:hey guys, just a little oneshot here. i am working on the others in due time but i felt like going away from that for a moment. i just wanted a nice roy is sick story . enjoy!:
"Man, why do I have to go with you on this mission? Why didn't you just take Hawkeye?" Edward asked as he sat in the chair at headquarters, staring at Roy Mustang, his superior.
The black haired man continued to sign the stacks of papers that were next to him.
"It was the order that I had. It had to be two alchemists and since you have nothing to do, I thought it'd be easiest to just bring you along."
Edward sighed, turning his head away from the Colonel in anger. He actually did have things to do, like look for a way to get he and Al's bodies back. Not that it concerns him… Edward thought.
"Well when are we going? Do I have to sit and watch you sign papers all day?"
"We'll be leaving at 0800 tomorrow. Do you think you can meet me here on time?"
"You bet your ass… Hey, you alright?"
Roy looked up at Edward as he stared at him.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know if it's the light or something but you look a little pale."
"I feel fine… Are you worried for me, Fullmetal?" he said with a mocking grin.
Edward tsked and turned away. "Hell no! Why would I worry about your stupid ass? Stupid bastard…"
Roy only smiled. He knew that Edward was covering up concern. They had always gone on like this, this father-son/superior-subordinate relationship between them. He couldn't tell if they liked each other or not half the time but Edward was one of the few people –not including the men under Roy already- that could take and give without having to walk on eggshells. He knew the boy had a hard exterior but he also knew that he genuinely cared for people, which he liked because he knew that with Edward, he was getting everything.
Edward, on the other hand, wished that Roy would just get out his butt. It seemed like he was always trying to do something to make him mad and though he tried, he always feel right in Roy's traps. Sure he sometimes looked at Roy as a father figure (considering it was the only male headship that he and Al had ever really had) but most of the time he was like an annoying big brother that just didn't know how to quit. He wished that he would act more like the father figure instead of a jerk but he could only get what was given. Besides, it was a little something at least; much more than his real father ever gave him or Al.
"Alright then, 8:00. Meet you here or at your house?"
"Here is fine. I'll just walk here and we'll get a car here or something."
Ed nodded and got up but turned around again.
"Colonel?" Roy looked up. "It's going to snow tonight; it's been threatening it all day. You should probably not walk home."
"That's two for two, Fullmetal. Next time I just might believe your concern is genuine." He said with a bemused look.
That did it for Ed and he tromped out of the office in a huff. Roy just chuckled after him as Riza walked into the room.
"He didn't look very happy."
"We have a mission to go on tomorrow that requires two alchemists."
"Ah and he's not looking forward to working one on one with you, huh?"
"That's the idea."
She laughed a little at one of her favorite comrades and looked at Roy again.
"You look pale, Colonel. Make sure you cover up and get some good sleep tonight."
"Sleep." He made a funny sound. "As if."
Riza only smiled at him and went back to her desk to work on some projects that were going on.
Roy worked all into the night, well past 1:00 when he finally yawned loudly and looked at the time.
"Shit." He said gruffly, getting up. "I should get going."
He grabbed his coat and left the office to walk home since it was only a few blocks away.
He opened the doors to headquarters and a gust of chilling wind flew right through his soul. The hairs all over his body rose up like they had been raised from the dead and were now at attention, reaching to the sky. Roy shivered and tried to pull the coat around him but the collar was not tall enough nor thick enough to keep the cold from getting into his bones.
He shivered violently and coughed, thinking it was a bad idea to walk home and he should turn around and get a car. But he had to get home and walking was quicker than having to call someone to go find a car, drive it around, and do all the other stuff required just to acquire a car. He breathed in and stuck his hands in his pockets, heading to the sidewalk and walking home.
Once he got to his apartment, he put the key in the door, grabbed a handful of chips to eat as dinner/breakfast and then went up to his room. He pulled off his uniform and threw it on the floor, not caring about what it would look like in the morning considering he had three others on their respective hangers to choose from.
He brushed his teeth and climbed into bed, falling asleep quickly.
The next day, Edward stretched and moved his automail around. He shivered, feeling the coolness of the day even through the closed window beside him. He smelled breakfast cooking and thanked Al silently for his sometimes maternal skills. He brushed his teeth and looked at his pocket watch for the time. He had plenty of time to eat and take his time this morning… He brushed his hair and braided it neatly and put his black tank on, holding his red cloak over his shoulder as he descended the stairs with a trudge and a yawn.
"Morning, Al."
"Morning Brother. Do you have time to eat before you have to meet the Colonel?"
"Yeah, I got time."
Alphonse put a plate down and sat in the chair next to his brother.
