I need to update one of my other fics sometime. They feel neglected.

Chapter 21

Archer felt guilty.

Miracles just seemed to be happening one after another these days. Not only did Archer have one or two people that he would now consider friends, but he felt guilty. Over one of those said friends no less! Archer sighed and took a sip of warm coffee from his favorite cup and felt the metal bars of the cages dig into his back as he leant back on the stool. He scratched behind the ears of his favorite little chimera as he sat in the dank lab with Tucker fiddling away on State Alchemist watches at the desk. It was almost ironic he was trying to alleviate his guilt over one friend by spending time with the other.

"So, finally crushed him did we?" Tucker asked with a slight lift to his voice. Becoming Archer's psychiatrist was starting to become appealing bit by bit. Tucker hadn't realized how much he missed these talks until Archer was gone and busy with Kimblee for so long. "I can't imagine he took that well."

"Not a single explosion."

Tucker paused in his work and actually looked over towards Archer. His eyes widened slighlty and his mouth twitched in a slight chuckle. "Ouch. He really is depressed."

"He stopped showing up to work." Archer muttered and took another warm sip. "Or should I say he stopped staying. He reports in the morning and then leaves."

"I'd think you'd be happy for the free time and lack of disruption."

Archer laughed bitterly "You'd think that, but I actually feel quite bad about it."

"How so?" Tucker hummed.

Archer looked up from his cup at the chimera sitting at the desk. The man had stopped working completely and was giving him his full attention. It was nice to have someone to talk to who was discrete and cut off from society. "I think I rather dislike hurting his feelings."

"Then you should return them." Tucker shrugged. "You either respond the way he wants or hurt him. There's not much else to it."

"But I've tried." Archer groaned and touched his forehead with the glass and let the cool ice soothe his steadily developing headache. "I truly tried to return his feelings in my head. Nothing came of it. What's worse? Being turned down before anything happens or telling him 'sorry, it's not going to work' in the middle of something more," Archer paused. "Intimate."

Tucker lifted his eyebrows. "Ah, so you'd be fine with a platonic relationship but anything physical is out of the question?"

"Exactly." Archer slunk into his chair and looked at his glass again. He almost felt he should drinking something stronger than coffee for all the heartfelt confessions he was making. He needed to go out to the shooting range or yell at troops for an hour. For someone who had confirmed the fact he wasn't attracted to men, Archer was acting incredibly like a woman. "It's not that I haven't considered it. He just doesn't excite me the way he wants."

"I'm sure he'll try to prove you otherwise if you let him."

Archer snorted. "Trust me, I've tried." Archer leant forward in emphasis. He may spill his feelings over the Crimson Alchemist, but he would not be detailing his private attempts to get it up, so to speak. Even before he realized Kimblee's affections, sleeping with the alchemist would have been beneficial to keeping him under control. Archer had considered that a long while ago, but it never got anywhere. Better to not perform at all than to fail to perform with a trigger happy, aroused bomb maniac. "It's not happening."

"So, if not for that you'd date him?" Tucker chuckled. Archer's age was showing. You'd never know he was planning war in his free time with all these relationship troubles.

Archer bit his lip and thought about it. Dating Zolf J. Kimblee. Archer set the cup down on the table thoughtfully and stood slowly. "Perhaps. For now though, I think I'll retire. I do enjoy these chats, Tucker. I'll come check on your progress with the watches and chimera at a later date."

Tucker watched as the Lieutenant Colonel started up the stairs and out of the dark lab. It seems their latest therapy session was at an end. Tucker chuckled to himself; there'd be hell to pay if Kimblee found out he and Archer had these little heart-to-hearts without him (or really anyone) knowing. It was almost amusing. Almost as amusing as Tucker realizing something very important. While he had never said anything, it was clear as day that Archer had a crush on Kimblee as well.

The Crimson Alchemist just didn't need to know it was platonic in nature.

It had been two days since Kimblee had pushed Archer against a wall and tried so desperately to get the man to respond. The warmth of his mouth and the feeling of his tongue was still burned into Kimblee's mind. It had tasted so good, but even Kimblee had noticed Archer's lack of participation. After he had set the man's papers on his desk, Kimblee had taken a very long walk outside to think. He'd never felt this way about anyone and it was starting to bother him. But facts were facts and Kimblee still liked Archer.

Archer just didn't like Kimblee back.

Not that Kimblee could understand why not! Kimblee kicked a can down the street and watched it dent as it smacked into a wall. They were made for each other. Archer had a love for war and bloodlust that rivaled Kimblee's own. The only possible difference was Archer actually cared about his own unit's lives. And even then it made sense! How can you slay more enemy troops if all of yours are dead? Its not like Archer had explosive alchemy circles tattooed on him...Kimblee's thoughts trailed off as he considered that. Archer would look good in alchemic circles. Kimblee growled and ran his hands through his hair.

