A Collection of Short Stories | Simon Riley "Ghost" x Reader

a little unsteady: chapter 1

You were in the mess hall with Ghost after coming back from a long, traumatic mission. You began to zone out and disassociate, flashbacks so real and vivid playing through your mind. It felt like a nightmare, but you were awake.

"Y/N," Ghost says. "Y/N!" Ghost barks louder, putting a hand on your shoulder. You jerk up, snapping, and grab Ghost's wrist, gripping it tightly before zoning back in, letting go, and apologizing hysterically as Ghost looks worried for you.

Your eyes narrowed as you forced a shaky laugh, "I'm fine, Ghost. Just got lost in thought, that's all." You pulled your arm away, trying to muster some semblance of defiance.

"You don't need to worry about me," you snapped, though your voice betrayed a hint of fragility. Ghost's hand lingered in the air for a moment before dropping, his expression clearly not convinced.

"I can handle myself," you muttered, more to convince yourself than him.

"Y/N," Ghost says sternly. "You're not like this when we go on these missions. What changed? I can barely recognize who you are when you're back in headquarters." He puts his hands on your lap as if to pull you closer, but hesitates.

"What happened out there? Talk to me," he says, his voice quiet but stern.

You looked away, the weight of his words pressing down on you. "Nothing's changed," you retorted defensively, feeling the sting of his observation. Your eyes darted to his hands, hesitating for a moment before you shook your head.

"It was just another mission," you whispered, though the hollowness in your voice betrayed you. "I don't need to be coddled, Ghost." But deep down, you were silently pleading for him to see through your facade.

Ghost's hand moved up to your chin as you turned away from him. His thumb caressed your chin, his eyes boring into yours.

"Y/N, look at me." His tone was both stern yet loving, the kind of look Ghost gives to his teammates and soldiers. But something was different this time. He wanted to know what happened.

A deep breath caught in your throat, his insistence piercing through your defenses. "It's not that simple, Ghost," you murmured, meeting his eyes with a mix of defiance and pain. You could see the genuine concern in his gaze, which only made it harder to push him away.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," you whispered, trying to pull away. "Not everything is fit for debriefing." Your voice quivered, betraying the facade you tried so hard to maintain.

His hands gripped your cheeks, pulling you close. Your face was so near to Ghost's that it became hard to meet his gaze.

"Do you think you can fool me with that bullshit, Y/N?" he said, his voice low but commanding. "I can see right through you. Something happened on that mission, and I want to know now."

You flinched at the intensity of his words, your heart racing. Instinctively, you scooted back, creating a small gap between the two of you, feeling the cold metal of the bench against your back. Your gaze dropped, unable to confront the raw concern and authority in his eyes.

"Not here, Ghost," you murmured, your voice shaky. "Please." Your fingers gripped the edge of the table, knuckles whitening, as you tried to steady yourself.

Ghost's hand ran through your hair as he lifted your head to look at him, his eyes burning into yours. You could see a hint of a blush on Ghost's face, like he wasn't expecting himself to show feelings towards you. Or was he being intimidating just so he could get information out of you?

"Y/N... please... this isn't like you." He takes a deep breath and calms himself. "Let's go somewhere private, just you and me. Not here, in this mess hall. Somewhere quiet."