"I can't taste it so I hope that it's not too salty or anything."
"Nah, it's good. It's going to be really cold out today so I hope we don't have to do anything outside or something."
"Well, he is the Flame Alchemist; at least he'll be able to keep you warm."
"Oh yeah, that's true."
He ate breakfast and then glanced at his pocket watch again, seeing that it was close to 8:00. He put his cloak on and grabbed his gloves.
"I'll see you later, Al."
"Bye, Brother!"
Edward walked outside and walked to headquarters. He went inside and up to where Roy's men were. Upon entering, Edward found only Riza and Fuery working and they looked up.
"Morning, Edward, did you sleep well?" Riza asked him.
He nodded. "Yeah. Where's the Colonel?"
Riza looked at the clock on the wall that now said 8:06.
"He should be here any minute. Take a seat in his office and wait for him if you like."
Ed nodded, walking into the medium office and plopping down on the couch. He grinned a little, happy that the Colonel was late for he could catch a little nap.
Hawkeye watched the clock as it rolled around to 8:30 with still no sign of Roy. She began to get worried and got up to check on Edward to make sure he wasn't fuming. She found him asleep and nudged his foot with her knee. He shot into the air and looked around frantically, laying his eyes on Riza.
"Oh, Hawkeye. I thought you were the Colonel… Hey, where is he?"
"I don't know. Usually he's pretty punctual when it comes to missions. There's a phone on his desk if you want to give him a ring."
Edward dialed Roy's phone number. The phone rang and rang but just before it went out, Edward heard the line click open and shuffling.
"Mustang…" a tired voice said over the phone.
"Where the hell are you?! I've been waiting at headquarters for thirty minutes! Don't be late my ass…"
"Fullmetal?"
"WHO ELSE YOU JERK?! Where are you?!"
"Oh… on my way… Just wait outside…"
He hung up and Edward hung the phone up with a slam.
"Well?" Riza asked.
"He's still in bed… The Colonel's hardly ever late or in bed at this hour…"
"Are you worried?"
"No." he snapped.
Riza smiled as she turned around and went back to her desk, tapping a group of papers on her desk. She knew that Edward cared for the colonel deeply, even though they treated each other with disrespect and acted like cats and dogs together. There was a quality they both had that made them understand things better than others could figure out. If Hawkeye had to pick what it was, it was almost like a father and son.
Edward grumbled but went downstairs to the front of headquarters and then sat on the steps to wait. About twenty minutes later, a military car showed up and Edward stood up. Seeing that it was the Colonel, Edward's anger flared up as he went around to the other side and got in the car.
"You're totally late. I thought you said we had to meet at '0800 hours, Fullmetal'?" Edward said, mocking his superior with a bad voice.
"Sorry." Mustang said as they traveled onward. "I was up late last night working."
Edward scoffed and looked out the window.
"Where are we going anyway?"
"Something to do with bad landslides…" Roy mumbled as he clenched the steering wheel.
He was getting nauseas. He didn't know why but for some reason riding in the car was making his stomach feel as if it were flipping around, creeping ever so slowly up toward his mouth. He swallowed, trying to keep his salivating mouth from preparing itself for the purge. He had quelled it for a moment when the car hit a bump that sent his stomach flying in his body and he immediately slung the car to the side of the road.
The jerking of the car caused Edward to fall over on the bench seat of the car as the driver's side door opened and the sound of someone vomiting caught his ears. Cautiously, Edward crawled to the other side of the seat and looked down in the snow, finding Mustang hurling into it. Edward almost did the same as he saw the hot steamy chunks in the cold snow making steam rise off of it. He pulled himself back into the car and opened his side to go around to the Colonel.
Shit! Roy thought as he heaved up more of his stomach contents. The pain from the barfing alone was enough to incapacitate him lest the need for the smell of his own digestive mishap on the ground. He dry heaved a couple of times before he felt that he could stand up and not have his stomach roll again. He braced his hand on the door of the car when he felt someone helping him lean against it. He opened his eyes as Edward watched him with concerned golden eyes.
"You don't look good, Colonel."
"What gave that away?"
"I'm serious, Mustang. You looked pale yesterday but along with you vomiting, you look even more pale." Edward took his glove off and grabbed Roy's uniform, pulling him down to his level as his hand when to forehead. "You have a raging fever!"
"What are you, my mother?"
"I aughta be."
"It's just a fever."
"Just a fev- Just- Do you realize that you can die from this?!"
"It's not that serious, Edward." Roy said, pushing Ed's hand away. "You can't die from a little fever."
"Yes you can. My mother died from sickness, she had fevers, and they killed her. We need to not do this mission."
"I can't abandon my duties, Fullmetal."
