Figured that posting mostly incorrect quotes of our lovely Task Force 141 and Los Vaqueros (+ El Sin a.k.a cartel mommâ I mean Valeria Garza) is too easy. So I figured to do something new to challenge myself.
Also, this is my first time(ish) to do a full paragraph story/image/one shot/whateverthisis. So the explanation of the actions or the plot of the story may or may not confuse you.
This is gender neutral by the way. Happy reading.
Oh and by the way, be ready to cringe because English is not my mother tongue.
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The Task Force 141 fortunately finished a successful mission. They have carefully eliminated the threat that couldâve doom half of the living things on Earth. To celebrate their hard work, all Task Force 141 members, including Laswell, decided to throw a picnic lunch party somewhere in a park. (Y/n) recommended a park, a particularly park where they always go for their daily run before going on a mission.
When (Y/n) first discovered the park, they were surprised of how It looked so undisturbed. As if no one has been there before. Because of this, (Y/n) found this park suitable for a rowdy, yet lovable, bunch.
Soap thought that he was to arrive first as the park seems to be empty. Heck, he even thought he went to the wrong park. But as it turns out, he was in the right park and that (Y/n) was already there. As he gets closer to the early bird, Soap smiled and raised a hand to greet them but stopped himself as he sees the serious expression that they have on their face.
(Y/n)âs elbows are on their lap, mimicking a pillar. Their hands were locked together and are used to bury their nose. Soap furrowed his brows, wondering what could be bothering them. Being closer as he was before, Soap called out to them.
âHey (N/n)!â Soap called out. Their head perked up.
Whatâs with the serious face? Thought that this was supposed to be a joyous day?â Soap said and stopped right next to them. (Y/n) sighed and closed their eyes, finally letting their hands down but still kept their elbows on their lap.
âJohnny boy,â (Y/n) replied, âyou might want to sit down for thisâŚâ
And so he did.
*10 mins later*
Gaz thought that he was to arrive first as the park seems to be empty. Heck, he even thought he was on the wrong park. As it turns out, he was in the right park and that (Y/n) and Soap were already there. As he gets closer to the early birds, Soap smiled and raised a hand to greet them but stopped himself as he sees the serious expression that they have on their face.
(Y/n)âs elbows were on their lap, mimicking a pillar. Their hands were locked together and are used to bury their nose. Soapâs posture copied them. Gaz furrowed his brows, wondering what could be bothering them. Being closer as he was before, Gaz called out to them.
â(Y/n)! Soap!â Gaz called out. The twoâs head perked up.
âWhatâs wrong? Thought that this was supposed to be a joyous day?â Gaz said and stopped right next to them. Soap sighed and closed his eyes, finally letting his hands down but still kept his elbows on his lap.
âWell Gaz, you might want to sit down for this.â Soap said.
And so he did.
*5 mins later*
âWhere are they?â Price, Ghost, and Laswell walked through the park. The food felt heavy on their hands. (Y/n) had gone ahead with the paper plates, plastic spoons, forks, and cups.
âAre we even on the right park?â Price questioned as he looked around the empty park.
âWell, this is the address (Y/n) sent,â Laswell said putting her phone on her pocket âWe should look further.â
Price and Ghost nodded and continued to go further the park. Finally, they see the three troublemakers. Surprisingly, they werenât goofing around as they always been when they were put together. Instead, the three were sitting on a bench with a serious expression. Their elbows were on their lap, mimicking a pillar. Their hands were locked together and are used to bury their nose.
This worried Price. He didnât want to admit it, but he prefer to see them goof around than being serious. Even after a successful mission.
â(Y/n)! Soap! Gaz!â Price called out. The threeâs head perked up.
âWhy are you three looks so serious?â The captain questioned as he stopped right next to the three. Ghost and Laswell behind him.
Gaz sighed and closed his eyes, finally letting his hands down but still kept his elbows on his lap. His head dipped between his shoulders, avoiding eye contact.
âWell, captain, you might want to sit down for this.â Gaz said, his head still dipped between his shoulders.
Price looked behind him. Making an eye contact with Ghost and Laswell. Laswell shrugged while Ghost stood there, they were worried as well but didnât want to show it. Price nodded and sat down on the empty space next to Gaz, putting the warm goodies on his lap.
As he sat down, he couldâve swore that the two beside Gaz snorted but was covered by coughing.
âWell,â Price insisted âGet on with it.â
Gaz cleared his throat
âThe bench is freshly paintedâŚâ
Silence
The captain was flabbergasted. Laswell was amused, but hid her expression by looking away. Ghost pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering a âfuckinâ hellâ under his breath. (Y/n), Soap, and Gaz.. Well.. Theyâre breathing heavily to avoid from laughing, the sound of snorting could be heard from them from the attempt.
End Point
Bonus
âRUN AWAY!â (Y/n) shouted while laughing
Soap and Gaz followed behind them, laughing as well.
âGET YOUR BLOODY ASSES BACK HERE NOW!â Price shouted, chasing after them.
Laswell and Ghost stayed behind to set up the food, enjoying the energy that the three had created. They needed the laugh.
âHAVE MERCY ON US, CAPTAIN!â
â
The fresh painted bench is base on a incorrect quote
You forgot your lunch at home, so simon decides to show up at your workplace with it and like the dumbass he is still has some gear on, the eyepaint and skeleton balaclava so all of your coworkers are gossiping about the very scary but
V e r y hot guy arguing with security that he's just here to meet his S/O, and not cause trouble. Of course you've never mentioned that your partner was a 6'2+ military British guy so you have a LOT of questions to answer once he finally manages to leave without the cops being called.
The way I squealed when I saw this in my inbox - this is the cutest thing I've ever seen. Nonnie your brain is delicious.
Lunch Date - Simon 'Ghost' Riley x F!Reader
Strong language - no other warnings apply.
