Half Lives: Cease Fire

Pt 3

By The Binary Alchemist 2011

"I want to show you something."

"Hmmmm?" Roy glanced up from the snow fort he was building with the help of Maes, while Nina snuggled contentedly in the warm folds of her father's coat, her dark head peeking out from under Ed's chin"

"Why don't we 'chemy it?" Maes demanded impatiently. Once the child had seen his uncle and Roy and Nana 'Zumi use Alchemy the boy became obsessed with the idea of creating things quickly with the slap of his chubby hands. "Then we done, Unka Roy!"

Roy straightened the boy's knitted cap and knelt down beside in the snow. "Half the fun is making something with your own hands, Maes. Alchemy is for special things. If you can make it with your hands, it's always the best way."

"But—but—Mommy's coming! I wanna done 'fore she gets here!"

His father's lover winked. 'It will be, if you help—now let's get back to work!"

From the doorway, Izumi nodded in approval. Roy was proving a good role model for what would undoubtedly be another impulsive Elric alchemist. Impressing upon young Maes and Nina that alchemy was not for everyday tasks now would help them later in life. "Honey, get out there and help Maes—he thinks Roy's not working fast enough to get the snow fort ready for Winry to see."

The burly giant put his back into it and between the three of them it was finished. Then Ed hoisted Nina up and helped her put up a homemade sign in crayon that said "WELCOME MOMMY!" and place a wreath of evergreens and red winter berries on top. "Good job, Nina!" Ed praised the little girl. "Your mom is really going to like this! You made it all pretty for her. Now," He swung her down to the ground, "go get warmed up. Nana's got some hot cocoa for you and Maes and Uncle Al's made gingerbread. And after you wake up from your nap Poppa and Nana will take you down to meet your mom, okay!"

"'Kay!" she giggled, and not for the first time Ed got a lump in his throat at the sight of his daughter's dark hair and the green eyes that were so reminiscent of the grandmother she would never know. She's got Mom's good nature, he noted with relief. Same as Al did. Maes is just like me—but he's got some of that goodness too. Maybe if he's raised right he won't turn out like I did…

Since the children couldn't see him, Roy snapped his fingers and a faint current of warm air circled the tiny structure, just enough to melt the surface so it would refreeze and become more stable. "Maes has a good eye for detail," he observed, dusting the snow off his trousers. "And since there are no spikes or skulls or scales on it, he thankfully didn't inherit your artistic taste—or lack thereof."

Ed shrugged and grinned. "Yeah, well…that's his Rockbell side. But he's itching to do alchemy. Glad you and Teacher and Al aren't rushing him. Don't want him to fuck up like I did."

Roy gave him a steady look that held Ed's attention. "Lessons learned, Ed. Maes will be fine. Now, what were you wanting to show me?""

#####

"Beautiful. But it must have been hell when you and Al were kids."

"You have no idea. I honestly didn't think I'd get off that fuckin' island alive, what with Mason doing all that Monster Man in the Mask bullshit."

Below them, the clear sapphire water rippled under the icy breath of the winter wind, but they could clearly see Yock Island in the distance. "It was a fuckin' death camp to us when we were little—but the things we learned there we never would have learned any other way."

Roy nodded. "One is all—and all is One. No easy way to teach that truth…and no easy way to learn."

Ed glanced at his lover. "Where'd you go for your ordeal?"

"I didn't"
"Huh?"

"Dealing with my Master's madness was ordeal enough. He—let's just say there are many hells—and not all of them are in the wilderness. " An arm slid around Roy's shoulder. Roy leaned into that embrace, eyes steady on the horizon. "He broke me and reforged me. If he hadn't, I wonder if I would have been strong enough to survive the war. So no—I wouldn't change the conditions of my ordeal."

The arm around Roy tightened. "Maes….there's not going to be holding that kid back, is there?"

"No."

