"He's here," Roy squeaked when he heard the squeal of brakes in the driveway. "He's here."
Alex lowered the paper he was reading. "Then go to the door and meet him."
The dark-haired man nodded emphatically as he rushed to the door. "Right." He pulled open the door and watched as Edward slid out of an agency vehicle. "Hey!"
Edward ignored the man at the door as he turned, reaching into the vehicle and dragging out a duffel bag. Mr. Thatcher told him he would be spending a few nights with Mr. Mustang, but Edward decided that he didn't have to enjoy his time with the man. He curled his lip in disgust, thinking about the men who lived in the house. They may have denied their relationship in public, but he knew the truth. He had seen the larger man try to kiss the other in front of the orphanage when they came to visit. Everyone thought he ignored everyone and everything around him, but in reality, he was used to being observant. Especially after... He shook his head. It wouldn't do to think about it anymore. He couldn't change the past, all he could do was face ahead and take the future on as it came to him.
"It's gonna be fine, kid," the agency driver said, throwing an arm over the headrest of the passenger seat to twist himself enough to look at the blond.
Edward sneered at him. "Whatever you say." Years ago, he had discovered that it was easier sometimes to simply agree with everyone else and go along with the flow. This tactic had kept him out of trouble numerous times throughout his tumultuous adolescence.
Ed slung his bag over his shoulder and slowly made his way to the front door as the car drove away. He took a deep breath and stared at the man standing in the open door, upset that he hadn't come completely out of the house to greet him yet. 'Not that I care...'
Roy held out his hand, opening his mouth to offer a helping hand with Edward's baggage. He dropped his arm as the teen pushed him aside and entered the house.
"So, where am I sleeping?" the blond asked brusquely, his golden eyes scanning the house meticulously.
Roy glanced at Alex, raising an eyebrow.
The bald man smiled, nodding at his lover in a 'you can do it' gesture.
"Hello, Edward," Roy turned and addressed the teen who had stormed into the house.
"Whatever," the blond snorted.
The dark-haired man stepped forward, reaching for Edward's bag. "Come on, I'll show you to your room. You can stick your bag in there and then we can get to know each other."
Edward tightened his grip on the handle of his duffel bag, causing Roy to lower his arm. Halfway through its descent, the man swept his arm, beckoning the teen to follow him up the stairs. "It's right this way." He smiled, hoping Edward would not be so tense after a few hours in his new home. "Have you had lunch yet?"
The blond grunted in response. He was hungry, but he wasn't going to let Mustang know about it. He didn't want to owe the man anything for the meal. All the 'parents' he'd been with over the years were always nice at first, but would suddenly turn on him and his brother and demand retribution for the room and board they'd been given. Somehow, the checks from the state hadn't been enough to most of them, so Edward became cold and emotionless from the beginning of any stay. That way, he could protect himself from being hurt too badly whenever he found out he was being used as a way to get supplementary income. The only person who had seen his real smile was dead, and there was no bringing his brother back.
"I see," Roy muttered. It was obvious that Edward wanted nothing to do with him, but Roy decided not to give the teen that option. "Well," the raven-haired man clapped his hands. "After you get settled, maybe we can all sit down and talk. I'm sure you're curious about me, right?"
"Not really."
Mustang sighed. "Well, I would like to get to know you, Edward. I mean, I'm going to be your father soon, and I think things would work better if we knew each other and our boundaries," he said as he opened the door to the bedroom he had chosen for Edward.
Edward scowled, refusing to face the man as he walked past him and threw his bag on the bed. He looked around, reluctantly impressed by the room. It was much nicer, and much larger, than many of the rooms he had been allowed to stay in before. "Nice," he muttered before catching himself.
'I knew he'd like it,' Roy thought, smiling.
"I mean, for something like this. I've had better." 'It wasn't as big as this, but the room I had before Mom died was the best, ever...'
Roy walked over to the chest of drawers. "You can put your stuff in here."
"Nah. I'm only going to be here for three days."
"For now," Roy countered.
"I guess."
