Fake Out

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

Chapter 7: Introspectives and Intentions

Edward stared at the file in front of him. He was having trouble reading the words as his mind insisted on concentrating all its attention onto his own personal predicament. It was annoying and frustrating and so unlike his usual clear and precise thinking that an unconscious frown was slowly forming across his forehead.

"I want Roy!" Of all the memories he could drag out of the haze of last night, that one was the clearest. He had opened his mouth and out had appeared three words obviously designed to completely fuck up not only his thoughts this morning but probably his whole damned life. And he couldn't console himself with the fact that how he felt was a secret known to no-one, because like the idiot he was, he had blurted out his epiphany to a drunken Havoc. He couldn't even claim to have been drunk himself at that moment. Having his head bashed against the wall had certainly cleared that in a hurry, even if it had only been briefly because they had felt the need of something to hide behind after saying things they hadn't meant to and there had been that opened bottle looking at them.

But he still remembered, and Havoc's intention to keep going was just going to make it impossible to forget. If he wanted to forget… and if he could ignore that tiny, tiny, very small, almost infinitesimal twitch somewhere in the vicinity of his heart that made him think that maybe, just maybe he could actually do something about these feelings.

Not that the bastard's ever going to like me the same way I like him, but…but…it's impossible. I know what impossible looks like. I've done impossible before. This is just as impossible, isn't it? It's not completely impossible. Is it? Ed blinked. Hang on, Jean was just saying we should make sure they stay together, nothing else. But…but he likes Hawkeye. Wouldn't he be thinking the same way I am? Wouldn't he be thinking he has a chance? Hell, he has more of a chance than I do. Ed shook his head. Why am I thinking like this? Jean has no luck with anyone and I haven't got a clue where to even start with the bastard. I'd be better off going after Jean or even Breda… okay, maybe not Breda. Fuery then. Oh hell, this just plain stinks. Ed sighed. Why did I even start this? I'm just an idiot. Jean's going to get more hurt and it'll be my fault. I never learn and he's not going to listen to me if I say anything. Ed took a slow resigned breath and looked at Havoc talking to Hawkeye. Nope, he's not going to listen. Idiot, Edward, you're a fucking idiot.

Edward kept staring at Havoc and Hawkeye his thoughts running around in circles. Now he'd had time to think about it to keep going seemed to have no point and was probably just something Havoc had thought of so he could stay close to Hawkeye. Havoc knew, they both knew, that there was no future, no possible way any thing would change but somehow Ed couldn't bring himself to say that. He remembered the sound of Havoc's voice last night and he had seen the determination in the blue eyes when Havoc had dragged him from the office this morning. It was going to hurt, it was always going to hurt and he had no option but to be there for Jean when it all ended. We're both idiots. We're both going to end up sad lonely drunks in an alley somewhere because of this. Oh fuck, I am such an idiot.

Even as he told himself he was being rather silly with his imaginings, Ed found it strangely satisfying to be so pessimistic. He began to wonder why he was becoming rather masochistic and defeatist about the whole matter and that had him frowning all over again.

Roy Mustang watched Edward, trying to decipher the different expressions that kept appearing on the young man's face. One moment a frown, the next a sigh. Ed was obviously thinking deeply and equally obviously it had something to do with Havoc and Hawkeye. The golden eyes rarely left the pair at the other desk. Roy wondered if Ed realised just how much he was staring and Roy was finding it increasingly irritating. He didn't want Ed to stare that much.

Roy had congratulated himself for finding something that would ensure Havoc had to be in Riza's company for an extended period of time. A new firing range was being commissioned and with the prospect of new facilities there had been calls to upgrade and reorganise the training regimes as well. Roy had managed to get Hawkeye and Havoc assigned to assist with those plans. It hadn't been difficult. Both were excellent shots. Hawkeye's record was the most impressive and although Havoc did not participate in any of the competitions or events, he had been - and still was according to all reports - Central's best marksman with a rifle. A few soft words in the right ears last night had had the orders awaiting this morning.

Putting together a new program was guaranteed to take a few weeks given the Military's workings and there was every possibility of one and/or the other being called upon to assist with the layout of the new range. Roy had been very pleased with himself. Hawkeye was pleased with him. She had actually smiled when he had given them the assignment. Havoc had smiled as well although he had looked slightly uncomfortable at the same time. Edward had smiled too, at first, for a minute. Roy had been watching as unobtrusively as possible and the smile had appeared quite genuine until it had disappeared and the frowns had begun. And now Ed was just staring at the pair with a frown that came and went with every flicker of those golden eyes.

