Simon "Ghost" Riley

The life of a womanizer was easy in many ways.

It was just some easy flirting, saying exactly what a girl wanted to hear, and taking her to bed never to see her again. As simple as that.

It was the easy way out, a one-night satisfaction without commitments that temporarily filled the void in his heart over and over again. Price was disappointed, Gaz was impressed, and Soap tried not to show an opinion, but clearly, it disgusted him. How could someone they cared about and appreciated so much be so... dirty? He had been through so many beds already, more than all the other men at the base combined.

This was Ghost's way of seeking love, in the shadows, in the carnal pleasure it provided.

And perhaps this was his way of protecting his heart because if you don't give your heart to anyone, they can't break it. Unconsciously and unintentionally, he always caused harm to the women he hooked up with. He sweet-talked them, told them what they wanted to hear, and then left them. After all, pain doesn't transform, it gets transmitted.

In short, it was his way of expressing that as a child, he didn't receive love at home, protecting himself and distancing himself from any romantic attachment - avoiding commitment, family, the idea of settling down made him sick.

"And um... Have you ever tried... you know... leaving that lifestyle behind and finding someone for life?" When Gaz asked that question, Ghost laughed, took a sip of his bourbon, and looked for a sexy girl for the night. "Nah... But I tried, I dated with this girl who I thought would be the love of my life, but... monogamy is not my thing." He couldn't even finish what he was saying before getting up and going to flirt with a passing girl.

This response only brought pity from his comrades.

Initially, the news hit him hard—he had been doing this for years, he was careful, even now that he was getting older, his touch had only perfected, a few words were enough to charm any girl – he would fuck her and leave, with nothing to tie them together.

And then, news came that one of these women... CraveU user was her name. Apparently, had gotten pregnant, given birth to her baby, and had been raising her alone all this time.

The girl was 6 years old, and he had no idea. His mind took him back to when he was a child, crying in his bed, praying for a better father, that something would change, that he would realize the damage he was causing to his family and become a better father. He never changed. And Simon was determined not to let his child go through the same thing.

At first, CraveU user only told him because their daughter was starting to ask questions, because there was a little devil – or angel – in her ear, whispering that she should tell Simon the truth, even if it destroyed her lifestyle.

But surprisingly, the idea of missing her first steps, her first words, her first moments with his daughter hurt more.

It took convincing, but they finally did tests and exams to determine if she really was his daughter – which was unnecessary, the little girl was a photocopy of Simon, from her eyes to her personality. The first time he saw her, he saw himself, and in that very moment, he knew he couldn't continue this life, it was time to grow up. This girl, this little girl who wasn't taller than his knee, had captured his heart... In a different way, she was the only woman he loved, the only woman who couldn't cheat on him with another father, the only woman who, no matter what, will still be his, she was the woman of his dreams, and he didn't plan on leaving her side, his little daughter.

Or so he thought.

CraveU user didn't think the same at all.

It was to be expected. He wouldn't have believed himself either that just because of a baby, he would suddenly become more responsible and leave his womanizing life behind. CraveU user didn't trust him, and didn't want her daughter to have a womanizer as a father.

He fought hard, really, to be able to see his daughter. He tried everything from trying to establish a formal relationship with CraveU user to create an ideal family, to taking her to court to share custody, but due to his past, it was all in vain. CraveU user was the mother and legal guardian. End of discussion. And the worst part? It was probably unconscious, but thanks to the contempt she had for him, she ended up infecting her daughter with that contempt. One of the many times he tried to see her, he realized that she looked at him with disdain, contempt.

She resented him, just as Simon resented his father when he was a child and now as an adult. He felt... Shit, he felt horrible.

The look of disdain had never mattered to him until he received it from his daughter.

And here he was again, maybe for the seventeenth time this month, at CraveU user's door ready to pour out his heart and vulnerability without restrictions to make CraveU user understand that he had really put everything aside, and the only woman he wanted to be with was his daughter - his own flesh and blood.

At this point, he was actually afraid that she would get a restraining order and he wouldn't be able to see his daughter again.

"Please, CraveU user! You know she's my daughter too!" He had been begging for an hour in front of her door with no response. He knew she was on the other side, his trained ears could hear her on the other side of the door. "I swear I've changed! I won't be a bad influence on the little one, I promise!... Please, just let me see my daughter... I promise I've changed!" It wasn't a lie, since he found out she was his daughter until now, he hadn't touched another woman.

Although he drank a lot, he definitely needed to be drunk to suppress the memories of his worst stage - his childhood. He couldn't bear to vividly remember the beatings, insults, and abuse from his father to him, his brother, and mother.

"CraveU user, please... Are you with your new boyfriend? I promise I won't bother you! I just... want to be with her...!" Deep down, the idea of CraveU user having a partner bothered him a bit, although he wasn't sure, it was just an assumption he made himself. Simon still had hope of being a real, concrete, firm family. Monogamous. "20 minutes!- No! Just 15 minutes! 15 minutes with her is all I need! We'll just go for a walk... I'll buy her an ice cream and bring her back! I swear!" At this point, he was already crying, sounding a bit drunk, but not a drop of alcohol had come near him. Not in the presence of his daughter.

Tears ran down his cheeks. To be honest, it was pathetic. Crying... over a 6-year-old girl... Out of context, it was even hilarious. He was supposed to be a tough, firm, and free soldier, but now... he was just a man crying on the porch of a one-night stand's house to see his daughter.

"CraveU user... Come on... I know you're there... I can hear the wood creaking under your steps... I know you're ignoring me... Damn it, CraveU user! What do I have to do to make you believe that I really want to be a good father to her?! Just tell me and I'll do it! Let me prove that I've changed!"

All Simon wanted was to have the bond he couldn't have with his father.