#advanced snowboarding

[techdriveplay]

Achieving Zen in Snowboarding

In the world of winter sports, snowboarding stands out as a vibrant blend of adrenaline, freedom, and creativity. Yet, beyond the exhilarating jumps and sharp turns lies a deeper, more introspective layer to this beloved sport: achieving Zen in snowboarding. This concept transcends the physical aspects of snowboarding, inviting riders into a state of profound mindfulness and connection with the…

[shawnboday]

Gear Up for Success: Essential Equipment for Advanced Snowboarding

Snowboarding is an exhilarating sport that combines skill, technique, and a touch of adventure. As you progress from a beginner to an advanced snowboarder, having the right gear becomes crucial to ensure optimal performance and safety on the slopes. In this blog post, we’ll explore the essential equipment for advanced snowboarding that will help you gear up for success. Snowboard: As an advanced…

[earlgreylatte]

When You’re Small

Where you run into the Teen Team. Mark continues to be annoying.

You’re seventeen. It’s been a year since you swapped out your white and mint green suit for black, and your ‘silly’ goggles, that resembled a snowboarders more than a hero’s, for a equally dark gas mask.

…You look a bit spooky.

(Art watches you take in your new outfit, “A bit…dark, don’t you think? Especially with the red lenses. Be careful, or you might be confused for a villain, kid,” He comments.

“I’d rather not be seen to begin with, and it’s cool. I look like the Courier from Fallout,” you reply, taking off the mask. “And good job, I can actually smell less for once.”

Your father found it a bit amusing that your nose was particularly sensitive. It was honestly overkill when paired with your advanced hearing.

“Fallout?”

“You’d love it, Art, not much fishing though, but there is crafting.”

“If you say so, kid.”)

You’ve started to work late into the night, so the black suits you just fine.

Cecil is reliable, you think, and even nice, sometimes.

He doesn’t toss you out to fight dragons and powered terrorists, instead having you deal with crime where you actually feel like you’re making a difference. Beating down scum that hurt women, children, and animals left you satisfied. You were confident that this work was good. And not just because they couldn’t fight back and use your own strength against you.

(Sometimes you want to stop holding back against them. To kill them. They’d deserve it. You don’t. Instead you beat them within an inch of their life. Just an inch.)

You know that he knows. That you ended a civilian’s life with your carelessness. He doesn’t comment on it. You don’t even know if they were able to ID the remains, you’re too scared to ask.

Your dad gives backhanded remarks on how you’re wasting your time. You’d reply that by his logic, every hero is wasting their time. He only grunts in annoyance when your mom shoots him a look.

You think he’s just acting all sulky because your costume no longer resembles his.

Despite the petty arguments, you continue to live your life day by day.

You meet your superpowered…peers after school, when you’re outside of costume. You had just been at comic book store, picking up the newest issue of ‘Seance Dog’ when you heard a crash from outside, followed by screams and cries. Peaking out, you immediately notice a snake like beast terrorize the streets.

You don’t really want to do this, but you’re not a big enough piece of shit to just walk away.

You duck out of the shop, pulling your costume from your bag, zooming to a nearby alleyway to change.

Flying out and feeling slightly uncomfortable having to wear your outfit in day hours, you zero in on the snake, its mouth open and elongated to a horrifying degree.

Huffing, you dive down fist first, hitting its centre, diverting its attention to you rather than the escaping civilians.

“I…really don’t have any quips prepared for snakes,” you note, dodging the beast’s tail, before grabbing it, lifting the snake into the air.

Rearing its head around, the snake bares its fangs at you, hissing.

“That’s not going to do anything,” you reply.

You’re quickly proven wrong when a second smaller, but still freakishly large snake exits its mouth as a projectile, causing you to drop it in surprise as you swerve out of the way.

“Oh, what the fuck,” you breathe out.

Sighing, you press a hand to your temple as you realize you now have to deal with two snakes hellbent on destroying the city.

Before you can act, a pink figure and a flying car whiz past you, small explosions distracting the snakes as pink energy pulses and duplicates fill your vision.

You know them. Kind of. Mark follows them on instagram.

Huffing, you swoop down grabbing the larger snake once again by the tail before tossing it high in the sky, flying after it, quickly contorting the snake’s body into a knot as you descend, finally placing it against the shattered road. Watching it writhe uselessly, you feel a bit guilty.

Turning around you notice the second snake is also contained, concrete molded to keep it in place. Definitely the work of Atom Eve, you guess.

You’re grateful your face is covered when the four heroes approach you. You want to go home, but it would be a dick move to just fly away.

The android greets you first, extending a metal hand, “Singularity, we have not met before. I am Robot.”

You shake his hand, “…I’ve heard of you all before. You do good work.”

“Oh! You’re Singularity? I didn’t even realize with the new costume!” Atom Eve blurts out. “It looks good! Sleek and serious…”

She’s young. You already knew they would be because of their team name, but she’s Mark’s age. She looks like a kid to you. You wonder if you looked so young. If you still do.

The red and yellow clad hero at her side, Rexsplode you think, scoffs, “You look like an edgelord, is this, like, your emo phase or something?”

Yes, you think.

“Or something,” you respond.

“Well, you look like you stepped out of Bloodborne—ow!” He’s cut off when Atom Eve punches his arm, “What was that for!?”

“You’re just acting pouty because you can’t stare at her ass anymore!”

Even while wearing his goggles, you could tell his eyes were frantically flickering between you and the pink clad hero.

“Wh-what? No way, why would you even suggest something so—“

“Rex, your following list is public, we all know you follow an account dedicated to zooming in on the asses of female heroes.”

“Ahhh, what? I must have accidentally misclicked—-“

Maybe you should pay whoever runs that account a visit.

“I wouldn’t mind them too much,” The black haired girl speaks up.

“Them arguing is pretty common,” an exact copy of her follows up. Dupli-Kate.

“If you say so,” you blankly say. Are you socializing?

“Still your new costume is a pretty drastic change, I don’t think anymore would be able to link you to being…you,” she continues.

“I do more stealth work these days, the white was too attention catching.” You explain. “And having criminals freeze when do they see me is pretty convenient. Darkwing probably gets a kick out of it too.”

“Heh, I certainly wouldn’t want to run into you in a dark alleyway.”

“Singularity,” Robot begins, “I had been waiting for a opportunity to offer—“

Whatever he says is interrupted when you hear the buzzing of your phone from the alleyway you left your stuff in.

“Sorry, I have to go.” You dash into the alley way, grabbing your bag before shooting into the sky.

(“Ohhh, Robot got rejected!” Rex laughs.

“It is a shame, I had simply wanted to offer her a place on the team.”)

“Finally, what took you so long?” Mark asks, eagerly snatching your bag to root through it before triumphantly retrieving his comic.

“Ran into some people I know,” you sigh, sinking into the couch next to your brother, William who sat on his other side wordlessly passes a controller to you.

“You? Talking to people?” Mark stares at you as William chokes on a laugh.

“They needed directions,” you fib.

“That makes more sense,” he nods.

“I don’t want to hear that from someone who only has one friend,” you scowl.

“She’s got a point,” William grins.

“Well, that’s still one more than you! You literally play Street Fighter and Tekken by yourself all the time! Like at least play online or something,” Mark retorts.

“I,” you start, “have friends.”

A beat of silence passes.

“You’re really good at fighting games,” William consoles you.

“Yeah, you’re the best one here,” Mark places a hand on your shoulder.

“Fuck you, guys…”

(The next day at school, after flying you and Mark a block away from school, you arrive at the entrance and enter the too loud hallway.

“I’ll see you after class, mom said we could order something for dinner tonight, but I was thinking we could maybe go to Seoul or—“

Out of the corner of your eye, a flash of orange hair catches your attention for a moment.

“Hey, are you even listening?” Mark asks, irritated.

You shove him into a locker, “No going overseas.”

“Ah, come on!”)

Bonus:

“There you go, just let yourself float,” your dad praises you, hands holding you up as he hovers miles above the ground. “Don’t be nervous, I won’t let you fall.”

You grip his hands, shakily trying to keep yourself up.

“Pretend you’re a cloud,” he offers, slowly releasing his grip on you, watching proudly as you manage to support yourself. “Alright, now you’re getting it!”

“I’m tired, dad,” you complain, grabbing his outstretched hand, letting yourself rely on him to hold you up.

“Okay, okay, we can go home now,” he chuckles, “I guess you’re too tired to get any ice cream now…”

You perk up, “Well, I’m not that tired…”

“Come on, if you can make half the way by yourself, I’ll get you three scoops,” your dad smiles down at you.

You grin at him excitedly before zooming away.

He only raises an eyebrow. “And suddenly she’s flying like a pro…”

Alright, this was mostly some filler, next post is for the other Marks, and then I’ll get into Oliver and Invincible war stuff, I promise!

Masterlist, Series Masterlist

[alanisstonedd]

hooper!connie doing different die jobs on his buzzcut like dennis rodman? yes plz.

cw: cussing, excessive use of hair die?, one mention of sex

an: guyssssss!!! this is for you baddiessss!!1 i will be posting sm more bcs i quit my job! YAY!! love youuuu, kisses 💋

✮ FIRST OFF - hooper!connie DEF does the heart one for VDAYYYY. hes popping out with this at least two weeks before vday, probably with your initials somewhere in the design, and your vday proposal coming shortly after. this nigga had three deep red rose bouquets, a whole light-up sign, champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, and ofc a whole buncha designer presents sitting in the corner. you had him turn around for your pic of the setup so all them hoes could see your initials... iktr girl (vday acrylics that he payed for also make an appearance grabbing the back of his neck)

✮ i lowkey think the keith haring art one is just some shit he wanted to do. nigga js doing whatever. he thought ts was cool ORRR someone designed it for him and fell in love w it

✮ im imagning hooper!con did this one for halloween w his goofy ass. i think the whole head would be cosmo bcs you went as wanda and he wanted to fully match you. coach didnt love this one as much bcsss he play too much so it became an issue (distraction) the whole game lmfao. no but fr its not as subtle - he literally has cosmo on his head, but u know bro DO NOT GAF about the damn scouts or PR issues or nothinggggg. he gon do whatever

✮ he lovessssss doing this abstract shit like its literally his favorite style to do and he feels like it goes with his vibe more. coach loves when he does this too bcs its gets hella kids talking about the game bcs its fire. and ofc con loves being all everyone is gossiping ab bcs hes an attention whore. he feeling himself tooo fucking much with these ones + always gets mad compliments on the artistry. (these look so fine on him w the chain combo when yall hunchin)

✮ he came home with this snowflake mess saying he did it for winter and you fr busted out laughing. it actually ended up growing on you though. the early january ski trip made it out the gc and he looked fine affff snowboarding and stuff with this style. everybody making corny ass jokes calling him "icy" and "cold af" and you love it.

✮ and surprise surprise, BEFORE the snowflakes - a couple weeks before christmas - he popped out with this foolishness talmbout “its for christmas mamiiii, im the grinch look-” and turned around all excited. you laughed and told him you love it bcs atp whats done is done. hes not hurting anyone lol. great ice-breaker, as most of his buzz art is. he always tryna take pics from behind so people see the design & it actually gets annoying

✮ he did this one for your bday bashhh bcs your theme was black and white. he had on a crisp all black tux on with black forces, with you in your bday dress you had planned in advance. he loved this because it complemented you guys soo beautifully. the pics were TOP TEIR u ard knowww

✮ hooper!con lovessss an animal print moment. def gets this when hes feeling experimental and different... you suggested he try an animal print, and he fully made you come to the shop so you could help him design it. he started with the purple zebra, and you did the regular leopard for him after he begged you to help him switch it up one night (he has an addiction). he starts doing this mostly on vacations because he feels like the animal print is "exotic"

✮ this one was a product of yall being fried ASF and giggling about feeling like your veins were coursing with electricity. yall went at like 2am to get some blue die & you did it for him. looked a little chopped bcs you was fried but he liked it & it ended up being so fire. one of the finest looks on him.

✮ simply peeps this on social media and decides he needs it. he liked it but thought it looked kinda stupid from the front and you only gave it like a 5/10, cute but hes done better fr.

✮ this one he LOVED. another random thing he saw on his explore page or fyp. def thought it was more fire than the snake. you also loved this one, simple but so cool. cant tell him shit with this design he think he hard fr.

©  alanisstonedd 2025 — do not steal, plagiarise, or modify my content.

[mindblowingscience]

When hunting for mice in winter, red and Arctic fox are known to plunge headfirst at speeds of 2–4 meters per second, but their sharp noses reduce the impact force in snow and protect them from injury, according to a new Cornell University study. The fundamental research sheds light on the biomechanics of the unique hunting behavior (known as mousing), advances our understanding of animal adaptations and offers insights into snow injuries people experience during snowboarding or skiing. The study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Continue Reading.

[svetamillss]

Headcanons: polyamorous relationship with Thanos (Su Bong) x Reader(f) x Nam Gyu🫦

Warnings: SFW and NSFW

A/N: I apologize in advance if these headcanons turned out to be quite boring.

🫦🫦🫦

SFW

• With you, they forgot about all the other girls. You are the only beautiful and best in the whole world for them and they don't need another one, so you're not very jealous, you can see that they don't care about them.

• Sometimes guys can't share you, so you try to spend as much time together with two as possible, and if you are left alone, then don't kiss hard (the second one is just jealous, so it's better to do everything together)

• You like to wear their clothes, and they like to see you in them. Literally your home clothes and pajamas are their T-shirts, which will not come back to them, and they do not mind.

• You sleep with them in a very strong grip, so don't think you can get up at night to go to the toilet or drink water, they won't let you go (sorry them for that, but they really need you).

• Su Bong and Gyu are very creative, so you will have the most unusual dates, from riding a limousine to trips to the mountains to go snowboarding.

NSFW

• During sex, guys can also kiss and jerk off each other, there is no upper and lower between them, they are both universals. But in normal times they do not kiss or caress each other, only during sex.

• Su Bong is quite quiet, so you rarely hear moans from him, only loud sighs and groars, but Gyu, on the contrary, is ready to tear throat, showing how pleased he is, so he is very loud with you.

• Thanos is a fan of fucking you with his dick, but Nam more like to deliver you oral caresses, giving you a great cunnilingus (well, a real cat, the tongue works well).

• You have sex anywhere, even in your bedroom or shower, or you can in the car or in the club of your Gyu, you basically don't care where, the main thing is to get maximum pleasure from the process.

• The three of you have a little fetish: to record your sex on camera, and then review and make you embarrassed. So let's say, your personal home porn.

🫦🫦🫦

[desiree-uk]

Using NRaas Master Controller's Filters, Skill Stamps and Hot Keys - Part 2

Skill Stamps and Hot Keys

This is part 2 of my NRaas Master Controller tutorial on how I use filters, skill stamps and hot keys! (Tumblr wouldn't let me have my fun and use more than 30 images on one post, so 2 parts it is 🤨)

See also:

Using NRaas Master Controller's Filters, Skill Stamps and Hot Keys - Part 1: Filters

Tutorial under the header!

