Edward Elric is the Fullmetal Alchemist (fullmetal_chibi) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-06-24 09:19:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, edward elric, neal cassidy (baelfire) |
Who:Edward Elric and Neal
What:Neal gets an awkward hug.
When:Few days after his kidnapping
Where:The ranch
Warnings:None.
Ratings:A is for awkward turtle.
Things were a little bit odd lately with Lina and Neal both out of the mix it seemed. Ed was used to routines now, practice with one, and hanging around the ranch with the other. Now that seemed to have disappeared along with his two friends for a while. He worried about both of them, but first on his list of visits was Neal. Not that he didn’t think Neal couldn’t handle himself, but the man had a special place in his heart. He reminded Ed quite a bit of what a real father ought to be like, but he’d never admit it out loud.
Ed had texted Neal that he was coming by, so the man ought to know he’d be there within the hour or so. It took him a bit of time to get there from where he was. And then he got side tracked, the idea of a pizza combo burger sounded awesome, and Ed was hungry again these days. A large pick up of one of those also delayed him. But it wasn’t too much longer than his usual distracted appearances took before he arrived and headed for Neal’s office, knocking carefully at the door to not break it down. He was getting more used to his new ridiculous amounts of strength.
Neal didn’t exactly want to go back to work, but there was money to be made and he needed it. He also couldn’t hole up in the house forever since that wasn’t considered healthy. At the very least, he was clear from injuries - no more battered, sore, burned, malnourished body. The healer Lina knew had taken care of most of those things, and he’d eaten what he could stomach once he hunkered down in his empty house to rest for a solid weekend before returning to the ranch. And the nightmares continued to play on, as he knew they would. But his mind had to cope with the trauma and so in order to purge it all, he just had to let it run its course. Even if he suffered because of it.
His office was a place where he didn’t spend a ton of time, because he was usually out tending to the animals or doing things with the kids - or the kids and the horses, the kids and the donkeys (the rescue program was going to be a big hit, he could tell already). But when Ed said he wanted to come by, the office was as good of a place as any to meet. Besides, Neal had some admin things to catch up on anyway, which was what he was doing when he heard the knock. Getting up, he opened the door and was a familiar image - jeans, a t-shirt, the usual work clothes suited for a dusty ranch life.
“Hey kiddo, come on in. How are you?”
Ed was a little bit cautious, he wasn’t sure what he was going t find. Knowing Lina she had some magic shit to heal with, but still. The idea of Neal all beaten up or whatever wasn’t exactly an appealing one. Riza had other things to do so today it was just him, he’d hopped a bus and a cab and everything needed inbetween to get pizza and to the ranch.
“Yo.” He responded almost awkwardly as he nudged open the door and held up a gloved hand in greeting. “I brought things?” He pointed at the box and put it on the corner of his desk along with a couple of sodas he’d grabbed there as well. “‘M’fine.” He shrugged a bit and gave Neal a once over physically he looked okay but who knew about the other junk. Ed wanted to prod right into asking what exactly happened, but he figured he’d at least let him grab a bite fist as he nudged the box open. It looked awful, but Ed knew it was a good kind.
Mmm, greasy food. It smelled like cholesterol-laden Heaven, and Neal figured it wouldn’t do any harm - he hadn’t been eating much of substance anyway, so something caloric might actually do some good. His stomach could handle it. “Good choice,” he chuckled, and motioned toward any of the chairs by his desk. “Have a seat, take a load off.”
A pizza burger, was it? Looked like dough-wrapped deliciousness; Neal was already a fan. He set everything out, unwrapping the food, and opened up a soda to sip on. “Sorry I was gone for a few days. It...was some past business, catching up. Lina and I had to deal with it.”
"Meat, cheese, pizza. Can't go wrong in it. " He mused as he didn't bother with a plate and grabbed a messy as sin piece of amazing.
"You okay though? " He hesitated when going for a bite. Physically he looked fine but who knew. Anybody could fake being fine. He'd done it countless times already.
Physically, Neal was good. He’d been healed by one of the magic people Lina knew, and felt right as rain in that regard. No more injuries. But what was going on in his head was a different story, and he would just need awhile to bounce back. Anyone would, in this situation.
“Not all the way,” he admitted, because he didn’t want to lie. It was a tricky thing; Ed was grown up for his age but he also didn’t get enough chances to just be a kid. And not be burdened with the problems and sins of his older friends, all those tarry-dark stains on one’s consciousness. “But I’ll get there. It just takes some time. Meat and cheese and pizza help too.”
He took another bite, asking, “You still want to stay here for a little? Or are you doing better with your aunt?” Riza probably wouldn’t want to see him go, even for a short amount of time, but she’d do what was best for Ed overall.
Ed lowered his calculating stare at that response, seeming satisfied by it. He appreciated the fact that Neal didn’t brush him off and condescend him like he was just some dumb kid. He nodded to that and leaned on the desk with his share of the greasy meat and cheese combo that really shouldn’t work on pizza, but did.
“That’s what they keep saying, time and stuff.” He shrugged, not really knowing how to be of much comfort, he was still waiting to be okay himself. Time was being a bitch though and making him impatient.
“I think better maybe?..shoulda gotten breadsticks.” He sulked as he finished off the first piece, but maybe on the way home he’d get them. “Started seeing this lady and I’m doing modified school now. Don’t have to be there much except turning things in and taking finals.”
Neal chuckled a little, in his rough way. “They also say patience is a virtue, or something,” he picked off a smaller piece of the slice he working on to pop into his mouth. Napkins. They also probably needed napkins - actually, he had a roll of paper towels they could use, and he plopped that onto the desk so they both could reach. Super absorbent. “I guess it’s true. Not much can be fixed overnight. But progress is good. Like with you...”
