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Descent	By : ZaKai Category: Fullmetal Alchemist > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 14665 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Descent

Chapter Nineteen

Havoc

Ed
scanned over the report he had been writing and corrected a few grammatical and
spelling errors.� The research he�d been
assigned to do was relatively easy and it hadn�t taken very long to compile the
information into something usable for someone not familiar with the subject.

That
person would be Roy Mustang, who had assigned him this job for the sole purpose
of keeping him in sight.� At first Ed had
been irritated at that, having been used to traveling around so much, but now
he thought it wasn�t too bad.� He was
using this time to really decide what he was going to do about staying in the
military.� Ed didn�t want to be involved
in a war, but he didn�t want to leave Mustang�s side either�

It was a
tough decision.

The
military looked down on relationships between officers and their
subordinates.� Plain
and simple.� Unfortunately, them
being of the same sex complicated matters even further.� There were plenty of people who were against
such unions, and had no problems voicing their opinions.� Sometimes those opinions could be physically
harmful�� Ed didn�t want to make problems
for Mustang, and leaving the ranks of the State Alchemists would definitely
make their relationship easier to live with.�

However,
if the colonel got called off to war, Ed wouldn�t be able to stay with him, and
the blond wasn�t sure he wanted to give that up so quickly.� If the dark haired man was going into a
dangerous situation, Ed wanted to be there with him.

Satisfied
with his work, Ed stuffed the papers into a folder and headed toward Mustang�s
office.� As he walked down the hall, Ed
thought how strange it was to not have to think about his next lead on the
stone.� He didn�t need to worry about how
he was going to get Al�s body back.� There
was no next place he needed to go; no new research journal to find.� Everything was just so fucking peaceful.�

He just
came to work, did research and maybe a few other things here and there, and
that was it.� Ed actually liked doing research too, that was the
kicker.� He�d gone above and beyond all
the lame ass assignments Mustang had given him and done a damn thorough
job.�

The young
alchemist grinned.

The colonel
had even complimented him a few times on how he�d done, and Ed knew it wasn�t
just because they were playing nookie with each other
in their spare time.� He had seen it in
the man�s eyes that he was truly impressed with how good of a job Ed had done.

�Yo.� Ed.��

Ed
stopped and turned around to see Breda
catching up to him, holding a brown paper sack in one arm.�

�Hey,� the
blond answered back eyeing the sack.�
Something smelled really good� The second lieutenant grinned and dug out
something wrapped in paper and tossed it to Ed.�
He sniffed it and smiled.�

A hot dog.

�Thanks.�

�Yeah
sure, so where are you headed?� the redheaded man asked as they both began
walking down the hall together.

�The colonel�s office.� I�ve got to hand
in this research summery.�

Breda nodded.� �Me too, I�ve got to go in and make my weekly
report.� So you hear about that new place
that opened up on 65th street?�

�Nope, what
kind of food do they serve?� Ed asked as he unwrapped
the still warm hot dog, and took a bite. He didn�t need to be told that it was
some sort of restaurant.� That was just Breda�s thing.� If he�d
been talking to Havoc, Ed would have asked what kind of club it was.� The blond had a pretty good idea of what his
co-workers liked and the type of places they frequented.�

He hadn�t
known before, but had started to take notice since he�d been stuck doing office
type work.� Everyday he felt more like a
part of the team and in a way it scared him.�
He had never wanted to be a part
of the team before, but he couldn�t help but enjoy the company of the other
officers.

Ed
continued to munch on his snack while he listened to Breda tell him all about the food choices the
new eatery served as they made their way to Mustang�s office.�

As they
neared the office door the sounds of shouts made them stop their friendly
chat.� They looked at each other and
walked quickly to the closed door.� Ed
looked at Breda
who shrugged and turned his attention to the office.� The fact that they could actually hear
murmuring voices inside meant that whoever was in there was talking pretty
loud.

Suddenly,
loud and clear they heard, �I�m telling you this is a bad idea!� I�m totally against it!�

The two
soldiers looked at each other.� The owner
of the voice was obviously Havoc.�

There was
the sound of more murmuring then, �No!� You
listen to me, you son of a
bitch��

�Damn�
I�d love to know what�s going on in there right now�� Breda murmured, leaning against the wall
opposite the door.� Ed nodded and did the
same.� More shouting could be heard, but
this time it was more than one person.

