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FMA fic: Relations
So I went back and finished something I should have done a long, long time ago. >_< Just wrapped it up, that's all. Also found another fic in my FMA folder when I searched that has my name, but I can't remember having written it at all. :O It's half finished, so I might finish it sometime and post it. :P Elricest. Finally. LOL
But this one isn't. Does anyone even remember Relations?
Relations
By: Shamera K. Tsukishirou
He didn’t quite understand how they had ended up sitting in the living room of her apartment after that horrible mission they had been given. Al was sure that if he hadn’t been so weary, he would have protested against it, no matter how helpful she was trying to be. Brother was exhausted, after all, and really needed his rest rather than to sit and chat.
But Riza Hawkeye had a strange way of getting things done her way that no one could object to- if they didn’t want a gun pointed at their head.
So Alphonse found himself in the living room of the First Lieutenant, trying to hunch up as small as possible to give his brother space on the small leather couch as well.
“How are things going, then?” He asked the blonde lady sitting on the seat opposite them, both her hands holding the plate and teacup to occupy her time. Al’s tinny voice seemed to boom in the echoing room and he winced mentally and decided that he would have to speak softer.
Hawkeye smiled politely at him, but it didn’t look like the usual polite smiles she gave them at the office. This one was more flattering on her and looked more genuine. “Quite well, Alphonse.” She set the plate and teacup down on her knees, and amber eyes studied the both of them.
“I take it your last mission was a success?”
“Heh.” Edward said over his cup of tea, eyes drooping as he struggled to keep awake. Al had to hold back his comments on how his brother should just lay down on the couch for a while, since he hadn’t gotten any sleep on the train, spending the entire ride writing the report for Colonel Mustang. “It always is, isn’t it? But still a failure.”
There was a bitter tone in his voice that seemed off from his usual optimistic opinion on how he’d find the Philosopher’s Stone, perhaps because of his exhaustion. Al knew that it didn’t mean Ed was giving up anytime soon, but from the stricken face of the Lieutenant, she didn’t know that.
“You’re tired, Brother.” He said to Ed, watching as his brother set the teacup down untouched. To the First Lieutenant, he said, “I’m sorry, Lieutenant, but I’m sure that it would be better if we visited on a later date instead.”
At first, she looked ready to protest, but one glance at Ed who was trying to stifle a yawn made her purse her lips, resigned. “I could call military personnel to come pick you up.” She suggested. “You look ready to fall asleep mid-walk, Edward-”
“I’m fine,” he insisted, looking too bleary eyed to support that statement. “Wouldn’t want to wake some poor guy just to drive my ass back to dorms.”
“You can’t walk back in this condition, Brother,” Al protested worriedly.
He gave Al an annoyed look, a stubborn look that said that even if he couldn't, he now would just to prove Al wrong. "I'm not that bad off." Ed sat up a bit straighter, pushing against his knees to do so. "It's not that far of a walk, anyway."
"Still," Alphonse protested, ready to add more before Hawkeye broke in.
"I think I'll call a car just in case," she stated, interrupting Al's protests. She waved off Ed's indignant grunt with a hand. "If only for my own state of mind. It is nighttime, and you two shouldn't be wandering around Central so late at night."
Al wanted to say that the two of them were used to being outside at night, especially on missions to places that hated State Alchemists, where they would have to find a place outside to sleep, or the missions where they had to sneak into places and do things underhandedly. They were used to using the night as a cloak already, and could protect themselves.
But Al found that he didn't really have the heart to say all of that, especially when the First Lieutenant was already getting up and heading towards the kitchen phone. A glance downward revealed that Ed looked like he was about to protest as well, but had stopped.
It was like a game of charades, Al realized in that instant. Caring, that was. Lieutenant Hawkeye was more than aware that they could take care of themselves, and didn’t need an escort back to headquarters. If Ed was stubborn enough to walk back even half-asleep and completely exhausted, then he would. But the fact remained that she had conveniently ignored Ed’s stubbornness and focused on the fact that they were still children in terms of physical age rather than what they’ve been through.
And our part in the charades, Al mused, is to let her continue thinking that. That was the reason his brother hadn’t protested, and that was the reason that he himself had not said anything.
“Ehhhh,” Ed stretched his arms over his head as Hawkeye disappeared into the kitchen. Al turned to look at his brother as Ed leaned back into the couch, closing his eyes wearily. “I guess this means we’ll have to wait for someone to pick us up.”
“I guess so.” Al agreed, watching with amusement as Ed’s breathing evened out almost immediately. He was still regarding his brother when Hawkeye came out again, this time with a phone in her hand.
“There seems to be a lack of officers, and the next available car won’t be until half an hour when General Carm- Ahh. Is Edward already resting, then?”
