Beta&Co-Author: Ca11iope, thank you once again :D I can only repeat myself: you're awesome ^^
Huge – sorry^^° - A/N: This was one monster-delay ._. I´m sorry it took so long, but I hope you believe me when I write: I would have preferred it otherwise as well ^^° Thank you for all the reviews during the absence :D You guys really are amazing ^^
enjoy the reading!
The Bet of the Year
Chapter 24: The Dessert Makes the Difference
"I'm really sorry." Al appeared crestfallen. "It´s because of me that brother is angry with you."
Indirectly, that was true.
"That´s not true, Al." Roy sighed. "I´m sure Ed is just –" pissed as hell "- overreacting. A bit." The older man offered a tired smile. "It's to be expected. We did barge in on him in the middle of the night."
"But brother can be so resentful." Al pouted, eyes taking on a determined light. "I´ll talk with him about it," Alphonse stated, the tone of his voice pure Elric stubbornness. "He shouldn't hold it against you when you were only trying to help us."
Now it was Roy's turn to frown. "And start fighting with him all over again? I appreciate it Alphonse, really, but no. Not now. You should work out your problem first before you try to solve mine."
Al appeared ready to protest, forcing Roy to pull out his patented, all-purpose bastard smirk. "Besides, if there is one thing I can tell you about my relationship with your brother over the years, it's that I have always been more than capable of handling him."
Al still appeared doubtful, but Roy was not discouraged by this lack of faith in his skills. He had spoken nothing but the truth; the Colonel had successfully dealt with Fullmetal in many difficult situations, and he could definitely do it again. For a master manipulator like Roy Mustang, it would be no problem at all.
There were plenty of ways he could get back into Edward's good graces. Some sort of peace offering might work. Food was always a good choice. Of course he would need a lot of it, and that could get rather costly. Maybe a box of chocolates would serve to placate the blond. That might backfire though, if Ed thought that Roy was treating him like a woman. Flowers were out for the same reason. Damn the man for being a man! The mental image of a female Edward, a moody, short tempered and highly trained alchemic prodigy, menstruating, flashed through the dark haired man's mind.
Roy shuddered.
And speaking of dangerous females . . . Roy turned to Alphonse as he headed for the door. "Do me a favor. When Hawkeye calls back, tell her I'm on my way to the office."
Roy was exactly two hours late for work. The first thing Hawkeye mentioned was Maes' request for a meeting in the Investigations officer's office as soon as possible, but Roy couldn't resist checking the situation in his own office first.
Just as he had suspected, the paperwork awaiting him was heaped in a pile of epic proportions. He thought that he might be able to see over the top if he stood on his chair and stretched up on his toes – not that he'd actually try. The desk chair was a deluxe top –of-the-line model, and he wouldn't be childish enough to risk damaging it to satisfy his curiosity. Besides, it had wheels, and it tilted. The last thing Roy needed was to humiliate himself by falling on his ass here in the office. He did have to wonder how Hawkeye had managed to get the stack that high. Getting a jump on his task, the Colonel separated the giant heap into four smaller piles on the floor, all of which reached midway up his thighs. Shit. Hopefully whatever Maes wanted wouldn't keep him too long. Roy didn't want to be stuck in the office all night working on the undoubtedly boring stack of forms. He had better things to do.
Making his way to Central Headquarters' Investigations wing, Roy wondered what was up. Mae´s request for a visit was rather unusual. Roy's best friend tended to invite himself into Roy´s office without warning, shove some pictures into his face to soften his defenses, and then finally get to the point of his visit. It had to be serious for Maes to summon Roy to his home turf instead.
Roy entered the busy outer office warily. He hoped Maes had official business in mind, and that this wasn't some new underhanded scheme he and his team had concocted to help them win the bet. Nodding at Maes' subordinates, Roy strode over to the private workspace, wondering what to expect. He opened the door and stepped inside, absently noting the smell of cigarette smoke.
And immediately had a photo shoved into his face.
"Look Roy! Elisia is helping her mommy to bake a cake! My two beautiful girls! In matching aprons!"
Roy winced. A man should not be allowed to sound like that. Squealing, like some teenage girl with a signed photo of her crush. Instantly, he was annoyed. Really annoyed. More than he normally would be. Roy just wasn't up to dealing with his lovesick best friend today.
