Ed fully stretched out on the couch and gave a big yawn, openly showing how exhausted he was after the shit show that had become his life.
Every way he turned was a new danger he had to overcome or outsmart, barely keeping himself alive most days.
He frowned in thought at his promise to Roy of no longer killing people and how he was going to pull it off. It wasn't like he wanted to hurt people but what choice did he have?
"Hey kid?"
Ed was startled from his thoughts when Roy spoke from the leather chair across from him, stirring him from his dark thoughts.
"Yeah?" Ed asked, staring up at him with a quizzical expression. To be honest, Roy now made him nervous since he knew how thin of ice he walked now.
"There's something I don't get. Hawkeye told me you threw up when you saw that body when you were with her. Since you're The Reaper or The Shadow or whatever, you should be fully desensitized to that so how'd you pull it off?" Roy asked, looking straight at the kid across from him who was fiddling with his hands nervously, like a fish caught in a trap, trying desperately to free itself.
Roy was hoping against all hope that just maybe he was somehow wrong about Ed after all he was just a young boy who got caught up in the mess his father made.
Ed frowned in thought, leaning down and resting his head in his hands, thinking about the best answer to give him that would explain why he had to fake that.
The gang leader had given him a list of each person to kill and at what point in time they were supposed die along with specific instructions on how they were to be killed, it made it slightly easier when he didn't have to choose their deaths when he killed them.
Most of the time he tucked his emotions tightly behind locked doors when the time came to end a life. He would turn almost robotic at the task, shuddering at how sick that sounded to himself.
Most of the people he had killed so far had been a bloody ordeal and just the thought of it turned his stomach and threatened to spill what little food he had in there but he stubbornly held it back.
Normally he could steel his mind and just focus on keeping Al alive as he slit the throat of a screaming lady but he wasn't prepared for the bloodbath that Hawkeye and him had witnessed outside Roys house.
He was too close to the action that day and the threat of that man recognizing him was a real one as he had interacted with him on previous occasions.
Normally he pushed down any sickness that plagued him but that day he fully let it run rampant in a show of false innocence that would make anyone believe him to be just a child, witnessing the worst humanity had to offer.
He had to get the potential blame off himself and keep up the charade of being a poor little harmless boy, even if that was the farthest from the truth that there could possible be.
After several moments of silence passed, Roy thought he wasn't going to get an answer from the boy until Ed sucked in a large breath and raised his head from his hands.
"Well...I had to dodge the suspicion of me maybe being connected to this so I forced myself to throw up, it wasn't hard..." Ed softly explained, looking away from the harsh look Roy sent and instead focusing on his hands once more.
Roy chuckled with contempt and shook his head.
"So just more lies then? Figures I suppose." He said as he stood up from the chair and stretched his arms, flinching from the stiffness that still plagued him from sitting in the hospital.
He started heading into the kitchen before pausing and looking back at a guilty looking Ed.
"I'm gonna make something to eat. I'd imagine you're hungry too then?" Roy asked with a raised brow, waiting for an answer even though he knew the boy had to be practically starving. The last time Roy had fed him was yesterday.
Like a starving dog, Ed snapped his head up at the mere mention of food then put on a embarrassed expression as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Yeah, last time I ate was when you gave me soup." He said shyly with a smile, hoping he'd be able to eat to his hearts content as his stomach rudely chose that moment to rumble earning him an eye roll from Roy.
"How exactly have you even survived this long anyways?" Roy asked in disbelief, "I barely cook but even I eat more then once a day. You're worse than the alley cats I toss food to occasionally." He said and turned back to the kitchen, picking up a pan and setting it on the stove.
"I'm gonna make eggs, not the typical dinner but take it or leave it, you're lucky you're even breathing air still." Roy jokingly called as he grabbed some eggs and cracked them into the pan, sending the temping sizzle throughout the house.
"That's fine, I'm completely happy with eggs!" Ed said, trying to hide the disappointed look on his face, even if Roy wasn't in the room.
He really disliked eggs. He'd almost put them right up there with cow's milk but considering what had occured earlier Roy was right.
He truly was lucky to still be breathing air and not either dead or in prison. He shuddered at the mere thought.
He still didn't quite understand why Roy had let him stay after what he had done to his friend, not that he really meant to hurt the guy but he had to stop him quickly somehow and that was the quickest and easiest way.
He was a smooth talker most of the time but even he had his limits on what he could get someone to do, such as giving him another chance at finding his brother.
"Hey uh Roy?" Ed said after a moment of silence, glancing over at the kitchen door nervously.
He wanted to ensure the man knew how truly thankful he was for the second chance.
