A/n: ooooo, a long chapter! how exciting! XD Thank you guys so much for your amazing support. I dedicate this one to you as your amazingness had blown my mind. Such nice things you have all said...it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. hehe. I wrote alomst this entire chapter durning the SIX HOURS I spent at the car dealership as my mom's car got repaired. Yes, you read right. SIX hours. The kicker is today is my birthday...good fun. Anyway, I'm going away to Cape May and won't have the internet for about a week, so there won't be any more updates for a couple days. I know thats not a big deal but I try to please and put something up every day. so sorry *sweatdrops* please don't hate me! I think I'll just hand the story over to our beloved Ed and his Colonel...
Thirteen
Roy
He returned home to find a familiar Ford in his driveway and the garage door unlocked, as if he was being welcomed into his own home. It was familiar, as every time Riza stopped over when he wasn't home, that was the pattern; she would let herself in and make sure he was received graciously as if it was her house and not his. They had been doing that since he bought the place right after the first war with Ishval had ended, when he had been unwilling to keep living in the barracks at Headquarters. Usually, when he stepped inside, he would find the blond either ensconced in his mini library with her nose pressed in a book or in the piano room, rummaging through his music so she could decide what to make him play when he got home. She was the only one he would play for and that was only because she didn't really ask. She demanded.
Now, though, as he stepped in from the garage and disposed of his boots, he was greeted with soft voices, one female, the other a pleasant, husky male.
His heart skipped a beat even though he was sort of expecting Ed to be with the Lt, then he chided himself for being so pathetic. Of course it was Ed. The boy was staying with him, why wouldn't it be Ed? Never the less, he perked up just a little with the knowledge he was once again not coming home with the prospect of being alone.
Both blondes were sitting in the kitchen, Riza at the table, sitting primly in a high backed wooden chair and Ed perched on a counter stool, facing her as they talked. Gold and dark brown eyes turned to him as he stepped into the room and he took note of the quick look the young Major and his Lt. shared before Ed slid something discreetly into the pocket of his pants. Roy's curiosity was struck. Whatever they were talking about, they didn't want him to know, at least not yet and he wondered if they had found anything at the warehouse that would require secrecy.
Then he forgot to really care.
Riza always greeted him with a short nod and a smile, familiar but unassuming like she always was. It was the look he got from the blond teen, as the gold eyes slid over to him, at once bright with some internal fire and shy; his entire continence sunny lit up like he had been waiting forever and now that Roy was here, wasn't sure how to greet him. Riza received a raised eyebrow which was returned with a bland expression he knew meant she had to tell him something important. Ed he walked up to and kissed on the cheek, wanting something more but knowing the teen was still unsure, the incident that morning still fresh in his mind. Dusky tan cheeks flushed a gentle pink as he pulled away and the gold eyes looked at him through silky bangs. The look burned and it seemed he wasn't the only one who wanted more. He had to forcefully tear himself away, pulling back with a small smile and addressed both blondes, ignoring the amused smirk that had grown on Riza's lips.
"So, you two talking about me before I walked in?" he asked, voice smooth and was unsurprised when Ed punched him on the arm with a growl, sounding suspiciously like "conceded jerk" and Riza blinked at him, expression once again blank.
"Why, yes, as a matter of fact. I was just telling Ed here about the time you asked out the Furer's secretary and not only did she turn you down, she did so in front of all of your men with the aid of an entire pot of hot coffee," Roy could feel himself paling at the memory, horror of such an embarrassment forever engrained in the soft tissues of his brain. The teen he stood next to burst out laughing, the full sound racing through the kitchen and Riza's face finally relaxed into a grin. He dropped his head into his hand.
"Ugh, I needed therapy for a week. That woman's hot but she's completely out of her mind," he muttered which was answered with more laughter. Ed peered at him from his perch on the stool, face still a little flushed and shook his head.
"I thought you said, and I quote, "I never met a woman who doesn't like me"," and here Riza got in on the act with a disbelieving snort, eyes wide and amused. The Colonel lifted his head and was caught in little chips of solid sunlight, threatening to pull him in to their orbit.
"Women, yes. Not crazy harpies who eat men's balls for breakfast!" he snarled back and now both blondes burst out laughing, making the atmosphere light and he realized he couldn't remember the last time anyone had laughed in his home. The poor house had known nothing but loneliness and neglect since he bought it. It was refreshing. When the mirth dissipated somewhat, Ed turned to him with a sharp look in his eyes he recognized belonged to the Lt. sitting at the table. When did the kid pick that up?
"So we decided, you can do that barbecue for me another time. Apparently you make crazy good stir-fry and I'd like to try it," Roy sputtered then narrowed his eyes and poked Ed in the stomach, expression accusing.
"She put you up to this," he said in a low voice but Ed had gotten that bland look down very well in a very short period of time, hiding behind all of that blinding gold so Roy threw his hands in the air with exasperation, addressing the ceiling as he complained, "I barely even got a chance to get in the door!" but he headed over to the refrigerator, removing his uniform jacket as he did, and grinned when Ed cheered. He actually didn't mind cooking for the pair, especially if it made the young alchemist happy.
Beef Lo Mien was actually not that hard to make and it didn't really take that long but it was even less of a chore since Ed had climbed up onto the counter near the stove so he could watch and talk to Roy as the older man worked. Riza had stayed at first, leaning on the counter top next to the teen as she told some more stories about the Colonel that Roy would really rather Ed not hear. They had the kid doubled over on his perch, howling and clutching his stomach. In between gasps of air, he teased the older man until Roy, tick starting under his eye, turned to Riza wielding an impressive looking knife and had to order her out of the kitchen until he was done cooking or he would have to reprimand her for insubordination. She had laughed but she went, hands in the air and sending a swift wink in Ed's direction, who still chortled softly behind Roy before disappearing into the library. When he turned back, he tried to hide the fact that his pale face was burning, probably beet red with humiliation.
"Damn woman doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut," he growled as he decimated a carrot a little more forcefully than was necessary. Ed snorted next to him.
