Simple warmth
Rating: T
Pairing/Threesome: Roy/Ed/Riza, background Alphonse/Mei
Word Count: 1.377
Warnings: some minor angst and some sap
Summary: Ed isn't happy about some news from Al. It's up to Roy and Riza to cheer him up again.
Author's Note: I wrote this for Kat (lectawindwalker) because she needed some cheering up^^
Simple warmth
Concerned, Riza opened the front door, cautious for what may lay beyond. Ed had gone home a while ago and a little bit later Al had called them and given them a fair warning that his brother might be in a bad mood. Which was just as well, as they all knew that Edward tended to become irrational where Alphonse was concerned.
Seeing that the house seemed quiet, with no-one shouting or ranting anywhere, she nodded to Roy behind her before finally opening the door fully and walking in. They shared a gaze as they both hung their coats, smiling briefly at how well their silent communication worked.
After putting their coats and shoes away, they separated. There was the warm glow of fire coming from the living room, so it was a pretty safe bet of where they would find their lover. Roy headed in that direction, while Riza went into the kitchen to prepare something soothing.
In the living room, Roy found the blond on the couch, a book in his hands that he scowled at, obviously trying to distract himself from his thoughts but not really succeeding. Sitting down beside him, the black-haired man took the book away from Ed, preparing for the rant that was sure to follow, seeing that getting angry was customary for the short alchemist whenever he was hurt or confused.
Instead of getting angry, Ed just blinked for a moment before sighing, and finally slumping down, laying his head on the taller man's shoulder. Pleasantly surprised by the change, Roy put his own arm around the blond's waist.
"Did he tell you?" his young lover asked, and Roy nodded, humming thoughtfully.
"He called us right after you went home. You realize that it will only before a few months?" he said softly, keeping his voice down to not suddenly set his lover off. His hand rubbed lazily up and down, trying to soothe the other as best as possible. Ed just made a distressed noise.
"I won't even be able to visit him! He specifically told me that I should not visit him. I get that it's complicated for me and that there will always be some dangers with me crossing the dessert, but why doesn't he want me to come to visit him?"
Riza, coming into the room carrying a tablet with some steaming mugs that she put down on the living room table, sat down on his other side.
"He worries about you. He knows that you would try regardless of if it would hurt you or not and he doesn't want that. All he wants is to visit Mei for a few months and to meet her parents. Even if he would allow you to visit him, do you really think it would be a good idea to get in the way of them meeting for the first time?" she told him, her voice soft, as she handed him one of the mugs with steaming hot cacao. The youth took it absent mindedly, not really recognizing what it was.
Ed still looked as if not seeing his brother for a few months would mean the end of the world.
"I don't want to get in their way, I just don't like not being able to see him and check if he is alright. He has only just gotten his body back, what if something happens to him, what..."
"Ed."
Roy's voice cut into the endless stream of words, effectively cutting the blond off before he could work himself into a full hysteria. His arm around his young lover tightened somewhat.
"It has been over four years already since Al has gotten his body back. He has been in full health for three of those. I know that you still worry about him, we all do, but you have to realize that you won't do him a favor if you try to keep him under your wing forever," the older man said.
Ed sighed.
"I know. But he said it will only be him and Mei crossing the dessert, what if something happens?"
Riza chuckled at that, wrapping her arm around Ed from the other side, overlapping somewhat with Roy's and putting the blond so in a nice, warm cocoon in their midst.
"I don't think there is anything that could happen to them there that would bring them down. Even if Al still would be as frail as he was at first after getting his body back, you know that Mei is hardly as defenseless as she looks. She will take good care of him," she tried to soothe Ed, earning herself a defeated nod.
Edward really looked like the world was coming to an end with his brother going to Xing for a vacation, but this was just a part of life that he would have to get used to. Especially with the way how things were going between Alphonse and Mei. By now, no-one really ruled out the possibility of Al asking her to marry him. And if (or when) that would happen, then a 'yes' was nearly a guaranteed answer.
Seeing that they probably wouldn't have much more success with trying to cheer their lover up as long as they kept talking about this, Roy and Riza shared another gaze above the blond's head before making themselves more comfortable on either side of him. Somewhat confused, Ed looked at them.
"What...?" he asked, apparently not having expected them to just let the topic drop.
"Just drink your cacao and try to relax. You know that you won't be able to change his mind, so thinking about it will just make you feel worse. Let's just all enjoy a nice evening together, ok?" Riza suggested and, to both of her and Roy's surprise, Ed nodded again and smiled slightly at her.
"You're right. You two shouldn't have to deal with me on top of another long day at work. I'll be better in a few days anyway," he said as cheerfully as he could, making them frown.
"Ed..." the black-haired man started, but the short one just put his hand over the man's mouth, making him shut up while looking at him with a gaze that was already more typical Ed-like than the ones before.
"Don't say anything. I know you both don't see it like that, but it still feels like that to me. So... let's just forget about me trying to ruin our evening and stay here for a while, ok?"
Sighing theatrically, Roy finally smirked.
"Ok, I think we can do that. Otherwise, Riza and I might just be able to... distract you enough for you to forget about thinking for a while," he hinted, earning himself the first real grin he had seen from his young lover all day.
"Is that a promise?" he asked, trying to look innocent. Roy snorted.
"I was trying to go for threat, but I think promise works," he answered before leaning down and kissing the blond, stealing his breath and therefore effectively shutting him up while convincing him of the point of their 'argument' more properly.
After he let him come up for air again, Ed looked to Riza.
"You of the same opinion?" he grinned, obviously aiming for another kiss. He definitely didn't have to ask twice as she made sure that he wouldn't think about any depressing things like his brother being away for the next few months anymore. There was no question that the blond enjoyed the treatment he got and returned it fully.
Afterwards he sighed contentedly and took a few sips of his cacao, before putting the mug down and snuggling close to them, wrapping his arms around them as well. Something like a happy smile slowly crept back on his face.
"I think you two are right. This is a way better way to spend the evening."
Maybe they hadn't done much, but sometimes just showing you are there is the best gift you can give someone. It is a simple pleasure that spreads warmth that makes people feel good again. And he was lucky enough to have two people who cared enough for him to be there whenever he needed it.
He really was a lucky bastard.
END
I hope you all enjoyed it! ^_^