author: carla, aka cali-chan
rating: PG-13, because of some swearing... Can't be helped,
since there will be people calling Ed "short" once in a while. Rating might
go up to R, though, depending on my mood when writing later chapters.
genre: AU, romance, a bit drama, really cheap humor XD
canon: manga ONLY!
pairings: EdoWin, RoyAi. Hughes will definitely be gushing about
his wife a lot...
summary: AU, chaptered, high-school themed, but not your usual
sweet-valley high school fanfic. Edward Elric has to become the best track
runner there is, for his mother, for his brother, and for everyone else
in his life. But will triumph come at a high cost?
in this chapter: It's Al's 17th birthday! So he angsts. And Mustang comes to Leizenburgh with a proposition.
Chapter 5: Not just his burden to bear / Not just his decision to make
Alphonse felt himself being brought out of the haze of sleep by something... furry.
First he tried to turn his head to the side; whatever it was, it was tickling his nose. When that didn't work, he tried swatting it away, but still it insisted on rubbing against his face. By that time he was just too awake to keep his eyes closed, so he gave up. He opened his eyes to find himself looking into a pair of golden eyes. And they weren't exactly his brother's.
"Oh!" he sat up, and the kitten fell down into his lap. His hand went out to pet it and it immediately curled into his caress. "Where did you come from, little one?"
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY AL!" someone screamed out of the blue and Al (plus kitty) jumped about five feet off the ground in fright. After he caught his breath back, he turned to the door, where Winry was standing, hands clasped behind her back and a giant smile on her face, and Ed was just coming in.
Al picked the cat back up in his arms and laughed when it tried to climb to his shoulder. "Her name's Fräulein," Winry provided. "So, do you like her? From Edward and me, with all our love!"
"More like with all of your prodding and Brother's money," he replied, knowing full well that the two of them always banded together to get him a great gift. He didn't see his brother shopping, though, and he knew Winry didn't make that much from babysitting, but it was ok by him, it didn't make the feelings behind the gift any less to him.
He received two dark looks for his comment, though, and his brother muttered something about ungrateful babies under his breath. Al laughed. "Fräulein, eh? The name fits her well."
"You like her, right?" Winry asked him again, and without waiting for an answer, she turned to Ed and poked him in his arm. "See? I told you he'd like her!"
Ed looked crossly at her. "I never said he wouldn't like her!"
She gaped at him. "Yes you did!"
He gaped at her. "No I didn't! Don't go making things up now!"
"You've been complaining about my choice since the day I told you!"
"I have not! It's Al for godssakes-- he'd like anything we gave him!"
"Then why did you--"
"You two," Al called from the bed, with a giant sweatdrop on his head. "You know, it would be a much better present for me if you could stop arguing, at least for today."
Both of them stopped in mid-sentence and turned back to Al, doubtful. "No, it wouldn't," Winry replied, daringly.
The birthday boy simply blinked at them. And then he giggled. "No, it wouldn't," he chortled, and went back to cuddling with Fräulein. "Argue all you want! This is the best present ever!"
The other two chuckled, glad that they'd made him happy. "That's great, Al. Well, I have to go and get ready for school," Winry said, giving Al one last smile before leaving the room. His brother nodded, agreeing with her.
"Now don't just go on snogging the cat, or we'll be late." Ed also made to leave, but he paused for a second with his hand on the doorhandle. He turned back his head and smiled at the picture Al made playing with his new kitty. "Happy birthday, little brother." Al replied thankfully and Ed left. Not a minute later, though, the door opened and his blonde head popped back in. "And don't even think of stuffing that thing in your backpack so you can sneak her into school!"
Al sweatdropped again as his brother ran outside, his braid trailing behind him with the breeze. But as soon as the door closed, his expression dropped. He laid back down on his bed and gathered the kitten to his chest. "I'm glad you're here with me now, Fräu," he sighed, scratching her behind her ears. She mewled sadly, looking up at him with liquid gold eyes. "Today's going to be a hard day."
--
That day at school was just not normal. It wasn't bad... not by everyone else's standards. But to Alphonse, it was just a little overwhelming.
