Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
Title: After School Special
Pairing: RoyxEd, AlxMartel, mentions of past JeanxRoy and MaesxRoy, one-sided RusselxEd and AlfonsxEd, and so on
Rating: PG13
Timeline: Present AU
Summary: Principal Roy Mustang finds himself strangely drawn to the school's newest student, a quiet social outcast with a metal arm and leg...
AN: After the chapter.

I see ffnet is dicking around with my scene breaks again. Marvelous. :-/

After School Special
Chapter 34
"Fallout, Part 2"

"Thing of it is… last night… Alfons and I got… kinda drunk…"

"Daddy Roy?"

"… and then…"

"Daddy Roy, what's wrong?"

The sound of Elysia's small, worried voice sliced through the haze in Roy's mind where nothing else could. He forced the corners of his lips upward in a gesture that had been completely natural only ten minutes before, feigning a smile that was thankfully returned without question or hesitation; their time together was quickly drawing to a close and he didn't want it to be one in which she was distraught in any way.

"I'm fine," he said, praying like hell that his voice sounded as nonchalant as he was desperately trying to make it. "Say, how about a pizza for dinner tonight?"

Elysia's eyes brightened at the offer. "And ice cream for dessert?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course."

The child squealed happily and turned back to the video game, eagerly looking forward to goodies to come and satisfied that all was right with the world. Now that he was no longer under observation, Roy's smile faded, and he was grateful for being spared the charade. At least for the moment.

"… we kissed."

A fresh bolt of pain tore through him as Ed's confession resounded in his mind. He closed his eyes and covered his face with a pair of mildly shaking hands, trying to absorb the overwhelming shock of his lover's admission.

This wasn't happening, it just wasn't.

It couldn't be happening. Because he loved Ed and Ed loved him.

… Right?

"Aw, Wario beat me," Elysia muttered with adorable petulance as she used her controller to steer her own Kart towards its second place finish. "Stupid cheater Wario!"

Heaving a huge sigh, Roy lowered his hands. He then pried open his eyes and stared blindly at the video game that had enraptured his daughter. On top of everything else, he was now struck with a sudden onslaught of guilt for sitting there and wallowing in his own sadness and misery when he should have been- and up until a certain phone call, had been- curled up next to her on the floor, playing that silly game right alongside her. Such priceless moments, which had always been so few and far between to begin with, would soon be gone, and he needed to embrace them because it would be a long time before he had the chance to do it again. He knew this… but yet…

No. But yet nothing. This wasn't fair to Elysia, even if she didn't realize she was presently being shorted his attention. Roy would have plenty of time to contemplate what Ed had done, more time than he cared to consider. But for now, no one else in the world mattered more than Elysia. Not himself, not Ed, no one.

"Well, I suppose we'll just have to show that jerk a thing or two," he said, sliding off the couch and onto the floor. Roy scooted next to the youngster and accepted the outstretched spare controller. He then leaned down and kissed the top of Elysia's head, and when he caught a whiff of the clean, sweet scent of her hair, he was completely caught off guard by the fierce and sudden stinging in his eyes. Oh, how he hated having to let her go. Again.

"Alright then." Roy cleared his throat and turned to the television screen, blinking rapidly to get the images to focus. "So you're the pear, right?"

Elysia's laughter rang throughout the living room. Even in the face of his dilemma, Roy didn't think there was a more precious sound.

"I'm Princess Peach, Daddy Roy," she clarified. "Who are you gonna pick?"

"Let's see…" Roy toggled through the available selections and settled on Donkey Kong, which made Elysia laugh even harder.

"Silly monkey," she managed through a fit of giggles.

The family- which was what they were, law be damned- hunkered down and began a new race. Roy had to admit that Elysia had been right: that Wario was a fucking dirty cheating bastard and it took seven tries to finally beat him. They stopped playing just long enough to order and eat a sinfully adorned pizza and an ungodly amount of chocolate ice cream, and spent the rest of the evening in a Mario Kart stupor, during which Roy memorized every smile, smirk, and titter gifted him by the child who was and would always be his very own, no matter what some piece of paper had to say about it.

Looking back, it was one of the happiest nights of his life. Broken heart and all.

Gracia had been… well, gracious enough to arrive almost a full hour after she said she would, during which time Roy and Elysia had curled up on the living room couch with juice boxes and a bag of chips between them, flipping through an old, familiar book that called to mind a time in both of their lives that had ended entirely too soon.

To this day, even with his glasses, Roy still had trouble finding that damn Waldo.

"There you go," he said now, reaching into the car and buckling the child's seatbelt. Putting on a brave front was a bit of a challenge, because damned if he didn't already miss her, but even so, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. At least this time, he knew there would be a next time. "Now make sure you call me when you get back, okay? No matter what time it is. Deal?"

