【Steel Refining Flame Steel】How to make the person I like also like me

When Edward woke up, the daylight had already filled the room, so much so that when he opened his eyes, he was almost hurt by the soft thorns of the light, and the birdsong outside the window was loud and clear in his ears.Spring is long overdue, and migratory birds are flying back.

The original intention of the boy before was not to go back to sleep, at most he wanted to take advantage of the sleepiness to enjoy the long-lost, leisurely and peaceful morning, and rest for a while with the heart finally relaxed——I didn’t expect to fall asleep at all to noon.Ed thought he was waking up from hunger.Thinking of this, he realized that he had stayed in bed for another half an hour, and it was finally time to get up, and he pushed his fingers aside.

His fingers were empty and cold.

The icy touch instantly penetrated the whole body along with the fingertips.

The mind suddenly cleared up.Ed sat up straight and looked in horror at the empty bed beside him. His whole body was stiff and his hands and feet were cold.

Is it a dream?He tried his best to mobilize his dull brain, trying to recall the picture he saw two hours ago.It obviously has clear lines, but it looks too beautiful under Zhaohui's highly soft light filter?Is it a dream?Really a dream?

At this moment, he vaguely heard the sound of ding ding dong dong.

Hallucinations?Could this be the result of sleeping too hard and not distinguishing between dreams and reality?The boy blinked, rubbed the hair on the back of his head, pushed open the door suspiciously and walked out slowly.The farther you go, the clearer the sound becomes: it's a piano piece.

With a sound of "pop", Ed felt that something was opened in the bottom of his stomach - he could almost hear the sound of the plug being pulled out.The sun is shining brightly, and the clear and soft morning light falls on the wooden steps through the mottled tree shadows.The performer's technique is not very proficient, as if trying to play this piece for the first time.And the young man in thick woolen socks walked softly, walking down the stairs, stepping on the melodious notes of the piano, and the sound of music flowing like water flowed endlessly in the sunny room, like a block blocking the spring. The stone fell to the ground, and it was like warm spring water swirling in the pool. It was heavy, but it seemed to be very gentle... itching in the body.He seemed to have heard this song somewhere, and he even remembered its name.

Wait, how can someone like me know the name of the piano piece?He stuck out his tongue secretly, turned and turned into the living room.

The source of the sound was indeed the small piano in the corner of the living room, a dilapidated antique, probably not much younger than Edward.It has been covered under a dusty cloth cover all year round. It is dim in color and old-fashioned in style, but it is well remembered by Al. The younger brother of the Eric family will come back to tune it whenever he has time: Maybe it is this broken one. The only reason the thing still makes an audible sound.

Ed approached there hesitantly, and leaned crookedly to the side, unable to confirm the authenticity of the picture in front of him.He remembered the last time when he went home for Christmas, Al sat at the piano and played two pieces of "Who knows who wrote it, anyway, it's so fucking nice, my brother is such a genius". The wine glass pursed her lips and smiled, Wen Li yelled that she also wanted to learn, Ed complained, "Forget it, you're almost as good as dismantling the piano" and was beaten; Frowning, her sallow fingertips flowed a voice that even an idiot with no taste like Edward would find pleasant. The young Alphonse sat quietly on the corner of the piano bench, compared to his brother Resolutely resisting, he pressed on the keyboard obediently, even actively.

At this moment, for this piano, the figure with his back to Edward is still a fresh performer, but he has already submissively made the sound of the small river water.He was still wearing the white shirt that he saw this morning, and the exposed back of his neck made people sway, and the black hair on the back of his head looked fluffy in the pale yellow morning light, reminiscent of the gleaming fur of small animals in the forest.Roy played staccato on the same piano that Mom and Al played, wearing Edward's lemon yellow Pixchu headphones on his head.

Oh, he remembered, it was Chopin's Serenade.

The song he used to calm himself when he went on the first date with Roy, witnessed Ed's secretly suppressed heartbeat, witnessed the sad things that Roy never told, and was put on Roy's balcony by Ed , on the cushion next to the heater.He always thought that Roy had lost this thing.

