-.-.-.-.-. notes -.-.-.-.-.-.-
I do not own FMA, nor do I wish to.
This chapter/story is one I just started and then it wrote itself. I'm not entirely sure it all makes sense but i didn't want to keep it sitting too long before v-day. I might have over used some words and it could be choppy. I'm writing again to try and work on that. Constructive criticism appreciated.
For anyone reading on a mobile device with an app that has a broken 'Review' option; story ID is : 11778669
This chapter has s General rating, except language.
italics are inside thoughts.
-.-.-.-.-. story -.-.-.-.-.-.-
Al let it slip. Mustang wasn't sure if the boy realised it or if he'd figure out later that the clue he gave sparked the investigation, but this was definitely Al's fault.
"Listen Al. You're not kids anymore. You're seventeen, and Fullmetal's what?"
"Twenty two-"
"Eighteen?"
"Yeah, sorry. Eighteen."
It took miliseconds, but that was all he needed to realise something was off. How could the younger Elric not know how old his brother was?
Mustang barely hesitated in his speech, "Exactly, so you can't just run around like you own the place. Stop destroying any building that's standing in front of you!"
"Yes sir."
Mustang sighed. Neither of the Elrics worked for him anymore but he'd been trying to help them find a job or two as freelance alchemic repair gurus. It was ruining his name when he recommended them and they trashed the place. They were supposed to be fixing it!
It was time for a new strategy, if he spoke to the younger brother, maybe he'd help keep Fullmetal in line.
"Well, get out of here then. I'll let you know if I hear anything, and they'll probably be small jobs because at this rate, Fullmetal's 'Hero of the People' reputation isn't going to last long."
Al nodded and bolted from the office. Sure the General had never been his superior but he still didn't like being scolded for his brother's infractions. He'd almost fucked up too, giving away Ed's age like that. It looked like Mustang didn't notice though so maybe he'd avoid telling Ed about his slip up; he didn't want to be yelled at twice today.
The door closed and Mustang slumped down in his chair. Why the hell would Alphonse mistake his older brother's age? And with four years of a difference!
A thought sparked in his brain, maybe though, maybe Al did know how old Ed was. Maybe it was everyone else that was wrong. He narrowed his eyes trying to think back to when he did Ed's background check. He couldn't remember finding a birth certificate though there had to be one. Ed existed so paperwork about his birth should exist... but how could he explain doing another background check? Especially for someone that no longer worked in the military. He wouldn't have to explain it, not if he did it himself, on his own time.
Spending his valuable paperwork time devising a plan made the afternoon fly by. He only ended up with one dilemma: Hawkeye. She wasn't going to let him leave the city without her knowing why. She was still his bodyguard. She still had guns… he grumped to himself, no way around that then, he'd just have to tell her and insist she didn't come with him.
After some deliberation he decided to head out almost immediately. This weekend. Take the morning train, get to the Resembool town hall, dig through the family records, and head right back. Hopefully there was an overnight train so he didn't have to get a room in Resembool but he'd plan for it just in case.
Turns out, Hawkeye wasn't as hard to convince as he thought. Strangely, she seemed a bit happy that he was going. He could tell she was trying to conceal it, but she let him off with only the basic warnings. Interesting.
Mustang arrived at the station early Saturday morning and hopped on the first train car available. If Fullmetal saw him then the game would be over. And really, this felt like a scavenger hunt. Finding clues to solve a puzzle. He was a little excited.
His plan actually worked out. He got to Resembool unnoticed and was able to dig through the records as expected. There was nothing for Edward under his family name's index and nothing under 1899 for births, but considering Al's slip up… Mustang dove into the E section for 1895 and rummaged around. Hah! There is an entry under Elric! He was excited to finally get somewhere. He sat down to read the specifics. Looks like it was spring time; Father: Hohenheim. Mother: Trisha. Gave birth to baby girl: Edaline Elric.
Mustang stopped and stared at the page. He could see the words but they weren't processing correctly. baby girl... Edaline Elric…
A voice called to the records room, startling him out of his thought. "We're closing up in a bit, are you done General?" He mumbled an affirmative and started putting the papers away. He could process this on the train on the way back.
Catching the late train out of Resembool to East City, then the overnight back to Central, his head wouldn't let him sleep. If he was a she, then of course she'd lie about her age to conceal her lack of growth. It made sense. He wasn't even mad. There were several advantages for why she'd do it. But why keep lying after she'd accomplished her goals? Maybe she didn't know how to come out with it. Maybe she was nervous about telling everyone.
A plan popped into Mustang's head then and he laughed out loud to himself on the train. He could help her tell everyone, and he'd do it his way.
He arrived home in good spirits with enough time to sleep the morning away then spend the afternoon plotting. Monday he'd call Ed into his office to try out phase 1 of what he was calling, 'Expose the Truth".
