AN: For RoyEd day. Happy RoyEd day everyone!
This fic is currently unbeta-ed as my lovely beta is very busy and this fic is very long.
For my followers on Forcing Normalcy, the next chapter should come soon!
FIVE TIMES SOMEONE TOLD ED TO KISS ROY
...And one time Ed was the one to tell Roy to.
1. –Roy Mustang-
(AN: I know they don't have phones in Amestris but lets just pretend for a moment they do, okay?)
Winter, Ed decided, was the worst. Lately it had been raining for days upon days, a constant and heavy downpour that made him want to migrate to Xing just to escape it. At least it wasn't snowing; Ed didn't know what he would do if it were. He remembered what it was like up in Briggs and the frozen-through feeling his automail had given him. The temperature now could never compare but it still sucked. He hated winter.
And now, instead of curling up underneath a mountain of blankets and hibernating until spring, Colonel Bastard had ordered him into Headquarters to do paperwork. Seriously, did the man even have a heart?
Ed swallowed thickly as he stood at the threshold of his run down one-bedroom house. ('No, Al!' he had protested when his younger brother had voiced his concern about his beat-up house, 'I'm not moving! This house has character!') Outside looked so miserable, the pavement heavily covered in at least five centimeters of rainwater, the sky clouded over with ominous storm clouds and the street barren of all life. Ed shot one last longing look at his wood fire before stepping out and locking the door behind him.
Yep, he thought darkly, just as cold as he imagined it would be.
Ed was sure that the Colonel could manage the paperwork by himself; it wasn't as if someone had blown up the East or anything. And he knew that Ed hated the cold weather and yet he had still called on him. The nerve of that guy!
He marched quickly down the sidewalk, pulling the hood of his tradition redcoat over his head. The rain hadn't let up for hours and it didn't appear to be planning to any time soon, so the only thing Ed could do was grin and bear it and try to get to headquarters as soon as possible.
Suddenly he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and the telltale sound that he had received a new text message.
He paused midstride. He couldn't pull his phone out now only to have it get drenched. Winry would kill him! She had pacifically bought it for him so that she could keep tabs on his automail without having to travel halfway across the country. Although Ed did suspect that Al also had something to do with the present. His little brother had been so worried about leaving him to move back to Resembool after he had gotten his brother back that it was boarding on smothering. Did he think that Ed would suddenly fall to pieces once he left? Well, he did have a few dark days once Al had gone… but he was fine. Honestly, he wasn't even lonely. His brother had called it denial so Ed had called him annoying.
Ed looked around frantically before spotting a broad tree mere meters away. He quickly ducked under the thick branches and into the dry hallow near the trunk, pushing his wet bangs off his face and tucked them behind his ear. He grabbed his phone from his back pocket and checked the message. It was from Roy.
Do everyone a favour and pick up a dozen lattes on your way to HQ. Make sure to get them from that little coffee shop on the corner of Burken Street. Their coffee is the best. From CB
If it weren't for the burning anger he felt at being used as an errand boy, Ed would have laughed at the fact that Roy had signed the message 'Colonel Bastard.'
When he got to Headquarters, empty handed and drenched to the bone, he would tell Mustang were exactly he could stick his coffees.
His phone buzzed again. Ed looked down and swore.
That's an order, Fullmetal.
Was it sad that the person who new him the best (beside the two teenagers on the other side of Amestris) was his boss? Fine, Ed would get the man his damned coffees, but when he saw Roy next he would have to reintroduce him to his automail fist.
He stomped away from the tree, muttering angrily under his breathe, towards Burken Street, which was, luckily, only a block or two over from where he was standing. It never occurred to him to wonder why Roy had asked him to go there. It wasn't as if their coffee there was good or anything. Just last week Roy was complaining loudly about how their coffees were the worst in Central.
Just when the shop came into Ed's view (or what he could see through the ridiculously heavy rain) a pair of calloused hands reached out and pulled him into an alleyway and against a warm body.
"Fancy meeting you here," was breathed into his ear, "Its like fate."
Looking up, Ed stared into a pair of amused onyx eyes. "Are you stalking me?" he asked bluntly.
Roy chuckled under his breathe, "Yep," he teased, "Watching you sleep, owning locks of you hair and," here, Roy buried his nose into the crook of Ed's neck and inhaled deeply, "Smelling your clothes."
