Disclaimer: I do NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters...I'm just playing with them.
Author's note:
Thanks to ZaKai for reading through this chapter and finding all my many mistakes.
Chapter 14
"Stop!" Ed commanded, frowning in concentration.
"God! You're so frigging heavy..." Roy complained, shoving the man on his shoulder's closer towards the ceiling.
"Just! Wait! Will you?" Ed wiggled through the opening, trying to work his right shoulder out from the corner it was stuck on.
"Hurry up! You weigh a ton!" Roy shoved again in annoyance.
"SHUT up! I'm not fat!" Ed tried to drag his shoulder towards himself.
"Who said anything about fat...small maybe..." Roy mumbled, and shoved once more.
"What did you say?"
"I'm letting go now."
"Ah, almost..." Ed freed his shoulder and heaved himself up into the air vent. He looked around and was pleased to note that it was spacious enough for them to move about on their hands and knees, and allow them to turn around with space to spare. The conduit and wires that shared this space with the ventilation was encased along bottom edges with only a small metal lip to protect them. "Here, come on up." Ed turned around and reached down with his auto-mail.
"Just sec, I got to stage the room," said Roy, turning away from Ed's hand.
"Eh?" Ed watched as Roy grabbed his jacket and threw it up to his dangling hand. Pulling the jacket into the vent beside him, he let his arm hang down once more. The banging from outside the room increased and became more concerted, slowly shifting the shelving unit inwards.
"I noticed another vent along the floor here. We'll make it look like we went that way." Roy explained as he shoved another cabinet in front of the door to buy them time with a loud crash. He then moved the shelf hiding the floor vent aside and pulled off the metal grate covering it, throwing it on the floor carelessly. Taking one last look around, Roy was satisfied that this was the best they could do under the circumstances.
Looking up into the blond's face framed in the ceiling with his long bangs hanging down, falling in his eyes, Roy's heart gave a weird little flutter. Frowning, he wondered what that was about.
"What?" Ed asked, seeing Roy frown up at him. "Do I have a booger?" Ed wiped at his nose.
"No, I was just trying to figure out how to get myself up there." Roy made a face at Ed for his bluntness, which Ed didn't see.
"Jump. Here I'll lie on my stomach." Ed lay down on his stomach and spread out his body, bracing himself inside the vent. His hand dropped a few more inches. "And I'll catch you, and pull you up."
Shrugging his shoulders, Roy took a few steps back. Sprinting, Roy ran at the hand and launched himself, latching onto the out stretched limb with both of his hands.
"Ugh!" Ed slid a few inches towards the opening, his auto-mail felt like it was going to rip from his body. "Now...who's...fat." grunted Ed, heaving Roy up towards the vent opening. "Grab on. Ugh!"
As soon as he was able to reach the lip of the vent, Roy took some of the weight off of the smaller man and yanked himself up. Ed's other hand reached over his back and caught hold of his belt and pants pulling him up. Roy was pushed under the blond's body. He wiggled forward to give Ed more room, and him, a chance to turn around.
"Your jacket." Ed slid the garment back at Roy, and then reached across the opening to retrieve the grate and fit it into place. "Which way do we want to head in?" Ed asked as he snapped the grate into place.
"Lets head in that direction." Roy pointed in front of Ed. With the vent now in place the only illumination was coming from the room below and an emergency light at the far end of the shaft, which cast no real light where they crouched.
"Okay." Ed crawled forward over the vent grate and into the growing darkness. Every other 'step' Ed would clank somewhat as his metal knee pressed into the vent floor.
"Wait," Roy hissed at Ed after they had only gone a crawled a few feet. He reached out and pulled on Ed's hip turning him to sit on his butt. "We can't have you making that much noise."
"I can't help it," Ed said through clenched teeth, glaring at Roy who was almost nose to nose with him. He hoped his flushed face would be mistaken for the after affects of the fever he was still recovering from and not from the proximity to one another.
