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"ARGH!" Edward Elric screamed, yanking on his braid. A few strands of blonde hair got caught in his automail, wrapping around his steel fingers. He winced, but ignored the pain, preferring instead to thwack his right arm on a nearby wall. Just to let out his frustration, of course. He had just given another report to his commanding officer, Colonel Roy Mustang. And needless to say, given their relationship, things did not bode well.
Theirs was a relationship based on insults and manipulation. Ed could never forgive his superior for lying to him about the train ride that began his road towards becoming a state alchemist. Roy had risked both his and Al's lives for his own selfish reasons—just in hopes of being promoted. Yes, everything had turned out fine in the end. But Ed still held it against the Colonel for putting him and his younger brother in danger of those terrorists. And of course, Mustang always had to find some way to call him 'short.' That was the worst part.
For instance, take the scene that had just transpired.
The Fullmetal Alchemist had stridden into his superior's office (without knocking), intent on just delivering his report and getting out of there before Mustang could insult him. Luck was not on his side, as Roy had been looking forward to this confrontation for quite some time now. Ever since he had sent the prodigy on his last mission, actually.
"Finally, Fullmetal. What took you so long? All I asked you to do was investigate a town on the Eastern border and find out if there were any Ishbalans hiding there. It shouldn't have taken such a long time," Roy reprimanded the younger alchemist, lifting his head to shoot Ed a cocky smirk.
The blonde teenager shrugged carelessly, flopping into the chair in front of Mustang's desk. "We got sidetracked. We thought there was some information regarding the Philosopher's Stone…Al and I couldn't afford to pass up the chance. So we stayed a bit longer than necessary. What's your problem? I still did your dirty work for you. And besides, I'm not even part of the Investigations Department. Isn't that Hughes's job?" He glared at Roy, only getting angrier when his commanding officer's smirk only grew wider.
The Flame Alchemist nodded, keeping his expression the same. "So, was it worth the effort? Did you find anything about the Philosopher's Stone?" he asked, only mild curiosity lacing his voice.
"Does it look like it? Is Al in here parading about in his body? Do I have flesh limbs?" Ed snapped, his eyes sparking. "Why would you bother to ask such a stupid question, Colonel? I know it's hard for you to use your brain, as it's usually preoccupied with thinking up new ways to flirt with easy girls-"
Roy merely raised an eyebrow.
"—but learn to think before you ask stupid questions. I've wasted enough time sitting here with you. I made a promise to my brother, and you're keeping me from finding the Philosopher's Stone! You keep sending me on these pointless missions, even though you know how important it is that I restore my brother back to normal. In fact, I think you want us to be miserable! I don't care about myself, but don't you dare make Al suffer more than he has to…!" Ed continued to rage. He jumped up from his seat, amber eyes narrowing in his increasing anger.
His superior only sighed and leaned back, laying his feet on his desk, giving off an air of indifference. This response only made the young blonde more upset, which was the reaction Mustang wanted. It was such fun for him to see Fullmetal all riled up! He had enough of a boring life within the Eastern Headquarters (blame the paperwork), but the short alchemist always managed to make him feel more at ease. It was like Ed's liveliness rubbed off on the Flame Alchemist through these little spats, making the military life more bearable. "Fullmetal," he interrupted Ed's rant smoothly. "Would you kindly lower your voice? I know you need to shout for me to hear you. After all, you're so far below…your voice has to carry a long way so I can hear you from all the way down there, but you're overdoing it."
Edward seethed, fists shaking. This was it. This was the first jab at his height for the day. Knowing Mustang, Ed knew that he'd continue to be insulted until the Colonel had his fill for the day. "WHO'RE YOU CALLING A TINY LITTLE MIDGET PERSON THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN HEAR EVEN WHEN HE USES A MEGAPHONE TO TALK TO YOU BECAUSE HE'S SO CLOSE TO THE GROUND AND SO CAN'T BE HEARD?"
Roy let a nonchalant shrug roll off his shoulders before standing up to tower (even more) over the furious teenager. "I would think it would be obvious. You're supposed to be the genius here, Fullmetal. But I guess your brain is finally shrinking…it finally realized that it had grown too big to accompany your small stature."
