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

A New Beginning

Warnings:

Unbetaed work. OOC.

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Part XIV  

Raiden says nothing, moving forward without the slightest hesitation, and you watch amazed as his foes draw back, fearful of him. You take this chance to help Snake on his feet, noticing how tired and weakened the man is as he leans his weight against your body. Slinging his arm around your shoulders, you walk towards Raiden, jumping in surprise when another strike of lightning fries two more Haven Troopers. Only two remain, and they're hesitant to attack you so long as Raiden is in the way.

As you approach with Snake, Raiden stops at the end of the corridor and in a brisk move snaps his head to one side, stabbing his HF blade on the wall to stop your progress. The unexpectedness of his actions make you halt in your tracks, and you're confused at his behavior. What has gotten into him?

"Snake, leave this to me. I'll go to the server room," he says after a moment, never turning to look at you in the eye. Your eyes widen in panic and you're tempted to reach for him but Snake stops you, giving you a stare that tells you he'll deal with his friend. Removing his arm off of you, he stands tall and proud, his gaze fixed on Raiden as he places a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"The corridor's full of microwaves." Snake walks past him and gives a friendly pat to Raiden's chest. "One of us is enough."

"My body is a machine. I can take it," Raiden argues, trying to convince the older man to let him take his place, but Snake is having none of it.

"Your body may be a machine but your heart is human," he says, drawing a gasp from your lips as you hear those words– the ones you've told Tifa once when she tried to convince you that you could never be happy with Raiden. "You've got a life to go back to." Raiden meets the older man's eye with hesitation, and Snake nods in your direction with a slight tilt of his head. When he stares at you, the blonde's gaze softens, mixed emotions swirling in its blue depths. You understand his dilemma— he doesn't want to leave his friend alone. He feels guilty for doing so, and Snake knows what he's thinking. "You still have your youth. You can start over, together. From here on, this is my fight. I... we tore the world apart, made your life a living hell. It's my duty to put an end to all this."

Raiden sighs but another longing look your way tells you he knows where his heart lies, and it's with you. He nods, acknowledging Snake's advice. "Alright, we'll make sure they don't get through."

"Stay with me, Snake. Hold on until we insert the virus!" Otacon urges the man, trying to encourage him to go on.

Snake retrieves the HF blade and presents it to Raiden, who grips the handle between his teeth. He focuses on the remaining Haven Troopers and, immediately, they back down at the threat he signifies. Despite his lack of arms, they know better than to underestimate him and are aware he won't be easy to defeat. Even with teeth and feet alone, Raiden is still dangerous and his prowess and agility are hard to match. His determination also gives him an edge, and he stands his ground without fear or indecision, ready to protect you as he forces the enemy to withdraw so you can advance.

Before Snake follows, you grab his shoulder and place a quick kiss on his cheek, leaving him speechless at your actions. The truth is, you can't help it— you can't hold back your feelings of gratitude for what he's doing for you and Raiden. He's giving you a chance to pick up broken dreams and go on, a chance for the future.

"Thank you," you whisper in his ear, a bittersweet smile on your lips. "You truly are the Legendary Soldier."

Snake grumbles something under his breath, clearly embarrassed, drawing closer to Raiden while you snatch a machete from one of the corpses. He won't face this alone, not while you can still help him. When he reaches the entry to the microwave corridor, enemy reinforcements arrive and you hurry to take your place next to Raiden. You're ready to fight until your last breath if necessary. Still, that doesn't mean you want to die today but it's a possibility that you can't ignore.