Phase 1:
"We're here General, what do you want? Do you have another job we can do?" Ed had arrived fairly early and seemed pretty eager to get some work.
"As it happens, I do. Someone needs the diving board fixed before a swimsuit competition. While they won't be using the board, the place needs to be cleaned up."
"That's it?"
"It is! Do you have a problem with it?"
Ed looked irritated, "Seems a bit too easy, what's the catch?"
"Nothing really. Some of the women might be by to try out their suits and show their talent, that's all. Are you going to be OK surrounded by half naked women?"
Ed snorted, "You're the pervert Mustang. Not me."
The General rolled his eyes and handed Ed the request while shooing her out the door. "Just make sure you don't fall in, you might not be able to touch the bottom."
"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SHO-"
Mustang slammed the door in her face. This plan didn't work out. Maybe he shouldn't have tried to come up with it while staring at a swimsuit calendar.
Phase 2:
"Ed I have a new job for you and Al."
"Obviously, that's why we're here."
Mustang ignored her, "I need some renos done in this office and I'm willing to pay you."
Ed's face lit up like the sun and Mustang realised his mistake.
"NO! No gargoyles, no exaggerated buttresses, no skull and crossbone scones!"
Ed's face dropped.
"I have rules here. There's blueprints to follow."
Ed grabbed the papers, "When do you want us to start?"
Mustang smiled, "Now's good."
Ed rolled her eyes and together with Al they got to work.
The General got almost no paperwork done, looking down at his desk only when Ed turned to ask him something. He was watching Ed very closely for any sign of femininity. Smaller waist, larger chest, cuter butt. The usual signs.
Al noticed quickly how Mustang's eyes were studying his older sister and started to get edgy. He tried drawing the General's attention to his side of the office but it wasn't working.
There! Mustang caught a glimpse of what he was looking for. Cloth bandages were under Ed's shirt. It had ridden up while she was reaching for something and the evidence was exposed. Hah! A gleefully sneaky look graced his features before Al ruined everything.
"STOP LOOKING AT MY BROTHER LIKE THAT YOU PERVERT!"
Ed turned and caught the look on Mustang's face just before it disappeared.
The General gaped at the younger Elric. They exchanged a look before his team burst through the door. Dammit. Now he had to make excuses before everyone assumed the worst. On top of that, Al was on to him. He glanced at Ed and noticed her cheeks were just the slightest bit pinker than usual. Interesting.
"Just pay us and we'll leave." Al was glaring at him and his team was still asking about the look he had been giving 'Edward', so he gave in and handed over the money.
At least phase 2 was a bit more successful than phase 1. He watched the blushing Elric sister leave his office. Much more successful.
"Hey Sir, I thought you didn't want any gargoyles." Havoc pointed to the doorknobs.
Fuck!
Phase 3:
"Fix my roof!"
"Are you serious?! It's a thousand degrees out!"
Mustang rolled his eyes, "It is not, and I'll be helping."
Ed grumbled her way up the ladder, Al following. It appeared Al had not told his sister what Mustang's intentions were. Maybe the boy knew he'd started the whole thing. In any case, it worked out in the General's favour.
"Are we done yet?! How many holes can your stupid roof have? I'm melting up here!"
"It's your own fault Fullmetal, you're still wearing your coat and shirt. Al and I gave up on that a while ago."
He caught Ed looking at him from the corner of her eye and stretched his muscles out a bit. "Either take the shirt off or quit grumbling."
She turned away and mumbled to herself instead.
Al caught the whole display and wanted to be sick. Mustang was going over the top. He had thought the Flame alchemist only wanted to tease her a bit, but now it looked like he was actually trying to see if she'd reveal herself and pay attention to him at the same time. Ed was going to lose her shit if she found out Mustang was just taunting her these past few weeks, and damned if Al was going to be the one to tell her.
They all lasted another half hour before Ed decided she'd had enough. She stood to leave and just about fell off the roof. Mustang and Al dove for her, each managing to grab a leg. She'd passed out from heat stroke and now they were stuck maneuvering her down the ladder.
"This is your fault Mustang. It's ok if it's harmless, but this almost caused a lot of damage. She could have broken her neck! Knock it off with your games or I'll bury you under the rubble of your own house." Apparently Al's body came with a backbone, literally and figuratively.
Roy grimaced, his heart was still in his throat. "I know, I just thought I could get her to tell me herself."
Al could sympathise with the General, it was hard to get Ed to open up to anyone, "You have one week and then I'm telling her that you know."
"One more plan Al, then I'm done. If she doesn't come out with the truth then I'll talk to her about it."
"Works for me. Now pay up. We finished your roof, which I'm pretty sure you sabotaged to begin with."
Heh...
