Sun Hands, by JACmRob
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
It had been a slow day at the office for Colonel Roy Mustang. Falman and Havoc were playing cards at their desk, Roy could tell Fuery was doodling something in his little techie notebook, and Ed was spending a rare desk-day transmuting paper planes.
"Are you people doing anything?" Roy snapped.
"Intel's been pretty slow," Falman said. "Maybe it's time for someone to ship out on another intelligence mission, eh Colonel?"
"That would be up to some other dawdling incompetent." Roy looked up at the clock impatiently. It was after 5pm, almost time to be wrapping up for the day.
"Alright, then, I've got to run—see you all tomorrow!"
Ed was hurriedly sweeping his things into a bag, pulling on a black traveling cloak.
"Woah, woah, woah, Fullmetal, not so fast. The whole department's got another briefing to attend, remember?"
Havoc looked up from where he was chewing on his cigarette, catching eyes with Falman. Another confrontation coming, their eyes said. As if Roy's habit of bellowing things out with his youngest subordinate was something they weren't used to. Although the kid seemed more on edge lately…
"You didn't mention that," Ed snapped.
"Yes, I did." He'd announced the briefing to the whole office that morning; had Edward even been listening? What had him so distracted?
"Come on, Mustang, you don't need me there."
"That isn't for me to decide." Roy threaded his fingers together. Falman and Havoc nervously swept up their cards.
"You can write up an excuse. Say an emergency came up or something."
"Is it an emergency?"
Ed scowled. "It's important." Roy raised an eyebrow, but Edward didn't elaborate.
"If you aren't going to tell me, I'm not going to make up some lie for you. I didn't think your work ethic could get any lower, Fullmetal. You know, you actually have to show up to certain mandatory things to earn all those military privileges and paychecks you like so much."
Ed let out a derisive snort, and the rest of Roy's subordinates sprang to their feet, muttering things about getting to the meeting early.
"You," Ed thrust a finger at Roy, "are lucky to have me. I could have run off after getting Al's body back, you know!"
"Then why didn't you?" Roy said in frustration. Was he about to find out Ed's reason for coming back to the military?
But at the question, the kid clammed up.
"Doesn't matter. I have somewhere I have to be in—" Ed glanced down at his watch. "—thirty minutes. It's important. Isn't that enough?"
Roy looked around the room. It was empty now, except for the two of them.
"If you tell me what it is, Ed, then maybe I can help you."
Roy was prepared for some kind of angry retort, but none came. Edward's eyebrows scrunched up and his face looked pained. He might actually tell me. Roy was shocked, but even more shocked to find that he wanted Ed to confide in him, wanted to help the kid if he could.
"You've trusted me before in the past, Ed. Have I let you down?"
But the younger man stayed stubbornly silent.
"Alright then, if you want to keep your secrets, you can show up to this meeting."
"Fine," Ed answered through gritted teeth, "I'll stick around for your stupid briefing. I'm gone as soon as it's over though." He stalked out the door, before popping his head back in to add, "Bastard."
Roy let the insult slide. Something was wrong with Edward. He'd been increasingly neurotic the past two months, and had been dashing out of HQ at every available opportunity. Sure, the national security situation was getting grimmer, but Roy sensed that it was something else. The kid's emotions were transparent to anyone who bothered to look, and after almost ten years, Roy was an expert at reading him. Especially when the kid was keeping something from his commanding officer.
What is it? Something wrong with Al, perhaps? Or his mechanic—Winry? Ed was calm enough when his own safety was at risk, but when it was the safety of someone he loved… He made a mental note to pry further.
The meeting was short, thank god for that, because Roy was sure Ed would have stormed out in the middle had it lasted any longer. He'd been drumming his metal fingers into a frenzy until Roy had to forcibly seize his hand to stop the clatter. When the leading general called to adjourn, Ed sprang up and bolted to the door.
Roy followed him into the corridor and grabbed the younger man's arm, pulling him back.
"Ed, wait."
"What now, Mustang?"
"What's eating at you, Fullmetal?"
"Late, Mustang, or did you forget?"
"I just want a word. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"
"Notice what?"
"Yeah, yeah, you're not telling me. But before you dash off—" Geez, what was he trying to say to the kid? "—I don't know what's going on, but if you need help, ask for it."
