Red Rooms I Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader

14. Like a dream

Done showering and doing everything else, you leave the bathroom in your cozy bathrobe. You walk through the dim corridor towards your bedroom. All of your apartment quiet and still. Outside, no more darkness. Instead it's now a cool, navy shade of blue covering the city with the sun slowly rising. On your way back, you catch a glimpse of Simons bare legs in the living room. He seems to be sitting on your armchair, in the dark room.

You're still processing everything and rush into the bedroom, already hearing him get up and making his way to the shower now.
You hear the bathroom door close and let out a deep sigh. You don't want this to end. This one was different. You've had your fair share or one night stands, drunkenly falling upon each other at your place and fucking 'til the sunrise. This one felt very different to what you're used to. Also you're standing here, all sobered up, and don't feel that slight disgust after being with a random person.

You grab some painkillers out your nightstand and go to the kitchen to get some water to down it with. On your leather airmchair you see the imprint of his buttocks and his clothes neatly folded over the seat-back. You walk towards them and touch the fabric of his turtleneck. Soft. Expensive. A deep, deep black.

You think for a second, but then let the intrusive thoughts win.

You bend over and smell the neck part. It smells warm. Like smoke, your workplace. But also a faint hint of musk. He definitely wore cologne tonight, you just couldn't make out the notes that well. Fragrances were something you really enjoy. Fuck, if only you could tell which one it is he chose to wear. You smile at the thought of him, the Ghost, in the store checking out the perfume section, looking for something he likes. Or maybe it was a present...But even in that case, someone had to know which notes he enjoys. You want to know more about him.

"So i just grab one of the black towels?" A thick accent cuts through the silence, echoing from the now open bathroom door.
He startled you. You felt caught.
But he couldn't see you, if he was still standing in the bathroom door.
"Yes! Sorry, should've let you known beforehand! Feel at home!" You stutter, clasping onto your glass of water and looking at his clothes.

He says something inaudible as he closes the door. Your head getting dizzy and all.

"Feel at home."

You cringe a bit but shake it off, gulping down your water with the painkiller and leaving to your bedroom.

You hear the shower turn on as you pass the bathroom and stumble into the bedroom. Seeing the aftermath of your little session there.

The condom wrap on the floor, the duvet without a cover, his watch on your nightstand. This all just feels so very warm, you can't explain why. This does not feel cold like the other times.

You quickly change sheets and lay down in bed, taking one last deep sigh looking out the window. Will he sleep here? He will...right? You check your phone and it's a little after 6am by now. What if he leaves? No...he must need some rest after all this. Everyone needs.

On your screen there waits also a message by Grace.

A skull + eggplant emoji, her reply to yours after she checked in on you.

You smile.

And before you know it, you fall asleep. The only noise in your apartment being the muffled sound of Simon showering behind closed doors.

---

You wake up at 1pm.
First things first, your body is so sore.
You face the window and look out at the big city, sun shining. Tall buildings with people in it. Cars on the busy streets.

You stay like that for a moment.
Yesterday lingering on you like a dream.

Trying to make out some sound from behind you, the other side of the bed, you're left disappointed as you can't hear a thing. No breathing, no snoring. No warmth. You check the time on your phone and put it right back down. You don't want to turn around, you already know that he won't be there.

Now this. This feels like all the other times.

You rub your eyes and decide to turn around, and as to be expected, the bed was empty.

You could cry, you really could.

You looked for something. A hair even. His watch. But of course there was nothing of him anywhere. Like a Ghost, after all.

You felt tears swelling up.
"Fucking pathetic I am...Get it together." You think to yourself. You don't want to be sad, but you are. You can't deny.

You look at the pillow and see an imprint. Wait a minute.

So he did join you into bed.

Your eyes widen, your hand moves to where his head must've been. It was cold, but suddenly there it was again. The warmth he gave you.

It means that after his shower, he came back into your room and actually chose to lay down beside you and rest. Why did you fall asleep so sudden?! You should've stayed awake!

Your hands turn into fists now.
Whatever.

You get up and walk towards the bathroom to pee. It's all tidy like nothing ever happened. Even the towels-

His towel.

The towel he used was folded neatly atop your washing machine.

There it was, another small piece of evidence, that yesterday was no dream after all.