#this is where otacon grabs him and kisses him

[distantsonata]

[broken-clover]

ACC Day 13- Autistic Character

A weird prompt for today, but I hope I at least sorta managed to fulfill it. It seems like this basically requires some messing around. I did my best.

Going with that, I went with something a bit different today. I’ve got some Metal Gear with Otacon/Snake and Sunny post-MSG4

For all of his peculiarities, Snake genuinely loves Hal.

After all the bullshit he was forced to live through, being with Hal was one of the few times he genuinely felt welcome. Hal was the closest thing he had to a real home after so long, one of the few things he still had that legitimately seemed happy to see him and made him feel like he belonged.

Hal had said to him way back when that they wanted to stay in touch. To live together until the end, to have someone be able to remember that he was alive. It seemed like whatever remained of the man’s innocence had flared up again, but Hal had been firm. Maybe it was just natural that he’d end up living with him. Snake hadn’t planned on it, but he couldn’t think of anywhere else to go. If he really was going to lie low and try to live the rest of his years in peace, it was nicer to spend it with someone else.

Heh...was he always such a sap?

It wasn’t really an easy transition, though not in the way he expected. Cramped quarters, tight schedules, and military rations quickly gave way to comfy beds, sleeping late, and fresh hot meals (thanks to Hal’s domestic skills and Sunny’s burgeoning cooking talent). It almost felt...too mundane for him. Snake wasn’t used to having the time to just sit and relax.

Otacon seemed to have taken to the whole ‘average everyday life’ thing a whole lot easier. Sure, he was still doing some side work for Philanthropy, but his new main source of income was IT work for local businesses, taking projects wherever needed. Inconsistent as it could be, he managed to make a pretty decent income off of it, enough to pay the lease for a quiet little house to raise Sunny in.

“Dave, have you seen my blue tangle?”

“Yeah, left it on the counter again.”

“Huh. Well, thanks!”

Sharing a living space with Otacon had the peculiar result of letting Snake learn more about the man’s weird little habits. Mostly harmless stuff, if annoying- like his tendency to leave dirty silverware on the counter- but something that often caught his eye were the weird little trinkets Hal kept strewn around the house. Not so much the anime paraphernalia, but the puzzle cubes, clicking chains, stress balls, and all manner of objects that seemed to serve no other purpose than something to be fidgeted with. He’d seen both Hal and Sunny fiddling with him, but he still couldn’t figure out what they were for.

He caught Hal twisting around a tangling chain as he entered the man’s study, simultaneously typing with his free hand on some project or another.

“Hal?”

“Oh! Hey, Dave.” The man spun around in his chair, smiling brightly. “Can’t thank you enough for handling the grocery run. I know I should have done it earlier, but my client decided they needed their project done a week in advance for no good reason. Sunny give you any trouble?”

“Nah, she’s a good kid. Dunno how someone her age can solve a Rubik’s Cube so quick, though. Clever girl.”

Hal brightened up even more at that, slipping out of his chair. “She does it even faster than I can. Did’ja get a movie?”

Saturday was movie day, a habit that Hal and Sunny seemed to have developed long before he arrived. He could see the novelty in it. They all took turns picking out movies from the local rental place that they thought would be fun to watch. Or, in Snake’s case, picking out some random film because he had no damn idea how to decide.

“Yeah, I got one. Dunno if a kid can watch it, though.”

“I can check.”

The two of them headed out towards the living room, where Sunny was sitting on the couch and twisting around a Jacob’s Ladder. She looked up at her caretakers, little legs kicking.

“Movie time?”

“Just about.” Otacon gave her a gentle pat on the head before picking up the rental box. “So, what did you two get?”

“Dunno.” Snake offered a shrug. “Something called ‘Rain Man,’ thought it might be good.”

Despite his efforts, he could literally see Hal wilt before his eyes. “What’s wrong? Bad pick?”

“Er, s-sorta. I guess not technically, but-”

The soldier gave him a look. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, it’s stupid, it’s totally fine if you want to-”

“Hal, just tell me what’s wrong.” His tone came out harsher than expected. He tried to soften it. “I want to understand the problem.”

The man blew out a strained exhale, not looking the other man in the eyes. “It’s got some harmful stereotypes in it. A-about autistic people like Sunny and me. It’s not really a bad movie, it just kinda...just kinda makes me upset? It’s dumb, I’m sorry, the whole ‘savant’ thing just really gets to me.”

Snake gave a noncommittal noise. “So that’s it.”

“It’s stupid. I’m sorry. I know it’s stupid-”

“Hal.” He placed a firm hand on the man’s shoulder. “For God’s sake, stop apologizing. I don’t mind. We can watch something else. It's okay.”

“Alright…” Hal still looked a bit downcast. “I’m so- er, darn it.”

Sunny pinched her eyebrows together. “Are you two fighting?”

“No, sweetie. Everything’s fine.” Hal gave her a tired smile.

Snake nodded. “Just picking a different movie to watch.”

Otacon recoiled slightly. “You sure that’s okay?”

“Not gonna watch something that makes you uncomfortable. You wanna watch that movie about the goldfish instead?”

The man smirked. “Ponyo. World-famous military man Solid Snake, watching Ponyo. Sure.”

“Ponyo!” Sunny clasped her hands together. “Popcorn too?”

“On it.” Snake took off to go retrieve one of the stovetop packets and a big bowl.

In a matter of minutes, the three of them were packed onto the sofa, watching the opening credits role. Hal can’t put into words how quietly relieved he is. Bright, cheery colors swim by as he twists a tangle in one hand, picking popcorn from the bowl on Snake’s lap with the other.

When he moved to grab another handful, he felt something ghost against his neck. Before he could react, he felt a kiss against his throat. Snake came back into his field of view a moment later, wearing the most impish smile he had ever seen.

Hal buried his face in his shirt collar, trying to hide the blooming red blush on his cheeks.

[faerieswing]

It’s Been A Long Time Coming, Final Chapter 

Title: It’s Been A Long Time Coming 

Pairing: Solid Snake/Otacon

Rating: M

Summary: The years-overdue conclusion of this story—will Dave finally admit how he truly feels about Hal? 

