All of task force 141 have been best pals since they were kids. Their close connections still persisting as they lose contact going into the military.
Ghost is especially hurt when he has to fake his death and permanently lose contact with them all. Though later finding everyone but Soap.
Price and Gaz learn that Soap is going to join them, they plan for a surprise for Ghost.
Ghost is not prepared as he suddenly hears the familiar "Ye bastard! I knew you were alive!" which is followed by a crushing hug that knocks him off balance in front of the recruits.
:o i’ve never thought about this before! i hope what i came up with fits the little prompt :p
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Ghost had found Price first, completely by accident. Price had made eye contact with him, narrowed his eyes, and clocked him immediately.
Gaz was next, after Price picked him up during the shitshow with the bombers, and had knocked the air out of Simon after sneaking up on him in the mess hall.
The only person missing was Johnny. He hadn’t spoken to him since he shared the news of being the youngest to make SAS.
Simon missed him the most. Sure, Price was his adoptive brother, yeah Gaz was a solid guy, but Johnny was… different. (Ghost would never admit that back when he was still Simon he had a disgustingly embarrassing crush on Johnny.) He hadn’t seen him in years, ached a little when he thought about him for too long.
But so is life, he guesses.
He knows Price and Gaz are plotting something. he hopes it’s nothing involving his birthday in a few weeks. Ghost just wants to yell at recruits, have his evening tea, and then go to sleep thinking about what could have been.
The recruits are all nervously looking at him when they line up in front of him. He narrows his eyes, they aren’t usually this afraid of him. He looks at Anderson, his would-be-favorite if he quit kissing ass, and says, “Why do you look nervous?”
“I had a burrito, sir,” Anderson says. A few recruits make a face like ‘What the fuck?’ at him before turning back to the front.
Ghost stares. Anderson is lying, but honestly he couldn’t give enough fucks to press. “Don’t shit or puke in the grass,” He mumbles.
Ghost forces them through the obstacle course, eyes trailing over the little board. Different call signs are scratched into the wood. Ghost’s eyebrows raise when he notices a new notch of wood on top, crudely stapled in, and the call sign ‘Soap’ on top of Gaz.
Huh.
Ghost stops the next recruit who restarts, “The fuck kinda name is Soap?”
The recruit pauses. “Um. I don’t know, sir?”
“Who is Soap?”
“Uh. I don’t know, sir?” Liar.
Ghost tilts his head, stares. He dismisses the recruit. He sends everybody through the obstacle course one more time. He stands off to the side, Soap, Soap, Soap, what the hell kind of name is Soap?
He hears a, “You dumb bastard! I knew you were alive!” and seconds later is tackled to the ground by a very familiar figure. “You arsehole,” Johnny mumbles, arms around his shoulders and squeezing him. “I knew you were alive. They didn’t cremate you.”
“Cant cremate what’s not there, Johnny,” Ghost coughs, wheezing a little, “Knocked the air outta me.”
“Ye bastard,” Johnny says again, knocking their foreheads together in the way that Ghost hasn’t felt in years. God, he missed Gaz and Price, but Johnny?
Johnny had been a fuckin’ rock. When Simon was insecure about his place with Price’s family, Johnny knocked sense into him. When he struggled in English, Johnny would sit with him for hours and read to him, make sense of the words that jumbled up in front of Simon’s face. Johnny was the first person he came out to, the first person he told he was going to enlist, Johnny was his best friend and what Simon thinks would be his soulmate.
“Dismissed!” Ghost yells before he can get to choked up. The recruits scramble, probably thinking he’s about to beat the ever loving hell out of Johnny. “I missed you,” Simon whispers quietly, “God, Johnny I missed you. I wanted to find you so bad, but I couldn’t. I’m sorry.”
Johnny squeezes him tighter. “It’s okay. As long as ye remember my favorite color.”
“‘s yellow,” Simon mumbles, closing his eyes and relaxing into Johnny’s grip. He wonders if the nightmares will fade, if he can crawl into Johnny’s bed like when they were kids and he was afraid his father would find him. “Yellow like sunflowers. And periwinkle.”
“I missed you too. Creepy asshole.”
“Who the fuck’s Soap?”
Johnny leans back so they aren’t completely pressed together anymore. Simon goes through the five stages of grief. “Me.”
“They named you Soap?”
Johnny leans back on his hands, very smug, “I clean house well.” Simon gives him a look. Johnny pouts. “Okay, I overfilled a washing machine. In my defense, I was grieving you. I was very distracted. And they call you Ghost!”
“Im very sneaky,” Simon says cheekily.
“Or is it cause somebody saw your pale arse and thought it was the moon?”
They wrestle over that comment.