Mods needed for Filters, Skill Stamps and Hot Keys to show up:

Master Controller v.135

Master Controller Cheats v.134+

(9th Feb 2025 - desiree-uk correction: Additional mods needed for filters and door-locking system (my apologies! 😌) GoHere v.45 Tagger v.5

Skill Stamps:

I use skill stamps to add a whole bunch of skills to a single sim or sims in bulk!

When adding a newly created sim to your town, they may not have any skills yet until you play them, but a skill stamp can quickly add some skills to them as if they were already played for a while.

MC Cheats Interaction: Skill Stamp> Add New Stamp

Allows the user to define a skill set to apply during "Advanced \ Skill Stamp". Once added, selecting one from the listing will allow you to specify the levels for each skill.

I want some sims to be able to have some basic skills such as cooking.

Click on Town Hall/Computer>NRaas>Settings> Skill Stamp

Add New Stamp: name the skill stamp (e.g Basic Skills).

The skill stamp is listed. Click on it and set the cooking level to whatever you want it to be. I have both the regular cooking skill and the hidden child-skill level, just because. I don't know. 😄

I maxed out the child skill to 3 and set the regular skill to 1.

I've set other skill stamps such as ones for artistic sims (painting, photography, writing) and outdoor sims (athletic, waterskiing, gardening, scuba diving, snowboarding, diving, windsurfing)

I also set one for sims who I want to be able to drive! We now have the 'Sims Need Driving Lessons' mod by the awesome Phoebejaysims! All sims (except NPCS) can't drive until they've reached the maximum level of the driving skill.

Of course you'd want some sims to be able to drive in an already established town, right?

I want my adults and elders to at least have the driving skill, even if some don't have a car yet.

Set a skill stamp for driving:

Click on Town Hall/Computer>NRaas>Settings>Skill Stamp

Name the skill to something driving related, e.g Sims With Driving Licence.

Click on the 'Driving' skill.

Max it out to 3.

Adding skill stamps to a sim with no skills:

Click on a single sim: NRaas>MC>Advanced>Skill Stamp

You see the list of my skill stamps. When I click on each one, all the skills under the stamps will be added to the sim all at once (you'll see the notices that appear in the top right hand corner pop up notifying you the sims have the skills.)

Check their skill panel to see all their added skills. The driving skill is hidden, so it won't show on the panel, but you can check the sim has it by checking their skill levels in Sim>MC>Advanced>Skill Level. It should show 'Driving: 3'

To add the skill stamp to multiple adults and elders, I'll use the filter I made earlier in Part 1.

Click on Town Hall/Computer>Sim>Advanced>Skill Stamp

The filter 'AGE: Adults/Elders' is listed.

Click on it to see a list of all the adult and elder sims.

From the list you can select some of the sims who you want to be able to drive or scroll to the top and click 'All'.

The Skill Stamp list will pop up - choose the 'Sims with driving licence' skill stamp. The skill stamp will be applied. As stated before, you won't see the hidden skill in the sims panel, but they'll be able to drive. You can of course check their skill level via MC>Sims>Advanced>Skill Level.

While you're at it, you can edit some of the selected sims driving skill levels according to whether you want them to do a driving test, theory test or have their skill maxed out so they can drive straightaway when you give them a car...

PJsims mod interactions notes:

If they are level -1 or 0, sims can first do their theory test which will increase driving skill to level 1.

Once they are level 2 in driving, they can do their driving test which, if passed, will automatically max out their driving skill.

Now you can make and add as many skill stamps to any single sim or multiple sims in a filter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hot Keys:

MC Interaction: Hot Keys

Allows the user to specify which interactions are to be shown directly under the "NRaas" menu

You can add any MC interaction to the uppermost level of the NRaas menu when you click on a sim, household or terrain as short-cuts, especially your most often-used interactions.

I added the 'skill stamp' and other interactions as hot keys so I can easily edit a sim when I click on one.

Click on Town Hall/Computer>Settings>Hot Keys

I added:

* Change Autonomy

* Reset Sim

* Skill Level

* Skill Stamp

Make sure 'True' is next to the interactions you want to see in the NRaas menu:

Click on a sim or the terrain and you'll hopefully see all your created hot keys.

See my screenshot - all 4 are there!

With the skill interactions you can quickly and easily set a sims skill level or add a skill stamp to them when you click on the sim in less clicks than clicking on multiple dialog boxes.

The other two are self explanatory, turn on/off a sim's autonomy and reset a sim.

Note: The more hot keys you add, the slower the pie menu will take to pop up, so keep that in mind.

If you still don't want to click so many times in the menu to find your interactions, you can use Arro's UI Tweaks mod (currently in testing, soon to be released - it's an excellent mod, I highly recommend it! 👍🏾) You can search the menu by clicking on the magnifying glass icon on the menu or press the 'F' key and type the interaction you want, using a full or partial word!

That's it! That's how I use filters, skill stamps and hotkeys. It will become second nature the more you use them and they can be as easy or as complex as you want them.

If you use them already, how do you set them up and in what scenarios? Share in the comments or let me know if I can add or explain anything! :)

Click for part 1:

Using NRaas Master Controller's Filters, Skill Stamps and Hot Keys - Part 1: Filters

[milessunflowers]

okay this might be long/overly detailed so apologies in advance BUT! yuki with childhood best friend!reader. now reader has ALWAYS liked yuki, and its only gotten worse as he got into f1 and started performing as well as he does but they assume yuki doesn't see them that way. yuki, meanwhile, is rlly protective of reader and isnt sure why until pierre takes matters into his own hands and flirts with reader and all of a sudden yuki is like. "fuck".

umm yeh. happy, get togethery ending wud be nice :P

-bear <3

YES BEAR OMG I LOVE THIS

yuki tsunoda x childhood best friend!male!reader

synopsis: you two grew up together, spending every minute of free time together. you raced each other in karting but you decided to choose mechanics rather than racing. still, you two were close. it isn't until pierre flirts with you that yuki realizes just how down bad he is.

author's note: more yuki content bc i love him so so much and thank you bear for the amazing request!!! i got carried away and now this is super long so i hope you guys like it! as always, feel free to request!

you've known yuki for as long as you can remember

you used to go to the karting track and race each other

you won a handful of times but yuki was just better at it

you didn't care though because you were having fun with him

after a while, you stopped karting but continued to go to the tracks to support him

you guys always went everywhere together

if your family went on vacation, yuki was there

if the tsunodas went on vacation, you were there

if one was absent from school, your teachers would ask where the other was

skip forward to when yuki moves to europe to join the early formula series

you moved with him but in persuit of a mechanics degree

you guys still were incredibly close

you guys lived together and spent as much time as you guys could together

you visited some of his races when you weren't studying for tests

by the time he joins alpha tauri, you had gotten your degree

you were working small jobs here and there until you got a job also with alpha tauri

meaning everyone had to deal with your guys obnoxious, lovesick, acts

especially pierre

he loves you guys but you're so annoying about it

its like you guys can't even tell you love each other

(news flash: you couldn't)

the first year yuki and pierre were teammates, pierre didn't really mind it all that much

in fact, he thought it was adorable

like if you were working on yuki's car and yuki was chatting it away with you

or when yuki got out of the car after a race and pierre catches you staring open mouthed at him

or when you guys post pictures together during the breaks

or when- well you get my point

anything you guys did, he found it precious

however, you did confide in pierre about your feelings towards yuki

so you two devised a plan

the second season of him and yuki being teammates rolls around and you two still aren't together he takes things into his own hands

you guys going to hang out at a cafe? pierre is coming with and flirting with you

yuki wants to go snowboarding? pierre already made plans with you

you go along with pierre because you trust your friend

yuki obviously grows annoyed that pierre is taking up all your time

he at first brushes it off but then he slowly realizes that he is incredibly jealous

it takes him a few weeks to realize

then he's all too aware

hes like "fucking hell"

from then he tries to keep all your attention

you and pierre joke about it after yuki is gone

slowly pierre backs off (all part of the plan)

yuki is incredibly happy about that

and he isn't even trying to hide it

he takes you out more and more

you guys slowly start to merge closets and rooms

then finally, you ask him to be your boyfriend

at the same time, he was asking you to be his boyfriend

that night, you both update pierre about it

hes probably more excited than you guys

hes like "finally i don't gotta deal with your pining"

you guys then announce it to the public because you couldn't contain it anymore

the team... isn't surprised at all

just like pierre, they are probably happier than you are

the fans are delighted

meaning a crap ton of edits

they love the mechanic x driver dynamic even more

of course there is hate but you two could care less

you were too busy having fun to care what anyone else thought

TAGS! (if you want to be added, lmk!)

@op-81-lvr-reblogs, @koalapastries, @justaf1girl, @ghostking4m, @spoonfulofmilo, @seonghwaexile

[ateez-himari]

[241223] WINTER TIME

[NEW UPLOAD FROM MIN.HIMEEE]

♫ V, Park Hyo Shin • Winter Ahead (with PARK HYO SHIN)

Liked by _jeongjaehyun and 973,201 others

min.himeee It's Cold ❄️

View all 237,935 comments

donatella_versace Is there anything that our little princess can't do ? I hope you enjoy the holidays beautiful, your gift is on its way 💛

_zyozyo look at this excited tiger in the snow 🥹 all i can see is tiny paws instead of hands...the tiger agenda is too strong

sound_of_coups so we're gonna act like that third pic wasn't taken after you fell flat on your face bc the course was too advanced for you-

↳ min.himeee So we're gonna act like that hill doesn't have every detail of your face imprinted into it because you tripped over the ghost of a rock-

↳ min9yu_k so we're gonna act like you guys didn't crash into the very trees that jungkook and i warned you about-

himarry.me Literally the hottest university student...you're telling me she's not only a science student, she's a music producer AND she snowboards ?

↳ sansatori she's literally the girl that only exists in fanfics 🫠 if she was on campus we would run into each other every day bc we have the same classes...I need to see university Hima so bad you don't understand

23 December 2024 • See Original

[mythicalmisery]

Olympic Hockey AU: GhostxSoap

AO3

Ghost glared at the end of the table from which the obnoxious laughter was emanating. It had been a long week and a half; battling jet lag and enduring the light, but rigid, training schedule imposed on him and his team. The company was just the cherry on top. 

There, resting his foot on the bench at the end of the table was one John “Soap” MacTavish - the pain in Ghost’s ass for the past four years. 

Ghost and Soap had what would be considered a rivalry on a good day. On the bad days, it was a miracle they hadn’t killed each other yet. Their so-called feud wasn’t exactly a secret either, judging by the swarm of press and the number of articles published about them playing on the same team this Olympics. 

Ghost, a formidable center, and the Scot, a relentless defenseman, had clashed repeatedly during their careers. Ghost had lost count of how many times they’d dropped gloves over the years, their altercations often leading to multiple trips to the penalty box and a scolding from their coaches like the children they were. 

Ghost wouldn’t deny it, he acted without any sense when it came to the shorter man. One look at that stupid fucking mohawk and he was seconds away from putting his face through the ice. And to make things better, the other man knew it. Soap would never shut up, always running that mouth until Ghost finally snapped and saw red. It was never a matter of if, only when.

When Ghost had first heard that Soap would be joining the team, he nearly turned down the offer. But the news that John Price would be head coach had changed his mind. His regular season coach had a way of calming the storm, putting him in his place when he was one snarky comment away from ripping the Scot’s head off. If Price was here, he could find a way to manage somehow. He wasn’t going to let that bastard ruin this opportunity for him. 

It was a miracle they somehow managed to get through the preliminaries and quarterfinals without a murder charge. The knockout stage was coming to an end with the semifinals tomorrow meaning they either lose and get a shot at bronze, or win and get to advance to the finals. 

The only way he had made it this far was due to him avoiding Soap like the plague for his own mental sanity. Price had paired Ghost with his regular season teammate Roach to room with, providing somewhat of a semblance of normalcy. Roach was Ghost’s goalie and one of three selected for the Olympic team this year. It helped knowing he had someone in his corner while playing with a bunch of men who were typically his opponents. 

Ghost spent most of his time in the gym or his room, venturing out only to get food. Soap had surprisingly managed to leave him be off the ice, likely because Price had threatened to tear him a new one if he and Ghost couldn’t keep it together. That was until he decided to interrupt his once peaceful dinner. 

The sound of Soap’s laughter echoed through the cafeteria, grating on his nerves like nails on a chalkboard. He was standing around a few of their teammates and that one snowboarder Garrick who always followed him around. 

As Ghost’s glare intensified, he felt Roach’s elbow nudge him in the ribs. 

“Ignore him,” Roach muttered, not even looking up from his meal. “He’s not worth it, so stop getting your panties in a twist and eat your dinner.”

Ghost grunted in response, tearing his gaze away from Soap and focusing on his own plate. God, he was infuriating. He may have been able to give credit where it was due, but that didn’t stop him from always showboating and bragging. Ghost thanked the heavens above that they were in different draft years, he wouldn’t have been able to handle it if Soap had been number one instead. He’d never hear the end of it. 

“Yeah well, tell him to shut the fuck up. Some people are trying to enjoy their meal,” he grumbled out before taking another bite. It was a shock the fork didn’t break with how tight his jaw was clenched. 

With a sudden burst of laughter that had both men’s attention drifting back to the opposite end of the table, Ghost watched as Soap and the Garrick guy portrayed some lewd acts much to everyone’s delight but his own. That’s it. He wasn’t going to sit around for this. 

Roach rolled his eyes as Ghost stood up and gathered his tray, waving off his comment that he’d see him back in their room later tonight. He needed to blow off some steam so he headed straight to the gym reserved for the hockey players. 

Ghost pushed through the doors, basking in the fading sounds of clinking utensils and hum of conversation the further he walked. Further away from him.  

Price may have been clear: they needed to work together if they were going to bring home the gold. But the task seemed impossible when the person you were supposed to rely on was the same one who had spent years making your professional life miserable. 

Ghost pushed through his workout, the rhythmic sound of his feet pounding against the treadmill a steady, grounding force. The gym was practically empty, just how he liked it. He only planned on doing some light cardio, not wanting to get sore before the game tomorrow. 

It hadn’t been thirty minutes before the door clicked open, breaking the solitude. Ghost didn’t bother looking up at first, hoping whoever it was would take the hint and leave him be. But when the sound of footsteps grew closer, he couldn’t ignore it any longer. He quickly glanced toward the door, his heart sinking in the process.

Of course. 

It had to be Soap. 

The Scot strolled in, a grin already plastered across his face. That cocky, infuriating grin that Ghost knew all too well. Soap’s eyes scanned the room, lighting up as they locked onto Ghost. Fuck. He made a beeline for the treadmill next to Ghost, his every step oozing with that infuriating confidence despite the death glare Ghost was sending his way. 

Ghost’s hands tightened around the treadmill handles, his knuckles turning white as Soap approached. The silent dare hung in the air between them as Ghost took a drink from his water bottle, waiting for the Scot to say something. So much for getting away from him. 

“Fancy seein’ ye here, Simon,” Soap drawled, his voice thick with amusement as he stopped beside Ghost’s treadmill, casually leaning against it like they were old friends. 

Ghost clenched his jaw, forcing himself to keep running, his eyes fixed straight ahead. “Mactavish.”