He was well-liked by all of his classmates, of course. It was no surprise, then, that he was showered with congratulations, well-wishes and affection from all of them. His math teacher had added an extra point to his grade for the day because it was his birthday. Some girls even gave him gifts. One of them even asked him out "to celebrate" (and he was sure he was going to be teased for it that night at dinner). And while he was grateful that they all liked him so much, he didn't like being the center of attention. He was a shy boy; a rarity, indeed, between the other teenagers in his town. He didn't want everybody to look at him; he much preferred to watch from the sidelines.
And it wasn't easy to accept others' joy if you just weren't feeling it yourself.
He'd been eerily quiet as he and Winry walked back home after school. Ed had to stay behind for practice (since he'd made it to the team for the regionals, they were now practicing every day. So what if they had tests and schoolwork? The competition was much more important!), and Al had offered to stay with him as he always did, but Edward argued that he didn't want to make his brother late for his own birthday dinner. So he'd stayed, and Winry babbled about a new car model all the way to the Rockbell house, and Al just wished he could go to bed and stay there until the day was over.
Now he had made it; he was sitting by the window, looking out, with Fräulein on his lap. And he was thinking... that in days like these... he missed his mother so much. He missed her every single day of the year, of course. He thought about her all the time. But on days like his birthday, he could just remember so vividly how she smiled at him, and told him she loved him. That he was growing to be a fine young man; and how proud she was of him. He ached so much for her warmth. He knew he should be stronger, it had been about seven years already... but he doubted he could. The very first thing he did every morning when he woke up was to look up at the sky and say hello to her; he bid her goodnight, too, every night. And he would continue doing so until the day he had to join her up there.
Thinking about strength led him to the other topic he was concentrating on that day-- his older brother. He wouldn't admit it to anyone (stubborn as he was), but Brother was really overexerting himself with this whole Regionals deal. Al was really afraid Brother would end up irreversibly hurt. He'd always practiced a lot, but before there wasn't much pressure; with the upcoming arrival of the All-Sports World Championship, everything had gotten too hectic. And Al felt more than a little guilty about it.
Ed always took his promises seriously, and the one they made to his mother was the most important of all. Al had no doubt he would some day get to the top, it was just who his older brother was, he was a leader. But Alphonse knew his brother was pushing himself to the extremes because he felt guilty about the accident. He'd been quick to put all the blame on himself; he'd had the idea to go practice at unholy hours in the morning, after all. And Al was sure that no matter what he said, Brother would always feel that way. But his being so hard on himself didn't make Al feel any better; he could've refused to go, and he didn't. He was as much at fault as Edward. And he did want to see his brother win the gold, but because he was good, not because he felt guilty that he'd left his brother an invalid. He didn't want it to be an obligation for Ed to be the best just because Al couldn't. Not if he had to suffer because of it.
Which brought him to another point he'd been contemplating for a while... Edward always kept his promises, but Alphonse couldn't keep that one he'd made to his mother on her deathbed. Not by choice, obviously; if he could, he'd still be running and walking and being a normal kid. But he'd always felt that he had failed her, in some way. They'd been stupid and as a result he was now useless. It pained him not to be able to be what his mother wished him to be; she'd always had so much faith in him. Not only that, but he hated being a bother to others. They went out of their way to make sure he was always alright, and he knew they did it because they loved him, but they shouldn't have to do it. Not only could he not find a place for himself in the sport he so loved, but he was also slowing down his brother's carreer, he kept Winry constantly worried about him, and of course, taking care of a person with disabilities couldn't be easy for Granny Pinako...
All these thoughts intertwined in his mind in a vicious cycle. And everything, from the simple fact that he was born on a day like today, to the light limp his brother walked with as he came up to the main door of the house, brought him back to it.
A knock on his door got him out, though.
He turned to it just as Winry peeped in. "Hey, maybe you should come down. The Hughes' arrived a while ago... they brought Elysia this time! And the food's almost ready."
He nodded and started to get up. "Brother's just arrived, too."
"Oh, he has?" he saw her eyes light up as they always did when she heard something good about Edward. Al cringed; he wasn't about to tell her his brother came home limping. She'd have a fit. "I must've just missed him, then. I should go check his leg." She made a move to walk out but she seemed to think better of it. "Al?"
"Yes, I'm coming," he said, leaving Fräulein on his bed while he looked for a comb. He heard Winry walk up to him and he turned to look at her.
