AN: For HyuroiWeek2016, Day 1, "Brotherhood"

Hyuroi Collection

Chapter 1

Brotherhood

Of all the ways Roy thought about seeing Hughes again, he never thought it would be like this. He never thought seeing his face again will fail to light a fire of warmth and excitement in him, but if this war had taught him anything it was that he was wrong. Wrong about everything and there wasn't any reason why this would be different.

Despite the smile, Hughes was devoid of that light too. An internal fire, a passion they once held for everything but now tried to keep hidden. The light of humanity, that light of memories and love. It was something they all learned to keep barely burning, to let it die down to just a smolder so it didn't consume all their reserves. It was easier to hide it away then let it burn itself out.

To see Hughes again and not feel anything but sorrow made him feel more lost than ever. In all the death and flames, the one thing he could say was that maybe...maybe he was saving others a trip to this hell. The better he did his job, the faster this war ended and spared someone this horrible experience. Some days it was the only hope he clung to.

However as he walked with his friend he noticed that light begin to burn brighter as he talked. And as he stoked the internal flames and got more excited to catch up with him he couldn't help but bask in that warmth and smile a little. Perhaps this was the hope he needed, a friend from the past. No, they were so much more than that.

"And look!" Hughes turned and shoved the letter he had received in his friend's face. He rummaged in the envelope for the photo. "Look! I met a great girl! She's waiting for me Roy! When this is all over, I can go home to her."

And quickly that fire flared up inside him, but not with excitement and love but with jealousy. The flames were not red, but green and toxic. Roy couldn't even believe how quickly the words flew out of his mouth and he hated himself for it. "Careful Hughes, you know that guy in the movies who always talks about the girl back home is always the one who dies."

It hurt them both and Roy felt the sting of that burn before Hughes could even react. Years, they hadn't talked in years, but somehow everything that had been left unresolved just festered and he didn't even realize it until now. The look on Maes's face, he knew. Of course he knew. They had been so close, sharing the years at the academy like brothers...then much more.

He couldn't even apologize, he had no idea what to say but Hughes swung his arm over his shoulder anyway. Hugged him, pulled him close because he understood. Understood that there had been a void in their lives when they went their separate ways after graduation, that communication was easy at first but trickled down to a mere birthday card once a year. He understood that in some cruel twist of fate they were reunited in this hell and it was too damned late to figure out what they used to be and how they could go back to that simpler time and innocence.

That squeeze, rekindled the warmth. It invited him back into his life, as these soldiers would invite him to sit next to the campfire instead of brooding alone in the dark. It was a tight hug and a squeeze that lasted too long that told him they weren't going to drift apart again. And he leaned into it, because he had stood by himself too long and it felt good to lean on someone again.

It was what the army was supposed to be, a brotherhood. You protected those beside you, you trusted your backs to them. It was how it was supposed to be, but he wasn't one of them. He was an alchemist. He scared everyone with what he was capable of, he scared himself. So maybe he wasn't aware of how close he was to just losing himself out here until Hughes showed up. To cling to him in the storm, to keep the fire burning in the lighthouse and show him where home was. And he'd fight to keep him alive, fight so he could go home to that life he wanted to create. "You said you had a photo?"

"Yeah." Hughes let him go and pulled the worn photo out, the beacon of light that was going to get him through all this. "I'm going to need a best man. My kids are going to need a cool Uncle who lights birthday candles with a snap of his fingers."

It was an invitation to come back into his life, to follow that hope and light out of here. It was what he needed. "She's a lucky woman."

"Gracia." Hughes said softly. "She's amazing."

"I can't wait to meet her." Roy said and saw that fire in Hughes's face, the hope he needed to carry on too. A excitement that he was coming along with him this time. It was infectious.