-1Give Guidance or Counsel

Cats

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist

Chapter 9 - A World Wide Disaster!

Thursday the 14th of January, still…

We've got to what now? was the first thought that entered Roy's head, and it closely followed by a million other questions and worries, making it impossible to sift through them and leaving him speechless, staring dumbfound at the young blonde before him.

Ed shuffled his feet nervously. He had said his part, it was all up to Roy now.

"Edward…" he eventually breathed, standing quietly. He walked round his desk and crossed the room until he was directly in front of the smaller male. Ed looked up timidly, but quickly averted his eyes from Roy's intense black gaze. The taller of the two leant down until they were eyelevel with each other. He placed a hand on Ed's shoulder and used the other to gently coerce the boy into look up at him. "Edward, what's all this about?" as asked, looking the boy directly in his golden eyes. Those eyes that held so much emotion they almost always told Roy exactly what he needed to know, yet now they were cold and bare. It seemed Ed was perfectly adapt to putting up a mask when he needed to - but why would he need to? He ran the hand on Ed's shoulder up and down reassuringly. Ed shook his head, refusing to be swayed by Roy.

"I… I want this." he said a little shakily. "I - I don't want… to be…" he broke off, angry at himself for not being able to break it off properly. He didn't have an excuse. He hadn't thought this through enough. He was nowhere near convincing enough, and Roy could see he wasn't convinced as well, as he said:

"Edward, this is bullshit and you know it as well as I do. So what's really going on?"

Ed was concentrating on not falling apart and telling Roy everything, but it was hard when Roy was distracting him with his warm hand on his shoulder, and his melodic voice demanding the truth. He brought his hands up and clenched them in first around the material of the older mans shirt. It was something he was beginning to notice he did a lot. Roy's arms wrapped themselves securely around the boy, and he was hugged close until his nose was buried in the folds of Roy's shirt. He could feel himself shaking at the intimacy, and he could feel Roy's arms hug him impossibly tighter, until it was beginning to get hard to breathe.

"Tell me Edward." Roy demanded, resting his cheek against the younger males golden hair. Ed mumbled against Roy's shirt, and they were forced to separate so Ed could actually be heard. Roy held him at arms length an waited for an answer. Edward looked determinedly at the wall above Roy's shoulder.

"I…" he blushed, looking down at his feet, then mumbled. "I'm worried. I don't wanna see them taking away the people I love."

Roy rose a well practised eyebrow and leant against his desk.

"Why do I hear an unsaid 'again'?" he asked, observing Edward scuff his feet against the floor. "What happened?" asked the counsellor. Ed backed himself up against the wall and leant against it. He sighed deeply before beginning another tale from his 'fucked up' childhood.

"Back then… you already know, how I got my Automail." He began messily, and glanced up to see Roy nod. "They - the officials - didn't think I was fit enough to look after Al… they… those bastards tried to take him away from me."

He stopped, overwhelmed by the memory of almost losing his little brother. Al - Pinako - Winry. He liked to think he could protect them all, the only people he'd ever really cared about since his mother died… until he met Roy of course. And it all came back to Roy. Roy had caused him to feel emotions to an extent he'd never felt before. Roy had caused him more pain and grief in three months then Al had managed in his entire life - yet Ed couldn't get enough of him.

"I don't see why you're thinking of all that." Roy admitted. Ed glanced sadly at him.

"I don't wanna see anyone else I love have to leave me, like -"he paused, blushed, and studied the floor, before saying under his breath. "You."

Roy laughed: A deep, hearty chuckle.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere."

Ed could feel his anger levels rising, and with them, the volume of his voice. He pushed himself off the wall and rushed forwards, slamming his hands on the desk and trapping Roy between it and him.

"You will though! As soon as Russell gets proof you'll-"

"Edward! Who… Russell?"

"The guy!" Ed answered Roy's question in a rush of emotions. "That god-damn guy who tried… and you… and he'll tell everyone, and they'll take you away!"