She sat back down at the arm of her chair, not quite smiling but with the same soft look that made Alphonse relax a bit more in her presence. “I suppose we’ll have to wake him when the car arrives.”
Alphonse nodded, his eyes wandering over the living room for the first time now that his brother was asleep. The First Lieutenant was pouring herself another cup of tea, and Al marveled at the warm colors of the apartment, the mild beiges and rich browns of the sparse furniture in the room. The carpet was a dark color to match the furniture, and there were pictures scattered across the walls and above the fireplace.
One picture in particular caught Al’s attention- perhaps it was because of the bright coloring amongst the more somber blues of later pictures of the First Lieutenant and friends in the military.
The face in the photo looked too familiar to Alphonse, though, and a nagging sense was what made him ask, “Lieutenant Hawkeye?”
She looked up and gave a sound of acknowledgement.
Al pointed. “Who is that man?”
For a moment, the First Lieutenant seemed startled, her eyes widening as she saw the photo that Alphonse had pointed to with the man who had the laughing gold eyes. It was a picture of a young man with short cropped blonde hair standing next to Hawkeye as a little girl, who was looking quite exasperated, but had a smile tugging on her lips as well. The young Hawkeye didn’t look anything like the lady in this room, having her arm around the man’s neck and her hair in waves around her shoulders. The two figures looked happy in the picture- familiar with each other like family. They even had the same shaped eyes.
“That is my older brother.” She explained with a smile as Alphonse continued to stare at the picture. She got up to pour another cup of tea for herself, seeing as Edward had fallen asleep on the couch and Alphonse wouldn’t be drinking the tea anyway. “We were nearly twelve years apart. After my parents died, he was the one who took care of me.”
“Your older brother?” Alphonse wondered at that. He had never heard of Hawkeye mention her family before, and certainly not an older brother. Could it be that they were…? “Are you estranged?”
She blinked at the question, and Al brought his arms up and mentally cursed himself, “I mean…! You certainly don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to! I don’t mean to intrude, and I’m sure that you wouldn’t want to talk about something like that- if there is something like that,” he was fumbling over his words, and brought a hand up to rub at the back of his helmet, trying to figure out how to get himself out of this mess.
“He disappeared a long time ago.”
Al stopped his fumbling, head turned towards the First Lieutenant’s direction.
“I have no reserves with talking about it.” She said calmly, offering a quirk of her lips. She nodded over to the picture. “He got sick shortly after that picture was taken. The doctors said that he wouldn’t make it, but there was an old alchemist that told him he might. He wouldn’t talk to me about it, but it had something to do with the military. When all the doctors had agreed with the diagnosis of imminent death, he took the advice of the old alchemist- and disappeared.”
“Is that why you first entered the military?” Al asked softly, his hands folded in his lap. He couldn’t imagine how he would take it if doctors told him that his brother was dying. He snuck a glance down at his sleeping brother, curled up on the couch, with strands of golden hair covering his face.
“You mean if I entered the military to search for him?” Riza asked, as she picked up her teacup again and took a small sip. “Maybe. But I stayed in the military for another reason altogether.”
Al would have grinned if he could. It wasn’t hard to figure out that the Lieutenant stayed because of Colonel Mustang, to support him and keep him in line.
“I gave up on my search a long time ago, though.” She said conversationally. “Perhaps because I found my own life to live.”
Al didn’t think that he would ever give up on a search if his brother had disappeared. In fact, he didn’t know what he would do if Ed disappeared- dedicate his life to finding him, no doubt. He couldn’t understand how Hawkeye could give up on her search, even if she had found the Colonel instead.
“You gave up…?” Al’s voice was small and disbelieving.
She got up and walked to one of the cabinets, fumbling inside for a moment before taking out a blanket. “I found out that my brother died from that sickness all that time ago, even if his body continued living on. I don’t need to know where he is now.”
Alphonse would have continued protesting if Hawkeye hadn’t chosen that moment to walk over and cover Edward with the blanket, tucking the edges under his form and smoothing away his hair from his face. Perhaps it was then that Al registered how the man in the photo seemed so familiar, with the golden eyes and golden hair.
There was something about how Hawkeye continued to look out for them and take care of them, inviting them for tea when they got back from a mission, greeting them with a smile and a warm welcome every time they walked in the office.
“The two of you can stay here for the night.” She was saying as she stood up again. “I’m sorry that I don’t have another bedroom, but Edward seems too tired and I don’t want to wake him up and make the two of you go back to the military barracks.”
“Oh!” said Alphonse, snapping out of his thoughts. “It should be fine- thank you very much for having us- I don’t want to impose…”
“The two of you are always welcome here.” She responded gently, laying a hand on his arm. Even though Alphonse couldn’t feel her hand, he could understand the kindness involved.
Sneaking one last glance at the photo and understanding starting to creep in, Al nodded.
