echo203

[echo203]

Target practice

I felt blades of gras tickling my ankles as I directed the nozzle of my rifle in the desired direction down the range.

It was busy today but not too busy to be bothersome and my friend and I hadn't intended on staying more than an hour anyways.

Off to my right side three soliders were having a chat and as I looked over one of the caught met my eyes. Looking down the range at my target he scoffed and faced at me with a smirk full of doubt in my abilities.

My eyes roll into line with my scope.

I take a breath, release it.

I clear my mind.

I take the shot.

It hits.

I slide the bolt back to release the shell of the round I had just fired.

As I sit up into a kneeling position I high-five my friend. My eyes lazily slide over to the boys, my face remaining impassive but my eyes twinkling with quiet confidence.

[echo203]

it's a bit grainy today...

Ghost is stuck in his own head so he goes to Price for guidance and the old man gives him a little task.

Ghost was dragging his feet down the corridor, walking slightly slumped over and keeping his eyes firmly rooted on the cracks between the tiles on the floor. Hands stufffed into the pockets of his hoodie and hood drawn over his head he barely noticed the people walking by, the otherwise thoroughly observant man so lost in his own head he almost missed his destination.

The whole day he had found himself spiraling into thoughts that had snuck out of the dark corners in his mind to perster him and gnaw at his focus. Stubborn as he was he had planned on dealing with it himself and distracting himself as much as possible. He spend an extra hour at the gym, did excess paperwork for two and even trained a second course of rookies.

But when he'd missed his tragets center for the third time at the shooting range he'd called it quits and decided to look for the one man he could depend on during times like these.

His boots came to a halt in front of the office door labeled 'Price' and after a curt knock he was told to come in. Price was sitting on the small sofa next to his desk scribbling something into a little notebook with a cup of coffe sitting on a nearby table. The smell of coffee reached Simons nose and he was momentarily distracted from his original plan.

Looking up, Price smiled warmly, the crows feet around his eyes becomming visible. "Simon" he greeted and upon noticing Simon's lack of functional clothing questioned "are you done for the day?"

A quiet sigh and mumbled "You could say tha' "

The older man regarded him for a moment and after noticing the tension in Simon's shoulders and the way he held himself started to get an idea of what he was working with. Putting his notebook to the side Price got up and walked over to the desk. He pulled out the desk chair and motioned for Simon to take a seat. Simon hesitated so he gave a simple command.

"Sit."

Reluctantly his Lieutenant moved forward and slumped into the chair. Simon regarded Price as he moved to a cupboard and rifled through it for a bit. He briefly entertained the thought of regretting his actions but was interrupted by Price coming back over to the desk, a small cup in hand.

Ghost watched as Price took off the watch on his wrist and set it in front of Simon onto the desk so that it was facing him. Price then proceded to dump the contents of the cup onto the wooden surface. Simon stared at the puddle (half a mountain really) of rice grains accumulated in front of the watch face. He lifted his head and met Prices eyes with a questioning look.

Crows feet stared back, amusingly. " For every second that ticks by you pick up a grain and put it back into the cup." Price moved a finger from the watch to the rice and then towrads the cup. "If you miss a second or a grain you empty the cup and start over."

Regret might have been a better option.

Price gave the signal to start and Simon was off, depositing a grain a second into the cup. After half a minute the thoughts crept back in and he struggled to grab a grain as his focus slipped and so did the grain from his fingers. He looked to Price expecting a dissaproving look but instead the old man was sipping his coffee and scibbling into his notepad but this time in a chair next to Simon. Without looking up he patiently said "Let's give it another go."

The thoughts kept pestering him twice more before slowly but surely Simon found himself creating a five second rythm that drowned out the repetitive thoughts with repetetive motion. And so minute after minute his head became quieter and with each grain deposited his fingers became steadier.

Soon enough the last grain found its way into the cup and Simon sat back releasing a big breath, feeling his shoulders drop. Price looked up from his paperwork and met Simons eyes. Crows feet regarded him with something akin to pride and a heavy hand came up to clasp the back of Simons neck in a comforting grip.

Simon suddenly had a craving for fried rice.

It was quiet again.

[echo203]

Soap, under 15 fleece blankets after being hypothermic: it wasnae that bad Lt... Ghost, unimpressed: you were one strong gust of wind away from turning into a popsicle. Gaz, from the other side of the couch, without looking up from his book: Didn't know you were cool like that Jhonny.

