Freelancer New York (freelancer_york) wrote in knowhereic, @ 2017-07-28 22:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | fullmetal alchemist: canon: edward elric, haloverse: canon: york, supernatural: canon: castiel |
Who: Edward Elric & York (Castiel Cameo)
What: Ed can't sleep, York knows someone who knows someone who can help.
When: After this
Where: Ed's Apartment
Rating: Medium, nothing too bad here.
Status: Log - Complete
Ed hadn’t been able to sleep in days. He was still feeling sick, he’d taken the last of the sleepy fun drugs York had brought him days ago but he was still not feeling like he was improving. He slept most of his time there in the giant space head, not really wanting to be social or go out in any real capacity. He thought he was acting the part of someone who was well, but apparently not. York seemed hesitant when he asked for more drugs, none the less he’d agreed though, so Ed had left the door open. He had nightmares of Chimeras. Nightmares of a young long past dead girl’s eyes staring at him from her freakshow of a father’s arms. He had nightmares of prisoners going up in dust because he didn’t know they were there. Some of it was reality, others of it were things his own mind had made up to fuck with him and he knew that. He knew it but he didn’t know how to stop it. Roy didn’t want to talk, even if he had Ed wasn’t very sure how to approach the colonel to do so. Sure Roy had said he should speak to him if he needed help-but he wasn’t so sure mental help was a thing on Roy’s approach list. Ed felt like a failure. He felt like he was worthless and he couldn’t pull himself out of it. Al wasn’t around for him to pretend he still cared, Roy checked in sometimes but he didn’t really know him. *** A knock came on the door about an hour later, with York opening it a moment later and stepping inside. “Ed?” He called out, his good eye searching the room until he found the blonde sat there on his bed, and he came further in with a smile. “Good evening. I brought along a friend, I hope you don’t mind.” Stepping out of the way, the soldier glanced back at the door, where a dark haired man in a trench coat, with the brightest blue eyes, was just coming into the room. He walked stiffly, his hands hanging at his sides with no movement to them, and his eyes fixing entirely upon the young man there. He was nothing more than a child, it had Castiel squinting down some at him as he inspected his soul, then he stepped further into the studio so York could close the door behind him. Well, he seemed good, at least. Harry’s friend York had told him he was-- and Cas trusted Harry (mostly), so he trusted York (mostly). It helped that the blonde soldier had a pure soul.. The angel was more likely to trust him over Harry, if he was honest. “Ed, this is Castiel. He’s a friend of a friend, which makes him my friend-- and that makes him your friend.” So said the Spartan. He looked over at Cas, which gave the angel his cue to come a few steps forward, towards the young man on the bed, looking him over with a critical eye. When the angel looked someone over, though, it didn’t feel like he was looking at the outside, but peering right into the soul itself. That’s because he was. “You can’t sleep.” A statement, not a question. “I can help with that.” It seemed so simple when Cas said it that way, didn’t it? “Castiel is a friend.” York reminded from where he stood nearer to the little kitchenette. *** Ed didn’t bother to answer the door, York knew he was there. Where else would he be? He hadn’t willingly gone anywhere that wasn’t necessary since he’d arrived. When he sat up, he stared at the newcomer. Eyes shifting back to York a little more annoyed than they had been before. “That doesn’t look like medicine, York.” He stood, looking much like a hungover drunk but he hadn’t actually had a drop. Ed didn’t drink, even though lately he’d considered it. The properties of alcohol could make one drowsy. He could use a little drowsy. It showed in his eyes before Cas even had to read his soul. They were cloudy, but not of someone who had done it to themselves. Not by drugs even though he claimed he wanted them, but by circumstance. “I bet you can, but if you plan on punching me out to do it, know it won’t be that easy.” Ed said tensely. York had said he was a friend, but Ed didn’t know Cas from Adam. He didn’t just go declaring friends as easily as York did. He was dressed in a pair of boxers and a black tank top. He hadn’t been expecting visitors. His right arm was entirely mechanical and glistened even in the dim light, his left leg matched. His soul had some wear and tear on it, but it wasn’t dark as he thought it was. -- The good thing about Castiel, was that he didn’t necessarily see faces. He didn’t see bodies. He didn’t see the physical form so much as he saw the soul of a person, which overlapped the body they resided in. He didn’t even give so much as a glance to those mechanical bits, like they didn’t exist at all. They were nothing to him. It was Ed’s eyes that he held an intense, unwavering contact with. Really, it was a bit overwhelming, that stare. The fact that he didn’t blink. “If someone were going to be punching you out, Ed, it’d be me.” The soldier reminded with a smirk, arms crossing over his chest. It certainly wouldn’t be the five-ten angel in a trench coat, that was for sure. He was, of course, taller than Ed, but who wasn’t? “You should sit down, so you don’t fall.” A calm suggestion from Cas, who