Chapter the next one; Unexpected… Or rather, Expected.
Finally, Roy's car pulled up outside his house. Thank goodness, he thought.
He stepped out, locking the door behind him before fleeing the pelting rain. He struggled with the lock for a while before slamming the door behind him and leaning against it as if the rain itself was trying to break in.
Roy padded down the hallway, tossing his coat at the hat-rack as he passed, not even bothering to attempt drying the thick material. He changed from his sopping wet military uniform into a pair of black trousers and a simple white shirt. He looked to the clock. It was still early, so he pulled out some of his unfinished paperwork.
An hour later, he made tea.
Personally, he preferred coffee, but he wanted to sleep and coffee was not good for that. Just as he raised the cup to his lips there was a loud knock at the door. Roy sighed for the twenty-five million, six hundred and fifty-three thousand, two hundred and eighty-fourth time that day. What now?
He moved off down the corridor and swung open the door. "I should have known."
Roy stood leaning against the door-frame, smirking at the sight before him. Edward Elric stood scowling before him, thoroughly saturated, with a disgruntled expression plastered all over his dripping wet face. "Th-th-this. Is. N-not. F-f-f-funny," he grumbled.
"Of course not. You're just a little wet."
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO LITTLE THAT HE'D BE DROWNED IN THE WATER YOU WRING OFF YOUR WET COAT?!"
"Why, you, of course," Roy replied, still smirking. Then, as if it were an afterthought, he added, "But I think anyone would be drowned in what I managed to wring out of my coat."
Edward remained silent, scowling. When he finally spoke, it was to say, "I c-can't get to the hot-t-tel. It's raining too h-hard and I can't s-s-see."
"No surprises there," Roy replied with an I-told-you-so look on his face.
"Shad-d-dup, you smug b-bastard." Edward folded his arms in annoyance.
After a few moments, Roy spoke up once more. "I suppose you'll be wanting in here, then."
"W-well, I d-don't r-really hav-v-ve anywhere else t-to g-g-go. I only know where you l-live 'round here and I c-can hardly go l-l-looking for the hotel n-now, so…yeah." Edward's scowl deepened. "And I r-really hate having t-to c-come to you. Just so y-you know."
"Whatever," Roy said, stepping aside for the young State alchemist, smirk ever present.
Edward's sour expression remained too as he made his way down the hallway.
"The bathroom is that way. There are dry towels in the cupboard. I'll look, but I don't think I have anything small enough for you," Roy told him.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT YOU'D LOSE HIM IN YOUR SHIRT POCKET?!"
"Just go dry yourself. You're dripping all over the carpet," Roy ordered.
"Carpet-shmarpet," Edward muttered.
Chapter 5 or whatever; Awkward moments
"Damn Colonel Bastard. And his damn carpets. Damn rain. Keepin' me away from Al. I was s'posed to help him polish his armour..." Edward grumbled, keeping his arms close to his body for warmth. "Can't have him getting rusted…"
The Fullmetal Alchemist sighed, dropping the towel he'd been using to dry his limp blonde hair. He'd promised Alphonse they'd do something fun tonight. A board game or something. In all the stress they'd been through lately, the two brothers hadn't had a second of time to themselves.
And now, even the weather was against them.
Alphonse…Edward thought sadly. You're probably all flustered right about now. A faint smile crossed his face, but then vanished.
He whipped on the oversized clothes Roy had left him, a pale blue T-shirt and grey trousers. Then he threw his hair in a messy braid and tossed his towel at a towel rack, racing from the room.
"Mustang!" he shouted, charging into the living room.
The Colonel was on a sofa, facing a recently lit fire. He was drinking what appeared to be tea whilst staring at the flames as if they held the answers to all the questions mankind could ask. "What is it, Fullmetal?" he drawled.
"I need to borrow your phone."
"…" There was an awkward silence for a while as Roy drank some more of his tea. This annoyed Edward to no end.
Then he got it.
"Colonel Bastard, may I please use your phone?" Edward asked with a sickly sweet voice and a false smile.
