#sofasoap write

Nikto looks down at the little girl currently tugging his pants and holding out a little daisy in her hand.

Don’t touch her. Zhar specifically asks you not to get close to her. 

You will taint her.

The white sheet of pureness.

“Дядя– TA!” Anya shoves the flower up towards the masked man, insisting on him to take the flower off her. 

Nikto sighed, kneeling down to her height and took the flower off her. 

The little girl’s face brightened up and clapped.

“Дядя, stay, stay.” she commanded as she ran off towards the field, bending down to pick more flowers. 

Bossy just like her Papa. 

“Fluffy flower!” Anya shoves a dandelion into his hand, but her face falls as the seed head starts to fly off with the wind. 

“Oh….boo… ah.” She mumbled, and turned towards the fields, leaving Nikto waiting again. 

Nikto doesn’t know what prompts him to sit there, watching her running back and forth, dropping more and more flowers into his lap.

Buttercup, more daisies, lavender, yarrows….

You can form a bouquet.

Maybe you can give the bouquet to Olya 

But Anya will be sad 

There’s something about this little girl that makes the voices in his mind shush themselves, instead of talking over each other, they turn into a quiet discussion. 

“Дядя.” Nikto’s mind pulled back to focus, the little girl yawned. “Sleepy.” 

Without waiting for his reply, she climbs into his lap like a kitten, and settles herself and falls asleep within seconds. 

What should I do?

Why is she trusting me?

“Nikto.”

The growling and heavy footsteps behind him made him turn his head, and he saw his new commander marching towards him, his second in command following closely behind.

“Is my daught….” Nikolai stopped as he spotted the toddler peacefully sleeping in the masked soldier’s lap, surrounded by flowers. He shook his head and sighed, gently picked her up and headed towards his panicking wife.

“Oh lord you found her…”

Nikto watches as the family of three disappear into the building, totally forgetting Zhar’s presence. 

“What were you doing with her?” She frowned at him, waiting for a good explanation. 

“Flower picking.” 

“Looks like you've been used as a human basket.” She looked down at his lap. "What are you going to do with those?”

“Do you want it?” “No. But don’t ruin the little princess’ hard work.”

Oh. It's her. 

She’s come to see us. 

Why are we here?

Nikto can only hear. Couldn’t see. Everything was so dark. 

Why?

He slowly opens his eyes. With a bit of struggle.

Where is he?

“Дядя.” Anya whispered, bouncing the little baby in her arms. “Say hello to Дядя.”

Oh yes. 

Now he remembers.

“Ma is sick. Very sick.” She started, looking down at the flower. “I never seen Papa so devastated in his life before. Not even when Ma went missing.” Anya shifted the baby around before wiping something off. “Ma is joking that she will come and pay a visit to you. And come and annoy you on behalf of тётя. Papa got so angry with her words.”

Sounds so familiar. 

They remembered Olya doing the same thing to him. 

“I don’t know what to do Дядя.” Anya started sobbing. “Lachie is burying himself with work. Everyone else is in denial…. Дядя.” 

The day eventually will come for everyone.

He was lucky enough. In a way. 

“I guess that is fate.” Anya wiped her tears. “ I’ll come visit again soon. Until then.” 

Anya shifted the baby in her arm as she stood back up, and the baby turned her head, somehow spotted him, and waved her hands around at him enthusiastically. 

“Дядя?”  Anya looked towards his direction. The gentle wind blew. She smiled, waving her hands, towards the empty field. 

“Maybe we will meet again some day.”

Not anytime soon, принцесса, not anytime soon. 

“Hello again, finally, Дядя.” 

The little принцесса look so beautiful today. Walking down the aisle with her papa.

Jewellery she’s wearing. He realised. 

He remembered the day.

“Дядя.”  She poked her head into the common room. “Anya.”  “I got news. Oh you are wearing reading glasses?” Oh that mischievous smile again.  “ Are you hiding something from your parents again?”  Nikto took his glasses off, questioning her.  “Why do you always assume I am hiding something from Papa and Ma.” Anya huffed. But one look from her Дядя made her rolled her eyes.  “I promise you it’s good news this time round.” Anya promised. “I am getting married Дядя.” 

She could have chosen anything to wear. Diamonds, pearls, sapphire. 

But she chose the little petals.

Gilded flowers from his collection of dried flowers. 

“Do you still have any more flowers left?” Anya asked. “Still have a lot of them. Why?”

The little принцесса he’s watched growing up.

The little принцесса that will toddle up to him.

The little принцесса that isn’t afraid of him.

There’s something wet rolling down his cheek. 

“Why are you crying?” Olya elbowed him.

Crying? Are we crying?

Definitely not.

She’s mistaken.

“Do you want a wedding like this?”

“Why.”

“Just thought you might want one.”

“... Don’t need it.” 

Price stirred. Blinking a few times before the three men came into focus. 

“How are you feeling?” Gaz asked as he handed the headset over to his captain. 

Price tried to talk, but all he could achieve was wheezing and gasping for air through the oxygen mask.

“Take it easy Captain.” A new voice crackled through the headset as a hand started checking all his vitals. “Nausea?headache?”

“Always.” he managed to grumble out as you sigh.

“Sounds normal.” Gaz blurted out.

