Dare I call it part 2 of the previous chapter?
Does anybody really care? Nope. Let's get started. Once again, I overestimated the time it would take to get to the airport so this is delayed. I offer my apologies.
Anybody read chapter 61 yet? Granted, only the raw is out… but if you can read Japanese, then you will understand what I mean when I say: GOOD GOD IN HEAVEN!
For those of you who cant read the Japanese, it should be out later tonight… zomg fruit tree alchemist is almost done scanlating!
FMA is Arakawa-sensei's property.
Roy exhaled slowly, trying his best to find an excuse to shoo Ed out of his office. It had barely been 15 minutes since Ed came in, and the young alchemist had yet to even mention his report.
"Oh and another thing, Colonel. How about telling me about your little scheme with Lieutenant Ross, huh? Would it have been that horrible to let me in on the plan?"
"Well, we couldn't have you ruining the plan. It required absolute secrecy, and you have a tendency to be… tactless, when you get overly emotional."
"I don't want to hear it from you, Mustang! Correct me if I'm wrong, but you've got a 'tendency to be tactless' with your subordinates, right!" Ed shouted.
There was a sudden scraping of chairs and a stampede of footsteps outside Roy's door. His entire male staff had flung the door open and began hastily demanding permission to leave the office for various reasons. Not waiting for an affirmative response, the men slammed the door shut and the sound of running footsteps quickly left the room. Ed was still sneering at Mustang, but he had begun to sweat and his eyes seemed to quaver nervously.
"What was that, Fullmetal?"
"Y-you heard me. Al told me about how you ripped into Hawkeye because she didn't, for once in her career, keep up her perfect soldier act. Damnit, Colonel! Is that how you treat the people who care about you!"
"How I treat my staff is none of your business!"
"Two things, Mustang. Firstly. I am on your staff! I hate admitting it. But technically I fall under your jurisdiction. And second: It is my business if my brother is involved!" Ed took a deep breath and leaned back in the chair, flushed from all the yelling.
"You've got some nerve. I barely restrict your activity as a commanding officer. When have I ever kept you two from searching for the Philosopher's Stone?"
"Well, you're not exactly being helpful either," Ed seethed, "My brother is involved in some investigation-turned-battle involving secret military activity with captives from the 5th Laboratory. You end up running into a Homunculus, and four people are placed in immediate danger? All that trouble, just to find out about the real events of the 5th Lab? And following a lead from Barry the Chopper to do it? That reeks of the Philosopher's Stone. Too bad I was busy finding out what happened to Lieutenant Ross, the hard way. Why won't you just tell me how this is all connected? We have common enemies, Colonel!"
Roy had spent the bulk of Ed's outburst with his head resting in his hands. His elbows were resting on his desk, next to the forgotten report. Glaring at Ed from behind his fallen bangs, Roy muttered, "Of all days to have this conversation, Edward. You couldn't have selected a worse time."
"I'm sorry, but I don't really care about your schedule. What was on your agenda today? Yelling at Havoc for getting himself crippled? Or maybe getting on Hawkeye's case again for, who knows, saving you from yourself again? Busy man, you are."
"Edward," Roy said into his hands, "I don't know what happened when you went with Armstrong, or when you visited Resembool. But something got you bent out of shape, and-"
"No, Colonel. All I did was confirm a few things. I reaffirmed hope for my brother," Ed drew a long breath before continuing at a more appropriate volume. "And what can you say for yourself? Recent events probably haven't left a healthy impact on your mental health." Staring at Roy with a determined gaze, Ed asked, "Why are you pushing people away?"
"Because it's dangerous," Roy responded icily. "I lost Havoc's service. And I'm grateful it's just his employment and not his life. Al didn't come out unharmed, did he?" Ed twitched slightly as Roy continued, "Hell, I didn't get out unharmed," His hand was grabbing lightly at the material of his jacket, tempted to apply some pressure on his recovering wounds. "And Hawkeye? Damnit, that's twice in an evening she was almost taken away from me by those monsters."
Roy looked directly at Ed for the first time in awhile with bleary eyes, asking the boy seated in front of him a question.
"What If Al hadn't been there? What if I hadn't come? She practically followed me into the military. I'm not allowing any one of the people around me die before me. Never again."
Ed watched Roy run a hand through his hair in an agitated manner and proceed to knead his hands together on his desk.
"So talk to her."
"What?"
