Log Post.

[notuberchibi]

Who: Roy Mustang and Edward Elric
What: Awkwardness, UST, and [LOOKIT ME AS I MAKE UP ALCHEMICAL THEORY] moments
Where: Central Headquarters, Amestris
When: This week sometime
Why: Because Edward needed to turn in a report. And because Roy is too sexy for paperwork. And because I love Floss. And just because. Also, this is the only one of my characters I hadn't logged with yet, and that had to change.
Also: A number of people saw Edward go into Colonel Mustang's office. A number of people saw Edward come out of Colonel Mustang's office. They might have even heard Edward yelling. Black Hayate probably smelled the UST permeating in waves from beneath the door. No one saw anything.


Edward was deeply uneasy as he walked through Central Headquarters towards Mustang's office. Though of course he had continued to deny the twins' implications, he couldn't help thinking about them. It was ridiculous. Mustang was vile and obnoxious. He marched into the outer office, a thick folder tucked under one arm, and glanced around.

An authoritative female voice from behind him made the blonde jump. "He's not busy; you can go in," Hawkeye told him.

He nodded and pushed open the door leading into Mustang's private office, closing it quietly behind him. "I've, er...got that report you wanted, Sir," he muttered, his expression defiant as he regarded the man, even though his words and tone had been less than confident.

Roy was staring at a particularly unpleasant set of paperwork and trying desperately to think of some better way of occupying his time without Hawkeye finding out about it. He was beginning to lose hope, and starting to wonder if it was worth another hole in the wall. Perhaps not. Roy heard voices coming from the outer office and perked up a little. This could be the distraction he'd been hoping for. He suppressed the smirk that was working its way over his face when Fullmetal walked in. It was ideal.

He didn't look up, instead choosing to read through the first few paragraphs of the sheet in front of him. "Do sit down, Fullmetal. I have something else to go through first," Roy said. He heard the shake in the young man's voice and wondered if it had anything to do with the bizarre conversation he had found himself in last night.

The blonde had been rather hoping that he could just toss his report on the desk and be off, so he scowled when he was invited (in the sort of off-hand way that really meant it was a command) to sit down. He did so, trying to will himself to relax as he sank into the couch, but his knee twitched in time to his agitation, and he began flipping idly through the pages of his own report, though he had it all memorized.

Roy chose to spend another few minutes reading through the report in front of him, feeling the irritation growing from his couch. He smirked inwardly and finally looked up. Fullmetal seemed to be even more twitchy than usual, which was odd. He studied the blond for a moment and tried to work out if it really was because of what had been said last night that he was so agitated. "Well, are you going to begin Fullmetal, or do you require a larger audience?" Roy asked, with a typically blank face. It wouldn't do to let Fullmetal know his presence here was particularly welcome, after all.

Edward's teeth were bared in a quiet growl. "You're the one who was pretending to do work when I came in!" he accused. Then he seemed to visibly hesitate. "I haven't had to give you verbal reports since before..."

A small smirk crept across Roy's face but he wiped it quickly, Fullmetal was just too easy to annoy. "I do have work to do. You are the one that's late," he reminded. "Verbal reports are standard procedure, Fullmetal. I just don't usually have the time." It was true, but most officers chose simply to read the reports rather than waste time. Today, he had time to waste.

That smirk didn't go unnoticed, and amber eyes narrowed spitefully. "Don't even pretend like you're not glad to put off that work, either..." Edward grumbled. He rose and slapped his report down on Mustang's desk, right in the middle of all his 'important paperwork.' "There really wasn't a lot to go from regarding Ishvalan alchemy. They've destroyed most of the texts that make any reference to it at all." His report was deceptively thick; he'd made note of every dead end, just to make it seem like there was more information than there truly was.

