Oh my gosh! Boolinger, you logged in! Let's pounce 'em everyone! hehe

Thanks, I'm glad you guys thought it was a cute chapter. And for the people that asked me what movie it was that I sooo recommend waiting to rent on DVD, The Incredible Hulk. Need I make all sorts of puns on the name? I went into it interested, came out wishing The Dark Knight would hurry up and be released so I'd have another good Marvel movie to watch.

Now, for our next chapter. I like this one a lot, I think it's sweet. But of course I'm biased... you'll all have to tell me what you think.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Edward was sitting on a bench near the train tracks, supporting one pepper haired and mustached man. One of the alchemists who had been injured trying to defend from the alchemists the Fuhrer had turned against everyone else. His breathing was unsteady, and his tan face was pale underneath the age lines. Though the man was awake, he was far from alert, thus Ed's position of keeping him sitting up straight.

Roy was pacing, waiting for the train that would be coming in the next five minutes. His black eyes were boring into the platform as he considered his position and options from here on out. He knew what he had to do, doing it was the issue. He needed to do this right and not make any slip ups. Especially nothing that would place him in any unneeded danger when he went about it. Edward would never forgive himself if he weren't there to help protect Roy. He didn't want to give the blonde any reason to beat himself up emotionally.

Armstrong was sitting cross-legged on the platform, nearby Ed. Over his shoulder was the other alchemist, still unawake thus far. He was covered in scratches and a mixture of dirt and ash. Yet he seemed as jubilant as ever. He'd not had it near as bad as anyone else. The militaries guns had helped mow down some immediate danger to him. He was still cautious though, they weren't all the way out of the water yet. Until General Mustang went after the Fuhrer's job once they got back, and won it, then they were still in danger no matter how he looked at it.

"You're… Fullmetal… right?"

Ed's head turned at the hoarse crackle of a voice that came from where the other man's head was lolling onto Ed's shoulder. "Yeah."

"Sorry…" the voice crackled again, "to be such a burden… to you, sir."

"Don't apologize." Edward said, tilting his head back to gaze at the now overcast sky. Soon the rain would start, Ed sincerely hoped they'd be on the train by then.

"You really must be as good as they say." The man breathed weakly.

A years younger and less matured Edward might have swelled like a proud rooster and started crowing, but instead the only words that escaped Ed's mouth were, "you shouldn't talk anymore. Save your strength until we can get you to the hospital back in Central. Consider that an order."

Whether Edward had the authority to be handing out orders to this man, neither party knew, but the man fell silent anyway at Ed's request.

Roy turned his gaze from them with a shadow of a smile gracing his lips. Edward sure had passed his exam this time, there were no doubts about that in his mind. Yet he'd never once considered the fact that Ed might not pass in his mind. He resumed his pacing until the smoke of the train began to close in from the horizon.

Between the time it took for the train to reach them, and the time it took for them to load and stabilize the two injured alchemists, a half an hour had slipped by. Yet they were finally on their way, setting out back home to remedy the wrongs that had gone one.

Armstrong had taken to watching over the two injured alchemists, so that the more worn out and battered Edward and Roy could relax for a time.

Edward had taken to sitting on a seat several rows back from Armstrong, choosing the seat next to the window so he could lean his head against the cool pane and close his eyes wearily. The day and no sleep to speak of had caught up with him. He didn't even open his eyes as he heard the sky open up in a torrential downpour complete with flashes of lightning and the rumbles of thunder. He was sinking into the comfort of the red high backed seat. So much so that he hadn't even bothered to attend to his bedraggled appearance yet.

Roy found Edward, looking peaceful and extremely enticing. He held back the urge to pounce him in the middle of a not so crowded train, and instead sat quietly in the seat across from him. He too leaned his head against the window pane as the train began to move off the platform with a sharp whistle and the clanking of gears. Yet he didn't close his eyes, he was content just to watch the angel in the seat across from him. Even if Edward didn't believe in such things. If he could see himself now, he would. He looked positively radiant, as terrible as he looked with all the dirt and ash everywhere over his burned and ripped clothes, and streaked through his still loose blonde hair.

"You're staring, cut it out." Edward murmured, so quietly Roy barely even heard him.

"I can't help it, you look very alluring right now." Roy replied honestly, in a quiet enough voice so that he'd not be overheard by the nearest person… who was in fact sitting three seat sections up and consisted of one very tight lipped Armstrong if the correct leverage was applied. The other two alchemists were of no concern, they'd both fallen asleep. Despite all of that though Roy still kept his words quiet.

"Alluring…" Ed repeated, still not opening his eyes. "Are you tempted to do something to me, Roy?"

"I could create a novel on the number of things I'm tempted to do to you." Roy smiled over at him and tried to keep his mind from creating the scenes for him in his head. A public train was not the place Roy would want to start having conspicuously tight pants if he had his druthers.

Edward smiled and finally opened his eyes to gaze out at Roy from behind the thin veil of hair his tousled bangs had created. "If you think you're the only one who could create such a thing, you've got quite the surprise coming to you."

