The Bet
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.
Day Six
The first person in the office was usually Hawkeye and today was no exception. The difference was the appearance of Havoc, Falman and Fuery no more than five minutes later. And then Breda turned up ten minutes after them. By seven thirty the office of Colonel Roy Mustang lacked only the itinerant Elric brothers and the Colonel himself to be complete.
"It's pretty cold at this time of the day," Breda remarked as he tucked his hands into his armpits and tilted his chair back.
"Winter usually is," Falman replied without looking up from the book he was reading.
"Yeah, but it's usually warmer when I get here," Breda said lazily.
"Seven thirty is always colder than nine," Havoc told him, an unlit matchstick already dangling at the corner of his mouth. "I'm surprised you even know that there is such a time as seven thirty. In the morning."
"You can't talk. You never get here before eight," Breda retorted.
"It puzzles me why any of you are here this early," Hawkeye said as she kept her hands wrapped around her coffee mug. Her eyes were amused as she watched them all look away, shifting uncomfortably on their chairs and there was colour rising in Fuery's face. "You are all well aware that the Colonel never appears before nine and Edward starts whenever Alphonse manages to kick him out of bed and drag him over here."
"We know that, Hawkeye, it's just we wanted to be here, that's all. I mean, you never know what could happen after yesterday." Havoc broke the silence, fidgeting self-consciously as he looked at her. "We just don't want to miss this."
Hawkeye shook her head slowly, the mug hiding her smile. Her colleagues were so predictable and childish at times. And she didn't mind that at all.
"Do you think that if the Colonel and Edward do get together, they wouldn't start work until lunchtime?" Falman suddenly asked. "Two people who are both disinclined to commence work early and with a predilection for sleeping in would be more liable to compound an existing problem."
Fuery tilted his head with a mildly puzzled manner and pointed out, almost gently, "They'd set an alarm, Falman."
Hawkeye had to hold herself very still as she somehow managed to swallow her mouthful of coffee while fighting the urge to laugh. Havoc's eyes went wide and he bit his match in half, suddenly coughing as he tried to spit it out of his mouth before he choked on it. Breda forgot he was tilting in his chair and moved too suddenly and the chair tipped completely, the back of his head meeting the floor with an audible smack. Falman blinked and looked at Fuery.
"That's what you'd expect isn't it?" he said eagerly, leaning forward slightly. "But with their inclinations they might ignore the alarm and go back to sleep."
"Or they'd stay awake and have sex all morning," Fuery said in a thoughtful voice.
Falman froze, his face going as white as his hair. Breda was halfway back up from the floor and just fell straight back down again. Havoc slipped from his chair to join him, pushing his hands almost into his mouth to stop from laughing. Hawkeye put her mug down very slowly and very carefully.
"That sounds like the voice of experience," she remarked in a very controlled voice.
"I only do that on my days off, Lieutenant," Fuery hastened to assure her and Falman's eyes rolled up into his head and he toppled over.
"I should hope so," Hawkeye managed to say through very stiff lips.
Fuery looked at the unconscious Falman. "Is he going to be alright?"
Edward looked at his reflection in the mirror and grimaced. He didn't look as bad as he felt and he wasn't sure if he was pleased about that or not. The hangover was gone but there were still shadows under his eyes. Stupid sleepless night, he thought. I slept better with R… the bast…fuck, I slept better at the damned hotel. Happy now? Not really he mouthed at his reflection.
He was not looking forward to going to the office. He wasn't even looking forward to leaving the bathroom. Al was out there waiting for him. He could feel it. Through the closed door he could sense the vibes that always meant Al had questions and wanted answers. He had to admit Al had been patient with him and hadn't asked yet, but Ed knew his time was up now. He wasn't sleeping, he wasn't sick, he wasn't injured. Al would have restrained himself had Ed been suffering from any cause, but he wasn't now, and he knew it and Al knew it too.
