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sad-boy-jones · 6 months ago

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Playground

(A/N) Once again tried to capture a more silly side of this franchise. Hope you like it!

Pairing: Simon x Reader (no Y/N)

Warning: mentions of alcohol, Reader and Soap being drunk little idiots

Synopsis: When will they learn that alcohol, Soap and you aren't a good combo?

“Where did those two idiots run off to again?”

Price sighed, annoyance mixed with a bit of concern clear on his face. Simon on the other hand was hiding a small smile under his mask. After all, by now they should really now better. Leaving you and Soap alone? In a bar? With alcohol? Grave mistake. And to be honest, Simon had learned.

While everyone was packed in the car on their way to the bar, he had slipped a GPS tracker into your pocket, knowing that it’d probably come in handy at some point during the night. So, while Price was looking around, he just lazily pulled out his phone and opened the app that was connected to the tracker.

“They are three blocks away on the playground.”

Price looked up, one of his brows raised.

“Have you finally implanted them with a tracker?”

Simon chuckled and shook his head, instead admitting that he slipped you one during the car ride. As the older man chuckled in surprise, they began to make their way to your location, leaving Gaz in the bar. It didn’t take them long to reach the two of you, and what they saw didn’t really surprise them.

While you were sitting on a swing, going almost high enough to make a loop, Soap was on top of a slide. But he was not sitting down, instead, he held onto the bar, took a few steps back, and then rushed towards it, trying to duck underneath, but he just ended up hitting his forehead and falling down the slide. This sight immediately made you laugh and in your amusement, you let go of the chains on either side of you, plummeting off the swing and landing on your back.

By then, the two men were close enough to hear the quiet ‘oof’ escaping your lips as you made contact with the padded ground. Simon couldn’t help but chuckle as he gazed at your form, lying on the ground, a defeated look on your face. But as soon as he stepped up to you, your eyes lit up and a bright smile spread on your lips.

“Si!”

You had yelled his name loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear, making him roll his eyes. But with the way you were looking at him, he couldn’t be mad.

“What are you doing on the ground, sweetheart?”

Of course, he knew exactly why you were lying there, specks of dirt in your hair.

“Fell.”

You started to pout, making the man above you smirk. You were adorable as a drunk. But he would never admit how much he loved you…like that of course. Not in general. Simon doesn’t do love, of course, he doesn’t. Who do you think he is? He-

His thoughts stopped instantly as you reached up with both hands, making a grabbing motion in his direction. With a quiet sigh, he reached down, thinking that you’d want him to help you up. But instead, you used the surprise and all of your strength to pull him down beside him. As his heavy body hit the ground right beside you, a loud grunt escaped his lips.

If it was anyone else - hell even if it was Johnny - he would properly curse them out, but your quiet giggling immediately calmed him down again. He glanced at you, your eyes were pressed closed as tears escaped from the corner, while your mouth was open, trying to inhale. You were a sight to behold. And Simon immediately burned it into his brain, wanting to always remember you like that.

“Well, she got you Lt.”

Price had by now helped Soap to his feet and was holding him by the scruff of his neck. Simon nodded and sighed as he fully laid down.

“You two go on ahead, we’ll meet you at the bar later.”

Price nodded, quickly dragging the Scotsman away, while he complained about why you were allowed to stay. Both of you watched the two walk away until they were out of sight. Once you were alone, you turned to look at Simon, a soft smile on your face.

“Hi.”

Simon turned his head, his own smile, as per usual, hidden.

“Hi there.”

With a grin, you rolled onto your side and hugged the Lieutenant, laying your head on his chest. Simon knew that you were drunk and that that was probably the only reason you were behaving like that, but he still couldn’t keep his heart from beating quicker and his cheeks from heating up.

“You okay?”

You nodded against the hoodie covering his chest and sighed in contentment, enjoying his presence. Slowly, as if afraid to scare you, Simon wrapped his arm around you, pulling you even closer. You spent a few minutes like this, just lying there and enjoying each other’s presence. Until you got an idea. A few feet away, there was a basket swing and you just had to drag Simon there.

So, you quickly scrambled to your feet, more or less elegant, and reached out to drag Simon up as well. Not that you could actually do that without his help. But you once again had that spark in your eyes and Simon knew that in that moment, he would do whatever you asked of him. But you didn’t even say anything, just pointed at the swing and dragged him over, before pushing him to lay down in it.

It was uncomfortable, to say the least, but you quickly got the swing in motion, before scrambling on top of Simon and laying down again. As if you cuddling into his side earlier wasn’t enough for one day, you lying down on top of him, as if it’s the most natural thing in the entire world, made him think he was about to have a heart attack.

But you just relaxed against his body, closed your eyes as your head rested just above his heart. And as the swing gently swayed back and forth, you slowly fell asleep.