[echo203]

Tf 141 Apocalypse AU (Part 2)

Synopsis: Soap meets the team at the safehouse

Cw: lots of fluff, h/c, mild blood and injury

Soap stumbled trough the alley as quietly as he could so as not to allert the deer of his presence. He reached the door which was almost overgrown with plants. Feeling along the brickwall with his left hand he located a loose brick which he pulled out and retrieved a key.

After quickly unlocking the door and locking it from the inside he allowed himself a moment to slump against the door. Suddenly he became aware of a faint throbbing in his right arm, probably a strained tendon in his shoulder from vaulting over a construction barrier on the run from angry geese (Those things were stupidly fast).

He located a long but shallow and lightly oozing cut on his left forearm from jumping through a broken window to escape rabid guinneapigs. Not to mention the way his feet ached and every breath he took seemed to exhaust him more and more.

Deciding not to linger at the door Soap made his way down the cluttered and dimly lit hallway to ascend a staircase. As he reached the designated floor he opened the door to a large room filled with crates, tables and most importantly Gaz, Ghost and Price who were seemingly either treating wounds or pacing.

As soon as the door closed behind Soap, Gaz came running up to engulf him in a bear hug. After eagrely accepting the embrace Soap looked up to see Price with a relieved expression on his face.

"We were so worried mate!" Gaz gasped out over his shoulder. He untangled himself and a concerned look overtook his face as Soap winced at the sore tendon in his shoulder. "What, you think ah cannae hold my own out there!" Soap shot back trying to lighten the mood. The others were silent and suddenly Soap realised just how heavy the atmosphere around them was.

Gaz stepped aside as Price came up to Soap and slid a hand from his shoulder to the side of his neck, meeting his eyes. Soap could see the worry and the stress but he could also see the crows feet at Pirces eyes starting to form. Soap released a heavy breath.

He grinned at Price and they began walking over to a cot with a medkit next to it. "Gaz we need to keep enforcing the perimeter, come on." Price ushered him away after giving Soap one last affectionate squeez of the nape.

Soap was left sitting on the cot. He made to grab the medkit but his hands were swatted away by a pair of gloved ones. The only thing he got from Gohst was a gruff "Sit still Johnny." And if that wasn't quite the challenge for Soap. But seeing as he couldn't even muster up the energy to yap about what had happened it may not have been as challenging as expected.

As Ghost wrapped a bandage around his bleeding arm Soap found himself sinking into the thin matress underneath him, completely wrung out from the day he'd had. He barely noticed Simon making sure he didn't face plant into the pillow and settling a blanket on top of him.

As he drifted off he heard a mumbled " 'm gonna find some handcuffs to make sure you never get lost again." And a light kiss was placed on his forehead.

[echo203]

Tf 141 Apocalypse Au (Part 1)

Synopsis: Soap got separated from the team and reunites with them in a safehouse. Fluff and hurt/comfort will ensue in Part 2.

Tw: general apocalytic aesthetic, mutated animals as threat, mild blood and injury

He had been climbing over destroyed roads, overgrown roots and long abadoned cars for hours. Beads of sweat made their way down his brow as Soap ducked around corners and scrambled over torn up asphalt.

As he came by a muddy puddle he made quick use of the moist dirt to cover his neck in hopes to conceal his scent as best as he could. The roads seemed to stretch on forever and between huge buildings that sprouted ivy and greenery from nearly every window, he felt comically small.

His radio crackled in his ear as he attempted to sent a signal to the team for the upteenth time. He'd gotten separated after a particularily nasty run in with three feral wolfs. It had happened at the edge of the forest near a cliff. They had almost reached the city when the wolfes had managed to corner them.

Some years ago a virus had broken out and befallen most of the wildlife in a short period of time. And while the virus had been rather harmless to humans, it had transformed the animals into vicious beasts with red eyes, killing anything in their path and foaming at the mouth. Pets quickly became one of the biggest causes of death. (If you were to ask Price, Chiwauaus were a threat to humanity long before the virus anyways)

Hoping to restock on amunition, their firearms had not been any help and while the team managed to escape, Soap had slipped and tumbled onto a ledge under the cliff. After gaining his bearing and discovering that he had, indeen, not broken his neck he had found a path and promised the team to meet them at the safehouse.

