A/N: Hi again. This is ChouAoi, back again with a new oneshot for the RoyEd challenge by fullmetal'sgirl92. This was inspired by the song 'Pictures of You' by The Last Goodnight, and the lyrics for it start and end the story. I hope you enjoy my new oneshot. Please feel free to review and tell me what you think - and if there's anything I need to improve on.
Thank you and enjoy.
--
Pictures of you, pictures of me
Hung upon your wall for the world to see
Pictures of you, pictures of me
Remind us all of what we used to be
--
Edward always hated being forced - only by duty alone - to visit Roy Mustang in his stupid stuffy office, just to orally report his findings on the latest search for the Stone. Being in that room reminded him of that short affair between the two, and it made him dislike the despicable, lazy-ass, bastard of a colonel even more.
Roy had, for some reason unknown to him, kept the small handful of pictures that featured the two during that time. At least once during his brief stay at Headquarters he would accidentally catch his smiling face, his past self oblivious to the pain he felt now. His throat would close as he remembered the words of love that Roy would whisper in his ear, the broken promises, that no longer mattered.
He stared at the large mahogany desk instead of that heartbreaking face, and mumbled in the quietest voice he could manage - just to piss him off. He had always enjoyed doing that.
"Ed," Roy broke in, interrupting the flow of words issuing from his mouth, "do you ever miss that time with me?"
The blond lifted his head and stared at the colonel in astonishment, and abruptly tore his gaze away, scowling at the wall. He couldn't care now...not after all this time..."And what do you plan on doing about it, Mustang?" he asked venomously.
Roy sighed, almost in defeat. "Do you miss that time, Ed?" he questioned again, trying to shift in his seat so that he could meet the boy's eye, wondering what he was thinking.
Edward whipped around to face him again, glaring daggers with sharp golden eyes. "Why should I answer to that? Just because I lay awake at night, wondering what I did wrong, unable to stop thinking of--" He broke off, tears glistening in his eyes, an embarrassed flush painting his pale cheeks. He gestured wildly at the pictures. "That is what we could have been Roy. But no, you had to throw it away, all for the sake of your damn job. And now you decide that you're concerned about me? It's too late now, so leave me the hell alone."
He stood and walked towards the boy, a serious expression on his face. "Would you forgive me if I apologized?"
"No."
His short answer brought a knowing smirk to the man's lips, and Edward scowled, turning away.
"But Ed, I'm not lying when I say that I miss you. I miss having you in my arms, I miss waking up to your smiling face in the mornings, I miss your butterfly kisses... I wish we could go back to that time. I am sorry that I hurt you - and I know that there is nothing I can do to take your hurt away. But could you ever forgive me?"
Edward pouted, stubbornly not looking at him. "No fair, you bastard. You're copying me." He hesitated, biting his lip, and suddenly ran to the colonel and hugged him tightly, burying his face into the fabric of the military-issued uniform. Startled, Roy stumbled back a step and stared down at the small blond with shock in his eyes. "I miss you, too," the oldest Elric mumbled. "I can't get you out of my head, not even your damn smirk. I do forgive you. But why did you have to break it off so abruptly, without warning?"
He saw the cold gaze of the black eyes that had drilled into him that day, and heard the words once more that forever remained imprinted on his heart: "I don't love you, Edward. I never did." Emotion swelled in his chest, but he fought it back down, waiting for Roy's response, wanting to hear the words that would contradict his memories.
The colonel wrapped his arms securely around his small frame, resting his chin on the boy's head. "I'm sorry I had to do that. The higher-ups were getting close to me, digging into my military record - even if they didn't know it by heart already - so that I could be eligible to rise to the next rank. I was forced to put our relationship to an end when I didn't want to, only for your own safety. I didn't want for them to find out about your failed human transmutation--"
Edward shuddered at the memory. He could still remember that horrible, rain-drenched night lit with crackling thunder and vicious lightening - that must have been an omen, but he had been too young and too oblivious to the danger to understand - pleading for his mother, screaming in terror when he realized what he and his brother had done.
"--and the truth about Al's body. I was trying so hard to prevent an investigation into your past that would hurt you, but now I see that I was the one instead who had hurt you. And I'm sorry for that. The realization of what I had done kept me awake many nights, starting but never ending many debates with myself, struggling with my emotions. I hope to be able to make it up to you. I am so, so sorry."
Edward hesitated again, waiting to see if there was more, and looked back up at the colonel for a long moment before grinning impishly. An answering smile danced on Roy's lips; he looked pleased. The blond trailed his fingers up his chest, and unexpectedly he pulled him down by the collar so that their eyes were level, the endless black depths staring into bright amber sparking with life. "You don't have to apologize, silly Roy. I've already forgiven you, a long time ago. It just has taken me this long to voice it."
"I'm glad. Do you think we could go back to the way things were?"
"Hm..." Edward paused, acting as though he were thinking about it, and laughed. He leaned forward as if he were about to kiss him, but pulled away at the last moment and grinned again at the bewildered expression on his favorite colonel's face.
"And if you break up with me again, I will cheerfully beat you to death with a shovel."
--
Confess to me, every secret moment
Every stolen promise you believed
Confess to me, all that lies between us
All that lies between you and me...