Crazy Over You ~ Simon Ghost Riley x Reader

9. healing

After being in the hospital for nearly a week, you were finally dismissed. Price picked you up from the hospital to drive you back to base.

"Ugh, great to be going back... home," you laugh. "Yeah, home."

"Aye," Price nodded. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, just incredibly sore. It really hurts."

"Oh, I know," Price chuckled. "I know. 5 days of rest, kid - minimum. No missions until you're back in order."

--

Happy to be back in your "own" bed, you rest up for a few hours, after laying in a hospital bed, your base bed felt heavenly. You cleaned up, being careful around the wound, and had to head to the common room or kitchen to look for bandages. 

"I've got some," Ghost's voice said from behind you.

"O-Oh, thanks, I could use some," you stutter as you look at him.

He walks to his room, and for some reason, you follow him. He opens the door to his room and clicks the light on, looks behind at you, and points to his bed. You sit on the edge of the bed, feeling incredibly awkward during the silence.

"Um... thank you, Ghost. For saving my life," you muttered.

"It's my job," he rasped, his way of saying "you're welcome" you assumed.

"Move your shirt over," he ordered.

You struggled slightly as you slid the sleeve of your shoulder up as far as it would go. "I could change it myself..."

He shook his head while he wrapped the bandage around your shoulder and under your armpit, gentle with you, something you didn't know he was capable of. 

You awkwardly thank him as you leave the room. 

--

As each day goes by, you heal faster. You start to be able to move your shoulder without wincing or feeling pain. What better way to test your strength than to do some light exercise? You head to the gym, nodding at Soap as you see him bench pressing, noticing how easy it seems for him with his wide biceps. You spot Ghost doing the same across from him, with heavier weights, seeming easy for him, too. He made quick eye contact with you as you nodded at him as well, going to a secluded area for yourself. 

Starting with stretching, you hesitate as you stretch your injured arm, but discover that it didn't hurt that bad to stretch. Happy with your progress, you begin with your workout. 

Soap walks up behind you, on the way to the locker room. "Good form."

"Thanks, Sergeant," you replied without looking at him as you lifted weights. 

--

Ghost interrupts your run on the treadmill asking if you were up to spar with him. Your eyes widen at the request, and you don't know why but you accept.

"Why not? Just don't make my arm any worse, big guy," you laughed, trying to compromise.

"No worries," he nodded. "I'll try to be gentle."

If this was his way of warming up to you, it was weird. Not bad weird, just doesn't make sense weird. He hated you or at least acted as he did since you got here, even yelling at you, earning your tears. Yet he didn't hesitate to save your life when it came down to it, he visited you, he changed your bandages... You don't know what the fuck is up with him.

--

You get in the ring with Ghost and get in a fighting stance, and he does the same. You wonder how you're going to do this without hurting yourself further but brush that aside for now. You could use this moment to take out some rage on him, for how he's treated you.

He gestures a "come hither" motion, and you tackle him, grappling his waist and he goes down. You crawl upwards, still pinning him down, and knee him in his stomach as he struggles to lift you off. Which he easily could if he tried, you knew this. Was he seriously holding back?

"You're not going soft on me, are you, Lieutenant?" you smirked as you moved behind him, placing him in a chokehold as your legs lock him in place to the best of your ability, considering he was much taller than you. You tightened your elbow around his throat, definitely not going easy on him. If only you could-

He shook his head and breathed in, elbowing you in your rib, you groan and are forced to let go of the hold you had on him. 

"Fuck," you panted as he helped you back on your feet.

You took another defensive stance and he pushed your hands down shorter than where you're used to having them.

"Good work, soldier. Now tackle me again," he ordered.

You run at him, and this time you try to knock him off his feet, but he dodged and pinned you down by your wrists. He turns you around and pulls your uninjured arm behind you, you arch your back as you try to lessen the pain. 

"Yield," he commanded, tightening his grip.

There was no fucking way you were tapping out right here. Your legs kicked and your body wiggled as you tried to get out of the position. Your brain racked through everything you learned, and you went through each possible way to get out, but it was impossible. 

You were running out of breath until you finally gave in, admitting defeat. His grip loosened, and he got up.

--

Soap walks out with hair still damp from his shower. "Good t'see you two, getting along, L.T."

"Fuckin' hell," Ghost spoke under his breath. "Get up here, Johnny."

Soap joins you and Ghost tells you to go against him, and Ghost shows you new ways to defend yourself, instructing you between positions. 

--

Your 5 days minimum of rest were up, and you honestly felt good enough to go. Price called everyone to the conference room for an update about the next mission. In 3 days, everyone was to prepare to blow up an enemy tower. And it was going to be cold. 

--

You, Soap, Gaz, and Ghost watch TV in the common room while rain poured outside.

"Pishin' out doon out there," Soap said.

"Huh?" you looked at him funny.

"Rainin' fuckin' hard!" Soap explained.

"Oh, yeah, it is," you softly giggled.

"English, MacTavish," Ghost said.

--

You go to sleep thinking about your time here so far. How you've made your way in and have been getting along with mostly everyone. You honestly haven't got to see much of the "horrors" yet, but you wouldn't mind if you were here permanently, you think. 

--