Phantom ~ [Simon Ghost Riley]

XLIII. Blinding headlights

'Ace' Everson ~ 3 pm (on the way to the mission)

For the first time in a while, I open the car door for myself.

I had made sure to get to the car first, not allowing him the opportunity to try and open it for me. Not that I was expecting him to do so anyway with the current situation between us.

He sits down on the driver's side, starting the car without saying a word. I can tell he steals some glances here and there, and his eyes linger on my thighs as he pulls out of the driveway.

"Silent treatment.. Really?" he breaks the silence after some time, his tone flat and emotionless.

I turn to look at him, my brows furrowed. "You want to talk?"

"Why not?" He asks, keeping his gaze on the road ahead of us. "What's bothering you, Everson.." he purrs.

"Everson?" I repeat. "Are you serious?"

He doesn't respond, his eyes kept on the road as his hand grips the steering wheel just a little tighter.

"Listen.." I start. "I don't know what's going on in your mind, but I was serious, Simon. I meant what I said when you left the other day."

His gaze is glued to the road, his whole body not even moving by an inch. But when I expect him to stay silent, he doesn't. "I know.. And I can't-" he says. "I can't do this."

"What do you need from me, Simon."

"Time," he says immediately. "I need time. Just like you."

I let myself fall back into the seat again after noticing my body leaning towards him. I now keep my eyes on the road too, hesitating for a moment as a quiet sigh escapes my throat.

"Fine," I say softly. "I'll give you time. But please stop acting like you own me, then."

I can hear the air blow out of his nose as he hears that last sentence, but he doesn't respond again. His head tilts a bit more away from me, preventing me from seeing his eyes at all.

"I need you to focus on this mission," he states after a moment of silence. His voice is as emotionless as ever.

"I am."

"Good," he hums as if the previous few sentences were never even exchanged. "That's good."

This is gonna be something.

~

"I gotta stop here," he mumbles. "We're walking the rest of the way."

"Great," I mumble, barely audible. Though it seems that he heard because he looks at me sideways and his annoyance is clear as day.

The car door opens with a creak as I lean against it. I don't say a word as I get out. Instead, I make sure my vest and holster are all still strapped to me and I double-check for all my ammo. I then take on a steady stride towards the neighborhood we're needed, not waiting for him.

His footsteps follow behind, not too close, but not too far either. The sound of both our gear moving in sync sort of calms me down in a way. Not that I really needed to be calmed down, but still.

"There," Ghost says as he catches up to me, pointing his gun in the direction of one of the many streets.

I hold my finger on my comms button. "Price. We're here. We'll let you know when we find something."

"Good copy," he replies after a few seconds.

We enter the neighborhood cautiously, our senses heightened as we scan the surroundings for any signs of activity. The tension between Ghost and me still lingers, but the mission takes precedence, forcing us to set aside our personal issues for the time being.