, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him intensely, before looking at him with hazy eyes and uttering the four most terrifying words he had ever heard, that made him shoot a load inside of her.

“I love you, Simon.”

Fuck. 

He came apart.

A/N: You guys already know the drill...so sorry for taking forever to post! As always I love your feedback, messages and asks, so please keep them coming <3

TAG LIST (I hope I haven't forgotten anyone)

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[magneto-was-fucking-right]

The Ghost Next Door - Chapter 2

Prompt: After suffering an almost lethal injury in combat, Simon "Ghost" Riley expected a dull, and uneventful leave back at his shitty apartment. His new next-door neighbor ruins his plans. Pairing: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader (named Riley Thomas for plot purposes)

Chapter 1 Chapter 3

Disclaimer: slow burn; neighbor!Simon; will eventually contain very graphic descriptions of smut;

Chapter summary: Ghost's neighbor works hard to get in his good graces: her dog, not so much. Word Count: 1.2k

Riley Thomas woke up at 5 in the morning with a skull-splitting headache and a sore neck, as she had fallen asleep awkwardly on her armchair the previous evening. It was her day off, but her body was now so accustomed to the work routine she often had trouble allowing herself to sleep in.

In order to get up, she (sorrowfully) had to move a large cat that lay peacefully on her legs, stretching her aching muscles and cracking her joints before starting her morning routine, which consisted of thoroughly cleaning litter boxes and cages, feeding the animals and making sure they kept as quiet as possible. The rest of the apartment was a complete mess (as well as her looks), but at least the pets were well taken care of. The burnt cookies laid abandoned on her small kitchen table, and she grabbed one off the tray before biting into it and trying not to grimace as she tasted it.

“Fuck that’s awful.”

She made a mental note to deep clean the flat as soon as possible but she knew her exhaustion would make her postpone it as much as possible. Riley had a mission much more important than that: to get into her neighbor’s good graces. The thought of confronting the large, intimidating man once again made her stomach lurch and her body tremble with anxiety, but if she didn’t try there was a good chance she – as well as her rescues - would be homeless in less than a few weeks. So, once her home affairs were sorted, she quickly caught up with her skincare routine, replaced her sweatpants with simple jeans and her tank top for a warm sweater, and leashed an excited young German shepherd she was currently housing to head out to the nearest grocery store.

The early morning daylight barely lit up the dim hallway as she fiddled with her keys and gently tried to push the cat’s head inside the apartment with her foot.

“I’ll be back soon Milo” she whispered softly to the stray cat, trying to lock the door as she fought against the dog’s leash. “Alright, alright…we’re going. Calm down Rex.”

The dog’s tail wagged furiously as he pulled on the leash, sniffing his way across the floor. He barked loudly once he caught the scent of a spot that interested him, and she quickly shushed him, terrified he’d bother the neighbours and get her into more trouble. But just as she was about to pull him towards the staircase, her eyes widened in horror as she watched the young dog squat down quickly on a rug. Her next-door neighbor’s rug. The large, intimidating, broody man. The man she was supposed to impress.

“No no no, please don’t!” she frantically tried to pull on the leash, accessing some sort of damage control if he at least did it in the middle of the hallway instead of right in front of the door, but Rex seemed hellbound on dropping it right there.

“Fuck!” she quickly dropped to her knees, pulling out her dog poo bag and fisting it as fast as humanly possible. Her heart thumped heavily in her chest as she heard the door open right in front of her. Riley felt her mouth dry and her stomach drop. Even Rex stood still, sitting obediently as if he hadn’t just ruined her chances of thriving in that place. She looked up with doe eyes, a deer caught in the headlights as the man in the black facemask stared down blankly at her figure.

***

“Did your dog just take a dump on my doorstep?” Simon asked gruffly, dark eyes directed at the young woman’s, as her hand was quite literally deep in shit.

“I-I…” her mouth hung open as she tried to find a hundred different excuses at the same time. “I’m so sorry…” Was the best she could come up with.

Simon cocked his head to the right and stared at her in silence as if trying to make her feel as awkward and uncomfortable as possible. She looked so vulnerable and anxious; it was almost endearing.

She squirmed beneath his intense gaze as she scraped the steaming hot turd as efficiently as possible – to no effect, as it only ingrained itself deeper within the rug’s fibers. “I was just about to take him for a walk…He’s young and still learning and-”

“And?” he teased, interrupting her.

“And I promise I’ll wash your rug! Fuck, I’ll get you a new one if it makes this better!” She looked like she could cry, and Simon was enjoying it.

Just as she was awkwardly getting up, bag full of shit in hand, they heard angry, heavy footsteps coming up the stairs.

“Uh-oh… Here comes trouble.” Simon mocked, extremely interested in the outcome of the next few minutes, leaning against his doorframe, and crossing his arms over his chest.

“Oh, it’s alright…I’m sure Mrs. Parsons will warm up to me…eventually…” the young woman smiled nervously.

The old woman made way through the corridor with her usual scowl and her robe tightly wrapped around her scrawny form, newspaper in hand. She gave Simon’s next-door neighbor and her dog a disgusted look, before indignantly ignoring them.

“Good morning Mrs-”

“Fuck off.” Mrs. Parsons cut her off before she had even finished the sentence, and Simon stifled a chuckle.

“Lovely…” she muttered under her breath, that defeated look back on her face. Her puffy eyes looked worse than in their previous encounter and she forced a smile as if trying to lighten up the mood. “I’m about to get some groceries. I’ll get you that new rug on the way back.”

