Fandom:
FMA
Title:
Ripples
In Spilt Milk
Pairings:
Elricest, one sided Roy/Ed, Brief Al/Fletcher
Rating:
NC 17
Warnings:
Incest, Angst, Yaoi, Lemons
Author's Notes: AU, OC
Word
Count:
21,146
Status:
Incomplete
Disclaimer: Not mine, too bad. Not mine, so sad.
Summary: In the weeks that Sam had come to know his secret idol, he had learned that Ed did not have a talent for words. But just then, with that simple 'my love', Ed had been eloquent.
Ripples In Spilt Milk
Chapter 7
"So now what, Ed?" Mustang asked quietly from the couch where he sat next to Ed, who fiddled with his automail fingers nervously.
"I don't know. He still… can't stand to be around me." Ed's voice was riddled with pain. "I wish I could make him understand I never felt anything like that for Winry." He sighed softly.
"I don't know about that, Ed. He came here, didn't he?" Mustang wisely decided to keep Ed in the dark that he himself had refused to help Al find his brother.
"Yeah, I wondered about that. Now I think he was just… passing through. That our paths crossed purely by accident."
"Think about it, Ed. If he were just passing through, he would have come up the road. Why beat his way through the brush to climb the mountain? And I certainly would have seen him when I left. Hell, I only got back so quickly was because I stopped in at the guardhouse and the sentry told me about your call for a doctor. It scared me, Ed. I thought it was for you. But then he told me you had said something about it being for your brother. I must admit that did not ease my mind. But… I did hope… That it meant good things for you."
"No." Ed's voice was tired and resigned. "No, he certainly did not come here to see me, that much is obvious."
"Are you sure, Ed? Like I said…"
"I kissed him, Roy. I thought… by the things he said… well, it was a stupid mistake, one he did not hesitate to rectify. Every time I touch him, he shrugs me off. He barely would speak to me, and now he won't at all. I… I wish…"
"Edward." Mustang's voice was harsh, and Al shivered, glad he couldn't see Ed's face just now. "You will stop that line of thought right now. What I said before goes. You will not go back into the field and try to kill yourself again, do you understand me? The next time you are so reckless, I will take the watch back for good. Have I made myself clear?"
"You have." To Al's amazement, there was no sulking, no pouting, just quiet resignation in Ed's voice.
"Do you want me to have a car take Al down to the hospital?"
Ed shook his head. "No, I don't want Al in a hospital. He just needs food and rest and he can get that here. I'm going to get someone from the village to come and look after him. That way he wont have to deal with me."
"And what about you, Ed? This place only has one room, and with your leg you can't sleep on the couch."
"I wanted to talk about that with you. Al's obviously not doing well. I was wondering if… you'd let me buy this cottage from you. Then Al can stay here as long as he wants. Until he's better. With someone coming from the village to take care of him and clean up and stuff, and I'll pay the grocer to send food over regularly, why, it will be perfect for him."
"I say again, Ed. What about you?"
"I'll go away. He won't want to know anyway. I'm nothing… to him anymore." Ed was hideously close to tears but he got ahold of himself. "I could finish my retreat at the dorms or something. Maybe rent a house in Central. As long as I keep a low profile, no one should know I'm there, then I wont have to worry about any more attacks until I can handle them. Besides, this place is secure and hidden; the best possible place for Al to recover. I don't want anyone to know Al is here and have those factions coming after him to try and get to me."
"Al can take care of himself, Ed," Mustang said softly.
"I know he can, just not right now. He just needs a little food and rest… ah, FUCK!"
"Ed???" Mustang was worried.
"I just realized something. He'll never accept anything from me, will he? Once he finds out I've done all this, he'll want to run away. Shit, Roy, what do I do?"
There was a moment of silence, then a dreadful sound like the squeal of a wounded animal. To Al's horror, he realized it was from Ed.
"God, Ed… please… please don't look like that…" Mustang's voice was strangled.
"He… hates… me…" Ed was gasping and choking. "Al hates… me… Can't stand my touch, he… I… can't even… take care of him anymore… Oh… oh god…"
"Edward," Mustang said softly.