He let his breath out and dropped his head. Better to go and get it over and done with. He told himself that as long as he stayed in control he'd be able to handle this. Al was a predictable brother. Ed took a deep breath and lifted his head. He could do this. He knew what he had to do. He pulled his hair back into the long tail and nodded at his reflection before he turned and left the bathroom.
As he had expected Al was waiting for him. Calm, logical and reasonable Al. I can handle this.
"Why didn't you tell me you were with the Colonel?" Al asked without preamble and Edward blinked.
"Good morning to you too," he said in disbelief. Al was wasting no time and he was slightly taken aback.
"Tell me what happened, Brother." Al's tone was a demand and Ed began to frown. He leant back against the wall and crossed his arms in front of him.
"It appears you already know what happened," Ed replied. "You don't need me to repeat it."
"I don't know what happened, Brother!" Al said emphatically. "All I know is you spent the night with the Colonel and didn't tell me!"
"Why should I tell you?" Ed took a deep breath. "You're the one threatening me with ultimatums about the man! Of course I didn't want you to know!"
"You should have told me anyway! I was worried when you didn't come home and even more so when you never appeared until the afternoon. And then you wouldn't tell me anything except you weren't well."
"It was a hangover. Nothing that sleep wasn't going to fix. I know you, you start dragging me to doctors and hospitals when you think something's wrong. Dammit Al, you're my brother, not my mother!"
"Sometimes I feel like both!" Al glared at him. "You're so careless and thoughtless with everything sometimes. I'm just trying to look after you properly because you won't do it. You don't think of anyone but yourself!"
Edward's eyes went wide. "Because I don't tell you one thing I'm suddenly selfish?" he asked in amazement.
"It wasn't just one thing, Brother. You don't tell me anything lately unless I ask about it."
"I don't have to tell you everything, Al. I don't ask you what you do every second of the day, do I? Besides look what happens when I do tell you." Ed's voice dropped lower. "You dish out ultimatums and threats and make my life miserable."
"I only do that because you won't do anything unless I push you to it!"
"I didn't want to do anything about it! I still don't! Why can't you understand that?"
"But you like him! You have to tell him!"
"No I don't," Ed said flatly.
"How can you be happy if you don't tell him?"
"I was happy. It wasn't something I ever intended to share," Ed said between gritted teeth. "Fuck's sake, Al, another six months and I would have been liking someone else." He waved a hand around. "Probably," he muttered as a defensive afterthought.
"I don't believe you." Al stared at him. "I know you, Ed. You like him. You're always going to like him, and you don't want him to know it because you're scared."
Ed stared back and his face paled. His lips thinned and his eyes flickered. "So because of that belief you decided to threaten me and issue that stupid ultimatum?"
"Brother, you were a walking bear trap. People were starting to avoid us because you were so unreasonable. I had to do something."
"And that something was public humiliation. Thank you Al, I never would have thought of that one on my own." Ed's voice was heavily overladen with sarcasm and Al nearly flinched before straightening his back.
"Because you're a stubborn pigheaded idiot," Al said with complete sincerity.
"And you're a doublecrossing traitor!" Ed replied, his voice lifting to almost a shout on the last word. Al frowned and Edward stepped closer forcing him back.
"What?" Al looked stunned.
"You weren't content with just humiliating me, you went and turned it into a bet!"
Al had no time to deny the accusation because Ed clapped and alchemy flared between them.
Roy Mustang entered his office at nine o'clock and immediately felt the intense scrutiny from his staff. He kept a placid expression on his face as he sauntered through to his inner office. He had just sat down when Hawkeye appeared in his doorway, files cradled in her arm.
"Your schedule for today, Sir," she said as she entered. She walked closer and handed him a sheet of paper. He looked at it as she began to drop the rest of the files on his desk. "These are due this morning. They should have been done yesterday, but due to your…absence they have now become extremely urgent." She looked at him calmly and he nearly smiled.
"Thank you," he replied keeping his amusement well-hidden. "I'll look at them right now," he added with a dismissive air. He reached for the first file and paused as Hawkeye remained standing there. His eyebrow rose. "Was there something else, Lieutenant?"
