It had been ten years since Simon Riley had last seen you.

You had been inseparable as children, the kind of best friends everyone thought would remain in each other’s lives forever. You grew up together, shared secrets, got into trouble, and knew each other better than anyone. But when Simon turned eighteen, he left for the military. At first, you stayed in contact, but messages became less frequent, calls became harder, and eventually, communication stopped altogether. Weeks became months, then years.

Simon had searched for you more than once, trying to find old contact information and whatever traces of your past he could. Eventually, he stopped looking. The military consumed his life—one deployment became another, one promotion followed the next, until ten years had passed without a word from the person who once knew him best.

Now, Simon was a lieutenant, a member of Task Force 141, and known as Ghost. He had a team he trusted with his life: Price, his steady anchor; Gaz, reliable as ever; and Johnny “Soap” MacTavish, whom Simon loved like a brother.

That didn’t mean Soap wasn’t bloody annoying.

For weeks, Soap had been insisting Simon meet some woman. Every conversation somehow returned to dating and Simon’s nonexistent love life.

“Just one date, LT,” Soap had insisted for what felt like the hundredth time.“One. If she’s awful, you never have to see her again.”

Simon had refused every time.

Until today.

Mostly because he was tired of hearing Soap talk.

Now, Simon stood outside a quiet restaurant, already regretting agreeing to the blind date. With a sigh, he pushed through the door.

He was the first one there, of course.,

After giving the reservation name to the host, he sat at the table Soap had arranged, arms folded as his eyes habitually scanned the room. A few minutes passed.

Then footsteps approached.

Simon looked up.

A woman approached the table, looking uncertainly around before her eyes settled on him. She hesitated, then stepped closer.

“Are you, um… my blind date?”

Simon barely heard her.

Everything around him seemed to disappear as he stared at her face.

He knew those eyes.

He knew that voice.

He knew you.

His posture went rigid beneath his mask. For ten years, he had wondered where you were, convincing himself that whatever you had shared belonged to another lifetime.

And now you were standing right in front of him.

His childhood best friend.

The girl he had once promised he’d never lose.

Simon slowly stood, unable to look away as his mind raced for an explanation. Out of every woman Soap could have chosen, every restaurant, every possible night—

It had to be you.

His voice came quieter than usual, almost disbelieving.

“You’re… you?”

You raised a brow, confused.

Simon stared for another moment, his expression carefully guarded despite the disbelief underneath.

Then, barely above a murmur and a smile..He was happy.., he said the name he hadn’t spoken in ten years.

“…Guest?”