XD Nope, it's still not done. I thought it was, I really did, because I kept trying to write it, and all that came out was crap. So, admittedly, most of this chapter is still crap, but it sort of swooped upward again a few days ago, so I guess it's still not done.
--
"You never make it, Jean. You should've let Fuery punt."
"Shut up and let me concentrate, alright?"
"Close one eye while you aim!"
Breda, Havoc, Fuery and a less-than-perfectly-willing Falman were absorbed in a high-stakes game of tabletop football. The losing team's members would play another single-person game, and the loser of that game would be the one who had to go tell Mustang about his latest assignment from General Hakuro.
Jean flicked the paper "football" and it sailed toward Breda's hands which were propped up on the table in the shape of an H for the ball to go through. The paper hit Breda's first finger and Fuery groaned out loud. Hawkeye walked in and stared at the table which had been completely cleared of papers. The men froze, Breda's hands still making a football field goal. Hawkeye's gaze slowly hardened.
"Where is all your paperwork?"
Fuery sent a guilty glance at the couch where all the paperwork had been stacked out of the way. Hawkeye followed his gaze and her expression became even colder.
"We're sorry..." Fuery muttered.
"Sorry doesn't do anything for anyone, Master Sergeant. Do I need to remind all of you how tired Colonel Mustang is right now? He's depending on us to-"
"Pick up all the paperwork he's too busy sleeping to do," Breda said as if he'd heard it a million times before. "Why is he so tired anyway? I thought he and Ed made up."
Two angry pink spots appeared high on Hawkeye's cheeks. How could they not understand how much Mustang needed a break? He just needed a vacation to get rested up from all the crazy things that had happened recently and to solidify his and Ed's relationship again. From the little she'd heard from him about Ed, the child was happy with his father, but uncertain and hesitant as well. He really just needed a break. She knew a few other officers who were about to leave on vacation, but she knew without even asking that Hakuro had basically forbidden Mustang to take a break. Not by direct order, of course. That would give Hakuro a bad reputation, but he was giving the colonel so much extra work to do that Roy was caught between staying late at the office to finish it, and going home to Edward, who needed him. Someone really needed to talk to that damn general. Hawkeye had been doing as much of Mustang's work as she could, which was most of it. The things Hakuro was assigning the colonel to do were things any lower-ranking officer could've done. Like the ones he kept around his office for that purpose. The man was just reminding Mustang of his rank, that was all, but it was really taking a toll on her commanding officer.
"Second Lieutenant!" she scolded Breda, "You know as well as any of us how much busywork the General is giving to the Colonel right now. But..." she drifted off. If Hawkeye were a light-bulb kind of person, you could say that a light-bulb had just lit up in her head at that moment. Since she wasn't, she simply had a brilliant thought as she spoke.
"If we can help the Colonel get all of his work done, I think we should all go on a nice vacation."
Now the whole office lit up, the soldiers' grins wide and childish with delight at the prospect of a vacation. Immediately, they began deciding where to go on the vacation, and Hawkeye clicked the safety of her pistol to get their attention and remind them to get back to work. She was handed another stupid assignment for Mustang and mentally groaned. She decided she would rather take care of it herself than see the look on Roy's face when she handed it to him.
"Lieutenant Hawkeye! What a surprise, come in!" Maes Hughes was busily stuffing folders into a briefcase.
"Lieutenant Colonel, I was wondering if I could make some arrangements with you."
Maes looked up. "Arrangements?"
"I hear Field Marshall Hockins is very fond of you, Sir."
"Well, he certainly, uhh... Riza, what do you want?"
"Someone needs to remind General Hakuro that Colonel Mustang is not his errand-boy, nor his secretary," she said a bit bitterly.
"I haven't talked to Roy in a while, what's going on?" Hughes took a seat at his desk.
"Today, the Colonel had to proofread the Graphite Alchemist's essay for her annual assessment."
Hughes frowned, confused. The Graphite Alchemist was an inconsequential toady of Hakuro's kept around as a backup or a lending hand to the alchemists with real power.
"He's just trying to keep the colonel down and remind him of his power, but the colonel needs a break, and he can't go on vacation until he finishes all this work the General's piling on him."
"So if I can get Hakuro off his back, we all go on a nice vacation together?" Hughes said. Riza nodded and Hughes grinned.
"Give me a little time, but consider it done." He paused, then gushed, "It's been so long since I've gotten to spend any real quality time with my little Elysia!!"
Hawkeye fled before he could continue.
"Ed!"
"Coming!"
"No, it's OK, I was just wondering if you were...asleep." Roy stared down at Ed's big eyes. Ed stared up at Roy, waiting.
"Well if you're not asleep, come help me make dinner."
"OK!" Ed followed Roy downstairs out of his bedroom.