"Slide on your--"
The door to their room was forcefully opened and they could hear the soldiers rushing in, shoving the shelf and cabinet aside. Roy and Ed both froze, listening to the commotion.
"They're not here—"
"Look they went down the vent—"
"They went down a level."
"There's a soldier in here, he's alive. Pull yourself together, man."
Roy glanced over at Ed, and he shrugged in response. When Ed pointed down the vent, Roy shook his head no, and then pointed to Ed's leg.
Well, what then? Ed mouthed silently. Wait here? He pointed at the ground between himself and Roy.
Roy pressed his lips. He didn't want to wait here anymore then Ed did, but they couldn't move away with Ed alerting the soldier to their presence. Roy sat back on his heels thinking about what they ought to do now, when Ed tapped him on the shoulder.
"It got quiet," Ed whispered, leaning away from the other man in order to give himself a bit more room.
Roy paused and listened. Frowning, he pivoted around and slid back to the vent, and looked down into the now empty room. "Let's go." Roy slid around once more and pushed on Ed's shoulder to get him moving.
"Are they gone?" Ed asked over his shoulder, as he shuffled along in front of Roy. The slight clanking was now no longer an issue with no one to hear them.
"Yes, let's hurry," Roy urged the blond.
Ed turned back and smiled cockily at Roy, "This is kinda fun, don't you—Whaaaa!" Ed windmilled his arms as he tried to reach back, flailing for a grip on Roy, as he teetered on the edge of an abrupt downward shaft that seemed to come from nowhere.
Roy's eyes widened, and his hand shot out to paw at the hand that was thrust in his face, but he couldn't seem to get a good hold of it. Ed's other hand shot out and gripped the shirt on Roy's shoulder, pulling him with Ed down the dark shaft.
Al peeked around the corner and watched the retreating backs of the five soldiers. They had come very close to being caught out in the open with no where to hide, but then the soldiers had stopped and turned around, leaving them free for the moment.
Sighing, Al sagged back into the wall. They had to find somewhere to hold up for a while. The traffic was getting a little too heavy for them to be wondering around aimlessly. Al glanced at Noa and quirked a smile. For the woman's sanity at least, Al would have to find somewhere where they could relax, even if it was only for a little while.
Noa returned Al's smile and tried to force her body to relax. Which of course didn't do anything to help her relax in the slightest. She worried about their chances of getting out of here. This place was a maze of corridors, with no apparent rhyme or reason to it all, at least none that she could see. She was starting to think that Al's bravado was just for her sake, and that made her soften in all the right places.
She wondered if her intuition was correct, but she wouldn't invade his personal space to confirm it. When she had rushed into his arms in the holding area, she didn't detect anything out of the ordinary coming from him, and she hadn't probed further either. She really did want to know, but she also wanted to find out in the normal way, just like anyone else. She wanted to find out if Al liked her like any woman would, slowly.
Al led the way down his chosen path and made sure to keep his ears pleaded for anything out of the ordinary. As he listened, he started to make out a deep thrum coming up through the floor. Tilting his head to the side he tried to locate the source of the the noise.
"Hear that?" He asked behind him, as he slowed to a stop. Silence met his question. Al looked back to see Noa and Isabella straining to hear what he had.
"I hear humming," Isabella said.
"Coming from...over that way." Noa pointed down the hall in front of them and towards the floor.
Al cocked his head to the side and nodded, yup it was just as Noa had said. "Let's check it out." Al waved over his shoulder and led his motley crew down the hall.
"Roy, why do you cry?" A warm gravelly voice rumbled behind him. A large weather beaten brown hand gripped his small shoulder.
"Cause momma says we can't see you anymore." Roy sniffled and wiped his face on his dirty shirt sleeve.
"Why does she say this thing?" his Grandpa asked as he sat beside the small boy on the cliff edge.
"S-she says you're filling my head with...with..." Roy faulted as he debated on if he should repeat what his mother had actually said.
