Working up a sweat [Roy + Leon]

[ROY THEOREN]

While a gym membership wasn't strictly in Roy's budget, he felt that letting himself get out of shape just because he was no longer in the military was inexcusable. So, he'd done his research and found a place that wasn't too exorbitant in its fees and only a short subway ride from his current apartment. Once he'd arrived, filled out the forms, and got himself a locker, he set about exploring the place.

There was the usual complement of elliptical machines and treadmills and stationary bicycles, weights and mats, big inflatable balls (and Roy had never understood how those were supposed to give you a workout), and pull-up bars. There was an indoor track and a pool with pin-straight lanes. There were plenty of spaces to do floor exercises, too, and that was where Roy saw him. Doing push-ups and sweating like they were still in boot camp.

No, couldn't be. He moved closer, and sure enough, it was good old Leon. With a wicked grin, Roy crept up on his old friend, who was apparently so intent on his workout that he didn't see Roy in the enormous mirrored wall in front of him.

Roy took a deep breath, then barked, "ATTEEEEENSHUN, SOL-JAH!" in an eerily accurate imitation of their old drill sergeant. Though he didn't hit full volume, out of consideration for the other patrons, he still got a few startled and dirty looks.

[LEON NOEL]

Without a job to keep him busy and with Mercy working like she did, Leon was all about finding ways of keeping himself busy, which had quickly grown to include regular trips to the gym. Actually, he'd joined and started going 4-6 days a week as soon as he was confident in his own abilities to get from his apartment to the gym itself, which did take a little longer than he'd have liked, but still wasn't too long. He was getting seriously stir-crazy up until that point, so that by the time he got to the gym itself, he was just glad for the social contact that wasn't Mercy or his mother, so the gym employees who seemed uncertain about a blind guy screwing around with the equipment didn't even bother him that badly. He let them take turns hovering without getting upset with them, and even accepted help when they really seemed determined to give it. Whatever, at least he was able to be active; being cramped in that house with nothing to do had been terrible.

That had been almost a year ago, and now, the gym routine was becoming exactly that - a routine. The employees didn't panic nearly as bad when they saw him come in, though a few still wanted to hover and insist on helping (some days he was more accepting of that help than others), and it was one part of his schedule that he really looked forward to. Staying in shape was important, perhaps moreso now that he was blind than it would have been otherwise, and though he used the equipment available, including a pull-up bar, the elliptical machines and treadmills (much easier to run on one of them than to try to run in the park or something), he liked to start out with a few more traditional exercises. Sit-ups and push-ups were among those, then the weights, and then more sit-ups and push-ups before switching to the treadmill and the pull-up bar. He was about halfway through his routine before he heard an intake of breath somewhat behind and above him that he figured came from one of the hovering gym employees, then the shout.

You can believe that he was not only startled nearly out of his skin, but that he didn't like being surprised like that. The fact that it inspired military memories and reactions didn't help, but who it didn't help was the actual question. Leon was drawn to attention, all right, but not the way Roy seemed to intend; he was well-trained, but the blindness was good at grounding him in a situation like this and keeping him from falling into such a habit instantaneously. He didn't jump to attention, but he changed his position, jerked his arm out to grab for his cane, found it right where he'd intended, and swung it hard and fast at the shin and knee area of whoever had shouted like that. It wasn't a move that was intended to cause any serious damage, but slowing them down until he could figure out what was going on was a good idea.

Leon didn't have sunglasses or anything else covering his eyes except where his sweat-dampened hair fell out of its style and into his face, which he made no move to correct. Anyone else might have because they didn't want their vision impaired, but obviously, that wasn't a problem for him and he was far more interested in keeping this stranger back. Caring whether his eyes could be seen and if the blank, unseeing stare out of his brown eyes would bother someone didn't occur to him after that fright. "Who are you and what the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded, and it sucked that the imitation had been of someone that Leon couldn't believe he was actually hearing, since it meant that he was actually uncertain who he was dealing with and who he'd just struck with his cane.

Yeah, that sucked.

[ROY THEOREN]

Roy wasn't expecting the cane, and it cracked neatly across his shins before he could do more than flinch. "Ow, sonova..." he hissed, hopping backwards an instant too late to save himself from bruises. "Bloody hell, Leon, but you haven't slowed down a bit! Sorry, mate, couldn't help myself. Should've seen your..."

