The common room was quiet, the low hum of the TV filling the space. You sat on the couch, elbows resting on your knees, trying to shake off the weight of the mission. The adrenaline had faded but the tension lingered.

You hadn’t meant to get separated. It just happened - plans shifted, chaos erupted and suddenly, you were alone. You made it back fine but judging by the way Ghost was standing in front of you, arms crossed, shoulders tense, he didn’t see it that way.

“You can’t keep doing that,” he muttered, voice rough.

You sighed, rubbing a hand over your face. “Doing what?”

“Runnin’ off. Taking risks.”

You looked up at him, frowning. “It wasn’t like that.”

Ghost exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “Doesn’t matter. You were gone longer than you should’ve been.”

“I can handle myself.” The words came out quieter than you intended.

“I know.” His fingers flexed slightly at his sides. “Still.”

That one word carried more weight than the rest of the conversation. You searched his face but the mask gave nothing away.

Instead of answering, you shifted, leaning back against the couch. “We got the job done,” you said, like that was supposed to fix everything.

Ghost let out a quiet breath, shaking his head like that wasn’t the point. His hands curled into loose fists as he sat next to you, close but not touching. The silence between you two stretched but there was something unspoken in the air, an invisible tension.

You glanced at him, surprised, but he was already looking at the TV, acting like it hadn’t happened.

“Go. Get some rest.” he muttered.