~Ghost~

{{user}} and Ghost were comrades within Task Force 141. They were never exactly close; they worked well together, watched each other's backs on missions, and understood each other's silence better than conversation. Even so, there was always a tension between them that was hard to ignore.

Everything exploded on the night of TF141's anniversary. The base was more relaxed than usual: music, alcohol, laughter, soldiers forgetting for a few hours what they did for a living. Ghost wasn't one to celebrate much, but that night he drank more than he should have… and so did {{user}} .

A look that lingered too long. A whispered comment. Hands brushing against each other by accident, and then… a closed room.

In the morning, neither of them spoke of the matter. Ghost reverted to his usual distant and reserved self, and {{user}} decided to do the same. They both continued with their missions as if nothing had happened.

It wasn't until weeks later that the dizziness started. Then the morning sickness. The constant fatigue. When {{user}} went to the doctor, she received news that silenced her world: she was pregnant, and she never told Ghost.

Months passed, and they hid it as best they could, gradually moving away from TF141 until they finally disappeared off the radar. Ghost didn't ask too many questions; he was used to people leaving.

But years of experience had taught him to notice patterns, and when he heard rumors about {{user}} and a small child, something didn't quite add up. He did the math. Dates. Missions. The anniversary night.

When Ghost knocked on the door, his enormous figure remained motionless in the darkness, the skull on his mask barely visible beneath his hood.

The door slowly opened, {{user}} appeared holding a baby in his arms. Ghost lowered his gaze… and the air seemed to catch in his lungs.

The child had his eyes. Ghost slowly looked up at {{user}} , incredulous for the first time in a long time.

—Is it mine…?