RIGHT IS WRONG

Roy/Ed

Written 10.Nov.06

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. I am a Risembool Ranger, though, so that has to count for something….

All through life there are decisions that must be made, and sometimes there are no good options, or the right choice will almost certainly be viewed as the wrong one by everyone not involved. Sometimes one such decision lead to another such decision.

Roy watched from a careful distance as his youngest officer -- the youngest officer -- mentally beat himself up. The boy -- young man, corrected his subconscious -- really was just that stupid sometimes. It had been orders. That was almost all there was to it.

He waited a few minutes longer, giving the boy's -- young man's! insisted that irksome little voice again -- violent streak a chance to settle. Then he made his presence known.

"Are you finished, Fullmetal?"

Golden eyes tightened, not looking at him, and a silver fist flew out to smash into the wall one last time. Just to be difficult. "Now I am. What do you want, Colonel?"

Roy paused. Here was the first choice. Second, corrected the voice. The first was gong over to talk to him in the first place. Oh, shut up, he thought at it. He decided to respond honestly and openly.

"Are you alright, Edward?"

He saw the other's shoulders stiffen, and heard a lied, "I'm fine." He knew better.

"No, you're not, Edward. It's obvious."

"Well, if it's so GODDAMNED OBVIOUS why'd you ask in the FIRST PLACE!?" The blonde's voice rose and cracked sporadically. Roy shook his head slowly, not finding suitable words for a reply at first.

"Because…sometimes…some things just need to be asked aloud."

Ed snorted. "So I'm not fine. I will be. Go away, Colonel Bastard, before I transmute you into something pink and sparkly."

The second -- third? -- choice presented itself. Roy made his decision. Turning the boy -- young man! exclaimed the voice, emphatic now -- forcibly around, Roy pulled the startled teen into a loose embrace. "Just let me help, Ed…that's all I'm asking." Edward's shoulders were stiff, but as Roy stroked circles on his back some of the tension left them. The -- oh, alright -- young man's mismatched fists were clenched.

"I killed them, Colonel."

"They would have killed dozens more."

"But…I took human lives. Using alchemy!" And now his protégé's voice sounded strangled. "Alchemy's supposed to help people, but all it seems to do is hurt them, wreck their lives… I don't understand it…!"

Oh, Ed…such innocence…how did you manage to retain that, with all you've seen and done…? Roy closed his eyes and held Fullmetal closer. "It's the way of the world, Edward. It's not pretty, but there you have it. Human beings distort beautiful things and turn them for uses in war and pain." He kept stroking Ed's back and -- oh so hesitantly - Ed brought his arms up around Roy's torso. Dark eyes flickered open for a moment, focusing on the blonde's scrunched up features, before closing again. When had the boy last received a hug? Or any physical sing of affection?

Choice number four.

"Edward?" He turned the fair face up to look at him, only to have it wrenched away again and buried against his chest. "Oh, Edward. Tears are nothing to be ashamed of."

"They were evil…and I still feel awful for killing them…"

Roy forced his face up again and leaned in to kiss him. Choice five.

Sharp shock for a second, the he felt the young lieutenant relax into it. That had was the sixth choice, and it had been Edward's.

When they finally pulled apart, Ed's eyes were wide with…something. Roy would figure out with what later. "The world is full of choices, Ed. Often, there's only one choice at any given time. But in such situations, you then have the choice to accept that choice. A lot of the time the choices we make will seem wrong to most everyone else. Like that kiss. You had the choice to push me away, or to kiss back. I'm glad you made the choice you did, but not everyone will be, if they find out. So now you have another couple choices."

"What…?" Ed's voice scratched across Roy's ears, and he felt a pang of sympathy.

"Choice seven: accept that what you did this morning was the only real option. Accept it as easily as you just accepted my kiss."

"Choice seven, huh? What happened to the first six…?"

Roy smiled. "I made the first few choices for you. Choice eight is to dwell on it, or to put it in the past where it belongs.

"Choice nine…? That choice is to find something new to occupy your attention."

"And choice ten is deciding whether or not and how to tell Al what that new occupying thought happens to be."

Roy laughed, and kissed him again. He didn't regret a single choice.

THE END

Yay for Roy/Ed slashy goodness! Lol. I heart this pairing. Bring it on, flamers! Also, bring it on reviewers…! I want lots of pretties, onegai! Thank you! (Or, as we say here in Taiwan, Xiexie!)