Soap doesn't know when Ghost's birthday is. Normally this wouldn't bother him - they all have different habits as to who celebrates what event and how, but birthdays are something they all always make the effort to commemorate on the team. Something something about their line of work and the significance of birthdays: a day to indicate the passing of time, *alive*, of another year survived.
Call it sentimentality, but it's true.
It's easiest when they're on base: they'll go to the pub after their duties are done and have a drink or two the birthday boy's health. Depending on the person, there might even be presents involved.
It's a little trickier if someone's birthday finds them on assignment, but even then they'll make sure to acknowledge the special day in some way: Let them sleep an extra hour before changing watch, save them their favorite rations for the day, or some other small favor. They'll make sure to have those drinks in a pub later, too.
Even if they happen to be on leave on the special day, several texts and calls always land on the recipient's phone.
Everyone celebrates turning a year older, but for them, it has an added meaning. It's loaded.
Which is why it bothers Soap to no end that he doesn't know when Ghost's special day is. (Little does he know it's the same day as his own!)
He's tried to extort the information from the source of course - numerous times with varying techniques. Sometimes even Gaz will join him grilling Ghost for the information - he wants to celebrate him too, though Gaz is vary to push too far for fear of ending up causing more of Ghost's walls to raise, rather than breaking down. Price is the only one on the team who's privy to the information, and Soap hopes (trusts) their Captain does some kind of gesture for him each year, even if Ghost is otherwise adamant he doesn't celebrate it himself.
(And he really doesn't. He didn't much care about it growing up, he forgot to even think about it after Roba, and he specifically avoids any fuss since finding out Johnny's birthday. It's his special day, a day Johnny's smiles are even wider than usual, a day he gets all the attention and congratulations he'd deserve every day. A day Ghost gets to be a little more affectionate with him and having a good excuse to explain.)
Soap's nagging got to the point once that Ghost offered him a deal: Johnny could guess Ghost's birthday, and Ghost would answer truthfully. The catch: Soap gets one single guess. No more.
Now this made Soap both excited and deflated. He had a chance to find out his LT's birthday, but truth be told - he had absolutely no idea what to guess. He was close with Ghost, spending most of their time together, and Soap was already subconsciously picking up any change in Ghost's mood or behavior that would indicate his birhtday being that day, but in the years they worked together, Soap hasn't been able identify a day that he would confidently use his single chance on.
In the end, he decides not to try. It doesn't really matter anyway - well, it doesn't matter *what* day it is, just that Ghost has been with them another year.
So on his next birthday, when Ghost and him are sitting at a bench outside with a slice of cake each (Ghost ordered on a delivery app), Soap slides a little package over to Ghost, with a "Happy birthday, Lt!", and watches as Ghost's eyes widen impossibly, his brows shooting to the sky beneath his balaclava. Soap is quick to babble some explanation about the date of his birthday not mattering as much as the fact he's here, so Soap decided to celebrate him *just cause*.
Ghost is silent for a second, examining the gift in his hands, before he barks out a laugh.
"What do you know, Sergeant?" he looks into Soap's eyes, amusement evident in his gaze. "You got it right."
Soap doesn't get it first. "Got what right?" The gears in his head start working as Ghost carefully opens his present, disregarding his question entirely. Soap studies him study his gift, the soft smile on Ghost's lips on full display thanks to the rolled up balaclava. Ghost looks back up at him again and his softness is replaced by a devilish smugness when he sees Soap hasn't got it yet.
That's what makes it click for Soap.
Ghost's smug grin turns into laughing as Soap explodes in an avalanche of angry Scots, something about Ghost's gran having a betraying misleading bampot of a grandson.
When the rush of finding out settles, it will dawn on Soap that they share the same birthday. He knows it doesn't carry any meaning, he doesn't believe in any spiritual bullshit, but it fills him with an odd sense of contentment and excitement regardless.
They will spend their birthdays with Soap clinging to Ghost from then on, celebrating him in subtle ways withouth giving him away to others.
Ghost will always wear on his gear the little enamel pin of a cuppa he got from Soap on their "first" birthday.
