Chapter Text
It had been a long mission for all the task force. The usual, really, but the exhaustion that we felt after each day was tiring us. I entered my room and started to undo all my gear and equipment. We were lucky, since we were at our base, we all had our own personal quarters. Once we leave the country, we never know where we'll sleep. It can go from rooms with two or three people to eight people sleeping side by side. And believe me, when you have someone like Price who sounds like a chainsaw when he snores, it's hard to get any sleep.
I took a deep breath before taking off the rest of my clothes. I smelled like a dead animal, I needed to take a shower, for my sake and the others. I only put a towel around my waist, too tired to even care, and walked toward the showers, taking my hard soap with me.
My eyes felt heavy, and don't even get me started on my feets. I struggled to keep my eyes open as I walked in the hallways. It was calm, maybe they all just went to sleep without taking a shower, I could never. I'm kind of a cleaning addict, probably why they call me Soap. I could never sleep with my body still dirty. Cleaning myself after a long day is also how I deal with things. I kill, feel dirty 'bout it, but after a hot shower, I feel clean again. Probably a mental thing, but I don't really care.
I stepped into the shared bathroom and heard a shower turned on. "... Who is it ?" I asked myself, not really caring about it. It was until I saw the bench, a towel thrown on it, and the most important part, a skeleton mask that I could recognize anywhere. I smirked and undid the towel around my waist before nicely folding it and putting it beside Ghost's towel. I walked toward the showers as I gripped my hard soap and leaned on the doorframe. There he was. Ghost, washing his hair.
I took a moment to observe his body from up to down. His blond hair looked messy and dry, like he had been using dish soap to wash it. He passed his fingers in them and rubbed slowly his head. For once, he moved his hand in a soft and gentle way. All I saw him do with them was either shoot at someone, or stab anyone else. It was weird, almost off putting to see him be so careful for once.
And his back, well, I have to admit that he's quite muscular. There's also scars all over it. Some are straight slashes, others look like bullet wounds or scars from bad stitches. My eyes looked at each scar, seeing how defined they were, or how they seem to fade with the time. My eyes moved along his back until-
- You're staring.
The low and deep voice startled. He didn't even turn to face me, meaning he knew I had been there, but for how long ?
-... Ey, sorry.
I responded after chuckling nervously. I stepped in the showers and took the one the furthest away from him. He was all the way in the room, showering in a corner, not showing his face. I took the shower beside the door and turned it on.
-... Are you still on that mask thing ? You saw my face already, why bother.
He said in his monotonous voice. I eyed him from the side as I smirked.
-... I thought you would shower with it.
I responded in a playful tone. I was bold with him, no one would even think about saying such a thing to the well known Ghost. But for some reason, he seemed to let me do it, to be mischievous with him.
- Had to wash my hair.
He replied back like it was obvious. I couldn't help but chuckle, he could be quite funny when he wanted to. I looked at him for a while, still observing the back of his body, but I quickly turned my head when I realized he could probably feel me stare. I passed my hard soap on my body and tried to relax. Each time I passed the soap on a part of my body, it made it feel clean, better, maybe even innocent, or that's what I like to tell myself. I closed my eyes, focusing on the sensation of the hard soap on my skin, feeling it run smoothly on my body.
-... What's your soap ?
I asked out of the blue. I was curious and since he seemed in a good mood, I tried my luck. I didn't explain what I meant, I thought it would take him by surprise, or even make him raise an eyebrow, but he quickly responded with.
- The same as everyone else.
He didn't even question it, he just answered, like a robot answering a question.
- That's not what I meant. I mean... What makes you feel clean after a mission ?
I tried to explain myself, but it felt harder than I thought. What could possibly make someone like Ghost disconnect after a mission ?
-... Soap.
He responded. Either he had lost a few neurons in the mission, or he really didn't understood me.
-... No, I meant... what makes you... stop being Ghost after a mission. Do you read, or maybe-
- The mask.
He spoke in an assertive tone, but yet, I could sense a part of softness in it. People in general probably wouldn't tell the difference, but I did.
-... It's... Without it, I don't feel like Ghost. The mask makes me who I am.
He continued. I didn't look at him this time, knowing he was letting me see a side of him that I never saw.
-... Then... Who are you now ?
-...
-... Do you use something else to distract you from the fact that we almost died today, like every other day ? Or do you just-
- Don't push your luck.
I turned back, a bit startled, he had walked behind me and took his towel and mask back. It was another one, one that I didn't see often, his mask I mean, It only covered his mouth. He was staring at me with his green eyes, his arms crossed against his chest. There were still some marks of mascara and eyeshadow around his eyes, like he didn't care about scrubbing it off completely. His hair, still wet, was dripping water on the ground. It was mostly straight and flatten on his head, but there were some rebellious strands of hair that stood up. He looked at me, a look that could kill, but I know too well he didn't meant bad.
-... Ay ay capt'n.
I said as I turned back to continue to wash myself. I felt him stare, I could have continued my teasing and told him that I could feel his gaze upon me, but for a strange reason, I didn't. I felt like it would... break the moment...? Gosh I sound like a teenage girl.
I heard him finally leave as I let go of a breath I didn't know I was holding. I stared at my feet, just thinking about our weird interaction. "... What the fuck was that ?" I thought. I closed my eyes and sigh again before washing myself once more. When I felt both mentally and physically clean, I turned off the shower and went to grab my towel, but I noticed something. Ghost's mask.
It was the mask he wore in all our missions. The one he probably had wore all day. Why did he leave it ? He wouldn't forget about it, so, why ?
I looked around, probably looking like I was gonna do something weird or bad. I stared at the mask again before gently touching the hard part of it. It felt rough against my fingertips. The material, the little scratches probably done by knives or anything that passed on it. It held all the memories of his fights, and it probably was quite important to him too. Then why would he forget it ?
I passed my hand on the nose of the mask before stopping at the fake teeths. It took me a minute before I passed my fingers on the soft part of the mask, the part that covered Ghost's lips. My fingers passed gently on it as I swallowed my saliva. I suddenly took my hand from his mask and sigh, "what am I doing ?" I though as I used my towel to dry me off.
Once I was dry, I looked once more at the mask before sighing loudly.
-... Fucking god.
I said as I took his mask with me and headed back to my room.