cHAOsrulesoverall: Yes, I definitely intended that chapter to have plenty of warm fuzzies. Especially at the end. Edward makes a very significant move forward for himself.
SagenWarrior: That they are, the precious blockheads XD.
Zemyx: As if Roy doesn't mess with Ed's mind enough as it is. That man is going the right way for a good whacking... or something else.
cynder81: Oh yes! The upcoming Hazel destruction chapter! I'm so happy someone else remembered what is awaiting them when they get home.
moonstone: Currently Daphne is just wondering when the very unique wedding will be.
DormantDrake: I know. Ed is seriously being wooed right now, the sweetheart.
Sapphire Nymph: Hence the wanting to give Ed a body for Roy to molest for a chapter or two? Yeah. I know the feeling, trust me. Even if Roy slipped up and just kissed Ed once, he'd be unable to help wanting more, and never let Ed leave.
silvers-edge: Yeah, three jobs are killing me, but I'm making the best of it. Being able to write these two is certainly helping, it's my therapy.
Mesonoxian: This fic makes me smile just thinking about it going, "oh damn, I really need to finish that chapter up this week".
Batsutousai: Wouldn't Roy in a green onesie be the most absolutely adorable thing? Gawd. He should wear one for Ed. And why is Voldie giving you trouble? Although mine is giving me trouble too but... don't they know they don't get to sex Harry if they don't behave?
Winrie McGeeky: That's fantastic! I'm glad you liked the story so much that it inspired you like that. Definitely keep me posted on how it's coming along.
Toki Mirage: What are the doe eyes for... I am slightly scared... what do you want from me =P
Chaos V: Actually, it's 12 now on facebook, so ner XDD
Squishy Tenshi: Thank you, she eats up all the love she can get.
chibinaru-sama: Yes, that would have been a very lovely conversation that I would have enjoyed writing immensely... unfortunately Roy wanted to sleep more. Damn him.
80x18: I actually shouldn't complain about calories. I just spent the past... three days babysitting three children. One five years old and the others were four year old twins. I have never eaten so much random and unhealthy food in my life.
gali-o: I know, I am very evil. And I'm not entirely sure what kind of bug it is. All I know is it's a bit bigger than an ant and looks a bit like a beetle and is brown. And then I just spent over a week house sitting in a place infested with spiders. Black ones on the bottom level, and red ones on the second. It was super fun.
egyptian1995: Hmm, maybe I'll send you a purple kangaroo. And I enjoy giving Roy fun hobbies! It sure beats the hell out of giving him a sports fetish.
teito13: Actually... Roy turning denial and self-loathing into an olympic event might make for some interesting watching. I'd certainly tune in to catch that competition.
blame-my-ADD: Poor Roy would have fun explaining that one to his neighbors.
secret25: And I am so eagerly awaiting the time when I can go into all of that. How they would react to a relationship and everything that goes with it. I'm probably just as eager for that as I am for a few other things that are upcoming.
Liloi: Yeah, Ed is kind of at a disadvantage in the love department. Roy's old enough to have potentially had experience there, potentially, if he weren't such a manwhore. But all the love Ed has ever known is that towards his family.
Alex: Eh, don't worry. I always finish stories. It's just sometimes difficult to be timely with three jobs and college and everything else. And you want to know how they'll ever do the deed? Tsk tsk, you have such a naughty mind XD
black-klepon: Please tell me you've had your surgery by now, that they aren't making you still wait. And I think Roy needs the most shaking.
FullMetalCrayon: Please don't die, then Ed will have to compete with you for Roy's attentions and he's already having a difficult enough time XD
Halftere: And I know how much you would have enjoyed a make out chapter like that XD. Trust me, I'd have enjoyed it too. Thoroughly.
Denmark-CyanideDiamond-Alois: That song does suit them so well. So many of them do... I need to make a soundtrack for this story.
Blue Aftertaste: And the funny thing is, Daphne would have no reservations whatsoever about calling him a necrophiliac.
elemental heiress: Daphne certainly is a rock in any storm. Especially concerning her son.
ElricSisters7: I was very happy to finally reach the point where I could add in that last little bit that I did to chapter thirty four. I'd been waiting along time to be able to put that in, it's just so sweet.
Kimba: Oh I will, until I wring every last little lurid confession out of these two.
GreedxEd: I've always had a thing for Ed wearing Roy's shirt. I have an icon of it, actually.