Edward was jealous of Riza. He had to be. It was the only reason that would explain Ed's behaviour and Roy was not happy that something he had spent the better part of a night worrying over had been proven so easily and obviously. Roy glowered at Havoc. Damn it, just what did Edward see in the dopey looking blond? It was one thing for Riza to be enamoured, he was never going to understand the workings of her mind, nor would he ever question her choice, but Edward was different. His obvious and irritating behaviour right now was completely unacceptable.

Breda couldn't believe his luck. The Colonel was glaring at Havoc, Ed was glaring at Havoc and Hawkeye, and Hawkeye, good God, was actually smiling at Havoc. Well, he doubted that it was a real smile, but it looked like a smile from where he was sitting. Breda had long had a secret passion for the weekly radio drama plays and it seemed as if one of his favourite shows had come to life right in front of his eyes. Surely what he could see here was a situation simply rife with all sorts of possibilities comparable to any he had ever listened to. Ed was jealous of Hawkeye and the Colonel was jealous of Havoc.

Breda nudged Fuery and waggled his head at the room when he had the other man's attention. Fuery's reaction was not quite what he was hoping for. The bespectacled man looked confused and it took several moments of surreptitious finger pointing and more head-waggling before he thought Fuery was beginning to understand. I'll write a note next time Breda thought, but knew he'd never do that. Hawkeye would find out. She might appear to be quite deeply involved in discussing minimal ammunition requirements with Havoc at the moment, but he knew she had an uncanny knack of knowing just when anyone was writing something other than the required paperwork. And while he was happy to see her shoot at the Colonel it wasn't something he wanted for himself.

Ideally he wanted to be able to speak but a quick look at the clock showed another hour before his break. There was no way he was going to say anything in here, not until he knew exactly how far he could go without getting either shot at or incinerated. Fuery was rolling his eyes at him and Breda grinned back. Fuery could pretend to be uninterested all he wanted but Breda just knew he was pretending. Fuery always listened to him and this time Fuery was going to have to admit that there was something really going on. Even he couldn't not notice the tensions in the office this morning. Breda looked around the office again. Damn, was Ed never going to stop staring?

"Did you see it? Oh man, you had to have seen it. You couldn't have missed it," Breda bubbled to Fuery and Falman as they sat in a corner of the mess at lunch.

"You're worse than Schieska," Falman remarked. "Gossiping like a girl."

"Yes, and why does it seem to matter so much to you?" Fuery queried. "Ever since Havoc and Ed got together you've been talking about them a lot."

"Could it be that you are the jealous one?" Falman asked with a straight face and bland tone.

Breda's face went red and he struggled against a rant that would probably have put anything Ed had ever done to shame.

"You guys are supposed to be backing me up here! I am talking about the biggest thing to happen in our office since… since … the biggest thing to ever happen and you are not taking it seriously at all. Ed and Havoc and Hawkeye and the Colonel all start doing things and you want to treat it as a joke, or ignore it? Don't you two realise that it's up to us to make sure everything works out for them?"

"Us?" Falman blinked at the stocky redhead. "I think they can manage their own lives without our help, Breda."

"Sure they can, and that's why Ed's been glaring at Hawkeye all morning and the Colonel wasn't looking happy either." Breda tried to be as sarcastic as he could but it didn't appear to be working if the sceptical looks he received were any indication.

"Why are you so excited about it?" Fuery asked in a soft voice. "I know Ed and Havoc were a bit of a surprise, but we've always expected the Colonel and Hawkeye to get together someday."

"The whole military's been expecting it," Falman added.

"Exactly!" Breda pounced. "So we're the ones that have to protect them. Everyone's going to be watching them and we've got to make sure that nothing interferes with them."

"I think you're over-reacting, Breda. Just what is it about all this that's got you so fired up?" Fuery pressed. "How many bets have you placed?"

"I haven't!" Breda began to protest. "…Well, no more than you have," he added prudently. He looked at them both. "Why can't you guys see it like I do? Havoc has been the by-word for failure for so many years and Ed's never been in a relationship before. They're just asking for trouble to strike. Look at them, they're still telling us there's nothing going on between them! If they can't admit it to us, what'll happen when everyone knows about it?"

