Hi, people! Thanks to all who decided my story was actually worth reading. It makes me so happy! (cries tears of joy) I have some news for you. First of all, I originally billed this as a three-part story, but when I saw all the people who liked it I got inspired. Now, it might go a little further than three chapters. It just goes to show that showing support actually does something! Also, on a different note, this is as far as the story goes in my writing notebook so far, so updates may come a little slower. I got this chapter up pretty quick though! Kudos for me!
Ed: You didn't have to do much work at all! You had the first two pages all typed out by the time the first chapter was up!
Me: Shut up! They don't have to know that you little shrimp!
Ed:WHO YOU CALLIN-
(irate author puts duct-tape over his mouth and hog-ties him)
Me: Sorry for the brief interruption. And now, onto our main program!
Ed: Mmmmgphhhh!
The Next Day…
The morning sun crept over Roy's bed, his feet, his chest, and then finally his face. He moaned, burying his face into the pillow to get away from the blinding light. He moaned again, but not because of the light this time. Roy's head felt like it was about to split, almost at the level of a bad hangover. On top of that his throat felt funny, kind of sore and itchy. He tried desperately to get back to sleep, but his headache just wouldn't leave him alone. What was the matter with him? Had he been drinking last night? Roy thought back, and then he remembered. Edward. It all clicked into place. "Damn you, Fullmetal," said Roy, beginning to cough. That damn brat had gotten him sick! Roy began to run through every curse he knew three times, including the ones in Ishbalan. He could not believe this. It was just his luck. And Roy had a sinking feeling that his bad day was just beginning.
Edward tried to get back to sleep, but the sun kept invading his field of vision. Ed was exhausted because he had woken up at midnight coughing and hadn't gotten to sleep since. Damn this freaking cold. Damn the freaking sunlight! All he wanted to do was get back to sleep. Was that too much to ask for? Apparently it was, because his chest started to hurt, making him go into a coughing fit. When it was over, he just lay there, blinded by the light from the window. "Why does that bastard have so many fucking windows?" growled Ed out loud. Tired out, Ed just kept his eyes closed, desperately tried to fall back to sleep.
Suddenly, a brisk knock came from the door. Ed just rolled over. Couldn't that dang Mustang just let him get back to sleep? "Whaaaaat?" he groaned, which was pretty polite of him considering it was morning. The knock came again.
"Edward," said Hawkeye from the other side of the door, "It's ten o'clock. I've made you breakfast, so get out of bed."
"Do I have to?" asked Ed tiredly.
Yes, you do," said Hawkeye firmly, "And if you're smart, you'll go wash up in the bathroom while I wake the colonel."
"All right," said Ed reluctantly, climbing out of bed while coughing into his elbow. It's not like he'd be able to get back to sleep anyway. And if he beat Mustang to the bathroom, well, that was an added bonus. Catching his eye, Ed noticed the blanket for the first time. How did that get on him? Ed pondered this for a second, then shrugged, plodding along to the bathroom and wondering what was for breakfast.
Riza Knocked on Roy's door, evoking a groan from the sleeping man within. "Roy, it's time to get up," said Riza, rapping on the door again. A muffled "go away" floated through the wood door, followed by the sound of coughing. Riza paused then reached for the door handle. "I'm coming in," she said, opening the door and stepping into the room. Riza looked around. Surprisingly, the room was pristine, not a piece of clothing out of place. It looked nothing like his desk did. Riza felt her eye twitch in anger. So he could keep his house clean but not his desk, then? She made a mental note to double his workload until he got his desk straightened out. The only thing that seemed remotely out of order, the bed, caught her eye. The sheets were in disarray, rumpled like he'd tossed and turned in his sleep. Roy himself was lying with the covers pulled up to his ears and a pillow over his head. As she watched, Roy began to cough, shaking the bed as he was wracked with spasms. When he stopped he shivered once, as if cold. Walking over to his bed, Riza removed to pillow, despite the owner's moaning and muffled protests. What she could see of Roy's normally pale face was flushed pink, and her thoughts were confirmed when Roy sneezed into the bed sheets.
