Don't fear the reaper - Captain John Price

XVII

The dim light of the pub was traveling from one side of the room to another, as the cheer of the people came into the air with one of the teams on the TV screen scoring the first goal of the night. Just like every other weekend, the place was crowded with the lonely souls who were drinking their sadness away, the football fans who wanted to watch Liverpool score one or two goals and enjoy a pint of beer, and those who were in between surrounded by the company of people but still feeling lonely.

A waitress with a tired smile passed the glasses of a cold bear on the tired wooden table to the company, before her silhouette disappeared in the crowd of the bar. Drops of water were running along the thin glass before the warm hands finally wrapped their grip around the glass just to enjoy the cold drink. Their voices were low, despite the loud atmosphere of the pub. You can never be too cautious, even in your own country. It's been a couple of days since 141 came back to England, waiting for the next mission to come out of the darkest corner of the night. Soap wanted to remind himself of a normal life, as his foot stepped inside of the pub on a Friday night. The crowd pleased both Johnny and Amelia, as their dark silhouettes were looking for a vacant table in the room. It is easier to remain the mystery in a crowded room than in an empty one.

"Aren't all of your stories supposed to be in classified files?" Knight took a sip of beer, feeling how refreshing the first sip of the drink was after a long time. A brunette finally let her body feel a wave of relaxation for the first time since the military plane landed in London bringing them home. The bittersweet feeling of being back into someone's routine was taking her over. The absence of uniforms and weapons did feel weird, but every soldier needed a break before coming back to war, even if it was the one in their own mind.

"Now you are part of them too, Mel," Soap was looking around the room, noticing how every single person was busy with their own thing in the crowded pub. The TVs were streaming the football game of Liverpool against Arsenal, and bringing the attention of the football fans to the screens each time the players were getting closer to scoring a goal.

"Wasn't I just a boring nurse before?" A soft giggle of a woman ran through the loud chatter of the conversations, as another goal turned out to be a failed chance by the player. From to time, the two were looking at the screen, just to see what the score was.

"C'mooon, it was a joke," Soap softly clapped a brunette on her shoulder, remembering the times when the jokes about her position in the military were funny to both of them. But now, it was a completely different story as the two could understand the vital role of medics in the army. Johnny took another sip of the drink, looking around for a possible company for a long, and cold winter night. A soft wink from the blue eyes took the attention of a blonde at the bar. A glass of beer landed on the table when Soap finally saw the most familiar face in the bar. Price softly nodded, as if approving Sergant's taste to the woman who was sitting a few chairs away from him. "No wonder Price is here. Liverpool is playing."

"I'll be right back, Johnny," Amelia caught a look from a blonde Soap tried to keep eye contact with her, and understood that it was her time to leave before any misunderstandings could happen. A chair of a brunette softly creaked, as the legs of a woman were ready to take her away.

A washroom sign wasn't lit up as the two burned lamps were hiding under the bright sign. Brown eyes traveled around the room, remembering MacTavish's last phrase. At one moment Knight was enjoying a cold beer in the company of her childhood friend, and at the other, all she wanted was to find a look of deep blue eyes in the room full of strangers. An invisible string between them was attracting Amelia to a captain just like a moth to a flame. An officer knew that whatever was happening between them was wrong and against all the possible protocols, but not even for a moment she regretted their connection. Price felt like a secure wall, even with the lack of emotions he was showing to anyone around. Anger, frustration, but not happiness out loud in public or anything else that was taking over the heart hidden under the heavy uniform.