Word Count : 2K
Simon “Ghost” Riley x Fem!Reader
(not edited. It’s been too long, so I’m going to just post it. SORRYYYY heh)
Apocalyptic Au
"Alright, we will listen. How about we all just calm the fuck down and put away the weapons for a little while?" Price braces his hands on his knees as he sits down, mumbling, "Maybe try to know each other before we go shooting one another." Slowly, one by one, they each sit down and Kaya moves to sit next to you, settling the knife into your bag and zipping it shut.
With a sigh, you finally begin to list your small, but important conditions. "Kaya and I get our own tent." You don't leave room for arguments, folding your arms over your chest as you harden your gaze to hopefully obtain an ounce of power despite the painful reminder that you in fact, can't go very far or do very much. "Fine." Price meets your gaze with the same stern, hardened look. "Once I am healed, I will decide, with Kaya, if we are staying or not. Neither of you get a say on whether we stay or leave." Price nods. "We get to keep our things, and there will be no touching them. It doesn't matter if it is mine or Kayas. You ask first." You keep your voice steady, the nerves within you slowly ebbing away as Price meets your conditions with a nod. A few small conditions are mentioned, Kaya even makes a small few of her own and when they are all agreed to, you finally let out a breath and ease your face into a calmer look.
The rest of the night slowly and achingly passes with idle conversation that you find easy to resist. Instead of talking, you listen. Listing down the things you notice in your head. Price and Gale seem to argue a lot easier and maybe it's marriage problems, but you can hear the slight anger in Gale's voice when Price says something wrong. Gale also winces once in a while, it is extremely subtle, but you catch onto it.
Ghost is quieter than the rest, like you, he hardly speaks and observes quietly. Ghost looks over at you and Kaya; he is also looking for anything he can list down, anything that may seem "Off" in his own eyes. Out of the group, Soap is the most talkative. It isn't an excessive amount, but it keeps people calm, it even calms you down as well. It's a refreshing feeling, to be calm, to not have to be glancing behind you 24/7 to see if someone is there.
You and Kaya go to the smaller tent you were given, and the other four go to the bigger tent. On the outside it looks quite small, and you can't help but feel a little guilty for stealing a whole tent to yourself. Kaya plops down on the polyester, black tent floor with a sigh. "Finally." She mumbles. Kaya notices your struggle to get to the floor without sucking in a breath as your leg gains its own heartbeat. "Do you need help?" Kaya asks, raising a hand to yours but you swat it away. "I've got this." When you reach the ground, you let out a breath quite like Kayas. The ground of the tent meets your skin with a coldness that brings ease to your warm body. The floor isn't as comfortable as your fantasies had wished it would be as a small sharp rock digs into your back, not only that but the floor is rugged, and it takes you a few shuffles and movements to get comfortable. You can hear people moving around from the other tent, someone berating another to stop moving and then silence. Complete silence.
The night passes by silently and slow, Kaya falls asleep almost immediately, but you stay awake, keeping watch. The accommodation to survival mode that many people these days share doesn't allow easy sleep. It may be extremely annoying, but it isn't new. This same feeling had been your closest companion before you moved to Cambridge. When your dad was angry and either drinking or sitting on his old, cracked, rocking chair. Those days made you alert of every crack in the floorboards of your house, it made you paranoid, and you stopped sleeping as much. Even now, the memory makes you hold your breath to listen for the creaking floorboards and quiet work boots walking the halls like a ghost.
Another hour slowly slips by and you grow incredibly restless. Careful not to wake up Kaya who hogs the part of your blanket she stole, you slowly push yourself up, following the same way you sat down.
