Tired. Don't know what to say... except that if anyone notices any more of those stray semi-colons, I do wish they would tell me. Thank you, R&R.
-----------------------------------------------------
Roy marched across the room and swept Ed up off the third step. Ed cried out and latched onto Roy's jacket with flailing hands.
"WhoaO, Roy!!" Ed complained. Roy ruffled his hair and transported him to the landing in a few seconds.
"There you go," Roy said down to the creature in his arms.
"...never asked for help," Ed grumbled at his feet.
"Do I care?" Roy asked offhandedly on his way back to the porch. Ed wobbled into the bathroom as Al was leaving it. He stripped down and sank into the heat, feeling his right arm become heavier as it took in water. He closed his eyes, inhaling steam in a futile and half-hearted attempt to clear his heavy, blocked airways.
Al caught up with Roy out on the porch where the younger Elric took a seat beside Winry and took her hand in his. The silence was restrictive. Even Pinako, relaxed back into her seat, was affected by it. She blew smoke rings, the only sound breaking the awkward silence, but did so rather conservatively.
Al attributed the silence to his holding Winry's hand, signaling that something was upsetting her. Winry thought it was because Pinako wanted her to say something to Roy. Roy thought everyone was somehow offended that he'd dashed off in the middle of the conversation to carry Ed up some stairs only to return moments later. Only Pinako did not suspect herself as the cause for the silence.
A new sound suddenly plucked the taut string of tension in the air. Crunching footsteps coming toward more the side of the house than the front. Winry perked up, thinking she knew who it was.
Russel Tringham soon appeared with a jaunty and smug wave of his left hand, his right hand in his pocket. The group on the porch simply waited, staring as he came up the steps. Pinako inwardly disapproved of the young man walking around the house in the dark, but kept it to herself to discuss with Winry later. Then Winry rose suddenly as Russel stepped up the last step, only to find her fingers and hand still firmly tangled to Al's. She and Russel both stared at the junction of her and Al's hand as he freed her more delicate extremity. A frown emerged on Russel's face, then disappeared just as quickly, a tiny flicker of facial expression lost in the darkness.
"What are you doing here?" Winry asked as she bestowed an obligatory hug on the blond boy.
"Came to see how everyone was," he said in a rugged, casual tone. "Couldn't let the Elrics leave without paying a visit,especially."
Al shook his head at that. Russel studied him for a moment, rubbing Winry's back lovingly.
"Well Edward isn't feeling well, but you may join us," Pinako said slowly. Russel shook his head.
"I won't interrupt," he said, the picture of elegant politeness. Winry looked up at him, angry and neglected. He ignored her and turned away, slyly brushing a hand over her leg as he went, which only angered her more.
"I'm going to bed."
Al followed her, only to be shut out, literally, when she went into her room.
"We're the only ones left, huh?" Roy was amused. Pinako nodded.
"So. How's Ed been?"
"Up and down. He hated me for a bit there and now he's making up for all the cuddling he didn't get to do then. I wonder if it's healthy for him to be so dependent. He's always been so independent."
"He's had to be. He probably enjoys letting someone else be in charge."
"No, he doesn't… He still won't follow orders or do anything I tell him to. He wants to be free and cuddle without having to follow anyone else's rules."
"Are you firm enough? If you let him think he can do whatever he wants, he'll walk all over you like he's done everyone else."
"What am I supposed to do? He doesn't listen to my warnings or my threats and punishing him just makes him cry, nothing else."
"Sounds to me like he's got you trained."
"Well…maybe he does," Roy said irritably. "What am I going to do about it?"
"I can't answer that."
"Please. Do. Did he walk all over you?"
"I think he just went behind my back, the little bastard," Pinako smiled.
"You don't have any good advice, do you?" Roy sighed. She grinned.
"Sometimes there is no good advice for handling Edward."
"Wonderful."
----------------------
Roy went to check on Ed before going to bed himself. The blond had pulled the sheet's edges from under the mattressand the cloth was wrappped and tangled around his body, the blanket only covering a small section of his back and legs. Roy tried to straighten it, but found it so firmly wrapped around Ed that he couldn't. He didn't know where the spare blankets were, but he wasn't going to let Ed sleep like that while he was sick. He yanked on the corner of the blanket, which did nothing. He unwound it from Ed's legs, which woke Ed, but not enough to do more than growl. Then Roy pulled on the blanket and watched a section of it tighten around Ed's shoulder and armpit. Ed whined. Roy tugged at the blanket over Ed's shoulder, but it wouldn't budge. Ed's eyes opened as he growled again. Roy reached under Ed's back and Ed growled and smacked the back of Roy's hand with his automail. Roy gasped and clutched his hand. Choking down and swallowing cries of pain, he growled at Ed.
