The Bet

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

Day Three

Edward Elric stomped heavily into the office and one look at his dark frown had the others hiding their smiles. Edward occasionally wore his uniform but it always had a 'just picked up off the floor' look to it. This time it was clean, there were crisp pressed creases and the collar was stiffly upright. His boots shone. His hair was precisely braided and even his wayward cowlick was flying at a lower angle than normal. He ignored them as he headed straight to the Colonel's desk.

"Another five minutes and you would have been late, Fullmetal."

"You're a bastard."

"Let's go, before you do make us late."

"Fuck you, asshole. You keep on talking and it'll be you making us late."

Roy stood up straightening his jacket and it was obvious that his uniform had also been treated with great care this time. Even his shoulder boards were bright. He smoothed a hand over his hair as he walked around his desk. A quick look back at his clean window and a gloved finger rose to slightly tease the soft black bangs above one eye before he turned back to the office.

"Oh give me a break here, you narcissist prick. You look very handsome and perfectly groomed. It's time to go now."

"You think he looks handsome?" Havoc spluttered as the others made various other choking noises.

"Of course he does," Al remarked. "Everyone thinks so," he added quickly as his brother glared at him.

"Do they?" Roy asked, his dark eyes seeing everything from the hard look Havoc was receiving from Hawkeye to the pale pink colouring across Edward's nose.

Ed flung his hands in the air. "I said that because if I told you looked like the horse's ass you are, you'll spend another ten minutes looking at yourself." He spun on his heel and went out the door. They could hear him calling "Move your lazy ass, bastard Colonel!" from the hallway.

"Really Fullmetal, are your legs so short that you've only managed to get that far?" The Colonel's voice came to them after he left the office.

"You know…they really are the best looking men in all of Headquarters."

Heads turned and eyes blinked as they all turned to look at Falman. He was staring pensively at the empty doorway. The placid face beneath the grey hair faced them. "Don't you agree?"

As one, the rest of them turned to Riza Hawkeye.

"What do you think, Hawkeye? You're a woman," Breda asked her.

"You only just noticed?" Havoc rounded on Breda as Hawkeye blinked.

"Not just then, dimwit!" Breda snapped back at him. "But if anyone would know, it'd be a woman, wouldn't it?"

"Not necessarily, Breda," Al spoke up. "We know Brother likes how the Colonel looks. And he is definitely not a woman."

"That's because he likes him, Al." Breda pointed out. "If he didn't like him, he wouldn't care."

"So liking someone makes them more attractive and handsome?" Al asked.

"Of course it does." Breda stated as if it was obvious.

"So even though they've both got escort duty, Brother's going to be looking at the Colonel?"

"They are both striking looking men, and it doesn't matter if you're male and female or whether you like them or not. You can still appreciate their looks. So yes, Falman they are the most handsome men in Central. Yes, Breda I do know and not just because I am a woman. And yes Al, Edward will be looking at the Colonel, and he might even look back." Hawkeye suddenly said. She looked at them. "I think that covers everything. We can all get back to work now."

"Oh come on Hawkeye. You don't expect us to just leave it there do you?" Havoc asked. "What about these escorts? Do we know who they are yet?"

"Why does it matter, Havoc?" Fuery asked.

"Because I want to make sure that whoever it is manages to keep Ed from confessing of course!" Havoc exclaimed. "Did you forget about the bet?"

"I believe Major Armstrong's younger sister is on the list of eligible debutantes this year," Falman said in a polite manner. Havoc staggered back, the matchstick falling from his suddenly slack mouth as the colour drained out of his face leaving him pasty white.

"Holy fuck no!"

"Why Havoc, any one would think you'd just been asked to escort her." Breda grinned unrepentantly at him as they all laughed.

"Not your fault? Trust me Ed, it was all your fault."

"You were the one showing off, bastard!"

"You were too busy stuffing your face to be of any assistance!"

"You're the fire expert! Even I know alcohol is flammable, you jerk!"