That blank stare, which wasn't quite focusing on him. The cane. The horrified way the gym staff was staring at him, a couple of them heading his way with thunderous looks. Oh, well shit.

"...face," he finished lamely, putting it all together. "Uh. Sorry, mate, my bad. I didn't see-- notice, your, er. Drinks on me, eh?"

"Sir, I'm only going to give you one warning," started the gym trainer, a densely muscled woman who looked like she could break Roy in half with her pinky.

Roy raised his hands in surrender before she could finish her tirade. "Sorry, sorry, won't happen again. Just a bit of a joke, we're good friends, me and him. Eh, Leon? Didn't expect to run into your old mate Roy here, did you?"

[LEON NOEL]

Oh, so Roy wasn't expecting the cane? That made them about even, since Leon wasn't expecting ANY of this mess, and the sound of the cane striking the man's shins was definitely satisfying and awesome to his ears. He knew he was in a public place, and he also knew for a fact that one of the gym attendants working right at the moment was a woman with a firm, strong grip, a hard voice and an Amazon's height (he could hear her voice coming from somewhere above his ear level, which was impressive considering he wasn't short), so he figured that if he held whoever it was off long enough, he would have reinforcements quickly. He wasn't wrong, either.

Except, it wasn't actually a threat. He recognized the voice instantly, but his brows furrowed in surprise and he stood up, not quite so worried about angles and fighting back once he heard Roy's awkward reaction and then realization. Fucking hell, wasn't this wonderful?

"It's fine, Cherie, thank you. I do know him, he just has a weird sense of humor," he told her, turning his head in the direction her voice had come from automatically, though his own tone didn't sound anything except annoyed. He didn't like that he'd been so easily snuck up on and startled, and he really didn't like that it had to be someone he used to know so well seeing him like this. It wasn't like there was really any other way he could be seen, considering it wasn't anything that would ever be fixed, but he'd have liked to come across a little more...together than this. He was a sweaty mess, and totally unprepared.

Cherie let him know that all he had to do was call if he needed anything, he nodded, and then he tilted his head towards where he'd last heard Roy's voice.

"You're right, drinks ARE on you," he informed the other man, the very edge of his lips quirking just slightly. "You're also an asshole, and lucky that I didn't swing that thing for your head."

It might have been a little ego on his part (or attempted ego) that fueled the comment about him aiming a blow to Roy's head, but it might not have been. He'd been well trained, and as Roy pointed out, he'd always been fast. Without his eyes, he'd learned to use sound and to some extent, smell, to his advantage. Roy shouting like that, as much as it had surprised him, had given away his position. He might have missed, but there was also a pretty good chance that he would have hit his mark, and if that cane stung when it struck the shins, the side of the head would hurt a hell of a lot more. As though it suddenly occurred to him, he shifted his grip on it and ran his hands down its length, checking for damage. "I hope you didn't bend it all up."

Right, because it was totally Roy's fault if it was bent. Not Leon's for hitting him with it, but Roy's for shouting and for being hit. Perfect logic. Yep.

[ROY THEOREN]

After "Cherie" returned to her office (but not before giving Roy the stink eye once more for good measure), Roy glanced down at his friend with a grimace that he realized Leon couldn't see. "You cracked me good, but I think you dented my shins, not the stick. Lucky for me it wasn't my head, eh?"

He coughed out a chuckle, then offered Leon a hand up, having the presence of mind to at least say, "Need a hand?" before lightly touching Leon's arm to indicate his position. "Didn't think I'd manage to startle you. I've never been able to sneak up on you, even in your sleep. Getting slow in your old age." As if Roy were one to talk, being nearly six months older. Such was his particular brand of humor.

It really was his own damn fault for scaring Leon like that, so he didn't kick up a fuss about the bruised shins. He'd deserved it. No harm done, otherwise, so there was no point in carrying on about it. "Still fit, though, I see. How long've you been out of the service? I just got discharged a few months ago. Never expected to run into you here, of all the places. Small bloody world."

[LEON NOEL]

At Roy's mention of denting his shins and agreement that he was lucky it wasn't his head, Leon actually let that smile break through. "You were always hard-headed, you would have dented the stick if I'd hit you there." There was a chance he wasn't exaggerating. Not a huge chance, because they were still talking about a human body vs a metal cane, but it wasn't exactly a very heavy cane, and Roy had probably been hit with worse. Leon could say with absolute certainty that he had been, one of the blows being the one that lead to his blindness. The cane was a sharp pain, maybe capable of stunning, but he had absolute faith in Roy's abilities to withstand it.