The older man spread his hands. "Well, I'll just leave you to get settled. You sure you're not hungry? I could make you a sandwich..."
"I'm fine," Edward sat on the edge of the bed. "I have some homework to do, so I'll just work on that for a while."
Roy frowned at the brush off. He really wanted the teen to feel welcome, but Edward was not making it easy. "Did you need any help?" he asked in a last ditch effort to make the boy realize he wasn't under attack. "I can show you around the house."
The blond shook his head. "No, I'm good. Tha-" he caught himself. This man was being so nice that Edward almost returned the gesture. "That is, if I need anything, I'll ask."
"Well, if you're sure. We'll be here if you need anything." Roy watched as the teen pulled out a couple of textbooks from his bag.
Edward grunted as he tossed the textbooks aside and reached into the bag once more, this time pulling out a binder. Noticing that the man had not yet left, the blond gave him a meaningful glare. He was not used to be constantly supervised, and the man's hovering made him nervous. "Was there anything else?"
"Ummm... I guess not. If you're sure there's nothing else I can do for you, I'll leave you to your studies."
Edward let out a silent sigh as the door shut behind the man. So far, his plan had worked. If he could make the man hate him, then he wouldn't want to adopt him, and he would be free. Ed was well aware of the reputation he had, and used it to his advantage. Looking down at the books he had pulled out of his bag as a deterrent, he decided to do the homework. He had planned to do it later, but if it kept the men downstairs away from him, then he was willing to do his homework now. 'Besides,' Edward smiled as he settled down and immersed himself in his studies. 'I enjoy studying.'
A few hours later, the blond was jerked from his academic pursuits by a knock at the door. "Yes?"
"Hey," Roy poked his head into the room. "Time for dinner. I made a pot roast and some mixed vegetables. I don't know what you like, but I hope you like it. Come on." He smiled and gestured with his head Edward to follow him to the dining room.
The teen looked at the clock and was shocked at how late it was. He closed his textbook and followed the man. He was wary of the situation, but the mention of pot roast made his mouth water. He hadn't eaten so richly in a while, and this was going to be treat... if he allowed himself the pleasure. Roy seemed to be a nice guy at first glance, but Edward was sure the man was hiding something underneath the surface. After spending as much time as he had in the foster care system, he had learned to not trust things based on appearance alone.
As the duo cleared the stairwell, the smell of dinner assaulted Ed's nose, making his mouth water even more. 'No, I can't give in. If I do, I'll owe... But, I haven't eaten all day...'
"Come on, Ed... er... Edward," Roy stammered, not knowing if the boy liked being called by the shortened version of his name. "Help yourself."
Edward took a seat the table, opposite the two men, who were watching him expectantly. The blond stared at this plate, which was overflowing with food. There was a thick slab of meat, a healthy dollop of mashed potatoes, and a good amount of mixed vegetables. Looking at his serving, Edward almost felt guilty for the way he was about to waste the food he was being given. "It... Uhhh..." he started before sighing and picking up his fork. "You gave me a lot."
Roy chuckled. "Of course. You are a growing boy, aren't you? I remember eating a lot when I was your age. Besides, you haven't eaten all afternoon, so I figured you'd be hungry."
'I am hungry...' "I see," the blond poked at his potatoes for a few seconds before bringing a small forkful to his mouth. He noticed that neither Mustang nor Armstrong started eating until he had swallowed his first bite.
The three eat in silence before Roy spoke. "So, did you get a lot of your homework done? I thought school was out this week and the next for spring break..."
"Yeah, it is. But they gave us homework to do over the holiday," Edward mentally kicked himself for being friendly. He was tired. He hadn't studied that much or that hard in a while, and his body was letting him know about it. He poked at the meat as he watched the men eat.
Halfway through the meal, Roy looked up and noticed Edward was simply poking at his food. "Are you okay?"
Golden eyes shot up and met Mustang's concerned gaze. "I... I'm fine."
