Split Personality's - CHAPTER II : The massive fallout.
It was Friday morning and the sun was shining especially bright through the hotel window, eventually the heat woke Otacon up from his deep sleep.
He reached for his glasses on the bed table like he did every morning. As he lent over he felt that pang of pain from deep within him, then suddenly it all came flooding back as he then stared at a bend in the sidebar of his glasses. He reached for his forehead and felt a cut to the side.
He then realized the state he was in. he smelt very musky, a mix of perspiration and Snakes strong Cologne.
Hal sat up and cradled his stomach after a pain shot through his side then made his way for the shower. The hot water against his skin felt wonderful and helped to ease his pains. For him, this opened a new chapter in his life.
He walked into the main room while towel drying his shoulder length hair and checking his phone for messages. Otacon picked out some clothes to wear saving his more formal ware for the convention tomorrow. Otacon pulled his door shut and walked to Snakes door and knocked.
After a moment the door came open so Otacon walked in and looked around. Snake was silently leaning against a wall shaving while looking into a small wall mounted mirror.
Otacon wished he had prepared something to say...something to break Snakes silence.
"Hiya Dave, ahh, have you got some idea of what you want to add to tomorrow's meeting..?" Otacon asked casually.
Snake stopped washing his face for a moment then continued and started to dry his face.
"Hmm...No, not much more then the directional plans I gave you yesterday...my going is basically a formality anyway." he said in his standard matter of fact fashion.
"Ahh, I see..." Hal replied puzzled. "Are you going to do anything today..?" he said while staring at the floor.
"Well, have a look around the city while I'm here, maybe get a few things to take back with me to Alaska..."Snake said as he put some of his items back into his carry all.
"Well...do you need any help?" Hal asked hopefully.
"No. I'm good thanks." Snake replied.
"Why do you want to stay in Alaska?" Hal asked, still transfixed on the floor.
"It's my home. I have everything out there, peace, quiet, fresh air...Meryl and my huskies." came the fast reply.
Otacon's mind started to race as he felt a near physical pain in his chest.
"When will you be coming back this way...?" Hal asked quietly.
"I don't know, I tend to only head back to mainland if something important is going on." Snake said in his low monotone.
Otacon squeezed his eyes shut as if he had been shot through the heart. Then he swallowed hard and took a deep breath...
"David, we need to talk." Otacon asked in the most unemotional and flat way he could.
Snake rolled his eyes and continued packing things into his case.
"Don't do this...don't ignore me...please..." Otacon said finally looking up from the floor and staring at the tall figure before him.
"Uhh? What about..?" Snake asked throwing him a side glance.
"What about, WHAT ABOUT?!" Otacon's voice broke as he spoke. "Last night, that's what!" Otacon sniffed to try and stem a runny nose and his watered eyes which he realized only made him look pathetic.
Snake stood silently staring at him and being visually uncomfortable. "I was very very drunk, I remember flashbacks..I'm a different person when I drink...so I'm told..."
"Very drunk? Well, I was totally sober...One-hundred Percent!" Hal argued.
"Is that a good thing?!" Snake asked in an irritated voice.
"Are you just going to pretend nothing happened?! Then run off and play house with Meryl?! Look, I can barely walk this morning - because of you! I'm covered in bruises and...-" Hal's sobs started to penetrate his words. "-...and, my heart is really aching right now...".
"Your...what?!" Snake said in a shocked tone.
"Is this some kind of tough guy act? Do you know how I've felt about you?" Otacon spat out desperately, pausing for breath before continuing.
"Look! I've seen lots of guys go out and get totally hammered on drink at the weekend. I've also seen them even go looking for casual sex, but I've never seen them jump into bed with another guy!" Otacon said desperately trying not to sound so desperate.
"You must feel something for me?? Maybe you just wanted to try it? Or ahhhhh, maybe you just have abit of a hankering for anal sex. But then, that doesn't make any sense becaus--" Otacon started but was cut off.
"Look...-" Snake cut in, in a deep no-nonsense yet quiet tone. "-...I am Not a homosexual."Snakes eyes were fixed firmly on the floor.
His statement stopped Otacon mid sentence. He stared at Snake with wide eyes and an open mouth.
"Whhhhhhat?!" Hal managed to spit out.
"...So,...soooo,..ahhhh, you don't smoke ciggarettes...o-only cigars??...Is that it?! Are you ashamed?!Are you scared of the...Label? - WHY does everything have to be black and white with you!! There are many shades of Grey in between!" Hal was now hurt and irritated but still was trying to stop the flow or tears and indignation.
