COD Oneshots

Romantic (Soap)

Soap stood in front of the mirror, his brow furrowed as he adjusted his shirt for the fifth time. His heart raced faster than it had on the battlefield. A date, he thought, shaking his head in disbelief. With Y/N of all people. How had he gotten himself into this?

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he paced his room. This wasn't just any date; this was his first real chance to impress her, to show her he wasn't just some reckless soldier with a penchant for blowing things up. Soap wanted the night to be perfect, something romantic and unforgettable.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure out the "perfect" approach on his own. So, against his better judgment, he'd sought advice from his teammates.

Price had smirked knowingly when Soap brought it up. "Keep it mysterious, Johnny. Don't give too much away. Keep her guessing."

Gaz had chimed in, nodding along. "Yeah, women love that. The less they know, the more intrigued they get."

Even Ghost had muttered something from behind his mask, his deep voice unintentionally intimidating. "Don't reveal anything you don't have to. Makes you more... dangerous."

Soap wasn't sure about that, but they were his friends. If anyone knew what they were talking about, it had to be them. Right?

So now, here he was, sitting across from Y/N at a nice restaurant, feeling like he was walking on eggshells. The low light of the place was perfect, the atmosphere just right, but... the conversation? Not so much.

Y/N smiled at him, trying to make small talk. "So, Soap... or should I call you Johnny? Tell me something about yourself."

Soap shifted in his seat, hearing Price's voice in the back of his mind. "Keep it mysterious." He cleared his throat, trying to look cool. "None of your business."

Y/N blinked, her smile faltering. "Uh... okay." She laughed awkwardly. "Fair enough. So, what do you do when you're not out on missions?"

Again, Soap could hear Gaz's advice. "The less they know, the more intrigued they get." He leaned back, forcing a smirk. "That's classified."

Now, Y/N was frowning, clearly confused. She tilted her head, waiting for him to say something more, but when he didn't, she sighed, glancing around the room as if she was looking for an exit.

Soap felt the tension rising. This wasn't going well, but he was committed. Gotta keep the mystery, he thought to himself.

Y/N tried once more. "Okay, then. What about your family? You have any siblings?"

Soap could feel the panic rising in his chest now. Ghost's voice echoed in his mind. "Don't reveal anything you don't have to." He stiffened and gave the same answer. "None of your business."

That was it. Y/N's expression turned from confused to annoyed in a split second. She set her napkin down, pushing back her chair. "You know what, Johnny? I think this was a mistake. You obviously don't want to have a real conversation, so I'm just gonna go."

She stood up, grabbing her bag, and Soap's heart plummeted. She was leaving. This was it. His one chance, and he was blowing it—spectacularly.

He jumped out of his seat, nearly knocking the table over as he rushed after her. "Wait! Wait, Y/N!"

She paused at the restaurant's entrance, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

Soap's heart hammered in his chest, words fumbling out of his mouth in a panicked rush. "I—I took advice from the guys! Price and Gaz and Ghost—oh, bloody hell, I messed up!"

Y/N stared at him, clearly confused, but she didn't walk away just yet. Soap continued, his face turning red with embarrassment. "They told me to be all mysterious and not talk about myself. They said it'd make me more interesting or something. I didn't mean to come off like a prat!"

For a moment, Y/N just looked at him, silent. Then, much to his surprise, she started to laugh. It wasn't a small chuckle, either—it was a full, genuine laugh that echoed through the entrance of the restaurant.

Soap blinked, taken aback. "Wait, you're not mad?"

Y/N wiped a tear from her eye, still chuckling. "Johnny, those guys may know how to fight a war, but they have no idea how to go on a date. Why would you ever listen to them?"

Soap let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, scratching his head sheepishly. "I dunno. Guess I thought they knew what they were talkin' about."

Y/N smiled, softer now, and took a step closer to him. "Next time, how about you just be yourself? I don't need 'mystery' or 'dangerous'—I just want to know you."

Relief washed over Soap as he nodded quickly. "Deal. So, uh... maybe we can start over?"

Y/N grinned. "I'd like that."

As they walked back to their table, Soap made a mental note: never take dating advice from his teammates again.

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After their date, Soap walked Y/N to her apartment, the evening air cool but pleasant. They strolled side by side, Soap feeling much lighter now that the tension had melted away. It had been a rough start, but things turned around when he finally let his guard down. And, honestly, he couldn't believe how easy it had been to talk to Y/N once he stopped trying to be something he wasn't.

When they reached her door, she turned to face him, a warm smile on her lips. "I had a really nice time tonight, Johnny," she said, her eyes sparkling under the soft glow of the streetlamp. "I'm glad I got to know the real you."

Soap grinned, his cheeks turning a bit pink. "Aye, me too. And, uh, lesson learned—no more advice from those guys." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, feeling a bit sheepish.

Y/N laughed softly and took a small step closer. "Good." She reached up, gently pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, the warmth of her lips lingering even after she pulled away.

For a moment, Soap just stood there, dazed, feeling the spot on his cheek tingle. His mind blanked as he stared at her, a goofy, lopsided smile spreading across his face.

Y/N chuckled at his expression, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Johnny."

"G'night, Y/N," he managed to say, still slightly in shock.

As she disappeared into her apartment, Soap remained frozen for a few seconds before snapping out of his daze. He turned on his heel, walking back toward the barracks with a bounce in his step. He felt like a teenager again, like he'd just won some sort of prize. The goofy smile never left his face the entire way.

Halfway back, he pulled out his phone and shot off two quick texts. The first one, to Y/N, read:

"I really enjoyed tonight. Would love to see you again soon. Second date? 😏"

He hesitated for a second before hitting send, but as soon as he did, his heart did a little flip. It felt good—right.

Then, with a grin, he composed the second text, this time to Price:

"Your advice was absolute rubbish. Almost lost her 'cause of you lot. But don't worry, I managed to fix it. Cheers for nothin', mate. 😒"

Satisfied, he pocketed his phone, still grinning as he made his way back to the barracks. For the first time in a long time, Soap felt genuinely excited about what came next. Maybe he wasn't as hopeless at this whole dating thing as he thought.