Disclaimer: I do not own FMA or any of its characters. I do, however own this plot and such so, meh…
Warnings: Confusing parts in the very beginning (it might not make much sense), yaoi (boyxboy, don't like then hit the back button or read another fic.), and maybe some OCness…though I'm not quite sure if it's that bad…
There is a good reason for Ed's and Al's seemingly switched personalities…-laughs- it'll become clearer later on..
Strings of the Heart
Movement 4: Better Off Ignorant With Broken Wrists
"Edward Elric, pay attention! You're playing like a beginner all over again-don't make that dying cat noise! And for the last time, correct that wrist of yours-with it bent like that you'll get tired more quickly!"
And for the last time, I really want to punch your flapping pie hold into the ground, Ed thought bitterly as he made the adjustments. Okay well, that screeching cat noise was entirely on purpose…yeah, it was to annoy the hell out of Bastard Mustang…okay, no it wasn't. Yes, he, the great Edward Elric, unparalleled genius, had actually made a mistake. But honestly, it wasn't his fault!...okay, maybe it was. Next time, maybe I should stop daydreaming while I'm playing…
"And give me that look again and I'll break that wrist into position."
Oh yes, Ed was not a very happy person at the moment. Only one week…one week and Mustang had not only corrected him and humiliated him more times than he could count…
But everyone had seemed to fall in love with the guy! That had to be the most annoying part-girls giggling whenever he walked into the room, the excited whispers, the little love notes that were dropped not-so-conspicuously on the music stand…
You'd think these people couldn't get anyone their own age…Ed grumbled as he once again adjusted his wrist and sent the teacher a withering glare. Well, at least it's a mercy that Winry hasn't joined the crazy Mustang Fan Club…
"…oh fine…yes, I do think he's cute but he's…a bit old don't you think..?? Okay well, maybe 26 isn't too bad of an age gap…"(1) A low familiar whisper came from behind him.
Scratch that-she just did. And Ed's mood dampened considerably. He had a bad feeling that the fandom would only grow…
Suddenly band had become the most annoying class of the day-and it was a pity he had it first thing in the morning.
-#-
"One week…and already you're finding reasons to dislike me…"
Roy Mustang sat at his desk, violin case in his lap. He leaned back, touching the surface of the case briefly. It was nice, to have some time to himself in his own office…
Mustang smirked. It was amusing, to see the little blond glare at him, positively huff in his seat and pout before finally doing what he asked. The boy would never admit it, perhaps, but not only was his ego ridiculously pampered but that he really wasn't as perfect as he wanted everyone to believe him to be. Being a genius came with its own problems and two obvious ones had cropped up in Edward's personality. Apparently however, his cultured self-nurtured perfection was cracking somewhere because just that morning he had cursed out loud when his instrument case dropped on his foot. And Mustang had just happened to walk in on him right when he said it.
Needless to say, that short anger had been shot at him as well, and Mustang had merely gave Ed his trademark smirk before walking out of the room. That obviously hadn't improved Ed's mood at all…
"That's exactly what I want you to do. Dislike me, hate me if you must…" Mustang chuckled. "Call me a bastard…I wonder where you picked that one up from…but feel nothing but annoyance and discomfort."
Because that's the only thing keeping me here.
-#-
"…and he threatened to break my wrist unless I fixed my position!" Ed rattled off, clearly agitated. It was lunchtime and the elder Elric was blowing steam on his amused, attentive brother Al. Al had finally gotten rid of the black streaks in his hair and it was now back to it's normal color. "Someone should fire that twisted ego-centered, pig-head tweaker! I swear, that man might turn violent, not that it would matter because he threatened to break the wrist that…well, he wouldn't be able to even if he had a cast iron wrench…"
"Like Winry?" Al interjected, snickering. Ed shivered. Winry was the only other person, apart from Al and himself that knew about his automail arm and leg. That was due in part to the fact that not only did he accidentally punch a ringing dent into the metal door of their garage, but that he had to get his fingers fixed by none other than a very pissed off Winry. She was a rare specialist in that area (Which came to a complete surprise to both Elric brothers), but a specialist in a very unforgiving mood. He surprisingly came out in one piece and Al got himself a newfound crush on the wrench-throwing girl. Not the best day in his life, come to think of it, but she forgave him-sort of. And Al, well…
He got her phone number but not the guts to ask her out-not even now. Go figure.
