Six
Ed
It was true that Ed didn't have to take the official State Alchemist test and he had already been given the silver watch but he still needed to prove himself capable to the people who mattered. He would be fooling himself if he tried to calm himself down by thinking this would be better than taking the test with a whole bunch of other people. At least then he wouldn't have been under so much pressure. Now, he had to live up to expectations. Angry butterflies battled each other in his stomach as he followed the broad back of the Colonel. It wasn't like him to be so nervous but the thought of not succeeding sucked too much to bear thinking on. He wasn't even sure of the extent he could actually do as far as alchemy went. Sure, he'd made that wall but he couldn't duplicate that if he tried, having created it on pure instinct and the effort had knocked him out cold for three days. Not an experience he would like to relive again. They wanted him to be a weapon. What the hell was he supposed to do with that?
Scowling darkly and trying to ignore the small stabbing pains in his sides every time he took a step, he followed the dark haired Colonel through ever widening hallways deep into the heart of headquarters. The place looked less like a military base than someone's mansion. Tall, sweeping ceilings met blindingly white walls and dark wood work gave the place a feel of richness that surprised him.
Thankfully, Roy didn't speak to him. Reassurances would have been embarrassing and despite his earlier weakness, he had no desire for the taller man to think him pathetic. He had looked back once, whether to make sure Ed still followed or to see if he was okay Ed wasn't sure, but upon taking one look at the blonde's face, had turned back around and since then had been walking in silence. It made Ed wonder what he had seen.
He thought about earlier, when they had been alone in the office and shivered again at the memory of strong fingers brushing against his cheek. The man had been so gentle, Ed wondered if he had thought the teen would break. This wasn't the first time he had been hurt in such a manner but it was the first time someone other than his brother expressed concern. The shadowed look in the dark eyes as Ed had watched Roy clean the cut on his face had betrayed the older man and Ed wondered if he realized it. His own reaction was what surprised him. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off the other man, much to his chagrin, having been shocked by the expression hidden in the black eyes. The man confounded him and while he hadn't wanted to be caught staring, when those eyes lifted to meet his own, he hadn't been able to look away. He hadn't been able to decipher anything in Roy's eyes but he had about himself. It was the gentle touch that had done him in. He had tried to ignore it and the way the contact had sent a scathing chill down the pit of his stomach. There was no denying the man affected him.
Ed was jolted out of his thoughts when said man stopped at a large oak door and knocked on it, radiating confidence. Well, he realized, this would be a whole lot worse if the Colonel wasn't with him. Besides, Ed told himself as a deep voice permitted them entrance and his heart nearly exploded in his chest, it wasn't like they were going to spit him and truss him up over a fire. They just wanted to see what he could do. Those shallow reassurances fell flat when the door swung open.
This office that he was ushered into with Roy's warm hand on the small of his back was nothing like the Colonel's. First of all, it was huge to the point of ridiculousness. A desk sat against the far wall, a huge mahogany monstrosity that was clear of any paperwork. Just a small glass paper weight with small golden swirls inside and a picture frame facing the other way adorned the desk's surface. Thick, rich drapes were pulled back from the tall windows, allowing the afternoon light to fall to the polished marble floors. Just a single leather couch sat in the middle of the room, facing a plush armchair. That was it. There weren't even any book shelves. Clearly it was meant to impress and quite possibly intimidate. Ed was loath to realize it was working.
There were already a half a dozen men in uniform in the room, several sitting comfortably on the couch, the others in a loose ring near the desk. They were all in or passing their middle ages and the medals adorning their pristine blue uniforms suggested they were all men of consequential rank. The person who drew his attention, however, was standing off to the side on his own, exuding confidence and authority. He was older, with dark hair and deep lines around his thin lips and eyes. A black eye patch covered his left eye and the other was narrowed and glittering darkly. A blue uniform jacket reached down to his knees and over it was strapped a sword, buckled around his waist. His single visible eye locked onto Ed as soon as he had entered the room and refused to look away.
