Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Departure ❯ Train talk ( Chapter 6 )

 

Departure VI

Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist does not belong to me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

Pairing: Roy and Ed, others mentioned

Warnings: Divergence after episode 13, emo!Roy, shonen-ai and spoilers for Ishbal.

A/N: And we now wade off into the murky yonder... because I really just wanted to write something about the PTSD. Now we go to where I have only vague ideas. Beware, this will turn into Roy/Ed, and possibly Scar/Al. I can't help it, Scar is my favorite tragic character ever. I hope I can maintain my plot... I have a bunny for a Roy!genderswitch fic. Really. Dammit.


"Then he told me where Marco was," Ed said, dully recounting his conversation with the Colonel to the man in front of him.

Suffice to say, Hughes was Not Happy with what he'd found from his younger cohort.

Ed wasn't used to the man being silent. It was more unnerving the constant barrage of pictures or declarations of affection to his wife and daughter.

He was still, too. Staring down at his glass of whiskey like it was the cause of all this trouble. Ed was, frankly, glad he didn't know what was going on in the man's head.

"Well, at least I know what it is he keeps seeing," Maes finally answered, taking one last swig. "Stupid bastard... He probably thought he was protecting me by keeping me out of the loop. Maybe he did. Whatever Gran is up to is so classified I doubt the entire investigation department would be able to dig it up- at least, not without getting dug under themselves." He frowned again. "I should have realized it was bad when I caught him..." Hughes grimaced, and rubbed his jaw. Ed perked up.

"What haven't you told me?" he demanded, hands smacking on the couch he sat on.

That evening, immediately after his match with Mustang, Ed arrived at Hughes' barracks intent on fulfilling his part of the deal. Hughes had, in turn, invited him in and poured some whiskey, offering tea to his younger guest.

"Right after he came back from Ishbal, I came to pry him out of his dorm, and found the entire apartment covered in transmutation circles. I didn't know what I was seeing, but he told me it was a taboo." Maes lifted his fingers, ticking off points. "There are two things I know are forbidden to state alchemists. Never make gold, and never make humans. Considering Roy doesn't give a shit about gold, I could deduce what it was."

Ed looked down at his mug of tea.

"He was afraid to take his own life and wanted to be useful, Ed. So he decided he would try and bring back two people. So, I did the only thing I could."

Ed lifted his head to blink bright golden eyes at Maes.

"Bitch slapped him into submission."

"You're serious?" Ed gaped, starting to snicker. Oh, he understood the implications of what Mustang would have done far better than anyone... but he well remembered the look on Mustang's face when he'd fixed his jaw.

"Well, no, I shook him a bit and told him there were easier ways to kill yourself. That's when he decided on something- made a vow."

Maes had already finished his glass, and made to pour another before throwing the tumbler at the wall. It didn't break, but made one hell of a thump.

"Damn it! What the hell is going on here? Ishbal, the prototype stones, using the alchemists- what does it mean? Its got to tie in somehow..." Hughes' face contorted, before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well, you keep working on that. Al and I are going out to look for Marco tomorrow," Ed tossed out, curious as how he'd react.

To his surprise, Hughes smiled a little. "It might a good idea. You don't need to be here when whatever happens, happens." He turned grim.

"I really don't want you here when I really do bitchslap Roy." Maes face creased, taking his glasses off to rub at his eyes this time. "Dammit."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The kitten didn't really mind that it had been left again. It would miss the cold one, who gave it food and milk. It would miss the one with the warm hand who would pet it when no one was looking. Yet being left was something it had, sadly, gotten used to.

It was also getting cold. The warm-handed-one had made it a nest, but when night fell, it was still a cold place without someone to cuddle with.

No food, either. It would have to go hunt soon or try to sleep.

The kitten then noticed a dark shadow approaching, somewhere near. It was picked up, making it yowl in surprise, held by the scruff of its neck.

"Cat, huh?"

The kitten found itself tucked into the crook of a human elbow. It looked up, noting the dark-sky-colors and the human face. It also noted the smell of burning things.

"Equivalent exchange, I guess," the human went on, even though the kitty didn't understand the words. There were others, and a loud sigh, but the kitten didn't care. It was quickly tucked under the night-colored coat, and very warm.

Kitty was happy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ed stretched out, swaying slightly with the train as it rumbled along. Kicking his feet up, he propped them against the bench arm and leaned back to stare blankly upwards.

His thoughts about what had happened in the past few days had spun through his head like a rock tumbler, becoming smooth and shiny from the handling.

"I am not worried about him."

"No, you're not, Brother," Al answered, sitting across from him. He had been the captive audience for all of Ed's nods, denials, random arm movements and voiceless ranting.

"He can handle himself. I don't owe him anything."

Al nearly commented, but didn't, on how they probably did.

"He is not getting us out of East City because it might be dangerous and he wants to protect us."

Al sighed noisily. Ed was an entire debate in himself.

"This is the best lead we've had on the stone in years, and I am not going to waste it because I saw Gran giving Mustang a pervy look."

Al started- he would have objected to leaving if he'd know about that.

"I am not worried about him!"

Al grunted.

