Quiet Mornings And Loud Nights(Ghost Simon Riley)

8- Sunrise

Aspen woke up before his alarm and looked outside his window. He didn't have blinds because the natural light was his favorite. Picking himself up out of bed he took some pain meds and left his room. Most of the other men were still asleep and the lights were dim. Leaving the hall, Aspen wanted to go outside and see the sunrise in action.

When he opened the door a light breeze met his face. Just on the horizon the sun began to rise. Shades of pink and orange filtered through the light cloud layer. Aspen marveled in the beauty and walked over to a grassy field beside the base. There were a few flowers on the ground and a tree to shade them. Leaning against the tree Aspen took a deep breath, admiring the world he was in.

As the sun continued its ascension, Aspen pulled some small white flowers from the ground. It was quiet and he began to wonder if anyone else was awake. The sun was no longer a semicircle on the horizon and took form as the large beaming sphere of light. Aspen looked down at the sad daisy chain he attempted to make, and laughed at himself.

"Not much of an artist huh" He said aloud, knowing no one else would hear it

While resting against the tree trunk he heard the faint crunching of gravel, signaling that someone else was awake. Peering over the grassy hill he noticed a familar figure making his way across the base. Of all the people to wake up and find him, it was Simon. Of course.

Pretending he didn't notice, Aspen went back to work on his depressing chain of flowers. His left arm still hurt like a bitch, but his wrist and hand were just fine. He fumbled with the flowers, which were so small and delicate he worried too much pressure would harm them. For a soldier he sure had a lot of kindness in his heart.

Simon had made his way up the hill and looked down at Aspen. He sat down beside Aspen and faced the sun rise which still looked like a scene from a movie. Pink, orange and yellow shone brightly in the sky dappled with clouds. The two sat in awe as the wind carried the clouds.

"How long have you been here?" Simon asked, his voice low as he seemed to have just woken up.

"An hour or so, I was up pretty early. Didn't feel like going back to sleep" Aspen replied honestly.

Simon nodded silently and looked down at Aspens lap. A small daisy chain of white flowers lay in his hands. The stems tied together with intricate and delicate accuracy which fascinated Simon.

"Did you make that?" He asked quietly

"Yeah, I- I guess I was bored. I may not be an artist but I suppose it makes me happy" He replied smiling.

"It's beautiful" Simon replied admiring the design.

Aspen thanked him and leaned forward to grab an extra flower. Making sure it was just right, he handed it to Simon who looked very confused. Aspen laughed at his confused expression and rested his head on the tree.

"It's a gift, just for you" Aspen said, still laughing.

"Why?" Simon responded, feeling undeserving of the flower

Aspen looked shocked at the question and scooted closer to Simon. "Because-" he trailed off.

"Finish that sentence Aspen, I'm curious." Simon responded, you could hear the smile under his mask.

"Well, if you insist. It's because I like you." Aspen replied rolling his eyes. "Happy?"

"As if I didn't already know that, you certainly are full of surprises Aspen"
Simon replied in his cheeky accent.

"Oh yeah?" Aspen huffed "Try this out for surprise."

He leaned forward and pulled Simons mask up revealing half of his face. Aspen pulled him in and pushed their lips together. Simon didn't have much time to react, but he didn't pull away. Aspen savored the moment and wouldn't let go. So what if someone noticed, as awkward as it would be.

Simon finally managed to get Aspen to let him breathe, and when they met eyes he didn't put his mask back on. Instead he quickly checked if anyone else was around, which clearly wasn't the case, and wrapped his hand around the back of Aspen's neck.

"Simo-" Aspen began

He was cut off by Simon who flipped Aspen onto his back. Leaning on top of him Simon pressed his weight against Aspen and closed the distance between them. They were two souls that craved attention. Craved love and happiness, yet seemed to live in the dark. When Simon finally pulled away, his dark eyes watched Aspen's face.

The only readable expression was affectionate kindness. For lack of better words in his mind, Simon struggled to place how he felt. Since the two were close enough he felt comfortable enough to take his mask off all the way.

Aspen watched as Simon pulled his mask off, revealing a head full of fluffy hair. It wasn't dark brown but it had a glowing beauty in the morning sun. An almost golden glow lit up his face and in complete disbelief Aspen tried to push Simon's weight off of himself.

"Stop being stubborn and let me up" Aspen grumbled as his attempts to move Simon continued to fail.

Laughing Simon shifted his weight and let Aspen sit up. The two were once again side by side against the tree trunk, and Aspen wouldn't take his eyes off of Simon. The sun created an ethereal golden moment, a golden hour, a golden time to be alive.

"Why are you staring pretty boy? I can't be that breathtaking." Simon laughed, his voice breaking ever so slightly.

"You are-" Aspen began, struggling to find the right words

He faced Simon directly and took in his features, admiring it all. His eyes were probably the best part, but Aspen had trouble deciding. As he gazed into Simons eyes, he looked away. All of the sudden Simon put his mask back on and stood up.

"Hey- whats going on?" Aspen asked, feeling upset as Simon seemingly always chose to leave.

"Someone else is awake, I'm gonna go now." He replied, sounding upset as well.

Aspen looked down at the ground as Simon left without another word. Why did he have to be so damn confusing, yet so gorgeous at the same time. Hoping to process a little longer, Aspen stayed under the tree and watched the base begin to light up.

Thanks for reading!
Definitely had fun with this one!
See you next time🦦❤