Carry On

Sweet Child of Mine

   Later that night, Soap and Ghost laid entwined on the Lieutenant's bed. The Brit was listening to the other man's steady heartbeat.

   "So Gaz, Price, and Nik were fuckin' all day, aye?" Soap asked.

   "Time and place, Sergeant," Ghost responded. The use of rank made the Scot chuckle. He gently caressed his partner's masked cheek, which earned him a relaxed groan from the other man.

   "Would ye like th' mask off, luv?"

   "Mhm..." Ghost hummed with a slight tired whine. Soap pulled over and parked, before ever-so-gently removing the fabric from his lover.

   "Mo ghràidh," he cooed.

   "Johnny...?" The Brit softly spoke in an unusually slightly softer tone.

   "Yes, Si?"

   "Don't leave me like Papa did."

Oh.

   Simon just regressed in front of Johnny.

   "Never, Si. I'll always be here."

   "Promise...?"

   "I swear it." "What am I gonna tell Price? Does he know?"

~~

   The next morning, Soap and Ghost went to the Captain's office. Despite his rage towards the man, he had no choice but to see him. He wanted to shove the door open, but he knew it'd scare Ghost's fragile mind.

   He took a breath, knocked, then opened the door. Price had been doing paperwork. He stopped writing and looked up to see his two best soldiers standing there. Ghost looked oddly out of place, which isn't strange for him usually. But there was a weird vibe.

   "Soap, Ghost, what's-" Price said before being interrupted.

   "Simon mentally de-aged," the Scot frantically spoke. Jonathan's eyes widened and he stood. Soap instinctively stood in front of the tall man to protect him.

   "Back down, Sergeant. I'm not gonna hurt him."

   "How do I ken tha'? Ye hurt Gaz, didnae ye?"

   "Soap, this is different."

   "Is it?" Soap snapped as he clenched his fists. He took a dangerous step towards his superior.

   "It is. I know how to help him," Price said. He kept a level head, despite the piercing glare his Sergeant was giving him.

   "Johnny...?" Simon's soft-spoken voice cut through the tension like a knife on butter. Johnny turned at the doorway to see his partner. Despite his size, he looked small.

   "Yes, luv?" He softly responded as he released his hands.

   "Why are you mad at granpa?" Johnny's heart cracked when he heard the amount of sadness in Ghost's voice.

   "It's a, uh, grown up thing, Si. Everything's alright," he said as he approached the towering man.

   "Can we go to your house, Johnny?"

   "My house?"

   "Mhm..."

   "You've never been, hun."

   "Is that a no...?" Simon squeaked as he looked down with disappointment and shame. "Stupid... Of course Johnny wouldn't let me come over..." He scolded himself.

   "It's not a no. But we–"

   "You can go, Simon," Price cut in. Soap narrowed his eyes.

   "But, sir-"