Disclaimer: Snake and Luigi aren't mine. They belong to Konami and Nintendo, respectively. And by canon standards they should never be together. What a shame!
Author's Note: Me is slowly coming back from a long long long hiatus. I've got exams for the next few months, though, so updates will be very slow. This was a fluffy fic that spawned out of a line from RENT the musical; I watched it on film recently and it gave me a few plotbunnies.
Luigi is very timid, polite and sweet here. Snake is gruff and... you know, like Snake. Mind you, about halfway through the story they just kind of turn all mushy and happy. It was fun writing them two, but the ending was a pain to write (although I'm happy with it). Cat-like Luigi alert near the end.
This fic also contains Horrible!Mario, mentioned only in a small plot point. I usually don't like stories where Luigi and Mario are unfriendly to each other or where Luigi is deathly scared of his older brother, but this time I've explored that plot as an experiment. I believe Mario and Luigi actually do have a lovely sibling relationship, so don't take this particular Mario to heart.
Read on for some Snake/Luigi slashy fluff.
"... Excuse me, but would you light my candle, please?"
Those were the very first words that Solid Snake heard that were spoken from the nervous young man known as Luigi. He had never made conversation with the green-clad plumber before, nor had he really made any contact with him aside of the brawls; so what business this young man had standing on his doorstep at ten thirty at night, he truly didn't know. The mercenary stood for a while in the doorway, gazing silently at the other man, his gaze fixed and searching. Luigi was obviously nervous, biting his lip and fidgeting; it was the very thing that convinced Snake that he wasn't here to make trouble.
"Come in," Snake finally said, holding the door open for the green-clad plumber. The latter obeyed, stepping neatly inside and looking around awkwardly. "you want a light, you said?"
"Yes, please... sir," Luigi added cautiously, not knowing how to address the mercenary otherwise. Snake shook his head lightly, taking into account but gently dismissing the title, and beckoned the young man inside. "my brother's asleep and I didn't want to disturb him."
Snake had to chuckle slightly at those words. "So you decided to disturb other people's evenings in their suites instead?"
"What? N-no! I... I just..." the younger Mario brother's eyes widened as he frantically tried to deny those words; the true reason why he couldn't come up with anything to say was that he himself didn't quite understand why he had come to Snake's room out of all the rooms available. Why bother with the trouble of climbing up a flight of stairs to get to the mercenary, when he simply could have walked down the corridor for someone kind enough to lend him a light? But the soldier wasn't exactly looking for an answer; he had already retreated to the living room, searching for matches, leading Luigi to reluctantly follow him.
"Your brother's asleep, you say?"
"Yes," Luigi replied softly. "and I daren't wake him up. It's not like I can turn on the lights on any of the rooms... we think the fuses in our suite were blown, so we can't actually have any electrical equipment working until Friday. Mario just went to sleep early."
Snake glanced over at the nervous young man. "All your electricity's down, eh? So you can't cook or microwave anything, assuming you have a kitchenette in your suite?"
Luigi nodded. "That's right. We can't store anything either because the fridge doesn't work."
"Well, why not get something to cook on the spot? Isn't your stove gas-operated?"
"No," the green-plumber answered, twiddling his thumbs. "electric hot-plates."
Snake sighed heavily. This conversation really wasn't going anywhere, was it? It didn't help that Luigi was nervous as hell in his presence.
"Didn't you eat anything from the restaurant downstairs, then?"
Luigi shook his head. "We... um... well, I can't really afford to pay. Mario takes our earnings from the spectator gallery and gives me an allowance every week. I've spent it - I daren't ask Mario for more..."
The mercenary closed a drawer, having not found any matches, and turned to the younger man, scruntizing him with a half-suspicious gaze. "What do you mean you don't dare ask him for money? He should give you your share, you earn it as much as he does. You sound awfully afraid of Mario for some reason, if you wouldn't mind me saying so."
This statement seemed to have hit home; Luigi flinched visibly, his gaze wild and panicked for a second or two before he regained control of himself. This was more than enough time for the mercenary to notice; although he preferred to keep out of private affairs, this was one thing he wasn't willing to pass by. He turned around fully, facing the young man, his gaze narrowed and sharp. The younger Mario brother couldn't meet his eyes, instead opting to gaze down at the floor.
