[fic] State of Mind - Chapter Eight
Ward was pleased. He was onto his fourth day of rabbit. The small, crispy and once furry animals were surprisingly filling and he had spent most of his time lazing around his den and clearing in a good mood. He’d even had a couple of goes at refining his tree climbing skills and was quiet pleased with himself. The Elric had managed to get quite high, cutting into the bark with his teeth to mark his locations.
He hummed in the back of his throat as he flopped on his back and looked up at the clear sky. This wasn’t so bad. It had been many days since the Master had abandoned him, but life was definitely different now. Difficult, but not nearly as boring. Sometimes it was so not boring he wished it would slow down a bit, but not too much. He felt alive. The Elric didn’t even feel the bottled up rage that had had him snapping at everyone with his teeth in the past. The open world and lack of walls calmed him as he wiggled around in the grass, gangly limbs flailing and dull hair loose.
A contented sigh as he watched the clouds. There was a fluffy white rabbit, yum! Another looked like a fluffy white Mustang-Bastard and that one looked extremely like a not-white and not-fluffy Fons.
<’Hi!’>
<’Aaargh!’> Ward flailed on the ground in shock, grasping his chest as the breath came back to him. Panting, he pulled himself up and gave the cloud-gazing interruption a narrowed look. <’Give an Elric some warning next time!’> he huffed as he tried to regain some dignity.
The Heiderich flopped down in front of him. <’Be more alert.’> Fons replied unconcernedly, <’I was not being quiet.’>
<’Yeah, well. Walk louder.’>
They sat there, the Edward awkwardly fiddling and Fons watching Ward with that analysing glimmer. He shifted uncomfortably, vague memories of groomings and not unappreciated helplessness.
<’Did you want something?’> he rushed out, <’cause I’m kind of busy right now.’>
Fons stared at him a bit longer, taking in the matted hair, dirty pelts and thin body. He huffed in exasperation, <’I brought gifts for you.’> The Heiderich pulled out a bundle of pelts wrapped around some more berries and one limp bird. Fussing over the bird, he dumped them over into Ward’s lap and shifted closer.
<’I traded things with the Hughes for pelts. We don’t tell the Mustang.’> he explained reluctantly.
The Edward was delighted as he pulled on the new pelts. They were a nice black with white trims and gentle to the touch. Quickly throwing his old tatty pelts off, he wiggles into the new comfortable ones under Fons’s watching eye. Twisting, he preened before the Heiderich. <’Well? Do I look good?’> he asked, brushing the new, clean and warm pelts admiringly. These were such great gifts. Fons had been so nice to him since he came with the food and now pelts. His expression fell.
<’I…don’t have anything to give back.’> Ward felt a throb of unexpected guilt as he recalled all the other meals and advice…
= = =
Fons frowned as the Edward whipped off those dirty pelts. He was thinner and scrawnier than the Heiderich had thought, showing way too many ribs and not enough body fat. The cold light of the day brought the state of Ward into sharp focus, highlighting his struggles. If he didn’t gain weight soon there would be trouble for the small Elric, even if Fons managed to get so far in the courting as to convince him to share dens.
<’Well? Do I look good?’> Fons was startled out of his study to regard the Edward in his new pelts. A small smile brushed his lips as he looked. The pelts wrangled from Flash made Ward look much more like an Edward as opposed to a feral human. Decked out in lithe black, he looked slightly more intimidating and satisfied the Heiderich’s desire for a neat mate. Almost.
<’I…don’t have anything to give back.’>
Fons flicked an ear. Typical Edward, even as naive as this one, he wanted an equivalent exchange. He was not a lost cause at all, the alchemy likely in him somewhere, the source of safety, pelts and dens. Relief flooded through his body, relaxing a tense knot he had only been partially aware of. This made his hopes lighten and the future look more possible. Fons was nearly beyond the normal mating age and he had been worried he would never find a mate out here in this isolated area so close to humans. Any later, and any potential mates were likely to reject him as unsuitable. The possibility was still there and he may even reject the Elric, but the instincts burned within him to hold out for as long as possible. This one was not too damaged or maimed like some Edwards he had heard of, so all was not lost. It was so rare to come across a searching Edward…even if this one did not know he was searching.
Scooting closer to Ward, he smiled. <’Can you do something for me?’>
The Edward was looking at him with wide eyes, his eyes really were gold and his face had a pink tinge. It really was quite endearing, the Heiderich mused as the head nodded up and down, how this one acted. It was refreshing in a way to be the one guiding the courting. Leaning over, he grasped the Edward’s hands. They were amazingly smooth, where had he come from?
<’Clap these together and touch the dirt. Try it.’> he directed gently. It was apparent this one’s sires had not taught him. Had he been taken in by a non-alchemic creature? If he’d never seen a working clap, that might be why. Fons didn’t think he was damaged, beyond the social problems.
He leaned forward in anticipation as Ward slowly pressed his hands together. He was sure he saw a hint of blue light and not a trick of the eyes as the hands were pressed to the ground firmly. A quiet zzzzippsh sounded in his ears along with a crack. A faint smell of burned ozone drifted up to his nose as the Edward removed his hands and gasped. The soil had raised itself into a misshapen hill, lopsided and crumbly. Fons was pleased, his courting interest was not entirely helpless and could learn. He’d probably never be great, but practice would improve him.
Looking at Ward, he smiled at the look of astonishment and pleasure. He had made his maybe-mate so happy and a better Edward. Rumbling happily deep in his chest, he pulled the frozen figure over into his lap, hands quickly quelling any struggles or flailing limbs. Shifting, he ran hands through the hair. Knotted, again.
<’You did good. You just need to practice now.’> Fons murmured as he separated the hair. What had he been doing to get it so tangled? It looked like he’d been in a fight. He frowned as he niggled out a particularly stubborn one, soothingly scratching an ear whenever the sulky Edward tensed up.
<’My sires told me that Edwards can clap all kinds of amazing thing,’> he told the quieting Ward as he slowly began to braid, <’They said Edwards can close holes, make pelts and hunt very well with the alchemy. Edwards are great defenders.’> One scratch behind the ear got a hum out of Ward as he shifted closer to Fons, eyes heavy lidded and eyebrows only slightly furrowed. <’I’m sure with practice you will be a great Edward!’>
Ward turned his head and caught Fons’s gaze. <’You think so, huh?’>
<’Done!’> Fons whuffed, <’Try not to ruin the braid this time!’>
The Edward’s face went pink as he muttered something beneath his breath in reply. Fons decided to ignore it as he pressed his nose into the nape of the neck near those golden hairs. He inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of his maybe-mate for memory. Ward was wriggling away from him; face dark red and stammering while the Heiderich determinedly held him down by the nape and made sure he had the scent remembered. Giving some reassuring licks to the Edward’s face, Fons sat back and admired his work. Satisfied at the flustered Edward sprawled out before him, he stood up.
<’See you next time!’> Fons wandered back off to his den. No need to let Ward think it was going to be easy.
= = =
Ward stared after the retreating Heiderich, breaths coming quickly. What was that?! What was it with Fons and the constant groomings and touchings and…maker of awkward feelings. Flopping back onto his back, he returned to staring at the sky unseeingly. Maybe help wasn’t too bad. He could…clap…things and return the help to Fons. Fons who smelt so nice and groomed him. Face flaming again, he brought his hands in front of him. The Alfons had shown him how to clap and explained some of what he could do. If he practiced he could fix his den and catch some food.
That Mustang would have no idea what hit him next time Ward saw him. Ward grinned.
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