Fools Rush In

By: blueeyedchibi

This is my disclaimer. Isn't it pretty?

I love writing Greed. Oh, speaking of which, just a little warning for this chapter, too. Nothing major, though.

Dancing in Acid Rain

Chapter nine

---

Turns out I didn't win that talent show, but neither did Al, so I figure that's okay. Sounds like I lost to a mime who groomed one of Santa's reindeer or something.

What's not okay is that I told Dante that I would make a move against Elric before Christmas.

It is now Christmas Eve.

I'm starting to wonder why the plan was for me to get close to Edo first before I made any move. Why couldn't I just exterminate the brat as soon as I found him in this stupid world? I'm confused as hell, and I think I feel a headache coming on.

Was the only reason because Dante wanted it to be more painful for the kid? It sounds like the kind of thing that sadistic bitch would want. She yearned to see Ed writhe in agony as he was betrayed by his lover.

Speaking of the blonde, he's run out to do some last minute Christmas shopping, while Al met up with Winry to do god knows what, conveniently leaving me with the little house in my possession with no one around to bother me.

However, I don't think I'll use it. I always tend to think better outside. It's kind of my natural habitat, anyways, if you will. When I was young, Dante never let me inside at night, and I was left to mourn outside the front door at my new transformation.

It brought me power, and at first, I hated it. My Father left me and I just wanted my Mother to accept me. I think I still hate it a little, deep down.

-

Its cold out and I can see my own breath, but the snow is gone and for that I am thankful. Too bad the weather forecast is calling for a big dump of the stuff tonight.

Ed had been so happy when he heard. He exclaimed something about a 'white Christmas,' and that's when I realized I couldn't do it.

I didn't want to kill him.

-

Seems like Envy wasn't the only one keeping a secret; and Edward's was almost twice as deadly with a poisonous bite.

Life in London was, at the moment, a huge lie.

"Greed!" The blonde screamed hoarsely, again and again, letting all his anger seep into his voice. He shuddered slightly as a cold drop of sewer water hit his nose. Snarling inwardly, he raised his glare to the mucky ceiling that continued to rain dirty and unsanitary filth on his head.

"I'm gonna fuckin' kill you, you son of a bitch…" He muttered after receiving no answer to his previous calls. "Greed!"

-

The Sin pressed himself further to the back of the tunnel and stopped his breathing all together, attempting to make himself disappear. His actions were not out of fear, however.

'What the…' Greed found himself thinking in outraged surprise. 'How the hell does he know I'm here…?'

'How does he know about me?'

Envy.

The fucking stink. He spoke – how else would Elric know? For fuck's sake, he was going to be sorry when Dante found out. Just what did he blab, anyways? For a moment, Greed unconsciously mashed his teeth together in anger.

That was fine. He would take care of the little slut later. But for now, he found it necessary to clear up a few misleading accusations…

Greed glided from the shadows smoothly, causing Ed to start and reel in the Homunculus' direction. "Can I help you with something?"

But the blonde gathered his bearings quickly and instantly moved to a defensive stance as if it were only instinct. Something about the posture reminded Greed of the Elric back in Resembool. The similarity was shocking.

"Yeah, you sure can," he gritted out. "You can help lessen my load by letting me wring your fucking neck."

Greed tsked, not at all put off. He simply raised his hands in surrender. "Take it easy, Tiger. Do I even know you?"

Ah, it was a good question, indeed. Little Edo should have never known who Greed was in this world. They had never met, and Greed was careful to either hide out in the hell hole of a water pipe or simply stay clear of the shrimp.

Ed slammed his foot down in a puddle in his anger, rewarding himself with a splash that soaked his pant leg. "You know me better than you-"

But Greed cut across his warning, without realizing that what the teen before him was saying was possibly the most important clue to everything Dante had planned. Perhaps Greed was simply not observant enough, and in the end, it would be his downfall.

"Wait, is this about some time I screwed you over in school? 'Cause look, man, just forget about it. I did." He shrugged.

"Don't bullshit me," Ed warned, nearly shaking with rage. "I know you don't go to school." He sharply cut himself off, resisting the urge to tell the obnoxious demon everything he knew. He had to play innocent, and at the same time, get answers. If anything was too suspicious, it would surely not bode well for Envy.

So he allowed him to speak. "I don't really know what you're talking about…" Greed trailed off, cocking a brow.

"Well let me help you. My friend Envy? I think you know him."

Greed pretended to think for a moment. But instead of coming up with a way to save his ass and get away, his mind reeled, coming up with all sorts of possibilities and punishments for his most favorite kin.

