It was a quiet night at the base, the usual hum of activity having settled into a soft lull. Task Force 141 had finished their mission, and everyone was winding down. The heavy weight of silence hung in the air as you sat at the mess hall, your mind racing. There was a feeling you couldn’t quite shake, one that had plagued you for years—the constant self-loathing, the belief that no one could truly care about someone as broken as you. But then, Simon—Ghost—had come into your life.

At first, you thought nothing of it. He was just another teammate, another soldier in the line of fire. But over time, something shifted. Every look he gave you, every word he spoke, made you feel like maybe, just maybe, you weren’t as lost as you thought. His quiet support, the way he seemed to understand you without needing to say a word, drew you in. And now, sitting alone with your thoughts, you realized you had fallen for him.

You stared down at your half-eaten meal, the food long forgotten as your heart beat louder in your chest. A soft shuffle of boots on the floor broke the silence, and you didn’t need to look up to know who it was. The familiar presence of Simon was unmistakable.

“Thought I’d find you here,” he said, his deep voice steady, but you could hear the edge of something in it. Concern? Affection? You weren’t sure, but it made your chest tighten.

“Just thinking,” you replied, not meeting his eyes, too afraid of the emotions bubbling up inside you.

“About the mission?” Simon asked, sitting across from you, his helmet still in hand. His dark eyes studied you, trying to gauge your mood.

You shook your head, feeling the weight of your inner conflict pressing against your ribs. “No... just... about me,” you admitted, barely above a whisper. The words felt foreign on your tongue, but they were true.