Chapter fifty-eight
"Night, Daddy," Ed told Roy sleepily, curling up on his chest, pressing his warm, soft cheek to Roy's. "Love you lots and lots."
"Not as much as I love you," Roy told him warmly, hugging him tightly.
"Not possible," Ed mumbled contentedly before his breathing evened out and the young boy fell asleep.
Roy smiled and carefully pulled the duvet over them. Maes was sitting in the chair in the corner of the room, Ed already having wished him good night before he finished with Roy. Al and Hawkeye were in the main room, Hawkeye helping to dry and polish Al's armour to make sure that it didn't rust after being outside in the rain like that for such an extended period of time. Roy wanted to help, but Ed needed to sleep and Al would never let Roy do anything other than take his little big brother to bed.
Which meant that Roy would have his conversation with Maes whilst lying in a bed with his five-year-old son on his chest and who would quite possibly interrupting their conversation by snoring.
"What happened to him, Roy?" Maes asked, concern very evident. Evident enough, in fact, for him not to take a picture of what would have otherwise been a very adorable scene.
Roy just stroked Ed's back, sighing. "We ran into Lillian's little sister at the library. Ed saw her first and so he ran."
Maes' eyes widened considerably. "He didn't run far, right? He wasn't attacked by anyone, or something like that, was he?!" he asked in horror, his Superdad X-ray eyes instantly raking over his honorary nephew's sleeping form.
"No, he ran inside, and the place was stuffed, Maes. He panicked and so people became more concerned and thereby came even closer and you can guess the rest of it... I found him screaming inside a transmuted box that he'd made just so that people wouldn't be able to touch him."
Maes looked near tears at that. "Dammit... No wonder he's so terrified... I guess this means that visits to Central Command are out of the question after this?"
Roy nodded. "I'm pretty sure about that part, but I really don't know how much this will affect him..."
"So you don't know how many days he'll need to spend the day at your aunt's?"
Roy looked at him, seeing that the man was brewing on some kind of idea. "What are you thinking about, Maes? It's not that we don't trust you three, but Ed just doesn't seem to work together with Elicia, so him spending the day there after this..." Roy began, expecting some sort of furious tirade about how Elicia makes friends with everyone and she loves her big brothers and they just have to find a way to make it work and then they can grow up and be childhood friends, or something like that.
Maes, however, answered in a very surprising way. "I know how Ed isn't comfortable around Elicia, Roy. But with how Ed is now, then forcing him to be around people who make him edgy isn't going to do anything that'll help Ed like her. I want them to be friends, but I've seen the way Ed almost flinches every time my Elicia calls him her big brother. He isn't ready for anyone to claim him as their family, so that will have to wait until Ed isn't outright traumatised. I've already talked to Elicia about it, and I think she understands it to some extent. It wasn't exactly more challenging than "the bad people who hurt Ed called themselves his family, so when people call him family when he doesn't choose it, he gets scared. But because I'm his uncle and Mommy's his auntie, then he calls you his cousin." I think that helped her understand, at least slightly. Which is also why she told me to go straight here to cheer Big Brother Al and Cousin Ed up and tell him that she would be sister when he wanted to." His eyes shone a bit with admiration for his daughter, but he seemed to be barely able to repress the urge to brag and squeal out of love for Ed. "So why don't you ask for Charlie instead? Ed said that she's his friend, she's a bit like him and doesn't like lots of people, and your aunt can easily accommodate that. She isn't demanding or loud and she's the same age as Ed, and it could help him with not closing himself off from other people due to his fear. He has his family to rely on to help him, but just having a regular friend would be really good for him right now. Something that just lets him be a five-year-old kid. Sometimes child logic is a very good thing when dealing with a child."
Roy looked at him. He had to say that that sounded like a good idea, but the only problem was that inviting a kid to a playdate at a bar wasn't necessarily seen as a good thing. "I'm not sure it would work with the bar and all, though."
"From what you three told me about her parents, I think they'll let her, because they're over the moon about her making a friend. Talk to them come morning and hear what they think."
Roy looked down at his sleeping son and gently lifted a stray lock of hair away from his face, seeing that it had been on a very steady path to Ed's left nostril. He smiled, even though his stomach was clenching with fear and sorrow. "Okay, Maes, I'll talk with them tomorrow. Thank you for your help."
Maes stood up. "Anytime, Roy, anytime... Now get some sleep, you obviously need it."
The door to his inner office was kicked open, and Roy looked up from his incredibly boring paperwork, knowing that there was only one person who made his entrance known that way.