What was he doing wrong? Why didn't Archer like him back? Kimblee slammed his fist into a wall. No. The Crimson Alchemist had enough. He'd tried for months to get Archer to respond and he got nothing but friendship. Kimblee took in a breath and clenched his fists. They had a war coming and Kimblee needed other things to think about. Archer was a lost cause and maybe it was time Kimblee gave up on him. A distraction. It would be the best thing for Kimblee to push these ridiculous emotions behind him for good.

Turning the corner into an alley, Kimblee smiled at the perfect opportunity to get started on his new frame of mind. A gang of misfits that nobody would miss was the perfect way to get Archer off his mind. The Alchemist chuckled as he slapped his fists together and felt the electric wave of power surge through his body. Who needed love when you could have this much fun?

The military was still trying to figure out how many people were actually killed from the sheer mess of blood, meat and limbs that Kimblee had left behind.

Archer groaned in his bath tub and sunk down into the warm water. He was disgusted with himself. Just because Tucker was a convenient ear to spill out his problems didn't mean that he should abuse it. Hell, he'd tried his best to block his attempts at jacking off to Kimblee out of his own head let alone telling others. The man dunked his head under the water and came up and smoothing his hair back. It was utterly embarrassing, that's what it was.

It wasn't that Kimblee wasn't handsome or entertaining company. In fact the man was rather effeminate in his own way. Archer just couldn't bring himself to get excited over a man. And bending over for Kimblee was not an option; his pride suffered enough admitting he cared about the man at all. If Archer was honest with himself, the only thing that had really moved him lately were his thoughts concerning that chimera woman. Archer shuddered; he feared for the world if Kimblee discovered that the woman had left an impression on Archer that deep.

She was a gorgeous woman. She was a miracle of science, a brilliant soldier, and a fine specimen of the female persuasion. The fire behind her eyes when she stared down Kimblee was still bored into his own mind. Archer sat up in the tub and tried to clear his mind. It was highly tempting to continue down that path and imagine her luscious curves and smooth movements in battle, but this Lieutenant Colonel needed to think of other things. He was in the bath to relax and think about his future actions concerning his troops and war.

The man reached over the side and pulled up the glass of brandy he had prepared before hand. He swore, Kimblee alone had caused Archer to drink three times more than he had before he met the fool. Archer took a sip and stared at the tile pattern in his wall. He needed a distraction to get this entire mess out of his head. He would miss his time with Kimblee to be sure, the man had somehow become a dear friend. Not that he would admit that out loud to anyone.

But, he didn't have time to linger. Mustang and Armstrong were making their moves. Liore was getting worse and worse every day and Archer needed to move now if he wanted to be a part of it. Whether or not Kimblee became a part of that effort was not even worth considering. Kimblee would be drawn to that war as easily as Archer himself.

It was the one thing they had in common.

Maybe Liore would repair their friendship and allow them to leave this whole romance business behind them.

"You're getting blood on my floor."

"There was already blood down there. How can you tell?"

Tucker sighed as his warning was ignored. Kimblee had come back to sulk and was sitting at his favorite table again. At least all the blood wasn't Kimblee's; Tucker was almost sure of that. As much as he enjoyed his conversations with Archer, playing mind doctor to Kimblee was another matter. At least tonight he had something fun to hold over the alchemist's head. It was time to avenge all his cute little chimera that suffered under that man's hands. "I'm surprised you're here. I'd think you'd still be ignoring the Lieutenant Colonel for his actions a few days ago."

"He told you?" Kimblee bit his lip and felt a slight trickle of his own blood drip down his cheek. This was not a conversation he wanted to have right now. He was trying to forget Archer; not talk about him.

Tucker hummed happily and played with the chain of a newly finished alchemist watch. "Yes, we had a rather nice chat about you."

"Did you." It wasn't a question.

"If it makes you feel better, it was nothing negative."

"I see."

"Yes, it was quite informative actually." Tucker smiled slightly and tapped the top of his desk with a sharp claw. The scientist in him wanted to see a reaction occur after testing a theory. It should prove to be interesting. "Want to know something interesting?"

Kimblee stared straight at the wall. He came to get his things and leave after taking a short rest. Not to converse with Tucker about a certain person he no longer had any interest. "Not really."

"You see the truth is," Tucker continued regardless with a slight smirk. Kimblee was listening. "Archer rather likes you, too."

Kimblee was sure his heart stopped.