“Look…” Simon started with a deep sigh, taking a long look behind him at his uninhabited-looking apartment before looking at his wristwatch. “I’m actually in need of some groceries myself. If you help me out, I’ll slide all this under the rug.”

She blinked once in shock, as if trying to comprehend if he was being serious or not. His deadpan expression didn’t help.

“It’s a joke kiddo, lighten’up yeah?” he rolled his eyes at her, before reaching into his back pocket for his wallet.

“Oh…haha” She allowed herself to giggle nervously and rolled back her shoulders, trying to shake the discomfort and relax under his gaze. “Sure, I could do that. Just make me a list of what you need.”

“That’s where it gets complicated. I need everything. I got back from deployment yesterday an’ have nothing to live on.” Simon explained as he passed the young woman 200 pounds in cash. Her eyes went wide as she held the money in her free hand, the stinky bag still occupying the other.

“I don’t know what you like…And you don’t even know me. What if I stole all your money?” she asked and he faked an intimidating glare.

“Well kid, I know where you live.”

“That’s-”

He shut the door on her face and the dog whined softly as if disappointed by the man’s sudden absence.

The young woman sighed deeply.

“You and me both buddy.”

A/N: I hope you guys are enjoying it :) they're about to get closer real soon...

[magneto-was-fucking-right]

The Ghost Next Door - Chapter 3

Prompt: After suffering an almost lethal injury in combat, Simon "Ghost" Riley expected a dull, and uneventful leave back at his shitty apartment. His new next-door neighbor ruins his plans. Pairing: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader (named Riley Thomas for plot purposes)

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 4

Disclaimer: slow burn; neighbor!Simon; will eventually contain very graphic descriptions of smut;

Chapter summary: In which Simon’s neighbor gets to work and he ends up with his pants down. Word Count: 1.9k

12.30 pm

How long do I have to be MIA?

His fingers nervously danced around the keyboard, his stomach a pit of anxiety and resentment.

He let his mind wander, running over the events of the last mission: the adrenaline sharpening his senses, his balaclava soaked in sweat and rain, Soap yelling out in warning, a stray bullet piercing his thigh so quickly he had barely noticed it until the blood loss caused him to collapse in the muddy floor. A shiver went down his spine as he recollected the familiar sensation of having metal cutting down his flesh, tearing it open only to be restitched moments later.

His eyes were back on the tiny screen as soon as it lit up.

12.35 pm

Doc’s orders, Lieutenant. You need time off.

Simon sighed deeply in exasperation, running a hand down his face as he threw his phone on the table. He took a long, bitter look at the bloody bandage around his thigh, his sutures still partially torn, but he hadn’t dared to check how bad it was yet. The absence of a structured routine was already getting to him, and he was terrified of his mental well-being once the weeks turned into months of being alone with his thoughts and traumas he had fought so hard to bury.

The knock on the door hardly surprised him, as he had been expecting his groceries, but dreaded the social interaction that was bound to come with it. As he reached for his facemask, the young woman was once again on his doorstep, looking even more disheveled and fatigued than she had been hours before.

She carried two heavy plastics bags in each hand, the dog’s leash entangled on her wrist as his tail wagged furiously.

“You look terrible.” Simon pointed out. “Did ya have to fist fight for the groceries, kid?”

“Oh ha ha” She replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she struggled to hold up the bags. “A little help, please?”

Simon was quick to reach for the groceries, lifting the weight off her hands so easily she seemed embarrassed at having struggled in the first place. He limped back to the kitchen to put them down on the table and froze once he heard her step inside along with him.

“What are ya doing?” He asked coldly as he saw her stare at his leg, stepping closer as if entranced.

“Y-you’re bleeding.” She pointed at his wounded thigh, the blood soaking through his sweatpants.

“Fuckin’ hell” he muttered as he glanced at the dark wet spot growing in the fabric.

“What happened?” His neighbor asked, deep lines of concern in her expression as she tied the dog’s leash to his doorknob.

“Work injury” He grunted as he stumbled to the couch, feeling progressively dizzier as the wound seemed to have reopened completely.

“Christ…Where’d you get deployed to?” He vehemently ignored her curiosity before hissing as she softly pressed the area around the wound with delicate fingers.

Her face reddened under the heavy silence, and as she knelt between his legs to run her uncalled diagnosis, Simon felt the urge to put distance between the two of them. Physical or emotional.

“Confidential” He replied, coldly and she gave a shy nod, an anxious exhale leaving her frame. “And before ya offer, I don’t need ya help.”

“Right…I’m sorry for asking” She purposefully dismissed his last remark. Simon was just about to ask her to leave when she stood up on her own, eyes still focused on his leg as she retreated to the door, grabbing the pup’s leash and taking him away.

Simon stared at the entrance of his residence in confused shock, not expecting her to leave in such a strange manner, leaving his door ajar, nonetheless. But before he could protest, after hearing a wide variety of noise coming from next door, his neighbor was back with a small box in her hands, this time alone, as he heard the dog whine in the distance.

Simon Riley remained quiet, a grumpy glare burning her figure as she put on surgical gloves and placed a small first aid kit on his coffee table.

“My father was in the military too.” She spoke softly as she prepared clean gauze and a topical iodine-based antibiotic. Simon tried to hide his surprise as she gestured to his thigh. “Let’s just say this isn’t my first rodeo with short-tempered men who can’t admit when they need help.”

