Chapter Text
Hiding the bouquet of flowers as he stood in front of the door to his partner’s office, John MacTavish was trying to conceal the smile that was forcing itself onto his lips.
The Couple hadn’t been able to spend a lot of time together over the past couple of months.
With John being in the hospital after breaking an arm in Alaska and Ghost and the rest of the 141 still tracking down Makarov it had been hectic. But even after capturing him, things didn’t slow.
Meetings, long flights and even longer nights had kept them apart.
They’d sneak little kisses and comfort in each other whenever they could, but as always when things got hectic, both of them retreated more into their own shells.
Simon would get quiet, deadly focus even when they were on base. Too much pressure to rest.
Too many responsibilities. He had to be the best Lieutenant he could be, being Simon suffered from it.
John would try his best to not go batshit crazy with the lack of free time.
He wanted to do something he enjoyed. He missed drawing, missed listening to music without having to work on reports.
He missed being more than a solider.
Their relationship rarely suffered during these times. Endless talks of reassurance and loving whispers allowed even the most insecure parts of Soap’s brain to calm down.
He knew that Simon still loved him, even when having to pull away.
The same went for Simon, he knew that no matter how bad his blinders got, the other still saw Simon and not 'the Ghost'.
They had managed it in the past and they managed it currently.
Yet, when Price passed Soap in the hallway to let him know that their evening meeting was cancelled and the Cartel leader, 'the Cobra'; they had been searching for had been picked up by the Vaqueros.
Soap all but sprinted to his bike, picked up a bouquet of flowers and returned to his partner’s office within fifteen minutes, flowers in hand.
It was a small victory in the grand scheme of things, but a victory, nonetheless.
Plus, John had waited for an opportunity like this for the past few months. A single evening, in which they could just bask in each other’s presence without having to worry about getting up in the morning or un-written reports on their desks.
He had plans.
"Si, you in?"
He knocked carefully, waiting for a response.
"Yeah, bloody hell, where else would I be Johnny."
The man in question mumbled from within. Soap chuckled and pushed the door open, stepping inside and locking it behind him.
"Fockin‘ hell, you look like shit love."
Simon looked even worse than he had in the morning:
-After turning in around 03:00 last night quietly slipping under the covers. Joining Johnny in bed, trying to not wake his boyfriend. The sergeant noticed of course and pulled him close as soon as he got his hands on Simon. Slotting the larger man against his chest, holding him close, and having to get up at 06:30, as their alarms screamed in sync.–
The bags under the lieutenant's eyes had been so deep, he could’ve gone without eyeblack; Soap told his lover as much. Which only earned him a pillow to his face.
———
"Fucks sake, sergeant. I feel like shit too. What are you doing here?"
John moved right past the chairs reserved for guests and planted himself on the masked man’s desk, pushing aside the file he had been working on, carefully.
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Simon‘s exposed forehead, who closed his eyes and sighed softly at the contact.
"Just wanted to come by, say hello. Maybe ask if ye wanted to spend the evenin‘ with me?"
He could see the hopeful look his partner gave him before his eyes dropped back onto the pile of documents Soap sat next to.
"I don’t-" Simon took a deep breath, sliding his hands up John’s thighs gently, letting his head fall onto the other’s knees, he spoke into the denim.
"I’m sorry Johnny. I still have stuff to do. I know we haven’t had a free evening in months, but with the whole Miller situation-…"
He trailed off, John carded through Simon's hair, gently dragging his nails across the other’s scalp.
He knew what Simon was about to say, knew that it was necessary to allow him to apologise even if Soap understood and wasn’t mad at him. Simon still felt bad.
"I’ve even so busy. And I know I have been pushing you away, I’m sorry Johnny…"
He sighed, toying with a loose thread on John’s shirt.
"-but I still have a meeting in an hour. And the Cobra is still on the run. You know I want to, but I can't…"
It spoke volumes that Simon hadn’t noticed the flowers up until now, the usually so observant man utterly exhausted and tired that even the things that fell out of place didn’t stand out to him.
