Take It All Away
Chapter 13: Nightmares and Discussions
Roy awoke abruptly the next morning, his mind alerting him to the fact that something was amiss. Darkness still reigned outside, the moonlight seeping through the lone window providing the only source of illumination to the darkness. The room was bathed in shadows in the half light and it took Roy's tired eyes a moment to adjust to the dim lighting. His mind was still sleep-ridden and he couldn't place his finger on just what had awakened him.
His aching muscles indicated that his pain medication had worn off, his body stiff and sore to the point of being uncomfortable. His automail limb felt heavy though there was no lingering pain from the physical therapy he'd undergone the day before. Every ache and pain taken into account, however, still failed to have been enough to wake him. That brought him to his original question; Just what had woke him up...?
An answer was not long in coming as a dry sob suddenly broke the quiet of the room. Roy instantly sat up, the covers falling unheeded to pool around his waist. Onyx eyes fixed on the other occupant of the bed, narrowed in the darkness. Roy realized that judging by appearance, the man next to him was ensnared in some sort of nightmare.
Ed's body was bathed in a light sweat, causing his tan skin to appear to glow in the dim moonlight. Roy noted that his eyes were clenched tightly shut in an attempt to shut out the dream he was obviously caught in, as tears slid unchecked down strong cheekbones to mix with the sweat gathered at the base of his throat. His small body thrashed recklessly as the young man struggled to resurface from his hellish sleep, his breath coming in short gasps as his thrashing grew more frantic.
"Edward!" Roy exclaimed, narrowly catching the sleeping man before he pitched himself off of the edge of the bed. Roy grabbed Ed's automail wrist, wincing as the action jarred his own aching shoulder. Roy grit his teeth against the pain and attempted to pull Ed safely back onto the bed. However, as soon as Roy managed to grip the automail limb, the blonde released a bone-chilling scream. His struggling increased as he unconciously fought to free himself of the General's hold.
Roy tightened his grip refusing to release the blonde and even more determined to calm him down. He pulled the flailing form closer to him, shutting his eyes so he wouldn't have to see the panic that surely gripped Ed's features. Roy carefully encircled both of his arms around Ed, bringing the boy close enough that he would be unable to struggle as wildly.
Ed, however, refused to still. He lashed out blindly, still caught in a hellish dream that only he could see. The dream was hauntingly familiar. Not so much a dream, however, but more of a memory. The memory of the day that Ed's life had turned upside down. The day he had lost everything; his brother, his body, and any hope of ever seeing his beloved mother again. He was once again being forced to watch as his younger brother was pulled away from him, slowly fading in both life and body. He could feel the pull of something grabbing his leg and could feel the appendage slowly being eaten away, yet nothing could have been more painful than hearing his only brother's pleas for help, and being unable to do anything but watch.
Ed's flailing arms pounded Roy's chest, but the General remained unyeilding. His whispered words of comfort seemed to not be getting through to the blonde and Roy was at a loss of what to do. No matter how hard he tried, Ed remained trapped in the dream. "Ed, c'mon...wake up-" Roy pleaded, his words catching in his throat as one of Ed's fists connected solidly with his side. A sharp cry of pain ripped it's way from his throat as he felt the stitches give way beneath the blow. The skin on his side seared with pain as the wound was reopened, tearing itself free of the stitches that held it together. Roy's vision blurred as pain flooded his senses.
Ed's eyes flew open at Roy's pained cry, unfocused as he managed to escape the clutches of the nightmare. His eyes were wild as they frantically scanned the room before finally settling his gaze on Roy.
"Shit Roy-"
Roy shook his head and tightened his arms around the blonde in an attempt to offer comfort, yet hide his pain at the same time. The pain in Roy's side was nearly unbearable, but he refused to allow Ed to see that. Instead, Roy buried his face in Ed's blonde hair, offering what comfort he could.