Soap’s grin widened at the curt reply. “What, no witty comeback? Don’t tell me I’ve finally worn ye out.”

Ghost didn’t respond, his breath coming in controlled, even bursts. Every word out of Soap’s mouth made his muscles twitch with the urge to throw a punch in that stupidly perfect smile, but he kept himself in check. Price’s warnings echoed his mind, he couldn’t afford any slip-ups no matter how much the other man taunted him. 

But Soap was relentless. “Ye know, I was thinkin’… maybe we should work out together. Team bonding, yeah? I promise I won’t make ye look too bad.”

Ghost finally turned his head at that, fixing Soap with a glare that could cut through steel. “I’m not interested. Now fuck off, MacTavish.”

Soap raised his hands in mock surrender, but the playful spark in his eyes never dimmed. “Suit yourself. Just try not to break the treadmill, yeah? Don’t want ye too knackered for the game tomorrow.”

Ghost bit back a retort, instead focusing on the numbers ticking up on the treadmill’s display. Each step felt heavier than the last, the proximity of Soap throwing off his concentration. 

Soap lingered a moment longer, clearly enjoying the discomfort he was causing, before finally backing off. He moved to the weights, still within Ghost’s line of sight, his movements casual and unhurried. 

Ghost focused on his workout, trying to drown out the sound of Soap’s presence with the steady rhythm of his breathing and the clanking of weights. But the blessed silence between them was short-lived.

“So, what’s got ye in such a hurry?” Soap asked, breaking the quiet as he worked through a set of curls. His tone was casual, but Ghost could hear the genuine curiosity beneath it. “Ye bolted out of the cafeteria like yer arse was on fire.”

Ghost didn’t look over, keep his eyes fixed on the wall in front of him. He almost ignored him, desperate to just finish his workout but he knew the man wouldn’t relent. The silent treatment never worked on Soap. 

“Didn’t feel like sitting around and watching you and that Garrick guy dry hump each other while I ate,” he replied coolly, the words slipping out with a hint of irritation.

Soap’s laughter was instant, a loud, unabashed sound that filled the gym. He set the weights down and leaned against the rack, his grin wide as ever. “Didn’t know ye were such a prude, Ghostie.”

Ghost finally turned his head, leveling Soap with a deadpan stare. “I’m not. It’s just seeing you in those situations that makes me lose my appetite.” 

Soap chuckled, clearly amused by the retort. “Ye wound me Ghostie,” he stated with hands mockingly clasped to his chest. “Well, I can’t say I blame ye for that. But come on, yer actin’ like you’ve never seen a bit of friendly banter before.” 

Ghost shook his head, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. “There’s a difference between banter and whatever the hell that was.”

Soap shrugged, still smiling. “Maybe, but at least ye got a free show out of it. Guess ye owe me one for that?”

Ghost let out a huff, slowing down the treadmill as he prepared to end his run. “The only thing I owe ya is a punch to the face if ya don’t leave me the fuck alone.”

Soap raised an eyebrow, that playful glint still in his eyes. “Now, now, no need to get violent, Simon. We’re on the same team, remember?”

Ghost stepped off the treadmill, grabbing a towel to wipe down his face. “I’m trying to forget.”

“Good luck with that, Ghostie,” Soap called out to him, a hint of laughter still in his voice despite being threatened. Everything was always a joke to him. 

Ghost was fucking sick of it. 

Tomorrow’s game was too important. They needed everyone on the ice, not stuck in the penalty box because Soap couldn’t keep his mouth shut or resist starting something. 

Without a word, Ghost walked over to the bench, standing over Soap as he began his reps. Soap’s eyes flicked up at him, curiosity and a hint of unease crossing his face as Ghost loomed above him. 

“Don’t be a shithead tomorrow,” Ghost said flatly, his voice low and dangerous. “Don’t ruin it for everyone else. The team needs you on the ice, not the penalty box.”

Soap hesitated for a moment, mid-rep, before managing a smile, though Ghost could see the flicker of nervousness in his eyes. “Was that a compliment, Simon?”

Ghost didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he leaned down, his hands pressing against the bar, adding just enough pressure to make Soap’s muscles strain under the added weight. The bar dipped closer to Soap’s chest, and Ghost watched as the smirk faded slightly from Soap’s face. 

“Like when people call ye a good boy, Johnny?” Ghost murmured, the words slipping out before he even had time to think them through.

The effect was immediate. Soap’s eyes widened in shock, his grip faltering slightly on the bar. For a split second, the ever-confident John MacTavish was at a loss for words. 

Satisfied, Ghost released the bar, stepping back as Soap quickly pushed it up and racked it, his breaths coming faster than before. Ghost didn’t bother sticking around to see the aftermath. He was tired, worn out from the day and from dealing with Soap’s antics. All he wanted was to get some rest and be ready for the game tomorrow. 

As Ghost walked away, he could feel Soap’s eyes burning into his back, the shock still palpable in the air. But Ghost didn’t care. He had said what needed to be said, and for once, he felt like he had the upper hand. 

And that was enough. 

— — —

The locker room was a cacophony of noise and energy, the air thick with the scent of sweat they were all nose blind to. Ghost leaned against the cool metal of his temporary locker, it felt good against his heated skin. He let the noise wash over him as he unlaced and peeled off his skates. The team had pulled off a win by the skin of their teeth, clinching the game 3-2 with a last-minute goal that had the entire bench erupting in cheers. Ghost could still feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins despite his exhausted body.

He was stripped down to his black base layers now, the tight fabric clinging to his sweaty body. The material felt almost suffocating, but he didn’t mind. It was a familiar sensation after a game like that, a strange way of reminding him of the effort he had put in. He could already feel a nasty bruise forming on his side from one particularly rough slam against the glass during the second period. 

As Ghost scanned the room, his gaze landed on Soap’s cubby station across the way. He was standing in front of two seated players, shirtless except for his compression leggings, his body still glistening with sweat. He was in his element, laughing and joking around with that arrogant attitude that only seemed to be enhanced by the recent win. Ghost mentally prepared himself before strolling over there. The other player’s attention suddenly shifted towards him as he stepped up behind the Scot, giving way to his presence. 

Soap turned around, his smile faltering slightly as he found himself face-to-face with Ghost. But the cockiness quickly returned, his smile growing as he straightened up, meeting Ghost’s gaze as head-on as he could manage. 

“What’s this, Ghostie? Come to congratulate me?” Soap’s tone was light and flippant.

Ghost crossed his arms, his expression impassive as he stared down at the man. “Ya played well out there,” he conceded, the words grudging but sincere. It wasn’t easy for Ghost to offer praise, especially to an asshole like Soap, but he couldn’t deny that the man had held his own in the game and given them the last-minute goal they needed. 

Soap’s smirk turned into a full-blown grin. “Aye, I did, didn’t I? Didn’t know you were such a fan of my work.” His eyes gleamed with a teasing edge that Ghost had become familiar with. God, he regretted this already. 

Ghost narrowed his eyes, refusing to rise to the bait. “Let’s not get too carried away MacTavish,” he warned. “Ya still racked up two penalties. Could’ve cost us the game if ya weren’t careful” 

“Minor infractions,” Soap shot back, leaning in just a little closer, his voice dropping an octave. “Nothing we couldn’t handle.”

“Still two more than we needed,” Ghost countered, his tone sharp. “Don’t get all cocky now.”

“Why are ye on my case, Simon?” Soap questioned. “Ye should worry about yerself. Not my fault ye can’t keep yer eyes off me when I’m on the ice. It’s normal to wanna watch the best.” 

There was a beat of silence, the locker room’s noise fading into the background as Ghost locked eyes with Soap. Both men were always on alert around the other, always waiting for the inevitable fight to begin. But before he could figure out what to say, Soap chuckled, breaking the tension. 

Ghost felt that familiar flicker of heat creep up the back of his neck, but he forced himself to stay cool. “Keep dreaming, MacTavish,” he muttered, turning to grab his towel. 

Soap’s laughter trailed after him as they headed to the communal showers, but it wasn’t his usual cocky, grating sound. There was something lighter in it, almost playful. Ghost tried to shake off the unsettling feeling in his gut. He could handle the annoying, antagonistic, egotistical Soap—that was familiar territory. But this version of Soap? This was something new, and Ghost didn’t like it. He didn’t like friendly Soap, being friends with Soap. 

The steam filled the shower area, the hot water soothing Ghost’s sore muscles. He deliberately chose a spot near the wall, hoping for some space, but of course, Soap took the one right next to him. Ghost said nothing, too tired to start an argument.

Yet, as they showered, the tension between them from earlier lingered, and it wasn’t the usual animosity Ghost was accustomed to. It was different, and that unfamiliarity was starting to piss him off so he did what he always did and tried to ignore the other man. 

It didn’t help when his eyes unconsciously glanced over as he turned around, just for a second, catching a glimpse of the water sliding over Soap’s sculpted body. He quickly looked away, telling himself that it was nothing more than a casual look. It was far from the first time he had seen a naked teammate and wouldn’t be his last. While Ghost was in his own head, trying desperately to act nonchalant he didn’t even realize that Soap had been subtly glancing his way as well. 

“Simon, hurry the hell up!” Roach’s voice cut through the sound of the heavy streams, jolting Ghost out of his thoughts. He turned to see Roach standing by the entrance to the showers, towel slung over his shoulder, looking impatient. “Let’s go get food before all the good stuff’s gone.”

Ghost finished rinsing off and turned off the water, grabbing his towel. “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” he muttered. Neither man said a word as Ghost padded his way out of the showers. 

As they made their way into the cafeteria, the locker room’s atmosphere had clearly transferred to the dining area. The guys were still riding the high from their win, their voices loud and boisterous as they rehashed the game and talked strategies for the final. 

Ghost and Roach found a quiet table toward the back, both of them content to sit and eat in relative peace. Or at least, that was the plan. 

They’d barely started eating when Soap appeared, dragging Kyle Garrick along with him. Without asking, he plopped down across from Ghost, flashing him that stupid, smug grin. 

“Mind if we join ye?”

Ghost glanced up, a faint frown pulling at his lips. The fucker wouldn’t leave him alone. “You’re already sitting, aren’t ya?”

“Couldn’t stay away from ye, Ghostie,” Soap teased, winking in a way that had Ghost’s grip on his fork tightening slightly.

Roach rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything, digging into his food with a resigned sigh as he already knew how this was gonna end. Gaz, on the other hand, seemed to find the whole situation amusing, shooting Soap a grin as they all settled into a tense silence. 

It didn’t last long.

“So, Simon,” Soap started, leaning forward on his elbows, “Ye ever think about what ye’ll do when we win the gold? Bet ye’ll be all stoic and shit, trying not to smile like always.”

Ghost shot him a sidelong glance. “Ya think we’re guaranteed to win, huh? Thought I told ya not to get cocky.”

Soap’s smile only widened. “Just confident, mate. There’s a difference.”

Gaz chuckled, but before Ghost could respond, Soap’s attention shifted. He turned to his friend, the grin on his face taking on a different quality—one that Ghost could only describe as flirtatious. “Ye guys should really watch Gaz’s half-pipe run from earlier today. Silver in the bag, it was bloody impressive.”

Roach congratulated Gaz while Ghost continued eating his food. He was being a petty asshole right now but he didn’t really care. 

“Must feel good,” Soap continued, leaning closer to Gaz, “knowing you’ve got a medal hanging around yer neck. Hell, maybe I’ll switch sports, see if I can give ye a run for yer money.”

Gaz laughed at that, shaking his head. “Stick to hockey, mate. Don’t think you’ve got the balance for the half-pipe.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Soap said teasingly. “I’ve got pretty good balance for my size.”

Ghost’s chest tightened inexplicably, an odd discomfort settling in his stomach as Soap continued to flirt with Gaz. He couldn’t quite put his finger on why it bothered him, but the longer it went on, the more irritated he felt. He focused on his food, trying to drown out whatever the hell was happening right in front of him. 

“Oh I’m sure your size helps ya out in a lot of things,” Gaz responded. 

That’s it. Ghost finally pushed his plate away, the food suddenly unappetizing. “I’m tired,” he muttered, standing up. “I’m gonna head back to the room,” he said, aimed towards Roach. 

Soap’s teasing expression faltered, confusion flickering in his eyes as he watched Ghost leave. “What’s his problem?” Soap asked, trying to sound indifferent, but there was an edge to his voice that gave him away.

Roach shrugged, completely over their shit. “It’s been a long day, he needs his beauty sleep.”

But Soap wasn’t convinced. Something was off. Was he that upset he sat down at his table, or that he brought Gaz over to the table with him? He wasn’t even trying to piss the man off this time so what the fuck had made him so angry?

— — — 

Ghost was seething. His rage boiled over as he stormed his way back to the locker room for the final intermission. His eyes locked onto Soap, not thinking twice before shoving his way through the crowded hallway. He ignored the shouts of the other men, grabbing Soap by the back of his jersey and slamming him against the wall in one swift motion. 

The impact had Soap wincing, even through all his padding. The bloody nose he received earlier in the game still dripped down his face despite the haphazard tape trying to keep it under control. Another player had high-sticked him which set Soap spiraling the rest of the period. 

“Ya fuckin’ idiot!” Ghost hissed out. 

Soap tried to pull away, but Ghost wasn’t having it. “Ya let them get under your skin and play ya like a fuckin’ fiddle MacTavish!” Ghost’s grip tightened as he cursed out.

Soap, true to form, deflected with his usual attitude, shrugging off Ghost’s words. “What’s yer problem, Simon? I was just —’’

“Just being a fuckin’ liability!” Ghost’s voice rose, his grip on Soap’s jersey tightening. “Ya let them get to ya! They taunted ya, and ya snapped! Then your team paid for it. This isn’t the fuckin’ Soap show, be a team player!”

Soap’s eyes narrowed, that cocky defiance flickering in his gaze turning into his own shade of anger at Ghost’s words. “Team player? That’s rich coming from ye. Where the fuck were ye when I was gettin’ slammed over and over!”

“You’re lucky it wasn’t me slamming ya!” Ghost shouted back in frustration. 

Before Soap could retort to that, Price and Roach rushed over, shoving themselves between the two men. 

“Enough!” Price barked, his tone brooking no argument. “Both of ya, cool it!”

Ghost released Soap with a final shove, his hands trembling with barely suppressed fury. He stalked over to his spot in the locker room, trying to regain some semblance of control. The game was tied 3-3, and the tension was palpable as they had been neck and neck the entire time. Ghost couldn’t believe how reckless Soap had been, letting the other team’s attempts get under his skin.  

While Ghost had been grinding his teeth through the mumbled shit-talking during face-offs, Soap had let his emotions explode on the ice, spending the last five minutes of the period in the penalty box for a major infraction. He was one overzealous body check away from getting pulled from the game entirely. The rest of the team had been forced to scramble, covering for him, only to have the other team score a last-minute goal.

Ghost had seen red since then, his mind a whirlwind of anger and utter confusion. Soap was obnoxious, a showoff sure, but he wasn’t stupid. He was a damn good defenseman, and wouldn’t have made the Olympic team if otherwise. So why the hell was he acting so irrational and childish during the biggest game of his life? He’d be lucky if Price even let him back out on the ice for the final period. 

