I know I said I will be posting a chapter everyday but I am in the process of moving out and will (maybe) not be able to post tomorrow since I won't have internet.
If I don't post a chapter tomorrow, I will post two next Monday.
~Enjoy~
Once in Central, Edward took his brother to the General's mansion. Alphonse got immediately curious and visited every room and the backyard. Edward let him while going to Roy's quarters and started to cook supper. He looked at the time. It was almost 6pm. Almost the time when Roy gets out of his office after a day of work. He sighed. He kind of missed him. Alphonse arrived in the kitchen and started helping his brother.
``This mansion is beautiful. `` Commented Al.
``It is… Though its way too big. ``
``Yeah… I bet General Mustang's feeling lonely here. We should get him a cat! ``
Edward giggled.
``I don't think he would like that. And he doesn't have the time to take care of a cat. ``
``Hm… But if you stay here with him, you're gonna have plenty of time to take care of it! ``
``If I stay here? I came to Central to find a new home. ``
``This could be your new home. `` Said Alphonse innocently.
``I don't want to bother him much longer… ``
``What did he say to you again? That he loved you? That's proof enough for me that he wants you to stay here with him. ``
Huh. Maybe Alphonse was right.
``Maybe… I'll have to talk to him about it… ``
Al smiled and served two plates and they ate together. After supper they went outside in the backyard, spending time taking in the fresh air of the evening and looking at the different flowers from the garden. Edward never really took a good look at them. Roy never went in the backyard. He loved staying inside all the time. Maybe he should force him to go out more.
Some days later, the brothers were still living together in the big mansion. Roy had been gone for a week now. Edward decided to go see the people at HQ and walked in like it was his home. He had been here so many times in the past. He went to see Havoc, Breda and Fuery first, which were all working in the same office.
``Hey guys! ``
``Hey boss. `` Replied the smoker.
``Anything new? ``
``You know you shouldn't be here Edward. `` Answered Breda. ``This place isn't for civilians. ``
``You can call me a veteran thank you. ``
Breda rolled his eyes while smirking.
``Come outside with me boss, its break time anyway. `` Said Havoc while taking a cigarette from his pack.
The blond followed him, and they went outside. Havoc lit up his cigarette, taking a long drag from it.
``So, you're still staying at Mustang's residence? ``
``Yeah, along with Al… Him and Winry broke up. ``
``Really? I wonder why, they looked like a cute couple. ``
``long story… I'll tell it another time. ``
Havoc shrugged his shoulders while taking another drag.
``At least you're not alone in that big mansion. You know, if you ever feel down or Mustang's giving you a hard time, you can always come to my place. ``
``Really? ``
``Yeah, why not. I'll always be there for a friend. ``
Edward smiled at him and coughed when Havoc smoke went near him.
``Be more careful, you'll give me cancer ``
Havoc giggled.
``Sadly, I can't control the wind, it's your fault for standing there. ``
``Yeah right… You know smoke always goes after the people who… Don't smoke. ``
Havoc widened his eyes.
``Woah… That's true, I wonder if there's a scientific name for that. ``
``Um… Honestly, I have no idea… ``
They laughed for a bit, Havoc gave him his address and they both came back inside. There was another person Edward wanted to see. He knocked on the General's office doors and came in when he was invited. He smiled at the blond woman sitting at the desk.
``Hello Hawkeye. ``
``Hello Edward, what can I do for you? ``
``I wanted to know if you had news on the General. ``
``The General is currently on a secret mission for the country. I can't tell you more. ``
``Can you tell me if he's safe? ``
Hawkeye smirked. Never would Edward have asked before if Roy was okay.
``He sends daily reports. I do believe he is safe at the moment. ``
Edward smiled.
``Thank you… ``
``Anything else? ``
``Um… Just wanted to talk… I was getting bored in the mansion. ``
``I see… It is such a shame that the General must live alone in that huge mansion. I believe he likes it like that. Living in luxury was always something he was trying to reach. ``
``Do you know why? `` Edward was feeling curious.
``He had a hard time when he was little. Maybe he told you, but he got adopted at a fairly young age. ``
``Yeah, he did tell me. The father left and the mother became a drug addict. ``
``Right. So, luxury was never a thing when he was a kid. People may think he loves being in luxury to seduce women but its more on the contrary. ``
``On the contrary? ``
She smiled. Maybe she said too much.
