"Hey guy's where is everyone?" Edward asked as he walked in, his red jacket hanging over his shoulder in a wave of cloth as he briskly strided over to the cabinet. The room was quite, unusually so than the regular hustle and bustle that usually filled the office. Grabbing a snicker doodle and holding it between his lips securely, he started fiddling with the coffee machine's many buttons.

Two pairs of eyes snapped over to the golden haired boy as the almost silent pour of coffee into the cup began. Ed could feel the uncomfortable feel of someone watching him, and turning to face them after a moment, Ed paused suspiciously as he saw a blush on Lieutenant Hawkeye's face, spreading like quick fire across her cheeks.

'Well, guess hell froze over.'

His eyebrows rose into his hairline as Riza made a quick muttered excuse towards Edward, and then Second Lieutenant Havoc before dashing toward the door, her face hidden behind her hair. The door shut quietly behind her, so quite that Ed wondered if Hawkeye was ever in the room. It was just Edward and Havoc now.

"So," Ed began, casually shoving his hands into his pockets. "Where is everyone?"

Havoc just laughed and moved over to his desk, riffled though his drawers before pulling out a huge three inch binder, and tossed it across the room to Ed.

"What's this?" Ed asked as he caught it and flipped through the folder, skimming through page after page. He did a double-take though when his eyes caught one particular sentence written in scrawled, bold handwriting.

"Is the women Colonel Mustang dates just a cover and he's really gay?"

Under that, two columns labeled 'for' and 'against' had list of names beneath that, two of the 'for' names reading Havoc and Breda. After that, it just drawled on about the terms and what money and odd were at stake.

Ed stopped reading when, in a shock, realized what he was holding. He was holding THE bet book. He had heard of the rumors of this exact book floating through east headquarters, and it was said that the book under Mustang's command was the best pool to get under with the most interesting bets but…

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Bets where a stupid, idiotic way to lose money. Still, the thought that all the bets that his fellow subordinates have come up with were in his hands was exciting.

"Hey boss, you okay their? If it bothers you so much about the gay thing, we still haven't figured out that one. The chief is a pretty hard cookie to crack." He paused and took a long drag of his cigarette. "But I wouldn't think you to be all phobic about a thing like that boss."

Ed broke from his confusing thoughts, and disbelievingly, he shouted, "Did you just call the Colonel a cookie!"

Havoc stared for a long, silent moment before chuckling. "Yeah, matter of speech there. Not meaning anything by it. But this is beside the point. Flip to the last page." He instructed, watching as Ed struggled to get to the right page, and his golden eyes following the text as he read.

Finishing, Ed lifted his eyes quizzically to stare at Havoc, "Are chocolate bunnies better than flowers on Valentine's Day." He read from the book before raising an eyebrow. "If you don't mind –which I really don't care if you do-, why the hell are you showing me this?"

He watched as Havoc slapped the palm of his hand against his forehead and give him a lazy grin. "Kain must have put it in their after we did the bet I'm trying to show you. Here" He walked over to the teen and, flipping a few pages until settling on one, he tapped it a few times, silently telling Edward to read it.

"Who is the new girlfriend of Roy Mustang he's been bragging about for a week?" Ed read it silently, his lips moving lightly with the text. He turned his head curiously to Havoc. "Bragging? Havoc, he's always done this, why is this different than any other girls he picks up?"

Havoc's grin faded, and he tapped his chin thoughtfully for a moment, as if he couldn't remember. "He had been sleeping at his desk a day or two ago –what's new- but he began to mutter 'they're special' and 'different from the others' I guess he finally found someone worth remembering her name and not her rate in bed."

Ed turned crimson at this, and quickly shoving the binder into Havoc's arms, he ignored Havoc's protest as he grabbed the now-lukewarm cup of coffee and darted into the Colonel's office, shutting the door soundly behind him.

He really needed to stop doing that. People where getting suspicious.

"Fullmetal, how nice of you to finally show up, I figured after two hours of not making an appearance that you were out scavenger hunting with the others."

Ed jerked his head toward the couch, forgetting that someone was in the room, his eyes widening when he saw the Colonel sitting casually on the couch, his arms making a pillow for his head as he leaned back against the headrest.

"Scavenger hunt?" Ed repeated, wondering what connection this had to him and not getting there on time.

"Yeah, surly you've heard. I finally found someone worth keeping and since Havoc is so open-mouthed, he told everyone that this person is 'special.'" He smirked, eyes slitting down toward Edward.

"Wait a minute. They're making a scavenger hunt to find the girl. But you brag all the time!" He shouted, pointing a finger a Roy.

The colonel grinned, a murderous smirk slowly crawling across his face, and nervously, Ed swallowed. Whenever Mustang did that, he always ended up getting the short end of the stick.

"What the hell are you thinking bastard."

Roy shrugged, sitting up from his lazed position. "It just makes since now Ed, you think it's ridiculous because you know you can't win."

Ed froze, glaring heatedly at the man. He so could beat them all! He even had proof to back it up! He stepped forward, eyes burning with new-found determination. "Bastard, I could beat all of them at that stupid scavenger hunt!

"That so, Fullmetal? Is it a bet?"

A bet… did the colonel think…

He paused "Yeah, it is a bet!"

The man stood up, walking over to his desk and sat down, pulling out a fresh piece of paper and a pen from one of the many drawers.

"You have six days- one hint for each day. If you can't find out who the person is by then…" Roy smirked, eyes flashing dangerously. "Well let's just say you better win."

