Nine
Roy
Finding the room Al was in was easy as he was the only civilian in the military hospital they had brought him to and Roy was quickly being pointed down a short, sterile hall way on the second floor hoping that the younger Elric boy was in better condition now than he had been when he'd last seen him.
He almost hesitated when he spotted the number 204 on the wall next to one of the doors, realizing he had no idea what to say to Ed. There really was no reason for him to even be there. The few times that he had interacted with Al, he had always been thinking about the blonde's older brother. Even now, that was the case. Roy shook his head, exasperated with himself. Al was probably not even awake yet anyway and while he hoped that Al was going to be alright, he had come to see Ed. Squaring his shoulders and telling himself there was nothing intimidating about a short blond teenager, abet a beautiful one he was infatuated with, he walked the last few steps to the door, stealing quietly into the room.
Al was indeed still asleep, his chest exposed to reveal the bandages wrapped that wrapped around his entire torso and up to his chin. A bandage was also tied tightly around his head and it struck Roy then how close the boy had come to dying that afternoon. If Ed had come any later, they would still be mopping Al's blood from the entire street. He swallowed thickly. Al was a good kid; he'd liked him the handful of times he had talked with the boy. Nobody deserved to go through something like this but it made him that much more angry when he thought of the boy's sweet disposition and his dedication to his brother. Roy gritted his teeth and turned his attention to the teen sitting in a chair next to the bed, half sprawled over his brother's legs, hair out of its normal braid and spread around his sleeping face which was relaxed and absurdly young looking. It was the hair that caught his attention. Shining gold strands caught on the rough material of the hospital blanket and he was struck with a sudden desire to see if the pale locks were as soft as they looked.
His body was moving without his permission, his breath stuck in his chest as he leaned down and his fingers slid discreetly into the blond mass, silken strands like water over his fingers. Momentarily, he lost himself in the sensation just drinking in the way the hair flowed back to the bed like it was made of liquid and his hand tingled at the silky touch. It was the sigh to his left that made him jerk back and swivel his head so he was caught in amused amber pools. Al had woken up.
"Hey, Colonel," Al's lips were curled in a little smile but it seemed he wasn't going to say anything about what he had seen, to Roy's immense relief. That didn't stop a flustered blush to paint itself faintly over his pale cheekbones and he forced himself not to clear his throat in embarrassment.
"How are you feeling, Alphonse?" he asked, turning his attention to the taller boy, watching him calmly. It amazed him how self possessed the younger Elric was and Roy again found himself wondering about the teens' past. Now Al was glancing down at his chest and making a face, examining the wrappings with some interest.
"As well as can be expected, I guess," the dark gold gaze turned to him then and Roy cringed at the look on the handsome face, "I'm really lucky, aren't I? To be alive, I mean," to which Roy sighed and pulled up the other chair in the room up next to the where Ed was fast asleep and plopped into it.
"I won't pretend that if your brother hadn't gotten there when he did, you wouldn't be here right now," he responded quietly, "Ed saved your life, getting there when he did," Al looked away, his face several degrees paler than usual, eyes resting on his brother's face that was pillowed on his knees. Roy waited patiently as the younger Elric absorbed the fact that he had just narrowly escaped death. Finally, after a long moment of silence, the tall blond turned back and gave Roy a long, shadowed look.
"Will he come back, you think? The Isvalite?" Roy blinked then frowned. So Al knew. Roy leaned back in his chair and regarded the direct stare with his own dark gaze.
"He attacks alchemists. The problem is that we don't really know how he's getting his information and thus we don't know what his real motive is, except revenge, which is difficult to predict," he paused as Al's dropped to the blanket, plucking at it with unsteady fingers.
"He said that God sent him," he said softly and Roy let out a surprised huff of air. Great. That just made the man even more unpredictable. He was fairly certain that if this was a religious kick, he'd be back to finish what he started. Al must have seen Roy's already pale face lose what little color it held because the teen swallowed dryly and the Colonel was left at a loss as a sudden need to comfort the boy rose up in him and nearly choked him. He just couldn't find the words.
"He'll be back for us, won't he?" the amber eyes honed in on Roy's face and he couldn't find it in himself to lie.
"You're in a military hospital so you should be safe here, I will request having a third guard assigned to this floor…" they both knew that it would be insufficient if the need for the third guard arose but all the same, it seemed to ease some of the tension that had been etched on Al's face. Amber eyes suddenly turned pleading turned on Roy then.
"Please, take care of Ed. He's hot headed and I'm worried he'll do something stupid. If he should do anything, I mean, if anything should happen—" Roy held up his hand to stem the worried onslaught of words, somewhat impressed that even as injured as he was, Al was still more concerned for Ed's well being.
"Don't worry, Alphonse, I'll make sure nothing happens to Ed," ever. He didn't say the last word aloud but it strummed through his veins and he couldn't help but look at the still-sleeping face of the older Elric. When he looked back, Al had already closed his eyes again, looking as if he aged ten years in seconds.
