That Would Be Enough (Chapter Two)
Title: That Would Be Enough
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
Pairing: Ed/Winry, Ed/Roy
Warnings: Emotional Cheating, Ed is an idiot
Summary: Ed made choices. He made mistakes. They all had to live with them. Ed proposes to Winry on the train platform, but was it the right choice and for the right reasons? With a serial killer on the loose and Ed the next target, he had no choice but to look for the truth in his own heart.
1918
Dear Fullmetal,
It was a pleasant surprise to run into you at the Cretan government offices last month. I’m not sure who was the most surprised; me at the way the Cretans viewed you as a sort of celebrity, or them at the way you shouted ‘Bastard’ across the building at me. Luckily they are a good natured people and took the name with some aplomb. To be honest, it made my meeting much easier. The formality they seemed to insist on giving me as the ‘Hero of Ishval’ dwindled quite quickly and we were able to get much more done. So thank you for that.
I am glad to hear that you have used your time in Creta well. They are an interesting people. I haven’t been able to spend much time there with the way my work has called me to Ishval but it was a nice change of pace. As was dinner that night. I doubt anyone would have led me to such a hole in the wall, nor such a delicious meal and entertainment. Although, I will continue to argue against Stidham’s hypothesis with my dying breath.
Our work in Ishval is almost done. Miles and the Ishvalan will remain to continue to oversee operations there, but in the next few months my team and I will begin to concentrate more on another task. We will begin to oversee the building of an Ishvalan embassy in Central City. It will take years to get the idea finalized through Parliament and then to get it designed in a way that both the Parliament and the Ishvalans will agree to, but I think it will be beneficial to all. If we do it right, I would imagine we will see one for each of our allies soon enough. When I spoke with the Emperor of Xing last week he was very interested in it. He sends his regard to you, as does your brother. Alphonse keeps in close contact with us
I will keep you up to date on the Ishvalan Embassy. Alphonse thought it might be interesting to include a museum in the construction of the lobby to allow Amestrian families to see the wonders of the Ishvalan culture. Miles and the Ishvalan both became taken with the idea when I mentioned it. They have asked that there be some sort of dedication to the Hughes family as well. I had no idea that Maes had dedicated time and funds to Ishvalan refugee camps since the Ishvalan War but I did know how much work Gracia has done to help the Ishvalan people in Central City.
The Ishvalan thinks the recognition of the Hughes’ work will go a long way to sooth some people’s fears. I don’t know if it will help or not, but I am proud to have known them both and having Gracia to work with in Central lightens the day, when dark memories often try to intrude.
I also wish to congratulate you on your engagement, though Al was rather surprised I hadn’t heard about it from you already. You would think with our recent dinner meeting or all the empty postcards, simply labeled, Bastard, with a return address, that there would have been enough room to write a little of it. Miss Rockbell is a fine woman and I’m sure the two of you will be very happy.
I look forward to your next postcard and news of your whereabouts. I imagine the trek home will begin soon as the wedding day approaches. Be safe, Fullmetal.
Sincerely,
General Roy Mustang
1919
General Bastard,
Winry is already mad at me for calling you Bastard, but if she wanted this to be more cordial she probably should have written it herself.
This is supposed to be a thank you letter. So thank you. Winry couldn’t believe you’d noticed her looking at a set of wrenches when she visited Central and went to lunch with the team. I told her it was just like you to notice because details are your thing, but she was touched anyway. The crystal drink service you gave us was beautiful as well. I swear every time I drink from it I see fire. Not sure where you found them but they’re pretty cool.
I also wanted to say thank you for your speech. I was surprised and touched by your words. You know I’m no good with that sort of thing. So just, you know, I miss my days at the office too, but I know you guys are okay without me. And you know I’ve still got your back if you need it. Ever. Any of you.
For years you watched after me and my brother, as best you could, and I appreciate that. I promise to do the same for you and yours.
Mostly, thank you for being there. You and your team were there for Al and I at our neediest and worst. It was nice to get a chance to see everyone at their best. You looked pretty good even out of uniform, Bastard.
Major Edward Elric, The Fullmetal Alchemist
P.S. Winry says I’m not supposed to end thank you notes with my military title, but since she’s already pissed I started it with General Bastard, I might as well end it strong, right?
