A/N: Thank you, everyone, for all the reviews, excusing some of my grammar and spelling errors. I'm glad to hear so many people enjoyed it, because I honestly am iffy about this fic. Why? This fic is my leisure writing. I write it because I'm bored and just feel like doing it. By the end of the written chapter, I forget about half the things I have written in it. Kind of sad how my lazy writing is my best. I shouldn't complain though. (I'm probably trying too hard with my other fics or something. XP) Well hope you enjoy this chapter, please review!
Oh! And one more thing, I go by the personalities in the manga more than anything else. So if you watch the anime only and you feel like everyone is a little off. (Not counting Roy and Ed XD) That's because I'm going by the manga. It's not much of a big difference though so don't worry. Enjoy!
Temper
Chapter Three
Tuesday
"How does it fit?" The young perky woman said while working on the last adjustments of the Fullmetal Alchemist's pants.
"It's fine, but my braid feels weird against the collar!" Edward exclaimed, starting to get annoyed with his newly found problem. The material was rigid for the most part and was rubbing Ed's hair the wrong way, literally! Every time he moved his head his braid would scrap along the fabric, and some of the small hairs would be pulled as well. It was irritating, both on the back of his neck and on his nerves.
"Try putting it up!" She suggested. Ed undid his braid and put it up in a ponytail just as the young woman said. He smiled a little; it felt a lot better now. He then sighed, and turned to the woman.
"Are you done with my pants yet?" He had to catch Hughes today and give him some of Winry's baked pie, with Edward's special secret ingredient in it. Not to mention all the paper he had to move from the closet before Al would start questioning him. Maybe he should have put the paper in a better hiding spot… too late now though.
He was tired of standing with his boxers exposed. 'Good thing I'm not in Rush Valley.' He thought, remembering the last time he went there. Being bombarded by auto mail engineers was not his idea of fun. Especially when they stripped you down to your underwear.
(A/N: I'll say it again just to remind people, I'm going by the manga.)
"Almost..." Ten minutes later she smiled proudly. "It's finished!" She announced and handed Ed his pants. He quickly put them on and looked at himself in the mirror. She did a really good job, considering that he gave the uniform to her late afternoon yesterday. 'Big tip for you, lady.'
"Why does it look different on me?" He asked curiously.
"Well I don't know how the make their uniforms exactly so I just had it fit your body. Not that I'm saying it was a bad thing you came," She was more than happy to adjust his uniform when he came in. Sure it was more work but the payment he would have to make would be worth it. "But why didn't you just exchange your... large uniform for a small one?" Large being an understatement.
"My boss wouldn't let me." Ed said with a wistful sigh. He waved bye to her after he paid her. The young woman looked at the amount he paid and the fat tip he gave her.
"I love his boss." She said to no one in particular.
"Whoops!" Scheska laughed sheepishly after she nearly tripped with a few documents in her hands. It wasn't even noon yet and already things were starting to get hectic and busy. She then noticed a familiar man walking, or rather jogging in a marching fashion, down the hall. 'Oh!' She thought, putting on a pleasent smile.
"Good morning Lieutenant Colonel..." He whizzed right past her.
"Morningsorrygottago!" He yelled as he rushed to his destination. Scheska blinked; it was probably something important. She then noticed someone else walking down the hall; he wasn't in the same pursuit as Hughes but he was in somewhat of a rush. She immediately recognized the blonde hair and put on another smile.
"Good Morning, Edward." She said pleasantly.
"Morning, Scheska!" He said equally as cheerful as Scheska, stopping a little to greet her. That was when she noticed something different, but before she could ask- "Sorry, Scheska, gotta run!" He said and went off in the same direction as Hughes. She blinked and shrugged it off. 'Since when did Edward wear a uniform?' She thought. Tears of sorrow sprang from her eyes. "And why doesn't he look as boxy in it as the rest of us?"
Maes quickly opened the door and rushed over to the first stall. He pants practically flew off. He sat down and finally did what he was so desperate to do for the past twenty minutes or so.
'Made it.' He thought, letting out a content sigh. 'My God, Winry. What the hell was wrong with your pie!' He shrugged it off. No one's cooking could be as good as his wife's.
Hughes reached out for some paper but all he felt was the metal bar that held the roll of butt paper. "Aww, man."
"I have your paper hostage." Ed said from outside of the stall door. Hughes flinched a little; he was surprised. Hughes didn't notice at all that someone came into the bathroom.
"Ed?"
"Yup." Hughes had a suspicious feeling.
"Umm... can I have the paper back please?"