Cheru-chan: It's like watching a horse race with these two. Seeing who will get to the finish line first and realize "oh shit, I love him"
Soaha: Ed is a strange influence that way, for being adorable. Not quite sure how, but my Ed muse even influences Roy.
SanitysOverrated: And that will be a fun chapter, for everyone. Confessions, happy readers, insanely cackling writer... I'm opening some bubbly that day.
Eona the Crim: This is the psychic hotline telling you to check your e-mail... check it... update... check it XD
VermilionValentine: And cuddling would have made me so happy... because I know cuddling would lead to kisses.
Aysu: Oh don't worry, the janitorial staff do have several more appearances. Gil and Michael mostly. It's strange, I never expected them to be quite as well loved as they have been for only appearing in so few chapters. But I'm very happy for it, considering they don't exactly go away.
fullthrottle: And definitely remember all those theories and questions, many, many of them will be explored later on. And I'm sorry you're allergic to strawberry cake. Are you sure it's not just strawberries that don't agree with you?
storykeeper18: What happens next? I can't give away my big secrets XD
Well, I spent that house/pet sitting gig adequately. Didn't get quite as much written as I'd wanted to for this story and others, but I did get a lot done. And discovered I like a new pairing... but we'll not go into that. Gate help me.
I also got sick again. What the heck is with me and getting sick this past year? Can it be 2013 yet? Apparently 2012 and my immune system don't agree. But leave it to three young children to force you to get better to keep up with them. A five year old and four year old twins. That was... interesting. I learned how to walk with all three of them wrapped around my legs, and learned that children seem to have a special power that allows them to suddenly become naked the moment you turn your back.
So glad I have the day off today.
Anyway... I am warning everyone now about this chapter you're about to read. It does contain violence of a violent nature, and slight moments of slight torture. That's all I'm saying, I trust all of you to judge for yourself if scrolling is needed. Okay? Thank you.
I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter Thirty-Five
It was barely dawn when the smells of cooking breakfast made Roy groan and shift in his sleep, but it was the quiet, familiar laughter that made him open his eyes at last. "G'morning." He murmured a bit drowsily, smiling through a yawn at the ghost who still lay at his side.
Edward's head was resting in the pillow of an arm as he smiled back. "What is it that was making you fidget so?"
Roy breathed in deeply the smells of cooking sausages and the richness of what he suspected were the muffins he loved so much. "She's already cooking, and apparently I'm hungry."
Edward laughed again softly, making no move to get out of bed at the news. If anything, he only relaxed in deeper as he felt Roy shift back closer to him to regain the distance they'd lost in his fidgeting. "One of these days, I will see you doing pushups."
Roy gave a half-hearted roll of his eyes at the comment before being interrupted by another yawn. "I'll keep that in mind for a day when I want to easily please you." He muttered amusedly before smiling as he gave a tug to the blankets covering them. "I should get in the shower, you want to still have a lie in?"
Edward pushed himself up enough to lean over Roy, resting his hands on either side of the man. "I am not easy to please, Roy Mustang." He rebuked him as firmly as he could, though he could do nothing about the amused smile that threatened to become a grin.
Roy laughed softly as he stared up into the happy silver eyes, and he lifted his hand to brush at the hair that fell forward. "Then I'll be sure to add some weightlifting as well, my difficult ghost."
"See that you do." Edward laughed, before falling quiet as he gazed a bit too long into those dark and humored eyes. How long he was unable to break free of them he didn't know, much less notice, and as Roy made to sit up, he eased himself back to give the man room until they were both sitting with the covers tangled around them.
"I'll be out shortly." Roy said gently, and with effort managed to tear his gaze from Edward's as he slipped out of bed.
Edward was left sitting in the bed as he watched the bathroom door close behind Roy, and when he looked away it was with an expression of uncertainty. But after a minute or two of listening to the shower he finally managed to shake his thoughts and rise from the bed himself.
Meanwhile the creator of the appetizing smells radiating from the kitchen was looking towards the large windows surrounding the table as she drizzled warm icing over the cinnamon buns.
Daphne made not one wrong line across the buns despite her lack of visual focus. A focus that only shifted back to the buns when she had finished the last one. "Perfect." She murmured to herself, pleased.
She had just finished setting all the food out onto the table when she heard Roy announce himself with a humorously long yawn.
"What could you have possibly been up doing so late to merit giving me that greeting." She chastised her son even as she moved in to reciprocate the hug he had moved in to give.