Now as he made his was through the overgrown city he noticed that it was suspiciously quiet. He also noticed just how close he was to the safehouse. Soap just had to cross the main road and make it into an alley, the mouth of which was convieniently covered by huge dumpsters.

Over his panting he heard something rustle to his right. Quickly ducking behind a car he saw a group of deer trudging onto the road. Their antlers were horribly deformed and reminded Soap of something from the eldritch horror genre. Having looted a couple of stores down the road he was glad that he had a couple bullets to spare, should the situation get out of hand.

He stayed crouched behind the cars and watched the deer stalk around the dumpsters with hectic movements, having lost all their graceful locomotion to the virus. Bright red eyes stared in his direction and Soap held his breath as his finders slid to the safety of his gun.

He seemed to be in luck though because the deer sniffed around the dumpsters and dissapeared down the road into another alley.

Soap bolted for the safehouse.

[echo203]

Tf 141 stationed in a flowery meadow on a hill Ghost: What do you call a flower that runs on electricity? Soap: Dunno Lt, what do ye call it? Ghost: A power plant. gaz, over comms: Price they're doing it again. Price: *long, weary sigh*

[echo203]

Interviewer: How would you describe Soap? Kyle: Soft of heart and strong of character Ghost: If patience was a soup he's eating it with a fork Price: I mean he is a demolitions expert for a reason...

[echo203]

Hc that Gaz has a very specific comedown after a mission and the team has learned how to anticipate and deal with it.

It happened the same way after every mission. It was practically like clockwork. And this time was no different.

Gaz and Soap were seated in the helo opposite Ghost and Price. They had been flying for the better part of two hours and were set to arrive back to base soon. Despite being close to home the team was utterly exhausted though. After handling a cell of hostiles in a densly grown forest the guys had more than a few branches and leaves sticking out of places they were not supposed to be in.

Ghost and Soap got off with a few scrapes and bruises, thanks to Price covering their backs, which would be patched up quickly by medical. Gaz however had been seperated from the team and had to fight his way through enemy territory to find his way back to them.

And eventhough he hadn't gotten hurt significantly worse than his teammates the adrenalin high was sure to leave an aftermath. The shakes hadn't set in yet but knowing how his body opperated in these situations the second he felt a slight moment of safety he'd drop like a stone.

Soap slid a granola bar into his hand making Gaz snap out of the blank stare that he had fallen into. "For later, might make it easier" the scot muttered, his hand moving down to comfortingly grip Kyle's thigh, thumb giving light strokes.

They knew what Soap had been talking about. So as the team got checked out by medical after arriving, Gaz found himself sitting behind a medical curtain with the nurse giving him his perscribed pain meds and telling him to go rest.

That's when he felt it.

His vision started to blur slightly. His hands suddenly felt clammy and grew cold. He almost dropped his medication because his limbs started shaking and he could feel a headache coming on.

But he knew this. Had gotten through it many times before.

He grit his teeth and gathered his things, determined to at least make it to his room. As he stumbled down the hallway he caught a hand out of the corner of his eye. Before he could register what was happening that hand was taking the things he was carrying and someone on his other side draped a blanket across his shoulders.

Ghost carried his things into Price's room and Price guided him with a strong arm around his shoulders. He was sat on the bed as Soap removed his shoes and handed him some juice. "Need that blood sugar up right now."

The others hadn't needed as much time in medial and had evidently gotten changed and ready for the evening. Before Kyle knew it so was he. Price sat down next to him and took his unoccupied hand, while grasping his neck with the other. "You did well out there today Kyle, you made it back to us." As the Captain praised him Kyle started to feel a flickker of warmth inside of him.

Sipping the last drops of his juice and listening to Johnny and Simon bicker about what to get from the mess he let his head drop to Price's shoulder and closed his eyes as his fingertips warmed back up and the shaking subsided.

(Yes, he woke up the next morning squished between warm bodies and feeling like he was on fire but well rested nontheless)

[echo203]

Soap: Lt, is a moving portal just regular transportation? Ghost: *sighs and turns to shout over his shoulder* Gaz? Did you put weed into the christmas cookies again? Price: *coming into the room* again?

[echo203]

tf 141 coming back from a mission in siberia and Soap struggles to warm up properly for a while afterwars.

The second the helo touched down the team was out of their seats and on the move. After almost a week of constantly wading through snow or finding shelter againnst ice cold winds the soliders had had enough.