"Nonsense?" an amused voice asked. Roy looked over to see his Grandpa smiling at his unease.
"Sort of... but she used a bad word," Roy whispered, as if he were tattle telling on his mother. Momma always said tattle tellers were the worst.
"I see. Momma always knows best, Roy." Roy's grandpa looked off into the dark hills. Roy looked too, studying the way the shadows made new shapes in the moonlight of the familiar landscape.
"But I don't want to leave Grandpa, I love you. I wanna stay and play with you in the hills." Roy could feel the tears come back as he thought about never seen his Grandpa ever again.
"Ah, I see." The man fell silent for some time. Roy's sniffles soon calmed down to mere hiccups before his grandfather spoke again. "I will tell you of a dream I had last night. In this dream, you are a grown man, and you come to me after a long time away, and you bring with you strangers. One of the strangers is hurt and broken. The elders are waiting for this man and once he's healed by our medicine, you will then be freed from your daemons. So remember that we will see each other once again." Roy slid over and burrowed into his Grandpa's side.
"Yes, Grandpa..." he whispered.
"Oh..." Roy shifted his arm slowly as his conciseness fought towards the surface. Why did he hurt so much? His chest was rising and falling in a different tempo then his own breathing, he noticed, and his muddled mind puzzled over this. Grandpa? Why am I remembering that now? Roy wondered.
Suddenly the ground beneath him shifted. Still only half conciseness, he struggled to push himself away from the soft, shifting ground. He cracked his eyes open and blinked twice to clear his sight to stare at what he was resting on.
Edward was lying spread eagle on his back, with his head turned away from Roy, and he had begun to wheeze. Roy's memories came back at the sight of the other man; they had fallen down the vent shaft. Fallen a long way down. Roy scooted back to the blond and turned his face towards him. The guy was still out cold.
"Ed." Roy tapped his cheek softly. "Wake up, buddy." The only answer he got was a ragged breathing. Roy began to check him for any injuries. The green shirt he was wearing was balled up under his armpits, Roy could see the fading bruise on Ed's chest, and he groaned. He had landed on the smaller man. He hoped that he didn't break his ribs again.
Roy probed Ed's ribs, feeling for any new fractures or brakes. As he felt lower the blond snorted, and edged away from his hands. Thinking that he had indeed injured him, Roy felt along the lower ribs again.
"Ha ha, stop it." Ed dragged his hands back from their cross like pose and pushed at Roy's hands. Ed cracked his eyes open to see who would be tickling him this early in the morning. Must be Isabella, he thought blearily.
"Hey, you all right?" Roy leaned over the prone body, placing his hand just under the far armpit.
"Izzy?" Ed asked, his vision wavered and unfocused. He blinked a few times at the shadow leaning over him.
"Is that your girlfriend?" Roy wondered. It seemed he was always asking that of the blond, and he wondered at that.
"Hmm?" Ed frowned, that voice didn't sound right, too deep. Could he actually be having a good dream for once? He knew they couldn't be all bad, no matter what his sub-conciseness would want to tell him otherwise. He reached up and dragged his hands up the broad back of the dream Roy leaning over him and pulled the man down towards his chest.
"Hey..." Roy pushed back, resisting Ed's tug on his back.
"My dream, you got to do what I say..." Ed mumbled, and pouted up at Roy. His dream was becoming more clear and focused. "Kiss me," Ed demanded. This was the best fucking dream he had EVER had.
"What..." Roy was breathless. Did he even know that he was a guy?
"Rooyy," whined Ed, and tugged insistently on his back again.
Yes he did, he thought. Roy knew, he knew, that this shouldn't be happening, but when he stopped fighting and leaned forward, the serene smile on Ed's lips made his heart flutter strangely again. God help him, he couldn't resist. God, forgive me, he pleaded silently.
