Chapter nineteen

"Ah, Colonel Mustang, is this about the Elrics?" Führer Bradley asked at the other end of the line.

"Yes, sir. If you wouldn't mind, I have a request I would like to make," Roy told him calmly. He felt a bit anxious that the Führer would refuse, but he kept his voice steady to leave no doubt that he meant it.

"And what may this request be, Mustang?" came the slightly suspicious voice of the Führer. "Is your guardianship not working out?"

"In a way no, sir. You see, I would like to adopt them instead if you would allow it," Roy told him.

"Two days ago you were reluctant to become their guardian, what has changed?" Führer Bradley asked, sounding surprised, but thankfully not opposed to the idea.

"I have come to realise how expendable I am as guardian as my main purpose is to be a bodyguard, sir. Those boys, especially Edward, need to have some certainty in their lives after everything else has been turned on its head. He needs continued support and he can't have that if the person who is looking after him can be swapped out at a second's notice, which is why I would like to request an adoption as soon as possible so as to not worry Edward more than necessary," Roy told him, his voice level, not accusatory in any way.

"Ah, I see. So you have the Elrics' best interest at heart. Very well, Colonel Mustang, I'll see to it that you're able to get the adoption process done quickly. I'll inform General Grumman and have him act in my stead to give the approval. However, I would like to talk to Edward Elric first to hear that he agrees with the arrangement, just as a precaution."

"I'm sorry, sir, but Edward is currently asleep," Roy told him, feeling slightly anxious at how this could potentially slow down the process when they needed it to be quick. This was something that needed to be done before the general public demanded that Roy be replaced.

"Then I suggest you bring him to General Grumman's office later today and have him sign the adoption papers too. If you would wait a minute, I'll have my secretary set up a meeting," Führer Bradley said.

"Of course, sir, thank you," Roy said, leaning slightly against the wall as he waited. He didn't exactly want to bring Edward to HQ like this, not now that the news were widespread. But he could see the Führer's way of thinking. If there was no way to tell that Edward had actually agreed to wanting to be adopted by Roy, then that wouldn't exactly be looked upon favourably by the public. Having Edward go with him, making a public appearance as he willingly approved of the adoption was a far better way of making the masses pleased with how the Elrics's living arrangements were being handled by the military.

It was just under two minutes later that Führer Bradley came back to him. "The adoption papers will be procured and ready for you in General Grumman's office for your meeting at half past two, Colonel Mustang."

Roy felt relief flooding him. It was a life-changing decision, he knew, but that couldn't be helped. Those boys needed his help and he was going to give it to them. "Thank you, sir."

"I expect you to take good care of the Elrics, Mustang," Führer Bradley said sternly. "You are right about them needing some permanency in their life after what happened, but there is a lot of responsibility that comes with adoption. I hope you have thought this through."

"I have, sir. I know full well what is expected of me as their legal father, and I intend to fulfil that role."

"Then I wish you good luck, Colonel Mustang. Adoption is a very life-changing event, but it is also highly rewarding," the Führer said, and his voice took on a slightly cheerful tone at that last part.

"I don't doubt it, sir, thank you for your help and I hope you have a good day," Roy said politely.

"You too, Colonel Mustang."

Then the phone was hung up on the other end and Roy headed for the kitchen, finding Maes standing there, looking at him expectantly. "How did it go?!"

"We're scheduled for a meeting with General Grumman at half past two. He'll approve the documents and Edward will sign too to confirm that this is in his interests as well and that he is not being forced into it," Roy answered, feeling just a bit numb at the prospect.

Maes grinned, shoving a mug of coffee at him. "Then congratulations, Roy!"

Roy sighed, taking the mug. "Thanks, Maes. I'll be going upstairs to check on Edward until the Rockbells arrive."

Ed woke up to find something fluffy and round pressed to his chest and he froze.

Then he realised that it was a plush animal.

Upon further examination by his left hand, he discovered it to be a plush sheep. A plush sheep that smelt like Mustang.

"What the hell?" Ed said, his voice slightly groggy. "Mustang, you've got plush toys?!"

"No, I transmuted it earlier in hopes of it helping with any potential nightmares," Mustang said from what Ed thought was his bed.

Ed found himself torn between wanting to hug the plush sheep tighter because it was furry, warm, and was actually comforting, or throwing it across the room because he was thirteen.

But then he realised that it had been a gesture of kindness and he actually felt a bit touched that Mustang had gone to the trouble of making it in the first place. "Oh..." was therefore the brilliant reply that his mind could come up with.

He was thankful for the throbbing from where his eyes used to be because it meant that he didn't have to constantly wake up and find himself asking for his brother, only to then remember what had happened to him.

It didn't mean that it hurt any less, though.

His lips began trembling as his he felt another painful bubble surged up from his stomach and explode in his chest again. He couldn't stop it. He couldn't stop the way he felt tears beginning to form. He didn't even want to.

He clutched his sheep tighter to him instead as he began sobbing again.

Then Ed felt his blanket suddenly being lifted in front of him and Mustang slid under it, bringing him close to his chest, hugging him tightly. And Ed needed this. He needed the hug and the warmth and the way of being able to feel the other person in the room with him in a constant reminder that he wasn't alone. And so he just sobbed into Mustang's chest until regular conversation was possible again.

"Edward, the Rockbells are already downstairs so Mrs. Rockbell can remove the bandages for you right now if you want."

Ed paused. He felt sort of scared at the prospect because the blindfold feeling would no longer be a reality.

...There was no longer a way that his brain could fool itself not to believe that he was blind.

It would be permanent from now on.

"They've bought you a pair of sunglasses that you can use until you get the prosthetics if you want," Mustang said gently.

