Thank you for joining me here, sweeties! As you're probably well aware of by now, this contains a boy/boy pairing. If you're allergic to those pairings, please steer clear! Thank you!

Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own a darn thing.

The world had once been so beautiful, so nourishing and bright, but now it was falling apart. He was falling apart, hardly able to stand and barely able to breathe. The mere thought of losing his air, the one he had surrendered eternity to, was maddening. Death seemed much friendlier than the mere mention of losing oxygen.

His hands and feet were touching solid, concrete ground, but he was in a dream. No-he was inside a nightmare. He must've been inside a nightmare! It was impossible to lose the world he loved so much, in such a short amount of time! Things couldn't possibly be dark when they had just been bright, brimming with life's effervescent colors and flow!

But he was no longer in a dream. He was no longer in the state of happiness one enjoys with great fortune. Everything around him was falling apart, and he couldn't bear it. He was Solid Snake, Old Snake, the world's greatest legend-

And he was falling apart.

There were times when he wanted to give in. There were times when he wanted to throw his hands in the air and surrender, tied down by the wicked hands of fate. But at the end of tunnel, there was always light. And the light, that beautiful, precious light, came in the form of his beloved Leon.

Leon Scott Kennedy. Bodyguard and consultant to the President. The target of Ashley Graham's secret shower cameras. Renowned, fearless gunner and agent.

His Leon Scott Kennedy.

His life was a blurred combination of images, voices and memories. An old friend asked Leon to join him on the darkest mission of his life. The Kennedy put no argument or complaint against that request, and off they went. The world's darkest nightmare became the platter for their dreams. The foundation for their beating hearts. The thread that bound their lonely, aching souls together. And so they eventually became one, destined to float amongst the stars forever.

Well, that's what Snake envisioned. Apparently, destiny didn't seem to have the same picture. And the voices of Heaven were now blotted out, darkened by the uncontrollable hands of wildfire.

He had been running, but he couldn't run anymore. His body, burdened by FOXDIE and so many other things, could run no longer. Breathing, aching, yearning, he was forced to gaze upon the rainy ground. Sobbing. Weeping. Reaching out to a place he never thought he'd see.

Reaching out to the clouds.

Osmund swept him out of Leon's life at one point. The Saddler swept him out of Leon's life, Hal's life and Sunny's life. For a moment, Snake thought it was for the best. After all, he was nothing more than a stained, bloodied bag of skin. Something destined to destroy the Earth. A weapon. A curse.

Five minutes into captivity, he wanted nothing more than the chance to breathe again.

Cruel was an understatement. Before Osmund shattered his tranquil life, Snake thought his brother was the most wicked beast of them all. Once the Saddler got his hands on him, Liquid came to be no different from Glenda, the Good Witch of the North. Hell's ruler evidently chose a human incarnation, and it happened to be Osmund.

Leon's old enemy carved ancient incantations into his flesh, which had already been weakened by past endeavors and FOXDIE. The carvings were slow, the blade diving deep, but the Saddler gave him no rest. No mercy. Once the carvings were complete, the lamb's tormentor conducted spells out of an ancient, unholy book. One time, his prey's insides felt as if they were consumed by little, restless insects. At one point, those insects tore out of his flesh, and they poured out of his broken body in streams.

Whether they were real or not, Snake could not tell.

The inscriptions were still there. The carvings, the blood...it was all still there. Saddler might have been taken out of his custody, but it was all still there. He could feel every last cut, slice and dice. He could still feel everything.

But regardless of how painful things had been, regardless of how brutal Saddler had been, nothing could compare to what was about to happen. Absolutely-

Nothing.

Leon was leaving. Leon was going away. Leon was leaving, and there was nothing he could do about it.

His Leon, his anchor, his love and soul, was leaving.

It was cold. Everything was cold, so cold. The world was icy underneath his fingertips. Pretty soon the cold would consume him, and there would be nothing left. There would be only ice and his voice, calling out a certain name. A voice pleading, yearning, aching for salvation.

Hands wrapped about his body, he released his hold on everything. Sanity, strength, courage...everything. Everything was released, and nothing was restrained. Anger, frustration, heartache and sorrow came out in the form of tears. Tears that bore no end, and pain that would never leave.