Ed's hands wove into the hair at the base of Roy's neck, making goose flesh pop up all over his body. The dual sensation from the flesh and metal hands, made pleasant tingling race all along Roy's spine. Ed pulled Roy lower, and he watched fascinated as those unique golden eyes darkened when Ed tilted his head to the side. Roy hesitated just out of reach, so Ed took the initiative and closed the gap.
Their lips met for the first time, and Ed was so happy. It was a good kiss too. Firm and searching, with just a bit of hunger waiting at the edges to be let loose. Ed licked Roy's lower lip, asking, hoping, but Roy pulled away. Ed moaned his impatience and tugged on his back again.
"Ed, I don't think this is the place for this." As much as I'd want to continue this... Roy didn't say the last bit out loud, but he really did feel that way, and it was eating at him. Roy reached back and pulled Ed's arms off him and sat on his heels.
"What?" Ed asked, as he propped himself up to regard the object of his infatuation. His lips were still tingling nicely from the kiss, and his stomach was telling him that it had really liked that, and if he paid real close attention his groin was telling him that it wanted to see more of that as well.
"This isn't a dream. You were knocked out. I'm sorry." Roy watched as the loose shirt fell back over the blond's chest, and then met Ed's golden eyes again.
"Not...a..." Ed's face reddened quickly, he glanced around, finally, at their surroundings, and Roy copied him.
They were lying on top of a large circular grate that was just above a large rotating fan. The soft whoosh as the blades passed pushed air up in a gentle breeze that made their hair move. They were high above the floor and Ed could see lots of various pipes and machines, through out the vast room. Ed looked back at Roy, who was still taking in their new surroundings.
"You..." Ed growled, he could feel the heat on his cheeks and neck, and wished he was able to control himself better. The nerve of this man, letting him act like that when he wasn't in his right mind. Roy met his eyes, waiting. Rolling over onto his hands and knees, Ed pushed angrily on his thighs to stand over the other man. I blew it, Ed thought in embarrassment. Now he knows and he won't like me. Ed frantically searched for something to say that would hopefully save him from further humiliation. "What the HELL was that?" Ed blurted out.
Roy's eyes widened at the blond's outburst. So we're back to mental? Is that it? Roy wondered. "That was all yo—"
"Shut up! That's the second time I was knocked out 'cause of you. Do you have it in for me, or what?" Ed stalked over to the edge of the grate and looked over the side. "How do we get off this thing anyway?" He fervently hoped that Roy would still want to be around him after this was all done. He really wanted to have his friendship at least. He frantically listened for any sounds behind him as he pretended to study the floor below. Should I say something else? Ed wondered nervously.
Roy studied Ed's back as he looked over the side of the grate. It was so tense and rigid. He finally pushed on his legs to stand as well. He didn't want to provoke Ed any further, so he walked over to the far side and glanced down. There was a latter going down, all the way to the floor below, so the question on how to get off this thing was answered at least.
He turned to tell Ed about what he found, and the words dried up on his lips. Ed was staring at him with a strange look in his eyes, but the blond quickly turned away when he met Roy's gaze. This man was an enigma of hidden emotions, was constantly giving mixed and confused signals, and had some deep rooted trauma. The more time that he spent with him, the more Roy wanted to unravel this puzzle.
Colonel Jack Tompkins, strode boldly towards a group of soldiers as they searched room by room, making their way down the hallway in pursuit of the missing prisoner. He was quickly noticed by the solider standing guard outside the room.
"Soldier, report," the colonel demanded as soon as he was within talking distance.
"Sir," the soldier saluted. "We have not found any evidence of the prisoner since the sighting in the medical room, sometime ago."
"Hmm," the colonel rubbed his chin in thought. So they lost the major did they... he thought to himself. "Where have you searched so far?"
"Sir, we've search this wing and a team has gone down to the second level to look for signs that he may have come through the ventilation system to the lower levels." Some of the soldiers in the room came out to mill around the colonel and listen to the report.
"That's good, but we've had a report that the prisoner has been sighted on the far side of the base. Your orders are to head over there and continue the search. Dismissed."
