"Brother!" Called a nervous Alphonse from the doorway, followed by Hughes. Roy held a finger to his mouth.
"Shh, he's asleep. He's pretty beat." Roy said, voice barely above a whisper. Alphonse shrunk into himself timidly. Hughes walked up next to Ed, brushing the blonde bangs out of his bruised eyes. He looked up to Roy.
"How bad is it under the blanket, Roy? You didn't say on the phone, which is never a good sign." Roy sighed.
"It's not great." He stated honestly. "44 stitches for cuts on his chest, arm, and head, 3 broken ribs, 2 broken fingers, 3 large burns, nearing on 3rd degree, and a moderate concussion, not to mention he's covered in bruises." Alphonse made a small noise of concern as Maes ran his hand over his face.
"Son of a bitch... " He commented solemnly. "I can't believe I spent a week with that bastard and didn't notice anything off." Roy shook his head.
"It's not your fault, Maes. That guy is just sick." Maes nodded, but looked unconvinced. Ed stirred in his sleep with a groan.
"Ed, buddy, sorry, did we wake you?" Ed's eyes fluttered open at the familiar voice, and he began to push himself up from the couch with a wince. The blanket fell down to his waist. Maes laid a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him down to the couch again. "No, Ed. Lay down." Ed narrowed his eyes but didn't protest otherwise. Maes frowned as he ran his eyes over Ed's tortured torso, littered with bandages and dark purple bruises. Ed shifted uncomfortably under the stares and pulled the blanket up to cover himself again. He looked around the room to find The whole office hovering around him anxiously, along with Alphonse looking as nervous as possible for a suit of armour. Ed smiled tiredly.
"Quit looking at me like that. When'd I even get here?" He rubbed his face, hissing when he brushed over the stitches on his cheek.
"We got here about an hour ago, Fullmetal." Ed grimaced.
"How are you feeling, Ed?" Asked Maes, concern evident in his eyes.
"I'm fine. Can you pass me that sweater?" He lied, gesturing to the sweatshirt that lay on the floor next to Hughes. Truth was, everything was throbbing and he wished he could be asleep, but he didn't want to appear weak any more than he already had. He quickly tugged on the sweater, hiding his injuries from view. Roy then appeared in front of him, holding a small pill and a glass of water. Ed cocked a brow.
"Take it, Ed. They're from the doctor. They'll help." Ed looked unconvinced, but swallowed it anyway. He leaned against the back of the couch. He then began to strike up a conversation with Al, trying to take focus away from himself.
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Roy eyed the kid warily as he talked with Alphonse. The longer they talked, the more out of it he seemed to become. His eyes looked hazy, and it took him a while to form the words for a response. Suddenly, an ear to ear smile spread across his face.
"Hey, Al," He giggled. "You know, I never realized how shiny you are." His eyes were glazed over and he looked impossibly pleased.
"Oh uh, yeah brother. I guess I am pretty shiny." Al replied with confusion. Everyone in the office glanced over at Ed occasionally. A look of concern formed on Ed's face.
"You better be careful, Al. Gotta watch out for those damn trolls." Roy raised a brow and Al giggled.
"Oh really, brother? Why's that?" Ed looked at him like the answer was obvious.
"Because they're sneaky little bastards. They steal shiny things and left socks." Ed furrowed his brow with a sour look on his face. Al bit back a chuckle. Everyone was looking at Ed now, watching the show. "I only wear the right sock, and where do all the left ones go, huh?" He slurred. Havoc chuckled from his desk.
"Oh god, he's high as a kite. What'd you give him boss?" Roy looked over the bottle.
"Uh, I don't really know, to be honest." He replied sheepishly. Ed frowned.
"I'm not high, Havoc. I'm sitting right here." He wiggled in his seat into the couch. "Right. Here. On the ground. On this couch." Havoc bit his lip and held back a laugh.
"You're right, chief. I don't know what I was thinking." Havoc retorted, rolling his eyes.
Ed pursed his lips and started to blow raspberries. He smiled.
"I like that noise." He frowned. "But the trolls like that noise too. Can't do it too much or else they'll come after my lips too." He grabbed his lips between his thumb and forefinger. Al giggled.
"Don't worry, brother. I won't let them take your lips." Ed smiled widely, before his bottom lip puckered and he sniffled. Tears then began to fall down his face. Al sat up straight in alarm. "What's wrong, Ed?" Ed sobbed.
"I don't want them to take my lips." He cried, poking himself in the mouth. Al fought the urge to laugh, when everyone else began to chuckle quietly.
"It's alright, don't cry. I'll protect you from the trolls." Ed sniffled.
"You promise?" He asked, sounding unbelievably childlike. Al nodded. Ed slid and let his head fall against Al's chest plate. "I love you so much, Al. You are the best brother ever." He said, sounding exasperated. Maes looked like he was about to pass out with bliss as he ran around the two, snapping as many photos as he could.
"I love you too, brother." Al replied. He was met with silence. "Ed?"
"I think he's asleep." Muttered Roy, leaning over to the brothers. Al peeled Ed off of him and laid him down on the couch. Havoc looked like a kid in a candy store.
"That. Was the cutest thing. I have ever seen." Fuery chuckled.
"Ed would beat you into the ground if he was awake to hear that, Havoc." Havoc shook with glee.
"But he's not, and it's adorable!"