In turn Ed snuggled closer and tucked his head under Roy's chin, his frantic breaths slowly evening out. He wound his arms around Roy, but his movements stilled instantly when he heard the muffled gasp of pain emmitted by the raven haired man. For the first time Ed noticed Roy's set jaw, and how the man's hands were trembling ever so slightly. His eyes narrowed when he saw the dark spot on Roy's night shirt, just beneath Ed's flesh hand. He lightly brushed his fingertips over the stain, hearing the pained hiss that resulted from the action. He brought his hand close to his face in order to see the dark stains now present on his fingertips and his eyes widened in understanding.
"Shit Roy, your stitches--"
"Are fine." Roy cut in stubbornly, his uneven breaths betraying his words..
"Bullshit!" Ed snapped, pulling himself from Roy's arms and rising to his feet. "I'll go find Washu-sensei."
Roy groaned in pain, wanting nothing more than to return to sleep. His eyelids felt heavy and it was becoming harder and harder for Roy to stay awake. Even with the pain coarsing through his side, the lull of sleep was just becoming too tempting...
Roy heard the sound of the younger man rustling around, presumably pulling on a jacket, before he felt a kiss dropped to his forehead. His eyes reluctantly blinked open to meet anxious gold. Roy felt a pang of guilt for putting that look in those breathtaking eyes once again and made a futile attempt at reassuring the blonde it wasn't so bad. Unfortunately, the blonde was in no mood to listen.
"Save it." Ed interjected, his voice uncharacteristically firm. His eyes softened as he reached his flesh hand up to brush too-long bangs away from tired onyx eyes. "I'll be back with Washu-san as soon as I can." He said softly, continuing to stroke Roy's hair back. "In the mean time, try and get what rest you can." He dropped another kiss to Roy's damp forehead before taking his leave.
Roy found he was only too happy to comply.
R-2-F
The next hour flew by. As promised, Ed returned with Washu in record time and the doctor immediately set about restitching Roy's side. Thankfully for both men the doctor chose not to ask as to how the stitches had been torn, as neither man was quite sure how to explain the reason Ed was Roy's room, none the less Roy's bed, at five in the morning. Instead the doctor swiftly redid the stitches and applied an ointment to the torn flesh, promising to return later that day to check on the stitches.
It was nearing seven thirty by the time Washu took her leave. She had insisted on doing a blood test while she was there to make sure that all of Roy's bodily functions were in proper working condition. This was followed by a blood pressure check and an x-ray of Roy's automail limb. The elderly doctor had insisted that they get it over with, that way Roy could sleep through most of the day uninterupted.
Roy liked her way of thinking.
By the time all of her samples had been taken and Roy had been to the x-ray room and back, Ed had to be getting ready for work. He had chose to wait until Roy was back from the x-ray room to take his leave, making sure that the General was comfortable and taken care. Only once he saw Roy safely back in the hospital bed and all of his meds taken did he deem it safe to leave. He turned to bid farewell to the invalid, only to find Roy already sleeping.
A small smile played on Ed's lips and he bent over the bed, brushing dark bangs away from the General's eyes. He dropped a kiss to Roy's forehead. "I'll be back later." He whispered, eyes raking over Roy's sleeping face. It never failed to amaze him how peaceful the man could look whilst asleep. With a final stroke of black locks, Ed turned and took his leave.
R-2-F
Roy was bored shitless. He'd spent the better part of the morning sleeping so now he was wide awake. There were no visitors, save for nurses, since everyone was at work. Roy found himself wishing he was working too. Yes, General Roy Mustang, hailed procrastinator and renowned bum, wished he had work to do. Even paperwork would be preferable to laying in a bed, doing absolutely nothing for hours on end.
He was saved from his torment by a knock on the door.
"It's open." He called, anxiously waiting to see who his visitor was.
The door cracked open an inch or so, but was not opened completely. "Ya decent Roy-boy?"
Roy grinned as he recognized the voice. "Rarely." He quipped, his brow twitching at the nick name. The door opened the rest of the way to reveal Havoc's equally amused face.
