-.-.-.-.-. notes -.-.-.-.-.-.-
I do not own FMA, nor do I wish to.
Faster than two years?! wow. i might even have another one in a few months. i wrote 80% of it but don't know how to finish it.
This chapter has a 'G' rating, except language.
-.-.-.-.-. story -.-.-.-.-.-.-
Mustang had learned the truth early on in Ed's military career. He'd come out to check on them after a week of no response and found them hiding away in a small two storey hotel, Al freaking out and Ed with some sort of poisonous disease. Of course the boy was poisoned, the kid never did anything in half measures. It'd taken most of the day to arrive at the town he'd sent them to, and after asking around at hotels Mustang finally found the correct one and knocked on the door. After a lot of threats and cajoling finally Al had let him into the room and he'd discovered FullMetal in bed with a fever that was dangerously close to 'brain damage' level. He'd immediately called for a tub in the room and they used an ice bath to cool him down. Discovery of Ed's secret was seconds after dumping "him" in to it in "his" underclothes. That's when everything became clear.
He had to admit, he'd panicked a little. It's a bit jarring to realise that your 14 year old prodigal subordinate was a girl. Did he overreact? A little, but now at least he could make sure to not send her into anything that might get her secret exposed. She still had the same skill set, if she lived through this, so he wouldn't have to change much. Just avoid those cases where swimming or naked men might be involved. Well, hopefully that wouldn't come up, but with Ed's luck...
Now, were they too young to be on their own? 13 and 14 trekking around in the woods. Getting poisoned.
Al insisted they were fine travelling alone and explained what happened. They'd found some information and followed it up into the mountains, avoiding the poisonous plants, poisonous food, and poisonous animals. Ed had bounced and vaulted through a barrage of poisonous darts from the local tribe that apparently no one knew existed, nevermind having any information on. It was when they got to the small house at the top of the mountain that they'd run into issues. The owner had thought that the military was finally after him, which, while technically correct, wasn't for the reasons he'd thought, and had blown himself up in a fiery poison dart explosion. STILL, Ed had managed to dodge all but one on the dive out the door, and it had got her right in the calf above her boot.
By the end of the monologue Mustang was staring at the boy-turned-tinman incredulously. He didn't want to believe the story, though most of Ed's stories sounded like this. And the ones that had witnesses usually came back to be even worse than what Ed had written down. And if what Al had said was true, it was a pretty intense story, especially since he was sure most of his regular men and a few of his alchemists would have got caught on any of the first three items. He sighed and sat back placing a palm on Ed's forehead to check her temperature, something he realised Al wouldn't be able to do without hands. His hand felt the cool skin and he relaxed a small bit. Good. Almost back to normal.
He grumbled under his breath, 'Kids are too much trouble.'
The armour suddenly looked guilty and while he waited for an explanation he wondered if having your soul float around a metal can somehow allowed others to feel your emotions since the metal itself couldn't move.
Finally Al gave in under Mustang's gaze.
"I'm 17. You just can't tell because i don't have a face."
The colonel raised an eyebrow.
"Well, if we were going to say Ed was 14, then i had to be younger too."
Silence.
"Ed's 18."
…
"Aaand her name is Edaline."
Mustang suddenly needed a drink. Always the best way to deal with problems Ed brought in. He removed his hand from Ed's forehead, "Put her back in bed, she's cooled down. I'll see if i can find the apothecary. You see if you can hide her... keep her secret when they show up."
Al jumped into action, wrapping his sister in towels, as Mustang left the room.
Turns out, apothecaries are quite popular in a town next to a poison mountain with a poison tribe of locals living on it. The first three he went to all recommended the same thing, a general cure-all poison. Mustang was skeptical of a poison to cure poisons, but dragged the guy back with him anyway. Why couldn't Al have done this?
He got his answer when the medic had left and Ed was finally resting comfortably. They'd kept the blankets pulled back on her leg to keep an eye on the infection, but it already seemed to be clearing up. So easily.
"She's been here for a week. You couldn't have done that?"
Al turned so Mustang could see the gaping hole in his back, revealing that nothing was in the armor. "I got caught in the explosion."
Fair enough.
He covered up Ed's leg and put more blankets on her, the fever had broken so now they really only had to keep her warm while the poisons worked their way out of her system.
"I'll be downstairs, come get me if anything changes." Time for that drink, and maybe some food.
He'd finished his meal and was most of the way up the stairs with some stew for Ed when he heard a quiet commotion from their room. He hurried the rest of the way and found Ed thrashing about in bed. Unconscious. With Al trying to hold her down.
Mustang put the stew to the side and scooped Ed up then climbed into bed in a sitting position with Ed's back to his chest. It would be easier to hold her like this. He wrapped one arm around her waist and arms to hold them down, the other on her head to stop it from slamming back and breaking his nose, glad that she was weakened from the poison. He wasn't entirely sure he could hold back automail otherwise.