Notes: Can be read as a standalone if you want. Full story available on ao3. 

AO3Link

Snake looked down a seemingly endless hallway, checked from side to side and saw nothing but blank, gray walls. He felt a strong unease as he started to walk down the hall, soles of his sneaking suit nearly silent against the floor.

He pressed a finger against his ear and didn’t hear the telltale click that he was connected to anyone on the codec. He asked, “Otacon?” to no answer. Strange. He began to walk faster, no objective in his mind except to get to the end of whatever hall he was in.

The overhead lighting buzzed eerily as he progressed, the hall continuing to stretch off into the distance—he was no closer to seeing an outlet at the end than when he started.

“Snake!”

He stopped in his tracks, whipped around. It sounded like Hal. Snake took off into a sprint. The hall kept stretching on, no doors, windows, or markers of his position in sight. His heart began to beat faster, a numbness creeping up the back of his neck.

“Snake!”

This time Hal sounded even farther away, his shout coming from the opposite direction Snake was running. He spun around on his heels, straining to hear another sound. Nothing. He weighed the options, then took off running again towards the sound.

“Otacon?!” He shouted, hoping for a reply from the codec, from anywhere.

He ran another minute, beginning to come out of his careful, cautious stance, instead nearing a full sprint. Where in the hell was he? Why was he here?

“Snake, please!” The voice was louder, but strained, almost choking. Snake felt a rising panic—what in the hell is going on?—and he only halfway swallowed it down as he pulled out his M-9.

The lights flickered harder above, the temperature seeming to drop. Snake clenched his jaw tight, trying to steady his breathing. Being afraid would do nothing.

“Snake!”

This time it was a full scream. Snake shouted back, “Otacon?! Where are you?!”

More running. More hallway.

Finally he reached some sort of split in the corridor—left and right. He bounced on the balls of his feet, weight each direction, listening hard for any more indication of where Hal could be. “Otacon?” Nothing. He puffed out a hard breath and chose left.

“Please . . .”

Hal’s voice was quieter, heavy with pain, somewhat muffled as if he were doubled over. Snake felt his stomach drop, his ears hot with fast-pulsing blood. He put his weapon back in its holster and took off in a full sprint.

The walls began to twist, the floor lurching as if there were a small earthquake breaking its way through the ground. Snake dodged the waves, not questioning the why anymore. He had to get to Hal. Now.

He tried the codec again—nothing. He cursed as he ran, his muscles beginning to cry out but he drowned the pain in another surge of adrenaline. Someone had Hal—someone found him.

The hallway turned sharply and Snake’s feet skid as he came around the corner. Then he saw movement, pulled up, frozen for a moment.

Hal was being held, an arm tight around his neck, his glasses lost somewhere. Bright red blood trickled down his jaw and neck. Snake lunged forward, wanting to grab him.

“Snake,” a heavy voice said, the man holding Hal. A familiar voice. The face unblurred, coming suddenly into view.

“Fox?” Snake spat out, unable to hide his confusion.

He reached back and gripped his M-9, pulling it out as he side-stepped to try to get a better angle, one where Hal was out of the line of fire. But Fox shifted, too, grip tightening around Hal’s neck. Hal winced in pain, meeting Snake’s eye.

“Let him go.” Snake tried to sound firm, not pleading or desperate but the fear was creeping into his voice.

Fox just smiled, threw his head back some and laughed. Snake raised the gun, but Fox just laughed more, pulled one arm behind him, still holding Hal tight with the other. Fox pulled out a gun of his own—raised it to Hal’s temple.

Snake shouted, “No—Hal!” and started to run forward, reaching out his hand, looking into Hal’s eyes—reaching—

There was a deafening burst, the squeezing of the trigger—

**

Dave woke up in the middle of jerking his arms wildly, his heartbeat loud in his ears. He whipped his head around, scanning the darkness of the room, sitting upright in the bed. His eyes weren’t adjusted to the darkness, the world still practically spinning beneath him. Quickly he tossed an arm over to the other side of the bed, landed on a jumble of blankets, but nothing else. Fear gripped the back of his neck. Where was Hal?

He shoved aside the covers, moved briskly to the door, swing it open, and winced against the light coming from a lamp across the room. He heard the quiet clicking of long fingers against a keyboard and felt his mind ease with recognition.

He padded barefooted across the carpet, coming up behind Hal, who sat hunched forward in a folding chair, fingers moving quickly across the keys. Dave cleared his throat quietly to let him know he was there before reaching out to touch his shoulder, relief instantly racing up his arms from the feeling of Hal’s warm back.

Hal was focused on his code, so he didn’t miss a beat with his fingers, but turned his head slightly to kiss the top of Dave’s hand, eyes never leaving the screen. “Having trouble sleeping?” He asked in a slightly distracted tone.

Dave slid his hands down Hal’s shoulders to his chest, leaning down to bury his face in Hal’s thick hair. He breathed in his smell, closing his eyes—this was really him, perfectly whole and safe, perfectly oblivious to the dangers waging battle in Dave’s mind.

“Mmm,” Dave grumbled in reply, lowering his face more to press lips against Hal’s neck, feel his pulse point, the beautiful, even sound of his lifeforce. Dave rubbed his fingers lightly into the fabric of Hal’s t-shirt, feeling his heartbeat there, feeling his warmth.

Hal laughed softly, his chest wobbling a little. “I’m getting pretty close to a breakthrough on those security cameras, so I’m going to be a little while yet.”

Dave picked up the hint, but still took a few extra long moments to run his mouth along Hal’s ear, dragging his lips up to kiss his temple, squeezing his ribs sofly. He felt more than heard a sigh escape Hal, but pulled himself away to let him finish working.

“Won’t be much longer,” Hal said quietly, shifting himself around in the chair but not turning around.