The strangest things can become close friends to us should we experience them enough. What is normal for one, might be outlandishly alarming for another, and vice versa. For Simon those things included; Death, Duty, and an M27. So when he returned from the base after a rough training exercise, still kitted out in full tac gear, balaclava and all; he didnât even think when he spotted your carefully prepped lunch bag on the counter top. He simply sighed, huffed something under his breath that resembled âshe wonât eat', and wandered out the door without a second thought.
It didnât strike him until the moment he wandered in front of the reception, swiftly confronted by two aggressive security guards pointing guns at him, that he had wandered in there dressed like some sort of terrorist.
He doesnât even get as far as asking for you, the first you hear of it is when Sandy comes back up to the office from her lunch break with a startled look on her face and the team flock to her for the gossip.
âThereâs some insane man here with a suspicious package.â She whispers, excitement laced underneath her frightened tone âSecurity are dealing with him, but heâs huge - and, why the hell would someone want to target this place? I mean, we have nothing here but a broken coffee machine and a stack of unfinished paperwork.â
âA bomb might actually solve that paperwork problemâ Another of your co-workers mumbles grumpily.
You donât make any kind of connection until Sandy utters something about âdressed as a skeletonâ and your ears prick up.
âA skeleton?â
âYeah - big skull painted on his balaclava. Do you think heâs with some sort of gang?â
Any sane person would have stayed in the office, but your gut told you that this was no normal skull balaclava wearing intruder. This was your skull balaclava wearing intruder.
You race down the stairs and spot Simon, less than gracefully, attempting to avoid confusion with the security guards. They have their guns raised, but instead of putting his arms by the side of his head like anyone else would, out of instinct. Simon was waving them around as he loudly declared his innocence to them.
One of the guards attempts to step closer to him, shouting for him to get out of the building and nudging him in the shoulder with the butt of his gun. Simon barely moves under the smaller man's strength and instead responds by pushing the man in his chest and knocking him clean onto the floor.
âDonât fucking touch me-â He spits âYou fucking muppets.â
âSimon!â You shout, attempting to draw his attention and prevent him from escalating the situation anymore.
His head snaps to you and his shoulders instantly drop from their tightened position on his shoulders. You get a good look at him as you run to his side. Itâs true, he still has on his balaclava. He still has everything on - black face paint and all.
Why the fuck was he here dressed like that.
âYou know this clown?â The second security guard shouts over to you as he helps his friend off the floor.
âClown!?â Simon questions aggressively taking a step towards the men, they take a few hasty steps backwards.
âBabe.â You manage to reach him and grab hold of his shoulders just in time. You use what strength you can to influence him and force him to turn towards you. âWhat the fuck are you doing here in your work gear?â
âI didnât fucking realise-â Simon, waves his hands defeatedly â-And this pair of fuckwits wouldnât let me explain that Iâm just here to drop off some sandwiches and a packet of fucking crisps.â
âSimon, you still have knives strapped across your chest - what are they supposed to think?â
He doesnât seem to have a response, instead he simply holds out your lunch bag for you to take, as innocently as if he were here dressed in a casual pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
âI also got you a coffee on the way, itâll be cold now.â He extends his other arm with the to-go cup and looks accusingly at the two guards.
âYou really came all the way out here like this just to give me my lunch?â
He shrugs,
âI knew you wouldnât eat, if I didn't.â
Your heart melts. Simon Riley was an expert and tactical killer, cut an imposing and intimidating figure, and donned a disguise in which he compares himself to the likeness of a lifeless being - but he came all the way out here just to make sure youâd eat.
You reach up and grab the edge of his balaclava, slowly pulling it over his head as he looks down at you. Once itâs off you can see the love drunk smirk that has settled on one side of his lips. You reach up, leaning forward onto your toes, to meet his lips in a sweet and simple kiss. As you drop back down onto your heels you find Simonâs face in the exact same grin, but with his eyes closed as if he was savouring you for a moment longer. His eyes open slowly.
âThank you.â You whisper.
âSee you at home, gorgeous.â He responds simply, affection thick in his tone.
He throws one last look of boyish anger towards the security guards as he backs away slowly, before turning and exiting the building.
As you return to the office your head is turned downwards in a daydream-like state.
That sweet, sweet man.
Your gaze turns upward as you head through the double doors, you find a group of gossiping women waiting to corner you - led by none other than a cross-armed Sandy.
âWho the hell was that?â
âNo one.â You shrug, placing your lunch and coffee on your desk.
âNo one?â Sandy questions âNo, no, no, no. Some 7-foot god shows up here dressed like heâs ready to kill us all, brings you lunch, and looks at you all googly eyed. You do not get out of telling us about this... Sit. Down."
Hello again, everyone! So⌠my finals are approaching, I actually have one later today. So Iâm taking another short break. Iâm sorry to keep doing this, ââtis the season, unfortunately. I promise itâs not anything crazy. But Iâll return in about a week. Iâve got five finals on Monday and another on Thursday. Iâm trying to limit distractions, you know?
So, Iâll be back in roughly a week. I appreciate yâallâs patience!
I have a date today- excuse my happiness that you can't even see lol. Hope y'all enjoy!
