Work Text:
Roach stared at his phone in disbelief.
If he had a nickel for every time he had to work with someone who wore a mask with a skull printed on it that went by the moniker of Ghosts, well he'd really only have a handful. But that's more nickels than a Brit had any right to own. Wait, that's not the point of this analogy. He thought hastily, shaking his head. The point had been that he knew too many fuckers in skull masks. Too many weirdos who called themselves Ghosts.
Roach had been bounced around a lot. Kinda hard to find a permanent team for a Sergeant who couldn't speak above a whispered croak. His last assignment had been on an American base working alongside a platoon of marines. It was there he'd met and bonded with the Ghosts. They were some top tier, hardworking, tough bastards, to be sure. He'd been hoping they'd save him from the Jarheads, but no dice. He'd come back from a mission to find out two major things. One being that someone had knocked over his desk and let loose all of his isopods. Pure devastation there. But two, he had been recruited by a different mega elite team. A team with more pull than Keegan, so he couldn't even try to keep Roach for themselves. Whoever the 141 were, they were secretive, and powerful. Keegan had gave him a pat on the shoulder before he boarded the helo. "Chin up. Keep in touch." The Ghosts saw him off. His own team he'd actually been a part of there didn't even show.
Despite the Ghosts razzing him, they cared. Which is why their texts confused him so much.
When he'd landed in Credenhill he'd been met by four men. None of them looked or acted like the elite team he'd been led to believe they'd be. Hed been handed a briefing foulder with everyone's info in it to read on the flight over, and recognized the man with mutton chops and a boonie hat as being Captain Price. No one was at attention, nor parade rest, shit, not even at ease. Even though this was their first meeting, and their fucking captain was present, two of them were elbowing one another and bickering. Those two he recognized as Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick and John 'Soap' MacTavish. The other two Sergeants. The Captain didn't seem to mind their rough housing, casually smoking a cigar as he was. For a moment, Roach found himself thinking he might actually like it here. Then he noticed the big guy. Standing behind Soap, practically breathing down the guy's mohawk There's no way that's in regs was a big guy, wearing all black and a fucking skull mask stitched to... well honestly it looked like the whole thing was homemade. How the hell he'd missed the guy, was beyond him. Roach grinned behind his gaiter and goggles. He was gonna feel right at home here. This must be why 'Ghost' had no picture.
They'd exchanged pleasantries, Gaz handed him a whiteboard and marker. Explaining that he and Soap were working on it, but they didn't know BSL yet, and they'd be relying on the Captain and Lieutenant to translate for the time being. Roach apologized to them then, knowing he'd picked up a few American signs from Logan that he was bound to accidentally use. Ghost shrugged, stating he knew ASL as well, had worked with an operator who used it. When they led him to the sergeants quarters he took a moment to shoot off a quick couple of texts to the Ghosts about his new CO.
He dropped off his things on his new bed, adorned with children's bright blue and green bug patterned sheets, he noticed, then he'd quickly been whisked off to a pub to celebrate with his new team.
In the pub they'd all swapped stories of their old units. Boo's all the way around when Gaz mentioned he used to be an MPO. Soap said he deserved to fall out of that helicopter. Roach was treated to a lovely theatrical retelling of said event. Soap told them of his previous CO, and that he'd locked the bastard in the boot of his own car. Price talked about the four of them, and how he found them all. When it was Roach's turn he decided to tell them about the Ghosts and his mission with them. To his surprise, Ghost knew them. "Yeah, worked with 'em a few times. Decent men. Tough." Was all he said on the matter. He wondered if Logan was the American mute he'd mentioned earlier.
Ghost told him about a previous mission in Mexico with Soap that had gone tits up, which devolved into the two trading frankly horrible jokes. Roach joined Price and Gaz in groaning. As the night wore on, the jokes got more and more flirtatious between the two. Roach had raised a brow to Gaz, who just shrugged and shook his head while looking down at his drink. Price was also avoiding his gaze at this point, clearly pretending to be invested in an old football match on the TV. Duly noted, we do not question the potentially homoerotic relationship between Lieutenant Ghost and Sergeant Soap. At least not when they're within earshot. Roach was gonna badger Gaz about it the first chance he got.