"Where were you yesterday, Roy?" Hawkeye asked after a small pause. Roy's forehead creased into a light frown and he studied her for a long moment. He let his breath out audibly.
"Why do you ask me when you already know?" She blinked not quite managing to conceal her surprise at his response and it took her a moment to regain her composure.
"For confirmation," she replied after a small but noticeable pause. His frown deepened slightly and he leant back in his chair.
"You don't trust your sources?" he queried.
"I trust them more than I do you," she replied smartly and Roy found it hard to keep from smirking. He managed it somehow and let his breath out in a small sigh.
"And what did they tell you?" he asked.
Her eyes narrowed. Roy wasn't behaving as he should. "They said that you spent the better part of yesterday at a hotel with Edward Elric probably sleeping off a hangover," she told him bluntly.
He pursed his lips slightly. "I will confirm that," he replied in a detached voice, and the detachment became more noticeable as he continued. "Was there anything else, Lieutenant? You did say this paperwork was urgently required."
Hawkeye was stumped. He was distancing himself from her and that just wasn't like him. She frowned slightly and decided not to ask further just yet.
"Not at the moment, Sir," she said and he could hear the promise of further questioning behind her words.
"Good." He straightened up in his chair reaching for the first file and as she turned to leave he spoke. "And can you get me a request for…"
He didn't finish his sentence as the windows suddenly rattled. They both turned and saw the cloud of dust and smoke rising from the other side of the wide parade ground.
The dust cleared and two blonds faced each other over the broken and twisted rubble of what had been the dormitory wall. Ed glared at his brother and brought his hands together again. Concrete and asphalt warped and twisted around Al and he had to move quickly to avoid getting his hands caught. More dust arose, obscuring them from view but debris shot out of the dense cloud and clattered around them bouncing across the now accessible parade ground.
"Brother!" Al shouted as he rapidly drew a circle and escaped the trapping hands Ed had transmuted. Another fast circle had the ground giving way beneath Ed and Ed had to leap to the side to avoid getting caught in the sudden pit beneath his feet. "Stop it, Ed!"
"No!" Ed yelled back. Again he sent the alchemy flaring towards his brother. "Not until you agree to stay out of my life!"
"You're my brother! I can't do that!" Al jumped back and drew two arrays in quick succession. He smacked his hands down hard and saw Ed dodge the first attack but go tumbling from the second.
"You have to, Al." Edward rose up, his face streaked with sweat and dust. His eyes and voice were fierce. "What you did was unforgiveable."
"I didn't have anything to do with it, Brother!"
Ed's face didn't change. "Maybe not, but you didn't stop it, did you? You let them turn something personal into a game, Al."
"I didn't know that would happen! All I wanted was for you to…" Al started to say.
"'All you wanted'. What about what I wanted, Al?" Edward straightened up and his shoulders lifted and fell with a sigh. "I always did everything I could to make you happy but I never did anything you didn't want. You're my brother, Al. But you are not me." Ed clapped his hands together and knelt down. The alchemy surged around him, hair and clothes buffeted by the wind he created and the devastated building and rubble around them flowed back into their original proper places. He stood up slowly and lifted his head. "I've asked for a transfer out of here."
"No…" Al whispered to the blank face of his brother. He shook his head. "I'll be coming with you," he said loudly.
"No. Not this time." Ed's voice was level and cool. "This time I'm going on my own." He turned and walked away, leaving Al standing there.
"Isn't that Ed and Al?" Fuery asked as they watched from the window in Mustang's office. The wide expanse made it hard to identify exactly who was at the base of the dust cloud. They had all come running in soon after the concussive wave had rattled the windows.
"Of course it is," Havoc replied. "Only Ed would get angry at a dorm building."
"Looks like he's mad at more than just the building," Hawkeye noted as alchemy flared from both figures.
"I wonder what Ed did," Breda mused. "Must've been pretty bad if Al is using alchemy as well."
