Okay! It's been a while, huh? I'm sorry that this isn't the update I promised D: I swear that I'll get out a real one soon! This is essentially filler, to get a better grasp on the characters and their personalities. I hadn't even planned on working on this till summer time, but I went of FanFiction and saw the reviews. Twenty nine reviews for one chapter? I'm touched! So, give me a week, and I'll have another out. I SWEAR. Just, let me get finals done with. I threw this together now out of guilt XD Tell me what you want to happen/think, and I promise I'll consider your ideas!

***EDIT: Sorry about that "caveman" sentence, it was a typo XD My grammar's not normally that atrocious, I swear! Also, as a note to the people who said Edward seemed out of character:

I'm a Fullmetal Alchemist FanFiction junkie; I've read thousands of fanfictions. I'm not exaggerating either. And, in my explorations of the wonders of fanfiction, I've noticed several types of Edwards. Here's a few:

1) Mature Ed: Okay, so this is who I'm going for. This Ed is more of a badass, doesn't have as short a temper, and is hella more mature than the beginning of the series. He's more the Ed we see when things are really dark, like when *spoiler* Nina died. This Ed suits this storyline better because he's supposed to be a bit mysterious, a bit withdrawn, a bit of a recluse. When he gets to know everyone better, we'll see more of his snarky side
2) Idealist Ed: This one is where Ed is rather naive, thinking that the world should abide by certain rules and morals, and he has the shortest temper out of them all. This Ed is most seen in FMA, not Brotherhood. He's totally against killing, and isn't suspicious of anyone. Doesn't really suit this storyline, because this Ed would be more comfortable with talking to the other recruits. Also, this Ed is bad at keeping secrets, and thus bad for universe crossovers as he spills his guts really soon.
3) Uke Ed: Whenever paired with a guy, we see the submissive, shy, and rather feminine Ed. Not thebiggest fan, as it takes away from his badassery.

Ect, ect, ect. So, a lot of people use this Ed, and when I delve more into him, we'll see more of the Ed we know and love. For now though, he's just that reclusive badass. I hope that my choices make a bit more sense. Thanks again!

Chapter 1: Training-That Recluse, Edward

Groaning, Eren rubbed the back of his neck as Reiner offered him a hand up. "This is totally useless! We're going to be fighting titans, not people!" The 104th trainee squad had been practicing hand-to-hand combat for the past few hours, though very few seemed to be taking it seriously. "We're never going to use this against titans, so what the hell's the point?" Most of the others seemed to share this mindset, as several cadets were relaxing or just goofing off.

Reiner frowned at Eren as he tossed him the wooden knife. "There will be situations where a soldier cannot back down; it is our duty to be prepared for anything." At Eren's chaste expression, he lightly smacked his back and smiled. "Hey, at least you're trying, unlike those slackers over there." The older boy nodded to Sasha and Connie, who were….being Sasha and Connie. Off to the side, Annie was strolling about, a scowl marring her pretty features. "How about we teach her a lesson on what it means to be a soldier, eh?" Reiner asked, a mischievous expression lighting on his face. He walked off towards the small blonde, a swagger in his step. Eren huffed a small laugh, following him to the aloof girl…

…only to end up face first in the dust, Reiner collapsed by his side. His head still reeled from the impact. Damn, she was good! Groaning, he shifted, only to see a gloved hand shoved in his face. Eren looked up, vivid green eyes meeting striking gold. It was that Edward kid, a small blonde boy that generally kept to himself. He would make the occasional sarcastic comment, and was highly skilled at the maneuver gear, but aside from that, Eren knew little about him. Taking the offered hand with a thankful, if sheepish grin, Eren climbed to his feet. Somewhere in the back of his head he noted the odd stiffness of it, not unlike that of wood or metal. "Annie's a really good fighter, huh?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head. To his surprise, Edward only scowled at him. "I'm sorry, did I say something?" He asked, and the blonde's gaze darkened.

"….tall….."

Eren's brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm sorry, what was that?" He asked, tilting his head slightly. This only seemed to annoy the blonde more.

"I said, you're too damned tall!" He snapped, glaring daggers at him. The brunette blinked in surprise before letting out a short bark of laughter. By the expression on Edward's face, it was the wrong thing to do. "I'm sorry, I guess I take after my dad…" At the mention of Grisha, Eren instantly sobered. After his father disappeared those years ago, he had become a sore topic, and his own offhand comment sent Eren into a dark mood. Edward seemed to sense that however, and gave Eren a light smack up the head. "Hey, what was that for?!" He growled, emerald eyes full of suppressed annoyance.

Edward gave him a withering look. "Want me to teach you how to fight?" He asked. Eren was about to give an angry retort, but the words died at his lips. He blinked, then blinked again. This was a surprise; the blonde was so aloof normally, that for him to offer to spar was unheard of. He was snapped out of his reverie by an exasperated huff. "This offer expires, ya know. Want help or not?" Edward asked. He was obviously uncomfortable.

"But you're so short, how can you help me?" Eren blurted out without thinking…..

…and ended up face first in the dust for the second time today. Groaning, he looked up at a smirking Edward. "Now, what was it that you said?" He asked between clenched teeth. Eren glared, then laughed, embarrassed.

"Damn, you're fast! Forget I said anything otherwise." He grinned, rolling to his feet. From the side, Reiner chuckled.

"That's twice today, Jaeger." The older boy jested. "If you can't even win in a fight against people, how can you beat Titans?" He gave Eren a playful punch in the shoulder. Eren rubbed his arm, smiling.

"Well, I'm just gonna have to train more, aren't I?"

Eren glared at Jean, fists clenched tightly. "Let go of my shirt!" He snapped. However, the other boy was incensed and beyond reason. He caught sight of Annie out of the corner of his eye, and farther back, Edward. The blonde boy gave him a look that seemed to speak to him. Eren had a feeling that, if he motioned for help, Edward would have Jean sprawled across the ground. But no, this was his fight. As Jean swung at him, he mimicked Annie's actions from before, using Jean's momentum against him and flipping the other teen onto the ground. He saw the glint of approval in Edward's eyes, countered by Mikasa's stern glare.

Later, as Eren was heading back to the barracks, he ran into the blonde. Literally, ran into. He apologized to the smaller boy, helping him up. "Damn, I'm sorry Edward." Ed just grumbled, dusting off his uniform.

"…it's Ed…"

Eren paused, confused. "What?" The other boy groaned in exasperation.

"My name; you can call me Ed. The only people that call me Edward either hate me or want to kill me." Eren moved to speak, then paused again, obviously confused. Ed just smirked at him, lifting a hand to wave as he turned away. The brunette shook away any questions, heading back to his bed. What a strange boy that Elric was.

So yeah, a pretty sucky chapter, and to be honest, its a total filler. But, I figure a little something is better than nothing! I'm gonna post a better one after my finals are over. Gotta study that chemistry! Which, to be honest, is what I'm SUPPOSED to be doing now XD Over the summer though, I'll try to update weekly. Review, tips, ideas galore! And I just wanted to get some of the Eren and Edward friendship dynamic out here. He respects Ed, but thinks he's a bit weird. As of now, they don't know each other well. I guess that that's good bye for now? Adios!