I have spent the entire day in bed with the flu, so what better to do then to write up the next chapterXP
"She's wasted on me Mustang…" Ed sat on the couch, knees up and close to his face, his automail arm gripped around his legs and his real arm draped across the sleeping dog beside him. Playing with her ear and Alex enjoying the contact, he continued with his claims. "...I don't go out, I can't..do much...she wouldn't enjoy being with me…what can I give her? She'd be bored...no, it's not right, take her back today, please" His words wanting to come across level and monotonous but his shaky voice broke through the facade. He gripped lightly onto the dog's loose skin around her neck.
Roy sat patiently opposite the teenage boy, he knew the underlying sadness he felt about saying goodbye to the dog. He had found them both snuggled up together on Ed's bed, Alex's head right in the nape of Edward's neck. He thought they looked like a match made in heaven, blonde and black, that everything would be alright, but he realised just how little self esteem Edward had by his reactions this morning. Ed didn't think he deserved the dog...
Roy slowly sipped his coffee and then placed it down on the table. Taking it all in before replying.
"Ed.." Roy began, choosing his words carefully. "She's been trained to guide a blind person, you are a blind person, and she would benefit you greatly, it's not about what you can give to her, it's what she can do for you. Alex was born to help, it's her job and if she's fulfilling that, then she's happy. I promise"
Edward stroked her soft fur, wanting to calm his anxieties. "But how am I supposed to look after another living thing?" Roy could hear Ed's stress level rising in his voice.
"Come on Ed, it's not that hard. It's not like she's a child!"
That could've been worded better…
The atmosphere changed quickly and Ed looked up at Roy, pale frosted eyes flashing with what Roy could only describe as pure anger.
"And what the hell do you know about raising a child!?" Ed stood up, balancing himself on the table before standing up fully, chest puffed intimidatingly. "You never had a child! You never had no money or no way of looking after someone smaller than you! You were never scared of them being lost or hurt!" His voice was breaking, getting less and less confident as he rampaged on. Roy stared on at him wide eyed and tight lipped, silenced and in shock as Edward berated him. Suddenly, the way Ed was shouting, seemed not to be directed at Roy, but towards himself. 'This was going downwards fast..' Roy thought worryingly. Suddenly Ed began thumping on his own head with his automail arm. Hot tears beginning to stream, he shut his eyes.
"I'm stupid and dangerous!" Thump… "I tried so hard and I still failed!" Thump… " How am I supposed to look after another living thing if I couldn't look after my own little brother!?"
Suddenly, Ed felt two strong hands grab his wrists, preventing him from hitting his own head. "Stop that right now Fullmetal!" Roy's authoritarian voice roared through the panic. Then a more concerned emotion layered over "I never want you to do that again...please".
Ed's voice went quiet, a small whisper "...I couldn't even look after my little brother…" trailing off. He bowed his head and hid his face, too ashamed to be visible.
Still holding Ed's wrists in the air, Roy stared at the teenager distraught in his grasp. He placed Ed's arms down by his side and wrapped his own around the golden haired boy. They kept the embrace, waiting for the boy to calm down. "It wasn't your fault, it wasn't" Roy whispered over and over.
It was strange, he noticed Edward had grown before but, when did he begin to surpass him in height? He was at least an inch taller than the Colonel and his chest and shoulders were broader and stronger than he thought. Roy had taught him how to shave a couple months prior when he could no longer ignore the strawberry blonde beard growing on the young boy's face. But now he really was starting to look like a man. He really had grown up. Ed had always carried himself in a slump ever since he was blinded, which made him look a lot smaller than he actually was.
"Hey…" he started, wondering if this really was a good time to bring it up. "...did you know you are taller than me now Pipsqueek?"
He felt Ed flinched in his arms. That was either the worst, or best thing to say...Pushing from the embrace, Ed looked straight at the Colonel with a blank expression. Tilting his head he exclaimed "Yes" Ignoring the 'Pipsqueak' comment " i've been talking downwards to you for months now..." a tiny and slightly pompous smile forming across his face.
