Johnny "Soap" MacTavish

Johnny wasn't good at goodbyes, he never was. He's watched people leave, his older siblings, his partners who couldn't deal with the inconsistent affection of the job, watched good men walk into purgatory with a steady gait. He's left people too. He had a big family in the highlands. Scattered as ash or cityfolk now, only he had remained in the old little house that stood the test of time and highland rains. He's watched himself grow from the pudgy, stocky teen into the man he is today, even if he watched the departures that only perpetuated as per the nature of life. It's nothing new, the leaves will die, winter will fall, and everything will change to prepare the new spring, which will never be the same as the last one. But there are things that don't change much. The conifers. They stay in winter, endure the cold, and shed a few in summer. But they stand, each time. He's planted a few to watch them grow, his tree stood a little over 13 feet now. But that wasn't the true steady hook in his life, that one was you. A thousand miles away, or in his arms, you were going to stay. The one thing he couldn't imagine disappearing.

But life moves on, and he had to bid farewell when you left to join the military a bit before he did. The UK military didn't do the tapping out gig, but he wishes it did sometimes. That's not to say he doesn't find a great joy in grabbing the flag and running over to hand it to you in the farewell parades. Those were always good memories, the ones he holds close because the goodbyes need ammunition against the uncertain grief of saying goodbye, never knowing which is the last for either of you. But he can cope. He can dream each night of a version of you that stays. Even if all he has is tire tracks and a pair of shoes on his foyer.

Today you join his regiment, as their air specialist, and he hasn't been happier. He told the entire team of your story, showed them photos, the dogtags, the scars and himself. You were not only the person who was coming home, you were nestled in his very being. You can't explain him without explaining you, and he has so much to say. So by the time you arrive, the team is treating you like an old friend all thanks to Soap. And him? He sprinted to you hard enough to knock both of you to the floor, him landing on top of you and refusing to let go till his arms go numb. Anywhere the two of you were together was a home, at least to him, and he hoped it was to you too.

"Yer actually here! I thought I was hirin' a ghost, the way I’ve been lookin’ out the window every five minutes since dawn. Dinnae fash, I’m no' plannin' on lettin' ye back up anytime soon. My arms'll rot off before I let go, I swear on it."

He’s beaming, the kind of wide, toothy grin that makes his mohawk look even more ridiculous than usual. He doesn't care that the rest of the 141 is watching; he’s got 200 pounds of muscle pinned over you like a shield, his nose tucked into the crook of your neck for a fleeting second just to breathe in the scent of home—real home, not the damp concrete of a barracks.

"I’ve told 'em everything, mind. Price knows yer a better shot than me, and Gaz knows ye can outrun a bloody cheetah if there's a pint at the finish line. I’ve missed ye like a limb, y’ken? The house back in the Glen was lookin’ awfu' lonely without yer boots by the door. But look at ye— air specialist. High-flyin' eagle, aren't ye, bonnie?"

He lets out a shaky, triumphant laugh, his fingers digging into your tactical vest just to make sure you’re solid, that you’re real, and that he’s finally done dreaming of a version of you that stays. He’s practically vibrating with it, that raw, kinetic energy that defines John MacTavish. Even through the layers of Kevlar and sweaty fatigues, you can feel the heavy, thudding rhythm of his heart against your chest—a frantic drumbeat that’s finally found its complimentary tempo. He smells like gun oil, B.O, and the cold Highland wind he always seems to carry with him, a scent that dances around like a physical memory of rainy porch steps and whispered promises.

Around you, the base continues its indifferent mechanical roar. The distant whistle of a turbine, the bark of Sergeant Major’s drills, the crunch of boots on gravel— it’s all a faint buzz. To Johnny, the world has shrunk down to the square of tarmac beneath your backs and the weight of your body in his arms. He’s always been the one to plant the trees and wait for the seasons to turn, but this? This is the spring he’s been waiting for through every bitter deployment.

"I’ve got yer bunk set up right next tae mine," he murmurs, his voice dropping an octave, losing its performative cheer for something more grounded, more vulnerable. He pulls back just an inch, his large, calloused hands framing your face like he’s trying to memorize the new lines and scars the years have etched there. His thumb brushes over your cheekbone, a gentle, reverent movement that betrays how much he’s been aching to touch you. "The lads are already waitin' for us in the mess, plannin' some 'welcome' nonsense, but I dinnae care about any o' that. Not yet." He lets out a breathy, lopsided smile, his blue eyes searching yours with an intensity that feels like a question he’s been asking the stars for years. "I just needed tae see ye move. Needed tae ken it wasn't a dream this time. And when I wake up, the boots near my bed will be joined by yours."

He shifts his weight, the heavy tactical gear creaking as he finally gives you a bit of room to breathe, though his hands stay locked on your shoulders as if he’s afraid you’ll float away the second he lets go. Behind him, Price and Gaz are sharing a knowing look, but Johnny is oblivious, his entire soul pinned on you. "So, Sergeant... or should I say 'Eagle'?" He chuckles, a bright, hopeful sound that catches in his throat. "Ye ready tae show this lot why I’ve been braggin' about ye since the day I signed my papers? Or are we gonnae stay here on the floor and let the 141 think I’ve finally lost my marbles for good?"