Roy leaned out of the doorway holding a spatula in his hand and raised a brow. "Yeah?"
"Thanks for giving me a second chance." Ed said with a sincere smile and dipped his head down towards the floor in respect.
Roy nodded, "Yeah you're welcome." He muttered, trying not to rethink his decision before he turned and disappeared back into the kitchen.
He reappeared back in the living room carrying two plates filled with steaming eggs, causing Ed's stomach to involuntarily growl once more, earning him a smirk from Roy.
"Hungry then? And here I thought you didn't like eggs." He said with a light chuckle as he set the plate down on the coffee table in front of Ed with a clatter.
Ed grimaced and looked up at Roy, "How'd ya know I didn't like eggs?" He asked with guilty downcast eyes.
"The look on your face when I set these down on the table." Roy said with a chuckle as he stabbed an egg and stuffed it in his mouth.
Ed grinned apologetically, "Oh, oops. I thought I hid that pretty good, I didn't want to show I wasn't grateful because I am!" He insisted as she shoveled up eggs and shoved them into his mouth in a show and smacked loudly on the mouthful, causing Roy to stop eating and twitch in irritation.
"You know I'm really having a hard time not killing you now with you chewing so loudly on those eggs!" Roy said, gritting his teeth at each smack of Ed's mouth.
"Didn't your parents ever teach you any manners? Even murderers have manners you know." Roy said with a hiss. "I've arrested enough of them to know!"
Ed snapped his mouth shut and swallowed thickly, setting his fork down.
"Sorry!" He said with a small smile and looked at the floor, "And no they didn't. I told you that story already.." He said sadly, just thinking about his parents made his chest hurt at the gaping hole of loneliness that settled there.
"So that wasn't made up then?" Roy asked after a moment.
Ed shook his head as he picked his fork back up and started eating again, although quieter this time.
"No that was true, I don't lie about everything ya know." Ed said pointedly, slightly annoyed at the question. He hated talking about his past and hated it even more when it wasn't believed.
"Yeah I suppose that's true. The most convincing lies often hold some truth to them." Roy said, setting his fork down as he ate the last bite. He brushed his hands together to clean off any remaining egg and sighed, glancing over at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room.
"It's honestly pretty late you know, why don't we try to get some sleep?" Roy suggested, changing the subject. "The spare bedroom is still yours if you want it." He said with a shrug.
Ed glanced over at him and nodded as he swallowed the last of the eggs.
He gently set the plate down on the table then thought better of it.
If he was blessed enough to be here then he was going to clean up after himself in the very least.
He stood up and gathered both his and Roy's plate and headed to the kitchen to wash them.
"What are you doing?" Roy asked, following him into the kitchen with a small frown.
Ed paused, looking back at Roy as if he'd grown a third head. "Washing the dishes?..." He said, looking down at the soiled dishes in his hands thinking maybe he grabbed the wrong thing.
"You don't need to do that. I don't want anything to wind up broken." Roy said as he carefully took the plates from Ed's frozen hands and set them in the sink, planning to do all the dishes in the morning after coffee.
Ed snapped out of his shock and folded his arms. "You think I can't wash simple dishes?" He questioned with a scowl, pointedly looking at Roy.
"Exactly! Glad you understand." Roy said with a dismissive smile and walked back into the living room, deciding to head to bed without waiting for the boy to follow.
Ed glared at the floor with clenched fists, feeling anger building inside of him like a volcano ready to erupt.
He was more then capable of rinsing stupid dishes off and he was going to prove that to Roy.
He didn't need any adult telling him what he was capable of doing!
He had taken care of both himself and Al for years without the help of anyone, although secretly wishing that wasn't a fact.
He stepped up to the sink and angerly yanked up the dish, applying soap and scrubbing harshly.
He finished that one with a sparkle and set it off to the side to dry and grabbed up the other one.
He couldn't believe Roy thought he wasn't able to wash a simple dish. The very thought made him burn with anger and he held the plate tightly in his small hands.
His heart nearly stopped when he heard an audible crack and looked frantically down at the plate in his automail hand.
He had gotten upset and held the plate much too tight. He watched as spiderweb fractures sliced across the white plate, threatening to shatter at any moment.
"Shit! No!" He grumbled softly, glancing back at the doorway of the kitchen looking for the man he was surely going to piss off once more.
"Don't break, please!" He begged, trying to push the pieces back together without much luck.
Just when he thought he might be able to get away with what he did the plate finally snapped in two and fell to the floor with a crash, sending the sound through the house.
Roy came charging in, fingers ready to snap and wildly looking around for the danger.
