Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ All's Fair in Love and Alchemy ❯ The Beginning of Plans ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. If I did, Edward would be in my bed every night *drool* Lol.

A/N: I'm making this up as I go along XD so don't blame me if the plot is all half-assed. Oh, in this fic, Ed and Winry are 19, Al is 18 and Roy is 23. And they might be a bit OoC…

 

The pathway smelled like roses, Edward observed, sitting on a bench under a tree. Well, of course the path smelled like roses. There were rosebushes lining it on either side. What, did you think it would smell of pansies?

Alphonse was sitting beside him, sun shining on his metal body, looking up at his elder brother curiously. “What did you want to tell me, brother?” he asked, gloved hands clasped in his lap. Edward rubbed his eyes, yawning. After the roof incident, he had stayed up there for hours more, leaning over the railing and wondering. Wondering about Lust and the other Homunculi, where they were, what they wanted with this box, why they were willing to help him in return. Wondering about Winry, why she loved Mustang, of all people, why she was here now, what she was doing here right now. Mustang wasn't on leave, though Edward and Alphonse were. Wondering about the box, why the Homunculi wanted it, where it was, when he could get it. Wondering about his life. Who, what, where, when, why. All questions that couldn't be answered.

“You look terrible, by the way,” Alphonse added, looking at the deep bags under Edward's eyes. “Didn't get much sleep last night,” Edward replied shortly. “Anyway, what I needed to talk about.” He had briefly wondered during breakfast this morning whether or not to actually tell Alphonse about this, and decided to leave out the encounter with Winry.

“Last night, I couldn't sleep, so I went up on the roof,” he said, speaking quickly and quietly, leaning closer. “I met with Lust. Sssh!” he hissed, as Alphonse let out a sharp cry. “They won't make you try to make the Philosopher's Stone again, will they?” the soul-in-armor asked loudly. A few people stared. “Al, shut up!” Edward snapped in a whisper. “No, they won't! All they want is a little black box of Roy's. I'm going to get it for them.” “But brother,” Alphonse whispered back. “Why?” “Because they're doing something for me in return!” “What?” “I'm not saying yet, I haven't decided,” Edward lied. “But it would be useful to be able to pull a favour from the Homunculi whenever I'd like, wouldn't it?” “True,” Alphonse conceded. “Where is the box?” “In a locked drawer in a closet in Mustang's office,” Edward said, trying not to feel guilty about lying to Alphonse. He promised himself he would be entirely truthful about everything else in the explanation now. “We have three days to get it for them.” “But where will we meet them, brother?”

Edward stopped. “I… never thought to ask,” he admitted, scratching his head. “Uh… maybe on the rooftop again? How would we get a message to them?” “Maybe they'll get a message to us,” Alphonse suggested, leaning past Edward to look around him. “Hush! Here comes Major Armstrong!”

“Hello, boys,” boomed the deep voice of the Major. Edward sighed, turning to face the huge man. “Hello, Armstrong,” he said reluctantly. “Beautiful day, isn't it?” Armstrong rumbled, gesturing around at the sun, the blue sky and the birds. “Y-yeah, it's lovely,” Edward said, trying to look as though he were interested. “Gorgeous,” Alphonse added. “Glad it's spring.” “Yes, most grateful,” Armstrong boomed. He suddenly leaned in very close to Edward. “Three days, Fullmetal Pipsqueak,” whispered Envy's voice, chuckling. Armstrong's blue eyes glittered with Envy's coldness. “Meet Lust here with the box.” “Envy!?” Edward gasped. “Envy?” Armstrong/Envy thundered. “Yep, tomorrow should be envious of today. Heard it was gonna rain.” He straightened up, scratching the little curl of blond hair on his otherwise-bare head. “Well, I'll see you boys later. Have a nice day!” He waved, trotting off and around the corner.

Edward's yellow eyes were wide. “That was Envy,” he hissed in Alphonse's general direction. “Didn't it say we had to meet Lust back here?” Alphonse whispered back. “Yeah, in three days,” Edward replied quietly. “What if we don't have the box by then?” “We'll just have to fake it,” Alphonse said. “But then—” Edward began.

“What are you guys being so secretive about, hm?”

Both froze, then slowly turned around. “Gyaah, Winry!” Edward yelped. “Don't scare me like that; what are you trying to do? Kill me?” “At least it would shut you up,” she teased, flicking a strand of blond hair behind her. Roy had his arm slung casually around her shoulder, and she was holding the hand draping down from it. Immediately upon seeing this, Edward flinched and looked away. “Aren't you supposed to be working?” he asked his boss challengingly. “The Fuhrer was kind enough to give me a week's leave,” Roy said, yawning. “You look terrible.” “Not much sleep last night,” Edward growled, glaring. “So that gives you an excuse to be impertinent,” Roy said, tapping his fist on the young alchemist's head. “Shorty.”

Edward's eyes bugged. “WHO'REYOUCALLINGATINYLITTLEITTYBITTYSPECKOFDUSTTHATCAN'TBESEENWITHOU TATELESCOPEANDEVENTHENISVERYVERYTINY (1)?” he yelled, jumping around waving his arms. Alphonse scratched his head. “Nobody said that!” he said wearily, pulling his brother back down. Winry giggled. “That was mean,” she scolded Roy in a mock-angry voice, poking his nose. “Edward's not short, he's vertically challenged.” Roy kissed her hard, moving his mouth around on hers. She replied eagerly.

Something tore in the Fullmetal Pipsqueak—ah, I mean, Alchemist. Edward flinched again, putting a hand over his chest. “Are you all right, brother?” Alphonse asked worriedly. “Heartburn,” Edward muttered. “C'mon, Al, we've gotta go do… you-know-what.” He got up and started walking in the direction Armstrong had, body rigid and resolutely not looking back. “Sorry, he's… not very well today,” Alphonse apologized swiftly and softly to Winry and Roy, who were now staring oddly. “Short on sleep, y'know.” “WHO'REYOUCALLINGSHORT!?” Edward shrieked from where he was about a hundred feet away. “How did he hear that?” Roy asked, while Winry giggled. “I don't know,” Alphonse said, waving and trotting off toward his brother.

“All right,” Edward said. “I've got it all worked out.” He punched his flesh fist into his metal hand. “Where is Roy Mustang right now?” Alphonse looked back to where they had just been. “Uh…” he scratched his head. “Exactly!” Edward said. “Where is Roy Mustang's office?” Alphonse looked back up at the military base. “Uh…” he scratched his head again. “EXACTLY!” Edward yelled again. “THEY'RE IN DIFFERENT PLACES!” People stared. “What is he doing?” Winry sighed. “Who knows?” Roy replied.

Edward had begun running. “C'mon, Al!” he called. “This is our chance!” The suit of armor jogged after him. “Why do I get the feeling this is going to go wrong?” he muttered to himself.

 

 

1) Ed said: “WHO'RE YOU CALLING A TINY LITTLE ITTY BITTY SPECK OF DUST THAT CAN'T BE SEEN WITHOUT A TELESCOPE AND EVEN THEN IS VERY, VERY TINY???” Just for those of you who couldn't read it ^.^