A hand at the back of his neck was forcing him into a respectful bow, which he did with some surprise.
"Thank you for seeing us, Furer Bradley," Roy's quiet voice did nothing to ease the sudden shock that rocketed through Ed's system and he hoped he had imagined the gasp. The King Bradley?! The one who headed the entire Ametris military? It was a good thing Ed wasn't prone to passing out because of shock because right then he could have.
"Ah, Mustang, so good of you to join us," the deep voice was friendly and as that hand was discreetly tugging him back upright, he found the creased face rearranged in a friendly smile. Well, maybe this wouldn't be so bad. "You must be Mr. Elric," the man said pleasantly, still smiling and offering Ed a gloved hand to shake. Somewhat intimated, he shyly shook the offered hand, trying to pretend it didn't bother him that he was forced to use his atuomail hand. He vaguely wondered if the man had done that on purpose.
"Edward, sir," he managed, trying not to shuffle as all the eyes in the room swooped in and snagged on him. Good thing he had practice being stared at otherwise this would just be that much worse. As it was nerves clawed at his insides and he realized he was probably really lucky right now he hadn't eaten all day.
"I've heard some interesting reports about you," the Furer said and Ed was reminded once again of expectations, "Saved half the city with alchemy! And with just one transmutation! Quite incredible," Ed could feel the flush of embarrassment paint itself across his face and wondered just how much this man had been told. He really didn't want a barrage of questions on how he could create a complete transmutation without a circle.
"Thank you, sir," he mumbled in reply and a strong laugh echoed around the room.
"No need to be modest! The entire city is still in one piece thanks to you. I must admit, I'm quite interested to see what you can do, young Elric," The heat was intensifying and Ed very carefully didn't look at the Colonel who was standing as still as a statue by his side. The man was still talking, "Though I'm curious about your injuries?" the question was left open ended, and he realized he didn't have to answer if he didn't want to but that would have been like he was hiding something. He wondered how they would take to fining out he was still fresh from a fight he had most definitely been losing.
"I got jumped on my way here," Ed offered quietly but was saved from anything other response when another soldier swept into the room, commanding attention.
"You should see the other guy, eh, Edward?" Armstrong boomed as he saluted to the room and winked at Ed. There was a general chuckle that circled around the room and the tension he hadn't noticed until then dropped a degree. Ed just smiled, grateful for his intrusion. He didn't miss the look the giant man shared with Roy and he wondered at how big of a favor the Major had just done for him.
"Ah, Major, just the man I was hoping to see," Bradley was saying easily, seeming to have no idea that something had just transpired. Ed just kept his attention forward and told himself not to say anything stupid. There was something more going on here than just the Furer expressing an interest in seeing what a new recruit's skills might be. He had seen it on Roy's face, the shuttered expression, the tight smile that, to him at least, seemed entirely fabricated. Maybe it was because he had seen the man's real smile but he wasn't so sure. It could have been his imagination but behind the steel in the black eyes was a flickering worry. What could he possibly be worried about? The Furer was talking to Ed again and he almost pinched himself as a reminder to pay attention. This wasn't high school anymore.
"As I would like to see just how effective you are, I will be pairing you off against another alchemist. It's just a friendly battle, nothing too intense, I promise but I would like to get an idea of you skills," all delivered in that smooth voice, offered with a disarming smile and a confidence that this was something done all the time. Roy had stiffened next to him, anger rolling off the man in thick, rippling waves.
"Sir, Edward is injured. He shouldn't—" The Colonel started, his voice not as smooth as it usually was and Ed stepped forward, cutting the man off effectively.
"That's fine," he said in a strong voice, not looking back at Roy, wondering what the pale face must be showing now. He understood this to be a battle of wills and politics and if he was correct in his assumption, it was between Bradley and Mustang. He wasn't going to let Roy lose, especially not if he was the object of scrutiny. That thought didn't sit well with him but something about the Furer was off putting and it bothered him when he couldn't figure out what it was.
