Modern Warfare: Ghosts

Happy New Years

Nosia suddenly stands, picking the sparklers up as she does and approaches the rooftops edge, sitting atop the half wall. Ghost stands with her and leans his back against the wall, crossing his arms as he watches her open the box, her fingers slow and stiff from the cold.

"O, Cholera." She hisses. "I forgot a lighter."

"I got you." Ghost replies, reaching for the leather jacket draped over her and digs into the right pocket, the two making brief eye contact as he stands close. He pulls out a zippo lighter with a skull carved into the silver metal as well as a few tally marks, handing it to her.

She smiles, flicking it open. "How convenient."

"I used 'ta smoke, quit not that long ago but kept it out of habit."

"Lucky!" She says, bringing it closer as she scans the carvings. "What are the tallies?"

"Confirmed kills."

"Ah, a true hardened veteran." She giggles. "How scary." She flicks it on, lighting one sparkler and handing it to Ghost. She lights the next and slides the box and lighter into the jacket pocket, facing the distance as more fireworks pop off in the night sky. While waving the sparkler, she checks her watch, the arm still ticking strong even after all it'd been through with her.

"One more hour." She smiles, looking over to Ghost excitedly. "This will be my first New Years in a while that I haven't spent alone."

Ghost holds the sparkler up, leaning his arm and chest against the half wall and smiles. "Me too."

Nosia steps closer to him, pressing their arms together as they lean over the edge, the moon watching down on them from high above as the night sky is lit by occasional fireworks. Ghost glances over to her, layered beneath his jacket and the blanket hanging off her shoulders like a cape as she waves the sparkler back and forth, her expression holding a faint smile as she seemed to be lost in thought, eyes glued in the distance.

As the lights around the base barely lit the area, he notices her bare hands red and dry, shivering as she rests her elbows atop the half-wall. She brings her free hand up to her mouth, balling it into a fist and blowing into it in an attempt to warm it up, but even her breath wasn't enough.

Ghost suddenly tosses the sparkler over the edge of the building and slips his gloves off, sliding them into his pocket and reaches over taking her free hand, cupping it between his. They were large and pale, his cuticle health poor but that was to be expected from a soldier like him, in comparison to her thin fingers and healthy short nails.

As he brings her hand up to his mouth, she looks over in shock while he lets out short breaths between his sandwiched hands, creating an oven-like space for her freezing fingers. He lays their hands down atop the edge and rubs his thumb across hers, staring back into her eyes as she watches him completely flustered.

A smile fights its way to her lips as she snatches her face away, watching her sparkler die out in her other hand. She attempts to hide her face behind her hair as she continues to hold the dead sparkler, but Ghost pulls a hand away and snatches it from her, tossing it out as he takes her second hand into his, pulling her to face him. His gestures were so kind and gentle, sending a shockwave through her body as their cold touches meet.

She was completely aghast, simply staring up at him with her mouth slightly agape. His eyes soften anytime he looks at her, flicking his contact between her lips and back up into her eyes as he licks his lips, feeling awkward as he tries to spit out his thoughts.

"After all this, whenever the hell that'll be, do you ever plan to start a family?" He asks, his voice softer than usual.

Nosia smiles, looking down to their intertwined hands as he fiddled with her fingers. "Assuming we'd still be alive, I..." She tilts her head as her lip curls, looking to the side. "Never thought about it." She looks back up to Ghost. "I've always been so focused on my career, that the idea of a house with kids and a dog never crossed my mind." She laughs sheepishly.

Ghost looks away, his squeeze on her loosening. The look in his eye nearly shattered her heart as she began to fully understand what he was asking.

"But!" She continues. "If with the right person, I'd love to." She smiles, Ghost's attention snapping back onto her. "You have to understand my hesitation to plan that far into the future, considering my history. But then again, the idea of little Simon's running around does--" She pauses, catching herself and looking back to Ghost in shock as a smile widens on his expression.

"I didn't mean to say that..." She laughs nervously.

Ghost shakes his head unable to hide his flustered expression. "I like the sound o' that." He says, his voice sensual and soft.

Nosia smiles, struggling to hold eye contact with him as she attempts to hide her burst of emotions. But with a sudden wave of warmth, she jumps forward, wrapping her arms around Ghost's waist as she pulls him into a hug, where he doesn't hesitate to hug her back, bringing his hand to the top of her head as he gently strokes her soft auburn hair.

He drops her face atop her head, smelling her hair for only a brief moment. Her scent oozed of death with a hint of sweetness, like a withering flower. But it was sweet, a scent he'd hoped to never lose.

As Nosia pulls away, she glances down to her watch as her other hand remains intertwined with Ghost's, looking back up to him with pure excitement. "Two more minutes!" She says, pulling him to face the city once more. He just chuckles softly, struggling to break his line of sight off her.

In their heads as they watched their watches, they began counting down each second until only 10 remained. Nosia began hopping on her toes energetically, the blanket around her shoulders bouncing with her body as she glanced back and forth between the sky and her wrist.

"3, 2, 1..." She waits until the arm lines up with the 12, and squeezes Ghost's hand as she raises the other in the air, watching as a plethora of fireworks burst and crackle into the sky from all sides, lighting the two clearly from afar as they stood on the dark rooftop.

Ghost grins, looking away from the skyline and over to Nosia, their eyes meeting as he pulls her forward, leaning over and bringing their faces close. Her warm breath collides into his, hesitating the two for a moment as nerves struck them. But finally, Ghost wraps his hand around her waist and pulls her in closer, meeting his lips with hers.

The kiss lasts for a loving moment as they embrace one another. Nosia finally pulls away, looking up to him with a bright sparkle in her eye, Ghost returning a look of lust as he craves more, but holds himself back as she wraps her arms around his neck and pulling him down into her shoulder.

"Happy new year, Simon. I'm glad I got to spend these last few months and moments with you." She says, her voice kind and tone soft.

Ghost pulls away and returns a smile, struggling to find the words as he presses his palm into her cheek, caressing her face with his thumb.

But their tender moment is interrupted as Ghost's phone starts to vibrate. He pulls it from his pocket reading Price's contact name, looking back to Nosia with a shrug of his shoulders.

"It's okay, answer it." She smiles, pulling away and leaning back against the wall as she watches the fireworks.

Ghost stares down at his screen, letting out a heavy sigh as he steps away and answering the call.

"This better be good." He says, his voice demanding as he answers.

"We have a possible hit on Makarov." Price simply states, freezing Ghost where he stands. He drops his arm, ending the call and sliding it back into his pocket as he looks over to the back of Nosia, the fireworks still lighting the sky around them, the colors and flashes of light dancing around.

With a tight lip, he drops his head, sighing as he slowly walks back over to her, laying his arm across her shoulders as he watches the last bit of fireworks by her side...

The End...

For now.

♥︎