Roy raised a single eyebrow at Fullmetal's behaviour. He hadn't really acted like this since he'd been fifteen and still looking for the stone. "I didn't say I wasn't," he replied. The best way to rile the young man more was to refuse to play his game. He picked up the report on quickly flipped through it, noticing it was mostly padding and lost causes. He stopped and spoke again, "You said most. Did you find anything at all of note? I know you didn't anger too many of the locals. Well, not enough to cause more problems."

Edward raised an eyebrow at that. "'Cause problems'? As I recall, you used to like it when I caused problems with the locals of whatever little contested city you sent me to... Has military policy changed so much?" He ignored the question about his report, for the time being; he was certain Mustang would bring it up again, but this was a topic he found momentarily more interesting.

Roy just looked at the blond then, "Odd as it may seem, the military has no reason to create more issues with what's left of the people of Ishval." Roy was thankful then that his mask was so good. None of them wanted to think of Ishval more than was necessary. "You were sent to those places for a reason, Fullmetal. Now you're not," he finished and sat back. It would be interesting to see what Fullmetal would make of that piece of information.

Edward frowned, processing. "Does that mean the military has no more imperialist designs, or that what I'm doing is just busy work?" he asked uncertainly. As much as he didn't like some of the military's methods, if he was working for them he wanted to know that he was actually doing something important.

Roy smirked. "I'd never say that, Fullmetal. You're doing work that most of the state alchemists who travel are doing. Most of your work now is chosen by me, of the missions available. So it's still coming from the top, after a fashion." Roy had been listening out for any information about the plans for the alchemists and Fullmetal in particular, but had been able to dig up surprisingly little.

"Of course you wouldn't say it," the blonde muttered under his breath. However, Edward couldn't help but wonder what Mustang was telling him actually meant. Was the man selecting for him the missions that were more pertinent? Or was this a tease that he really was just doing busy work, and it was all Mustang's doing? As much as he liked traveling, he was beginning to wonder if it wouldn't be more useful, at least, to sit back and do real research instead. "And just how do you choose my work?" he asked quickly, aware that he'd been silent for a while and not wanting Mustang to pick at it. "Whatever forces me to travel the farthest away?"

Roy's eyes narrowed slightly. He wasn't sure he liked where this conversation was going. He waited while Fullmetal seemed to try to process what he'd said, wondering what he'd come up with next. Roy was the finding the blond all too unpredictable of late and that was... disconcerting to say the least. He was tempted to say something and then Fullmetal spoke again. He paused a moment, then answered, "I choose missions that look like they could have results. The distance has very little to do with it." That wasn't entirely true. It wasn't easy being in the same room as Fullmetal, not after the strange shift that had occurred. Roy was trying to give Fullmetal some opportunities; getting him away was just a bonus.

That had...not been the answer Edward had been expecting. It had just been a jab, after all. "Little to do with it?" he inquired, resting his hands on Mustang's desk and leaning forward slightly. "But still something to do with it." His frown deepened. "You could have just transferred me if you didn't want to deal with me. I could just as easily work from Eastern Headquarters." There was...a curious sort of ache that accompanied those words. He'd been working under Mustang since he'd joined the military; it was inconceivable to work for anyone else, really.

Roy stilled a moment. It had been a long time since he'd made a slip like that. He looked across at Fullmetal and sighed slightly. "You're one of my men. I considered it, and decided it wasn't practical." He chose to ignore the other part of the question for now. It really wasn't something he wanted to think about too closely. He pulled back a little from the whole thing, ready to turn the tables back a little. "You'd miss me too much, Fullmetal. I think you made that very clear yesterday."

"Miss you?" Edward sputtered, momentarily floored. "Who the hell would miss you?!" Somehow (probably related to the fact that he wasn't fifteen any longer) he managed to keep from shrilling the words. "Stupid bastard Colonel! You're the most frustrating person I've ever met! You could transfer me right now, and I'd consider it a gift!"

Roy smirked, properly this time, pleased to be back in control. He practically purred his answer back to Fullmetal. "Manners, please. Well, if that's the case it can be arranged." It was disappointing Fullmetal wouldn't squeak like he used to, but still entertaining. Roy reached for his phone, fairly sure this bet would pay off. If not, it would still be fine. Really. "I'll call Lt Hawkeye and have her bring in the paperwork."

