Violent Leisure ch 6 2/2

[forgottenlover]

Gracia followed soon after the boys entered the bedroom. She needed to grab a few things off the table and knew that she'd have to venture into the market for some items that she didn't have with her. But for now she could treat everything with what she had then deal with packing it later. "You really should lay down and get as comfortable as possible, Roy. We'll start with your face and neck then work our way down."

Roy looked sideways to her and quickly shook his head, letting an off center smile cross his face. "I'd really rather not do it that way." He fingered the edge of his robe. "Either way, I need to get the layers out of the way, correct? Now that my... issues... are over with, I'll be fine on that point. Even if it is still a bit too cold for me."

She pinned him with a curious look, tilting her head to the side. "Well, this is your decision but it would be easier if I could just travel downwards. Have it your way though. I'm just here to patch up remember. Maes, please help where you can all right? Take these and start dabbing the green one around the bite marks and the blue and red ones around the burns. I've to get the gauze and tape from the table."

Her husband nodded and quickly took up the offered items. He turned the red one over in his hand to inspect the bottle and found that it wasn't marked. Curious, he checked the other bottles and noted that they were exactly like the first. He quirked a brow and looked to Roy. "She knows what she's doing after all."

Roy eyed the bottles a little. "I'll be able to figure it out I expect. Likely all manner of antibiotics." He huffed a little and tugged off the robe, sticking with his boxers for the time being. It was brighter in here than it had been in the living room, as all the windows in there had been closed. "Alright, let’s see if the colors of the bottles match what's inside."

"Knowing my wife, she'd probably taken the original bottles and replaced them with these. She's a bit weird in that respect. Always has her own way of doing things, even medications." Maes shook his head over the oddity. Maybe he'll figure it out one day if he really tried. For now he set aside the parade of questions to open the green bottle. It smelled strongly of mint and alcohol. "Welp, here's to finding out."

"You make me want to have that stuff on me. Really, you do." Roy shook his head, then tilted it so that Maes could easily get at the bite that was the highest up on his throat. "Let’s see how bad it stings then."

"Oh shut up and don't move." The cool gray liquid slime oozed from to bottle pooling in the base of his palm. He rubbed his fingers through it before placing them against the tender area of the bite. Lightly he moved them along the wound. "Just let me know if it starts to hurt to much. I don't know what this stuff is but it's kind of tingly."

Roy tilted his head a bit further actually, closing his eyes. "I'm not sure if it's supposed to feel like that, but I'd have to say that's kinda nice." It was just a murmur and he more or less kept himself still beyond the talking.

Maes shook his head. "I ever tell you that you're odd?" He continued down the bite mark taking extra care to be careful.

Gracia was taking her time getting the supplies together. She honestly was trying to stall for as much as she could get. This wasn't something that she was looking forward to and she knew that Roy wasn't either. The extra time would help them both better prepare for the upcoming process. It would also give her husband time to work over most the wounds with the initial topical painkillers and antibiotics. With a shuddery breath she ran her hand over the abandoned pills in her pocket, once again cursing the failed idea.

Roy quirked his lips a little, moving a hand to make sure he didn't fall over. "All the time m'friend. For years and years."

"Doesn't seem to be sinking in. Traditions rarely do until after someone forgets them." That was a bit deeper than he'd meant it to be, though it was relatively true. No one really took up traditions until they missed them. Another odd thing... but he wouldn't delve into his friend's personality any more than he had to on a daily basis and today was not a good time to start analyzing Roy Mustang. The green was used liberally until all the wounds from the neck and chest were gotten at. Maes wiped his hand onto his rumpled pants and opened one the red bottle. It's contents were a bright yellow mixture that had a slightly unpleasant smell.

Roy tilted his head to get a look at the bottle disdainfully as he got a whiff. "And that smells positively nasty." The mint stuff was nice, and made his skin tingle, but he had a look that implied getting that stinky stuff on him would be less welcome.

"Well it doesn't feel very nice either. I have definite reservations about my wife's idea of medicine right now." Maes had to agree, the stuff was nearly rancid in smell and the texture alone made his skin crawl. He about aborted putting the stuff near his friend's skin when Gracia stepped back into the room. He held his hand up slightly and gave her a questioning look.

"Oh for heaven sakes... why must men be so afraid of something different? It's nothing to worry about. Now be a good set of children and get that stuff onto the burns. Might want to tap some off on the other injuries as well. After you finish putting the blue bottle on then we'll see about getting these dressed."

