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The door to the conference room flew open, banging loudly against the wall behind it.
“Where is he, Johnson?! He was supposed to be on the helo that landed over two hours ago!”
The major sighed and pushed himself away from the table before standing up to face the angry captain and spread his arms. “Why Captain, it’s nice of you to join our meeting. Why don’t you pull up a seat, sit down, shut the fuck up, and have coffee huh?”
Johnson turned back towards the table, reaching down to straighten his paper and address the table, “We will finish this tomorrow, dismissed.” He knocked on the table before he was grabbed by the throat and shoved down against the desk, face cracking the glass table.
Blood started to pool under his cheek as he fought to turn his head and look up at the man holding him. Price’s chest was heaving as he twisted Johnson’s arm more, forcing him to turn his face further into the cracked glass. “Where is my Lieutenant, Johnson? Don’t make me ask again. You were lucky that it wasn’t my decision to loan him to your fucking suicide squad in the first place.”
“Your Lieutenant had to be left at exfil, Captain. They would have never made exfil if decisions weren’t made.” Johnson paused and grunted as he was pushed harder into the table, the glass cutting him more deeply. “I’m sorry for your loss Captain, and your Lieutenant will be remembered for his sacrifice and bravery. It was an unfortunate but necessary sacrifice.”
Johnson’s vision went blurry as he was suddenly pulled up from the table and thrown across it, sliding off on the other end with papers flying around him. He could feel the blood dripping down his face and arms as he watched Price stand up to his full height and stalk towards him. A predator coming to deliver the final blow to his injured prey. The sight made him flinch as he scrambled backwards. His back hit the wall too soon for his comfort as the man crouched down in front of him, pistol drawn.
The glint of it in the bright overhead lights made him tremble as he realized there was a minimal chance he was going to actually walk out of his conference room at the end. “You better hope that I can find him and he is in one piece Major. Otherwise, you won’t even have time to beg for your life and I will find you, even if it is the last thing I do.” Price tapped the barrel against his cheek before backing off and storming back out of the room.
The echo of Price’s boots were the only sound that filled the room as Johnson tried to calm his racing heart.
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Gaz watched Johnny as he paced the room, hands running through his warhawk every couple of minutes, muttering to himself in Gaelic. The laptop he had in front of him had maps of the area that Ghost was last seen in before the mission he was on went entirely dark, as well as feed from Nik as the man circled the area. They had been lucky that Nik was on assignment roughly in the same area when they informed him that Ghost was MIA. The man turned around instantly and started surveying the area to see if there were any signs of life anywhere.
Their attention was captured by Price re-entering the room with his cellphone in hand. “They fucking left him at exfil. They left him for the good of the mission is all Johnson had to say. Did Nik find out anything?” Price questioned as he pulled Laswell’s contact up. Gaz shook his head, “The only thing that we saw was two blood trails leading away from exfil. Nik confirmed that none of the bodies were Simon.”
Gaz looked behind him to see Soap staring out the window lost in thought, “You okay Tav?” He watched as Soap shook his head, “Si is out there somewhere. We don’t even know if he’s fucking injured or anything ye know! We should have been leaving for holiday when he got back two hours ago! Not fucking wondering trying to find him.” He growled, accent becoming thicker, the angrier he got.
Gaz stared the expanse of Soap’s back, both lost in thought and listening to Price inform Laswell on their current predicament. He ran a hand over his face before turning back to the laptop, marking up a makeshift map that was sitting on his lap. He has no doubt they would be wheels up in less than 24 hours, headed straight for the exfil point. Price would burn the earth for Simon, all of them would but Simon always held a more special place in their captain’s heart.
When they had first initially brought up the feed, Gaz couldn’t bring himself to watch it. There was obvious evidence of a struggle but there was more blood and bodies in the snow than what should have been for a capture-and-intel mission. One being the man they were supposed to have been capturing and the other two were the other soldiers that had been loaned out - one from alpha and one from delta. The snow was disturbed with more than just footprints, with two blood trails leading away from the point and down the hill in opposite directions.
