Descent

Chapter Twelve

"You okay, Edward?" Jean asked skeptically. "You've been jumpy like this for weeks." Since you moved in with Mustang, he left unsaid.

"Fine." Edward said coldly, shoving his earmuffs back on his head and turning back to the target, taking aim, and firing another three bullets (eye, eye, mouth). Jean decided that he'd had enough of Edward dodging the question, despite his earlier thoughts on the matter. It was probably just his temper flaring, but he did it anyway. He yanked Ed's muffs right off his head and grabbed the gun, easing it out of Ed's hand before he could react. He put them on the bench beside him, along with his own rifle, knowing he should put the safety on Ed's gun back on first but not bothering. Ed growled at him like a feral dog and demanded Havoc give them back, but he ignored him, grabbing the kid by the shoulders and gently shaking him. Edward winced at the contact but didn't try to get out of his grip. It was almost...submissive, and that bothered Jean like crazy. The Ed he'd known back when he was a State Alchemist would have gone all kung-fu-karate on him and done some sort of fancy flip to get him off, but this new, timid Ed didn't even try. He just squeezed his eyes shut and stood still.

"You listen to me, Ed!" Jean growled. "And look at me!" Edward slowly opened his eyes, and it pained Jean to see the fear in them, but he needed to do this. Someone had to know what was wrong with Ed, and it might as well be him. "Something's obviously wrong with you! You're not acting like yourself! You won't talk to anyone, you won't look at anyone! You get jumpy whenever you're near anyone or when someone so much as pats you on the shoulder, and you're always limping!" The look of shock on Edward's face told him that Ed had thought he'd managed to successfully hide the limping. "Don't act so surprised Ed, it's really obvious you're hurt somewhere! And care to explain that damn huge bruise I saw three days ago! There's no way in Hell I'm gonna believe that that was from falling down the Goddamn stairs!"

"I told you how it happened." Edward whispered, his voice shaking. "It's not my fault if you don't believe me."

"And the limp?" Jean asked.

"You saw the bruise!" Edward hissed. "What, you think that it's painless to walk with?"

As much as Jean didn't believe him, he had a good point there. But. "You said you got that bruise that morning. You've been limping pretty much since you started working back at the military." Since you moved in with Mustang. And what about all the flinching when you get near people, or when people talk to you, or when someone touches you?"

"I don't like other people touching me." Edward said, in an obvious attempt to sound casual, but failing considerably in the act.

"You also don't appear to like being near other people, or talking to them. You're not acting like yourself. I know it's different in the military but it's not a complete character changer. You've been like this ever since you moved in with..." And realization dawned on him. "...Mustang. Dammit, if you won't talk I'll just ask him the Hell myself!" He let Edward go, picked up his rifle and stormed off.

"No!" Edward cried, obvious desperation in his voice.

"Ed?" He said, looking over his shoulder. Edward was shaking furiously now, his eyes were wide and Jean thought he saw tears gathered there.

"Please, please don't talk to Mustang. Please don't say anything to him." The boy pleaded.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Edward shook his head after a moment, his face falling. "Then I have to." Jean finished, leaving the room and returning the equipment, not having fired one single bullet. He stormed to Mustang's office, rage burning inside him, like a fire that someone poured a carload of gasoline on. In no time at all he was there, and he requested to speak privately with Mustang, and Roy agreed, to the rest of his staff left and it was just the two of them.