"We were looking at pictures all night." Roy told her with a slight mumble. "Edward has an attachment to photographs."
Having heard the latest comment, Edward shot the man a playful scowl as he floated up beside him. "You have stranger attachments, Mustang."
"And how is Edward this morning?" Daphne asked as she released her son from the hug and looked to him for direction as to where the ghost was at present.
"He's being difficult." Roy answered pleasantly for the ghost.
"I am not!" Edward protested as Roy grinned at him.
Daphne didn't need to exactly know what was happening on the other side of the conversation to know that Roy wasn't exactly telling her what Edward would have preferred him to. But instead of pursuing it she shook her head with a slight grin. "Then he's a good influence on you."
Roy looked back around at her with a doubtful expression. "How do you figure that?"
Edward harrumphed and folded his arms as he doubled his scowl. "Keep digging that hole there, mister."
Roy immediately clapped his hand over his mother's mouth. "How about that breakfast!" He declared with exuberance, before fairly fleeing for the table.
Both Edward and Daphne looked after him with amused expressions and shakes of the head. Sometimes that was all you could do when dealing with that man, and they both knew it well.
Roy had nearly finished piling his plate when they joined him at the table. His mother sitting down first in her usual seat, and he glanced up at her in just enough time to see her eyes widen marginally when the other chair at his side was pulled out from the table by, to her, an invisible force.
"It will still take some getting accustomed to." Daphne admitted as the chair scooted back forward.
Edward chuckled lightly and selected an apple to set on Roy's plate to help fill the remaining room. "Same here. I'm not accustomed to not being careful around everyone but you, Roy."
Roy smiled at Edward first before looking over at his mother. "I'm not sure just when it stopped being weird for me… but I know it probably helps that I can actually see him."
Daphne smiled back at him, her smile growing thoughtful as she forked two waffles onto her plate. "Speaking of… what does he look like?" Before she hurriedly turned to the chair she knew Edward to be sitting in. "Not to be rude and not ask you, of course."
Edward smiled, but turned his further attention to Roy with one eyebrow raised in question. "Yes, Roy, what do I look like?"
"Mmm… besides a brat, you mean?" He asked, earning himself a kick to his chair. He winked at the ghost before turning to his mother. "Well he looks human, if that's what you're getting at. He's just incorporeal, I can see through him just a bit."
"No." Daphne refused the explanation with an indulgent smile. "What does he look like, Roy?"
Roy flicked a sidelong glance to the ghost, then ducked his gaze to stare at the plate in front of him, the singularity of it giving him a sense of security he hadn't realized he'd needed. "He's…" and he could see clearly the stolen photograph, could see Edward as he'd been that first night of freedom, and slowly, without even truly realizing he was speaking, began to. "He's silver light that is always glowing. Every now and then he forgets that he tries to seem taller than me by floating." He was not unaware of the noise that issued from said ghost. "Either he's forgotten, or he's letting his hair grow out, but it's almost halfway down your back now… you know that? And he's got these eyes… like he can see straight through me, but I've given up worrying that he can."
Edward had forgotten why he'd lifted a hand to his hair, and it lowered slowly as he stared at Roy wonderingly… entirely stunned.
"Even sitting here now with all this light, he still manages to glow…" Roy continued softly, before abruptly jerking back to himself and in an attempt not to color under the intense gaze he could feel on him from more than his mother, flippantly added, "I think it's because of his stubborn personality."
"Hey!" Edward scowled indignantly. "I have to be stubborn to keep up with you, but I was glowing long before I met you."
Roy's smile was small, but it was there, and he flicked a brief look up at the ghost before turning as calmly as he could back to his waffles that were starting to become soggy in their syrup.
Daphne studied her son in silence as he ate, clearly trying to move as far away as possible from his pathetic attempt at distraction. But it would take more than that to distract her from the quite personalized and at times flattering words. Fortunately for him, she couldn't meddle with that.
Unfortunately she couldn't meddle with a lot of this.
Meanwhile Edward seemed to have abruptly remembered the comment about his hair, and reached for it again to pull it around. "I haven't really noticed…"
Roy glanced up to see what Edward was talking about, and immediately pointed a finger at the ghost to forestall any decision making. "Good, leave it alone."
Daphne wasn't too sure what they were talking about now, Roy's words could be taken in any number of ways. Unfortunately the paper from the night before hadn't made a reappearance, and right now Roy didn't seem keen on filling her in on the missing halves of a conversation.
