"How the Roach got his Wings…"

Day: 37

Gary "Roach" Sanderson

Task Force 1-4-1

Unknown

The terrain was covered in a thick white blanket. I would think if you tried to step in it, you'd fall through, but that was only a guess. Scanning the area around us I saw that the place looked rather active, and I felt my chest tighten, and my heart began to beat rapidly.

I remember fearing for Ghost and MacTavish. They'd gone to retrieve the data for hideouts pertaining to a missile launch that was threatened by some Russian terrorists. Who would have thought Makarov would have turned out to be a problem?

I sat across from an 'abandon; warehouse with my laser-sighted rifle ready to fire when needed. Wings sat next to me, and he looked rather bored as he wiped his sight down once more. We were angled down and because our uniforms blended so well we looked like… well… ghosts.

I was covered in the melting ice, snow, and dirt. Normally I wouldn't mind, but I was starting to feel frostbite kick in. I was already worried about my friends, and now I had a soaking wet uniform touching my already cold skin. I hate snow when it melts.

I turned to Wings who seemed really bored. I noticed he'd been acting a little strange, and I wondered if it had anything to do with Superman's new found interest in him. I didn't want to pry into his business. I barely liked think about my problems, let alone his.

I opened my mouth to begin speaking my worries about Ghost, and MacTavish, but Wings cut me off.

"Do you miss your family Roach?" He asked me after he pulled his mic from his face. He looked at me with a small smile, but his blue eyes seemed darker.

I thought for a long moment and nodded my head. "Sure." I said rather passively hoping Wing's wouldn't press any further. I was wrong.

"Who'd you grow up with, eh?" He asked, this time his eyes where focused through his sight.

I was silent for a really long moment. I thought about telling him about my dad and how he was kind of a bad person. I thought about explaining my life story, and sharing with him how growing up with my mother had been a rather eventful childhood. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn't really want too. I twitched a little, and opened my mouth to say as much when the coms kicked back on.

"We retrieved the data. Head to evac boys. We are going home." He said rather gruffly and I wondered what had upset him so much. "Oh and Wing's. Carrot doesn't like talking about his family." Ghost snickered into the coms, but I could tell it was faked.

Something was bothering the man.

I quickly gathered my things, and began getting ready to leave. I stood ready to head out, but when I noticed Wings made no move to do the same I questioned the man. "Come on Wings. Didn't you hear Ghost?"

Wings turned around, and for just a second I saw a different person. Who I was looking at wasn't Wings, but something darker. Then suddenly as if he'd noticed me he changed. He smiled up at me, and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Sorry… Must have spaced it."

I stared at him for a long minute before deciding to let it go. Maybe I had just imagined it. "Alright. Well let's go."

I began walking away, when Wings stopped me. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" I asked but as soon as I said it, I heard the small beeping, and I looked down across the way to see a man standing there with a flash bang in hand.

The man threw it at us, and before I could even register what was going on a loud bang erupted into the air. My vision went white, and I begin to stumble around in a need to see. I felt a hand grab my arm, and I felt the sharp pain of a knife embedding itself into my shoulder.

I hit the ground with the thud, and Wings yelled. "Roach!"

I watched as Wings swept a leg out from under the man. He moved on top of the man as he began struggling with the blade. He took the upper hand quickly, and shoved the knife into the man's throat. The man struggled a little bit before he went still. His head fell to the side turning his cold brown eyed gaze at me.

Wing's stood up and wiped the blade on his white uniform. When he turned to face me he looked rather terrifying. His eyes were big, and he had a grin spread across his face "That was close." He said wiping his face off on his white uniform sleeve and rushed over quickly to help me up. "Let's go before they leave us, yeah?"

I nodded shaking a bit. He looked inhuman for a moment, and I wondered how safe I was with him around. I looked around to see that our path had been destroyed.

I looked over at Wings, who grinned, this time it looking a little bit more like himself. "Looks like the only way out is down the hole. You first?"

I sighed. "I'll go." I said walking over to the hole. "I'm probably lighter anyway." I said with a small smile trying to keep my fear deep within me.

Wings eyes widened. "Roach, your humor… it's so mean… but you made a joke." he chuckled a little before shrugging. "Alright I'll help you down."

