Give Guidance or Counsel
Family
Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist
I told myself I wasn't allowed to go outside until I edited this chapter to mind-blowing quality. But then the summer beckoned me and I realised I wasn't going to get it to any good quality anyway. So, I am afraid you're stuck with normal quality stuff. (: Sorry.
Chapter 4 - Some Things Were Just Taboo
Thursday the 23rd of June
"It's been eight months, will you stop staring at me like you've found some revolting slug in your sheets?"
"You're misinterpreting my stare."
Ed cracked his eyes open, having not needed them to know that Roy was staring. Every morning he woke to the older man staring at him almost incredulously. You'd think after eight months the man would get over the shock that he was, in fact, in a civil partnership. But, of course, this was Roy. The man gave him a small smile, but did not elaborate on his comment. Ed grumbled slightly, wondering whether to turn over and go back to sleep, or get up and ready for the last few days of college. In the end, it was his stomach that answered the question for him; giving a large, rumbling growl. He sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes wearily.
"You." He grunted. "Make breakfast." he ordered his husband, civil partner, whatever. "I'll get the post." he added. Equivalent Exchange and all that. He stood to reveal his tank top and boxers and grabbed a dressing gown as he left the room. Roy couldn't even tell who's dressing gown the boy had picked up.
"Yessir." the elder replied groggily, after the boy had left. It had very quickly become a morning ritual that Roy would make prepare something for them to eat while Ed would collect the post. Having never received any in his adolescence, the boy took a childish glee in the act.
Of course, Ed wasn't really a child anymore, Roy reminded himself as he dressed half-heartedly and began the slow move downstairs. The blonde had turned nineteen in October, just days before the two had married, yet he still held on to a lot of his childish traits. While they'd been married for what seemed at once to be both forever and just a miniscule flash in their lives, and while Ed wore his ring with pride, and even though they shared a bed, the subject of sex had yet to be risen. Roy admitted it was driving him mad, but he couldn't imagine the results if he tried to sit down and talk to the boy about it. On the other hand, it could be even more disastrous if they didn't. Man, Roy never imagined married life to be so complicated.
He opened the cupboard to find some cereal (as his last attempt at cooking for Edward had been dismal) and the ray-of-sunshine-himself walked into the kitchen with the post, looking particularly subdued.
"Here." He said, handing over a bunch of promotional leaflets and a hand written envelope. Roy didn't miss the A5 brown envelope he kept to himself. The boy clutched it to his chest as if trying to protect it. Years of psychology told him that the letter was important to the boy. Years of knowing Ed told Roy that the letter probably contained news that he was anxious for.
"You okay?" He asked his young lover, as the boy took a seat at their wooden table in the middle of the room. It was funny, that Roy was beginning to think of things in the house as 'theirs', even though Ed much preferred Roy's old place - and had no qualms about telling his husband so. The boy placed the envelope down on the table, face down, and stared at it, while Roy mused that this house was by far better for family living, and that he'd grown to really like the neighbourhood - despite it's setbacks of being delinquent central. He was content. Besides, Coco loved this house much more than the flat. Though, that might have had something to do with the handsome tom-cat down the road. Roy wondered what they'd do if she had kittens, as Ed eventually nodded and the elder man placed down a bowl of cereal in front of him.
"What's the letter?" The blonde asked, motioning at the post still tucked under Roy's arm. The older man sat down and took them out, discarding the leaflets and skipping to the handwritten envelope. He slid it across the table.
"It's from my parents…" he'd recognise the writing anywhere, no matter how many years had passed. "Read it for me?" He pleaded, going for the puppy eyes. He was surprised when Ed simply nodded distractedly, rather then tell him to grow up and face the music, as he had been expecting. The boy opened the envelope carefully and skimmed the letter.
"They say they can't make it to the wedding." He decided it best not to use the colourful language regarding Roy's sexual preferences that Roy's parents had actually used. The dark haired man gave a somewhat indignant snort.
"A little late aren't they?" he asked. Ed decided to take it as a rhetorical question. Roy shook his head. "I didn't want them there anyway, I didn't even want to send an invite." He said bitterly. Ed shrugged.
"They are you family, you should at least try to reconcile with them."
Roy clicked his tongue.
"Like you can talk." he shot back, taking the letter and screwing it up in his hand. "We didn't send a letter to your father."
