Chapter Two
"Come on, sir," Hawkeye said, emphasizing the last word.
Mustang sighed. He had managed to take this detour so that he could annoy Ed, but the end result wasn't exactly how he had pictured it. Now, he was in line for another of Riza's paperwork reminders. Those never ended like he wanted, either.
"Are you even paying attention to me?" she asked as they boarded the train back to Central.
Mustang instinctively nodded. "Yes, of course I am."
"You're sitting on the floor."
Mustang glanced down. So that was why it was so uncomfortable! "I realize this," he answered, trying to make it look like he meant to sit there.
"So you sat on the floor… on purpose?" Hawkeye asked skeptically.
"Of course I did!"
"Then I guess you won't mind if I sit this bag in your seat," she replied, putting her bag on the seat where Mustang had intended to sit.
"No, not at all," he responded coolly, mentally wondering why in the world he was now stuck sitting on the floor.
The train ride continued on in silence. After a few minutes, Roy looked up from the floor.
"That shrimp still got what he deserved from that mechanic of his."
Riza sighed, causing Mustang to look back down at the floor. The rest of the trip continued this way in silence.
--
Once they arrived back at Central, Hawkeye all but chased Mustang back to his office, where she hovered behind him as he proceeded to start on a fresh batch of paperwork.
Havoc glanced over at Breda. "I knew state alchemists were dogs of the military, but I never thought it was literal."
Breda laughed, but stopped instantly when Mustang glared at him from across the room. Mustang's glares seem to carry their own fire, he thought.
----
"Hey, Winry! Take it easy, will ya?" Edward shouted, running for his life.
Winry, who was closing in fast, shouted back, "Not until you apologize for putting dents in my automail!"
"Your automail? It's attached to me!"
"Not for long!"
Ed sighed and ran faster, doubling back to the Rockbell house. If Winry caught up to him, Ed had no doubt that she would dismantle his arm and leg in an instant. Of course, then she would rebuild it, but this would cost Ed and Al several days they did not have.
As Ed rocketed toward the Rockbell house, he saw Al. Veering closer to Al, he shouted, "Al, let's go!"
"Right!" Al shouted back, and ran toward Ed.
-
Winry slowed down a bit as Ed and Al ran toward each other. Suddenly, they smashed into each other! Winry was shocked to see Al still running, with no sign of Ed. She sighed, knowing that Al had grabbed Ed, and walked back home.
--
Ed yawned. He and Al had stopped at the river. It had become a place for them to just hang out together in the past few days.
"So, d'you she's calmed down enough to go back yet? I'm getting kinda tired."
Al looked up at the quickly sinking sun. "Probably. I figure she went home, ate something, then took a long bath. She probably finished about an hour ago or so."
"It's scary how well you know her," Ed commented, walking toward the house.
"You should know that much, brother," Al said. "You're the one who likes her, after all."
Ed almost fell over. "I do not!"
"Yes you do," Al replied. "Everyone else knows it, too."
Ed didn't say a word, nor did he say anything until he got back to the house.
--
Winry watched as Al walked in. He passed by her with a hello and went up the stairs. Ed quietly entered right after. Winry seriously contemplated chasing after him again for how he behaved earlier, but, for some unknown reason, he glanced over at her and smiled.
It wasn't his usual 'please-don't-hit-me' smile, nor was it his 'please-forgive-me' smile. Instead, it was one that Winry couldn't place at the moment. He wasn't acting like an idiot, but he wasn't totally serious, either. Honestly, he looked like he was seriously thinking about something, and that smile seemed to make her think it involved her.
That smile would bug her for the rest of the night.