The locker room was filled with a tense silence, thick enough to cut with a knife. Price stood in the center, his expression dark as he fixed both Ghost and Soap with a glare that could make a lesser man crumble. 

“What the hell was that out there?” Price's voice was low but filled with controlled fury. 

“Ya think this is some backyard brawl?” he continued. “We’re here to win a gold medal, not indulge in petty vendettas!”

“Who do ya think scored the leading goal out there? It’s not my fault they keep targeting me!” Soap interrupted.

“Boy, you better sit down and keep that mouth of yours closed,” Price warned. 

Ghost sat on the bench, his head bowed, seething quietly as Roach placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. But the rage still simmered beneath the surface, a mix of frustration and guilt gnawing at him. He knew Price was right—this wasn’t the time to lose his cool, but damn it, Soap had been reckless. And now, everything hung by a thread.

“Get your heads out of your arses and back in the game,” Price continued, pacing back and forth. “We’ve got one period left. Ya need to focus, not on each other, but on that puck.” 

The rest of the break was spent in silence. Everyone chose to stay quiet as Price went over strategies and the uneasy energy lingered. Ghost did his best to pay attention but he found himself glancing towards Soap every once in a while to make sure he was listening. Thank god the fucker was, otherwise, Ghost would have sacked him right then and there.

As the break ended, the team stood and headed out onto the ice. They were smart enough to give their captain and Soap a wide berth. Ghost felt that tinge of guilt shooting through his body. He never wanted his shit with Soap to get in the way of the other men’s chances. Price didn’t deserve to deal with it either.

The crowd’s roar was a distant hum in Ghost’s ears, his focus narrowing on trying to not spiral. The final period kicked off as the puck hit the ice, and Ghost couldn’t help but keep an eye on Soap throughout. They both hated each other with everything they had, but something shifted as the game went on. 

Ghost noticed that the Scot was actually trying his damnedest to stay cool under the constant attacks. Despite repeated body checks that had him slamming against the glass, Soap didn’t lash out. He gritted his teeth and shook it off, ignoring the taunts thrown his way. 

Something in Ghost cracked at that sight. Soap was trying—really trying—not to let his emotions get the better of him. And for some reason that he couldn’t fathom, it had Ghost angry for him instead of at him. 

During the next face-off, Ghost locked eyes with the one player who had been gunning for Soap all game. Magnussen. He’d recognized the man early on, recalling that he and Soap had once played on the same team a few years ago. Whatever had happened between them was now being laid out on the ice and it was pissing Ghost off. The moment the puck dropped, Ghost charged forward, slamming the guy to the ice with a force that rattled through his own bones.

Soap’s stunned expression was just a flash in Ghost’s peripheral vision before he went right back to the game, pretending like nothing happened. The minutes ticked by, agonizingly slow, and the score remained tied. Roach was a force to be reckoned with, holding the line with a ferocity that had the entire team and crowd rallying behind him. Despite his efforts, Ghost knew his friend. He was getting tired and they needed this to end soon because he wasn’t going to last much longer at this level. 

The buzzer finally blared, signaling the end of the regulation period. 

Fuck.  

The sound echoed through the arena, the only thing Ghost could hear as he skated to the bench. Overtime. This was it. Everything came down to the next twenty minutes or until whoever scored first. 

Price was quick to make his decision. “Ghost, Soap, Brady - you’re up.”

Ghost hesitated, just for a moment, before nodding. It was the right choice on Price’s end, the three of them had been the main scorers for the past week. As Soap skated over to him, his expression was uncharacteristically serious, all traces of his usual attitude gone. It had warning bells going off in Ghost’s head.

“Truce?” Soap asked quietly, extending his forearm out in front of him. He almost had a meekness about him that had Ghost trying to suppress a grin. 

Of all the things he was expecting the man to say, that was not one of them. Ghost stared at it for a moment before raising his own forearm and tapping it against Soap’s. “Truce.”

They took their positions, and from the moment the puck dropped, it was a brutal battle. Neither trio let up, both were determined to leave it all on the ice. The clock ticked down and unlike the previous period, it seemed to fly by. Ghost and Soap moved in sync, pushing each other to the limit, feeding off each other's energy. They played like men possessed.

But the tension spiked again when Magnussen - who had high-sticked Soap earlier -  skated past, whispering insults right in Soap’s ear, ensuring the referees wouldn’t hear. Ghost caught the look in Soap’s eyes, saw the struggle to keep it together, to not snap.

Something swelled in Ghost’s chest—anger, determination, maybe something else he didn’t want to name. 

Two minutes remaining. 

As he gained control of the puck, he faked a charge at the goalie, drawing the defense toward him. In that split second, he saw Soap skating up beside him, in perfect position. Without hesitation, Ghost passed the puck.

One minute remaining. 

Soap didn’t miss a beat. He took the shot, the puck slyly slipping through the goalie’s legs and into the net.

For a moment, the world went silent. All Ghost could hear was the sound of the puck hitting the net, echoing through the rush of blood in his ears. 

They won. They won the fucking gold medal.

The arena exploded in cheers, the sound finally breaking through to Ghost as he turned to face Soap. Their eyes met, and for the first time, there was no animosity between them, just pure, unfiltered elation.

— — — 

The day of the medal ceremony had passed in a whirlwind of celebration and chaos. Ghost had gone through the motions—smiling for the cameras, shaking hands, and enduring the endless rounds of interviews and press events. He even managed a genuine smile or two, knowing his brother and family were watching back home, proud of what he’d accomplished. Soap’s energy and peacocking made up for his lack of excitement anyway. But as the adrenaline wore off and the exhaustion set in, all Ghost wanted was to retreat to his room and disappear for the night.

He had kept his distance from Soap throughout the day, giving the man a wide berth. The last thing he wanted was to ruin the good mood of the team by stirring up their usual shit. They made it through the game without killing each other and even managed to win together, but Ghost wasn’t ready to test how long that truce would actually last. 

He managed to sneak away after the last photo call of the day, grabbing a few snacks from the dining hall as his mind was already focused on packing and getting some much-needed sleep. But as he left the cafeteria doors and stepped into the hallway, something made him slow his pace. Leaning against the corner wall a couple of feet away was Soap, arms crossed, his posture tense. In front of him, one arm outstretched, stood Magnussen, boxing him in against the wall. His body language was too close, too invasive. Ghost’s instincts went on high alert, his body bristled as he assessed the situation. Price would skin them alive if they got in a fight with the other athletes in the village.

The conversation between the two didn’t seem overly hostile, but Soap’s expression was unsettling. The blank stare on his face reminded Ghost too much of the look Soap had worn during the game when he’d been trying to keep it together on the ice. Something about it made Ghost’s skin crawl, that tightness in his chest returning. 

Ghost couldn’t suppress the slight flinch when he felt hands on his shoulders, turning sharply only to see Roach standing behind him. He hadn’t even heard the man approach while being preoccupied with watching Soap like a total creep. 

“Hey, you okay?” Roach asked, a hint of concern in his voice. “We’re grabbing some dinner. You in?”

Ghost shook his head, his gaze drifting back to Soap and Magnussen. “Nah, I’m beat. Think I’ll head up and start packing.”

Roach followed his gaze, his brows furrowing. “What’s Soap doing with that prick?” 

Ghost shrugged, though his stomach still churned with unease. “No idea.”

Roach didn’t press further, giving Ghost a nod before heading back toward the cafeteria. Ghost lingered for a few more seconds before he turned and headed back to his room, missing the brief glance Soap shot his way after noticing the man. If he got into it with Magnussen, that was on Soap and didn’t concern Ghost in the slightest.

Nearly twenty minutes had passed with Ghost in his room, folding the last of his clothes into his bag, when a knock echoed through the quiet space. He sighed, setting down the sweatpants he’d been holding. He hadn’t had any visitors all week, so he could only assume it was Roach. 

He opened the door with a roll of his eyes. “How the fuck did ya lose your keycard again?”

But it wasn’t Roach standing there. It was Soap, grinning like he hadn’t a care in the world. But Ghost wasn’t impressed. Something ugly and unsettling was bubbling up inside him instead. Soap was acting all causal after just having a conversation with the man who had been trying to put him in the hospital for a week.

Ghost narrowed his eyes, his voice low and edged with something dark. “What do you want?”

“Well, aren’t ye a ray of sunshine tonight,” Soap quipped, leaning casually against the doorframe. “The lads are headin’ out to celebrate, thought I’d invite our resident shut-in to join the fun.”

Ghost’s jaw tightened. “Not interested,” he replied curtly, turning back towards his room.

Soap’s grin faltered, confusion flickering across his face. “Oi, what’s with the attitude? I thought we were good now, or at least better. What’s got ye all pissy?”

Ghost didn’t look back as he continued folding the clothes he had tossed on the bed. “I’m fine.”

Soap wasn’t buying it. He stepped further into the room, closing the door behind him. “The fuck ye are. Yer pissed about something. Yer practically vibratin’ with it.”

“Drop it, Soap,” Ghost warned, his voice dangerous.

But Soap, being Soap, couldn’t let it go. He stepped up right next to Ghost nearly suffocating the man. “Nah, I’m not leavin’ until ye tell me what crawled up yer arse. We just won the bloody gold, mate! Why the fuck are ye being a little bitch?”

Ghost’s patience snapped. In one fluid motion, he turned and grabbed Soap by the throat, shoving him hard against the wall. Soap’s eyes widened, but he didn’t resist. He stared at Ghost with a mix of surprise and something else he didn’t want to acknowledge for his own sanity. 

“Ya need to learn when to quit, MacTavish,” Ghost hissed, squeezing Soap’s throat for emphasis. “And maybe ya should think twice before cozying up to the man who’s been gunning for ya all week. Have some fuckin’ self-respect.” 

Soap blinked, momentarily taken aback. “Who? Magnussen? What are ye—” he paused, realization dawning on him. A slow smile spread across his face, despite the situation. “Oh, I see what’s goin’ on here.”

“Enlighten me,” Ghost growled. His anger only intensifying at the sight of Soap’s smug grin. 

Soap chuckled, the sound strained but amused. “Magnussen and I… we used to fool around back when we were on the same team, and that’s putting it lightly. Didn’t end well since he was under the impression exclusivity only applied to me. I told him to fuck off and he made my life a livin’ hell after that. Guess they were right when they said don’t shag yer coworkers.”

Ghost’s grip loosened slightly, mind reeling at the admission. “And what’s that got to do with me? I don’t care where ya stick your prick.”

Soap’s voice softened, his tone flippant as he shrugged. “He’s been makin’ comments all week, never could get over the fact I left him. Likes to tell me how my ‘new boyfriend’ —” he said the word with a mocking lilt, “— couldn’t satisfy me like he used to.”

Ghost felt a flush of heat rise to his face, and he told himself it was just the anger, nothing more. “So, what? He thinks I’m your new boy toy or whatever? Why the hell would he think that?”

Soap’s smile grew, a teasing glint in his eyes. ‘Ye know, I’ve always been into the ones that play hard to get and our rivalry isn’t exactly private. And let’s face it, yer not as subtle as ye think, Ghostie. I can see where he connected the dots.” 

Ghost’s eyes narrowed. “What the fuck are ya talkin’ about?”

Soap’s grin widened. “It didn’t click right away but now I can see it. I think ye do care where my prick ends up. You’ve been actin’ like a right jealous bastard for the past week.  First with Gaz, and now with Magnussen. Why don’t ye just admit it?” 

“Admit what?” Ghost demanded, his heart pounding in his chest. His pitiful attempt of denial was pointless against the Scot.  

Soap leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “That ye want to fuck me so bad it makes ye look stupid.”

Ghost’s breath caught in his chest. His grip on Soap’s throat tightened, but the man didn’t flinch, his eyes locked on Ghost’s, daring him to respond. 

“You’re fuckin’ insane, MacTavish.”

He shrugged once more as he attempted to pull away and take a step toward the door. “Guess I’ll go see what Magnussen is doin’ since I’m so wro—”

But Soap didn’t get to finish his sentence. Before he could think it through, before he could talk himself out of it, Ghost’s lips crashed against Soap’s in a rough, bruising kiss. It was more anger than anything else, a raw, violent need to shut Soap up, to wipe that smirk off his face. 

But as their mouths moved together, it became something else. The tension that had been simmering between them for so long ignited, exploding into a fire neither of them could control. Ghost’s hand slid up from Soap’s throat to cup the back of his head, fingers tangling in his stupid mohawk as he deepened the kiss, pouring all his frustration, all his confusion, into it.

Soap responded with just as much intensity, his hands gripping Ghost’s sides, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them. The kiss was a battle for dominance, neither willing to back down, neither willing to let the other have the last word. 

When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathing hard. Hot and ragged on one another’s skin. Ghost’s eyes were dark, pupils blown and filled with a storm of emotions he wasn’t ready to face, but one thing was clear—there was no way they could come back from this. No way to uncross the line they just plummeted over head first. 

“Still think I’m insane?” Soap whispered, his voice hoarse. The teasing edge to his words remained despite the breathlessness.

Ghost’s response was a low growl as he pulled Soap back in, kissing him again, harder this time. He didn’t shy away when he felt Soap’s wandering hands, slowly inching their way down to the waistband of his joggers. His own hands had fallen to rest upon Soap’s hips at some point, occasionally lifting to splay up and down his abs. Relishing in the shivers it caused as he needed to touch every inch of the man’s skin. 

He hissed as he felt Soap grip him through his boxers and grind his palm. He was slightly pent up; spending a week sleeping five feet away from Roach hadn’t left him many options to take care of himself. Part of him wanted to take it slow, ease into it, and give each other time to adjust. But when Soap let a low moan escape his throat after touching him, it took every ounce of fleeting self-control Ghost had to not throw him on the bed and take him right then. 

That moan pissed Ghost off while turning him on altogether; every little feeling he felt toward Soap was conflicted with an opposing emotion. He wanted him so badly while wanting to put his face through the wall for making him want him that badly. What the fuck were they doing?

“Fuck,” Ghost groaned out, a mix of annoyance and desperation coating his voice. He loathed how out of control he felt at that moment, especially when it was John fuckin’ MacTavish who had the advantage. He pushed off of Soap’s chest giving himself some room to breathe, his lungs burning at the sudden intake of oxygen. Soap saw what must have been a flash of uncertainty in his eyes as he interrupted Ghost’s inner turmoil.

“Don’t tell me yer getting cold feet now? I can leave if ye want. Walk out that door and leave ye all alone to wank one out as ye think of me,” he goaded, leaning up to whisper directly in Ghost’s ear. “Or do ye wanna get out of yer head and be a good boy for me so I can take care of ye?” 

Ghost swallowed at that, even though all the moisture in his mouth had evaporated in a second. His lips parted to reply, but it was as if his brain had gone offline; he couldn’t string a sentence together to save his life. The glare he had trained on Soap didn’t deter him from what he wanted though. 

He grabbed the two pant strings of Ghost’s joggers and pulled him in where their foreheads now rested against each other. Ghost couldn’t help but shake his head, a whispered, “I hate you,” was all he could manage in the end. 

