Reshuffled and Dealt

Ok, trying again. I have no idea why it is so hard for me to write anything lately, but I'm working on it, I swear! I am almost done this one, then I'll probably move on to Promise, then to the next one I've started. Thank you to cuylerjade, I always value your input.

Next Chapter (because it's been so long, I can't remember the number of chapters in the story)

Ed rolled a bit and bumped into the small form beside him. His hand reached out to pat her stomach, hoping for a kick. There was no bump and his eyes jerked open when he remembered the day before. His hand started to withdraw and was grabbed and pressed to the flattened stomach. “Are you mad?”

A scared, thin voice and he turned his head to look at her. Tears slid over the smooth cheeks and little sniffles started; even after all these months it was strange to see Envy cry. “Of course not! You didn’t do anything wrong. It just happened. Shh.” They rocked lightly, his hand on her stomach, the other behind her head, holding her close. “It’s alright, everything is alright.” Her sobs set him off and they cried together, wrapped around each other.

Sniff. “Is it my fault?” Dark blond shook firmly against the top of her head. “I hit it and said I hated it.”

“Shh, shh, no. That had nothing to do with it. Might as well blame those pricks out East; they hit you harder. It just wasn’t supposed to happen, ok?” Gentle hands ran through her hair. “Don’t worry about it, it wasn’t your fault. You just worry about feeling better, that’s what’s most important.” He gasped suddenly and she pushed back to stare at his stomach.

“Did it move?” Little hands ran quickly over his skin. “It did! Look, it did.” She was smiling and laughing, delighted with the first signs of movement from the blond’s baby. Ed couldn’t help but smile back at her.

He grabbed her hands and pulled her down to kiss the adorable nose. “You are so beautiful and strong.” Red flushed over her still wet cheeks and she looked away. “Hey, look here.” Red shook and she stared at the floor; firm fingers turned her face towards him. “You are gorgeous, I always think so. Even if you never change again, you’ll still be beautiful.”

A soft sniff and she leaned into his chest, her head pillowed on his shoulder. “But I’m weak now, and stuck. What if I’m never myself again?”

His arms wrapped around her. “Then, then marry me! Just us and baby, we’ll have our own little family.” The small body bolted upright, shoving his arms to the sides.

“Are you insane? We can’t do that!” The bright eyes were wide and appalled.

“Why not?” He leaned up to nuzzle her nose. “You like me, right? We’ve lived together for almost three years now, we get along reasonably well, and it’s not like I’m going to run off.” He grinned up at her shocked face. “I like you, I can support us easily, and there will never be a problem with custody of our child, just in case. It’ll be fun.”

“But, but, no, that’s weird!” The blond laughed and tickled her sides, laughter made her wiggle, then flinch.

“Sorry. Everything about us is weird. I mean, look at us; I’m pregnant and half metal, you change shape and can lift me with one hand. Why not?” His hands slid over her sides gently, rubbing the sting away.

Purple narrowed at him. “You’re making fun of me, because I’m stuck.” Blond shook and she growled low, baring even little teeth. “You are, just because I’m stuck in this pathetic body.”

“En, no, that’s OW, hey! That hurts!” Small fists slammed into his chest and shoulders, tears wetting his face. “Cut it out, I’m not, ow, not making fun of you!” He managed to cover her hands with his and pin them to his chest. “Would I do that?” Red nodded vigorously. “Ok, so maybe I would, but I’m not!”

He was glared at until he kissed her, pressing lightly until the full lips opened and let him in. A few enjoyable moments were spent investigating the warm little cavern and nuzzling the slim neck. “Hey. I’m serious, you know. Even if you don’t want to marry me, and I still don’t see why not, I’m a pretty good catch,” He mock glared at the soft snicker. “You can always stay here.” Another quick kiss cut off the retort. “Think about it, ok? It’s not like you don’t have any choices.”

A faint blush spread across the delicate cheeks. “Ok.” Her ears perked up and she turned to face the door seconds before it opened quietly.

Cain poked his head in cautiously. “Are you guys up?” He smiled to see them curled together. “Hungry?”

“Fuck, yeah!” Ed rolled to the edge and pushed himself to his feet. Unsteady weaving sat him back down, a hand on his head. “Whoa, dizzy.” The small form beside him edged over carefully and pushed herself up, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth at the flares of pain down her side.

