Tenth post/Chapter thing! What better way to celebrate than with more adult content! It is more mentioned than actually said / done, but it's still there. Also Ace being a dick and Snake being sad. But there is a silver lining, at least.

Enjoy

She left without a goodbye.

Suited Ace just fine.

The Gangreen gangster leaned back in the bed, scratching his bare chest and yawning. He thought about going home, skipping out on the room fare. Wouldn't have been the first time – why did this guy still trust him? He shrugged his shoulders and reached for a stolen beer. It was probably a better idea to stay put. It was cold and he'd have to answer questions and he really just didn't want to do much of anything right now. It was a novelty to just lay somewhere that was at least halfway secure and warm. It was stifling, though – and he thought better of keeping the pizza box overnight again. Waking up with roaches on his supposed day away from the garbage pit (as used to it as he was) wasn't ideal.

With some degree of difficulty, Ace rolled out of bed and grabbed some of the garbage, stumbling on weak legs toward the door. He'd keep the door open for a moment to get rid of the smell and the heat and he'd go back and just sleep. Ace paused a moment to zip up his fly and shouldered the door open, staggering out and shoving the garbage into the pail, all while balancing his booze.

There was a sudden, half-stifled crash somewhere behind him. Ace straightened up quickly, looking over his shoulder. Some sort of thin garbage dangled outside the rim of a dumpster, swaying in the breeze. Ace would have thought no more of it, had it not started to kick and squirm and curse, wiggling in an attempt to get inside. Ace cleared his throat, knowing that it would get its attention. The skinny form jerked, almost falling into metal contraption. When it uncurled and straightened up, Ace's suspicions were confirmed.

"Hey." Ace said conversationally, taking a drink.

"H-hissss…" Snake muttered back, twisting a bag in his hand, looking more upset than guilty.

Snake stared at his boss, and Ace stared back, crossing his arms over his chest. The serpent shuffled; dropping the bit of garbage he had planned on eating back in the pail and turning to face Ace fully. The Gangreen Gang leader sighed a heavy sigh and stepped out of the doorway, ushering Snake into the warmth. He hesitated for a moment, but thought better of passing up a free bed and shuffled in, looking around carefully. Ace looked around outside, checking for glimpses of any more of the gang or a cop or something similar before shutting the door behind him.

It got really quiet for a few minutes. Ace was sure it still was humid and smelled enough to tip Snake off to what he had been doing a few minutes ago. He wasn't sure if the skinny Gangreen had noticed the girl or not, but though he was hoping he hadn't he probably did. Snake, for his part, took up as little space as possible; preoccupied with the shirt Ace had all but thrown off in a moment of passion. He glanced back up at his shirtless leader and then immediately back down at the floor. Ace almost smirked. Was he blushing?

"What're you doin' out here, Snake?" Ace asked, not demanding or accusing but comfortably, as if Snake had every right to be here.

"Yousss put Arturosss in chargesss. He cansss handle itss."

"That's not an answer." The boss Gangreen flipped the lock and crossed over to the bed, sitting on its edge.

"I didn'tss feel likess putting up with hissss bitching. I left to findsss food for myssself and ssssmoke and get ssssome peace."

Ace considered this. It just didn't seem as smart as Snake usually was to abandon the rest of the gang. It wasn't like him. Sure, Lil' Arturo could be a bit of an ass-pain and a little too eager to prove himself. And he did seem awful smug about getting the temporary leadership job over Snake. But that wasn't his problem. Snake normally sorted it out, anyhow. Normally he'd just stay the fuck out of the little Hispanic's way and do his own thing. He never had left them by themselves before, or at least to his knowledge. Maybe it wasn't so great he was frequently absentee.

"They was all alive when yous left?"

"Yeahss."

"Good." Ace took another sip "Why did you come here?"

"I wasss jusssst wandering." Snake mumbled, his eyes constantly darting between the discarded clothing and his boss "I ended upss here."

"Hm."

The shirtless male shrugged, tipping back the last of his bottle and patting the open bedspace beside him. Snake stayed put. Ace leaned over and grabbed two more beers, patting the spot again and leaving a bottle there. He watched while the reptilian cautiously shifted over, coaxed by the promise of alcohol to the bedside. Ace realized belatedly the sheets were still strewn about and probably wet. Snake sat down anyway, still taking up as little space as possible and keeping his distance.

Again there was an extended silence, and Ace wasn't sure what to make of it. Sure, Snake was normally rather quiet, only spouting 'yes' or random compliments and occasionally a rather profound nugget of wisdom that continually surprised the boss Gangreen, but this was getting awkward. Ace hoped to pass it off on Snake being distracted, either by the bottle cap he could never really pry off of by his shirtless self. Ace silently opened the bottle for him. Snake just sat back, eyes down, facing forward, picking at the label.

