Phantom ~ [Simon Ghost Riley]

XXXVIII. Eye-black

My jaw drops as Ghost..

-No.

Simon Riley, stands in front of me.

His mask lies on top of the pile of clothes in his arms as he looks down. His face is tilted slightly and he doesn't make eye contact. His eyes search for something to focus on, something that isn't my eyes.

"Simon," I mumble, his name being the only thing that comes to mind right now.

It looks like he's not breathing. The confident man that I know seems to not be present anymore.

"-Don't mention it," he mumbles.

I stutter again before I can finally make a full sentence. "—You're beautiful.. "

In front of me stands a tall man with dark brown eyes. His hair is dirty blonde, not too short and not too long. His eyes hold a sad look, even more so without his mask, though they fit perfectly with the rest of his face. His nose is strong compared to his surprisingly soft-looking lips that I've felt so many times before. His skin looks perfect, despite the number of scars that run all over him. His eyes still have eye-black around them, the edges of it messy. It's clear he had put it on in a hurry.

"Sorry," he whispers, as if apologizing for his appearance.

"Hey, hey," I say as I immediately step closer to him. I reach up to grab his face, softly forcing him to look at me. "Don't do that."

He tries breaking eye contact, but I get him to look at me again, my finger softly brushing over his cheek. "There's nothing to be sorry for."

He finally looks at me, though his eyes bounce back and forth between mine. I can tell how hard it is for him to make eye contact without the protection of his mask. A smile curves up the corner of my mouth.

"I'm serious... Thank you for trusting me," I whisper, my hands still on his face.

He nods ever so slightly. I wouldn't have noticed it if it weren't for my hands on his face. His furrowed brows lose a little tension and by the movement of his shoulders, I can tell he takes a deep breath.

"Here," I say, taking the pile of clothes from his hands. "Give me these. I'll wash your mask by hand. Just to be safe," I smile at him.

"Thank you," he says, the corner of his mouth raising in a smile that is clearly forced.

"Why don't you go give Bagel a cuddle? I'll be right out," I say before laying his mask on the edge of the sink.

He nods before exiting the bathroom.

I leave the door open the slightest bit, making sure to give him enough privacy if he needs it. When the sound of Bagel purring loudly reaches me, I know he's okay.

I lean over the sink for a short moment, looking at myself in the mirror to see the smile on my face in combination with pure shock. He has just shown me his face.

I can't believe it.

But I promise myself not to make a big deal out of it. It must be hard enough for him already, and by his words earlier it seems like he doesn't even want me to talk about it.

My fingers tangle themselves in the balaclava covered by the skull. The ragged fabric feels cold against my skin as it's still soaked by the rain. I turn on the faucet, making sure the water is relatively hot before I carefully start cleaning his mask.

My heart is still pounding in my chest by the time I finish. I pat the skull part dry with a clean towel before holding the whole thing in my hands once more. It's cleaner than I've ever seen it be before and I can't help but feel proud of myself.