A few hours later

As soon as Simon heard the familiar walking pattern, he knew that he was saved. You had fallen asleep about two hours ago and since then, he had not dared to move a muscle. He had lost all feeling in his legs and his back was screaming in pain, but he didn’t want to disturb you, so he stayed still.

“Would you look at that.”

Simon rolled his eyes as he heard his Captain’s booming laughter fill the air, chuckles from the others in the background. But as you started to shift, he carefully raised his head to shush at them, not wanting you to wake up. After the rest of the team had gotten their fill of chuckles and pictures, some Simon would want send to him afterward, they finally helped. Gaz and Price carefully lifted you, while Soap helped the poor man to his feet. It took a few minutes for Simon to start walking properly again, but as soon as he was steady, he insisted on carrying you back to the car.

Once the team had reached the base, Simon carried you to your room and quickly changed your clothes, so you would be more comfortable during the night. He also grabbed a bottle of water, as well as some painkillers, and placed them on your nightstand before carrying over his mattress, pillows, and blanket and placing everything beside your bed. He wanted to be there if you needed anything during the night.

Now

Price lowered the microphone from his lips and grinned at you and Simon. While you were laughing hard enough for tears to escape your eyes, your husband was a blushing mess beside you. When he had asked Price to be his best man, that was not what he had expected.

The rest of the wedding guests were also laughing, but before Price could continue his speech, Simon grabbed the mic and turned it off, instead yelling to the DJ that it was time for the first dance. You chuckled as he pulled you to your feet and out onto the dancefloor.

The lights quickly dimmed and a beautiful slow song started playing as the two of you started softly swaying.

“Goddamnit.”

You giggled and gently stroked Simon’s cheek, which felt way too warm underneath your fingers.

“You basically asked for this, you know?”

He grumbled something before hiding his face in your neck, placing soft kisses there. You shivered under his touch and tried to pull him away from your skin, warning that everyone was looking. He pulled back, a mischievous grin on his lips.

“So what?”

Before you could answer, he hoisted you up and threw you over his shoulder, before running out of the room and searching until he found the utility closet. You were giggling the whole time, waving as the curious eyes of your guests followed the two of you. Simon gently sat you down on a random table and moved to stand between your legs.

You grinned up at him, before pulling him down and crashing your lips to his. What can you say? The guests would be able to entertain themselves for half an hour. Right?

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Call of Duty - Masterlist

Master-Masterlist

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sad-boy-jones · 6 months ago

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Rogue Soldier

Summary: Scotty dissapear after a previous mission went south. For months, no one can't figure out where she is, till one day.

Warning: Violence, description of injuries/pain

Words: 4k // Masterlist

A/N: Another cheesy fic slightly inspired by the Winter Soldier idea. I wrote that like over a year ago and only post it now because I'm running low in Canon content lol Enjoy!

Every night for the last months, he woke up in cold sweat, dreaming again and again about the same failure he did. Price told him over and over that it wasn't his fault, so did Soap and Gaz. They all tried to support him, but it happened under his watch. He was supposed to protect her. He pushed the blanket, heading to the bathroom to wash up his face. He closed the tap, his eyes lifted to the mirror in front. Ghost saw how tired and horrible he looked. Worse than usual. He could hear her saying so and a small smile drew on his lips. Which then was followed again by her screaming out his name. His knuckles tighten around the towel.

During a mission, Scotty had been kidnapped. They tried their best, pulled every string from all their connections without avail. Laswell didn't find anything, neither did Nikolai or Farah. Even Alenjandro and his Vaqueros had no intel. The 141 kept this secret for a month, before the day he dreaded happened. Without any news on her whereabouts, she had to be declared M.I.A and the news had to be brought to her family. Ghost was glad he was not the one who explained them, Price had the obligation as her captain to do it. Nonetheless he was there when the news was spoken. It felt like once again he let down his family. Another failure on his part. Scotty's dad remained clear headed the whole time, her mother wasn't hysterical but no amount of reassurance would calm her. Gabrielle was also there and she was speechless, but her face spoke of the pain. She was in shock. None of them promised the family they would find her again, but they would never stop looking.

Despite all of this everyone refused to believe Scotty was dead. They had no body to prove she was dead. So maybe there were still small hopes. Hopes who were slowly dimming away as more weeks passed by. He returned to bed. A bed that felt so empty now. That's why he never wanted to get attached because in their line of work you never knew when one wouldn't not come back home. Ghost turned around in the bedsheet, gazing at the ceiling, watching the clock, trying to sleep. He was restless. He thought that mindless scrolling on his phone would help. It did till, for whatever reasons, Ghost went to check the pictures. Not that he had taken much of her; it was in fact the other way around. Scotty was always taking pictures of them and would send them to him. He simply saved them. He looked at her smile or that one silly picture she sent or the one he took of her sleeping on the couch in the most uncomfortable position, yet looked beautiful to his eyes. His heart ached.