Dave shuffled away, looking for his cigarettes. The physical distance from Hal was already allowing the lingering unease from the nightmare to creep back into his stomach and chest. Finding his pack and slipping on a pair of shoes, he opened the sliding door to the small deck area and stepped outside.

It was a cool night, but the crisp air felt welcome against Dave’s hot, sweat-covered skin. He lit a cigarette and settled in front of the deck’s railing, leaning forward on his elbows and sighing heavily.

Flashes from the dream played behind his eyes—Hal’s face skewed in pain, the sinking truth that no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t protect him, from everything, from the world he helped create, from reality.

Dave blew a wisp of smoke out into the night, his stomach knotting itself into a hot ache. He had been stupid to think that things could be different this time—that he’d changed. That his love could do anything but put a target square on Hal’s back. Everyone that got close to him got hurt, even those he couldn’t fully love—Frank, Meryl.

Everyone he ever cared about had been taken from him. Could he really throw that risk onto Hal? Could he handle losing any more? Dave shook his head to himself—maybe his original instinct to run away had been right. Maybe the last several months were irresponsible. Naive.

He closed his eyes and saw Hal’s body dropping. Lifeless. He swallowed hard, taking another drag and holding the smoke in his lungs until it burned and he felt his eyes start to water. The smoke coughed out after another moment, bitter grey clouding around him. What did he really think was going to change?

After the first cigarette, he lit another. Love had made him weak.

**

Maybe a half an hour later, the sliding door squeaked open for a moment. Dave turned around, saw Hal peak his head out, shudder, then turn around back into the house. About a half a pack of cigarettes deep and fully sunk into self-loathing, Dave turned back around and glared into the tree line. When the door slide open again, he didn’t turn around.

Hal appeared in his peripheral vision, a thick woven blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He held the two ends of the blanket, clutched close to his chest as he positioned himself shoulder to shoulder with Dave.

“The security in the Patriots training facility is the best of the best. I don’t think there’s a single blind spot in any of the hallways or classrooms. It’s. . .” he paused, shuffled the blanket around, “unfortunately impressive.”

Dave blew a last puff of smoke off to the side, snubbed out the remainder into a nearby glass jar he’d been using as a makeshift ashtray. He resisted the urge to put an arm around Hal, instead looking down at the cracking wood of the balcony.

“But I’m working on a way to clone some of the security cameras so we can work around it. It’s not foolproof, but we’ll find a way.”

Dave just nodded, not sure what else to add. He wasn’t in any mood to talk work—to talk about another mission where Hal would be put in danger. Hal must have picked up on Dave’s unease, so he added, “But that’s enough work talk tonight.” He moved in closer, rested his head against Dave’s shoulder. “It is really beautiful out here,” he said softly, changing the subject, apparently knowing Dave couldn’t do it himself.

The resolve Dave built up in solitude wasn’t much of a match for the warmth of Hal at his side. He put an arm around Hal, leaning his cheek down to press against the top of his head. Hal understood the nightmares, knew well enough after dozens of attempts to calm Dave that talking about something else worked best. Dave felt a small pang of regret that he’d put Hal through comforting him enough times that it was almost routine now.

“What’s your favorite constellation?” Hal asked, looking up into the sky.

Dave shrugged, considering resisting the comfort. “Never thought about it.”

“Really?” Hal asked. “Never been much into astronomy?”

Dave shifted on his feet back and forth some, resolve weakening more. “No, too much to worry about down here.”

Hal clucked his tongue lightly. “The stars have everything to do with us.”

“Oh, yeah? How’s that?”

“We’re only here because of the stars,” he said matter of factly.

Dave laughed. “Is this some kind of alien theory? Have you been on those conspiracy message boards again?” He felt the warmth of Hal’s shoulder spreading into his whole body, quelling the loud voices of doubt, at least for the time being.

Hal jerked his head up momentarily to shoot a glare at him, “No, Dave, this isn’t an alien thing.” He shifted his blanket around to be able to attempt air quotes, and he rolled his eyes in a way that made Dave smile. “I’m talking bout the building blocks of the universe coming from the explosions of stars billions of years ago.”

Dave looked up at the stars, squeezing Hal’s shoulder, the cue to continue with the science lesson.

“All the basic components of life as we know it came from the insides of long-ago exploded stars. Oxygen, nitrogen, carbon—all from the insides of old stars.”

“What about aliens?” Dave asked playfully.

“Well, obviously we can assume they are also carbon-based, but. . .” He paused. “You’re making fun of me.”

Dave squeezed him in closer. “No.”

Hal lightly elbowed him in the side, but continued, “The fact that we’re made up of the same atoms as the stars means that we are just as connected to space as we are to the earth.”

“Hmm, I never thought about it that way before.” Dave looked up at the stars, then back down at the way their light reflected off the side of Hal’s face.

“It’s a nice way to think about the universe,” Hal continued, “that we’re all connected by these basic atoms, and that we’re at our core the same, all relatives of stars in the sky.”

Dave smiled at that, imagining the light of the cosmos swirling around inside Hal’s heart and chest.

“When you think of yourself as being made up of star stuff, it’s pretty easy to feel strong.” Hal laughed softly, turned his head to look over at Dave, shifting around in the embrace.

Looking down at Hal’s face, Dave felt a hard tingle in his chest. He looked into Hals’ grey eyes—firmly believing that they could only be made up of the light from hundreds of stars, of all the magic in the universe. Hal smiled back at him, cheeks blushing some.

“It helps me to know that we’re not so different from one another, you know? At our core. That maybe what connects us is stronger than what keeps us apart. Some kind of home in there.” Hal sighed, looking back out into the endless sky.

Dave reached out and cupped Hal’s cheek, tracing the play of the light across his jaw with his thumb. How could he have ever doubted this? How could he doubt Hal’s continued optimism, his unshakable belief in the good of the world?

He stared hard at Hal’s lips, their curve down into his cheek, the upward sweep of his cheekbone. He worked back up to those eyes—nothing short of the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

A little self-conscious, Hal laughed again. “What?” It was his way of asking what Dave was thinking.

