'Ace' Everson ~ 11:00 pm
It has been three days since Simon left me alone in my apartment. I tried to pull myself together, but it had been harder than I thought it would be. That night specifically, I didn't sleep much.
For the past few days, there was nothing but him on my mind. It used to be like that already, though before this it was an exciting type of nervousness. Now, I'm dreading seeing him again. When I look at myself in the mirror I see nothing but fear.
Fear of him changing his mind.
"For fucks sake, Ace," Soap says from beside me. "How are you gonna sit here like this and not tell me what's going on."
Soap had dragged me to the bar after nagging me about it a hundred times in the span of twenty minutes. He had asked the others too, but they all seemed to have other plans. I didn't mind them not being here, though. Especially him.
"Not now," I mumble, staring blankly at the wooden bar top.
"Can I at least buy you a drink?" he asks as he places a hand on my back.
"Only if you stop asking me what's wrong."
"Deal," he mumbles, his blue eyes shining in the dimmed setting.
I nod at him, appreciating his presence more than I could ever tell him.
He's the kind of guy who can effortlessly lighten the mood, even in the darkest of times. His playful grin widens, and he raises one of his eyebrows. "So, Ace, ready to hear a joke that'll blow all your worries away?" he asks, his voice filled with a hint of mischief.
I can't help but chuckle, grateful for his attempt to bring some levity to the situation. "Go on. Hit me with your best shot."
He leans in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Why did the scarecrow win an award?"
I raise an eyebrow, playing along. "Mm... I don't know, Soap. Why did the scarecrow win an award?"
A glint dances in Soap's eyes. "Because he was outstanding in his field!" He lets out a hearty laugh, reveling in his own pun.
Despite the heaviness in my chest, a genuine smile tugs at the corners of my lips. Soap has a way of making me forget, even if only for a moment.
"That was terrible," I chuckle, unable to hide my amusement.
He immediately acts offended, placing a hand over his heart for dramatic effects. "Terrible? That joke was pure comedic gold! You're lucky to have me around."
I playfully roll my eyes. "Oh, Soap, where would I be without your ridiculous jokes?"
He winks at me, his carefree demeanor lifting some of the weight off my shoulders. "Lost in a sea of seriousness, my friend. But fear not, I'm here to save the day with my unmatched wit and unparalleled charm."
We share a laugh, our spirits momentarily lifted by the simple joy of laughter. Soap's lightheartedness is a welcome respite from the storm that rages within me, and for that, I am grateful.
As we continue our evening, Soap continues to weave his humorous tales and witty remarks, creating a shield of laughter around us. With each joke, the grip of fear loosens, replaced by a glimmer of hope and resilience.
Deep down, I know that facing Simon and the uncertain future that awaits us won't be easy. But having Soap by my side, cracking jokes, and reminding me to find moments of joy amidst the chaos, gives me the strength to keep moving forward.
In his own unique way, Soap becomes my anchor, even more so than he already was. His bubbly personality is a reminder to always find joy in things.
"Ready to get going, princess? I'll take you home," he mumbles as he offers the bartender a couple of bills.
"No," I mumble before getting off my stool. "I don't want to go home yet."
"No?" he asks. "So what do you want to do then?"
"You know what, never mind. I don't want to keep you up too long," I say, immediately regretting even mentioning it. "You've got work tomorrow, don't you?"
"I do, but that has nothing to do with this. You're the only one I can do this stuff with, The others are too busy doing whatever. They're all useless shits," he chuckles. "Besides. You've got work tomorrow too, so if you'll be a zombie tomorrow, I'll have to be one too. We're in this together, remember?"
I can't help but smile at his comment.
"Well. Come on then. I'll take you somewhere fun," he says before grabbing my hand.
~
"I haven't been to one of these in so long," I chuckle as we enter the arcade.
"Me neither," Soap replies with one hand on the small of my back. "Used to go with König all the time. Haven't had time to go in a long while."
"Guess it's time you'll have to go against me, then," I say, feeling a surge of excitement as we step into the bustling arcade. The air is filled with the sound of laughter, flashing lights, and the incessant pings and bleeps of arcade games.
Soap releases his hand from my back, his eyes scanning the colorful array of games surrounding us. "This place is a whole new world," he remarks, his voice filled with wonder. "I can't believe I haven't brought you here before."
I smile, appreciating the novelty of the moment. "Well, there's a first time for everything, right?"
