Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Ed says hi, and that he senses your laughter at his miniscule height. Oh, and now he's getting really mad 'cause he can't hit girls. Sorry Ed.

Chapter Nine: Ling's Dating Troubles

Lanfan waved meekly from the deck of the ship, down below, the fisherman grinned up at her, his arm wound around a blushing Jiao.

"They're good for each other," Ling commented from behind her.

She nodded, trying to tie her hair back up into its standard bun, settling for the ponytail that Ling hat put it in before. Remembering what the Fullmetal had told her, she cursed under her breath. "I've forgotten to call Edward."

He shrugged. "No need. The pipsqueak will understand."

She sighed. "I'm not so sure."

Lings eyes flashed open, a seldom occasion. His royal blue irises glowed, suspicious. "What is it about you and Fullmetal anyway?"

She stiffened, surprised. "Is the Young Master angry?"

Narrowing his eyes comically yet again, he tried to grin, but his teeth just clenched. "No, not at all. I'm just questioning your relations with the alchemist, as all."

This time, it was she who shrugged. "I… respect him. He was one of the very few who could ever defeat me in battle."

He rubbed his chin in thought. "Ah."

"Young Master, do you not like my speaking with Fullmetal?"

He shook his head. "Nah, it's okay. I'm just a little… possessive."

She looked up from the patterns she was drawing on the dust-caked deck with her feet. "Of what?"

He grinned. "Of you."

Despite herself, Lanfan blushed. "Oh." Grunting uncomfortably, she retreated to the roof of the cabin, crouching as if ready to strike. "If the Young Master doesn't mind, I think it'd be best if I watch over you from up here."

Pulling himself over the wall, he sat down next to her. "I do mind."

"Oh… well. Then I apologize."

He laughed nostalgically. "Remember when we were kids? You didn't even care for honorifics, and you spoke with contractions all the time."

She nodded, ashamed.

He looked at her. "I miss that, you know."

It was summertime, a little after the time Lanfan had been assigned to Ling as his guard. The young prince was concentrating especially hard on something.

"Ling—I mean—Young Master, you look troubled."

He sighed, a little crease forming between his inwardly-arched eyebrows. "The festival is coming up soon…."

"Yes?"

"And I do not have a date. All of the older boys get to bring dates."

Lanfan's face stained pink, a usually occurrence back then. "Oh. Well I'm sure there are many girls are willing to go with you. But it is standard that the boy asks the girl, so…."

He looked up from where he'd been pacing along the courtyard. "Lanfan, come down please."

Straightening her oversized mask, she slid silently down the drunk and onto the soft moss below. "What does the prince request of his guard?"

He unfastened her mask, the simply-decorated disguise falling to the ground. "Would you like to go with me to the solstice festival with me tonight?"

With no mask to cover her pale face, she pulled up her scarf to veil her carnation cheeks. "I didn't mean me! You have to go with a princess or something. But not an actual princess, 'cause that would be your half sister, and gross."

He frowned, tears forming in his squinted eyes. "You don't want to go with me…?"

Lanfan panicked. If her master cried she'd surely be slapped. "No! I mean, if would be an honor to go, but—"

Before she could refuse, Ling buried her in a bear hug. "Yay! Thank you Lanfan! We'll have the greatest time! And someday, we'll get married and we'll go on fun dates all the time!"

Lanfan smiled at her master's enthusiasm, dropping her scarf. "Whatever you say, Ling."

Ling finished recollecting the moment, his eyes dreamy.

Lanfan laughed, temporarily forgetting her emotionless demeanor. "I can't believe you actually believed we could get married someday."

He laughed as well. "I can't believe you called me 'Ling' back then."

She sighed. "I was such a fool back then. I had once been musing to Grandfather about the prospect of us getting married back then. That earned me two whippings."

Ling stopped laughing. "He hurt you?"

She nodded. "It's common practice. And I deserved it, anyway. It's a guard's job to protect their master, not to have girlish fantasies while the master goes off and drowns in the bathtub."

Ling feigned fury, his eyes widening for effect. "That was one time! And the water was deep!"

Lanfan muffled amused chuckles into her sleeve, repeating the words she had said so many years ago. "Whatever you say, Ling."

Author's Note: This is my take on those LingFan childhood fics. I hope you liked it, 'cause I did. Please review, because I have lots of schoolwork (and an addiction to endless clicking around on TvTropes), so your reviews are the only things that keep me going. So yeah. Review, 'cause Ed can sense it when you don't!