"Damn you, old man," Ed growled, though he made no move to push the taller man away, "There really wasn't any paperwork, was there?"
"Its Sunday," Roy said, his mouth pressed against the blonde's collarbone.
"I-I knew that…"
"Of course you did," Roy whispered, half to himself.
They stood like that for several moments, neither wanting to pull away or speak and ruin the unspoken moment. Roy's head was still resting against Ed's shoulder, a small smile caught upon his lips at the peaceful, seemingly perfect moment.
The rain continued to pour onto them, soaking them further and causing Ed's automail to throb. But he did not notice. The rain, for the first time in weeks, was ignored and Ed had all but forgotten about it.
The moment was interrupted when Ed's phone buzzed for the third time that day.
Have you confessed to Mr. Mustang yet?
It was Al.
"Confessed?" Roy asked when the two had finally moved apart.
When Ed failed to answer, staring down at his cell with a light blush staining his cheeks, Roy snatched the phone from his hands and began to write a reply.
This is Roy. No, he hasn't.
He sent it. In seconds, Al's answer sent the phone vibrating.
He's hopeless, isn't he, sir? Ask him to tell you, he'll listen to you.
There his little brother went again, trying to butt in on Ed's personal life.
"Fullmetal?" Roy asked, moving closer to Ed so that he could feel his warm breath on his face.
"Y-Yeah?" Ed choked out, his attention solely focused on the dark-haired Colonel. He could feel a blush darkening his face; by now he must resemble something close to a tomato. Roy didn't seem to care though as the corners of his lips were turned upwards in a wayward smile.
"Tell me," Roy demanded, his voice soft and gentle but firm.
"No."
"Yes," Roy said, smirking, "That's an order."
"And since when have I followed orders?" this time it was Ed's time to smirk, even though he felt as though his heart might leap out of his chest if Roy was to lean in even a fraction more.
"Hmmm," Roy seemed to think this over for a moment before speaking once more, "You're right. You only listen when it's an order you want to follow." His eyes held a knowing glint that sent shivers down his back, "Right, Fullmetal?"
"Ed," he corrected, stuttering slightly when his boss ducked his head even closer towards his own, "My n-name is E-Ed."
"Okay, Ed. How about a new order?"
"A… new order?"
That knowing glint was really starting to concern Ed. "Opposed to the old one of you… confessing," Roy elaborated, his tongue rolling on the last word.
Ed avoided his gaze, "…fine. But only if I like it!"
"Only if you like it," Roy echoed.
Eyeing him mistrustfully, Ed nodded slowly, "Go on."
Moving closer - closer than Ed thought his heart could take - Roy gently tipped his chin upwards, "Your order," he whispered, only millimeters from Ed's lips, "Is to kiss me."
And that, Ed would admit to himself years later, was the best order he was ever given.
2. -–Maes Hughes-
The day wasn't anything special and yet…
A normal overcast Tuesday, filled with paperwork, stuffy old farts ('Generals,' Hawkeye said firmly when she heard Ed describe the men as such, 'They are Generals.') and short jokes. A completely normal day.
And yet…
The glances the men (and Hawkeye) had given Roy throughout the day, the somber expressions throughout the room when a passing Private had asked Falman for the date and the sudden disappearance of Roy after lunch, told Ed that today could be anything but ordinary.
But… what could it be?
Ed didn't think it was anybody's birthday, nor was it an important holiday. Nothing had exploded, the homunculi were all dead and Fuhrer Olivia Armstrong (AN: yeah, you heard right, Fuhrer Armstrong. Sorry, I couldn't help myself! ^-^) was currently in Xing on a political meeting so there was no danger of any injuries, deaths or, well, any danger in general.
Ed didn't think he would be able to figure it out and that fact annoyed him to no end. Okay, more than annoyed him. It pissed him off until he was almost ready to crawl over to Havoc and beg the man to just tell him already. But he wouldn't; his pride got in the way of that.
So Ed had decided to go to Roy's. It would be easy. All he had to do was smash the door in, tell Mustang how Hawkeye had wanted him to drop off some paperwork, complain loudly about it until they started a conversation and then casually guide it towards him finding out what exactly today was. Easy!