A few minutes later and she'd stopped moving and went slack against him. Al didn't say anything so the colonel just stayed there discretely examining his youngest subordinate. Good Gate she was tiny. How could so much power be contained in this tiny person?
An uneventful half hour went by and Mustang decided this was probably where he was staying for the night. He carefully removed his coat and boots and stretched his legs out, might as well settle in; he grabbed some pillows to lean back against and noticed that it looked like Al had the same idea as he'd moved to a table and started studying a book titled, "Medical Poisons and what to do after the fact".
Ed had two more episodes during the night and Mustang had been awake for both of them. His brain was reevaluating his two charges and didn't finish processing the new information about FullMetal until around 5am when he finally passed out.
.-.-.
It was close to noon when Ed regained consciousness. The haze of the poison receding gradually, at least she was comfortable. Hotel beds usually weren't this angled though. Whatever, she stayed put until she could figure out her surroundings. Her eyes finally focused on her brother across the room, he looked up at her and held a finger to what would have been his lips, "shh, i don't think he slept on the train on the way here. Don't move."
Ed's eyes went wide, who the hell was she sleeping on? No. Nevermind. Smelled like that bastard Colonel. Ignoring her brother she tried to shift slowly away and felt a very muscular arm tighten around her waist and another swing over and lock her arms in place.
Her eyes went wide and she looked to Al pleading for assistance. She could feel him laughing at her, "I told you, he's sleeping. Don't move. Let him rest a bit, it's the least you could do since he stayed up all night taking care of you." He went back to his book.
Her face flushed but it was hard not to move when she could see his bare arms on her bare stomach. Her shirt having ridden up in her sleep, like always. Stupid shirts. Ed started to grumble when the arm around her waist moved up a bit and tightened, her breath caught and she froze. Which ended up being an even worse decision than the grumbling because his hand, or more specifically the fingers attached to the hand that was currently resting on her hip, started drawing small soothing circles. Oh fuck. Ohfuckohfuckohfuck.
Ed's heart couldn't take this. She'd never be able to look colonel bastard in the eye ever again. Time to get up. She lifted her automail arm, and was able to move Mustang's first arm, but the one around her waist seemed to be there permanently. And was still drawing those damn circles! She let the first arm fall and cursed at him, that seemed to bring him to at least semi-consciousness. The second arm loosened and his hand slowly withdrew… back across her stomach. Gate dammit! Her hair was going to turn red with the amount of blushing she was doing. At least she could sit up now.
The movement seemed to bring Mustang completely back to the real world. "Ed? Are you ok?"
The concern in his voice made her heart jump. She would not be turning around. "Yup. All better. Thanks."
He sat up straight behind her and put a hand on her forehead. "Still a little warm but ok."
Ed's face was bright red and Al, who had previously been trying not to pay attention to his sister, couldn't contain his laughter.
"Shut up Al !"
It only made him laugh harder. "Mustang brought you some stew if you'd like, though it's cold now." he gestured toward the side table.
Ed took the distraction. Anything to get her out of Mustang's bed. No! She did not just think that. Fucking hell Ed, get a hold of yourself. Pushing the thoughts aside she swung her legs over the side. Oh good, i'm wearing practically nothing. She grumbled at her loose tank top and almost booty short boxers. Well, get up or get back into bed with Mustang.
Up she got, down she went.
Fuck.
Mustang leaned over the edge of the bed while Al yelled in shock from the other end of the room.
"I'm fine, apparently my leg isn't working. Must still have some poison in it."
Before she had a chance to react, Mustang was out of bed and lifting her back into it. "I'll go heat the stew." and left.
Ed rounded on Al. "That wasn't funny!"
"I mean, aside from you falling, the rest kind of was."
"Dammit Al!"
"Don't look at me, you were the one calling his name all night."
Ed looked at him as she felt her insides turn to rocks. "I did not!"
"You did."
She stared at him, horrified.
"Sister?"
She glared.
"I need you to fix my armor."
Crap, the explosion, she'd forgotten. She motioned him over to sit on the edge of the bed and patched him up.
"Thanks! Now, you'd better get the rest of the way into bed unless you want him to tuck you in."
Al laughed when she hissed at him, but she dragged herself back over to the pillow.
"I'm heading to the town library to check for more information about medicinal poisons. Have fun with your 'nurse'."
Al disappeared before she could throw anything at him.
.-.-.
Mustang had just been about to climb the stairs again when Al flew passed him. "I'll be at the library bye!"
He didn't respond, Al was already long gone and his brain had switched gears. Alone with Ed. A mischievous smile spread across his face. Having to listen to her calling his name all night was torture. True he'd fallen asleep and missed Ed waking up, but he'd been awake and conscious in time to draw circles on her hip. And he'd felt her heart jump.
This would be fun.