Karaoke

I'm sorry to make you wait so long for this, my internet died for almost a week and then I had a lot of catching up to do :( Sorry.

It's not that long but I didn't want to make you wait any longer for at least something.

Ok so on with the fic, oh and another lame attempt at a chapter title for you XD


Chapter 3

Roy lay down the mic and smiled, when he looked up there would be a beautiful blond stood before him just dying to jump into his arms and he couldn’t wait. Before he could turn towards where Ed should be he heard a voice that sent a shudder run down his spine.

“Colonel, I wish to thank you for allowing us into your humble abode to celebrate this most momentous occasion with Edward Elric. I remember my 18th birthday like it was yesterday, because the Armstrong lineage is blessed with a perfect memory.” Roy sighed and looked up at Alex Armstrong, one of the most irritating people on the face of the planet. He racked his brain for an excuse to give so he could extract himself from the mountain that was a man and finally get to his Ed. He was saved having to lie however when the youngest female blonde in the room walked up and whispered something in Armstrong’s ear.

“It would be my pleasure Miss Rockbell.” Boomed their own version of the Big Friendly Giant. “Would you please step out of the way Colonel.” As Roy stepped back, Armstrong took a glove from his pocket, one Roy recognised as his transmuting glove. He pulled it on, knelt in a spot in the middle of the area designated the stage and placed his hand on the floor.

The floor and the symbol on the back of his glove glowed brightly and a cylindrical shape began to rise towards the ceiling. Roy watched in total confusion as the pole reached the ceiling and Winry began clapping her hands in glee.

“Thank you so much Lieutenant Armstrong.” She screeched at a pitch only bats should be able to hear.

“It was my pleasure Miss Rockbell. The Armstrong’s never leave a woman in need of anything, it is not the Armstrong way.” Roy cringed as he watched the little purple sparkles dance around the lieutenant’s head and looked quickly towards Winry, mouth open ready to ask why she had found it necessary to have a pole placed in the middle of his living room. He saw her waving to someone behind him, the smile on her face hardly even classing as a smile, let alone a pleasant one.

When he turned he saw Ed sat at the makeshift bar with a drink held loosely in his hand, there were some papers in front of him and it looked as though his jaw had visibly unhinged. He heard a rather evil laugh come from behind him and a shiver ran up his spine, the phrase ‘someone is walking over your grave’ came to mind. Still watching Ed as the young man downed the drink in his hand the second his senses seemed to return, he began making his way toward him, intent on continuing what he had started with his song.

He was barely half way when someone lurched into his path, blocking his way. He looked down into brown eyes that looked a little less focused than usual. What he saw before him was the younger Elric brother pointing a finger at him and slurring some words that Roy knew were going to come someday.

“I want to…to…to talk to you about…hic…bout Ed and the fact…erm…the fact that you…you lo…lo…like him.” Al was swaying everywhere but still he managed to somehow look menacing to Roy.

“Al, maybe we should discuss this when you’ve had a chance to sleep it off” Roy tried to step around him but even drunk Al could not be fooled.

“Nope” Al punctuated the word with a sharp tap to Roy’s chest. “I want to know…your int…inten…inten…”

“Intentions?” Roy offered, trying to speed the conversation along a little.

“That’s it. I wanna know your intentions towards my brother”.

“I think I love him Al” Roy figured that was enough information to give the inebriated boy, after all, he didn’t think Al would appreciate him saying ‘well, I think I love him and I also intend on screwing him into the closest available surface the second I get the chance’. Even drunk, that might cause some permanent psychological damage.

Al smiled up at Roy and after a few stray hiccups he gave the taller man the thumbs up and patted him on the shoulder.

“Good for you, now I sug…suges…think you should go see him and tell him that. It would make a good birth…hic…day present.” Roy smiled warmly at Al and went to move by him only to stop at the sudden pressure on his arm. He turned back and looked at the younger Elric, his face asking the question for him.