"Ain't that the truth?" Havoc replied, shutting the door behind him before crossing over to the bed. As he crossed the room he made a show of hiding something behind his back. This successfully sparked Roy's interest.
"What are you hiding?" Roy asked, straining his neck to try and get a peek.
Havoc grinned and held out a bag of food from a nearby cafe. "A gift from dear Eddie."
Roy scowled at the teasing look he was given but took the offered bag. He peaked inside and sighed happily. The blonde really was an angel.
Havoc chuckled, having heard of Roy's appreciation of Riza's Sunday lunch from Ed. Apparently the blonde wasn't joking when he said that Roy was sick of the hospital food.
Roy began to eat his chicken sandwich, suppressing a moan as he bit into the juicy meat. He noticed Havoc watching him with a knowing grin and schooled his features, shooting a glare at the cocky man. "You try eating the shit they call food around here."
The blonde laughed knowingly. "Been there, done that my friend." He replied, stealing a chip from Roy's bag. He munched on the chip while Mustang finished his sandwich.
"I saw Hughes Saturday." Roy said suddenly, startling the Second Lieutenant.
"You what?" Hughes demanded, his eyes narrowing .
"I saw Hughes." Roy repeated, having expected this reaction, or one much like it, from the man. "When I went to Bradley's office. Hughes came in and gave some report." Roy frowned, remembering the tension that had flowed between Hughes and Bradley after the report was given. "He seemed upset at Bradley-"
"Roy, Hughes is dead." Havoc began slowly, only to receive an annoyed look form the General.
"Yes, I know that already. What I don't know is why someone who looked like Hughes was in Bradley's office."
Havoc's eyes widened, the meaning of Roy's words taking him by surprise. "You're telling me you think someone was impersonating Hughes?"
"Well what else could it be?" Roy snapped. "It looked and sounded like Hughes, but..."
"But?" Havoc prompted.
"He had this look in his eye." Roy said softly, struggling to put his thoughts into words. "Hughes wasn't capable of that much hate."
Havoc's brow furrowed and he cushioned his chin with his hand, raking his mind to try and find a possible explanation. His frown deepened as he remembered something that Hughes had told him in passing one day. But that couldn't be possible, could it? It was just a fairy tale, a myth if you will. But if it was possible, and they were out there...
"You know something." Roy stated, his eyes studying Havoc. "Or atleast have some idea as to what could be going on. I want to know what."
Havoc was temporarily taken aback by the sudden change in Roy. He'd gone into "Fuhrer mode" as his subordinates liked to call it. Roy's eyes had darkened and narrowed, his jaw set and mouth forming a grim line. When Roy was like this, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the man had everything it took to become Fuhrer, and a damn good one at that.
"Yes, I suppose I might." Havoc replied slowly, still uncertain as to whether what he was about to suggest was even possible. He swallowed thickly before explaining to Roy what little he knew. "Hughes told me once about these creatures called humunculi. He said he was doing a bit of research on them and had come across some intriguing information. He mentioned something about a humunculus that could change shape at will. In theory, it could take on the form of any person it saw, copying their appearance down to the last freckle. Once it has taken the form of a person, it would be nearly impossible to tell it apart from the real thing." Havoc shrugged, unable to recall anything more.
"Are you suggesting that these...humunculi...really exist?" Roy began incrediously. "If such a thing were possible, wouldn't the State know about it?"
"Who's to say they don't?" Havoc muttered, lost in his own thoughts. He hadn't meant to voice his thoughts aloud, but Roy had heard them none the less.
"Are you saying that Bradley knows about them?"
"I'm saying that I wouldn' t be surprised. Hughes is dead, and Bradley knows it, yet a Hughes look a like is in his office giving a report?" Havoc raised his eyes to meet Roy's. "You gotta admit that's a bit suspicious."
"More than a bit I'd say." Roy muttered, brow furrowing thoughtfully. "But assuming that Bradley does know about the humunculi and that it is taking on Hughes's shape, why show him to me?"