Shaking her head with a smile she looked away from Roy, her gaze lingering a moment longer than normal on the tree line that lay beyond the window, before she finished off her waffles and cinnamon bun with precise neatness. Only then did she get up from the table, leaving her plate where it was.
"Try not to eat all of it, Roy. I'm still a bit hungry."
Roy frowned up at her, distracted from demolishing his third cinnamon bun that he'd been forking into his mouth with bits of bacon. "Then you shouldn't leave me alone with it."
Daphne smiled and rolled her eyes, "Edward, make sure he saves me some."
Edward laughed, and though she could not hear nor see, made a salute to the woman. "Oh I know ways to detain him."
"I'm still not sure I should have introduced you two." Roy moaned, but continued to eat as his mother slipped away.
Daphne made her way to her bedroom, leaving Roy in Edward's capable hands for the time being. If she was right, then Roy wouldn't have much time allotted to stuff away all the food before he was dragged from the table.
…but she did hope she wasn't right.
Kneeling down at her bedside she reached under to pull free what she was looking for, and made her way out of her room and out one of the side doors of the house.
It was a cool morning still, but lacked any form of a breeze as she calmly made her way around the veranda to the rear of the house, facing the grapevines.
Daphne didn't take her focus from the potentially confusing lines of grapevines, her bright green eyes were steady and hard as she waited for the next flicker of movement. And when she saw the vines rustle not two hundred yards in past their beginning, with an accompanying out of place flash of blue, she quickly sank to her knees as she whipped the gleaming rifle forward out from where she'd kept it hidden behind her.
Wedging the butt firmly against her shoulder, she took careful aim between the vertical porch railings and waited with slow, even breaths as her finger curled around the trigger. Holding it steady she slowly tracked the area back and forth, knowing she'd soon see that telltale blue again.
And then her target shifted weight, directly into her line of sight. "Gotcha." She whispered with a steady gleam in her eyes, and pulled the trigger.
The rifle shot ripped through the peaceful morning air, punctuated by a scream and the startled cawing of birds.
But Daphne didn't move, not yet, save for palming the spare shells from her dress and onto the porch deck within easy reach. Just in case. The entire time she had her rifle up and ready, peering out into the vineyard where, so far, there was no more rustling.
"Mom!" Roy's boots thudded loudly on the porch as he ran around the corner, ducking down into a slide to bring him partially under cover and to her side. And though he placed a hand on her shoulder, he too didn't look away from where his mother was clearly focused. "Same as before?"
"I do think someone followed you here Roy." She agreed in a distracted voice. "I thought I saw him sneaking around earlier this morning, but wasn't entirely sure. Now I am."
"Roy!" Edward darted out then from the wall to land next to the pair, worry written clearly on his face. The one thing he'd never expected to hear here was a gunshot! "Is she okay?"
"She's okay, Ed." Roy reassured the ghost, and looked over at his mother. "Cover me, I'll go get him, whoever he is. You didn't kill him, did you?"
Daphne's mouth pulled into an almost amused smile. "I can aim, kid. He probably just fainted from my blowing a hole in his shoulder." And as Roy got up, her aim on the vineyard never wavered. "I've got you covered."
"Stay with my mom." Roy said as he turned to Edward, meeting the ghost's eyes seriously when it appeared as if Edward would argue. "Because if she missed and blew his head off, I don't want you to see something like that."
"I take offence to that, I'll have you know." Daphne groused as she continued to cover them all until she knew Roy had his hands on whoever it was out there. "He'll be okay, Edward, and he's right. Stay here. There are some things no one should see if they don't have to. Just in case I missed." She added the last part with a sarcastic flair.
Edward fidgeted with worry, but under Roy's unrelenting stare, he gave in. "Okay. But be careful."
Roy couldn't help the way his expression softened at the words, and raising a hand up towards Edward's cheek as if to brush against it, nodded. "I won't be more than a minute. You'll see."
Edward could only watch as Roy hopped the porch railing and began striding out over the lawn, and he drifted closer to Daphne who was keeping a careful eye on the entire scene.
"I've never before screwed up a shot, not when interrogation is so valuable to Roy." Daphne began to say to the spirit she could only go by blind faith was there still. "And I've only gotten hit by return fire once. I'll just say on that matter that Roy was far from pleased when he found out. I've never envied anyone less."