"Where's your brother?" Roy asked absentmindedly as Ed grated some cheese into a bowl.
"Um, he's, ah, in his room." Ed sounded like he was lying. Obviously. Roy turned around and put down his chicken knife.
"Doing what?"
"...sleeping."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Roy walked over to the sink to wash his hands free of raw chicken. Ed's stomach started to feel tight. Roy dried his hands and then turned around and walked toward Ed. Ed shrank back against the kitchen island.
"Are you sure?"
Ed bit his lip and half nodded his head.
"Are you lying to me?" Roy growled. Ed squirmed, looked down, and nodded.
"Edward." Roy heard the boy inhale sharply. Ed wiggled and pressed himself as close to the kitchen island as possible.
"Tell me the truth."
"I won't get him in trouble," Ed growled
"If you don't tell me, you're going to be in trouble."
Ed glanced up at Roy quickly, then turned his head to the side.
" 'M already in trouble..." he mumbled. He squirmed a little more, then held still.
"Edward, where is your brother? Why won't you tell me?"
"You told him not to..."
"Not to what? Edward, I'm counting to ten. If you don't tell me where he is and what he is doing by then, there will be consequences." Roy looked at Ed pointedly. Ed nodded, telling Roy he understood.
"One...two...three..."
Ed looked extremely unhappy now.
"Four...five...six."
Ed looked at Roy, raising his head.
"Seven..."
Ed whimpered.
"Eight..."
"Roy?"
"Nine..."
"Roy!!" Ed grabbed Roy's shirt and tugged anxiously.
"Ten, Ed. You've missed your chance. Now you have to face the consequences and you will tell me where your brother is."
"No!" Ed squealed as he was picked up. "Al left! He's at Fuery's house!"
Roy carried Ed toward the laundry room.
"They're watching horror movies!" Ed's voice rose to a shriek of exasperation. "Roy!"
"You missed your chance to tell me. Now stand in teh corner and hold this." Roy set Ed down in the pitch-black laundry room and groped around for something suitably heavy. He settled for a bucket of tools, handed it to Ed, and pushed him into the corner.
"It smells bad over here..." Ed whined pathetically.
"Hush. No talking."
Ed looked over his shoulder to watch Roy leave the dark room for the light of the kitchen. For a few minutes, he felt guilty and anxious. Then he felt annoyed. Then he felt suffocated by the smell of old water stain and mold and darkness and mysterious clutter. Then he felt worried because it had been so long. When was Roy going to come get him? Then he became irritated again, and wanted to gag on the ugly smell, and he put down the bucket quietly and tiptoed to the door. Roy was cooking the chicken in a cast iron pan and a pot of beans was sitting next to it on the stove. Roy glanced up and his face darkened.
"Edward, get back in your corner."
Ed shook his head. Roy glared.
"Edward..." he warned. Ed squirmed and stepped out of the laundry room and into the kitchen.
"Go back-"
Ed took two steps forward.
"To your corner!"
Ed rushed Roy, only to be picked up again.
"NooOO!"
"EDWARD!"
Ed froze and began to tremble, then began to cry.
"Shh. It's not so bad. Only two more minutes."
"Whyy?"
"Because you lied to me and then wouldn't tell me the truth."
"But I did!"
"It was too late. Why were you trying to hide that from me anyway? I only ever told Al not to bring those movies into my house."
"Huh?" Ed blinked at Roy.
"So you see, you got yourself in trouble for no reason."
Ed cried harder, increasing in volume as Roy took him toward the laundry room.
"Just two more minutes."
"No! I'm sorry, Roy. I didn't want you to get mad at Al, please don't punish me!" Ed clung to Roy for dear life. Roy had to backtrack into the kitchen to keep the chicken from burning.
"Ed, it's just two minutes standing in a corner! It doesn't even hurt!"
"Nooo! Royyy!"
"Ed!!"
Ed squeaked and buried his face in Roy's neck and shoulder, crying as quietly as possible.
"OK, OK, you don't have to finish. Shh, settle down."
Ed squeezed Roy, then relaxed, snuggling until he stopped crying. Roy's back was straining and he needed two hands to grate the rest of the cheese, so he tried to place Edward in one of the kitchen chairs. Ed wouldn't have it, and gripped Roy by the back of his neck. Roy flinched. Reaching back, he pried Ed's hands off and put him down. Ed kicked and struggled, but was forced to let go of Roy. He pouted until Roy put dinner on the table, then shoveled his food like a hyena. Roy ate slowly, then quietly announced he was goign to bed. Without a word, Ed followed him. Roy had to shut and lock the door in order to change into his T-shirt and boxers, yelling, "Go put your pajamas on," to Ed through the door. He heard scampering and when he opened the door, Ed was hurrying toward him in the firetruck pajamas he'd altered for himself. He followed Roy to bed, pressing himself incessantly close. Roy was still trying to get comfy and find a good position and the colonel rolled onto Ed by accident, causing the boy to squeak and writhe.
