𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃 {𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧 '𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭' 𝐑𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲}

17 | the moon and the stars

"I want to go home," She said, her voice small as I set the small child down onto the haystack.

We had somehow found an abandoned barn down in the countryside away from the city. It wasn't the warmest place, or the safest, but it had to do for tonight.

"What's your name kid?"

"Daniel."

I furrow my brows, "Daniel? Wait," I stare at the child. Long hair ran down their cheeks, resting on their shoulders, "Are you a boy or a girl?"

"A boy..."

"Fucking kill me now," I mumble lowly to myself, feeling stupid and embarrassed that I thought this kid was a girl.

He had long lashes for a boy, and plump lips like a girl. The long hair just added to his appearance. Although, he couldn't have been more than 4 years old.

I stand up, wiping my legs of any dust. I turn my head to the boys who were lighting a fire with the hay.

I reach my hand out at the boy, "Come on. Let's go get warm."

He takes my hand, and I lead him over to the fire, sitting us both down on the ground as Price feeds the fire. I catch Ghost's eyes through the flame, his unmasked face caked with blood. I think he was half mad at me for taking his pride and joy off his face and half thankful that I even came to save him.

I really couldn't tell. Though, I think everyone was more focused on why I saved this random kid than Ghost's face.

They all gave him weird looks, like he was some sort of alien creature. He wasn't one of us, that's for certain, but he was a human just like all of us.

If anything, he had no idea what was going on.

I didn't really know why I saved him. I think it was the fact that I wanted to do good, I always have. I knew the second I saw through that smoke that someone was dead. Many people had died that night, and now Makarov had their blood on his hands.

"Hey, Daniel?" I start, causing him to look up at me, "Where's your dad?"

"Mama said he died before I was born."

I hum, poor kid, "What about your grandma? Grandpa? Aunts and Uncles?"

"I never met them."

I curse at myself in my head. This kid had no one.

"Okay," I whisper, wrapping an arm around him. I bring him to my side, rubbing the side of his arm as I attempt to keep him warm. I felt pain in my heart for him, knowing that he had no clue what had just happened to him. Why that exact moment would change the rest of his life.

Price was going to kill me for this, but I felt as if I had no other choice. In a way, I saw a piece of myself in this kid, "How would you feel about staying with us?"

"Blake," Ghost growls through the flame.

I whip my head to him, throwing him a dirty glare as the boy speaks, "Would that mean you'd be my mama?"

I choke on my tongue, my eyes flicking around the fire-lit faces. All of them spoke nothing, but their expression was clear.

You did this to yourself.

"Um. More like... a guardian."

"What's a guardian?"

I close my eyes tightly.

"It's like... Fuck," I mumble, "Yes. Like a mom, but... not your mom. Do you understand me?"

He whines, lowering his head, "I want my mama."