A Little Thing Called Love
Chapter Four: Reminder
Yay, chapter four! I don't have anything else to say on this.
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"You what!?" Archer held the phone away from his ear to stare at it in disbelief, as if it was possible that the phone was playing tricks on him. There was no way in hell. No way in hell at all. "You're joking. Tell me you're joking!" It was almost more pleading now than ever before. "You're kidding me!" Because this just couldn't be happening!
"Nope, sorry, Ari, I'm not kidding!"
Archer groaned and massaged his temples with his free hand. Leave it to Kimbley to go out and blow up his own damn apartment! Why the hell had he done something so stupid!? It wasn't like he'd get any insurance money out of it or anything! "You're an idiot, you know that?"
"Sure I do! Now can I live with you?"
"No." He stressed, moving to snatch the tissues again. His nose had been bleeding off and on since slamming into that damn door. "You can't. I have important things to do with my time, I can't babysit you."
"I promise I'll be good! I won't blow up your house! Or you! Or anyone! Or—"
Archer cut him off with a groan. This was not at all the way he wanted things to be. Leave it to Kimbley to royally fuck around with his plans. "Kimbley, you may come live with me on one condition."
"What's that?"
"Do everything I say, got it?" He held the phone away from his ear as he heard Kimbley squeal with joy. And probably something about serving Archer for all eternity, but he wasn't really paying attention. "Alright, alright. Bring whatever you have left over after I'm done with work." And with that, he promptly hung up the phone. So Kimbley would be living with him. Zolf J. Kimbley, the Crimson Alchemist, mad bomber, and a fucking psychopath. Wouldn't that be fun?
Then again, Archer wasn't exactly normal himself. War-fetishes, wanting to play god, and an unhealthy gun obsession were not normal. At least, he didn't believe they were. But hey, maybe he was wrong. Hah hah, yeah right.
So the last hour and a half of work was spent trying to come up with a clever excuse as to why he couldn't keep Kimbley in the house. Of course there wasn't one. He groaned, resting his head on the desk, trying not to focus on the fact that he'd be going home to Kimbley every day. If he had to go home to anyone, he'd prefer to go home to Roy!
Knock, knock.
"Come in." Archer stiffened back up, finishing signing a paper, half expecting his secretary to prance in. That woman was impossible. Ugh. When she wasn't flirting with him, then it was Kimbley. And when it wasn't either of them, then it was Roy, or Havoc, or… any man, really. How wonderful, he had a whore for a secretary.
The door shifted open and Roy walked in, looking more rested than he had been earlier in the day, with his dark hair standing out at angles, which he attempted to smooth down. "Good evening, Frank." He smiled lightly, though didn't take a seat. "You feeling any better?"
"Yes, thank you." Archer answered curtly. What brought Roy here anyway? "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Actually…"
Archer did not like the sound of that at all. Then again, he was rather paranoid, and he was certain that everyone would try to use him somehow.
"I was wondering if you'd let me make it up to you—when I was drunk and all." Roy smiled softly, walking forward and holding out a hand for Archer to take. "Will you come with me?"
It wasn't a question of would he, and they both knew that. It was more of a question of what this meant. Was it really just a gesture of thanks? Archer was inclined to think it as more. But that didn't necessarily mean that he wanted it to be more! No! Did it? He shook his head to clear his thoughts and then took Roy's offered hand, smiling slightly. "Certainly. Thank you."
"No, no, this is to thank you." Roy smiled coyly, playfully raising the pale hand to his lips and brushing butterfly kisses across the fingers, smiling softly at the other's shudder. "Let's go, I have reservations already." He laughed lightly and pulled Archer along with him, barely giving the man time to lock up the office.
"Reservations? How did you know that I would agree to this?" Archer asked, though they both knew Archer would have agreed regardless. It was painfully obvious how interested he was. They both knew it. "Where are we going anyway?"
"Why, out to eat, of course!"
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Naturally Archer was surprised when Roy pulled up to one of the fancier restaurants in Central. It wasn't to say that he thought little of Roy, it was just that he wasn't entirely sure that Roy could afford such a thing. Yes, Colonel's salaries had a good amount of wiggle room, but even so, Archer wouldn't ever go out to eat somewhere like this. And he even had his inheritance to rely on. Well, that did come from being the only heir to the Archer fortune…
"Hope you like it." Roy laughed taking Archer's hand and again dragging him off.
Despite feeling like some sort of plaything for Roy, Archer followed him willingly, the two of them being seated easily. Archer smiled lightly across the table at Roy before examining the menu. Everything was as expensive as he thought it was! Who would pay this sort of money!?
Roy glanced over the top of his menu and watched Archer's expression change to shock. "Is something wrong?"
"I refuse to let you pay for me." He set the menu down and tapped at the prices. "Look how expensive these are. I don't deserve that, I just did what came naturally to me."
"Oh no you don't." Roy smiled playfully. "I'm paying, and if you don't let me, then I'll put in a word to Hakuro to have you demoted."
Well if that didn't shut Archer up in mere seconds. "Alright. Fine."
Dinner proceeded like most formal affairs did; strained and a little awkward. But they warmed up to each other really easily. It was almost strange how easily the two of them got along. But on the way back, Archer realized what it was. They were so different, they were curious about one another. They wanted to know more, and so they were willing to go a little out of their way to learn more. Yes, that made sense. It definitely wasn't that Archer was falling for Roy. Hah! Ridiculous!
"Thank you, I had a good time." Archer smiled lightly, stepping out of the car, surprised when Roy walked him up to the step, pausing there with him.
"I did this to thank you, Frank, so stop thanking me!" Roy took Archer's hands, trailing his thumbs along the tops, amused by how cold they were. It was unnatural for hands to be so cold. But that was Archer. "Frank…?"
He glanced up at Roy, and smiled softly at the other as the space between them closed and as Roy's lips fit to his perfectly. "Mmn…" It felt so damn right. It shouldn't, he knew that. But it did, and that's what mattered, right?
"Goodnight, Frank," Roy breathed as they parted. "I'll see you later." And with that, he was gone before Archer really had time to consider what had happened.
"Night," He mumbled after Roy, feeling himself color and raising a hand to his lips nervously. Did that really happen?
"Ari!! You asshole, where the hell were you!?"
Oh no, this couldn't be a dream.
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That had possibly been the worst night of his life. Kimbley refused to sleep alone and had curled up in Archer's bed, on his lap no less. It was annoying and embarrassing. And it made him want to hit Kimbley repeatedly. At least the other wouldn't be bothering him at work. So Archer sank into the usual seat with a sigh, examining the papers left for him. Just the usual 'sign and return' types of things. Oh wait, except one.
"I expect you to have a report on Roy Mustang on my desk at 0800 Friday morning." Signed, Fuhrer Bradley.
…Shit.
Archer had forgotten all about that. He didn't have the best memory as it was, but he'd forgotten about this. How was he supposed to write a report on someone he cared so much about? Was Roy a traitor? And then a shocking revelation; perhaps Roy knew he was being spied on and he was just using Archer so that he wouldn't get the report done!
But technically Roy couldn't be using him, they hadn't really done anything, and Roy claimed that dinner last night was to make up for burdening Archer that one night. But no, no, it could be. Maybe Roy was trying to seduce him. Maybe…
So what if he was a little paranoid? He had every right to be, didn't he? He wanted to make it to the top, and dammit, he would! Nothing was about to stop him!
"I'll have it done Thursday."