The 141s Reaper (Simon Ghost Riley Romance)

Chapter 20 - The Lake {Part 1}

(Songs for this chapter
Coexist - LEO ISLO & TONTARIO
Slow - HENRY GREEN)

REAPER POV

Simon wouldn't let me get on the back of the bike, he wanted me up in front of him and i wasn't about to object. His arms either side of me griping the handles, my legs tucked in under his right knee and my head fits perfectly under his chin. He's my armour, protecting me from the rest of the world. I haven't asked him where we are going yet, it doesn't matter. We are together, no mission, no base, no one else. He did this for me, he got Price to agree to let us out, he wanted to spend time just us. Can you die of happiness?

I reach a hand up off the bike and wrap it under and around his arm, resting my hand on his very strong biceps, any excuse to touch him. I feel like we are one person when i am touching him, or when his arms are wrapped around me. He nuzzles the side of his head into my ear, his mask tickling my skin. When we are alone he's very affectionate back, i like that only i see that side of him. We both have so many little things that we only do while we are alone, like our own little language. I have been keeping a tally of them in my head, my heart aches but feels so full at the same time.

I haven't slept but he makes me feel better than any amount of sleep would. Spending last night in his arms, him trusting me and letting me see his face, it's the most meaningful thing he could of done. He's so handsome, i memorized his face, where his scars start and end. Where his stubble grows to, how his face changes when he smiles, to when he's looking at me, all of it. He could tell that's what i was doing but he let me study him anyway.

I lean back and look up at him from under his chin.

"Where are we going Simon?" I ask, i like to use his name when we are alone. Like it's a secret, I'm sure everyone else knows it but i pretend they don't. He got very upset with Soap for using my name, it looked like he was going to kill him. I'm glad i told him though, Soap is going to know all the things Simon knows eventually. They kind of come as a package deal, like i do with Reds and the rest of Zeta. I'm glad they aren't here because Reds is the most socially aware, the rest would not give us any peace and Simon would hate it. It makes me giggle thinking about it, him being surrounded by several more annoying and exhausting versions of Reds and Soap.

"It's a surprise." He answers back, leaning down closer to my ear when he speaks. I know it's so i can hear him but it still sends the skin on my spine into a frenzy. His forearms are on display as well and that alone is enough of a distraction. I haven't seen them before, he always has them covered or its too dark to see them. He has the left one tattooed, it looks army related. I will ask him if i can look at it properly later.

He sighs and rests his chin on my head. I can feel how calm he is, its radiating from him, so inviting it's taking over my body as well. I put my arms out over the top of his, like i am flying and close my eyes, breathing in his calmness. I feel him adjust his right arm on the bike and wrap his left tightly around my waist, holding me safely against him.

__

After an hour or so of riding, we stop at a small dirt path that leads on into the trees. It's not well traveled and is grown over, you can only just see it. Simon leads the way holding my hand and pulling me along with him. He stops to check the compass on his watch every now and again, making sure we aren't lost. After another stretch of walking, he stops and looks back at me nodding his head forward. Pulling me ahead of him, I look forwards at what he's navigating me to and there's a lake, maybe 200 meters across. It's tranquil and undisturbed, so quiet that the slight wind is the only thing you can hear.