"I think…I'm pretty sure Granny and Winry could see it too. That…" Ed paused, trying to reach past the painful memory of recent events for clarity he didn't have at that time. "When we realized that the best thing for the kids—at least for now—was to let them stay with Sig and Izumi—it was mostly because of Maes. He's….fuck, that kid is so bright it scares me. Scares Winry, too. And Nina—she's still so little but those eyes don't miss anything. We can't risk anything that would mess them up."

Roy's arms pulled Edward in close so they were face to face now. "It was a hard choice, and an unselfish one. And in the end, you'll see that Maes and Nina may make their own mistakes—hell, they will make their own mistakes…but they won't repeat yours." He smiled and rested his forehead against Edward's. "I want to come back here in the summer—just the two of us. That island is very secluded. You and I could sleep out under the stars, fish for our dinner…make love in the surf…"

"I'm a fuckin' boat anchor and you know it."

"Yes, but in water, I'll be weightless. Do the math, idiot."

Edward considered the erotic logistics of warm water, moonlight, and Roy…weightless. His cheeks burned. "D-damn," he whispered.

"Precisely."

"Lots of vines in the jungle, you think?"

'I know."

"Mmmm. Strong enough to support your weight?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Roy shook his head ruefully. "Slow on the uptake today, aren't we?"

"Fuck you!"

"Ever heard of a Xingese basket swing?"

"HUH?" Ed was completely baffled.

"All I can say is that some of my discussions with your brother have been, ah, quite educational. A woven basket made of vines or rattan or in Ling's palace they are made of braided silk ropes. Large enough to hold a grown adult and there's a large opening in the bottom-"

"—you…you can't mean—"

"I most certainly do. Then, you would be the weightless party…"

Ed's trousers became uncomfortably tight. So did Roy's. "Save that thought for tonight," Roy whispered. He glanced at his watch. "Time to head back. I'm sure Winry's had time to settle in and get unpacked."

Ed's erection melted faster than an icicle in a spring thaw.

#####

She was thrilled and touched by the snow fort Maes had made for her. "Well, Unka Roy an' Poppa he'ped a li'l bit," he admitted. "Mostly I made it up!". Nina crawled in her arms and put a wreath of white snowdrops that Al had made on her mother's head with a big smoochy kiss. Izumi and Sig were all smiles, and from the kitchen Al emerged bearing a tea tray full of holiday treats he'd baked just for her. When he bent down to kiss her cheek, his face got very red and her heart began to thump wildly the way it once had for Al's brother.

She spent the rest of the snowy afternoon stringing popcorn and cranberries and hanging cookie stars her children on the fragrant evergreen branches of the Solstice Tree, while teaching the children some of the old Solstice Carols she'd learned from her mother and Aunt Trisha. "Hey, save some gingerbread for the Holly King," she teased Maes as he crammed another spice cookie into his mouth.

"Unka Al will hafta bake more if I eated them," he told her with a grin.

"Uncle Al has worked in the kitchen all day. Let him enjoy his cocoa."

Al was stretched out by the fire, feet on the hearth, his eyes alight with unreserved joy. Right this minute he was full up to the top with contentment. Everybody was laughing and joking and singing carols and the house smelled deliciously of spices and roast goose and mulled cider. If only….

If only what, Al? If only you could take her hand and tell her…

A loud bray of laughter from outside snapped him out of his reverie. Not this Solstice. Maybe not for a long time. Not until she knows who she is and what she really wants—and maybe that won't be me. But still…right now..this is so good…

"Daddy and Unka Roy are havn' a snowball fight outside with Mason!" Mae's crowed excitedly. Everybody but Winry raced to the window to see Mason lobbing great missiles of snow, only to be sizzled into nothingness with the snap of Roy's fingers.

Al glanced over at his childhood friend. "I'm glad you made it. Everybody's so excited you could be here."

Winry lifted her eyes towards the window. "Not everybody," she answered simply.

"Everybody," Al contradicted firmly. "Ed knows what it means to the kids and he said how important it was for both of you to be here."

