Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Gravity Falls. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa and Alex Hirsch respectively. I only own the OC characters.

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The beds were comfier than anything Ed had felt before. He still couldn't believe that him and his brother somehow jumped through time and space and were spat out in a different world, and a different time. He'd figure there would be some kind of consequence because of that, and he knew Stanford was doing his best to avoid it. He didn't know why he had the sudden urge to follow the Johnston sisters, ultimately getting mixed up in all their adventures. Ford had stated that Gravity Falls tended to attract the unexplained and out of the ordinary, no matter where they were from. Over these past several weeks, he was inclined to agree.

The next morning, he had forgotten all about what had transpired yesterday. He was too occupied with Katelyn and the twins. Him and the younger Johnston had established a comfortable, yet awkward relationship, if you knew their story. He understood that the Johnston's younger half-brothers had died at a tragically young age. He also knew that if they were alive, they would be the same age as him and Alphonse. But Kate and Rosalin did not view them as a replacement for their brothers. The younger Johnston was as much as a spitfire as he was, which would often clash with one another. Katelyn found it amusing that she could so easily rile him up. Otherwise, she kept a delicate balance of treating him like a child and treating him like an adult. She was someone he could relate to. It felt nice.

Eventually, the sisters were called away by the old men to get started on their research. It was beyond his understanding, and he wasn't reluctant in leaving it to the professionals. His entire view of the universe (or perhaps multiverse) was blown wide open. He was still reeling from it. Dipper and Mabel were too young to get involved in this sort of stuff, despite their experience in standing up against an all-powerful dream demon (that was a long story he did not want to get into right now). Thus, the brothers were tasked with keeping them entertained. It was more strenuous than one would think.

It soon became obvious that Alphonse had the only physical capability of keeping up with the twins. He concluded that all children were direct hellspawn. Around lunchtime, he found himself in the dining hall again, bored out of his mind. He sighed for the umpteenth time. He tapped the fingers of his flesh hand on the table, holding his chin with the metal one. This sucked. Of course, he was stuck with babysitting duty. It was always hard to tell what Katelyn was truly up to.

He was so deep in his thoughts that he startled when someone took the seat opposite him. He quickly composed himself, about to tell this stranger that this table was taken. He stopped short once he looked up at the intruder.

It was the man from yesterday. The one that had sent his skin crawling. He could feel that same sensation take hold of him again, and he suppressed the urge to shudder. He was still in an expensive business suit, albeit different from yesterday. He settled himself comfortably, appearing friendly and amiable. "You don't mind, do you?"

Ed had to swallow before he answered. "No, not at all," he replied. He dropped his gaze, feeling those blue eyes pierce right through him. "I, uh... I never got your name." The man chuckled at that. "That's true. I was in a bit of a hurry." He stared intently at the boy. "Cornelius. I never got yours either."

"Edward." He wasn't sure if this was a good idea. Cornelius hummed at that, as if in satisfaction. "That other, bigger fellow," the older man said, indicating Al's monstrous stature, "he isn't with you."

"My brother, Alphonse." Maybe there was nothing to worry about. Cornelius didn't look threatening in any way. Perhaps paranoia was getting to him. That had been happening a lot since his world was turned upside-down. "He's looking after the twins. They've got way too much energy."

Cornelius snorted. "I bet they do." He leaned forward, nearly invading Ed's personal space. "So, are you all family, then?"

If Ed was drinking a beverage at that moment, he would have spit it out. "No, no!" he assured, waving his hands sporadically. God, since when had he gotten this flustered this easily? Red burned on his cheeks. "We're just... family friends." Cornelius raised an amused eyebrow. "Really? Interesting." His smirk fell. "Are any of them particularly attractive?"

The blond felt his jaw drop open. What kind of question was that? "What?!" he exclaimed. "Hell no! Everyone's either too old or too young for me. Not interested. Besides," he reached up with his automail hand to rub the back of his neck, "I only think of Kate and Ros as, like, older siblings or something." Of course, he would never say that to their faces for the sake of his pride, but it was true. Furthermore, they were both already taken with their respective partners.

"Kate and Rosalin? You mean those two young women who were with you?" Cornelius put a hand to his chin, pondering. "The blonde is the older one, correct?"

Ed nodded. "How did you know?" This man's extensive knowledge was bordering on frightening. Cornelius smiled again. "You remember me telling you that I have a special interest in research regarding interdimensional travel? I could tell they were there to assist. It wasn't hard to ask around and learn their names." He leaned closer, making Ed move away slightly. "They make a very interesting pair."

Ed gulped, his hands lying still on the table. Cornelius continued. "You, however, are still an enigma." He reached across the table. "I'd like to get to know you better."

The boy jerked to his feet as if he'd been shocked. He held his flesh hand, the one that Cornelius had placed his hand over. In a very intimate way. It was extremely creepy, and very, very wrong. He felt out of place at this invasion of privacy, briskly making his way to the exit, retreating to his room. He did not look back.

At the end of the day, when Katelyn returned, he told her about Cornelius and his odd behavior. "Do you know him at all?" he asked.

Katelyn scrunched her brow in thought before turning up negative. "He's just a rich guy, right? Investing in revolutionary technology?" She rubbed at his head affectionately, a gesture she had gotten accustomed to doing. "Just don't pay any attention to him. I'm sure whatever caught his interest will fade. If he still doesn't leave you alone, you tell me, alright?"

Ed nodded, relief washing over him. It was comforting to know that people had his back.

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Author's Note: A bit of exposition before the creepy settles in. This chapter is a bit short, but it was the best place to end it. Angst starts next chapter.

God, this makes me cringe so hard that my face wants to invert through my butthole. Please don't take that out of context.

Praise is appreciated and constructive criticism is encouraged.

See you next time!

-The_Mayflower