Soap grinned as his hand dove under Ghost’s waistband once again, only this time he included the boxers. “I know.”

Soap’s touch felt like a brand upon his skin. Ghost’s hips reflexively jerked back, but the man’s tight grip kept him in place. The slight burn of friction caused by dry skin was a welcome one. He started to slowly jerk him off, picking up the pace every few movements just to slow back down again. The bastard always keeping Ghost on edge while making sure he wasn’t able to cross it. He almost let a moan slip out when Soap leaned in and started sucking right on his pulse point. The repercussions of letting Soap mark up his neck were so far from his mind as he focused on the way the man flicked his wrist. 

Soap’s mouth moved in an upward pattern, eventually kissing his way back up to meet Ghost’s lips once again. He must have deemed Ghost ready as he pulled back, his gaze burning into Ghost’s skull as he searched for any uncertainty. With only desire remaining, Soap slid his thumbs under the waistband of Ghost’s pants and underwear, pulling them with him as he fell to his knees. 

He had that devilish look in his eyes as he leaned forward with no hesitation. He licked a stripe from the base to the tip of Ghost’s cock, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Ghost couldn’t contain the full body tremble as Soap’s tongue swirled his head once before he took the entirety of him down in one go. 

“Fuck, Johnny,” he hissed out.

Soap responded with a smirk as he pulled back, giving a few pumps before returning to his mouth. 

Ghost watched as Soap moved his head back and forth, taking him impossibly deeper each time. He wasn’t quite sure what to do with his hands. It felt too intimate to rest them on Soap’s head despite his dick currently halfway down the man’s throat. He settled on leaning them against the wall, the position completely blocking Soap in and angling himself even further till the other man gagged. That was a sound he could get used to. 

Ghost took in the man kneeling before him. Had he always felt like this? He never thought his emotions surpassed hatred when it came to Soap. But now that he was actually looking at him and he wasn’t running his mouth, he couldn’t deny anymore that there was something else there no matter how fucked up it was. It might have always been there. 

His gaze drifted to the bridge of Soap’s nose where it repeatedly brushed against his pelvis. The wound was still red and fresh where he had been hit by Magnussen. Ghost scowled the longer he stared. That ugly feeling inside him reared up again at the thought of that fucker making him bleed. Hell, maybe Soap was right. Maybe Ghost was jealous and his head was too far up his own ass to see it. 

He hadn’t even registered that his anger had escaped from inside his mind until he heard Soap — more like felt — groan around his cock. His eyes focused and he realized his hand had unconsciously moved to the man’s hair, gripping his mohawk tightly as he ground Soap’s face closer to deepthroat him. Of course he liked his hair pulled. No sane person would willingly choose that haircut unless the sole purpose was to bring attention to it like a neon sign that said ‘PULL ME.’

Ghost picked up his pace as he gave in and let his anger wash over him. What once was a blowjob had now turned into Ghost flat-out face-fucking Soap. Each slam of his hips had Soap choking on a gag, his hands desperately finding purchase on Ghost’s thighs. His throat reflexively swallowed around the tip of Ghost’s cock, the constriction having him see stars. 

The force of his thrusts had managed to jostle the medical tape on Soap’s nose at some point. The wound reopened as streams of hot blood ran down his face, mixing with the spit on his chin and dripping onto the floor between his knees.

The way he looked like a fucking painting right then had Ghost entranced. His eyes watery and blissed out just from getting his throat fucked, face flushed from the lack of oxygen and strain, and now the lower half of his face was streaked in red. Ghost could feel his own cock twitch where it rested on Soap’s tongue as he watched one particular drop run down and land where he and Soap’s lips met.

Fuck me.

He practically growled as he pulled out of Soap’s throat, using the other man’s surprise as a window to grab ahold of him and throw him on the bed. He opted for Roach’s as his own was currently covered in clothes and his suitcase. What the man didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. 

Ghost climbed on top of Soap, one hand splayed beside his head while the other pinned him to the mattress by his mohawk. Their combined weight pushed the limits of the fragile cardboard bed struggling to hold them up. Before Soap could make some smart-ass remark he leaned forward to take his mouth again in a feral kiss. He pulled the man’s lower lip between his teeth and bit down until his tongue was flooded with the taste of metal. 

He swallowed Soap’s curses and moans the same as he did his blood. His own fucked up attempt to wash away what was left behind by Magnussen with his own claim. If anyone was making John MacTavish bleed, it was going to be him alone. 

Ghost moved from Soap’s lips to the edge of his jawline, making his way down his neck while leaving behind a trail of bloody prints in his wake. While Soap was lost in the haze of pleasure, Ghost took the opportunity to slide his hand under the man’s shirt and pull it off. Soap gasped as he moved from his neck to his chest, paying extra attention to each nipple as he ran his tongue over them before dragging them between his teeth. Ghost wanted to leave his mark upon the man’s skin, and make sure he was reminded of this for weeks to come.

He hooked his fingers in Soap’s waistband, lifting the man’s lower half up as he pulled them off in one glide. He sat back to admire the man splayed out before him. Soap’s chest was slightly heaving as Ghost’s eyes danced across every inch of his skin, narrowing in on his newly exposed jockstrap straining against his hard cock. 

“Ya always wear that, ya slag?” he asked before leaning down to hover over the man. 

“Never had any complaints before,” Soap stated casually while looking into Ghost’s eyes, fully aware of the button he pushed.

Ghost’s jaw clenched as he dipped down to speak directly in his ear, “You should pick your words more wisely, Johnny.” 

That was all the warning he gave before he gripped onto the strap wrapped around Soap’s hip with both hands and pulled. The resounding tear of elastic in the otherwise quiet room was deafening. Ghost tossed the sad lump of fabric to the floor as Soap looked at him with bewilderment. 

“Yer buyin’ me a new fuckin’ pair ye bastard,” was all he said before grabbing the back of Ghost’s neck and pulling him into a heated kiss. Ghost greedily swallowed Soap’s moan as he took him in hand and started pumping him at a quick pace. He was still rock-hard himself and knew he wasn’t going to be able to hold out much longer. But there was something so addicting about making the man under him fall apart with nothing but his hand that had Ghost chasing that rush and ignoring his own needs. 

He wanted to ruin Johnny. Ruin him for anyone that came after, and the memory of anyone who came before. That cloud of possessive need fogging up his brain had him missing the words leaving Soap’s mouth when he pulled away. 

“What?”

“I said lube, where’s yer lube?” Soap repeated breathlessly.

 Shit. “I don’t have any.”

Soap raised himself onto his elbows at that. “What do ye mean ye don’t have any?”

“I didn’t bring any. Some of us actually came here to do a job and not shag half the village,” Ghost pointedly stated.

“Oh my god, yer such a fuckin’ prude,” he groaned out in frustration.

“The bloody hell I am, your dick is literally in my hand right now.”

Ghost wasn’t expecting Soap to laugh at that. Their usual banter had the familiar flame of irritation flaring up inside him. God did he want to wipe that stupid smile off his face. The mineral oil he used to prevent his blades from rusting sitting in his gear bag probably wasn’t skin-safe. 

He panned to Roach’s toiletry bag sitting on the floor by his bed. That thought didn’t last long; there was no way he was about to risk his life using the man’s ridiculously priced moisturizer he had special ordered each month as makeshift lube. He was out of options and Soap’s incessant whining to hurry up was really starting to piss him off. Spit it was. He was lucky he was even giving the man that much. 

Soap let out a less than dignified yelp as Ghost suddenly flipped him over, stuffing a pillow beneath his hips and stomach. He maneuvered the man like a rag doll until he was in the position he wanted. He harshly slapped Soap’s ass when he tried to sit back up. It was as if every fiber of the Scot’s being was wired to be difficult and not follow orders. 

“Lay the fuck down, MacTavish,” Ghost warned. 

That was all the grace he was willing to give before his hands fell on Soap’s ass, thumbs spreading him open before he brought his face closer and dove in. He held on tightly as Soap bucked his hips forward, trying to escape Ghost’s invading mouth and tongue. The man only managed to get a few inches before Ghost pulled him back down once again, his hands tangling in the sheets as he cursed out. 

His moans were half-muffled as his face rubbed into Roach’s pillow. The once pristine white cotton now stained blood red and damp where he bit into it. Ghost wasn’t giving him a second of reprieve. Soap’s senses were overwhelmed by either the mouth at his rear or the hands that had moved back to his front to fondle and tease once again. 

Soap turned his head to the side to make sure Ghost heard him after one particular movement of his tongue almost had him losing it. “Fuck, Simon… I’m ready. I’m not gonnae last much longer so get the fuck in me,” he groaned out. 

If Ghost was a stronger man, he would’ve kept going just for the sake of torturing Soap and making him beg more. But in the end, he wasn’t a stronger man. Far from it. He needed in the Scot just as much as he wanted it. For once, the two were on the same page. 

He leaned back on his knees, lining himself up slowly. Soap didn’t let him get far enough into the preparation to add his fingers, but he was the one who claimed he was ready. If it hurt, that was on him and Ghost would gladly remind the cocky bastard of the fact. 

With a deep breath to try and gather some semblance of control, Ghost started to press forward using only a mix of spit and blood, precum, and a prayer to pave his way. He couldn’t contain the strained, “Fuckin’ hell, Johnny,” as the man’s tight heat engulfing Ghost’s cock made it nearly impossible to enter. “Relax before ya snap my prick in half,” he scolded. 

“If I could I would, It’d go a lot faster using it as a dildo than whatever the hell pace yer goin’ at,” he quipped back. 

Ghost glared at the small portion of the man’s face he could see resting on the pillow. He was such a fucking asshole, Ghost didn’t know if this was even worth it anymore. Yes, it was. 

He held onto Soap’s hips as he retreated the few inches he had managed to trek. Fuckin’ asshole. He slammed into the man in one harsh thrust, sheathing himself entirely despite the resistance. 

“Motherfu—!” Soap’s scream was quickly snuffed out as Ghost shoved his face into the pillow. He leaned down till his body draped over Soap’s, heavy and slick with sweat. “Ah ah, we have neighbors, Johnny,” he whispered in his ear before licking up the shell and biting down hard when he reached the top. Soap tried to flinch away from the sting, but the way he clamped down on Ghost’s dick gave him away. 

Ghost pulled back, leaving a trail of hickeys and bite marks down Soap’s neck and back in his wake. It was his own fault for having such a large canvas to work with, practically begging to be marked up. He returned to moving in and out of Soap, each thrust easier than the last. He had to reprimand him with a few slaps to his ass whenever a particular moan got too loud. It was only partly an excuse, he was actually worried about the paper-thin walls and that one of his teammates would complain to Price, or even worse— tell the whole team he had a ‘special visitor.’

Soap managed to lift himself up on shaky arms and knees, deciding he was no longer a passive member in this ordeal. He placed one arm on Ghost’s hip, the other sliding behind his neck and gripping onto the sweat-slicked hair. The new position had Ghost angling himself upwards, reaching further and deeper. He tried to stifle his own moans and grunts by latching onto Soap’s newly accessible throat, attacking it as he pounded into the man. 

“Quiet, MacTavish,” he groaned into his ear after one particularly harsh thrust had Soap crying out.

Soap leaned back, arching his back impossibly more as he rested his head on Ghost’s shoulder. The new angle had him pounding into that bundle of nerves inside the man repeatedly. Soap responded by cursing Ghost’s name so loudly that it practically reverberated through the whole village. He had to of done it on purpose just to piss him off. And it worked. 

Ghost grunted as he slammed into the man at a punishing pace. “Do ya ever shut the fuck up?” He didn’t give him much time to respond as he momentarily paused to lean over and grab something off the shared dresser between the two beds. Soap was off balance and overwhelmed, he didn’t quite register what Ghost was doing before something was being shoved in his mouth. It took him a second to figure out what it was. It was thin and slippery like silk, pulled tight where Ghost gripped it at the back of his head, keeping his tongue flat in his mouth so he couldn’t speak properly. 

Ghost just grinned as he continued to fuck the man below him, ignoring his muffled shouts and attempts at cursing him out when he realized what he was gagging him with. 

His gold medal dangled back and forth between Soap’s shoulder blades as the neck strap finally shut the man up.

The small victory wore off quickly, replaced by short breaths and electricity shooting up his spine in warning. He was getting close. It was a miracle he had even lasted this long. By the way Soap squeezed him every time he hit his prostate and let out a punched-out moan, he wasn’t too far behind himself. Ghost let the one hand that was gripping the medal keep them balanced as he reached around and started jerking Soap off with his other. His pace didn’t falter as he chased both of their releases. Sweat dripped down his nose and landed in the small space between them, right on the bloody marks he left trailing down Soap’s spine. The sight alone almost had him tipping over the edge, picking up speed right before disaster struck.

A slight crack was all the warning they got before the bed gave way and sent them tumbling to the floor. They both groaned at the impact, Soap more so as he bore the brunt of the fall. He should have stopped and made sure the man was okay, but that stubborn and selfish need inside him had him picking his movements back up without so much as a stutter. 

It only took a few more thrusts before that burning feeling deep in his stomach returned. He switched to a slow and deep rather than fast and shallow rhythm before ultimately falling over the edge. His hips stuttered as he pumped into Soap slowly, basking in the way the man had a death grip on him while practically milking him dry. 

When the fuzziness in his brain slowly retreated, he glanced down to where he was still inside the man. He took his time pulling out, unabashedly watching his own spend drip out of Soap. His returning moans had Ghost snapping out of his own reverie. He flipped the man over and resumed a quick pace as he jerked him off, giving extra attention to the head using his wrist. 

“Hand or mouth?,” he asked before ripping the now spit-soaked and blood-stained ribbon out of Soap’s mouth. 

“Mouth, fuckin’ mouth,” he breathed out.

Ghost didn’t hesitate, shimmying down the collapsed bed till his face hovered over Soap’s painfully hard dick. It only took about three strategic swallows before Soap was cursing and following him over the edge. His whole body trembled with the force of his orgasm. His massive thighs nearly crushed Ghost’s skull where he remained between them to swallow down all that Soap had to offer. It was only when the bastard swatted his face away from the overstimulation did he decide to pull off and attack his lips instead. 

When the exhaustion finally won out, Ghost rolled over to lay next to him. Shoulders touching as they both desperately sucked air into their heaving chests. He internally winced as he registered the amount of bodily fluids that covered them where they lay. Ghost had never felt so disgusting but so blissful at the same time in his life. 

The blissful silence didn’t last long as Soap turned to look at Ghost, that stupid shit-eating grin plastered onto his face. “Next time, don’t forget the lube.”

“Next time?” Ghost questioned with a raise of a dark blond brow. 

The Scot’s responding smile had him looking like a psychopath while covered in blood. “Ye didn’t think ye were gettin’ away without me havin’ a turn with yer arse now did ye?” he replied with a kiss to Ghost’s nose. 

Before Ghost could crush any of Soap’s hope that was going to happen anytime soon, their heads both flicked to the deafening whir of an electric gear unlocking the room door. They both sat up, desperately clinging to the massacred white sheet draped across their lap. 