Outside the tent it is colder, your breath clouds as it passes your lips, and small bumps immediately appear across the expanse of your skin. A small gust of wind blows through the trees, and it makes you clasp your hands over your arms. You limp your way to a log and plant your hands on the log, assisting yourself as you sit down. "What are you doin' awake?" A deep voice rings out from behind you; you jolt and whip around to find the silhouette of Ghost facing you and leaning against a tree, the only thing slightly visible is his mask, and he could easily blend with the dark forest behind him. "What does it look like?" You grumble, turning around to face the diming fire. He walks over and sits on the log across from you. Even as he sits his intimidating figure doesn't settle or dull, if anything it gets more intimidating. "I expect an actual answer." His voice is calm, but you don't miss the similar sound of a demand. "You should lower your expectations." You stare past the mask and into the dark eye sockets of it, trying to search for his eyes but to no avail, only the darkness can be seen. "Is there going to be a problem with me being here?" You ask, resting your hands on your knees. Another gust of wind kisses your skin and sends the fire into a dance that illuminates his face and makes a shiver course throughout your body. Ghost tilts his head at you, your mind attempts to imagine what he looks like, without his mask, but all you see is a blurry made-up image of him.
"You've already been a problem." You scoff, rolling your eyes. Ghost rolls his shoulders as he re-adjusts his position. "I'm a problem? You guys have created more problems for me than I have you. It isn't my fault your friend decided to shoot me, then bring me here unwillingly. This was never my choice, and I certainly don't want to be here." Ghost isn't quick to respond, he takes a moment to think, finding the harsh but honest answer. "Just another mouth to feed, you and your daughter-friend-sister are going to get us all killed. If it were my choice, you wouldn't be here, you would likely have a bullet through your skull, lying somewhere being feasted on by those flesh eaters, maybe even joining their side of the food chain." Your lip's part into an angered and shocked scoff. You watch as Ghost walks off into the woods, leaving the conversation at a tense halt. Without sparing another second you get up, brushing off the bark that clings to your clothing, and you go back to your tent.
The next morning is a lot warmer than the previous day, the sun sinks past the partially unzipped portion of the tent, and the orange fabric blends with the sun and creates a warm glow within the tent's insides. A slow unzipping sound drags you out of your slumber, blinking your eyes barely open. "Hey." Gale whispers, lightly shaking you and Kaya. Kaya lets out an exhausted groan and shoves Gale's hand away. "Hm?" You open your eyes to the widest you can manage and she offers a tight smile. "I found a lake not far from here, you two look like you'd enjoy being clean." Kaya wakes up immediately as she mentions a lake. "Okay, let's go!" She says ecstatically and she rushes to get ready.
Gale leads you and Kaya away from the camp, where Price is picking up the supplies, Ghost and Soap, (from what Gale said) are off hunting for something to eat. Your hand is clutching the long-sleeve and pants Gale gave you. As much as you want to hate it, new clothes sound way more heavenly than staying in the ones you're wearing that are practically caked in dust, dirt, and blood.
"So, where are you from?" Gale asks, walking to the left of you while Kaya wonders a little way to the right. You tell her where you are from and she nods. "What about you?" You ask her, trying to keep this idle conversation going. "Washington, born and raised then moved away with Price when we got together" You nod and let out a hum. "Thanks for the clothes." She nods, and despite the obvious tension between the two of you, you both silently appreciate each other's presence. "You're welcome. Figured it would be nice to get out of those clothes." Her eyes land on the cut and frayed edges of your shirt and pants, a hole on your knee that is lined with dirt, and a few other rips along the materials.
As the trees begin to thin, breaking into an entrance to a meadow that seems way too pretty to be in an apocalypse. The expanse is layered in soft, swaying tall grass that serves as resting spaces for the bugs within the meadow. Your eyes easily find the dark waters of the small lake, the water slowly laps at the rocky shore and for a moment, you think you're somewhere else. You're off on a beach and in replace of the dead is the living. Kids and families around you bask in the glory of the sun. Then, you blink and you are brought back into the reality, you aren't on a sunny beach, you are at a likely cold lake to clean away the blood of rotting people.
Kaya lets out a sharp gasp as her skin meets the cold water. "This is practically freezing!" She whines and Gale chuckles. "Yeah, it's not going to be a hot tub. That would be nice, though." You and Gale let out a sigh, both of you aching for warm waters. Kaya is the first to get in the water and Gale quickly follows. You take your time, sliding your pants off and carefully unwrapping the cloth tied around your wound. The wound is stitched shut and the skin around it is shades of greens and purples. The lake feels like it should during fall. Cold. You had wished it wouldn't be too bad, but nevertheless, it is. A shiver is quick to run through your body, your teeth chattering as you wash the gunk off. "This is hell." You mumble, fully submerging yourself underneath the dark water. Kaya follows your motion, submerging herself into the water and when you think she is about to freak out she floats herself to the surface. "This is so nice, I haven't taken a shower in ages!" Kaya exclaims and Gale offers a calm but nervous smile. You and Gale both share the same feelings of untrustworthiness, and both of you are quietly keeping an eye on each other.
