Tangled Threads
Rating: R, just to be safe
†
"So what's he like anyway?" Ed toyed with the end of his ponytail, curling the hair around his finger and letting it fall loose again. "What's it like, having a sibling?"
"Al's a nice kid. He's the precocious genius of the family, so he got special treatment." Jean shut down his laptop, pushing the top down. "I don't mind it, really. He's always been more fragile emotionally than I have, so I made sure to always be there. My god, when I was in the hospital, he wouldn't leave me until he knew I was okay." He stretched. "But he's so brilliant it's scary. He skipped a grade in high school because his teachers couldn't handle him. I wish I had that."
Ed shrugged. "What're we gonna do this weekend, anyway?" He lazily watched a fly in its repeated failed attempts at somehow phasing through the windowpane from the outside.
"Well, I was hoping to get Uncle Paul to take me, you, and Al out for dinner at some point. The twins are going to be hanging out in Luce's room with their younger brother and Luce has a tribe of his own coming, so we'll pretty much be on our own." Jean grinned.
Ed sighed a bit. "But 'on our own' now includes your little brother.."
"Poor bunny. Two nights and three days won't be lethal." Jean held out a hand. "Come here, you."
"That's not the point." Ed did as asked, moving from his seat next to the window. "Let's just be sure to stay occupied then, or it's going to drive me insane."
"If I didn't know you as well as I do, I'd say that you're pathetic. But we have a little time tomorrow – Al and Uncle Paul are going to take the tour and have an interview down at Admissions, so we'll be able to do something on our own."
"I guess that works..." Ed grinned a bit, "It's not my fault you're so addicting..."
Jean laughed. He pulled Ed down for a brief kiss, then got to his feet. "Well, I can't help that. Come on, gopher-boy. They'll be here any minute now."
Shaking his head, Ed stretched and nodded. "Alright, we going to meet them outside or what?"
"M'hm." As they passed Ed's room, Jean frowned. "Does Ashton have any siblings?"
That gave Ed pause for thought. "If he does, he's never said anything about them..."
"I pity the poor sods if he does." They made their way downstairs and out the door.
A black Audi rent-a-car pulled up to the curb. A young boy, taller than Ed but not nearly as tall as Jean, tumbled out almost before the car has stopped and ran laughing up to Jean and cannonballed into his middle.
Ed froze in mid-step at the sound of the boy's voice. Something clicked together inside, and for a moment the world turned upside down, inside out and backwards.
A tawny-haired boy stumbled and nearly fell, chasing another boy. 'Bro-ther! Wait up!' 'You're such a slowpoke, Al, come on!'
A scream, intense, throbbing pain in his left knee and right shoulder, the sharp, metallic scent of blood.
Smiling grey-brown eyes on an eleven-year-old face. 'I made breakfast, I hope you like it!'
'Brother!' 'Come on, Ed, let's go!' 'Ed-ward!'
It all flashed by in a moment's time, there and then it was gone. Ed finally remembered to breathe.
Al grinned happily up at his beloved older brother, grey-brown eyes sparkling. "Jean, you look better than you did earlier!"
Jean burst out laughing, scruffing the dark blonde hair. "You little brat, that's not a nice thing to say to your older brother! Bear in mind that I'm going to be feeding you."
Al gave his brother one last hug before he turned to look at the rather stunned Ed. "Hi," he said guilessly. "I'm Al, and I'm guessing you're Ed, considering you don't look like Iden." Al kept one arm around Jean's waist, as if to make sure that he wouldn't disappear.
"Yeah, that's me... Uh... Hi I guess.." Ed tried to manage a happy-go-lucky smile, but it was painfully evident it was forced.
For a split second, there was a large suit of armor standing where Al was. He blinked, shaking his head, it had to be his eyes playing tricks on him.
Jean frowned, but he was cut off by a rather dapper-looking older man hollering from the car, "Al, get your tush back over here and help me get your stuff out!" Like a rabbit, Al scampered back.
He rested a gentle hand on Ed's shoulder. "Ed...? Something wrong?"
Ed almost jumped at Jean's hand on his shoulder, shaking his head. "It's nothing important.."
