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scriveynerTitle: #02 - Truth
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
AU: Three Alchemists
Characters/Pairing: Ed, Al, Kit
Rating: T
Length: 1387
Summary: Ed hates his hormones, really.
Edward had no idea how his head had gotten so messed up.
It was such a simple lie, it was no wonder he kept telling it. No, he was fine, really, he had been injured worse and he just needed some time to rest and recuperate. Alphonse fretted over him as only a seven-foot-tall suit of armor could and Edward let him - it certainly beat being admitted to the hospital again, which was what the Colonel-bastard-I-know-better-than-you had threatened him with when he had come limping back in to the office.
So he was on forced R & R for the next three weeks, allowing him to fully rest up and heal up. No missions, no jobs, just him, his brother, and whatever hours he could get away with in the military library before someone caught on.
He would see her some times on the base, in passing. She never seemed to be paying attention for him to catch her eye, her arms would be full of books or she would be chatting with other soldiers. Edward had walked in to the office one day to see her crouched over a disassembled radio with Fuery and it was all he could do not to immediately turn around and walk out the door again.
The emotion was new and unwelcome. He could not be jealous of the attention she was giving other people, they had agreed. The relationship was discreet - far more so even than his brief courtship with Roy. They were only together on the road, and so far the arrangement had suited them both nicely.
It was hard work to make sure that Alphonse did not notice his distraction. His younger brother was startlingly perceptive, and Edward was not all that great at masking his emotions. He worked extra hard at it, which likely made Alphonse all the more suspicious, but Edward hoped he had at least covered his tracks as to the source of his frustration. Even if Alphonse had his suspicions, Edward was sure he figured his brother was still mooning over the colonel.
Keeping up the charade was remarkably hard for him to do, especially when half the time he saw her he just wanted to cross the room (yard, base), push her against the wall and kiss her.
Whatever the hell was happening with his hormones needed to stop, seriously.
It was well into the second week of his forced vacation when they accidentally crossed paths on base. Alphonse had found a kitten - another one, his brother was a magnet for all things tiny and adorable - and Edward stood beside him as Alphonse sat under the shade of a large tree and played with the tiny thing. This cat was ridiculously small, it had to have been the runt of its litter but it seemed healthy and active, pouncing after Alphonse's glove with all the enthusiasm of a predator.
Edward stood there, hands in his pockets as he stared off into the distance. He had been sitting still for far too long and was restless, his favorite red coat pooled in the grass. For such a nice day there were hardly any people out and about, and perhaps that was what emboldened him.
"I'll be right back, Al," Edward said suddenly, taking off across the parade grounds. Alphonse looked up at his brother's rapid departure, but thankfully he did not get up to follow.
Catie was sitting on a bench beside the building, a book open in her lap. She did not even look up when Edward stopped before her. "Hey, pipsqueak," she said, taking another bite of her sandwich.
"I am not THAT short," Edward snapped, thankful for the defensive opening.
"You're shorter than me, so you are THAT short." Catie looked up finally, grinning smugly at him. "Enjoying your vacation? Some of us actually have to work for our paychecks, you know."
"You get a stipend like all State Alchemists," Edward said, crossing his arms sulkily.
"A girl can't live off of research grants alone," she said. "Besides, you live on base in the dormitories. Some of us grown-ups have things to pay like rent and utilities." Another big bite of her sandwich, amusement still on her face. "So what's up?"
He had no idea how to ask. They had SAID they were going to keep this off base and out of Central but he was going out of his mind. It wasn't like he could just out and say 'hey, let's go to your place and have sex.'
So Edward somehow forced a smile and said instead, "I just wanted to stop by and say hi. You've been so busy I haven't gotten a chance to."
Catie beamed at him. "You should see the haul of books I got off this decrepit old pervert on the edge of town. I've got like, three boxes of manuscripts back at my place waiting for me when I get off work here."
"Sounds ... nice," Edward said lamely.
"Hell, I don't even know what language half of them are in, they aren't anything I even recognize." She looked down at the book in her lap, and then looked back up at Edward. "Hey, you should come take a look at them! A fresh set of eyes would be a welcome change."
He stared at her. That was pretty direct, as far as he was concerned. "When-"
"You and Al both," Catie continued cheerfully. "Division of labor, that will make the work fly by!"
Edward deflated completely. "Oh," he said.