"That's the spirit, young Edward!" a large hand pounded his back and he barely kept himself upright and he gasped at the sharp pain in his side. It wasn't entirely fair for a man so big to be so energetic.
"Splendid. If you will all kindly follow me to the courtyard," and Bradley was strolling from the room, closely followed by the Captains and Generals that had been occupying the room when they entered. Roy followed closely behind, his face void of any expression and as Ed and the Major hurried after them, Ed wondered at what it could mean. The Major continued to talk as they walked down the corridors, latching one arm around Ed's shoulders and talking about his family and his…muscles. No way. Was this guy for real? Mustering the best harassed look he could, he looked to Roy for help and almost froze at what he saw on the older man's face. Fear.
It was fleeting, barely noticeable except in the hard set of his jaw and the fierce set of his eyebrows, lowered precariously over narrowed eyes. He didn't even glance at Ed. What could he be afraid of, wondered Ed. This was just a mock fight. Right?
His train of thought was derailed by sudden sunlight blasting his eyes and it took him a minute to realize they had reached the aforementioned courtyard that looked as if it had seen better days. It was just an alarmingly large open space that was paved unevenly. There were no adornments of any kind. Clearly this space was meant for practical uses. The higher ups halted at the steps and Ed was ushered into the open space with the Major's hand on his back.
"This is where all the tests are performed. It doesn't really matter what gets smashed up but try and stay away from the buildings, as they don't like paying to have them repaired," the bald man at his side was chuckling and it put the shorter blond at ease. Then Bradley was calling good luck from the relative safety of the steps and the Major was backing away from Ed. Confused, Ed just watched the big man.
"But who am I supposed to be fighting?" he asked and in his befuddlement, almost missed the dangerous glitter in the Major's eyes.
"Why, me, little Elric!" Ed didn't have time to bristle angrily at the little remark as the major was tearing his shirt off (Why, Ed had no idea) and pulling spiked gloves onto his hands, complete with transmutation circles. It didn't take Ed very long to catch on and when he did, he found himself grinning like an idiot. Adrenaline rushed through him, the heady sensation dulling the memory of his recently acquired injuries. He loved to show off and the thought of a certain pair of dark eyes watching him fight just caused the rush to spike higher.
"You're on!" and rushed headlong into another fight.
Roy
Fury boiled through him like someone had lit a match under his skin and his blood was gasoline. He tried to tell himself he was angry for his own sake, that this personal vendetta of Bradley's was a slight against himself and he supposed, in a way, it was. But that wasn't really why he was angry. He was angry because Ed had become a pawn the moment he stepped into the office and as soon as this fight was over, Bradley would know exactly what to do with him. The injustice of it tried to choke him. He could tell, while they were still in the hallway making their way to the testing grounds that Ed had been looking for an escape from Armstrong's enthusiasm but Roy had been afraid that if he spoke, he'd lose what little control he had.
How was the kid going to fight in the condition he was in? Roy could have kicked himself. It was his fault that the Furer even knew about Ed. He had to go and open his big mouth about what Ed had done. At least he'd had enough sense to not say anything about how Ed hadn't used a circle. That would have raised some rather unwelcome questions. But as they stood in the bright court yard, Roy knew those questions would be inevitable. The blond wasn't going to have enough time to draw a circle while in the middle of a fight.
He stood apart from the other observers, face tight and jaw set. The sun beat down on them, turning Ed's hair a fiery gold and he watched as he and Armstrong exchanged a few words, the taller man backing away from the teen a bit. If Ed got hurt again, Roy was going to be hard pressed not to give Bradley a piece of his mind. Which would consequently probably get him a demerit. Or worse.
A grin broke out of Ed's face then, as Roy tried to meld his teeth together by grinding them as hard as he could.
"You're on!" he heard the teen cry and it began.
