#this took me way loonger than expected but good news!

[imaginatio-n]

Ghoap Cheating Ficlet Pt 3: Digging the hole deeper

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“Did that pint insult your manhood or something?”

Ghost can hear Gaz, but he can’t rip his eyes off Mathewson’s arm draped over Johnny’s shoulder.

Swallows around the growl threatening to rise up his throat at the way Soap tilts towards the man, celebrating another point for their team. His cheeks are flushed a healthy pink from all the shots Ghost has watched him down, and he keeps burying his face in Mathewson’s neck whenever they huddle close to discuss answers.

Sometimes burrows close seemingly without a reason, whispering low words only for the two of them, shooting Ghost quick little looks Simon pretends not to see.

“Hey, you alright mate?” Gaz has leaned in closer, his eyes following Ghosts stare with a frown.

No. He’s never been worse. Simon never should have agreed to come to this bloody pub quiz night. But Johnny had begged and whined and his eyes were so blue- The same eyes now firmly set on someone that isn’t him.

Ghost forcefully relaxes the deathly grip on his glass and finally looks away from them. “Fine. What was the question again?”

Gaz is still looking between Soap and him as he speaks. “You’ve been-“ He stops himself. “Is everything alright between you and-“

Usually Simon is glad the two of them are an open secret in the one-four-one. They don’t have to hide when it is only the core team in a save house somewhere far away from base. Can share a bed without question. Won’t be thrown a single look for huddling close during exfil.

Lately Simon hasn’t been as glad.

“I said I’m fine, Sergeant. What was the question.”

Price has been quiet all night, only chirping in whenever the questions circled back to some bloody obscure topics, but now he raised a brow inquisitively. “Simon?”

Price has never commented on them. Simon guesses he is trying to maintain a state of blissful ignorance. For obvious reasons. Just once, a few months ago after Johnny landed himself in med bay for three days, did he ever say something.

Ghost neutralised the target in the end, with a shot that was practically impossible to explain on paper. But Johnny had been stabbed twenty minutes ago by that point and his voice over the comms sounded strained and Simon needed to get him out of there-

After the Captain walked up to him, gripped his shoulder tight and said, “I am proud of you. You know that Simon, right?” And Simon knew what those words really meant.

Just like he knows what his name spoken like that means now. ‘I trust you. I trust you to keep this under control. I trust you to tell me if you can’t.’

Ghost forces himself to relax. Again. Takes another sip of his pint and leans back. He needs Johnny, he can not loose him. He won’t let anybody take him away from him for good. Not even Price. “I’m fine, Captain. Really. Just a bit stressed lately.”

Price looks at him for a long moment, seems to find some kind of answer in his eyes, and his frown softens. “The question was, what do the wheels on the bus do in the song?”

Simon relaxes for real then. There’s no use in fretting. No matter what, Johnny is going home with them tonight. With Simon. “Hm, go round and round.” None of them raise their hands. Almost involuntary Simon glances over at Johnny once more. He is leaned over Mathewson’s phone, giggling at the screen.

Whatever Johnny is willing to give, Simon reminds himself.

(If only he would be kind enough to keep everything else where Simon doesn't have to watch.)

---

Soap is not drunk, thank you very much. He hiccups and Marvin laughs as he stumbles into him, wrapping an arm around Soaps shoulder so they won’t go down on their way to the loo.

They shove each other in front of the urinal like they’re still in year eight and as soap tries to save the travesty that is his mohawk, Marvin giggles behind him. “Look a’ the li’l rascal!”

A too bright screen gets shoved into Soaps face, but he grins so wide it hurts when he recognises Marvin niece and Lieutenant Meow both dressed up as little princesses. Crown and all. The pictures have been coming in all day, only getting cuter by the hour.

They finally managed to solve their little cat dilemma earlier that day. It was high time, too. There were only so many times Soap could hide away with the kitten in the barrack showers or in a storage room somewhere in order to evade a suspicious drill sergeant or another superior. He still can’t believe the Captain hadn’t even questioned the bag of kibble Johnny had hastily shoved up his shirt that one time they walked into one another.

Also there ways no way Lieutenant Meow would have survived another spontaneous inspection.

“Oi, she’s sent a vi’eo, too! Wanna watchit, sir?”

Soap does. Very enthusiastically. The loo turns out to be too sparsely lit and too loud to make out much of anything. They decide to go for a smoke in the alley outside and watch it there.

On their way to the inconspicuous side exit Soap practically collides with a chest made out of stone. Not fully decided if he’s in the mood to start a fight or laugh it off it takes him a second to realise that it is “Simon!”

Soap has the sudden urge to climb his partner like a bloody tree. Simon is simply standing there, dressed in nothing but a thin shirt and jeans that grip his arse deliciously tight and- And Johnny is flat out gagging for it. Well, he always is, but after the last few weeks...

Something is going on.

Simon has been getting worse. One moment he’s avoiding Johnny like the plague, just to hang off him like a koala the next. And lately, in bed, there is some sort of desperation between the two of them Johnny is not sure what to think of.

He really needs to speak to Price about that weekend off. Tomorrow. Tonight is all about celebrating a well deserved win. Live in the moment and just relish in the presence of this perfect, perfect man.

Maybe Soap could even be convinced to exchange a celebratory blowjob for a consolation fuck later that night. Yeah. That sounds awesome. He should let Simon know right now before he forgets, the world is still kind of blurry in front of him.

He leans up and whispers is Simon’s ear. Giggles when the idiot tenses up against him. Bloody prude. Johnny can barley hear his own words over the noise in the room, no one will overhear a thing. With a wink he leans in even closer and smirks at Simon as he asks “Aright with you, sir?”

Simon is still rigid as a statue and slowly Johnny is getting nervous. He is pretty sloshed, maybe he overstepped and made Simon uncomfortable. He should apologise-

A soft palm cups his cheek and Johnny practically melts into it. Simon has that new look on his face again, the one so desperate Johnny doesn’t know what to do with it. But right now Johnny just wants. Wants everything Simon will give him.

“Johnny, I-“ Simon swallows hard. His gaze dancing between Johnny’s eyes which makes him kind of dizzy. “Yeah, alright. I’ll wait for you. Always.”

Johnny grins like the cat that got the cream and has just enough brain power left not to kiss Simon right here right now in the middle of a sea of civilians and military personnel. Just enough.

With one last wink he turns and drags Marvin outside. He needs to cool off desperately and he really craves that smoke right bloody now.