Yay, I did something! Sorry, school is killing me and midterms are on the horizon. Oh well, done anyways. Thanks to everyone who has been waiting patiently and everyone who reviewed the last chapter.
For anyone interested, and yes, I am pimping my own story, I finished editing the original Shuffled and posted it on adultfanfiction. So, if you're of age, scoot over and have a look, it's titled Reshuffled and Dealt and is a completely different story; somehow, Shuffled went the fluffy route and R and D wandered off and got lost on the way.
Anyways, long enough for my blab, I hope you enjoy Ed and Envy's first date.
Warnings/Disclaimer: if you made it here, you've already seen it all.
First Date
While Saturdays were usually a good thing, this one was just boring as hell. The library was closed for upgrading, Winry and Al weren't in town and he wasn't taking the train all the way to Rissembool for one night of playing cards and chatting before turning around and coming back. A small sign caught his attention, promoting the museum and its latest exhibition. Well, not like there's anything better to do.
For a Saturday morning, the place was mostly empty and Ed wandered through the halls. He hadn't been before, either too busy with finding their Stone or working on research, and he had to admit, it was interesting. People walked through and he watched them; most walked by quickly, only stopping to examine something that caught their eye.
'Why come if you're only going to look at half the show?' Blond shook at the silliness. A clock provided the time and he realized it was almost lunch time and started for the exit. As he turned, he bumped into a small form, almost knocking it over. "Sorry. Are you ok?"
Bright blue-green eyes stared up at him and he almost mistook her for a child; she had a slightly rounded face, little upturned nose, long red hair, and was almost six inches shorter than he was, just under five feet. The arm under his hand was soft and so was the breast pressing its side. 'Breast? Oh shit!' His hand jerked away, almost knocking her over again. "Sorry!" He could feel the blush rising in his cheeks and looked at the floor.
Her cheeks were red too and she stood beside him, staring at the floor. "Oh, umm, it's ok." Little feet shuffled and he watched the hem of her dress sway with the movement. "Umm, my name is Tiffany." She blushed more and fidgeted.
"Oh, ah, my name is Edward, Edward Elric." They stood in uncomfortable silence, both staring at the floor. "Well, ah, sorry, about running into you." A shy smile and he turned to go.
Pressure on his coat made him stop and he looked over his shoulder to see the redhead drop the edge quickly. "Wait, please." She swallowed and shifted her weight around. "Doyouwanttohavelunchwithme?" It was a rush of words, blurring the edges. "If you're not busy, or anything."
She was asking him out? Ed just stared for a minute, trying to get his thoughts organized. "Ah, sure, if you want. There's a nice place down the street." It was awkward, walking with her, he wasn't sure what to say. A theater offered a solution and they started to chat about movies they'd seen and ones they were looking forward to. That took them to the café and they got settled in.
After lunch was ordered, they sat in silence. "Well, do you like alchemy?" Damn, Winry was right, he was an alchemy geek.
"Oh, well, I haven't really thought about it. I can't do it, so it didn't really interest me." Her fingers fiddled with the table cloth.
The blond leaned over and rested his chin in his hands. "Of course you could, it just takes training." A bright grin. "I'm an alchemist. It's fun and can be really useful."
"What kind of alchemy do you do?" A spark of interest and they were off, the blond explaining happily the basis of alchemy and his specialty, medical research. The young woman proved to be quite intelligent, keeping up with him fairly easily and discussing various treatments and ways to improve traditional medicine.
The afternoon passed quickly and they found themselves standing in front of the museum again. "Well, I should get going."
Pink flushed through her cheeks. "Yeah, me too. I, um, had fun, today I mean." Delicate shoes scuffed the ground as he blushed a bit.
"Ah, me too, I did too." The flesh hand scratched the back of his head, just under the ponytail. "Are, are you free tomorrow? Because I have the day off and, um, maybe we could go to see a movie." He couldn't even look at her, staring at a sign across the street. "If, if you want, of course."
A pleased smile and she peeked out from under the thick fringe of lashes. "I'd like that."
He grinned back. "Ok, I'll meet you here tomorrow at lunch time, ok?" A quick nod and they waved goodbye, stealing glances over their shoulders at each other as they both walked away.