Ed shook more with silent rage, barely restraining himself from jumping on his superior and pounding that smirk off Mustang's face. He was too busy focusing on the insult to his height that he missed how Roy had complimented his intelligence, no matter how hidden that compliment was. "You shut the hell up, you bastard," he breathed, turning to leave before he did something he'd regret later. He didn't understand why the Colonel irritated him so much, but he'd rather not figure it out while being insulted by said irritating man.
The Flame Alchemist sighed, flinching as his office door slammed shut with a bang. He sank into his seat again, burying his face into his hands. He'd really upset Fullmetal just now. This was different than their usual bantering. Ed seemed truly upset that he wasn't making progress with the Philosopher's Stone, and no doubt he really believed that his superior was trying to keep him from his goal. 'But why should I care what Fullmetal thinks? Or if he's upset?' Roy mused to himself, idly tapping his fingers on top of the piles of random paperwork littering his desk. Shaking his head, he put the incident out of his mind, intending to swallow his pride and talk to the younger alchemist later and set things straight.
-+-
"OW!" The shriek of pain echoed throughout the Eastern HQ, followed by a string of curses. "What the hell did I do…damnit! My automail!"
Military personnel stopped what they were doing to stare at one another blankly before shrugging and returning to their duties. It wasn't their business. Plus, nobody could pinpoint the source of the noise. Some thought they heard it come from a hallway near Colonel Mustang's office, but nobody could be sure. Something about there not being anybody in view in the vicinity of the scream…
Mustang stopped staring at his paperwork, recognizing Fullmetal's pain-filled voice. He stayed in his office, safe from the teenager's wrath, but still wondered what happened beyond his door. Shrugging to himself, he pushed the detested paperwork off his desk before pondering again how to 'apologize' to Ed. He knew Ed's feelings were hurt, but he didn't understand why. They were both used to their bickering relationship. Fullmetal should have expected their encounter to be filled with insults and pointless remarks…
-+-
"How bad is it?" Alphonse Elric asked of his older brother. He walked over to the short alchemist, his armor clanking with every step. Gently, he took Ed's right arm and inspected the damage. And winced. "Um, Brother? This looks really broken. You might need to go to Resembool and have Winry take a look at this…"
"Who's Winry?" asked a new voice, startling the Elric brothers. "This picture here is of my beautiful daughter Elysia! Hasn't she gotten prettier since yesterday's batch of pictures?" Enter Maes Hughes.
Ed and Al looked at one another before turning to face the Lieutenant Colonel. "We saw…" they stated hesitatingly, not wanting to launch Hughes into a picture-showing-spree. It wasn't that hard to get him started, and he never stopped yapping when he had pictures to show off.
Hurriedly, Ed hid his damaged automail under his red coat. "Winry is my automail mechanic. She's also been a family friend ever since Al and I were young. That's all," he explained, turning on his heel. "Guess you're right, Al. I'll need to take a trip out to Resembool to get this arm fixed. You coming?"
"Nah, I think I'll stay here this time," Al remarked. "I wouldn't want to get in your way," he continued, a teasing tone in his voice. Maes tilted his head, interested.
"What are you talking about?" Ed asked, exasperated. "You're my brother! How could you possibly get in my way?" He started towards the doors, checking to make sure the wrong people didn't see him leaving the Headquarters. Wrong people meaning Mustang. He didn't want to be given another pointless mission by his superior and once again be distracted from his main quest. "I'll just get this arm fixed and be back before you even realize I'm gone. Mustang won't even notice," Ed chuckled evilly to himself.
Al and Hughes stared at one another before following the Fullmetal Alchemist to the train station.
"I just meant that you might want to have some time alone with Winry, that's all," Al spoke up once they were safely outside. "I mean, I see the way you look at her. And this time you're not pressured to get back to Central, so you'll have time to let her know how you really feel. As a good brother, I want to give you some privacy, that's all…" He spoke with such innocence reflected in his voice, not noticing the look of absolute shock plastered on his older brother's face.
Ed sputtered, waving his left arm around. "You think I have a crush on Winry! AL! I love her and all, but not like that! She beats me up with wrenches, or have you forgotten? She's a childhood friend…or more like a sister…but I'm not interested in her in that way. Sorry to disappoint."
