Ken followed Mustang as they made their way through the town. Ken’s eyes were wide as he went, and he swallowed the lump in his throat, his nerves tingled inside him at the sudden sight of Mustang. It was a strange feeling, seeing him again after he had begun to accept that Mustang had likely died. Ken felt so confused.

‘You look different’ Ken spoke up.

Mustang paused, turning to him.

‘Do I?’ he asked. ‘How?’

‘I don’t know’ Ken mumbled. ‘You look the same…and yet…different….’

Mustang watched Ken for a moment, before breaking into a smile.

‘It’s just because I've been gone for so long’ he grinned. ‘I assure you I'm the same as I was before.’

‘Hu?’

‘It’s like…’ Mustang said slowly, ‘when you go on holiday for two weeks, your home looks and feels different when you come back, even though it’s all the same.’

‘I’ve…never been on holiday.’

‘You should go’ Mustang continued, turning and strolling away. ‘After all…life is short.’

They continued to walk at a casual pace through the town, across the streets and away, until they reached the edges of the town.

It was quieter here. Peaceful.

‘I like it here’ Mustang said, slowing to a stop and gazing about him with his hands upon his hips. ‘It’s nice.’

It was an open place, the dirt at their feet was dry, and train tracks were set in the earth at their feet, reaching far in both directions. And before them, was a narrow section of woodland, beyond which were the very edges of the town, where there were only fields.

‘Why are we here?’ Ken asked him curiously.

‘I told you’ Mustang said happily. ‘Because I like it.’ He turned to him them. ‘And…’ he added, ‘it’s private. We can talk without being disturbed.’

‘Why did you save me?’ Ken asked him, speaking the first question that had been hanging on the tip of his tongue. ‘Why? After what I said to you?’ he hung his head, fighting back tears as the terrible memories seeped back into him.

Our teacher…shot and killed right before us……the blood…oh god….

Ken raised his head again, facing Mustang head on, forcing the memories away, forcing himself to be strong.

‘I have to know’ Ken spoke, trying to keep his voice steady, ‘what were you thinking when you ran towards him?’

Mustang put his hands in his pockets. ‘You want to know what I was thinking?’ he asked

‘Yes’ Ken whispered.

Mustang glanced up at him.

Ken stared. ‘You have to tell me. What were you thinking?’

‘Fuck it’ Mustang replied. ‘YOLO.’

Ken stared at him in disbelief.

‘…What…?’ he uttered, the sound of the train in the distance coming closer.

Mustang turned and walked away, he slowly crossed the train tracks that ran by them, the train that was running the tracks was drawing ever closer.

Mustang stopped on the tracks, and turned to face Ken again, as the train drew ever closer.

‘This is the only life we all know we have’ Mustang said as the train tore forwards. ‘One life. One chance. If I can die making a difference in this world, then I will.’

The train was nearly upon him, it would reach him in seconds.

At the very last moment, Mustang stepped backwards off the track, never breaking eye contact with Ken, as his heart knotted in his chest, for the briefest instant he was afraid for Mustang.

The train passed between them, whooshing at high speed.

Then in no time at all, it was gone.

Ken stared at Mustang in shock.

Mustang stared back calmly.

He turned slowly, and walked away.

Ken followed after him.

‘How can you be this way?’ Ken asked Mustang in astonishment. ‘I've never known anyone to be so carefree in life, so willing to throw their life away.’

‘I wouldn’t throw my life away for nothing’ Mustang replied, as the pair walked side by side across the dry earth. The tracks were on one side of them as they went; the forest on the other. ‘I would give my life to save anyone in need. Anyone……even if they hated me.’

‘I don’t hate you’ Ken blurted suddenly, speaking louder than he intended. ‘I don’t.’

The pair had stopped then, watching each other for several seconds, before turning away from each other, and moving on.

‘That’s good’ Mustang spoke in a mumble after a time, ‘I'm glad……I don’t want you to hate me.’ He fell silent again. ‘But even if you did…’ he added hastily, ‘I would do it again. I would…’

‘But what if you really died?’ Ken asked him desperately. ‘What would your parents have thought……they would have been heartbroken?’