"Did all that really happen?" the kid asked incredulously, leaning over so he could watch as Roy checked on the sizzling meat. The dark haired man offered Ed a meaningful glower and the teen backed off with a lopsided grin. They were quiet for a few moments, joviality lost and he pretended to not to show how affected he was by that inquisitive gaze, observing his every movement. He was just adding the last ingredients to the wok when Ed leaned toward him again, gold braid swinging down over his shoulder and succeeded in completely distracting the older man when he murmured, "You're kinda hot when your embarrassed," Roy's head whipped up, nearly braining himself on the edge of the hood over the stove to find the gold had turned molten, and he was stuck, caught within the startling color, his bones weakening as they attempted to melt away. No longer hearing the sizzle of the pot on the stove, he carefully deposited the spoon he'd been holding onto the counter and stepped toward the younger alchemist, like he was being drawn in by some gravitational pull; unstoppable and demanding. There was nothing but the bright color of gold, pouring into his veins, filling him, trying to change his body's very composition.
He was drawn between Ed's knees, parted to accommodate him and a small shiver went up his spine when mismatched hands sunk into his dark hair, pulling him closer until his hips were pressed into the biting edge of the counter. All he could smell was bright open skies and something deeper, like fire mixing with the shampoo the teen had used that morning and it was so good it made him a little dizzy. It was Ed who leaned down and initiated the kiss, catching up the older man's lips with his fuller ones and he felt the blond give a little sigh. The hands in his hair tightened as soon as the contact began and he wound his own arms around the slim waist, closing his eyes as he sunk into the light that shot through him from their point of connection. Every time he pressed his mouth to Ed's it was like he was trying to breathe in fire, sucking it into his lungs that nearly liquefied him because he could feel the kiss in every corner of his body.
This one wasn't fast and it wasn't slow, parting briefly, unhurriedly only for them to come back again and engage in another blazing connection. Each time, warm, soft lips engulfed his, unsure but needy so he did as much of the work as he could, keeping it from getting too intense. One slow, long kiss would be followed by a quick one, almost a peck but each time, the touch of Ed's lips to his was like tasting a little chunk of heaven. The entire time he kept his eyes closed, even as they parted for a slightly longer time because eventually it began again, sweet and searing. He liked how each kiss would lead into the next and yet they led nowhere at all. Their mouths met, open, searching, breath mingling, giving and taking. There were no tongues; just the knee weakening feeling of his lips sliding against Ed's.
When Roy finally pulled back for air, head buzzing pleasantly, it seemed the teen wasn't quite ready for it to stop. Mismatched fingers tightened in his shaggy black hair and sweet little kissed were raining all over his face. Over his nose, his cheeks, up over his eyelids and then following the line of his eyebrows. They were like little drops of fire or burning rain falling over his skin as gold bangs tickled his nose. He stood still, surprised until he just closed his eyes, giving into breathless laughter. Ed was smiling as well, evident by the slight stretch in the soft lips and still the fleeting touches continued. Continued until his amusement at such an endearing gesture faded and he was leaning into each kiss, loving every one. It felt like the younger alchemist was trying to tell him something with every press of his full lips, like Roy was everything and Ed wanted the Colonel to know it. Here the older man made a soft noise of approval, which surprised even himself. The blond paused and cracked an eye open to peer at him. Roy had no idea what the kid saw in the Colonel's face but whatever it was had the teen practically knocking the taller man over with his intensity when he dove back in. Roy only had enough of mind to catch himself against the counter as the soft lips that had just been praising his face crashed against his own, their teeth clashing together and heat threatening to tear him apart.
The kiss had changed from slow, easy going to something that reminded him of an avalanche, roaring and tumbling down the face of a mountain towards finality. Perhaps that was the difference between when he led and when the fiery tempered teen took over. Not that he was complaining, of course. Now he was drowning in another kind of heat, the kind that melted bones and turned brain matter into useless mush. Teeth and tongues plundered and demanded. It was a good thing the counter was there for support because his weak knees had just disappeared altogether, heat plunging ever downwards. The taste of sunshine and something sweet as if Ed had been chewing gum earlier exploded in his mouth, nearly sending his mind into some kind of nuclear reaction.
It was a good thing they had a guest because he would have let the house burn down around his head rather than voluntarily let this end. As it was the hands tangled in his hair were moving down over his shoulders, cool metal fingers stroking the nape of his neck and the slender thighs that had been passively bracketing him in had closed around his waist, holding him close. His own hands were straying from their innocent circle around the blonde's hips to slide further up the lithe torso, pulling Ed towards him over the surface of the counter. He had been intent on the tie holding back the blond hair so that he might set it loose and admire it, slide his fingers through the silky waves. And then…
"You're burning our dinner," the flat voice had them crashing back to reality so suddenly, they flew apart, Roy wheeling around with his heart pulsing in the back of his throat to find Riza standing at the library door, a book held loosely in her fingers and a pointedly amused expression on her face. Ed had fared worse as he had cracked his head against the cabinets and was using rather foul, scalding language to illustrate the pain. Still trying to reestablish some sort of harmony with his cognitive abilities, the Colonel rushed over to the stove, worried over what he was going to find. It would definitely ruin the evening if he had to start all over again. But the food was simmering pleasantly away in the pot, perhaps a little more done than he would normally have made it but still perfectly eatable.
"If you burned dinner, my automail is going to find a nice cozy spot lodged up your ass," Ed was snarling from his perch, a hand still holding the back of his head where he had banged it and Roy glowered over his shoulder at his Lt. Annoyance as such a rude interruption sizzled as loudly as the beef in the pot.
"It was not burning," and his voice told her just how he felt about her way of breaking them apart and he ignored her little shrug and mutter, "It would have," in favor of rescuing their supper from the heat before he turned what he thought of his most formidable look upon the poor teen who was blushing prettily and sitting on his counter top, biting his slightly swollen lips.
"And it was your fault for distracting me," it came out as a good natured growl and the teen aimed a kick at the older man's side.
"ME!?" he screeched and Roy winced at the abrupt rise in volume, smirking as he did, "How about you! All cool and unaffected with your damn fancy pots and shit! It's not MY fault you're too damn hot for your own good," to which the dark haired man blinked in surprise, again ignoring his blond Lt. across the room as she snorted incredulously. He would have wondered of the raging teen had any idea what he just said except the deep, dusky red spreading quickly over the bridge of the narrow nose told him Ed had known exactly what he just said. An impish grin broke over his face, the need to argue forgotten.
"Well, thank you," he practically crowed, catching Riza hide a smile and a roll of her eyes behind the thick over of the book, then made a shooing motion at the smaller alchemist, "Go make yourself useful and set the table," to which he was rewarded with a vicious snarl as the blond slid from the counter. Roy pretended that the molten yellow glare wasn't trying to burn a hole in the back of his skull or that his lips weren't still tingling from their little encounter with Ed's as he pulled out a serving dish for the food.
