Okay, people, this is yet again another midnight story. I'm not sure why I keep getting good ideas late at night, but here it is. Please forgive any grammar mistakes. My brain doesn't quite work at 12:46 am.
It was freezing. Not freezing as in, "Wow, I'm kind of cold," but freezing as in negative seven degrees Fahrenheit. Ed shivered and pulled his coat tighter around his shoulders. He could be warm and toasty inside his military-supplied house. But no, Colonel I'm-so-hot-I-don't-feel-the-cold Mustang decided to make Ed turn in a report on his latest excursion. Ed let out a stream of curses, causing a couple passing by to look at him funny. Ed ignored them.
"Well, Fullmetal, took you long enough," Mustang said when Edward finally made it to headquarters. Ed scowled and tossed his report on the colonel's desk. Mustang briefly glanced over it.
"Looks to be in order," he said. "You're dismissed." Ed grumbled at being told to trek through the cold just for a two-minute meeting, but decided that going back to the warmth of his house as quickly as possible was better than arguing with Mustang. Ed turned and marched out, making sure to slam the door behind him.
He didn't get very far. When Ed arrived back at the entrance, he discovered that in the short time he had been in Mustang's office, it had begun to snow. Ed scowled; he hated snow. It froze his automail and caused his surrounding flesh to throb uncomfortably. Not to mention, when it melted it was wet. And the wet made his automail squeak. Squeaking automail was not the image Ed wanted to project to the world. Therefore, Ed sat dourly in a nearby chair to wait out the snow instead of trying to trudge through it.
Two hours later, Roy Mustang determined that it was time to leave the office. He had already signed hundreds of documents, his signature getting worse and worse as he went along. Roy was ready to set fire to the entire desk by the time he finished the last paper, but resisted the urge and instead stood to leave. He grabbed the heavy military jacket from the back of the chair and swung it around his shoulders. He turned off the lights on his way out; the rest of his team had already left for the day. Only Hawkeye's threats had kept him going as long as he did.
Roy groaned when came into view of the front entrance. It was snowing. Roy hated snow. It was even worse for his fire alchemy than rain was; not only was there a ton of wet that refused to spark, but there was cold that prevented the heat of his gloves from properly working.
He glanced around to see if there was a handy umbrella or something he could use to ward of the offending snow, but instead his gaze fell on Edward Elric, asleep in a chair. Ed's head was resting on his chest at an uncomfortable angle. Roy sighed and walked over to the young alchemist.
"Elric," he said, shaking Ed's shoulder lightly. Ed didn't respond.
"Edward," Roy tried again. Ed groaned and wrinkled his nose. "Ed, you're going to hurt your neck if you sleep like that."
Ed blinked and straightened his head. "Mustang?" he asked groggily. "Ugh, my neck is killing me."
Roy smirked. "You're the one who fell asleep like that."
Ed scowled. "Yeah, well…" he trailed off. Roy raised an eyebrow.
"Is there any particular reason you're here instead of at home?" he asked. Ed looked out the window to avoid his stare.
"I don't like the snow," he mumbled.
"Me neither," Roy replied, shrugging. "Not good for fire."
"Oh," Ed said. They sat in silence for a moment.
"So, what, you were just going to stay here until it stopped snowing?" Roy asked.
"Oh. I'm not really sure. I was just going to wait it out for a while, but then I guess I fell asleep, and now I'm pretty sure it's too late to go anywhere," Ed explained. Roy gazed at the view outside. The snow had already piled thick against the glass doors, making it difficult to even open them.
"Well, I guess that means we're stuck here," Roy said. He pulled a chair next to Ed's. A moment passed.
"I don't like this chair," Roy said presently. "I'm going back to my office. There's a couch there." He stood and left Ed sitting by the door.
A few minutes after Mustang left, Ed stood up to follow him. The colonel was right; if they were going to be stuck here all night, they may as well be comfortable. Ed walked down the silent corridors that led to Roy's office, slightly put off by the emptiness of the huge building. It was like being in an empty school; without people there, the place was eerie.
Ed finally made it to Roy's office. The only light on was a lamp by the desk. Roy himself was lounging on the long black couch situated in the corner.
"Scoot over, Mustang, I sat in that chair a lot longer than you," Ed demanded. Roy shrugged and moved over slightly. Ed plopped down and sighed. "Much better."
They sat in comfortable silence for a while before Roy spoke up. "So, why don't you like the snow?" he asked.
Ed shrugged. "Automail," he said. "It freezes in the cold and squeaks after the rain. Snow is the worst combination of that."
Roy nodded. What Ed said had made sense; Roy had often wondered if the rain affected the metal that made up Ed's arm and leg. Apparently it did.
"I know what you need," Roy said. He stood up. "I'll be right back."
Ed waited by himself for five minutes or so before Roy returned. The colonel was holding two steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Ed grinned and happily accepted the offered cup.
Half an hour and three mugs of chocolate later, Ed was sprawled along the couch, asleep. Roy, unfortunately, found himself trapped under Ed's torso. Ed had fallen asleep and slumped over so far that his body was completely across Roy's lap. His head was pillowed on the armrest to the right of Roy, while his feet were supported by the opposite armrest. Roy sighed, but left Ed as he was. It would do no good to wake him. They both wanted the couch, and Roy wasn't about to give up his comfort for Ed to sleep. So, he stayed.
After a few minutes he reached over Ed to get to the glass of water he had previously poured. He had to contort his body to reach the glass without disturbing the younger boy, but he finally succeeded in his efforts. As he was settling back into the cushions, the back of his hand brushed Ed's braid. Roy was startled by how soft Ed's hair was. He swallowed a few mouthfuls of water and then fingered the end of Ed's braid. Soon Ed's hair tie was on the floor and Roy was running his fingers through Ed's golden hair. Ed shivered; Roy glanced down at him and then shrugged off the military coat. He draped it over Ed's form and resumed stoking his hair. The motion was oddly relaxing, and soon Roy was asleep as well.
The next morning, Riza Hawkeye was the first one into the office. She began the day as usual, by brewing a pot of strong coffee. She was a bit put off by the empty mugs in the sink; she could have sworn that the dishes had all been washed the day before. Riza shrugged and made her way into Mustang's office. She quickly backed out, however.
Riza quietly closed the door behind her and went to find something constructive to do. She dutifully kept any personnel out of Roy's office until the colonel himself appeared in the doorway.
"You didn't see anything," Roy said. "Nothing happened."
"Of course not, sir," Riza replied smartly. Roy nodded and walked off, presumably to find a bathroom. Ed appeared soon after. He didn't seem to be aware that he was wearing Mustang's military jacket, or that his hair had come undone from its braid. He wandered off in the direction of the entrance doors, still half-asleep.
Roy came back soon, looking marginally more awake. Riza looked at him.
"It was snowing," Roy explained. Riza shrugged.
"None of my business, sir."
Yay! I was going for the whole cute/cuddly thing, but I wanted to keep it fairly real. Roy and Ed wouldn't just start making out in the office because it was snowing, but Ed would certainly fall asleep on the couch and fall over onto Roy. And Roy….well, I made him not mind. Haha. Anyway, please read and review!