Chapter Text
It was one of those rare weekends on which task force 141 were able to enjoy their free time, finally being able to leave their base and explore the closest towns. Especially the bars in said towns.
Tonight, there weren't any titles or honorifics, they were just a bunch of friends, comrades, brothers, whatever you may call it.
Soap had dragged them into a small Irish pub aside the main road, resulting in him complaining about it not being Irish enough. But since nobody felt like walking any further, they had forced him to stay.
"You're not even Irish, they're just our neighbours", Gaz told Soap, but the Scot only scoffed.
"That really doesn't matter", he started, "we all know what an Irish pub should look like and what vibe it should convey, and this is not it."
"I'll have to agree with Johnny", Ghost stated blankly and Gaz sighed.
"We're staying", Alejandro added, and the rest nodded in agreement.
They did, and so they shared beer after beer. Ghost stopped after one, because he didn't like the effect alcohol had on him, Price only had three to be able to keep the others at bay, Farah opted for cider and the others let loose.
It was a fun night, and they needed that.
You also had a fun night planned. In your books that meant going to the gym for a quick session, and a jog with your dog afterwards.
Jogging at nighttime was rather unsafe, but the streets you chose were always brightly lit and your dog was a 132-pound Rottweiler. Goose wouldn't hurt a fly, but his size still scared people away, and that was good enough for you to feel safe with him.
Your run started at your apartment and lead you through some of the side roads, past your favourite Irish pub.
"Gotta ask the girls if they're in next weekend", you mumbled to yourself while looking through the windows while passing by. It was jam packed.
Twenty minutes later, you halted next to a bench to stretch. Goose looked at you curiously, before letting out a big yawn and stretching too.
"I know, you're tired too", you chuckled, "we're just going up and down the park before jogging home, so you can sniff on things, pee on things and bite into things."
He wagged his tail and you set off, breathing in the cool night air. There was a hint of petrichor in it, and that of wet leaves.
"The air is so much clearer here, isn't it?", you asked Goose, but he didn't react. He had found a nice spot to sniff.
Coarse laughter and a bunch of different voices bantering and yelling interrupted your quiet time, and you perked your head to see where the noise was coming from. While Goose could probably scare off one or two men, you wouldn't really want to run into a group this large.
Your body tensed when you realised they were coming closer to you. They sounded drunk too, and it was odd that they chose to walk through the park. That's usually not where the average nightlife enjoyer would wander off too.
You stayed vigilant and held Goose's leash close to you, until you heard a female voice amongst the group. Of course you wouldn't let your guard down completely, but it did ease your mind that there was a woman who sounded very sober and like she had fun.
"Come on, buddy, I think we're good", you said to Goose and picked up your pace again.
The group came closer, and you checked them out immediately, just in case. A man with a moustache and a woman with raven hair led the group, and they seemed to be pretty level-headed, unlike the rest of them. Four other men were bickering about something and although all of them very tall and buff, they looked like the least intimidating bunch with how unserious they spoke to each other.
The only words you could make out were "Irish", "fuck", "knockoff Guinness" and "cheap". You chuckled slightly, knowing where they just came from.
And then, out of nowhere, you saw another man. You almost missed him although he was massive, since he was dressed in all black, blending into the darkness of the night. What struck you the most was the black balaclava with the skull face printed on it.
Creepy but very interesting, you thought, immediately looking away.
You decided to just walk past them without garnering any attention. Luckily Goose didn't bark, so you just glanced at the woman, gave her a small smile without a word and then made your way through the park like you intended.
They all merely glanced back, but the woman returned your smile. You felt a pair of eyes on you though, boring into you like needles. You shivered, but that could've just been because of the cold night air.
It wasn't the moustache man, and it wasn't the woman either. The others had resumed their conversation, except the masked man. So it had to be him... You gulped and straightened your posture, trying to look confident. The way he stared at you so nonchalantly, as if it was the sanest thing to do, made your body feel warm.
Success. You left the group behind and made your way forward, letting out a breath you had been holding. You and Goose looked at each other and you grabbed him a little treat from your pocket.
Suddenly, a hollow thump followed by loud laughter made you turn your head. Not far from you, the group had come to a stop. The moustache man and the woman stared at the rest of them with raised brows, but the most interesting sight was the man with the skull mask sitting on the ground, rubbing his forehead slightly.
He looked extremely irritated while the other four men stood around him, laughing. They were so drunk, it was the funniest thing in the world for them.
"Jesus, Ghost, I told you one beer was enough", one of them chuckled.
"Shut it, Johnny", the masked man answered.
Okay, so the masked man's name is Ghost? Must be a nickname.
Now that you heard him talk with a thick British accent and saw the others playfully interacting with him, he seemed a lot less intimidating.
"As soon as we take our eyes off of you, you run into a bloody pole? Seems very un-ghostly", another one added.
"Yeah, checking out a girl and not looking where you're going? That's a first."
"It's just very dark here", Ghost muttered, earning more laughter from his friends.
You raised your brows. Apparently, the others thought he had been checking you out and that fit the feeling you had a minute ago.
"I will not let you live that down mate", Johnny - probably John - chuckled.