"Look, I don't know what I am. But I've never felt like I did last night. I've always been a effeminate man, these things always confused me - I just like to think I follow my heart-" Hal swallowed shallowly.
"And, w-what I felt for you, if that makes me gay then - I'm gay. You can't do all you did last night without enjoying it! I'm pretty sure you're not gay Dave, but, but you have GOT to have Bisexual leanings. You did me good last night." Hal held his hand up to the cut on the side of his temple.
Snake turned around to grab his coat off the door and get his cardkey from the table.
"...Ohhh? I wonder what Meryl would call you if she knew...?" Otacon sobbed.
"Ohhhh I was wondering when I was going to hear that..." Snake retorted while pointing in Hals face.
"I didn't mean it like that...-" Otacon tried to grab Snakes arm but he shoved him away on the way out.
Otacon went into this room and sat on his bed with his face in his hands and sobbed over the loss of his best friend and his lover all in one day.
The day of the convention went to plan with Otacon and Snake answering all the questions put to them, but their questions to each other went unanswered.
Otacon had been delayed at the convention by a further 3hours explaining blue-prints and concepts. People made fun of Hals 'Limp' to lighten the tone during the breaks.
Otacon kept scanning the room for Snake, but he was no-where to be seen.
After the convention, Hal got off the train and headed to the hotel. As he arrived he knocked on the door...but there was no reply.
Hal noticed a cleaner came round with her trolleys of fresh and used laundry and towels; she opened up the door with her all access key.
Hal barged by her and walked into the room, but it was empty.
He felt his heart start pounding in his chest, drowning out the sound of the cleaner asking what he was doing, he found his breathing shallow and difficult.
The room still smelt of Snake and his strong body spray, for which Hal found a near empty can with the last vapors in it in the waste basket which he hastily picked up and put in his PC satchel.
He walked around the room in a state of loss, walking into the Shower room he saw the beads of water on the splash guard and a bath towel in the laundry basket which he folded quickly and added to his bag.
He dashed down the stairs and nearly shouted at the desk attendant "The Man...In 402...where is he?!"
The bewildered attendant stared back at him and said politely "I'm sorry, we can't give customer details away."
Hal spotted the manager who he booked all the convention arrangements with and shouted past the attendant - "Excuse me! Excuse me?! Sir...please please, where is the man that was in 402..."
The manager checked the records "Can I have a name?"
"Dave...David Sears" Hal choked just pronouncing the name.
"Ahh he checked out early, about...three hours ago...to catch a plane." The manager replied.
Hal was emotionally wounded and retreated to his hotel room. as he walked in his Satchel slipped down his shoulders and hit the floor as he slumped down to cry.
Then his phone went off, he tried to stabilize his voice and whispered "Hello..?"
"Hiya Hal! Is Dave there? I wanted to know which flight he's getting out so I can pick him up this end." It was Meryl's cheery voice.
"I...think he took an earlier...flight." Otacon whimpered.
"Hal...are you OK? You sound really upset." She implored.
"I...I'm not feeling quite myself..."he answered.
"Hal...you're crying, what's happened?" She pressed.
"Well...I've just had...a very painful breakup...with a girl who's...-" He tried to add a 'laugh'. "...left me for another man..."
"Whoa...I'm so sorry Hal, that's terrible." Meryl felt really bad and a little surprised he had a girlfriend as everyone thought the same of him that they did for Jack (Raiden).
"Yea, hmmm. I can't face going back to flat just now..." Otacon continued as he saw only one course of action left.
"Hey! Why don't you catch a flight out here and stay with us! I haven't seen you for about five months!" she asked.
"Wow! Can I? You think David would be OK with that?" Otacon knew he would head out a little earlier and keep abit of a tab on Snake before admitting he had arrived.
"Don't be silly of-course he won't mind!! We have a spare room too, so then...get here!" she ordered.
"Sure...Ok. Hey! How are things with you and Dave?" he asked.
"Ohh well, things are...Ok. Anyway I miss him just now and haven't seen him since he left for New York...we...didn't really part on good terms...but, we're trying to give it one more try..." She answered factually yet with a saddened voice.
"One more try?" He said shocked.
"Yea...well...it's a long story." Meryl lowered her tone.
"Well, you can trust me y'know." he said in his characteristic whiney voice.
"Well, We had a massive argument...aaaand, I packed my bags. I was going to leave him, I mean - we're, we're growing apart. He says I don't understand the effects of my actions' and that I act too quickly on impulse when I'm mad..."
"Wow...what happened...?!" he cut in.
"Well, he practically begged me to stay..."
"Now...I really can't imagine that!!" Hal said with a measure of shock. "Well I'll head over there; I've called my works and taken a week off."
