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batsutousaiTitle: Reverti Ad Praeteritum
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood/manga
Author: Batsutousai
Rating: Mature
Pairings: Edward Elric/Roy Mustang, May Chang/Alphonse Elric, Gracia Hughes/Maes Hughes, post-Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell
Warnings: Spoilers like whoa, Ed's potty mouth, canon-typical violence, pile 'o OCs, mute!Ed, original character death, angst, fluff, past dub-con, past adultery, Ed has all the guilt
Summary: Unwillingly forced to serve as a human trial for a crazy alchemist experimenting with time travel, Edward Elric finds himself standing across from Truth in the moment it takes his leg from him. Armed with the knowledge of what's to come and burdened with guilt for the choices he'd made as an adult, Ed sets out to fix every mistake he ever made and save every life they ever lost, no matter what it takes.
Key: "Speech" | 'Mouthing words'
'Writing'
:Sign Language:
"In another language" | 'In another language'
A/N: Have some more Colourway being his awesome, crazy self.
ALSO, Al finally meets Grand. XD
Chapter Twenty-Two
-0-
Ed and Al settled in for a morning of library reading, Ed ensuring one of the librarians would drop by to get them at a normal lunch time, and he put the finishing touches on his report over lunch, ignoring Al's knowing looks.
:Are you sure you want to come with?: he asked Al when they stepped out of the little café they'd eaten at.
Al sighed. "Yes," he insisted, before shaking his head. "I'm probably going to get called up to his office eventually, and since I already know he's got a large block of free time..."
Ed shrugged. :I suppose.:
"Anyway," Al added, something almost uncertain in his qi, "I'm developing a theory."
Ed frowned. :Theory?:
"Yes."
When Al didn't give him anything else, Ed sighed and signed, :You're not going to explain.:
"I will eventually."
Ed rolled his eyes and decided to let his brother have his mysteries.
Up in Grand's outer office, his adjunct, Second Lieutenant Wesson, smiled at Ed when he stepped in. "Major Elric." And then he saw Al, behind Ed, and blinked. "Ah."
Ed snorted.
"Also Major Elric," Al offered politely, even as he lightly smacked Ed's arm. "I'm Alphonse."
"The Mending Alchemist," Wesson recognised, his eyes lighting up. "Yes, excellent. We'd heard rumours that you had been walking the labs with Major–" He cleared his throat, while Ed politely rubbed at his mouth to hide a smile he couldn't quite bite back. "Your brother."
Al shook his head. "Of course. If the Brigadier General would prefer, I'm happy to sit out here while Brother's giving his report."
"Let me ask," Wesson offered, getting up from his desk. "Not that I think he'll mind if you both go in; I expect things are simpler when you don't have to pause to write everything down."
Ed shrugged; either way, he still had to go through a translator, though it was true that signing for someone else to translate was faster than writing everything down and waiting for the other person to read it.
Wesson slipped into Grand's office for a moment, then stepped back out and offered them a small smile as he held the door open for them. "The brigadier general will see you both, Majors."
"Thank you," Al offered for both of them, while Ed led the way into the inner office with a brief nod.
Grand had stepped around his desk to wait for them. There was a reminder of tenseness in his qi – something Ed didn't really expect to vanish until they'd sorted the distrust he'd admitted to – but he seemed fairly welcoming, otherwise. Which was to say, his expression was as stern as ever, but there was a note of pleasure in his qi, as though he was glad at the chance to meet with Al. "Alphonse Elric," he called as the door closed behind them. "I had intended to call for you once your office had settled a bit."
Al let out a slightly nervous laugh. "Admittedly, I haven't had much to do with that; Brother agreed to let me tag along on his inspection, and I've been raiding First Branch the rest of the time."
Grand's qi flared with amusement, though it didn't show on his face or in his voice when he replied, "The draw of research documents is a strong one, but you should consider returning to your command next week."
"Yes, sir," Al agreed, as if that hadn't been his intention all along. (Or, well, Ed had assumed it was his intention. He had certainly been intending to return to Investigations on Monday, if only because he expected his fellow translators had left him all manner of tedious documents to translate, as punishment for his surprise absence.)
Grand nodded. "Good. I expect the Führer will request you are given lab space, the same as was done for Silent."
Al cleared his throat, his qi a mass of discomfort. "Will all due respect, sir, I'm not certain I can work in lab three."
Grand considered him for a long moment, his qi very much unsurprised, before glancing at Ed. "The chimeras," he assumed.
Ed shrugged and nodded, while Al quietly agreed, "I'm afraid so, sir. And, well..." He took a moment to cough, his brow furrowed.
Ed snapped his fingers and, when Al looked over at him, signed, :You're no more a research alchemist than I am.:
Al put on a crooked smile. "That was almost diplomatic of you, Brother."
Ed rolled his eyes, ignoring the way Grand's qi had flared with amusement again.
Al looked back at Grand. "I'm not much of a researcher. Honestly, spending this week in the library was nice, and I did come across some things to study, but hardly enough to keep me busy for more than a couple days. I mean, I can't pick new things up quite as quickly as Brother, but it still doesn't take me long enough to necessitate lab space."
"I see," Grand said, his tone edging towards irritation, even though his qi suggested he'd expected this sort of response. He motioned towards the table he and Ed usually sat at to go over his report. "If you'll both sit?"
A third chair had been added – Wesson had said they'd heard that Al had been touring with Ed – and the table had been pulled away from the window a bit, so there was plenty of room for all three of them to sit around it. Ed passed over his report without prompting, then frowned at his brother, since Al's qi suggested at nerves. :What?:
Al frowned at him. :I know you don't care if you're a problem, Brother–:
Ed caught his hands and shook his head. When he was certain Al would let him talk, he let him go and signed back, :Why do you think you're a problem?:
Al eyed him for a long moment, a sort of suspicious-realisation bleeding into his qi. :You're reading his qi,: he guessed.
Ed frowned at him. :Yes. You know how bad I am at reading body language.:
Al gave a slow nod. :I can't read him.:
Ed blinked. :What do you mean, you can't–:
Grand cleared his throat, amusement, irritation, and muted sadness filling his qi. "If you two are done sharing secrets?"
"I apologise, sir," Al returned in his best contrite voice. "I didn't want to disturb your reading."
