And here goes the next chapter. Thanks for all the support and reviews :)

Roy/Ed fans don't hate me, keep in mind this story is parental!

Chapter 11

Assumptions and Rumours

They walked the ten minutes to HQ. Mustang explained that he usually did so because he wanted to enjoy as much fresh air as possible before Hawkeye held him captive in the office. He had offered to call a cab if Ed didn't want to walk, but the younger alchemist absentmindedly declined. Ed was used to walking everywhere and didn't feel like bothering Mustang any more than necessary.

During their silent walk, his brain had somehow come up with the theory that maybe if he showed the colonel that he wasn't just a nuisance he would change his mind and allow Ed to stay with him longer. The boy could sense that something about these thoughts was stupid, but his theory wouldn't hurt anybody, so he might just as well try.

When they entered the office though, he saw that the phase of drowning in paperwork had come to an end. The stacks of paperwork on the desks of Mustang's team were much smaller than last week's and all the soldiers were sitting there rather relieved. Ed, however, didn't feel relieved in the slightest. If they only had a small amount of paperwork, then he wouldn't be able to prove himself useful again but, instead, he would be redundant. His shoulders slumped. He received some curious glances from the others that inquired if he was all right, and he nodded at them, a small smile gracing his lips. Maybe he could find something new to do once he was done with his papers?

He started working, clinging to this small piece of hope.

Edward finished his work just before lunch break. He waited the few minutes the others needed to get ready, and then made to follow them to the mess hall. However, he stopped when he registered that the number of people leaving the office was wrong. He tapped Havoc on the shoulder and nodded towards Mustang's office with a questioning glance.

"If he's not out by now, then he's gonna skip lunch. He sometimes does that when he's got paperwork that allows no more procrastinating. And since he didn't finish anything yesterday I'm guessing that's the case." Havoc said with a shrug. "Don't worry though, Hawkeye will bring him a sandwich and force him to eat it."

Ed nodded and, with a last glance towards Mustangs office, he followed the others. He didn't pay any attention to their conversation, however. He was busy thinking maybe that was the reason why Mustang wouldn't want to keep Ed with him. Ed was too much of a bother and work. The colonel hated paperwork and today he even had to skip lunch to do it because Edward had kept him from finishing his stuff yesterday. The young alchemist figured that there was no other way he could have ruined his relationship with the colonel more efficiently than forcing bureaucracy upon him on an empty stomach, except for trying to kill him maybe.

So when they reached the office again, and he watched Hawkeye bring a sandwich over to their commander, he felt really bad. And because he had all of his work done there was no way for him to distract himself from that feeling. He simply stared at his desk. There were two ways he could go now.

Number one: become numb – so easy, so efficient.

Number two: Try to find something else to do that is productive and useful. Much more difficult, but he longed to get in the colonel's good graces again even if the chance that Mustang would change his mind about letting Ed stay with him was slim.

Ed pondered his two options. Basically, it was a choice between running away and hiding or facing it and doing something about it. He pursed his lips in a firm line and straightened his back. Edward once thought that he wasn't a person to run from things and it was time to try and consider this again. It would most likely be something trivial and would probably crumble again when the moment was over, but just for a second he wanted to taste who he had been and who he could be once more when he managed to pull himself together again.

So, he stood and went over to Mustang's private office. He didn't have a plan about what exactly he was going to do once he was in, because just convincing himself to make it through the door was difficult, but he had to do it somehow. At last, Ed took a deep breath and slipped into the room.

The colonel was scribbling on some paper, looking rather grumpy as he finished the form and immediately grabbed another, absent-mindedly swallowing the last bite of the sandwich Hawkeye had brought him. Edward watched for a second, and then shuffled over to the desk. The colonel looked up once his attention had been caught. To Ed's surprise his face brightened up a little when he realised who was standing in front of him.

"What can I do for you Fullmetal?" he asked almost cheerfully.

Probably just happy that he has a reason to pause with his paperwork, Ed thought sadly.