"Are you insinuating that I'm not useful all of the time?" demanded the teen from where he stood collecting silverware from a drawer, voice straining as he tried to sound put out. The taller man glanced at the woman across the room watching them with laughing eyes and was once again grinning as he finished dishing the noodles and beef into the plate, unable to resist the glaring opportunity.
"Yes, that's exactly what I was saying," he quipped as the blond passed with an armful of plate and silverware only to be nearly knocked flat when a metal limb came out of nowhere and slammed into the back of his head. "OW!" and was copying Ed's earlier gesture, rubbing the back of his head while balancing the big plate in one hand as he walked to the table, "Damn brat," he growled and received that sideways glance gilded a solid gold that was almost as knee weakening as the kisses had been. It took him a moment to extract himself from the look and by then Riza had joined them, offering Ed a grin.
"Serves you right, Colonel. Ed's ten times more useful than you are. Twenty when it rains," that hit right below the belt and he couldn't even protest because the younger alchemist was guffawing as he filled his plate, eyes shining in the light of the chandelier.
Dinner was an uproarious affair, as he and Riza had a rule against talking shop at the dinner table. So they shared stories again, this time starting with one about Hughes and Major Armstrong and what happened when you put them in the same room with the rest of the office and alcohol. For a moment, Roy thought he would have to perform the Heimlich on Ed as the teen was nearly beside himself with hysterics. Then Riza rejoined with one about a mishap Roy had once while on the field, attempting to apprehend a renegade alchemist. Everything had been going super until a sudden torrential downpour rendered the disgruntled Colonel useless and Riza had to come in and clean up the mess. He had to admit, when delivered in her normal deadpan, it was pretty funny and even he was snorting into his own drink by the end of it.
Then Ed told his story.
Roy had actually heard the account before from Al, the one where Ed had tried to steal a turkey so he could give his brother a Thanksgiving dinner that he couldn't afford and had been accosted by an old lady with her cane. Yet he hadn't heard it like this. It appeared Ed was, along with everything else, a natural story teller, his attention to detail and skill at manipulating words coming in handy. He wove it in such a way, using his hands and expressions perfectly so that Roy had to lay his head on the smooth table top, gasping for breath and side in agonizing stitches. Riza was about to fall out of her seat. It he hadn't been so indisposed with laughter himself, he would have marveled as he had never seen her laugh quite that hard before. By the time Ed circled to the end, he looked too pleased with himself, a smug little smile curling at one corner of his pretty mouth as the gold eyes observed Roy from across the table. Not to be out done, Roy gulped his entire glass of water to ease the cramp in his side and brought out his back up arsenal; the story Jean told at every office Christmas party that usually had people on the floor and spewing drinks from their noses. It was the woeful tale of when he had agreed to double date with the blond second Lt. Only it turned out Roy had already dated the girl Jean had been with and said girl was his own date's best friend. Needless to say, it had been a night of living hell and even Havoc had been in on it by the end of the evening. Riza shook her head and snorted into her plate the entire time, having heard the story countless times but Ed had just stared at him in disbelief, shaking his head.
"You're clinical," to which Roy sputtered indignantly and Riza nearly inhaled the bit of food she had just taken as she had tried to unsuccessfully laugh and eat at the same time.
"Hey! I'm not the one who tried to get out of a grocery store with a damn turkey stuffed under his shirt!" he returned and Ed's lips twitched as he tried to bite back a smile at the way Roy had said it, opting to glare menacingly instead.
"You went out with Jean's date and she was your date's best friend?! Come on, Roy," the teen chided, sounding for all the world like he was the older one and the dark haired man groaned piteously, stabbing at his food with more force than was entirely necessary while Riza nodded.
"I didn't know they even knew each other," He muttered darkly and that seemed to be the end of the conversation. Riza, after a small pause in the riot, turned to him and asked if he remembered the time they had all gotten stuck at a train station due to a rather bad snow storm while they were up north. That was when Havoc had gotten bored and by the time the tracks had been cleared enough that they could leave, everyone else stuck there with them had been glad to see their backs. Ed laughed but his eyes had dimmed slightly, becoming subdued and he was suddenly intent on polishing off his dinner while breaking a land speed record. The bright eyes remained shaded for the rest of supper, long, shimmering eyelashes acting like a buffer, muting the color sufficiently. Roy watched him eat discreetly as he talked with Riza, taking note of the exaggerated bow of the full lips and the way the bright eyebrows drew down sharply over the straight, narrow nose. The teen still participated in the conversation but his voice was muffled and when those sun colored eyes met his own dark ones across the table, they seemed to hold a question he couldn't put words to.
By the time they were clearing the table and cleaning up, it was late, the sun having already dropped from the sky, leaving the world shrouded in shadows.
He walked Riza to the door and she turned to him as she stepped outside, face serious once again, catching him with the look in her eyes. That particular mouth set usually preceded a warning. What she said, however, caught him by surprise.
"He's a good kid, Roy and I'm happy for you. But if you hurt him, I'm renouncing my promise to protect you and will shoot you myself," his dark eyebrows shot up a pale forehead. Riza never really said anything about his love life and if she did, it was usually to criticize who it was he had chosen to hook up with. But for her to defend Ed and mention her promise in the same breath let him know she was dead serious about it. Roy ran fingers through his hair and ducked his head. Normally that kind of warning from this particular woman would have had him paling and his insides quivering but not this time. This time he smiled because he would rather light himself with very final flames than ever see Ed hurt.
"Don't worry, Riza," he said quietly, feeling foolish because what he was about to say was in great danger of coming out corny. But if the truth was foolish, then so be it, "I'm more in danger of being hurt here than he is," their eyes met and then his friend's face changed, softened, deep hazel turning a chocolaty brown with warmth.
"You love him," it wasn't a question. She knew him better than he probably knew himself and saw past all the arrogance and posturing. Here, however, there was none of that and he just lifted a shoulder, helpless against the truth.
"Yeah, I do," this smile she gave him now was different from all the others she had been smiling all night, deeper and with real delight shining in the dips at the corners of her lips and in the faint lines at the edges of her eyes. She didn't say anything, though, other than a gentle,
"Good," then the following salutation was in her normal voice, "Well, Colonel, until tomorrow," and saluted as she would if they were still on duty. He returned it with an easy grin, pretending like he wasn't flushed from the admission.