It was as if they were two deers in the headlights as Roach stood in the threshold, sliding his keycard back into his pocket before freezing mid-step when he finally looked up. Neither of them dared to say anything as the man scanned over what was once his bed, now crumpled onto the floor along with his blood-stained sheets. If Soap wasn’t sitting up, Ghost wouldn’t put it past Roach to conclude he had finally snapped and murdered the man once and for all. When he scanned over their naked bodies, that’s when the final nail went into the coffin. They were so dead. 

“What the ever-loving fuck is wrong with you two!?”

[techdriveplay]

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[as-is-yours]

happy 2024 summer olympics!

some tog watching the olympics hcs for the soul because i love the olympics and i decided they do too:

andy competed in the ORIGINAL greek olympics. yes she did

with the guard being as competitive as they are, the olympics are a BIG deal in the safe house - it’s like the football world cup but all day every day for three weeks straight

it’s obviously too dangerous for the guard to attend the olympics these days with all of the cameras and media, so they hunker down in a safehouse and watch as much as they can on TV

they used to go most years though, nicky even told nile that he considered competing in olympic shooting back in the mid 1900s but it was too high profile to risk it

quynh was in the ocean when they brought back the olympic games as we know them today. her first olympics year back with the guard she asks andy why everyone is clothed and where the victors wreaths are

nile LOVES the olympics so she fits right into the dynamic when the first olympics of her time with the guard roll around

she was a little nervous about coming on too strong that first year, but when she saw how hard they roast each other and how much they goaded her into being just as competitive and aggressive as they were, she settled in easily

they would later regret unlocking that part of her once they realize how painful watching the olympics with an american is

nile keeps a scoreboard on the wall next to the TV where she updates the medal counts daily and reminds everyone who’s winning (the usa)

joe, quynh, and booker prefer the summer olympics while nile and andy prefer the winter olympics. nicky is just happy to make some money off of booker when france loses, no matter the season

“andy im getting us a peacock account to watch the olympics, they’re starting next week” “peacock account? what the hell is peacock? like the bird??”

there’s ALWAYS a bet going on. for the full duration of the olympic games there is never not a bet going on

nile will be doing joe’s dishes for a month after kaylia nemour beat suni lee in the uneven bars final

booker owes nicky €300 after italy advanced out of the first round of the women’s doubles tennis tournament (france did not) and another €1000 for italy winning the gold medal

andy stays out of the betting for the most part, or just picks the best athlete rather than one representing her home nation

“andy, that’s cheating—” “the scythians were nomadic. i don’t even remember where i was born so i’ll pick whichever athlete i damn well please, and you—” “okay, fine! we get it!”

andy found quynh wandering in a desert, quynh doesn’t really remember where she’s from either so she picks her favorite athletes based on vibe and which countries were her favorites to travel around with andy

there aren’t nearly as many north african athletes as there are italian, french, and american so joe starts adopting the athletes with the most heartwarming comeback/underdog stories as his faves

i feel like nile LOVES usa gymnastics having been a teen watching gabby douglas and simone biles!

that girl was SAT for every gymnastics event cheering on team usa like it was her job

andy has broken her neck attempting to pull off the stunts she sees in olympic snowboarding, gymnastics, skateboarding, figure skating, etc…. but sometimes she nails them. and it’s sick as fuck

nile is from the midwest i know she’s an ice hockey enjoyer. she pregames the winter olympics by making the guard watch miracle (2004) (nicky cries)

booker makes a drinking game for watching the games. he prints out the rules and pins them up next to nile’s medal count. take a sip when an announcer starts yelling, a shot when a random celebrity is shown on the broadcast, and finish your drink when a medalist cries

whenever great britan places below one of the guard’s countries, copley receives a very vulgar and unsportsmanlike text from them

no, quynh does not watch swimming events. thank you for asking

the couch is NOT a safe space. anything goes during the olympics. anyone who gets too mean (or whose athlete loses) can and will be pushed off the couch and exiled to the armchair

i will surely update this as the olympics continue and my friends and i get up to more hijinks. stay tuned and enjoy the greatest sporting event ever conceived

[faynthearted]

a/n: a drabble for @rainy19days, who requested the boys having a snowball fight. I decided to extend upon the ski trip chapter from last year's Christmas update. enjoy! <3

-----

“This was the worst fucking idea.”

“You’re doing great,” He Tian says. He offers both gloved hands to Guan Shan, who sits flat on his ass in the middle of the slope. His thighs and calves burn from the exertion. His core has started to ache, too, from the effort of pulling himself back to his feet every time he falls. He has half a mind to unclasp his boots from his snowboard and walk the rest of the way down the mountain.

Guan Shan slaps away his hands. “I’m never doing this again,” he grumbles, a bit breathless, ski goggles pressing imprints on his face. He Tian smiles.

“Well, we’ve still got two nights left at the resort. I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of the trip in the saunas and hot tubs with you, though.”

Guan Shan gives him a look. “I’m sure you wouldn’t.”

He Tian winks, then offers his hands again. “Come on. We'll take a break at the lodge. I can carry you back down the slope again if you’d like,” he suggests warmly, and Guan Shan has a scathing rejection on his tongue when he suddenly hears Zheng Xi, further upslope.

“Left, Jian Yi! Left!”

There’s the sound of scraping snow, rapidly and frantically approaching from behind, and He Tian’s expression as he looks up tells Guan Shan there’s no avoiding what’s inevitably coming. He Tian reaches for him — to do what, Guan Shan has no idea — but there’s no use.

Guan Shan hears, “Oh shit!” before he’s plowed over by Jian Yi’s skis.

It knocks the breath out of him, a knee knocking his temple as he's shoved forward in a plume of snow, a momentary tangle of limbs and equipment leaving bruises underneath his outerwear. The impact is gone just as quickly as it came, leaving him disoriented. He’s going to feel this in the morning. He Tian curses.

When Guan Shan gets his bearings and pulls himself out of the snow, contorted and wheezing but intact, he looks up to find Jian Yi still on the move — slower, but still out of control. He’s in a half-squat, somehow upright, wobbling and flailing as his skis point directly downhill, quickly gaining speed again.

“I’m sorry!” he’s crying over his shoulder. “I can’t stop! Fuck me!”

“Fuckin’ — help him,” Guan Shan chokes out, because there’s a crowd of other skiers sharing the slope with them and the last thing they need is a lawsuit. He Tian, who narrowly managed to avoid becoming a casualty, grimaces as he helps brush snow off Guan Shan, holding his face, checking for injuries.

“I’ll help him alright,” he mutters, low. He turns to follow Jian Yi just as Zheng Xi catches up, skidding to a stop next to Guan Shan.

“Shit, you okay?” Zheng Xi asks, though he’s looking after the other two. They can hear Jian Yi's cries for help growing distant. He Tian is moving with purpose, weaving down the mountain.

“Concussed, maybe, but what’s fucking new. Help me up. He Tian is going to kill him.”

By the time Guan Shan and Zheng Xi find them at the bottom of the slope, it’s too late. He Tian has already dragged Jian Yi to the tree line to avoid traffic, his snowboard discarded. Jian Yi is scrambling backward in the snow, skis also unlatched from his boots, pleas falling flat as He Tian advances on him.

In a panic, Jian Yi flings a wad of snow at He Tian’s face. It all goes downhill from there.

He Tian and Jian Yi are wrestling on the ground as Guan Shan and Zheng Xi try to pull them apart. Jian Yi, seeking vengeance for the snow shoved down his jacket, continues slinging makeshift snowballs despite Guan Shan’s warnings to knock it off. Scruffing the back of He Tian’s jacket, Guan Shan is in the middle of telling him off for causing a scene when a stray snowball smacks against his goggles, ice slipping down his face. Everyone freezes.

“Okay,” Guan Shan growls, swiping it off. “Fuck this.”

Jian Yi has the good sense to run, dragging Zheng Xi with him. The four of them stumble and trip and race through the snow until Jian Yi decides to stand his ground along the side of one of the main cabins, Christmas lights strung along the roof. He and Zheng Xi maintain their self-preservation with a flurry of snowballs, which Guan Shan and He Tian return in kind, scooping up handfuls as they give chase.

The group runs circles around the cabin, ducking around corners, hiding behind trees, snowballs shattering against their bodies, and when Guan Shan looks at He Tian, there’s a thrill on his face that he realizes he hasn’t seen in years. Not since middle school. He looks just as young. Guan Shan feels just as young. But when Jian Yi and Zheng Xi eventually stoop behind a large tree stump, breathless and exhausted and calling for a truce, Guan Shan plops down on the ground, splayed out on his back, lungs heaving and burning from the labor and the cold. He Tian joins him, unceremoniously falling back.

When he feels like he's got enough oxygen back in him, Guan Shan turns his head to look at him in profile. He Tian’s eyes are closed as he catches his breath, small clouds escaping his open mouth. He’s flushed. Guan Shan never tires of seeing it.

Jian Yi comes into view above them, grinning.

“You good, Red?”

“Screw you,” Guan Shan mutters. He pushes his goggles up to his forehead, relieving the pressure, then adds: “Yeah. I’m good.”

“You’re sticking to the bunny slopes from now on,” Zheng Xi says, coming up from behind Jian Yi to pinch his red ear that was exposed sometime during the scuffle. Jian Yi yelps but Zheng Xi rubs away the pain before pulling his hat back down properly. “Until you can prove yourself, at least.”

Jian Yi groans. “The bunny slopes are for kids, Xixi. My pride can’t take that.”

“Yeah? Can your pride handle being sent to the ER because you crashed into a tree at Mach 5?”

“Well, I actually—”

“No,” Zheng Xi tells him. “I’m not letting you kill yourself out here. You’re lucky you only hit Guan Shan.”

“Lucky?” He Tian asks, and Guan Shan elbows him.

“You know what I mean,” Zheng Xi says. He reaches out to help He Tian up, and Jian Yi does the same for Guan Shan.

“C’mon, you grumpy people,” says Jian Yi, flinging an arm around Guan Shan and the other around He Tian. There's snow in their hair, melting into their clothes. Jian Yi squeezes them, elated. “Lunch is on me!"

[localdepressiongiver]

renga: snowboard the infinity

(I appologize for bad grammar in advanc, my first language isn't English, and if anyone wants to write a fan fiction with the same concept please do, just don't copy this one entirel)

Langas thoughts: "It took us a while for this moment, Adam has been defeated in skating, he's trying his best to act normal but.. wel atleast he's trying, the skating is fun, but summer vacation starts tomorrow, my mom wants me to go back to Canada, but atleast I won't go alone, Reki is comming with us, his mom thought that was okay, then maybe I can teach him how to snowboard.." Langa looks up, Reki is next to him, asleep. On his other side was his mother, also asleep, they were on the plane, flying in the sky to the Canada. Langa continues to think: "we can have fun, exactly how we used to when we were skating.. maybe not exactly, I mean there aren't any illegal races, but we can race togheter.."Langa was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize he was falling asleep. When he was asleep he started to lean against Reki, they slept like that for a couple of hours. Eventually his mom shook him awake, the plane was landing. Reki was also awake, seems like he already woke up. His mother gives him a brush to take care of his hair. "Finally awake, sleepy head?", Reki asks him. In response to that Langa just nods. The plane continued to fly for a few hours, those hours were mostly spend talking about plans of things they wanted to do once in Canada. After the landing they go to the hotel they'll be staying in, it has two rooms, one for Reki and Langa, and one for Langas mother. The three of them start to unpack their stuff. Reki lays down on his bed once done, staring at the ceiling with a smile, he seems excited. "Can you believe it? We're in Canada! You lived here your entire life.. I missed quite a lot.." Reki says. Langa looks at him with a smile. "That excited already?" Langa asks him. Reki sits up and nods. "You know, you should teach me how to snowboard, we could do that togheter." Langa nods when he heard Reki say that "alright, I'l teach you how to snowboard.. tomorrow." "Why only tomorrow, why not today?" Reki asks him. "So we can explore where we are first." Langa says. So that was their plan of that day, just exploring where they are. After every thing was out of their bags Reki and Langa went outside, Langa's mother decided to let them spend some time togheter. Outside they looked around where they were. It was clearly a tourist area, there were tourist shops and restaurants. They can see the slopes already from where they are, there is snow every where around them giving a cozy atmosphere. After a bit of walking they found an arcade. "We should go in there!" Reki says excitedly. Langa just nods, they go into the arcade. They had gotten some money from Langas mother to spend on food and stuff, so they could just play games. The next hours they spend playing games in the arcade, just having fun without any wories. It was fun, until Langa got hungry. "We should go back, my mom probably already started on dinner." Langa says. "Are you sure? But it's so fun here! Come on, are you really that hungry already?" Reki teases him. After a bit of playful fighting they go back to the hotel. The moment they open the door they are greeted by the smell of food, it smells good. They enter the room, they see his mother cooking spaghetti. "Ah! You two are back, sit down at the dinner table, dinner is ready in five minutes." She says with a smile. Reki and Langa sit down at the table, they continue to talk. After five minutes his mother joins them, with dinner. They continue to talk and eat. During dinner there is a cozy atmosphere. After dinner they continue to talk and joke around, but eventually they get tired and go to bed. Langa sees that Reki is stil in his phone, he seems to be texting someone. Langa doesn't want to seem noisy so he doesn't ask anything and falls asleep.

<Time skip to the next day>

Langa wakes up, he looks to the side, seeing Reki stil asleep in the other bed. "He's stil asleep.. today I'm going to teach him how to snowboard, just like how he reached me to skate.. we're gonna have so much fun.. maybe I should prepare breakfast for us..", Langa thinks. Langa quietly gets out of bed, leaving the room. He started cooking eggs and some bacon, to suprise Reki and his mom when they wake up. After a bit he heard a voice, "cooking for us? That's nice." Langa looks at the source and sees his mother with a smile. He gives her a plate. "Good morning.." His mom smiles, she sits down at the table, eating her breakfast. "Any plans for today?" Langa nods "yeah, I'm gonna teach him how to snowboard.." his mom smiles "that's a great idea! And maybe you can finally open up about your feelings to him" she teases him. Before Langa could respond the door to their bedroom opens and Reki comes out. "That smells nice.." he comments, Reki stil seems sleepy. Langa also gives him a plate. They all eat breakfast togheter while Langa was showing Reki snowboard videos. His mom watches them with a cheeky smile. After dinner they get their snowboarding gear. "Have fun you two! Your father would be so proud of you Langa!" His mother says excitedly. Reki nods and smiles. They pick up their boards and go outside, they go to the slopes. After lots of walking they start getting close to the slopes for where they can snowboard. They are going to the beginner slopes for Reki so he can practice. "This is insane!" Reki says excitedly. "You should wait for the tops." Langa says with a smile. They are surrounded by able, line trees and they can see other people snowboarding or skiing, it looks lively. There are people having fun, families talking, people falling when going down, all while they are going to a top. After a bit they arrive at a spot to practice. The next morning, they hit the beginner slopes. Langa taught with the calm of a seasoned pro, guiding Reki through the basics: stance, balance, turning. Reki fell. A lot. But every time, he got up laughing. They were laughing togheter, he didn't seem to mind failing, asking as they're having fun. Langa tries his best to learn Reki how to keep his balance. By the fifth time it seemed diffrent.. Reki was actually doing it, he was moving down and not falling. "You're doing it!" Langa calls out to him. Reki looks back "what did you-" he can't finish his sentence, looking back made him lose his balance and falls again. "Hey! You did that on purpose!" Reki sounds mock offended. "Sorry!" Langa calls back to him. They continue to practice and have fun. Until it happened again, Reki was doing it. He didn’t just stay upright—he moved. Smooth, instinctive turns. A natural rhythm. Even Langa blinked in surprise. "You sure this is your first time?" Langa asks him. Reki shrugged, adrenaline making his voice shaky. "Guess all that skating balance paid off." But Reki was smiling, he seemed proud of himself. "So, I did it good?" He then asks. Langa nods "yes, you did good.." By the end of the day, Reki was cruising down intermediate slopes, weaving past slower snowboarders with an almost reckless joy. They were just snowboarding togheter, having fun, without falling. Reki really was good at this... Langa felt proud of him, but he also felt something else.. he quickly pushed that feeling away and continued to snowboard with Reki.

