Warning! This fic is slash, so if you don't like that, don't read. I should probably also warn that there will be a fair bit of swearing. When I say fair, I mean a lot. This is me after all, folks. :)

Also! This chapter is rated M for explicit (ish) scenes. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Roach, Ghost, or any other part of Modern Warfare as they all belong to Infinity Ward. I'm just amateur writer who likes to borrow them a little. :)

A note from Sassy: And so here we are again, back in the realms of Roach/Ghost. I day dream far too much at the gym, and this is what I came up with. For clarity's sake, I should probably point out that this is almost a prologue for this series of one shots, since I figured that I should give my take on how the boys actually 'got together'. On that note I should probably partially dedicate this one shot to youngwriter123, because she gave me the idea in one of her reviews. It's also dedicated to the lovely VerityA though…who isn't feeling too well right now. Get well soon sweetie! And now, for those review replies I know you all love so much :P

xGhostxStealth: Hey…don't worry about the reviewing, just know that I am always honoured to see a review from you, whenever :) I'm so glad you liked the smut though…I hope you enjoy this chapter too sweetie.

Aurora Lunar 0Love This0: Thank you for you review, I'm glad you liked it. :D

duvalia: And so the mutual appreciation begins again…believe me, you do not need to envy me at all :P On a plus side though, I'm glad you like the scenes. :)

VerityA: I love the idea of your happy, flail!dance. LOL As always your reviews make me so ridiculously happy. I'm very glad you like the way I write the boys, and of course, I'd hate to detract from them, so that definitely made me feel like I've accomplished something! *hugs*

Reeserella: A late Merry Christmas to you too! And lol, yes, Ghost now loves Christmas (ish) thanks to Roach. Thanks for the review. :D

xStealthxSniperx: Haha Ghost secretly cannot resist Roach. Though Ghost puts him through enough in the mean time. *Sigh* Thanks for your lovely review. :D

Zombie of a Down: Well, what better way to save Christmas than by sexing Ghost on the living room floor. I think its very festive :P On a serious note I'm glad you like my character developments! And thank you! Lol I just figure if people take the time to review them they deserve a reply. :)

Youngwriter123: I hope you like this chapter, like I said; your review is partly to blame for it, since you said you'd like to see how it all got started. Plus, it's even a bit longer too… But seriously thank you so much for your lovely reviews! They really made me smile, and were very kind indeed. It really makes me happy to know that people are enjoying this. If you fancy squeeing about the boys, feel free to drop me a message some time. :) Oh and feel free to keep giving me your feedback obvz.

And on that note, let's get Ghoaching… :)

For the most part, Simon Riley was content with being married to the Special Forces. He lived for the adrenaline rush on operations, for the endorphin buzz that made the world that little bit brighter. He loved the competitive nature of his life, the satisfaction of knowing that he was one of a handful of the best soldiers on the planet. He'd been to places that he could have never have dreamed of from the window of the small, London bedsit he'd grown up in, seen things that amazed him and horrified in him in equal measure. In some ways, through risking his life on a daily basis, Riley had actually managed to live…

But although the army, as his wife, catered to most of his needs, there was one thing sorely lacking from his day to day soldier existence, a need left so unfulfilled that it drove him to find a mistress. Sex. Whether he was on the base or on an operation, sometimes fucking became all he could think of, a painful reminder of just how long it had been soon throbbing beneath his jeans. Ghost had always been aware that he had a fairly decent sex drive since his late teens and at first the army hadn't really hindered that, all the local girls fawning over him in his uniform when he first signed up. But as he began to progress, first into the Paras, then the SAS and finally into the 141, his social, and sex life quickly began to wane. Now, he wasn't even allowed to disclose his occupation to anyone who didn't have clearance and so long gone were the carefree days when he could use his uniform as a starting point with girls.