Roy leaned away from his friend a little, giving Maes a look that questioned why he'd want it on him if it felt strange to an uninjured party. "What is that one? We used the other one."

She had a choice here as well. She could tell them what it truly was and risk her friend not allowing the simple painkillers to work over his wounds and help numb out part of the pain or she could simply avoid the whole truth and get the benefit of both worlds. When Roy found out what it really was, then she'd deal with it then. With an amused smile she waved her hand at the pair. "It's more medicine. I know it smells a bit nasty and it probably won't feel all that great but it helps stave off infections."

"They both do that? If they both do that, then I don't really need that one at all, now do I?" How could a person forget that he needed a sense of the materials around him, and he knew the mint one had antibiotic, he knew alcohol when he felt it after all.

"Roy, you're being difficult. Yes while the first one held disinfectants as well as a mild antibiotic it was merely first to help clear away most of the overlaying germs and whatnot so that this one could go deeper and kill any starting infections." She frowned at him through slightly narrowed eyes. Why did he always have to be so stubborn? Was he going to fight her on every step of this? Oh she hoped not, otherwise she was going to resort to knocking the poor man out when he least expected.

Maes rubbed his fingers together before leaning them towards Roy's chest. "Come on, the sooner we get this stuff on, the sooner we start on the last bottle."

Roy promptly leaned away, and looked for all intents and purposes as though he was fully prepared to escape if needed. "It stinks Maes. It smells worse than more than half of the things that doctors have tried to use on me before. The current antibiotics are enough."

"Alright, now you are acting childish. Gracia explained why this was necessary now quit being a mule and sit still." Maes sounded more amused than anything. Roy was never the one to be a good boy and just take his medicine. He remembered the heated arguments the man held with the military doctors at each checkup he accompanied his friend to.

"Then I'm going to be childish." He planted both hands on the bed and moved back a bit. "Wouldn't be the first time, likely won't be the last either. I absolutely despise things that stink, and if it's going to be repetitive, I can live without and I'll be fine."

"Oh for the love of...." Maes tossed his hands into the air in mild frustration. "Sometimes I wonder how you survived being so stubborn! It's just medicine Mustang, it's not going to kill you to just let Gracia do her job and try to help you here. She says this stuff is going to help kill infection and here you are acting like it's poison."

She was across the room and behind her husband in a matter of moments. She settled her hand onto his shoulder to give it a light squeeze. "Sweetheart, it's alright." She turned her attention to Roy with a slight shake of her head. "Do not complain to me nor expect me to help you when you contract a rather nasty infection. And I guarantee you to. These wounds have been left open far to long without proper treatment and I'm more than sure half of them are already infected."

"If they get infected, then they do. It's something that can be remedied." He relaxed as the offending bottle was pulled back, and he leaned back forward, no longer having a reason to try to escape. "And if it happens, then it was my own fault. You tried, now, get that wretched bottle away from me, please."

Maes wasn't too pleased by Roy's attitude towards his wife's efforts. The man could at least try to be a bit more accepting especially when it would benefit him in the end. He wondered how in the world he'd made it this far without dying of some strange disease or something of that nature. The man honestly refused help. The bottle was quickly tossed to the floor in frustration and the gritty material still left on his hand soon found a home on Roy's sheets. Tch, serves him right. Let him clean the damned mess up.

"I'll let you refuse that one but you will not refuse the blue bottle. I don't care if I have to hold you down to apply it Roy, but you will have it applied." Her words came out gruffer than she'd meant, but she thought herself in the right. He was doing everything in his power to thwart her attempts at soothing his pain away. Damned male.

He waved a hand slightly, completely heedless of his injuries. "Fine, but if it smells as bad as the other, then only on the worst ones. It'll do nobody any good if the smell sends me to the bathroom sick like the other almost did, now would it?"

"You're positively impossible!" She growled out but kept her frustration in check. At least he was willing to have some of the painkiller. Though she was sure that it wouldn't matter in the end. He'd get it one way or another. Him accepting it was better than springing it on him in his more vulnerable state later to come. She pushed at her husband's shoulder to urge him to continue.

"Nice to know that you're allowing us to help." Maes was still upset over his friend's behavior but he wasn't going to hold the medication off because of it.

