Thank you for this absolute work of art. I love touch starved Soap. 💚💚💚

Yoo! Typoes ahoy. (And I have no idea if I spelled typoes correctly, I'm so tired my eyes are crossing)

Watching each other's sixes as they accepted the most terrifying missing of theor while careers: learning how to be a civilian again.

But eventually screw up and find themselves trying to defend their actions. And they're wild to choose. Stay in but be separated and never allowed to serve in the same command again, or retire quietly. And in that stuffy London office, John and Simon lay down theor old call signs and decide to keep

except for the fact that if any of the brass gets wind of their indiscretion, they'll both likely be drummed out. Because, "everyone knew" Alphas and Omegas were just too driven by their hormones to make good soldiers. And the military was all either of them had left.

They do alright for a while,

under wraps any more and bang it out.

Except those specific circumstances that cause latent genes to be triggered? Those just happened. And now Soap and Ghost have to navigate the complexities of a new relationship, a new designation and a new place in society's fabric. Which wouldn't be a problem

No one to judge him for his tears. No one to care when he can't make himself get up for days at a time. And no one to stop him from ending up in a charming little bookshop on a cold evening, staring at the most beautiful man he's ever seen.

As he's useful. So when he's taken out of commission on mission and the doctors tell him he'll struggle to walk for the rest of his life, he takes his discharge papers and he picks an English town where he knows no one. No one to see as he struggles to adapt to his new circumstances.

Typos? Not here.

Makes sure to squeeze his hand until the professor squeaks. It's exactly as gratifying as he thought it would be. After the ceremony, he takes his new husband home, and they celebrate. For hours. He's never been glader he tried to seduce Soap and found himself seduced right back.

Soap mopes for a day or two until he hears Ghost is going to be expelled for being arrested. Ends up bailing him out. They talk, confess feels, make up. And when Ghodt walks the stage to collect his diploma the next spring, Soap is there cheering for him. And when he shakes ex prof's hand, he

Him come, and Ghost may not be good for much but he's at least good at that. And Ghost overhears and gets his heart broken and it feels a lot like karma. So he slinks off. Soap kicks his ex out. Ex catches Ghost leaving and picks a fight. Ghost throws a punch and ex has him arrested.

A chance on ghost because it was nice to feel wanted, even if it wasn't actually genuine. So when his ex confronts him over sleeping with someone half his age, Soap scoffs. Just a fling, he calls it. Just a way to scratch an itch since his husband never seemed to be able to figure out how to make

Meanwhile, Soap knows there's something off about his new boyfriend. Mainly that what young verily alpha could possibly want him, especially after this husband told him he'd just die alone if he left. But he'd been tired of smelling other people on his alpha so he'd given him to boot. And he'd taken

Chapter 8 is up.
archiveofourown.org/works/598527...