The quarrelling voices could be clearly heard and everyone looked towards the doorway as the boots and voices got closer and louder. Much as they wanted to look at each other, they kept their eyes on the doorway. When the arguing pair appeared, they all stared.

There were scorch marks on both uniforms and a faint burnt smell clung to them. Both looked ruffled, their hair messed and Ed's gloves were stained.

"Brother." Al stood up and stared at Edward with a grim look. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" Ed protested with a wild wave of his arm. "Blame the idiot here."

"Colonel." Hawkeye moved to stand beside Al and stared at them, her voice as stern as Al's expression.

"I was merely demonstrating at the General's request…"

"Setting fire to my napkin was not part of it." Ed interrupted.

"You were waving it around."

"I was unfolding it for Miss…" Ed waved his hand around again as he thought for a moment, obviously trying to recall a name. "…Katherine to use." He remembered with a triumphant nod before continuing on. "I was not holding it up for you to aim at!"

"If you hadn't let go of it, the next flame would have incinerated it completely."

"I wasn't to know that!" Ed glared at him. "You just snapped your damned fingers. You singed my glove!"

"It was your right hand, Ed. It wasn't going to burn you!" Roy stared hard back at him. "You shouldn't have dropped it."

"You didn't have to fling your drink over it when I did!"

"I thought it was the glass with water in it."

Edward took a deep breath and spoke carefully. "It was alcohol. It exploded. You are an idiot." He took another breath. "Let's go Al." He turned and found Havoc staring at him.

"Katherine? Not Miss Katherine Armstrong?" The blue eyes were wide.

Edward's eyes flickered for a moment. "I think that was her surname. She wasn't too bad, but her mother was ugly."

"You're escorting her to the Ball?"

Ed sighed. "No, the bastard is. I'm going to go and clean up. See you tomorrow."

He left the room, Al hurrying to follow him and they all looked at the Colonel. He looked at them all and then ran a hand though his hair to straighten it slightly. He studied them for a long moment before turning to Havoc.

"As Ed said, she's not too bad," he said lightly as he saw the speculative and stunned looks.

"Who did Edward get?"

"Miss Vitoria Grand."

"Isn't she…" Falman began.

"Yes, she is the daughter of the late General Basque Grand."

There was silence for a moment, then Hawkeye took charge. She faced Roy.

"This lunch has put you behind in your paperwork. You will need to start now if you are to get them finished in time."

"I think I might go home and get a clean uniform first…" His words faded slightly as she held her gun up.

"The paperwork first, Sir."

He sighed with resignation and went to his desk, almost glaring at the files stacked there. Hawkeye looked at the others.

"You can finish your paperwork as well. We have better things to do than stand around and gossip. We can do that at the pub afterwards."

Roy Mustang shut the last file and let his breath out. Finally, they were all done. He leant back in his chair and looked at the empty office. The last one left again. If it hadn't been for that disastrous lunch he could've have left with the others. He wanted to go home, to get out of this smoky uniform and he wanted a long drink. He heaved himself up out of his chair and went across to the rack for his coat. He shrugged into it as his eyes automatically checked the office. He paused and frowned as a red covered book looked out of place.

He walked over to the shelf and smiled as he realised it was the Betting Book. With the Ball coming up, the Book always came out. He didn't recall them making any bets this afternoon. But he had been concentrating on the damned paperwork and might have missed it. He sighed. Having to escort Miss Armstrong to the Ball was no doubt going to give them plenty of scope for their bets.

He picked it up and opened it. He read the last bet placed and froze.

If Edward Elric asks Roy Mustang to the Military Ball within seven days, Jean Havoc must quit smoking. If there is no invitation issued by that time, Riza Hawkeye will have dinner with Jean Havoc.

Someone, Falman he suspected, had scratched out the beginning and had inscribed other words above it. Roy's voice was a mere whisper as he read it aloud.

If Edward Elric tells Roy Mustang he likes him within seven days…

Author's Note: And so passes the third day…thank you so much for all the comments and reviews…I really do appreciate knowing how much you enjoy this…

silken :)