His eyes drifted to Ed and at the look of panic on his face as he followed the boys gaze to the light wood floor.
"What the hell?!" Roy snarled looking at the pile of broken glass shattered on his floor.
He looked up and met the boys fearful golden eyes. "Didn't I tell you not to touch those dishes?" He growled, stepping towards Ed slowly, like a dog with cornered prey.
Ed squeaked lightly and pressed his back against the sink, nodding his head and looking away, trying to shrink down and become invisible. The sink cut into the small of his back as he pressed harder into it to escape the harsh glare Roy was sending his way.
"And yet you touched them? And broke them?" Roy said through gritted teeth, holding back his steaming rage he felt burning within.
Ed looked back at him with his hands held up with a wild look of fear plastered on his small face.
"I can fix it! Just watch!" Ed sped through the words while he dropped to his knees in the glass, causing Roy to flinch as he watched the glass dig into the boys flesh knee.
Ed frantically pulled all the shards together in a pile, smashing the broken flakes into his flesh hand without care or thought, trying to quickly clean the mess before Roy got mad.
Roy gaped at the sight of Ed pawing at the broken glass, slicing his fingers and palm.
"Stop that!" Roy yelled with concern lacing his face, reaching out to the boy who flinched, driving him to claw at the pieces even harder from the fear of Roy hurting him.
"Please, I'm sorry!" Ed begged, not noticing the blood that was seeping from the glass that he was driving into his flesh hand, slowly dripping to the floor to join in the mess of glass and blood.
Roy eyes went wide as he clamped a hand on Eds shoulder, "Stop that you're hurting yourself!" He said with force, Ed flinched away from him.
"I'm sorry, please don't take me in! I need to rescue my brother, please!" Ed pleaded, tears welling up and falling from his golden eyes in fat streams. "Please don't hurt me, I didn't mean to break it!" He cried, finally slowly down his frantic clawing.
Roy gently squatted down to Eds level, causing Ed to look at the floor in shame.
"Look at me." Roy said softly but Ed wouldn't look up, instead sobbing at the floor.
Roy ripped his rough white gloves off and stuffed them into his pocket before he gently put his hand under Eds chin and tipped it up to force eye contact.
"I promise I'm not going to hurt you or take you in, okay?" He said with a soft smile, trying to calm Ed's nerves. "Now please get out of the glass so I can clean it, okay?" He asked with a gentleness he didn't know he had.
Ed shook his head, "I can fix it..." He said in a small voice then clapped his hands together and put them into the floor, ignoring Roy's request to back away.
Blue light filled the kitchen, reflecting it off the windows and blinding Roy for a brief moment.
Once the light died down there in the place of the broken dish was a perfectly fixed plate.
"See?" Ed said in a tiny voice as he looked up at the tall man with an apprehensive smile, "All fixed." He said, holding the plate up for him to see as if it were artwork to admire.
Roy stared at the prefect plate and shook his head with a smile, standing up from his position. "If you could fix it then why the harsh reaction?" He asked.
Ed shrugged, suddenly embarrassed at his outburst and feeling the sting of the cuts in his hand. "Thought you'd for sure take me in or just kill me..." He said quietly.
"Those were my late mother's plates she gave me, which is why I didn't want you touching them, not because you couldn't do it and I was only upset at you disobeying my request to leave them alone. That's not enough for me to want to kill you, silly." Roy explained, holding back a laugh at the thought of killing the kid over a plate.
Ed gave a crooked smile and handed him the undamaged plate before quickly looking at the bloody floor in shame, ignoring the burning of his hand.
"I'm sorry for not listening, it's hard when I've never had to obey orders before. Guess living on the streets most of my life will do that..." He said apologetically, finally standing from the floor.
Roy rested a hand on Eds shoulder with a light sigh.
"Well you should've never been cast to the streets but right now I'm more concerned about your hand. Let me see it." Roy asked, holding out his hand for the boy, waiting for Ed to show him.
Ed nodded obediently and hesitantly rested his flesh hand palm up on Roy's warm hand.
Roy frowned as he took in all the cuts littering his small hand. Thankfully the glass was plucked out when Ed had transmuted it back together, although that left behind dozens of bloodied lines that crisscrossed his hand like a sick drawing.
He released the kids hand and noticed the red tinge that had lightly speckled Ed's pants around the knee.
"Did you hurt your knee too? He asked with concern as he knelt down to look closer at it.
He could see where the glass shards had poked through his pants and sliced his skin.
Ed gave a small smile as if to take away Roy's attention on his injured knee.
