Ed frowned. "Why are you asking me? He's YOUR headache, Lust."
Lust looked down at the very large kitten in her lap. He was roughly the size of a bobcat. "What do you mean?"
"WE sure as heck aren't keeping him!" Edward snarled.
"Nii-san!" Al spoke up at last. "Why can't we take him?"
"Number 1...He's a cat. Number 2...He's a Homunculus. Number 3... How will we explain him to Pinako?" Edward recited, standing up at last and dusting himself off. He looked down at Lust, kneeling in Envy's blood.
"Ed, he can't do anything to us." Al pleaded. "He's a cat! What's he going to do, hiss?"
"AL! YOU'RE NOT THE ONE IN DANGER!" Ed yelled.
"What'dyou mean?" Al asked, puzzled.
Edward crept a couple feet closer to Envy and Lust. One of Envy's huge paws was dangling down from his crumpled form. Envy's eyes snapped open as Ed drew near, and he grunted low, "Don't...come any closer...Elric." He said slowly.
Edward stopped in his tracks, but pointed to Envy's unsheathed claws. "YOU can't be hurt by those. Or THOSE-" He pointed to Envy's furry face, evidently indicated the large fangs that resided within. "I, however, have skin, and they-" He motioned to Envy's deadly appendages. "Will hurt like hell."
"I'll..stick them..up...your ass...Elric." Envy rasped, lifting his head and turning to face the alchemist, fury in his face again. "I'll tear..you to threads!"
Lust put her arms around the big cat's neck, restraining him. "No! Envy!"
"Are...you sticking up..for O'chibi-san...Lust?" Envy growled.
"Envy...if you kill him...you won't be able to be...well..not 'human', but you won't have a human shape anymore. You'll be stuck like this forever." Lust said gently.
Realization dawned on Envy, and the fur on the back of his neck rose without intent. "Oh, god..." He said. "You're...right."
Lust nudged Envy off of her. He was quite heavy. She scooted over to that she was faced with his tailend. She extended one of her lance-like fingers and tore through the skort around Envy's middle. It fell off. It was revealed now that he was not all black- some spots of white spangled his back and hindquarters. Just like the kitten.
Envy felt blood creep into his face in embarassment. He felt Lust smooth out the fur where the seam of the skort had bit into his skin. Outwardly, he grunted and pretended to want her to stop. But inside...he felt a burning desire for her to continue. It felt wonderful, the sensation of her cool hands on his sweaty flank.
Lust noticed the glazed look of pleasure in Envy's almond shaped eyes, despite his body motions that indicated uncomfortableness. She allowed herself a small smile, and ran a hand along Envy's sleek back. A shiver rippled his muscular spine.
Ed and Al were stil arguing.
"WE CANNOT KEEP HIM WITH US!"
"HE WON'T HURT YOU!"
"HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE?"
"YOU HEARD WHAT LUST SAID!"
"WHY CAN'T DANTE JUST CHANGE HIM BACK?"
"Edward." Lust said suddenly. Edward glared at her.
"What?" He snarled.
"Please take him. He can't stay with me."
Edward was silent. "Why should I?"
"If you don't..." Envy growled. "...I'll kill...you."
"Envy! Shut up." Lust said quietly. She looked at Edward with pleading eyes. "Please. If you leave him this way...he can and probably will kill you. If you change him back, he'll retreat quietly. Without hurting you. You're the only one around here powerful enough to change him back."
Envy hissed angrily. "WHAT? I'LL RETREAT QUIETLY? HE TURNED ME INTO A FUCKING CAT, LUST!"
Lust sighed. "Be quiet, Envy..."
Envy opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it.
"I don't know how." Ed admitted, casting his eyes away.
"Learn." Lust said.
"But I...What will our host say? We're staying with...family." Edward said quietly.
"She won't mind. According to you...Envy-san is just a rare mountain stray that you found on your way here. He was hurt and needed help, and your brother wanted to take him to your host's house to heal him. While you're there, study. I take it you have some alchemy books in that bag..." She nodded towards Ed's suitcase. "I'll check in every night at midnight. I'll be at your window."
She looked at Envy. "And you..don't complain, no matter what. No talking, no attacking anybody. Eat what they give you. Don't leave."
Envy grunted. "But I don't want to."
"Too bad, Envy. If you want to become normal again...you'll have to live like a cat." Lust said softly, reaching up to his face and gently sliding the headband through Envy's brackish mane of hair. "It won't be for long." She stood up. Blood was smeared all down the front of her black dress. Gravel and dirt was stuck to the blood.
