Five
Ed
Waking seemed to be the hardest thing Ed ever had to do.
His whole body felt heavy, not responding when he tried to move a finger or lift his eyelids. He was just…there, trapped. The fleeting thought that this may be a nightmare that he couldn't wake up from was eased by the fact that he was not being haunted by hungry eyes or restrained by tiny, grasping hands. No, here was peace. Peace from feeling, peace from remembering. He was left to float in the inky blankness accompanied by nothing.
Remembering. Was there something important he should be recalling?
The only thing that came to him (and quite reluctantly) was a quick concern for his brother, who was no doubt somewhere nearby and probably crazy with worry and then a flicker of his memory banks, offering a sweet solace of calm, black eyes and a beautiful, curling smirk. Yeah, he liked the way that smirk left him a little breathless, the way that voice seemed to caress…
Wasn't the owner of such a voice outside this darkness somewhere? Again Ed attempted to make his body react, to acknowledge him. Fuck, he would just like to open his eyes.
As he struggled through the mire of the gloom that held him captive, he realized he could hear snatches of conversations, abrupt and sounding like nonsense. He listened because in his silence, wanting nothing more than to stop the voices from talking over him. Both were familiar; one a soft tenor that made warmth swirl around him within his cocoon of unconsciousness, making him feel safe and the other a silky baritone that struck a chord deep within him, making him wish the owner of said voice would talk more often.
Alone, in the darkness, he had forgotten the voice belonged to a man.
**
When consciousness finally washed over him, he was tucked comfortably into his own bed, blankets tucked under his chin and he smiled when recognized his brother's handy work. The room was shadowed but the curtains over the small window of his bedroom were wide open and he glanced over with an effort to see fading blue skies on the outside of the glass. Sunset. It made him wonder how long he had been out. Then memory slammed down and he was left breathless as he remembered the last hour of his life before darkness had decided to make a friend of him. He remembered the rain, the broken dam, the fear, the dream…he remembered the dream and how, in the moment he was completely useless, it had all made some sort of sick, terrifying sense. He remembered the wall…good Lord, had he done that? With alchemy?
He didn't get any more time to think on it because a pair of voices came floating through his open door from down the hall and he recognized both. The same voices that had kept him company while he been asleep. He frowned when he realized that when a deep, soaring laugh that he had heard only once before chimed in from the kitchen, the slow pace of his heart picked up. What was he doing here?
Slowly, he pulled the covers off and with difficulty leveled himself up to a sitting position. He was dressed in a plain white t-shirt and shorts but his hair fell heavily around his shoulders. For a moment, he tugged at it, trying to coax weak fingers through the tangled golden strands. It didn't really matter, anyway, as he didn't have a tie to hold back the mess with. It was quite a bit harder to get himself standing and he was out of breath and forced to lean on the wall by the time he was upright. Well, this was a bit ridiculous. He knew doing too much alchemy could be draining but he felt like he had been run over by a bus and dragged behind it for several stops.
It was the voices, belonging to his brother and Colonel Mustang that had him shuffling from his room and down the hall, using the wall for support and praying his legs didn't give out as they shook beneath him. The voices were soft and light hearted and Ed heard his name being spoken by Al with fondness. Oh, God, his was telling stories about him again. If he so much as mentioned the incident with the old woman at the grocery store, Ed was going to KILL him.
The first thing he noticed as he paused at the doorway to the kitchen to catch his breath was that the books that had taken residence on all available surface had been neatly stacked along the walls in an attempt to make the place look presentable, though he noticed all his notes were still spread out all over the table. He shifted his attention to the living room where Al was leaning on the back of the couch and hadn't noticed his older brother yet. A uniformed man with dark hair stood across the room from Al with his back to the kitchen and Ed.
"You mean he was trying to sneak out of the store with a whole turkey under his shirt?!" the Colonel was snorting with disbelief and Ed felt his face flame with mortification. The jerk was telling the man that story! Damn him!! He'd be sorry, Ed swore to himself, trying to push himself off the wall and not succeeding.
"Yeah, and he was about to slip by the service counter when an old lady saw him and started screaming for help while beating him on the back with her cane," that unbelievable laugh rang out again but Ed was too angry with his brother for actually telling that story to beautiful, cocky Roy to really notice.
"AL!! WHAT THE—oh!" he had tried to launch himself from the wall to shut his brother up and just ended up over balancing and falling rather gracelessly to the floor, catching himself with his automail arm. Of course, Roy turned around just in time to witness that spectacular display.
"Brother!" the alarm in Al's voice made Ed grin ruefully, despite the fact he still wanted to kill his younger brother as the taller of the two of them rushed over and knelt down next to Ed. Always the mother hen.
"I'm okay. Just a little weak," he laughed, sitting back on his heels and trying to not meet the Colonel's gaze. The man wasn't having it, though.
"I would think so. After that little bout of Alchemy, most people would be in a coma," Ed glanced up and frowned, having forgotten all about that. Mustang stared down at him, dark eyes unreadable and Ed wondered about the questions that he was sure were battling each other behind the black gaze. Yet the Colonel voiced none of them, for which Ed was grateful. There was a brief struggle as Al helped Ed off the floor and over to a chair at the kitchen table, which Ed lowered himself into while shooing his brother off.
"Really, Al, I'm okay, " then remembered why he had fallen in the first and rounded on his brother, offering him a glare full of the promise of violence. The look Al gave him in return suggested feigned innocence and that he knew exactly why Ed had given him the look he did. The Colonel was seating himself in a chair across from Ed in the seconds for this exchange to take place but as Ed turned his attention back to the man, he realized those sharp eyes had seen it all and it had amused him. Damn, stupid Colonel.
"Why are you here?" Ed blurted rudely, earning a tsk from Al who was now safely across the kitchen, hip propped up against the counter. Dark eyebrows shot up at the abrupt tone.