"I... I'll go... I could always ask somebody else for a light... I'm sorry for disrupting your evening-" Luigi turned away to go, uncomfortable and now wanting nothing more than to just get out of the room. He took up the candle, the long, loose sleeves of his shirt falling down in the act, and began to hurriedly make his way to the door.
However, Snake's hand darted out to grip his right arm, making Luigi gasp and wince slightly in pain.
"Does he hit you?" Snake whispered as he inspected Luigi's arm; they were covered with bruises that were too frequent to be taken for brawling injuries, but also too small to be taken seriously enough. The bruises looked suspiciously like finger-marks, leading Snake to assume that Luigi's arms were grabbed roughly while being hit. They didn't seem accidental at all - in fact, they seemed as if they had been inflicted in a constant basis, as the bruises further up the arm were almost invisible and fading. Luigi quickly shook his head, looking terrified and trying in vain to pull his arm out of the soldier's grasp - however, Snake held on firmly still, causing him to give up and nod. "why do you put up with it? You can't just do nothing and take it like a coward!"
Luigi flinched at the strong words, looking down and biting his lip nervously. Seeing this, Snake immediately regretted his actions; he let go of Luigi, and left the room quickly only to return with a box of medical supplies. None of the bruises looked very serious, and there were no other injuries visible, but he had to do all he could.
"Roll up your sleeve," he instructed to the other man, who obeyed instantly. He took one arm, unscrewed the top of an ointment, and began to dab the bruises gently with it. "why do you let him do this anyway?"
"He doesn't mean to hurt me," Luigi answered defensively, although he winced at the feeling of his bruises being touched. "he gets exhausted every now and then - who wouldn't? He's quite sensitive during those times and only ever does this when I bother him. Mario apologizes as well - he holds onto me and cries... and he's my brother. It's nothing serious."
"Nothing serious?" Snake repeated in disbelief, still rubbing the ointment into the other's skin. He finished one arm and started on the other. "Mario's hurting you and it's not serious? Why aren't you talking to Master Hand? Why - why do you let him do this?"
The green-clad plumber didn't meet his eyes, but merely repeated what he'd said: "He's my brother."
The soldier knew better than to keep on pursuing the issue. He'd only just met this man, who was definitely in need of help, and questioning him continuously wasn't going to make anything better. He was going to have to keep Luigi close by if he wanted information. So saying nothing more, he rubbed the ointment into the last of the bruises and carefully rolled his sleeves back down.
"Thank you," Luigi said, his voice gentle and soft; he seemed to have no resentment for Snake despite the rather harsh words that the latter had used previously, and that was a relief for the mercenary. He got up and looked down inquisitively at the young man, thinking.
"You haven't eaten, have you?" Snake asked, scanning his eyes over the other's form. Luigi looked startled, but then quickly shook his head, chewing on his bottom lip nervously. "how long have you gone without food?"
Luigi could have lied, of course; but this mercenary was so intimidating that he could not help but blurt out the truth. "Two days."
"Right. I know it's late, but you need to eat something. I'll cook up some food."
The young man stared, his eyes wide with confusion. "But... I only..."
"I'm not having you starving on me," the mercenary cut him off, his voice firm but not unkind. "you're undernourished and possibly even dehydrated. I'm not letting you out until you're well-fed. Is that clear to you?"
Luigi opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it again as he found nothing to say. Nodding faintly, he slumped down on the couch, closing his eyes and wondering how he had gotten himself into all this mess. All this just for a light! He must be going mad.
-----
"Come over," Snake's voice awakened Luigi from his momentary trance. Feeling half dazed, Luigi walked over to the small kitchenette where the mercenary was setting out a table. He vaguely noted that there was cutlery set out for two people, but he was still feeling strange, unable to believe in the reality of this situation. It felt terribly surreal to him at that moment in time. "sit down. I haven't had anything to eat this evening - thought I might join you."
Luigi nodded dumbly as he sat down. The mercenary came out of the kitchenette, carrying two plates; on it was a kind of pasta bake served with potatoes and bread. It was only then that Luigi really realized how hungry he was and how long he had gone without food; when Snake handed him the plate, he gazed at the rich helpings, inwardly amazed at the mercenary's culinary skills.