Lying and excuses had always kind of been his specialty, anyways. He wasn't having a lot of trouble coming up with explanations on the spot.

"Nope, never heard of him."

Edward surprised him by taking a menacing step forward. "What did you do to him?" His voice was a low growl.

"Okay." Greed sighed in exasperation. Although he wasn't about to give away his position just incase this was just some fluke false alarm, he decided it would be most enjoyable to toy with his head just a little while. "Don't be mad that he cheated on you. It was just… a spur of the moment type of thing," he explained easily. "But, it does make me wonder – weren't you satisfying him?"

Edward bit his tongue. What? That was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. Greed and Envy? Impossible. But then again, if it was so unbelievable, then why did he find himself playing along?

"You don't know anything! Envy isn't like that- he doesn't want that type of thing."

"I don't know anything…" The other Sin echoed to himself in amusement. "Well, how about I tell you a little secret, Elric?"

-

"Whoever said Sins were ugly was deluded."

"Well that depends on which one your lookin' at, doesn't it?"

"Be nice, Envy," Greed reprimanded him.

Envy slid off his master bed, planting his hands on his hips and leaning his weight on just one leg. "I haven't lured you here to exchange niceties," he informed seriously, while Greed chuckled at the use of the word 'lure.'

Envy went to brush his hair out of his eyes when Greed snagged his wrist. "Right." He snickered. "You brought me here 'cause you wanted me to bang your cute little body up and down the wall, didn't you?"

With a disgusted scoff, Envy ripped his hand away. "Maybe." He raised one shoulder and let it drop without much enthusiasm.

The other Homunculus took no offense, crossing his arms over his chest and raising an expectant brow. "This is where you tell me what you want, isn't it? And then you'll tell me that you're the reward, correct?"

"And if it is?"

Greed let out a bark of appreciative laughter. "Then let's hear it."

"I'm looking for Hohenheim of Light."

"What? Your dad?" Greed sauntered forward casually, passing Envy to sit down uninvited onto the king sized bed.

"Shut up." The reply was a loathing hiss. "That scum is not my Father."

"Okay." Greed shrugged. "So what do you want me to do about it?"

"Dante knows where he is."

"So then why don't you just ask her?" He suggested, as if it was only elementary knowledge.

Envy snarled his frustration. "She won't tell me, you piece of shit!"

Greed hid his laughter, finding it hard not to see the situation amusing. "Okay," he repeated, his voice a bit strained.

"Okay," Envy mocked him in annoyance while rolling his eyes skyward. "Since I know you don't have any problem going behind Dante's back, then I guess it'll be you who finds out the information for me, won't it?"

"Payment?"

Envy cocked his head to the side. "You can have whatever you want as soon as I receive the whereabouts."

"Oh?" This time, Greed was unable to hide his mirth. He chuckled loudly, despite Envy's murderous glare and warnings to be quiet. "You see, I have a problem with this."

"Do you, now?"

"Yeah. You see, as soon as I give you what you want, you'll back out like the pussy you are. You've done it before, and now I simply cannot trust you." His tone was playful.

"I'll stick to my word," Envy insisted angrily.

"Payment first, bitch."

"No deal."

"Alrighty, then." Greed clapped his palms to his knees and pushed himself up and moved to stand infront of the closed door in a most arrogant swagger. With a hand on the door knob, he sing-songed; "I guess my services are no longer needed here."

And at that, he put his back to Envy and was just about to depart when a rather strangled and weak voice called out to him.

"Greed, wait."

Inwardly, he smirked. This was much too easy. Pushing away his excitement and sobering up, Greed looked over his shoulder to regard Envy. "I'm listening."

Envy collapsed tiredly onto his bed and looked up at the ceiling of his dark bedroom. "I need your help," he admitted after a moment of silence between the two.

Greed sighed and went to sit down beside Envy, delighted that the other did not move away. "Why do you care so much?" He asked. "He probably doesn't even remember you."

"He'll remember me," Envy said confidently, his eyes closed.

It nearly occurred to Greed that it would be wrong to do anything to Envy while he was in such a trusting mood, and the thought of breaking him just a little more almost stopped him.

Almost.

They didn't call him Greed for nothing, after all.

"Greed?" Big, seemingly innocent eyes fluttered open, leaving him exposed to surprised pools of heliotrope. Greed was puzzled to find a hint of betrayal in them, and wondered why. "What are you doing?" His androgynous voice was shaky.

"I'll help you," he muttered before pressing his lips to Envy's shoulder, trailing them to the crook of his neck.