It gave Gaz a little hope that maybe Simon had fought and made it. He knew deep down that he would never have left them willingly if he had any say in the matter. Survival was something Ghost was good at, he always found a way no matter the odds. When the helo landed, Price and Laswell were the ones that planned on meeting him on the tarmac. He and Johnny were finishing up tasks for the day, helping soldiers complete their checklist as Christmas was coming up and many of them were going home.
Their relationship had never been easy. Managing a relationship with four people - all who had very different personalities - it was a struggle at first. There were many fights and tears as they found their rhythm. It took a giant meltdown over the summer after a botched mission before they all put their maximum effort into making this work. Their love for each other overpowered any feeling of doubt or second guessing that came their way. Almost losing each other on that botched mission solidified their feelings and everything slowly fell into place.
They didn’t realize 45 minutes had passed since the helo’s scheduled touchdown until Laswell came running. She explained briefly what had happened before ushering them inside to the conference room that they always used. It was then that chaos all broke loose. Laswell couldn’t pull any information on the mission Simon had been on, Price was informed that there had been casualties in the last mission that needed identifying, the rest of the team had already debriefed and returned their equipment. Most had even been dismissed for the holiday break.
__
Price cashed in every favor he had to try and pull any information that he could since the leads on Laswell’s side went dark. Most were unwilling or unhelpful - quoting that Ghost was technically not even supposed to exist, nonetheless be operating. The first 24 hours were the worst, none of them could sleep or eat, they weren’t allowed to be deployed since the Brass decided that there was too much risk in trying to recover Ghost and the other solider who got away too. Nik scoured the area as long as he could until he was forced to head back for fuel.
Kyle and Johnny finally curled up together in their room, making Laswell and Price promise to wake them up if anything new came up. Price shook down all the soldiers that came back on exfil, most giving the same story that the captain assigned to the mission shot the solider from delta before shooting and throwing Ghost and the two Alpha solider out of the helo. None of them could confirm where Ghost has been shot but he was still alive when he hit the snow.
The two of them pulled one of Ghost’s extra blankets off of his bed and curled up with it. Tears fell from their eyes as they laid there in the dark, listening to the sounds of the base. The loneliness hit differently knowing that Simon was missing rather than just deployed. The unknown if they would ever see him again sent both of them spiraling, feeling like part of their foundation had been just ripped away from them. Their world was tilting on its axis and they didn’t know how to fix it.
The “captain” had conveniently gone missing - nowhere to be found, leading Laswell to believe whoever it was, was never a captain at all. The mysterious captain that was assigned to the mission had disappeared into thin air, no one knew who he was, never had seen him before this mission. Everyone reported that he had been flighty even leading up to the mission, he had his head on a swivel once they hit boots on the ground.
Gaz was getting out of the shower when Nik came knocking on the door, letting them know that Price and Laswell needed them in the briefing room. Soap was already at his closet, throwing clothes at him before tugging his own boots on and throwing on one of Simon’s hoodies. They entered the room breathless, anxiety and fear already making their chest tight as they saw Laswell studying the map on the projector and Price sitting at the table with his hands in his hair, pulling at his locks. Nik was rubbing Price’s back, conversing quietly with Laswell before turning to the boys and nodding his head at the chairs.
“We found where the blood trail picked up again. About 7 klicks north heading towards the Zermatt border. We lost it again in the tree line but as far as we can tell, it has to be the both of them. The trail is too wide for it just to be Simon.” Nik patted Price one more time on the back before standing up and moving towards the map, letting Laswell continue. “You all are to leave in two hours, the region is expected to get hit with a snowstorm within the next 24 hours so if we want any chance of getting Simon back, we need to leave as soon as possible.“
Laswell motioned towards the map, “Nik will drop Gaz and Soap at the exfil point.” She pointed to another snowy field, “Nik will drop John here, he will circle back around and meet you two boys around this area.” The map highlighted in red as their selected routes traces its path on the map’s landscape. “We identified a few caves further down from where the trail went cold. We can hope that Simon found one and hunkered down. It’s to be expected that his radios and equipment are most likely useless. They were all programmed on a special frequency for his last mission and he doesn’t have the credentials to override it.”