Edward could only imagine, he had seen how Roy had flown from the table at the sound of the rifle. He knew how adamant Roy was to protect those he cared about. "Just don't let him get hit by return fire." He murmured worriedly as he watched Roy's progress.
The man was nearly to the grapevines now…
Roy broke into a trot upon hearing the rustling, and gasps and groans of a man in severe pain. With narrowed eyes, Roy promised more pain shortly as he spotted the rivulets of blood that led him about a yard into the grapevines.
There, laying prone on the soil and clutching with ragged gasps to his right shoulder, was an officer of the military he definitely did not recognize.
Roy didn't hesitate as he strode right over, kicking harshly at the officer's hand when the man made a frantic grab for the gun at his belt. "Now there will be none of that." He informed the bleeding individual as he yanked the gun out himself.
The man on the ground glared up through the pain, teeth gritting against his words. "Even if you kill –"
"– you, whoever sent you will know." Roy finished for him sternly as he emptied the pistol of its rounds and slipped them into his pocket, the pistol itself into the waistband of his jeans. "I've heard it before. You think you're the first one to lie bleeding on this dirt?"
The man screamed out as Roy yanked him to his feet by his injured shoulder… what was left of it.
"Move!" Roy commanded, shoving the officer forward, heedless of the fact that the arm he was shoving against was barely attached anymore and bleeding profusely. "Too much blood isn't good for the wine."
On the veranda, Daphne gathered the remaining rifle shells and stood up. "Come on, Edward."
Edward didn't need any further permission, and flew from the porch towards the gruesome scene coming towards him with howls of pain.
"Edward, you may not want to be out here for this." Roy called out over the screams of the resistant man he continued to shove along. "I'm not about to be nice."
"I don't care." Edward told him insistently as he reached Roy's side, taking a good look at the military officer in custody. The man's right arm was barely attached anymore, and blood had long started soaking what was left of a once blue uniform red. "What happened to me looked a lot worse."
Roy shoved his captive several more steps before sending him pitilessly to the grass with a yank backwards to the nearly blown off right arm and a sharp boot to the back of the left knee. As the man fell to the grass with another scream, he stared at this crying creature stonily even as his voice gentled in direction to Edward. "I don't want you to think badly of me, for what I'm going to do."
Edward looked to Roy, expression neutral and calm. "That's why I won't leave you alone to do this."
Roy let his eyes meet the steady silver ones, searching for doubt he didn't find. And as his mother came over to join the scene, he looked away. "Then… thank you." He whispered softly, before a choking, pained cough drove him back to the situation that was kneeling at his feet.
"Roy?"
Roy looked up at his mother and nodded once. "Just keep the rifle on him." And as his mother lifted the loaded rifle to aim it unwaveringly at the military officer's head, he walked around to the front of the man and crouched down.
"The quicker you answer my questions, the sooner the pain gets to end." Roy began in a steady, smooth voice that gave nothing away, not even anger.
"I… no!" The military officer refused in pale-faced anger, shaking violently from blood loss and the knowledge of who had him at his nonexistent mercy.
"No." Roy repeated silkily, and as the man began to careen forward in pain and fatigue, whipped free the pistol he'd taken and shoved it deep into the tender skin just below what was missing. It elicited another scream, and the officer jerked away from it to remain kneeling when Roy's iron grip in his hair kept him from falling back. "I've heard that one before."
His answer was gurgling blood.
"Try again." Roy whispered icily, lightly digging the muzzle of the pistol into the injured skin. "Who sent you to spy on me?"
"…fu –" The response was cut off by another scream.
Roy shook his head condescendingly. "Refrain from using such language in front of my mother."
Daphne might have been amused were she not entirely focused on keeping her rifle on the man.
"A name." Roy continued in the same silky, dangerous tone as his grip tightened viciously in his captive's hair and dug the muzzle of the pistol a bit deeper as blood began to drip heavily off of it.
The military officer gave another scream as the muzzle twisted, but this time, his scream was a word. "Grand!" And he gasped harshly before, "god damnit!"
"God has nothing to do with this." Edward whispered, and did not meet Roy's eyes when the man briefly looked his way.
Roy looked back, and found a new place to prod with the pistol muzzle. "I thought I told you not to use such language in front of my mother." And he filed away the information that Grand had sent a spy to tail him, and he did so with wry satisfaction. This was good, it meant that Grand was worried. "When did Grand send you?"
