10001 Nightmares Party

[Fic] envy the deep (Call of Duty)

Summary:

"Hold on---don't move---almost there---Johnny," and Ghost's voice is right there, almost right in his ears, and John bites on his tongue when his flinch only makes the pain burn brighter.

Notes:

written for whumpcember 2024 - Day 3: Begging

Work Text:

John doesn't know what hits him, but he feels the impact when he hits the ground, the sensation of falling ceasing and being replaced by the unpleasant shock to his system of abruptly being on solid ground again.  For a moment, he merely stares through the smoke that surrounds him, breathes the hints of fire in and feels the ache in his dry throat, and then the pain sparks through him like a live wire and he can't hold the whimper in.

"Hold on---don't move---almost there---Johnny," and Ghost's voice is right there, almost right in his ears, and John bites on his tongue when his flinch only makes the pain burn brighter.

When he blinks his eyes open, manages to squint up, Ghost is above him. "Hold on, Johnny," the man says, voice hoarser than it should be even with the baklava. "I have you," he says, and his hand is on John's cheek. "I have you. You'll be alright, Johnny."

Between the smoke and the ash and the blood in the corner of his vision, and the pain sparking bright lights behind his eyelids, John can't see much of anything at all, but he thinks Ghost leans in closer. But the next time he manages to open his eyes just enough to see something but darkness again, Ghost is suddenly far away. So far away.

John couldn't stop the whimper if he wanted to.

"Johnny," Ghost's head spins, and in the next slow blink of John's heavy eyelids, he's right above him again, framed by smoke, by hints of flame drifting on the taut, heavy air. "I have you," Ghost promises, palming John's cheeks, his grip tight and warm, and John blinks, doesn't manage to say anything. "You're going be fine, Johnny. Just fine. I promise."

"'kay," breathes John at last, and Ghost's mask swims in his vision. He shuts his eyes entirely involuntarily, but he's not cold, and the pain is ignorable in favor of Ghost's hands of him, of Ghost's murmured words as he speaks to somebody else. The words sing through John's comm, too, but he can't pay it any mind, preoccupied with Ghost, Ghost, Ghost.

"Hang on, Johnny," Ghost is whispering into his ear when awareness sinks back into his bones, and he doesn't know how much time it's been, but John can feel the warmth around him, can hear the heartbeat under his ear. Ghost is holding him, keeping John on his lap as whatever vehicle they're in twitches and groans and shakes under them, around them. "Just hold on," whispers Ghost into his ear, breath hot and heavy and fingers holding tight to him, securing him on Ghost's lap. "I have you. I won't let you go. You'll be alright, Johnny. Just hold on."

And John holds on. He breathes in beat with Ghost, feels his heart thudding loud and sharp in his ears, and he h hangs on. Time passes in disconnected moments, one breath here, one view of a mountain there, a sharp inhalation as the vehicle drives over a pothole and pain runs up his spine and into his already aching head.

Just hold on, he thinks, fingers clenched on Ghost's brunt, bloodied uniform. Ghost will fix this.

He just has to hang on.

"I've got you, Johnny," Ghost breathes into his ear, body surrounds him, keeping him in one piece and John exhales, bends his neck, breathes him in and holds it inside him until his lungs ache. "I promise. Just hang on a little while longer. I've got you."

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#Fandom: MISC - Video Games #Post Type: Fic #Rating: Teen #Status: Complete #Tag: Whump #WC: 0-1000