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tampered2007-07-08 08:52 pm
flameroy.livejournal.com) wrote in tampered2007-07-08 08:52 pm
Log :: Complete
When; Backdated from 27th June (Yes I know, shut up)
Rating; PG-13 for drunkeness?
Characters; Roy Mustang![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
flameroy and Maes Hughes investigius
Summary; Hughes thinks Roy needs to stop being emo. Roy wants to be emo. Hughes tempts Roy with alcohol and power. Hughes wins.
Log;
Hughes (6:48:31 PM): Hughes seemed to have taken over Roy's great love for pacing. He did it so much over only two hours that by the time he sat down he could've sworn that there seemed to be a slight ditch in the floor. He frowned at it. That was what Roy got for buying stupid, cheap floors.
Sighing to himself he stood up, took one more look at his laptop and shut down the cover, moving from his room over towards Roy's where he rapped sharply on the door. "Roy? I need to talk to you."
Roy (6:50:41 PM): The rapping on his door brought him back from the world of Riza-land. He'd spent the last few days either laid here on his bed, arms folded behind his head staring at the ceiling, or out drinking with various people. Usually the latter happened at night, and then when he woke up he barely moved from his mattress. Perhaps a ditch like the one Hughes had paced into the floor would be moulded into his bed by the time she showed up again?
"Mn. Come in,” he muttered, not bothering to make any movement from his place, seeing as it was on Maes. He'd seen him in a much worse state than this before.
Hughes (6:55:51 PM): Hughes didn't even both to look at Roy and his stupid moping. He had a plan to get him out of it and he wanted to get on with it right away. If he had to stop and think about it then he'd have to think objectively too and that just didn't suit his current state of mind.
That being he walked in without preamble and sat down on Roy's bed; staring at him for several moments before sighing and standing up again. "Get up." He said, gesturing with his hand as if Roy were a puppet and his hand movements would have him on his feet. "We're going on. We're going to talk and then we're going to get drunk." Not necessarily in that order. If he had to get the other drunk first then he would, morals be damned.
Roy (6:59:19 PM): Roy didn't even turn to look at Maes when he walked into his room, he didn't even make any gesture to acknowledge his best friend's arrival into his room. He wasn't that bothered by the state of himself either, his shirt was creased, and his hair was probably sticking up in all kind of angles. The command didn't faze him either, and he shook his head slowly.
"I'm not going anywhere, I'm not talking, and I'm not getting drunk." He stated bluntly, turning his head the other way from Hughes, shuffling his arms to make himself comfier. For once having his right eye covered was helpful; it meant he couldn't even see Maes out of the corner of his eye.
Hughes (7:03:21 PM): Hughes snorted. He couldn't help. Roy actually thought he had a choice? "Think again," he muttered as he used his height and considerable strength to wrest Roy from his bed. He'd becoming used to dragging people around in the past when they were being difficult and he proceeded to do this with Roy, towing him towards the en suite, divesting him of his clothes and then sticking him in the shower.
It didn't bother him to see anyone naked - he was a father for crying out loud. It came with the job description that he'd end up seeing people drunk. Also, Roy didn't count as being just 'anyone', he was Hughes' best friend and he was determined to help him - even if he didn't want it. Stubborn ass.
"You stink, you have ten minutes to wash yourself and if I have to treat you like Elysia when she was one then I will. Now clean. I'll be right outside getting something for you to wear. Then we're going to the pub. Even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming like Ed."
Roy (7:10:12 PM): "Argh!" was his initial response, put simply. His lack of vision in his right eye apparently hindered rather than helped his situation, and he couldn't believe... no wait, yes he could believe that Maes was dragging him about in his own room. Course, it had been a long time since he'd resorted to this kind of treatment. He had put up a fair struggle when it came to having his clothes pulled off him; no one had done -that- in a long time. He was glad when he was pushed into the shower, only because it meant that he had some kind of shield between himself and his friend.
"I do not stink." He declared, huffing loudly as he stood there stagnant for a few moments. He didn't want to go out! Especially not with Hughes, he'd cheer him up, and he didn't want that right now. "You treat me like her, and I'll melt your face." He declared. It didn't take long for him to give in to his own thoughts, and he turned on the shower, eliciting another yell of shock at the temperature. He'd get washed up, that was for sure. Fine. He wouldn't enjoy himself though, in fact, he was going to drink that coke stuff.
"Don't compare me to Fullmetal." He hissed through clenched teeth, the soothing water soon made him change his tune... and suddenly he felt a little disgusted by his level of hygiene over the last few days. It was less than ten minutes before he was washed completely, and dripping from head to foot, he walked into his bedroom again, towel wrapped around his waist, another flopped over his head.
Hughes (7:18:33 PM): Hughes laughed at the noise, resisting the temptation to wave Roy's gloves in his face. Did the other man actually think he wouldn't take away a device that could turn him into a pile of ash in less than five seconds? He obviously didn't give him enough credit. He counted off the minutes in his head, slightly surprised when the water turned off and Roy came into the room before the time was up.
