Chapter Text
Greed - Ling
Friday, January 2
Ling (12:24 PM): I really fucked up
Greed (12:25 PM): You’re gone all winter and you come back and that’s the first thing you say to me?
Greed (12:26 PM): Whaddya do this time?
Ling (12:28 PM): I kissed Edward
Greed (12:27 PM): Damn.
Greed (12:27 PM): Is that a problem?
Ling (12:28 PM): It’s a huge problem. I did not ask beforehand and I left immediately after.
Ling (12:29 PM): I am a horrible friend.
Greed (12:29 PM): Now I think you’re jumping to conclusions.
Ling (12:30 PM): Please, Greed
Ling (12:31 PM): I don’t know what to do
Greed (12:31 PM): Geez. Calm down
Greed (12:32 PM): Why are you so worried about this?
Ling (12:32 PM): I miss home
Greed (12:32 PM): Is that related or are you just telling me you want to go home
Ling (12:33 PM): But I prefer my life here
Greed (12:33 PM): You giving up on the family business was not on my bingo card for this year
Ling (12:34 PM): I’m not. I still want to do that. I’m being serious.
Ling (12:34 PM): Can I call you?
Greed (12:35 PM): Sure.
The phone doesn’t ring for too long. Greed picks up immediately, and Ling wipes the remnants of tears from his face.
“Lil’ Prince,” Greed acknowledges, and though he teases with the nickname, there’s a seriousness to his tone that Ling appreciates. “What’s occupying that head of yours this time?”
“I don’t know,” Ling says honestly, and it’s embarrassing how he can hear how tired he is. “A lot.”
“Yeah?”
“Edward was saying that his family was most important to him, and that he considered me important, too. And I like him. A lot.” It’s an admission he didn’t think he’d be telling Greed, because that means that his initial hunch about his relationship with Ed was partially correct. He can already feel the warmth spreading to his cheeks, and he’s glad that there’s no one on the train with him. “And I’m worried about that.”
“Why’s that?”
“Think about it.” Ling begins to lay it out. “Let’s say he doesn’t like me back, and that me being important to him was just a friendly thing. Then I might have ruined my first real friendship.”
“Uh huh…”
“But if he does reciprocate my feelings, then what do I do? I’m not a permanent resident here.” He couldn’t even get his Father’s real signature for a student visa. “I have to go back to Xing. I don’t know if I’ll ever be back. What do I do about that? Mother wouldn’t approve of it if I started dating a foreigner either. Status stuff.”
Greed hums, long and drawn out. There’s shuffling on the other side that he can’t make out. “Who cares what she thinks?”
“I do.”
“Just do what you want,” Greed says, which is easy for him to say, because he’s always gotten what he wants. “If you want him and he wants you, make him yours. He’s a big name guy, you know? Here in the city.”
“I know he is, but–”
“He has a lot of connections to the government, you know? The head of the investigations department of the police, the head of the government’s research department for science and shit, people like that.”
“How do you even know that?”
“I have my sources.” That he does, Ling knows, because for some reason Greed is always aware of the news at least three days before he hears about it somewhere else. “And realistically, are you really never going to leave Xing again? Not even to see lil’ ol’ me? Your best bud?”
He turns the idea over in his head. The reason he came to Amestris was to make connections, sure, but if he’s head of the company, will he really have time?
Then, as if Greed read his mind, he continues. “When you’re head of your daddy’s company, you don’t even really need to do a lot. Just get other people to do the stuff you don’t wanna do for you.”
“There’s always paperwork, Greed, I’m not going to ask someone to forge my signature.” And maybe if he hadn’t had to forge his father’s signature, Lan Fan wouldn’t have had to worry about having forged documents, and would’ve gone to the hospital like she should have when she took that bullet for him, and wouldn’t have lost her arm to a completely avoidable infection had they gotten medical attention sooner. “And what if Edward isn’t willing to wait that long? Maybe in a few years time–”
Greed interrupts him again, but the tone is serious, authoritative, if he had to admit. “Ling,” he calls, “you’re overthinking it.”
