Author's Note: I didn't get that many reviews, but my urge to write overcame my thirst for feedback, so here you go!
Chapter Two: Declarations of Love and Sleepy Smiles
After checking in, Lanfan and Ling had set off for a bar near the inn. Ling sat down in front of the counter, slamming down some of their Amestrian dollars in exchange for a drink. Lanfan hesitated near the entrance. The crammed building was too-brightly lit, like one of Winry's diabetes-inducing smiles. The entire room reeked of the smell of alcohol. She rubbed her temples, wondering if there was such a thing as being secondhand-drunk. Wanting to get the entire thing over with, she headed towards the counter, but was blocked by a man. She didn't like the look of him. He was too grisly, too dishonorable.
He stepped out of her way, but he flashed a slimy smile as she passed. He sat down and continued to laugh with his friends, all of whom didn't look all that honorable either.
"Amestrian beer is so yummy," Ling mused after he drained his mug. Lanfan silently slipped a few of her own bills to the bartender, silently begging him to make it a weak drink.
"Of course it is, Young Master," she agreed absentmindedly, like a kindergarten teacher who'd been shown one too many drawings of a red flower and had been asked how pretty it looked.
"Lanfan, you need to loosen up," he said, grinning goofily. The alcohol had already kicked in. In Xing, drinks and spirits were rather benign, and women and children only drank the wine on special occasions.
"I am very loose, just look at my hair," she deadpanned.
"You know, Lanfan," he said, giggling after every word, "I love you very much."
Lanfan flushed a deep red, almost resembling the crimson stripes that were painted on her guard's mask.
She dismissed the issue. Ling was obviously inebriated, either that or this was some sort of alcohol-induced hallucination she was having. She glanced down at the small glass of wine she'd been drinking, pushing it away.
"Young Master, I think I may be having a headache. Could you please look after yourself while I take a walk outside?"
Ling slackly wrapped an arm around her. "Anything for you, my love."
She lightly picked up Ling's hand, setting it down on the counter. Hopping off the barstool, she winded her way around all of the, what she called "Major Armstrongs", and shut the door behind her, breathing in the cool air of the Amestrian night. A dark shroud of night had been dropped over the small village, but with the calm also came the fear, in the form of the man in the bar following her down the walkway.
"What's a pretty young thing like you doing out here?" He slurred, grinning as though the two were best friends. Lanfan scowled. Usually her blades of various size and sharpness would scare away the bar creatures, but Amestrian bars held a strict "No Weapons" rule, so all she had on her were two twin kunai strapped to her ankles.
"Please get out of the way," she said, deliberately turning to show him her stump of an arm.
The drunkard twitched. She was sure he had double vision. "A cripple? I guess I can be into that kind of thing."
Her eyes narrowed. "Leave please." She enunciated each word with a hint of contempt.
He laughed, a sound that sent chills of disgust down her spine. "What? Do you need to get back to your little squinty-eyed boyfriend?"
Her jaw clenched and unclenched, trying to restrain her urge to strangle him. "I am not in a romantic relationship with the Young Master. I am his bodyguard."
She regretted saying it, because it just made him laugh even more. "Squinty looks like he can take care of himself. Why don't you spend some time with us?"
He reached out a dirt-caked hand and stroked her cheek. She cringed away. She would have grabbed his wrist, but that would've meant more touching.
She stepped backwards, he tried to touch her face, and it would start again. Step, try, step, try…. And out of the blue, it appeared that they were in a trash-ridden alley.
She tensed her muscles, preparing to run up the kick off the wall and around the man. She was being rather generous, really; kicking the wall instead of his face.
"It is extremely dishonorable to treat a woman that way," a voice rang out. Behind the muscular man stood the equally-muscular Ling, all goofiness gone from his expression.
"Squinty?" The man mumbled, turning to look at the prince.
Lanfan took this as an opportunity to deviate from her plan, actually kicking him in the cranial area. But then again, this was also generous; kicking his head instead of his crotch.
Lanfan stepped over the knocked-out drunkard, bowing so low the tips of her bangs touched the toes of her sandals. "A thousand apologies, Young Master. I should've been more careful."
He nodded. "That's right."
Suddenly, Lanfan stared right at the prince, an action that she would punish herself for later. "Why?"
Ling's dark brows furrowed. "Why what?"
"You know that I am a competent martial artist. Why would you go to such trouble for nothing?"
Then, the prince laughed. "I told you silly. I love you!"
The blush returned. "Excuse me?"
"I love every single citizen of Xing, even the rice-pickers and the street children. If there was an opportunity to help one of them in any way, especially one I knew well, then I would take it in a heartbeat." He seemed satisfied with his newfound philosophy, and although the feelings Ling had expressed to her in the bar seemed far from platonic, she didn't say anything.
The blush receded, mostly by force. "Ah. Well, thank you, Young Master." She bowed again.
He laughed, but with her rather than at her, even though she wasn't laughing at all. "No matter. Let's go back to the inn."
The odd pair traipsed back to the inn, and Ling was snoring in the bed the second his head hit the pillow.
Lanfan curled up in the armchair. It would've been foolish to rent more than one room, for they were only staying for a night, and she could keep a better eye on the prince when they were in the same room. Light poured from the window, filtered through the thin curtains. Lanfan shifted so that it was constantly in her eyes, to keep her awake. It just ended up making her sleepier. Her eyelids drooped, and then both the prince and his guard were fast asleep.
***
Ling woke early, his head pounding with hangover. He slipped a leaf of Xingese healing mint under his tongue, and the pain subsided, and him sighing in relief.
He glanced over to the window. Lanfan was still curled up in the faded red armchair, her head lolling to the side. The moonlight cast from the window seemed to make her skin glow.
He hopped off the bed, landing silently as his martial arts mentor had taught him. Also silently, he scooped up Lanfan and laid her down on the bed, surprised that she wasn't a light sleeper.
But, in fact, she was entirely alert, and lightly smiling the entire time.
Author's Note: This was just a little play (ahem, parody) of those LingFan fanfics where Ling tells Lanfan he loves her without any previous character development. Always good for headdesking. Anyway, please review. If you're not a member, review! If you are, review! If you just come here for the lemons and yaoi, then why are you reading this fic!? But you can review too!