The boy looked over the small paper towers on Mustang's desk. He knew Havoc said he couldn't, but he wanted to help somehow. He reached for some of the files, his hand hovering over the papers as he looked at Mustang questioningly. The colonel blinked, surprised. He looked from the paper to Ed and back, obviously trying to figure out whether he had gotten it right. Edward frowned a bit. Was it really so surprising that he wanted to help the colonel? Probably yes, considering the way he used to laugh at Mustang and call him lazy when he complained about how much paperwork Ed had brought upon him. Maybe Mustang didn't want to have to put up with Ed in his apartment because he was resentful? Though it had seemed like some sort of amicable banter at that time... He was pulled from his thoughts when Mustang managed to get over his surprise.

"That's a really nice offer, but you posses neither the rank nor the military knowledge for these. And they've got to be read whole," the colonel said, looking a bit contrite.

Ed's face dropped. With a sigh, he looked at the ground and nodded, feeling whatever hope he had built up before entering the office vanish.

"But..." Mustang started slowly and Ed looked up again, clinging to the single word that suggested something good might still be to come. The colonel regarded his papers thoughtfully. "If you want to and have nothing better to do, then you could take those I have already finished and file them away in the right cabinets or sort them out according to the offices they'll be sent to. I'm sure Hawkeye won't mind explaining how it's done."

Edward nodded vigorously and took the stack of papers Mustang had subconsciously pointed his pen at. He grinned brightly and went to go and ask Hawkeye about what to do with them, leaving a baffled-looking Mustang behind.

The others looked a bit confused about how Ed had entered Mustang's office rather gloomily and came out grinning. They were used to seeing it the other way around. But then, a lot of aspects in Ed's behaviour had changed drastically since Al's death, so they shrugged their confusion away and grinned too, obviously happy for Ed even though they didn't even know the reason for the boy's smile.

Seeing that he had somehow brightened the mood of the other occupants of the office made Ed feel a warmth he hadn't had felt for quite a while. He hadn't made someone smile or grin this happily for what felt like ages. It was a good feeling.

The pleasant mood in the office was dampened somehow, however, when Havoc returned from what he had called a "latrine break" even though everybody knew he was out for a proper smoke. The usually easy going lieutenant was looking rather grim.

"Ya know, I hate to blow the whistle on someone, but this shit is getting serious," he growled.

"They're gossiping again?" Breda wanted to know, immediately catching on to what Havoc was talking about.

"Yes. The same jerk responsible, too. Think the colonel should know about this."

The other officers in the office looked up and became serious.

"I do believe the colonel knows already, just not about the new extends of it," Falman informed.

"And even if he didn't, no one's gonna blame you, Havoc. Enough is enough. That ass had it coming if he spread such a rumour. Get the colonel out here, I think this calls for an intervention," Breda said.

Havoc looked over to Hawkeye, who nodded. The blond male went over to Mustang's door and knocked.

"Hey Colonel? You mind coming out for a minute? We got some stuff to tell that might be interesting for you."

A moment later Mustang came out and went over to his smaller desk in the outer office, casually leaning against it. "Well, then tell me. Must be important if you call me out like that," he said and raised an eyebrow in question.

"You know about this rumour concerning you and the boss?" Havoc asked.

Mustang nodded and furrowed his brow, waiting.

"Well, it's going round again, only this time people tend to believe it 'cause you took the boss in with you yesterday."

Mustang kept his expression so carefully blank that it was already obvious how angry he was. "Is that so?" he asked, an edge in his voice that caused goosebumps to rise on Ed's skin.

"Yup and it's the same guy, Havoc caught him red handed again," Breda added, looking grim.

Mustang's eyes narrowed. "Mind telling me who?"

"Usually I'd hate to, but in this case: It's Fregatte, the Lieutenant from the office next door," Havoc answered, pointing his thumb at the wall to his right. There was a moment of heavy silence.

"I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Sir!" Hawkeye called after him, but Mustang was already out of the door. The Lieutenant looked like she wanted to follow for a moment, but then decided to wait. She began pacing the office.

"I think you just killed Lieutenant Fregatte," Fuery told Havoc, looking rather scared.

Havoc shrugged. "It's his fault, that disgusting creep."

Ed looked from one soldier to the other. What was going on here? He was part of a rumour? A rumour that got Mustang pissed? He went to Havoc and tapped him on the shoulder, looking at him questioningly.

"Oh, you wanna know what's going on?" the older blond asked sheepishly. "Weeellll...how do I explain it best?" Havoc looked like he didn't want to explain at all, but finally decided that Ed had a right to know. "Uh you see that guy Fregatte hates the colonel..."

