Author's Notes: This is the last chapter written for this story. I have no intentions of finishing it at this time. Written in 2009.

Philanthropy – Northern Michigan – Week 6, Day 4

"Ok Dave, I'm ready when you are."

Hal stood behind him, not hovering like an annoying mother bird, but just keeping still, obliged to wait until the soldier set down the pistol.

Dave pushed the freshly assembled gun back to join its sisters in the "cleaned and checked" pile. He'd spent the morning meticulously examining each piece of weaponry: cleaning, reassembling, sighting, reloading, discovering where to store each one and how to draw it out quickly from the harness. Malfunctioning arms were worse than useless on the battlefield; they were a liability, providing a false sense of security until the moment the hammer jammed. Being quick on the draw was important, too: if a gun was tangled in an ill-fitting holster, it could cost precious moments that meant the difference between a downed guard and a piercing siren that alerted twenty more.

He'd spent the last two days wearing Hal's enhanced sneaking suit; he had to learn how to move in this new skin. He used the apartment as best he could as a training ground: crouching low to the floor, hanging from the bathroom doorway, pressing himself flat behind the entry door, rolling across the empty floor. The studio wasn't the most ideal place for learning to maneuver, but he would take what he could get. And as long as he avoided the electronics, Hal was content to let him commandeer the rest of the space.

He was a little surprised at just how quickly he mastered the suit. It was so thin and light, he hardly had to account for it with every swing, twist, or crawl. It was certainly form-fitting, almost to an awkward degree – Scratch that, he thought, it leaves damn well little to the imagination. He didn't mind, really – he had no issues with how he looked – but it was fun to see how uncomfortable it made Hal, especially when the two of them tried putting on the harness the first time. He almost wished he had a picture of Hal's face that day, to commemorate the new achievement in blushing .

He spun around and rose to his feet, coming eye-to-eye with his partner. Hal's gray eyes were light, shining with eagerness. This close, he could practically feel the engineer thrumming with anticipation.

"Right, why don't you just, um, sit down over here. Away from the weapons ," Hal said, gesturing to a spot next to the laptops.

"Afraid I'll go berserk and shoot you, Hal?" Dave asked wryly.

"Something like that, yes, as a matter of fact," the tech replied, throwing him a snarky grin. He smirked back as he settled against the wall. Glad he feels confident enough about this.

"So, um… let me know if anything feels wrong? I'm starting now."

He shut his eyes and listened to the symphony of Hal's fingers on his keyboards. The work was quick and efficient, with short pauses between bursts of frenetic activity as the only measure of time. He waited patiently, concentrating on his own internal state, mindful of any changes that might occur.

Should have done this while we were still in Alaska, he thought detachedly.

After a little while, he did notice a change. A slight tingling sensation spread throughout his body, slowly, and in its wake he felt more alert and vitalized. More than that – all his senses seemed to increase ten-fold. He could feel the uneven wooden grain under the carpet beneath his legs; hear each breath Hal drew next to him; even smell the faint aroma of a cake baking in the apartment above. He felt flooded with strength and stamina, and it took a great deal of his willpower to remain sitting quietly and monitoring himself. So much sensation, so much energy; his blood was singing and he felt absolutely fantastic.

A dull chirp echoed in his ears. Snake, can you hear me?

He cracked his eyes open, grinned, and answered, Loud and clear, Otacon – just like before.

Beside him, Hal laughed in triumph and leaned back in the chair, arms swinging lazily, a wide toothy smile painted across his face.

"You did it, Hal."

"I did," he replied, pushing his glasses back up and looking rather proud. "I've never hacked into nanomachines before, nevermind super-secret legendary soldier nanomachines."

"How'd you do it?"

"Think you can keep up?"

He lifted his brows, surprised at the cocky attitude. "Try me."

Hal sat forward, hands clasped in front of him like he was preparing a lecture. "I used the slight electrical current that everyone generates inside their bodies – you know, from the sodium-potassium exchange? – well, I used it to recharge your nanomachines. You were right – yours did run out of charge right after Shadow Moses, but that just put them in a dormant, receiving state. Once they were fired up again, I hacked into their frequency to eliminate their identification, and I stopped them from sending out data on you to the government, or whoever it was going to before ."

"You did that before anyone could get a lock on where we are?"

"Yes. It takes the nanos a moment to get back online after a charge, so I knocked out the tracer system and rerouted the signal to only broadcast to my computer here." Hal patted the laptop resting in front of him. "They'll function permanently off your own electrical charge now, Dave. Hopefully they should be working like before?" He raised his eyebrows quizzically.

Dave nodded. "Yeah, it feels just like it did in Alaska. I feel like I could go for days without eating or sleeping, or even breathing." He paused, considering. "Actually, it feels more intense than it did the first time."

Hal tilted his head, thinking. "That's not surprising. The nanos are in a direct feedback loop with your body now, with no outside interference. Everything's going straight to you, so that might enhance the effects a bit. I don't think it's anything to worry about; just let me know if you want me to adjust anything." He frowned a little. "Actually, I guess I'll need to learn exactly how your nanos work. I understand the basic functions, but I should spend some time with a biology textbook to really figure out which chemicals in your body do what."