"Admirable," Grand returned flatly, his qi almost seeming to sparkle with amusement. He set Ed's report on the table between them. "I expect you can translate for Silent, Mending? So we don't have to waste time with his notebook?"
"Of course, sir," Al agreed, shifting his chair a bit so he could better see Ed, but was still facing Grand enough to not be impolite.
They went through the report, same as Ed and Grand usually did, but much quicker, with Al serving as translator. Al had some observations of his own to add, of course, because he and Ed didn't always notice the same things, and Ed didn't need to be able to read qi to guess what Grand was going to say when they were done.
"Mending," Grand said once they were done with the report, turning a flat stare on Al.
Al straightened. "Sir?"
Grand gave a sliver of a nod, as though to himself, then said, "I would like to assign you to inspecting the labs with Silent. I'll have to run it by the Führer, but I expect he'll agree that it is the best option, if only to facilitate Silent's communication with the researchers and other State Alchemists."
"Of course, sir," Al agreed.
Grand glanced at Ed. "I assume you can manage scheduling yourselves?"
Ed nodded, while Al agreed, "I believe so, sir."
"Good." Grand turned back to Al. "The formal orders should be on Colonel Mustang's desk Monday morning, but you're welcome to warn him in advance."
:And tell him to actually sign off on them in a timely manner,: Ed signed, unable to resist.
"Edward," Al hissed, disapproving.
Grand raised his eyebrows, but didn't ask, instead going on to say, "You're also welcome to inform him that I intend to be paying him a visit next week."
"Of course, sir. I'm certain he'll appreciate the warning," Al agreed.
Grand's moustache twitched, just enough to be noticeable, while his qi filled with wry amusement. "Doubtless," he replied blandly, before picking Ed's report up. "If that's all?"
Al glanced at Ed, who shrugged and nodded. "I believe so, sir."
Grand nodded. "Then you're both dismissed."
Ed and Al both stood and bowed, nearly in sync, Al saying, "Thank you, sir." Then they left, turning towards Roy's office without needing to discuss it.
Al led the way into that office, and Havoc almost immediately called, "Hey, Al! Boss!"
"Alphonse," Hawkeye said by way of greeting, "Edward. What brings you two here?"
"You've managed to avoid all the unpacking," Breda added.
Al let out a slightly nervous laugh. "Well, Brother and I just came from Brigadier General Grand's office–"
"Uh-oh," Havoc said, while Fuery shot them worried looks.
Ed snorted. :Lab report,: he signed.
"Oh, right," Havoc realised, while Fuery relaxed a bit. "You're in charge of spying on the other alchemists, aren't you? Gonna go spy on the chief?" He flashed a bright smile.
Breda ducked his head and snorted, while Al just started laughing.
Ed hit his brother, rolling his eyes. :Fuck off, Havoc.:
"Ah," Roy said, announcing his presence from where he'd stopped in the open doorway of his inner office without Ed noticing, "but that would require the second lieutenant to have a–"
Hawkeye cleared her throat and shot Roy a pointed look, while Havoc scowled.
Roy turned to Al and Ed, apparently unfazed by the implied threat. "Something I can do for you?"
Al cleared his throat. "Brigadier General Grand is intending to pair me with Brother for his lab inspections, with the Führer's approval, and says the orders should be on your desk by Monday morning."
:So sign off on them in a timely–: Ed started.
Al smacked his hands, while Havoc and Breda both started snickering, and pretty much everyone's qi flared with amusement. "Also," Al added drily, "the brigadier general says he'll be paying a visit next week."
Roy nodded. "Of course." He looked at Ed and raised an eyebrow. "I do hope you're not intending to turn Alphonse to your delinquent ways, Edward."
Delinquent ways? Ed blinked, then snorted as it occurred to him. :Are you saying I should stop tormenting Envy?:
Roy's mouth twitched. "I would never think to tell you how to spend your Friday afternoons. Alphonse, on the other hand..."
There came the sound of a safety being clicked off on a gun, and Al swallowed, while it sounded like Roy's entire team returned to their paperwork. "Understood, sir," Al agreed, a strained note to his voice.
Ed patted his brother's shoulder in sympathy, and when Al looked over at him, signed, :Too bad you can't write it off as information gathering.:
"Maybe I should see about transferring to Investigations," Al muttered.
Roy smirked. "Enjoy your last afternoon at the library, gentlemen."
Ed snorted. :We will. Enjoy your paperwork, lazy bastard.:
Al sighed and caught Ed's arm, tugging him out of the office.
In the hall, on their way down to the front of the building, Al asked, "Library, or...?"
Ed shrugged. :I could take you to meet the Ishvalans, or show you the house that Scar uses as a hideout while he's in Central.:
Al considered that for a moment, before asking, "Can we do both?"
:Maybe.:
Al nodded, before shooting Ed a dry look. "Try to remember that I'm not nearly as insane as you are."
:Stay off the roofs?: Ed guessed.
"Please."
Ed sighed, but figured he could do his best. Or, if nothing else, find them a route that would be relatively easy to access, and only use it for long enough to lose Envy.
And, speak of the fucker...
Envy was waiting for them on the parade grounds, hidden out of sight behind one of the decorative shrubs closer to the eastern exit, which they would have taken if they were intending to return to the library. Ed noticed him as soon as they opened the doors to exit the Command building, but Al didn't react until they were down the steps and had started to cross the parade grounds.
Al flinched a bit, glancing in the right direction very briefly, while his qi turned very focussed. :Homunculus?: he signed.
Ed nodded.
Al gave a vague nod himself. "Good to know," he murmured.
The thing about having spent months dodging his tail, was that Ed had a dozen tricks up his sleeves. And while he usually defaulted to the roofs, it wasn't that hard to find a crowded marketplace, motion for him and Al to both remove their jackets, and use the natural confusion of a couple dozen other people and the multitude of colours found in the items in the stalls to lose Envy.
"That," Al announced after a couple blocks, when it was pretty clear they'd lost their tail, "was pretty cool."
Ed snorted and shook his head. :I'm not even sure he's trying any more.:
"Maybe not," Al agreed. "You've made it pretty obvious that he's going to lose you, one way or the other."