"Hiya, Colonel... It's been a while, huh?" Fullmetal said nonchalantly, smirking at the annoyance he was causing Roy.
"Sit down, Fullmetal, you were supposed to deliver that report six hours ago," Roy told him sternly. The kid had obviously deliberately delayed his appointment so as to make sure that Roy would have to stay until seven instead of half past four. Meaning that the trip to the bar to have a couple of beers with the rest of his subordinates had been cancelled. Meaning that Roy had spent two and a half hours doing paperwork instead of beginning his well-deserved weekend.
Fullmetal just walked over to the couch instead of the visitor's chair in front of Roy's desk, not caring one bit about what he had just been ordered to do as he leaned back and placed his flesh leg over his left knee. "Yeah, yeah, I get it, but that stupid report took a lot longer to write because the cleaners thought it was trash 'cos I'd lost it on the floor and kinda accidentally crumpled it in my automail fist when I got pissed off about having to write that damn thing in the first place."
"Then at least give it to me now."
The kid threw the folder through the air so that it landed on Roy's desk perfectly. "There, can I leave now? That shit's awkward enough as it is, I don't really wanna say it out loud too."
Roy looked at him, frowning. "What do you mean, Fullmetal? What's wrong?"
The kid just glared at him. "Oh, you really have to rub it in, don't you? Just look at the report, I'm outta here..." He stood up and headed for the door.
"Fullmetal, you are not to leave this office until I tell you that you're dismissed, and that's an order!" Roy told him sharply. He was getting worried about Fullmetal's strange behaviour. It was only a mission report, there was nothing that should illicit such a reaction because the kid was downright embarrassed. Roy could only think of a few things that would make him behave like that, and the first one would be to have a senior officer abuse him. It had happened once before, and that had been when Brigadier General Hillman had decided to spank him "like the child that he is". If that was what had happened here, then Roy wanted to know about it. "Now get back here and tell me just what the hell is up with you!"
The kid glared at him, then stomped over to Roy's desk and slammed his automail fist on the report in front of him, shoving it right up into Roy's chest. "What's up with me is that you're being a real bastard about my report like you don't even know what it is about! You asked me for it, now here it is!"
Roy suddenly froze. He had no idea what the report was about, or the mission he had sent Fullmetal on. All he knew was that the kid was late and Roy was angry. But how could he be angry about a report he had forgot about the contents of? Where had he sent Fullmetal?
"Oh, you really have to rub it in, don't you, Colonel Bastard?! Well, fine! Here's MY report! The report on ME! On what I think! The one you've been hounding me about for over two months now after I got turned into a five-year-old!"
Roy paused. "What do you mean, Fullmetal? You're not five." He reached for the phone on his desk, worrying that the kid must have got some sort of head injury. Maybe even a tumor for all he knew. It would explain the unusual behaviour and the delusional statement. "Lie down on the couch, I'm calling the infirmary."
The kid just placed his hand over Roy's, glaring at him, before turning to the door. "Hey, Al, the Colonel's being a jerk, bring Ed here, would you?"
"Brother! Be nice to Dad!" came Al's voice as he carried a very young-looking Fullmetal inside the office, the boy asleep in his arms.
"Al, he's you and Ed's Dad, not mine, I disappeared before that..." Then he turned to look at Roy, pointing at the two new arrivals. "You see, Colonel? I'm five, and so now I'm here to give you your stupid report so that you'll get off my back."
Roy was confused, but Al's name for him did stir an awful lot of emotions he shouldn't actually have. And yet he held up his arms to take the youngest boy like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Al, please give him to me, he needs me for the nightmares."
Needs me for the nightmares? What am I talking about?
"Of course, Dad, here you are," Al said, handing him the sleeping child, and Roy was even more perplexed by his next set of actions. Because he suddenly began taking off his uniform jacket and placing it on the desk, before taking the small boy in his arms and gently putting his jacket around him automatically, leaning down to kiss his forehead.
"And there you go again, being his Daddy..." Fullmetal said, clearly irritated. "And worst part is, it actually makes me happy. I'm happy for you three. I'm grateful even, because you're helping my little brother get his body back and you're giving me a second chance at the childhood I never had the first time around. You're being a great Dad to both of them, and they love you for it, so now you're making me feel awkward as hell, because I have no fucking clue about what I should say about this." Then he walked around the desk, putting a hand on his younger self's head. "So just take care of them, and thanks." He suddenly leaned forwards and placed a quick kiss on Roy's cheek with a blush.
...Then he turned on his heel, waving with left hand and his back turned to him as he left the office. "Bye, Colonel..."
Roy felt a tear go down his cheek.