“Envy, hang on. You should stay still for today, alright?” Cain’s small hands patted the air in front of him, encouraging the girl back into bed. “I’ll bring you something.”

Purple slitted open at him. “No. I don’t want to stay here.”

“Can Jean carry you down at least? You can read on the couch and rest for today. I’m sure Ed would like to keep you company.” He was snarled at and backed away. Apparently they would still be a slave to hormones for a bit. That or he was no longer a favorite, which was fairly likely.

The steps were carefully negotiated, Jean standing at the bottom and waiting until she as within striking range before moving. Breakfast was more pleasant than usual with Envy not feeling the urge to throw up or be particularly picky. The backyard was inviting and Ed curled on his side on a blanket, reading quietly while his lover napped against his hip.

“Hey.” A faint grunt but the blond didn’t look up from his book. “You like me, huh?”

Red rushed into the alchemist’s face; he did say that didn't he? “Kinda obvious, isn’t it? I’m having your baby, you know.” He felt like he could disappear from embarrassment; no, better make that wished he could.

A giggle and the small form wriggled up his body to rub noses. “Am I pretty?”

“Very.” He obligingly rubbed back and let her curl around his stomach. “You’re acting a bit oddly, is something wrong?”

“I don’t think so, I just feel really up right now. Do you like me because I’m pretty?” Adorable, bright eyes peeked at him through thick lashes and he grinned back.

“No.” Surprise and annoyance sparked at him. “It doesn’t matter what you look like, I like you anyways.” Soft kisses and more nuzzling followed the statement, as much so the blond could not have to be watched in his embarrassment as anything. A few more minutes of petting and he pulled away, shoving the redhead to his side gently.

“Hey, what? Not good enough for you now that I’m not pregnant anymore?” Hurt flared in the gold eyes and he pushed away, refusing to allow her to touch him.

“That was uncalled for. And you know it’s not true.” She didn’t make a sound beside him, just huddled with her knees drawn to her chest. “I just, I’m really sensitive now, and I know you don’t want me to touch you, so I didn’t want to” His face was getting more and more red and Envy watched in fascination as his ears started to blush too. It was always so, well, almost cute when it happened.

She narrowed her eyes at him and listened to his fast, shallow breathing. Violet examined his body, noting the forming erection even though he was partially turned away from her. “Really sensitive. How sensitive?” A delicate finger trailed over the round side and a low moan made her laugh, annoyance forgotten.

“Envy, stop it. You’re just going to get me excited and wander off, so stop it!” Soft purring vibrated up his neck and he tilted his head to offer more access while he tried to make her stop. “Mmm, that’s nice, En, damn it all, stop!”

“Really? You really want me to stop?” Small hands trailed over his sides, one dipping between his legs to fondle the hardness there while the other tripped up to tap an engorged nipple. “You’re getting pretty soft here, do you think you’ll have boobs?”

The blond’s face turned almost purple and he started to struggle, fighting the small body on top of his. “Shut up, I’m not a girl! Don’t be so crude either.” His awkward form and the added weight of Envy across his chest kept him on his back. Mismatched hands pushed in vain at the smaller ones. “Let go, get away from me.”

A nip to his side made him freeze and a low moan slipped between his lips. “Nope. And I didn’t say you were a girl, I asked if you would grow breasts.” Her attention turned to more important things, such as teasing the delicate pink, which budded firmly under her tongue.

Blond hair tossed restlessly under the assault, hands running through the long red to hold his lover close. “Please, En, now, I can’t wait!” He dragged her up to kiss, slamming their lips together in a deep bite, teeth worrying the full lips and tongue soothing tiny marks. Annoyance and the faint hint of anger were forgotten as easily as they were brought up.

A small hand wrapped around the firm flesh and pulled, trailing little nails over the hot skin. Soft screams and her hand was soaked, thick white dripping off. A delicate shake got rid of most of the mess and she peered down at Ed, who was lying on his back, arms splayed, panting harshly. “Damn, that was fast.”

Red flushed through his face and an arm was raised just enough to flop over his eyes. “Well, you kicked me out almost a month ago.”

