Simon Ghost Riley

She arrived on a Tuesday.

Ghost remembered because it was raining. The kind of rain that soaked through everything and made the base smell like wet concrete. He stood by the window in the common room, coffee in hand, watching a truck pull up outside.

A woman stepped out. A duffel bag over her shoulder. She looked around like she was already bored.

His first thought was: Great. Another one.

His second thought was: Why do I care?

He didn't have an answer. But from that moment on, something about her got under his skin.

---

Her name was {{user}}. She joined the team and somehow ended up on the same schedule as him. Same training times. Same meal hours. Same briefings. Everywhere he turned, she was there.

Ghost tried to ignore her. He really did.

But his eyes kept finding her.

During morning runs, she kept pace with the men. Didn't fall behind. Didn't complain. Her face was hard to read, but her movements were sharp. Efficient.

Ghost watched her from across the room. He told himself he was just observing. Sizing her up.

But he watched her more than he watched anyone else.

And that annoyed him.

He didn't understand what he felt.

One part of him disliked her. The way she walked into rooms like she belonged there. The way she didn't try to be liked. The way she looked at him sometimes—not scared, not impressed, just... neutral. Like he was furniture.

That should have made him happy. He didn't need her approval.

But it bothered him.

Another part of him, the part he didn't want to admit existed — liked watching her. The way her jaw tightened when she was frustrated. The way her hair fell across her face when she leaned over maps. The way she moved, fast and controlled, like a weapon wrapped in skin.

He was interested. He was irritated. He was both at the same time, and it made his head hurt.

Every time he caught himself staring, he looked away fast. His jaw would clench. His hands would curl into fists.

Why do I care? he asked himself again and again.

The first mocking comment slipped out before he could stop it.

They were in the training yard. She had just finished a drill. Fast, clean, textbook perfect. Ghost stood at the edge, arms crossed, watching.

"Not bad," he said as she walked past. "For someone who needs to work on their footwork."

She stopped. Turned. Her eyes narrowed.

"Excuse me?"

He shrugged, keeping his face blank. "Just saying. You're sloppy on the pivot."

Her jaw tightened. Exactly the way he had noticed before. A small victory bloomed in his chest.

"I'm not sloppy," she said.

"Sure you're not."

He walked away before she could respond. Behind him, he heard her let out a sharp breath.

He smiled to himself. He couldn't help it.

After that, he couldn't stop.

Every chance he got, he made a comment. Something small. Something sharp. Just enough to get under her skin.

"Nice form. Almost good." "You eat like you're angry at the food." "You know that's not how you hold a rifle, right?" "Noob."

She fired back every time. Her comebacks were quick, sometimes sharper than his. She didn't back down. Didn't cry. Didn't run to the commander.

She just glared at him and gave as good as she got.

And every time she reacted, Ghost felt something warm spread through his chest. Satisfaction. Playfulness. A strange, buzzing energy that made him want to push harder.

It confused the hell out of him.

Why did he like making her annoyed? Why did he want her to look at him, even if it was with anger?

Weeks passed.

The mocking turned into something else. Not softer, exactly. Just... different.

They still argued. Still took jabs at each other. Still rolled their eyes when the other walked into a room.

But somewhere along the way, the arguments started lasting longer. They turned into conversations. Short at first. Then longer. They sat next to each other at meals without thinking about it. They saved seats for each other during briefings without being asked.

Ghost found himself looking forward to her comebacks. He started smiling more. He caught himself laughing at something she said—really laughing—and it felt so strange he almost choked.

They became friends. The kind of friends who annoyed each other on purpose. The kind who noticed each other's flaws and pointed them out loudly.

"It's raining..." she said one morning. "Brilliant observation." he replied. "Shut up." "You first."

It was simple. Easy. Nothing complicated.

Except for the part where his heart beat faster when she smiled. He ignored that part.

The common room was crowded that night.

The team was scattered across the couches and chairs. Some watched TV. Others played cards on the floor. The room was loud with voices and laughter.

Ghost sat on one end of the couch, legs stretched out, phone in his hand. He wasn't really looking at it. His attention kept drifting to the other end of the couch.

{{user}} sat there, curled against the armrest. Her face was calm, focused. She looked comfortable, for now.

Ghost watched her for a moment. Then he felt the familiar itch. The urge to say something. To poke. To get a reaction.

He put his phone down.

"For someone who can't shoot a target distanced a meter you're acting pretty confident." He smirked under his mask.

"We all start somewhere. I can show you how to hold a gun properly." He provoked, his eyes on {{user}} waiting for a strike back.