Dave felt a buzzing in his ears, his limbs going slightly numb. He brushed his fingers against the side of Hal’s face, rested his touch under his chin. He opened his mouth, could only nervously sigh. Hal tilted his head into his touch, eyes curious and bright. What else was he waiting for?

“Hal, I. . .” he started. Looking into his face directly was too much, so he pulled him into a hug, pressed his lips against Hal’s ear—a few shaky breaths. He felt Hal adjust against him, putting one hand against Dave’s chest, the other clutching at his arm.

“Hal, I love you,” he murmured breathlessly, gripping tight to the blanket around Hal’s shoulders, other hand warmly squeezing the back of Hal’s neck. There was a heavy pause, Hal going fully still in his arms. Dave felt frozen, could barely feel any part of his body, stomach dropping into the center of the earth.

Hal pulled back, looked up to search Dave’s face, his eyes wide open, mouth shaking. “S—say that again,” he stuttered out, his voice full of disbelief.

“I love you,” Dave said again, the phrase feeling foreign on his tongue but not at all in disagreement with his heart.

Hal’s face brightened, the doubt slowly fading into surprise. His cheeks grew pinker, flushing all the way up his neck and to his ears. “Oh . . . I . . . thought I’d misheard you,” he said softly, looking away some for a moment. Then he focused back on Dave, licking his lips. “R—really?” he asked, earnest.

Dave’s heart melted, drowning all of the nasty thoughts his brain could think up, all of the fear and doubt. A surge of affection nearly dropped him to his knees, and he couldn’t hold Hal close enough.

“Yeah,” he said, reaching up and running both hands through Hal’s hair. “Really.”

A smile blossomed across Hal’s face that put the entire galaxy to shame. Dave leaned in, kissed him gently, slowly, tasting everything about the moment. Hal kissed him back, dropping his blanket and grabbing the back of Dave’s head, lifting up on his toes to meet him fully, hip to hip, chest to chest.

“Dave,” he murmured, lips loosely kissing between sighs. “I never thought. . .”

Dave held Hal’s face close, palm against the back of his head. “Me neither,” he said, nudging his nose against Hal’s chek

With a long sigh, Hal dropped his head to Dave’s shoulder, burying his face in his chest and neck, shoulder shaking some. Dave put both arms around him, holding him tight. “Oh, God, Dave, I am happy and terrified at the same time. Ha, what. . .”

Dave could relate so closely to that sentiment that he couldn’t help but laugh. “What do we do now?” he finished for him, rubbing Hal’s back.

“I don’t know. I never thought this would happen. Never to me.”

“Does that mean you feel the same way?” Dave questioned, voice gentle.

Hal immediately pulled up, looked wide eyed at Dave, horror stricken. “Oh, God, yes. Yes! Of course. I’m so sorry, I just got caught up and—”

Dave brushed the backs of his fingers down Hal’s cheek, slowing him down. Hal flushed again, licked his lips, then locked eyes with Dave, face turning very serious. “I love you.”

A warmth blossomed out from the center of Dave’s chest, spreading all down his limbs, his head feeling slightly fuzzy. He smiled, feeling his face flush with relief, the revelation that he’d opened his soul up and hadn’t had it stepped on.

With equally pink cheeks, Hal leaned back into Dave’s chest, clutching tight to his back, face buried in the smoky heat of his neck and chest. “Have you ever . . . before?” He asked softly.

Dave wrapped his arms around Hal fully, threading fingers through the hair at the base of his neck. “Not like this,” he answered truthfully.

“Yeah,” Hal nodded against his chest. “Yeah.”

They held onto each other for several moments, the gravity of this change settling around them. Dave felt a pang of worry about what this was going to mean for the future—would he really be able to take the risks necessary during missions, knowing that any misstep might keep him from coming home to Hal? Would Hal let him take on some of the riskier moves? Was that really such a bad possibility?

“Come on, let’s go inside before you turn into a popsicle.” Hal quickly agreed, taking Dave’s hand and pulling him back into the house.

** In the bedroom, Dave sat lightly on the foot of their bed, holding onto both of Hal’s wrists, gazing up into his face.

Hal smiled down at him, cocking his head to the side coyly before crawling into Dave’s lap. Hands quickly encircled Hal’s hips.

“How long have you known?” Hal asked, leaning in to murmur against Dave’s ear.

“A while.” He nuzzled into Hal’s neck. “The summer.”

A quiet tsk came from Hal. “Summer—you sure do keep a guy waiting.”

Dave had to laugh at that. “I could say the same to you,” he countered, slipping fingertips below Hal’s loose shirt. “How long have you known?” He squeezed Hal’s waist.

“Hard to say,” he replied, lips ghosting against Dave’s earlobe.

“Hard to say?”

A chuckle, then a warm kiss below his ear, another between neck and shoulder. Dave ran his nails lightly down Hal’s back, closing his eyes. “In a way I knew that very first night we kissed.”

“Oh?”

Hal lightly traced down Dave’s shoulders with his palms, kissing his neck more deeply. “Yeah. I knew something was different. You know?”

“I do,” Dave nodded, one hand coming up to draw connected circles on the back of Hal’s neck, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

“Never felt anything like that before.” Hal kissed the side of Dave’s jaw, beginning to gently sway forward and backward against Dave’s hips.

A warmth trickled down from the base of Dave’s skull, his skin starting to heat up. He gasped quietly, pulling Hal in a little closer.

“It’s a cliche, but,” Hal paused, tipping Dave’s face to the side with his fingertips, looking him in the eye, “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

Dave stared hard back into Hal’s eyes, stomach fluttering, breathless. “You saved me first,” he managed. Hal smiled, flushing a little. “I love you so fucking much, Hal.” Dave quickly closed the gap between them, kissing Hal, opening his mouth to pull in his upper lip, hands firm on his hips.

“I love . . . you, too. . .” Hal murmured between kisses, starting to grasp at Dave’s chest and back, fingers wrapping in his shirt.