He smiled, looking at his bedraggled and wet friend; sympathy sparking through him before he ruthlessly pushed it down. Shoving the gloves deep into his pocket out of Roy's line of sight he pushed a neatly folded pile of clothes at the man before beginning to rub Roy's hair furiously with the towel.
"Have to dry properly now, can't have you catching pneumonia," he placed the towel carelessly over Roy's head again and took a step back, checking his wristwatch as he did so. "Hurry and change so we can go."
More time meant too much time to think and he was going to get his friend out of this slump if it was the last thing he did. He -hated- if when the people around him suffered. Especially his friends. It was one of the reasons he'd joined the army in the first place. And now Roy, his best friend, was hurting and he was going to do his damned best to ease it a little. As much as was in his power.
"We're going to a bar, you're going to spill your guts, then we're going to go home so you can cry it all out, get to sleep, and be your normal, happy self by morning." Well...as happy as Colonel Roy Mustang ever became.
Roy (7:24:02 PM): Hughes had his gloves in his hand... Idiot. A soft sigh escaped him, and he moved over to his bed, about to sit down when Hughes' hands met with the towel on his head. Another yell escaped him, a little dimmer than the one he had made in the shower. It had been a long time since anyone had paid any attention to him like this, and he was reminded of just who that person had been. Once Maes had stepped away from him, he lifted his hand to the towel, pulling it from his head and throwing it messily on the bed behind him.
"I'll take all the time I need." He told, picking up the pile of clothes with mild satisfaction at the ones Hughes had chosen. He retreated back to the bathroom, and after about ten minutes of drying, dressing, and a little preening. (He hated stubble after all). He moved back out into his bedroom, pulling the sleeves of his shirt flat carefully. "You can forget the crying part." He told, scooping up a set of keys from his bedside table, he walked past Maes and out into the living room.
Hughes (7:30:32 PM): "Crying? Did I mention crying?" Hughes replied with a smile, deciding to ignore Roy's lack of judgement when it came to time and putting it down to his vanity. He noticed that the other looked a lot more clean now - no stubble for one. And Hughes congratulated himself on his choice of clothes. Obviously Gracia had been wrong when she'd said he was a fashion disaster. It was getting easier to think of the two of them now - it was almost a warm feeling to think of them instead of the harsh, cold feeling. He put that down to his spending time with his friend and the conversation he'd had with the strange girl Cielo.
Obviously the answer to everything was to surround yourself with children. He would suggest that Roy get a cat to keep him company but he didn't know how the unicorns would react...
Deciding he wouldn't think about that for now he walked past the other man into the kitchen area, grabbed whatever food was lying around and carrying them to the door, opening up to the outside hallway and gesturing Roy ahead. "These are to eat along the way, I'm sure your starving. When did you last eat?"
Roy narrowed his eyes at Hughes' ignorance of his own statement. Of course he knew the other man was simply doing it to get on his good side. It was the way they had always worked. Alongside, and brushing one another up, for some reason it worked, and that was why they were best friends. It was still a little difficult to grasp the last few years without Maes here... He closed his eyes and calmed himself. If he continued thinking like that, he wouldn't need alcohol before he started sobbing.
"Eat? Can't remember." He answered truthfully; he took a chocolate bar in one pocket, a banana in the other and held onto a sandwich Cielo had obviously made earlier. He put the other things back on the counter top, and walked past Maes and out through the door, already making his way down the stairs before his friend had a chance to catch up...
Hughes (7:42:44 PM): Hughes hurried back, fetched the discarded items, another chocolate bar and two apples, and made his loping way back to Roy, shutting the door after him. He then went quickly after his friend, careful not to trip on the stairs as he went to walk down behind him.
He waved the food items behind his friend's back before taking an apple for himself and biting into it. "Eating is good for you Roy and didn't your mother ever tell you not to waste food? Gracia was very particular about food. The more the merrier!" He laughed and gave into the urge to ruffle Roy's hair, just as he would Elysia's.
Hughes, not knowing where the nearest bar was, merely hoped that Roy wouldn't try to dodge out of his obligation now that they were on the way. He really should have scoped out the area but he'd been so busy making plans that were now void. He needed to get quicker on the uptake.
Roy (7:48:10 PM): His eyes closed again as Maes spoke, turning his head to look over at him with the best smile he could muster at the time, though it probably looked more like a grimace. "It's not as if it's going to waste if I leave it there. I'm sure Cielo would eat it, too." He commented, biting into his apple again. He had to admit, now that he actually gave it some thought, he imagined he must have been pretty hungry for quite a while now. When had he last eaten?
"Vash and Wolfwood showed me a bar that isn't too vulgar not too long back. Unless you had somewhere else in mind?" He asked, if he had taken all this time to get ready to go out, he wasn't about to suddenly decide to turn around and go back to bed. Apparently Hughes was already having a positive effect on him, although if he really wanted him to talk, he'd have to go back down before he came up again.
