Merry Christmas to daniela_lynx!
(cross posted from mgs_fanworks)
Merry Christmas, daniela_lynx!
This was a fun prompt to play with. I kicked around a handful of ways to write this, but this is what I ended up liking the most. I do hope you enjoy!
Title: Simple Things
Pairing: Old Snake/Otacon
Rating: PG-13 for some suggestive stuff
Summary: Dave and Hal end up with their happy ending, although it's not the typical storybook kind. Hal's point of view. Post MGS4.
Extra: It's written blog style, so the writing is informal and unpolished. This was intentional. Heavy inspiration from Flogging Molly's "Whistles the Wind" and this image.
[EDIT - 12/28/09 - Added a few new entires to the story! ]
------------------------------------------
August 14, 2014
Dave refused to show for Meryl's wedding. Big shock there. I would love to believe that he was gone because he was afraid with all the love in the air that I might make him do something embarrassing. In all honestly, I may have grabbed on to his hand and smiled stupidly the whole time. He would grumble away I'm sure, but I wouldn't care. I'd have him standing there next to me, and that's all that would matter.
But instead, he left. He told me to turn off the codec and the tracker nanos. Of course I didn't. Last I looked he was in Washington, D.C. at Arlington. I have a vague idea what he is doing there, but I'm not going to pester him about it. It's not like I can really stop him.
At least the wedding was nice. Different, but nice.
------------------------------------------
Aug. 17, 2014
Dave returned from his trip. I don't know what the hell happened, but when I offered him a new pack of cigs, he refused them, saying he was going to quit. I was more then a bit shocked. We were standing outside the Nomad, talking about what we were going to do next, and he randomly pulled me into a hug. He hadn't done that in quite some time. It's usually me that initiates and form of physical contact anymore. It wasn't just a casual quick hug either. He held me tight for quite some time, and I clung to him like I hadn't seen him in years.
Maybe now....maybe that everything is done, he and I can just be. No worrying about robots or computer proxies. Just worry about what to make for dinner, who's going to take the trash out, the mundane things that so many people take for granted. It's those moments that burn themselves into my memory, not battles that we have fought. I have no idea how much time I have left to be by his side, and I honestly don't even want to think about it. I'm going to do my damnedest to make sure that our remaining time together is the best of times we've had.
I was also instructed to not call him Snake anymore. Dave said something about the world being better off without snakes. I replied with something stupid about snakes being an important part of the environment. He glared at me and I couldn't help but smile. It's an easy enough habit to kick for me. Snake can finally be laid to rest and Dave can finally just live.
I've got to go supervise Sunny cooking us dinner. She insisted that she cook something for Dave upon his return. This is going to be frightening.
------------------------------------------
Aug. 20, 2014
I need to start writing things down. We all know who Snake was. But someone needs to know who Dave was.
------------------------------------------
Sept. 7, 2014
I'm sitting here watching Dave make a horrible attempt at playing a game with Sunny. He's just not getting it, and it's horribly adorable. Sunny keeps jumping up and down when she beats him, he just continues to grumble away, slipping in that he "let her win" at one point.
Sunny wasn't convinced.
------------------------------------------
Sept. 10, 2014
I finally convinced Dave to scribble his (rather illegible) signature on to the forms that I have for Sunny's custody. Not like anyone doubted that she was in our care, but you know how the schools are. I hacked into a few places and made it all official in the State of Massachusetts, doctored a few forms, things like that. So, Dave and I are officially her legal guardians. Now I can sign her up for school and not have to fiddle with medical issues if anything happens to her. It's one less thing I will have to worry about now, thank god.
Dave outwardly made a grumble about it, especially when Jack was inspecting the papers when we met him for dinner that night. But I saw him smile to himself for an instant when Sunny told Jack and Rose the news as they were walking through the door.
It's nice to have my old Dave back, even if it's just in small little doses.
------------------------------------------
Sept. 12, 2014
I woke this morning to Dave's hands moving over every inch of my body and his face nuzzled into my hair. It certainly wasn't the most earth shattering moment we've had together, but it had me smiling from ear to ear for the rest of the day.