He punctuated his question with another muzzle twist. They seemed to be most effective on this individual.
"Friday!"
Roy breathed out in relief at the news. That meant there was no possible way the man could have gotten any form of information back to Grand yet. "I just have one last question for you, and I want you to think really hard before you answer, okay princess?"
His answer was something meant to be a growl.
"Where does Grand take the people he kidnaps?" Roy asked with steel in his eyes.
Daphne frowned, that was certainly a new question. But after everything Roy had told her yesterday afternoon, it made sense. Yet she knew they might be grasping at straws here asking a question about such a highly secretive matter to a common lackey sent out to tail her son.
"Where!" Roy reinforced his question with another sharp muzzle twist in a previously untouched area, shocking the once drifting man back out of the growing grasp of unconsciousness.
"I don't –!" A series of coughs that splattered the grass with fresh blood interrupted him, and the man glared at Roy with nothing short of pure hatred. "Don't know what…" he received a rough shake as he began to drift off again, "you're talking about!"
Roy stared hard at the man a moment more, before abruptly releasing him, shoving him back away to help the already collapsing man fall to the ground in a blood-saturated heap of trembles. "I've interrogated enough to know… he's not lying."
Daphne nodded, lowering her rifle as she looked at her son thoughtfully. "You were a lot nicer to this –"
"Mom, you finish that sentence and I swear to the –"
"Finished." Daphne quickly interrupted him, but smiled. She had a fairly good idea why Roy hadn't hauled off and tortured the man as well as she knew he could. And casting a last look at the military officer who lay barely on the edge of consciousness, she turned and began making her way back towards the house. It was best to give Roy room for this.
Edward looked to Roy who had dumped the pistol and its shells onto the limp body at their feet. "Grand, huh?"
"Rather expected it would have been him, but I like to know for certain." Roy replied as he stepped back from the dying spy, motioning Edward to move away as well. And once the ghost had, he took one last cold look at the body lying there, barely still alive, and adjusted his glove.
The next thing Edward knew was an explosion of flames engulfing the body, an explosion so powerful he could feel the ground tremble and quake underneath his feet.
And then, in seconds, it was gone.
All of it… even the body.
"Roy…" Edward breathed softly, eyes wide.
Roy glanced over at the ghost, and smiled a small smile. "So easy to impress." He teased lightly before bowing his head with a lengthy exhale and turning to begin making his way away from the charred earth that remained the only evidence of anything at all happening there.
Edward was about to protest, but all thoughts of it fled him as he too turned, to hurry after Roy. "Hey…" he broke in quietly as he settled in beside the man. "Are you okay?"
Roy didn't look up from where his eyes were watching the ground. "I should be asking you that."
"Roy." Edward said softly, as if it was all that needed to be said.
"Doing that to someone else, who was only following orders… it bothers me, yes," Roy admitted as he finally looked at the ghost, stopping where he was. "But like everything else, I've gotten used to it. Know how to put it behind me. But it bothers me that you had to see me hurt anyone."
Edward floated down to rest on the ground, a frown beginning to gather as he considered the man. "I had a choice, Roy. I didn't have to stay."
"But –"
"No." Edward cut across firmly. "If we're going to take down Grand together, you have to trust me that seeing you do what needs to be done won't scare me off. Or whatever it is you're worried about. It's not like…" he pursed his lips a moment as he considered, "I'm not frightened of you, Roy. I know you'd never try and hurt me."
"Of course I wouldn't!" Roy objected passionately.
Edward smiled, reaching a hand out towards the man's face. "I don't have to be able to see straight through you to know you're a good person. And I'll stay beside you, to keep you from ever doubting that."
Roy found himself unable to look away from the silver gaze, and found he didn't really want to. "Is that the only reason you stay? Why you can't imagine leaving me?"
Edward's smile twitched in a fleeting show of humor. "That and the squirrel. I know you'd never let me take Hazel from you if I left."
Roy couldn't help but laugh quietly, and he threw his hands up in the air in mock surrender as he resumed marching back to the house. "See? And this is why I never let people come home with me. Even you fell victim to Hazel."
Edward looked after him with a smile, and with one last look to the charred earth, turned and hurried after Roy.
They were silent until they reached the door, when Roy hesitated, slowly closing it the bare amount he'd opened it to look at Edward with a look the ghost couldn't place.
"You said you don't have to be able to see through me… can you?"