"I came to see if you had woken up yet," The man said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, pissing Ed off even more. Mustang was busy ignoring the death glare, continuing with, "You've been sleeping for three days, you know! I was beginning when you were going to get your lazy butt out of bed—" that did it. How dare the bastard make fun of him?
"WHY YOU—"
"BROTHER!" a restraining hand on his shoulder and the fatigue that continued to drag at his limbs stopped him from launching across the table at the Colonel, who was grinning, as if he had said what he did just to get a rise out of the teen. Well, it worked. Snarling like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Ed settled into his seat again and satisfied with crossing his arms across his chest, the metal of his right arm making him shiver and fixing the Colonel with a piercing glare. Once Al realized it was safe, he moved away from his brother again, amused despite himself. Yup, there was going to be definite violence if this kept up.
"I do have some questions for you, now that you're awake," The Colonel continued as if nothing had happened and Ed's glare melted a bit as apprehension assailed him. While Mustang still looked somewhat amused, there was steel in his voice and Ed realized the man could be rather intimating when he tried. The shorter blond swallowed sudden nerves.
"Okay," he said slowly, giving the Colonel a sideways look. There was a short pause in which Ed could see the man thinking about which question to start with and was a bit startled by the way he opted to open the conversation.
"What the hell happened the other day?" well, that was eloquent. Ed wondered briefly if the Colonel's lack usual grace was because he was pissed or if there was something else. It took Ed a moment to find words.
"Happened? I-I was just trying to help," he knew exactly what the Colonel meant but he wasn't ready to start a verbal game just yet. That was when truth decided to slip out and he had no intention of telling the Colonel the entirety of what happened. His evasive answer seemed to annoy the older man, however and long fingers tapped against the surface of the table as dark eyes stared Ed down.
"That's exactly the point. You did help. It wasn't that. It was the way you chose to help that I'm finding a bit unbelievable," damn. Of course Ed should have known he wasn't going to get away with working such a huge piece of alchemy without using a transmutation circle in front of another alchemist without said alchemist noticing something was off. He hadn't been thinking. Between the rush of finally understanding and the thoughts of dying via a gigantic wave rolling right towards him, the thought of doing something so monumental was very far from his mind. He had just wanted everyone to live. Ed clenched suddenly shaking hands on the material of his shorts, deliberately not looking at Al, afraid of what he might see.
"I know, I kinda got carried away—"
"You didn't use a circle!" the Colonel exploded, throwing his hands into the air and startling Ed. Double damn. There was a stifled gasp from his brother and Ed realized his gaze was much safer placed on his mismatched fingers in his lap.
"Brother? Is that true?" Al finally prompted when Ed remained silent. Shit, could the floor just swallow him up now? Not trusting his voice, Ed just managed a nod and his hair fell over his face at the movement. The Colonel went very still at the conformation while Al breathed, "How?" Ed just shrugged, shifting his weight on his chair. When did the room get so cold?
"I…I'm sorry…I…can't…"
"Can you do it again?" the Colonel's voice was sharp and it made Ed look up sharply, not knowing how to take the question.
"What?" his voice cracked on the word but he resisted the urge to clear his suddenly dry throat. Mustang leaned forward a bit, eyes curious and boring into Ed as if he was trying to pry the information from the teen just by looking at him.
"Can you do alchemy without a circle again?" he said, voice slow and, wait, was that excitement Ed heard? He thought about the question for a minute, feeling the dark web of understanding coiled up in a small corner of his brain, waiting to be used. Huh, so he hadn't lost it.
Ed answered by unclenching his fingers from his now wrinkled shorts and brought the two hands together, pulling on the web, letting the power build with the contact of his flesh and metal palms. The looks on his brother's and the Colonel's faces were wide eyed fascination as the hands lowered to pressed against the smooth table top. Ed pushed the alchemical reaction from his mind to the surface of the table and a gentle coil of blue light wound around his hands and the little section of table he was touching. When the light faded and he pulled his hands away, there was a dip in the table and in the middle of it had sprouted a wooden rose, every detail perfect.
The Colonel exhaled sharply, as if he had been holding his breath. "Amazing," the man breathed, reaching out to run a finger along the edge of a petal thin enough to allow light through the smooth wood. Embarrassed now at the intent look on the man's face, Ed just watched the finger as it gently caressed another petal, the pattern of the wood looking like veins then the hand moved down to test a thorn. The movement of the long fingers had caught his attention and he realized he was fighting heat that was threatening to flood his face.
When he looked up, he met an intent gaze the color of crow feathers.
"I'm correct in assuming you aren't comfortable telling me how you did this," Ed nodded a confirmation to the Colonel's question and he could see the man thinking behind lowered eyelids. "The method itself is brilliant and as far as I know, just performing alchemy without a circle is in no way a violation of the law…" Here those dark eyes lifted and Ed found himself stuck, threatening to drown in deep, black pools that wanted to know everything. Then the man smiled and leaned back in his chair again, folding his hands on the table in front of him. "Which brings me to the other reason for my visit," Ed blinked. There was another reason?
He watched as the man reached into one of the pockets on his crisp, blue jacket and pulled out a shiny silver pocket watch, complete with a belt chain. Ed stared at it as the Colonel set it on the table to shine brightly in the unnatural kitchen light. On the cover of the watch was a rearing lion with a hind end of what looked like a curling tail of a dragon caught between a geometrical design.
"What's that?" Ed asked, frowning.
"It's for you, if you'll accept," The Colonel said but Ed just looked at him, confused, "It's a watch of the State Alchemists. I talked to one of my superiors, explained what I saw you do and they said you didn't have to take the test as long as you could show them," the Colonel broke off and waved his hand the little rose growing from the table top, "that." Ed blinked at the watch again, still a bit confused.
