Take It All Away

Chapter 12: A Lazy Sunday

The chirping of birds awoke Ed the next morning. His eyelids fluttered momentarily before finally blinking open. He immediately regretted the action, as his eyes were suddenly assaulted by sunlight seeping into the room from the lone window he was currently facing. He groaned sleepily and attempted to raise a hand to shield his eyes, only to find his arms trapped at his sides. His brow furrowed as his gaze lowered to find strong arms encompassing his middle.

A smile crept it's way onto Ed's features, but the blonde stubbornly fought it back. Memories of the previous night's events came flooding back to him, causing a warmth to spread through his being. Despite his uncertainty, Ed had gathered the courage to seek out Roy in the early hours of the morning. After their earlier argument Ed hadn't been sure his presence would be welcomed, but Roy had surprised him by welcoming him with open arms- literally.

Ed didn't recall much after that. He did, however, remembered feeling completely secure in Roy's arms, a sensation that he had long forgotten he was capable of feeling. Ever since his mother's death Ed had been deprived of the privilege of simply being held by another human being. Sure, Al would clumsily embrace him when he was feeling down or needed reassurance, but there was no comparison between the cold steel of his brother's hold and the warmth that currently radiated from the General. Ed felt a pang of guilt for thinking such thoughts; it wasn't Al's fault that he was stuck in his current form.

Movement behind Ed brought him from his darkening thoughts. He felt the arms around him tighten, only to go slack a moment later. He allowed his lips to form a smile this time as he felt Roy yawn lazily behind him. The General brought Ed's body closer to him and nuzzled Ed's hair, which had worked itself from it's braid. Roy's arm remained draped lazily over Ed's hip.

"Good morning to you too." Ed laughed softly, unwilling to break the comfortable silence between them but finding himself speaking regardless.

Roy shifted a bit behind Ed before replying sleepily, "Mornin'"

Ed realized that Roy's arms were loose enough that he could easily turn to face the General. He did so without a moment's hesitation and found himself staring helplessly into sleepy onyx. He vaguely realized that Roy was talking to him and forced himself to pay attention to what was being said.

"…sleep well?" Roy inquired, the majority of his question lost on the blonde he held loosely in his arms.

Ed nodded, his eyes widening slightly as he realized just how well he really had slept. His body felt completely relaxed and his mind was at ease. How long had it been since he'd awoken feeling so completely refreshed? Ed couldn't even attempt to remember.

"Are you always this talkative in the morning?" Roy teased, the deep baritone of his voice making Ed unconsciously shiver.

"Just when I wake up in bed with cocky Generals." Ed countered. A blush began to steal it's way across his cheeks as the meaning of his words slowly sunk in. "I mean-!"

Ed's words were cut off by a deep, rumbling laugh from Roy. Ed realized he had never heard the man laugh before, and found himself enjoying the sound. An answering grin tugged at the corner of the blonde's lips, even if their mirth was at his expense.

"Well you won't find me complaining." Roy retorted after his laughter had died down.

Ed watched in amusement as a blush stained the usually stoic General's cheeks. He found he couldn't resist the urge to add an additional jibe. "I'm sure I won't." He teased slyly.

Roy's blush deepened in reply before he fixed what he hoped was a stern glare on the blonde. "And you have the gall to call me cocky."

"Yup, but I never claimed that I wasn't just as bad."

"For good reason too." Roy muttered, earning a playful glare from Ed. "Any idea what time it is?" He asked, opting for a change of subject. He slid his arms from around Ed in order to stretch languidly. He didn't miss the blonde's look of disappointment.

Ed leaned up in a semi-sitting position, propping himself on his elbows to get a better look at the clock that hung on the far side of the room. "Eleven forty-five." He turned a surprised look to Roy. "I can't believe I slept in that late."

"Me either." Roy replied, his stomach suddenly growling. "Looks like my stomach can't believe it either." He added, somewhat sheepishly.

Ed couldn't help but smile at this new side of Mustang. Who would have guessed that the man acted like this in the morning? In fact, Roy reminded Ed of how he use to act when he was younger. Ed was definitely not a morning person in his earlier years. Even now he had days when he could pass as a zombie in the mornings.