"No."
"Why!"
"Because, I need you to do something for me." Hughes groaned then sighed.
"Okay, Ed. What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to keep Roy occupied. He's driving me crazy with all his damn orders." Ed huffed then pouted.
"I can't control everything he does-"
"Then try!" Hughes flinched again.
"Fine, I'll help out just give me the paper." He didn't hear anything. He just heard a few foot steps. He sighed, thinking Edward let. That wasn't fair.
BAM!
"AHHHHH!"
"Here you go, Hughes." Ed said handing him the roll of paper after he busted the stall door open.
"Okay, just get OUT!" He hissed while pulling his top jacket as far down as it could go, trying to cover himself. Edward laughed like a mad man as he left the men's bathroom. Hughes mumbled a few curses and went on with his business. It then occurred to him.
"Was that Ed in a uniform?"
Roy let out a yawn and stretched a little.
"Colonel." Hawkeye said. He turned in his chair to face her.
"Alphonse is here to speak to you." Roy raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Let him in." Riza opened the door and walked out after Al walked in.
"What do you need, Alphonse?" Roy asked; his expression mixed with boredom and curiosity at the same time.
"I want to help you with brother!" Roy raised his head a little.
"Help me?"
"Yes. Brother has been acting really weird lately, even I don't know why." He lied. "I've heard you have been trying everything to get him back to normal." Translation: I've been listening through the door and everything you have done so far hasn't done shit.
"I know many of Ed's peeves and if you do it something might trigger to get him to normal!" Al exclaimed. "So do you accept my offer?" Al asked, putting his innocent desperate voice on. Sometimes his armor really was an advantage, he didn't have to struggle trying to keep on a straight face.
Roy pondered a bit before he looked up at Al and nodded. "Sure!"
"Great!" Al said happily.
'There's no way I'll lose now.' Al thought.
Sparkle. Sparkle.
"Major Armstrong, you don't need to come with me." Ed stated, a little irritated but hid it for the most part.
"I have business with the colonel as well, Edward Elric." Armstrong claimed with his glorious sparkles and all. He heard Ed sigh.
Armstrong squinted his eyes suspiciously towards Edward, there was something different about him, and it wasn't because of his hair or uniform. He decided to ignore it.
Ed opened the door to the colonel's office. He was dreading whatever was to come, but like the great actor he is, hid his emotion well. When he opened the door he noticed Hughes was in the room as well, probably there to try and keep the colonel from doing... whatever he was planning. Hawkeye was at the side as always, and Fury was scurrying around. He didn't appear to be doing anything though, looked more like he was stalling to stay there. For a good show most likely. Armstrong greeted Mustang and saluted.
"Fullmetal!" The colonel hollered. "Where is the uniform I provided you?" peeved that Ed's uniform looked so good on him, rather than boxy or uncomfortable like almost everyone else.
"I'm wearing it. It's the same one just with... adjustments." For God sake's Ed would have been lost for weeks if he wore the pants the way they were! Roy huffed out an irritated sigh.
Ed then noticed something on Mustang's desk and became completely frigid. It wasn't fair! The colonel never saw him, how could he know! Did he guess? Did someone tell him? Who told the colonel? Why!
There on the colonel's desk was one of the most disgusting things on this planet.
It was evil!
It was vile!
It was… milk.
(A/N: For those of you who don't know or haven't noticed Roy doesn't really know about Ed's hatred for milk. Why? Because he's never seen his reaction to milk. The only military personnel who were there to see Ed drink milk - or more like Winry tried to make him drink it- was Armstrong, Maria, and Brooch. Is that guys name right? Anyways, I wanted to point that out so people won't get confused or start ranting.)
Roy smirked, he was suddenly dancing inside after seeing the look on Ed's face.
"Good morning, Armstrong. Fullmetal." Ed nodded and saluted. 'That milk better be for him.' He thought.
"Before I have my discussion with you, Armstrong, Fullmetal," Ed nearly flinched. "I've been concerned about your dieting habits." Melon! That's what he'll give Ed! Just like the President. He'll be nice like the President.
(A/N: Again in the manga the President gives Ed's melons when he greets him sometimes. Oh! And the President is the Furher, I don't really like to use Furher so I go by what the translators named him: President. If you want to know why I don't like the name Furher, it's because that was another name for Hitler. I'm not being uber sensitive or whatnot, I just don't like to think of the head honcho of the military being named after Hitler.)
"So, Fullmetal. To put this short and let me get on with my business I order you to drink this milk." Ed visibly flinched to the colonel's great satisfaction.