Ed stiffened slightly.
"That's different." He said, fairly evenly considering he was discussing his father. "I don't even know where that bastard is."
Roy stood up, so Ed did too. Roy could already feel the anger boiling inside him, as Ed so often managed to make it do. It was unfair that the boy viewed their family situations as so different. Why was Ed allowed to hate his dad, but Roy wasn't. Sure, he tried to be an adult, but Ed was supposed to be an adult now too.
"How is it different?" He asked, a hint of scathing slipping into his tone. "Because your dad's not around? Guess what sweetie, neither is mine."
Ed snarled.
"Do you really think I am that bloody frail?"
Roy glared, unwilling to back down.
"Yes, actually. I do." he crossed his arms. "He was enough to put you in counselling wasn't he?" He struck low. Ed stood still, processing if his husband had actually brought that up. Surely he hadn't? Ever since Ed had left school the two had come to an agreement to leave the counsellor/patient relationship in the past, and just… not talk about it. Some things were just taboo.
"My father has jack shit to do with why I was in counselling!" He shouted. Roy could tell he'd officially pissed the boy off, but he was unwilling to take his comment back.
"I was your counsellor, I would know." He shouted back, but Ed just glared.
"Well you know what? You're a bloody crap counsellor! You can't fix anything!"
And that was when Ed hit a taboo too.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
Ed was not willing to back down.
"You heard me! You're so fucked up yourself, how are you supposed to fix patients!"
Roy slammed his fist into the table, making Ed jump.
"I can fix anyone who is willing to cooperate, it isn't my fault you can't get over your mummy issues and see the big picture." he said scathingly. Then he only just managed to duck in time to avoid the half eaten bowl of cereal as if flew across the room towards him. It zoomed over his head and smashed against the wall behind him. "Edward! That's dangerous!" he scolded.
"I don't care jackass! Don't treat me like a fucking child!" The blonde screamed back. "You should be the one in fucking counselling! To learn when to keep your god-damn mouth shut!" he raged, turning from the room and stomping upstairs. Roy frowned at where the boy had been.
"How can I treat you like an adult when you're still acting like a child?" He called after him angrily, shoving his hands in his pockets and then extracting them again. Ed came down all of ten minutes later to find the man sat at the table, the smashed bowl semi-cleared up and Roy flicking his lighter on and off. A sure sign that he was upset. He shouldered his over-packed bag. "Where're you going?" the man asked sulkily, still sour from their fight, though sure Ed was even more upset, if the angry scowl on his face was anything to go by. Really, living with Ed was like playing football with a time-bomb.
"College." replied the boy shortly, grabbing a piece of bread from the packet on the top and clamping it between his teeth. After all, having thrown his breakfast at Roy, he was hungry. He practically swallowed it whole with a skill that belonged solely to Ed, then turned his glare back to the dark haired man. "Then I am going to Al's."
Roy snorted, annoyed and in the mood for shouting some more.
"We have one fight and you already wanna run away?" He almost spat. Ed clicked his tongue, glaring.
"It's not running away. I have news to tell him."
"You didn't have news to tell him before. That's a bad excuse. You didn't care about seeing him before we fought."
Ed clenched his fists at his side, a sure sign that Roy had crossed a line. How dare he say Ed didn't care about his brother? How dare he accuse him of running away! Al meant the world to Ed, and as it was he did have news to tell the younger Elric. Roy was not going to stop him with his stupid accusations.
"I'm going to see my brother." he repeated. Roy gave a shallow laugh, grabbed the nearest thing he could read and turned his attention to that, putting his feet on the table and getting comfortable. "Take your feet off the table." Ed said on instinct. Roy smirked at the cereal packet he was supposedly reading.
"Go run away to your brother." he ordered. Ed growled.
"Go burn in hell Roy." he retorted angrily, turning his back on the man and making his way out of the kitchen. Roy clicked his tongue.
"Oi Edward, you forgot your letter!" He shouted, spotting the envelope. He picked it up and gave it a quick once over. "What is it anyway?"
"It's a bloody exception letter to Drachma University!" Ed screamed, slamming the door behind him in his rage. Roy stared at the letter.
It was a what now?
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*Le Gasp!* The plot unfolds. How will Roy take the news of Ed's plans?
