I'm glad that I can keep updating on a usual schedule. I'd like some more reviews, but beggars can't be choosers. Hope you like this chapter. :)

When Roy Mustang barged into Edward's hospital room, expecting the worst, he realized he wasn't expecting this. He stood, gaping, in the doorway, staring at the tirade that was Edward's room. Stacks of books, of which served for the seats of the occupants of the room; one of which was a gawky teenaged boy leaning over a portable stove, the soft crackling of grease and food items sizzling on the grill. The other person in the room was an older man inspecting Edward's automail port, various tools and items spread out on the bed beside him. Edward, on the other hand, was reading a book while propped up on a couple of pillows, not a care in the world.

They all looked up simultaneously as he barged in, sweat pooling on his brow, his breath huffing as he had been previously running. All feelings of worry and concern seeped out of his body like water through his fingers, and his shoulders sagged as he saw the room before him.

"Mustang! Long time no see." Edward smiled when he saw Mustang walk through the door, an excitement of just seeing a familiar face. He saw the man's frazzled appearance, and couldn't hold back a snort.

Mustang ran a hand through his hair, sighing, "Hell, Edward, you always know how to get yourself into trouble."

He strutted forward, stepping over various stacks of books, glancing down absently at the boy cooking, no, more like burning something on a stove. He smirked, then stepped closer to Edward, glancing at the man working on Ed's automail, before slouching slightly and sighing, yet again, "How'd you get into this mess?"

"All in a day's work." Edward laughed, leaning forward, gesturing to one of the many stacks of books setting around the room, "Take a seat. How have you been, Mustang?"

"Well." Roy sighed, shrugging out of his jacket, revealing his white shirt underneath. It was a welcome relief, the heat in central had skyrocketed this summer, and the jackets they were forced to wear were particularly life-threatening, "It's been a good couple of years. Hard work, though."

"What, Mustang, can't hold up?" Edward smirked, laughing through his teeth at the glare Roy sent him, "I heard about the promotion, Major General."

Roy smirked, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair, "Good to see you haven't changed. I worked my way to the top. You, on the other hand, probably still wouldn't be even able to see me over my desk."

Edward's veins instantly filled with rage, his hair standing on end as he sent a death-glare toward the Major General, his hand's clenching as he shot forward in his seat, fist (from his good hand) flying in every direction, hoping to at least land one blow on Mustang, "Who are you calling so short that he'd have to use a stool to climb up onto a chair just to see over your desk?"

Roy laughed harder than he had in a while, Ed's little tirade making all the worry seep out of his shoulders. He could remember a time when he was hearing these nearly every day, and he didn't know how much he appreciated and looked forward to Ed's presence then when Edward left. He still saw Ed from time to time, when he was ordered to check up on Ishval, or maybe when he felt the need to see a familiar face, but it was never for longer than a couple minutes. He could understand Edwards want to not set foot in Central. Hell, it was hard for him to work here every day, sometimes.

"How has Ishval been?" Roy started again, quite liking the calm tone to their conversation in comparison to the military meetings he'd been frequenting as of late, "Have Scar and Miles made any headway on the bill?"

"They have, thanks to you." Edward leaned back against the pillows, a permanent smile on his face, "Your word with the Fuhrer pushed the bill to pass so fast they didn't know what to do with all the money. But construction has been going steady, and we're nearly finished with the main part of the city."

"That's very good to hear." Roy nodded, but his lips pursed when he thought of Ishval, and of Edward's injuries. What had happened? "Ed...how did you get injured?"

"We were working on a main building." Edward didn't sober up in the slightest, his smile still wide and pleasant, "There was a bit of loose concrete on the top, and it fell loose. I just so happened to be standing in the wrong place at the right time."

Roy couldn't help but laugh, "It's astounding that they even hit you."

"Who are you calling so short that even huge chunks of concrete would have a hard time hitting my small, minuscule body!"

Ed was flailing again, but he paused with a smile when he saw Roy's head tipped back, his boisterous laughter echoing throughout the room.

"Ed." Mika cut in with a whisper, trying both to not interrupt their conversation and try and get Edward to stop moving. He'd been silently listening in to their talk, astounded at how easily Edward could talk with such a high-ranked military official. Mika never really knew much about Edward other than the rumors he'd heard, but he was still shocked at how Edward was so popular with the military.

Edward glanced down at Mika, his brow raised.

"Could you stop moving?" Mika laughed, his hands pressed against his leg and port in order to try and get it to stop moving when Ed went on his tantrums, "It's kind of hard to inspect a moving target."

"Oh, sorry." Edward sat still once more, laughing nervously and glancing back at Roy, who had taken a sudden fascination with Ed's port, his face graced with worry.

Mustang looked at Ed skeptically, "your automail was destroyed?"

"Yeah, they said that they tried to look for it, but it was in so many pieces that it wasn't worth the trouble." Ed sighed, crossing his arms with a pout, "But Armstrong found me the best of the best. This is Mika Orken."