At the Armstrong manor, Ed left it to Al to introduce them to the gate guards. They were waved through without trouble – Ed wasn't really surprised to discover he'd been added to the list of guests with relatively free range of the grounds, or that Al was extended the same, either because he was with Ed, or because of their shared last name – and one of the guards happily led them out to the Ishvalan camp upon request. Which was...way larger than Ed had expected, boasting at least twenty tents, some of them large enough for a family, while others were clearly intended to be for only one or two people. He could see a variety of ages and genders moving between and around the tents, and only a couple of people stopped to watch as Ed, Al, and their guide approached, any sense of suspicion mild enough to be suppressed under the weight of everyone else's qi.
Word must have spread quickly, because Zouheir stepped into view around a tent just as they reached what was clearly the edge of the Ishvalan's borrowed property, wearing a polite little smile. "Ed," he called, which seemed to be a welcoming enough greeting for their guide, because he left back the way they'd come.
Ed grinned at the Ishvalan. :Hey, Zouheir. I brought my brother by to meet you.:
Zouheir turned to smile at Al. "So, you are the brother who was in East City," he said, signing as he spoke.
Al blinked at Zouheir's hands for a moment, before putting on a wry smile. "And I guess you're Brother's signing friend, whom I've been told so much about."
"Ominous," Zouheir commented.
Al coughed. "I see you are acquainted with my brother."
Zouheir chuckled at that before saying and signing, "I am Zouheir," then holding out his hand.
"Al Elric," Al returned, making his sign-name, and they shook hands. As he withdrew his, Al offered, "This place looks pretty impressive."
Zouheir inclined his head. "We owe much to the kindness of the Armstrongs. They have provided, without pause, anything we have asked for. It is heartening, and has done much to heal the rift between our people, at least for those of us here."
"I'm glad," Al said honestly. "I wish all of your people could have this opportunity, but I guess that's going to have to wait a little bit longer."
Zouheir nodded, his expression taking on a grim cast. "Yes. There are still too many in your government who would see my people suffer." He glanced at Ed. "My people gather in hope for the day that will no longer be the case."
Al nodded. "Likewise."
Zouheir smiled a bit, at that, and inclined his head. "Would you care for a tour?"
"Are we allowed?" Al asked in return. "I wouldn't want to go stepping on any toes, even if Brother would enjoy it."
Zouheir's smile widened and he glanced at Ed again. "I think you will find that my people have already discovered they have a true friend in Ed."
Ed frowned. :Why? I haven't even met most of the people here.:
Zouheir shook his head. "We're all aware of how determined you were to catch the ones behind that fire."
Ed sighed. :Armstrong.:
Zouheir made that sign-name again, looking to Al with an uncertain frown.
Al coughed. "Major Alex Armstrong, the Strong Arm Alchemist."
"Ah." Zouheir inclined his head in understanding, before shaking it. "Not from him, but from his sister. He does not visit."
That...didn't actually surprise Ed, when he thought about it, but Al frowned and asked, "Why not? I mean, I know he's a State Alchemist, but if you're okay with Brother and I visiting, I wouldn't think that would be a problem."
Ed touched his brother's shoulder, then explained, when he looked over, :Armstrong was in Ishval. I expect it's less about whether he'd be welcomed, and more about his personal demons.:
"Very likely," Zouheir agreed, eyeing Ed a bit curiously.
Ed shrugged. :Hughes has the same problem. He'll stick his neck out for your rights, but I don't think he can bring himself to actually visit,: he explained.
Zouheir nodded in understanding. "Of course." He glanced back at the tents, then offered, "Tour?"
Al glanced at Ed, who shrugged, then turned back to Zouheir with a bright smile. "I'd love a tour."
Zouheir's responding smile wasn't quite as bright as Al's, but it was no less honest, and he waved them across the invisible property line and into the tents. No one made any motions to scare them out, despite their military jackets, and Ed received his share of thanks for catching Gloster. Al eventually found a few people to talk to, while Ed found himself listening to a group of new arrivals from up north, while silently helping an older woman, with what he guessed was arthritis, with a bit of mending she was struggling with. (Without alchemy, because he knew better.)
They ended up staying far later than Ed had expected, so they never made it out to the abandoned hideout, and were almost late to dinner at the Hugheses'.
"Sorry," Al offered to Hughes' raised eyebrow and Elicia and Nina's giggles, as he and Ed slipped into their seats. "We were visiting the Ishvalans staying at the Armstrong estate."
"How are they doing out there?" Gracia asked, while Hughes nodded in understanding, an edge of discomfort to his qi.
Neither Ed nor Al could quite resist a grin, and Al replied, "They're doing pretty great."
:A little home-sick,: Ed added, :but they seem happy.:
"Home-sick?" Nina repeated, looking uncertain.
Hughes cleared his throat. "They're from the east, but their home got destroyed."
"Oh." Nina slumped a bit. "That's sad."
"Sad," Elicia repeated.
"Yes," Hughes agreed quietly, "it's very sad."
:Homes can be rebuilt,: Ed offered, signing slower than was his wont for the girls. :We'll rebuild theirs soon.:
Hughes forced a smile. "That would be nice, wouldn't it?"
"Can I help?" Nina asked, looking between Hughes and Gracia. "I wanna help!"
Gracia reached over and brushed a hand over Nina's head. "I think," she offered, "that you're a little small to help with the rebuilding, but maybe we can make something a little smaller for them."
"Arts!" Elicia decided.
They all laughed a bit and talk turned to all the various arts and crafts things they could make, most of which were a bit ridiculous, but it was good to see Hughes smiling about Ishval, for once.
(Ed sort of wished Roy was there, too.)
Ed and Al ended up on dish-washing duty after dinner – as was pretty normal for Ed – and while Gracia had managed to get the girls to the living room and out from under foot, she couldn't do anything about Hughes, who leant back against the worktop and asked, "So, Ed, you intending to sleep here tonight?"
"I think you should go back to the colonel's," Al was quick to suggest. "Make sure he doesn't bring anyone else home."
Ed rolled his eyes.
Hughes coughed. "Little suspicious there, Al."