"Daddy? You hafta stop crying! Are you having a nightmare again? Please wake up, Daddy!" came a familiar voice, accompanied by a small pair of warm hands on his cheeks, as well as the added weight on his chest.
Roy opened his eyes to find Ed looking down at him with worry, sitting on his knees on top of his chest. "Ed?" he asked, slightly confused as he looked through the room. It was still dark outside, but the room was lit by the small lamp on the wall above one of the two nightstands. It was how it worked because when Ed was scared and could wake up to see his surroundings being safe, then that helped calm him down.
Ed looked both relieved and scared at the same time. "Were you having a nightmare, Daddy?"
Roy smiled up at him sadly, placing his large hands on top of Ed's small ones. They were soft. So very soft. And they fitted so perfectly in his own. And Roy drew strength from them. From the love of the little boy on his chest and from the love he had for him. "No, not really..." he said softly, not really knowing what to think of what he'd seen.
"Then why are you crying?"
Roy felt his chest constrict. "Because for the first time, I've dreamt about the old you. And it wasn't a nightmare. It was an actual dream... And the old you was happy for us... He was happy for us and he thanked me for looking after you two..."
Ed looked at him with wide eyes and Roy just drew him in for a hug, feeling that soft cheek resting against his own. "He was talking and acting just like he used to do," Roy said in a warm voice, gently stroking Ed's back.
"Oh... Then I hope you have more good dreams like that, Daddy."
"Hello, this is Audrey speaking," came the voice from the other end of the line. Roy was standing in their hotel room, Al keeping Ed company in the bedroom while Hawkeye was showering. Roy had told them that he needed to make a private phone call. He didn't want to risk disappointing Ed if Charlie wasn't up for visiting or if her parents weren't too keen on their daughter spending her day in a bar.
"Hello, Audrey, this is Roy Mustang." He didn't know if she knew other Roys, it was a fairly common name after all.
He could practically hear her bursting with excitement. "Oh, Roy! Hello! How are you four?"
"That's why I'm calling, I was wondering if Charlie would like to come visiting because Ed had a... There was an incident yesterday and Ed could really use a friend and a distraction... You know how Charlie isn't too fond of large crowds?"
Audrey gasped. "Oh my... What happened to him?" came an urgent whisper.
Roy sighed. "He had a scare while at the National Central Library, and so he ran. He was panicking over the crowds and the crowds wouldn't listen to him as he told them to get away from him... He's been extremely nervous about it happening again... And I think Charlie can relate."
"Of course... We're not busy today, we'd love to come visit you," she sounded both sad and excited.
"Well, things are a bit complicated, because me and Al have some alchemic research we're working on that are non-optional, so he's being guarded by Lieutenant Hawkeye while spending the day at my aunt's. She's also my foster mother, so she's Ed and Al's Grandma."
"Oh, we don't mind, but you sound reluctant, Roy, is there something wrong about that?"
"Well, as the parents of a young child, I figured that I should let you decide if you want to have your daughter visiting there. You see, my aunt runs a hostess bar on the ground floor while the living area is on the two floors above it. It's basically a house on top of a bar, so I understand that you might not like the idea."
There was silence at the other end of the line for a few seconds. "But the two parts of the house are kept separate, right? There aren't any customers coming up the stairs or hostesses doing... doing things with little clothes, right?" she asked cautiously.
"No, definitely not. It is a very respectable bar and the hostesses are dressed in tasteful formal wear. There is nothing dodgy or illegal about the establishment and the girls are friendly and dote on the boys like unofficial aunts even. The two parts of the building are kept separate, and the break room is the only part of the bar that is above the ground floor, but that part of the hallway can easily be closed behind the door which was put in for that same purpose. I can vouch for the safety of any guests as I grew up there myself from a young age. In all honesty, the scariest part about being there is that my aunt has a visage that has a tendency to frighten children, especially paired with her voice as she has been smoking a lot for the last few decades." Roy knew that he shouldn't leave details out about something like this. If they agreed to come, then they deserved to know everything beforehand.
There was silence again.
And then came a few silent giggles. "Is it bad that I'm really interested in seeing what she looks like?" Her voice carried a definite hint of mischievousness.
Roy smiled. "I can't fault you for it."
She giggled again. "Hang on for a bit, I'll just ask Terrence what he thinks. If you can vouch for the place after growing up there and Ed finds it to be a safe place, then I trust your judgement," she put the phone down on the nearest flat surface, before there suddenly came a lot of scrambling as it was hastily picked up again after just a few seconds. "Oh, and I forgot to ask! There is another door than the one to the bar, right?"