"Are you done, darlin‘?"
Johnny chuckled, pulling on Simon's hair gently to make him look up.
"The Meeting is cancelled. Ale and Rudy got the Cobra."
He held out the flowers a mix of dark greens, light and vivid blues, Simon’s favourite colours.
"We have the evening all to ourselves…If you want to, that is…?"
The non-existing insecurity tainted his voice slightly.
Though, the beaming smile he could make out by the way Simon‘s eyes crinkled, his pupils blown wide as he looked at Johnny made up for any past pain, etched deep into John‘s bones by previous partners.
"Really?" Simon looked at the flowers for a moment, pulling his mask down to smell them, before setting them aside and instead pulling John into his lap.
"Of course I want to, Johnny. Always."
He buried his face against Soap’s neck, breathing in the comforting smell of his boyfriend, warmth spreading throughout him.
He felt as if he was back inside his own body for the first time in months.
The weight of Johnny in his lap pulled him further into their reality. Slowly prying away the cruel hands the military had held onto him with, for the past few months.
———
"So…how long do you need to finish up what you were working on? I want you all for myself, no thinking ’bout work later."
John asked after a while, softly stroking along Simon’s back.
"An hour…?" Simon smiled sheepishly, he really wanted nothing more than to abandon his work right this moment and just spend his evening with the man he loved.
But they both knew that he needed the time to deal with, both the change of plans and to be able to actually enjoy their evening, without filling out the form in his head the entire time.
"Alright. I’ll wait in mah‘ room then, come join me when yer done here."
With that, Johnny tried standing up from Simon’s lap, not before gently pressing another kiss to his chapped lips, but two large hands slid under his thighs and picked him up instead.
With ease, Johnny was carried over to the old couch that stood in the corner of Simon’s office. A hand-me-down from Price.
The leather creaked as Simon sat down and arranged Soap in between his legs, wrapping around his back and pulling him flush against his chest.
"You’re not going anywhere now that we finally have some time together."
Simon whispered almost coyly, placing his head on Johnny’s shoulder and peering into the file he had brought over with them.
The gloves were tossed onto his chair as soon as he realised they were hindering him from feeling his boyfriend‘s bare skin against his own. Hands now eagerly running along John’s sides.
Soap chuckled, getting comfortable between the thick thighs of his lover and cuddling up against him.
He turned his head to kiss the other‘s temple before pulling out his phone, allowing the lieutenant to work in peace.
At some point Simon started using their tangled legs to rest the file on as he wrote, balancing the file with one hand.
The other had been laying, unmoving, on John‘s skin soaking up the warmth of the other’s stomach, ever since he had managed to untuck his sergeant‘s shirt.
The intense focus had returned to Simon‘s eyes but his posture was still relaxed, his entire demeanour changed by the mere presence of his lover.
With the final signature scribbled on the bottom of the page Simon tossed the file onto his desk haphazardly and urged Johnny to stand up.
Since he didn’t move fast enough, Simon pulled Soap up from the couch with him.
Turning off his computer and desk lamp in record speed. Johnny was smiling at him adoringly, raising a brow at his partner‘s antics.
"I’m not staying here any longer than I need to today. I’m all yours now."
Simon was aware that he must’ve looked like a lovesick puppy the way he was holding Johnny’s hand as they passed through the hallways.
Listening to each word the other said as if it was the most important thing he would ever get to hear.
To him, it was, even though Johnny was just recalling a story he had heard from a recruit, Simon had no idea even worked with them.
The Lieutenant couldn’t care less about the looks they got as he kissed his boyfriend in the middle of the hallway, just as he was done with his story.
Long gone any fear of being judged or insulted. They had dealt with far worse.
Simon just did what felt right, and currently, that was looking into blue eyes, with all the love he had to hold back during the past few months.