Silver-Lining (Ghost Riley x Reader)

Chapter Thirty-One

I laced my shoelaces together, tieing them into a double-knot. They were much more comfortable than the combat boots I was used to. Today, we dressed more casually. Alejandro thought it would've been better if we wore casual clothes into the city, rather than our uniforms. He said he didn't want to spark panic amongst the citizens of Las Almas.

It was above ninety degrees and I knew I would be sweating. I decided to wear a pair of shorts and a loose, Metallica shirt. I kept my gun in the waistline of my pants, keeping it hidden underneath the fabric of my shirt. I grabbed my sunglasses, putting them on to shield my eyes from the bright rays the sun offered.

Everyone was waiting outside, leaning against the Jeep as Alejandro went over the job. It was simple. We search around the area for Graves, without attracting too much attention. Each of us would have our comms and split up, feeling as though a group of people would be a quick way to draw attention.

"And while you're out and about, enjoy the wonderful city. mucho que ver en Las Almas!" (So much to see in Las Almas!) I never really understood what Alejandro said whenever he spoke small parts of Spanish, but I liked it. We pulled to the side of the street, parking between two cars that were parked horizontally. Alejandro managed to park perfectly. "Alright, we split up. You catch sight of him, you chase him down and warn everyone else."

Once he was finished talking, we piled out of the jeep. Ghost grabbed my arm gently, pulling me to the side. "Be careful alright? Don't let your anger make you an idiot if you catch him, okay?" Ghost looked down at me. "Is this your way of saying how much you love me?" I asked jokingly, looking up at him. "I'm serious, y/n. Be careful."

I nodded my head, saying, "alright," and that was it. Everyone went their own way, disappearing into the busy sidewalk. The smell of food wafted through the air, creating a comforting aroma. It reminded me of a cozy home. The home you would come to after a long day to find your mom had made your favorite meal.

"Fruta fresca para la venta!" The familiar elderly woman called out, standing in front of her small shop. I looked away from her direction and wandered the streets. I took in every ounce of detail, making sure I knew my way back to the Jeep. I looked further into the crowd, my eyes landing on each face.

I caught sight of a familiar face and the anger fired through me. "Graves," I said. His eyes landed on mine, his eyebrows raising as he turned and quickly pushed people down to get past.

I pushed through the crowd, keeping my eyes trained on him. "Caught sight of him, over," I spoke through the comms quickly. Graves hopped over a bench as he crossed the street, avoiding getting hit by any cars. My palm pressed flat against the table part of the bench, as I pressed my weight against my palm, kicking my legs over the wooden bench. I hopped over, landing swiftly on my feet.

I ran straight through the traffic, the wind hitting me harshly as the cars whizzed past me, honking their loud horns, and shouting words at me in Spanish.

I safely reached the sidewalk, following Graves through the crowd. More people pushed through, causing me to get lost. I stood up on the tables, scanning the crowd, trying to desperately find sight of him. My heart beat against my chest as my lungs chased after the loss of air. "Where is he now? Over," I heard Ghost through the comms. "Gone. Over." I felt a mixture of shame, desperation, and anger.

I hopped off of the table and made my way back to the Jeep. "Where is everyone?" I asked Ghost once I realized that he was the only one there. "Haven't got here yet. I was the first one to arrive." He told me.

I nodded my head as I leaned against the Jeep, letting out a huff. "I can't believe I lost him." I groaned, feeling more angry with myself than anything. "Hey, Knives?" Ghost caught my attention, standing in front of me. "Hm?" I looked up at him. His brown eyes melted into mine as he placed his hand on my shoulder. "What's the silver lining?" He asked me.

A small smile tugged at my lips once I realized it had been a while since we did this. "The silver lining is that we know for sure Graves is still in Las Almas. And with the city guarded, he can't leave." I said. "That's my girl." Ghost spoke proudly as he stood beside me.