Roy closed his eyes a moment then opened them again, looking intently at his friend. "Maes, you know I don't deal well with people in the medical profession. There's more than one reason for that." Shaking his head a little, he held still, bracing for however this bottle smelled.

The top popped off easily under the added pressure from Maes' thumb. He was working off his frustrated feelings on the inanimate in an effort not to strangle his best friend. Then again he understood Roy's wariness. Not all-good things came from medications. He arched a brow, "More than one? Roy you have several reasons for disliking the doctor and most of those stem from the quacks being male. Is there something else that's a bit more upsetting and possibly more the real reason you try to avoid checkups and such like the plague?"

"For a rather long time now." A briefly shadowed look flickered through his eyes before it was shoved back, in a manner that spoke on longtime practice with whatever horror had wanted to surface. "Now, is that one at least better that the other one? It doesn't seem to smell as strong..."

"Well that's one way to avoid a question." Clearly there was something his friend was hiding from him. He knew if he waited long enough Roy would just tell him but he couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn't already. "Actually I don't think there is much of a smell to this thing."

"Good. At least that one would be bearable then." He quirked his lips into a small smile and gestured. "Have at hmm?" If he didn't need to smell something that unmistakably screamed medicine, then he would be fine. He didn't need those memories right now after all. He'd spent too much time thinking about them anyway.

Gracia shook her head at the man's antics. Honestly she'd never met anyone with more reservations about being treated than Roy Mustang. Though she could possibly see where it stemmed from. Probably something that stretched from the war. Seems all bad things about the man did... even his enemies. "Good, make sure to rub that one in very well. It will probably sting for a moment or two, possibly burn, but it will die down soon enough. Once done we'll work on getting you patched up."

"I don't mind if it stings. Stinging means it's doing what it's supposed to." He shook his head a little. "You two are lucky I wasn't more aware before Maes found me, or there would be more burns to treat and less cuts."

Maes purposely jammed a finger against a raw edge of a cut. "Oh no, you were lucky I found you more or less in that state. If you'd done one thing to hurt yourself Mustang..." He closed his eyes against the worst of the worst images that flooded his vision. Most of them revolving around charred bones and decaying flesh. The war did something to them both but more so to his friend.

Gracia squeezed gently on Maes’ shoulder before settling herself at Roy’s side. "Yes, it would mean it is doing what it's supposed to. I'm afraid, though, that the yellow gunk will have to be mixed with the mint for the larger injuries Roy. It's a must."

"No. Just, no." He shook his head, eyes hard. "I will not be able to do this if you insist on that horrible smelling concoction." And he desperately didn't want to have to explain it.

She chanced placing her hand atop the closest of his in a comforting gesture. "I can add a few things to it to cut the smell completely if you'd like. It might be a little less effective but it will do its job."

He pulled his hand back almost immediately. "Please, I'd rather not have to worry about delays to that affect, let's just get this done."

She felt a pang of hurt prick at her heart but let it die just as quickly as it sprang to life. She needed to remember her place in this whole mess. Roy was only just accepting her so she needed to deal with each thing one step at a time. "I'm sorry... you're right. We'll just push through it." She moved away from him making it seem like she was fetching the bandages that all she needed to do was lean over the side to grab.

He let out a breath of pure relief, then moved his arm a little so Maes didn't have to twist so much to get at it. "You could have just said I needed to move a bit you know." It was a murmur, and he shook his head in amusement.

"Could have, didn't." It was curt, he knew, but Roy was being abrasive to his wife. Even if Roy didn't know he was doing it, though Maes had a hard time convincing himself of that. Roy was many things but stupid wasn't one of them. True, he was a bit frazzled and untrusting but this was Gracia. His wife and the mother of Roy's Goddaughter! Honestly, what was the man thinking inside that thick skull? "Just a bit more along the chest and then I'll work on your ankles. Anything I'm missing?"

"No, no. Those will do. I'll work on the others as we go along."

Roy ducked his head a little to peer at the multi-toned liquids that were on him like badges, considering them quietly. He couldn't not think about it. He considered how he'd been earlier, looking sideways at Gracia oddly for a moment before returning his gaze back to his wounds. He didn't like seeing her as a doctor. It made it wrong in his mind to accept this help. So now Maes was upset with him. He nodded faintly, seeing the sense of that. He hated being such a bastard at times like this.