"You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Dunno, maybe I have." Ed wasn't quite sure what to think of what he just saw. He was reminded of the nightmares, and shivered. "I just spaced out for a while, that's all."
"All right, if you're sure..." Jean didn't sound convinced. "Well... at least try to be pleasant around him, okay?"
"Of course!" Ed put on a genuine smile, or so it seemed. If one knew him well enough, it would be obvious in its transparency.
Blue eyes looked vaguely sad, but Al was racing back with Paul trailing at a more sedate pace. "Jean! I hope you'll find the time to help with my English homework, because I have no idea what's going on."
Jean popped a grin into place. "Mr. Math and Science Genius needs help from his screwball older brother?"
Ed sighed, shaking his head. "Need any help with your things?" Anything to get his mind off the images that kept flashing up at random.
"Jean, your manners are lacking even more than usual," the older man said mildly. "You haven't introduced me to your friend yet."
Jean blushed bright red. "Oops. Sorry, Uncle. Ed, this is Uncle Paul, my mother's brother. Uncle Paul, this Edward Elric a... ah... friend of mine."
Blue eyes eerily reminescent of Jean's twinkled benignly down at Ed. "Greetings and salutations, Edward. Is my hopelessly scatterbrained nephew taking care of you like he should be?"
Ed rubbed the back of his head a bit. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm the one taking care of him," he chuckled. "Ah...nice to meet you."
Jean pouted in Ed's general direction, taking Al's backpack. "Well, come on, you lot," he said cheerfully. "Uncle, when are you taking us out to dinner?"
Paul lazily swatted the back of his nephew's head. "Tomorrow after Al is finished with his interview. Tonight I want some peace and quiet. Your mother's been on another of her rampages about your dating preference –"
"Not something I needed to know." A Look that promised Al severe psychological trauma flashed briefly between older and younger brother. Al cringed.
"– and your father's being your father. He took it better than expected."
"So he's not sulking?"
"Miraculously, no. You may have to drag Edward home for spring break, though."
Ed tried to avoid blushing, but failed, instead deciding it was easier to hide it if he just kept his head down. "Don't guess I get any say in that, huh.."
"Nope," the three family members chorused.
Paul stopped in front of Jean's room. "All right, Al, be good to your brother. Jean, don't terrorize him, please." He kissed Jean's forehead. "You have my cell phone number if you need me. Other than that, I'll see you three at noon tomorrow." He gave Ed a warm smile. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Edward."
Jean smiled at his uncle's retreating back. "He's a crazy old coot, but I love him."
"So..." Ed was itching for something to do. Anything. Anything at all, to keep his mind off of those weird images, and to keep himself off of Jean.
Jean plonked down on his bed and Al immediately relocated to his lap. "What do you all want for supper?" he asked. "We can do Chinese, Greek, or pizza."
"I'm okay with anything," Al piped up.
"Whatever's fine, I guess." Ed took a seat near the window again, trying to ignore the fact that Al was, albeit innocently, in his spot.
Jean rolled his eyes. "Okay. Greek it is. Al, get up, I need to order it in a timely fashion, otherwise we're not eating. Scoot."
Al sat on the bed obediently. "Are you going to be gone long?"
"It's a two-minute walk." Jean got to the door, looking over his shoulder. "Don't do anything silly while I'm gone."
"Ah...so..." Ed lounged in the chair, avoiding looking directly at Al, but trying not to look as if he was doing so. This was going to be a very, very long weekend.
Al unabashedly studied his brother's... boyfriend? Was that it? They didn't really seem to be just like that... Abruptly, his child-like voice gone, he asked, "Are you in love with Jean?"
If Ed had been drinking something just then, it would likely be all over the room at this point. He sputtered slightly, trying to regain his composure and put his brain back together. "Uh..." was about all he managed to say.
"Well?" Al crossed his arms stubbornly.
"Why are you asking me that all of a sudden, anyway?" Ed fidgeted incessantly with the end of his ponytail, extremely uncomfortable at the moment. Especially with the way Al's eyes bore down on him, seemingly too wise for the child they belonged to.
"Because he's my brother. I don't want him to get hurt again."
Ed sighed slightly. "Yes...I do love him... Sometimes so much it hurts..." Golden eyes gazed out the window, a tiny, somewhat sad smile quirking the corners of his lips.
