Quiet Mornings And Loud Nights(Ghost Simon Riley)

13-Rest

As the sun rose higher into the sky, carrying things became difficult. Once the first few loads of supplies were moved, Aspen felt his arm grow tired. It somewhat worked and was vastly improving in condition, but the wound still hurt. A scar began to appear and Aspen hated it. He was self conscious but never seemed to hate scars. This one was gross and reminded him of the battle he fought for only half the reward.

Sweat was dripping off of Aspen's forehead and neck as he lifted a box full of heavy files. The groups had 3 vans in which they could drive to their safehouses. Aspen was loading the final box into the back of the van when he felt his arm partially give out. Rushing to set the box down he held back tears as the wound screamed in pain.

Panting, he sat down beside the van and leaned his head against it. The sun was burning into his skin and no clouds could be seen in the sky. There was no breeze, no shade, and not much of a chance for breaks. The misson relied on quick efficiency and the longer he waited to pack up the boxes increased the chances of damage.

"Aspen whats going on? You need to get up and keep packing things. We are almost done." Simon commanded from the back of the van.

Aspen tried to stand but his arm gave out and he stumbled into the side of the van. Simon rushed to his side and concern filled his eyes. He looked over Aspen's shaking body and saw his arm which looked limp.

"Is your arm giving you trouble? We are almost done I promise, can you help me carry two more things?" Simon asked, his voice softening.

Aspen nodded and put his hand out so Simon could help him up. The two walked together and retrieved the final boxes while being extra careful with Aspen's arm. Once the van was full Aspen went into the passenger's seat and rested his aching body. Simon closed the back and hopped into the drivers seat.

"Ready to go?" He asked, starting the van.

Aspen nodded and closed his eyes. The van traveled slowly and Aspen drifted off into a pain filled sleep. The safehouse was about 3 miles from the base and was hidden behind a dense forest. As the two traveled Simon noticed Aspen trying to rest and his expression lightened. Aspen looked so sweet even with gear on and Simon put his hand on Aspen's thigh. Aspen shifted slightly but didn't wake up, his breath finally steadying.

After about 10 minutes of driving Simon slowed down and picked a space to park. He turned the van off and looked over at Aspen who was still asleep. Simon squeezed his thigh slightly to wake him from his slumber. Aspen blinked slowly and took in his surroundings, noticing Simon's soft gaze watching him.

"Hey we're here, lets unpack everything then you can rest if you need to." Simon said, taking his hand off of Aspen.

Quietly Aspen left the van and began taking smaller boxes to the safehouse. Similar to a house, it had a garage, living room, kitchen, and a small bedroom tucked in a corner. The garage was where all the boxes and supplies were being temporarily stored and Aspen tried to keep things organized. Simon carried more boxes in and eventually they cleared out the van.

By now the sun had began descending in the sky and filtered through the trees creating small patches of light. Aspen went inside the house and found where he left his bag early that morning. Inside he grabbed all of the food and water to organize in the kitchen cabinets. While sorting through the assortment of foods Aspen heard Simon walk in the house.

He took off his boots and walked into the kitchen where Aspen was standing. They made brief eye contact as Simon walked to Aspen's side.

"I'm gonna go shower and change, if you need anything you know where I'll be." He said, brushing past Aspen.

Aspen stayed quiet and continued to sort his things. Once all the food and drinks were put away he wandered into the living room. An old dusty couch was in the center of the space and Aspen wanted to take advantage of that. He took his gear off but left his regular clothes on, not wanting to change right away.

Aspen then walked over to the couch and let his tired bones relax. He grabbed one of the pillows and rested his head on it. Shortly after he fell asleep and dreamt of many things.

In the other room, Simon was drying off after his shower. He rummaged through the assorted clothes he brought and chose some simple sweatpants to accompany a hoodie. They were soft and warm which he loved, comfort was extremely important after a long day in gear. Before leaving he left his mask on the bedside table, hoping it wouldn't matter if he wore it or not.

Simon walked into the kitchen and noticed Aspen wasn't there. He walked around the corner and immediately smiled. Aspen was sleeping on the old couch and Simon did his best not to wake him. Wondering if he was cold, Simon went back to the bedroom and looked for a blanket.

Once he picked the softest blanket he could find, Simon went back into the living room and put the blanket on Aspen's side. Moving slightly Aspen continued to sleep under the blanket, he looked very warm and Simon wished he could sleep that easily.

Feeling the chill of nighttime approaching, Simon prepared some water to boil. He knew there was some tea in one of the cabinets and fished out a box of some bagged tea.

Placing it in a mug he waited for the water to boil and looked back at Aspen who was waking up. Aspen wrapped the blanket around himself and walked over to Simon.

"Whatcha making?" He asked, his words slightly slurred.

"Tea love, you don't have to get up now. If you need rest get it-" Simon began.

"No I'm awake now, I'm going to shower. I'll meet you in a little bit." Aspen replied cutting him off.

"Whatever you say, I'll make you a cup too. Don't take too long." Simon responded smiling. He was grateful Aspen didn't hate his face, and he was glad he didn't have to hide anymore.

To be continued...
Ooh la la, fun things ahead
See you soon!🦦❤