"Go ahead, help yourself," Snake said as he poured some wine into their glasses - somehow, without Luigi noticing, he had sat down and uncorked a bottle of wine, looking calm and collected. "I don't get to test out my cooking on people very often. Hopefully it won't disagree with your stomach."
The younger Mario brother managed a small smile at the remark, said a soft 'thank you' and then picked up his fork. The instant he tasted the food, he was in heaven; he was finally being nourished, and Luigi almost cried with joy at the pleasant feeling of warmth that spread throughout his body. He began to eat with more enthusiasm, spooning up the potatoes, eating almost like a man possessed. Snake watched him as he ate, glad that Luigi seemed to like his food.
"Slow down," the soldier said quietly as he patted the other's shoulders. "don't want you to get sick."
Luigi did slow down at this gentle command, pausing to take a sip of wine occasionally. Despite this, he still ate very cleanly and left the plate practically sparkling. He had finished his meal way before Snake was done with his; the younger Mario brother leaned back on his chair, a blissful look of his face.
"Oh, thank you," he kept on saying. "I feel so much better now. It was delicious."
"Glad you thought that," the mercenary replied, putting away his cutlery. "do you want a second helping? Or are you full?"
"I'm full enough."
Snake stood up, cleared away the plates and cutlery whilst Luigi walked back to the couch; he soon returned with a small box of chocolates, lifting the lid to reveal that there were three chocolates left in there. "It's not much, but I figured that it would do for a small dessert. Have a chocolate. It'll warm you up."
Luigi tried to refuse, protesting softly that Snake had been too nice to him already; the mercenary, however, simply picked up a chocolate truffle and held it near the plumber's mouth, coaxing him gently. The younger Mario brother relented and accepted after a couple of seconds, letting the other man lightly push the chocolate in his mouth - his lips brushed Snake's fingers as they did so, and the mercenary couldn't help shivering lightly at the delightful sensation. Luigi's lips felt gloriously soft and warm, unlike the mercenary's own rather chapped ones; even though it was winter, the younger Mario brother seemed to have relatively moist skin. At least that meant that the other was drinking a fair amount of water, which was a small consolation to the soldier's rather concerned mind.
"I'm indebted to you," Luigi said as the mercenary drew back. "you've been so kind to me. How can I ever thank you?"
Snake brushed away the thanks with a shrug, but Luigi could nevertheless sense a glimmer of pride in his eyes. "Don't mention it. It wasn't anything. You needed some sustenance and company and I wanted to help you, that was all. If there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to ask."
To his surprise, the younger Mario brother smiled sadly to those words. "I wish that there was a solution for every one of my problems," he said. "some of them have no answers."
"Such as?"
"Me being in this tournament, for instance," Luigi gestured with his hands, but then let them fall helplessly. "I'm insignificant in this place. I don't belong here. I never did."
"And why do you think that?" Snake asked quietly, inwardly shocked but not willing to give it away.
"I'm a pacifist," Luigi murmured. "I'm not in this tournament because I wanted to be. And the same goes for the last two I attended. I'm..." here he hesitated, glancing at the ground. "... I'm not good with people either. I would have preferred staying at home, really."
"You're good with me," Snake replied in an equally soft voice. When the other didn't reply, he gently placed an arm around the other's shoulders; he stayed like that for a few minutes before daring to make more contact. Snake reached up, hesitated for a brief second, and then slowly began to stroke the younger Mario brother's hair.
The green-clad plumber flinched, his body stiffening.
Regretting his actions, the mercenary quickly withdrew his hand, mentally chastising himself for stepping too far into the other's personal space. "Luigi, I'm sorry-"
Luigi looked at him oddly for one moment, but then much to the other's surprise, settled back down and nudged his head lightly against the mercenary's shoulder. "Don't stop," he murmured shyly. "I... like that. It feels nice."
Snake didn't know how to react. On one hand he was glad that he hadn't offended Luigi; but on the other hand, he was feeling distinctly uncomfortable. He'd triggered something within the younger Mario brother's subconscious, evidenced too clearly by the look in the other's eyes. But he couldn't just sit here doing nothing forever. Very slowly, he lifted up his hand again and resumed stroking Luigi's hair, taking care not to tug on any of the strands, being as gentle as he possibly could.