Hughes (8:44:51 PM): Hughes simply nodded - even if Roy couldn't see it - and gestured ahead, "Lead on Colonel." He smiled, this was going quite well. He'd got the Colonel washed, dressed, eating something and out of the house in just over twenty minutes. Not bad considering he'd been out of practice for a while. He was pleased to see that the overall tenseness in Roy's shoulders had lessened, even if just slightly.
Roy (8:51:52 PM): "Mn." Was all he said in reply to Hughes' command. He didn't bother holding the door to the building open for his friend - an action that was meant to warn Hughes that he wasn't in his good books quite yet. Once outside, his pace slowed, and he made sure that Maes was on his left side as they walked so that he could actually see him, and by the time they'd reached the bar he'd intended on visiting, he had devoured his sandwich, banana and chocolate bar. The rubbish had found it's way into bins along the way.
He actually held the door open for Maes when they reached their destination. Not to be polite, but to force his friend to go in first. There were actually quite a few people here, and he felt the need to check each one of them before he decided just how deep their conversation could be. He didn't recognise anyone, and no one looked in his direction other than to acknowledge their presence. "I'll have a coke." He told Hughes, pushing him towards the bar before following him.
Hughes (9:00:45 PM): Hughes merely waved his hand in Roy's general direction, dismissing his order and instead asking for two tumblers of whisky. After getting the confirmation that the bartender would send their drinks over he quickly ushered Roy over to a table on the darker side of the bar. From here there was less chance of being overheard and the shadows kept them hidden from view unless someone already knew where they were.
He looked at Roy seriously for a moment before sighing and running his hand through the short strands of black hair on his head. "Man, we haven't done this in a while."
Roy (9:06:02 PM): Roy attempted to listen in to Hughes' order, but was foiled by the quietness of his voice. He felt sure he hadn't listened to a word of what he said. Typical. His hands were in his pockets when he followed Hughes to the table he found for them. Glad of the positioning of the table. He was glad he had a friend like Hughes.
The look his was giving him was one he hoped he might have been able to avoid though. He heaved a sigh after Maes spoke, leaning back into his chair and folding his arms across his chest. "Maybe we should forget the chit chat and just get stupidly drunk?" He offered, turning his head away so he couldn't look at Hughes at all. Having this eye patch was actually quite handy at times.
Hughes (9:14:17 PM): Hughes merely tutted, already used to the avoidance tactic. Elysia had been quite skilled at it back when she was being weaned onto baby food. Seeing a grown man repeating the same action was highly amusing to the Lieutenant Colonel and he only stopped laughing by biting his life hard and focusing on more important things. Like what the hell he was supposed to do when his friend was trying to ignore him.
"How about we talk a little, get drunk, then talk some more and you tell me everything that's happened?" He knew Riza was gone - that was obvious. He also knew something had happened between the two of them. He wasn't an idiot, regardless of how he himself knew he acted at times. Half the time it was a ploy; if you acted like an idiot all the time then people would treat you like one. Then you could slip them up during moments of weakness. It was a trick he'd learnt a while back and one he still used religiously now, even after his death.
"It won't hurt you to talk Roy. It will however, eat you up inside until there's nothing left but the eye patch over your eye and the clothes on your back. So I won't take no for an answer." He knew Roy needed this, he also knew that some part of Roy himself knew it. It was a fact, plain and simple, and even if he had to stay here all night coercing the other to talk he was goddamn going to do it. He couldn't consider himself a fit friend otherwise, or a man good enough and strong enough to be Elysia's father and Gracia's husband. His own innate stubbornness was going to turn into perseverance that in turn was going to help Roy as much as it could.
Now if only the other man would let him.
Roy (9:18:16 PM): "Maes, I'm not stupid." He said bluntly, letting a sigh escape him as a waiter arrived at their table. His arms unfolded for a moment, he didn't want the waiter to think that something abrupt was about to kick off in his own bar. The moment the tumblers were placed on the table however, Roy had one in hand, twirling it round in his hand a few times before holding his hand up to the waiter, motioning for him to wait. He brought the tumbler to his lips, and tipped it back, making sure to down the contents, before setting it back down on the table in front of him.
"Perhaps you could supply us with a bottle?" He asked, with a half-smile. The Whisky burnt in his neck, but he chose to ignore it. "You want to talk? Okay, we can talk. What shall we start with? How about the day of your funeral? Is that suited to you?" He asked. Harsh as it was, as cruel as his words were - he actually only intended to force Maes to drop the talking. He was already a little taught from his emotions. It wouldn't take much more until he cracked. He'd kept so much bottled up, He'd intended to talk it all through with Riza... but she'd left him.