At this moment, the music stopped, and Ed felt like he was dreaming, he didn't know where his hands and feet were, and the sound was lost on the bed.When he recovered, Roy had already turned around to face himself.He was leaning against the light, with one hand still on the piano, looking up and down at himself with squinted eyes, like a black fox.Then he suddenly pursed his lips and laughed, lowered his head and took off the earphones. The way he raised his eyebrows and smiled made Edward's stomach feel hot.

"Is it okay, you? Sleeping so late." He tilted his head with a smile, and tapped his fingers on the keys a few times, "Go and brush your teeth, I bought you breakfast."

That serenade, isn't it supposed to be used for calming down?Ed thought desperately, is that a lie?Otherwise, why would my heart beat wildly after hearing it?Definitely a lie, right?

What are you doing?Just drag him upstairs and pay for it, Ed thought.

Having said that, Edward still couldn't help being cowardly at the critical moment.The future is long, and the future is long.While comforting himself, he brushed his teeth quickly in the bathroom, and it took a lot of willpower to restrain himself from thinking about Roy's hair in the bathroom.When he was ready and walked to the kitchen, there was already a paper bag with the logo of the coffee shop across the road printed on the dining table, a few bulging paninis were scattered, and two milkshakes had the words "Grapefruit Oranges” and a glass with “Cinnamon Apples” written on it.Mustangu sat at the table, taking pictures of the bruises on his face with his phone camera, and the lemon-colored earphones on the table.

"I really can't stand it," he said with an aggrieved expression, "It's fine for you, it's fine for them, why do you have to slap your face? If it's really disfigured, what will I live on in the future?"

Ed swallowed, feeling hungry physically and mentally.But I still have to pretend to be cowardly, what a grievance.

"Roy Mustangu," Ed folded his arms, refusing to go to the table again, "Why are you here?"

Roy blinked, "I've been here..." He turned his head and glanced at the wall clock, "It's been almost 6 hours."

Ed wanted to hit his forehead with the corner of the table in agony.

"Why are you here six hours?" Ed said wistfully.

"You put the keys under the doormat again." Roy put down his phone and pointed out the door, "Everyone is responsible for potential safety hazards. You are leading wolves into the house."

What?The wolf is already sitting in my kitchen and eating! ?

Ed just wanted to refute, but it was too difficult to win the battle with Mustangu while hungry.Reluctantly, he climbed onto the stool and grabbed the panini from the table.Just as he was about to ask questions, the smell of roasted turkey slices hit his face, like an old witch's potion controlling his limbs and mouth, his hands moved involuntarily, and he blocked his mouth with Panini Mouth.

"I thought," Ed muttered, chewing a slice of meat, "that group of people would beat you to death for the sake of heaven."

"You sound like you're looking forward to it?" Roy handed him a tissue with a look on his face, and shook his head angrily, "But thank you, I escaped easily with my wit. It's really gratifying."

With that said, he took the milkshake to his mouth and drank it with a straw.Ed looked at him from the corner of his eye while chewing the food, and imagined the straw as a certain part of his body—there was something more beautiful and delicious in front of him, and the food in his mouth suddenly seemed dull and boring.

The wounds I saw this morning were separated from the fog of half-dream, but now under the analysis of my clear mind and the bright light, the wounds on the opponent's body are very clear: Mustangu was punched hard by Ed The face on the other side was still slightly swollen, and it was hard to imagine how horribly swollen his face must have been two weeks ago—when Ed had just finished beating him; Adhesive, Ed sitting across from him could smell the faint smell of medicine, the bruised and purple blood was very clear and tragic on his pale complexion; his demeanor was as relaxed as ever, but the wrist holding the cup was tightly bound by the bandage, the back of his hand and the There are also large bruises and bloodstains on the knuckles.Ed didn't know where these wounds came from, but Roy's escape probably wasn't so "easy and smooth", at least not without pain.

