Chapter Text
His senses were on fire
Everything too much
Something keeping him down
Trying and trying again to get up
White hot pain
Flashes of something, fading as quickly as it came
Violent noises surrounding him
Darkness enveloping, dragging deeper and deeper
Wanting to scream, voice not obeying
Something ripping into flesh, leaving oozing red in its wake
Skin on fire
Desperately trying to wipe it away, his motions only spread more and more everywhere
Making him sink deeper
Drowning
Never able to escape
Clawing at nothing, nowhere to hold onto
Struggling to no avail
´….some-o-ne…´
Dizzy
Lungs burning
´….Plea.s..´
----------------------------------------------------
“Ghost !” a voice, barely breaking through the dark.
He startled awake, eyes wide, clawing his hand into whatever it was laying on. Adrenalin rushing through his veins, ears feeling deaf. Body frozen in place. Trying to figure out where he was, what was going on.
A quiet sound of pain was heard from above. Ghost remembered, a mission, in the middle of fucking nowhere, tired and with less blood than when the mission started. He must have fallen into the bittersweet caress of sleep before he realized, exhaustion making it easy to just close his eyes with little resistance. But the damn nightmares again.
Worst time.
Not here.
Not right now.
Not in front of…
“Hey, Lt, could ya relax ya hand a wee bit? Feels like ya gonna rip me leg off” a hushed voice came from above him.
With that Ghost forced his hand to relax, for some reason, it was planted firmly on Soaps thigh. The even bigger mystery was how his head ended up on the lap of his Sergeant.
Did he move in his sleep? Trying to hold onto something, anything?
Or was it Soap, trying to comfort him and pulling him close.
Brain working through the fog of sleep and fading adrenalin, he only now felt the hand drawing soothing circles on his upper back. Closing his eyes again, feeling stupidly safe with the others warmth surrounding him.
Taking a deep breath to try and steady his still racing heart, the smell of blood and stale grime from the dingy hideout they hunkered down in lingering in the air.
Ghost sat up with a stifled groan, facing away from Soap. Looked down on himself, his tactical vest was off, the shirt stained with blood where a bullet just barely missed any mayor organs or arteries. ´Bloody rookie mistake´ he thought to himself. With how little sleep he got recently it was no wonder he didn’t hear the enemy sneaking up on him, all he knows is Soap yelling something his way, barely able to whip around to see a gun aimed straight at him. Ducking out of line of fire the best he could, he shot the aggressor square in the head. To his distrain he only noticed a moment later the searing pain and blood seeping through his clothes.
Letting out a sigh and rearranging his mask, he could feel eyes digging into his back. An awkward silence in the air between the two.
Clearing his throat, Soap started “So…how’s the wound doing Lt ?” slightly shuffling around were he sat on the dirty floor.
After a beat of silence, Ghost quietly answered “S’ fine”.
´How long was he asleep for?´ looking into the darkness surrounding them.
Awkwardness settling heavy again.
“Can’t believe even the feared Ghost is haunted by some Ghost’s.” the Sergeant said with a faked laugh, trying to lighten the Mood.
No answer.
“I mean, hey happens to the best of us, wasn’t trying to make fun of ye Lt. Makes me think, whatever keeps ye up at night must be some fuck’n scary shite. Can’t imagine what ye have seen and been through and…”
“Soap.” the man in question stopping his rambling.
“Yes sir?”
“Not a word more about this.” Ghost grumbled out; voice still raw from sleep.
“Yes sir.” Soap answered, finally looking away and towards the broken window, signs of sunlight barely seeping through the heavy greenery outside.
“Settle down and get some rest Sergeant.” The taller man said while shuffling to sit against the nearest Wall, leaning back with another sigh, the blood making his shirt cling uncomfortably against the skin.
Soap starts to move, not to lay down but onto his knees leaning towards his Lieutenant. “Let me take a look if the Bandages need changing first.”
“Can do that myself.” He brushed him off. “Go to sleep.” After how he woke up, he wasn’t too keen on having the other close to him for more than is needed, least he may be tempted to lay against his Sergeant’s side again, having felt safe, someone to cling to, while his mind is drowning him.
“Lt we both know that wound is in a bit of an awkward spot for you to reach and I will sleep way more sound knowing yer taking care of.” Trying not to dwell on the message behind those words, Ghost shrugged in defeat. Not moving as Soap got closer and started to drag the blood-stained shirt out of the way.
They sat quietly as Soap worked. Warm hands against the cold air, soothing over broken skin, careful not to aggravate it more. Such tenderness from someone that could easily kill with bare hands.
Letting out a breath that sounded too much like a sigh, Ghost clenched his Jaw. Screwing his eyes shut to not stare at those damn hands.
´Get it together Riley!´ He scolded himself.
´So what if he’s being all nice and taking care of you? So what if he tries to comfort you during a nightmare? So what that he makes you happy and make you smile for no reason? Stop acting like a teenager having their first crush, you’re a killer, a machine. You’re supposed to function, not feel !´
´But I am failing at functioning. ´
While fighting with himself Ghost opened his eyes again, drawn to the face in front of him. Soaps eyebrows were slightly knitted in concentration, teeth biting into his lower lip while he finished applying the new bandage, specs of dirt still lingering on his face. Without any thought Ghost raised his hand, wiping away the offending grime, lingering for just a moment too long. The shorter mans eyes snapped up at the action. Both just staring at each other for a moment.
“ Uh- so uhm this the best I can do for ye I s’pose.” the shorter man mumbled, breaking eye contact before scratching the back of his neck with a awkward laugh. In the darkness of the room the slight blush creeping into his face is barely noticeable, Soap hoped at least.
Moving back to where he was sitting a moment ago the Sergeant spoke again “Time for me to catch a bit o’ shut eye.”, Laying down on the dusty ground, he let out a quiet breath he didn’t know he was holding.
“Rest Johnny, I’ll keep watch.” It came out with a softness that felt foreign to Ghost. Grabbing his Gun, he sat up straight against the cold stone, checking the Room over out of habit, keeping his Eyes occupied and away from the laying form next to him.
With a smile hidden from Ghost, Soap let out a “Aye, Thanks Ghost”, it was barely above a whisper but still audibly in the quiet room, the warmth from the smile bleeding into his voice.
Shutting his eyes, he heard a answering grunt from his Lieutenant.