"Alright dear, that's enough. Roy I'm going to wrap your chest first then worry around your neck injuries. I may have to use an epoxy resin of some sort on the worse of the bites but that won't be much of a problem. I have the necessary items with me. We'll both work on your legs, Maes and I. The ankles will be the most time consuming of those injuries."

Roy chuckled quietly, knowing she had yet to see under his boxers. Most time consuming of those injuries? He would have thought the wrists would be for that set, and the ankles certainly weren't the worst on his legs... He stopped the morbid humor before it could run away from him. He tried not to let Maes see how terribly comical it was to him when he had injuries. No need to change that now. He hated staying in that middle ground between humor and uncaring.

Maes wiped the remains of the topical on his knee. The stuff wasn't as gritty nor smooth as the last two and it gave his hand a slightly numbing feel. He didn't quite understand why the ankles would be so important. Seemed to him that his wife was a tad sneaky with this one. Painkillers more than likely and strong ones at that. He turned an amused smile towards her back. She never ceased to amaze him.

"Just sit up as straight as you can. I will be moving all around you so please don't try to knock me off the bed just because I get to close or some such. Let me know I'm bothering you before it gets to that point." Gracia moved to sit on the bed again armed with her gauze and tape.

Roy snickered softly and shook his head, then moved one hand to finger his scar, eyes half closing. "Please, just get this done, there's nothing that can be done about this that won't bother me."

This wouldn't get any easier for her, nor him, at this rate. Roy was determined to keep her at arms length and treat her as if she were insignificant other than tending his wounds. Really, she shouldn't be surprised but the treatment was so cold, it made her wonder where the real Mustang was inside that cracked shell of a man. The one she knew would never treat her like this. He was in there somewhere, hiding behind whatever was needed until he healed properly. She could wait until then.

"Right." She didn't bother to say anything else opting to just get it over with. She took up the gauze, wraps, and tape and set to work. Ignoring the trembles or sharp intakes of breath she elicited from the man as she paced through her work. She wasn't going to spare him his obvious want of pain nor was she going to cease if it became to much for him. She would plod through it just as he would have to endure it.

Roy made himself be still through the tending, though after the first couples snickers, and him catching Maes' look, however much the man was hiding it, he silenced them. Instead he dived headlong the other way, fingers tracing that one scar over and over again as he fell totally silent after a few pained noises. Despite it all, his eyes went a little dark with memory, making it just that much easier to shut everything else out.

Though his wife was seemingly speeding through the patchwork, she was methodical in the procedure and it's precision. Nimble fingers between the gauze and skin in a subtle interfacing dance with each wound covered. Deft in their duty, Maes was nearly mesmerized but the shift in Roy's demeanor had him blinking up at the alchemist. Something didn't sit right within his chest as he gazed into the deadened orbs gleaming from past hurt and memory. Somewhere within his best friend's trouble thoughts was an even darker place that had nothing to do with the here and now. No, this was much deeper than that. Maes reached out a slightly unsteady hand to grasp Roy's. He laced their fingers together and squeezed gently.

Roy did something of a half blink, but he just couldn't pull himself free before it was done. To run through it all, from the meeting to the end. His hand, limp one second, gripped almost painfully tight a moment later, yet despite that he still did not move.

He was adequately sure that his wife was too far gone within her own little world so maybe she would miss what he was about to do. If not he would explain it to her later. She already knew allot about it anyway so it wasn't much of a leap between them. Without preamble Maes shifted to his knees and pressed towards Roy. His free hand stretched upwards to caress and cup the slightly battered cheek gently.

His eyes flickered a little further open, and there was a moment where the sheer volume of emotional pain in his gaze was staggering. He'd never shared this. This was old pain. Then his gaze focused on his friend and he shivered a bit, blinking away tears before they could fully form, taking care to remain still.

Maes let out a small gasp when the true depths were shown briefly to him without the usual buffers Roy would put on things. This wasn't something that could ever be forgotten nor eased through time. It was too ingrained into the man. From the look of the horror he assumed could only have put that into his friend's eyes... this was a past torment that was closely linked to what had happened to him. Maybe it was something about Kimblee? No, that couldn't be right. That didn't get the same look. Maybe it was something to do with the war. A far more likely scenario.

He closed his eyes after a moment, letting out a shaky breath. "Is she almost done with this part of it?" He asked almost inaudibly, knowing he needed to pull himself out of it. But Gracia, she was too close, it made this too personal. It made it harder to push the memories away as he could do in a public hospital.

