Author's Note: I am really sorry for the long wait! But I hope this story is worth a little waiting. I've been gone for a while, without connection to the internet. So I haven't had the oppertunity to post it until now. Plus a little writer's block. I am currently working on chapter eight, and hopefully you don't have to wait that long for that chapter to show up.


Chapter Seven: It Ended Before It Begun

"Roy? Are you okay?" Ed asked. The man had been quiet for quite some time. He had just lied in the blond's arms. His hot breath warming Ed's naked chest. Thinking. Mourning. It's never easy for someone to accept that you're going to die, and Roy was no exception. He was so near his goal. To become a Fuhrer. At the age of thirty-one he was already a General. And then there was Ed. The man that had helped him to know the feeling of love. The man he had fallen in love with. The man that he at the moment wanted to share his god damned life with. But that shape changing bastard took all that away from him. He took away everything.

He took away the chance to become a Fuhrer. He took away the chance to share his life with someone other than himself. He took all that away because he had shoved a knife into his stomach. Made him bleed to death. Made him beg for the first time in his life. Everything that he once had, was now lost because of that fateful night. Where would he go when breath abandoned his body? Heaven? No, he didn't believe in a place like that. If Heaven existed, it was right here. On Earth. With Ed. With the military. And it was here he wanted to stay. He wanted to spend the rest of his days in this city, in his house, at the military, with Ed. He didn't want to die. He couldn't believe he was going to.

"Ed, I don't want to die." Ed felt his stomach twitch. He felt tears in his eyes once again, but he fought them back. He needed to be strong, for Roy. He yanked the man closer to him. Roy laid his hands around Ed, crying into the blond's neck.

"Roy, I'm…"

There is something that I see…

"Not…"


In the way you look at me…

"Letting…"


There's a smile, there's a truth…

"Go…"


In your eyes…

Ed took Roy's face in his hands, bringing it up to meet his own. Golden orbs met dark ones. "I'm not letting you go, Roy. I'm not," he said and kissed him. As they kissed Ed could feel the tears that ran down the General's cheeks. Then he couldn't hold his own tears back anymore and let go.

---

"Roy, you should really get some sleep," Ed said, stroking Roy's hair. Roy whined like a child. "Why would I want to sleep?" He tilted his head up and looked at the beautiful face that belonged to the FullMetal Alchemist. "I'm sorry, didn't think straight," Ed smiled. Roy laid his head back down at Ed's chest and placed a kiss there. "I'm sorry I can't be here for you, Ed. I really wish I could."

"You will, Roy. You will," Ed said. Although Ed wanted to spend as much time with Roy as possible, he could see that the man needed to sleep. At least a little bit.

It was hard for Roy not to sleep. He had to fight to keep his eyes open. And Ed didn't make things easier when he started to hum this sweet little sound that got him only more sleepy. He could hear the noises from outside the room too. People wandering around, doctors talking. He didn't hear what they talked about. He was glad he didn't; maybe they talked about him? Either way, Roy had to give up the fight against his eyelids.

When Ed was sure Roy was asleep, he lurked out of the bed, leaving the older man alone. Carefully laying his head down at the pillow. Trying hard not to wake the sleeping beauty. Ed smiled at the sight. Eyes closed, mouth slight open, chest heaving. Tiny noises that coming through his nostrils. Tongue coming out once in a while, licking his lips. Those delicious lips. Those lips he couldn't let go.

Ed stood there for a while, watching Roy's lovely features. He couldn't actually believe that Roy was in fact dying. The man had been at his side since he joined the military. He had supported him, and still did. Without him, he wouldn't be able to get Al's body back, cause everything relied on Roy. It was Roy who gave him the leads, Roy who covered his ass when something went wrong. It was Roy who was his first and hopefully last love. It was Roy who had the body of a god. It was Roy who delivered him pleasures. It was Roy who touched his body like no one else.

Roy Mustang was a piece of art.

He couldn't just let this man die. He had to do something, whether Roy liked it or not. Therefore he yanked up his pants and boxers, buttoned his shirt took a last look on his sleeping lover, and left the room.

He sighed when he got out of the door. Looking in both directions for the brunette nurse that had promised to watch the door. When he couldn't see her, he started to walk towards the nurse's station. She probably hadn't left. And he was right. Right in front of him, her head was buried in a pile of paper. A red pen in her right hand. For a sec it felt like he was back in the office. The only thing that was missing was a large table. A few other subordinates. And his little brother. The five feet tall armor that was probably the most polite soul in the world. Ed smiled to himself. He really wished he could tell them. But Roy didn't want to tell them yet. He wanted to spend his time with Ed, and who was Ed to deny him that? Ed then shoved away his thoughts and focused on what needed to be done. "Excuse me?"

"Is there something I can do for you, Mr. Elric?" she said, her head rising from the bunch of papers she was signing. A gorgeous smile graced her pinkish lips, making her green eyes shine even more. Ed coughed. "Well, yes, there is, actually," he began. "I was wondering, is there really not a chance for General Mustang to survive? I mean, there must be something you can do, right?"