If he dwelt on it for too long, it would begin to sadden him how his view of the ideal woman had shifted over the years. At the start he'd been looking for someone who would wait around for him while he was away, a woman who would make him laugh and would allow him to forget all about the army whilst they were together. But now? Now his picture of the ideal woman was more anyone who'd open their legs for him after a brief period of flirtation and wouldn't mind if he crept out during the middle of the night. He'd feel ashamed every time he did it of course, but his logic told him that there was no other way. After all, in the morning there would be questions. And questions would need answers. And answers were the first thing on a very long list of things that he was no longer allowed to give.

Which brought him to Maria, the pretty, slender, raven haired twenty something that he'd spent the last hour and a half chasing. She was confident and quick witted, with a slight shimmer locked away deep in her hazel eyes that had caught his attentions the moment he'd walked into the club. The low cut purple halter neck might have helped a little there too. Either way, she'd been in amongst a couple of friends, but thanks to some quick thinking on Ghost's part, those same friends were now conveniently wrapped up in conversation with Mactavish and Ozone over a steady stream of tequila shots. These rare nights out on leave were popular not just with Riley but with the entire task force, as they finally gave the men some much needed contact, not just with the opposite sex, but more importantly with the outside world…

"Another drink?" The heavy bass of the dance music in the club was trying its hardest to scupper Ghost's attempts at conversation, but at least it gave him an excuse to edge closer to Maria, and he took full advantage, bringing his unmasked face as close to her ear as he dared. When he was sure she'd heard him he pulled back, watching a grateful smile spread across her features.

"Only if you're buying…"

"I like you…" He smirked as turned round, waving their empty shot glasses at the barman closest. Riley hadn't been waiting by the bar half as long as some of the other men stood around him, but no one seemed to want to argue with his cocky nature and almost brutal physique. "Here…" He slid one of the sambuca tumblers across the bar to Maria and quickly picked up his own, waiting until she had lifted the object up to her rose lips. There was another, almost flirtatious smile as her mouth met the rim, and then they were throwing their heads back together, sickly sweet liquorice burning its way down both their throats. It took Ghost a brief second to realise that he had closed his eyes and he opened them quickly, surprised to see Maria eyeing the bare skin of his scarred forearms intently.

"You work out then?"

"A little." He shrugged quickly. "Like to keep fit."

"Clumsy though…" A soft hand was suddenly tracing one of the scars near the rolled up sleeve of his black shirt, the remnants of a deep gash that had run from his elbow to just below his wrist. "All these scars…"

"I'm always walking into things." The lies were almost natural to him now as Ghost moved his arm away, bitter memories of the scar in question flooding back. A man with a knife coming out of nowhere, the blade cutting deep into his skin, the wound mildly infected by the time they'd returned to base. He shuddered, hiding it as much as possible from Maria.

"You get into a fight or something?" The girl's eyes were still fixed firmly to his arm.

"Something like that…" Eager to move the conversation on, Riley decided to test his luck and he edged closer, sliding a hesitant hand onto the base of Maria's back. When she didn't protest, he risked being more forward and slowly curled the hand almost possessively around her waist, bringing her closer to him in the process. "It was a long time ago…"

"You'll have to tell me about it sometime…"

"Maybe I will…" By now Ghost had made so many empty promises by then that he didn't even register when he had made a new one. Instead he just gently dipped his head, pressing a very subtle kiss just below Maria's left ear, to a spot of skin that experience had taught him was highly sensitive. "Don't need to worry about that right now…do we?" He pressed another, longer kiss to the same patch of skin deliberately.

"…What are you doing?"

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No…I…" Maria hesitated. "I just didn't expect you to…"

"Couldn't help myself…sorry." Riley gave her a winning smirk, withdrawing enough to look at her but making sure that his hand remained pressed firmly against her back. "Do you need some air? I think I need a smoke…"

They were soon wheedling their way out of the club, winding in amongst the twisting, euphoric bodies of the dancers in awkward bursts of movement. When they finally did make it through the doors, the cold air sent shockwaves of shudders firing straight through Ghost's body, his eyes suddenly disorientated by the dark night after becoming so accustomed to the glittering neon lights that had enlivened the club dance floor.