"We'll do what we always do," Falman said. "If anyone asks we say we know nothing and that we've never been an office that has relied on unsubstantiated rumours for information."

Breda rolled his eyes. "When most of what we do becomes rumour eventually," he remarked grumpily but the others caught the satisfied tone beneath his grumbling and managed to keep their amusement from showing. Breda would never admit it but they all knew how much he enjoyed gossip and rumour. He leant over the table closer to the other two. "I don't want them turned into cannon-fodder for the gossips. Havoc and Ed are the most vulnerable and we have to protect them. We can support them in their choice, but there are a lot of others that aren't going to be so friendly and understanding about it. If attention gets concentrated on the Chief and Hawkeye, someone is bound to see something they shouldn't."

"Huh?" Fuery stared at him. "Breda, even we haven't seen something we shouldn't. We haven't seen anything. There's not going to be anything to see, not in the office. Don't you think you're being a bit… over-enthusiastic about this whole matter?"

"Not to mention uncharacteristic of you." Falman added. "You've done little but tease them, so why this sudden demonstration of concern?"

"I just got to thinking, that's all," Breda replied feeling a bit disappointed they hadn't fallen over themselves to offer to help. "Aren't you guys interested at all?"

"It's not that I'm not interested, Breda," Fuery began. "But if we start behaving differently it's going to be noticed as well. Why can't we just leave them alone for awhile? It's not as if we're not around if they do need us at some point, is it?"

"You can't argue with that logic," Falman said and Breda stared at them. A small frown settled between his eyes and with a small huff of his breath he stood up and walked away. Fuery and Falman watched him leave the mess before they looked at each other.

"He's so slow," Falman remarked softly.

"I don't understand him," Fuery replied and Falman almost smiled.

"He's feeling left out, that's all." Falman took a deep breath. "He's always been close to Havoc and now Havoc's no longer needing him."

"He's jealous?" Fuery blinked in amazement.

"In a sense, yes. He doesn't feel the same way about Havoc that Edward does, but Havoc's always been his closest friend. Closer than either of us and now Ed's there; Breda feels as if he's being left behind and ignored."

"He's just after some attention?" Fuery shook his head slightly. "That's so childish." He pursed his lips slightly. "Breda can be an idiot sometimes."

"Yes." Falman fixed his eyes on the younger man. "So, when do you plan to give him that attention?"

Jean Havoc had had the best intentions when he had suggested that he and Edward continue their plan to make sure Hawkeye and the Colonel moved forward with a relationship. Sacrificing himself for an ideal love had appealed to the remnants of alcohol in his system and his hangover had agreed with it. It was what soldiers did. Sacrifice and duty were drilled into you with every marching step you took. No matter how long you served you never forgot the obligations of sacrifice and duty.

By four in the afternoon Jean Havoc was completely sober and wondering just why he had ever thought that being in love required him to sacrifice himself. Spending most of the day talking with Hawkeye – even if had only been about the new range – was giving him all sorts of ideas and none of them involved the Colonel. He was rather surprised at the strength of these new ideas. It was as if they had been lying in wait for this moment, working themselves out behind his consciousness to appear almost fully-formed and extremely plausible. The image of Jean Havoc at Riza Hawkeye's side was tempting as were the 'forever' thoughts that went with it. Forget Mustang, Jean Havoc could be – would be - the one Riza would choose.

Hadn't Ed once said that he was getting further with Hawkeye than Mustang was? Hadn't Riza kissed him? Him and not Mustang? Wasn't he the only one who could possibly understand Riza's attachment to guns and assorted weaponry? Hadn't he kissed her back? She was the one who had forced him to take her to dinner. Hadn't she kissed him? It wasn't completely impossible to imagine. There was enough – just – to give him hope. Years of losing out made it hard to see further than the 'maybe' or the 'perhaps' but it was a start, he thought. It was more plausible than Ed getting anywhere with the Colonel.

Havoc shook his head. For every five thoughts of Riza he had, there was one for Ed. Hopeless didn't even begin to describe Ed's position and Jean Havoc was an expert on hopeless when it came to relationships.

