Locked In

Ed sighed as he plopped down in one of Mustang’s cushy office chairs, and waited for the criticism to begin. For him to hound him about how he doesn’t have all this money to fund his goose-chase after the legendary philosopher's stone and how he needed to get his act together.

 

He looked back at his brother, Alphonse and even in a tough expressionless suit of armor he could tell he was thinking the same thing. As he cleared his throat and directed his attention back to the desk at the front of the room, he began to get anxious. Tapping his foot lightly, as Mustang just sat behind the large wooden structure and stared at them expectantly.

 

Mustang had his hands perfectly clasped together on the desk and his eyes scanned both brothers thoroughly, almost as if trying to read their minds. Finally with a grunt Ed managed to lock eyes contact and spoke.

 

“ So what did you want, Mustang?,” He asked in a gruff, unamused tone. His eyebrows falling into a mood of slight annoyance. Mustang finally unclasped his hands and laid them firmly upon his paperwork covered workspace and rose to his feet.

 

This was different than the usual rants and raves he got the minute he walked through those large brass doors. Mustang adjusted a few things before him, seemingly bored before speaking.

 

“How are you doing, Fullmetal?,” He asked in his same, strong pompous tone. Ed raised and eyebrow, wondering ‘ since when did the Colonel ask such casual, unimportant questions?’ He blinked a few times and glanced down at his more than scratched automail legs before looking back up.

 

“ I’m, I’m fine...,” He half mumbled, suspicious of the Colonel’s behavior. Al stood in the background, silent, as if he really was just a suit of armor.

 

The Colonel traced the young boy’s line of sight and noticed him grow slightly weary when glancing at his automail prosthetics. His eyes gleamed and he sat back down, re clasping his hands. Ed once again, tapped his foot in annoyance of the sudden silence.

 

“How is your automail holding up? Do you need to go home for any repairs or adjustments..?,” Mustang asked in a much softer tone this time. Throwing Ed off balance slightly as his eyes flickered back to the smooth cold metal arm and leg he had. Luckily hidden beneath black leather fabric and thick white gloves, so as not to arouse suspicion from civilians.

 

He clenched the rusting fist slightly and cringed at what he imagined Winry might do when she found out he wasn’t keeping up on his maintenance. ‘ She just never understands...’ He thought and pursed his lips in a sigh. He nodded slightly.

 

“ Actually yeah. I should probably see my mechanic about the rusting in my arm before it gets really bad. She’ll kill me...,” He answered, keeping his gaze down at the navy blue carpet beneath the coffee table he had placed his heel against lightly. Mustang nodded at the boys answer and rose to his feet once again, this time looking to Alphonse.

 

“ Will you require an escort to keep you out of trouble?,” He asked, back in his official sounding tone of voice. Ed cringed at just the thought and gave a quick shake of the head.

 

“ No that won’t be necessary...,” He insisted. Al looked at his brother then back it Mustang, trying to read their emotions about this. Mustang picked up a stack of unfinished documents and began to look through them with a unsatisfied sigh.

 

“ You may go...,” He said dismissively. Ed got up without a word and listened to his hard boots clack against the tile as he left the room and entered the long hallways of Central Commands main building.

 

“ Oh and Fullmetal?,” His deep voice called out to the pair once more. Ed paused his steps and turned on his heels back to face the door in the distance. Only to see Mustang leaning against his own doorway, with a sly expression.

 

“ Leave Alphonse here...I need his help...,” Mustang ordered. Al looked from his brother to Mustang and nodded, trotting over to the Colonel. Ed bit his lip nervously, never having been really away from his brother like this. But nonetheless he nodded and gave a wave to his brother before heading off...back home to Resembool....

 

 

BONK.

 

The clanging of a wrench against his skull was all Edward heard and felt before he was coughing up dust. He groaned in pain as he felt a large bump beginning to swell upon his cranium.

 

“ Edward! What have you done to my precious automail this time?!,” A painfully familiar voice crushed its way into his already pounding head. His hand searched for the area of impact and shielded it as he rose to sit up.

 

His eyes like slits as he searched for the owner of the voice. As the dust in the air from his fall cleared, it was clear as day, there she was, his mechanic and childhood friend, Winry Rockbell. He glared when his eyes locked with hers, which were more than willing to return the look.

 

“ Jeez! Are you trying to kill me mechanical geek?!,” Ed shouted back angrily, now rubbing the tender bump and fumbling to his feet again. Winry put her hands on her hips and stuck out of her bottom lip, furrowing her brows inward.

 

“ Well it looks like you're doing a pretty good job of it yourself, so why bother?,” She sighed in irritation from her bedroom balcony. Edward just rolled his eyes and picked up his briefcase once again.

 

“ For once, just once couldn’t I just get a welcome home or something pleasant...yeesh...,” He grumbled under his breath as he trudged onward towards the small houses front steps. Just as his worn automail hand was about to reach for the door’s handle, it swung open and Winry had encased herself in Edward’s arms.

 

He blushed a bright red as he smelled her scent so clearly, lemon and gear oil. He felt small delicate hands tugging on the back of his jacket, as if begging him to hug back. With a sigh of contentment he slid a hand around the petite girls back and caressed her against him softly. Feeling his blush brighten when his skin tingled from her eyelashes blinking against his collarbone lightly. He ravished the seemingly perfect moment, his flesh hand softly tending to the wound on his scalp still.

 

“ Welcome home...idiot...,” A softened tone of voice muffled out through the layers of clothing he had on. He smiled a little and sighed once more before moving his hand from her back slowly, and bonking her on the head gently.

 

She gazed up at him slightly with her beautiful oceanic azure eyes and blinked. Feeling his hand flatten against the back of her head and hold her where she was. A small smile pierced his lips as his golden orbs sparkled down confidently into hers.

 

“ Thanks...,”