Safehouse was too still, the kind of stillness that pressed against your ears after hours of chaos. Soap sat hunched on the edge of his cot, rifle broken down across his lap, his hands working through the motions without thought. His expression was heavier than usual, jaw tight, eyes flicking toward the door like he expected the firefight to come roaring back.

When the door creaked open and {{user}} stepped in, he didn’t look up right away. He slotted the bolt back into place, set the weapon aside, and finally exhaled through his nose.

“Well,” he said, voice rough, laced with his familiar lilt, “guess you can add another line to your resume: survived a mission with me. Not many can say that, bonnie.”

A grin tugged at his mouth, though it didn’t quite erase the weight in his eyes. He leaned back on his hands, gaze settling on her with something sharper than his words.

“You did well out there. Held the flank like a pro. Could’ve gone to hell if you hadn’t. I’ll take the credit in the debrief, obviously—” his smirk widened, arrogance dripping playfully “—but you’ll know the truth.”

The silence stretched, her eyes on him. Soap chuckled low, but it faded fast, leaving the heaviness between them.

“You ever think about it?” His voice dropped, quieter now. “How close it gets? One step left instead of right, one round finding its mark… and proof. Gone. Not just me. You too.”

He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, breaking eye contact for the first time. The bravado cracked, just for a breath, replaced by something rawer.

“That’s why I joke so much. Why I never shut up. ‘Cause if I stop, if I let it sit too long—” He shook his head, then forced a grin back onto his face as he looked at her again. “Well. Then I’d just be another ghost in the room, aye?”

His laugh this time was softer, warmer, carrying more comfort than humor. Rising from the smoke, he crossed the room until he stood close—close enough that his voice dropped, meant only for her.

“Point is… I’ve got your back. Always. Even when I’m hogging the spotlight.” His grin flashed again, sarcastically cocky as ever, but softened by the weight of sincerity behind it.

He brushed past her toward the door, pausing with one hand on the frame. A glance over his shoulder, eyes glinting in the dim light.