Hm... I really can't explain that one. It just appeared in my head one day and refused to get out... I'm not sure if it even makes any sense XD
Oh well... Hope you like it!
Do you remember?
The office was unusually quiet that morning, and the only sounds troubling the silence were the light scratching of pens on paper, the shuffling of paper sheets, and the faint tapping of the rain on the windows. Riza Hawkeye stifled a yawn with a hand and turned her attention back to the file she was reading. The last few weeks had been exhausting for Colonel Mustang's team, and the last night had been a sleepless one.
The squeaking of wet boots on the floor announced the arrival of the youngest member of their team even before he kicked the door open and entered, his long blond hair and red coat soaking wet. He was welcomed by tired smiles, a few 'Hey Boss', her own 'Hello Edward' and a 'you're late, Fullmetal'. Throwing a dark glare at his superior and a curious glance at his coworkers, he placed his report (which had slightly suffered from the weather) on the Colonel's desk and dried himself in a flash of alchemical light.
"What the hell happened? You all look half dead!"
The occupants of the room (except herself) seized the occasion to complain :
"… Worked late last night."
"… No coffee left…"
"…Nothing surprising, you drank it all!"
"Damned terrorists…"
He chuckled and let himself fall on the leather couch, without bothering to take off his coat.
"Don't you dare to put your feet on the furniture, Fullmetal, or I'll personally make sure that the money to buy a new one comes from your research funds. No matter how small they are, they'll leave stains"
Riza sighed, abandoning her reading to look at the black-haired man who had just spoken. As tired as he was, he couldn't resist the temptation of teasing the younger alchemist. It was more a routine than true animosity, and she knew they truly cared for each other…
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THEIR FEET ARE BARELY VISIBLE?!"
… when they weren't busy having fun at the other's expenses. She managed to hide her smile, as did Fuery and Falman, at Edward's usual rant (they were inevitable whenever his height was mentioned), but Havoc's unconvincing cough and Breda's snicker gave them away.
"That would be you, Fullmetal… Anyways, back to more serious matters. What took you so long?"
His voice was stern, but she knew him well enough to know he had been worried about the boy. It had been months since they had last heard of him. Usually, it wasn't hard to keep track of the Elric brothers because they tended make themselves known wherever they went but they had been abnormally discreet lately.
She stopped listening to their conversation and returned to her previous occupation as they threw insults at each other between explanations of what had happened since they had last met. Soon her mind wandered and she found herself thinking about the alchemist and his younger brother. She had gotten along well with the younger of the two since the first time they had met, probably because they were in a somewhat similar situation and because it was easy to like someone with such a caring personality. She wondered where he was, because the two brothers usually were inseparables. The elder Elric was a different matter, because he reminded her so much of a younger...
"You seem thoughtful, Lieutenant." The voice startled her, and her hand automatically reached for her gun as she looked up to see Roy standing in front of her. The blonde woman slapped herself mentally for not having noticed him sooner. The 'Hawk's Eye' had been caught daydreaming... She really needed to sleep! She stared at her superior, frowning. The fact that he was talking to her was suspicious… Normally he would have taken advantage of her lack of attention to take a nap on his desk.
"I was just thinking that Edward reminds me of someone I… used to know, sir."
"Really?" He glanced at the door (she noticed the boy had left ... Just how long had she been lost in her thoughts?) and a smirk appeared on his lips. "I've always thought he was one of a kind… Do I know that person?"
"Maybe. He was well known on the battlefield."
"Ah, it's a soldier from the Ishbal campaign, then." He fell silent for a moment and when he spoke again, his voice was hesitant.
"Could it be the one who had an annoying friend who constantly bragged about his woman and was in love with that pretty blonde cadet?"
"That would be him." She couldn't stop herself and muttered something about the girl not being special as far as she remembered… He chuckled in answer.
"Like Ed, uh? I never thought about it. I guess I didn't know him well." It seemed to amuse him, and he continued. "I knew the girl better, though. She was shy, kind, calm and polite… Not really the kind of person you'd see as a soldier…" His expression changed again, and she saw sorrow in his dark eyes. "Do you have any idea of what happened to them after the war?"
"I haven't heard of them after that. I assume they didn't survive." Her tone was emotionless and distant.
"I see. I always preferred to think that they had left the military and gotten married in that little town they came from." He wasn't looking at her anymore, and avoided her questioning glance.
"We could find theories all day, but we have work to do, Colonel."
He smiled an empty smile and returned behind his desk, burying himself in a pile of paperwork with a sigh and suddenly the room was silent again. Havoc and Breda had left in search of a dose of caffeine, Fuery was asleep on his chair and Falman somehow managed to stay concentrated.
"I believe they are together, wherever they are."
He didn't look up to answer, but his smile told her everything she had to know.
... Told you it was weird...
Anyways, please review?