"I don't know. Are you alright. Should she stop?" Maes asked shakily closing his hand more firmly against the cheek.

Gracia taped off another strip alone Roy's back, she wasn't paying either man any real attention short of monitoring Roy's breathing. There were a few slight hitches along the way but nothing to warrant her to stop the procedures. Bandaging was almost completed anyway just a few more strips around the neck and wrists. Maybe one more about the ribs to cover the scratches and cuts. More topical for sure but that could come later. And she still had to go at the legs!

"It's nothing new, just harder, that's all, unexpected." He didn't raise his voice, opening his eyes again, and they were a bit clearer than before, though the shadows were lurking. "I'm not sure if this is better or worse really."

"I know you want this done as soon as possible, but Roy, you don't look so good and if her proximity is that oppressive we might need to break. I don't want you overexerting yourself just for the sake of doing it. It won't help you in the end."

"It won't be different Maes." He almost laughed, keeping his voice to the whisper she wouldn't really catch. "Familiarity and professional medical training are just... apparently a very bad mix. Worse than normal."

Gracia kept up her pretense of ignoring everything other than her work when she slipped to the floor beside her husband. She didn't even bother to communicate directions to Maes, just shoved a few strips of medicated gauze between him and the bed then began to work on Roy's right ankle. She was being clinical to the point it was borderline cold. Of course this was her goal. If she kept it clinical then nothing would get through. No more guilt niggling her heart as she watched Roy interact with her... or not as it was the case. No more having to hurt because she knew he couldn't stand her being so close when once she used him as a pillow. It was hard on him but harder on her. Maybe she was being selfish, but at this point she didn't care.

Maes was startled out of his gaze by the chilly response he'd gotten off of his wife when she thrust the gauze at him. The look on her face was one he'd seen her wear when she was completely focused on something more important than the daily housework. This was the look of someone with purpose and determination. He didn't know if he should be pleased or mildly frightened by her change.

Roy tipped his head down with the break in focus, watching the precise actions through his lashes, lips quirking into an absent half smile that didn't go at all with what was lurking behind his eyes. "Maybe once we're done with all this, I can put it back in its box and not think about it for a while. Makes me sort of glad you had no clue Maes, you'd have never dragged me out of that place otherwise." He was still quietly murmuring.

"I'm your best friend. Even if I knew what has you so scared and feeling alone I would have been there to pull you out. Damn it Roy, I would have pulled you from the gates of hell."

"Not about my memory Maes. No clue what to do with my wounds." He shook his head a little, not meeting his gaze. His issues with doctors went far deeper than he'd ever let his friend in on. It only grew after the war.

Maes screwed his face into a confused grimace. What was it about Roy and his clear dislike of the medical profession... it wasn't his wife, he figured quickly. Roy was acting as if the very presence of anything remotely related to the healing arts were an affront to his very being. Or was he reading too much into this? He couldn't be because his best friend was grimacing at the bandages. Instead of taking up his end of the slack to wrap at the injured ankle he resumed caressing the battered cheek. "You'll tell me eventually, right? Why you've such a problem with seeking help from doctors in general?"

He closed his eyes, tipping his head lower. "I don't like remembering." He shook his head a fraction. "It shouldn't have been done." Finally what has underscored that pain was clear, it was the way he said the words. Guilt. He waited rather patiently for her to finish, keeping himself still.

His sigh was born both of frustration and worry. He heard the inclination in the man's voice, the pain and guilt of some past folly, now Roy was suffering to this day unduly. Well Maes didn't know if it was or not since he'd never been privy to this before. So much for being the one person your best friend could tell anything to. He did, however, figure that it had something to do with that day he'd found Roy about to commit the biggest mistake of his life. Human transmutation was forbidden for a reason and Maes hadn’t been about to let the alchemist run that course and find out exactly why. Maes wasn't an alchemist himself but he was smart enough to know the ‘why’s and ‘why not’s of most of alchemic law. "Many things shouldn't have happened but did. We can't change them once they have been done only go on with our lives and try to redeem ourselves. Not everyone is lucky enough to find redemption."

"I know. That makes having wounds professionally tended no easier though." He tilted his head into Maes' palm, eyes fluttering back open to watch Gracia work, though he only peered through his lashes. She was nearly done with these then.

