FIC: Destinations Unknown (G) - Fullmetal Alchemist
Title: Destinations Unknown
Author: Zippit
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
Timeline: Post Brotherhood/Manga
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye, Jean Havoc, Alphonse Elric, and Edward Elric
Rating: G
Content Notes: N/A
Word Count: 1,280
Completed: June 6, 2013
Challenge: fma_fic_contest
Prompt: 222 - Did You Ever…?
Disclaimer: The characters portrayed within are not mine. This is merely a loving response to the original work.
Beta: Thanks to catw00man. All other errors are mine.
Author’s Notes: Yay! A fic from someone other than Roy’s POV.
Summary: They’ve come a long way from the boys they used to be.
If you'd asked him to imagine what life would be like when it was all said and done, this wouldn't have been the life he would've described. Back when it all began, when he was trapped in a suit of armor and more worried about keeping Ed from sacrificing himself to protect him and trying to keep the broken pieces of Ed together, the future was this vague thing that would happen one day. He never would've pictured himself here today in a relationship with an amazing woman, learning more every day, along with being the Amestrian ambassador to Xing.
Thankfully he's passed on the worrying over Ed's lack of survival instincts to someone better equipped to handle the issue. He even thinks Fuhrer Mustang's managed to teach Ed to value his own hide, something Al was never able to accomplish himself. Back then, he never would've imagined Ed would want to stay in the military much less continue under Mustang's command. They're still at each other's throats more often than not, like right now, and if Ed doesn't stop it they're going to be late.
"Brother, would you just let them pin the award to your chest for tonight?"
Ed spins to face him, betrayal writ large on his features, and sputters, "But I don't want it! I didn't even earn it! The men under my command did!"
"Edward, please listen to your brother." There's a muscle twitching above Mustang's eye and Al grins because things really haven't changed much at all. "We can continue arguing about it later, but we really mustn't be late for dinner with the rest of the Xingese delegation."
Ed swipes the glittering gold medal out of Mustang's hand and mutters lowly under his breath as he attaches it to the breast pocket of the Amestrian uniform he's wearing. Al still can't get over the sight of Ed in an actual uniform. It'd been a point of pride for years that he never aligned himself with the military by wearing its uniform and here now he is.
Mustang rests a hand on his shoulder then moves toward the door with Hawkeye trailing at his side. Havoc emerges from the back room adjusting his own uniform. "We ready to go now, chief?"
"Yes, now that Edward's given in." Mustang turns toward Hawkeye. "Remind me what I need to remember for tonight."
There's an amused glint in Hawkeye's eyes as she says dryly, "You're dining tonight with Emperor Ling himself and several of his close advisors. I believe he's brought several gifts along he wishes to present to you tonight."
"Oh?" A casual note of interest enters Mustang's voice and the man could never turn down an opportunity to embellish his reputation. But Al doesn't have much more time to spend listening to that conversation as Ed comes up and slings an arm around his shoulders.
"So, how've you been, Al? I don't get nearly as many letters from you as Winry it seems."
Al rolls his eyes and elbows Ed in the side. "Because you're too busy to read them. I've been fine. Mei's been teaching me lots about alkahestry. Did you know there's so much more we could do if we combined it with alchemy?"
Ed's fingers are picking at the smooth silk shirt he's wearing and he swats them away. "Stop that. You'll wrinkle it."
"You've gone and gotten fancy on me," Ed says with a smirk. "You a celebrity over there? You are dating royalty after all."
He groans an covers his face with his hands. "Brother! It's not like that."
"Uh huh." And Ed's smirking more at him. Just great. He's not going to be able to look Ling in the face tonight. "Brother, don't forget you need to be on your best behavior with Ling. His advisors don't like people getting too informal with him."
The look on Ed's face degenerates into a mixuture of a scowl and a pout as he pulls away. "Then why did the idiot have to bring them with him?"
"Because they wouldn't let him come otherwise. Brother, promise me you won't cause an international incident."
Al starts as another arm drops onto his shoulder and glances back to see it's Havoc. He's got his other arm draped around Ed's shoulders as well. "Good luck trying to get him to behave. Sometimes I think he's worse than when he was a teenager."
"Hey!"
"How do you put up with him day after day?" Al says through a laugh.
Havoc waves a hand. "Oh, that's easy. Mustang has him out of the city on military missions most of the time. Did you know he's somehow gotten this big reputation as a diplomat?"
"Brother?" Havoc nods sagely in response.
"What...how...ARGH!" Ed stomps off through the doorway and down the hall with his ponytail swishing against his back. Al exchanges a beaming smile with Havoc.
