A/N: So the inspiration for this petered out along the holidays and went absolutely nowhere. Fortunately for me, I know how to persuade the muse. ;)

Enjoy!

Warning: Slight language.

Chapter Four- Implicit

Ed knocked at the door, already regretting her course of action. She should've suspected something was amiss when he'd phoned her earlier in the day, extending a rare invitation to take dinner with his family Not since Elicia had been born had she'd spent extended amounts of time in the Hughes' household- not that she wasn't welcomed. Gracia was the same warm spirit that opened her door whenever Ed needed it and Elicia, with her wide smile and energetic spirit, was always a pleasure to be around. No, Ed had no problem with killing time with them. It was him that she was concerned about. She'd caught Major Hughes eyeing her with a certain maniacal glint in his eyes, as if he were on the cusp of some life altering decision.

Ed shuddered; the invitation would've been better received had it originated from Gracia…

"What am I getting myself into here?" Ed questioned as she knocked again. Shifting her weight, she listened to the mirth that lay beyond the door, the high pitched squeals of anticipation from Elicia to the heavy foot falls of the man of the house. Ed imagined that he'd answer the door with a goofy grin on his face, his eyes glistening with equal parts of debauchery and determination.

"Daddy, Daddy, Auntie Ed is here!"

For a brief moment, Ed smiled at the sound of the precocious girl's excitement. It'd had been a long time since Ed had felt anything remotely like familial ties and the sudden shift of emotion had her longing for her brother. While Ed had chosen to stay in Central, Alphonse had decided to yield to the call of wanderlust, traveling the rails in his tireless search for more knowledge. They'd both taken after their father in that manner; heeding the call of the open road more times than not, however, had left Ed with a sort of detachment. She'd thought that sticking around and planting roots would ease that desolate pain. Every once in a while, though, she'd found herself restless for another adventure.

"Well, you ask and you shall receive," she remarked flippantly as she heard the locks turn. Just as the door opened, a blur of sandy brown hair dashed past Hughes' legs and lunged for Ed. Ed bent down and scooped up the little girl, a tuft of laughter escaping her lips as little arms encircled her neck. "If this is the reaction I get, I'll come to dinner at least once a week."

Elicia squealed and squeezed tighter, "Once a week's not enough, Auntie Ed! Every day! You have to eat with us every day, Auntie!"

Ed looked up to see Hughes leaning against the door jamb, his arms crossed against his chest with a triumphant look in his eyes along with the expected goofy ass grin. Ed decided to ignore Hughes and instead focused on Elicia as she finally released her neck and pulled away. Their gazes met and the all too familiar warmth began to spread from her heart at the light she saw in the little girl's vibrant green eyes. Such jubilation, such innocence-

Ed narrowed her eyes at Hughes and groaned internally. It never paid to underestimate an opponent and this especially rang true for the deceptively intelligent Maes Hughes.

"I trust you're doing well this evening, Ed." The humor in his voice was undeniable and annoying. Maes Hughes was too perceptive to have missed the brief flash of longing that had to have been visible on her face as she embraced Elicia. The implicit connotation of her decision to stay behind had been enough fodder for Hughes to nibble on. Ed could see the wheels turning in the investigator's mind and knew that no good was going to come of it.

"Yeah, I'm doing just fine, Hughes. Just waiting for that other shoe to drop is all." Ed exhaled lightly and turned her attention to the delectable aromas wafting out of the Hughes' home, "But first, you're going to make good on your promise to feed me."

Ed trudged down the corridor as if she were on her way to her execution. The memory of that night flashed intermittently as she neared the office, constricting her breathing slightly. After a delicious meal and a few moments of respite, Hughes had pounced, revealing his plan in all of its insane glory. According to Hughes it was kismet; both she and Mustang were denying the longing that surged between them, ignoring the obvious signs of attraction. He had a plan that would posit them in a most gainful position. Ed had laughed, heartily, at Hughes' assumption but when it was evident that the bespectacled man was serious, she'd sobered up quickly and listened as he explained his plan, the doubts rising.

"A couple of things wrong with this plan, Chief. One, I'm his subordinate and two there's this pesky law against fraternization."

"To be a prodigy, you're pretty dense, Fullmetal. Yeah, sure, the fraternization law is tricky to work around but it's possible."

"Alright, say you tap dance around that, which is pretty impossible, but whatever." Ed had paused briefly and averted her eyes, "Even if fraternization wasn't a problem, there's the little thing called attraction. At best, Mustang's got this hate/hate thing going with me."

"Dense isn't the word. You're blind, Edaline, if you don't see the attraction between you and Roy…"

"Blind, huh? I wasn't too blind last night," Ed grumbled as she grasped the knob. Deciding to table the pettiness, she took a deep breath and entered. Instead of expectant eyes, Ed was met with a deserted office. A slight grin broke out across her face and she turned to leave, thankful, once again, for her impeccable timing.

"Glad to see you keep your word about some things, Fullmetal." A beat of silence filled the air before he spoke again, "Running away again?"

Ed froze mid turn as her eyes slid shut. The silence had been deceptive; Mustang was merely lying in wait for her, a fact that was evident in that smug tone of his. Cringing, she turned to face him fully, attempting at a bit of levity, "I was sure that you'd shove off your responsibilities and take an extended lunch. I mean, that's par for the norm for you, right?"