Mustang thought carefully before responding.

‘I am not controlled by my parents’ he said to Ken as they strolled along the dirt road. ‘My life is my own, and I will do with it as I please.’ He glanced sideways at Ken then, gleaming. ‘Live your life as you should’ he told him, ‘not how other want. Live in the moment.’

Ken watched his feet as he walked, listening in silence to Mustang’s words.

That’s good advice he thought to himself. Surprisingly good advice……you are not the person I first thought you to be……you couldn’t be more different.

‘I'm glad I met you’ Ken said, ‘and not just because you saved my life.’

‘Oh?’ Mustang said, pausing and turning to him. ‘Is that true?’

‘Yes’ Ken said. ‘You're…’ he stopped. ‘You’ve given me a new perspective on life……thank you.’

Mustang smirked then, looking incredibly smug.

‘No problem’ he said to Ken. ‘I think you’d like to know…that I'm glad I met you too.’

‘Really?’ Ken said, raising an eyebrow sceptically. ‘Why? What have I offered you that’s positive?’

‘Amusement’ Mustang winked. ‘I find you amusing. You are like a puzzle to me, a puzzle I try hard to work out. There is something about you that’s different…’ he frowned then, as if trying to work out what it was. ‘I feel…’ Mustang continued slowly, ‘that….’ he fell silent again. ‘I feel like you are not living the life you should’ he finished, ‘like you are living a self that you is not natural to you, like a false life……a life forced upon you by others around you.’

‘What?’ Ken whispered, blinking in confusion at these words.

Mustang waved him away.

‘Forget it…it’s probably nothing.’

Ken was about to speak then, to question Mustang as to what he meant.

But then they were interrupted.

A figure came sauntering up to them, calling and waving and he went.

‘Yoo-hoo!’

Mustang turned then, his expression immediately brightening at the sight of the red haired guy, with his slender frame and pretty face.

‘Ruby!’ Mustang called.

Ruby approached, instantly throwing himself into Mustang’s arms and kissing him deeply.

Ken turned away then, suddenly very interested in the clouds in the sky.

Hey that one looks like a duck.

Mustang managed to fend Ruby off for a brief moment, patting his chest in amusement, with one arm still around him as Ruby clung to him.

‘What are you doing here?’ Mustang asked him.

‘I came here to find you’ Ruby winked. ‘I thought you might be here. There are only so many places you like to hang out. It’s either somewhere along the railway, or the graveyard.’

‘You like the hang out in the graveyard?’ Ken asked raising an eyebrow and daring to look back at him.

Mustang glanced at him. Ken expected to hear a sarcastic comment, or perhaps for him to deny it. But Mustang said nothing.

‘I don’t want to take you away from your friend’ Ruby said, ‘but do you have time for me?’

Mustang hesitated.

‘You go on’ Ken told him. ‘I’ll talk to you another time.’

‘Are you sure?’ Mustang asked.

‘Yeah’ Ken said backing away. ‘You…go and have fun or something…or whatever you do’ he finished awkwardly in a small voice.

Mustang smirked then. ‘It was nice to see you again’ he told him, before turning away, his arm still around Ruby. ‘I mean it.’

Ken felt strangely flattered at that.

‘Hey!’ he called after Mustang as he began to walk away.

Mustang paused, glancing back.

‘I’d like to see you again’ Ken began uncomfortably. ‘I mean…to hang out…if you like…you know…if you're not busy.’

‘Sure’ Mustang gleamed. ‘It would be my pleasure.’

‘Good’ Ken sighed, his nervousness easing off slightly as he took a step back. ‘Well…bye then.’

He turned and walked swiftly in the other direction.

‘Who was that?’ Ruby asked curiously, watching Ken march quickly away.

‘Just a friend’ Mustang said casually. ‘At least I think he is…I'm not sure really, I think he used to hate me…but now…’

Ruby turned to him.

‘Is he gay?’

‘I don’t think so’ Mustang shook his head.

‘Oh’ Ruby said. ‘That’s a shame.’ He narrowed his eyes, watching Ken closely. ‘He is ever so handsome.’