Nightmare

The bed beneath him was old, hard, and smelled like mold. The only light in the room was the murky glow coming from the adjacent bathroom. His body shivered slightly in anticipation and fear, the fact there were no blankets didn't help much either. He was just starting to will himself to stop and to be still when-thud, thud, thud- someone was coming down the stairs. 'No-not again- I can't-' The door knob began to twist. 'No!' The door slid open as a figure walked in, closing and locking the door behind him.

"Are you ready for our equivalent exchange, Edward?" The boy didn't so much as twitch. 'Not again! Please, not again!' The figure stepped forward into the dim light. Ed didn't want to see the other man's face, so he closed his eyes tightly. The older man was right next to the bed now. The blonde knew because his skin began to crawl like a million filthy bugs, the way it always did any time he was near. The sensation made him want to skin himself. It seemed like the only way to purge the terrible feeling.

"Good," the man whispered. Hands began to roam over Edward's body, intensifying the feeling and leaving no place safe. Ed's head spun and it took an impossible amount of will to not vomit. The unwanted touch fondled him mercilessly, stroking his most private parts. Against his will, the Judas limb began to respond.

"Good boy, Edward. It does feel good, doesn't it?"

"NOOOO!" The Fullmetal alchemist jumped out of the bed, throwing himself into the nearest corner, shaking and rocking, panting the same word over and again. Distantly he heard someone laughing, but he couldn't focus on anything except the word he kept repeating. He could still feel it, the hands all over him, everywhere at the same time, like a million little unclean digesting insects. 'I need to get them off of me!'

'That's right Edward, your pocket watch. Get the watch so you can make it stop.' Azen was sitting on the bed pointing at the little sliver watch that lay abandoned on the floor only a few feet in front of him.

'Yes! The watch, I need out of my skin.' The blonde quickly snatched up the watch and moved back to the safety of the corner.

'Yes, get them off Ed! Get the hands off! Leave nothing for them to touch!' The alchemist was breathing so rapidly it was hard to see, and everything was fuzzy. His head was moving a thousand times faster than his body as he fought with the pocket watch, trying to pull it apart.

"Ed, are you ok? I thought I heard you screaming." Mustang walked into the room, but Ed seemed oblivious as his automail finger dug into the watch.

'You're so close Ed! Keep going!' He nodded feverishly as he ripped the two halves of the watch apart sending glass, metal gears and the razor blade flying. Roy darted over the bed, thankful he already had his shoes on. The man had met his broken glass wounds quota for the year last night. Edward moved forward, reaching for the razor blade at the General's feet. Mustang grabbed the smaller man by the shoulders and threw him onto the bed.

Suddenly, Edward Elric was very aware of the fact that someone new was in the room. With his vision still blurred, all he could make out was a much taller figure pinning him down to a bed. The nightmare began all over again.

"No! Don't fucking touch me!" Roy barely missed a right hook aimed at his jaw, then was forced to jump backwards to avoid being kicked.

"Edward, calm down! It's just me, it's Roy!" The blonde rolled to the other side of the bed. Landing none too gracefully, quickly he picked himself up. He didn't listen; he couldn't see at all now, but the overwhelming need to run kept him on his feet. Suddenly he felt two arms wrap tightly around him. Ed struggled, but couldn't free himself, and as he wore out he started to hear something. He tried to focus. It sounded like… numbers?

"2…3…1…2…3…1…2…3..-" Steady and slow, Edward wasn't sure when it happened but he realized he was now saying the numbers too, in time with the other person counting. His vision began to clear, Ed looked up at Mustang, and said man looked back, not daring to stop counting. They were sitting on the floor. Roy was leaning against the bed and he was on the man's lap…in his arms. The blonde quickly turned away as he blushed. 'How the fuck does this keep happening!'

"Umm, What's going on Mustang?" The counting stopped.

"I was hoping you could explain that to me. How about we start with what was going on before you destroyed your watch." Ed tensed and tried to pull away but the other man's iron grip still refused to give. 'Well shit, the bastard General won't let me go 'till I explain.'

"I had a nightmare,… about..Tucker." Edward rested his head on Roy's chest. Though he wouldn't admit it even to himself, the other man's touch helped keep away the memory of someone else's hands.

"Ed, I'm so sorry. No wonder you attacked me." Mustang buried his face in the blonde locks of the other man, kissing the top of his head.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing. I could have hurt you." Fullmetal put the fuzzy memories together, making as much sense as possible out of the bad morning's events. 'I've heard of waking up on the wrong side of the bed but, shit! I woke up on the wrong side of sanity!' Ed heard a giggle, confused he looked around.

"What are you looking for?" Edward gazed up at the bed, sure enough there was Abyss, looking apologetic with a hand over her mouth.

"Just making sure I didn't completely destroy my new room during my…" Ed wasn't sure how to phrase it without making him sound crazy.

"Psychotic break?" The blonde sighed deciding there wasn't a way to even begin to describe what happened without making him sound nuttier that squirrel poop.

"Yah, that." Ed sighed. 'When did I lose my mind?'

'It is still there, so do not fret. Beside, your sense of humor is back so I know you are feeling better.' Abs smile down at the blonde.

'Where were you earlier? I thought you said you wanted to help me. If it weren't for Roy I-'

'I do apologize, but I also told you your past is what gives Azen his strength. I am afraid that he was too strong for me to make an appearance.'

'Well that's great. Some help you are, Abyss.' The young woman frowned and got off the bed and started moving toward the door.

'Pay attention to how you feel right now, Edward. It is the key to what makes me strong. Maybe next time if you remember this feeling, I can be helpful.' With that said, she slipped out the door. The teen sighed. He didn't mean to upset his newest reflection. She seemed nice, and Ed had a few questions for her, like why she had the human transmutation circle between her shoulder blades, for starters.

"Why do you keep sighing?" Mustang was gazing down at him with a rather perplexed look.

"Just trying to come to terms with the fact I'm insane." 'What the hell am I feeling any way? Frustration? Fear? Anger? No, that's what I should feel, but I don't. All I feel right now is warm; really warm, like I'm sitting in the sun and actually feeling it.' As he focused on the feeling, it seemed to spread from his core down his limbs, filling every inch of him with the pleasant heat.

"Well, even the crazies need to eat, so let's go downstairs and make breakfast." Edward got up and walked to the bathroom.

"I think I'll shower first." Mustang waited until he heard the water running before cleaning up the mess that had once been Edward's state alchemist watch. 'You're definitely not getting this back.' Roy carefully picked up the innocent looking razor blade. 'But even if I take this there's a million other things he could use, and a billon more things he could transmute.' The General sighed heavily and walked down to the kitchen, intent on making waffles.

Hey guys! Please review, I mean it really helps me decide what is or isn't working, what to next, ect. So review!