On the way back, Kaya seems a lot more joyful than she was earlier. Her hair is finally managed, and you can see the deep mahogany coating her head in long locks that stop at her mid back. You can also see her skin which is tattered, scuffed, and there are a few bruises. Gale walks beside you and she is using a small towel to dry her hair that begins to form a natural curl into it, you assumed her hair just uncurled after a while from the lack of bathing. You also now can see your own skin, the dirt is now washed away to reveal, which isn't shocking, many forming scars on your legs from going into abandoned places with Kaya, there isn't enough to cover the entire expanse of your legs but there is a good amount. Your thigh doesn't hurt as bad but there is still a soreness in it that makes it hard to put your full body weight on it. Another improvement is your mood change since you got up this morning, the lake definitely made you feel a bit lighter.
"Hey, I'm sorry about shooting you. I didn't want Price to get hurt and I panicked. I apologize." Despite the whole situation being absolutely dreadful and annoying, you nod. "It's fine, I would've done the same thing anyways." Gale nods and a small smile rises to her lips, you meet her smile with your own. Gale is easier to trust out of the rest; she has been rude to you but there is a similarity you two share that makes you feel like you've known her a bit longer than you actually have.
When you three make it back to the camp everything is cleaned up, Soap and Ghost have two rabbits over the fire, and it looks like they're planning to leave soon. You look over to where your tent originally was, and it isn't there. The only thing that sits in its spot is your stuff, neatly put into a pile. It shouldn't make you upset, they needed to clean up stuff to get ready to leave (which you didn't know was happening) but despite that, you feel a subtle irritable feeling building within you. You half walk half limp over to your stuff and toss the backpack over your shoulder, picking up your bow and examining it carefully for anything out of place. The string looks normal, the arrows look fine, everything seems normal. Kaya walks over and grabs hers, tossing it on her shoulder and sliding her knife into its case and into her pocket.
"Ya' three hungry?" Soap asks, glancing up from his share of meat at the three of you. Kaya nods and walks over towards them. They haven't done much to wound the trust very, very slowly growing, but you've taught Kaya to be careful around new people and her just going without studying first upsets you a bit more. Gale nods and walks over with them, sitting down next to Price who places a kiss on her cheek. You shake your head. "Kaya can have my share, I'm alright." A few glances get tossed your way, all mimicking the same look of confusion, they all assume you'd be eager to eat something, considering they found you two on the edge of starvation but none of them question it.
"So, where are we going?" You ask as you sit next to Kaya, adjusting on the log that pushes a blunt end of a branch into the side of your hip. Price nods, placing a hand on the ground and behind Gale in a half attempt to bring her closer to him. "North. We're trying to get to Manchester, we're hoping there are some people up there. Hoping some friends are still alive." With a small nod you lean back, "How long do you think that will take?" He shrugs, "A week, maybe two? But with your leg we have to take our time to make sure your stitches don't break." Ghost lets out a breath, standing up as he does. "Also means more huntin'." You are then reminded of the burden you make, you're slow, you can't hunt, you can't run, you can't do anything and it makes you upset at yourself, it makes you want to scream. Your mind continues to playback the past few days and years, a pattern seems to make itself known. Every moment of happiness is always torn away from you in anger or fear. "Yeah."
After eating and killing the fire, you all begin to head north. At first, everyone's pace is simple and your leg feels okay enough to keep up with the walking. But as the hours pass, your leg begins to hurt, and your limping becomes more noticeable. You try not to limp as much, but it is impossible and it makes you feel vulnerable and weak. It makes you feel small and despite the pain, you push forward to keep their pace. Mentally and physically preparing yourself for more of the never-ending walking.
Guys I finally did it. I finally posted the next chapter. To be honest, this sat in the drafts for several weeks.
This isn’t as edited as I hoped. It might change in the future, a little bit at least.