Hughes (9:26:23 PM): Hughes gritted his teeth. He didn't personally blame himself for dying. The only thing he regretted was leaving his daughter and wife behind. It didn't even hurt much anymore. The whole thing had somehow slotted into place over the past few weeks. 'I died'. It was a statement - one that was true and one he simply had to accept. If talking about his death would help Roy to heal then he was willing to do just that.
Grinning bravely he downed his own tumbler, slamming it back on the table and watched as the waiter went off before turning around and fixing Roy with a stare. He dared him to look away when he next spoke, the challenge clear in his eyes. "Okay then, let's talk about my funeral. You'll have to forgive me if I'm a little ignorant - I wasn't exactly there for it." He then watched carefully for Roy's response. He wasn't too keen on the idea of 'have to be cruel to be kind' but he was willing to try anything once. Anything to get a reaction - any kind of reaction.
Roy (9:30:53 PM): Roy's gaze twisted away from Hughes slightly, but he was looking at him up until the point when he began talking, and it was then that his face snapped to turn directly onto his best friend. Somewhere between the waiter leaving, and the end of Hughes' words his teeth had gritted together behind his lips, and his eyebrow had furrowed, eyes stern. Great, the idiot was saying all the right things to get him talking. "I'm sorry." He muttered quietly, all signs of frustration were brushed away by some invisible hand, and his head dropped to stare at the table. It was far too soon to let his eyes well up. This was stupid. Ridiculous in fact. After this long, he still couldn't accept Hughes' death. Hell, the man himself had managed it, why couldn't he?
Hughes (7:22:29 PM) He stopped, unsure of how to continue. This was getting out of control. He couldn’t simply spout random crap at the man and hope that solved the situation. He had to think, and think about it seriously.
He’d been suspicious, especially when he’d first turned up. He should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. He couldn’t just pop out of nowhere after being dead for a while and expect everything to have resolved itself. He hadn’t been there to fill in the gaps personally so all he could do is try and fill in the gaps afterwards, piece by piece. And to do that he’d need Roy relaxed and ready to talk and that would require a lot of effort and even more alcohol.
Roy (7:27:12 PM): Roy's hand met with his forehead for the millionth time his relocation to the city. Pressing his thumb and index finger against his temple seemed to ease the pain at least a little. He knew it wasn't physically pain he was enduring though. He needed to stay calm, at least he knew Maes had given up trying to come up against him, the tone of his voice was statement enough.
"A lot of people died. There wasn't anyone else to take your place though. It wasn't like at Ishbal." He sighed at the how complex his line of thought was becoming, and instead of bothering with the details he looked up, just in time to witness the waited place a bottle of whisky on their table. He stared at that, rubbing his head again, but for a different reason - and there was even a very small smirk on his lips.
Hughes (7:42:19 PM): Hughes scoffed, "Of course there wasn't anyone to take my place." He ignored the piece about Ishbal in favour of peace, stealing Roy's drink and looking into it before pushing it back. "You know you can't work without me at your back. Although I bet...Riza did a good job."
If he hadn't been doing this for Roy's own good he would have winced and immediately taken back his words. As it was he just waited patiently and silently for Roy's answer.
Roy (7:49:12 PM): A heavy sigh. He picked up the bottle of Whisky and refilled both their glasses, setting it back down between the two of them before rearranging himself to sit straight rather than his depressive slouching. Both hands curled around the tumbler in front of him and he thumbed the sides of it. "You and Riza proved to be helpful to me in very different ways." He stated blankly. Perhaps the easiest way to deal with this was to forget all the crap that had happened.
"I can't believe I've let a woman have this effect on me." He said bluntly, looking up at Maes with a vague smile. "Although, on a positive note, I'm pleased this City allows access for the dead." His eyes closed for a moment. Just thinking about it was weird. He could potentially have everything he wished for right here. Although he'd have to work on that 'ultimate goal' thing. Without that, he'd just be a rather useless mess.
Hughes (7:59:03 PM): Hughes held back the 'whoop' that threatened to escape, instead giving himself a smug smile. He was, without a doubt, pure -genius-. And damnit Riza would have made Roy a great wife. Oh well, he couldn't get anything. And at least Roy was actually talking now. Although Hughes didn't understand a half of what he said. He was willing to let it pass because he wanted his friend in perfect working order, thank you very much.
"Woman have an effect on all men. Gracia could have me eating out of the palm of her hand." Although, frankly, that was a disturbing thought because hadn't he always said Elysia took after her mother? And she was getting older and there were boys and...
Curling his hand into a fist under the table Hughes gave a tight smile and picking up his tumble. He had to focus. -Focus!-
Roy (8:06:03 PM): One elbow on the table left his hand free to prop his chin up, as the other curled securely around his drink. Apparently, Maes was pleased about something, and they were obviously both having a bit of an internal fight with their own thoughts. He laughed softly at the irony. "It feels as if there's nothing but pain to think about, Maes." He said with sigh, staring off at Hughes with a vaguely amused smile.
"We have nothing, except the hope that the people we want to see will arrive here. I suppose it's better than being in Amestris. What a sorry state this is." He laughed again, and lifted his glass up, raising it towards his friend. "Let's get stupidly drunk?"
