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You just fell for a 3rd time on this stupid ass obstacle course. The disappointment pumps through your veins, doubling down when you hear a sharp whistle from your left.
Price stands there tall and proud, his face mirroring yours. A message is clear between you both, if you keep failing this you have no chance of joining the 141.
Your eyes prick as you slowly climb out of the mud and trudge towards him. You’re only about 30 feet away when you hear a sharp click that’s borderline painful. Steps pausing on the concrete as you glance around. The only person within 50 yards is Price with his hands in his pockets, nothing on his person that shows it would’ve created the sound.
At a tilt of his head you regain your momentum and come to a stop 3 feet away. You can feel the beginning of a nose drip to perfectly accompany your stinging eyes but you work hard to push it down. Just gotta get through this talk and then you can go board yourself up in your room till tomorrow.
“You alrigh’ love?” Price asks after you stop, his eyes studying your face. Accessing
“Yes sir. Just heard a weird noise is all.” Your posture straights a touch as his gaze travels your body. You breathe in through your nose a little rough. Your attempt at keeping the snot at bay.
His gaze turns almost… pitiful? Maybe he thinks you’re imagining things? What if he calls for a mental check up? That was a real noise. You were sure of it. It was way too distinct to be fake- but there isn’t anyone else around.
Just you and Price are out on the field, not even the Liutendants shadow is lurking in the 2pm heat. You go so deep into thought that it takes a hand snapping in-front of you to make your eyes refocus.
“Alright love I think tha’s enough for today. Go get something to eat and then rest. Be back here tomorrow at 4am sharp.” His heavy hand lands on your shoulder, giving you a few hearty pats before turning and walking away.
You really screwed up this time. Your captain is gonna rip you a new one. Get nearly beat it into your head just how important it is that you do good during this brief transfer. Not for you but for him. To show the higher up that he can produce a soldier competent enough to join the 141? Well that is just an early retirement in pretty wrapping.
Now that you’re alone you let the tears fall as your eyes burn. Moving slow enough to not pull at the sore muscles but fast enough that you don’t look like a zombie, you head to the barracks. Face to the floor you weave between the few groups of people until you’re safe and sound in solitude.
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It’s 4am when you end back at the field, getting there early to get a head start on warming up and maybe even attempt complete a quick lap of the course. It might be easier to complete without someone watching. Your muscles are begging for a break by 4:55 but you did manage to do a successful run of the course. Albeit, a 20 minute lap of a course that takes only 10 for many but you completed it nonetheless.
It’s during your water break that you realize you aren’t as alone as you thought. Just beyond the reach of the light above your head is a figure. Your heart skips a beat and you stare, trying to force your eyes to adjust enough to make out any details.
The stare down lasts about 30 seconds before he steps into the low light and you realize it’s just Captain Price. At the sight of him you toss your bottle down and head to him. A new click sounds through the air, deeper this time and not as painful.
You don’t pause your stride until you’re right in-front of him. Back pin straight and you stand at attention, cheeks still lightly flush from your activities. His gaze holds pride as it crosses your features, you doubt 20 minutes is something to be prideful about but you don’t question it.
You both spend a good 2 hours on the field, your run times getting better. Still not great but atleast you’re finishing the course every time now. It’s during your finale break, you’re sat criss cross in the shade of a tree drinking your water. Yet another soldier decided to interrupt you both so Price was a few feet away finishing up whatever the discussion was.
Once the soldier is far out of ear shot Price turns towards you and just stares. It shoots a shiver up your spine, some instinctive shudder to show how displeased you are with almost constantly being watched. His hand reaches into his pocket and he plucks out a small blue thing, dwarfed by his hand.
With one last glance he swiftly turns and begins walking away, confusion fills your features. You redirect your gaze to your bottle as you stew.
Does he want you to follow him? Is the session over just….. like that? The urge to follow bubbles up but the fear of being scolded simply because you weren’t sure what to do overrides it.
It’s when he’s about 60 feet away that you hear it, that click. Your eyes snap to him, just quick enough to catch him glancing back at you before continuing on his way. Without a second thought you scrabble up and rush to join him.
So it was him then. He’s the source of this sound that’s recently been haunting you. You stare at him back incredulously, not daring to walk side by side. Well if he wanted you to follow him every-time he clicked whatever that thing is he could’ve just told you.
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The 10 minute walk you take ends up at the mess hall, your stomach silently growls at the realization you haven’t had anything but water since lunch yesterday.
Your excitement to finally eat is quickly crushed by the increasingly loud sound coming from the large wooden doors. So loud in-fact that your body almost refuses to walk past the threshold through the door Price has so kindly opened for you.
Your apprehension must be clear as day on your face seeing as a heavy hand lands on your shoulder after a 10 seconds delay and begins to push guide you into the chaos. The shear rowdiness of your fellow soldiers never fails to amaze you.
For the past month than you’ve been on barrow you’ve barely interacted with anyone but Price. Anytime you aren’t failing a ‘test’ you’re asleep in your room or snacking in bed. You had become so isolated that you forgot the volumes multiple people can reach together.
The sturdy grip guides you between tables, weaving past mini brawls and dodging spilt food. Finally you both to an end in the furthest corner, luckily it seems a bit more calm back here. Most likely due to Ghosts and now Prices presence.
As Price leans over to talk to Ghost, resting his weight against your back, you turn to watch the crowd again. It’s similar to a car wreck, you hate looking at it but at the same time you can’t stop staring. The worst group is smack dab right in the middle, easily 5-7 guys just dog-piling each other. Pushing, pulling, smacking the shit out of each other. You’re so engrossed that when a voice calls out to you, you nearly fall over, if it weren’t for Prices grip of course.
“Ows the training going luv?” The lieutenant asks, eyes watching you expectantly. It takes a second for you to understand what was said due to his face mask but the confusion doesn’t leave your face as you answer.
“Training? Oh, I’m not training yet Mr.Ghost I’m-” Your answer is half screamed as it’s cut off, the sounds in the room somehow getting louder.
“It’s goin’ just fine Simon. She’s nearly there already and it’s only been what, a day?” Captain Price answers, cutting you off. Ghost nods as he takes what Price said in. Before you can question it Prices hand leaves your shoulder as he turn and walks towards the food line, you quickly follow when a certain click is heard.
Of course you didn’t know you were in training. What pet knows they’re being trained?
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