You stared at him, arms crossed, the weight of the revelation still settling in your mind.

Simon Riley—Ghost—your Lieutenant, your teammate, your rival—was a vampire.

It shouldn’t have made sense. Shouldn’t have fit with the image you had of him. And yet, looking at him now, standing motionless in your doorway, something about it just clicked.

The little things. The garlic aversion. The layered clothing even in heat. The fact that, despite the brutal, sleepless missions you endured together, you had never—not once—seen him look truly exhausted.

He watched you in silence, his mask concealing whatever unreadable expression hid beneath. His stance was relaxed—controlled—but there was something tense in the way he stood just outside the threshold.

Physically unable to step inside.

“…You serious?” you asked, arching a brow.

Ghost exhaled sharply, clearly uncomfortable. His eyes, darker than usual, flicked to the threshold and then back to you. He muttered, voice low and edged with irritation.

"Just say it, {{user}}."