Ed rushed at Armstrong, clapping his hands together as he did. Damn it. Ed wasn't thinking. What the boy did next shocked Roy. The tell tale blue ribbons of alchemy wound around Ed's hand as he pressed it to his automail arm, drawing a blade that extended a good six inches from the metal forearm. Roy gaped. There was a stirring of interest from the men standing to Roy's left but he ignored them because the kid was leaping through the air now, a maniac grin on his face, straight at Armstrong. It would take more than that to reach the big man, though.
The Major was a seasoned war veteran, having fought in the war when Roy did. The only reason Roy hadn't put this thing to an end sooner was that Armstrong had a kind heart and he wouldn't hurt Ed if he could help it.
The Major was retaliating now, using the spiked contraptions on his hands to send transmuted rock catapulting at Ed, who barely dodged in time, resurrecting a wall in front of himself to stop the missiles from reaching him. He wasn't grinning anymore. Good. That would teach him to be excited about a fight. Roy could see him holding his side, trying to hide a wince. Roy groaned. Marco would hang him out to dry if he had to call him twice in one day.
"Come one, little Elric! That all you got?" the Major's voice boomed across the area but Ed was no longer behind the protection on his make shift wall. He had used alchemy to burrow a hole under the Major and was currently slipping out behind the bigger man, fury twisting his features.
"DON'T CALL ME SMALL!!" screamed the teen as he launched himself at Armstrong again, the blade on his automail raised and flashing in the sunlight. A roundhouse kick caught the blond in the chest and Roy might have found his stunned expression as he flew through the air amusing, not coming to a stop for a good fifteen feet if not for Ed's three broken ribs. His nails bit into his palms as he physically forced himself to not move from his spot. He wanted to incinerate something as he watched Ed pull himself painfully to his feet, covered in dust and breathing shallow. Yup, that one had hurt. If he hadn't left his gloves back in his office, the entire courtyard would be engulfed in flame.
Roy wasn't at all surprised when Ed finally steadied himself on his feet and a determined look settled over his face. He'd seen that look before. It eased the raging fire in his chest somewhat. The Major seemed to have seen it too because he was no longer taunting the boy and he was hanging back, waiting to see what Ed would think of next. The blond clapped again and raised one hand so that it was parallel to the ground. Blue lightening stretched to the ground and from the concrete rose a staff with a three pronged blade at the end, which Ed leveled calmly at the Major. Armstrong grinned.
"Ah, quite good," the man praised and a second later, was catapulting stone spikes in the boy's direction, which Ed dodged easily and when he couldn't dodge, he used his staff. Roy snuck a glance at Bradley's face and found the man's attention was glued to Ed, a calculating look in his eye. By now they had all noticed Ed wasn't using a transmutation circle and it made Roy nervous not knowing what the Furer was thinking.
A particularly well aimed spike shattered the staff but Ed was a quick thinker, backing off so he could transmute from the harder stone of the wall, drawing out another staff, this time without the accompaniment of a blade and launched himself at the Major again, who had adjusted his stance to allow the attack, suggesting he was going to let the teen come at him and fight him by hand. Ed never reached him.
"That's enough, thank you," Bradley's commanding voice rang out across the space, bringing the two fighters to an instant halt. Roy breathed a silent sigh of relief, drawing his fingernails out of his palms where they no doubt made red, crescent shaped marks. He could see Ed breathing as shallowly as he could while trying to catch his breath but he was smiling past the sweat running down his face and dampening the collar of the shirt he wore. "Quite impressive, young Elric," Bradley was saying and Roy ground his teeth so hard he was sure everyone heard it, "I am quite intrigued by your technique. How is it that you can use alchemy without first scribing a circle?" And there it was. Roy could feel the sweat start to roll down the back of his neck, palms suddenly sweaty. The blond had gone still, still hunched slightly over his ribs. His eyes remained on his shoes for a moment, face betraying nothing. Then he lifted his eyes and smiled a little.
"There was an accident, when I was small. When I woke up, I could do alchemy without a circle," It was obviously a lie but no one could know how much of a lie. Even Roy couldn't fathom the depths of the truth that was hiding somewhere in that sharp mind. It bothered him how much he wanted to know. He was breathing another relieved sigh when it looked as if Bradley pretended to buy the story.