Dave ran open palms up Hal’s back, clutching at the thin fabric of his shirt. He wanted to touch everywhere at once, to practically climb inside him. His hands ran down Hal’s back and sides, fingertips sliding down the waistband of Hal’s pajama pants, gripping his hips and tugging him forward, arching his own hips upwards in return. Dave felt Hal slip his tongue into his mouth, tilting his face to the side, tongues rubbing gentle circles against each other, breathing heavy already.

“I never want to let you go,” Dave gasped as Hal pulled away to kiss the side of neck.

“I never want you to,” he murmured, hands coming to either side of Dave’s face. Hal pushed back Dave’s hair, watching him with dark eyes, mouth parted. “Fuck,” he breathed, then dove back in to kiss him, open mouthed and filthy.

Despite wanting to take his time, really savor the moment, Dave found one of his hands pressed between their bodies, palm rubbing against Hal’s cock through his pajama pants, teeth tugging on Hal’s lower lip. Chills ran down his arms as Hal’s hips canted back against his hand. He tipped Hal backwards a little as he rose off the bed some, surging forward to deepen their kiss more, holding Hal’s hips with both hands now, his cock pushing against the base of Hal’s.

“Here, let me,” Dave mumbled, pulling back some so he could pull Hal’s t-shirt over his head. Hal wiggled around on his lap, smiling back at him—Dave wasn’t sure if his heart could feel any fuller. He pressed his lips to Hal’s chest, lining open-mouthed kisses from one nipple to the other. “Your body is perfect,” he said, breath hot against Hal’s pale skin. “I can’t get enough of you.” The light wasn’t very bright in the room, but he could see Hal’s skin growing slightly pink.

Before he Dave knew it, Hal’s pajama pants landed on the floor, his own quickly following, then he heard the sound of their bedside drawer opening, a bottle and foil package pressed into his hand as Hal moaned against the side of his neck, “Please.”

Hal stayed on Dave’s lap, knees against the bed, arms wrapped around Dave’s shoulders, head lolling backwards as one finger entered inside of him. Dave kissed and bit up the side of his neck, breathing hard, cock twitching as it brushed against Hal’s inner thigh. He tried to take his time again, but Hal kept pleading, “Come on,” so he added a second finger, then a third, teeth against Hal’s earlobe, Hal’s fingernails digging trails into his back.

“Now. Please, Dave,” Hal mumbled, reaching with one arm to grab the lube and the condom, shoving them against Dave’s chest.

In a few moves, Dave was ready, positioning himself, but pausing to catch Hal’s eye before going any farther. Hal stared back at him, mouth slightly open as Dave slowly entered inside, eyes closing for a moment as he softly swore, “Fuck,” but opening again, gaze steady. Dave let out a shaky breath, a shiver running down his back from the base of his skull. He gripped Hal’s hips as he pushed inside fully, holding there for a moment, then kissing Hal’s lips gently as he began to slowly, deeply thrust into him. Hal moaned into his mouth and Dave smiled against his mouth, his heart near to bursting.

Hal raised and lowered his hips, taking a few beats to get in sync with Dave’s movements, then settling into a slow, aching, amazing rhythm. Dave could feel every thrust in his chest, tingles shooting up his back, his arms. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” Hal kept moaning between gasps, his forehead pressing against Dave’s. Dave could feel Hal’s cock dripping, twitching against his stomach as he moved, so he wrapped a firm hand around him, stroking along with his thrusts, still keeping the rhythm slow but knowing neither was probably going to last too much longer, not tonight.

It was getting harder to keep his eyes open, but Dave tried to fight it, wanting to watch Hal’s face. Hal seemed to be struggling as well, but he caught as many glances as he could, surging forward to catch his mouth, kissing him long and deep, revelling in the sound of their breath mixing, bodies coming together, the way his own moans sounded against Hal’s.

The slow motion of his hips, his cock sinking deep into Hal, the feel of Hal’s skin below his fingers, Hal’s breath against his mouth—it was overwhelming, amazing. Before long, the tingles below Dave’s stomach started to pulse more urgently, his hips slowing just a little to draw out each movement, his jaw going slack, pressing his forehead to Hal’s cheek as the waves of warmth kept getting larger. “Ha–Hal, love you, love—ahhhh.” His eyes squeezed shut as he started to come, thrusting a little harder as he did, seeing all those stars in the sky behind his eyelids.

A few moments later, Hal started shuddering in his lap, his muscles clenching over and over. “Oh, God, Dave,” he moaned, coming hard into Dave’s hand, collapsing forward as they both fell backwards against the bed, still tangled up in each other’s limbs.

Hal squirmed around a little to deposit his glasses on the side table, then to find a comfortable position, head resting on Dave’s shoulder. “Wow,” was all he could manage.

“Yeah,” Dave agreed, his head light, chest moving rapidly along with his breath. Could all of this be real, truly real? Or was he dreaming again?

After a few quiet moments of catching their breath, Dave readjusted, moving onto his side so he could push Hal’s damp hair off his forehead. Hal smiled back at him sleepily. “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up,” Dave confessed, looking away for a moment, then back to Hal’s gaze, jaw growing a little tight.

“I mean, I am a dream come true,” Hal teased, eyes light. “But I don’t think you’re dreaming right now.”

Dave laughed, leaning forward to press a kiss to Hal’s forehead.

“This is about as real as it gets, I think,” Hal said, voice growing more serious.

“Yeah,” Dave agreed. He settled back against the pillow, reaching one hand out to draw along Hal’s cheekbones with his thumb.

“I am so glad you told me,” Hal said, closing his eyes to enjoy the touch on his face.

“Me, too.”

“I don’t ever want you to stop saying it.”

“I won’t.”

**

Epilogue Dave peeked into the bedroom, movements quiet so he wouldn’t wake either of them. Hal was on the bed, propped up with a large stack of pillows against the wall. His glasses were still on as he slept, Sunny’s fuzzy head pressed against his cheek, her small body curled against his chest.