“So? You’ve still got two hands.” Slender fingers trailed over his skin and rubbed the round tummy gently.

Tight skin moved away from her as the alchemist rolled to his side, facing away while he tugged his clothes back into place. He mumbled and Envy prodded his back. “I can’t reach easily, ok? And the damn hormones make me hot.”

A snort escaped before she clasped her hands over her mouth. Red flushed over the blond’s neck and shoulders and his partner lost it, howling with laughter and rolling on the ground, ignoring the faint pain in her side.

“Shut up!” Ed was so embarrassed he was crying, tears streaming down his face, making him even more embarrassed. “Just shut up!” The laughter didn’t even slow down and he rolled over to glare at the redhead. “I hate you!”

The yard went silent, broken only by the sound of the backdoor opening and Cain’s steps moving across the deck; neither Ed nor Envy moved, staring at each other.

“Take it back.” They stared wide-eyed at each other, still not moving. “Take it back right now.”

Gold narrowed and long hair shook. “No, I won’t. You say it all the time, so fuck you. I. Hate. You.” Low growling and the smaller body pounced, hitting his shoulders and arms. The young man kicked back and they rolled until Cain pried them apart.

“Edward, Envy, enough. Cut it out!” The brunette ducked under flying arms as best he could. “Jean!”

Blond flashed by the house corner and the older man jogged over, cigarette in his mouth. The smallest body was pushed towards him and he lifted her into his arms, ignoring the frantic kicking. “Come on you, let’s leave them alone. We’re going out front so I can finish my smoke.” Kicking, biting, and screaming did no good and she was carted around the corner.

“Come on, Ed. Let’s get you inside and cleaned up a bit, ok?” A tinge of pink was in the brunette’s cheeks but he leaned down to lift the blond to his feet anyways. “What happened?”

“I, I don’t know, we were fooling around, she started to tease me and I got so mad. I, said I hated her.” He was crying softly, little gasps breaking up his words. A firm hand pulled him in to lean against the slight shoulder, rubbing his hair firmly. “I didn’t mean it, really, I, I, do you think she really hates me now?”

“Of course not. Everything is fine. Let’s get you cleaned up and you can apologize if you want to. We’ll just take a bit of time to calm down now and you guys can talk at supper.” The rubbing hand moved down to wrap around the wide waist and turn the blond towards the house. “Come on, you need a bath.”

****************

“Put me down!” A small fist bounced off the wide back and a solid hand swatted her on the ass.

“No hitting. And what were you thinking, hitting Ed? You know better.” He shifted a bit, sitting on the edge of the step with a wiggling redhead over his shoulder wasn’t really the most comfortable position. “Obviously you’re feeling better. Can I put you down and trust you to stay here?” Long hair moved against his shoulder in a short nod. “Ok, I’m letting go.”

A faint grunt and she settled beside him, not looking at him. They sat quietly for a minute before Jean spoke. “You know, he’s still upset, even if you aren’t.”

“Fuck you, you don’t know what I think.” Little feet kicked and he watched the tiny toes wiggle a bit.

“No, I don’t. But I know what the Boss thinks. He’s scared it was his fault, because he talked you into trying in the first place. He was really looking forward to having two, one for each of you and both to share.” Blue glanced tot the side to meet purple watching him. “He’s afraid you’ll be upset with him or yourself. He’s a bit scared that you won’t go back to the way you were.” Another drag of his cigarette and he got out a new one, digging for his lighter.

A small hand reached out and fingers wriggled at him. “Gimme.” Pale brows rose but he obliged, handing over a smoke and flicking the lighter. The small flame was pushed aside and the pale face moved close to his, lighting the tip from his own. Delicate lashes brushed over her cheeks and those strange eyes peeked up at him.

“Don’t bother. You can play those games with Ed, but not me or Cain.”

A lazy drag and she leaned back, a hand on the step for balance. “Who said I was playing?”

“You and the Boss have a good thing here, and I’m pretty sure you’re not actually interested in another icky human, now are you?” Both sets of lips quirked up; Envy had never made a secret of her thoughts on people and red tilted at him in acknowledgement. Of course, now that he knew she wasn’t human, some of the more vicious comments made sense.

“True enough. What was your mom like?” Smoke blew up at the tree and she examined the leaves.

