TITLE: Wrap around the Hellion's Finger
GENRE: Humour/Family/Romance
RATING: T
SUMMARY: Almost everyone who is acquainted with the short-tempered, alchemist extraordinaire, Edward Elric, has never known he has a soft spot for little children; and when he brought a seemingly sweet angel attached to him to the hip is the day Roy Mustang begins to woe his own existence. He's never known kids can turn into murderers when in threat of becoming motherless. /* Eventual RoyEd */
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CHAPTER ONE
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It was in the hard torrent in Central the first time he met the widower. Seventeen and a bit lonely from lack of Al's presence since he had brought his body back, he had only returned from his assignment and wandered his way to his flat when he had stumbled upon him. If he thought he had been miserable from the autumnal weather and automail, it had been worse for the other. The weird man was hunched to his chest, shivering pathetically. Ed had noticed then that something in his arms was ensconced protectively in his overcoat.
It was late hours and no one in his or her right mind was about in the metropolis. He had looked too far gone to notice the blond in his way.
'The hell is his problem,' he had mumbled, irritated and feeling a bit lost. He'd sighed and approached the idiot. 'Hey!'
The rest was almost a blur. He had found out he'd been looking for a place to stay, since he couldn't afford his year-old daughter to get sick. Edward had offered him his. Afterwards, their presence had eased his loneliness in the span of ten weeks. The father had regretfully reminded Ed of Hughes. Although he wasn't the overly zealous, mad daddy armed with his godforsaken photos, he was just as fiercely affectionate and protective as the late soldier. A truly good man he had been.
A few months after the man and his daughter had moved out with a newly found job, Ed received a letter from him asking for a call and a convenient time for a visit. A phone call to Ed would prove to be a pointless endeavour, what with all his expectedly unexpected missions from Brigadier General Sarcasm.
When the man, Mr Lart, finally sat across from the Fullmetal Alchemist, he calmly said, 'Edward, I want you to become the godfather of my child.'
Hearing this, Edward spluttered on his beverage, and hacked when the damn liquid got the wrong pipe. 'W-what?'
'Please, Ed, I know you're the only one I can really trust. Among all those selfish, self-absorbed relatives of mine and my friends, you are the best choice I have…'
Ed zoned out. That was one hell of a thing to say to him by anyone other than his dear little brother. Shock didn't even cover it, but quite a part of him felt flattered by this, and a tad apprehensive. He hadn't even reached twenty, damn-it!
'What's this all of sudden?' he asked when he found his voice.
'Huh? Oh. I just want to make sure someone wouldn't let anything bad happen to her, should anything bad happen to me. I want to be prepared, that's all,' the man replied defensively.
'Paranoid bastard,' Ed mumbled. Lart grinned, rubbing his neck sheepishly. 'I work for the military, you know. A large fraction of my damn time is, and will be, dedicated to the stupid missions Mustang gives me.'
'I'm sure you'll think of some arrangements. You're a genius, after all.'
Damn right he was. He wanted to throttle the living daylights out of him. But whatever he had on the tip of his tongue never saw beyond his teeth because of the look he was given. The fucker was very grave about this it was almost frightening, like how Al (or his mother, afore her death) would sometimes be, forcing him to swallow his rants. Where family matters were concerned, he was left weak.
He sighed noisily. 'All right, all right! It's not like you're gonna be dead anytime soon, anyway.'
Later, Edward would curse he'd agreed so easily and would not help but feel manipulated every time he reminisced the happening in particular. It was the expression in his eyes that Ed felt bared to his soul whenever they chatted when they had been under the same roof. That Ed was wont to be a quintessential martyr for those in danger and deserved it was almost painfully true. Lart, even if in ignorance, benefited from this for his daughter's security, hypothetically on his untimely demise; hence the decision.
…..
'Ed, look, you got a letter.'
He met Al's curious gaze before averting his to Winry's. For once, their little reunion was void of the woman's nagging. 'Yeah? Who's it from?'
Winry shrugged. 'John Lart. Hey, I think I've heard that name somewhere before…'
Al perked up in recognition. 'Oh! Isn't he the guy you let in two years ago?' he asked, and smiled knowingly. 'The one with a daughter you godfathered to?'
'Whoah, is it really him?' Winry cried giddily and then seemed to remember something as she pointed Ed a glare. 'Now that I think about it, Ed, you never told me who it was.'
'Oh, yeah? How come you've already known the name?'
Snort. 'Probably overheard it from you…'
Edward waved her off dismissively. His girl best friend sniffed, looking for all the world insulted, as Al continued to smile amusedly. He turned his back to the two, ripping the envelope open. While he tuned out his other senses, uneasiness gnawed at him. Lart only sent him letters when matters called on importance and urgency. He still gave the man and his little girl, Isha, a healthy dose of visits since they were just around in Central.
Going through the scrawl, he could feel his frown deepen at the unfamiliarity of it. What was written in it was quick and concise, telling him with a no-nonsense and other-person impression that he would come to Central's general hospital to see him as soon as possible.
Strangely, he thought of little Nina Tucker, and the next thing that came to mind was Isha. Shit. Why the hell was he thinking like that? Lart was obviously the one hospitalised, if the epistle was anything to go by. Though, treacherously, alarm bells started ringing.
'Brother?'
Ed flinched. He met Al's worried gaze and almost keened. It'd only been a few hours since he saw him and he had to fucking leave! 'Al, I'm gonna have to catch the last train to Central,' he tried to smile but ended up scowling.
Oh, he had no idea he would be in for a morbid surprise when he set his automail foot into the man's room of confinement.
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End of chapter one
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Author's note:
Err… Truthfully, I found this merely collecting mould in my computer drive. In any case, if you read its entirety, then I thank you and give you my love! :DD I hoped you enjoyed that. Though, I can't tell you much about the next chapter since I may reveal stuff I want to keep temporarily unknown.