"The Wisp Of A Ghost" Simon Ghost Riley x Female OC

Chapter 10

Ghost just ups and leaves after he said those words, and I am left on the couch, feeling stunned.
Did he just..? Did he just tell me what I thought he told me?
Looking back at the past weeks, it seems to fit, but it just can't be.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding, overrun by my childish feelings, maybe he just meant I reminded him of someone that was close to me.
But as much as I try to push myself into denial, it doesn't work.
He said what he said, and the meaning that comes to my mind first is the one that objectively makes the most sense.
Yet I decide not to act on it - if I do and I'm wrong, this could fuck up way more than if I was right.
I'm dizzy and absent as I head to bed that night.
For once in the past few weeks not having nightmares, but rather dreams about him. His eyes. How it would feel like if he held my hand or caressed my face.

The next morning I'm standing outside with a cig, a cup of coffee in my hand to chase away dreams that would never become reality, no matter how much a part of me hoped they could.
I'm lost in thought when the bunker door behind me opens, and I jolt as Ghost comes into view.
He seems to freeze up for a moment as well, but relaxes a second later.
"Good morning.", he grumbles, slightly grumpy as I know him to be when he just woke up.
I don't manage to avert my stare, and as he pulls up his mask over his lips, the butterflies start to haunt me again.
I only manage to get a hold of myself and look away when he glances at me with an arched brow.
"Sorry.", I mumble and he chuckles.
Those god forsaken butterflies are starting to annoy the shit out of me and I want to rip out the wings of each and every one of them.
Even though I don't mind feeling my feelings, being ridden by them, tortured by them is a whole other topic. I despise when I can't control myself, be it mind, body or feelings, and those feelings I haven't had in a long time.

A few hours later I hear voices coming from the common room as I return to my room from the mess hall.
"Just start making moves. For fucks sake.", Soap chides and I quickly hurry through my door as I see the door handle of the common room starting to tilt.
As the day goes on I realize it's now me who's avoiding Simon, and I still work hard to put myself into denial about what he said yesterday, but it refuses to work as more pieces of the puzzle start to fall in place. If I was him I'd act the same way - I currently am acting the same way!
Fuck.
I feel guilty about hiding in my room, doing excersizes like push ups to hopefully banish all these sensations going through my body, distracting my mind by reciting poems, doing math.
In the evening I dare to venture out of my room to grab some of my food I've stored in our fridge.
But Ghost and Soap are hanging out on the couches.
I start to sweat and I see Soap gesture something to Ghost, as I grab one of my snacks from the fridge without saying a word to them.
I really am acting like Ghost did.
"Soap is forcing me to watch a movie. Want to join?", I hear Ghost ask behind me and I freeze.
"Oh come on, I'm not forcing you. Besides - The Princess Bride is a masterpiece. You'll love it."
"It just sounds like some cheap romance movie Johnny.", Ghost replies.
I can hear my heartbeat go faster as I try to think.
Taking a deep breath, I turn to them.
I'm not gonna act like Simon did, I decide and walk towards the couches.
To my dismay, MacTavish has spread out on his couch, a blanket over him and snacks strewn over the cushions, so there's no choice than to sit in the empty spot next to Ghost.
At first I'm as stiff as a metal rod, but as the movie goes on, I start to relax. It really is a great movie - all of us occasionally letting out a laugh, chuckle or giggle.
As we near the middle of the movie, I feel Ghost move next to me, his knee brushing up against mine, resting there.
From that moment on I can hardly concentrate and I don't laugh as Soap giggles and Ghost chuckles at some of the scenes - no, I'm staring at our goddamn knees.
And then Ghost even dares to put his arm onto the couch behind me.
It is pure torture, my heart beating so fast I feel like I'm about to have a heart attack.
"I must say, you really weren't lying when you said it was a masterpiece.", Ghost remarks when the movie ends.
"Up for another one?", Soap asks.
"As long as it's not Braveheart."
And then of course we watch Braveheart.
This time the lads move around more, and with every snack exchange I feel like Ghost is just moving a centimeter closer to me.
I'm glued to the seat, not daring to move, occasionally accepting snack and drinks offers and it's not long until Ghost settles his arm behind me again, this time his fingers lightly resting on my shoulder opposite him.
I finally start to relax again after a while, having decided it wasn't worth it to sit like a stick for hours, and if I'm being honest I'm really getting into the movie.
By now, Simons whole side of his body is resting against me, and all my suspicions are confirmed. "Just start making moves." was referring to this.
And a part of me desperately wants to reciprocate.
I finally start to lean back, the back of my head now touching Simons arm and by the end of the movie I start to relish in the feeling of his touch, of his surprisingly warm body against mine.

