A/N So…first step into the Metal Gear fanfic universe! Done fics for Tales of Symphonia, Harry Potter and Ace Attorney, so Snake is a slightly different character to deal with. Anyways, hope you like!

This takes place pretty much directly after MGS4. Its gonna be a little angst-filled, so if you are expecting ass-kicking Snake you've come to the wrong place!

I'm writing this as a friend-fic. I'm not entirely convinced by SnakeOtacon pairings yet… however, if you want to interpret it that way, by all means do so!

Rated T for language.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the tears I shed at the MGS4 ending. The series and characters belong to Hideo Kojima and Konami.

"See you later, Uncle Hal!"

Otacon turned his head over his shoulder back at the car. Sunny poked her head out of the blacked out window of the car and waved, her silver hair shining. Otacon lifted a hand to acknowledge her and allowed the corners of his mouth to twitch into a smile.

"B-Bye, Sunny!" He managed to call out, voice croaking a little bit, "Be good for Mei Ling, won't you?"

The young girl grinned and nodded eagerly, leaning back into the car. Otacon watched silently as the sleek black car, carrying the most important person left in his life, drove off into the distant night. He sighed, sad to see Sunny go, but it was best for her at the moment. At least for a week or so. Plus, Mei Ling was great with her, she'll have a great time!

"Yeah…" Otacon convinced himself out loud as he unclasped the gate leading to his small house, "She's better off there. At least until the whole Snake-"

He couldn't finish that sentence. Gulping the lump back down his throat, Otacon pushed the glasses back up to the top of his nose. He stopped walking up the path too his house, aware of his vision wavering for a second. Thinking about it made him feel physically sick. His best friend! They had hardly said a proper goodbye that morning, both men finding it hard to voice what needed to be said.

Otacon rolled his right shoulder round, grimacing slightly, he could feel the reassuring squeeze Snake had given him that morning, just before he left. He looked so…calm, so prepared. Yet Otacon knew very well he wasn't the same inside. At the end of the day, Snake's life is Snake's life. After all he had been through, he deserves the right to choose how his own life ends, regardless of how much Otacon was reluctant to let him go.

The computer genius closed his eyes and breathed slowly to try and calm himself. Flashing before him was something that he assumed would always stick in his memory; the black-suited figure of Snake walking out of the door of Otacon's house. And the bulge on the left-side of the ex-mercenary's rib cage, no doubt the holster for his generic army class pistol.

The army class pistol that would end his life.

Otacon shuddered, mentally admonishing himself for thinking such a thing. He was tired; Meryl and Akiba's wedding reception had only just finished after all. Better to hit the hay now, and then he can re-order his thoughts in the morning.

Shaking his head, Otacon pulled his keys out from his trouser pockets and held out the one he needed to the door, not looking as he attempted to find the lock in the dark.

He couldn't find the lock, however.

The door was wide open.

Otacon's stomach flipped as he poked his head around the doorway cautiously. He could feel his heartbeat in his ears; someone was in his house!

Straightening his glasses once again, Otacon crouched low and stepped into the house, back to the wall. He listened closely, but could hear no sound from anywhere. Who-ever was here was being mighty quiet.

Remaining crouched, Otacon stepped further into the house, doing his best to keep his balance and not make a sound. He had watched Snake enough to work out how to keep quiet as well as out of sight, but was not sure how he managed to keep crouched all the time; it must have been a killer for his back!

No lights were on in the house, causing Otacon to squint through the darkness as he slowly paced down the hallway. He could see the living room's door was slightly open, probably enough for him to squeeze through without making a noise.

Otacon wiped the sweat that had formed on his forehead and gritted his teeth. Standing up slightly, he silently opened the cupboard by the door and pulled out the metal box at the bottom. Wincing slightly as it rattled, he clumsily pounded in the 4 digit number lock on the top of the box and opened it. Hand shaking, the computer geek lifted the old pistol out by his hand, almost gingerly clutching it by its handle.

He held it tightly in two hands as he stood up. Back to the wall once again, Otacon inched towards the door and squinted through the darkness. There was no light coming from the room, but he could hear the rustling of the curtains, deducting that the window would be open.

Breathing slowly to try and calm himself, Otacon decided the best way forward would be to burst in with the gun and turn the light on. It would surely spook any intruder enough to give him a chance anyway.

"Ok…" Otacon whispered a barely audible whisper to himself, "3...2...1..."

In one swift movement, the otaku rammed the door down with his right shoulder and flicked the light switch with his left hand. He blinked as the light came on and transferred both hands to the gun, pointing it straight in front of him.

His heart stopped.

And his jaw nearly hit the floor.

There was someone in the room. He wasn't an intruder though. Otacon gaped as he let his hands slowly lower to his sides, sub-consciously placing the gun on the bookcase beside him and stepping cautiously around the sofa.