Boo. Anyway, I should at least work on my English essay before I start working on stories again. I wanna read Sukisyo fics~ and watch the rest of Kyou Kara Maou~ >__< So many distractions!
But this one isn't. Does anyone even remember Relations?
Relations
By: Shamera K. Tsukishirou
He didn’t quite understand how they had ended up sitting in the living room of her apartment after that horrible mission they had been given. Al was sure that if he hadn’t been so weary, he would have protested against it, no matter how helpful she was trying to be. Brother was exhausted, after all, and really needed his rest rather than to sit and chat.
But Riza Hawkeye had a strange way of getting things done her way that no one could object to- if they didn’t want a gun pointed at their head.
So Alphonse found himself in the living room of the First Lieutenant, trying to hunch up as small as possible to give his brother space on the small leather couch as well.
“How are things going, then?” He asked the blonde lady sitting on the seat opposite them, both her hands holding the plate and teacup to occupy her time. Al’s tinny voice seemed to boom in the echoing room and he winced mentally and decided that he would have to speak softer.
Hawkeye smiled politely at him, but it didn’t look like the usual polite smiles she gave them at the office. This one was more flattering on her and looked more genuine. “Quite well, Alphonse.” She set the plate and teacup down on her knees, and amber eyes studied the both of them.
“I take it your last mission was a success?”
“Heh.” Edward said over his cup of tea, eyes drooping as he struggled to keep awake. Al had to hold back his comments on how his brother should just lay down on the couch for a while, since he hadn’t gotten any sleep on the train, spending the entire ride writing the report for Colonel Mustang. “It always is, isn’t it? But still a failure.”
There was a bitter tone in his voice that seemed off from his usual optimistic opinion on how he’d find the Philosopher’s Stone, perhaps because of his exhaustion. Al knew that it didn’t mean Ed was giving up anytime soon, but from the stricken face of the Lieutenant, she didn’t know that.
“You’re tired, Brother.” He said to Ed, watching as his brother set the teacup down untouched. To the First Lieutenant, he said, “I’m sorry, Lieutenant, but I’m sure that it would be better if we visited on a later date instead.”
At first, she looked ready to protest, but one glance at Ed who was trying to stifle a yawn made her purse her lips, resigned. “I could call military personnel to come pick you up.” She suggested. “You look ready to fall asleep mid-walk, Edward-”
“I’m fine,” he insisted, looking too bleary eyed to support that statement. “Wouldn’t want to wake some poor guy just to drive my ass back to dorms.”
“You can’t walk back in this condition, Brother,” Al protested worriedly.
He gave Al an annoyed look, a stubborn look that said that even if he couldn't, he now would just to prove Al wrong. "I'm not that bad off." Ed sat up a bit straighter, pushing against his knees to do so. "It's not that far of a walk, anyway."
"Still," Alphonse protested, ready to add more before Hawkeye broke in.
"I think I'll call a car just in case," she stated, interrupting Al's protests. She waved off Ed's indignant grunt with a hand. "If only for my own state of mind. It is nighttime, and you two shouldn't be wandering around Central so late at night."
Al wanted to say that the two of them were used to being outside at night, especially on missions to places that hated State Alchemists, where they would have to find a place outside to sleep, or the missions where they had to sneak into places and do things underhandedly. They were used to using the night as a cloak already, and could protect themselves.
But Al found that he didn't really have the heart to say all of that, especially when the First Lieutenant was already getting up and heading towards the kitchen phone. A glance downward revealed that Ed looked like he was about to protest as well, but had stopped.
It was like a game of charades, Al realized in that instant. Caring, that was. Lieutenant Hawkeye was more than aware that they could take care of themselves, and didn’t need an escort back to headquarters. If Ed was stubborn enough to walk back even half-asleep and completely exhausted, then he would. But the fact remained that she had conveniently ignored Ed’s stubbornness and focused on the fact that they were still children in terms of physical age rather than what they’ve been through.
And our part in the charades, Al mused, is to let her continue thinking that. That was the reason his brother hadn’t protested, and that was the reason that he himself had not said anything.
“Ehhhh,” Ed stretched his arms over his head as Hawkeye disappeared into the kitchen. Al turned to look at his brother as Ed leaned back into the couch, closing his eyes wearily. “I guess this means we’ll have to wait for someone to pick us up.”
“I guess so.” Al agreed, watching with amusement as Ed’s breathing evened out almost immediately. He was still regarding his brother when Hawkeye came out again, this time with a phone in her hand.
“There seems to be a lack of officers, and the next available car won’t be until half an hour when General Carm- Ahh. Is Edward already resting, then?”
She sat back down at the arm of her chair, not quite smiling but with the same soft look that made Alphonse relax a bit more in her presence. “I suppose we’ll have to wake him when the car arrives.”
