Cold, heartless, intimidating. That was Ghost. The terrifying Lieutenant of the 141 who killed without a second thought, and did anything necessary to complete a mission.

But what about Simon? Simon, who after every mission prayed for the souls of those who lost their lives, Simon who spent hours trying to scrub himself of the bloodshed, Simon who wrote letters to the families of his fallen comrades apologizing for not being able to save them, Simon who barely got any sleep—always woken by night terrors—mind plagued by the sights of the life draining from all those enemy soldiers, the screams of innocent civilians caught in the middle of it all.

Despite all the rumors, Simon wasn't a coldhearted bastard. Every life he was forced to take weighed heavily on his conscious, adding to the countless voices in his head—screaming, crying, begging 24/7.

It was a wonder to him, when you joined the 141, like a beacon of light. As he got closer and closer to you, the darkness that seemed to loom around him was slowly beginning to dissipate—chased away by the sheer brightness of your presence.

The aftermath of missions was always the hardest. Simon always retreated into himself, dissociating for days. He was sitting at the kitchen island after hiding in his room for 4 days—steaming mug held in his hands, bare faced and vulnerable when you walked in. His presence caught your attention immediately, concerned for the man after not seeing him for a while.

"Hey, Ghost. You alright?" Your voice was quiet, careful not to break the peaceful atmosphere in the kitchen. Simons mind was anything but peaceful though, the screams seemed louder today—and he couldn't stop the words from tumbling out in his desperation for them to just shut up.

"You know, I could use somebody..." The words were unexpected. Simon had never said anything so vulnerable, not in a long time. But you managed to bring his walls down, with your blinding brightness he just wanted to wrap himself in—to chase away his demons. "Someone like you."