They eventually left the pub, Price had called it when he caught Soap, Gaz, and Roach going shot for shot. "You have work tomorrow, boys." Killjoy.
Soap had pulled out his phone and taken a selfie of the three sergeants together. Roach gave it his best 'I'm totally not hammered' grin. Roach had pulled out his own phone to take a video to send to the Ghosts, when Soap pulled away. He seemed to have caught sight of the Lieutenant behind them, and took another selfie of himself. With the Lt behind him. Smooth. Roach rolled his eyes. He started recording as Soap took another not so subtle picture of the Lt.
"Delete that." Ghost barked from a few feet away. The two of them had a staring contest that felt like it lasted forever, before both simultaneously broke into a sprint. They both ran across the car park, when Soap decided to climb up a tree like a fucking squirrel. Ghost, with no hesitation, executed an honestly flawless drop kick. He'd leapt into the air, his feet roughly at the height of his own head when standing, and he delivered a devastating kick with both feet to the trunk of the poor tree. It didn't stand a chance. Ghost caught himself on his forearm, the tree fell on top of him, and Soap with it. They both popped up from the branches like meerkats when Price yelled at them.
"You stupid bloody Muppets, what are you doing?!" the captain roared.
Ghost and Soap stared at one another. Roach was fighting for his life to stifle his laughter so he could hold his phone steady.
As far away as they were, Roach could barely hear the two of them as the panicked, there's no way the phones microphone would pick it up. He'd have to remember to make captions for it later, this video needed to be shared.
"We gotta run."
"Ah can't! Ah think my ankle's broken!"
"Shit. Up we get then." Ghost heaved himself out of the branches, and then threw Soap over his shoulder. He then took off running with surprising speed considering Soap had to weigh nearly as much as Ghost did himself.
"Ghost! Soap! Get your asses back here, now!" Price was loud as fuck as he stepped past Roach.
"You're not my dad!" Ghost hollered back, Soap flipped them the bird as he was whisked away, cackling like a mad man.
Gaz was absolutely losing his shit, hands on his knees and tears in his eyes as he was overtaken by uncontrollable laughter.
"Can it, Gaz. You two had better go find them. I want them back on base before curfew." Price directed them as he himself turned back towards the truck they'd taken to get there.
"Yes sir!" Roach croaked out with Gaz. Looked like they were gonna have to walk back to base. Maybe it would sober up the other two. Roach had ended his video and sent it to the Ghosts, seeing that they'd responded to his earlier texts.
They seemed... Scared? Why? It had become apparent that they knew him, but why would they fear him? He was so goofy...
He sent them the video and a couple quick texts saying he didn't think the guy was all that bad, and then he and Gaz set off after the wayward soldiers.
Roach tapped Gaz on the arm after a moment. 'So are they a thing?' He'd written on his whiteboard.
Gaz sighed heavily and ran his hand down his face. "Nope." Roach didn't believe that for a second. They'd been nearly glued to eachothers sides by the end of the night. "But a lot of us are placing bets on when they'll finally bite the bullet. Want in?"
'Absolutely' He underlined it a few times for emphasis.
"We'll add you to the pool when we get back then." Gaz laughed. "They're good for eachother." Roach motioned with a hand for him to continue. He wanted the lore. "I've known them both a while, the Cap even longer, Ghost has always been quiet. He worked alone, and when forced to work with others it was strictly business. And Soap, his skill is not to be ignored, but he's insubordinate as fuck. Until Ghost, nobody wanted to work with him because he'd fight tooth and nail against orders." Sounded like a bad soldier to Roach. "I know what you're thinking, but he's not a bad soldier, he just doesn't like a bad call. Ghost explains himself, and he takes what Soap says into consideration. That's all Soap needed. And Soap brings out a side to Ghost that Price says is what he used to be like, before he was Ghost."