“Might have more symptoms if you survive her nagging later on. That is probably worse than having your face melted off by the gas.” Soap commented.

“Might have been an improvement if you ask me.” Simon grumbled. 

You rolled your eyes and continued to work on Price as the rest of the team, trying your best to stay professional as you listened in to the conversation and latest intel. 

“I’m sorry love.” Price whispered as he noticed the slight shake of your hand, pulling the oxygen mask off him. You took a deep breath in, slightly pouting.

“You could have died.” you cracked, after minutes of silence. “Could have lost you forever, if the boys didn’t get to you at the right time.” Or you haven’t administered the antidote….. 

God damn pure luck you have carried them onboard. 

“6-2 to Watcher, we need medevac now!” The world has stopped when you heard the Gaz’s panicking voice calling for medevac come through the comm. Has the day come? The day you're going to see one of your dearest dying in your hand? Or already dead?

“I am sorry.” 

“I know.” you paused. “I thought I was ready to face it when.. If.. the day comes.”

But you are not. 

The evident panic you have shown when the men dragged him onto the chopper, unconscious. 

You felt the world momentarily crumble around you, until you felt his faint pulse and breathing. And the rest was a blur. The muscle memory kicks in as the shouting and yelling starts. 

How unprofessional of you. 

“He’s already got his will and a love letter written for you in the office just in case.” Soap interjected through the headset, earning a glare from his Captain. 

“Good to know.” you smiled a little. Letting out another sigh as you are satisfied he is stable enough, you finally relaxed a little as you help him to sit up in a more comfortable position. 

“I promise I won't die without saying goodbye to you.” he grabbed your hand, tightly squeezing it. 

“It’s not always possible.”

“I know. I know.” you can see he wanted to lean in and kiss you. To reassure you. To comfort you.

But he can’t.  

Mission first. 

He stares at you with sadness in his eyes. 

Both of you know in this line of job… one second you will be smiling and talking.. And the next…

You can only hope for the best. 

But John Price never expected he would be the one sending his wife off. 

“Love.” “Mmm..?” “Thank you.” “Love you too…”

“Anya.” Nikto stiffens as Anya runs up and gives him a big hug. “What… are you doing here.” 

“Picking up a few things, before Papa takes me back to the estate to pack my luggage.” Anya took a step back, flashing him a big smile. 

“Packing?” Nikto cock his eyebrow.

“I’m moving to Denmark. To study Logistics.” 

“Ah.”

“But don’t tell my parents. They think I’m going there to study business.” She giggles. 

“Why.” 

“Why what?” Anya tilted her head. 

“Logistic, and not engineering.” Nikto has an inkling he knows the answer to the question. Nikolai’s little princess always expresses interest in joining Chimera. He thought with her obsession with aircrafts since she was young, Anya would have joined an aviation academy or studied engineering. 

He has witnessed a few heated arguments between the father and daughter, Nikolai refusing his daughter to follow his footstep while Anya is determined to continue on her parent’s legacy. 

“You are not getting your hands into this.” Nikolai warned his daughter.  “I just want to help you and Ma…” “I've been trying to get your Ma out of this mess for years!” He slammed the desk. “I am not letting you into danger again after what happened to you two all those years ago!”  “Then WHY is Lachie allowed to fly with you!!! Why is HE allowed to learn from you and I am not!” Anya shouted back.  Nikolai took a step back, clenching his fist. He didn’t have a good enough response for his daughter’s question. 

The commander will always be in a sour mood for weeks after his argument with his daughter. 

The little princess will always be crying to her aunties about the unfairness. And she will disappear for weeks, refusing to see her father’s face. Until Freya pulls both of her husband and daughter together into the office, forcing them to reconcile. 

The little princess that has been around the base since she was a toddler, charming all the soldiers.

The little girl who gets excited when her Papa takes her for a ride in the new flying machine.

The little girl who is growing up, leaving home. 

Is she going to remember you when she leaves?

Is she going to remember her Дядя?

“... wait here. Stay.”

“Oh?” Anya tilted her head, confused, but stood patiently in the corridor as her Дядя walked off towards him and Olya’s shared room, and appeared again minutes later. 

“Here. Take this with you.” he pressed a little piece of something into her hand, before turning away with no explanation. 

“Wait… what..”

Leaving her standing there dumbfounded. 

“Anya.”

“Oh тетя.” 

“What are you staring at?” Zhar sat down beside her adopted niece, nodding towards her hand.

“Дядя gave me this….”  she looked at the simple pressed flower bookmark in her hand. Little daisy and lavender awkwardly arranged on the little cardboard piece of paper.

“Your Дядя kept all the flowers you picked that day.” Zhar smiled. “He kept every little item you gifted him throughout the years.”

“.... “ Anya blinked a few times, eyes watering. 

“Your Дядя really cares about you.” Zhar hummed.  “ I have seen him staring at the tin box many times, shifting through the flowers.” Zhar led her into the common room. “I found him hunching over the desk one day, glasses on, sticking the flowers onto the papers one by one.” 

Carefully. One by one. Zhar remembered. Into little book marks.  

Sealing up for memories.

The little toddler that waddled up to him without fear. 

Accepting who he is. 

Months later Zhar saw Nikto sitting in the corner of the room, a faint smile on his face as he read a letter from Anya, with a little dry little daisy in his hand.