Soap's eyes light up as he spots a racing game in the corner. "How about a little friendly competition? I bet I can beat you in any race."
A playful challenge sparks in my eyes. "Oh, you're on, loser!"
We make our way to the racing game, each taking a seat in front of the steering wheel and grabbing the plastic controllers. As the virtual cars roar to life on the screen, our friendly banter fills the air, accompanied by the sounds of screeching tires and cheering spectators.
With adrenaline coursing through our veins, we navigate the virtual tracks with fervor, pushing each other to the limit. Laughter erupts as Soap spins out of control, crashing into virtual barriers, while I take the lead, feeling the thrill of victory tingling in my fingertips.
As the race comes to an end, we exchange high-fives and congratulations, the excitement still palpable in the air. The arcade becomes our playground, as we try our hand at shooting games, basketball hoops, and even a dance battle on a rhythmic dancing machine.
"You are so fucking good at this," I exclaim, gripping my stomach from laughing too hard. "I'm dying over here."
With every game we conquer together, the bond between us grows stronger, weaving a tapestry of shared memories. Time loses its grip as we lose ourselves in the joy of the arcade, momentarily causing me to forget the troubles that linger within.
As the night draws to a close, Soap turns to me, a playful grin on his face. "I'd almost say you're better than König at some of these."
"Almost?" I scoff before laughing, placing a hand on my heart to act offended.
"You've got some work to do, yeah.." he chuckles. "Even more reasons to come back sometime."
We exit the arcade, the neon lights fading behind us, but the warmth of the evening lingers in our hearts. Arm in arm, we walk beneath the starlit sky, relishing in the companionship and the newfound memories we've created.
"Well.. zombies we will be..." Soap grins as he shows me his watch.
4.30 am.
I smile at him. "Worth it, I'd say."
"Agreed."
~
I close my office door behind me, pressing my back against the cold glass for just a moment. It's 7.50 am and I'm supposed to be downstairs attending a meeting in a short ten minutes.
After sleeping for just one and a half hours, I didn't exactly look my best. My eye bags were more present than ever, the dark color not even coverable by concealer. Not that I really tried, though. I couldn't even open my eyes fully until I sat down in my car.
I shake my head, hoping to wake me up a bit more before leaving my office. As I make my way through the stairwell, my heart rate slowly rises. Ghost will definitely be there. In one way I'm glad to see him again, though, on the flip side, I'm also scared. I'm scared of his reaction. Scared of what he might say to change the situation between us.
I push against the large glass door with my shoulder and thankfully it opens soundlessly. The meeting room is crowded already, though not everyone is there yet. I deliberately don't scan the room to look for him. Instead, I immediately make my way over to Soap. Him being the first person I notice in the group.
"There you are," he says as I sit down beside him. "Thought you fell asleep in your office or something."
"Almost happened," I smile before looking up again.
Even though I try to avoid it, my eyes immediately find him again. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling my gaze toward him. But he's looking at me too. His expression is hidden behind his mask, but he keeps his eyes on me for a short moment. Then, he drops his gaze again.
I turn back to Soap, hoping to dismiss the whole situation even though it's hurting me. But right when I want to ask him how he's holding up, Price comes into the room.
"Good morning soldiers," he mumbles, his voice gruff. "Thank you for coming."
He crosses his arms behind his back before coming to stand in front of the group. "I won't be long today, but first I have an update regarding our target. Near the end of this week, we'll be going on our final mission regarding the situation with Kahdemi. No need to ask questions yet, as I will be briefing you more in-depth once I have all the information we need."
I look over at Soap who has his eyes glued on Price. He nods, carefully listening to the captain's words.
"Today will be simple. You'll be on the shooting range. There will be new weapons too, some needing testing. Make duos, inspect each other's forms, and whatnot. You know the drill. I'll be in my office if any of you need me."
~
As I put the mag in one of the new guns, Soap comes to stand right next to me. He carefully removes one side of my headphones from my ear before leaning against the makeshift wall.
"So.. Are you gonna tell me what's going on between you two?" he asks carefully.
"What?" I respond, keeping the gun pointed in front of me. "—How do you know?"
