AN: Rereading chapters I've posted, I find more mistakes, but sometimes they are funny enough that even if I had the energy to go back in and fix them, I don't. Case and point, Pinako puffing out snakes. Oh autocorrect deities, you're sometimes worse than I am XD

P.s. clarification for FF dot net readers, I have six chapters left to write of twenty-five. You know until I added content and now the chapters are larger and I'm behind again…

Chapter 14 - For A Time

It had been a very dry year, so it was only to be expected that when the rain did come it would be a downpour.

It hadn't rained yet but Ed's ports were aching as if someone was hammering them in time with his heart beat.

He had healed fast, this was true, and the lighter metal had done wonders for the pull on the weight on his bones. But realistically, it would be another year before he was a hundred percent okay.

Well, as okay as you could be with two artificial limbs attached to organic nerves.

Still, it was just before lunch when Ed decided to call it. Hawkeye had already noticed the anxious looks he had been giving the gathering clouds all morning.

"Can I have the rest of the day off?" Ed asked.

Mustang looked up from his paperwork with an arched brow, "You mean so you can go home and research?"

"Sure," Ed agreed, though he wasn't sure he would make it home without tripping over his own feet much less have the wherewithal to read.

Mustang waved him off, "Go ahead, Breda can finish your paperwork for the day."

"Hey!" Breda exclaimed in protest.

"He gets done triple what you do," Hawkeye chastised. "You can handle a real day's work for one day."

"Sorry if I wasn't raised by a Lieutenant Colonel," Breda said, slumping in his seat.

"Thanks," Ed said, already walking toward the door and fighting not to limp.

He was light headed by the time he reached the plaza.

"Fullmetal?"

Edward pulled his gaze up from the sidewalk, "Ling?"

The Xingese Prince went to his good side, putting his shoulder under Ed's arm.

He breathed a sigh of relief when Ling took the weight off his automail leg.

"How'd you know?" Edward asked.

"You mean aside from your limping? Your chi isn't flowing right. What's the matter with your limbs?"

"Nothing," he said."It's the pressure on the bones at the ports. Metal doesn't expand the same way bone does."

Ling glanced up at the sky, "We can take a cab."

"I don't want Elicia and Nina to see me like this," he admitted in turn, not arguing the cab as the sky began to drip precipitation.

It wasn't fair that his element hurt him this fucking much.

Or perhaps that was exactly fair.

Ling had flagged down a cab when the heavens truly opened up.

Ed shuddered as he was soaked in the short minutes it took the cab to stop and Ling to help him inside.

He fought himself to keep from shaking as the cold hit him like a blow. The metal cooled, but his bones still ached from the increased pressure.

He knew in reality it was his nerves, not his bones, that were being most irritated by the low barometric pressure. Yet that knowledge didn't keep him from feeling as if his bones were being twisted and ground within him.

He tried focusing on his breathing.

Control your breath and you control all.

Mustang wasn't the only one useless in the rain. Okay, he wasn't quite that useless, but without adrenaline riding him, he couldn't ignore the pain.

Ed still felt like he was going to hurl as the cab drove on but Ling had his good hand, anchoring him through the pain.

He was so set on concentrating on his breathing that he didn't notice the cab had stopped until Ling had him thrown over his shoulder.

It was a good thing he had skipped breakfast that morning.

He was pretty sure he blacked out for a moment because when he next he was aware, he was in his own bed.

oOo

Jumping to the second floor was nothing for Ling

"I'll be right back," Ling told Ed, even though he wasn't sure if his new friend could hear him or not.

Ling slipped out of Ed's room, careful of the two little girls playing in their room, the door opened.

He jumped over the rail rather than walking around down the stairs. He crept through the house toward Mrs. Hughes's chi signature. He found her making lunch for the girls in the kitchen.

Ling cleared his throat, "Mrs. Hughes?"

She reached for her biggest knife and spun round to face him, "Ling?"

He waved to her, "Sorry."

Persephone who was sitting at her feet ran over to sniff Ling's hand.

He stroked her soft ears as she leaned into his legs. "I brought Ed home."

Persephone yipped and darted up the stairs —presumably— to Ed. The dog was insanely intelligent, so much so that Ed had asked him once if he thought the dog was fully dog.

She was. Her chi was all dog, but she had a special empathy for her humans.

Mrs. Hughes lowered the knife, "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, just the rain and the recentish surgery. I don't think he could eat, but I'm going to try to get him into a hot bath. I just wanted to let you know we were here."

Mrs. Hughes nodded, "Thank you, Ling. I'll keep the girls out of your way and bring up some tea for you both later."

"Much appreciated, Mrs. Hughes," he said, bowing to her before sneaking back up the steps.

Ling went to the nearest bathroom and got the water running just as Lan Fan and her parents had done for him most of his life. It sounded pretentious even to him, and he had had a problem being waited on hand and foot like that when others in his clan suffered.

But those services had been as much about giving him time to study politics and such as well as ensuring no one poisoned or assassinated him when he was vulnerable.

He heard Mrs. Hughes calling Ed's sisters downstairs.