As soon as he was out of sight, Ed bounced on his toes and ran to the office, the only place he could think of to find a woman to help him. "Lieutenant! I need to talk to you!"
"Yes, Edward?" Serious blue looked up at him from her stack of papers. "What can I help you with?"
He leaned in close and whispered so the only other officer present, Jean, couldn't hear. "I have a date!" She just smiled and nodded. "Help me!"
"Edward, what do you want help with? Just go out and have fun." He threw himself over her desk, covering the paperwork.
"Noooo! You have to help me! You think I don't see people's eyes glazing over when I start talking about alchemy and medicine, but I DO, and I'm boring and she's not and you have to help meeeeee!" Stray papers were gathered by capable hands and she glanced at him in mild annoyance; he stood up quickly, hands clasped behind his back. "Please?"
Blue eyes looked up at him, blond brows raised. "Edward, you are not boring. You are well read and traveled, you know many interesting things to talk about. Just relax and go enjoy yourself. If she didn't like you and find you fun, she wouldn't have agreed to go out." A brief smile and she lowered her voice further. "Though, you might want to try to avoid alchemy for the time being, you do get going sometimes."
"Hey Boss. Whatcha doin'?" The eighteen year old jumped when a large hand landed on his shoulder. "Asking the Lieutenant out?" Red rushed into tanned cheeks and his taller friend laughed at the stammered denials.
"Edward has a date and was seeking a bit of advice." Gold eyes widened and he waved for her to stop. "Perhaps you know some tips to help it go smoothly for him?"
Jean slung his arm over the wide shoulders and pulled, dragging his victim over to sit. "No problem, I got all kinds of advice for ya. What are you looking for?"
"Ah, well, um, I, I just want her to have fun." He couldn't believe he was sitting here listening to Jean give advice about dating.
"Uh huh. And what do YOU want at the end of the night? Kiss? More?" Ed's mouth worked silently; he hadn't thought of that! "Well, first, take her flowers, then, you tell her she looks nice, no matter what she's wearing. Ask about her perfume, if the dress looks new, anything, but make sure she knows you like it."
"What if you don't?" The pencil the older officer had been chewing waved in the air.
"Who cares? Women don't like it when you tell them their choices aren't perfect, so lie if you have to." A soft creak and Roy's office door opened a bit; Ed could make out dark bangs peeking around the corner and a pale hand waved for him to be quiet. "Next, take her somewhere nice, anywhere will do, as long as it's expensive."
"I don't think she's that kind of girl." Really, they'd been pretty happy at the little, low key café.
A faint snort and the nibbled pencil waved again. "All women are that kind of girl; they like it when you spend money on them. Make sure the movie you're going to is a romance or some drama crap. Girls really like that."
Ed was starting to get the feeling there was a reason Jean had difficulty getting second dates. He could see Roy's door sneaking open a bit more and a gloved hand was covering the brunette's mouth; he looked like he was trying not to laugh. Maybe… "Then what?"
"Well, see if she wants to get coffee or something, or you could just walk her home. Just tell her what a good time you had and you should be able to get at least a kiss out of the deal." The older blond leaned back and looked pleased with himself; so if Ed ignored everything Jean told him, he might have a chance.
"If you ever want to see her again, Fullmetal, I'd suggest doing exactly the opposite of what Havoc here tells you." A superior smirk and Roy leaned in his door. "Do not lie; if you don't like her dress or perfume, simply do not mention them. For a snack or meal, go somewhere you will both enjoy; ignore price. Discuss the movie you wish to see; she must be of at least average intelligence." A slim brow rose in question.
"Of course she is! She's really smart, and interested in medicine and organic chemistry." The two men stared at him and Jean snickered. "What?"
"Nothing, just figures you'd go for brains instead of looks." The little blond pushed himself up and tossed the chair back into place.
"She's very pretty, thank you very much. You guys are useless." Heavy boots stomped to the door and he waved quickly at Riza before slamming out.
"Huh. I think we should go and see this pretty, smart girl Fullmetal has found." Riza rolled her eyes and ignored the plotters sitting on the desks.
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"Al!" He hated these stupid phones; it took forever to get connected and it could cut at any time. "Gimme a hand!"
"Brother, what? It's kinda busy here." Al's voice sounded thin and very, very far away.
