I'M SO SORRY FOR THE THREE MONTH DELAY!
Thank god I finally got out of that room. My heart is still beating fast as the elevator stops on Floor One. I walk out of at a fast pace trying to make myself look as normal as possible. As I nearly reached the glass doors, the same lady I met at the start called me over.
"So, Mr. Elric. How was your interview with Mr. Mustang?" Miss. Hawkeye questions with a small smile.
"The interview was good. It was nice knowing about Mr. Mustang and his company." I replied. "Thanks for asking, Miss. Hawke-"
"Riza." The blonde corrected.
I gave her a confused look.
"You can call me Riza." She said again.
I nodded then she continued speaking again. "So about Mr. Mustang, he was a real handful, huh?
A handful? More like a fucking sex god.
I laughed and rubbed the back of my neck a little bit. "No, no, he was fine." Except for that time he said I was short. She smiled and told me to have a safe drive back home as I was still expected to come back.
"It was nice having a small chat with you, Mr. Elric." Riza said.
I was speechless for about 5 seconds thinking about what I could reply with but I thought of nothing so I said something else.
"You can… call me Edward."
Roy Mustang… what is it about you that makes me so intrigued? Looks? Intelligence? Wealth?
I feel myself go hot the more I think about him in ways that are highly inappropriate and very unprofessional. I scowled and tried to forget about it with my face slightly flushed. Why the hell am I thinking about him like that? I shake my head and get in the car.
The city lights fade away slowly the further I drive away. I was still thinking about the interview again and again. What could I possibly tell Winry without lying too much? Oh, he's fine. Just really cocky. That would be hypocritical of me and he also has the right to be proud of himself since he was awfully young when he started his career. He's not arrogant. Just proud.
Then again, why didn't Winry tell me more about him? And why would she want to know about his family and whether or not if he was gay? I wished I ignored those questions. Still picturing him, I started to think about his dark eyes and his sharp gaze.
I didn't want to dwell on it for too long and I felt relieved that I most likely won't see him again. 'Till' next time, Mr. Elric' Yeah, I doubt it and I was instantly cheered by the thought so I turned up the radio and hummed along while driving back to Resembool at a fast speed.
Winry and I live in a decent-sized apartment that is conveniently close our college. We were both pretty lucky as her grandma bought the place for her and I don't even pay most of the bills which I feel pretty bad for. I park Winry's car in the parking lot and make my way to our room. The sound of keys rattling snaps Winry out of her thoughts.
"Ed!" Winry exclaims. "It's good to have you back." She's wearing pyjamas sitting in the living room surrounded by books doing homework and studying. I sit with her then pull her into a hug, squeezing her tight.
"Here are the notes with the questions." I say pulling them out of my bag then tossing the papers onto her lap.
"Thank you so much for doing this Ed." She smiles. "You know I owe you a lot, right?" I shake my head then laugh. "Nah Winry, it was alright. The whole trip was worth it."
"So… How was he?" Winry asks sitting up straight.
"He was fine. I'm sorta happy I got this over and done with. I mean, I'm just glad I won't have to see him ever again." I shrug. "But he was a lot younger than I expected. Like really young."
Winry continues staring at me with a cheeky smile so I furrow my eyebrows.
"Don't give me that look. Did you know how embarrassing it was being all clueless around him?" I groaned.
"I'm sorry Ed…" Winry murmured then I continue speaking.
"He was... nice. How old is he anyways?"
"28!" Winry chirped. "But thank you again for doing this all for me. I'll look through the notes you jotted down."
I smiled.
"You know Winry, you're looking a lot better. I'm guessing you had a lot of rest when I was away?"
"Yeah, I also ate some food. Thanks Ed." Winry smiled looking like she was full of energy again. I lifted up my sleeve and checked my watch.
"Hey, uh… I gotta go and make my shift at Aunt Pinako's hardware store so I'll see you later tonight." I rushed walking towards the door unlocking it again.
"It's alright, Ed. You had a long day so you don't need to go. I don't think she'd care so much. She would understand."
"No, no, no… I mean, I'll be fine so I'll see you later tonight." I assured.
"Stubborn kid…" Winry mumbled before I was walking out of our apartment laughing to myself.
I've worked at Pinako's hardware store since… forever. It was just to help me earn some extra cash while I was in college. The place is… nice. It's got good business and I've learnt a lot of things working here. ( still know nothing about D.I.Y). When I finish college I plan on working somewhere more to my liking.
As usual, Aunt Pinako was there looking rather unhappy. "About time you showed up, Edward. I was just about to call someone in to take your shift."
"Yeah, yeah, cut me some slack. I had a long day." I mumbled and Pinako snorted.
"Just get to work already, Edward." She said and gave me a pat on the back and left.
Work was the same as usual. Sort things out on the shelves, help the customers and scan items…
As I arrived home, Winry was still on the couch studying and listening to music on her laptop. She's looking a lot better when I see her scribbling down notes and jotting them down in a notebook so I sit next to her startling her a little.
