COD Oneshots

Chained (Roach) Pt3

Roach sat at his desk, the hum of the base quiet around him. His room was sparse and utilitarian, the dull gray walls and standard-issue furniture doing little to liven up the space. He hadn't been on active duty since the battlefield incident, sidelined by orders to rest and recover. For a soldier like him, it was a special kind of torture to sit still while his team was out in the field.

His focus wavered as he fiddled with a pen, scribbling idly on the edge of a report. A knock on the door broke his train of thought.

"Come in," he called out absently, expecting the nurse or maybe someone from command with more paperwork to drown him in.

The door opened, and he barely registered the sound of someone entering. The faint creak of footsteps followed, along with the soft rustle of fabric. From the corner of his eye, he noticed a basket—full of brightly wrapped treats—being set down on his bed. He glanced at it briefly but didn't think much of it. His gaze returned to his desk as the visitor moved closer.

It wasn't until he caught a familiar scent—jasmine and something darker, richer—that his mind snapped to attention. He froze, his hand pausing mid-motion.

The presence behind him leaned in, so close that he could feel the warmth of their breath against his neck.

"Miss me?"

His head whipped around so fast they were suddenly nose to nose, their lips only a breath apart. His eyes widened as he took her in. Y/N was standing there, a playful smile on her lips, her eyes alight with mischief.

"How did you—" Roach started, his voice laced with disbelief.

She gestured behind her, motioning to the basket now perched innocently on his bed. "You'd be surprised how far a gift basket will get you. Base security saw the treats, not me." She winked.

Roach's lips parted as if to argue, but he couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him. "Of course. Why not?"

Y/N smirked, stepping past him and plopping down onto his bed with the ease of someone who had done it a hundred times before. She stretched out, propping herself up on her elbows as she surveyed the room.

"Not exactly a cozy setup," she remarked, wrinkling her nose. "But I've seen worse."

Roach turned fully in his chair to face her, still trying to process her sudden appearance. "What are you doing here?"

She looked at him, her expression softening just a fraction. "Checking on you. You didn't look so great the last time I saw you. Thought I'd see if you were still in one piece."

"I'm fine," he said, his voice quieter now, though the words felt almost automatic.

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because sitting alone in a gray box scribbling on reports doesn't exactly scream 'fine' to me."

Roach rubbed the back of his neck, feeling uncharacteristically self-conscious under her gaze. "I'm not great at sitting still," he admitted.

"Clearly." She reached over to the basket, pulling out a small package of chocolates and tossing it to him. "Here. You look like you could use something sweet."

He caught it, eyeing her with suspicion. "You always this generous?"

"Only to people I like," she said, grinning.

Her words hung in the air for a moment, and Roach felt a strange warmth creeping up his neck. He quickly focused on the chocolates, fumbling to open the package.

"You know," he said after a beat, "you still haven't answered how you knew I was here."

Y/N's grin widened. "Roach, you underestimate me. Finding out where you were was the easy part."