<that night back in the hotel>

Langa was laying in his bed, staring at the ceiling, he can see Reki texting someone again. "Who are texting?" Langa asks him. "Oh.. my mom, I'm giving her updates on the vacation.. here! This is a picture that my mom send of what she and my sisters did today!" *Reki shows hin a picture of his sisters, they were making bracelets. Rekis mother must have taken that picture. Reki then takes his phone back and continues to text them. "Huh.. they seem to be having fun." Langa comments. Reki nods "they were having fun." Then there is a silence, wich is quickly broken by Reki. "Wanna go snowboarding again tomorrow?" He sounds excited. "Ofcourse.." Langa says. But something stil didn't feel right. Sure, Reki now also loves to snowboard, but he's good at it, and he learned so fast. Langa knows he should feel proud and happy for him, but something stil doesn't feel right.

<the next day back at the slopes>

"okay, so so you want to practice some more?" Langa asks Reki. Reki nods, they continue to practice, having fun. Reki then comes up with an idea "can you teach me how to jump with the snowboard?" Langa seems suprised but isn't against it, they go to another area where they can practice that. It's a practice park. The practice park wasn’t as crowded in the morning. A few locals were warming up, running rails and trying tricks off small ramps. Langa led Reki to the beginner line—modest snow jumps, about a foot or two tall. "These are good to start on," Langa said, pointing with his board. "It's all about your knees, balance, and commitment. You can’t hesitate mid-air. You’ll eat snow." Reki smirked. "Sounds just like an ollie." “It kind of is,” Langa admitted. "Except if you mess up, it’s not pavement. Just really cold punishment." Reki watched Langa demonstrate first. He carved cleanly toward the jump, crouched slightly, and then popped off the lip. His board leveled out midair before he landed smoothly on the slope. "Just like that," Langa said, looking over his shoulder. Reki rolled his shoulders and clicked his boots back into his bindings. "Alright. Let’s go." The first attempt was ugly. Reki approached too fast, panicked, leaned back at the last second-and caught his tail on the lip of the jump. He landed on his back with a THUMP that sent a spray of snow up around him. Langa slid to his side, laughing but concerned. "Are you okay?" Reki nods before he sat up, dazed but grinning. “I'm fine, but you weren’t kidding about cold punishment.” he stands up again with some help from Langa. "Try again. But this time: trust the air." Langa says. By the third run, Reki had figured it out. He didn’t just jump- he launched. Not high, not long, but with raw, undeniable potential.By the sixth run, he cleared the jump clean.By the ninth, he landed with style. And Langa, watching from the slope, felt his jaw slowly lower. “Reki,” he said as they rode the lift back up. “That was... good. Really good.” Reki leaned back against the chair, panting. “It’s like... I don’t know, my body just knows. Like the board wants to fly and I just have to stop fighting it.” Langa didn’t respond. His fingers tightened around the bar. Because Reki didn’t just look like he was getting the hang of it. He looked like he was born for it. Langa felt that feeling again, he doesn't know why, but he can't help but feel a bit bad, a feeling he hasn't had before but he doesn't understand it. "How can he do this already? It took me months to do that.. how did he do that already?" Langa thinks. "Something on your mind?" Reki asks, notecing that Langa seems to be deep in thoughts. "I'm fine, it's nothing." Langa quickly shrugs it off. "Alright, if you say so.." Reki responds. They then continue you to snowboard, going to higher ramps, just practicing and having fun. Langa can't help but notice the bad feeling growing, he just doesn't understand what it is.

<time skip back in the hotel>

"finally back?" Langas mother asks them. "Yes! And I even learned how to do jump!" Reki says, he sounds happy and proud. "Really? That's great! So us my son is a great teacher?" She asks smiling. "You bet he is! He is the best teacher! Reki responds happily. "Well, he learned it from the best!" His mom says hinting at langas father. "They seem so happy. How can she mention him that happily?" Langa thinks to himself. Langa listens to them talk, well not really listening, he's to lost in his thoughts for that. They eventually eat dinner togheter again. "You know, me and his father snowboarded here togheter." Langa hears his mom say. "Really? That's so cool!" Reki responds. "Yes really, I mean, I was terrible at it, but his father.. he was amazing, he moved around like it was nothing, taking the highest jumps.. hehe.. and there I was, falling constantly, but he tried his best to help me.." his mother said, she seems nostalgic. His mother continues to talk about his father during dinner, Langa doesn't get how she can talk about him without feeling sad. After dinner they watch a movie. Langa can't help but fall asleep, he started to lean on Reki while he was asleep. The next morning when he wakes up they're stil on the couch, cuddled up togheter with a blanket over them. Langa seems suprised but doesn't mind that much, he's actually kinda happy to wake up like this.after enough of asking Reki convinced Langa to go snowboarding again. It snowed lightly overnight, and the mountain was blanketed in fresh powder. Reki was already strapping into his bindings by the time Langa stepped out of the hotel. "You’re really not wasting any time, huh," Langa said, tugging on his gloves. Reki shot him a quick grin. "Can’t help it. I was dreaming about jumps all night." Langa forced a smile, but something in his chest twisted. He wasn’t used to seeing Reki like this,- laser-focused, obsessed, even more than he ever was with skating. Reki had always been good, yeah -but now he was improving fast. Too fast. Still, Langa told himself it was fine. They were here to have fun. This was fun. Right?

<back on the slopes>

By mid-morning, they were back in the terrain park, and Reki was flying.He nailed every jump from the beginner line and moved up to the medium kickers without hesitation. On his second try, he cleared it. On his fourth, he spun a small 180. It wasn’t clean, but it was there. "Did you see that?" Reki shouted, spraying snow as he skidded to a stop.Langa nodded slowly. "Yeah. I saw." Reki was buzzing, bouncing on his feet. "Man, I felt that! The moment I left the jump—it was like I knew where I was in the air. My board just listened." Langa swallowed. "Try it again. A little more rotation." Reki nodded and hiked back up.And Langa... hesitated. He’d meant to jump with Reki today. He’d even waxed his board early to keep up. But now-watching Reki hit those jumps with growing confidence-he found himself second-guessing. Not out of fear. Out of something uglier. They took a break in the afternoon, sitting by the lift with a pair of vending-machine sandwiches and sports drinks. Reki scarfed his down in two bites, eyes still lit like fireworks."I think I’m gonna try the box rail tomorrow," he said, licking mustard off his fingers. "Do you think I’m ready?"Langa paused with his sandwich halfway to his mouth. "The rail? That’s... fast." Reki tilted his head. "Is it too fast?" "No," Langa said, then again, quieter: "No. You’re probably ready." Reki frowned slightly, but didn’t press. He looked out at the slope. "It’s weird, you know. I thought snowboarding would feel like skating in winter gear. But it’s different. It’s like... it has its own rhythm. You don’t fight gravity you ride with it." Langa said nothing. Because Reki had said almost the exact words his dad once told him. Later that evening, back at the cabin, Reki passed out early on the couch, his cheeks still flushed from the cold, legs tangled in a blanket. Langa sat on the floor, back against the couch, watching an old video of himself snowboarding with his dad. The screen showed a ten-year-old Langa laughing as he stomped his first full spin. His dad clapped from behind the camera. "That's my boy!" Langa didn’t smile. He looked at the screen, then back at Reki. Then quietly turned the video off. Langa sighs and carefully picks Reki up, bringing him to bed.

<the next day>

It was still dark when Langa woke to the sound of wind whispering against the cabin windows. The fire had burned out. The air was quiet, heavy with the kind of stillness that comes before something changes. He didn’t move at first. Just lay there in bed, wrapped in a blanket, listening to the silence. Today was their last day in Canada. Tomorrow, they’d be back in Okinawa. Back to skateboards, asphalt, and ocean breezes. Back to familiar things. And yet... Langa didn’t want to go... Not yet. Reki, of course, was already dressed when Langa shuffled into the kitchen. "Dude! Morning!" Reki chirped through a mouthful of cereal. His cheeks were flushed, eyes blazing. "Last chance to hit that box rail. I can feel it. Today’s the day." Langa grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee slowly. "We don’t have a lot of time. We still have to pack." "Yeah, after! We’ve got hours," Reki insisted. "C’mon, man. Don’t bail on me now." Langa looked up, eyes a little duller than usual. "I wasn’t planning to." Reki didn’t seem to notice the strain. "You coming too, right? Maybe show me one of your old comp tricks?" Langa hesitated. "Sure," he said, voice quiet. "One last run."

<back at the slopes>

The snow was softer that morning, fresh powder resting like dust on every surface. The terrain park gleamed under a pale sky, the sun struggling behind clouds.Reki was already warmed up, flying over the same medium jumps like they were nothing. Langa stood at the top of the line, watching. It wasn’t just that Reki was good now.It was that he was better. His landings were solid. His movement-instinctive. He didn’t think anymore. He just moved. Langa finally understood what those bad feelings were. And that twist inside Langa’s chest-jealousy, fear, pride-only tightened. He finally understood his feelings. “All right,” Reki called, pointing to the narrow box rail near the end of the park. "I’m doing it." Langa’s eyes flicked to the rail. It wasn’t dangerous exactly, but it was precise. One wrong angle, and Reki could slip off. Worse, catch an edge and slam. "You should practice the approach once or twice," Langa said carefully. "Just feel it out before you commit." Reki looked at him, blinking. "You think I’m not ready?" "That’s not what I said." Reki paused. "No, but it’s what you meant, right?" Langa looked down. "I just don’t want you to get hurt." Reki's voice lost its usual edge. "Or... you don’t want me to pass you." Langa looked up sharply. Reki’s expression wasn’t angry-but it wasn’t laughing, either. "Langa," he said slowly, "I didn’t come here to beat you. I just... I found something I love, and I ran with it. Isn’t that what you did?" Langa opened his mouth.. then closed it. Because the answer hurt more than he expected. Reki then shakes his head and drops the topic. Langa’s heart leapt into his throat. Reki hit the approach clean: he bent his knees, arms out, board locked in. He landed the rail... Perfectly. And as he skidded to a stop, spraying powder into the air and throwing his arms up in triumph, Langa felt something inside him snap loose. Not anger nor sadness. But the deep, quiet fear of being left behind.

<Reki's pov>

"why is this happening? Maybe it was an mistake comming here... but I finally found something I'm good at.. I'm even beter at this then I am at skating.." Reki thinks to himself, he looks up to see where Langa is, realizing he's not there. "Langa has probably left to pack his things.. or maybe talk to his mother.." Reki waited at the base of the hill for a while, trying not to let it bother him. "Maybe he just went to the other side of the park. Maybe he was getting his board. Or filming. Or something." Reki thinks. But after five minutes, ten minutes, twenty...Nothing. “Guess he left,” Reki muttered, brushing snow off his jacket. "This trip-it was supposed to be our thing. Langa showing me his world. Laughing, falling, learning. I never expected to be good at snowboarding. I thought I’d crash, flail around, maybe land one clean run before we went home. But now... Now it’s like I found this version of myself I didn’t even know existed. Confident... Free. And I didn’t realize how much I needed that until now. Maybe it was a mistake coming here. No... no, that’s not true. I wanted this. I still do. I’ve never felt more alive. But-Why can’t he be happy for me?" But then... a cold memory trickles into the back of his mind. Langa racing against Adam. Langa breaking limits. Langa getting so good at skating that Reki felt like he couldn’t breathe standing next to him. "Maybe he feels like I did. When I thought I’d lost him. When it felt like I couldn’t catch up. Should I apologize to him? For what, though? For getting good at something? For not sucking long enough?But... if it hurts him, even a little... then maybe I do owe him something... He’s probably gone back to the hotel. To pack. Or maybe to talk to his mom.Maybe to get away from me. And somehow, that hurts worse than any fall I’ve taken." Reki thinks.

<back to langas pov, meantime>

He didn’t mean to leave without saying anything. But he also didn’t mean to stay and feel that: the tight, cold knot in his chest when Reki landed the rail. The explosion of the crowd in his mind that never came. Because the only person who mattered wasn’t watching.It wasn’t jealousy. Not exactly. It was... loss. Like watching a bird take flight and realizing it might not come back.He unlaced his boots slowly, fingers stiff, then sat on the edge of the bed in the room he and Reki had shared all week. The room was warm, cozy. It had the smell of pine and melted wax and whatever shampoo Reki used. It felt hollow now. Every board in the corner, every hoodie draped over a chair-it was all them. This trip, this place, the memory of Reki laughing as he faceplanted into a snowdrift on day one-it was carved into everything.And now, all he could think was: "I ruined it.. I ruined this vacation.. hos view of me.. I ruined us.. but.. was there an us in the first place? Did I even have a chance..?" The door swung open. Langa looked up fast. Reki stood in the doorway, flushed from the cold, boots dripping slush onto the floor. His goggles hung around his neck, and he looked- Conflicted, relieved, angry, and worst of all he looks hurt. "…Hey," Reki said, voice lower than usual. Langa opened his mouth but couldn’t form words fast enough.Reki stepped inside and closed the door behind him with a soft click. "You left." "I know." "You didn’t even say anything." Langa looked down at his hands. "I didn’t know what to say." Reki dropped his gear bag onto the floor. "You could’ve said ‘nice job.’ Or ‘that was sick.’ Or literally anything that didn’t feel like you were disappearing on me." Langa winced. "I wasn’t trying to disappear." "You did." Silence stretched out between them. The hum of the heater was suddenly too loud. "I landed it, Langa," Reki said, quieter now. "The rail. You saw it, right?" "I did." Reki paused. "And?" Langa’s voice was barely a whisper. "You were amazing." "…Then why do you look like you hate that I was?" Langa stood, finally facing him. "Because I wasn’t ready for you to be better than me." Reki blinked. Langa’s hands curled into fists at his sides. "I know that sounds selfish. It is selfish. But when we skate, even when you struggled, we were still side by side. You were my reason to push harder. You made me want to be better. And now-" "You feel like I’m leaving you behind," Reki finished. Langa nodded once, tightly. Reki exhaled, stepping closer. "Langa, I get it. I do. Because I was you once, remember? When you beat Adam, and I couldn’t even land a trick without spiraling? I know what it’s like to look at your best friend and wonder if they even need you anymore." Langa’s chest ached. "But I never wanted to leave you behind," Reki said. "I just… found something that lit me up. Like skating lit you up." Langa’s voice cracked when he asked, "So what happens now?" Reki looked at him—really looked at him—and smiled, a little sad, a little bright. "We go back. We skate. We talk. And if we need space to grow, we give it. But we don’t stop being us. Not for anything." Langa stepped forward.And for the first time in days, the knot inside his chest loosened. "…I’m sorry," he whispered. Reki bumped his shoulder gently. "Me too." They stood there, boards leaning in the corner, bags half-packed, the morning light spilling into the hotel room- And the weight of what almost broke between them finally lifted.