"Over here…" Taking Maria by the hand, Ghost let her past the bouncers and into the street, to the opening of an alleyway that led down towards the back entrance of the club. Leaning against the damp, almost icy wall, he watched Maria closely, his left hand still holding hers loosely, her hair and skin tainted by the orange glow from the light that pooled down from the street lamp above them. By now Maria was eyeing him expectantly, and Riley cocked his head, giving her a curious look. "What?"

"Thought you wanted a smoke?"

"I don't…" Riley smiled, tapping his pockets as if to illustrate this fact.

"Then why did you drag me out here?"

"Wanted a bit of privacy." He shrugged gently, reaching forward and looping his right hand around her waist, pulling her closer to him again. "Something wrong with that?"

"No…but it's all a bit fast."

"Can't we just go with it?" Riley laughed softly, using his left hand to brush her fringe from in front of her eyes. "I like you…you like me. Where's the problem?"

"I have rules about this sort of thing…"

"And I like breaking rules." Ghost smirked, leaning in closer and pressing the most fleeting of kisses to Maria's lips. He drew back, a deep grin of satisfaction etched across his features. "Come on…Live a little."

When he pressed forwards to kiss her again, Riley knew it was a gamble, one that he hoped the last hour and a half of listening had made a sure thing. And it was, as the mouth that met his reciprocated his kiss almost instantly, the much softer lips gently moving against his own. Slender arms wound their way up around his neck and the tight body he'd been practically fantasising about for the whole evening pressed against his torso, foreign heat suddenly clashing with his own. For a man who had barely even been near a gorgeous woman in at least four months it was enough to send a deep groan spilling out from his lips, whilst his hands busied themselves in exploring the gentle curves of her waist and the tumbling cascade of her hair.

They could have been kissing for hours or seconds, but it soon became very clear to Riley that he was in desperate need of so much more, and he tried to press this fact into the kiss, his movements becoming that little more urgent and needy. Maria seemed to notice the change in tone immediately and she pulled away, her lips red and her voice breathless.

"This has been fun…" She grinned softly. "…Maybe we should do it again sometime."

"What?" The confusion on Riley's face must have been blatantly obvious.

"…I need to go." Maria took a hesitant step backwards, fishing into her small handbag until she found her phone. "But you can have my number…if you want to see me again."

"I was thinking of something…more… physical." Ghost laughed gently, taking a step off the wall to get closer to her again.

"…We've only just met…"

"And I'm only in town for one night…" He shrugged casually. "Thought we might as well…you know…make the most of it."

"Excuse me?" The outrage on Maria's face instantly made him regret his choice of words. "Do I look that easy?"

"Hey…I never said-"

"You didn't need to." She spat, taking another step further away from him. "I actually thought you were bothered, you know? All that talking at the bar…was this what all that was for?" She gave him an incredulous look. "You're just like every other bastard in there!"

"Maria…look-"

"Look what? You didn't mean to lead me on? Is that it?" She scoffed. "No…you just wanted me to be your quick fix for the night…" She laughed darkly, half turning away from him so that she could put more distance between them, her eyes giving him a disgusted look as she did so. "If you're that bloody desperate then go find yourself a prostitute. They charge by the hour…"

Ghost watched her leave and toyed with the idea of going after her, but it would make no difference. Like it or not, everything she had said was true and his motives had been less than pure from the start. But he didn't have a choice. Like it or not, a one night stand was all that he had to offer. It would always be the only thing that he could offer whilst he was involved with the 141.

Riley couldn't be sure of how long he had been stood there in the cold and damp, drizzle like rain misting around him, his mind locked within his own thoughts. He was only rudely shaken from them by a familiar smug accent, a stocky figure suddenly appearing in his peripheral vision.

"Get stood up, sir?" Gary Sanderson, the 141's latest FNG. Normally Ghost made it his business to avoid the FNGs as much as physically possible, because to be frank their naïve arrogance pissed him off to no end, but Roach had a knack for popping up exactly when Riley didn't want to see him.

"Fuck off, Sanderson."

"I was only asking…" Roach shrugged defensively, although he made no signs of moving away, instead pausing to light the cigarette that was hanging idly from his mouth. "Where's the girl?"