"You may," Roy replied monotonously. Some more awkward moments passed.
"Uh, where is it?" Edward asked finally.
"In the study."
"Okay." The blonde alchemist turned to leave.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Roy asked, looking at Edward for the first time since he'd entered the room, eyebrow raised.
"I don't think so," Edward responded flatly.
Awkward pause the third.
Now it was Edward's turn to sigh. "Thank you, Colonel Bastard."
The false sweetness was almost visible in the air.
Chappie the Sixth; Alphonse
Ri-riing! Ri-riing! Alphonse jumped up and grabbed the phone off the wall, holding it to the side of his helmet. "Brother?! Is that you?!" he asked frantically.
"Yeah. Sorry to worry you, Al. I don't think I'll make it back tonight. I can't see through the rain. It's falling like bullets out there," Edward's voice crackled through the line.
Relief flooded Alphonse's hollow body. "Wh-where are you then?" the younger Elric asked worriedly.
"I'm at Colonel Mustang's place."
Alphonse clutched the phone tight in his so-called hands. "Are you dry? Do you have clothes to wear? Do you need anything? I can come 'round if you want," he fretted over the phone.
"I'm fine, Al. And I don't need anything. You wouldn't make it here anyway. The rain could wash off your blood-seal," Edward answered. "Look, I'm really sorry about tonight… I tried to make it back, I really did. For a couple of hours. I can't even find my way…home."
The line went silent for a bit.
"It's okay. We'll do it some other time. But make sure you stay warm. I don't want you catching a cold now! And make sure you eat what he gives you…and drink your milk, okay?"
"I'LL NEVER TOUCH THAT REPULSIVE COW EXCRETION AS LONG AS I LIVE!"
"Oh, and brother, make sure your auto-mail doesn't rust…"
On the other end of the line, Edward held the phone to his ear, listening to his brother's distinctly child-like voice. He wasn't really listening to the words, just the voice.
The voice. That voice. His voice.
Sometimes the voice was the only thing that reminded Edward his brother was still there. To look at him, all one would see was that huge, cold suit of armour. And there were still times when Edward panicked. Where's my brother?! Who's this stranger?! And then Alphonse spoke, and it was the most reassuring thing the young alchemist could hear.
Edward smiled. But it wasn't a happy smile. He wasn't happy. But he wasn't sad either. He was angry.
Enraged.
Why should Alphonse have to suffer? Why couldn't he have lived normally, like a normal person? Like a normal 14-year-old?
Because of you.
A bolt of guilt flashed through Edward's chest. It was your idea. You made him that way. You made him like that.
Edward frowned. I'm sorry, Al. Really sorry.
But no matter how many how many times he said it, or thought it, the guilt wouldn't leave.
It won't ever leave. Not until I get Al his body back. Even if that means... Edward clenched his auto-mail fist.
"Brother?" The question in Alphonse's voice broke into his elder brother's thoughts.
"Yeah?" He responded.
"Ah. You are there. I was starting to think you'd tuned out," Alphonse said.
"No such luck. You're still stuck with me."
"Bro, you make it sound as if it's a bad thing. I'm always happy to be with you, even though I see you nearly every day," Alphonse said. He paused. "Well, see you soon, brother. Don't annoy the Colonel too much. And remember your manners! Don't forget to thank him when you leave!"
"Yeah, yeah. Will do. See you soon, Al," Edward farewelled his younger brother.
"Bye, bro."
They didn't make a move for the next few seconds, both reluctant to hang up. Finally, Edward gave a reluctant 'bye' and set the phone back on the wall.
He stared at it for a while, almost wanting to pick it back up and call Alphonse again.
Then he murmured, "Sorry, Al," and turned to leave.
But as he did, a flash of movement caught his eye.
OooOoOOoHh!1! Suspenseful, isn't it? There isn't much of the stuff in the description in these first chapters, but there will be next chapter. BTW, if you do leave constructive criticism (which I appreciate) tell me I did something good at the end. Or I might think I've offended you! D8 Hope you enjoyed.
