Chapter Fifty-Three

It was nearly dusk when Roy began to feel awareness come back to him, and the first thing he noticed was the sound of Edward speaking to him. No… reading to him. The realization made warmth bloom in his chest, and his heart clench fondly. Had the ghost stayed up here this whole time just reading to him? He was courting the idea of lying as still as possible to continue feigning sleep and being able to listen to Edward's voice when the sudden return of pain made that impossible.

"Shit!" He growled in annoyance as his eyes shot open and his hands clenched into the sheet beneath him as he tried to rally through the spike of pain.

Edward dumped his book in an instant, darting for Roy's bedside table where he snatched the bottle of painkillers that Maes had left out and snatched two of the pills out. Grabbing the glass of water he turned to pass first the pills into the one hand Roy had managed to untangle from the bed sheets, and then the water.

"Please tell me the military gives you all fast-acting stuff?" Edward implored as he knelt on the edge of the bed next to Roy, reaching a hand out to rest just through his heaving chest.

"Military pain meds," Roy panted heavily as he tried to focus away from the pain, "are shit."

Expression somewhere between concerned and amused, Edward tried not to worry his hands together as he watched Roy closely while the man swallowed the pills. "I feel like there's a "but" coming…"

Roy huffed out a laugh through a tensed jaw and attempted a smile as best he could. "But," he relented, "my mother sends me the good stuff."

"Next time we go see her, kiss her for me?" Edward requested adamantly.

Roy groaned, and he'd let Edward decide for himself whether it was from the pain or the thought of kissing his mother. Either way he knew he'd do what Edward wanted, he had the sneaking suspicion that somewhere along the line he'd become whipped to Edward's every whim, but he was hardly of the mind to be otherwise.

"Is there anything more I can do?" Edward asked, unconsciously having shifted closer to him on the bed.

"I wouldn't say no to some more of your soup." Roy admitted hopefully, trying to relax into the bed as a fresh wave of pain skittered through him.

"Only if you stay lying down until I bring it back up. I don't want you moving without supervision just yet." Edward bargained with him with a furrowed brow and a stern look.

Roy snorted but attempted to shrug his shoulders in acquiescence, "whatever my sexy nurse commands."

"Your sexy nurse is going to command another cold shower if you're not careful." Edward bantered back without pause, and just a hint of a smile before reaching out to place his hand just over Roy's nearest arm. "Just lie still, let the medicine work."

Roy grumbled at the mere thought of another cold shower, much less another one in front of Edward.

Edward chuckled behind a smirk, and satisfied that despite the fact Roy was clearly still in pain, the man was in good humor and spirits. "I'll be right back."

Roy watched as Edward dropped down through the bed and the floor in quick succession, and contented himself with the thought that soon he'd have more food. Between having missed dinner the night before, and his body trying to heal itself, he was starving again despite the pain. And it didn't hurt that, for a ghost, Edward was actually quite good at cooking.

Letting out a breath that shook somewhat as he closed his eyes, and tried to focus away from the pain. Tried to focus on other things instead to distract himself, and wasn't all too surprised at what his mind chose to focus on. It hadn't escaped him how nice it was to have someone to care for him while he was laid up with an injury. In the past he'd just suffered through on his own, and it was incredibly humbling to realize he didn't have to any more.

He'd have to do something nice for Edward… he just wasn't sure what.

"Are you asleep?"

Roy wasn't sure how long he'd been lost in his thoughts when Edward's voice was suddenly there at his side, and he would debate later whether or not it was a good thing that sudden voices of people he hadn't heard approach no longer affected him in any manner. "No," it was more a tired grumble than a word, but when he opened his eyes again Edward was watching him with satisfaction. "What?"

"Oh I'm just stupidly relieved you're resting." Edward remarked fondly, and settled back onto the bed with the tray of soup he had borne up the stairs.

"I actually do listen to you." Roy felt it important to point out, and wondered at the domesticity of the defense.

Edward grinned at him and pointed at Roy's legs with one hand as he balanced the tray in the other. "Come on, scoot up. Carefully."

"By Gate," Roy swore affectionately under his breath as he began to shift uncomfortably in the bed to do as instructed, "I do believe you're worse than my mother."