1919
Dear Fullmetal,
I hope the winter weather is treating you well in Resembool. I spoke with Al last week and he informed me that you had been having issues with your automail recently. I hope you are feeling better. I happen to know you have the best automail mechanic in Amestris working on it, so by now it is sure to have been cared for.
I had a delightful dinner with Gracia and Elysia last night. They are doing very well. Elysia asked if I could help her get a visit from her ‘big brothers’ and I told her I would pass the request on. Gracia, as always, has been a constant source of amazement to me. I must be honest, and admit that Maes did not exaggerate when he called her an angel. She has been a godsend in my work with the Ishvalans in Central City.
And through her I received yet another surprise. She informed me that Al was considering moving to Central City to study at the University. He has spoken a few times to me of the possibility of returning to academia to try to integrate his understanding of alchemy and his passion for alchehestry, but he did not mention the possible move last week. Please let him know if he needs any help I would surely assist.
I may be a soldier and not nearly as beloved as the Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother, but the Flame Alchemist still has some pull in the alchemy world. I would be more than happy to put in a word for Alphonse, in recompense for all the help he gave us over the years. And for his unexpected friendship over the last few years.
Please know that if he does make that decision, my team and I will keep an eye on him.
Sincerely,
General Roy Mustang
P.S. The last postcard you sent me from Youswell smelled of ale so strongly Hawkeye checked my desk to be certain I had not snuck drinks into my office.
It had been, when all was said and done, an entirely shitty day. Those weren’t words Roy Mustang thought lightly. It had started with an especially vicious nightmare that he hadn’t been able to fall back asleep from. He’d gotten up and had a few cups of coffee, trying not to think of Ishval, civil wars, the Truth, or the black of his walls that had left him momentarily confused and sure that his blindness had returned. The fire in the grate did little to dispel his internal chill, and he’d dressed far too early to be at the office but unwilling to sit in his empty home and play victim to his nightmares any longer.
The day dragged on. Havoc continued to complain about his never ending cycle of first dates, and Hawkeye was far too sharp eyed as she watched him work in silence.
Lunch was taken on the run as his meeting with the Fuhrer had to be moved up suddenly. Once there he was forced to listen to another general’s backward ideas of how to move Amestris forward. The man had no vision. Mustang could deal with opposition that was well thought out and planned. The man simply refused to comment on which side of anything he stood for. He was an obstacle that would be difficult to remove. After all, if a man stood for nothing, what would he fall for?
After that meeting, he’d had to inspect the alchemy labs as the tedious man in charge tried to tell him all about their ground breaking strides on things Fullmetal and Alphonse had done in the field years before with little more than a moment’s thought.
He’d had no word from Ed since he wrote a few months back and Al himself hadn’t sent anything recently either, nor had he called. If it hadn’t been for Gracia’s weekly phone calls from Alphonse, he would be worried.
Hawkeye had offered to let him go home early, but Roy hadn’t wanted to head back to his place yet, still too haunted by his dreams of the night before, so he’d opted to work late.
Dinner with Armstrong had been insightful on a number of fronts and he’d felt a little better. Now, at least, the glass in his hand didn’t feel quite so damning and the fire warmed his spirits a little. He had the radio playing softly in the background, a soft melody that floated through his spacious home with a song that reminded him of learning to dance with Aunt Chris when he was younger.
And of course, as he was just starting to feel settled for the first time that day, someone began to pound on his front door.
He thought about ignoring it, but few enough people knew where he lived that an intrusion like this meant he was needed somewhere.
He let out a deep breath and walked to the front door. He thought about grabbing his uniform jacket that hung in the closet but decided against it.
The banging came again and he was worried the door wouldn’t hold against such a pounding but he was more concerned with the urgency behind it. When he pulled the door open, he stared in surprise.
“Hey, Bastard.”
Fullmetal was outside his doorstep, luggage and brother, in tow.
“Fullmetal?”
“Gonna let us in?”
“Of course, excuse my manners. Please, come in,” he said as he stepped back and made way.
