When Edward had woken up, he heard his brother calling out loudly.
"Niisan!"
Edward opened his eyes slightly and groaned. He rolled over and look at the time on the clock.
Five to ten.
Ed blinked and the time slowly registered. He leapt out of the bed, managing to trip over his boots. Stunned, put on his boots and grabbed his jacket.
"Come on Al! Were going to be late." Ed called as he dashed out the door.
"Oh, Niisan." Al sighed as he followed Ed out the door.
Ed made it to central headquarters at ten after ten. He was ten minutes late and he felt like hitting his head against something, preferably hard.
After he had greeted and received a lecture on being on time, Ed was granted admission into the Colonel's office. Leaving Al to play with Black Hayate.
Upon entry, Ed realized why he didn't want to be there in the first place.
The fight.
"Right." Ed sighed.
Start of Flashback-
"If you understand than, be quiet!"
Ed lowered his eyes to look at the floor, he bit his lip as the words were spoken.
Roy turned to look at him.
"Just go."
Ed's eyes were filled with hurt as he turned around.
"Yeah, yeah I'm going."
Ed grabbed his jacket and slammed the door as he left.
End of Flashback-
Ed plunked himself onto the couch. For once, glad that the Colonel was nowhere in sight. He hadn't felt this depressed in such a long time.
Quite frankly, it sucked.
Colonel Roy Mustang walked through the hallways of central headquarters in a brisk manner. He was headed in the direction of his office, for what seemed like the sixth time this morning. Every time he got close, some officer would come along and deliver an urgent message. Or what they assumed an urgent message was.
Roy opened the doors of his office and headed in hoping this time around, he could get some work done. Well, not really, but it made a good excuse. Especially when he dealt with Hawkeye. To her, paperwork was always urgent. Sometimes Roy thought that woman took paperwork too seriously, but he would never say that to her face. Especially, if she had a gun within reaching distance. Or any sharp objects for that matter.
Ed was looked at the floor. He was feeling so sorry for himself; he didn't even hear the door open.
His eyes remained focus on the ground even as the Colonel walked into to his office and tossed his trench coat on the back of his chair.
It wasn't until Roy knelt down beside the couch and brushed his fingers across Ed's left cheek. Ed jumped slightly surprised.
Roy held a flower wrapped in tissue paper that was braced on Roy's right arm.
Ed blinked in surprise, when Roy offered the flower to him. The flower was a single red rose with a green stem that looked like a knife had been taken to it to cut off the thorns. Ed wasn't sure if he should feel grateful or insulted.
"Why?" Ed asked, looking at Roy.
Roy just looked at him, still offering the flower and not responding.
It was than that Ed realized that the flower – the rose was an apology. An apology that couldn't be spoken because of pride. From a Colonel who was too prideful to say he was sorry.
Ed looked at the rose to the Colonel. He reached forward and accepted the rose.
He supposed, it would be enough.