"I think she'd take that as a compliment on my behalf." Edward countered smugly.

Roy grunted his reluctant agreement, and finished managing to hoist himself into a seated position once again. This time, being previously made more aware of his stitches, he managed to do it without pulling on any of them or truly overtaxing himself. But it didn't mean that it didn't still hurt.

"You should try and call her tonight." Edward told him as he settled the tray onto Roy's legs. "Is there a phone hookup in here anywhere? Or in the hallway? I can move the phone for you."

"No need." Roy waved off the query and reached for the spoon. "I have a spare phone in the second bedroom. On the rare occasion I have guests, should they need to make a call."

Edward blinked a moment in open puzzlement before it dawned on him that there actually was a second bedroom. Vaguely he recalled Roy mentioning it back around the time they'd first met and were getting to know each other better, and he had seen the other door on the opposite end of the hallway, but he'd never actually paid attention to it. He'd never had reason to go in there, and Roy never had.

Roy smiled around his spoon as he swallowed some of the soup. "At one point I thought to offer the room to you, but after that first morning I woke up with you here on the bed, I figured that you felt safer with me. Given how new being free to you was at the time."

Edward could only be thankful he was unable to blush, given the smugly satisfied look on Roy's face about the whole affair. "In my defense, I never actually intended to lose touch with this reality. Or for you to wake up and see me like that."

"And now you have your own side of the bed." Roy helpfully added mercilessly.

"You're going to be just fine." Edward grumbled through a slight glare, one that only intensified as Roy laughed through his next spoonful of soup.

Roy grinned at him unrepentantly as he dipped his spoon into the soup once more.

Edward shook his head and floating up he made his way over to his previously mentioned side of the bed and settled down, pulling his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them and he leaned his cheek against his knees as he watched Roy closely. "I'm coming with you tomorrow, to see Kimblee."

Roy glanced Edward's way briefly before turning back to his soup, running the spoon through it to gather up the little tidbits of vegetables and meat in the broth. "I suspected you would. I shouldn't need to torture him anyway, he's, at the core, a logical sort of man. He'll tell me what I want to know just for the sheer fact it'll do him no good to conceal it, and he's likely entertained at the thought of how this all will end, even after he's gone."

"And Maes will take us home right afterwards?" Edward queried then, worriedly.

Roy took one look at that expression, and felt a small part of him cave against his initial response. "Perhaps. I know I'm being closely monitored regardless, and while I can fool everyone else, the Brigadier General and Fuhrer both likely know why I stayed home today."

Edward nodded in silent agreement. As much as he wished that weren't true. The Fuhrer had blatantly thrown his hand into the brewing conflict between Roy and Grand, the involvement of Kimblee hadn't been intended to be a secret, given how the man had readily admitted to it with nonchalance. He would have to be better next time, be quicker, to keep Roy from harm.

"Hey," Roy set his spoon aside, abandoning all thoughts of continuing eating as he reached out for Edward with concern, "it'll all be okay, I promise. I'm not about to abandon you because of them."

Edward attempted a smile, and without much consideration to what he was doing, floated himself over to come to rest nearly up against Roy in response to the man's reach for him. "You could be immortal and I'd still worry about you, like you do me."

Roy chuckled quietly and reaching up, brushed his fingers through unresponsive strands of silvery hair. "We look out for each other."

Edward closed his eyes in contentment, "finish your soup. I have some things I need to tell you."

Roy was already picking the spoon back up obediently when he cast a curious look towards the ghost. "I thought I told you I wouldn't believe you today if you told me you're in love with me."

Edward grinned despite himself, a measure of laughter escaping him as he cracked one eye open to look at Roy amusedly. "It's nothing like that. As it is I think I'll just end up becoming that person you fear most to let into your house," and at Roy's devilishly curious look, laughed again before adding, "the kind that just steals Hazel and runs away."

"You wouldn't." Roy denied with a grin.

Edward smirked at him and both eyes slipped closed once more. "Eat your soup, Roy."

