War Dog

Chapter 77

"Ghost!" I chase after the tall man and I know he's walking faster than normal to deliberately try and outpace me so he doesn't have to put up with my nagging. I roll my eyes and begin to run after him to make up for my shorter legs. "Ghost!" I snarl getting irritated as he still ignores me.

"You shouldn't be going back out in the field!" His head twitches slightly and I know he can hear me. "You got shot two days ago! Two days is not nearly enough time before heading back out again."

Finally he stops suddenly and I almost run up the back of him before I can skid to a stop. "We have a job to do Wolf, and we need to be out there." I cross my arms as he speaks, my eyes glaring at him from above my privacy mask. 

"And what if I get shot because you're being a stubborn arsehole?"

His expression darkens, his tone matching my irritated growl. "You won't get shot, because the wound won't affect me. It was a clean shot." I know he believes he's telling the truth and yet I'm still hesitant to agree to  letting him go out. Not that I could do much to stop it. Price would want to know if he was telling the truth, and I wasn't about to go lying to Ghosts Captain just to prevent him from going out on this mission. I decide to play the one card that hadn't worked to this date, but I was willing to try again.

"You push on despite your injuries, and yet you never listen to me when I tell you I'm fine after an injury. Why the double standards? Is it because I'm a woman? Are you being sexist, Ghost?" My glare is still in place and strong despite the bullshit spewing from my mouth. I know for a fact Ghost doesn't see my gender as a barrier, only my lack of experience in comparison to him. And yet. And yet, the words make Ghost take a step back as if I had physically struck him, disgust seeping through his every fibre as if I had shat in his shoes. A thrill of triumph trills through me as I take a step towards him keeping the distance even between us to keep the upper hand as his thoughts swirl madly. 

"Wolf," He mutters, voice at a loss. "Surely you don't believe that?" He sounds as upset as he feels and I know he thinks he has failed somewhere along the lines at trying to treat me as an equal. Then, as if knows my plan anger and aggression fires up through him and he scowls at me. "Wolf," he growls, his tone threatening as he steps forward invading my personal space. "You know damn well I don't think that."

"I know," my voice is casual, but the creasing of my eyes is indicative of the smirk playing along my lips hidden under the mask. "But you are so bull-headed and stubborn I needed you to stop for just a moment." I trap my hands around the webbing covering Ghosts body; a grip he would be able to break easily if he so desired, but a mental anchor keeping him in place and keeping his attention on me unless he desired to get physical to remove me. "You may not think your injury will hinder you, and as a consequence us as a team, but I would be a terrible partner and war dog if I let you go out in your state without at least pleading to your sense of honour for your team mates. You always insist I remain in medical until I at least have permission from the medic to continue with the job. Can you at least speak to someone who can give you clearance to go back to the job?" I loosen my grip, my clawed fingers smoothing across his uniform as if I'd left creases in it. My voice, my actions, my expression all have a soft pleading under tone to them and I can feel the rigid grip Ghost has loosening under the onslaught of care and gentleness that I present to him.

He sighs and my heart jumps in victory. His short abrupt nod and about-heel tells me he's not happy about my request but he understands the need for it. His absence leaves behind Soap who had been watching the exchange with a smirk. He walks over to me with a casual stroll and wrapped his arm around my waist with a kiss to the top of my forehead. 

"What's it like having one of the most feared soldiers in the world wrapped around your little finger?"

"It's even better knowing I have two of you wrapped around my little finger," I smirk back bumping my head against his shoulder as we stand watching Ghosts retreating back making it's way to the med tent.