Now, Ghost had grown used to the questions Soap threw at him, even the more personal ones that had been immediately shot down. Yet somehow it throws him off all the same when he suddenly asks, “When did you learn how to use a sword?”

The two men had been doing their weekly morning stroll along the outskirts of the kingdom’s forest when the inquisition was made. There was a small halt in Ghost’s step before he ultimately continued to tail the heir in front of him.

“I was young,” was all he could offer. This did little to hinder the other man for he simply nodded and continued, “Do you think it’s ever too late to learn?” Ghost could see Soap’s face tilt more in his direction, though not quite turning all the way.

The cogs in Ghost’s head began to turn, slowly unpacking the ultimate reason behind these questions. It didn’t take much effort when John was one of the easiest men to read. The answer was in his set shoulders and light step. Yet he didn’t quite enjoy the thought of being right.

He answered dutifully despite his wishes, “No.” Soap’s eyes found him then, crinkling with excitement and blues so astonishingly bright. It was a sight that almost made him halt a second time. “That’s good to hear, since I wanted to ask for a favor.” Ghost already knew.

He dared to ask, anyway, slightly tilting his head an inch.“You wish to learn how to use a sword, sir?” “Aye.” Soap nodded, stopping in his own tracks and fully pivoting so he could face Ghost.

“Thought it would do me some good, you know, just in case of anything.” He waved his hands as he explained, but Ghost wouldn't admit how agreement was already on his lips. He also wouldn’t admit that he was definitely smiling at the other man’s humorous efforts.

Ghost said nothing as he stepped forward to pass the heir, briefly tapping his shoulder in a sign to follow him. From there, he led Soap to a secluded field where they could be obscured by trees. The knight then slid his sword from out of its sheath and held it out horizontally.

Soap approached it cautiously before raising a brow in question, silently asking for guidance. Ghost simply hummed, gently grabbing one of Soap’s arms and wordlessly instructing him how to properly hold the hilt. One hand at the very top and one lightly holding the very bottom.

Of course, he tried not to fixate on the heir’s hands, for that would be ridiculous. He also didn’t think about how they were callused and firm, for that would also be ridiculous. Instead, he cleared his head and watched as the other slowly got used to the blade's weight.

“A bit heavy…” Soap grumbled, his lower lip turning down in a pout. Ghost held in the urge to laugh, and instead replied, “We can always get you a lighter one, if you wish.” Yet Soap did not back down, and instead stubbornly persisted with the challenge, iron-willed as ever.

The first obstacle was Soap’s stance, which wasn’t horrible to Ghost’s surprise, but it simply needed some tweaking. In efforts to help, Ghost stood just behind the heir, using his hands to fix his elbows and his boot to widen his feet. Somehow, the air had become heavy.

Despite that, it was not uncomfortable in any way. How could it be, when Soap laughed when Ghost made a comment on his tense muscles? Or when he directed Soap with his first swing and the weight was miscalculated and sent them both tumbling? There was no anger nor any annoyance.

“Okay, okay, I think I got it.” Soap smirked as the sun began to center itself in the sky. Ghost grinned, “Do you?” He was standing opposite of him now, leaving the man on his own to swing. His stance was perfect, blue eyes focused, spirit crackling with persistence.

What a sight. He almost kicked himself for seeing this as an inconvenience at first, when a man like Soap made it the process anything but that. He pulled out his own dagger, beginning to approach the heir as a mock hostile.

Johnny stepped forward as told, holding the blade close as a shield. Ghost did the first strike, testing how fast the other man could react with his new knowledge. He reacted well and blocked his attack smoothly before twisting his grip on the hilt and driving the blade upward.

Even though Ghost managed to side-step him, he didn’t expect, however, for Johnny to not solely rely on the blade, but also seemed to have a knack for close combat. He swiftly slid into the area at Ghost’s right side, using his boot to knock into the back of his knee.

This effectively threw his balance off kilter, forcing him to force more weight into his left leg. Soap then used this to his advantage, using the flat side of the blade to knock hard against his chest.

Before he knew it, he was lying flat on his back with his own sword blade pointed directly at his face. Silence dragged on as both of their breaths were labored and their bodies stilled. Suddenly, the silence exploded as Johnny burst into laughter, smiling with all of his teeth.

“How was that then?” He asked eventually upon pulling Ghost back to his feet. The latter shook his head a fraction, secretly having a smile of his own underneath the fabric. “Not bad for a first-time, I suppose.” He took his sword back upon it being offered to him.

He paused for a moment before, “Still need a lighter sword.” Johnny simply laughed again. Fin.