"Very interesting. You will be given your uniform and you will be expected to report to the Colonel's office at zero eight hundred tomorrow morning to begin your training. Good day," the click of boots followed Bradley and his posy back into the building. The Furer gave him no acknowledgement when he saluted sharply as they walked past but it was the fact that the man didn't look at him that meant something. It chilled him and left him a little shaky as he turned back to Ed. Only to find the boy being crushed in a back breaking one-armed hug and the Major gleefully congratulating the boy. Roy winced, seeing Ed struggling helplessly in the relentless grip.
"Major Armstrong," Roy barked, trying to save the teen as he was starting to turn purple, "I still have some things to discuss with my subordinate. I'd like to keep him in one piece, if you don't mind," the man laughed and let poor Ed go, who nearly fell to his knees, gasping for air.
"Of course, Colonel Mustang. I'll take my leave then," sharp salute, "Way to go, little Elric!" a slap on the back that almost sent the kid sprawling again and Roy grimacing in sympathy then Major was gone too, whistling happily. Roy didn't miss his glance though, as big man passed by, and acknowledged the warning with a flickering of his own eyebrows.
Ed was gasping shallowly, hugging himself, his face pale. He flicked his eyes up to Roy, who still stood on the steps and managed to give a dry smile. Roy ignored the jerk in his chest as the look affected him.
"That probably wasn't the best idea I've ever had," Ed gasped, laughing shallowly and Roy could only shake his head.
"Are you insane?" Roy asked him, moving down the steps and over to the teen who looked ready to fall over any second. Ed's answer was a short laugh, pushing damp bangs out of his face as he did. Cold metal gleamed in the sunlight.
"Probably," the blond snorted then stilled when Roy offered him an arm for support. He knew the boy was proud and didn't want to admit he needed help but he was in considerable pain and all Roy could think was please take it. They shared a look, Ed's blinding gaze searching his own and it was all he could do to keep the way that look affected him off his face. The feeling that was bubbling up in his chest like heated oil was stupid and dangerous and could get him into a lot of trouble. Luckily for them, he always had excellent self control. Stupid, stupid, man. Moron.
Despite that, it still felt like a victory when Ed lowered his eyes and let his weight rest on Roy's shoulder, grunting as the movement jostled his side. Roy was determined to pretend he hadn't seen Ed's blush.
Unfortunately for his peace of mind, he did see it and the walk back to his office was slow, painful and silent. He really, really wanted to set something on fire but the only evidence of fire was the warm glow smoldering in the pit of his stomach telling him that he was unbelievably, royally screwed.
Ed
His side hurt.
Every breath he drew in resulted in a stabbing pain lancing up from his ribs, making himself wish he didn't actually need to breathe to live. After his auotmail operation, he had always had a high tolerance for pain. There was nothing like the searing agony as the mechanic attached the sensors in the limb to his own nerve endings. It was very much like having hot oil dumped into your veins then having someone light it with a match. Not pretty.
But three broken ribs still hurt and a round house kick to the chest delivered by a trained soldier hadn't helped. It was embarrassing, as he and Roy walked back to his office, to have to use the dark haired man's shoulder to keep himself upright and moving. Yet while his side was on fire, it was the silence that chafed on him the most.
Ed hadn't missed the look in the Colonel's eye when he had offered his arm and it had taken Ed off guard. There had been sympathy there, sure, and if that had been it, Ed would have crawled back to Mustang's office rather than accept his help. Yet something else had been hidden in the black depths, something hot and shadowed that made Ed's blood sizzle and goose bumps assaulted him. The look had set something off in him and he desperately hoped the man hadn't seen the blush that had decided to betray him by flaring across his face. All he could think of as they walked was Roy's close proximity and his strong arm gently supporting the shorter teen. It made Ed think of the man in ways he didn't want to, the memory of gentle fingers against his face and fire in his eyes when their gazes met. Confusion made him dizzy.