"Must you always bring her into every conversation we have concerning Mustang?" Ed pouted, staring at his lunch with little appetite. Talking about his band teacher really did wonders to his usually gnawing appetite-and today was not exception. His appetite was officially dead. "You haven't even asked her out yet-"
"For a very good reason!" Al seemed to wilt visibly as he pointed vaguely at something behind Ed. "And that's pretty much why."
Ed, rolling his eyes, turned around-
And his eyes bulged.
There was Winry-deceptively calm looking, blond hair done up in a pony tail today. Ed, however knew her better-she could be extremely and randomly violent. But right then, she was laughing and blushing-a very odd and shocking combination. And standing across from her, the person who was now nodding and smiling back at her…
Was none other than his music teacher.
"ARGH!!!!"
Ed promptly screeched and fell off his seat, landing awkwardly on his backside and automail hand. There was a ringing silence as the sound of metal connecting with tile flooring shot through the air. Ed groaned, wincing from the jolt that ran up his now aching backside and oddly bent metal wrist. Al froze, his own eyes widening. A small crack had spread out from under Ed's wrist.
Awwwww…
"Shit…" Ed hissed trying hastily to stumble back into his seat and ignore all the very strange looks he was getting. It was one thing to fall, but another thing to break tile flooring when it should have been his wrist getting broken. The elder Elric shoved his metal wrist under the table and experimentally tried to move it. It barely twitched. Ed groaned quietly tom himself-he'd probably have to take a trip down to Winry's house…oh the horror. Al wasn't sure whether to laugh his head off, congratulate Ed for actually using yet another cuss word, or get pissed off by both his reaction and his clumsiness.
Some how, he managed all three.
"Ed, now that was impressive, but seriously, what the hell…?"
And the blond suddenly remembered what made him fall off his seat so violently.
"That's…that's-!"
"One of the teacher's here I know that much." Al glanced down bitterly at his food, his laughter dying in his throat. "She's been trying to hang around him since what, yesterday? The day before? I dunno…I think somewhere along there since she's apparently on good terms-"
"That's my band teacher, Al!" Ed hissed, now irritated enough to slap his tray away into the garbage can with his flesh hand. It bounced across the rim squarely, tipping out some of the food and splattering it on the ground but it didn't matter…
Al did a double take at the man that was now nodding in faint interest at what the girl was blabbering on about.
"Him?? He's-what??"
"My…band…teacher…with…urgh, That's just…he's such a…"
No way…but he'd never…still though it's not like he's even rejected all those love notes…his ego must be loving all that attention, the sicko…
Ed felt like throwing up or smashing Mustang's face in but he wasn't sure which one appealed to him more. Ed looked back at the man again. He smiled briefly, but even from this distance, he could feel the falsity in it…and he looked away, eyes roaming the room briefly before-
Ed quickly looked away, a foreign feeling rising in his throat and heart. Onyx eyes had fleetingly, met and bored into his own hazel ones before releasing them. Ed swallowed, now suddenly loosing both urges. It wasn't a big deal…Just a glance nothing more…there was no need to dwell on it. After all, Ed had stared Mustang down countless times before and this look was no different…
But…it feels like I've just gotten a glimpse of a forbidden heaven…
"I'll see you later, Al…" Ed mumbled, getting up quickly, taking care to shove both hands in his pockets to conceal his oddly bent wrist. Wordlessly, his younger brother watched him go, glancing back at the male Ed called his teacher before getting up himself.
What Al didn't catch was Mustang's now sudden interest in Ed's quickly departing form…
-#-
Why…did I find that look instantly disturbing…soul probing…? Ed retracted his flesh hand from his pocket while still testing out his other hand to see if he could still use it. No go. Ed growled in frustration. And it was his writing arm too…he wrote well enough with his left (being the genius he was, he had learn early on to be skilled with writing with both his left and right) but he favored the right one more. There was some sense of connection there…he could feel the point where his wrist met the metal forearm but…
For Ed, the one thing that was perhaps the hardest thing to adjust too was his automail arm and leg. He didn't even remember when or how he got it…but he had merely accepted it as a part of himself. In fact, when he was little, he kind of found it cool to be part machine and therefore never bothered to wonder…even so, every once in a while, he would have problems with it and he would have to find out temporary fixes to it. That was probably what had pissed Winry off terribly that day she fixed up his fingers and what seemed to be his whole arm. His little "home remedies" had messed up some delicate wiring systems where his forearm and the rest of it connected to his body. It was still good as new but now…
She's gonna be mad at me for jacking it up like this…
There were no nerve endings within his automail limbs yet he could still "feel" in a weird sense-hot, cold, wind, the fur on a cat…but he couldn't feel pain. His whole arm could be melting off and he would only feel the sensation of a very, very warm, yet somewhat unpleasant feeling of having soaked in a hot bath. So…perhaps there was a crude system of nerve endings in those limbs, but not so much pain sensory nerves…?
