Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Pelting rain came down like an unforgiving assault. Each blow taking its toll on the mental composure of an unwilling victim of the storm. Droplets ricocheted off the leather trench coat donned upon the shoulders of the hefty vampire hunter. A grimace smeared itself across the man’s face.
It was rare to catch a man of such high caliber unprepared, perhaps it was the unluck of the draw that day.

Watching the legendary Big Boss get caught in the rain would be disheartening to some and a pleasure to others. Regardless of the few eyes upon him, from other unfortunate rain-bound souls, the disheveled man continued his tread forward. The heels of each boot clicking in rhythmic time with the ongoing downpour. He was far too caught up in his own displeasure to take any curious looks into account.

Like a gift from the heavens above, the rain seemed to have a sudden cessation. Though it did not disappear from the hunter’s line of sight. Taking a quick glance upward it was clear someone other than the heavens had offered assistance.

A welcoming grin greeted the soaking wet soul. To add sweetness to something already saccharine, the smile belonged to a near angelic face. This made the man question whether the gift was in fact a work of a higher power.

Dangling the umbrella over his head was a well-dressed pleasantry of a person. The saint of a man’s torso was decorated in fine silk fabric, which had somehow avoided even a spec of rain. His adoring gaze was shielded by the visor of circular shades, bizarre in the somber weather.

“Pleasure seeing you here, Miller.” The gruff man offered a raspy chuckle, forcing himself to hide his blooming smirk. Despite his somber nature, the notion was genuine. It was a blessing seeing a familiar face.

“The pleasure is all mine. Please, call me Kaz” The affluent man retorted, offering a silk handkerchief to the soaking soul. Though it was hardly enough to aid him, the gift was accepted without hesitation.

“How have you been? I have not heard from you directly in ages. You are quite the buzz of the town.” The blond continued to chatter as the two began to walk together, practically entwined by the small radius of coverage from the umbrella.

The hunter simply nodded along to the symphony of small talk, offering a rare chuckle or “hmm” from time to time.

“You really are a hero to the locals, you know. They call you Snake actually.” In contrast to the prior onslaught of dialogue, this did catch the attention of Kaz’s sopping wet companion.

“Snake, hmm?”

“I find it fitting, personally. You are quite the sly, cunning predator.” The blond’s reply was almost coquettish in nature. His tone evoking a nervous exhale from the aptly named Snake.

“You needn’t flatter or patronize me, Kaz.”

“It’s seldom patronizing if it’s factual.”

This caused a tint of scarlet to trickle across the legend’s face, oozing down to his Adam’s apple from the pure intensity of embarrassing appreciation.

“What exactly brings you back into town, boss?” The luxurious blond inquired, closing the near nonexistent gap between the two of them. The two men met by shoulder-blade, rubbing against each other with every unison step they took.

“Business.” Snake retorted passionlessly, far too used to the pursuit of blood-sucking beasts.

The singular word earned a petrified gasp from the flirtatious blond. In his state of terror, Kaz gripped the large hand of his famous companion.

“There are vampires here?” The question came out in a quivering breath, the entanglement of fingers and palms growing tighter.
“You don’t think anyone here could possibly be one of those fiends, do you?”

The larger man offered solace as his thumb gently traced the joints of the blond’s knuckles.
“Suspicion of one, at least. Have you not noticed anything off about the people here, I was informed that multitudes of people have gone missing or have been discovered dead.”

“Odd, I have yet to hear such news. Perhaps it’s been kept secretive to prevent hysteria.” A brief pause followed.

“If you need a place to stay, you’re always welcome at my estate. I do believe you will find it far more pleasant than any tavern or inn.”

The eccentric man had shaken his bad mood off so quickly that if the act were physical it would’ve caused whiplash. He was practically radiant with some infection of gleeful bliss that was beyond contagious.

“Thank you, Kaz. But I have shelter for my stay.” Snake countered rather coldly, yet when his gaze returned to the blond he felt pitiful.

Much to his shock, Kaz seemed furious rather than glum about his rejection, having stopped movement entirely.

