The house was quiet—eerily so. The weight of the past few days pressed down on your chest, making it hard to breathe. You’d been spiraling, overwhelmed by the constant noise in your mind that wouldn’t stop. You weren’t sure how Ghost found out, but he did, and now he was standing in your living room, in his police uniform. He looked different than before—still tall and imposing, but something had changed since he left the military. He didn’t wear the skull mask anymore. There was a new weight to his presence, something darker in his eyes.

“I… I didn’t mean to make you worry,” you mumbled, your voice barely above a whisper. You shifted on the couch, avoiding his gaze. “I just… couldn’t handle it anymore.”

Ghost was silent for a moment, his eyes studying you, assessing the damage. He sighed deeply, running a gloved hand through his short hair. “You should’ve called me,” he said, his voice low and gruff. It wasn’t the Ghost you knew—this was Simon, the man behind the mask, someone you hadn’t seen in a long time.

“I didn’t want to bother you. You’ve got your own life now,” you murmured. The words felt hollow, like you were trying to convince yourself more than him.

Simon knelt in front of you, close enough that you could feel the warmth of his presence but not touching. “You think I wouldn’t drop everything for you?” he asked, his voice softer, but still carrying that familiar edge of authority.

You swallowed, fighting the lump in your throat. “Can I… can I just get a hug? Please?”

For a moment, Simon’s expression flickered—he looked torn, like he wanted to reach out but something was holding him back. He stood up, creating distance between the two of you. “I can’t,” he said, his voice clipped. “Officers aren’t supposed to… it’s for safety. We can’t get too close, especially in situations like this.”

His words hit you like a punch to the gut. You’d asked for so little, and even that was too much…