"I know, Colonel," the boy whispered and was asleep the next moment, leaving Roy to wonder how much the boy did know. Probably more than he'd like him to as he'd seen the Colonel running his fingers through Ed's hair. Roy sighed, slouching in his chair and scrubbed his face with one hand. The ponderings of a warm shower and losing himself in his bed seemed like such a welcoming notion, he almost leveled himself to his feet and left but he caught a glimpse of Ed's face and stilled in the chair.
What a fool he was, to have allowed himself to fall so deep for someone he had barely known for more than a month. He wasn't in love with the boy yet but he was getting close. He settled back into the chair and cross his legs with a sigh. Ed couldn't be left alone watching over his brother. Roy doubted that he could convince the boy to leave but thinking about the blond living in the hospital by himself while Al healed made his heart clench painfully
Dark bangs fell over his face as he propped one elbow on the arm of the chair and rested his elbow in the palm of his hand, eyes fixed on the beautiful face of a sleeping Ed. He took in the thick gold eyelashes brushing against tan cheeks and the way an errant strand was caught up in the gentle pull and push of the teen's breathing. The full lips were parted gently and he could feel the pull himself, drawn towards the boy even without moving his body. How would it be, (here the thought slipped past his guards) to touch that soft skin again as the memory still made him shiver and how would it taste to capture those lips with his own. Despite how Roy knew he shouldn't be entertaining such thoughts about the blond, as he sat there, eyes growing heavy as the affects of the day set in, he just couldn't bring himself to care. The last thought on his mind as Roy slipped reluctantly into the seductive arms of sleep was how wonderful it would be to run his fingers through the sunny strands of Ed's hair while the boy was awake and watching him with those beautiful yellow eyes. Even in his dreams, the memory of Ed's smile was breathtaking.
Ed
Awareness came to him in lapping waves, fragments of thoughts slowly becoming more coherent until he was finally able to crack his eyelids open. A wide expanse of soft blue appeared before his eyes and he blinked a few times to bring his gaze into focus. Only the blue never focused so with a groan, he lifted himself into a sitting position, taking in the bed that had become his pillow and the reason why his neck protested when he tried to turn it a certain way. For a moment he gazed at the occupant of the bed he'd been sleeping on, his brother's face quiet in sleep. The sight of the bandages reminded him all over again at how close he had been to losing his brother. Again. As though he was likely to forget. Al looked tried even as he slept, dark shadows under his closed eyes. Ed ran distracted fingers through his hair, frowning and clenching his teeth, somewhat annoyed that his hair was loose but not caring enough to put it back up. The sight of his brother weighed on him too much. He had promised he would never let anything happen to Al all those years ago but here he was, in the hospital because he had nearly been torn to shreds and Ed had nearly not made it in time. Again. Guilt washed over him in battering waves as he stared at his brother's face, fury at himself nearly choking him.
A soft sigh to his right startled him and he turned quickly to find none other than Colonel Mustang slouched in one of the uncomfortable hospital chairs next to him, head tipped back against the back of the chair, fast asleep. Ed stared. What the hell was he doing here? And why hadn't he woken up when the man came in? The older man had his arms crossed over his chest and his legs were spread out in front of him, disappearing under the hospital bed. His dark hair fell against the chair back and his mouth was open, warm breath sighing past his parted lips. Ed couldn't stop staring. The man was actually cute like that and while Ed had never once thought that word would ever apply to the Colonel, there was no other word to call him as Ed watched him sleep.
Disturbed more than he liked to admit by the direction his thoughts had turned, he extracted himself from his chair and quietly made his way around Roy's chair, taking care not to wake him. They had all had a long day and while it was a mystery why the man was asleep in his brother's hospital room rather than in his own bed, Ed still felt bad waking him up. He made his way out of the room, straightening out his hair with his fingers as he did so and into hall, aiming for the waiting area and something warm to drink. Thankfully the cappuccino machine also had a hot chocolate option because he really didn't feel like choking down anything that tasted even remotely like coffee. The rich smell of chocolate washed over him as the thin stream of brown liquid flowed from the machine and his stomach twinged painfully, reminding him he had once again gone a whole day without eating.
Ed walked back to the room sipping his steaming drink, not caring that he was scalding his tongue in the process and cradling a second cup against his chest for the sleeping Colonel. Ed somehow thought that the man probably preferred coffee but the hot chocolate was surprisingly good and he felt a little bad going back to the room with nothing for Roy.
Neither Al nor Roy had moved when he walked back into the room, the dark haired man still looking annoyingly irresistible tilted back in his chair the way he was. Ed sighed and placed the second cup of steaming chocolate on a table next to the bed and just leaned his hip against the bed, waiting for who knows how long for someone to wake up.
