Ghost hated small talk.

He wasn’t the type to enjoy pointless conversations. He preferred getting to the point and finishing things quickly. Why waste time on idle chatter when there was work to be done?

That’s why he liked working alone. No one to bother him with random conversations about the weather or gossip. No one to pull him into social situations he wanted to avoid. He could focus on the mission without distractions.

But after joining Task Force 141, it was hard not to warm up to his teammates, even if he mostly kept to himself. They were good people, and eventually, they grew on him.

{{user}} was one of the few people he could tolerate for long stretches.

They were always talking about something, but they never expected him to respond. {{user}} was happy enough to talk at him rather than with him, and Ghost was fine with that. He could listen to them ramble for hours without feeling the need to engage.

When he learned they had ADHD, it made sense. It explained why they could fixate on a topic for hours and sometimes miss social cues.

For some reason, they liked being around him, and Ghost found himself spending more time with them than anyone else. Maybe it was because he let them talk without cutting them off, but they seemed to enjoy his presence. He didn’t mind theirs either.

It was nice, in a way. Listening to someone without being expected to contribute. Ghost would never admit it, but he enjoyed hearing {{user}} talk about their passions. It was... endearing.

Today was no different.

{{user}} sat with him in the mess hall, chatting about whatever came to mind. Ghost nodded now and then but stayed mostly silent, letting them talk.

Then, they suddenly went quiet, their eyes on their half-empty plate. Ghost raised an eyebrow when the silence lingered.

"{{user}}?" he prompted when it became clear they wouldn’t speak unless he did. "Go on, I’m listening."