Ghost would never admit but he was thankful to his friends to be there for him. It was hard for everyone, but they knew how it was harder for him. She meant everything to him. So they kept taking turns to keep his mind off the darkness, not leave him alone too much even if it was all he said he wanted. Soap remembered one day he went to Ghost's place, only to find him looking more miserable than usual. Like he hadn't showered or eaten in days. He really felt bad for him. After some encouragement, the Scotsman finally made him dress up and they went out for a drink. Ghost needed some fresh air according to him.

They enjoyed some snacks and drinks at the local pub. Ghost was still brooding, but Soap terrible attempts at jokes did drag a smile out of him here and there. He was fidgeting with his drink when two girls showed up at their tables. He did not even bother lifting his head to face them. "Come here often, handsome?" One of them advanced to Soap.

"Sorry ladies, not interested tonight." He shut them down quickly.

"What about your friend here?" One lady asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. Ghost tensed up and shifted away. "Jeez no need to be so rude. Not with an attitude like this and this… mask that you gonna get a girl."

The glare he gave her made the girl move five steps back. "I suggest you leave." He let out coldly. The two girls didn't try to argue. Ghost sipped on his drink. If only they had known how this mask and attitude indeed got him a girl…

Missions felt different. Not too much, they were used to missions where she wasn't there. But her snarky comments, her goofing around with Soap and Gaz, her accidental flirting with Ghost, all were missing. Just like today. Soap was complaining on the com. Till Gaz replied. "Pretty sure Captain, don't want someone to go full clean everywhere."

"I know my tactics are brute force sometimes, but do I really need to be overwatch?"

"A little focus, lads." Price intervened.

Despite her absence, Soap and Ghost both heard her. Her remark every time Price would say this. And girl. Obviously their coms never sparked her chuckles. Soap looked at his friend who focused himself on his scope. He had a visual on Price, Gaz and Stevenson. Someone who had worked with them before and was again paired up for this mission.

"I got a visual on the target. He's talking with someone." Ghost said. "Garrick, he is only a few meters away from you."

"Any hostiles that might be with him?" Price asked.

"I see nothing sir." Soap replied while scouting with the binocular.

Ghost watched through the small crowd. "Hold that thought…" He noticed something off. Someone who was trying to blend in the crowd. However, said person did not look to be part of their current target affiliation. He adjusted his snipe. His blood went cold when the person turned around. "Johnny!" He shouted louder than expected, making him jump. "Check the person with the black hood, near the restaurant, there!"

Soap wasn't sure why. Ghost wouldn't be vague like this for no reason, he was always direct. His gaze followed the instruction and his own heart skipped a beat. "It's her!" He exclaimed. The two men looked at each other; they had to focus on the mission but how did she just reappear out of nowhere. "Captain! We have a visual on Scotty!" Soap radioed quickly.

Price, who was sitting on a bench, tried to look for the position they pointed him to. He couldn't make up her face, but he did see the woman with the hood. Gaz, who was also nearby, lost focus for a moment and searched for her. Being closer, he saw her features. "I would say you guys are crazy, but no it is her." He confirmed.

"I saw her too." Stevenson came in. "Keep your eyes on the main target, I'll make contact with her.”

From their spot, Ghost told Soap to keep watch on target, he will keep eyes on Scotty. He lost her once, he won't lose her a second time. Through his scope, he watched Stevenson approach with a friendly embrace. But something was off. She didn't seem to remember him? Ghost kept watching. They had worked with the man not long before she was kidnapped. For sure she would know his face. Ghost gestured at Soap to also watch, confirming that it wasn't his mind playing tricks. Her stance was stern and cold. They both saw Stevenson only at arm length. He seemed like he said something. Her course of action took their breath away. Scotty grabbed the man's arm, swiftly flipped him around, forced him on his knee and plunged a knife in his neck. The crowd scattered in fear, causing chaos to their main mission.

"What the fuck happened?" Price yelled getting up ready to jump in the action.

Ghost's words almost got caught in his throat. "It's Scotty… she is… hostile."

Soap turned to him with confusion on his face. Price was also stunned by this realization but kept his head straight. With the crowd panicking, their target could get away easily. He ordered Gaz to capture him before he could ask. The sergeant agreed and swiftly made his way through the crowd. From their higher ground, Ghost and Soap didn't let go of both, giving updates on their movements. Gaz was about to intercept the target, when Ghost saw it.

"Garrick! Watch your back!" He yelled in the radio quickly.