"Are you okay?" she asked him, looking into his eyes. He faltered; he didn't want her to know all those things he'd been thinking about, but it was hard to hide things from her. He'd known her literally his whole life. And it just wasn't who he was... he didn't hide things from people. He didn't believe in lying.
Still, knowing he was feeling all depressed on his birthday would just make them all sad. He didn't want to see them sad. If lying through his teeth and making them think he was entirely thankful for all the things they did for him was what it took to make them happy, that's what he would do. "Yes. I just... I just miss Mom a little, that's all. It's okay."
Winry's face softened and she smiled at him, trying to cheer him up. "Oh, Alphonse," she closed the distance between them and drew him into a tight hug. "I'm sorry. I know how that feels..." He nodded, just to go along with her. She, too, had lost her parents when she was a mere child. But she didn't know... no one knew... She patted him on the back and let go, still smiling. "Listen, I know I'm not her, but you know I'll always be here for you, right?" He nodded again, trying to reassure her. She gave him one last pat on his shoulder and turned to leave. "You can take your time coming down if you want to!"
"Don't worry, I'll be right there," he assured her, and she left. He started looking for that comb again.
--
He didn't know public embarassment was a common birthday dinner ritual. Alphonse didn't think a face could get any redder than his was right now.
Mr. Hughes had obviously heard about the girl who had asked him out at school. He made up a speech about how teenagers these days tended to be impulsive and how it was his job as Student Counselor to make sure they were informed, thought things through and measured the consequences, before pulling out a box of condoms and giving them to Al as a gag present. He was sure his eyes had actually popped out of their sockets for a second there. Everybody else found it incredibly funny.
He sighed, wishing he could melt into the couch. At least Elysia hadn't heard, she was busy on the other side of the living room playing with Fräulein and Den. Gracia had pulled on her husband's ear and told him to give Al his real present (a CD, which wasn't half bad). Edward was still laughing like a hyena when they heard the sound of the doorbell. Granny Pinako went to open it.
"Hello," said the tall man, not smiling, but with a polite expression as she looked down at Granny. "We're looking for Edward Elric. Is he here?"
Granny looked up and down at the man's blue uniform, arching an eyebrow. "Yes, he is. What's the truant done now, to merit being wanted by the military?"
Edward, who had heard his name, came up to see who it was. "I didn't do anything, old hag!" he threw a dark glare at old Pinako, who only replied with a shrug. Then he looked at their visitor. "Hey... you're that Liutenant fella."
Havoc saluted lazily, with two fingers. "Yep, me again. I'm escorting two very important people who want to meet you. Can we come in?"
Pinako nodded gravely. "Yes, but you'll have to put out your cigarrette, I'm afraid."
Havoc glared at her, eyebrow twitching. The woman had guts to tell him that, when she was holding a smoking pipe in her hand. But oh well, it was her house, after all... "That's ok, Ma'am. I'll just wait in the car." And grumbling under his breath, he walked back out to reveal a blonde woman and a dark-haired man coming up to the house.
"Who are you?" Ed asked without preamble. Pinako rolled her eyes. The boy was never known for being polite. "Can this wait? It's my brother's birthday dinner and..."
"Easy, kid," the man said, stepping past Ed and Pinako with only a nod as a greeting. He walked in and headed for what he assumed was the living room. "It won't take too long."
The blonde woman came up to them, too. "Thank you for letting us come in, Mrs. Rockbell." Granny Pinako nodded and greeted her in kind. Edward frowned. What was going on here? He followed the man to the living room only to find him with Elysia being thrown in his faca by an over-enthusiastic Mr. Hughes. Gracia was smiling at the man, too. So they obviously knew each other... The man muttered something and handed Elysia back to Mr. Hughes. Ed noticed that Winry and Al were looking between the man and himself with huge grins on their faces. Now this was just strange...
"Ok, what is it?" he asked, growing impatient.
The man sat down and the woman soon followed his example. He saw her take some folders out of a briefcase she was carrying, but it was the man who spoke first. "I'm Roy Mustang, and I'm a talent scout for the ATFF. I've read your record and I saw you run a couple of weeks ago. I think you have potential to come run for us."
There was silence for a few seconds, and then Ed replied. "You saw me run like a month ago. And suddenly you pop in NOW? Sounds kinda unprofessional..."
