Disclaimer: I don't own FMA... or these pants.
You can attack to save, you can attack to kill, you can attack to gain but don't lose you will.
"Sir?" Maria Ross opened the door and peeked in at him. Edward signed the last form and placed in on Mustang's bed. He was using the sleeping man as an inbox/outbox for all his documents. Edward was glad to back in Central, but it had already been a week since that night. How long would he be able to work out of this small hospital room? If it weren't for First Lieutenant Ross, he would have never been able to work so efficiently without even having to leave the room.
Edward looked at the sleeping older man. He had woken up several times but the drugs kept Mustang far from lucid. The multiple surgeries must have been hard and the doctors were running out of ideas. It was a matter of a medical miracle or magic now, to save Mustangs life. Edward didn't know, but he felt if he left the room, even to just walk around the hospital, the man would slip out of existence. So he never left, there was a private shower for obvious reason and subordinates for anything else, like the sandwich Ross was swinging back and forth, he had subordinates for. She didn't enter the room but instead baited him towards the door.
Edward gave a long suffering sigh and got up. Mustang was still sleeping so he figured a quick trip around the building wouldn't disturb the man much. Wearing his black t-shirt and uniform pants, Edward exited the room into the hall. He didn't think he'd need his colonel coat.
"Ross," Edward said formally before dropping all pretences and snatching the paper bag. He ripped it open with his teeth and inspected the meat content on it.
"You know, after this long I think I know want kind of food you like," she chided him as he inhaled the sandwich. "You could have at least tasted it."
"I did and you should take note that corn beef does not go down well fast. Next time I require either a white meat deli sandwich, or a meat salad one, First Lieutenant." Edward licked the few crumbs remaining on his fingers and went to go back in the room.
Ross grabbed his elbow and pulled him away from the door. "I know you want to keep up to date on his file, and that your worried about Mustang, but Sir, Edward, you need to get out of here."
Ed gave her a quizzical note. "I don't see why. We are working quite efficiently right now. There is no reason for me to leave and every for me to stay. I want to make certain he is treated properly and that those kooks don't just write him off as an alchemic accident—"
"But that's what he is Ed, you say it yourself." Ross's voice was exasperated. "He already made his choice. It's time you accept it."
Edward gave her a long hard look, not liking what he was hearing. "You want me to give up."
Ross slashed her arm in front of her like a blade. "You owe him nothing Edward. He was a great man once, and I respect that, but I will not watch him drag an even great man down with him."
"What are you talking about? He isn't harming anyone. The man needs surgery for fuck's sake." Ed snarled. He thought of Maria Ross as a friend, but that didn't dissolve the line between their ranks.
Maria's eyes were hard. "Then leave it to the surgeons. You don't need to be here."
Edward flexed his socked feet and closed his eyes. He counted to ten to keep from killing his own staff. "Someone needs to be here."
"He has family, call them, anyone. I don't care. What I care about is you. You are a bright a shining star in a dark cruel world. Your rank and position in the new government is important and I will not watch some has-been try and drag you down with him!" Ross panted openly, looking wholly spent and worried. "You can't save him Edward. Let him go and live out the life you already saved, you own. Look how far you've come."
"And where would I be," Edward said slowly, "without everyone's help, especially yours?"
Ross opened and closed her mouth, speechless.
"Good," He said briskly. Edward turned towards the door and began to walk away. He placed his hand on the door, then said over his shoulder, "The man in this room has done more for me than I ever deserved. The least I can do is be there for him, like he had been for me."
"But he wasn't, Edward!" Edward didn't look, but he could feel Ross's exasperation. "He ran away! Edward, listen to reason. He is a sinking ship and will only drag you down—"
"Your views have been noted and taken under consideration. Now I believe you have two weeks of vacation time to use up before they expire. Take those now and inform Havoc that he is to resume your duties from now on, including my meal deliveries. You are dismissed, Ross." Edward pushed the door open slightly and cursed himself for being so flat and cold.
It was his new way to deal with things. No longer did he have the will or energy to rant and scream. No he was just dead inside, that burning passionate drive, gone. Al had his new life and Edward made certain he didn't drag his little brother down.
Ross tried one more time to convince him to turn around and face her. "You can't save him," she whispered to his back.
Edward pulled on his smuggest smirk to hide the torrent of sorrow inside of him from showing on his face. "Who said I was trying?" to save him… no, I'm saving myself, or maybe we are both beyond help.
Fierce as the Fire
Roy looked the ceiling and waited. The doctor had told him the surgery was a success and that he would make a full recovery. He's been awake now for a few days, but today was the first time his mind wasn't clouded with a drug induced fog. Roy brought his hand up to the gauze on his face. The stitches were already off and today he could go home, but to what? He had kept his Central Home, but it was full of nothing but memories and dust now, hardly fit to live in.
"Ha, listen to me," Roy mused and sat up in his bed. He swayed slightly but was able to stay up. He looked around his hospital room slowly. It was really tiring to use his remaining eye, now that it had to do twice the work, but his doctor said he would become accustomed to it.
