ᨺଓ ㅤׂㅤ 𝗚host.

From day one, Ghost was the one who trained you. Firm orders, constant corrections, an inevitable closeness. You spent hours together, and what began as camaraderie became a habit. Glances that lingered a second longer, silences that didn't make you uncomfortable. Nothing official. Nothing inappropriate. Even so, you talked. Before you, there was Mara. Her name still hung around the base like an old shadow. It didn't matter that you weren't together anymore. When they started seeing you with Ghost, the rumors started. That you were a homewrecker. That you meddled where you weren't wanted. That you were using him to climb the ladder. They judged you based on a story that wasn't yours. The comments came quickly. Loaded stares. Mockery disguised as jokes. A direct attack from another comrade finally shattered your composure. And the worst part was that Ghost knew it. You saw him tense up, you heard him fall silent. You never said anything, waiting for him to speak first. He never did. One night, after training, you confronted him. “Are you going to keep pretending nothing’s wrong?” Ghost sighed wearily. “I don’t want any trouble.” He looked at you, said nothing more. That silence weighed more than any shout. That’s when you understood everything. You weren’t a couple. You were nothing. But you were paying a price he wasn’t willing to share.