Infatuated With You.

Lust had taken care of her business earlier than expected. Now that she knew where Ed was heading, she had nothing else to attend to; she was practically dead, but she wasn't stupid. She knew she couldn't take down Ed single-handedly; though, rather than showing it, she expressed a stronger confidence than usual when she was around that girl. Lust and the girl disappeared rather quickly. They took no other lives, but discarded of the corpse rather carelessly. Ed couldn't do much about it, so he let them go. The woman was already dead; there was nothing he could do now. He sat back down, almost wasted on all that had happened in those few minutes. He let out a sigh, then turned to Al. He was cradling Teresa, whom had passed out randomly during their meeting with Lust and the other girl.

The early moon revealed itself from behind thin, silver clouds. They slithered quickly across the sky. "You have a hotel reservation, right, brother?" Al asked him, now doubting Ed for his consciousness. He was almost completely worn from earlier events, and his senses lacked their usual capacity. His posture had become horrendous in a way that was not gentlemanly; or, should I say, 'acceptable to the military requirements'? He slopped along behind Al, his eyes nearly shut. It was as though something had drained him of all possible energy that he had; sucked the life out of him. Either way, he was rather tired at this point, barely able to stand. Teresa had woken up earlier in the train, and attempted to help him, yet...unfortunately, this exhaustion also triggered grumpiness as well. He ranted on, when she had offered to help, how he was a man and was not a weakling, that he could stand all on his own. And now, deep in his mind, he begged for some kind of transportation that did not require him to stand or walk.

"Taxi!" Teresa hollered, pulling a rather small car over. Al reacted quicker than Ed could, whom was still a couple of yards behind them. He was moving about as fast as a nonchalant slug. "Oh no you don't, Terrie! Not again!" Al said, yanking her by the shoulders away from the taxicab. "We're moving by foot, if it kills Ed." He glanced over his shoulder at the blond alchemist, whom struggled to keep his eyelids over his golden pools. He breathed heavily, unsure of where he was and what he was supposed to do at the time.

"And to think," Ed muttered, slurring his words as though drunk. "I used to be an insomniac." He sucked in his breath, then looked around. "Did you say something, Al?" Both Teresa and the suit of armor laughed. Teresa seemed to waltz over to him happily and stick her arm underneath his. She pulled his right arm over her shoulders and began walking. "If you have something to say that concerns the amount of manliness you have, I want you to can it," she demanded, noting his lips. They were about to move. "I'll literally staple your lips shut." Though Ed voluntarily protested about her help, he walked with her, taking in the scent of fresh perfume and fruity soap.

Before they could reach the hotel, however, there was a slight delay. Mustang and a couple others (Havoc, Ross and Hawkeye)stopped them. They seemed to be mostly intrigued by Teresa, whom irritably pushed them away like a cornered cat. She hollered something about trying to get Ed to a bed in a hurry, that they needed to be alone. That was a bad move, and Teresa realized it only after Mustang gave them a suspicious look. "You're travelling with Edward now, Private?" Mustang asked, his voice thicker than usual. He folded his hands behind his back. Teresa glanced at Ed, whose head was dangling over her shoulder like a limp rag. He was almost completely asleep now. "You could say that," she said, shifting Ed's weight on her through gritted teeth. "I am." Mustang quirked a brow. There was no doubt perverse thoughts spread through his mind like wildfire. "Are you two...courting now? Or something?" Even Ed shrieked at that question. The three adolescents complained on how gross and irrelevant that was to the previous subject, how that statement could've gotten Mustang shot on the dot if they were carrying any kind of weapons.

Al could obviously be seen as jealous; Teresa was more disgusted and kind of shocked than Ed was, whom expressed a kind of pleased vibe to everyone. Teresa, of course, was oblivious. She was too caught up screaming at Mustang at what a perverse, inconsiderate jerk he was. Unsurprisingly, Havoc, Ross and Hawkeye did not seem very shocked at his question. They knew very well that it was only in Mustang's nature to pry into other people's business, more specifically Ed's. Though it was unsure if Mustang had actually meant the question or was asking out of sheer arrogance. "Anyway, now that we're all finished with that little episode," he said, straightening the neck of his uniform where Teresa had been attempting to choke him. "I came to see why it was that Teresa did not fulfill her duty in being present at the weapon headquarters earlier this morning. I understand that the latest trains leave around seven or eight, though what she did demonstrated an act of laziness and irresponsibility, which is highly intolerable at military standards."

