Snow crunches under your boots as you step out of the transport truck, the cold biting through your jacket immediately. Simon said the safehouse was āfine,ā which in Ghost-language means āmarginally habitable.ā Figures.
You sling your bag over your shoulder and take in the place: a dusty old lodge tucked into the woods, roof sagging with snow, Christmas lights thrown over it like someone gave up halfway.
āWelcome tā paradise!ā a bright, Scottish voice calls.
You turn ā and meet him for the first time properly.
Soap MacTavish.
Mohawk. Grin too sharp for someone holding a paper plate of gingerbread men. Eyes blue like heās permanently amused.
Heās⦠energetic. Thatās your first impression.
āYe must be the wee Riley,ā he says, stepping up. āWeāve heard loads about ya.ā
You blink. āSimon talks about me?ā
Soap laughs. āNot much. Mostly that youāre the only person he wonāt ignore.ā
You snort. āYeah, that sounds like him.ā
He beams, proud he made you laugh.
Ghost pushes past, muttering, āDonāt let him scare you off.ā
āThatās rude,ā Soap calls. āIām delightful!ā
āDebatable,ā Gaz adds from the porch.
You canāt help itāyou laugh again. Theyāre⦠not what you expected. Softer. Warmer. Messier.
Soap hands you a gingerbread cookie shaped like a very poorly-iced soldier.
āThis is my specialty,ā he announces. āHeās called⦠Corporal Crumbles.ā
You stare at it. āHe looks like heās begging for death.ā
Soap bursts out laughingāloud, genuine, a little explosiveāand something in your chest tugs just a bit. Not romantically. Just⦠pleasantly.
He nudges your shoulder. āYeāll fit right in.ā
You shrug, pretending youāre not smiling. āWeāll see.ā
Inside the lodge, everyoneās busy setting up some kind of half-failed Christmas celebration. Price trying to fix lights. Gaz wrapping presents in duct tape. Ghost pretending heās not watching you.
Soap stays near you without making it weirdācracking jokes, offering to take your bag, narrating the Cookie Civil War happening in the kitchen.
You donāt think much of it. Heās just⦠friendly. The kind of guy whoās like sunshine in human form.
When he hands you a mug of hot cocoa, you take it without realizing heās been watching your reaction.
āGood?ā he asks, suddenly a little softer.
āYeah,ā you say. āThanks.ā
His smile flickersāquick, small, almost shy.
But you donāt notice. Not really.
Not yet.
Later that night, when the team settles around the fire, you sit beside Simon. Soap sits on your other side, close but not too close, talking animatedly with Gaz about whoād win in a snowball fight.
You listen. You laugh sometimes. And you donāt notice that he leans closer whenever you do.
Soap notices you. He notices everything.
But you? You just see him as Simonās friend. The funny one.
You wake up the next morning to the sound of complete chaos.
Someone is banging pots. Someone is shouting. Someone is definitely swearing.
You sit up, blinking blearily, and open your door.
Gaz is sprinting down the hallway holding a waffle maker like itās a bomb.
āPRICE! THE THING IS SMOKINGāOHāYN, morning!ā
ā...Morning?ā you say, confused and not awake.
Soap barrels after him, yelling, āDONāT UNPLUG IT, YOUāLL ANGER ITāOH! YN! Good morninā!ā
He gives you this huge bright grin like seeing you counts as a win. You blink at him. Heās⦠very cheerful for someone chasing a waffle machine.
āWhy are we running?ā you ask.
āBecause,ā Gaz says, āSoap almost burned the lodge down.ā
āHe LIES!ā Soap shouts, pointing accusingly at the smoking appliance. āThis thingās got a curse, YN, donāt touch it!ā
You lean against the wall, arms crossed. āSo the first thing you do in the morning is try to kill everyone?ā
āNot everyone!ā Soap says proudly. āJust me, apparently!ā
Price stomps out of the kitchen with a fire extinguisher. āAll of youāout.ā
Gaz and Soap scatter like children. Soap grabs your wrist as he passes.
āCome on, YN! Before he makes us do chores!ā
You follow him downstairs, still half-asleep and confused why Soap holds onto your hand a second longer than necessary before letting go.
You donāt think about it. He very much does.
Priceās yelling fades behind you as the team gathers around the sagging Christmas tree. Someone is trying to fix an ornament. Someone else is failing.
Ghost looks up first. āFinally,ā he says flatly. āThe only normal Riley.ā
āHeyā!ā Simon says from behind you.
Soap laughs. āI dunno, L.t., YNās fun. Watch thisāā
He cups his hands around his mouth dramatically.
āY/N IS GREAT!ā
Gaz yells from across the room, āYEAH, YN IS THE BEST ONE HERE!ā
Price, still irritated: āWho started the chantā?ā
You bury your face in your hands. āWhy.ā
Soap beams. āBoostinā morale! Itās Christmas!ā
Ghost mutters, āYou boost my blood pressure.ā
Soap ignores him and plops down beside you on the couch, shoulder brushing yours. He doesnāt comment on it. You donāt move. Itās comfortable. Warm.
āSleep well?ā he asks casually.