Frigid hands pried their gear off and equally frozen toes stumbled towars the showers in hopes to get their skin a few degrees above "prime popsicle temperatures" as Johnny had dubbed it.

Gaz and Soap had been bitching about the temperature even before the team had departed, had locked in and gotten the mission done while they were in the field but after getting back to base Gaz was right back to complaining.

"Can't believe they let us wait almost twelve hours for exfil." He yapped while getting into the showers and setting down his towel and change of clothes. "Damn near sacrificed my toes." He shivered. Price's hand came up to affectionately grasp his neck. "Well cover it in the debrief."

Ghost had set his clothes down next to the pair and looked over to Soap who had been awfully quiet since they had touched down. Normally the Sergeant would be right beside Gaz yapping away but he wasn't. Deciding not to make it a big deal Ghost got into the shower and let the blissfully warm water cascade down his back.

Debrief went over quick seeing as everyone was more than eager to get to the mess, have a warm meal and crash into bed for their well deserved rest and recovery days.

Over the next couple of days Ghost noticed Soaps odd behaviour more and more. How he would make his coffee so hot it was almost scalding. How the Sergeant who was usually seen in either a t-shirt or similar states of undress now always appeared around base with a jacket or some sort of hoodie.

Ghost decided to adress it when he came across Johnny in the halls one evening. Ghost had been wandering back to his room when he saw the man exit a storage closet with his arms full of extra blankets.

"Too much space in your bed Johnny?"

Soap jumped at the voice and turned to face the Lieutenant. "Aye, Lt. Ya wouldnae mind taking up some of that space, would ye?" He could feel the warmth radiating from the Lieutenant.

Ghost just grunted "What's with the blankets?"

Soap looked almost shy, averting his eyes from the Lt.'s and shuffeling his feet. Ghost almost rolled his eyes and instead took off his gloves and grabbed the man's hand that was clutching the blankets. Pulling aways the thick hoodie, he felt along his forearm just to confirm the frigid temperature that seemed to reach all the way to Johnnys elbow.

Soap was startled at the mans touch but finally accepted his fate and met Ghosts eyes. "Ahm just a bit cold, nothing to worry aboot Gostie."

"So you're tellin' me you've been "just a bit cold" for a week?"

Soap looked guilty and Ghost sighed and took him by the hand. Jhonny felt a weak blush trying to worm it's way up his cheeks as he felt the warmth from Simons hand soak into his own frosty one.

Simon beelined straight to Johnnys room and after discarding the blankets Johnny had brought back from his unsuccessful stealth mission, started stripping. "Ghost what-" Johnny didn't quite know what was happening.

Simon then turned and grabbed the bottom of Johnnys hoodie. Raising his head to meet Johnnys eyes he asked a silent question. Johnny nodded and Simon took off his hoodie. He got him under the covers and slipped in right next to the scot.

"Can't have you stealing all the blankets and burning your tongue with that scalding coffee every morning." Simon grumbled.

And just liked that Johnny ended up plastered to the bare chest of a furnace of a man. He woke up the next morning sweating and maybe he 'accidentally' wore a hoodie with "Riley" printed in bold on the back of it around base that day.

[echo203]

tf 141 discovering Price has a sweet tooth and bribing him once they find his secret stash.

The team knows that John loves his cigars and have long since given up on trying to get him to quit (Bit hypocritical as they also give in to a smoke break here and there).

But what they didn't know was that under Price's stash of cigars in his desk drawer there was a stash of chocolates. Soap discovered it first (becaus of course he did) when he did paperwork in the Captains office and couldn't keep his hands from wandering to the drawers. (He was just looking for a better pen...)

Price's office was pretty much a second rec room for the guys with Simon taking naps on the couch in the corner whenever he wanted some alone time and Gaz and Johnny either yapping to Price about something or doing their work there when they didn't want to be disturbed.

So when Johnny found the stash of chocolates he immediatly reported his suspicion to Gaz who admitted that on more than one occasion he had seen Price sneak a second pudding from the mess hall and liked his cuppa with a little too much sugar in it.

And so the shenanigans began.

Gaz and Soap were sitting oppsite Price who as reclined at his desk. "You did well last week training the rookies, the reports came back clean." Price rumbled "I need you both on inventory today. Once you're done with that you fill in for Sergeant Miller with the rookies because he got sick."

Gaz and Soap shared a look after which Soap produced a bar of chocolate and slid it over Price's desk towards the man. Meeting his eyes with an utterly innocent look (the menace) he said "I think Sergeant Smith mentioned he was free this afternoon."

