A/N: Ok, here is my first, real, official chapter one following the prologue. The other rambling one before this was my attempt to work things out in my head and give you guys a taste of my writing style. Long story short: stick around if you want to know how the relationships get complex and you like smut. Especially man on man smut. I don't think I'll be doing any het smut. I might. Maybe, if there is someone who likes the story and requests some het smut, I just might do it. You never know. Alright, sorry again for the random rambling passage after the prologue, I hope it at least let you know if you wanted to stick around or not. Review if you feel the need. I always read reviews and appreciate getting them.
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Edward opened his eyes. Light assaulted his vision and he squeezed them shut again. He brought his left hand up to rub the sleep out of his eyes, but stopped halfway. Al. The last time he saw Al, the Gate was trying to drag both of them in. He shot up in bed and immediately regretted it. A sharp pain shot through the right side of his body, from his side to his shoulder. He tried to grab his right arm, but only found air. He started to panic. His eyes darted around the room and he realized he must be in a hospital. His arm was nowhere in sight. He swung his feet over the side of the bed and took a deep breath. Well, at least my leg is still intact. His shoulder ached and he felt weak, but he had to find Alphonse. After he knew Al was ok, then he could try to figure out where they ended up.
Strong hands landed on his shoulders and pulled him backwards. Before he had a chance to react, he was looking up into the face of RoyMustang. He looked angry, but the proximity made Edward blush.
"Where do you think you're going?" Mustang crossed his arm and took a step back. Ed sat up in bed and looked quizzically at the older man. Is he the Colonel I know or am I still in Germany? Ed looked him up and down, trying to figure out how to react to the comment. Either way, I need to get away from him so I can find Al. Ed frowned. He was missing an eye just like the Colonel back home. He looked the same build and age. He was wearing dark pants and a white button up shirt. Then the Colonel smirked.
"Is your brain as little as you are? I asked you a question." Ed's head snapped up.
"Bastard," he muttered and attempted again to climb out of the bed. Mustang stepped towards him. Ed glared at the Colonel.
"I'm going to find Al. Don't try to stop me." Mustang stopped his advance and shrugged.
"Go get him if you want to. He's down in the cafeteria. He's been up and about for a couple days now. I would suggest that you do not, since it's probable you'll bust your stitches and Winry hasn't come back with your arm yet. Besides, he'll be up in a few minutes." Ed sighed in relief, overjoyed to hear that his brother was fine. He felt the urge to go and get him, anyway, but knew the Colonel was probably right, as much as he hated to admit it. Without the need to worry about how Al was, other questions floated into Ed's head.
"So what are you doing here? Are you here because the military sent you? Or are you just here to bother me?" Mustang looked mildly surprised at the sudden barrage of questions, but answered them nonetheless.
"Because I want to be, no, and maybe." He sat next to the bed in a chair Edward had failed to notice before.
"Maybe?" Ed scoffed. He looked the Colonel up and down again, this time taking in the differences between the Mustang he last saw and the one that sat before him. He looked basically the same, except that he had bags under his eyes. Maybe he was worried? Ed shook the thought away, even though he desperately wanted it to be true. He heard Mustang chuckle and looked up to meet his gaze. Amusement danced behind his dark eyes.
"What's so funny?" Ed asked indignantly.
"You're so distracted, I got away with calling you short. I didn't think I would see the day that would happen." Ed growled.
"I'm not short anymore! Besides, I'm busy wondering how the Hell I got back here and why you feel the need to come by to torture me while I'm injured." Mustang's smiled faded and he turned serious.
"An amateur alchemist attempted some complicated alchemy. He happened upon some fragments of the stone left over from Gluttony's body that were strewn all over the battleground. Some must have been missed during the cleanup. We thought we destroyed the Gate, but he was able to activate it. He got sucked into the Gate and we found you and your brother. No one else came through that we know of." There was a knock on the door. Both men turned towards the sound. They could see a nurse standing in the hallway. Mustang stood and started towards to the door.
"And I came to see you because I was worried." Ed felt butterflies in his stomach. He wanted to say something, anything, about it, but Mustang opened the door for the nurse, who immediately started asking him about a date he had promised her. Ed rolled his eyes and let himself fall back onto the bed. It hurt when he hit, but it distracted him from the scene before him. And the knowledge that he was right—the things he felt were not mutual. He counted the minutes until Al came back to see him.