Getting Closer

Disclaimer: (Unfortunately) I do not own any of the characters... Kojima does

This is my first... so don't be too harsh...
English is not my mothertongue so please excuse my mistakes.

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chapter 1

The mission was cleared – not much effort, in fact, of course. After all he had Snake on his side, the man he admired the most, of course. How could Snake not have been his idol in so many ways when he was raised just to become a second version of him? Now that he’d finished the damn mission with exactly that man the thought of them on the bridge wasn’t even that hard to bear. Rose and that guy…

Raiden trudged ahead and didn’t stop until Snake yelled he should the hell wait. An old man was no racing boat. Raiden turned and grumpy stared upwards. Snake standing on top of the stairs threw some kind of bag towards Raiden. The blonde guy caught it in surprise and Snake said: “Hand it over to Otacon before evaluating the data tomorrow” Raiden stared up to Snake, still wondering.
“Some kind of backup copy he’s been asking for. Said something ‘bout
intelligence about a new Metal Gear model”
“So they are involved”
“Of course but I guess they’re just some kind of pawn on a chess board. They didn’t even got professional equipment”
Raiden shook his head and turned.
Snake was pissed and shouted: “Goddamnit, kid! You knew about her unfaithfulness. You knew that she’s been set on you”
“She told me she loved me…” Raiden started walking along the railing towards the place they’d fixed the little dinghy.
“It’s bothering you that much?”
“Snake! She nearly made me a father!”
“Then why have you been that calm, nearly released when you saw her?”
Raiden held on and stared out the bay.
“You really noticed that?”
“Well… me at least”
Snake also noticed something else but he wouldn’t tell. Since they caught Rose being unfaithful Raiden had avoided to look Snake straight into the eyes. But Snake himself concluded that this must be because the boy felt uncomfortable ‘cause he’s been relying on a person like Rosemary. She’s been working with their enemies – after all.
Raiden turned and said: “It was never my wish to become a father. I’m not supposed to – just like you” “I think there’s a lot more differences than you think, boy”, Snake frowned. He came downwards the stairs, passed Raiden and swung himself over the railing, gliding across a rope leading to the dinghy.
Raiden followed Snake.
When the younger man jumped into the boat he nearly fell into the river on its other side. Snake grabbed hold of Raiden's upper arm and pulled him back. He felt a little dizzy when the blonde man stumbled towards him. Raiden was a bit smaller than him and he could feel the younger ones hair rushing across his cheek.
Snake headed the boat along the tanker, to the other side of Hudson River and through some turnings until they reached a hidden place at the pier where Otacon was supposed to be waiting.
“Gotta get my stuff out of her apartment” Raiden mumbled.
“Huh?”
“Gotta get my – “
“Yeah, I got that!”
“Need an apartment”
“And we need talented guys… like you... so why don’t you stay with Philanthropy?” The words came without care and Snake nearly regretted them. But when Raiden didn’t shoot him a strange look he felt a little released.
“Huh?”
“…”
“You’re serious?”
“I don’t ask twice, kid”
“Okay, well… yeah” Raiden tried a smile. Snake looked aside. Then he rather stated than asked: “You don’t seem very sad... about this thing with Rose.”
“Uh, no not really. You were right with that released-feeling-thing I think”
"So what about your feelings toward her?"
"Non-existent"
It felt strange to sit in there in the dark and talk with Snake about such things.
Raiden was thankful about the darkness so the older man couldn’t see him blush.

Otacon took the two of them to his apartment.
A week later Raiden finally moved into his own one being placed exactly between Snake's and Hal's from the geographical point of view.
After three weeks sneaking around without real sense Raiden got called by Hal, he should hurry getting over to their next mission briefing.
By the time Raiden arrived Snake’s already been there.
Otacon immediately started briefing them and giving them intelligence on their new target. Again a tanker, Manhattan harbour, expected in about three hours, Hudson River. It seemed as they had Metal Gear devices
and additional equipment.
They will depart for Westport, Republic of Ireland in two weeks.
“Westport?” Snake got curious. “What the hell are they doing in Westport?”
“Just a stop. I guess they’re heading for St. Petersburg even though that makes no sense as well. The city is much too crowded to hide a nuclear power weapon formed like a giant robot properly. But there’s no other way to get to Russia over Europe – in case they’re heading there”
Snake sighed. “You’re ready for a walk to Brooklyn Bridge, boy?” Raiden nodded. “You should better go now” Otacon
recommended.

Snake and Raiden silently walked toward Lower East Side and then along the East River until they reached Brooklyn Bridge. And there they waited for almost two hours until a huge tanker came into sight. Snake and Raiden slowly walked along the river side, not letting the tanker get out of sight.
After another endless seeming hour the tanker was set up for the night and most of the crew – Russians as Otacon had guessed – left for enjoying the stay.
Snake and Raiden patiently stood in the dark next to an old warehouse.
Raiden peered around the corner, as well Snake did.
The boy blushed when he felt the warmth of Snakes chest next to his back. That was quite different from what he knew from Rose.