Envy looked at her pleadingly. "But..." Words failed him, and he hung his head in defeat. He didn't like to admit it...but she was right. "Okay. I'll with it." He shot a firey glance at Edward. "If only to be myself again." He stood up, shook himself, and took a couple experimental steps forward.
Lust reached down, brushed her hand against his face, and turned. "I'll see you tonight." She stared walking, and, soon enough, disappeared into the distance.
Envy swung around to face Edward. He took a few steps forward, then fell on his face. Edward laughed. "Screw you." Envy snarled. "I'm not used to walking like this. "
Ed shook his blonde head. "You...look so funny." He said.
Envy got up and took three shaky steps so that he was directly in front of Ed. Then, without warning, claws shot out and raked Ed's real leg. Ed leapt backwards with an angry howl and danced on one foot, holding his hand over the bleeding wound.
Envy smirked and began to run in the direction of Pinako's house. Al looked at Ed, still hopping on the spot, then caught up the suitcase and ran after the fleeing chimera.
------------
"Sooooo... tell me where you found him again?"
"Pinako, we've told you a zillion times... we found him in the mountains on our way here!"
"But why not take the train? Why'd you take the mountain route?"
"..We were, but when we went to the station they didn't have any more boardings in this direction."
Edward, Al, Pinako, and Winry, were seated around the wooden table eating dinner. Envy was pacing back and forth in the kitchen, shivering. The homunculus inside him never ate. It wasn't needed. But now, the cat inside him was HUNGRY. His stomach growled complainingly as if to emphasize this thought. The smell of chicken drifting from the table was wonderful. It was cruel that Envy should be here, in the kitchen, instead of out there and eating.
The kitchen door creaked open. Winry stood in the door, a bowl in her hands. Envy's ears pricked up and he stared at her, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"Hello, kitty..." Winry crooned. She put the bowl down in front of Envy. It was half-full of chicken. "Grandma took the bones out so you wouldn't choke on them." She put her hand on Envy's head, running her fingers through his hair. "What strange fur you have...It's beautiful. But it's so familar. I know I've seen someone with hair like this once."
Envy jumped as Winry touched him, but gobbled down the chicken faster than he could swallow. Winry blinked, as Envy stepped back from the bowl, now empty.
"That...was creepy-fast." Winry said slowly, picking the bowl up.
Envy opened his mouth to order her to get more-"I wa-" but remembered that he wasn't supposed to talk. "WaaAAaaaarrrrww."
He turned his sentance into a strangled meow. Winry laughed. "You're a weird cat..." Still giggling, she turned and left, leaving the kitchen door closed.
Envy stared after her, silent. That bitch.
"I'm hungry." He said pointedly to the empty room. He looked around. A sink, a stove, counters, and a refridgerator.
REFRIDGERATOR.
He padded over to it, and pawed angrily at the handle. It wouldn't budge. He pushed his head against it, rotating his neck up and out so that the fridge would push open. Nothing. He sighed dejectedly and ran his long pink tongue over his canines. This was not going to taste good. He grimaced, wrapped his teeth around the fridge's handle and pulled. It swung open.
Success! Envy stepped forward to peer into the fridge. The door was beind held open by his speckled hindquarters, acting as a doorstop. He reached up and pawed at a bottle of amber liquid. Perhaps it was beer...could cats get drunk? The bottle swayed precariously for a minute, then smashed to the floor. Envy bent and lapped some up eagerly.
It took every single cell in his body to restrain himself from vomiting.
Apple vinegar.
He gagged, and wrenched his head from side to side, his tongue hanging out and his back arching. So, so foul. His chest heaving, he looked back up into the fridge and spied somthing he KNEW would taste good. Three apples sat on the shelf at his eye level. He knocked them off the shelf and out of the fridge. One of them bounced and rolled away, towards the stove.
Food was forgotten as Envy chased after the apple. He pounced on it, snatching it between two paws, and flicking it up into the air again.
He scrambled for it as it rolled to the other side of the room, near the kitchen door.
SLAM!
He burst through the door and into the dining room, still chasing the apple. He leapt on the fruit and rolled over several times before skidding to a halt beside Pinako's chair.
Silence.
Envy was humiliated. Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit and piss. He looked at Edward, whose eyes were narrowed in his effort to not laugh. He swallowed hard, and looked from Pinako to Al to Winry. Pinako was watching him with an amused expression on her face, Al was looking pointedly away, and Winry...squealed in delight and got up from the table. She bent down besides Envy and put her arms around his neck.
"How cuuuuuuute!" She gushed. She rocked back and forth, Envy grinding his teeth in embarassment. "Kitty's so playful!"