------------------------------------------
Sept. 14, 2014
Dave gave me quite the scare today. I thought I was going to loose him and had even started to prepare myself for the eventual moment. But amazingly he settled down and didn't argue with me when I shoved the oxygen mask in his face. I quite literally dragged him to bed and popped in some stupid movie to distract us till he found some sleep. He's wrapped in a pile of blankets beside me, his face pressed up against the side of my leg.
Even after all this time, I still have a hard time with it all. He's still Dave, there's doubt about that. But watching him fade from the creature he used to be into what he is now... It's not been easy on either of us. I remember shortly after the Big Shell, he was looking at himself in the mirror, specifically at the little grey hairs that had started to poke out of his sideburns. At that point I told him that we were both getting older, that I was sure to start showing some soon as well. Little did we know then what it was going to end up like.
It was after that that we broke into those archives and stole everything we could find about the L.E.T. project. I need to dig out those files and look them over again. I'm fairly certain I know where they are stored in the Nomad. Dave won't be happy to see those boxes. I imagine. I'll have to see how he does tomorrow before I go down and pick them up.
------------------------------------------
Sept. 15, 2014
Dave ended up having another coughing fit overnight. Eventually he ended up curled up in my arms, head rested on my chest. Every breath he took was ragged and labored. I didn't sleep.
------------------------------------------
Sept. 15, 2014
Dave has some color back, thank god. He's still curled up on in our bed, but he looks much better then he did. Amazing how a few hours can really make all the difference in the world. Sunny made him some eggs not too long ago and he poked at those for a while.
Later I'm going to drag him in the shower and get him cleaned up. It's amazing how much better a warm shower can make you feel.
------------------------------------------
Sept. 23, 2014
One of Sunny's chickens, Solidus, died. I had my suspicions about that bird when she stopped laying eggs a few weeks ago and started to eat less then half of her usual amount. Dave found the bird over in her favorite corner, curled up in a ball. It was peaceful at least.
Sunny was rather upset and Dave hoisted her up into his arms and held her close while she cried. She left his shoulder covered in tears and snot, which in the past he was not a fan of. But he just rocked her from side to side, whispering something to her.
I still remember when he came home with those little things. Sunny had only been with us maybe two months and it was her birthday. I sent him out to get a few things from the farmers market that was around the corner from our current apartment. He returned with a small cardboard box with three recently hatched fuzzy little yellow chicks.
He told me he got them because the girl needed more friends then just me and my computers. I wasn't totally convinced of that as he seemed to enjoy the company of the little things as much as Sunny did. He would pick all three of them up in his strong hands and set them on the table and let them pick off the leftovers of whatever he was eating.
Once she calmed down enough, she told Dave that she wanted to bury Solidus. Dave nodded and scooped the chicken into a box and promptly handed it to me. I didn't argue when he made an excuse as to why he couldn't come with us to bury her.
------------------------------------------
Sept. 27, 2014
I found a little note sitting atop my laptop when I went to boot it up this morning. It directed me to a specific tree out behind our place and was written in Dave's sloppy hand. He was leaning against the far side of it when I went out to investigate. Out of his pocket he pulled out a little plastic bag. He plopped it into my hand, set a kiss on my cheek, and walked away back towards the house.
In the little little bag was a ring shaped like a coiled snake.
I chased after him. It made my day, my week, my year. Hell, it made my life.
------------------------------------------
Nov. 2, 2014
We took Sunny to a local park today. Someone tried to steal Dave's wallet. The thief obviously thought that the old man was an easy target. I imagine he didn't think that the old man would have an M9 hidden under his coat.
I have no idea why I couldn't stop laughing over it. I imagine the look on a few observers of the event had something to do with it. Seriously, how many old men are able to flip a young kid over onto his back and whip out a gun in the flash of an eye? Not many, I imagine.
------------------------------------------
Nov. 15, 2014
It started snowing. Dave couldn't stop smiling.