"Get under your blanket."
Ed whined and rolled a bit, until his back was sort of to Roy. Roy was still using his left hand to clutch his right.
"Ed!" he hissed.
"Mmgh."
Roy took several deep breaths, let go of his right hand, and yanked on the blanket with his left, this time pulling Ed up off the mattress for a moment. Ed kicked, then brought his left arm down where Roy's hand had been nanoseconds earlier. Roy smacked Ed's shoulder and Ed yowled.
"Shut up, everyone else is asleep. Now sit up."
Ed did so blearily and Roy unwound the blanket. Intending to push Ed back down, Roy shoved Ed's chest gently. Ed pushed back, remaining exactly where he was.
"Lie down."
"Hnngh." Ed looked up at Roy for the first time since waking. Looking for something to grab onto, he found Roy's forearm and wrapped warm fingers around it. Roy sighed and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Shh." He pulled Ed's head to his chest, then leaned the boy back onto the bed. He then lpulled his arm from Ed's grip, spread the blanket over him, and turned to leave. Ed whined pleadingly and Roy stopped at the doorway. He knew if he cuddled Ed, the boy would never let go. But Ed dozed off within seconds and Roy was free to go to his own bed nearby.
------------------------------
Ed stayed in bed the next day, sleeping and blowing his nose. Roy would've tended to him, but Al and Winry convinced him to go on a walk-a-bout outdoors. Roy had no idea what he was getting himself into.
The questioning started as they were walking along the road toward the river. Roy was enjoying the scenery, lost in his own thoughts, when Winry broke the silence.
"Do you like to carry Ed, or does he make you carry him?" she asked with the undertone of visciousness teenage girls are known for. Roy frowned at her.
"I don't mind it. I'm happy to know that he wants me to look after him."
"Does you really want you to look after him that much?" Al asked, bringing the battlefield into relief. It was two against one and Roy was defending.
"Apparently, he doesn't object to it." Roy was beginning to catch on. He'd been lured out here for some kind of bizarre emotional ambush.
"What about last night? He seemed to be objecting when you carried him up those stairs," Al said.
"And your point?"
"Why do you baby him so much?" Winry fired off.
"Because..."
"Why?" she snaped. Roy glared.
"You're not his father," Al struck out at Roy. The colonel took a few breaths.
'I can't believe I'm being cornered by hormone-driven little brats.'
"Aren't I?" he replied civilly.
Al's composure, his predator-like countenance, shattered.
"No! You're not! You're not his father! He never even liked you in the first place! You're not our father!"
Roy swiveled around Winry and caught Al's wrists in his hands. Roy, used to dealing with an upset Edward, forgot that even distraught, Al had a clearer head. The blond twisted his wrists out of Roy's hands expertly. Roy snatched at the boy's scruff, catching his shoulder. Al turned away, but Roy followed, dropping his arm and wrapping it around Al's chest and upper arms, pinning him back against his own body. Al stamped on his foot and Roy jumped, pulling away. Al pulled away as well, but Roy was determined. He could see the similarities between Al and Ed. Al was pushing him away to protect himself. Roy wouldn't let him. Lightning fast, Roy wrapped his arm around Al's stomach and pushed, knocking Al off balance while holding onto him. He turned and kneeled to the side, his legs not really under him. Al came down in his lap and Roy trapped his wrists with one hand. Al's wide, shocked eyes turned up to Roy and Roy could finally say what he wanted to knowing that Al could not ignore his words or brush them off.
"I say that I'm Ed's parent because he wants me to be. I am not your father, Alphonse. Not unless you want me to be."
Al shook his head fiercely.
"I'm not trying to replace your father. I am simply trying to make up for what I can in Ed's life."
"But-he-. He gave you a chance he never gave Dad!"
"You're probably right. And I'm grateful that I got that chance. But that doesn't mean that either of us expect you to do the same."
Al glanced back up, surprised that Roy had keyed into that particulary concern of his. Roy read it in his eyes and smirked a little.
"I am somewhat deserving of Edward's favor," he said. Al sighed. Winry stood in front of them, fidgeting. She hadn't been quit sure what was happening during the little scuffle and was still unsure if she should be doing something to help Al.
"What am I supposed to do, though, if Ed has you?"
"He needs you, too," Roy said quickly, trying to stop the idea that Ed only needed him in its tracks.
"I know, but now he has someone else, too and... I don't." Al's eyes watered harshly, unforgivingly. Roy detected jealousy. It made perfect sense, but how could Roy help to fix it? It was clear that Alphonse didn't want a surrogate father... He smirked devilishly down at Al.
"Maybe it's time you got a girlfriend."
Al blushed and looked down. Winry's eyes widened a little bit. Roy released Al's hands and the Elric crawled out of his lap and to his feet. Roy stood and, ever the gentleman, turned to Winry.