Roy chuckled and dunked his spoon back into the meal, and started once more on his dinner. As he ate Edward sat with him, a silent but comforting presence and mentally added Edward undeniably to the sparse list of people who he would ever trust to let see him in a state like this. Not that it surprised him. When it came to Edward… he was the exception to all his rules.

He had finished the soup and was just beginning to feel the painkillers start to work when Edward broke his silence.

"Do you need more sleep?" Edward queried in a mother hen tone he grudgingly suspected he'd learned from his mother.

Roy grimaced at the mere thought, and setting the tray on his bedside table approximated as best a stretch of his upper body and arms as the stitches and lingering pain allowed. "No. In fact, if I don't get up at least for the bathroom and that phone call, I think I'm in danger of developing bed sores. I hate staying in bed this long." And he cast a wickedly thoughtful glance Edward's way before adding lewdly, "well…"

Edward promptly hit him with a pillow, being mindful he didn't hit anything previously injured. "Whatever it is you're imagining, stop!" He scolded quite passionately, trying to hide how flustered he'd actually gotten at that simple addendum.

Roy was laughing as he batted away the offending pillow, and managed to snag it from Edward's grasp before hugging it to his chest and considering the ghost fondly. "You think too little of yourself if you believe it's that easy for me to stop desiring you."

Edward ducked his head, suddenly unable to keep meeting that dark-eyed gaze. "Shut up," he murmured in a voice that only came out slightly embarrassed.

Roy's smile only grew, but he knew that pressing Edward would only end with the ghost scarpering off somewhere and he rather selfishly enjoyed just the opposite. "You said you had some things to tell me?"

"Yes…" Edward hesitated a moment, briefly hoping that Roy wouldn't be angry at him for allowing someone into the house, before continuing on firmly. "My father stopped by to see me this afternoon."

Roy felt his entire body go rigid, felt all his focus shift with an almost dizzying acuteness onto the ghost at his side. "Are you okay?"

"I – what?" To say he was thrown was an understatement, but probably, he shouldn't really be so surprised that his well being was the first thing Roy was concerned about.

"Are you okay." Roy repeated firmly, his gaze not wavering from Edward's face and the minutia flickers of emotions quickly cycling through.

"I'm okay." Edward answered after a moment, a small smile appearing and slowly lighting with happiness.

"Good." Roy stated with satisfaction, before tilting his head slightly in curiosity. "Why did he come to see you?"

Edward blinked at him a moment, before giving a short-lived laugh. "I thought you might not approve of my letting someone into the house."

Roy frowned at the mere idea and gave a subtle shake of his head. "It's your house too, don't forget. And he's your father. I'm hardly about to ban your family from our house, even if I'm still not pleased with a certain member of yours. Just like I'd hope you'd let my mother in if she came over, despite her annoying insanity."

Edward gave him a reproachful look purely on principle before answering. "He came here because of you, actually." And at Roy's confused frown, he began to explain. "Apparently he sensed the stone Kimblee was using yesterday, and after what news he did hear he put it together that you'd been involved in the fight. He wanted to make sure you were fine… apparently he was concerned for me, should you not be."

"How much did you tell him?" Roy asked with a slight frown, and reached for his glass of water once more.

Edward met his gaze calmly, "not much. Just that you had sustained some blood loss and were resting. I didn't tell him how much blood you'd actually lost, that you'd needed a transfusion."

Roy nodded slightly to himself before taking a long sip of water. "Well, I have to at least give the man credit for being worried about you because of it. Didn't think he had it in him, to be honest. Not after how he left before."

Edward grimaced somewhat and wrapped his arms a bit tighter about his legs. "He explained to me about that... we actually – " he hesitated a moment before continuing on. "We actually communicated for a while. He opened up to me a bit more without you being there, and not because he wouldn't want you to hear what he has to say, I mean, he pretty much gave me advice for you."

"He has had some time to adjust to the idea of you still existing." Roy pointed out as an option for Hohenheim's sudden chattiness before refocusing on the other matter with a curious frown. "You said he explained about his leaving?"

