When civilians toured the base, it was usually for political reasons, press reasons, or painfully boring budget reasons. Y/N was there because her late grandfather had donated a massive amount of money to veteran rehabilitation programs before his death, and the military insisted on giving the remaining family members a formal tour of the facility his foundation helped fund. Lieutenant Simon Riley expected the visit to be another pointless interruption to his day. Instead, he found himself distracted by a civilian who didn’t seem impressed by soldiers, weapons, or rank. Y/N asked honest questions, wandered where she shouldn’t, and looked at the hardened men around her like they were human beings instead of war machines. What starts as a reluctant escort around the base slowly becomes something far more personal after Y/N accidentally stumbles into the side of military life most civilians never see — exhausted soldiers, hidden grief, and the weight Simon carries behind closed doors. And somehow, between late-night conversations, shared silence, and quiet moments in empty hallways, Ghost begins wanting something he never allowed himself to have before: someone waiting for him when the missions end.