The alcohol had dulled a lot of the shock he had felt when Ed had made that startling confession. In fact he hadn't really reacted to it at all and by the time he had sobered enough to really understand the situation it had been too late and completely pointless to freak out over it. It was still strange to think that Ed liked the Colonel that way. It was something he would have bet his soul against ever happening if he had ever considered it in the first place.

For years Ed had professed a deep contempt and almost hatred for the man. It was a complete turnaround and one with no future. It was one thing for Ed to like men in general and the Colonel in particular. It was something else to consider that Mustang would reciprocate those feelings. That just wasn't going to happen. Mustang's sexuality was not a subject anyone questioned. His reputation preceded him by miles. Havoc frowned. There had been something – once, a long time ago, perhaps. His frown deepened. Damn, he couldn't remember it.

"Havoc?"

Havoc blinked and looked at Hawkeye. "Huh?"

"I asked if you wanted to visit the range tomorrow." Hawkeye spoke normally but Havoc felt there was something not quite right with it.

"Sure. We'll need to see the new site as well," he replied trying to get his thoughts back in order.

"Is everything okay?" Hawkeye asked softly.

"Yeah, it's fine." Havoc stopped for a moment with a worried expression on his face. "Why? Is there a problem?"

"No, you just seem a bit distracted. This is an important task and I would like to think that you are as interested in seeing it through as I am." There was that off-note in her voice again and it seemed strange and out of place.

"I am. I am very interested. We can make this the best range in the country. We'll have all the others coming here to use it." Havoc felt as if he was rambling slightly, the words slipping out as if in response to whatever was in her voice. "I was just thinking of Ed for a moment that's all." He looked across at the oblivious young man as he spoke and missed the tightening around her eyes.

"Edward?" Her voice dropped lower and was almost mellow in its slowness. "He looks perfectly well to me." Edward was doing his paperwork she saw. She'd caught him staring at Havoc quite a few times during the day and she was sure that he'd spent more time staring than working.

"He does now," Havoc replied equally softly, not wanting Ed or anyone else to hear. He was aware that Breda had been staring at them often.

Hawkeye frowned fleetingly. She'd been avoiding thinking of that all day. She had seen Havoc return Ed's glove to him with a casualness that had made the action seem completely normal. The implication they had spent the night together had been there even if nothing had been said, and yet they had barely spoken to each other in the office all day. She knew that she was partly to blame for that and she hadn't stopped them from going to lunch together. They had returned with quiet faces and no signs of any tensions.

Was there anything between them or not? It was becoming a recurring thought that was driving her crazy. They didn't act like lovers and yet they were obviously spending their nights together. They didn't talk much but Edward had been staring and, while Havoc hadn't been staring back, he had looked over at the younger blond more often than she had liked. She still believed that there was nothing there. They were very close friends, that's all. They had probably drunk themselves silly after leaving the pub last night and that would explain everything that had happened since. Except it didn't explain the stares she was getting from Edward and the thought that he was jealous was all too prominent in her mind.

Damn Roy for putting that idea into her head. If both she and Edward were after Jean then it was not going to end happily. Much as she wanted to simply order Jean to like her she knew that was not a realistic approach and that he had to come to her of his own free will. But the thought that she was going to have to compete for the man's affections was disconcerting and quite distasteful. Riza Hawkeye did not compete; competing was for people with insecurities. Riza Hawkeye was not insecure, she knew she was more than a match for both Havoc and Edward, but Edward was insecure if those staring looks were any indication, and that should have made her happy. If Edward thought she was a threat then it was possible there was a chance for her. Maybe it was one-sided on Edward's part. He liked Jean but Jean only saw them as friends. Now that was a more reasonable and logical thought.

Ed was jealous and saw her as a threat. He was going to get hurt and she was going to be the one who would deal that heart-breaking blow, because Riza Hawkeye loved Jean Havoc and she wasn't going to lose this one. Forget leaving the decision to Jean, she was going to do everything to make sure he chose her. Maybe if she played it right, she could get Edward's attention diverted from Jean to Roy. She could work through Jean to do it.

If Jean really did see Ed as a friend only then surely he'd want to help? It was something she could do that would ease the future guilt of hurting Edward and maybe it would also give Roy a push to do something. She nearly shook her head. The man had had women chasing after him for so long that he had forgotten what it was like to do the chasing.

