Phantom ~ [Simon Ghost Riley]

XLV. Wildflowers

The meeting room feels calmer than usual, though an undeniable tension connects the two of us. He stands on the other side of the room, stealing some glances here and there as the others mumble about things I'm not focused on.

Heat erupts in my stomach every time his gaze flickers over at me. It feels good to finally have something to rely on. And even though most of the guys know already, it still feels like some silent understanding between the two of us.

"Today is important," Price's loud voice cuts through the room. "This will be the final training for mission Spike."

The name Spike cuts through me like a painful reminder. They were helping them. Supplying Kahdemi with all of his weapons. The weapons that can still hurt so many more. We weren't sure how much Spike had been doing behind closed doors, but it was time for us to go after them.

Price continues explaining his motions for today's plan, but my mind is honestly somewhere else. Back to the way they had me strapped in a chair. To the way they treated me like I was nothing.

"Come," Ghost's low voice pulls me out of my thoughts as he walks out in front of me. "You're with me today," he says, almost demanding.

I follow him out of the meeting room to the training field. For the first time in what feels like months, it's sunny out. The grass isn't damp from recent rain, and it's not cold. It feels good, and some small wildflowers are starting to appear on the field which only makes me happier.

Ghost halts in front of me as we finally reach a decent spot. He looks at me, his gaze following my own down to the ground. "Weeds," he mumbles as he sees me looking at the flowers.

"Hey," I reply, faking being offended. "I love wildflowers."

He tilts his head back slightly, his eyes narrowing. "..Why?" He looks down at the wildflowers, the delicate blooms swaying in the breeze, and then back at me.

"I suppose they're resilient," I say quietly, my voice carrying a hint of introspection. "They grow in the harshest conditions, surviving against all odds. It's a reminder that beauty can thrive even in the most unexpected places."

He seems intrigued by my response, his eyes narrow slightly as if contemplating something. His stoic facade shows a slight crack as he takes in my words, but it doesn't take long for him to come up with an answer. "You're weird," he says, his voice low but with a hint of sarcasm.

"No," I say as a smile inevitably curls up on my lips. "You're just boring... I'll have to teach you some ways."

He shakes his head in disapproval but he doesn't say no, still standing in a field with flowers that surround him. It's honestly a funny sight, seeing his tough exterior, his skull mask and all, standing in a field of colorful flowers.

"Cute," I mumble quietly.

"I'm not cute," he hisses, making it clear that he heard my comment.

The sudden switch in his tone genuinely pulls a laugh from me. "Whatever," I grin before taking the gun out of his hands. "Are we going to shoot some shit up or what?"

He doesn't reply. He just looks at me with his dark brown eyes as I hold his gun, waiting for him. Finally, he offers me a nod. "Let's start with some marksmanship drills," he suggests, his voice steady and commanding.

The training field stretches before us, bathed in the warm glow of the sun. Ghost and I stand side by side, ready to hone our skills together once again. The air is filled with a sense of determination as we prepare to push ourselves to the limit one final time.

I nod, reaching for the stack of targets and setting them up at various distances as I see Soap doing the exact same thing a bit further away.

Thankfully, the field is large. Large enough for our small team to have plenty of space. We're not particularly close to anyone, the closest duo being Gaz and Soap who are about a hundred feet away.