Alphonse nodded, his eyes wandering over the living room for the first time now that his brother was asleep. The First Lieutenant was pouring herself another cup of tea, and Al marveled at the warm colors of the apartment, the mild beiges and rich browns of the sparse furniture in the room. The carpet was a dark color to match the furniture, and there were pictures scattered across the walls and above the fireplace.
One picture in particular caught Al’s attention- perhaps it was because of the bright coloring amongst the more somber blues of later pictures of the First Lieutenant and friends in the military.
The face in the photo looked too familiar to Alphonse, though, and a nagging sense was what made him ask, “Lieutenant Hawkeye?”
She looked up and gave a sound of acknowledgement.
Al pointed. “Who is that man?”
For a moment, the First Lieutenant seemed startled, her eyes widening as she saw the photo that Alphonse had pointed to with the man who had the laughing gold eyes. It was a picture of a young man with short cropped blonde hair standing next to Hawkeye as a little girl, who was looking quite exasperated, but had a smile tugging on her lips as well. The young Hawkeye didn’t look anything like the lady in this room, having her arm around the man’s neck and her hair in waves around her shoulders. The two figures looked happy in the picture- familiar with each other like family. They even had the same shaped eyes.
“That is my older brother.” She explained with a smile as Alphonse continued to stare at the picture. She got up to pour another cup of tea for herself, seeing as Edward had fallen asleep on the couch and Alphonse wouldn’t be drinking the tea anyway. “We were nearly twelve years apart. After my parents died, he was the one who took care of me.”
“Your older brother?” Alphonse wondered at that. He had never heard of Hawkeye mention her family before, and certainly not an older brother. Could it be that they were…? “Are you estranged?”
She blinked at the question, and Al brought his arms up and mentally cursed himself, “I mean…! You certainly don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to! I don’t mean to intrude, and I’m sure that you wouldn’t want to talk about something like that- if there is something like that,” he was fumbling over his words, and brought a hand up to rub at the back of his helmet, trying to figure out how to get himself out of this mess.
“He disappeared a long time ago.”
Al stopped his fumbling, head turned towards the First Lieutenant’s direction.
“I have no reserves with talking about it.” She said calmly, offering a quirk of her lips. She nodded over to the picture. “He got sick shortly after that picture was taken. The doctors said that he wouldn’t make it, but there was an old alchemist that told him he might. He wouldn’t talk to me about it, but it had something to do with the military. When all the doctors had agreed with the diagnosis of imminent death, he took the advice of the old alchemist- and disappeared.”
“Is that why you first entered the military?” Al asked softly, his hands folded in his lap. He couldn’t imagine how he would take it if doctors told him that his brother was dying. He snuck a glance down at his sleeping brother, curled up on the couch, with strands of golden hair covering his face.
“You mean if I entered the military to search for him?” Riza asked, as she picked up her teacup again and took a small sip. “Maybe. But I stayed in the military for another reason altogether.”
Al would have grinned if he could. It wasn’t hard to figure out that the Lieutenant stayed because of Colonel Mustang, to support him and keep him in line.
“I gave up on my search a long time ago, though.” She said conversationally. “Perhaps because I found my own life to live.”
Al didn’t think that he would ever give up on a search if his brother had disappeared. In fact, he didn’t know what he would do if Ed disappeared- dedicate his life to finding him, no doubt. He couldn’t understand how Hawkeye could give up on her search, even if she had found the Colonel instead.
“You gave up…?” Al’s voice was small and disbelieving.
She got up and walked to one of the cabinets, fumbling inside for a moment before taking out a blanket. “I found out that my brother died from that sickness all that time ago, even if his body continued living on. I don’t need to know where he is now.”
Alphonse would have continued protesting if Hawkeye hadn’t chosen that moment to walk over and cover Edward with the blanket, tucking the edges under his form and smoothing away his hair from his face. Perhaps it was then that Al registered how the man in the photo seemed so familiar, with the golden eyes and golden hair.
There was something about how Hawkeye continued to look out for them and take care of them, inviting them for tea when they got back from a mission, greeting them with a smile and a warm welcome every time they walked in the office.
“The two of you can stay here for the night.” She was saying as she stood up again. “I’m sorry that I don’t have another bedroom, but Edward seems too tired and I don’t want to wake him up and make the two of you go back to the military barracks.”
“Oh!” said Alphonse, snapping out of his thoughts. “It should be fine- thank you very much for having us- I don’t want to impose…”
“The two of you are always welcome here.” She responded gently, laying a hand on his arm. Even though Alphonse couldn’t feel her hand, he could understand the kindness involved.
Sneaking one last glance at the photo and understanding starting to creep in, Al nodded.
Boo. Anyway, I should at least work on my English essay before I start working on stories again. I wanna read Sukisyo fics~ and watch the rest of Kyou Kara Maou~ >__< So many distractions!