“What is there not to think about?”
“Your mā hasn’t even met the kid,” Greed says, and Ling can imagine Edward twitching at being called a kid. “And she can’t force you to do what you don’t want to do. ‘S not like she’s the one taking over, right?” Ling hears a loud pouring sound over the phone. It’s probably alcohol, knowing Greed. “If you want something, then you will make it happen. I didn’t raise you to be a wimp.”
“You didn’t raise me.”
“Yeah? Well, I was there when your fatass was born. Give me some credit.” Greed says this with a hearty laugh. “If Edward doesn’t like you, then you can stay friends. You were the one who told me that, right? That friends are one of the most important things?”
Ling sighs. “I did.”
“Exactly. So, staying friends isn’t so bad. Just apologize for acting impulsively. It’s not like he can blame you. He’s the textbook example of ‘impulsive’.” Greed is silent for a moment, and Ling is about to ask if he’s still there, but then there’s a loud exhale. He was probably drinking. “And if he likes you back, then just work from there. Don’t worry about the other shit for now.”
He wants to say it’s solid advice, but the idea of simply ‘letting things play out and working from there’ is not something Ling is sure he likes doing. “And if that doesn’t work well?”
“Then find a way to make it work.” Greed says which, again, is definitely easier said than done. “If you can’t stay in Amestris then just plan out times to meet them. Modern technology exists for a reason, yeah?”
“I suppose.”
“The hell you mean ‘suppose’? I’m right!” Greed declares confidently. “So, what? You have any other worries?”
After a moment's hesitation, Ling replies “...I do, but… I’ll think about them later.” A pause, and he continues. “Thank you, Greed.”
“Anytime, little prince. Now I’ll get back to work. Try not to cry again, ‘kay?”
Ling scoffs, but it’s with a smile. “As if you’re working… I heard you drinking. And I wasn’t crying.”
“Sure, sure. Tell yourself that. See ya at home, bud.”
“...Okay. See you.”
The call ends with a beep, and Ling is brought back to looking at his chat with Greed. With a sigh, he closes his phone and puts it away into his pocket.
He’ll figure it out. He’ll find a way to make it work.
Edward walks back home and has to stop himself from dragging his feet.
What the fuck just happened?
Immediately after the train left, the kind old lady who’s been manning the station at Resembool since Edward was a kid calls him over to offer him comfort and candy. He gets mad at her because he’s not a kid anymore, damnit!
It’s impossible to keep his mind off of it. This had to be some kind of hell Edward’s been dropped into for ruining the lives of everyone around him, because Ling left without even letting Edward reply and he’s sure it’s as cruel as the work of the devil. Not that Edward has ever been the superstitious or religious sort, but what are the chances that if there is some God out there, Edward is their least favorite person? Very likely.
Edward considers sending Ling a text, but when he pulls out his phone and sees the glove Ling gave him, he shoves it back into his pocket.
Stupid, stupid Ling. So what if he liked that kiss? So what if he wants to do it again? So what.
He closes the door softly when he arrives back at Winry’s house. Pinako looks up from her seat on the table and shakes off her cigarette. “Welcome back, Ed,” she greets. “Did you see your friend off properly?”
If you considered a fucked up and interrupted kiss a proper farewell, then sure. “Yeah,” he says instead. He doesn’t care to acknowledge the brow she raises at him. He goes off to his room. He doesn’t bother to check what the others are doing in the living room. Probably watching another romance movie at that brat Mei’s request.
He doesn’t have the energy to see that right now.
Was it genuine? Ed doesn’t know. Maybe it was. Maybe Ling reciprocates Edward’s feelings. Or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe Ling has been fucking with him and every one of the little moments they’ve had that Ed’s been trying not to put any significance on (and failing miserably to do so) really didn’t have significance. Maybe he noticed Edward’s stupid, stupid crush and decided to take pity on him, or something. Didn’t Ling say he wasn’t one for pity? He can’t remember. It’s whatever.