The blond snarled, lowering the thin bar of bronze upon his nose downward to reveal his cold blue eyes.
The tense lock of their eyes was sharp enough to cut skin. Despite the uncomfortable mutual gaze, the hunter could not turn away. He was mesmerized.

“I really do insist you stay with me until your departure, Snake. You wouldn’t refuse the hospitality of a good friend, would you?”

Unable to give a verbal answer in his trance, Snake nodded in agreement, feeling as if he were caged by the stare. The grip around his hand tightening ever so slightly with each passing moment.

It seemed like the tension between them had somehow puppeteered the weather, a strong gust of wind crashing against the two of them. The blow was enough to break their eye contact, as the blond instinctively went to shield himself.

A moment of dreaded tranquility followed suit. However before their eyes could lock again the scruffy man complied.

“I will room with you for my stay, Kaz.” Snake mumbled, a shiver invading his spine like a violent strike of lightning.
“I hadn’t a clue this meant so much to you. I apologize for my rejection.”

Being released from the blond’s gaze had a sense of sobriety to it. There was an odd intoxication within the chilling stare, one Snake would do all his power to avoid in the future. Despite the fact it was intriguing. For now he’d do his best to keep his rich companion pleased.

The two men continued their saunter, slightly further apart than before. The hunter allowed his shoulder to peek out from the shelter of the umbrella, diverting his eyes to anything that could distract him from the prior events.

Snake allowed his nerves to cool, swallowing a harsh breath before turning to face his newfound roommate. Before he could force an utterance, his entire being faltered. Though it was oddly gratifying, all the strain that had overtaken his body oozed out of him in an instant. The grim face melting like butter into a pleased beam.

Kaz briskly pulled his companion aside into an uninhabited street corner. There was a deliberate carefulness in the maneuver, making sure their eyes never faltered in their connection.

A delicate hand slithered its way up to the stubbled cheeks of the acclaimed hero. The fingers of the cautious man massaged the scruffy skin, kneading gently into the flesh.

“You know it would be just horrid if you left again, you should really consider a more permanent stay, hmm?” Kaz cooed out, as if he were instructing a young dog.

The shorter man almost instinctively wrapped his hand around one of the blond’s wrists, panting as if he’d ran a marathon. Their eyes remained glued together, the hunter once again found himself entranced. All he could muster was a nod of compliance.

Once the two’s eyes detached from each other, Snake felt faint. His head throbbing like a beating heart. The ache that accompanied the thump was near agonizing. It was as if a vicious swarm of maggots were exploring the inside of the brain, chewing and nibbling at each sensitive spot of the organ. Regardless of his agony his thoughts remained empty, save for the cold blue eyes that bore into him.

Despite his strength, the brute of a man slumped backwards, back pressed to cold cobblestone. A pathetic mewl was pushed out upon contact with the wall, silence befalling after.

The blond draped both of his hands across the heaving chest of the dazed man, delicately stroking his palms against the tattered shirt.

“You seem faint. I beg you to return to my estate immediately.”

Before an answer could even grace his mind, Snake shut down, his one good eye fluttering shut as his head lolled to the side. Soon after his legs followed, his body slumping over against the pavement before his consciousness was robbed from him.

When he came to, Snake found himself in the solace of a rather large mattress. The bed was illustrious, covered in blankets of genuine fur and embroidered pillows. The luxury of it all almost felt too lavish to exist in the realm of reality.

The comfort of the lush bedspread was enough to stew the drowsy haze into another phase of slumber.

Despite his initial rejection of sleep, Snake couldn’t fight the way his eyes fluttered briefly before forcing themselves shut, prolonging the inevitable rest was futile.

Chapter Text

A cool texture coaxed the sweat-stained forehead of the slumbering beauty, startling his eye to attention. As Snake groggily reached out, he caressed the silk-clad arms of his welcoming companion. Snake recognized the sensation, instantly calmed by the conclusion he was in good hands.

“Kaz…” The bedridden man questioned coarsely.

A finger, with skin almost as smooth as the man’s silk sleeve, came to hush the concerns. Snake took the moment of stillness to study the figure that had straddled himself atop him.

