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Gaz stared off at the pair huddled together at the bar. A tender smile slipped on his face as he observed the couple existing together. He noticed as Soap leaned closer to Ghost, his arm encircling his waist as he whispered jokes only the two of them enjoyed into the other man’s ear. Gaz saw how Ghost’s eyes grew softer as he watched his sergeant, how his shoulders relaxed, and how he leaned into his touch.
He looked away from the couple, swirling the ice around in his glass with a thoughtful expression. He blinked back into reality when he felt shifting beside him. He looked up to see Alex smiling down at him, Farah right beside him. “You want another drink?”
He paused for a moment, a smirk slipping onto Farah’s face. “Maybe he’s had enough for tonight?”
He righted himself quickly, “No, no… Sorry, I’ll take another if you don’t mind.”
Alex and Farah smiled down at him softly, Alex leaning down to grab the glass from his hands, their fingers brushing gently. “One whiskey coming right up.” He smiled, turning away to approach the bar. Farah smiled fondly at the man before glancing down at Gaz.
“Are you alright? You seemed pretty lost in thought.” Gaz rubbed his face gently, shaking his head.
“It’s nothing important.” Farah hummed gently, seeming like she wished to push further but hesitating.
“If it’s troubling you this much, then it’s important to me. Still, I’ll leave you be for the night.” She placed a caring hand on his arm, giving it a tender squeeze. “Now, I need to go make sure Alex orders the right drink.” She winked at him before letting go, easily weaving through the crowd to come up alongside the other man.
A bittersweet sigh escaped him as he watched the two couples saddled up at the bar.
“What’s on your mind, son?” Gaz startled, looking over at the captain as he leaned back in his chair, amber liqueur pressed to his lips. “Come on, out with it.” The sergeant hesitated, glancing back over at Ghost and Soap together in their own little world. He heaved a soft sigh, his shoulders sinking as he gathered his words.
“Do you ever wonder what it’s like to love like them?”
“What do you mean?” Price questioned, leaning onto the table to show he truly listened to the sergeant.
“I mean that no matter what happens, no amount of times where they’re beaten down or their spirits are crushed. They still love each other… It’s beautiful what they have together. It’s like, no matter how broken you are or how worthless the world perceives you as… it doesn’t matter because you still have each other.” Gaz trailed off, suddenly embarrassed by his ramblings.
Price hummed gently, a soft smile slipping onto his face. He thought for a few moments before he spoke. “You know, I never thought I would have anyone in my life. I always thought I was too rough around the edges, too abrasive… I see a lot of myself in Simon sometimes.” The captain looked at the lieutenant, noticing how soft he appeared around the sergeant. Soap smiled up at him like he’d hung the moon while Ghost looked at him like he’d painted the stars.
“When Nik entered my life, I never expected us to grow so close, let alone into something more… but when I did, when I truly opened up, I found everything I needed.” Price looked back at Gaz, a knowing look in his eyes.
“Isn’t that scary, though? Opening up yourself to the point where they can see all your most vulnerable parts?” Price chuckled tenderly, taking another sip of his drink.
“It’s terrifying, but if they’re the right person, then it’s as easy as breathing… then you don’t need to shoulder everything alone.”
Gaz looked back at the bar and sighed, “I wonder what it would be like to love like that someday and be loved like that in return.” He turned and noticed Farah and Alex returning to the table, his drink clutched in his hand. They smiled fondly at him, a look of adoration in their eyes. Kyle found himself wanting nothing more than to sink into the depths of their irises and drown in them.
“You’ll find it, son. I know you will.”
A loving grin split onto his cheeks, and he felt his shoulders relax, “Maybe… Maybe I already have…”