Edward shoves his head into the pillow. He doesn’t want to think about this.
A few hours later, there’s a knock at his door. He hadn’t realized he locked it, nor had he realized he had spaced out. When he opens it, Winry’s face greets him, and he dreads what’s to come. She’s wearing the you-better-tell-me-what-happened look on her face, and the way she crosses her arms is very telling.
“Nothing happened,” Edward says before she can ask. She narrows her eyes at him.
“You wouldn’t be saying that if nothing happened.”
“I don’t want to talk about it, Win.”
“I didn’t bring Al because I know you wouldn’t want him to hear if something happened between you and Ling.”
Edward sputters “there’s nothing between us,” but regardless of what he says, Winry closes the door behind her and locks it.
“There, it’s locked.” She turns to face Ed and corners him into the bed. “Now tell me why you’re sulking.”
Edward stares at her. Winry stares back. He tells himself he’s not going to back down, but it’s increasingly hard when Winry leans forward and looks at him like that, the way she does when she’s worried because Edward never tells her anything, because Edward hasn’t told her that it’s for her own good and that he wishes she wouldn’t worry about him because he doesn’t deserve it–
“Ed,” she says, and he gives up.
Edward has to build up the energy to say it. Not courage, no, because Edward does not fear things as silly as romance, and–
“Edward.”
“Ling kissed me,” Edward blurts out, loud in the room but still soft enough that no one would hear even if they had their ear pressed to the door. Unfortunately, Winry ruins his efforts.
“He what?!” she demands, cheeks red but certainly not redder than Edward’s, and he scolds her for being so loud. “Sorry,” she says quickly, “what happened?”
What did happen? Because for all Ed knows maybe he hallucinated that. But no, the candy that the lady from the station gave him is still in his pocket, and she’s definitely going to look at him with sad eyes again when he gets on the train back to central. That kiss definitely happened, but how exactly it did, Edward isn’t sure.
“Dunno,” Edward settles. Explaining the whole thing is something he seriously does not want to do. “He said ‘sorry, see you at school’ or whatever, and left.”
Winry goes quiet, a tangible look of concern crossing her face, and her the space between her brows creases as if she’s deep in thought. “Have you tried texting him?”
Edward scoffs. “As if that’d be a good idea.”
“You never know,” Winry says, “if he really wants to explain, then he’d reply. You don’t lose anything by trying to message.”
I do, actually, Edward thinks to himself, my dignity, but that should only apply if Edward weren’t embarrassed about sending such a message, and Winry isn’t supposed to know that he’s embarrassed.
“I’ll think about it,” Edward says. Maybe while he’s thinking he’ll finally find a way to fling himself into a black hole with modern-day technology and die without leaving a single trace on the planet so he never has to deal with this again.
“And by ‘think’ you probably mean overthink until you physically can’t handle it anymore, right?” It was probably supposed to be a playful jab, but it sends some sort of guilty feeling crawling up his spine. Yeah. He’s doing that already.
“Don’t you dare tell Al about this,” Edward says instead, and he leans forward to shove a metal finger into Winry’s face. She leans back glares at him.
“Of course. When have I ever let one of your secrets out?”
“A bunch of times. In fact, when have you ever not?”
The two of them bicker until Pinako knocks on their room and tells them to shut up and join the other kids already, and when they finally do Alphonse asks them what they were up to and why Edward took such a long nap, and he believes he did an okay job at lying to his brother’s face, considering that he does it all the time, and because Alphonse seemingly takes it at face value when he smiles and says “oh, alright!” before turning back to the movie after offering Edward some chips.
It doesn’t feel the same watching the stupid movies without Ling, but it doesn’t feel right to have him here after what just happened.
He’ll deal with it before it becomes a bigger problem.