Al scowled down at the plate he was scrubbing. "Someone has to be. You two might be okay with the colonel going out on dates with other women–"
"It's not that we're okay with it," Hughes interrupted, while Ed huffed a bit, because his hands were full, "there's just not a lot of options for getting in contact with Colourway without raising any warning flags. And I trust that Roy's scared enough of you that he'll behave."
Al snorted. "He'd better be scared of me."
'How is this my life?' Ed complained.
"What was that, Brother?"
Ed set down the plate he'd been drying and flipped the tea towel over his shoulder so he could sign, :Lay off Führer Bastard already. It was MY idea.:
"That doesn't mean he won't–"
Ed snapped the tea towel at his brother to shut him up, then flipped it back over his shoulder to sign, :Should have thought of this before you started pushing. I'm not worried, so you can stop.:
Al turned away from the sink and shoved a wet finger against Ed's chest, hissing, "You don't get to talk when you're just waiting for it to all fall apart!"
Ed blinked, thrown. Al...knew?
...of course Al knew. Al knew him. Fuck, his concerns were probably as much based on Ed's own insecurities, as they were on Roy's reputation. Which was...great. Fan-fucking-tastic. There was absolutely nothing Ed could say to make Al stop freaking the fuck out.
Hughes cleared his throat. "So, yes to breaking and entering and lying in wait?"
"Yes," Al agreed.
Ed scoffed and batted Al's hand away, then signed. :No one's breaking and entering.:
"What are you going to do, wait on the roof?" Al suggested drily.
Ed rolled his eyes. :I have a key.:
Hughes straightened. "Wait, Roy gave you a key?"
Ed frowned at him and nodded. :Last night.:
Hughes let out a quiet laugh and shook his head. "Lay off, Al. Roy's probably expecting Ed to be there."
Al slumped a bit and turned back to the dishes. "Fine," he muttered.
Hughes looked at Ed. "You should still go, though."
Ed shot Hughes a flat look, then tapped Al on the shoulder and, when he looked over, signed, :How are you sleeping?:
Al frowned at that, confused for a moment, before his expression cleared. "Oh." He sighed. "I'm fine. Go home to your boyfriend."
'My what?!' Ed demanded, disbelieving. Al had not just called Roy–
Al flashed him a bright grin, while Hughes laughed at them. "Boyfriend, Brother. You know, that person who you–"
Ed clapped and directed all the water in the sink to drench his brother.
"No fighting in the house!" Hughes shouted, still laughing, while Al turned towards Ed with an expression that promised revenge.
"I am going to make you regret that," Al promised, right before Nina and Elicia dashed into the kitchen to see what the ruckus was.
Al ended up trudging upstairs to change, while Ed was forced to clean up and finish washing the dishes all by himself. Which kind of sucked, but at least he'd managed to shut his brother up. Sort of. (This was going to come back to bite him in the arse, and retreating to Roy's house for the night was probably the best thing he could do.)
He stayed for about another hour, so Nina and Elicia didn't think he was abandoning them, then he collected his painting from his room, bundled it up safely, and left.
Roy's house was empty when he got in, unsurprisingly, so he had plenty of time to figure out how to hang his painting at the top of the stairs, then collect one of the flame alchemy journals Roy had left stacked in the front bedroom and settle in to read it, his own journal open next to him so he could take any notes that occurred to him.
He wasn't really sure how long it was before Roy got in, but he sensed him before he entered the house, and marked his spot in the journal before getting up to watch as the bastard let himself in. Alone.
Roy glanced up and caught sight of him, and his face broke out into a smile, his qi warming with pleasure and love. "You're here," he said, almost as though he'd expected Ed wouldn't have been.
Ed shrugged, tried to pretend the bastard's reaction to him wasn't as heartening as it kind of was. :I got kicked out.:
Roy let out a quiet chuckle as he shrugged out of his formal jacket and folded it carefully over his arm. "You say that like you think Maes has ulterior motives."
Ed shot him a flat look. :You don't?:
"On the contrary, I expect he'll continue to torment us... Approximately until the end of time."
Ed snickered, because that sounded about right.
Roy stepped forward, holding out a hand, and Ed found himself stepping forward in response, letting himself be drawn in close. Roy smelt very faintly of someone's perfume, but Ed didn't have the chance to do more than start to wrinkle his nose, before he was being kissed, and all thoughts of perfume were shoved aside.
"I should go change," Roy murmured against Ed's lips, eventually.
Ed sighed and forced himself to step away, because, yeah, probably best not to further wrinkle one of Roy's good suits.
Roy caught his hand before Ed could pull away too far, and used it to pull him towards the stairs. "Should I wait to tell you about Colourway until next time we all have the chance to meet, or...?"
Ed huffed and waited until they got to the top of the stairs before signing, one-handed, :Now. I'll tell Al later.: Because, between juggling Nina and Elicia, and the fact that Roy wasn't sleeping over at the Hugheses' any more, there weren't likely to be many opportunities for all of them to be able to sit down and discuss the specifics; Ed had a feeling there would be a lot of him and Al passing things along while they were walking to the labs, or over lunch. Which was fine, and they'd already got most of the important planning out of the way, at least until Hohenheim showed up. Which, well, once he finally appeared, they should probably have a much larger meeting, bringing in Roy's team, Hughes' team, maybe Colourway (and Blooming, if Gracia could win him over), and at least a few of the Ishvalans (Scar, if they could hold the meeting somewhere he could get to), so they could coordinate everything properly. But, for the moment, only really being able to pass messages to keep everyone in the loop was fine.
Roy stepped into the closet to change, while Ed remained firmly outside (much to the bastard's amusement). As he changed, Roy explained, "I don't think he was particularly happy to see me, at first, though it was a bit difficult to tell, with all his smiling and bouncing."
Ed snorted. He couldn't even pretend to be surprised to learn that Colourway was as excitable at his gallery as he was in the labs.
"He asked my opinion about a few of the paintings, then asked if I'd seen any interesting arrays recently, so I mentioned that painting of yours, and that I knew of a massive array that was nearing completion. And then he dragged me to the gallery's office." Roy stepped out of the closet, changed into low-slung pyjama trousers and nothing else, and stepped close to Ed, who was quite happy to take the opportunity to curl his hands around the bastard's sides. Roy smirked at him, his own hands tugging Ed's shirt out of his trousers – he'd taken off his sash a while ago – and slipping under the fabric to rest warmly against Ed's skin. "He really is less of a madman than he wants everyone to believe, isn't he?"