Gaz turned around to see Scotty about to knock him out. He ducked in the time and slipped to the side. The woman placed herself between the two men, almost as she was protecting him. The target smiled. "Do you like my new pet? She turned out to be quite an asset once we were done." He explained.

Ghost's hands gripped his sniper so hard, his knuckles hurted. He did not like the way he was talking about her. "What did you do to her?" Gaz asked, taking a defensive stance.

"Isn't it obvious? She is here to protect me… and kill all of you. Isn't that right, love? It's the 141 after all." With this, Gaz saw her pull a gun out and aim at him. He dodged quickly before trying to find cover.

"She has a gun. We can't let her be in the middle of this chaos, going around shooting!" Gaz radioed to be sure everyone would hear. Price was already by his side by then. He had to think quickly of a solution, while he could see the gun being pointed in his direction. It wouldn't take long for local authorities to also show up. She had to be drawn somewhere else without any civilians being able to point out the direction. However one detail made no sense to him. If Scotty was indeed the target's protection, why would she keep her face out in the open? Anyone would be able to identify her. Unless this was part of their enemy's plan. But for what? Price pushed Gaz behind cover with him. By reflex, they both grab their weapon, fully aware that none of them wished to arm her.

Ghost followed the exchange with a caution eye. He wasn't the type of man to lose his cool during a mission or a high stake moment. But right now, he felt his body being tense; his breathing was heavy, his grip was strong and his mind racing. Price hadn't ordered anything yet, which gave him the idea that he was probably in the same mindset as him. Finding a solution that would not result in more blood. The crowd cleared from their position. This gave Ghost an opportunity to test something. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, before pulling the trigger. The bullet hit the ground right behind her. By her surprised reaction, his guess was right. She was not aware of their position.

Price and Gaz took advantage of this distraction to jump on the woman. With not much success. Gaz had sparred with her in the past, he knew how she danced. Now, it felt like he was fighting someone else. She easily got the upper hand. A pressure on his shoulder followed by a loud bang made him realize much. A stinging pain and warmth overwhelmed this part. Another sniper shot was fired and Scotty jumped back again. Price tempted another attempt at getting a hold of her. Despite the confusion, Scotty was able to get him first. With a quick move, Scotty spinned him around, his back against her, his arm above her shoulder and pulled on it. A loud crack and pain jolted through his elbow to his shoulder. If it wasn't for a third snipe shot, Price would have probably received a gunshot wound after the broken arm.

Ghost saw that he finally had her full attention to the building when she dropped Price and scouted their direction. Soap had a better idea to help. He stood at the window, waving. "Hey! Over here!" He shouted. As expected, they watched her rush toward their position.

"What do we do now? It's not like we can shoot her…" Soap groaned. "We don't even know why she's acting like that!"

"I have an idea why…" An idea that made him sick and enraged. "We need to stop her without any harm."

Soap agreed. The two men took position for ambush. They waited…waited…and waited. Ghost glanced by the window. Price was taking care of Gaz, but no Scotty in sight. What was she doing? The lieutenant gestured to Soap to slowly move from his position to check out. He did so, crouching to reach the door. He pushed it with his gun. No riposte. Was she in the building or not? Soap tempted a check; his head picking just a little to see the hallway. Nothing. "Negative on…" He was interrupted by the door slamming on his face violently. Soap stumbled back, broken nose. He lost balance, fell flat on his back and a foot stopped on his chest pinning him down. Scotty was above him, ready to shoot. The sergeant grabbed her leg and pulled as hard as he could to destabilize her. It worked, although in her fall she did pull the trigger. The bullet grazed his arm. Ghost sent a warning shot to get her attention. He saw enough friends being hurt.

‘‘Drop the gun!’’ He ordered, doing the same. ‘‘We are not gonna hurt, but if you force our hands.’’ Scotty did not move a muscle, always aiming at him. At the moment he was the treat. Ghost’s brain was working overclock to make sense of what was going on. Try to piece together what was happening to her, with his own experience. Disappearing for months, reappearing as a changed person, ready to kill in cold blood… He gritted his teeth. Soap took the opportunity of their silent exchange to push back one more time. He pushed himself on his feet despite the pain and disarmed her. Not without struggle, but he was able to get the gun out of her grip. He had forgotten about the knife though. Something he was reminded of when he avoided it just by an inch, his cheek being cut in the process still.

It was a game of distraction and action. Ghost took Soap’s distraction to his advantage this time, jumping on her, holding her as much as he could. Scotty squirmed to get out of his grip, kicking him. Her head hit his own. Thanks to the mask, he did not get anything broken but the shock was enough for him to lose his grip. Which was all she needed to slip away. The rogue soldier spinned around with the knife about to dig in Ghost’s tight. He avoided it just on time. She riposted by swiftly going for a slice up. All she managed was to graze his bulletproof vest. Ghost could have gone for his own knife or gun or anything to stop her, but he couldn’t get himself to hurt her. The last time he had to face someone in the same situation it had been so easy to kill him. No second thoughts. However this time, it wasn’t so easy. He dodged every single of her attempts to kill him. ‘‘Come Scotty! Don’t you recognize us? Me?’’

