Work Text:
It was yet another day working in lob corp, truly nothing out of the ordinary.
Hohenheim walked into his office, although it would be better to define it as his and Johann's office since Johann had basically turned a corner of the place into his own little workspace, with a chair as the desk and papers littered in the ground (Note to self: buy Johann a proper table and a file organizer).
The tired researcher put his observation papers down onto the desk, he didn't really have anything to do now, he had already completed work for the day and it was very soon to the end of the work day. Well, he better find something to do… other wise Johann would drag him into something that would be better to avoid.
Hohenheim walked over to a cabinet and hanged his lab coat on a hanger, he was planning on organizing some of his files and to be frank, the long coat gets in the way for mostly unimportant tasks like these. As he turned around to hang his coat, he could hear a soft click of the door opening.
Johann shoved open the door with a bright smile and a small box in hand. Great what was he up to now…
"Mr. Hohenheim! Look what I found~"
Johann said as he walked towards the blue haired researcher, who closed the cabinet doors and looked at his right hand man, slightly intrigued.
"And what might that be?"
Hohenheim asked simply, not letting his curiosity reflect in his face, although someone as skilled in the art of understanding Hohenheim as Johann would know that he certainly got the researcher intrigued.
"Hm? Ya ain't gonna push me away? Nothing better to do eh?"
He placed the box on Hohenheim's table with a teasing grin, looking up to see his boss crossing his arms and pretending to look uninterested… very cute.
"Well, I was very efficient today so I have managed to temporarily free up my schedule, I was planning to organize my files but I suppose I can make time for… what ever this is"
The researcher said with a scoff as he moved closer to the table to observe the box. It was one of those boxes used to hold small EGO gifts but why did Johann have one?
"Well you're in luck boss! I've got my hands on the latest innovation, the Truth telling relic!"
The orange haired man said with pride.
"So here's what this thing is, do ya know the abnormality, One sin and a hundred good deeds?"
Hohenheim paused,
"Do you mean, O-03-03?"
"Uhm sure yea"
Johann shrugged off,
"So it's whole thing is to make employees give honest confessions right?"
Hohenheim gave a brief nod, turning to look straight into Johann's very excited eyes.
"So basically, the people in the department had found a way to utilize the abno's truth telling aspects and put it into this little thing here, they said they were planning to make it as a tool to make useful people tell the truth without having to extract or torture them!"
Johann unlocked the box and brought out a small skull charm,
"Whoever hold this lil thing can make the person they are asking tell the truth, isn't that neat?"
He held the charm between his index and thumb, showing it to his boss with a smile. Hohenheim snatched it from Johann and held it in his own hand,
"Wait Hohenheim-"
"What were you doing yesterday day during our department meeting which you had missed?"
A red aura seeped out of the skull and towards Johann, the smell was dizzying, as if you were intoxicated, the other researcher's eyes became a bit hazy as he blurted out,
"I was… hiding in the cabinet, finishing Hohenheim's research reports so that he wouldn't have to work too late."
Color crept onto the superior's face… ah that was why he wasn't there, did he really want to complete those papers so that he could go rest earlier?
"Ah well thank you for that Johann, I can confirm that the relic works though, what were you planning to use it for?"
Hohenheim asked, turning back to his right hand man. Johann did not reply, instead he continued to stare at hohenheim with hazy yellow eyes.
"Hm? Johann? Can you hear me?"
The blue haired researcher said as he waved a hand in front of Johann's face, still no response. Was the relic malfunctioning? He did say it was a new innovation… maybe a prototype?
As he was thinking he noticed a label on the side of the containment box that the relic was in. He walked past the dazed Johann to read the handwritten note:
Truth telling relic
Developed by ****** et al.
Relic will exude a red mist that envelopes the subject and puts them into a dazed state (in which they will become mostly unresponsive).
Effects will last for 15-30 minutes and during this time the subject will truthfully and honestly answer any question the holder of the relic asks.
After the time has elapsed, the subject will fall unconscious but will be guaranteed to wake up again.
Side effects: Dizziness, loss of memory
Ah, maybe he should not have been so rash to use the relic then, it was quite unlike him but curiosity simply got hold of him.
He thought to himself, still holding the skull charm… really any question?
Out of the kindness of his heart, he guided the dazed Johann towards the couch that Johann had insisted on putting in the office and sat him down. A second of thought later, Hohenheim sat next to him at a reasonable distance, still clutching the relic.
He could really ask anything to Johann right now…
"Johann, why do you insist to be my assistant or as you proclaim my "right hand man"?"
Hohenheim said with a bit of shyness in his voice. This opportunity likely would not come again and judging by his state, he would not remember the events afterwords…
"It's because I am very grateful since Hohenheim gave me a better job and I want to make sure that such a nice person would not be misunderstood or not be able to reach his full potential, I would really like to support him in everything he does"
Johann said, somewhat slurred.
Hohenheim couldn't help but feel the heat creep to his face again, he never knew Johann thought so highly of him, he always thought that it was out of pity or because he did not know who else to turn to… Johann really did care about him a lot…
The researcher paused,
"Uhm Johann, what do you think of me as a person?"
It really wasn't like Hohenheim to ask such an irrelevant and simple question, why would he care about what Johann thought of him?
Johann paused for a second, perhaps it was his consciousness trying to withhold the negative thought he had for hohenheim, of course it would be that hohenheim concluded, no one ever thought that highly of him as a person.
"Hohenheim is a very sweet and kind person although it is hard to see if you're not close to him. I adore him for that and I find it very enjoyable and cute whenever he expresses himself more often, I would like to be around Hohenheim much more than I already am, he truly is very important to me and I love him very much."
Ah? Whatever Hohenheim was expecting certainly wasn't that.
Did he really think that way? Him… cute? That's not the kind of impression he thought he had on Johann… and did he say that he loved him? Like romantically? Or as a colleague? What?
Hohenheim was not an expert on personal relations as it can be seen from the fact that he can count the amount of friends he has on one hand.
But he really did need to know… did Johann like him in that way? If he was being honest… he also had grown a small affection for his right hand man and if the feeling was mutual…
Hohenheim sadly will not be getting that opportunity as he felt someone fall onto his lap.
It seems Johann had reached the unconscious state as he was now lying curled up on his boss's lap facing his stomach.
He… could not get up.
It would be too cruel to move Johann after what he had heard…
Hohenheim patted his right hand man's head softly as if petting a small pup.
He soon found rhythm and comfort in doing so and soon fell asleep, his thoughts being put to rest.
In maybe an hour or so Johann will wake up, confused and embarrassed to find himself sleeping on his boss's lap but for now they remain peaceful as they drifted off on the couch.