A/N: A 50 themes challenge cowritten by Grygon as Roy and Crimson lantern as Edward. Can also be found on livejournal at spurkycreations.
Where He belongs Chapter one: Angry
Well the flag was different than he remembered. It had more what do you call it… flare? He wasn't a herald or knew anything about heraldry so he couldn't tell what each new gold colored thing meant.
Head quarters still looked the same but he could tell there had been some repairs done since the battle two months ago in which Chairman Ekhart had come through the gate to destroy this place.
Really Edward could stand out here all day just looking around. It had been so long since he'd seen Central even though he'd been here to stop Ekhart. He just hadn't really looked around too upset to see his home in ruins, to stay after he'd seen the General's face upon that plane. It was just too painful. So he'd run to Resembool with Al and Winry, a place that never seemed to change.
But now he'd been called back to Central, back to Headquarters and it almost seemed like old times to him. Different, but the same.
With a sigh, he squared his shoulders and took the first step up the front steps of the main building. After some time and that call out of the blue from Mustang, Edward had a bit of bone to pick with the bastard.
He obtained Roy's new office number from a receptionist at the front desk, had to tell her who he was and that had been a mess but luckily someone recognized him and cleared it up, saved them from having to call up to Mustang's office. Jeeze, he'd have thought he'd been famous enough at least in Central all those years ago he wouldn't have been forgotten.
Edward stared at the large, heavy oak doors nervously. There was so much to be said, so many questions he knew were going to be asked and that he wanted to ask. Damn it, he wasn't a kid anymore and Roy Mustang wasn't going to intimidate him!
Yanking the door open, Ed snapped. "You've got a lot of nerve calling me in here Mustang!"
Roy could swear his subordinate's voice echoed off the office walls. This new office was too big he had decided 2 months ago. A waste of space. Especially on lonely, long nights.
He sighed and gingerly sat aside the pen he'd been signing form after form with. The reconstruction of the entire city, not to mention head quarters, wasn't paying for itself after all.
"Nerve, Ed? That's some vacation you disappeared on... and right when we could have used your skills as an alchemist for cleaning this city up. But I guess I've forgotten, you're Fullmetal, the brat who leaves his messes for others to clean up."
He narrowed his eyes at Ed. "I've been waiting. Hoping you'd drag yourself in. But it's been two months and I've lost patience."
He did not just… Not after that day, not after he'd looked at him as if he wanted him to leave, that look of, 'Why are you still here?' Damn him! Wasn't this just like old times? He thought sardonically, Mustang tearing into him… Ugh he felt the old need to pound Roy's face in rise up inside of him.
Edward stepped into the room and slammed the door behind him, clenching his fists. "Vacation?! You've been waiting and lost patience?! For what?! For me to boost your ass up the ranks again?! From what I've heard the position of Fuher doesn't even exist anymore! So what the hell could you possibly want from me?! Huh?! It sure as hell isn't my presence you bastard!"
Roy looked at Ed for several moments before he smirked and sat back in his chair. "Do I really need to remind you that you're still a dog of the military? I could have you court marshaled for mutiny or going awol. But I suspect it would make little impression on you."
He leveled his facial expression. "So what is it, Ed? I didn't think you'd run off after having just saved the entire city. It's not like you to run away from your problems."
Run away?! He didn't run away. He left because it was clear he wasn't wanted here, not by Roy and wasn't he forgetting the little matter of Liore? Sure Al said that Roy had made it so they were cleared but…
"What do you mean still dog of the military. I haven't been here for two years, I can't still be and I won't be! If I'm still enlisted then I quit or resign or what ever. Show me the damned paperwork and I'll sign it." Other than wanting to confront Roy that's the other reason he'd come. He had what he wanted, Al was back in his body, he was home, he had a life per se what did he need the military for?
He couldn't say he wasn't surprised. After all, he was right. It'd been a long time since Ed had been here to take orders. And after Liore...
"Then why did you come when I called? Old habit?" He wasn't ready just yet to find such a form. He also wasn't ready just yet to admit he had called Ed here for a different matter than military concerns.
Jeeze was he still such an ass? Maybe time away had softened Ed's opinion of him or maybe it when he's appeared to help two months ago like always.
Ed stalked over to a sofa and flopped down with a huff. "No, I didn't come out of habit. I came to resign and give you a piece of my mind." Okay so maybe it was a little out of habit. When he's first taken the call he'd been a little surprised, felt a little nostalgic and wanted to slip back into some sort of routine he'd been accustomed to so long ago. And truth be told over in that other world he'd missed this place and even… Well he'd missed Roy in ways he couldn't understand at first.
"Are you sure, Ed?" Roy didn't like hearing this. He had already made his mind up to leave before coming down here? "You might miss it."
"There's always a desk job if you think you've had too many close calls out on missions." He laughed, though it was soft. "Though I somehow can't see you settling for a 'safe' job like that."
Miss it? Miss nearly getting killed half a dozen times, miss getting beaten up. Ed snorted, "No, I don't think I will, besides," He lifted his leg to cross it over the other. "I've had plenty of other jobs where I've sat behind desks." And he'd studied rockets, and helped to build them, and sat in class rooms at a university in Munich…
Ed narrowed his eyes. "Why do you want me to stay so badly, need someone to grind under your foot?"
Roy considered Ed's narrowed gaze before he looked away, picked back up his pen, and dismissed Ed with a wave of his hand. "I'll have the forms for you tonight," he said.
He looked back up, this time with a smirk. "Meet me tonight at Harushigoya. I'll bring the forms and send you off with a drink."
Edward let his foot fall to the floor unceremoniously and rose from the sofa. He straightened and smoothed down his brown vest and coat and headed toward the door. He'd be glad to be away from all this mess, following orders, jumping on trains to places unknown, and nearly getting killed… Wait a minute.
As he reached for the knob he looked over his shoulder. "You called me here for a reason, what was it?"
He wasn't prepared to answer that. He could barely admit it to himself yet. To see those fiery eyes once more.
He looked up from his signature, placing the paper in one of the many folders littered across his desk. "Like I said, Ed. It's been two months." And none of us knew if you'd ever come back. So we had to drag you here.
Well that was vague. "Fine don't tell me," Ed sighed. It wasn't like it would really matter anyway. He'd be signing his resignation papers tonight and that would be the end of his life as the Fullmetal Alchemist.
As Ed left the office he felt a little depressed by those thoughts but set them aside to try and remember a good place to stay until this evening.