Roy arched an eyebrow when he noticed the far off look in the younger man's eyes. He waved a hand in front of his face when all his other attempts to gain the blonde's attention proved to be in vain. Ed finally blinked in surprise and turned to look at Roy, as if seeing him for the first time. "Welcome back." Roy commented dryly.

In a common display of childishness, Ed stuck his tongue out in reply. "If you want something to eat, I'd suggest you shut it, General." He deadpanned. He grinned triumphantly when Roy complied…for a moment, anyways.

"You mean you'll get real food?" Roy asked, his eyes widening considerably. Ed smiled at the childish look of longing the feared General now held. If only the troops could see him now.

"Yeah, real food. Not the crap the hospital tries to pass off as edible."

Roy's grin widened, if such a thing were possible. He grabbed Ed in a bear hug, nearly cutting off the smaller man's air supply in the process. "I think I just fell in love with you, Edward."

Ed fought his way out of Roy's vice-like grip, blushing for the umpteenth time that morning. Why did he have to like the way Roy said that so damn much…?

"Yeah yeah, flattery will get you nowhere." He snapped, though there was no menace in his words. Roy seemed to pick up on this fact as well, but Ed was relieved when he chose not to comment on it. "I'll be back in a bit with food. In the meantime, behave yourself." He commanded, swinging his legs off the side of the bed. Before he could rise from the bed, however, he felt a firm tug to his hair and yelped. "What the hell was that for?"

Roy grinned and let go of the hair. "You might want to do something about this before you go anywhere, Edward." He plucked at a stray strand of blonde hair to prove his point.

Ed blushed, remembering how bad of a case of 'bed hair' he had each morning. He ran a hand through his hair and grimaced at the amount of tangles he found there. "Aw shit…" He groaned, glancing around the bed to find the hair tie that had fallen out while he slept.

"Let me do it?" Roy inquired, holding up the hair tie Ed was searching for innocently.

Ed was about to tell him to fuck off when he noticed the sincere look in Roy's eyes. He sighed and reluctantly tossed his hair over his shoulder, so that the majority of his locks laid on his back. "Suit yourself."

Roy smirked triumphantly and rummaged through the bedside drawer in search of a hairbrush or comb. He felt the bristles of a brush graze his fingers and withdrew it from the drawer. He then turned so that his back was against the headboard and pulled Ed between his legs, the blonde just short of leaning against his chest. After a moment of uncertainty Ed relaxed and gripped just above the kneecap of his flesh leg, using it as support as Roy began to methodically bring the brush through the blonde locks.

Roy gently worked out the knots in Ed's hair, working until the brush could glide unhindered through the golden strands. When Ed began to make a sound that resembled a contented purr, Roy didn't even attempt to bike back his grin. The blonde really could be adorable at times.

Roy divided the blonde tresses into three sections before he began to meticulously braid the hair, his hands careful not to pull to hard on the locks. He was done in a matter of seconds. He leaned forward to tell Ed he was finished to find the blonde's eyes shut, a content smile playing gently on his lips. Roy was unsure if he was asleep or not and was reluctant to disturb the peaceful man.

"You done already..?" Ed asked, his eyes blinking open and startling Roy. He knew he'd been caught staring, but the blonde seemed not to notice. He simply nodded the affirmative.

"Yep, all done."

"But that means I have to move."

Roy chuckled at that. "If we have any hopes of eating in the near future, then yes, you have to move."

"Damn." Ed swore softly, but lifted himself from the bed. He stretched as soon as his feet hit the floor, his back arching and stomach muscles tightening as a result. His shirt rode up slightly, giving Roy a glimpse of his well toned stomach. Roy cleared his throat and averted his eyes.

"Anything in particular you want?" Ed asked, turning his attention back to the man who was restricted to bed rest. "To eat." He added, the General not missing the innuendo.

Roy shrugged and remained leaning against the headboard. "Anything that has flavor." He wrinkled his nose. "Not that stuff they call soup from the kitchen."

Ed laughed, having experienced the Hospital Wing's idea of cooking on more than one occasion. He had to admit, the stuff was pretty bad. "Alright. I'll be back in a bit. Stay outa trouble."

