Roy hated his car. It roared and chugged as he drove and sputtered exhaust and choked passerby. It was in terrible shape but it was the best he could do. He could no longer get a military issue vehicle thanks to a drunken night of fun with Havoc and Breda that included details he'd rather not remember. Now he was reduced to getting something cheap that at least got him to and from headquarters. At least it hadn't broken down yet.

He parked in the driveway to his apartment, coughing as he exited the car and inhaled a bit of the smoke cloud. Roy glared at the machine and kicked it, only giving himself a sore toe. At least it was the weekend and he wouldn't have to drive the damn thing unless absolutely necessary.

Roy made his way up the path to his front door, spotting a lone figure draped in a coat sleeping on his stoop. He cautiously approached Ed, noting his filthy hair and dark circles beneath his closed eyes. Needless to say, Edward looked like shit. Why the hell was he taking a nap on Roy's stoop anyways? He had a dorm to stay in. Regardless, Roy had to wake him to get into his home.

"Hey kid," he muttered, gently shaking him.

Ed stirred and his eyes slowly opened blinking up at Roy. Even sleep muddled, his brain seemed to register that he needed to move his ass so Roy could unlock the door. He stood, rubbing his eyes as Roy fumbled with the keys and got the door open. Ed said nothing, not really wanting to say anything just yet. He wasn't even sure why he'd come to the Colonel's place anyways.

Roy silently invited him in and shut the door behind the two of them, hanging their coats and getting a fire started, which Ed was extremely grateful for.

"Mind telling me why you've claimed my stoop as your new bed?"

Ed just stood in his spot, head and dirty blond bangs hanging in his face. He didn't want to tell him why he'd come to him. He felt ashamed, guilty, and just plain fucking terrible.

"Fullmetal?" Roy said, approaching him slowly. "Ed, what's wrong?"

"Al and I had a fight," he muttered, swallowing to wet his dry throat. "A really bad one and I just sort of ran off."

Roy sighed. "How long ago?"

"A couple days ago. I said some things I shouldn't have and things just got out of hand and I ran. I just..." Ed ground the heel of his palm into his eye. "Can I just stay here for a bit?"

"Go take a shower. Then we'll get something to eat and we can talk about the matter further."

Ed just nodded and let Roy guide him to the bathroom. Roy made his way back to the living room after making sure Ed would be fine and moved to the bar, pouring himself a tumbler of whiskey and downing it. It must've been one terrible fight to make Ed this depressed. In his time knowing the Elric boys, Roy had only seen them fight on a few occasions and when they did it was usually Al to run but the spats were always quickly resolved.

He wasn't sure it would be so easy this time.

He had no way of knowing exactly what the two had argued about but if it was enough to bring Ed to his home, Roy felt it safe to assume Ed felt himself the guilty party in the situation.

Roy decided to sit in his chair near the fireplace with the evening paper as he waited for Ed to finish his shower. Ed came into the living room after a bit, wearing Roy's pajamas and a towel draped over his head. Roy soon busied himself with getting them dinner while Ed just stood there, staring at the floor. They ate in silence, Ed's usual appetite nearly gone.

"Okay," Roy said as he folded his hands on the table and stared at the older Elric brother. "What happened?"

Ed sighed. "We were arguing about something stupid, I don't even remember what the fuck it was now but it sort of got to something worse and I told Al... that I had too much on plate and that getting his body back was enough of a task in itself. I made it sound like I didn't even care and just the way he yelled at me after that... I couldn't go back."

Ed was hugging himself now, curling up in the kitchen chair and just seeing him like that hit something within Roy. His chest tightened painfully and it was getting a little difficult to breathe. Was Ed going to cry? He didn't know what to do with a crying teenager. He'd never actually seen Edward cry and there was only a few instances he'd seen him feeling this shitty.

Roy sighed, standing up and walking around the table to gather Ed in his arms and just hold him. It was the only thing he could think to do at the moment and Ed seemed hesitant at first but then welcomed the warm embrace. His hands fisted in Roy's shirt and he shook, trying his hardest not to start sobbing right there. Roy just held him, pressing him to his chest and letting Ed feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. He was hoping it was helping as it had helped him as a child when Auntie Chris gathered him up and just held him until he fell asleep.

The phone rang, breaking them both out of the moment.

"I should probably get that. I'll be back in a moment."

Ed just nodded. "Take your time."

He wasn't used to this. Roy was never this nice to him and no one comforted him like this anymore. Alphonse tried but with no warm body and beating heart is was hard to find comfort in the steel even though he knew that encased within it was one of the warmest souls he knew.

Roy picked up the receiver on the fourth or fifth ring. "Hello?"

"Um... I'm sorry to bother you at this hour Colonel but it's important."

"No it's fine."

"Have you seen brother? He hasn't been back in days and it's all my fault. I'm worried. He hasn't called at all."

"Yes. He's here now."

Al sighed in relief and Roy thought he heard the armor rattling in what he thought was Al's best attempt at his body shuddering. "Is he alright? He's not hurt or anything is he?"

"He's fine. No need to worry."

"That's good. I think it'll be better if he can stay overnight at your house if that's okay. I can come get him in the morning."

"It's not a problem," Roy responded. "Okay. No problem. Goodbye."

Roy hung up and turned to see Ed standing behind him, arms wrapped around himself again.

Roy did the only thing he could think of doing again and held him again. It seemed to calm Ed, his eyes starting to shut. Roy let Edward sleep beside him that night and found some comfort in it himself. He found he was glad to know Ed was safe and warm instead of out god knows where sleeping in the freezing cold. He wrapped an arm around him and the two slept pressed against each other, comfortable and warm.