Written for a drabble challenge - something with Roy and Ed in it. Spoilers for episode 25. In which I take a very long time to say absolutely nothing.
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Three Stops
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Edward arrived in Central in the wake of bad news and during one of the dreary downpours that the city almost seemed to specialise in, cold and stinging and gray. His first stop was a grave in a military cemetary, where he stood stiffly, head bowed, Al a silent shadow behind him. He almost wanted to kick it, but Al stopped him when he tried, grabbing his arm and saying quietly that it wasn't polite and wouldn't help, which was true and only made him want to kick it more.
His second stop was at the office he occasionally called home, where Lieutenant Hawkeye was completely unsurprised to see them.
"It's late," she said gently, instead. "And you're soaking wet. You should go to the dormitories and get some sleep before you fall sick. The Colonel will be back in the morning."
Havoc was parked casually outside the lobby when they walked out, car window rolled down despite the rain, smoking a cigarette with practiced nonchalance, and Edward wavered for a moment before he allowed Al to take his backpack and push him into the backseat. Al shut the door in his face before he could apologise.
"Don't tell the lieutenant," Havoc said, as though he was sharing a secret, carelessly flicking his cigarette butt onto the street. As they pulled away, Ed craned his head to look up at the dull yellow-lit windows.
"I think she already knows," he said. The rest of the ride was silent, and punctuated by heavy raindrops like bullets against the roof of the car.
His third stop was a small bar a decent distance away from the military compound, in a building that wasn't old but already stained smoke-gray, because Central was a large city, but not a beautiful one. The security guard at the entrance was persuaded to age him by six years through the judicious use of twenty dollars and a glimpse of his silver watch; no one offered him a second glance when he strolled in and occupied a seat beside Colonel Mustang as though he belonged there, not even the Colonel.
Ed gestured for the bartender to refill the Colonel's glass, and when the bartender obeyed, the Colonel looked up at him, something dark and shuttered in the back of his eyes.
"If he saw you moping around here," Ed said rudely, "He'd kick your ass."
"It's very likely he would try," Mustang said with a short laugh, his voice slightly scratchy, but unslurred. "He already did it once."
"I'm not sorry I left," Ed said, almost like an apology.
"I'm sorry you came back," the Colonel replied.
He stiffened, but the words were tired, and not accusing.
Ed thought of Hughes, and he thought 'one more person for Roy to look out for', and he thought 'one more person to watch all of their backs', and he said "I'm back, anyway."
The expression on the Colonel's face may have been a faint smirk. "Welcome back, Fullmetal," he said, pushing his glass a few inches closer to him. "Do you want to drink to that?"
Ed managed not to choke and sputter as the alcohol burned a clean line down his throat, replacing the warmth that his soaked clothes had leeched from him. The Colonel smirked more widely at the face he made, and they sat, silent, until the rain stopped and the dark wooden room was painted another shade by dawn.
-owari
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I haven't actually watched any episodes past 26 or so, because I'm a lazy bint. If it shows, please be forgiving.
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----------------------------
Three Stops
----------------------------
Edward arrived in Central in the wake of bad news and during one of the dreary downpours that the city almost seemed to specialise in, cold and stinging and gray. His first stop was a grave in a military cemetary, where he stood stiffly, head bowed, Al a silent shadow behind him. He almost wanted to kick it, but Al stopped him when he tried, grabbing his arm and saying quietly that it wasn't polite and wouldn't help, which was true and only made him want to kick it more.
His second stop was at the office he occasionally called home, where Lieutenant Hawkeye was completely unsurprised to see them.
"It's late," she said gently, instead. "And you're soaking wet. You should go to the dormitories and get some sleep before you fall sick. The Colonel will be back in the morning."
Havoc was parked casually outside the lobby when they walked out, car window rolled down despite the rain, smoking a cigarette with practiced nonchalance, and Edward wavered for a moment before he allowed Al to take his backpack and push him into the backseat. Al shut the door in his face before he could apologise.
"Don't tell the lieutenant," Havoc said, as though he was sharing a secret, carelessly flicking his cigarette butt onto the street. As they pulled away, Ed craned his head to look up at the dull yellow-lit windows.
"I think she already knows," he said. The rest of the ride was silent, and punctuated by heavy raindrops like bullets against the roof of the car.
His third stop was a small bar a decent distance away from the military compound, in a building that wasn't old but already stained smoke-gray, because Central was a large city, but not a beautiful one. The security guard at the entrance was persuaded to age him by six years through the judicious use of twenty dollars and a glimpse of his silver watch; no one offered him a second glance when he strolled in and occupied a seat beside Colonel Mustang as though he belonged there, not even the Colonel.
Ed gestured for the bartender to refill the Colonel's glass, and when the bartender obeyed, the Colonel looked up at him, something dark and shuttered in the back of his eyes.
"If he saw you moping around here," Ed said rudely, "He'd kick your ass."
"It's very likely he would try," Mustang said with a short laugh, his voice slightly scratchy, but unslurred. "He already did it once."
"I'm not sorry I left," Ed said, almost like an apology.
"I'm sorry you came back," the Colonel replied.
He stiffened, but the words were tired, and not accusing.
Ed thought of Hughes, and he thought 'one more person for Roy to look out for', and he thought 'one more person to watch all of their backs', and he said "I'm back, anyway."
The expression on the Colonel's face may have been a faint smirk. "Welcome back, Fullmetal," he said, pushing his glass a few inches closer to him. "Do you want to drink to that?"
Ed managed not to choke and sputter as the alcohol burned a clean line down his throat, replacing the warmth that his soaked clothes had leeched from him. The Colonel smirked more widely at the face he made, and they sat, silent, until the rain stopped and the dark wooden room was painted another shade by dawn.
-owari
--------------------------------------------
I haven't actually watched any episodes past 26 or so, because I'm a lazy bint. If it shows, please be forgiving.
--------------------------------------------