Roach went back to the plane to get his belongings while you said your goodbyes to your team. Alejandro and Gaz gave their condolences to you finally, asking if you would still keep up with them. You promised youâd try, as you wiped away a few tears. Soap engulfed you in a whole-ass hug like heâd done earlier when calming you down, saying that if you needed anything, his number was in your phone. You told him you would, but doubted anything bad would happen with Roach. (Soap silently hoped that was the case)
Ghostâs arms were crossed as he watched you say the goodbyes. He could hear the other voice in his head saying that they should stay, but he obviously pushed it down considering theyâd gotten orders from Price. And there would be too much conflict with Roach to stay. âWeâre a phone call away if you need us, D- (Y/n). Just call and weâll be here when we can.â
You smiled, lightly and tiredly. âThanks, Ghost⌠but Gary will take care of me. Heâs done this before.â You noticed his shoulders tense, so you put your hand on his shoulder. âIâll call if I need it. C-Can I give you a hug, LT?â
â...Just this once,â Ghost responded quietly. Your arms went right above his waist due to your height. His hands hovered in the air for just a moment, before tapping your back a few times. Once he saw the rest of the team was staring- including Roach, he let go and pushed you away a bit. âTake care.â
Your smile fell a little as the tears started to come back. Youâre leaving your family again. Shut up. âYâall t-too⌠Tell Price I-I said hi.â You watched your team load up onto the plane, waving as the back of it shut. You waited until the plane was in the air before turning to Roach and looking down. âWill this be like last time?â
Roach shrugged. âDepends. Weâll see how your first couple of nights go.â He put a hand on your back, reassuringly, then started to make his way towards your truck. âIâll drive, you shouldnât be right now in the state youâre in. Hand me the keys.â
-
Now, Ghost normally respects his teamâs privacy⌠but with this? He felt like he needed to know exactly what was about to go down. So, while on the flight back to base, he managed to get someone to dig up old information about you⌠information that involved Roach in it. Call it concern, if you would.
In the winter of 2020, Medical Sergeant (Y/n) (L/n) was put on leave due to a divorce from her ex-husband, Shawn Hill. According to a close acquaintance of hers, Sergeant Gary Sanderson, she turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism. Medical Sergeant (L/n) is to become completely sober before returning to work, by any means necessary. Thankfully, Sergeant Sanderson has taken up his vacation time to be with her through this process. Hopefully this works out. Iâd hate to lose one of our best medics to a glass bottle.
An alcoholic? Ghost exited out of the classified file and turned off the tablet, setting it down next to him. His fists went under his chin as this processed through his head. He didnât figure you as one⌠actually- While youâd been that one night, Ghost had woken up in the middle of the night. So, he went downstairs to get some tea to help him out. Next to the coffee machine, something he hadnât noticed earlier, was a shiny coin with a number two on it. When he rubbed it to read it better, the words had been put together: Unity Service Recovery.
âIt was a fucking sobriety chipâŚâ he muttered under his breath. With the headset on, however, everyone heard what he said and looked at him with raised brows. He wasnât sure he should tell them, but he had been the one snooping. âJust read something about the medical sergeant. It explains a bit of her relationship with⌠Roach.â
Soap blinked at him, gesturing with his hand to continue. âWell? The fuck does it have to do with a sobriety chip?â Ghost tilted his head to the side, giving Soap a âreallyâ look. âOh⌠oh⌠Well, why do you know that? Seems like classified information.â
âSi, it does.â Alejandro nodded, rubbing his chin. âHope you werenât searching around her files, hermano. Weâre all worried about her, but she clearly trusts⌠Roach? We need to leave them alone unless she asks for ayuda.â Gaz muttered in agreement next to him.
Well, Ghost didnât really feel like expressing his concerns publicly, but it came out anyway. âHeâs helped her in the past, thatâs all. Itâs what I wasâŚâ Concerned about. âI just wanted to know.â
Soap hummed. âSounds like youâre concerned, LT.â Ghost narrowed his eyes and glared at the sergeant. âWhat? You do sound concerned for her. Am I right guys?â
âLeave us out of this one, hermano.â They wouldnât say they agreed with him, not out loud at least. (Soap would beat their asses later for this)
Ghost sighed. âCall it what you will. Letâs drop it for now.â
Someone who youâd have a good Friday night with.Â
Short as fuck in some cases. Weâre talking 5â2â
Could also be called the âmomâ of any group due to her medical abilities as well as motherly personality. (She places the blame on her daughter, Kennedy)
Normally, sheâs a bold person with her feelings, but if she senses something that is unwarranted, she backs off. Has feelings for Ghost but wonât say shit because of how closed off he is--
Former alcoholic. If (Y/n) were to spiral into a depression, the want for it would return. Is currently two years sober thanks to a friend, Gary âRoachâ Sanderson, who helped her through it.
Approaches any sort of romantic relationship as if it were a ticking time bomb. Doesnât trust many people after her last marriage ended due to her job and not being around.
Loves children. Theyâre her weak spot in missions. Like, if she were to see a child die on her watch during a mission, sheâd blame it on herself. Not even Soap could talk her out of placing the blame like that.
Simon âGhostâ Riley
Stone cold. Doesnât like going out unless itâs for celebratory reasons or absolutely necessary. Borderline introvert. And his mask is not wanted in most places he goes to, so he just tells Gaz or Soap to go to the store instead.
Heâs a tall man, 6â4â, appreciates smaller women- but doesnât mind someone around his height. Not that he would admit this to anyone else
Takes charge in a lot of situations, unless Price is there.
Wonât talk about feelings to anyone. Not even his supposed bestie, Soap. Heâs a very closed-off individual and wants to keep it that way. Even drunk, when feelings usually come out, his mouth remains shut. Heâs been closed off for twelve years and he plans to keep it that way.
Romance? No way. The 141 comes first. Thereâs no room or time for any romance in his line of work. Not even if he wants--
Itâs not that he doesnât like children or anything, it has to do with his past. He sees a child and the ghost of his nephewâs face crosses over the kidâs. And he hates that happening. Ghost would rather not get involved in such things.
Has nightmares about his past daily--
Simon Riley
Ghostâs shut down side of himself. Only comes out when it matters or during situations when the old Simon would react. Happens a lot during sensitive times. Unfortunately, Ghost shoves Simon down and 98% of the time- itâs Ghostâs reaction and not Simonâs.
Still introverted, but contains an extroverted part of himself. More conversative, reacts to things more- probably wouldnât wear the mask too.
Feelings? Definitely talk about them. Simon tries his best to insert himself in situations that Ghost doesnât do too well in. Like when you had a bottle in your hand and were struggling because of your daughter? Simon pushed something out to help Ghost. Later, he was put back in his place.
