Bonus chapter III:

Rora and her wish

For days, Rora said nothing to Simon.

She thrived in the way his posture straightened and eyes narrowed whenever she came his way, only flashing him a smile before walking past him. She enjoyed making him wait, building tension. Watching as the anticipation almost pushed him over the edge.

While getting lunch at the base, they somehow ended up beside each other. Rora refused to talk to him.

„What do you want?" Simon grumbled out, his deep voice coming from much closer than she thought. He must be standing right behind her.

„Someone's in a good mood," she sighed as she picked an apple. She craved some fruits today.

„I have things to do," he continued, following her. Rora straightened her spine and fought off a smile. „Make your wish, get this over with."

Finally, she turned her head to look at him. Her eyes looked deeply into his dark eyes, the balaclava covering his face giving away nothing else.

„Not yet."

And a few days later, chaos and demise aproached in the form of a smiling Rora Wells.

„Oh, hey, Ghost!" Rora chirped, gaining said man's attention. As well as all the others around them.

„Ew," Soap grimaced, and she lifted a shaped eyebrow at him. „What's this good mood? Sassy Rora is much more fun."

„I'll break into your room and swap your shampoo with hair remover if you don't shut up," the woman smiled at him sweetly, folding her hands in front of her chest. His face paled a little.

„Rog," Soap nodded and with that, he turned around and headed out of the room. Gaz didn't dare to say a word as his dark eyes jumped between them, not wanting to get on her bad side.

Nobody wanted to be on her bad side. Most people who were there didn't live a long life.

So instead, Gaz went right back to reading his book and shutting the others out. Leaving Ghost, who only just got to sit down and watch some TV, deal with Rora on his own.

„Yes, Wells?" Ghost asked, barely glancing at her. He had a long day with the long training and meetings, and MacTavish talked an awful lot today. That alone could drain his social batteries almost completely.

„Whatcha doin'?" Rora leaned over the couch, glancing at the TV screen. It was football. She didn't like football.

„Picking flowers," Simon deadpanned, sliding lower in his seat. He didn't remember when was the last time he got more sleep than 5 hours.

„Great!" she patted his shoulder, the muscles under her touch flexing. „I'll just have to say my wish later. Since you're so busy with picking flowers."

Simon closed his eyes as he let out a sigh, hearing her retrieving steps. This could've been over already. But he messed it up.

„She got you around her little finger, mate," Gaz said from behind his book, his voice making Simon let out a frustrated grunt. He switched the TV off and headed to his room.

°•○●⸸●○•°

Rora was on a mission today.

It was a good day, really. Well, not so great, since the air conditioning broke at the base, but fortunately to her, that meant they could stay one more day here.

She couldn't find Soap to pester like usual, so she went to find Gaz or maybe even Price, but both of them were out for some briefing. She didn't quite understand, but she was already up and going before the man in the cafeteria could explain it to her.

It looked like she had to find Ghost.

Running around the base in this heat was a workout on its own, the men around her all changing into some more breathable clothes. Their complaints were amusing, her smile widening as she heard more and more curses at the fucker that broke at AC. When other people were frustrated or angry, it made her happy for some reason.

Seeing chaos outside around her instead of in her own eyes in the mirror was refreshing.

The only problem was that she had no idea where the masked man could be. And he was really good at avoiding people if he wanted to.

„Hey, Díaz!" she called after the short Mexican man, his head snapping up at her sharp voice. She sent a smile to him, not slowing her steps as he fell into step with her. „Have you seen Ghost?"

„H-he's in the gym," Díaz stuttered, her smile turning a little more friendlier. He was a kind man, his only weakness being his stutter and fear of storms. He reminded her of a puppy. „He asked not to be disturbed."

„Got it, thanks," she nodded at him and took a turn to the left, heading straight to the gym.

Not many of them used the gym here, the room being a little smaller than they were used to and almost everyone preferred to workout outside, preferring the fresh air over the air-conditioned one. But in this heat, it didn't really matter where were you, right now inside was just as warm as the outside.

As she made her way down the hallway, she didn't meet anyone, which was kind of odd. Maybe the others really took his words seriously not to disturb him. Ghost could be very intimidating most times, but she had a wild card.

A wild wish, you could say.

She knocked on the door three times before bursting inside. She wasn't that barbaric to not even knock. Even though if it were somebody else inside she wouldn't even think about knocking.

„Hey Si-"

The words got caught in the throat as she watched the scene in front of her, suddenly barely remembering how to breathe.

There he was laying on the bench, pushing out more weight on the bar she had ever seen, a low grunt leaving him. The dark grey T-shirt he was wearing stretched across his chest and deep down she hoped it would snap. From that angle, everything about him seemed unholy: the shoulder-part man spread, the bulging muscles, and the grunts took away all her thoughts.

„What?"

She didn't notice when his eyes snapped to her, his rough voice cutting through the air. Rora took one more moment to appreciate the way the dim lighting did wonders for him before clearing her throat.

„I'm bored."

He let the bar packed with weight just barely touch his chest before he pushed it out again, another grunt coming from him. She had to clench her thighs together.