But then, when Ed had actually smashed the door open hours later only to be greeted with the site of a sobbing, drunken Roy, he didn't need words to know what exactly the date was.
It was Hughes' anniversary.
The next few minutes were a blur to Ed. He didn't remember dumping his paperwork (his excuse for barging into Roy's house unannounced) carelessly in the entry nor did he remember racing to Roy's side, tip-toeing carefully past empty bottles of vodka and scotch, and dodging piles of soggy tissue and empty DVD covers. But he must have, because the next thing Ed knew, he had an armful of Roy Mustang sobbing painfully into his chest.
Ed was not a people person. In fact, he was about as socially disabled as you could get. And comforting people was something he did not know how to do. That was Al's personal.
(Un) Luckily, Roy was far too gone to recognize Ed's pathetic attempts at rubbing soothing circles into his back or to hear the little cooing noises he was trying to force through his uncooperative lips.
Roy continued to sob.
Ed felt his heart shatter.
He looked away from the pile of drunken Colonel wrapped around his waist and to the TV that sat huddled in the corner, still playing. He sat, transfixed, as he watched clips of Hughes at military school, of Hughes teasing Roy, of Hughes watching Gracia walk down the aisle, of Hughes cradling a new-born baby girl, looking very much like a blind-man who was seeing the sun for the very first time.
Suddenly the trip-down memory lane halted and footage of Hughes sitting awkwardly in front of a web-cam filled the screen.
"I know we said we'd never make another one of these things after Ishval," Camera-Hughes began, "But I have a family now and I want to do this right." He gave the camera a forced, bitter smile, "And you know how corrupted our military is so for all I know I could drop dead tomorrow…" The chuckle he gave as he trailed off made Ed want to join Roy as he sobbed on the floor.
The video continued on like this for some time. Hughes explained that this was his 'unofficial will'. In it, he instructed the people he loved what he wanted them to do if he was ever to pass away. It seemed that the Lieutenant Colonel (a Brigadier General now, Ed reminded himself) and the Colonel had came up with the idea in the Ishvalian war. Did that mean… that Roy had one of these videos too?
"Ed," Hughes, for the first time in the clip, gave the camera a real grin, winking playfully at the lens, "Do me a favour. If I'm not around to play matchmaker and you're watching this, I want you to kiss Roy. He loves you and he needs you."
Ed never told anyone, but it kind of unnerved him how Hughes was able to look out for Roy even years after he had died. It reminded him of Al.
And suddenly it all made sense. Hughes and Mustang weren't just friends. Hughes was to Roy as Al was to Ed. No wonder he was so torn up about it; Ed didn't know what he would do if Al was ever to di-
No. He would not think about that.
Hughes said he should kiss Roy but… he was nothing but a broken, drunk, crying mess at the moment. Was a kiss really what Roy needed?
Turning back to the screen, Ed saw Hughes smile gently at him.
"Ed…" Hughes said softly, "He needs someone… he needs you. Please… look after my brother, okay?"
Ed felt himself nodding even though he knew Hughes was long gone and couldn't see him do so. He wasn't really talking to Hughes. So why did it feel as though he was?
"Kiss him," were Hughes last words.
The screen went black.
3. -Fangirls-
(AN: yes, you read that right. Fangirls. And no Elricest in this! Just brotherly.)
Ed was by no means a humble person. He loved when people recognized him for the hero he was. Loved when people came up to him when he was walking down the street asking excitedly if he was the famed hero of people. Loved when people looked up (down) at him with awe shining in their eyes. He deserved it after everything he had been through.
But Ed was a private person. He hated when people butted in on his personal life (little brother aside) or when they wanted to know more about him than Ed was strictly comfortable with.
Ed would do anything for his brother, especially for his brother's dreams. Al wanted the last cookie mum had baked? He could have it. Al wanted his body back? Then Ed would pry it from Truth's fingers with his bare hands. Al wanted to be an animator? Of course! He should go follow his dream!
But Ed didn't think that Al knowing he wasn't a humble person plus him wanting to preserve the memory of their struggle plus Al wanting to be an animator would equal this!
Okay, Ed would admit that he was a bit of an anime nerd. The fighting, the drama, the horrible things happening to someone else for a change!
It was nice.
And, sure, Ed had a rather large collection ('Two whole walls of magna and DVDS! Not to mention all of those cosplay outfits! Seriously, brother! Do we need all of this?') but that didn't mean he didn't want to be in an anime.