"Sir!" By now, the rest of the soldiers had come out of the room they were searching and they had all heard the colonel's orders. The troops about-faced and marched down the corridor off to complete their new orders.
The colonel smiled to himself as he turned around and walked back the way he came.
Al pushed on the door marked 'authorized personal only', despite the moan of trepidation from Noa behind him. The door opened quietly and easily on well oiled hinges. The low thrum that they heard increasing as they neared, became a full blown, white noise roar. Isabella's head snaked it's way around Al's hip to get her first glimpse of the room.
"Whoa..." Isabella breathed as she looked into the vast and deep room.
Al was thinking just that, as he looked into what appeared to be huge refinery. There were pipes heading in every direction possible, with several flights of steps, and metal walkways going down in degrees to the floor far below. Al scanned the jumbled mess for signs of other people but the view was too hard to penetrate.
"Cool!" Al stepped back and re-checked the writing on the door. "We can rest in here no problem. Let's go," Al bluffed, hoping he was right in his assumption.
"Al, maybe we should think about this a moment." Noa pulled on the back of his shirt. She was very uncomfortable with this idea of causing trouble. She usually tried to avoid it when ever possible, as her abilities often made her a target and this didn't sit well with her.
"Oh, Noa, come on," Isabella pleaded, tugging at the woman's hold on Al's shirt.
"Yeah Noa, come on." Al grinned at her. Noa rolled her eyes at the both of them. Not like she had much of a choice, it was go with them or be left behind. Right now, Noa really wanted to be around a friendly face.
The Seniore stalked the halls, anxious at the thought of loosing his prize before he even had a taste. His need to have Edward now worked on his mind, making him spring into action, even if it was to pace the halls. The twins and Eberhard had returned to his quarters after the announcement to hear if he had any further orders for them. Growling at their incompetence, the Seniore had stalked about the room, throwing insults and half formed punishments at their bowed heads.
The anticipation was enough to send him into fits of hysterics at any moment. He ignored all the groups of soldiers he passed on his wondering route and continued to try and work off his nervous energy. He was looking for something to direct his ire at in the mean time. He had yet to find a suitable victim yet.
The Seniore rounded the corner and stopped mid-stride as he noticed a small girl duck into the ventilation and heating control room. He stood there frozen, pondering what he should do. If the Elric's girl was here, could the brother be as well?
The Seniore chewed on his lip. As far as he knew, no one was aware that the other brother was even missing. This would be a prime opportunity to get some leverage. In fact, if he were able to capture the younger brother, then perhaps he didn't have to tell the others that he had him. The Seniore was starting to think they weren't really going to hand over Edward after all.
Pulling his gun out from his hip holster, the Seniore checked to make sure his gun was loaded and the safety was off before following the small girl's half glimpsed dress into the control room.
Strange things had begun to happen around the base. Detachments of soldiers were being sent to obscure parts of the complex, reports of sightings that no one could confirm the source, and the obvious sabotage that seemed to be happening right under their collective noses. It was sending the control tower in to throes of epileptic shock as it tried to deal with and re-direct the misinformed soldiers.
When dust started to fall from the ceiling, everyone in the control tower paused and looked up, trying to puzzle the meaning of such a strange occurrence. Just as everyone had collectively dismissed the dust, the ground beneath them shook, which in turn made the ground above them shake and that caused everyone to push their chairs back and stand in alarm.
A few hasty barks from their temporary 'commander' brought everyone back to their overturned seats and resume their work. As the first reports started to come in, the atmosphere became thick with frantic orders and hurried messages to other parts of the base with instructions on fire control and containment.
Jones walked calmly away from his handiwork. If this didn't get their attention then nothing would. As soon as he heard the running foot steps approach, Jones doubled up and started to cough loudly. He threw out a hand on the wall as he slid to the floor.
