Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Misspoken ❯ Acknowledgment ( Chapter 12 )

 

Misspoken

 

XII

 

Acknowledgment

 

Ed peeked around the doorway and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the office was empty. Taking one last look around to be sure he was alone, Ed walked quickly into the office toward the desk, then began looking through the papers, trying to find his paycheck. It wasn't that he was avoiding Mustang... exactly... Or at least, that was what he tried to tell himself and he shuffled through the documents and folders.

 

“Is this what you're looking for?” a voice asked behind him. Cringing, Ed slowly turned around to see Mustang lounging on one of the couches, white envelope in hand, and an amused look on his face.

 

“Hawkeye said you'd left for lunch...” Ed said, more petulantly than he'd meant to.

 

Mustang nodded. “That's what I told her to tell you.”

 

Ed felt a little betrayed by that. “She lied to me...”

 

“No, I lied to her. She told you the truth as she knew it,” Mustang said easily, then motioned for Ed to sit down.

 

He wanted to refuse; wanted to grab his check and leave, but the colonel was slipping the envelope into a pocket on the inside of his military jacket. If he wanted it, he'd have to practically strip him to get it. Not that Ed wouldn't enjoy that, but...

 

Turning his attention away from Mustang, Ed took a seat on the other couch that faced the one Mustang was sitting on. He glanced at the door and felt irritated that he could have failed to think someone might be sitting on the couch that was facing away from the office entrance...

 

“So... I hear you and the lieutenant had an interesting conversation during my brief stay in the hospital.”

 

Ed's eyes widened a little and he could feel blood rush to his cheeks. He wanted to say something snide or flippant, but his mouth didn't seem to want to open and he couldn't get his mixed thoughts set straight. Looking down to his lap, Ed tried to come up with an answer that wouldn't sound pathetic and weak.

 

Unfortunately, nothing came to him and after a long moment of silence, Ed finally nodded silently. His eyes moved to the door and he felt the panicked desire to flee from the room. Run away. Hide. Never come back to Central so that he wouldn't have to face this humiliation again.

 

He expected Mustang to say something, but there was nothing; only the cold, harsh, suffocating silence. Looking up, Ed saw that Mustang was studying him with a serious look on his face. That wasn't the expression Ed was used to. Most of the time, the colonel had a smirking or slightly condescending look for him. Even when they'd spent some extracurricular time together, Mustang hadn't been serious like this.

 

“So...” Ed said, not able to stand the silence much longer. “You know.” It wasn't a question. He swallowed in an effort to wet his too dry throat and waited in nerve-wracking silence for an answer.

 

Mustang pressed his lips a little and breathed in deeply before closing his eyes and giving a small nod as he exhaled. His eyes opened and he glanced away from Ed, his face holding an unsure expression.

 

“You're not the only one who had an... interesting... conversation with Hawkeye...” Mustang finally said. Ed waited, not really sure what to say; dreading what might come, and hoping Mustang would accept him despite all his faults. “She said that I'm not being fair to you,” Mustang said.

 

Ed nodded. Hawkeye had said something of the same effect when they'd talked.

 

Mustang cleared his throat. “I do think you're a nice ki—” He cut off, seeming to think better of what he was about to say, then continued on a different track. “What do you want from me?”

 

Ed blinked. “What do you mean?”

 

There was a small tightening of the lips as if Mustang felt a little put out at having to explain himself. “I know you... like me... So, what do you want from me? What are you hoping for?”

 

“Ah...” Ed murmured, then looked down at his lap in embarrassment. Mustang was talking about it as if it was no big deal; he didn't seem embarrassed by this at all... “Well, um, you know, I guess I'd kinda like to, um...” He glanced up at Mustang and scowled at the hint of amusement playing at the corner of his lips. “If you're enjoying my discomfort, I swear that bruise on your face will be the least of your problems...”

 

Mustang cleared his throat, and waved a hand as if to say `continue'. He also worked to hide the amused look in his eyes, but Ed could see that it was still there. Well, fuck that. Schooling his features and working to hide the nervous apprehension, Ed said, “You want to know what I want?”

 

“I did ask.”

 

Ed stood up and walked over to where the man was sitting. His heart was beating wildly in his chest and every decent instinct inside of him was screaming for him to run out of the room. Instead, Ed put one knee to the couch and leaned over Mustang. He smirked at the fact that at the moment, he was towering over his commanding officer. Mustang looked up with that same amused look and arched an eyebrow expectantly as if he knew what was coming.

 

“I want...” Ed whispered huskily, “Well... what I've been wanting for a long time... is... more money in my research budget.” Mustang blinked. Apparently he hadn't been ready for that. “That's right,” Ed said, feeling a little more confident at Mustang's confusion. “More money. I can't do everything I need to with that recent cut in my research budget, and the military doesn't pay me nearly enough to make up for that.”

 

There was no longer an amused look on Mustang's face, but a serious and thoughtful expression. “I'll see what I can do...” he murmured after a moment.

 

Ed stared. “You will...?”

 

“That's what I said, wasn't it?” Mustang seemed a little irritated that he was being doubted. “I can't promise anything; after all, you have been spending way too much.”

 

Ed opened his mouth as if to say that he'd needed that money, but he stopped himself. He really was pretty free with the military funds... Taking a deep breath, Ed turned and flopped down on the couch beside Mustang and grumbled, “I'll try to control my spending...”

 

“That's very... mature... of you to say,” Mustang said, and Ed thought he sounded a little distracted.

 

“Yeah, well, you know... I'm not twelve anymore,” Ed said, sounding a little irritable; yet secretly feeling pleased at the compliment—at least, he thought it was a compliment...

 

Mustang glanced at him and let his eyes wander over Ed's body before nodding. “Yes, I have noticed that.” A pause. “You know nothing ever happens quickly in the military...” Ed nodded, thinking of the bureaucracy and complex politics. “Until I can get back to you on your request, would dinner together on Friday night be alright?” That caught Ed off guard and he simply stared dumbstruck at Mustang. The man seemed pleased at Ed's reaction, and asked smoothly, “Is that a yes?”

 

Again and again Ed opened and closed his mouth as he tried to figure out a reply. Was that alright? Was it a yes?! Was the man crazy?! Of course it was a yes!! How could he say no?! But... dinner... Was that an invitation for a date?

 

“Do you have something nice to wear?” Mustang asked. “I like taking my dates to nice places.”

 

It was a date!! Ed thought he was going to pass out from lack of air. Was this really happening? He nodded. “Yeah... I'll find something...” He paused, then said, “So... you're asking me out on a... date... as in a real date?” He had to ask, had to clarify, because it just didn't seem real.

 

Mustang stared at him silently for a moment, then said, “Yes, a date. A... casual date. No commitment for anything else. Just something for us to see what we think of each other in that type of a situation. Sound okay?”

 

Ed pressed his lips in thought. What did this mean? Was this just Mustang exploring his interest in men in general, or did it have to do with him? Did it matter? He thought on it for a moment, and decided that, no, it didn't. Mustang hadn't said this was anything more than a casual date, and that's all Ed would take it as too. Even if Mustang didn't end up being interested in him, at least he'd be able to have a real date with him and that's more than he'd ever hoped for before.