So I'm slightly disappointed that nobody seemed to respond to me putting in a reference to Bohemian Rhapsody in the last chapter with the "easy come, easy go" followed by "doesn't really matter to me." But I guess it's alright. Maybe I'm just too much of a fan of Queen for it to be for my own good… hehe…

Chapter sixteen

Roy was worried about Al. The boy had been ill quite a few times these last four months, but at least the first two, he'd been at the hospital with whatever medicines he needed. Right now they only had two rolls of toilet paper, washcloths and water, four Paracetamols and a thermometer to help them with no way to get Al to a doctor.

Al got pretty bad even from colds and Roy felt quite useless as a parent when he couldn't even get his son to a hospital in of the largest cities in the country. It left him frightened that he could only guess as to what was wrong with him. A lot of things could cause fevers. Hopefully this was just a cold and nothing more. Sitting in the rain at the funeral like that would explain it for instance.

"I'm cold," Al said, still shivering.

Ed handed Roy the duvet from the camp bed he was sitting on. Roy put it on top of the duvet already covering Al. Ed rose and came back with a blanket which he used to cover Roy with. Roy looked up at him slightly confused as he carefully put it around him.

"You're shivering too, you know. Did you even dry yourself off at all, or did you just pull on your boxers?"

Roy hadn't even thought about it, all he had registered was that Al was sick and Roy needed to cover himself up. And so he had pulled on his boxers and let himself air dry in a pretty cold basement flat in favour of taking care of Al. So yes, he was shivering.

Ed sighed and came back with a towel and began drying Roy's hair. He could hear Al laughing.

"What's so funny, Alphonse?" Roy asked, barely avoiding getting a finger in his eye.

"It's just seeing you two. You're acting like a real family and with that black wig, Brother really could be your son. It's just nice to see you be so relaxed around each other now. Something's changed with you two these past few days."

"Al, you try losing your son and then discover him to be alive and see what that does to you," Roy said.

Roy felt Ed's arms slide over his shoulders so that his cheek was pressed to his, Ed's arms around his chest. "So I'm your son now? I'm honoured, Dad," Ed said, smiling, a bit of teasing in his voice. Al laughed again.

Roy just cherished the fact that the hug was still real. Ed would never have hugged him if he didn't want to. Ed never showed that kind of affection if he didn't mean it.

"You're both my sons and you're the best ones in the world." Roy stroked Al's cheek with his right hand at the same time that he lifted his left to rest at Ed's neck, hugging the boy back.

Alphonse smiled despite looking pretty bad with his fever of 39 degrees. "Thanks, Dad."

"Yeah, thanks," Ed said.

They kept standing like that until Al was sound asleep, still smiling. Then Roy grabbed Ed's hands and stood up, causing the boy to hang over his back like some kind of cape before Roy promptly dumped him on the camp bed. Ed was still grinning as he stood back up. Roy just pulled him in for a hug. He was still stunned that Ed was alive. That he was here. His wonderful boy was here. Both of them were. "I'm so glad you're alive."

Ed hugged him back while pressing his cheek against Roy's. Roy still wasn't quite used to Ed's recent growth spurt. In a way it made Roy feel oddly small instead of his son having grown big. And it was a bit scary to think about, because it really reminded Roy that Ed wasn't a child in the normal sense. He'd been a military officer for four years now. In a way he was very much a grownup already. "I'm so glad you're here, Ed. More happy than you'll ever know."

Ed hugged him tighter. "I'm glad that you're here too, Dad. I've really missed you guys." Ed sighed happily. "But you still need to get dressed, you're freezing."

Ed released him from the hug and pointed towards the bathroom. "Now, Dad, or you're gonna get sick too. If you picked something up at the funeral, then I'd rather not have you guys back just to not be able to hug you for a week."

"Yes, sir," Roy saluted, grinning at him.

Ed rolled his eyes as he smiled.

Roy returned five minutes later in a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants, feeling very uncomfortable indeed. Ed was placing a newly wetted cloth on Al's forehead and looked up at him with wide eyes. Then the kid began laughing, doubling over.

"Please, Ed, it wasn't my idea."

"It's got red and white stripes?!"

"It was all Greg had in my size, Ed." Roy had never been so embarrassed to wear a garment ever in his life. "It wasn't my fault that they kidnapped us without our suitcases."

Ed was practically wheezing, sitting on his knees and holding his stomach before he just gave up completely and lay down on his side, shaking with laughter.

"You look like a teenager!" Ed giggled.

Roy knew he should be more embarrassed than he was, but to be able to see Ed laughing like that when he'd been to his funeral just three days ago, made him smile and laugh along with him instead.

And so they laughed for about ten minutes before Ed was done and Roy sat down on the camp bed above him and pulled him up on his lap. Ed hugged him back, putting his arms around Roy's neck while pressing his cheek against Roy's.

Roy had a feeling that the number of hugs would diminish in the future, but right now they were still so happy to be able to do it again.

"But honestly, Dad. I saw you when you found the head. I didn't know that it would break you that much. I'm sorry."

Roy remembered finding that thing and could still feel the horror it brought. "You don't have to say you're sorry, Ed. And of course it would break me. I love you two. I thought you'd been killed because of me. I should have protected you so that you didn't get into such danger in the first place."

"So we're back to blaming ourselves like always? Well, stop it. There's no point and I'd rather say it was that General Creepy that's to blame anyways."

"You're not going to let me change your mind, are you?"

Ed did something surprising yet slightly familiar and gave Roy a peck on the cheek before he returned to the hug. "Nope."

Roy sighed. "But what I would like to apologise for is me nearly strangling you when I woke up here."

"Hey, that's alright. If it was me, I'd probably do the same. Don't worry."

There was just one last thing that was all on Roy, however, which had been gnawing on Roy's conscience for a while, especially with the recent claims of abuse.

"… And Ed, there's one last thing. I really shouldn't have hit you last year in that alley."

Ed seemed to freeze slightly at that one. The kid couldn't exactly explain that away and neither could Roy. He'd hit his subordinate. He'd hit his fifteen-year-old subordinate hard in the face.

"It's okay," Ed said quietly.

"No, it's not. You were angry, and rightfully so. You thought I had just killed an innocent woman, turned her into a charred corpse, and you got angry with me. I know it was just an act, but I shouldn't have hit you. I'm so sorry for doing that. I hurt you."

"You're getting worried about those abuse claims, is that it? It was only once and you were only being a bastard so that any eventual onlookers thought you'd really killed her. It's alright."

"I'm sorry, Ed. I still hit my kid no matter what."

"Then I guess we're even for me letting you bury me."

"Ed, don't say that, you didn't have a choice, I did."

"Hey, I was being insubordinate."

Roy closed his eyes and hugged him tighter. "I was still the grownup. I shouldn't have hit you. I'm sorry."

"I'm over it, Dad."

Well, Roy certainly wasn't.