“You didn’t know we were coming, did you?” Alphonse asked with a frown at the back of his brother’s head. Although Ed had grown considerably since Alphonse had gotten his own body back, the younger brother was still the taller of the two.
“No, I’m afraid I didn’t,” Roy answered. “I am delighted to see you, as always, Alphonse.”
Al smiled at him and Ed just looked around the hallway.
“Ed! You said he was fine with this!” There was embarrassment in his voice as well as a blush on his cheeks and Roy had no idea what Alphonse was worried about, but he couldn’t help but smile fondly.
“He is! Or he will be.” Ed said. He finally looked back at Roy and there was a challenging smirk on his face. “So, you gonna let us stay or not?”
“Excuse me?”
“Al got into the University so we need to place to stay until we can find a place of our own. We can stay here, right?”
“Of course,” Roy said a second later. He understood Al’s concern then and he smiled at the younger man. “I have a spare room this way. Bring your things up and you can get settled. Have you had dinner already?”
“Yeah, we’re good,” Ed said as Roy led them to the spare room. It was nothing fancy, but it boasted a bed he knew they could both fit well enough in, a dressed, and a desk and chair they could use for anything else. If they needed more space to work on anything, Roy had a study they could use as well. And a library he was sure the brothers would enjoy.
“It was a long train ride though,” Alphonse said. “We got stuck and had to wait for the track to get cleared.”
“How about I prepare some tea while you get settled in?”
“That would be great. Thanks, General.”
“You’re staying in my guest room, Al. You could at least call me Roy while you’re here.”
Alphonse beamed at him and Roy turned to get the tea.
“What, I don’t get to call you Roy?” Ed asked.
“You’ve yet to call me by the appropriate name at any given time. I didn’t figure you needed my permission to use my first name,” Roy said over his shoulder.
“Damn straight, Colonel Bastard!” Ed called to his back.
“Brother, really? After you just show up on his doorstep-”
The bedroom door closed between them and Roy couldn’t hear what Alphonse had to say but he couldn’t help the smile on his face. The Elric brothers, under his roof, would certainly make it feel a lot less empty tonight.
He went into the kitchen and set the water to boil and got out a plate of snacks for the two. He wasn’t sure what they’d eaten but he’d never known Ed to turn down food. Alphonse either, once he’d gotten his body back.
He had just set the tea in the front room when the brothers found him.
“You have a beautiful home, General. Roy.”
“Thank you Alphonse,” he said as he indicated the tea and snacks on the table. He settled into his sitting chair and took a sip of brandy.
“I bet Hawkeye decorated it,” Ed said.
“Heavens, no,” Roy laughed. “While I appreciate Hawkeye’s opinion on most things, her concern when asked about decorating tends to veer towards exit strategies and what would make good obstacles if someone started shooting.” He took another sip. “Aunt Chris and her girls helped out a bit with the finishing touches but most if it was my own.”
“Very fitting for the future Fuhrer,” Ed said.
“I try. Ed, you said you needed to find a place for Alphonse? Have you begun to narrow places down?”
“Nah, I figured we’d have better luck if we came and put in some foot work.”
“You are more than welcome here, as long as you need it. I have a library you might enjoy peeking into as well,” he suggested.
“After we look for a place to live,” Alphonse said before Ed could comment.
“Yeah, yeah, alright.”
Alphonse yawned into his tea and then turned red for it. “I’m so sorry.”
“Feel free to turn in, Alphonse. You don’t need to keep me company. We can catch up over breakfast tomorrow.”
“That sounds great. Thank you, again, for letting us stay here.”
“It’s truly no problem, Alphonse.”
“Good night, Brother. Don’t keep the General up too late. He has work in the morning and I don’t think Hawkeye would let him off the hook even if he did tell them you were to blame.”
Ed waved his brother off and Roy was left alone with Ed Elric for the first time since the day Ed had left for Creta. Since the day Roy had finally thought perhaps he and Ed were on the same page, only to watch him propose to his wife from a distance a few moments later.
He’d gotten over the confusion of that day, the hurt, but he had never been able to get over his feelings for Ed. The man was beautiful and their sporadic visits, letters, and phone calls over the years hadn’t changed that. In fact, the rarity of their interactions seemed to have fueled his feelings.