I slung my rifle over my shoulder and grabbed Wings hand and began climbing down until there was nothing for my feet to touch. I let go and landed on my feet with a thud. The floor rocked a little bit, but I steadied myself and then I pulled out my sidearm began looking around. When I saw no one I looked up at Wings.

"It's clear. Come on down, but be caref-" I began but Wings leaped down without any hesitation.

I think the first two floors were the worse. However, they sort of numbed the rest of the fall. It felt like six years rather than three floors.

I hit my head and for a second everything went blurry. I honestly thought this was it. This was how I was going to die. And then I hit the floor with the small thin body of Wings on top of me.

"Ouch." I hissed out as a sharp pain ripped up my spinal cord. "You are heavier then you look." I said and Wings shot me a glare.

"Fuck off." He did however lift himself up on his hands and knees as he looked down at me. "You ok?"

"I had a glorious fucking trip." I said with a sigh and he grinned at me this time it reached his eyes.

"So… Same time next fall?" He asked and I resisted the urge to smack him.

I'm sure I would have been all smiley, had I been the one landing on him. I still gave him a little grin to let him know I wasn't upset with him.

Wings smile quickly turned dark though as he gave me a slightly worried glance. He placed both of his hands beside my face, and he squeezed his knees together which pressed my thighs closer together.

The worry in his eyes sort of through me off as he got a little closer and said "But are you ok, Gary?"

My eyes widened at the use of my name and I nodded my head quickly trying to make my point with my face rather than words.

I was wondering where MacTavish and Ghost where at this moment. I figured they'd be trying to contact us. That was when I noticed that our headsets had been flung off. Mine laid beside me, crushed and broken from a piece of ceiling. I shuttered thinking that could have been my head.

Wings head set laid a few inches away from mine relatively unharmed but no sound came from it. I assumed it was off.

Sometimes I wished I wasn't slow. I might have been able to see it coming. Maybe if I hadn't glanced up at the moment. If I'd stared at his headset a little longer instead of just assuming. If maybe I asked him to try and contact MacTavish before I turned back to him. This was the moment where I wish I could have taken it back. I wish this right here wouldn't have happened because maybe then I could have gotten transferred and then Wings wouldn't have gone on that mission with me. Maybe then I wouldn't have to watch my best friend die…

But instead I didn't look at his headset longer, and I didn't ask him to do anything. I turned back to face him, and his lips met mine.

I froze. He pressed his lips to mine, his eyes choosing to stay closed. I sat startled as his hands rested next to my face. He felt warm compared to the snow we'd been sitting in for the last hour. He was warm and so close… I felt my hands reach up tangling into his hair. My eyes closed and I felt my mouth open up. It was a strange feeling to be kissing him, but it didn't feel bad.

He's eyes were apologetic as he pulled back from me. "I'm s-"

I tried to shove his face to mine once more and he chuckled a little despite how sweaty he had become. He was nervous, and I had to wonder why. He pulled back easily, breaking my hold on him.

"I take it you like me too…?" He said but I could hear the questioning in his voice. He was just as unsure as I felt.

I opened my mouth to talk but the only word I could get out was, "Why?"

"Why what? Why did I kiss you? Jeez Roach, I think I kissed you because I like you." He said as he plopped on his butt looking rather confused at my sudden lack of words.

"Is that a thing that American's do?" I asked and he rolled his eyes before a grin came to his face. I felt my chest tighten a little.

"No… No, Roach, it's a thing that people do when they like someone a lot." He said resting back on his arms as he grinned at me.

He stood up suddenly offering me a hand. I accepted it feeling numb. My spin hurt, and I was pretty sure I had a concussion.

"Let's get going, yeah?" He asked, and I nodded.

I was about to reply when gun fire was heard, and then a nearby explosion that shook the building we were in. Wings looked around kind of nervously at the building.

"That sounded like Ghost…" I said feeling a little dizzy, and everything seemed to be a little blurry.

Wings gave me a look and dusted himself off. "Roach that was an explosion."

The door to the building was kicked in and Ghost and MacTavish waved them over. Well MacTavish waved them over, Ghost rushed over to me and began tugging me out of the building.

I glanced at Wings and grinned before letting the dizziness set in. "Told you it was Ghost…"

And Like Forest Gump, once said 'That's all I have to say about that…"

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