"But you're giving it to me now?" he asked, his voice sounding distant to his own ears.
"I hoped seeing it would push away any indecisions you might have had. It's yours if you wish and you can come to my office tomorrow so that I can introduce you to my superiors," There was defiantly a hopeful question in the Colonel's voice and Ed reached out to touch the raised design of the watch's cover. He had wanted this, enough to break a promise he had made with his brother, despite the fact Al had given him his blessing but he still felt distant, like he was watching it happen rather than experiencing it.
"It kinda fast, don't you think?" Ed asked quietly, still fingering the watch. He couldn't look at his brother still, and the younger boy hadn't made a noise for a while. Instead, he focused on Mustang's small smile that looked too much like a smirk for his peace of mind. It was the dark, slanted eyes that softened the effect and made Ed swallow a sharp retort. "Don't I need to go to boot camp and stuff?"
There was a laugh, white teeth gleaming in a bright grin.
"But you already know how to handle yourself. Sure, you'll be introduced into the military, teach you how to fire a fire arm, just in case, how to think in terms of war, things of that nature. Oh, and you'll be given a rank, as your joining as an alchemist," well, that perked Ed's interest.
"A rank?" he asked a little too eagerly, the idea filling him with interest. He received another lovely chuckle from the Colonel.
"Yes, all State Alchemist's receive the rank of a major upon entering into the military," Ed couldn't help the stupid grin that wanted to plaster itself all over his face. Major Elric sounded strange but then he wasn't doing this for the title, now was he? It was a damn good perk, though. He didn't notice the amusement that was quirking up the corners of the Colonel's lips as his ill concealed glee. He was too busy trying to maintain the narrow, sideways look he was aiming at the man.
"Just something to sweeten the deal, huh?" he asked slyly, running gentle fingers over the rose in front of him, not realizing he was tracing the exact pattern the Colonel had.
"If you wish," was the dark haired man's non committal answer. Ed pretended to think but his mind had been made up a week ago and he was more than relived that he wouldn't have to be worrying about taking a test.
"You said I should be at Headquarters tomorrow?" he asked slowly and there was no denying the smile behind the Colonel's eyes this time as he peered at the man through his eyelashes. There was a flash of something else, darting around the smile when had asked the question but he had no idea what it could mean and it was gone as soon as it came.
"That would be best, yes," the man responded, getting to his feet as he did. An alarming gust of disappointment shot through Ed but he beat it down violently. He was not disappointed the Colonel was leaving. Thank God Al was a quick thinker because all Ed could do was stare stupidly, hating himself for wishing he had an excuse to keep the older man there.
"Thank you for all your help, Colonel," the interruption was all Ed needed and then he was standing too, watching as his younger brother moved to show their guest to the door. Mustang followed but paused before he reached the doorway to the foyer, turning to give Ed another one of his discernable looks. Ed's breath caught momentarily before the Colonel spoke in that silky voice of his.
"You should make sure you sleep well tonight. Tomorrows going to be a long day," then he was gone, leaving Ed to catch his breath and ignore the sly looks he was receiving from his brother.
He turned back to the table to look at the small rose he had created and the silver watch gleaming brightly next to it. It was strange, now that he had what he thought he had wanted, he couldn't help but feel as if he had done nothing to deserve it. He reached out to run his fingers over the watch again before lifting it to find it was heavier than it looked. After a silent moment, he sighed and put it back down then clapped his hands together so he could return the little rose back to the smooth surface of the table.
He refused to think about anything as he tiredly slouched back into his bedroom, knowing his brother had questions of his own and knowing the younger boy would wait as long as he needed to ask them. Ed couldn't face more questions now and the thought of the grilling he was probably going to receive tomorrow terrified him. Whatever he did, no one could ever know their secret…
**
When Ed dreamed that night, it was just that; a dream. For once, he was not plagued by screaming taunts and mocking laugher. He wasn't assaulted by memories of seeing his little brother disappearing or about how he had almost lost everything for trying to save him and his brother from the burden of being without a mother. No, that night, he slept the entire night through with just the image of coal black eyes locked on his, burning with an emotion Ed was almost afraid to identify and imaginary arms wound around his waist, holding him fast against a strong chest. Even in his dream, the made up touch kept fear at bay and the invented voice whispering reassurances into his hair made him shiver.
Waking, he would have berated himself for such thoughts but for once he felt safe in his sleep.
"Thanks…Roy,"
Al
Al was dreaming of home. A home that had disappeared a long time ago. He couldn't remember very much about the time before he was ten. The memories came to him broken and full of gaping holes. He felt like he should know what it was that should fill those voids but it was as if those memories had been completely erased. But he could still remember his home, a two story farm house looming at the top of a green, rolling hill in a small town of little consequence to anyone but those who lived there. It was a place that was easy to fall in love with and Al longed to go back every time he thought of the peace and the simplicity of such a place. So very unlike the city of Central.
Then he would remember, remember that his entire body had almost been sucked into a void of nothing for a mistake he couldn't remember making. Oh, sure, what he and his brother had done was as much his fault as his brother's but he couldn't remember what had happened. He remembered the after math, the blood everywhere, all over the work shop's walls and floor, his brother unconscious on the floor, missing his entire right arm and most of his left leg. They had left behind beauty and a promise of a quiet life when they left Resembol after Ed had gotten his automail limbs but they had also tried to leave behind the pain and the lack of memories of someone that had meant the world to them. They had even burned their house down so that they would no longer have a place to go back to.
It never stopped being home to Al, though.
The peace in his dreams turned to visions of curling, hungry flames and blood splattered walls and he woke with a start, his throat tight and lungs laboring as they hastily sucked in air. Cold sweat ran down his temples and his fingers shook as he wiped it away.
The apartment was quiet and he took a moment to steady himself before slipping from his bed.