Kaz was quite a sight for Snake’s singular sore eye.
With his elegant hair an inelegant mess, Kaz had swooped Snake into the captivity of his beauty once more. It was rare to see the blond with his hair a mess instead of in a cleanly swept back style.

With his hands folded into one another and pressed against his chest, Snake gazed up with an almost lustful stare. Though his one good eye couldn’t help but trace back down to the finger silencing him again.

Kaz’s pale fingers were oddly sharp, talon-like claws that seemed to point directly into Snake’s wide-blown pupil. Perplexing, but his puzzlement was short-lived. The confusion was eased out of Snake’s mind the second a sultry voice cooed at him.

“Thank god you’re awake, you had a terrible blackout! I was worried sick about you!” Kaz spoke almost adoringly, his hand gestures punctuating each word with urgency.

Snake squinted a bit, cautious to avoid his friend’s gaze still.
“I feel fine. Must’ve just exhausted myself.” Snake grumbled, itching the back of his neck.

Kaz was acting odd, a flirt by nature, but the overbearing, overprotective presence was certainly new.

Ever since his arrival, the typical carefree manner of Kaz had become void. It had been replaced almost entirely by a strange infatuation with Snake himself.

Part of the one-eyed wonder had convinced himself he was reading far too much into the novella of Kaz’s actions. As Snake’s exhaustion fully faded, he studied his current situation. He became flustered near instantly by Kaz’s proximity and compromising position.

Letting out a soft grunt, Snake lolled his head to the side, gently, yet firmly pushing the other man’s head aside.

“Kaz… would you mind getting off me?”

With a grunt, as the strong palm grazed his face, pushing his glasses to the side, Kaz took the order. The blond slid himself off the gruff man’s waist and onto his feet.

After a displeased mutter, Kaz returned to his sensual, hospitable demeanor.

“I hung your coat and little arsenal of weapons up for you, shouldn't be too long before they dry.” The lavish man mentioned with a sweet hum, folding a fresh pile of clothes at the foot of the bed.

“You’re soaked, I suggest you change.” As Kaz went about tidying the space around him, Snake allowed his eye to roam the blond’s pleasant figure.

His good eye settled upon the man’s left wrist, a splotch of pink scarred the flesh. A burn mark perhaps, though Snake figured it was irrelevant.

While lost in his fixation, Snake hardly noticed the gap between the two of them had disappeared again. Much less the basket of medical supplies woven between the blond’s arm and hip.

Delicate fingers maneuvered their way along the soaked strap of Snake’s eyepatch, removing it. Near instantly, the agape socket was veiled tightly by the lids. The gruff man winced, groaning almost inaudibly.

Kaz comfortably straddled Snake’s lap once more, mere inches away from his companion's face. A soft stream of shared breath connected the two of them. An unspoken bond, a silent vow.

“Stay still.” Kaz nearly commanded, dabbing a cloth around the shut slit of an empty eye socket. Each touch was meticulous and delicate as Kaz’s hand caressed Snake’s stubbled chin.

Kaz could feel the infestation of warmth pooling in Snake’s cheeks, the scarlet fluster trickling down to his collarbone. As if to follow the trail of blush, Kaz traced his middle and index finger down the reddened neck.

After Snake had swallowed his embarrassment with an audible gulp, he forced out an inquiry.

“What are you doing?” His voice came out a near octave above a whisper.

“Are you really so confident in your own cleanliness that I can’t aid you?” Kaz uttered sternly, firmly tilting the messy man’s chin at an angle. The blond continued his gentle decontamination of his friend’s face.

After another set of grunts and wipes around the eye, Kaz stopped, setting the cloth aside. Though his touch lingered and his position remained.

Before Snake could offer any statement, his face was caressed by both warm, caring hands. Almost instantly the two were nose to nose, once again breathing in the same air. Their chests rose in unison for a moment, only for Snake’s breath to pick up a rabbit-quick pace.

The blush returned tenfold, painting the hunter’s face in an unsavory crimson.

“I missed you.” The blond spoke in a tone as sweet as sugar coaxed in honey. In disbelief, Snake watched as his good friend managed to make the invisible gap between them even smaller.

