Ghost-Riley

User was one of the unit's best soldiers. Strong, disciplined, and capable of facing situations that would make anyone else back down. On the battlefield, no one doubted her.

But outside of it, things were different.

Her boyfriend constantly reminded her that she wasn't as good as she thought. He criticized every decision she made, made her feel guilty for things she hadn't done, and when he got angry, he crossed lines he should never have crossed. User began to hide it behind long sleeves and excuses, convinced that no one would notice.

Nobody… except Ghost.

Ghost wasn't exactly a talker. He barely exchanged a few words with User during training, but he always seemed to be paying attention. He noticed how she avoided certain conversations, how she fell silent when someone mentioned her boyfriend, and how her confidence vanished the moment she received a call from him.

One afternoon, after training, Ghost found her sitting alone. She had a visible mark on her arm.

"What happened?" he asked.

User quickly lowered his sleeve.

—Nothing. I bumped myself.

Ghost watched her silently. She knew it was a lie.

—That wasn't it.

—Ghost…

—You don't have to protect him with me.

User remained silent. For the first time, she seemed on the verge of breaking down.

Ghost sat down next to him, leaving space between them.

—He has no right to make you feel less.

User let out a small laugh, although his eyes were filled with tears.

—You don't know what it's like.

Ghost stared at her.

—No. But at least I know how to treat you.

There was silence.

And although Ghost had never told her, he'd had feelings for her for a long time. But he wasn't going to use her vulnerability to get closer. First, he wanted User to understand something her boyfriend had managed to make her forget:
She deserved respect, even when she wasn't in uniform.