It's good to see a genuine smile on his face.
------------------------------------------
Nov. 27, 2014
We were invited to join Jack, Rose, and John for Thanksgiving. We haven't actually had a proper Thanksgiving together since well...never? I usually just got some microwave turkey and a case of beer and that was the extent of it. We were always so busy with Philanthropy or whatever else. It was such a joy to get invited, you have no idea. I had always wanted to have a Thanksgiving that I could enjoy. When I was a kid, it just wasn't important to my family. Between Dad and all his work and my step-mother being English... It was just a few days off school, and that's all it ever meant.
John and Sunny were playing a video game while the rest of us chatted. It was peaceful, just chatting about decorating and football instead of hashing out intelligence on the newest metal gear or whatever. At one point, I settled on the couch to watch the kids play. A few minutes later, Dave settled down beside me and set his hand on my knee while he watched. I was a bit confused, as he never did that with anyone around. But I didn't complain and cautiously set my hand atop of his. I caught Rose's eye and quickly expected her to give us a look. But she didn't. She just smiled and turned back to setting the table.
It was a good feeling. It really was.
------------------------------------------
Dec. 6, 2014
Last night, Sunny had a bad dream. Dave and I were....well, busy, when she knocked on the door. She poked her head in and luckily didn't see anything. Such is the way of having a kid, I suppose. She crawled into bed with us and to my surprise Dave pulled her tight to his chest. We curled up together, the three of us, all underneath that blanket that I had stolen from Dave's cabin in Alaska all those years ago.
Family has never been a word that ever meant much to me. Sure, I had had Emma and the disastrous relationship that was my father and step-mother. But it wasn't the family that deep down I really wanted. I wanted exactly what I had there laying in my arms.
They both dozed off into a quiet sleep and I stayed awake probably longer then I should have watching them.
This is how life should be. :)
------------------------------------------
Dec. 20, 2014
Two weeks ago, Dave went to sleep. And he never woke up.
He told me not to fret over him, and I'm doing my best.
I'm taking him to Alaska. I think he would like it there...
------------------------------------------
Merry Christmas, daniela_lynx!
This was a fun prompt to play with. I kicked around a handful of ways to write this, but this is what I ended up liking the most. I do hope you enjoy!
Title: Simple Things
Pairing: Old Snake/Otacon
Rating: PG-13 for some suggestive stuff
Summary: Dave and Hal end up with their happy ending, although it's not the typical storybook kind. Hal's point of view. Post MGS4.
Extra: It's written blog style, so the writing is informal and unpolished. This was intentional. Heavy inspiration from Flogging Molly's "Whistles the Wind" and this image.
[EDIT - 12/28/09 - Added a few new entires to the story! ]
------------------------------------------
August 14, 2014
Dave refused to show for Meryl's wedding. Big shock there. I would love to believe that he was gone because he was afraid with all the love in the air that I might make him do something embarrassing. In all honestly, I may have grabbed on to his hand and smiled stupidly the whole time. He would grumble away I'm sure, but I wouldn't care. I'd have him standing there next to me, and that's all that would matter.
But instead, he left. He told me to turn off the codec and the tracker nanos. Of course I didn't. Last I looked he was in Washington, D.C. at Arlington. I have a vague idea what he is doing there, but I'm not going to pester him about it. It's not like I can really stop him.
At least the wedding was nice. Different, but nice.
------------------------------------------
Aug. 17, 2014
Dave returned from his trip. I don't know what the hell happened, but when I offered him a new pack of cigs, he refused them, saying he was going to quit. I was more then a bit shocked. We were standing outside the Nomad, talking about what we were going to do next, and he randomly pulled me into a hug. He hadn't done that in quite some time. It's usually me that initiates and form of physical contact anymore. It wasn't just a casual quick hug either. He held me tight for quite some time, and I clung to him like I hadn't seen him in years.