"Edward gave you his cold?" asked Riza eyebrow quirked in amusement at the man's tactics of evasion.
Roy rolled over, fixing his blurry gaze on his lieutenant. "Yes, he did," Roy said, coughing and annoyed. "Now let me sleep." Roy rolled over and sighed, snuggling into the covers.
"Sorry, but we have an appointment to keep at eleven, so both you and Edward need to go down and eat breakfast," said Riza calmly, ripping the covers off Roy's bed and throwing them in the corner. Roy whimpered a little at the loss of heat.
"Riza," he whined, trying the curl up into a little, miserable, coughing ball, "Where on earth are we going?"
"I'm taking Ed to the doctors," said Riza, a glint in her eye, "And now that you're sick, I'm bringing you along, too."
"Damn it," said Roy, uncurling from his pathetic ball and pulling himself into a sitting position. He blinked and yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Why do you have to be so stubborn in the morning?" he asked tiredly, pushing himself off the bed and rising to his feet.
"Because that's when I usually have to deal with you," said Riza cheekily, walking out of the room and closing the door so Roy could get dressed.
Roy just grunted at the closed door and began to search for his casual clothes. He was just too tired to work himself into a temper. For now, that is. However, when he had to deal with a certain blonde midget downstairs, that would probably change.
Edward came down stairs, face washed, hair in order, to find toast and orange juice waiting for him on the kitchen table. Set before the seat opposing him was a cup of coffee and a small bowl of oatmeal. Ed wrinkled his nose. He wasn't sure what he hated more, the coffee or the oatmeal. In his opinion they were both disgusting, and ranked right under milk in his distastes for foods. Oh well, he was just glad he didn't have to eat it. Ed took a seat and slowly sipped his orange juice. As soon as the taste hit his tongue he did a spit take, spewing orange juice all over the table. It tasted horrible, like the bi-product of a chemical reaction gone wrong. What the hell? As Ed rushed to the sink and rinsed his mouth out, Riza walked into the kitchen looking as serene as ever. She took in Edward frantically rinsing his mouth out and the orange juice all over the table without missing a beat.
"Good morning, Edward," she said to his heaving back, taking a wet rag and beginning to wipe down the table. It was best to get things cleaned up before Roy came down. Riza knew from experience that Roy got cranky when he wasn't feeling well, and would take any excuse to bite Ed's head off.
"What the hell was in my orange juice?" yelled Ed, pulling faces and coughing at the same time.
Riza looked at Edward. His face was flushed and he had purple shadows under his eyes, but at least he had enough energy to yell. That was good. "Cough medicine," she said wryly, still cleaning the table. "I figured you wouldn't take it willingly, so I put it in your orange juice and hoped you'd drink some before you noticed."
"Like hell I'd notice," said Edward, sitting back down in his chair. His brief shouting fit had given him a headache. Oh joy. He looked at the toast with suspicion, doubting its legitimacy. "Is the toast rigged, too?" he asked Riza suspiciously, golden eyes narrowed and mistrustful. Riza sighed at his mistrust, exasperated.
"The toast is safe, Edward," she said, putting the wet rag back into the sink. "I promise I haven't done anything to it. And I want you to eat at least one piece, even if you don't have an appetite."
"But-"started Ed, but cut off when he saw Riza reaching for her gun. "Fine," said Edward huffily, sulking in the chair while ever so slowly nibbling at the toast. Watched by Ed's eagle eyes, Riza poured him new, untainted glass of orange juice. He began to sip it, drinking faster when he asserted that nothing was in it.
Riza smiled at the chibi alchemist when he wasn't looking. Sitting in the chair with his feet dangling above the ground, he looked just too cute for words! "Oh," she said, remembering something. She walked over and pulled something from the medicine cabinet. It was cough syrup. "Roy's going to need this, too." She set it on the counter, where it seemed to emit an ominous aura, promising gloom and doom to all that swallowed it. She then took her own cup of coffee and sat down at the table. She sipped it slowly, obviously savoring the taste.