Roy must have smelt the hot chocolate because it was only a minute later that he was uttering a sigh, making Ed turn to look at him so he caught the sharp intake of breath as the man came to sharply, jerking upright in his seat with a comical groggily surprised look on his face. The dark eyes blinked away sleep a couple of times as he caught he bearings then the Roy was looking at Ed, who realized belatedly is hair was still spread around his shoulders and just offered a grin to the man.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty. Have a nice nap?" he teased before taking a sip of the wonderfully hot chocolate, loving the discomfited glare he was receiving from the Colonel. The dark haired man ran distracted fingers through his shaggy locks and then yawned. Amused, Ed watched, eyes following the strong hands as they tugged the uniform jacket back into some sort of neatness. The blond gestured to the extra cup steaming on the table near Roy's elbow. "I hope you like hot chocolate because I got you some," the older man looked at the cup in surprise then offered Ed a small, grateful smile.
"That's fine, thank you," the smooth voiced was still husky from sleep and Ed had to consciously loosen his grip on his cup unless he crush it when the sudden thought that he really liked the way Roy sounded upon waking interjected itself into the forefront of his mind. Roy took a careful sip from his cup, steam momentarily obscuring his features. "Are you okay?" the worried question took Ed off guard and he blinked a few moments, cradling his half empty cup to his chest before answering.
"I'm fine," he said then finished off the cooling chocolate in a few quick gulps, avoiding the dark gaze he knew was searching his profile. There was a short silence in which Roy sipped from his cup, watching Ed carefully and Ed stared down at his brother's sleeping face, guilt threatening to rise again. Then there was a sharp movement as Roy as he stood from his chair and stepped closer to Ed, who swiveled around to look at him. The man looked calm, composed but his eyes looked a little uncertain.
"I spoke to your brother earlier and I think it would be best if you stayed with me. At least until Al is better. Scar knows your face. I don't like the idea of you being by yourself. We're scouring the city but as of yet, there's been no sightings," The suggestion threw Ed off guard and he didn't like the way his heart sped up as he stared at the Colonel, wondering if this was some sort of trick.
"But, I was just going to stay here with Al and—" he was cut off by a weak tug on his sleeve and a soft,
"Brother," and he whipped around to find his younger brother gazing up at him past the dark bruises around his eyes. He looked completely exhausted but his lips were pressed into a thin line of determination that Ed recognized as futile to argue against. He turned to make a fuss over his brother in hopes that the younger boy would give in and relent to the much need sleep, muttering,
"You should be sleeping, Al," only to have his wrist caught by Al in a surprisingly strong grip.
"I'm fine here by myself. It's probably the safest place in Central for me to be. You should go get some sleep," Even though he knew he couldn't win this argument, he felt it was necessary to try.
"I can just sleep on the couch in the waiting room," he protested but the furious glare he received cut off whatever else he might had said abruptly.
"Ed, shut up and go get some sleep. I'll feel better if you weren't alone," Ed looked from Al to Roy, still considering debating it but when his swung his eyes back to his brother, he slumped in defeat. When Al said his name, he usually meant business, though he couldn't really do much being bed ridden. The other teen was right, though. He would be safer with Roy, though it would probably be awkward as hell. Ed sighed and ran distracted fingers through disorderly gold strands.
"Fine. Just…get better, okay?" he mumbled and glared at the look of triumph that washed over his brother's face, hating it that he'd agreed to this. Well, he wanted to hate it but the thought of sleeping at Roy's house sounded more than good. He did hate that it sounded so appealing. He was looked up in time to see Roy give his brother a slight nod, as if this was all planned already. Irrationally annoyed, Ed stepped back from the bed with a huff.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Al. Get some sleep," and without acknowledging the Colonel, swept from the room, not really caring if the man followed or not. He felt kind of guilty as Al called after him, laughter thick in his voice,
"You too, brother!" Ed expelled a huff of air and only stomped down to the end of the hall before stopping to wait for Roy, propping his shoulder on the wall next to the elevator doors and scowling darkly. He knew he probably looked like a sulking child but at the moment he didn't care. At least he didn't look nervous because he was more that than sulky and he didn't want anyone, especially the darkly sexy Colonel that was striding down the hall towards him now to know that. Even while the idea of staying at Roy's was extremely appealing, it terrified him at the same time, in a stomach lurching, mouth drying kind of way. Roy was his crush (Ed winced inwardly at that word because it sounded so…teenage but then again, he was a teenager) and the thought of staying at his house made the butterflies morph into angry cats trying to claw themselves free up his throat.
Roy stopped in front of him and gave him that smirk that always seemed to make Ed's knees go weak, which he covered up with a glare of his own.
"Why do you look so smug, you bastard?" he snarled as the older man punched the down button for the elevator and then stepped back to eye Ed with his ever widening smirk. He gave a casual shrug and Ed realized he wasn't sure he liked that gleam in those dark eyes.
"I just like the way you look with your hair down, that's all," Well, Ed certainly wasn't expecting that. He was left speechless, his mouth opening but there were no words ready so he just shut it again with a click of his teeth, probably looking like the world's biggest idiot. Blinking rapidly, trying to figure out if he had heard the Colonel correctly but when he turned to look at the other man, who was already stepping on to the elevator that he hadn't heard open next to him, he just saw a small, secret smile on the Colonel's face that offered nothing. Thoroughly confused, he absently followed the taller man onto the elevator, doors sliding shut behind him, closing him in with a handsome Colonel and his own confusion.