He went back to Edward's room, where is friend lay, his only motion, his heavy breathing.

"Come on, Ed," Ling said, more so his friend knew he was getting him out of his clothes. "Time to get you warmed up."

"Pervert," Ed muttered, trying and failing to help Ling strip him.

"Why do you wear so many forsaken layers?"

"Cold," Ed muttered, trying and failing once more to help Ling.

"Your people must be from the great desert then," Ling joked.

"Yes," was Edward's panted response.

He sounded so serious.

Ling managed to strip Edward down, though somehow taking his gloves and socks off ended up being way more intimate than he expected.

Then came the pants. Ling pulled a kunai knife, and leaning over Ed, cut carefully down the side of his left pant leg.

"Is this a Xingese thing?"

Ling snorted, "No, but you can fix it later with alchemy." He pulled down the other pant leg with less ceremony and with Ed in his trunks, coaxed him out of bed. "I can throw you over my shoulder again if you like."

"The bathroom is not that far," Ed said, a little more awake now that he was out of his wet clothes. Persphone whined softly, her mirle coat brushing against Ed's side, the white markings on her head that went down her body, ending on her right rump, matched the symbol scared onto Ed's left hand perfectly.

"We going or are you that impressed by my abs?"

Ling flushed and took a too big step toward the door.

Ed grunted and leaned heavily into Ling, but peeking at his face, Ling thought he detected a faint smile.

His chi rang with too much pain and stagnation for Ling to truly gage what Ed was feeling as they made it to the bathroom and Ed sloshed into the tub.

The boy sighed in relief sinking down to his chin so his arms were fully submerged.

Thankfully the tub was large and Ling hadn't filled it all the way because no sooner had Ling shut the door behind them did Persephone jump cheerfully into the tub.

Her fur was floating in the water as she settled herself gently over Ed, her head resting on his flesh shoulder.

The pattern of her fur was the reverse of Edwards so together they looked like the symbol for dancing dragons. In Xing, the symbol meant a great destiny, a calling to serve the gods and to gain their wisdom.

"Thanks, Percy, now I get to smell like wet dog," Edward grumbled, eyes closed, a smile playing on his lips.

Persephone licked his cheek delicately.

He should have looked ridiculous, but Ling couldn't help thinking how adorable the other boy was as he grabbed a clean hand towel and ran it under cold water from the sink. He squeezed out the majority of water out before returning to Ed's side. He took a seat in the chair that was conveniently placed, more than likely having something to do with the two tiny children that doubtless saw the tub as a mini pool and laid the folded cool towel over Ed's forehead.

Ed sighed, more of his tension seeping away.

Golden eyes peeked open at him, "Thank you, Ling."

"I owed you one," Ling said, referring to Ed's kindness when he first arrived in the country.

Ed's eyes shut, "You don't owe me anything, Princeling."

Ling hummed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. "Well, either way," he said into the quiet. "I couldn't very well let my best friend dry heave his insides out."

Ed scoffed, but didn't open his eyes as he relaxed further into the water, his chi beginning to flow more freely.

It was interesting that Ed had chi channels running through his automail. That certainly wasn't true for all amputees Ling had met in Amestris. But Ed viewed his metal limbs as a part of him and though the pressure points were all in different places, it was clear the metal was in essence just a natural extension of his person.

"Still staring, pervert?" Ed asked. "Suppose you are related to the Colonel after all."

"As handsome as you are," Ling said dryly. "Wet dog is not one of my kinks."

He removed the cool cloth, stood to refresh it and by the time he returned he found golden eyes and a large grin greeting him.

"You think I'm handsome, Princeling?"

Ling wasn't sure if the alchemist had said Princeling, as in small prince, or simply his name with his title, Prince Ling, but either way, he couldn't stop the heat that rushed to his cheeks.

Edward had an extremely pleasing physique, all cut muscles, broad shoulders with a trim waist, and colouring that was not only beautiful but exotic, even by his own country's standards.

To say Ling hadn't noticed and wasn't intrigued, not just by the boy's physical beauty, but by his intelligence and generous spirit, would be a flat out lie.

He said none of this out loud but in taking too long to respond he might as well have because Ed was grinning up at him with a knowing look. "You're pretty beautiful yourself, Ling Yao."

Ling was certain his face had turned red at this point and he put the cool towel over Ed's eyes. "You're an idiot."

"My brother would probably agree with you."

"You have a brother?"

Ed's smile vanished but his tone was still notably fond as he said, "Alphonse, my little brother by a year or so. He's travelling the world with my birth father."

"You're not a fan of your birth dad?"

"I mean, I didn't run away from home because we were buddy buddies," Ed said bitterly.

Ling could relate all too well, "My birth father isn't much to brag about either, Emperor of Xing or no. I wish I had met Roy's father, he seems like he was a good person. Our mother actually loved him, at least."

"My mother loved Hohenheim, it's the only reason I trusted him with Al," Ed said, true sorrow in his voice.

Persephone chose this moment to hop out of the tub, sloshing water everywhere.