Direct Messages: fullmetal - Winry 🔧 (AKA gearhead)
Tuesday, January 13
Winry 🔧 (12:01 PM): Hey ed
Winry 🔧 (12:01 PM): I just passed by Ling but he disappeared as soon as he saw me
Winry 🔧 (12:01 PM): Have you been able to talk to him? you two have a class together right
fullmetal (12:02 PM): no
fullmetal (12:03 PM): he ran off before i could talk to him
Winry 🔧 (12:03 PM): Wow
Winry 🔧 (12:03 PM): Al asked me about you btw. i told him i didnt know anything
fullmetal (12:04 PM): thanks.
fullmetal (12:04 PM): mustang keeps asking me why im on my phone all the time so im putting it away
fullmetal (12:05 PM): ling hasnt responded to my messages anyway.
Winry 🔧 (12:05 PM): If he keeps acting like this he better be prepared to have a permanent spanner shaped dent in his head.
fullmetal (12:06 PM): whatever.
fullmetal (12:07 PM): I dont give a fuck. ill corner him eventually
Winry 🔧 (12:07 PM): Im here if you want to talk ed
fullmetal (12:08 PM): its not important enough to talk about
Winry 🔧 (12:08 PM): You dont tell me about important things either
fullmetal (12:09 PM): just mind your own business
Winry 🔧 (12:09 PM): Fine
Direct Messages: lingyao - Winry 🔧
Tuesday, January 13
Winry 🔧 (5:21 PM): I know what happened between you two at the station but I want to hear about it from you
Winry 🔧 (5:21 PM): You better reply to me because if you dont this spanner is going to be used to put a permanent dent in your head
lingyao (5:26 PM): that’s very scary, Winry.
lingyao (5:26 PM): It was an accident. I didn’t mean to do that.
Winry 🔧 (5:26 PM): And you’re avoiding edward because?
lingyao (5:29 PM): I have been very busy
Winry 🔧 (5:29 PM): Cant even say hi when i see you in the hallway?
lingyao (5:30 PM): Very, very busy wallowing in my own sorrows and regrets.
Winry 🔧 (5:30 PM): Well maybe you wouldn’t be if you’d reply to eds texts
lingyao (5:31 PM): It’s not just about the kiss, Winry. There are other things I’m thinking about.
Winry 🔧 (5:31 PM): Youre not special in that sense. eds got a lot on his plate too
Winry 🔧 (5:36 PM): I can see youre online dont pretend like you cant see my message. can you at least tell me why you dont want to reply?
lingyao (5:37 PM): A few reasons. His messages are scaring me quite a bit. He sounds upset.
Winry 🔧 (5:37 PM): He is upset. and crankier than usual. he acts like that when hes anxious
lingyao (5:38 PM): I’m more worried because I did not ask to kiss him beforehand. I don’t wish to ruin what friendship I have with him.
lingyao (5:38 PM): And I want to settle it in person
Winry 🔧 (5:39 PM): If thats the case then okay.
Winry 🔧 (5:39 PM): So why havent you?
lingyao (5:40 PM): well.
lingyao (5:41 PM): I just don’t know what to say yet.
Winry 🔧 (5:41 PM): Youre useless
Winry 🔧 (5:40 PM): You better sort it out and make up with ed soon or youre going to never want to see another wrench in your life
lingyao (5:40 PM): Understood. I’m sorry again.
Prof. Mustang - Edward
Friday, January 16
Prof. Mustang (3:23 PM): Elric, one more broken beaker and I might not let you back into the laboratory.
Edward (4:12 PM): just take the money from my allowance and buy new beakers. its not like theyre expensive
Prof. Mustang (4:12 PM): I will. And don’t forget to send in your progress report.
Edward (4:13 PM): ok
Prof. Mustang (4:14 PM): Also, the extra samples you asked for should be coming in on Monday, but the chemistry department has a faculty meeting that afternoon, so you’ll have to either work in the morning or start on Tuesday.