"This is what you dragged me over here for?" Roy's voice betrayed the abyss his mood had fallen into after Ed´s curt dismissal, made worse by the mountain of paperwork work awaiting him in his own office.
Maes' eyebrows arched up at his friend's tone, and the photos quickly disappeared into the Lieutenant Colonel's jacket. "Hmm," he said, studying Roy's face. "Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. What's wrong Roy? Didn't enjoy your early morning breakfast rendezvous with the Elrics?"
Annoying. "You tell me, Maes," Roy growled, out of patience with the overly happy man in front of him. "Or didn't you get the daily report from your surveillance team today."
"Of course I did. Al showed up at your place last night and waited for you on your doorstep until you got home. You invited him in and spent a few hours together." Maes was ticking each point off on his fingers as he took a seat at his desk. "The two of you then went to the district of Old Central and disappeared for a few hours in the vicinity of an abandoned church. At 3:47 a.m. you showed up at Ed's apartment, causing a disturbance and waking the neighbors. He let you in at 3:58. That sound about right?"
Roy didn't dignify that with a verbal answer. He simply leveled a cold glare at his irritating friend.
Maes tried on a charming smile. "Wow," he said, twinkle in his eye. "I had no idea how much a lack of recreational sex could affect your sense of humor."
Enough was enough. "Cut the crap, Maes," Mustang growled. "I'm a busy man. Why did you call me in?"
The Lieutenant Colonel leaned his elbows on his desk and looked at his friend over steepled fingers. "For a friendly chat, Roy. Man to man."
Roy dropped into a chair opposite the other man and flattened his hands on the desktop palm down, the red stitching of the arrays on his gloves clearly on display. "Fine," he said pushing down his irritation and preparing for battle. "But if this is the lead-in to some dirty trick around the bet, I should warn you that I'm in no mood for that kind of crap today."
"You wound me, my friend," Maes told him. "But since you appear to be in a hurry, I'll cut to the chase. Roy, what do you really want from Ed?"
This question again, for the second time today? Roy could understand it coming from Al. Over protectiveness was a proven Elric trait, though where Alphonse might have gotten the notion that Roy had even a single romantic bone in his body the older man had no idea. Had the youngster become hooked on sappy romance novels perhaps? Roy could understand the desire to read something other than alchemic texts once in a while, but that was a little extreme. Still, Roy couldn´t think of anything else to explain Al's behavior.
Maes was waiting patiently for his answer. Fine, he could do this. Putting on a smirk, Roy hid the fact that this question had managed to become number one on his most annoying questions list. "Why, Maes. I thought I answered that question in my office yesterday. Would you like a few more details perhaps?" Leering, Roy leaned back and prepared himself for another juicy speech, but Hughes cut him off as if his friend had not answered at all.
"And does Ed know what you want?"
"Of course he knows." Seeing the skeptical look he received, Roy continued with sarcasm thick in his voice, "I suspect his first clue was my tongue in his mouth. Or perhaps earlier." And actually Ed had noticed earlier, but the Flame Alchemist had no desire to tell his friend how he had been played by his former subordinate.
The biting sarcasm in his voice only earned him a raised eyebrow however.
"Does he know that´s the only thing you want from him?"
Obviously, Roy's face was projecting his mood, since Hughes lifted his hands in defense. But before Maes could say another word, Roy was on his feet.
"What are you implying?" he snapped. "You should know I would never lie about my intentions or lead anyone on just to get them into bed."
Roy was infuriated. After all the many year that they had been friends, surely Maes knew him better than to ask him this! And maybe all those year of friendship were the reason why Roy suddenly felt so exposed in the penetrating gaze he received from his friend.
After a few seconds, Hughes nodded. "Alright," he said, all business. "Then maybe you can explain why Ed has had a sudden change of mind regarding his place of residence."
Sudden change of mind? Now that was interesting, and Roy would appreciate a few more details.
"How do you know about this?" Yes, the question implied that Roy already knew about this, but if Maes assumed just that, he might be more open about stating facts.
"His last project partner mentioned it." Which meant that Maes was keeping tabs on Edward now too, this project partner could be the possible source of the cigarette smoke Roy had detected earlier. Roy vague remembered Ed mentioning being annoyed by his partner's frequent cigarette-breaks during one of his rants.