"Why're you so calm?" Ace asked suddenly

"'Caussse I'll be ssssscreaming once the booze ssssettles in." Snake replied, finally raising the bottle to his lips and taking a long drink.

"Ah." Ace hummed, drinking as well "Mad at me for leaving?"

"A bitsss." His nail dug into the label, prying it off and away from the glass "Whysss are youss here, bosss?"

Ace paused. He could tell him the truth. Of course he could – but when had that ever done him any good? He decided instead to keep quiet, looking away from Snake and towards the door. He could hear the wind and an occasional cop car passing by. Snake just continued to pick at the label, pausing every few minutes to drink a few long gulps until the bottle was done.

Snake tried to quell his hissing, hoping the silence would prompt Ace to speak. No such luck, he figured, and he sighed. A part of him wanted to sprint out the door. He'd heard everything – or at least most of it. He'd seen her leave. Christ, he even smelled it on him, on the bed, on everything except the discarded clothes, and even they were tinged with perfume. Skank. Snake held his tongue and tore the covering bit by bit off the bottle. He handed it to Ace, empty and stripped. Snake wondered for a moment if Ace knew anything about symbolism, but the thought passed in favor of others. His skinny self was not reacting well to beer on an empty stomach. He really didn't want to scream, but if he opened his mouth he was afraid either insults or vomit were going to spew out.

Slowly, Snake looked at Ace. He wanted so badly, so badly to believe that Ace was better than this. That he'd keep his promises and come home and stay home at night. He felt jilted, like he was being cheated on. There was no reason for him to fee like this. Ace wasn't his. He was Ace's. Ace owned him. Ace was all he could count on. That, he figured, was why he got so mad he left so often. If Ace was going to treat him like property why not used him? It's not like the skinny serpent would object – he never had. It just didn't seem fair to use him like that and then seek services elsewhere. Snake knew that his self-esteem was probably blowing away in the wind somewhere but he wanted to be used, dammit.

"I ssshould goss." Snake muttered, making no move to get up.

"Do whatcha gotta do."

"It'sss cold. Arturo'sss gonna chew mess outsss for ssuresss" He paused "It's warmsss in heresss."

"So stay here with me." Ace suggested carefully, eyeing the reptile. Snake's head had snapped up at the suggestion and he looked almost insulted at the invitation.

"I don'tsss think that'sss-"

"Where else are you gonna go? Home? I thought yous only let me bitch at yah."

"Yousss… wantsss me here?"

"Sure, why not?"

"What aboutsss her?"

"Who?"

"The girl yousss jussst fucked!" Snake hissed venomously, glaring at him. He seemed to sober up immediately, shrinking away from a possible hit. Ace didn't even bother to raise a hand to him. He was right – the shirtless Gangreen had just hoped that maybe he would think anything else had happened and write it off.

"She's not comin back." Ace muttered, hoping it would make some small difference. He wasn't sure why he cared that Snake cared, but he took another swig and the though vanished. Snake scoffed.

"You're an assssshole." He muttered, putting his head in his hands. "Whysss do I put upsss with yousss?"

"Haven't a clue." Ace finished his beer and put the table on the nightstand. "So are you gonna stay?"

"You sssound asss if you'resss begging."

"Me? Beg? Naw. Tell, yes. Demand, yes. Ask, maybe, but I don't beg."

"Mhmmss. You're notssss the one to begssss." Snake muttered, "I am."

Snake lurched forward and kissed Ace. The boss just blinked, skinny fingers gripping his hair in some desperate attempt to pull him closer. Ace allowed his underling to do as he pleased. It took him a few minutes to get the hang of things (and put down the beer) before he leaned in and grabbed Snake up again while he panted for breath. The reptile seemed all too happy to comply.

Somewhere along the line, Ace lost his balance and Snake was unable to hold him up. They fell back on the bed, Snake crushed under Ace. He seemed less than upset. In fact, Snake might have mewled, suddenly enveloped in between rough and smooth and rapidly confined in a pocket of heat. Snake moaned in earnest this time, most of it cut off by the older boys eager lips.

"You followed me here, didn't you?" Ace asked, still kissing him, impeding his answer.

"Nosss." Snake mumbled, half shaking under Ace's weight "I foundsss you on accidentsss."

"How long had you been out there?"

"Coupla hourssss."

"I mean outside the room."