His old friend's pain tolerance aside, Leon really couldn't help being surprised by how subtle Roy's overall reaction had been to his obvious condition. He asked if Leon needed a hand, a question that he managed to stop at a simple 'no, thanks' and even force a little life into, and it was a relief when Roy went on without any further questions for a moment or so about being unable to startle him. "Slow, or just unobservant. You'd be amazed how much of that was peripheral and clever use of reflective surfaces," he admitted, and he wasn't at all ashamed to say that his own abilities used to be clever. It was like a magic trick, and now he couldn't do the trick, so it didn't really matter. No more peripheral vision, no more use of mirrors, windows and shiny metal surfaces to notice his wide-shouldered, muscular best friend rolling up behind him like a surprisingly quiet tank. Now, he needed new tricks.

Still fit, yes, he tried. It also helped that he walked everywhere, since driving was now out of the question. Fortunately, everything in NYC was within walking distance or a subway ride, and the subway was in walking distance. Mercy was wary about him hitting up the subway alone, especially when it was later in the evening, but he didn't do too badly getting around on his own. Sadly, since he'd always loved new places, he tried to stick to the routes he knew, and take Mercy with him if he was feeling boxed up. The gym was such a favorite place for that very reason, since it gave him the physical activity to work off his energy, and the ability to get out of the house without being bored. He was working up to talking Mercy into a camping trip, just because he missed being out in the middle of nowhere. It wouldn't be anything like what he used to do, but he'd take it.

Annnnnnnnnd, fuck. A question. "Ten months, two weeks, 5 days and 18 hours," he answered with no hesitation, voice completely automatic, and thank god he didn't spit out down to the minutes and seconds, or he'd have been more pissed than irritated. He was used to it enough, and it happened often enough on a regular basis that he could sometimes avoid it either by answering honestly on his own without that monotone response that came from wherever or by shutting his trap, like he'd done so far with the off-hand conversational questions, but it also made it harder to keep doing. He'd been sure to slip up at some point, almost like someone with tourettes who was just getting more and more nervous. "Something like that, anyway."

Yeah, because that was believable. Whatever, so he looked like he had all kinds of weird problems. It wasn't like he wanted Roy to hang around and be friends again, anyway. Except that was a lie, and he knew it even without being asked and forced to answer. Fuck. "This isn't a popular gym, what brings you here? It's close enough to home that I can walk whenever I want, so what's your excuse?"

Better to put the attention off of himself. Right. Because Roy wasn't at all observant. Yep, he was screwed, and not in the good way.

[ROY THEOREN]

The way Leon rattled off the time since he was discharged was simultaneously startling, worrying, and... weirdly familiar. Like part of Roy had heard that particular, almost robotic cadence of speech before. Though Leon tried to cover for it with that lame little, "...or something like that," Roy wasn't fooled. Leon hadn't been guessing.

Something stirred inside Roy, the Other, as if turning in his sleep.

Roy blinked, then laughed. "You miss it that much, eh? Suppose I don't blame you. I've been floating about aimlessly since I was kicked out. Not sure what use I am without someone giving me orders." It wasn't meant to sound bitter, and it didn't, quite-- maybe wistful.

Leon changed the subject on him, which only served to further Roy's suspicion that something was Not Quite Right. "I've only just joined up today," Roy admitted. "Met a bloke in a bar who recommended this place, said the rates were good. Not too far from where I'm living, either-- though that's just for now. You wouldn't know where I could find a decent rental around here, would you? I'm living off scraps, but I've got savings enough to hold me for a bit."

It was true he had some money saved up-- trust fund from when his parents still thought he'd be attending college, bless them, and what little he had of his military pension-- but his day to day expenses were mainly covered by the odd jobs he did. He didn't want to dip into any of the money he'd set aside from his parents or the service unless his situation grew dire. He'd always been fairly self-sufficient, despite how well he'd taken to being under command.

"It is good to see you again, Leon," Roy told his friend with warm honesty, not catching his phrasing until the words had left him. He winced, but didn't draw attention to the verbal slip. Surely Leon was used to that by now. Still. Bit awkward.