"Don't—" Ling warned the mongrel, holding out his hands out in vain.

Persephone shook out soaking Ling, the floor, and walls.

"I hate you," Ling said in Xingese.

Edward started laughing.

And his laughter was transformative.

When he was done laughing, he held his hand out to Ling who helped him out of the tub. Once Ed was on his feet, dripping onto the already soaked floor, he clapped and laid hands on Ling's chest.

Light bloomed between them, Ling felt their chi jump between each other in a way he had never witnessed, much less experienced before.

All the water in the room not in the tub gathered round them, then followed Edward's instruction as he pulled back, leading the water back to tub.

Leaving them all dry.

Persephone shook out again as if she wanted to resoak them.

No dice, mutt, he thought before saying To the young alchemist, "You're incredible."

Ed smirked up at him, "I was hoping you'd notice."

Ling didn't really know what to do with Ed's boldness. Sure, he understood Ed wasn't exactly a subtle person, but Ed was also a man of many secrets. Ling wasn't quite prepared for his growing crush to be met with such directness.

"Let's get you back to bed," Ling said, immediately flushing when he heard his own words.

Ed, thank fuck, just smirked and turned obediently to go back to his room.

Ling should have worried by his silence, he realised when no sooner did he get Ed's covers pulled back than did he fall, nearly cracking his blonde head on the wall.

"Easy," Ling cautioned, catching his good shoulder and helping him down.

What colour had returned to Ed's face had receded again.

Cursing under his breath, Ling laid down beside him above the covers so they were separated despite sharing a pillow.

Ed's breathing was far too deliberate.

"Teach me alchemy?" Ling said on impulse.

Ed opened his eyes, there was still a pained distance there, "What?"

"Teach me alchemy," Ling said. "You'll have to start with the basics though. What I do know about science and mathematics is basically useless given Amestrians use different measurements."

Ed shut his eyes for a moment, letting out a long breath, "Not necessarily, Xingese practically invented modern mathematics."

"Cool."

"Do you know anything about alkahestry?"

"Aside from being able to sense and track with the Dragon's Pulse, not a wit."

Ed sighed, then looked back at Ling, "Why?"

Ling knew what he was asking, Why do you want to learn?

Ling turned on his side to look at him more easily, "Because everyone I'm closest to can talk circles around me. Even Hawkeye knows more than I do."

"Her father was the Alchemist Master who taught Mustang."

"That tracts," Ling said.

Ed stared at him.

Ling waited.

"You're serious?"

Ling shrugged, "I've spent my whole life being groomed to save my clan that no longer exists and to rule a country I have no hope of seeing again this side of living. I literally have nothing better to do, and martial arts only occupies so much of the day."

Ed was quiet for another moment, before he said, "Okay, I can teach you the basics, I guess."

Ed took some time to gather his thoughts, doubtless trying to strip down his complex understanding of his art to something hopefully comprehensible.

Then he started talking and Ling was reminded all over again, how clever and amazing Edward was. Ling hung on his every word and he wasn't sure he would ever know if it was because what Ed was saying was saying, science made magic, or just because it was Ed himself, speaking of something he was passionate about.

Either way, Ling was able to set aside his grief for the evening, lost in the complexities of a forgein science and the fire burning within Edward's golden eyes.

oOo

Envy watched the Fullmetal Pipsqueak on Wrath's orders and decided the golden boy couldn't see when someone was head over heels in love with him, Envy certainly could.

While Fullmetal might not be aware, if the tinge on his cheeks was any indication, he seemed receptive to the Colonel's younger brother.

With this tidbit in mind, Envy found themselves slipping into Greed's bedroom, eager to share some misery.

Greed who seemed to want everything, but never hurt the way Envy hurt.

Homunculi did not sleep the way that humans slept, they did not need it as humans did.

But sleep brought clarity of thought, as food and drink nurtured the spirit.

Transforming themselves into a being with golden hair and golden eyes, he slipped between Greed's sheets.

The other homunculus groaned, stretching and turning toward them. Envy arched against him.

Greed's eyes slid open, and he smirked, shifting over them, his leg going between theirs. Envy grinned, accepting the other's kiss as he shifted away their clothes.

"Are you always going to appear to me in this form, Envy?" Greed asked, reaching down to palm them with a large but gentle hand.

"Call me Edward, Prince Ling."

Greed stilled, pulling back, "What the fuck did you just call me?"

Envy shifted into the black haired Xingese boy, "Your crush has a new friend."

Greed's ultimate shield rose and a clawed hand engulfed Envy's throat, but Greed did not hurt them even as he growled, "Shift back."

"To who, Fullmetal or me?" they asked.

"Whoever you want to be as I fuck your brains out," Greed snarled.

Envy changed into something in between, they might have been the messenger but it was Edward who had enraged Greed. So while they would take the result of that anger, they would do it with their own face.

And Xerxes colouring.

Just like Edward and Hohenheim.

Just like Father.

Greed was rough, and for a time Envy was enjoying himself too much to be jealous of anyone.

oOo

AN: Thoughts, greyhounds, or feedback, pretty please?