Ed looked at the pile of remaining paperwork and made a low grumbling noise in the back of his throat. It was after seven, everyone else had gone home and he had paperwork. Even the bastard had left. Apparently he'd finished his paperwork. There was something very wrong with that situation. The bastard never finished all his paperwork. Ed sighed. The last couple of times he'd had to stay back the bastard had been here with him.

I miss him. Ed shook his head hard. I did not just think that. It's because I missed dinner that I'm having strange thoughts. Hunger does that. I had some really weird thoughts when we were out there in the desert and I was really hungry back then too. His stomach gurgled right at that moment and he nodded. See, I knew it. It's just hunger. Just 'cos I like him doesn't mean I'm missing him. Hell, I'll see him tomorrow, that's just over twelve hours or so. Who misses someone for such a short time? That's stupid.

Ed leant back in his chair, reaching his arms up to tug at his hair with his gloved hands. "I am that stupid. Damn."

"What are you being stupid about now?" The sudden words had Ed nearly tilting his chair and he had to lunge forward to stop from falling backwards. Wide eyes locked onto Havoc entering the office, a covered tray in his hands and a grin on his face.

"Caught you napping did I?"

"Ha! You wish!" Ed retorted as he tried to get his thumping heart back under control. For one single moment he had thought – hoped – it was Mustang – Roy – there, and he had been shocked by the feeling of disappointment when it hadn't been.

"Why are you still here anyway?" Havoc asked as he came closer. "I brought you dinner." He waved the covered tray enticingly and Ed hurriedly cleared a space on his desk for it.

"It's your fault," Ed mumbled around the first mouthful of the stew he found under the cloth.

"My fault?" Havoc looked surprised as he dragged his chair from his desk and placed it near Ed's.

"Yes. You've been looking at that new range all day so someone has to do your normal stuff."

"You're doing my paperwork?" Havoc blinked.

"It got shared between me and Falman and Fuery, but I seem to have the most of it." Ed looked at the blue-eyed blond. "Your paperwork is really boring. I didn't know paperwork could really be this pointless." He waved his fork at his desk. "There's a report in there discussing changing pipes from a two inch diameter to two and three-eighths. What the fuck is all that about and why is it even coming to our office?"

"There seems to be an impression among some departments that the more offices a report goes through the more important it becomes. When it does get back to the originator, they can take it to their superior and point at all the stamps and notations and basically look like they're doing their job."

"This place is crazy," Ed stated.

"You know it, and you're just as crazy as the rest of us for being here too." Havoc grinned and Ed groaned. "You could always resign you know. You don't have to be here anymore." Havoc's grin faded and his face and voice reflected his seriousness.

I know." Ed's eyes flickered and there was a wry twist to his lips as he let his breath out. "I just can't leave…yet."

"It might shake the Chief up if you did," Havoc said as casually as he could and Ed shot him a sharp glance before shaking his head.

"No," he said adamantly. "I am not going to do that. When I leave here, if I leave here it'll be for other reasons. I didn't join because of him and I won't leave because of him either."

Havoc leant back in his chair. "I thought you did join because of him," he remarked with a slight smile.

"Shut up! It was only what he offered, not because of him personally. The guy was an arrogant asshole. No-one would join because of that."

Havoc looked at Ed. "We stayed with him because of that," he said without inflection, his smile gone and Ed had the grace to look ashamed as he remembered.

"I didn't… damn it, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you," Ed said. "But your goals were a lot different to mine back then."

"I know," Havoc replied and his smile returned. "We never meant for you to get involved as you did. None of us knew what was happening and you were no part of our plans."

"Yeah, it didn't turn out like any of us expected." Both fell silent. It was a comfortable silence as they lost themselves in their memories for a long moment.

"It could have been a lot worse," Havoc mused as he patted at his pockets.

"You can't smoke in here," Ed pointed out, glad of the distraction. "It was bad enough as it was. I wouldn't want to go through worse."

"You're here aren't you? If you'd died, hey, if any of us hadn't made it, it would be worse. Seems obvious to me." Havoc looked around. "There's no-one here. No-one'll know if I have just one."

Ed choked at Havoc's comments and had to take a deep breath before he could speak. "You have your own system of logic, don't you? I never know what you're thinking half the time."

"It's no different to anyone else's. I'm the easy one here Ed, you're the strange one."