Ed gave him a strange look. It wasn't hate, or annoyance, or grudging respect; he looked…confused. Like he was genuinely shocked by what Roy was saying. What? It's not like I've never offered him help in the past. Even if he doesn't let me see inside what's going on.
"Yeah, okay," he said slowly. It was more than Roy could've asked for.
"And if you do want to tell me, at any time…"
Ed glanced at the people bustling around them. "Even if I were going to tell you—which I'm not—it wouldn't be here, and it wouldn't be now."
So there was something. Ed had more or less admitted it. And Roy couldn't help but admit that it was more than just natural curiosity that kept him engaged.
"Alright. Go," he added, not wanting to keep the kid any longer than he already had. Ed didn't need telling twice, he waved a hand and ran down the hall.
What was that about? Ed mused as he sped out of Headquarters. Mustang, acting like a friend…Was it one of those weird occasions when Mustang actually did something nice, or was he just keeping Ed useful, as usual?
He sprinted down the front steps of HQ, waving his State Alchemist's watch at security to get through the gate. Maybe he could tell Mustang about Winry, maybe Mustang could offer some other kind of protection… Ed shook the idea at his head. The fewer people who knew, the better. Mustang was hardly caring. He probably just wanted Ed's head in the game. Didn't want him distracted from their mission of political peace.
"Taxi!" he shouted, waving his arm. A car pulled over, and Ed hurried inside.
"Hospital," he told the driver, who needed no more prompting after the word. Winry was going to kill him. She'd said this was important to know that the baby was healthy. Ultrasound, or whatever it was called… some kind of new medical thing for pregnant women. Her appointment was at six o'clock. She'd scheduled it specifically to be after his work, and now he was already more than a half hour late!
She's used to you not being there, an insidious voice whispered in his head. It's nothing new. She's used to having to do things alone.
No! He wasn't going to be that kind of a father. Wasn't going to be Hohenheim, always walking out on his family.
The taxi dumped him at the hospital's entrance and Ed dashed into the waiting room, hurrying up to the receptionist.
"Hi, I'm here with Winry Rockbell? She had an appointment at six."
The receptionist tutted, glancing at the clock, and Ed resisted the urge to start shouting at her.
"Room 331. Maternity ward."
"Right." Ed didn't wait any longer. He raced up the stairs, sprinting along the sterile hospital hallway until he found the room. Without knocking, he burst in.
"Really, Ed?"
Winry was propped up on a cart, wearing a hospital gown.
"Did I miss it?"
"Yeah." Her voice rang with disappointment. "You missed it."
"Oh geez, Win, I'm sorry…" Ed dropped into the chair at her side. "I tried to come but stupid Mustang surprised me with this "mandatory briefing" shit and wouldn't let me leave, even though I said it was important, and…" He took her hand in his. The excuses didn't matter; he'd missed it. "I'm really sorry Winry."
She sighed, squeezing his hand. "It's alright." See? The nagging voice returned. She expected you to miss it.
"So what'd the doctor say?"
"Not much. That the baby seems healthy, and that it's too early to tell the sex."
"Yeah? What'd he do?"
Her eyes lit up. "Oh Ed, it was so incredible! This machine used soundwaves to reconstruct an image of what's inside my stomach! The doctor had this sensor that he rubbed on my stomach, and…" Winry began to babble about the workings of the machine, throwing around some technical terms that Ed couldn't follow.
"Wait—you got to see a picture of the baby?" Ed couldn't hid the envy—and guilt—in his voice. Winry squeezed his hand sympathetically.
"You couldn't see much. It just looked like a bean. Besides, I'll be getting another one in a few months."
"I'll be there!" Ed promised. Winry smiled, and it made him want to wrap her up in his arms, never let her down again.
"Granny would've said it was stupid." Winry was quiet for a moment. "She would've told me to come home to Rizembool to let her take care of me and give birth in the house like Mom did."
Granny Pinako had passed away the previous year, old and comfortable. She'd simply gone to sleep one morning and hadn't woken up. After, Winry had moved up to Central, complaining that it was too lonely back home. She'd left the house to be looked after by their neighbors, saying "when things are alright in Central, we can move back."
