A/N: Written for FMA Rarepair Week Day 1. I used the theme "Is there anything I can do?" and (tried to) incorporate the bonus theme, "Meet Ugly."

A little bit of context: this story is a part of an AU in which Kimblee "obtains" Envy's jar from Mei before she gets down into the tunnel below Central. The worm that Envy's been reduced to is quite different from the powerful being that Kimblee is used to, and Kimblee isn't very pleased at how far Envy has fallen...

An ugly thing, full of anger and bitterness, trapped in a jar like an animal, like an insect.

Kimblee found it so, so, amusing.

"I hate you," whispered the worm, pacing back and forth, bumping pitifully against the sides of the jar, perhaps hoping to break through the glass and escape. "I hate you. Traitor. Just let me out... let me out and I'll-"

"I won't," said Kimblee with a smile. "You see, I've always wanted a pet."

Envy stared, bug-eyed, and Kimblee stared right back. "You've got some nerve," muttered the creature, finally glancing off to the side. "I thought that you were loyal at least- but I guess that was a lie. I guess that everything else was fake too."

"That depends," said Kimblee, tucking the jar under his arm. "Because all of my lies are conditional upon yours. You're fake, I'm fake right back. We're both frauds, you know; nasty, nasty people, so stop feeling sorry for yourself. You really should have known that something like this would happen."

They really shouldn't be so surprised. Envy was not an innocent. They should have known…

… should have known… what, exactly?

That Kimblee would seize this opportunity, he supposed; that he would take advantage of Envy's vulnerable state.

And really, it was so much fun. They were furious, they couldn't get away. It was…

...just how he'd felt before, sometimes.

"You left me in prison for a very long time," he said conversationally. He skipped over a puddle- taking a petty bit of pride in how he managed to keep his clothes clean in this grungy alley. "I would sometimes wonder if you had forgotten your promise," he said, eyeing the jar. "But I stayed content; I had faith that you would come."

He wasn't quite able to read Envy's expression; he wasn't especially well-versed in the art of recognizing the emotions of a worm. But he was quite sure that he was making them uncomfortable, at the very least. "And you did come," continued Kimblee. "Just as you promised, you came. Of course, seven years means nothing to an immortal. But, for humans… well, time is worth more than money, more than love, or anything else that most people want. I gave you seven years of my time. And you gave me freedom to use my alchemy however I wanted. You were a fascinating employer."

"But, you know," he said, fingers tapping idly on the jar, "that time would have been valuable. I, in my modest opinion, could have been useful to you. We could have done so much together, like what we used to do. Now," he continued, "in these months of your absence, I've been working directly with the Fuhrer. And he, at least, keeps in contact with me, tells me what to do, makes sure that I'm actually capable of carrying out the jobs that he gives me. And I realize now, in these months that you've been gone, that you were quite irresponsible. You don't value me."

"You… you don't know the half of it." Envy stared, stiff and tense, and Kimblee could now see their emotions more clearly- anger, disbelief, self-reproach? "I have other things in my life besides you. I have many, many things to do, and forgive me if babysitting a human isn't exactly at the top of my list. I have a thousand responsibilities-"

"But you're not being responsible." Kimblee shook his head. "You're not. You're here with me, being useless, disgraceful…"

"Give me a break." Envy's voice cracked pathetically, and Kimblee's… heart… dropped, was it…? at that unexpected reaction- surprising, but it was just so pitiable, that's all. "Your expectations are too high. I… things have been hard, okay? My… my sister's gone, I was supposed to do her work, I… I can't do anything right." All of the tenseness had gone out of them, letting go of whatever pride had fueled their anger before. "I'm…" They swallowed. "I'm sorry, okay? Don't… don't hate me."

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. What a pathetic display.

Kimblee almost felt sorry for them.

"I don't hate you," he said, almost kindly. "Why would I waste my energy on something so pointless?"

"So… I'm pointless." Envy stared, limp and defeated, through the glass.

"Absolutely not," said Kimblee (that sudden light that re-appeared in Envy's eyes was so satisfying to see). "It's pointless to force myself to do something that I'm not at all inclined to do."

Envy had learned their lesson by now, he was sure. At least, for now.

"I'm not going to overlook all of the things that you've done for me, even if you don't value them as highly as I do. I'm smarter than that, Envy, and I hope that you are as well. And now, my dear; what can I do for you?" he asked with a smile, fingers playing at the lid of the jar.

Envy blinked, looking cautiously towards him. "Let… me… out?"

"How do I know that you won't take advantage of me?" Kimblee asked, but it was a rhetorical question; the lid was already unscrewed, and Envy was, cautiously, then with more confidence in every step, exiting the jar, walking up his arm, perching on his shoulder.

"I won't," muttered Envy, curling up in the corner where Kimblee's neck and shoulder met. "One soul wouldn't do me much good, anyway. And I like you better this way."

"Excellent," said Kimblee. He dropped the jar; it rolled against the alley wall, slightly cracked, and no longer useful. But they didn't need it anymore. "Let's celebrate this as a return to form, shall we?" he asked. "We'll work together in this, just like we used to."

"Yeah," Envy said quietly, as the two of them strode through the alley. But Kimblee sensed the hesitance in their voice, and knew that they both were thinking the same thoughts: the chance of them sustaining this agreement for the long-term was slim. But this, at least, was a step in the right direction, and, for now, that was enough.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading; I was really excited when I heard about the Rarepair week this year, since it gave me an excuse to write for these two. I didn't get something done for every day, unfortunately (well, I did, but most of it was garbage), so I'll be posting every other day. Thanks again!