"Deal." Elysia smiled and pressed the palm of her tiny hand against Roy's cheek. "Daddy Roy, you promise you're gonna come see me when you don't have school?"

Roy covered the little girl's hand with his own and closed his eyes briefly, concentrating on the warmth of each fragile digit. "I promise." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead before reluctantly withdrawing from the vehicle and closing the door. He then walked around to the driver's side of the car, where Gracia stood by the door, waiting patiently. And for the first time in… ever, really… he neither felt any animosity towards the woman nor sensed it in return. They would never be what one would call friends, not exactly- too much had happened to allow for such things. However, Roy no longer considered her an enemy, either.

"Have a safe trip," he said, extending his hand. A first.

"Thanks," she replied, taking him up on his offer.

They shook hands briefly, sealing the deal on a new, tentative peace between them. Roy stepped back, giving Gracia room to get into the car, before bidding his daughter a final farewell. He remained in the driveway as they left, watching the car until it was out of sight. And while he was sad to see Elysia go, so very sad, this marked the first time that he felt any hint of real optimism that he wouldn't be shut completely out of her life, and for that, he was thankful.

Heaving a huge sigh, Roy made his way inside, trying hard not to dwell on the silence, which always seemed greatest just after she was gone. But in doing so, his mind turned to something even more unpleasant. Now that he was alone, he had a feeling that he would be focusing on little else, and he would need to deal with it lest he go directly out of his mind. Roy plopped down tiredly on the couch and gazed unseeingly at the dark television, his prior sense of foreboding now freely running roughshod over his mind and his heart as he thought about the unthinkable:

Ed had gotten drunk and kissed another guy.

Even now, the older man could feel himself seeking to use the former to justify the latter. But no, in the end, as much as he wanted to, he just wasn't buying it. He couldn't. How many times had Roy himself gotten falling down drunk around Jean? And none of those times had ever resulted in anything untoward. Short of his being unconscious and Jean being… Jean… nothing would have ever happened between them, no matter how shitfaced they were. The attraction just wasn't there.

… Apparently this wasn't the case for Ed?

Wincing at the pang in his heart, Roy leaned back and let his head come to rest on the back of the couch, blinking up at the living room ceiling and feeling like a goddamn fool. A hurt goddamn fool. An old goddamn fool. How else was he supposed to feel when faced with what was essentially a validation of the biggest concern he had with regards to his relationship with Ed- that the gaps between them were too wide to ever truly be bridged? Roy was in his thirties. He wanted to settle down and build a life with his partner. Ed was a kid. And what almost-eighteen-year-old kid wanted that? Roy sure as hell didn't when he was that age.

So why was he expecting it of Ed?

He reached for the phone on the stand beside him, knocking over his and Elysia's empty juice boxes while doing so, then brought it to his lap, gripping it tightly, his teeth clenched and his heart hammering wildly. After a few agonizing moments, he raised the phone to his face and dialed Ed's cell, steeling himself for a conversation he never dreamed he would be having…

"So then what'd you say?"

With a cigarette dangling precariously from his lips, as usual, Jean opened a bottle of beer and took a long swig. Roy, on the other hand, was sticking with water tonight; oddly enough, he had no desire to imbibe right now.

His second talk with Ed had gone… well, not better, exactly. The end result was what it was; nothing would have changed that. But as opposed to the first time around, Roy gave the teen a chance to tell his story from the start- not that it was all that complicated: boy and friend get drunk, boy and friend kiss, boy remembers he is otherwise involved, boy vomits. The end. To be fair, Ed did feel guilty. That much was obvious even without the numerous broken-voiced apologies, each of which cut through Roy like a dagger. But while he gleaned some small measure of comfort from his lover's remorse, it really didn't change the bigger issue, the issue he had avoided long enough.

"I told him that I needed some time to think," he replied, staring down into a half-empty box of chow mein. Seemed eating wasn't high on his list of priorities tonight, either.

Jean ground out his cigarette and peered down into his own box. He picked out a piece of beef and popped it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "Well, Chief, for what it's worth… I'm really sorry this happened."

Roy shrugged off the apology and helped himself to one of Jean's cigarettes. "What, no I-told-you-so's?"

"Nope." Jean lit a fresh cigarette and dragged deeply. "It's no fun if there's sport in it." He pushed the ashtray between them and took another lengthy drag. What Jean neglected to add was that he felt as if there would be plenty of sport in beating the shit out of Ed for what he had done and, if ever given the chance, he just might. But such aspirations of violence were the last thing Roy needed to hear.

