Take It All Away
Chapter 16: The Flame Alchemist Returns
Ed let lose a mighty yawn as he leaned back in his desk chair, propping his feet on the edge of his desk and reclining in the chair. His fingers ached from the hours he had just spent pouring over government documents and official papers. He cracked his knuckles in an attempt to relieve some of the stiffness in his hand. A glance at the other two occupants of the office proved them to be in a similar state as he. Jean was rubbing his fingers, no doubt from writer's cramp, and Riza was rubbing her eyes tiredly. They were barely into their second hour of work and already the three agents were growing tired of paperwork.
This sucks. Ed allowed his thoughts to drift for the first time to the events of the previous night. Roy had been able to walk all the way to the cafeteria without another's aid. As far as Edward knew, last night had been the first time the General had successfully stood, none the less walked such a significant distance. Roy's sudden progress was incredible. Washu had demanded to do a check up on Roy as soon as he and Ed had returned to the hospital room. By the time she had finished with the General and allowed him to return to his room, Ed had long since been asleep. I never got a chance to ask him why he kissed me.
At the mention of the kiss, Ed's flesh hand absentmindedly drifted to his lips. He could remember the feel of the older man's lips, gently pressed against his own. The kiss had been surprisingly gentle and had taken Edward's breath away. But the moment had been effectively ruined by the catcalls from a certain Second Lieutenant. After that, the two men didn't have a moment to themselves in which to discuss the way things were developing.
"Daydreaming, Fullmetal?"
Ed visibly started, his feet slipping from the edge of the desk and the front legs of his chair returning to the floor with a loud bang. His eyes snapped to those of the speaker, only to meet amused onyx. He blinked, his surprise outweighing his embarrassment. "Roy, what the hell are you-"
"That's General Mustang during work hours, Fullmetal." Roy cut in smoothly, the smile tugging at the corners of his lips belying his reprimanding tone.
Ed scowled. "What the hell are you doing here?" He made a point to ignore the General's rebuke.
Roy arched an eyebrow. "Obviously I'm reporting for duty."
Ed took a moment to notice the General's appearance for the first time since his arrival. Roy wore his pristine navy blue uniform, the decorations adorning the uniform declaring his rank as General. His hair was as tousled as always, but at least he appeared to have run a comb through the mass of raven strands. For the first time since Roy had awoken, his trademark gloves adorned each hand, finishing off the look that solely belonged to the renown "Flame Alchemist". It had been awhile since Ed had seen Roy in his element like he was at that moment. General Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, was making a comeback.
Roy cleared his throat, an amused glint in his eyes. "Like something you see?"
Ed's eyes narrowed as a blush stole it's way across his cheeks. "All I see is a cocky bastard." He shot back.
Riza piped up before the two men could engage in one of their famous spats. "General," She began, rising slowly from her desk and regarding Roy with a wary eye. "Please excuse me for saying this, but what the hell are you doing here?"
Roy chuckled and turned to face the Lieutenant, leaning against Ed's desk lazily. "As I was just informing Fullmetal, I've returned to resume my duties as both an alchemist and as a General."
"Does Washu-sensei know about this?" Jean asked from his place at his desk. The Second Lieutenant was also carefully watching the General who had been restricted to a hospital bed only the day before.
"Actually, it was her idea." Roy replied easily, picking up a folder from Ed's desk and thumbing through it. The folder was snatched from his hold by the braided man who stood behind him. He turned to meet angry gold eyes.
"What the hell was Washu thinking!" Ed demanded, replacing the folder on the corner of his desk. "You haven't even been on your feet for 24 hours and she's already sending you back to work? That's insane!"
Riza shot Ed a warning look. "Although I disapprove of Fullmetal's way of putting it, I must agree with him. Is she certain about this?"
Roy sighed heavily and pushed away from the desk. "Look, I appreciate the concern, but as your commanding officer, I'm ordering you all to stop worrying so much." He gave a small smile to soften his words. "I'm really fine.
The three occupants of the room stared at him for a moment longer before they finally gave up. Ed leaned his chair back on two legs again, glaring at the General's turned back while Riza sighed and returned to her seat. Havoc on the other hand stood and came to stand in front of Roy. "Welcome back, General."
Roy met the blonde's lopsided grin with one of his own. He took the extended hand in a firm handshake. "Nice to be back, Lieutenant." He gave the blonde a pointed look. "Now get back to work."
Havoc gave a dramatic sigh but quickly turned around so the General would not see the relieved smile that temporarily graced the blonde officer's features. He returned to his seat and withdrew another smoke from the back on his desk, placing it between his lips and preparing to light it.
"And no smoking in the office."
Havoc groaned and replaced the cigarette, shooting the laughing alchemist a warning glare that proved ineffective as it only caused Ed to laugh harder. With a heavy sigh he resigned himself to his fate and returned to his paperwork, but not before giving his cigarettes one last longing look. He heard Roy shut his office door and grinned, reaching for his abandoned smoke.
"Don't even think about it, Lieutenant."
Havoc slumped back into his chair, defeated. The General was back, alright.