Catie finished her sandwich in two large bites, then closed her book and tucked it under her arm. "Come on," she said. "Let's go get your brother. I can duck out early today, I've got half the filing for the week done. It's easier then try to catch a nap in the filing stacks without Lieutenant Hawkeye catching me."
Well, it was better than nothing. Edward even let her drag him back across the parade ground to where Alphonse was still sitting under the tree. The kitten, exhausted, had settled to sleep on the grass next to him.
"Hey, Al!" Catie said. "I've got these BOXES of manuscripts back at my place that I need help sorting with and Ed kinda volunteered you both by virtue of being stupidly smart with languages."
"Hey, I didn't volunteer no one," Edward said defensively, but Catie still had a good grip on his sleeve.
Catie turned and stared at Edward, and then shook her head. "Double negatives...."
Alphonse laughed, and then shook his head. "I'm sorry, Miss Storm, but I have something to do this evening."
Edward eyed his brother suspiciously. "Something to DO? What are YOU going to DO? You have been stuck to my ass all week, Al. If I gotta go play archivist I want you there suffering beside me."
"I'm supposed to help Fletcher with some of his theorems," Alphonse said wisely. "I didn’t want to tell you because you throw a fit whenever the Tringhams are within one hundred miles of you, brother."
Edward bristled. "What the hell are they doing in town?"
"My point exactly," Alphonse muttered. "I promised I'd help him the last time they were here - which you weren't here for, gallivanting across the country without me."
"Oh," Edward said.
Catie shrugged. "Your loss, Al." She glanced at Edward. "Without Alphonse's help this is probably gonna take half the night. I hope you're up to it."
Alphonse chuckled. "When brother sets his mind to something you better believe it's going to get done, one way or another. I just hope he isn't too sloppy."
Edward made a strangled noise, and Alphonse looked at his brother, cocking his head. "Brother?"
"Nothing, Al," Edward said hoarsely.
"We'd better be off," Catie said, her grip on Edward's arm tight. "Don't wait up for him, Alphonse, I want to get all of this done and over with." She waved at him, and proceeded to drag Edward off.
Alphonse watched them go, helmet still cocked. If he had a face he would be grinning in amusement. He reached down instead to lightly brush the fur along the kitten's back.
If he was lucky, this would help to alleviate some of Edward's restlessness.
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
AU: Three Alchemists
Characters/Pairing: Ed, Al, Kit
Rating: T
Length: 1387
Summary: Ed hates his hormones, really.
Edward had no idea how his head had gotten so messed up.
It was such a simple lie, it was no wonder he kept telling it. No, he was fine, really, he had been injured worse and he just needed some time to rest and recuperate. Alphonse fretted over him as only a seven-foot-tall suit of armor could and Edward let him - it certainly beat being admitted to the hospital again, which was what the Colonel-bastard-I-know-better-than-you had threatened him with when he had come limping back in to the office.
So he was on forced R & R for the next three weeks, allowing him to fully rest up and heal up. No missions, no jobs, just him, his brother, and whatever hours he could get away with in the military library before someone caught on.
He would see her some times on the base, in passing. She never seemed to be paying attention for him to catch her eye, her arms would be full of books or she would be chatting with other soldiers. Edward had walked in to the office one day to see her crouched over a disassembled radio with Fuery and it was all he could do not to immediately turn around and walk out the door again.
The emotion was new and unwelcome. He could not be jealous of the attention she was giving other people, they had agreed. The relationship was discreet - far more so even than his brief courtship with Roy. They were only together on the road, and so far the arrangement had suited them both nicely.
It was hard work to make sure that Alphonse did not notice his distraction. His younger brother was startlingly perceptive, and Edward was not all that great at masking his emotions. He worked extra hard at it, which likely made Alphonse all the more suspicious, but Edward hoped he had at least covered his tracks as to the source of his frustration. Even if Alphonse had his suspicions, Edward was sure he figured his brother was still mooning over the colonel.
Keeping up the charade was remarkably hard for him to do, especially when half the time he saw her he just wanted to cross the room (yard, base), push her against the wall and kiss her.
Whatever the hell was happening with his hormones needed to stop, seriously.
It was well into the second week of his forced vacation when they accidentally crossed paths on base. Alphonse had found a kitten - another one, his brother was a magnet for all things tiny and adorable - and Edward stood beside him as Alphonse sat under the shade of a large tree and played with the tiny thing. This cat was ridiculously small, it had to have been the runt of its litter but it seemed healthy and active, pouncing after Alphonse's glove with all the enthusiasm of a predator.