Edward (4:14 PM): ok
Prof. Mustang (4:15 PM): You’re oddly docile today.
Edward (4:15 PM): so what
Edward (4:16 PM): arent you usually complaining that im too loud
Prof. Mustang (4:16 PM): Is there something on your mind?
Edward (4:17 PM): none of your business
Prof. Mustang (4:17 PM): It becomes an issue if there’s something bothering you enough to hinder your performance in the laboratory.
Edward (4:17 PM): its nothing
Prof. Mustang (4:18 PM): Is it the Yao kid?
Edward (4:18 PM): WHATTF?
Edward (4:18 PM): NO.
Edward (4:19 PM): how would you know that.
Prof. Mustang (4:19 PM): I see you together often after my class.
Prof. Mustang (4:19 PM): He’s been improving steadily. You’re a good tutor, apparently.
Edward (4:20 PM): Fuck you mean apparently. of course i am. better than you
Prof. Mustang (4:20 PM): He just pays more attention to you than to me.
Prof. Mustang (4:21 PM): Is he causing you problems? Shall I talk to him?
Edward (4:21 PM): NO??
Edward (4:21 PM): DONTBUTT INTOMY LIFE.
Prof. Mustang (4:22 PM): If you say so.
Prof. Mustang (4:22 PM): Just don’t let your personal life affect your work.
Prof. Mustang (4:22 PM): Pull yourself together, Edward.
Edward (4:23 PM): whatever.
Prof. Mustang (4:23 PM): I do hope you don’t reply like that to all your professors.
Direct Messages: fullmetal - Winry 🔧 (AKA gearhead)
Friday, January 23
Winry 🔧 (6:21 PM): Ed
Winry 🔧 (6:22 PM): Where are you
fullmetal (6:24 PM): lab
Winry 🔧 (6:24 PM): Why are you still there?
fullmetal (6:24 PM): finishing up the ftir scans of the new samples for the research
fullmetal (6:25 PM): i should be finished with it and inputting the data from the utm
Winry 🔧 (6:25 PM): Why are you doing so much work
Winry 🔧 (6:26 PM): I said i’d be the one to use the utm
fullmetal (6:26 PM): the faster i finish this the sooner well be able to test out the samples
fullmetal (6:26 PM): mustang said im letting ling get to my head too much so im proving a point
fullmetal (6:27 PM): dont forget to finish the informed consent forms
Winry 🔧 (6:27 PM): I wont. Ill do them later. And you can do that later too
Winry 🔧 (6:27 PM): Dont overwork yourself. thats just showing mustang that youre actually letting it get to your head
Winry 🔧 (6:28 PM): Come home already.
fullmetal (6:28 PM): ugh
fullmetal (6:28 PM): okay i will after this last sample.
Winry 🔧 (6:29 PM): If youre not home by 8 im going over there
fullmetal (6:29 PM): dont. its not safe being out that late
Winry 🔧 (6:29 PM): So come home already
fullmetal (6:30 PM): okay i will.
Winry 🔧 (6:30 PM): Have you not been able to talk to ling?
fullmetal (6:31 PM): ive been trying to get his slippery ass to talk to me but whenever i look hes gone
Winry 🔧 (6:31 PM): Were in the same boat then
fullmetal (6:32 PM): for fucks sake.
Now, Ling wouldn’t necessarily say he’s avoiding Edward (even though he definitely is). He’s simply taking time to think of the proper and most efficient way to apologize and make up for his mistakes.
So he’d say his dread is justified when, after chemistry, and before Ling can make a sprint for the door, Professor Mustang calls “Elric, Yao, I need to talk to you two.”
He’s already considering typing out his last words to Lan Fan when he turns around and sees Edward glaring at him.
“Edward,” Mustang calls again, and the blond steps forward to talk to their professor. Ling plasters himself to the wall and begins discreetly heading for the door, listening in as he takes small slides towards his escape.
“I was told you overstayed your welcome at the lab,” their professor begins, and Edward lets out an indignant huff.