Al wasn't usually plagued by nightmares like his brother not because he had been less affected by what had happened seven years ago but because he simply couldn't remember much about it. So when he got them, he was affected worse. Usually just getting a glass of milk and staring at the ceiling for a while helped. Yet tonight terror crawled under his skin and when a single sip of milk almost had him bent over the sink as a wave of nausea rolled over him and no amount of blank ceiling would ease the feeling of unease. So he was up again and tip toeing into his brother's disaster of a bed room, Ed just a tousled golden head of hair peeking from the sheets. For once, the shorter teen was sleeping quietly and it relived Al to see it. Ed hadn't had a good night's sleep since he was eleven.
Al pulled the covers over Ed back a little and slipped under them, letting the golden, familiar scent that was his brother ease over him. Immediately, Al felt better, the presence of someone else lying next to him lulling him towards sleep once again. As he began to drift he heard his brother mumble under his breath and Al turned his head on the pillow to look at the peaceful face, somewhat surprised.
"Thanks…" there was a soft sigh, "Roy," Al snorted softly and sighed while settling into the mattress, a grin on his face that be buried into the pillow.
"You've got it bad, brother," Al whispered and let sleep claim him, dreams of a beautiful blond girl they had left back in Resembol taking the place of the memories of fire, keeping him company until morning.
Ed
By the time Ed had reached headquarters, he was ready to go back home, curl up in his bed and give up on the entire day. It almost didn't matter if he was going to see Roy, when did I start thinking about him in his first name? He had woken up clear headed for once, if a little later than he wished but he could work with that, the soft memories of gentle dreams fuzzy in the back of his mind, certain today was going to be a good day. Yet as soon as he turned his head to find his brother sharing a pillow in his bed, he should have known. Today was turning out to be a very bad day. They always were when he woke up before his brother did.
It started when he noticed the dark circles under Al's eyes as the taller boy slept, looking like dark bruises and making it obvious why the his brother was sleeping in his bed. Ed sighed, gazing down at his younger brother for a moment before carefully sliding from his bed so he could take a shower. Only to find there was no hot water.
His scream as the freezing spray hit his skin was probably loud enough to wake the entire apartment complex. A worried voice floated in through the door as he cowered against the opposite side of the shower, glaring at the cold water falling to the bottom of the tub.
"Brother, are you alright?"
"I think we're going to have to call maintenance again," Ed answered back through gritted teeth. Oh, yes, the day had started out spectacularly well.
He then couldn't find his favorite leather pants, hunting through the disaster three times on the floor of his bed room with colorful curses filling the space, then having to settle on a washed out pair of jeans that still looked somewhat decent with his boots. Al, strangely enough, had gone back to his room and was fast asleep, sprawled out on top of his blankets. Worried, Ed thought about waking his brother up to find out what was wrong but he decided against it when he remembered the dark circles under his eyes.
Since Al was the one who usually made them breakfast, it meant he had to cook his own breakfast with the last two remaining eggs in the fridge. Which he them promptly burned. Fantastically annoyed, he stared at the pan, his stomach growling angrily. The blackened mass of what had once been his intended food sneered back up at him and he tossed it into the garbage with a furious curse. It was then he realized there wasn't anything left in the kitchen to eat, except for a box of Al's healthy cereal that Ed wouldn't go near with a ten foot pole. Damn. He really needed to go food shopping.
His breakfast consisted of a glass of water. Fantastic.
After leaving a note for Al when he woke up, Ed slipped quietly out the door after almost giving himself a concussion while trying to get his boots on and out the door. Then he realized he had left his keys on the kitchen table after locking the door. Fuck, fuck, damn. Angrily, Ed stood on the front lawn of the apartment building, glaring furiously but when he called the apartment phone for his brother on his cell, there was no answer. He hadn't been expecting one. It looked like he was walking the thirty blocks to headquarters.
At least he had remembered the watch, which was snug in his pocket and safely attached to a belt loop on the waist band.
Huffing angrily and stomping his heavy boots like some little kid who was just told "no" he eyed his car as he passed it where it sat sadly in the parking lot. Of all days for this to happen; he really wanted to get there early and make some sort of good impression. It didn't look like that was going to happen. At least the weather seemed to have cleared and Ed was almost glad he couldn't find his leather pants or his favorite red jacket as the day was rather warm and the light blue button down shirt was just fine.
A few blocks and he hated the warmth, sweat staring to prickle at the back of his neck and he prayed that he wouldn't show up in the Colonel's office disgusting and sweaty. Still there was nothing to be done about it now. If only he hadn't locked his keys in the damn apartment.
Ed was still several blocks from the looming building that was Central's military headquarters and kicking himself for his carelessness when a familiar and rather sinister voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Well, looky here. If it isn't Edward Elric, Central's number one fuck up," Envy. Damn, wasn't he supposed to be in school? Ed turned to see the other boy extracting himself from the shadows of an alley way (appropriate) and was walking towards Ed with a wicked gleam in his violet eyes. Ed licked suddenly dry lips. He didn't need this now, not now. Thank God Envy was alone because Ed wasn't sure he would win a fight against one person let alone several. The day just sucked that bad.
"What are you doing here?" Ed demanded, trying to look intimating and failing miserably. The ugly sneer on Envy's face made Ed's palms tingle. There was no way he was going to willingly tangle with Envy now. The dark haired teen was a difficult opponent and the only reason Ed had flattened him last time was because he had caught Envy by surprise.
"I could ask you the same thing, shorty. Haven't seen you around school lately," ugh, Ed hated that sneer and that high voice. He wanted to bash his metal fist into that smug face and draw lots of blood. Gritting his teeth, he pushed the thoughts of violence away.