No way! Why? It's nasty! To drink something from a cow, something that came from its squishy utters. Squishy utters that are dirty and have been sucked on by baby cows. Touched by dirty hands, and squeezed out. Out of utters. Big floppy pink things that sag under a cow's belly. White nasty liquid that came out of utters. Big saggy utters. Utters. With weird finger looking things that dangled out of them. Milk squeezed out of them. Squeezed from hands that would touch those nasty finger looking things.
"Edward, are you okay? You look a little pale." Hawkeye spoke up. She also noticed he was starting to turn a little green. Ed snapped out of his trance and looked at Riza.
"I'm okay, it's just... I'm not a big fan of milk." Roy smirked widened. Thank you, Alphonse.
"Too bad, Fullmetal. Drink it." Everyone's attention was towards Ed. Hawkeye was wondering if he would be okay, Fury was amused along with Armstrong and Hughes gave him a look telling Ed: I told you I can't control everything he does. Again Roy's subordinates didn't notice they were holding their breath. Ed huffed and marched up to Roy's desk. He roughly grabbed the glass of milk, and looked up at Roy. He wanted to throw it in his face, but he couldn't. The bet.
"Are you afraid, Fullmetal?" Roy asked, trying to make Ed pop. He waited and waited and waited some more. Just when Roy thought Ed would give in, he didn't. Instead, the young blonde alchemist pouted and chugged down the milk. His eyes were shut tight, and he was drinking the milk as fast as he could, harshly putting down the glass on the desk when he was finished.
'He... he drank it...' Was pretty much everyone's thought.
'Oh god... that was nasty.' Ed thought, trying to settle the liquid in his stomach.
"Edward Elric I am proud of you!" Armstrong cried out. Ed made an 'urk'-ish sound when Armstrong gave him a tight bear hug.
(A/N: Again the manga.)
"You'll grow up big and strong if you keep this up! Good job, young Edward Elric!" Ed was not looking so hot though.
"Major Armstrong... maybe you should put him down." Fury suggested.
'My stomach! Why did he have to press down on my stomach!' Ed thought, getting out of Armstrong's grip and quickly running out the office.
They heard Ed's footsteps down the hall, then an 'OOF!' and a thump. He bumped into someone.
"You think he'll make it to the bathroom?" Hughes asked out loud. As if on cue they heard the sound of Ed losing his breakfast.
"My shoes! My uniform!" Havoc cried out, Ed mumbled a weak apology. Just a few moments later they heard footsteps coming back to the colonel's office. It was Ed of course, still looking slightly pale but a little bit better. This was it, Ed was gonna lose it. Roy could feel it in his bones.
"I didn't think milk would be too much to handle for the great Edward Elric." Roy teased. Ed wanted him to die. Make the man drink milk until he was as fat as a cow. He wasn't sure what to say, Ed had a feeling if he commented he'd lose him temper no matter how hard he tried. So he did something else.
Ed made a thumbs up and said, "Yaaay!".
(A/N: All the Azumanga Daioh fans in the house say, Wooo! -hears a couple of Woo's- ... damn.)
Fury quickly put a hand over his mouth and turned around, stifling his laughter. Hawkeye lost her stern composer and giggled, while Armstrong's sparkles feel to the ground. Hughes had a big grin on his face and Roy was as pale as Ed.
Ed felt another lurching feeling in his stomach and decided to leave, waving bye to everyone. Roy snapped out of his shocked and disappointed state.
'I'm gonna need something stronger than milk.' He noted to himself.
Ed took another sip of his tea. He looked at the bread shaped as a cute crab in front of him. He didn't want to eat it so he decided to just play with it; pressing his finger down on it and watching the legs move funny.
(A/N: All the Yakitate! Japan fans in the house say, Wooo! -hears nothing- T.T No one has heard of that manga or anime, so sad.)
"Feeling better now, brother?" Al asked. Ed nodded.
"I can't help but wonder how he knows I don't like milk." Again Al was glad he was a suit of armor at the moment.
"Maybe he just guessed." Ed sighed and agreed.
"Hey, Al."
Alphonse nearly 'eep'ed and almost blurted out; I didn't do it! You can't prove anything! Luckily he didn't.
"Yes, brother?"
"Can you take out the toilet paper from closet for me?"
To be continued...
A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Please review... um... and please don't be so harsh. My dignity has been a little bruised lately. Why? I rather not go into detail. x.x
Jettie's A/N: You can do it! Be strong!
A/N: Huzzah:poses: Ow... my dignity...