Maybe now....maybe that everything is done, he and I can just be. No worrying about robots or computer proxies. Just worry about what to make for dinner, who's going to take the trash out, the mundane things that so many people take for granted. It's those moments that burn themselves into my memory, not battles that we have fought. I have no idea how much time I have left to be by his side, and I honestly don't even want to think about it. I'm going to do my damnedest to make sure that our remaining time together is the best of times we've had.
I was also instructed to not call him Snake anymore. Dave said something about the world being better off without snakes. I replied with something stupid about snakes being an important part of the environment. He glared at me and I couldn't help but smile. It's an easy enough habit to kick for me. Snake can finally be laid to rest and Dave can finally just live.
I've got to go supervise Sunny cooking us dinner. She insisted that she cook something for Dave upon his return. This is going to be frightening.
------------------------------------------
Aug. 20, 2014
I need to start writing things down. We all know who Snake was. But someone needs to know who Dave was.
------------------------------------------
Sept. 7, 2014
I'm sitting here watching Dave make a horrible attempt at playing a game with Sunny. He's just not getting it, and it's horribly adorable. Sunny keeps jumping up and down when she beats him, he just continues to grumble away, slipping in that he "let her win" at one point.
Sunny wasn't convinced.
------------------------------------------
Sept. 10, 2014
I finally convinced Dave to scribble his (rather illegible) signature on to the forms that I have for Sunny's custody. Not like anyone doubted that she was in our care, but you know how the schools are. I hacked into a few places and made it all official in the State of Massachusetts, doctored a few forms, things like that. So, Dave and I are officially her legal guardians. Now I can sign her up for school and not have to fiddle with medical issues if anything happens to her. It's one less thing I will have to worry about now, thank god.
Dave outwardly made a grumble about it, especially when Jack was inspecting the papers when we met him for dinner that night. But I saw him smile to himself for an instant when Sunny told Jack and Rose the news as they were walking through the door.
It's nice to have my old Dave back, even if it's just in small little doses.
------------------------------------------
Sept. 12, 2014
I woke this morning to Dave's hands moving over every inch of my body and his face nuzzled into my hair. It certainly wasn't the most earth shattering moment we've had together, but it had me smiling from ear to ear for the rest of the day.
------------------------------------------
Sept. 14, 2014
Dave gave me quite the scare today. I thought I was going to loose him and had even started to prepare myself for the eventual moment. But amazingly he settled down and didn't argue with me when I shoved the oxygen mask in his face. I quite literally dragged him to bed and popped in some stupid movie to distract us till he found some sleep. He's wrapped in a pile of blankets beside me, his face pressed up against the side of my leg.
Even after all this time, I still have a hard time with it all. He's still Dave, there's doubt about that. But watching him fade from the creature he used to be into what he is now... It's not been easy on either of us. I remember shortly after the Big Shell, he was looking at himself in the mirror, specifically at the little grey hairs that had started to poke out of his sideburns. At that point I told him that we were both getting older, that I was sure to start showing some soon as well. Little did we know then what it was going to end up like.
It was after that that we broke into those archives and stole everything we could find about the L.E.T. project. I need to dig out those files and look them over again. I'm fairly certain I know where they are stored in the Nomad. Dave won't be happy to see those boxes. I imagine. I'll have to see how he does tomorrow before I go down and pick them up.
------------------------------------------
Sept. 15, 2014
Dave ended up having another coughing fit overnight. Eventually he ended up curled up in my arms, head rested on my chest. Every breath he took was ragged and labored. I didn't sleep.
------------------------------------------
Sept. 15, 2014
Dave has some color back, thank god. He's still curled up on in our bed, but he looks much better then he did. Amazing how a few hours can really make all the difference in the world. Sunny made him some eggs not too long ago and he poked at those for a while.
Later I'm going to drag him in the shower and get him cleaned up. It's amazing how much better a warm shower can make you feel.
------------------------------------------
Sept. 23, 2014
One of Sunny's chickens, Solidus, died. I had my suspicions about that bird when she stopped laying eggs a few weeks ago and started to eat less then half of her usual amount. Dave found the bird over in her favorite corner, curled up in a ball. It was peaceful at least.
