Memories-
Do you regret the time we've spent together?
I don't.
Me neither. Only I wish that…
That, what?
That it could have been longer.
He made his usual rounds, gave out a lovely parking ticket, picked up coffee for the day, saved a daring kitten from a tree. Although, wasn't the fire department supposed to do that? Yes, or so he thought.
Captain Mustang of Central's police force was currently questioning his sanity.
It had been a normal day at the office, his subordinate, Riza Hawkeye, delivered papers for his signing as per usual. Maes Hughes burst into his personal room at thirty minute intervals, flashing pictures of his 'adorably cute daughter that looked just like her mother and already was inheriting her sense of style because she-'. At which time, an irritated Roy Mustang would threaten to purchase a flame torch on his lunch break (not that he ever followed through with the bluff), and the disgruntled Sergeant left only to pop back in spontaneously.
Sure, the distraction from tedious and repetitive signing of his overused name was amicable. However, it got to the point where Roy knew Elicia Hughes better than himself.
So, being trained in boot camp for weeks, the elusive high ranking officer snuck out of the hell hole, dubbed his office, and went about the town. Strictly on police business of course.
As aforementioned, he wrote out a parking ticket for a short old lady for backing her minivan in the handicapped parking space. All the while ignoring her completely unnecessary cussing towards his bastard self.
And understandably was in need of some sort of fix after such an event.
It was only half past noon, so drinking was out of the question.
Roy sipped his hot cup of coffee, walking down some odd street he had never travelled through, until he heard a cry of distress.
'Al… I told you to hold onto her!'
He was standing in front of a meat shop, and using his snoopy intuition he wafted past the thick shrubs and other prickly plants protecting the fortress. Ignoring the obnoxious beeping of his pager (damn Hawkeye!), he pressed on. Until he came to a strangely domestic sight.
Two boys were hovering around the base of a tall maple tree, where in the highest of reachable places a tiny black kitten meowed.
"Well, we can't just stand here. Teacher isn't home either." The child with a brighter shade of blonde hair mumbled before puffing out his chest courageously, pointing to the distressed feline and declaring, "Go get her, Al!"
The other, obviously 'Al', whimpered a squeal from behind. "Are you crazy Brother? There's no way I'm climbing up there. You get her-" He shoved his brother closer to the formidable tree's bark. "-you're the one who wanted to bring her outside!"
Roy watched the exchange with some amusement, unaware of the golden eyes suspiciously leering at him.
"Hey, you! Old man!" The elder brother shouted as Mustang turned to look at the midget. "Yeah, I'm talking to you. You go up and get the cat."
Roy looked up the tree, reaching higher than the shop behind them, and bluntly replied.
"No."
"What? Why not? You scared or something?" The blonde seethed.
Al sighed, "Edward, leave the guy alone."
"No, why should I? He's a policeman, Al. He's supposed to do this kind of stuff."
Roy smirked and leaned against the fence, "I see." He gazed up at the thick branches with leaves blowing in the wind. "A shrimp would have problems getting up there."
The younger sibling, experiencing this same thing time and time again, wisely hooked his elbows under Edward's arms while the blonde screeched. "Who are you calling a shrimp, you freakishly tall bastard that's too afraid to climb up a tree because it's bigger than him?"
"You. It's your problem, you deal with it."
Edward fumed silently. Then a very sly smile worked its way onto his face and he stopped struggling upon release.
"He's right, Alphonse. I'll go up and get it. He would be too… useless."
And so, in a matter of minutes, Roy was swaying in the breeze some feet up in the air, trying to retrieve a hissing beast. He glared in spite of the grin he knew was on the shrimp's face.
Three scratches and a bruise later, he descended.
He handed the kitten back to a happy Alphonse who immediately began to smother it and assured a returning Izumi Curtis that it was no trouble at all.
Edward smiled and agreed, "Thanks, bastard."
Mustang smirked back when the blonde was smacked lightly on the back of his head with a warning for his language.
Thus, Roy Mustang became acquainted with Edward Elric, who would change his life forever. And not to a happily ever after ending like in those romance stories.
What are you thinking about?
Hmm? Oh, nothing much. Just wondering if this is really such a good idea.
Edward, if you're not sure…
No! I am. But-
Don't worry, it'll be fine. You trust me, right?
… Yeah, I do.
Pouring rain engulfed the streets, as it had been for the past three days, restricting people to indoors unless it was a dire emergency. Roy was one of those people.
He stared out his main window with a bored look. Each drop of water only posed to irritate him that much more. Upon his musings concerning really nothing at all, the sight of a shuffling red blob caught his attention.
The washed out being halted at his door and rapped on the wood surface twice.
Naturally, Mustang knew who would be calling at such a ridiculous time of night.
He opened the door with an ever present smirk, and Edward entered his house and plopped into one of his kitchen chairs. Not at all bothering to remove his mud caked boots or his dripping coat. A trail of dirt and slosh remained in his wake.
Roy sighed, grabbing a spare rag, wiping up the trails as best he could. How could someone so tiny make such a mess?