"He hasn't changed at all, has he?"
"In some ways, Alphonse." Mustang stops in front of them to tug on a pair of white gloves. "Havoc, why don't you go ensure that Edward doesn't cause an international incident before the first course has even been served. I doubt Emperor Ling would appreciate it if I remember his appetite correctly."
"Yes, sir." He winks at Al before he disappears down the hall after Ed.
"Walk with me, Alphonse."
"Of course." They fall easily into step as they head toward the formal dining hall, Hawkeye as always at Mustang's side. "How is Brother really?"
"He's doing well. I like to think he enjoys what I have him doing despite his protests." Mustang smiles slightly and from what Al's heard from Winry and what he's seen so far he thinks he agrees.
"Diplomat?" He can't quite believe it. There's a lot of things his brother does well, but being cautious and able to hold his tongue aren't among them.
"Havoc may have exaggerated slightly." Though Al can see Mustang's hiding a laugh. He knows that expression from the years he spent observing people while they were more focused on Ed.
"But not completely?" They round a corner and he can hear the low murmur of a crowd of people echoing up the hallway.
Mustang inclines his head. "No, not completely. Edward has actually managed to conduct himself rather well in delicate situations. He expresses his displeasure with them, loudly, when he briefs me."
"It wouldn't be Brother otherwise." He grins at Mustang who lets himself smile back for once.
"Yes, indeed." They've reached the closed wooden doors of the dining hall and Mustang nods at the guards on either side. He smoothes a hand down his chest, which prompts Al to do the same. He can't mess this up either. "You look well, Alphonse."
He looks at Mustang with surprise. Wasn't Ed passing along the information he was sending in his letters? "Uh, thank you, sir."
"Edward talks about you often. He's immensely pleased with what you've done with your life."
Al ducks his head slightly as he feels a blush heat his cheeks. "Brother tends to worry too much. I'm proud of what he's done too."
"I'm glad you are. He's a vital part of my work." There's a wealth of meaning to Mustang's words but what Al gets most is relief.
"You're a good man, Fuhrer. Don't let yourself forget that."
For once, it looks like he's startled the normally unflappable Roy Mustang. "Thank you, Alphonse. Now shall we?" He gestures toward the doors and the guards move to open them.
It's going to be an interesting evening that's for sure. Al can't help the beaming smile that spreads across his face.
Author: Zippit
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
Timeline: Post Brotherhood/Manga
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye, Jean Havoc, Alphonse Elric, and Edward Elric
Rating: G
Content Notes: N/A
Word Count: 1,280
Completed: June 6, 2013
Challenge: fma_fic_contest
Prompt: 222 - Did You Ever…?
Disclaimer: The characters portrayed within are not mine. This is merely a loving response to the original work.
Beta: Thanks to catw00man. All other errors are mine.
Author’s Notes: Yay! A fic from someone other than Roy’s POV.
Summary: They’ve come a long way from the boys they used to be.
If you'd asked him to imagine what life would be like when it was all said and done, this wouldn't have been the life he would've described. Back when it all began, when he was trapped in a suit of armor and more worried about keeping Ed from sacrificing himself to protect him and trying to keep the broken pieces of Ed together, the future was this vague thing that would happen one day. He never would've pictured himself here today in a relationship with an amazing woman, learning more every day, along with being the Amestrian ambassador to Xing.
Thankfully he's passed on the worrying over Ed's lack of survival instincts to someone better equipped to handle the issue. He even thinks Fuhrer Mustang's managed to teach Ed to value his own hide, something Al was never able to accomplish himself. Back then, he never would've imagined Ed would want to stay in the military much less continue under Mustang's command. They're still at each other's throats more often than not, like right now, and if Ed doesn't stop it they're going to be late.
"Brother, would you just let them pin the award to your chest for tonight?"
Ed spins to face him, betrayal writ large on his features, and sputters, "But I don't want it! I didn't even earn it! The men under my command did!"
"Edward, please listen to your brother." There's a muscle twitching above Mustang's eye and Al grins because things really haven't changed much at all. "We can continue arguing about it later, but we really mustn't be late for dinner with the rest of the Xingese delegation."
Ed swipes the glittering gold medal out of Mustang's hand and mutters lowly under his breath as he attaches it to the breast pocket of the Amestrian uniform he's wearing. Al still can't get over the sight of Ed in an actual uniform. It'd been a point of pride for years that he never aligned himself with the military by wearing its uniform and here now he is.
Mustang rests a hand on his shoulder then moves toward the door with Hawkeye trailing at his side. Havoc emerges from the back room adjusting his own uniform. "We ready to go now, chief?"
