Farewell
He sure heard his subordinate calling for his name in front of him. But all that he had attached in his mind was a certain golden-eyed boy.
Roy extended his hand to the boy. The boy moved his own hand towards Roy's, and slapped them aside. Roy looked up to find his smirking face. With that, he smirked back in reply.
He never thought that was the last time he met the boy. Their goodbyes.
"HEY! BOSS!!" Havoc's voice this time was so loud it snapped him completely out of his daze-state.
"What is it, Havoc?" he asked, rubbing his forehead with a sigh.
"I think something's a little off. Are you okay, boss?" he asked with a concern face.
Another sigh from the Flame Alchemist. "I'm fine. Just….fine" This answer made Havoc even more concerned.
"…. Alright then…. I guess…." He said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck and left the office. Standing at the outside of the room was Riza Hawkeye.
"Uhm….. Hi…." Again, Havoc felt awkward.
"Do you know what's wrong with him?" Riza straightly asked, glancing at their commanding officer's door.
"Nah…. I have NO ideas" he said, huffing. Shuffling his pocket, he took out his cigarette. Realizing that it was RIZA HAWKEYE who was standing with him, he paused abruptly, glancing nervously at the firm woman. Riza noticed this and moved her glance back to Roy's door.
"It's fine for now. Only now" Riza said quietly. Havoc stared at her, amazed. She must be really concern about their commanding officer inside that office.
"You know…." Riza started, making Havoc forgot about her rare attitude before. "I think I know what's bothering him" she said. Havoc's eyes widened.
"SERIOUSLY?! So, what is it that bothers him so much?" he beamed out curiously.
"….. Edward…." Riza said, voice barely audible. Havoc's posture limped slightly, eyes darted down. He smiled sadly.
"Yeah…. That must be it" he said. "I mean, come on. Even we, who were just working around Ed, terribly felt at lost when we heard the news about his lost, right?" At Havoc's matter-of-fact statement, Riza nodded. "And boss is chief's commanding officer. And by the way, every time I watched the two bickered or simply talked, I really felt like I was watching a father and his son" Havoc grinned sadly to the woman in front of him whose eyes were glistening.
"I think…. I might have something to help him out of his current condition" Riza said, looking back at Havoc who stared at her in confusion. "I'll bring Al here. You, do something to distract the colonel" Riza pointed Havoc who grinned and nodded. They both walked their different direction with smirks.
"Hey boss!" Havoc greeted as he entered Roy's office. "How about going to the rooftop?" he offered.
"Rooftop? Why the random place?" Roy asked, rising his eyebrow. Havoc grinned.
"Oh, just come" Havoc said, turning around and walked out. Roy blinked at his subordinate's back and decided to followed.
As soon as they arrived at the rooftop, both leaned at the railing, enjoying the spring's wind.
"So, uhm…. Boss….." Havoc started nervously, although this took Roy's attention. "Are you…. Thinking about chief?" At Havoc's question, something in Roy seemed to snapped.
"I don't really know, Havoc" Roy sighed, looking down.
Pregnant silence wrapped them. Until Havoc broke it. "You know, boss…." Roy turned his head to the blonde. "I once chatted with chief in this same rooftop one night" Havoc finally said. Roy's eyes traveled the blonde's face in wonders. A silence once again enveloped them.
"He…. I always thought he was such a noisy, genius little brat. And yet, when I talked to him that night, I realize I know NOTHING about him" Havoc smiled as he looked down. That night's conversation was brought back to his mind.
"Hey Havoc?" the boy's voice called for him. Havoc turned his head towards the boy.
"Hm?"
"Have you….ever talk to Colonel Bastard about…. About his….feelings towards people?"
"Huh??"
"I-I mean…. I just…. I…. just wonder…." Ed said awkwardly. Havoc noticed what the boy meant and ruffled his hair.
"So, chief…. What's YOUR feeling towards the Colonel?"
"…."
Havoc almost stopped him when he saw the blushing face of the boy and the awkward silence.
"Do you realize?" Ed suddenly spoke.
"What?"
"Mustang…. When I was officially a State Alchemist and worked under his commands, he started to called me 'Ed'"
Havoc only stared as the boy continued.
