Crash! Hiromu dropped the bag of fan letters and manila envelope with that week's chapter. He didn't mean to, his fingers just lost their grip on reality when he saw Edward. The kid had a deep tan and was extra muscular around the shoulder and arm. But it was the second degree burns around the metal plating of his automail that really got to the man. He charged inside and grabbed Edward by the unburnt shoulder. "What have you been doing to yourself?! Where's the first aid kit?" Ed tried to shake him off, saying he had the treatment under control, but Hiromu snorted. "Ed, I know what you did in Amestris. Do you really think I believe you actually take care of yourself?"

Yes, the boy wanted to say, but then he remembered that time he got skewered by a pole after his fight with Kimbley. "It's in the kitchen above the sink with instructions." The manga artist made him promise to stay seated while he went and got the white box.

He whetted a small cotton ball in a cup of water from the sink and began dabbing at Edward's burns along his shoulder. "What were you doing to get this bad of burns?"

"Marching around America." Hiromu looked at him like he was nuts. So Edward wound up telling the artist everything, from the idiot he'd punched in the face at the beach to the blond kid he battled at poker.

He switched out the damp cotton ball for one soaked in an antibiotic ointment. "I thought you cheated when you played poker."

Ed winced at the sting from the medicine and said, "Nah, I'm actually pretty good without having to cheat. And this kid didn't have that good of a poker face. I just had to keep raising the stakes until the others dropped out. Do you have to do this right now?" He pulled away from the probing ball of white and glowered at the man.

The older man reached out and began his ministrations with the cotton again. "Either you let me do this now or after we finish looking over the chapter. Hang on, I'm almost done." He put a little more ointment on the ball and resumed his dabbing. "So do you think the team has gotten better?"

"Absolutely," Ed answered through slightly clenched teeth. Hiromu was being far more thorough than he was with the treatment. "But I still don't get why they made me run sideways."

"Well, usually Linebackers have to run with their bodies turned in the direction they're going, so it impairs their vision of what's happening with their opponents when they run to the side. If they're running to the left, they're looking at the left area of the field, not the front where their opponents are." The artist put down the cotton and picked up a roll of bandages. "If you can run to the right or left without turning your body, you can keep a better eye on who's coming and respond quicker."

"Hm." Edward held still as Hiromu bandaged him up.

"Alright, now take off your pants."

"What?!" Ed bolted from the couch and stood by the doorway.

Hiromu laughed. "I meant so I can treat your leg. What did you think I meant?"

The blond stalked back to the couch and sat back down with a huff. "Whatever. Can we just look over the chapter?"

"While I treat your leg. Now come on, pants off." Ed reluctantly slipped out of his favored leather and opened up the slightly crumpled manila folder. He flipped through the pages with only the occasional flinch as the wet cotton probed the more tender burn areas. Once Hiromu was finished, he sat down next to Edward. "So how was it?"

The alchemist grinned. "I don't think you have to have me check them over anymore. I couldn't find a single mistake, except my height." Hiromu batted at him playfully and Edward dodged, grinning. "But seriously, what did you do while I was gone?"

"Write up the chapters and pray you wouldn't ambush me after you got back to point out some glaring mistake I'd made."

Ed rolled his eyes. "I'm not a bully."

The other man snorted. "Try telling that to Loki or one of the victims of your short rants."

He really shouldn't have said that last part. Edward pounced. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE CAN'T FLIP THE PAGES OF A BOOK WITHOUT THE LADDER EQUIVALENT OF A SKY SCRAPER!?"

Hiromu took his fingers out of his ears and scoffed. "There, like that! That was what I was afraid of!"

Ed just rolled his eyes. "Are you done insulting me? Or is there something else you wanted to do today?" The artist grinned and brought out the huge bag of fan letters. Edward rolled his eyes. "I told you not to bring those things in here. I lived that, I don't want to hear someone else's opinion on my life!"

But Hiromu grinned as he opened one of the letters and started reading out loud. "Dear Arakawa-San," Edward tried to cover his ears with one of the couch throw pillows. "I just wanted to say that I love Edward because he cares so much about Alphonse and always helps him when he needs it. After I read about how he stood up to Greed to keep Alphonse safe, I did the same thing, standing up to bullies who were teasing my little brother. Thank you for writing such an amazing character!"

Ed took the pillow off his head. Hiromu opened another letter. "Dear Arakawa-san, reading about how much Edward and Alphonse care about each other has helped me a lot. I wrote a letter to my estranged sister after reading the chapter where Alphonse accuses Edward about making him, and Winry tells him what Edward was really afraid to say. We're meeting tomorrow at a café, all because those two gave me the courage. Thank you."

"Dear Edward-san," Ed ripped the letter out of the artist's hands and read it himself.

Dear Edward-san,

You are amazing and inspire me so much. I was born without use of my legs and always felt like I wasn't as good as the others around me. Then I read about you, and how you didn't really have a full working body either, but still managed to do so much, like saving all those people on the train and in that mining town. I'm studying for college exams now instead of just feeling sorry for myself, and plan to go into the sciences. Even if you are just a character, you were the person who helped me feel secure in my own skin and helped me move forward. Thank you.

He folded the letter and looked at his friend. "They're all like that," Hiromu said to the former alchemist, "thanking me for something they thought I made up. I thought you should have them. Edward nodded. "It's funny. You're the main character, but the thing people notice the most about you is how much you and Alphonse loved each other." The blond's eyes were now unusually bright. "I'll see you next week." He exited the apartment.

The cameo last chapter was the Ouran boys, but I enjoyed reading the review from the guest who thought it was Harry Potter. I didn't realize the similarities until you pointed them out to me, and I used to be a huge fan of those books! By the way, is anyone going to Sakura Con in Seattle in a few weeks?

Please Review!