"Well you-"
"Get back in the car, we're going to the site." Roy said in a more authoritative voice before the kid got himself in a fight. "I can't abandon a mission because I have a bit of stomach trouble. Help me into the car."
"Should you even drive?"
"I'm fine now… That helped a little, the vomiting."
Edward made a face but helped him into the car and went around to get in on his side. They continued to drive on but the more they drove, the paler and greener Roy began to get. Edward didn't stare or let on that he was watching his superior but he saw how Roy would grip the steering wheel or swallow hard and put his hand over his mouth to keep from doing it again. The motion of the car was taunting his weak stomach…
"Hey, pull over for a second."
"Why?"
"You're about to keel over. You're sweating bullets and look like crap. We're going back."
"You can't-"
"Roy." Edward said, looking into the black eyes of his superior with new determination. "Stop the car."
Roy pulled up on the gas and the car slowed to a halt on the side of the road. Once it was completely stopped, Edward got out of the car and went around to the driver's side door, opening it up.
"What are you-"
"Just scoot over."
Mustang was about to yell at him when he felt his stomach spasm and he quickly pushed Ed out of the way to fall on his knees and start vomiting again. He coughed and shivered from the cold as he waited to make sure he didn't throw up again.
Ed reached out tentatively and rubbed his back a little when another wave came over his superior. Swallowing his own discomfort, he knelt next to him and continued to support Roy as the contents kept coming up. Roy's eyes were watering and it felt like his face as trying to rip itself in two with each heave.
"It's alright, Colonel… Just let it all out…"
He coughed again and waited but nothing came up again. Edward helped him stand up as he swayed a little and reached for the car door. He helped Roy in and he leaned his head against the window, closing his eyes with his hand on his stomach, falling asleep fairly quick.
When Roy opened his eyes again, he was not in the car but in an apartment that looked kind of like his. He blinked, shivering a little and pulling the covers he had on him closer to his neck. He heard something to the side and then saw Al's metal face looking at him in concern –though how he knew that he'd never know.
"Ah, Colonel, you're awake. We were worried about you."
"Where am I?" he rasped, not realizing how hoarse his voice was.
"In our apartment."
"Did we finish our mission?" he asked in a slur as he tried to sit up.
"No." he heard from above him.
He looked up as Edward watched him from the back of the couch and Roy furrowed his eyebrows.
"I thought I told you-"
"I already called headquarters and told them that we were not able to fulfill the mission because of serious illness. The Fuhrer tried to get pissy but I told him that if we had gone through with the mission on a man who could barely stand, hardly see, and looked like a ghost walking around then the mission would not be completed to standards. I asked him if he would rather get it done right the first time or if he wanted it done half-assed by a sick alchemist that couldn't focus. He agreed that he would rather have it done right and has excused you for the weekend."
Roy stared at the boy over him in shock and admiration. He didn't think Edward had a formal bone in his body but the way he handled the delay and the outright denial of doing the mission was professional and adult.
"I see…"
"You shouldn't push yourself so hard, Colonel." Alphonse said, squeezing a cloth from some water and sitting it on his forehead. "You have other people that can help."
"I don't know why you're making such a deal over it. Why didn't you call the doctor?"
"We tried but in your delirious state you yelled for us not to." Edward said with a face as he rubbed his cheek. "You punched me in the face for that."
"Just take a rest…" Al said.
Roy didn't want to but pulled the covers closer and snuggled into their couch, finding it comfortable despite still being in half of his uniform. The boys had taken his boots and socks off along with his military jacket and had laid them on the chair that was next to the door. Roy pulled off the wet rag since it was falling down and felt his own head. He had to admit that it was hotter than normal and it would be nice if he could just sleep for a while…
Later than night, Edward ate the soup that al had cooked, finding his brother's 'blind' cooking was actually very good.
"I find it amazing that despite the fact that you can't taste the food, you get the spices pretty spot on." He commended his younger brother.
If Al could blush, would have as he turned away.
"Thank you, Brother." He looked over at the Colonel, who was deep in sleep and sprawled out on the couch and snoring. "Should we wake him and give him something to eat?"
Edward looked over and let a smile creep onto his lips as he looked at his superior with relief and admiration.
"Nah, let him sleep. That bozo works too hard for his own good. If someone didn't kick him in the ass every once in a while and make him realize that he's human too, he'd be dead."
Alphonse nodded. "He appreciates it, Brother. Even if he doesn't say it."
Ed looked at his soup and smiled. "Yeah I know…"
That idiot is such a dick sometimes but I can't help but care about him. Edward secretly thought, unbeknownst to his brother and the very relaxed Colonel.