The green-clad plumber sat very still for a minute or so. But then he closed his eyes, encircling the other's waist with his arms and snuggling into the mercenary's body. Snake looked at him for a couple of seconds - then, in one fluid motion, he picked up the younger Mario brother and placed him down on his lap, letting the other's head rest on his shoulder. Luigi gasped slightly as he was lifted from the ground; but then he soon settled down uneasily, relaxing somewhat.
"You like that?" Snake asked, stroking the other's hair once more, even moving down to the nape of his neck. Luigi nodded. "why?"
"My mother used to do that," the latter replied softly, and then said no more. Snake also made no further attempts to pursue the matter.
The younger Mario brother hadn't felt so comfortable in months. He felt truly safe in this man's arms; Snake was well-muscled and had a strong grip, yet gentle enough to hold the younger man without causing discomfort. Luigi could see that the mercenary was brooding, staring into the fire in a kind of contemplation that invited no interruption whatsoever, so he decided to just enjoy the feeling of being held. Snake was the first person in a long time that he had ever made close physical contact with and didn't abuse him in any way. But all the time, he was only too aware that this was forbidden contact; if Mario ever found out, the cycle of beating up Luigi and apologizing endlessly afterwards would begin again.
Yet the pleasant feeling of fullness and warmth was getting to him; within minutes of curling up in Snake's arms, he was asleep.
-----
Snake watched the young man for a long time as he slept. Luigi was curled up softly on his lap - just like a kitten, he observed - his breathing even and quiet, and he occasionally sighed in his sleep. The mercenary silently stroked the other's hair, caressing the silky strands between his fingers, marvelling at how he could sleep so silently. Luigi's chest rose and fell now and then, but apart from that and the infrequent sighs, that was just about everything that gave any indication that he was alive.
It struck him then how thin and pale the younger Mario brother looked. He didn't seem as if he'd been eating well - he knew that Luigi hadn't been able to pay for food that week, but he looked so underfed that Snake had to wonder if the young man had been like this even before the tournament. Come to think of it, Luigi didn't participate in the nightlife and hardly ever socialized with anyone; he preferred chatting every now and then with the Smashers who were either children (and didn't know much) or creatures that didn't talk at all, like the Pokemon. Could it be that Luigi was trying to conserve what little energy he had? And could it be that he was trying to hide it from the other Smashers?
What about the energy he needed for his brawls? He could very well be sneaking into the supply closet to get himself a Heart Container or two before his brawl matches, just so that he could perform well. Nobody would suspect anything at that time. But after his brawl, he could be dragging his exhausted body back to the suite, and sleeping it all off because he hadn't any choice. And after all that and putting up with his older brother's abuse, Luigi still didn't complain. The thought of the younger Mario brother curling up in his bed, shivering, was almost unbearable. Snake could feel the outline of the younger Mario brother's spine when his fingers brushed the back of his shirt; although Luigi was reasonably tall, when curled up like this he felt so little and delicate.
Luigi was - beautiful, in a way. His skin was pale and smooth as silk, his eyes a bright shade of sapphire. And yet life had been cruel to this young man; his expression was weary and he seemed ever so tired, with dark circles underneath his eyes. But his features were softened in sleep, which was a small relief; when he was awake, they were usually tinged with worry and sadness. Snake had noticed that right from the beginning of the tournament, when he had first seen Luigi. He had thought the younger Mario brother handsome in a soft, shy kind of way, and he knew that the young man had a kind heart, but he had personally found the other unapproachable. Luigi seemed a man of a thousand secrets, and his permanently-melancholy expression hadn't made working with him any easier.
Until now.
Gently, he lifted a hand to stroke Luigi's cheek, feeling the pleasant, boyish softness beneath his skin. A small smile made its way to his lips as Luigi subconsciously nuzzled into the touch in his sleep, letting out a soft 'mmm'. The mercenary was reminded of a kitten at this display of sweetness; that's what the green-clad plumber was like. A cute, helpless little kitten. And damned if Snake couldn't take care of him, even for a little while. He made a mental note to tell Master Hand about the situation; that Mario was abusing his younger brother for no apparent reason, and that it had to be stopped.
Snake looked up at the clock. Midnight.