Here, Edward gave a faint shudder, the mere thought of what his father had done was unpleasant to him to the extreme. He didn't have good memories of the Gate, nor a good relationship with it. But it seemed that his father was familiar with it in a way he couldn't imagine, nor how it could have possibly come about unless it had something to do with what his father had become. "He left because he went to confront the Gate about my existence." And he was careful to leave out the other matters regarding the Gate, one in particular. There were just some things that he didn't want or need Roy to know.

Roy blinked at him silently a few times as his grip on his water glass tightened. "Did he learn anything?"

"Just that I need to stay as far from it as I can." Edward admitted in a worriedly quiet tone. "Apparently I amuse it. The way I am amuses it. According to the Gate, I chose to be this way."

Roy considered Edward closely for several silent, long moments, before setting his glass of water aside and reaching out one hand to lay it just over the faint glow of Edward's nearest knee. "You haven't done that thing of yours, the way you lose touch with reality and sleep, in a long time."

"I don't sleep." Edward corrected sourly.

"And the last time you did, did you dream of that night, of the Gate?" Roy pressed him, heart beating with concern for Edward and a measure of unsettlement about the sentient object of their discussion.

Edward hesitated, before giving Roy a faint, but thankful smile. "You know I didn't."

Roy nodded, "no, you didn't. Being locked in that office was toxic for you. And as soon as we deal with the Fuhrer, you'll be free of all the things that have made you see it again."

"It's just…" Edward paused a moment, his expression reflecting his inner turmoil, "even if I somehow chose to be this way, and just can't recall it… and even if I was meant somehow to meet you, why was I trapped in that office for so long? Why wouldn't I have just ended up beside you from the beginning?"

"Let's blame that one on me." Roy decided firmly, and at Edward's surprised look, smiled. "I doubt I was ready to settle down all those years ago. Think of how fucked up you'd have made me. And all this stuff I need to accomplish would have faded against that onslaught of sudden psychological chaos."

Edward couldn't help the laughter that burst from him, as he shook his head in his amusement. "I pity the one who believes they can stop you from becoming Fuhrer. Even if that person is me."

"I'll become Fuhrer all the quicker because of you." Roy had no doubt of that. His motivation had become something wholly unique from before, ever since Edward had entered his life. "Did your father come by just for that?"

Edward's face twisted into something close to a grimace, "no. Well, not entirely? We spoke some more on the Fuhrer, and on Grand." And here he looked at Roy sharply, "something is going on in Central, bigger than both of them. My father is trying to handle it, but he told me that you need to take control of the country as soon as possible if Amestris is going to survive."

"Did he say what?" Roy frowned, feeling a flash of irritation that the man had decided to stop by with a sudden windfall of information when he was incapacitated.

"Yes, but he told me not to worry about it. By extension you." Edward told him with a firm look. "He's going after the one pulling the Fuhrer's strings, the original homunculus. Apparently my father and he share quite the history."

Roy grumbled several uncomplimentary words under his breath that had Edward giving him a reproachful look, something that only ended up making him smile. "Then we won't worry about it, but that only makes my talk with Kimblee later on all the more crucial."

Edward could only agree, yet he knew they couldn't begin to do anything about that until the next morning. "He also showed me how to make that crystal we found in Xerxes work." And at Roy's surprised look of remembrance, added, "he also showed me how you could make your own. For secrecy reasons. And I think, if you give me enough time with the array, I could key it to your blood solely."

"Blood?" Roy frowned even as he filed away the realization that he could now have impenetrable files, ones that likely only he, Edward, and Edward's father would know how to operate in the first place. Well… and perhaps this original homunculus.

"Xerxes was apparently big on blood alchemy." Edward explained with a half shrug. "And despite the morbidity, I can understand why they would use it as a medium."

"Then we will experiment with your variations." Roy allowed without concern. If anyone else had been talking about doing a bit of blood-letting in the name of alchemy, he would have been rather concerned indeed. However this was Edward, and aside from Hohenheim himself, there was likely none better to attempt this – and there was no fucking way that Roy was about to let Hohenheim stick him with a knife in the name of alchemy. "But," he felt he really should put a rule on this, "not until I'm healed."

Edward glared at him for the implication, "I would never try otherwise, you ass. After all the worry I went through when they were getting blood back in you? I'm not about to let you even have a nosebleed until I'm satisfied that you're healed."