Thankfully, the outer office was almost empty as it was later than he thought, leaving just the blond Lt. to look up in surprise when they entered, a question mixing with worry evident in her dark eyes.
"What happened?" she was asking Roy and Ed decided it would be best if he pulled away from his warm, welcome support. The Colonel still looked as closed off and angry as he had when they were in Bradley's office and Ed expected the growl that followed.
"Bradley wanted to see what Ed could do. Pitted him against Armstrong. If I had known he was going to do that, I wouldn't have agreed to bring him down," by the time he stopped talking, it sounded as if he was trying to push the words past clenched teeth. It was all he could do to keep the flush off his face when the protectiveness became evident in the older man's voice. Where did he get off feeling like he needed to protect Ed? Ed barely knew the guy! He should be outraged. He should be running away, away from the giddiness he felt when around the raven haired man, away from the warmth and the gentle hands and the strength that he wanted to feel and to know. He was saved by Hawkeye as she peered at him with a worried expression on her face.
"Can I get you anything?" she asked, her voice a little less intimating than usual. Ed grinned weakly.
"Aspirin?" he asked and Roy's deep chuckle filled the room, making him shiver. Hawkeye just offered a slight smile and a nod and walked back to her desk. Roy had his hand at the small of his back again and he had to admit, he was glad for the gesture as he was ushered into Roy's office so he could collapse carefully into the cool leather embrace of the couch.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Roy asked quietly as he leaned against the front of his desk and folded his arms across his chest, some of the anger he'd had becoming concern. Ed laid gingerly back into the couch and sighed gratefully, studying a small scratch in his automail that hadn't been there yesterday.
"I'm okay," he answered quietly, wanting nothing more than to go home to sleep. Yeah, sleep sounded really good right now. He wanted to escape from those confusing black eyes and the pain in his side. Automail gleamed as he twisted it back and forth, pretending to study it, using it as an excuse to avoid looking at Roy.
"Well, don't get too comfortable. You still need your uniform," the man sounded smug. Ed shot him a glare and then couldn't stop looking because the way the uniform jacket was pulled tight against the strong torso as the taller man kept his arms folded was suddenly distracting.
"I don't actually have to wear that thing, do I?" he asked, not bothering to keep the disgust from his voice. He could just imagine himself in the blue uniform, making him look like a child playing in adults clothes and clashing terribly with his complexion. The teasing chuckle that resulted from his comment brought his eyes back to Roy's handsome face.
"Well, it's a little more lenient for State Alchemists but you'll need it for training. Why, worried there won't be a uniform in child size?" the jab caught him right under his broken ribs and bruised pride and his fury was stoked up into a roaring furnace, ready to swallow the bastard laughing at him across the room.
"WHAAAAATT?! WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THA—agh! Shit!" Ed had tried to launch himself at the Colonel in his fury and succeeded in getting halfway up before the pain nearly wiped him out and he collapsed back onto the couch with a groan, clutching his side. It was satisfying to see the smug smile wiped right off the jerk's face and he half came out of his stance, as if to catch Ed before catching himself and pulling himself together. Ed fixed a murderous glare on him from under his bangs and was determined to finish his tirade with at least some dignity, "Bastard," and the man was laughing again.
Ed jumped when a slender hand fell on his shoulder and he looked up to find Hawkeye holding two little white pills and a glass of water.
"Here, take these and you should take two more in four hours. And Roy," her voice became iron as she rounded on the Colonel who got the most amusing apprehensive look on his face, "Stop teasing him. Now," Ed thought about snorting into the glass was he swallowed the aspirin but took one look at the stern figure before him and decided against it. He so did not want to be on this woman's bad side. Roy smirked over his Lt.'s shoulder for a moment. Ed was left to swallow the rest of the water in a vain attempt to avoid being lost again.
