Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Missions ❯ Chapter 1

The missions started the fall of their third year. For the first few Roy, like everyone else, was envious of Maes Hughes. It wasn't exactly a secret that Hughes was being pulled out of class to work as an intelligence analyst. Anyone who knew the genial man knew that he was just that good. Hughes was still the top of their class and if there was such as thing as popularity contests in the military, no one would have a hard time predicting the winner. And if anyone ever imagined that Hughes was buying into his own celebrity, they would only have to look at his room mate to know that wasn't the case. No one, crazy or otherwise, would want to share a room with the so-called Flame Alchemist. Roy Mustang was reputed to be as big of an arrogant asshole as Hughes was a nice guy. Whereas Hughes never dated anyone's sister, ex-girlfriend, present girlfriend, or commanding officer, Roy had. It was a cosmic mystery to most men attending the Academy how Roy Mustang managed to sleep with so many women and a mystery to everyone how he managed to keep Maes Hughes as his room mate.

 

But as his room mate, Mustang was saw things that most of Hughes's admirers never did; because even though Mustang was an arrogant asshole, he paid attention to details that everyone else seemed to ignore. So, in the winter of their fourth year when everyone else just accepted Hughes's sudden disappearances, Roy decided that he wouldn't. The cycle was always the same, Hughes would be pulled out of class or from some gathering or meal by a nameless officer and not be heard from for days and sometimes weeks. Then, as suddenly as he disappeared, Hughes would return, exhausted and sometimes injured. He would spend the next several days and weeks skipping meals trying to keep up his class work while still keeping the semblance to the general public that crowded around him that everything was `great'. Only Mustang saw the dullness in Hughes's normally bright green eyes or the emptiness in his polite smiles. It was also that winter that Mustang accidently discovered that Hughes was not sleeping.

 

Mustang had always known that Hughes woke up early to do his school work, but one night Mustang had woken up from a particularly pleasant dream to see Hughes's nightlight on and his room mate seated at his desk studying. A quick glance at the clock told Mustang that it was a little after three am. The stooped shoulders of his friend had driven all thoughts of sleep away, but the inability to figure out what to say rendered Mustang mute. He spent the rest of the night watching Hughes. A few nights later the same thing happened. Then Hughes disappeared again.

 

Mustang had already started his Alchemy training in earnest and was therefore given several hours every afternoon off to rest so as not to over exert himself. Mustang, of course, used the time to nap. When Hughes returned, Mustang secretly watched his roommate study all night. On the rare occasions that Hughes actually slept, his sleep was haunted by nightmares that left him shaking and huddled in the corner of his bed.

 

Mustang didn't know what to do. Hughes was the only person he had ever cared enough about to want to help, but he was not good with words and feared his actions would be taken the wrong way or resented. So Mustang watched and brooded.

 

 

Mustang was walking around campus. Hughes had been gone for a week and a half, and Mustang couldn't stand being in the empty room any longer. He was tired of his dorm mates knocking on the door asking if Hughes was back and he was tired of worrying. He had incinerated more targets than he cared to count on the practice field and was just walking around enjoying the break from the cold weather. Mustang wandered to the parade grounds thinking that he would be alone when he spotted a familiar figure sitting in the bleachers with a small bag at his feet. Hughes was staring straight ahead, his hands clasped under his chin. Mustang hesitated, once again paralyzed about what he would say, but then forced himself to cross the field.

 

Hughes didn't look at him as Mustang came near. Mustang, set on his course, forced his feet to take him right up to the other. He sat next to his best friend and stared out into the field. Silence stretched between them as the day cooled. Mustang ran through conversation openers in his head for almost 10 minutes before he noticed that Hughes was actually shivering. He finally sighed and took his scarf off. “You're an idiot.” He said throwing his scarf at Hughes.

 

Hughes looked at him.

 

“Just get back?” Mustang huffed as Hughes put on the scarf.

 

“Yea.”

 

“They probably didn't feed you again, did they?”

 

“I'm not really hungry.”

 

“Of course you're not. You never are,” Mustang stood up. “Come on. Let's order a pizza and beer and get blotto.”

 

Hughes blinked. “You know it's Tuesday, right?”

 

Mustang shrugged. “Your first class tomorrow morning is military history, which we both know is bullshit. Blow it off. I'll blow off my class and we'll be hung over together.”

 

“You'd never blow off a class.” Hughes said faintly.

 

“Neither would you,” Mustang countered. “But it could be fun going to class half tanked.” He bent over and picked up the case. “Mr. O'Leary would love it.”

 

“Mustang…”

 

Mustang looked out into the distance. “I'm worry about you. You're pushing yourself so hard and…”

 

“It's not enough.” Hughes's fast words were soft and pained. He drew a shuddering breath. “Nothing I do is enough. With everything I say or do or don't say or don't do, people are at risk. If I'm not fast enough, if I miss something, someone's going to die. Because of me. Because I'm not as smart as they're betting I am. One day I'm going to fail. One day I'm going to make the wrong decision and…” Hughes's voice grew hoarse and his words faded out.

 

“When I'm one of those people, I'll put my life in your hands a hell of a lot faster then I would in someone else's.” Hughes shook his head. “Maes, listen to me.” Hughes looked up into Mustang's dark eyes. “You've always done everything you can to help out. That's all you can do.”

 

“But…”

 

“There are no buts. That's just the way life is.”

 

“Then life sucks.”

 

“Of course it sucks.”

 

Hughes looked up at Mustang. “That's it then, `life sucks'.” There was the slightest hint of humor in Hughes's voice.

 

“Yea. Life sucks so we should eat pizza and get blitzed tonight to celebrate your return.” Mustang smiled slightly. “Now hurry up before it starts snowing again.”

 

Hughes laughed. “Why do you put up with me?”

 

“Put up with you?!” Mustang grabbed Hughes's bag. “I think the entire campus is wondering why

you put up with me.” He started walking across the field.

 

“Why wouldn't I put up with you?” Hughes said walking along side of him. “You have the entire world figured out. `Life sucks'.”

 

“Words to live by, my friend.”