Ed was sitting on the couch, his tea held in his hands, his hair dancing with the warm light of the fire. He wasn’t just beautiful. He was stunning, in Roy’s home, surrounded by this things. It was a dangerous place for his mind to go.
“How long are you planning to stay in town?” Roy asked to break the silence.
Ed looked up from his thoughts and sighed. “Guess I might as well get to it now, right?” Ed asked. “I’m staying. Al is going to school and I want to be close. I thought… well… I was in touch with Armstrong and he said I could work as a contractor for Investigations and he could loan me out to you.”
“What?” He wasn’t even sure what he was asking for clarification for.
“I don’t want to be a dog of the military so I can’t work for you. But, Investigations uses contractors. Alex said he would sign me up as a contractor and loan me to you for work. So if there is a mission I don’t agree with or research I find that I need to work on, I’m not obliged to do it.”
“You’re coming back to work for me?”
“Uh hu.”
“You’re moving to Central?”
“Yep.”
“Is Winry moving her shop here?”
“No. She’s staying in Resembool. She’s getting a name for herself from her work on the Fullmetal Alchemist and her connections in Rush Valley. She doesn’t want to move and besides, she loves Resembool. We always knew I’d never be able to settle there for long.”
“So …”
“So I’m moving to Central and I’ll just go back to Resembool to see Winry when I can. It worked when Al was a suit of armor. I don’t see why everyone keep sticking their nose in to ask if it till does now.”
Roy looked at Ed for a moment before he realized that the young man really believed it. “And Winry was fine with this arrangement?”
“Moving to Central? Yeah. Like I said, just like old times.”
“Ed.”
Ed looked away from the fire to look at him. When it came to the battlefield, Roy had never had any trouble understanding Ed. In moments like these though, he was a complete mystery.
“What are you really doing here?” He had to ask because while he was quite able to control his feelings, Ed moving to Central without his wife was … problematic.
“You know what I’m doing here, Mustang.” Ed said, his voice a quiet that belied the tempest in his eyes.
There was something dark there, something that Roy wanted to tear apart, but he had no right to whatever Ed Elric held secret. “No, I really don’t.” He wanted to. He wanted to believe that Ed felt the same that he did and that he’d moved to Central to be with him, but Ed was a married man. Nothing in any of this made sense.
Ed let out a short, bitter laugh and finished the rest of his tea as Roy watched, waiting for an answer. “Imagine that. I finally know more than the Great Roy Mustang.”
He set his empty cup on the table, then got up and walked towards the door. “Good night, Roy. Sweet Dreams.”
“To you as well, Edward.”
Roy took another sip of his glass and decided against filling it again. He wasn’t worried about the nightmares that plagued his thoughts anymore. No, he knew exactly what sort of dreams would find their way to his mind tonight.
Either way, he would get little rest, dreaming of the man sleeping just down the hall from him tonight.
It didn’t take long to find a place to settle into. Neither Ed nor Al needed much; a bed to sleep in, a kitchen, and a place to throw their books were really all they wanted. It was small but with an extra bedroom that they could turn into a work room. They spent as little money as possible on things like furniture. They bought two small, cheap desks and Al transmuted them into a larger, sturdy working desk for them while Ed fixed the broken bookcases they’d bought until they were sturdy enough to handle their ever growing book collection.
Ed ran a hand over the work table and smiled at the books that had already begun to cover its surface as Al began studying for school in earnest. Most of Ed’s research was at the office but there were a few files he’d brought home to look at.
It was good to be back at the office, and even though he’d only been back a month, it felt like he’d never left. It was almost like they’d expected him to come back and had kept his space ready for him. Even if he’d rarely been in the office to begin with.
The team had come over tonight when Al decided they needed to have a housewarming to let their friends see their new place. Ed hadn’t really wanted to, but Al insisted. He invited a few friends from his classes which turned out to be fairly interesting; not because Ed had any interest in what they were studying, but because most of the students were studying alchemy or knew it in some way and having them face to face with the Flame Alchemist was hysterical. Ed could tell that Roy was uncomfortable with the attention, even as he put on his best cocky grin and began to charm them all.