"I'm sorry about that, but that's one thing Ed and Al have in common: sometimes you have to get rough with them."
Winry stared at him a little and asked, meekly this time, "Do you do that to Ed a lot?"
"All the time. Like last night on the stairs. I think it's good for him. Or, at least, I don't think it's bad for him," Roy tripped over his words.
"Yeah..." Al said hesitantly, "he doesn't walk all over you at least."
"Let me tell you, sometimes it still feels like he does," Roy joked.
"Well it is Ed," Winry rejoined the conversation. There was a small, awkward pause which Roy finally closed up by saying, "Now that I hope that's all cleared up, for the most part, how about you two give me a tour? I've never really walked around Risembool before."
Al and Winry shrugged and they turned back toward the heart of the town, which was closer to the Rockbell dwelling. They showed Roy around the meager market-place, skippped the train station for obvious reasons, and ended up taking Roy hiking around the scenic woods behind the town.
----------------------------------------------------------
It was after midnight when Ed started tossing, waking Roy as his blankets were dumped on the floor. Roy rolled over and snuggled into the warmth that was his bed while Ed kicked out in his sleep. Alphonse was sleeping like a rock, undisturbable, between Roy and Ed, but never woke, even when Roy became aware of Ed's unconscious struggles. The colonel rolled over and spoke to Ed.
"Wake up, Ed. Come over here..." Roy immediately began to doze, then heard Ed whimper. With a heavy groan, he threw his covers back, got out of bed, picked Ed up from his bed, and carried the boy back to his own bed. Ed continued to to squirm and wriggle in Roy's bed, causing the colonel to restrain him with a hug. Roy put his hand on the side of Ed's face and shushed him, rocking him back and forth on his side as much as was possible.
Roy was woken, not by a cuddly Edward, but by a congested little alchemist sneezing and then trying to escape Roy's grip to find a tissue. Roy freed Ed, who knocked his hip against the corner of Al's bed on his way to the bathroom. Roy stared at the ceiling, unable to muster the energy to move. When Ed returned a few minutes later, he surprised Roy by crawling right back into his bed for warmth and cuddles. Roy watched Ed make his head comfy on Roy's ribs and close his eyes.
"You're not getting up?"
Ed shook his head no on Roy's stomach. Roy, too sleepy to do anything despite having a foggy notion that he should make Ed get out of his bed before anyone saw him there, finally shrugged, put an arm over Ed, closed his eyes, and slept on.
Al woke up only a few minutes after Roy fell back asleep. He sat up, looked around for Ed, then made a dismayed face at Ed's location. Even if he wasn't as angry about Ed cuddling up to Roy after yesterday, he still didn't totally accept waking up to find Ed in the colonel's bed. Winry wouldn't be happy if she saw it either. But Al could do something about that. He got up and put on a green t-shirt on top of jeans and went downstairs to keep Winry from coming into the bedroom. He found bacon burning in a pan, left unattended. Al knew his priorities. He immediately rescued the bacon onto a plate, then looked around for Winry. He came upon her on the front porch, fighting with Russel. First thing in the morning.
"You don't trust me, then? After all the trust I've shown you? I never even turned you in after you robbed all those shops in town! After you got Ed in all that trouble! While he was sick and injured!"
"So just because I'm a little nervous about competing with your lifelong best friends, you're gonna turn me in, send me to jail?"
"It would only be a few months at most. Maybe you deserve it."
"Se, this is why I'm nervous. Because you belive that he's always in the right. You always take his side. Wanna talk about trust? You have more faith in him than most people have in God."
It didn't even occur to Al that he was eavesdropping. He was too absored in watching the fracturing relationship. Winry finally broke into tears.
"He's never given me a reason not to."
"Bullshit. He's never given you a reason to feel the way you feel about him. You'd give him the moon and the starts, and he can't even come visiting unless something's wrong with him."
*SLAP*
Al jumped.
"Get out of here! Leave me alone! I'm breaking up with you! Stop harassing me! Don't ever come here to talk to me again!"
"I didn't come to talk to you. I came to give your little friend a warning. But you're so scared of him finding out how much you really adore him, you didn't even give me the chance." Russel fired his parting shot and then left.
Al was alarmed and rushed out to put his arms around Winry and make the soothing, 'Shhshh," noises he'd learned from his mother. She cried without speaking for several minutes, then finally stopped and began to calm herself down, taking deep breaths and delicately wiping her face. Al helped her, and when she felt she was sufficiently calmed down to go inside and wash up, she first stood on tiptoes to give Al a butterfly-soft kiss on the cheek. Al felt happy little butterflies in his tummy which had never emerged in the stomach of his armor.