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Heh. yeah. Soooooooo, how's everyone doing? I swear I only stepped out for a minute...

I started re-watching FMA:brotherhood a few months ago then re-watching regular FMA this weekend. I just watched the one where Hawkeye gets her puppy Black Hayate and figured i should type some ideas out before they leave me again for an indeterminate amount of time.

To my one constant reviewer, i'm SO sorry. I badgered you for a story idea and then when you finally gave me one, i basically went MIA. I have no idea how to write that but i'm going to see if watching all the way through this time will give me any ideas. (yes that does mean i didn't actually watch the whole series the first time around. I don't like endings, it's easier to just make stuff up. Please no tomatoes.)

One other note: i do actually have a couple other story ideas already written, so hopefully i do actually finish them and don't just put them in the same pile as those other stories i had that aren't finished.

This is a short one but i might actually do a sequel for it. Which will probably be just as short.

-.-.-.-.- story -.-.-.-.-

It was over, it'd been over for just under a year now. Al's body and Ed's arm had been returned and the military gig was completed. Contract officially ended. Life had changed.

Al had asked Winry to accompany him around the world learning new types of alchemical healing and automail techniques and she'd gladly accepted, leaving Ed in the big city alone. They'd asked him to join, practically insisted on it, but he'd declined. Not just because of the third wheel aspect but because he was tired of travelling.

In the months since their departure Ed had learned what he wanted to do, learned who he was, moreso. And had had time to find a niche in Central that suited him perfectly: Alchemical repair. He'd managed to find a shop with an apartment on top and a small backyard around back. With one 'minor' alteration it was perfect.

He'd gone to Resembool for seeds and by the time he was back at Central, Fletcher and Russell had received his letter and arrived as well. Fletcher was happy to assist as requested and with some guidance from Russell they grew the tree to a decent height in only a few minutes. "Decent" ended up having a different meaning for the taller boy as the tree was easily bigger than the house which caused Ed to glare at the brothers' completed work. Russell just smirked at him and said it was to make up for his shortness.

He'd been mad at the time but it was perfect and his new past time was to climb to the top and watch the stars. Knowing that his brother and Winry looked up at the same ones. Cheesy of course, but true, and relaxing.

And it only took a few lumps for Ed to realise that on warmer nights he fell asleep in the tree easily and so constructed a small platform to prevent future falls and subsequent brain injury.

.-=-.

Mustang had taken to wandering at nights when he couldn't sleep, which ended up being quite often due to sleeping all day on his paperwork. Mainly though, he was antsy and couldn't place why. His midnight patrol helped clear his head and tire him out, especially since by the time he'd decided to head home he'd be halfway across the city and he'd have to trek all the way back before he could fall into bed.

This particular night found him walking passed Ed's place; he'd checked in a few times to see how the kid was doing as an eighteen year old living on his own. But mostly it seemed quiet. Mustang had wondered if he should introduce Ed to some women but something felt sour about that so he'd skipped the idea.

Tonight he found out why the idea bothered him so much.

He walked passed the side of the house and then backtracked, checking to confirm the he had indeed seen a leg hanging over the side of a platform in the tree.

He raised an eyebrow, no way after years of being in the military would Ed leave his guard down like this! Mustang was slightly concerned, maybe the kid had fallen out of the higher branches and smacked his head on the landing, or maybe he was actually asleep and Mustang could catch him unaware and… and… well, he didn't have any ideas on what to do with a sleeping, highly-trained, highly-skilled alchemist, but his mischievous brain would think of something. Besides, in the interest of safety he had to investigate anyway.

Up the tree and over the edge of the platform was easy (it was actually the fence with gargoyle heads that gave him the most difficulty). The tree was clearly for climbing, though it looked like Fullmetal had a large branch extending to the bedroom window on the second floor. Cheater. He jumped up the last step of branches and landed quietly, then had to do a double take at the sight in front of him.

Fullmetal.

Fullmetal unbound.

Unbound? Well, something. Because this wasn't, well it was, but it wasn't what he was used to.

Obviously this was Fullmetal, the automail leg and blonde hair were easy clues, but the t-shirt and pajama pants were a different level of revealing. To start, there were... boobs?! He was internally sputtering. Like... what?! Since when... ? How?

Yet, there they were, the flimsy shirt doing absolutely nothing to conceal Ed's secret and definitely riding up in her sleep. Stomach and waist exposed. A definitively female waist. He couldn't stop his eyes from travelling over the rest of her. Well, he could, but he wasn't really trying to stop himself; letching was one of his favourite pastimes.

A bird cawed startling Mustang and suddenly Ed moved in her sleep, rolling over and stretching.

Mustang was three blocks away before Ed's subconscious could register there had been a presence, and since no one was there, she just rolled over and fell asleep again.

Mustang was at the other end of the alertness scale, having vaulted down a tree and sprinted three blocks in such a short amount of time he was sure it broke world records. He leaned against the nearest telephone pole as he waited for his heart to calm down from hummingbird mode. He should be far enough away and it looked like Ed WASN'T following him so he took some time to catch his breath. He had no idea how to respond to this new knowledge, which reaction he wanted to make public. He couldn't decide if he was angry or upset, sad or happy. Dammit! This walk was nowhere near over.

So much for sleeping.

-.-.-.-.- notes -.-.-.-.-

Ta da!

Now to the next story!

I just need to step out for a minute though...