"Really?" Al asked. "I thought for sure…you two would complement each other…"
"AL! I can't be in love with Winry because I'm already in love with Roy!" Ed burst out, not even realizing what he was saying. He froze mid-step, eyes widening in shock. "What…did I say…?"
Maes's mouth dropped open in amazement. Edward Elric had feelings for Roy Mustang? "You have a crush on Roy? Oh, it'll be so much fun if the two of you get together! I can take pictures of you two all day long! You'll thank me later when you have those pictures to show your kids, you know," he rambled.
Ed blinked. "Hughes? Do you even realize what you're SAYING? And…I DO NOT LIKE ROY!" He yelled, not noticing that he used his superior's first name in place of title.
"But you just said…" Al pointed out weakly, confused.
"Look, forget what I said. I had a temporary lapse of sanity, that's all. It's impossible for me to have feelings for that bastard, okay?" Ed swirled to face his brother, the look on his face daring anybody to challenge him. "First off, I'm about half his age. Second, he's a guy. I'm a guy. Last time I checked, I was one-hundred percent straight. Thirdly, he's the biggest womanizer in the entire military! I would be just some cheap prize to him, disregarding the fact I'm a guy. If he was with me, he wouldn't care about my feelings. He's a bastard like that."
Maes leaned over to whisper dramatically to the younger Elric brother. "Methinks he's trying to convince himself…" Al nodded slowly, not knowing what to believe.
"In fact," Ed continued. "I'm going to enjoy this vacation to Resembool just because I won't have to think of him the entire time. I'll be glad to be rid of his insults and I'll be happy to not see that arrogant smirk on his face. And this time, I'm leaving HQ for my own reasons, not for one of his dumb missions. But then again, I'd never have been mad enough to bang my arm on the wall so hard if it wasn't for his sarcastic little quips…DAMN HIM! Everything is Mustang's fault!" He started towards his train in a daze. "I don't care that he always looks out for me and Al, because it always ends up backfiring. He's so rude, and all he cares about is being promoted. I'd rather not be used as a stepping-stone for him to look good to the higher-ups. There is definitely nothing that could attract me to Roy Mustang…" Ed sighed, blinking out of his stupor. "Sure, I can see why so many girls fawn all over him, but it just makes him so conceited. And he's witty, but he uses all his brainpower to flirt and think up new ways to insult my height. And of course it's all wasted because he never flirts with ME! Only those cheap-" He stopped himself, shutting his mouth with a snap. "I'm not saying anything!" He shouted loudly, causing heads to turn inquiringly in his direction.
Al shook his head with a sigh, letting his brother talk to himself. Plus, it was amusing to hear him try to deny his obvious feelings. Why didn't he see it earlier? It was clear to him now why Colonel Mustang's remarks always upset his older brother so much. And he had thought that Winry was the person Ed had always been thinking about…well, he saw the truth now. He just wished Ed would admit his feelings to himself.
Maes shook his head. This was certainly an unexpected turn of events. He'd have fun with this…
"Anyways, I guess it's time for me to be going," Ed chuckled awkwardly, backing away from his younger brother and friend. "Oh, and don't tell the Colonel about this, all right? It's all just a misunderstanding." He waved with his good arm before turning and rushing onto the train. He was suddenly glad that Resembool was some distance from Eastern Headquarters, as it got him farther away from Roy. And further away from these strange feelings he was experiencing.
-+-
"Where's Fullmetal?" Roy asked the following morning. He glanced about in all directions, paying special care to the area around the floor. "I have to talk to him. It's important."
First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye simply shook her head. "He hasn't come in yet today, Sir," she explained. "In the meantime, there's still all that paperwork you didn't finish yesterday. It needs to be read and signed soon, so you'd better get a move on."
Roy Mustang sighed. "I hate that damn paperwork," he complained just loud enough for Hawkeye to hear him. He was hoping she would offer to do it for him, but no such luck. She ignored his subtle request as she shuffled through her own piles of paperwork. A glint on her hip diverted Roy's attention to the gun. It was a well known fact that Hawkeye was the most skilled gun-wielder in the military, and nobody wanted to get on her bad side. "I'll just be in my office, then. Doing paperwork," Roy deadpanned. He waited a moment to see if anybody cared, and when it became apparent nobody did, in fact, care, he left for his destination.