They would make a really cute couple. Roach thought. Power couple. Chaos incarnate. Roach wasn't jealous. Thoughts of a different skull mask totally didn't try to invade his mind, along with a mantra of This could be us, but you're a dumb American a bajillion kilometers away. Maybe he was jealous.
They were walking down the street, looking down each alley as they passed when they heard Soap a bit ahead of them. "That's it, Simon... Right there... Mmm..." gasping and moaning.
Gaz and Roach shared a mildly terrified look. Should they really interrupt whatever was happening down the alley, behind the dumpster? Unfortunately they had to, they were running out of time before curfew, and orders were orders.
They rounded the corner to see Soap leaned against the wall, one hand in his own hair, gripping tight, the other muffins his own moans. His eyes were closed and his brow furrowed in bliss as he let out a loud debauched moan into his own hand. Ghost was on his knees in front of the other man. He was massaging Soaps now swollen ankle.
Gaz took a moment to collect himself, a few deep breaths, before clearing his throat. "Alright, c'mon, we gotta get back to base. Price is gone, we gotta walk."
"Johnny can't walk, he sprained his ankle." Ghost didn't even look up from his self imposed task.
Soap moved his hand and angrily hissed "Ye sprained mah ankle, ye bawba- ahhhhhmmmm!" He threw his head back and moaned some more. Jesus this guy was loud. Hopefully they fucked in Ghost's room when they finally got to it, and not the one that Soap shared with Roach and Gaz.
"Toss him on my back, I'll carry him." Gaz rolled his eyes as he spoke. Ghost did just that, heaving Soap up and blanketing him across the other Sergeant's back.
"Thanks, Simon." Soap whispered, a hand trailing down Ghost's arm as Gaz turned to start the long trek back to base.
"Of course, Johnny." Ghost placed his own hand over Soaps and held it there until Gaz walking away pulled the hand away from him.
So Ghost was a total sweetheart. And his name was Simon. The Ghosts must have it wrong, maybe thinking of a different Ghost, Roach now wouldn't be surprised if there's even more of these skull mask weirdos out and about. Nothing wrong with that, he couldn't say much, considering how he kept his own face covered, and was a bit odd himse-
Roach found an arm closing around his throat, and a body pressed to his back. Another arm around his middle, restraining his arms with an iron grip. He could see Ghost looming over his shoulder, mask bright in the darkness of the night. With this lighting, he had no eyes. His white skull floating in his ethereal inky black mass. Roach's breath caught in throat as he felt a controlled squeeze. For a moment, the mad notion that Ghost was actually a wraith consumed his mind. "You have a video. Give me your phone." Did his voice echo? Roach's legs were jelly. Ghost let him go, spun him to face himself, and loomed over him. Jesus, did he make a conscious effort to angle his head so his eyes were hidden, or was he terrifying without trying? Roach handed over his phone, and when Ghost handed it back, the video had been deleted. "Tell the others to delete it too." How he knew that Roach had sent it to the Ghosts, Roach would never know. But he nodded and quickly shot them a couple texts asking them to delete the video.
Ghost continued to stare down at him, but turned his body slightly so that the light was allowed to highlight his eyes. "You and Keegan?" Roach's soul left his body.
'Friends!' He signed quickly while shaking his head vigorously. Ghost simply blinked slowly. 'Just friends!" Roach reiterated.
"Hmmm." Ghost looked away, towards Gaz's retreating form, with Soap across his back. "Keegan's a coffee snob. Likes to grind his own beans. Do with that information what you will." Was that... dating advice? For a gift for Keegan? Ghost reached into his hoodie pocket and grabbed something, holding his closed fist out to Roach. He looked back down at Roach, eyes difficult to read, but Roach could almost convince himself the man was smiling. Roach held out his cupped hands, and Ghost opened his own hand and dropped what Roach at first thought was a couple pebbles, but then realized were rolled up isopods into his hands. "For you. Welcome to the 141." And then he turned to follow the others. So Ghost was a softie! A fucking cryptid, sure. But a cuddly one.