The tension in the room was obvious, it became more obvious as Soap started to fidget and become restless as the briefing continued. “Nik stocked the helo with several med kits, heating blankets, and any other gear that you guys might need during exfil. I managed to get Ghost’s winter gear from the armory as well as an extra set for Alpha 0 if needed.”
Price stood up and walked over to the boys, carding a hand in each of the boys’ hair, “Gear up, we need to get moving.”
__
The knot in Soap’s stomach hadn’t loosened since they left base. The landscape was beautiful, the snow covering the trees and the snowy mountains made it look like a picture out of one of the vacation catalogs his mother used to collect. The knot tightened when they got closer to their drop point and it seemed like the temperature dropped 10 degrees colder than what it already was. The cold seemed to radiate off the walls of the metal bird, even through his insulated gear, Soap wanted to shiver. He could only imagine how it was for Ghost.
One look around the cabin showed that he wasn’t the only one that was thinking along the same lines. Price was rubbing his thumb over Gaz’s knuckles as Gaz pulled one of the thermal blankets around him a little tighter. Minor wind gusts rocked the helo as they flew between mountains and in between valleys. When they finally made it to the drop point, Price drew both of them in for a hug and chaste kiss before they jumped out. Their boots crunched under them as the snow began to freeze.
They both let out an exhale, their breaths misting in front of them as they took in the landscape. The blood trails were obvious, knowing that they both ended up going the same direction, it brought mental anguish to know one of them was their lover’s.
“Do you think we both follow one of the trails? We know they will meet up eventually.” Soap asked, crouching down to get a closer look. Gaz shook his head, “I don’t like the idea but I think it’s the best option right now. We don’t know who is who and if one of them didn’t make it then we will be at least able to find them.” Gaz’s voice cracked on the last sentence as Soap’s eyes gathered tears. Soap took up and locked eyes with Gaz before hugging him, burying his cold nose into the other’s neck.
‘We got this Tav, we will find him. Just stay frosty.” The joke got the wanted response, a small giggle from Johnny. Gaz tilted his face up and shared a hard kiss before knocking their fists together and setting off. The two of them set a good pace, they covered the seven kilometers in about an hour. They lost the trail a few times but found it again and kept going. The sound of the blades from the helicopter was comforting as they navigated the rough terrain. In some places the snow was waist deep and in other places, it was frozen enough that they could walk on it.
Once they entered the clearing, Nik brought the helo down. Price had a map drawn up with various points that they had cleared as well as marking the path that they had been following since they first touched down. “If we keep following the path, it should lead us down to this part here. The caves are up further so if we can make it there by sundown, we should be able to catch up to them.”
Gaz took a sip of water, “even with injuries, Ghost still moves quick.” Price nodded, “let’s just hope that means he’s not the more injured one. Adrenaline is a hell of a drug but it doesn’t last. He’s bound to crash once he takes a moment to rest.” Soap coughed, the dry cold air was getting him a little bit, “We still have about three hours until nightfall. Probably another 5 kilometer radius to cover. Any sign of the blood trail?”
Nik shook his head, “Not that we have been able to see, either they were able to stop the bleeding or the bleeding one got left somewhere.” They all hung their heads as they listened to the almost silent atmosphere around them. The silence was interrupted by Laswell coming over the radio, “ Bravo 0-6”
“Any news Laswell?” The radio crackled loudly, “ Nothing new in particular but roughly one klick to the east, we picked up the trail again.” Price nodded, “We’ll head that way, we were just taking a minute to check in with each other. Bravo 0-6 out.”