Romance would be nice, but this man has been through a lot of hurt. He sees a lot in women, but knows that what he feels wonât matter considering heâs not the one driving this car anymore. Simon does, however, do his best when it comes to you. He adds little sprinkles of feelings when Ghost is around you, itâs not much- but itâll have to do for now. Ghost reminds him of rank--
Comes out more when talking to Soap, Gaz, Alejandro and Price. It hurts when Ghost puts him to the side.
John âSoapâ MacTavish
The man who would join you on a Friday night, just so he can watch drink intake.
Wishes he was taller than Ghost, even though heâs only two inches shorter than the man.
Knows the difference between Ghost and Simon. Likes both of them, mostly because they both have banger dad jokes. Is 100% by Ghostâs side when Simon takes over to be overly emotional. Is also there for nightmares, because no one should be alone during that.
Your and Ghostâs bestie
Has a thing for disobeying small orders, doesnât understand why heâs getting chewed out for it- for some reason.
This man could talk about his feelings for days. Soap always has a lot on his mind, not only about himself but about others as well. Some would consider him the dad of the group when Price isn't around, but it sounds weird since youâre the mom- so whoever says that earns a âShut the fuck upâ in response.
Does Soap like-like anyone? (Yes, I said it like that- fight me.) Heâd rather not dabble in relationships with coworkers, but will 100% help others do so. Itâs why heâs so pokey about your apparent crush on Ghost. Rank be damned, just keep it a secret, right?
Would have loved to meet Kennedy. Doesnât like other kids because of this new generation- they fucking suck.
Kyle âGazâ Garrick
Will drink everyone under the table, mostly because heâs the only one drinking a lot. Will accept shots from women around the bar, because theyâre free drinks⌠duh.
Considers himself of average height. Anyone else is too tall or too short.
Tries not to get involved in everyone's stuff. But sometimes he canât help it, mostly because whoever it is ends up dragging everyone by accident.
Calls Price dad sometimes (Price laughs and appreciates the gesture)
After playing MineCraft at your house, he totally convinced Alejandro to get it on their laptops so they could continue playing.
Relationships? What are those? Gaz moves on his own, doesnât have any romantic attachments.
Children are iffy. Like the others, wouldâve loved to meet Kennedy.
Alejandro Varges
Drinks with Gaz, and Soap when he wants to get wasted. Unlike the stereotypes, doesnât really like tequila all that much. Heâs a dark drink kind of guy.
Doesnât see an issue with his height. Doesnât want to be taller or shorter though.
Involvement in matters that are not his own tend to lead him away. But with the 141? Theyâre his brothers, heâll help as much as he can without overstepping.
Considering relationships⌠heâs bisexual. Formerly with Valeria, but now with Rudy. He canât say that out loud though, because heâs mostly afraid of what will happen. Would totally reassure you considering rank if he knew about it
Loves children. Has totally talked to Rudy about adopting once they retire. Sad and empathetic when Kennedy passed away. Wished he couldâve stayed longer to comfort you.
Captain John Price
Goes out for drinks with the others, to enjoy the taste of the alcohol- not get wasted from it. Will keep an eye on everyoneâs intake as well.
Doesnât give a shit about his height or otherâs. Heâs the captain.
Heâd rather not be involved because of his status/rank and what he would have to pull. So, he tries to keep to himself unless things go haywire. It isnât his business until it is, you know?
Relationships: Classified.
Doesnât like children much, too much to keep up with generation after generation. And the 141 occasionally acts like a bunch of 5 year olds⌠so he already has to take care of that. He does have two little girls at home though, but that's classified information.
Gary âRoachâ Sanderson
Doesnât have time for drinks. Is almost always out on an assignment or deployed in general. When heâs not, heâs relaxing at home- asleep.
No issue with his height, standing at 6â1â. When you two were younger, he loved leaning on your shoulder. Found it hilarious. Totally makes fun of your height.
Likes to take charge outside of work. Not in the sexual sense- or maybe in the sexual sense, idk. He has this sense of authority around him. Itâs why he's a good help when youâre at your worst, because Roach can keep you above the line.
Roach canât help but get involved. Heâs like your personal therapist, but still a friend. He hears everything and can only give reassuring words. He tried not to say much when Ghost was mentioned
Oh yeah. He has clear beef with Ghost. They were on an assignment years ago together, and a fire was involved. Roach was knocked out in the flames and Ghost assumed him dead. But clearly, heâs alive⌠and bitter about it. Your team member leaving you isnât exactly excellent news. Has burn scars all over his body because of it.
Also- most of the jokes that Ghost says? Got them from Roach. Itâs funny, isnât it?
Relationships: Doesn't bother with them. He thinks no one will take him as he is. And the one person that will does not have romantic feelings for him. So why try?
Only loves one child: Kennedy. The little girl was nice to be around when he could be around her. Does that mean heâll ever bring a child into his life? Nope.
Okay- I can't apologize for something I'm not really sorry for. So, yeah... I wrote a character sheet, based on my own headcannons and personalities if anyone is interested in knowing. Could provide some background for some characters. Anywho, enjoy :)
Upstairs in your room, youâd finally stopped crying and had fallen asleep. Your head was on Soapâs chest, his t-shirt was wet with the tears that youâd shed during the time. Apologies had been given for it, along with apologies to your⌠to Kennedy, Soap just rubbed your back and listened. This wasnât something that he could shush you for, or tell you to dry your tears toâŚ
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Soap very carefully pulled it out and unlocked it, squinting at the paragraph sent by Price to the 141âs group chat- funny that they had one. You were excluded from this old group chat because it was created before youâd arrived on the team. Ghost mustâve just gotten off the phone with him.
Captain: Alright, I wonât call a meeting for this, because Soap is with Doc. Due to these circumstances, (Y/n) (L/n) will be staying in America until she can get her bearings. She is in no position to be back on the field any time soon. At the moment, we are in contact with someone sheâs close to outside of these walls. Sergeant Gary Sanderson, better known as Roach. Heâs off assignment and will arrive in America as soon as possible. Once Roach arrives, you four will return here. We have information on the Hawk that needs to be taken care of ASAP. Thank Laswell when you get back.
