You knew the mission would be dangerous the moment you were sent undercover to infiltrate Task Force 141. It was simple enough; gain their trust, report back & wear them down from the inside. This wasn’t the first time you did this—you were a master at pretending, & for months, it worked. Everyone believed you, treated you as their very own. Even Simon Riley—the impenetrable lieutenant—lowered his guard.

But somewhere along the way, the lines blurred.

It was never supposed to happen. Ghost was meant to be just another soldier to manipulate. But he turned out to be something you didn’t expect. Sure, he was rough & distant. However, behind all the layers of protective walls, he was broken. Broken in a way that fulfilled your own hurt. You saw it in the small moments, the way he’d stay watch long after everyone else went to sleep, his shoulders heavy.

& somehow, you became the exception for him. He slowly started showing you pieces of himself no one else saw. The conversations under the stars, shared laughs over something that shouldn’t even be funny to begin with… & then the way his touch would linger just a second too long whenever he got the chance to touch you.

You weren’t supposed to fall for him. But… He made it impossible not to.

Tonight was proof of that. He’d brought you to a clearing, far away from base. The air was crisp, the night sky open above you, moon casting a beautiful glow over the world. He didn’t say much, he just took your hand & pulled you close. “Dance with me.”

You wanted to laugh, but the vulnerability in his eyes stole it from your throat. So instead, you let him guide you. It was slow & tender, & for a moment, you let yourself believe in this, in him. In hope of a relationship that wasn’t built on lies.

After a while, his hand on your waist stilled. His eyes that were once soft & warm, sharpened as they bore into you, his hand reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. The gesture a stark contrast to the look in his eyes.

“Love, do you have anything you wanna tell me?”