“My mom? Mom, wow, Mom is amazing. She’s really small, a bit shorter than you are and pretty skinny. She had three boys, and I’m the smallest, most like her. Grant and Keith are both more like Dad, tall, dark, and heavy, and they both work with him at his construction company. Mom runs the family, keeps us all in line. She’s a great cook and can be damn scary, especially when she gets the idea of grandkids in her head.” The lanky body stretched out a bit, long legs splayed in front of him. “Why? What about your mom?”

“My parents,” A faint snarl at the word, “Were both total and complete assholes.” She fumed for a second then changed back to her original topic. “Most of the human women I seem to come across are vicious.”

Low laughter and amethyst narrowed dangerously. “No, no I’m not laughing at you. Women can be pretty deadly, especially if their children or family are involved. They’re the tough half of the species, capable of taking a lot of abuse and still being gentle to those who matter. Women are truly amazing.” The blond looked over at his smoking partner. “You know, if you want to know about mothers, you should talk to Ed. It seems like his was pretty nice. It’s a bit of a touchy subject but he’ll tell you if you ask.”

“Hmm. Do you think he hates me now?” A questioning noise from the blond man. “Because I’m not having it now. He said he did.”

Jean sighed and leaned forward, balancing his wrists on his thighs. “Look, losing a child is hard, harder when it’s just a baby. For both of you. He doesn’t hate you, I can guarantee that, but maybe you should be a bit easier on him for a while. Like you said, I don’t know what you think, but if you want to tell me, you can. Or, maybe you should tell Ed, it might help you both feel better.” He looked over and watched the smoke rise for a second.

“Alright, I’m going to tell you something and I don’t want to hear about it anywhere else.” Envy eyed him then nodded. “So, when I was in high school, my girlfriend got pregnant. We were young and stupid but we wanted to try anyways. About four months along, there was an accident and she lost the baby.” The spiky blond bangs hung and his hands clasped together. “I was so scared, and angry, not with her but with everything, the world, the car that clipped her, everything. I, said some horrible things to her. I didn’t mean any of it and we made up later, but neither of us could forget.” A deep sigh and he stood and stretched. “What I’m trying to say is for you to take it easy, for both of you. There’s no rush to get better and you just have to stick together and try not to say things you’ll regret later. And if you do, try to forgive it.” A short nod from the small form and he left her to sit and think.

“Cain?” A small hand waved from the kitchen door and he followed it in. “Hey. Ed tell you what was going on?”

Dark hair shook. “Sounds like teasing that got out of hand. Told Envy he hated her, she got mad and attacked.”

Slim shoulders were tense and Jean could see the headache pounding at the smaller man. “Come sit. I’ll make a snack for them. I think Envy’s a bit more nervous than we thought, asking about mothers and such. She was a bit jumpy about the Boss hating her; I told her that wasn’t possible.” Large hands moved over tight muscle, rubbing them into relaxation. Cain flopped over on the table, settling his head on his arms.

“Hmm, yeah, I figured. I just can’t believe they actually got into a fistfight over something like that, especially now.” Jean kneaded more firmly, pressing deeply.

He had purring from the man under his hands and grinned down. “Don’t worry, they’ll be ok if we can keep them from killing each other in the next few days. Where’s Ed?”

“Upstairs, having a bath. I thought it might help him calm down, the whole thing is wearing on him pretty heavily.” Deep breathing started to even out and the usually high voice lowered as he relaxed and started to drift. “I hope they’re ok.”

“Yeah, they’ll be fine. They’re a good match. Just relax, I’ll look after them.” Muffled mumbling and the brunette dozed off. Jean pulled back a bit and made a quick plate of crackers, cheese, and fruit and carried it to the living room. He poked his head out the door and spotted Envy trying to reach the bottom branch of her favorite tree. “Envy, can you come in please? I need you to do something for me.” The door shut quickly before she could refuse and he sat on the couch, digging out his book.

“What?” She was waved in and the plate pointed at.

“Can you take that up to Ed please? He’s having a bath and I don’t want to disturb him.” She snorted at him and turned to leave. “Envy.” Dark eyes narrowed at him over her shoulder.

“Fine.” The plate was grabbed and she stomped up the steps to kick the bathroom door open.