Dave used to think there was a strict limit on the capacity of his heart, a limit that was met years and years ago. Then he met Hal. But even then, when he thought there surely couldn’t be any more room left, he just kept being proven wrong. And though it still scared him, sometimes nearly knocked the breath from his lungs, left him awake and sweating in the middle of the night, he was starting to believe that maybe, just maybe, he deserved this feeling.

[0ld-snake]

ship sent: snotacon?

who wakes up first in the morning: That’d be Snake, he always wakes up first and goes to do some stretches and workouts, to keep himself spry even if he doesn’t really have to anymore. Guy’s never really been able to sleep in, and he takes enough naps in the day time anyway. Otacon is usually up most nights on the computer, so he prefers to sleep in.

who’s the first to fall asleep at night:Snake again. You could cover his eyes and he’d pass out probably. (PROBABLY NOT but nothing like a cozy bed.)

what they playfully tease each other over:Anime, being old, bad habits, that time Otacon pissed himself and hid in a locker, Snake’s mullet, Snake being that Cool Action Movie guy but in Real Life, the fact neither of them know how to raise a 7 year old girl but are trying their best, GAY BEARS

what they do when the other’s having a bad day:Depends on the kind of bad day, but often they give each other some distance until 1) one requests the other or 2) they’ve let off their steam and are okay with being approached. 

how they say ‘i’m sorry’ after arguments:Snake usually comes to Otacon and rubs his back and that gets Otacon to turn and hug him tight.Otacon will bring Snake a warm mug of tea or coffee and smiles at him, or cup noodles or something similar. Warmth. They’ll sit on the couch together and watch movies or anime under a nice blanket and just relax in the silence.

which one’s more ticklish:Otacon. Waaay more.

their favourite rainy day activities:Reading, working on stuff, curling up on the couch together and watching movies, napping, looking over whatever the government pinned on them and laughing about it, watching the news and reminiscing on the past. Snake will try to help Sunny with whatever she’s working on but also remember he Doesn’t Know How.

how they surprise each other:Otacon is always careful about it with Snake because he doesn’t wanna give him a Heart Attack, so he doesn’t make a habit of it.Snake, on the other hand, will use the octocamo to disguise himself as part of the house or hide in boxes, under the table, and GRAB OTACON’S LEG. Snake is a bag of shit is what I’m saying. HE DOESN’T PLAY FAIR

their most sickening shows of public affection:Back in 2007-2011, Snake used to kiss up Otacon’s neck at parks or restaurants just to fluster the other. It got to a point where they were watching some sort of Highly Anticipated Movie and Snake just turned and BIT Otacon on the neck and he yelped so loudly that the entire theatre shushed him.

Snake had to sleep on the couch, 

Nowadays Snake’s a bit too old for PDA, but they still hold hands at least. He doesn’t want Otacon to look or feel weird about holding hands with an old man, but Otacon maintains he doesn’t care about that. “You’ll always be my Dave.”

[simonsaidfred]

Love Forever, an Otasune Fic

(I Already Have Over 9,000 Writings I’m Working On, Here’s A Random Drib!Fic it gets a bit smutty at the end but it’s mostly shippy slighty au, probably somewhere circa MGS2 also, can you tell I’ve been obsessed with cleancore blogs lately?)