He observed her in stunned silence, eyes trailing the small scar over her eyebrow, the deep eyebags that settled on top of a slightly freckled complexion. His thoughts were temporarily invaded with images of a small, introverted child who waited anxiously for her father to return home, months on end with no news or the prospect of a stable life. A chipped canine tooth and dimples. Untamed hair and ill-fitting clothes.

When his eyes returned to hers, she was kneeling in front of him once again, awaiting his permission.

“Would you mind pulling your pants down?” She asks, blushing profusely at the request, to which he sighs deeply and sits in silence for a few more seconds before finally giving in. Limbs stiff with discomfort and suspicion, Simon reluctantly pulls the hem of his sweatpants down, lifting his lower back off the couch slightly to pass them over his muscled thighs, exposing a raging-red gash with tore black stitches.

“Look at that” She mumbled disapprovingly. “This could’ve gotten infected.”

She reached for a sterile tweezer to remove the mangled stitches, and the man let her work in peace, not letting out as much as a sigh when the anti-bacterial medicine burned into his open flesh. Her feather-light fingers revealed such care and compassion towards his injury, he was inclined to enjoy her touch on his thigh, not that he’d ever admit that to himself.

Riley Thomas felt her face and neck burning up with embarrassment. Despite her professional laser focus on tending to a wound, just as what was usual at the Vet clinic, her brain wasn’t quite ready to process the size of his muscled flesh, as well as her hands’ proximity to his most sensitive areas. She did her absolute best to avoid letting her gaze linger on anything other than what was strictly necessary, occasionally glancing up at him to make sure he was okay, always finding his gaze focused on the wall, legs stiff, face half covered.

“I might have an anesthetic spray in my flat. You might feel a slight pinch” She grimaced apologetically as she showed him the small needle and sutures, and he shrugged, unbothered.

“Don’ worry about it” he grumbled, despite his paleness, and she swallowed dryly before raising a slightly trembling hand. This was the hard part.

He cocked his head to the right, mocking her.

“What’s the matter doc? Never worked on an animal this big?” He taunted and she huffed, her face as red as a tomato.

 “I usually do this under the right circumstances, that’s all…” Riley explained nervously.

“And I usually like to be taken for dinner before anyone gets my pants off.” He deadpanned and she almost choked on her saliva, her dimples popping up as she laughed whole-heartedly, diffusing any previous tensions.

“There ya go, kid.” He nodded in approval as she expertly prodded the first patch of skin with the needle, her hands now firm and breath steady as she confidently moved about.

Once she finished, having wrapped bandages around the protective gauze on his thigh, she sat back on her heels, removing her gloves with a sigh of relief.

“Regiment?” He suddenly asked and her eyes snapped back to his, startled. Her lips pressed into a thin line before she answered.

“Marines.”

“Yank?”

“Yes.” She nodded.

“Hmm” He grunted, lost in thought.

A comfortable silence settled between the two as the soldier pulled his blood-stained sweatpants back up and she cleaned up the mess.

“Dead?” He asked plainly and she stilled, fiddling with her fingers for a few seconds, gaze set low. Her mouth opened and closed twice before she gave a proper answer:

“Yes.”

 “KIA?”

“Blue on blue” Riley stood up and turned around quickly, hiding her face from her neighbor’s intense gaze. There was a massive lump in her throat and she forced herself to breathe deeply, etching a smile on her face.

“Where’s your bin?” She changed the subject, interrupting the man’s pensive expression.

“Bottom cupboard, under the sink.” He replied.

She threw away the bloody gauze and plastic wrappers from the equipment, before properly washing her hands on the basin.

“How come your faucet doesn’t leak?” Riley asked in fake outrage and the man blinked slowly.

“Does yours?”

“Everyone’s does in here.”

The man shrugged.

“I can take a look at that later if ya like…” He reluctantly suggested but seemed so uncomfortable by the idea she giggled at his expression and forced politeness.

“It’s alright. My flat is a mess anyway, wouldn’t want you to see it.” She smiled nervously before moving to the grocery bags on top of his table. “Anyway, I got you a rug.” There was a devious expression in Riley’s face as she pulled out the outdoor rug, its pink fibers engrained with the words Live, Laugh, Love. Her neighbor’s abhorred expression and reproachful look made her laugh so hard she had to cover her mouth.

“Thanks. I hate it.” He spoke from the couch with his arms crossed over his chest. “I think I prefer the one covered in shite.”

“It reminded me of you” She still giggled as she set it on the table.

“Because I’m a such a ray of sunshine?”

“Because it’s what you look like you need” She explained “To live, to laugh and to love” She shrugged, two dimples dotting her cheeks.

“People have committed homicide for less.”

“Don’t be ungrateful!” She set her hands on her waist, playfully staring him down. “My housewarming gift was an eviction petition and leaky faucets.”

“Speakin’ of” He bent over to his coffee table, looking around between a few scattered documents until he fished out the petition papers he still hadn’t gotten rid of.

“D’ya have a pen?” He patted his legs as if he was looking for one, and her jaw hung in shock, her hand on her chest in feigned offense.

“You prick!” She grabbed a beer cap from the counter and threw it at his head, which he caught easily and held between his thick fingers.

If Simon wasn’t wearing a facemask, she would’ve noticed the small smile that had plagued his chapped lips. He threw the papers carelessly unto the table and she nodded once, grateful.

“I’ll get out of your hair. Do you need me to put away the groceries before I leave?” She offered, kindly.

