#any of the cod men lol

[connorsui]

mdni - 18+

meh meh meh meh bored and imagining any of the cod men overstimulating your pussy

"You have the sweetest cunt, luv" he groans in between your thighs, bringing his hand down to spank at your wet folds. You arch your back in response to the stinging pleasure, your toes curling as your body trembles.

The slaps against your pussy caused droplets of your juices to land on his face, prompting him to deliver a few more blows while simultaneously driving both of his fingers right inside.

It was all too much - the pain mixed with pleasure, his tongue lapping up your juices as he continued to scissor and stimulate you from within.

How could he expect you to stay still and be quiet?

when he was pushing you towards yet another earth-shattering orgasm?

"You think you can give me another?," he says with his mouth full, but you understand his request. Subconsciously, you push your hips back onto his face, eager to fulfill his desire.

— biting your lip to stifle a cry he redoubles his efforts, his tongue swirling around your swollen clit.

The pressure building rapidly as your muscles clench around his probing fingers. And just when you think you can't take anymore, he sucks hard on your sensitive bud. The dam breaks and you come undone, waves of pleasure crashing over you.

He doesn't relent, drawing out your juices until you're a quivering mess. Only then does he slowly withdraw his fingers, placing a tender kiss on your inner thigh, he says-

"That's my good girl,"

[callsign-songbird]

Omg i love love looovvee your angsty fics/drabbles, I’ve literally been on your acc for whole a day, and OH GOD, IM HERE FOR ITTT😩. Maybe just maybe I could make a request with ghoap slowly forgetting about reader, basically reader getting neglected, but reader gets more and more mentally unstable and gets hyper fixated on cigarettes. And maybe if you’re okay with it, drugs? And maybe she kills herself and simon has to see her body on her bed?😭. IDK I JUST WANT PURE ANGST GOOD GOD😩 but feel free if you want to write about it or not, no pressure bb✨

Alright, I'm going to respond to this before it disappears from my inbox!!

For one, thank you so much and I'm so glad you like it!!! I swear I'm working on it, I just keep running out of sad writing songs lol. And I LOVE this idea!! There are so many heart-wrenching ways to take this and playing with the scenario has my brain boiling!

Just thought I would let you know that I have been holding this close to my heart and working on it!!

[cherie-doll]

COD Men; including Nikto headcanon reaction. Of their wife using corporal punishment on their kids; ie, using a belt, slipper or even a coat hanger on the kids. Because it was ‘used on me and I turned out fine’ mentality.

lol this brought back memories

ᡴ Price, Ghost, Soap, Gaz, Roach, Alejandro, Rudy, Phillip Graves, Makarov, Keegan, König, Horangi, Nikto

Price

He'd prefer if you didn't use any physical force, ofc tho he understands why you do it sometimes

However he can't help but feel bad because even if he isn't the one spanking the kid with a belt, he sees them crying and comforts them afterwards because he doesn't dare intrude in the moment

Even when he tries to use his role of captain you shoot him a look saying that just because he has authority out there with other people he certainly needs to know his place as a father here

Shoots a remorseful look to his kid and leaves but at least he knows where to go to afterwards to find him

Ghost

Absolutely hates you for pinching your kid awake at the family function, and he thinks you're the one overreacting

You did the minimal thing in the moment but here Simon is acting as if you were being an abusive parents already, you try and tell him it's nothing but he's not having any of it

Honestly it's kind of endearing watching him get so protective of his kids like that

Soap

He thinks sometimes you get too ahead of yourself when you're scolding the kids but he won't hesitate to step in when it comes to physical punishment

Tries to reason with you on why it's okay to give them a pass, just this time alright? You hate how easily you give in

Gaz

The one time he found his little girl crying silently in bed after you had sent her to sleep was enough for him to gather her in his arms and literally beg you to not do it again

"She gets so scared" he pleads because he doesn't like seeing her cry which sort of irks you because you don't know how else to discipline them

He doesn't like it, doesn't care if it was used on him when he was a kid or on you but he certainly doesn't want to continue it

Roach

Even he flinches when you raise your voice indicating you've reached your limit and are about to spank the kid, you don't even need a belt or slipper, you use your bare hand

When he nervously asks why he does it you just shrug and say that's how your mother disciplined you and it worked so

"Can you... not do that?" because he doesn't wanna risk stepping in himself

Alejandro

It might be normal to him, it's not unusual to be yelled at or hit on the daily because that's how he grew up, if anything he might even say when a kid needs it

To a certain extent of course, he will interfere if he thinks the punishment has had its effect on the child

But don't ever ask him to do it, especially not when your kids were very small, but he had no problem doing it when they were teenagers

Rudy

Don't ever even ask him to lay a hand on his babies and can't stand to see you do it either, no matter how many times you've explained to him why it's sometimes needed he doesn't like it

When you want to try he'll instead take the kids aside and prefer to speak to them, they should be old enough to understand

And it surprisingly works, they come back apologizing to you for making you angry and Rudy will just come and squeeze your shoulders saying "See? They're not bad kids"

Phillip Graves

He knows that when you use physical force for punishment it's not for just any reason, he's learned it that way because his own mother was like that

She'd give warnings and stern looks until her patience was thin and was reaching for his father's belt

He did have a serious talk with you once when he thought you started spanking them too young, like as toddlers because they didn't know what they were doing yet

Makarov

Either really on board or is prohibiting you from doing it ever again, like who cares if his kids run a little rampant? Who's gonna be the fool to try and stop them when Makarov is their father

On the other hand he's sending warning glances to his kids that your temper will be rising the more they act up so it's best they listen and sit still

Keegan

He really was about to go and ask if you were crazy but then he saw you deliver a single slap to your kid for speaking disrespectfully and he turned right around only giving the kid a "you're on your own" look and a shrug

When the kid asked him why only you hit him and Keegan doesn't he shrugged and said that's how you were raised

They both hide when you find a mess and are trying to find the culprit

König

Sometimes he's not there when you punish the kids but when he comes home and goes into their rooms only to find them playing on the floor quietly he asks them what's wrong

They'll softly whisper into his ear that you only just gave them a spanking and he's cradling them in his arms and hugging them, promising he'll talk to you so you're not as "harsh" on them

Horangi

He sometimes plays favorites with his children without even realizing it, like he won't do anything if the boys get in trouble and you have to spank them

Oh, but if it's one of his girls he's defending them, there's a reason they run to him first when they do something they know is wrong

Nikto

Despite how he was raised he for some reason doesn't like it when you punish your kids, he gets all serious and doesn't speak to you for a while until the anger wears off

Instead of hitting them with a coat hanger like you do he prefers if you pull at their ears instead and let them off with a warning, it's the least you could do

[the-californicationist]

I don't know if you're taking requests (You can ignore this if you're not)

I remember reading something (it was either on facebook or a twitter thread) about a guy who made a tinder account of his girlfriend to see how many likes/swipes she'd get

And boy he didn't realise how many men swiped right on her. I think within an hour she got like over 1000 (he was ready to buy his girlfriend a cow, a camel, diamond ring. Basically anything she wanted because he realised how lucky he actually was that she wanted him)

ANYWAY

I can't stop thinking about the cod men doing it. Like what would their reaction be??

I feel like Kyle would just shower you with gifts. Oh you glanced at that designer handbag, he's in that shop with his card out. He don't care about the price

lol this is such a funny premise! i wish i had seen the video!! here's my take, otherwise known as how to tease Gaz within an inch of his life.

Get Ratio'd

“What do you mean switch? I don’t wanna be on that bloody app in the first place, babe,” Kyle scrunched up his nose at your proposal, but you pressed him.

“C’mon! It’ll be a laugh. Just for fun, Gaz. Aren’t you the least bit curious?”

You had seen a viral video, and now you had an idea. There was a couple who had switched phones for the night to swipe through each other’s dating apps, just to see how many hits they’d get. The woman in the video seemed defeated after trying her best to dress up her man’s profile and not finding any matches, but the man looked like he was shell-shocked, and he told her they were deleting these apps right away. Experiment over. So, you were curious. You knew Gaz was a handsome man, so you were eager to see how you’d do. 

He peered down at you over his nose and sighed, handing you his phone. You sat on the couch together, downloading the apps, picking out pictures, making sure to set the settings to casual dates only. No need to trick people into thinking you were actually on the market. 

“I just don’t want you to get jealous, love,” he smiled, genuinely concerned, "I've been told I'm a handsome chap." You smiled back,

“No worries, babe.  I can take it.”

Finally, after everything was set up, you switched phones. The boys would be over in just a few minutes, and you were eager for all of the likes to start rolling in. 

“We should make ourselves a little wager, yeah?” You suggested, knowing Kyle wasn’t one to shy away from competition.

“Aye, alright. Most likes wins?”

“Nah, most messages. ‘Cause that takes guts. And we’ll stop after the football game.”

“You’re on,” he smiled, giving your butt a playful slap as you went to buzz the boys in from your front door. 

The match was on for a good twenty minutes before you even got your first notification. Your heart sank a little when it looked like a bot, some garbage about “You look lonely. I can fix that. Click here!” It wasn’t a real girl. You showed Kyle and he shrugged, 

“It counts. It’s a DM, innit?”

“Alright,” you said, trying to get a peek at his app.

He swiped the phone away from you,

“Ah-ah! No peekin’.”

“Oh, c’mon, babe. No one wants to do me?” You whined, pouting at him.

He snaked his arm around you, palming your arse in his wide hand, 

“I wanna do you, babe.”

“I know,” you giggled, raising your hips to give him more access, earning yourself a hard squeeze, “I just thought I still had it.”

“You definitely do, babe. This is just a toxic app. Don’t think about it.”

So, you put it out of your mind. You got exactly three more messages for the rest of the night. One girl sent a friendly “Hey!” with a smiley emoji, another sent a photo of herself doing a sort of duck lips thing in a low-cut top. Finally, you got one that said, “Is that your real name? Just want to make sure I’ll be screaming the right one later.”

You cackled, showing the boys. Soap laughed with you, his eyes wide at her sexy message, and Price gave you a good-natured eyeroll. The only thing Ghost said was,

“Has he showed you yours yet?”

You looked over at Gaz who was burning a hole through Ghost with his glare, and he shut off your phone screen and put it in his pocket. 

“No… why?” You asked.

“No reason,” Ghost retreated, drinking his beer and fixing his eyes back on the match. 

A few minutes later, you excused yourself to go to the bathroom, and then you lingered in the hallway, listening to the conversation happening between Gaz and his friends in your den. 

“Oh, mate,” Soap whispered none too quietly, “You are in fuckin’ trouble, ain’tcha?” 

“Shove off, Johnny. Help me figure out how to fuckin’ delete this,” Gaz hissed.

“Well, son,” Price didn’t even bother to lower his tone, sipping on his whiskey with a smile on his face, “You bloody well won your bet.”

“I knew it would be bad, but I didn’t think it would be this bad,” Gaz handed your phone over to Ghost who was gesturing for him to give it. 

Ghost read the message aloud,

“I could call you beautiful, but since beauty comes from within, I’ll just have to check for myself… Fuckin’ hell. That’s rank.”

Soap was looking over his shoulder, scrolling furiously, reading as he did,

“Your eyes are stunnin’. You’ve got beautiful eyes. Wow, your eyes are beautiful… like, c’mon mate, a little creativity?”

“You don’t want to read the creative ones,” Price warned, taking the phone from Ghost, reading his favorite, “Jus’ wonderin’ if I should respect the fuck outta you or fuck the respect out of you.” 

Gaz leaned back on the couch, exasperated,

“What am I gonna do? I gotta buy her one of those fuckin’ bags that cost as much as a goddamn Aston. She said she wanted to do Bora Bora, or was it Fiji? Maybe I can take her for her birthday? How much are tickets?”

“Mate, you’re cooked,” Soap muttered, then gasped, “Oh, Christ. Look at the size of this one's fuckin’ knob!”

“Help me book her a bloody spa day. Do you think she wants jewelry? Holy shite, this bloke just sent a screenshot of his bank account. What the fuck?”

“She’s already with you, mate,” Ghost shrugged, “What’s the bother?”

“He’s bothered ‘cause now he knows that,” Price grumbled, checking his watch, “...in under an hour, she could have a quarter of the population of London bangin’ down her door just to smell the inside of her bloody shoe. And he’d have…”

“A bot and two birds,” Gaz frowned, crossing his arms.

“A bot and two birds,” Price nodded, sipping his drink and turning back to the game. 

You wandered back into the room, plopping down beside Gaz, pretending you hadn’t heard the discussion that had just transpired. Gaz put an arm around you almost protectively, kissing your forehead,

“Hey, babes. What was the name of that spa you wanted to book? Thought we could go together this weekend.”

“Kyle,” you turned to him decisively, “Show me the texts.”

“No,” he shook his head, turning back to the game.

“Kyle,” you squeezed his thigh.

“No! You don’t need to see all that.”

“All what?”

“The one hundred eighty-seven messages that he —” Soap interrupted, but Gaz cut him off.

“Oy! Mate! Shut up.”

“Just show her,” Ghost rolled his eyes. 

“One hundred…” You were in shock, and as Gaz handed you your phone back, you scrolled through the mess that he had been hiding from you, “Oh, God…”

“Yeah…” Gaz sighed, “So, if you want that purse that the Kardashian whats-her-name had, just add it to the cart, alright? Jesus.”

You were shocked by the level of attention you had received, but when you saw the content, you had to stop yourself from dying with laughter,

“Not sure if I’m just hungry or if you truly are a snack. Either way I’ll eat you. Oh, no. Look at this one: My cock’s a rescue, wanna give it a good home? Wow… these are rough! How many dick pics did you get?”

“Too many,” Gaz shook his head. 

“Aww, baby,” you hugged his neck, teasing him, “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. None of these blokes is half as fit as you.” 

“Dinnae you see the fuckin’ knob on Fabio over here? He's askin' for your Venmo. I say you should send it.” Soap chuckled, shocked, flipping back to one of the profiles.

Gaz fought him back, snatching the phone, and you laughed with the others, shaking your head, 

“So… what was that you were saying about a handbag?”

After the laughter eventually died down and the boys had gone home, you helped Gaz clean up the kitchen. Then, you both deleted the app and returned your phones, glad to be done with your little experiment. You decided to tease your man just a little further, 

“Well, you won the wager. What’s your prize, love?”

You expected him to take the bait, to bend you over the counter and claim you possessively, using you to let out his frustration. But, he turned serious, his expression almost somber, and he kissed you softly, disarming you.

“You are my prize,” he purred, “And I’ll do anything to show you how lucky I am to have you.”

“Hmm… anything?” You smirked, tucking your hand into the waistband of his jeans and pulling him closer. 

Finally, that rakish grin you loved so dearly was back, spreading across his face, 

“Name your price, love.”

You pretended to think for a moment, letting your hands wander down into the warmth of his pants, palming his growing cock, playing with it and feeling it throb for you, then you winked at him, 

“I hear Tahiti is nice this time of year.”

He raked his hand down his face, but he was hiding a smile, groaning,

"Tahiti..." Then, after a breath, he snatched you, holding you in his arms, carrying you kicking and giggling to your bedroom, "C'mere, you. Tahiti can wait."

AO3 Link

[ask-phillip-graves]

Shadow-01 here. Heard from my men that its a party 'round here.

Figured I'd hop on and have some nice chit chats, but I know how rowdy y'all get so I'll be expecting some unsavory comments. But I'm never afraid of getting my hands dirty, so I figure I can handle it

Lets get this done, yeah?

Hi! Person behind the blog here! Been having fun with all the cod ask blogs, so figured I'd start one for our fav traitor!

Any crap in my inbox is welcome, barring like, hardcore nsfw and dead dove things

Call me Fern, not CaptainFern the other cod blog, thats just my legit name lol

Any advice or criticism is very welcome (please send it)

Lets have a good time, yeah?

(Any other ask blogs and the like feel free to send the asks (like actually please do))

Inspirer by @ghost-askblog @ask-mactavish @ask-gaz <3

[00ops1e]

taskforce 141 + könig x sick! reader

warnings: emetophobia trigger warning, mentions of puking/being sick, fluff, hurt/comfort maybe??, not proofread a/n: omg here it is. the first cod thing ive written! but not actually theres some filth hiding in my documents. this is totally lowkey a self insert. geared towards female! reader but if you squint at the petnames could be gn. i've been so so sick lately and tbh scares me a lil but what cant be fixed by fictional men?? nothing.

Ghost

 A little bit of a germaphobe

Will take off his mask, but replace it with a medical mask

Only so he can still hold you, just with a peace of mind

He does NOT want to get sick too

Because then how could he take care of you?

Always has a puke bowl at the ready

Orders your favorite takeout, even if you don’t feel like eating

Because hes a firm believer in leftovers.

Which may just be the cause of this

But you'd never tell him. poor man would get so guilty he had forgotten to throw it away.

Puts on a movie and lets you fall asleep on his chest

I feel like he’s a cold-blooded type of person, doesn’t generate much heat

but makes up for it in comfort

so many blankets

so so many. 

Checks your temperature in your sleep

Lowkey counts respirations just to be sure

Makes sure you keep hydrated

Will bring you to urgent care if he’s really worried

No matter how much you protest!

Soap

Squeamish when it comes to throwing up

Will try his very best to stay with you, but sometimes ends up running from the room

Because the last thing he'd wanna do is gag at you

While hes ran away he gets a cold rag to press on your forehead, and clean you up a bit in the process

"yer hidin? awh bonnie i wasnt meanin' to embarrass ye" he says while taking your chin in his hand, forcing you to meet his eyes

"sickness and health yeah? i wanna take care of you"

Insists on rubbing vicks/ vaporub on you

Not because hes a little perv (he is)

But because he loves you and the sniffles break his little heart

peppers kisses across your collarbones, vicks smell clogging his nose

but he’s too focused on the goosebumps that rise on your skin, your little shivers

“Awh, my poor sick lass,”

Constantly checking for a fever

Forcing you to stay in bed, even after you feel better, “not takin chances, rest up.”

this man on the other hand is a human space heater

throwing a blanket on and off the two of you, getting too hot and then shortly after too cold. 

not as convenient when it’s hot out lol

head rubs 

head rubs

Gaz

Tries to bring you to a doctor/ urgent care immediatley

Will try to call an ambulance over a slight fever

Stocks up on pedialyte/makes sure youre hydrated

Cuddles constantly, does not care if he catches anything

loves being the big spoon so he can lay in the crook of your neck and still hold onto you tight 

Has extra blankets on deck

entertains you with silly little jokes

but then apologizes while giggling because you laughed so hard it hurt a little. 

Will feed you cold medicine/tums

teases you when you complain about taking them

“i don’t need you gettin any grumpier love”

Will hold back your hair/ stroke your back while youre getting sick

gets offended when you get embarrassed about it

“are you judging my girl?” he teases you

Tries his best to cook, but lowkey fails miserably

Resorts to cup of noodles and lipton packets. 

Price

Such dad vibes

Will make soup or other comfort foods from scratch

And his cooking skills are unmatched

Runs you a shower/bath and washes your hair for you

back rubs and massages

pressing small kisses to your shoulders as he works

also a human heater but not too hot, just the perfect temperature 

also just the perfect shape to spoon you, cradling every inch of your body

“I hate it when my baby’s sick,” he says, rubbing soft circles into your side

Doesnt even have to make a pharmacy run because hes so well prepared

Feeds you medicine, on the dot, every few hours after it wears off

(he totally sets reminders in his phone. [typing like an old person with reading glasses on])

Will stay in bed all day with you, quietly typing and mumbling to himself while you nap at his side

occasionally leaning down to kiss your forehead while he works

the computer goes away as soon as you wake up

"how're you feeling princess?"

loves having you in his arms, pulled close to his chest

Carries you to bed if you fall asleep on the couch (bridal style ofc)

Will hold your hair back, refuses to leave your side

“Of course youre not gross darling, we all get sick,”

Konig

rubs your back as you're hunched over the toilet

will sit down with you on the floor, back up against the bathtub when its too much of a risk to leave the bathroom

just wants to keep you company :(

"take as long as you need, liebling"

fills up the tub while still convincing you to get in

he promises you'll feel better after

caves and offers to join you as a last resort to get you cleaned up

Long baths, cuddling in the warm water

Letting the steam clear your sinus

Brushes and braids your hair

when you start feeling better but are still running a fever, hes worried.

but youre dealing with a burst of energy and simply must start with the housework

konig will put you over his shoulder and escort you back to bed

will paint your nails in bed to entertain you, anything to keep you still and in bed

Lets you put your cold feet on him, but only when you dont feel good

totally unprepared because i feel like this man has an immune system of steel

makes a quick pharmacy run, but has to call you for the shopping list bc oops he forgot 

depending on how sick you are, lets you come along for the ride

“promise you’ll stay in the car ja?”

always returns with a sweet little treat or small gift/toy for you

“gesundheit!” as he chuckles at your sneeze 

jokes that maybe he should put a mask on you

[konigsblog]

Do you think any of the COD men can eat spicy food? Or who would enjoy it at least?

i'm someone that cannot handle spice whatsoever... 🌶️

soap mactavish doesn't do very well with spices, he never has. he doesn't enjoy any form of spice, his pallet is pretty bland and his favourite foods consist of unseasoned, plain foods. as a young child, his mother probably accidentally gave him something spicy, and he threw up everywhere. traumatised for life.

price isn't that bad, but he will cough A LOT. he claims it doesn't affect him whatsoever, but you can see his eyes watering and his face becoming redder as he continues. of course, he has a glass of milk laying around.

i believe alejandro and rodolfo would be good with spices, mainly because they ate a lot of spicy food growing up and they can manage it. they enjoy making very spicy food and feeding it to you. if you also enjoy spicy food, they will be ecstatic and will constantly try to feed you. you taste their food before telling them to add more spice.

although if you struggle with spices, they're the type to make fun of you for it, maybe even prank you with some spices. you don't notice it, until your tongue feels as if it's on fire and you're panting like a dog. LOL

[bravo4iscool]

How naive and stuck in your own little world do you have to be to think that Simon (or any other male character from COD) would stoop down to chubby girls? Not even regular guys in real life care, let alone hot guys who know they're hot and can get high-caliber women.

You guys really try to convince yourselves of the most impossible things just to feel better, huh? Isn't it better to accept reality as it is, lol?

i’m sorry but how fucking pathetic and desperate for validation do you need to be to slide into a random persons asks because of a silly little tumblr post💀? (this baby right here)

there’s this thing called ✨fiction✨ and ✨imagination✨. let me and others be and leave us alone lmao.

and according to your ask i’m almost 100% sure you’re a little, fucking insecure, wannabe cod player who thinks he’s better because he’s not into chubby girls? or who thinks he’s cool because he’s insulting other people over their imagination?

oh fuck off, really. prolly can’t even get laid. otherwise you wouldn’t send me this shit lmao.

also, these so called “real guys” do care about chubby girls. they’re not some insecure, pathetic fuck like you😘

and if you’d have even a single little bit of knowledge about this world you’d know that guys like simon do have a thing for plus-size girls. it’s no secret at that point lol.

please go and harass other people about their imagination and leave me tf alone. no one asked for your input or opinion😘

btw, i liked your quote “not even hot guys who know they’re hot and can get high-caliber woman”. you’ve never seen a plus-size woman in you whole life then, i guess.

y’know, beauty isn’t about appearance. beauty is about character and seems like you have a fucking disgusting one.

just because you care about the appearance of woman doesn’t mean that other men do. so grow tf up and stop projecting your insecurities on people who like to have fun with their imagination🥰.