Soap frowned at the entirety of the text Price had sent. He understood the situation, but he didnât want to leave you on your own. You were like a sister to him at this point. And how the fuck do you know Roach? It will be a bitter greeting once the other man arrives considering his past with Ghost. Hopefully they will set that aside for your sake.
Soap: Copy that, Captain. One question though, how does she know Roach?
He set his phone down when you started to squirm and cry again. Soap looked to see that you were still sleeping and sighed. He noticed that Alejandro and Gaz replied with âcopyâ as well, but Gaz added his curiosity as to how you knew Roach as well. Ghost remained dry in the chain, leaving Soap to assume he wasnât entirely thrilled on the matter.
Captain: Her force worked together with his on an assignment in 2013, shortly after she joined SF. He claims theyâre good friends and Iâll leave it at that. ETA is ten hours⌠best tell Doc when sheâs available.
Soap looked down at you, seeing the tears coming back as you cried softly in your sleep. He decided at this time that you should wake up. He tapped your shoulders lightly. â(Y/n)? Câmon, lass, wake upâŚâ
You woke up, almost choking on new sobs that were approaching. Soap held back a silent sigh and pulled you into another hug, continuing the rubs into your back. The apologies started again, and this time Soap decided to shush you- as a way to get you to calm down. âI-Iâm sorry, John.â
ââS okay. Donât apologize,â Soap let go of you and smiled as gently as he could. âUmm⌠I was supposed to tell you this when you woke up. Youâre going to stay here for the time being, heal up from what happened. Price found someone to take care of you while we go back to base- they discovered information that we canât ignore.â
Found someone? You brought up your sleeve to wipe your eyes, exhaling shakily. âW-Who?â
Soap thinned his lips, but kept his smile. âSergeant Gary Sanderson? A friend of yours.â
-
Roach couldnât remember the last time heâd been to Fort Bragg. Nine years ago heâd been on assignment with a group of the soldiers, which included you in the group. It was difficult to get along with the others, so he stuck around you. Despite being a medical sergeant, he didnât give a shit.
âHey- two goldfish are in a tank, one turns to the other and says: âDo you know how to drive this thing?ââ
âShut the fuck up so I can fix your leg, please.â
A beautiful friendship it was- or is. The only disagreement the two of you had was when it came to Shawn, Roach didnât like him from the beginning. He didnât seem like the type of guy to match with someone who was deployed 24/7⌠but he let it happen, because youâre his best friend. He did, however, say: âI told you soâ because you gave him permission.
What worried him the most at the moment and made him drop his little vacation was an old issue you had. He remembers after the divorce and custody agreement that you hugged alcohol like it was your best friend. Borderline alcoholic was what you became, and he flew all the way from Europe to snap you out of it.
âYou didnât lose your daughter! You still have visitation! You think sheâd want this for you?! Do you want her to see you like this? At the bottom of a bottle, sad-drunk off your ass?â He sent you to AA meetings until youâd sobered up. Now, drinks were celebratory or around friends only.
Roach wondered if the 141 was aware of the way you positioned yourself around alcohol⌠probably not. He fiddled with his gloves at that, not wanting to explain what heâd be doing there to her team. Something told him they wouldnât really approve- at least Ghost wouldnât.
âUgh⌠GhostâŚâ Roach scrunched his nose up at the thought of seeing that man. The burn scars along his skin made him think about the last time theyâd been in the same area together. But he couldnât dwell on that- he was here for you, not him.
-
You played with a necklace on your neck nervously while waiting for the plane to completely land. It had a picture of you and Kennedy in it, but you wouldnât open it⌠not when youâd just finished crying again.
Soap watched you, just as nervously, then leaned into Ghost: âYou sure this is going to be a good idea? She looks on edge hereâŚâ
âThey havenât been in the same room since her divorce with Shawn. I donât know how this is going to go down, Sergeant. But these are Priceâs orders, so weâll follow.â Ghost didnât sound happy himself, but nothing could be done about it- exactly like he said.
The plane had landed and the back was slowly opening. You walked slowly towards it, stopping where the exit was. A deep exhale left your lips as a man revealed himself from the back of the plane. Once he saw you though, he dropped his bags and hurried down, engulfing you in the tightest hug when he made it to the bottom. Your tears started to flow freely again.
âI got you, (Y/n)... I got youâŚâ Roach rubbed the side of your head, muttering other things to you to get you to calm down. While doing so, his eyes trailed over to Ghost and narrowed.
Soap: If you could meet anyone- dead or alive, who would it be?
Ghost: Alive.
-
Soap: Are you sick of your friends and loved ones whole-heartedly trusting you?
The 141:
Soap: Well BOY do I have a bargain for you- âTips and tricks to instill fear and chaos into your daily lifeâ
Ghost: Soap, noâ
Soap: Lie about your pop culture knowledge! Like when a really popular song comes on, question itâs entire existence. Like when âGod Save The Queenâ comes on, say: âWho wrote this? This is great!â And people will say: âAre you fucking kidding me?â
Me: *Trying to be as realistic as possible while writing COD fanfiction* Hmm⌠I wonder if thatâs a real thing.
Friend: Why donât you just use the internet?
Me: Because my dadâs military, he might know. Better than looking it up too. Internet can be kind of sus sometimes. *Sends random question to my dad*
Dad: Why do you need to know if women can be special forces? Specifically my field?
Me: Asking for a friend :))
Dad: They can. Itâs just tough and a lot donât get in. Itâs mostly a manâs job because of all of the countries we go to.
Me: Thaaaaaaaaaaaaanks. *Proceeds to write a female reader into COD fanfiction* I win.
(This was an actual conversation too. Heâs getting suspicious now lol.)
Did anyone enjoy that rickroll? I did. You might need it for this.
TW: Death
You were alone in the room again, but were aware of where the others were. They were right outside the door, listening in closely. You could see the shadows of their feet⌠That didnât matter right now, though.