‘‘You are 141, you need to be killed!’’ These were not the words he expected to hear from her after months. But at least it made everything clear. It did clear up that this wouldn’t finish with either them dead or her knock out. Ghost will apologize for it later, for now he has to protect his team. Just like Gaz, he noticed her different fightstyle and had to adapt to it. He had to give it to her, she was still able to get him a few times. Knife cutting through his clothes dragging blood. Despite hating this, he did succeed one or two hits on her too. A bleeding lip, bruised cheeks, kick in the shin. Yet, she was still standing, always coming back at him with the same energy. Whatever the enemy used to brainwash her, they really worked her resolve into not giving up till they were dead. Even if it killed her. On the outside, sirens from ambulances and police flooded the place. Even if they made it out alive, it would be hard for extraction. This had to finish now.

He saw the opening and went for it. Ghost rolled under her leg, pushing her up with his shoulder. Before she even tried to regain her balance in the fall, he slammed her against the floor. The shock knocked the air out of her lungs. He had only a fraction of a second to get her and knock her out. She kicked and tried to punch him before she went limp. Ghost let go quickly before it would kill her. Out of breath, Soap and him looked at each other now that the heat had cooled off. It was time to leave without attracting attention.

****

When she finally came back to herself, she was at the base’s infirmary. Her head was aching like the worst hangover she ever had. With a grunt, Scotty tried to lift her hand to massage her temples but restraints held her down. She was confused for a moment. While would she need these? The same for her ankles. ‘‘What the fuck.’’ Scotty breathed. She tried to put the pieces back together, thinking of what happened before she found herself here. But everything was a blur. Did she really drink that much and this was some sort of joke? Soap was probably behind this. Incapable of moving more than her head, she looked around. She was plugged to a bunch of wires, a beeping machine and a half asleep Soap in the chair, with his feet resting on the bed, next to her.

‘‘Hey McTavish!’’ She called him out, making him jump. He looked terrible. Left over of a broken nose, healing bruises on his face. ‘‘What happened to you, you look like shit.’’

‘‘You happened.’’ He shifted in his seat stretching his muscles. ‘‘You think we can remove the restraint or you will jump on me again?’’

‘‘The fuck are you talking about?’’

‘‘Let me get the captain. I think we have a lot to explain…’’ He left her to her wondering. She must have missed a good one. Five minutes later, Soap came back with Price and the other two. They all looked like hell. Ghost much less than the other, but when was the last time he had some good sleep? Both Price and Gaz had splints.

‘‘How are you doing, lass?’’ The captain asked to take a seat.

‘‘Like I have the worst headache and everything is fuzzy in the brain. Still it seems like I’m doing better than all of you.’’ They all chuckled at her remark.

‘‘You have been in and out for a week now. I know it might be hard but I need you to tell me what happened three months ago. Do you remember anything?’’

Scotty took a moment to think. ‘‘We were in Germany, trying to take down someone… Then…I think something went wrong… and…’’ The memories hit back hard. They were more flashes, but enough that she could recall what happened after the enemies got their hands on her. A cold cell, sleepless night, needles, burning sensation in her body… Bright light… Electric shock… Pain. Then nothing. Till now. Her skin itched at the ghostly sensation of the needles and the shocks, maybe her brain was blocking the memory but her muscles hadn’t forgotten. ‘‘I remember people talking, like they are giving me instruction…’’

‘‘Like kill the… 141?’’ Gaz said. She noticed them tense up at the word. Scotty watched them confused. A wave of relief took them when they saw how calm she remained. Price allowed the restraints to be removed. The captain took the time to explain all that happened a few days ago, not chewing his words when it came to what she did to them. Scotty sunk in the bed. She was the one responsible for their state. She almost killed them all… because she had been told to do so.

‘‘We figured out that you might have been brainwashed, with a trigger. It seems like 141 was it.’’ Price explained. ‘‘Glad to see it seems to not be the case. I still want you to see a psychologist when you are out. I don’t want to take the risk.’’

‘‘Sure captain.’’ She fidgeted with the sheet. Tears blurring her vision. ‘‘Guys, I’m so sorry! I hurted you so bad, tried to kill you and…’’ Any more words got lost in sobs.

