Flamed Out (Roy Mustang X Oc)

Chapter 9 (revised)

(Hunter's POV)

We sat across from each other, this very awkward silence filling my small kitchen.

"Do you want tea?" I gestured to the stove.

He shook his head.

"Good, because I don't have any." I got up and walked towards the kitchen island.

He laughed. "Then why would you offer?"

I shrugged. "It seemed like the polite thing to do."

We sat in silence again.

"So tell me."

He gestured me to sit down again.

"Why wouldn't you tell me?"

"Why didn't you know?" He was genuinely confused.

I sat back. "I was told he was killed in the line of duty. The report said nothing about a murder."

"I'm sorry you found out that way. If I had known, I would've sat you down when it was just the two of us." He sounded genuinely sorry.

I sighed. "So it was just a miscommunication, I can't be mad about that."

Silence, yet again.

I got up, grabbing the pen and notepad I left on the counter, and sat back down. "So who did it?" I was planning on writing down the details.

"We don't know."

"Okay. Any suspects?"

He shook his head.

Suspects:
- none, at the moment.

I paused a moment before writing that down. "Okay. Any leads?"

He stared at me and by the way he looked I could already tell what the answer was. "Okay so zero." I looked at the paper. "We have no suspects and leads."

Leads:
- zero, at the moment.

He rolled his eyes at me. "He was trying to call me that night." He explained. "He was attacked in the archive room, which leads me to believe he found something but was attacked. And it was so important that he had to use an outside line."

Location:
- archive room, Central command.

Leads:
- found something important.

I sat back, throwing my pen on the table. I glanced at him, his head was thrown back and he looked at the ceiling.

There has to be more to this. How much information has he found out already? If Roy knew those kids, Maes probably did too. And knowing him, he probably befriended those kids quickly.

That's just what he did.

So if he knew them, he probably knew what they were looking for, and if he knew what they were looking for, then he probably found something about the philosopher stone, which got him-

No.

There's no way he could've found that. The researchers either destroyed or hid their findings. At least, that's what Marco did.

How is that old guy? I haven't heard from him in years. I hope he's alright. Wherever he is.

I broke out of my thoughts and looked at Roy again, he held his at the ceiling still. I wonder how he's doing. He didn't seem that upset at the funeral, but knowing him, he probably felt it pretty hard.

I leaned forward. "Are you alright?" I was genuinely worried. "I know you guys were close. Closer than he and I ever were."

He sat silently.