i love this fic so bad ogh thank you for your service
i didn't know i needed rancher ghoap until i read it

He can't judge, everyone has their stories. He asks for a name and gets one, Simon. Tells Simon to have a good night, and gets a meek "You too." in response. Guess he got the solace he came for too.
(13/13)
thanks for reading my silly fluff. I like cute/soft ghost sometimes, sue me. Also men cry.

blah blah blahh Soap finishes his cig, puts it out in the dirt, and sits staring at the sky for a bit.
Ski Mask gets up to leave after putting his last one out on his palm and tossing it to the dirt. Soap glances at him long enough to see the marks of it on his hands, backs and one palm.
(12/13)

Soap accepted the cigarette and took a long drag, resting his chin on his knees and staring out into the trees lining the lath. It was a thin but comforting barrier from the suburbs. Despite the presence of a stranger, he felt.. comfortable. It wasn't like Ski Mask was judging him anyhow.
(11/13)

After god knows how long, he calmed to soft breaths and sodden knees, wiping the last of his tears from his hands on the hem of his shirt.
It was a few moments before he looked up and processed the lit cigarette being offered to him with a blank but somehow gentle look.
".. Aye, thanks"
(10/13)

A couple minutes pass and Ski Mask might as well have not been there. Soap let the feelings flood him, rubbing his eyes and letting the tears fall as he sniffled. More and more. He made himself breathe between the sobs wracking through his chest.
(9/13)

He'd like to use his spot, he wasn't sure where else he'd go anyhow. Besides, it might be nice. To be seen, as stupid and embarrassing as that is to admit.
So, he sat down on the opposite side of the bench and pulled his knees to his chest. His routine here.
Ski mask had nothing to comment.
(8/13)

and it seemed that he truly didnt. Hardly spared Soap a second glance as he puffed away. He was clearly a bit in his own world.
Soap had never seen him before. At least, he figured. Hard to tell with the mask and all. But that also meant he probably wouldn't see him much again, right?
(7/13)

It's stupid, but the presence of this stranger using his space for.. what seems like a similar purpose, was both comforting and irking. Soap was about to stop staring and head off somewhere else when the guy's voice started,
"You can sit if you'd like. Dont care." He offered flatly,
(6/13)

with a cigarette between his lips like a prayer. Tired eyes and a too-large hoodie pulled over his head like it made him bigger himself. Stopped Soap in his tracks.
"Ah, sorry, dinnae think anyone would be here"
Yet he lingered, momentarily. He felt defensive of his spot. (5/15)

his streak of shitty luck remained unbroken. Soap figured the scent was old. He'd smelled cigarettes and found old butts before, but never encountered anyone, so he didn't hesitate down the path.
Not until he locked eyes with some kid in a ski mask, sitting on his bench, (4/13)

It felt like any small thing that could've gone wrong did. But he knew he was being dramatic. He should be fine, it's no big deal, but no amount of discrediting his feelings did any good. He needed to be alone, cry it out, before he took it out on some poor bystander.

Unfortunately, (3/13)

He always went to the same spot, a shitty "trail" slapped aside the road to his house with a rotting bench that creaked when he sat down. People rarely walked through, it was unkempt and had no signage stating its presence.

He was having a shit day. Job rejection, brain fog.. loneliness. (2/13)

TYSM!! I love highschool AUs because even The Ghost is bound to be a bit stupid and awkward as a teen.. and soap is gonna be dense to the fact that Simon tolerates him much more than most people

Simon rested his forehead on the top of the wheel, trying to force his heart to slow down. He'd been waiting to use that nickname for months, never had a good opportunity. And it wasn't shut down. Cant help but thank whatever gods there may be for not letting him sleep tonight. (14/14)

all done :3

"It's nothing Johnny." Simon finally says offhandedly, and Soap swallows down the feelings that nickname dragged up into his throat and nodded a bit too meekly for his own taste, "Aye."
Soap snuck back into bed and Ghost's rustbucket finally made it back home, but he didnt get out quite yet (13/14)