Rating; PG-13 for drunkeness?
Characters; Roy Mustang
flameroy and Maes Hughes investigiusSummary; Hughes thinks Roy needs to stop being emo. Roy wants to be emo. Hughes tempts Roy with alcohol and power. Hughes wins.
Log;
Hughes (6:48:31 PM): Hughes seemed to have taken over Roy's great love for pacing. He did it so much over only two hours that by the time he sat down he could've sworn that there seemed to be a slight ditch in the floor. He frowned at it. That was what Roy got for buying stupid, cheap floors.
Sighing to himself he stood up, took one more look at his laptop and shut down the cover, moving from his room over towards Roy's where he rapped sharply on the door. "Roy? I need to talk to you."
Roy (6:50:41 PM): The rapping on his door brought him back from the world of Riza-land. He'd spent the last few days either laid here on his bed, arms folded behind his head staring at the ceiling, or out drinking with various people. Usually the latter happened at night, and then when he woke up he barely moved from his mattress. Perhaps a ditch like the one Hughes had paced into the floor would be moulded into his bed by the time she showed up again?
"Mn. Come in,” he muttered, not bothering to make any movement from his place, seeing as it was on Maes. He'd seen him in a much worse state than this before.
Hughes (6:55:51 PM): Hughes didn't even both to look at Roy and his stupid moping. He had a plan to get him out of it and he wanted to get on with it right away. If he had to stop and think about it then he'd have to think objectively too and that just didn't suit his current state of mind.
That being he walked in without preamble and sat down on Roy's bed; staring at him for several moments before sighing and standing up again. "Get up." He said, gesturing with his hand as if Roy were a puppet and his hand movements would have him on his feet. "We're going on. We're going to talk and then we're going to get drunk." Not necessarily in that order. If he had to get the other drunk first then he would, morals be damned.
Roy (6:59:19 PM): Roy didn't even turn to look at Maes when he walked into his room, he didn't even make any gesture to acknowledge his best friend's arrival into his room. He wasn't that bothered by the state of himself either, his shirt was creased, and his hair was probably sticking up in all kind of angles. The command didn't faze him either, and he shook his head slowly.
"I'm not going anywhere, I'm not talking, and I'm not getting drunk." He stated bluntly, turning his head the other way from Hughes, shuffling his arms to make himself comfier. For once having his right eye covered was helpful; it meant he couldn't even see Maes out of the corner of his eye.
Hughes (7:03:21 PM): Hughes snorted. He couldn't help. Roy actually thought he had a choice? "Think again," he muttered as he used his height and considerable strength to wrest Roy from his bed. He'd becoming used to dragging people around in the past when they were being difficult and he proceeded to do this with Roy, towing him towards the en suite, divesting him of his clothes and then sticking him in the shower.
It didn't bother him to see anyone naked - he was a father for crying out loud. It came with the job description that he'd end up seeing people drunk. Also, Roy didn't count as being just 'anyone', he was Hughes' best friend and he was determined to help him - even if he didn't want it. Stubborn ass.
"You stink, you have ten minutes to wash yourself and if I have to treat you like Elysia when she was one then I will. Now clean. I'll be right outside getting something for you to wear. Then we're going to the pub. Even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming like Ed."
Roy (7:10:12 PM): "Argh!" was his initial response, put simply. His lack of vision in his right eye apparently hindered rather than helped his situation, and he couldn't believe... no wait, yes he could believe that Maes was dragging him about in his own room. Course, it had been a long time since he'd resorted to this kind of treatment. He had put up a fair struggle when it came to having his clothes pulled off him; no one had done -that- in a long time. He was glad when he was pushed into the shower, only because it meant that he had some kind of shield between himself and his friend.
"I do not stink." He declared, huffing loudly as he stood there stagnant for a few moments. He didn't want to go out! Especially not with Hughes, he'd cheer him up, and he didn't want that right now. "You treat me like her, and I'll melt your face." He declared. It didn't take long for him to give in to his own thoughts, and he turned on the shower, eliciting another yell of shock at the temperature. He'd get washed up, that was for sure. Fine. He wouldn't enjoy himself though, in fact, he was going to drink that coke stuff.
"Don't compare me to Fullmetal." He hissed through clenched teeth, the soothing water soon made him change his tune... and suddenly he felt a little disgusted by his level of hygiene over the last few days. It was less than ten minutes before he was washed completely, and dripping from head to foot, he walked into his bedroom again, towel wrapped around his waist, another flopped over his head.
Hughes (7:18:33 PM): Hughes laughed at the noise, resisting the temptation to wave Roy's gloves in his face. Did the other man actually think he wouldn't take away a device that could turn him into a pile of ash in less than five seconds? He obviously didn't give him enough credit. He counted off the minutes in his head, slightly surprised when the water turned off and Roy came into the room before the time was up.