Well she couldn't very well go about ignoring those two even though they were doing a good job of ignoring her. Bless Roy, he was having the hardest time though. She knew her handy work would be appreciated later but for now it was an inconvenience and somewhat of a bother to the alchemist. Gracia didn't know why, she didn’t think she would care to know, but it was bothersome to her as well. Though it was a bit pessimistic of her she couldn't help feeling cheated and somewhat used. Nothing so dramatic as first thought, but she was trying her best to help and she was left feeling jaded. Nowhere near the good she thought would come from this. Oh well, she'd get over it eventually but that didn't mean she had to like it. It wasn't a problem to gently push her husband out of her way so she could attend the still untended leg and she set about wrapping the medicated bandages around the wounds with ease. She gave his chest a rather nasty look but other than that she continued to ignore the pair.

Roy wasn't unaware of her. In fact, he was slowly growing hyper aware of her actions, especially when she moved Maes. His eyes followed her, though he didn't move his body, and he felt oddly relieved that she was getting upset with him. His mind had always been skewed on the medical, and now, well, her being pissed at him might actually even it back out.

One last flourish of gauze, a few strips of tape, and she was finished. She sat back a small ways, almost leaning into her husband, to view her handiwork. It wasn't anything fancy nor was it sloppy. Precision was key and so was speed in this case so for what she ended up with was far better than she could have hoped for. Gracia was thankful that Roy was so patient with her... or moreover ignored her the entire time. It was upsetting, of course, but she now could see that it would have gone down hill if he'd reacted. With a soft sigh she crawled away from both the men to stand up. "We're in need of more gauze and packing salts. I'll run to the market and pick them up while you help Roy undress fully and prepare for what is to come next." Short, to the point, and said quickly enough that she could move from the room before either could form a response.

"I hope she'll forgive me for that at some point." Roy shook his head a little after the murmur and ducked his head, drawing his arms around himself as he shivered, closing his eyes.

Maes shifted to his feet. Soon his arms circled Roy's shoulders in an awkward side hug as he lay his forehead atop the raven mess. He knew how hard it had been for Roy to go through that without much comment. He should have known better than to be to upset but he couldn't help it. Roy was never so cold before and even though Maes knew the reasoning behind it he still felt somewhat justified. "Gracia's already forgiven you, you know that. She just wants you to get better. We both do."

"You can't tell me that I didn't upset her. I could tell." He shook his head a little, drawing an unstable breath. "It made it easier though, really. I just hope she doesn't let it get to her. It's not really personal. I'm just... Not in a state to hang onto myself like usual, that's all."

"Of course you upset her Roy! What did you expect would happen?" Sometimes he couldn't stop himself from being slightly miffed, but he let that emotion roll off him like water on a duck's back. It was better that way when dealing with one Roy Mustang. The man could be nothing constant contradictions at the best of times and Maes had known him most of their lives. So he could deal with this as well as his wife's emotional state in tandem. "But the initial part is over. You'll both get over it eventually. Now..." He pulled back to look at the trembling man over the rim of his glasses. "You care to let me in on why it was so upsetting?"

"It... reminds me. The smells especially. I can barely stand to be in hospitals half the time because of it. I'd be dead now if Marcoh hadn't stopped me. So I just... I don't like remembering." He shook his head, threading his fingers together.

"The Rockbells incident I take it." Maes was speaking more to himself than his friend. He remembered Edward's and Alphonse’s cute little friend Winry. Winry Rockbell... daughter of the two doctor's slain during that war. It all connected back to Roy. The little pieces began to click into place for the intel-man. With a heavy sigh he pulled Roy back against him.

He turned into the hug immediately and closed his eyes, letting out a miserable little laugh. "Yeah. They had a picture there too... And I saw it." He ducked his head and made a little pained sound. "Nothing ever ends. Not even this." He paused, shaking his head a little, unable to wait until this was done to share the information. "He's going to come back."

His long fingers soothed through the alchemist's hair in some semblance of a comforting gesture. He wasn't sure how he could help the situation other than offer himself as a buffer for his friend to vent against. Cry, scream, rant, anything just so long as he was there for Roy and the man knew it. It didn't matter otherwise. Maes had opened his mouth to offer a soft retort to the earlier comment when Roy's last caught him off guard. He tightened his grip around his friend and nearly growled. "The bastard won't get near you."

"I hope not... but he said he would." It was a murmur, and he shook his head, burrowing close against his friend. He'd feel safe while he could, even if that was fettered through simple knowing. "Why bother to lie?"