Now Ed flew from the chair, and sped past the colonel yelling, "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME"
Still smiling, though this time it was closer to a smirk, Roy watched him, his braid nearly undone as he ran across the courtyard toward the 'playhouse'
O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0
Yawning widely, Ed watched as Winry and Co. finished going through "Prima Dona." A song he felt the play could do without, too many voices screaming at once. It made his head hurt. He glanced around the large room, watching as everyone drifted around, some to get something to drink and others to just chat after a long and most said difficult song. Sighing, he spared a glance at the lounging colonel, who looked as indifferent as very. Damn colonel. Al drifted over to where Ed stood alone. "You ok, older brother"
"Yeah," Ed waved a hand. "I'm fine. Why? Something wrong"
"No, you just seem out of it," Al thanked not having a face at that moment, for if he did he had no doubt that Ed would have been able to read his thoughts. Which were along the lines of 'You keep starring at the colonel and you have to kiss him in less than a month. Why do I have a feeling something is happening between you two?' It was a good thing Ed couldn't read him. Suddenly a door boomed open, revealing a subordinate with several large boxes. Eyes wide, he surveyed the room, taking in everyone lounging at random positions. "Erm," he started. "Costumes"
"What about them?" Havoc called form his corner where he was having some down time with a much needed cigarette. "I have costumes for someone called Mustang...?" the befuddled man glanced around the room, twitching slightly. Not as much as Ed was twitching though. Costumes meant dress, dress meant he would be wearing one. "Yeah, yeah. Just leave them here then," Havoc dismissed the man with a wave of his hand. The man fled as soon as he could. Which was after he'd dropped the boxes. The rest of the unit swarmed around the boxes, pulling out their clothes and rushing off the try them on. Ed was the last one to peer over the edge of the box. Inside he found no less than six different dresses for him to wear. Also there were Roy's clothes, for he had yet to come out form where ever he went to as soon as the song ended. Moaning, Ed stalked away from the box.
O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0
Meanwhile, Roy was pacing up and down the small room he'd locked himself in. This was getting ridicules! He was not, NOT, falling for his goddamn protégée! For whatever god was out there's sake! The boy was half his age...at least! The fact he was so beautiful and full of inner fire was beside the point!
O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0
Peeking around the door, and finding the room empty, Ed slipped inside it. He leaned against the nearest wall and sighed. This play thing was really getting to him. At that moment he would have gladly strangled the Fuhrer. Not just the dresses, not just all the sound pounding inside his head, not just Al trying to tip-toe around him, afraid of what he'd say, but something else. Something he couldn't really place, but was there nevertheless. Something... something dark and a voice that rebounded inside his head a thousand times over. That something was really starting to annoy him.
O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0
A few days before 'opening night' Ed had a breakdown. One second nothing had been wrong,
then the next he was screaming at the entire room as a whole. Mostly Roy. After yelling for several minutes, he ran from the room abruptly. Al was left shocked, not knowing what to do. On the other hand, Roy followed the young alchemist. He found him in an unused room, huddled in a corner. "What is it?" he inquired, voice neutral. "You are the LAST person I want to see," Ed snarled form his corner. "What is it, Full metal"
"Go away, Mustang"
"... What's wrong"
"Will you ever just give up"
"No. So you might as well tell me sooner than later"
"I hate you"
Roy forced himself to smile. "A fact I am well aware of. Now, what's wrong"
"Why the hell do YOU care"
The smile faltered. "That hurt"
"A bastard like you can be hurt? Shocking"
Breathing deeply in an attempt to calm himself, or to keep him from doing something else...ahem, Roy wondered when, over the many years, he'd developed such a reputation. He wished he could take it all back... "That's beside the point. Now, again, what's bothering you this time"
"You"
Blinking, the colonel was taken aback. "Me?" What the hell did I do this time? he wondered.
"Yes. You. And this goddamn play," Ed looked up for the first time. "Is it really getting to you this much?" Roy asked, hands twitching as he forced himself not to wipe away the boy's tears. For he was crying.
