Me: A normal-ish one (compared to 'Ear', in any case) and more subtle in terms of their relationship. Enjoy!
The dark grey concrete roof of Central Headquarters had always been a good place to think and ponder.
Soldiers, secretaries, messengers, even those in the higher ranks and authority trooped up the steel steps that led to the roof. Apart from it being surrounded by a chain linked fence (after an unfortunate incident a few years ago), there were no other blockages from the sun and as such, it was always a warm place to sit and simply let the mind wander.
So it wasn't all that odd that Edward Elric was sitting there by the edge of the building, right metal elbow propped up on a flesh knee. Although it was a little strange, and possibly a little dangerous, that there was a hole in the fence where the alchemist was sitting, the metal thick around the edges of the hole.
Edward's left leg was dangling over the side of the building, the heel of his boot tapping on the brick wall below the roof rhythmically.
There had been a few times when his privacy had been interrupted, however. A new, twitchy soldier had burst onto the roof, taking in deep breaths to calm down.
Edward had merely raised an eyebrow, tilting his head in a cocky fashion at the intruder as though silently asking what he was doing there.
The new recruit had jumped when he noticed Edward staring at him and begun to burst out apologies, presumably after getting a look at the stars and stripes on Edward's shoulder that told his rank.
Edward had sat up a little straighter here, bemused. He had blinked, confusion mounting when the new guy froze and made a hasty retreat.
It was only until later he realised that his sleeve had slipped down, revealing a metal wrist rather than flesh, and he has tugged it back up irritably. The kid has obviously head of the Fullmetal Alchemsit, then. He smirked a little at the nervous fear on the recruit's face when he realised who he was.
His next 'visitor' didn't reveal himself, exactly, instead hiding behind a wall of the tiny building (or room, Edward wasn't sure what to call it, exactly) that stood where the steel stairs lead onto the roof.
Although Edward had had a sneaking suspicion that it might have been Havoc, judging by the smoke swirls twisting up from behind the wall. If it was the blond lieutenant, he didn't give any other indication, disappearing soon after his smoke.
Since then, Edward been pretty much left alone until he heard the door from the small building room open with a soft 'click'. Sighing, he twisted around to see whoever it was. He blinked, pleasantly surprised when he realised that it was Riza Hawkeye that had stepped onto the roof.
"…Hey." He greeted, rather lamely, as the blonde haired woman strode towards him.
"The general sent me to look for you." She told him curtly, eyeing the hole he had made, a flicker of amusement in her eye.
"I bet he did." Edward muttered darkly, keeping his voice low so that Riza wouldn't catch the words. Raising his voice to an audible level, he said to her, "I'll be there in a minute."
The lieutenant nodded, and seemingly hesitated before asking, "Why are you out here?"
Edward scowled all the more at the polite tone in the woman's voice. While Riza was polite to most people, it was the curt politeness that came about from Edward's higher rank that bothered him. She hadn't added 'sir', though, which she had stopped doing after the alchemist nagged her to stop saying. "You don't have to be so polite, no-one's here." He pointed out grouchily, flopping onto his back.
Riza watched him, before deciding that Edward wasn't going to be coming in anytime soon and moving to stand beside him. Just because you prefer to be rude doesn't mean everyone else should." She told him.
"I'm not rude." Edward replied indignantly, missing the smile in Riza's voice. At the lieutenant's raised eyebrow, he paused before saying, "well, maybe to some people/"
Riza chuckled softly.
Oddly pleased with himself, Edward pressed his hands together in his infamous clap and touched them to the sides of the hole. The metal glowed briefly, crackling with alchemic energy, before becoming wider. "You can sit down if you want." He told her offhandedly.
She sat down slowly, looking at the mess Edward had made of the wall. "You're not supposed to destroy military property you know."
"I can fix it." The alchemist replied, sounding a little insulted.
It may have been the warm summer weather, or the fact neither of them could think of anything to say, but the pair of them sat there in comfortable silence for a while, maybe a couple of hours. When Riza finally suggested they head back inside, Edward didn't protest, fixing the fence and following her.
Company wasn't so bad after all, he decided.
Me: Review, please?