Title: Walking After Midnight

Author: S J Smith

Rating: Teen

Disclaimer: Arakawa is the one who created FMA. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

Summary: Greed finds Ling's jealousy fascinating.

Note: Written for the LJ community, FMA_Fic_Contest for the prompt 'midnight'.

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Winry rose, stretching. Ling noticed Ed's eyes tracing her figure. "If you guys are leaving at midnight, I'd better get to work on your automail, Ed." Winry's grandmother chatted with the men from Briggs while Heinkel and Darius talked about food – all of them ignoring what he could see. Watching as Winry led Ed up the stairs from the basement, Ling tried to control his emotions.

Greed, of course, picked up on it immediately. "What's wrong, little prince? Jealous?"

It didn't bear answering. Ling folded in on himself within Greed's personality. It was all but impossible to meditate within the confines of Greed's mind but he could do it if he concentrated hard enough.

Greed flashed images in front of him, of Winry stripping Ed, of Ed pulling her into his arms, of them kissing, and Winry wrapping her legs around Ed's hips –

"Stop it!"

"Aw," Greed elongated the syllable. "See something that bothers you? Or maybe turns you on?" The glowing eyes narrowed and the sharp teeth chewed over a laugh. "Which is it, little prince? No, you don't have to tell me! How does it feel to know the alchemist isn't interested in you?"

Ling turned his head, refusing to rise to the bait. "He's not interested in you, either, just what you can do to help him."

"And I'm interested in him for what he can do to help me take over the world. If the alchemists can take out at least some of my family, I'm all for using them to do it! I'll save my attack for afterward, when Father and the rest are weakened." The sharp tooth smile widened ferociously. "And then, I'll destroy them. Nothing will be able to stop me." Greed snatched the thought right out of Ling's consciousness. "Don't worry! I don't have anything against your little blond boy or the armor boy. If they don't get in my way, I won't hurt them. I'll even let you tell them that, so they'll know, when it gets right down to it."

"Ed knows already." It was difficult to say it but Ling did.

"Yes, he does. And yet he still keeps me around. He's a user, too, isn't he? But I forgot, he cares for you. Maybe not in the way you want him to but at least he calls you 'friend'. You wouldn't be able to take him home to Xing." The image of Greed's face shrank, until it was nearly the same size as Ling's own. "Your people wouldn't stand for him having a place of honor in your court, not the one you'd want him to have. Amestrian politics are dangerous but at least poisonings and assassinations aren't commonplace."

"I could keep him safe."

"I know you want to believe that but you can't. Besides, he doesn't like you that way." A hint of genuine concern laced through his words. "You need to realize that."

Ling somehow managed to control their shared body enough to start for the stairs. The others glanced at him and Greed waved. "It's getting later. I'm just going to check on the kids. Make sure they're actually doing maintenance."

"How rude!" The old woman's words followed them up the staircase.

Greed chuckled but not out loud, just enough Ling could hear him. "I think the bat would be happy if her granddaughter got pregnant tonight. What do you think?"

"I am ignoring you."

"Of course you are, little prince!" It almost felt like Greed slapped him on the back. He laughed, the coarse sound rasping over Ling's consciousness. "You don't want to think the alchemist and his pretty mechanic are more than just friends." His voice lowered, almost as if the homunculus elbowed him in the side. "Thinking about what they might be doing upstairs, without anyone knowing."

Wishing he could grit his teeth, Ling tried again to incorporate the mediation techniques Fuu had taught him. In the mean time, Greed propelled their body to the upper levels of the house. "I love how you walk, little prince. So quiet. Like a ghost in the dark."

"I'm glad you enjoy the training my body has learned."

"All of it, little prince." Greed's tongue lashed over those sharp teeth. Ling wished he could shudder.

Their body crept up the stairs, ghosting along until they were outside the door to Winry's room. Greed poked at the door with a fingertip, cracking it open. Ling didn't want to see what was happening but Greed had control of the body and his curiosity overwhelmed Ling.

Within the room, Ed and Winry stared at each other. Fury crackled in the air. Ling could feel the tension vibrating between them. He expected Ed to kiss her, thought he saw Ed leaning in, but instead Ed spun, yelling at Winry, walking toward the door.

Greed moved away from the opening, not too far, not caring if he was caught listening in to a private conversation. Ling sagged inside of their body, losing track of what Greed said to Ed.

Ed hadn't kissed Winry.

Ling tried not to allow himself any hope. Just because they hadn't kissed didn't discount what he'd seen between them.

X X X

"It's midnight," Heinkel called from downstairs. "Time to get moving."

"I hear you," Ed grumbled, swinging his jacket over his shoulders. Greelin followed behind him. Winry clattered down the stairs after. He knew which one he'd prefer looking at his ass. Wanting to tell Winry to get in the basement, to hide, Ed knew he had to offer her some sort of hope instead.

Heinkel and Darius waited in the yard. Greedlin still stalked him and Winry scolded Ed as he turned away. He blinked in realization. There was something he could give her.

"Hey." Ed looked back at Winry, smiling. "Bake a pie, okay?" He basked for a second in the warmth of her gaze.

"Your girlfriend really is cute," Darius said as they started walking away.

Ignoring Ling's jealous glare, Ed snapped, "Shut up."

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