What he couldn't figure out was why Roy had said that. It was obviously meant to mess with Ed's head, which was working by the way because it was the most arbitrary comment ever to be directed in his direction but it made that nervousness rage hotter, turning him incoherent and at a loss. He followed Roy in silence, mulling over the comment as they passed from the building and into the parking garage, where he spotted the sleek black corvette and walked to it, careful to remain behind the Colonel. The offhand comment gnawed at him so that even during the ride to a part of the city he'd only been to a handful of times he remained lost, brooding and missing the looks he kept getting from the Colonel. It was probably a good thing because the glances probably would have just confused him even more.
He wanted to hope that the comment meant what he thought it did but how could a man like Roy who was more than ten years his senior be attracted to a kid like him? He couldn't, that's how. But then why say what he said?
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice that they had stopped and Roy had parked his car until the driver's side door opened and a waft of cool night air washed over him with an amused prod from Roy.
"Earth to Ed," Ed jumped, startled then looked around, realizing that they were now parked in an unfamiliar garage and Roy was looking at him, somewhat concerned but he could see amusement beginning to win out. The older man made a vague gesture. "We're here," yup, he was laughing at him. Growling to himself, Ed extracted himself from the passenger seat and followed Roy in silence through a door in the garage and into a dark space of what he assumed was Roy's house.
There was movement to his right and with a little click, he was blinking in the sudden light of a semi-tidy laundry room and the sight of the Colonel leaning against the door post, pulling his boots off. He sighed and followed suit, dumping his own shoes next to Roy's, glad to see that the man wasn't a neat freak as there was still a pile of laundry waiting to be folded on the dryer and a couple pairs of shoes scattered around the floor. Roy ignored his scrutiny for walking from the room, turning lights on as he went. The blond watched the older man's back as it disappeared around the corner and collapsed against the door for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. He was in Roy's house. It was almost surreal and he had no idea what to say or do or how to stop feeling so awkward and unbalanced. With a sigh and a swift swipe through his hair, he straightened and set off out of the room and into the small hallway in search of the dark haired Colonel.
The hallway emptied into a spacious kitchen and dining room, all the furnishings conservative and functional, leaving a lot of open space. The kitchen appliances were all a brushed silver and the table and chairs of dark wood with straight lines. The ceilings arched high above his head and the lighting fixture that hung over the dining table shone on the hard wood floors and the matching wood planks that covered the entirety of the walls and ceiling. The wood gave the space a warm, homey feeling that put Ed at ease a little bit as did the vase of dusky white roses on the table. Roy himself was nowhere to be found though there was a light on around the corner by the kitchen counter that he guessed led to the bedrooms so he walked in the opposite direction towards a dark room adjoining the dining room and flicked on the light.
If he wasn't so delighted with what he saw, he would have controlled the huge grin that spread across his face. Instead of a living room, Roy had a very comfortable and rather large private library. Two long windows were the only pieces of the wall that didn't have a shelf holding all different sizes of books and even the windows had cozy little seats under them. An over sized chair sat in one corner with a table laboring under at least twenty more leather bound volumes and a floor lamp that glowed brightly. A matching leather love seat sat snugly in another corner, its feet buried in a soft blue throw rug. Yellow eyes taking the warm comfort of the room, Ed realized he could see himself curled up in one of the plush window seats with one of the books spread open on his knees.
Entranced, he wandered along the walls, eagerly reading the titles that were crammed somewhat haphazardly on the wooden shelves. There were books on just about every subject, though mostly they were on alchemy, which wasn't all that surprising. He was brought up short when he reached a section tucked away in a corner near the chair, though. Here the genres had changed from informative and scientific to classics and novels. He browsed the titles, having heard of none of them as he really only read books that informed but he was intrigued and randomly pulled out a title that caught his attention. Catch 22, huh? He flipped through a couple pages, curious, eyes quickly scanning the worn and dog eared pages.
He was curled up in the big, fluffy chair, legs tucked underneath him and his nose buried in the well read book when Roy finally reappeared. He was saying something as he appeared in the doorway but the sound itself remained distant as the printed words held Ed ensnared and it wasn't until the taller man was standing over him, clutching clothes to his chest and frowning down at Ed who was extracting himself from the story with an effort to blink owlishly up at the man. Roy had changed from his uniform into a comfortable looking pair of jeans and a neat, blue button down shirt, his feet bare on the carpet. It was then Ed realized he had never seen the man in anything else but his military uniform and his mouth went dry. Was it fair for anyone to look that good?
"Huh?" he said rather unintelligibly to which Roy smirked down at him, words still swirling behind his eyes. The older man leaned down and freed a hand so he could tilt the book to see the title.
"Ah, found the good stuff, I see," his voice held that sexy smile he didn't wear nearly enough and Ed was momentarily distracted until he realized Roy was asking him something, "Any good so far?" Ed blinked again and tore his eyes away, no longer interested in the book in his lap.
"If good means long winded than yeah," he answered and was rewarded with Roy's deep laugh. The sound made his pulse jump and he forced himself to focus on the rough pages under his finger tips.