hadn’t picked up on the tense nature of the young man before him. He didn’t pick up on the bit of aggressiveness, either. He was here to help and that was all he was focused on. “Please.” He even managed to tag that to the end. York made a motion. Go ahead. Sit. *** Ed gave York an exasperated look, but it finally did cause him to blink away from Cas. “As if you could...What the hell is this? Some kind of intervention?” He asked with sarcasm dripping off his words, even adding finger quotes to the word intervention. His eyes were not the color of a normal human. They were yellow, almost golden. “Jesus, it figures you’d attract more giant friends.” Ed commented on Cas’s height, but begrudgingly listened to his advice. He was on the edge of exhaustion that threatened to become unhealthy. He gave them both the same exasperated look he’d saved especially for York, but his attention turned toward Cas instead. “So enlighten me then. How are you gonna fix me.” He even added a condescending little finger movement. -- Tilting his head curiously at Ed, the angel just stared at him for a few seconds, then lifted a hand, two fingers extended, and pressed them to the demon-eyed boy’s forehead. And that would be that. Out for the count. Dreamless, uninterrupted, beautiful sleep. Castiel had even turned up the mojo a bit to ensure it’d last a solid ten hours. Enjoy, Ed. When those ten hours passed and the young man finally woke, he’d take notice of York sat at the small table, reading a book to pass the time. Of course he’d waited there, he wouldn’t leave Ed alone in such a state. He was far too protective. *** When sleeping, Ed almost looked like any regular exhausted kid might. Blond hair clinging to his pale baby face. Not even stirring in the slightest to suggest anything was wrong. He hadn’t expected Cas’s magic trick to work just like that, but when he opened his eyes he realized he was lying down. His blond hair had freed itself from his usual braided state and pooled down past his shoulders down to his shoulder blades. The bed was his own, the apartment was his own. That much went unchanged, but physically he found he actually felt a little better as much as he hated to admit it. “...What the hell?” He pressed a hand to his face, that hangover feeling had pretty much faded. He sat up finally and his eyes fell on York. “....Still here?” -- Looking up, York smiled and closed the book, pushing back the chair and standing up, so he could head over to the bed and stand near the younger man. “Of course I am. Where was I going to go when my partner was flat out in his bed? I didn’t want you to wake up alone.” York’s smile was easy, pleased, as he looked Ed over. He looked a little better. This was far better than drugging him. Castiel had promised there were no lasting effects, no anything to be concerned about. And York trusted him. “How do you feel?” *** There was that look of exasperation again, but general acceptance. York had proven that term wasn’t just temporary as much as Ed hated the way it felt. It felt like someone was relying on him, and Ed wasn’t sure he wouldn’t let them down. He would try not to, but his confidence was on a fragile scale. “...Less fuzzy.” He admitted as he looked at his hair and made a face. “It’s a pain to put up like that you know. Took a lot of work.” Ed wasn’t exactly good with his hair in spite of having so much of it. He’d let Winry put it up before. His eyes were a little more clear, and a bit of the color was returning to his cheeks. “What’d that guy do?” -- “I wish I could help you with the hair, but..” He ran a hand through his own shorn locks, a crew-cut fit a Spartan well. Less to worry about. “The only thing I can offer is my clippers.” Which he seriously doubted Ed would like. Especially when the longer hair looked so good on him. “He put you to sleep. It was really weird, actually. He just.. Touched you on the forehead and you fell back to the bed, out like a light. He told me you’d be out for ten hours, then he left.” And York had been the one to tuck Ed into his bed properly, just to make sure he didn’t catch a chill, or have a bad sleep because he wasn’t comfortable. *** Yeah, no clippers weren’t about to happen. He shook his head to that offer and ran a hand on his face tiredly. “I don’t even remember that part.” He frowned some, the idea was kind of scary that someone had that much power. His body was still a bit behind the clock, it hadn’t realized he’d been out for that long until he stood and stretched some. “ You stayed that long?” He looked over at him with a skeptical glance. “...Idiot.” Almost mirroring the way Roy spoke to a tee. The man had more influence over Ed than he thought he did. Ed disappeared for a moment to use the bathroom and wash his hands and face and that sort of general thing before returning to look over at York. “...You actually understand that book?” He couldn’t help but to ask, it was advanced Theoretical Chemistry. “...Have you eaten?” -- “That’s what friends do.” He reminded with a smile, shrugging up his shoulders. Of course he’d stayed that long. He’d have stayed longer, if needed. When Ed came back out, the soldier was just putting the book back where he’d gotten it from, but paused when he realized Ed was speaking again. He looked back at him, then smiled some and nodded. “Yeah. Well. Everyone’s got to have a hobby, right?” The book was slid back onto the shelf, and York was turning to come back over to Ed. “I had a snack a few hours ago.” Ed