Not Your Kind Of People (Raiden x Reader - Metal Gear)

Old Snake

Warnings: Unbetaed work. English is not my first language.

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Chapter VII: "Old Snake"

"So I imagine it wasn't easy being on your own all this time. Hope you didn't miss me too much," Tifa jokes as she produces a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of her black jacket. With a slight tap on the bottom of the box, she makes a satisfied sound when one of the roll-ups pops out and puts it between her lips. Then she offers you one, and you decide to indulge her just this once since you're in a good mood.

"Believe me, I wish I hadn't." You shake your head, laughing under your breath. It's heartening that things have turned out quite alright in the end. While some of your comrades are still dubious about you, or resent you to some extent, at least the welcome you got was encouraging on EVA's part. Fear, anger, awe, joy, were some of the reactions you evoked among your peers. Still, regardless of their thoughts about you, they still were under your command– whether they liked it or not.

"Is that so? I almost feel bad for dissing you after you left."

"Almost?" You arch an eyebrow and look at your friend with disbelief, only for her to shrug her shoulders whilst she lights her cigarette. Then, she tosses the lighter your way and you catch it midair, placing the smoke between your lips. Cupping a hand around it, you ignite the tobacco and relish in the moment as your friend takes out her iPod and plays a song. Its lyrics are sad and powerful, and somehow manage to pull at the strings of your heart because you feel like it's the story of your life.

Sitting on a bench at the back of the church, you enjoy the small pleasures of life. The night is calm and a soft cool breeze blows, caressing your hair and face. It's been so long since you've felt so at peace that you've nearly forgotten what it was like. It brings back memories, fond memories of the past, of when you were a kid playing in the grasslands with your brother. You can almost smell the grass and hear his laughter in the fields, see the blue sky above. You can hear your mother's voice when she called you in time for dinner, and the sound of father's steps on the porch when he got home.

It was a happy time— a time before you knew war and death.

After a long time, Tifa speaks. "I thought you sold us to The Patriots, what else did you expect? Surely you saw that one coming from miles away. Did you think I would be happy with the news? I wanted to punch you in the face, to be honest."

"Guess you have a point there."

"If there's something I can say is that I didn't expect any of this. Well, actually I never imagined it would be you. I always thought EVA would prefer having you here, overseeing the PLA instead of sending you away."

"It seems like you were wrong."

"Heh, she got me there."

After taking another drag, you tip the cigarette and shake some of the ashes off. "Anyways, we should be worrying about Liquid. He wants to get his hands on Big Boss to take over SOP. The Patriots know about his intentions but don't take the guy too seriously. They believe Liquid is no threat but... I wouldn't be too sure." You sigh and lie against the back of the bench, licking your lips. "I feel there's something missing here. I don't understand how he could possess Ocelot's body and mind through a transplanted arm. It sounds too far-fetched."