A few of Al’s classmates were interested in the military so the rest of the team was engaged in conversation as well. When Ed tried to keep a low profile, it was Mustang who reminded Al’s friends that Ed was the Fullmetal Alchemist. He’d gotten drawn into the conversation and ended up talking the evening away with the students. It was odd because while they were his age, he felt more like a mentor than a peer.
When they had gone, the team had left them a houseplant, Hawkeye had given both Ed and Al a blank ledger for personal research, and Mustang had found an incredibly old and rare manuscript that compared ancient alchemic legends. Al had wanted to refuse it but Ed had thanked the general before his brother could give it back. Ed knew better than to think that Mustang would take it back anyway. He was stubborn, which they’d known even before they’d lived with him for a month.
Now, Ed ran his fingers over it again, lightly touching the array on it that preserved it. It was a thoughtful gift and one that wouldn’t have been easy to find. It made him wonder if Mustang had just lucked upon it recently, or if he’d kept it for them, waiting for an occasion.
“Brother?”
“Hey Al, good party right?”
Al smiled and Ed still couldn’t help but smile back. Five years hadn’t dimmed his joy at seeing his brother’s smile.
“The best. I know you didn’t want this, but it was fun. My friends really liked you. And the team.” He looked at the manuscript at Ed’s fingertips and sighed. “I can’t believe he gave us that.”
“It’s Mustang. You know if he was going to give a gift it would have to be over the top.”
Al was staring at the manuscript and Ed wasn’t sure what he saw on his brother’s face. “The General has always taken good care of us. Even when we didn’t realize he was trying to help us, he was.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not like we weren’t helping him out too.”
“Brother,” he said with an exasperated laugh, “we showed up at his door without warning and moved in for a month.”
“Yeah, but I’m working for him now.”
“Which you’re getting paid for.”
“Yeah, yeah. Alright. I admit, he’d been good to us.”
“Maybe too good.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ed asked, but he knew what Alphonse meant. He just didn’t want to deal with his brother’s questions tonight. Other people made insinuations about Ed and his time in the military and he could push those aside. Alphonse knew him too well though and sometimes his questions bordered on answers he didn’t want to give.
“I just … do you ever wonder why he took such good care of us?”
“Just to be contrary is my opinion.”
Ed could see Alphonse wanted to say something else, but his little brother just shook his head. “I’m going to bed. Good night, Brother.”
“Good night, Al.”
Al left the room and Ed took a deep breath. He could hear his brother fumbling around the apartment as he got ready, then everything fell silent.
He tried not to think about it too hard, but in two week they’d been here he’d been having trouble sleeping. Ed was used to nightmares. He’d had them since he was 11 and sleepless nights came with the job he’d taken and the research he did. It was different after the Promised Day though. He’d had nightmares every night.
He’d dreamt of the team, dead to white-bodied zombies, or to Bradley’s men. He dreamed they’d been eaten by Gluttony and even imagined his own alchemy killing them. He’d dreamed of his own death by fire, standing between Mustang and Envy, of Mustang’s death stepping between Ed and Father. There were so many variations of death and destruction, of the retelling of his life in error; his mother’s transmutation but some nights it was Nina, or Hughes. Some nights he witnessed his own hands doing it, others it was Mustang. Some nights it was Al still in his armor, or Al giving himself up and going back into the armor to save them all.
The only time he’d slept well had been at Mustang’s. Even the nights at Resembool had left him drenched in sweat. Every night at Mustang’s though, Ed had fallen asleep to the sounds of Roy moving around his home. He’d felt safe there for reasons he didn’t want to think about. He’d always felt the need to protect Winry, even from his nightmares, but Roy made him feel cared for and safe. He hated that it was his boss who gave him that and not his wife, but there was really nothing typical about his relationship with his CO.
Ed found the bottle of brandy he’d borrowed (snatched on the way out) from Mustang’s apartment when he’d packed the last of his things up and didn’t even bother with a cup. He took a long pull from the bottle and settled into the one plush chair that Al had insisted on buying. He leaned his head back and took another drink, but capped the bottle and set it on the floor behind him.
The drink might chase the nightmares away for a few hours, but they’d come back and it didn’t help the rest of it. It didn’t help the restlessness he felt under his own roof, or the loneliness that had been absent just last month.