Ed's eyes flashed to Teresa. She stared angrily at Mustang; if looks could kill, this leer would've definitely massacred Mustang at first glance. "You work for the military?" Ed asked, not expressing too much emotion. Teresa cast her eyes hellward. "I don't," she muttered. "The military, in my opinion, is nothing but a club filled with brainless mongrels trained to kill relentlessly and without purpose. They ruin lives, and seem to profit on the deaths of hundreds of thousands that they slaughter without end. It's sickening, really." Mustang was no more surprised at her response than he would have been if she attacked him right there. However, Hawkeye was on the brink of pulling a pistol from her uniform. Mustang held a hand up. "Let her think what she wants, Hawkeye," Mustang ordered. "Just remember, she's the one that made you that custom pistol you were about to shoot her with." Hawkeye hesitated, but let her jacket fall over her once-exposed hip without a word.

Mustang laughed through his nose. He motioned for Havoc, Ross and Hawkeye to follow him as he began to walk away. He put a hand on Teresa's shoulder, but did not look at her. "I hope you think of us when you restore them," Mustang stated darkly. He smirked, slid his finger underneath her chin, then turned her face toward him. "Because you know you would be nothing if it weren't for us." With that said, he strolled toward a black car that seemed to have been waiting for them the whole time. Ed and Al were speechless; they had no solid clue about what Mustang was talking about, but didn't bother to ask, knowing that Teresa would not answer them anyway. Her severe expression melted into that of a happy one when she heard the car speed away. Ed quirked a brow. "What's eatin' him?" he asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. He was suddenly awake. Teresa chuckled, then waved his question off. "He's a sap for me!" she said, though not meaning it the way Ed thought.

"I'll sleep on a chair tonight," Ed announced, pointing to a rather uncomfortable-looking seat at a corner of their hotel room. There were two beds; and Teresa insisted that Al sleep on one, for she didn't have the heart to take it from him. "You can sleep on this bed, Ter." Teresa exploded in rage. "I don't think so!" she hissed, pointing at the bed that was originally supposed to be Ed's. "Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I have to sleep on a bed!" Ed looked at her with puppy dog eyes, yet smiled. "Okay, so make Al sleep on the floor right there." he said, winking at the suit of armor secretly. Teresa would have none of it. "I feel so bad for Alphonse! He is sleeping on a bed whether he likes it or not, and you can't change that!" Teresa demanded, pointing to the other bed.

"But where will you sleep?"

"I'll sleep on the chair if I have to!"

"No! I'll sleep on a chair tonight!"

"Stop trying to kiss my--"

"I'm sleeping on that chair, Teresa!"

"NO YOU AREN'T, EDWARD!"

Both of them turned to Al, whom was already laying on one of the beds. "Alphoo-oonse..." they purred, quirking their brows mock villainously. Teresa clambered toward Al and crept under the covers with him. "Y-You don't fit," Al suggested anxiously. His metallic cheeks immediately turned red rather animatedly. "I'll squash you if I roll over!" Teresa could only giggle, though it was solid truth. She really didn't fit, and there was about a 99.99 chance of being squashed and grotesquely mutilated by Al's armored body. Then Teresa slithered back out, sat on the floor, and stared solemnly at Ed. He quickly protested, but after much coaxing and threats, it was settled; Teresa and Edward were to sleep in one bed together. Oh boy, Ed thought with a grin, If Mustang were spying on me right now and saw this, he would surely accuse me of something tomorrow mornin'.

Though, again it was obvious that Alphonse would have none of it. He silently denied himself the truth about Teresa, the solid truth. He denied it, for fear of hurting his heart. But as much as he tried to block it out, it only expanded, and gradually it took over a large portion of his mind. He couldn't escape it, if he liked it or not. He watched the two as they quickly said their good-nights, turned seperate ways, and fell asleep.

A/N: This chapter was meant to be short!

Please don't hold it against me!

And review!