These wounds should have been very obvious. If it wasn't for the person concerned's nonchalant attitude and consistent actions, these wounds should have been noticed at the first sight, instead of being left until now.Ed squinted at him so much that his face and hands ached, as if the wound had landed on him too.He lowered his head, took a big bite of the panini, and swallowed the food viciously without chewing.

He brought it on, Ed told himself.It's so distressing, it's all his own fault.

"You seem to be very leisurely?" The young man deliberately didn't look at him, and said bluntly, "Won't they chase after him?"

"No way? At least not immediately." Roy thought for a while. "If you find the police faster, the progress can be faster."

Ed was so angry that he wanted to splash the drink on the other's pretty face, "Damn it, I crossed three streets in full view of everyone in my pajamas to find you the police station, and I was tortured by the police for a whole day, trying to get around Wanzi told them the situation. How dare you complain about me!"

"On the contrary, I am very grateful." Roy grinned, and Ed snorted, without any sincerity.The man said, "But you don't have to go around and tell them the situation, so they will definitely spend more time investigating the situation-after all, to be honest, I also hope that the police will only treat me as an innocent passer-by who was tied up, so you Why don’t we just make up a good story that sounds credible, which can not only improve rescue efficiency, but also appropriately reduce the workload of the people’s police.”

The boy is about to be very angry, is he an idiot who is still feeling sorry for Mustangu for 3 minutes?

"360 is the number one scholar. You host the column without even going to investigate in advance. You are very proficient in this kind of stuff! Dare to be tied up and beaten up is very common for you."

"It's not as common as you think." The other party smiled.

Damn, I'm still angry, don't laugh at me!Ed screamed silently in his heart, his toes curled and scratched wildly in the slippers, and his voice still pretended to be calm:

"Isn't it common? Who in the average person carries a tiny signal transmitter with them?"

"That can't be without any preparations." The other party said shamelessly, "We live in a very dangerous world, my dear Dr. Edward."

Goosebumps spread all over his body in an instant, and the slippers continued to rub against the chair legs.Ed trembled quickly, grinning with disdain:

"I study hard, work hard, and diligently seek wisdom and well-being for the 17 billion stupid ordinary humans in the world that they can't understand in their lifetime..."

"This can be said to be very excessive."

"This is the truth! If it weren't for you, how could I have been involved in the so-called 'very sinister world'!"

"They wouldn't have looked for you." Roy said thoughtfully, "I might have led them to your door."

"what?"

"I arrived in Fairfield about six days ago..."

"What!?" The boy was dumbfounded, "How can..."

"It's very simple." Mustangu shrugged hatefully, "The blond brother you are looking for is very tight-lipped, but if you want to check this kind of thing, you can really find it in minutes. Now that you have found it , then come here as soon as possible. I even know which flight you took to come."

A bite of bread fell from Ed's mouth.

"You arrived six days ago??"

"uh-huh."

"And you know where I live."

"Of course." Mustangu said bluntly, "It's only a 20-minute walk from the hotel where I live to your house. When I went to the supermarket to buy Pocky two days ago, I even saw you queuing up to heat the donuts."

Ouch, lying in the trough, thinking carefully and fearing.

"Then why do you..." Ed stared round his eyes, suspecting that he had actually encountered a neurosis.

"Then why didn't I come to you right away?"

Roy took it, with a relaxed smile on his face, and reached out to hold a panini in his hand, but the conversation was interrupted unexpectedly.Ed turned his head, frowned and stared at him, lowered his head and took a bite, chewed and swallowed slowly, as if not giving the other party a chance to talk about him.

In the end, Roy said, "Because I think there is still some preparation to be done."

Ed froze.

"Ready?" The young man raised the corner of his mouth with a smirk, "I flew over in such a hurry, I thought you had already thought out all the lines in the routine in the week after we broke up."

Roy said nothing.

Ed said that on purpose, as if he deliberately aimed the spear that stabbed him dripping with blood at the person who once hurt him.The room fell into dead silence as imagined, and the heat of the food was transmitted through the wrapping paper, which was a bit scalding.