Hawkeye walked along the corridors of Headquarters. She was slightly irritated to be here. Her conscience had been pricking at her ever since she had left with the others and seen Edward left behind. She knew it was his fault that he'd been behind in his work. Not only had he been doing Jean's paperwork along with his own, he'd also wasted a lot of time staring. But that hadn't stopped her feeling a little bit guilty and she had decided to visit him bringing him a meal with her as a small offering. If they happened to talk while he ate and the conversation happened to focus on Jean Havoc – well that was just the way things would be.

"… like her?"

The sound of Havoc's voice brought her to a startled stop just outside the office door. She frowned. What was he doing here?

"I like Hawkeye, just not… you know." Hawkeye could almost hear the shrug that Ed must have given at the end of his sentence.

"I know." She could hear Havoc's smile and tried to breathe as silently as she could. Eavesdropping was not something she did but this was just too good an opportunity to pass up.

"You're not … worried about it are you?" Havoc asked.

"Bit late to start worrying now, don't you think?" Ed said with a small laugh.

"I guess so." Havoc's smile was back she could hear. "But hey, you know I'm here if you need me, right?"

"Yeah I know."

Riza swallowed. Typical men, finding a way to speak about their feelings without actually speaking the words a woman would want to hear. She'd been around men a long time and she knew how to interpret their round-about ways with words and how much they hated to actually admit they liked or even loved someone. What she had just heard came very close to a confession of love but it also was an expression often used between close friends. Which one was it here? She wanted to know.

"You're just about finished that lot, Ed. Want to come over and talk?"

"No offense Jean, but I'm not sleeping with you tonight and that's where we'll end up if we go to your dorm. I'd like to actually get some sleep for a change. You snore."

"You're not exactly easy to sleep with either you know."

"I tried to be careful, you weren't limping this time."

"I have bruises."

Hawkeye could feel the colour draining from her face as her stomach and blood fell to her feet. She could pass the first part of the conversation off as between good friends, but not this last bit. They spoke too easily, too casually without the need to elaborate or clarify. They meant exactly what they said. Silently she turned away and walked away, her thoughts in turmoil, not wanting to hear anything more.

"Two little bruises you said," Ed said as he put the files in order. "You said it was fine."

"That was at lunch. They've gotten bigger since then."

"Liar. Bruises don't grow, they just change colour." Ed looked at Havoc. "So why do you want to talk tonight? Didn't we cover everything at lunch?"

"Not really. It was too hard to talk in the mess and I was still hung-over then too. I was thinking a bit this afternoon."

"And you want to talk about it now?" Ed sighed with a show of reluctant resignation. "On one condition."

"Sure. What is it?"

"That you go back to your own dorm afterwards. The bunks really aren't meant for two and you really do snore loudly."

"Would rather share with you than with Breda," Havoc said as he stood and stretched. "You kick and that automail is heavy, but he strangles."

Ed started laughing. "You've slept with Breda?"

Havoc went red as he realised what he was saying and then laughed as well. He eyed Ed with a teasing glance. "Feeling jealous?"

"Of course not. Idiot." Ed rolled his eyes. He could feel himself enjoying the teasing now the paperwork was done.

"I shared a tent with him in Ishbal. Breda's a cuddler and he literally crawled between the cots to find something to cuddle. We had to set up a roster to be in the next cot. None of us could handle it. He has extra pillows just for that purpose in his dorm nowadays."

"You're joking!" Ed stared in disbelief at the taller blond.

"Nope, 'fraid not. Don't ever share a bed with him. He'll strangle you with those cuddles of his."

"Thanks for the warning but I don't ever intend to get that close to him." They headed towards the door, checking back to make sure everything had been left tidily and Ed flicked off the light as they stepped out into the corridor.

"Shame, you're just the right size for cuddling," Havoc said with a grin as he suddenly wrapped his arms around Ed and squeezing him tight. Ed pushed hard and Havoc let go, both of them staggering unsteadily across the floor. Havoc was grinning.

"Are you referring to my height, Jean?" Ed said in a low voice.

"Of course not. Shorty." Havoc winked and started laughing, turning and beginning to run as he heard Ed's abrupt curse and then the pounding of boots chasing him.

...

Author's Note: A longer than normal chapter for the blond idiots because of all their thinking. Now off to catch up with a few anime I've missed while I pick which bunny to write next…

silken :)