Edward's eyes widened. It might have been a bluff, but it might not have been. Mustang had said he'd considered it, that it hadn't been practical. But maybe it was practical now. He didn't want to be transferred. The blonde didn't even quite realize it when he'd reached out, automail pinning Mustang's wrist to the desk in a vice grip that wasn't meant to hurt so much as immobilize. "That's...not necessary."

Roy was a little surprised when he felt an automail hand around his wrist and he looked up to meet amber eyes with a calculating stare. "A simple 'no' would've sufficed, Fullmetal. I didn't realise you were quite this...attached." Roy attempted to squash any interest in why Fullmetal would want to stay here. Stay under his command. He pushed the relief he was feeling down as well. He had no reason to want the blond to stay either.

The blonde yanked his hand away as if he'd been scalded, though of course he wouldn't have been able to feel it if he had. "I'm not," he muttered, colouring in spite of himself. "It would have been annoying to relocate, is all. I've just finally got some stuff and it would have been a bitch to move." Technically a truth - he had acquired any number of shelves, filled with books - but rather obviously not the whole truth.

Roy was amused, despite himself. "You're blushing, Fullmetal. I thought you weren't going to do that anymore?" he remarked, laughing softly. "The military have people to move, just like everyone else. Is that all?" Roy cursed himself for asking that last question. He didn't care. Fullmetal was simply an irritating and potentially amusing subordinate. No different from any other. There was no reason for him to ask that.

The knowledge that he was blushing only made Edward turn a deeper crimson, hating that he had so little control over his responses. However, when he heard Mustang's next words, any thought for control left him. "Stop poking holes in my excuses!" he nearly shouted. "I don't want to transfer, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?!" Though why Mustang would want to hear any such thing opened a completely different can of worms.

Roy's smirk widened a fraction as Fullmetal blushed a deeper red. It was attractive on him, that would never change, but it didn't matter. The raised voice of Fullmetal in his office was oddly nostalgic. He spoke calmly though. "You were the one who brought the idea up. I merely wanted to find out if it was what you really wanted. Why is of no concern to me." He sat back in his chair and looked at the young man from across the desk. This was not how he had expected this to go.

Edward calmed, slowly, a sort of forced apathy descending over his features. He straightened, so that he was no longer leaning over Mustang's desk as if with malicious intent. Hands folding at the small of his back, he rolled his eyes to the ceiling with disinterest. "Did you want to hear the rest of my report, or can I leave?" he asked blandly. He wasn't good at acting, not at all, but maybe Mustang would just let him get it over with, anyway.

It was easiest just to give Fullmetal his typical blank gaze and let him move on. Roy wasn't sure he would like where this conversation, if it could be called that, was going. "As you wish, then. What did you find out from what you found?" he asked blandly. It was obvious that Fullmetal was still incredibly uncomfortable but it didn't matter. He had a duty to do and paperwork to avoid. This was still the easiest way.

Edward was almost disappointed when Mustang didn't push it. That was what they did, after all. A constant game of posturing, and now Mustang was acting weird and he really didn't understand it at all. He looked everywhere but at the other man as he recited. "I did manage to get my hands on one book, though it was in really poor condition. It was written in a rather simple code, so I don't think they realized that it was even about alchemy, which is probably why it wasn't burned with the rest. Their tenants were different, of course, since their religion asserts that alchemy was a gift from Ishvala. Or, at least, it did before they completely banned use of alchemy as a sin against Ishvala." He forced a smirk; it was rather funny, after all, but he couldn't find it in him to actually be amused.

If nothing else, Roy could always fall back onto protocol to get what he wanted. "Really now, Fullmetal, I will have to ask that you at least look at me while giving your report. There's no reason for you not to." He paused a moment, interested a little by what Fullmetal was saying anyway. "Has it provided any new information? Little is known about the branches they explored." Roy might rely, far too heavily if he cared to admit it, on his fire alchemy most of the time, but he still an alchemist, even if he didn't do quite the same levels of research he used to.