"Of course, Lt," it was another tradition of sorts; never say goodbye. When they had been fighting in Ishval that had been so important; the belief was that if they didn't say it, they would live to see each other again. Now they just did it because it had stuck and neither had felt the need to change. Roy watched her slender back as she followed the slate path in front of his house to her car. He could never have asked for a better friend and even if there was no one else (and there had been) she would always stand by his side. Just as she was about to step into the driveway, he couldn't resist one last taunt.
"When are you going to find someone?" and barely ducked out of the way when a hose attachment came catapulting at his head. Laughing, he closed the door to the sound of Riza grumbling under her breath as she climbed into her car. Saying things like that had always resulted in some spectacular display of temper and while teasing her like that might be hazardous to his health, it was usually too good of an opportunity to pass up.
Ed had disappeared when he strolled back into the kitchen, the rest of the plates put away and the space only lit by the small light over the stove. He let the content smile slip from his lips. It felt as though the atmosphere had changed abruptly, like something needed to be discussed and it was weighting the air so it was heavy and uncomfortable. The Colonel stood in the middle of the kitchen, staring at the flood of light spilling over the floor boards from the library where he knew the teen had vanished to. Carefully, he went over the entire night, trying to recall when the teen had started acting strange and he realized it was right after Roy told that stupid story. He hadn't even thought about telling it because it hadn't really occurred to him it might bother the blond. How stupid of him to have forgotten that whatever was between him and the younger alchemist, it was more than just a few shared kisses and a passing attraction. Now Ed was upset and Roy couldn't really blame him; the dark haired man would certainly not like hearing about any of the people the blond might have been with. Damn. He called himself all the names in the book for the unthinking moron he was, berating himself harshly. Somehow, he needed to reassure the teen he would never want anyone else. Ever.
So Roy marched into the library, blinking in the sudden light to find the golden haired alchemist curled up at the edge of the small couch, feet tucked up underneath him and a thick book hiding the bottom half of his face. What he could see of Ed's face was flushed a bright pink and when the bright eyes cut up to him, loosened from the confines of the pages, the look he gave the older man was flustered. There were no words exchanged as he crossed over the soft carpet to sit at the other end of the couch, picking up a book from the heavily burdened table by the lamp but he caught Ed swallow thickly before the teen returned to his book. The weight of an unspoken and much needed conversation nearly suffocated him as it sat heavily upon his chest but he forced himself to remain calm, just prying open the worn pages and freeing the text so he might read it. There was no way he could legitimately concentrate on the actual story with the young blond on the other end of the couch needing to say something so bad, it was nearly choking the raven haired man but he had always been the consummate actor.
There was a short pause where he pretended like the black and white print rambling across the page in front of him actually meant something. Then Ed shifted his position, one leg uncurling so his foot could touch the floor, an action Roy caught out of the corner of his eye, his attention already snagged.
"I heard what you said. To Lt. Hawkeye," the sudden soft tenor caught him off guard and the dark haired man glanced up, momentarily confused. Ed wasn't looking at him though. He was staring at a spot near the taller man's knee as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world and his face painted a furious scarlet. Roy dropped the book to his knees and leveled his gaze at him.
"What I said?" he asked, forgetting in the wake of the worry about having upset the blond what he had said to Riza. Ed ducked his head, blond hair sweeping over his face to hide the startlingly attractive blush spreading further over his face and down his neck.
"Yeah, about when she told you, you know…not to hurt me," the last bit came out strangled but Roy still understood the words and he stilled.
"Oh," was all he managed to say, face going blank with the realization that Ed had heard him admit to Riza he was in love with the shorter, blond alchemist. Another pause made his ears ring with the over whelming and sudden lack of noise in which he dropped his eyes to his hands in his lap, feeling the bright gold studying his features hungrily. Finally it seemed Ed couldn't wait for the older man to come up with the right words to puncture the bubble of silence bobbing over their heads and dropped his other leg to the floor.
"Did you mean it? What you said; did you mean it? Or were you just saying that to make her stop threatening you?" Roy looked up sharply because Ed's voice sounded like he almost didn't want to hear the answer to that question and he hated the way the boy still doubted.
"I would never just say something like that unless I meant it," his voice was a little sharp but the gold eyes cooled, eyelid flickering with something like relief and another emotion he couldn't read. They looked at each other for another long moment until Ed looked down at the book caught between his hands, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips again, as it had been earlier that evening. Roy watched the boy twitch with something close to impatience, like he wanted to say something, like he wanted to reciprocate but all that came out was a tiny,
"Oh," much like the one Roy had uttered. Only this one sounded as if there was a happy little grin attached to the end, complete with a glowing, golden light. Just like that, the giant burden that had been pressing down on his shoulders ever since he had walked back into the house was gone, replaced with this little spot of warmth purring contently behind his breast bone. The words in the book started to make sense when he turned back to it, thinking the conversation was over and he was just starting to slip into the sea of words where they began telling a story when the couch cushions shifted, as if Ed had stood.
Attention once again diverted, Roy glanced up just as the blond settled onto the couch right next to the bigger man and stretched out so his legs were on one side of Roy and shoulders on the other, torso settled neatly in the Colonel's lap. He stared down at the blonde's back, golden braid snaking along the white shirt, not knowing how to react. The weight was warm and comfortable against his thighs, the steady thrum of the younger man's heart steady against his leg. Ed just propped open the book he had been reading in front of his face as if he was not sprawled across Roy's lap like some blanket woven out of gold. The desire to touch all that warm buttery color thwarted whatever attempt he might have made at trying to read and he just draped his arm across the back of the couch, book dangling from his fingers and contemplated the young man in his lap.
The gold eyes were hidden from view by the elegant fall of the blond bangs but he could see a sharp curve of a tan cheek that had turned back to its original bright russet. The slender hands, one silver the other golden, gently turned the off-white pages and on Roy's other side the teen's feet swung back and forth in the air. By all appearances, Ed could have just been lounging around like he usually did. Except now he was on top of the older man.
Hesitantly, Roy reached out and twirled the long rope of hair between his fingers and around his wrist, the soft strands sliding easily over his pale skin. He noticed Ed still, the movement of his feet and fingers ceasing but he was entranced with the color of sunset spun into silken strands over his own fair skin. Finally the teen shifted, legs lowering to the cushions and the book falling against the couch.
"Can I… can I ask you something?" the husky voice hesitated, hitched and he felt the heartbeat against his leg skip a little, speeding up as if Ed was nervous. Roy, feeling like the world could come to an end and he wouldn't care very much, just hummed softly, caught in the rippling color of wheat. The warm body draped over his thighs shifted again and the older man shivered slightly as the movement ignited a reaction within him that had the potential to become volatile, "How many women have you dated?" and there it was; the question he had been expecting. Roy sighed, dropping the braid to Ed's back again and instead ran a fingertip along the soft shell of the teen's ear. He had no idea how to answer that and he was unsure how Ed would react to the truth. Finally he just settled on vague.