"Don't do this. Please don't do this."

That voice, so gentle and warm, lifted his head. And there, standing in a glittering pool of rain, was the only mortal that thought to love him. The only one that thought to uplift his soul with a smile. His angel.

Leon.

Hands fell about his trembling shoulders. His eyes met the infinite, loving eyes of eternity, so calm and tranquil-but laden with overpowering sadness. "Please don't do this," the eyes of eternity said, speaking to him as if he had been made into glass. "Don't do this. Don't give yourself up for me."

"How can you expect me not too? Leon-!"

Right there, standing in the midst of Heaven's diamonds, time came to an end. Two pairs of lips met, drenched in rainwater and desire. Tears mingled with raindrops, slowly tracing cheeks and hearts. "I can't stay," a soft, young voice whispered, his words caressing the other's heart. His hands caressed the back of Snake's head, treating each wisp of hair, each inch of skin, as though the angels had carved it themselves.

"I promised to protect you, and that's exactly what I mean to do. You can't expect me to just stand by and allow any more harm to come to you. That's against orders."

A lamb peered into the Kennedy's eyes, begging for another way. Yearning, searching, so close to falling apart. Hands cupped the lamb's face, stroking its cheeks gently. "Don't cry anymore," President Graham's confidant whispered, each word kissing the other's heart. "You'll be all right. You'll find someone else to take care of you."

"That's not how this works!"

The old soldier pulled away from him, heart screaming for release. Veins pounding, soul throbbing. Eyes burning with wishes, anger and sadness. "You think I can just go out and replace you? Like you're some doll bought off a shelf? That's not how this works, Leon! I don't want it to work this way! I want things to work my way! I want you to stay, dammit! Am I asking too much?"

"You aren't," the Kennedy murmured, drawing Snake back into his arms. The lamb buried his head into the other's chest, crying as the President's sole confidant spoke. "You aren't, firefly. I'm just not strong enough to give you what your heart desires. And if I remain here, he'll take you away again. I'll be forced to watch you fall apart. I promised your family I'd never let Saddler touch you again, Snake. I promised myself I'd never let the Devil himself take you away, and I intend to keep that promise."

"Take me with you. Please take me with you. Take me with you..."

The lamb spoke no more, heart immersed in sobs. Snake sobbed into his lover's chest, hoping Heaven would awaken soon. Hoping darkness would be extinguished. Hoping someone, some where, would put an end to their nightmare. "You're everything to me," the Kennedy whispered, fondling the other's back. He spoke as though he were speaking a hymn, standing underneath a sanctuary's pool of light.

"You're everything I never dreamt of. Everything I need in order to live. Without you, there is no life. And so I have chosen to honor my life. My love. I have chosen to honor you."

Saddler's prey gasped as kisses rained over him, falling onto his cheeks. Collarbone. Chest. Eyelids. Carnal, primitive desire erupted inside of him as he remembered their time together. The fire grew as he remembered Leon's past kisses. The soft, enriching warmth of his hands. The sound of his clothes being removed by his younger love. The words. The promises. The sounds. The light of love.

Saddler was going to take all of that away from him.

There weren't enough tears to stop him. Leon loved him, and he would prove his love by sacrificing himself. Offering himself to the very one that tormented him. The Kennedy believed he wasn't strong enough to take Osmund Saddler down, and so, in order to keep Snake from being recaptured, he'd give up. He'd be the one to throw in the towel.

And so, everything was over. The BSAA would take over, and-

Everything was over. Everything was gone.

And in three months time, he'd become the world's darkest curse. He'd kill everything. Everyone.

Leon vowed to remain by him. Leon vowed to stay with him, no matter what. Leon vowed to forever make love to him, even after his body assumed the form of a weapon. The risk of being infected with FOXDIE was a risk Leon was willing to take.

But now, he was offering himself to Saddler. Liquid's lover.

Solid 'Old' Snake, aka David Emmerich, spoke. He spoke the last words he knew he'd share with Leon. He spoke the words that had tied them together, and would forever keep them together.

"I love you. I love you. I love you."

_
Written to 'Clair Voyant' by Two Steps from Hell.