"That it is. Anyway, I'm going to make dinner, if you're interested and here's a change of clothes so you don't have to stay in that uniform all night," Ed had perked up at the mention of food and accepted the clothes gratefully, though he highly doubted they were going to fit. Roy was already walking from the room, his words floating to Ed as he walked away, "You want spaghetti and meatballs?" just the mention made the blonde's mouth water and he followed the Colonel from the room, enthusiasm obvious.
"That sounds awesome! I haven't eaten all day," the older man laughed as Ed plopped down at one of the stools at the counter to watch as Roy pulled out a pot and started on their dinner, his precise, graceful movements suggesting he was well practiced at operating a kitchen. They were quiet was Roy worked and Ed drank in everything the man did as he leaned his elbow on the counter and rested his chin in the crook of his arm, plucking at the golden strands of his hair absently. He had come to the conclusion that while Roy certainly looked handsome and confident in his uniform he was almost untouchable, unattainable. Now he looked more human in his loose shirt and lord, Ed wanted to touch him.
"You know, you could go change. Those uniforms are not the most comfortable things in the world," Roy's voice jerked him from his thoughts and Ed smiled sheepishly as the dark eyes cut to him for a moment before they went back to the task of making the tomato sauce, "The bathroom's down the hall," Ed could feel his flush starting as he had been caught staring but as he slid off the stool and looked quickly at the Colonel again, he could have sworn he saw pink glowing faintly across what he could see of pale cheeks.
Now completely baffled, Ed found the bathroom down another short, tidy hallway, hugging the borrowed clothes to his chest. It was cute and small with just a sink and a toilet and besides the blue towels and wall color, it was once again bare and simple except for a small little corner shelf by the sink that held another vase and a single dark purple iris. Ed looked at it askance as he dumped the armful of clothes to the floor and shut the door. What was with Roy and flowers?
Surprisingly enough, the clothes almost fit him perfectly even if they were a little worn and he wondered at them. Surely any of Roy's clothes would be much too big for him but the white t-shirt was even a little bit snug and he only had to roll the bottoms of the dark jeans once. The image on the mirror hanging over the sink was tried and ragged, a smudge of blood still on his neck near his ear and he ended up sticking his whole head into the sink, scrubbing at his hair. He watched the strands get caught in the water's little current, swirling around like little golden streamers. With a snort, he shut the water off and scrubbed at his head, feeling a little more refreshed before pulling his hair up into a pony tail with the band residing on his metal wrist.
Roy was just finishing setting the table when Ed walked back into the kitchen, his uniform folded under one arm and mouth watering at the smell of the meatballs and sauce hit him.
"Mmm, that smells soo good…" he almost groaned, making Roy laugh as the blond tip-toed to the stove and peered into one of the pots to see the red tomato sauce simmering away. Roy shooed him away good naturedly.
"I see the clothes fit," the taller man said off handedly as he stirred the sauce a few more times as Ed leaned against the counter again to watch him.
"Yeah, they do, thanks. They aren't yours, are they?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him. Though Ed really wouldn't mind if he was wearing Roy's clothes. The taller man gave him a perfunctory glance as he pulled the pot of sauce from the stove and walked it to the table to join the covered bowl of spaghetti and a basket of bread already waiting for them.
"They aren't mine," Roy said as Ed joined him at the table, both of them sitting and Ed wasted no time before dipping into the bread basket and tearing into a slice. Roy watched him in amusement while spooning some spaghetti into his plate.
"Oh?" it came out muffled around the mouthful of bread and Ed eagerly accepted the bowl of macaroni when Roy was finished and dumped almost half of what was left into his plate.
"They're some of Riza's old clothes, from when she used to stay over. I figured mine wouldn't fit you, as your—"he cut off at a warning glare from Ed, though even if Roy had said the dreaded words, the younger man wouldn't have been able to say much as his mouth was occupied with the best spaghetti and meatballs he had ever eaten. Surprised and slightly distracted, he swallowed and appraised Roy for a moment, who was twirling his fork in his own food, a small smile still on his face.
"This is really good!" Ed said and earned himself another amused look.
"You sound surprised," to which Ed just shrugged and happily ate a few more bites before the abandoned subject of the clothes came back to him. Trying to sound unconcerned, he asked the next question with his eyes on his plate and away from whatever he might find on Roy's face.
"Did you and the Lt. ever date?" Ed wasn't sure what he had been expecting but it wasn't the startled, choking laugh he received as an answer and he looked up to see Roy gulping from his water glass, face red. Why was that funny?
"Lord, no," The man finally choked out, looking strangled and amused, "I was having a hard time sleeping after the war and it was better if there was someone here, that's all," Ed blinked, seeing the shadow that had appeared behind the dark eyes still glittering in amusement. They didn't say anything for a long while as Ed became more interested in filling his empty stomach than anything else but once they were finishing, Roy mentioned something on some obscure subject Ed had read something on once and the conversation didn't slow for almost an hour and a half. It wasn't until Roy deliberately added a teasing note to something he was saying and Ed decided that the man was poking fun at his height did he decided to interrupt with a spectacular comeback (which was more like an incensed screech) but Roy just laughed it off and began clearing the table.