"She left." Ghost rolled his eyes, before glaring at the FNG with contempt. "You fucking stalking me or something?"

"Self important much?" Gary scoffed, breathing out a large plume of smoke. "Just came out for a smoke, didn't I?" He watched Riley closely for a moment, almost weighing up whether or not he should speak again. "Never mind though…club full of girls right?"

"I'm going home…" Riley shook his head quickly, pushing off from the wall. "Can't be bothered with this anymore…"

"Really? Sounds like a waste of a good night's leave if you ask me."

"Well no ones asking you to do the same." Riley sighed, clearly exasperated.

"Still. A bit defeatist right?"

"Why don't you finish that and go fuck with someone else?"

"Because fucking with you is so much more fun…sir…" The word was clearly added as an afterthought, which riled Ghost completely.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh don't pull that superiority bollocks with me. We're both dressed as civvies and we've both had a drink, what do you want? A full fucking salute?" Roach gave him a sly, calculated smile as he pulled the last life from his cigarette. "Or has that girl ditching you dented your pride…?"

"I'm only gonna tell you one more time, Sanderson. Fuck. Off."

"Yeah…yeah…" Gary laughed, flicking away the remnants of the cigarette, his gaze fixed on Ghost the whole time. "Does that make you feel like a big man again?"

Riley's reaction was so quick that it took him a moment to realise what he was doing himself, his hands automatically making a grab for Roach's collar and dragging him forcefully into the dimly lit alleyway. His brain was by now a confused blur of anger, frustration and alcohol induced rage, his sole aim to remove the annoying little shit who seemed to be revelling in his current misery as he threw Gary hard against the wall, not caring how much damage the action might do. Still keeping him pinned against the brick, Ghost found his voice, his tone gruff and brutal. "Not very smart are you, Gary? Fucking with your XO?" He punctuated his words by shoving Roach against the wall again, harder this time around. "You know I could make your time at the 141 a living hell for this…"

"I'm so scared…" Roach smirked, seemingly enjoying everything Riley threw at him. "Come on, Simon…it's going to take more than that to scare me…

"You fucking watch your mouth…"

"…Make me…" Roach laughed, his face indignant, eyes never flinching from Ghost's stern glare. A sarcastic grin spread across his features, and he added slowly. "…Sir…"

Riley's fist met with Roach's cheekbone with almost bone crushing force, the action sending a shockwave of pain up Ghost's forearm as he made contact. In his recovery, Gary managed to push off from the wall and he forced himself forwards, unsteadying Ghost deliberately. The lieutenant chose to retaliate with a second punch, this time catching Roach's in the jaw, but the man barely staggered, a thick, taunting grin beginning to stretch across his features. The mere sight of it drove Riley insane and he pushed forwards again, ready with another punch that had every intention of breaking the other man's nose. But this time Roach was ready and he blocked the action with ease, before forcing his knuckles into Riley's left eye, the sharp impact sending white flashes darting momentarily across his vision. In the confusion, Roach sent another punch into Riley's face, knocking him backwards noisily into some bins, bottles and waste paper sent flying across the floor along with him.

"Not so big now…are you?" Roach taunted, a smug smirk the only thing that Ghost could see from his toppled position on the floor. He grimaced, spitting a small amount of bloody saliva from his mouth, taking his time as he stood to lure Roach into a false sense of security. The action appeared to work, as when he lunged forward to tackle Roach to the floor, the sergeant was easily wrong footed and they were soon sprawled out across the cold, wet tarmac of the alley floor.

As he lay on top of Roach, Ghost tried to catch his breath, his mind a tumbling whirlwind of thoughts. A big part of him wanted to continue to beat the sergeant senseless, but with the lull in their fight came some clarity and Ghost's blood lust lessened to an extent where continuing to fight with Gary seemed no long justifiable. But a split second later, everything suddenly became insignificant. Because as he lay there, contemplating standing up, Ghost suddenly realised that the man beneath him was hard. Painfully so. And on closer inspection of himself, Ghost suddenly became aware that he was too.

