Unseen | Ghost x Soap

Chapter 66: Night Watch

Ghost's POV:

The night felt endless. I woke up again, for what had to be the third or fourth time, and immediately reached for my radio, tapping it and listening for any hint of life. Static. Always static. I clenched my jaw, resisting the urge to throw the damn thing into the forest. Useless. Everything out here was bloody useless.

I let my eyes adjust to the darkness, scanning the dense line of trees surrounding us. It was like the forest had swallowed us whole, and now, in the dead of night, the shadows were so thick they seemed alive. The only sound was the soft rustling of leaves in the faint breeze, barely enough to stir the canopy overhead. Everything else was silence—oppressive, suffocating silence.

I turned my head slightly and looked down at Johnny, who was still asleep beside me. He was curled up against my side, his face pressed into the crook of my arm. The tension in his body had eased a little since he'd drifted off, but I could still see the exhaustion etched into his features. His breathing was deep and steady, but every now and then, his brow would furrow, like he was fighting off the nightmares that came with being stuck out here.

I sighed and ran a hand over my face, trying to shake off the grogginess that clung to me. Sleep wasn't happening for me. Not out here. Not now. Not with everything feeling so... wrong.

I checked the radio again. Static.

I closed my eyes, forcing down the frustration that was building in my chest. We were cut off from the rest of the team. No signal. No contact. Just the two of us, stuck in the middle of this goddamn valley with no idea where to go next.

I pulled Johnny closer to me, not sure if it was for his comfort or mine. My arm slid around him, drawing him against my chest, and his body relaxed into me without waking. He needed the rest. After everything that had happened today—the panic, the confusion, the way the weight of the situation had nearly crushed him—it was a small miracle he'd managed to sleep at all.

I let my hand trail gently down his arm, feeling the soft rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. It was a grounding sensation, something to hold onto in the middle of this nightmare. The weight of him against me, the warmth of his body, reminded me that we were still here. Still alive. As long as I had him, I could handle whatever came next.

The minutes ticked by, and sleep became even more of a distant memory. I gave up trying to chase it. My mind was racing too much, thoughts moving too fast, unable to rest. I scanned the treeline again, eyes straining to catch any movement, any sign that we weren't alone out here. The darkness was thick, impenetrable, and every shadow felt like it was watching us. Waiting.

I pulled Johnny closer still, my hand resting on his side. My thumb brushed gently over the fabric of his shirt, tracing slow, soothing patterns as he slept. He didn't stir. I could feel the faint rhythm of his heartbeat under my fingers, and for a moment, it was enough to keep the worst of my fears at bay.

But as the minutes dragged on, I could feel the tension creeping back in. The sense that we were truly lost, not just physically, but in every sense of the word. The valley was playing tricks on us, and I didn't know how much longer I could keep Johnny from realizing how fucked we really were.

About thirty minutes later, Johnny stirred. He shifted in his sleep, his eyes fluttering open, blinking blearily in the dim light. He looked around, his face still hazy with exhaustion, before his gaze settled on me.

"We're still here," he mumbled, his voice rough with sleep. There was no relief in his tone—just that lingering edge of worry that had been gnawing at both of us for hours.

"Yeah," I whispered softly, "We're still here."

He didn't say anything at first, just shifted slightly, leaning back against the tree beside me. But I could see it in his face—the panic that had been held at bay by sleep was creeping back in, gnawing at the edges of his composure.

"We're lost, aren't we?" he asked, his voice tight. "We've been out here for hours, and nothing. No signal. No comms. No team. We're fucked, Ghost."

"Johnny—" I started, but he cut me off.

"No, don't give me that," he snapped, his voice rising slightly. "We're fucking lost, and you know it. We're out here in the middle of this fucking valley, and we have no clue where we are. The team's not coming. We've got no idea what's out there, and we're just sitting here, waiting for something to go wrong."

I could hear the panic in his voice, the way it cracked on the edges, and I knew he was teetering on the brink again. His breathing was picking up, fast and shallow, and he was starting to ramble, his words coming out in a rush.

"They're not coming," he continued, his hands moving restlessly as he spoke. "We're alone. We're lost. What if we never make it back? What if something happens? What if—"

"Johnny, stop," I said, my voice firmer this time. I could see the way his chest was heaving now, his breaths coming in short, ragged gasps as the panic started to take hold. "Breathe."

But he wasn't listening. His eyes were wide, darting around like he was trying to find something, anything, to focus on. His hands were shaking, and I knew if I didn't do something, he was going to spiral.

"We're fucked, Ghost," he said, his voice high and strained. "We're so fucking—"

"Johnny!" I snapped, grabbing him by the shoulders, shaking him gently to get his attention. His eyes locked onto mine, wild and unfocused. I could feel his body trembling under my hands, and I knew he was seconds away from breaking.

There was only one way to stop him.

Before I could second-guess myself, I reached up and pulled my mask up over my nose. Then I leaned in and pressed my lips to his, firm but not rough, silencing him mid-sentence. He froze, his entire body going still in an instant, the panic in his eyes replaced by shock.

I kept the kiss gentle, lingering just long enough to ground him. To pull him out of the panic that had been consuming him. My hands stayed on his shoulders, holding him in place, keeping him close. When I finally pulled back, he was staring at me, wide-eyed, his breath coming in shallow gasps, but the panic had started to ebb.

For a long moment, neither of us said anything. The only sound was the soft rustling of the trees around us, the faint chirp of insects hidden somewhere in the shadows. Johnny's eyes were locked on mine, his lips slightly parted, still stunned by what had just happened.

I let out a slow breath, my thumb brushing lightly over his collarbone as I kept my hand on his shoulder. "You with me?" I whispered.

He didn't say anything, just nodded slowly, his breathing starting to even out. His eyes were still wide, but the wild, frantic look was gone, replaced by something softer. Calmer.