"A lot," he said, voice flat because he didn't want to remember all those insignificants in the wake of this monumental feeling of finally finding everything he had ever wanted wrapped up in one small golden package that was this teenage boy. Yet that wasn't good enough for said boy, who twisted around to glare at the dark haired Colonel before going back to staring at the couch arm. A metal finger traced a random pattern on the rough material as Ed spoke again.
"Well give me a rough figure then, something for me to work with," the kid demanded and Roy snorted, finger freezing in its gentle stroking so he could tug sharply on a piece of loose blond hair.
"Why do you want to know so bad?" he asked, wondering if he should be worried that Ed was suddenly so curious about his past and all his conquests. Because that's all they ever were. He had never felt about anybody the way he felt about Ed. The blond huffed a sigh against his leg, the heat bright and sharp.
"Because I want to know. I get the impression that you were some sort of player and it just seems…like I should know something like that," Roy resumed running his fingertips over whatever patch of dusky gold skin he could see, enjoying the goose-bumps that rose from his touch.
"Fine. Yeah, I did play the field quite a bit up until a few years ago. I can't really recall how many women there were. Enough. They all just kind of blur together after a while," here Ed snorted, abdomen jumping against the taller man's thigh.
"That's a little cold," he muttered darkly, prosthetic fingers changing the pattern he rubbed into the couch abruptly, becoming wider, loopier and Roy wondered if it bothered the kid, the subject they were talking about. He ran his fingers gently through the golden bangs, keeping the touch gentle and as unassuming as he could.
"But that was all it ever was. Cold. I didn't do it because I cared about them. I had found it was easier than having to face every single night alone. It was more about convenience," a golden hand found its way into the folds of his shirt, clutching the material over his stomach in a white knuckled grip and Ed was silent for a long moment, though he could tell the kid had more to ask. Once more transfixed by the glittering rope of hair, he waited quietly.
"Did you have sex with them?" Roy jerked at the question that was a little loud and clearly forced past some sort of discomfited lump in the teen's throat. His hands tightened briefly, eyes hunting the opposite side of the room for an answer that wouldn't be awkward. Finally he sighed again and dropped his eyes to find Ed had turned his head again and was watching him out of the corner of the golden eye. Roy looked back, trying to hide how much he didn't want to talk about this.
"Some of them," and the teen shifted his gaze away but didn't turn his head again. It looked as if Ed was thinking about that answer and whatever he was coming up with was staining the elegant curve of the single cheek bone Roy could see a rosy pink. It made him wonder just what was going on in that impossibly golden head and another bolt of heat rushed through him. They stayed like that, a golden cheek pillowed on his thigh as his long fingers carded over the bright hair. Then he found he wanted to sink his hand into the blond hair. "Is it alright if I take your hair down?" his voice was soft and the burning gaze moved up to the Colonel's face again, accompanied by a barely perceptible nod of assent. Deftly, he pulled the ends free from the tie and watched as his own fingers parted the long rope, loving the cool feel of hair a color that looked like it should be burning his fingers as he touched it. There was a soft intake of breath before Ed asked his next question, the flush becoming more pronounced.
"Did you like it?" and for a second he forgot what they had been talking about. Watching moon tinted fingers card through sun bright hair was starting to distract him.
"Did I like what?" he asked, unsuspecting as the hand wrapped in his shirt tightened and the yellow eye was briefly shielded from sight.
"God, you're a hard person to have a conversation with, answering all my questions with more questions. Having sex! Did you like it?" despite his exasperation, Ed had buried his face in Roy's leg as soon as he asked the question and he could see the ear he had been stroking turn a sudden, violent shade of red. Roy bit his lip, not sure whether to be embarrassed or amused. He fell somewhere between the two as he attempted to evade the question.
"What kind of question is that?" he demanded incredulously and yelped when strong metal fingers delivered an unforgiving pinch to his leg, "OW! Ow! Alright. Jeeze, Ed," he grumbled as he rubbed the spot that was sure to be a bruise tomorrow, "You're so violent," he sucked in a deep breath, ignoring the bright glare trying to incinerate him once again, "Usually, I liked it. It depended, really," now he was blushing, a paler pink suffusing his cheeks, complimenting Ed's beet red hue. He shrugged helplessly, still not really comfortable answering such a question, "It's sex, Ed. It's usually good," What he didn't mention that "good" wasn't enough and that was why it had been a different girl every other night. The teen just nodded and slid down so that just his head was now on Roy's lap, golden hair spilling over his legs like some exotic waterfall and knees scrunched up so the couch could accommodate him. He waited for a continuation of the interrogation but Ed remained silent, turning his body so he was facing inwards, bright eyes shuttered from view behind iridescent eyelids.
To some extent, Roy knew Ed was jealous, which was the only reason he had been asking. The Colonel had been telling the truth, though, when he had said none of it had been anything other than some attempt on his part to feel semi human. As he watched the teen's face relax and his breathing even out as he gave into sleep, Roy was overcome with the knowledge that he would never want anything more than what he had now. Now, with the most beautiful person he had ever met curled up on his couch, with his head using Roy's lap as a pillow. Now he knew he would never have to go in search of anything else ever again.
Ed
Eavesdropping wasn't something Ed did very often. He knew that if someone were to do that to him, listening in on his conversation, he'd be pretty upset. Yet it seemed that within the past couple days, such deceitful actions were beginning to become second nature. The blond really hadn't meant to overhear Roy as he saw Riza off that night. He had just been walking past the hallway to the library after putting the last of the plates away and had caught the tail end of the woman's warning for her superior officer. In a way, Ed had felt kind of good having someone like that looking out for him, caring what happened to him. Despite her stern and often scary demeanor, the teen actually really liked the blond Lt. He liked her even more after he heard her rather alarming words of caution.
Curious, the young alchemist had paused just out of sight near the entrance to the hall, a little worried about Roy's response. It was clear, from his rather illustrative story earlier that evening the man had been around. A lot. Ed tried to tell himself it didn't matter, that the older man wasn't like that now, but he had still found himself nearly green with resentment. The thought of his dark haired Colonel being with anyone else made him slightly queasy.
