Chapter 1 with the Prologue since the prologue was so short. Enjoy!
--Story Start--
The birds chirped overhead, their insane morning calls drilling into Ed's sleep-deprived mind as the sun's light streamed in through a crack in the curtains, brightening the room to a light grey. Ed couldn't help thinking that meant that this was a day too bright to be perfect.
He rolled over onto his side and tried to muffle the sounds with his pillow, but they continued drilling into him and the air grew too hot to breathe. Still, Ed stubbornly clung to the idea that he could, just maybe, ignore the sounds and the light if he could only sleep.
"Come on, brother. I made breakfast and you have a meeting with the Colonel this morning, remember?"
Ed burrowed deeper into his covers in defiance of his brother's reason. He loved his little brother dearly, but he really wished Al wasn't so—so reasonable at times. Somebody needed to be, but Ed also thought the morning was the absolute wrong time to be it. Mornings were too early.
There was a sigh, and the covers were torn away before Ed could even realize what was happening. Ed curled up tighter on the bed, actually grateful for the cool air that assailed his hot, sticky body despite the extra light. Then his pillow was torn from his fingers too, leaving Ed to growl up at the suit of armor that was his brother.
"Give me that back! I still have time!"
"No, you don't, Brother," Al sighed. He sounded exasperated already, though his armor remained as expressionless as always. "It's already nine. You have to be there by ten."
Ed scowled at Al for a moment longer and crossed his arms over his chest. He hated when Al was reasonable in the morning, but he hated when Al was right in the morning even more.
"Fine," Ed finally said with the hint of an expression that was half pout and half scowl. "What did you make for breakfast?"
"Eggs, ham, and I got some of those muffins you loved so much last week." Al clanked back over to where he'd left the food under the window. "I also picked up extras for everyone to eat at the meeting today."
"Why did you do that?"
"To be nice of course." Al shot Ed a look that Ed knew to be a stern glare. "They've always taken good care of us. You should show them a bit more consideration, Brother."
Ed gave an unrepentant snort and began hunting for some clean clothes to wear.
"Well, maybe Hawkeye, but not Mustang. He's just helping himself. We're only a means to an end for him."
"Brother," Al snapped in disapproval. "You know that's not true. He has always been very nice to us in the past."
Ed snorted and pulled on his pants. He tucked in his shirt, feeling a pang of guilt at the knowledge that Al was at least partially right. Even if the colonel did drive Ed nuts and tease him constantly, he did always watch out for them. He couldn't admit that though. Not out loud anyway. It would feel too weird, and Mustang was far too smug for such praise.
"He's still serving himself," Ed told his brother stubbornly. "We're side-effects. The means to an end: his rising to the top in the military."
Al brought his food over to him with another sigh of disapproval, but Ed knew he wouldn't pursue the subject any further today. He never did.
Roy stared at the orders in front of him in disbelief. It wasn't the fact that he was being given such a paltry undercover mission; that, he could understand if he read between the lines a little. It wasn't that he was to pretend to be in love with another, much younger, man either; it had been years since he'd had any kind of true reason for that to bother him. At most, the gender-specific lover made things slightly uncomfortable since it'd been years since he'd done anything with his own gender. No, what truly stopped Colonel Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist and national hero, in his tracks, was who this supposed lover was going to be.
"Hey, boss," Havoc greeted him as he entered the room, his arms full of the papers and materials needed for the weekly meeting. He'd just recently taken over when Hawkeye had been promoted, for the second time in nearly as many years, and given Hughes' old job. "Nearly everyone's here and everything's ready. Should I ask the others to come in?"
Roy ignored the flash of pain that thinking about Hughes produced even still and looked up at his second. Havoc would be promoted before long, though Roy doubted he'd be promoted out of the office like Hawkeye had been.
"Everything alright?"
Havoc looked worried at Roy's lack of answer and Roy quickly nodded to reassure him.
"Has your promotion still not come in yet? I'm sure it's only a matter of time now," Havoc told him, seeming to think this the problem. He might have been right the day before, but not today.
"No, that's not it," Roy replied with a shake of his head.
Still, a hard, aching feeling crept over him at the reminder. All his years of service and now this. Was the military trying to push him away?
Havoc was right. His promotion was long overdue. Hawkeye had even been promoted three times since he had become a colonel. And to be ordered on this mission now…
He flipped the file in front of him closed and sat back in his chair. He met Havoc's questioning gaze with a cool one of his own, nearly smiling when the man turned to call the others into the room and almost dropped the last of the papers he held in the process.
Fuery, Falman, Breda, and the newest member of their team, Saxson, a young female Sergeant who barely looked old enough to apply to the military academy, filed into the room. Saxson placed a large box of donuts on the table before moving to sit next to Fuery, leaving plenty of room for the only absent team member.