Ed quirked a helpless sort of smile at him and nodded.
Roy sighed. "He didn't know exactly what that array was for, though he did seem to know it wasn't for anything good. He told me it felt red, to him. Like split blood."
Ed grimaced; Colourway wasn't wrong about that.
"I told him the truth," Roy offered quietly, grimly. "That there's a near-immortal being directing this country from behind the scenes to create that array, so he can use it to sacrifice all of us and make himself more powerful. I'm...not sure he believed me, not really, but he seemed pretty okay with the idea of causing a distraction in lab four, so we have the chance to confront the Dwarf in the Flask without being shot."
Ed sighed and nodded, pulling his hands away from Roy so he could sign, :I'll see if Al can't give us a couple minutes to talk again.:
Roy shrugged. "As long as he's willing and able to cause the distraction, he doesn't really need to believe everything," he pointed out.
Which was...true enough, Ed supposed. But, still, he liked Colourway, wanted him to understand how very real the danger was. Wanted him to realise that, if this somehow went south – if they failed; as much as Ed believed in their chances, they didn't have Greed or anyone from Xing on their side, this time, and he had no idea how much that would affect the outcome – he needed to get himself and any family out of the country.
Roy lightly squeezed his sides. "Any word on Blooming? While we're on the topic of State Alchemists we want to use to cause a distraction."
Ed couldn't quite stop a smile at that phrasing, even as he shook his head. :Nothing definitive. Al's making friends with him, and Gracia's made contact with his sister-in-law, though.:
"Well, that's something." Roy sighed. "That one's going to take time."
:We have time.:
"So you keep saying." Roy rubbed his thumbs against Ed's abdomen a bit, then asked, "Any other State Alchemists you want to try making contact with? I can ask the madam to set one or two of her ladies to the task, if none of us can reasonably meet up on the civilian side."
Ed...hadn't really thought about that, honestly. Iron-Form and Ceramic came to mind, first, but he wasn't certain that using Madam Christmas' connections would be of much use, there, given both were married, and he was fairly certain neither were the sort to go cheating on their wives. But then he thought of another State Alchemist who wasn't married, and signed, :Iron Blood?:
Roy blinked. "I thought you said all the brass were corrupt."
Ed sighed and slumped back against the wall behind him a bit. :I thought, but sometimes he does or says something that makes me wonder.:
"Like what?" Roy asked quietly, so completely without judgement.
:He cares about people, more than any of the others. About his office team, and the Ishvalans, a bit. And he asked me, a few weeks ago, if I trusted him–:
"And you said no," Roy guessed a bit drily.
Ed shrugged. :Yes. He wasn't angry, more...: He frowned and shook his head. :Maybe hurt. Not what I would have expected of one of their lot.:
Roy frowned. "You want to trust him," he murmured.
Ed sighed and nodded.
"I'll see if the madam can't worm someone into his confidence. And maybe I'll get something out of him this week."
Ed snorted. :Al was having trouble reading him.: Which...actually made Ed remember that interrupted conversation, and what Al had said. Or signed. Whatever.
"I'd like to think I'm a little better at reading members of the military than your brother," Roy muttered, before he recognised Ed's change in demeanour, or something. "Edward?"
:I think,: Ed signed slowly, :that Al was trying to say I'm better at sensing qi.:
Roy considered that, then shook his head. "Keeping in mind how little I understand your ability, that does make some sense, at least to me. Like with any skill, I expect, the more you practise it, the better you get, and you've spent the last nine months using it to dodge the homunculi and, I will assume, getting a read on less emotive members of the military, while Alphonse has been spending most of his time with people he trusts."
Ed hadn't really thought of it that way, but it did make some sense. And, when he thought back, it did seem like reading people with his qi-sense had got easier over the months. He'd sort of chalked that up to familiarity, but it being due to his constant exercising of his qi-sense actually made more sense. Especially when he considered that he'd been able to read Roy so easily, nearly right off.
"It's not a bad thing," Roy pointed out, before resignation curled through his qi and his mouth twisted into a slightly helpless smile. "Well, it's not bad from your perspective. It makes it a bit more difficult for the rest of us."
Ed snorted. :Idiot. You realise I'd eventually figure you out.:
Roy leant in and pressed his lips to Ed's, very briefly, before murmuring, "Can you tell what I'm thinking right now?"
'Pervert,' Ed mouthed, because he didn't need his qi-sense to guess at the bastard's intentions.
Ed suspected he wasn't the only one who would be glad when they had more than just one piece of furniture in the house.
Aware that they were expecting guests at some point, Ed and Roy made a point to get up at a reasonable hour, and managed to only get a little distracted during the course of getting ready for the day. They'd finished breakfast, repaired the couch, and Ed was finally unpacking his overnight bag in the closet in the front bedroom – after bringing his painting over, there wasn't much point in continuing to pretend he was only staying over for a couple nights, to make sure Envy didn't come back – when he sensed the approach of the Hugheses and Al. He whistled a warning down the stairs to Roy, who was doing fuck alone knew what on the ground floor, then went back to putting away the last of his things.
He started down the stairs about the same time as Roy answered the front door, greeting their guests and waving them in.
Hughes wiggled his eyebrows at Ed when he saw him, even as he said, "Doesn't look half bad in person, does it?"
"It's sufficient," Roy replied drily.
"Big brother!" Nina called, darting over to hug Ed's legs. When he leant down to hug her back, she burst into tears, her qi a rolling mass of, unexpectedly, regret and general upset.
That caught everyone's attention. "Nina?" Gracia asked, while Hughes came over to crouch down next to Ed and Nina.
"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Hughes asked quietly, rubbing her back, while Ed did his best to free his legs from her grip so he could hug her properly.
"I-I'm s-sor-ry!" she got out. "It's g-gone!"
Hughes cast a confused look up towards the others, clearly having no idea what was going on, while Ed finally managed to crouch down in front of her. :What is?: he signed.
"Y-your we-ird pic-cture."
'Oh,' Ed mouthed, before offering her a smile and holding out his arms like for a hug. When she almost immediately accepted, he picked her up, then turned around to carry her upstairs.