Soap and Gaz jumped out of the helo, ready to begin trekking again. They heard Price’s fist knock against the side of the helo as the blades started thumping again and the wind blew snow in their faces. Laswell had to redirect them a few times but eventually they found the right route. The wind was slowly picking up, making it hard to understand where the path was leading.
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It was nightfall when they found the first cave, you could see the snowstorm forming in the distance. Snow started to rapidly descend on them as they searched for a place that Nik could land. “We need to hurry, that storm isn’t going to wait any longer.” Gaz said as he lit a flare. Red overcasting their small group in the mist of the shadows of the cliffs and trees. They rapidly started to fan out and search the caves and cliffs. The first few presented nothing, Price and Soap searched one while Nik and Gaz searched another.
When they came to the next sets of caves, Price opted to go in first. There was a strange smell in their air, almost like something was burning. The wind was blowing enough that he couldn’t tell exactly where it was coming from but it was there. Soap noticed it before Price did, being the demolition expert - he always had a knack for finding fire. The hairs on their necks stood up, bodies on alert now that they knew they weren’t alone.
The cave that Price stumbled upon was dark and cold at first glance. Price raised the flashlight on his rifle to show that the cave went further back than he had anticipated. “Watcher.” The radio crackled, “ Go for watcher.” Price took a breath, blowing it out slowly as he clicked his radio again, “Check if there’s any thermal readings in the cave I’m in. I smell something burning.”
There was a moment of silence before the radio cracked again, “ The cave actually goes back pretty far, I’d give a rough estimate of about 50 feet. There’s a significant heat reading further into it.”
Price readjusted his grip on his pistol and flashlight as he slowly crept his way further into the cave. He rounded the corner and saw the first glimpses of a possible campfire burning. There was a yellow glow that shone brightly against the side of the cave wall as he began to hear the crackling of the fire. He swallowed and cleared his throat before letting out the signature whistle he used when they were unable to call out to each other.
It was developed that last time that they had ran a mission with Farah, they has been in an ambush and unable to communicate with each other. Farah and Alex helped them develop signature whistles, unique to them to be able to identify each other if shit hit the fan. In a way, Price was thankful for the eye opening experience. He was lucky enough he never had to experience what Farah has went through but it taught his whole team how to better survive in the field.
Price let out his whistle one more time before he quickly turned the corner, muscles tense and finger on the trigger. Simon laid behind the fire, tucked in between the back cave wall and rock debris. He had Alpha 0 in his lap, clutching him like he was his only lifeline to reality. Alpha 0 had blood sluggishly dripping from his temple as his torso was wrapped in a makeshift bandage.
Price could tell that Ghost was borderline feral, his eyes were unseeing as he gripped his knife tightly. Fear was evident on his expression and exhaustion weighed his large frame down. Price was immediately reminded of the man he found in Texas after being held hostage in Mexico for months. He was relying fully on his instincts to keep him alive and it was frightening.
The situation must have been dire enough for Simon to lose his mask and back up balaclava. It was unnerving seeing the emotions plain as day on his love’s face. Simon was the reserved one in the relationship, he was the one that kept all of them grounded. He knew what each of them needed at any given time and had unlimited patience for all of them.
He slowly put his gun away and laid his flashlight on the ground before putting his hands up in a surrendering motion. “Simon, love, it’s me. It’s Price.” His voice was soft but loud enough to hear over the crackling of the fire, echoing off the walls slightly. Simon didn’t move, his head tilted to the side just ever so slightly as his ears registered the voice. Price could see his mind working overtime as he tried to burrow further in his hiding place.
Price reached up to his radio, “Soap, Gaz, on me. Bring Nik with you.” He clicked his radio twice, indicating no verbal answer as he waited for two clicks back, confirming his order. Price pulled his med kit from the back of his vest, setting it on the ground and opening it. He softly narrated everything he did, moving slowly as if Ghost was some wild animal, hoping Ghost was coming back enough to realize it was him.