Roy arched an eyebrow, smiling arrogantly. "Don't I always?"

R-2-F

Ed made a quick stop by his room, intent on taking a quick shower and changing. He would be careful not to get his hair wet so not to disturb the braid that Roy had so carefully done, but he was in desperate need of a bath and a change of clothes. While he was there he hoped to run into Al, but when he arrived the suit of armor was nowhere to be found.

Ed quickly took his shower and changed, pulling on a pair of dark kaki cargo pants and a navy blue t-shirt. Today was Sunday so there was no need to wear his usual attire. He frowned, tilting his head as a thought occurred to him. He made a decision to stop by Havoc's and see if the older man had anything that might fit Roy. The men were similar in build, though Mustang was a bit taller and more built that Havoc. Ed was sure it wouldn't be a problem, however. While he was there he could probably bum food off of him to bring back to the hospital wing with him. Riza usually cooked for Havoc on Sundays.

Ed stopped in front of Havoc's dorm, knocking on the heavy oak door before him. He only had to wait a moment before Havoc came to the door, grinning when he saw who his visitor was. "Heyya Eddie!" He greeted jovially, opening the door wider so Ed could come inside. "C'mon in!"

Ed did as he was instructed and watched with amusement as Havoc disappeared into the kitchen calling 'Eddie's here!' to the other person in the house. Ed smiled as Riza emerged from the kitchen, ladle in hand. "Good morning, Havoc, Hawkeye." He greeted, nodding to each person in turn. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Not at all." Riza replied, a smile that would be foreign to most people lighting her face. "Have you already eaten?"

Ed laughed and shook his head. Before the woman could disappear into the kitchen again to set the table for another person, he spoke up. "Actually, I was hoping you'd have a bit of food I could take back to the hospital ward with me."

Both Jean and Riza arched a brow at this.

"Feedin' Roy already?" Jean inquired slyly, pulling the blonde into a playful headlock. "He's already got you whipped!"

Ed struggled to free himself of the hold, but as always he would have to wait until Jean decided to release him to get away. The man's headlocks were among the best. "I don't know what you're talking about!" He gritted out, still struggling in the headlock to keep up appearances. Despite his words he was laughing along with the man.

"Boys." Riza reprimanded, moving to separate the two. "Could you behave yourselves? You'll disturb all of Central at this rate."

Jean grinned and released his hold on Ed, watching as the blonde stumbled forward and caught his breath. His grin widened as he slipped his arm around Riza's waist. "Well what do you think, babe? Got enough in there to feed the good ol' General?"

Riza scowled at him, but the smile that was pulling at her lips gave her away. "You're only two years younger than that 'Good ol' General', so I suggest you watch who you're calling old."

Jean had the grace to look sheepish, if only for a moment. He dropped his arm and moved back to Ed, using the blonde's shoulder as an armrest. "C'mon, baby…look at this face!"

Both men preceded to give Riza their best puppy-dog looks.

"Alright, alright! I'll fix you both a plate!" She surrendered, though her eyes told them she would have given them the food anyways. She had a habit of trying to fatten Ed up. She always claimed that he was too bony, and after seeing Roy's state only a few days ago, she had made it her mission to do the same to the General. Jean called it being a mother hen, she called it being humane.

"Thanks Hawkeye!" Ed replied enthusiastically.

The blonde haired woman disappeared into the kitchen, attempting to hide her small smile at their antics.

Ed then turned to Jean, remembering his other purpose for being there. "Hey Havoc, I've got a favor to ask of you too." He began, but was cut off by the cheeky man's reply.

"Ah, Eddie! I've been waiting for this moment since ya first arrived here at Central. You were such a wee thing…I understand how confused ya must be…! Come, we'll have the 'Birds and the Bee's' talk right now, heaven knows it's long overdue-!"

"Havoc!" Ed cut in sharply, his face burning bright red. What is it with people making him blush so much today! Pretty soon he was just going to turn into a tomato. "That's not what I was talking about! I meant-"

"Now Ed," Jean broke in again, ignoring the blonde's attempts to speak. "It's nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about-!"

