Fic: The Piano
Title: The Piano
Author: sparkyqueen
Fandom: FMA
Characters/Pairing: Roy Mustang/Edward Elric (if you squint sideways), Riza Hawkeye, Haymans Breda,Edward Elric, Roy mustang, Jean Havoc
Word Count: 666
Rating: G/PG
Notes: having accidently erased this fic, it is now back..... after god knows how long.... not that anyone really missed it....
There’s a piano in the corner of their regular haunt. It’s an old, neglected upright. The tarnish is faded and peeling, there are beer stains among other unsavoury marks and barely kept in tune. The keys are sticky, a layer of grim and dust coating it. But it has always fascinated him.
From the first time he, Havoc and Hawkeye wandered into The Blue Moon, looking for somewhere that didn’t contain any of the other officers. A place where they can forget about the military, rank, paperwork and everything else that clogged their day.
They have since brought the rest of the small group of men under his command to this hole in the wall. They have become regulars, here every Friday. Talking about anything that’s not work related. Drink and listen to the civilian chatter around them.
And every Friday, Roy would look at that decrepit piano and remember the music that once filled the house he was raised in. He had spent hours as a boy just watching his step mother’s hands stir beautiful melodies from the keys. She had been so good. The music had always soothed him, brought calm to his inner world, even when it had been loud and passionate or when it was sad, quiet and despairing. You feel the love and happiness in everything she played.
Every now and again someone would sit down and play. Jaunty music would fill the pub, always bringing cheer to the room. All with varying degrees of skill, but none had played with their hearts. None could bring the warmth or feeling to pub that comes from the player’s emotions, even with the happiest tunes. None could bring tears to eyes, not even with the most heart wrenching composition.
That was until today.
A lively, well known melody was filling the room; the musician was skilled, very skilled. It had everyone in the pub nodding along, smiles forming on faces and some even singing along. Doing what the original composer had probably intended and bringing merriment to everyone.
Well, almost everyone.
Roy found himself shivering. The music was cold, technically perfect, but cold, so very cold. To Roy it echoed with a sad loneliness, an aching need. Instead of the warm spring days the song was supposed to bring to the mind, it left Roy floating on an iceberg in the middle of the ocean. The pain of a broken, lonely heart, hidden behind notes of blooming roses and frolicking deer.
Roy found it almost physically painful to listen to the music. He found himself fighting back tears and chest tightening, making it hard to breath. When the song ended, he was almost grateful. No longer bombarded with the underlying pain of the musician. Ignoring the laughter, clapping and cheers from the other patrons of the bar, he turned to see who was playing.
Ed. Boy Genius. Pride of the Military. The man, who had succeeded in his goal to return his brother to his original body, regained his right arm. The man, who had continued to serve in the Military to help Roy achieve his own, while his brother settled down with a beautiful young princess. Edward Elric had been playing the piano in the corner of a dirty little pub, and it broke his heart.
He watched Ed move to the bar and order a drink, down it and order another. He got up, ignoring the “Sir?” from Breda, and headed over to the younger man.
Roy sat on the stool next to Ed, and considered the young man. He looked tired, worn down and drained.
They sat in silence for a while; Ed, slowly killing his liver, Roy, sipping his own drink leisurely.
After what felt like hours, Roy finally broke the silence.
“Can I help?”
Ed looked over at him, sad, gold eyes roaming his face, looking for... God knows what. With a small up turning of lips and a sigh, Ed looked away.
“Yeah. I think you can.”
Author: sparkyqueen
Fandom: FMA
Characters/Pairing: Roy Mustang/Edward Elric (if you squint sideways), Riza Hawkeye, Haymans Breda,Edward Elric, Roy mustang, Jean Havoc
Word Count: 666
Rating: G/PG
Notes: having accidently erased this fic, it is now back..... after god knows how long.... not that anyone really missed it....
There’s a piano in the corner of their regular haunt. It’s an old, neglected upright. The tarnish is faded and peeling, there are beer stains among other unsavoury marks and barely kept in tune. The keys are sticky, a layer of grim and dust coating it. But it has always fascinated him.
From the first time he, Havoc and Hawkeye wandered into The Blue Moon, looking for somewhere that didn’t contain any of the other officers. A place where they can forget about the military, rank, paperwork and everything else that clogged their day.
They have since brought the rest of the small group of men under his command to this hole in the wall. They have become regulars, here every Friday. Talking about anything that’s not work related. Drink and listen to the civilian chatter around them.
And every Friday, Roy would look at that decrepit piano and remember the music that once filled the house he was raised in. He had spent hours as a boy just watching his step mother’s hands stir beautiful melodies from the keys. She had been so good. The music had always soothed him, brought calm to his inner world, even when it had been loud and passionate or when it was sad, quiet and despairing. You feel the love and happiness in everything she played.
Every now and again someone would sit down and play. Jaunty music would fill the pub, always bringing cheer to the room. All with varying degrees of skill, but none had played with their hearts. None could bring the warmth or feeling to pub that comes from the player’s emotions, even with the happiest tunes. None could bring tears to eyes, not even with the most heart wrenching composition.
That was until today.
A lively, well known melody was filling the room; the musician was skilled, very skilled. It had everyone in the pub nodding along, smiles forming on faces and some even singing along. Doing what the original composer had probably intended and bringing merriment to everyone.
Well, almost everyone.
Roy found himself shivering. The music was cold, technically perfect, but cold, so very cold. To Roy it echoed with a sad loneliness, an aching need. Instead of the warm spring days the song was supposed to bring to the mind, it left Roy floating on an iceberg in the middle of the ocean. The pain of a broken, lonely heart, hidden behind notes of blooming roses and frolicking deer.
Roy found it almost physically painful to listen to the music. He found himself fighting back tears and chest tightening, making it hard to breath. When the song ended, he was almost grateful. No longer bombarded with the underlying pain of the musician. Ignoring the laughter, clapping and cheers from the other patrons of the bar, he turned to see who was playing.
Ed. Boy Genius. Pride of the Military. The man, who had succeeded in his goal to return his brother to his original body, regained his right arm. The man, who had continued to serve in the Military to help Roy achieve his own, while his brother settled down with a beautiful young princess. Edward Elric had been playing the piano in the corner of a dirty little pub, and it broke his heart.
He watched Ed move to the bar and order a drink, down it and order another. He got up, ignoring the “Sir?” from Breda, and headed over to the younger man.
Roy sat on the stool next to Ed, and considered the young man. He looked tired, worn down and drained.
They sat in silence for a while; Ed, slowly killing his liver, Roy, sipping his own drink leisurely.
After what felt like hours, Roy finally broke the silence.
“Can I help?”
Ed looked over at him, sad, gold eyes roaming his face, looking for... God knows what. With a small up turning of lips and a sigh, Ed looked away.
“Yeah. I think you can.”