Eta #25: Vocal

Reunion ~ before reckoning

Whoo! This one's the Longest yet, measuring in at 1467 words. I seem to have the feel of this pairing back. This is a continuation of what was hinted at in chapter 90, so some spoilers littered throughout. In addition to the usual credit to Hiromu Arakawa, I'd also like to give a bit of credit to Jonathon Stroud and Eoin Colfer for inspiring me with two particular bits. Let me know if you think you've spotted them!

“Never though I'd see you here.” Was the off handing comment he chucked out on seeing her, before carrying on with what he had been doing before, rifling through various supply boxes loitering about. “Thought I'd lost you when I abandoned that little red shrimp and those idiotic chimeras back in the forest.”

Ran Fan just stood there, as stoic and as silent as ever. From the way Greed turned his head to look at her after a few minutes, it was clear that he wanted a response from her. But she wasn't going to humour him, not the on who had taken her prince away. He could stand there in silence for all she cared until he let the young master back out again. And from what she had seen of Greed (which admittedly, wasn't a whole lot. But it was enough) he wasn't one to do that willingly.

“My my, we don't talk much do we?” Greed said, treating it more of a statement than a question. “Makes a nice contrast to that idiot of a prince who I can't shut up about you most of the time” Ran Fan's eyes lit up at this, just in the slightest, but Greed still caught it. “Ahh, that got a response out of you didn't it?” Though the mask hid any signs Greed could find of a blush, he could tell from the way she was wringing her hands slightly that she was embarrassed. Or at least, that's what Ling was telling him from the very back of his mind.

“If you're not going to talk you could at least take that mask off so I can see that pretty face that I've heard so much about over these last months.” It was a perfectly reasonable request Greed thought, not even one that was particularly greedy (damn, he was losing his touch. Must be the effect of Ran Fan on Ling... How much more obvious could these two be?). But somehow he ended up with one of those tiny knives she had the nerve to call a weapon next to his throat. Though surely she knew it would do no good? And Greed severely doubted she could ever deal a blow to her prince's body.

Her words were just as sharp as the knife that she held. “What are you planning, Greed?” Too bad they were just as useless as the knife as well.

“She finally speaks. I was beginning to wonder if you actually had a tongue, or whether you lost that like your arm” He was having far too much fun taunting her. It was interesting seeing Ling's reactions to the various barbs as well. “And out the knife down, we both know that it's useless.”

Seeing the truth in his words, Ran Fan lowered the knife, but didn't stow it away. And although Greed was now free to move, he stayed there, looking Ran Fan dead in the eyes. “You really think that I'm gonna tell you anything?” He glanced down at her automail arm. When he looked up again, he saw the mask hanging loose round her neck.

Finally he got to see the pretty girl. And Ling was right, she was pretty. Not in the way that some of the women back at the devils nest had been (stop thinking about that, he chatisised quickly), but there was another sense of beauty. Not that Ling was exactly helping (Why did the boy feel the need to let off a full symphonic orchestra in his head every time he saw this girl. Honestly. It was clouding his judgement)

“I think you're going to tell me because right now I'm the only ally you really have” her soft voice penetrated right down to Greed's core. And those eyes.

Greed though, being Greed, tried to toss it off with the usual casualness he treated everything with. “You think I need you, you insignificant little serving girl? And what need do I have for allies? They only serve to drag me down” He wasn't even aware of the fact that he was practically yelling now.

Ran Fan stood there, seemingly unmoved by Greed's outburst, even though the voice in her head was screaming at her to get out of there. “So what about those at the Devils Nest?”

And with just those few words, Ran Fan had unknowingly let all hell lose. Who knows what she had been expecting, but it definitely wasn't this. Greed lunged for his sword in a pure passion of anger, waving it about madly, sometimes trying to strike Ran Fan, sometimes not.

There was a few minutes of this. She just let Greed continue on his mad rage, knowing that she had come so close to do the same so many times over the past few months.

All of a sudden it suddenly came to a halt. Greed stopped with his back to Ran Fan. Silently, he placed the sword down on one of the boxes which Greed had been investigating back when Ran Fan had first arrived. He turned around and Ran Fan was greeted by...

“Hey Ran Fan, did you miss me?” Ling, with his trademark grin and hand up palm. Ling, who she'd spent so many months agonising silently over, was standing there before. She could have wept, only that would be showing weak resolve, and she could never show that in front of Ling. Never.

“Young Master...?” She was almost certain it was him, but she just had to make sure. Who knew what Greed had up his sleeve?

“Yep. Greed's still in here though” He answered her unsaid question that he knew she had already guessed the answer to, but thought it better to clear it up then leave it hanging. “You know, you might not speak much, but when you do, you really make an effect.” He smiled at her, hoping desperately for a response.

“It's good to see you again” She said, after quite a gap. Ling looked up in her at surprise. Of all the possible responses he had had running through his head, this wouldn't have been the one that he would have picked.

“I missed you” He admitted. Slowly, with the utmost care, he reached out towards Ran Fan, his callused fingers finding her cheek. She flinched slightly, unused to the close contact (and with the knowledge that this could never be), but did not draw back. Taking this as a good sign, Ling pulled her into a hug, his arms wrapping around her, relieved to see that she was really okay. This was their first proper reunion. The brief one on the middle of the battlefield did not count. It was too short.

Seeing that Ling had no bad intentions, and that who cared if they broke protocol just once, especially as no one was there, and there was only one person who had a clue where they might be (and from what Ran Fan had seen of him, he didn't seem like the type to say anything. After all, he knew well of what Forbidden Love could mean), she wrapped her arms back round him. It felt good to have her prince so close, even if she knew well and good nothing could come of it. It wasn't to say they hadn't been this close before, but it had never felt quite this way.

They broke apart, neither of them speaking, just dwelling in their closeness and the feeling that they were as close as they ever could be.

Ling broke the silence “Well, we better get going. After all, I don't like the feeling of leaving this battle for Ed to decide. He'll muck it up somehow. And with Greed, we have an advantage,”

Ran Fan just smiled at him, letting him know of her approval. Quickly, she pulled her mask back on, signifying that it was time for battle once again.

“You know, Greed was right. You're really not a very vocal person are you?” Ling asked, beginning to rake through the piles that Greed had made. No, not that one you fool, Greed cursed, but Ling wasn't listening one bit. “Not that that's a problem, but it's nice to hear you speak.”

“If it pleases you, Young Master” Ran Fan replied, all their closeness of those moments ago forgotten. Now, they were just Master and Servant. No more slip ups.

Ling chose to ignore the slight ice in words, continuing on regardless. “Hold this for a sec, will you?” He asked, and Ran Fan took the object from him.

Greed still hadn't answered her question from earlier, but at that moment she didn't care. She just wanted to spend all the time she possibly could with her prince before the Final Battle and The Promised Day.