There was a surprise visitor sitting on Roy's desk when he arrived. "Hughes?" The Flame Alchemist raised an eyebrow, getting his ignition gloves ready. If Hughes so much as tried to show off more pictures of his beloved daughter…well, let's just say that Roy was already in a bad mood. He had really wanted—and been denied his chance— to speak to Edward as soon as possible that morning, after all.
"Hiya Roy!" Maes chirped. "I just stopped by to see how you were doing. Not to mention you sent Ed to do a job for the Investigations Department. I'm officially here to pick up his report, but you and I both know what I'm really here for!"
"Not the pictures again…Not those bloody pictures…" Roy muttered repeatedly, fishing out Fullmetal's military report. "We never got to actually go over the details of the mission, so I'm not sure how everything went," he explained to the Lieutenant Colonel. "We got distracted."
Hughes nodded. "I can definitely understand! I remember when Gracia and I first started going out…" He sighed blissfully before snapping back to the present situation. "But anyways. It's fine, Roy! I understand how all new couples have such a hard time keeping their hands off each other! I'll keep your secret, of course. You know to keep it hidden from the public, though. It seems you finally took my advice to settle down. I just never expected it to be-"
"What are you talking about?" Mustang roared. "I haven't settled down! I don't have a clue as to what you're talking about, Hughes! But I'm giving you a warning right now. If you don't stop blabbering nonsense, then I can guarantee your skin will be burnt to ashes in five seconds flat!" His face was livid, but inside his thoughts were swirling in confusion. 'What started Hughes talking about this…? I've told him time and again that I don't want to settle down. Hell, I can't think about this now. I need to find Ed!'
Maes blinked before nodding slowly. "Oh, right. I understand. He doesn't know your feelings…of course he doesn't! He left last night, you know."
Again, Mustang glared at Hughes. "Who are you talking about, Hughes? I have important business to settle. And later, I want to know exactly what you're talking about. We're going to have a long talk about how you are to stay out of my love life, understood?"
"Edward Elric, duh, Roy," Maes explained as if he were talking to a child. "He left last night to take care of something. And I doubt your little business meeting even exists with Edward gone, so you can stop pacing the room. You'll scuff the floor. And I think you know, deep down, what I'm talking about."
"Fullmetal left? Where? Why?" Roy demanded the information. Ignoring the tightening in his chest at the thought of Ed's absence, he raised his hand, ready to snap unless he got answers. …Roy was scary when he was this mad.
Hughes shrugged, not letting Mustang's attitude get to him. He had a suspicion as to why Roy was so upset, but for now he'd just have his fun toying with Mustang's mind. "I'm not at liberty to release that information."
"You're a higher ranking officer than Fullmetal," Roy pointed out. "You don't have to stay silent because he ordered you to."
The crazy, family-obsessive young man shrugged. "I'm not staying silent because of military rankings, Roy. I'm keeping quiet because Ed requested that of me, as his friend. I respect his wishes. You'll have plenty of time to question him when he gets back. I dare say you'll have a lot of catching up to do when the time comes…" He trailed off with a suggestive wink before leaping off the desk, packing up his pictures (along with Ed's report), and sprinting out of the room.
Roy stared blankly after him, at a loss for words.
-+-
"What are you staring at?"
Ed shook himself awake, tilting his head to look at his long-time friend. "Huh? Did you say something, Winry?" He blushed slightly, remembering where his thoughts had drifted recently. Even in Resembool, the Colonel's face always swam into his mind's eye. He couldn't escape and it was getting frustrating.
The young automail engineer shook her head, exasperated. "Ed, either snap out of it or Mr. Wrench can do it for you!" She held said wrench threateningly in the air to see if it had any effect on Ed's mood.
"Don't come near me with that wrench, Winry!" Ed panicked. He knew from previous experiences just how painful that wrench could be. The bump on his head still hadn't completely disappeared from his last encounter with Winry's beloved wrench. Why did he buy that thing for her in the first place, anyways?
