Unseen | Ghost x Soap

Chapter 24: Protective

Ghost's POV:

The vents finally spat us out into a dimly lit storage room, the smell of oil and cold metal permeating the air. I dropped down first, checking the perimeter, before signaling Soap to follow. He landed with a soft thud beside me, and we quickly moved to the door, listening for any signs of movement.

"Stay close," I whispered, my eyes scanning the shadows. The memory of Soap's last mission—when he was kidnapped and tortured—was still fresh in my mind. I couldn't let anything like that happen again.

Soap nodded, but I could see the frustration in his eyes. He was a capable soldier, and he didn't like being coddled. But I wasn't taking any chances. Not this time.

We moved through the facility with practiced precision, sticking to the shadows and avoiding the patrols. Every now and then, I'd glance back to make sure Soap was right behind me, my heart clenching every time he strayed a little too far.

"Ghost, I can handle myself," he muttered after I grabbed his arm to pull him out of a guard's line of sight.

"I know you can," I replied tersely. "But I'm not taking any risks."

His jaw tightened, but he said nothing. We continued deeper into the facility, my senses on high alert. Every noise, every shadow had my adrenaline spiking. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to go wrong.

As we rounded a corner, I saw a guard heading our way. I pressed Soap against the wall, holding him close as the guard passed by. I could feel his breath against my neck, his body tense with annoyance.

"You're being overprotective," he hissed once the guard was gone. "I can take the lead for a bit. You're not the only one who can handle this."

"Soap, I need you to stay behind me," I insisted, my voice low but firm. "I can't lose you again."

"You won't," he shot back, his eyes blazing with defiance. "But I can't do my job if you're constantly shielding me."

We stared at each other, the tension between us crackling like a live wire. Finally, he shook his head, stepping back. "Fine. But if this mission goes south because you're too busy babysitting me, that's on you."

I clenched my fists, swallowing my retort. We had a job to do, and arguing wasn't going to help. "Let's move."

We slipped through the corridors, my eyes darting between the environment and Soap. I knew he was angry, but I couldn't let that change my approach. Not after what happened last time.

We approached a series of doors, each one potentially leading to the control room we needed to access. I motioned for Soap to stand guard while I checked the first door. Empty. I moved to the second one, my nerves fraying with each passing second.

Suddenly, I heard a scuffle behind me. I turned to see a guard wrestling with Soap. My heart lurched, and I rushed to intervene, taking the guard down with a swift, brutal efficiency.

"See what happens when you try to do everything yourself?" Soap snapped, pushing me away.

"See what happens when you don't listen?" I retorted, breathing heavily. "You could've been killed."

"I didn't need your help," he said, his voice rising. "I had it under control."

"Yeah? Looked like it," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Let's just get this done and get out of here."

We continued in strained silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging between us. I wanted to apologize, to explain why I was so overprotective, but now wasn't the time. We had a mission to complete, and every second we spent arguing was a second closer to failure.

Finally, we found the control room. I took a deep breath, signaling to Soap to cover me as I hacked into the system. The tension between us was palpable, but we worked seamlessly, our professional instincts taking over.

As I typed in the final command, I glanced over at Soap. His eyes met mine, and for a brief moment, the anger melted away, replaced by understanding.