We caught sight of Gaz, who was jogging toward us. "Finally! About damn time!" Ghost called out as Gaz gave us a smile. "I didn't even take long." He said. Soap and Alejandro came shortly after, walking side-by-side.

"We found something," Soap told us. "We saw this. Looks familiar?" Soap asked as he held up a baseball cap. It was gray and was torn on the edge. "Graves." Ghost said. Soap nodded his head. "Why do we need his baseball cap?" Gaz asked. "We found this out of the city- in the country." Alejandro told us. "Javier found us in the city and offered us a ride to the countryside. I think Graves camps out there and sneaks into the city to grab what he needs." Alejandro explained to us.

"So we go out to the country and check it out," Gaz said. "No, he is in the city somewhere. I just had sight of him an hour ago. If he is on foot it will take him a lot longer than an hour." I quickly shot down his idea. "Besides, if we want him back in the country, we need to make him think he's safe in the country." Ghost added.

"We should head back," Alejandro spoke up. We all piled into the Jeep, and the sounds of the car doors shutting filled my ears. I sat on the outside as Gaz took the front seat since he called shotgun. I rested my head on my hand as I felt the warm breeze blowing against my face.

The warmth of the sun crawled on my skin as I looked up at the blue sky through the dark shades. I allowed my forearm to drop, my arm resting on the door. The wind blew against my hand, and the feeling of the air filling my hand felt as if I was holding a baseball.

It was only a thirty-minute drive and we were back at base. Everyone got ready for bed that night as exhaustion lingered in the air, overcoming us all.

I grabbed my thin blankets and went over to Ghost's room. I knocked on his door, hearing his gruff voice telling me to come inside on the other side of the door. I opened the door and placed my thin blankets on his bed, trading them in for his weighted blankets. "Are you feeling alright, sarge?" Ghost asked me, standing up from his bed.

"Yeah, it's just been a long day," I assured him, looking up at him. He removed his mask, the dim light settling on his facial features. "Get some rest." He told me, sounding more authoritative than what he intended to come off of. I nodded my head and turned to walk away. "Night' Ghost," I called out quietly as I walked away.

I made my way to my room, closing the door behind me. Even as the exhaustion crept over me, I could still feel that small amount of energy that kept me from getting sleep.

Even as my eyes began to feel heavy, they still couldn't stay shut. I let out a sigh as I tore off the hoodie that I wore, feeling the heat that crawl on my skin becoming more unbearable with each second. I was left in my sweatpants and a tank top. A long sigh escaped my lips as I tore the blanket off of me.

I decided to make a cup of tea, hoping it'll make the sleep come easier. I walked out into the kitchen, grabbing a glass mug from the cupboard, the glass cold to the touch. I heated some water and made my tea. I took a seat, blowing gently on the hot mug. I watched the steam rise from the liquid, the moonlight making the steam apparent.

"You are everywhere." I heard Ghost say half-jokingly as he also made himself a cup of tea. "Yeah, and I was also here first." I joked back. Ghost leaned against the counter beside me, the moonlight highlighting his features. "No mask? Feeling risky on this wonderful night? Huh?" I joked.

"Oh, you know me, always living life on the edge." He grinned, his smile lines deepening as he did so. I brought my hand to his cheek, grazing my thumb over the small indented lines that stuck out on the corner of his lips. "I love your smile lines," I spoke softly as he leaned deeper into my touch. His large hand covered mine with his as he looked deep into my eyes.

I could feel my stomach churn in knots as he inched closer, his lips gently brushing mine. The heat of his breath that grazed my lips sent shivers up my spine. "I want to kiss you so badly." He admitted, his deep voice soft like silk. His hand rested on my cheek, brushing it softly with the pad of his thumb. "As badly as I want to, I can't. Not when you're going to leave soon." He pulled away, walking out of the kitchen.

He left me there, alone and with my thoughts. That's when I realized. It was more than just him being vulnerable. He was distancing himself because I was leaving soon.