“I’m okay.”

“Alright then, you should rest up and eat somethin’ sugary. You’re still a bit too pale.” The young woman advised as she grabbed her purse and her first aid kit, heading for the door.

Just as she was about to close the door behind her, his deep voice spoke from the couch, without turning around to acknowledge her:

“Name’s Simon.”

She froze at the door, trying to contain her happiness.

“I’m Riley.”

She shut the door softly, and he chuckled to himself.

Simon and Riley. Simon Riley.

A/N: Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you guys are enjoying it and it gives you as much comfort to read it as I get from writing it. Let me know if you'd like to be tagged for the upcoming parts, and as always any feedback is welcome! Thank you to the people who have taken some time to comment on it <3

[magneto-was-fucking-right]

The Ghost Next Door - Chapter 7

Prompt: After suffering an almost lethal injury in combat, Simon "Ghost" Riley expected a dull, and uneventful leave back at his shitty apartment. His new next-door neighbor ruins his plans. Pairing: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader (named Riley Thomas for plot purposes)

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 8

Disclaimer: slow burn; neighbor!Simon; explicit sexual content

Chapter Summary: In which Simon's neighbor gets free lunch and ends up with her hand on his pants.

Word Count: 2.1K

Simon Riley and Riley Thomas sat face to face at her round kitchen table, the random assortment of food containers from their favorite Chinese place being the only thing separating them. Their afternoon reunion had been as awkward as could be expected: extremely hungover, Riley tried her best to pretend she hadn’t embarrassed herself tremendously the previous night, and Simon pretended he hadn’t jerked off twice in his shower after he put her to bed.

Tension filled every moment of silence, which Riley was quick to heap with useless chatter on how she hoped the weather got better (it never did) and how delicious the food was (it always had been). Simon simply hummed in agreement when necessary, finding it amusing to silently observe her flustered expression and the way she avoided his gaze.

To her dismay, she couldn’t even count on Johnny to help diffuse the awkwardness between them, since he had immediately - and very excitedly - asked her to take Rex for a walk in the park, while Milo dozed off in her bed. She didn’t think she’d ever be able to refuse the cheerful Scot anything at all. 

When the meal was finished, and the young woman had finally started to relax against her seat, believing him to have opted to forget the matter, Simon cocked his head to the right, readjusting his facemask and therefore silently allowing her to look at his face once again.

“Are we gonna talk about last night?” His deep, low tone made her cheeks flush immediately, her hands covering her face as she sighed nervously.

“Can we not?” She grimaced at the faint memories of her inappropriate behavior, dreading the possibility of having ruined their friendship - her only one - for good. She couldn’t make out exactly what she had said, but she painfully remembered how she had desperately tried to kiss Simon, and the way his hands had firmly kept her away, the rejection still staining her heart.

“You don’t wan’ to?” He raised an eyebrow, but she kept hidden behind her palms. “Riley…” He called and she shivered at the softness in his tone.

She slowly parted two of her fingers, uncovering one of her eyes tentatively. 

“Let’s talk, yeah?”

“Hmm.” She grunted, shaking her head.

“What’s the matter, love?”

“Don’t call me that!” She reburied her face in her palms, feeling her skin heat at the nickname.

“Talk to me, then.”

“I…” She started, but the words died down in her throat. “I’m so sorry.”

Simon leaned back in his seat, arms crossed at his chest.

“What for?”

Riley sighed deeply in exasperation, feeling more humiliated than ever.

“For practically assaulting you!”

He let out an amused chuckle, and she uncovered her teary eye once again, assessing his reaction.

“You’re not…mad?”

“Why would I be mad?”

“Simon…”

“I’m serious, love.”

“You rejected me.” Her voice slightly trembled.

“You were drunk. And very vulnerable.”

“So…I didn’t ruin our friendship?”

“You did. Jus’ not in the way you’re worried about.”

She cocked her head in confusion, but he gave no further explanations, standing up and beginning to collect the empty containers.

“What does that mean?” She frowned, finally fully looking him in the eyes. He ignored her panic, beginning to stuff them in the bin. 

“Simon!” He didn’t let up, turning to wash the dishes she had left piled in the sink the day before.

When he didn’t respond, silently taunting her, she stood up, walking over to him and pinching his behind roughly.

“Easy, kid.” He flinched, surprised at her unusual boldness.

“Tell me! How did I ruin it?” She seemed on the verge of tears, but he returned to the dishes, grunting in response.

Riley let out an angry breath, grabbing his bicep and forcing him to turn to her, pinning him against the sink.

He looked down at her smaller frame, not even a little intimidating, amused at how cute she looked when she was mad.

“Tell me. How. I ruined it.” She commanded slowly, concern visible in her doe eyes as she pulled him down by the collar of his shirt.

Simon was stone cold serious, holding her gaze as he grabbed her wrist gently, lowering it all the way down to his jeans, where he pressed her hand against something hard, and girthy behind the denim.

“Friends don’t usually give me a stiffy.” 

Riley’s lips parted in shock, her eyes fixed on his growing bulge, head emptying as she tried hard to process the meaning of his words.

“Fuck.” Was all she could come up with as she palmed him through his pants, too shocked to move away (not that she wished to, anyway).

“Hm.”

Riley Thomas bit her lower lip pensively, before looking up at the man through her lashes, innocent curiosity mixed with emboldened desire. She pressed her palm more firmly against the protruding hardness, her breath caught in her throat as she carefully mapped out the contour of his length, noticing the way his eyelids grew heavy, dark brown eyes hazy with something she couldn’t yet decipher.