Sunny was rather upset and Dave hoisted her up into his arms and held her close while she cried. She left his shoulder covered in tears and snot, which in the past he was not a fan of. But he just rocked her from side to side, whispering something to her.
I still remember when he came home with those little things. Sunny had only been with us maybe two months and it was her birthday. I sent him out to get a few things from the farmers market that was around the corner from our current apartment. He returned with a small cardboard box with three recently hatched fuzzy little yellow chicks.
He told me he got them because the girl needed more friends then just me and my computers. I wasn't totally convinced of that as he seemed to enjoy the company of the little things as much as Sunny did. He would pick all three of them up in his strong hands and set them on the table and let them pick off the leftovers of whatever he was eating.
Once she calmed down enough, she told Dave that she wanted to bury Solidus. Dave nodded and scooped the chicken into a box and promptly handed it to me. I didn't argue when he made an excuse as to why he couldn't come with us to bury her.
------------------------------------------
Sept. 27, 2014
I found a little note sitting atop my laptop when I went to boot it up this morning. It directed me to a specific tree out behind our place and was written in Dave's sloppy hand. He was leaning against the far side of it when I went out to investigate. Out of his pocket he pulled out a little plastic bag. He plopped it into my hand, set a kiss on my cheek, and walked away back towards the house.
In the little little bag was a ring shaped like a coiled snake.
I chased after him. It made my day, my week, my year. Hell, it made my life.
------------------------------------------
Nov. 2, 2014
We took Sunny to a local park today. Someone tried to steal Dave's wallet. The thief obviously thought that the old man was an easy target. I imagine he didn't think that the old man would have an M9 hidden under his coat.
I have no idea why I couldn't stop laughing over it. I imagine the look on a few observers of the event had something to do with it. Seriously, how many old men are able to flip a young kid over onto his back and whip out a gun in the flash of an eye? Not many, I imagine.
------------------------------------------
Nov. 15, 2014
It started snowing. Dave couldn't stop smiling.
It's good to see a genuine smile on his face.
------------------------------------------
Nov. 27, 2014
We were invited to join Jack, Rose, and John for Thanksgiving. We haven't actually had a proper Thanksgiving together since well...never? I usually just got some microwave turkey and a case of beer and that was the extent of it. We were always so busy with Philanthropy or whatever else. It was such a joy to get invited, you have no idea. I had always wanted to have a Thanksgiving that I could enjoy. When I was a kid, it just wasn't important to my family. Between Dad and all his work and my step-mother being English... It was just a few days off school, and that's all it ever meant.
John and Sunny were playing a video game while the rest of us chatted. It was peaceful, just chatting about decorating and football instead of hashing out intelligence on the newest metal gear or whatever. At one point, I settled on the couch to watch the kids play. A few minutes later, Dave settled down beside me and set his hand on my knee while he watched. I was a bit confused, as he never did that with anyone around. But I didn't complain and cautiously set my hand atop of his. I caught Rose's eye and quickly expected her to give us a look. But she didn't. She just smiled and turned back to setting the table.
It was a good feeling. It really was.
------------------------------------------
Dec. 6, 2014
Last night, Sunny had a bad dream. Dave and I were....well, busy, when she knocked on the door. She poked her head in and luckily didn't see anything. Such is the way of having a kid, I suppose. She crawled into bed with us and to my surprise Dave pulled her tight to his chest. We curled up together, the three of us, all underneath that blanket that I had stolen from Dave's cabin in Alaska all those years ago.
Family has never been a word that ever meant much to me. Sure, I had had Emma and the disastrous relationship that was my father and step-mother. But it wasn't the family that deep down I really wanted. I wanted exactly what I had there laying in my arms.
They both dozed off into a quiet sleep and I stayed awake probably longer then I should have watching them.
This is how life should be. :)
------------------------------------------
Dec. 20, 2014
Two weeks ago, Dave went to sleep. And he never woke up.
He told me not to fret over him, and I'm doing my best.
I'm taking him to Alaska. I think he would like it there...
------------------------------------------