[LEON NOEL]

No, Leon hadn't been guessing, and that was the problem. The numbers had just hit him in an insane whirlwind of movement through an office; a clock on the wall, a desk calendar, paperwork being signed and set aside by a man in uniform. He knew without having even said it that the answer he'd given had been the date and hour that his discharge paperwork had been signed by the last officer necessary for him to be dismissed, not the time that he'd been injured or even when he'd been contacted with the confirmation of his discharge from the military. He often knew more than he was required to answer, which wasn't always a bad thing, but the whole situation bothered him. Obviously.

Fuckfuckfuck, why did Roy have to keep asking questions? Had he always done that? Fucking hell! "I miss being useful and doing something mentally and physically stimulating, yes," he immediately replied, and the irritation at the first compulsive answer was only increasing. He had a fantastic poker face when he really tried, but it was very possible that he wasn't trying, just like it was possible that Roy didn't even realize he was asking these questions. Fuck, and another? This one was definitely intended, and...oh great, now he got to be a walking craigslist search? He didn't actually know off the top of his head about any available rentals, but that had never mattered before. He'd answer, anyway, and did.

"There are four in the Jacob's Apartment Complex, one on my floor, the fifth. Another will be opening up on the 5th of next month because the tenants will leave it with damages that need to be addressed. The Lost Boys' Complex has six openings on various floors," he informed Roy, and then proceeded to mention two others that were individually available, and afterwards looked more than just 'peeved'. This sucked so hardcore.

So, how was he supposed to explain the sudden classifieds information dump? No normal person knew that shit, and he was not a human internet source, thanks. He would have liked to have an 'off' switch for that whole thing, though. Computers could just stop receiving wifi, so why couldn't he just turn off whatever frequency he was getting? If Roy needed, he could even tell him which of those apartments was the most decent, and which he might want to bomb for bugs first. It was that bad, and he didn't want to know that shit.

"I'd say it's good to see you again, too, but you know," he offered instead of more information, allowing a slight, not entirely amused bit of a smirk free, then shrugging. "The sentiment's there, though."

It was true, he was glad that they'd met up again, and he really hoped he didn't scare Roy off with his weirdness. He loved Mercy and appreciated everything she did, but having a friend that wasn't his girlfriend and roommate would be nice, he figured. It had to be better than what he was doing now, as long as Roy actually wanted to be around him, which wasn't a guarantee at this point. Not everyone dealt with his issue gracefully.

[ROY THEOREN]

Predictably, Leon seemed a little grumpy about leaving the military, and Roy couldn't blame him in the least for sounding irate. He was certainly a bit sharper in his response than Roy thought he would be, though he didn't find that strange until Leon answered him about the rental question.

Well, well, well.

This was an interesting development, wasn't it? Roy had never known Leon to be quite so literal-minded when answering questions, especially when he hadn't even been looking for a straight answer. Sure, Leon had always been an honest sort, to the point of frankness even, but rattling off every available apartment in the area like he was some kind of Craigslist? That was definitely new.

"All right, Google," Roy laughed, only the slightest edge of nerves pitching him a bit higher than normal. "I think I've got it. Wow. Lose your vision, gain perfect memory, is that it?" No, that's not it at all, the Other told him, tugging on his consciousness. You KNOW this one. Before Leon could answer, Roy hurriedly added, "No, that was... sort of rhetorical, sorry, you don't have to dignify that with a response."

He hummed in his throat, considering some of the options Leon had mentioned. "I wouldn't mind living near someone I knew, for once. Haven't got many friends in this city. Drinking mates, mostly. You mentioned some flats on your floor, yeah? All right, I'll have a look. We could be neighbors. If you don't mind having me around."

For some reason he couldn't quite put his finger on, it seemed important not to ask too many questions. Not unless he really wanted the answer. He filed that instinct under "investigate later when not in a public space" and promptly forgot about it.

Something about the fact that Leon was also glad to (figuratively) see him again gave Roy an unexpectedly... melty feeling inside. Not like, gooey teen romance stuff, just something like that feeling you get when coming home after a long time away, and you can finally set your things down and rest. Like everything in Roy just went relaxed all at once. "Glad to hear it, mate," he said sincerely. "Now look, I think the rest of the staff here is ready to jump on me at any minute to defend your honor. How about those drinks?"