Then Roy had answered Hawkeye, a soft smile in his velvety voice and Ed found himself pressing his cheek against the cool, rough surface of the wall, grinning like a moron. Whatever the man had been in the past, he wasn't that now and the teen was both pleased and embarrassed by the strong conviction he had heard in that deep, soothing voice.
Ed's smile had faded a moment later when Riza stated without the use of a question mark that Roy loved the teen. Then his heart had slammed against the back of his throat, anxiety nearly knocking him flat. God, he didn't even want to hear the answer, afraid that it would be the one that would break his heart and leave him with nothing. Yet at the same time, he had pressed himself closer to the wall, chewing on his bottom lip, not even breathing as he listened as hard as he could.
"Yeah, I do," again with that smile, like Roy was the happiest person in the world and Ed had enough of listening in on someone else's conversation. He had launched himself into the library to hide his burning face behind a book in hopes that the older man wouldn't notice when he walked in. The words in front of him had meant nothing but he sat like that, unable to get a full breath of air and his brain chanting madly, "He admitted that he loves me…He admitted he loves me…." Even when the man had walked into the room, he had to hide away until he could buck up the courage to ask the man if he had been telling the truth.
Ed loved hearing Roy confirm the teen had indeed heard correctly.
He hated, however, thinking that the man had slept with half of Central. Which was why he felt he needed to ask. Even if his blush was trying to burn the top layer of skin off his face. It didn't help that when he thought about the man that way in general, his blood heated up, creating a pleasant buzz that fizzed through his system and had his heart fluttering anxiously like some sugar-high humming bird. The real reason he had asked, besides the raging shade of green that was starting to color the back of his vision, was because, to be quite frank, he wanted Roy in every way. The man was gorgeous; of course he wanted to have sex with him. Being hormone driven just like the next eighteen year old boy, many times as he watched the older man talking or just brooding like he often did, it was all he could think about.
His mind would be taken over with thoughts of those burning kisses they had already shared and then would add other things like where else he might like to taste the pale skin and just what Roy might look like wearing absolutely nothing at all. It made him wonder if the older man had thought about him the same way. That had his face flaming brilliantly once again and he slid down in Roy's lap so just his head lay against the strong thighs. It was an intimate gesture, as had been the older man unraveling his braid and stroking his strong fingers through it. No one had ever really touched the teen's hair before. Even Al. He had never really liked being touched very much by other people. Of course, Roy wasn't just another person and little had he known how good it felt to have someone else's fingers carding through it, parting the wavy strands.
Before he knew it, the gentle touch was lulling him to sleep until the only thought left to sigh softly at the back of his mind while the darkness pulled him into its gentle embrace was the memory of Riza saying, "You love him" and Roy responding."Yeah, I do," The words whispered to him as he dreamed…You love him…Yeah, I do.
**
As soon as he woke the next morning, he knew the day was going to suck. He came to the surface of consciousness with a strong hand shaking his shoulder gently and a soft, deep voice telling him if he didn't get his ass out of bed, he was going to make them both late. It wasn't that, though, that made him groan, but rather the dull, familiar ache throbbing through the ports in his shoulder and leg. It was raining. Forcing his eyes open a crack to confirm that, yes, the sky outside was indeed a dull steely gray and the air was saturated with water. The older man must have seen the look and the slight wince Ed tried to hide in the dark sheets of the Colonel's bed where he seemed to have once again ended up, though he didn't remember ever waking up after falling asleep on the couch. A large, warm hand smoothed the hair back from his forehead followed with a warm kiss.
"If you get up now, the pancakes will still be warm and there's Ibuprofen on the table," reluctantly, he rolled out of bed but before he did, he grabbed the hand still in his tangled hair and yanked the man down for a long, lazy kiss. It was better than a shot highly concentrated caffeine and when Roy pulled away, he was able to focus on those dark eyes smoldering like twin pieces of coal, the expression in them lighting a fire in the teen's veins that drowned out, momentarily, the ache from his automail. Remembering the night before, he smiled shyly up at the dark haired man.
"Good morning," his voice was a raspy whisper but Roy didn't seem to mind because he returned the smile with a warm, sexy one of his own. A thumb rolled over Ed's temple before the Colonel pulled away.
"Hurry up, lazy ass," and Roy almost died by a pillow imitating a rocket being launched at his head. The teen did feel a little better, though. His movements were a little slower as they always were when the sky wept its crystal-like tears and by the time they were on their way to headquarters, tires of Ed's little Eclipse swishing through puddles in the street, they were twenty minutes late and the pain killers were deciding to take forever to kick in. Roy had suggested the teen drive as the Corvette handled less than ideally in wet conditions and Ed found it a little strange having the older man in his passenger seat. Thankfully he didn't try to tell the blond how to drive as Winry had done, though with the rain slicked streets, he drove at the speed limit, keeping the amount of stupid, dangerous things he did on a routine basis to a minimum. The entire time, he replayed the few moments right before he climbed into the car. He had wanted to get out of the rain as fast as possible and he was hurrying to the driver's side only to have Roy spin him around and catch him in a burning, slippery kiss that tasted of syrup, coffee and cool water. Suddenly not caring that he was getting soaked, he had laughed a little breathlessly up at the older man whose dark eyes had tried to swallow him whole, hands caught between their chests.
"Because I won't get to do that again until tonight," the Colonel had said, normally collected voice rough as he let the smaller alchemist go. Despite the rain, it was defiantly a good way to start the day. Then the day before came rushing back to him as he stepped into the already full office behind the taller man and it was, once again, effectively ruined.
**
They settled in for the day, Ed rummaging through his research in his desk that he had locked away in a drawer while he waited for Roy to get off the phone with someone who had the Colonel snarling like a kicked dog, looking for the book with the drawings he had made of the transmutation circle yesterday. Remembering the blood stains and the chains, he fingered the name plate still in his pocket, frowning. It was entirely possible that Marco would refuse to tell him anything or would rat them out but Ed was determined to get something out of the man. He just hoped that the older doctor liked Roy enough to keep his mouth shut and the rest of them off the radar for a while longer.
"Major. Lt. Second Lt. In my office," Roy's voice had gone back to the cool, closed off tones he used while he was being a Colonel, eyes giving nothing away as his three subordinates obeyed the summons, Ed clutching the little book under his arm. The office would have been dark but for the bright desk light throwing a stark light around the room. They lined up at the Colonel's desk, facing the impersonal look in the obsidian eyes.