"NO! NOT AT ALL! IT'S NOT GETTING TO ME AND I AM NOT CRYING OVER IT"
"Of course you're not... I wonder if a shrimp like you could cry"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING TOO SHORT TO HAVE A HEART"
That's not what I meant at all... Roy sighed silently. At least he's past crying and back to yelling. But... Does having to wear a dress bother him so much? I've seen him go through hell without a problem. Unless... is it having to ...erm... kiss me that's got him so worked up? Does he hate me so much?
O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0
That was so not like me, Ed thought, sitting against the wall on his bed. He'd sent Al away as soon as they'd gotten back with orders to go do something with Winry. Al was worried about him, but he did not want his brother around. Not now... Why did I do that though? One second everything was fine, but then, seeing that damn colonel, and remembering what was about to happen... I snapped. I can't even imagine kissing him. I wonder what it would feel like... I've never kissed anyone before, least of all HIM. The alchemist shook his head several times to clear his mind of that thought. It doesn't matter that he's handsome, he's a bastard. It doesn't matter that he can sing or that he's so dark and damn cocky. Doesn't matter that he's protected and helped me... Does. Not. Matter. I can't believe I said that to him... That he was calling me too short to have a heart...He looked pained almost then...But, he's always teasing me- could it be called flirting? Ack! No!- and with everything else... Burring his face in his arms, Ed sighed. What's happening to me?
O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0
Roy opened his door to find Armstrong on the other side. "Oh. Um... Major Armstrong. What is it?" What did I do this time? he wailed inside. Today had not been his day. "I came to speak with you about a certain Edward Elric"
"Erm, ok. What about him?" Roy kept the door between himself and the major. "Are you aware of what happened today"
"You mean with him running off and all"
"Of course"
"Well, yeah, I was the one who followed him"
"I am aware of that"
Then why the hell did you ask me if I knew what happened? Roy cried to himself. "Ok... So the point of all this is"
"Are you aware of WHY he left"
"Because the strain of it all?" Roy offered. "NO!" Roy leapt back slightly. "Erm...no"
"NOT EVEN CLOSE"
"Erm... really"
"WOULD I LIE"
"I doubt it..." Roy's brain was starting to hurt. "IT'S BECAUE HE WAS AFRAID!" Armstrong explained, loudly and proudly. It took a few minutes for those words to be processed in the brain of Roy Mustang. "A...fraid?" "YES"
"Of what"
"YOU"
"ME? Why is everyone blaming me?" Roy really needed some tea or something... Prozac might be helpful too.
"Because you're the one to blame"
"Oh thanks so much," the colonel muttered darkly. "I must depart now! I shall see you tomorrow!" And, like a storm blowing through, the Major was gone, leaving Roy with a headache and too many questions.
O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0
It was the night before the play was t be preformed and Ed could not settle down. Roy had called the unit together for a pep speech before opening night. While everyone else was sitting, Ed prowled behind the seats. "Now then, we all know our parts and everything, and I think we'll be able to pull this off decently. I think. There's not really anything more to say to you...except it's all our asses if the Fuhrer hates it"
"As opposed to just yours?" Havoc asked.
"Pretty much"
Ed swallowed hard watching the colonel. Since that one day, they hadn't spoken, but the man had kept looking at him oddly, as if trying to figure something out. Suddenly Roy looked up and meet the alchemist's eyes. Eyes going wide, Ed ducked his head. He missed Roy's frown, as well as the colonel's look of that something more, that something deeper.
ok, i usaully reply to all my reviews, but i have so little time right now so i can't. thank you al so much though/hugs reviewers/ moost reviews for a chapter ever! next chap- the paly beginns! mwhahahahaha!
The thing with roy and armstrong: i have only seen one ep. with armstrong adn roy was not in it. i have no idea how they interact with eachother...i'm just scared of armstrong so roy gets to be too.
I'm actully rather proud of the whole innner dailogue with roy and ed...that was fun to type. I had no internet for 10 days, no we have dail-up for a while so i don't have much time per day, and then we leave on the 3 for 2 weeks. i will update when we get back from hawaii, cuz then interent will be normal. til then.