"Oh, Ed! Some of this stuff is really good! Good job on all the information!" She exclaimed. "It really is a shame that you didn't accept his offer to show you around the building. It really seemed like he was interested and wanted to spend more time with you!"
Yeah, I call bullshit.
I scoffed and felt my body feel warm a little bit. "No thank you. It's not like it's my job anyways."
Winry ignored my comment and continued talking. "I guess Mr. Mustang answered most the questions… I can still make a report about this so it's alright. He really is a good-looking son of a bitch, eh? What a shame we can't get any original photos."
"Not my type." I mumbled.
"Keep telling that to yourself. I can see you blushing, Ed!" Winry teased.
"I'm not blushing" I grumbled and Winry chuckled.
"Look, I was just wondering why you wanted to know if he was gay. It was so embarrassing" I cried.
"Well, the papers never really mention him having any partners so…"
"Yeah, whatever" I mutter giving her a weird look before heading towards the kitchen. "You want me to make us something?"
"Thanks Ed that would be great."
Right after dinner, I went to my room and finished my chem work that my professor left me and tried my hardest not fall asleep on my desk so instead, I crawled in bed not changing clothes. That night, I dreamt of someone's dark, mesmerizing eyes...
This week, I worked on my essays and studied a lot so I decided to take a break and go on my phone and call someone.
"Hello?"
"Hey! It's me, Ed. How's the travelling going?" I asked.
"Hi Ed! I'm having a great time. I really wish you were here with me, though. Everyone misses you."
I smile. I'm always happy when I talk to Al.
"Are you there, Ed?" He asks.
"Yeah… I'm here." I reply.
"Are you alright? Have you been seeing anyone lately?" Al questioned.
How the hell does he-?
We continue talking till' Al says he's got somewhere to be in the afternoon so we both say our goodbyes and hang up.
Winry and I were arguing about what we would do for the rest of the day rather than staying on the couch doing nothing when Winry suggested calling a friend over to our place.
-DING-
As I opened the door, Russel was standing outside with his hands in his pockets.
"Russel!" Winry and I both exclaimed. "It's great to see you, Russ." I grinned giving him a short hug. "You too, Ed." Russel replied.
"It's also great to see you, Winry." He said smiling. "Now that I'm here, I've got great news to share with you guys."
"Spill the beans!" Winry exclaimed unable to contain herself.
"Alright, so our college is interested in my botanic research and they're asking me to present a presentation for the open night." Russel beamed.
"Russel, that's amazing!" I exclaimed feeling proud for him.
"Yeah, and I'd like to invite you to come see me, Ed." He smiled with a small blush. "Both of you, I mean." Quickly correcting himself as Winry snickered.
Though Russel and I only met last year, we've become really good friends but deep down, I know he likes me more than that and sometimes he acts really clingy towards me. He's not unattractive or anything… in fact, he's the complete opposite. There's just no time for that.
We celebrate for the rest of the night until he leaves and tells us that the three of us should hang out more.
Saturday comes rolling by and unfortunately, I've got work to do at the hardware store and can't risk being late.
The store is the busiest on the weekends and I'm stuck behind the counter scanning items for customers. When they start to clear up, I sit on my stool and slump my shoulders looking down at my hands.
"Mr. Elric." A deep voice says. I instantly look up and nearly have a heart attack.
What the fuck is Mr. Mustang doing here?!
"It's quite a surprise to see you here on this day, isn't it?" he says smiling. I glance at his outfit and instead of wearing his formal attire; he's wearing a sweater with jeans.
I smile back at him because I couldn't think of anything to say without sounding stupid.
"I'm in the area at the moment and I just thought it'd be a good idea to stock up on some things though it's a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Elric." Mr. Mustang said
I smile at him again and finally have the courage to talk again. "You can call me Edward." I pause for a second before talking again. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
He smiles then nods. "There are just a few items I need. First off, I would like cable ties." His dark coloured eyes staring at me.
Why the hell would he need cable ties?
"Sure…" I mumble walking out of my counter. "I can show you where they are."
"Lead the way, Mr. Elric." Mr. Mustang said.
I thought I told him to call me Edward…and thank god I actually took the time to pick out a good outfit today. Not that it matters…
After walking towards the correct aisle I turn around and face Mr. Mustang. Jesus Christ he's hot… "They're just in this aisle."
"After you." He murmurs.
I nod and continue walking thinking of what I should say or ask to keep the conversations going. 'What brings to Resembool?' or 'How was your week?' Part of me hopes Mr. Mustang is actually here to see me. Pfft, fat chance. As if he's here for you.
"Are you here for business?" I ask flatly.
"I'm here just for the farming division. Funding research, that's all." Mr. Mustang replies.
I shot of disappointment goes through me and I quietly scowl to myself for getting my hopes up.