Riza's warning voice drifted from the kitchen. "Jean…"

Jean seemed to deflate. "Alright alright, I give." He sighed, before turning his attention back to Ed. "You were saying..?

Ed huffed, more than a bit ruffled from Havoc's teasing. He glared at the blonde man. "I was saying, that I needed to ask you a favor." At Jean's questioning look Ed continued. "I was wondering if you had any clothes I could take for Roy-" Ed blushed, realizing his slip. "Err…I mean Mustang," He corrected, but the damage had already been done.

"On first name basis now, eh Eddie boy?" Havoc inquired cheekily, nudging Ed's side.

"WOULD YOU LET ME FINISH?" Ed snapped, his temper hanging by a thread. Havoc finally fell silent long enough to allow him to pose his question. "Do you have any clothes that I can take for R-Mustang?"

Jean grinned, noting the slip yet again. However, this time he chose not to comment on it, whether it was from fear of the blonde's anger, or that of the Lieutenant that was just in the other room cooking. "I'm sure I do." He replied, moving towards his room and disappearing for a moment. A few clothing items were tossed randomly in the hall, accompanied by colorful curses and mutterings. After a few moments Jean emerged again, an unheeded sock on his shoulder and a bundle of clothes in his arms.

Ed sweat dropped when he noticed the stray sock, but he chose not to comment for the sake of the blonde. Instead he turned his attention to the articles of clothing Jean dumped on the couch. "Just sift through this and take what you think he'd wear or would fit. Just about everything else is dirty right now…" He explained, rubbing the back of his neck. The action caused his hand to come in contact with the renegade sock. Jean wordlessly plucked it off of his shoulder and threw it onto the pile of clothes in the hall, blushing slightly. "Whoops, musta missed that one."

Ed laughed and moved to the pile of clothes, sifting through it and finding several articles of clothing that he thought would work. He selected a pair of faded blue jeans, a white muscle shirt, and a pair of black boxers. While the outfit wouldn't be able to be worn to work, it was simple enough that Roy would be put it on without any harm to his injuries.

"I think this'll work." He finally stated, turning and showing Jean his selections. The older man nodded his approval and gathered the other articles of clothing, tossing them carelessly in his room.

"I'm not cleaning that up for you, Jean Havoc." Riza declared from her place in the kitchen doorway. Jean jumped and spun around to face her, looking every inch like the kid who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Of course not, Riza baby." He replied innocently, swooping in and landing a kiss to her cheek. "I'll take care of it after Eddie leaves."

"You bet your ass you will." Riza confirmed before disappearing into the kitchen once again. She came back with a bag of what both men assumed to be food. She went over to Ed and held out the bag. "I've put napkins and silverware in there. Don't worry about returning the silverware," She added in a lower voice. "None of Jean's match anyways."

Ed laughed lightly and accepted the bag, tucking the articles of clothing under his arms. "Thanks Hawkeye, you're a lifesaver." He shifted his gaze to Havoc. "You too, Havoc."

Jean waved a hand dismissively. "No problem, Ed. You'd better be getting back to the Hospital Ward, though. Roy-boy's probably about to shrivel up from hunger!"

Ed glanced at the clock and was alarmed to find that it was well past three. "Shit!" He swore, witch only earned him a reprimanding look from Riza. "I mean err…" He fished around for a second before admitting defeat. "I've gotta go. See you guys tomorrow!"

Jean opened the door for Ed, seeing as both of the blonde's hands were full. "Go get 'em tiger."

Ed blushed yet again and left.

R-2-F

Ed returned to the Ward to find Roy propped up in the bed, staring at the walls and looking bored out of his mind. When the door opened onyx eyes flew to see who his visitor was. "About time," He muttered, moving to sit up but stiffening suddenly.

Ed was on the alert immediately and placed the items in his arms on the table before hurrying over there. "What's wrong?" He demanded, his eyes surveying the General. The man looked much more tired than he had when he'd left and his skin was noticeably more pale. Ed brought the back of his hand to Roy's forehead before doing the same to his own. "You have a fever." He stated, moving to the wash basin and dipping the cloth that lay beside it into the water. He returned and sat on the edge of the bed, dabbing the cloth to Roy's brow.