"Told ya he popped!" Mr. Hughes quipped, snickering, from one side.
Winry pulled on Ed's braid. "Edward, don't be a smartass with the man who holds your future in his hands..." she told him in a sugary, but highly terrifying tone.
Ed did as he was told, to avoid incurring in the Wrath of Winry (tm). "So I'll be sponsored by the State?"
Mustang arched a brow. "Not yet. You'll need to train a lot before being presented to the Board. Maybe learn some discipline and adjust those attitude problems..." he finished with a smirk.
Ed twitched all over. "I don't have any attitude problems, you..." Another, more drastic pull on his braid (this time from Al, believe it or not) shut him up.
"Of course, if you don't want to come," Mustang continued, back to his serious expression, "it's up to you. We don't go where we're not wanted."
"Of course I want to--"
"I don't think he should go," came Granny Pinako's voice from the entrance. She walked towards the living room, everybody looking at her as she came out of the shadows. "He has not finished high school yet. His studies should be the most important thing right now."
"That would be no problem, Mrs. Rockbell," the blonde woman intervened. "He would be scheduled with a tutor daily in order to complete his education--"
"And you work for the Federation," Pinako continued, looking directly at Mustang as if she hadn't heard the woman speak. "Surely you know of what happened to these boys' father. I'm the one who's been taking care of them ever since. I know the pain his carreer caused. That lifestyle is not good."
At the mention of their father, both Elric boys blanched. Even Mustang and Hawkeye, in all their calm demeanor, looked a little taken aback. "But Granny...!" Al started, trying to beg for Pinako to give it another chance. Ed wasn't like their father. He wouldn't disappear off the face of the earth like their father did. Edward would get to the top. He would!
"I am aware, Mrs. Rockbell," Mustang assured her, gravely. "I am only doing what I should do, giving him a choice. He knows what the benefits are and what he would have to give in return... It is his choice. I would appreciate that you let him make it." He stood up and his assistant did the same. They waved at the Hughes' and only after passing beside all the other residents of the house, they stopped. "Make sure you decide before... Miss Hawkeye..."
Hawkeye nodded and brought out her planner. "July 1st, Sir."
"...Before July 1st. That's when we leave for Central." And with that, they left. The living room grew quiet, so quiet that they could even hear the sound of Second Liutenant Havoc turning on the engine of the car outside.
"Well, that's one way to end the party," Mr. Hughes told himself, as he left his daughter playing with Den and Fräu again.
author's notes!--
ack, i HATE this chapter! B/ -sulks- i tried to model it more or less after chapter 24, but i think i blew it. boy, getting roy in character is hard! and his interaction with ed... they don't argue as much in the manga as they do in the anime. it's just so difficult to get it right... -sigh-
i feel al doesn't get enough angst opportunities in both manga and anime. i mean, sure we know he suffers, but we never get it from his point of view. we know ed sulks about what they did and about all the crap that happened to them because of it 24/7. but we only get peeks at al's feelings when he answers to how ed is feeling. i thought giving him a chapter just to feel down would be different. but that's just me, lol XD
anyway, next chapter ed and al will go visit someone who will help ed decide whether to go with mustang or not. and i'm already laughing about it 8D the working title's "not to visit sensei...!" so i'm pretty sure you can figure it out.
thanks for all the reviews, you guys! some replies, as always...
brickwall: ack! i had forgotten about that scene! -sweatdrop- oh, i'm such a great author, i even forget what i've written... -more sweatdropping- yeah, i see your point, but actually, when she said "he's not my boyfriend" she meant ed. elysia thinks of ed as "winry's boyfriend" while al is "the tall one." so the whole phrase, in other words, would be "ed's not my boyfriend! and even if he was, it's not ed's birthday..." see? but really, i think i need to see a shrink anyways, hehe...
silver archer: i... have no idea XS as i said, the only thing i know about track running is that you have to run... i'd take a guess and say any of the sprints, i think. say, 100m, 200m? up to 400m. anything greater than that would probably hurt him too much.
nyago: aww, i like envy! he's the coolest of the homunculi, i think. but he's gotta be the bad guy, that's just who he is... 8D
i'm really glad you're liking this, everyone! the plot will start moving soon enough. hang in there!