As the response team rushed by him, one of the medics knelt down beside him to offer some oxygen from a small canister. Jones pressed the face mask into his face and watched as more people rushed by. The medic was speaking to him now, but he feigned loss of hearing and mimed that he couldn't make out what the medic was saying. The man treating him nodded and motioned for him to stay here. Jones just blinked at him, before the medic got up and rushed after the response team.
As this section of corridor became deserted, Jones flicked the oxygen mask away and pushed on his thighs to stand, brushed down the front of his uniform, dislodging the dust that had settled there, and calmly walked away from the explosion he had caused, whistling a tune called 'Dixie'.
Isabella hopped down the stairs, humming to herself. She was getting sort of bored with this climbing down stairs. She wanted to find Eddie, and she wanted to eat something too. The food Eberhard had given her had left her empty stomach wanting more. Noa had said she wasn't hungry and had let her eat it all, but now as she thought about it...Isabella stopped on the step and looked back at Noa and Al behind her as they follow at a slower pace. Both of them must be really hungry by now.
"What's up Isabella?" Al asked. He looked down on the small girl a few risers ahead of them, and he paused as well, awaiting her answer.
"Nothing." Isabella turned around and continued to hop down the steps resuming her song.
"She seems pretty happy, all things considered," murmured Al as he watched Isabella's descent, with a smile. "How are you hanging in there?" Al asked, looking side long at Noa.
"I'll be glad to be far away from here. I hope that Edward is okay," said Noa, biting on her thumb. "I worry about his recklessness."
"Yeah..." Al looked over the side of the railing down through the pipes to look at the floor. "Well, keep your eyes peeled for a nice hiding spot so we can rest up some."
"Are you going to be surly the whole time? I said I was sorry, what more do you want?" Roy asked the despondent man trailing behind him. Never mind the fact that you instigated that. Roy rolled his eyes as Ed continued to ignore him. "I don't hate you or anything," offered Roy as he stepped over a mass of cables running across the walkway, "it was just...surprising is all."
Ed grunted at him for that. Surprising my ass. It was one guy kissing another. One that quite obviously likes girls. Ed mentally slapped himself for his stupidity. "Gawah!" Ed called out in surprise as he stumbled forward, hopping on one leg to regain his balance from tripping on the cables that crossed the floor, seemingly out of nowhere, making him stumble towards Roy's back.
"Hey, watch it buddy, you're going to hurt yourself if you keep that up," Roy said, as he whirled around to catch Ed on his way to a face plant in the concrete. Roy's heart sped up, thumping painfully in his chest.
Landing heavily in Roy's arms, Ed took a moment to catch his breath before righting himself. Shaking off Roy's hold on him, Ed turned away and straightened his shirt. Ed's eye's widened as he saw Roy's arms reach out from his peripheral vision and enfold him in a hug from behind. Did the air become thin all of a sudden? He wondered as he gasped for breath.
"There's something about you..." the voice rumbled along his back. Ed felt light headed.
"What...about me?" Ed asked, his own voice seemed to come from far off. His arms hung down by his side. He could only stare in front of him at the industrial pipes.
"I feel like..." Roy tightened his hold on the blond. He noted happily that he only came up to his collar bone. Why should he note that? And why was he hugging him? Why!
"What..." promted Ed again, breathlessly.
"But then we never could, could we," Roy said more to himself then in answer to Ed. He slowly released his hold on Ed and stepped away, once, then twice.
Ed watched from over his shoulder as Roy retreated away from him. If he was confused before, what did this make him now? He wanted to reach out and grab the lapel of Roy's jacket and shake him, demanding to know what he was thinking, and hoping it might mean he could have a chance. He'd fight for a chance. Please let me have a chance, he begged silently.
"Let's keep moving." Roy turned and continued down the path they were wondering on.
Startled, Ed tried to say something to get Roy to talk to him, but his mouth and tongue weren't obeying him. He should say something, but what? He hardly knew what he was feeling himself. Should he just play it off for now? Like before? "Roy...um..." Ed faltered as his brief surge of courage left him again. What was I going to say?