[LEON NOEL]

Yes, Leon had plenty of reason to be grumpy about leaving the military, but this was more honesty and openness than he typically liked, and certainly more than he'd ever offered Roy before. They'd always been about the banter and the one-upmanship, not deep feels and serious conversations. He didn't like it in the slightest, and though he couldn't see the expression on the man's face, he most certainly understood that it would be a curious, if not downright uncomfortable, look. The laugh and tone of voice the man used confirmed it despite the joking reference to him as Google, and Leon wasn't sure if he'd prefer to hit the man or walk away when another question left the Brit's mouth, but he managed just a soft, 'no' and then Roy's hurried assurances that he didn't have to respond to that helped his own efforts in cutting that off.

Jesus. Christ.

Yeah, rhetorical questions were the worst, because he logically knew that's what they were and he could sometimes ignore them for that reason, but not always. He hadn't realized that Roy asked so many of them, the bastard. Even after he let Leon know that he didn't have to answer the last unintended question, he continued talking about where he might want to live and then asked another that Leon was pretty sure he didn't need an answer on. He clenched his jaw against the verbal answer and just nodded confirmation. No, he wouldn't mind having Roy around, he was telling the truth on that one, but they were going to have to come to an accord on the questions thing.

Oh, god damn it. He took a deep breath when asked about the drinks and again nodded, deciding rather suddenly (and maybe with a little 'help') that he was finished with his exercise early and ready to get out of there. He didn't like being stared at, and if Roy was concerned about the staff wanting to defend Leon, then that probably meant they were being watched. Wonderful. He hated it when people thought he wasn't capable of handling his own problems. "Let me shower and change first. I guess you just got here, but some of us actually worked here," he informed the other man, hoping the questions calmed down a little so that they could talk like normal people. He was going to have to explain the weirdness and hope that Roy didn't exploit it at all (he probably would, though Leon doubted it would be for anything except teasing and fun, which might not be as fun for Leon), but he'd rather explain it on his own terms than deal with the automatic answers.

Although, if someone asked him what was causing it, maybe he'd actually understand it. Who knew? Whatever the case, he grabbed up his things (they always went in the same place, and though he'd had some unexpected movement, he found them easily enough because he'd learned the room over time) and went for the locker room. He didn't know for sure if Roy was following, but it didn't much matter, did it? Roy had found him somehow, so it was unlikely he'd randomly wander off now.

[ROY THEOREN]

Of course Roy noticed the tension in Leon's posture, the terse, quiet, one-word responses to a few of his (even rhetorical) questions, as if the other man couldn't help but answer with perfect honesty. It should have frightened him, by all rights. This was not the Leon he used to know, who used to return his teasing banter in kind without missing a beat. This wasn't right.

And yet... somehow, it was. If anything, it felt more right than ever, and that was what scared Roy. It felt familiar in the way of encountering something he'd once seen in a dream, but it was stronger than that. This had to do with the Other. He just knew it. Was Leon like him, then? Was there some hidden part of him, some past life or whatever it was, lurking below the surface? Was that what had drawn Roy back to him today, after all these years? He didn't have the answers to those questions, but he had the growing suspicion that Leon did. But if Leon couldn't help himself when it came to answering those questions, it didn't seem at all fair to abuse that. Leon was his friend. So, they would talk about this, and maybe they could find those answers together eventually, but Roy wasn't going to force it when it was obviously causing his friend so much discomfort. That wouldn't be fair.

Having little else to do, and not wanting to lose Leon, Roy followed him into the locker rooms. He'd stashed his gym bag in one of the lockers, so it wasn't like he had no reason to be there, though he didn't actually need a shower. He simply changed back into his street clothes and waited on one of the benches for Leon to finish.

Now that he'd started to catch on to the situation, despite not understanding the why of it, Roy decided he needed to make a better effort of not asking frivolous questions. It was obviously a strain on Leon. Every time Leon answered, it was like the words were being pulled from him without his consent. Roy didn't like that, so he promised himself that he'd be more careful.

"Saw a pub on my way in, looked like it was open already. Probably serves food. We can pick up some late lunch with our drinks, if you're hungry. My treat." There, not a question mark in sight. Roy felt pretty pleased with himself. Now he just had to keep it up for the rest of the afternoon. Hmm, maybe he shouldn't have too much to drink...