Langa silently looks at him. "I have one more thing to confess.." Langa says hesitantly. "That is?" Reki asks him. "So remember when I said 'Reki my love.. for skating'..?" "Yes, I remember that." Reki says, he sounds slightly confused. "Well, I actually wanted to confess to you, but I freaked out at the last moment, and my mom isn't here yet, so.. I geuss I should now.." Langa is looking down at his hands not even able to look Reki in the eyes. "So, wanna.. go.. out.. with me..." Langa asks hesitantly, finally looking up. Reki was blushing slightly. "Ofcourse.. ofcourse I will..." After that they just cuddled until Langas mother was back. After that they went back to Okinawa.

[polo-drone-084]

Grayden's Golden Pokémon Tourney

Grayden was a Pokemon champ before joining the Golden Army. Right after joining he took a photo with his fan created Golden Pokemon. The one time mascot of his Twitch channel. But he stopped playing to focus on being the buff mascot the team needed. No more nerdy stuff.

After a few months with the team a thought filled Grayden's mind to help Scott and the bros recruit more members. What if he got his old nerdy friends to help him enter a Pokémon tournament and transform all the loser nerds there into Golden Army bros?

The team loved Grayden's plan, even if they thought he'd stand out in a crowd of nerds. They gave him a bunch of musky kits for the recruitment and wished Grayden luck.

Grayden's nerdy friends were eager to help after being subjected to Grayden's musk. He promised them a spot on the team too if he did well at the tournament.

Grayden was ready with his team of a shiny, golden Azumarill Custom gold Cinderace Already gold Gholdengho Custom gold Passimian Mascot Corviknight And his needed sweeper, the trusty Mamoswine.

The crowd of nerds were shocked as Grayden won match after match, easily advancing to the quarterfinals and then the semifinals.

They wondered how a jock like him was so good…

The semifinals were a close bout, best 2 out of three. After losing match one, Grayden was able to overcome, win out, and advance to the finals.

Before the final match, Grayden used his status to advertise the team. A bunch of eager nerds took the golden kits not even knowing they were becoming members of the team. It didn't take long until Grayden had a large group of golden nerds cheering him on, but he could tell the kits were making them all more muscular, one was even drooling.

As Grayden went up to face his final opponent he noticed the nerd smiling back at him. He introduced himself as Jon and congratulated Grayden for overcoming the odds and making it this far. Grayden thanked Jon, while also thinking how good he would look in gold, before taking his place for the bout of 5 matches.

The matches started with Jon winning match one, then Grayden winning matches two and three. Jon clutched a win in match 4 bringing it to a tiebreaking fifth round.

Grayden's sweeper, Mamoswine made quick work of half of Jon's team before Jon retaliated back taking out Mamoswine, Passimian, Azumarill, and Corviknight with an overpowered Tinkaton. But Grayden's Cinderace, the soccer bunny Pokemon was a great counter knocking out the hammer wielding Tinkaton and Jon's fifth Pokemon. Until it came down to a two-on-one. It looked like Grayden had this clinched until down went Cinderace.

Grayden was left with the Golden Pokemon, Gholdengo. Sure it was more oriented towards snowboarding, but the gold of the mon made him love it as his ace. The match continued, until finally with one well time Shadow Ball… Grayden won it all.

The fans were cheering and the announcers were in shock.

Grayden invited his fellow quarterfinalists to join him on stage. He noticed all of them, except Jon we're already wearing the golden kits of the team. The 6 transformed nerds were given new names to themselves as Ryan, Michael, Matt, Danny, Drew, and Luke.

Grayden congratulated Ryan who had 60 on his jersey (his transformed semifinals opponent) on a good third place finish, saying he'll make a great member of the Golden Army. Ryan hugged his new bro before returning to the sidelines.

You'd expect the crowd to be shocked, but most of them had also been transformed. And some just didn't care, thinking it was just a marketing gimmick.

Then Grayden looked at Jon. The nerd was so handsome, he'd be even more handsome as a jock like him. He handed Jon a jersey with the number 89 on it and gave him a long celebratory hug as Jon transformed. It didn't take long for Jon to become Jordan.

The announcers didn't know how to react, but they just congratulated Grayden Gold for his winning team.

Grayden took the mic and thanked The Golden Army, Captain Richard, and his nerdy friend Justin who he was sure would get a nice reward.

Grayden hoisted up the trophy and his new bros stood behind. He wasn't only a Pokémon Master, he was a fucking hot stud who just recruited over a dozen new bros for the team. He knew Scott and Captain Richard would be proud.

Grayden happily walked into the team locker room. Placing his trophy in the trophy case.

Behind him followed Jordan 89, Ryan 60, and the newly transformed Justice 37 who used to be Grayden's nerdy friend, Justin.

It wouldn't take long for the team to embrace their new bros. And Grayden knew plenty more weren't far behind.

[joshth647-v2]

The full soundtrack for my fan """""project"""" (fictional game, in fact), Sonic the Hedgehog: Carnival Adventure 2! It's got like... 2 less songs than SCA1, but it's still a lot! (92 vs 95)[Based off of the TADC Carnival AU by @/sm-baby]

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Full song listing under the cut!

1-01: Title Screen - Title (Sonic Advance 3)

1-02: Main Menu - History (Sonic Mega Collection [Plus])

1-03: Data Select - Data Select Remix (Sonic the Hedgehog 3)

1-04: Hub World 1 - Extras (Sonic the Hedgehog '06)

1-05: Circus Festival Zone Act 1 - Casino Park (Sonic Heroes)

1-06: Minor Boss - Boss Theme (Sonic Advance 2)

1-07: Circus Festival Zone Act 2 - Casino Park Remix (Sonic Heroes)

1-08: Stage Clear - Stage Clear (Sonic Generations)

1-09: Boss Battle Phase 1 - Boss Theme (Sonic Advance 3)

1-10: Autumn Island Zone Act 1 - Azure Blue World Remix (Sonic Adventure)

1-11: Stage Clear (X Rank) - Act Clear Funky Remix (Sonic the Hedgehog 3)

1-12: Autumn Island Zone Act 2 - Emerald Coast Act 2 (Sonic Generations 3DS)

1-13: Boss Battle Phase 2 - Boss Pinch (Sonic Advance 3)

1-14: Item Shop - Options Menu (Sonic Advance 3)

1-15: Verdant Kingdom Zone Act 1 - Deep Woods (Sonic and the Black Knight)

1-16: Bonus Stage 1 - Gumball Machine Bonus (Sonic the Hedgehog 3)

1-17: Verdant Kingdom Zone Act 2 - Deep Woods Remix (Sonic and the Black Knight)

1-18: Hub World 2 - Soleanna Town (Sonic the Hedgehog '06)

1-19: Studio Chaos Zone Act 1 - Lights, Camera, Action! Remix (Sonic Mania)

1-20: Studio Chaos Zone Midboss - Hi-Spec Robo Go! Remix (Sonic Mania)

1-21: Studio Chaos Zone Act 2 - Prime Time Remix (Sonic Mania)

1-22: Studio Chaos Zone Boss - Boss Battle 1 (Sonic 3D Blast [Genesis])

1-23: Twisted Towers Zone Act 1 - Techno Tower Act 1 (Sonic Frenzy)

1-24: Twisted Towers Zone Act 2 - Techno Tower Act 2 (Sonic Frenzy)

1-25: Challenge Menu - Skill Shop/2P Results (Sonic Generations)

2-01: Invincibility - Still Invincible... No Fear! (Sonic Adventure 2)

2-02: Speed Shoes - Speed Shoes Theme (Sonic Before the Sequel)

2-03: Perilous Park Zone Act 1 - Casino Forest (Sonic Forces)

2-04: Perilous Park Zone Act 2 - Casino Forest Jahn Davis Remix (Sonic Forces)

2-05: Perilous Park Zone Act 3 - Casino Forest Remix (Sonic Forces)

2-06: Bonus Stage 2 - Pinball Bonus/Trap Tower (Sonic Mania)

2-07: Bonus Stage 3 - Circus Caravan (Sonic Lost World)

2-08: Heavenly Shrine Zone Act 1 - Angel Island Zone Act 1 (Sonic Advance)

2-09: Heavenly Shrine Zone Act 2 - Angel Island Zone Act 2 (Sonic Advance)

2-10: Diamond Valley Zone Act 1 - Snowy Mountain (Sonic Adventure)

2-11: Diamond Valley Zone Act 2 - Ice Cap Zone Act 1 Remix (Sonic the Hedgehog 3)

2-12: Diamond Valley Zone Act 3 (Snowboard Section) - Be Cool, Be Wild, and Be Groovy (Sonic Adventure)

2-13: Mini Games - Special Stage (Sonic Advance 1 & 2)

2-14: Movie Theatre - Gallery/Data Select (Sonic Generations)

2-15: The Museum - Advertise: Rhythmic Passage (Sonic Adventure 2)

2-16: Character Select - Games/Manuals (Sonic Mega Collection [Plus])

2-17: Locust Desert Zone Act 1 - Sandopolis Zone Act 1 (Sonic the Hedgehog 3)

2-18: Locust Desert Zone Act 2 - Arid Sands Night (Sonic Unleashed)

2-19: Marina Ruins Zone Act 1 - Tidal Tempest Zone Present JPN (Sonic the Hedgehog CD)

2-20: Marina Ruins Zone Act 2 - Tidal Tempest Zone Past (Sonic the Hedgehog CD)

2-21: Marina Ruins Zone Act 3 - Tidal Tempest Zone Good Future JPN Remix (Sonic the Hedgehog CD)

2-22: Challenge 1 - Toxic Caves (Sonic Spinball)

2-23: Challenge 2 - Leaf Forest Zone Act 1 (Sonic Advance 2)

2-24: Challenge 3 - Sand Road: Lap Music (Team Sonic Racing)

2-25: Challenge 4 - Cyberspace 1-5: Dropaholic (Sonic Frontiers)

2-26: Challenge 5 - Main Theme Remix (The Amazing Digital Circus)

2-27: Challenge Clear! - Stage Clear (Sonic Colors)

2-28: Stage/Challenge Results - S Rank Results (Sonic Generations)

3-01: Fiery Monolith Zone Act 1 - Hot Crater Zone Act 1 (Sonic Advance 2)

3-02: Fiery Monolith Zone Act 2 - Hot Crater Zone Act 2 (Sonic Advance 2)

3-03: Hyper Sneakers - Invincibility (Sonic the Hedgehog 2 [SMS/GG]

3-04: Time Attack Menu - D.A. Garden (Sonic the Hedgehog CD)

3-05: Wardrobe Room - Options Menu/System: Select (Sonic Generations)

3-06: Rocket Stadium Zone Act 1 - Under Logic (Streets of Rage 2)

3-07: Rocket Stadium Zone Act 2 - Under Logic Remix (Streets of Rage 2)

3-08: Dream Dimension Zone Act 1 - The Amazing Water (NiGHTS into Dreams...)

3-09: Dream Dimension Zone Act 2 - Suburban Museum (NiGHTS into Dreams...)

3-10: Dream Dimension Zone Act 3 - Paternal Horn (NiGHTS into Dreams...)

3-11: Dream Dimension Zone Boss - VS. Frigate Orcan & Frigate Skullian (Sonic Colors)

3-12: Chao Garden 1 - Neutral Garden (Sonic Adventure 2)

3-13: Chao Garden 2 - Hero Garden (Sonic Adventure 2)

3-14: Chao Garden 3 - Dark Garden (Sonic Adventure 2)

3-15: Super Sonic & Tails - Super Sonic Theme (Sonic Colors)

3-16: Super Pomni - Unused Super Sonic Theme (Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Prototype)

3-17: Galactic Foundry Zone Map - Gene Gadget Zone Act 1 (Sonic 3D Blast [Genesis])

3-18: Galactic Foundry Zone Act 1 - Egg Utopia Zone Act 1 (Sonic Advance 2)

3-19: Galactic Foundry Zone Clear - Stage Clear (Sonic Unleashed)

3-20: Galactic Foundry Zone Act 2 - Egg Utopia Zone Act 2 Sonic Advance 2)

3-21: Galactic Foundry Zone Boss - VS. Egg Dragoon (Sonic Unleashed/Sonic Generations)

3-22: Calm Before the Storm - Cutscene: The Power (Sonic Rush Adventure)

3-23: Vortex Frontier Zone - Deep Core Remix (Sonic Rush Adventure)

3-24: Final Boss Cutscene - Extra Demo 1 (Sonic Advance 3)

3-25: Final Boss Phase 1 - Ruby Illusions Jahn Davis Remix (Sonic Mania)

3-26: Final Boss Phase 2 - Ruby Illusions Metal Remix (Sonic Mania)

3-27: Final Boss Phase 3 - Ruby Illusions Symphonic Metal Cover (Sonic Mania)

3-28: Ending Cutscene - Ending A (Sonic Advance 3)

3-29: Credits Theme - Staff Roll (Sonic Advance 3)

4-01: Level Select - Character Select Remix (Sonic Advance 2)

Songs below are for the unlockable stages!

4-02: Mushroom Hill Zone Act 1 - Mushroom Hill Act 1 (Sonic Generations [3DS])

4-03: Mushroom Hill Zone Act 2 - Mushroom Hill Act 2 (Sonic Generations [3DS])

4-04: Rooftop Run Act 1 - Rooftop Run Act 1 (Sonic Generations)

4-05: Rooftop Run Act 2 - Rooftop Run Act 2 (Sonic Generations)

4-06: Chaotic Shrine Zone [Heavenly Shrine Zone Act 3] - Chaos Angel Zone Act 3 (Sonic Advance 3)

4-07: Heavenly Shrine Zone Boss 1 - Mecha Knuckles (Sonic Advance)

4-08: Heavenly Shrine Zone Boss 2 - VS. Egg Gravity (Sonic Advance 3)

4-09: Windmill Isle Act 1 - Windmill Isle Day: Act 1 (Sonic Unleashed)

4-10: Windmill Isle Act 2 - Windmill Isle Day: Act 2 (Sonic Unleashed)

4-11: Heavenly Shrine Zone (16bit) - Seaport Isle Zone Act 3/Sonic Advance Angel Island Zone Act 1 (Sonic Thrash)

4-12: Galactic Foundry Zone Bonus Act - Egg Fortress Zone Act 1 Remix (Sonic Superstars)