âThis is (Y/n) (L/n), what happened to Kennedy? Whatâs going on?â
You heard quite a few deep inhales and it made you fear the worst. Your heart was already thudding against your chest, loud enough that it echoed through your body. âWe⌠We regret to inform you that Kennedy flat-lined ten minutes ago. We were unable to save her from the state she was in.â
The world stopped and your heart dropped. â...W-What?â Your breathing became ragged, too quick to keep up with. There wasnât any room to find a medium to calm you down, all you could do was let it happen.
âYour daughter passed, Ms. (L/n). Weâre very sorry for your loss.â The woman said a few other things, but you couldnât catch what she was saying. A high-pitched sound filled your ears, drowning anything else out. âMs. (L/n)?â
The phone dropped from your shaking hands as your hands went to cover your eyes again. Wrecked sobs filled the room as you let it out, shaking and sobbing everything you could muster. You were just there- you were just there. So many things flashed through your mind: your daughterâs first steps, her first word being: fuck! and the day you sent her off to daycare before your deployment⌠and of course, the last goodbye.
Your sobbing didnât come close to a stop when you felt someoneâs hands go on both your shoulders. You didnât know who it was, but you threw your arms around them and started to sob even harder than before, if that was possible.
âS-Sheâs dead. My daughter is fucking dead.â There were several intakes of breaths, a big one coming from whoever youâd thrown your arms around. âK-Kennedy⌠Iâm so sorryâŚâ
Ghost, whoâd been the one that was kneeling in front of you, pulled your body off of him. He let out a quiet sigh through his mask, then wiped the tears from your eyes with his thumbs. âCâmon, letâs get you off the floor.â The rest of the team watched in surprise and sadness as Ghost- or Simon, at the moment, carried you to your bed and tucked you into the side you laid on the night before.
You grabbed his arm when he tried to leave, still heavily crying, but managed to get out: âP-Please donât⌠Please d-donât leave me right now.â
Too much⌠Ghost looked at Soap, desperately, and motioned for the man to come over. Soap dropped his head and walked over, climbing into the bed and taking your body so that he was almost spooning you. ââS alright, lass. Let it all out, weâre here for you.â
Ghost motioned for the rest of the team to exit the room, as he followed them out, a small pit of regret filled his stomach. Shut the fuck up, Simon. He walked down the stairs with Alejandro and Gaz behind him, pulling out his phone on the way. âIâll call Price. She wonât be coming back with us if thereâs a change with the Hawk.â
-
Price picked up pretty quick. The man sounded exhausted and yawned through his âWhatâs up, Ghost? Is everything alright there in the land of the free?â
Ghost had stepped outside to put the phone on speaker. âNot⌠No, sir. Doc just got a phone call from the hospital, her daughter passed shortly after the visit they had.â He set the phone on the wood table on the porch so he could take out a cigarette. âSoapâs with her⌠she didnât want to be left aloneâŚâ
There was a sharp inhale from Price. âFuck, thatâs not good⌠my condolences to when sheâs able toâŚâ Price exhaled. âSheâll stay in America for the time being. Medical Sergeant (L/n) wonât be in the right mindset to return back to work. However, in terms of not wanting to be left alone, have you seen or heard of anyone she knows that could be with her?â
Ghost sighed. âHer neighbors are good people, sir. Theyâll probably want to check up and be with her at this time, they seem to have a connection with Kennedy (L/n) as well.â He looked at a photo that was on the wall of someone, a man in a similar military uniform to you- just with the British flag instead of an American- standing next to you, an arm on your shoulder as you were much shorter than him. âDo you have contact with Sergeant Gary Sanderson?â
A/N: How about THAT plot twist? Iâm full of them.
I had a lot of people say stuff about cliffhangers, so I've decided to post the chapter designed for tomorrow... hope y'all enjoy. I would still ask that y'all not kill me, please.
SIKE. It'll be posted tomorrow afternoon, 12pm ET :)
The ride to Fort Bragg was silent. You had a death-grip on the wheel of your truck and were fighting tears the entire time. Soap was⌠concerned to say the least, but kept his mouth shut for the moment. He was on his phone, looking like he was texting someone.
Johnny: Iâm really worried now. Ride is silent. Sheâs got the death grip on her steering wheel.
LT: Is she still crying?
Johnny: Without tears.
Soap set his phone down after, sighing quietly. âDo- (Y/n), be honest with me. Whatâs goinâ in that head of yours?â
Your grip loosened a bit, but your knuckles remained white. âItâs- I donât really want to talk about it right now, Soap. I just want to go home and have a drink.â You wouldâve told him at another time, but for now, you just wanted to drown your sorrows.
âRightâŚâ Soap thinned his lips and picked up his phone again. Sheâs reaching for the alcohol when we get back. âWeâre here if you need anything.â
You didnât respond to that one. Instead, you turned on the radio to a station that you liked, and tuned your surroundings out. The grip that had been previously on the wheel returned.
-
Ghost was still standing outside when your truck pulled into the driveway. He had part of his balaclava up so a cigarette could rest between his lips. Smoke surrounded him and could be smelled from the other side of the yard. Once he saw you and Soap though, he tossed it onto the gravel and went to step on it.
He watched you step out of the car, wiping your face while locking the truck. Soap sent Ghost a worried look, one heâd been holding the entire car ride. Ghost pulled his balaclava down, sighing, then motioned for Soap to head inside. âD- (Y/n), how did everything go?â
âAsk me when I have some whiskey in my hand, GhostâŚâ You mumbled back, walking past him into the house. Ghost followed, thinning his lips. âIâll be in my room though⌠probably crying. Donât think you want to see that.â Your feet were dragging to the liquor cabinet, pulling out a bottle of Elijah Craig. You ignored the looks that Gaz, Soap and Alejandro sent you as you walked up the steps.