They all paused and stared fixedly out the window, suddenly very aware of the Colonel behind them. The same thoughts circulated between them. Has Ed found out about the bet? And how? Or are they arguing about something completely different?
"Looks like its over," Havoc said as everything shimmered and settled back to normal. One figure began to walk away and the other stayed still for a bit longer before turning and starting to run across the compound.
"Coming this way," Fuery remarked.
"Who is it?" Falman asked.
"Al, I think," Hawkeye replied, a slight frown creasing her forehead. "He's moving pretty fast."
"Let's go find out what the problem is," Havoc said and turned away from the window. A phone began to ring in the outer office. "And I'm betting that's the first of the complaints and queries about whatever just happened."
"The damage has been repaired. Tell them it's all over and there's nothing to worry about," Hawkeye told him as he started to walk to the door. Havoc waved a hand over his shoulder as he left the office. Hawkeye looked at Mustang who was watching them silently. His face was sombre and he appeared deep in thought. "Back to work gentlemen," she ordered and the others began to head back to the outer office.
They hadn't quite reached their desks when Al burst into the room, red-faced and eyes wild. Straight through to Mustang's desk he sped. He stopped and shouted breathlessly at the dark-haired man.
"You have to stop him!" Colonel Roy Mustang looked at the upset youth. Panting and distraught Al hit his fists onto the desk. "You can not let him do this!"
"It is Edward's decision and I have no reason to deny him." Roy kept his voice level as he saw the others come crowding around his door. Baffled looks were being exchanged.
"You have to! He can't leave!" Roy heard the sudden gasps from behind Al.
"If a soldier wishes a transfer and there are no real objections to it, then I have no choice but to allow it," Roy replied smoothly.
"I object to it!" Al said firmly, his eyes glaring.
"I'm sorry, Al, but that is not a valid enough reason for me to refuse his request."
"Then send me with him," Al demanded. "He can't go without me."
"I can't do that either." Roy leant back in his chair and watched the young man with sympathy in his eyes but none in his voice. "You aren't an official member of the Military, Al. You've never properly enlisted as either a soldier or State Alchemist, therefore I can not issue any orders."
"Then I'll follow him," Al said determinedly.
"You won't be permitted access to the Military facilities." Roy let his breath out and leant forward. "Al, it's only because we know you and what Edward means to you that we allow you to stay with him here in the dorms and give you free reign of the complex and libraries, strictly against the rules. In other bases, that will no longer be possible."
"I'll enlist then," Al declared.
"The process takes a few months and there is no guarantee you will posted to where he is stationed. It takes a few years before you are able to request transfers to specific locations."
Al stared at him, his fists clenching hard and his face working through a myriad of emotions. "Why are you letting him do this?" Al suddenly asked as his eyes filled.
"Because it's what he wants." Roy tilted his head. "Did he tell you why he made the request?"
Al's eyes went wide and colour rushed up into his face. He swallowed hard and took a step back from the desk. "Yes," Al managed to say in a small voice.
"Then you will understand why I have no objection. I admit it is a bit rough when an innocent person has to suffer through the actions of others, even if those actions weren't meant to cause hurt. However it does seem to be very insensitive not to have considered Edward's feelings in this matter. Or mine." Roy looked beyond the discomfited Al to his staff in the doorway for a moment. Various expressions on their faces showed they were understanding what was happening. He looked back at Al. "I have some urgent paperwork to complete, you'll have to excuse me for not being able to help you any further."
Al opened his mouth but closed it again as nothing seemed to come out. He turned around and trudged towards the door, looking at the floor, not wanting to meet the eyes of the others.
"Hawkeye, I'd like a request for transfer form on my desk by lunch," Roy said as Al reached the doorway and they parted to let him through.
"Yes Sir," she replied obediently and then closed the door behind her as they all moved back into the outer office. Roy leant back in his chair and swivelled around to stare out the window.
"Ed found out, didn't he?" Havoc asked Al as soon as the door was closed. Al nodded unable to speak.
