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Soap's tail wouldn't stop wagging.
And for once, it wasn't his fault. He hadn't seen Ghost for three days! It should be considered animal cruelty to keep hybrids away from each other for that long. That's his mate!
"Calm down, Soap," Price sighed for what had to be at least the eleventh time when Soap pointed his ears again, his entire body going rigid as he listened for the sound of helicopter rotors. "He'll not be back for another few of hours at the earliest, so please do try to pay attention."
Soap had tried to pay attention to Price and his endless ramblings about how Soap's penmanship was so bad it dragged the 141’s efficiency down by a whopping eight percent. Something Soap might have cared about if Ghost had been there beside him, rather than on the opposite side of the continent. Alone. Fighting. Maybe even bleeding out. Maybe-
Finally, Soap could hear it. Price had been wrong, it wouldn't be hours until he saw Ghost again. It would be mere minutes, given how close the whacking of helicopter blades was already.
Soap was off with no additional explanation, trusting that the speed at which he was running out to the tarmac made it clear who was finally coming home.
The sign claiming it was forbidden to step onto the tarmac until all aircrafts had landed and were completely still did little to stop him as Soap climbed the railing. He dropped onto the other side just as the helo started its descent.
Soap quickly covered his ears with his paws, narrowing his eyes at the brutal uptick in wind speed as the helo descended in front of him. The wind was too strong for him to be able to wag his tail properly, although he still tried his hardest. How could he not, when Ghost was inside it?
The helo had barely landed by the time Soap was right next to it, impatiently waiting for the doors to open. He would have started scratching on the doors and whining as loudly as he could, but he didn’t feel like getting punished for it again.
This was torture. Sometimes Soap really hated all those safety regulations humans were so keen on following to a tee. The helo rotors had almost come to a full stop already, surely there was no danger in getting off it now?
An unsufferably long minute later the doors opened, and Ghost finally, finally stepped out of the helo. Even though he'd known that he was coming, Soap still got so excited he couldn't keep his mouth shut—panting non-stop, his tongue close to lolling out of his mouth when he spotted him. He was still fully covered in his usual gear as he walked over to Soap, closing the short distance between them. He wasn’t limping, and the scent of blood clinging to him wasn’t his own. From what Soap could tell, he appeared to be uninjured.
Ghost pulled off the hard-shell mask first, shaking his head to release the ears that had spent the last few days pressed snugly against his skull. Helmets were uncomfortable for dog hybrids, something Soap knew from experience.
"Missed you." Soap was the first to speak, surprising no one. He couldn't stop smiling as Ghost came to a stop right in front of him, pressing their noses together. Soap could feel the warmth of him through the thin balaclava, finally able to pick up on his true scent, and not only the scent of gunpowder that still clung to him like a second skin.
"Missed you more," Ghost said, nuzzling against him. Soap didn't bother arguing, knowing that it would only lead to a stalemate. Even though he knew that Ghost was wrong, since it wasn't possible to love somebody more than how Soap loved Ghost.
Ghost moved to nose at his ear, scenting him, Soap tilting his head to give him better access. Ghost rumbled from deep within his chest, a satisfied noise at finally being by his mate’s side again.
Soap's tail kept wagging the entire time, enough so that he knew the base of it was going to be sore tomorrow. He could tell Ghost was trying to do the same, even though his own tail was still securely strapped to his leg underneath all his gear. Soon he'd be able to wag it as well, after all that gear came off. Soon he could be a regular dog again.
"C'mon." Soap tugged on his paw, excited to bring Ghost back to their nest. It had been far too cold and lonely during the last three days. "Let's go home."
Soap had made sure everything would be just the way Ghost liked it once he got back. Tidy yet cozy, a pile of both their clothing in one corner of the bed, and enough water and snacks to last them for at least a week stuffed beneath it. Price would be expecting him for debrief eventually, but Soap knew from experience that he could put his charms to good use to make sure Ghost didn't have to leave their nest for at least a full day before that happened.
Soap brought Ghost right over to their nest as soon as they were back in their shared room, giving a light push to his shoulders until Ghost gave in and sat down at the edge of the mattress. Ghost didn't bother protesting, knowing full well that he wouldn't be allowed up until he'd been thoroughly scented and re-introduced to their nest. The base notes of his scent had faded during the time he'd been away, and Soap needed to make sure that it permeated the entire room—preferably the entire barracks—before allowing him to get up again.
Ghost pulled the balaclava off first, his tired, blood-shot eyes still lined with eye black. Poor pup probably hadn't had a good nights sleep in days. Even at home, in the safety of their nest, he struggled with sleeping much of the time, something that was made so much worse when he was out on an operation. It was why Soap always protested so loudly whenever he was sent away alone, how could he make sure that he was safe and sound when he was on the opposite part of the continent? But now he was back, and Soap would make sure he didn’t leave their nest until he got some proper sleep.
Next came the rest of his gear, Soap helping him out of piece after piece. Once he was in nothing but an undershirt and his cargo pants, his tail finally freed from its velcro prison, Soap couldn't help but nuzzle eagerly against his chest. He'd missed him. Didn't know what he'd done if he hadn't come back in one piece. He wanted to stay by Ghost’s side forever and ever and ever.
An arm wrapped around his back, holding Soap close.
"Any injuries?" Soap asked.
Ghost shook his head, something Soap knew from experience he'd do regardless whether he was hurt or not. There was only one way for Soap to find out the truth.
"Take the rest off too," Soap requested, tugging at the hem of his shirt. Ghost sighed, but complied, Soap standing by as Ghost kept undressing until he was finally naked in their nest, just like he should be.
Soap looked him over closely. There were a few bruises, some scrapes here and there, but for the most part, he appeared unharmed. Nothing deep enough to join his impressive collection of scars.
"Stop worrying so much," Ghost said, reaching out to grab his wrist, giving a light tug. "Get over here."
Soap allowed himself to be dragged back into the nest. It felt much warmer already, now that Ghost was back where he belonged. Wrapped up in their favorite wool blanket as they hid away from the world together.
It was impossible not to notice how tangled Ghost’s tail was as it entwined with Soap's own. Soap would have to give it a proper brushing, once they'd both settled a bit.
But that'd have to wait for a little bit longer. For now, Soap needed to curl up on Ghost's chest and remind both of them that they were both alive and well.