“I was just finishing up the FTIR scans. I wasn’t doing anything dangerous.” Again, a term that Ling has never heard of in his life, but that’s just typical when you’re talking to Edward Elric, professional smartass.
“Being in the lab alone late at night is dangerous, and if you do anything irresponsible it will fall on me to clean up your mess and take the blame,” Mustang scolds, and that makes Edward go quiet and avert his gaze. Ling notices their professor’s usually hard expression soften somewhat, but he isn’t sure if he imagined it.
“You’d better stay safe. Hughes will kill me if anything happens to you before your birthday.”
It’s Edward’s birthday soon? That’s news to Ling.
“You know damn well he just wants me there to celebrate Elicia’s birthday. I don’t really need to be there.”
Mustang crosses his arms and glares down at Edward as if his words were personally offensive. “And you know damn well that’s not true.”
Ling feels like he’s intruding on something personal. He’s never truly known what kind of relationship Edward and Professor Mustang had. He simply assumed it was academic, but their current conversation implies the opposite. Since he’s definitely not supposed to be knowing this, Ling decides it's a good sign that he should take his leave. That, and since Edward is quiet, Mustang might remember that Ling is in the room, and call him before he can run away. He’s already on the other side of the room, nearer to the door.
“Now, Ling Yao,” Mustang starts, and before the other two in the room can even turn their heads to look, he’s running out the door, and he’s already halfway down the hall when they rush toward the door and scream “get back here!”
He’s definitely not doing that.
Ling turns a corner, and another, and just when he thinks he’s out of the woods, he hears a loud pair of footsteps steadily approaching, and fast. When he turns back to look, barely slowing down, he sees Edward rushing forward. A familiar curse leaves his lips, and one that he’s sure would have his mother hitting him over the head for.
“Stop running away you asshole!” Edward calls not too far behind, and Ling tries to pick up the pace. He feels pathetic for running when he definitely should be reconciling with Edward. The feeling of guilt and the desire to talk makes him stop running for just a second, but when he looks back and sees the absolutely nasty and angry expression on Ed’s face, it encourages him to run faster. He passes by a few people on their way to get lunch. They look on in confusion and terror and back away as the two storm the hallways.
There’s less people when Ling bursts through the doors to the courtyard. He’s certain everyone is inside in hopes of escaping the cold. It’s a relief for just a moment until he hears something fall to the ground hard. Ed’s pained groans follow after.
Shit.
Ling turns around and sees Edward kneeling on the ground, clutching his shoulder in pain. The urge to make sure his friend is okay overcomes his desire to run in the moment, and he stops to turn around and check on Edward.
Only, this seemed to be his mistake, for as soon as Ling was within arm’s reach, Edward grabbed him and flung him against the wall hard. It hurts a lot, mostly on his back, and he’s very frustrated because he should have realized that Edward would pull something cheeky and deceptive like that. He was genuinely worried, and he wants to get mad, but he knows that Edward is probably more upset than Ling is. It’s actually very embarrassing to get pinned to the wall by someone who’s, give or take, 20 centimeters shorter than him, but Ling has more pressing issues.
“Asshole,” Ed spits out, “stop avoiding me.”
“I’ve always been quicker than you, Ed. It’s nice to see you finally caught me! Dirty trick as it was.”
Edward frowns. “Don’t act coy. We need to talk.”
Ling deflates. It was inevitable. “I know.” Edward holds Ling’s arm hard in his gloved, metal hand. His grip is tight. He might have described it as painful were he not focused on other things.
“You didn’t reply to any of my messages,” the blond points out, “and you’ve been avoiding me for weeks.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Ling scratches the back of his neck sheepishly. Why, indeed? Well obviously because Ling kissed Edward without asking, because he has a big fat crush on Edward, because he’s caught up in family politics and all the stupid reasons he can’t really stay.