"Dropped out," he answered shortly, fairly sure that if he didn't get away from this real fast, he'd be in a world of shit. The sneer on Envy's face was getting nastier by the second, twisting into something ugly.
"I owe you for the other day, Edward," the other boy snarled, advancing on Ed, dark eyes burning with rage. Shit. As Ed looked around, he realized no one was going to help him, though some people were starting to notice the conflict.
"Look, Envy, I don't wanna fight—"
CRACK!
Ed never even saw it coming. Envy's fist came out of nowhere, striking the unprepared blond across his left cheek bone, making Ed's head snap back and pain to blossom across his face as he stumbled back. The dark haired teen stood before Ed, breathing hard as Ed glared back over the fire under his eye. Trying to beat down the instinct to strike back, he opted for the deadliest glare in his arsenal.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" All he wanted was to get to where he was going with no more incidents and preferably not covered in blood. What he didn't notice were the other people that were occupying the street had given the two a wide berth and were slowing down to watch the conflict unfold.
"You embarrassed me," Envy hissed, face dark and fists clenched, ready to throw another punch, "Did you think I was going to let you get away with that, you fucking cyborg freak?" Ed blinked. Cyborg? Then he realized he had been talking about his automail and anger sparked, heart pounding hard enough to nearly bore a hole through is sternum. This wasn't going to end well. Envy was furious and Ed was tired and disgruntled. On a good day, Envy was not easy to beat. Today was not a good day. Ed met Envy's eyes, burning like twin pieces of purple fire and sneered.
"The thought had crossed my mind," Well, his condolence was, as Envy threw himself at the blond with a roar, that he'd done stupider things before.
The first few strikes, Ed was able to hold his own, his automail coming in handy several times. But Envy was fast and today Ed couldn't keep up with the graceful movements of the other boy, just barely moving quickly enough to block the attacks. There was a circle of spectators around them now, many of them muttering behind their hands. He caught another of Envy's punches with his right hand, making the other teen wince when his fist came in contact with metal and moved away, ducking a swift kick meant for his head. Ed was moving, trying to re-angle for a good attack when a flash of a blue uniform in the gathering crowd distracted him for a spit second.
The kick to his side sent him sprawling, knocking the wind right out of him and probably cracking one or two ribs and, to his horror, shaking the watch on his belt loose and sending it flying. Sensei would kill me if she saw that, Ed thought absently before the pain caught up with him. Then he was too busy trying to catch his breath and shaking the stars from his vision to hear the collective gasp from the spectators when one of them picked up the silver watch.
"He's a State Alchemist!" someone hissed but Ed didn't notice. He was getting hauled to his feet by a bloodied fist and his shaky vision could make out a dark vestige of Envy standing over him as the other boy held him semi-upright. Then he was let go just to have a fist connect with his right eye, sending him sprawling to the concrete. He was defiantly going to have a black eye. There was an enraged shout from the crowd, something about him being part of the military and then a boot connected with his side, driving the air from his lungs in a scream as he heard a rib crack under the blow.
Ed was curled around the fire in his side, so he didn't see what happened but the blows stopped abruptly and he heard a familiar voice cry out in pain as a bright flash of alchemy shot from the crowd. Silence except for his own pained gasps then a strong hand was at his elbow, helping him into a sitting position.
"Are you alright there?" a deep voice accompanied the giant hand and Ed found himself looking up…up…
He jaw must have been lost on the ground because one of the biggest men he had ever seen in his life was standing over him, blue eyes glittering down at him from a strong, square face. And wearing the blue uniform of Ametris's military. Those eyes slitted in a friendly grin and he was hauled to his feet, where he doubled over the pain in his side, still staring at the man.
"Never expected to meet a fellow alchemist here, let alone one so small! What's your name?" and he let out a booming laugh. If it weren't for his broken ribs, he would have lost it. As it was, he scowled and fought the urge to scream his response. It hurt just to breathe.
"E-Edward Elric and don't call me—gasp—small!" he managed but the big man only laughed harder and gave him what the guy probably thought was a gentle pat on the back but it almost sent Ed sprawling and didn't do much for his ribs. The people were beginning to disperse now that the fight seemed to be over. Ed glanced over and was Envy lying prone on the sidewalk, clearly unconscious. Ed gulped, attention turning back to the odd bald man in the uniform. Did he do that?
"I'm Major Alexander Armstrong," the big soldier was saying in an equally big voice, making Ed wince, "I don't believe I've ever seen you around before. New around here, huh? That's great! We can always use more alchemists, though you're a bit young. HAHA! Oh, and don't worry about him, he won't be moving around for a while. Where are you headed? You look like you could use a nice, strong, manly escort like myself!" and, yes, the man actually flexed his muscles. Head spinning from the alarming tirade and resenting the fact that he looked young enough that people kept commenting on it (He was eighteen, for Christ's sake!) he finally got his brain in order to answer the Major.
"To…to the Military headquarters…I have an appointment with Colonel Mustang," barely were the words out of his mouth before he was being herded up the street, every step a lancing pain to his side.
"That's fantastic! I was just on my way there!" The man continued to talk, loudly, as they walked and by the time they reached the front gates of the headquarters compound, Ed was breathing fast and shallow and the sharp pain shooting through his body nearly had his doubled over, making him nauseous. All he wanted to do was stop and sit down somewhere and concentrate on his aching ribs and throbbing eye. But the hand at the small of his back had him limping through wide, bright corridors filled with men and women in uniform, most of them giving the bald man with Ed a sharp salute. Ed just received curious glances and he was sure he looked a sight, blood all over his pale face and an arm hugging his middle tightly. It was probably a bad thing that his vision was starting to swim.
"Ah! Here we are!" cried the major, stopping at a familiar doorway and Ed could see several people in uniform beyond the Major's bulk stopping in various activities to look at the mountain of the man occupying the doorway. Giving up, Ed propped himself up against the wall to the side of the office doorway to wait as the Major trumpeted through the room that he had brought someone to see the Colonel. Ed shivered a little when he heard that silky voice.