"Did he?" Roy drawled, making an effort to appear bored.
Maes leant forward, seeing through the act. "Yes, he did. He told me that two weeks ago Edward
informed him that he would not be available for another collaboration, because his next project would be outside of Central." It was disturbing to be on the receiving end of Hughes' penetrating gaze. "Last night he miraculously changed his mind and now wants to stay in the city. We all know Ed can be unpredictable, but don´t you think that´s just a bit too convenient for you?"
"Well, what can I say?" Smirking widely, Roy shrugged nonchalantly. "I´m just that good."
But the Colonel wondered why the Interrogations officer had gone to Ed's former partner to get this information, and not Edward himself. Unless...
"Prying this information out of Ed didn´t work, did it?" Roy asked, feeling smug that he was not the only one running head first into unexpected walls when it came to Edward.
It felt damn good when Maes appeared as if he had just bitten into a very bitter lemon, but at the same time Roy could see some familiar and disturbing signs. The narrowed eyes. The slight frown. The thoughtful hand rubbing distractedly at his chin. This was classic Hughes on the hunt, presented with a very difficult case. Which was not good for Roy. He already had his hands full with this situation, and felt no desire to encourage Maes' overzealousness.
"Say, Roy." Damn, too late. Roy knew that tone. "Ed has become rather good at hiding things. He didn´t happen to mention where he might have picked up such skills, did he?"
Staring at his friend, Roy considered how to answer. He did happen to know where Edward had likely picked up these skills, and why, but the younger man would certainly not appreciate his former commanding officer spreading the tale of his other-worldly experiences around. Roy already had a tough enough job ahead of him, attempting to regain Edward's trust. He couldn't afford to make matters worse.
"He did." And that was all Hughes would get at the moment, no matter how hard he tried to stare his best friend into the ground.
When the bespectacled man realized he wasn´t going to get any more information, he frowned. And changed the subject, seeming to sense the dead end he had run into.
"Alright then. What about Al? Why did he go to your place instead of his brother's?"
Roy rubbed his hands over his eyes. If it had been anyone else questioning him this way, he would have been annoyed, possibly even uneasy about the amount of observation he was being subjected to. But this was Maes. Maes was not only his best friend, he was also a comrade, someone he could always count on to support him. But while Roy usually wouldn´t hesitate to tell Maes everything he wanted to know, this was something personal and private for both Al and Ed.
Still, under the circumstances, the existence of another world wasn't something that Roy should keep to himself either.
"I need you to investigate something for me," Roy suddenly proclaimed, and instantly had his friends attention. "I need a list of any reports of unusual occurrences, on or around the date of Edward's return. Pay special attention to reports of strange people, perhaps wearing out of the ordinary styles of clothing, speaking unfamiliar languages, or asking odd questions about the city or country." He paused for a minute. "A month post return date will probably do." Just in case whoever might have come through the gate as well had brought along sufficient supplies to remain in the underground city for a little while to get their bearings before infiltrating Central. It had been a few years, but if anyone other than Edward had managed to get through the Gate, Roy wanted to know, and it was best to play it safe. Better late than never.
Maes was busily jotting down notes as Roy continued. "Also, I like you to take Falman and investigate all subversive groups, including rogue alchemists and physicists, particularly if their literature includes the name Adolf Hitler, or refers to Amestris by the name 'Shamballa', or makes reference to a place called 'München'."
At this, Hughes eyebrows went up. He probably wondered about the strange names, when the Colonel almost stumbled over the strange sounding 'h' in the last word. But he didn´t ask any questions. Instead he nodded and Mustang was sure he would be able to recap everything he had just been asked to check for, even without the notes.
"Anything else?" the Lieutenant Colonel asked.
Since automail did not make it through the gate from Amestris to the other world, the reverse was probably also true, so Roy didn't think he had to investigate the sudden appearance of advanced technologies. He paused for a second before nodding.
"Yes. Don´t question Ed about anything regarding this."
The look Maes sent his way made it clear he could just as well have said 'Don't rat me out.' Ed would likely be pretty well pissed off should he find out that Roy had involved Hughes in this way, even though the dark haired man hadn't really told his friend very much. But depending on the results, the Colonel – and Ed - might have to include more people in this. Preserving national security was a bit more important than staying in someone's good graces to get into their pants.