Ed dried the dishes as Roy washed them and they kept up an interesting back and forth of bantering as they did, jabbing and prodding with snide remarks and snapped retorts that were harmless and had suppressed laughter choking up in the back of Ed's throat. The light hearted teasing made him feel better than he had all week and he decided the easy smile that curled on Roy's lips was unbelievably sexy. He had to go and ruin it, though, as they were just outing the last of the plates away (well, Roy was as Ed had no idea where anything went) by succumbing to a jaw cracking yawn that the older man caught in the corner of his eyes and decided it was too good of a teasing opportunity to pass up.
"Is it past the little bean's bed time?" the man positively cooed and Ed glared fiercely.
"It's almost one. Its after any sane person's bed time," he snapped back, already fighting back another yawn. Though in reality, Ed usually went to bed after three every night, regardless of when he had to get up the next morning. Roy just laughed and closed the cabinet that housed the plates.
"Alright, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping," Ed followed the taller man as he left the kitchen, turning off all the lights as he went.
"You have a nice place here," Ed said as the silence suddenly got uncomfortable, watching Roy as they ascended the stairs to the second floor past a dark room Ed hadn't seen and the front door. Roy looked at the shorter blond over his shoulder, catching Ed being distracted by the view of the part of Roy that was directly in front of him.
"Thank you. It gets the job done," he almost snorted at the offhanded appreciation but held it in, pulling himself up the rest of the stairs in silence. Gets the job done indeed. The place was more than three times as big as his own apartment and despite its simplicity, it was classy and reflective of everything that he thought of Roy. The second floor was strangely designed with just one room and then a second, smaller flight of stairs that branched off into two doors, probably a bathroom and another bedroom. Roy stopped at the first door on his right, flicking on the light and stepping back.
"I'm giving you a day off tomorrow," he started as Ed stopped on the other side of the door, eyes sweeping large guest room quickly. A huge queen bed was pushed against the far wall, covered in a dark comforter. The room was painted a deep, rich blue and all the furniture was the same dark wood as everything down stairs. There was a night stand next to the bed and a small, blank desk near the door. He took this all in a quick glance, taking note of the small round vase of violets on the desk top.
"A day off?" he asked with an enthusiastic smile, earning an arched eyebrow and smirk from Roy.
"Yeah, so you can spend it with your brother and you won't be so distracted at work," here Ed scowled but remained silent as it was a probably true comment, "I'll drive you to the hospital. I just have a few things to do at the office tomorrow and then we can go get some of your stuff from your place," and he's thoughtful too. Ed swallowed then plastered a smile on his face.
"Thank you, Colonel. I really appreciate this," the returned smile was much appreciated.
"You're very welcome, Edward. The bathroom is to your left up the stairs and I'm right down the hall if you need anything," Ed nodded and the taller man lifted his hand slightly as a good night before turning and walking up the hall. Ed watched him for a moment then blurted out what had been nagging at the back of his mind the entire night.
"Why do you have flowers in every room?" Roy stopped at the top of the small flight of stairs and turned to face the blond as he leaned against the door frame. His pale face was shadowed but Ed could seen him momentarily bite bottom lip, the first time he'd ever seen the older man drop that cloak of confidence he always seemed to wear. Another thing to add to the list of things he wanted to see Roy do again.
"I like flowers. They help with being alone. Goodnight, Ed," and he was gone, disappearing into the bathroom. Shaking himself, the blond slipped back into the borrowed bedroom, closing the door quietly behind him. His heart ached as he thought about the look of Roy's face before he had turned; one of pain and bleak acceptance. He didn't know what it felt like to be so alone, as he had always had Al around but a place right where his heart beat steadily in his chest throbbed fiercely as he slowly stripped to his boxers and flicked the light off before crawling under the covers of the large, comfortable bed.
Fatigue settled over him almost immediately but his last thoughts were of that shadowed look in a set of dark, slanted eyes and what he could do to make it go away, too tired to care why he was so concerned with Roy's wellbeing. He succumbed to sleep the minute his head hit the pillow and everything else was forgotten as bliss swept over him.
**
Darkness undulated around him, pulling at his limbs, his body until he didn't know what way was up. A voice was calling to him, pulling him towards something, something dark, something evil.
The light hit him like a wall and there were hand's all over him, dragging him towards that gate, the one that was swinging open to the sound of hysterical laughter and his own screams. His arm and leg were being unraveled all over again and he was sobbing, begging, screaming but the gate was still opening and he couldn't escape…
Then the dream changed, shifted and he was no longer being dragged towards a towering gate that wanted to swallow his soul but was crouched in an unfamiliar street that was decimated and full of rubble and pools of stagnant blood. He looked down and realized his was crouching over a prone body, shattered and lifeless.
Another look told him it was Al.
