Note: Fullmetal Alchemist is property of Hiromu Arakawa.
Reditūs: Classical Latin.
1. A returning; turning back back; going back.
2. A revolution; circuit.
3. A harvest; yield.
4. A profit; revenue.
5. A restoration.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Germany 1926.
The man opened the pocket watch.
8:47.
Sprawled in a chair in the southeast corner of the room he watched her ribs rise and fall with each breath. The thick brown coat that was covering her from the feet to the middle of her face was his; he was left without a choice when he saw her slightly tremble. Unfortunately for him, part of a leg was peaking outside the coat and he could see the line that connected the knee to the ankle, Edward looked away. He squeezed the silver watch in his left hand a little as the right one went to his lips in a pensive way at the same time he looked at the artifact again.
9:02.
He glanced at the window, admiring how the sky was playing between tones of cyan and gray. It was fairly cloudy that morning, the rising sun appearing in a timid way. He sighed when his glance returned to her form, relishing on how unusual and ironic the scene was. He watched her eyes move rhythmically behind her eyelids and in that moment he thought that like that, fast asleep in his bed, she almost seemed harmless, almost. He smiled lightly to himself.
9:19.
That seemed enough.
He closed the watch with emphasis producing a resounding 'clank'. Her blue eyes opened right away and blinked the sleep away a couple of times while watching him, she frowned and groaned and hid behind Edward's wool coat. He cleared his throat before speaking with a flat voice.
"You're going to be late." He warned.
The woman emerged from the coat and sat rubbing her eyes delicately without uttering a word. Edward felt bolted to the spot while he watched her stretch gracefully with catlike movements, removing her legs from the bed and putting on her cream coloured heels, he tried to look away but couldn't. He swallowed and squeezed again the object in his hand wondering if she was doing it on purpose, she was an expert on the department after all. Skilled hands adorned with burgundy nail polish folded the coat neatly and left it on the pillow to later work easily on the still damp black hair, she would take raven waves that fell below her chin in her fingers and turn and twist until they were part of a complex updo secured with bobby pins that were being produced from the pocket of her skirt and waited on her lips for a bit before disappearing between the tresses.
She stood paying him little mind and walked to the small dressing table on the other side of the room, while Edward abandoned his spot at the chair and claimed his bed in a casual way, back to the headboard, one leg hanging outside the mattress. She took her envelope purse and silently checked the inside for a few seconds. Edward's chuckle behind her made her tense as she grabbed quickly a small tin before opening it.
"You think I'd steal from you?" she turned around and looked at him as she dipped her index finger on the circular tin, there was a condescending smile on her lips right before she turned and slid the digit on her lips in front of the mirror.
"It's just a habit." she explained before pressing her now redder lips together and wiping what remained in her hand of the product on her cheeks, tapping lightly and blending until every trace was nonexistent and only a subtle pink hue was visible.
She looked perfect, everything in place, pristine without effort in barely ten minutes.
"It's okay, you see, I don't entirely trust you either." He admitted shrugging while opening the watch one last time, watching now the inside of the silver lid, it was empty. With one gloved finger he draw on the surface imaginary numbers and letters as he sat on the edge of the bed, elbows pressed against his knees.
He caught her on the peripheral vision, but continued to be absorbed on his task purposely ignoring her, though he still was able to tell that she was smoothing her clothes and walking towards the door.
"I must go, I don't want to be late right?" the woman pronounced the words with sarcasm, almost mocking him, the British accent becoming very evident and it was then that Ed realized how aware she was, of everything. Of how early it really was and how badly he wanted her to leave. "Give my regards to Alphonse."
Her fingertips remained on the door frame for a few seconds as she slightly turned her head and looked at him over her shoulder.
"Thank you…" she said hesitantly grazing the wood and watching him with those big blue eyes "for everything."
Edward barely looked up, watching her behind his bangs for a moment before emitting just two words.
"Be careful."
She turned again and made her way to the apartment's exit and between the shuffling of her heels he nearly missed the last thing she said.
"Good bye, Mr. Elric."