didn’t have enough food in his house, the Spartan had decided. He’d grab some and bring it back later. Harry was used to him always bringing over food, just to make sure he ate. He’d brought food for Ed each time he’d dropped by, too. It was a thing, the younger man would just have to get used to it. “Are you hungry? We could go out to eat, or I could go and bring something back?” He could probably make a meal here, but York wasn’t any great cook, he cooked for survival, not pleasure. *** Ed raised a blonde eyebrow as he watched York put the book away and it melted into a slight smile. “Your hobby is Chemistry?” Ed didn’t know why he found that so hard to believe, maybe because whenever he’d claimed it was his hobby he got strange looks. “Huh.” He seemed a little less angry, less hostile then he had with Cas around, but he was also not on the verge of passing out and defensive anymore. He pulled his hair up in a simple ponytail for the time being and slid on his pants. Whatever they did he wasn’t about to go out in his underwear. He didn’t like showing off his automail in most cases, so he concealed it under long pants and a long sleeve black shirt, no matter what the weather was. “I can make something.” He said after a pause, not quite feeling like being social yet, at least he hoped he had enough food in the kitchen to at least come up with spaghetti or something. He had a few various vegetables and some noodles. “...Yeah. I can do something here.” And it wasn’t too long before various spices were added to vegetables that were diced and simmering in water and olive oil. He didn’t have a whole lot, but it was enough to make a simple meal for two people. He had no trouble of it at all either, no sense of hesitation or fear of kitchen knives that suggested an amature. He’d been cooking for both him and his brother for a while. He had a pretty sharp talent for flavor actually. -- “Learning. Chemistry is a favorite subject. Any chance I have to get my hands on something new.” And that included Ed’s books, apparently. But at least he’d put it back, right? “It’s.. I don’t know, it’s exciting. It’s creation.” And that was appealing. Very appealing to a man who did little more than destroy for most of his life. Book shelf abandoned, he returned to Ed and smiled when the offer of food was made. The younger man was going to cook for them? Well, it was better than York cooking for them. Meal made, plates set down, the Freelancer took his time eating, his eyes roaming up to Ed’s face every so often. He made small talk, nothing the state alchemist would really need to respond to, but just something to help make things more comfortable for Ed. York could have sat in total silence and been fine (he did, often, with Tex), but usually Delta kept him company. He’d been alone a long time. “This is really delicious.” He assured the chef with a little grin, pointing his fork at him. “I’m not used to food tasting good.” *** Ed could have also cooked in silence, but he didn’t seem to mind York’s idle chatter. He was used to having Al talk to him while he cooked anyway so it wasn’t much different. “It is. It’s the study of matter. Literal life around us and how it changes and it’s structure.” He paused as he cut into a potato. “...I understand all that, but humans are more complex.” He admitted dryly as he tested the noodles to see if they were soft enough for eating. Nope. A few more minutes. “If food doesn’t taste good, what’s the point in eating it?” That was half his complaint with some of the things York had brought, space food didn’t really agree with him right off the bat. He ate it, but he didn’t necessarily like it. “I used to cook for Al all the time before…” He wiggled a metal hand as an indicator. A suit of armor couldn’t eat, so Ed just stopped but he actually enjoyed it a little. “You don’t need to be complicated for stuff to taste good. It’s science.” *** “Survival. Nutrition. You know, so you don’t starve to death. I’m used to food coming.. Freeze dried in a pouch, or in liquid form.” He looked over the food again, then smiled slowly. “This is a lot better.” No comparison. “Al’s lucky to have such a good brother. Just the two of you?” No other siblings? That one blue eye came back up again to settle on Ed, just watching. Really, he wanted to know more about him. He could have asked Roy, but he didn’t want to. He wanted to hear it from Ed, he wanted Ed to trust him with that information and want to share it. *** “..Ew.” Ed made a face. The idea of liquid food or pouch food sounded awful too if he was honest. He made no comment about Al being lucky, he thought Al was pretty damn unlucky because of him but that was another story. He was trying to be social. York had stayed and watched him sleep, which could have either been creepy or endearing. He wasn’t entirely sure, so he leaned towards endearing for now. “Just us left.” He ignored his father’s existence entirely, he wasn’t sure he still was alive or not an his mom was dead so he may as well be too. He didn’t even bother showing up when Ed buried what was left of the woman. “He’s not military. I intend for it to stay that way.” Ed commented offhandedly in case Alphonse ever did show up there. He didn’t want his brother to suffer this lifestyle. He wanted him to maintain his freedom. To have a future. --- “Yeah, well, that’s exactly how it tastes, too.” ‘Ew’, it tasted like ‘ew’. York shrugged up his shoulders. Hey, it was food, and it was what he was used to, but it wasn’t