"Ten, fifteen minutessss." He half smiled, hissing softly "Yousss were the one whosss taught me to go throughss hotel trasssh. They tossss the bessst sssstuff."

"You listen damn well." Ace murmured, pressing the thin body against his. He wondered briefly if Snake had 'heard' more than Ace had ever intended him to hear.

"I gottasss. You'ress all I gotsss."

Ace said nothing. He kissed the reptile a few more time before Snake pulled away from that and pressed his burning face into Ace's arm, then his chest. God he felt so warm. He'd never felt the skin bare like this. There had always been something in the way – was he always this hot? How did he not go insane being so heated? Snake would be stuck in some sort of delirious bliss if he had to deal with this dizzying warmth. He shuddered and squirmed and moaned softly, panting and gripping the pulsing skin. Ace moved, the sudden shift throwing some cold air in the mix, making Snake hiss and groan. Ace brought his hands up around the cooler serpent, making him hiss in what the lead Gangreen figured was pleasure.

"Do you…?" Ace muttered, dropping his hands lower "You wanna…?"

"Nosss. Don'tsss. Jussst lay here, pleasssse?"

"How come?"

"I jusssst want yousss to myssself for once. Jusssst for tonightsss" Snake pleaded. "Pleassse jussst sssshut the hell upsss and let me have thissss."

Ace shut up. Was this all he wanted? Really? How… simple. He could have asked for anything. Hell, Ace would've fucked him if he wanted. But this was it. It kind of made the boss Gangreen feel bad; all the shit he was put through and all he wanted was a cuddle? Shit, Ace could do that from time to time. No need for him to stalk him all the way out here to curl up under him like this and cling to him like some sort of leech. But if Snake wanted this fantasy, the least he could do was indulge him for a little while.

"Anything you want me to say?" Ace tried, thinking maybe there could be a little more than just laying here

"Noss. Yesss. You won'tss. Jussst ssshut up."

"How do you know?"

"Pleassse jussst ssshut up"

"What won't I say?"

"Nothingss. Husssssh."

Ace complied, resting his head on the pillow. He was really curious about what Snake had wanted him to say or what he could be going on about, but he didn't want to piss Snake off more than he already was. If the guy was happy just attaching to him like a leech it was the least he could do. It was probably the booze doing most of the thinking for him but he did like Snake enough to give him what he wanted for once. No one would find out, anyway.

Snake lifted his head briefly, kissing Ace once more before burying his face against his neck, the dull thrum of the warm-blooded Gangreen's pulse point making him drowsy. For now, Snake found it in him to pretend. He pretended that Ace was his, in this moment. That he wouldn't be pushed away at dawn or punched in the face or kicked out of bed in Ace's special way of saying 'good morning'. He pretended that Ace hadn't come out to hook up with some whore bitch thing and had actually invited him; let them have some time huddled together in a room Ace had probably stolen or tricked out of some sap. Snake pretended that there was no one else. That he didn't have to move until spring, or better yet, until summer. He could pretend this was normal, that it happened every day and night and would happen the next day and the next night and the nights after that.

He could pretend Ace had said what he wanted to hear.

All Snake had to do was memorize this feeling. The pulse under Ace's skin. The gentle breathing. The foul breath and half-clean smell. The heartbeat that roared steady and strong in his ears. The weight over him, pinning him to the bed. The texture of the sheets and the flat pillows. The stubble on Ace's neck scraping over his nose. The burning hands on his back, holding him in place. All Snake had to do was imprint this in his mind and he could get through all the other shit he'd be faced with forever. He'd never complain again if only he could remember this.

The reptilian Gangreen hissed, half stuttering. He'd never tell. He'd be good. He'd be the best, most loyal, most obedient lackey Ace had ever seen. For now, though, just for now, he didn't feel like some piece of filth Ace kept around for shits. He could imagine that Ace really did like him. Maybe even…- no. This was enough. Snake gripped at the other man, trying to press closer. He squeezed his eyes shut and hoped that morning would take a long time to get there.

Ace hugged him closer, half passed out. Snake clawed at his bare back, pressing as close as he could manage without physically melting into the other male. For a moment he choked, a shudder passing through him that would have alarmed Ace had he not been buzzed and half exhausted. Snake composed himself and let it pass, breathing in deeply. Ace, rather than react or comment or try to move away from the tickling, flickering tongue, made some sort of noise and sighed into Snakes head, only barely registering the shudder that passed through the lanky, curved body. He slipped into sleep with a smile on his face, feeling the mirrored upturn of lips pressing against his neck.

Thought could wait until morning.

Thank you for reading : ) R&R if so inclined and have a great day.