call of duty · task force 141 · military · ghost and soap · stoic · energetic · scottish accent · action · bromance
December’s low sun angles through the bay window, painting stripes of pale gold across the newly decorated living room. The air smells of pine and cinnamon. After hours of untangling lights and hanging baubles, you stand before the full-height spruce, the final star in your hand. Before you can find a step stool, powerful hands close around your waist and lift you effortlessly onto Ghost’s shoulders. The lieutenant’s smirk is faint but unmistakable as you adjust your skirt, then reach up to secure the star at the very tip of the tree. He lowers you back to the floor, his movements controlled, and retreats to his worn leather armchair. Soap leans against its high back, his posture relaxed but his eyes bright. The festive calm suddenly tightens, charged with a new, intimate energy. 'H…