...Okay. Usually I put the notes after the fic, but I want to make a formal apology to all my readers. (No, Im not ending the fic, for those who's heart's just stopped XD)

Im down to four more chapters or so after this one. Im sorry it took so long for me to update, but the fic was waiting for me to write a random yaoi scene for halfway through. I've decided it's taking to long, so Ill just give you the fic (finallY!) to read. Ill be posting the yaoi scene in my drabbles eventually. Again, Im sorry it took so long. Some of you might have to go back and read the fic to remember what's going on XD. Sorry, again.

Please read.

The Homunculus

The air escaped from Roy Mustang's lungs. He stood there, just standing in the living room for a moment. Praying to whatever gods he could think of that he didn't just hear that scream.

But he did.

He tore up the staircase before he knew what happened, slamming the door open as he reached his room.

"Edward! Are you okay? What happened?" He asked frantically, searching the room for the blond. He found him collapsed on the floor in the middle of the room, curled up in pain.

Roy felt his heart stop.

He dashed towards Ed, rolling him over onto his back and trying to see exactly what was wrong with the boy. He noticed Ed clutching his side, and instinctively bent to lift his shirt, but was stopped by a forceful hand.

"Mm, No...It's nothing, I just..." Edward's voice was quiet, and his eyes somewhat dulled as he cracked them open to look at Roy.

"Don't you dare tell me it's nothing, Edward!" The tone in his voice made Edward flinch as he picked him up and carried him back over to the bed.

"It's Envy..." Edward spoke reluctantly, watching Roy as he paused in fixing the bedsheets. "He...I...I can't do alchemy anymore, Roy." He spoke with a teary tone to his voice, as if he were to start crying any minute.

"What? Why not!?" Roy asked, putting his arms around Ed comfortingly.

"I-I don't know..." Ed spoke with fear in his voice this time, as he held onto Roy desperately. Roy frowned and gripped him tighter.

"What happened just now? What happened to you?" He asked as he reached forward to lift Edward's shirt, but was stopped one again. He looked at Edward with a hint of annoyance. Okay, a lot of annoyance.

"Edward, I just want to see whats wrong, to make sure you're not hurt."

"I told you, Im fine."

Roy furrowed his brow.

"As if. No one screams like that when nothings wrong, and NO alchemical backfires hurt for just a second. Lift up your shirt, or I will make you." He said with more forcefulness in his voice than he intended, but meant it all the same.

Edward crossed his arms, looking away towards the other wall and pretending not to hear him. Roy growled in response and took a step towards Edward purposefully, leaning down and grabbing him by both his wrists.

"You might be stronger than me," He said, apparently angry with the blond, "But Im bigger than you are, and do not think that won't count towards my advantage. I don't want to hurt you, and I know you're smarter than this. Just show me what's wrong...for once." He ended on more of a begging note, but refused to admit it even to himself.

Edward said nothing for a minute, just stared back up at Roy, who had seemed to leave the decision to Ed completely. Eventually, he slowly moved a hand to his side, toying with the edge of the fabric on his black shirt, deep in thought. Roy let out a silent gasp as Edward gently lifted up the fabric, revealing a (barely) glowing transmutation pattern, and...

"E-Edward...i-is that...is that..." Edward closed his eyes gently, not wishing to make eye contact at the moment.

"The mark of the ouroborus? Hm."
"T-Then that means..."

"It means everything it means, Roy." Edward said quietly, slipping the shirt back down over the mark.

"Then you're the homunculus boy..." Roy spoke a little bit louder than he should have.

"What?"

"N-Nothing." Roy said, shifting under the golden-eyed gaze as Edward opened his eyes again and trying to brush it off.

"But this means that you were actually a homunculus from the start...doesn't it?"

Edward shook his head.

"A homunculus was just a term for a body with out a soul, or vice versa when your friend meant it. With a soul already summoned, it was easy for the homunculi to put it back into my original body. Ghosts can't do alchemy, and that's why they needed me human. Or...as human as it gets. Im not quite sure what I really am now. A sucessfull human transmutation? An immortal human? I don't know...All I know is that there's no one else like me...And no one to understand." He trailed off, and the room slipped into a dark silence.

"So..." The taller boy said after a minute. "What are we going to do now?" He crossed his arms and took to looking around the room.

"Well..." Ed started, shifting his position on the bed to look out the window. "The day is practically over, so theres really nothing we can do but get a good night's sleep and figure everything out in the morning." Roy could hear the tiredness in the blond boy's voice as he spoke.

"Okay." He said, smiling.

Edward's eyes opened somewhat in shock as Roy pulled him to the top of the bed like it was nothing, and covered him in the blankets before slipping beneath the covers himself. Ed continued to stare at him for a moment before speaking up.