āYeah,ā you say. āAside from waking up to⦠whatever that was.ā
Soap smirks. āAh, the waffle war. Classic.ā
You roll your eyes. āYouāre hopeless.ā
āAnd yet,ā Soap says dramatically, hand over his heart, āyou tolerate me.ā
You snort. āBarely.ā
His eyes flickerāsomething warm, something realābut he hides it with a goofy wink.
The first thing you notice is the smell. Hot cocoa. Pine. Slightly burnt toast. And laughter.
You stretch, still tangled in your blanket, and peek out of the small bedroom youāve claimed for the weekend. The lodge is buzzing.
āYN!ā Gaz shouts from somewhere in the kitchen, voice loud enough to make your head spin. āYN, YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!ā
āNot now, Gaz!ā Simon calls from behind him, hands on his hips. His scowl is sharper than usual, but the corners of his mouth twitch like he canāt completely hide his amusement. āLeave her alone.ā
You roll your eyes but smile. Simonās presence is comforting. Somehow, even in the middle of 141 chaos, heās the one who grounds you.
You tug on a sweater and swing your legs over the bed. Snowlight filters through the windows, but inside the lodgeāinsideāeverything feels soft. Homey. Family.
The first thing you notice is the smell. Hot cocoa. Pine. Slightly burnt toast. And laughter.
You stretch, still tangled in your blanket, and peek out of the small bedroom youāve claimed for the weekend. The lodge is buzzing.
āYN!ā Gaz shouts from somewhere in the kitchen, voice loud enough to make your head spin. āYN, YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!ā
āNot now, Gaz!ā Simon calls from behind him, hands on his hips. His scowl is sharper than usual, but the corners of his mouth twitch like he canāt completely hide his amusement. āLeave her alone.ā
You roll your eyes but smile. Simonās presence is comforting. Somehow, even in the middle of 141 chaos, heās the one who grounds you.
You tug on a sweater and swing your legs over the bed. Snowlight filters through the windows, but inside the lodgeāinsideāeverything feels soft. Homey. Family.
Downstairs, the lodge smells of cookies, cocoa, and slightly burnt toast. Price mutters under his breath about ādisciplineā and ātoo many cooks,ā but you barely notice.
Simon is already at the table, tugging at a plate like heās making sure you have the best spot. āSit there,ā he orders, gesturing to the chair beside him. āI canāt have you next to Gazāheāll put sugar in your hair.ā
Soap appears, naturally, grinning like he owns the place. āGood morninā, YN. Sleep well?ā
āDepends⦠do you count being woken up by Gaz screaming as sleep?ā
Simon glances at Soap, eyebrow raised. āHe didnāt scare you off yet, huh?ā
āNot exactly,ā you say, smirking.
Soap chuckles, nudging you gently. Simon watches him carefully, lips twitching in what looks like approval mixed with ādonāt mess this up, mate.ā
Gaz, meanwhile, shouts: āYN IS THE BEST PANCAKE EATER IN THE WORLD!ā I chuckle slightly, which sounds a lot like Simon " You have known me for a whole two days and i have not once eaten pancakes, how would you know?" I smile slicghtly
Gaz smirks and puffs out his chest "I can just tell y/n that's how great i am"
Simon rolls his eyes but canāt help a small grin. āFocus on your breakfast, YN,ā he says softly, sliding a plate toward you. āIgnore the idiots.ā
Soap whispers from the side, āI like seeing you eat quietly.ā
You glance up. Heās smirking, teasingābut Simonās presence keeps the moment grounded, almost safe. Youāre not entirely aware of how fast your heart flutters.
The lodge glows golden in the firelight. Outside, snow falls steadily, layering the trees in white. Inside, the chaos of earlier has calmed. Youāre curled up on the couch with Simon beside you, sipping cocoa.
Simon leans back, watching you quietly. āIām glad youāre here,ā he murmurs, just loud enough for you to hear. āIt⦠feels right, having family together again.ā
You smile softly. āMe too.ā
Soap appears at the doorway, holding a small box wrapped poorly in green paper. He clears his throat, pretending to be casual. āUh⦠hey, Y/N. Iāuhāthought you might like this.ā
You blink at him. āFor me?ā
He shrugs, cheeks slightly pink. āJust⦠a little something. Merry Christmas.ā
Simon raises an eyebrow, watching every movement Soap makes toward you. You notice it but donāt comment. Youāre still too focused on the present.
You take the box, gently unwrapping it. Inside is a small keychain, shaped like a soldierāslightly rough around the edges but clearly made with care.
āItās⦠perfect,ā you say softly.
Soap scratches the back of his neck. āGlad ye like it. Didnāt think Iād get it exactly right, butāwellā¦ā His words trail off, but his eyes hold something warm.
Simon gives him a small nod, subtle but approving, before turning back to you. āYou donāt have to say anything. Just⦠enjoy the moment.ā
Later, the three of you gather around the Christmas tree. Simon adjusts a string of lights while you carefully hang ornaments. Soap hovers nearby, occasionally holding an ornament for you.
āYouāve got a good touch,ā he says quietly when your hands brush.
You glance at him. āThanks,ā you murmur, heart skipping a beat.
He smiles, just a small curve of his lips. āDonāt mention it.ā
Simon notices the exchange but doesnāt comment, just smiles faintly. You feel the warmth of familyāand maybe something moreāwrap around you like the blanket on your shoulders.
Part two is coming for those who wan it <3