Ed flailed from where he’d been dozing and splashed water over the floor. “What the. Oh.” He looked away and reached for a towel, tugging it over to cover himself.

“Psht. Like I haven’t seen it before.” Wide shoulders hunched a bit and he tried to curl into himself a bit more. The smaller form hesitated before walking across the floor and placing the food on the edge of the tub. “Here.” Small feet shuffled, kicking water around a bit. “Um, are you mad?” She chewed her lip, ripping little pieces of skin off while she waited.

Wet bangs shook a bit. “Not really. I, can you just go, please? You’re making me uncomfortable.”

“Why?” The towel was clutched closely, soaking water up to darken the thick fabric.

“Because, you think I’m fat and that it’s funny. Go away.” A quick hand snagged the edge of the towel and a tugging war started, with Ed finally losing his grip on the bit he had.

“No I don’t.” She leaned in, pressing her face close to his. “I think you’re cute. I don’t know why I laughed, just like I don’t know why I got so mad or cry. You’re mad at me, ‘cause I’m not having it.”

“No! I’m not, Envy, stop saying that. I’m upset, I’m sad, but it can’t be helped.” A few tears slid over his cheeks. “I’m tired, and lonely, and frustrated because you don’t care at all. It’s not fair, I wanted both babies, so much, and even if it isn’t anyone’s fault, I still can’t have them.”

“Stop telling me what I think! ‘You think I’m fat, you didn’t want it, you, you, you’ No one bothered to ask what I thought, did they? You just decided for me.” Warm air pressed against Ed’s face and he drew back in alarm. “You said it wasn’t my fault and then you said you hated me. Why, I didn’t do anything! You didn’t hate me before!”

“En, I” Water splashed into his face and he sputtered around it.

“Shut up, just shut up! It’s not fair. You bitch about how much you wanted it and what about me?” Her chest heaved under the gasps, air slamming in and out desperately, sobs growing steadily.

The alchemist wrapped his arms around her and dragged her into the tub with him, sloshing water to the floor. “Oh fuck, En, I’m sorry! Ok? I’m sorry. I don’t hate you, I swear I don’t. I adore you.” Brief struggling subsided into breathy sobs against his chest. “It’s ok, everything will be alright. It wasn’t your fault, I know that. Tell me what you think. Did you want the baby?”

Sniff. “Maybe, a bit, I don’t know. Kinda, it was weird but it moved, inside me, and didn’t hurt me or want anything from me.” Wet cheek pressed to his shoulder, she cuddled close. “I didn’t mean to laugh.”

“I know, it’s alright. I shouldn’t have gotten so upset.” Flesh fingers stroked through her hair. “I’m sorry you wanted it and can’t have it now. It was my fault, I talked you into it in the first place.” He nodded firmly against the soft hair shaking under his chin. “Yes, it was all my fault, not yours.”

Gentle stroking and it was so tempting to let him just take it. “Nuh uh, no one’s fault, little one said.” Slightly bloodshot eyes peeked up to meet gold. “You’ll share yours?”

A wide, relieved grin. “Of course, he’s not just mine, he’s yours too.” Soft kisses feathered over the damp face. “You gonna be ok?” She nodded and kissed him back. “Come on, up. You’re a bit much to be resting on me.” A light shove and she obliged, wriggling to her knees on his thighs, then to her feet.

“Are you calling me fat?” The look of shock and horror on the blond’s face had her laughing while a towel was dragged out. “And who said the baby was a boy?”

“Well, what else would it be?” Firm hands pulled him up and held him still while his balance shifted into alignment.

The towel pushed over wet skin, scrubbing it dry quickly. “A girl, Idiot. Last I checked, there are two sexes of humans.”

Gold blinked down at her. “You don’t think it is, do you?” Delicate shoulders shrugged at him. “Huh. Maybe. We should pick out some names, don’t you think? I have some for a boy but I didn't think of any for a girl.” Another shrug and a shirt was held out.

By the time they were changed and Ed had a short nap, it was almost supper time and they met Jean at the top of the steps. “Boss, where are your slippers? You know Cain is gonna be pissed if you show up without them again.”