"B-But won't your mom..." Edward started.

"I locked the door. And Im supposed to be looking after you anyway, aren't I?" Roy said with a warm smile that betrayed his inner thoughts.

He was pulled out of his own mind as he felt two small arms wrap themselves around his waist, only flinching away slightly as the blond's side rubbed against the blankets.

"How long will that mark be there?" Roy asked quietly. His only reply was a soft snore.

"That's right...you should get your rest now," Roy said to no one, sighing deeply before turning on his side to face Edward better. "Because we have school tomorrow."

"Dammit."

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The overall school day had been extremely tiring and just one big headache. After having to run all the way to school (which is not a short distance, might I tell you) after missing the bus, the teacher decided to be a particular retard over the five minutes they had been late. They'd both gotten lunch and recess detention for not finishing their homework, and much as Roy would have loved to scream 'Well Im sorry but we were a little busy fighting off some paranormal undead phsyco's out for bloodlust and killing off the human race, bitch' right in his face, he remained quiet and sat at his desk, rotting his brain away.

By the end of the day, Edward had a nice bruise in the middle of his forehead from repeatedly bashing his face of the desk (Edward Elric could not sit still for an hour with nothing to do) and Roy was close to punching a wall in. Aside from that, they had to figure out what the HELL they were going to do about the homunculi.

"Well, we can't just wait around here for another one of their attacks. We need to make the first move for once."

"But I can't use alchemy anymore!" Edward protested, trying to keep his voice low since they were on the bus.

Roy sighed.

"But I can."

Edward just frowned.

"Hardly. And I refuse to let you go alone. Murphey's Law seems to be following us, after all. I...I won't risk losing you. Not ever."

Roy nodded wordlessly, turning his gaze out the window for the rest of the ride home.

As soon as they walked in the front door, Edward took off running up the stairs, and a few minutes later, Roy heard the familiar sound of the attic door shutting.

Well...That was odd.

It had been a while since Ed had gone into the attic, after he started sleeping in Roy's room. But then again, Edward was a very odd person, and nothing could ever be predicted about what he said or did. Roy sighed and left him to do what he wanted as he slowly made his way up to his room, noticing how dreary and lonely things seemed to be without the younger at his side.

Roy's insides churned at the thought of him having done something to make Edward mad, but (as always) he hoped for the best.

And so- countless hours passed while Roy ignored his unfinished homework in the corner and instead buried his face in the many alchemy books he'd 'borrowed' from Edward's room.

Ed made no appearance from his attic for the rest of the night, and into the next day. Roy knocked on the trapdoor to the attic for the third time, after which there was a simple muffled response of

"Im not going to school today." and then silence yet again.

Roy sighed, frowning slightly, but said nothing else as he grabbed his school supplies and shoes before running out the door.

His day at school went rather terribly (even more so without Edward) as he could not think about anything except what was making his chibi act so strange. He couldn't be sick, of course...and Roy hadn't done anything to upset him...had he? Or was he not supposed to know about Edward's secret? Did he really not trust him as much as he thought?

Roy let his head fall to the desk.

"I said don't slouch!!"

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As soon as Roy dragged his feet up the steps and through the front door (after fishing the spare key from his pocket) he was immediately confronted with a smiling, blond-framed face that he hadn't seen in over 24 hours, and something being shoved into his hands.

He stared down at Edward like he'd lost his mind (which he might have at this point) and then opened up his hand to see what had been placed inside of it.

A pair of white, finely stitched gloves. Each with a perfect red transmutation circle printed clearly onto the back.

Roy looked up at Edward with confusion etched into his features.

"They're ignition gloves...all you have to do is snap them to make a spark...and change the oxygen content in the air to make it react as much as you want. B-But don't you get any ideas!" The smile faded slightly from Ed's face as he added the last part.

"Don't go running off thinking you can fight the homunculi or something with them...they're only for protection. Defence, since I can't do anything useful anymore. Protect yourself...when I can't." He finished sadly.

In one swift movement Roy had his arms around Edward, kissing him like he never had before. He honestly couldn't care any less about who saw them, he could take on the world right now. He'd made up his mind. He was going to find the homunculi. He'd defeat them, kill Envy- send him back to wherever he came from. And then he would return Ed to a normal, human boy, and maybe they'd leave once he got his drivers liscense. All they would have was each other, and that's all they'd ever need.

Yes.

That's what he'd do.

He stepped away from Edward looked reassuringly into his eyes before turning and closing the door behind them, then walking quietly into the living room.

He hoped that for once, Murphey would be kind to him. Just once.

But it turns out that's not the way it works.

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PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE PLEASE PLEEEEASE. At least review to forgive me for my sins v.v