"You make so many demands of me." Roy couldn't help but tease, just to see Edward's answering scowl.

"I couldn't have ended up being seen by someone unmotivated and without enemies." Edward grumbled to himself, ignoring Roy's weak laughter.

"Nice to hear that you only stay with me because you have no other options." Roy failed at not sounding entirely too amused about it, and as Edward shot him a quick smirk he grinned back. "All right, my overprotective nurse, I think I'm good to try making that phone call."

Edward immediately floated over to the floor to alight just as Roy finished pushing back the covers. "Well, your stitches still seem to be holding." He remarked, casting his gaze quickly but with care over the multiple wounds stretching over Roy's body.

"I'm not quite sure how to feel about the fact that I'm still naked and you're just looking at my stitches." Roy grumbled through a smirk he was having trouble hiding, scooting himself carefully and with bitten-back groans to guide his legs over the edge of the bed.

"I wasn't aware there was anything else to look at." Edward shot back with an evil grin, his eyes dancing in mirth and absolutely not looking down from Roy's face.

Roy glared to the sound of Edward's laughter and carefully got to his feet, finding that the second time was much easier, if easier meant that he didn't almost break into a cold sweat this time. His legs seemed to be steadier as well, although he estimated he has less than half an hour remaining before the painkillers he'd taken would start making him drowsy. His current rest would only get him so far.

"Carefully now." Edward urged as Roy began walking, and hovered anxiously next to the man the entire way out of the room and down the hallway.

Upon reaching the door to the spare bedroom, Roy had to lean up against it to catch his breath. "Might punch Kimblee anyway tomorrow."

"You nearly melted his flesh and you amputated his arms and you think he still deserves a punch?" Edward queried in some disbelief. "A bit… tame, after everything else, don't you think?"

Roy grumbled under his breath but didn't vocalize a true answer, instead straightening as best he was able and grabbing the door handle to let them in.

Edward was momentarily distracted by the new sights, so much so that Roy had made it halfway across the room when he finally noticed the man had moved at all. So he quickly hurried after, head still on a swivel.

"Dare I ask what you were expecting?" Roy asked with humor as he carefully lowered himself onto the chair near the telephone.

Edward looked away from the sparse furnishings of bed, wardrobe, and a few tables back to Roy. "It just seems rather bare in here compared to the rest of the house. You really don't come in here all that much."

"I've not been in here since you came to stay with me, and it was nearly a year before that the last time I did." Roy picked the receiver up and began to dial. "I don't have guests much any more. After the war it wasn't a safe idea for mom to come visit me, so if this bedroom gets used at all it's usually by Maes if he's had too much to drink."

"Remind me to wash that chair then before the next time he has need of it." Edward grinned and settled himself onto the bed.

Roy glared at him, as potent a glare as he could manage given that he was still completely without a stitch of clothing.

Edward merely beamed back at him beatifically.

Roy was saved the trouble of trying to get revenge on the smug little terror who'd run off with his heart, as he heard his mother finally pick up the call. "You know, Edward is nearly as incessantly annoying about nursing someone as you are."

"Oh thank goodness!"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry." Roy reassured her as warmth at her concern filled his chest.

"I was talking about Edward, not you, you reckless, callous, horrible beast of a man!"

Roy couldn't even form words, all that made it from him was an affronted strangling sound of a high pitched nature.

"I'm glad he's taking care of you properly. You never liked my mother-henning. If he's as bad as me maybe you'll go through another dry spell of not scaring either of us half to death!"

Edward was watching him from the bed with a curiously humored expression, and Roy had to fight against the childish urge to make a face at the ghost. "Believe me, mom," he began instead with solemn honesty, "I never want to see him look that scared over me again."

Edward suddenly couldn't keep his eyes on Roy, his gaze lowering with abrupt and aggravating shyness onto the bedspread.

"I'll take it." Her tone was approving, and there was a slight pause before she continued in a softer voice than before, "you're recovering well then?"