‘‘We’re good Scotty. Don’t worry, mate.’’ Soap reassured her. ‘‘Gaz gets some days off and needs physical rehabilitation, but at least he lives. Cap is also alive with a painful shoulder nothing different than his old bones and I just get a re-facing, I’ll be pretty in no long. Don’t sweat it.’’ Between sobs, she laughed at his casual description of everything, but she still felt guilty. The only one who still hadn’t talked since was Ghost. He actually kept himself a bit aside from the small crowd. Price knew why and after a quick wrap up, he gestured to the two other sergeants to leave the room. Gaz closed the door behind him, allowing some privacy.

Scotty was whipping her tears while Ghost sat on the bed. They remained silent for a minute. ‘‘Looks like you are the one with the least damage.’’ She smiled. ‘‘I really feel bad for Gaz; he is the one I hurt the most.’’

Ghost kept silent. He didn’t know where to even begin. ‘‘Don’t worry about us. You should take care of yourself. I know too well how brainwash can leave damage.’’ He didn’t have to explain more on what he meant, nor that she would have to explain to him in detail what she had been through. He knew first hand. Her hand slided towards him and her fingers wrapped around his hand. His shoulders fell down. Ghost had been holding a lot of tension and this small touch made it melt away. To hell with being professional, there was no one in the room. He wrapped his arms around her, hugged her so tight she could barely breathe.

‘‘I thought you were dead. I was sure I would never see you again, that I lost you forever.’’ He wasn’t quite crying, but every word was punctuated with emotions. Scotty slowly raised her arm, gripped on his back and buried her face in the crock of his neck.

‘‘You are the reason why it took them a while to break me and even then. As much as they wanted me to, I can’t kill my friend and I definitely can’t kill you.’’ Their hug lasted a few minutes, letting go only because their muscles were sore. Ghost didn’t take off his mask, but lifted it enough to have his lips free and kiss her. God he missed that. To feel her against him, to have his anchor to sanity and the world, his love.

‘‘I’m sorry I was not able to protect you back when they got you. I should have been able to stop them.’’ He said, his forehead against hers. ‘‘Don’t say it’s not my fault, it was.’’

‘‘I don’t want to think about who’s fault it was or not. I’m just glad to be home.’’ She would never blame him for this. It was a risk she was aware of. No amount of preps could have prevented something that was supposed to happen. But for now, she was back home and it was time to heal. And make up for the trouble she caused. Ghost was happy that he wouldn’t sleep alone after so long.

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sad-boy-jones · 6 months ago

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Simon Riley x DogSitter! Reader

Next ->

After Riley's injury on a mission, she can no longer be a part of the task force. Simon reluctantly starts looking for a dog-sitter to watch her while he's away for work, and that's when you show up on his doorstep.

A/n no warnings, just reader being ditsy. Based her personality off of Daphne Moon from "Frasier." Enjoy! (PS next chapter of IDNY and the solo fic for Ghost hurt/comfort are on the way!)

Simon Riley would have laughed if anyone had suggested that he needed a dog-sitter.

Riley, his eighty-pound German Shepherd and only family (outside of the 141, of course), went with him everywhere. Grocery store? There she was, K-9 vest on to avoid getting the stink eye from trouble-stirring strangers. Missions? She was there, working alongside Simon, and when she couldn't join, she was safe and tucked away on the animal unit back on base. At the small, one-story unit he called home? You'd better believe she's sitting on the couch next to him as he watches the telly, trying not to succumb to his daily nap. He never considered having a dog-walker care for her, since there was hardly a second where she wasn't walking right there with him.

But of course, as expected - life threw him a curveball.

The mission had gone well so far; everyone was booking it to exfil, hardly worrying about the few enemies left who could barely manage to fire their guns. Simon and Riley were sprinting to the heli, Simon already imagining how he was going to take a fat nap when he got back to base, when he heard it - amidst the sparce gunshots, Riley's pained yelp.

Simon had never shot someone so fast, but before he knew it, there was a bullet planted between the enemy soldier's eyes. Simon rushed to scoop Riley into his arms as she whined and howled - he loaded her onto the helicopter with Soap's help, hands shaking as he looked for the damage. Her right hind leg was bleeding, and every time he tried to look at it, she snapped her teeth in his direction with a shrill yap.

Simon couldn't hear Price as he promised to get her into surgery ASAP. He didn't register Gaz wrapping gauze around her leg as he carried her off the heli and into the medbay. He couldn't hear Johnny trying to comfort him as they stood in the hall, waiting for her to come out of the operating room so Simon could finally see her again. The only thing he could comprehend was her cries, her blood, and the fact that he was responsible for all this.

It wasn't a lethal injury, he knew that. But he assumed, and the vet later confirmed that she wouldn't be fit to continue working. And that terrified him. He had to continue working - what would happen to her? He wouldn't put her up for adoption, in fact, he'd nearly bit the head off the poor soldier who had suggested the idea. She'd be coming home with him, once she had fully healed, but then what? How would he take care of her when he had to go on missions?