Edward tilted his head with a faint smile, and pushed some of his hair behind one ear. "That's a secret," he raised a finger to his lips with that same smile before grabbing the door himself.
It took the Mustang household plus an Elric a bit of time to get back to the breakfast table, but get back they did. Roy freshly cleaned of any sign that he'd once been shoving around a bleeding man, and Daphne having freshly cleaned her rifle.
"How many times has this happened?" Edward asked quietly after a moment was spent in silence and reacquainting with the food.
Roy rolled a sausage link through some syrup as he thought back. "To me? Over thirty times. Three of which were here." And he looked over at his mother. "He wants to know how many times we've caught a spy."
Daphne nodded and did a quick mental calculation. "I only had two show up here when Roy wasn't. Those were some of the longer interrogations Roy did, and I believe they resulted in several more missing persons as well."
"So Grand is after you now." Edward decided quietly, his resolve only strengthening. "We're doing something right... not that I like that he keeps wasting people's lives like this."
"This is actually a good thing." Roy said rather grimly, biting off a piece of his sausage and swallowing before adding, "he'll know what happened when his spy doesn't return. Worthless man…" and he viciously dunked his sausage link in the syrup. "None of my team would have ever talked. Why is it all these others always do."
Daphne rolled her eyes, "don't knock it, kid. It's come in handy."
"Grand will be even more wary of you now." Edward pieced together thoughtfully. "He may slip up."
"Yes." Roy answered, to both.
There was a moment more of silence before Edward suddenly asked brightly.
"Can she teach me how to shoot a gun?"
Roy inhaled a sausage link, coughing violently to remove it. He had barely cleared the passage when he rounded on Edward, spluttering. "Absolutely not! I stand by what I said before, you know where the kitchen knives are."
Edward smiled cattily at him, mischievousness shining in his eyes. "Are you okay, Roy?"
"Wait until I've properly swallowed, next time you ask something like that." Roy complained, his head falling into his hand as his other moved the fork away from his remaining sausage link which suddenly looked a lot more intimidating.
Daphne observed the half of the exchange she could see with eyebrows raised, cautiously venturing, "should I even ask?"
Roy groaned, "no. And if he does, I'll have him exorcized."
"Does what?"
"Ask."
Edward, meanwhile, had fallen into a fit of near-silent laughter.
Somehow, although Roy admittedly wasn't sure how, he got through the remainder of breakfast without suffocating on it. Or having his mother sneak away from the table to go shoot at wayward militia without previously informing him, at that.
"So what are you two going to do before you need to head back?" Daphne asked as she began clearing the table of dishes. "When are you heading back, anyway?"
"If I had it my way I'd not leave for another week." Roy admitted through a heavy breath, but looked towards the clock on the oven. "A few more hours. I thought I might take Edward around town, that is," he turned to the ghost, "if you'd like to."
Edward smiled at him hopefully, "it'll be the third town I've seen together with you."
"Then we'll pack and get going." Roy promised, and got up to meet his mother's look. "You okay if we leave so soon?"
Daphne smiled, and barely refrained from shaking her head, knowing he'd not take it for its true reason. She never did like seeing him go, but knew that he must, and in this case… she couldn't even think of preventing him from spending time like that with Edward. Time, she felt, was quite personal and private to them both. "I know you'll be back again, as soon as you can manage it. So don't worry about me. Your trip here was for Edward, spend it with him."
"Indeed it was." Roy agreed in a soft voice, meant more for the still seated ghost he held a hand out to. "Edward, will you come with me?"
Edward's attention jolted back up to Roy in recognition of those words, they echoed in his head … and not just from this moment. And slowly he reached his own hand up, letting it join into Roy's, letting the man's movements dictate his own as he rose to his feet, and still he didn't remove his hand as he found himself caught in Roy's gaze.
"Come." Roy said fondly, only now lowering his hand and turning away, meeting his mother's look briefly. "We'll be in my room."
Edward could only trail after him, inexplicably at a loss for words.
Back in Roy's bedroom, the man began packing up what few things did need to go back in his suitcase still, leaving Edward to his own devices for the moment. The nice thing, well, one of the nice things about coming here was that he already had quite a lot of what he already needed waiting for him permanently. It made coming and going very easy, considering he didn't always come for visits when it was entirely allowable.