Snake held two bottles to his face, scowling and squinting at the labels. Which one is bubble bath…? He wanted… an obscene amount of bubbles. A Curly Sue amount of bubbles. Otacon had been hunched over his computer for days now, hacking here, coding there, working all the while. He threw words around like Breakthrough! and Nine months of work finally paying off! and Philanthropy isn’t going to be fringe anymore! He wasn’t wrong - the progress he was making toward… whatever… was unprecedented. Snake was, as always, impressed with his partner. However, what he wasn’t impressed with was the smell. All the hacking and coding and dozing off for moments at a time at his computer, only to jerk awake and continue to work - other than quick breaks, he hadn’t spent more than one minute at a time in the bathroom. Personal hygiene had gone by Otacon’s wayside. And Snake had had enough. I’m sure a bath would help him relax, Snake reasoned. When was the last time Otacon relaxed? The mission was Operation: Bathe Otacon, and it began immediately. …after a trip to the store. They had basically nothing by the way of shower products, and certainly nothing fancy - dollar store bottles of White Rain 3-in-1 that were three fourths water, and a couple of travel size bottles of store brand dandruff shampoo. This would never do. Snake grabbed his wallet and car keys, approaching Otacon from five o'clock. The scientist startled slightly when the soldier’s caressing hand made contact with his shoulder, and then relaxed into the stroking sensation. “Hey Snake, you’re never going to believe this. I created a whole new interface for the new version of the codec I’ve been working on, and Nastasha sent me some –” “That’s fantastic. Listen, I’m going to the store for a few things. Do you need anything?” “Just for you to come back.” Otacon pushed against the desk to spin around, smiling up at Snake. He perched criss-cross applesauce on the office chair, right knee bouncing slightly. He wore a heather grey t-shirt with a picture of an anime on it, and pajama pants patterned with the same cute cartoon over and over. Snake leaned over, kissing Otacon on the cheek, then backing away immediately. “Teeth. Brush them while I’m gone.” “O-okay…” Otacon stammered sheepishly, glancing down. Snake caught his chin with his hand, pointing his gaze back up. “You’re doing important work, work that no one else is capable of. Stepping away for a minute isn’t going to derail anything you’ve accomplished, Otacon.” With that, Snake kissed him firmly, lips pressed together, a quiet affirmation. When they separated, Otacon’s eyes slightly hazy, Snake teasingly pushed his shoulder, spinning him a quarter turn. “Seriously. Brush your teeth, nerd.” With that, he walked out the door. Otacon spun back to his computer, smiling. (Cue music: Push It To The Limit) Snake pulled into the parking lot of the Target. Shopping was difficult for the legendary mercenary; large crowds of unwashed masses tended to put him on edge. Wal Mart was basically impossible, and smaller dollar stores, which Otacon preferred, weren’t Snake’s favorite either.¹ Target would have to do. Snake stood in front of a wall of dozens of different varieties of bath soap under the bright fluorescence, arms crossed, finger raised to his pursed lips, deep in thought, pondering the eternal question.. Peach or apricot…? Snake was way out of his element here. He could disassemble and reassemble a gun in the time it takes to say “exfoliating body scrub,” but in settling between that and honey citrus coconut what the fuck ever… He needed help. An employee stood a bit down the aisle, facing shelves. Snake grumbled a bit, approaching from their seven. “Excuse me… I was wondering if you could help me.” The employee turned toward Snake’s voice, smiling helpfully. Her name tag stated her name, Lacey. “Sure! There’s quite a selection, it can be a bit overwhelming!” “I’ll say. I don’t know much beyond Lava and Irish Spring.” “Oh, gosh!” Lacey exclaimed. “Well, do you have anything in mind? Are you picking up something for your wi…?” “My partner,” Snake said, rubbing the back of his neck. “He really needs a nice, relaxing bath. I’m picturing a Curly Sue bubble bath.” “I love that movie!” Lacey laughed. “Bubble baths can be nice, but for deep relaxation, I would actually recommend a milk bath.” “A milk bath?” Snake raked his fingernails thru his six o'clock shadow thoughtfully. “Yeah. Here,” she reached down for a bottle. “This is a lavender chamomile milk bath. You can’t beat lavender or chamomile for relaxation.” Snake glanced at the label. Purple. He nodded appreciatively. “This is perfect.” “Let me know if you need help with anything else,” Lacey said with a smile, turning back to the shelves she had been tending to previously. Snake continued studying the shampoos, taking one down at random and popping the lid open to sniff it. Unsatisfied, he set it back down, gaze listing to the right aimlessly. What would Otacon like? His eyes settled finally on a black and red bottle. He picked it up, popping it open and inhaling the fragrance. Roses and berries. He turned the bottle over to read the label. Caress® Fine Fragrance Love Forever™². Snake stared at the label incredulously. We have a winner. Snake returned to the apartment, opening the door with a bit of trouble with the shopping bags. After a brief struggle and a bit of a commotion, he managed to get the door open, calling a greeting to Otacon. “Kept you waiting, huh?” Otacon was slumped at his keyboard, head resting on his crossed arms. His shoulders rose and fell evenly, three blue Z’s floating above his head. Snake closed the door behind him, setting his keys and the bags on the kitchen island. He crossed the living room to where the scientist slept, pulling the hoodie from the back of the chair over the sleeping man’s shoulders, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. Mint. Good boy. Snake made some tea and ran a bath. The bathroom mirror fogged from the steam floating in the air. A heavy foam of bubbles floated on top of the bath water. Once the tub was three fourths full, he shut the water off. “Otacon.” Snake rubbed the sleeping man’s shoulder. “Wake up.” “Huhh..” Otacon slowly sat up, sleepily wiping his mouth. “Oh, Snake.” He adjusted his glasses, which Snake gently plucked from his face. “Wha–” “Otacon, it’s time to take a bath.” Snake set the glasses on the desk, folded neatly. He took the hoodie from Otacon’s shoulders, returning it to the back of the chair. He then moved closer, hands on either side of Otacon’s shirt, lifting it with no resistance from him. “I have so much work to do…” Otacon began to protest weakly. “Yes, you do. We both do.” Snake placed his hands on Otacon’s shoulders, leaning in to kiss him. “But right now, you’ve got a warm bubble bath with your name on it.” “Snake…” The scientist eased into the bath with a blissful sigh. The soldier rolled up his sleeves, kneeling at the edge of the tub. He squeezed a palmful of Caress® Fine Fragrance Love Forever™ into his hand before raising a slight lather, massaging it into the scientist’s chest. “Snake, this is wonderful,” Otacon breathed into the steam. His hand reached up, grabbing Snake’s wrist. His eyes slid closed as he moved Snake’s hand down into the water to caress him. Snake smirked as he began to stroke slowly, his other hand reaching to unzip his jeans. His erection strained against the fabric, popping free to stand tall. Otacon opened an eye at the sound of unzipping, and then both eyes popped open. “Snake!” “Otacon…” Snake continued slowly stroking Otacon's​ cock as Otacon leaned over, his lips parted slightly, taking the head of Snake’s… well, snake into his mouth. Snake’s eyes slid closed as a low moan escaped from his parted lips. fade out ¹Otacon likes dollar stores because they often have obscure or bootleg toys, as well as cheap electronic components; Snake doesn’t like the narrow aisles (source: my headcanon) ²In researching body wash scents for this very fic, I found Caress® Fine Fragrance Love Forever™. Imagine my delight. Please pay me, Caress®. (Link to Caress® Fine Fragrance Love Forever ™ Otasune art I did as a companion piece to this.)

[raaidens]

4. Recovery

Series: Metal Gear Solid

Rating: T

Pairing: Snake/Otacon

Word Count: 1405

Description: Dave isn’t in bed when Hal wakes up.

Ficlet #4 for @snotweek 2017! 

Hal is cold when he wakes up. His mind is fuzzy, thoughts hazy like he’s thinking through TV static. Something is off, and it takes him a moment to realize that he should not feel cold, not when Dave had fallen asleep next to him. David, he realizes suddenly, is definitely not in bed. Hal bolts upright, groping for his glasses on the bedside table and clicking the lamp on. The motel room is small, small enough that Hal would have seen him immediately had Dave been here, but there's no sign of him in the dingy armchair next to the window or anywhere else. Panic settles low in his stomach.

The door to the bathroom is open, and the room is dark, so Hal knows he can't be in there. He turns toward the motel door then, and pauses to wonder if he should bring the handgun Dave insists he keeps in his backpack. After imagining himself having to explain why he's standing outside in nothing but a borrowed tee shirt and ill-fitting sweatpants holding a loaded gun, however, he decides it may be more trouble than it's worth. Instead, he slides on his shoes (Dave’s aren't where he left them, he notes) and slowly pushes open the door.