At least the people of Amestris seemed to like it. When the first few episodes had been released, it seemed as though the entire country, no, the entire world stopped to watch. The crowds went crazy, state alchemists' applicants went up more than half and the week after the airing of the last episode, Mustang was made Fuhrer.
But what did Ed get out of the whole thing? His face sprawled across hundreds of t-shirts, bags, posters, dolls, books - anything with a flat surface!
Ed was definitely a private person.
The only thing that had stopped him from ripping his brother's throat out when he had stumbled across a magna book in the library with his name on it was the look Al had given him.
'But brother,' Al had said, jutting his bottom lip out in the most adorable pout, 'Animating is my dream! Its what I was born to do! And besides, you love anime, right? I bet now you could get a bunch of anime stuff for free now that you actually are in an anime!'
Damn those puppy-dog eyes. Ed could never say no to them.
And that was how he had somehow ended up at an anime convention.
Anime conventions were like heaven on Earth (although as an atheist he would never say such things out loud) but an anime convention to guy who was in an anime was the complete opposite. Anime fans were scary.
He should know; he was one.
He did manage to drag Mustang along, though. One sentence with the words 'no paperwork for the day' and Roy had latched onto his arm without the intention of letting go.
So here he was, huddling in the back of a packed room, dressed as Ciel Phantomhive. Roy sat next to him, dressed in a matching Sebastion butler outfit. On top of the stage at the front, Al was beaming widely, trying to answer everyone's questions all at once.
"My brother?" Al paused in the middle of answering a question. Ed twitched slightly when he realized it was about his height. "He's… well, why don't you ask him yourself? He's actually in this very room."
That set the crowd off. There was screaming, shouting and one rather hysterical woman appeared to be crying.
Like Ed had said, scary.
Without warning, Roy grabbed his arm and hauled him onto the stage.
"What are you doing?" Ed hissed.
"Your brother would have pointed us out and we would have been mobbed," Roy hissed back, "At least up here we're safe!"
"May I introduce," Al yelled over the excited chatter of voices, flourishing his arms rather exaggeratedly, "My brother and my Fuhrer!"
The questions increased tenfold after that, all of them about either Roy or Ed but all directed at Al. He was the only one qualified to answer them and quite frantically, the two state alchemists looked as though the world was collapsing around them.
When one bold yaoi fangirl, had breached the romance barrier, the rest followed eagerly, shouting questions at not at Al, but at Roy and Ed.
"Are you guys in love?"
"When are you getting married? Oh~! Can I come?"
"Ed! Has Roy managed to get you into a miniskirt yet?"
After one girl had shrieked a loud 'KISS HIM!' the entire crowd lit up with the same request (besides several put-out Winry fans at the back).
"Well, how 'bout it?" Al asked Ed softly, holding the mic away from his mouth and giving him those puppy-eyes that made his older brother melt into a pile of goo. "Please~ brother! For me?"
Ed never could say no to his brother.
4. -Winry Rockbell-
(AN: Sisterly!Edwin makes an appearance)
"I look stupid," Ed grumbled, smoothing the edge of his shirt awkwardly.
"No you don't!" Winry said, "And for goodness sake, Ed! Stop fidgeting! You're going to get creases in your outfit."
"It's a stupid outfit…"
"What did you just say?" Winry growled dangerously. Her hands twitched unconsciously, as though they were already curled around the wrench she so badly wanted to throw.
"Nothing!" Ed squeaked.
"Good," Winry gave her friend a too-sweet smile, flashing her pearly white teeth. Shivers ran down Ed's back as he had to physically stop himself from full on running out the door in fear. "Now, what are you going to do tonight?"
"Umm…"
Winry sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that night. "Manners, Ed. What are you not going to do so that you actually appear as though you have manners?"
"Oh! Right… lets see. Slouch," Ed began to tick them off on his gloved fingers, "Swear, make inappropriate comments, freak out and chop his head off if he calls me the 's' word-"
"-Call him a Bastard."
"What? But Winry," Ed whined, "He is."
"He's also your boyfriend!"
"So?"
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Winry explained again, "This is you first date with Mr. Mustang. Heck, this is your first date full stop! Please just… don't ruin it, okay?"