Edward narrowed his eyes as he dropped them to Mustang, his gaze rather chilly. "A lot of the book was completely illegible," he admitted, regret leaking into his voice unbidden. He found the subject deeply interesting, himself. "And given I was translating the code, and then translating from Ishvalan, I can't be completely certain of the meaning of what text I could make out. I didn't find much on human alchemy, or anything like that, but then, alchemy based in religion would make those sorts of taboos much more...absolute." His eyes drifted of their own accord, looking out the window over Mustang's shoulder. "They focus a great deal of energy on what they call 'The Tetrad': earth, air, fire, water. Being a desert people, earth and water were most significant. They did some really fascinating things with the water in the atmosphere..."

Roy watched with interest and vague amusement, despite the cold eyes that met his as Fullmetal seemed to half lose himself in theory and what he'd done. It was a shame that there wasn't more to be gotten out of that book, however. He knew several people who would've held considerable interest. "It sounds like you've not quite finished then. Quite a lot of the earlier alchemical research does focus on the elements, as they stood. It could be useful if you could find if there would be any practical use for that aspect." Roy paused a moment, a little softer than before. "You could request to follow this idea, if you wished." He stopped a moment then, surprised at himself. He felt a slight smile on his face and quickly removed it. "Is there anything else?"

"That would require a great deal of experimentation," Edward replied carefully, his eyes all for Mustang - watching him closely, gauging. "I'd need to see about acquiring additional texts from Ishval, of course, but if I were to pursue this, it would be as experimental research. I wouldn't be traveling." He couldn't emphasize that point enough, given what had been said earlier. He did like the idea of contributing to something potentially useful, but not necessarily if it was going to make whatever situation it was between them even more tense.

Roy had been a soldier now for a long time. He knew that some things did not require emotional compliancy to be done, or to allow. It would be hard having Fullmetal around all the time, and no doubt he would be the one supervising his experimentations. He was the blond's superior officer and senior alchemist. In years, anyway. Roy frowned a minute; this would require a fair bit of work on his own part, to keep up. It would, however, likely lessen the load of paperwork he had. He looked steadily across at Fullmetal and finally answered, "Some of what you suggest here could provide and great deal of use for both the military and for civilians. There would be no issue with the higher-ups." He paused. "I would likely be the one overseeing you."

Edward leaned over the desk, fairly shivering with nervous energy. "In that case, it is your responsibility to decide right now whether there is any sort of conflict of interest, anything that would make you regret this decision," he murmured harshly. "I could just as easily continue the work I had been doing. Or leave the military completely and pursue this research on my own. The Ishvalans would probably be much more willing to part with their knowledge if it weren't to a State Alchemist..." He lowered his eyes. "I don't know why you're acting so strangely," he muttered, "but you definitely are." There was a progression in the blonde's head to this argument, and it flowed perfectly to him at least.

The look on Roy's face was as perfectly blank as it had ever been, even if he was internally struggling with all this. "I am offering you an opportunity here, Fullmetal. If you don't take this, someone else will. What you choose to do is up to you. Leaving the military will require notice and some arrangements made. It will also lose you your expenses." Roy knew that he had very little option but to actually answer Fullmetal's questions now, if he was prepared to push this far. "There would be no conflict of interest in terms of work. As to acting strangely, I could say the same of you."

The blonde ignored the majority of Mustang's response, much more concerned with that last bit, and he cleaved to it persistently now that he was finally getting at least something. "I had a pair of twins whispering things into my ear. What's your excuse?" He turned vaguely pink remembering just what those things had been, but that wasn't important. Mustang very rarely revealed anything, and Edward had the most horrible poker face ever anyway; he was used to it by now.