Ed gulped, set on edge by that one little glass bottle. No way was he going to drink any of that awful stuff! However, he was puzzled by what Riza had said. Why would that bastard need cough medicine? It's not like he was sick or anything like that. So what would he do with it? As these thoughts crossed Edward's mind, slow, heavy footsteps could be heard descending the stairs. Ed kept right on eating his toast with one eye on the kitchen door, figuring his questions would be answered when he saw Mustang.
Roy made his grand entrance through the kitchen door, and Ed's eyes widened. Roy looked like a drowned rat! His thin, black hair was soaking wet, hanging in damp strands around his face. His normally pale face was a lovely shade of pink that matched to purple shadows under his eyes perfectly. He looked tired. Dead tired and downright pissed. Then Roy began to cough into the back of his hand, and Ed realized how screwed he truly was. He had gotten Roy sick. He had gotten Roy Mustang, the fucking Flame Alchemist sick! Mustang hated him enough already, and now he was stuck in the house for twenty-four hours with a grumpy and irritable Roy! But wait! There was a silver lining to all this mess. This was Ed's chance to pay Roy back for making him come to his house! Edward smiled evilly into his toast, his golden eyes narrowing as schemes of revenge danced around his head.
Little did Ed know that Roy was thinking basically the same thing right at that very moment.
How on earth was Roy going to deal with Ed today? Yesterday, Roy had figured he could subdue the little alchemist with brute force. After all, he had Riza on his side. But today, his energy levels were on low ebb, and he'd had trouble getting out of bed, let alone dealing with an irritable Edward. Roy twitched with pent up anger as he recalled the reason why he was sick in the first place. That little brat. He would have his revenge today. You could count on it. So, without a word to his guests, he sat down and began eating slowly, strategies already forming in his mind.
Riza watched the two with a smile shining in her amber eyes. They were both so much like children, really. She always found herself taking care of the m both, especially when they didn't want to be taken care of. Edward, to her, was like the son she'd never had. Ed had been forced to become an adult at such a young age he'd lost every chance of a childhood that he'd ever had. Every day he'd had to survive, take care of his little brother, and search for a way to get their bodies back. Now Al had his body back, but Edward was still struck with the heavy burden of automail. Edward acted strong, putting on a tough face and acting out to prove this image. When he put on his tough face, it was hard to remember what he's actually been through. But sometimes, Riza thought she could see past the unshakable façade to the scarred sixteen year old who had taken lives with his bare hands.
Roy, on the other hand, was strong in many ways. He had to be, reaching for the top like he was. Though Ishbal had done a number on him, he used his pain and his grief to push himself forward. However, he had grown used to relying only on himself, and someday he was going to get hurt by attempting something dangerous alone. That's when she had to be there, guarding his back with her gun so he could do what he needed to do. She admired and respected Roy Mustang to the fullest extent possible in a human being. But did she love him? Riza had to admit to herself that it was a strong possibility. But Riza would never be able to admit her feeling to Roy. They would just burden him on his way to the top. Since Riza had sworn to help the colonel rise through the ranks no matter what, she kept silent for the sake of the mission.
She watched Roy as he ate, memorizing every line of his face, every strand of his jet black hair. She probably did love him, and looking back her memories, had loved him for a very long time. The signs were everywhere. How she watched him when he wasn't looking, how she caught herself breathing in his smoky scent, how every time they touched Riza had to fight back a blush… so many signs she had missed. Riza found herself wishing desperately for a way to make her see, make him understand. Suddenly, Roy looked up, catching Riza staring and holding her gaze. Riza blushed and looked away, embarrassed. Making some noise to cover up the awkward moment, she got up and put her now empty coffee cup in the sink. She wondered, what was he thinking now after catching her staring like that?