“Damn, I left them in my room.” He turned to go back and tripped on the edge of the carpet, bare foot sliding when he set it down for balance. Wild flailing and he started to fall backwards down the stairs; his eyes shut tightly and he curled around his stomach, waiting for impact.

Solid arms wrapped around his shoulders and a wide chest broke his fall, cradling him protectively. “Fuck, Jean.” A deep breath of air blew out in relief. “I didn’t know you could move that fast!”

He opened his eyes to stare into wide blue at the top of the stairs, arm still held out in an attempt to catch him. “I can’t.”

‘Then, who?” Ed craned back to look up and stared into light brown eyes that blinked at him, slightly confused. “En, you changed?” A wide grin and he tossed his arms back to hug as much as possible. “You changed!”

The older blond stared as forms shifted randomly. “Yeah, I did.” A proud smile and the small blond was twirled and hugged tightly. “I did.”

Jean backed away slowly, licking his lips. It was one thing to live with a weakened homunculus, one who needed care, but very much another to have a full strength one there. Especially when neither he nor Cain knew alchemy, the only semi-efficient weapon against them. Purple honed in on him and sparked with a hint of malice.

“Hello. Won’t be so easy to boss me around now, will it?” He looked down when a hard metal elbow slammed into his side. “What?”

“Don’t be like that. Jean and Cain have put up with a lot from us and you are not to be mean to them.” A soft pout was ignored. “Carry me down? We’re already half way.” His carrier grinned down and turned to descend. Jean blew out a quick puff of air and grabbed the missing slippers and his gun before joining them in the kitchen.

Cain didn’t even blink when Envy appeared with the blond in his arms and shifted to his old form. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. What do you want for supper?” White shoulders shrugged at him and a pointed nose nuzzled Ed’s neck. “Uh uh, what did I tell you about that at the table? You can excuse yourselves or wait until we’re done eating.”

Long hair turned and strange eyes stared at him while a pink tongue slid over the blond’s ear. The wooden spoon smacked against the top of the dark head and he bounded out of his seat in a rush of anger and strength; the spoon came to rest softly on the ridge of his nose. No force but the threat was there. “Sit.” Dark brown stared into violet and the older man slid back into his seat, not willing to go against the steel in those eyes. “Now, what would you like for supper?”

“Cain, can I see you out here please?” Jean grabbed his arm and dragged the smaller man into the living room. “What the hell are you doing? He’s dangerous, I don’t think hitting him with a wooden spoon will work.”

“Jean, he’s like a child. If you let him scare you or bully you, he will. A firm hand and control of the situation are required to keep everything calm. He may not always back down, but respect will keep the damage low.”

Havoc’s hands swept through the air. “You don’t know that! He might just as soon strangle us while we sleep as pay attention.”

“Well, it’s what we have and it’s working so far. If he takes over, we might as well leave. Are you ready to do that?” Blond shook immediately. “Then, come on. If nothing else, we can trust he won’t hurt Ed, which means he won’t kill us.” A slightly shaky grin and the technician returned to the stove, pulling pots and ingredients out of the cupboards.

Jean followed and was greeted with a catty smirk and raised eyebrow from the slim man feeding Ed crackers. ‘Did he hear us?’ His thoughts must have shown on his face because Envy grinned more widely and nodded quickly, eyes dancing with laughter. Blue narrowed and the blond turned his back deliberately, helping his partner get a meal on the table.

Supper was quiet with Envy teasing Jean with smirks and the odd flying vegetable. Ed was starving and ate as if he hadn’t all day and Cain just kept the plates full. The smoker’s delicate patience snapped when a pea bounced off his nose and into his water. “You little brat! I ought to turn you over my knee!”

“Nyah!” The little tongue waved at him from across the table. “You don’t have a chance ya pussy!”

“Envy, cut it out. Can’t we just eat quietly for once?” A gentle nudge from Cain’s foot and Ed shut up, shaking his head and returning to his plate. Jean was already up and halfway around the table.

“Outside you two, no fighting at the table.” The short-haired brunette barely looked up from his meal.

“Oh, now you step in. Fine, outside it is.” A large hand grabbed the back of Envy’s neck and he tugged the snickering brunette to his feet.