Roy was growing very tired of this now. Fullmetal was beginning to crawl under his skin in a way he never had before. "Why would what somebody said matter in the slightest?" he asked, fighting not to show his frustration. The young man was blushing again, and Roy was tempted to call him on it. He had never wanted to have this conversation with Fullmetal. "Memories," he said shortly. "If you're done blushing and flinging accusations, I have your report now."

Edward gritted his teeth, automail scratching shallow furrows in the perfect finish of Mustang's desk. He wasn't moving. Not until this was resolved. They'd have to drag him from the office kicking and biting. "Because. It wasn't until they wouldn't leave well enough alone that I realized they were right." The words had come out in a spill, the blonde not quite realizing what he'd said until he played them back in his head. Were they right? He looked at the man across the desk. Maybe.

Roy went very still then, dark eyes measured and watching. He looked impassively at the scratches on his desk, staring almost as he tried to process this. "They were right. Right about what, Fullmetal?" Roy couldn't help the words spilling out of him. He didn't want to ask that question. Didn't want to know. He would tell himself that until he believed it. He looked back at Fullmetal and tried to read him, struggling for once. What now?

The blonde crawled onto Mustang's desk, sending a stack of paper fluttering to the floor; the tension in the room was thick, and Edward's mouth was dry, and his hand, the flesh one, no glove in sight, closed at the collar of Mustang's shirt. "It hurt to think you would want to get rid of me, dispatch me far away, transfer me to someone else's command. Only my brother knows me better than you do. Did you not realize that saying such a thing was out of bounds?" He was answering the man's question, but still not answering.

The mask Roy was wearing threatened to crumble as Fullmetal planted himself on Roy's desk. He forced himself not to flinch back as a hand closed on his collar, and he tried to meet the young man's eyes, as much as he wanted to look away. "I never intended to. I don't think it could." Roy stopped, gathered himself again and spoke, "I don't have an answer yet, Fullmetal. Right about what?"

Edward growled, though it wasn't an angry sound so much as uncertain. The man had to know what he was saying. He shut his eyes, couldn't bear to see Mustang's face as he admitted it. "Look, I know I'm not the same as the other one, and that's probably why you want nothing to do with me, but the other day I was jealous of that idiot girl though I have no right to be, and they noticed, and they picked at it until it wasn't something I could deny any more. Not to myself." His chest was heaving as if he'd physically exerted himself, and he still couldn't meet Mustang's eyes nor was he sure he'd actually managed to answer the question.

The waiting was possibly the hardest part. Roy couldn't understand this, didn't want to. He had moved past the 'other one', necessity had seen to that. He had no illusions that the two were the same. Edward had been broken, hurt. He had wanted to protect him. There was no question that Fullmetal could and would stand on his own. He was older. More like an equal. "You are not like him," Roy admitted. "I think I knew you were, though. In all senses. You still haven't told me what you mean. Not really." Roy's tome was softer now, edged with a wariness. He didn't understand anymore. Not his own reactions, and certainly not Fullmetal's. He had wanted him jealous. Wanted him?

Edward tongue darted out to wet his lips, agitation and nervousness barely contained. "You know what I mean, although I haven't said it," the blonde replied, tone just as quiet, reserved. He shifted on the desk, sending a fresh wave of paper cascading to the floor. "This probably qualifies as assault," he muttered to himself, so out of place, and then he was yanking Mustang forward, lips awkward and inexperienced against his commanding officer's. Research had been his first love, so even at the age of twenty, Edward really just hadn't done this before, and his cheeks were beet red.

Roy watched that tongue as it ran across Fullmetal's lips and tried not to. Tried to focus. He thought he knew what Fullmetal was saying, what he wanted him to be saying. Could he admit that now? He watched the papers fall, barely taking it in. Vaguely wondering if the door was shut. He heard Fullmetal speak then he was moving, pulled forward and there were lips on his. He froze briefly in shock, some part of him not actually expecting this and then he was kissing back, trying to teach the clumsy lips on his. Roy really was hoping the door was shut now.