She glanced nervously at the door, and Roy knew she was looking for Ed.
"Lieutenant, where is—" Roy began, but didn't get to finish as the door banged open to admit the very harried-looking person he'd been about to ask after.
"Fullmetal. You've finally decided to join us."
Ed scowled as he flopped down next to Saxson. He crossed his arms and legs in front of him, managing to somehow look both flustered and annoyed at the same time.
"I got caught by the secretaries again. Isn't there anyone else around here who can help them? And why don't they be more careful? It seems like anything that enters that office is doomed!"
Havoc snickered while Fuery and Falman shared an exasperated look. Breda laughed outright as Roy sighed. The secretaries had once done similar for him. Was he really getting that old?
His eyes flicked to Saxson to take in the jealous anger she was practically emanating. Hopefully, today wouldn't be the day she finally exploded. He could almost see the signs of her becoming like Hawkeye one day, and he'd prefer to have his office staff left in one piece when she did.
"I'll see what I can do," Roy told Ed drily, "but I doubt anything short of you showing up married will be of any help."
Ed and Saxson both looked over at Roy in surprise and, in Saxson's case, horror.
"Didn't you realize why they're swarming you?" Havoc's tone was clearly incredulous.
Ed shook his head, blushing furiously.
"It doesn't matter," Roy broke in, any mirth he'd felt at his subordinate's situation clearing away as quickly as it had come. "It seems we have a new mission. Or rather, Fullmetal and I do."
The entire group looked sharply over at him, tension immediately stiffening their postures. It wasn't often that he was sent out on missions now, and to be paired with Ed on one like this…
"What? What mission?" Ed's eyes were wide with disbelief and a small amount of anger. "I'm supposed to leave tomorrow to investigate that lead you got for me in Trenoa."
Roy shook his head, feeling his own annoyed frustration rise up again. He picked up Ed's copy of the orders and stood. Moving around the desk, he tossed Ed the folder as soon as he was within reach of him for the heavy file.
"I just got the orders in today. It's an undercover mission which the Fuehrer himself has set us, so I can't say any more except we'll be leaving next week, the day after your birthday."
"What a birthday present," Breda commented.
"How old are you turning, Ed?" Saxson did an incredible imitation of a shy tone.
"Eighteen," Ed grumbled, staring at the folder in distaste.
"Awww! He's finally going to be all grown up," Havoc teased him with a good-natured grin.
"Yes, too bad he never managed to actually grow."
Roy just simply couldn't resist the barb at Ed's height; Ed was too much fun to tease! He smirked as Ed turned eyes of molten gold with anger on him.
"Who's so short babies are taller than him?!"
Roy continued smirking at the boy, feeling slightly nostalgic as he remembered the twelve year old who would have said that with much more fanatical fervor. Edward Elric truly was growing up it seemed.
"We'll need to put everything in order before I go. Anything that can't wait until my return, Havoc can take care of or give to Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye."
The team nodded, and then they spun into the logistics of the past week and the projected logistics of the coming weeks. Time passed quickly with so much to discuss due to Roy's newest mission and soon it was time for everyone to go back to their jobs.
"Fullmetal," Roy called. The boy, still a head shorter than Roy, turned to him. "A word about our mission?"
He looked as though he wanted to protest, but closed the door behind the others instead.
"What is it?"
Roy really did smile this time. Some things never changed, and he doubted Ed's lack of respect would ever be something that did.
"You won't be able to bring Al on this mission. I'll be asking Havoc to take him instead. It seems the dormitory is cracking down on its rules now, and I'm sure you don't want him to be alone while you're gone."
Ed scowled, but nodded, having finally learned when he could and couldn't fight something. Roy was glad his subordinate had learned that lesson, even if he disliked how Ed had had to learn it.
"I'd like to meet with you tomorrow to go over a few details as well. Be sure to have read the file by 13:00."
"Will Al be able to get into the Central Library while we're gone?"
Roy nodded, "I'll arrange for it to be sure, but I doubt anyone would even notice him. He's there with you so often anyway."
Ed nodded his thanks, his jaw clenched at the thought of owing anyone anything, even if it was just Roy. Or perhaps especially if it was Roy.
"I'll see you tomorrow then. And Happy Early Birthday," Roy told him.
"Thanks," Ed replied in a sullen voice, already turning to leave.
Once he had gone, Roy moved back over to his chair and let himself collapse into it. For a moment, he remembered the boy Ed had been and sighed at the feelings that swept over him.
"When did I get so old, Maes?"
Then, feeling silly at talking to thin air, he sat up and went back to work.