"Probably 'cause Mustang stole his girlfriend," Breda snickered and received various glares for making fun of the situation.

"Anyway..." Havoc continued, "When the chief started to carry you back to the dorms, Fregatte started some ugly rumour. It wasn't that dangerous at first because...well, the colonel has his reputation with the women. But now that you stayed over with him during the night people have started thinking about it. That might make the higher ups ask some questions and this would cost the colonel some points he made up there."

Ed didn't stop looking questioningly and Havoc seemed to finally accept his fate. "The rumour Fregatte is spreading says that...well... let me put it this way: The colonel got bored with the ladies and found himself a new toy. Said toy is you."

Edward stared at him in utter shock and disgust. He looked around at the others, hoping someone would tell him that this was a sick joke. But they all looked grim and serious. Ed shuddered.

"Stupid..." he choked out, "Disgusting and stupid. Not true."

"That's what we think," Fuery piped up shyly.

But Ed wasn't listening any more. He just had a sad and frightening revelation:

This rumour was a perfectly legitimate reason for Mustang to get Ed out of his apartment.

And Ed could neither do something about it nor be angry at the colonel for it.

It went unnoticed by Ed when the office door opened again and a rather smug looking Mustang walked in. He didn't hear Hawkeye's stern question "What did you do, sir?" and he didn't see the jaws of the others fall to the floor when Mustang stopped at the door to his inner office, smirked his most sinister smirk over his shoulder and answered: "Listen to the rumours," before closing the door.

Edward more or less woke from his state of numbness when the colonel tapped him on the shoulder.

"Time to go," he said.

What a fitting thing to say, Ed thought as he stood to follow the older alchemist out of the office.

The drive to Mustang's apartment passed by in blur as Ed desperately tried to think about how he could stop Mustang from ordering him to get his things again once the vehicle stopped in front of the apartment complex. He closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the dreaded words when they stopped at the curb, but all he heard was a slightly concerned, "Are you coming Fullmetal?"

A moment of hope, but it subsided fast when he recalled that Mustang was the one who had the keys and probably didn't want to trust Ed with them. His feet felt like lead as he followed the colonel. Well, technically one of them is made of something like lead, he thought miserably.

When he stepped in the apartment and still couldn't think of something that would make Mustang let him stay, he gave up. He went over to the couch to grab his suitcase and carried it to the door, waiting for Mustang to follow him out to where the car was probably still waiting for them. He just wanted to get it over with before it broke him.

"You want to go?"

The question startled and confused him. Ed stared at Mustang who looked a little confused himself and also...was he sad? The boy blinked, and then bit his lip. He lowered his gaze and slowly shook his head. He had nothing to lose any more, so why not admit that he wanted to stay with Mustang? Anxiously, he waited for the colonel to laugh, to make some stupid comment about how he was not going to put up with Ed without receiving anything but stupid rumours in return, just because Ed finally learned that he was nothing but a little brat who couldn't get along without an adult to look after him.

"Then why are you standing in the doorway with your suitcase in your hand?" Mustang asked, now even more confused. Ed nervously switched the suitcase from one hand to another. He needed to say something! Why did words have to be the key to things so often?

"You said...it was the first and the last time you woke me and...and that rumour..."

He couldn't force anything else out. Mustang was laughing. That cruel bastard had just wanted him to say out loud what a nuisance he was. And now that he finally stopped laughing he would deal the final blow.

"You think I'll kick you out? I meant that I just wouldn't wake you with yelling anymore! Ever heard of a bucket full of water? As for that rumour, don't worry about it. That guy will only speak about how great the two of us are from today on."

Edward's suitcase dropped to the floor, along with his jaw. He watched with wide eyes and a baffled expression as Mustang became very serious.

"I won't stop you if you want to go. But I'd rather you put that suitcase back on the couch and eat with me before we figure out how to set up your room here for you," the colonel said, grabbing the bag with today's take out from where he had put it so he could shrug off his coat. "It's your choice." With that, Mustang turned and left for the kitchen, leaving Ed to decide what he wanted to do.

Needless to say that Edward practically flew across the room to put his suitcase back in its place. He smiled as he sat down at the kitchen table and watched Mustang unpack the food.

His assumptions had been wrong.

He could stay.

One day, he decided, he might just give the damn bastard colonel a hug.