R-2-F
The rest of the day flew by, and before Ed knew it, working hours were over. The day had passed uneventfully after Roy's surprise appearance. The General had not emerged from his office since he had disappeared into it early that morning, though the occasional muttering could be heard through the heavy oak door that lead to his office.
Riza had been called two or three times into the General's office when Roy needed help with something. When the blonde Lieutenant would return to her desk later, she always seemed a bit more discouraged than she had been moments before. While Roy had recovered many of his memories at an amazing pace, there were still gaps in his memories that eluded him. Some memories were as small as what certain terms meant on the documents he was suppose to sign, but when Roy had asked Riza why he had to wear white gloves everywhere he went, Riza had found herself fighting back a wave of tears. Although the General appeared to have returned to them, it seemed parts of him may never be the same.
Currently the blonde First Lieutenant was gathering her things and pulling on her coat, preparing to leave. Jean was standing nearby with an unlit cigarette dangling from between his lips while he waited for his fiancé to finish. The two were going out on one of their rare dates tonight, so Ed had made sure not to allow either of them to put in any overtime. Although Havoc could be a slacker at times, once he began working it was near impossible to get him to stop. The Second Lieutenant was dedicated to his work, though you couldn't tell that by looking at him. The only thing that Jean was more dedicated to than his work, was his bride to be.
Roy finally left his office just after the couple had departed. He looked around, his brow furrowed slightly as he noted the absence of two of his subordinates. His eyes landed on the only remaining officer, his eyebrows disappearing into his shaggy hair. "Is it really that late?" He inquired, perching on the edge of the blonde's desk, facing Edward. He added the files that had been tucked under his arms to the pile on Ed's desk.
Ed shook his head. "Not really. Riza and Jean had plans tonight, so they left a bit early."
"I see." Roy replied. He sighed heavily as he leaned back and propped himself up with his hands on the desk. "Is it always this…" He trailed off, as if uncertain how to word his question.
"Boring?" Ed supplied, his lips twitching into the beginnings of a smile. "Sometimes. Most of the time we're out on field work though, so don't get used to the office work."
Roy sighed in relief. "Thank God."
Ed laughed. "You realize that if you become Fuhrer, you're going to be dealing with even more paperwork, right General?"
Roy scowled slightly. "Of course. What do you take me for, an idiot?"
"Well…"
"I wouldn't finish that thought, Fullmetal." Roy warned, though he only managed to sound slightly dangerous. His eyes turned away from Ed and he focused on something outside the window instead. "When I'm Fuhrer, I'm not going to be cooped up in an office and having other people do all of the dangerous work." He said softly, a faraway look in his eyes. "I'll be out there with my men, like a real leader should be."
Ed watched Roy, gaining a bit more respect for the General. He'd heard Hughes bragging about Mustang's potential as a leader, but this was one of the few times he had witnessed that potential for himself. Roy clearly cared for his men and would make sure to do what he could to keep them from danger, that much was clear from his desire to fight alongside the other soldiers. Past Fuhrers had not given thought to such things and preferred to run the country from behind the safety of their desk, but Roy was different. He actually cared about the people who worked underneath him and would readily risk his own life for their sakes. Ed found himself agreeing with Hughes; Roy would be a fine Fuhrer.
Ed was startled from his thoughts when he felt the weight of a hand on his head. He looked up and met amused onyx eyes, though there was no missing the fatigue that those eyes held.
"Do you and Al want to come over to my house for dinner tonight?" Roy asked, surprising the blonde alchemist.
"Wh-what? The hospital released you already?" Ed stuttered, his surprise evident. Although the General had been allowed to return to work, he didn't expect him to be released from the hospital so soon. He felt a knot begin to form in his stomach when he realized that he would no longer be able to spend the nights with Roy, now that the General had been released from the hospital. Ed knew he should be excited for the General, but he couldn't help feeling depressed at the news.
"Yeah," Roy replied, his relief poorly hidden. "Which brings us back to my question: Do you want to come over for dinner?"
Ed's head snapped up, effectively having been brought from his depressing musings. Dinner at Roy's house? Roy wanted him at his house? "Uh.."
Roy's smile faltered as he mistook the blonde's silence for refusal. "Hey, don't worry about it Fullmetal, it was just an offer-"
The use of his official title was all it took for Ed's ability to speak to be returned. "Hey, I wasn't saying no." He cut in, effectively silencing the General. He felt a pang of guilt when he saw the uncertainty in Roy's eyes and instinctively leaned forward to catch the General's lips with his own. He pulled back just as quickly, a blush staining his cheeks as a result of his impulsive actions. "Dinner sounds good."
R-2-F
Author's Note: Hello again, everyone! I'm sorry about the delayed update! It's been storming most of the week, so I haven't been able to get on the computer as much as usual. On top of that I had a concert Tuesday night…well, you get the picture. Things came up.
I can't believe I've nearly reached 200 reviews here! You guys are amazing! I love your feedback and I can't thank those who have reviewed enough. (Heck, if you're even reading this, I can't thank you enough!)
Anyways, I'm sorry about the delayed update and the short chapter. I'll try harder next time! Till then!
Cheers!
R2F