Roy smiled to himself. The woman was a bit scatterbrained at times. It was probably what drew her to her husband, despite the sixteen years age difference. He could tell that she found solace and peace in her husband's down to earth way of being. When she was around him, she had the same demeanour that one got when stretching out on a couch after coming back home from a long day at work. And Terrence seemed to find her as a refreshing addition to his life and found her genuinely intriguing. According to her, he liked her head. They fitted very well together and obviously loved each other dearly because they were the kind of couple that also were best friends.
Roy had also learnt that Audrey was actually the author of a children's book that had been published five months previously. She did her own illustrations and she had received high praise for "Billy the Beetle and His Extraordinary Adventure". It was why she had so much spare time as she didn't have any ongoing projects. She was waiting for another surge of inspiration for her next work, and was in the meantime looking after their daughter while Terrence earned more than enough to provide for the three of them. All in all, they were a nice, loving family that Roy wouldn't mind having as friends of the family and that Ed could grow up with Charlie.
"Yes. There is a back door that leads up the stairs to the first floor without anyone having to go inside the bar," Roy told her.
"Great! I'll be back in a minute!" Audrey said excitedly.
And so Roy stood there, waiting, knowing that this would work out, but still a bit worried that something would come up.
After a couple of minutes, the phone was picked up without the scrambling he had expected, which was quickly explained as it was Terrence who spoke. "Good morning, Roy," he said, and Roy could hear that he was smiling which was definitely a good sign.
"Good morning, Terrence. I hope that it's okay with you to have your daughter spend the day at my aunt's?"
"Well, usually I would have said no, but as it is a building that was actually made to fit having young children living there, I don't mind it much. If I could speak to your Aunt first, though, that would be appreciated?"
"Of course, I'll give you the number," Roy told him, only having expected him to ask.
"Then I have a pen and paper right here," he said.
And so Roy gave him the number before asking him to wait for a second, because he had yet to ask Ed if he was okay with it, now that Charlie's parents approved of her going with him.
He knocked on the bedroom door and looked inside to find Ed sitting on the floor with Al, playing with some wooden sheep. "Daddy?"
"Hey, Ed, how would you like it if Charlie came with you to Grandma's today?"
Ed looked up at him in surprise. "Charlie's coming?"
Roy nodded. "Yes, Audrey and Terrence thought it was a good idea, so if you'd like it, she can join you."
Ed looked thoughtful, but then he nodded and smiled. "Yeah! Thanks, Daddy! And Audrey's coming too, right? 'Cos Auntie Riza's gonna need company and Charlie needs her if something happens and she gets sad."
Roy couldn't help walking over and picking Ed up to hug him, holding him in his arms as Ed used them as a kind of chair.
The boy was just too Ed... Even after everything, the boy was selfless and kind and took care of those around him. And as his Dad, it made Roy very proud. "Of course, Ed." Then Roy kissed his cheek and then went over to Al and kissed the top of his helmet too, not caring about the way that it was hard metal. It hurt to think that Al couldn't feel it, but his son was actually happy that Roy didn't treat him like he wasn't human. That Roy showed him affection, even if he couldn't physically feel it. "I'm so proud of you two."
Ed hugged him around the most easily available arm. "We're proud of you too, Daddy."
"Mhm, we are," Al added before Roy could say anything.
"Boys, that really isn't necessary..." Roy said, feeling very awkward at the way his affection was being thrown back at him when he really didn't deserve his sons to be proud at all.
"We're proud of you, Daddy, 'cos you're awesome!" Ed said. "Now the phone's waiting for you, so you hafta finish talking with them 'cos it's rude to make them wait."
Al may be physically unable to raise his eyebrows expectantly at Roy, but his voice made it very clear that he would have been had he had his body. "He's right, Dad. About both things, so talk to them while I fix things up in here. And tell them I said hi!" he said cheerfully, pulling out a piece of chalk to transmute the wooden floor back to normal by transmuting the toys back into it.
Roy sighed, both with affection and the fact that he knew he couldn't convince them about his guilt. "...I love you, boys," he said instead.
"We love you too, Dad," Al said like it was a given, just as Ed squeezed his arm tighter.
"Love you REALLY much!"
Roy chuckled and lifted Ed higher up on his arm, taking just a couple of extra seconds to look at those wonderful sons of his. "Well, in that case, I love you two REALLY REALLY REALLY much."
...And so he pretended not to hear the snort of laughter coming from the newly opened bathroom door behind him.
And so once again I beg for reviews as they help inspire me!
But no flames as it's rather counterproductive ;)
