Chapter 9

For the third day in a row, Roy was woken early. The Fullmetal Alchemist had returned and was ready for debriefing. He almost didn't recognize the Edward that stood at attention in the Officer's tent. His shoulders no longer seemed to sag from the effort of standing upright, and a certain insidious brightness had returned to his eyes. The time away from camp had treated Edward well.

He lightly tossed papers onto Roy's desk with a casualness he hadn't seen in months and rattled off coordinates and information with professional thoroughness.

"Is there anything else, Fullmetal?" he asked, putting the papers in order. Edward bit his lip.

"No, sir. Except that I would really like a shower right now."

Roy was surprised to find Ed already in the tent before him, legs and arms exposed by his tanktop and boxers and perched on the cot. His eyes were focused and downcast, staring at the fingers laced casually in his lap.

"Roy, there's something I need to tell you," he said quietly. A lump of hope and horror swelled in his throat. He hadn't felt like this since he was 16. His palms began to prickle and sweat. "I saw…something when I was out there."

Edward's eyes moved up, fixating on the wall. The breeze from a slowly building spring storm tugged at the edges of the tent. The part of Roy's mind that wasn't currently fixated on the small blonde on the bed noted that the tent itself was made of vulcanized rubber. Ed had created it as part of his alchemy exam last year. His strained mind began to wander and only came into focus when he heard two words.

"What?" Roy demanded sharply.

"I saw the gate, Roy!" Roy's mind went into hyperdrive; where, when, why, and above all, how? He barked out the questions.

"It was in the woods, near one of the camps. It opened into an old property. I think we could use it as a camp to get between their supply train and Odetta. Roy was silent, he was trying to pull too many strings into one solid thread.

"I want to go back. On my own."

"We'll talk about it, Fullmetal." His body began moving again, slowly, one muscle at a time. First, it was his fingers, reaching up to unhook his high military collar. Light was shed on that hollow of his throat. His feet shuffled him towards his own cot as the slicker slid from his shoulders, then the jacket. His lips moved wordlessly. The Gate. Yes, he knew the Gate.

It had stood, tall and heavy before him. He shuddered briefly as he remembered them swinging open, smooth and silent, and then everything went black. Edward watched him silently from his own bed, blonde hair spilling over his shoulders.

"So, let us start with the how. I thought the gate only opens when a human transmutation is performed," he sighs, having the feeling of someone struggling to tread water. Secrets and complications ceaselessly followed Edward like some perverse fanclub.

"I was away from the camp, going for a walk and found an open property surrounded by a fence. The main entrance was a perfect replica of the gate."

"But no one knows about that unless they've performed a human transmutation. You haven't seen any evidence of it in books, have you?"

"Only in discussions about the Ultimate Truth, or God." He said quietly. The silence was perforated by the start of rain on the roof of their tent. It smelled distinctly of the thaw and sweat of their uniforms. "I thought the stone was gone, asshole. Why is it here?" The bed sighed louder than Roy as he sat down, heavily, unlacing his boots.

"I don't know, Edward."

"I have to know who did it, Roy. Who else knows?" Roy looked up and met Edward's eyes. He looked away quickly, lying down to avoid his gaze.

"Hey, shithead! You better not be falling asleep on me!"

"We'll talk in the morning, Edward," he sighed. A low rumble shook the tent like a growl. The rain rose to a steady roar. Edward grumped and laid down as well. Roy pictured him staring up at the ceiling, arms folding behind his head. He stubbornly forced his eyes closed, welcoming the familiar presence.

Edward woke slowly, not with a start. Roy's lips were hot and firm on his neck, fingers prying at the waist of his pants. Roy groaned low in his ear and his hips rose to press firmly to his rear. The boy bit his own lips hard. Something that was certainly blasphemous made its way from between his teeth. This time, he didn't even try to pull away.