At any rate, he was feverishly glad for that-if that had been his normal hand connecting with the ground like that, he wouldn't have been so lucky…
Even that momentary train of thought wasn't enough to distract himself from the still furious pounding of his heart in his ears.
I have every right to freak out! He was talking to Winry about goodness knows what and who knows what she could have been saying! But even in his own mind, he knew he sounded completely irrational. And when had he admitted he was freaking out about Mustang merely glancing at him? He wasn't freaking out! There was nothing to freak out about! It was just a glance…
I'm starting to sound like one of his weird obsessed fan girls.
That did it for him-his heart instantly stilled and Ed sighed as the bell rang.
Great…let' see how many weird looks I get this time when I start writing perfectly well with my left hand…
-#-
"No, no, and no!!"
"But…come on! Please??" I can't believe I'm being reduced to begging…
"As much as I find it absolutely priceless that the great Edward Elric is begging for my help since he's not genius enough to do this by himself-no."
Ed sighed, his shoulder slumped in defeat. A few minutes after school found the blond sitting on a rather uncomfortable, slightly rusty metal stool in Winry Rockbell's garage. Said girl was now out of her school uniform and into a pair of slightly oil smudged overalls with a clean white t-shirt underneath it. Hair kept out of her face by a red bandana, she clucked her tongue in disproval and shook her head. Ed stared dejectedly down at his bent automail wrist. Here he was, forced to beg at a wrench-tossing girl's feet for repairs on something that was important to him and he wasn't getting anywhere…
'It was your fault anyways-what were you thinking, falling off your seat like that and using it to break your fall?" Winry shook her head. "I feel sorrier for the tiling you broke and all the people who heard your metal wrist hit the floor than the wrist itself!"
"Hey! That's a little bit harsh-!" Ed fumed then changed in mid sentence "You were the one talking or flirting or whatever with that Mustang guy…!!"
"So? What does that have to do with anything?" She looked slightly livid now and Ed winced. "My personal life has nothing to do with your wrist-! And anyways, no thanks to your stupid stunt, Mustang wasn't paying attention to what I was saying anymore-!"
"So you were flirting with him! Urgh!" Ed made a face. That was something I did not want to be right about! At this, Winry blinked and stared at the blond incredulously.
"Wait…what?" Then suddenly something seemed to dawn on her- "Hold on…do you…you like me?"
There was a stony silence. Ed's jaw dropped. Where…where the heck did she get…how can you get…that from…???
Ed wasn't sure whether to laugh, throw a fit or yell at her for being a complete idiot.
"Are you kidding me??" Ed shook his head, somehow sickly amused. Winry looked slightly confused. "No way that's-" Ed caught himself before saying "Al". He didn't know enough too much about how his younger brother reacted to anything concerning his love life, but he didn't want to entertain the idea of having him mad if he spilled. "Um, someone else….so, no, no way…" He felt a bemused smile creep to his lips. "It just shocked me that you'd actually find some weird interest with Mustang since he's what, 26?" Not to mention the fact that he's critical, egotistical, has a fetish of humiliating me and has a superiority complex…
Now it was Winry who burst out laughing.
"Some…weird…interest…you've got to be…kidding me…you're hilarious…" Ed raised an eyebrow. "You idiot!" Suddenly she threw a small wrench not at his head but at his automail wrist. Ed yelled at it ricocheted off, sending another weird jolt up through his body.
"What the heck was that for??" He fumed, rising off the stool, fists clenched at his side (Or rather one-his exposed automail hand dangled slightly useless next to him)-which didn't help Winry's weird mood. The Elric didn't make a really imposing statement even in his fury, given his rather…small stature.
