Whiplash

Pairing: RoyxEd

Rating: M for possible future lemons as well as some dark themes, slight violence, and language. This is AU. Yes, it's another one of those 'cliché' high school fics. But this one happens to have a few twists and turns in its text…

A petite golden-haired teenager sat looking at the sky. His longish blond hair was tied back in a braid as per usual, and it dangled slightly as he sat down on his back porch with his hands propping him up behind his back, fingers splayed. The young protégé spent at least a half-hour doing this every single night, just watching the stars twinkle as he pondered his life and theories. Ed was brilliant at Chemistry, Alchemy, and the like… However, his true event was music.

Piano and his voice were his areas of expertise. However vehemently he'd deny it, the boy was truly talented in the musical area. And he didn't deny it out of shame because his talents weren't 'cool'. He thought he had no talent.

That was last night. Right now, the blond was in the same spot, watching the stars and thinking about the awful night that had cost him both his parents.

A small boy with golden hair and eyes sits on a lab stool next to his father, watching the man perform his experiments. The art of Alchemy truly interested young Edward and Al, and of course their father was happy to see that. It was his chosen profession after all, and every father wants to see their sons following in their footsteps. It didn't hurt that Hoenheim's job was to be a brilliant, well paid, and world-renowned scientist.

The man noticed that he was running out of Sodium Bicarbonate and said he'd be out for around a half hour to go get some, and asked his two young sons and their mother (his wife) to watch over his project and keep it stabilized. The boys quickly accepted the job, and his wife nodded to show that she'd make sure the boys didn't allow it to be ruined.

The man's wife was beautiful. Long, wavy ash brown hair down to her mid-waist, a slim, petite figure, full lips, a small nose with a slight upturn at the end, and jade-green eyes that always sparkled with life. She had a beautiful voice and was almost never in a bad mood, and truly loved Hoenheim. The boys adored her and looked up to their father. Before what happened happened, they would have seemed like a perfect family (albeit one that could use a baby girl).

The beaker overheated quickly and exploded all over the remaining Elrics, turning to acid as soon as it touched skin. Their mother got the brunt of it as she was closest, and she went down screaming. Edward has leaped forward to protect his younger brother, Alphonse, and was now missing his right arm and left leg. Al was physically unhurt… But the trauma from seeing his mother die in front of him and his brother trying so hard not to scream so he wouldn't scare him, Al's fragile mind snapped.

They'd not heard from Hoenheim since that day…

"Brother? Brother… Isn't it time to go inside?" The still-childish voice of Alphonse called the teenager back to the present day. He saw the spiked suit of armor and smiled fondly, although not without a tinge of sadness. His brother had become autistic, and his obsession was medieval times. He now wore a suit of armor all the time… Whether that was because he just liked knights that much, or was subconsciously trying to protect himself, their therapist could not tell.

"Yes, I suppose it is, Al. I'll help you to bed and then I'll go right to bed myself, okay?" The younger's voice sounded more cheerful this time when he said "Okay then! Giddy up, horsie!" Ed carried his younger brother to bed and got him out of the metal suit. His body looked 17, but his mind was still that of an 11-year-old. Ed carded a hand through his soft brown locks and dropped a kiss on his forehead. "Night, Al." The soft clunk of his well-worn combat boots echoed slightly on the wooden floors of their small house. Ed got out of his day clothes and slid into bed, hoping for dreamless sleep. After all, he had to get up at 5 am tomorrow.

'Tomorrow's the first day of hell- I mean high school. Wait, why am I censoring my thoughts? Okay, then, tomorrow's the first day of High School Hell. Joy.'