Red Roses2: Exactly eight pages. That's a new record for this story!
Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.
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The train pulled into Risembool, and Scar practically hopped off as it was still slowing to a stop. Ed hung off of Heinrich's arm, grinning like a maniac. Heinrich smiled, his cheeks tinged pink. He muttered something about people seeing, and Ed retorted by saying this was his hometown and he wanted everyone to know how lucky he was. Heinrich's blush deepened, and he let Ed hang off him. Scar scribbled down a few more sentences and set out towards Pinako's house.
The smells of the countryside blew around them, tickling their noses and enticing Heinrich's curiosity. The sounds of baying sheep carried across the air from the fields. The green fields contrasted drastically with Central and Leore.
"It's beautiful," Heinrich said. Ed smiled embarrassedly.
"Really? There's not much to do here, though. . . ."
"That's good sometimes," Heinrich added.
Scar wondered exactly how long they'd be able to keep up the lovey-dovey moments.
The sounds of shoes scuffing against the dirt road rang sharply in Scar's ears. The Ishbalan glanced in the direction, and his eyes widened at the familiar sight.
A smug grin flashed back at him.
"Well, well. If it isn't Edward Elric."
Ed's smile flipped into a frown, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"What are you doing here?" Ed snapped, resting a hand on his hip.
Heinrich knitted his eyebrows together as he looked over the man before them; he took in the vest with the fur lining, the sunglasses, and the leather.
The man strode closer to them, but Scar threw his arm out to block him. Heinrich blinked, and the man twisted Scar's arm behind his back. Scar gritted his teeth. The man's grin widened.
"You know better than that, Ishbalan," the man admonished as he pushed Scar away from him.
Scar lost his balance and hit the dirt.
The man walked up to Heinrich and Ed, not paying the German the slightest bit of attention.
"It's been a long time, Edward," the man said, his voice softer.
Ed hooked his arm with Heinrich's and gave the man a look.
"Yeah, I guess. What do you want, Greed?"
Heinrich's eyes widened as he remembered where he'd heard Ed mention a Greed before. And I practically had a stalker for a while. Managed to get a kiss and disappeared. His name was Greed, and he was one of those homunculi I told you about.
Greed brought a hand up, leaned forward, and lifted Ed's chin up with his index knuckle. Heinrich twitched and glared at him, but wasn't sure what he should do about it; Ed literally had an iron grip on his arm.
"You know exactly what I want . . . but I'll settle with checking up on you." Greed said. He let his hand drop. Ed smirked.
"You're awfully generous when it comes to me," Ed said. Greed straightened up and shrugged.
The homunculus finally looked in Heinrich's direction.
"Who's he?" Greed asked. "He's not your brother, that's for sure."
"This is Alfons Heinrich. My boyfriend."
Greed's shoulders slumped. "You still have a boyfriend? When do I get a shot?"
Ed rested his head on Heinrich's arm. "He's only been my boyfriend for a year. My first one and I broke up five months before I met him."
Greed stared at Ed, slowly processing what he just said. He put his hands on his hips, Heinrich finally catching a glimpse of the tattoo on his hand, and his grin twitched.
"There was a five-month single period, and I didn't know about it?" Greed asked.
"Yep," Ed answered mercilessly.
Greed sighed dejectedly and smacked his forehead.
"Damn it." He looked at Ed longingly, the fact that he couldn't just whisk him away somewhere clearly stabbing his ego repeatedly. "Next time, call me when you break up with someone."
Ed rolled his eyes. "You still haven't answered my question. What are you doing here?"
Greed linked his fingers together and put his hands behind his head. "Like I said. Checking up on you. Last I heard, you lived here, so I came here, but you weren't here. The old lady said you'd be visiting, so I stuck around. Do you have any idea how little there is to do here?"
Ed sighed. "I know, I know. But why check up on me after four years?"
Greed shrugged vaguely and started walking up the hill. Ed furrowed his eyebrows, but didn't say anything on the matter. He looked up at Heinrich and caught the suspicious glare Heinrich was giving Greed.
"Hey," Ed said. Heinrich snapped out of his daze and looked at Ed. Ed smiled at him. "He's not a problem."
Heinrich curved his eyes up in a forced smile, but his mouth didn't quite reach the 'decent-smile' mark.
