My new story and my first Full Metal Alchemist one! Roy x Ed of course because I'm obsessed with this pairing. It's just so adorable!

When It All Falls Apart

Chapter 1

No POV (Though it is more focused on Roy)

Colonel Mustang sat at his desk signing paper after paper, burning the occasional one about something particularly ridiculous, mentally cursing Edward for taking so long.

He had gotten a phone call from elder Elric over an hour ago telling him that he was at Central station. Of course he'd also complained about having an escort, especially Major Armstrong, using colourful language not at all suitable for for a child such as himself or his brother. Anyway, he'd been waiting for the kid's arrival since then, anything to stop doing paperwork, but he still wasn't here.

"Where is that brat?!" The colonel yelled impatiently. Just as he said this, the door swung open and the Fullmetal Alchemist trudged through and dropped himself down on the couch. This was a normal enough action, the same thing he did every time he entered his superior's office, but something seemed off today. The boy seemed stressed. Even in his casual position Mustang could see that his muscles were tense and his mind was whirring away.

Roy sat down again, trying to seem casual after his outburst.

"So how was the mission?" The Flame Alchemist asked, looking for Ed's report on his desk but still not finding it. "Where's you report Fullmetal?"

A minute later and the teen still had not said anything, he'd barely even moved since he sat down. Roy moved toward him and crouched in front of him.

"Hey. Fullmetal." The Colonel asked, waving a hand in front of the other's dazed eyes.

Suddenly, Edward jolted back to attention and was shocked at how close they were. He moved back quickly, trying to put some distance between the two of them.

"W- why are you so close, bastard?" Ed stuttered, a blush rising to his cheeks.

"Because, Fullmetal, you spaced out and ignored my questions."

"Oh... sorry..." The golden haired male muttered.

'Fullmetal apologised? I was suspicious before but now I know something is wrong. He never apologises, especially not to me!'

The raven haired man leaned forward, regaining the close proximity that Ed had removed. He studied the teen, trying to figure out what was bothering him. Tension was evident in all aspects of the him; he was sitting rigidly, muscles tensed and eyes shifty. Edward was uncomfortable with how close they were but even more so, he was shocked to see concern in the other man's gaze when he asked "What's wrong?"

"W- wha- what? Who said anything's wrong?" The younger man stuttered again.

"It's so obvious. You'd better relax or it could start affecting your work." Roy said thinking quickly to cover up his genuine worry and to try to regain some normalcy to the situation.

Ed then looked away but Roy saw disappointment clear in his expression.

"Oh right. My work." He mumbled miserably.

Roy decided that hiding his concern would only make the situation worse. As he thought this, he saw tears begin to form in his subordinate's eyes and it was a shocking reminder of just how young the alchemist in front of him actually was.

He always acted so strong and confident and he was so intelligent and talented that it was easy to forget that the Fullmetal alchemist wasn't even a legal adult yet.

He dealt with everything that came at him and remained calm and strong while doing it, never wanting to worry his little brother but no one could deny that Edward Elric had seen some truly horrifying and traumatising things in his short life and throughout it all, not once had he cried, talked to anyone about it or asked for help. He dealt with it all alone as usual. He never had anyone to lean on when things got tough and, for Ed, they sure as hell did. All the time. He was a truly admirable man even at only 15.

Now that I thought about it, it seemed inevitable that, at some point, Edward would break down. Even the strongest person couldn't deal with all that and just keep moving on. Whether it be becoming unreasonably angry and violent in a fight or just plain crying his heart out, it was going to happen some time. However, Roy was not expecting to be there when it happened and he definitely did not expect to be the only one there and to have to deal with it.

He looked at the boy and saw him trying to hold back tears, biting down roughly on his lower lip in an attempt to stop it. It wasn't working, Roy could tell. Already some of the tears were overflowing and slowly making their way down tan cheeks leaving glimmering trails in their midst.

He had never seen the golden haired boy looking so... vulnerable and childish before. The sight tugged at the colonel's heart but he couldn't help thinking how adorable he looked.

Acting on instinct since he had no experience at all with dealing with crying people, especially not 15 year old boys, he gently wrapped one arm around the kid's shoulders and pulled him into an awkward sideways hug.

Ed looked up at him suddenly, confusion and surprise emanating from mesmerising golden eyes like no others.

"I'm not very good at the whole comforting thing but I'm here for you. I thought you knew that. If you want to talk or... anything, you know where to find me and I'll do my best to help despite my inexperience.

People often forget how young you are because you always act so strong and confident. Just remember that a lot of people care about you Edward." Roy said.

He knew that a lot of the things in that speech would have got him punched in the face or laughed at on any other day but it was appropriate at the moment so he didn't really care. All he cared about at that moment was getting those beautiful but dreadful tears from Ed's face and the deep sorrow from those molten gold orbs.

The elder Elric looked shocked for a moment before his tears started coming even faster.