"Am I?"

Al had finally had enough. "Yes, you are worried about him. You are worried he's going to elope with Hughes and leave you alone like all the other girls in East City."

"He would not elope with Hughes!" Ed snarled, finally sitting up and shooting daggers. "Hughes is straighter than a pencil!"

Al would have smirked if he had lips. Wait for it...

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE'D BE MISTAKEN FOR A LOVESICK GIRL?"

Ah, Ed... Al knew he would never let him down.

"Certainly not you, Brother," Al murmured, trying not to laugh. "But you're acting like one."

Ed whirled, turning away, and Al paused. This was new.

"Brother... is there something you want to tell me?"

Ed huffed and squirmed.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I've known you were gay ever since you groped Psiren and did nothing at all."

Ed turned, eyes wide, to stare at Al in shock. "Say what?"

"You touched the boobs of a gorgeous woman who was obviously coming on to you and acted like she was a chimera. You weren't even embarrassed, touching that!" Al's words were all exaggerated patience.

Then there's this stuff about Mustang and you're all worried and I saw you making cow eyes at him yesterday!"

Ed sputtered. "I am not gay!"

"Brother, haven't you ever thought about Winry? What she would grow up to look like?" Al had not considered that his brother would be in denial.

"That macho chick?"

"Haven't you ever looked at a girl?"

"Sure I've looked at girls!"

"I mean like, you know, sex objects!"

Ed couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his little brother's non-existent mouth. Ed, having a mouth, was not able to use it.

"What do you think about when you jack off then?"

His older brother was turning a beautiful shade of puce.

"I am not having this conversation with my baby brother!"

"Hey, I'm only younger than you are by a year!"

"I still don't need to be hearing this from you!"

"Why not? I'm your only family and the only person you could talk to," Al asked, frustrated as a piece of metal with a soul could be..

Ed looked away, crossing his arms. "I am not gay."

"But do you like the Colonel?"

Al would have loved to know what was going through his brother's mind right then. Yet knowing Edward as he did, he could make an educated guess.

A gut reaction of "Fucking bastard!" then guilt because he had proof Mustang wasn't Pure Evil Sent By God to Piss Him Off. There would be anger that the man would dare want to protect them, then more guilt because a part of him that refused to see the light of day liked the idea. Then sheer rage that Al had found him staring and then he would ponder the man, going back over his memories, and he would finally...

"I hate that bastard and I don't care what Gran does to him! We're going to find Marco and that is final!"

Al counted the steps as Ed stomped to the train lavatory- and snickered. He guessed Ed would be there for a while... Considering he knew exactly how long it had been since Ed had actually relieved any 'tension'. Thinking long and hard about the Colonel in that vein should clear a few things up...

He would have smiled. Al knew his brother denied himself, for Al's sake.

Edward didn't realize, that Al wanted him to feel for them both.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Stomp, stomp. Stompstompstomp.

Ed couldn't believe his brother- he had-

He'd made him think about the bastard that way, dammit! He hadn't wanted to! He hadn't wanted to think about how much he'd enjoyed their fight. He didn't want to think about how fucking pretty Mustang was- not pretty in a frufru kind of way but sleek like a big cat and always lazy power and graceful and how he knew just how to push his buttons and-

Sexy fucking bastard! It wasn't fair that he had half of East City mooning, how had he managed to get Ed doing it to? He didn't see this coming! He had to find the Stone, he had to get his brother back inside a body so he could go marry Winry and have sweet gear-crazy babies!

Popping the button of his pants, he shoved the leather down around his knees, not looking as he grabbed soap to slick his hand.

Mustang had smelled like sweat and ash, and like himself. His desk had smelled like his cologne, something kind of woodsy. Ed hadn't paid attention, but he remembered it coming off the man when he was holding the ice to his face.

His face had been really smooth, not even snagging on his gloves. Was the rest of him that smooth?

What would the rest of his body feel like?

Ed shivered, his hand moving faster as he thought about kissing- and not on the lips. Would he taste like he smelled?

His eyes closed, trying to imagine Mustang's hand on him, shivering violently when that thought finally sent him over the edge.

The pleasure from the orgasm waned a few moments later, a momentary relief from the hormones that overloaded a teenage body. It left him relaxed, maybe able to sleep...

And he looked at his hand, worrying his bottom lip.

It wasn't like it was a new thing- masturbating in a train lavatory. What bothered him was that he had a face and a body to imagine.

Al couldn't fall in love. Couldn't lust, even. Couldn't feel that damn stupid twitch in his gut when someone walked close and his pants got too tight. He could care about a person and want them happy but he was still a canned ten year old boy. No expiration date, no chance of food poisoning, perfectly preserved fillet of soul.

It wasn't fair.

Then again, he had given up on the notion of "fair" a long time ago. It had gone to the same place that his notion of God had.

Washing his hands, cleaning himself up, he straightened his clothes.

They still had to find Marco and the Stone... and maybe distance would stop the stupid thoughts of a certain Colonel's haunted eyes.



To be continued.


A/N: I had to add the part about the kitty. Just had to. I think its obvious who took the kitty but if it's not, I'm sorry.