Roy yawned as he watched the rain from his office window. It had been increasingly cloudy throughout the day, and late in the afternoon the expected rain had fallen. However, it was raining harder than predicted, and already there were large puddles of water in the courtyard.
Suddenly a small figure wearing black ran across the courtyard. Roy looked at the figure closely, who was now seated on some cement steps, arms crossed and head down.
Oh hell, what did Ed do now?
He immediately left the office, not bothering to look for an umbrella. Unfortunately, that meant he was almost drenched as soon as he walked into the rain.
"Fullmetal, what are you doing out in the rain without your jacket or an umbrella?" Roy asked when he got to the steps.
Ed looked up and sneered when he saw Roy. "Why the hell do you care?"
"Because you can hardly go on assignments when you're sick."
"Then maybe I'll get sick on purpose so I won't have to do any more of your dirty work."
"Then I will order you to spend a week in the hospital to make sure you get well."
Ed could only snarl in response.
A moment went by before Roy spoke again. "You never answered my question. What are you doing out here in the rain?"
Ed frowned. "I got in a fight with Al, okay? Now leave me alone."
Roy mentally sighed. Ed was plenty stubborn enough to stay out here long enough to catch a cold, and he really did need him well for the latest assignment he had carefully set up for him. He thought about his options. He could order Ed back inside, but that was a little too extreme for the situation, and besides, Ed probably wouldn't listen anyway. He could let Ed sit there and go back to his office, but that would put Ed's health in jeopardy. However, it would be what most people would expect him to do.
But Roy was so damn sick of always playing the role of uncaring bastard. Couldn't he act like he cared about someone else at least once in his life? Thus, without a word, he unbuttoned his uniform jacket, took it off, and placed it on Ed's shoulders.
"Do return my jacket once you make up with your brother, Fullmetal," he said once he was done, then turned and walked away.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing? Get back here!"
Roy didn't stop or look back. It was only after he was back in his office with a warm cup of coffee and a dry shirt did he look out the window to see Ed.
"I'm trying to be nice to you, Ed," Roy said to himself as he watched Ed pull the jacket tighter around himself. "And I'm sorry I can't be nicer to you more often." He took another sip of coffee, wondering if Ed would ever realize just how much he cared about him and his brother.