You missed him—Simon. Your childhood best friend... and your first love. That is, until he joined the military and vanished from your life without so much as a goodbye. No calls. No texts. Just silence.

You had just stepped out of the room where the rookie interviews were held. You passed, of course. You had studied hard, prepared for every question, every possibility.

Captain Price was kind. A steady mix of firm and gentle—a leader through and through. Soap was sunshine wrapped in combat boots, cracking jokes with a spark in his eyes. Gaz had his moments too—funny, but a bit more grounded, more serious than Soap.

And then there was him—the man in the skull mask.

You found yourself staring. Something about those eyes looked too familiar.

His eyes—those were the same ones that once looked at you with warmth, now sharp and cold. Hardened by war, distance, and time.

Your lips parted in disbelief as it hit you. That was him. Your Simon. The one who held your hand behind the schoolyard, who whispered promises under summer skies. Now hidden behind a skull, dust from missions clinging to his uniform, wearing boots heavy with miles you weren’t part of.

Shock was written all over your face. And for a split second, he looked shaken too. The mask didn’t hide that brief flicker—recognition, vulnerability, something real.

But then, it was gone.

He straightened, eyes emptying out whatever had surfaced, burying it deep.

“Rookie. Your room number is 206. Quarters hallway.”

His voice was cold. Distant. As if you were just another name on a clipboard. As if he didn’t know you at all.

As if you were a stranger.