"Riza, a moment please," Ed pondered how informal they were with each other while as he watched Roy draw Hawkeye from the room and pitch his deep voice low so that Ed couldn't hear what he was saying. They stood close and talked in whispers. How long had they known each other, he wondered? For some reason, he felt not a twinge of jealousy. Maybe he wasn't as attracted to Roy as he thought. He watched quietly, running his flesh fingertips around and around the rim of the glass he held. No. He was definitely attracted to the man. But as he looked at the pair standing just outside the office doorway, he realized they were friends, close friends and nothing more. It was obvious now that he watched the two officers; that there was a certain affection between them but it was strictly plutonic. He didn't like how it raised his hopes. Damn, there should be no rising hope! Go away!
Ed didn't realize he had turned himself on the couch so he could see better and had his back against the arm until Roy was walking back into the room with a small smile on his face and his jacket pushed back so he could shove his hands in his pockets.
"Come on, the sooner we get your uniform, the sooner you can go home," That was certainly appealing. Ed let out a sharp breath that swept his bangs off his forehead momentarily and swung his feet to the floor carefully, trying to keep the wince from his face as his ribs gave a twinge.
A hand appeared in front of his nose, strong fingers curled slightly in invitation and Ed looked up in surprise. Roy still had the smirk in place even though he was standing so close but his eyes were gentle and the question in their depths stopped Ed's burning protest before it was even fully formed. He hated being treated like an invalid but he knew that was not what Roy was doing. Instead of a scathing dismissal, Ed blushed and took the offered hand, wrapping his own slender hand around the bigger one. Warmth spread through him, feeding the fragile feeling of hope that he desperately wished wasn't there and making it flame to life. Sparks flowed through him at the touch, their beginning point the palm of his hand. How very predictable that this would be what it felt like to touch the Flame Alchemist. Ed raised his gold eyes to Roy's dark ones that look slightly startled at the warmth of the touch. Dark bangs shadowed the older man's face, making the shift from surprise to something less recognizable but darker and harder to read. It took Ed's breath away so that when he managed a quiet "Thank you" it came out weaker than he would have liked.
Something flickered across Roy's face when he spoke and the firm lips softened to give the teen a warm smile. What he did next, though neither would realize it immediately, would change how they looked at each other forever. The Colonel lifted his free hand and warm fingers brushed Ed's bangs away from his face. It was quick, much too fleeting but the simple, intimate gesture made Ed freeze, heart dancing in his throat. The fluttering in his chest was starting to burn. Hope was running wild now and the voice yammering on in his head that had been telling him Roy would definitely not be interested as he was a kid and, well, a guy was silenced with a sweep of a hand.
"No problem, Edward," fire nearly choked him at the sound of the soft, deep voice saying his whole name, "Come on, let's get this over with," Ed tried not to stumble as Roy pulled him to his feet but it was a little difficult with the blood roaring in his ears. To fill the sudden silence, Ed found himself asking the first question that came to mind.
"Where did Lt. Hawkeye go?" he queried quietly as they walked from the office, Ed falling in step behind the Colonel where he was able to enjoy watching the swing of the broad back as the man walked. Roy shot him a curious look over his shoulder, single dark eye sparkling.
"I sent her home. It's after five, after all," he said easily. Not ready for the silence to return, Ed ploughed on.
"Can I ask you how long you've known her? You're obviously close," he said, trying to keep any emotion from his voice, worried what Roy might make of his questions. The sudden silence that he had been avoiding took him off guard and he wondered for a moment if he had asked the wrong question. But Roy's answer, when it came, was normal, his voice still as smooth as always.
"We were in the Academy together and then served together in the war. It's been…a while," His voice was distant was if he was remembering something and the silence, when it finally did settle between them wasn't as stifling as Ed had feared. Neither spoke until they reached their destination so Ed could be outfitted with his own uniform.
They were helped by a young private who looked no older than Ed and whose ability to measure someone with his eyes was uncanny. Ed was a bit miffed that he needed the smallest size of the uniform available but at least Roy saved the teasing for the way back to the office so he could lock up for the night. Any awkwardness he might have felt was long gone after telling Roy (and half of the building) just what he thought about the man's teasing.