"How would I ruin it?" Ed asked, innocently.
"By being your normal self!" Winry snapped, rounding on her friend and shouting the words. There was a tense pause.
"Did you ever think that maybe," Ed whispered softly. There was hurt shining in his eyes as he looked up at her, "That maybe… just maybe, Roy likes my normal self?"
"Oh, honey…" Winry whispered. She grabbed the shorter boy's wrist gently and guided him to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it carefully. "Mr Mustang does like you for who you are."
"How do you know that?" Ed's voice was quiet and unsure. His gaze was focused on his lap as he spoke.
"Honey," Winry placed a second hand on top of the one clutching Ed's, "Have you seen the way that man looks at you? He adores you."
"…does he?"
"Definitely. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I'm sorry."
"Thanks, Win," when Ed finally looked up, Winry could tell that he was still unsure but a small, grateful smile was gracing his lips, "I suppose I'm just nervous."
"Of course you are! I was nervous before mine with Al. Just… be yourself. He'll love you."
Just then the ding of the doorbell rang through the apartment.
"That's him!" Ed shrieked, standing up and nervously trying to brush non-existent dirt from his skinny jeans.
"You'll be fine," she reassured, "As long as you be yourself and…" Winry giggled, "Make sure to give Mr Mustang a kiss when he walks you home!" She walked over to him, smiling knowingly, "Okay?"
Blushing, Ed looking down to his shoes and mumbled a quite, "Okay…"
5. -Riza Hawkeye-
"Are you sure we should be sneaking away like this?" Ed asked, laughing despite his worry.
Roy shrugged, continuing to pull the shorter man along.
"Seriously," Ed said, "You're the Fuhrer now so you shouldn't be skipped out on your duties like this."
Roy sighed and stopped midstride. "You sound like Hawkeye," he grumbled, "You need to loosen up." He paused, looking down at Ed with a raised eyebrow, their hands still intertwined, "Or do you seriously want to go back and listen to a bunch of stuffy old men who think they know better than you do?"
"Of course not!"
"Then shut up and follow your boyfriend out for a night on the town," Roy grinned, turning away, and continued to haul his subordinate through the empty street, "Where first? A restaurant? A movie? I heard there was a fair on-"
"Roy." Ed interrupted, "Stop."
"Wh-"
Ed dug his heels into the pavement, stopping himself and his boyfriend. "Please," he said softly, looking up at Roy, "Can't we just stop and enjoy the moment? We haven't had the chance to see each other in so long… I missed you."
"But we're not far enough from the Hotel, someone could come out and-"
"Please," Ed whispered, wrapping mismatched hands around Roy's neck, "Five minutes and then we're gone."
"Okay," Roy said, just as quietly as his blonde lover. "I love you."
He wrapped his arms around Ed's waist, pulling him against Roy but still having to bend down so he was able to brush his lips against Ed's.
"I love you too," Ed said, his breath ghosting across Roy's face as he spoke.
Bang!
The couple's lips leapt apart at the sudden gunshot but their limbs stayed intertwined. On the other end of the road stood Hawkeye, her hazel eyes alight with burning anger. She had one hand on her gun, pointing to the spot mere centimeters from Roy were she had just fired, the other balling into a fist at her side.
"What," she hissed, "Do you two think you are doing? Planning on sneaking out for a night on the town? Leaving me to deal with all the politicians?"
"No, we just-"
"Wanted some alone time," she finished, stomping closer, "I get that. But I want some alone with Havoc too, and I was suppose to be getting it tonight but I have to babysit you two!"
"Hawkeye-"
"Save it, Roy," she snapped, her gun twitching, "You need to get back in their right now so that I ca-" she stopped when she was close enough to see the position the two were in, holding each other in their arms, gazing at her with immense fear in their eyes. Her expression softened and she lowered her gun, "You two really are cute together," she murmured, smiling slightly, "Okay fine! You have five minutes but so help me if I come out here and find both of you gone!"
"Yes!" the two alchemists exclaimed together, nodding, eyeing her gun with trepidation, "We'll be here!"
They watched for a moment as Hawkeye nodded curtly before spinning on her heel and heading back to the Hotel were the other diplomats were stationed.
"Now where we?" Roy grinned once the blonde shooter was out of range.