Behind him, he heard Roy explain, "He brought it over here last night."
"I suspected it was something like that when I saw it was missing," Al said.
When Nina caught sight of the painting at the top of the stairs, she let out a slightly startled sob, then reached out toward it. Ed stepped forward so she could reach and, upon finding it was solid, she said, "Oh."
Ed tapped her cheek, then signed, :Sorry,: when she looked back at him.
Nina bit her lip, glancing back at the painting for a moment, then asked, "Are you moving out?"
It was a lot harder to laugh off or ignore that question when it came from her, especially after that little display, and Ed sighed and nodded.
Nina looked down, the picture of dejection. "Why?"
Ed motioned down and, when she nodded, he set her on the ground, then crouched down in front of her and signed, :I don't want your uncle to be lonely.:
That took her a moment, but then she asked, "He can't stay with us?"
Ed offered her a bit of a helpless smile. :The house is a little small.:
"I guess," Nina agreed sadly, before glancing towards the stairs, where they could hear Roy starting the tour of the ground floor. "Big Brother Al could stay with him."
Ed couldn't quite stop a laugh at that, even as he shook his head. :Al needs you and Elicia to be happy.:
Nina blinked at that. "Uncle Roy can't make him happy?"
Ed shrugged. :Moving is hard,: he offered, signing slowly so she could keep up, because this was a bit more complicated. :Your uncle just needs someone around, but Al needs people to smile and laugh with. Cheer him up.:
"Me and 'Licia make him smile a lot," she realised.
Ed smiled and nodded. :You do.:
She beamed at him. "We can keep doing that lots!"
Ed winked. :I know you can. And I'll still come home for dinner a lot, okay?:
"Yeah! And you can bring Uncle Roy and we'll make him smile lots, too!"
"What about me, now?" Roy asked as he crested the stairs, the others following behind.
Nina ran over to him, holding up her arms. When he picked her up, she informed him, "Big Brother Ed is gonna to stay here so you're not alonely, and you have to come to my home lots so me and 'Licia can make you smile, like we do for Big Brother Al!"
"Smile lots!" Elicia agreed from Al's arms, before hugging him around the neck.
Everyone got a laugh out of that, and Roy agreed, "You know, that sounds like an excellent plan. Why didn't I think of it?"
Nina looked over at Ed. "Big Brother Ed made it," she admitted.
"Ah, that explains so much; I've been told he's very, very smart."
Ed decided that deserved a (light) punch, which made Nina giggle and Roy shoot him a smirk that was way too fond; Ed probably should have punched him harder.
Roy quickly set about continuing his tour when Hughes pulled out his camera, then they locked up and trooped down to the nearest furniture shop to debate what would look best where.
By the end of the day, they had a bed for both the front and back bedrooms (the second to keep anyone from wondering where Ed might be sleeping), another couch and two chairs for the living room, and a table for the dining room, which would fit at least the seven of them, with a little squeezing. They'd also bought two bookcases, to be put wherever, a proper set of dishes and other kitchen utensils – Roy bore Hughes' teasing about his barren East City kitchen with a flat stare – and a few other basic necessities, like a phone and pillows and covering for the beds. They also made a stop to stock up on food, mostly because Gracia seemed personally insulted by the nearly bare refrigerator and pantry.
They celebrated getting everything into the house and on the correct floor with a meal at one of the nearby restaurants, then the Hugheses and Al left to return home.
"I'm staying in all day tomorrow," Roy muttered as he flopped down onto the couch that Madam Christmas had left them. Then he caught Ed by the wrist and used it to pull him closer. "You'll have to stay in with me, of course. So I'm not lonely."
Ed rolled his eyes, but joined the bastard on the couch when Roy tugged at him a bit more pointedly. 'Lazy,' he mouthed, obvious enough that Roy should be able to get that.
Roy's mouth quirked. "What you call lazy, I call wanting to spend the day with you."
Ed cleared his throat, hoping the warmth of his cheeks wasn't as obvious as it felt. 'Shut up.'
Roy leant up and brushed a kiss against Ed's mouth. "What will I get if I do?"
Incidentally, having a bed at last, didn't mean they actually used it.
Roy got his way about spending Sunday in, and Ed had to admit that it was actually kind of nice to have a whole day to just relax. Without Nina and Elicia trying to get him to play with them, or the sound of Hughes' camera going off when he spotted the 'perfect' shot. Ed took the chance to prove that he could, in fact, cook – Al had brought it up at the grocery, which had resulted (expectedly) in Hughes extolling Gracia's cooking, something none of them would ever argue – and suffered Roy's compliments with only a couple eye rolls.
Over dinner on Monday, Roy admitted that, yes, Grand was remarkably difficult to get a read on, but, "You may be right, about him not being entirely in Bradley's pocket?" Ed had raised an eyebrow at him, and Roy shook his head, frowning, his qi curling a bit uncertainly. "He's the only member of the brass who didn't open with 'We're expecting great things of you'. Instead, he asked how I was enjoying Central." Then he shook his head again. "I wouldn't even have marked it, if not for you wondering about him."
Ed gave a slightly helpless shrug and set down his utensils to sign, :I suppose it could have been intentional. Get you to let your guard down a bit.:
"Or because I've had the weekend to settle a bit," Roy pointed out in return, before shrugging himself. "I'll see what the madam can find out."
Ed had nodded, and that was the last on Grand for a bit.
As for his and Al's new partnership in tackling the labs, Ed gave his brother Monday and Tuesday to get used to working in the new office – and catch up on his own pile of work – then caught him outside Command Wednesday morning – he'd warned Roy he would, so Al wouldn't be in trouble for not making it up to the office – so they could tackle what turned out to be all of the labs, starting with three. Rather than make Al go through the chimera labs, Ed left him to pester the researchers working with healing alchemy and tackled that little corner of hell on his own, which had the added bonus of shortening the amount of time they had to spend in lab three.
Al only rolled his eyes a little bit.
Nothing interesting happened in lab two, beyond Al's continued charming of Blooming, and they shared observations over lunch, Ed noting everything down so he wouldn't forget it for the report.
They did lab one after lunch, and Al somehow managed to avoid punching the fire alchemy researchers – admirable restraint – before they turned towards lab four.