It felt weird, thinking about having a future. Even thought Roy did what he had to do to bring Riza back, he had not expected to fail and survive. It was suppose to be a fail or survive situation. Now he was left with a problem. What came next? Did he pick up his things on the way out and salvage what was left of his life, or jump off the nearest bridge? No, he couldn't do that, not after Riza saved him from himself. He remembered that night of horror very vaguely, but it had to be her. How else did he survive? That blonde hair and comforting embrace, Roy knew in his heart it was the one he loved and no other that saved him from the Gate.
Now he had to make himself deserving of being saved.
"Oh! Good you're up." A nurse came in to his room carrying a basin. She smiled at sweetly, and then peered around the room. She looked disappointed when what ever she was looking for didn't appear. "I wonder where he went," she said to herself but Roy still heard it.
Roy's head throbbed a little; too much light from the window was giving him a migraine. The nurse promptly placed the basin down on his bed and closed the curtains half way. She smiled at him and asked, "Better?"
"Yes." Roy paused for a moment before asking, "Who were you looking for?" Roy wondered idly who had visited him. He went through the list of men who would come to see him, but fell short of names. The he she mentioned earlier must have just been a doctor or nurse.
She looked at him with a lopsided smirk. "That gorgeous young man who didn't leave you bedside for two weeks of course, but I guess he went to get a car to drive you home. Are you excited? A few hours from now you get to sleep in your own bed." She went into his small closet and came out with a tray for the empty basin and something black. "Now, let's get off all that dreaded white bandaging. You'd look much better with a black eye patch I think. It would match your hair and bring out that faint blue in your eyes."
Roy sat silently as she worked. A gorgeous man stayed with him? Who could that be? The only man Roy could think of who would do such a thing would be Maes, but he was long gone. That left Roy more confused than ever. Regardless, he felt oddly at peace. It was a peace he hadn't felt in years. His mind was quiet as apposed to reeling over his guilt and pain. It was gone and what was left was just a feeling. Did Riza take away his sins when she saved him? Was this what forgiveness felt like?
It was like everything happening around him was a mild and calm dream. So for once, instead of fighting it, Roy embraced the bliss and sat quietly in his bed, while the nurse went about her business.
It wasn't long before a knock came at the door. Roy's nurse cleaned up her things and placed all the used bandages into the basin. "Okay Mr. Mustang, that must be him. Hopefully he'll have some spare cloths for you to change into. Sign out at the front desk, pick up you prescription at the pharmacy down the street and you'll be free of us until you need a check up in a couple weeks. I'm sure the doctor already told you most of this. I'll get out of you're hair now." She winked at him and opened the door.
Roy's eye was wide in surprise when Maria Ross walked in with an outfit over her arm. His nurse exited the room behind Miss Ross.
"Sir, I've been sent by the Colonel to take care of your business until you arrive at you residence." She placed the clothing on the bed just as abruptly as she spoke.
Roy eyed her jacket and noticed her promotion. He was still a corporal until they discharged him, so Roy was polite and said, "I see you're a First Lieutenant now Ma'am, congratulations."
"Major General Mustang, you needn't address me like an unlisted man." Ross's voice was crisp with no hint of the warmness he remembered from their encounter so many years ago. She changed, just like him. Roy wondered idly who else would be different.
"I would never dream of addressing you as a man Lieutenant Ross. You are far too beautiful to be mistake for one." The words slipped out with a casual ease, like he said things like that constantly. In truth, Roy used to, but that was from his life before.
Now you have a new life, a second chance. What will you do with it?
Riza spoke within his mind. It warmed his heart and he smiled.
A loud sound snapped him out of his daze. Ross had slammed the door behind her and was advancing on him with a wrathful glint. "Listen here Mustang; I don't care who you were or who you are now. I don't care about your war heroism or your reputation. I don't care about you in any way. Do you understand that?"
Roy nodded, but she started in before he could say anything in response.
"You disgust me and I'm only here because ordered to be. If I had a choice I would leave right now and leave your sorry behind here to walk home." She had her arms crossed in front of her small bosom and looked to the side, her stance reading I HATE YOU over and over. "How can you sit there and smile after everything? Have you finally lost your mind? That would be a fitting end to the Great Flame Alchemist. Have you no remorse for not being there?"
Not being where? Roy wasn't even certain what she was talking about anymore. She acted as if hurt on a personal level, but Roy never did anything to her and told her so, but she wouldn't here it.
"No, you did nothing to me, but it was me who was there when you weren't. You were his supervisor and the closest thing he had to a parent and you abandoned him. How can you live with that? That poor boy was lost, alone and needed you, and what do you do? You go hide in the snow. How dare you!" She huffed and caught her breath. Roy was mesmerised by how she was frothing at the mouth one moment and fixing her jacket calmly the next. "Just change so I can be rid of you. I may not like it, but a professional soldier does what they are told. I will not disobey a direct order, especially for you. You're lucky Edward is looking after you and so help me God, I will do everything within my power to keep you from dragging him down with you."
END
A/N: That's it for part three. Don't forget there is one more chapter. This one took ages because, as you've noticed, it took a less angst filled turn. That is so not like me. Well I'm going to post this now. I still don't like it, but I'm tired of looking at it. :D Sorry about the wait.
rix the demon