``He only likes the fact that people think he's a 'womanizer'. ``
Edward frowned. He always thought he was one. Though its true that the week he spent with him, not one time he brought a girl home or talked on the phone with one. Was that all just a façade?
``So… Basically, Mustang is using a mask? ``
``I shouldn't tell you more… If you want to know, you could go to this address. ``
She wrote an address on a piece of paper and gave it to Edward.
``Who am I gonna meet if I go to that address? ``
``Madame Christmas. ``
Mustang's adoptive mother.
It was a club. The address Riza gave him. The kind of bar that women just take care of you and… Occasionally… Sell their bodies to you. Edward gulped. He didn't really want to go in there. But he was curious. Oh, so curious to know more about Mustang. Maybe another day… He turned back and went to the mansion. He spent his evening with his brother. They talked and talked about what they both discovered in their own alkahestry books and finally went to sleep in the hours of the morning.
Another day… Edward dressed well enough he thought. He finally went in the bar. It was pretty relaxed. There were only 3 men seated on different tables, each had a woman by their sides, either talking to them or serving them drinks. He didn't want to have to spend with a girl he didn't know and would probably try to sell her 'services'. He sat at the bar and waited. A large woman with long black hair and bright red lipstick came to serve him.
``What would you like to drink? `` Asked the woman.
``Actually, I would like to talk to Madame Christmas. ``
The woman eyed him before saying.
``If you want information, you need to buy consummation first. ``
Edward pouted.
``Fine, give me a tequila shot. ``
She smiled and soon gave him the shot. He drank it in one go and winced a bit. That was some good stuff.
``Now tell me boy, why do you want to meet Madame Christmas so bad? ``
``I am living with Roy Mustang. And I heard about the 'womanizer' rumors going around him… ``
The woman smiled again.
``Why don't I give you another drink? ``
Edward rolled his eyes before replying.
``Sure. Give me straight rum. ``
The woman prepared it and gave him a glass with a nice round ice in it. Edward took a little sip and the woman said.
``I am Madame Christmas. ``
The sip went down the wrong way and he coughed a little. He didn't expect that at all.
``Come boy, let's talk in private. ``
She invited him in a private room. Red alarm signals went inside his head, but he still followed her. There was a bed in the room and a little table with two chairs. Lucky for Edward, Madame Christmas sat on one of the chairs. He sat on the other one.
``My little Roy-boy is a nice gentleman. All he is now is because of me. Well less the alchemic part, that was Berthold. Do you know why he has this womanizer rumor around him? ``
``Not at all… That's why I came here. I feel like I know nothing of him though he knew each other for some years. 9 years to be exact. ``
``I already know that, Fullmetal. ``
He looked at her surprised. She continued.
``My girls love him a lot though he never slept with any of them ever. I would've given him trouble if he ever did. A son shouldn't sleep with the coworkers of his mother. Anyway, He comes here from time to time. You know what this place is right? ``
``Yes… `` Answered Edward the most innocently way he could.
``Well he isn't always discreet. Mostly when he was younger. He came here and people thought he was buying women. And he went along with it. Being a womanizer would cause him less trouble, he could always blame it on a girl's back if something happened or if he had a confidential call on the phone. ``
``Confidential call? ``
``Before, when he was still a Colonel, he would talk on the phone as if he was flirting with a girl. That was all bullshit. The girl's names were aliases. ``
``I see… To who would he speak then? ``
``Sometimes other member of his squad like that beautiful Hawkeye. Her code name was always Elizabeth… He had other code names for the girls working here. ``
``Why did he talk them? ``
Madame Christmas took out a cigarette and lit it before answering.
``My girls work is very important to Roy. They are the kind of girls that if you pay them enough, they can do whatever you want. But they can also make you pay with words. They have been trained to make any tongue loosen. ``
Edward realized.
``They are spies for Mustang… ``
``Bingo. ``
Edward smiled.
``Thank you very much for this conversation Madame. ``
She showed him her hand as if she was royalty. For all the secrets she told him, why not make her happy. He took her hand in his and he kissed the back of it. She smiled.
``So, did my son told you he loved you already? ``
Edward blushed at the question. How did she know?!
END CHAPTER 12
This was one of my favorite chapter to write.
I hope you liked it as much as me.
The whole theory around Mustang's womanizing tendencies finally explained.
And yes, it is only a theory but I love this idea.
I hope you all enjoyed and like I said, I'm in the process of moving out~
~See you all soon~