Roy turned and looked back at the flustered blond, who was chewing on his lip. There's that flutter again, Roy noted. "Come on shorty, we got ground to cover." Roy waved for him to catch up as he turned once more and continued down the path.
"You... FUCKING BASTARD-SHIT... ASSHOLE!" Ed roared.
Surprised, Roy wondered what was wrong now. Was he mad about his intrusion into his personal space? Ed was shaking with fury as he glared daggers at him. Roy took a cautionary step away from the immanent explosion that was sure to happen at any moment.
"I. Am. Not. SHORT!" seethed Ed.
"Oh-oh..." Roy ran for all he was worth in order to get away from the blond maniac chasing after him.
"Did you hear that?" Al asked, a huge grin on his face, as he titled his head to listen. "I could swear that that was Ed's voice. Don't you think?" Al turned to Noa and she grinned back at him. Isabella was jumping up and down on the metal catwalk in her excitement.
"It was Eddie, I hear it!" Isabella tugged on Al's hand, "come oooon."
Al let Isabella run down the next flight of steps. They hadn't seen anyone here at all, so he was feeling pretty confident that they were alone in this massive room, well except for his brother now too.
"Wait..." Al gripped Isabella arm to slow her progress. "Who was Ed yelling at?" He looked over at Noa. "We might not be alone. Go quietly."
Noa blanched and glanced around them, but she could make out nothing.
"Get back here you bastard-colonel!" Ed growled as he smirked evilly. He forced himself to the point of collapse in order to get his hands on the other man. Reaching out his hand, he could almost grab the hem of Roy's jacket.
"STOP! You maniac, I didn't mean it," Roy yelled. He scrambled to dodge Ed's attempt to grab the back of his jacket.
"Likely story, your always going on about my height," seethed Ed. He staggered to a stop and bent over his knees. He tried to regain his wind so that he could continue to chase after Roy. He was feeling slightly light headed, and he couldn't tell if it was from lack of oxygen or from the fever.
"I never said anything, but for just now!" Roy tried to plead his case, and for his life. He slowed and turned to watch as Ed tried to catch his breath.
"Eh?" Ed looked up through his bangs at the dark hair man.
"It's true," Roy asserted again. He cautiously came back to stand by the heaving blond, but he made sure that there was enough room between them just in case.
"Oh, yeah..." Damn, I'm confusing him with the colonel.
Roy smiled at him warily, hoping he wouldn't inadvertently set him off again. "Can we continue without the yelling and screaming, please. I wanna get outta here alive." He reached down and offered his hand as a peace offering. Ed eyed his hand for a moment in consideration and then looked up into his face. Roy held his breath. He was so dead right now, if Ed decided to do anything.
"Fine." Ed clasped his hand and pumped it once before letting it drop.
"With all the noise you're making Edward, it's a wonder you're not back in chains."
Ed whipped round staring, unbelieving, as his little brother walked out into the light. "AL!" His little brother smiled at him, but Ed didn't notice how strained it was. He was pleased to note Noa and Isabella come along side of him.
"Eddie!" Isabella began to rush to Ed, but Al held her back. She looked up at his stern face and relented, she retreated back to Noa's side.
"Al, check it out!" Ed pointed at Roy. "Looks just like him, don't you think?" Ed smiled at Roy, but Roy just quirked an eyebrow at the older blond.
"Ed." Al walked across the distance separating them to stand along side his older brother. As soon as he saw how happy his brother seemed to be, Al had gotten angry. Unaccountably angry. Angry at Ed for making them worry, for making them have to watch him protect them, for how hard he was trying right now to put it aside when Al knew that it was still brothering him. Ed smiled at him waiting for some reaction to the Roy look-a-like.
"Do you know what you've done?" Al asked, his voice surprisingly even and devoid of emotion. Ed's smile faltered. "Do you?"