She thought a bit. Her eyebrows twitching upwards. She was really pretty. He wondered if Roy had screwed her. Mostly because he always got the pretty ones. He got more pussy than healthy. But he didn't wonder why anymore. He had fallen for Roy himself, and he had fallen hard. "There's always a chance, but in this case, it's very small. If we took a couple of tests, and it was still a chance, then we could take him to surgery once more, and try to save him."

"Then why are you standing here, and not trying to save this man? He's a General! A fucking General! Which means he's a very important person, and a lot of people looks up to him. He can't just die. I won't let him!" he shrieked. Ed was red in his face, he was sorry for yelling at the woman. She was only a nurse, and it wasn't even her fault. She laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. Then a sad smile crossed her features. "I'm sorry, Mr. Elric. But our boss told us to stop. He's more obsessed with money than saving people's lives. He said that trying to save Mr. Mustang's life would be a waste of money and equipment. I can't try to save your superior officer's life without his permission. I'm really sorry."

Ed punched the wall in front of him. Luckily with his human hand so it brought no damage. The nurse looked somehow sad. Ed could tell she didn't like her boss' choice. She wanted to help people. She wasn't obsessed with money. He sighed, sniffed and turned to leave. But when he had walked a couple of meters, he turned around again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. It's just so hard. Roy has always been such a lucky bastard, so I guessed he would be alright. And this time he's not. I'm sorry. But thank you anyway." With that Ed ran. He found a deserted toilet, sat down and cried hard.

Roy is really going to die! Our love has ended before it begun!

How long he had been there, he did not know. His eyes were dry, but his shirt was wet. He sniffed, and walked over to the mirror. He looked at himself. His outside was his mother and father's work, and some of it his own. But very much of his inside was Roy's. Without Roy he wouldn't be the one he now was. What would he do if Roy was taken away from him?

He figured he couldn't stand alone and take all of it by himself, so he found the nearest payphone and dialled a well known number.

He stood with the receiver in his hand, although the person he had called had ended the conversation long ago. He knew Roy didn't want anybody to know until the next day, but everything was getting to his head. He didn't know what to do anymore. "Sorry for interrupting, Mr. Elric," a female voice said and patted his shoulder, "but I can't get away the look you had on your face when you ran away. So, if you want me to, I will take some tests and see if it's still possible to save Mr. Mustang. And if it is, I want you to help me to convince the boss."

He turned around, and saw the brunette looking at him with a friendly smile. Ed almost kissed the woman.

"Thank you, Miss! Thank you so much!" Ed couldn't help himself and gave the woman a hug. Squeezing his left cheek against her. She smiled down at Ed when he released her. "Please, call me Abigail," she chuckled and gave him her hand. He shook it gently, and smiled. "Abigail Parker."

"Edward Elric."

As they walked back, she punched his shoulder lightly. "So, Edward, how long have you and Mr. Mustang been together?" Ed almost jumped. How the hell did she know? He looked at her with the golden gaze. He made a look that made her laugh. "Oh, you wonder how I figured," she began. "Not hard to figure out. Really. He was calling out your name several times during the surgery. He wanted to see you all the time. "Ed, Ed, Ed!". And you wanting alone time with him…"

Did she hear us? Whoops.

"…When you slipped and called him by his first name. And now, when you ran away. I could see it in your face that he means much to you." Ed blushed. "It's nothing to be embarrassed of, Edward. The fact that he's another man doesn't change anything. Love is love," she smiled and squeezed his shoulder.

"You sound like my little brother," Ed said.

"Well, then your little brother is a very clever boy."

---

"Brother!" He could hear the enthusiasm in his little brother's voice as they approached. The blond woman swaying her hips right behind the five feet tall armor. Ed smiled when thick leather hands was pushing him against a steel chest. He released himself from his brother's grasp and gave him a grin. "Hi Al."

Hawkeye was beside him now, and he could tell without looking at her that she wanted answers. She wanted to know why it was such a hurry that she brought Al along and got to the hospital as fast as possible. He would tell, when he got the time. He felt someone poke him on his back, turned around and saw the nurse, Abigail. He had completely forgotten that he was walking with her when he got the sight of Al and Riza.

"Al, this is Abigail Parker," Ed said, introducing them to each other. "Abigail, this is my little brother Al." They shook hands and she smiled. Al would too; if he had been able to. Abigail turned around and introduced herself to the other woman. They smiled and both turned around to look at Ed. Ed looked at Riza. She must have been home changing. She was out of her military clothes. Now wearing a nice light blue sweater, with a black skirt that reached her knees. Her hair in a neat ponytail. She looked really good.

"Edward, I believe we came here for a reason," she said. Ed looked down at the floor, hesitating. He clenched his fists. "Mustang is here," he said, eyes still focused on the floor. "And you have to help me to save him."

---

"How is that possible? Hughes is dead," Hawkeye said when Ed was done telling them the story. They was walking towards Roy's room, so they could get him examined. Ed's gaze had never left the floor while he was talking. It was too hard to talk about it.

"There's this homunculi that can change shapes. It was the same one that killed Hughes," Ed said, his eyes finally meeting the woman's. He turned his head forward. "Oh, we're here. Let me go and wake him up," Ed said and walked inside before anyone got the chance to open their mouths.

When he got in, Roy was already awake. He smiled at Ed. "I don't know why Ed, but I feel a lot better."


To be continued...