He really should be getting to sleep now. But what to do with the young man sleeping on his lap? Snake thought briefly about carrying him back to the bedroom, and lying him out on the bed; he himself would sleep on the floor, hidden inside his box, in case anything happened. But he decided against it almost immediately - Luigi could get wrong ideas about his intentions and he didn't want that. Finally, he simply took a pillow from his bedroom along with two blankets. With those he proceeded to create a reasonably comfortable space for the younger Mario brother - placing him on the couch, with the soft fluffy cushions supporting his head and the best blanket around his body worked quite well. He smiled at his handiwork, arranged the pillow on the floor beneath the couch, covered himself with the other blanket and fell immediately asleep.
-----
Luigi awoke at dawn. He blinked for a while, trying to grasp his bearings, when he realized that he was in a strange room; slightly alarmed, he raised himself up on his elbows to look. He was lying on a couch of some kind, a thick blanket over him - and on the floor beneath him, the mercenary himself lay asleep. He seemed dead to the world, but Luigi could see that he was smiling lightly in his sleep; he must be having a good dream, the plumber decided, and the thought of this made him chuckle.
So last night's almost-surreal events hadn't been so surreal after all. He had dined with this stranger, shared secrets that he had never told anyone (not even Mario) with him, and had fallen asleep in his arms. Luigi smiled - he'd found kindness from the most unexpected source. The best thing he could do to repay that kindness now was to leave silently, without waking Snake up - he'd write a note to explain that he should be getting back now, and he would come back soon. He had sat up and was just rearranging the cushions when a warm hand was placed on his knee.
"Sneaking out early?" Snake murmured drowsily, his expression playful despite his tiredness. Luigi chuckled softly, his nervousness gone, and rested his own hand on the mercenary's.
"What time is it?"
Snake looked at his watch. "Four thirty-five in the morning. Go back to sleep."
"I really should get going now," Luigi replied apologetically. "Mario could be wondering where I am."
"Doesn't matter," the mercenary mumbled, dragging himself up to lean against the couch. "screw all that. Stay with me."
"You're being childish," the green-clad plumber giggled. But he complied nonetheless, lying back down on the couch to press his cheek lightly against the other man's. Snake let out a soft 'mmm' at the touch, taking in the softness of Luigi's skin. The latter took the opportunity to reach down, touching the mercenary's shoulder ever so gently; he wasn't entirely sure why he felt so happy all of a sudden, but he wasn't about to complain.
Snake soon grinned mischeviously as an idea came into his head.
"Come here, you," Snake growled playfully as he pulled the younger Mario brother down on the floor with him. Luigi gasped as he was dragged downwards, but then began laughing fit to burst as the mercenary snagged him around the waist and rolled around to reverse their positions. Luigi was now beneath Snake, his body curled up softly; the soldier lightly reached down to tickle his stomach and the green-clad plumber doubled over, giggling.
"You're tickling me!"
"Look at you. You're just like a cat, you are." the mercenary chuckled. In response, Luigi lightly curled his hands into a shape resembling cats' paws, and let out a cute little meow. Snake laughed, lightly chucked the younger Mario brother underneath the chin and stroked his hair. Luigi snuggled into him, letting out soft sounds resembling a purr.
"Keep it up," Snake said, chuckling as he pinched the other's cheek fondly. "I rather fancy having you as a lap cat, actually. In fact, why don't you come and curl up on my lap now? You're cute enough, if I dare say so."
Luigi blushed a deep red, although his smile widened.
"You're a strange man."
Snake laughed. "Oh, I intend to become even more strange as time goes by," the mercenary reached for the box of chocolates and peered inside as he said this. "there's a Coffee Cream left. You like that flavour?"
"Coffee sounds nice. If I can't get a real cup, I guess that one will have to do!" Luigi chuckled. Snake laughed, picked up the chocolate and held it close to the plumber's mouth as he did before; the younger Mario brother didn't hesitate this time. He bit into the chocolate delicately, the wonderful smooth taste of sweet cream almost overwhelming him - eager for more, he even licked the mercenary's index finger clean to get at the chocolate smudged there. Snake let out a soft 'mmm' of pleasure at the sensation, letting a rare, genuine grin light up his features.