"Oh damn! I didn't mean to upset you even more! Stop. Stop crying..." Roy flailed, panicking and trying to figure out what he'd done wrong.

Ed smiled very slightly. "You didn't upset me. You really are new to this comforting thing, aren't you? It's just that...no one's ever said those things to me before and I definitely didn't expect them to be coming from you of all people, Colonel Bastard." He sniffled, the insult more like a pet name thanks to the almost affectionate tone he used when he spoke.

Then he turned and buried his face in the colonel's shirt, hiding his face from view. Roy put his other arm around the young alchemist and began to rub soothing circles on his back. He didn't know why, it just seemed lie a good thing to do.

As soon as the golden haired boy was laying practically on top of his superior, the metaphorical flood gates opened.

He began sobbing uncontrollably and clutching onto Roy's shirt.

"It's all my fault! It was my idea to try a human transmutation and I'm the one that persuaded Al to do it. Al wasn't sure about it right from the beginning. I'm so stupid! I knew that there had never been a successful attempt at a human transmutation. Why was I so naïve and arrogant as to think that a 10 year old boy could perform the first successful one. Why did I make him do it?! If I was so set on trying, I should have done it by myself. At least then Al wouldn't have been brought into all this shit. If I had been dragged into the gate, it would have been my fault but Al got the worse punishment and he didn't deserve it. I deserved it. I shouldn't have even considered committing a taboo."

Ed sniffed and shifted a little but the crying did not cease.

"I thought I could at least make up for it by getting his body back again but I can't even do that! I was given the perfect opportunity to make a Philosopher's Stone too and I could have gotten Al's body back to normal but I couldn't do it! I put strangers before my own brother!

I just wanted us to have out mom back. He deserves so much better than the life we have now, He deserves better than me... I'm a terrible brother! Always going on missions and taking him into so many dangerous, sometimes life threatening, situations that I can't even count them all. And I still can't fix what I did! I don't deserve Al as a brother..."

Edward then returned to sniffling and sobbing but the colonel could still hear fragments of sentences like 'I'm sorry', 'He must hate me' and 'I'm a terrible brother'.

Roy was shocked, to say the least. He'd been keeping all of this to himself for all this time?! How had he not gone insane?! He couldn't believe that these were the kinds of thoughts Ed had about himself everyday... How does he manage it? How can he possibly believe those things about himself. He proves every one of those wrong almost every day!

Terrible brother?! Roy had never seen a better brother anywhere in Amestris and he give any amount of money to some one who could find a more loyal and supportive brother anywhere in the world.

Roy hugged the teen closer to him in an attempt to calm both the blonde and himself. It was a bit distressing to see Ed like this.

"You couldn't be further from the truth Ed." Roy announced causing Ed to look up at him in surprise.

He had tear tracks all over his face that glistened in a beautiful way that was just so wrong for the situation. Roy could feel that his shirt was soaked and while that would would have usually annoyed him because it was ruining his shirt, now it annoyed him for completely different reasons. Now it was evidence of his subordinate's misery and Roy wanted to get rid of it in any way possible.

"You are in absolutely no way stupid. Everyone makes mistakes but that doesn't make you stupid, it makes you human. You are the youngest ever state alchemist, how could you possibly be stupid?! You're a prodigy!

Al thinks you are an amazing brother and so does everyone else who has ever met you. You're the most dedicated person I've ever met! If Al had been completely against the transmutation, he wouldn't have done it. He was young but so were you and you could both think for yourselves perfectly well. He wanted your mother back just as much as you did and you have been doing everything you possibly could have ever since then."

Roy paused to allow Ed a moment to take all of that in before continuing.

"And about the creation of the Philosopher's Stone, you think that Al thinks you're a terrible brother for that?! He would have been mortified if you had sacrificed so many people for him. I know Al quite well now and I know that he would rather stay as a suit of armour forever than you kill hundreds of people, especially considering how absolutely devastated and wretched you would feel. Trust me, I know how it feels..."

Edward continued to look at Roy for a moment before placing his head on the older man's chest, still sniffling a little but the crying had stopped now.

"Thank you." Ed mumbled, nuzzled into the material. "Sorry for crying all over your shirt and making you listen to all that."

"Forget about the shirt; it doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're feeling better now." Roy assured the boy. When he received no answer, he looked down only to find the teen's eyes were closed and his breathing had slowed considerably.

'Kid fell asleep on me! Well he's probably exhausted. He looks pretty cute when he's asleep though...No! Bad Roy! Now is not the time for those kinds of thoughts.' The Flame alchemist mentally reprimanded himself.

"Well I guess I'll just take a nap then." The colonel decided aloud. He gently wiped a few remaining tears from the blonde's eyes and proceeded to fall asleep on the couch, Ed asleep on top of him.

When It All Falls Apart

I should really work on my touch typing...

Hope you liked it. Please review! :D