Ed scowled at that, but stepped forward. "And If I win, you have to wear military-drag for an entire day." Ed smirked, tilting his chin upward. He would so win this.

He refused to lose to that Bastard Colonel.

"Fine, Fullmetal. Six days in time be back in my office at-" He glanced at the clock that hung on the wall behind him. "One o' clock. You're time begins… now." A slow smirk tugged at his lips. "And your first hint is… they're in the military."

Ed gapped, his mouth hung open. "Wha… what kind of hint is that!"

"Regardless, that is your hint. Dismissed." Roy spun around in his rolling chair, facing the window so that all Ed could see was the back.

"Can't… can't you at least tell me there rank?!" Ed shouted in disbelief, his flesh hand coming up to fist in his hair.

"Dismissed, Fullmetal." Roy stated firmly, his voice booming through the office.

Ed's eyes widened in shock. Mustang… never used that kind of voice with him. Quickly regaining control, he schooled his facial features to remain indifferent. "Fine Bastard…" He said shoving his hands into his pockets. "Just be ready to lose when I find this special someone."

And with that, Ed left, slamming the door closed with his foot.

Shaking his head, Roy smirked, eyeing the shoe mark on the door. Some things never change.

"Damn bastard." Ed muttered moodily as he stomped to his dorm, a sharp stab in his automail joints the whole way there. Looking up at the sky, he saw dark clouds looming over him, the wind suddenly picking up and blowing his face frame every which way.

'Well…' he thought, grabbing his shoulder port with his flesh hand in a vague attempt to make it stop feeling like someone was piercing him repeatedly with a knife. 'at least Colonel Bastard and me can agree on one thing… nothing good comes from rain.'

He reached the front porch of his dorm, just as the clouds stopped the back and forth battle of raining or not as bullet sized drops of rain came pouring down. Quickly shoving his key in the lock, he threw his entire body weight against the stubborn door, and forced his way inside.

Now to puzzle this… bet.

Making some hot chocolate, Ed grabbed his notebook from his bedroom, and curled up on the couch, a blanket wrapped around his frame, leaving his arms out.

Pulling the pen from inside the spiral, Ed tapped the end of the pen to his lips, sucking on the clicker in thought. Who could the Colonel possibly like? An image of a blonde women with auburn eyes flashed through his mind, making Ed shake his head. Lieutenant Hawkeye was to brash for the Colonel. Mustang would probably die in the first week of their relationship, but the idea of Mustang dodging bullets for whatever reason was comical.

Ed took the pen from his mouth, and in his cramped handwriting began listing off people who could harbor the feelings of the ever-womanizing Colonel Roy Mustang.

Ed paused, pen held in midair as a thought struck him. What if-

"Is the women Colonel Mustang dates just a cover, and he's really gay?"

Ed bit his lip, eyebrows scrunched. Could it really be possible that-

Ed laughed, tossing the pen and notebook aside, pulling the blanket to his shoulders as he laid down, the edge gripped tightly in his metal fist. A small smile tugged on his lips as he closed his eyes, ready to take a nap.

'Cuz there is no way that Roy Mustang, the womanizing Bastard, is gay."

"Hey Brother." Al said as Ed walked into the kitchen, hair astray and mused as he rubbed his eye with his left hand.

"Hey Al." Ed muttered, still half asleep from his nap. "When did you get home?" He looked at all the bags of food, putting two and two together. "You went shopping."

Al grinned, quickly shoving a gallon of milk into the fridge, laughing as Ed scowled. "Before you say anything Brother, I'm making stew. Oh and I also got you some strawberries. I know how much you like them."

Ed smiled, going over to Al to hook an arm around the admittedly tallers waist, leaning closer to press his cheek against Al's shoulder. "Thanks, Alphonse. Here, I'll help you put everything up."

A silence slowly slinked its way into the room, settling comfortably as they continued to put up the food.

"So…" Al began, his voice ringing loud through the kitchen. His back was to Ed, hands reaching up to put something on the top shelf of the pantry, so he couldn't see his brothers reaction to what he was about to say. "I heard about your bet with the Colonel. Do you have any clue who it is?"

Ed blinked. How could Al have known in such a short time? Ed sighed, bringing up his flesh hand to run through his messed up hair, rubbing the back of his neck. "That Bastard gave me the most useless clue. 'They're in the military.' That ass… I don't even have a guess. Maybe Lieutenant Hawkeye…she's pretty."

The fact was there weren't many girls in the military-

'Maybe that's not the problem.' a voice hissed in his ear, bringing the thought from earlier up in the front of his mind. Shaking his head, he cursed that he even read that bet… it just wouldn't leave him alone.

"I don't think it's Lieutenant Hawkeye, Brother." Al's voice broke through the older's thoughts, bringing him back with a shocked blink of his eyes. "Yeah…" He drawled. "I don't either… she's just the only girl in the military I know that's always around the Colonel."

Al smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Brother. I'm sure you'll find the person before the bets over."

Ed shrugged, leaning against the counter. Making sure Al was looking away, Ed subtly sniffed himself, wrinkling his nose in disgust. He reeked of Head Quarters… a smell he always hated.

Al laughed as he caught Ed out of the corner of his eye. "Go take a shower, Brother. I'll tell you when I finish the stew."

Ed nodded, and Al watched as Ed, feet dragging, went upstairs towards the bathroom, silent until the start of the shower met Al's ears.

"Well… time to begin the stew."