SO sorry for the long wait! I just got back from boot camp and a whole bunch of other crap, plus loss of motivation…. Yeah.

Ok so this story will probably end up being rated M. So heads up to anyone against MxM or just, well you get the point. By the way, if you haven't noticed, reviews tend to motivate authors, even if it's a simple, "Plz Continue!", it still gets the story up faster. *wink*wink*hint*hint*.

On with the story!

Roach grunted as he dropped the weights he had been lifting. Sighing he looked around, the musty smell of the weight room flooding his nostrils. When Ghost had said take the day off he probably didn't mean this, but what else was he supposed to do? It's not like he could go bowling or anything. The closest thing to the base was a public bar, and they weren't allowed to go there without MacTavish or Ghost. At the thought of Ghost Gary paused. What exactly was going on between him and his Lieutenant? It had all happened so fast, that Gary wasn't honestly very sure of what his feelings towered the man were. Was it just a fling, or was it something more? Lost in his thoughts, Gary jumped as out of the blue he heard a door slam and watched as a non to happy Chemo stormed into the room and immediately slammed his fist into one of the hanging punching bags, only to recoil in pain when his wrist was tweeked. Gary raised an eyebrow as he heard the other mumbling.

"Fuckin' bastard thinks he can just push me around like a fuckin' ragdoll." Chemo punched the bag again as hard as he could, not noticing the figuring off to the side. In a very rough British accent he mocked, "Let's learn something useful, such as dodging a knife!"

At this point Roach was seriously curious as to what Chemo was referring to. Clearing his throat he stepped into view, stopping the fuming Chemo mid punch.

"Everything alright Chemo?"

"No! Everything is NOT alright! Your boyfriend just made me look like a total idiot in-front of everyone!"

Gary stared at Chemo for a moment. Shocked at the sudden outburst he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Boyfriend?"

Chemo rolled his eyes. "Yes. Boyfriend. Asshole. Jackass. Freak. AKA Ghost. I mean seriously. You have to be a freak to nearly cut the throat of one of your own team mates."

Gary's eyes widened as, upon inspection, he could see the blood that was starting to trickle down Chemo's throat. Sighing heavily Gary looked Chemo in the eye.

"Ok, I'm sorry, but you did kinda deserve it. Can we just call a truce? I'm sure none of us really feel like dealing with this drama anymore, besides Meat of course. I'll talk to Ghost, ok?" Gary held out his hand, wincing as Chemo crushed his bruised knuckles in the handshake.

"Yeah, Meat… He's gonna kill you, you do know that right?"

Gary scoffed, "Yeah. Right. I think you forgot the Boyfriend, Asshole, Jackass, Freak, AKA Ghost part."

"Hey look, let's make a deal. You go and chill out Ghost, and I'll chill out Meat. Sound good?"

Roach nodded as he let go of Chemo's hand, only to stop when Chemo tightened his grip. Gary couldn't help but gasp at the crushing in his sore hand. He looked up at Chemo, eyebrow raised.

"Seriously though Gary, I'm sorry about the whole taunting thing, both for the whole computer and Ghost thing. That's your business, not mine."

Gary smiled, "It's no big deal." Wiggling his hand out of the vice like grip Gary smiled at Chemo. "Where is Ghost anyway?"

Chemo looked at the clock mounted on the wall, "I'd guess he's headed back to his room."

Gary nodded and headed towored the door, then glanced back at Chemo who was now scrutinizing his wrist that he had hurt. "Thanks again Chemo." He grinned at the small nod of acknowledgement, before exiting the room.

Gary knocked on Ghost's door. "Ghost, you in there?"

There was a small pause before the door opened up to show a tired Ghost, assumed because of the slouched posture.

"Oh hey Roach, what's up?"

Gary smiled, finding the tired man actually cute at the moment. It was nice to see him some-what relaxed and not yelling. "Can I come in?"

"Oh, right, sure. Come on in."

Gary looked around at the neat room, a laptop humming in the corner on a small desk piled with almost as many papers as MacTavishes. At the window a small air conditioner buzzed. Ghost sat down on his bed with a huff and looked at Gary.

"So how's your day been going?"

Gary just waved his hand dismissively and glared at Ghost.

"What? Did I do something?" Ghost said, already defensive.

Gary snorted. "What the hell did you do to Chemo?" There was a pause for a moment before Ghost gruffly responded.

"Oh… that…"

"Yeah, that."

"Well he pissed me off!"

A smirk filled Gary's features as the realization that he could irk Ghost entered his mind.

"And running around cutting everybody's throat when you're mad isn't always the greatest of ideas Ghost! The last thing you want is for MacTavish to start thinking you're unfit for duty!" Gary said exasperated.

Ghost huffed, "He wouldn't do that."

"I wouldn't doubt it. Now why did he make you mad? C'mon Ghost, stop trying to avoid the subject."

Ghost didn't say anything, just looked down at his gloved hands.

"Ghost…"

There was more silence.

"Come on Ghost, quit playing around."

… "Call me Simon."