He couldn't scream because he was being pinned by large, unforgiving hands that were surrounded by warped alchemy that wanted to tear his body apart and red eyes cornering him like a rat.
"You cannot escape justice…" the voice whispered in his ear and he was choking on his screams….
Roy
Screams interjected themselves into Roy's dreams and he struggled awake to find that he wasn't actually dreaming the sound and that it was coming from the room down the hall. Blinking himself awake and staring into the shadows of his bedroom, he woke up confused and tangled in his own bed sheets. For a moment there was pressing, and very loud silence and he almost breathed a sigh of relief that he was just dreaming when a husky, muffled cry came from down the hall, shattering the thick quiet so that it tinkled to the floor in jagged shards. Heart in his throat at the sudden intrusion of the silence he lay there for a moment longer, waiting for any more continuing cries. The next one that reached his ears from past his closed door was more like a choking sob followed by another shallow scream.
Without thinking, Roy was untangling himself from his bed and was out of his room and down the hall, not bothering with a light, following the broken sobs and cries to the guest bedroom and Ed. As quietly as he could, he turned the handle to the door and pushed it open to be swallowed by the thick shadows of the room and the throaty sobs of the blond teen tossing in the bed. Worried, Roy flicked the lights on to find Ed nearly invisible, tangled with the dark comforter as he was, one metal leg flashing in the light as he buried himself into the mattress with another distressing sob.
That was when Roy made a mistake. He should have known not to touch Ed while in the throes of a nightmare but the tears that were soaking the pillow and the gold, tangled hair falling across tightly shut eyes and Roy couldn't help but reach out and touch a bare, tan shoulder while calling the teen's name. At first it didn't seem to make an impression on Ed as he just turned his head away with a pained sob so Roy shook the warm shoulder, making his voice louder.
He did want Ed to wake up but he would have rathered the kid did so without giving Roy a face full of automail. For a second, pain nearly blinded him as the metal fist collided with his eye socket and he stumbled back from the bed, surprised hand pressed to his eye that was throbbing something awful. A pair of golden eye peered blurrily at him for a moment from a mess of sheets then they widened as Ed realized what had happened. Roy managed a grin past the throbbing in his face as the blond, now alarmed, attempted to extract himself from the bed.
"So kind of you to wake up. I thought for a second you were being attacked," he said, trying to sound amused around the returning concern. Ed, sliding from the bed and nearly falling flat when a particularly stubborn section of sheets wound around his ankle, ignored Roy's attempt at a joke and was standing in front of the taller man, tugging his hand from his face so he could see the extent of the damage.
"You idiot!" The boy ground out as he took hold of Roy's chin and tipped his head down so he could see the Colonel's eye clearly, which was watering something fierce. The blond was frowning and looked extremely guilty but that didn't stop him from berating the older man in an accusatory fashion, "Don't you know better than to wake someone up like that from a night mare? You're lucky I didn't get your nose because it would have broken," he was babbling but Roy wasn't really paying attention because the teen was only wearing a pair of rumpled boxers, exposing a lithe torso and the extent of the damage from under his automail. Scars stretched from where the automail arm was attached to what was left of the boy's shoulder, still looking raw and painful. Yet it didn't take away from the dangerous beauty that was Ed. Rather, it just added to the boy's appeal and Roy was by then completely distracted from Ed's angry muttering, barely noticing that the teen had stepped away from him and was asking him a question.
"What?" yeah, that was intelligent but Ed just let out an impatient huff.
"Ice. Do you have any ice?" Roy blinked, trying to clear his mind and ignore all that wonderful, tempting golden skin.
"Uh, yeah, in the freezer. I'll get i—" but Ed was already gone from the room, guilt written all over his face and Roy followed at a more leisurely pace out the bedroom door but instead of going down stairs, found his way half blind to the bathroom. He didn't really need to see though as the hallway remained dark and shadowed. Dreading what he would see, he flicked the bathroom light on and turned to the mirror behind him.
Amazingly enough, his eye was only just a little swollen and watery, the dark eye lashes spiked from leftover tears. He sighed as he pushed his hair back to get a better look as a bang from down stairs reached him, followed by some rather paint-peeling curses. Roy grinned to his reflection, realizing he would have prodded Ed awake all over again just to see the teen like this. Though he was very glad he wasn't going to get a black eye for Havoc and Riza to comment on the morning.
"Here, I got the ice," Roy jumped having not heard the younger man come up the stairs and he turned to have a make shift ice pack pressed gently to his sore eye and a pair of concerned yellow eyes looking up at him. The kid was still wonderfully undressed, the bathroom light glowing gently on firm muscle. Roy couldn't help the small smile that threatened; Ed was really cute like this. The ice wrapped in the cool towel felt good against sensitive skin and he reached up to replace Ed's smaller hand with his own. Only Ed didn't let go and he ended up just wrapping his fingers around the slender hand, the unexpected touch sending bolts of electric surprise down his arm. They were silent for a long moment in which the golden eyes fixed on his own single visible one, something unspoken but almost tangible passing between them. Then the warm, honeyed pools dropped to the floor and the hand slid out from under his so he was left holding the ice to his eye himself.