"He…. He always called me Fullmetal when I was occupying things for the State Alchemist test. And then sometimes, I caught him calling me 'Ed'" Havoc stayed silent.
Ed's arms which circled the railing tightened as he buried his face to it.
"He…. He calls me 'Ed', Havoc…. He calls me with my first name…." the boy's ragging breath caught Havoc off guard.
"And every time….Every single time I heard him calling that, I always felt…. I have a dad…. That I DO have a family"
At this, Havoc stared at the rare sight of gold hair.
"The Colonel, you, 2nd Lieutenant Breda, Lieutenant Hawkeye, Falman, Fuery, 2nd Lieutenant Ross, Winry, granny, Al…. All of you guys…. You guys are my family!"
Havoc eyes widened as he saw the boy in front of him lift up his head, showing his innocent grin with tears streaking down his cheeks.
"Chief…." He said concernly.
"Thank you, you guys…. For being there for me" Ed said gently, the sunrise's light shone down upon him. At the time, Havoc's eyes seemed to play a trick on him. Because he swear he saw lights surrounds the boy.
Roy was silent. He was speechless at Havoc's story. Could that be true? Was Ed really that happy whenever he called him 'Ed'?
Their nervous silence was firmly broke by the one and only, Riza. She was standing behind them, with a boy next to her.
"Sir…." She greeted quietly. Roy could only stared. Could that boy be….
"Colonel? Havoc?" the boy called their names. Both men's faces lit up.
"Alphonse? Alphonse!" Roy exclaimed, hugging the boy who was as surprise as hell. At the time where Roy and Al talked, Riza and Havoc decided to get out of the place and leave them to their private conversation.
"So, uh…. Do you really miss my brother?" Al asked innocently. This question made Roy's face all red.
"Wh-Who said that to you?" Roy asked, an image of him burning the person who told Al such news popped in his head.
"Lieutenant Riza"
And at this answer, the image on Roy's head quickly disappeared in seconds. He tried to hide his blushed by avoiding the boy's face. A peace silence covered them as the wind blew.
"Hey, Alphonse" Roy broke the silence for now.
"Yes?" Al turned his head towards the black hair man.
"Do you think….if we shouted Ed's nicknames that linked to short, he would come running all the way here, shouting short-rants?" Roy asked quietly, his locks covering his eyes.
Al stared at him. "Yeah…. Maybe brother will" he smiled.
"Alright, let's do this. BEAN!!" Roy yelled out to the sky. Al was shocked and felt stupid at first, but TRIED to follow suit.
"Uhm, uh, MIDGET!!"
"SHORT!!!!"
"ANT!!!"
From behind the door of the rooftop, Riza and Havoc could not handle their tears any longer.
"It's so nice to talked with you, Alphonse" Roy smiled at the boy, giving him his hand.
Al stared at the hand and shook it. "Nice to talked to you too, Colonel" Al grinned childishly.
After Al walked away, waving cheerfully, Roy walked back to his office. As soon as he arrive at the empty office, a scene passed his eyes.
"Where have you been, bastard? I've been waiting here all along just to hand you a stupid report and have to wait for you until you finished dating with random ladies?!"
His office was never this quiet before. He stood there, clenching his fists.
"BEAN!!! MIDGET!!! SHORT!!! ANT!!!"
Silence answered his yells. Another image passed his vision.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING LITTLE?! IT'S THE WORLD THAT'S TOO BIG!!!!"
It's true though. This world really IS big. Wherever a person disappear, he must be somewhere around this world. It didn't have to be Earth. It can be anywhere.
An image of Ed running while turning his head towards him with a grin and a wave appeared.
"Farewell too, bastard!!"
Roy chuckled. Farewell…. It was his own stupidity. Why did he said "farewell" of all departing words?
It was such a simple word. Yet such a big meaning.
"Farewell, Ed...."
A/N: AAARRGH!!!! I'M SO SORRY!!! REALLY! I TRULY AM! Why? The grammars :'( I really really tried my best, guys.... Oh, I'm really sorry..... Please forgive me. Please leave a review to cheer me up :') Thank you for reading and trying to handle my grammar!