Work Text:
“Clouds approaching.“
Venom Snake groans, annoyed. He glances at the bits of sky he can see through the thick foliage above him, and indeed: The sun is blotted out by grey, the air heavy with the promise of rain.
If there is one thing Snake has had enough of the past three days, it’s rain. Although the pragmatic side of him is pleased at the many tactical advantages it brings, everything else about it – namely his constantly wet stealth suit and the minute shivering of his hands that sets in around the first night, screwing with his aim – he could live without. For the hundredth time, he reminds himself why they need the documents stored in the inconspicuous facility, several miles deep into the dense Ethiopian rainforest. They’re building a nuke, Snake, Kaz had said, summarizing his lengthy report, and securing those files is the first step to stop them.
Right. Venom is not a man to be stopped by unfavorable weather, in any case. When the first drops fall, starting their gentle patter against the deep-green leaves, he’s gone without a trace.
*
Debriefing the mission takes an eternity – or so it feels to Snake.
Currently, Ocelot is laying out the information that they gathered, tracing the developments on a map depicting the Sub-Saharan countries. “The intel team’s analysis suggests they’re taking development to Uganda next, to profit from the recent change in presidency. A lot of turned heads and averted eyes, that way. We should scout ahead, take stock of what we have to work with–“
Inevitably, Kaz interrupts him. Even if his aviators hide the way his eyes narrow, his voice carries the usual contempt for the other man: “And miss the opportunity to intercept them on the way? They’re most vulnerable there; won’t even know what hit ‘em before it’s too late–“
“I know, Miller, thank you”, Ocelot states, words dripping with sarcasm. “Unfortunately we need exact dates and locations for that, which we don’t have. As I was saying...”
Normally, the squabbling of his commanders over mission details is a source of amusement to their Boss, but today the heated words seem distant to him. It doesn’t take much for a headache to start pounding behind his temples, muffling whatever possible approach Ocelot is mapping out with the aid of his expressive hands.
“Enough”, Snake growls at Kaz when he opens his mouth to cut in again. For all their differences, Ocelot and Kaz share the same look of surprise on their faces at the harsh tone. Good, Venom thinks, deliberately showing his annoyance on his face. He’s tired, sore and itchy from crawling through the mud for days – and the feeling of the perpetually damp clothes on his skin isn’t helping either.
“Snake?” Kaz asks, his tone clipped. Although none of it shows on his face, Venom recognizes the underlying concern and suppresses a sigh, unwilling to tip him off further. It’s no use to worry him over this – a shower and four hours of sleep and I’m as good as new.
“Go another round with the soldiers I brought back, Ocelot. We’ll intercept the transport”, Snake nods at his X.O., “if the intel allows it, otherwise we’ll have to take the shot once they’ve reached their destination. The important part is that we take them apart before they have the chance to finish the nuke.” If his orders are more detailed compared to his usual one-word contributions to these conferences, no one comments on it – he just wants to be done with this and move on to the next task. Depending on the day, the discussions could go on for hours and still contribute little to the actual operation in the end.
“Will do, Boss”, Ocelot says dutifully and gathers up the stack of reports and the map, dumping it into the waiting hands of a recruit from his intel team. All the while, he’s smirking at the prospect of additional interrogations and continues to do so as he leaves with a graceful nod towards his Boss.
Venom barely notices it, rubbing at his eye – Why does the light in the conference room have to be so bright? – and tenses as a cold hand presses to his forehead. He knows it’s Kaz standing beside him now, relaxing into his familiar presence despite not having heard his approach. When did he learn to be so stealthy?
It’s with a disgruntled glare that Snake looks at his lover. Kaz in turn frowns at the difference in temperature he feels against the back of his hand but is otherwise unfazed by Venom’s grumpiness. Both are aware of the guards still stationed just outside the door left open by Ocelot, and thus, a silent conversation passes between them.
It’s fine. Don’t kick up a fuss, is written in the tensed line of Snake’s shoulders.
I know exactly how shitty you’re feeling, the narrowed eyes behind the sunglasses say. I dare you to fight me on this.
If the last year they’ve been together has taught him anything, it’s that Kaz is merciless in his protectiveness over something or someone he cares about. By definition, Venom finds himself in the focal point of this more often than not. He has taken to picking his fights carefully and this one is not worth it. He huffs. Alright.
Kaz just smirks, smug in his victory, but the soft parting touch to Snake’s cheek smooths his ruffled feathers. Taking into account how uncomfortable he is to showcase their relationship in public – the recruits of Diamond Dogs are very loyal but chatty individuals – it’s significant enough to mollify him.
It doesn’t change the fact that, in one short hour, Kaz has pushed and prodded Venom away from the daily buzz of activity on Mother Base to the relative quiet of his private quarters. He tells him to shower, answering Snake’s grumbling with a stern glare, and in the time it takes for his partner to obey he moves the paperwork that gathered on his own desk to Snake’s room with the help of two soldiers.