"Look at you, being all grown up," Roy mocked, smiling softly.

Jean snorted bitterly. "Don't get ahead of yourself," he said.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

The two friends finished their cigarettes in silence. When they were finished, Jean downed the rest of his beer and cleared off the table, earning a dig from Roy that such a monumental event should be documented for posterity, which in turn earned Roy a middle finger. Afterwards, Jean lit yet another smoke and grabbed his keys. He glanced at his watch and then at Roy, who was busy shoving a few last minute things into the overnight bag sitting on the sofa.

"What time does your flight leave?" he asked.

"Seven-thirty. I should get there a little after nine." Roy zipped the bag closed and slung it over his shoulder. He then grabbed the phone and proceeded to set up the call forwarding option in case Elysia attempted to reach him before he returned. "Could you get the kitchen light for me?"

Jean obediently turned off the lights in the kitchen and met his former lover by the front door. "So," he said, carefully appraising him. "Are you sure about this?"

Roy shook his head as he opened the door and turned off the living room lights.

"Not one fucking bit."

"Well, you better figure it out. Fast." Ever the gentleman, Jean grabbed the bag from Roy and stood back, extending his hand. "After you."

Russ still wasn't exactly certain how quality time with his little brother had turned into quality time with his brother and Alfons, but even so, there they were, the three of them, taking in a pre-movie meal at a local family-style restaurant. Not that Fletcher seemed to mind at all; the kid was beaming like an idiot over the whole outing, which once again made Russ feel like a bit of a douchebag for not indulging him more often. The bitch of it was that Russ minded, dammit. He minded a lot... which was why he still couldn't figure out why he had invited Alfons along to begin with.

It had all started innocently enough: Alfons had called him to thank him for breakfast- the nerve of him- and in turn, Russ had asked him if he wanted to tag along to the movies with him and Fletcher. It seemed like a good enough idea at the time; after what had happened with Ed, it didn't seem likely that Alfons would be welcome over at his house anytime soon. But still… what the fuck? This guy was, for all intents and purposes, a rival, one who had already gone somewhere Russ so desperately wanted to go himself. He should be hating on him and plotting some sort of bloody revenge, not sitting there, side-by-side in a booth, having… a halfway decent time. It didn't make a damn lick of sense.

"So is this movie any good?" Alfons asked between sips of soda. "I haven't heard anything about it."

"It got great reviews," Fletcher said. The young teen dipped a French fry into a lake of ketchup before popping it into his mouth. "Everyone says Leo is awesome in it."

"Hmph." Russ frowned and pierced shrimp with a fork. "Leonardo DiCaprio can suck my balls," he grumbled.

The table grew quiet after the young man's stunning declaration. Fletcher gaped at his brother, horrified- but not surprised- by the commentary. After a few moments of awkward silence, Alfons turned to Russ and placed a kind hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe one day, Russ. If you're lucky."

Amidst the sound of Fletcher's guffaws, which he would full well pay for at a later time, Alfons smiled sweetly, his blue eyes twinkling with devious merriment, and Russ was appalled when he felt the corners of his mouth turn upward. After all, when one went to such great lengths to be an asshole, it was a bit disconcerting to have someone come along and prove his efforts useless in one fell swoop.

"Shut up," he mumbled, brushing off the offending hand.

Russ shoved the shrimp into his mouth and chewed studiously, lest his traitorous lips act of their own accord once more. He felt a distinct sense of disdain at the thought of having to endure Alfons' company for the next few hours… and that the disdain felt suspiciously like anticipation meant nothing.

Nothing at all.

For Alphonse Elric, there normally would have been very little in life that topped having the girl of his dreams snuggled against him while they gorged on popcorn and watched TV… and it certainly had nothing to do with the fact that a couple of particularly lovely assets were presently pressed against his upper arm, breaking his brain. That was just an added perk.

But in spite of all the brain breakage, Al was still very worried about Ed. After talking to Roy again earlier in the day- the fact that he had called at all was something, right?- Ed had remained in his bedroom and refused to come out. From what the teen had told him, the conversation seemed pretty cut and dry: Ed told him what happened and Roy told him he needed time to think. Completely understandable. But Ed was scared, and rightfully so. Al himself had never been shitfaced, puke-on-the-carpet drunk (and after that night's display, he never planned on it) but he just couldn't begin to understand how one could forget their beloved, even for a second, no matter how incoherent they were. It just didn't seem possible.

However, in the end, all that mattered was that his brother was hurting and there was nothing he could say or do to fix it. Even if he wanted to, going after Alfons wouldn't solve a damn thing. And the one person who really deserved a good kick in the ass for what had happened was the one person who was already being punished enough.