“D-do you mind if I…” She trailed off, hooking a finger behind his belt.

“Let me guess…My consent would be greatly appreciated?” He taunted and she bit her lip once again, nodding slowly with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“By all means.” His deep, sultry voice conceded, and her trembling hands made awkward work of the buckle, followed by the button, and the zipper.

 Riley felt like a hormonal teenager when she placed a sweaty hand on his navel, lips parted in wonder at the lovely blondish happy trail that dipped into his briefs, keen on exploring every inch of his pale skin as her heart hammered violently in her heaving chest. She looked up once again, searching for further approval, unsure of how far he was willing to take it. Simon cocked his head to the right in his usual casual manner, raising a hand to caress her cheek in a comforting gesture.

“You don’t have to.” He assured, thumb grazing her freckled cheek tenderly.

“I want to.” She immediately countered, eagerly. “But do you?”

Simon felt his heart melt at her care and concern, his cock twitching at the kindness in her eyes and the tenderness of her touch.

I’m so fucked. A part of him ached, terrified of those new, unexpected feelings he had worked so long to subdue. 

“I do.” He nodded once “We ain’t got long. Johnny has tiny legs but he walks fast.” And that was the last coherent sentence he was able to utter, until her cold fingers snaked their way inside the fabric of his briefs.

Riley let out a shaky breath as her fingertips grazed the coarse, trimmed curls where his velvety, thick shaft rested, feeling it pulse once she actually gripped it. Simon’s hands rested on the sink, gripping it so tight she was surprised he hadn’t broken it yet, his head tilted back as he let out a deep sigh of relief.

A firm grip around the base, silently measuring the impressive thickness of his hard length and fantasizing about how good it would feel inside of her, stretching her out. She took a deep breath before finally pulling it out from the confines of his warm briefs, a drop of pearly pre-cum leaking from his pink tip. She pumped him once, twice, three times until Simon finally let the smallest, lowest groan fall from his lips.

She bit her lip at the sound, gazing up at his beautiful brown eyes as she moved her hand lower, gentle fingers cupping his heavy sack. Simon’s hands latched onto her hips, holding on for dear life as he kneaded her flesh.

It wasn’t enough, the soft, languid touches exchanged between the two, as Simon’s large, warm hand palmed her breast tentatively, too carefully, over her shirt. Riley gasped when his thumb lazily grazed her hardened nipple over the fabric, lips parting as she teased him right back, her own thumb caressing his leaky slit, eliciting a deep, pleasured sigh from him. 

He held her gaze as his left hand slid under her clothes, calloused fingertips grazing the softness of her tummy, before fully cupping the plump flesh, fingers pulling on her pebbled nipple softly. She felt her insides burn with need as she outright moaned, eyes shutting as he rolled it between his fingers, eyes assessing her every reaction, body responsive to every sound and movement she made.

Riley picked up the pace, pumping his cock more eagerly when his right hand dipped into the hem of her sweatpants, easily gliding a finger over her soaked panties. She blushed in utter embarrassment at the desperate sound that left her lips when his fingers traced the outline of her folds, and Simon smirked under his mask.

“Seems you weren’t lying last night.”

“I really wasn’t.” She whimpered, forehead pressing against his chest as his fingers finally dipped in her knickers, a groan of approval rumbling in his chest at the warmth and wetness of her folds. He couldn’t help it as he pressed the tip of his middle finger against her entrance, testing the resistance as he slowly pushed in all the way to his knuckle, making her hiss at the unexpected stretch.

“Sorry, love.” He wasn’t actually sorry as he took in the desperate way in which she ground her hips to his hand, eager to find relief. Riley lowered her head, and allowed some spit to fall from her lips onto his sensitive tip, lubricating his cock as she pumped him faster. Simon’s weaker leg faltered and he struggled to focus as he gently moved his finger inside her tight hole, massaging her walls with the utmost care before removing it and spreading her slick over her swollen clit. She whimpered and Simon thought he could cum at the sound.

He knew he wouldn’t last long, not with the way she was desperately bringing him close to the edge, wet sounds of her saliva coating him all the way down to his balls filling the small kitchen. He felt like his virgin 16 year old self, barely hanging on at the feel of her round tits beneath his hand, the both of them all avid gropes and desperate caresses as he kneaded every inch of bare skin he was lucky enough to touch, while she pumped away any of his remaining sanity with firm strokes.

The young woman almost begged him to remove his mask, to let her swallow those pleasured groans and soft whimpers that made warmth pool in the apex of her thighs as the mutual masturbation continued, but she didn’t want to push her luck. Not yet, at least.

“I’m close.” She admitted, not even five minutes since they had begun, her cheeks flushed with shame and vulnerability as she looked up into his eyes.

“I’ve been close since you started.” Simon groaned in her ear, veiny shaft pulsing,leg faltering.

“Simon…” She whispered quietly, panting as he quickened the pace at which his fingers fervently rubbed tight circles around her bundle of nerves. Her loving gaze and her parted lips awoke something deep within him, something that meant much more to him than the pleasure she was coaxing from his body.

Simon Riley had had lovers. Not many, but a considerate few who had managed to set his guard down long enough to earn a shag, nothing more than meaningless, quiet humping, meant to satisfy primal instincts and stifle his relentless loneliness - temporarily, at least. But he had never had that: Riley’s warmth, and beautiful, loving eyes that seemed to look beyond him, his mask, and actually care.

