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3. Why he's here

I inhaled long and deep. I realised I made too much of a mess trying to talk to Al back in the cafeteria, I was totally unprepared. In fact, I was the one who as usual let emotions rule me.

Especially after just leaving King brat. Fighting off his accusations drug me into a high state; combined with the normal ouch I get from even looking at the brothers Elric, I was left at a pretty big disadvantage. I'll not approach them before I'm calm anymore.

This is what I've told myself time and time again, always be prepared, always have a plan set up to follow. Everything goes to shit otherwise.

But whatever, I decided I'd take a day and chill at my usual, the swanky coffeeshop down at Seventh and Azalea. Why be worried? It's not like Colonel Mustang didn't have the better version of me to order around as he liked. So that leaves me free to go about my business; they all know I'm here for the money anyhow.

I'm walking down the hall, minding my own business, when some ass bumps into me, hitting my shoulder. Thank not-god I don't have an automail right arm. It would've hurt a hell of a lot worse. As it was just a minor sting.

I growled. "Hey watch where you're going asshole."

I looked to see who bumped me, if they hadn't stormed off already. What luck: as I go to ditch work, I get knocked in the shoulder my none other than my bizzity-boss Mustang.

"Oh, my bad, Ashtray. I didn't see you there." I said. Any word to do with fire, he got called. Fire crotch, ashtray, flame boy, fireman, etc. Sometimes I gave him a respite and switched to horses (cause, yenno, Mustang).

He frowned. "And where are you headed?"

Home, boy. "Latrine."

"You do realize," Horsepower turned completely towards me, "that, in between bathroom breaks and phoning your apartment, I've been searching for you all day?"

I mock gasped and placed my hand to my heart. "Why darling, I didn't know you cared." I decided against batting my eyelashes prettily and smirked instead.

The frown he wore deepened, then lightened suddenly. "I don't. But then, I suppose you wouldn't want to keep getting grants from the state, would you?"

That is absolutely the most empty, unnecessary, and quite useless threat you could possibly attempt to use.

But those words stayed out of my mouth. Rather, I countered. "You do realise, that, apart from maybe fighting skills and sheer force of will, you have the better version of me wandering somewhere about the building, with an equally noble brother?" Putting my hand on my hip, raising my eyebrows, pursing my lips.

I put a finger up (no not the middle one, haha!) to silence the retort I sensed coming, saying, "Not to mention, he's got more for you to hold over his head and blackmail him with... So I hear."

At the last three words, I gave a sidelong glance to Riza, standing beside Mustang the whole time. She raised her brows like she had no idea what I meant. Which is valid, I was just giving false impressions, lol. Now Fire crotch needs to look over at Riza and wonder exactly what the hell she's been telling me (although, the more correct way to phrase that would be "how much information I have dragged out of her") when he wasn't there to supervise. Except we've only ever seen each other alone once and we barely talked.

So again, I'm directly disobeying the Fuhrers orders and causing conflict and trying to tear people apart.

I grit my teeth. Its not like I particularly enjoy this, I don't.