A Melody at Midnight

Part I

"The principle of the endless melody is the perpetual becoming of a music that never had any reason for starting, any more than it has any reason for ending." Igor Stravinsky

My automail fist clenched underneath the table made from a glowing ebony wood reflected by the subdued hue of the candlelight. Silent whispers chatter across the room, every word inaudible despite my acute hearing; it has had to become that way so I can watch their backs. Goddamn keep them alive.

While I mused over a poser attempting to mimic an imaginary script to his girlfriend, this undramatic performance ran my attention span dry, and I then noticed an anxious middle-aged waiter quivering in the shadows, peering worriedly as I leaned back in my chair. Now that he was under my guarded stare, he edged closer until his trembling fingers were in full view, the knuckles on his hands had lost their vigour and a grey sheen of pallor had grafted its way over his lean features; the very spite of nervousness.

"Sir, if you would request me to..."

"No, I will wait. As I said to your colleague; I am not going to order."

"Very well, Fullmetal, sir."

"My name is Edward. Edward Elric. When I'm free from my leash, don't address me as a dog of the military! Jeez, this is the first time that Colonel Bastard has let me take the night off..." I grumbled, thinking of that cunning smirk the lousy pooch always greeted me with. Of course he would work out what would be happening tonight; that was the man, twisted and devilish as he was, called Roy Mustang.

"I'm sorry, I was a little rash. Stress of the work I guess," a false grin rose across my face, and the evident perpetual curiosity of the waiter was quelled in his gullible personality. He trotted away to the next table, all impatience on their side forgotten now that they had finally gained priority in having the food brought to them. My stomach growled as I wriggled in my chair to disguise my awkwardness while an elderly woman stared at me, revealing to me her toothless grin. In response, I waved my left hand at her, displaying my true smile with white teeth beaming.

The ambiance of the place was not nearly as comfortable as the sloppy hotel room I shared with Al; hiding beneath the covers reading until even the stars had twinkled out and vanished as we did when we were younger. However, I always ended up falling asleep while my brother continued to flick through the pages of his book, armour rusting and clanking, for whom sleep would never come; a night of desolation awaited him. Although we have a slight predicament to clear up, my brother seemed to cheer up immensely when I told him of my plan, which he noted to be a "scheme", and I could have listened to the sonorous laughter ringing from within his steel all day. He then proceeded to whack me on the head with an iron fist for not warning him sooner.

Twilight was setting over the city as the harsh glare of the sun melded with the clouds, sinking beneath the earth. No more heat to warm up my automail, which made joint and stump alike thrum in unison to a heavy throbbing. Despite metal and skin being joined for many years, they disagreed and failed to make a compromise. The energy they required to stop their ensuing battle was a nuisance - it could have been expended on growth - I could have been so much taller now. Stupid limbs, making me so sho-, sh-. "Damn, why does it have to be me!" I shouted, ruffling my hair in a pedantic frustration.

"Ed, what are you doing?"

Oh God.

"Did you get so bored waiting that you started talking to yourself? Knowing you, it was probably over how short you are..."

"I'm not short, speak for yourself! You are barely taller than me and yet you have the audacity to call me something I'm not! Some people are just late developers..." my face turned red, partially out of my pompous instinct to being called that word and blushing out of embarrassment for causing a scene. This would not have usually bothered me. However, this was my night off - I will not ruin it now. I took a sip of my juice and after sucking in litres of oxygen, my breathing returned to normal, so that I was finally able to look Winry in the eye. The squash almost burst forth from my mouth.