"Who is it, Major?" then a large, gentle hand was on his shoulder and was easing him through the doorway so Ed came face to face with four staring and uncomfortably curious strangers, Lutenent Hawkeye and Roy Mustang.
"Edward Elric, Sir and a good thing I happened along, too, because he was getting beat up pretty bad," the stares he was getting were all varying degrees of astonished as they took in his ruffled and obviously painful state. Ed really wanted to go home and give up on this day. Instead, he rubbed the back of his head with his free hand and managed a lopsided grin.
"Hi," and decided that his day was already better because he had the undivided attention of a dark haired Colonel. Suddenly, his smile was no longer forced.
Roy
Roy was avoiding paperwork again when the doorway was filled with the intimidating bulk of one Major Alex Armstrong. He was listening to Breda and Havoc bicker about something or other while sipping from his coffee mug, smirking. In reality, he was trying not to think about a certain blond teen that had a habit of surprising the shit out of him. The boy was supposed to be coming here today so he could officially take the State Alchemist test and while they had never settled on a time for him to be here, Roy had hoped the kid would get here at a reasonably early hour. Yet every hour that went by and Ed didn't show up, Roy got more and more impatient. What the hell was the damn kid waiting for? It was almost noon! Roy glanced across the room to see if his Lt. was going to say anything about his unproductiveness. Yet while Riza was eyeing him, she wasn't saying anything about the neglected paperwork, which he was grateful for because her reminders were rather forceful and backed by a loaded gun.
The argument between his two subordinates (which he had no idea what it was about) was beginning to boarder on the ridiculous when the familiar booming voice rang out from the doorway, announcing a very large, very bald Major. Roy had to hand it to Riza when she greeted the Major in her affable, unruffled way.
"Greetings, everyone, Colonel," a sharp salute, "I have someone here who said he has an appointment with you," No, Roy's heart rate did not just speed up but he couldn't help but think, about time.
"Who is it, Major?" Smooth, like he hadn't been waiting for the teen the entire morning. He also ignored the look Riza shot him in favor for watching Armstrong fish for something on the other side of the door way and gentle issue in a one very disgruntled and pale Edward.
"Edward Elric, sir, and a good thing I happened along too, because he was getting beat up pretty bad," Roy stared at the blond who was sporting a nasty black eye and dried blood from a cut on his cheek that had dribbled onto the nice but now wrinkled button down shirt, stains looking black. What worried him more was the way Ed was holding himself, hunched over as if he was in pain and pressing his flesh arm firmly against his side. Then the boy surprised him. Again. He grinned sheepishly, the smile a little forced on the pale lips and rubbed the back of his neck, looking for all the world like he had been caught with his hand in the preverbal cookie jar.
"Hi," Finally, Roy snapped out of his trance and began barking orders.
"Breda, go find some ice and towels. Havoc, I need a first aid kit. Hawkeye, would you please go find Dr. Marco. He's at the clinic across the street. Just tell him it's for me." As soon as the orders were out of his mouth, the room was emptied but for a bewildered looking Ed, a smiling Major, himself and Fuery. The Major turned to Ed and fished something from his pocket.
"Well, I believe that's my que. Here, this belongs to you," and handed him a sliver pocket watch. Hmm. Just what had happened? Ed smiled weakly at the large man and offered a quiet thanks, shoving the watch into a pocket in his jeans. The Major then turned at Roy, offered a sharp salute and was gone.
Roy just looked at Ed for a minute.
"Looks like you were on the losing end of this one, shorty," teased Roy, loving the explosive breath the blond took so that he could give Roy a piece of his mind before stopping short with a wince. The kid settled for a glare and growled, "Bastard," making Roy's smirk grow wider. He then turned to the bespectacled soldier still watching on with wide eyes.
"Fuery, could you see if you could find Ed here a new shirt. I believe he's ruined his," the shorter man nodded and left as fast as everyone else had, leaving the two alone. With another glance at the pathetic looking teen, Roy sighed and then rested a hand on the blonde's shoulder, wondering at the tingling in his palm at the contact, ushering him towards his private office, "Come on, at least sit down before you fall down," he paused and smirked evilly, glad the kid couldn't see it, "Though, I'm sure it wouldn't be too bad of a fall, as you're not that far from the ground," another growl and an elbow met with his stomach, surprising him with a rather undignified "Oof!"
"Fuck you, jerk," Ed hissed as he lowered himself onto one of the office couches, still glaring as he watched Roy rub his aching abdomen. Roy watched the teen as he made his way to his desk and pulled out a small bottle and two glasses from a drawer in his desk. The kid was breathing fast and shallow, as if afraid to take deep breaths. Hmm, looks like he had at least a cracked rib. Again, Roy found himself swallowing curiosity.
After pouring a small measure of the amber liquid into each glass, he made his way to the couch and sat next to Ed, offering him a glass. He could feel the heat radiating off the teen and he couldn't help but think that it he shifted just a little, he could touch the strong, lean thigh with his own. Roy held himself very still, watching Ed sniff at the liquid in the glass then scrunched up his pretty face. Fuck that was cute.
"What the hell is this?" Ed demanded, looking at Roy askance, "Trying to get me drunk?" To which Roy laughed. Something about the accusation struck him funny.
"Of course not. It helps dull the pain. Looks like you may have done some damage to your ribs. I sent for a doctor but I don't think he can do much more than wrap them and give you some pain killers," Roy shuddered in sympathy, having broken three of his own ribs during the war. It was not a pleasant experience. Ed was glaring into the glass, as if trying to buck up the courage to down the stuff.
