Chapter 3 – In which people need to learn to keep their paws to themselves
The Sandbag was not much to look at from outside. It could use more than one coat of paint and several of the logs that were used to construct it needed replacing. But the windows were whole, even if they could use some cleaning. The inside was a differently story.
It was clean and well lit, with wood paneled walls and floor. The tables were sturdy too, with legs made of tree trunks and thin iron chairs. The bar ran on a diagonal between the right and back walls. Ed could see a kitchen beyond it. It seemed however that its cleanliness was the only thing going for it. Normally a joint of this type up keep would be swarming with patrons, but there were only five other men in the bar. The food or drink must be lacking, Ed thought while he gave the place a full sweep.
He stiffened, feeling someone's eyes on him from the near left corner. Turning to glare at the male, Ed stopped short to find himself looking at Colonel Mustang sharing a drink with a short, mostly bald older man. Judging by the surprised look on his commanding officer's eyes, he was not as up to date as Lt. Hawkeye was. He was about to give some subtle clue to not approach him when Ala took care of that for him.
"Come on Jerry! We'll start you out with something light."
Ed abandoned Mustang and made his way to the bar and the open stool next to Ben. The bastard was smart, he could figure it out.
"Really? I expected you guys to give me the worst possible." As he slipped on to the seat he saw Ryan, who was seated in the middle, elbow Ala hard.
"Hey! What was that for?" the boy cried. Ed did not hear Ryan's response over Ben talking to him.
"Ryan wanted to, but Ala ordered before he got the chance." Ben shook his head and then gave Ed a wink. "We're still going to get you drunk though, I have a feeling you'll be a very amusing drunk."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" he sputtered.
"Nothing, nothing at all." The knowing smile he gave made it hard for Ed to believe the dark haired boy.
"Here you are." The chinkling of glass caused all four boys to look to the bar keeper who had just placed a bottle and four shot glasses down between Ryan and Ben. "That'll be fifty five cents."
Ryan, Ala, and Ben turned out their pockets and dumped their pennies and nickels into their hands. They split the bill in quarters, paying fourteen cents each. Well, except for Ryan who was paying for the broke Edward.
"I like you Jerry," Ala grabbed the bottle and started pouring, "Having you here means I have to pay less."
Ed chuckled. "How often do you guys come here?" He accepted a glass that had been passed down the line.
"Once week or so?" Ben looked at the other two for confirmation before continuing. "Not too much, and we usually don't finish a bottle so Kalra," he gestured to the bar keep with his head, "stashes the rest here for us for the next week."
"We might have to buy a bottle more frequently," Ryan had slouched down and was looking at the level of liquid in the bottle. "Or just drink a little less."
"Drink less!" Ala stared at Ryan with a look of horror. "What are you talking about?! We have to get Jerry drunk, remember?"
"Who could forget that? Tonight is going to be really entertaining." For some reason Ed thought the teen's smile was much too toothy. " But I'm saying for the next time we buy a bottle we should still try to make it last two weeks."
Ed wanted to say Ala looked pouty, but what self-respecting sixteen year old did that? "We'll see how things go," the Ishbalan said "but tonight that bottle will be empty before we leave."
All three turned to look at Ed and grinned.
"I'm going to regret meeting you guys come tomorrow morning, aren't I?"
"Most likely."
"Oh well, at least I don't have to go to class tomorrow."
"You know Ala, Jerry's got a point there," Ben said.
"Who cares, it's not like we do this all the time. It's a special occasion! Just make sure you drink three glasses of water before going to bed."
"Does that really work?" Ed asked.
Ala shrugged. "So my dad tells me."
"Huh. Right, so what am I about to drink my self sick with?"
"Vodka. Brewed by myself." Kalra stood in front of the four of them, drying a glass. "I take it I'll be seeing you a lot Blondie?" he nodded to Ed.
He shot a look towards the boys on his left. "I don't think I have much of a choice in that matter. Call me Jerry."
"Kalra."
"Hey, bar keep!" Someone sat down a few stools from Ed.
"Talk to you boys later," Kalra said as he went to help the customer.
"All right, you ready Jerry?" Ben asked.
He nodded, grasping the glass with his left hand.
"You're supposed to chug it all at once. Ready? On the count of three. One, two, three!"
All four of them tilted their heads back and swallowed before laying down their glasses on the counter with thumps.