Before long, his arm was fixed and working perfectly. Winry smiled in satisfaction as she checked over the maintenance one last time before okaying the handiwork. "It's perfect! Now, don't go banging it up again, Edward. What happened this time to break it, anyways? Did you get into another fight?" She scowled down at her childhood friend, hands on her hips. "Because if you did…"
"It's nothing like that!" Ed rushed in quickly, holding his hands protectively in front of his face. "Um, well, it's my own fault, actually. Colonel Mustang ticked me off and I…accidentally…banged my arm against the wall to relieve some stress. I guess I hit it harder than I planned," he laughed, trying to inch away from Winry's murderous gaze.
"You wrecked my automail to relieve some of your sexual tension! Ed, how could you!" she screeched, advancing on him, wrench in hand. "Edward Elric, that must be one of the most stupid ways to destroy automail I've ever heard of…!"
The boy scooted backwards, attempting to escape. "Don't take it the wrong way, Winry! Mustang just got on my nerves. I didn't mean to break your automail! And what do you mean 'sexual tension'? He just gets under my skin, that's all!"
"I bet he does," Winry huffed. "Look, just don't mess with the automail again. I don't mind repairing it, but you have to learn to take better care of yourself, Ed. Physically and…emotionally. I can tell you feel something more than hatred for your superior. Don't try to fight it, okay? You'll only end up hurting yourself. And besides, you're no fun when you mope about and stare off into space! Go back to Central or wherever and see the guy; don't try to run away from your feelings." Her work and pep-talk done, she offered an encouraging smile and turned to start cleaning up her work station. She didn't say another word, instead letting Ed think over his thoughts.
Ed gawked at her, mind reeling. What did she know, anyways? Like he told Al and Hughes, he most definitely did not care for Roy Mustang. …But if he didn't, then why did his chest hurt at the mere thought? Why did he want to get back to the Eastern HQ as fast as possible and spend each moment soaking up his superior's presence? But he left there to get away from Mustang. He groaned, keeping himself in check as he allowed himself to think that just maybe, there was some truth to his unconscious confession at the train station.
It was hard to tell which would cause him more pain nowadays – Winry's wrench or his own traitorous thoughts of his superior.
-+-
"He's been gone two days," Roy growled, slamming his hands on his desk. Stray papers flew into the air, but Roy took no notice. "Damn it, what is Fullmetal up to? …And why do I care?" He groaned, starting to pace about his office room again. Just the thought of Ed did something to his insides, and he couldn't figure out what it was. It was bothering him to no end, but so far he was still pretty much clueless.
Based on Maes's visit, Roy had an inkling that his restlessness had something to do with Fullmetal's sudden disappearance. What confused him was how upset he was over the incident. It was like he couldn't focus without knowing the inner details of the young boy's life. He hated being shut out. And Hughes knew something…but what? Maes had hinted that Roy had feelings for someone, then immediately started talking about Edward Elric. Was it possible that Hughes suspected Roy and Ed to be…?
But that was impossible. Roy knew that whatever his feelings for Fullmetal were, they were most certainly not related to romance in any way, shape, or form. There were just too many reasons why Ed wasn't compatible with him. For example, there was no way he liked how Ed talked back to him; the disrespect shown to his superiors was always a demeaning character trait of the young alchemist's. But then again, it showed Ed had some backbone. He also didn't like how Ed caused so much trouble whenever he went on missions. He always ended up changing entire towns, by either destroying them (unintentionally) or changing the entire systems on which they ran. Of course, it was a good thing that Fullmetal took his work seriously and tried to help the common people with his power. And Edward was not cute- he was too short to be cute. But then again, his shortness added to the cuteness that no tall, or even normal-sized person, could hope to have. So why was the Colonel feeling this way?
"I can't believe I'm even considering the notion," he mumbled to himself. "I don't know when, how, or why…but it could be possible that I've slowly fallen in love with Fullmet- Edward Elric." Roy was suddenly extremely thankful that nobody else was around. His thoughts and feelings were his own…at least until he decided to share them with a certain young prodigy. That is, if he decided to share them.
-+-
The following day, both state alchemists were fidgety with their newfound revelations. With his automail fixed, Ed didn't have an excuse to stay in Resembool any longer. Besides, Winry's odd glances in his direction were starting to annoy him. So the blonde had no choice but to return to HQ. He was dreading seeing Mustang again, had been since the day he finally admitted to himself that there was a possibility that his feelings towards the Colonel had changed. The up side was that he got to see his younger brother again.