He’s idly sorting through it when Venom stumbles out of the adjacent bathroom in mismatched clothes, feeling worse by the minute but being too proud to admit it. Kaz takes one look at his miserable state and sighs, shaking his head. “How the hell were you planning on working like this? Seriously, V, you’re allowed to take a break once in a while.”
Snake thinks about calling Kaz out on his hypocrisy – after all, his X.O. is a text-book case of a workaholic himself –, but deems the task too strenuous, making his way to his bed instead. His partner reads his thoughts behind the pointed silence and huffs. “Shut up and get some sleep, idiot.” There’s no real bite in the words, only fond exasperation.
Safely cocooned in the warmth of his bed, Venom can’t hide the immense relief he feels as his sore muscles unwind one by one, aching bones settling into the comfortable position. Without prompting, Kaz closes the curtains to dim the aggressive sunlight to something more manageable and Snake mumbles a "Thank you", falling asleep to the quiet noises of rustling paper and off-key humming a few minutes later.
*
Venom wakes up to all-encompassing misery: He's bathed in sweat and still too warm, suffocating under the heavy weight of the blanket. His throat is sore and swollen, making it difficult to breathe properly and his head feels like it's about to split down the middle. It's apparent his body used whatever amount of time he spent asleep to fully develop a cold and Snake knows that he won't get rid of it anytime fast. He groans at the thought, triggering a series of wet coughs that shake his entire frame.
"See? He's not up to it. Leave him be."
Kaz. Venom feels a little better knowing he decided to keep him company, even if he’s confused by the words. Who is he talking to? Suddenly, a familiar sniffing noise is to be heard close to his ear, followed by a low whine. Instinctively, Snake searches for soft fur, the movement made clumsy by the overall soreness of his body. His fingers meet a wet nose, then an equally wet tongue, a rhythmic thumping sound indicating a tail wagging gleefully. Venom wants to greet his dog properly, but barely manages a garbled "Hey, DD" before he has to cough again. He keeps his eye closed, unwilling to face the day just yet.
"Ah, sorry about that. He wouldn't stop whining, so I let him in..."
The creaking of a chair, a sigh, steps. DD makes room for Kaz, accompanied by the clicking of his nails on the metal floor; then, the dog jumps on the bed, thankfully sidestepping Snake's prone body to lie down beside him. He hopes the other man ordered the dog there, because he has zero energy left to discipline him properly if not. The mattress dips further when Kaz sits down on his other side, checking his temperature again. A soft curse.
"You're burning up, V. Seems like you can't just sleep it off, huh?"
Venom manages to grunt an affirmative, pressing into the welcome chill of Kaz's hand. His partner hums, combing through Snake's loose hair the way he likes it best. It’s wonderful, relaxing – almost enough to make him forget how shitty he feels but then it stops. He protests weakly.
"C'mon, sit up. We need to get some water in you. Food, too, if you can manage it..."
He blinks his eye open blearily, sporting an unhappy frown at the prospect of effort. It takes a moment to focus on the man: the aviators and the beret are gone, his blonde hair mussed and pulled into the small pony tail he’s been wearing more often the past few months, if the occasion allows it. His eyes are soft with worry, but lighten up with his half-smile. “Hey there”, Kaz murmurs, his deep voice lowered to a comforting rumble.
Snake’s expression turns from suffering to pleading, eliciting a chuckle and a cocked eyebrow from his lover. "Really, V? You'll feel better afterwards, you of all people should know that. So don't look at me like that... Christ, you're worse than DD."
He's right, of course. The medic in him knows exactly what he has to do to get better in the most efficient way, but the rest of him is too busy wallowing in self-pity to listen. Venom resigns himself to his fate, pushing himself into a seated position with a groan he can’t quite suppress. He breathes through the resulting dizziness, grateful that Kaz doesn’t comment on it and just waits for him, massaging the leg closest to him for comfort.
The next few minutes are a frustrating fight against his uncooperative body. Snake feels his previous grumpiness arise again – How can a few days in the rain affect me this much?! – but decides to spare Kaz the worst of it, obediently drinking the water and eating as much of the lukewarm soup as he can stomach. DD’s presence helps, too, even if he stays out of his way and just looks at him with a hopeful yellow eye, head resting on his paws.
Venom’s too tired to ask what medicine it is that the other man places into his hand, trusting him to know his stuff. He tosses the pill into his mouth and swallows it with some difficulty, leaning back with his eye closed to gather his strength. Kaz is mostly silent during the entire procedure, not one for idle small talk – and as much as Snake likes his voice, he appreciates the quiet.
