The Masks in Your Life (Ghost x Reader)

e i g h t e e n

Alrighty guys... :(

We have officially reached the end of this story. Planned as a "little" one shot with like 10k words, I suddenly found myself at 35k (15k more and this story would've turned into a novel lol).

I feel a bit emotional tbh, I spent over a month writing this story and I kinda got attached. 
Therefore, there will be a bonus chapter probably in the first week of November! More smut, to be exact, I hope you're up for that.

Thank you all so much for reading this and for all your nice comments! <3
Whether you came from TikTok or found the story here, I appreciate you all so fucking much.

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She was immediately smitten by how neatly he put his shoes away, starting to say, "you know, I once had a future son-in-law who would– ", and being stopped dead in her tracks when you sent her a warning glance.

Simon didn't care, he liked your mum, the comforting warmth she emitted reminding him of his own mother, but not too much to suffocate him with memories.

After you had digested the surprise, you pulled your dad aside to warn him to not put Simon into some kind of cross-examination situation, and he promised to hold back.

Of course they still asked him questions, and he was glad that most of them focused on the present, because he couldn't avoid tensing up whenever the conversation moved too close to places he didn't want to go.

You observed him while he talked, mesmerised by his unmasked face. How the scar on his lips moved when he smiled, how his jaw clenched from time to time, his eyes creasing when he politely chuckled at your dad's dry jokes, and mostly how he looked at you.

Shamelessly letting his eyes linger on your lips, making you flustered with ease, all while talking to your parents with such genuine interest.

And oh, how much they adored him.

He mastered the dinner with bravado, and even helped you and your mum cleaning up, just like he did that day in your old kitchen. The feeling of home you had at that time flooding back, engulfing your heart.

"Are you staying?", you asked carefully so only he could hear, while you dried off the pots he was handing you.

His warm smile gave you butterflies, and his response made them flap their wings even more violently.

"One night, yes."

So it was only natural that you lay next to him in the relatively small bed in the guest room later that evening, pushed up against him. It was the first time you cuddled, and you never wanted to let go off him. One of his hands raked through your hair as your head rested on his chest, his heartbeat in your ear.

And his body was so warm, yours leaning against the curves of his muscles like they were made for you.

"Simon...", you started quietly, unsure how to address the thoughts that had been plaguing you recently.

He hummed, and now that you knew he was listening, you had to speak up anyways.

"I don't think that one night is enough for me."

You lifted your head to look up at him, scared that he maybe wouldn't feel the same, but what would he be doing here otherwise, far away from where he lived, just to see you for two days?

"I can't quit my job, love", he answered, his eyes soft and his hand moving to let his thumb brush over your cheek, and to his surprise, you chuckled.

"Don't worry, I know", you said, a sweet smile melting his heart. Then you grew quiet, your eyes serious.