"Riza, I love you," thought Roy. "Can't you tell? Or am I doing something wrong? I hope she likes me back. But what if she doesn't? Oh, I really hope she does…" He dropped his gaze, disappointed by Riza's reaction.
Riza Hawkeye's thinking level: mature. Roy Mustang's thinking level: third grade.
How on earth are they ever going to make this work?
Edward rolled his eyes, watching the short scene play out. Jeez, they needed to go get a room. The love tension could practically be seen the way it was rolling off their bodies. Ed smirked as he watched Riza bustling around the kitchen, and Roy's gaze lingering on her before they returned to his breakfast. It was painfully obvious that the two were in love. It was just as painfully obvious that the two hadn't gotten together yet. But why weren't they together? Looking at the two again, Ed concluded that either they didn't know it yet or they hadn't admitted it to each other yet. He snorted into his orange juice. Was Mustang really useless at everything? Some people were so stupid, especially when it came to other people. Maybe…they just needed a little help. After Edward had his revenge on the unsuspecting colonel, he didn't mind helping the two get a little smarter. Especially if could use it as blackmail later. Ed coughed out a laugh and began to think up a plan.
Riza finished the dishes and turned to Ed and Roy, who were both eyeing the cough medicine and surreptitiously trying to edge out of the room. "Oh no, you don't," she said, pulling out her gun and leveling it at the wayward pair. Both of them had a stubborn, rebellious look on their face, and if they kept it there much longer they were going to have lead rain down upon them. It was far too early in the morning to have to deal with their pain-in-the-ass attitudes. She leveled them one look as their final warning.
"But Riza," Roy whined then yelped as a bullet nearly missed his ear.
"Don't think you can get out of this," she warned him, her amber eyes merciless. "And that means you, too," she barked at Edward, who had been slowly inching towards the door.
"Yes, ma'am," Ed squeaked, jumping a little. She motioned for the two to sit down, and they did so posthaste. After all, no one goes against the lieutenant. Putting her gun away, but losing none of her intimidation, she turned and measured out a dose of cough syrup into a spoon. Riza began to walk towards Edward, whose eyes were starting to widen with barely concealed panic. "But I-" he began to protest, but was cut off when Riza shoved the spoon into his open mouth. She held the spoon there until Edward reluctantly swallowed, immediately afterward rushing to the sink to rinse his mouth out.
Roy snickered. Stupid Edward. You never open your mouth when someone's trying to give you medicine. It was the first mistake kids made. However, his snickering cut off when Riza shot him a look that told him he was next. Dread grew in the pit of his stomach, which changed to anger when Ed gave him a condescending smirk. That little brat! He glared right back at him. Edward made a face. Ray made one right back. Riza, however, took advantage of their little contest by using it to shove the spoon between Roy's lips while he was distracted. Taken off guard, Roy swallowed in surprise, tasting the awful artificial cherry flavor that coated his tongue. Damn, that was nasty! Leaping from his seat, he rushed to the sink and drank straight from the faucet, trying to get the horrible taste off his tongue. When he finished, he sent a glare Edward's way, and another at Riza.
"Now," she said, putting on her coat and grabbing the keys to Roy's car, "We can go to the doctors without you two coughing all the live-long day."
In a fit of annoyance, Roy asked vehemently, "Why do I have to?" He instantly regretted it when Riza shot him a look that would have stunned a grizzly, followed by a bullet that grazed his hair. Edward, who had been on the verge of voicing some complaint, paled.
"Enough," she growled as the two men quaked in their socks. "Get. In. The. Car. Now." The two men moved so fast they would have put an Olympian to shame. Both wanted very much to see the light of another day, thank you. Riza shook her head as they disappeared in a flash. "Boys," she muttered, and then headed for the car.
Do you love me? If you do, then review my story. As shown, they make me review faster. And if you don't I'll hog-tie you. (maniacal gleam in eye)
