Dogs of War

Chapter 20

I register my door opening some time later, a little bundle of fur and warmth climbing into the bed with me and snuggling up. I wrap my arms around Lilly and nuzzle my nose to the top of her head as she settles in. A much bigger body slides in behind me, wrapping the pair of us up in his much longer arms. "Wolf," Soap mutters. "Why are you sleeping in the middle of the day?" 

"Tired," I grumble. 

"You're always tired," he chuckles softly. "But I see Lilly isn't complaining." She'd fallen asleep almost instantly, clearly exhausted after spending the day with Soap and Ghost. "Did you bring me ice cream?" I ask beginning to wake up. 

"Of course I did. Anything for Mo Uilebheist." I smile and settle in against him feeling warm and happy. "What else did you get me?"

"What makes you think I got you anything else, Uilebheist?" 

"Because you love me, and I deserve treats," I respond back smugly. I can practically hear his eyes rolling back. "You are such a mutt. Are you always thinking about treats?" His fingers curl around my hip, playing in the fur gently as he teases me. 

I hesitate a moment before replying. "Yeah, pretty much." He buries his face into my neck laughing softly trying not to wake Lilly up. 

"I have bacon and jerky in the kitchen fridge for you," he murmurs and my ears perk up excited. "You'll have to get to it before Gaz and Ghost sniff it out though."

"Figures. They'd eat it just to spite me, too." He nods in affirmation still laughing softly.

"Dr. McKenzie says you're out of action for two months hmm?"

"Apparently. I'll probably have to do a tonne of rehab too."

"That bad?"

"Mhmm. But I don't need surgery, so at least I'm winning. I could have been out for closer to six to eight months if I was more human. Benefits to being a mutt."

"So what are you going to be doing for the next two months if you can't train and run missions?"

"Probably bully Ghost into letting me help out with the more administrative side of the job. He also wants me learning a few languages. I know a little bit of Spanish after spending time with Ale and Rudy. Italian and French should be easy for me to pick up, I did well learning those in school..."

"Ah, all the boring stuff then." 

I roll my eyes. "Just because you enjoy all the high adrenaline roles, doesnt mean I have to."

"Uilebheist, I know you better than that, you're just as much of an adrenaline junkie as the rest of us," his amused voice telling me he's grinning at me. "You're just mad that you're benched for two months."

"Maybe, but unlike you, I do actually enjoy the learning aspect, not just the doing aspect."

"Oh I know how much you enjoy the doing aspect, Uilebheist," he mutters, voice low in my ear, his breath tickling against my fur. 

"Soap," I grumble back, not in the mood for his flirting. 

"Wolf," he retorts. "I've missed you." Those three simple words remind me that while for me it doesn't seem all that long, he's spent seven months wondering if I'd ever wake up from a coma. Those words make me melt back against him.

"I know, I'm sorry." My words are soft, almost mournful as I realise I haven't had much of a chance since returning to my human traits to spend with Soap. 

"How are you doing? Any issues with your instincts?"

"Always." My emotions turmoil below the surface, close to boiling over. The added concern I could smell and feel emanating from Soap added to the cauldron of instincts bubbling all over the place. I had been a roller coaster of feelings since waking up in the hospital, my competing instincts making everything worse. I remember that Archiel had helped soothe a lot of those competing issues which is why I'd spent a lot of time with her.