He smiled, looking at his bedraggled and wet friend; sympathy sparking through him before he ruthlessly pushed it down. Shoving the gloves deep into his pocket out of Roy's line of sight he pushed a neatly folded pile of clothes at the man before beginning to rub Roy's hair furiously with the towel.
"Have to dry properly now, can't have you catching pneumonia," he placed the towel carelessly over Roy's head again and took a step back, checking his wristwatch as he did so. "Hurry and change so we can go."
More time meant too much time to think and he was going to get his friend out of this slump if it was the last thing he did. He -hated- if when the people around him suffered. Especially his friends. It was one of the reasons he'd joined the army in the first place. And now Roy, his best friend, was hurting and he was going to do his damned best to ease it a little. As much as was in his power.
"We're going to a bar, you're going to spill your guts, then we're going to go home so you can cry it all out, get to sleep, and be your normal, happy self by morning." Well...as happy as Colonel Roy Mustang ever became.
Roy (7:24:02 PM): Hughes had his gloves in his hand... Idiot. A soft sigh escaped him, and he moved over to his bed, about to sit down when Hughes' hands met with the towel on his head. Another yell escaped him, a little dimmer than the one he had made in the shower. It had been a long time since anyone had paid any attention to him like this, and he was reminded of just who that person had been. Once Maes had stepped away from him, he lifted his hand to the towel, pulling it from his head and throwing it messily on the bed behind him.
"I'll take all the time I need." He told, picking up the pile of clothes with mild satisfaction at the ones Hughes had chosen. He retreated back to the bathroom, and after about ten minutes of drying, dressing, and a little preening. (He hated stubble after all). He moved back out into his bedroom, pulling the sleeves of his shirt flat carefully. "You can forget the crying part." He told, scooping up a set of keys from his bedside table, he walked past Maes and out into the living room.
Hughes (7:30:32 PM): "Crying? Did I mention crying?" Hughes replied with a smile, deciding to ignore Roy's lack of judgement when it came to time and putting it down to his vanity. He noticed that the other looked a lot more clean now - no stubble for one. And Hughes congratulated himself on his choice of clothes. Obviously Gracia had been wrong when she'd said he was a fashion disaster. It was getting easier to think of the two of them now - it was almost a warm feeling to think of them instead of the harsh, cold feeling. He put that down to his spending time with his friend and the conversation he'd had with the strange girl Cielo.
Obviously the answer to everything was to surround yourself with children. He would suggest that Roy get a cat to keep him company but he didn't know how the unicorns would react...
Deciding he wouldn't think about that for now he walked past the other man into the kitchen area, grabbed whatever food was lying around and carrying them to the door, opening up to the outside hallway and gesturing Roy ahead. "These are to eat along the way, I'm sure your starving. When did you last eat?"
Roy narrowed his eyes at Hughes' ignorance of his own statement. Of course he knew the other man was simply doing it to get on his good side. It was the way they had always worked. Alongside, and brushing one another up, for some reason it worked, and that was why they were best friends. It was still a little difficult to grasp the last few years without Maes here... He closed his eyes and calmed himself. If he continued thinking like that, he wouldn't need alcohol before he started sobbing.
"Eat? Can't remember." He answered truthfully; he took a chocolate bar in one pocket, a banana in the other and held onto a sandwich Cielo had obviously made earlier. He put the other things back on the counter top, and walked past Maes and out through the door, already making his way down the stairs before his friend had a chance to catch up...
Hughes (7:42:44 PM): Hughes hurried back, fetched the discarded items, another chocolate bar and two apples, and made his loping way back to Roy, shutting the door after him. He then went quickly after his friend, careful not to trip on the stairs as he went to walk down behind him.
He waved the food items behind his friend's back before taking an apple for himself and biting into it. "Eating is good for you Roy and didn't your mother ever tell you not to waste food? Gracia was very particular about food. The more the merrier!" He laughed and gave into the urge to ruffle Roy's hair, just as he would Elysia's.
Hughes, not knowing where the nearest bar was, merely hoped that Roy wouldn't try to dodge out of his obligation now that they were on the way. He really should have scoped out the area but he'd been so busy making plans that were now void. He needed to get quicker on the uptake.
Roy (7:48:10 PM): His eyes closed again as Maes spoke, turning his head to look over at him with the best smile he could muster at the time, though it probably looked more like a grimace. "It's not as if it's going to waste if I leave it there. I'm sure Cielo would eat it, too." He commented, biting into his apple again. He had to admit, now that he actually gave it some thought, he imagined he must have been pretty hungry for quite a while now. When had he last eaten?
"Vash and Wolfwood showed me a bar that isn't too vulgar not too long back. Unless you had somewhere else in mind?" He asked, if he had taken all this time to get ready to go out, he wasn't about to suddenly decide to turn around and go back to bed. Apparently Hughes was already having a positive effect on him, although if he really wanted him to talk, he'd have to go back down before he came up again.