"Well enough to go back to work in a few days, at least, official in-Headquarters work." Roy supplied as he took a visual inventory of his stitches. "The worst of the injuries… I should be able to get rid of those stitches in a few weeks. So far no infection, no complications."

"Thank goodness." The sigh of relief was audible, and then she took a breath. "Now maybe you want to tell me just what the fuck happened? Maes only said it was an alchemy fight between you and someone that if I recall correctly, should have been executed by now?"

"I'll execute him myself tomorrow." Roy assured her with a cold finality. "The Fuhrer let him loose on me, although it does remain in my best interests for the moment to not confront him about it. I won't have a sufficiently good backing to stand at until I kill the Brigadier General and take the position for myself."

"You had better be ready for that fight when it comes then, because if this is the condition you end up in after fighting a man who's been imprisoned for the better part of a decade…"

She left it hanging, and truly, Roy didn't need her to finish. He knew, and he bowed his head. "I will be." He promised in a softer, more reflective voice. "He used one of the stones to strengthen his power above his usual level. I won't go in against Grand under the illusion he'd fight any fairer."

"Then don't fight fair either, Edward wants to protect you. I can tell that much. And I think that ghost of yours would fight downright dirty to protect you."

"I'm pretty sure he caused collateral damage in the interest of just that. Among other things." Roy smiled into the phone even as he cast his gaze to where Edward now watched him with a warm expression.

"You found yourself a fine match in him."

"I know." A faint hint of laughter suffusing his voice as he continued to rest his gaze on Edward, who now looked rather more curious than before. "He's the best thing to ever happen to me."

"It's good that you know it."

Edward couldn't help the smile that slipped onto his face, and did not fight the warmth building in his chest as he drew his own conclusions. Not worried for a moment that he was wrong, not with the way that Roy watched him. Although he did have to admit, the whole thing was muddled somewhat with Roy looking like someone had been practicing needlework on him.

"I should get going, I just wanted to let you know I was okay. But I really should be in bed. Today is my last day for bed rest and if I don't make full use of it, Edward will only scold me again."

"Oh I'll scold you for using me as an excuse to hang up on your mother." Edward corrected him promptly, and only narrowed his eyes when Roy shot him a quick grin.

"Take care of yourself, kid, and give Edward my love."

"What about me?" Roy immediately shot back in mock offense.

"I suppose you're not so bad." Her laughter came over the line clear and bright, "love you too."

"Yeah, yeah," Roy tried his best to sound disbelieving, but to his own ears, failed horribly. "Love you."

And for a moment, he hesitated at placing the receiver back onto the hook, but in the end dropped it down. There was still much he wanted to tell his mother, but not all of it he wanted Edward to overhear, though it wouldn't be the first time the ghost would have heard it.

"I do believe my mother might love you more than me." Roy remarked as he steeled himself to stand back up.

Edward grinned outright and floated up off the spare bed to hover nearer to Roy as the man worked on standing himself with the aid of the chair. "Well she has good taste."

"If I weren't so determined to have you for a wife I have a feeling she'd want to adopt you." Roy's groan was purely from the exertion of getting back on his feet, he was certain of it.

"I believe the term you're searching for is husband. Maybe I should ask Maes to check you for any blows to the head." Edward commented lightly, doing his best to ignore the warm stirrings inside him.

"You will do no such thing." Roy grumbled and began to lead them back out of the spare room. "I did not hit my head and that man is as far from a qualified nurse as an executioner is."

Edward smiled and trailed after Roy, "I don't know, he did a fairly adept job of patching you back up again. I was rather grateful for his lack of hesitation about any of it."

Roy grunted out a reminiscent noise as he shut the door behind them both before making his way back towards his own room. "During war times everyone eventually gets basic training on that due to necessity, but none of us are qualified even remotely for it. But needs must. Most of us learned on sheer guess and panic."

"Well I have no intention of letting you get hurt like this again." Edward replied softly as he kept half an eye on Roy and the other on their destination. "My pranks resume as soon as we're back at Headquarters full time. You'll just have to forgive me if I increase the violence of them. I have to ensure that even with you like this, he remains worse off than you."