about taste. As he’d said, it was about survival. He watched as the younger man poked at those noodles on the stove and listened to those words, tilting his head slightly. Just them left. And he didn’t want his brother to end up like him.. York supposed he could understand that. “How much younger is he?” And really, what was so bad about the military? Sure, it put you in harms way, but.. There was a purpose there. It gave people.. A reason to go on. There was nothing wrong with that, was there? York thought he remembered having a brother.. But he wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure he hadn’t just made it all up in his mind. *** “Just a year.” It was bad enough Alphonse had lost his body, he wasn’t about to make him lose his innocence because of the military. “...He wouldn’t last in the military. He’s too kind. I don’t want him to lose that. He’s already lost a lot because of me. He doesn’t need to lose anymore.” Ed kept it at that. The military would force Al to become hardened, Ed didn’t want to see that for his brother. He wanted him to maintain his ridiculous love for cats and life even if his flesh body was gone. He glanced over at York with his food and frowned a moment in silence. “You’re probably bored of me though. You don’t have to stick around when you’re done if you don’t want to.” If he did, Ed actually wouldn’t have minded. He wouldn’t have admitted it, but he found York’s presence calming. Having his own place wasn’t something he was used to. *** By then, the taller man was watching Ed with a softer look, a little smile hanging on his lips. The expression was hard to read, but maybe.. Pleased? Proud? It was hard to tell. “No. Not bored. Not even a little bit. In fact, I was thinking it might be easier to get an apartment if I had a roommate. And since you’re so keen on taking care of your friends, maybe you’d be willing to help a guy out.” Yeah, he was asking if Ed wanted to share an apartment with him. Sure, it was a little quick, and maybe a little presumptuous, but York had been on his own for a long time now and he was desperate for some companionship that didn’t disappear at the end of the day. Having a bunk mate was exactly what he needed. And he was pretty sure it’d be helpful for Ed, too. *** Whatever that look was, it was a little unnerving to Ed-so he looked away and picked up his finished plate turning to go rinse it off. He didn’t know how to respond to soft looks like that. He frowned a little though it was hidden by his current task as York spoke. The only sound from him was the sink water running and then turning off while he thought about his response for a moment. “....Do whatever you want, just don’t break anything.” -- “So this is you agreeing to move in with me?” York’s eyebrows went up, the smile on his face growing a little wider. “We could get a two bedroom, or a three if you wanted a little extra space.” He was willing to let Ed make the decision, he was old enough. That was at least one thing the other blonde would never have to worry about with the soldier-- York would never treat him like a kid.. Even if he should. *** “Yes, fine whatever.” Ed didn’t really care where they lived. Apparently it was a they thing now. He shook his head a little mentally cursing Roy for causing this strange encounter to happen, but he really didn’t have much problem with it otherwise. “It isn’t like I really own anything so I guess moving doesn’t matter.” Ed hadn’t even properly made the place his own, no real signs of who the teenager was, or who lived there. It was all pretty basic out of the box stuff. He’d also been rather ill since he showed up so there was that factor too. Finally he looked back at him and frowned at his sunny expression with a sigh. “Go pick out whatever you want and I’ll just have the dog transfer my funds.” That was a weird statement. But space was also weird. -- “I’ll find something nice, I’ve been in Harry’s apartment a few times and it’s pretty comfortable. There’s a few near his that are identical, I’ll see if I can’t swing one of those.” He leaned back in the chair a bit, hands folding behind his head comfortably. “It’ll be nice to have a bunk mate again.” Sure, this whole thing was about York wanting someone around, instead of Ed really needing to not be alone. Really, it was about both of them just needing someone around. “I’m helping Harry move into his new place for the next few days.. But after that, I’ll find us something.” All he had to move was a single duffle bag, so it wasn’t as if their moving in would be difficult, not like the wizard. *** “..Whenever then.” Ed commented offhandedly. He wasn’t sure what to say about bunkmates and whatever, but if it made York happy he supposed it wasn’t entirely bad. He leaned against his hand, watching him lean back. “I’m not doing your dishes too though, do your own.” He nodded toward the plate on yorks end. Just because he was willing to help him out, didn’t mean he was willing to become a maid. Ed was clean where he lived, he really didn’t intend to change that. *** That had the soldier laughing and he dropped forward and pushed to stand, swiping up his plates and heading to the sink. “I was trying not to crowd you.” Since Ed had been taking his turn to clean his own off. “Next time, I’ll just hover over your shoulder and try to do mine at the same time.” It was a light tease, it came with a smile. Sorry, Ed, you couldn’t put York off, no matter how hard you tried. You were stuck with him. |