In a lone chair at the other end of the room, hunched over with his elbows on his knees and his stony eyes glazed over starting straight at the floor… was Solid Snake.

He seemed to not react to Otacon bursting in at all. He just sat staring at an object at his feet. It was a large assault pistol that Otacon recognised to be The Patriot; the famous gun of The Boss.

"S-Snake?" Otacon croaked, already nearing his friend. Snake's expression was one of intensity; the otaku noted the veins visible on his temples through the strain. The ex-mercenary's hands were balled into fists, knuckles white.

Otacon crouched by his friend, clutching the arms of the chair, finger nails digging into leather.

"Snake…what happened? I thought… I-"

Otacon couldn't contain himself. He had so many questions, so many useless questions, and he had no idea where to start. He placed his forehead on his hands, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over.

"Oh Jesus, Snake…" Otacon took his glasses off and squeezed the top of his nose, "I'm so glad to see you. I…I thought you had really gone through with it. I…please, Snake talk to me!"

Otacon put his glasses back on. Snake's gaze remained fixed on The Patriot, it was scaring the otaku.

"Snake, please!"

No response.

"Dave!"

Snake's head jolted round to the side and the two pairs of eyes met. Otacon recoiled slightly at Snake's harsh glare coupled with the line of silent tears falling down his cheeks. The soldier opened his mouth as if to speak before shaking his head and placing his palms over his eyes, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Snake…what happened to you?" Otacon spoke softly, "Why do you have the Patriot?"

Snake took his hands from his eyes and stared back at the gun. Otacon waited for him to answer, but would never have been prepared for what the ex-mercenary said in response.

"My…my fath-"

Snake was cut off by a vicious bout of coughs that Otacon had come to accept from the legendary hero. The computer genius flinched before standing up and placing a hand between Snake's shoulder blades as his friend continued to cough.

"I…I'll go get you some water…"

Snake sat back in the chair and ran both hands through his grey, straw-like hair. The coughs subsided and the soldier laid his head back on the chair. Otacon returned to the room almost silently, holding out the glass of ice cold water out to his best friend.

"Here…It'll make you feel better."

Snake took the glass and gulped a mouthful of the cold water down, wincing a little as he swallowed from the stinging sensation in his throat. He passed the glass back to Otacon and sat back forward in his chair, aware of his friend watching him closely, a look of concern playing on his features.

"Big Boss…" Snake croaked, voice barely audible, "was kept alive by the Patriots. EVA and Ocelot used Liquid and Solidus's bodies to restore him after…after the Zanzibar Land incident."

Otacon bit the inside of his lip as he watched Snake force the words out. The stream of tears had stopped and the ex-mercenary was just sat staring at the Patriot once more. Otacon opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Snake attempting to stand. Snake gritted his teeth as he stood slowly, obvious pain stunning his back muscles. Otacon grabbed his shoulder and helped him reach a standing position comfortably, allowing Snake to walk over to the window on his own. Snake opened the curtain slightly to gaze out.

"Jesus, Snake…" Otacon answered, placing the glass of water on a side cabinet and walking slowly towards his friend, "What on earth happened to you?"

Snake shook his head slowly, "It's not important…"

"Is that all you have to say?" Otacon asked, raising his voice slightly. Who knows what happened to Snake when he left? Otacon was his best friend! Why won't he say anything?

"What the fuck do you want me to say, Otacon?!" Snake raised his voice to match his friend's, turning away from the window to face the otaku, "What the fuck do you want me to say? I killed him, Otacon! On Zanzibar Land! And then he just turns up…and stops me from…from…why the fuck do people keep coming back after I kill them!?"

Snake was breathing heavily now, his fists held at his sides, his cheeks flushing red. Otacon's brow furrowed, almost in fear of Snake's reaction, but also in concern for his friend. He was in a state, no doubt about it, and it was up to Otacon to help him through it, like Snake had done before. Yes. It was Otacon's turn.

Snake's gaze remained pained and angry as Otacon took a step towards him.

"Snake…it doesn't-"

"You don't understand, Otacon, stop pretending you do!" Snake shouted, his face mere inches from Otacon's, "I am a freak! Created from the greatest soldier that ever lived, who was also the greatest mentors someone could have! And…" Snake gulped, voice dropping volume once more, "one of the greatest friends…no, fathers…that someone could have."

"Snake…" Otacon whispered, watching two fresh tears flow over the prematurely wrinkled cheeks of his best friend, "Snake, where is Big Boss now?"

Snake's right eye twitched slightly, tears now coming thick and fast, "F-Fox…"

Otacon allowed Snake's forehead to rest itself on his chest, and the otaku wrapped his arms around Snake's shoulders and finished the sentence, a wave of anger for his friend pulsing through him.

"…Die…"

A/N OUCH! Bit angst-y there, soz! I feel better now, I always wondered how Snake and Otacon would have reacted after Snake left the graveyard. Hmm…

Let me know what you think! Please review!

PinkPenguin18