Once again, Al managed to distract Maximus with questions, giving Ed the chance to slip away and up to Colourway's lab.
Colourway was clearly expecting him, because he was sitting next to the table he'd been working at the last time Ed had visited, staring at the door and fiddling with his hands in his lap. He smiled at Ed when he poked his head in, but it was nowhere near as manic as Ed was used to, and he didn't jump off his stool and hurry over to greet him. At least Colourway's qi still suggested he was honestly happy to see Ed, even as it twisted with uncertainty and fear. "Hello, Silent," he offered, far too muted.
Ed stepped into the lab and offered a sad smile as he walked over to the table Colourway was sitting at, pulling out his journal as he went. 'I'm sorry,' he wrote once he'd reached him.
Colourway shifted on his stool, his smile twisting into a frown. "About what?" he asked quietly.
'Dragging you into this'
Colourway stared down at those words for a moment, before shaking his head. "I knew there was something...off. I just–" He clenched his jaw for a moment, then looked at Ed and mouthed, 'Sacrifice?'
Ed blinked at that, unused to other people mouthing words at him, but then it occurred to him: 'Your lab is bugged'
Colourway responded with a grim nod, then pointed at the table he kept his research to share on, then his easel.
Of course, the two places Colourway was most likely to either have a conversation or be standing near when someone interrupted him. Given the effectiveness of the generic military bugs that Ed had seen Hughes unearth a few times, and the questionable acoustics of Colourway's lab, he suspected both of their previous non-report conversations hadn't been particularly understandable, assuming they'd even been picked up at all. Which was good, but still... 'I should have expected that'
Colourway offered him a faint smile and shrugged. "Maybe."
Ed sighed and shook his head, mostly at himself, then wrote, 'Yes sacrificing every1 in country. In Apr if we don't stop it'
Colourway shifted and he pressed his fingers tight together in front of him, his qi curling in close, afraid. "Cutting it close," he said quietly.
Ed grimaced. 'Waiting on some1. Just need distract from you if you can get into chem storage?'
Colourway was very, very still as he read that, and then one of his more terrifying manic grins broke across his face. "Yes. Yes, I can. I can do that."
Ed raised an eyebrow at him. 'Maximus' lab?' he guessed.
"Maaaaaaaaybe," Colourway replied, as if he wasn't still grinning madly, his qi dancing with the sort of anticipatory menace that Ed would have hated to be on the receiving end of.
Ed smiled and shook his head; he couldn't even pretend to drudge up any sympathy for Maximus.
Al's qi gave that obvious warning flare again, and Ed wrote, 'They're coming'
Colourway blinked at him, curiosity curling through his qi, but he didn't ask, instead shoving back off his stool and catching Ed by the arm – barely giving him time to grab his journal – to drag him back over to the table his work to share was on, calling, "I must show you all my work so you can say good things of me! Yes? Yes!"
Ed had just settled in to look at Colourway's most recent work, when Maximus called from the doorway, "You're looking much more chipper, Maxie."
Colourway's qi flickered with irritation at the nickname – fairly normal – and he let out a huff. "It's your own fault you're such a sourpuss that no one can be happy around you."
"Oh dear," Al murmured as he approached them, before, louder, saying, "Hello, Colourway. It's good to see you again."
Colourway's qi smoothed out into a sort of quiet happiness, even as he called back, "Hello, Mending, my second favourite State Alchemist!"
Al laughed, while Ed smiled down at the papers he was supposed to be looking over. "I don't suppose I can be too upset about coming in second to Brother, can I?"
"No, nope! Well, yes, maybe, but maybe not?" Colourway paused for a moment. "Are you?"
"Not particularly," Al replied. "I comfort myself with the knowledge that Brother is somewhat limited in how much of a jerk he can come across as on paper."
Ed turned to shoot his brother a flat look, which earned him a grin from Al, and a bright laugh from Colourway. There was still a kaleidoscope of fear and uncertainty that shifted in and out of view in his qi, but everything about Colourway seemed much cheered from when Ed had first come in. Which he was grateful for.
Once they left the lab, turning toward the Hugheses' house, since there wasn't really enough time left in the work day to go back to their offices, Al asked, "So?"
Ed shrugged. :He's scared, but I'm pretty certain he'll help. If only to piss off M-A-X-I-M-U-S.:
Al coughed out a laugh. "Oh, no."
:He deserves it.:
Al shook his head, smiling. "Yeah," he admitted, "he kinda does."
So, that was one lab distraction set in place, and since Ed intended to send Scar through lab three, that meant there were only labs one and two left to try and figure out distractions for. He'd never had the chance to watch a plan slot into place like this, before, had never been the sort to make plans, honestly. It was...nice. Felt a little like a little victory every time.
Maybe he should see if Madam Christmas' reach could get him Ceramic or Iron-Form. Something to discuss with Roy.
On his way to Roy's house Friday evening, after checking to see if Scar had shown back up – not yet – he lost his footing and almost fell when he was slammed with a rush of surprised and afraid-for-him qi. He caught himself with a kunai jabbed into the shingles he'd been running along, then used a quick acrobatic flip to get back onto his feet, crouching down to remove his kunai and fix the damage he'd caused, while also turning to pinpoint the origin of the disruptive qi.
He traced it back to a dark face peering out a window across the street, above a pub with a familiar name: Madam Christmas. He couldn't remember the woman's name – he really needed to get better about that – but he recognised her as one of the two who had visited Roy's house that first night with his aunt. He put on what he hoped was a reassuring smile and waved.
She took a deep breath, shot him a stern look, then leant out her window a bit and pointed down at a door on the street.
Ed shook his head and motioned in the direction of Roy's house, hoping she'd understand that he had places to be – even if Roy was on another date for his cover, so wouldn't be home for hours, yet.
She just pointed down at the door again, expression unchanged.
Ed sighed, decided he didn't really want to know what would happen if he ignored an order from one of Madam Christmas' women, and nodded, before stepping over to the nearest alley-side of the building and making his way down, with the help of one of his kunai and a drainage pipe.
When he made it over to the door and knocked, the dark-skinned woman opened it and stepped back to let him in with a scowl, demanding, "Are you trying to get yourself killed, boy?"
