Daisy | Simon Riley

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Her body snapped up in alarm at the call of her name, mind unsure of where she was.

"You're safe."

When her eyes flicked to Simon, the anxiety that was screaming danger quietened.

"We're here."

It took a few moments to release the tension in her body, and longer to calm her heavily beating heart. But they needed off the helo, so her hand raised to remove her headset—finding her hair loose around her shoulders and the headset missing.

"They came off when you fell asleep," he explained.

Since he didn't comment on her hair, she just assumed he'd done it. Looking around, she noted that the helo was powered down and the pilots were gone, so they must have been sitting for a few minutes already. Standing, she rubbed a hand down her face, trying to push the tiredness from her brain. "To medical?" she mumbled, voice still scratchy.

"Good, you're learning."

She glared, but he only looked up at her amused.

But when his hands found her hips and he tugged her gently between his legs, she felt her heart melt. And then two-fold when he rested his forehead against her chest.

Her left hand snaked behind his head, pulling him a little closer and letting her head hang as she just breathed. It was calm, and she knew that once she stepped off the helo, everything would be back to chaos, so she was determined to hold onto him as long as she could.

"Do you really?" he asked abruptly, his voice slightly mumbled by his position.

Confusion ran through her at the random question. "What?" she asked, unsure what he was talking about.

He pulled his head up, locking his gaze on hers. "Do you love me?"

She had to remind herself to breathe as she stared at him with wide eyed, "What?"

"In the office, you said you loved me."

Immediately her mind registered her words, a reaction of shock, alcohol, and... truth. And although she knew what they were supposed to be, it was clear they weren't just that. But love—love was a whole other field. Love meant things she wasn't sure either of them were ready for.

Although that didn't change how she felt.

With a beating heart, she forced herself to nod. "I do," she whispered, afraid of what might come next. Of what her declaration meant.

"Are you sure?"

Again, the question confused her, as if it were something she might be mistaken about. "I'm pretty fucking sure," she rasped breathily.

His eyes fell from hers and along with them, her stomach.

She shouldn't have said anything.

"I'm not easy to love."

She wanted to run. To disappear. "Simon..." she choked apologetically as she tried to take a step.

Tried, because his hands wouldn't let her. "But you... you are. It's too easy to love you."

"Simon?" she asked, voice so hopeful it nearly hurt.

He met her eyes again, "Are you sure?"

"Stop asking me that," she whispered. "Do you?"

"I do," he replied, just as gently as she had.

Her lips parted, curling up, "Yah?"

He nodded, "Yah."