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scriveynerTitle: Devastating Explosion
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
AU: Tobira no Mukou e
Characters/Pairing: Nick, Takeo
Rating: T
Length: 800
Summary: Takeo did not anticipate the punch.
Takeo did not anticipate the punch.
Nicholas had always been bulkier than his friend - not by much, but he had more muscle than Takeo, having grown up playing sports. He punched lefty, now - it was a conscious decision, because a full-on punch from his right hand could kill someone. He had had to retrain his very way of fighting over the years, but had it back down to muscle memory. Which was fortunate, because Takeo completely missed the warning sighs, and took the left hook hard.
There was a loud clatter as Takeo hit the ground, too stunned to even brace for the fall. Nick’s knuckles smarted, he was liable to break some bones punching Takeo full in the face like that but his anger overrode everything, even the momentary lapse in judgement. He stood there a moment more, and then let his hand fall to his side as Takeo looked up at him, eyes wide in disbelief.
“Damn,” Nicholas said, flexing his hand. “That felt good.”
Takeo was up on his feet fast and came in low, catching Nick just below the waist. He had not anticipated that Takeo would retaliate, the few times in their friendship they had come to blows Takeo usually took one and stayed down. But that was then, wasn’t it? Nick grunted with effort as Takeo knocked the wind right out of him, stunning him flat on his back. He tried to gasp through bruised lungs - but Takeo had one hand tight in his shirt and the other drawn back in a fist. He didn’t even have time to draw a breath before he saw stars.
“Idiot!” Takeo hissed, blood running from both nostrils. “How are you such a fucking idiot-!”
Nicholas somehow deflected the next blow, levering his automail arm between them and then planting the palm of his false hand on Takeo’s chest, pushing him up and away. “Dammit-”
Takeo was on him again, and they rolled in the dirt. It had been years since they had scrapped in any form at all, and blood splattered in the dirt quickly.
It had been Takeo’s idea, all of it. When the inevitable occurred and Takeo had made to close the Gate between the worlds for good, Nick had chosen to stay here, with his friend. He could have gone home to Tokyo, had a normal life (as normal as it could be, he supposed, with a false limb whose craft far exceeded the capabilities of his time), and forgotten all this nonsense. He made his choice in staying here, but then Takeo had mentioned going to work for Mustang, and Nick had thought ‘why not?’
That was probably the first mistake.
But now they were here - Takeo in the midst of studying for the State Alchemist’s exam - a case come up all at the same time - and then this. This of ALL things.
Nick had one hand on Takeo’s face, trying to force him away, blood and sweat intermingling. “Fucking MORON,” he wheezed, and heaved Takeo aside.
They both had exhausted themselves completely. Blood was tracked down the once-white collared shirt Nick had been wearing, and there were several brown spots on the blue military jacket Takeo had on. Takeo flopped over on his back beside Nicholas, dust and grime already coated thoroughly into his dress uniform. “You’re the fucking moron,” Takeo responded weakly, swiping the blood into a smear across his face.
They lay in silence for a long few minutes, the only noise their heavy breaths crystallizing in the early morning air.
Then Takeo lifted his head and weakly punched Nick in the flesh shoulder. “You could have fucking TOLD me,” he said.
Nicholas stared at the cold sky above them. “Does it really matter that much?”
“I would have stopped trying to fix you up with girls,” Takeo dropped his head back to the ground and stared at the sky philosophically.
“Are you pissed?” Nick rubbed some blood out of his eye and squinted.
“A little bit. I would have rather learned from you than your boyfriend.” Takeo sat up finally and rubbed some of the dirt out his hair. “But whatever, man. You’re my best friend. Besides, it means more chicks for me.”
Nick sat up as well. “As if any girls are gonna go with you anyway.” He shoved Takeo’s shoulder companionably, and they grinned at each other.
Maybe things would end up being okay, after all.
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
AU: Tobira no Mukou e
Characters/Pairing: Nick, Takeo
Rating: T
Length: 800
Summary: Takeo did not anticipate the punch.
Takeo did not anticipate the punch.
Nicholas had always been bulkier than his friend - not by much, but he had more muscle than Takeo, having grown up playing sports. He punched lefty, now - it was a conscious decision, because a full-on punch from his right hand could kill someone. He had had to retrain his very way of fighting over the years, but had it back down to muscle memory. Which was fortunate, because Takeo completely missed the warning sighs, and took the left hook hard.
There was a loud clatter as Takeo hit the ground, too stunned to even brace for the fall. Nick’s knuckles smarted, he was liable to break some bones punching Takeo full in the face like that but his anger overrode everything, even the momentary lapse in judgement. He stood there a moment more, and then let his hand fall to his side as Takeo looked up at him, eyes wide in disbelief.
“Damn,” Nicholas said, flexing his hand. “That felt good.”
Takeo was up on his feet fast and came in low, catching Nick just below the waist. He had not anticipated that Takeo would retaliate, the few times in their friendship they had come to blows Takeo usually took one and stayed down. But that was then, wasn’t it? Nick grunted with effort as Takeo knocked the wind right out of him, stunning him flat on his back. He tried to gasp through bruised lungs - but Takeo had one hand tight in his shirt and the other drawn back in a fist. He didn’t even have time to draw a breath before he saw stars.
“Idiot!” Takeo hissed, blood running from both nostrils. “How are you such a fucking idiot-!”
Nicholas somehow deflected the next blow, levering his automail arm between them and then planting the palm of his false hand on Takeo’s chest, pushing him up and away. “Dammit-”
Takeo was on him again, and they rolled in the dirt. It had been years since they had scrapped in any form at all, and blood splattered in the dirt quickly.
It had been Takeo’s idea, all of it. When the inevitable occurred and Takeo had made to close the Gate between the worlds for good, Nick had chosen to stay here, with his friend. He could have gone home to Tokyo, had a normal life (as normal as it could be, he supposed, with a false limb whose craft far exceeded the capabilities of his time), and forgotten all this nonsense. He made his choice in staying here, but then Takeo had mentioned going to work for Mustang, and Nick had thought ‘why not?’
That was probably the first mistake.
But now they were here - Takeo in the midst of studying for the State Alchemist’s exam - a case come up all at the same time - and then this. This of ALL things.
Nick had one hand on Takeo’s face, trying to force him away, blood and sweat intermingling. “Fucking MORON,” he wheezed, and heaved Takeo aside.
They both had exhausted themselves completely. Blood was tracked down the once-white collared shirt Nick had been wearing, and there were several brown spots on the blue military jacket Takeo had on. Takeo flopped over on his back beside Nicholas, dust and grime already coated thoroughly into his dress uniform. “You’re the fucking moron,” Takeo responded weakly, swiping the blood into a smear across his face.
They lay in silence for a long few minutes, the only noise their heavy breaths crystallizing in the early morning air.
Then Takeo lifted his head and weakly punched Nick in the flesh shoulder. “You could have fucking TOLD me,” he said.
Nicholas stared at the cold sky above them. “Does it really matter that much?”
“I would have stopped trying to fix you up with girls,” Takeo dropped his head back to the ground and stared at the sky philosophically.
“Are you pissed?” Nick rubbed some blood out of his eye and squinted.
“A little bit. I would have rather learned from you than your boyfriend.” Takeo sat up finally and rubbed some of the dirt out his hair. “But whatever, man. You’re my best friend. Besides, it means more chicks for me.”
Nick sat up as well. “As if any girls are gonna go with you anyway.” He shoved Takeo’s shoulder companionably, and they grinned at each other.
Maybe things would end up being okay, after all.