He didn’t object when her left hand slowly reached up, pointer finger ready to pull down his mask as her right hand continued her ministrations. He actually leaned down, his face so close to her he could breathe in her soft sighs of pleasure. Her nail had barely grazed the side of his stubbled jaw when they heard loud barking in the hallway, their bodies freezing at the same time.

The two neighbors barely managed to get their hands off each other’s underwear, Simon’s mask snapping back into place, hands fumbling to tuck his hard cock back into his jeans awkwardly while Riley readjusted her shirt. In a minute, Johnny McTavish was already bursting through the door, the pup at his leg wagging his tail excitedly.

“Christ…Am I interruptin’ something?” He teased, mocking their suspicious proximity, Riley’s face and neck reddish like a tomato as Simon quickly turned to the sink, pretending to do the dishes.

“Did ya get us tea?” The Lieutenant asked, coolly changing the subject.

“Of course. Anythin’ for my two favorite love birds.” 

“Fuck off.” Simon rolled his eyes as he threw the sponge back in the sink, side eyeing the drinks he placed on the table.

Riley still blushed furiously, seemingly inclined to throw herself out of the window as Johnny smirked, unleashing Rex and turning to his best friend while pointing to his midsection.

“Oh and Simon?”

“What?”

“Ya forgot the belt.”

A/N: Once again, apologies for the delay!! Uni and work have been kicking my ass so as per usual I'll be doing my best to upload as fast as possible! Thank you so much for every single comment and message <3 Keep the feedback coming, it really motivates me :)

TAG LIST (I hope I haven't forgotten anyone)

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[magneto-was-fucking-right]

The Ghost Next Door - Chapter 5

Prompt: After suffering an almost lethal injury in combat, Simon "Ghost" Riley expected a dull, and uneventful leave back at his shitty apartment. His new next-door neighbor ruins his plans. Pairing: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader (named Riley Thomas for plot purposes)

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 6

Disclaimer: slow burn; neighbor!Simon; will eventually contain very graphic descriptions of smut;

Chapter Summary: In which Simon's neighbor goes on a date but still ends up on his couch...

Word Count: 2.4K

One dull, oddly quiet evening, Simon Riley had decided to cook dinner for the first time in months.

Although his wound had healed considerably in the past few weeks, he knew he wouldn’t be ready to apply for medical clearance just yet, the base’s doctor preying on any sign of physical or mental discomfort like a hawk. His limp had been reduced to an occasional stumbling when his leg gave out, only problematic after long walks or if he missed his daily stretches.

The boredom of the current routine (or lack thereof) was a disease spreading through his bones, consuming his mind and slowly killing him bit by bit. He found himself seeking comfort in his neighbor's own ordinary habits, picking out singular sounds and signs of Riley’s activities in her flat: feeding the pets, the incessant scratching noises and whines from the pup, the way she sweetly comforted them even when they misbehaved. She left early in the morning, and regardless of her attempts to do so quietly, Simon’s line of work had made him a terribly light sleeper. When she returned in the evenings (seldom earlier than 18 o’clock), he unconsciously sighed with relief, happy that the usual racket would prevent him from being solely accompanied by his dark thoughts. When he finally heard her lay in bed late at night, he felt as if he was back on the field, studying the enemy, listening to either her soft snores of exhaustion or her tossing and turning on the sheets, deep sighs of frustration echoing his own.

He had barely started chopping up vegetables when he heard an anxious knocking on his door that night, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He had heard her frantically move about after she’d returned from work, quick steps pacing back and forth as even Milo’s uneasiness made itself heard through constant meowing.

He wiped his hands on a clean cloth before reaching for the black facemask near the entrance, unlocking his door lazily. There, stood Riley. In a dress. With makeup on.

His body immediately stiffened at the sight, eyes drifting up and down, taking in the details as fast as humanly possible. He unconsciously took a step back, his leg faltering as he tried to pretend to be unbothered by the way the elegant garment enveloped her curves (that her oversized clothes had hidden for so long), the modest length to her knees doing poor work of concealing the soft flesh of her legs.

As his eyes quickly drifted up again, his pupils widened as he fixed his gaze on a generous cleavage, completely unprepared for the plumpness of her breasts. He gulped silently as he struggled to keep his eyes on her face, until he noticed how carefully she had drawn on some eyeliner that made her eyes stand out, mascara building long, dark lashes that somehow complimented her small freckles.

“What do you think?” she asked, smiling, giving him a shy spin before tucking her arms behind her back and shrugging awkwardly. Her heels were noisy against the old floors of the hallway.

He was rendered speechless, however maintaining his usual broody facade as he shrugged, feigning disinterest. Her smile crumbled as a deep frown set on her flushed expression

“Oh no…It’s too much isn’t it?” She looked down at herself with trembling hands. “I don’t have time to change.”

“No” Simon spoke before he even thought about it, but couldn’t find himself capable of blurting out how he actually felt about it. “It’s…You’re…”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to pretend to like it.” She laughed nervously, the awkward tension rising between the two as Simon’s breath quickened. “I’m going out and I just wanted to know if you could keep an ear out for pets…I have a cam in the living room to watch them but It’d be rude to keep checking my phone and-” She stopped herself as she observed Simon’s pensive expression. “I’m rambling ain’t I?”

“Where ya going?” He tried to sound casual, but his voice came out strained as he leaned against his door frame, arms crossed and chest tightened.