Hughes (8:44:51 PM): Hughes simply nodded - even if Roy couldn't see it - and gestured ahead, "Lead on Colonel." He smiled, this was going quite well. He'd got the Colonel washed, dressed, eating something and out of the house in just over twenty minutes. Not bad considering he'd been out of practice for a while. He was pleased to see that the overall tenseness in Roy's shoulders had lessened, even if just slightly.
Roy (8:51:52 PM): "Mn." Was all he said in reply to Hughes' command. He didn't bother holding the door to the building open for his friend - an action that was meant to warn Hughes that he wasn't in his good books quite yet. Once outside, his pace slowed, and he made sure that Maes was on his left side as they walked so that he could actually see him, and by the time they'd reached the bar he'd intended on visiting, he had devoured his sandwich, banana and chocolate bar. The rubbish had found it's way into bins along the way.
He actually held the door open for Maes when they reached their destination. Not to be polite, but to force his friend to go in first. There were actually quite a few people here, and he felt the need to check each one of them before he decided just how deep their conversation could be. He didn't recognise anyone, and no one looked in his direction other than to acknowledge their presence. "I'll have a coke." He told Hughes, pushing him towards the bar before following him.
Hughes (9:00:45 PM): Hughes merely waved his hand in Roy's general direction, dismissing his order and instead asking for two tumblers of whisky. After getting the confirmation that the bartender would send their drinks over he quickly ushered Roy over to a table on the darker side of the bar. From here there was less chance of being overheard and the shadows kept them hidden from view unless someone already knew where they were.
He looked at Roy seriously for a moment before sighing and running his hand through the short strands of black hair on his head. "Man, we haven't done this in a while."
Roy (9:06:02 PM): Roy attempted to listen in to Hughes' order, but was foiled by the quietness of his voice. He felt sure he hadn't listened to a word of what he said. Typical. His hands were in his pockets when he followed Hughes to the table he found for them. Glad of the positioning of the table. He was glad he had a friend like Hughes.
The look his was giving him was one he hoped he might have been able to avoid though. He heaved a sigh after Maes spoke, leaning back into his chair and folding his arms across his chest. "Maybe we should forget the chit chat and just get stupidly drunk?" He offered, turning his head away so he couldn't look at Hughes at all. Having this eye patch was actually quite handy at times.
Hughes (9:14:17 PM): Hughes merely tutted, already used to the avoidance tactic. Elysia had been quite skilled at it back when she was being weaned onto baby food. Seeing a grown man repeating the same action was highly amusing to the Lieutenant Colonel and he only stopped laughing by biting his life hard and focusing on more important things. Like what the hell he was supposed to do when his friend was trying to ignore him.
"How about we talk a little, get drunk, then talk some more and you tell me everything that's happened?" He knew Riza was gone - that was obvious. He also knew something had happened between the two of them. He wasn't an idiot, regardless of how he himself knew he acted at times. Half the time it was a ploy; if you acted like an idiot all the time then people would treat you like one. Then you could slip them up during moments of weakness. It was a trick he'd learnt a while back and one he still used religiously now, even after his death.
"It won't hurt you to talk Roy. It will however, eat you up inside until there's nothing left but the eye patch over your eye and the clothes on your back. So I won't take no for an answer." He knew Roy needed this, he also knew that some part of Roy himself knew it. It was a fact, plain and simple, and even if he had to stay here all night coercing the other to talk he was goddamn going to do it. He couldn't consider himself a fit friend otherwise, or a man good enough and strong enough to be Elysia's father and Gracia's husband. His own innate stubbornness was going to turn into perseverance that in turn was going to help Roy as much as it could.
Now if only the other man would let him.
Roy (9:18:16 PM): "Maes, I'm not stupid." He said bluntly, letting a sigh escape him as a waiter arrived at their table. His arms unfolded for a moment, he didn't want the waiter to think that something abrupt was about to kick off in his own bar. The moment the tumblers were placed on the table however, Roy had one in hand, twirling it round in his hand a few times before holding his hand up to the waiter, motioning for him to wait. He brought the tumbler to his lips, and tipped it back, making sure to down the contents, before setting it back down on the table in front of him.
"Perhaps you could supply us with a bottle?" He asked, with a half-smile. The Whisky burnt in his neck, but he chose to ignore it. "You want to talk? Okay, we can talk. What shall we start with? How about the day of your funeral? Is that suited to you?" He asked. Harsh as it was, as cruel as his words were - he actually only intended to force Maes to drop the talking. He was already a little taught from his emotions. It wouldn't take much more until he cracked. He'd kept so much bottled up, He'd intended to talk it all through with Riza... but she'd left him.
Hughes (9:26:23 PM): Hughes gritted his teeth. He didn't personally blame himself for dying. The only thing he regretted was leaving his daughter and wife behind. It didn't even hurt much anymore. The whole thing had somehow slotted into place over the past few weeks. 'I died'. It was a statement - one that was true and one he simply had to accept. If talking about his death would help Roy to heal then he was willing to do just that.
