Chapter Text
Ghost needed a shower. He had needed a shower for about a month, but of course, not all safehouses contain those. Ghost supposed that the rain counted. It had pissed rain for almost the entirety that he was stationed out.
The helo blades slowed and Ghost stood, his back twinging with rage after he had jumped from a three story window and landed in a sprint. It didn't help that just before he had been forced still for many hours, scouting and trying to find the perfect opening to weasel into a building.
It didn’t matter anymore, now that building was blown up.
When his feet hit the hot tarmac, he could faintly see Captain John Price and two others there to greet him.
He already knew who they were, Gaz and Soap. Kyle and Johnny. Garrick and MacTavish. Inseparable buddies since training is what they claim.
The taskforce met in the middle, Ghost exchanging a handshake with Price and a fist bump from Gaz. Soap though, the handsy little shit he was, clapped Ghost on the shoulder hard enough to throw him off balance a bit and white hot fire traveled up his spine and settled into his lower back.
“LT! Good tae see ya.” Soap gave that award winning toothy grin, and for a moment the pain dulled just to give way to Johnny’s bright grin. The smile that had haunted Ghost’s dreams for a long time. Johnny’s smile.
Price grunted as he scratched his chin. “Reports say you're needed in medical for your back, Ghost. We can debrief after you are done.” Price looked to Soap, who was practically bouncing off the tarmac pavement in excitement.
“MacTavish, you’ll take him and make sure he gets to medical nice and safely.” Price nodded to Soap, making sure he understood.
Soap responded with a nod and smile, practically dragging Ghost off the tarmac and into the hot and pungent base. He was given a once over, then another once over just in case.
—
Ghost sat in the debrief room, going over a detailed report that he somehow conjured up in a short time.
Laswell hummed thoughtfully through the computer, “Thank you Lieutenant Ghost. This intel will do us some good.”
He gave a silent nod of acknowledgment.
Price clicked off the computer, sifting through a few documents while humming some tune.
Johnny and Kyle got up, discussing what they thought was for lunch.
Ghost sat there. Simon sat there. Thinking over the mission. Ignoring the pain in his back that lingered no matter what.
Price reigned in Ghost’s thoughts with a clearing of his throat. “Sergeant MacTavish and Sergeant Garrick, you’re both dismissed. I’d like a word with you Ghost before you leave.”
—
A few fractured ribs and some damage done to his back was what sentenced Ghost off the field for a month.
“A month? Desk work for a month Price? You’ve got to be kidding me.” Ghost glowered at Price.
Ghost had just about enough of that bullshit. He was restless even after the long mission and desk work was the last thing he wanted.
Price looked up from his papers that were neatly piled on the desk. “You could always go on leave, use up some of that saved time.” Leave. Ghost hadn’t gone on leave since last spring, and all he did was hole up in his tiny flat in Manchester while watching rubbish on the telly and eating rubbish food. Ghost could cook, but the shops had lights that were too bright and people who chatted too much.
“No. ’M stayin’ here on base.” Ghost said with a grunt of finality.
“Fine then, you can leave now, Simon.” Price dismissed with a wave of his hand, not wanting to put up with the emotions of his finest soldier.
—
Soap chatted quietly with Garrick outside of Price’s office, waiting on Ghost to go get lunch after the debrief. It was a Wednesday.
Now typically Wednesdays were normal for Soap, he got up at the same time he did every day, he worked out in the morning, took a shower, and got on with his day. But every Wednesday the infamous Ghost would sit with him and Kyle at lunch. Only Wednesday.
Soap knew that Ghost was a man of routine. He lived by it. He worked by it. And it was very strict. So when Ghost got into the habit of lunch on Wednesdays with Soap and Gaz, he always had lunch with them.
“‘S fuckin hot as hell in here.” Garrick exclaimed while taking a sip of his water then passing it to Soap. Soap took a hefty swig before the door to Price’s office swung open.
“Better than pissin’ rain.” Ghost said in his typical dry joking voice. It earned a chuckle from Soap, but that wasn’t impressive. He’d laugh at anything.
“Lunch then, LT?” Soap elbowed Ghost. “I ken you’ll miss me when I’m gone for the month. One last meal with your favorite sergeant?”
“Gaz is my favorite.” Ghost huffed, which was as close to a laugh that you could squeeze out of him.
—
“So your leave starts next week then, Tav?” Kyle questioned.
Soap nodded, wary of the food currently being chewed by himself. “Aye, up into the Scottish hills for me. Got time off all saved up so I can go visit the fam.”
Soap could feel the big scary bloke sitting next to him turn his attention over Soap. For a while, it felt weird having The Ghost give his undivided attention all at once. It felt like carrying all of his weight on Soap’s shoulders. But now, he was used to it. Used to finding the deep brown eyes and cracking a joke like it was nothing.