“Oh…my sister kind of forced me to go on this arranged date thing…it’s silly, really…” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and giggled nervously, avoiding his gaze.

“Hmm.” His usual grunt returned and her shoulders slouched slightly. Simon felt uncomfortable as something unknown coiled in the pit of his stomach, making him suddenly lose his appetite.

She patiently awaited his answer, looking up at him through those long lashes.

“I’ll hear out for’em” He nodded in acknowledgement before making it to turn around and flee her perfumed scent. Lavender soap and a whiff of vanilla.

“Wait.”

Her delicate fingers wrapped around his wrist softly, giving him a way out of her grip if he wished to. He felt himself shiver as he looked back at her.

“Thank you, Simon. I won’t be long.” Riley offered an apologetic smile before stepping back, readjusting her purse on her shoulder.

He couldn’t even speak as he watched her walk away.

***

Simon had been quietly staring at his kitchen wall for about half an hour, festering.

Once he had finished preparing his homemade version of chicken fried rice - his knife practically stabbing the meat before he seasoned and cooked it - he uncorked a bottle of wine, pouring himself a large glass, trying to quiet his racing mind.

Who could she possibly have a date with? The young woman was practically slaving most of her days at work or taking care of on coming and going pets she sheltered. Even if she was telling the truth, and the date had actually been arranged, he still found himself bothered with how well she’d dressed up for something “silly”.

Why do you care? he asked himself, frustration bubbling in his chest. I don’t - a part of him replied.

What if she brings him home? What if I hear them in her bedroom tonight?

He startled as he heard the glass between his thick fingers begin to crack, taking a deep, calming breath as he eased the pressure around it.

“Fuckin’ hell” he muttured, shaking his head as he made way to sit on his couch, downing the drink in fast gulps as he turned on a football match.

Just as he was about to doze off, his eyelids hanging low as the sleepiness from the alcohol enveloped his body and soothed his mind, he heard quiet, sneaky footsteps echoing in the hallway. He frowned as he heard the keys dangling next door, taking a quick look at the time on his phone. She hadn’t even been gone for an hour.

Simon groaned as he carefully stood up, reaching for his facemask as he heard the puppy whine and bark, intending to use it as an excuse to go check. His stomach knotted as he considered the possibility of catching her with someone, but he quickly buried those feelings down, his face utterly calm and collected.

Riley hadn’t even fully closed the door yet when he quietly reached her threshold, knocking softly and startling her.

“Fuck…you scared me.” She sniffled, quickly wiping away tears as she tried to force a smile, throwing her heels on the corner. “I thought you’d be resting, didn’t wanna bother you.”

Simon took a few seconds to process her distressed demeanor, stepping inside slowly and casually sticking his hands in his pockets. His head cocked at her puffy eyes and reddened, wet cheeks, her eyeliner ruined as it had completely smudged on the corners.

“Riley-” He started, his tone soft.

“It rained tonight, it was an awful idea to wear heels.” She scurried off to her kitchen, grabbing Milo on the way and kissing his forehead as he purred contently. “Were they too noisy?” She asked as Rex began whining at Simon, begging for his attention.

“No, but I-”

“Great!” She forced another smile while she refilled the pets’ bowls, bare feet on the cold floors. She wiped some snot off her nose as Simon bent over to pet the puppy, his massive hands easily covering the pup’s entire head as he scratched his ears gently. “Thank you so much for helping out.”

“S’nothin. I didn’t really do anythin’.” He shrugged, concern growing in his chest at her odd behavior.

“I still owe you that cake, you know.” She pointed out shyly “I haven’t forgotten, I promise…I’ve just been busy.”

“It’s okay. You’re okay.” He nodded gently and she sighed deeply, trying to avoid his lingering gaze. “Riley…”

“It’s nothing. I promise.” She sniffled again, smiling apologetically at him.

He stood in silence for a few minutes, weighting her words.

“What happened?” He asked, stepping closer until they were face to face, and she had nowhere to escape.

She looked down at her feet as silent tears ran down her freckled cheeks, remaining silent.

“Did he hurt you?” Simon’s voice came out colder than he intended to, fists clenched beside his body, trying to contain the anger that began boiling in his blood.

“No, it’s just…” The young woman covered her face with her hands. “So embarrassing.”

“Why?”

“It doesn’t matter, seriously, I’m just being sensitive as per usual.” His heart sank at her trembling voice and the way she anxiously began fidgeting with her necklace.

“Tell me.”

“Simon…”

Simon took a deep breath, pondering if it was really worth pressing the matter when she didn’t seem willing to talk about it, opting for another route instead.

“I made chicken fried rice for dinner.” He felt his face warm as her smile grew, this time genuine.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He lifted a hand to her face, wiping away a tear with his calloused thumb and secretly appreciating the way she discreetly leaned against his touch, comforted. “Wanna try it?”

“Fuck yeah, I’m starving.” She sighed in relief as Simon let out an amused grunt.

“Language, kid. There’s children present.” He pointed to the pets and she giggled, two dimples returning.

“Let me get some ice cream!” She rushed to the kitchen and Simon gave Milo a pat on his fluffy head.

“I opened a bottle o’wine.”

“A recipe for disaster.”

***

“This is so good!” Riley Thomas spoke with her mouth full as she sat comfortably on her neighbor’s couch, happily savoring the warm meal he had provided.

Whereas Simon was barely teetering on the edge of tipsiness - a couple glasses of wine in - the young woman was undeniably drunk, softly moaning every time she took the fork to her mouth.

