#the ghost one is based on this reel i saw on insta

[nemo-writes]

𝗂𝗆𝖺𝗀𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗍𝖿 141 𝗁𝗎𝖻𝖻y 𝗍𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗄𝗂𝖽(𝗌) 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝖻𝖺𝗌𝗂𝖼 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾 𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗈𝗇𝗌 ; 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗈𝗇𝖾 ── .✦

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── .✦ 𝗀𝗁𝗈𝗌𝗍 ; "𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗋 𝖽𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗋."

you’re in the kitchen, halfway through wiping down the counter, when the unmistakable ding-dong of the doorbell chimes through the house. not even a second later, there’s a series of sharp, almost aggressive knocks—thud thud thud—the kind that screams authority.

you don’t flinch. you know who it is.

from the living room, your son—a chubby little thing with a wobble to his steps and a belly that strains his tiny shirt. “dada! paw-paw!” he squeals with glee as he toddles to the front door like it’s the gateway to the best surprise ever.

you glance out into the hallway and, sure enough, there’s your husband looming behind the glass pane. he’s in his trademark mask, black and imposing, arms crossed as if he’s inspecting a breach. for someone knocking on a suburban door, he’s got the presence of a man leading an op.

your son, thrilled to pieces, presses his hands and face against the door, smudging the glass. “dada!”

on the other side, simon tilts his head slightly and points at the handle with a slow jab of his gloved finger.

“oi,” his mancunian drawl rumbles through the door. “open the door proper. c’mon, you know how.” he points again, voice firm but somehow patient. “handle. go on, then.”

your son grabs the door handle with all the determination of a kid on a mission. his little tongue pokes out of the corner of his mouth as he pulls it down, and the door finally creaks open just a smidge.

and then your husband moves.

before your son can blink, simon reaches through the crack, grabs the front of the boy’s shirt—not roughly, just enough to yank—and hauls him up like he’s a piece of luggage.

“gotcha,” simon announces, his voice low but laced with just a hint of smug satisfaction. your son’s giggle erupts like a firework as he dangles in mid-air, limbs flailing with giddy excitement.

“you’re laughin’, mate?” simon asks, deadpan under the mask, holding your son just in front of his chest. “that’s not funny, you daft little thing. stranger knocks on your door, and you’re lettin’ ‘em in? what’re you thinkin’?” he gives him a little shake—not enough to scare him, just to punctuate his point—and your son’s delighted squeal fills the air.

you’re doubled over in laughter at this point, tears pricking your eyes as you lean against the wall for support. “simon, he’s two. you grabbed him like a rogue operative!”

your husband turns slightly, his masked face angled toward you. “yeah? he’ll remember next time, won’t he?” he looks back at the boy, who’s now practically vibrating with joy. “you lettin’ strangers in your house, lad? that how it works?”

“dada!” your son cries again, trying to clap his hands together despite still being held mid-air.

simon grumbles as he sets the boy down on the welcome mat with a soft thud, kneeling so they’re eye-level. “right. lesson one: don’t open the bloody door unless your mum says so. you got that?” he points a gloved finger at the boy’s chubby belly for emphasis.

your son responds by grabbing simon’s finger with both hands, his whole face lit up in pure joy. “paw-paw!”

simon freezes for half a second, caught off guard by the name before muttering under his breath, “...i’m not your paw-paw, you little menace. i'm a stranger, a bad man."

you snort so hard you nearly choke. “oh, come on, love. he’s trying his best!”

“trying? he’s a menace,” simon shoots back, though there’s no mistaking the affection under the gruff tone. he stands up, brushing his hands off like he’s just completed an important mission. “fine. lesson’s over. next time, i’m bringin’ a lock and some bricks for this door.”

“dada!” your son calls out yet again, his little voice bright and sweet, as he waves a tiny hand at him.

with a sigh so deep it seems to come from his soul, he stops just in front of you, head tilted down at the boy, eyes crinkling slightly under the mask as he studies the wiggling child. without a word, he raises a hand and hooks his fingers under the edge of his mask.

slowly, he tugs it off and shoves it into the pocket of his jacket, revealing that sharp jawline, the stubble along his chin, and—most of all—those softer eyes that never quite match the ghost everyone else knows.

“come here, then,” simon says, his accent soft, as he steps closer and reaches for his son. his large, gloved hands are careful as he takes the boy from your arms and settles him against his chest.

your son immediately tangled his pudgy fingers into simon’s hair and patted his face like he’s inspecting it.

he huffs a quiet laugh, the corner of his mouth twitching upward into something resembling a smile. simon lets the boy tug on him a little more, his patience seemingly endless as he cradles him securely in his arms.

you can’t help but grin as you watch the two of them—simon, all six-foot-something of intimidating soldier, holding this chubby little bundle like he’s something precious. “so much for teaching him a lesson, huh?”

your son then leans forward to smush his face against simon’s stubbly cheek, a sloppy kiss of sorts that makes him snort softly.