"Hang on, Ed, let me get comfortable," Roy grumbled. Ed whined and sat up anxiously until Roy patted the mattress beside him. Ed instantly clamped his arms around Roy and buried his face in Roy. The colonel sighed and willed himself to sleep, trying to ignore the leech stuck to his side.
--
"So here's the deal, Lieutenant. Mustang just needs to finish up all the work the General's given him so far, and then he's free to use as much of his vacation time as he would like. He's got nine days, if you didn't know."
"I knew," Hawkeye smirked, "but thank you for doing this. He really needs it."
"So do I. I've got a few vacation days of my own saved up. Does Roy have any plans yet?"
"He doesn't know. I should go tell him now."
"I hoe he's actually grateful," Maes remarked. "He might be cranky about being surprised."
"I'll make sure he's grateful," she said with a slightly sadistic smile.
--
"Colonel, I have news."
"Report, Lieutenant."
"You're going on vacation."
--
"Ed, I'm ho-ome!" Roy shouted. Ed immediately appeared and ran down the stairs to greet him. Roy grabbed the boy around the waist and swung him in the air, eliciting uncertain squeaks and murmurs from Ed. Roy set him down and tickled him, shocking the boy. Ed backed up, then squealed when he couldn't escape Roy's prodding, poking fingers. Roy placed an extremely effective poke under his ribs and Ed shrieked.
"Come on, play with me, be happy, Ed! We're going on vacation!"
"Mm?" Ed inquired feebly as he squealed and tried to get away.
"No assignments for the General, no getting up early, no working late!" Roy swooped Ed up and hugged him. Alarmed, Ed pushed away from Roy, finding himself suddenly fixed with a very disapproving stare. Ed cowered.
"Why aren't you happy, Ed?" Roy stroked Ed's hair and Ed made a soft noise like a sigh in his throat, leaning into the touch. Roy ran his fingers through the strands and Ed closed his eyes momentarily. Roy moved his hand to the back of Ed's head and brought the boy's forehead to his shoulder. Ed cried out and pulled against Roy's hand, wriggling and using his arms to push away as well. Roy fought to hold Ed's head against himself, grumbling, "Ed, relax. Don't struggle."
Ed started to cry and Roy, shocked, let go. The force with which Ed was pushing caused him to almost fly back out of Roy's arms.
"No,no,no,no, Ed, don't cry. Shhh," Roy pleaded, thumbing the tears from Ed's eyes. Ed murmured in assent and physical appreciation of the gesture. When Roy took his thumbs away from Ed's eyes, the blond orbs opened. Ed stared into Roy's eyes and Roy held his gaze. Roy chewed on his lip. Ed seemed calm now. What had been upsetting him about Roy's gesture moments before? Roy tried to logic it out. He moved his hand to cover Ed's eyes and Ed ducked under his hand. Roy moved more quickly the next time, covering Ed's eyes firmly. Ed squeaked and fought Roy's arm off with both hands. He looked pleadingly at Roy, and the colonel stroked his head, rubbing his thumb behind Ed's ears. Then he turned Ed around, situating him so that his back was against Roy's chest, with Roy's arm underneath his thighs holding him up. Ed murmured in confusion, but settled back against Roy, tilting his head back to lay it against Roy's shoulder.
"So now you're afraid of having your eyes covered...?"
Ed whined a little in, what seemed to Roy, confirmation. Roy just shook his head at his neurotic, nervous child.
"We'll get to spend more time together now that I'll be on vacation."
Ed hrmmed and snuggled his face against Roy's uniform.
"If Ed's really giving you a hard time about the way he's held and stuff, you should call our Teacher," Al replied to Roy's private grumblings about Ed during breakfast. "Whenever Ed made a fuss about having to wear stiff clothes or eating foods he didn't like when we were younger, she always found a way to make him cooperative. Milk was the only fight she ever lost, but man did Ed get beaten for that, but other than that she's always known a way to get him to do stuff."
"Call Mrs. Curtis, huh? I guess I could do that. It doesn't make any sense to me that all of a sudden he has to be able to maintain eye contact..." Roy grumbled to himself.
"I can't help you a lot," Izumi said dismally over the phone. "It's insecurity, loud and clear."
"How am I suppo-" Roy froze as Ed trotted down the stairs.
"Shouldn't you leave for work right now...?"
"Uh, thanks for your help!" Roy said into the phone with fake cheer, "Goodbye now!"
After hanging up, he looked at Ed. "You know, I'm tempted to just stay home and start my vacation right now..." Roy grinned. Ed sucked on his lower lip and stared. Roy just sighed.