"I'd like a report on what happened at the warehouse yesterday," he said, his voice a little sharp and Ed wondered who that was on the phone that had the older man looking like he was readying himself to go to battle. So they told him what had happened, Hawkeye telling most of it until it became necessary for Ed to jump in and explain about the circle on the floor. Roy's eyes had remained shadowed the entire time, the wheels spinning behind the black depths, taking in each detail as it was given. Havoc remained silent, looking a little bored but after seeing the man in action, he began to wonder if the nonchalant laziness was a front. After they had finished, Ed had pulled the name plate and dropped it onto the desk, the clatter drawing the dark gaze which narrowed slightly in curiosity.
"What's this?" long fingers scooped it up from the open pages of Ed's sketches where it had fallen, dark eyes flickering in recognition as they took in the name.
"We found it in the room where the circle was drawn. Is that the same Dr. Marco that you had set my ribs?" Ed asked and he didn't like the way the Colonel's lips tightened, as if this changed the way he thought about someone he had trusted. There was a pause as Roy seemed to come to some sort of conclusion before he started barking orders.
"Ed, you come with me. We're going to give the kind doctor a visit. Lt. Hughes just called me about something I'd like confirmed. The officer that fired the first shot that started the first war in Ishval; I want to know everything about him. Second Lt. You handle the office while we're gone," Roy didn't even slow down, either. As soon as the orders were issued, they were sweeping from the room, Ed following behind the long, billowing trench coat the Colonel was wearing over his uniform that matched the man's ego. He didn't venture to say anything as they walked through the long halls of the building but he did transmute an umbrella from the wall before they headed across the street to the hospital. That had earned him several odd looks from the guards standing by the front door and the dark haired Colonel had given him the slightest curling of his lips, hinting at his amusement. Ed just shrugged. He hated the rain.
Roy looked more than seven feet tall as he stepped into the hospital, his authority wrapped around him adding nearly a foot and a half to his actual height and making every single eye turn to them. Ed was actually surprised at how many people eyed him as much as they did his dark haired officer. Of course that may have been because of the sour expression that had taken over his features when the head nurse at the station nearly threw herself at Roy's feet when he asked her where he could find Dr. Tim Marco. The man was more charming than was perhaps strictly necessary but Ed realized the woman was too frazzled to think to call up a warning for the older doctor that there were two military officers on their way up to see him. Or accost him, if the steely glint in the black eyes was anything to go by. The teen must have looked pretty annoyed because at one point, when they were in between hallways and there was no one else around, Roy had glanced at the shorter alchemist then gently tugged the long braid in a reassuring manner. There were no words to accompany the gesture but the steel had melted a little in the onyx eyes. It shouldn't have worked in relieving the sour feeling bubbling just under his sternum but it did.
Dr. Marco's office was on the bottom floor as he was the head doctor of the emergency room and it was empty when Roy knocked on the door and stepped inside. The room was cramped and cluttered, papers and files littering every available surface and Ed suddenly felt right at home here. It looked like his own kitchen had on more than one occasion. Roy growled in annoyance, waiting only a couple minutes before he left the room again to see if he could ask a nurse about the doctor's whereabouts. It was interesting, seeing the normally composed Colonel so impatient. Bored and with the need to find out more about this man they had come to interrogate, the blond began to snoop, staring with the sloppy piles on the desk. He didn't really expect to find anything other than hospital related documents but as he came to the bottom right drawer in the aluminum desk, he was interested to find the drawer locked. What could Marco possibly have here that he would need to keep it locked away? Intrigued now, he looked around just as Roy came back in the door, wondering if the man would let him sate his raging curiosity.
"You find something?" the man asked quietly, shutting the door gently so as not to raise suspicion. Ed pursed his lips as he contemplated the lock. It was a standard one that came with the desk and he could force it open easily with alchemy.
"I don't know. It's locked," and was struck by the steel as hard as his automail that shot up behind the dark gaze.
"Open it," it was a command from his superior officer and he complied, clapping his hands and a second later the metal drawer clanged open. At first he thought it was empty but then he saw a little vile that had rolled to the back of the desk and scooped it out. Only to be exasperated as second later as he held it up to the light.
"It's empty," he growled and Roy pulled a frown, his curved lips flattening out in frustration. He didn't mention the strange tingle that had fizzed through him when he touched the vial, like he had brushed his hand against a live electrical socket because it was so faint he might have imagined it. By the time Marco finally stepped into his office, the drawer was innocently back the way it was before Ed forced it open with the teen himself sprawled in an empty chair in front of the desk, playing with one of Roy's gloves. The man himself was perched at the edge of the desk, watching the teen amuse himself with the little popping sparks that resulted when he snapped his fingers together.
"Colonel Mustang," Marco's voice was surprised, which meant whoever Roy had sent to get the man had never reached him and as Ed watched him pause in the doorway, he caught the suddenly uneasy glance at the hall. The Colonel just stood smoothly, expression closed off and offered an hand in greeting.
"I'm sorry to disrupt your day once again, doctor," the teen wondered what kind of control it was taking for the dark haired alchemist to keep his tone light and unaffected. Lulled by Roy's easy manners and Ed's informal posture, the older man closed the door and wound his way through the clutter to his desk, dark eyes unsuspecting.
"That's quite alright, Mustang. What can I do for you today?" yup, defiantly unsuspecting and Ed was almost eager to set the ambush as Roy's black eyes flickered to him. The teen swung his feet down, setting off a bigger spark than usual just for affect.
"Warehouse number 7," Ed stated calmly, gold eyes catching the panic as it flared to life in the older doctor's eyes, "Do you know anything about it?" if his voice was made of steel, he would have driven it straight through Dr. Marco's middle for the expression that washed over the lined face. For a moment he felt kind of bad for the man but he needed to know why the question had the effect it did. Then the doctor's thin lips all but disappeared as he pressed them into a thin, white line, stubborn denial written in every line of his face.
"I know nothing about it. Why are you asking me this?" his voice was sharp, anger barely shading over the anxiety so Ed fished out that name plate once again and tossed it onto the desk in front of the man.
"Because I found this along with a bunch of interesting symbols drawn into the floor in that warehouse, that's why. I thought perhaps you might have some information as it seems you've been there before," the panic heightened but so did the obstinate defiance and the graying head shook, swaying side to side slowly as if the man wasn't even aware he was doing it. So this was how it was going to go.
"Nope. I don't know how that got there but I'm sure I've never been there before," His denial was weak but judging by the set of his chin, the man wasn't about to give in any time soon. Ed was just opening his mouth to pose the next question when a warm hand fell upon his shoulder, cutting him short. The young Major glanced up to find the Colonel was staring down at the doctor, eyes assessing.