Scar dusted his jacket off, his eyes narrowed in an annoyed fashion.
"I hate him," Scar stated, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Let's just get to Auntie Pinako's," Ed said, walking up the trail, pulling Heinrich with him. Scar followed them up the hill. Heinrich knitted his eyebrows together again, noticing how Ed didn't seem to have a negative opinion about Greed. If Greed was his stalker like he said he was, wouldn't he dislike him?
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Greed returned to the house much too soon for Pinako's liking. She grunted at him and continued to work on some automail. Greed sat down into a chair in his usual 'I-own-the-place' fashion. He sighed and looked out the window whimsically.
Pinako halted her work and raised an eyebrow. She turned around and gave him a look.
"What's eating you?"
Greed glanced at her, then looked back out the window.
"Ed's back," he said. Pinako furrowed her eyebrows together.
"That's what you wanted to happen, isn't it?" she asked.
Greed sighed. "I wanted him to be single when he showed up."
Pinako's eyes widened. "He has someone with him?"
Greed nodded and rested his chin on his arms.
"He could've at least picked someone prettier." Greed grumbled, remembering the nondescript blond hair, the unremarkable blue eyes, and the typical height and figure for a young man. He gritted his teeth. "Bet he's boring, too." The flash of Ed hanging off that plain man like he was the best thing on Earth made him tighten his fists.
He was supposed to be Greed, not Envy, damn it. But jealousy pounded through his veins, along with anger, as he imagined Ed kissing and doing those kinds of things with "Alfons Heinrich". Even the name was boring.
And he wanted him so much!
Surprise filled Pinako as tears started rolling down the homunculus's cheeks. Tiny sobs escaped his throat, and he gripped the chair tightly. His shoulders shook, and a small chuckle managed to force its way through the sobs.
"D-damn you, Edward," he said before covering his face with his hand and sobbing into it.
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Heinrich rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Ed stood a ways from him, talking to the people he knew. They talked excitedly about Ed's promotion, and a few of the girls asked who Heinrich was. Heinrich glanced at Scar and found he also had been wrapped into conversation with someone.
Heinrich wasn't sure when he found himself standing in the middle of the road by himself, but he didn't like the feeling of it. He couldn't seem to make himself step up next to Ed, though.
He remembered how Greed had tilted Ed's head up. Ed hadn't exactly pushed his hand away. He remembered the dejected look Greed had when Ed mentioned having a boyfriend, and he remembered how Greed looked as though he had found the perfect meat for dinner when he first saw them. He remembered how easily he had pushed Scar aside, and from what Heinrich kept hearing, that wasn't supposed to be so easy.
All in all, everything he had gathered about the man in those short minutes was making his blood boil and his suspicions rise exponentially.
Greed certainly acted like stalker material. But . . . did that mean Greed was also rapist material?
Would it actually be rape if Greed tried anything? Ed hadn't exactly pushed his hand away. . . .
No, he was being ridiculous. Of course Ed wouldn't cheat on him. Ed probably just figured that if Greed was going to do something untoward, he'd have done it sooner or something. Yeah, that had to be it. Ed just knew Greed well enough to figure out what was a danger and what wasn't. That sounded right. Right?
Ed loved Heinrich. He'd never cheat on him with anyone, let alone a monster named Greed. Right?
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Ed knocked on the door.
"Coming!" rang Pinako's voice. Ed grinned, and a small smile crossed Scar's face.
The door creaked open, and an old woman appeared in the doorway.
"There you are, Edward! I was wondering when you'd show up. Good to see you again, Scar." Scar nodded in agreement. "And who is this young man? He's too tall to be Alphonse."
"This is Alfons Heinrich. He's my . . . ."
Pinako smiled warmly at Ed. "It's all right. I already know." She held out a hand to Heinrich. "It's nice to meet Edward's boyfriend."
Heinrich smiled politely. "Thank you. It's nice to meet you, too."
"Come in, come in. I haven't cooked anything yet, and please excuse the guest. He just waltzed in here one day and hasn't left since, being a constant thorn in my side." Pinako said.
Scar, Ed, and Heinrich entered the house, Pinako closing the door behind her.