"I'm gonna get a drink," he said suddenly, slowly- regrettably- pulling away from Martel and standing up. "Do you want anything?"

"I'll take a Diet Coke if you have one." The lean girl stood up and stretched her long legs. "And a boyfriend who isn't moping about something that's way beyond his control. If you can find one, that is."

Al smiled. The girl always did have a way with words. "I think we keep an extra one in the freezer."

"Smartass."

The two teens kissed briefly as the sound of the doorbell filled the living room.

"Will you get the door?" Al asked. "It's probably Russ… I thought he was hanging out with Fletcher tonight but maybe he changed his mind."

Al walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. After nosing around for a minute, carefully pushing aside a few items whose time had long come and gone, he grabbed a Coke for himself and a Diet Coke for Martel. Then, upon further consideration, he grabbed another Coke for Russ. Lastly, he added one to the bundle for Ed, in case he finally decided to venture out of his room. The guy couldn't stay shut in forever. Well, he might try. But Al wasn't about to let him.

He kicked the door to the fridge shut, dropping one of the bottles of Coke in the process, where it hit the floor with a mighty thud. That one would undoubtedly be reserved for Russ. Al picked it up and fumbled his way back into the living room with his haul… where he almost dropped them all upon seeing Roy standing there…

… and smiling kindly at the gaping teen.

"Hi, Al. I know this is a bit sudden. I'm sorry I didn't call first."

"Oh… no… no, that's fine. You know you can come over whenever you want," Al insisted, chuckling nervously. "I'm just surprised to see you here so… fast."

"You took a plane?" Martel asked, regarding the attractive man with a curious- and appreciative- stare.

"I did." Roy's eyes darted around the living room. "Is Ed… here?"

"Yeah, he's in his room. Go on back. Martel and I were just about to leave."

This, of course, was news to Martel. "We were?"

"Yes, we were," Al replied, shooting her a glance.

"Why, yes, we were," Martel quickly agreed, catching on. She grabbed her purse and turned off the television. "I'll just go start the car," she said, giving Roy a polite nod of the head before easing past him out of the house.

"You know, the two of you are the definition of subtle," Roy mused, finding the whole thing most comically endearing.

Al grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. Here, one for you and one for Ed." He approached the older man and handed him two Cokes. "Uh… look, Roy," he began, his voice growing serious. "I know what my brother did was just… absolutely… fucking… stupid. But you know he loves you, right?"

Roy nodded solemnly. "Yes, Al, I know."

"Alright. Just making sure. Oh, and you may want to wait a minute or two before you open that one," the teen said, tapping the bottle that had fallen. And with that, he made a speedy exit, leaving Roy to stare at the closed door.

With that behind him, the older man turned around, and he found that he was hardly surprised at all to see a pair of golden eyes watching him from the hallway. Ed entered the living room, and Roy was taken aback by the magnitude of the desolation on his young face.

"Hello, Ed."

"… You're not staying," the teen surmised, noting the man's lack of any sort of baggage.

"No. I'm leaving pretty early in the morning so I thought it would be best if I booked a room," Roy explained.

"Oh…. Okay."

Their eyes met briefly before Ed's defeated gaze fell to the floor and Roy wanted so desperately to go over to him and hold him, so strong was the urge to just forget everything that had happened that it took a gargantuan act of will to refrain from doing so. Ed moved over to the couch and Roy followed suit, where they took their respective seats at opposing ends, and Roy's heart wrenched at the small space between them, which felt entirely too large. He set aside the bottles of Coke and folded his hands neatly in his lap, for fear of using them to grab onto the teen and never let him go. Because it still wasn't too late to take back the decision he'd made on the plane.

It wasn't… but he couldn't. He wouldn't.

The time for selfishness was over.

As if sensing this, the teen spoke up in a tone that made Roy hate himself for what he was about to do… what he had to do… and the last thing in the world he wanted to do.

"You… You're here to break up with me," Ed murmured, his downturned face shielded by a veil of blond locks.

Roy stared down at his clasped hands. He'd thought of little else besides this moment for the past two hours, and now that it was here, he was still no closer to knowing exactly how to handle it. The only thing he did know, however, was that he couldn't sugarcoat his way around the things he needed to say, for both their sakes. This was going to hurt enough without any unnecessary bullshit. God, was it ever.

And so, as his heart yelled, screamed, and begged him not to do so, Roy closed his eyes, opened his mouth, and confirmed the teen's worst fear, as well as his own:

"Yes, I am."

TBC

AN: I ended this here because the conversation that followed was... *sigh* A bitch. Definitely one of the hardest things I've had to write and I figured it would be best to make it a part of a new chapter.

Now I need to go write some porn to take my mind off of this. See you next time.