Work Text:
If someone asked Tannhauser to describe Baldric in one word, he would need weeks to decide. The man was focused, determined, a genius, stubborn, idiotic, and selfless all in one, to pick just one word was impossible. They had been travelling together for weeks and yet he was still learning about who the other man was.
One moment the helmeted alchemist was pulling Vina up from the dirt and the next he was chewing Rehua out for breaking something. Switching between allowing himself to be kind to putting up more walls to push them away. Using any excuse to snap at them in attempts to drive them off, though his attempts had never worked.
Baldric was an odd man, one too concerned about being left to fend for himself again to let himself get close to anyone. How odd it was then, that there they were, side by side as they looked over their plans.
“Are you even paying attention?” The alchemist demanded, turning from the sheets before them to stare at him from his helmet’s visor. His tone sat somewhere between annoyed that Tannhauser hadn’t been listening and curious as to what had distracted him.
“My apologies, I was lost in thought.” The metal man hummed, glass eyes catching on every movement the other made. Watching how he shifted away to slide his hand beneath his helmet to rub at the bridge of his nose. The tiniest hint of scarred tissue peaking out from the raised rim.
“Of course you were.” Baldric huffed, shifting his helmet back in place before tapping at the maps before them. “As I was saying, with proper scouting we can get a lay out of the building so that we know where to plan our entrance.”
“You’re handsome when you’re strategizing, have you tried doing that more?” He could stop himself from saying it, though the way the man startled told him how his words had been received.
“Can you stop saying stupid shit for one minute?” The other male complained, though Tannhauser knew that he wasn’t upset. He had long since learned that the alchemist had no clue how to take any type of flirting thrown at him
“For you? Perhaps.” The revolutionist purred, in return getting a hand planted against his face, shoving him backwards and out of Baldric’s personal space. Which he had been leaning into, chasing after the man and forcing him to by physically close to someone.
“Shut up.” The terrorist hissed, he was still not as serious as he made himself seem. But Tannhauser gave him his space, he had no want to overwhelm the man.
All he had to do was expose the other to affection enough times that he became used to it. Though that would take time, the metal man was determined, no matter how long it took he would convince the man. It wasn’t as if he had any other experience to work on other then perseverance.
He had always been taught that no matter what he had to keep going, through deserts, harsh weather, and pain. Even under threat of death he fought and survived, he would not lose a simple battle of minds and intellect. This was ignoring the fact that Baldric was the most stubborn man he had ever met.
“Stop staring at me.” The man grumbled, a blush spreading underneath his helmet and along the back of his neck.
“I can’t blink, Baldric.” The metal man reminded him, monotone voice taking away the slight amusement the alchemist had.
“I’m never planning with you again.” Baldric grumbled, ignoring the eruption of cackling that Tannhauser had become.