"How did it all go… so wrong? I thought… in time… Al would forgive me… I know he'll never love me like I want again… but I'd hoped… in time… he would want… to be my brother again… Roy… Roy… help me." And there was a long low keening sound that broke Al's composure. He struggled to get up and cursed his weakened body that made it impossible. Then Ed coughed and choked and then was utterly silent for a very long time. Then the sound of explosive breath, noisy breathing, and another soft cough.
"Sorry about that," Ed muttered so softly Al almost didn't catch the words.
"Ed, I would give my life to ease your suffering," Mustang said, his voice low with pain.
"That won't be necessary, I promise. God, how embarrassing. You don't think Al heard do you? I'm sure it would just make me sink lower in his estimation." Ed's voice was shaken, but he'd stopped crying.
"I'm sure he's asleep by now and… what the hell??" Mustang's voice ended in concern. "Ed… your leg… you're bleeding."
"Eh, I must have torn it a bit when I was carrying Al, and…"
"You were carrying him? You fool!"
"What did you expect, Roy? For me to leave him laying in the yard? I love him! With every fiber of my being, I love him. I wouldn't have cared if it had broken my leg off at the hip, I had to get him inside." There was a rustle that Al couldn't identify. "I would do it again, in a heartbeat, so get that damn look off your face… ow, dammit, be careful. That hurt!"
"You're still a fool, Edward Elric, but apparently a lucky one. You only stretched the stitches a little. At least you didn't tear them out."
Ed hissed. "Damn, that shit stings… Eh. I guess it's a good thing. I'm already running up a fancy bill with the doctor. He'd probably charge me double for having to come back so soon. Which reminds me. Give me that bill. I'll reimburse you."
"Don't worry about it."
"Al's my brother, my heart and soul. I will pay for his bills, not you."
"Alright, alright. Don't get your hair in a knot." Rustling again. "You need to rest and get that leg up. Let me take you home as soon as someone from the village can come to take care of Al."
"Yeah," once again, Ed's voice was resigned. "I guess so. But would it be possible to bring someone from HQ up? I don't want to trust some stranger with Al. Maybe Lt. Ross, or Lt. Havoc. Al likes them… or he used to. Would that be ok, maybe?"
"Yes, Ed, that would be fine."
Al lay in bed, struggling with unreasoning rage. Before Mustang left to get someone from the village and whomever he was getting from HQ, he heard the man kiss Ed. The sound was unmistakable.
"Don't do that, Roy," Ed said quietly. "You know how I feel. You know I'm in love with Al."
"Yeah, but I can't help how I feel either. I love you."
"Roy…" Ed's voice was strained.
"Get over it. That's how I feel. It will do you good to hear that someone loves you. I'll send someone over then drive down to HQ. Do NOT get up and try to walk. Hear me?"
"Yeah, I hear you."
There was a long silence after Mustang left. Al wondered if Ed was sleeping, but doubted it. Once more he tried to get up, and finally managed to at least sit up. Beads of sweat broke out on his brow. He leaned back against the headboard and breathed slowly. Ed couldn't walk, that much was obvious. Guilt ran through him knowing his brother had hurt himself bringing him indoors. And he could barely sit up. Something had to be done. Ed still loved him. Still wanted him. It wasn't too late. He would fix this. He wouldn't fuck it up with stuttering and stammering that made it sound like he hated his brother. He would fix this. Ed must NOT go to Mustang's house. The damn man wanted him, he'd said so himself a year ago. If he took Ed home with him, Al would never see him again. Despite his resolve, sleep overwhelmed him.
Not until someone was gently easing him back down to lie in the bed did he rouse. It was a very handsome young man with dark hair and a dusting of freckles across his nose, somewhere around Al's own age, who smiled at him and introduced himself. Dammit, the boy from the village. A desperate panic ran through Al. Had Mustang already taken Ed away?
He tried to ask, but the boy was pushing a cup of broth on him. Resentfully, he drank it. It was not quite as good as Ed's before, but it did feed a hollow ache he'd been ignoring for far too long.
"Where… where's my brother?" He panted as soon as he was able, grabbing the boy's arm.
"Mr. Elric? He's in the living room…"
"Listen to me. This is what I want you to do…"
