Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Undercover but with what? ❯ Contact? ( Chapter 3 )

Sorry that this has taken so long. Holidays have been very hectic. But now they're over and I have heaps more time to write, so these will be coming out in regular either weekly or fortnightly times. Depending on how busy I am with studies. But you wont be waiting a month or two, that's for sure.

Disclaimer: I in no way own Full Metal Alchemist, though I do own the current Fuhrer, Jacob.

Warnings: Though there are no graphic scenes as of yet there is a bit of suggestive dialogue in this chapter.

Usually I would put review responses here but I've been told that if I do that, my story can be deleted and hopefully none of you want that. If you don't have a name on that I can respond to then yes, I will put your name on here but otherwise I'll respond to you each personally just before I post a new chapter, so all of you that have reviewed will have your response in your email. I hope that that way is okay for you all…

Anyway, Happy Reading!

Chapter 3 - Contact?

Both Ed and Roy were silent as they ate their sandwiches.

Roy was silent because he wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to act being in such close proximity with Ed since he hardly saw him except when he came into report after his missions. Occasionally Ed would barge in and complain about something…there was that one time with the Barry the Chopper case. But that was as much contact as they ever had…to do what they had to do now…they had no basis for any type of relationship. Despite Ed's big looks and brave words (1), he was still just a kid.

And Ed was silent because he was extremely guilty. And he was mad. And that wasn't a good combination. Mustang had specifically asked him not to look at those books. And he had but why did Mustang have books like that in the first place?

After a few more minutes Ed sighed and put down his sandwich half. He needed to try and say something.

“I know that I shouldn't have looked at those books…”

“No, you shouldn't have”

“Thanks,” Ed said sourly.

“I'm not going to make this any easier for you. You're in the wrong here not me,” Roy replied, giving him a look that clearly said he wasn't going to say anything encouraging.

“That's so typical you arrogant bastard (2). You're not in the wrong? You aren't going to take any responsibility!?”

“Responsibility? For what? Owning a few books? Unlike you Edward, I am an adult and can purchase whatever items for my home that I would like and I certainly don't have to explain to you why I've bought them”

Edwards's anger burst into flames and he leaned forward aggressively and placed his hands on the bench in front of him.

“What the hell are you doing with books like that? Sure the Central Library has books like that as well but those books in there… those books are rare, they're detailed. Only someone wanting to use forbidden alchemy would have them”

“Well you'd know wouldn't you?”

Ed glared at him and stood angrily.

“Don't try and turn this around onto me, this is about you!”

“And it's my business!” Roy yelled. Ed faltered for a moment, he had never seen Mustang lose his temper before…he'd always had a controlled expression, controlled words. The perfect suck-up…

“Its none of your business Ed. You have no right demanding answers like they're owed to you. My reasons for having those books have nothing to do with our mission or anything that involves it. I'm moving your bed out of there later tonight. My study is now off-bounds”

Mustang's voice had calmed down to his normal controlled tone but his words were just as strong as his yell. Ed stared at him for a few moments, taking it in.

“Fine,” Ed replied and walked towards the front door. He didn't want to be near Mustang. Sure, he knew he wasn't owed any answers, and of course he had no right to them, he would have said the same thing if Mustang had asked him about his past but that didn't make him any less mad, any less not understanding.

“Where are you going?” Roy asked, not wanting Ed to be wandering the streets with so much emotion controlling him. He was bound to get himself into some kind of trouble without Al around to keep him in check.

“Out. You're my `lover' not my father!”

Roy didn't watch Ed leave but he knew the moment was gone when the front door slammed shut. He sighed and looked at his sandwich. But he didn't feel like eating it. His appetite was gone. Lover? Yeah, right.

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Five and a half hours later Mustang dished their dinner up. Chops and vegetables. But Ed wasn't back yet…and though he didn't like to admit it, Roy was getting worried. There wasn't much for an alchemist fanatic teenager who had no social life to do around Central. The only thing was reading but the Central Library was closed today for construction reasons. And Roy doubted Ed would go to a public library since they had hardly any alchemy books and most likely none that Ed hadn't read.

Roy slowly wandered down the hallway, lighting a few candles on the way, deciding it was far too dark. He somehow ended up in his study. He remembered that he had to move Ed's bed as he walked towards the `Forbidden' bookcase. He looked at the titles of some of the books. `Forbidden Alchemy - Chimeras at their worst', `Lead to Gold - How to - Is it Myth?', `Alchemy for the Forbidden Souls'. Frowning slightly, he lifted a book out and flipped it open gently. In a lot of the pages were his scribbled notes he had made when he had used them, studied them… Such a dark time…he could still hear the screams of the Ishbalans…still see the Rockbells faces as they accepted what he had to do. He could remember every word that they spoke, word for word, as they told him there was nothing else he could do…but was that true? Could he have done something different? Saved those innocent doctors lives? But if he had of run…someone else would have killed them anyway…could he -

“Reminiscing?”

Roy turned around in surprise.

“Maes”

“Brought your roommate back. He should learn to be more careful. Almost ran him over”

Roy's heart skipped a beat.

“Where is he?”

“Watching TV. How are you?” Maes asked, his face turning serious as he looked at Roy a little closer.

Roy looked down at the book he was reading. With a slight smirk he closed it and put it back on the shelf.

“Do you think maybe you could get rid of it now? Is this why Ed is so mad at you?”