When. Even though Ed was living in the same city as Winry, it didn't feel like he really got to be with her, got to have the relationship they'd both danced around and craved for years. He had to keep his distance, make sure he wasn't seen with her too often. Ed missed the days when he'd go home to Rizembool and kiss Winry at the train station in sight of everyone, walk home to Rockbell Automechanics with her hand in his, fall asleep next to her in the same bed. Even if Granny Pinako would glower at them the mornings they'd been too loud. Here, he was careful not to spend the night very often. But after waking up next to Winry once, he was cursed to want to every morning, and it made his single bed in the military dorm even colder.
"Granny would've murdered me for getting you into this situation," Ed muttered.
Winry socked him playfully. "Oh come on. She would've warmed up to it. I bet she really wanted some more kids running around the house."
At that, Ed felt a pang. Pinako would never get to meet her great-grandchild. Ed knew Winry missed her. And hell, Ed had to admit that he missed the old banshee too. Just imagining her tottering around the house in Rizembool had been comforting, like it was more of home.
"We'll move back," Ed said, "as soon as this is over. We'll move back and raise the baby where we grew up and everything will be alright. That's a promise."
"I like Lydia for a girl. Or Lucy." They were back at Winry's tiny apartment, stretched out on her bed. Soft rain was tapping against the windows. Winry was absently rubbing circles on her belly. She was just beginning to show, just beginning to look a little larger than usual. Curvier than usual, too, he had noticed.
"Lydia's pretty," Ed agreed. "Who do you know who's called that?"
"No one, silly, I just like the name."
"Don't you think the name should mean something, though?"
Winry snuggled closer to him.
"So you want to name your baby after something? Or someone? Who'd you have in mind?"
"I don't know." Ed's brow furrowed. "But it has to be someone we respect. Someone they can be proud of. A name they're proud to bear."
"As long as we're not calling our baby 'transmutation' or 'equivalence' or some alchemical nonsense."
"Equivia?"
Winry socked him in the arm and Ed let out a low chuckle. "C'mon, you'd probably be happy if we named it 'wrench' or 'bolt' or something…"
"Not it, Ed, he."
"Oh yeah?" Ed rolled towards her, pinning down her arm playfully. "How can you be sure he's a boy?"
Winry pushed him off and rested a hand on her stomach. "I just have a feeling." She was silent for a moment. "What about after one of our parents?"
Ed snorted. "I don't think the world needs another 'Van Hohenheim.' Trisha or Sarah are good names if she's a girl. Maybe Urey after your dad?"
"What about 'Roy'?"
Ed gaped at her. "Seriously? The Colonel's not my father!"
"You said you want to name him after someone we respect." Winry gave him a knowing smile, and Ed scowled.
"Come off it. Mustang'll never let me forget it if I name my kid after him. Besides, I think he'd be offended."
"It was just a suggestion." Winry planted a kiss on his nose. "But I think he'd be honored."
"Sure. 'Wow, Fullmetal, didn't know you were that obsessed with me! Of course, I can't help it that my name just inspires awe in those around me. Surprised you picked it though, considering it's so short. Not as short as 'Ed' though, ha ha!"
"Whatever you say, Edward," Winry said sweetly. Ed let his hand join Winry's on her swollen stomach. He itched to feel something—a kick, or movement—but Winry had told him it was too soon, just be patient for god's sake. There's a life growing in there. No matter how many times Ed told himself, he was still in awe of the fact. Baby Roy? Ed pictured it, pictured holding the infant in his arms, crooning the name. Nah. No way.
Somewhere out in the night, an alarm began to wail. A second joined it, and then more and more, until the air was rent with shrill ringing. Ed jerked upright. Something was happening.
"What is it?" Winry asked, sounding frightened.
"I don't know, but I've got to go." Ed leapt from the bed. "Headquarters. Stay here, okay? Don't leave unless you have have to."
"What's going on? You don't think there's an attack here? The rebels?" Winry's face was white as chalk.
"Stay here, Win, stay hidden." Ed threw on his cloak and dashed from the room. The sirens grew louder.
A/N: Long chapter! It also took a long time to write, mainly because I had such difficulty with the Roy/Ed scenes. Parental!Roy is my jam, but it's been really hard to develop in this story, what with it taking place about four years after the events of Brotherhood. I can't imagine Ed would still think after all that time that Roy didn't care at all, but I also want to build up their relationship. So let me know if anything seems out of character or boring or rushed or cliche.
I promise more action in the next chapter! Let's find out who this Nightshade Alchemist is.
Cheers!
-JR