Roy wrapped his arms around Ed's fragile looking frame again, and pulled the boy flush against his body - making him stop mid-rant. He buried his nose in the teens soft hair and inhaled the scent of cheap shampoo and something that was indescribable, but undeniably Edward.

"You fucked up kid." he mumbled into the blonde locks. "Just shut the hell up and stop building everything into a world wide disaster." Ed pouted against Roy's chest, despite feeling reassured by his unorthodox way of counselling - it was so Roy. "This Russell guy still needs proof right? The we don't need to break up - we just need to be extra careful and make sure he doesn't get any proof." he explained, smiling affectionately at his little nutcase. He could get away with it after all - Since Edward was pressed up against his chest and couldn't see the older mans facial expressions.

He felt Ed's shoulder tense up, and the teen pushed away from him.

"Shit." he swore, turning his head. "I knew you'd do this! Stop trying to persuade me! I'm not gunna let you lead us both into something so dangerous! I'm not… God Roy, can't you see that we were being careful before, and Russell still found out? I'm not gunna let him get you! I… I won't let anyone hurt you… and - if you're gunna have to go, I want it to be on my terms for once!"

Roy, slightly shocked by Ed's outburst, blinked in surprise, then snorted in amusement.

"You won't let anyone hurt me? What do you have, a hero complex?"

He expected his teasing to make Ed laugh, or blush, and so he was incredibly surprised when instead of doing either of those, Ed stood still, eyes down and shaking. Roy went to say something more, when Ed took the two steps towards him with agonizing slowness. Once the boy was standing directly in front of him, Ed brought up his left hand, changed his mind, brought up his right hand, and slapped the older man directly across the face. It was something Roy definitely wasn't expecting. His face turned at the force of it, and he knew he'd have a bruise growing there soon. Ed looked up, and Roy was expecting to see golden eyes full of unshed tears that Ed would surely release soon, but instead he was met with stone cold, angry eyes.

The shorter of the two grabbed a fist full of the material of Roy's shirt, near his collar, and forcefully brought his down for they were at the same height. He snarled at Roy's bemused expression, and then roughly shoved him away; into his desk. He was angry at Roy, but more angry at himself for getting angry at Roy.

"Edward…"

"Fuck off."

"Edward."

"Right. You're office. I'll fuck off."

He turned to leave, but was stopped by Roy catching his wrist.

"Come on Fullmetal, why so-" He'd used the name to make Ed smile, but Ed glared at him.

"Don't even use that name with me." he spat, snatching his wrist away from the dark-haired man. "Don't you get it? I'm doing this anymore. There's too much danger, and you know as well as I do that there's too much emotional baggage attached to me for us to have a normal relationship. It's best we just kept to counsellor and 'that fucked up kid'. It'd be better for both us of."

He turned to leave but Roy slammed his hand on the door, keeping it from being opened.

"Edward Elric, why are you so determined to get away from me?" Roy demanded, and he was losing control of the volume of his voice because of his frustration with the younger.

Ed, in his own frustration, kicked the door in front of him, which wouldn't open because of Roy's intervention. The vibrations shook through the beaten-down room, and the nameplate that had been hanging on the edge of Roy's desk fell off. Roy either didn't notice, or didn't care, he was too focused on making Ed see reason.

"Why do you insist on denying your own feelings? Why do you keep trying to run away?" he asked, leaning his weight on the hand on the doorway. Ed ducked from underneath him and started pacing the small office. Roy turned and watched him with his eyes, leaning his weight on the door. Ed slammed his fist on the desk in his rage.

"Because I'm so fed up of it!" he eventually snapped. "I'm fed up of people bollocking me around and screwing me over! I'm fed up of people abandoning me! They always do, why should you be any different…"

Roy watched as Ed furiously rubbed at his eyes with the sleeve of his trademark red coat. He sighed.

"Edward." he began, and Ed looked up, glaring at him with slightly reddened eyes. "I think we need to talk about your father."

Lordy-loo! XD

Please review!

~Od23