You were currently in Adidas shorts and a white, fitted tank top. It had been 2 AM in the morning, and you woke up in the middle of the night rather dehydrated.

You took note of how your older brother, Soap, had some teammates from the military over. They were on a well-earned day off after a successful mission, and you'd assumed all of them would be fast asleep by now.

Quietly, you crept downstairs, not wanting to disturb anyone. The soft click of the kitchen light echoed slightly in the silence, casting a dim glow over the room. You opened the refrigerator and grabbed a cold bottle of water, exhaling in relief as the chill soothed your throat.

You hadn’t even heard him walking until the fridge door swung closed—only to reveal him standing there, broad-shouldered and silent in the low light. Ghost. The man in the skull mask. Soap's most elusive teammate.

He looked just as surprised as you—though it was hard to tell with the mask. His eyes locked on you, then drifted lower for a second before quickly returning to your face. You both stood frozen in the heavy stillness of 2 AM, a bottle of water halfway to your lips and his hand paused mid-reach for the fridge.

A staring contest had just started with the Lieutenant of your brother's team.