It took a full four days to finish all the projects for Hakuro. But finally, Roy had some time to work with Ed. Al, sensing Roy's intentions, headed to Fuery's.
Roy fed Ed a good dinner, which always made him relax a little. After clearing the dishes, he sat on the couch and stretched out on it.
"C'mere, Ed."
Ed came over and stood, fidgeting.
"Want to cuddle?"
Ed fidgeted nervously. Roy raised his eyebrows.
"It's OK, Ed, nothing to be afraid of. You like to cuddle."
Ed glared at him a bit for the last statement. Roy took one wrist and gently pulled. Ed stiffened and let himself be pulled down over Roy. He would not get his legs on the couch, however. Roy tugged on Ed's thigh and pulled more on his wrist, and Ed just bit his lip.
"C'mon, Ed," Roy coaxed, the muscles in his face tightening slightly. Ed just looked more uncertain.
After a time, coaxing had to stop. Ed simply would not cuddle, or even get on the couch, and Roy's tension hit blowout.
"Ed, I'm trying to make up here. What do I have to do? Do you want me to whip you and punish you and get it all out there? Is that what you want? What's it gonna take?"
Ed silently gasped and drew back as far as he could while Roy still held his wrist. Roy swung off the couch and stood, and Ed cringed and pulled away in noiseless fear.
"Tell me, is that what it'll take?"
Ed shook his head, then froze with his eyes on Roy's.
"Take to do what?" Ed asked so quietly the consonants couldn't be heard, leaving a vague murmuring of vowels in the air for Roy to decipher.
"To break your walls," Roy sighed tightly. "You're keeping me away and the only way I know to get through to you is to punish you." Roy glared at Ed, daring him to deny his father, to prove him wrong. Ed just looked scared and continued to pull against Roy's grip on his wrist. Roy slapped Ed loudly across the face. Ed shrieked. He shut his eyes tight and cried loudly, fighting Roy's grip, wriggling and stomping and leaning away. Roy slapped the other cheek and Ed have a hugely loud and miserable whine of protest. He rubbed his face with his free hand and continued to struggle. Roy yanked him close and tried to put an arm around his shoulder. Ed pushed away, returning to his position of as far away from Roy as he could get.
"OK, Ed. I didn't want to do this, but it looks like I have no choice." Roy yanked him close again, letting go of his wrist in favor of a nape-of-the-neck grip on the back of the boy's shirt. Ed tried to duck out of his tank top, but didn't get anywhere before Roy smacked him on the rear. Ed gasped in shock and squealed when Roy repeated the action. He was outraged and pushed and struggled as well as he could, Roy adjusting his grip to prevent the boy's escape.
"You bastard! Stop it before I kill you! I'll-eaah! I'll decimate you, I'll-mmph! NO!"
Roy smacked him again and Ed shut up. He didn't understand why it hurt more now- this much more, to be precise-and was now focusing on restraining yelps and cries and escaping. It became too much for the blond and he cried out.
"Too much for you now?" Roy asked tightly. Ed squeaked, starting to get worried. He couldn't get away and panic began to replace his anger. He cried out again and buried his hands in Roy's shirt. Eyes squeezed tight, he sobbed into Roy, scared and hurt and seeking warmth only Roy could give him now. A few more whacks and all the outrage and indignation and fury had left Ed completely. Now he was all pain and tears and all he wanted was a hug and strong arms squeezing him and rubbing his back instead of choking him and holding him in place, vulnerable, bereft of any comforting action.
Roy heard Ed sob and felt the little hands clenching his shirt, but now he was afraid to stop. If Ed didn't forgive him, which was the most likely scenario, then he'd have screwed up everything. He had to reduce Ed to complete mental submission and helplessness. Otherwise, he might lose him. Caught up in the moment, he knew it was a backwards kind of thinking, but he was too scared to quit. Ed pressed hard against Roy. He had nowhere to go to get away from Roy's hand and arm and it hurt unbelievably now. Ed had never imagined that being spanked could hurt this much and while he'd certainly been through worse pain, this unfortunate discovery was affecting his ability to deal with the pain. He choked and cried, trying to say Roy's name but failing. He shuffled sideways and Roy hauled him back. Ed squealed, loudly enough to be heard upstairs now. He shook his head, rubbing his face against Roy's shirt. He sobbed and squealed and shook his head "no" and pulled and pushed and when Roy finally stopped, Ed cowered, then screamed when Roy lifted him up. Roy's face looked scared and Ed found himself pressed tightly against Roy's chest, his face in Roy's shoulder.
--
I thought I'd drawn the line at spanking Ed. I'm pretty sure I've done almost everything short of that to him in this story, but...BLAME THE WRITER'S BLOCK!