[wordstome]

I am having a goddamn nightmare of a time writing the university au (mostly because I have a shit ton of work to do…for my university…lol) so have some headcanons about the most toxic couple you’ve ever met. mdni under the cut

They’re like the definition of a situationship. They’re dating in every aspect except by name

At first she does try to sleep with other guys like she did before König but that doesn’t last long, because nobody else is as good as him. She will never admit this outside of the bedroom

Meanwhile he literally calls her his girlfriend behind her back

She’s emotionally unavailable toxic, he’s obsessive and possessive toxic

König enjoys the pursuit and just thinks it’s normal for women to be difficult like this. I would say “poor König” but he has a bad habit of picking her up and carrying her places against her will so he’s not that poor

She likes to tell herself she has no attachment to him, but she loves the ego boost he gives her by acting like a lovestruck puppy and following her everywhere. She’s also secretly into him being controlling

She does have her moments of genuinely caring about him, though. She brought him lunch once and he looked at her like she hung the moon the whole day. Her excuse was that she just happened to get/make an extra portion, but she did, in fact, get him a portion on purpose

She basically lives with him after a certain point. Her roommates barely see her anymore since she only comes and goes from her old place to get things. He constantly threatens to change the locks on her, but they both know it’s an empty threat. He much prefers to punish her in sexy ways

She'll just be minding her own business talking to a classmate or perhaps flirting with someone when König will come up behind her and put his arms around her. If she was just talking to someone she'll pat his face before attempting to shoo him off. If she was flirting with someone, she wrenches him off her and storms off in a huff (whoever she was talking to has definitely fled from König's evil eye by that point)

They don't really fight, they just have spats because König is endlessly amused by her anger and she is unable to stay mad at him for long. The one time they had a real fight was nasty, and they didn't talk for days afterwards

She's usually quite a chill, go with the flow person (because if she allowed herself too much stress or anxiety at once it would destroy her), but König brings out the spitfire in her

In equal measure, König is a bit of the shy and quiet giant type, but she brings out the brat tamer in him. They alternate balancing each other out

It's kind of easy to look at them and go "why are they still doing this to themselves" but when they get along (i.e. he's behaving himself and she's not pretending not to know him) they're as functional as any other couple

This definitely goes without saying: the nastiest most bed-breaking sex. They fuck like they’re trying to murder each other

I know it's a pet peeve of many people when they say the reader is ooooo so small and delicate next to the cod men, and I tend to agree. However, unless you are also nearly seven feet tall and built like an olympic swimmer, I'm just gonna say you're smaller than König

That being said, he LOVES using his size against her. Picking her up, bending her over things, bending her in half (mating press, his beloved)

If he wants her to stay, she'll stay. He'll have one hand on her throat pinning her down, the other keeping her open to slam into her

This brat will look him dead in the eye and ask "is that all you've got?", which obviously makes him lose his mind in the best way

She definitely has more experience than he does, which actually works out in his favor: him getting better at fucking really just means he's getting better at fucking her

They're so goddamn nasty they've definitely fucked in semi-public places because she teased him to the point of madness and he popped a boner so hard it was painful

Oh, the dirty talk. König is such a gentleman outside of the bedroom, but the degradation that comes out of him while he's fucking her is toe-curling. A lot of "nobody else can fuck you like this" and "all you're good for is taking me in your tight little hole"

He growls??? I don't know if y'all have heard his voicelines in German but he snarls at her when he's trying to teach her a lesson and it turns her into putty

This post is dedicated to @kneelingshadowsalome, who is waiting for this fic so patiently and is my shining beacon of motivation at this point lol

[ceilidho]

That gif set u reblogged w the tags made me think that soap is def the type to immediately start flirting with any girl he encounters in like. A cod (lol) game. He'll call other men in the lobby all types of insults but as soon as he hears a girl say anything he's like. Omg there's a girl here. Are U Single

he’s a dumb horny mutt (my beloved boy)

[scuddisher]

WHAT OTHERS CANNOT GIVE.

Price finds out you've been having second thoughts on your intimacy with him, searching for other men's services in the area—but he's convinced you're partnered with him for a reason.

RATING — MATURE & EXPLICIT (18+) PAIRING — gigolo! john price x gn! reader GENRE(S) — drabble, gigolo! au, yandere! au, smut WORD COUNT — 1k WARNINGS — mature content, language, jealousy, highly possessive john, loads of under-toning SMUT WARNINGS — sexual content, dom! price, edging, doggy-style, missionary, unprotected intercourse, creampie, bruising, mainly filth lol RELEASE DATE — DEC 14TH 2023

AUTHOR’S NOTE — me: i’m not gonna write for cod. i’m not gonna write for- [GUNSHOT]. this has been in my brain for WEEKS but now it’s finally written out <3 i live off of any type of modern-worker price concepts lmao they’re keeping me going rn.

“You know what sets me apart from others?”

John had you wrapped around his finger. Like a ring given in matrimony—the one you'd shiver over every time you had to take it off for some necessary chore where it could be damaged or lost. He knew his importance to you was real, it was what kept you coming back. But he had never taken into consideration that his services weren't enough for you.

Not with the way he had you clenching around his length, like now. “Why I am so good at my goddamn job?”

His ego had grown the more you had spoken. Broken sentences admitting to him that you had gone to see another man, asked for the pleasures of another's touch that wasn't him—you were his only regular.

John already knew, he was already hearing the gossip amidst the others. He had already found the strangely familiar phone number hidden deep inside of your drawer. In his world, of dark nights and long-time pleasure—he knew the signs of when a client was putting a distance between them and him.

You felt him twitch up into your heat as your breathing stuttered. Ears ringing loudly but only listening to the sounds of John spilling words through his gritted teeth. You knew you had crossed the line.

“What makes me the fucking best?” His words were harsh like a growl, yet spoke softly into only your ear as he pressed you into the mattress below him and felt your hips jerk back into his hot loins.

He had been fucking you for two hours. And this was once something you begged for. Once, his intimacy—now, obsession.

You felt yourself shivering from the cold air, the only major heat being the rough man behind you. His body was sweaty, hair sticking to himself along every part of his body. His happy trail soaked with drops of sweat running down his abs, stomach sucking in every time you clenched around him. You were dizzy from all that he had done to you.

And yet, he got another rise. Had released his load into you twice now, stretching you even further on his cock. That twitch of your body, mouth agape and claiming his name on your tongue. “John!”

Each time he pulled his length from you, the stickiness of his cum was enough to make you jerk and nearly orgasm until you felt the bruises he left on your hips throb in pain from his calloused fingertips pressing into them again.

You felt the cold air of his dick leaving you, could only whine as his hand pulled at your head until his lips were on your ear. And just as you felt the rush of his hot cum hitting the skin of your ass, he spoke again.

“Because I focus on my own pleasure, not yours. And that makes you my toy.”

Your whine was enough to have him turning you over to look at him, his touch becoming gentle as he heard the hisses and whispered words from your lips. “I'm sorry. I'm sorry.”

“Sorry.” He was still John. “Sorry is a tough word for you to use, isn't it?” His accent had grown thicker by each syllable. He was playing with your emotions. “Did you apologize to the man you called out that late night?”

There it was. The jealousy he had pent up, rocked his hips into yours until he almost forgot, only to see your big eyes staring up at him with tears falling down your cheeks to remind him.

“The one whose number you dialed instead of mine? Met in the latest hour of the night? Asked to pleasure you in some new way to get your fucking rocks off?!”

His beard was still covered in the wetness of your arousal, mixing with his spit and displaying itself on your skin each time his words turned angrier. Everything he had done to you tonight, it was all to convince you.

His mind was lost in his own thoughts as he spoke aloud. “Could he even make you cum? Know how to use you? Did he even get a touch before you realized he was someone else and not me?”

His hand moved from your heat, feeling you throb against the little friction he gave you until it found the pulse of your heartbeat at your neck. His thumb pressed into the spot, begging to feel how fast your heart would beat when he finally told you what he wanted to say all night.

“I'm the only person in the world that can make you cum like this.” His hard length was in his free hand, pressing into your heat once more until you were all-consuming. You saw the flinch in his face as he felt your walls feather with overuse, but he still found himself filling you up.

You felt his hips stutter once he was balls deep. The way his cock twitched from being sensitive like he hadn't used every hard-on he had gotten that night to prove his point. Now was his final show.

The ring of your arousal around him only caused a louder squelch and he pulled from you and thrusted himself back in. His speech only turned guttural when he felt how tired you were, how well he had taught you this lesson.

And as your body took him in and then kept going, your rise finally crashed down on you.

“You’re the o-only person who I have seen this many times in my field of work.”

You squeezed him, milked him of one more gushing orgasm, and then fell right down into your own. “Your body only knows me now. This—” He winced feeling your entire body turn into mush as your orgasm finally swept over you. “This is only for us.”

His words quieted as his head fell into your shoulder, mouth kissing at your neck. You could only cry, only whine his name softly. He finally claimed what he wanted to since the first day your shaky little fingers dialed his number.

“I'm the only one who can give you what others cannot.” He spoke so gently, pressing his entire weight onto your form below him and into the mattress. “My love.”

© scuddisher — all rights reserved. do not plagiarize, repost, or translate any of my works without my permission. do not post my content on other sites, especially claiming them as your own! reblogs and feedback are seriously appreciated <3

[ofherpinkways]

No matter how many girls

( ⚠️🚫MDNI cod men x fem reader smut with aftercare⚠️🚫 ) < a/n: my first smut sorry if it's shit yall

Imagine dating for years being power a couple that the whole Base talks about

Fuck even the other Units do

Unfortunately things go south and you two break up

Causing an uproar. Now that you're broken up the both of you are free for the taking now

Of course instantly the new recruits, ran straight for him. Fighting over him like hungry vultures

Teasing him during missions and off

Wearing small tight pieces of clothing around him

Those shorts barely covered her stupid ass last

Showing off their perky little tits at the clubs and bars

Grinding against him on the dance floor

Worse of all? The little tramp is looking at you the whole time trying to get under your skin

Admittedly to youself it was working leading you to be snappy towards him during missions and around base the following week

Which of course leds into massive argument between the two of you

God how your temper turns him on causing to not pay attention to anything you're saying as you chew him out

His poor brain is too lost thinking about the dirty little things he wants to do you again

Watching you throw your hands around as you yell at him

Missing how those pretty fingernail with the newly pained black nail polish would ruined from you dipping them in his back as you fucked you all those weeks ago .

Without any second thought he grabbed your arm dragging you to his room and throwing you on his bed. Looking at you lustful eyes as he towered over you

You looked back at him shocked unable to say anything. Heart pounding against your chest. Embarrassing for yourself in moment a wet patch is starting to ruin your fleshly washed panties

Before you knew it. He was inside of you pounding his cock into your pretty pussy as you cry into his chest moaning loudly unable to control yourself

He looked down at you admiring the cute little mess he was making of you

"No matter how many girls I've been since we broke up I couldn't stop myself from pretending they were all you " he whispered grunting , warm lips on your ear

His lips traveled to your cheek planting small kiss on it slowly down his thrusts "every fucking time angel" he whispered softly looking at you with love leaning for tender kiss

He pulled out of you bringing into his arms running his fingers through your messy hair. Giving small pecks all over your sensitive body

"You did so good today love ,you took me so well I'm so proud of you " he whispers in soft happy tone "rest for now yeah? We'll talk about getting back together tomorrow "

(A/N: lol very clearly first smut Anways apparently my seasonal depression makes me incredibly horny , although with that this be my last post [other for reblogs] while because ya girl is going through it right so I gotta take a break)

[goodday-goodmorn]

Back on this account: Prefacing this that this work was wrote in like a day and like most of my things- i was too lazy to edit lol. The concept form todays work was injected into my brain by good old @auspicioustidings, check em out- they got some cool concepts and fics. (Particularly Firewatch- chefs kiss to that series), lots of soft, dark, kidnap-y, COD content 👍

Without further ado i present my impulsive thoughts on a page:

——————

“Committed to the Bit.”

words: 4.7k

Summary: You’re at an utterly boring halloween party, about to leave when some scottish man dressed as a solider comes slinking into the bathroom and really goes ham with his whole ‘This place is dangerous, you aren’t supposed to be here- we gotta get you to safety’ act. Weird pick-up line approach but hey it fucking works. He’s just charming enough for you to play along with his bit. Because it is just a bit… right?

This party was kinda dull. Which really was a shame considering how high your expectations were. From what your friend said- it was supposed to be an immersive experience. The hosts were apparently old collage buddies with your friend who were halloween fanatics.

You friend has absolutely hyped them up, talking all about how when they threw parties they got into them and would always play up whatever dynamic they were going for with their costumes. Even to a level of mild public humiliation.

She once recounted the story of how one year, when dressed as a pair of vampires, they full on acted as though they were melting when someone brought a side of garlic breadsticks with the pizza. Fully committed to the bit it seems.

Because of the hosts being so dedicated to their act, of course it wasn’t uncommon for guests to act in a similar manner. Even those who didn’t have a running gag for the night were overall relaxed and had a good time being apart of the fun. It was a non-judgmental zone, filled with pretty decor and open people.

So of course, after hearing all about the welcoming and fucking amazing vibes of these parties- you had agreed to meet up with your friend at one.

Normally, you weren’t really one for parties, especially halloween ones because it was typically full of judgey, horny, strangers who would consider you weird- and you’d have to small talk and the songs almost always sucked because of course they couldn’t play actual halloween songs even if it killed them.

But after many reassurances from your friend, including videos and photos she had graciously provided you- you went to one.

To say you were disappointed was an understatement.

The costumes were amazing- high quality and expensive, hell the place was fucking stunning, all decked out in halloween gear and dark lighting. Even the building itself seemed perfect for this sort of thing- winding corridors, random locked rooms, ominous men in suits. Oh and don’t get you started on the snack table, shit was heavenly even if you were the only one touching it. The aesthetics of the party were great, But…

The vibes were way off. There was no rambunctious fun laughter and people grooving on the dance floor. Everyone seemed oddly reserved. Committed to their bits for sure, but well… there wasn’t much ah, variety to everyone’s act.

They all shared a similar vibe of like- domineering power. Which was definitely pretty fucking hot when it came to some people, (looking at you fancy vanpire lady), but it got boring after a while.

Safe to say your attempts at socializing were pretty shot. And what’s even worse, your friend? Yeah she didn’t even show up.

Tragic truly. You would call her to see if she made it here yet, but your phone was dead- and talking to any of the other party goers was a song and dance you didn’t wanna attempt again.

So here you are, in the bathroom, sitting by one of the sinks and charging your phone.

How lame.

You sigh, standing up to check yourself out in the mirror. At least your costume is fun, it’s a reference that only really you and you friend would get, but still, it made you happy to wear. It was a royal outfit, you looked like nobility, nice and fancy. Perhaps a barron, or maybe a princess, or a king- really it was up for anyone's interpretation. You fix up the head accessory, then fuss with your hair just to have something to do.

Maybe you should just leave, you were getting pretty bored of everything.

And it’s at that moment, as you’re sinking down to the bathroom floor to grab your charger that the most interesting thing of tonight bursts through the door.

You look at him, blinking once then twice. He does the same.

Eye candy.

That’s the first thought that comes to mind. Without an ounce of shame you let your eyes rack over his form, fitted in some sort of military outfit, tactical gear and even a prop gun. He makes it look damn good.

And then you stop admiring the hunk of prime meat in front of you because starring is rude. (Even if he is fucking amazingly charmingly rugged and god damn what you wouldn’t give to run your fingers through that mohawk of his and just tug-)

“That’s a good fucking costume.”

He pauses, looking at you with something confused and a bit bemused. And like an idiot you just can’t keep your mouth shut and blurt out more shit.

“Did ya have to bust through the door though? I mean like- don’t get me wrong it was cool as shit- really adds to the character here, big, hot, ah… military? guy.”

You wince, you’re making a fool of yourself. Luckily the man doesn't seem to mind.

(Johnny takes one look at you, your bag in a sink, your phone charging in the bathroom outlet, your clearly partly homemade costume that shows way more care than any of the other people in this joint and easily figures out-)

“L.T, Found a civvie.”

He mumbles into a- oh shit he’s got an earpiece and everything. Now that is cool. You tell him as such.

“Okay that is so fucking cool. Dude does that thing actually work? Man. How long did it even take for you to get this whole costume?”

He studies you with an odd look for a moment. You wonder if there’s actually anyone talking to him in that earpiece. Must be with the way he pauses. Slowly, he speaks; gentle.

“Not a costume lass. We ought to get you outta here, it's gonna be a shitshow soon.”

You blink. And then, you smile.

“Rightttt, not a costume. I getcha.”

“Not joking bonnie. This place is dangerous, filled with snakes. How did a wee thing like you even get in here?”

You smile, a bit pleased to banter with the first person who isn't doing the same old same old, ‘i know more than you, ooo im so big and powerful and scary’ act.

“Took a carriage ride and promised my roommate I'd be back by midnight.”

He eyes your royal esc outfit, not cinderella by any means but it still makes him smile slightly. (And boy if that isn't a sight, him looking you up and down and looking at you like that?)

“Cute. Then allow me to be yer escort princess.” He jerks his head in the direction of the bathroom door.

The statement is said with just enough sarcasm to make you bite down a grin. Hes very committed to this whole military operation act. And honestly? You were ready to leave anyway. Not to mention this guy was the only one who’d gotten your interest all night.

You grab your things and stuff them in your bag, slinging it over your shoulder tightly.

“Follow me, and ye gotta be quiet. Cant let anyone see us.”

You are more than willing to go along with his silly bit. And so you give him a clumsy salute, with a good natured smile.

“You got it captain.”

“Sergeant.”

He corrects you with an amused little puff of air. Clearly- hes just as pleased to have someone indulge him as you are to have someone interesting to talk to.

“You got it sergeant.” You repeat back with a graceful little half bow and amused smirk.

He turns back to the door, hands on his gun and before you go out you grab onto his arm.

“Wait!”

He turns to you with a raised eyebrow, eyes sharp, focused: wow hes a really good actor and hes got really pretty fucking eyes-

“Lassie?”

Oh yeah you can't get lost in his eyes just yet.

“Can I have a gun? For safety and all that- totally.”

“Hen… i don't think-”

“please sergeant? I promise I won't break it or anything! I just wanna get more into character ya know? pretty please Sir…?

…

(Johnny is not a good man. And fuck when he hears you call him by his rank, sir, asking so sweetly- your hands clasped in front of you- looking at him with a sheepish grin and pleading eyes. He wants to give you a damn bazooka if it means you keep talking sweet to him. Ghost is in his ear, telling him he better not bloody dare.)

(So of course…)

“You keep that safety on boonie. Hold it like this. If you gotta use it, don't be shooting or you’ll blow yer eye out. You toss the bloody thing in the direction of whatever it is you’re tryna hit- or you hand it to me. Is that clear?”

You nod vehemently, assuring him with little, yep’s and sure’s, and got it-’s. He raises a brow, mostly cause hes not sure if you’re actually taking this seriously. You take it for something else entirely though and then quickly say-

“Yes sir. Understood.”

(...Johnny is both damn disappointed hes on a mission, and greatful as fuck, because the only thing he wants to do is push you up against that wall, sneak his hands down your silly little costume and tease you until you’re a squirming mess. Asking you if you understand how hard hes gonna fuck you and hear your breath hitch as you answer back with a wanton “Yes sir”—)

“Sergeant…?”

You stare at the fellow and his intense gaze, wondering if you took it too far. Hes committed to his bit sure, but you didn't mean to overstep and make him feel like he had to give you a gun. Clearly they were expensive props, detailed and metallic and heavy.

Instead of speaking to you, he speaks to his earpiece, “just a precaution L.T, what if her majesty gets cornered? Little lass don't have a lick of combat training.”

You -far to ready to add to this stupid little bit- chime in,

“Yeah, they only teach you fencing and the waltz where i'm from.”

Johnny grins, “Com'on L.T”

(As much as Ghost hates to admit it- Johnny is right. And so be begrudgingly relents. It seems everyone is amused by how utterly oblivious you are because Gaz spares a laugh and a cheeky comment after Ghost's gruff voice.)

“Soooo… what's the verdict Sergeant? Did your uh… LT? That's lieutenant right-? Does he approve?”

In response, Soap carefully positions a gun in your hand, telling you with an edge to keep your fingers away from the trigger. (Safety is on of course, Johnnys not an idiot all the time.) You nod, holding onto the gun and feeling so cool.

Like that the two of you are off, sneaking around the winding corridors and hiding.

Honestly? This is the most fun you’ve had since you got here. Its all you can do to not bounce on your heels when you follow Soap around.

He's just so into this, that you can't help but be sucked in. Speaking in low tones to his ear peice, making sure you stick close, talking about positions and other military jargon that goes over your head. Oh and he does it all with this charming smile, like the situation is serious yes- but like he's still making sure you’re having fun. Trying to keep you comfortable. The energy is tense but in a good way. Electric even.

You find yourself holding your breath whenever you hide behind a corner, or when he tugs you to him and holds you still- god it's just so thrilling. Maybe because you’ve had a boring night, and cause he's charming and fun in all the right ways- but you’re having a blast.

Even when things seem to get even more tense.

You and Soap are currently nestled away in a little nook, a back corridor, a dead end. Soap curses, speaking into his earpiece. You can hear footsteps, someones coming. And if they see you and Soap- you'll surely be compromised.

(Which means your little game will likely come to an end. Most of the party people here are judgmental, ergo they probably won't appreciate your little roleplay. Its in this moment that you decide- fuck it, you dont want this to end.)

“Sergeant!” You whisper harshly, tugging off your fancy coat and draping it around him, “I’ve got a plan- trust me.”

He looks at you, mildly conflicted, he's about to say something but the footsteps are getting closer and you really need a cover story for why you’re lurking in a dark corner away from the party. You can only think of one reason two people would sneak away at a party.

Sue you for getting too into this silly game of pretend, but adrenaline spikes and next thing you know; you’re kissing him.

Rough and messy, needy. You let out your best wanton muffled moan. His eyes are wide, and for a moment you spiral, realizing what you’ve just done. Sure you were playing pretend and he was committed to the bit but you just kissed him for fucks sake- sexually harsssed him!

Oh god hes gonna hate you and you just ruined all that fun banter and any shot at ever speaking to the only decent person you’ve met all night—

He’s kissing back.

With sudden haste he pulls you close, kissing you back with a ferocity that short circuits your brain for a moment. His knee slots in between your legs, entangling you two, and then there's a soft thud as his back hits the wall.

Holy shit.

Holy shit.

Your heart races, a slurry of adrenaline, of elation because he was playing along with your silly cover story, of something hot and molten because he was running his hands along your outfit desperately.

Amidst the heat of it all, the grinding of his knee between your legs- you don't even notice the fact that the footsteps stopped. Johnny does though. He breaks the kiss with a purposeful loud noise, when he sees your dazed and confused expression however- he quickly aims for your neck before you can say a word and accidently give away the clever cover story you thought of.

You gasp, the noise does wonders. He can hear whoevers about to round the corner shifting about, obviously realizing what's going on and debating if they should check to be sure or spare their eyes of the sight.

So of course, Johnny helps them decide by laying it on thick.

“Fuck atta girl hen, wanna hear you fall apart f’ me.”

He presses you against his knee, nibbling at your skin to make your breath stutter. Thankfully, you catch his words and seem to get at least to some level what he's doing.

So of course, because god damn it- you’re in the thick of this silly military operation act now- you’ve gotta commit. You moan out the worst thing you can think of to make someone go away. Which is of course—

“Daddy!”

(Johnny can hear Gaz fucking roaring with laughter over coms. It takes everything in himself not to laugh then and there. Luckily, having a pretty little thing pressed against his knee and trembling provides a good distraction. Still, he can't repress the grin.)

“Yeah? Need something kitten?” He captures your lips again, a quick kiss this time, just to leave you breathless for your next remark.

“Y-Your c-” Oh my fucking god you dont know if you’re struggling to speak because you’re trying your damndest not to laugh, or because you are painfully terribly aroused at due to his kisses and husky voice. Thank god he intervenes.

“Whats that kitty? Yer gonna have to speak up. Lemme hear that sweet voice of yours.”

He guides you across his knee, you tangle your hand in his hair, tugging that stupid mohawk close to kiss him again.

When you quickly pull away, you rush out the words, failing to hide the look of pure hysterical amusement on your face- luckily the rush of words is mistaken for neediness and not because you are seconds away from bursting into laughter.

“Your cock-”

He captured your laughter in another kiss, groaning to hide the sound of your stifled snickers.

Finally, after what seems like ages and yet too little time- he hears Ghost in his ear giving him the all clear. Not without clear amusement.

Johny backs off, panting heavily and listening. He hears nothing but empty air. Quietly he whispers,

“They’re gone.”

You pant as well, trying your best to keep your hysterical little giggles quiet. Johnny is right there with you, like fucking schoolgirls- the two of you giggle for a moment.

Ah but you should probably apologize.

“H-Hey im sorry by the way- for kissing you out of the blue like that, i didn't know if you’d be comfortable with it but uh- i kinda got invested in the whole-”

You wave a hand about as he backs off you, pulling his knee away from your heat between your legs.

“-‘Don't get caught’, thing. Sorry if i um- took it too far and make you uncomfortable…”

(Johnny looks down at you, pretty little oblivious thing, looking all sheepish and nervous as if there wasn’t the high potential you just saved both his and your asses with your quick thinking.)

“All good lassie. Good quick thinking.”

(As much as he’d love to tease you more about it- or even tell you just how much he enjoyed kissing you until you were breathless- he’s still on a mission, and you need to keep moving.)

(So for now, he settles for a hair ruffle and a wink. You smile all the same.)

The pair of you continue, and you are starting to wonder where you’re going. This ain’t the way you came in- though, you suppose coming in via the main entrance would defeat the point of the game. Which was of course: to sneak you out undetected. Walking through the hall of party-goers probably wouldn’t be the best call.

Still, it's odd when you find yourself stopping at a room. It appears to be locked, a passcode and everything. This doesn’t seem to be an issue though.

(“Intel says they left the hard drive here. Code is 269344041.” Johnny listens to Ghosts voice, inputting the code easily. He ignores the confused look you end him in favor of mumbling-)

“a’m in.”

You blink as he talks to his earpiece. Carefully and quietly as you enter the room, you ask,

“Um… sergeant? What are we doing in here?”

“Looking for a package hen.”

(“Should be in a small red box.” Ghost relays.)

“-Little red box. Help me look?”

You nod like the helpful little thing you are and begin to search the room. It’s a storage unit of sorts. Bunch of random shit, you even spot a cool ass box of skeleton bones. That you show to your newfound companion.

He grimaces and gently sets the box down away from your hands.

“Let’s not touch anything else alright lassie?”

It’s framed as a question but really it’s an order. You just shrug, and then remember your line was supposed to be, ‘yes sir.’

“Yes sir.”

