The past few weeks have been strange, to say the least. Their relationship is perfectly fine, Soap and Ghost’s. Sure, there’s the occasional quarrel, but what relationship doesn’t have the occasional spat?
The root of the dilemma? Anon…

Anon was initially brought on as a temporary teammate a year ago, but her skillset ended up blending extremely well with the team’s so the Captain had requested they stay. Since then Anon had of course interacted with each team mate on a regular basis. Hanging out with the couple was common for Anon too but lately something shifted. Ghost could feel it, and he was sure as hell Soap could feel it too, yet the two never actually spoke about it to each other. After all, admitting you caught feelings for someone else while still being in a committed relationship was essentially cheating…. Wasn’t it? They didn’t love each other any less, but maybe they could extend it…. Share it with Anon.

It was like this for months after Anon officially became a member of TF-141, being around Anon gave both of them butterflies. On this particular night Ghost and Soap shared their usual bedtime routine after dinner in the mess hall. The domesticity of it should have been, and usually was, a comfort to the two experienced soldiers, but something was gnawing as the back of their minds and it could be ignored no longer.
The two had settled comfortably in bed; Soap resting his body on top of Ghost’s with his head on Ghost’s chest. Ghost was absentmindedly threading his fingers through the unique haircut of Soap’s. The room was dead silent save for both of their quiet breathing, which typically wasn’t an issue except Soap loved to talk, so why was he quiet now?

“What are you thinking about?” Ghost prompted, feeling he already knew the answer.

Soap shrugged and buried his face into Ghost’s chest, his now muffled voice reverberating through, “Jus’ what’s on the menu for breakfast in the mornin’.”

Now Ghost was slightly irritated at Soap attempting to dodge the very thing they needed to discuss. “Don’t lie to me. You were thinking about her weren’t you? Anon?”

Soap immediately stiffened, he didn’t like the prospect of being read so easily, but Ghost was right, and he reluctantly nodded. Ghost figured as much, not like he could blame his partner, as he himself had found his own mind wandering to her as well. Then the thoughts of Anon being included in their dynamic began to surface again. Mornings and nights shared by the three of them, could a third person in their relationship truly work? His feelings for Soap have never wavered, not once, but Ghost can’t help but feel slightly, excited by the thought?

Soap began to panic, taking Ghost’s silence as a form of anger. This time he shot up, now staring directly into the eyes of his lover and reaching out to cradle his face and place their foreheads against each other, “Please, it’s not what it seems. I still love ye with all me heart.” He desperately pleaded. Surely he could have both Ghost and Anon? Was such a thing so wrong, or greedy? The uncertainty of possibly losing Ghost weighed heavy on his mind.

Before Ghost could reassure him, a knock sounded at the door of their shared room. Both of their hearts both stopped as they recognized the sound, the specific knock of Anon’s. The two soldiers weren’t afraid of most things, seeing everything they had in their line of work. But the thought of Anon possibly rejecting them, or even reacting negatively….that scares them the most.