Grinning bravely he downed his own tumbler, slamming it back on the table and watched as the waiter went off before turning around and fixing Roy with a stare. He dared him to look away when he next spoke, the challenge clear in his eyes. "Okay then, let's talk about my funeral. You'll have to forgive me if I'm a little ignorant - I wasn't exactly there for it." He then watched carefully for Roy's response. He wasn't too keen on the idea of 'have to be cruel to be kind' but he was willing to try anything once. Anything to get a reaction - any kind of reaction.
Roy (9:30:53 PM): Roy's gaze twisted away from Hughes slightly, but he was looking at him up until the point when he began talking, and it was then that his face snapped to turn directly onto his best friend. Somewhere between the waiter leaving, and the end of Hughes' words his teeth had gritted together behind his lips, and his eyebrow had furrowed, eyes stern. Great, the idiot was saying all the right things to get him talking. "I'm sorry." He muttered quietly, all signs of frustration were brushed away by some invisible hand, and his head dropped to stare at the table. It was far too soon to let his eyes well up. This was stupid. Ridiculous in fact. After this long, he still couldn't accept Hughes' death. Hell, the man himself had managed it, why couldn't he?
Hughes (7:22:29 PM) He stopped, unsure of how to continue. This was getting out of control. He couldn’t simply spout random crap at the man and hope that solved the situation. He had to think, and think about it seriously.
He’d been suspicious, especially when he’d first turned up. He should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. He couldn’t just pop out of nowhere after being dead for a while and expect everything to have resolved itself. He hadn’t been there to fill in the gaps personally so all he could do is try and fill in the gaps afterwards, piece by piece. And to do that he’d need Roy relaxed and ready to talk and that would require a lot of effort and even more alcohol.
Roy (7:27:12 PM): Roy's hand met with his forehead for the millionth time his relocation to the city. Pressing his thumb and index finger against his temple seemed to ease the pain at least a little. He knew it wasn't physically pain he was enduring though. He needed to stay calm, at least he knew Maes had given up trying to come up against him, the tone of his voice was statement enough.
"A lot of people died. There wasn't anyone else to take your place though. It wasn't like at Ishbal." He sighed at the how complex his line of thought was becoming, and instead of bothering with the details he looked up, just in time to witness the waited place a bottle of whisky on their table. He stared at that, rubbing his head again, but for a different reason - and there was even a very small smirk on his lips.
Hughes (7:42:19 PM): Hughes scoffed, "Of course there wasn't anyone to take my place." He ignored the piece about Ishbal in favour of peace, stealing Roy's drink and looking into it before pushing it back. "You know you can't work without me at your back. Although I bet...Riza did a good job."
If he hadn't been doing this for Roy's own good he would have winced and immediately taken back his words. As it was he just waited patiently and silently for Roy's answer.
Roy (7:49:12 PM): A heavy sigh. He picked up the bottle of Whisky and refilled both their glasses, setting it back down between the two of them before rearranging himself to sit straight rather than his depressive slouching. Both hands curled around the tumbler in front of him and he thumbed the sides of it. "You and Riza proved to be helpful to me in very different ways." He stated blankly. Perhaps the easiest way to deal with this was to forget all the crap that had happened.
"I can't believe I've let a woman have this effect on me." He said bluntly, looking up at Maes with a vague smile. "Although, on a positive note, I'm pleased this City allows access for the dead." His eyes closed for a moment. Just thinking about it was weird. He could potentially have everything he wished for right here. Although he'd have to work on that 'ultimate goal' thing. Without that, he'd just be a rather useless mess.
Hughes (7:59:03 PM): Hughes held back the 'whoop' that threatened to escape, instead giving himself a smug smile. He was, without a doubt, pure -genius-. And damnit Riza would have made Roy a great wife. Oh well, he couldn't get anything. And at least Roy was actually talking now. Although Hughes didn't understand a half of what he said. He was willing to let it pass because he wanted his friend in perfect working order, thank you very much.
"Woman have an effect on all men. Gracia could have me eating out of the palm of her hand." Although, frankly, that was a disturbing thought because hadn't he always said Elysia took after her mother? And she was getting older and there were boys and...
Curling his hand into a fist under the table Hughes gave a tight smile and picking up his tumble. He had to focus. -Focus!-
Roy (8:06:03 PM): One elbow on the table left his hand free to prop his chin up, as the other curled securely around his drink. Apparently, Maes was pleased about something, and they were obviously both having a bit of an internal fight with their own thoughts. He laughed softly at the irony. "It feels as if there's nothing but pain to think about, Maes." He said with sigh, staring off at Hughes with a vaguely amused smile.
"We have nothing, except the hope that the people we want to see will arrive here. I suppose it's better than being in Amestris. What a sorry state this is." He laughed again, and lifted his glass up, raising it towards his friend. "Let's get stupidly drunk?"