Getting Closer

Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me...

chapter 3
Not Really Working

When Raiden woke up the next morning he found himself lying in his bed. He sat up and looked around. Ten o’clock. He wondered how he got here. He just knew that he’d been in the kitchen and then…
He suddenly blushed and tried hard to suppress a grin. Now that he remembered it…
“Unreal” he whispered and forced himself to get up. He wanted to know where Snake was but didn’t dare to hurry. The other could think of him as a little freaky high school girl who pursues her idol.
Raiden managed to find some clean black boxer shorts with two white stripes on each side and a dark blue adidas T-shirt.
He had taken some clothes to Hal’s apartment because this would be a longer stay. They wanted to get that tanker but previously they had a lot of work to do. So Snake and Raiden had invited themselves to stay here. Hal had been pretty upset at first but Raiden promised to cook every evening. For that you have to know that Hal normally lived on fast food and without the Pizza-delivery-service around the corner he would have been dead already.
Even Snake was very pleased about that, even though he used to criticize when Raiden did the cooking.
Raiden, anyhow, left his room and automatically moved toward the kitchen. He loved living alone. The first thing he did each morning was eating as much as he could. Rose always got upset when he ate more than her – the problem had just been that Rose seemed to be on a lifetime-diet.
Five minutes Raiden stood in front of the fridge not knowing what to eat. The only apple looked a little… strange, and the only bottle of milk was empty. Raiden wondered who the hell would put an empty milk…
“Whatever” he sighed and shook his head. He closed the fridge door and looked around. All they had was beer and Raiden knew what beer in the morning was like. Disgusting.
So he strolled back to the living room and found some chocolate on the table in front of the TV. Disgusting, as well.
Raiden got angry and stared out of the window. In fact he wasn’t looking for food anymore but for Snake. Where did he go? Raiden hoped he would goddamnit return with something to eat.
He walked through the apartment and noticed a small note on the chaotic kitchen table.
He picked it up and then tore it to pieces.
“Shopping”
“Shopping? That’s all? What about ‘Good morning’ or ‘back in a minute’? But ‘Shopping’?” Raiden sat on a chair, exasperated. But when he thought about it… was he expecting too much? They just kissed. Things were just starting up. Raiden still had to learn about how Snake used to express his feelings. He smiled. It was probably a huge progress - a wonder in fact - that Snake left a message for him.
Because there was nothing else to do Raiden devoted to the mission plans.

“You’re really working?”
Snake was honestly surprised at seeing Raiden like that.
“Don’t worry. I just did it to pass the time”
“Idiot”
Snake walked towards Raiden who peered curiously into the bags from the supermarket.
“Put this into the fridge” Snake snarled.
Raiden didn’t listen. He inspected the contents of the bags, grabbed some rolls and disappeared into the living room.
“Come back! Otacon told me he’d return at about twelve. Until then we need to get on with that stuff” He pointed at the documents covering each space of the apartment.
“You don’t expect him to… well expect us to actually study that by the time he returns, do you?”
“Just help me with the food, right? Is that asking too much?”
Raiden still wasn’t sure of what to think about Snake’s behaviour. But he wouldn’t be the one bringing up the things that happened last night at first even though it was hard for him to camouflage his feelings. Snake was no idiot, he would probably notice…
“There’s something about the way you look this morning”
Raiden turned abruptly.
“That must be because I’m hungry”
He bit into his roll and tried to turn his back on Snake. He tried, that he did.
Raiden tripped over another shopping bag and nearly crashed into the wall but Snake grabbed his arm. That wasn’t really better, Raiden thought, turned and grinned.
“I’m so clumsy, sorry for that”
He headed toward the door.
“That was cute”
Raiden slowly stopped and turned.
“What?”
“Well… that was cute I think”
Raiden tried a smile but gave up soon.
“I don’t get behind you. I just can’t figure where I'm at with you!”
He felt really sick. What has that been just now? Snake told him he’d be cute, goddamnit! Why couldn’t he just shut up? Raiden was angry with himself and sat on the couch, grabbing some mission plans, not understanding them anyway.
Overreacting. That’s the word! Raiden was proud that he could at least describe his own behaviour.
“What’s up with you? Is it the weather, just like an old lady?”
When Snake was done in the kitchen he watched Raiden in the living room.
“Dunno. I‘m sorry for that”
“Can I sit down next to you or are you going to eat me?” Raiden smiled.
“Mhm… nice idea…”
Snake sat down beside Raiden and looked at the plans in the younger man’s hands.
“Don’t tell me you actually tried to get that stuff?”
“I did”
“Only Hal is supposed to know what these things are all about!”
“Is it really that complicated? I thought this would be the easier stuff?”
Snake was totally shocked. Something he didn’t understand and that kid said it was easy? Hell, how could it have gotten this far?
“So what’s wrong? What’s the matter?”, Snake asked.
“I’m not good in explaining my feelings, y’ know?”
“You were doing pretty good a few minutes ago”
“I- I just…” Raiden gave up. “I just hoped for something – anything. Something that gave proof of the last night being real. That message ‘Shopping’ in fact wasn’t exactly what I expected”
“See” Snake frowned.
“Okay”
He leaned over to Raiden, who - again - was pretty surprised, and kissed him softly.
“Then let me apologize”
Snake put his right arm around Raiden’s neck and pulled his body closer.
"I'm not used to somebody caring for me, that's new for me. Just… that's probably the reason I react that… foolish", Raiden whispered.
"I do care. Learn to handle this"
"Fine", the boy breathed.
Snake was glad to see Raiden smiling again. The younger man put his right leg across Snake’s and kissed shyly his slightly opened lips. Their kiss deepened and Raiden moved his hands across Snake’s back, feeling his body shivering in pleasure under him. Soon he found himself sitting on Snake’s lap.
The older man leaned his forehead against Raiden’s and tenderly kissed his nose. Raiden giggled happily. Well… that was at last something he really had been hoping for.
He bent his head a little when Snake started kissing his neck and sighed in comfort. Snake was very satisfied when he could feel Raiden react to his affection. When did he last have that kind of power?
Raiden closed his eyes and put his head on Snake's shoulder. After a while he stopped stroking his back and Snake’s kisses faded at about the same moment. They just sat there like this for a while. Snake, leant back against the couch with the unbelievably blond young man in his arms, felt the first time in his live something like happiness and satisfaction that was not only superficial.
Raiden lying on Snake’s strong body and again feeling his heartbeat thought about what might happen if Otacon would return in exactly this moment. Yeah, Hal knew about Snake but it was a totally new experience for Raiden.
As if there was somebody who read his mind he heard a scratching noise at the door. Hal’s key.
“Oh, crap”
Raiden leaned back and wanted to raise but Snake held on to his arm.
“A second”
Snake kissed Raiden tenderly on his forehead.
Hal entered a second after.
“Hey, guys. Oh, you’re already doing that mission stuff!”
Snake and Raiden sat on the couch, both a pile of notes on their knees, studying them a little too intensively.
“Could you help me with that?” Otacon asked Snake and pointed toward the kitchen. Snake looked slightly confused but followed Hal.
When Snake entered the kitchen Otacon turned and grinned.
“Making progress?”
“Wha-“
“Think I didn’t notice?”
“?”
“You really like him, don’t ya?”
Snake grinned as well, though a little insecure.
“Well… you could have taken a little longer catching that mouse in fact”
“So you finally thawed and confessed?”
“S’ppose”
Snake went back to the living room. Hal grinned.

“I’ll give them a day off when the mission is done…”