"Yes, now that Edward's given in." Mustang turns toward Hawkeye. "Remind me what I need to remember for tonight."
There's an amused glint in Hawkeye's eyes as she says dryly, "You're dining tonight with Emperor Ling himself and several of his close advisors. I believe he's brought several gifts along he wishes to present to you tonight."
"Oh?" A casual note of interest enters Mustang's voice and the man could never turn down an opportunity to embellish his reputation. But Al doesn't have much more time to spend listening to that conversation as Ed comes up and slings an arm around his shoulders.
"So, how've you been, Al? I don't get nearly as many letters from you as Winry it seems."
Al rolls his eyes and elbows Ed in the side. "Because you're too busy to read them. I've been fine. Mei's been teaching me lots about alkahestry. Did you know there's so much more we could do if we combined it with alchemy?"
Ed's fingers are picking at the smooth silk shirt he's wearing and he swats them away. "Stop that. You'll wrinkle it."
"You've gone and gotten fancy on me," Ed says with a smirk. "You a celebrity over there? You are dating royalty after all."
He groans an covers his face with his hands. "Brother! It's not like that."
"Uh huh." And Ed's smirking more at him. Just great. He's not going to be able to look Ling in the face tonight. "Brother, don't forget you need to be on your best behavior with Ling. His advisors don't like people getting too informal with him."
The look on Ed's face degenerates into a mixuture of a scowl and a pout as he pulls away. "Then why did the idiot have to bring them with him?"
"Because they wouldn't let him come otherwise. Brother, promise me you won't cause an international incident."
Al starts as another arm drops onto his shoulder and glances back to see it's Havoc. He's got his other arm draped around Ed's shoulders as well. "Good luck trying to get him to behave. Sometimes I think he's worse than when he was a teenager."
"Hey!"
"How do you put up with him day after day?" Al says through a laugh.
Havoc waves a hand. "Oh, that's easy. Mustang has him out of the city on military missions most of the time. Did you know he's somehow gotten this big reputation as a diplomat?"
"Brother?" Havoc nods sagely in response.
"What...how...ARGH!" Ed stomps off through the doorway and down the hall with his ponytail swishing against his back. Al exchanges a beaming smile with Havoc.
"He hasn't changed at all, has he?"
"In some ways, Alphonse." Mustang stops in front of them to tug on a pair of white gloves. "Havoc, why don't you go ensure that Edward doesn't cause an international incident before the first course has even been served. I doubt Emperor Ling would appreciate it if I remember his appetite correctly."
"Yes, sir." He winks at Al before he disappears down the hall after Ed.
"Walk with me, Alphonse."
"Of course." They fall easily into step as they head toward the formal dining hall, Hawkeye as always at Mustang's side. "How is Brother really?"
"He's doing well. I like to think he enjoys what I have him doing despite his protests." Mustang smiles slightly and from what Al's heard from Winry and what he's seen so far he thinks he agrees.
"Diplomat?" He can't quite believe it. There's a lot of things his brother does well, but being cautious and able to hold his tongue aren't among them.
"Havoc may have exaggerated slightly." Though Al can see Mustang's hiding a laugh. He knows that expression from the years he spent observing people while they were more focused on Ed.
"But not completely?" They round a corner and he can hear the low murmur of a crowd of people echoing up the hallway.
Mustang inclines his head. "No, not completely. Edward has actually managed to conduct himself rather well in delicate situations. He expresses his displeasure with them, loudly, when he briefs me."
"It wouldn't be Brother otherwise." He grins at Mustang who lets himself smile back for once.
"Yes, indeed." They've reached the closed wooden doors of the dining hall and Mustang nods at the guards on either side. He smoothes a hand down his chest, which prompts Al to do the same. He can't mess this up either. "You look well, Alphonse."
He looks at Mustang with surprise. Wasn't Ed passing along the information he was sending in his letters? "Uh, thank you, sir."
"Edward talks about you often. He's immensely pleased with what you've done with your life."
Al ducks his head slightly as he feels a blush heat his cheeks. "Brother tends to worry too much. I'm proud of what he's done too."
"I'm glad you are. He's a vital part of my work." There's a wealth of meaning to Mustang's words but what Al gets most is relief.
"You're a good man, Fuhrer. Don't let yourself forget that."
For once, it looks like he's startled the normally unflappable Roy Mustang. "Thank you, Alphonse. Now shall we?" He gestures toward the doors and the guards move to open them.
It's going to be an interesting evening that's for sure. Al can't help the beaming smile that spreads across his face.