The next morning there's a knock on my door.
"Simon and I are going into town - you want to join?", Soap asks while leaning in the doorway.
An hour later we're all sitting in Soaps car - he insisted on me sitting in the passenger seat, leaving Ghost crammed in the back.
I expected MacTavish to listen to some scottish music, but instead Taylor Swift blares on the radio as we drive through the country side, Soap sometimes fervently singing along.
"I didn't clock you as a Swiftie. Though it kind of makes sense.", I remark and Soap laughs.
The whole drive Simon is quiet in the backseat. He exchanged his usual balaclava with a black medical mask and a baseball cap. It allows me to see just a tiny bit more of his features - dark blonde, short hair and some scars running down his temples.
"Feel free to drag us into any stores you need - get some stuff to make your room feel more like home.", Soap remarks as we pull up into the parking space of a shopping centre.
"What am I even allowed to get?", I ask.
"Whatever you want. We don't have any special rules in our little unit. Most of us have gotten bigger beds, some good matresses - Ghost even has a whole gaming setup in his room and I've got a neat mini fridge that looks like a pink Coca Cola can."
I'm surprised at this. In my previous units, the most we were allowed was maybe something like a little houseplant or a table lamp, if we were lucky we got to have an additional pillow.
"I swear I caught him playing some barbie make-over game once.", Soap laughs.
"We both know that was a lie. It was the character creation from Skyrim.", Simon growls.
"With all of your mods I just can't be sure."
"You think the new Elder Scrolls will come out while we're still alive?", I turn to Ghost with a smile.
I love Skyrim so I'm relieved there is something I share with him, something we can talk about with low stakes. It's also nice to know more about him, mysterious as he is.
"I bloody hope so. I've been thinking of giving Todd Howard a little visit and torture some information out of him."
We fall into banter about our favourite game as we walk into the shopping centre, learning we both love the same questlines and characters.
When we're at the electronics store, I decide to get myself a Nintendo Switch - practical to take on longer missions.
Soap insists on buying me a TV, and I spy Ghost picking up a game before disappearing to the register.
After putting it into the car, Soap drags us to the furniture store - Ghost pushing the car with a dark look in his face while MacTavish constantly brings me new stuff he might think I like.
Pink towels, scented candles, funny lamps - you name it.
Some of the things he brings I put into the cart but I decline the unicorn covers he found and shows me with a beaming smile, before taking them for himself.
Afterwards when they bring it to the car, I ask to go into the clothing store myself and with some prostest Soap let's me go.
I really need some new things - after my hunt for my sisters killers I only owed very few day to day clothes, only having a single pair of sweatpants and two pairs of jeans.
I can't help but stare at the pretty dresses and skirts on the racks. It's been a long time since I had the opportunity to wear something pretty.
I decide to try some of them on, and even though I like what I saw, it felt wrong. There wasn't a point for me to buy any of them with living on a military base, going on missions, but nevertheless I can't resist that one summer dress, reminding me of my sister. Other than that I mostly buy comfortable clothes to wear around the bunker - sweatpants, some shirts, a hoodie, some jeans...
When I leave the store I groan as I see the other two lads coming towards me, Soap beaming at me while he holds a big, fluffy teddy in hid arms.
"Look! It's almost as big as you!"
When it becomes clear that he bought it for me, I lecture him about where I'd even put it with our rooms being relatively small.
"Your bed of course! You can cuddle it while you sleep!"
I can't help but smile at his enthusiasm and reluctantly accept.
Back at the base, both of them help me move in my new things.
Ghost sets up my TV, letting out occasional grunts as he starts to hook up the cables, and Soap is giddy as he starts to decorate with the things he mostly forced on me.
When I rummage around in the bags, I find a copy of Skyrim for my Switch I know I didn't buy. That's what Simon must have picked up at the electronics store.
He barely spoke throughout our whole trip, and I can't help but notice a warm feeling spread through me as I hold the game in my hands.
By the time we've finished setting up the room, it really does feel like a space for myself. With no windows, the ambient lighting that Soap insisted I get makes the space feel cozy and less cold and I smile at the teddy bear sitting on my bed.
"We'll leave you to it then.", Ghost murmurs with a quick glance to me and they both exit my room, leaving me with those damn butterflies in my stomach.