“That’s gotta be the captain. He’s not really Russian-looking.”
Snake never asks someone for their opinion but wants to be agreed with. That’s what Raiden learned from Otacon. “Y-yeah…” Raiden straightened up but Snake wouldn’t move.
After a while Raiden's back hurt and he tried again. Snake still didn’t move. Raiden grew impatient and pushed back further and expected Snake to get angry but he didn’t.
Some part of Raiden wanted to stop and concentrate on their mission – or at least what they came for. But the other part – the more emotional one – needed to go on. Raiden felt comfortable with Snake's body pressed against his own, feeling his heartbeat through the fabric of their shirts. He pushed back a little and finally stood straight again with his back feeling a little better.
Snake still stood close to Raiden and now the younger man wondered. From that position Snake couldn’t seen anything happening around the corner so why should the icy man keep such close contact? Raiden leaned back a little. Snake didn’t step backwards as he had expected. He turned his head a little but couldn’t see Snake’s face. So he decided to test the water and leaned back his head, placing it beside Snake’s collarbone even though he was a little anxious about the man's reaction.
Provoking Snake could mean sure death.
When Snake still wouldn’t move Raiden got a little more confident about what he wanted; He reached for Snake’s strained hands and placed them on his hips, his own hands on top. It felt strange and new to him. That was no comparison to Rose's weak thin hands on him – this was a whole level better and with a sudden rush of embarrassment he realized how drawn he was to Snake, how deep that attraction actually went.
After a few seconds Raiden could feel Snake relax a little. His grip on the younger man’s hips became more certain and Raiden shivered slightly as he pulled Snake's arms closer around his chest, the inner tense intensified.
Snake folded his hands across the boy's chest when they were close enough.
Raiden noticed that and blushed at the unexpected response. Were they really doing this? Was he really feeling this? That was pretty close to fiction and Raiden felt a sudden shiver of comfort on his skin when he realised that it felt real, that it felt so good. But there was as well an indefinable insecurity weighing on his heart that stood against it.

He turned a little, checking out Snake's reaction. Nothing… well, then further, still nothing. He completely turned and looked Snake straight into the unbelievably green eyes, the first time since their last bigger mission. Snake still had his arms wrapped around the boy.
Raiden couldn’t stand it anymore and surrendered to his feelings. He placed his hands on Snake's chest, heartbeat fastening, and reached up to kiss him, hoping for a little wonder. Hasn't it been Snake himself who told him? Who dares wins?
When he softly touched the man's lips with his own he could feel the other one's hands trembling and he looked aside, embarrassed.
“Sorry” Raiden mumbled.
But Snake didn’t lower his hands. Good sign, Raiden thought but then he felt a sudden rush of panic, the idea of letting Snake go was pulsing awfully from the inside and this situation was not one snake could easily live with. Raiden looked up in fear of being pushed aside.
The older man looked confused but not disgusted or something.
But he didn’t smile neither.
Raiden felt those warm hands on his back that made him feel so save and secure.
He looked at Snake's neck that was right in front of his eyes.
Seductive. That position was quite tempting.
If he was going to get shot by an angry Snake anyway he could at least make it worth dying for, right?
Looking up into Snake's eyes he moved his hands slowly upwards across his T-shirt. Reaching his shoulders Raiden shyly but wanting wrapped his fingers around Snake's neck, pulling him closer.
Snake gave in with a sigh. Their mouths slowly approached and finally ended up kissing.
This second kiss was a way more intensive than the previous one. Raiden opened his mouth a little and sighed
pleasurably when he felt Snake’s tongue between his lips.
The younger man closed his eyes in delight and suddenly a huge tense that’s been building since he met Snake the first time on the Big Shell, intensifying every time he got closer to the man he was feeling for that strange way, rushed off his heart and he smiled and leaned into that kiss he’s been waiting for so long. He delightedly tasted the sweetness of the older man's palate and took in every detail of his scent, while their tongues were tangling.
Snake suddenly moved his hands across Raiden's hips, up his chest, over his cheeks and softly pushed the younger man away. He didn’t look him into the eyes, but leaned his own forehead against Raiden's.
“That’s enough” he whispered, silently gasping for breath.
Then he turned and moved to the opposite end of the warehouse.
“We’re done here. Gotta return” Then he was gone.
Raiden in a complete surprise was shivering in a sudden wave of fear. Hell, what had he done?
After a second of whirling thoughts he forced himself to follow Snake and forget about what just happened. It didn’t mean anything and now that he thought about it, it doesn’t even seem to be real. The tense, though, rebuilt.

They walked home next to each other without saying a word, just as they always did.