“Just to say, if you ever hurt him…” Al smiled sweetly up at Roy “I’ll hunt you down and…you can imagine the rest. Ok see ya” Roy stood still, staring at the retreating boys back as he lurched away in search of more alcohol. That boy could be scary sometimes and he doubted anyone would disagree. Somehow he knew that even drunk, the younger Elric knew exactly what he’d said and meant every word.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ed’s jaw had finally re-hinged itself and he had managed to down a few more drinks just to be sure he was tipsy enough to do this. The rational part of his brain was slightly muffled and he couldn’t hear it telling him to run away and hide so the getting drunk part of the plan seemed to be working.

He looked back down at the notes Winry had given him and swallowed down the bile that was beginning to rise. Who in there right mind could come up with something so diabolical and evil? He had known that she would chose a song that would embarrass him, he had figured that she might even make him attempt to dance but this…? Embarrassing no longer entered into the equation, now it was just down right wrong.

He’d hoped at first she was only joking with this, that she was going to say to him before he started ‘only joking silly, this is what you’re singing’ but when he had seen Armstrong transmute the pole all hope had died. His brother was going to be paying him back for this for years. Just wait till that little bastards 18th, then he’d make the little runt pay.

He thought he heard Al and Roy’s voices but when he lifted his head to see the evil blonde bitch was stood in his line of sight.

“Are you ready Ed?” She was just way to happy about this and if he wasn’t currently in fear for his life he’d tell her where to stick her little karaoke song. Truthfully, this had stopped being about Al the second he had agreed and then had seen the wrench, now it was about saving any of his brain cells that he wasn’t killing with the alcohol.

“You can’t be serious Winry. This has got to be some kind of a joke right?” He couldn’t keep the hope out of his voice, most of it was dead true but there was still that little bit that refused to die.

“I wouldn’t have taken the time to write the notes if I wasn’t serious Ed” she smiled sweetly and took his hand, then turned towards the makeshift stage and started dragging him along behind her. Had it not been for what little pride he had remaining she would have been dragging him kicking and screaming.

“Winry, please…” one last chance, one last pleading voice.

“I hope you read those notes carefully Edward, I want it as close to my vision as possible.” They stopped moving and Ed finally gave in. There was nothing he could do or say to change her mind, this was really going to happen and he was really going to die of embarrassment. “Oh just be grateful I didn’t include a costume, I think you’d look good in a sequin dress.” The heat coming from Ed’s cheeks was enough to heat the whole of central through the winter.

“There would have been no way in Hell Winry” Ed seethed while trying desperately to will away the blush that covered his face.

“Hmm, we’ll see.” She grinned at him and the grin made Ed feel like a lab experiment gone wrong. “Get into your first position Ed, the funs about to start.”

“That depends on your definition of fun” Ed shot back but it was too late, she was already at the machine. As she keyed in the correct numbers to bring up the words and backing track for Ed, he got into position. Leaning back against the pole, head back, mic to his mouth, one foot slightly raised leaning against the pole the other hand behind his back he waited anxiously for the music to start.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Roy was a bit annoyed at having missed Ed yet again, it was like the universe was against him or something. He had stopped watching Al just in time to see Ed being dragged to the karaoke area by a rather over bearing Winry and the look on his face told Roy everything he needed to know, Ed did not want to be there.

He watched in fascination as Ed seemed to give up and when Winry handed him the mic he moved towards the pole and leaned against it rather enticingly. Roy felt a familiar twitch in his lower anatomy but ignored it as he heard the first few notes of a song he never thought he would hear Ed sing. He leaned against the nearby wall and relaxed to watch the show. Maybe the universe didn’t hate him as much as he thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Review replies

antilogicgirl: I'm sorry, I don't want to make you cry but the muse made me do it XD

Amethyst: You really have to stay out of my head, it's not a safe place to be ;-) It can't be a performance without a pole XD

Peace: just a little longer, I promise :-)

Wolke: I hadn't actually thought of that, hmm ideas for a sequel maybe...