For first time in a long time, Price prayed - for Simon, and for his boys to show up faster.
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As soon as they heard the order, Gaz and Soap took off running to where they saw Price enter the cave. Nik was frantically throwing supplies in the helo before emerging with a medic pack. In the back of Kyle’s mind, he was grateful for Nik being prepared for everything. The pack meant that they had a better shot at making sure Simon was okay while getting them somewhere safe.
Gaz finally caught up with Soap, grabbing the back of his vest as they took a few steps into the blackened cave. “Slow down Tav, we don’t know what’s going on and we don’t want to scare Si.” Soap was almost vibrating as he was lit up by the red glow sick Gaz cracked. “ I know, I know. I just…” He motioned very chaotically, not able to explain how he was feeling.
Gaz pulled him into a hug, kissing his temple, “We got this, it’s okay.” They both turned as they heard footsteps getting closer to them. As Nik came into view, they both relaxed, blowing the breath out they both had been holding.
“Come, let’s see what the situation is.” Nik said as he pushed in front of both of them, cracking another glow stick. It was soon enough they came across the same golden glow bouncing off the walls of the cave with the shadow of someone standing next to the fire.
Both Gaz and Soap let out their signature whistles, not moving an inch further until they heard Price or Ghost’s whistle. Almost immediately Price whistled back and they proceeded around the corner, taking in the situation in front of them. Ghost was getting most restless, his body registering the four other people in the cave with him but his mind not able to distinguish them from the enemy.
Price backed up towards them, “We are going to have to sedate him. We aren’t going to get him out of this cave any other way.” The three of them grimaced as they took a better look at the situation. They could see the wild look in Simon’s eye. The way his body was exhausted, how he was disassociating, how he had fear written all over his face. “Where’s his mask?” Soap whispered as he looked at Price. Price shrugged, looking back over, “I don’t know sunshine, he’s soaking wet too. He’s too wet for just falling into the snow.”
Price started moving towards Simon, “Si, love. We need to get you out here okay? We are all here with you - me, Johnny, Kyle and Nik. Kate is watching over us on comms too.” There was no indication that Simon heard him but a little bit of tension left his body, adrenaline was starting to fade and his body was slumping more against the cave wall.
Price kneeled a few feet in front of where the two were laying. “Soap, Gaz - you’re going to have to grab him. I don’t know if he’s breathing but he’s still bleeding. As soon as Simon feels him move, he’s going to try and grab him back. Nik, you and I will restrain Simon.”
“I brought med pack, it has a sedative in it.” Nik set the pack down and unzipped it. He brought out what looked like a stim shot but it was a heavy sedative that will put Ghost out for a few hours. Long enough for them to get him to a hospital. Price nodded, “everyone move slowly and as quietly as you can. We have one shot at this or we risk Simon panicking.”
Everyone slowly started to shuffle closer as Simon didn’t move. His head was hung, his slightly too long blonde hair fell into his face as exhaustion and coldness settled over his body. Price held up five fingers, slowly counting down to one before all of them sprung into action. Both Simon and the soldier he held in his lap started screaming when they pulled them apart, both from fear and pain. They were panicking as foreign hands restrained them, tears fell from their eyes.
The soldier passed out from the pain as he was dragged away. They could see now that he had a stomach gunshot wound and a shoulder gunshot wound that started bleeding again. Soap and Gaz worked to stop the bleeding as tears fell down their cheeks too, hearing their beloved cry and scream in fear.
Nik had to dodge the knife as Simon tried to stab him, wrapping his arms around his chest and locking his legs over Simon’s as he moved behind him, pulling him on his lap. Price disarmed the knife as he restrained Simon’s arms before pulling the sedative out of the back of his pants. He ripped the top off with his teeth and injected it into Simon’s neck as the two men struggled not to be thrown off of him by his violent thrashing.
