in the quiet loop. (solid snake x reader)

06 - something warm... yet cold

"I'll call in once they're across. Keep Otacon focused. We'll need that worm cluster ready."

You offered him a faint smile. He gave you a look then, like a quiet admission he wouldn't say out loud. He paused, like there was more he wanted to say. But instead, he just held your gaze for a second longer. Then, he gave a quiet nod and slipped through the door. You stood there for a moment, staring after him.

"You jealous of my sister?" Hal muttered dryly.

You gave him a flat look. "No."

Hal grinned. "Sure sounded like it."

You shook your head. "Shut up and finish coding."

He chuckled under his breath, but you could still feel the echo of Snake's gaze on your skin. You rolled your eyes, turning away to hide your expression.

----

The soft hum of the servers filled the computer room, a constant reminder that time was ticking. Hal remained glued to the console, eyes darting across lines of code as he prepped for Emma's worm upload.

"The back-end system's ready," Hal said. "She just needs to plug in the transfer key. If she times the worm cluster injection right, Arsenal's systems will be blind."

You nodded quietly, glancing at the timer Hal had set on the terminal. "She should've made it across by now."

Then the codec on the console buzzed. Hal instantly answered. "Snake, what's going on? Did they make it?"

"Emma's been stabbed..."

Hal's fingers froze over the keyboard. "What...?"

You moved in closer as your breath caught in your throat. "What do you mean stabbed? By who?!"

"It was Vamp. He got to her just as she crossed the oil fence. Raiden took him out, but..." Snake's voice faded for a beat, thick with frustration. "She's conscious... but the bleeding's bad. I'm bringing her over there right now!"

"E.E..." Otacon mumbled as his hands clenched into fists, and his face had gone pale.

You reached out, gripping his shoulder tightly. "Snake, we're ready on our end. Just bring her here. We'll stabilize her and start the upload."

The call cut, leaving behind an unbearable silence. Hal turned back to the console with a renewed sense of urgency, his movements now fast, but trembling.

You stood beside him, eyes flicking to the door, heart hammering in your chest as you waited for the sound of footsteps, the echo of hope stumbling through the halls with everything hanging in the balance.

After a few minutes, the heavy sound of the bulkhead opening snapped your attention away from the screen. Snake emerged first, carrying Emma in his arms. You saw the blood immediately, the deep red staining her shirt, spreading around the wound in her abdomen. Her body was limp, breath shallow, eyes fluttering in a dazed half-awareness.

"Move," you breathed, already clearing space on the nearby bench.

Snake placed her down gently. "She's losing blood fast. We were ambushed. Vamp stabbed her from behind."

You were already grabbing your medkit, fingers flying to unzip it as you dropped to your knees beside her. "Hal, get the towels. Something to keep pressure here."

"I've got it," Hal said, his voice trembling as he knelt on the other side of his sister. His hands hovered for a moment before he reached for her hand. "E.E., can you hear me?"

Emma gave a weak nod, then winced as you pressed gauze against the wound. You glanced at Snake, who hadn't moved far. He lingered near, eyes watching Emma with grim focus.