But Greed said not to worry about that. He’s trying not to. Not that he hasn’t already failed miserably, but it’s also not like he can run anymore. Edward is still holding his arm firmly.
“Back in Resembool,” Ling starts, “when you said that I was important to you, I started to worry.”
Edward’s grip on his arm loosens, and so does his frown. “About what?”
“It made me realize that I don’t really want to go home. You’re important to me, too. But I’ll have to go back to Xing, and that’s important to me as well.” And when he looks into Edward’s blazing eyes, hard to look away from but hard to look into at the same time, he thinks back to the way they glisten under the light of the lamp and his phone screen at night, other things like the way they narrow when he laughs, or the way they get covered when the wind blows his hair into his face.
“I’m going to miss you when I have to go back to Xing. And there’s no one in Xing I can call my best friend the way I do you,” Ling explains, “or anyone that I’ve liked enough to kiss the way I kissed you at the station.”
Edward stares at him, an unreadable expression on his face. It’s unnerving, because Ed is usually so expressive.
“To be honest, I was so worried you were mad at me for kissing you without asking.” It’s so hard to look away from Edward’s burning gold eyes, but it’s so hard to keep his gaze at the same time. “I didn’t even know if you l–”
Ling doesn’t get to finish his sentence. He isn’t sure what’s happening when it does. He only registers Edward’s hands grabbing his collar and his lips on his when the hand holding his arm tightens its grip.
He isn’t sure how to describe how he feels until Edward pulls away, face red and a shaky smile glowing on his face.
He’s not sure if he’s ready to call it love. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.
It might be.
“There,” Edward says, grabbing Ling’s attention and pulling him back to his senses, “now we’re even. I didn’t ask either.”
It’s terrifying. Edward’s impulsivity is absolutely terrifying.
“I don’t care if you have to go back to Xing,” Edward says boldly, and he pulls on Ling’s arm to pull him forward as if they weren’t already close enough, “you being rich doesn’t excuse you being an asshole.”
“What?! That has nothing to do with–”
“You don’t have to choose between things that are important to you.” Edward says it like it’s the simplest thing in the world. “If you think you can’t have both then you just have to find a way to make it so you can have both.”
It’s such an Edward thing to say, and it’s almost the exact same sentiment as Greed’s supposed words of wisdom. Ling can’t stop the laugh from building up, and soon enough he’s laughing unrestrained. Edward guffaws.
“Why are you laughing? I’m serious!”
“I know you are,” Ling assures. He still has doubts, of course, because it really can’t be that simple, and it’s not like Edward knows the intricacies of his family politics but, well. He wishes it were.
“If you have to go back to Xing, then I’ll just make it so I can go and visit you, or something,” Ed says. He’s sheepish all of a sudden. “I always wanted to travel.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. You never know what you could learn in a different country’s library,” he explains, and it’s so in character for Ed that Ling can’t help but smile. “So even if you have to go to Xing, it shouldn’t be too big a problem. I’m sure Al would be happy to go to Xing too.”
“That would be nice,” Ling admits.
“To be honest, I still don’t fully understand why you’re so worried.” Edward lets go of Ling’s arm, and he’s a bit worried that there are finger shaped bruises around it, but that’s something for future Ling to worry about.
Greed would say that all of this is something for future Ling to worry about.
“You’re not worried I’ll run away again?” Ling asks as he rubs his arm.
“You could have shrugged me off if you wanted to, couldn’t you?” Edward crosses his arms. “You had all this time, and you didn’t. If you did though, you’d be a dead man.”
Ling thinks back to the threats Winry gave about knocking his head in with a spanner. Definitely scary. Ling doesn’t think he’d survive to tell the tale. “I’m sorry again, Edward.”
“You better be.” Edward turns away, and he sinks into his coat for a second. He doesn’t meet Ling’s eyes for a second. “...So?”
Ling tilts his head. “So…?”
Edward stutters suddenly, as if the embarrassment that he should’ve felt earlier is only kicking in now. “I– I already told you… gave you my answer. So?”