The search doesn’t take long after that, a few minutes max before you spot a little red box high up on a shelf. All the things around it are collecting dust, but the dull red colored cardboard seems to be free of it. Placed there recently it seems.

Maybe this whole immersive thing was planned out, and maybe it was pure luck you got roped into it. Everything was awfully elaborate after all. With him knowing the code and stuff.

“Sergeant i think i found it.”

He’s on you in and instant,

“Where?”

You point up the shelf. “That it?”

He carefully grabs it, opens it up and shuts it before you can get a good look. Looked kinda like a flash drive? A flash drive inside a plastic baggie.

“That’s what we’re looking for alright. Good work lassie. Ye might as well be a recruit at this point.”

He’s joking it seems, so you smile back in turn.

“Lived a bit too cushiony of a life for military work i’m afraid.” You gesture once more to your royal outfit. “But i’ll consider the offer sergeant.”

He takes you by the arm, tucking the box into his vest and leading you to the door.

“Glad to hear it princess.”

After that, it’s more sneaking about, more little bits of banter whenever you can, and listening to him speak into his earpiece. It’s dreadfully fun, the most fun you’ve had all night and honestly? At any party ever.

Finally- Finally, you seem to make your goal as you feel open air on your skin. That took forever to get out, with how massive the place was, but by god it was fun sneaking around like a super spy with…

Oh. You come to the sudden realization that you don’t actually know his name. That and- you never gave him your name either.

Well, this is where you leave so…

“Hey i just realized i never got your name.”

He turns to you for a brief moment, his hands on your arm now, tugging you along away from the building so that the bouncers at the front won’t see you. The two of you stop a little ways away.

“Soap. Or Johnny if you’d prefer.”

He says it so simply, with such an easy smile.

“And you princess?”

You say your own back, and it sounds so nice on his tongue. So right.

“Um- if you wouldn’t mind-“ You’re fishing in your bag now for your barely charged phone, wanting to get his number because he seems like a stand up dude and-

Soap touches his earpiece, “Package and civilians secure L.T. Good to go.” He says it quiet enough you don’t hear it, too busy looking for your phone.

(“Roger. Gaz move in.”)

“-could i maybe get your number? After i find my phone, of course. it’s just uh, well i had a lot of fun. Truth be told the night was pretty shit before you found me so if it’s okay with y-“

Your eyes widen when you see behind Soap, several Military troops storming the place, all of them holding what look to be- very real guns.

“What the fu-?”

You start, dropping your phone in a shock and completely shattering the poor device against the pavement.

Johnny can’t seem to bite down his grin.

Slowly, and yet all too fast, everything clicks as soon as you hear gunshots.

At a snails pace your head turns towards Johnny. Soap. The sergeant. The real sergeant.

“I did tell ya it wasn’t a costume hen.”

You were such a fucking idiot.

——————

Awkwardly you sit in your chair, taken in for interrogation. Less that and more for protocol considering everyone agreed you didn’t know jack shit.

Apparently, you went to the wrong party and somehow ended up at a terrorist gathering, which would explain the weird vibes of all the guests. And the super big and confusing building. And the many locked doors. And the—

The more you thought about it, the more stupid you felt so at some point in the hours of being on this stupid military base, you stopped.

To your utter horror and humiliation: Soap was a real sergeant. On a real mission. And he gave you a real ass fucking gun. And you had kissed him and oh god he had his knee between your fucking legs- you called him daddy.

Physically unable to handle the shame and embarrassment, you make a noise similar to that of a dying cat and bury your face in your hands.

The person ‘interrogating’ you, (a nice man that everyone called Gaz), just laughed. At the very least your misery was amusing.

“I am- so, so so fucking sorry, oh my god i’m such an idiot.”

“Don’t worry about it love. It helped to keep you calm. Better than dealing with panicking eh?”

You nodded because he made sense. It didn’t mean you were happy about it- but it did make sense. Soap tried to tell you after all. Honestly it was probably for the best you thought it was all a joke. Who knows what you would have done if you knew it was for real, probably panicked and gotten both yourself and him killed.

Gaz pats your head, an amused but sympathetic smile on his face.

(God fucking damn it, were all sergeants just naturally this fucking charming??? …You don’t have a thing for military guys do you?)

When the captain of this whole thing walks in, John Price; with a smile like that of a damn koala bear and air of authority- you decide that, yeah. Maybe you do have a thing for military types.

Go figure.

“You're free to go love.”

You sigh with relief, mostly because you don’t physically think you can handle anymore embarrassment. Your face is starting to hurt from all the cringing you’ve been doing. How are you ever gonna live this down?

“Afraid your phones broken though. Do you know the way home?”

No. Obviously not. You were taken here via military truck with the other soldiers. Frankly you could be in a different country right now and you wouldn’t know because you passed out at some point from the sheer embarrassment of it all.

(Price of course, knows this. He just wants to see you squirm a little longer. Is it wrong? Yeah. But he’ll be damned if you aren’t the most fun thing to mess with.)

“Um no- sir.” You tack on the title quickly, unsure exactly what to call him.

“Alright. I’ll have one of my men escort you home.”

As long as it’s anyone but Johnny you should be able to survive a car ri-

“Soap.”

Fuck.

“Take my car and escort the little lady back home.”

…You just had to think it, didn't you?

(Price knows he’s cruel for messing with you. Mean and terrible really. But the face you make when he calls Soap into the room? Where you look like you go through every stage of grief before landing on depression in .5 seconds?)

(Priceless.)

——————

The car ride is just as excruciating as you thought it would be. Even worse- Soaps a good guy. Charming and fun, sweet even. He jokes and teases you but tries his damnest to make the car ride as comfortable as possible.

Hell he even offers to stop someplace and buy you something for the road. And offer you not let would refuse; but you were at the base for hours, and it’s like 2 AM and you are exhausted and hungry and embarrassed.

So the two of you get some takeout, and eat in Prices car. You would be worried about eating in the car, but Soap makes you comfortable, assuring you the captain would probably be more upset if he let you go home on an empty stomach.

The rest of the drive is cozy after that. He pulls laughter out of you, and embarrassed groans but it’s all in good fun.

By the time you get home, you’re most definitely a little unsteady on your feet just due to how tired you are. He helps you out of the car, and even walks you to your door.

Before he leaves, you awkwardly debate giving him your number. Just so you could buy him drinks or something later down the line to make up for your utter stupidity today- but then you remember your totaled phone.

Damn.

And then, a god seemingly hears your prays because he’s slipping you a sheet of paper.

Drowsily you blink down at it to find a king number string. A phone number.

When you snap your eyes back up to him, he’s grinning.

“You wanted it right lass? Give me a call sometime.”

And then, he’s winking and walking away. Just like that.

…huh. Maybe you should go to parties more often.

[karlachismylife]

What I need is x afab!reader where reader is as agressively masculine as they get. Where they are just as crass as the men if not worse. Where they get into real fights and have a short temper, with a kind heart, sure, but it's almost overriden. Where they don't have pretty lingerie or heels or dresses, where they cut or even shave their hair off, where they wear fucking axe or sauvage instead of flowery perfumes. I need them with a loud, obnoxious laugh, military boots and wrinkled oversized shirts. I need them manspreading with a beer in hand. I need them with their disappointed mother saying they'll never get a man behaving like that. I need everyone around them to be absolutely sure they are into women only because well they're just a walking stereotype. I need a butch that's gonna step on these big scary men's balls, peg them and ride their face only when they promise to behave.

Don't get me wrong, I love soft reader, feminine reader, crybaby reader, mommy dom reader, lady reader, capable farmer reader, bimbo reader, cute assistant reader, military but girly outside work reader, competent and elegant reader, tough reader, housewife reader, business owner reader, submissive reader. I fucking love reader (saw a post that called them the ultimate Barbie and hell yes), I love women, I will be fighting their men to be with all those above. I will respect the hell outta reader who is the perfect balance (I guess Squeaks by @charliemwrites is like what the balance looks like to me? or maybe it's as close as it gets to what I'm trying to describe here... I dunno, I jut love her. man I'd kill to be with Squeaks, honestly, that's the dream woman. too bad I ain't her type lol)

But I need a tomboy that is kind, but doesn't go suddenly soft and docile, won't put on an apron after the Big Strong Men show them a good time. I need a fucking menace that is just a tad bit too much, there is nuance obvously, but it doesn't change them at core. I need a Lisbeth Salander (without Mikael bullshit) reader, I need a Terminator 2 Sarah Connor reader, I need Mass Effect Jack reader, I need Marvel Nebula reader.

Doesn't apply to COD only either. Give me Gale and Astarion with a huge barbaric orc Tav. Give me slashers that get beaten the shit out of them with a crowbar when they try to attack that punk. Give me Peaky Blinders that have seen their fair share of strong and powerful women, but they are not sure they can even call that creature a woman (make her worse than Kate Leigh and Tilly Devine combined, honestly).

Unwomanly, unfeminine, gender-fucking violent foul-mouthed menace. Yes, I have a type.

If you know any works like this, PLEASE send me the links. Thank you.

[starstruckmiraclekitty]

Howdy, I hope you're having a good day! I just read your post with the 141 and a partner that uses their callsign in an emergency and it's really good! I know Alejandro, Rodolfo and Konig don't have callsigns but I was wondering if you could please write the same scenario with them? Perhaps the partner calls usually them by a nickname (Ale, Rudy, Ko) but uses their full name when in danger. I apologize if this doesn't make sense but thank you for reading! :)

As promised, here's a second edition for this request for our other COD boys🙂🩷

Original Request-

Alejandro/Rudy/ König x Reader, Where Reader Calls For Them In An Emergency

Warnings: unwanted advances, mentions of violence, crying

A/N: I tried to be respectful with this one. Please be advised that this can be triggering for some readers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

König-

You were finishing up cleaning the training room for the night, when three of the newer recruits had come in, sauntering about the room.

You knew of them from König, as they were not the biggest fan of him. König had gained quite a bit of notoriety lately, as he'd had a few successful missions, which caused quite a few members on base to grow jealous of your boyfriend.

"You're Königs girl, aren't you? Heard you're quite the fighter. Let's see how well you can fight." One of the recruits said, his voice laced with malice. It was clear the three of them were very drunk, and you weren't a fool. You knew you were outnumbered.

"This isn't a fight you want." You said, your usual confident tone faltering slightly as they started to corner you.

"Hey, man, I wouldn't. König will fuck us up if he finds out." One of the other recruits said, backing up slowly.

"Oh, whatever. Let us have some fun." The first man said as he backed you into a corner, swiping at your legs, catching you off guard and sending you buckling to the floor.

Two of the men laughed as the other backed off slowly, the taller one landing a kick to your midsection. "What, not so strong without your mammoth of a man here, are you?"

"Please, stop." You held your hands out defensively. You were in no position to get up and fight back, as they had you pinned to the ground. Another kick was landed to your stomach, knocking the wind out of you.

"Stop! KÖNIG!" You screamed, praying your boyfriend would hear you.

König, who was just walking past the training room on his way to your dorm, stopped dead in his tracks upon hearing your scream. His blood ran cold, and he quickly threw open the door.

His body reacted before his brain could, as he stormed up to the man who had been kicking you and picked him up by his shirt collar.

"Touch them again, I fucking dare you." Königs voice was laced with vitriol, as he pushed at the man's throat slightly, cutting off his oxygen. "I promise you won't like the outcome."

The man put his hands up in surrender, and König dropped him to the floor with a loud "thud." The other two men had vanished the moment König had barged in the room.

König placed his foot on the man's abdomen and pushed down harshly. "You make sure and tell your little friends if I ever, ever catch any of you harassing my partner again, I'll end all of your miserable lives."

He lifted his leg off the man, and the man took the opportunity to stand and bolt out of the room.

Königs eyes softened as he looked down at you, and crouched down next to you.

"M-maus?" His voice came out as shaky, a complete 180 from the man that was just defending you. "Are you okay? Let me see you."

You let out a strangled cry as you lifted yourself off the ground slightly. "Kö."

"Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't here." He said softly as he gently pulled you in his arms. He rubbed at your arms soothingly as he pressed kisses to your temple.

"It's okay, Kö. Thanks for coming to save me." You sniffled before nuzzling your face into your boyfriend's neck.

"Don't thank me. I'd do anything for you, Maus."

He later took you to your room and cuddled with you in your bed, not letting you from his sight.

He made sure the next morning to make it known to the other two recruits that no one was to ever mess with you again.

Alejandro-

You were out walking yours and Alejandros dog on a sunny afternoon in Las Almas.

Depending on the area you lived in, in Las Almas, there were some safe areas, and some not so safe areas.

You and Alejandro lived on the safer side of Las Almas, but there were areas nearby that blended into some of the rougher sides.

Unfortunately for you, you had tuned out the world as you listened to the newest album of one of your favorite bands and had ended up on the other side of the block, into one of the rougher sides of town.

Your dog had started to grow a little restless and kept looking behind you, which caused the hairs on the back of your neck to stick up slightly.

You looked behind your and were met with the sight of a middle-aged man, who had a sinister smile on his lips. It was clear he had no good intentions for you, and the fact that your dog, who normally loved everyone, was nervous had your heart sinking into your stomach.

You began to increase your pace, walking briskly back toward your home, when you heard his footsteps rapidly approaching from behind you.

"ALE!" You screamed, running as fast as you could away from the man.

Alejandros head shot up from the garden he was tending to in your backyard, and quickly got to his feet.

"Y/N!" He cried out, trying to find the source of your cries. "Y/N, where are you?"

He darted around a corner, as was met with the sight of you sprinting toward him, your dog not far behind you. What had his blood boiling, though, was the man chasing you.

He quickly caught you in his arms, the wind being knocked out of him slightly at the impact. "Who is he?"

"I don't know, Ale, please help me." You cried, your voice coming out panicked.

The man stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing Alejandro, a terryfing smile falling across his lips.

"Who the hell are you, and why are you bothering my spouse?" Alejandro called out as he pushed you behind him.

"Don't know what you're talking about, man." The guy held his hands up in mock innocence. "Just minding my own business."

Alejandro took a menacing step closer to the man as his grip on your wrist tightened. "Then get the fuck out of here."

The man gave a dark chuckle, before slowly sauntering away from the two of you.

Once the man was out of sight, Alejandro turned back to you, anger clearly showing on his face. "Cariño, why were you over here? I told you so many times to mind where you're walking. What if I hadn't been here?"

"I'm sorry, Ale. I zoned out. I should've been paying attention." You said softly, your bottom lip trembling slightly.

Alejandro sighed deeply as he took in your expression. "It's okay, mi amor. Please just be careful next time. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you."

He pulled you into a tight hug as he pressed kisses to your hair. "Please, promise me you'll be careful next time."

"I promise, Ale."

Rodolfo-

You and Rodolfo were at a local farmers market, enjoying the day off together. Rodolfo had insisted that he get fresh vegetables for the dish he was making the two of you for dinner.

"Alright, mi amor, I'll go get some of the fruits, are you okay with getting the vegetables?" He asked, pressing a kiss to your hand.

"Of course. Meet back here in 10?"

~

You had just gotten a few of the vegetables needed when you felt the presence of two men behind you. You'd noticed them following you earlier, but thought nothing of it at first.

While trying to get away from them, you hadn't noticed you ended up at the end of an alleyway.

One of the guys had let out a dark chuckle as the two of them approached you. "You look lost, need us to help you find your way?"

"Please, leave me alone." You begged, your hands flying up in a defensive gesture.

"Why would we do that? Don't want to leave a pretty thing such as yourself alone out here, do we?" The one man asked, looking to his partner.

"No, we wouldn't. You look awfully lonely. Let us help you." The other said as they got closer to you.

"RUDY!" You cried out, desperately trying to get away from the men.

Rodolfo, who was over at one of the fruit carts nearby, dropped the fruit he was holding and quickly darted over to the source of your cries.

He frantically searched for you and found you hunched in a corner, with the two men surrounding you, their hands trying to undress you. He felt something within him snap at that moment, and before his brain could catch up, he quickly landed a crushing punch on one of the man's jaws.

You let out a yelp of surprise as your leg instinctively shot out from underneath you, tripping the other man in front of you, sending him toppling to the ground face first.

You scurried back against the wall, and watched as the two men cradled their wounds, and sprinted in the opposite direction of you and your husband.

You let out a sob you didn't know you were holding in, your hands flying to clutch at your face. Rodolfo immediately turned to you, his heart shattering as he watched you.

"Cariño, are you okay?" Rodolfo slowly slid to his knees next to you as he cradled your face in his hands.

You instinctively pushed him away, your fight or flight instincts still in full effect. "No! Please don't!"

"Hey, hey. Baby, it's me. It's alright, I'm here." He cooed gently, his hands slowly approaching you again. "Come here."

You let out a choked sob as you threw yourself into his arms. "Rodolfo."

"I've got you." He pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead as he held you tightly in his arms. "I've got you."

He held you like that for a while before picking you up bridal style in his arms. "Let's just go home, okay, sweetheart?"

He kept you close to him, as the two of you walked to your car. Even on the ride home, Rodolfo's hand never left yours. He'd be damned if he ever let anything like that happen to you again. The next person who dared trying would have a death wish.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: I hope you enjoy!!! Let me know if there's anyone else anyone would like to see!🙂🩷

[topoeiaz]

Decrescendo (CoD) John Price x OC

18+ blog • minors dni

content: fluff, hurt/comfort, smut

warning: military inaccuracies, human trafficking, implied sexual trauma

word count: 30.2k

summary: Her personal mission of infiltrating a human-trafficking ring had been a success and an opportunity to escape the leader presented itself when her colleagues raided their base. As she readjusted to her normal life, flames are kindled and tears are shed. She had found her way back home in the people she held dear and she awaits the day her sister would come home too.

a/n: so. I got lured into the cod fandom through good smut writing. fr truly changed the smut scene for me ngl. also, despite the title, there's nothing musical in this lol. and I realised while proofreading that the romance isn't as focussed on as I thought it was, woops. happy reading!!

cod masterlist • ao3

It was a noisy night.

The assignment was straightforward; infiltrate the target organisation’s base, preferably capture the human-trafficking ringleader alive, and hack into their system to download their records. Nothing new, nothing surprising. So why was it, the boys wondered, that they had found themselves struck confused at the scene before them?

The mission flowed seamlessly, there was nothing of note as they took down the two-story hideout’s members guarding the boss in his office. They had lost a couple of their own – as inevitable as it was upsetting – but they had eventually managed to reach their destination at the top floor. Eyeing the team to gauge their preparedness to tackle the final room, Captain John Price gave a solid nod after his orders before he slammed the locked doorknob open. Immediately bullets came barrelling through the wood, as expected, and the boys waited for a moment of pause before rushing into the room and assuming positions to cut the corners and aim at those who had a gun pointed to them, save for the man in the back, middle of the room, in front of the of the office table.

A feminine voice shrieked fearfully as the organisation’s men collapsed one by one. Veterans in their skills, none of Price’s men had taken a fatal shot by the time the battle died down. That ended up with the ringleader coming into a faceoff with the British S.A.S. men, the rest of the Price’s team settling themselves outside the room to watch for any stray attacks. It was only then, that the boys had noticed the woman in the room, stood behind their target who had an arm out in front of her protectively as his other hand held a gun trained onto Price. Intel had told them that the leader had a woman, but they had also been briefed that he would be in a meeting during their attack. They had not expected for the unnamed lady to grace them with her presence that evening.

“Claudio Agustine. You’re outnumbered, I suggest you surrender this instance.”

Agustine scoffed with a manic grin etched onto his lips. “You’ve come here for my records, no? Unfortunately for you, I’ve reset the computers in this building so you can’t access the data here.”

The boys cursed under their breaths when they realised that they really do have to capture Agustine alive now so that they didn’t end this assignment empty-handed and for naught. One of them, Johnny “Soap” MacTavish, spoke into his radio to update the team on their situation and, understandably, received the new order to keep Agustine alive.

At Soap’s callout to Kate Laswell’s alias, the tearful woman cowering behind Agustine perked up her ears. The flag patched onto the unexpected attackers’ uniform and their overall familiar design had kindled hope in her at first glance, but now with the confirmation that the men operated under Laswell’s command, she was confident that she had been blessed by the Grace. Her thoughts remained locked in her though, and she easily let none of it slip past her frightened expression and trembling figure. Now, to find an opening to take her chance…

Thinking that he was in the superior standing to propose an exchange, Agustine continued, “you take me in, that I cannot escape, but you must also take Tara.” Tara, the woman whom he loves, made a sound of surprised confusion in the back of her throat, one that she did not have to fake, as she snapped her head up to look at her ‘protector’. “You treat her well – the best she deserves – and let me keep her beside me at all times.”

Ah, Tara realised, he really was head over heels for her – and selfish, of course. Once again, her disdain for the man went unknown as she batted her eyelash up at him like a lovesick fool. “Oh, Claude! How could I ever stay away from you even in these circumstances!”

Baffled at her breathless tone as she sobbed pathetically at the idea of parting with her lover, the men unanimously thought of her to be a bimbo, unknowingly playing into her success.

Price corresponded with Laswell this time, giving a slight instinctual nod at her response despite her inability to see it. “Alright, Agustine. You get your wish. Drop your weapons and hands up where I can see ‘em.”

Agustine, always a difficult person to work with due to his own faults, opted not to let go of his gun but instead, clicked the safety on and aimed it at the ceiling with his hand up in a ‘white-flag’ hold. His other hand went up to caress Tara’s cheek lovingly, his eyes gleaming with adoration – and specks of apprehension at his situation – as he gazed upon her eyes.

“Oh, sweetheart. I promise that everything will be just fine, yeah?”

He had loosened his grip on the gun; now was her chance. Just as the men took a step forward to begin apprehending Agustine, Tara moved. Speed unmatched and unexpected to everyone, her movements were a blur. One moment, the couple seemed like they were sinking down the Titanic together, helpless but in love, and the next, Tara had flipped Agustine onto the floor, body facing up, and she had his gun trained onto his head as she stood above him. Her face went blank, an expression she had befriended in the darkness of the nights for the past half a year; gone were the affections she had been faking for the man under her, who had his hands around his neck where she had struck earlier as he wheezed.

Hence, the stupefied looks on the boys’ face at the turn of events that the mission had taken.

“Swe- et- hea-” a sharp gasp, “-rt?”

Tara’s eyes narrowed. She flicked off the safety switch in the gun she held – hers, for now – and trailed its aim onto the floor beside his head before pulling the trigger and returning her aim onto him. The sudden single sound was blaring enough to cut off Agustine’s wheezes for a quick moment, disbelief clear in his eyes as he stilled in place.

“Call me that again and the next one goes into your eye.”

Managing to snap out into clarity for a moment, Price started, “we need him alive, lo- uh… Tara.”

Her eyes didn’t leave their sights on her ‘lover’ and a sardonic grin made its way to her lips. “Fret not, sir. I’ll make sure not to hit his brain.”

Understanding was beginning to cross Agustine’s features and Tara was undeterred by the hurt and anger flickering in his expression.

Remembering his concealed knife, Tara’s eyes flickered to his right hip and in a split moment, shot at where it was attached to his strap with easy precision. Ignoring his cries, she brought a foot out to kick away the sheath and its dagger towards the group of men who were still watching with a total loss of grip at the situation.

When Agustine went to clutch at his hip, Tara feigned sympathy and crooned at him. “Aww, did I somehow graze you, darling? Are you in pain?” Venom dripped from her mocking tone and Agustine gulped – with immense difficulty – at the unbridled disdain she now let loose in her façade. She huffed when she received no response and turned to the military men instead.

One of them, the big guy on the left sporting a skull mask, had his gun targeted on her and she silently respected his suspicion of her. Price stood slightly in front of the rest of the squad and so, she decided to address him. “Sergeant Levina Riven, previously under the direct orders of Captain Joshua Mavers. Likely presumed dead following my failed evac on the assignment to infiltrate Agustine’s West Manford base early this February.”

Their doubts were obviously etched onto their skins. Price relayed Tara’s – Levina’s – claimed identity to Laswell, along with his description of her appearance.

“Sounds like her. I’ll have Mavers confirm her identity when she’s here. Stay vigilant.”

The boys narrowed their eyes in suspicion to which she only responded with an innocent tilt of her head. Her gun remained unmoving as she kept Agustine in her peripherals.

“Right. We’ll have to keep you in custody until we get back to HQ. Same thing, drop your weapon and hands up.”

Levina frowned for a moment as she turned back to Agustine, who was now fuming at her deception, before clicking on the safety and tossing her gun towards the men. Now, not being held at gunpoint and under a false sense of security at the thought that he could overpower the woman, Agustine raised his torso and reached for Levina’s nearest leg. However quick his actions were, her senses were sharper and she clocked his incoming attack before he could touch her. She brought a leg up and slammed it down onto his thighs mercilessly, her stiletto heels digging into the flesh down to its hilt as blood splattered out. Agustine let out a pained scream, again when she lifted her foot up to expose his wound, and tears escaped him uncontrollably as he tentatively clutched at his leg.

Unwavering, Levina only clicked her tongue at the ruined state of her heels before giving the astounded men her full attention. She obediently offered her hands out towards them with a saccharine smile playing on her lips. “You’re free to arrest me now.”