"Follow me." Roy said, carefully grabbing Ed's arm and pulling him along.
Ed stumbled forward before catching himself, "Where are we going?" He asked with wide eyes, scared Roy might have went back on his promise.
"Going to get these cuts cleaned up, can't let you go to sleep looking like this now can I?" He said gently, looking back briefly at him as they walked.
Ed just nodded and followed behind him into the bathroom.
He watched as Roy retrieved the first aid kit and opened it, sorting through it and pulling out what he needed.
"I'm going to roll your pant leg up okay?" Roy asked, hands raised above Ed's pants waiting for the okay.
Ed nodded once more and watched in silence as Roy gently rolled up his pant exposing his small cuts.
"Okay now I'm going to spray this disinfectant spray, okay? This might hurt a little." He warned with a gentle voice.
Ed nodded and grit his teeth, waiting for the sharp sting.
Roy sprayed a few squirts onto Ed's knee, earning him a hiss of pain before he applied a large bandaid to it.
"There, better?" He asked, looking up at Ed from his crouched position.
"Yeah, thank you." Ed said softly, looking down at his new coverings and kicking his legs out against the toilet where he was currently sitting to test it.
Roy held his hand out once more gesturing towards Ed's injured hand.
Ed frowned but didn't protest as he once more rested his small hand in Roy's, letting him take ahold of him and start carefully dabbing at the cuts that littered his palm.
He winced, earning him an apologetic glance from Roy as he gently finished cleaning the blood and carefully rolled gauze over his hand.
"There, better?" Roy asked with a kind smile his mother had often graced him with whenever he had been injured.
Ed nodded in appreciation and turned his hand back and forth to examine it.
He looked up and met Roy's dark eyes. "Thank you!" He said with a grin, letting his hand fall beside him. "No one has done that for me before." He said, suddenly his high mood dropped at the thought.
Roy nodded as he stood up and started putting away the first aid items.
"Your mother never did that for you?" Roy asked curiously after silence had once more descended the room.
Ed looked up at him and shook his head sadly.
"My father wouldn't let her help us. Said it was a weakness to baby us and it made us grow up into adults faster." Ed said, tightening his fists at the thought of his worthless drunk of a father.
"He always said an Elric would never be weak and helpless, which is what I was at that age. He said I was no son of his, that I was a failure to him and always would be before he'd grab up his jug and get drunk again." Ed said, letting his words hang in the room.
"You had a terrible upbringing, people like that don't deserve to have children. I experienced something similar so I know how you feel..." Roy said, shaking his head as he closed the cupboard to the first aid kits resting place.
"My father was a lot like your old man.He was in the military so he was strict without many emotions." Roy said after a minute, examining the wood grain of the cupboard as he lost himself in thought.
"He told me men shouldn't show emotions and to always be brave. If I disobeyed him, he'd get the belt out and fix my attitude up real quick. However, sometimes he got carried away." Roy said with a pause and let out a sigh before turning back to Ed.
"He shouldn't have had children but thanks to him I'm here so I suppose I shouldn't complain too much." He said with a mirthless laugh.
Ed watched him carefully for a moment. "Just because he brought you into this world doesn't mean he had the right to abuse you." He said with a deep frown.
Roy turned and looked at him with a slight smile. "Very true. I hate the man and have zero contact with him." He said just as the clock chimed.
Roy grimaced, "It's getting late and we have a big day of figuring out our next move tomorrow so we should really get some rest." Roy said. "I'll clean up the kitchen tomorrow."
Ed nodded and hopped down from the toilet seat, following Roy out of the bathroom and into the spare room that was his for the time being.
"Goodnight kid, try and sleep good okay?" Roy said with a kind smile, watching as Ed climbed into the bed and settled his head on the large white pillow that made the boy look even smaller.
Ed grinned, "I think I'm gonna sleep like a rock!" He said, earning him a chuckle from Roy who shook his head and turned to leave.
"Night Roy, thank you again for the second chance. I won't blow it this time." Ed said as Roy nodded and flicked the light off.
"You're welcome kid. Goodnight." Roy said as he closed the door gently, sending the room into darkness as Ed snuggled into the plush bed and quickly drifted off to sleep, not able to fight off his exhaustion any longer.
Roy didn't know what it was about the kid that softened his hardened heart but maybe with his help he could save not only Al but Ed too.
Maybe he could change the direction of the boys life and save him from the death that was surely hunting him like a pack of wild dogs, snapping at his heels hungerly wanting the boys soul.
Maybe, just maybe, he could protect him from his sick fate.
Somehow he had to at least try. He had to save both boys. He had to.