Now that was just the beginning. The old man doesn't want to head to the gym with the team because of 'too much paperwork'? Sweet treat privileges revoked!

Johnny can't finish his report on time because something came up (Ghost keep those grubby hands to yerself) but maybe after this bag of caramel filled bon bons he will get one more day?

And Simon? Simon is one hundred percent in on it too but he's sneaky about it and doesn't let it show.

Price comes to his office to ask for paperwork. "I swear those muppets are going to be the death of me." he grumbles. "It's like they don't even respect me anymore." As he goes to grab the paperwork Simon sets a bag of sweets onto it and without even looking up he goes: "noticed your stash was empty also I need twenty more minutes."

He gets another hour.

[echo203]

Ghost and Johnny sparring after a mission until Ghost becomes Simon again and Johnny has his boyfie back.

Ghost is on his way to his quarters freshly released from medical. He just came back from a three-day mission that was rather strenuous and wants nothing more than to have a cuppa and crash into his bed.

It's late and as he walks down the hallway the soliders he encounters are few and far between. He's lugging his gear with him, legs on autopilot and muscles aching with the strain of the better half of three days on his feet.

As he rounds a corner his vision suddenly fills with the unmistakeble strands of the Warhawk that is Soap.

"Lt! Thought I missed ya out on the helipad!"

The sergeant welcomes him with his usual enthusiasm and a bump to the shoulder. As Ghost gives him a quick once over he notices a gym bag slung over the others shoulder.

"Shouldn't you be in your room Sergeant?"

He doesn't mean to come of cold or distant but his deprived rescources don't allow for much more at the moment.

"Aye, sir but I cannae sleep so I thought I'd go to the gym. We could go for a round on the mats if yer up for it."

Looking into the Lt's eyes Johnny can clearly see the exhaustion and weariness weighing on Ghosts shoulders. Knows that if he doesn't get him out of his head there will be nightmares. (and maybe he had been planning on catching Ghost in the hall and not on the helipad to begin with)

And so before Ghost knows it he's being dragged to the Gym, gear deposited in his room and quickly changed into work out clothes.

They go round after round, with Ghost still running off of excess adrenalin he manages to pin Johnny to the mat the first few rounds but soon his thighs start to tremble and his guard starts to drop, letting Johnny get more hits in.

And with every sidestep and every swing and push and (halfhearted) kick he falls further into the routine that is Johnny and Simon and not Soap and Ghost. It feels like a casual spar and not like a mission comedown.

Soon Simon has completely depletet his leftover energy and ends up pinned to the mat with Johnny on top of him restraining his hips and shoulders. As Johnny meets eyes with him he can almost make out the moment where the last dregs of Ghost fall away and all thats left is an utterly exhaused Simon Riley. Johnny lets his hand that was previously pushing against Simons shoulder slide up to his cheek, thumb giving light, soft strokes.

"There ye are" He whispers with a content smile. And Simon has to fight not to let his eyes flutter shut but he does release a big breath of relief.

He helps Simon to his feet and they make their way back to the barraks. And if Simon falls into a bed that smeels distinctly like his favourite scot then that's nobodys business.

[echo203]

Hc Soap in the field being strictly professional, at least when he's doing missions without Ghost. (Those two together could never be fully serious) But after the mission being super tactile.

Soap executes his orders quickly and neatly. Gets from point A to point B without trouble and if he does run into hostiles he makes quick work of them.

When he's with the team he's more talkative but stays locked in and focused. He finds solutions and has no problem taking over directing his teamates.

But he stays rather cold and other than a brush of shoulders there is not much else to expect from him when he's in his zone and coordinating his next move.

But then once the party is over, everyone has made it to exfil and the chopper is on it's way back to base the man is glued to Ghosts side or just straight up in his lap. Because then it's not Soap anymore but Johnny. Tired, hungry possibly grumpy Johnny.

It doesn't always have to be Ghost either. Gaz will inevitably become a human teddy bear or Price's shoulder is utilized as a make-shift pillow.

A jaw is nuzzled, and ellbow hugged close and every now and then when the mission was particularily rough there may or may not be some kisses and smooches of relief.

They don't mind in fact they enjoy Johnny initiating the contact.

And if they have to drag a cuddle sleepy Johnny to medical (he's awake enough to bitch about it) they don't complain about that either