"I like the surprises you give me." Roy said honestly. Every single bloody thing Ed had surprised him on, from the moment he punched him, to the moment he kissed him, to now, he'd actually enjoyed those surprises. Yes, even the punch. For some reason he now found it humorous.

Edward's smile did not fade, "I'll keep them coming then."

"You passed by the way." Roy said, and at the questioning look in those disarming golden eyes, explained, "your state exam. I would have had to report it to the Fuhrer… but since I'm aiming to be the new Fuhrer once we get back, I'll just make a note of it in my records."

"If I hadn't I'd probably have to be angry with you." Edward said with a short, tired laugh.

"Ed," Roy began, and leaned forward to reach out to brush some of that unruly blonde hair out of Ed's eyes, his hand coming to rest on the side of Edward's face, "can we talk now about your sleeping problem?" They'd not be overheard, not a chance. And Ed's repressed exhaustion that was showing with every passing minute had reminded Roy of the issue.

"What's to talk about?" Edward asked.

Roy withdrew his hand from Ed's face and took a deep breath, "what's causing it?"

"Do you really want the analysis I came up with to explain why I'm so pathetic?" Ed asked bluntly.

"You're not pathetic!" Roy hissed as quietly as he could.

Edward kept his eyes on Roy's, "because I feel alone in that empty house all by myself. It's why I've not decorated it, I don't like being there. It doesn't feel like a home, and it feels like it's draining me. Whenever I try to sleep elsewhere, it's never restful." Edward paused, and then jumped into the deeper end, he had nothing to lose really, "except when I'm with you. When you're around I can finally truly rest. I think it's because you're everything those other places lack. You make me feel comfortable, and while you can be draining, it's not in a bad way… most of the time. But your ego's easy enough to bring down a peg when I want to."

Roy ignored the quip on his ego in exchange for suddenly having to keep himself from grabbing the blonde and holding him tightly for the rest of the trip. "I want you to move in with me, Ed." Roy said, entirely to the point.

Ed blinked at him in surprise. He'd actually not thought Roy would say something like that… though really he might have expected it. "But-"

"Are you saying you don't want to?" Roy asked with a teasing smile, "we are alchemists, we can always add on a spare bedroom for you if you're worried about that."

Edward couldn't help the blush that flushed his cheeks now. "It's not that… just…"

"Just what?" Roy pressed.

"Thank you." Edward finally said.

It was Roy's turn to develop a flush of pink, and he tore his gaze from those golden eyes he loved to lose himself in, to instead stare out the window at the storm that was still overhead. "I want to take care of you, Edward. Like you take care of me, and this is something I can do for you."

"You've always wanted to take care of me." Edward smiled and closed his eyes again, breathing a contented breath. "Possessive bastard."

"Like I was ever about to let anyone else have you." Roy said, turning his eyes back to Ed, "I never will, either."

"I'll interpret that both ways, shall I?" Ed suggested and shifted down better into the stiff cushions. "Now shush, I'm tired. Wake me up when we get there."

"Of course, whatever you command." Roy joked and smiled as Ed laughed briefly before drifting off to sleep almost immediately. He gazed upon the sleeping man he'd fallen, quite literally for if he dared to remember that embarrassing incident that had caused Edward to refer to him as "General Trip-and-Fall." He actually didn't mind it so much anymore, much like how he didn't mind Edward calling him a bastard of some variety. Shifting in his seat Roy lounged back to rest the trip away while he kept a constant vigil over his sleeping lover.

Armstrong only looked in to see that the two were still doing fine and hadn't yet destroyed each other in conflict. Once he'd assessed the situation he went back to watching over the wounded alchemists in his charge. It appeared that the Fullmetal and Flame Alchemist were getting along just fine right now.

The nearer they got to Central, Roy finally stood and left the seating area to reach the phone bay. He quickly dialed his own office, receiving the immediate response he'd hoped for from a familiar feminine voice. "Hawkeye, I need you to get the men together and come down to meet us at the train station. Don't let yourselves be followed."

"Are we to leave immediately?"

Roy silently blessed her for having the foresight not to pester him for details. "Yes. I'll need you and the boys to make sure that Armstrong and Edward get to the hospital safely with the other two that are wounded."

"Ed and Alex are wounded?!"

Roy practically flinched as her voice raised several octaves. "Not badly, you'll see when you meet us."

"What about yourself, sir?"

"There's something I need to do before I go to the hospital." Roy said, clenching one gloved hand unconsciously. "It's time I claimed what's mine."

"We'll be there. Be careful sir."

"You too." Roy said, and hung the phone back up before making his way back to where he'd left a sleeping Ed. He eased himself into the seat beside him, and pondered the man silently for a time. "Did you wake up when I left?" He asked, having noticed immediately that Edward only had his eyes closed now.

"While you were gone." Edward replied, opening his eyes and looking sideways at him. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, it will be. I called Hawkeye, she's coming to meet us with the others. They can help escort you and Armstrong to the hospital while I go deal with this Fuhrer thing. As soon as it's over, I'll join you to get tended myself."

"As long as you don't get hurt worse."Ed insisted, "I'll be waiting for you at the hospital."