[LEON NOEL]

Roy might have thought he was clever in figuring out that he should probably stop asking questions, and maybe he was in comparison to people who might have asked why Leon was answering the questions like he was, but Leon thought it was obvious that some kind of weird shit was afoot and that questions would get legit answers. The kind of intelligence level he possessed was one that irritated him when other people couldn't match it. That Roy did only made him more logical as a friend, even if Leon did remember him being annoying in other ways. Mostly intentional ways.

Yeah, last he remembered of Roy, they'd been friends for years and he couldn't actually decide if he loved or hated the guy most days. The Brit drove him nuts with his constant teasing and picking at things, even if it sometimes amused him. Actually, he was lying if he said that it didn't usually amuse him, but he was the kind of person that could be annoyed and entertained at the same time, and he'd have been very bored without the other boy. Now, Roy was still behaving himself, but Leon hadn't entirely forgotten, and had to wonder how much of that was the same and what he might have outgrown in the last few years. He didn't mind not knowing and having to figure it out, not in the slightest, because it gave him something to occupy himself with.

As with almost everything he did, Leon had a system for all of the locker room business. He had the same locker every time (the gym didn't usually have people lock them and leave their things there, but they didn't mind that he did, for obvious reasons), so he knew where it was and was used to the walk to the showers. Everything was quick and efficient, the way he preferred it, and it was only a few minutes before he was back. Unfortunately for Roy (or perhaps not, depending on Roy's opinions), Leon hadn't actually caught the soft falls of sneakers on carpet behind him or the sounds of movement while he was showering and Roy had already been described as being surprisingly quiet. He hadn't spoken at all, so Leon had no reason not to think that he was waiting out in the gym. The fact that the other man was waiting on a bench just a few feet away when Leon came out in a towel and started getting dressed completely escaped him. He wasn't slow about it, efficient himself, and there was no guarantee he'd have done anything differently if he'd known he had company (he and Roy had been in Basic Training together, which meant showers and changing), but he would have liked to know. Instead, he unknowingly gave his silent audience a show that included the scar from the bullet that grazed his thigh that he'd never even seen for himself, a long, thin white scar down his back with some other, lighter marks around it from jumping off a cliff from a bear and into a tree (the bear hadn't gotten at him, but he'd slipped on some snow or ice when he was trying to catch himself, and he fell a few feet down, slicing his back up on a piece of branch his clothes rode up on; it was shit, and really sucked for his ego that the tree had cut him so deeply and the bear hadn't done shit), and of course, a whole lot of skin. He had plenty of scars, but those were the ones that drew questions, and since he didn't like answering questions, he tried to be careful about showing them off. He also just didn't like being naked and potentially vulnerable around other people anymore, like his clothes were some kind of armor that made it possible to deal with the world.

He had his pants on, but undone, an undershirt and was buttoning his shirt when Roy spoke up, and he flinched way too hard to lie and say that he hadn't been startled again. He was going to start carrying a stronger cologne and spraying Roy with it if they were going to keep spending time together; that, or maybe putting a bell on him. That could also work. At least the bastard didn't drop a million questions on him this time, though. "That all sounds fine with me," he responded simply, recovering with the smooth kind of indignation that cats seemed to have, where it simply hadn't happened and it wasn't going to be addressed, but he was very quick about those buttons, tucking it in and getting his pants closed up. The shoes and socks were just as swiftly handled, all business.

If Roy didn't give him a heart attack within a week, it'd be a miracle.

[ROY THEOREN]

Roy was apparently a lot more of a ninja than he thought, because Leon didn't seem to notice that he was in the locker rooms with him until he spoke. As well as Leon covered for himself in that feline way of his, Roy saw him startle, and was torn between amusement and guilt that he'd caused the reaction. Perhaps he should have cleared his throat when Leon came out of the shower, or made his remark sooner.

But to be honest, Roy had been a little distracted. It wasn't so much the voyeuristic pleasure of watching his very fit friend getting dressed, it was seeing Leon in a moment of quiet vulnerability, a moment when he thought he was alone with himself. There was something almost sacred about it that made Roy reluctant to break the spell. Besides that, it gave him a moment to survey the scars and marks on Leon's body, a roadmap of past pains.

... Okay, yeah, it was still probably a bit of a creepy thing to do. To be fair, though, he'd sort of forgotten that Leon couldn't see him. Leon still moved with the same sure grace as ever. He was obviously familiar enough with the layout of the gym that he didn't need any assistance.