"Oh, great, that... that's good, I guess..." Ed said weakly, his mind and body feeling numb. "How... how did your conversation with the Führer go?" he added, feeling a kind of weird jerk in his stomach. Mustang was about to become his legal father. He hadn't had a parent in eight years, and even if it was just as a precaution so that they wouldn't be sent away, the words "legal father" still had a weird, frightening ring to them.

Because only two days ago, Ed had hated the Colonel Bastard, and now...

...Now I'm lying against his chest, being hugged and cared for by him, and I like it.

"We'll be going to East HQ to have General Grumman preside as we sign the adoption papers. The Führer asked that you join me so as to make sure that you consent to it and he wants you to sign the documents as well."

Ed froze slightly. "We're going to HQ?" He didn't want to do that. For everyone to see him like this again when he couldn't see them. He didn't want a whole group of soldiers to give him their condolences. He didn't want to have so many people pitying him.

But he also knew that putting it on hold now could be interpreted as Ed not agreeing to the adoption and suddenly find Mustang being swapped out for someone else. That couldn't happen. Not now. "When?"

"At half past two. That's three hours from now. If you're up to it, the rest of the team would very much like to meet you once we're there," Mustang said, gently stroking his back. Ed could hear in his voice that he didn't feel comfortable about forcing Ed to go to HQ, but he too knew that they had to go all the same.

"O-okay..." Ed said, then he slid his arm over Mustang's waist and hugged him back. It felt weird. It felt weird and safe and warm at the same time. And it felt good. "Thank you..." he whispered.

"For what, Ed?" His voice was soft and kind and comforting as hell.

"For doing this... helping me... for... for..." Ed began, not sure if he could say it. But then he willed himself to because Mustang deserved to hear it, and so Ed hugged him tighter, speaking in a nearly inaudible whisper. "...Thank you for doing what you can so that you won't leave me..."

Mustang squeezed him tighter at that. "I said I wouldn't leave you two, and I am going to keep that promise, Ed," he said softly, gently running his fingers through Ed's hair.

"Thank you..." Ed whispered, feeling his lips tremble. "Do... Do Winry and Granny know yet?" he asked after a few seconds.

"Yes, which is exactly why I came up here to make sure that this is something that you want for yourself, Edward," came Granny Pinako's stern voice from over by the door.

Ed froze just as Mustang gulped. Ed could tell from the sound that he too had not known about Granny's presence. And Ed had no idea what to say to her. Mustang too seemed to have temporarily lost his ability to speak.

"But it seems that Colonel Mustang wasn't lying about his reasons after all. But I would still like a word alone with you, Edward," Granny said, and Ed could hear that she wasn't exactly happy about this.

He found himself in a situation where he both wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible, but also wanted to postpone it so that he didn't have to show the Rockbells just how much he needed Mustang right now. Just how lost Ed was. Because after all that he had allowed to happen, after all that he had taken from them, then letting them see how broken he was so that they would worry about him just wasn't...

I just can't let them be even more hurt because of me...

"Okay, Granny... I'll just... I'll just need to use the bathroom first," Ed said, trying to stop the hoarseness in his voice from being audible.

"Here, I'll take you," Mustang said, sitting up, sliding his legs over the edge of the bed so that Ed could do the same. He only now realised the fact that Mustang was wearing a shirt and a waistcoat, and Ed felt a bit touched at that. The man had just instantly responded to Ed's sobs by sliding under the blanket to comfort him. That was something you did when you cared for someone, not when you felt that you should try to help them just so that they wouldn't cry.

Ed sat up next to him as he shoved the plush sheep under the blanket and (hopefully) out of sight, before he stood up, feeling five fingers gently touching his back so as to support him should he lose his balance.

He could hear and sense Mustang right next to him on the walk to the bathroom, feel how he was trying to make sure that Ed didn't accidentally trip because of the spare leg. But he also stayed back enough to let Ed move around on his own.

He felt his stomach twist as another painful stab of realisation hit him. They came so often and they didn't get any better. Actually, they got worse.

Because he was blind. He'd be stuck like this for the rest of his life. He had never thought that darkness could be loud, but it was screaming at him right now.

The second Mustang locked the bathroom door behind them, Ed whipped around and pressed himself against his chest, hugging him again. Because Ed was scared. He was scared of life. He was scared of being left alone. He was scared of living in complete darkness. He was scared of what Al would think when he grew up. He was scared of meeting the team and just what they would think of him. They hadn't known before about the human transmutations. He didn't know what everyone thought, because Havoc had only been there briefly to deliver the books before he had to run because he was taking his mother out for dinner on her birthday. He knew that the rest of the team liked him and Al, and Ed had told Mustang and Hawkeye that they could tell them what he had done, but he didn't know if they could even stand him now that they knew. Mustang said that they wanted to meet him, but Ed was still scared.

And he was scared that he would break down in public and let everyone see just what a pathetic mess he was.

He clenched his fist in Mustang's waistcoat in frustration and grief and every other emotion that was boiling inside him and making his life hell. "I'm just so damn scared!" he hissed, his voice breaking as he began crying. "I don't wanna be trapped in the dark for the rest of my life..." he said weakly.

Mustang began sliding down the wall with a heavy sigh, bringing Ed onto his lap, hugging him tightly as a hand found its way to rest at the back of Ed's head. "I know, kid... I know..." he said.

Then Ed suddenly felt a pair of lips gently being pressed to his forehead just where his fringe began, and he froze for a second.

Then everything exploded completely inside his chest again and he let out a wail of all the emotional agony stored up inside him as he began sobbing into his chest again, because, dammit, Mustang knew when Ed needed a cry.

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(And, as always, no flames)