challenge from Animegoil this time. "how about... a Roy/Maes, in which Maes is the one getting the support from Roy, instead of the way it usually is, with Roy needing Maes. Preferrably angsty." there we have it folks. on with the writing! -fireun
It was the smile, initially, that drew him in. Roy had seen a flash of it as the older youth had looked up at him from where he sprawled on the ground, not even trying to make it look like he was there of his own volition. There was a smudge of dirt across his left cheek, his uniform was scuffed, and he smiled.
And Roy winced. There was something about those pale eyes all but hidden behind rectangular glasses that bit at the soul. Roy cast a distasteful glare at the backs of the departing pack of soldiers and offered the young man on the ground a hand.
Who blinked once, readjusted his glasses and grimaced. "New recruit?" He chuckled, pushing himself up a bit. "You should rethink your options, ya know. As you can see I am a bit of a social pariah."
Roy shrugged, his hand, and its offer, remaining solidly in place. The other youth looked at him for a moment longer, eyes shrewdly taking in every nuance of the situation, and then reached out and grasped the offering, allowing Roy to help haul him to his feet.
"I'm Maes. Maes Hughes." He smiled again. "You must be Mustang."
"Roy." Roy offered, returning the smile, uncomfortably aware of the intelligence gleaming in those eyes. He had the feeling that this Hughes had not only considered every possible implication of this new alliance, but had already begun on social campaign plans. It was a tad overwhelming.
"Well, I am already late enough to merit a fantastic sort of punishment this time, so I had better get going."
"Huh." Roy watched the retreating broad shouldered Maes Hughes, and tried to figure out why it felt like he had just been run through a mental wringer…
It became apparent over the next few days, that Maes was just a bit too smart, too interested for his own good. He grasped complex situations with ease, analyzed the problems their superior officers presented them with in a third of the time it took his class mates. Which, in the way of men since the dawn of time, earned him their ire. He took it all with a smile.
Which Roy found more than a little irritating.
"Why the hell don't you fight back?" He asked once, sitting with Maes and enjoying some prohibited brandy the other man had somehow managed to procure.
In response Maes poked at the watch that dangled at Roy's side. "See how many of the buggers have those little toys? They would have a blast with me, given half a chance. And I think I might mean that literally."
Roy watched Maes down another glass of the cheap brandy, that damned crooked smile still on his face, and made a decision. He felt his own lips curl into a predatory sort of grin and leaned back against the building they were skulking beside with a sigh.
Tomorrow should prove to be interesting.
Maes jumped out of bed, trying to figure out why someone was pounding at the dorm room door, howling his name desperately. And why there was a smoky sort of scent in the air.
Dressed only in the pants he had pulled on on his way across the room Maes opened the door. And gawked in utter surprise. His chief tormenter bowed a desperately deep bow and sobbed, apologizing in sentences so desperately garbled with panic that Maes didn't know how the merry hell to respond. Then he took in the fact that the soldiers clothes were looking a bit…charred, and that he had considerably less hair than yesterday, as well as what looked to be a surprising bit of sunburn for this time of year, and Maes broke into wild laughter.
"I accept, I accept, now haul outta here!" he shooed the overcooked soldier away, collapsing against his doorframe in a sort of relieved hysteria.
Roy smiled in grim satisfaction as he watched the still smoldering man scramble away from the dorms. He did not make friends lightly, and damn if he was going to let a bunch of testosterone-laden asses torment someone whose company he had grown to thoroughly enjoy.
Maes' smile, the rest of that day, beamed in open amusement at the sulky plight of his classmates. And when Maes met up with Roy later, the humor and pure joy Roy saw there in that manic grin made an answering smile pull to life on his own face.
"Stop that you ass, it's contagious."
"Don't want to ruin your mysteriously sullen image?" Maes chortled, deftly dodging a half-hearted punch.
"Maybe I should have just set you on fire." Roy grumbled.
"Oh? Then who would get the booze?" Maes offered a flask with a flourish.
"Maes, do me a favor."
"Hm?"
"Never tell me how you get this stuff. I don't want to have to feel bad about it."
"No problem, boss."
"And never call me that again."
Maes saluted jauntily. "Yessir."
"You are such an ass…"
"So I have been told." Maes took a long draw from the flask and passed it with a soft smile. "So I have been told."
Honeywell - i was told Hughes was not allowed to stab anyone in the last challenge...i am planning to do at least one where he goes on a knifey sort of rampage. at some point...it should be fun.
Nemu - gracia is a saint. she really is. saved them all from most certain stabbity death...
Dustwind - i will see what i can do with that one. it has been years since i watched whose line...let me see what i can cook up...
wolfenzippo - i have to do something with poor farman and breda...no one pays any attention to the poor guys...
kori hime - ...i hope elysia manages to keep her mouth shut...the results really could be rather tragic...