When the phone rang, he picked it up, hoping for anything to get him out of the dreariness of his day.
“Mustang,” he answered quickly.
“General Mustang, I hope I’m not bothering you. It’s Winry Rockbell-Elric.”
“Winry, how are you? I hope everything is well?” Her voice sounded pleasant enough so it couldn’t be an emergency. Over the years, he’d become accustomed to her calls. Ed seemed to have a hard time corresponding with his wife while he was on the road and Mustang had been passing information back and forth between the two for some time. Since Ed had come back to the military five years ago.
“Everything is fine, General. I was just trying to see if there was any word lately from my wayward husband. He stopped on his way up North to switch out his automail but I haven’t heard from him since then,” she said with an exasperated sigh.
“He called two days ago when we he arrived in West City. He was merely going to help with some structural rebuilding. After some flooding, they asked for an alchemist to help rebuilding a bridge that had been washed away and in testing the integrity of the other bridges in the city.”
“Thank you, General. I know you can’t tell me much when he’s on official business, but I appreciate you letting me know he wasn’t in any danger.”
“I wish I could say that without feeling it was a lie, but you married a man who seemed to attract trouble.”
She let out a short laugh and as much as Roy knew Winry didn’t understand why Ed had returned to the military 5 years ago, she never failed to see the truth about him. “You’re right about that. Did he happen to mention how long he was going to be in the West?”
“It was supposed to be a week or two, but it could go either way with Fullmetal. He could be done already and heading home, or he could be making more paperwork for me.”
“He does seem to love doing that,” Winry teased.
Roy laughed lightly. As awkward as his relationship with Winry had once been, he was fairly certain he spoke with her more than Ed did. “Is everything going well in Resembool? How was your last visit to Rush Valley?” Ed had mentioned her visit the last time Roy had suggested he take a few days to go home to visit his wife.
“You knew about that? Of course you did,” she said with a fond laugh. “The visit was good. It was nice to get back to see everyone. Plus I made contact with a new supplier. He’s been sending me his best materials and it’s really been a boon.”
“I’m sure your clients are appreciative.”
“They pay well for it, anyway. Resembool is mostly quiet. They opened a small Inn and a couple new restaurants. A little clothing boutique opened up too. Who would have thought we’d have a little civilization all the way out here?”
“I’ll have to stop and visit next time we’re coming through.”
“You should. Though if you try to stay at the Inn you know I’ll show up and drag you home!” Winry said. “All of you have done so much for Ed and Al. The least we can do is offer a roof when you’re in town.”
“I haven’t forgotten the offer. I had planned to head to Ishval soon. I’ll let you know when it happens and see if I can work in a little time to stop by. Maybe I can drag Ed or Al along with me.”
Winry laughed again. “Al isn’t too hard to convince. Ed seems to drag his feet.”
“Fullmetal has always seemed to be too busy for the hours in the day,” he said diplomatically.
“His personal research is just as bad as his work,” Winry admitted. “Do you understand what he and Al are working on?”
“They’re keeping it rather quiet,” Roy answered. “But what I understand from Al, it seems to be more medicinal than anything I’ve seen before. The mixture of alchemy and alchehestry is beyond me though. Al keeps offering to teach me the Xingian way, but I’m an old dog. I can only pick up so many new tricks.”
“I don’t believe that, General,” Winry said. “Though Ed seemed to think it was more a matter of the time it would take to teach you that would get in your way. Hard to be a general and a student, he said.”
“That is a true enough statement,” Roy admitted. “I take it Mrs. Rockbell is well?”
“Granny is fine. As fierce as ever.”
“Good to hear it. I’ll be sure to pass on the information when I see Al tomorrow. He’s always happy for news from Resembool.”
“Please send him my love,” Winry said. “He’s not in trouble is he?”
“Al? No. He has some questions about elemental alchemy and he happened to remember he knew an expert in the field. He asked to come over and get my perspective on some things. I promise I’ll make sure he’s well fed before I send him on his way.”
“Thank you, General. I should let you go. I’m sure you have more important things to do that to talk to your subordinate’s wife.”
“Certainly nothing more pleasant though,” he reassured her.