This caused a profuse amount of laughter to pass Roy's lips. "HA! And you never gloated? I am surprised Fullmetal!" Edward couldn't help but join in laughing. Wiping the tears from his eyes. Roy's snorty laugh was funny in itself. Alex had been silent throughout most of the emotional escapade but began barking and bouncing up and down on the couch wagging her tail. Ed and Roy both turned to her at the same time. Ed sat down once again and began scratching her wiggling body "Heh, sorry girl, didn't mean to scare you…" Roy stared on at them both, comforting each other and smiling.
"Edward…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, I know what you've been through and I meant no disrespect by that comment…"
"Naw, forget about it Mustang, I was being stupid…" Edward stopped, deep in thought for a moment. "...but if it's okay with you then, I'd like to keep Alex...even just for a bit, you know, to see if she likes it here. But only if she looks like she's having fun got that? If she's not happy then I want her where she would be, deal?"
The Colonel smiled, "Deal".
Roy stared at the boy and his dog fondly, then noticed something a little off about Ed's… anatomy. "Ed...stand up for me, please"
The teenager looked at him strangely, "What? What's wrong?"
"Just stand straight, I want to check something out."
Giving Roy a very weirded out look, Ed sighed and then stood up. He stretched out his arms in a dramatic pose and sarcastically answered him. "Well? happy?"
Roy ignored the sarcy comment and took Ed's arms and stretched them out in front of him equally. "Ed...did you know that your automail arm is a lot shorter than your real arm? And the same goes for your leg…you are extremely lopsided"
"What?...oh yeah, yeah I kinda knew" taking his arms quickly back and sitting down before he could be scrutinized anymore. He folded his arms together and made himself quite small. "But it's fine, it's not that uncomfortable…"
Roy gave Ed a worried look only a parent would give. "That's got to really hurt your spine and mess with your balance Ed, how much pain have you been hiding?"
"I said it's not that bad! I mean, it hurts, but I can deal, there's nothing I can do about it anyway…" He began stroking Alex once more as she rolled over onto her back, content.
"You know there is, Ed. Let me give her a ring and get this sorted out" He went to go towards the phone in the hallway. Ed accurately grabbed Roy's shirt arm and held on tight.
"NO! Mustang, don't even think about calling her. She doesn't want to see me and god knows I don't want to see her!" Roy knew that was a lie. He knew Ed had driven her away on purpose. He had pushed and pushed until the friendship broke.
Roy turned back and ungripped the hand that was holding tightly onto his sleeve. "I know what you're thinking Ed, you are ashamed of what happened, ashamed to face her after what you think are 'your failures'. But she doesn't blame you for anything, and I'm not just saying that. Riza talks to her on a regular bases and she asks about you all the time. That girl still cares deeply about you." Ed's face flushed red slightly at hearing the last part "It's up to you to make the first move and I feel like this is the perfect opportunity for you both to make amends."
Ed stroked up and down his automail arm with his real fingers. It had been at least a year since he'd even heard from Winry. "You sure spout on a lot when you talk don't you?" Slightly annoyed at how accurate Mustang had gotten it. "But what am I supposed to say? 'Hi Winry, we haven't talked in ages but I've grown out of my short-ass automail and need you to build me some more, thanks, bye!'"
Roy sighed impatiently, he had had enough teen drama for the day. "I don't know Ed, just...phone her up and tell her you need her! Or...I'll ask Riza to do it. That fine with you?"
Ed took a moment of consideration before answering. "...I can't, it's been way too long and she's probably going on with her life…"
"Oh seriously Ed just bite the bullet, you can't stay a lopsided cripple for the rest of your life, and you know she's the only one who truly knows your automail needs."
Ed winced at the thought, but Roy was right...he needed to get new automail and there was no other way. He had been trying to keep this at bay for way too long. He made a deep, defeated sigh. "Fine...tell Hawkeye thank you…"
"Good, now I gotta get to the office, just relax for the day, then maybe we can have some fun with Alex this evening" Hearing her name she gave a few thumps of her tail. Roy smiled at her and then faced Edward once again. "Really do...try relax, you are a good guy, and Winry would adore seeing you again"
To that Ed gave a weak, forced smile. "See ya tonight, Thanks Roy"
Roy raised his eyebrows in surprise and then smiled. It's a good day when you can get a 'thank you' off that boy. "See you later"
Roy spent the next couple hours attempting to defeat a mountain of unfinished paperwork. Hawkeye had been managing the team while he was out dog whispering, but she had left the especially painful and boring tasks for Mustang to muse over, torturing his very soul. She really knew how to break a man.