Ed rolled his eyes and offered her a flat look in response.
She pursed her lips. "Get in. I'll bet you haven't eaten yet."
Ed blinked at that, then shrugged and nodded; he hadn't, but it wasn't like there wasn't food at Roy's he could have made. Still, probably best to stay on friendly terms with the people who worked for the aunt of his...whatever Roy was. Lover. (Not boyfriend.)
So he stepped inside and followed the woman when she led him up to the first floor. "Got one more for tonight," she called as she entered what turned out to be a fairly large dining room, filled with what looked and felt like about two dozen people. Mostly female, he couldn't help but notice, varying in ages, with the only two males he could see (other than himself) looking to be younger than Al.
"Oh?" a cheery-eyed young woman said, peering around Ed's guide and smiling at him. "You look a little too military for Helen's usual strays."
Helen. That was her name.
"Military?" a familiar voice called, and Ed traced it back to Madam Christmas, who was eyeing him with a calculating look from what probably counted as the head of the table. "The Silent Alchemist?"
A few people let out noises of understanding, while Helen explained, "Spotted him running along the roofs across the street."
"Hm," was Madam Christmas' only response, while others made worried noises, or tried to tell him that was dangerous.
A couple of younger girls and the two boys, however, seemed to think that was awesome, and Ed ended up dragged down to sit with them for the meal. None of them seemed even the least bit put off upon finding he couldn't speak, having no trouble adapting to asking 'yes' or 'no' questions to keep a dialogue going. Which was...actually kind of refreshing.
Dinner appeared to be something of a potluck, with all sorts of food in a hodgepodge of dishware, and there didn't seem to be any rules, beyond the general, 'If you put it on your plate, you have to eat it,' that Ed'd had plenty of experience with as a child, during those yearly potlucks they'd thrown in Resembool, after the harvest was brought in.
As the meal started to wind down, Madam Christmas stood and turned a heavy stare on Ed. "A word, Silent Alchemist."
Ed sighed and stood, pausing just long enough to offer a polite little bow to his tablemates, before walking around the table to join the madam, who then led him from the room and down the hall to a cramped little office.
"I assume," she said, as she rounded the desk, "that you have some manner of communicating, other than those clever little hand-signs Roy never thought to pass on."
Ed nodded and undid his jacket so he could pull out his journal, holding it up a bit for her to see.
She nodded back and motioned to one of the chairs on his side of the desk. "Sit."
Ed hooked one leg with his foot and tugged it a little closer to the desk as he flipped to the first blank page, then sat and leant forward to write, 'I don't think Roy ever expected to introduce us'
"Clearly," Madam Christmas returned flatly, upon reading that. She crossed her arms on the edge of her desk and leant forward against them, her qi sweeping up and over her, like a vulture eyeing potential prey.
Ed raised an eyebrow, refusing to be cowed.
Her qi backed off a bit, a note of approval blooming through the well of watchful suspicion. "What did Roy tell you of me?"
Ed considered that for a moment, before writing, 'You're his aunt. You raised him after his parents died in an auto accident'
She narrowed her eyes, her qi reshaping into that threatening-attack form. "Did he, now. And what is my nephew to you, Silent Alchemist?"
He didn't need to be able to sense her qi to understand the threat those words held, but he still had to force himself to write, 'The man I love.' Because he... Well, he still had trouble enough admitting that to anyone other than Roy, but the bastard was stuck with an overprotective, suspicious Al in his office, so he supposed dealing with his aunt, without backup, was only fair. And if he was going to get out of this without alienating the only blood family Roy had left, he was going to need to be honest.
(He just wished it wasn't so hard to convince himself that Roy was faced with the far more dangerous overprotective family member.)
"Touching," Madam Christmas returned flatly.
Ed scowled at her. 'If you're looking for romantic declarations look at Roy. I don't do word-play'
Something almost like amusement twisted through her qi. "Platitudes don't mean anything in the real world," she said, her tone still utterly unimpressed. "It's your actions that show the truth."
Ed raised his eyebrows at her.
She offered him a mean smile. "Do you know where Roy is right now?"
Ed huffed and wrote, 'At the theatre with one of your employees'
Ed only knew he'd surprised her because it flickered in her qi, there and gone so quickly, he almost missed it.
Huffing a bit more, Ed wrote, 'Physical/legal I'm 15 + he has a persona to uphold. I won't be the reason he doesn't get the Führership'
Approval rushed through her qi, strong enough, Ed almost believed it would have knocked him over, had he been standing. Not that it showed on her face, of course, which remained as flatly unimpressed as before. "So you're just willing to sit back and play the well-behaved house-wife?"
Ed scoffed. 'I have never been called well behaved in my life'
That actually won a twitch of her lips.
'I trust him. + I trust he's terrified of my brother'
Madam Christmas snorted. "The Mending Alchemist? Yes, I can see why someone would be scared of him," she said mockingly.
Ed rolled his eyes. 'He's a Xingan martial artist'
Her eyes narrowed. "Xingan martial arts? Is that why you're running along rooftops?"
Ed shrugged. 'Less traffic'
"Imagine that," she returned flatly.
Ed flashed her a smile.
She just stared at him in return, her qi curling with quiet amusement, while her expression remained unimpressed.
Ed rolled his eyes and wrote, 'Are you done threatening me?'
Her mouth twitched again. "For the moment," she agreed.
Ed snorted and slipped his journal away as he stood, then offered her a polite bow, before turning to leave.
"Silent Alchemist," Madam Christmas said before Ed could touch the knob, her qi reshaping into that watchful vulture shape again.
He glanced back at her, raising an eyebrow.
"If you hurt him, I will destroy you."
Ed didn't doubt that for a minute, and he turned to bow to her again, in recognition, then left without being stopped a second time.
When Roy got home later that night, Ed signed, :Your aunt is terrifying, you realise.:
Roy blinked. "Why did you go to see the madam?"
:I got dragged in for dinner by H-E-L-E-N.:
Roy considered that for a moment, then sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't think she'd pull you aside if I didn't tell her we're dating."
Ed snorted and shook his head. :As often as you have to deal with Al's glaring...:
Roy let out a slightly startled laugh. "Well, when you put it that way..."
Ed rolled his eyes and stepped forward to kiss the bastard.
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