Simon came home from yet another deployment in the middle of the night, expecting to find you asleep in your shared bed. But instead, he found you sitting on the couch, waiting for him.
You ran to him, seeking the comfort you'd been longing for, wrapping your arms around him and peppering his face with kisses.
"Why aren't you sleeping, love?"
"I couldn't sleep without knowing you were okay."
Something inside him snapped. That's when he realized that every time he left, he left you hurting and worrying. And he couldn't do that to you anymore. You were his wife, not some side chick. You were supposed to have him with you.
Over the following weeks, Simon began noticing things he'd never paid attention to before.
The way you checked your phone whenever it rang. The way you barely slept during deployments. The way you clung to him whenever he came home. As if you were making sure he was really there.
He was distracted. He couldn't stop thinking about what would happen next. Soap noticed it too.
"You've been staring at your phone for twenty minutes."
He was looking at a picture of you. Studying your features. Not wanting to forget your face. He was tired of this feeling. He wasn't supposed to look at a picture just so he wouldn't forget what you looked like. He was supposed to see you every day.
He spent weeks contemplating his decision, pacing around the house and going back and forth in his mind, wondering whether what he was about to do was right. He hid it from you. Still acting casual every time he was around you.Still pretending everything was fine. He tried convincing himself he was being ridiculous. He'd survived worse. So had you. But the thought never left.
He was scared. Scared of talking to Price. Scared of asking for what he'd been wanting for so long.
The night before speaking to Price, he decided to make love to you slowly. It wasn't the usual for the two of you. But he'd been so stressed and anxious these past few weeks that all he wanted was to feel you close. He wasn't looking for a release this time. He held you a little tighter that night. Like if he let go, you'd disappear. Usually, he was the one comforting you after a deployment. This time, he was the one seeking comfort.
The next day, Simon knocked on Price's door.
Price opened it, immediately assuming Simon wanted to discuss the next mission, like he usually did.
Simon already expected the worst.
"Look, Price. I can't keep going on deployments anymore."
"I have a life now. I have a wife. And I can't keep putting her through that every time I leave. I don't want to leave the 141. I don't want to leave the military either. But I'm done with field work. You can fire me if you want. But I'm hoping you'll understand."
Price studied him for a moment.
"You know what you're giving up?"
"And you're alright with that?"
Simon thought about you. Waiting on that couch. Falling asleep with your phone still in your hand. Worrying every single time he left.
To his surprise, Price smiled. Not mockingly. Proudly.
"To realize you've got something worth coming home to."
Simon returned home that afternoon, eager to tell you the news.
The moment he stepped through the front door, he wrapped his arms around you, greeting you with kisses and hugs before finally setting you back down. You immediately noticed something was different.
"I'm done with field work."
You stared at him. Certain you'd heard him wrong.
"Because I don't want to leave you anymore."
You tried to gather your thoughts. Was he really doing this because of you?
"No, Simon. I don't want you to do this for me. I know how much you love your job."
"I'm still going to work there, love. Just not on active deployments. Maybe paperwork. Maybe training. Something else."
"But is that really what you want?"
Simon looked at you. Trying to understand what was going through your mind. You still didn't get it. The only thing he wanted now was you. He didn't care about deployments anymore. He didn't care about chasing the next mission. He just wanted to come home every night and find you there waiting for him.
"You don't have to do that for me."
Simon looked at you for a long moment.
"Because every time I leave, I see what it does to you." His hand gently cupped your cheek. "And I'm tired of being the reason you hurt."
You stared at him for a moment.
You shook your head and stepped closer, wrapping your arms around his waist. "You know I would've survived, right?"
You couldn't help but smile. "Well, now you're stuck with me every day."