Unexpected Lover | S. 'Ghost' Riley

34.

Three weeks was a long time to be told to take it easy.

My shoulder had healed enough that the pain was mostly gone, leaving behind nothing more than an occasional ache and a scar I wasn't particularly interested in looking at. I was finally back at base and back around the team.

Just not back in the field. Price had made that painfully clear; "No missions. No sparring. No weapons training."

"I know." I rested my head on my hand.

He gave me a look before walking out of the kitchen area. Me and ghost were left.

"You know he's right." Ghost adds. I looked up to find Ghost standing across from me, sunglasses hiding his eyes.

"Whose side are you on?" I replied crossing my arms tight on my chest leaning back in my chair.

"His."

"Traitor." I rolled my eyes. The faintest smile pulled at his mouth.

It still surprised me sometimes how much softer he'd become with me. Not with everyone else. Just me.

His hand would find my lower back when he passed behind me, he would sit beside me after work without needing a reason and still come to my room at night to check on me.

After the night we'd shared, things between us had changed without either of us needing to discuss it.

There was less hesitation now, more comfortability. I was seeing more of Simon than Ghost.

"How's the shoulder?" he asked.

"Fine."

"Really?" He said with his gruff tone. He arched an eyebrow up, giving me a look of tell the truth.

I smiled. "..Mostly." He nodded, accepting the answer.

~•~

By the time everyone started leaving, I was finishing up some paperwork on previous missions they had been on while I was recovering. When I looked up from my desk after cleaning up, Ghost was still there.

"You waiting for me?"

"Yeah."

"For what?"

"Food." I raised an eyebrow, "That your subtle way of asking me out?" I teased.

He picked up my bag before I could "We're are just eating, love."

I laughed quietly and followed him as heat flushed my face.

⸻

The restaurant was small and quiet, tucked away from the busier part of town. Nothing fancy. Just warm lighting, good food, and enough privacy that we didn't have to worry about anyone recognizing us.

For once, there was no mission waiting for us. No briefing, no weapons being shot from, just us.

He'd taken off his sunglasses, his dark eyes occasionally meeting mine over the table. I caught him watching me more than once.

"What?" I said. My cheeks had filled with a light tint of blush. I was not used to him looking at me like he was admiring me. Like his eyes were filled with love.

"Nothing." He showed a light smile and I smiled and looked back down at my food.

His foot brushed mine beneath the table.

Neither of us moved.

The conversation came naturally, scattered between bites and comfortable silences. We talked about the team, Soap's latest argument with Gaz, and the ridiculous amount of paperwork Price had somehow managed to give me despite being injured.

Eventually, the conversation faded. I reached across the table, my fingers resting near his hand.

He looked down before turning his palm upward. I slipped my fingers into his and his thumb brushed slowly over my knuckles.

I looked at him, and for a moment, there was nothing guarded about Simon's expression.

Just him.

The man I'd gotten to know when nobody else was around, the man who had stayed beside my hospital bed; he looked calm for once.

I squeezed his hand and he squeezed back.

Maybe we didn't need to define whatever this was yet. Maybe we could just let it grow.

———

By the time we reached my apartment, the night had settled in. Ghost walked me to my door without saying much.

"You coming in?" I asked. He looked at me for a moment, "Unless you want me to leave."

I shook my head and unlocked the door.
"I don't". He followed me inside.

The second I dropped my bag onto the couch, my shoulder reminded me that I still wasn't completely healed.

I winced. Ghost noticed immediately.

"Sit." He said firm but soft.

"I'm fine."

"Rose." I sighed and sat.

He disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a glass of water and my medication, setting both down in front of me.

"You don't have to babysit me."

"Not babysitting."

"What are you doing?"

"Taking care of you."

There was something about the way he said it that made my chest tighten. He came closer towards me and crouched in front of me, carefully checking the edge of the healing bandage near my shoulder.

"Still bothering you?"

"A little." I scrunched my face as his fingers barely brushed my skin as he adjusted it, careful not to hurt me.

"Should've told me." He looks at me with a gentle but slight worry in eyes.

"I didn't want to ruin dinner."

"You couldn't."

He then stood and pulled the blanket from the back of the couch, draping it over my legs before sitting beside me.

I rested my head against his shoulder and his arm slipped around me, pulling me closer without putting pressure on my shoulder.

I closed my eyes. This felt different from the night we'd shared before. I felt safe like there was nothing in the world that could hurt me
, somehow this meant more.

His fingers lightly traced small circles against my arm, "You should sleep," he murmured.

"I'm not tired."

"You are." I lifted my head to look at him "You always this bossy?"

"With you? Apparently."

A quiet laugh escaped me as I found myself admiring his face. There was something about the way he looked at me that made the rest of the world feel distant.

Simon turned toward me, his eyes slowly tracing over my face as though he were committing every detail to memory.

Then, without a word, he leaned closer. His hand slipped gently behind my neck, drawing me toward him until our lips met.

His kiss was warm—gentle in a way I wasn't used to from him. I kissed him back with a quiet hunger, like some part of me had been waiting for this, even if I wasn't completely healed yet.

Eventually, we pulled apart, our foreheads almost touching as our eyes met again.

"You're something else, Simon Riley." I gave him a faint smile.

His lips curved slightly. "And you will be the death of me, Rose."

For once, I didn't feel like I needed to be anywhere else and neither did he.