Edited 12/07/2012: Removed a few of Ling's lines – Characterization Marches On, he never ended up being quite as much of an ass as I meant him to be.

Corrected Kimbley's name like fifty times. Freaking multiple spellings.

Part 1: Kochou (Butterfly)

Chapter 2

Paper

I didn't know what to think of the three boys who had stepped in against Kimbley. Their efforts were appreciated, but I didn't see the point in saving someone like me, even if he hadn't been planning to erase himself that night.

Ling Yao was tall and lanky, with long black hair and narrow eyes that almost looked closed. He seemed lazy, but I suspected that if anyone he truly cared about was on the line, he would prove far more dangerous than anyone suspected. He was dressed in all black, with a black longcoat and…sparkly purple high-tops? The contrast made my head hurt.

Russell, on the other hand, was the perfect opposite. His short blond hair flopped over one eye and, paired with black slacks and a rumpled white dress shirt, he was the picture of careless elegance – the British accent, unaffected by whatever time he'd spent in Canada, merely completed the picture.

The one who truly interested me, however, was the Elric boy. I'd never seen someone who looked so much like Apollo before – golden hair like strands of sunlight, and eyes just as bright. And the colours too -! He was saturated with colour. He wore a crimson coat with white gloves, over a purple tank-top, and leather pants. On any other person, it would have looked horrendous, but he wore it splendidly. It was a shame he was so sh

"Hey, Envy!" Ling waved a hand in front of Envy's face, bringing him back to the real world. "You alive over there?"

Envy tucked his pen into the spine of his notebook. "I was writing, that's all."

Russell chuckled throatily. "You get pretty into it, don't you? You haven't said a word since we got you out of that mess."

Envy shrugged. "I'm not much of a talker."

"Whatcha writing about anyway?" asked Ling, trying to look at the page covered in Envy's neat but small handwriting. "You writing about us?"

He slammed the book shut. "None of your business."

"Sorry, sorry. I'm just interested, that's all."

Envy turned slightly so that Ling couldn't see, then went back to his writing. Suddenly…

"There are pages missing." He flipped through, again and again, but it was true. The page where he'd written his poem about butterflies and his statement that his life was soon to end – was gone. A flap of paper was left in the spine, with 'My n' scratched on it.

He bit his lip. It must have ripped out when I dropped it, when Kimbley hit me.

"Is it important, Envy?" Envy looked up – and into Ed's golden eyes, which were suddenly very close.

"Uh. No. It's fine." I have to change the subject now… "So, do you not have a good reputation either?"

Ed sat back down, at a comfortable distance from Envy. "Nah, we're kinda the Rainbow Alliance round these parts." Kimbley's words.

"I've already fucking told you, Ed, we are not a bloody Rainbow Alliance." Russell held up a finger shushing Ed before he could counter. "We're three gay –"

"Bi!"

"Shut up, Ling. Okay, two gays and one bisexual with a penchant for trouble. A Rainbow Alliance involves an alliance. We have no lesbians, and no transsexuals. Therefore, no alliance."

Envy unsuccessfully tried to stop himself from choking in surprise. Russell raised an eyebrow at him. "It can't have been a surprise."

"Ah, shut up, Brit-boy." Ed smacked Russell on the back of the head. "Maybe for you, but I'm, like, invisible to gay-dar."

The taller boy snorted. "Sure. And…how come your clothes are all rumpled up?"

"Er…I was just in a fight?"

"He walked away before either of you landed a blow."

Ed crossed his arms. "Fine, I was with my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Ling leaned forward. "I have not heard this. Tell me. Now."

"I can't. It's a secret."

Ling gasped. "Secret sexy relations, the best kind! Come on, tell me!"

"No! It's a secret!"

"At least tell me if he's hot!"

"Extremely."

"Ooh, what does he look like?"

"I can't tell you that, Russell."

Envy leant back against the lockers, trying to ignore their conversation. Figures. I don't belong – as entertaining as they are. Still, my last day might as well be with people as colourful as them.

"Whoops, there's the bell." Ed got to his feet, brushing himself off. "Ling, we've got History with whatshisface, come on. See ya later, Russell. Envy…"

"Yeah?"

Ed gave the thin boy a thumbs-up and a dazzling smile. "Have a nice day, alright?"

Envy was stunned silent, then smiled in return. He gave Ed a thumbs-up as well. "Yeah. You too." Then he bent his head, hair hiding his face.

Damn it…I thought I was done with crying.

Envy's Notebook – Entry #26

All the tears in the world will not quench

The bitter flame of unhappiness

So dry your tears and stay awhile

Though there's no use in trying to smile.

Cry me a river or cry me an ocean

Nothing will change and nothing will stay

Cry your eyes red until all hope is dead

The end is still lost and the world is still grey.

Ed tried to listen in History class. He really did. But after Professor Grand's fifth time explaining the irrigation system of Ancient Egypt, he gave up. Digging in his coat pocket, he pulled out the crumpled piece of paper he'd found on the ground.

-ame is Envy Angevin, and today is the day I die.

"The bastard was right," he whispered under his breath, then stuffed it back into his pocket.

The moment school ended, he started a mad dash for the front door.

"Hey, Ed! Are you –"

Ed pushed between Ling and Russell. "No time, gotta go, talk to you later!"

Finally, he caught sight of Envy's grey hood. The skinny teenager was already halfway down the road.

Ed started sprinting. Gotta catch up to him, gotta catch up, gotta c-

"Hey! ENVY!"

Envy stopped, half-turning, just in time for Ed to nearly plow into him. Luckily Ed managed to stop himself.

"...Hello. Did you want something?"

Ed held up a hand. "Just…" –pant pant- "just a sec…" He looked up at the Angevin boy's face.

Envy's skin was pale, grey and stained with tears. The black eye that Kimbley had managed to give him had darkened to blue now, and stood out against his white complexion. Along Envy's collarbone, barely visible from under his hoodie, were other, older bruises. If Ed had had any doubts about what the page from his notebook said before, they were now dispelled.

"I…I just wanted to say…" Yet, now that he had Envy where he wanted him – now that he could stop him from going home – what could he say? "I just wanted to say, um…"

He'd never noticed how purple Envy's eyes were before. They were piercingly clear, like amethysts set in an alabaster face.

"See you tomorrow."

"What?"

Ed straightened up, noticing with a twinge of annoyance that the other boy was taller than him. "I wanted to say see you tomorrow! Maybe we can go to the mall after school. There's a really cool shop Russell, Ling and I like to go to, and we can get ice-cream. Ice cream is good!"

A smile was playing around Envy's lips.

"So…yeah. See you tomorrow." Ed raised his hand in farewell.

"Yeah. You too." Envy turned and walked away.