"Heh, I don't think so…" Envy said without any real conviction, propping himself up on his elbow. "Up, you- nnnnngg…"

A whimper escaped his throat as he curled in on himself. Greed supported him with a smile, one hand holding him steady while the other touched him between his legs.

Envy coughed, snapping his head up. "Fuck off," he managed to grind out of clenched jaws.

"I can help you do that, too," he promised. He forcefully laid Envy on his back and got a hard fist to the head. For a minute, he did not move, allowing the throbbing to come and go quickly, soothing him somehow. Then he looked up with a shit-eating grin.

"This is payment."

Then he rolled on top of the struggling Sin, all the while ducking flailing limbs and swiftly pinning thin wrists above his victim's head.

"You aren't gettin' it," Envy seethed.

"But I thought you wanted your daddy, Envy?" He cooed.

"Only so I can cut his throat!"

"Okay, so you can do that after you pay me."

"Looks like I'm doing it without you, then."

"Not likely," Greed was practically purring as he bit down on the hem of Envy's tank and began to pull it off with his teeth. Envy fought, knowing it was useless. Greed was stronger than him, and he was already in a bad position.

As the clothing came off over his head, Envy spat in Greed's face, watching in satisfaction as it ran down his cheek.

Greed's features turned ugly as he unexpectedly forced his knee between Envy's legs, causing him to throw his head back in pain, his eyes cinched shut.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Greed confessed, looking down at Envy in concern. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Hurts… you idiot…"

"Right, I keep forgetting you're new at this." He mused, grinding his knee more forcefully, making the contact harder. "This will be your first time, right?"

His actions were not pleasurable, nor were they meant to be. He deliberately did everything to cause the one below him agony.

"This isn't going to count," Envy assured him, squinting. "Since n-nothing is gonna happen."

Greed replayed his new favorite word gladly, allowing it to drip with sarcasm. "Okay." He then let his body down to rest its weight on Envy, dropping his knee. Envy shifted under the tremendous pressure threatening to break his ribs, attempting to adjust to the body on top of him. He gasped as his nipple was taken into a warm mouth.

His wrists were released as Greed brought a hand down to toy with his other nipple, flicking it and swirling his tongue around it until they were both hard. Envy used his now-free hands to push Greed's head away roughly.

"Off," he ordered stonily.

Greed shrugged. "Sure." He complied willingly, getting to his feet, but as Envy went to grab for his shirt, Greed grabbed him once again by his wrist and, with inhuman strength, flung the older Sin to the other side of the room.

Envy went soaring, his back colliding with the wall and his head making a sickening crack as it connected with the hard surface. Without life, he slid to the floor.

Greed waited patiently until Envy's healing powers kicked in, mending the split on the back of his head and stopping the blood flow that dripped down his neck.

"See? I knew you would go back on your word," Greed said when Envy stirred.

"Fuuuck."

"Oh, dear, that's right. You were the one who didn't like pain, weren't you?"

Without waiting for an answer, Greed stalked over to his prey and stood over him for a moment, contemplating, before crouching and taking Envy's chin in his hand and roughly jerking it up so that he could force eye contact.

"I can take whatever you throw at me," he challenged, and spat.

"Oh, I know you can. I just pray for your sanity."

"Try me."

"Will do."

-

Edward shut the door soundly behind himself and kicked off his shoes before shuffling through the kitchen and down the hall. It looked as if Envy had taken off and Al had not yet returned, so the blonde made his way to his bedroom, deciding to try and catch up on some of the sleep that he had been so frequently missing, as there were many things occupying his mind that seemed only so much more important.

And now another thing had been added to his growing list of worries, and that was the fact that he had gathered the nerve to go see Greed himself in hopes of defending Envy, but the Sin still seemed to have the upper hand. Instead of bringing Envy justice, Ed felt like he had only further humiliated him, and possibly put him in even more danger that he was already in.

Greed would think that Envy told him what happened. It made perfect sense, too, he realized with a sickening shock, because there was simply no other possible way that he could have found out.

That is, unless the Alchemist knew what was going on all along; and instead of being played, he was the one doing the playing. Unless Ed had followed Envy from school that day and listened in on the conversation with the Ultimate Shield. Unless Ed had waited until Envy left so he could then see for himself where Greed was hiding out in this world that was not his.

Ed sighed as he pushed open his bedroom door and entered with no sound, almost as if he knew to be quiet when it was really only habit. The precautions were worth it in the end as he caught sight of his Homunculus guest, and he found himself smiling tiredly despite himself.