Gary stared at him for a moment. "What?"

"Simon, that's my name. Call me Simon."

Gary looked at Simon for a moment, confused before he moved to sit next to him on the bed cross legged so he faced him. When he got comfortable he tugged Simon's hand so that he looked at him. Slowly, so as not to startle him, Gary gently pulled off the man's sunglasses to reveal troubled eyes. "What is this, between you and me." At first Simon didn't say anything, but when he looked into those brown eyes he felt his heart crack.

"Honestly I don't know. All I know is that I have feelings for you… I… well I…" Simon groaned and slammed his head into his hands, not knowing how he could say what he wanted.

"Simon…"

Ghost looked up to see Gary looking at him, a soft expression on his face. "Yeah?"

"What happened today? Outside with the men."

Ghost sighed heavily. He should've known Gary wouldn't drop it.

"I… well after all that they had done to you. All the taunting and teasing, I dunno, I just wanted to, well, scare him a bit."

Gary sighed shaking his head. "I don't think it was me who needed a break."

Ghost hunched his shoulders, trying not to let the words hurt him.

"Hey, I'm sorry, but really Simon, I think you believe me to be weaker than I really am. Seriously."

Laughing weakly Ghost glanced at Gary who was gazing at him with now humorous eyes. "True that. I'm sorry bug, I'm not like myself."

"Yep."

Suddenly Gary's door flew open and a frustrated MacTavish walked in.

"Bloody hell, I never knew it would be so damn hard to find you two."

Both looked at MacTavish in surprise, not sure how to react. Finally Gary spoke up, "uh, sir?"

MacTavish sighed. "Shepards got a mission for us three. I need your arses outside and at the heli in 5, got it?"

Ghost looked at Gary whose face seemed to immediantly sink. Mumbling under his breath Gary spoke, "So much for a break," before getting up off his bed, stretching, and walking out with Simon trailing behind him.

5 min. later…

Yelling over the wup-wupping of the helicopter Ghost yelled out at MacTavish, "So who are we going after?"

"A man named Gonzorig," at this MacTavish paused and stared at his paper, "bloody hell I've not a clue how to say this name… uh…Narantsatsralt (legit name) , who was born in Mongolia, has been sighted for possible involvement with Russia in a trade of possible Bioweapons. Our job is to breach his safe house just south of the Russian border and take him alive, bring him back to base, where he'll be held for interrogation." At this Simon huffed, had it been his choice he would've just done it there and then. Of course Shepard would give them this shit. MacTavish glared at Ghost, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "We'll go over everything else when we land."

4 Hours Later…

Gary wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, then wiped his goggles that had been smeared with dirt, decided to fidget with his safety, then glanced to his right at Simon who was doing a last check on his gun. He glanced to his left at MacTavish who would be providing them sniper cover while they retrieved the intel. With a shrug of his shoulders to loosen up his neck, Gary fallowed Simon as they headed down the hill to the safe house, alert eyes scanning the ground for any sign of movement. With a nod from Simon, Gary set the C4 on the door, moved aside, and couldn't help but flinch as the explosion ringed in his ears. Not long after gunshots were heard as first Ghost than Gary charged into the room. Gary shot down 2 men before a risked a glance at Simon who had taken cover behind a counter. Turning sharply Gary crouched behind a desk and watched as two more men dropped, presumably by John, then turned to Ghost when suddenly an explosion filled the room. Wood filled Gary's eyesight before he felt the breath get knocked out of him as he hit the floor. Stunned, Gary's ears rang as he let out a groan. Searing pain radiated from his body. Looking down he watched as blood started to pool from his leg.

"I… I gotta get up... I gotta get up." Gary choked out as he raised his arm for something to pull himself up on. He let out a scream as a bullet shot through his forearm. Blackness overwhelmed his sight before his head fell against the ground.

Ghost watched as almost in slow motion Gary was thrown down to the ground and peppered with wood and shrapnel.

"ROACH!" Suddenly Ghost's earpiece buzzed and Soap's voice rang in his head.

"Ghost, get out of there! You've got at least 30 tangos coming in from the rear."

"But Roach…"

"Can't be helped. I'm not going to lose both of you, now move your arse!"

Ghost sobbed as he looked at the unmoving body across the room. He felt his mask stick to him as tears streamed down his face. Without thinking he ran across the room, diving next to Gary.

"Roach come on man. Get up!" Searching his face Ghost saw no signs of movement. He ducked his head as bullets flew around him.

"Ah shit. I… I'll come back for you mate. Don't worry… you can't be dead."

Ghost ducked as bullets flew over his head.

"Ghost, I'm not gonna tell you again! Move your arse!"

"Roger that Soap…"

And with that Ghost ran out to meet up with Soap. He felt his body shudder as a thought went through his head. Before it was just a saying, but now it had much more meaning for him.

Mission Failed.

Good? Bad? Whatever? Come on, I think I did ok. I know it took forever for me to update, but I have quite a few ideas in my head right now. Review? Maybe? Possibly? No? Fine be that way. *sniff*