Surviving with Soap, Ghost and König in an apocalypse.

Unmasked

It has been a few hours since the ordeal with Soap. I still can't stop thinking about how he looked at me as he was dying.

Me, Roach, Ghost and König are silently sat in the living room. My eyes staring at the floor as my head is tilted down. I still can't believe Soap's dead.

Roach is twiddling his thumbs. 

Ghost is staring out the window.

König is sat outside.

The cabin feels ominously silent as a borderline belligerent, depressed and unresolved atmosphere hangs over all of us, still not being able to process the fact that Soap is indeed dead.

Ghost then walks over, he sits down next to me.

"Hey." Ghost says, turning to look at me.

"You okay?" He asks, caressing my back.

A brief moment of silence ensues as I think of what Keegan did or tried doing to me.

"No." I glance up at Ghost, his eyes fixated on me.

Ghost then carries me to the bedroom, before setting me down on the bed, and he stares at me.

"Y/N, what is it?" Ghost questions, a quizzical tone in his voice.

"Do you know Keegan?" I reply, breaking the temporary silence.

Ghost nods.

"He tortured me, and he tried..." I then put my hands over my eyes as Ghost sits down on the bed, his arms wrapped around me as concern fills his eyes.

"Tried to what?" Ghost says, a confused tone in his voice.

"I think... he tried to rape me." I stare back at Ghost, tears beginning to run down my cheeks as Ghost begins to comfort me.

"Shh... It's going to be okay." Ghost caresses me, as I lay down on his chest. His fingers glide through my hair as he pats me on my back.

"He unzipped his pants, and began to walk towards me." I then explain, almost silent.

"But Roach put his hand on Keegan's shoulder." I continue.

Ghost nods as he pulls me tighter to his chest, allowing me to sob violently into him.

"Roach stood up for himself, and he definitely didn't approve of what Keegan was about to do to me, and I utterly respect him for that." I finish.

"Ghost, can I ask you a question?" I stare into Ghost's eyes.

Ghost nods.

"Why didn't you tell me about the mission screw up?" I say.

"I don't know." Ghost replies.

"Yes, you do know though, but you're scared to tell me, aren't you?" I begin to raise my voice.

"I just wanted to protect you, I didn't want you to think like I was less of a human for leaving them." Ghost replies, knowing that he was, in fact, too scared to tell me.

"I know you did, but why the hell would you think that?" I reply.

A brief moment of silence then ensues.

"I guess my mind isn't functioning correctly at this present moment in time." Ghost still glides his fingers through my hair.

We stay quiet for a while, before I ask something.

"Ghost, you know the mask?" I say.

"Mhm, what is it Y/N?" He looks at me.

"Why a skull?" I finish my sentence.

Ghost chuckles as he looks at me.

"Ah. The skull. I never mentioned that in my past, my brother used to scare me with skulls in the night, and also I got buried alive in a casket with a dead body in a mission in Mexico before I joined TF-141..." Ghost's sentence trials off as his leg begins to shake violently.

I rest my hand on Ghost's thigh, before Ghost pulls it towards him and holds it, caressing it slightly before kissing it moments later.

"Do you... want to see what I look like without the mask?" Ghost tilts his head.

I nod my head enthusiastically as Ghost slowly takes off his mask. He has a rough, heavily scarred face from previous missions. He has wounds on his neck, shrapnel wounds and bullet wounds, which have since permanently scarred his pale skin. Tufts of wavy, dark brown hair swoop over Ghost's forehead. His lips are thin, his nose is a bit narrow, and his chin is covered in a layer of thick stubble.

The air in the room mingles with the musk of Ghost's skull mask, combining with the scent of Ghost's subdued aftershave, which is almost intoxicating to me. 

"You're actually really handsome, Ghost." I look at him. His dark brown eyes fixate on mine.

"Can I wear it?" I say.

Ghost then begins to nod enthusiastically.

I then put on Ghost's mask. It hinders my vision greatly, as I look at Ghost. I hear an audible chuckle as I look at him.

"You know Y/N... it's actually a good look on you!" Ghost smiles, the first smile I've ever seen from Ghost.

Ghost then begins to unveil the mask so that my lips are exposed. Ghost then begins to slowly tilt my head back as he parts my lips slightly, before giving me a long, heartfelt kiss. 

"Let's get back to the living room, eh?" Ghost cocks his head at me like a dog. He playfully pulls the mask off my head, before putting it back on.

"We shall." I reply.

However, once we get back to the living room, Roach and König aren't there.

I feel something wrap around me as I feel myself being pulled back with great strength. I yelp.

"Y/N!" Ghost shouts, his voice toned with urgency, he reaches both of his arms out to grab me, but whatever grabbed me is still pulling me back. Then, I see Ghost get knocked out cold by a blunt appendage. 

I feel myself get hit in the head by a branch on a tree in the forest. I fall to the ground. Before I can say anything, something extremely ravaged looms over me.

Keegan.