In the discord of sobs and curses, bathed in the calm haze of the moon, Levina’s eyes gleamed devilishly.

The men wasted no time in apprehending both their targets after that. Upon the failure of salvaging anything from the computers in the building, the group made it back to the outskirts of the base where they were then picked up by their ride.

Levina spent the entire ride with her eyes locked onto the floor, deep in thought, as she tuned out Agustine’s whimpers – the medic had patched him up during the flight – and the whirring of the helicopter. No one had tried engaging her in a conversation, much to her relief, and exhaustion carried through the air.

The sun was peeking over in the horizon as they began to land. Soon enough, everyone was making their way out of the vehicle to greet the rest of the team holding the fort down. Levina stayed amongst the back of the group and watched as Laswell said something to Agustine before ordering her men to take him to his cell. She caught Laswell’s eyes when the latter skimmed her gaze over the team and she was ordered to come forward. Laswell hummed in acknowledgement when she stated her name and rank before looking off to the side to beckon Mavers forward. His eyes took Levina in with heightened suspicion, trailing over her features, before he nodded resolutely in confirmation.

“Sergeant Riven!” The aforementioned woman straightened up further. “Welcome back.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

The apprehension in Laswell only cleared up slightly as she regarded her returned subordinate. She then called for the higher-ups to join her for a debrief, which Levina was to follow along, and dismissed the others before leading the way to her office.

Once again, Laswell called Levina forward while the others settled themselves around the room.

“State your reason as to your role in Agustine’s ranks.”

Levina’s hands were still tied behind her as a precaution so she couldn’t give her salute and started explaining immediately. “Ma’am. My team had been tasked with the assignment to infiltrate Agustine’s base in West Manford early this February. We managed to retrieve only half the data when Agustine’s backup arrived. I was separated from my team during the evac following their ambush in the woods and managed to escape to the riverside with my radio busted. I came across a town after a few days and stayed there under the generosity of an old lady who had come across me. The town had little to no technology so there was no way of establishing comms with HQ.

“I met Agustine in the pub there one night and made the impulsive decision to settle for a long-con and flirt my way into his ranks to gain intel on his organisation. By the third month, I was allowed into his most confidential of meetings and I now have the locations of his operations, the identity of the big-name buyers, and the partners of his association to my knowledge. It was only recently that I began planning an escape but it seemed that I have been beaten to it with the arrival of your team.”

An eyebrow raised in respect for Levina’s efforts, Laswell nodded approvingly. “We’ll get someone to curate your intel in a moment. Meanwhile, it is odd that you have chosen to work alone just to take down Agustine. Why made you decide to avenge your loss?”

Hesitance shone in Levina with the way she kept silent for a moment. Knowing there was no way out of answering her superior, however, she eventually cleared the air.

“Sergeant Richard Shane had recognised the victims in the records as missing persons during the initial assignment. He was scrolling down the list of the victim’s pictures when I came across…” her breath caught in her throat as her memory of that moment before they got ambushed flickered in her mind, “my sister.”

Laswell’s eyes softened with sympathy and Levina didn’t have to look around to know that the others were looking at her similarly.

“My deepest condolences. We have started tracking down the buyers whose identities were included in the victim’s records but we have not come across another ‘Riven’ amongst the ones that we have managed to obtain.” Laswell offered her a reassuring smile, “rest assured, Sergeant. With the intel you will provide, we will track her down eventually.”

Levina willed her voice to not crack as she replied, “yes, Ma’am.”

Laswell had Price release the rope tying her hands together and she flexed them to get the blood rushing once again.

She stayed even as Laswell then began to debrief the current assignment, staying silent as she listened. Once they had been dismissed, Laswell led her to a transcriber who would take note of her 4 months’ worth of knowledge of Agustine’s meetings. The task ended up taking hours and before she knew it, she had missed breakfast. Coming to save her grumbling stomach, however, came in the form of Sergeant Ardour Crawley, her previous – was she still to be under Captain Mavers’ command? – teammate.

Word had spread of the return of a presumed killed-in-action colleague that morning and Mavers had confirmed Levina’s presence earlier. Crawley had noticed her absence in the canteen though and took it upon himself to save a sandwich for the woman. They ended up sitting on a bench overlooking the men in training as Crawley caught her up on the past over half a year’s updates and gossips while she munched on her food.

“… and that group of four became known as the team that were called upon whenever the military wanted to get. Shit. Done.” Crawley punctuated for dramatic emphasis which earned a hum of understanding from Levina. “I’m glad they were the ones who ended up rescuing you, they’re a capable lot after all.”

In his Grace, he didn’t confront her on her lack of words and wandering gaze. He was used to her noncommittal hums which told him that her attention was still on him, but he did get concerned when her only response thus far had been an “oh…” when he had told her of the demise of the rest of her original team over the past months – a few had died in that same assignment in West Manford while the rest met their ends in other missions.

To his dismay, Crawley had to leave soon enough to return to his duties. His worry placated slightly when Levina shot him a reassuring smile, but her sudden expressiveness had also brought upon more concern for her well-being. So, with a final sad smile – he would’ve patted her back if not for the way she had flinched when he hugged her in greeting earlier – he left her to her thoughts.

Levina had a few hours to spend before she had to meet with Laswell again after lunch. “To talk about your next steps,” the Station Chief had said, “I’ll let you think through it until then.”

Prior to her unexpected rescue from Agustine, Levina had only started to think about her  preliminary strategies as to how to escape Agustine’s clutches and relate her intel back to the military. She had not thought further onto what she would do if she managed to make it back to HQ. Now that she was here, in all her glory of trauma and weariness, she could only think of resting her psyche after seven months of acting like a bimbo; to go home and reassure her father of her ‘alive’ status, despite the news of her death that had arrived in a phone call all those months ago.

She didn’t doubt Laswell’s humanity – surely she’ll be willing to give her at least a few days off? In the off-chance that she wouldn’t be granted time off, however, Levina had no qualms in retraining into a skilful S.A.S. soldier as that was what she was good at. So, perhaps the question isn’t about what she would do now that she was safely away from Agustine; instead, she had to ask herself: will she ever feel back to herself again?

Somewhere during the seven months of operating as a different person, she had lost a part herself. The mental exhaustion that came with keeping up her pretence as an incapable-of-thought woman, whose personality was only being pretty, meant the occasional thought in her mind to revert back to that state of being. Moreover, she was tired of putting up animated expressions that had once charmed Agustine, and now it took a lot of effort to even put on an expression that was something other than ‘blank’. Long, had she numbed herself to listening to the heartless chatter of Agustine’s men as they talked about their business. She feared losing herself to the extent that she grew to stop caring – she felt palliated to know that her fear at least told her of the remaining humanity still left in her.

Then, there was also physical affection. Agustine had been a physical man; after all, it took only a couple of weeks before she became a regular in his bed.

When she first made up her mind to conduct the long-con against Agustine, one of the things that fought against the decision had been the idea of becoming a prostitute for the disgusting man. One factor had been the fact that she had been a virgin prior to Agustine, and that she had wanted to save it for a more respectable man – a hopeless romantic she had been, perhaps even now in the depths of her heart. There had never been someone in her life who she got to call her lover. As a result, all the romantic affections she had ever received would forever be associated with that sorry excuse of a man, at least until the next time she found someone she decided was worthy to love her. She wasn’t an active pursuer of love, though – despite her dream to fall in love one day – so it was uncertain just how long it would be until she could escape associating romantic and physical affections with Agustine. That is, if there was even someone out there who would want her, broken and lost as she feels.

Levina was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a presence in the space next to her, on the bench. She turned to the figure and regarded the stranger with a questioning gaze – it seemed that for the meantime, as her expressions worked on themselves to start showing up again, her emotions have settled on communicating with her eyes – his face familiar amongst the men that had a showdown with Agustine earlier.

“Sergeant Kyle Garrick, or more commonly, ‘Gaz’.” Gaz extended a hand out and Levina offered her hand only after a beat of tentative silence.

Still mindful of her manners, she managed to speak in a quiet voice. “Sergeant Levina Riven.”

The reflection of her empty shell was a huge contrast to the adrenaline-filled woman Gaz had met earlier, but he only kept that thought in himself as sympathy washed over him. He had seen his fair share of soldiers with trauma, and he only dreaded to think what Levina had to go through to stay by Agustine’s side under an act.

Kind soul that he is, he offered an unopened bottle of water to her. “One of the hotter Autumn days, the forecast said. You’ve been out here for a while and I don’t see any sources of hydration around you.”

In the same low voice, she muttered a “thank you” and took the bottle, untwisting the cap before taking only a small sip of it despite the intense heat that she had not even registered. Gaz knew better than to force her to drink more, a small win is a win, nonetheless. He, too, had been watching the group of soldiers’ training from another angle, sleep escaping him despite having only returned from an assignment, and he had grown perturbed when he had noticed Levina’s unmoving form for the past hour or so. Thus, there he was, after battling with himself to decide whether to leave the woman alone or to come up and attempt befriending her.

And befriend her, he will, for he had decided to do so.

“Say, Riven,” a questioning hum came from the girl, “if the British Army were to engage in a battle with twenty thousand emus, who do you think would win?”

A pause.

Levina turned away from her stare into the air to lock eyes with Gaz, only to be met with utter seriousness in his face. She stared wordlessly for a moment, uncertainty ringing in her head at the topic of conversation, before facing forward once again with a simple mutter of “emu” leaving her lips.

“What?!” Incredulous at her opinion, genuine disbelief crossed his expression. “Surely we’ve learnt from the Australia’s Emu War! There’s no way they’d win again.”

She gave a shrug. “Who’s to say they didn’t learn from the war too?”

Gaz prided himself in managing to get Levina to speak out an entire sentence, at the expense of learning of her opposing opinion in their – almost meaningless – debate.

“Okay, that’s fair, didn’t think that way. But they don’t even have hands!”

Another shrug, “fast legs.”

Cue their light-hearted discourse over the feasibility of winning over emus in a hypothetical war setting. Levina mostly responded with short quips, a shrug, or a hum, which didn’t discourage Gaz at all, remaining as patient as ever as he led the conversation. The topic somehow switched from emus to other animals, to the comparison of a gun against a sword as a more reliable weapon, to the flaws of human evolution that has led to the current state of the world.

Needless to say, they were quick to arrive at that stage of their friendship where the questions got too real and they began considering the likelihood of human extinction within the next couple of generations.

Levina appreciated the breath of fresh air that Gaz had brought with him. For so long now, her only person of correspondence was Agustine and Agustine alone, that meant that she had forgotten what it was like to chat nonsense with someone. Keeping up with the conversation also meant less room for her mind to fumble into the deep ends of hopelessness in her heart, and this could be the start of her healing process. With that thought in mind, she tried to lengthen her answers by offering more of her thoughts or even by asking questions. Judging by the encouraging smile Gaz sent her whenever she spoke up, he must have clocked onto her efforts.

It was odd to have someone listen to her. Playing Agustine’s bimbo had been a role where no one had paid any attention to her deliberately thoughtless words and only looked at her like she was some doll whose only asset was her looks. She had to keep repeating in her mind that those days of being used for her body were over, and that Gaz was being genuinely friendly out of the kindness of his heart – something she had last seen in the form of the granny who had taken her in, in that town she had stumbled upon.

Lunch time came eventually, as signalled by the trainer’s dismissal of the group of soldiers a good distance away. Unfortunately for Levina, the men had to pass by her bench on their way to the dining hall and she was subjected to leering eyes and low whistles that, unbeknownst to her, had started ever since they had first noticed her nearby presence. Only now did she realise that she was still dressed in the same clothes that Agustine had picked for her night; a dark blue nightdress with a low sweetheart neckline and a thin cardigan thrown over her shoulders, with the same stiletto heels – because Agustine didn’t understand practicality and had her wearing heels 24/7 – that she had stabbed him with. Chills ran down her bones at the sense of déjà vu as familiar irrational thoughts attacked her mind. She felt like a newbie again, seventeen and out of her depths among the masculinity that reeked all over the base.

“-Riven? You alright?”

“Hm?”

She quickly, with concerning ease, wiped away the insecurity in her eyes and put on the same reassuring smile she had sent Crawley. It seemed that the only times she let her face contort expressively were only when she had to fake her emotions; and she knew that Gaz had caught onto that, if his sceptical look was anything to go by.

Deciding to let her go, however, he didn’t bring that up and instead, pointed to the direction of the dining hall with his thumb. “You heading to lunch?”

She hesitated. Sure, she could do with more food, but she wasn’t keen on attracting more unwelcomed attention with her getup. Though, she really was hungry… Perhaps she’ll just channel her Tara Darwin identity again and strut there in all her confidence.

Her stomach growled at that moment and a decision was made for her. Fake it ‘til you make it, they said, and fake it ‘til she made it, she will.

Gaz grinned knowingly at her and stood up just as Levina did. They kept to silence as they headed to their destination and upon their entrance to the hall, she was hit with momentary panic at not having a place to sit. That was quickly abated, thankfully, when she spotted Crawley waving at her in invitation from his seat. She gestured to the line queueing for food and he gave an ‘okay’ sign of understanding.

“I’ll sit with a friend of mine. Thank you for the… water.”

A breath of laughter left Gaz and he turned to regard her with an amused glint in his eyes. “Of course, Riven. Can’t have you passing out from the heat now, can I?”

He had understood her connotation, that she had appreciated his company for the past few hours. He felt a sense of accomplishment at having made friends with the respectable woman and inwardly hoped for her to feel better as time would pass.

They parted ways once they had their tray of lunch in hand and Gaz beelined for his usual table where Captain Price – as she had learned during the debrief – was already present while Levina started towards where Crawley had saved a seat for her beside him. She ignored the distinct tap, tap of her heels against the wooden floor and the looks it garnered as she walked to her table. Her periphery vision showed a couple of men nudging their friends as their eyes left a heavy trail as they skimmed down her body. Suppressing her shiver of discomfort as she made the final steps, she forced her lips up into a cordial smile to the people in Crawley’s table – his current team, she surmised. Right in her guess, they each introduced themselves to her once she had sat down.

“Levina Riven. Crawley’s previous teammate, presumed dead for months.”

One of them then asked her what it was like to operate a long-con mission, which earned him a slap up the back of his head from Crawley. Gossips spread quick in the army, because what else could soldiers do other than train when bored?

Giving a lopsided smile, she answered, “besides the care pack you receive that consists of trauma?”

That got her a few laughter and they got the hint to stay off the unpleasant topic for the meantime. Crawley steered the conversation away and Levina only barely tuned in into their chatter as she ate, offering her thoughts only when they were asked for. It wasn’t like she hated the group of friends, she was just finding it hard to get a footing while dressed vulnerably amongst the uniformed men.

It’s not Agustine anymore, she repeated, you don’t have to fake it anymore.

The urge to reclaim Tara Darwin’s personality sat within reach of her grasp, so that she didn’t have to deal with her insecurity weighing on her mind – not insecurity over her body, but over the idea that her only notable trait was her body. Currently, with her lack of expressions and words, perhaps she really was nothing but a doll.

Ridding herself of that thought, she looked to the clock and finished up her meal quickly. She shot the table an apologetic smile when she was done and stood up as she reasoned her early leave with the excuse that she had to meet Laswell soon, never mind the fact that the Station Chief had stated she was free to come by her office whenever she was done with her lunch.

Once again, pulling up Tara Darwin’s confidence in her steps, Levina went to return her tray before exiting the stuffy room without catching anybody’s eyes. She slowed her steps down as she made her way to Laswell’s office, before stopping in her tracks in front of her door. Taking a deep breath, she brought one fist up to knock her knuckles against the door and stated her name and purpose as per Laswell’s request. Only once she was given permission did she enter the room with steady steps.

“Sergeant Riven, do sit down.” Levina settled on the seat across the desk in front of Laswell and kept her back straight as her superior began, “did you managed to think it through?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Do share, Sergeant.”

An explicit order to voice out her opinions by a figure of authority? How she had missed the humane way the S.A.S. Army ran compared to Agustine’s organisation.

Levina didn’t let her hesitance linger around. “If it is no trouble, I would like for a few days of leave to rest and catch up with my father. After that, I am willing to return and retrain with the others or under any specific arrangement you propose to get back on my feet sooner rather than later.”

Laswell gave a nod of agreement. “No different from what I had in mind. Three weeks of leave, and these do not count towards the agreed yearly number of PTOs you have, and then you are to come back to undergo training under a supervisor – training with the fresh recruits will only slow you down. You will be wired your pay for the past seven months by the end of this week for the work you have done in accumulating valuable intel. Any more to add, Sergeant?”

A longer leave than she had thought she might receive, no PTOs deducted, and seven months of salary? Oh, how she had really missed this place. “None, Ma’am.”

“Good. I have skimmed through your intel on Agustine and commencement of extracting information from him will begin tonight. I request that you stay here for the night in case you are needed for it. Any questions?”

“None, Ma’am.”

Another nod from Laswell as she wrapped up their talk. “You will stay in room 104 in the barracks for the night and after your leave. I trust that you know where it is?”

Room 104 had been her previous room, for it was one of the two double bunk-beds room that housed the women in the station.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Alright.” Expecting to be dismissed, Levina was confused at Laswell’s pause. The Station Chief had a pinched expression on her face as she thought her words over. “Did none of my men offer you a change of clothes at all? Not even a single jacket?”

Surprised at the turn of conversation, her “none, Ma’am” had lost the strength to its tone and came out slightly quirked as a question.

Laswell sighed, disappointment clear in the shake of her head. “Men.”

Perhaps it was the sense of camaraderie that she felt they had as two women in a cluster of masculinity, but whatever it was, Levina had felt secured enough to let a sincere grimace take over her expression. “Men, indeed.” And perhaps it was that same understanding as a woman Laswell felt that made her not reprimand Levina for speaking without prompt.

Laswell dismissed her soon after that and she now found herself sat on her assigned bed after showering and changing into a spare grey tee and cargo pants she had found in the locker that had come with the sleeping arrangements. The other occupants of the room weren’t in at the moment so she had time alone to sort through her thoughts.

Except, as if her thoughts had decided to pull up on a strike against her mind, none stayed around long enough before her mind dozed off into thoughtlessness. Deciding that it must be her exhaustion catching up to her after a restless night, she decided to lay under her covers to get a moment of shuteye in, seeing as she had no duties to commit to that day.

However, what she had intended to be a nap ended up becoming an entire sleep in, and she only woke up hours later in the quiet of the night.

Glancing at the alarm clock, she had over an hour before it would ring through the barracks simultaneously with the other room’s. Her body felt well-rested though, and sleep wouldn’t take her back in despite her pleas and so she opted to start preparing for her day.

A quick shower later left her even more refreshed, though she only had the same outfit to change into, and she put on her complimentary pair of sneakers before heading out of the barracks. The sun had yet to grace her with its presence so she settled on roaming around under the guide of the moonlight, something she hadn’t realised she had missed until now – freedom. She had been too busy assuring herself of her identity and worth that she had forgotten she now held full autonomy over herself. Months of feigning total submission under Agustine had really taken a toll on her to that extent.

Agustine this, Agustine that. She yearned for the day that man won’t appear in her mind even once, not the tiniest sliver of him.

Her mindless walk under the cloudy sky ended up bringing her back to the bench she had taken up the morning prior and she sat at the same exact spot as she awaited dawn. It seemed that the bench was one that determined fateful meetings for her, for it wasn’t long before she found herself in a similar situation as yesterday with Gaz.

Eyes trained forward and ears ringing with memories of her months spent in hell, she had not anticipated a figure to make their presence known by sitting down beside her. The waft of espresso scent brought her back into reality and she glanced at the man beside her.

Because mum and dad had not raised an unrespectful lady, she straightened up and greeted her superior with a quiet but steady voice. “Captain Price.”

“At ease, Sergeant.”

From what she had gathered from his interactions that she had seen until now – and the gossip that Crawley had filled her in on previously – Price was not a stuck-up captain who bullied their subordinates. That as a consideration, she relaxed her shoulders and back only after a moment of hesitation and brought her hands onto her lap to fiddle with her fingers subconsciously.

“Laswell wants to see you after breakfast, in her office.”

“Understood, Captain.”

Her reply was immediate and had cut through the thick air in between them with precision. Upon learning of his intention at approaching her, she eased up further, though, confused when he remained by her side even at the first glimpse of orange in the horizon.

Entranced by the view she had not witnessed in a long while, for Agustine had always kept her in his arms until he woke up hours past dawn, she spared the man beside her no thoughts and kept her gaze locked onto the palettes of shades that the sun created against the blue sky. Distantly, she hoped against all odds that she could one day rise over the constant haunting of Agustine as the sun had peaked over the skyline. A slow process, perhaps, but she would eventually get there.

Moments after the sun had made its full appearance in all its glory, the pair heard multiple alarms go off at intervals of seconds from the barracks, signalling them of the time and availability of breakfast in the dining hall.

“And that’s my cue.”

Price got up, careful so as to not spill over his cup of strong-smelling coffee, and offered her a resolute nod of greeting. As if he knew the plagues of her mind, he continued, “you’ve fought well against him thus far. He can’t break you now, more than ever. Not anymore.”

Without giving her a chance to respond, not that she had any idea what to say, he left her staring after his back as he walked away. Mulling over his words, she silently thanked him for his acknowledgement that, indeed, the past seven months had been a fight. Her fight for justice for all the trafficked victims of Agustine’s operations, and for her sister and mother who she had to mourn over when she had only been twelve. A fight that had yet to cease now, and a fight that she would emerge victorious one day. However muted it was, action-wise, it had been a fight; she hadn’t thought of it that way.

She stayed outside for a little while longer before making her way back in to the hall to grab breakfast. Price was absent from the table she had seen him and Gaz took yesterday, but there was someone else already there amongst the few people who was early to breakfast. He sported no skull mask which meant that, by the process of elimination as she went through the mental list of Task Force 141’s names that Crawley had shared with her, the person was Soap.

She took her eyes off of him before anyone had even noticed her stare and minded her business as she got herself another sandwich for the morning. Choosing to eat her meal on the same table Crawley had invited her to previously instead of bringing it outside or to her room – or, Grace forbids, the bathroom like some high school loser in the movies – she took slow bites as her mind wandered off to theorise what Laswell needed her for later on. It was likely to do with Agustine, as Laswell had shared her purpose for staying the night in the barracks was for that, and she only hoped that she didn’t have to meet her tormentor again.

Much to her dismay, her hopes went unanswered as, moments later, she found herself walking alongside Laswell towards Agustine’s cell. Apparently, the man had kept silent all throughout his questioning, and he had asked after her one too many times for it not to be a silent request to see his former lover once again. Honest to Grace, Levina wasn’t sure why they still needed Agustine alive with the intel that she had provided, but she supposed a confirmation of her perspective was preferable to the Army. Though, she doubted that Agustine would really sell out his organisation that easily. She had lived with him for months, for fuck’s sake, she had taken the brunt of his angers and had listened to his darkest confessions with attentive ears. She knew better than anyone just how much he prided himself in having built his organisation from the ground up ever since his youths when he was still a part of a Mafia group – he had done it under wraps and had massacred the high-ranks of that Mafia once he was powerful enough, thus dismantling that one Mafia group but creating a human-trafficking organisation in its stead.

When one realised just how formidable Agustine was as an enemy, it really was almost incomprehensible and laughable how Levina had managed to wriggle her way into his ranks with a bat of her eyelash and a sway of her hips. Her impulsive disguise as a bimbo really might just spell the end of Agustine’s reign, she realised belatedly. Oh, the flaws of stupid men who think with their cocks.

As the pair of women neared their destination, Levina tried reasoning with her mind that this could be the final time she had to come face to face with Agustine. A closure, if she would. She wasn’t sure what went through the higher-up’s mind to decide that her presence might coax him into exposing his organisation but she’d amuse them for now. If her visit ended up producing no results, that was no fault of her own.

The guards let them into the station’s prison and they entered a room to see Agustine handcuffed to the table of the questioning cell on the opposite side of the one-way mirror. A few other associates were there to greet their arrival and judging by their expressions, they still had not made any progress with getting Agustine to speak.

“The only topic he would skirt around was you, Sergeant Riven. Won’t stop expressing his anger at ‘Tara’, which Price had explained was your alias.”

The more Agustine stayed within her vision, the more uncertain Levina was of her role. “Why would my presence affect his resolve to stay silent?”

“We are holding onto any possible thread at this point. You might be the key, you might not be; there is only one way to find out, Sergeant.”

“Right…”

“Ready when you are,” they had said. She swallowed her words that had wanted to shoot back that she would never be ready, not in the near future at least, along with her nerves as she willed her soul, body, and mind to remain strong in his presence. With a final deep breath, she turned the doorknob to the holding cell and entered with a blank face.

“Ah, Tara, darling. At last, you’ve shown yourself!”

His familiar condescending tone scratched at her brain harshly. “What do you want.”

A mocking grin made its way to his lips as he languidly leaned back in his chair. “Not even a “hello, how are you, Claude?” or an apology for betraying my trust? My love?”

Disgust crawled under her skin at the reminder of his rather physical show of love and of the idea that she had spent uncountable nights under his ogling and wandering hands. Not wanting to show just how much Agustine affected her, she forced herself to take a seat across him.