"Al?" Ed's voice sounded unsure and confused. What's up with Al? Ed quirked an eyebrow and glanced across the way at Noa looking for an explanation, but she was watching Al. Ed glanced side long at Roy before he met his brother's stare and frowned.
As soon at Ed looked at him, Al struck out with a vicious upper cut to the side of his brother's face.
"Wuhaa!" Ed was knocked off balance. He stepped back, his arms flailing, only to have his right ankle roll sideways, tipping him on to the floor. "Oaf!"
Al batted at Roy's attempt to catch and break Ed's fall. He glared a warring at the other man to stay out of family business. Roy held up his hands in compliance and backed away from Ed and Al.
"What the hell, Al!" complained Ed, rubbing his face. He looked up in time to see Al lunging for him. His eyes widening, Ed scrambled for purchase on the ground trying to get away from this mad man who looked like his brother, but Al was too quick for him. The front of his shirt was lifted away from his body and up into his face as Al leaned down and went nose to nose with him.
"That's the second time you've tried something like that!" Al yelled into Ed's prone face. Ed's eye's went as wide as saucers, and Al jerked his shirt front. "Your acting like it was nothing!" he seethed at his older brother.
"How do you want me to act? I'm not one to bubbler all day about something I can't change!" growled Ed. He gripped Al's hand and tried to work it off.
Al straddled his brother's waist, pinning his lower body to the floor. He shook his hold on the shirt, in anger. "I can't believe you let that—"
"Don't!" Ed snarled in warning, his face becoming flush with his own anger. Ed squeezed Al's hand that was holding his shirt, grinding the bones together. "Don't you dare, or so help me, I'll show you how to respect your older brother." Ed narrowed his eye's to mere slits. He didn't want Roy to hear, he didn't want Roy to know.
Al stared down into Ed's eyes at an impasse, but he was unwilling to let it drop so easily. Ed was always doing this. He had to make sure that Ed knew that it wasn't part of his job anymore. He didn't have to continue to live for him. The anger was still throbbing through out his system, and his jaw worked with all the things he wanted to say.
"Alphonse, please, this isn't doing anyone any good." Noa stepped towards the prone brothers. She hated seeing them fight; and they fought more often lately. Even before leaving for this trip, the verbal shouting matches would escalate to the point that she wonder what would happen if she wasn't there to step in. Thankfully she never had to find out, and once again she was trying to curb their destructive tendencies towards each other. Maybe they just needed time apart, their constant togetherness was making this worse.
Roy watched the battle of wills, and was glad he was an only child. Did siblings really fight like that? Roy thought. He really wanted to rip the younger boy off of Ed and stand between them, but they might turn on him instead. The slim escape from Edward's wrath was still fresh in his mind, and kept his feet firmly planted where they were.
"Well?" Ed asked at the minutes ticked by. "What's it going to be? Are we going to fight or not?"
Al shoved Edward's back into the floor and stood over him, glaring. Ed just stared back at him from the floor, waiting. "Get up." Al stepped aside, and waited for Ed to stand.
Rubbing his cheek once more, Ed rolled over to his hands and knees. His eye's didn't once leave Al's face. He stood facing his brother, not bothering with a fighting stance. He knew he deserved whatever Al wanted to dish out. In fact, he wanted to be punished for what he'd allowed. It was disgusting, and shameful, and he knew it. Al advanced towards him, but Ed held his ground.
"Alphonse...please," Noa begged once more, trying to reach him.
Al stopped in front of his brother and studied Ed's face. Ed regarded him coolly. Al could almost hear what he was thinking; Ed wanted this. Well he wasn't one to give Ed everything he wanted. He was going to give what Ed needed.
Al sprang and despite Ed's desire to take his punishment quietly, he tensed. He was flabbergasted when, instead of a punch or a kick, Al wrapped his arms around his neck and buried his face in his shoulder. "Al... what?"
"Idiot!" Al murmured against his neck.
"Yeah..." Ed wrapped his arms round his brother, glad to have the love of his sibling.
-- To be continued –