Best Laid Plans

Disclaimer- dont own. no profit made.

It was, all in all, a beautiful sight.

The sun angled in on its way down the horizon, casting a muted sort of glow into the room- bright enough to dance along highlights in brown hair, but not bright enough to take away from the tranquility of the setting. Glasses has slipped down a nose tilted towards the floor, and were maintaining their balance with a rather precarious skill born of haphazard familiarity. This was not the first time their owner had fallen asleep in such a position, settled in a chair in front of a desk, far too overworked, and too damn secretive to admit it.

Roy grinned. Never mind that the man had decided to pass out in his chair, behind his desk…the grin gained an almost wistful, lopsided look as he closed the door quietly behind him and made his way across his office.

Maes looked so…comfortable, slouched there in a rare moment of inactivity. Roy didn’t think twice as he bent over and placed a gentle kiss on the man’s forehead. The contact brought the man instantly and fully awake. It was a testament to the depth of Maes’ exhaustion that he hadn’t woken as soon as Roy entered the room.

“Morning, lazy.” Roy greeted, pretending to ignore the dagger Maes slipped back into concealment as he recognized the ‘intruder’.

Maes affected a scowl, his amusement betrayed by the wry gleam in his eyes. “This ought to help you out.” He tapped the packet that had been resting in front of him.

Roy glanced at the slim pile of papers from the corner of his eyes before returning his attention to Maes. Now that the man was awake, he looked a mess. The proud smirk on his face bunched up the bruised bags under his eyes in a most unflattering way, and his skin tone was more pallid than Roy would have liked…not to mention the eyes themselves looked as if Maes had been indulging in a three day drunk. “Thanks. Now…why don’t you get some rest?”

Maes tilted his head back so as to get a better view of his friend, who remained standing behind the chair he currently occupied. “Bah! I’m fine.”

The fading sunlight glinted off rectangular glasses as Maes attempted to fiddle them back into place. Roy had other plans. He reached over and easily removed them, then took a good long look at the face gazing up at him. Strangely vulnerable, without the defense of those thin metal frames, and no less tired. “Get some rest. That is an order.”

“Are you pulling rank on me, kid?”

“I am.” Roy smiled at Maes’ incredulous amusement.

Maes’ smile gained a decidedly wicked edge. “Kiss me goodnight?”

“You ass.” Roy shook his head in feigned disbelief at his friends audacity, leaning down. He caught Maes’ chin with one hand, tilting his face to allow for a comfortable sort of upside-down kiss.

Roy intended for it to be a chaste brush of the lips, a polite compliance with the older man’s wishes so he could then convince Maes to wander off to bed.

He should have known that even the best laid plans usually went awry when it came to Maes. It was a little while before Maes sought out his bed, and he didn’t go alone.