Nikolai never shut up about his wife.
Price had heard it over comms more times than he could count, my wife says, my woman hates when I’m late, I’ll ask the wife if she’s free this weekend. Ghost had assumed it was an elaborate bit, Soap swore she had to be terrifying, and Gaz was convinced she didn’t exist at all.
So when Nikolai finally invited them out to his place, some sprawling, well-hidden cabin tucked deep into the Russian countryside, the Task Force arrived prepared for anything.
The door opened, and the first thing Ghost clocked was height. The second was sheer mass. The man standing there was taller than Ghost himself, broad-shouldered, thick through the chest and arms like he’d been carved out of concrete and stubbornness. A faint scar, hair pulled back, sleeves rolled to reveal forearms that looked more suited to snapping rifles than pouring tea.
He blinked at them once, slow and unimpressed.
Soap’s mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. “Uh...hi?”
Behind him, Nikolai’s voice carried from the kitchen, warm and familiar. “Lyubimyy? Who is it?”
The man snorted, stepping aside. “Your boys.”
Nikolai appeared a moment later, dish towel over his shoulder, smiling like the cat that ate the canary. His arm slid easily around the man’s waist, pulling him close without hesitation. “Ah. Finally. You meet my wife.”
Gaz very helpfully said, “Sir, that’s a bloke.”