"Sure, spoil my fun" Maes returned with a grin. "And here I was hoping that I could bring him in for an interrogation."
What the hell had Roy been thinking, choosing a man who pried information out of people for fun as his best friend?
"Fun? Considering your current track record with Edward, I'm sparing you some frustration." Roy was not going to let Maes live that one down the fact that his famous interrogation skills had failed on Edward Elric. And sure enough the other man's eyes narrowed as he leaned back in his chair, eying Roy like a hawk. Time to brace himself for the retaliation.
"I admit he has become quite the challenge," Maes' tone did not speak of anything good, and Mustang could already see where this was heading. "But I´m more worried about the challenge he provides you rather than me."
Damn, clear shot back to the topic Roy had hoped to avoid with his request for an investigation. Obviously Maes' skills were not lost on him. With unerring precision the man had picked up on one of the things, perhaps even the most significant one, that had awoken Roy's interest in the young man.
The Colonel's plan was set within half a second: mislead him.
"Challenge?" Roy said, putting on his best 'I´m a sexy beast' smirk. "I think you forget who you´re talking to. Ed is not a challenge. Not for me." When Maes stared at him in what Roy hoped was an attempt to figure out if this was a lie, he nonchalantly added. "You saw the proof yourself. I could have had him on his back already, if it weren´t for the bet."
And a certain ring. And although he sounded absolutely full of himself, Roy was not a fool. One of the things that had gotten him hard back then had been the fact that Ed had allowed him to do that. And had stopped him when he was going too far. The whole experience had been a tightrope walk, and that had been thrilling and arousing at the same time.
But Maes didn´t know about that, or about what had really stopped Roy. After a few more seconds of trying to pierce his friend with his gaze, Hughes finally nodded.
"Just make sure you don´t hurt him when you´re over your sudden attraction to men," he said.
It was rather disturbing how everyone had just accepted his lewd speech yesterday, and the front he put up to keep them at bay. Everyone in his command, and even his best friend, had no problem believing he was only into sex and nothing more. Roy knew he was good at politics, mind games, and manipulation, but he found himself wondering if he had really become the man-whore everyone expected to see. He had originally put on the mask of the flirty, easy-going, miniskirt chasing pervert because he knew he needed to present some kind of weakness so his enemies won´t dig further, searching for something that could really hurt him, and so they would underestimate him when it came to the worst.
But at some point this front he had put up had become disturbingly true. So true, that even his friends believed this to be him. And looking at it objectively, it was easy to see why. For the last few years he had spent more nights in other beds than his own. He had neglected his alchemy. The only thing he hadn't abandoned in favor of sleeping around was advancing his military career, with which he still had his friends' strong support.
Was that why he found the question of what he wanted from Ed so annoying? The blond was his former subordinate. He deserved better than to be just another one of Roy's brief, superficial flings.
But wasn't that all he could be?
"Roy." Hughes voice brought him back to reality and he looked up expectantly.
Right at the stack of photographs that had magically reappeared.
"Look at this. She´s got more icing on herself than on the cake! She´s always been sweet, but this is -"
Signing deeply, Roy tried to appear as if he was listening, all the while contemplating what he had just heard.
If Ed's change of plans were because of Roy, then this was a clear signal of something Roy had not anticipated. Edward was going out of his way for this.
It was one thing to take an opportunity that presented itself, and so far, it appeared that Ed was doing exactly that. Roy had been hitting on the young man, and his advances had been accepted. But now, in light of what Maes had just revealed to him, it wasn´t just that. There was a difference between taking what was offered because it was there, and actually wanting something. Or as Breda would phrase it, you could eat a dessert just because it´s there, or because it's your favorite and you really want it. The difference seemed small and the result the same once one the dessert was eaten. However, if for some reason you decided not to have dessert at all, it was definitely harder to refuse it if you actually wanted what was offered.
This gave Roy some much needed ammunition to use against Ed.
Let´s see how the man reacted to the dessert Roy planned to serve.
It was late in the evening when Roy finally managed to leave the office. His late start and the amount of paperwork he had to do made it difficult to convince Hawkeye to let him leave any earlier, but she had finally relented once he had completed half the original stack. Fingering the grip of the pistol holstered at her hip, she had wished him a good evening, reminding him that he was expected the next morning at eight a.m. sharp. The Colonel was still shuddering at what the steely glint in her eye promised if he were so much as a minute late.