A pause. Ling begins to search for answers in Edward’s red face, hidden in the collar of his equally red coat. Answer to what?
“Don’t make me spell it out,” Ed pleads.
Ling stares in a way he hopes expresses his confusion. “You’ve lost me.”
Edward grumbles, and Ling watches in vague amusement as his face gets redder with every second that passes. As if he has to force the words out of himself, he explains “I like you! And I kissed you back! So?”
Realization dawns on Ling, and as much as he wants to make fun of Edward for the way he heats up like a kettle, it’d be hypocritical of him to do so, considering he can feel his own face heating up. “Oh.”
“What do you mean ‘oh’?!” Edward demands, aiming a kick towards Ling’s legs. “Is that all you’re going to say?!”
“I’m still– let me think of how to say it first!” Ling snaps back, deftly dodging the kick Ed sends his way. The blond pouts and crosses his arms, and Ling has to hold his face in his hands to gather his bearings.
Silence envelops them again, and it’s a little awkward considering that Edward just yelled at Ling that he likes him, that they kissed, that he reciprocates Ling’s feelings, and is expecting him to ask him out, or at least do something about it.
When put like that, lost in his own thoughts again, he’s nearly unable to make up his mind about what to say. He peaks between his fingers and sees the way Ed is staring at the ground, face red. Then, he looks back at Ling, meets his eyes between his fingers, and Ling gathers his courage.
“Ed,” he calls, and he rushes forward to grab the blond’s hands in his, “go out with me.”
Now, despite the fact that he’s always frowning or pouting or making some kind of expression that reads dissatisfaction or being upset, Edward is very, very bad at masking the happiness that seeps through his scowl. “You worded it like a command,” he complains.
“You put me on the spot!” Ling retorts. “And your answer?”
“What do you think?”
Ling frowns. “Edward, I don’t know. For all I know you’re still mad at me for ghosting you–”
“I still am!”
“Exactly! So–”
“Yes! For fuck’s sake,” Edward says loudly. Then, quieter, “it’s yes. Why would I kiss you back if my answer wouldn’t be yes? Idiot.”
Yeah, Ling thinks to himself, I am an idiot. He’d normally deny it, but he’ll accept it just this once, just for Edward.
His boyfriend now, apparently.
It’s a short moment later that Ed suddenly pulls his awkward hands away from Ling’s grip. “We should get back to class,” he says suddenly, having remembered where they were and what time it was. Ling doesn’t think he’d be able to focus on his world literature class right after what just happened. He wants to spend the rest of the day holding Edward close and making up for the weeks he’s been avoiding him and being an idiot, but he doesn’t want to get scolded for skipping class again.
“Oh. Right.”
The two of them walk back into the main school building. Ling doesn’t know where or what Ed’s next class is, but it seems to be in the opposite direction of where Ling needs to go. “Um, I have to work on my scans later but–” Edward starts to say, but he stops mid sentence when Ling waves him off.
“We can schedule something. Maybe for your birthday? We can plan something, before or after any plans you have,” Ling suggests, and Edward’s eyes widen at the mention of it. Mustang had mentioned it earlier. “But, uh, it doesn’t have to be now,” he hurriedly adds, and pulls his phone out of his pocket to make a point, reminiscent of the time he dropped Edward off by his apartment. “We can text each other later, yeah?”
Edward smiles bright and happy. “Yeah. You better!” he says, and he points an enthusiastic finger in his direction. “Don’t leave me on read this time!”
“I won’t, I promise.”
With a hearty laugh at their promise, Edward runs off in the other direction, heavy footsteps resounding even as he turns another corner. Ling feels like he’s frozen in place, just listening to Ed’s footsteps slowly disappear. He only unroots himself from his place to head to class once it’s fully quiet.
Ling was late for his world literature class. He couldn’t find it in himself to care though. He doesn’t need to live speeding through life anyway.
He’ll take it one step at a time.