Warning: Roy/Ed smidgens
Rating: T
Summary: "It was so obvious." A spiel on Roy and Ed as they are traveling in a train to somewhere.
For Pat who is my good friend and I don't appreciate her as much as I should. May her great love for all good fiction be it fan or otherwise continue on. (And her hate for Mary-sues and Gary stus ;) teasing.) I'm glad you IM-ed me that one time a long time ago, Pat. You've given me inspiration, support, and a wonderful friendship.
I'll stop before you drown in sap but I mean it.
They were always very careful but sometimes it was noticeable. It was the little things after all.
Ed always sat to his right. No matter where they were or what was happening he was always to the right. It was so his 'good arm' was toward Roy. So occasionally if their hands should slip together Roy wouldn't feel the cold metal of a robotic limb no matter how well Winry made it. It wasn't so much he feared that Roy would be revolted by the touch of metal. He knew too well for that. He was scared of his own strength. Scared that he'd grip his fingers just a little too tight.
Roy didn't wear his gloves as often. It's romantic to think he wished to feel skin on skin but more likely he was scared that somehow the fingers would rub together or he'd hit something and burn Ed.
Ed still called him colonel, but the sarcasm had died down to a mere teasing edge.
Roy always smiled when Ed came into report. Their fighting was more of a friendly banter.
It was so obvious.
"Geez whiz, do you think you could've been more obvious?" Ed sneered slightly as Roy shut the compartment door. He wasn't really angry but it was more fun to rile up the colonel.
"I don't know what you mean," Roy said with the perfect air of offended dignity as he sat down across from his subordinate.
"The way you kicked Hawkeye outta the cabin it's surprising she hasn't shot your ass back to Central!" Ed smirked as Roy tugged on the lapels of his coat turning up his nose.
"She should follow the commands given."
"You make sounding like an ass an art form I hope you know."
"And you can hear me with those microscopic ears of yours?"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT THEY NEED A MAGNIFYING GLASS JUST TO BE SEEN!"
"Do calm down, Fullmetal, no need to make a scene," Roy said smugly. Ed glared daggers at the colonel. "Now be a good dog and tell me your report."
"Why maybe me and Hawkeye can start a mutiny against your sorry ass."
"Mutinies only occur on ships, Edward. I was surprised at Hawkeye's reluctance though." Edward had to bite his cheek as it looked like Roy was contemplating his second rebelling and not looking very happy with what he saw.
It was silent for a few moments and Ed looked back at Roy wondering why the colonel wasn't ripping into him about his latest waste of military funds only to see the colonel gazing at him softer than before. It brought a half-smile to his face.
"Ya know maybe she was reluctant to leave because she thought you'd take advantage of your rank, if you understand my meaning," Edward replied grinning shamelessly.
"My rank does constitute several advantages," Roy said with a grin of his own.
To make the story short somehow they both wound up on the same side of the cabin. Edward's arm was comfortably around Roy's back and Roy had one hand wrapped around Ed his hand messing with the alchemist's bangs. Ed rubbed his cheek into the flaps of Roy's coat hoping to wrinkle it some before he left.
Roy was looking at some papers in his other hand, all of it was boring legal work to Edward who simply didn't bother to look.
"Where's Al?" Roy questioned sounding like he was making conversation for the sake of conversation. Edward realized he sounded that way much of the time.
"He went to talk to Major Armstrong. I think he suspects," Ed said with a comical suspicious expression. Roy smiled lightly.
"He is your brother," Roy added flipping the page in his report.
"Why Colonel Mustang was that an indirect compliment?" Ed gasped going so far as to sit up and show Roy his fake-surprise.
"I'm sure it's something that Al regrets everyday," Roy prodded back. He turned the page of his report not noticing the silence of his friend. (Yes friend -cough cough hack-)
After a few moments of silence and a lack of Edward glomping him (Ed was quite fond of human contact Roy blamed it on early loss of his family) Roy looked over to see Edward staring out the window, looking pained. He quickly re-thought the last occurrences and realized what had happened.
He tugged on the braid of the smallest military regular. Edward turned to look at him, his cocky attitude already back in place hints of angst seeping in.
"Don't touch the hair," Ed jibbed lamely. Roy put an arm around his shoulders.
"When are you going to stop blaming yourself? You know Al doesn't blame you. No one blames you, Edward. Al loves being with you. He loves hisonii-san very much," Roy stated very matter-o-factly. With a tiny smirk he added, "Even if he is short."
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A TINY INSIGNIFICANT ANT!"
Roy smiled his smug smile again before mussing Edward's hair throughly basking in the growl of rage Edward emitted.
Silence reigned again but this time it was a pleasent silence. Roy left his report forgotten where he'd dropped it on the floor while he kept his left arm around Edward who leaned against him.
It hadn't occurred to Roy before how well they were suited. Roy was right-handed. While this didn't seem important it was fundamentally perhaps the single greatest factor in their relationship. Since Roy was right-handed he felt comfortable doing things like wrapping hisright arm around Ed and holding Ed's hand with his right. This allowed Ed to have his right arm close to him, and touch with his left.Ed was always self-conscious about his right arm and made sure it wasn't near anyone; to have it smushed between their bodies as any sort of contact was initiated would have bothered the little alchemist greatly.
There were of course the problems with the relationship. The key one being age...or maybeheight. Roy sometimes believed that his height bothered Ed the most. Roy, however, could never escape the uncomfortable truth that he was twenty-nine to Edward's sixteen...or what is it seventeen now?
The hand not wrapped around Ed came up to rub his eyes. Another problem was both of their constant travels. It wasn't as if they stayed in the same place for longer than a week and rarely were they together.
Was this really fair to the younger alchemist? A relationship for all its good points that was still doomed to failure? Sometimes, Roy thought jadedly, he deserved all the bad things that happened to himself.
He was distracted when a hand mussed his hair. Blinking he looked over to see Ed sitting up on his knees rubbing his normal hand through his hair.
"Hah! How's it feel now, ya bastard?" Ed taunted.
Roy knew that the boy had only done it to relieve him of his own depressing thoughts. He nudged Ed in the ribs.
"Get down before you fall and I step on you."
"Wha!" Ed started but was cut off as Roy covered his hand with his mouth.
"Thank you, Ed."
Ed blinked and Roy could feel the smile behind his hand. The corners of Roy's mouth turned up some too and for once his smile wasn't overly smug. That was until Ed's mouth opened, white teeth flashing. Roy yanked his hand back just in time to be saved from the alchemist's jaws.
Roy glared at him and Ed smiled triumphantly.
"Now Fullmetal about your report..."
Ed groaned and Roy regained his haughty smug disposition.
Maybe it wouldn't work but it didn't matter. It was obviously worth it. That was all.
A/N:
Not usually one for the Roy/Ed. I don't dislike it or anything (though the age thing sorta gets me) I just haven't ever given it a shot. I think it turned about pretty good. I would've liked to make them older to satisfy my age-problem thing but it didn't fit the storyline and I wasn't going for AU.
I know it was Ed's right arm that was messed up but I may have gotten my directions confused on a few instances. Sorry for the complication if there's a problem.
Hope you all enjoyed it especially you Pat. I luf you. Heh maybe I'll write another for your birthday or other special occasion-ie thing.(if you liked this. If you didn't just make gestures I understand). I was pretty happy with this wish it was a bit longer and more plot-ie.
Please no flames I'm always insecure about new fandoms. I do love all comments even constructive ones. -
Have a good day.