Even disassociated, Simon tried to protect himself. He was fighting with everything his body had left to give before slowly losing the fight, eyes closing and body slumping as the sedative took its effect. When he finally went limp, Price and Nik left their grip up. Price helped Nik maneuver Simon into a cradle hold before standing up and looking over the other boys.
“What’s his status?” Price was well aware of how his voice cracked, everyone had the grace not to comment on it. “Si stopped the bleeding, heartbeat is thready but overall he’s okay given the circumstances. Lost a lot of blood and he’s borderline hypothermic, he’s drenched like Simon.” Price nodded as he knelt down and started checking over Simon. He unbuckled all his gear, throwing it to the side as he started to slowly become more frantic, trying to find the gunshot wound.
He finally found it on his bicep. It went clean through his arm and lodged itself into his armpit, just under his collarbone. Price tried to feel around his shoulder area to see if anything was broken but there were too many layers for him to feel properly. “We need to get them out of here, they are too wet and cold for us to do anything right now.” Price knelt down and grabbed the other limp man, throwing him over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry before standing up.
Soap grabbed a few wipes before standing up and walking over in front of him, wiping the dust and dirt off his face as well as the tear tracks that rolled down his face and chin. He did the same to Gaz before wiping his own face. “Let’s move, Nik, what’s the closest hospital?” Nik grunted as he stood up, “Zermatt - they have a trauma center about 25 minutes from here.”
Their small group made their way back through the cave, the wind blowing snow hard into the opening as the temperature dropped further as they got closer to the exit. The storm was full in effect now, all they could see was white as they emerged from the cave. They strapped both of the injured men onto the helo’s backboards - both as a precaution and protection before securing them.
Nik got the bird up and running, as the rest of them worked on treating the smaller injuries and making sure no one was bleeding out. The wind was so bad that they had to strap in not long after they got into the air. Both men were wrapped in blankets as they struggled to navigate the rough turbulence brought in by the snowstorm. “You good Nik?’ Price asked as he unbuckled himself to lean into the cockpit.
Nik nodded, “just another day in the office, Captain.” Price let out a small smile as he patted Nik’s arm and settled back into his seat. Gaz and Soap were both still riled up but slowly the energy drained out of them. As they started to slump onto each other, Price rubbed their knees, “Sleep, we got about 20-30 minutes before we get to Zermatt.” The reassurance worked as both boys let sleep take them.
It wasn’t long after that he noticed Simon’s head start to move back and forth. “Si?” Price questioned as he unbuckled and knelt down to where Simon was strapped into. “Price?” Simon rasped as he tried to clear his head. “You’re safe now Dove, we got you.” He leaned down and brushed Simon’s hair off his forehead before planting a kiss on his temple. “Promise?” Simon’s voice was small as tears finally poured over.
“Always Si, you know I will always find you.” Price wiped his tears away before planting a kiss on his lips. “Where is Johnny and Gaz?” Simon focused on Price, like if he took his eyes away, Price would disappear. “They are sitting to your left, they fell asleep. We are on our way to Zermatt for the hospital.” Simon nodded, “Did the Sergeant make it?” Price looked over, “He’s stable for right now, you did good Dove. You did really good.”
Price made himself comfortable next to him, taking one of his hands in his and using the other to run through the unruly blonde locks. He quietly recounted the last three days to Simon, explaining what happened. It wasn’t long before Nik yelled back, scaring the boys awake and causing Simon to jerk as much as he could being strapped down. “Radio the hospital, let them know we have two injured - gunshot wounds and hypothermia.”
He heard Nik follow orders as he got Simon and the sergeant ready to move. It wasn’t long before they felt the helo touch down and the door get flung open. He watched as Gaz and Soap helped transfer the sergeant onto the gurney before turning towards them. Both gave Simon a hug and a kiss before moving him on to another gurney waiting.