"Just a little nervous, huh? It's okay. I would be the same way, if I were spending the night in a stranger's house. We can put what you don't eat in the fridge for later," the dark-haired man smiled. "There's no need for you to feel nervous or afraid. This is your home, too, as long as you're here." He turned to his companion. "Right Alex?"
"Of course," the large man agreed heartily, smiling so broadly, his eyes seemed to glow.
Edward smiled weakly, wanting nothing more than to be away from the table. He looked down at his still full plate, wondering what he should do. He had turned down the tour he was offered earlier, so he didn't know where anything was. The only place in the house he knew well was the room he had stayed in all afternoon. He had been pleased to discover the attached bathroom, which meant he wouldn't have to sneak around every time he needed to relieve himself.
"Hey, want to look around the house now?" Alex asked as he stood, picking up his dishes and carrying them to the sink.
Edward's eyes shifted. "Uhhh..." He studied the big man out of the corner of his eye. There was no way there could be a living man that large. If things got bad, there would be no way he could defend himself against the bald man. "I guess that would be fine," he agreed timidly. 'Yeah, I'll look for possible exits I can use... just in case.'
"Okay then. Here, let me take care of that," Roy reached over and picked up the plate sitting in front of the teen. "That is, if you're done with it."
Edward nodded, his eyes glued to his lap.
"Well, come on then. I'll take this time to show you the kitchen."
Edward stood and slowly walked over to the raven-haired man, his eyes scanning his surroundings.
- - - - -
Edward lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to ignore his empty stomach. His mind kept wandering to the plate of food that was sitting in the fridge downstairs. Roy has said it would be there for him if he got hungry, and as much as Edward wanted to go down there and eat it, he didn't want to be in debt to a stranger. He glanced at the clock.
'Midnight.'
He glared at the offending neon digits. He had finished all his homework during the afternoon, and he was bored. He had tried before to save up for a personal handheld entertainment system, but every time he raised enough funds, something came up and he lost his money. He had tried to open his own bank account in the past, but being a minor with no permanent guardian, the banks always turned him down.
Heaving a sigh, the teen curled up into a ball, laying on his side and hugging his knees to his chest. After a moment of lying in this position, he straightened out his left leg. It hurt to have it curled up for too long since it had been broken--shattered, really--a few years ago. Edward shook his head, trying to block the memory of the worst day of his life, the day he had been completely abandoned. 'It's not like I can really blame them for leaving. They had no choice... I mean, no one ever plans on dying...'
His stomach growled again, protesting its emptiness. The youngster sat up, a frown on his face as he remembered the plate of food. He was very tempted to get it, but when his eyes landed on his wallet, he decided against it. Having never been in this neighborhood before, Edward had paid close attention to the area during the ride in. He remembered a restaurant they had passed, with a sign saying they were open twenty-four hours.
He opened the billfold and his eyes fell on a picture of his younger brother. 'It's my fault he's gone... I couldn't protect him... Al, I miss you,' he thought as he drew a fingertip over the image. His eyes strayed to the door. He could sneak out, but what if the house had self-locking doors? As nice as the house was, he was sure the windows were well secured too. He thought back on his earlier tour of the kitchen. He knew where the bread and stuff was, so he could probably make himself a sandwich. 'But, I don't really have permission to eat anything other than that pot roast...' Edward thought. Previous families he had stayed with only gave him a small portion of permissible food, and if he ate more than his share, he ended up in trouble. Of course, not all families were that bad, but he had the bad habit of remembering the negative more than the positive. 'Besides, Mom always said it was wrong to steal, no matter how desperate you get...'
Sighing, Edward slipped his feet into his shoes and tiptoed over to his door. He poked his head out and looked both ways down the hall before exiting the room completely. He made his way silently down the corridor, stopping when he reached the stairs. Steeling his resolve, he hopped down the steps, hoping he didn't wake the men who had gone to bed hours before. When he got to the front door, he studied it carefully. Once he was satisfied that he wouldn't be locked out all night, he slipped out into the cold night air and walked briskly toward the fast food store a few blocks down the street.