“You’re a flatterer, General. Please tell the boys to call me when you speak with them next.”
“Of course. Your call was a lovely surprise, Winry. You know you never need wait to call. I’m more than happy to keep you entertained if your husband is remiss in his duties.”
Her laughter made him smile. “More than a flatterer. Save your playboy ways, General. I’m a married woman.”
“If you ever change your mind, you know where I am.”
“Good-bye General.”
“Have a pleasant day, Mrs. Rockbell-Elric.”
He hung up the phone and looked up in time to see Hawkeye walking in the room with more files. “How is Winry?”
“She seems to be well. Checking in on her wayward husband, as she calls him,” Roy said. Hawkeye gave him a look that he wasn’t sure how to interpret. “What?”
“Do they actually speak without you in the middle?”
“I would love to say it is only the occasional call where I have passed messages back and forth, but that would be a lie.”
“And you don’t think there is something wrong with that?”
“Who am I to interfere with their marriage if they both seem fine with it as it is?”
“You think Winry is happy with that?”
“I think she is independent enough to live with it. I don’t know her well enough otherwise to say.”
Hawkeye gave him the look again.
“What?”
“You speak to her more than Ed. Al is worried.”
“When did he speak to you about it?”
“He has been ever since they got married,” Hawkeye answered. “It’s not really my business but, we’ve all invested a lot in keeping the Elrics happy. Winry deserves it too.”
“I agree whole heartedly.”
She let out a sigh as she placed the files on his desk. “I know you do, Sir.” She sighed, and then continued, “You deserve something better than this, too.”
He looked up from the files sharply and glared at her. It was a line they didn’t cross. She was the only one that knew him well enough to understand exactly what he was feeling. She was too close to saying something he couldn’t deny. “That will be all, Lieutenant.”
She nodded sharply but when she turned to close the door on her way out, her look was far too knowing.
He sat back in his seat and brought a hand up to rub at his brow. He knew what Hawkeye was saying but there was nothing he could do to change the facts of his life. His true affections had never been fickle and his heart had set itself on a path that would never see him happy. He had to be content with his path to becoming Fuhrer and seeing that his team, at least, got the happily ever after they deserved.
1925
Dear Mustang,
Briggs is beautiful in the winter. Ha ha. I’m kidding. It’s so damn cold I can barely breathe. Winry is trying out some new automail for the north and while my arm and leg are working just fine, my ports are aching the whole time. I can’t wait to get back to Resembool and switch back to my other arm and leg.
I was able to root out the trouble with the supply lines. We found a group who were selling Briggs supplies off the line before they made it there. I tracked the group back to Briggs and Armstrong was about to set some heads to roll until we realized they weren’t Briggs soldiers doing it. A village at the base of the mountain was. They were civilian contractors. We shut down the ring so there shouldn’t be any more trouble. I don’t think Armstrong is any more impressed with me than she was after my last visit, but I blame you. What did you do to her anyway? Did you try to date her? That would explain a lot. Remember that police investigator before I went to Creta that hated you?
I’m sure everyone was worried, but I’ll be back in time for the Embassy’s opening. I think Winry’s going to have to take the automail off and give my ports a day to heal before she reattaches the other, but I’ll still be there. I’m heading back in the morning. She’ll be surprised. I thought I would be a few days more.
I spoke with Al on the phone last night and he said you took him to the symphony last week. He sounded pretty lonely in his last letter but he seemed in higher spirits after that. Thank you for taking care of him. He also said he’d gone to dinner with Hawkeye. I know you all care for Al, but I feel that you keep an eye on him for me as well and I can’t ever repay that.
It is actually beautiful here. I imagine you’d have far more poetic words for it, but I can understand why the soldiers here can get dressed and walk into the cold of winter here. The cold might take your breath away, but it is nothing on the view. It makes your own troubles fall away to nothing.
Yours truly,
Edward
P.S. What do you see when you look across the mountains? Whenever I stand on the wall, it makes me think of all the what ifs in my life. I don’t have many regrets, but sometimes, the wall makes me wonder if I made the right choices sometimes. It also apparently makes me melancholy as fuck. I can’t wait to get back home to Central.