Disclaimer: Metal Gear Solid and all of it's characters belongs to KONAMI and Hideo Kojima. Satogure Haruna, Ai, and Kenshin belongs to me.

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It had happened before.

But no matter how often it had happened and was yet to happen again, she couldn't hide her pain from him. She knew.

All of her defences...the walls that she'd built...

He...

"Haruna"

Calling out her name, she winced. She was lying in his bed, bandages wrapped around her making it nearly impossible for her to move.

He didn't look at her, in fact, it looked as if he deliberately had his face turned away from her avoiding any contact with her.

She felt her head spinning and everything was a blur - the colors, the smells, the sounds.

"I can't."

Hoarsly she replied with a faint "What...?"

"Do this. Anymore...I can't. It's over."

"What? Snake, I don't...what?" She got up with some effort and help from her bruised elbows, but Snake turned his face as she did so, growling at her to stay down.

"Snake..!!"

"Shut up!!!"

He cut her off. Her head tilted downwards. "Now don't cry now Haruna..."

She thought. A little voice in the back of her head where she didn't think it belonged. It had a different voice from hers, clean but harsh. Gentle but strict. Beat it. Beat it! Something was replying inside of her, but the voice belonged there. It wasn't going to leave.

"Otacon's dead. That girl too. And Meryl."

Was he...could it be...? No...

But hearing his voice she discovered a trail of sadness, which she would never have thought about him. Such pain...why didn't she see it before? He was never a cold person. It was pain. Pain. So intense that it took over his body and mind. Altered his personality, made his decisions, taught him the way of life. Right in that very moment it seemed so unbelievably clear to her; what kind of soul he had. It felt like a hand grasped her heart, and squeezed it with remorseful feelings. Because she didn't see, before now. Before she got the chance to stop herself, she found her face inches away from his neck. She breathed heavily, a warm breath, tickling the hairs of his neck.

He was indeed crying.

He spun around, grabbed both of her pale wrists, forcing her back on the matress. Her thin, delicate figure pressed against the soft peach colored sheets and her heart raced. She sighed. She felt warm tears raining down upon her cheeks. It was a nice feeling, though she didn't like to see him in such agony.

His mouth spoke and she listened carefully.

She heard his words but didn't understand. And when he lifted her up against him, his body shaking like hers she forgot.

Forgot everything.

--

He leaned in for a kiss. Because of her rosy cheeks he had thought that she might have warm lips; but they were extremely cold. Yet, the softness comforted him, making him take more of her in. Their lips were slightly parted and he wished that he didn't felt like he was about to do something horrible.

"Sn...nake" She spoke clumsily into his mouth, when he let his tongue into her mouth. He was rushing it, and he knew that.

"Schh" He said but she insisted. She looked somewhat uncomfortale.

"I have done some things-"

"So have we all," Snake said after their lips parted, looking at her with a frown. "Just look who you're talking to."

"Just shut up and listen!" Her face went from rosy to bright red, nearly screaming into his face. She quickly clamed herself.

"I tried to kill you, and you treated my wounds. Someone I know killed your best friend." She didn't hide that she was saddened and she sobbed heavily. "And here we are! Don't you know we shouldn't-"

Muffled by his kiss once again she struggled for some time, but she gave up quickly. He slowly pulled back, not too much. Looking at her intensely, he whispered.

"No matter how greatly you wish to go back in time, you can't. And that makes you cold, doesn't it? It makes you feel weak, useless. I tried so hard to become the best in my field that I forgot about living. The woman I loved died and after that I became a shadow." He cupped her face, that deep, intense look from his green irises paralyzing her. "And do you know what? The few good memories that I had, became the only thing keeping me from ever becoming happy again. But just as I tried to avoid pain and failed, I also failed in avoiding happiness."

He went silent. Haruna pouted very lightly and leaned away from him, the word "Confusion" painted all over her dissapointed face.

"Is that your answer? Is that what you call an answer?!"

She was surprised to see him smiling. She fumed and she spun around strictly walking towards the door.

She opened the door.

"You should know at least one thing about me Snake." She hissed, not opening her eyes in anger.

"I am nothing like you, you know. That's what you think, isn't it?"

Since he didn't answer she sneered:

"I'm Perfect Blue."

She then felt how something pierced through her. Snake was screaming too. Blood was blinding her sight but she would never mistake the face of her master staring down at her. Not even with the blade of his katana pushed all the way through her.

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