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Light shining in through the cheap blinds cast itself on Simon’s chest, the rise and fall of which was shifting out of sleep and alluding to the stirring of the lieutenant.
His twitching eyes gradually flickered open, their attention falling quickly to the man on the other side of the bed.
Johnny remained in a therapeutic sleep; tension absent from his expression for the first time in days. Again the lighthearted nature worn on his sleeve could be seen, even if it took a lack of consciousness to get there.
Carefully, Simon rolled to face Johnny, mattress dipping under his weight as he did so. He reached out, weightlessly resting his hand on Soap’s stomach, his thumb stroking slowly over the bare skin.
Eventually he gave a soft squeeze and pulled his hand away beginning to prop himself up and out of bed.
Pulling his balaclava up off his mouth he gave a peck to Johnny’s forehead on his way out of the room.
Ghost returned minutes later, a towel now wrapped around his chubby frame, balaclava clutched in his hand.
Soap was now sat up, stretching out his groggy limbs. A rough “Mornin’,” came from him, followed by a sentimental smile once he noted Ghost's unmasked face.
Setting the mask on Johnny’s bedside, Simon moved to dress himself, pretending not to notice the shameless pair of eyes traveling down his body.
“Feeling better?” Ghost prodded tentatively, turning back around after pulling his shirt over his torso.
Soap stared down at Ghost’s balaclava now in his hands. His fingers traced the patterns with anxious reverence. “A bit.” he shrugged. His gaze came up to find Simon sitting on the edge of the bed at his feet.
“you don’t sound too sure of yourself there.”
Ghost bowed his head when Soap reached out to run his fingers through the man’s hair. Blond strands still damp from the shower. Neither said a word about it. Treating it as routine even if it was just recently becoming so.
“No need.” Ghost took the balaclava that was discarded on Johnny’s lap, pulling it over his face and taking a moment to straighten it out.
“I’m going to the store, wanna come?”
“Nay,” Soap shrugged, biting the inside of his cheek when the concerned disappointment crossed Ghost’s eyes. “Gonna stay and finish that drawing I started the other day.”
The taller man glanced at the tablet on the desk. Usually Johnny used it every day even if just to doodle, though now it’d been sat charging for almost a week.
‧₊˚🧼 ✩ ₊˚💀⊹ ♡
Simon dipped in and out of the house through the morning. Every time he returned he’d pop his head into the bedroom to check on Johnny who seemed he’d been dormant the entire time. The tablet remained untouched on the desk.
During his final errand his phone hummed loudly in his pocket. The ringtone used exclusively for Soap vibrated through the fabric.
Without much of a thought the call was answered; The phone being placed between his ear and shoulder while gloved hands tested fruit for ripeness.
“Hello?”
There was quiet broken by blurry, mumbled words, and then a sharp hitch of breath.
“Johnny?”
“Can you come home?”
“Affirmative….I’ll be there soon.”
“Stay on the phone, please.” Soap begged, tears heard in his throat.
“I will.”
Though the call was mostly silent as Ghost checked out and made his way to the car, occasionally he’d pipe up, just to assure the man sobbing on the other side that he was still there.
“Hey, Johnny?”
“Hm?”
“What’s red and smells like blue paint?”
“I dunno,”
“Red paint.”
Soap laughed, not his typical laugh but the kind of small huff you give when you truly think something's funny, you simply don’t have the energy to laugh right or express it in any way.
Ghost pulled into the driveway grabbing the bags from the seat beside him.
“I’m here, i’ll see you in a minute.”
Hauling in the groceries, Simon only bothered to put the frozens away before darting to the bedroom where Soap was curled up sobbing.
“Easy, sergeant, I’m here.”
Slowly a hand went to Johnny’s back giving him all the time in the world to pull away. He did the opposite, Leaning into the touch, calming slightly as it got firmer.
“There you are, deep breaths. Good job, good boy.”
The heaving slowed, praise from the masked man grounding him as it always did.
“Bad day today, huh?”
With a lifeless nod, Soap reached out for Simon who slid into the bed next to him.
His face was buried into Ghost's chest, remaining tears soaked up by the lieutenant's hoodie.
“I don’t wanna be awake right now.” The small man rasped into Simon’s chest.
“That’s alright, you don’t have to be.”
Johnny’s weight settled gradually being supported more and more by the large man to his side.
Ghosts hand traced circles into his back, praises muttered into his ear.
“That’s it, just rest, my perfect sergeant.”
‧₊˚🧼 ✩ ₊˚💀⊹ ♡
A glowing, sweet smell pulled Soap from his sleep. The sheets next to him no longer warm with Simon’s scent.
He groaned, eyes traveling clumsily around the room in search of his lieutenant. Eventually, they landed on the gruff figure, pupils dilating in a domestic familiarity.
Ghost sat motionless in the desk chair across the room, simply watching the groggy man regain his surroundings.
“You awake, Johnny?”
“Aye, kind of.”
Standing quietly, Simon made his way back to Soap’s bedside offering a hand to help him peel out of the bed he’d be inhabiting all day.
“You haven’t eaten today, have you?”
Chewing the inside of his cheek the smaller man shook his head no.
The sweet rousing smell was forgotten as Simon guided Johnny to the kitchen, placing two bowls of stew out on the table.
Soap ate slowly, increasingly aware of his nauseating hunger.
Ghost tried to keep his pace even with his sergeants, not wanting the man to feel awkward if Simon finished before he did.
While Johnny put his bowl in the sink, Ghost slurped the last of his broth.
“Hey,” Simon rose from his chair following Soap to the doorway of the kitchen, “Don’t go back to bed yet, I have something for you.”
Johnny watched as Ghost took a plate of cookies from out of sight on the counter.
“They’re the recipe from that bakery you like. They’re probably not as good but I did my best. I uh, had to do a lot of research about baking.”
Uncharacteristically shy, Simon held the plate out for Soap to take one. Instead the tray was placed to the side once Ghost got caught in a tight hug.
He reciprocated with a chuckle, leaving a hand to run through Johnny’s hair.