The Sergeant and His Flower 🌼 (Soap MacTavish × Reader)

2.

I checked the time on my phone - 7:17 AM.

I slept for 3 hours. I don't usually dream when I sleep but when I do it's usually lucid. I taught myself how to when I was 5 because I used to get nightmares relatively frequently and it stuck, but I lost the ability to actually dream every night when I was around 15 or 16.

Figuring I wasn't going to get anymore sleep, I plugged in my earphones and started playing music. I decided to go on a walk to pass the time I had to kill until I met the members of the task force.

I quickly got dressed into some sweats and walked outside, not bothering to tie up my hair, since I usually have it down when I do things. I saw a training ground to run laps in and jogged over.

I've always been a fast runner. I think it came from a rooster we had at the farm when I was 2. Bastard hated me for some reason and always targeted me and chased me. No-one else, just me. I would always follow my dad around carrying any turf he may have dropped or something - menial tasks since I was so young. It got so bad that we had to get rid of it because I ended up with a couple broken bones.

(A.N: This is actually true, minus the broken bones, somehow I haven't broken any in my life 🙈)

I stretched, started a timer and started to run. I always timed my runs trying to set a new personal record for myself. I did about 10 laps when the sun started to rise, causing the sky to turn a beautiful mix of pink, yellow and blue. I've always loved sunrises, and used to sneak out in the morning to watch them.

I paused the timer I had set and sat by a tree that was beside the track to watch the sunrise. I pulled out my phone and took a picture of it. I usually use my camera, but since I didn't have it I compromised. I sat there for about half an hour, admiring the sky, although the sunrise had long ended, when my alarm went off. I tend to put myself into dazes when I look at things for long periods of time.

Deciding to head back to my room, I jogged back. I was surprised that no-one was up yet, or at least not where I had been. 'Maybe there's barely anyone on base, or maybe they just stay in bed late, or maybe they're in a gym or something.' I thought to myself.

I overthink a lot. Always have. Sometimes I don't know how to shut my brain off. Price taught me how to get it slightly under control when I was 12ish. I'm still thankful for it.

I changed from my sweats into my gear and looked at the time - 9:30. I figured I had nothing better to do so went to the briefing room where I'd be meeting the task force. Price and Laswell showed me where the briefing room was but told me that they'd get someone to show me around the whole barracks today.

It took about 10 minutes or so to retrace my steps to find the room I was supposed to get to, but eventually, I found a labeled door showing the name of my location. I walked in and to my surprise the room wasn't empty. A man with a skull balaclava was sat with a mug of something in front of him - either tea or coffee I assumed.

I nodded to him and said; "Good morning, sir."

He didn't respond, just looked me up and down and nodded the same way I did, to acknowledge me.

"Don't worry about Ghost kid, you did nothing wrong, he's not the most social person you'll ever meet."

I turned to see Price walk into the room holding a clipboard, presumably with information about a mission.

"Good to know Captain." I scrunched my face up slightly at the name, but I didn't want the man that Price called 'Ghost' to think I was unprofessional.
Price noticed this and told me; "No need for the titles Theresa, we're all friends here."

I smiled and sat down at the other end of the table from where the mysterious man sat, not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable but close enough to make it known that I wasn't afraid of him or unwilling to speak with him.

"Gaz and Soap'll be here soon." A thick Manchester accent I didn't recognise muttered. It took me by surprise but I realised it was Ghost. I looked over, smiled slightly and nodded in acknowledgement.

Within a couple of minutes, a man with a baseball cap walked into the room.
"Hi, you must be the new Sergeant, names Gaz, nice to meet ya." He outstretched his hand to me.
"That's me, nice to meet you too." I responded and shook his hand.
He seemed nice. A lot more social then Ghost - and a lot more friendly too.

About 10 minutes passed and there was still no sign of the man Ghost called 'Soap'. I must've been subconsciously looking at the door, since Price said "He's always late."

Suddenly, the door burst open and a man with a mohawk came running in, seemingly out of breath.
"Sorry I'm late sir - forgot we had a meeting," he panted. Then he looked at me. "Hi lass, you must be the new Sergeant, I saw ya this morning running but I didn't wanna scare ya. You're real fast." He had a thick Scottish accent.
"Thanks, I didn't see you I must've been too distracted to notice, sorry about that."

"That's enough chit-chat, we're behind schedule enough as it is," Price began. The Scotsman sat down and apologised. "anyway, Laswell found General Ghorbrani's second-in-command. Hassan Zyani. He's in Al-Mazrah. We're sending a team out in 3 days to find him. Ghost, Soap and Theresa, you three are leading it, Gaz you and I have another mission. Capture or Kill. Until then, your all free. Here's the information."

He gave us all a sheet of paper containing everything we needed to know. I skimmed through it until Price said; "Now to introduce our Sergeant," My eyes darted up to him. "Go on."
Oh shit. He wanted me to introduce myself. I've never been good at that. Here goes.
I cleared my throat.
"Uhm.. My name is Theresa O'Mallon. I'm 23 years old. Uh.. I'm Irish, as you could probably tell from my accent. And uhh.. I grew up on a farm, so if anybody needs help with something like that.. I'm right here.. ahah" I chuckled slightly. That could've gone better. Could've gone worse though.

I glanced at the men situated around me. They all smiled at me - at least I think all of them did, I couldn't tell with Ghost's mask covering everything but his eyes.

"Now I need someone to show Theresa around base. Soap - I trust you'll be up to the job?"

"Yes sir."

"Then that's all. See you all later."

Everyone  left the room until there was no-one left in it but me and Soap.

"Well Theresa, this'll be fun."