There was a second of mortification, when Mustang had gone completely still, and Edward had wondered if somehow he had read the situation completely wrongly, and then a wave of reassurance had crashed over him as the man had kissed him back. For his part, the kiss instantly became less forceful, more curious, almost as if this was another experiment, though he was at a loss as to what hypothesis might be tested. His eyes had been open, wide and nervous; now they drifted closed, no longer fearing the repercussions.

Roy felt the change in the kiss as Fullmetal seemed to grow a little more comfortable, a little more reassured. Roy knew what he was doing here at least. As for the rest of it, he was ignoring that in favour of the blonde on his desk. He kissed slower, coaxing Fullmetal (Ed?)'s mouth open gently. It was obvious he hadn't done much of this before, but he was a quick learner; Roy knew all too well.

The blonde was all too happy to allow the man to guide him, the warm pressure of tongue in his mouth a welcome intrusion. His own was shy against it, gaining confidence when he didn't seem to be doing anything utterly wrong. Finally, however, he was forced to pull back, panting thickly, though not unpleasantly so. He seemed to notice his vice-grip on Mustang's collar and released it, smoothing out the fabric as an afterthought. He was, rather abashedly, looking everywhere but at the man he'd just been kissing. "Erm. That was what I was saying," he supplied helpfully.

Roy began to forget that this really wasn't a good idea, lost in the feel of the kiss. It had been too long. He blinked slightly as Fullmetal pulled back, adjusting again. He felt the fingers on his collar loosen. Roy gently reached out and took the blond's chin, turning him back so they were face to face again. "You were wrong," he said. "About me wanting nothing to do with you." It was hard to admit that now, after denying it for so long. Not even thinking about it. "We need to talk. Just perhaps not in my office."

Edward's eyes darted around, as if just remembering that yes, they were in the man's office. He scrubbed a hand at the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah...'bout that... Sorry about the papers..." He gently pulled his chin from Roy's grip, but only because he was gingerly trying to get off the man's desk, without upsetting any more of the paperwork stacked on it. He was only marginally successful.

Roy watched with a slight smile as it continued to rain paper in his office. Fullmetal was oddly cute when flustered. "It's fine," he replied. "It's nothing too important." He stopped and looked over at the young man standing in front of him. Wondering how it had ended up like this. This he had really not seen coming. "Where would you be willing to talk?" Roy wasn't going to push this, or Fullmetal. He didn't even know what he wanted yet.

"It makes no difference to me," the blonde admitted, brushing down his clothing, which had somehow gotten a bit rumpled. "Wherever you want." Edward was smiling faintly, and there was nothing of it forced, or awkward, or any of the other words that could have been used to describe him when he'd first entered the man's office. Though he certainly didn't know what to make of the situation, he still felt as though something had been resolved.

Roy considered briefly. "Will you come to my house? I can give you directions. It'll be easier there." He stopped a moment, and smirked slightly, wondering what Fullmetal would make of that. "Promise to be on best behaviour." Roy was almost tempted to laugh. He would be, unless Fullmetal had any other ideas. Not that he was at all opposed to that. He stood now, fully and looked across at the blond. "Thank you for your report... Ed."

A snort. "Your best behaviour? Somehow that seems like it would be more to worry about than otherwise," the blonde remarked wryly. He raised an eyebrow at the last, however. His name...sounded foreign from Roy's lips, though not unpleasantly so. "Speaking of my report...you can start processing my research request..." he added with a grin.

Roy's smirk widened. "I don't know what you mean." This time Roy really did smile. "I can have the paperwork here by tomorrow. Thank you for that, Ed. I do like more." Roy nodded at him once and went back to sit down. "I should at least try to do this. I'll see you later."

Edward smirked. "I do aim to please," he replied, giving Roy a jaunty salute. "Later..." He liked the sound of that. And, unlike every other time Edward left Mustang's office, the Colonel's subordinates saw the blonde leave with a wide, unexpected grin. And wondered.