He imagined the sweetness of revenge, but the pleasure never flashed; on the contrary, what he felt on the tip of his tongue was bitterness and faint regret, and he didn't know why.Ed gritted his teeth, his fingers tensed on the chair, as if waiting for the next moment, Roy could laugh it off like he did in the past, or be ignored by himself pretending to be indifferent-but he didn't.

The sound of birdsong outside the window seemed very far away, looming.Roy lowered his eyes, and it was almost difficult to see the changes in his expression from Ed's angle. He could only see his long eyelashes trembling on his slightly blue lower eyelids.For a moment, Ed thought he would look away—like when Ed asked him about his feelings for someone, like when Ed asked "do you know about the little dust model"—countless, Countless times, avoiding those things that made him unbearable to face.But the next second, Roy raised his head.

He looked directly at Edward with a calm and firm face.

"In the past five days, I followed the information I found and went to the places you used to go to."

It took Edward a few seconds to realize what the other party was saying, and he almost missed it in one breath.

"What's the meaning……"

Mustangu took out a small book from his clothes pocket, flipped through the pages, and reported every detail under Ed's incredulous gaze, "Your elementary school and junior high school are Class D and Class C respectively, although neither I skipped a grade after studying for a few years, and your locker at that time turned out to be the highest one, can you really get it?"

If it wasn't for Ed's petrified state, he would have beaten him up without hesitation.But now, he couldn't take care of these at all, and his mind was full of snow-white screens swishing.But Mustangu didn't pay attention to Ed's shocked look at all, and continued to look at the book and continued:

"It's been a little longer in high school, and it's been two years. Of course, your grades have always been the best. Your teachers think highly of you, especially the physics and chemistry teacher. When I mentioned a short blonde, They said your name right away—maybe it's because you always sit in the front row so you stand out? They also mentioned your brother, genius seems to be really genetic. But you both Don't participate in any club activities, let alone the student union—come on, even I was the president of the student union anyway, although I always defer the work to others. You went to MIT in college, so it's a pity that you don't I didn’t have a chance to go; I didn’t go to kindergarten, and I know that you must be a kid who is regarded as a freak by your classmates.”

"I rely on this..."

"Because you are afraid of trouble, you eat out quite a lot. Although it seems that you like the food at home the most. It is cooked by your mother or younger brother--I have confirmed that it is Alphonse Eric, who is one year younger than you. 8 centimeters taller than you, she is really a beauty in the photo, I will save it for the time being. When I was 7 years old, there was a themed carnival in the town, and you bought a grapefruit from a traveling merchant for the first time, and it was love at first sight, and I was looking forward to it The next year's carnival, it turned out they never came again, and it became an obsession ever since—the reason they didn't come, by the way, was that the sponsor closed down the following year, which is a pity. Of your two favorite restaurants A Mexican restaurant opened by illegal immigrants closed down 5 years ago; the other sells charcoal grilled ribs, the store is pitifully small, but when I went to eat, the line was long and the business was booming Those are the best ribs I've ever eaten. I couldn't resist eating two of them. I ran around the park for two hours at night before I regained my mental balance.

"The library you often go to is much smaller than I imagined. I thought that the library favored by a scholar like you would be a super-large modern building with a very developed database system. I didn't expect it to be such a simple and old house. The book is also very old. I found that the latest physics series there was published in 2003—in some countries, girls of the same age as this book can already get married. But fortunately, there are very few readers and it is very quiet. I originally planned to go to another place in the afternoon, but I couldn’t help but stay for a long time and finished reading a few books about Schwinger. Schwinger and you really have similarities in character. You hate program reports and are obsessed with innovation. It is very similar to my own research method.

"After that……"

"Stop, stop, stop, stop!"

