Title: Allotted Design.

Pairing: Envy and Ed.

Rating: PG-16 for brief language.

AN: Co-written by Amanda.

My DEEPEST apologies for the wait; I overdid this story in the beginning, and got tired of it for a while. And then I finally finished this chapter up and I was banned from the internet for a while.

XD

Also, I've very nearly got chapter 18 finished too

Once they were a safe distance away from the school; a couple blocks down and hidden amongst a pile of bushes, Ed gave Envy a bit of an uncertain smile.

"What happened to you back there?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Envy casually licked a bit of drying blood from his lip, and smiled sweetly, barely out of breath from the fight and their run to safety. Ed decided to ignore Envy's uncharacteristic behavior, and peered over the bushes to make sure they hadn't been followed; luckily, they hadn't.

"Where now? Where?" Gluttony grinned dumbly, tugging on Envy's thin arm without a second thought that maybe Ed would have a better idea than Envy.

"Perhaps we should just head back to the hotel where it's safe? We'll tell Mrs. Pactrony that you got sick, or something." Ed spoke first, and without waiting for an answer reached for Envy's hand and led him from the bush; Gluttony obediently followed behind much like an old, faithful dog.

Luckily they were able to make it safely to the hotel without any more run-ins with previous students that still held a grudge; but they breathed sighs of relief too soon; as they took their last steps onto the elevator, and the doors were sliding closed, a familiar, tattered sneaker shot between the doors and pried them open.

"Mrs. Pactrony!" Ed cried in surprise, although he'd seen her approaching and only hoped they'd make it to their own floor and room before she could catch up. When Ed elbowed Envy in the ribs as a hint to act sick, Envy curled an arm protectively around his chest and winced a bit; his face even seemed to flush with a light pink suggesting fever.

"What are you boys doing here? You're supposed to be at the school and in classes!" She eyed the fat man cowering behind them.

"Well, y'see, we were at the school… and we tried to get a hold of you, but Envy seems to have fallen ill and he couldn't make it through another class." To prove his point, Ed motioned to the grimacing boy at his side, and wrapped an arm around his back as if to comfort him in this moment of false pain.

Mrs. Pactrony narrowed one eye while the other seemed to bulge farther than normal from the socket. "Well… Alright; go to your room and rest; be ready for a new assignment tomorrow." She stepped out of the elevator, but before the doors could close safely between them she added; "And I want a 2,000 word essay on why illness is not a good excuse for tomorrow morning."

Sighing in relief at their near failed escape, Envy curled an arm around Ed's narrow shoulders and hugged him close. No one spoke as the elevator slid slowly to their floor, and dinged before opening; they robotically walked to their room, unlocked the door, and closed it behind them. Gluttony obediently sat on the floor in the corner of the room, and seemed to fall asleep against the wall while Ed led a reluctant Envy to the bathroom. "I need to clean your cuts."

Despite his grumbled protests, Envy sat on the down toilet seat and stripped his multiple layers to bare the cut on his arm. "Fuckin' Barbies and their stupid nails, and their high maintenance…"

Ed expertly poured a strong disinfectant on the cut, "Lord knows where her nails have been." and smoothed a fine layer of soothing salve on the wound and surrounding skin, then bandaged it. Wetting a hotel logo branded face cloth; he carefully washed away the blood caked to Envy's cracked lips, all the while forcefully not acknowledging how Envy avoided his eyes.

Finishing the application of healing salve and bandages with a little kiss, Ed stood back and admired the pale boy sitting before him. Although he'd gotten mentally stronger since arriving to the preparatory school, Envy had gained little-to-no weight; he hardly seemed to eat, and it showed on his protruding bones. This visit to the town where it all began would hardly help his state.

"I'm sorry that had to happen." Envy was first to break the silence, passing by the shorter boy to seek out a clean shirt.

"It wasn't your fault; there's no need to apologize… I should have done more to help you. If anything, it should be me that's sorry." Ed followed him and sat at the foot of one of the beds. Expecting Envy to join him for a resting nap, Ed crawled up to dig himself under the covers. But as soon as he'd donned a clean white shirt, Envy plopped down in Gluttony's lap; the fat man didn't open his eyes, nor seem to acknowledge the tiny man in his arms except for wrapping his pudgy arms protectively around Envy's frame. Ed sighed in defeat; he hated to think his Envy didn't feel safe with him, but at the same time he knew that Gluttony had been the one to protect and take care of him all the years prior to meeting Ed. Not to mention how Gluttony's abundant rolls of fat would surely play a part in making Envy feel safely surrounded.

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"Ed. Edoo! Time to get up!" What is this insistent cooing? Swatting a hand wildly around, Ed barely made contact with a flutter of hair before he pulled the covers up over his face and dug himself deeper. Boney fingers poked him through the thick comforter, and Ed groaned in protest, then threw the blankets down and bared himself to the persistent Envy.