She looked doubtful. Al rose and knelt by her chair. "I promise you…I promise you, Winry…it's going to be a good Solstice. Just….relax and let's have a good time, okay?"

"…okay…" she answered, smiling up at him. "Al…I…"

The door slammed open, and Mason staggered in, his dark hair clotted with ice and slush. "Ah ha! That'll teach you to ambush us, you son of a bi-" Before Winry could caution him, Ed censored himself, "…bitterly cold snowman!" He shook the snow out of his own hair and to her astonishment he actually smiled at her. "Hey! You made it! What do you think of Mae's snow fort? Pretty neat, huh?"

For an instant you could hear the needles drop off the evergreens.

Then Winry smiled back at Edward. "It's great. Did you guys have a good trip down? Izumi told me you had to dress up like Major Havoc…..Roy…"

Mustang nodded and smiled at his lover's former wife. "I don't know what was worse—the wig, the contacts or the cigarettes. But we're all here now, so it was worth it."

Izumi's eyes flew from Ed's face to Winry's, then to Roy's and finally on Al's. Such transparent children…but at least they're trying…and if they keep trying they'll succeed in breaking the ice. "Mason, take those groceries from Ed and Roy and put them up. Honey, get some more towels—I don't want wet snow in the house. Ed? You and Roy wash up and change for dinner. Al, set the table, will you? Winry—don't budge. You just stay and keep the kids out from underfoot while I get the goose out of the oven."

#####

"Mmmm…I still think I'd look better if I grew my moustache back." Roy appraised his handsome feature in the shaving mirror tacked on the wall above the washbasin in their tiny room. Ed had already shaved, washed up and looked handsome in his moss colored waistcoat and trousers and high collared shirt. Roy was wiping off the last of the shaving lather from his cheeks before donning the crisp white shirt, tie and pearl gray waistcoat he'd selected for the Solstice feast. Nothing strictly formal but now that Ed and Roy lived in the public eye so much even Ed took pains to look well put together most of the time.

Ed was combing up his heavy mane into a neat ponytail when Roy stepped behind him. "Let me." It was a private ritual between them, one of many that they adopted unconsciously, like tying one another's ties, sharing the shaving mirror and passing the razor back and forth, and inspecting one another before stepping out for the day.

A soft sound of pleasure accompanied the shiver that Roy always coaxed from Ed whenever his fingers brushed the nape of Ed's neck. A kiss lingered just under his left ear. "You smell good."

"You too—and if you even think about growing that hideous caterpillar back on your upper lip I'm gonna have Hawkeye shoot it off.."

"Oh? You mean it might not feel…mmm…a bit ticklish and teasing when I brush my lips over your-"

"ED! ROY! Dinner's ready!"

A warm, scarred palm slipped down the front of Ed's trousers and squeezed gently. "Think it over. You might like it—"

"Jeeze, don't get me all hard before we go out there!" Ed spluttered.

'Master those naughty thoughts, little boy," Roy taunted, nuzzling his earlobe, "and if you're good the Holly King will…come… down your chimney….later…."

"God, I hate you sometimes, you bastard!"

#####

"…and so the Holly King, the Great Alchemist of the North, flies across the night skies on the back of his stag Cymry and when he finds a house with good children in it he sliiiiides down the chimney—" here Ed pointedly avoided Roy's mischievous smirk,"—and then he transmutes the coal from the fireplace into wonderful toys and gifts. But if there are baaaaaad little children in the house—" here Alphonse wiggled his eyebrows for emphasis, "—all they will find there is cold ashes. Except of course for you dad-he used to find a bottle of milk in the ashes too—"

Ed shot his brother a poisonous look. "—why don't you shut your go—"

Everyone at the table froze. "er, golly, Al, don't tease the kids like that! Maes, the Holly King never left us ashes-and milk is….really da—uh…darned good for you, Makes you big and strong."

"Then you drink it!" Maes beamed and shoved his cup across the table to his father.

"Why you little…genius. Ahem. Er…okay…ah…fine, son. Only if I have to drink a glass, you have to drink one with me, okay?"

