I Feel It In My Bones (Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader)

Losing Control

You weren't sure how much time passed as you stayed there, leaning on each other. You could feel his steady heartbeat, the gentle tapping of rain as it fell from the sky. Simon was the first to break the silence, speaking with a quiet but determined voice. 'I'm going to get your things from your room,' he rumbled. 'So you can stay in here and not have to go back there tonight.'

You blinked up at him. 'You don't have to do that.'

He shook his head, a hint of warmth in those brown orbs as he met your gaze. 'Your room has been broken into twice. I know you can look after yourself, but I don't want you going in there again.'

'Thank you,' you murmured, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

He inclined his head, a silent acknowledgement, before making his way out and leaving you in the quiet gloom. The room was cast in shadows, the only illumination coming from the soft glow of the lamp. As the rain pattered rhythmically against the window, a sense of gratitude welled up within you.

You thought about the way that he trusted you with his innermost thoughts, scrawled directly from his mind to the curls of ink on the journal pages, now also imprinted on your heart. You thought about the way that, though he acknowledged you could handle your own, he was still aggressively protective over your safety, revealed not only through his words but also in his actions. You thought about how lucky you were to be able to know him not just as your Lieutenant, not just as Ghost, but as Simon.

And you knew that whatever secrets and struggles lay ahead, having him by your side made the shadows a little less daunting.

The click of the door signalled his return. His broad frame reappeared in the room with a duffel containing your essentials. Clothes spilled over the sides, and you could see your own skull balaclava resting at the top of the pile. 'You should be fine here for tonight. If you need anything else, just let me know and I'll go back,' he said, though his concentration seemed pre-occupied by the storm brewing outside.

When you said nothing in response, your voice caught in your throat, he glanced over at you with a frown. And when he caught the look in your eyes, that knot in his brow only deepened. 'You alright?'

How could you possibly explain what you were feeling?

How could you verbalise how electrified you felt from the mixture of emotions the two of you had just experienced? How you felt like you had been hit by lightning, how that strike had set fire to your body, how that fire was fuelled by a combination of anger, frustration, fear, sadness, hope, and love?

Words weren't enough.

You pushed yourself away from the bed, taking one step forward, and then another, and another, until you had approached him, your eyes never leaving his. You stood so close that you had to crane your neck to look up at him, so close you could feel the warmth radiating from his body.

His gaze held a mixture of curiosity and concern as you wound your arms around his neck, and he dropped the duffel bag from his shoulder. It landed with a heavy thump. His arms instinctively encircled your waist in response, pulled you in closer. 'Aye,' you finally breathed the reply. 'More than okay.'

The feel of Simon's body pressed against yours sent shivers down your spine, and you could feel the accelerated rhythm of his heartbeat mirroring your own.

Words weren't enough to express how you were feeling.

You would show him instead.

You tilted your head, closing the distance between your lips and his. The kiss was sweet at first, warm, caring, your lips moving gently against each other like velvet. With a hum, you ran your tongue over his lower lip, and felt Simon's hold on your waist tighten as he allowed you in.