“I’ll consider it if you start talking.”

His eyes flashed with anger and she applauded herself for not flinching.

“About what, sweetheart? About the tricks and the lengths you’ve gone through to bewitch me? You want me to confess my love for you that you have trampled on without so much as a care? How about describing all the shameless things you’ve done in bed just to keep me satisfied? Hmm?”

Tara Darwin may have shed her sense of embarrassment for a while now, but Levina Riven had not. The two identities battled each other to shoot back her response and the winner was clear when her eyebrow sarcastically went up in feigned confidence. “What, do you want me to strip down to my socks and masturbate in front of them while we’re at it?”

The bimbo-ness of Tara Darwin’s personality in her may have been absent but holy Mother, she had not expected her candidness. Evidence of her time spent around the crass language that Agustine’s men had used, perhaps.

Annoyed at Levina’s avoidance of his bait, he dropped that tactic. “You know I won’t say shit to you guys. You’re just wasting time here.”

Grappling to grab a hold of Levina Riven’s identity, she schooled her expression once more. “Do you want me to put you out of your misery, then? If we have no use of you, I’m not against disposing you.”

Agustine let out a bark of laughter. “And then what? My people will continue even without me, you can’t do anything about that.”

So, the others have kept silence over Levina’s gathered intel on him… She wasn’t trained to question suspects so she had no idea what strategy that was but she would respect it. Knowing that this was going nowhere, she rolled her neck side to side to ease the joints, creating a series of cracks that echoed in the room. “Right, well. If you won’t speak then I’m done here, really.”

She stood up and an idea struck her on how she could begin closing this chapter in her life. Leaning over the table, she brought one hand up to take his chin and lift his face up towards her. With a single word, she cleared the apprehension in his face and his eyes stared back lifelessly as he was subjected to the memories of his past trauma that the word had brought up.

“Marcire.”

The rest of the team, which had expanded with the addition of Captain Price and Gaz, looked at her with varying degrees of oddness etched onto their features when she emerged from the holding cell. She looked questioningly at them and glanced at Agustine’s shell-shocked state when Laswell pointed towards him. “What did you say to him at the end?”

“Marcire; Italian for ‘rot’. He associates that word with a couple of past traumas from his time in the Mafia.” It was probably a really low, bitch move on her part to pull up his trauma, but he is a human-trafficker. He had been served at a level that he himself served.

“Just how much did he confide in you…”

Levina gave a noncommittal shrug. “I did find a wedding ring in his drawer one day. I was spending 24 hours a day by his side then, so there could have been no one else he was seeing.”

Her confession brought surprise to the room as each of them realised that they had underestimated just how flawlessly Levina had single-handedly tricked Agustine. Acting hadn’t even been one of the skills listed in her file – that needed updating, quick.

Another one of her associates cleared his throat. “Right. We’ll try questioning him again once he’s snapped out of his… current state. Thank you for your time, Sergeant Riven.”

“Of course, sir.”

Laswell then turned to address her and she stiffened her back and shoulders slightly. “I have approved your leave for the next three weeks. You are free to leave any time after noon today.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

Upon having nothing more to add from either side of the party, Laswell then dismissed her and she left the prison with Gaz following after her. It was only after they made it outside that Gaz struck up a conversation with her.

“Heard you were leaving today and wanted to catch you before that. I only realised earlier that I haven’t gotten your number and that was unacceptable!”

Levina didn’t stop in her tracks as she aimlessly walked around the HQ once again, but it was a near thing. “I don’t know where they kept my phone.” At Gaz’s confusion, she clarified, “from back when I was first presumed dead. I tend not to bring it with me during missions.”

In agreement that her then-captain would likely be the person who would know the whereabouts of her personal cell, they decided to head up to Mavers’ office. There, they found him alone and busy with paperwork but he, nevertheless, invited them in. As it turns out, the Captain had sent all of Levina’s personal belongings back home, to her father, as per the guidelines, so, high possibility she’d find the device amongst them there. With a grateful nod to him, the pair left the office just as quickly as they had entered and recommenced their walk around the vicinity; not before Gaz had asked to borrow a slip of paper and a pen, though.

“There. So that you can text me whenever you’ve found your phone.”

She pocketed the paper with Gaz’s phone number written on it with a touch of appreciation. Prior to Gaz, her only friends had been her team and her roommates in Room 104, and so far, that entire team had been wiped out, save for Crawley, and she had yet to reconcile with the ladies as she had been dead-asleep when they had returned to the barracks the evening before.

A fresh chapter in her life, indeed.

Words escaped her when she tried to voice out her gratitude to him. No matter, there was still a lifetime ahead of her – however short it may be due to her line of work – to express herself.

The weather was cooler than it had been yesterday and there were no hints of grey clouds in sight. Deciding that it was a good day to bask in the sun, they ended up sitting on the same bench from the day before – and that morning, for her. As Levina was to leave and return to civilian life in a few hours, they ended up talking about the pre-military life that seemed so far away now; from childhood dreams to subjects they had enjoyed in school, even insignificant crushes in elementary because, who hasn’t had them?

Gaz was sharing an anecdote of the time he had pissed his pants due to stage fright when they were interrupted by the approach of another man. They spotted Soap closing his distance to the pair with purposeful strides and Levina didn’t miss the way Gaz lit up in understanding.

“He probably needs me for something- we’ll have to cut our time short, unfortunately.”

He gave her a frown and she was saved from having to respond when Soap arrived in front of them. The newcomer extended a hand to Levina as he introduced himself. “Sergeant Johnny MacTavish, better known as ‘Soap’. Gaz’s teammate and the best-looking lad in the station.”

She felt rude, meeting his cheeky and playful grin with a blank expression, so she strained an upward curl of her lips into a harmless smile. Hoping that her moment of hesitation to take his hand went unnoticed, she stated her name and rank in exchange.

His brightness unwavering even at her muted response, his grin remained in place as he snapped his hand onto his waist, casting his extended shadow onto the pair sat on the bench.

“I see that Gaz was quicker than me! Would like to say that I’m a big fan of yours; shame, what he did to your heels, but that was a badass move if I’ve ever seen one.”

“Oh.” Levina blinked in pleasant surprise, “thank you?”

It was a calculated but rash decision, to stab Agustine’s thigh with her pointed heels. She had no weapons on her back then, when she had realised that he was planning to catch her off-guard, and he would, no doubt, overpower her with sheer strength if she had not used everything she had to her advantage. She hadn’t even been sure if the stiletto would be sharp enough to cut into his flesh but surprised, she was, when it did without so much of an obstruction. And that action had given her a fan… the Grace up above could not tell her if that was a good thing or not.

“Anyways, I’d love to chat more with you but alas, duty has called for me and my mate, here.” Gaz stood up with a sigh and Soap wasted no time in throwing an arm around his shoulder. “I’ll see you around, yeah? Don’t be a stranger.”

Gaz offered her a smile. “Text me when you’re free, a’ight? Enjoy your well-deserved leave and stay safe, Riven.”

“Will do.”

The pair of men left her with a lasting grin and Levina let her eyes linger after them as they got further away. A sigh escaped her at her lonely circumstance and she opted to remain in her seat for a while longer. Her clothes blended in amongst her colleagues so she felt better in her skin compared to when she had been in a nightdress. Thus, she didn’t mind her current spot near the soldiers undergoing outdoor training.

It was a mindset she had trained to achieve, and so did every woman in the field, to find her place within the dense fog of masculinity and testosterone, and to hold it strong against the judgmental looks and condescending tones sent her way. That feminine force in her had weakened over the months as Tara Darwin’s submissiveness to men vigorously fought against her true psyche, but she knew it was still within her – she just had to patch herself back up.

When it was a few minutes to noon, she headed back to her room to double-check if she had left anything behind – never mind the fact that she had arrived empty handed. She felt silly, debating over whether she wanted to keep the white pair of Louboutin heels gifted by Agustine, for it was, after all, so bloody expensive (pardon the pun) and worth it to put in the effort to clean off the blood. Quick in her decision, however, she decided against it to save herself the headache of having a parting gift from the despicable man; the mental lasting touches of his were enough of a burden, she didn’t need physical ones too.

Disposing Agustine’s money’s worth of outfit, she washed her hands clean of the unseen contamination afterwards, scrubbing the soap harshly against her skin like she did her entire body in her first shower back here.

In a spur of the moment – her decision-making skills really were as impulsive as they come, she realised – she decided to leave after having her lunch here so that she didn’t have to stop by somewhere on her way back home. She met Gaz’s and Soap’s waves with a nod, giving another one to Price when he had turned to see who the pair was greeting in curiosity, and took her tray to Crawley’s table once again. With an almost-minute friendly smile plastered onto her lips, she greeted the occupants of the table and settled into silence as she ate her meal, speaking up only when prompted. She finished up in no time, more than eager to see her father again, and set her destination to home as she walked out of the compounds.

The Army had issued her a temporary spare card to take the public transport back home seeing as: one, her personal card was sent home following her ‘death’; and two, her car was also sent home and was, more than likely, sold by her father as he had no use of it – as he got older, he decided not to risk driving with a flawed eyesight and opted to take the public transport instead.

It was a two-hours ride back home and she had only her mind to keep her company. Two hours of boredom felt almost quick in comparison to seven months of hell though, and before long, she found herself standing in the doorway of the humble flat she had made into a home with her dad – the initial house for her entire family had been too big – too painful – to maintain.

Levina felt her heart beat out of her chest and shook her hands to get rid of some nerves. With a shaking hand, she pressed the button for her apartment number on the intercom and waited for a response. It was a Saturday which meant that her dad wouldn’t be out for work, and Laswell had mentioned previously that they would give him a heads up regarding her not-dead state of wellbeing. Only two seconds had passed when she heard the audio crackle over the speaker and then a voice calling out.

“Vina?”

She felt tears prick her eyes at the familiar cadence she had missed dearly and her voice came out shaky when she responded, “dad?”

“Bless my heart- it’s you!”

The door to the building buzzed open and she wasted no time in tracing her steps to the elevator. She wrung her hands to settle the urge to spam the elevator door close and tapped her foot as she was brought higher and higher into the building. She sped her way to the right unit and anxiously knocked on the door the moment it was within reach. The door swung open and she only got a glimpse of her dad’s face before she was brought into a tight hug.

“Oh Vina, you’ve come home! You’re alive! You’re alive-”

He cut himself off with a sob that wracked through his entire body and she was immediately crying with him, didn’t even bother holding her tears back.

“Dad-” Levina sobbed as she tightened her hold around her dad, “I’m sorry- I’m so sorry-”

“Not your fault, darling,” she felt him shake his head, their hairs ruffling against each other, “not at all…” And oh, how she had missed the soothing affection that came with being called terms of endearments.

He pulled back and kept Levina near with a grasp on her shoulders, then brought a hand up to gently brush away the hairs that had stuck onto her face. “Let me look at you- oh, sweetheart… you’ve gotten even more lovely since!”

In the comfort of her father, she felt her mind ease enough that expressing herself didn’t feel like a chore.

Fondness pulled the corner of her trembling lips upwards as she let out another sob. “I’m home, dad- I’m home.”

They eventually made their way inside the unit and locked the door behind them. Settling on the couch, their hands remained clasped as they tried to make up for the seven months that had forced them apart.

Her wellbeing always a priority in his heart, his eyes shone with worry as he asked, “have you eaten? I can whip out something quick if you need. Was there anything in particular that you’ve missed eating? Mom’s special carbonara? Roast chicken? Or-”

“Slow down, dad! I’m alright!” A watery laugh escaped her, “I had lunch before I left the compounds so I’m good.”

Placated slightly, her dad quietened down as he raked his eyes over her face, taking in the features he had missed. She did the same, trailing her eyes as she matched their similar features in his nose and eyes. Her lips mirrored her mom’s but her sister had gotten dad’s. Speaking of…

Levina felt another round of tears threaten to slip out but managed to reign it in for the sake of not worrying her dad. Laswell had specified the need to keep Agustine’s records confidential within the military for the meantime so Levina didn’t have the greenlight to let her dad know of his youngest daughter’s fate. She silently strengthened her promise to do everything she could to bring her sister back if she was still alive.

The reunited pair of family ended up talking the afternoon away as they caught each other up on their lives. Levina had confided in him, tears streaming down her face, of her fear of losing her identity and of her grief over her mental exhaustion at expressing herself. He held her in his arms and she felt like a child all over again, with the way he caressed her hair as he listened attentively to her worries.

“Oh, Vina. Despite everything, you are still you. My daughter whom I cherish so much, the girl who gave the ‘monster under the bed’ a teddy because she hadn’t wanted it to be lonely, the woman you have grown to be whose parents are so, so proud of.”

That had rightfully earned him another wave of cries from Levina.

“We’ll take it one step at a time, yeah? No need to rush, there’s all the time in the world to give you the space you need to heal. And don’t you think for one second that you’re alone in all of this, I’m here for you whenever you need me, love.”

Always so patient, her dad was. She did, after all, inherit that trait from somewhere – and how validated she felt when she acknowledged that no, her only trait wasn’t her pretty looks, there was much more to her than that.

They ended up ordering in for dinner, their crying session having seeped away their energy. After a shower, she didn’t stay up long before turning in for the night, her dad following not too far behind. He had kept her room clean despite her months of absence and she found the belongings that the Army had sent home all packed in an unopened box.

She rummaged through it in search for her phone and its charger, then plugged it up to let it charge overnight as she slept. Exhaustion pulled her into sleep quickly and left her dreamless that night. The sun was only beginning to peak over the skyline when she woke up and her room lit up in the faintest of light. The cool tile under her feet grounding her, she headed to the kitchen to prepare a cup of black tea for herself and her dad, knowing that her family was full of early birds and that he’ll be seeking his own shot of pick-me-up in a moment. True to their persisting routine, her dad shuffled out of his room not long after and beelined for his own cup after giving her an affectionate hug.

A comforting silence blanketed over them in the chilly autumn air. Levina scooted closer to her dad when he sat beside her on the couch and leaned her head against his shoulder, his arm coming up to keep her close. They spent the early morning gazing out the big living room window that looked over the other buildings, as they simply basked in each other’s missed presence.

As if no time had been lost between them, they settled into their previous patterns whenever Levina would stay over in between deployments. Except, the solemn air fleeting past them told of the hardship that they have suffered from to get to this dear moment in time.

The reminders of love that she received from her dad were able to wipe away some associations of love that she had with Agustine. Her dad’s companionship over the days had also helped her fully accept the fact that she was now out of reach from Agustine. He could no longer worsen her state and ruin things for her any further; or in Price’s words, he couldn’t break her now. That realisation gradually, bit by bit, eased the weariness that had locked up her expressions. There was no more Agustine, hence, no longer a need to keep her psyche fortified against the fear of being unloved. Trips to the movies, restaurants, and shops with her dad were opportunities to test out her expressiveness and by the end of her third week, she could at least manage genuine grateful smiles to strangers. Her confidence in her ability to heal took its time to rise but rise, it did.

The day she had to return to her duties had been a teary day but both of them had strengthened their resolve to not cry because they will meet again, as they have always promised. She decided against purchasing a car and opted to take the public transport instead as she didn’t tend to venture elsewhere besides the compound and her home. Levina was to arrive at her compound by noon so, with the two hours ride to consider, she left early in the morning after bidding her father farewell.

When she made it to the compound, it was a while before lunch time would start so there were soldiers roaming around the station. With foresight, she was dressed in the same grey tee and cargo pants that blended into the surroundings so she didn’t capture a significant amount of attention as she headed to the barracks. Once she had deposited her belongings, she walked straight to Laswell’s office to report her presence. Upon Laswell’s permission, she walked in, feeling more herself than the last time she had been here.

“Sergeant Riven. It’s good to see you well.”

Laswell launched into business immediately, sharing that Agustine was now in the custody of the state prison after the never-ending failures to pry information out of the man. The next assignment to tackle one of his bases of operations would happen in the coming weeks in hopes of attacking his men in the middle of their chaos of their missing ringleader. If that assignment went well, they would be looking at finally having the complete records in the organisation’s system.

“We now have options to discuss in terms of locations and who to watch out for during these missions all thanks to you, Sergeant. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.”

They then talked about Levina’s current position in the station; Lieutenant Mitch Mordell had been tasked with supervising her training and she was to obey his direction in the meantime. Officially, Levina had not been appointed a team to work with but Mordell had promised good progress within two months so her file would be updated then for the team captains to consider her as an asset. Training would start the next day, but Mordell had requested to pass along his message asking Levina to meet with him after lunch that day.

“Any more to add, Sergeant?”

“None, Ma’am.”

“Dismissed. Welcome back, Sergeant.”

Now with minutes to spare before lunch time opens, Levina decided she might as well wait in the dining hall which, upon entering it, it seemed that a few others had decided to do the same. She spotted Gaz and Soap chatting at their table just as Soap looked up reflexively upon her entrance.

“Riven!”

Now that had attracted the room’s attention.

Her hand paused in the air mid-wave and she blinked in series, caught off-guard by the loudness of Soap’s voice. Pointedly ignoring the others in the room, she walked over to the pair with the intention to say hi. They were friends after all – Gaz and her had corresponded over texts and, a week into it, he had passed along Soap’s request to have her number. They were pleasant people to talk with, she had decided, and they didn’t judge her preference of using emoticons over emojis.

Once she was stood at the head of the table, Gaz on her left and Soap on her right, the former made a sound of wonder as his eyes darted to run their gaze over her hair.

“New hairstyle? It suits you, Riv.”

“Hell yeah, you look good with it!”

As per the cardinal rule to a lady’s guide on how to get over a breakup – though, it wasn’t exactly the ‘breakup’ part that she was trying to get over – Levina had gone to the salon to get her hair cut. Inexperienced with hairstyles for she had always stuck to a simple long style that she could braid for practical purposes, she simply allowed the hairstylist to find the best fit for her. Thus, she ended up with a slightly-past shoulder-length wolf cut and a perm to keep the curls consistent – seeing as she wouldn’t be able to style it manually every morning – that she could still gather into a braid if needed. Needless to say, the mirror gave her a boost of self-confidence and she was happy with her new something that made up her identity as Levina Riven.

“Thanks, guys.” Here, she could manage the slight smile to her lips to convey her gratitude. That seemed to brighten Gaz up and he could see that she had been truthful in her responses of ‘doing great’ wellbeing whenever he had asked her over text. “Just thought I might switch it up for a change. Giving credit where credit’s due, the hairstylists did a great job.”

“Well, credit where credit’s due, I think you did a great job pulling it off.” Soap gave his classic cheeky grin. “And also, in sitting still long enough because- let me tell you, my ass cannot do that.”

A breath of amusement left her in an exhale that didn’t go unnoticed by the pair, much to their delight at having tugged on her sense of humour.

“Anyways, why’re you still standing?! Here- sit, sit.”

“Oh.” Levina eyed the empty spot that Gaz had scooted further along the bench to create. Uncertainty washed over her and she glanced at the clock, then Crawley’s empty table, before deciding to take the boys up on their offer. “Well, if you don’t mind…”

“Not at all,” Gaz waved away her concerns with ease.

“So, how have you both been?”

At Levina’s question, they took turns sharing snippets of interesting stories that they had not shared previously. They ranged from the latest gossip in the compound, to their personal accounts of the different ways they got their ass beaten by each other during hand-to-hand combat training.

By the end of it all, the hall had already opened for lunch. Levina stood up to join the two in grabbing her own share of food but she paused when Soap narrowed his eyes at her. She subconsciously tilted her head in question.

“You’ll come back here once you grab your food, won’t you? You haven’t told us how you’ve been!”

Turning to Gaz for help had been useless because she caught him nodding earnestly instead, in complete agreement with Soap. “Can’t just leave us hanging like that.”

Her lips parted in genuine surprise. “I’ve got someone wai-” but her words got lodged in her throat when she realised that Crawley hadn’t even shown up yet. A different approach then. “I wouldn’t want to intrude the others you normally sit with.”

At that moment, Soap seemed to have spotted something – or rather, someone – behind Levina and he brightly cheered out, “you wouldn’t be! Isn’t that right, Cap?”

Price rounded the table from where he had appeared from behind Levina to take his seat on the free space beside Soap, diagonally across her. An eyebrow quirked up at the scene in front of him, his eyes lingered slightly on Levina’s instinctively stiffened figure before addressing the men. “At ease, Sergeant Riven. And why are you all stood in place like a pack of flamingos?”

Soap preoccupied with feigning mock offense at Price’s comment, Gaz explained in his stead. “Say, Cap, you wouldn’t mind if we invite Riven here to our table for lunch, would you?”

“What is this, elementary school?” Price turned to her once again. “Sit wherever you want, Sergeant. Though, keep in mind, the boys hold grudges.”

“Right…” Bewildered at the situation, she hadn’t even noticed that her eyes had opened slightly wider.

“Great! You stay here, Riven, and I’ll go grab you a tray.”

Nope, she decided, that was too much for her to handle.

The boys had immediately left the table after Soap had stated his offer and she quickly exited the bench to catch up after them. “I can do that myself, thank you very much!”

It spoke volumes just how needed her leave was to heal herself with the way she was able to exclaim and hold her voice steady when just three weeks ago, she could only manage low mutters and a stoic face when she didn’t have to answer to a figure of authority. Besides her dad, she had Gaz and Soap to thank for to have made this much progress; and perhaps even Price for his brief words of encouragement that had acknowledged her strength and perseverance.

“I’m glad you have good people with you there,” her dad had said when she told him of the new people she had met, “you don’t have to be alone to heal from your wounds.”

Lunch, overall, had been an enjoyable affair. She got to speak of her outings with her dad and, though she had not voiced it out, the others knew that the most significant part of her three-weeks leave had been the steady growth she’s made in healing herself.

Time passed by in a blur and they soon had to part ways. She headed straight for Lieutenant Mordell’s office and knocked on the door upon her arrival.

“Name and purpose!”

“Sergeant Riven! You asked to see me, Sir!”

He announced for her to enter and she did so with a bated breath.

She took her respectful stance across his desk in front of him and noticed the way the burly man stood taller than her and had a stony expression on his face. He hummed in thought for a moment as he took her figure in methodically, then nodded to himself as if she had somehow already passed his first test.

“Sergeant Riven!” His voice boomed slightly in the compact room and she didn’t allow herself to waver even the slightest.

“Yes, Sir!”

Pleased with her effort in matching his tone, he eased down his volume. “As Laswell has likely told you, I will be in charge of your personal training until you’ve gotten back on your feet. I’ve given my word that two months will be enough time to manage that and I do not go back on my words, do you understand?”

“Understood, Sir.”

“I’ve read your file and have heard good things about you from Captain Mavers, Sergeant, I suggest you live up to your potential and make us proud, you hear me?”

“Yes, Sir.”

He gave another nod and then took his seat behind his desk. “Sit down, Sergeant. I’ll run you through the strategies I’ve planned.”

Intensive training, he had called it, and she could see why. Her muscles almost ached at the thought of all the physical exertion she’d have to undergo for the next two months and she already dreaded the weeks when she’d be on her period. She couldn’t complain though, it was for her benefit after all. He gave her a copy so that she wouldn’t go into everyday blindly and for that, she thanked him. All in all, Lieutenant Mordell was a stern but not an unreasonable man, suitable to be the one to push her to her limits for the coming months. She just hoped he’ll do so kindly.

That night, she was able to reconnect with her roommates. There wasn’t much that had happened over the past eight months that she could share freely with the girls so she spent most of their chatter actively listening to the others talk, quipping on occasions.

With how good her day had gone, it seemed that the world had wanted to rectify the balance because she found herself waking up groggy the next morning as memories of her time as Agustine’s woman had plagued her all night. For what felt like an entire minute, she then stood under the flow of steaming water as if she could wash away the lingering feel of his touches that continued to haunt her. Nightmares weren’t uncommon to her; years of serving in the army had inevitably compiled tons of horrific materials for her brain to choose from to suffice as great content to reminisce during her sleep. Though, Agustine would undoubtedly reign supreme as the ‘content of the year’ that would show up to fight against the peaceful moonlight in her mind, much to her dismay.

Her schedule would start at a much more appropriate time in the morning so she was free to do anything until then. Not one to break habits, she settled onto the fateful bench and stared forward into the empty sky, awaiting the first glimmer of sunlight. Also a creature of mornings, it seemed, Price had joined her moments later with his steaming cup of coffee in his hands.

He had spotted her fixing her posture when she had first caught sight of him and, before she could even greet him in respect, he had knowingly huffed out an “at ease, Sergeant”, voice rough from unuse but warm against the chilly air.

They settled into companionable silence as the sun began to rise. When her thoughts of Agustine had crescendo-ed into fortissimo, she began to unknowingly scratch at her inner wrist where he had, more often than not, held her down against the bed as he played her body in tune with his sick fantasies. Her mind had been replaying her pain and distress when it abruptly went static when her ears had picked up on a sound in the real world.

She turned towards the source of her well-timed rescue and the blue taking over her sight grounded her more than the sky had ever done in the past three weeks – which said a lot seeing as the sky had provided sanctuary for her when the nights had been particularly bad. Unlike the clear blue that submissively made way for the sun to take its place, this new blue had stormy greys woven into it to emphasise the strength behind it. Blue had always been her favourite colour, but it was only now that she had decided on a favourite shade.