"Let me show you something you'll like, Maes. Aunt Chris used to fix up my milk at Solstice and it's good this way. " Roy slipped into the kitchen and came back with a jar of mixed cookie spices and the honey jar. He put a drop of honey in each glass of milk, a tiny pinch of spice and stirred it. Father and son sniffed suspiciously, then knocked back their milk in unison. "Hey! That's damned good!" Maes shouted, banging his cup on the table.

Winry shot Ed a withering look. Ed shrugged sheepishly. "Well, at least this time he didn't say fu—"

"—fudge!" Al cut in quickly. "I forgot to make fudge this Solstice!"

"No fudge?" Maes' little face fell and he rolled his eyes in disgust. "Aw, fuck!"

"MAES!"

#####

Solstice was for children. Adults exchanged presents on New Year's Day, but since Ed and Roy would be leaving for the Eagle's Nest the day after Solstice, the adults decided to exchange presents on Solstice Eve. So the children wouldn't feel left out they were each permitted to open one gift apiece.

Nina squealed with joy to see that Daddy had given her a handmade stuffed kitty doll, just like Maes had. They were handmade by Gracia Hughes in her craft shop, and Nina's had a pretty pink bow between her ears. She also came with several changes of clothing including mechanic's overalls with a pink bandana, a flight suit for airship travel and a red alchemist's coat with the Flamel cross on the back. Maes got a clever little biplane glider, just like his dad had built last summer in Drachma. "See, you hold on the tail, pull it back like this—" Ed demonstrated, "and let go and it flies for you. Only, " he glanced at Izumi, " this is for outside, not inside, okay? We'll take her out and fly her in the morning. Now, you know the Holly King won't come until you're asleep. Your mom will be watching, and Uncle Roy and I will be down here to put out the fire when we hear him coming—"

"—and to make sure he doesn't leave anything but presents….well, maybe one bottle of milk, Maes-" Roy teased. "but if he does," he whispered in the child's ear, "I'll make sure your daddy drinks it, okay?"

The gifts were of a useful nature, but Ed had vacillated for weeks about whether or not to give a gift to Winry. It didn't seem right not to—but he didn't want her to feel awkward if she didn't give one in return. A long talk with Pinako-currently back in Resembool preparing for her hiatus in Central teaching a semester of classes on automail and metallurgy at the new Hohenheim Institute of Science and Alchemy—gave him an idea.

Winry had gotten Ed and Roy matching flight scarves and fine leather gloves. "It's not much…but…I know you both do a lot of flying and Al says that you always get your gloves scorched up on the burner in those airships—these have welder's palms, so they should last."

She looked awkward but the lovers both rewarded her with genuine smiles. "These are great. Thanks. We can really use them. And," Ed pulled an envelope out of his waistcoat, "Uh….here."

With some trepidation, Winry slit open the envelope which was of heavy cream parchment and bore the Presidential Seal. She unfolded the letter inside, then covered her mouth quickly to hold back a cry of joy.

She and Garfiel had been officially invited to represent Godz studio as guest teachers for the fall semester at the Hohenheim Institute. "Uh…we figured…um…Granny could give them the basics…but then we wanted the best there is to finish the course. Housing is provided—and an account has been set up for when you're ready to start moving stuff up there. And when you return to Rush Valley, that's gonna look really damn good on your resume-awww, jjeeze…again with the waterworks?"

Al squeezed Winry's hand and smiled at his brother and Roy. "These are happy tears, brother—so she's allowed, right?"

Winry glanced up at Roy, eyes glistening. "A Presidential endorsement? I…I…don't know what to say…"

Roy slipped his arm around Ed's shoulder and smiled broadly. "Might be useful next time you negotiate your contract with Godz," he winked.

Winry glanced from Ed to Roy and back again. He doesn't hate me

Ed's expression was guarded but she could tell he was happy for her and proud of what she'd achieved on her own. He never did, I guess she admitted to herself. And he never will.

…..to be continued…