After everything that had just happened in the past twenty-four hours, Roy knew better than to even attempt a token argument. He knew he'd lose, and he did know that Edward had every right to do as he wanted in an attempt to keep him safe. So instead all he said was a lightly humored, "remind me never to make you angry."

"Funny," Edward began drily, "I believe you attempt to do just that at least twice a week."

"Then what do you call this towards Grand?" Roy pressed with sudden curiosity.

"Revenge." Edward confirmed with stiff certainty and a gleam in his eye. "For daring to be a threat to you, and for all the lives he's ruined."

Roy accepted the answer with a slow nod and a pensive look, and they'd made it all the way back into their own bedroom when he broached something else. "Just promise me that you won't try anything against the Fuhrer. Even I could be hard pressed to get into his office to rescue you if you collapse in there. He'd be on intensive guard."

Edward didn't even have to think about it, and it was more than his father's warning words about them staying together around the Fuhrer homunculus. All it took was remembering what happened to him those previous times when he'd been overcome by tearing pain, to know that he didn't want to suffer it long not knowing when Roy could retrieve him, help him. "I promise."

Roy shot the ghost a quick look to determine the truth of that, before looking away with satisfaction as he turned himself into the bathroom. "Well that's one less thing for me to worry over."

"I don't intend to distract you when it could risk your life." Edward assured him quietly and came to rest against the bathroom door, his gaze resting on the wall just beside Roy to give the man some semblance of privacy but still allow him to keep watch.

Not long after they both made it back to the bed.

"When all this is over, when you're Fuhrer, I'm not sure that I'll know what to do with myself." Edward smiled at the admittance as he stretched out atop the blanket next to Roy.

"How do you mean?" Roy questioned as he let the soreness of his previous moving around relax out of his body, into the softness of his bed, chasing that shadow of sleep.

"I feel like I've been trying to protect you from both Grand and the Fuhrer since I met you. It'll be odd, not having that any longer. Good, welcome even, don't misunderstand… but odd." Edward explained as he turned his head towards Roy.

Roy gave a huffed laugh and his lips quirked into a wry smile. "They're not the only enemies I have, but they are the worst."

"Yes," Edward drawled with dry amusement, "whatever will I do when I only have minor nuisances to protect you from? If I weren't already dead I'd claim it enough to bore me to death."

"I daresay that you'll find a way to be creative about it. You're rather inventive when the mood strikes you." Roy commented with a fond smile.

"I had to be." Edward admitted slowly after a moment, and shifted to lay on his side, propping his head up on one hand to peer down at Roy although his gaze wasn't wholly focused. "After my dad left, my mother was withdrawn, sad, although she did try and hide it from us. It didn't take me long to learn that the more creative I got with my alchemy, the more accomplished, that she'd smile normally again."

"I know." And Roy did know, he had gone through a similar time with his own mother, despite not even really remembering his father. "I think parents, more than anything, like to see that their children are thriving."

Edward smiled faintly and focused down on the man who was looking aside at him. "You'd have made a good parent."

Roy burst out laughing before he could help himself, nor could he help the yawn it disintegrated into. "I'd make a terrible parent." And he considered Edward thoughtfully a moment before he closed his eyes tiredly. "Besides, I've my heart rather set on someone that would make even adopting a kid impossible."

"I guess you'll just have to settle for Hazel." Edward told him with a light amusement, basking in the warmth glowing inside him once more.

"I thought you were going to steal Hazel from me and run off together." Roy muttered before another yawn stole his voice.

Edward laughed quietly and lay fully back on the bed once more. "Go to sleep. It'll be easier to rob you blind of your manly idea of a pet if you're unawares."

"Rescuing that waterlogged bottlebrush was manly. And dirty." Roy defended, his voice trailing off quieter with every syllable until all that came from him were deep breaths.

Edward smiled as he watched Roy fall asleep, a content warmth of relief inside him that the man was resting and seemed to be recovering well. He needed the rest, especially considering the day that would come tomorrow. It would not be an easy day for either of them, he had no illusions of that.

But it needed to be done, they needed whatever information Kimblee would be able to provide, and they needed to remove him from the picture altogether.

He just hoped that there weren't any more dangers hiding just off frame.