Edward Elric stood in the breezeway of the courtyard at HQ, watching the cold, gray rain falling just beyond the overhang. The steady noise of the downpour rung in Ed's ears, and he lifted his head and closed his eyes to listen as he leaned against the wall. He didn't have much else to do anyways. He couldn't go home to Al because it was raining, and his automail would rust. He had no missions, no leads as of yet, so there wasn't really anything he could do right now other than sit here and listen to the rainfall. He stood there, leaning against the wall, listening to the low-frequency din of the rain, as constant as his own unstoppable stream of thought, constantly disallowing true silence.

"Fullmetal?" A voice, nearly lost in the rain brought the boy to open his honey-colored eyes and glance in the direction of the noise, but there was nobody in sight.

"Yes? Someone call me?" He got up off the wall, searching harder across the seemingly empty courtyard for the voice he thought he heard. 'Did I really hear that?' he asked himself 'It sounded…like someone called me.' He looked around for the voice he thought he heard once more, pausing to peer at a certain window across the yard, vision blurred by the downpour. He wondered vaguely if it had been the occupant of that particular office whose voice had called to him, but he could not tell if the man himself was there for the rain. He shrugged, deciding not to dwell on it much, and turned to leave the courtyard, coattails flying in streaks of bright red like a bloodstain on a drab gray carpet.

But someone had called him. Someone who had been waiting there, watching that beautiful serene expression on the boy's face for quite some time now. He stood there in the rain as it soaked still deeper than just his raven black hair and signature gloves. Roy Mustang sighed slightly when he watched Ed leave, as though a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He had finally gathered the courage to call out to the boy, and then he hesitated, doubting his own will to step out and speak with him. Familiar regret lightly brushed his expression as he stepped back to the protective overhanging. He should be getting back to his office now, before Hawkeye and the others sent out a search party. He knew they would bombard him with questions as soon as he stepped back into the office, and he smiled thinking to himself about it.

'I'll just say…' He mused silently 'That I was watching a stray puppy.'

"Al, I'm back." Ed slammed the door to the dorm, tossing his damp red coat aside and undoing his braid to shake out the water. "Sorry, I got held up 'cuz of the rain." He looked up and smiled at the hulking suit of armor that was his younger brother.

"I-it's okay…" Al stuttered.

"What's wrong? Somebody here I shouldn't know about?" Ed chuckled at his own suggestion.

"N-no…not exactly…" Alphonse hung his head, but then automatically straightened up once a loud meowing noise came from behind him. Ed's eyes narrowed.

"Al…where is it?" he put his hands on his hips and gave his younger brother a stern look.

"Nii-san! Please don't take it away this time! You know it was pouring outside!" Al protested as a tiny gray tabby rubbed around his legs and looked innocently up at Ed with its bright green eyes.

Ed sighed and leaned down, stroking the kitten behind the ears. "Alphonse, you know we can't keep it. Put it out in the hall and somebody will let it out later."

"But brother…"

"At least I'm not telling you to leave it out in the rain!" Ed stood up again and pointed out the door. Al sighed audibly and picked the cat up, carefully placing it out in the dorm hall before closing the door and coming back inside.

"Why can't we ever keep one, Ed?" He asked

"Because! I've told you all of this before, you should know the reasons why we can't have pets." He looked down wearily. "I'm tired. I think I'll go take a shower and go to sleep." He scratched his head and his expression turned rueful as he added, "Besides, I have to go turn in my assessment to that bastard colonel tomorrow…" He groaned.