For his part, Roy's mood continued to worsen with each passing day of Fullmetal's absence. Hawkeye and Havoc were confused by his increasing anger but didn't want to be fried to a crisp by intruding in Mustang's private affairs. Hughes just made a point of ignoring Mustang's temper, his suspicions being confirmed when Roy pretended not to be affected by Edward's unexpected leave.
The door to the Eastern HQ military alchemical department creaked open, allowing Edward to peer into the room. Empty. He breathed a sigh of relief before stepping through the door, his usual swagger missing from his steps.
"Where were you, Fullmetal?"
The sudden voice had Ed stopping in his tracks. Slowly, the young alchemist lifted his head to his superior, though he kept his eyes firmly focused on the wall behind Roy's head. "Sir? I had to, um, go to Resembool to fix my arm. My automail needed repairing."
Roy frowned. Ed never called him 'Sir.' It was always 'Colonel' or 'you bastard.' So what had changed? "Your arm was perfect the afternoon you gave me your report, Fullmetal," Roy replied in a smooth voice. A light blush tinged his cheeks at the word 'perfect,' but luckily (or unluckily) Ed was looking elsewhere.
"It broke after I reported to you," Ed answered the unspoken question, trying to edge away from the Flame Alchemist. Being this close to him was ruining his concentration, and Ed didn't know how long he could stay there without bursting. Now that he suspected what his feelings were, his demeanor around his superior had changed. Now he no longer wanted to storm and rage at the Colonel. …Well, he did, but the temptation wasn't as strong as his desire to do other things to the Flame Alchemist.
Sighing, Roy grabbed Ed's shoulder and squeezed, dragging the younger alchemist to his office. "Come on, Fullmetal. We need to talk."
Ed panicked, trying to twist out of Mustang's vice-like grip. "Colonel?" he asked, the fire behind his voice replaced with something that sounded remarkably like…fear?
The raven-haired soldier shook his head, indicating his need for privacy. "You left me that night, Fullmetal. I'm not giving you the chance to run away this time." Even so, he loosened his hold on Ed's shoulder, turning the contact into something thoroughly more enjoyable. Almost like a strong caress.
"I left you?" Ed asked, his mind turning off. Roy's touch and voice were affecting him in strange ways, making him surer than ever that he really did have feelings for the man. The truth hadn't fully settled until that moment, but then he gasped as the realization finally hit home. He, Edward Elric, had fallen in love with Roy Mustang. "No," he corrected, the fog in his mind clearing so he could inform his superior that he would never leave him. "I just had to get my automail repaired. I'd never leave you like that, Colonel." Obviously he'd forgotten that his entire trip to Resembool was, in fact, due to Mustang.
Roy glanced downwards doubtfully at Ed, but made no move to speak until they were both safely locked away from prying ears. "Fullmetal," he started, his voice hiding all emotion. "You owe me some explanations." He shook slightly before sinking behind his desk. He had originally intended on bringing up his feelings to the teenager, but anything relating to the military was familiar ground. And Roy desperately needed to feel something familiar, as he was dealing with some very new and surprising emotions.
Again, Ed panicked. "I don't need to tell you anything, Colonel. It wasn't like you had a mission for me, and I needed to get my arm fixed as soon as possible. I…had to leave," he finished weakly, not bothering to add that the reason he needed to leave so soon was to avoid Roy and ignore those strange feelings.
The Flame Alchemist snorted. "What's up with you, Fullmetal? Did you finally realize how short you were? Is that why you're so depressed?" He had hoped that the jab would get things rolling towards the usual arguments, but Ed didn't take the bait. The blonde continued to stare at the floor dejectedly, squirming every once in a while. Roy sighed again, head snapping upwards when Edward finally responded after a long silence.
"Don't call me short, Colonel," he spoke warily, as though he didn't really care whether Roy called him short or not anymore. 'He's going to anyways, so why bother telling him to stop?' the young blonde rationalized in his head.
Roy sat up straighter, observing Edward's slumped form. He certainly seemed down about something. Or confused. What was wrong with him? The fact that he didn't overreact to such a simple, yet powerful, insult bothered the Colonel. Normally Edward would be spazzing out and demanding not to be called 'short.' This calm acceptance was simply a very un-Edward reaction.