"Hmmm," Ed seemed to think this over for a moment, stepping out of his Fuhrer's grip, smiling playfully, "I don't think I remember."
"Would you like me to remind you?"
"No, no. That's quite all right," Ed took another step back, "I'm not in the mood."
"What?" Roy cried, "Your always in the mood. Come on, Ed, don't do this two me!"
"Thing of it as payback for calling me short yesterday."
"Wha-"
"I don't forget these things."
"For god's sake!" came the shout down the road, "Just freaking kiss him already! I want to go see Havoc before Christmas!"
"See?" Roy teased, stepping forward to reduce the gap between them, "Even Hawkeye agrees."
"Fine…" Ed agreed, pretending for a moment to be put out, "I suppose I could- mmmm~!"
-And one time Ed was the one to tell Roy to-
Roy had it all planned out. He would simply march over to that brat next time he saw him, confess his feelings loudly and passionately and then proceed to kiss him senseless.
It couldn't fail. He was the great Roy Mustang, womanizer of Central; Ed would be weak in the knees by the time he was finished with him.
So why were Roy's knees shaking?
And he felt, dare he say it, nervous.
"What if he pushes me away?" Roy asked Hughes, hours before Ed was to come into Headquarters, "What if he rejects me? Gate, what if punches me? What if-"
"Relax," Hughes soothed from his place on the couch, "It'll be fine."
"But what if its not?" Roy said, wringing his hands anxiously.
"But it will be."
"But what if its not?"
Hughes chuckled, grinning widely despite his best friends near panic attack. He knew the day would come when Roy, man-slut that he was, finally found someone that made him blush and choke on his words. Someone who was resistant to the Mustang charm. Someone who generally loved Roy for who he was yet could hold their own in a relationship. Someone who could keep that damned ego in check.
Someone like Ed.
"Trust me," Hughes said, smiling, "It'll be fine."
((TIME-SKIP, TWO HOURS))
Something was wrong.
The Colonel was no where to be found, Hughes hadn't bombarded Ed with photos yet and every damn secretary he saw started giggling uncontrollably every time they saw him. The secretaries were gossip freaks but what could they have found out that involved him?
Ed was determined to find out.
"Oi!" Ed shouted when he saw one of the ladies giggling again, "What the hell's so funny?"
"Oh my, nothing," she said, giggling even harder.
"Tell me!"
"Why should I?"
"I-I…" He was going to have to play dirty. There was no other way of getting out of this, "If you tell me I'll tell you the exact details of Furery and Shesika's relationship!"
A giant grin broke out on her face, "Oh really?"
"Really."
She leaned in and whispered something into Ed's ear before pulling away and giggling uncontrollably.
Ed felt his eyes widen.
That idiot wouldn't… would he?
It had taken Ed twenty minutes to finally locate his boss, but when he did he was surprised to see a deep blush staining the man's cheeks.
"You!" Ed yelled, striking a dramatic finger into Roy chest, "I have a bone to pick with you!"
"Can it wait?" Roy squeaked. Ed blinked. That's right, Roy squeaked. "I-Its just, you, ummm…. You look very nice today!" Roy blurted out, his blush deepening.
"…what?"
"Um, er, that is to say that you don't always look nice-"
"No. Stop." Ed cut the taller man off, watching as his superior looked away awkwardly, "Just spit it out. No beating around the bush."
"Y-You, um, well, okay. I was just wondering if you, um, cause I don't and I just hoped that you didn't and I do and well… you know?" Roy fumbled with his words, looking increasedly uncomfortable.
"….what?"
Roy's expression faltered and he tried again, "I was just, you know, wondering if you didn't cause I don't and-"
"Stop." Ed cut across him again. "Are you… asking me out?"
"…yes."
There was a severely awkward pause in which neither party could bring themselves to look at the other.
"Um… okay," Ed whispered quietly.
"Pardon?"
"I said… yes, I'll go out with you." This time it was Ed's turn to blush.
Roy looked as though Christmas had come earlier, grinning widely, and opened his mouth to say something more before he deflated slightly, insecurities getting to him. "Your sure?" he asked nervously.
"Yes."
"Positive?"
"Yes."
"One hundred percent sure?"
"Yes."
"You don't want to back out-"
"For gate's sake!" Ed exclaimed, "Just kiss me already!"