"Good," Al said, satisfied. "I think he does too, but it'd be like pulling hen's teeth to get him to admit it."
"Admit what?" Jean said from the doorway.
Ed rested his head on his arms, still looking out the window. "How long did they say it would be to get here?"
"Couple more minutes." Jean moved over and put his hand on Ed's head. "What's wrong?"
"Hm?" Ed looked up, grinning a bit to cover up the stress. "It's nothing, I'm fine."
"I'll bet." Jean's hand absently drifted down to caress the back of Ed's neck. "Oh, hey, Al? The twins want to nab you for a few hours to play video games. You feeling up to it?"
"Heck, yeah!"
Ed sighed softly, leaning back just the slightest bit.
After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Jean briefly checked his watch. "Come on, Ed, you're coming with me to get the food. It should be here by now."
"Alright." Ed got up, stretching, and headed for the door.
As soon as they were out the door, Jean grabbed Ed. "Are you feeling all right?" he asked, eyes worried. "You look ridiculously pale."
"I told you, it's nothing to worry about, I'll be fine." Ed shook his head. "I'm just a little spacey today, don't mind it."
"Ed, please don't lie to me."
"We can talk about it later then, okay?"
"All right." If Jean was hurt, he did an excellent job of hiding it. "Come on."
Ed sighed a bit as he walked, thinking hard on just how he was going to explain all of this to Jean, when he could hardly explain it to himself. The concept itself sounded crazy to his own ears, how would it sound to someone else's? Well, it wasn't like he could just hide it anymore, he was going to have to tell Jean about it...
Jean and Ed grabbed the food, returning to their room and eating it in silence. A few minutes after they finished, Luce turned up demanding Al.
After his baby brother had left, Jean turned to Ed. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I don't rightfully know the answer to that, Jean..." Ed brought his knees up to his chest, sitting in the chair by the window again. "This shit in my head is just all fucked up and I don't even know what it all means."
"Could you at least try to explain it?" Jean asked in a curiously subdued voice. "You've been acting like my brother's pure poison or something."
"Please don't think I'm insane, but I think it's got something to do with a past life or...something like that... The nightmares, some of my other dreams, this feeling of familiarity around you that makes it seem to me like we've been together a lot longer than we have...
"When I saw your brother...I saw images, like memories, all of what's going on in my head is too interconnected to be just stress induced, the nightmares started just after I met you, and as I've been getting closer, they've been getting clearer..." He paused, looked up at Jean. "Do you believe in fate?"
Jean chewed on his lower lip, trying to come to terms with everything Ed had said. "Are you saying you think that we're just recycled souls from somewhere else?"
"I don't know... That's kind of a shitty way to put it though..." Ed glanced at the floor.
"Well, how else am I going to put it?" Jean rested his chin in his hands, gazing levelly at Ed. "So... why have you been getting these and not... someone else? I mean, if what you're saying is right, then I should theoretically be just as aware as you are."
"I...don't know..."
The taller man sighed, rubbing his face. "Oh, well. Just leave it."
"Alright..." Ed echoed Jean's sigh, turning to glance out the window again.
Jean got up, pacing like a caged animal. There was something niggling in the back of his mind, but he couldn't place it.
Ed looked up, brow furrowed. "Jean? What is it?"
"Damned if I knew." He dropped down onto his bed, draping himself haphazardly over the mattress.
Standing, Ed moved over to the bed, finding a spot he could sit on. "I..." he paused, shaking his head. "Sorry..."
Jean didn't bother to open his eyes. "For what?"
"That whole..." he gestured vaguely with his hand, trying to pull the words off his tongue without making it sound weird, "...other life...thing..." Okay, so he failed at that.
That made Jean sit up. "Ed. Shut up about that for now, will you? I have an uncomfortable feeling that yes, you're probably right. It would explain a few other things, too."
"Sorry..." Ed put his head in his hands.
Jean reached up, pulling Ed down. "Ed. You're moping."
"I can't help it..."
"Yes you can," Jean said firmly. "You need to perk up, is all." He gently undid the smaller boy's ponytail. "You need to perk up, relax, and do something fun."