The Colonel scratched his head, standing and taking a step towards the other. He had a sudden urge for Edward to call him by his name instead of military ranking. The atmosphere in the room was just too formal for Roy's liking. And besides, he wanted to ease Ed into slowly getting used to the idea of intimacy between them, starting with calling each other by their first names. "Ed. Enough with the attitude. I want you to confide in me. Something is wrong and you need to talk to someone about what's bothering you. Now, let's pretend we're not military alchemists at the moment. We're friends, and…" He trailed off and gulped while gaining the courage to ask, "And as we're friends and you're telling me something important to you, I want you to call me 'Roy.' Okay?"
Edward's head shot up, eyes wide, as he stared at his superior. That was very unlike Mustang to say such a thing. He'd never have pinned the Colonel as a comforting type of guy. Ed always thought all he cared for was random women, being promoted, and insulting his height. "Um…Colonel, I think that would be improper." Normally Ed wouldn't care what was proper or not, but the thought of calling the Colonel 'Roy' was sending chills down his spine. It sounded like such a personal request…he wasn't sure he could handle that and not spill his feelings. He was willing to latch onto any reason of a way out, so he wouldn't have to call his superior by his first name.
"Why won't you stop calling me 'Colonel'? Roy, Fullmetal, it's Roy!" Mustang gritted out through his teeth. Edward's behavior was getting to him by this point. He wanted his hyperactive chibi instead of this depressed boy.
The request, or rather demand by this point, sparked something in Ed. It was a challenge, and he was never one to back down from a challenge. So Ed quipped back as he normally would, in a saucy tone, "I'll stop calling you 'Colonel' when you stop calling me 'Fullmetal.' That's an equivalent exchange, don't you think?"
Roy blinked, taken aback. "Fine…Edward," he all but purred, advancing on the younger alchemist. "You have yourself a deal. Now tell me, why did you leave Eastern Headquarters without informing me? And why are you acting so strangely around me? And most importantly, what the hell does Maes know that I don't?" Voice turning brisk and business-like, Roy got straight to the point. If Ed didn't have any good answers, someone would be fried.
Edward gulped, backing up a step. "Why should I tell you?" he demanded.
"If I have to, I will order you to tell me everything I want to know. I'm your commanding officer, Fullmetal. I have power over you," Roy explained calmly, though with a hint of a threat underlying his words.
The blonde narrowed his eyes once more. "So, now we're back to 'Fullmetal' again? I was starting to like the sound of my name on your lips, Colonel. And besides, you only have power over me if I let you," he shot back, his voice laced with sarcasm.
"And that's supposed to mean…?" Roy asked, taking another step closer to the teenager.
Ed sighed before gazing into the Flame Alchemist's obsidian eyes. Deciding to just get everything over with (the Colonel just wasn't going to give up, was he?), he explained. "I'm saying that there's no way I'm giving you any more power over me, you bastard. You've already complicated my life and there's no way in hell that you're ever going to take advantage of me. My feelings for you aside, you're nothing but a cheap smart-ass with a God-complex. I'm not giving you the chance to ruin my life…"
Roy froze. "Explain yourself," he stated in his military-commanding voice. He wasn't sure what to make of the situation, so he fell back onto his years of training. He had learned people listened to him when he used that tone of voice. The problem was…Ed wasn't like other people. A fact Mustang knew all too well.
"I don't have to tell you anything," Ed replied. Something told Mustang he wasn't going to budge, either.
"What feelings? I thought you hated me," Roy persisted, latching onto an interesting tidbit of Ed's speech.
The Fullmetal Alchemist shook his head frantically, forgetting his resolve not to speak. "No! I never hated you, Roy. You just always got on my nerves when you manipulated me and acted so superior. But now that I think over it, I don't think I could imagine you being any less cocky. Without the arrogance, you wouldn't be the Roy I fell for-" he cut himself short with a gasp, taking a few hurried steps sideways.
"What did you say?" Roy questioned, rooted to where he stood. Even after all his years of military service, nothing could have prepared him for this. Nothing could have prepared him for the way his heart leapt in his chest at Edward's words, or how his feelings knotted together in his stomach. Though his facial expression protected his emotions, Ed could still see the confusion, hope, longing, and…love?...in his superior's eyes.