"Yay! Okay, see you soon" Meryl said with renewed joy.
Hal agreed and hung the phone up then rushed to his flat to grab some clothes before he headed to the airport to check the next flight to Alaska.
About an hour later he sat in the waiting room at the terminal, the whole weekend's events going through his mind. He was also very puzzled by his conversation with Meryl.
He wanted to know what was going on and had even thought of a way to deal with the situation he had with David.
In a few Hours he had arrived in Alaska. It was late evening time and he had a local man in the nearest village take him out to the secluded house Snake owned out in nearly the middle of no-where.
He walked around as quietly as he could and looked into the windows.
The reversal of situations did make him smile to himself, now it was him trying to sneak around - which he was plainly no good at.
He looked in and Saw Meryl dressed in a nightdress wrapped up in a thick house robe in the main room in front of a large fireplace which nearly lit the room in its own right. It was a modest but large cabin house and looked very cozy on the inside.
Otacon heard the sound of someone walking around the other side of the house and hid quickly to the side of the window while peering in.
He saw Snake unlock the front door and walk in after a supply run to the main village. Right away there was the sound of excited barking from four Husky dogs all of which fussed around their master as he knelt down grinning while scuffing and patting each one, while they licked the side of his face.
Otacon felt a wave of warmth at seeing his close friend and lover so relaxed and off guard. Snake stood up as Meryl walked in and put her arms around his neck. "I thought I could hear the husky door alarm." Snake put his arms around her waist.
"Well, you'd make a lot of noise too if you were waiting for dinner, anyway we now have enough food for four weeks."
Snake lowered his head to meet Meryl as they kissed. From the window Otacon could feel a wave of nausea rising within him, only matched a feeling of jealously he had never experienced before.
Otacon's mind was screaming in his head.
'It's disgusting how they eat each others' face - HOW could he do this...?!'.
Hal had flashes through his mind of Snake kissing him, long, wet and deep, the feeling of his tongue exploring his mouth, even with the taste of smoke and alcohol.
He loved the taste of him pure and simple.
He peered further in to see better, and could see by the door the cases Meryl had packed to leave.
Otacon was starting to feel the icy wind starting to blow and looked all around to see ice capped mountains as far as the eye could see.
Meryl walked into the kitchen holding bags of food. She heard Snake call after her "Meryl, come over here, I want to show you something..."
She glanced over her shoulder and saw him looking into the fire. "What?" she called.
He just waved her over to him with a hand movement though she noticed a bit of a grin on his face, the closest he ever came to a full smile.
Meryl walked over and looked into the fire. "What...?"
"That..." he said in a husky tone.
"What...?" she said while staring hard into the fire. "I can't see anything...?!"
Then suddenly he reached out and grabbed her either side of her stomach. Meryl made a shocked scream as she tried to cover her ticklish spots but it was no use he had got her totally by surprise.
Otacon was not impressed at all from his window vantage, even though he was warmed to see a moment of humor from Snake.
He knew Meryl was a strong-willed and free spirited young woman and from what he had over heard from her 'whispered' chats to Mei ling that if Snake put her in any kind of lock, she would always try to reverse it, even if it meant 'underhanded' tactics like pulling his now nearly shoulder-length hair or lightly hitting or kicking him which she was certain only made him more determined to 'win'.
"I always have to better him! even during sex...I have to come out on top! This little war of wills makes things fun...-" Hal recalled her giggle once.
Yes she was every bit the tomboy, but that seemed to fit Snakes character perfectly. He loved her all the more for her determination.
Otacon also knew that these were the moments that had kept them together even during all the bad times where they argued relentlessly, didn't speak to each other and didn't even sleep in the same bed.
Hal had always been close to Meryl, but now all he could feel was resentment, and wished that their roles could be reversed even if for just one day.
As Hal called back to the village to have his guide pick him up he glanced once more through the window and saw Snake lying down behind Meryl with their hands loosely entwined while she was on her side reading a gun magazine. They soaked up the warmth of the massive fire behind them.
"Ohh, wow! I'd like to shoot with one of these!" She said excitedly.
"Uhh nah. That handle design would cause too much recoil and you would have to reload every six shots." Snake added in a practical tone.
Meryl turned her head around to face Snake behind her and stuck her tongue out at him, then quickly flipped through the pages while Snake buried his head in her neck.
"Ohh, I nearly forgot! Hals finally coming to visit us!" she added casually.
Snake looked up at her with a slight look of concern. "...uhh? Did he say why?"
"Hey! He doesn't need a reason!!" Meryl said sarcastically.
PLEASE Click To Chapter III : Otacon's great deception.