Soap walked up to Ghost, grabbing his arm- not really regretting it at this moment. âI know youâre not much for the touchy-feely stuff, but youâre her lieutenant⌠go talk to her. Make sure sheâs⌠near 100%. Iâm going to call Price and join whatever the hell Alejandro and Gaz are doing.â
Not much for the touchy-feely stuff was right. Ghost narrowed his eyes ever so slightly at Soap, but walked up the stairs anyway. It wasnât because he was your lieutenant that he was doing this, nope⌠he was concerned, very much so. He just couldnât show it⌠for personal reasons.
Your door was unlocked. Ghost didnât really care to knock, just twisted the knob and opened it. He did, however, lock it when he closed it back. She probably wants privacy, especially for this. âStraight from the bottle?"
The whiskey bottle was between your lips when he walked in, a good bit of it going down your throat. âYepâŚâ You made a face when disconnecting. Fucking aftertaste.
âWoman after my own heart,â Ghost hummed while going to sit on the edge of your bed. Heat rose to your cheeks, but you said nothing- instead taking another swig. âHey- slow down there, (Y/n).â He took the bottle from you, causing you to choke on the liquid, but still swallow. âWhy donât you tell me whatâs going on instead of drinking yourself to death?â
You sighed and dropped your head ever so slightly. âDoctorâs donât think sheâll make it. Kennedyâs been in the coma for a long time.â You felt the tears coming, but pushed them back. âAnd Shawn and his stupid fucking girlfriend are hopefully being charged⌠but--â you choked a little on your words and gestured for the bottle back, Ghost slowly returned it to your hands. âThey only get big charges if Kennedy dies. Homicide⌠or murder.â Another drink and tears.
Ghost took the bottle back after youâd had your drink and set it on the floor. Something inside of him- something that had won before itched for him to reach over and comfort you, get you to stop crying. He shoved it down again, successfully, and instead put a hand on your shoulder. He was going to say something, but stopped when your head turned and went to his chest. His concern coated into surprise. Instead of pushing you off, he let you cry and instead patted your back.Â
Words were on his lips, but he couldnât find himself saying them. Weâre here for you. âMe, your team as well, weâre⌠weâre here.â His hands stopped patting and instead started making rubbing motions as your cries turned into hiccups. Something in his head told him he was becoming too comfortable, he shoved that down too. âBetter?â
You got off his chest, cheeks more heated than they were before, and rubbed your eyes. They were still red and puffy from crying, but youâd had done it enough for the day that it was not bothersome. âY-Yeah⌠thanks, Ghost. For someone who doesnât talk much or show much emotion, you sure know how to cheer someone up.â
Ghost was going to reply to that, nothing snippy- but the door started banging behind them, the knob being twisted out of what sounded like desperation. He stood up and walked over, unlocking the door and swinging it open. âWhat, Johnny? Jesus-â
âItâs the hospital. They need to talk to (Y/n).â
Oh gosh this was so much fun. Sorry it took so long!
For those who don't know, a corporal is a higher rank than both a captain and lieutenant. And sometimes, with wars raging, you have to go around and help where you can. Oh- and not everything is knowledgable to the military... in this case at least. There is also no gender for this reader :)
You hated hearing it. The same sentence every time you enter a room or a new situation. Your reaction was the same each time too: a big eye roll and a rough âthanksâ or âfuck offâ. It was either being in line or out of line for this.
âJesus Christ, Price. You didnât tell us weâd be having a fucking skyscraper on our team.â You didnât really like Sergeant MacTavish, for several reasons. He acted too loosely around serious matters, even in missions, apparently. And in your specific line of work, youâd like to take everything seriously.
Price pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. âSoap. Shut up. Youâre supposed to make them feel welcome.â He turned to you, shooting an apologetic smile. âSorry about that, Corporal Riley. Itâll get better. Usually around here, rank is ignored in situations as such.âÂ
That didnât make you feel any better, especially considering how you looked. You stood at a whopping 6â11â and werenât afraid to show the muscles on your skin. A metal skull mask covered the bottom half of your face, where nasty scars littered across your chin and lips. Heavy bags were painted under your (e/c) eyes too. Long story short, you scared several teams⌠Laswell said youâd do good on this one, because someone by the name of âGhostâ did roughly the same thing you did⌠scare people, that is.
Youâd seen him around, but hadnât gotten the chance to personally speak with him. By the looks of it, Ghost was a private guy and didnât like to be bothered. You werenât about to poke the bear with him until he came to you first, even though you should be going around introducing yourself.
Currently, you were speaking with Price about some training exercises to go through. Some stuff from old teams- unlike what theyâd been doing here. âThis course has improved efficiency within men in the past. I understand Task 141 contains the best of the best, but thereâs nothing wrong with challenging them.â You were showing him a much more complicated version of the weapons training course. âBut you call the shots here, itâs your team.â
Price set his cigar between his fingers and out of his mouth, about to speak- but the door to the office opened without a knock. You frowned under your mask while Price simply let out a sigh. âGhost, you need to learn to knock now. The Corporal and I couldâve been having a serious conversation.â
âSorry,â Ghost apologized quietly. His eyes bore into yours, narrowing and widening for a second, then he looked at Price. âSir, I need to speak with the Corporal for a second. I donât think weâve had the chance to meet either.âÂ
The Captain brought the cigar to his lips again, looking at you. You shrugged. âIâll give you a chance to look over, consider everything. Iâll be back, John.â You set down the paper youâd been showing him and followed Ghost out of the room. He led you to a small corner that was out of ear shot from everything. âRight then, Ghost. Iâve been here three days, why the sudden meet-up?â
Ghost looked around, which meant moving his head around your body, to make sure the coast was completely clear. He took off his gloves, shoving them into his pockets. On his left hand, revealed a tattooâd ring on his ring finger. Your eyes slowly widened as his mask came off next. â(Y/n), Iâd first like to say Iâm sorry for not telling you--â
Your hands went to his cheeks as you smiled under your mask. âA skull mask⌠I couldnât recognize you when you had it on. Even with your pretty blue eyesâŚâ The tension in Simonâs shoulders slowly released as you spoke. âThey didnât tell me youâd be here, but this is nice. Itâs good to see my husband still alive after not seeing him for five months.â
Two years into your marriage and the longest Simon had ever been gone was a couple weeks. But after everything with Shepard, his time of deployment increased. Youâd had a heavy heart about it, especially considering how lucky youâd been as well with your own assignments. Simon, or Ghost in this case, hadnât gotten the chance to call, email or write to you at all. The 141 was on their toes all of the time.