"I think I heard one crack," the kid muttered then, true to his nature, tossed back the entire drink in three gulps, eyes tightly shut and offering Roy a glance of the graceful line of his neck. Then the blond was sputtering and gasping, gagging on the fire that was surely burning its way down his throat. Roy snorted and patted the kid gingerly on the back as he coughed.
"You weren't supposed to down it all at once, Ed. Even I can't do that and I've been drinking the stuff for years," still gagging, a watery golden eye was fixed on him.
"How do you drink that shit?" the boy rasped, clutching at his throat than cringing when he took too deep of a breath. Roy laughed easily, reluctantly removing his hand from the strong back.
"It's an acquired taste. Did it at least help?" Ed thought for a moment, frowning before looking up in surprise.
"A little, I think," his voice was still a little more husky than usual.
"Good," Roy took a sip of his own drink, letting the fire burn away the thought of what else might make the kid's voice sound like that as it slid down. He had to stop thinking like this, it was getting dangerous. It was probably a good thing that Breda came back right then with the ice, a small tub of water and a few towels because Roy may have said something stupid. Or poured himself another drink.
Havoc breezed into the office a moment later with a plastic first aid kit under his arm and Roy waved the two of them to leave their findings on the short coffee table in front of the couch.
"Thank you. Your dismissed," he kept his tone curt and the warning for them not to disturb him was clear. Breda just shrugged and moved to leave but Havoc pulled the characteristic cigarette from between his lips and his eyebrows climbed his forehead, rolling his eye suggestively at the blond boy on the couch (who thankfully remained oblivious). Rot gave the man his most caustic glare, which was pretty substantial, but Havoc just smirked as he backed from the room. Damn him and his infuriating timing at becoming observant. Roy kicked himself. Had he really been that transparent? Double damn.
Roy sighed and rubbed his face with the palm of his hand then turned his attention back to Ed who was rummaging through the first aid kit idly, still holding his ribs tightly. With practiced calm, Roy grabbed come ice and wrapped it in a towel then moved so he was kneeling in front of the teen who had found a roll of gauze and was currently attempting to free it from the plastic wrapping with his teeth. Yet when Roy went to press the make shift ice pack against the teen's bruised eye, Ed flinched away, staring at him in surprise.
"What are you doing?" he asked, sounding a little nervous. Hmm, and why should he be nervous? Roy rolled his eyes.
"It'll make the swelling go down," he said patiently, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Ed was still staring at him, a look of uncertainty flickering across his face. Hang on, was that a blush?
"I mean, you are you doing it?" definitely a blush and it was decidedly adorable on the boy. Roy blinked then frowned, hating himself for thinking an eighteen year old boy was attractive and dropped the icy towel on Ed's lap.
"Then you do it," to which he received a puzzled look. Roy just studied Ed for a moment as the smaller of the two slowly picked up the ice pack on his lap and brought it up to press against his eye with a grateful wince. His hair was coming out of its normally neat braid, golden strands brushing against his shoulders. The nasty cut across his cheek had crusted over, the rusty blood from the opening still smeared vividly against the tanned skin. His lips were pale but other than that and the occasional faint wince, he barely showed his pain. It made Roy think about what he heard about what someone had to go through when getting automail affixed to their body and realized this kid had to have some hell of a pain threshold.
"Thanks," it was grudging and quiet but it was said with the accompaniment of that lovely, barely perceptible flush. From that moment on, Roy knew he was lost. Whatever denial he might have had up to this point was gone; he was attracted to Ed. To cover up his discomfiture, he busied himself with dampening another towel in the cool bowl of water, answering Ed with a quiet grunt of acknowledgement. When he looked up again, Ed's one visible eye was locked on Roy's face, sharp and clear, the gold hiding whatever he might have been thinking.
"I'm going to clean the cut on your face, if that's okay," Roy said quietly, indicating to the damp towel in his hands. The blond nodded, expression unreadable, and kept his eyes steady on Roy's face as the dark haired man began methodically wiping the blood away from the angry looking injury, trying to be as gentle as possible.
It was quiet for a long moment, the only sound being Ed's shallow breathing and the occasional sound of water being squeezed into the bowl as Roy rinsed out the rag. The single golden eye remained fixed on Roy, taking in every movement, squinting every time Roy gently dragged the wet towel over the cut. He avoided making eye contact while he worked but when all the excess blood had been wiped away, Roy sat back on his heels and allowed himself to be sucked into a golden pool. They were quiet for a moment longer, the silence thick and heavy until Roy couldn't take it anymore. He broke eye contact first by turning to rummage through the first aid kit.
"What happened?" he asked, finding the little pieces of tape to hold the cut closed and turned back to Ed, where the blond had finally lowered his gaze to his lap. His shrug was almost invisible.
"I got into a fight," he said simply, avoiding the real question. Roy paused in applying the little white strips, knuckles brushing against the soft skin by accident. He hoped he hid the resulting shiver well but Ed was too busy studying his automail to notice. Trying to cover up his unease, Roy sat back again and growled,
"Yes, I can see that. You seem to get into a lot of those. That wasn't what I was asking," Ed looked back up through his blond bangs, still holding the ice to his eye, expression guarded. Then he sighed.
"There's this guy from school, he's had it out for me since freshmen year. He picks a fight with me just about every week. I used to lose those at first but lately I've been able to hold my own. I guess he figured if he caught me at a bad time he could win," he winced here, gesturing to his ribs, "I guess he was right," Roy arched an eyebrow at the teen.
"What did you do to make him hate you so much?" he asked, amused despite himself. Apparently Ed caught the tone and Roy found his glare was in no way compromised when cut in half.