"You better not end up poisoning me, Hal. That'd put a big dent in our operation."

"Don't worry, I'll just let them do their own thing for now."

Dave stood abruptly and reached his arms behind his head, relishing the long muscle stretch, and used the momentum as his arms fell back to clap a hand around Hal's shoulders. "All this trouble just to get my nanos to recharge my Codec, h uh?"

Hal turned to face him, glasses glinting. "Yeah. The Codec will be the primary way we talk to each other on missions, so it's important to get it working again. But rebooting your nanos had some nice benefits on the side too, right?"

"Side benefits, hmm?" he mused, glancing down at the tech. You might be too smart for your own good, but you've got a hell of a grin when things go right. "I'd say so."

"No strange urges?"

"No Hal, not unless you count wanting to burn some of this energy off and run around outside for twenty miles." Or work out these knots in your shoulders – geez, are you always this tense? He could feel how strained the muscles were under the engineer's white lab coat and sweater .

"Good; I was worried there might be some 'Kill all ArmsTech employees' order leftover in the nanos."

"I don't have any compulsion to do something like that. Besides, you're not an employee there anymore, are you?" He squeezed the engineer's shoulders. "You're with me."

Hal flushed, breezy manner slipping away like sand through a sieve. "R-right."

He moved behind his partner and placed both hands on the tech's shoulders. "Why the hell are you so tense, Hal?"

The flush deepened and Hal stiffened. "I- I always get a little nervous when I'm hacking into something. You know, the thrill of getting caught and all that. It's like watching horror movies – it's fun and scary all at the same time." He tried to grin like before, easy and confident, but the smile faltered a little too quickly.

Dave squeezed harder, pressing his fingers into the too-tight muscles. "No, I've watched you at the computers before; you've never been this worked up. What's wrong?" And the soldier marveled at how much he cared about the answer.

Hal drew a shaky breath. "Well, I'm… I'm also worried about tomorrow. What if we screw up? What if I got the wrong information? Or what if- what if you get hurt?"

Dave moved his hands across Hal's shoulders, rubbing hard into the knots. "You need to focus, Hal, but you also have to stay relaxed. Being tense like this will only hurt you when we're doing the mission. You have to be ready for whatever comes up, and if you're too busy thinking about everything that could go wrong, something will happen and you won't be able to handle it." He punctuated his point by squeezing harder. "You need to loosen up."

Hal dropped his head down and leaned forward a bit, giving his partner more access to his back. "S- sorry, Dave. I've just gotten so anxious in the last few days…" He trailed off, eyes slipping shut.

The soldier grunted and continued, moving his hands to the new territory and finding it just as hard and tense as the shoulders. He worked quickly, never lingering too long in one spot, rubbing until the muscles loosened. Hal arched up subtly into his touch, and Dave could hear his breathing slow. Good. He has to relax, or the stress tomorrow will kill him.

He pushed gently and Hal obliged, leaning forward even more. Dave's hands wandered lower as he bent over the back of the chair, working out the knots in his partner's lower back. Hal made a low noise, like a groan, and he took that as a sign to keep pressing there. "You know, it can't be good for you sitting in a chair all day," he said quietly. "When we're done with this mission, I'm going to teach you some self-defense. Something that'll help get you moving." Something that'll help keep you safe, he added in his head. He saw Hal nod vaguely.

He moved his hands up the lean back, across the shoulders, and out along the hacker's right arm. He pushed his fingers into the upper arm, feeling the subtle lines of muscle, assessing how intense he should plan any workouts for his partner. Hal was definitely not very strong, but he could probably handle some moderate training.

He mirrored his movement on the other arm. This would be easier if he wasn't wearing that jacket. And the sweater's too thick for me to really do this properly. He tried to imagine what Hal's bare skin would feel like …

His hands stilled.

Hal drew a deep breath and straightened back up, taking Dave's pause as a signal that the massage was over. "Thanks Dave. I guess I really needed that." He looked over at the soldier, expression unguarded and sincere, and smiled gently. "I'll do my best tomorrow. You won't have to worry about me."

Dave pulled his hands back, keeping his face carefully bl ank .

Hal turned to the computers. "Let's try some exercises before we call it a day, huh?"

He carefully pushed his thoughts about Hal aside and cleared his mind, soldier mode snapping in place. Breathing deeply, he readied himself for whatever the engineer saw fit to put him through.

Philanthropy – Northern Michigan – Week 6, Day 5

"No, David, I insist. Please." Hal gestured to the mattress, with the green blanket now tucked into the bottom corners. "Tonight is the big night. You need all the advantages you can get if you're going to be at your best out there."

"Hal, I know what I'm capable of. And I don't need to sleep in a fluffy, warm bed in order to do my job." Dave emphasized this with a glare.

The engineer didn't flinch, for once. He was resolute in the belief that Dave needed to rest for the day on something that was not a cold, hard floor. "You're going to be the one out there risking your neck; I'll be tucked away here. It won't hurt me for one night – er, day – to sleep on the ground. I would have been happy to switch off earlier, you know," he added, leaning over and pulling down the blanket.

