14. Truths
T: A day early, go me! I just wanted to say, before I got into the more mundane stuff, how appreciative I am of all your encouraging reviews and your enthusiasm for this fic! That out of the way, warnings remain the same and I own nothing you see here other than the plot bunny!
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He wakes to the smell of disinfectant and the looming shadow of Armstrong hovering above him.
"How are you feeling?"
"Sore, where is Al?"
"The suit is out on the roof of the hospital and his soul is, for an hour at least, back where it 'belongs'."
"I see."
"What happened, Edward?" The door crashes inwards before he has time to answer that tentative enquiry and he sends a well of positive feeling in Hughes's direction.
"Ed, it's great to see you!"
"Lieutenant."
"I don't know about you, Ed, but I'm feeling a little parched. Major how about you go and make us some Armstrong family lemonade; I hear that it's amazing!"
"It'll be my pleasure."
Once the other is gone Hughes settles down onto the edge of the bed and, his manner sobering all but instantaneously, he enquires,
"Will you tell me what happened?"
"I went to the 5th laboratory and met people like Al and Homunculus."
"Homunculus?"
"That's right. One of them, Envy was its name, could change its form at will and when first I saw it…when first I saw that individual it looked like general Grand."
"It's better you forget about this, Ed, forget everything to do with the 5th laboratory and let me deal with the matter." He is about to object when the door crashes inwards yet again and Winry steps into the room.
"Al told me that you had been hurt, that your arm had ceased up…why didn't you tell me yourself, Ed?"
"Winry…"
"Ah so this is the infamous Winry! How would you like to come to a birthday party?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Of course, where are my manners? I'm Maes Hughes, Ed's landlord, confident and current commanding officer!"
"A pleasure."
"So how about it? You see my little girl is four today and I'm certain she'd love to see you at her party! The more the merrier as I always say!"
"I'm not sure…"
"You'll never get anywhere with that attitude!" Hughes grabs Winry by the hand then and drags her, all but bodily, from the room. "I'll make sure she's back by the afternoon, Ed."
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"Al?" He nudges the suit gently with his foot and is met with the gentle response of,
"I'm here, 'niichan."
"Winry-nee said that you spoke to her."
"I knew that she'd want to know about your arm but I didn't think she'd take the news so badly."
"She thinks that we're beginning to cut her from our lives."
"It's true, you know."
"I know…do you think we should tell her about you?"
"Of course," There is a moment of silence and then Al says, "You should not have given in to their demands, 'niichan."
"I didn't have a choice."
"Yes you did."
"The moment your soul was sealed to that armour you would have become as vulnerable as Slicer and she would have used that against me. It was precisely for that reason that I didn't want you coming with me, that I wanted to do this on my own!"
"You can't control my life forever, 'niichan."
"I know that, it's just…it is bad enough that tousan is fading away from me, if you were to leave me as well…"
"I'm not going anywhere, 'niichan." His brother pulls him down into a hug then and, though the mettle of the armour is cold, he feels warmer for the contact. "Lust could not have known the weakness of my transmutation without having seen the notes herself, which means…"
"It means that, somehow, tousan is involved in this mess."
"Maybe…"
"Al?"
"Tousan's notes mention another alchemist, one who aided him during his youth and who would hold the same knowledge as himself."
"Then it's clear that our next step is to talk to this alchemist."
"Her name is Dante and I'm certain that, if we talk to the Colonel, we can learn where to find her."
His skin flushes for the mention of the other and, wishing to distract his brother before he notices this fact, he says, "How about I fix you up? It's better that Winry is only fretting about the one of us, after all." Before he sets his left hand against the armour and, using the iron from the railing that surrounds the roof, restores the mettle back to its original state.
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"Mr. Hughes made me realise that it was unfair of me to be angry with you, especially considering that you were only trying to keep me from worrying and that, had it been something truly serious, you would have phoned me right after talking to Al."
"That man is a hell of a lot smarter than he makes out, isn't he?"
"You know that he thinks highly of you, don't you?"
"Yeh, I know."
There is a moment of silence and then he enquires,
"Can I tell you something, Winry-nee?"
"Of course, but you might want to wait a moment." She pushes hard on his automail arm then, as the joints click back together, his sensibilities are swamped by a wave of pain. "Okay, I'm listening."
"Al didn't know that I was hurt because I called him but because he was there when it happened."
"How is that possible?"
"He's been spending a lot of time shut away on his own recently, right?"
"More and more each day."
"That's because he's using his alchemy to separate his soul from his body and place it into the shell of a suit of armour."
"Isn't something like that risky?"
"All alchemy is risky, neesan, but Al has done all he can to make sure this procedure is as risk free as he can make it."
"Obaachan is right you are both as hard headed as one another." She is smiling, the expression easing the tension in his spine and allowing him to release the breath he had been holding.
"Do you have something else to tell me as well?" She enquires after a long moment of silence.
"Something else?"
"Something in regard to a certain Colonel?" Again his skin flushes and Winry chuckles a little for the response before informing him, "I know it came as a bit of a surprise to you that someone like him could care for you that way, but you can't pretend it never happened."
"Then what do I do? I don't know how to treat him or how I feel about him."
"Treat him as you always have, Ed, it'll be the most comfortable for the both of you…as to how you feel…give yourself time and I'm sure an answer will come."
"Thank you, Winry-nee."
"You're welcome, ototo."
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T: No niggles, next update Sunday, please review!