Silver-Lining (Ghost Riley x Reader)

Chapter ten

A feeling of joy washed over me as Ace's arms wrapped around me. My heart flooded with happiness as I looked up at the familiar face. "What are you doing here?" Although I was incredibly happy at his unexpected arrival, I still didn't quite understand why he came. "Well, they needed help taking the missile apart," Ace told me.

Long before he joined my squad, Ace had been a missile expert. Creating and destroying missiles was what he did best. "It's so great to see you!" It had felt like years since I'd seen Ace. Reading his stupid jokes on a piece of paper wasn't the same as hearing them. I could feel eyes on the back of my head. I didn't need to turn around to know that it was Ghost, but once I did I couldn't help but look into his eyes.

I looked into them for a second, hoping to see something. I saw something flash in his eyes before his stone-cold demeanor settled in, making him come off as emotionless once more. I wondered what it was that flashed into his eyes. I watched as Ghost's eyes glared at Ace. Was it jealousy?

"Well Ace, I'll take you to your room." I grabbed Ace's duffel bag and placed it on his shoulders. The loose, brown curls shook on Ace's head as he gave me a small head nod. His soft, brown eyes looked around the room awkwardly because he knew that Ghost had been giving him a death stare the entire time we'd been here. I quickly led Ace out of the rec room and down the hallway.

Beside Soap's room was an empty room. I swung the door open, revealing a small mattress in the corner, a nightstand beside it, a brown dresser that was leaned against the beige wall, and a chair beside a small table. It was the same setup as all of our rooms.

"I'm guessing that's the infamous Ghost." He guessed, speaking in a hushed tone. I sat down on the bed beside him, the mattress squeaking underneath me. "Yep."

"He really knows how to give a death stare." I chuckled at his little comment, agreeing with a head nod. "You get used to the staring," I assured him. A sly grin spread across Ace's face and I knew that he was going to say something out-of-pocket. "Maybe he stares at you because he likes what he sees."

I rolled my eyes at his comment and pushed him to the side. I couldn't help but feel a small flutter in my stomach. I knew that Ace was delusional and the things he said wouldn't ever happen, but a small part of me hoped it would. "He's undressing you with his eyes." He added.

"Ace!" I threw a pillow at him, laughter coming from my mouth. The air around Ace and me was vibrant. Although it had been a few months since Ace and I saw each other, everything felt as if it did before I left... normal. I expected something more awkward in the air. But, Ace always had that effect. We made our way out of the room and walked around the base. The stars shone brightly in the sky. It looked like specs of white paint that had been shattered on a canvas painted completely black.

"When I first got word that I was coming down here I was so excited. I thought that I wouldn't see you for a whole year!" Ace's limp arm felt heavy around my shoulder. I stepped onto the small patches of grass. "Yeah, well we are close. The third shipment will be arriving in a few weeks and then we need Andrei."

"Let me guess, you're sad about leaving the Task Force?" Ace asked. His brown eyes looked down and into mine. His face was as soft as his puppy-dog eyes. "Yeah, I am. I don't want to leave them, Emilio." I told him. It took him by surprise when I called him by his actual name. "And what about skull boy? You especially don't want to leave him." Ace pointed out.

I looked down at the ground, watching my combat boots sink into the soft dirt. Taking a step, I looked back at the trail of footprints I left behind. "I can just tell that Ghost and I are getting closer," I told him.

A grin appeared on Ace's face as he looked down at me. "You like him... don't you?"

I rolled my eyes at his question, a playful smile forming on my face. I didn't want to answer that. I didn't want to say no when I really meant yes. "Oh shit!" He spoke in a sing-songy tone. "Knives liking someone?! Unheard of."

I pushed him away from me, chuckling slightly. "It doesn't matter anyways. Ghost does not fall for anyone, ever." I could feel Ace pull me back in, leaning his head on mine. "Men are stupid. He'd be a dummy to not want you. But don't worry, you can catch any person you want." He told me.

"I just love how delusional you are," I told him. Ace and I finally made our way back to the small home and entered. I let out a soft sigh as the cool air hit my skin. I threw my jacket off and placed it on the coat rack. "I'm about to get some sleep. Goodnight Knives." Ace walked down the hall, looking confused for a second. "On the left." I told him. He gave me a thumbs-up before entering the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Well, you two seem... Friendly." Ghost's voice caught me by surprise. Turning around, slightly startled, my eyes locked onto Ghost's mask. The whites in his eyes stood out, black face paint smeared around his eyes. "Why? Jealous?" I asked, jokingly. "Of course not." He spoke quickly, leaning against the counter.

He wore a fitted shirt that hugged his muscles perfectly. I walked past him, opening the cupboard. I grabbed two mugs, making two cups of tea. "Why are they tearing the missile apart?" Ghost asked me as if I knew the answer to anything. "I dunno, maybe to see if the parts could be of use. Or maybe to just completely destroy it." I shrugged my shoulders. I pushed one of the mugs toward Ghost. He thanked me as he lifted his mask slightly.

I couldn't help but stare at the lower half of his face, knowing it would be the only part of his face I'd ever see. His lips were plump, light stubble scattered neatly across his face. There was a scar that went from his top lip to his lower lip. The scar looked old, seeing as it was already healed. "Like what you see?" Ghost asked, sarcasm lacing his tone.

I quickly looked away, bringing my mug to my lips. "In your wildest dreams, mask boy." I shot back, feeling embarrassment rise through me. I heard a small chuckle come from Ghost as he walked closer to me.

"Are you..." He leaned down, looking closer at me. "Are you flustered?" He asked me, humming in amusement. I stood straighter, not allowing him to think for even a second he had control over me. "Depends, would you like me to be?" I raised an eyebrow. "I'm only here for so long." I added. I wasn't able to stop the words that poured from my mouth, but I knew I needed to at least dial back a bit.

"And what would you like to do about that?" I knew he was playing along. There would be no way that Ghost would ever feel a slicer of romance toward me. "Hmm..." I pretended to think for a moment. "Sleep is the best option. Nighty night sweetheart." I patted his shoulder as I walked past him.

Although he couldn't tell, I was a nervous wreck on the inside. I could only hope that I would never have to do whatever that was again.

This chapter was kind of short which is alright. If I were you guys, I wouldn't expect a quick update. I got SATs all week and state testing so wish me luck! Have a wonderful day or night beauties!