“Not a day went by where I didn’t pray for your arrival,” Kaz spoke desperately, his voice on the edge of a demanding shout.

“Hmm?” Was all Snake could muster, his heart racing as if it had somewhere to be.

As the talon-like fingers traced down his chest, the pace of his heart only quickened. He was certain Kaz could hear the pulse through his fingers as they drew closer to his pounding core.

The silence lingered like an unspoken song of want and anticipation. Kaz’s hands delicately popped each button out of Snake’s shirt, moving even closer with each one.

The opposing man simply leaned in closer as if any more space could be closed between the two of them, lips less an inch apart. Before he could experience the sweet intertwining of passion Kaz interjected.

“Your chest is bleeding. Let me help you.”

“Oh, I didn’t notice.” Snake let out a mouse-like mutter. He now found himself in another man’s bed, purely humiliated by his unreciprocated lust.

A wide grin bloomed across the blond’s face as his hands came to rest at the fabric that laid loosely on Snake’s shoulder. Kaz let his touch linger, locking eyes with the flustered mess in front of him.

Within the blink of an eye the remaining cover the shirt once provided Snake was gone, laying piled on the bed.

“Deep cut.” Kaz’s voice came out in a lewd chuckle, his fingers sprawling out against the bushy chest in front of him.

“Must’ve had quite the fall, hmm?” The eccentric man continued, approaching the wounded era with his face. Another set of laughs followed, breathy and shaky as if the man were bashfully aroused.

The blond shuffled his hands around in the basket, not once parting his fixated gaze. His hands returned sutures and a needle. There was something so elegant and graceful in all his movements, it was confusingly captivating.

Kaz’s spare hand came to rest on one of Snake’s legs.
“Wrap them around me.”

“What?” Snake almost yelped with his astonishment.

“Wrap your legs around me, you’ll have something to squeeze while you're in pain,” Kaz spoke nonchalantly, gazing up from his compromising position against Snake’s chest.

“Odd request, Kaz.” Despite his opposition Snake did as asked, maneuvering both his legs to either side of his makeshift doctor’s waist.

Kaz positioned one hand firmly against the pulsing pectoral where the cut lay. Snake’s heart continued to race under the touch.

The needle poked through the tip of the flesh outside of the wound, making its way to the other side in a series of pulls and twists. Like a smooth fabric, Kaz sewed the torn pieces together, adding a patch on the quilt work of scars that already painted Snake’s chest.

Despite his hesitance, Kaz’s conflicted patient took the offer of compressing the blond’s strong torso and waist with his thighs. Within the first few stitches, they were locked shut like a bear trap and Kaz’s waist was the bear.

“Gentle, boss, if you snap me half all this work will be for nothing.” Kaz cooed, teasingly as he pulled another tight stitch.

Snake’s hand darted towards his mouth, covering the uncomfortable grunt that seeped through his agape lips. His legs squeezed tighter, a squirm causing newfound friction between the two men.

“Easy now,” Kaz spoke calmly as if attempting to relax a restless animal. His spare hand came to rest upon Snake’s right thigh, gently kneading and patting the leather-clad flesh.

The firm grip soothed and comforted with an almost magical ease. In fact, the blistering heat began to soak up in Snake’s anguished face once more.

Kaz offered a warm smile as the final stitch was etched into the pounding chest.

His sharp hands pulled back, Snake’s blood staining them a deep red. Before another word could be spoken two blood-stained fingers found their way into the blond’s mouth.

Snake tilted his head in utter confusion, but didn’t intervene. After a crude lapping sound the fingers pulled back, a thread of blood and saliva connected the blond’s soft lips to his soaked fingers.

“Easy clean up,” Kaz said bluntly.

Snake remained astounded, gawking at the lewd display.

Kaz pushed himself off the bed, a loud creak following the movement. Without a care in the world, he sauntered towards the door.

“I’ll give you privacy to change, friend.” The blond said with a veiled laugh as he hung in the door frame.

With a quick turn of the heel, he exited, leaving nothing but a loud click as the door shut.