Blinking slowly as she regained her bearings, the specks of concern in Price’s eyes grew with every second that passed in silence. She rewound the past minute in her head and relistened closely to the sound that had brought her back to reality.

“Oh.”

Price had called out to her and she had unintentionally responded with an intense staring contest. Way to go, Lev, she grimaced inwardly, such a perfectly functional human being you are.

“Sorry, Captain- head in the clouds.”

Searching her eyes and finding none of the toxic haze that had been prominent in them prior to her snapping out of her daze, he passed off his sigh of relief as an exhale and glanced up. “It’s a clear sky this morning, Sergeant.” Her lips quirked up and he found himself mirroring it.

Taking his words for it – she had no idea where that sense of trust came from – her eyes never casted themselves upwards even as she responded assuredly, “so it is, Captain.”

The cacophony of alarm clocks ringing started at that moment and she turned back to face forwards at his previously-proclaimed ‘cue’ to leave. It seemed that she was right when he stood up, but she faced him again when he addressed her.

“You drink coffee, Sergeant?”

She had a speculation as to where this was going and found herself willingly playing along to his proposition. “More of a tea person, Captain.”

“Black?”

“And no sugar.”

He had unquestionably been caught but he didn’t let that faze him the slightest. “I’ll make a note of that, Sergeant.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

Her gratitude had escaped her in a low voice but he easily picked up on it anyway. With a final nod to her, he left her bubble of safety without popping it in his stride.

A thoughtful man, Price was. His calm patience at letting her return to her senses in her own time was an admirable attribute of his and she had felt respected upon being subjected to it earlier. She was uncertain as to why his eyes had become the most impactful grounding material for her thus far and she didn’t even know if she wanted to further investigate the matter – not that she would know how to do that in the first place. For singlehandedly pulling her out of the depths of her mind’s torment, she appreciated him. And if her hypothesis regarding the reasoning behind his question on how she preferred her drink was right, he must’ve at least also liked her company enough. She felt a comforting fuzziness in her chest and quickly waved it away.

She wasn’t born yesterday; she recognised the kindling flame in her heart. Fear prevented her from tending to it though, but hope bared its fangs and warded off any attempts in extinguishing it. So, she’ll sit back at watch it nurture on its own for now.

Not wanting to risk being late for her schedule, she only stayed outside for a moment longer before heading back in for breakfast. Always a person who got easily anxious about being late, she ended up in the gym early. Mordell arrived while she was in the midst of stretching and she swiftly stood up straight to salute her lieutenant.

Cue the commencement of her intensive training.

Mordell’s curated plans had not allowed for an easy beginning, immediately kicking off into pushing Levina past her ‘pathetic limits’, as he had dubbed. She had visited the local gym during her leave and had, too, been appalled at her maximum capability – it had dropped so low that it was almost as if it was her first day in cadet training. She could only imagine the pinched expression Mordell would have if he knew about that.

Getting her stamina back up was her priority in the past three weeks, and she applauded herself for that decision because it proved beneficial when Mordell gave her only small windows of breaks throughout the day. Her lunchtime now had a time limit and she could only stuff her face of her meal ceaselessly, much to the bemusement of Crawley and his team.

She didn’t hold back from putting in all her efforts which resulted in the lack of beratement from Mordell at the end of the day. There was no escaping his harsh words entirely though, and all she could do, other than try harder, was to fortify her mind against the – almost – degradation. Mordell was at least a more respectful person than the trainer during her cadet training; those times were bad enough that they had shown up as nightmares a handful of times even years later.

Finally, the final half an hour of dinner had come, which signalled the end of the day’s schedule. Her arms were limp by her side, sore from overexertion, as she trekked her way to the canteen. She tended to be amongst the early-comers of mealtimes and had expected less people towards the end of them, thus, rendering her slightly surprised when she entered the canteen only to see that it was rather packed.

As if he had been waiting for her arrival, Gaz was already waving to catch her attention when she walked into the hall. Upon meeting her eyes, he patted the empty seat next to her and she was about to give a nod when her eyes fell upon the rest of the table’s occupants who had reflexively turned towards her at Gaz’s actions.

Oh, she realised, the whole gang was here.

Lieutenant Simon “Ghost” Riley was an easily distinguishable person; built tall and broad, with the unmistakeable face covering in the form of an iconic skull mask on-field or a balaclava off-field. The lower half of his face covered, Levina couldn’t get a read of his expression at Gaz’s invitation to her.

Sporting a lopsided smile that was half genuine, she gestured to the empty queue for food which Gaz understood. She wasn’t sure how her presence would be taken by the lieutenant but seeing as he had remained in place even as she approached with her tray in hand, she surmised that he at least didn’t already dislike her.

A round of greetings came from the three men she was already familiar with when she reached the table, countering with her own “hey, guys”. Whatever had happened that morning with Price, it established a strong enough connection between the two that he didn’t even bat an eyelash when she didn’t immediately salute him; if anything, he seemed pleased at the lack of her gesture of respect.

Her eyes naturally landed on the only person she had not greeted and she offered him a warm smile. “Sergeant Levina Riven. Under the direct orders of Lieutenant Mordell.”

“Lieutenant Ghost. Task Force 141.”

Despite being obstructed, his voice was as sharp as the greeting nod he gave.

Having cleared the introductions, she took her seat next to Gaz and noticed that the area of the table in front of both Price and Ghost were clean, while Gaz and Soap had an empty tray. She couldn’t help but wonder if they usually stayed for dinner even after they had finished their meals or if they had done so this time because of her…

“Told you she wouldn’t run.” Pride was clear in Soap’s tone as he addressed Ghost, who gave a gruff of acknowledgment in response.

Just like that, dots connect in her head and she regarded Soap with an eyebrow raised, lips curled into a sliver of an amused smile. “You taking bets on me now? That’s hurtful, Soap.”

The aforementioned man stammered a defence, taken aback by her accurate judgement and the rare expressiveness to her words. Perhaps his playfulness had infected her.

Gaz shook his head in mock disappointment at the way his friend had easily exposed them. “Dumbass.”

Just before she started digging into her food, she added, “and for the record, why would I?”

She missed the glint of approval that flickered in the men’s eyes, though, she caught only a glimpse of a pleased smile on them before she looked to Ghost who had spoken up.

“These men like you too much so I thought I’d see for myself why.”

Surprised at the implication that she was a common topic of conversation amongst the men, she hadn’t even realised that her smile had gone a tad shy.

“Well, I’ve no idea what they’ve been telling you but I’m flattered, nonetheless.”

“Only the good things, Riv, only the good things.”

They asked her about her first day of training, how it was like to be under Mordell’s supervision. Their conversation then turned to reminiscing their cadet years, bonding over each other’s complaints of the harsh words they had to endure and unanimously agreeing that Price’s experiences were the worse with how military the way things had ran in his time.

Levina also got to see the 141’s dynamic and she commended Price for his choice of men to take under his wings. They were all honourable men, as far as she could see, each with their own set of characters and beliefs that individually distinguished them. It struck her as odd that they’ve decided she was worthy of their time, and she let their implicit validation of her character solidify the cultivating idea that she was more than just a pretty face and body. They treated her well, she liked them.

Her fatigue caught up to her in her sleep that night and her mind took a day off from picking on her in her dreams. She woke up with her entire body sore and languid, and her remedy came in the form of a hot shower and a cup of black tea.

Correct in her speculation, Price had brought two cups of drinks that morning, handing her one that had been made to her preference.

“You are a saint, Captain.”

He had given her a mirthful smile as he made to sit beside her.

“You don’t always have to keep up formalities with me, Sergeant.”

“I mean, you do call me ‘Sergeant’ a lot, Captain.”

“Touché, Sergeant. Touché.”

A delightful breath of air left her in an exhale. “Can I call you ‘Price’, then?”

“You’re more than welcomed to, Riven.”

A beat.

The flames crackled stronger.

The morning chill stood no chance against the combined warmth of her heart and the tea, both of which were prepared lovingly by the man beside her. Oh, how he had made a home out of her.

As the weeks passed, dinnertimes and mornings became her favourite parts of the day.

The group of men had, without her knowledge, agreed to occupy Levina’s dinners whenever they could. Their schedules didn’t always match but that didn’t stop them from insisting that she joined whoever was available when she was. Most of the time it was Ghost – she had learned over many conversations that he was a man who valued consistency – and at least one other person. But, by the time there came an evening where it was only him, they had already grown closer to the point where he had not minded eating in her presence.

The boys provided her a relief from a full day of hard work. They engaged her in affable chatter that opened more doors between them to grow closer, or, in the days where training had been too harsh, they still left the door open but didn’t impinge on her bubble. Their consideration only made her want to treat them equally, asking about their days with sincere interest or understandingly laying off of them when they seek quiet tranquillity after an awful day.

They had each other’s backs, the boys and her. Their friendship had been built on compassion and respect ever since they first met with weapons in each of their hands – guns in theirs, and deception in hers – though, they were never pointed at each other – except Ghost did but she held nothing against his initial apprehensions.

And then there were mornings. Those were when she got to watch her psyche’s fire develop, inching closer and closer to it as her hope gradually began to subdue her fear. She had gotten to the point where she could feel the first wave of heat wash over her, enticing her to approach nearer – to take her shelter behind it. It wasn’t like Price had done anything different, no. It was simply the fact that he allowed her to take her place beside him every morning without fail, putting effort into brewing her tea correctly, and letting her take over the reigns of their budding relationship – giving her the control that she needed, unlike Agustine who had dominated over her at every second.

She couldn’t say for sure that Price felt similarly towards her. He never gave any inclinations that he did, but neither had he rebuffed her in any way, whatsoever. Months of operating under an entirely different identity meant that she didn’t want to shut in her feelings anymore. That resulted in a new quirk of hers: unless she had to – that is, in front of anyone else other than her dear ones – she didn’t stand in the way of her eyes’ tell-all. ‘The eyes are the window to the soul’, indeed. That, paired with Price’s undeniably sharp intuition, hinted at the idea that he knew of her sprouting crush on him.

Levina could only imagine what she looked like in his eyes. Did her eyes gleam in adoration? Did her gaze linger on him at dinnertimes shared with the boys? Grace knows, the others might have also picked up on her emotions if she did.

The station didn’t have books to turn to that could help her; there were no ‘An Idiot’s Way to Know If He Has a Crush on You’ or ‘Dating 101: How to Manage Your Crush’. She could technically talk to her roommates about it, initiate a classic boy-talk sleepover, but that would only create rumours and gossips – Grace forbids, what if she got caught wanting to fraternise and more with her superior? So, yeah, not the best idea to risk that.

That left her with one more material that she could turn to for aid: memories of Agustine.

Needless to say, that was immediately out of question. Though, perhaps she could refer to them as a guide on how to spot red flags in a man.

All that is to say, she might not know the nature of his feelings for her – and every day, hers only grew stronger – nevertheless, she was content with their current stage of relationship. If more would happen, that would be to her joy; but she wasn’t selfish, she would take what she can get.

Blessed by the Grace, however, it turned out that all her worrying about the reciprocity of her feelings would come to a halt one day. And that had come with news.

The first two weeks of her training had come and gone, and it was now the third week. Sometime before she had reached her window for lunch, Mordell had actually wrapped up the day’s schedule rather abruptly.

“Laswell wants to see you. Go freshen up and see her. You can have your lunch after that and then you’ve got the rest of the day free.”

Levina did just as he ordered and visited Laswell’s office once she had showered. Lunch had already started so the quietness of her path on the way there felt oddly eerie to her. The uncanniness to her day so far only foretold the news that would be shared to her, however, where she would then be stood in front of Laswell as the earth-shattering words flowed out of the Station Chief’s mouth.

Her ears rang with screams and cries that sounded familiar to her, accompanied by a blaring siren as words of condolences and apologies began filling her head. Her eyes were locked onto the screen of the computer that Laswell had swivelled so that she could see two pictures of a girl, at different ages, and her listed details beside it.

Name: Aurora Riven (006)

Acquisition: March 27th, 2007 (8 years old)

Sold: October 16th, 2015 (16 years old)

Bid Price: $3,000,000

Bidder: Jake Griffon

The top picture had been exactly how Levina remembered her sister. Wide-eyed and innocent, she was just a child- she was eight, for fuck’s sake! Her pigtails were dishevelled, bangs unkempt, and her face was streaked with uncountable tear stains and swipes of blood. Her frightened expression here would forever haunt her.

The picture below it was the one she had seen back in February. Presumably when she was sixteen – a commemorative picture taken for the day she had been sold. Her appearance was tidy, the absence of a hair out of place and bloodstains were a sharp contrast to the first picture. Her smile here reminded Levina of Tara Darwin but whereas both Tara and Aurora seemed to be genuinely smiling, despite the years of absence, Levina knew her sister enough to tell that the latter was faked. How much had her sister gone through to have learnt how to pass off her expressions as sincere – Grace, she didn’t want to think about it.

But she had to, because reality was that and they were both living in it.

Bile made its way up her throat and she had to quickly swallow it down with great effort. Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes and this, she unfortunately couldn’t keep at bay. Laswell understood though, and she didn’t bring it up nor condemn Levina for it, sympathy clear in her eyes and her tone as she addressed the only other person in the room.

“As I’ve said, the mission was a success and we now have their system’s data on our side.”

Levina couldn’t even feel the relief if she wanted to. She only barely registered Laswell’s words in her chaotic mind.

“We’ve recognised that the name ‘Jake Griffon’ was one of the big-name buyers in your intel and we’ve ran the numbers on the records. He has bought over eight people from Agustine; it seems that she was the first.”

She took a sharp inhale.

The first. The insinuation was heavy; Griffon would’ve treated the first one he bought as an experiment before he had decided that he wanted more.

The first. Aurora had no one to relate to and she would have been all alone to fend for herself.

The first.

A pause.

Memories began invading her mind of all the times Griffon had come up as a topic in Agustine’s meetings.

“Another one?! We all know he’s loyal to that first bitch he bought- why’d he come back?!”

“They say that the beau he first took in was an easy sell. Wish I was buying then; would’ve snatched her right up from all those disgusting men!”

“What was the feedback he gave when he first came back to buy a second one? “Need me another one of those pliable bitches that you sell”, wasn’t it?”

…

Oh.

And that wasn’t even the end of the list.

Oblivious to the severity of Levina’s mind fracture, Laswell continued. “As someone who holds a high number of victims with him, he is now amongst the top target to prioritise. As of now, I am unable to tell you when an attack on him will be launched, but I will let you know once I can.”

Taking Levina’s silence as her shortage of things to add, Laswell dismissed her soon after.

Levina had one hand up on the wall as she walked away from the room. She was terrified that if she let go, there wouldn’t be anything to ground her into the real-world. But her suppressed bile had decided to come back and she couldn’t hold it in this time.

Disoriented as she ran towards the direction she was sure was to the nearest bathroom, she collided against something in full force and only stayed upright because a pair of hands held her shoulders firmly.

“Riven?”

She couldn’t even feel relieved at seeing the balaclava-clad man through her tears and weakly slapped at his arms to indicate that she wanted to be released. She’d voice it out but her lips were preoccupied with keeping shut so that the bile wouldn’t shoot up her throat, a task helped only by one hand covering her mouth securely.

Ghost did as she signalled and she wasted no time in dashing off, apologies and guilt in the back of her mind, leaving him staring after her disappearing figure in confused concern. He had seen the panic and grief crystal clear on her quivering figure which had immediately alarmed him. Never the person who others would seek out for consolation, however, he could only obey her silent request and before he knew it, she was gone. At a loss, he switched his target destination and walked back where he had come from, back into the dining hall again where his team was looking up at him in surprise.

“’Sup, Lt., you forgot sum’n?”

Shaking his head, he pointed his thumb towards the door.

“Riven- she uh… she was crying?”

Instantly, he had all of their full attention.

“What?!”

“Who-”

“Fuck, she must’ve talked to Laswell-” Now, that got his – and the others’ – attention. “where’d she-”

“The nearest bathroom from Laswell’s.”

A breeze, and the man was gone.

The three of them watched, stunned, as Price rushed out of the hall in record time. He hadn’t even bothered returning his tray, his primary concern set on Levina and all other thoughts pushed behind her.

“Should we…”

Gaz shook his head, regret crossing his features. “Price seemed to know what’s going on – we don’t. Might just make things worse if we show up.”

“Right.”

Sure, they’d seen Price move with agility – because despite his older age, he was a trained soldier – but those times were in the field and with his life on stake. Never, did they think, they’d ever see him move with such urgency for some girl unless it was an emergency. Except, it wasn’t just some girl in this case, was it?

Levina Riven had grown into their hearts, one way or another, and they genuinely loved the woman. A tribute to her name, she had struck Agustine out of the blue and torn down his empire from the top of his ranks – or at least, she was the reason for its current fall. The suddenness of her arrival in the form of her abrupt takeover of Agustine in his office that fateful day had gained her all their respects, which only continued to grow as they got to learn her character; her warmth, strength, and genuineness, among others. They couldn’t even begin to imagine what she had to go through in those seven months, dangling herself at the mercy – or lack thereof – of a heinous man. Yet, here she was, standing tall in the faces of her ghosts and conquering them one by one. It pinched at their hearts to know that she was currently suffering, but Gaz was right. If anything, they were glad that she had at least Price to confide in her troubles at the moment; he was a good man.

A good man who was presently clutching at his patience outside the ladies’ bathroom.

If he listened closely – mind you, his ears had years of training to pick up even the tiniest of sounds – he could hear heart-wrenching sobs echo from the door in front of him. Uncontrollable cries and sharp gasps continuously rained down from her and he could do nothing but listen as his heart shattered bit by bit. Fuck, he thought, she’ll come out when she’s ready.

But what if she wants someone right now?

She had no idea he was there so even if she did seek a comforting presence, she wouldn’t know that she had one right outside two sets of doors. That in mind, he brought a fist out and tapped it against the door hard enough for her to hear.

“Riven?!”

A pause in her weeping, only sniffles sounded. That meant that she had heard him.

“It’s John! I’m here if you need anything! Or- tell me to leave if you’d prefer that!”

He had missed the sound of her cubicle opening but he perked up at the sound of a tap running. Taking a step back so that he wouldn’t overwhelm Levina with his figure, her footsteps against the floor soon approached and the door opened slowly.

“John?”

The crack in her voice took his heart down with it.

“Oh, lov’ie- c’mere.”

His invitation brought around a fresh set of tears and he easily caught her when she rammed into his chest, her arms looping around his torso in seek of something to ground her.

Upon feeling one hand softly caressing her back and another gently running down her hair, the comfort that he brought had tugged on her vulnerability and she allowed herself to wail, unrestrained, in the safety of his arms. His scent, smoky and woody, hazed over her mind soothingly, quelling the horrific thoughts that had taken advantage of her solitude and had ambushed her.

“I’m sorry, Aurora- ‘m so sorry-”

“Shh, not your fault, love. She knows it’s not your fault.”

Levina shook her head, her memories haunting her relentlessly. “I’m a monster- Grace, I let him touch me!”

“Hey- hey, now. Look at me, lov’ie.”

She pulled back only enough so that she could face him. “There you are – not a monster, no.”

“But-”

He shook his head resolutely. His hand moved from her hair to cradle her cheek delicately, thumb wiping away her tears as they fell.

“All I see is a strong woman, heart full of love and so, so beautiful. A force to be reckoned with; someone who has gone through so much because she was determined to save her sister.”

The tenderness in his tone was reflected in his eyes. She could feel his conviction that was entwined into the blue, his secure belief in his soft words.

“A devoted daughter whose parents are beyond proud of. A person whom we all love and care for because she deserves it – deserves to be loved and appreciated for all the good that she’s done selflessly.”

And she’s crying again, now for a different reason.

Her hands clutched the back of his shirt tightly as she searched his face of any hint of lies – of wavering confidence – and finding not even one speck of it in his entire being. She buried her face into his shoulder, heart full of love – true to his words – and gratitude for the man.

“Grace, John. You can’t just say that so- so confidently like that!”

His shoulders shook when he let out a light laugh. “I only say it because it’s true, love. Wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t sure even a tad.”

She felt him drop a kiss on top of her head and she tightened her arms around him. His confession of what he thought of her had taken her breath away, rendering her speechless as thoughts of him filled her with endless affirmations that she was a good person – someone deserving of love because she loved.

She loved her sister and she had done what she could to bring her home. There was nothing she could do to rectify the entire ordeal, their fates had been sealed that day of the home invasion, but she could try now – and try, she would, to the best of her ability. Aurora would come home, she would make sure of it.

Unbothered by her lack of words, John simply held her right then, right there. His hands never stopped their reassuring caress as he patiently waited for her sniffles to die down to a steady breath. Grace, she loved this man.

Unkeen to show up in the dining hall in her state, John led her to his office instead. His hand fixed itself onto the small of her back, not forceful but steadying. The plan had been to let her rest in his office while he went and grabbed her something from lunch – anything more filling than the energy bar he had in his desk – but that flew out the window when they spotted three figures stood outside his door with two sets of wrapped sandwiches in the hands of one of them.

“Guys?”

Upon hearing Levina’s voice, their kicked-puppy expressions lit up as their heads turned to regard the approaching pair.

“Riv! And Cap.”

John huffed at the too-serious-to-be-sincere tone of disappointment Soap had used when addressing him. Though, with the way that had earned a giggle from the woman beside him, he’d let Soap off any day.

“Sorry I ran off on you earlier, Ghost. In my defence, I really did have to puke.”

“No harm, glad you’re a’ight now.”

She didn’t miss the worry that crossed their expressions and gave them what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

Everyone entered the office once John had unlocked it, spreading around on the two couches facing each other that were separated by a wooden coffee table. She ended up in between Gaz and John, the latter on her right, and opposite Ghost and Soap, sandwich in hand. Figuring Ghost must have told the others of her earlier state, and hence, how John had known where she was, she decided to clear the air to ease them of their anxieties.

They listened attentively as she shared her sister’s current situation, how that had been her drive behind her long-con, and her belief that she was still alive based on what she had heard in Agustine’s meetings, however passing the remarks about her sister were. The boys shared their sympathies, cursing Agustine out and assuring her that her sister would come home. Their support touched her and John’s words repeated in her head.

A person whom we all love and care for because she deserves it.

They let the pair eat – because John had unceremoniously left lunch mid-way – while they began conversing about anything and everything. Recognising that she had had a rough day though, the trio left the pair to unwind. Unbeknownst to them, Soap had been about to naively question as to why Levina was staying at John’s but a quick pinch to his side from Ghost had shut him up quick.

It was a new venture, their flourishing relationship, and they silently agreed to keep matters private for the meantime as they endeavoured to see where it would take them. So, it was only when the door had shut after the boys that she allowed herself to inch closer to John, his arm instantly going around her back to hold her by her waist as she leaned against his side, head falling onto his shoulder. Her arms went to loop around him in a side-hug and she felt him tug her closer to plant his lips on her head, before resting his head on hers.

“She would’ve liked to meet you and the others. My mum, I mean.”

Her voice was low to match the serenity between them, fondness discernible in her words. Inevitably, her thoughts had fallen onto her mother whose life had been taken away too early – unfairly – by the hands of the home invaders who had taken away Aurora.

“Yeah? Would’ve loved to meet her too. Thank her for having raised an absolute dear.”

She hummed a pleased sigh, confession at the tip of her tongue. “We bonded over our love for love, growing up. H’ve always dreamt of falling in love, but mum made it hard because she’d always say, “they won’t deserve you, not until they’ve built you a fire that doesn’t consume, but gives”. Never knew what she meant until I’ve found one that gave me peace; gave me safety, comfort.”

His hand tightened its hold on her waist. “Someone’s built you one?”

She hummed, affirmative, lifting her head up to meet his eyes – the blue that had intensified under the utter adoration written over them.

“He’s been tending to it every morning.”

Fondness brought his lips up into a tender smile. He leaned in, slowly to give her time to react, and placed his lips onto hers in a soft touch. Their eyes fell shut for that brief moment. She felt his hand brush away her hair before cradling her face to hold her head steady when he pressed forward, pouring his affections into the kiss, before pulling away.

“I’d build you a home with a massive hearth to go with it too.”

She was certain that her eyes were shining with unbridled love, but she didn’t mind it for there was reciprocity in his eyes. “’m no good with architecture, but I’d at least give you a hand somehow.”

“So long as you’re there, love. I’d make sure the place is big enough to host the boys too. ‘nd your dad and sister.”

Grace, he knew her heart so well. “Family nights with everyone.”

“Mhm. Then there’re nights for the both of us.”

“I’d love that. W’d love everything about it; the hearth, the size… you.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhm.”

The quietness – the peace. The domesticity of it all had been gradually lulling her to sleep. Her enervation fogged her brain, but she still had enough clarity to express her psyche truthfully. A content hum vibrated from her throat, like a cat purring under the affection it received, successfully tempting John to pet her head gingerly and further pulling her into unconsciousness. She blinked her eyes open, unsure when she had even closed them in the first place, and laid her feelings bare for John to see.

“Love you.”

His eyes glinted. He detected no inkling of deception in her words nor soul, and he could feel her emotions flow out of her to envelop him comfortably. His answer was clear – inherent in his mind, soul, and body – and nothing could stop him from conveying it to the one who had struck him with so, so much yearning. Levina was a once-in-a-lifetime wonder and he would hold onto her for as long as she allowed him to.

