Chapter 26:

It was still dark when I woke up and I shifted slightly to glance at the clock on the bedside table, frowning when I couldn't see the illuminated numbers. It was then I remembered I wasn't in my room and I also wasn't alone. Turning over I found Simon sleeping soundly next to me. I smiled and chuckled to myself, for the badass Lieutenant of Task Force 141, he sure looked cute when sleeping. Well, former Lieutenant, I sighed, causing him to open one eye and look at me with a frown.

"What'sgoinon?" He mumbled sleepily and I had to stifle a laugh, opting to shrug instead.

"Not much."

"Good, c'mere." He smiled, closing his eye again and held out an arm. I rolled my eyes scooting closer to he could wrap it around me and pull me to his chest. I smiled softly, breathing in the scent of his aftershave, I'd always liked the smell, not that I would ever admit that to anyone but myself. He pressed his head into my hair and sighed. "This mean we're good?"

I laughed, gently poking his side and raised an eyebrow when he made a noise in his throat, quickly moving away. "Well yeah, we did just have sex didn't we?" I grinned, poking him again and laughed when Simon jerked again. "Are you… ticklish?" I asked in surprise, smirking when he refused to meet my questioning gaze. "You are aren't you?"

"Shut up Gary." He muttered, grabbing my hand to pull it away before yawning. "Not now."

I raised an eyebrow, my smirk widening and I rolled over to sit on top of him. "Are you tired, or exhausted old man?"

"I'm tir-" He opened his eyes at that and I quickly got out of the bed as he went to grab me. "Hey, I'm only thirty four, that aint old."

I stuck my tongue out childishly. "Well I'm twenty six, that makes you old in my books, getting slow there I see."

"I'll show you slow." He growled before launching himself at me and we both fell on the floor. "I may be older than you, but I can still make you scream." He smirked when my eyes widened, blushing instantly. "Yeah that's right Gary, remember that next time you call me old." He lent down and kissed me quickly.

"Simon…" I murmured, shoving at his chest. "I can't breathe properly."

"Huh, oh sorry." He shifted so his full weight wasn't on me and smiled at me, my heart racing at the sight. God damn it, how the hell can one person be so attractive! It just wasn't fair.

"Thanks."

"No worries mate."

I raised an eyebrow. "I think I'm a bit more than your mate, aren't I?"

Simon rolled his eyes and cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean Bug?"

I scoffed before grinning and poked his sides again. "Oh really, say that again I dare you." His eyes widened and I took the advantage, pushing him back and pinned him down, continuing my assault on his newly found weak spot. "Come on Simon, you're not putting up much of a fight here."

"You bastard!" He chocked out, managing to grab my thigh and flip me over. He pinned my arms above my head and my eyes widened when I remember who it was I was dealing with. "Oh yeah." He mocked when it dawned on me. "Don't forget I'm Ghost, you can't take me on, even knowing about that."

"I thought you were being Simon right now."

"I am, it's not split personality Gary, I'm both. Just when I'm Ghost, I don't let emotions get in the way. I haven't in a long time and it's hard to let it come back. I haven't been Simon in a long time." I smiled softly, rubbing his arm.

"I know, I'm glad you can be like that with me, really I am." He sighed and lent down to kiss me again, my train of thoughts becoming a train wreck instantly. When I felt his hand run down my chest and stomach to reach my boxers, I smiled against his lips and pulled back. "I need to ask you to do something for me."

"Anything." He replied instantly, moving to kiss my neck and I rolled my eyes, pulling away to look at him.

"I'm serious." Simon sighed, but nodded. I frowned, running one of my hands through his hair. "Appeal to the military."

"No."

"Come on… please?"

"Nope."

I shrugged, sighing heavily before pouting. "Fine." I muttered and catching him by surprise, I managed to shove Simon off me before leaving the room. I smiled to myself when he followed, turning to look at him again.

"Where are you going?"

"To bed."