Edward couldn't help himself. He suddenly broke loose with a raucous yell of laughter. He put his head down on the table and continued laughing.
Pinako looked up at Ed in surprise. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Edward straightened up, looking shocked. "N-nothing, Pinako..it's just funny. It's such a big cat, playing with somthing so strange..." He shot Envy a malevolent look. "I mean, the cute little thing must be so lonely he needs to play wiff apples!" He said, his voice contorted to a higher tone, and he clasped his hands together in a pathetic display of mocking cuteness.
Envy's head drooped and his ears flattened. Anger was boiling inside him. That bastard. He wriggled free of Winry's grip, then leapt at Edward under the table with a wild scream.
Edward yelled and fell backwards off his chair, kicking and scrambling away from the VERY pissed-off Envy. Envy landed on Edward's back, yowling and clawing and biting in a fit of rage.
"Nii-san!" Al said. He rushed forward and pulled the struggling pair apart. Envy howled and kicked and thrashed in Al's grasp. Al had to hold the straining chimera in both arms, clamped tight to his chest.
Chaos reigned for several more minutes, until Envy finally calmed down enough to hang limp in Al's arms, worn out. Edward had ended up on the table, panting and bleeding from several spots where Envy's claws had met skin. Winry was backed up against the wall, looking shocked. Pinako was still sitting at the table, chewing on her pipe and looking vague.
"You shithead!" Edward yelled at Envy, who was panting hard and shooting Edward hating looks. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR? WHAT THE HELL DID I DO?" He was silent. Then he said, "ANSWER ME, YOU-!"
"Ed..." Winry said, taking a couple steps forward.
"WHAT?"
"Um...kitty can't talk."
Edward's face burned crimson. Pinako chuckled and got up from the table.
"Good night, guys." She disappeared from the dining room, shutting the door behind her. Silence filled the room. Envy grinned, and slithered from Al's grasp. He sauntered over to Winry, and rubbed up against her legs, purring loudly. Winry smiled and stroked him behind the ears.
"You smug little shit." Ed hissed, and leapt off the table. "I'm going to bed."
Envy gave a low, loud 'mrrow!' Edward blinked, then remembered that they were supposed to meet Lust. "Winry, what time is it?" He asked, looking over his shoulder.
Winry looked at the clock. "9:00. Why?"
Edward shrugged. "Nothing. I was just wondering...I'm tired...but it's not that late. I'm gonna wait to go to bed." He sat down at the table, and glared at Envy.
Winry sat down on the floor and leaned against the wall. She continued to stroke Envy's head.
A wonderful idea blossomed in Envy's brain. Ed was extremely agitated...so why not make it worse? An evil grin spread over his face, and he looked at Edward with malice in his purple eyes.
He purred a low and deep rumble in his throat, and rubbed his head against Winry's arm, up and down her forearm. He put a paw on her lap, and nudged up against her neck. Winry giggled and put an arm around Envy's soft shoulders. and Envy ran his tongue over her neck.
He stole a glance at Edward.
A thoroughly outraged expression lay on the alchemist's handsome face. It was brick red, and his eyebrows were at diagonal slants over his narrowed eyes. His teeth were set in a tight, skeletal grimace, like a death smile.
Envy chuckled, but then quickly turned his laughter into a purr. He put his other paw on Winry's shoulder, and licked up her neck...her chin... her face...
"DAMMIT ENVY!"
The words spat from Edward's mouth before he could stop himself. He stared at Envy, whose eyes had widened in utter horror. Winry frowned.
"Envy? Huh-WHAT? What does HE have to do with this?" She asked, furrowing her brow. She looked at the cat, whose purple eyes were still shocked. She gasped, and took a lock of spiky fur in her hand. "No...there's no way..." She breathed. "Edward...?"
Shit. Envy knew he shouldn't have pushed the envelope so far. But to cause Edward so much anger was exhilerating.
"W-what?" Edward stammered, putting on a pathetic show of confusion.
"You know very well what." Winry said, scooting away from Envy, looking scared. "Is that really... that homunculus? The one who killed Hughes?"
Envy swallowed hard.
Edward opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "I..er, no, I mean, yes, but no..." He spluttered, casting his eyes towards Al, who was now sitting at the other end of the table.
Envy hung his head and sighed.
Al shook his head. "No, it's not Envy, Winry." He said quickly. Winry rolled her eyes.
"Guys...don't lie to me."
Envy opened his mouth and spoke. His voice was rocky again, and he stumbled over words like he did when he first talked after his transformation. Apparently, not speaking for so long had worn his voice. "I...Envy."