Despite the lateness of the hour, Roy had plans. He was a very patient man who could easily spend years maneuvering his way toward his ultimate goal, enjoying every minute. Nevertheless, he was anxious to check up on the Elrics.
All day long he had been wondering how their reconciliation was progressing. More than likely they were working it all out. Despite everything else, they loved each other more than any siblings Roy had ever met. But he was also sure that both brothers had been too caught up in the tale Ed had to tell of their quest for the stone to think about anything else, and the Colonel planned to take advantage of that to get himself through the door to Edward's apartment.
That, and of the twin black holes also known as the Elric's stomachs.
Standing at the door armed with two large paper bags full of assorted take-out, he was greeted by the two blonds, one with a pleased smile, and one with open hostility, their stomachs growling in tandem. Al rubbed his midsection with an embarrassed and rather adorable blush.
"What the fuck are you do-mph."
Al's hand over his mouth prevented his older brother from directly dismissing Roy. And the tempting aroma of the food prevented Ed from shutting the door in the Colonels face.
"I bring food," the older man said unnecessarily, raising the bags and keeping his demeanor casual. Judging by the loud intestinal grumbling coming from both blonds, his suspicions about their lack of a dinner break had been proven right.
It only took a moment of consideration before Roy and the food were accepted, Ed kicking the door wide and stepping aside so the Colonel could enter.
"I don't know why I'm letting you in," Ed muttered. "The food's welcome, but you. . . "
Al cut his brother's remark off without a word.
He gave him the look.
Roy had been on the receiving end of that look a few times in his life, but up until now he had been under the impression that only women were able to master the art. It was a look so withering, promising such dire consequences, that only a fool or a madman would dare to ignore its warning. The average person's survival instinct generally kicked in immediately under the implied threat, and was saved when their mouths slammed safely shut.
Alphonse offered Roy a welcoming smile while Ed watched, scowling.
"Can I help you with those, Sir?" he asked.
"No, thank you. It´s fine." Roy said as he stepped past the brothers, doing his best to move slowly without being obvious, and the dark haired man was pleased to note that Edward had not turned his back, keeping Roy under close observation.
Which was exactly what Roy wanted.
Remembering the effects a snug fitting pair of jeans could have on the general public, Roy had taken a detour home after work to change his clothes. Then he had gone to the market to get some takeout food and to test the effects of his choice.
Sure enough, he had once again been ogled and stalked by market patrons and vendors alike, of both genders. Roy supposed it just couldn´t be helped. An attractive sex god doing mundane household chores like grocery shopping had to be every housewife's dream. Thanks to his choice of attire, Roy bought his goods for half the usual price, and while chatting with the vendors, the alchemist had been coaxed into sampling various exotic fruits, pastries, and sweets.
Roy's sudden change of style prompted speculation about the cause from many of the market's vendors. Most knew that Roy was not married, and some – particularly the older ladies – decided that a woman must be involved. They tried to pry out the identity of his new lady, and whether the relationship was serious, but Roy gave them nothing but his trademark smirk, wondering how they would react to meeting his 'new lady'. And how that lady would react to being called exactly that.
The rave reviews Roy had received at the market left him optimistic about the provocative view he was currently presenting the young man, but so far Edward was not reacting. Roy reached the kitchen and started unpacking the fist bag, placing the numerous boxes of food on the table, noting that Ed hadn´t even followed. Hmm. Maybe he should start visiting the gym more frequently.
Just when Roy was coming to the conclusion that Ed had to be blind to the physical awesomeness and perfection that was Roy Mustang, he noticed one thing. He was half done unpacking the first bag, and the distance from the front door to the kitchen was not long. For someone who had made an obvious point of keeping a close eye on him, Ed was certainly taking his time to get there. Roy glanced back toward the entryway and noticed that in fact, Edward hadn´t moved at all.
"Uhm… brother? Are you alright?" Al's quiet voice reached Roy in the kitchen. "Why are you staring at the Colonel's - "
The slamming of the front door was Ed's only answer, when the man finally 'closed' the door.
Smirking, the Colonel forced himself to pay attention to setting the food out on the table.
This was going to be good.
Tbc.
