A/N: OMG PPL! You better love me for this I GOT UP AT 5:00 A.M TO FINISH THIS. ON A SCHOOL DAY! Bah, oh well I could have been doing more useless things… like homework. Well here it is!

Chapter 2: Back to Eastern HQ

"Edward, wake up Brother!"

Edward just shifted in the bed before flopping onto his other side without opening his eyes. His hair was lying messy and out of order around his head.

Al shook his head before looking over at the small desk in the tavern room. Some papers had been sitting there since yesterday and Al, being Al, didn't dare to look at them in case of them being personal. But the curiosity was getting to him.

Carefully he picked up the papers and stared at the cover. Emotions flickered in his eyes ranging from, confusion, to awe, to anger.

Suddenly a hand shot out and grabbed Ed by the shoulder. The alchemist, having been scared nearly to death, flew out of the bed and stared at the glaring brown headed boy.

"BROTHER! I thought you gave this report to the Colonel yesterday!" Al shouted throwing the papers at Edward.

"That idiot wasn't there," Edward defended picking up the papers and putting them back in place. "Then what the heck took you so long?" Al asked his anger switching to curiosity pretty quickly.

Edward remained silent for a moment before talking again. "I was chatting with lieutenant Hawkeye," he said.

Al didn't press. "Ed, do you want me to braid you're hair?" Al asked as he did every morning. Confusion lit his features when Ed shook his head no.

"C'mon I need to give these papers to Colonel Moron," Ed said standing up.

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"Riza could you hand me that cloth?" Roy asked after returning from walking her dog. She looked at him skeptically. "Sir you really should get on that paper work they are due at twelve," she explained as she picked up a white cloth on his desk.

She handed it to him. But the cloth dropped and he grabbed hers'. "Sir?" she asked as he moved their hands to rest at his side.

"Lieutenant, I was wondering if you would consider going out for lunch toda-"

"Sorry about being late with the report Colonel…"

Edward stopped in the door. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked although he felt a jealous monster roar inside of his mind. Yet he had no idea why.

Riza slipped her hand out of Roy's. "No, did you need something Fullmetal?"

Edward threw the report down on Roy's desk.

"Fullmetal… what happened to your hair? You know what never mind, I'm going to go file your report," he said while walking out of the door.

"Fullmetal why didn't you have Al braid your hair this morning?" she asked looking him over.

He turned pink before asking: "Would you do it?"

She smiled gently before beginning to comb her fingers through his hair. Edward's eyes fluttered shut as he felt the familiar sensation of her fingers raking against his scalp.

"So why didn't you have Al do it?" she asked as she separated his hair into three sections. "He was kind of mad at me for not turning in the report yesterday; I was kinda scared about saying yes when he asked me." Well it was partially true.

She gave a silent oh and continued to rack her fingers through each individual section of his hair.

Edward's hands sat at his side while the blonde lieutenant worked on his hair. Then he began to feel the sharp tugs telling him she had started braiding. "You might just be doing it for my company," Riza joked.

Edward turned red. "NO! That's not it… well not that I wouldn't… I mean you're the only normal one around here, and you're good to talk to… and…"

"Finished," she announced cutting him off. "And for the record, you could have stopped talking," she said trying to make him feel uncomfortable. She looked at him again with the eyes that said the matter was over.

Something exploded inside of him. "DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO DO THAT?" he yelled causing a few military personal to stop at the open door and stare before going on to their business. "Fullmetal I suggest you calm down and explain to me what it is that I always do," she said folding her hands under her chin.

"Whenever I talk to you, you always do that… that thing!" he said his arms in the air. She quirked a delicate eyebrow, "Care to elaborate?"

"Whenever I talk to you, you are always like 'I'm ending this conversation now'…" he said with a pathetic imitation of her voice.

"Okay two things Fullmetal: When have I ever said that, and what is it that you want to say?" she asked staring at him pointedly. He turned red; he knew Riza had won this one. "Well you… say it with your eyes… and well I dunno! Maybe something pertaining to… something important," he said finishing with a mighty bang of lameness.

"Well I suppose that is valid," she said closing her eyes humbly. "But, maybe you should just come out and say it and ignore whatever my eyes say," she added chuckling. He blushed. She was rather good at throwing things back in his face.

"Well Fullmetal I hope you don't need to complain about my braiding this morning," she said referring to the way Edward had snapped at her while the braid was still tight the day before.

He sighed. "I told you I was sorry," he said. "Yes, you also thanked me," Riza added. But of course feeling playful this morning had to add. "And you kissed me."

Edward's eyes widened, "Um, well I uh…" he stuttered.

"Ugh! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!" someone yelled from the hallway.

The open door revealed a blue headed, pale, girl with a pair of low triangular glasses and icy blue eyes dragging Roy by the sleeve into the office. "Sorry to bother you lieutenant, but maybe you should consider teaching him some patience… and how to file, he all but fried the entire room where he was trying to put this," the girl yelled throwing Edward's report down on a desk. It was slightly brown and the edges were burned.

"LET GO OF ME COLDBLOOD!" Roy shouted pulling his arm out of the pale girl's hand.

She sighed. "Afternoon Fullmetal," she said before walking out the door laughing.

"What is she laughing about?" Edward asked. Riza smirked. "She is thirteen years old and almost 4 inches taller than you."

Edward began to fume. "AHH! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO THIS WOMAN IS!" he shouted.

"Coldblooded Alchemist Ryuu Kasu-ru," Roy provided. "Fullmetal who braided your hair?"

Edward suddenly stopped yelling. "Oh yeah that guy just broke into the room braided my hair and disappeared, um I'll go catch him!" Edward hollered running from the office.

Roy blinked. "What guy?" he asked. Riza just shook her head and laughed.

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Edward skidded to a halt outside of the building. "I can't believe he fell for that!" Edward muttered to himself. (A/N: Don't tell him, but all he did was scare Roy, not fool him). He looked at the ground and began to tread back to the tavern he was staying in.

"Brother you were gone for quite a while… who braided your hair?" Al asked. Edward stared at him with a blank look on his face. "Um… I did?" he tested not making eye contact with his brother.

"Really?" Al asked. Edward nodded and began to fiddle with the sleeve of his jacket. "I thought you couldn't braid," Al said raising an eyebrow. "I thought I couldn't braid too," he said looking to the side.

"So I take it you turned in the report today?"

"Yeah, that idiot Colonel nearly blew it up though, what a moron," Edward complained. "He'll actually probably ask me to write it again," Edward mumbled. "Why?" Al asked sitting on one of the beds. "He got mad at something and nearly blew up a room, and my report. Some state alchemist wannabe had to drag him out," Edward explained a scowl playing his features.

"I'm going up there later to give him a piece of my mind," Edward said. "I wasn't to in the mood to yell at him anymore than I had already."

"So brother what do we do now?" Al asked blinking up at him.

"You know what? I'm hungry let's grab a bite to eat," Edward said stuffing his watch into his pocket.