Edward left him to it after following the man into the one place in this house he hadn't seen yet besides that which was exclusively Daphne's. Roy's bathroom. It seemed like a strange place to want to see, but a part of him was still greedy over gaining as much freedom from that whiteness as it could. He had truly had every intention of following the man out and attempting to see how long he could shadow right behind Roy before the man noticed, when he noticed something else.
Something else that made Roy's words of before come back to him abruptly.
Setting down onto the floor, Edward stepped a step closer to the mirror as he looked at himself. Really looked at himself… and freed the hair that was still tucked behind his ear. "When did it grow...?" he wondered aloud to himself, fingers stroking through it thoughtfully.
It really was nearly to the middle of his back now.
"It looks good on you long, you know."
Edward whipped around in surprise, eyes landing on Roy who was leaning against the doorframe, watching him with an unreadable, yet deep expression. "I…" he glanced back at himself in the mirror with a slight frown, "I'm not so sure about that."
"I am." Roy told him, recapturing the ghost's attention. "It's not that much longer than you originally had it when we first met… but honestly, I prefer it this way."
"Prefer it all you like, I'm the one who's wearing it." Edward muttered.
Roy tilted his head, straightening up from the doorframe as he crossed what distance separated them to reach his hand towards the hair in question. Not once hesitating for the fact he wouldn't be able to feel it. "I suppose you could cut it… but I think it'd be a shame."
And then Edward found himself suddenly alone again in the bathroom, not quite sure that he'd ever given his hair this much thought before, and being unable to help doing so. Yet eventually he rejoined Roy, who had finished packing his suitcase, and together they went to say goodbye to Daphne.
She was in the kitchen still, but when she saw Roy appear immediately abandoned what she was doing in order to come and wrap him in a crushing hug that he wheezingly returned. And for the reason of not knowing where exactly Edward was, said softly, "he means a lot to you… do right by him."
Roy's brow furrowed, but his hold on her didn't relax any, and he fought not to look Edward's way as he gave a small shake of his head. "I will deserve him one day, no matter what he says."
Daphne's smile was hidden in her son's shirt, and as she pulled away from him, knew with a flicker of sadness that her son didn't truly realize what he'd said. What he had. "I know you will." She merely agreed, reaching up to stroke at his hair fondly. "Don't stay away too long again, and keep bringing Edward with you."
"Even if I wanted to leave him behind, I couldn't." Roy replied, mostly in tease to the ghost in question who, upon hearing that, let out an indignant noise.
"Oh see if I go anywhere with you now." Edward grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest in mock defiance.
Roy rolled his eyes, but motioned towards Edward for his mother's benefit. "He's over there." And after a moment added with a grin and a holding of one hand to mid-chest level, "and he's about this high if you want to make eye contact."
"Roy!"
"Well you are!" Roy laughed.
Edward's answer was a silent glare.
Daphne could only imagine what grief that her son would get, and probably had gotten, for mentioning Edward's height to him… but she took the information with a thoughtful glimmer in her eyes as she turned to the direction, and height, indicated. "You don't know just how rare a treat it was to meet you, Edward. I do want you to come back again soon. In fact, if you don't, I'll probably have to beat my son."
"Go right ahead." Edward glowered Roy's way, before perking up for purely Daphne's benefit as he smiled at her. "Tell her I am happy that she is the first person you've introduced me to."
Roy did so.
Daphne nodded, "I'm glad you convinced Roy to do it." And she looked back at her son with a fond smile, "be safe, kid… and… you don't have to do it alone."
"I know he wouldn't let me." Roy replied softly, glancing to Edward with a tender expression.
No. Edward wouldn't, the ghost knew that well. And when at last the final goodbyes had been said, and they had been ejected from the house on the accusation that they'd make Daphne cry, he fell into step with Roy as they began to walk down the dirt road, making their way back to the town and the train station.
"It's only fair, you know." Edward spoke up, voice quiet even in the stillness of the forest around them. "You're always there for me when I need you, you're always there for me even when I don't realize I need you. I'll be there for you as well. Just like always. It doesn't matter for what."
Roy looked over at the silvery apparition with a lopsided smile. "I thought you didn't believe in equivalent exchange anymore."
Edward looked at the ruts in the dirt road with a grim, but not entirely solemn expression. "I don't. But this isn't equivalence, Roy. This is you and me, and rules don't apply to what we have."
There was silence for a long time afterwards before, "I just hope your mom will be okay."
Roy cracked a grin at that, "Edward, were you not the one asking if she could teach you how to shoot a gun?"
"Can she?"
"No!"