�Go to
hell!�

�Do you want to be court-marshaled lieutenant?� This
one belonged to Mustang.

�I don�t
really care, so why don�t you just��

Suddenly
a gunshot sounded and there was quiet.

�Well, I
guess we know who is in there, if not what they�re talking about.�

Ed
nodded.�

There was
no more shouting, and no more murmuring, but a few minutes later a very pissed
off Jean Havoc was stalking through the door.�
Neither Breda
nor Ed said anything to the tall man as he stomped off down the hall.�

The red-haired
man looked down at Ed and said, �So� you wanna go
first?�

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

�So, colonel�
it true that Ed�s been living with you?� Breda
asked after all the official business was finished.

Roy nodded.� �That�s right.� Been three weeks today.� Why do you ask?�

�Oh well,
you know it�s just a bit odd that�s all,� the man said with a raised eyebrow. ��Why�d you decide to let him stay at your
place?�

Roy shrugged and said, �It�s not that
strange, I think.��

He and Ed
had worked out a story for anyone nosy enough to ask about their current
housing arrangement, and so far it had worked rather nicely.� �You remember that big storm three weeks ago,
right?�

Breda nodded and Roy
continued.

�Well,
Hawkeye was giving me a ride home and we actually passed him out on the
road.� The kid was soaked through, so I
took him back to my place.� Turned out he
was in pretty bad shape from some fight he�d had with Alphonse.�� After much thought on it, Ed had agreed to
letting this be part of the story.

�Oh!� So that�s why he didn�t want his brother to
know where he was?��

Roy nodded and continued.� �I won�t go into the details.� If you want them go talk to him, but
basically he didn�t want to go back to the dorms since that�s where he and Al
always stayed, so I offered to let him take the couch.� I�ve gotten a good deal out of this.� Since he hardly owns anything he doesn�t take
up much space, and since he is usually reading or something like that, I don�t
really see or hear that much of him.� All
that and I only have to pay half the rent I was before he came.�

The red-headed
man started laughing.� �You�re charging
him rent for the couch?�

�Of
course,� Roy
said, grinning.� �Equivalent
exchange.� He pays for half the
rent, half the utilities, half for the cleaning lady, and of course half for
the food.� I should probably charge him
more since he eats like there�s no tomorrow��

�Oh
man!� Talk about totally taking advantage
of someone�s wallet,� Breda
chortled.

�I
thought for sure he�d turn it down and decide he�d rather be at the dorms
anyway.� But he didn�t,
so hey, why not?� Besides, it�s not like
the shrimp has anything else to spend his money on, and I can make sure he gets to work on time.�

Breda nodded.� �True, true.� What about when you wanna bring home a chick or something?�

Roy grinned.� �Oh please, you don�t think I take them back
to my house do you?� I don�t want them knowing where I live.� That�s what motels, or their place is for.�� He shrugged.�
�Besides, my evaluation is coming up in a couple of months, so I�ve been
cutting back on the night life.�

�I�ve
noticed that you�ve been working late the past six or seven weeks.� You finally decide to buckle down and do some
serious ass kissing?�

Laughing,
Roy said,
�Yeah, you could say that.�

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

�Someone
get that!� Winry yelled.� She was working
and didn�t want to be disrupted.� But when
the knock on the front door came again, the blonde sighed, put her tools down,
and headed toward the door.� Scowling,
she yanked the front door open.� Standing
at the door was the man from the weekend before.�

�Good
afternoon Ms. Rockbell,� he said pleasantly, if a bit nervously as well.

She knew
it was impolite, but she said nothing, only looked at him.� The mechanic didn�t want to let him in,
didn�t want to talk to him.� Why couldn�t
he just leave them alone?� Al had already
said he wasn�t interested�

�Okay�� he
said after a moment of uncomfortable silence had passed.� �I know you don�t like me, but would you
please let me talk to Alphonse one more time?�

Let him
talk to Al?� No way.� She wasn�t letting the man near Al.� �He already told you he isn�t
interested!� He isn�t like you!�� Winry snapped.� �He hates fighting!� He�s too kind, too gentle, for your war!�

The man
looked at her sadly.� �It isn�t my war.�

�You
people started it.�

�No�� he
whispered.� �They started it.�� When Winry�s brow crinkled in confusion he
went on.� �You see, during the Ishbal rebellion, the army came through our towns and
cities.� They took advantage of
everyone.� Even though we weren�t the
enemy, we were beaten down into submission.�
Many lives were destroyed because of them, and even now they continue to
treat us like scum.� Don�t think that
just because you live in the north it can�t happen here too.� I don�t want to fight.� I don�t like it.� I just want to live in peace too.�

Roland
swallowed hard and dug a picture out of his pocket.� �You see?� he said, and she could hear the
emotion in his voice.� �You see
here?� This is my wife.� These are my children.� I fight for them.� I fight for what remains of my family.� During the last war, I lost two of my little
ones to the army.� They were responsible
for their deaths.� I� I was away and all
but my youngest two were at my sister�s house.�
They were ill so my wife was taking care of them.�

He
stopped as his voice became shaky.� After
swallowing a few times, he continued in a whisper, �When I came home� everything
was a mess.� My wife� my wife� she was
stripped and tied down� they had beaten her and�� He stopped again, then
picked up in a different spot.� �The two
little ones had been exposed to the cold air for too long and they only got
worse.� They died within a few days��

He
pointed at one of the children in the picture.

�This one
isn�t mine,� the man said, his voice full of meaning.� �But I still love him.� It wasn�t his fault��

Winry
looked away, feeling slightly ashamed of her behavior.

�Please.� At least let me talk to him.� I won�t try to convince him to leave.� He obviously feels strongly against it because
of his brother� and because of you.�

Winry
looked up.� Because of
her?

�I will
respect that,� Roland continued.� �I just
have a few questions for him.� Just questions.�
Please.�

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Ed found
Jean Havoc sitting beneath a tree, staring off at nothing.� The ground beside him was littered with
cigarette butts, but the man still had half a pack lying on his lap.

�Hey,� Ed
said and tossed the man a wrapped hot dog.

�Hey chief��
Havoc said, sounding despondent.� The man
looked scruffy and depressed.��

The short
alchemist wasn�t sure if he should stay and ask the man what had happened or
not, but curiosity got the better of him and he said, �So what was all that
with Mustang?��

The tall
man looked at him with a flat gaze, took a deep drag on his cigarette, and
said, �Why didn�t you want to talk to your brother the other day?�

Okay then... perhaps that wasn�t
the best thing to ask...� Ed thought, then said,
�Equivalent exchange, huh?��

�That�s
right.�

Ed
fidgeted.� A week ago that question would
have sent him into a state of panic, but now it just made him sad,
uncomfortable and guilt ridden.� He
sighed.� �We just had a fight.� That�s all.�

Havoc
nodded.� �Same with me and the boss; we
just had a fight.� That�s all.�

The short
teen looked dolefully down at the smoking man.�
�You know that shiner I had for a while?�
Al gave that to me.�

�Oh yeah?� Would never have pegged him
to do that.� What�d you give
him?��

Ed
exhaled sharply, walked over to the tree and sat down beside Havoc.� �I don�t know� Probably a few bruised ribs or
a few broken ones��

�You
don�t know?�

The teen
looked down and shook his head.� �I ran
out after the fight.� We haven�t talked
since.�

�Hmm.� I see.�
So the colonel sure covered your ass that day, huh?��

Ed
nodded.� �Yeah, but he was pretty pissed
after that.�� The blond looked over at the
second lieutenant and said.� �Why do you
smoke those things?�� He wanted to turn
the conversation away from him and Mustang.

Havoc
sighed and put out the one he had just finished before flicking it away with
his middle finger.� �Helps calm me down,�
he said, then fished another one out of the pack.

�Really?�
Ed asked.� �How?�

�Just
does.� When I feel jittery or anxious, I
have one and it just calms me down.� It
relaxes me.� I don�t know what else to
say.�

�Oh�� Ed
eyed the half empty pack with a bit of interest.� If it were true, something like that might be
useful to him.� Ever since the fight with
Al, no� even before that� since he�d woken up from the coma, he�d always seemed
to be on edge� �Can I� can I try one?��

The older
man�s eyes narrowed slightly and eyed Ed up and down.� Havoc seemed to be considering something, but
then he looked to have decided on whatever he was thinking.� He fished a smoke from the pack and handed it
to the blond.�

�What was
that look for?� Ed asked, taking the cigarette and
examining it.�

Havoc
shrugged.� �I forgot for a minute that
you�re a legal adult now.� You could just
go to the store and buy them if you wanted.�

Ed
nodded, and when he put the cigarette in his mouth, Havoc lit it with his lighter.� The teen breathed in, and immediately began
coughing at the burning sensation in his throat.� He took the cigarette out of his mouth and
looked at it for a moment before glaring at the second lieutenant.�

Havoc
chuckled and said, �Sorry.� I guess I
should have warned you that it takes a little time before you get used to it.�

�I
guess�� Ed muttered irritably, then leaned against the tree and took another
drag off the cigarette before coughing again.�

For a few
moments neither of them spoke, then Havoc said, �My
family is in the east.�� Ed, still trying
to have his first smoke without coughing up a lung, looked at the man.� �I�m really worried about them.� I don�t want them to get hurt.� I just don�t want� anyone� to get hurt��

He took a
drag, then continued, �Are we in the right here chief?� I just don�t know.� I�d like to believe that our military is
doing the right thing, taking down this new government, but I just don�t know.� I mean� they just want to govern
themselves.� They just want to be left
alone.� I can understand that, I grew up
there.� The colonel should understand
that too since he�s from the east as well(1)� but� I
don�t know.� I just don�t know��

The
second lieutenant fell silent and Ed finally finished the cigarette.� He felt lightheaded, and a bit nauseated, but
he did feel relaxed.� Of course there was
the bad taste in his mouth and the slight burning in his throat and chest to
counter that...�

�Can I
have another one?� Ed croaked.� He didn�t
want to seem like a wuss or anything.�

Havoc
raised an eyebrow.� �A bit early to turn
into a chain smoker isn�t it?�

Ed
blushed.� �For later, I mean�� He was glad that he wouldn�t need to smoke another
one right now to prove himself.� After all, Havoc smoked one right after the
other like it was nothing, but Ed didn�t think he could handle another at the
moment.�

Sighing,
the tall man tossed the pack and the lighter into Ed�s lap.� �Sure.�
Take the rest of them.�

�What?� Are you sure?��

�Yeah,� the
lieutenant said, getting to his feet.�
�I�ve got a whole carton here at work and a few lighters too.� You can spot me some later to make up for
it.�

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Winry
looked up as Al flopped down beside her on the work bench and laid his forehead
on the table.� She put down the
screwdriver and turned her body so that she was facing him.� The sandy haired teen�s clothing was speckled
with water droplets.�

�Is the
weather bad out there?��

He shook
his head against the wood of the table.�
�It will be soon though.�

She nodded
then said, �You look tired��

He
sighed.� �Yeah, I guess I am.�� After a moment he turned his head toward her
and let his eyes move over her face.� His
cheeks turned a light pink, but he didn�t look away.�

The
blonde had noticed that he�d been doing that a lot recently; looking at her and
blushing.� Sometimes she thought that he
looked like a boy caught taking a cooking from the cookie jar.� It was so cute!

�What did
he say?��

�Not
much�� He wanted me to talk about Ed, but
I just didn�t feel right about it.� I
wouldn�t want them to be able to use anything I said against him.�

�Did he
try to get you to join them again?� she asked nervously.� The man had said he wouldn�t but�

The tall teen
shook his head and smiled slightly before whispering, �No.� No he didn�t.�

The
blonde mechanic exhaled in relief.

�So
what�s for dinner tonight?� Al asked, changing the subject.

Winry
shook her head.� �I don�t know.� It�s granny�s turn
tonight.�

�Oh, then
it will be edible.�

Glaring,
she growled, �What�s that supposed to
mean?�

Chuckling,
Al said, �It means that it will be edible.�
When you cook it isn�t just edible.� It�s better
than edible.� It�s delicious.�

Blushing
slightly, she shook her head at another one of his corny, but sweet, lines.� �Al�� she murmured with a smile she couldn�t
hold back, then picked up the screwdriver and got back to work.�

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Roy looked down at the document in
his hand with a sick feeling in his stomach.�
It was official.� Troops were
being sent out to the north and to the south to enforce marshal law.� Orders were also given for the public
execution of anyone trying to spread the word of the new government.

It was
happening.

This was
only the beginning, but it was happening.

The Flame
Alchemist dropped his head into his hands and muttered, �I really need a
drink��

---

1- From
the manga

--

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Descent