"Good question." Havoc responded. "And an even better question, why Hughes? Bradley must have known that you would mention having seen Hughes to someone, and he must have known that we would tell you the truth...so why...?" Havoc trailed off, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "It makes no sense."
"Unless he had an ulterior motive." Roy added.
"Such as...?"
Roy shrugged. "That I'm not sure of. Maybe he just wants to confuse us."
Understanding began to dawn on Havoc. "Exactly." He suddenly declared, rising to his feet. "He wants us to start doubting one another."
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Roy demanded. His head was beginning to hurt from all of the angles that were appearing the further this conversation went.
Havoc must have noticed Roy's pained look because he chose not to press the matter any further. Instead he gathered Roy's trash, giving Roy a dismissive smile. "Let's leave that for another time. There's no sense in playing a guessing game when we only have one clue to go on."
Roy nodded, feeling too weary to carry on the conversation any further. He leaned back against the pillows, eyes already beginning to drift shut. He knew he wouldn't be able to get to sleep though, he never could unless Ed was around. Roy had yet to figure out just why that was, however.
"You get some sleep, Roy-boy. Ed'll be here in..." Havoc paused to glance at his pocket watch. "Well, any minute."
Roy nodded, forcing his eyes to open again. "Alright." He stifled a yawn. "Thanks for dropping by, Jean."
Havoc gave him a wide grin. "Anytime Roy-boy."
Just as Havoc was about to open the door to leave, it was opened by someone on the other side. "Ah, speak of the devil!" Havoc laughed.
Ed appeared in the doorway, a smile gracing his features as his eyes fell on the General. He took in the man's worn appearance and made a mental note to make sure the man got his rest. "Thanks for checking on him, Havoc." Ed said, low enough that only Havoc would be able to hear.
"Not a problem, Eddie." Havoc replied in an equally soft voice. "See ya Roy-boy." He said, loud enough for Roy to hear from his place in the bed. "You two behave yourselves, y'here? Don't do anything I would." He added with a wink.
Ed blushed to the roots of his hair while Roy directed a glare towards the other man. "Good day, Jean." He bade through gritted teeth.
Havoc grinned and took his leave.
Meanwhile, Ed had managed to fight back the blush on his cheeks and was no crossing the room to Roy's bedside. He perched on the edge of the bed, studying Roy's tired face. Onyx eyes blinked open sleepily, meeting liquid gold. "Hey, sleepy-head." He greeted softly.
Roy scowled at the endearment but wrapped his arms around Ed's waist, pulling him down onto the bed next to him. "Did you get off early?" He asked sleepily, absentmindedly pulling the hair band from Ed's braid and untwisting the hair. He ran his hand through the now-free locks before burying his face in them and inhaling the scent that was solely Edward.
Ed purred under Roy's administrations, enjoying the attention the older man was paying to his hair. It seemed that the General had a fascination with his hair, but Ed couldn't say that he minded one bit. Rather he relished the attention that Roy gave him. "This is when I usually get off." He explained, his voice sleepy. If Roy kept stroking his back like that Ed was liable to fall asleep any minute. "Unless I have paperwork or something." he added.
Roy smiled at the content look he received from the blonde. "Long day?"
"Not really, just didn't wanna be working." Ed mumbled.
"Oh really?" Roy grinned. "And just where did you want to be?"
Roy received a poke to his stomach for that one. He laughed and encircled his arms around Ed's waist, pulling the blonde flush against his side. "Whatever the case, what would you say to catching up on a few hours of sleep?"
Ed tucked his head under Roy's chin, his own arm resting carefully on Roy's chest. "I'd say you read my mind." He sighed, his eyes drifting shut.
They spent the rest of their afternoon sleeping in each other's arms, and when Washu came to check up on Roy later that afternoon, she gave a knowing smile and left the room to go on to her next patient. Roy's checkup could wait until the morning. For now she'd allow the two men to sleep.
Author's Note: Well, there's another chapter for you! I'm not quite sure if I like this chapter, but whatever... I hope it turned out better than I thought.
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Until next time!