Now, Ed finally reacted.He stopped the other party in a panic, feeling that his scalp was still numb.Roy raised his head from the notebook, revealing a pair of questioning eyes, but Edward was stared at so that his heart was beating wildly.Obviously it was the other party who played shame, but why was he blushing so hard that he wanted to commit suicide!

The teenager raised the milkshake and took a sip, trying to calm himself down.At this time, Mustangu had already put down the notebook, and continued to stare at himself, waiting for the boy to speak.

Ed coughed hard twice, calmed down several times before finally opening his mouth.

"Are you a stalker!" Ed said bitterly, "It's unbelievable, how could someone dig out all these trivial and meaningless farts, and go over to study them one by one! You Speaking of the preparations you were making, I thought you had already figured out how to kneel down and apologize to me. Fortunately, you wrote an autobiography for me in five days! Wait, my mother didn’t tell you Laugh, you are not allowed to laugh, you are not allowed to laugh!"

Roy first put his fist against his forehead and grinned, before finally laying down on the table with a smile.Ed wanted to flip the table.

"Ed, Ed." He buried his head on the table, his voice trembling with laughter.

"I'll tell you not to laugh!" Ed said angrily.

"Ed," Roy sat up, brushed his messy bangs aside, then looked at Edward's wrinkled smiling face, and said softly, "You told me you liked me."

Eh?

The boy was stunned, he didn't even have the time to blush for a moment, the other party continued talking.

"I intended to make you feel good about me from the beginning, but I didn't know you would respond like this." He whispered, "You said, if there is no explanation, then what happened between me and you The things you said are false lies. But even so, from the past to the present, what happened between us and what you have done for me, they all really exist there-as a liar, I cannot deny It's also something I can't ask you to understand, but you know what you know."

"But this..."

"I'm thinking about what I can do for you." Roy said, "What has happened can't be reversed, and to some extent, it's not something I regret. So my answer is still silence,' No, I'm not going to tell you the truth'. I'm not going to apologize to you, beg your forgiveness, or make excuses to get your tolerance and understanding - that's for people like you and me , cheap and hypocritical. But it can't change the fact that I hurt people I don't want to hurt. So the only thing I can do for you is to take the initiative to understand you, hoping to understand and understand your past, present and In the future. If possible, I hope you can also come to understand me."

For a while, the room was silent, and the passage of time also lost the sound of flow, as if being contained in a bowl, frozen in mid-air.

The blond boy silently stared at Roy Mustang, watching him pull out two long pieces of paper from his notebook, put them on the table, and push them in front of Edward.

"You come with me, Edward."

He lowered his head, facing him on the table were two air tickets for midnight today, the destination was Berkeley.

It was the ticket Mars had pushed to Roy three months ago, to invite him to the christening of his soon-to-be-born child, who would be godfather to his best friend's child.

And he was going to take Edward to see it all, and maybe show him his old house on Apple Hill, where the apple pie wasn't good at all.

He felt himself entangled in the middle of a whirlpool, whirling involuntarily on the swiftest of rivers.The water is sometimes hot and sometimes cold, the past time roars and surges on both sides of his body, pain, happiness, gain and loss, all hovering in his eyes at this moment.The young man lowered his head, the blond hair entangled in his ears, and remained silent for a long time.

"Silence is not the answer." The boy's voice was hoarse but firm, "No matter how close you are to the truth, it's still a lie."

"As you said: 'This is indeed a part of me'." Roy replied softly, "The fact is not exactly what you said, but I do not deny the relationship between myself and it. I will not defend myself Justify, and will not explain to you more. There is only one thing, I hope you can know."

Ed raised his head slowly, struggling to keep his hands clenched into fists instead of shaking in vain.And when he raised his eyes, the other person's eyes that had haunted him were also staring at him without blinking.

"The last time you had your number, the time I came out of the ward to study to see you," he said little by little, "I didn't do it."

The straw that broke the camel's back.

This is always the case.

Ed could take it no longer.Whether it's embarrassing or being laughed at, now he doesn't care anymore.He cursed himself, covered his face, and curled up in a chair in front of Roy.

TBC