“I love you, too.”

She fell asleep not long after that, the warmth of her partner cozying her to dreamland. Blurry images of an unfamiliar interior accompanied by the distinct figures of her loved ones brought her an abundant of joy and she swore to turn it into a real-life memory one day.

A gentle stroke of her hair and a call of her name stirred her out of sleep. The dream-induced happiness was still present and when her bleary gaze fell onto John, she realised that that artificial happiness would never measure up to the genuine one that he sparked in her.

“Dinnertime, lov’ie. You up for that?”

She gave an affirmative hum and sat up – John must have laid her on the couch while she was asleep – stretching out her limbs to further bring herself awake. The admiration in John’s eyes, as he looked up at her from where he was crouched in front of the couch, knocked the breath out of her lungs and she could just feel the love, love, love swirling giddily in her.

Unable to resist her desires, she reached out to hold him by the juncture of his neck and head and leaned in to press a chaste kiss on his lips. He grabbed onto one of her hands and held it securely in his. Their hands remained clasped even as they made their way out of his office, only separating at the first sight of someone else. It was a mutual decision to do so, and she didn’t mind it – too much – because she valued her privacy for now.

The others were already in the dining hall by the time the couple got there. Relief washed over them at her well-rested appearance and the little smile playing on her lips, no doubt an effect of being with their captain. The pair seemed to almost glow in the presence of each other and the boys were glad that they had found each other.

After leaving Levina with John earlier, in the privacy of Ghost’s office, they were unconstrained in talking about the pair of lovebirds – all in good heart. They hadn’t missed the lovelorn eyes they would send each other when one wasn’t looking and, after realising just how bad her break down must have been upon learning the reason behind it, knowing that John had managed to bring her back to safety had confirmed their hypothesis.

Dinner that evening felt even more homely to Levina. Constant validation from John had turned on a new light to view herself and her boys – her additional family. She was loved and she deserved it, John’s words looped around her head, she was a good person and she loved with all her heart. She was more than her beauty – it was her heart’s beauty that made her who she was. No more pretences needed, she was safe and sound. Not broken.

With her newfound strength, the days seemed to pass by indistinctively. Most of her time was, of course, spent training under Lieutenant Mordell. She had her moments of rest from dinner until breakfast, finding refuge in the boys. It was soon the last day of her training where Mordell would have her run through every drill under his close watch. The day had started with waking up from a dreamless sleep, a warm shower to ease her nerves, and John.

They had met with a kiss as he handed over her cup of tea, before settling themselves into their usual position where Levina had her legs up and folded to the side with one arm looping round John’s back as she leaned into his side, his arm also rounding her back to hold her close by the waist. It was winter now but that didn’t stop them from putting on layers to battle against the cold.

“How’re you feeling today?”

She gave a hum, thinking over her words as she picked through her nerves. “Nervous- very. But I’ve also seen more approving nods from Lieutenant Mordell in the past week than ever, so I think I’ll do fine.”

“Mhm, ‘course you will. Ghost also has high hopes for you and you know he doesn’t give them out easily. You’ll do wonderful, love.”

Snuggling further into him, she breathed in his woody scent, feeling it soothe over her skin. His words tickled her heart and she allowed her flames to travel through her body to alleviate her burdens.

His confidence in her didn’t end there, however, and she found herself flushing lightly during breakfast as she stared at the unfamiliar soldier who had entered the dining hall with a bouquet in his arms.

“Delivery for one ‘Levina Riven’ from-” he squinted his eyes at the tag connected to the wrappings “-‘your Firestarter’?!”

So that was why John had decided to stay for breakfast.

The room had quietened down at the man’s exclamation and she could feel multiple eyes on her. Her blush clear on her cheeks, she avoided meeting anyone’s eyes as she got up from her seat to beeline straight to the man stood in front of the door. Hushed whispers gradually grew louder to a normal volume. Though, she could tell that some of the topics of conversations were centred around her. Exchanging a word of thanks with the deliverer, she carefully took hold of the bouquet and rushed back to her seat with the boys. She cleared her throat as she sat back down, trying to regain her composure but to no avail when she locked eyes with John.

The sweet smile playing on his lips were enough to still the world around them. She barely registered Gaz leaning over to catch a glimpse of the bouquet with a question directed at her. The outer corner of John’s eyes crinkled as he watched her every reaction, harsh lines softening his features that she wanted to trace with her fingertips – or lips – so badly. His eyes gleamed with pride at having caught her off-guard, gratified to see the warmth to her cheeks matching the pink Astilbes that stood tall amongst the Siberian Squills and yellow Peonies in her bouquet.

He nudged his head in the direction of her left, amusement radiating off of him. Levina turned, only to be met with Gaz’s teasing grin. It was then that she remembered that he had asked her something and she had yet to reply. A sheepish smile made its way to her lips, “sorry, what was that?”

“He asked if you’ve gone deaf.”

Soap proceeded to yelp when Ghost ruthlessly slapped him at the back of his head.

Gaz shook his head and nodded to the bouquet in her arms. “What’d he get you?”

“Oh,” her eyes flickered around the pastel palette, “uhh… I think these ones’re peonies?”

Helpless at identifying the flowers, she looked to John whose smile had not faltered the slightest. He gave an airy chuckle at her lost expression and fought the urge to lean over for a kiss when she pouted at him. One by one, he named the flowers and gave a short explanation for each of their meanings.

Patience, “I will be waiting for you”. Hope and perseverance. Good luck.

The boys’ crooning filled her ears but her mind was fully entranced by her sight and John’s echoed voice.

The Siberian Squills encouraged her to stay strong – that it would all go well in time, so long as she kept her spirits. The best wishes he conveyed through the yellow Peonies were charming. It reminded her of the breathtaking kiss that he had given her earlier this morning – a ‘good luck’ kiss, he had said. The pink Astilbes; they’ve long revealed their thoughts on one another, so what could he be waiting for? They’ve yet to unclothe each other so, perhaps it could be about that? But, no; she understood him enough to know that he wouldn’t display that patience out of the blue – he would never risk an impression that would pressure her to bare her body like that, not after what she had gone through.

The other two flower types had something to do with their jobs; that she’d get her sister back in due time and that she’ll manage today’s intensive training’s final inspection well. And then what? Once she had passed that, she’ll be given assignments to complete, and she can’t do that if she didn’t have a team. The decision as to where she would end up all depended on who wanted her, which captain-

Oh?

Captain John Price.

John was a captain.

She had long forgone calling him ‘Captain’ unless someone else, bar her boys, was present that she’d forgotten he was one. Stories of Captain Price were commonly regulated around the compound; tales regaling his competence, his unfailing capability, the long list of his accomplishments. She had heard others share their desires to operate under his orders – that he was a famously sought-after man in the Army. The Captain Price who led TF141 with dignity.

The John Price who loved her, and she, him.

Her John.

Surely he hadn’t meant-

Her hands paused in its subconscious brushing of the petals as she lifted her head. His eyes were already on her – Grace, did he even look away once? – and he raised an eyebrow in question when he registered the uncertain surprise on her face. Right, she thought, he can’t read minds.

Shaking her head to get rid of her theories – because she’ll know the outcome of her team appointment in the coming days anyway – she gave him an appreciative smile that she hoped had passed along the emotions from the bottom of her heart. Her mind began to wander as to where she might find a vase in the station as she laid her eyes on the blooming buds again, her fingers moving from petals to petals to feel the smooth texture as the non-imposing fragrance wafted over her nose.

The final inspection went great. Though, she had been surprised by the existence of an audience at every station of the drills. Apparently, the newbies’ trainer had given the men some time off that day and had told them of the occurrence of her drills.

“Told ‘em I’d be testing a returning veteran on her foundations,” Mordell had told her when she had first spotted the fresh faces surveying her, “guess they wanted to see an example of what they could be by the end of their newbie training.”

Oh, the subtle but heavy pressure he had placed on her shoulders.

But that went alright!

The boys had given her a round of congratulations when they met again at dinnertime. Finally the end of eight continuous weeks of maximum effort, the boys had promised to treat her to a night of drinks that weekend. John had then walked her back to her room and had left her breathing heavily in front of her closed door with a heated kiss.

Thank Grace, he had left before she entered her room because the other girls had been in and, judging by their knowing grins, they had a fairly good idea what had caused her face to flush. They didn’t pry though, only voicing out their light-hearted envy at the vase of flowers that she had decided would suit the room – the girls had agreed too.

Then, she had woken up to snowfall.

Standing at the doorway to the barracks, she reached a hand out to catch the snow with her ungloved palm. Mesmerised by the glittering flakes, and assured with the belief that the only other person who would see her then would be John, she hadn’t heard his footsteps approach behind her and startled slightly when she heard his gruff voice and felt a pair of hands reaching for her waist.

“You’ll catch a cold, love.”

Pivoting on the spot, her face lit up and John was quick to give her a peck on her lips. She took her cup from him and let the warmth fuel her blood when she took a sip.

“Mm, it’s pretty though.”

Upon her revelation that she wanted to watch the snowing sky, he turned her back around and stepped in so that she had her back flush against his chest and wrapped his arms around her midriff, thereupon she could enjoy the sight while still having him pressed up against her.

She felt dizzy knowing that John would satisfy her requests without question.

They shared their plans for the day. Due to the weather showing no signs of stoppage, schedules had been halted and plans were limited to indoor activities. Coincidentally, the times they had set aside for the gym had intersected and oh, how torturous of a time it had been for the both of them.

The immense size of the gym had not – could not – stop their eyes from wandering.

They worked on themselves separately and there was a considerable amount of distance between them even as they moved from one machinery to the other. Once they had a set going on, their focus rendered them oblivious to the world and it just so happened that when one of them were deep into their workout, the other would be resting. Hence, they had not even noticed each other eyeing them up with need burning in the other’s gaze.

Each had their own ardent tension plaguing their minds that evening, and it all came to a head the next day, where they had shared a fervid moment that morning that only teased them with what was to come that night.

It was a Saturday morning – the weekend night out with the boys was to happen that night. The couple had found themselves in the same position as the morning prior, except it wasn’t snowing. The dawn air was chilly enough to avoid though, so they stayed indoors and only gazed out the window.

Or, at least, Levina was doing that while John had his face buried into the juncture of her neck.

Their individual tensions, brought over from the other day, had coalesced into a palpable haze dancing around them. Unwilling to let it cloud his mind, John allowed himself to only pepper her skin with lingering kisses, unaware of the effect he was making on her. When he had unknowingly nudged on a sensitive area near her pulse point, she accidentally let a whimper escape her throat and it was only then that he paused. Having mistaken the noise as a sound of protest in his panic, a string of apologies immediately left his lips as he lifted his head up, only to stop abruptly when his breath got caught in his throat upon seeing her face.

Levina had been worrying her lower lip with her teeth in an attempt to suppress the noises she had been wanting to make ever since John had started his ministration on her neck. That had given her a naturally pouty lip that only brought upon chaos in John’s mind. Her cheeks were tinted pink from the cool air and the heat of his touch, his scent – him. And then, there were her eyes that had rendered his brain static; his thoughts only on her and her alone.

Having to look up at him due to their heights, her eyes opened rather widely and he could nearly see his reflection if he tried hard enough. Her eyelash batted at him innocently, a far cry from the thoughts running uncontrollably in her mind; the thoughts that she was sure he could get a read on by the look in her eyes. They were almost teary, shining in the dim lights of the barracks and the subtle glow of the waking sun. Her desire was clearly written on them, with a hint of plead for him to cease his teasing kisses and to do something-

And who was he to deny her needs?

It was a miracle that his coffee didn’t spill over with how fast he had been in swooping down and capturing her lips. Surprised by his fervour but beyond pleased with it, a reflexive moan echoed from her throat which he eagerly swallowed down. She adjusted herself to face her body towards him and brought her unoccupied hand up to tangle itself in his hair. His arms around her waist tightened their hold and pulled her closer towards him – he had to rapidly calm himself down once he felt her clothed breasts press up against him.

Their tongues met in a messy dance. Breaths were exchanged with a rush of hot air, the occasional sighs adding into the mix. His hand roamed her back, up her spine to her nape, where he held her head steady as he pulled back slightly. Her whine at the loss of his lips promptly turned into a gasp when he attacked her neck instead. But unlike the earlier pecks he planted throughout her skin, he went straight to the spot that had elicited a whimper out of her and bit into it lightly. To allay the – pleasurable – pain, he proceeded to lick and suckle at her skin, drawing out mewls after mewls from her. He tasked himself to locate as many of her sweet spots as he could, up her neck and down to her shoulders.

“Oh, John…”

The breathy tone of her voice calling out to his name earned her a groan out of the man. As if that wasn’t enough to heat her up, his assault on her skin had ramped up a notch and she found herself putty in his arms. Grace, she would just have to change her underwear later with how damp she could feel herself get. He had also given her enough material to reminisce tonight when she would have to relieve herself of her lust; from the way his eyes had darkened when he had noticed just how desperate he had made her, to the stiffness she could feel prodding into her thigh.

Honing into the area that she seemed the most responsive to yet, he nipped at it mercilessly.

“Ah- h-”

He soothed the reddened patch with kitten licks, giving a final wet kiss onto it before he lifted his head up to plant a chaste kiss on her lips. His eyes strayed to the ruined state of her neck and collarbones, appreciating the cherry marks scattering the expanse of her exposed skin, then to her debauched face – watery eyes, flushed cheeks, kiss-bitten lips, and lust all over her expression.

“Fuck, love. Y’look so pretty all ruined like this.”

Her lips curled up at his compliment, a personification of seductive in her smile and breathless voice. “Yeah? Wanna look pretty for you.”

“Shit-” she was going to be the death of him. He returned to his lips onto hers and muttered in between kisses, “ always so pretty for me, love. So good f’me.”

She hummed, content and in bliss.

They both knew that they had a time limit – and despised it. That in mind, they forcefully slowed down to innocent – not really – kisses accompanied by praises shared under their breaths. They had to excuse themselves to their bathrooms before the barracks came alive lest someone walked in on their dishevelled state; John, to alleviate himself of the pressure in his pants, and Levina, to conceal the marks that remained exposed despite her jacket – except, she had missed one and had to enlist her bunk-mate’s help when the latter had pointed it out with a teasing grin. Bless her heart, her roommate had not asked any questions.

The rest of the day went as planned. The boys and Levina had lunch at the compound before they all left with permissions from the signed short-leave form for the day. The five of them occupied John’s car as he had volunteered to be the driver for the day, who then gave everyone a ride to their respective places to spend the rest of the day before they would reconvene in the evening. Levina’s place had been the second nearest so she alighted the car once it stopped in front of her apartment.

“Text me when you’re leaving, hm?”

John had rolled down his window and she turned to him, momentarily stupefied by the sight of him with one hand on the steering wheel and a casual arm draped over the window. She gave an affirmative hum as she flicked her eyes back from the muscles enhancing his arm to his eyes, which twinkled upon having caught her gawking at him.

She gave him a sheepish smile, “drive safe, love.”

“Will do.”

Ignoring the two other men in the car – they already knew of their relationship even without having to tell them – she leaned down and gave John a peck on his lips.

“See you tonight.”

Leaving him with her whisper chiming in his head, she walked up the path to the building and accessed the front door with her key card. She gave her dad a hug once she made it to her unit and leaned against the kitchen counter as she waited for the kettle to boil.

“He drove you here then, your John?”

“Mhm. Dropped Soap off first, then, it was me. Ghost and Gaz are next.”

“Driving you back later? After the pub?”

“Yep! He won’t be drinking, so you can relax, dad.”

She grinned knowingly when he gave an approving nod as he considered her words, muttering something about John being a responsible man.

Never one to judge her love life, she had no qualms in telling her dad over the phone about John the day after the couple had gotten together. Her sister’s circumstances still confidential, she could only cite that previous day as a ‘particularly hard time’ to her dad and shared with him how John had managed to get her back on her feet. How he had chosen to comfort her over finishing his lunch, the way he had not held back from confessing his true thoughts of her – unlike the boys in high school who avoided doing that in fear of their broken masculinity – and the safety and love that his fire gave her, just like her mother had always said.

Her dad had consoled her when tears had threatened to escape as she remembered that day, and he had voiced out his gratitude for John after all that she had told him. But dad would, of course, always be dad, and he was undoubtedly protective of his daughter. Though, knowing how happy John made her, her dad’s worries were at least somewhat assuaged.

They spent the afternoon talking in the living room until she had to prepare for the night out. This being the first time she could have an extended rest since her intensive training had started, she was determined to pamper herself.

One long shower later, she had her hair up in a towel-twist and she was sat in her vanity, delicately putting on her makeup. Having spent most of her teenage and adult years in the military meant that makeups were a rare treat so she stuck to the style that she knew and only accentuated her features with cosmetics – and to cover the marks on her neck. Then, it was her hair’s turn to focus on and she dedicated enough time to style the wolf cut properly instead of leaving it up to the permed waves to do its job. By the end of it all, she applauded herself on a job well done as she stared at herself in the mirror.

The Evil Queen could never, she thought.

After mulling it over for a while – more time than she should, really – she picked out a black semi-sweetheart tube top to go with a pair of jeans, and a black jacket over it to shelter her from the cold. Spraying her perfume once she managed to zip the curve-defining top up, she grabbed her purse to pack the things she might need. Aside from the necessities, she brought her travel-sized makeup products in case she wanted to touch up her face and then a thought crossed her mind. Glancing at her mirror, she surveyed her collarbone area where she knew John’s marks laid. She would rather keep it hidden from her dad when she had to see him later, but John?

…so pretty all ruined like this.

Her cheeks flushed lightly at the low voice echoing in her mind. Right, she thought, that was a decision made for her. She fitted a small bottle of makeup remover and a couple of cotton pads to go with it into her purse and searched for her phone for the time. Not late, plenty of time. Though, as she scrolled through her notifications, some of the boys were beginning to leave so she might as well. Giving herself a final once over in the mirror, she grabbed her selected heels for the night and exited her room.

“Look at you! You look gorgeous, sweetheart!”

She grinned at her dad and pecked his cheeks in thanks. Ordering herself a ride, she bid her father goodnight and went downstairs to wait for its arrival. Once she was on her way, she sent a quick message to the others and shared her location upon Ghost’s demand. It was a silent ride and she gave her thanks to the driver when they made it to their location.

She aimed straight for the semi-circular booth at the far left-hand corner where John had saved a table for them and spotted him and Soap already there. Their senses sharp, they had noticed her approaching and Soap sent her a wave.

“Lev!”

“Hey Soap! John,” she gave the latter a greeting kiss after she had entered the booth to take her place next to him. His arm immediately slithered past her back to hold her waist securely.

“You look stunning, love.”

“Yeah? So do you, John,” she glanced down to his chest where she could see his shirt hugging his muscles and involuntarily bit her lip. “You look good.”

His hand gripped her waist tighter and she knew her gawping had been caught red-handed. She feigned innocence and returned his heavy gaze with a sweet smile before turning to look at the other occupant at the table, trying to ignore the heat in her gut that had been ignited.

Ghost and Gaz arrived soon after and the first round of drinks went by in a flash. Conversations were had, laughs were shared, and playful debates were brought up. When Gaz had gone to the bar to get them more drinks, Levina excused herself to ‘touch up her makeup’.

In the bathroom, she wiped the stretch of her neck clean of products and reapplied her lipstick, taking her jacket off too seeing as it was rather warm indoors. Once she was satisfied, she re-entered the pub just as Soap walked past her towards the men’s bathroom. He gave a low whistle when he caught sight of the marks and she shot him a proud grin.

“Look at you! Poor lass got herself mauled by a beast!”

He then assured her that he would give them more time alone than the bathroom needs him – Ghost had gone ahead to help Gaz with bringing the drinks over – giving her a high-five for the fun of it. His positive reaction had fuelled her confidence even more and she let herself saunter up to the booth. It was only when she was close enough could John make out the marks littering her skin in the glow of the lights.

“Fuck.”

John already had trouble keeping his eyes away from her exposed skin ever since she had first walked into the pub, only for her to expose more and reveal the evidence of his claim on her.

Grace, the tease.

His eyes dipped to her neckline and spanned across her bare collar, tracing each fading mark up her shoulders to her neck. He readily reached an arm out to pull her closer by her hips when she made to sit next to him, his other hand going up to trail his fingers over the pink skin. The marks that he had made on her – his marks.

His Levina.

He finally looked up to meet her eyes and nearly groaned upon seeing the pride and confidence in them. “Shit, love. D’you like ‘em that much?”

She rested her arms on his shoulders and linked her hands behind him, keeping him from straying away – not that he ever would. She hummed, the sound tantalising to his ears.

“Very. Do you not like them?”

The obvious pouty tone to her words allured him and his lips were on hers before he knew it. The muffled whimper she made went straight to his lap and he had to resist the need to have her on top of him at that moment. Pulling away slightly, distantly aware that they were very much in public, he managed to make out his words in a gruff.

“Course I do, lov’ie. So much so, I’m tempted to give you more now.”

She giggled when his lips slipped downwards and began kissing her chin, down to the neck. “Can’t do, John. The others’ll be here soon.”

This time, he did groan into her neck, frustrated at the cockblock.

She pulled his head out of the juncture below her ears and gazed deeply into his eyes, her next word full of promises and yearning.

“Later.”

There was no hint of hesitancy in her tone nor expression. She had only had a mocktail thus far and had another glass of juice coming up so they both knew she was clear-headed. The heavy desire running through her bones showed in her eyes and John knew he was fucked.

The boys then came in to break their staring contest, teases at the tip of their tongues. John only grunted in response though, brain too frazzled to think of a comeback when Levina had her hand resting on his thigh dangerously.

They nursed themselves to two more rounds of drinks before they had to call it a night when Soap wouldn’t stop singing into their ears and the topics of their talks gradually became sadder and sadder. They also had to suddenly pull Ghost back – all hands on deck – when he almost walked straight into the glass door without any indication of opening it.

The car was blanketed in a comfortable silence during the ride back to base. Three of them had alcohol buzzing in their blood, enough to render them serene and, in Gaz’s case, knocked out. The fully-conscious pair helped them into the barracks where they then insisted that they would be fine alone.

“We’re not gon’ leave you blue-balled no more. ‘ve a safe sex, lass, Cap’n.” Soap had whispered, or at least tried to. It came out more like a series of hushed gibberish.

That had pulled out a shy grin from Levina and a sigh from John. Only when the boys had turned around the corner did the couple look to each other.

He closed the distance between them and brushed her hair away from her face, taking in her patient smile with one of his own. “You sure about this?” She hummed affirmatively and was about to nod when his hold on her chin stopped her. “Words, darling.”

His assertive tone had her biting her lip as she shyly blinked up at him. “Yes, John. Want you to have me,” Her hand trailed up to hold his cheek, feeling the rough scratch of his beard on her palm, “as much ‘s I want to have you.”

“You have me, love. Always have.”

He surged in to plant a short, but heavy, kiss on her lips. “Shall we?”

She hummed again but paused when she remembered his words, “yes, please.”

With an arm wrapped around her back, he led her towards his room.

His room was quaint. It was evident that John tended to spend more time in his office than his bedroom when her eyes fell on the neat stacks of papers decorating his desk. Otherwise, the place lacked any notable decorations and was simply very John.

How charming, she thought fondly.

His eyes were already on hers when she turned back to him. As if he could guess her thoughts, his eyes softened and he tugged her to his chest, her arms going around his neck to stabilise herself. He dipped his head low to meet her lips softly and she couldn’t help but smile into the kiss at his tenderness.

She pressed forward and tilted her head to deepen the kiss and he followed suit. His hands wandered upwards to her shoulders where he grabbed hold of her jacket. Receiving his hint, she shrugged off the garb and let him toss it aside in the vague direction of his chair – it ended up on the floor and she breathed out a laugh when the thump sounded. A shiver coursed through her at the feel of his wandering hands before his lips parted from hers to start leaving kisses down to her shoulders instead. He paved a path of light kisses connecting the old marks, then, up to her ears where he whispered for her to, “jump.”

Her trust in him unwavering, she obeyed his request straight away and wrapped her legs around his hips just as his hands caught her by her thighs without as much as a grunt. Their lips met again, more heated this time, as he brought them to the edge of his bed to lay her gently onto the sheets. Her breaths hitched when his lips began to nip onto the uncharted territory, that was her sternum, while his hands moved up and back to feel out for her zipper. His movements as he unzipped her top was slow, always giving her the silent opportunity to stop him in case she changed her mind. His consideration struck her heart with more affection and she lifted his head up to give him a short giggly kiss of gratitude. That brought a fond smile out of the man, his endearment for her growing upon seeing her joy.

Finally, the zipper unlatched and he pulled the top off of her body, adding it onto the growing pile without taking his eyes away from her. The darkening of his gaze as he studied her body with the intention of etching it onto his brain only added fuel to the fire in her gut and she couldn’t help but let out a whine when he made no move to touch her.