Roy nodded slightly. "Not surprising." He groaned, leaning his head into the touch. He grimaced when Ed noticed the bandage above his left eyebrow that hadn't been present the last time he'd seen Roy.

"What'd you do?" Ed demanded, his eyes narrowing. He knew the General was a headstrong imbecile, so he wasn't extremely surprised that he'd managed to get hurt.

Roy scowled. "What makes you think I did anything?" He retorted, though he winced when Ed dabbed at the wound, having just removed the bandage. He sighed when the blonde fixed him with a 'no nonsense' look. "…P.T." He admitted reluctantly.

Ed's entire body stilled. Roy had gone to Physical Therapy while he'd been gone? Why wasn't he notified of this? Roy wasn't due to start P.T. for another week or so, so why…?

"It's nothing big. I just hit my head." Roy explained, though his efforts only proved to make matters worse.

"You hit your head?" Ed exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "What the hell were you doing?"

"I just did what they told me!" Roy growled defensively.

"Which was…"

Roy refused to meet Ed's eyes, too angry at his failure to do the asked task to see Ed's scorn. He knew that as soon as Ed found out what had really happened, he'd think he was a weakling. Roy didn't favor being called a weakling. "I…I tried to walk." He admitted reluctantly, his eyes remaining downcast. "Well, truthfully I tried to stand…but I-"

"They told you to walk?"

"Am I talking to myself!" Roy snapped, finally meeting Ed's eyes.

Ed swallowed any retort he might have made when he noticed the defeat Roy's eyes held. It was a foreign emotion to see in the General, but there it was, clear as day. Roy was taken to P.T. and found he was unable to do so much as stand. Naturally the headstrong man would see this as a failure.

"Roy.."

"Don't." Roy cut in bitterly, misreading Ed's silence as disappointment. "I know I fucked up."

Ed's eyes narrowed and he sat back on the edge of the bed, placing a hand on the side of Roy's face and firmly bringing the older man's gaze to his. When onyx eyes refused to meet his, he sighed dejectedly. He'd allow Roy to sulk…for now.

"Roy, you can't expect to be able to walk, or even stand, on your first try." Ed began, smiling softly when Roy's uncertain gaze finally met his. "Automail is hard to get use to. Even for me, it hurt to stand for the first few days. With the complications you've had with your automail it only is reasonable that it would put more of a strain on your leg than the average person. And all of that is not including the fact that you were in a coma for weeks."

Roy nodded hesitantly, Ed's words making sense to him. The feeling of failure still hung heavily around him, but now he at least realized that it wasn't completely his fault that he'd been unable to succeed. He sighed and leaned back against the pillows, kissing the palm of Ed's hand in a silent thanks.

Both men blushed following the action, but the moment was broken when Roy's stomach growled again. The tension was broken and both men laughed. Ed rose from the bed and went to the table, holding up the bag of food. "Hawkeye's homemade cooking." He grinned, setting the bag back on the table. He heard Roy's appreciative groan and tried to suppress the shiver that went down his spine.

Ed pushed the table next to the bed so that Roy could sit at the table, whilst staying in bed. He explained his reasoning for doing so and was rewarded with a million dollar grin from the General who had most of the women in Central fawning over him. It certainly wasn't hard to see why.

He helped Roy into a sitting position, making sure he was comfortable, before moving a seat opposite Roy. He placed their meal on the table, distributed the silverware, and retrieved drinks that he'd had the foresight to buy before setting down in his chair and having a late lunch with Roy. Ed couldn't think of a more perfect way to spend his day, and in fact, neither could Roy.

R-2-F

Author's Note: 0.0 Wow, yet another long chapter! This one's even longer than before…geez! I finally broke down and devoted my entire afternoon to this story, so here you have it, Take It All Away, Chapter 12!

Wow, 110 Reviews! (insert insane fan girl scream) Thank you guys so much for your support! I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again, without you guys I'd never have gotten this far with this story!

And just to clarify things, in the previous chapter I mentioned that I had a lot in store for you guys. When I said this, I didn't mean a lot of angst; I meant a lot of action, mystery, and a whole lot of Roy x Ed!

Until next time!