"Marco, we've heard some rumors about the military being behind several conflicts around the country and I'm trying to confirm if this is true," Several? The only conflict Ed knew about was with Ishval. He filed this away as Roy continued in his smooth voice, "If you know anything about this Philosopher's stone, it would be very helpful," the man was really good at that, using his voice as a tool to manipulating people into giving him what he wanted. It was actually extremely attractive and Ed had to peel his gold eyes away when he realized he was staring. The doctor had looked down at his desk, eyebrows taught and a bead of sweat rolling over his forehead. Indecision wavered and then those lips pulled down and he looked Roy straight in the eye.
"I'm sorry. I can't tell you anything," Ed couldn't help a sharp huff of frustration and Roy's eyes blazed, hating being told no.
"Dr. our men are fighting and dying and there might be a way to stop it. Are you sure you want to do this?" dark eyebrows drew down as the anguished gaze dropped once again and an innocent piece of paper became more than a bystander as slightly gnarled hands tore it apart in a fit of nerves.
"It's not about doing this or not. When I said I can't tell you, I meant I am unable to give out any information! Period!" his gruff voice had ended at a yell and Roy stood back, face once again closed off. It was a futile effort and they both knew it. What bothered Ed was the fear crouching like some wounded animal behind the older man's dark eyes. Roy gestured to the blond Major, who stood and then turned to the doctor.
"Thank you very much for your time," he said, voice cool and they both turned to leave, Ed choking down disappointment as he followed the Colonel to the door. He was surprised when Marco called his name.
"Oh, Major Elric," the blond paused and turned, hearing the strain in the older man's voice and feeling Roy waiting behind him, body tense. The doctor still sat in his chair but his hands were rolling something between his finger tips, the dark eyes watching the motion, "There's a book that you might be interested in the city's main library. Calling number R. Mac 112.34" Ed blinked, then felt a small smile of triumph filter across his face.
"Thank you for your recommendation, Dr. Marco," he said with a respectful bow and then was striding back through the halls beside his taller superior officer, running over the calling number over and over his head so he wouldn't forget it.
"Why do you suppose he made such a big fuss about not telling us if he was going to say something anyway?" Ed voiced out of the corner of his mouth as they walked, people moving out of their way with wary looks. Roy didn't look at him but he could see the man was already itching to find out exactly what this book was.
"For the same reason I'm not parading around what it is we're looking for. He's under surveillance," it made sense, actually. If the doctor was part of any sort of big experiment like the creation of an object that could lend any alchemist nearly limitless power, then of course they would be making sure he was kept silent and tame.
"He's a prisoner in this hospital," the blond muttered as Roy shot a huge smile at the nurse that had greeted them upon their arrival before they pushed back through the doors and into the rain again. The older man had to raise his voice over the wet patter as the rain fell to the damp pavement.
"But he gave us what we need. Wait until after hours and then I want you to get that book," Ed nodded grimly, shaking the umbrella as they stepped back under the relative safety of the hulking building they worked in before transmuting it back into the patch of wall. Whatever that book contained had its author sweating in fear and now Ed was determined to find out why.
Night had come quickly that day, seeping out from the thick cloud cover like a curtain dropping at the end of an act, the rain still falling incessantly to the cold gray earth below. In a small cluttered office tucked away in a busy hospital, a figure dressed in black clicked open a sleek little cell phone as he stepped away from a growing puddle of crimson with disgust.
"Yes?" the space was quiet enough that the deep voice at the other end rang eerily through the heavy air.
"The Fullmetal brat knows the document is in the Public library," a high male alto responded, a flash of purple cutting through the shadows of the small room. There was a growl of annoyance at the other end of the phone.
"Get there before he finds it," the voice snapped before there was a sharp click and the dark figure glowered for a moment before his was surrounded by blue slight, fizzing about him like an alchemical reaction. The figure wavered, became unfocused, then changed before he stepped out of the office, determined to reach Central's main library before a certain blond alchemist did.
Ed
Locks, Al had informed him, had been one of Ed's specialties when he was younger. The young blond would practice on them for days, learning the mechanics of them so that he knew just where to make the change in the mechanism that would release the bolt. It seemed, even after all these years and a giant gap in his memory he was still good at using alchemy to pick locks. The one in the doctor's office earlier that day had been a piece of cake but it seemed that Central's library kept out potential thieves with something a little more complicated than a single lock.
Apparently he could accomplish quite a bit with a clap of his hands and a little determination.
Before a half an hour was even up, he was stealing inside the large building, a heavy flashlight he'd borrowed from Roy's garage leading him along by its bright pale beam. They had decided that he break in rather than just go in and check the book out because if he was being watched, whatever fight came his way, he'd have to handle on his own. So he stole into a place that had once been his favorite with the intent of stealing this book.
What was odd was the number the doctor had given him sent him to the reference section, where he walked between the silent, towering shelves, boots muffled on the dark carpet. Mac. 111. 112. 112.03. There. Eager fingers nearly sent the book tumbling as they snatched it from its spot where it sat innocently, unsuspecting. Righting the surprisingly large tome, he directed the beam of light at the title.
1001 Flavors for Today's Menu. Ed stared at it for a moment in disbelief. What the hell was this!? A cookbook!? Incredulous and beginning to shake in a furious backlash of disappointment, he flipped through the pages, hoping. Yup, definitely recipes. He stared for another long moment and then something dawned on him. A lot of alchemists used codes to hide their research from unsuspecting and ignorant eyes. With a document of such a nature that Marco had taken the time to hide in plain sight like this, there was no doubt its true words would be hidden behind other words. He just had to decode them.
Ed was nearly cackling with glee as he tucked the book under his arm when he first smelled the smoke. Alarmed, he rounded the corner at a run and was nearly blasted backwards by a blast of heat and flames.
The library was on fire and the flames were blocking his only exit.
Cold, violet eyes watched as Central's national Library burnt to the ground, despite the best efforts of the fire trucks that had raced to the scene. He had been hunting the shelves for an hour when the infuriating blond decided to show up and sent him scurrying. Normally he wouldn't have but no one was supposed to know about his involvement with the stone. Frustrated, he had watched while biting the inside of his lip the pipsqueak head straight to a certain shelf and pick out a book. The damn alchemist wannabe he found the book before he did. So Envy had done the next best thing.
He had set the library on fire and had made sure Ed would not be able to escape.
To be continued...
Muuuuahahahaha! Cliff hanger! *grins evilly*