All the medical staff whisked them away as the three of them jumped off the helo. “I am going to land at the airport, I will meet up after okay?” Price nodded, giving Nik a hug before turning back to the rest of their group. They followed Simon into the hospital, all of their nerves easing now that they were at the hospital. It took a few hours before they got settled into a room, Price was busy updating Laswell on the current situation as well as finding the commanding officer and family contact info of their mysterious sergeant.
They managed to pull out the bullet and repair Simon’s arm with minimal damage, his collarbone was broken, now splinted. The sergeant was stabilized too, receiving a blood transfusion and ended up needing to be sedated. Price looked over his boys and thanked god that everything was as best as it could be. He noticed the date on his phone and declared that this was the only Christmas present he could have ever asked for. He pulled up his chair next to Simon’s bed and slid his hand into his. He fell asleep listening to the machines track Si’s heartbeat and his other two loves breathing (and snoring).
~
The next few days were a whirlwind of doctors, nurses, meetings, and headaches. Simon was set to be discharged and they were all ready to get the hell out of the hospital. Nik took the boys back a day early - Laswell needed them for testimonies as the Brass tried to figure out what happened.
Price and Ghost left the day after, returning to both of their rooms packed up and bare as the boys were ready to leave for their holiday. Nik dropped them off at Price’s cabin and it was all a collective agreement that they all needed a nap.
A few hours later, the boys were still out on the bed but price knew instantly that Simon was missing. He jolted out of bed as quickly as he could without waking the other two before flying out of the room. Fear gripped his heart as he checked and cleared every room, before entering the kitchen and living room.
His heart was still beating out of his chest as he quickly locked onto the large form in front of the glass sliding doors, watching the sun set. He was careful to let his feet drag against the floors, alerting Simon to is presence.
Simon tilted his head towards the sound, turning around and nodding at him before turning back. Price came up behind him, laying a hand on his waist. He had to look for clues in Simon’s, body language as he has been nonverbal since he woke up in the helo.
He gently pulled Simon towards him, hand curling more firmly around his hip when he felt Simon lean into it. “Let’s have some down time yeah? Before the boys wake up.” Price guided Simon to the couch before sitting down and laying a pillow in between his legs.
Simon all but fell onto the pillow, showing his true feelings and headspace that he had been repressing since they found him. Price ran a hand through his hair before position Simon how he wanted him and laying his head down on his lap. He turned his head so Simon could still watch the sunset, the rays making his blonde hair look golden.
The tension bled out of the large form quickly as he relaxed into position. Price ran his hands up and down his back, working on the knots in his shoulders and neck as they appreciated the moment. Price was sure Simon was borderline asleep when he cleared his throat.
“Don’t let them loan me out again.” The plea was so soft that Price barely heard all the words of it. “You know if it was fully my decision, they never would have gotten you in the first place. You’re mine Si. You’ve been mine since I found you in Mexico.”
He felt a small smile spread across his thigh before he continued, “I’m going to make Laswell pulls some strings so you can’t be loaned anymore. I don’t care if it’s to protect the bloody King, you stay by my side no matter what.”
He felt Simon nod, “it was weird - being that scared that I felt like the whole world was caving in on me.” Simon took a shuttering breath, “it felt like Mexico all over again but this time, it was worse. I didn’t have a way to tell you what happened or where I was.”
“Didn’t matter dove, as soon as you didn’t come out of that carrier - we were already on trying to find you. Roughed up some rookies when they told me what that Captain did to you and the other seregent.”
Price cupped his cheek and turned his face towards his, “you know that me, Johnny and Kyle would burn this world down to find you. Never doubt that, dove. As long as I am alive, I’ll make sure no one ever takes you or harms you.”
Tears pour out of Simon’s eyes as he nodded, learning forwards to his forehead touched Price’s chest, right over where his heart is. It was going to be a long road to get back to where he was but he was starting on the right track.
Price moved him into his lap, allowing him to saddle his hips as they exchanged kisses, not long before they heard the boys start moving around and moving around. “Might be a few days late but it’s time to celebrate.”