She came into his office with two cups of coffee and placed one down beside the distraught looking Colonel. "Sir...if you had just done this the other day you wouldn't have-"
Mustang brushed her sentence away as quickly as possible "Yeah yeah, I know Lieutenant, I've had other things on my mind"
"As usual sir" she smiled calmly as Roy glared in response. "No, it's not just the dog, Riza I have a favour to ask...will you, contact Winry and ask her to come fix Ed's automail? He's grown quite a lot and is looking like a lopsided idiot" He took a generous sip of his coffee, grateful for the false energy boost.
Riza always looked a little pissed off naturally, but there was a slight bit more of an annoyed expression on her face than usual in response to this request. This in turn made Roy a tiny bit nervous. His second really was beautiful and terrifying.
"Why can't Edward ask her himself? Winry always asks about him."
Sometimes Roy forgot just how close Riza and Winry got over the years. That Riza now had some form of loyalty and care for Winry. She was worried about her friend getting hurt.
"I know" Roy turned and looked down at his black coffee. "He's quite nervous about talking to her, I had to fight him just so I could ask you...I know it would be best if Ed could ask himself but, trust me, this is a big push for him…I think it's about time those two made up."
Riza looked at the clock on the wall and then back to the door. "I think I can catch her if I ring now...but I can't guarantee she'll come without Edward asking for her."
"Thank you Lieutenant, Edward says thank you too, this would help a lot" Sitting back in his chair feeling somewhat accomplished.
"I'm glad, because you won't be thankful when you realise this is only half the paperwork you have to do by tonight, I'll be sending in Breda with the rest of it in half an hour, see you later Sir"
God that woman….
Edward had spent the day finding out what Alex could truly do. Roy had explained a few things in the morning about how she could pick up clothes, open doors and retrieve most objects. When he went about the house, it was a lovely comfort to have these soft paw pads plodding along after him. And when he stopped, she leant gently on his leg. The stability was amazing, it grounded Edward. When he settled down to read by his bedroom window, she put her head on his lap and slept sitting upwards, all just to constantly be in touch with him. Flipping the pages of his book, he felt Alex's breath, in and out, in and out, soft and slow. It synced with his own rhythmic breathing, and soon he found himself nodding off as well.
He awoke not five minutes later to the phone ringing. Alex was up before him, ready for Ed to take her harness so she could lead him down to the phone. He grabbed ahold of her and to his surprise, it was easier letting his guard down and trusting the canine to do her job. She lead him safely down the staircase and to the ringing phone. Suddenly Ed wondered what he would of done without her. "Thank you Alex" patting her fondly on the head. Whoever was on the line sure didn't mind Ed taking his sweet time. He picked it up and held it close to his ear.
"Hello? Mustang residence" The line was silent for a couple seconds until finally a small, feminine voice responded.
"...Ed?"
A lead weight dropped in Ed's stomach. His heart in his mouth. Suddenly his temperature soared and his mouth went dry. Another response "Ed? Are you there?"
"Y-yeah! Hey...Winry." His mind went blank, what was he supposed to say?
The line was silent, Winry obviously thinking 'is that all you have to say?'. But eventually she broke the silence. "Riza called...she said you've grown out of your automail and you need a tune up? I can get the train tomorrow since I have no bookings, it's good timing I guess heh"
Ed was blanking on anything coherent to say. If Winry had been here she'd have surely hit him with a wrench by now and called him a stupid boy. Ed would have oddly liked that…
But all he could come out with was "Yeah...I mean if that's okay with you then that would be good…" He felt Alex lean heavily on him, he needed the support more than ever.
"Okay cool, well, I'll see you then. I'll contact Riza or Mustang to bring me, you'll have to prepare yourself too, it's going to be painful getting them changed. Oh, and I'm looking forward to seeing Alex, I hear she's a great dog." Winry was trying, you could tell. But Edward couldn't get himself to play along.
"Yeah she's great. I guess i'll see you in two days then, thanks for coming Winry."
"It's fine, see you soon Ed."
Before Ed could say goodbye, she had hung up. He just stood there, phone still at his ear listening to the dial tone beep over and over. God I am such an idiot…