He couldn't. Much to his chagrin, and as much as he hated the thought of her being under anyone else's responsibility, he was forced to hire a pet-sitter. He begrudgingly posted ads online, and even put his request up at the local doggie-daycare, despite having never sent Riley there. It didn't take long after bringing Riley home before people began to answer his ad, and he plucked a good handful of them to interview over the weekend.

So, there he was - sitting in the breakfast nook with Riley at his feet, silently judging each interviewee that had walked into his home. He was quite disappointed in the selection.

Simon had already decided 'no' to nearly every dog sitter that had answered his ad. He sat across from them as they described their skills and achievements, bored out of his mind as they treated the interview like it was a college application. He didn't want an egotistical, decorated twat caring for his dog... if Riley didn't care about this bloke being voted 'dog-walker of the month' by the doggie daycare, why should he?

He knew it came down to much more than that - but he was going by Riley's reaction, too. And so far, she was uninterested in all seven that he had interviewed thay day. She sat by Simon's feet, bum leg out and eyes zoning out on the stranger's shoes as they droned on. No one had actually paid much attention to her, instead focusing on impressing Simon.

He hated to admit it, but a boarding house for dogs might be the best option.

He had just scratched the second to last name off of his list of interviewees, pouring himself a cup of coffee at 4 pm, when a knock rapped at his door. He sighed, looking down at Riley; she was laying on her side, huffing at the fact that the random visits from random people was still going on.

"One more, eh?" Simon said, reaching down to ruffle her ears. She groaned through her nostrils in annoyance as he straightened out and walked towards the door.

He reluctantly opened it to find you standing there.

You, with nothing but your phone and keys, wearing a t shirt, oversized plaid, leggings, and sneakers. No folder full of resumes and reviews, no bone-shaped doggie bag holders... the only other thing you had was an apologetic look on your face.

"Hi." You said warily.

"Evenin'." Simon responded, leaning against the door.

You sighed. "I should let you know- well, aren't I being rude..." You rolled your eyes at yourself and stuck your hand out at him. You stated your name with a sheepish smile.

He stared at your hand for a second, before shaking it with his own. "Simon."

The way your eyes lingered on his hand after he had gripped it so firmly didn't go unnoticed by him - but you quickly regained focus. "Well - before you waste your time on me, I should explain: I didn't read the posting correctly, and I thought this was a house-sitting gig. Only just noticed when I checked the address before I left... figured I'd still stop by since I told you I would."

You were looking at the ground out of embarrassment at this point. Simon's brow furrowed as he observed you. House-sitting isn't horrendously different from pet-sitting... he thought. "Well-"

"But I love dogs!" You quickly interjected. "Had three of them growing up, two bullies and a golden! Loves of my life, they are- never a day I didn't walk them. Well, besides that one week for Becca's wedding- and when my Nan had that nasty virus and I had to check up... on her..."

Simon's raised brow must have made you realize the tangent you had embarked on, because you snapped your mouth shut. You cleared your throat nervously and shifted on your feet.

Simon was the tiniest bit entertained. "And how's your Nan now?" He asked.

"Oh, much better." You said with a smile. "'Course, that was four years ago... she- she's alive, I mean! God, that sounded morbid, didn't it?"

Simon huffed out a laugh, before he stepped to the side and nodded his head towards the inside. "C'mon in - you came out this way, might as well chat. Could maybe use a house-sitter, too."

You muttered a quick 'thanks' and stepped inside, immediately taking note of how pristine and bare the home was. No decorations, only dark grey furniture with darker accents... the closest thing to decor was probably the mauve throw blanket over the back of the sofa.

"You like cleaning?" You speculated, following Simon into the kitchen.

"Not home enough to get it dirty." He replied nonchalantly, seating himself at the breakfast nook. He took a sip from his mug as he shoved a hand in his sweatshirt pocket. "Coffee?"

"Oh, no thanks." You shook your head politely. "Not now, anyways. I'll be up all-"

You cut your reasoning short when you spotted Riley, sitting still by Simon's feet. "Oh, hello!" You chirped, lowering yourself down to your knees and reaching your knuckles towards her, palm-up. "You must be Riley!"

She hesitated, then sniffed your knuckles, huffed, sniffed again, and thumped her tail slowly. She tilted her head back and looked at Simon with a questioning glance.

He chuckled, rubbing between her ears. He watched as you fished a small baggie from your pocket, taking out one of the lumpy, golden balls from the contents. You held it up for Simon to see.

"Peanut butter bacon cookie." You said, and Riley sniffed the air between her and the treat. "No sugars, no preservatives. Picked some up from the daycare on the way here."

Simon nodded once. "You can give-"

Before he could finish, Riley flawlessly snatched the cookie from between your fingers, downing it in a few bites. She licked her lips and stared at you as you laughed.

