"Heya, Colonel. I'm back."
Roy lifted his head from his desk of papers, and turned his head to face the door in his dimly lit study to find his subordinate, standing in the doorway, bloodied and bruised. He stood up immediately and hurried over to Ed, putting his hands on his shoulders as he gave him a quick once over, identifying the locations of all of his wounds and bruises.
"What the hell, Ed? What did you get yourself into this time?" He asked lowly, his dark eyes worriedly scanning every inch of Edward Elric.
A grin spread across the young alchemist's face. "Nothing much. I got the information you needed though." He said, lifting up a piece of paper so Roy could take it from him.
Roy closed his eyes. So that's how it happened. He slid his hand off of Ed's shoulder, and took the sheet from Ed, not even bothering to read it as he gazed into Ed's eyes. "You got into another fight, over military information." He answered for his subordinate, sighing heavily. "I can't keep sending you on these missions, it always ends up in disaster for you." Roy muttered, his other hand sliding off of Ed now as he began to return to his desk, setting the paper down with the rest of his files.
"Aww c'mon. It's not that bad really. I usually win-"
"That's not the point; you could get seriously injured again." Roy interrupted him, emphasizing the 'again' in his sentence. He turned his head back around to glare at Ed, but his gaze softened quickly. "I keep forcing you into rough situations. It's my duty as your superior to keep you from harm; not throw you into it head first."
A frown formed on the young alchemist's lips, boots thudding dully against the floor as they made their way closer to Roy. "I'm part of the military, Roy. It's my job to get information for you. And so what if I get hurt? It's not the end of the world."
"It could be." Roy snapped, his eyes meeting Ed's only for a split second as he glared at him over his shoulder. They lowered quickly however, his voice lowering again. "..if I lost you." He finished, raising a bare hand to run through his black messy hair. "There's going to be one time where you won't return," Roy muttered, his eyes closing. "You don't know how much I worry when you're gone."
Roy now had his back to Ed, his shoulders raising in a small chuckle. "I wonder how many of those scars are because of me," He questioned quietly, moving now as he went to sit back in his chair.
"Roy—"
"Why won't you just quit?"
The room creaked with tension, the clock on the wall the only sound in the dimly lit room.
"Because I want to help you with that." Ed murmured, motioning with his head towards the stack of paperwork he'd taken home. "It also gives me a chance to see you more often, doesn't it?"
"But the missions, Ed, the missions—"
"I don't give a damn about the missions. If you're so strung out about that, just don't give them to me." Ed was the one to interrupt Roy this time, his boots scuffing against the ground again as he moved closer to the underdressed Roy, who was only wearing his undershirt and black pants.
Roy could feel Ed's presence next to him, despite his closed eyes, and let out a sigh. "It's just…you've been doing this ever since you were twelve, and I've always had regrets about ever letting you take on missions that were way out of your league—"
Ed silenced him with a soft kiss on the mouth, leaning over the desk to reach his fine lips. "Shut-up." He said simply, brushing a few loose strands of hair out of Roy's face as they fell from his hand. "You shouldn't feel bad for any of that. I made my choice, didn't I?" Ed began, taking his position to sit on top of Roy's desk, moving the lamp that was lighting the room to the left. "You shouldn't be the one to feel guilty about this." He let a small smile spread across his lips, watching as Roy kept his position, eyes hidden from Ed. "You can't protect me from everything."
That was the problem. Roy couldn't protect Ed from everything. No matter how hard he tried, there would always be something else. He tightened his hold on his hair, his other hand curled into a fist as it lay on the desk.
He could still remember when Ed would return from leads, with another scar to add to his collection, or another black eye. He could still remember the way Ed would grin and do his best to cover up the limp he had acquired, or the new gash in his leg. He could still remember the agony that clawed at him from the inside upon seeing the fifteen year old in such a condition. He could still remember how all he seemed to be capable of was sitting on his ass while he sent Edward out on these missions.
"Accept my apology. Please." Roy murmured, his hand releasing the grip on his hair. He raised his dark eyes to meet Ed's golden ones, a desperate but serious look to them. "I'm sorry for putting you in such danger all those years."
Ed rolled his eyes, unable to hide a smile. "Fine. Only if it makes you feel better." Ed teased, hopping down from the desk. "I accept your apology." He said simply, his arms wrapping around Roy's neck in a loving embrace. "You know I know you wouldn't ever want to put me in danger. You were just trying to help out." Ed reassured him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "So stop thinking that I'm holding a grudge on you for it. I'm not. So let it go."
Roy smiled faintly at the kiss, moving into Edwards embrace. "Alright." He murmured, doing his best to push away the overwhelming thought. He untangled himself from Ed's arms, and stood up from his chair. He grabbed Ed gently by the waist and pulled him closer, giving him a soft, passionate kiss on the lips. Ed happily obliged, and returned the kiss, his arms wrapping around Roy's neck. Roy broke the kiss, and ruffled Ed's hair, smiling. "It's good to have you back." He told him quietly, as he unwrapped himself from Ed slowly. Once they were both free from each other's hold, Roy motioned with his head towards the door that led into their bathroom.
"Let's get you bandaged up. You look like hell."
Ed couldn't help but snicker, and nudged Roy in the stomach, grinning at the desired grunt from Roy.
"Sounds like a plan."