“oi,” simon mutters, his tone gentler than you’ve ever heard it. “you’re lucky you’re cute, lad.” he pauses, pressing his forehead softly to the boy’s. “don’t you forget—doors stay closed ‘til your me or mum says otherwise, yeah?”

your son beams at him, blissfully unaware of any “life lesson,” already prepared for the next round of ghost-approved fun.

── .✦ 𝗌𝗈𝖺𝗉 ; "𝗇𝗈 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗒𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾."

you were just inside for a few minutes—just long enough to grab some snacks and a drink, trusting your husband to keep an eye on the boys. the backyard had been peaceful when you left, the twins chasing each other around while johnny sprawled out on a nearby chair, keeping a lazy but watchful eye on them.

then it happened.

the unmistakable boom of a small explosion rattled the windows, sending your heart straight into your throat. snacks forgotten, you practically flew toward the back door, skidding to a stop as you threw it open.

the sight that greeted you? absolute chaos.

johnny stood in the middle of the yard, holding both boys—one squirming under each arm—while a tiny, controlled fire smoldered on the grass nearby. bits of scorched dirt and debris dotted the area, evidence of a hasty but clearly deliberate detonation.

“right, lads!” johnny declared, his voice carrying that unmistakable scottish lilt as he adjusted the wriggling toddlers in his grip. “see that? that’s what happens when ye mess wi’ fire!” he pointed with exaggerated emphasis toward the remains of the explosion, his tone somewhere between a warning and a showman’s enthusiasm.

your sons, however, didn’t seem to be taking the lesson in stride.

instead of being appropriately terrified—or even mildly concerned—they were cackling.

the twin on johnny’s left wiggled furiously, laughing like this was the best game in the world. “boom!” he shouted gleefully, pointing toward the fire with chubby fingers.

the other one wasn’t any better. “fire!” he yelled, his high-pitched giggle ringing out as he made a valiant attempt to lunge from his father's grip toward the smoldering patch of earth.

“whoa now, none o’ that!” johnny barked, hauling the second twin back before he could escape. “what did I just say, eh? fire’s no’ for wee bairns like you!”

but his lecture fell on deaf ears. the twins, emboldened by their father’s antics and utterly thrilled by the explosion, began squirming even harder, each of them trying to wriggle free. johnny was quick, though, catching them every time they came close to slipping his grasp.

you finally found your voice, leaning against the doorframe for support as you tried to process what the hell was going on. “john mactavish! what in the world are you doing?!”

he turned to you with a sheepish grin, still clutching your wild, laughing children. “teachin’ ‘em a lesson, love!” he called, gesturing toward the charred ground with his chin. “see? controlled detonation—perfectly safe.”

“safe?” you threw your hands up, incredulous. “you just set off an explosion with toddlers watching!”

“aye, and now they know!” he argued, as if that was a perfectly logical explanation. he hoisted one of the twins higher on his hip as the boy reached for the fire again. “oi! no. look but don’t touch. lesson one o’ demolition—respect the flames, or they’ll bite ye!”

the twin let out a shriek of laughter, kicking his legs. “boom, boom!”

the other one giggled in agreement, trying again to squirm free. “again, daddy!”

“again?” you gaped at him. “johnny, they’re trying to run toward it! this isn’t a lesson—it’s a game to them!”

johnny groaned dramatically, letting his head fall back for a second before leveling a serious (well, semi-serious) look at the boys. “right, that’s it. we’re tryin’ again.” he crouched down, planting the squirming twins on the grass but keeping a firm grip on the back of their shirts.

“now listen here, you two,” he began, his voice low and serious as if speaking to a couple of recruits. “fire’s no’ somethin’ to mess about with, aye? you get too close, and poof! you’re singed. nobody wants to be singed, do they?”

both boys, completely ignoring the gravity of the situation, burst into another fit of giggles.

“no, daddy!” one of them squealed, pulling at his shirt to try and escape.

johnny growled playfully, dragging him back by his collar. “oh no ye don’t, lad. not toward the flames. away. away, i said!”

the other twin took advantage of the distraction to make his own break for it, toddling determinedly toward the still-smoldering patch of grass. johnny however was faster, swiftly catching him with one arm and hauling him up like a sack of potatoes. “caught ye, ya wee rascal! you think I wouldn’t notice?”

you couldn’t help it—you burst out laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of the scene. “johnny, they’re laughing at you!”

he looked up at you with an exaggeratedly exasperated expression, one arm full of giggling toddler while the other twin dangled in his grip. “aye, well, they’ll stop laughin’ when they learn i’m bloody right!”

you crossed your arms, still grinning. “oh sure. by the time they’re teenagers, they’ll be building their own bombs.”

johnny flashed you a cheeky grin, one that was entirely too proud of itself. “and they’ll be damn good at it, too!”

you rolled your eyes, shaking your head, but you couldn’t stop the warmth spreading in your chest as you watched him wrestle with your boys. it wasn’t the lesson you would’ve chosen, but there was no denying the way their laughter lit up the yard—and how johnny seemed to soak up every second of it, chaos and all.

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