My second story since the formation of Giggles&Geekery, and my first FMA story! Hope you like it. (I'll have more of my RWBY story up soon—this was just a one-shot I had to get down while the idea was in my head.)
Al drew his metal knees up to his chest, even though resting his helmet on them gave him no relief. Edward was restless in his sleep again. Sometimes Al had wakened Edward to cut his nightmares short, but Edward finally chewed him out for it one night.
"They're not as bad as they seem, and it's not like I'm keeping you up, so just lemme sleep, will ya?!"
That was why Al didn't try to wake him this time, even when Edward started shuddering and moaning.
Finally, it was just too much. Al climbed out of bed and meticulously crept to the door, careful not to let his metal limbs clang against anything.
He could move a little more freely once he was in the hall, but he didn't know where to go. Almost everyone at Central Command would be asleep at this hour.
He wandered from one wing to another, speaking only when a guard asked why he was up.
"Couldn't sleep," he said, thinking how much Edward would relish the irony if he were there, "so, I'm just taking a walk," he finished. No one bothered him after that.
He realized he'd wandered into the officers' quarters. He had rarely been there before, and never at night. He knew who only a few of the doors belonged to. He paused outside Colonel Mustang's quarters.
Roy Mustang was often strict and critical with Edward, but Al knew he was generally a fair man. And he could be kind, too. Too bad it was night. Mustang would be good to talk to.
Well, maybe he's not asleep, Al thought. Maybe I could just take a peek inside… if he's up, he shouldn't be too mad that I came looking for him, and if he's not I can just go and he'll never know I was here.
With that thought, Al gripped the latch and pushed the door open.
He never thought that the colonel's door might stick in the jamb a bit, or that pushing it open might make the screeching, wood-on-wood LURCH! that would have made the hair on the back of his neck stand up, had he been in his proper body.
Oh, no... He looked around and saw to his chagrin that Mustang was sitting straight up in his bed in the semi-darkness, and reaching for his gloves.
"Who's there?" Mustang demanded.
Before Al could answer, Mustang had one glove on and had produced a flame to light the room.
"Oh, it's you. Well, what do you want?" He glanced toward the window. "It's the middle of the night, isn't it?"
"Er... well, I..." This was such a stupid mistake, Al thought. Edward's going to be mad. "I just..."
Mustang sighed. "Don't stand there in the doorway—come in and shut the door."
Al did as he was told, even though he was sure he would be sent right out again. "I'm sorry to disturb you. I never meant to wake you, only... well, Edward was..." He hesitated. He was sure his brother wouldn't want him to spread around the fact that he had nightmares. "Well, Edward's asleep..."
"I should think so. You should be, too." Mustang suddenly lifted his chin. "But then," he added, "I guess maybe that's not possible for you."
"You're right. It's not."
"It must get lonely for you."
"It does." Al heard his own tone becoming very sad, but he knew he wouldn't cry in front of the colonel—that was another thing he couldn't do without his body—and of course that made him even sadder. "I'm sorry," he said again. "I should go."
"Go where?"
"I don't know." It was one of those times Al missed his mother most, and his father too, though he didn't remember him very well. Without meaning to, he stepped closer to Mustang's bed and blurted out, "Could I just stay with you tonight?"
To his credit, Mustang had a very good poker face. It was torture waiting for him to answer, but Al took it as a good sign that he didn't immediately start yelling.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt, just for tonight," Mustang mused, not looking at Al.
"Oh, really? Thanks so much!"
"Hey, wait a minute..." Mustang looked sharply at Al, running his eyes over the armor from toe to helm. "You're a freakin' huge suit of armor! I'm sorry, kid, but this is just not gonna work..."
Al scurried (as much as a freakin' huge suit of armor can scurry) around to the far side of the bed and sat against the wall. "I can just sit here like this, see?" He said hurriedly. "I can't feel anything, so the floor is just as good as the bed to me."
Mustang stared at him, and Al thought he saw a hint of a smile for just a moment. "Well, all right, then. But I do need sleep, so please don't keep me up all night."
"I won't. I promise."
Al was careful not to make a sound until he heard Mustang's breathing settle back into sleep... and then snoring.
His first impulse was to think how funny Edward would find it that Mustang snored, but then he realized it wouldn't be fair to tell him since he hadn't told Mustang about Edward's nightmares.
He thought about his brother, uneasy but safe enough downstairs. It was an interesting change to sit by someone else tonight, and he humored himself with the thought that even though he was a child, he could protect state alchemists as they slept. So, why did he feel like he was the one being kept safe?
Yes, Mustang was strict, but he could be kind, too.
So, did you like it? Please let me know!
Also, be sure to check out the Giggles & Geekery facebook page and youtube channel!