Hurry, hurry, before the connection dies. "What did you get Winry last time you guys went out? Flowers, chocolate?"
He could hear the embarrassment through the line. "Ah, I got her that new wrench set she was looking at."
"A wrench set." He should have known it was something like that. "Nothing else?"
"No. Brother, what is this about?" Suddenly, he hoped the phone would break.
"No reason, I just, ah, I have to go, bye Al!" A firm click and he sighed; what a waste of time. There had to something he could do.
He headed back to the office to try and talk to Riza again and listened at the door while Roy and Jean plotted with Breda to stalk him tomorrow. A bright grin and he slipped away silently, a plan already forming.
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The trio of stalkers watched from the bushes across the street as Ed paced, a pretty multicolored bouquet over his shoulder. He kept checking the time on the clock above the museum doors and looking down the street. "Think she stood him up?" All three cringed a bit at the thought.
"Maybe, it's not quite noon yet, maybe he's early?" The blond certainly looked nervous enough to be, bouncing lightly on his toes and fidgeting with his jacket.
His head snapped up and he darted inside, slipping out of sight in seconds. They looked but didn't see anyone, at least no one who looked smart. Was he meeting her inside? Did she work there? The only way to find out was to follow, but it was risky. While they tried to decide what to do, Roy took a minute to admire the pretty backside of the girl passing them. Couldn't be her but worth the view anyways. "Hey, General, pay attention and quit gawking."
Ed peeked out from behind the column and waved quickly to get Tiffany's attention. She started to smile but stopped when he cut the air in front of his throat and motioned her forward. A curious frown and she obeyed, moving forward so he could grab her hand and pull her the rest of the way in. "What are you doing?"
"Do you see that group of three guys out there? The stupid looking ones in uniform just standing and arguing?" A quick glance over her shoulder and she nodded. "They're following me, trying to get a look at you."
"I'm that interesting, am I?" Her eyes danced with laughter and she giggled up at him.
A huge grin and he tapped her nose with his finger. "Damn right. Let's get out of here, I know a great restaurant a few blocks over. Do you like stew and biscuits?" A brilliant smile answered him and they were off, running and holding hands like children escaping their guardians. They waved at the ticket girl, who let them past with a smile and admired her new flowers.
The movie was light hearted and they laughed and chatted through coffee, dessert, and the long walk back the park. Ed leaned back and stared up, counting stars; it was one of the few places in the city they could be seen and they took turns pointing out constellations. "Hey, wanna climb?"
"You just want to see my underwear." A flirtatious grin and she tapped his cheeks as they warmed. "Sure." He stared at her for a second and she pushed his chest a bit. "Boost, please."
His hands formed a stirrup and she stepped in daintily, letting him lift her to grab a low branch. His cheeks flamed and he stared to the side until his name was called. A quick jump and he swung up to sit behind her, back to the trunk and let her lean against him.
The small body was soft, unlike the few times he'd hugged Winry, who was all muscle. He didn't quite know where to put his hands until they were grabbed and folded over the flat little stomach; she was just so delicate looking! Her hair had come down and fanned over his chest and he couldn't resist; his nose touched the inviting mass as she turned to say something, bumping their noses and brushing lips.
The blond bolted back, slamming his head into the tree; his hand rubbed it briefly. "Sorry."
"Why? Don't you like me?" Moonlight reflected her blue eyes as silver as she stared at him; when he didn't answer, she reached back and took his right hand. He started to pull back and she held on, the glove slipping.
Red flushed through his cheeks and he yanked the metal arm free, curling his hand to keep the glove on. "Sorry." A soft mutter and he turned away, adjusting the white cloth to cover the gleaming metal.
"Does it bother you?" Gold glanced at her. "The auto-mail, you don't like it?"
"You, know?" Small shoulders shrugged as she nodded. "And it doesn't bother you?" She shrugged again and shook her head, long hair flying from side to side. "I, guess it doesn't bother me, really. I just hate when people stare or feel they should make an effort not to look, you know?"
"Oh. I don't care, really, but you should like it, it's nice and well made." Green eyes turned back to the front and her feet tucked up in front of her so her arms could wrap around her legs. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I didn't realize you didn't like me like that."