Muscle flexed over the smooth stomach and the wiry body twisted up to wrap trim legs around Jean’s neck and pull him forward to lean on Ed’s chair. The chair tilted under the extra weight and the smaller blond grabbed for the table edge. “Hey! Get the hell out if you’re gonna fool around.”

Bright eyes peeked around the white stomach to make sure he was ok and the homunculus uncurled himself, twisting to free his neck from Havoc’s grip. “Fine. What a pain.” A quick kiss was stolen and he bounced out the back door, hopping along on his toes. “Come on, hurry up! You’re so slow, I might as well go to sleep.” The slim body flopped over and wriggled, appearing strangely like a puppy waiting for a playmate.

Jena followed him out, hands flexing. “Get up!” A slow roll and the homunculus lay on his stomach, looking up gleefully. “I said get up!” A heavy kick was aimed at the pale skin.

“Gotta do bett-tter.” A light sing-song voice taunted him and dark hair slid by his eyes, a push between his shoulders sending the blond stumbling forward. He hadn’t even seen him get to his feet, never mind come at him.

“Fuck!” A few rounds and Jean was still losing badly, his temper fraying more wit each second. Finally, he got his hand on a thin wrist and yanked, pulling the trim body against his.

Brilliant green shone at him and changed quickly, shifting to Cain’s form. “You’ll hit me? I thought you were my friend?”

A sharp grin and the safety snapped on the gun. “Nope, good try though.” The small body jolted and bucked under the force of the rebound, the muzzle touching the white shirt.

The blond let go and watched the small body slide to the ground, giving it a nudge with his foot, careful to avoid the spreading red stain. A hard hand whipped out and attached itself to his ankle. “You fucking prick! You shot me!”

The gun leveled at the dark head again. “And I’ll do it again if you can’t behave yourself.” Color shifted through the brunette’s eyes and settled on violet. An easy grin and white flashed as Envy pushed himself up.

“Well, you found some balls after all. How precious for you.” Soft laughter and he walked back inside, hips swaying casually. “Better hurry, Pest was eating like he’d never see food again. Might not be any left later.”

The door shut with a bang and the blond’s legs gave out; he slid to the ground and stared at the house. ‘It was just a test?’ It sure seemed like one and apparently he’d passed, but his nerves would be shot for a very long time. He wasn’t sure how long he sat there but Cain came out and knelt beside him.

“Hey. Are you ok? Envy said you weren’t hurt but we heard the gun.” Dazed blue looked down at him.

“I shot him, he looked like you and I shot him.” His voice was shaking and he lifted a hand to touch Cain’s shoulder. “For a second, before he moved, even though I knew it was him, I thought it was you. He sounded like you, looked like you, his body moved like yours, exactly the same. Fuck, Cain!”

Smaller hands landed on his shoulders, pushing him back to stare into his eyes. “You wouldn’t shoot me. And just ignore him, Ed was telling me that he wasn’t as strong as the others, his body is limited to his form. He can’t form a shield, use his fingers as spears, change to water, any of the abilities we heard about. He’s strong and fast but he needs to get close and is an excellent mimic, playing your emotions to his advantage. Ed will talk to him, try to get him to stop.” A slow grin. “But, he was pretty up when he came in, something about balls?” Jean blushed and his friend laughed. “He’s just playing with you, seeing how far you’ll let him push. Don’t worry, things will calm down now.” He pushed up and held out a hand to help the taller man stand. “I saved some supper, provided Envy didn’t get into it. Should be safe, Ed wanted to go read some, so they’ll be together.”

Blond shook in amazement. “He must have some kind of problem, his moods are like water, flowing in all directions. I mean, the hormones I understand, but they should be gone, right? If he’s back to himself?” Fuery just shrugged and led the way inside. “He’s so gentle with Ed, normally anyways. I never saw him with bruises, did you?”

“No, I haven’t. Except that one time, but we all saw it happen.” The blond grinned at the reminder.






And I'm leaving you there. Flashback at the beginning of tomorrow's post and we'll go from there. And, something of interest, at least to me. The anime profiles book has an entire chapter on Envy. Which is a good thing, except that it states, in a variety of places, that he, is a she. Amazing. A shame, because I really wanted it and can't force myself to buy it when the gender of a favorite character is wrong, but still interesting. Check it out for fun if you have the time.