"I'm sorry I punched you. I'm not used to having anyone waking me up from…from…except Al," Roy frowned at the hesitation and with his free hand used the moved Ed had used on him earlier and took a firm hold in that pretty chin, tilting his face up so he could drown in gold again.
"It's fine, Ed. Do you get nightmares like that often?" he asked, warm skin soft under his finger tips. The full lips pulled down in a frown and Ed freed himself from the Colonel's grip gently.
"They used to be worse but now its just a couple times a month," there was an uneasy shrug of a metal shoulder and Roy wondered what horror this boy had been through to dream like that so often, "I'm used to them," then the eyes were on Roy again, studying, as if the former guilt had rendered Ed momentarily blind and the dark haired man realized belatedly that he wasn't wearing anything but pajama bottoms either. A questing finger brushed along his side and he felt the damaged skin there contract.
"Were did you get theses scars?" Ed asked, eyes curious and pitying and Roy wondered what the teen must be thinking at the sight of the ragged scars that looked very similar to Al's chest did right now, spanning almost the whole length of Roy's right side and disappearing under the waistband of his dark pants. He didn't move was Ed continued the touch, the look in his eyes never wavering.
"Ishval. Twelve years ago," it was shocking how much they were alike, with painful pasts and scars that carried the weight of troubled memories and painful dreams. Ed sighed and dropped his hand. He wasn't expecting anything in response and was a bit surprised at the appraising glace that roamed the rest of his torso before finding his eye again.
"Thank you. I should let you get some sleep," said the boy, turning away and Roy sighed, a little disappointed before pulling the ice from his eye and dropped the towel into the sink, the events of the night catching up with him leaving him slightly shaky nauseous from the sudden waking.
He was just curling back up in bed, trying to ignore the throbbing heat over his one eye that was slowly fading, the house once again dark and silent when there was a hesitant knock on his door. Roy blinked in surprise, halting all movement and he could just make out the shadow of a small, blond alchemist pushing his door open.
"Sorry…" came the soft, unsure whisper and Roy's heart leaped up into his throat when he realized what the boy was doing here. It was a bold move on Ed's part and while it was certainly welcome, he knew Ed didn't know that and it surprised Roy(pleasantly this time) that Ed seemed to feel the same way. The realization made a thrill shoot through him, hope snaring that the sharp pieces of his heart.
"Ed?" a small pause and he could hear a clink of metal as the boy fidgeted nervously.
"Would it be too weird if I stayed in here?" another jump of his pulse and he was both insanely glad and frustratingly annoyed with his giant king sized bed.
"Not at all," he responded and he heard more than saw the younger man slip into the room and close the door behind him before slowly approaching the bed.
"I understand if I'm imposing, I just—" Roy cut that short before it started.
"It's fine, Ed. You're not imposing," there was a little sigh and then he felt the bed dip as the teen slipped under the covers on the other side of the bed.
"Thank you," it was whispered but it sounded less unsure and twenty times more grateful and Roy just uttered a soft good night in response as the blankets shifted. He lay on his side facing away from Ed, the presence on the other side of the bed solid and welcome.
He thought Ed being in his bed would be distracting, that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep with the boy he desired just out of reach and sharing his blankets but the comforting presence and the even, sighing breaths of another person asleep next to him lulled him into a peaceful sleep, thoughts of smooth, tan skin and shining yellow eyes fading as he did. Neither had a single nightmare the rest of the night.
**
Waking was slow and unusually easy, warmth suffusing his limbs as the sun beat in from the window over his bed. Morning was never so perfect and for a moment, he lay there, the last haze of sleep disappearing but unwilling to open his eyes, afraid that the unbearable warmth in the pit of his stomach might go away.
It couldn't last, though and he opened his eyes with a regretful sigh. Only there was a warm weight against his arm and chest that was making moving difficult. Roy blinked for a moment in confusion then looked down when an agonizing warm breath brushed across his shoulder.
Oh yes.
So he hadn't dreamed that Ed had crawled into his bed with him but he had been sure that they had fallen asleep on opposite sides of the bed. Yet here he was in the middle of the bed with Ed stretched out next to him, automail arm slung over his stomach and golden head using Roy's shoulder as a pillow. His face was rendered younger than his eighteen years and Roy stared at the softly parted lips and sharp, flushed cheekbones, realizing just how beautiful Ed really was.
Suddenly the warm, lithe body pressed against his became unbearable and Roy had to slide from his bed in a desperate attempt to get away lest he do something to the younger man he might regret, careful not to wake the sleeping blond.
Padding softly from his room to start his morning, the ache of desire between his thighs made him curse himself. If this is what having Ed in his house was going to do to him, this was going to be harder than he thought. Literally. Then the image of Ed's quiet, sleeping face pillowed on his shoulder interjected itself as he readied his shower and while a certain piece of his anatomy twitched painfully, he smiled to himself.
It was definitely worth it.
To be continued...
Wow, so who saw that coming? haha XP anyway, me loves reveiws!!!! *hint hint*