"Weird interest? Flirting?" She shook her head. "I was asking him about a part in the new piece he gave us in class this morning, smart one!"
What…?
And then he remembered-that morning, their band teacher had handed out a rather complex piece. It didn't bother Ed the least since the difficulty wasn't the problem-it was the fact he'd never seen it yet felt he'd played something like it that got to him.
Ed felt like a completely idiot.
"Oh…" But then, wait-! "What about that whole…you were blushing and smiling at something he said and this morning-"
"Oh wow, you really are…you take everything the wrong way, you Elrics! Not as bad as Al but still…" She leaned against a work table, hands inside overall pockets. "He happened to tell me some funny but embarrassing story about his friend or whatever…and this morning? Did you not hear the rest of the conversation? I didn't think the age gap was too much but anyone stupid enough to try and chase after a guy who looks that much of a womanizer is just…well, brainless." Winry shook her head. "But I'm still not fixing that wrist for you…that was your fault. Come back when I feel like forgiving you for your crazy assumptions."
With that, Ed was pushed rather forcefully from the garage and had the iron door slammed shut in his face.
-#-
That was stupid, completely pointless and I have that insane urge to play tonight…Ed buried his face into the pillow and sniffled. After that rather disastrous meeting with Winry he was completely put out and somewhat depressed for the rest of the day. Al was sympathetic enough to store Ed's violin under his brother's bed, but the mere fact that it was right there, just waiting to be played…
And as the minutes ticked by, Ed knew sensei might start getting very impatient. He could feel it-Ed had never refused to follow the urges before. But even so…this wasn't like either of them, to meet so soon…Ed had thought his teacher was mad at him after that incident nearly a week ago…
Once a month, wasn't that all you could promise me? It used to be much more often than that but you made the meetings lees and less as I grew up…if only my pathetic automail wrist wasn't so bent out of shape…you know I would come running for the chance to hear your voice in my ear again. Ed smiled faintly, his face still buried into the fabric.
You used to correct me so much…I was clumsy, unsure of myself…you made me so nervous and I wasn't allowed to see you face. But even now…Ed's flesh hand, ungloved, crawled under the pillow case until it came into contact with something soft and feathery. That doesn't matter because I know, though you won't say it, that you…feel the same way as I do…but sensei…
"I'm so sorry…" Ed whimpered into the pillow. The urge was already fading and he knew that meant his sensei was departing…. "It's all…my fault…I shouldn't have…and I wanted to have a lesson…so bad…"
Ed felt tears spill forth and feeling even more ashamed, he drifted off into a restless sleep.
Nothing stirred for a few minutes and as Ed's body rose and fell in a steady rhythm that betrayed sleep-
A dark form smiled faintly at the sleeping boy as it shimmered into existence. The person approached the bed on weightless feet. Even in your sleep you still keep your hair all braided up...his teacher bent down, unable to resist gliding delicate fingers though it. Oh Eddy-kun, why did you resist me tonight…? Ed muttered sadly in his pillow and his teacher's smile turned bemused, sad as unseen eyes flickered over the blond.
Oh…I see now why you didn't come to me…the fingers traveled down to Ed's automail wrist and at this Ed twitched in his sleep. You can't play, not like that…bending your wrist out of shape and all…fingers now dug a bit more firmly, curiously. The blond shifted and moaned but that didn't stop the questing digits that were now, with an inhuman strength bending and pulling metal back into place…
The smile returned as the last part snapped into place. Ed jerked involuntarily but remained fast asleep.
Should be fine now…the dark form straightened up and turned away. Now, was that so hard? All you would have had to do was come to me anyways…I would have understood had you showed me…so...don't skip tomorrow night's lesson… Eddy-kun…
And in a blast of warm cold air he vanished.
-#-#-#-
Awww his teacher fixed his wrist! But poor Ed…he wanted to have lessons from his teacher so bad…but his stupid wrist killed it all…darn you Winry!! –shifty eyes-
Hahaha, this chap was a bit longer than the last one…yay…But it didn't shed any more light on anything that's really important…well except the fact that now you can add "easy to make jealous" to Al's list of traits…
So…don't forget to R & R!
(1) I just took a stab in the dark here, trying to come off with a reasonable age that he could be without being too young or too old to be a music teacher, so…heck my own bad teacher's assistant teacher is like 25-26ish?