Little Shadow in the Snow

I had barely set Ghost back down on the couch when the front door opened and in walked a quivering Soap. 

"Jesus, Johnny boy get your ass over here and in front of the fire!"

"I'm fucking trying!" he stuttered as he began peeling off his frozen layers with stiff, shaking hands. 

I was still glaring at him with concern when I felt Ghost's head fall into my chest. I was still in shock when his arms wrapped around my waist, though it felt like they were more slung around with the last dregs of his energy. He was shivering. Shit. The gust of cold air from the door opening had to be harder on him with his lack of clothing and body heat.

"Oh shit, sweetheart gimme a sec."

I lifted his head gently just a bit so I could rip off my still-soaked shirt so he could get to my body heat. I knew that if he had the energy, he'd be shivering. 

"I leave for a bloody hour and already you've got him naked and clinging to you, Shadow. Took me fecking months." Every word Soap said took a few breaths to get out because his teeth were chattering so badly. 

"Hush you," Ghost croaked burying his head deeper in my chest. It might have made me feel self-conscious if I wasn't so turned on.

"Oh, I'll get to you later ya gobshite! Getting to the good part before I get here. Selfish bastard. We agreed to work at it together!"

"I made headway on my own. Stop whining, you benefit from the progress anyhow."

"I would love to say I'm following but I'm afraid I'm a bit lost. Anyone wanna explain this to me?"

"No," they said together.

"Then shut the fuck and get warm, the both of you."

Ghost wasted no time heading my instructions and nuzzled impossibly deeper into my chest, electing to go back to his preferred method of communication: silence. Exhausted arms slid further around my waist and paws of hands latched wherever they landed, plastering me entirely against his front. Heavy breaths fell against my bare skin and coaxed goosebumps and a shiver down my spine. 

My right hand slid up his equally nude back and cupped the back of his head, holding it against me.

It was around then that another set of arms wrapped around my shoulders and another front plastered itself against me from behind. Soap's cheek rested softly against the top of my head. 

"McTavish?"

He hummed in reply.

"The fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Getting warm."

"Motherfucker I-"

"Shush."

"DID YOU JUST-"

"Shhh," Ghost mumbled against my skin. I would have thrown a fist in any other situation, or I think I would have, but I decided to let it be. It was for body heat. Ghost was woozy from blood loss and Soap was seeking warmth away from the tundra. Never mind the fire feet away or the fact that one of them was nude. Never mind the fact that I now knew their intentions to be genuine. Never mind how it all made me feel. 

At some point, a thumb began rubbing circles against my hip. Not sensually, but absent-mindedly, softly, comfortably. My head fell back against Soap's shoulder, and I could've sworn I felt his heart rate pick up the tiniest bit. I breathed deeply, taking in the smell of firewood, detergent, and whatever that intoxicating scent is that they put in men's cologne. My eyes fluttered closed after a long futile battle of trying to keep them open. If I had been lying down I'd have been asleep in a heartbeat. I'd never felt so warm and cozy. It felt negligent to feel this safe when in the field.