Hal feels every muscle in his body relax when he sees David leaning against the railing of the motel walkway, breathing a heavy sigh of relief. His leather jacket is slung over his shoulders, and while Hal can't see his hands, he can smell the cigarette smoke on the air and knows he must be holding one. Dave, however, doesn't turn around, even when Hal closes the door with a click behind him. “Dave?” his voice is soft, tentative. When Dave doesn't respond, he reaches out, laying his hand on his shoulder.

David pivots faster than Hal can react, throwing his hand off his shoulder and facing him down with wild eyes, all adrenaline and panic and muscle coiled beneath taut skin. “Don't-“ he falters before he manages to snarl the rest of the sentence. Hal has recoiled, backed himself against the door, and now he’s staring dumbstruck and frightened.

“Sorry,” his voice is small, frail, “sorry, sorry- I- I didn't mean-“ Hal stumbles over his words, eyes frantically trying to find anything that isn’t David’s face. This isn’t the first time David has panicked on him and snapped at him, but he still can’t help feeling like he’s fucked up, like somehow all of this is his fault, like he should have minded his own business and left well enough alone.

Hal hears more than sees Dave deflate, the fight-or-flight response draining from his system. “Hal,” he murmurs, and he sounds tired. Hal risks a glance up at him; there’s still a cigarette in his right hand, but the other is hovering inches from Hal’s shoulder. When Hal doesn’t move, he lets it fall to his side limply. “Sorry.” Now it’s Dave’s turn to avoid Hal’s eyes.

Hal lets out the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. “No, no,” he reaches out, fingers almost touching Dave’s before falling back again. “I just… nightmares again?”

David nods. “Yeah,” he takes another drag on his cigarette and makes sure not to blow smoke in Hal’s face. Hal coughs anyway. “I didn’t mean to snap at you,” he says, and his voice is far too small. Hal’s chest aches.

This time, Hal lets his fingers catch David’s. “It’s alright, Dave.” David grabs his hand like it’s a lifeline, holds on like it’s the only thing keeping him from drowning. “What did you dream about?”

“You know,” David shrugs, casual gesture belying the tension in every line of his body, “guns, killing people, other useless shit.”

“Dave,” Hal sighs. There are words left unsaid, a thousand things Hal knows David hears without him saying them.

David sighs, looks away, takes another drag on his cigarette. Hal is about to open his mouth to speak when David finally answers. “I know, I know,” he lets go of Hal’s hand and drags his own back through thick brown hair before he turns back to the railing, leaning out over the parking lot below. “We said we’d talk about this shit when it happens.”

Hal stands against the railing with him, shoulder-to-shoulder. “You could have woken me up,” he says. Dave’s jacket smells like gasoline and cigarette smoke and cheap cologne and home, the closest thing to home they have when they’ve lived so long on the road, and he finds himself leaning into him just a little more than he meant to.

Dave looks at him and cracks a smile, tired as it is. “You looked too cute to disturb,” he laughs, but it’s a hollow, tenuous peace. Hal rolls his eyes, bumps David with his shoulder. They fall quiet for a moment, watching a pair of headlights roll down the long, dark stretch of highway outside the shabby old motel.

“Outer Heaven,” Dave says finally, “and Zanzibar… Everything, really.” He drags his hand back through his hair. He’s never been good at this, and Hal knows it. It’s always been hard for David to just talk, especially about himself, and especially about things like this, so Hal stays quiet, listening.

It takes David a moment before he continues. “It’s always… different, but it doesn’t really stop, you know?” Hal just nods, clumsy fingers finding Dave’s on the railing and tangling with them. “It’s kinda funny,” David laughs, a rough, hoarse sound, “Big Boss told me it’d never go away. Guess I didn’t really believe him.”

Hal’s thumb rubs steady circles on the back of Dave’s hand, warm in the early spring chill. “It’s never that easy,” Hal says, somber and quiet. He knows from experience. Recovery isn’t something that comes easy to either of them.

“The killing, it’s… not as hard as you’d think,” David continues. “Not at first,” he takes a shuddering breath and Hal squeezes his hand, watching as David raises his cigarette to his lips again. The smoke makes Hal cough. Downstairs, they hear a set of footsteps on the concrete and both of them pause, waiting until they hear the creak of a door opening and shutting before David continues. “But it doesn’t leave you.” He looks at Hal then, and something in the intensity of his gaze makes Hal bite his lip. “I’ve killed a lot of people, Hal,” his voice is low. “I’m fucked up. You deserve better.”

“David,” Hal’s chest aches, “come on, you know that’s not true.” He reaches up, fingers soft, tentative on Dave’s cheek, turning his head and looking him in the eyes. “I love you.” The words hang in the cool air. Dave just looks at him, eyes almost unfocused, shaking under Hal’s gentle touch. “Besides,” Hal smiles awkwardly, “that’s my line.”

That seems to bring David back to earth, if only a little. He laughs, leans in close enough for their foreheads to touch. “Love you, too,” he breathes, and turns his head to press a kiss to Hal’s palm.

Hal brushes a stray bit of hair back from Dave’s face before he lets his hand fall back to his side. He smiles and Dave smiles back. “Thanks for talking to me about this.”

Dave drops his cigarette to the ground and stubs it out with the toe of his boot. “Thanks for letting me ramble,” he says in response, wrapping his arm around Hal’s waist and leaning in to kiss him, other hand tangling in his hair. Hal’s breathless, sighing into his mouth, swept away.

“So,” Dave says when they pull back, “did you bring the key?”

Hal looks at him in disbelief. “I thought you’d have one!”

Dave gives him a shrug and a toothy grin. “Thought you’d let me back in in the morning.”

“You’re impossible.”

“Mm, but I seem to recall you saying you loved me a few minutes ago, so I think that gets me a free pass.”

Hal rolls his eyes. “Well, you’ll be losing that free pass in a minute if you don’t get to work picking that lock. It’s cold out here.”

Dave shrugs out of his coat and slings it over Hal’s shoulders with a kiss to his forehead. “Alright, alright, I’ll get it.”

Hal settles onto the ground next to the door. “You better.” David gives him his goofy, lopsided grin, and they both laugh.