*insert evil emoticon that gets kicked by ffnet here*
Black-klepon: No need to apologize, I think your typo was very charming :D And I hope, I didn´t reduce Roy to a pure sex-crazed guy ^^° I guess a man who didn´t do it for so long really is thinking a lot about sex ._. But I will see to it that the general is not the only one doing the thinking ^^°
I´m very happy you like Al so much :)
Catalog Cats: *lol* Hughes as a mood barometer :D Nice one, but there will be a few other things that probably will ruin the reliability of this method :P
Cynder81: I hope you like the scene about Maes and Roy ;D As for Roy, he does think he found a way. Let´s see how it works out ;P
BlahBlahBlackBeast: And I´m sorry you had to wait so long ._. That had been a lot of hours, but I hope it was worth it ^^° Roy having the hots for Al and Ed… oO good lord… mess is lightly put XD but it would be at least amusing XD
TsunderCrow: Sorry, I really took forever this time ._. Wasn´t intentionally and I couldn´t change it, but I still feel bad about it u.u At least, the next chapter is half done already, so it won´t take so long again ._. I will continue writing on it once I upload this part ^^ that facepalm might become a regular occurrence XD Especially next chapter (yes, a good bit of it is already done, so that one will be out soon ^^°)
Natsuki: ^^ Yes, poor Roy. He´s already on his way to the next catastrophe XD
Raigingstrom: *chuckle* Oh yes, he tries very hard XD Even to hard for his liking ;-P As for Maes: He´s a smart one as well and of course he won´t surrender without getting information :D
HikariNoIsuzuku: Thank you *bow* My apologies for taking so long ^^
Le Petit Usagi: I´m happy to hear the chapter managed to lift your mood :D Thank you so much, I really appreciate it when people comment on the characters as keeping them in-character is one of the things I really don´t want to mess up ^^° My dearest beta effectively fights off all the small ooc-moments that try to sneak in and I´m happy she does :D I absolutely agree on your view of Al, he really deserves more notice. Sadly, his character really got neglected in the first anime ._. Which is a shame, he´s amazing :D As for him pestering Roy… *snicker* Can´t say too much without spoilering you, but let´s say they will talk on more than one occasion ^^
Kawaii-Chibi666: I just take a guess and say you like the person he reminds you off? ^^ At least I think you like Al, for which I´m very grateful ^^
Mochiusagi: ^_^ Over the table… and a few other places XD
o-Jeff-o: I´m happy you liked the chapter and hope you enjoyed this one as well :D Oh, I haven´t thought about informing Al of the name for Roy´s dick – or the state of Roy's dick. But the thought is funny XD As for Al watching Roy… we´ll see about that ;P Hughes simply found another way to gain information ^^
rainwood650: Thank you, I´m excited you like the story :D Hm… more edroy… I guess the ending of this chapter does kind of promise a bit of that, doesn't it? ;P
Hawkpath13: o.O Dear god, you make me blush ^^° I´m happy you like the story so much :D I never thought of becoming a professional writer and I actually like it this way ;P I can deliver the stories to you without you having to pay for them XD Writing this is fun and I´m excited other people enjoy the things I wrote and letting me know what they think :D And to be honest, my beta really helps me improving the chapters quality :D She´s amazing and I don´t want to miss her ^^
Secret 25: Thank you for letting me know how much you enjoyed reading this story :D I will do my best so you will enjoy the rest as well ^-^ Hm, okay. About Ed's past: there will be more information, especially about Ed´s lover from the other world ^^ I really like your view of Roy´s motives and change of heart. You´re very observant regarding this and I am very hopeful that you notice my hints whenever I drop them. So far, I think you´ve done a good job :D To give you something to think about: not everything Roy uses to excuse his own actions is actually as valid as he would have liked it to be ^^
March Rosenqueen: So glad you enjoyed the last chapter :D With Al being part of the story, we have yet another person who has some motives and who will – of course- meddle in his brother's and Roy's business ( Just like anybody else XD). I´m curious what you think of his actions and how the readers will react to his actions :) As you see, Roy already works on his attempts to bribe Ed into forgiving him XD
WhiteNebula: o.O four nights straight? My deepest sympathy, you must have been really exhausted afterwards ^^°But it´s nice to read you loved it so much and I guess by now you slept and can continue reading ;P enjoy!
