WALTZ
a FMA fic by MEG
who does NOT own FMA.
FYI. o.o
--
"Explain to me again why this is happening to me?"
"Because," said Roy, patiently, "You're a National Alchemist, and now you're old enough to go to the party. Where you will be required to do this."
"I still don't see why," muttered Ed, glaring doubtfully at the victrola Roy was tenderly winding up. "I can just stand at the edge of things, can't I?"
"No," said Roy, calmly. "You have to dance." He lowered the needle and a song began scratching out. Piano and violins, with a strong beat.
"...why?"
"Because if I have to, so do you, Fullmetal. Get over here."
Ed dragged himself reluctantly to Roy's side. "I'll probably step on someone's FOOT. With my left foot."
"No, you won't," said Roy. "Because I'll laugh at you for the rest of my life if you do."
Ed stiffened. Roy held out his hand. Ed glared at it, and slowly put his own hand in it.
"Now," said Roy, pleasantly, "This should be fairly easy for you. ONE two three ONE two three. Ow."
"THAT'S WHY I SAID I DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT," bellowed Fullmetal, glaring at Roy, who was not quite rolled in an agonized ball on the floor, clutching his foot. "How the hell am I supposed to dance with my foot?"
Roy closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and essayed a step on his crushed foot. It held. "The same way you walk on it. Get back here."
"No."
"Would you rather have Lt Hawkeye do this? Or I'm sure Major Armstrong would be happy to help you learn."
Fullmetal froze, and then reluctantly came back to Roy's side. "And why are YOU leading?"
"Because you're learning," said Roy. "IF you manage to get all the way through a dance without breaking my foot, we'll see about you leading. And you'll probably end up following, anyway."
"Excuse me?"
"Your height, Fullmetal," said Roy, helpfully.
Ed twitched. "....," he said.
"You can kill me after you learn to waltz. Ready? ONE two three. ONE two three. Good. ONE two three." The record hesitated briefly between songs, and the needle settled onto the next song. Piano, softer and smoother. "ONE two three ONE two three ONE two th--"
"You're distracting me," said Fullmetal.
"Stop staring at your feet."
"Huh," said Ed, but lifted his eyes to Roy's shoulder. His grip relaxed a little, and he leaned into the dance.
"Good," said Roy, and swung him around. Fullmetal was surprisingly light.
"What the HELL?"
Roy, in answer, spun the other way. He looked down at Ed and raised an eyebrow.
"Fucker," said Ed, more or less amiably, and when Roy swung again, he was ready for it, landing lightly into the next step. Roy grinned at him and picked up the tempo, so by the end of the song they were flying across the room.
"There," said Roy, releasing him.
"This time I want to lead," said Ed, looking insufferably pleased at mastering a skill.
"It's harder," said Roy.
Fullmetal looked at him for a long, thoughtful moment, while the needle skipped to another song. "Yeah," he said. "But I think I can manage it."
"Do you?" said Roy, and allowed Ed to begin the dance.
a FMA fic by MEG
who does NOT own FMA.
FYI. o.o
--
"Explain to me again why this is happening to me?"
"Because," said Roy, patiently, "You're a National Alchemist, and now you're old enough to go to the party. Where you will be required to do this."
"I still don't see why," muttered Ed, glaring doubtfully at the victrola Roy was tenderly winding up. "I can just stand at the edge of things, can't I?"
"No," said Roy, calmly. "You have to dance." He lowered the needle and a song began scratching out. Piano and violins, with a strong beat.
"...why?"
"Because if I have to, so do you, Fullmetal. Get over here."
Ed dragged himself reluctantly to Roy's side. "I'll probably step on someone's FOOT. With my left foot."
"No, you won't," said Roy. "Because I'll laugh at you for the rest of my life if you do."
Ed stiffened. Roy held out his hand. Ed glared at it, and slowly put his own hand in it.
"Now," said Roy, pleasantly, "This should be fairly easy for you. ONE two three ONE two three. Ow."
"THAT'S WHY I SAID I DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT," bellowed Fullmetal, glaring at Roy, who was not quite rolled in an agonized ball on the floor, clutching his foot. "How the hell am I supposed to dance with my foot?"
Roy closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and essayed a step on his crushed foot. It held. "The same way you walk on it. Get back here."
"No."
"Would you rather have Lt Hawkeye do this? Or I'm sure Major Armstrong would be happy to help you learn."
Fullmetal froze, and then reluctantly came back to Roy's side. "And why are YOU leading?"
"Because you're learning," said Roy. "IF you manage to get all the way through a dance without breaking my foot, we'll see about you leading. And you'll probably end up following, anyway."
"Excuse me?"
"Your height, Fullmetal," said Roy, helpfully.
Ed twitched. "....," he said.
"You can kill me after you learn to waltz. Ready? ONE two three. ONE two three. Good. ONE two three." The record hesitated briefly between songs, and the needle settled onto the next song. Piano, softer and smoother. "ONE two three ONE two three ONE two th--"
"You're distracting me," said Fullmetal.
"Stop staring at your feet."
"Huh," said Ed, but lifted his eyes to Roy's shoulder. His grip relaxed a little, and he leaned into the dance.
"Good," said Roy, and swung him around. Fullmetal was surprisingly light.
"What the HELL?"
Roy, in answer, spun the other way. He looked down at Ed and raised an eyebrow.
"Fucker," said Ed, more or less amiably, and when Roy swung again, he was ready for it, landing lightly into the next step. Roy grinned at him and picked up the tempo, so by the end of the song they were flying across the room.
"There," said Roy, releasing him.
"This time I want to lead," said Ed, looking insufferably pleased at mastering a skill.
"It's harder," said Roy.
Fullmetal looked at him for a long, thoughtful moment, while the needle skipped to another song. "Yeah," he said. "But I think I can manage it."
"Do you?" said Roy, and allowed Ed to begin the dance.