People Will Say We're in Love

A/N: Being in the musical this year has poisoned me, but in a good way. This was inspired by said musical, but it's not a songfic. I shan't tell you what it's from, though; I wanna see if y'all can guess. XD

A big thank you to Lina, who was my beta this time. :whee:heart:

(And if any of you are interested, I have a link to where you can see this in Russian (it was translated for me by someone on LJ) h t t p // www . diary . ru / FMA-yaoi ?comments & posted 24973567 .)

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Neither of them really knew how their little tradition started, or why; Ed had arrived on a morning train one day and stopped in to say that, "yes, you bastard, my report is done, thank you very much." He was already there, so he figured he'd stay and deliver his report while Alphonse waited for him at the hotel. Roy was only barely listening, having found the pencil on his desk more interesting, but he heard Ed's stomach grumble loudly and he suddenly found himself blurting out, "Ed, would like to have lunch with me somewhere?"

Ed, surprised that he had been interrupted, blinked, then smiled a little and said, "Okay. As long as you don't try to poison me."

Roy smirked as he stood and walked to the coat rack to grab his trench coat. "Can't make any promises, Fullmetal."

It had been oddly enjoyable. The talk had been loose and fun instead of tense; the bickering had been teasing instead of scathing. Both of them had simply reasoned that it was being in the office that made them both so uptight when it came to the other. Roy was pleasantly surprised to learn that Ed was perfectly capable of a civilized conversation with him, as was Ed to learn that maybe Roy wasn't such a bastard after all.

Not long after, Ed started waiting for Roy outside his office around noon. He'd sit on the corner of Havoc's desk (which wasn't being used anyway) and twiddle his thumbs until Roy strode out of his office, motioning for him, at which point he'd trail along beside the older man. Roy fell into the habit of holding the door open for Ed, even though he'd complain about not being a girl, because Ed was oh so nice to him now and who was he not to reciprocate?

It was Ed who heard about the gossip first.

He had been out buying bread to go with the pasta Al promised he'd make when a couple of women passed by.

"Oh, my, there's the Fullmetal Alchemist," one remarked. "It's not often that you see State Alchemists out and about, is it?"

"Actually," her friend said, "I heard that he and that Colonel Mustang have been spending an awful lot of time together lately."

Ed's ears perked.

"You don't say!" the first one gasped.

The other woman nodded. "Going out to lunch and such. They say that the colonel has even been holding the door for Fullmetal!" They both giggled conspiratorially.

This gave Ed pause.

They'd been spending more time together, sure, but it wasn't anything like that. He made it perfectly clear from the get-go that he wasn't a girl. Hell, he even paid for his (three-fourths of the total) bill. And sure, Roy had taken to putting his hand in the small of Ed's back more frequently… and he did tend to place a hand on the colonel's arm every once in a while… but that didn't mean anything. They were just friends, nothing more. There was no way. It was incomprehensible. Impossible.

Right?

"We have a problem," Ed said as he barged into Roy's office, making sure to shut the door behind him. There was no way in hell he'd let Havoc overhear this.

"Oh?" Roy's brows drew together in confusion. He set down his pen. "What about?"

The younger of them gestured between them. "Us. I've heard people talking."

The colonel sighed. "You think people talk about us?"

"I know they do," Ed told him, crossing from the doorway to the couch and settling on the arm closest to the desk. "They're always gossiping about something, and I guess their new favorite topic is us."

Roy couldn't help but smirk. "What, about how you've got some little schoolgirl crush on me?"

Edward barked out a laugh. "You wish. They're saying that you're stuck on me."

At Ed's laugh, the corners of Roy's mouth turned down a bit. He folded his arms across his chest, muttering, "Can't imagine how these ugly rumors start."

"Me neither." Ed shrugged, then grinned a little. "I think I have a way to prove them wrong, though."

"Oh, do you?" Roy smirked, raising an eyebrow.

The blonde nodded. "One," he held up a finger, "don't hold the door open for me. Two," another finger, "don't put your hand on my back." His cheeks attained a light pink stain as he flushed, and Roy's smirk deepened. "Three," the boy pressed on, lifting another finger, "don't laugh at my jokes too much."

"Who laughs at your jokes?" the older man snorted, and Ed glared at him pointedly. He looked away.

"Don't you dare smile at me like you would at your girlfriends," Ed continued, pointing at him. "People will say we're— we're—"

"People will say we're in love?" Roy finished for him.

"Yes!" Ed blushed a deep red.

The older man made an affirmative noise in the back of his throat before standing and moving to stand in front of Ed. "They might. But remember, Edward, that there are two of us being talked about."

"And your point?" Ed asked, glaring up at the man with his blush fading a little but still visible.

"Just keep some of that advice for yourself. Don't wait so eagerly for me," Roy began, leaning against the arm of the couch next to Ed. "Don't walk so close to me." He scooted a little closer to the blonde. "Don't stand in the rain with me."

"There wasn't anyplace dry to stand," Ed mumbled, looking away.

"Don't put your hand on my arm." Roy glanced over at Ed and knew by the way his shoulders had tensed that he was blushing again. He grinned, feeling pleased with himself. "Don't look so pleased when I hold the door for you, and don't flirt with me in public."

"I do not flirt with you!" Ed protested hotly, turning to face him. "You're the one that flirts."

"Don't look at me like you want me to kiss you," Roy continued softly, reaching out a hand and brushing the back of his knuckles down Ed's bangs.

"Speak for yourself, bastard," Ed muttered, leaning up and firmly pressing his lips to Roy's.

The colonel was grinning as he pulled away. "And certainly don't do that. People will say we're in love, you know." He winked at Ed, who rolled his eyes and stood, walking towards the door.

"I don't suppose this means I could get you to pay for my portion of the bill this time?" Ed asked, only half-joking.

Roy only rolled his eyes and held the office door open for him.