“You’re sloshed.” Simon shook his head in amusement, barely containing a chuckle.

“I’m really not!” She protested, giggling at his accusation.

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“And you love me for it.” She winked playfully, making his eyebrows raise in genuine disbelief at her newfound confidence, most certainly alcohol fueled.

“Feelin’ cheeky, are we?” He chuckled, entertained, as well as very relieved she was feeling better about whatever ailed her before.

Riley Thomas set the bowl down, leaning back on the plush couch and lazily pulling her knees towards her chest. Simon gulped silently, doing his best to politely avoid staring at the exposed skin of her thighs where the dress had bunched up.

“I think I feel lighter. Cozier too.” She gave him a dazzling, careless smile, eyelids low as her tiredness became apparent.

“Booze will do that to ya.” He readjusted his facemask, which Riley had begged him to fully remove each time he took a sip of wine. He had refused.

“Hadn’t had a drink or two in a while.” She slurred out and Simon snorted.

“More like a drink or five, love.”

“Stop it.”

“What?”

“Calling me love.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m wine drunk Simon.” She hid her blushing face behind her palms.

“Hm.”

Riley sighed deeply. Loneliness was hitting her like a brick that night, and she found herself craving her neighbor’s attention, yearning for the soft praisal she often imagined he could give. Fantasizing about his warm hands placed on her tense shoulders, the curve of her hips…maybe even the back of her knees. She attributed those thoughts to the dry spell that had been bestowed upon her since her previous relationship, imagining she could easily think that way about any other male that gave her the right amount of attention.

Or maybe she wasn’t yet willing to admit that Simon rattled something deep within her.

The young woman’s gaze fixed itself on his half-exposed arms, a look he couldn’t quite decipher as it trailed up, and down, and then up again, until it stopped on his eyes. He saw hunger.

“Don’t look at me like that.” He warned softly, large hands gripping the armrest.

“Like what?” She asked innocently, voice laced with honey and the prospect of a very, very eventful evening. Such a tempting proposition.

Simon cocked his head to the right, in silent answer.

She shook her head, trying to push away the warmth that trickled down her body, hugging her knees as she rested her chin upon them.

“Sorry…Tough night.”

“Ya ready to talk about it?”

Riley’s shoulders slouched, her face heating at the memory.

“Well…” She huffed, tiredly. “For starters he was thirty minutes late,and because he made the reservation I didn’t want to walk in the restaurant first, alone…”

“Hm” He nodded, a sign for her to go on.

“I texted him a few times, thinking he was a no-show, and he never replied.” She rolled her eyes. “My heels got drenched from the rain and my feet were hurting like hell. When I was about to leave the prick finally showed up and guess what he said next.”

“Can’t possibly think of a good excuse, love.”

“Apparently neither could he. He just said that we probably lost the reservation already and asked me if I’d like to come over to his place.” She huffed angrily, shaking her head. “Then he got mad that I refused and…”

“And?” He urged her to go on, noticing her uncomfortable expression, the way her fingers fidgeted with her necklace.

“And I don’t wanna say what he said.”

“That’s okay. You don’t have to.”

Riley looked up at him gratefully, but decided to open up further. He was a great listener after all.

She sighed once again “He…He told me he only asked me out because my sister kept nagging him about it…and that he thought I’d be an easy shag since I haven’t…dated, in a long time.” She exhaled the words quickly, unable to look Simon in the eyes.

She missed out on his livid expression, the way his fingers seemed ready to crush the armrest as his mind was lost in murderous thoughts.

“Hm.” Was all he could muster.

“Yep.” She looked down at the empty glass, preparing to fill it up again.

“Don’t.”

“Why?”

“You’ve had enough. You’ll feel like shit tomorrow.” He advised, moving the bottle away.

“What do you care?” It came out rougher than expected, and she winced at her own words. Simon’s cold gaze made her shrink further into his couch. “I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted.”

“I didn’t expect to be into him, or anything to happen at all. Although sometimes I do miss being touched by something other than my right hand, you know?”

There it was, the alcohol again. Simon stifled a grunt of agreement, and the sudden warmth that involuntarily gathered at the apex of his thighs again once he considered her words.

“Is it so wrong to seek a bit of warmth sometimes?” Her tone reflected her sadness, and Simon knew he was just as touch starved as she was, albeit he buried those feelings so deeply he rarely ever thought about it anymore. Until Riley Thomas had showed up, that is.

“Do you seek it?” His eyes snapped back at hers, a hand running over his blonde locks as he considered her words.

“Hm.” Was all he was willing to give.

Tense silence fell between the two as she yearned to learn more about him. What moved him. He didn’t feel capable of conceding anything yet.

“You looked…you look beautiful. That guy was a proper cunt.”

His heart melted at the sight of her smile unfolding before him, like a radiant star with dimples, a chipped tooth, and freckles.

“Thank you, Simon.” She whispered as if keeping a secret. Their secret. Simon nodded in acknowledgement and smiled too, under his mask.

Maybe he wasn’t so bad at opening up after all.

A/N: Hey y'all! I hope you guys forgive me for how long I've taken to post this! After 10 years of service my laptop decided to die, and with it everything I've ever written, which was very hard to deal with, especially considering that I needed it to finish my master's thesis. It was very frustrating to write on my tablet with a little keyboard hence why I took forever to post. Hopefully I'll find another solution soon. Thank you for the lovely feedback, keep sharing your thoughts with me ❤️

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