Mediocre

by scribblemoose

"Mediocre?"

"Well, yes."

"I was up all night revising for that!"

Ed shrugged. He was beginning to think he might have said the wrong thing, but he wasn't about to back down now. Russell had asked his honest opinion, and that's what he'd given him.

Russell smacked his fist down on the bench in front of him. Test tubes rattled. Ed flinched. "You have to be able to take criticism," he ventured. "This isn't some school exam. If you want to be a State Alchemist, and fuck knows why you do, incidentally, you've got to be able to take it on the chin and move on."

Russell's cheeks were flushed with fury, and Ed was growing increasingly certain that this was going to end in a fight. Which he regretted, because even though it had been a long while, he'd rather hoped Russell might want to... well. No point thinking about that now.

"It doesn't matter," Ed said. "I don't know why you want to be a State Alchemist anyway." His voice dropped a little. "It's not all it's cracked up to be, you know."

"That's all very well for you to say." Russell glowered at him. Which wasn't terribly fair. He'd asked Ed to help and it wasn't Ed's fault if Russell was stupid when it came to iso-logical equations.

"You're a very good alchemist," said Ed, trying his best to be reassuring. "Why don't you just stick to what you're doing here?"

But Russell was obstinately refusing to calm down. He stepped back from the bench, fists pulled in tight to his sides, and yelled. "Don't patronise me, you bastard!"

Ed's eyes narrowed. "Watch it, Tringham. Have you forgotten who I am?"

"How could I?" And another time the words might have sounded bitter, or sarcastic, or painful, but there was something there, something in his voice that made Ed think twice before he lost his temper.

Ed didn't like to back down from an argument. And he'd never... well, he just hadn't. That last time was different, and a long time ago, and it didn't feel quite real, sometimes. But impulsive was his middle name, so Al said, and he liked to live up to Al's expectations.

Fuck, he just wanted this, too much to let it slip away in a fit of Tringham pique.

Ed vaulted over the bench and grabbed the lapel of Russell's lab-coat. He tugged Russell down, took a deep breath, and kissed him.

Russell fought him at first. For a few seconds, maybe less. Then he started kissing back, and Ed remembered, suddenly and all at once, and it was real again, and he couldn't breathe.

"Arrogant sonofa-"

Russell wasted no time in taking back the initiative, pushing Ed back hard against the bench. Ed surged up, twisting his fingers in Russell's mop of blond hair and kissed him again.

"It was for you," Russell choked out. "I wanted to be with you."

Ed froze, one hand on its way to grope Russell's arse, and stared.

"With me?"

Russell gave him one curt, annoyed nod.

And Ed had no words. His arms found their way around Russell's body, hugging him fiercely as he buried his face in Russell's neck.

"Stupid bastard," he muttered. "I thought you were brighter than that."

This time Russell didn't argue; he clung tight to Ed, as if he never wanted to let go.

~ owari ~