"And I will kill you in your sleep MacTavish", Ghost shot back, but it didn't really sound like he meant it.
"Can't blame you, she's cute and the way she handles this big dog, that's what does it for you, right, amigo?", another man teased him.
Your brows raised higher. You wondered why you didn't just leave, since you had nothing to do with them, but hearing them taunt the poor Ghost guy because he was apparently into you was actually pretty exciting and interesting.
"Why don't you guys talk any louder, maybe she can hear you then?", the moustache man asked them, and they snickered in response, not understanding the sarcasm in his voice.
"Ah don't worry Captain, she probably wouldn't come over anyways, Ghost blew it by", John snorted, "by bonking his big head into a fucking pole."
Again, funniest thing in the world for them. John had called the moustache man Captain, so they might be soldiers, you thought.
"Shall we make this more interesting?", you whispered to Goose and he tilted his head, "come on then."
With steady steps, you walked over to the group and bent down to Ghost's eye level.
"You alright?", you asked, a friendly smile adorning your face.
He was up on his feet in no time, almost rushing. Now you had to look up at him, and suddenly he was a little bit more intimidating again, but not too much.
The drunk men were awkwardly staring at the two of you. Goose seemed to find the situation hilarious, he was wagging his tail happily.
"I-I'm (y/n), and this is Goose", you introduced yourself, pointing at the dog.
"Like the animal? I mean, not dog, but goose?", John asked from the side. You turned your head towards him and smiled. You couldn't see how Ghost's gaze wandered from your face down your neck, chest and legs, and then up again.
"Actually, like the Top Gun character", you informed John and the group whistled. Ghost smirked under his mask.
"Tell me again how I blew it, MacTavish...", Ghost said, his eyes not leaving your face.
"Alright boys, let's move it", the woman commanded and shooed them away from the scene, "see you in five, Ghost."
The masked man hummed as the rest of the group continued their way through the park. Your gaze followed them for a few seconds, and when they were out of earshot, you turned back to Ghost.
You noticed that his eyes were beautiful. Very bright, in a stark contrast to the black fabric of his balaclava. You desperately wanted to ask what was up with that anyways, but you decided that you didn't know him well enough to bother him with such a personal question.
"You're not from here, are you?", you asked instead. Meanwhile, Goose sniffed his trousers.
"Because I'm British?"
You chuckled. "No, well, kind of, but mostly because I figured that you guys are soldiers and also you probably went to an Irish pub. There's two in this part of town, and no matter which one you went to, you're definitely lost. There's no way someone from here would walk through this park afterwards."
"Good work. Almost correct. We're not lost though", he said, and you could make out a smirk under the fabric.
"Alright alright", you smiled, "so you'll find your way home safely?"
"Positive. Will you find your way home safely?"
"Of course, I always do. I have this vicious monster with me, you know?", you grinned and gave Goose a pat on the ribs.
Ghost kneeled down next to you and scratched Goose's ears. He seemed to like the man, and that was definitely a green flag.
"So I don't have to take you home?", he asked, sounding more serious.
"Nope, and not to sound mean, but you're still kind of a stranger to me", you answered with a wink.
"I'm willing to change that."
You smiled at him. His eyes looked so soft in the dim lighting of the moonlight, and you were surprised how much expression a face could show that was covered almost completely.
"I can show you around town if you want. Of course only if you don't get lost tonight", you proposed, and Ghost huffed.
"Tell me where to meet you and I'll find you", he just said.
"Okay, Soldier. Give me your number."
Both of you came back from your kneeling position and Goose huffed annoyedly at the sudden lack of continuous ear scratching.
Instead of typing his number into your phone or something, he got a pen from his pocket and took your hand in his. Your eyes flickered downwards. The skin on his hands was rough, probably because he was using them a lot, but his touch was gentle. He carefully wrote the digits onto your hand.
"If you decide you don't want it you can just wash it off", he commented in a soft voice.
You looked up at him. He was such an interesting man.
"Don't worry, I want it. I will text you when I'm home", you smiled, and his eyes scanned your face thoroughly.
You couldn't possibly know that he was looking for signs that you didn't mean what you said. And he couldn't know that you did in fact mean it.
"Looking forward to that", he murmured.
"Okay, then...", you started.
I would like to get to know you right now, actually, was what you wanted to say, but you didn't want to seem desperate and it was the middle of the night.
"I'll catch up with my friends. It was nice meeting you, (y/n)", he whispered and brushed a strand of hair behind your ear with his fingertip. Then, as if that didn't just happen, he bent down and gave Goose a gentle pat on the head, leaving you slightly dumbfounded.
"And you, Goose."
You smiled at him when he came back up.
"You too", you chuckled, "see you soon then."
With a few awkward movements, the two of you separated and each went their own way.
"You know, I'm feeling kind of a connection, what do you think?", you asked Goose. He wagged his tail.
"Good enough!"
You jogged home with a happy bounce in your step, and an hour later you were showered and sat on the couch in a comfy pyjama, grabbing your phone.
Ghost was wide awake in his bed, like every night. He flinched when his phone made a noise, usually he had it on silent.
I'm home safe :) Goose can't wait for more head scratches! See you soon :)
His heart tugged. You really texted him.