He chuckles once. "You are shit at hiding your emotions, and Simon.. Well... Let's just say I've known him long enough by now to tell when something is wrong. And then add two and two together-"
"-Yeah, yeah. I understand. Thanks," I mumble as my finger lingers on the trigger. I pull, and a single bullet flies to the target, hiding it in the shoulder spot. I sigh, before lowering the gun. "I'm honestly not sure."
"What do you mean, you're not sure?"
"I am sure," I say. "I'm sure that I have feelings for him. But it seems like he's not sure."
Soap tilts his head, his expression softening as he does so.
I sigh again before completely putting the gun down. "Last week he dropped me off at my apartment. All my clothes were soaking wet, and so was his mask. I washed his mask."
A slight twinkle appears in Soap's eyes. "Do you mean-.."
"He showed me his face, yeah," I say with a soft nod. "Something happened and I realized I can't pretend that this is something casual anymore. It felt so... real. From his side too... But then, some kind of switch flipped."
Soap stays silent, his expression not changing in the slightest. He's not giving me anything, apart from a listening ear.
"He totally turned around. It was like all these times had meant nothing to him. It feels like he's throwing me away.." I mumble, my voice growing quiet with that last sentence. I can't look at Soap anymore. I'm scared I'll end up with teary eyes again.
Soap stands straight again before coming right up behind me. He presses the gun back in my hands again as he looks over my shoulder with me. He guides my finger back to the trigger before speaking.
"Love.. I know how much of an asshole you probably think he is right now, but you gotta give him a chance," he says before pressing his finger onto mine. Another round of bullets leaves the chamber before they end up right in the target's chest. "He's gone through shit. Too much for me to just tell you right now."
I quickly reload the gun, but Soap is quick to press another in my hands. This time one of the newer ARs. He keeps his position behind me as I handle the gun again.
"Listen," he starts again. "I know I can't tell you what to do, but just know that I haven't seen this version you pulled out of him in a long, long while. I don't think it'll take him long to realize that too."
I shoot again, this time aiming for the head to let go off all my frustrations. Every bullets his the target and I'm quick to drop the gun again, this time offering it to Soap.
"Thank you," I mumble. "Really."
A genuine smile appears on his lips before he grabs the gun from my hands. "Just trying to do what I can. Both of you in a bad mood is too much to bear," he chuckles as he offers me a soft pat on my back.
I hate to admit he somehow always manages to bring a smile to my face.
"I'm getting some water.. I'll be right back. Do you need anything?" I ask.
"I'm good, thanks."
"Don't shoot up your own hand while I'm gone," I say with a smile before exiting our shooting booth. I run a hand through my hair as I make my way out of the range.
I quickly grab the flask that I had left just outside the area, bringing it to my lips the moment I get my hands on it. Water drops pour down the side of my mouth, escaping just past the bottle opening.
I sigh after closing the bottle again, standing still for a moment to appreciate the calm away from the shooting range.
But when I turn the corner to go back to the range again, he stands there. His stance is strong like always, his feet a shoulder length apart. His eyes are glued on me as I walk into his direction. My steps have slowed down significantly, but my breathing has done anything but that.
"Ace," he calls out to me, his voice low. "Where were you..?"
I move my gaze up to him, annoyed by the sudden professional tone he has taken on.
"Can't I go and get some water all of a sudden?" I say with a soft sigh.
"-That's not what I was saying," he hums, his voice with a hint of irritation too. "Price put me in charge. I'm just looking out for you."
I let out a sigh again, this time not an annoyed one. "I know," I reply. "I'm sorry. I'll get back to it.."
But right when I want to go through the entrance of the range again, his large hand wraps around my upper arm, pulling me back to face him.
"Hey, wait.." he sighs. "Are you okay..?"
I look up at him, my gaze bouncing back and forth between his eyes before I respond.
"Not really, no."
A/N
Yooo I feel a writer's block coming up, but I'm going on vacation next Tuesday (for 2 weeks). That's not good timing. I'm bringing my laptop and I'll probably still write. I will also still update and all, but I need to get my shit straight. I think it's because I'm a little lost in the order of my chapters. It'll make sense once I post those chapters lol, just trying to get them in a logical order for you.
Also. I'm turning 21 on Monday. I honestly fucking hate it because idk I'm just scared of aging and all. I literally always cry on my birthday. Anyone with me on that? LMFAOOO. Last thing, add me on Twitter because I need COD (AND F1!) mutuals >>> @stboness
Okay, have a nice day loves <3
(Sorry for the rambling ;'))