“Price wants me on leave too.” Simon said before taking a sip of his tea.
“Ye should listen to him. If your back has got tha aches.” Soap looked to Kyle for support. Ghost going on leave was like seeing a unicorn. Or something else that was magical and rare. Soap was never good at similes.
Kyle finally piped in, “Price said things are going quiet around here, now is a good time.”
Soap pictured Ghost in some flat around Manchester. Dressed like a civie and doing who knows what with his time. Well Soap would like to know. “Ye could always stay with me, ye ken? My flat has enough space for ye.” Dumb stupid MacTavish. He always let his mouth run before getting the green light by his brain.
“No Johnny. I can do deskwork here. I’ve survived worse.” Ghost gets up to leave, no doubt avoiding the conversation.
Soap couldn’t get a better opportunity than this to be near his lieutenant. To bond with him. To find out who Simon Riley is, and not just the Ghost. Maybe John MacTavish had a few wires crossed wrong in his brain, or maybe he was just a glutton for punishment, but somehow and someway, Ghost was his closest friend. Yet, he only knew a handful of information about the bloke. Barely a few glances at whats beneath the mask.
“Aye, Ah ken that. But ye ken that Price just wants to take care of ye. Maybe a break couldn’t be so bad Lt.” John MacTavish sounded as desperate as he looked.
“I’ll think about it, Johnny.” Ghost left, his food barely touched.
John MacTavish never backed down from a challenge though. He stood, looking to follow the man and insist that he come stay in his flat.
“Tav, don’t go pushing his buttons or else he’ll make you run laps.” Kyle said before shoveling more rubbish into his mouth.
“Good thing I like to run, Gaz. See ye later.” Soap left his best friend in a cafeteria in search for The Ghost.
—
Ghost didn’t run away from problems. He faced them head on and killed everything that stood in his path.
It’s too bad that Johnny, without even trying, could pull Simon Riley out from Ghost’s deepest darkest depths. Even when every time he weaseled his way to Simon, Ghost buried the fucker deeper.
So that's where Simon was, running away from Johnny. Running away from commitment. Running away from the one person who has legitimate power over him. Johnny could tell him to burn the world and Ghost would, without hesitation. And that made him dangerous. That’s what made Ghost scared. It’s what made Simon come out and make Ghost crack under pressure.
Ghost tried to imagine it. Staying in Johnny’s flat for a month. They had been together much longer on ops, but this felt different because it was a choice they could make together. Not an order being sent from Laswell, but the simple agreement that they would temporarily live in a small shared space.
While trapped in his mind, Ghost walked down the hallway to his room. He’d take shower. Read a book. Do something to take his mind off his sergeant. Ghost reached for the keys in his pocket, not hearing the familiar footsteps approaching behind him.
“Hey Lt, thought about it enough yet?” Johnny’s bright voice boomed in his ear.
Ghost flinched and straightened his spine. Of course, his back screamed with pain. The pain in his back was growing tenfold. “Goddammit MacTavish!” He swatted at the man while he was hunched over in pain.
Johnny, for once in his sorry life, was useful and helped Simon into his room. He grabbed Simon by the shoulder and arm and guided him away from prying eyes.
Soap helps Simon into a chair, shutting the door behind him. “Simon I really think leave would be good for you. It dinnae have to be at my flat-”
“I hate leave, Soap. Can’t stand pretending to be a civie. Don’t like that mundane lifestyle.” Ghost sighed, tugging the bottom part of his balaclava to take a sip of water and try to settle his nerves.
Soap stood, tugging at the skin of his thumbs. The demolition expert could never stay still. Constantly restless and always having too much energy that needed to be burnt. “It dinnae have to be mundane. Ye ever gone out and picked up a pretty lass for a night? Or just gone out for fun? A change of scenery ken always be nice too, Lt.”
Another hint at the Scotsman flat that lies up north. Could be fun, a good rest so he is in top shape for the next mission. Simon had already made up his mind, thinking that the Scottish air could be good for him. Ghost on the other hand, well he had some suspicions.
“‘M not goin' to be going out every night Soap. Don’t have the energy for that.” He cleared his throat, “And civilians don’t take too kindly to a big bloke wearing a scary mask.” He was desperately trying to convince Johnny that this would be a bad idea.
“Dinnae matter Lt. I like to stay in too. And Ah don’t care about what the civies think of ye.” Soap was persistent. Maybe a bit too much for his own good.
Simon sighed, wiping a hand down his face while his back twinged in pain with the movement. “Yeah alright. I’ll talk to Price. Work something out.”