„And?" he asked, clearly not amused by her. She didn't care, though, as she placed herself down on a mattress and leaned back on her hand, watching him.

„I missed your joyful personality and dashing smile."

With a loud noise, he put the bar up on the stand and sat up, his dark eyes sending her a death glare. Rora only just now noticed the different balaclava on him.

This one was thinner, more breathable than the others, giving away more of his features. Seemingly he had a strong nose and a nice jawline, which was prominent even through the black fabric.

Her eyes then wandered lower, staring at his chest which rose rapidly, the muscles seeming bigger and more pumped. She licked her lips.

Rora watched as he reached for the water bottle placed next to him and then turn around. His hand reached up and pulled the fabric just over his nose, taking big gulps of the water. Her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as well as a small part of his jaw.

He had stubble over it.

„Do you happen to remember my wish?" Rora spoke, feeling awkward as she just sat there and ogled him. So she picked up a small weight to play with, rolling it around in front of her.

„Not now, Wells," Simon grumbled, not really having the patience for this right now. He had a long night before and he hated how hot it was inside, even more hot outside, and he hated the way her gaze on him made him feel.

„C'mon now!" Rora threw her hands in the air, disappointed as she saw that the balaclava was back in its original place. He walked towards the weights set on a rack, picking the heaviest. Of course, she thought as she rolled her eyes. „How long have you been in here?"

„Hour and a half," he replied, not even looking at her.

„Dude. In this heat?" her eyes widened in disbelief. Now she was sure that this man loved to suffer. „Ever heard of a heatstroke?"

„No."

Now it was her turn to send a glare at him, narrowing her eyes at his humor. She watched for a few minutes as he did some curl-ups, getting second thoughts about whether it was a good idea to watch such a man work out when her hormones were going crazy.

„Stop staring," Simon sneered between his teeth, finally breaking the silence.

„I'm just hoping that you'll collapse due to heatstroke under that mask so I could say 'I told you so'. I never got to say that to anyone."

„Bloody hell, woman," Simon sighed and dropped the weight on the floor, leaning on his knees. She sent him a bright smile once she caught his attention. „What do you want?"

°•○●⸸●○•°

„I'm not doing that," Simon shut her down immediately, walking down the corridor with her on his side. Rora almost had to jog to keep up with his long strides.

„Yes, you are," the woman beamed at him, catching the way he rolled his eyes. It was so unlike him to show emotions so openly and she was proud of herself achieving it. Even if that emotion was pure annoyance. „After you take a shower."

He stopped in the middle of the hallway, taking in a deep breath as he stared down at her. Her smile didn't falter even when she noticed a muscle twitch in his jaw under the mask. She liked this balaclava the most, it showed the most of him.

„Not like you smell bad," Rora blurted out suddenly, only now realizing how bad her previous statement sounded. „You even smell good. What kind of deodorant is that? Men's deodorants are so much better, I swear, like why couldn't they just make women's last longer, like-"

„Wells," his voice was dangerously low, finally making her shut up. She bit her lower lip, her face heating up. Maybe this was her cue to leave.

„Got it," she snapped her fingers and took a step away from him, backing down the hallway. „Well, meet me at my door. See ya later, Ghost!"

And with that, Rora skipped down the hallway, ignoring the questioning look the others gave her. Her stupid smile only widened as she thought about her wish.

°•○●⸸●○•°

„I want you to cut my hair," Rora repeated because it looked like Simon was dissociating to protect his mental health. „That's my wish. So you kinda have no choice."

Simon stared down at the scissors she shoved in his hands, then back up at her.

„I can't."

„Oh, shush," she brushed him off, plopping herself down off a chair she prepared in advance. „It's not rocket science. Plus, you're a great sniper so you have steady hands. I think you'll manage."

„Why can't you cut it yourself?" he sighed, starting to accept that he won't get out of this one.

„I'm an impulsive hair cutter," Rora shrugged her shoulder. „Sometimes in the middle of the night I think, hey, what if I cut my hair? And before I even realize it, half of my hair is gone, it's all choppy in the back and I got bangs again even though I swore I'd never do it again. So, to avoid that I'll place the power in your hands."

Rora stared at him through the mirror that was on the wall slightly off on her right, watching the man that was always so confident and sure in what he was doing, stare down at her like she was the biggest puzzle of a lifetime.

„C'mon, I already washed it for you, yours is the fun part!" she bounced slightly in her seat, the anticipation killing her.

„Do I-" he tried again.

„No," she cut him off, his eyes staring deeply into hers in the mirror. „No choice. No way out. Cut my hair, big boy."

From the look he gave her it was more likely he'll cut her throat for that nickname.

With a sigh, Simon pulled his gloves off and rolled the sleeves up of his dark blue long-sleeve. Rora couldn't help the shit-eating grin on her face as she watched him through the mirror, her own wet-haired self smiling back at her.

„How do I begin?"

Rora pulled a piece in front of her face, showing him how much he should chop off, deciding that a straight cut will be okay this time. She could always get layers once she got home. She doubted that he even knew what layers were.