"And he wants to transfer out?" Breda asked with wide eyes. Al nodded again and dropped into the closest chair. The others arrayed themselves around him and looked at each other dumbfounded.
"Surely Ed's reaction is a bit extreme?" Falman questioned. "The Colonel's behaving normally."
"Edward has never really spoken of things he feels deeply about," Hawkeye replied pensively. "Even when we first met him it took something very traumatic before he even behaved like the child he was. And the Colonel is older. He won't let anything show in the office."
"I just wanted him to be happy," Al mumbled as his hands came up to cover his face and he began to cry softly. Hawkeye knelt beside his chair and wrapped her arms around him.
"I know," she said soothingly and then turned her head to look at the others. "We have to fix this."
"How?" Fuery asked.
"Find Edward first," she directed. "I doubt he will welcome our involvement, but that's just too bad."
"I'll try the Library," Havoc said and went to his desk. He picked the phone up and then stopped and looked at them. "Does this mean the bet's off?"
Edward leant back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. His thoughts slipped back to the night before last and he sighed.
"I can't believe they'd do this," he mumbled into the glass before tipping both it and his head back to swallow the contents. A fiery rush went straight down his throat and his eyes went wide before he blinked them clear. "Another one," he ordered as he put the glass back on the bar.
"Make that two," a voice suddenly said by his ear and he turned to see the source of all his problems beside him. He sighed.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was going to have a drink," Roy replied with amusement. "I see you've already got a head start."
"Heh," Ed snorted slightly. "You're going to try and catch up? No chance bastard."
"You want to bet on that?"
Ed groaned. If only the bastard hadn't said that. Ed couldn't remember the names of some of the drinks they'd had. Despite his head start the bastard had caught up pretty quickly. And then Ed had had one of those 'seems real good at the time' thoughts.
"I bet I could combine some of those drinks and make a better one with alchemy." He pointed at the line of bottles on the shelf behind the bar.
"How?"
"Well they all have the basic alcoholic structure as a base. I could change the base slightly to get the percentage without that raw taste and then mix the flavourings a bit…"
"You could?"
"I think I could. It'd be strong."
"Really strong?"
"Hell yeah."
"Bartender! One each of those bottles there!"
"You are paying for this, right, bastard?"
"Flash your watch, shrimp. It's alchemic research."
It had been a very strong drink and they'd both ended up completely smashed and unfit for anything more than a flat surface and unconsciousness.
Ed's breath puffed out and he sat up straight. It had taken them less than hour to wipe themselves out and then ten straight hours before either of them had moved once they had hit that bed. He shook his head. Now that had been surreal. Sleeping with Mustang. He nearly smiled. How many people could claim to have slept with Roy Mustang and actually slept? He didn't know if he would disappointed or not to find he had been the only one.
"Major Elric?" He looked up to find a librarian beside him.
"Yes?"
"There's a call for you. From Colonel Mustang's office."
Ed paused. He knew it wouldn't be Mustang, it had to be one of the others. Al had probably gone running to them as soon as he had left him. "Tell them I'll be here all day."
"The Lieutenant was most insistent that they speak to you," the librarian told him and Ed sighed. Lieutenant. That probably meant Hawkeye and he heaved himself to his feet. His jaw firmed. She was not going to talk him around, no matter how scary she got.
He followed the librarian to the small alcove and picked up the phone.
"Elric."
"Hey Ed."
"Havoc," Ed said heavily. "What do you want?"
"Hawkeye wants to know why you aren't in the office. There's a stack of paperwork from yesterday here."
"Is there really?" he asked and listened carefully. There were murmured voices in the background.
"Yes and she says they're all urgent now." Ed kept listening and a small smile curved his lips. He wished he could hear what the voices were saying as they fluctuated unintelligibly in the background.
"Sorry Havoc. I'll be here most of the day."
"You can't stay there, Ed." And Ed heard a distinct click and Hawkeye's voice clearly, "Tell him to return at once."
Ed shook his head. "Nice try Havoc. Tell Hawkeye I'll be in to pick up my transfer papers this afternoon."