"Where are your manners?!" You said, poking her side. She followed your finger with her nose, searching for another treat.

You looked back at Simon. "I hope that was alright."

Simon shrugged, though he silently scolded Riley for accepting something from a stranger so quickly. "She'll survive."

----------

Over the next hour - which was twice as long as he had entertained anyone that day - Simon listened to you ramble about your qualifications. Except, you didn't mention reviews, awards, or self achievements. You talked about your family dogs (the two pitbulls, Rowena and Charlemagne, and the golden retriever, Donald). You described the time you took care of your neighbor's schnauzer and home when she had to make a last minute trip to Berlin for two weeks. You talked about the best trails for dogs based on the texture of the ground and the environment (the younger dogs liked Swan's trail more, due to the thicker, woody area; older ones seemed to like Ellington park, where it was more of a suburban area with smoother paths). You rattled on about how that damn husky in the apartment across from you is always yelling, and how you really should invest in some noise-cancelling headphones.

Simon listened to every word you said. You seemed to know more than just how to walk a dog - it was almost as if you knew their language. You didn't just live with them, you cared about their personalities and preferences. He had a subconscious appreciation for how you regarded them - despite trying to keep up the act thay he was unhappy about needing a dog-sitter, he liked you.

And clearly, so did Riley. She was laying at Simon's feet, completely relaxed, eyes flitting between you and your hand movements as you spoke. You would occasionally look down to her, as if you were letting her know that she was also a part of the conversation, and she would lift her head ever so slightly and stare back - like she was listening.

"- and she decided that the day before my biochemistry exam, she was going to take her frustration out on my notes! Papers everywhere, even my sticky notes were torn up! You'd think she had a personal vendetta against me, wouldn't you?" You looked down at Riley for affirmation, and she looked back at you and slapped her tail against the floor a few times.

Simon chuckled, then sighed. "Well- I think you're more than qualified for this, and I think she likes you." He nudged Riley with his foot, who looked at him and huffed.

Your eyes widened. "Does that mean I got the job?"

He nodded. "Don't know when I'll be deployed next, but it should be soon. I'll send you an email with Riley's routine, and if you want to make some extra cash, I'll include some things you can do around the house."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" You exclaimed. You leaned down to Riley, who reached her head out and sniffed the air between your faces. "Ya hear that girl? You're stuck with me!"

Simon chuckled and stood up, followed by you and Riley. "You can expect to hear from me by Tuesday. I'll give you the spare key the morning I head out."

You followed him out of the kitchen and towards the front door. Riley pushed past you to stay close to Simon's side.

"That's fine. My schedule's flexible, I don't do much besides babysit. Also, let me know her preferences, like where she likes to walk, treats, toys, things like that."

Simon opened the door for you and you stepped outside, turning to face him on the landing. "Also - glad you didn't go with Mitchell. Bloke's a fraud."

Simon's brow raised as he leaned against the door. "S'cuse me?"

"Daniel Mitchell. Saw him on your piece of paper there." You replied, making Simon look down at the crumpled list of interviewees in his hand. "He was NOT dog-walker of the month - in fact, he was turned away when he applied to work at the daycare. He treated the dogs like they were cats, for gods sake! Said they don't actually need to be walked n' you can just let them in the backyard for a few minutes. He's out of his head!"

You sighed, tugging your keys out of your flannel pocket. "Anyways, I should get going. I'll look out for your email!" You turned and departed down the walkway, not sparing Simon a second glance as you left him in the doorway. "See you soon!"

He watched you climb into your small car, returning the wave you gave him before you pulled out of his driveway and disappeared down the street. Simon felt an odd stillness in his home - you had came and went like a storm, and the only evidence that you were ever here was the small baggie of peanut butter and bacon cookies on the kitchen table. He sighed, closing his front door and looking down at Riley.

"She's either gonna be the best, or the worst." He said, running a hand down his face.

Riley let out a groan, which turned into a high-pitched growl. She shifted her weight back and forth on each foot anxiously.

He raised an eyebrow. "Want t' go see Johnny?" He asked. She barked at the familiar name, running to where her leash hung in the closet.

He supposed it was about time. He hadn't seen his team since she was sent home. He knew she was probably aching to see someone other than him right now, and he was honestly going a little stir crazy himself, after spending so much time in the normal, civilian world.

He moved next to her, grabbing the leash and snapping it to her collar. She immediately ran back to the door and waited for him to open it, and he laughed.

"A'right, a'right... but no tackling Price this time. Nearly took out a few of his teeth last time, ya ninny."

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Short dribble while I figure out writers block for I Don't Need You. This will have multiple parts but it will be a shorter fic. Let me know if you want to be tagged!

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