-1Give Guidance or Counsel
Cats
Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist
Chapter 15 - Trying to Find Roy
Wednesday the 17th of February
Ed couldn't help but mull it over and over in his mind. Not only had he upset Winry (which meant he'd also upset Al), but she knew something about Roy that Ed didn't. Something Winry was allowed to know, that Ed couldn't? What could it be? He was forcefully reminded of Roy's 'family' thing. It was a case of exactly the same thing - to Roy, was Ed just a child? It was infuriating and frustrating that Roy wouldn't tell him things, when Ed told Roy everything - even things he may not have wanted to share.
He'd spent all day at school on Tuesday avoiding Russell, Winry and Al, and trying to find Roy - only to find out from Hawkeye that he'd spent the day at home, trying to sort out something to do with his family. And there was that word again. Family. Was whatever Winry knew something to do with his family? Why was it impossible to trust Ed with what was upsetting the man?
And that was how Ed found himself outside Roy's office door, working up the courage to nock. How would he confront Roy about this? What would he say? He lifted his hand to nock, and was just about to, when;
"Hey boss!"
Ed jumped as Havoc slapped him on the back - cigarette hanging from his lips as always (but not lit because he was in school). The chain smoker grinned. "Looking for the chief?"
Chief - that was Havoc's nickname for the Colonel. Ed nodded.
"You're outa luck. He just left. Gotta phone call and he was off. Something to do with his family."
Ed gripped his hands at his side.
"Thanks lieutenant." he said, not even registering he'd just nicknames the man.
- X -
"Looking for the Colonel?"
Ed blushed heavily, nodding.
"Sorry to be a nuisance, but he wasn't in school and I really need to talk to him about something. He's not at home, so I thought he might be here."
Maes Hughes shrugged.
"Sorry Ed, he hasn't come around in awhile actually. When you find him tell him my darling daughter is missing him!"
Ed nodded.
"Family stuff." he repeated the excuse he'd been hearing so often lately. Maes, instead of agreeing as Ed would have expected him to do, snorted in amusement.
"Doubt it. Roy's parents haven't spoken to him since he moved to Amestris. He doesn't get on with any of his family."
Ed, for the first time since arriving at Hughes' doorstep, made eye contact with the man.
"He's never tried to make contact with them?"
Hughes shrugged.
"Why would he? They're as good as dead to him, and vice versa."
Ed looked at his shoes.
"Oh."
"But hey!" exclaimed Hughes, brightening up. "Gracia's cooking right now! Why don't you come in? You can play with Elysia. She'd love that." The super-dad grinned, but Ed quickly (and rather desperately) shook his head.
"Sorry, kinda in a rush." he all but screamed, before speeding off.
- X -
Friday the 19th of February
"Trying to find Roy?"
"Yeah."
Riza gave the young blonde in front of her a pitying look.
"Have you tried his office?"
Ed nodded, not verbalising that he had tried Roy's office every break and lunch, before and after school every day for the last four days now. Riza patted he shoulder reassuringly.
"I know I'm not a counsellor, but whatever you have to say, I can listen." She offered. Ed nodded again. Riza shrugged again, and Ed felt a hand that wasn't hers on his shoulder.
"Brother." Al said a Ed looked round. Winry was beside him. She hadn't been talking to him since their spat in Hohenheim's place, and Al, torn between siding with his girlfriend or his brother, opted for only talking to Ed when Winry wasn't around. Which was a rare occasion. Now, however, they seemed to be in agreement that talking to him was an alright thing to do.
"Ed." said Winry, "Why don't you come eat something?"
Ed shrugged.
"I still have to try a few more places…"
Al swallowed, brow furrowed.
"You've tried everywhere. You haven't been eating right. You need to take a break."
Ed clenched his fists at his sides, around the material of his long red coat, and Al knew he'd just managed to annoy his older brother.
"I'll stop when I've found him." The eldest Elric stated. He didn't bring his eyes up off the floor to see Al and Winry exchanged worried glances.
"Why don't you call him?" asked Winry, once Riza was finally out of earshot. Ed sighed.
"I don't know his number… he always called me. You know how I am with technology."
He shrugged, waving them away, and making his way down the hall. Al and Winry watched him go with worried eyes. Ed had skipped breakfast for the last three days to look for Roy before school, and lunch as well, so he could look for the man during that time. When he got home, disappointed that he hadn't found his counsellor, he picked at whatever Al had made, then went straight back out under the excuse of 'clearing his head'. Al and Winry knew he was really just wondering the streets, hoping he'd meet Roy down the next road.
Ed rounded the corner, and collapsed. He braced himself for the impact of hitting the cold tiled floor, but felt strong arms wrap around him instead.
"Roy?" he asked, vision hazy.
A sigh.
"No Ed." Said a familiar voice. Ed gripped at the material of the man's shirt anyway, even if it wasn't Roy. The mans sighed again, straightening and completely picking the petite blonde up off the floor. "You're really crazy about him aren't you?" he asked, and Ed, not really caring who it was and why they were asking, nodded. The man shifted his weight to better accommodate for Ed's. "Even though I don't approve, it's obvious I don't stand a chance… so… I'll tell you something."
- X -
Saturday the 20th of February
Ed walked slowly up the path in completely the opposite direction of his own place of residence. He was too exhausted to walk any faster, plus, he was incredibly nervous. In his hand was a piece of paper with an address scribbled on it. Al had told him Russell had given it to him, so in all likelihood it was a trap, but at this point, Ed simply didn't care. This was supposedly Roy's new address, since he wasn't staying at his old apartment anymore. Ed was going to see him - today.
The neighbourhood was a little dingy, and a definite step-down from Roy's old bachelor pad. Children were playing in a vandalised basketball court (though they weren't playing basketball), and half-dead flowerbeds lined the street. These flowerbeds were surrounded by knee-high, red-brick walls, and it was on one of these that Ed first saw Roy; hunched over with a cigarette dangling dangerously in one hand. Ed sighed, taking a step forward.
"Since when have you smoked?" he asked loudly enough to get Roy's head to snap up. The man donned a surprised look, then his eyes snapped back down to his feet.
"Since now."
He was a complete mess; greasy hair, unshaved chin, stained and crumpled clothes, and from what Ed could tell, he'd probably been drinking as well. The blonde checked his watch: Ten Seventeen. It hadn't even hit noon yet. He sighed again, taking the remaining few steps and plucking the cigarette from the elder man before Roy could take another drag. He threw it n the ground and stamped it out.
"Well, you don't anymore."
Roy shrugged, wondering if he should tell the blonde about the pack of ten in his back pocket.
*Grins like a maniac* Okay, so this chapter is a transitional one, and is very jumpy, so I'm not a great fan of it… but NEXT chapter. *grinning* Te he. Oh I just can't WAIT!
Please review,
~Od23