Ed stared at the curved back and tried to think of what to do. This was going to be so embarrassing. His hands slid over her shoulders, both following her arms to hug the bent knees. Warm breath flowed over the smooth shell of a pale ear. "I do, like you that is. I like you a lot. I hope you'll want to go out with me again and that you'll be patient with me when I'm stupid." He could just make out a hint of blush in the soft light and leaned further forward to press a soft kiss to her cheek. "Forgive me?"
Brown eyes smiled back at him and he kissed the full lips delicately. The pink of dawn found them still sitting, chatting and kissing occasionally. Every free evening, and even some that hadn't been, they spent wandering the city, testing restaurants, exploring different parks, and almost always ending up in the same spot.
"Hey, can I see your place?" Ed rolled over and blinked at her. They were out on a picnic, sprawled over the grass with a blanket and a few books for Ed, feet entangled while they chatted and Tiffany played with a set of cards.
"I guess. Don't know why you'd want to, it's just a dorm." A little smile and she wiggled over to press against his side.
"You know, when a girl asks to see your room, it usually means she's more interested in the privacy than the décor." Long bangs failed to hide the bright red that raced over his cheeks and she laughed, kissing him on the tip of his nose. "We don't have to, it can wait."
"N, no, I'd like to take you. If, if you want to." Gentle kisses traced the adorable face. "Do you want to visit tonight? Most of my floor is on duty until midnight." He couldn't focus after that, the book in his hands no where near as fascinating as the bright hair or strange green eyes.
They finally gave up and packed their things. The little blond held her hand and carried the basket, stopping to steal kisses along the way. The basket was abandoned at the door and clothes trailed them to the bedroom.
It was tauntingly slow and over much too soon, filled with giggles, teasing, and laughter. Warm licks and soft tickles accompanied hot kisses and slick skin. They lay panting, curled around each other and tangled in the blankets.
"Hey, can you do something for me?" Emerald green eyes smiled up at the blond and he flicked her nose. "Shift. I haven't seen your old form for a while, I kind of miss it." She just blinked at him, brow wrinkling in confusion. "Not that this isn't beautiful, it is, but it might be nice to be able to see you."
"What are you talking about? I don't understand." Lies slid over her tongue smoothly, long experienced with twisting the truth.
Ed rolled his eyes and flopped to lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. "Envy, you can shift. I know it's you." Loose blond hair moved over the pillow as he turned his head to look at her. "Your eyes change when we kiss or fool around."
A small hand moved involuntarily to the corner of her eye and she stared at her new lover. "What are you going to do?"
"Do? Nothing, really. I just thought it might be nice, no big deal. You don't have to if you prefer this form now." Ed rolled to his side again and ran his hand over the flat stomach. "What's wrong? Are you upset I know?" A bright grin flashed even teeth. "Weren't you going to tell me?"
Pink flushed her cheeks and she looked away, staring at the far wall. "Maybe, sometime. When did you figure it out?"
Soft lips pressed to her nose. "The first time I saw you." Creamy skin pulled away in shock and bright eyes stared up at him. "Envy, I fought you for years. You think I don't know the way you walk, move, smell, breath, the way your voice fluctuates?"
"And you still went out with me? Why?"
A soft smile and he kissed her again. "Why did you come to me? Bored, lonely, nothing better to do?" Faint hurt shone and the metal arm wrapped around her waist, tugging her in to spoon against him. "Not very good reasons, are they? I went for lunch with you because I was curious. I asked you out because I had a good time and wanted to see you again." Gentle rocking while he nuzzled the red hair. "Human relations are fairly simple, Envy. We want to have fun and be with others."
Full breasts vibrated with faint humming while she thought it out, cuddled against the solid side, little hands curved against the wide chest. A light push and pale blue pulsed between them, lighting her body as it lengthened and slimmed to that of a pale young man.
Ed gasped and pushed forward a bit, rubbing against the slim thighs; the soft push of breasts had been ignorable, but the pulse of the almost alchemic charge over his skin was certainly not. "What? You still want to?"
Red flushed over darker cheeks and he pulled back a little. "Sure, why not?" Slight shoulders shrugged and thin lips pressed to full, little tongue flickering at the edges.
"Sure, why not."