More Than Human

Chapter 93: Speaking the Words Aloud

"Are you still sore?"

"Only a little. I think being thrown to the ground that hard'll fuck up anyone." Ghost told Soap after letting out a bit of a grunt when he stood up from the bed.

Soap hummed, "You hungry?"

"No." Ghost said firmly, "You fed me more than enough the other day."

"Wasn't sure if you had run through it all with yer healing." He commented a bit sheepishly.

"I'm plenty full still, Johnny." He held out an arm toward him, "Feel. Nice and warm."

Soap gave another little hum before looking back up at him, eyes meeting his imploringly, "But you'll still tell me when ya get hungry, won't ya? Yer not gonna go back to how it was before?"

Ghost swallowed, "I'm not sure, Johnny. I don't want to get carried away again."

"You won't!" Soap insisted, "Please don't keep taking steps away from me."

"I'm not." Ghost chewed at his lip beneath his balaclava.

"Aye, ya are. We were in a good place before. But after I woke up in the hospital... I'm just worried that you might not want me anymore. I dinnae want ya staying with me out of pity. All or nothing, Simon. Please." Soap sounded miserable.

Simon crooned and stepped back toward the bed to embrace the werewolf again.

Ghost felt guilty to no end. Johnny wasn't trying to guilt trip him in any way, shape, or form. His Johnny was a sensitive soul and wore his heart out on his sleeve. In Ghost's fear of hurting Soap and briefly attempting to push him away at the hospital, he had really hurt him. Not just in the moment, but there had been some lasting effects. He had severely damaged his sergeant's confidence. He now had a little voice in the back of his head, whispering that Simon didn't really want him, that he only stayed with him out of pity. That hadn't been Ghost's intention in the slightest, but this is what he got for not thinking about the possible fallout of his actions.

He was having to do damage control now.

He cradled his head, "I want you, Johnny. I promise I do. I didn't mean to make you doubt that. I fucked up. I'm so sorry, my love."

Soap made a little noise in his throat, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to seem like an emotionally manipulative asshole with all of this."

Ghost shook his head, "Explaining how my words and actions made you feel isn't manipulative, Puppy. It's honest."

"Okay." Soap only sounded half convinced.

Ghost just held him for a moment before the man continued.

"So... will you tell me when yer hungry?"

Ghost drew in a slow breath and released it, "You'd like me to?"

Soap nodded, "More than anything. I want you, Si. All of you. And that includes everything that comes with ya. I love it all, Simon. I..." He swallowed hard, momentarily letting his mind run wild, making an important decision of if he should actually say this, "I love you, Simon."

Ghost sucked in a sharp breath. He called Soap, Love and Lovely, quite frequently, but he had never said those three little words strung together. Neither had Soap until right then. The closest they had gotten was when Roach had casually told him that Soap loved him. Ghost knew Roach was probably right, the man usually was. The very idea had made his heart soar, and now it was more than a theory or speculation, it was a fact. Soap had said it.

"And imnae just sayin' that either." Soap doubled down, "I fucking love you, Simon Riley."

"Me too." Ghost said, instant blushing beneath the mask in embarrassment, "That is... not me, or no... I mean, I do, but not about me..."

Soap giggled and buried his face into Ghost's shoulder, "It's alright, Simon. You don't have to sound all poetic. You dinnae even have to say it out loud."

Ghost cradled the back of his head and flipped them back onto the mattress. Holding Soap tight against him. Their warmth and scents melded together and was intoxicating. Ghost breathed in deeply at his hair before pressing a few kisses into that stupid mohawk.

"I love you too."

He felt Soap suck in a deep breath against him before burrowing even closer and making a little sob in his chest.

Ghost held him ever tighter.