“Hm?” Understanding her wordless cue, his hands moved up from her clothed hips to map out her bare skin. Up her waist, in towards her stomach, up again to catch her breasts in both hands. A gasp left her when he thumbed her nipples gingerly and the first moan of the night, in a series of many. escaped her when he pinched them harshly, just a touch away from pain. “’s this what you wanted, sweetheart?”

“Yes, please…”

The breathy tone of her voice aroused him further and he leaned in to place a kiss on her chest. “Y’don’t need to worry, sweetheart. ‘m gonna take care of you.”

Another kiss onto her breast, “my pretty girl.”

One more, nearer to her bundle of nerves, “so beautiful.”

She could feel his beard tickle her bud this time, “fuck, the things you do to me.” And then he took one nub in his mouth.

A broken moan sounded from her as he swirled, flicked, and pressed his tongue against her nipple, his hand coming up to mimic the actions on her other breast. She keened when he sucked on it lightly and she subconsciously pushed his head closer to her chest.

“Jo-hn-”

He hummed in acknowledgement without pausing in his movements. Switching to latch onto the other breast, the cool air hitting her wet bud as his fingers toyed with it alongside his mouth playing with the other sent a rough wave of pleasure to her cunt and she felt herself gush before she knew it, her eyes crossing involuntarily. “Fuck!”

With the way her legs twitched around his hips in the aftershock of her mini-orgasm, it was unavoidable that he realised what had just occurred. He let go of her nub with a wet pop and grinned at her in wonder. “Did you just cum, sweetheart?”

A flush made its way to her cheeks and she smiled sheepishly. “I think so? ‘s never happened before.”

“Fuck, love. That’s hot.”

He recaptured her lips with speed while his hands drifted to her hips to undo her jeans, hooking his fingers into her bottom garments to tug it down her legs. She lifted her hips up to aid in his task and let him discard her pants and underwear at once, leaving her completely nude under his touch.

Separating himself from her, he got down on his knees and brought her legs up onto his shoulder to plant kisses up her calf to her thigh. He then pushed her thighs open wider which prompted her to lift her legs up to plant her feet on the edge of the bed comfortably, thus, exposing her glistening cunt to his hungry eyes.

He traced a finger up her slit, gathering her dampness up to her clit which he pressed gently before rubbing it in tight circles. Listening to her trembling breaths for any indication of her pleasure, he stopped his ministrations and, instead, prodded her entrance with his middle finger. Considering her state, it slipped in with ease and he added in another finger after a few thrusts. Feeling the stretch, little slips of moans left her throat which quickly turned into a mewl when he curled his fingers upwards. Once he had found her sweet spot, he massaged it gently to pull out more noises from her. Only the best for his lover, doubtlessly, he leaned in to flick his tongue against her swollen clit. Taken by surprise for her eyes were currently closed, an unrestrained moan echoed in the room when his lips engulfed her clit to administer similar movements as he had done to her nipples earlier.

The lewd sounds as he lapped and sucked on her only fogged their minds in more lust. With the desperate and earnest attention he gave her clit while his fingers pumped in and out and curled against her sweet spot, it didn’t take long for her to feel another orgasm approach.

“John! ‘m gonna cum- ha-”

She didn’t even know that his actions could get any more intense but he managed it somehow. The coil in her guts tightened harshly before, all at once, it loosened up and unravelled, sending waves upon waves of pleasure through her body. His name left the tip of her tongue as her eyes rolled back reflexively, her hands clenching the bedsheet underneath her tightly and her legs stiffening in place as he guided her in riding out her orgasm. The pleasure eventually became too much and her hands flew to his head to push it away from her sensitive nerves. His fingers slowed down its thrusts into an eventual stop and he pulled them out as he rose from his knees to level his head above hers.

He allowed a moment to admire the sight of her post-orgasmic state; eyes gleaming with unshed tears and lips parted as she panted for air. Giving her space to catch her breath, he kissed her down her neck appreciatively, only returning to her lips once her breaths had evened out slightly.

“Mm, you did so good for me, love. My good girl, hm?”

“Yours…” She gave a satisfied hum, tasting her sweet tang on his tongue.

Her hands went under his shirt to get a feel for his muscles and he pulled away briefly to take off the clothing. She tracked her fingers all around his torso, pressing into his flesh lightly as she memorised each section of stiff muscles and soft fats that formed his body that she loved so much. The awe in her expression as she eyed his body gave him more confidence than he knew what to do with, choosing to take this opportunity to shed off the rest of his clothes instead. She zealously drank in the sight of him in all his glory, her eyes falling onto his hand stroking his length languidly.

He pulled her closer to the edge of the bed and she lifted her upper body up, resting on her propped-up elbow behind her. Reaching in between them, she wrapped a hand around his girth, biting her lips upon feeling the angry veins running across his skin as she caressed him up and down. The sound of his breath hitching brought her eyes back to his and she was shameless in conveying her need through her stare. Unable to resist her allure, he rested an arm on the bed and caught her lips in a feverish kiss, leaving them breathless when he asked, “condom?”

She shook her head. “IUD. And clean. You?”

“Clean.”

The teasing grin on her lips was as bewitching as any and her eyes seemed to gleam under the lights. As she swiped her thumb over the tip of his cock, she invited, “have me, John. ‘m yours.”

“Yeah? You’ve got me, too, lov’ie- fuck,” he grunted when she squeezed her hand around the head as she pumped him shallowly, drawing out a bead of precum which she proceeded to smear over him. Decidedly not enough lubricant, she angled him down to rub the head against her slit, gasping when it caught onto her clit. He aligned his hips with hers for ease and moved it so that he was rubbing his length against her cunt, covering himself in her slick and priding himself in the little breathless moans she made. Once he paused in his movements, she took the chance to line up his cock against her cunt, meeting his eyes with so much certainty that he didn’t hesitate in pushing in slightly.

She whimpered when the head slipped in without resistance and watched the concern flicker in his eyes the more he filled her. He paused when she took a sharp inhale halfway in and opted instead to pull back slightly before thrusting forward in slow shallow thrusts. That helped her adjust to his size and he had her moaning softly soon enough. With every thrust, he slipped further in, bit by bit, as her sweet noises grew in volume along with his low grunts.

“Please…”

“Hm? What d’you need, sweetheart?”

Her voice was desirous, a reflection of her expression, as she whimpered out, “more, please.” At the last bit of length yet to enter her, he did as she pleaded and pushed forwards with force so that her hips were flush against his. “Oh, fu- hah-”

He gave her a moment of recess before starting out his thrusts at a faster rate, groaning at her tightness clenching down on him. Her hands searched for purchase in the sheets below her and he gave her right hand his left to hold onto instead, intertwining their fingers and letting her grip onto it as hard as she wanted.

The obscene squelch every time he drove into her had him looking down where their bodies met and he nearly moaned at the filthy sight of the white rings and streaks of fluid decorating his cock as her juices spilled onto the floor excessively. “Shit, love. You’re dripping. Creaming all over me, too.” She gave a whine, as if embarrassed, but he knew better. “So fucking wet for me, hm?”

Nodding, she glanced down to see his length covered in white liquid – her juices – and fuck, wasn’t that such an arousing sight? “Mm- ha… ‘s all yours, John. ‘m all wet f’you.”

Seeing her try to speak in between moans and pants to declare that she was his turned him on even more than he thought could be possible. Wanting nothing but bliss for her, he slanted his hips to aim his thrusts upwards and-

“John! Fuck! Ha… I- oh my…”

He delighted himself in hearing her nonsensical blabber as pleasure overtook her senses. Gone, were her rational thoughts, and all she wanted was to let him know just how good he made her feel.

“So good… fucking- ha- h- y’feel s’good…”

“Yeah? Fuck- y’feel so good too, lov’ie. So tight, so warm for me.”

At his praise, a little grin made its way to her lips, so innocent – so sweet – that it looked utterly erotic.

That triggered another wave of arousal over him and he could feel his edge approach in the far distance. He wouldn’t finish without her, however, and he trailed one hand down her body to circle her clit firmly. Her arms gave out below her and she fell back with a cry.

“Oh, my Grace. Oh, Grace- oh, fuck!” Her hand clutched his tighter as her pitch went higher and higher. Her other hand left the mattress and grasped onto his shoulder instead, digging her nails into him with every movement that brought her closer to the edge. “’m gonna cum- oh, fuck! ‘m c’mming!”

He tightened the circular motion of his thumb on her clit and pressed harder. “Yeah, sweetheart? Cum for me, darling- fuck!”

Arching her back off the bed, she came with a cry of his name and subconsciously clenched her walls around his cock. The added pressure added more pleasure and his speed faltered as he was brought nearer towards his own orgasm. He held it back and maintained his thrusts as best he could to help her ride out her orgasm and only gave in once she started cursing in oversensitivity. “Fuckfuckfuckfuck- fuck! ‘s too much-”

“Shit- Vina!”

He groaned lowly at his final thrust and kept his hips glued against hers as he unloaded himself in her. The feeling of warm liquid spurting out of him drew a long moan out of her and she eased her grip on him. He gave two more short thrusts to milk himself fully before pulling out of her with a grunt, watching as the mixture of their cum dribbled out of her spent cunt and joining the pool of her liquid underneath.

Leaning forwards to connect their lips in a lazy kiss, he brushed her hair away from her face and surveyed her expression worriedly. “You feeling alright, lov’ie?”

“Mhm…”

She pulled his head nearer for another kiss and he smiled into it when she wouldn’t let go. “H’v to clean you up, lov’ie.”

“’Kay…”

A laugh rumbled through him when she frowned and he gave her another short kiss to appease her. “I’ll be back in a bit, yeah?”

She gave another affirmative hum and he withdrew off of her to head to the – thankfully – en suite to grab a washcloth after running it through warm water. He returned to wipe her skin clean before doing the same to the bed and floor. Rummaging through his clean clothes, he put on his boxers and passed an extra pair to her, who had regained enough will to sit up and watch as he tidied up the pile of their discarded clothes.

Once he was done with everything, she extended her arms for a hug, only to yelp in gleeful surprise when he lifted her up instead. He settled her under the duvet, switched off the lights, and slipped right beside her, her limbs instantly reaching out for him to cuddle against. They made themselves as comfortable as they could in his cot and settled down tiredly, his left arm under her head and the other thrown over her while both her arms wrapped themselves around him securely. She gave a content hum and nuzzled into his chest, finding solace in his presence.

“It wasn’t too much?”

John’s voice was quiet in the dark, seeking for an answer to nip his anxiety in the bud. He felt Levina shake her head, her matching tone weaving into the moonlight peeking through his curtains.

“It was good- better than good. ‘t was wonderful.” She pressed a kiss onto his pec reassuringly. “Thank you.”

An understanding smile crossed his lips and he similarly placed a kiss on top of her head. “Don’t have to thank me, lov’ie. I’ll always take care of you, give you all the loving that you need. I’m yours.”

He glanced down when she lifted her head. They could barely see each other but the love they shared would always glow even in the darkest of days.

“I’m yours, too, John. Always.” Her hands caressed his back in slow brushes while he brought his hand up to stroke her hair gently. “I love you.”

His lips could only reach her forehead in their position but that didn’t stop him from pouring out his affections for her with his kiss. “I love you, too, Lev.”

She hummed and returned her head to snuggle into his chest. “G’night, John.”

“Night, sweetheart.”

Their minds were quiet that night. The phantoms of their terrors steered clear of them, unable to approach the protective shield erected by their mutual love, entwined while in the presence of one another.

When they woke up the next morning, they indulged in spending a moment of domesticity in bed, kisses here and there as they merely relished in each other’s warmth. When they felt ready to start the day, Levina left, wrapped in John’s clothes, with last night’s outfit in her arms to deposit them in her laundry. Once she took a shower in the women’s common bathroom and ensured that she had covered all of John’s lovingly-placed marks splattering her skin, she left for the common room where John had been waiting with two filled cups in hand. Cuddled up together on the couch, they spent most of their available moments together in content silence, mind, soul, and body still fulfilled from last night’s act of intimacy. The flame of the barracks hearth couldn’t compare to the blazing passion crackling in their hearts for each other.

Breakfast was filled with grumblings from the hangover men, much to Levina’s amusement. John had gone ahead to settle some paperwork and had found her again in the shooting range before lunch with a message from Laswell.

“Meeting in five, you’re needed.”

“Understood, Captain.”

They were good at keeping the affections in their tone at a respectable level. Though, it was obvious that they were at least slightly fond of each other with the way John lacked a certain sharpness to his eyes that presented itself around others, and the way Levina didn’t completely stiffen up like she does with other superiors.

A friendly distance between them, they made their way to Laswell’s office. Levina narrowed her eyes in suspicion when the door opened to show Gaz, Soap, and Ghost also present; she had a feeling where this was going but quietened her thoughts to not get her hopes up. Laswell didn’t dawdle any further and opened up the meeting after Levina had paid her respects.

“Sergeant Riven, you have completed your intensive training under Lieutenant Mordell three days ago and your file has been updated with the necessary changes since then. The captains have given their consideration over your file and,” Laswell pinned Levina with a raised eyebrow, “you are fairly popular, I must say.”

Thankfully, Levina was saved from having to form a reply when Laswell continued. “I’m sure you have caught onto the reason as to why you’re here so I won’t delay any further. Sergeant Riven, meet your new team.”

Levina inwardly buzzed with exultation, careful not to let her emotions slip out too much in her small smile. She spared the team – her team – a glance and was met with a grinning Soap and a smiling Gaz while Ghost and John sent her a nod. Her heart felt heavy with the pride reflecting in their eyes and she swore to herself to never let them down even a smidge. She then turned back to Laswell who had a satisfied look on her face. “I’d say ‘I hope you get along well’ but I trust that you already do.”

Laswell went through the administrative matters for the rest of the meeting and ended on the note that they had an assignment coming up in a couple of weeks and that more would be said about it in a meeting later that week. Afterwards, as they were walking towards John’s office to discuss team norms and culture, with Soap’s arm thrown over Levina’s shoulder and Gaz on her other side as Ghost and John followed closely behind, elation and chatter high in the air, she knew she belonged.

When their assignment rolled in two months later, their immense success only proved her right. No casualties nor fatal wounds on their side, their task goal achieved, and no surprise ambushes; needless to say, they had celebrated it with a few rounds of drinks.

They had grown closer, the boys and Levina. They had come to the point that she had not hesitated to take off her top, leaving her in her modest sports bra, when it got too hot in their private sparring room. The first time that had happened, the boys had simply cheered her on with rather polite catcalls and whistles, teasing the captain when they saw that the love bites didn’t stop at her collar. John had taken all of their remarks in a stride with a proud look on his face, eyes grazing her skin all over as she laughed at the others’ comments. She had done the same when the teasing comments were aimed at her instead, that time when she had left her own marks on John and he, too, had discarded his shirt.

“You wish you had hickeys on you too,” she had retaliated, “imagine being lonely, couldn’t be me.”

The boys had not held back in sparring against her that day. Though, really, they had never limited themselves, so perhaps it was more of them going extra harsh on her. She could still feel the phantom pain of the bruise she had gotten when Gaz had flipped her over his shoulder. Ow.

Then, there was her and John. Grace, how she loved her man. They had spent more nights together following their first, mostly when the day had been particularly harsh on either one of them and they had sought the other’s comfort. Every day only pulled Levina and John deeper into their love for each other but they were still careful not to let it cloud their mind when responsibilities were heavy on their shoulders. They could switch to ‘work’ mode when they were in a professional setting, and the threat of death on-field helped prevent their affections from interfering with making rational decisions fit for a sergeant and captain respectively. It was only after their mission that they allowed themselves to express their worries and fears of losing each other as lovers, rather than soldiers.

“I won’t ask you to not make those kinds of decisions again because I know it’s your duty as a captain. So, be careful,” they had their foreheads pressed together as tears glimmered in her eyes upon remembering the close call John had experienced in the field. “Know that I’m with you, always.”

“And neither will I ever order you to stay back where it’s safe for my selfish reasons. You are a capable soldier that I, as your captain, am proud of. Keep me in your heart, always, and stay alert.”

Their unfailing understanding for each other only strengthened their love; they were confident that nothing could break it and – Grace forbids – if something tried, they would defend it to their last breaths.

As with any teams that had at least one member of each opposite sex in it, rumours circulated the compound of a possible couple within TF141. Currently, Gaz and Soap were the top contenders in being Levina’s rumoured partner with Ghost trailing not far behind. John was barely in the ranking, much to their relief, and he was only there because there were gossips of how she had slept her way into the team. Typical sexist behaviour, she had learned to ignore them the first time she had been assigned a team.

Nothing of significance occurred as months passed. They had been assigned a few missions, conquered them without major losses, and took weeks in between deployments to rest and recuperate. It was one of the latter times towards the end of the year when a momentous event rocked Levina’s world.

The team had just gotten back from their few nights long of an assignment, had been debriefed and dismissed, when Laswell called her into her office. Nervous anticipation coursed through her. The last time they had another one of these meetings, Laswell had told her that the mission to raid Griffon’s manor was to happen sometime this month. Details were understandably kept vague as the task had been assigned under the watch of another military branch more suited to the mission objectives.

Laswell had a sliver of a smile on her lips when Levina walked in. The small spark of hope in her intensified and singed her nerves. Once the salutations were given, Laswell seemed to soften and her the roughness to her voice were notably absent. “Good job on the recent assignment, Sergeant. I expect you know why I’ve called you here?”

Levina gulped, keeping her voice steady as she suggested, “to update regarding my sister’s circumstances, Ma’am.”

Laswell nodded as she rounded her desk to stand in front of Levina unobstructed. “The mission to retrieve Agustine’s victims from Jake Griffon’s manor occurred a few days ago.”

A beat.

“They have succeeded in meeting all the task objectives.”

Levina let out a heavy breath she didn’t even know she was holding. Blood thrummed in her ears and she could feel as if her guts had contracted to make space for her violently-beating heart. She bit her tongue so that her barrage of questions wouldn’t escape and gave Laswell a nod to green-light her readiness to hear more.

“They’ve had all the victims go through a mandatory checkup and Aurora has been reported to be physically well. For the healthy ones, they are now searching for any living relatives to reunite with them and bring them home.” Levina’s eyes went wide and her throat clogged up with unmistaken relief. She willed her tears to stop its production as her heart nearly burst with Laswell’s next words, “I wish you and your family a happy life, Sergeant Riven.”

Levina took a trembling breath in. “Thank you, Ma’am.”

Laswell didn’t admonish the shakiness to her tone and continued with more good news. “They’ve sent a ride to bring you to pick your sister up in their base. They’re waiting in the front gates but do take your time to prepare. I’ve signed off the two months leave that we have agreed on as preparatory measures and I’ll see you after New Year’s, Sergeant. Take care.”

Levina took one shake breath once she had left Laswell’s office.

In… Out…

And then she was rushing off to her barracks to collect her belongings. She had, thankfully, already showered and changed off into a casual training outfit so, with a quick word to her present roommates, she was out of her room in a fly. With no idea where her team were to bid goodbye, she headed straight to John’s office in hopes that he was at least there. His voice echoed through the door upon her knock and she stated her business, her smile clear in her tone. “Sergeant Riven! I have news from the chief, Captain!”

“What news do you have…” John’s words trailed off when Levina sped towards him after closing the door, forgoing any hint of propriety which told him she had come for personal business. “Love?”

She rounded his desk and he stood up to meet her concernedly, catching him in bemused surprise when she reached out to pull his head towards her in a kiss. Always a welcomed action, his hands fell on her hips as he instinctively tilted his head to press forward and she followed suit but pulled back only after a brief moment. Her words were rushed as she told him that her sister was back and that she was here to say her farewells as she’d be leaving right after. A grin had formed on his lips as she shared her elation and he cradled her cheek softly with one hand.

“Let me know once everything has calmed down, yeah? I’ll let the boys know too so don’t worry about that.”

“I will, thank you,” her voice was breathless as she caught her breath after her rushed explanation. “Need to leave now, I’ll see you soon, love.”

He gave her another quick kiss and brushed away her hair from her face. “See you soon, lov’ie. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

The ride to the other base took about an hour. Now that the confidentiality of it all had been lifted, she spent the entire ride in a call with her dad. Tears were shed and hearts were filled as she told him everything, from how she had first founded out Aurora’s fate to the reunion happening soon that they thought they could never have in their entire lifetimes. She ended up pulling her dad away from work but he insisted that his boss would understand – and, well, if they didn’t, Levina would have a couple of words to offer to his superior.

Finally, they had reached their destination. Levina followed the driver as he led her to the medical bay in the compound and left her standing in front of a private unit with a knowing sympathetic smile. Her heart was pounding like never before and she lifted a shaking fist up to rap it against the door.

“It’s unlocked!”

Oh, Grace- her voice.

It was different, yet reminiscent of the high-pitched voice she had last heard almost two decades ago. Gone, were the cheeriness and innocence of a child and in place, it was lethargic and dull, haunted by the horrors she had been forced to endure. Her heart broke at the familiar tone that resembled her own back when she had just escaped Agustine, but she was hopeful that her sister could heal – that she would heal.

Twisting the doorknob, she pushed the door open slowly and her eyes immediately fell onto the girl – the woman – sitting up on the bed, hooked onto an IV bag.

“Rory?”

The name came out trembling and airy but the woman had heard Levina, nonetheless. Levina could see the moment recognition washed over the still figure and her name left the woman’s lips in, just as, a vulnerable voice.

“Vina?”

“Oh, Rory.”

Levina barely registered herself closing the door behind her before she was beside the bed in a heartbeat. Aurora had an arm reaching out to her and she didn’t hesitate to lean down and bring her sister into a tight hug, her tears falling unrestrained.

“Vina,” Aurora was also sobbing into her shoulder, body quivering as she croaked out her name in choppy breaths. “You’re here, Oh my Grace- it’s actually you.”

“I’m here, ‘m here. You’re safe with me, it’s alright now- you’re here.”

Disbelief and reassurances were exchanged in endless watery gasps, arms remaining locked around each other for some sort of material to hold onto for support. Levina had adjusted to sit on the bed to bring Aurora closer without having to break her back and it was only when Aurora pulled away slightly did she allow herself to do so too, keeping each other in their arms.

Levina gently caressed Aurora’s cheek, eyes scouring her face to remind herself that Auora’s here, her sister was coming home. A proud smile on her face, albeit with a hint of bitterness for all the time lost, Levina’s voice was soft and loving, “you’ve grown so much, love, y’ve been so strong all this time, yeah? My sweet Aurora…”

The younger shook her head, expression pained as more tears fell. “Had to be- didn’t wanna be but had to, otherwise he’ll- I- it’s-”

Levina shushed her sister lovingly and pulled her head to her chest so that she could hold the latter in a protective hug. “It’s alright, s’alright. A lot has happened but not anymore, yeah? You don’t have to be strong alone anymore- I’m here, dad’s here. We’ll move forward together with mom watching us up above, hm?.”

She felt Aurora nod her head as her arms wrapped themselves tighter around her torso.

The staffs must’ve known of Levina’s arrival because the sisters found themselves alone long enough to calm down the best they could. Levina was now sat beside Aurora so that she could hold her sister to her chest better as she patted her head – much like how their dad had held her when she first came home after her supposed-death. They were mostly silent, save the sniffling and hitched breaths, simply revelling in each other’s missed presence after all those years of separation.

The nurse came in well over an hour later and checked Aurora off for discharge, taking off the IV still hooked onto her and giving a couple of pointers to note of to take care of the bruises littering her body. No major injuries or harm had fallen upon Aurora, physically, and Levina only felt sick when she remembered Agustine’s men’s words on how her sister had been Griffon’s favourite.

They ordered a ride back home, which meant about another hour until they finally reached home. Their dad was in when they entered their flat, having taken time off from work earlier, and they had another round of a tearful reunion in the living room.

Dinner had to be delivered when evening came and they had forgotten about it. Aurora had gone for a shower afterwards and resumed her position in her dad’s arms on the couch while Levina sat beside the pair, bringing her legs up so that she could face them and lean her side against the back of the couch comfortably. They made small talks, updating each other on what they had missed. When Levina told of her current job in the military, Aurora brought up how a soldier from her rescue team had been the first one to tell her that she had a family still.

“Said my sister was the reason why they knew where I – and the others – were in the first place. Owed it all to you, apparently? They were borderline fanboying, I’m pretty sure.”

That had led to a conversation on how Levina had gotten the knowledge of Aurora’s whereabouts in the first place. Aurora was empathetic as she listened and both women shared a mutual understanding of their past horrible circumstances.

Aurora ended up falling asleep in her dad’s embrace and they moved her to Levina’s bed carefully. They shared a brief talk on sleeping arrangements and Levina was happy to take the couch for the meantime – and ever, if she was to stay over during her leaves from the compound – but they’d see what Aurora thought about it too. Levina sent a quick text to her team to ease their worries before she headed off to sleep.

The day had felt unreal – everything had felt unreal ever since she had found out her sister was still alive. Aurora hadn’t talked much about her time in captivity, understandably so, and they would all give her the needed time and space to open up if she ever wanted to. They had set an appointment with the appropriate psychologist to help guide her healing process, however slow it may be. They were a patient bunch, a prominent trait in their lineage, and no one was going to rush Aurora and pester her with unwelcomed pressure. They’d figure things out one by one, baby steps. What mattered most was that Aurora was home and she would heal.

It was a quiet night.

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