It was really a good thing, he supposed, that Envy was finally sleeping. Now Ed could see why the green haired twit faked it so often. He had kicked the blankets off in his slumber, revealing his androgynous, almost anorexic body covered in a thin sheen of cold sweat, making his ivory skin glitter.

Ed frowned, venturing a few steps closer to the bed. The way the Sin convulsed and curled in on himself wasn't right. His hand quivered slightly, as if he was trying to pull away from his imaginary attacker. Somewhere along the lines of his nightmare, the name 'Greed' spilled weakly from his lips before he rolled over onto his back, cringing.

Ed mashed his teeth hard. And it wasn't the fact that it was that bastard's name that was mentioned and not his own – Kami, no, that wasn't it.

He gingerly sat down on the bed, all the while trying to calm himself. He would be no help to anyone if he let his anger blind him. Without hesitating, he gently laid his hand on Envy's warm forehead and kept it there for a moment, before sweeping his fingers along a graceful jaw line and then brushing back brackish stands of matted hair as the Sin shuddered and whined a little in his sleep.

What was this feeling? He had felt it when he looked after Al when he was younger after their mother died. The will to protect burned deep within him, and he felt more determined than he ever had in his life.

There was something else, too, but the blonde shied from it as soon as he sensed it. That wasn't something he was ready for.

Ed chewed on his bottom lip before whispering; "Envy." His voice cracked.

Violet eyes snapped open in a terrified surprise, long lashes wet with tears.

-

Dante was expecting me. She was seated at the head of the creaky old wood table with her fingers interlocked and an unimpressed, dead-pan expression on her fair face.

"Dante," I say, slamming the door shut behind me. "Find someone else."

She doesn't answer me. She doesn't even move. She just regards me seriously, her stare boring holes into my head.

"You do whatever you need to do…" I carry on, my confidence slipping. "But I won't be the one to kill him." I stop to chew my lip. "He trusts me."

"Yes," Dante says in a flat tone, speaking for the first time. "I do believe that earning his was a part of the plan. Now why can you not finish it?"

"I…" I don't know.

Dante flicks her short hair over her shoulder, making it obvious that she does not enjoy having her time wasted. "Then why, pray tell, are you here?"

She was waiting for me to tell her 'no,' I know it. Somewhere over her shoulder something gleams in the darkness of the shadows that catches my eye and I become momentarily distracted as I get the feeling that I am being watched.

Angry red orbs glare, displaying great hatred. In a flash, they're gone, just as fast as they had appeared. I'm snapped from my reverie as Dante pushes her chair back and stands up, sighing in exasperation.

"Envy," she addresses me sternly. "If you find yourself incapable of following your orders then I'm afraid that I'm going to have to punish you."

I can't reply. Fear rockets through me like lightening, and I keep asking myself 'what the hell am I doing?'

Dante closes her eyes after a few moments. "Envy," she breathes impatiently. Then she reaches down the neck of her dress and pulls a small photo out and holds it up so that I can see it. It's tiny and in black and white, but I recognize it instantly.

"How'd you get that?" I demand suddenly, finding my voice.

She laughs politely. "You forget your place, dear one," she tells me, her voice coated in fake affection. "I didn't know you still had this after all these years."

I lunge at her, pissed by her condescending words. I try to snatch the little picture from her fingers, but she evades me easily, ducking from my reach tactfully. I growl.

"That was a gift. You gave it to me, so its mine!"

She looks unimpressed. "You mean you stole it."

"Fuck!" I scream in agitation.

"Don't be selfish, Envy," she scolds. "And what have I told you about that language? Let's just take a look…"

"Give it back!"

"Now…" She murmured in an almost hypnotized tone as she stared at the photograph, almost as if she was remembering far away memories. "I thought you hated your father. Why would you carry around a reminder of him?"

"Fuck you!" I cry, and she smiles faintly, feeding off my energy. "He's not my father!"

Dante blinks at my innocently. "Just as I am not your mother?"

I feel so much rage at that moment that I want to throw up. My body quakes and my fingers curl into fists. I'm hot with emotion I wheel around and smash my fist into the wall covered in spider webs.

"Go back," she tells me softly, and I stare blearily at the picture in her grasp. A very young Hohenheim and herself are posing stony-faced, a small child with wavy hair much like his father's cradled to Dante's chest. Big, innocent eyes stare back at me and I bite my tongue to stop from crying out as painful childhood memories revisit me.

Greed could do nothing to make me feel as defeated as Dante does as she lights the little memoir on fire. The hungry orange flames feed on my only possession and in no time at all, it's gone.

"Go back and do what's right."

She sounds almost as solemn as I feel.

And I listen to her. After all, she's my mom.

-