Whenever he cut off a small piece, he always looked up at her reflection for guidance, which made her heart squeeze. He was so careful and calculated, she didn't expect this from him.

„To be honest," Rora broke the silence, cracking her knuckles just to do something. „I expected more complaining from you. Or cursing. Maybe that heatstroke truly came for your ass."

„I'm concentrating," he murmured and she heard the scissor snip close to her ear. Then he went to detangle some pieces close to the nape of her neck, sending chills all over her body.

It was so long since somebody played with her hair. She missed the feeling.

„You're doing great," Rora commented, her voice coming out softer this time as she watched him. He looked ginormous behind her as he loomed above her. „You could take the mask off."

His hands froze in the air, cold gaze meeting hers.

„It's fucking hot here," she explained, suddenly feeling like she said something stupid. „I'm sure that thing doesn't help. Hell, half of my shirt is soaking wet and I'm barely surviving here."

He seemed to hesitate and her eyes lit up. Maybe she could convince him, she couldn't even imagine living under that thing.

„I won't look. You can cover the mirror."

„How will you know I'm doing this right?" he asked, taking a step away from her. Fresh air brushed past her back, suddenly missing the heat he gave her.

„I trust you," Rora replied without a second thought, her eyes meeting his. Her lips pulled into a smile. „You got me, right?"

„Yes."

So he took a blanket from her bed and draped it over the mirror, her observant eyes watching his every move. The way the muscles on his back stretched, the way the shirt rode up every so slightly, an inch of skin showing. The way his hips swayed a little as he shifted his weight.

When he stepped behind her, she was more than aware when he pulled his mask off. Just for good measure and out of respect, Rora closed her eyes.

„Do you have any hobbies?"

„Wells," he scolded like it was the most stupid question ever.

„Just making small-talk here, jeez," she sighed. „You seem like someone that would enjoy watching sports. Collecting watches, maybe?"

„No."

„Or maybe you're one of those that act all grumpy and cold but a cinnamon roll inside."

She could feel the judgemental look on her and that made her chuckle.

„Okay, I give up. But you have to give me something to work with, you already know so much about me."

„Because you never shut up," Simon replied, cutting off another piece.

„Well, someone has to fill up all this dead air, dude," she made a face but didn't take offense to his words. „Do you want me to start? I have so many things. Like, I enjoy insulting men in bars, it's really fun. And I like flowers, I just can't take care of them. I'm barely keeping myself alive, let alone some plants. Now it's your turn."

„I don't have enough free time for hobbies."

Rora frowned.

„That's just sad. C'mon, what do you enjoy the most?"

„Alone time."

„I'm not even surprised. And what do you do then?"

„Working out," he replied after some time, still thinking. „Journal."

„You write a journal?" she almost opened her eyes in surprise, a genuine smile appearing.

„My memory is foggy sometimes," came his answer, short and bitter just as she expected. Her smile disappeared.

Rora heard that trauma and PTSD could do that to someone, and it broke her heart. She had a pretty shitty childhood but she remembered most things. She couldn't even imagine what he had to go through so his brain would just block some things out.

„Well," Rora cleared her throat, the weight of his words pressing down on her shoulders. „If you ever need someone to keep you company, you know where to find me. Or just follow the noise, I'm usually doing dumb shit."

Simon only hummed in response, stepping around her. Without meaning to, she turned her head to her right to look at him, only for him to reach under her chin and turn her head in the opposite direction, and she shut her eyes tighter. His touch lingered on her delicate skin as he continued to cut her hair in the front, burning even after he pulled away a long time ago.

In concentration, his thigh pressed against her shoulder but she didn't mind it.

So, as Simon continued to cut her hair with precision, she just kept talking about anything that came to her mind just to fill up the silence. And it was really easy to talk to Simon, mostly because he just listened and replied with a few words here and there to show he was listening.

And Simon wouldn't admit for the world that he secretly enjoyed listening to her ranting.

After they were done, she went into the bathroom to look at Simon's work and she was surprised by the results.

It took more time than usual, which caused her black hair to be half-dry. She craned her neck in uncomfortable positions just to get a glimpse at the back, a smile stretching across her face when her eyes met the straight edges of her hair. She wasn't an expert in cutting hair but this seemed pretty solid.

As she flipped her shoulder-length dark hair above her shoulder, silently admiring her new hair, she didn't notice the way Simon was watching her from the doorway.

She loved having her hair cut, she felt so fresh after it. She felt lighter. Happier. Her new life goal was to give something similar back to him.

„Hey, Simon?"

„Hm?"

„Will you blow-dry it for me?"

„Fuck off, Wells."

And with that he was already out, her hearty laugh chasing after him. Simon shook his head as he gathered his things, only pulling his mask back on when he was opening the door of her room, heading outside.

_____________________________________

i love how they soften around each other

also, this is the last bonus chapter for them. maybe there will be a few more in the future but i'm out of ideas and i should really get going with my leon kennedy and alejandro fics (procrastinating gang where you at?)

rora's wish was kind of random and impulsive, just like her personality. but let me know what you thought her wish could be!