"Ed!"
Ed put the phone down and stared at it for a long moment. He grinned as he imagined Havoc having to face Hawkeye. Serves him right.
Edward was in full uniform when he entered the office late that afternoon. He marched straight through the outer office and into Mustang's inner sanctum, ignoring them all. Mustang stood up and they stared at each other for a long moment. Al and the others stood in the doorway. Al was white and his eyes still red. He had tried to get into the library earlier but had found himself unable to enter as Edward had asked the guard to keep his brother out. He had spent most of the day hanging disconsolately around the office and trying to think of some way to stop Ed from leaving.
Roy moved a slim folder across his desk.
"You need to sign this and then it's done."
"Alright." Ed reached for the pen and opened the file, reading the page within before bending down and signing the bottom of it. He straightened up and let the pen drop to the desk.
"No! Ed, Brother you can't!" Al protested stubbornly from the door.
Ed's back was straight and he turned slowly. "You're always going to my brother Al. We've been through too much for me to ever forget that, but it's time we both went separate ways."
"I'm sorry, Brother, but please don't leave," Al pleaded.
Ed's eyes flickered and Roy coughed behind him. Ed frowned briefly and straightened further. "I'm sorry too, Al, but I'm going."
"Where?" Al asked.
"North," Ed replied. "I leave the morning after the Ball."
"How long are you going for?"
"Three years."
"I never knew you were so petty Edward," Hawkeye suddenly spoke and the golden eyes moved from Al to her.
"Petty? Your little bet has made it almost impossible for me to come here without feeling completely humiliated each and every time." Edward spoke evenly but his cheeks were pink and his shoulders shifted nervously and he was very conscious of Roy behind him. "You only have to suffer through one dinner, I have to feel like this every day."
Eyes went wide and shifted from Ed to Roy and back again. Questions hovered but no-one was brave enough to ask and Edward smiled grimly. "Just as I thought. Even now you're thinking of that bet." He turned and faced Roy and saluted.
"Sir."
Roy saluted back. "Good luck up North, Fullmetal." He watched as Edward executed a perfect about face and walked to the door. He paused as they took deep breaths before moving out of the way and he marched past them and out of the office.
They all looked at each other and then at Roy who picked up the file Edward had just signed. "I'll go and lodge this. Given what has transpired, you are released from duty for the rest of the day." He walked around his desk and left the office, leaving them staring at his back as he disappeared.
Breda swallowed twice before he got up the courage to speak. "Ed… do you think... did he tell the Colonel and get rejected?"
"I thought… I thought the Chief liked him back," Havoc remarked in a stunned voice.
"We both thought that," Hawkeye said.
"We all did. Why would he reject Ed?" Fuery asked sounding lost.
"The Ball is three days away," Al whispered. "Three days and he'll be gone."
They all stood in silence, avoiding each other's eyes.
"I wish we'd never had that bet," Havoc suddenly said. Nods of agreement went around.
"Let's go to the pub," Breda said. "I don't want to stay here anymore."
"I don't think any of us do," Hawkeye remarked. "Come on Al. We'll go and see if we can't think of something."
"I don't know what else there is we can do, Lieutenant. Brother's really stubborn."
"Come with us anyway, Al. It'll do you good to be with friends at the moment."
He nodded sadly. "Okay."
The door opened and Edward looked up from his book. He was sprawled on a couch, his jacket off and his shirt sleeves rolled up.
"You're late," he said.
"I'm not going to apologise if that's what you're expecting."
Ed gave a short laugh. "As if. You never apologise, bastard."
Roy dropped onto the couch and slumped easily into it, his legs stretching out. "You owe me at least a thank you for today's efforts."
"Not going to happen."
"Want to bet?"
Author's Note: I have been so out of writing the poor bunnies are rather mal-nourished and making strange noises behind me. So an extra long chapter of this one to appease both them and everyone else… I hope…lol… one more chapter to go, unless I get epilogued...
Thank you as always for your support and patience with me…
silken :)