run, i'm a natural disaster
31. City
"Fuck me," breathes Ed as she stares at the hustle and bustle around her. She unconsciously presses closer to Heinkel and Darius, seeking out their familiar bodies in the crowd. Ling is at the front, the main attraction, Lan Fan a shadow behind him, and there is a large crowd of cheering people around them. He is standing on a podium, speaking an unnecessarily complex and elaborate language, his gestures friendly and open, and a smile on his face. He sounds like he did at the beginning of their acquaintance, like he's a street magician or a con-man but the people love it.
"And this is just the welcoming committee," Heinkel smiles into her ear, his deep voice rumbling contentedly. Ed pushes him slightly, and takes their hands, spinning them in a circle. She takes her time to gaze at all the architecture, the paintings and sculptures; she takes her time to smell the spices cooking and almost taste the new foods by simply breathing in. "Oh, I love travelling."
"Never would've guessed that," grins Darius, snatching her alchemy notes. "A travel guide, huh?"
"Oh, please" Ed rolls her eyes. "You are just, if not more, excited as I am, and you know it, you big nerd, you."
The two giant men both laugh and they push their way through the crowd, pausing when they find a back street.
"This will be really stupid." Heinkel says.
"Ling and his guard won't be able to find us quickly if we get lost," muses Darius.
"We could easily get lost and starve and die," is Ed's contribution.
They stare at the passage for a few seconds.
"TAG! YOU'RE IT!" Ed suddenly yells, and they spring into action, whooping and sprinting down the hidden passages of the city, sometimes as graceful as if they were dancers, other times looking like they were drunken loons; running this way, that way, forwards, backwards, alchemy and bullets flying every time they found somewhere deserted enough.
About three hours later, their game ends and they are lying by a riverbank at dusk, panting and sprawling and happy. The lights of the city float by, reflected in the water like fireflies. There are fireworks and stars, and they are happy and no one is chasing them. Only two things are missing- their Boss and their mascot-slash-pet (because Ling eats all their scraps and followed Ed around like a lost puppy most of the time). But they're there, and they're tired and they flop and fall asleep on one another once Ed has put the shelter up, as they're used to doing.
[Lan Fan, from the tree she is perched in, smiles and takes a photograph with the camera Ling got her in Amestris.
Ling and Greed keep it one of theirs pocket all the time they are able to, because it was really sort of perfect.]
A.N: Fluff! Lots of it! Heinkel/Darius/Ed bonding! Puppy-pile esque stuff! Childishness!
Team Stockholm five-ever! :D
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed,
Tom
Thank you to the wonderful reviewers: Dashita Tichou, Roy-Mustang's-Girl,