"He wants my brother," the dark look and the shocking statement caught Roy off guard so that he could only gap unintelligibly, "Al's too nice to tell people to fuck off so I did it for him and ever since then, Envy attempts to beat the crap out of me,"
"I see," Roy said slowly, thinking about the tall boy for a moment and wondered is maybe Ed was mixed up and this Envy punk was actually attracted to Ed. Al was a handsome kid but Ed was just…
"Yeah, I know," Ed was saying, then he shrugged again, shifting the ice filled towel from his blackening eye to look squarely at Roy, who was beginning to lose feeling in his feet as he knelt in front of the couch, "Keeps me on my toes, I guess," Roy took note of the forced smile and just nodded, preferring to keep what he thought of the whole thing to himself. He was about to ask if this was the same kid that Ed had beat into the cafeteria floor the first time they met when Riza swept into the room with an older, dark haired man wearing a white lab coat in toe. Roy rose easily to his feet and greeted the man with a smile.
"Dr. Marco. Thank you for taking time to help me out," To which he earned a stern look not unlike the ones he usually earned from his Lt.
"It's certainly not the first time, Colonel, nor is it likely to be the last," a wave of guilty acknowledgement swept through Roy and he was grateful when that sharp gaze turned away from him to focus on Ed, who was watching the exchange with interest, "This the kid?" he asked without waiting for any response Roy may have come up for the man's greeting. To his amusement, Roy saw the sensitive blond bristle like a cat being rubbed the wrong way and couldn't stop the grin.
"Yes, this is Edward. It seems he had a bit of an accident on the way here. Edward, this is Dr. Marco," Ed nodded politely despite how much he seemed to still want to put Marco in his place about the kid comment and Roy backed away to lean against his desk as the doctor examined the teen.
"I must say, I'm glad it's not you this time, Mustang. It was getting tiresome," said Marco gruffly as he examined Ed's puffy and bruised eye calmly before moving lower to find out the extent of the damage down to the ribs. Roy just laughed easily, letting the veiled insult to slide. The office got quiet after that as the doctor had Ed undo his shirt, running blunt fingers over the dark bruises on the boy's side, making Ed wince. The blond had quite the physic, more graceful muscle on his frame than Roy had originally thought, all carefully toned and covered in a layer of tan skin. All that gold and on a person no less. It really was a shame about those bruises. He could see pale scars peeking out from under the open shirt where the automail was bolted to Ed's right shoulder. Somehow, instead of marring the perfection that was Ed, it only aided in making it more beautiful.
A movement outside the office door caught his attention and he found Riza watching him from the doorway, an expression on her face that he wasn't sure he liked. He just offered her a bland look that suggested he had no idea what she could mean by giving him such a look. Except they both knew he did. Damn her and her perceptiveness. She certainly lived up to her name and while it came in handy most times, he wished it didn't in these types of cases; especially if he was involved.
Ed was looking at him when he turned back, eyes still giving nothing away. It made Roy wonder just how transparent he actually was. Riza knew. She had probably had it figured out as soon as they had laid eyes on Ed. Havoc had something figured out but Roy wasn't too worried because who knew what went on in the twisted confines that were Havoc's mind. Yet now was he met Ed's gaze again, he wondered.
It was probably a good thing Marco finished wrapping Ed's torso then, because Roy was about to drown in gold.
"Well," Marco started, closing up his bag and eyeing the blond as he buttoned up his shirt again, "You have three broken ribs and another one is cracked. There isn't much I can do for rib injuries except tell you to keep them tightly wrapped and don't do any strenuous activity for at least two and a half weeks. Good news is these kinds of breaks heal fast. Bed rest helps. And no more fights, young man," Ed bit his lip and Roy could almost see the retort before it slipped past the seal of Ed's lips. Instead, he nodded and thanked the doctor quietly. The next thing the older man said made the Roy;s skin prickle unpleasantly.
"You have some extensive automail prosthetics, Edward. Do you mind if I ask how you got them?" Roy sucked in a sharp breath and Ed stiffened visibly, keeping his eyes on his toes.
"Yes. I mind you asking. Sorry," his voice feel like drops of ice to the floor, shattering against the polished wood. Roy's chest ached but Marco just nodded in an understanding gesture and moved towards the door.
"Not at all, I'm sorry for prying. Remember what I said about the rest and the fighting," another wordless nod. Roy walked the doctor to the door of the outside office, thanking him again.
"Colonel," Marco turned to him suddenly as Roy was about to turn away, "You know, three broken ribs is nothing to sneeze at and your boy in there made not one sound as I set the bones. He's made of strong stuff, that one. You should make sure he doesn't slip away," Something snagged at the words "your boy" and he smiled at Marco.
"I don't plan to, Dr. Marco. Thanks again for coming," a nod and a short salute later and Roy was back in the office to find Ed already changed in another shirt Fuery had brought back without Roy noticing and standing with his back to the door at the rather unorganized bookshelves. The shirt, a dark navy blue, was a tad too big but the blond had tucked it into his jeans and rolled the sleeves to his elbows, metal arm glinting in the light. Roy cleared his throat and noted that Ed's face was too controlled when he turned to look at him.
"We should get going," he said quietly, ignoring voices from his subordinates in the other room as they rose in another argument. If it got out of hand, Riza would take care of it. A confused look crossed Ed's face them, the bruise over his eye livid and angry.
"Going?" he asked, slender fingers playing with the watch on his belt loop. Roy grinned.
"To meet your surperiors, or have you forgotten already? You seem to have a short memory span," he teased and was satisfied when Ed flushed furiously, fists balling at his sides.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH BRAINS TO REMEMBER THINGS?!" thankfully, some things don't change. It was amazing the kid could draw in enough air with his injuries to raise his voice to such decibels. Roy's smirk grew.
"You, Ed! Now let's go, we're late as it is!" he followed a fuming Ed from the room and let the smirk become a full blown grin. Yup, it was good that no matter what some people were who they were and damn anyone who didn't like it. It certainly made things more interesting.
To be continued...