Suddenly, it wasn't about them anymore, wasn't even about a battle for dominance or some drunken argument strewn with low blows and cheap shots. Suddenly, it was all about release, about pure, animalistic lust. Ghost was standing up quickly, his hand meshed in Gary's hair, pulling him up forcefully alongside him. His strong hands were suddenly gripping his face, bringing it into a kiss that was bruising, dominant and purely driven by the overpowering need to just get off. There was no ceremony as their tongues clashed against each other, no words or questions as Ghost pushed Roach further into the alleyway, only content when they were shrouded in darkness and the sergeant's back was pressed firmly against another damp wall. Rain coated their skin, their clothes and their hands, blood tainted their lips, teeth clashing and tongues delving even further as the action itself became more frantic. Lost amongst a wave of peculiar feeling, Ghost was certain that nothing could feel better than this, until suddenly, it was there, the strange pressure of a cold, wet hand delving deftly down inside his boxers. His body immediately tensed, suddenly unsure, until the hand started to move and waves of ecstasy began to tear through his system from the sudden friction. Throwing his head back, Simon fought back a moan, choosing instead to let a stream of expletives tumble from his lips. Opening his eyes, he managed to regain some form of focus, suddenly realising that he was alone in this new feeling, Roach being left painfully neglected. Clumsily he tried to return the favour, his right hand pushing down past Roach's jeans and boxers, mirroring the actions of the sergeant as much as Riley was able. As their movements quickened there turned out to be very little technique in the action and the more frantic their movements became, the more desperately both men raced towards their own climaxes.

His knees were weak, but that didn't stop Ghost from stepping back from Roach as soon as he was able, his post climax brain suddenly left to pick up the pieces that his lust fuelled self had left behind. He swallowed hard, finding it difficult to meet Gary's gaze as he busied himself with refastening his jeans, the sound of sliding zippers the only noise in the alleyway for a good minute or so.

"We…shouldn't talk about that." Ghost said suddenly, nodding decisively as he did so.

"Oh yeah…I was just planning on telling everyone." Roach rolled his eyes.

"I meant we shouldn't talk about it." Riley gave him an exasperated look.

"What's there to talk about? It happened didn't it?" The sergeant gave him a relaxed smile. "Wasn't so bad either…"

"It was a one night thing."

"Sure."

"…Tension release." Riley shrugged. "We both needed to get laid and so-"

"I think this classes as 'talking about it'." Gary smirked, moving away from the wall and giving Riley a quick nod. "Seriously…it is what it is, Simon. I'm not going to start doodling your name all over my reports."

"Good to know." The lieutenant smiled, feeling a little more relaxed now that he was faced with Roach's characteristic sarcasm. He pointed towards the club wall awkwardly. "You going back in?"

"Like this?" Gary laughed, wiping blood from his split lip onto the back of his hand. "You must be kidding me. Hardly look like I just had a smoke, do I?"

"Point made."

"So…I'll see you around." Roach nodded softly, making his way to the alleyway entrance, walking backwards so that Riley could see the smirk that was still etched across his features. He paused, grinning as he spoke out again, his hand curling into an almost mocking salute. "…Sir…"

It was a one night thing. Ghost knew it and Roach knew it. They'd been drunk, aroused and the rest had simply fallen into place. It would not happen again. After all, Riley was the tough talking lieutenant and Roach was the cocky little FNG. There was nothing more to it and more importantly, there never could be.

Until exactly two weeks later, when, back on the base, there was an odd, distinctive knock at Roach's door late at night. There'd been no words, because there didn't need to be, as secretly over the time they'd been apart they'd both half expected it to happen again, no matter how much it probably shouldn't have. Even afterwards, as they lay in a tangled heap, there were no explanations, no justifications, no excuses. In Roach's own words; it was simply what it was.

They were colleagues. Friends. Friends with benefits. And then, unbeknownst to them both at first, they slowly turned into something more…

In the gym, on the living room floor, in an alleyway, the boys really know how to mix it up. And of course, your reviews help them to be even more ambitious and outrageous, so you know, drop them a line if you love them. ;)

And on an ever serious note, thanks for reading. You know how much your comments mean to me by now. :D

-x-S-x-