"Ugg! That was vile! I need something to wash my mouth out with." Ed moved his tongue around in his mouth, reenacting his first experience with spirits.
"Ready for another one?" Ala was already pouring himself and Ryan their second shot.
"Are you serious? Can't I have WAHH!"
There was the stale breath of someone who had passed their limit of drinks on his cheek and a stubble covered beard on his shoulder. Thankfully the person was too far gone to give a thought to the feeling of the hard metal plating of his port and potentially give something away that he wanted to keep secret. But what was most uncomfortable was feeling of hands kneading his chest.
"Huh? Where are your boobs?"
Ed almost couldn't hear the snickers from the police, even though the transmitter was right in his ear, over his own shout.
"I'M NOT A GIRL!!"
Ed stood up, dug his fingernails into the delicate webbing between the offender's thumb and forefinger, and kicked his stool back into his stomach. The man crumbled and fell to the ground. Ed stood over him, fuming and red faced from a mix of anger and embarrassment. The man blinked up at him a couple of times.
"Oh, sorry about that."
Ed sputtered and then made to leap on him to land a fist on his face when he felt Ben's hand on his arm.
"Relax Jerry, he's drunk."
"I don't care! I. Do. Not. Look like a girl!" He thrust his hands up into the air. Ryan fell off his chair, laughing.
"It's not funny! Dang it Ryan, stop laughing! Ala!!" The other boy had also slipped off his stool, and was currently leaning against Ryan laughing so hard tears were starting to gather in his eyes.
Ed cast a glance around bar. He had caused quite a scene, most of the patrons where trying, unsuccessfully, to hide their smiles and did not meet his eyes. Well, all accept that smirking bastard in the corner. Ed just knew the entire office would know about it by the time he returned to Central. Havoc, and certainly Mustang, were never going to let it go.
"Here," Ben placed a glass in his hand and Ed knocked it back without a second thought, not expecting the burn as it went down.
"Bla! I thought that was water, not another round!" He reached for the counter, as if he found himself light headed.
"You really are a light weight." Ryan was helping Ala – and receiving the favor in kind – stand. Once up, Ala wiped the tears from his eyes, still on the border of hysteria.
Ed glared. He seemed to be doing a lot of that this night.
"He didn't mean anything by it. You should feel honored that someone thought you pretty enough to be a girl." A vein started throbbing on Ed's forehead.
"Yeah, what he said."
Ed's attention snapped back to drunk on the floor. The man put his hands up in defense.
"Sorry, you're defiantly not a girl. Only a guy could wind me like that. Truce?"
Ed narrowed his eyes and then sighed deeply, the tension easing from his shoulders. He had been mistaken for a girl so many times it never chafed him for long. Granted, those times he had been aiming for that during under cover missions or his hair had been down –not that he would ever admit that his hair was girly. This was the first time it had happened while not dressed to confuse and one of the few where he was allowed to blow up at the misunderstanding.
He stuck his hand out, but pulled it away before the drunk could latch on. "Promise to get a good look next time before you try to feel someone up?"
The man nodded.
"Good." Edward pulled him up, plopped him on the empty seat next to him, poured a glass for each of them, and tried to ignore the giggling teenagers on the left.
A/N: XD Poor Ed, but it was this snap shot image in my head that spawned this beast (and beast it is, I'm thinking....10? 11? chapters. But everytime I write my plan gets twisted T.T So who knows). It was inspired by two scenes the crop up in manga Tail of the Moon Rinko Ueda and a song that I have decided to be Edward's theme - TNT by AC/DC. If you listen to the lyrics, I feel like you'll agree it a good match, especially the chorus.
The more I write this, the more I'm getting attached to my OCs. And while this is not my first time writing them (my Redwall fic follows an OC) this is the first time I've felt such a connection. In the past they have just sort of been...tools that I choose/had to use.
While I have the major plot elements sketched out, I have reached a crossroads of such. That being who is Ed's 'uncle' for the mission. I was thinking of having it be Rodgers or Chambers, from the police department, but Roy is trying to get the post. I don't really care either way at the moment, I may settle on one while thinking up the next chapter, but for now I'ld gladly listen to your opinion. And even if Roy was not chosen as the 'uncle', he would still have a role cuz Ed has to report in.
Once again, if the price of items seems odd, I'm using the actual prices used in the US during the same time period. Yes, that's how much I love you all, I do that much research to make this fic as good as it can be. So, review please?