He raised an eyebrow at that, walking over to stand in front of me, folding his arms. "Weren't you comfortable?"

"Doesn't matter if I was or not." I replied coyly, gently poking his chest before smirking. "I don't share a bed with cowards."

"I'm not a coward." Simon huffed, frowning at me and I had to supress a grin.

"Then appeal to the military." He just shook his head and I sighed. "Why not?"

"What exactly would I tell them about the past year? 'Hey there everyone, I haven't appealed to the military for over a year because I suck at formalities such as this bullshit. So can I have my old job on the task force back?' Yeah, I don't think so." He paused, looking at me with sceptical expression so I shrugged.

"Not in those words." He groaned and I frowned, looking at Simon with a drawn expression. "What if I didn't come back?"

He looked up sharply at that. "You will."

"So you're telling me you're willing to wait for however long it is until the next Task Force break. Or wait long enough for Soap to call you and tell you I'm dead?" I asked quietly and he flinched before slowly shaking his head.

"You always come back Gary, always have and always will."

I threw my arms up and sighed exasperatedly, sometimes the fact that Simon was stubborn was just plain annoying. "You don't know that!"

"I'm not appealing!"

"Well what do you have to lose? The worst they can do is say no and then the outcome is the same. Or maybe, you'll be allowed back, don't you think it's worth the risk?" I asked and he paused, thinking it over as I silently prayed he would agree. My persuasion skills weren't the best so if he still said no, I didn't know how to convince him otherwise from here.

Finally he sighed and looked at me defeatedly. "If I appeal will you please stop bugging?"

I scoffed at that, but still couldn't help but smile. "As if, my name's Roach remember? But yes, I'll stop about the appeal."

"Then I'll appeal, if only to get you off my case." Simon shook his head as I grinned widely. That was the moment my stomach decided I was hungry and growled loudly, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Hungry by any chance?"

I grinned guiltily before stepping around him to walk to the kitchen. "Maybe, want some food?"

He shrugged, following after me. "Sure, why not." I grabbed the pizza box from the side, the remains of yesterday's lunch still inside and sat down, taking a bit out of one of the slices. I raised an eyebrow when Simon scoffed in disgust, wrinkling his nose at me.

"What?" I asked after finishing my mouthful, offering him another slice. "Want some?"

"Yeah right, I don't eat shit like that for breakfast."

I held up my hands in defence. "Hey, don't take it out on the pizza." Simon just smiled before grabbing some cereal. "Cereal, really?"

"It's better than that, gives you more energy too. Unlike you I know how to eat properly and I won't be fat when I'm older." He eyed my pizza as I smirked.

"So… if I got fat, would you leave me?" Simon's eyes widened slightly before he shook his head, reaching across the table to grab my hands.

"Never, I promised you last night I wouldn't leave unless you asked me too. No matter how fat you got, I'll stay with you." He squeezed my hand briefly before returning to his breakfast. "No shut up and eat, pizza or cereal, anything is better than nothing."

"Thanks I think." We fell into a comfortable silence for a while as we ate. When Simon had finished he stood up, moving to place his bowl in the sink and I smiled at his back before speaking. "So when are you going to appeal."

He groaned, turning to look at me with a raised eyebrow. "Tomorrow Mum."

"Good." With a smirk I picked up another slice of pizza, carefully aiming and threw it as Simon turned. With an audible splat that echoed in the following silence, the pizza hit him on the face. I had to hold in a laugh at Simon's expression as it fell off and he looked at me with a mixture of surprise and malice. "Oh you asked for that, calling me mum and all, I mean, that would be on fucked up relations-"

My sentence got cut off as the pizza I'd previously thrown now hit me in the face. I picked it off to see Simon was smirking triumphantly. "Now we're even."

"Bitch."

"Twat." He threw back and I growled, grabbing another pizza slice form the table and threw it at him. Naturally he dodged it before grabbing his own and grinning at me. "Oh, it's on now Bug, you better run if you value your life."

"Bring it!"