Phase 4:
A box arrived at the Elrics' apartment. Al had been the only one home at the time and had had to sign for it. For all its wrapping It was clearly a dress box. He rolled his eyes and put it on Ed's bed. The card that came with it had a poorly disguised version of Mustang's handwriting and Al decided it would probably be a good idea to see what the General was up to.
With no qualms about snooping he opened the card and almost choked, a hotel address? what the hell Mustang? Mumbling to himself he stuffed the card back into the envelope, "She'll murder you dead, idiot." Actually, that might be funny to watch. He wondered if the General's security was prepared to stop the Fullmetal Alchemist on a rampage. Picturing the destruction, Alphonse giggled to himself then went back to reading. Maybe I should make popcorn…
Ed arrived an hour later with a pile of books from the library and went to her room to drop them off. Al waited. He didn't hear any yelling; had his sister not seen the box and just crushed it under her books?
"Al! Did you see what was in this?" She was holding the card in one hand and the box in the other.
He shook his head as she rounded the corner and came into the living room, "It arrived a while ago, I just put it on your bed." Technically he'd opened the card, not the box.
"General bastard invited us to a masquerade ball. At Central Hotel."
Al smacked himself mentally, that made a hell of a lot more sense. There must have been more notes inside the box.
Putting the package on the table Ed started to pull light blue fabric out of the box and Al watched as her face changed from interest to confusion to anger as the cloth revealed itself to be a dress.
"That bastard knows?" The card really hadn't been disguised very well and more emotions flew across her face, she looked at her brother with hurt on her face, "you knew that he knew and you didn't tell me?"
Al sighed and dropped his head to the table muffling his voice. "He said he was going to talk to you. I didn't expect all this scheming."
Of course she was smart enough to figure it all out.
"It's kind of my fault he knows."
So he might as well spill the beans.
"I got your age wrong when I was talking to him a couple of weeks ago. I had hoped he didn't notice the slip but…"
Silence floated around the room for a few minutes, finally Ed grumbled but resigned herself to circumstance, "Well, it had to come out sometime. And it looks like he's letting it be on my terms since I get to choose if I want to go and I get to bring you with me for backup. Plus" she grinned, "I get to make scary masks for us to wear."
She'd had to buy a few more items to go with the dress. The simple A-line was calf length and had come with long gloves and a small jacket, but she need boots and something to put her hair up with that was a bit fancier than her generic elastic. She had thought it would be a good punishment to drag her brother shoe shopping since it was his fault the secret slipped, but he actually seemed to be enjoying himself. Of all the things he couldn't do in the armor…She shook her head at the absurdity of it and saw that he was waving to her from the end of the store, at least he was happy, even if her original intent had been to torture him.
The day of the ball. Did it really start at 8? There'd better be food. When was the cab arriving?
Ed was suspiciously calm, she'd made the scary gargoyle masks and then put on the dress, shoes, and gloves. As far as she was concerned, her work was done.
Al was the one running around asking questions. His waistcoat was only half done up and he couldn't find his other shoe. When he saw Ed though, he almost had a heart attack. "You can't go like that!" He'd been reading fashion articles the last few days knowing he'd need the advice.
He sat her down at the table to re-do her hair and managed to add some make-up before she swatted him away.
"It's going to be covered by a mask anyway!"
"Ed! There's a big reveal at the end of the night! You have to know this, it's even on the invitation!"
Ugh! This was exhausting and she wasn't even there yet.
Pulling up to the Hotel they could see the building was already packed. There was a giant banner strung up across the entrance. "Central City's Valentine's Day Masquerade Ball"
Crap, she'd forgotten about that.
Masks firmly in place, they were helped out of the cab and ushered up the stairs into the building. They could see the main dance hall at the end of the entry way, refreshments and finger food were on every table. As they approached the open doors her brother squeaked, "Ed, can you switch sides with me? Your automail is crushing my bones." Shit. She was more nervous than she'd thought she'd be.
Letting go of his arm she moved to switch places. Suddenly her brother disappeared and Mustang was there extending his elbow. Looking around she saw Al was already heading off toward the rest of Mustang's team, and was that Winry?
"I'm glad you decided to come out Edaline. You look great." Her attention snapped back to the General, glad that the mask hid her blush, "How did you know it was me?"
He raised an eyebrow, "A little nervous Ed? I'd have thought it was obvious. You still have two automail limbs even if one is partially hidden by a glove and the other by not-quite-high-enough sexy boots. Your gargoyle mask is practically your signature, and" he paused and leaned toward her "I picked out the dress."
Dammit. Clearly she was distracted. It was loud and busy and she was out of her element. Wait! Sexy boots? She glanced at him and her train of thought derailed. Mustang in a perfectly tailored suit and waistcoat wasn't helping her focus.
He noticed her looking and grinned, "Care to dance?"
She nodded, glad again for the mask. Al had someone to talk to and she could re-introduce herself to the team later. Right now the arm around her waist demanded attention.