"Is something the matter, Mr. Elric." Mr. Mustang questions with a faint smile.
"It's nothing." I snap and instantly regretting it the next second. "Sorry." I mumble. "Is there anything else I can get for you?"
Mr. Mustang chuckles to himself. "Masking tape, please."
Seriously, what the hell is he gonna do with masking tape?
"Are you… redecorating?" I ask and he laughs.
"No. Not redecorating." Then he smirks and I feel my face heating because he's probably laughing at me now on the inside.
Am I really that funny…?
"Well, masking tape is this way." I mutter feeling self-conscious. "Follow me."
"How long have you worked here." Mr. Mustang asks in a low voice and I can tell he's looking at me. Gazing, in fact. I have a sudden urge to turn around and stare at him back and ask why he's always like this but I can't get too distracted from the likes of him. I feel myself blushing again and I try to shrug it off.
"Nearly 5 years." I state as we finally arrive where the masking tape is and pass our two kinds. He takes them and our fingers touch slightly and I pull back a little.
"Would you like anything else?" I ask meekly and have the biggest urge to punch myself for the way I sounded just then.
"Some rope." He replies smirking at me.
Gah, kill me now.
"Sure. Follow me." I say leading the way to the correct aisle.
"What sort of rope are you after?" I ask getting my utility knife out.
"Five yards of filament rope, thank you." Mr. Mustang replies as his eyes darken when he gazes at the different ropes and cords.
I'm confused…
I cut off the correct measurements of rope and begin to tie them in a slipknot. Mr. Mustang chuckles and the next thing he says makes me want to punch him.
"You're good with your hands, you know."
"What the fuck?" I splutter, my face heating up finding more words to say but failing.
"Relax, I was only playing around with you." He laughs with his eyes darkened.
I ignore him and he continues talking.
"What are you interested in?" Mr. Mustang asked.
You.
"Science, studying and reading. That kind of stuff." I mumble avoiding eye contact with him. "You need anything else?"
"What would you recommend? For D.I.Y, of course." Mr. Mustang asks.
"I think that'll be enough." I shrug not being able to think of more things to get.
"So, that article. How's it going?" Mr. Mustang questions.
"I'm not the one writing it… Winry; Miss. Rockbell is. She's my roommate. We're good friends." I reply still avoiding eye contact. "Winry would appreciate if we could get original photos."
"Of what?"
My mind goes blank as I realized I really haven't thought it through.
"You know what? I'm available tomorrow." Mr. Mustang says smiling.
That instantly gets my attention. "Thanks." I grinned looking surprized. "I guess all we need is a photographer. But I can handle that."
"Here's my card. It has my number on it so you can fill me in on the details." Mr. Mustang smiled and reached out a small business card from the pocket and handed it to me.
I grin again thanking him once more.
"Hey, Ed. Come here!"
Oh my god… not now.
"Sorry, excuse me for a moment, Mr. Mustang." I mumble feeling embarrassed.
Ling's voice can be heard from the other side of the building and I can hear footsteps getting louder and louder.
He wraps an arm around me surprizing me all of a sudden.
"Ed! It's been a while since we've talked. It's good to see you!" Ling laughs.
"Yeah" I agree feeling a bit dumbfounded.
I gaze around and see Roy staring at Ling giving him a hard look. At the moment, Roy looks like a completely different person. He's no longer smug looking but now he looks cold and distant.
"Hey, uh… Ling. I'm with a customer right now. You should meet him." I say trying to break the silence and I release myself from Ling's grasp. "He's called Roy Mustang and Mr. Mustang, this is Ling Yao, my co-worker."
"Mr. Yao." Mr. Mustang extending him arm out for a handshake.
Ling returns his handshake. "Nice to meet- Hey, you're the guy that owns that huge company, yeah? It's great to see you here!"
Mr. Mustang nods and gives Ling a smile though not a genuine one.
"Well, nice seeing you guys. Bye Ed!" Ling beams and continues his work.
I smile and wave.
"Is there anything else you need?" I ask.
"No, these are fine." His tone makes me want to punch him in the face but I hold myself back. Geez, what's up his arse?
"That'll be $43.00, please." I say making eye contact with him and instantly regretting it.
He takes out his credit card and swipes it.
"Would you like a bag?" I questioned.
"Please, Edward." Roy replies with his voice saying my name smoothly.
I gather all his items and put them all in a big plastic bag.
"Don't forget to call me about tomorrow." Roy reminds me and I nod.
"Good. I'll see you tomorrow." He smiles and as he's walking away, he pauses. "Oh- by the way Edward, I'm actually quite pleased your roommate wasn't able to do the interview."
And he's off.
I stand there thinking about what he just said and I'm blushing like a little kid. I grin and pull out his business card studying his phone number.
Time to call Winry.
About time I actually updated but I hope you guys liked this chapter :)