âDidnât mean to scare you, darling.â He removed your hands from his face, reaching for yours. Usually, youâd flinch if someone touched the metal mask- but heâd always been different. âYou can see how busy weâve all been. I wouldâve loved to contact you in any wayâŚâ
You stopped his hands from unattaching the mask. You looked down at him, sad he couldnât see the large grin that had crossed your lips. âYou didnât scare me, love. Just worried. Why donât we go catch up? My room is just down the corridor.â
Simon blinked a few times. âSure, the mask is coming off, right?â He looked up at you as he put on his own. The familiar glint in your eyes gave him the answer. âFuck.â
âIndeed.â You grabbed his left hand and rushed both of you as quickly as possible to your room. The new training exercises could wait.
Popular opinion: Simon and Ghost are two different personalities.
MeanwhileâŚ
âPunching a tree for wood is so fucking dumb.â Gaz muttered under his breath, repeatedly hitting the right trigger instead of holding it. (Though Ghost had told him several times holding it would be easier and probably better in the long run)
Alejandro laughed. âHundred percent agree with you, hermano. Maybe you should make an ax?â He was down in the minds, suffering himself without any light and fighting off mobs with a wooden sword. âAnd some torches while youâre at it, por favor.â
âYeah, yeahâŚâ Gaz dropped his head with a sigh, then turned around to the couch. He and Alejandro were on the floor so Ghost could lie down. âYou sure you donât want to play, LT? Itâs actually fun, with survival skills too.â
Ghost turned his head, opening one eye to look at the screen. âNo. You two have fun playing a childrenâs game.â Alejandro and Gaz then started to argue that it was rated âEâ which meant for everyone, but Ghost tuned it out as his phone started to ring in his pocket. âIâll be outside taking a call, donât kill each other.â
The caller ID read âJohnnyâ and once he missed the call- not on purpose mind you, it just started ringing again. When Ghost picked up, he growled into the phone: âBetter be a fucking emergency if youâre calling back to back like that.â
âYou could call it that? Itâs not an emergency like I need you guys⌠the people are here, talking to Doc, right?â Ghost hummed, confirming he was listening. âIâm not allowed to be in there, for legal reasons. But I looked through the window, just to see if everything was going okay- sheâs fucking crying. Like, has her head in her hands and is shaking, crying.â
Ghost felt something in his stomach twist when hearing that, but pushed it down and ignored it. âI donât assume you can hear anything through the door, can you?â
âNegative. But before they arrived, Doc told me that the doctorâs said Kennedy has a possibility of not waking up. The womanâs heart is breaking, Simon. I donât know what weâre supposed to do here.â He did, but heâd be damned if he was going to tell Ghost. Let the man figure it out himself, draw it out.
Fuck. Ghost put a hand on his chin, thinking this out very carefully. Part of him was saying not to be open, just say âsheâll be okayâ but that voice wouldnât win this one. Ghost wouldnât win this one, nope⌠Simon would. âWe will be there for her. Every step of the way. Sheâs part of the team, one of us. Sheâd do the same for us⌠under circumstances.â
There was a long pause on Soapâs end, and Ghost had a feeling the man was either thinking or grinning from ear to ear. âRight then. Weâll be back once sheâs done. Iâll keep you updated too, if youâd like, through text.âÂ
âPlease.â
âRight then. See ya later, LT.â Then the phone call ended.
-
The tears were running freely. Thankfully you were offered some tissues by this legal team, Andy and Carrie. They were⌠sympathetic to the situation and gave the information in little pieces because of how quickly you broke down.
âWith you deploying so much, and at the moment living in Europe for a⌠an assignment you said? Kennedy, if she wakes up, would be put in a foster home so this wouldnât happen again.â Andy was repeating what heâd told Shawn days before, just in a lighter manner. He and Carrie had been much more stern and rude to him about this. âAnd there will be a trial for both Kiara and Shawn because this is child endangerment⌠and if she doesnât wake up, this could turn to a homicide case.â
You blew your nose into the tissue again, tossing it into the trashcan afterward. âI-Instead of a foster home⌠I-I have neighbors who would be willing to t-take care of her, if she w-would wake up?â You really hoped this would work. Losing your only child to foster because of someone elseâs mistakes? Absolutely not.
Carrie clicked her pen a few times, thinking carefully. âWeâd need to run a background check on them, meet them⌠before going through with this.â You nodded, mumbling several âpleaseâsâ under your breath. âRight. Just write down their contact information and weâll do that for you, okay?â She gave you a clipboard and the pen. âWe just wanted to let you know weâre very sorry this took place while you were gone.â
You nodded shakily. âThanks.â You took your phone out and started writing down the contact information and address. âTheyâre good people⌠I hope this works.â
âUs tooâŚâ Carrie and Andy said together.
You exited the room after the little meeting was over, still wiping tears from your face. Youâd kissed the top of Kennedyâs head before leaving, muttering: âI love you, so muchâ. It hurt that she couldnât repeat the endearing phrase back.
When you exited, Soap was standing at the door with crossed arms, glaring at Shawn and Kiara- both who seemed to be waiting to enter. Kiara stood behind Shawn, gripping his arm and hiding from the glare Soap was sending. When you stood next to him, however, the Scottish man slightly relaxed and asked if everything was okay.
âOne second.â You walked over to Shawn, clenched your fist, and swung your fist directly at his nose- ignoring the crack and cry you heard coming from him. âI hope you go to jail for this.â Then motioned for Soap to follow you out of the hospital.