Fnick's Witness: I really feel bad for taking so long with the update. Having read the last chapter later at least shortened your wait, so it´s fine with me XD No, not even Armstrong in a miniskirt killed the general :D he is a real hero of war ;P
ElricLover96: Omg, I´m sorry ._. I let anyone wait so long for the chapter and here I finish this one with yet another cliffhanger ^^° At least I can tell you, the next chapter is half done already, so it won´t take months again to update ._.
MARYLOVER: o.O The last three nights. . . please tell me you slept some hours as well :D But I´m happy you laughed so much reading this. And now you can at least be sure your neighbors won´t do anything to irritate you XD Thank you for pointing out that bit with Roy ^^ I´m happy you like that he had to investigate a few things. I think it suits him and somehow, I can really see Ed not telling him everything :D At least in this fic. I might write others where he did tell him, but I thought a change would be nice ^^ Yes, there will be some romance as well and coming. I couldn´t really decide how to label the fic, the strange ideas – resulting in Roy´s 'hilarious situations'- just keep popping up while I write XD Otherwise I just have a basic storyline that also includes a lot of romance ^^ Some drama is also on it´s way ^^ Which doesn´t mean Roy will be off the hook XD I enjoy writing the torture too much and since you enjoy reading it: Roy will have to suffer some more :3
Meda Princess: Please pass on my gratitude to your friend who introduced you to this story :D And thank you for the reviews, I´m happy you enjoyed the reading ^-^ I apologize for the wait and will do my best to update faster again ^^°
RomiofAmestria: I didn´t manage the 'update soon' but I will try my best to do that with the next chapter ^^
BasilMacVae: Thank you ^^ I´m happy to hear you like it :D
Kitsune Demon Girl: Guess she will have to show some mercy ^^° otherwise the story would be at it´s end already XD Good thing it´s not 1. April, I might just have written that XD
Flayne: Thank you for the review and the praise :D I´m happy you like it and hope you enjoyed this chapter as well ^^
Kyrienne: Sorry for letting you suffer a deprivation ^^° I´m happy you enjoy the change of mood :D I´m sorry, but you will have to find out yourself what Roy wants XD I´m trying to prevent spoilers in review answers, even though it´s really tempting to just drop the bomb when someone makes a good guess :D
Darkwhizper: omg, that´s hilarious XD And you´re giving me ideas ^^° How to explain why Roy never went undercover as a woman ^^° Thx for sharing :D
Roskaposti: Don´t worry about your grammar ^^° I´m not native english as well and I have no clue how many mistakes I make whenever my beta is not looking XD So, I´m not one to talk and to be honest, I´m happy you reviewed even when you feel uncomfortable with your English-skills ^^ Thank you!
XxKat-OF-ShadowsxX: If I had been able to, I really would have update for you ^^ or anyone else :D You guys are amazing ^^ Unfortunately, I wasn´t able to, so all that's left is so to apologize for the long wait and hope you have not given up on this story ^^° I really like your reviews :D I love to read what the readers think and your guess is not that far off ^^ Hughes is digging and yes, there is something lurking in the shadows there but I hope it´s something unexpected so I can´t tell you much XD It´s amusing to see how the readers can feel so much sympathy for Roy, yet at the same time could burn him alive – uhm… drow him alive or torture him XD
Chrysanth Florence: XD screw the fucking bet. . . nicely put ^^ Thank you for the review. As for the smex ^^° I think I can say you are on the generals site, yes?
PhoenixWytch: thanks for reading and reviewing :D *lol* Poor Roy is not of the hook yet ^^
Proser132: Lol, you keep reading in public places? Brave ;P In the library… LMAO. Nice to read you enjoy the humor/seriousness blend ._. I just get these strange thoughts and ideas while writing ^^° I actually enjoy reading your fics, even if you say it´s blocky. I like that, it gives me a bit of the dropped-bomb-feeling XD which can lead to a lot of amusement ^^ (a review is for you is overdue again u.u damn I'm horrible at reviewing ;_;) As for the conscience: I recommend running XD I think Roy might feel like you´re making fun of his misery ^^° which you probably do, but I think that sentence was not part of it XD Hm… now I want some peanut butter :D~~
Tak: Thank you for the review :D I see, you´re really enjoying the fic ^-^ Always makes me excited to read someone does :D