Edward stood there, hands in his pockets as he stared off into the distance. He had been sitting still for far too long and was restless, his favorite red coat pooled in the grass. For such a nice day there were hardly any people out and about, and perhaps that was what emboldened him.
"I'll be right back, Al," Edward said suddenly, taking off across the parade grounds. Alphonse looked up at his brother's rapid departure, but thankfully he did not get up to follow.
Catie was sitting on a bench beside the building, a book open in her lap. She did not even look up when Edward stopped before her. "Hey, pipsqueak," she said, taking another bite of her sandwich.
"I am not THAT short," Edward snapped, thankful for the defensive opening.
"You're shorter than me, so you are THAT short." Catie looked up finally, grinning smugly at him. "Enjoying your vacation? Some of us actually have to work for our paychecks, you know."
"You get a stipend like all State Alchemists," Edward said, crossing his arms sulkily.
"A girl can't live off of research grants alone," she said. "Besides, you live on base in the dormitories. Some of us grown-ups have things to pay like rent and utilities." Another big bite of her sandwich, amusement still on her face. "So what's up?"
He had no idea how to ask. They had SAID they were going to keep this off base and out of Central but he was going out of his mind. It wasn't like he could just out and say 'hey, let's go to your place and have sex.'
So Edward somehow forced a smile and said instead, "I just wanted to stop by and say hi. You've been so busy I haven't gotten a chance to."
Catie beamed at him. "You should see the haul of books I got off this decrepit old pervert on the edge of town. I've got like, three boxes of manuscripts back at my place waiting for me when I get off work here."
"Sounds ... nice," Edward said lamely.
"Hell, I don't even know what language half of them are in, they aren't anything I even recognize." She looked down at the book in her lap, and then looked back up at Edward. "Hey, you should come take a look at them! A fresh set of eyes would be a welcome change."
He stared at her. That was pretty direct, as far as he was concerned. "When-"
"You and Al both," Catie continued cheerfully. "Division of labor, that will make the work fly by!"
Edward deflated completely. "Oh," he said.
Catie finished her sandwich in two large bites, then closed her book and tucked it under her arm. "Come on," she said. "Let's go get your brother. I can duck out early today, I've got half the filing for the week done. It's easier then try to catch a nap in the filing stacks without Lieutenant Hawkeye catching me."
Well, it was better than nothing. Edward even let her drag him back across the parade ground to where Alphonse was still sitting under the tree. The kitten, exhausted, had settled to sleep on the grass next to him.
"Hey, Al!" Catie said. "I've got these BOXES of manuscripts back at my place that I need help sorting with and Ed kinda volunteered you both by virtue of being stupidly smart with languages."
"Hey, I didn't volunteer no one," Edward said defensively, but Catie still had a good grip on his sleeve.
Catie turned and stared at Edward, and then shook her head. "Double negatives...."
Alphonse laughed, and then shook his head. "I'm sorry, Miss Storm, but I have something to do this evening."
Edward eyed his brother suspiciously. "Something to DO? What are YOU going to DO? You have been stuck to my ass all week, Al. If I gotta go play archivist I want you there suffering beside me."
"I'm supposed to help Fletcher with some of his theorems," Alphonse said wisely. "I didn’t want to tell you because you throw a fit whenever the Tringhams are within one hundred miles of you, brother."
Edward bristled. "What the hell are they doing in town?"
"My point exactly," Alphonse muttered. "I promised I'd help him the last time they were here - which you weren't here for, gallivanting across the country without me."
"Oh," Edward said.
Catie shrugged. "Your loss, Al." She glanced at Edward. "Without Alphonse's help this is probably gonna take half the night. I hope you're up to it."
Alphonse chuckled. "When brother sets his mind to something you better believe it's going to get done, one way or another. I just hope he isn't too sloppy."
Edward made a strangled noise, and Alphonse looked at his brother, cocking his head. "Brother?"
"Nothing, Al," Edward said hoarsely.
"We'd better be off," Catie said, her grip on Edward's arm tight. "Don't wait up for him, Alphonse, I want to get all of this done and over with." She waved at him, and proceeded to drag Edward off.
Alphonse watched them go, helmet still cocked. If he had a face he would be grinning in amusement. He reached down instead to lightly brush the fur along the kitten's back.
If he was lucky, this would help to alleviate some of Edward's restlessness.