- - - - -
Edward was glad that the restaurant had few customers at this time of night. It meant that he could get in and out quickly, and hopefully get back to the house before anyone realized he was missing. Of course, the two men were asleep when he left, or so he assumed. Nevertheless, he was sure they weren't sleeping heavily, considering they had a stranger in their house. Looking around the place, he noticed most of the patrons seemed to be college students, some with textbooks open in front them.
"Hello, how can I help you?" A cheerful voice asked.
Edward turned and looked at the man behind the counter. He was dressed in the uniform of the establishment, and he had a large smile on his face. The blond blinked a couple times, trying to bring everything back into focus. "Uh, oh. I would like..." He scanned the menu for a few seconds before deciding on his order, a burger and a side of fries.
"So, burning the midnight oil?" The cashier asked, trying to be friendly as he punched the teen's order into the register. After pressing a few more buttons, he gave Edward his total.
Golden eyes shifted. "Huh?" Ed asked as he handed over the money to pay for his meal.
"You're up pretty late. Are you studying? No offense, but you seem a bit young to be in college. If you don't mind me asking, what grade are you in?"
Edward gaped as he put his wallet back into his pocket. What a sudden question, and it also seemed like the man was making rude commentary regarding his height. "I'm in the eleventh grade."
"Really? Wow. You look so young." The cashier smiled broadly. "You must be very smart, to be a junior at your age."
"I'm sixteen, and I take advanced courses in high school," Edward finally bit out. He was done being talkative with the nosy person behind the counter. "I could graduate at the end of the year, if I wanted..." he muttered before looking away from the overly happy person who had taken his order.
As soon as his order was complete, he grabbed the bag and dashed out of the store. He was glad as well that he had saved the allowance the orphanage had given him earlier in the week. It had been a sufficient amount to buy his midnight snack with, and there still enough change left to get himself a drink if he desired. However, the restaurant didn't have anything he wanted, so he stopped by a convenience store on his way back and bought himself a soft drink.
Sipping his drink as he strode back the Mustang's house, he considered his situation. The man who was interested in adopting him was a nice guy. So far, Edward had sensed no ill intention from the man, nor from Mr. Armstrong. The muscular man had been silent throughout most of the evening, only really speaking when spoken to. Edward wondered why this was. He had been told the house belonged to Mr. Armstrong, so why did it seem that he took his orders and cues from Mr. Mustang?
- - - - -
Roy lay on his side in bed, unable to sleep since he had laid down two hours ago. All in all, he felt the day had been a failure. Edward was cold and distant, and no matter when he did to try the boy to adjust to his new living conditions, the teen only seemed to distance himself further. It was all so very frustrating, and Roy felt the stinging of tears in the corners of his eyes. 'I didn't think it would be this hard...'
His thoughts were disturbed by the sound of the front door opening and closing. He sat up in bed and reached over, shaking Alex's shoulder. "Wake up."
The large man only grumbled and wiggled around a bit, not heeding Roy's wakeful summons.
"I think Edward just left the house."
"Mmmm..."
The dark-haired man huffed as he looked down at his unresponsive lover. "Fine then. I'll be right back. I'm going to check on him." He slid out of bed, looking one last time at Alex before shaking his head. 'Sometimes, that man simply sleeps too deeply.' He walked down the hall and lightly knocked on Edward's door. After receiving no response, he tested the knob by twisting it carefully. When he discovered it was unlocked, he pushed it open and peered inside. Edward was nowhere to be found. His eyes shot to the closed door of the small bathroom, but there was no crack of light under the door, so Edward wasn't in there either. Fighting down a moment of panic, Roy studied the room more carefully. All of the teen's things were still there, so that meant he was coming back. Satisfied with his conclusion, Roy went back to his room.
"Well?" Armstrong asked sleepily.
"He's gone, but I think he'll be back." 'I wonder where he went, I hope he comes back...' Roy thought as he lay down once more.
He stayed awake until he heard the front door quietly open and close again, signaling the return of the young blond. He only allowed himself to doze when he heard Edward sneak back into his room.