He was about to ask that question, until he came to sit by the teen and took a look at his face.
"What's wrong?"
Ed's face was wet with something that Roy suspected wasn't rain drops, his nose and eyes were an unhealthy red and to be blunt, he looked like shit.
Not that Mustang would ever dare to say so.
"It's my mom."
His mother? Roy had only been acquainted with the older Elric for a couple of years, but in that time, he had heard nothing of his parents. All he knew was that Edward and Alphonse were living with Mrs. Curtis until they turned sixteen. He had assumed that the parents either abandoned the two or were already dead.
"Teacher got a call from someone mom knew, and they said she died."
"Oh… I'm sor-"
"You're sorry?" Ed huffed with sarcasm. "Why should you be sorry? You didn't know her and neither did I. It doesn't even matter."
Roy kept quiet until more tears slipped from the golden eyes.
"It does matter. She was still your mother." He placed a comforting hand on the small shoulder. But, he wasn't prepared for Edward to cling to his neck.
"I know. Why didn't she ever visit us? I can't even remember what she looked like. Dad had no pictures of her, and he acted like she did not exist."
Mustang pulled the soaked lump of cloth onto his lap, stroking the plastered hair.
"Where is your father then?"
"I don't know. He used to visit Al and me at Teacher's once in a while. But, once we heard about mom, Teacher can't get any contact with him."
Needless to say, Roy spent the rest of a storming night holding a gorgeous blonde. Too young for him, but desirable all the same.
How come you never smile?
What do you mean? I smile…
No you don't, Roy. You grin and smirk, but you never smile.
… Maybe I have nothing to smile about.
I get it. You have nothing to be happy about!
That's not what I said.
Yeah it is if you have nothing to smile about, then what the hell am I doing here? You'd be better off without me.
No. Without you I'd always be frowning.
… Stupid bastard.
Roy was pursuing one of his favorite hobbies, which was pursuing one Edward Elric. Not in the romantic sense, but an actual game of pursuit.
He came upon said blonde, standing on the corner doing one of the things that Roy hated most.
"Ed, you best put that out before I take it away." He warned.
"Wow. Don't you sound like such a tough cop? Bet you can't even back your bold claims up." Ed grinned and took another drag off the cancer stick.
Roy's nose unconsciously wrinkled from the stench. "You know I don't like you doing that."
"Well I suggest you get used to it. I'm stressed out and I need to calm down." The sixteen year old paused thoughtfully, "How about this: I'll stop smoking when you quit drinking. Fair enough."
"Stressed out, huh?" Roy sceptically asked.
"Yes, idiot, that's what I said."
"What could you possibly have to be stressed out about? Are you finally beginning to realize just how much of a shrimp you are?"
When no reply came and Ed went silent, Mustang bit his tongue to demand what was wrong. Instead he pulled the teen down the sidewalk to a smoothie stand. He plucked the stick out from Ed's mouth.
"You're too young to be doing this."
Edward sipped the strawberry drink Roy thrust into his hands and grinned.
"You just called yourself old."
As Roy rolled his eyes at the juvenile antics Ed smiled. He hated strawberries, but somehow, they didn't taste so bad anymore. Especially when Roy kissed him for the first time like that.
Edward, why do you hate your father?
He left us.
Are you sure of that?
Of course I am.
What if he had a good reason for leaving?
… Then I'd still hate him. I'd hate you too if you left me.
That's not nice.
Don't care.
Well, for what it's worth, I wouldn't hate you if you left me.
He was charged with shooting a sixteen year old kid, pleading that he thought the teen was a burglar. At the same time, he fought not to think of the gun that was pointed towards him turning to fire at his blonde.
Demoted, broken and too damn hurt to care, Roy wanted so badly to indulge in the liquor before him.
Edward was gone, he hadn't heard from the kid for weeks.
How was he to know that he wouldn't see that bright smile for years to come? If he had known, he'd have taken a snapshot to remember it and the owner by.
He quit drinking.
He didn't hate Ed.
No, he couldn't hate him.
Not when he loved him so much.
And for years, he spent his nights without alcohol, wishing that he had taken the courage and extra moment out of his time to tell the blonde just how much he loved him.
"Do you regret the time we've spent together?" Edward asked as he lay back on the strong chest and arms held him there securely.
"I don't."
"Me neither. Only I wish that…" The boy trailed off quietly with a sad look on his face. He burrowed his head into the junction of Roy's neck and shoulder.
Mustang tried to pull him back to see his face and he wanted to ask what was wrong. "That, what?" Why hadn't Ed finished his thought?
Suddenly, the blonde pulled away from Roy with a large smile on his face and said that it didn't matter.
'Only I wish that it could have been longer.'
Roy held Edward's head in his lap and knew what the boy had wanted to say then.
"Me too Ed, me too."
AN: I wasn't going to go into how they met and all that jazz. But, this was just too fun to write, that I couldn't resist. Thank you to all reviewers and readers, I hope you look forward to the next chapter!