The moment he lays down again, he curls up against the warmth of his thigh, conveniently trapping the man to his position by his bedside. Kaz doesn’t seem to mind too much, resuming the rhythmic touch to his hair after a moment. DD shifts, too, now a warm pressure at his back.
Closing his eye and drifting off to somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, Venom’s heart swells in his chest. Kaz is really going out of his way to accommodate him, showering him with affection – he’s seldom this needy for attention, but Snake can’t help himself when he’s sick and he’s glad Kaz wordlessly offers it to him instead of waiting for him to ask for it.
He feels the other grow restless after a while, though; he’s probably eyeing the work he left behind at his desk, calculating how much precious time he’s losing while indulging his sick lover. Venom is about to let him return to it, but then reminds himself how little respite Kaz grants himself on a day to day basis. If Big Boss is allowed to take a break, then so is Commander Miller, he decides, willing his tired mind to think of a way to pull it off.
Snake might be surprisingly gentle at heart for a battle-hardened leader of a PMC, but that doesn’t mean he’s not above using underhanded methods to get what he wants. He catches Kaz’s attention with a pitiful noise, mumbling the other’s name before coughing a little for good measure.
He’s rewarded soon enough. “What is it, V?”, his partner says, cupping his bearded cheek with his delightfully cool palm. Venom feels a little guilty to worry him like this, but determines that in this case the end justifies the means.
“Can’t sleep”, he mumbles, nuzzling against Kaz’s leg. “Tell me a story?” He’s aware how much he sounds like a child – Kaz’s scoff tells him he thinks so, too – and he finds that doesn’t really give a fuck, using his miserable status to its full potential.
“A story...” Kaz plays with the short hairs at Snake’s chin, mulling it over. “Can’t think of one you haven’t heard already, honestly“, he hesitates when Venom notably deflates, a dejected look in his eye, “uh, but I can read one to you? Does that count?”
He doesn’t wait for an answer, grabbing the only book lying around openly – a collection of poems by Pablo Neruda in Spanish, dog-eared and well-loved – and makes an appreciative noise when he eyes the cover. “Poetry, huh?” Kaz says, leafing through it one-handedly. He furrows his brow at a complicated line, probably stumbling over an unknown word or two, but nods to himself after a moment. “Alright, give me some room to work with here.”
Mission complete. Venom sits up a little, leaning his entire weight on his partner for a moment before he settles against his back, making sure to drag the blanket – and DD, who protests the movement before he goes back to sleep with a yawn – with him. Snake offers his hand to help turn the pages, resting his head on Kaz’s shoulder. The pill he took before is finally kicking in, preventing the earlier dizziness and clearing the pain in his head enough that he can somewhat follow what Kaz is doing.
The man takes a moment to search for a poem he likes, clearing his throat before he begins to read it out loud. The words are hesitant at first - he isn’t used to the language, after all - but soon enough they flow with soothing ease:
Caía de un pájaro a otro
todo lo que el día trae,
iba de flauta en flauta el día,
iba vestido de verdura,
con vuelos que abrían un túnel,
y por allí pasaba el viento...
Venom smiles at the familiar lines, having read the poem dozens of times himself but the soft rumble of Kaz’s voice against his chest makes it unique in its own way. He melts into their embrace, forgetting his misery for a while as Kaz takes him from one story to the next, poem for poem.
*
...Por eso, amor, amárrame al movimiento puro,
a la tenacidad que en tu pecho golpea
con las alas de un cisne sumergido–
“Mmm... It’s pronounced ‘sumergido’, with a soft g.”
“...”
“Ah, sorry. Finish it. It’s one of my favorites.”
“... Alright.”
–un cisne sumergido,
para que a las preguntas estrelladas del cielo
responda nuestro sue ño con una sola llave,
con una sola puerta cerrada por la sombra.
“Happy?”
“Hah, yeah.”
“Any other corrections, uruguayo?”
“Uh, I don’t think so...”
“Good. Get off of me, my back is killing me.”
“Sure. No need to be so grumpy, though.”
“Hmph.”
*
It takes Venom three days in total to get back in fighting shape. In that time, he gets visits to his sickbed – by Ocelot, Flaming Buffalo and Quiet, among others – always under the watchful eye of his X.O. who gripes about the additional workload of taking care of his sick Boss but flat-out refuses any help from said visitors or Diamond Dog’s medics.
As a result, the carefully-contained rumors of a romance in the commanding ranks run rampant on Outer Heaven, with enough fodder to last for weeks after. Snake doesn’t mind, neither denying nor confirming them when asked, but Kaz sure does – no amount of extra training sessions and cleaning duties can silence the gossiping recruits, though, so he just stops fighting it in the end.
In that year, they go through the entirety of Neruda’s poems together, speaking his words of companionship and love against each other’s skin.