"Hal, you're being ridic-"

"Snake, I'm not going to argue." He narrowed his eyes and marched behind the soldier. With a boldness that surprised them both, he placed both hands on Dave's back and pushed him forward toward the mattress.

Dave started to twist around, mouth open to make some sarcastic comment, but Hal just tightened his grip and shoved. His partner tumbled less than gracefully onto the springs.

"See? You're already in. Now I'll just get settled here…" He dropped to the floor and starting arranging the other blanket.

Dave sighed and shook his head, giving in to the engineer's wishes, then stripped off the black tee-shirt and jeans he'd been lounging in and threw them next to the cheap bed. Clad only in his boxers, he pulled the blanket up. "All right, Otacon, you have everything ready to go, right?"

Hal caught the emphasis on his own code name, and he nodded. "The alarm's set for eleven tonight. Your gear's laid out, and all my programs are on standby." He grabbed one of the new towels from the bathroom and hung it across the window, attempting to block out as much sunlight as possible.

"Good. Get some rest, too. I'm not the only one working tonight."

Convinced that the room was as dark as it could possibly be in the middle of the day, Hal headed for the bathroom. He didn't share the soldier's lack of shame at ridding himself of clothes, and he stripped his own off out of sight of his partner. Wearing his comfy pajama pants, he laid down on the ground and pulled his own cover up.

After a while, he began to wonder if this was such a good idea.

Wow. This is really uncomfortable. He wiggled and shifted, trying to find a position that didn't feel like he was lying on a cold, stiff board. Which I am, really. How does Dave do it? How does his back do it?

He reached around and tried to rub at his, which reminded him of Dave's impromptu massage yesterday. The soldier's hands had felt amazing, rubbing out his tension and leaving him feeling like a jellyfish. He was still more relaxed now than he had been since before they left Alaska. It had been so easy to let his anxiety float away as Dave worked lower and lower. He could almost feel the soldier's strong hands on him now, squeezing and tightening and running up and down and along his arms… I wonder if his hands are rough. They probably are, with all the training and fighting…

He reeled in his thoughts before they proceeded any further down that line.

Sleep, Hal, sleep. Don't get distracted. You have a big night ahead. You need to be awake and alert for it. Dave's counting on you. You're counting on you. The world is counting on you.

He kicked his legs out, turned on his side, used his arm as a pillow.

This is the right thing you're doing. Metal Gear shouldn't exist in this world. You have to fix your mistake.

He mulled over the plans to distribute the evidence from tonight's mission as he rolled over onto his stomach, tangling his feet in the blanket.

Photos to major news outlets. Anonymous detailed reports from "concerned employees." And everything duplicated and released online. Lord knows how fast news gets around on the Internet.

He flipped back onto his back, huffing and pushing the blanket aside.

And when we're done, if this mission is a success – when this mission is a success – maybe I'll treat myself to something. A reward; no, an incentive, to keep up this new life. Maybe I'll download an anime show?

He thought about his old favorites: Gundam, Macross, Robotech…

Nah, something different. Maybe one more character focused?

Escaflowne, maybe. Zone of the Enders. Or Patlabor. Hmm, I can definitely relate more to the "fighting crime" aspect now.

He took up the new genre and ran through a list of police and detective animes, discarding most as too boring.

Hmm, what about FAKE?

And his thoughts froze for a moment. Sure, it was a police anime. It was even a buddy-story, with two partners working for the greater good. Two male partners, who became lovers.

Wait, why am I even considering that one? I usually don't go for that kind of show. No robots, no mechs, just two guys working together, becoming friends, becoming more-than- fr iends …

He groaned and turned to his side again, willing his brain to shut up.

"Hal, for god's sake, just get in the damn bed."

Dave's growl startled him, and he warily sat up and peered toward the mattress. "What?"

"You've been tossing and turning for half an hour. Just get over here and go to sleep."

He felt his heart start to beat faster. "But- but you need to sleep in it tonight. I mean today."

"There's enough room. We're two adults here – we can share a bed. And I can't sleep with you making all that racket on the floor, so if you want things to go well then come on and go to sleep."

Hal slowly shuffled over to the mattress; yes, there would be just enough room for the two of them. Dave scooted over to one side and turned, his bare back facing the engineer. Hal carefully slid under the blanket, conscious of the soldier right there and trying not to intrude on his space.

It's warm here, where Dave was, he thought as he let out his breath. He stared at the ceiling, trying very hard to not think about who he was sleeping next to.

Two partners…

"Told you we'd share more than just orange juice," Dave murmured after a moment, voice somewhat low and groggy.

"Yeah," Hal answered, turning on his side too, and felt the heat radiating off Dave's skin onto his own. His heart was racing, but he kept very still, hoping that the lack of movement would calm him down. He had a notion at the back of his mind, something familiar and different and wonderful and terrifying, and this wasn't the time to analyze it. Tomorrow, he told himself, when we're all done and I have time to think. I'll work this out later.

Shortly after, the two partners lay side by side, fast asleep .