He was proud of the progress that Ed was making. Just a bit ago, he seemed to be at his lowest and now he was coming back up again. “It sounds like things are improving. Slowly but surely.”
“Think someone delusional came up with that one.” He muttered a bit as he added a roll of his eyes for emphasis. “Half the stuff they say all these people said, they never actually did I’m guessin.” Ed thought out loud, Einstein was brilliant sure but he was also kind of a loon. So to say all these famous things didn’t really add up to him.
Ed gave him a side long look and then quickly looked away awkwardly. “All the same..glad you’re back and stuff.” He had never been good at emotions, it was still awkward but he didn’t know what he’d do if Neal had actually gone away. The thought was enough to shake him some. A not so graceful in a clunky ass boot step was taken toward him, and Ed hugged him. Probably a bit tighter than he should have, but it was hard to judge these things with automail.
Oh, wow, hey there. Neal wasn’t expecting that - he nearly dropped the soda and spilled that sticky shit all over his desk, but managed to catch himself just in time. The kids he worked with at the ranch weren’t the hugging types (or so they’d say) and Ed really wasn’t either, but sometimes you just needed one. It was about human contact and reminders that you were still tethered to this planet, and you had life within you and ahead of you.
“I’m glad too,” he rumbled fondly, and returned the hug, even ruffling Ed’s hair a little like he usually did. “...just don’t break my ribs, kiddo.” Said jokingly, of course, before he pulled back. “I’ll be around for awhile yet too. I was just talking about that with a friend - the roots are dug in deep here. That’s just the way it is, you know?”
Okay so a hug wasn't the scariest thing ever. Ed just couldn't remember the last time he'd even attempted to give anyone one. His mom hadn't been physically able to hug him much in her last days, his father sure as hell didn't make special trips to do so. Ed didn't even know where the man was now. Neal was the closest thing he'd experienced to that and he found himself rather attached.
He eased up at Neal’s request and like slightly sheepish. "Sorry. " For a good long while he didn't meet his eyes, but nodded to the information. "Good, that's good. I guess mine are too. Heh I'm starting to hate it here less anyway " He still missed his brother but at least he had friends now, he wasn’t just spending all his time alpine in eerie bookstores anymore.
Hating it less here was a positive thing - had to start somewhere, right? “Funny how this place grows on you.” Neal hadn’t expected it to turn out that way, but it had - and he didn’t regret anything related to the decision to move here after a stint in Vegas as a gambling manager. Maybe some other regrets, related to entirely different things while here, but it was all part of the learning process anyway - and regrets kept you grounded.
“I’ll be taking a trip to Boston soon too, just to check on my kid,” he added, wrapping up another slice of pizza-burger greasy goodness in a paper towel or two; he couldn’t eat anymore, and would have something for dinner later. “But then I’ll be back again. We’re probably going to fly out there. If you want souvenirs let me know.”
Ed nodded as he leaned back and folded his arms uncomfortably. “You won’t just vanish again, heh that’s good.” He said more as a statement than a bite in Neal’s direction this time. He really was trying to curb his anger and irrational feelings. He at least recognized when they were irrational now. Ed even took a second not to worry and entirely panic about the idea of Neal leaving again so soon.
“At least you’re seein him. “ It made him feel a little twinge of disappointment in his own father but he shook it off well enough. “Kids lucky.” He added looking out the window of the office for a moment awkwardly. “Nah, you don’t need to.” He added with a shrug. Being thought of was nice, but really not necessary.
“Hopefully not,” Neal grinned crookedly, teasing a little, because in the OC? Never rule out something like alien abductions or whatever else got you disappeared out of thin air for a bit. But he would do his very best not to let that happen. “I’ve got things to do, and people to stick around for - you included, kid.” He cared for Ed like he was Neal’s own son; the fatherly feels were strong with that one. And even if he wasn’t Ed’s biological father (the guy was a fuckup, from what Neal understood) that didn’t matter. He’d still be around for those ‘dad’ things.
Sometimes the bonds you forged on your own were stronger than the blood ties anyway.
“And who knows, if Henry ever finds his way here, you’ll meet him and he’ll probably think you with your automail’s the coolest thing ever.”
Ed had gotten used to Neal and Lina being around and wanted them to be a bit longer. He was settling into the idea that maybe not everyone was a giant dick and wouldn’t just leave him the second he got used to them being there. Ed wasn’t sure who’d adopted who at this point but he also felt the same connection with Neal, not having him there was weird but he was trying not to be that needy kid. He was a teenager, he’d be fine.
“Heh you think so?..” He was still awkward about it, but the idea was entertaining.
A flash of Neal’s teeth, a proud kind of way. He felt a lot better after some company, after normalcy and, you know, the greasy food hadn’t hurt either. Even if it hardened his arteries a little. “Hell yeah. You’d probably gain a shadow.”
Then he stood up, clapping Ed on the shoulder. “I’ll pack us some snacks and things, grab my toolbox. If you wanna come help clear out some of the vegetation on the trails.” It was that time of year, with the ranch hands and volunteers all pitching in, so it was mostly what Neal was busy with. But it was good, honest, dirty work - being one with nature and everything. That was something which helped him too, a lot.
“I don’t need tools, but yeah. Get yours. ” Pulling off his jacket and leaving it in the office-it was hot out there anyway, Ed didn’t see a need to hide at that place so he could be free of the heat encasing fabric and show off a little. He was able to manipulate his silver automail hand into a pair of near perfect sheers. Thanks to Lina he was gaining quite a bit of control over everything.
It was nice, finally having a place he didn’t need to hide in.