"Talk. To. Her. Tell her what you told me right now. Think of it as apologizing for the scolding. Just say that you were really upset and you didn't express yourself well. She won't have to stretch her imagination to believe that. You never articulate yourself well."
"Fullmetal. Never, ever, give me advise on how to handle women. That is an order."
"And you really know how to handle yourself around her?" Ed questioned with a grin. Before the argument could continue Al's footsteps were heard outside the door. "Well then, Colonel Shit, if you don't have any other business, then I'll just take my leave and—"
"Brother? Are you done?" Al inquired politely, following Hawkeye in "Oh, good day, Colonel" Al greeted with a bow as Hawkeye saluted. Roy saluted, greeted Al with a smile and a nod, and resumed glaring at Ed in under 7 seconds.
"You're dismissed, Fullmetal." Ed smiled and jumped out of the chair, following Al out the door. As Ed turned around, Roy shot a glance at Hawkeye and grinned childishly. His message was clear: Watch this.
"It's too bad we had to call the meeting short—" Roy yelled out the closing door.
"Who are you calling so short that—"
"Brother, let it go!"
"Sir, you shouldn't provoke him." Hawkeye said, not bothering to hide her amusement.
"But we'll catch up next time, and finish going over your report. Take a little time off!"
"There was an explosion of Ed-like rage outside, then the metallic crashes that implied Al's dragging of his brother away from the door.
"I'm busy next week, but since this is of small import—" Roy's last comment was stopped by a hand over his mouth.
"Really, Sir. You might consider acting like a good role model for those boys." Hawkeye chided, slowly removing her hand from Roy's heated face. Outside more metallic clangs slowly faded out of earshot. All thoughts of bating Ed dissolved from Roy's thoughts.
"Your hands. They smell like gunpowder." He noted. Self-consciously, Hawkeye looked at her hands. They were slightly darkened with a black sheen of powder, giving off the sulfurous smell that Roy immediately associated with her.
"I'm sorry, Sir. I was—"
"Out at the shooting range. No doubt toiling to get your shot perfect, dissecting your evaluations. Am I right?" Watching her face, Roy didn't need an answer. "Lieutenant, sit down." Riza took the seat that Ed had occupied, straight spine and shoulders back. Ed had thrown himself into the back of the chair, slouching and supporting as little of his weight as he could. Roy removed himself from his desk chair and sat in the other seat next to Hawkeye, closing the distance between them significantly.
"As an alchemist, I'm a realist. And as a realist, I'm letting you know that it's impossible to attain perfection. Trying too hard is unhealthy."
"That's more along the lines of pessimism, Sir."
"What difference is there anymore?" Roy grinned darkly, amused and sickened by the horrible irony of the world.
"I want… to believe that there is a difference." Hawkeye said, rubbing lightly at the powder on her hands. "And I believe that what we're doing, what you're trying to accomplish, can make that happen." Roy looked at her, wanting to have the same conviction, wanting to be able to shake his skepticism and paranoia.
"Aren't you going to re-create the reality that's been forced upon us? Aren't you going to take it apart from the top? This reality. Where people of the same country can get away with destroying each other. Where people are manipulated and used as nothing more than raw materials. Where men like Hughes are removed for convenience." Riza reached over to the armrest of Roy's chair, barely brushing her fingers over the bandages over Roy's hand. "I think, that you sort of owe it to him."
"There's no way I can do that alone…" Roy muttered.
"Who said you would be alone?"
Roy smiled to himself, taking Hawkeye's hand in his own. Even through the gauze and medical tape, he could still feel heat radiating from her. Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, Roy stood up and helped Riza to her feet.
"There's no more work that needs doing. We can go home now." Wanting to sweep her off her feet, craving the opportunity to take her and run away from the country, Roy stood with their fingers intertwined. Instead he had to settle for a light kiss on her hand, a gesture of distant, gentlemanly manner. Releasing her hand, Roy added, "Get some rest." With a small nod and a quick salute, Hawkeye turned to grab her belongings.
"And I don't want you hung over tomorrow too." Roy called as he grabbed his coat.
"I don't find that statement amusing, Sir." He heard the jingle of keys and the opening and closing of drawers.
"I'm not trying to amuse you, Lieutenant. We have work to do yet."
Okay… much longer than planned. I tagged on a bit of almost-fluff for Nil… you were one of the people who asked for it, right? Or am I really confused? I could be…
New chapter in the next 2 days. More likely tomorrow.