Envy was smiling from ear to ear, and clearly wired on more caffeine than had been left complementarily in their room; with a survey around the room Ed could tell that Envy had made at least one journey from the room.

"I brought you breakfast!" Envy fetched a tray from the nearby table, and sat it carefully on the bed beside the tousled Ed. "There's a muffin and toast, and bacon and eggs and hash browns… and coffee! Of course."

"Wow." Ed eyed the overflowing tray of food. "I don't know if I can eat all this. You're welcome to help me." He gave Envy a bit of a suggestive smile.

"Nah," Envy shook his head, petting his flat stomach. "I already ate. But whatever you can't eat Gluttony will."

"Gluttony will! Gluttony will eat!" The fat man across the room screeched excitedly. Ed only laughed and dug hungrily into the breakfast.

After Ed had finished eating and showered, the trio made way from their room and to the lobby to receive assignment. In his hand Envy clutched the assignment he'd written, as was requested from Mrs. Pactrony, and he still smiled broadly. His mood didn't seem at all faltered with memories of their previous day, but Ed was in no hurry to burst his bubble by bringing the events back up.

AN/ Guys. Guys. I'm wearing an 'I heart Yaoi shirt'. hurrah.

Mrs. Pactrony's eyes grew in immediate surprise when Envy dropped the written assignment on her makeshift desk in one of the hotel's conferences rooms; she too hadn't expected it to actually be done.

"I did as was requested." He said with a triumphant smile, a hand on each slender hip. "Now what is it we have to do for today?" He seemed almost eager to get out and about around the town.

"Well," Mrs. Pactrony cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. "I'm reassigning you; just you. Ed, you will be grouped with another pair for the day."

"But Mrs. Pactro—"

She waved Ed to silence. "There will be no negotiating. Envy," She turned her attention back to the tallest of the three. "It seems you are from around here, am I correct? A certain…" She paused to check a slip of paper on her desk. "Dante and Greed Culus were in to see me early this morning, and as your parents, they requested that you be passed over to spend the day with them. I was informed you had not been home once since arriving to the school, even though most students go home every few weekends."

"Envy needs to get his work done, especially after he didn't get the assignment for yesterday done." Ed held tight to Envy's arm; already Envy's body had tensed with the thought of seeing his parents again.

"I know that, Edward, but let's just say; they were very … persuasive." She deliberately averted her eyes. Again she silenced Ed's protests as she rose to her feet. "My decision is final; Envy, your parents are to be waiting outside the hotel within ten minutes to pick you up, and Edward, I've paired you up to work with Marcus and Tarl today. And you… Well, you just go back where you came from." She barely eyed Gluttony as she spoke to him, and turned her back to signify she was finished with them.

With a sigh of defeat from all three, the trio trudged from the conference room; Gluttony continued across the spacious lobby and disappeared outside without a good-bye.

"Wait," Ed tugged Envy behind one of the wide columns lining the entire room. "Is this a good idea?" He paused. "Stupid question, I know; we can't just hand you over to them. I mean, surely they're out to get you with just as much determination as the students yesterday, if not more!"

"Shh, Edo, I'll be fine." Envy cooed, smiling sadly as he combed his fingers through Ed's blonde bangs. "I know now that if they try to do anything, there is something I can do to stop them; I can flee and get help. I've learnt now, with you, that I don't deserve the punishment from them. Don't worry." His reassurance was but a fruitless attempt to calm the troubled boy. Ed nodded, staring at their feet and the vibrant red carpet.

"Okay. Listen; I'll give you my cell phone, a—and it has Marcus's number in the directory. If anything happens, just call… we'll be there in a heartbeat."

As an extra precaution Ed programmed Marcus's own cell phone number into speed dial, while Envy scribbled down the directions to Dante and Greed's house, should they end up there and he be in need of help.

With a quick kiss and tight, reassuring hug, the two detached and ventured for the outside; immediately in front of the main doors Dante and Greed waited, leaning against a sleek black car. For a moment Ed was almost allured by Dante's polite, but stern smile, and Greed's casual grin, but then seeing how Envy seemed to shrivel deep inside himself as he walked closer to them, Ed grit his teeth and fought the urge to run to his love and protect him from any and all harm.

Waiting by the fountain in the center of the courtyard between the car and the hotel doors, Ed watched Dante and Greed approach Envy, but he couldn't tell what they said. Envy nodded, and flinched away from Greed's touch as the man pulled his son in for a hug, but didn't pull away.

"Hey, Edward!" A voice called from the hotel doors; Marcus was coming out and waving to the blonde, and by time Ed turned back Envy was already locked into the car and driving away. His pale face reflected through the glass window, and he gave a sad, little wave.