"Definitely like a cat." the mercenary commented, fondling the other's cheek softly before sitting back up. Luigi followed suit, the sweet taste of chocolate still lingering in his mouth as he nuzzled against the older man. Snake reached for a packet that lay on the floor just beneath the couch; Luigi hadn't noticed it before, but now he could see that it was a pack of cigarettes. The packet did look like it had seen better days; he could quite safely assume that the mercenary carried said object around in his pockets everywhere, but never could find the time to smoke. He didn't know that Snake was a smoker, but now that he thought about it, that (and the lack of time) would explain the why the mercenary got unusually irritable and restless at times. As he was contemplating this, Snake had picked out a cigarette and was examining it closely. He saw Luigi gazing at it, and he gave the other a rather bitter smile.
"Never take up smoking," he advised, searching in his pockets for a lighter. "I'm quite likely to smoke myself into a heart attack someday, inevitably leading to my untimely demise. It's horrible habit, I know, but it's the only thing that calms me down. Listen to me talking - I'm such a hypocrite, aren't I?" he stopped fumbling in his pockets and sighed. "nope, no lighter."
Luigi smiled coyly, leaning his head towards the mercenary's chest.
"Don't smoke," he said gently. "it's not good for you."
"Uh-huh..."
"They make kisses taste bad."
Snake had to chuckle at this. "Oh? And how would you know that, Luigi?"
"I just do," the green-clad plumber answered lazily, snuggling into the other's arms. Snake raised an eyebrow skeptically, but put away the cigarette on the side table and pulled the younger Mario brother closer, silently holding him again. They stayed like that for a while, their eyes closed, both lost deep in their own blissful thoughts.
The mercenary was close to falling asleep again when a voice shook him from his thoughts. "Snake?"
"Yes, kitten?"
Luigi giggled at the nickname. "I should get going now. Really. It's five o'clock. Any later than now and Mario's going to be up looking for me." Snake's expression turned more serious at the thought; as much as he didn't want to, he was going to have to let the younger Mario brother go for the day. He didn't want Mario to abuse Luigi any further for something that wasn't his fault. So Snake nodded quietly in understanding, and stood up, helping the green-clad plumber to his feet.
"You take care," the mercenary said as he walked the other to the door. "if Mario suspects anything, say that it was me. I don't want to get you into further trouble."
"Oh, but none of it was your fault!" Luigi exclaimed, suddenly looking rather guilty. He shuffled his feet lightly. "I'm sorry for the trouble... and... thank you. I haven't felt so happy in months. Thank you for having me."
The soldier gazed at him for a few seconds; and then, quite suddenly, he turned back to the living room and picked up something. It was a light coat of some kind; Snake fished around in the pockets for a couple of seconds before replacing the coat and returning to the younger Mario brother.
"Here," he whispered, taking the other's hand and placing a small (but plump) purse in his palm. "keep it out of sight. Use it to get some food, Luigi. That should get you through the remainder of this week."
Luigi glanced down at his palm, a mixture of guilt, confusion and what looked like fear in his expression. "I can't take your money."
"I insist," the mercenary said, gently closing Luigi's fingers over his palm. "you might have had dinner here, but it's not going to last you the whole day, let alone this week. Money's no excuse to deny you food. Come to my suite if you don't want to spend it, I can always cook something for you. If Mario inquires about it, give him my name; I'll deal with it."
The green-clad plumber closed his eyes, trying not to cry. Snake was being so kind; he could hardly believe this was happening to him, as he had only known the mercenary for a few hours. Was fate giving him a chance after all? Knowing that refusing wouldn't get him anywhere, he simply nodded in response, his eyes expressing all the gratitude that he could give to the older man.
Snake smiled at him, and then leaning forwards, placed his lips on Luigi's cheek in a soft kiss. The green-clad plumber didn't flinch away, and returned the kiss, a small blush gracing his face.
"... Come again tonight."
"If you won't mind... I will. I promise."
Snake bid a gentle goodbye to the younger Mario brother, seeing him right up to the door; Luigi waved at him, smiled, and disappeared through the still-dark corridor. He knew that Luigi would keep his promise to him - although the younger Mario brother had come to him with a candle, he'd left it in his suite, and would undoubtly come back to 'claim' it.
Not to mention that Snake hadn't actually lighted that candle for him yet.
He didn't suppose he'd ever do it, though. And perhaps that was the best thing.