"Cute," Roy replied, "but be it far from me to leave a lady waiting. You said you'd return; I waited for you. It's only the gentleman thing to do". Their eyes locked and Ed felt the simmering fire roar to life as she watched him approach slowly. The haughty bastard had her pinned and he knew it.

Ed swallowed hard as the air teemed with a sort of electricity she'd only felt once before. It pulsated under her skin, making it come alive with desire. Her lips parted slightly as he continued to advance on her, his heated gaze traveling the expanse of her body. All at once, she'd felt self-conscious under his scrutiny and sought to break the tenuous grip his midnight blue eyes had on her.

Clearing her throat roughly, she looked away, "Um…yeah, so now that I'm here, I'll give my report and then leave."

"And what report is that, Fullmetal?"

His voice, husky and tempered with a smoldering flame was too close. Ed shivered in anticipation of his touch, fighting against every fiber of her body not to look at him. This was decidedly not going the way she'd planned. She was supposed to be in control here, supposed to be direct. Just as he reached to touch her, she spun out of his way. She had to gain the upper hand here or this would be a disaster in the making.

Edging back toward the door more, a nervous laugh escaped her lips, "On the Steward case. I wasn't able to get much yesterday -

"Speaking of yesterday," Roy interjected smoothly, "mind explaining your little outburst last night?"

Ed's head snapped forward.

Did he just…

"I thought it was a tiny distraction at most but I decided that I'd hear your side of the story to even come to a minute conclusion."

Yes, that incorrigible ass did.

Fury coursed through her veins like a river of lava, scorching its way to the surface to deliver a devastating explosion. She took a step forward into his space, determined to give him the what for.

"Whoareyoucallingsotinythatyoucan'tevenpinmedownwithathumbtack?"

"Now, now, calm down, Fullmetal…"

"Screw this, I'm out of here," Ed bit out as she turned on her heels. As much as she didn't want to, she'd write out the damned report. She was about to open the door when his hand shot out to slam it back closed. He hovered behind her, tempting her with his delicious heat. Her own flame simmered as he leaned in close to her ear, his breath whispering against the sensitive skin there.

"I haven't given you permission to leave, yet, Major Elric."

That sinfully sensual tone had slipped past her defenses and lulled her away from the precipice of destruction. His proximity to her was unnerving, yet oddly rousing. Mustang's actions had just proven Hughes' theory right; despite what she'd seen the previous night, the attraction was mutual. Suddenly, the ball of nerves that had pervaded over her since the morning had settled and she was able to think clearly. If Mustang was a willing participant, the control would shift firmly back into her grasp.

Ed exhaled heavily and released the door. Turning within the cage of his arms, she grinned, "Alright, Colonel. You want a report, I'll give you one." She slipped under his arms and walked toward his office, pausing only to regard him with, what she hoped was her most sultry of glances. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Roy watched Ed as she sauntered into his office, his heart beating ferociously against his chest. He'd taken a risk with his behavior, hoping that at the very least; Ed would loosen up enough to clear the air. The most he'd been able to get out of Ed was a potent mixture of wrath and resentment but he sensed that underneath that hardened façade was a heart at odds with itself. He'd seen brief slips of emotion from Ed in the past but knew better than to attempt to capitalize on what she perceived as her most glaring weakness. Even now as she relented, there was a risk that it would backfire and blow up in his face. He had to tread lightly though; Ed's fiery passion was a lure that he couldn't ignore.

Roy slipped behind his desk as Ed settled in front of him, her golden eyes sharp, "Alright, Fullmetal, give your report."

Ed cleared her throat gently and crossed her legs, "Well, let's go ahead and get the easy done first. I lost the trail on Steward but the contact that I was supposed to meet up with last night is certain that I can catch his scent again."

"What of the crimes Mr. Steward's accused of?" Roy leaned back, glad that the tension had eased somewhat. It was far easier to relate to Ed when it was about work. Hopefully that would change soon. "What about the evidence against him?"

"Plentiful," Ed answered effortlessly, "he's on the run for a reason."

"Alright, then," Roy exhaled as he glanced at the clock. He had exactly twenty minutes to get the ball rolling. Refocusing, he asked, "Anything else with regards to Steward?"

"No."

Seconds passed before either had said anything, both of them holding each other's gaze. Roy could tell she was mustering her courage and sought to alleviate her of that burden, "Edaline…"

"I was jealous," Ed blurted quickly. Her eyes widened briefly before she cast her gaze away from him. Despite the bewilderment, she continued, "I don't know…I saw you with Miss Leggy and just…lost it."

Roy chuckled, "Lost implies that you had it to begin with, Edaline."

"Don't do that. Don't make light of this."

"Believe me, Ed, I'm not." Roy contemplated her for a moment and smiled lightly, "Miss Leggy, as you put it, can't hold a candle to you, Edaline." The immediate relief in her eyes prompted him to move, circling his desk to face her without any obstacles. He contemplated kneeling but didn't want to spook her; as it was, she was teetering on the precipice of oblivion with her confession.

"Well, that's good, Roy because I have something to ask of you…"

Roy waited on baited breath only to be foiled by the phone ringing on his desk. Holding up his hand, he answered swiftly, "Colonel Mustang, here." After a moment of listening, Roy hung up and offered her his hand, "We've been summoned to Investigations. The team is going to meet us there."

As she took it, he squeezed it briefly before letting it go and gesturing toward the door. Whatever she was about to ask him would, unfortunately, have to wait. The disappointment in her eyes mirrored his but there was nothing he could do about it.

For now.