"Oh? Like what?" Ed finally met Jean's eyes again, a slight glimmer in gold that showed he already had a pretty good idea.
"You're asking me?"
"I think I was..."
"You," Jean remarked, threading his fingers through Ed's hair. "Are a brat. Hope you don't mind." He tugged him into a gentle kiss.
"Does that really change a damn thing?" Ed smiled, wrapping his arms around Jean's neck.
"Not really, no. But still... you're my brat." Jean's mouth quirked back.
"I can live with that.."
Jean let his eyes drift closed. "Good. Because I'm not sure if I'm up to the reeducation process."
"Whatever you say, Jean..." Ed nestled his head right up under the taller blonde's chin.
"Hmph." Jean curled an arm around Ed's shoulders.
Ed chuckled, nipping lightly up under Jean's chin. "How long do we have?"
"A couple of hours."
"Alright..." For the moment, Ed was content to just lie there.
Jean stretched, catlike, shoulders and back popping.
Ed sighed, thinking. He'd probably have to sleep in the chair or something this weekend... Dammit...
Jean sat up, disloging Ed. "What the hell has got your knickers in such a twist?"
"Nothing, just thinking possessively." Ed latched right back on, seeking out the almost completely faded mark on Jean's neck with a slight frown. That wouldn't do, he'd have to fix that.
"Thinking possessively? What? You think you're going to be sleeping on the floor or something?"
"I wouldn't sleep on the floor unless you tied me up and forced me to, or if you were gonna sleep there too.." Ed ran the tip of his tongue over the mark, pondering whether to renew it or just make another one somewhere else.
Jean shivered at the feel of Ed's tongue. "Well, Al's sleeping on the floor, and while I admit to some semblance of 'brotherly love', it is not that semblance. I'm sleeping on the bed, and so are you."
"I've got no problem with that.." Ed murmured, before deciding on renewal and biting Jean's neck again, suckling for a while on the flesh between his teeth to make sure the mark lasted.
Jean yelped. "The hell–!"
Soothing the mark with careful, slow licks, Ed sighed. "I told you, just thinking possessively..." Mine, dammit.
"This is going to be hard to explain," Jean said ruefully, reaching up to touch the already angry-purple bruise. "You'd better make it up to me or you will be sleeping on the floor."
"They both know about us, how would it be so hard to explain?"
"That's not precisely who I meant." Jean tugged Ed into a fierce kiss, prompting the smaller man to forget it.
Ed decided he'd let that slide, opting for the moment to just savor the next couple of hours of alone time.
•
Yawning, Al let himself back into his brother's room. It was ridiculously late (about eleven-thirty or so, Luce had explained with a grin that his brother and Ed might want to have a bit of time for themselves and Al knew quite well what that meant, thank you very much) and he wasn't expecting to see Jean and Ed still up. Shirtless, with Ed wearing a pair of sweatpants that Al knew belonged to Jean, but they were up.
Up, yes, functional, no. Ed was definitely tired. His 'welcome back' was interrupted by a rather large yawn.
"So, how did it go?" Al asked sweetly, just to make his older brother blush. Jean gave him a rather rude murmur, but he didn't mind. He was pleased that Jean was happy.
Ed was just barely tired enough to miss that innuendo, though that was probably a good thing. He was ready for some well-earned sleep. With Jean. Because dammit, he earned it.
Jean slithered off his bed to help Al drag out the futon, ignoring Ed's sleepy growls. "That's not something you should ask on a daily basis," he told his brother softly, remarkably coherent.
"I know that. I just like teasing you." Al touched the rather livid bruise on Jean's neck. "What's this? A token of affection from Ed?"
"That's a nice way of putting it."
Al giggled. "You ought to keep him safe," he said suddenly, digging out his pillow. "I think he's the best thing that's happened to you for a long time."
Jean affectionately ruffled Al's hair. "I know that, squirt. I know." He got up to switch off the lights. "G'night, kiddo." He slid back into bed.
Ed snuggled up against Jean, arms around the taller blonde's neck. Al was a smart kid, he'd give him that, maybe he wouldn't have to worry about it at all. Shrugging it off, he stifled a yawn against Jean's chest, slipping off to sleep.