"Twice in a day; I'm on a roll," he said, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. Maybe he should walk with heavier footsteps or something.

Gathering his duffel, he stood and walked over to Leon, this time deliberately making some noise. He slung an arm around Leon's shoulders briefly and gave him a squeeze. Just like old times. "Right, mate, seems to me we've got a bit of catching up to do."

[LEON NOEL]

It was actually really disappointing how much of a ninja Roy seemed to be, since Leon hadn't noticed so much already. Realizing that made him wonder just how many times he'd been unaware of things going on around him, and that was a little upsetting; coming from a man who used to be so very perceptive, that was a big deal. It wasn't like he'd done anything that he didn't want Roy to see, but he'd have preferred to know. He'd have been swifter and put out the effort to be more sure in his movements instead of taking it just a little slower and letting his fingers brush over the edges of the locker, putting the shampoo bottle in just the right spot so that it was right where he expected it next time, memorizing his surroundings. It was stupid to not want other people to realize the effort that went into any confidence he could muster up, but that's how he felt. Something that was so effortless for them required work from him, and he didn't like making that known. Now, Roy had been privy to that little bit, whether he'd actually done anything more than stare at Leon's body the entire time, or not.

Yeah, it was a little creepy, Roy. Good going.

Leon didn't really blame him, though. Not entirely, not remembering how opportunistic the man always had been. The problem was that Roy had always paid attention, so even under the teasing he'd always done, Leon was damn certain he'd noticed everything there was to see. Fantastic. "Oh, so now you rustle around and make noise, you tricky bastard," he said, definitely calling Roy out on his own sudden ability to locate him as he approached, then put an arm around his shoulders and squeezed. Right, they did have catching up to do, because Leon needed to know what he was dealing with here.

"I'm getting you a bell if you're planning on hanging around, Royal. Not sure yet if we're putting it on your shoes, or what, but it's happening," he informed the other man, and he was only partially kidding. He was actually kind of considering it seriously, mostly to avoid more surprises and heart attack opportunities, not to mention saving his dignity. Bastard.

Oh, and yes, he was entirely aware he'd just dropped Roy's actual name, and he was all out of fucks to give. No regrets whatsoever, especially when he was doomed to feel like he was a freak on display for someone who hadn't yet witnessed his routines. Dressed now in his button-up and slacks, gym things tucked away in his bag or the locker, he pulled his coat on against the winter cold, threw on some sunglasses just to keep random people from being weirded out by the blank stare he knew he had, and actually set off on his own for a second with the cane as both a warning to people who might step into him and as a way to keep himself from stepping into immobile obstacles. It was just a second later that he stopped, turning towards where Roy should have been behind him, and hesitated a second. He didn't know where they were going.

"Lead the way? I hate to say it, but I don't really know where it is, or what's on this street," he admitted, and it wasn't an easy thing on his pride, but it was true. He knew how to get to the gym because Mercy had gone with him and showed him, then he'd memorized it, but he didn't actually know what else was here. There might be a pub he was missing this whole time.

[ROY THEOREN]

Roy made a face that Leon couldn't see, but he was making it hard enough that even a blind man could probably hear it or something. He hated his full given name with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. A fact which Leon knew full well. The absolute bastard. He probably deserved it, of course, having startled Leon with his mad ninja skills twice now, but it didn't mean it rankled any less.

"I'm not a bloody elf. No bells on my toes," Roy told him firmly. "A belled collar, on the other hand-- well, it's a bit kinky, but for you, darling..."

He couldn't continue with that line, breaking off into a laugh. It had been far too long since he'd been able to share this kind of banter with anyone. He'd missed it.

When Leon asked him to lead the way, he smirked. "What, you haven't memorized every brick on this street yet?" he teased, then cursed mentally, remembering that he was trying to avoid frivolous questions. "Don't answer that, sorry. Turn left out the front door, I'll lead." He hesitated, then decided it was just better to ask than assume. "Do you need to... can you just follow me if I talk, or do you want to hold on to my arm or something?"

He was trying hard not to draw attention to Leon's blindness, but it wasn't like it could entirely be ignored, either. It was going to take him a bit of time to adjust to the situation, to figure out what was okay, what was off limits, and what Leon needed from him. Even if that was just needing Roy to treat him as he usually did. Even if it was just letting Leon do things for himself. But he had to ask, at least for now, because he just didn't know.