Chapter Text
“Ok so, we need potassium nitrate, magnesium, black powder-”
Varian’s voice was almost swallowed whole by the bustle of the outside market place and the buzzing of the hot summer sun. Footsteps clambered around the cobblestone path, each person sweltering from the heat and walking with a determined urgency to finish up whatever task they had and return back to the slightly cooler sanctum of their homes.
Clerks and merchants half heartedly argued with customers that passed their stalls, neither of them with the energy to really care one way or another about what the best deals were or how to get the most money out of the transaction. It seemed that no one wanted to be out right now with the height of the day crawling towards them in a steadily approaching march.
No one, of course, except Varian.
Hugo marveled at the other as he continued talking and walking with a steadfast pace, unperturbed by neither the heat nor the grumpiness of the crowd he was navigating. Occasionally he would stop at a stall and peruse the items on display but other that that he just kept on speaking and strutting as if the blistering temperatures were no match for his pure determination. After knowing him for a certain amount of time, Hugo was fully willing to believe that even the elements were no match for the blue eyed alchemist’s ridiculously stubborn drive.
It was charming, the way Varian seemingly never stopped when he had a goal in mind. And cute, Hugo could even go so far as to say it was attractive-no.
The blond tilted his head to the side as he followed behind, as if that action alone would let all of his thoughts tumble out so he could continue on with his day as normal. It didn’t work, of course, and paired with the blistering heat it was fair to say that Hugo was not having a particularly good day.
He wasn’t quite sure when the thoughts started occurring and he couldn’t map them even if he tried. He just knew that they were bothersome and unwanted and happening much, much more frequently. While at first it was just a passing notion in his mind when Varian did something particularly endearing, now it was a constant flow in reaction to anything and everything the other alchemist did. It had gotten to the point where he was more than certain that Varian could burp in a particular way and it would make his heart stop, which was kind of gross to think about but nonetheless true.
“-And now we can start on the food supplies. Think you can carry those and help me put this stuff up? Hugo? Hey.”
Hugo was snapped out of his thoughts as Varian lightly hip checked him, drawing his full attention to the scene before them.
Apparently in his mental absence Varian had stopped to haggle with the last of the clerks who were selling items needed to make a new batch of chemical bombs. The other’s arms were full with delicate bottles and boxes, each one containing a dangerous element of some form or fashion.
“Little help maybe?” Varian tilted his head back, trying to gesture to his pack.
“Yeah, right the chemicals and shit. Sorry I was uh…”
“Looking at that pretty crystal seller over there? Caught you dazing off in that direction.” The knowing smirk that spread over Varian’s face indicated that he’d been paying more attention to Hugo than he first realized, which was just a tiny bit thrilling.
The thought that Varian looked at him just as much as he did vice verse sent a slight flutter to his chest, even though it was wishful thinking.
‘Oh buddy, if only you knew.’ He thought to himself.
Varian had guessed the right kind of daydreaming he’d been doing, but the wrong recipient of said thoughts.
‘Right distraction, wrong attraction.’
Finally Hugo shook himself out of his own head and straightened his back to meet Varian’s smirk with one of his own.
“Do I look like the kind of guy who’s just going to tell you if I was?” It was a joke but there was a hint of nervousness in his voice, one that Varian was too distracted by his armload to notice.
“Tell me or don’t but you’re gonna help me put this stuff up or else I’m going to specifically buy food you don’t like. Enough to last the group a whole month and that’s all you’re gonna get.”
Hugo let out a short and sharp laugh before helping Varian, carefully placing the delicate components in special holders that Varian had sewn into his pack. Hugo had made fun of him for it at the time but it was honestly genius. A simple, practical kind of genius.
That was another thing he liked about him; Varian didn’t always need to display his work in big grand gestures, sometimes the simplest things were most effective. Of course, according to the stories about his life in Corona, he wasn’t opposed to big grand gestures in the slightest. Flashy when he wanted to be, subtle when he needed to be.
It only took a minute to pack everything up safe and secure and once Hugo was finished, Varian took the opportunity to stretch out his tired arms. As he did so Hugo noticed how his wrinkled shirt raised ever so slightly, giving him just the smallest peek of skin before the fabric was shuffled down and straightened back out.
“Want some lunch?”
The question came more suddenly than expected and after a split second of continuing to stare, Hugo ran a hand over his face to reach through his hair in an attempt to hide the blush that was spreading palely across his face.
“What about the grocery run, huh smart guy?”
“I think the other two wouldn’t mind us taking a quick detour for some grub. There’s got to be a place a guy can find a good ham sandwich around here.”
Lunch alone with Varian. After his previous blunder Hugo didn’t know if he could handle it. Technically speaking he got plenty of sub par alone time with Varian, although it was never how he wanted it to be. They were the ones that went on supply runs after all, and they had plenty of time together making their chemicals and smoke bombs. But that was all work; being in a busy market or distracted by sensitive chemical maintenance wasn’t exactly the pinnacle of romance. But eating lunch in a restaurant in an actual city, especially when those luxuries were so few and far between on their journey, now that was alone time.
“Yeah,” Hugo said, voice as calm and confident as ever even if he didn’t feel like it on the inside, “lunch sounds great. Still gonna force me to eat all the gross food?”
Varian rolled his eyes and elbowed him lightly in the arm.
“Nah, I guess you’ve earned your keep for now. But be warned-” Hugo watched as Varian reached into his pocket and took out a small coin purse just to jangle it around, “The others gave me the supply money. If you aren’t nice I might just make you pay your own tab.”
“Oh, believe me, I’ll be on my best behavior.”