The New Bird
featuring stupid-ass reader who is unfamiliar with the term "bird" in this context
inspired by @rawme-price (sorry for the @ and sorry for hurried, mediocre writing)
Ghost has been talking to you, one of the new recruits that the task force has taken on to train. Most of these recruits go on to join other forces, naturally, since the 141 is a specialized force. It isn't a walk in the park to impress their Captain, after all.
He's seen a lot of shit, and so has Ghost - and honestly, every one of the Captain's men.
So; imagine your surprise when your lieutenant talks to you outside of training.
At first, it was just gruff acknowledgement. A deep huff. A grunt. A nod when you pass him in the barracks.
But then you overheard him talking to that popular Sargeant, the loud one. You could only pick up some words from your hiding spot, like "bird", "new", "interesting", "for", and "spoken".
If only you could sneak closer... but you didn't trust your stealth skills enough yet to try, after all, those task force guys weren't green newbies like the rest of us. There's no way to get closer, to hear what that's about. Maybe he likes bird watching. But why would that be important enough to talk to that scary, loud sarge about? Are they really that close?
You were broken out of your thoughts when you feel something really tall behind you. "Spying, Boot?"
"Oh SHI- I mean, hi Lieutenant." You paused after recovering from your small jump of surprise, nearly jumping into him when you turned around to face him, now trying to look elsewhere. "Have a... good meal?"
He snorted. There was an odd sounding laugh on the other side of you. A wheeze? Or something similar. You glance absentmindedly - and it's the loud, scary Sargeant. You've never spoken to him, and new people are therefore scary to you...
You shift nervously, naturally more slightly towards Ghost. Despite being formally polite to your Lieutenant, you're more comfortable with him. You feel, what is it? Safer around him.
Someone older. More experienced. Someone who knows their shit around weapons, on the field, in plans. He's just trustworthy, you think. Someone to depend on. Someone you want on your side. A powerhouse.
"So uh," you break the silence as quickly as you can pick up your marbles to pull it together, "what birds were y'all lookin' at?"
They stop for a moment.
"Birds?" The scary loud Sargeant asks, a higher pitch at the vowel of the word.
Your Lieutenant looks at you. You can't tell yet, but there is amusement in his eyes. He's already figured your misconception out. His Sargeant seems almost as amused as him, though more clueless.
"Uh, yeah. Y'all were talkin' about interesting birds, 'n somethin' about..." you try to remember. "Spoken ones."
Your Lieutenant seems to raise an eyebrow the way it disappears underneath his mask, but he says nothing. It's the scary Sargeant that quickly catches on to the issue now.
"Oh," he says with a smirk and a lilt in his voice now, "Tha' bird. Tha's roight. Boot, was 't?"
"No," you mumble a little, embarrassed and still a little scared of the unintroduced Sargeant, "it's-"
"Don't call them tha'." Ghost says, clipped.
The Sargeant thinks that's absolutely hilarious and nudges Ghost with his shoulder. So they are close after all..
"You're tha' bird." You blink. What? Your confusion must show up on your face, because the loud Sargeant laughs, "You're th' bird Simon's fightin' me over. Wouldn't introduce me."
Oh.
What?
"Tweet?" You mutter nervously, a half joke thrown out in your confusion. They eat it up.
And then they eat you up.
What who said that