Ed waited outside in the hall as the Colonel retrieved some paperwork and gloves from his desk, running his fingers over the course material of the uniform that was draped over his right arm. It was strange to think of himself wearing it and becoming answerable as a State Alchemist. He'd never been a responsible person. The woman who had taken him and his brother in, Pinako Rockbell, when they were still young and after their mother passed sent them enough money for them to keep their apartment and to buy food. Al worked too in the spring and fall as a little league and soccer coach for two city teams. Yet Ed, after having been fired from four jobs in the span of two months had given up. School was…well, Ed felt about school the way he felt about all of the job's he'd had. As frivolous wastes of time. He only went because Pinako wouldn't send them the money otherwise.
Yet here he was, a State Alchemist. A dog of the military. What had he gotten himself into?
"Do you have a ride home?" Roy was locking the door to the outer office, his face closed off and Ed was unpleasantly reminded of just how his morning had gone—and his spirits plummeted.
"Oh," insert lame laugh here, "I'll just walk," he said, managing a sheepish grin but he was fighting dread. Walking thirty blocks was going to be a bitch with three broken ribs.
"You walked here?" the man asked incredulously, turning to the blond in surprise. Ed glared.
"Yeah, so? What's wrong with that?" he snapped, not realizing he was wrinkling his new uniform in his metal hand.
"No—it's—I know you have a car and you don't live very close, that's all," Roy was waving him down the hall and Ed fell into step next to him this time, feeling stupid.
"Well, I couldn't take my car," he grumbled, glaring darkly and the last handfuls of people still in the building scurried to stay away from the acidity of his gaze. Roy was chuckling again, dark eyes dancing in amusement.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that," he teased. Bastard! Ed felt his control slip.
"I LOCKED MY DAMN KEYS IN THE APARTMENT, OKAY!?" he screamed, hating the way the Colonel burst into laughter. But he was quite taken by how the man threw his head back, white teeth gleaming and for a moment Ed allowed himself to forget why he was mad in the first place. He maintained his glare until they reached the outside gates when Roy tugged him in the opposite direction of his house.
"No, I have to—"
"I'm certainly not letting you walk home," Roy said sternly to Ed's protest, a hand around a slim wrist, pulling the slighter boy in the direction of a wide parking lot. Ed scowled, though he really didn't mind. He really did not want to walk home from here.
"Is this an order, Colonel?" he said, his tone snarky. Roy gave him an appraising glance, letting his grip loosen but not drop. Ed eyed him darkly, warning any more teasing wouldn't be appreciated. Roy just shrugged and the corner of his lips twitched.
"The first of many, Major," he said and Ed didn't mind if it was a tease because he was liking how Roy's fingers encircled his wrist, the touch comfortable. Roy might have jabbed him about his height again and Ed wouldn't have noticed. He was caught up in the touch; the touch he wasn't supposed to feel, wasn't supposed to like and the touch that he wanted so much more of.
Hope fluttered like a mad butterfly behind his ribs and there was no more pain.
Sun glinted off the windows of the massive military building, glittering red and orange in the light of the setting sun and rendering anyone standing behind the glass invisible to outside eyes. Deep purple eyes stared out of one such window that overlooked an almost deserted parking lot out of which a sleek black corvette had just pulled out of. Hate burned in the deep violet depths as he watched the car disappear around a corner
It was time to do something about that little blond piece of shit.
"Envy, King Bradley will see you now," a soft voice said behind him and he turned from the window, already formulating a plan. An evil smirk was plastered on his face, half hidden behind a curtain of dark hair as he stepped into the familiar office…
To be continued...
A/n: awww, im laying on my bed as I edit my story and my cat is curled up next to me looking so cute!!!! Wwaaaa, so adorable!!!! X) anyhoo, reviews most definately welcome! Thanks for such nice comments so far. I hope I can live up to eveyone's expectations and can keep you all interested. _