"Who is the - ?" Scar asked, but then he laid his eyes on Greed in the kitchen.
They never would've guessed Greed had a good cry before they showed up. He grinned at them, the milk carton in hand.
"Nice to see you so soon," Greed said as he lifted the carton to his lips.
A wrench flew through the air, and Greed expertly tilted his head to the side, the wrench missing him by an inch.
"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT DRINKING OUT OF THE CARTON?"
"Yeah, yeah," Greed said, taking a big gulp anyway. Pinako let out an exasperated sigh.
"He's been like this since he showed up," Pinako explained.
Scar glared at him.
"Have you no manners?" Scar demanded. "The least you could do would be to show Lady Pinako some respect!"
Greed rolled his eyes. "Better an unruly house guest than her son and daughter-in-law's murderer."
Scar stepped back, clearly stung.
Ed sighed. "Please be nice?" he asked.
Greed froze. Heinrich could see the gears in his head turning as he deliberated ignoring Ed's request.
"What do I get in return?" Greed inquired, setting the milk carton onto the counter.
"I don't kick you in the balls."
"It wouldn't hurt me. You know that."
"Oh really?"
Greed narrowed his eyes at Ed, suddenly unsure of himself. Ed just gave him a look that said "Are you sure you want to risk it?"
Greed's shoulders slumped and his expression sagged.
"Fine, I'll behave." Greed acquiesced. Ed smiled.
"Good."
Heinrich frowned, but it was quickly wiped off his face as Ed grabbed his elbow and dragged him towards another room.
"Come on, I'll show you the workroom where Auntie makes the automail!"
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Pinako washed one of the many glasses in the sink. Moonlight shone in through the window, coloring the room in blue and casting black shadows. Though, Pinako would say that Greed was the blackest thing in the room.
The homunculus stared up at the ceiling, knowing that the room above was where Heinrich and Ed slept.
"Do you ever go to sleep?" Pinako asked.
Greed snorted. "I used to."
"Why the change?"
Greed leaned his elbows on the kitchen table.
"I haven't a clue." He let out a breath of air, incapable of finding the energy to turn it into a sigh. "All I know is that there's something brewing and Ed has something to do with it."
Pinako stopped running the wash towel over the glass and turned to look at him.
"Something brewing? Like the stuff with the Gate?" she asked.
Greed nodded.
"But the Gate was shut for good. . . . wasn't it?"
Greed shrugged. "I haven't a clue. But something's up, and it has to do with Ed. I don't think he knows it, though."
Pinako grunted and resumed washing the dishes.
"Speaking of Edward," Pinako said, "how long have you been obsessing over him?"
Greed raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Obsessing?"
"Yes. Watching him fawn over Heinrich was obviously killing you."
Greed's expression softened and he leaned back into his chair. His breathing slowed as he thought back to earlier. Ed hanging off Heinrich's arm, Ed smiling mostly for Heinrich, Ed talking about Heinrich with that damn smile -
"For a few years," Greed admitted. "He's just always belonged to somebody else."
Pinako halted her washing again.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I don't know who the first boyfriend was, but he was fiercely loyal to him. Only his brother being in danger made him agree to my deal."
Pinako set the glass down and picked up another dish. "What deal was that?"
Greed smiled slightly. "I told him I'd help him save his brother if he'd give me what I wanted. . . . I had meant to have sex with him, but that didn't happen. I don't understand it myself, but I guess I changed my mind somewhere along the line."
Pinako made a thoughtful sound.
"What do you feel for Edward?"
"What do you mean?"
Pinako turned her back on the dishes and looked at him hard.
"Do you love Edward?"
Greed wasn't really looking at her as he thought. His eyes strayed to a little above her head.
"I wouldn't recognize as love if I do. Homunculi aren't supposed to love. Love is strictly a human trait."
Pinako smirked. "I don't think so. Many animals are capable of love. Den the dog is a perfect example. He loves Winry, me, Ed, Al, and Scar very much, and he's not human."
"That's different," Greed insisted.
"If you say so."
Greed crossed his arms and stared up at the ceiling again.
". . . . I think I'll follow them to Central." Greed said.
Pinako turned back to her dishes.
"Fine. As long as you don't stay here all your life. I can only stand you for so long."
Greed smirked.