The child-prodigy stopped running away when he noticed the feelings reflected in the depths of his crush's eyes. It was proof that the other was struggling with the exact same feelings. "Colon…um, Roy?" he asked tentatively, not bothering to repeat his confession. Normally he would have sauntered over to the Flame Alchemist and demanded, rather hotly, an answer as to what was going on. But this was different. He tried to calm the butterflies in his stomach, but nothing seemed to work.
At least, judging by Mustang's reaction, Ed wasn't the only one dealing with conflicting emotions.
Roy shook his head, as though waking up from some inner struggle. At the older Elric's confession, his brain had ceased to function and his innermost desires took over. "Edward? Do you…mean it…?" He asked, almost gasping between the words.
At Ed's almost shy nod, Roy beckoned him over. "Good. Because if you didn't, I'd have to torch you." He smirked, back to normal, as he pulled the younger boy into his arms. Ed stiffened slightly, though part of him was rejoicing inside. This was so, so wrong. This was his superior in the military…they couldn't have a relationship…it would never work! "As long as the Fuhrer never finds out, then there's nothing to keep us from being together. Your brother won't tattle, and neither will my subordinates," Mustang spoke, as if reading Ed's thoughts.
"Your subordinates?" Ed asked, willing his body to loosen up.
Roy grinned. "Yes, my subordinates. You're not one of them anymore."
"Why not?" the blonde demanded harshly, some of his old fire returning to his eyes. Now that everything was out in the open, he felt more like himself than he had in days. Now all of a sudden, all his hidden doubts and fears were washed away. Everything from the age difference to the fact that they were both male—it didn't matter anymore. None of that was important, at least compared to the depth of their shared feelings. If Roy was willing to put his career on the line for this relationship, then Ed figured he shouldn't worry so much about tiny details. What mattered now was that they both knew the other felt the same, and at the moment, that was enough.
"…Because you're my equal. Men can't have a relationship if one is considered less important than the other. An honorable relationship doesn't work that way, Edward. Remember that." Roy nodded, sinking down to his knees and resting his head in Ed's dusty-golden hair. His fingers automatically started to tangle in the younger boy's braid as he let out a contented sigh. It seemed he had finally set things straight with Fullmetal.
Ed gasped slightly before burrowing closer to the Colonel's chest, nuzzling his face into Roy's neck. "I'm not the one with the God-complex," he joked. His own arms lifted over Roy's neck as he clung tightly, returning the embrace.
The Flame Alchemist let his eyes slip close as he reveled in the feeling of Ed's breath wafting over his neck. "I'm not the only one around here with a big ego," he murmured back, inhaling the scent of Ed's hair.
"Roy?" Ed asked, the seriousness in his voice alerting Roy's attention. "All joking aside, how are we going to make this work? I mean, won't this affect your goal of becoming Fuhrer? And what about my own goal to obtain the Philosopher's Stone?"
The raven-haired man smiled, finally lifting his head off of Ed's. "I'll still become Fuhrer. You just watch! The public can't know of our involvement with each other, but Al and the others will cover for us. And you can still search for the Philosopher's Stone. I know your brother's well-being is what's most important to you."
"Thanks…Roy," Ed whispered with soft gratitude. "Thanks for understanding. And I know you have to give me missions every so often…I just get so frustrated about not finding the Philosopher's Stone. I don't mean to take it out on you. It's just that you always made me feel strangely and I didn't know how to react, that's all."
"But now you do." Roy smirked down at the confused boy before leaning down and planting a chaste kiss on his lips. He pulled back after a few seconds, his eyes searching Ed's tawny eyes for a reaction.
Edward blinked the glazed look out of his eyes as he returned Roy's stare. "I don't understand," he mumbled in a fake-innocent voice. "How do you want me to react to you nowadays?"
"I think you know," Mustang replied. He pulled the younger alchemist closer against his chest, tilting Ed's head back in the process. "Maybe you'd like another demonstration of your next mission." The smirk on his face grew wider; his black eyes sparkled mischievously.
The Fullmetal Alchemist grinned back. "My next mission?" His affirmative answer came in the form of a searing kiss, leaving both breathless. "…You see, I always told you that your damn missions were distracting me from finding the Philosopher's Stone!"