“The books?” At Maes' nod Roy said, “No, it's my reminder. I'm such a coward…having it, and not being able to use it”

Maes smiled, almost sadly.

“It's smart, not cowardly…Gracia made an apple pie for you! I put it on the bench!! Elysia helped so it'll be a dream come true dessert for you! She's such a good cook! It's decided then, she'll become a world famous chef!!”

Roy's face drooped. Did Maes ever stop?

“Maes!”

Maes smiled.

“I have some pictures I took this morning, want to see them? I think they're the best ever yet”

“Hughes! We're not talking on the phone you realise!?” Roy told him and watched in satisfaction as Maes' face changed as he realised that fact.

“So I'll be going then,” Maes said. And then, as it does, his face turned serious all of a sudden. “Go easy on the kid, he has a lot of pent up emotion in that short body. And with Al gone I'll bet he's finding it harder to do this mission”

Roy nodded as they walked out into the hallway. He knew that, but sometimes it was hard to remember that Ed had any other emotion than anger.

“Thanks Maes”

They reached the front door and Hughes turned to him. He smiled and slapped Mustang on the back.

“Good luck. I better go; wanna say goodnight to Elysia!” And with that Maes disappeared out the door and down the hall.

Roy closed the door behind Maes and turned to look at the top of Ed's head, the mop of bright yellow hair.

“Dinners ready, did you want some?” Roy asked, hoping that Ed would answer, despite his bad mood.

“Yeah,” Ed said and stood. As he walked over to the island (3) Roy noticed that he was holding a piece of paper.

“What's that?” Roy asked as he put Ed's dinner in front of him, the plate piled with food.

“Questions,” Ed said as he handed the piece of paper to Mustang. Mustang took it as he put down his own plate.

“Questions?”

“That's what I said,” Ed replied. “Read them”

Roy looked down at it.

1# What's your favourite color?

2# What's your favourite food?

And the list went on and on for about 30 questions, including what do you look for in a partner and why males appeal to you.

“They don't, just one,” Mustang said, almost to himself.

“What?” Ed asked, looked up from eating.

“Nothing. What's with all these questions?” Roy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ed rolled his eyes, as if Mustang was stupid.

“We're supposed to get to know each other. That's the whole stupid idea of me staying here. Since we both don't like talking to each other, for various reasons, I thought that if we have a list of questions, that should be enough”

Roy looked at Ed, almost in disbelief, then at the paper, then at Ed, then back at the paper. Then he ripped the paper in half. Ed's jaw dropped.

“What are you doing you moron!? Now I'm going to have to re-write that. What the hell was that for?”

“Because it's a stupid idea,” Mustang said with a shrug.

“You got a better idea asshole?”

Roy sighed. Ed was really quite stubborn and idiotic when he wanted to be.

“Knowing what my favourite color is and knowing what I want in a partner isn't the main thing that's going to help…just knowing that isn't enough. It's not going to change who either of us are and its not going to help us get to know each other better. They're trivial things. The answers aren't important. How we ask them is. Writing them down and exchanging them isn't going to do anything of real merit. The whole idea of lovers is contact”

“I'm not touching you,” Ed said in disgust. Only he was ever going to know that his tone was put on and completely untrue. The thought of touching Mustang was anything but disgusting.

“Both types of contact Edward. Stop acting so childish”

“Who are you calling a child!?” Ed asked, his voice rising.

“I'm not…Ed, focus. Of course lover's touch, the whole idea of lovers is to be intimately close. To want each other. But without communication there would be no relationship to base that lust on. Lust or a `connection' is usually the reason that lovers come to be together, but communication is what keeps them together. So-”

“What your saying is that we need to constantly talk to be able to pull this off?” Ed asked, his voice giving away the fact that he thought Mustang was crazy.

“That's only the tip of what I'm trying to say,” Mustang replied.

“So what are you trying to say? We aren't real lovers, what real lovers are about don't apply to us. As long as people believe that we're lovers, it doesn't matter what the relationship is like”

“Behind doors Edward!! It only doesn't matter behind doors”

Mustang sighed. Then a smirk began forming on his lips that made a cold shiver run down Ed's back. And he wasn't sure whether it was a good or a bad shiver. Mustang walked around the table.

“Or…would you rather we consummate it? People who are intimately close are said to be closer in spirit,” he said as he moved closer. He stood over Ed and leaned down a little.

“What do you say Ed? Talking or, something else a little more tiring? I'm betting you'll enjoy it more then sitting around and asking questions,” Mustang said as he raised his eyebrows for a split second.

His breathing getting embarrassingly heavy Ed stared up at Mustang with wide eyes.

(1) In the anime he's always talking big and being strong, but Ed is still vulnerable as a child. I hope that you understand what I'm trying to say here…

(2) I was going to have Ed thinking this and then I realised that Ed doesn't really think much before he speaks and it would be more likely that he would just burst out saying that instead of thinking it.

(3) I explained what the island bench was in the second chapter and I've decided to just call it island so I hope you understood what I meant by that.

And that's chapter 3. For the long wait I hope its not too disappointing. I know its not very long but its that average of how long my chapters are. Sorry, but I don't seem to make longer chapters than that. I hope they're enough for you.

This chapter is mostly dialogue and not a lot of detail but I think that its needed...I hope you do as well...

He he…cliff-hanger again. I just can't help it, sorry guys. You wont have to wait long for the next chapter though so don't freak out too much. Lol. Thanks for reading, please REVIEW: D I'll love you forever. : D