COD Oneshots

Tension (Roach)

The whole team was gathered at a bar, blowing off steam after a tough mission. Laughter and conversation filled the space, but amid the chatter, two voices stood out in a constant undercurrent of bickering: Roach and Y/N. Their arguments had become a sort of soundtrack to the team's nights out—sharp, clever, and always escalating until their friends would roll their eyes and pretend not to listen in on the inevitable tension-filled exchange.

Tonight was no different.

"So you're just going to throw your entire opinion out there, huh?" Y/N scoffed, sipping her drink with a raised brow.

"Only because I'm right," Roach shot back, smirking as he settled into his seat, clearly unfazed by her glare.

Soap shook his head, muttering to Ghost, "Bloody hell, they're at it again. When are they just gonna get it over with and snog already?"

"Maybe they like the foreplay," Ghost replied, folding his arms. "Though it's painful to watch."

Price chuckled, clearly as used to their bickering as the rest of them. But even he had to admit it was something else tonight. They'd been at each other since they arrived, and if either of them would let their guard down for a moment, maybe they'd see what everyone else did.

Yet instead, Y/N and Roach kept up their little game, each too stubborn to make the first move. So they argued, challenged each other, and even, occasionally, flung back-handed compliments that made the others laugh.

As the night wore on, Y/N moved away from the table to get another drink, only to have her path intercepted by a man at the bar. He was charming enough, smiling in a way that was confident and a little too practiced, leaning in as he started to flirt with her. Roach's gaze snapped in their direction, his easy smirk fading as he watched the man talk to her, the guy's hand casually touching her arm, then her shoulder.

Soap nudged Roach, giving him a knowing look. "Getting jealous there, mate?"

"I don't get jealous," Roach said, a little too fast, his eyes still trained on Y/N and the stranger.

"Right," Ghost muttered under his breath. "And Price doesn't drink tea."

Roach ignored them, his eyes darkening as the guy leaned closer to Y/N, clearly trying to get her to laugh at whatever line he was dropping. Y/N gave him a polite smile, looking a little amused but clearly unbothered. Still, something about it—the guy's cocky grin, his hand on her arm—was grating on Roach in a way he hadn't expected.

Before he could even think it through, Roach was already pushing back from the table, muttering something about getting another drink, though no one was fooled.

Y/N looked up as he approached, her eyebrows raising slightly. The guy next to her didn't seem to notice, his back to Roach as he continued his efforts.

"Hey, Y/N," Roach said, his voice loud enough to make the guy turn. "Did you know you left your...um...well, I don't know what it is, but you left it over by the table. You should come get it."

Y/N narrowed her eyes, but a flicker of amusement lit them up. "Oh, I did, did I?"

"Yeah," Roach replied, leaning against the bar beside her, effectively placing himself between her and the stranger. "Very important. Can't leave without it."

The guy beside her seemed to finally realize Roach wasn't there to be friendly, and with a huff, he muttered something about grabbing another drink elsewhere before leaving them alone.

Y/N crossed her arms and looked up at Roach with a smirk. "You didn't have to do that, you know."

He shrugged, trying to keep his cool, though his gaze flickered slightly. "Looked like you were getting bored."

"Or maybe you were the one who was bored," she teased, poking him in the chest. "Or jealous."

"Why would I be jealous?" he shot back, though the defensive tone in his voice said otherwise. "We're not—well, it's not like we're—"

"Exactly," she cut him off, a flash of something challenging in her eyes. "We aren't married, Roach. You don't get to scare people off just because you don't like it."

He leaned closer, narrowing the space between them until she could feel his breath on her skin. His gaze was intense, the earlier bravado slipping away, replaced by something deeper. "Maybe I'm ready to change that."

The words slipped out before he could stop himself. As soon as they were in the air, he felt a surge of something between panic and excitement, realizing he'd just crossed a line he'd carefully danced around for months.

Y/N's lips parted in surprise, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she processed his words. The sharp, witty retort she'd been about to throw at him faded as she saw the look in his eyes. For once, neither of them had a clever comeback ready. There was only the tension simmering between them, heavy and unmistakable.

"So...do you want to do something about it?" she finally asked, her voice softer than he'd ever heard it.

Roach swallowed, his pulse hammering in his chest. "Thought you'd never ask."

And in the midst of a noisy, crowded bar, where their friends sat, watching from a distance, the bickering stopped. For once, they didn't have to say anything.