Contagious || Ghost x Fem

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡

You and Ghost nestled together in your bed, his arm draped gently over you so as not to aggravate your injuries. "I swear, it felt so real," you murmured, recounting your dream. "Like I was really touching them and talking to them."

"What did they say?" Ghost asked, curiosity tinged with concern. "They told me to find my brother.." you replied, lifting your gaze to meet Ghost's eyes. He shifted uncomfortably beneath you. "This might sound crazy but.. what if my brother really isn't dead?" you ventured, hope flickering in your voice. "It's possible," Ghost responded, his thumb tracing soothing circles on your arm. You gazed into his eyes, already missing the handsome face hidden behind the mask. Tentatively, you reached up to touch his face.

"Can I? Just one more time?" you asked, pouting playfully. Ghost chuckled softly under you. "Alright. Go ahead." You smiled and slowly slid the balaclava off his face, revealing him. A soft hum escaped your lips. "What?" Ghost asked. "Nothing. You're just better than what I imagined," you said, tenderly caressing the scar on his face where the eyeblack had once been. Slowly, you repositioned yourself to straddle him. "Don't hurt yourself, love," Ghost cautioned, gripping your waist gently. You hushed him before leaning down to kiss him. The kiss was hungry and passionate, tongues entwining and hearts pounding against each other. Breaking away, you scanned his features before locking eyes with him.

"Simon Riley, hm... I want to know your story," you said, yearning to uncover every layer of the man who had captivated you so completely. "What do you want to know?" he asked, his hands sliding down to grip your hips firmly. "Everything.. I want to know everything," you whispered, laying back on his chest. "Well, you already know I was born and raised in Manchester," he began. "I didn't have the best childhood. My father was heartless; he would bring dangerous animals home and taunt me with them—even forcing me to kiss a snake once. As me and my younger brother Tommy grew older, Tommy would wear a skull-mask at night just to scare me. My father sometimes took me to Bone Lickers concerts; at one of those concerts, he made me laugh at the death of a prostitute who had overdosed on drugs."

Your heart ached for him as he spoke; suddenly, pieces of his complex persona fell into place. "I'm sorry, Simon," you said softly. "It's alright, love," he replied reassuringly. "I used to be an apprentice butcher at a grocery store but joined the military after 9/11. Eventually, I was accepted into the SAS." He continued, his voice heavy with memories of past trauma: "When I returned home on leave in 2003, I found my mother and brother had hit rock bottom. My brother was addicted to drugs and had been stealing from my mother to support his habit. I chose not to return to the military until I had straightened things out for my family. I worked tirelessly to help Tommy overcome his addiction and in 2004 beat my father and threw him out of the house for all the abuse he had inflicted on us."

"By 2006," he went on with a softer tone that hinted at redemption amidst chaos, "Tommy had been clean for some time and married a woman named Beth. I served as the best man at Tommy's wedding. Beth gave birth to a young boy named Joseph—my nephew." A small smile tugged at his lips as he added, "So not all is bad in the end." You smiled. "When's the last time you saw them?" you asked genuinely curious. "It's been a while," he admitted reluctantly. "At least two years." 

"After everything that's happened, you should really go see them," you said, stifling a yawn. "Yeah, I will," he replied, pausing for a moment before continuing, "I want you to meet them." Your eyes met his in surprise. "You want me to meet your family?" The gravity of the situation dawned on you. "I do. My mother would absolutely adore you," he added with a soft smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "You think so?" you asked, beaming with delight. "I know so," Ghost reassured you, his fingers gently weaving through your hair. "Then I guess I will," you murmured, finally letting sleep claim you as your eyes fluttered shut.

The next day, the team congregated around the table, tension palpable in the air. A laptop screen flickered to life with Laswell's face. "I'm relieved everyone's safe," she began. "Us too, Kate. Where are you?" you inquired, concern lining your voice. "I'm back in the States—safe and hidden—so no need to worry about me. But we have pressing matters to discuss," she stated firmly. "Go on," Ghost urged her.

"I've uncovered redacted intel regarding a black bag operation orchestrated by General Shepherd and executed by Shadow Company," Laswell explained, her tone grave. The team exchanged uneasy glances. "They were transporting American-made ballistic missiles to our allies fighting Russians in the Middle East. The mission did not go as planned.." She trailed off as Price exhaled deeply. "Reconnaissance reports indicated the route was clear of enemy activity, but they were wrong. The shipment was intercepted before reaching its destination. Russian PMCs ambushed and annihilated the entire squad, seizing Shadow's communications," she detailed grimly.

You turned to Ghost, finding him already watching you intently. "Now the Russians are involved? For fuck's sake," Gaz blurted out in frustration. "We were right all along," you said quietly. "Indeed you were," Laswell confirmed. "They discovered Shepherd's involvement and handed the missiles over to Hassan. While Shepherd's intentions might have been good, the shipments were illegal and off-the-books. He and Graves covered it up, and the cover-up is always worse than the crime. We were getting too close, and they weren't gonna let that happen," Laswell elucidated.

"Three missiles were stolen; we've only recovered two," she concluded ominously. "What the hell..." Soap muttered, burying his face in his hands. "This is seriously messed up." "It is indeed," Price agreed, his expression darkening with resolve. "Laswell, connect me to Shepherd. It's time for a little chat."

1023 words