Mika glanced up, smiling kindly before he sat up in his seat, reaching over Ed's legs to offer the Major General a hand, "It's nice to meet you, Major General Mustang. I've heard much about you in Rush Valley."

"Have you?" Roy mused as he took the offered hand, shaking it and crossing his arms again, watching as Mika almost instantly went back to work, "I thought I recognized your face. You're pretty famous around Central. An alchemic automail mechanic, you don't hear of those too often."

"I do what I can." Mika smiled cockily, his own ego boost of the day making his limbs feel ten years younger.

Edward smiled as Mustang continued to watch Mika work, and though their conversation didn't continue, the silence was comfortable. Glancing over Roy's shoulder absently, Ed caught sight of Gio, rolled into a ball, his arms wrapped around his knees. He was staring at the food, having turned off the burner a few moments before, his cheeks stained with red and possible tears. The food on the burner was probably the reason for the boy's anguish, as it looked virtually inedible, the blackened substance of what should have been a fried egg now demolished.

"And that." Edward pointed, catching Roy's attention, as well as Gio's worried gaze, "Is Giovanni. My apprentice."

"Apprentice?" Roy could have laughed at that as well, as he looked over his shoulder at the boy, only feeling a tinge of guilt when he saw the pitiful look the boy was sending them, "How exactly is that possible when you can't perform alchemy?"

"That's what I tried telling him." Edward smirked, watching as Gio looked away and poked at the egg with a fork, "But that kid's stubborn. I'll teach him what I know."

Roy shook his head in amusement, chuckling to himself and leaning back in his chair again. Ed was quite the character, he knew this when he initially met Edward, but there was no end to Ed's eccentricities. Taking on a thirteen-year-old apprentice and having his automail repaired by one of the most respected automail mechanics in Rush Valley, and all like he was just walking through the park.

Roy laughed.

"Edward." Mika leaned forward, catching Edward's attention again, absently watching as Gio walked up to the bed as well, curious, "This port is very strange."

"My childhood friend designed it." Edward mused, leaning forward to try and get a good look at what Mika was doing, Roy doing the same, leaning in close to Edward and scooting his chair forward.

Mika nodded, knowing that it was an original design, "I know that, but it's not something I'm familiar with. I can change my designs to better fit this port, but It'd take a bit longer, and I'm not quite positive of the outcome."

Edward pursed his lips, his hand coming down to rub at his port, his brows drawing together, "Is there any other option?"

Mika smirked, "I'm not a alchemic automail mechanic for nothing, Edward. I can work very close to the skin, and I've studied Alkahestry in Xing. I can transmute your port to something more suitable for my skills."

Edward gaped, his eyes wide and a small smile quirking at the edge of his lips, "You can do that?"

Mika nodded, looking down at Edward's port again, running his fingers gently over the sensitive skin that connected the port to Edward's thigh. The skin along there was red and irritated, due to both the impact it received during Edward's accident and the burn of the metal against the already sensitive flesh.

Roy looked up at Ed from his close proximity, seeing the emotions running through the man's eyes. He didn't stop himself from reaching out to take Edward's hand, squeezing it and bringing Edward to his attention, searching the other's eyes, "Edward, what do you want?"

"I want..." Edward gulped, nodding toward Mika and turning his hand around, thoroughly surprising Roy by squeezing his hand back, his lips pursing and a blush gracing over his cheeks. Edward glanced at Roy momentarily, dipping his head as he thought, before looking at Mika again, "Change it. I don't want anything to effect the quality of my automail."

Roy smiled again, his eyes running over the soft contours of Edward's face, a certain feeling welling up in his chest, pride he knew, one he wasn't quite familiar with.

"Good choice." Mika didn't waste any time as he quickly reached over to the folded up pouch of tools, flipping the folds of the hold open, revealing a long display of tools. Wrenches, screwdrivers of all shapes and sizes, nuts, bolts, and, of all things, various writing utensils of all types.

Mika quickly whipped out a white pencil, reaching in carefully and drawing a small circle on the top of Ed's port, adding triangles and angles around it, before lifting up Edward's leg to draw another transmutation circle on the bottom, and repeating this on both the left and the right of the automail.

"A four circle transmutation?" Edward mused, leaning forward and inspecting the work with a curious eye.

Mika nodded, sliding the pencil back in place in his pouch, "Yes, it's a mixture of Alkahestry and Alchemy, using multiple points for a softer effect."

Very gently, Mika placed his finger tips against the metal of Edward's port, the fore finger and thumb of his left hand placed against the top, the right against the bottom. He glanced at Edward for only a moment, his usually calm and gentle face somber, "This is going to hurt."

The soft blue light illuminated the room, lighting the soft white walls, along with all the pairs of eyes watching in amazement as they saw the metal connected with Edward's leg twist and turn. It spun and twisted, curling against Edward's skin. The burns tracing the metal faded to a soft red, healed minutely by the Alkahestrical power.

Then it hit him. Ed closed his eyes tightly, holding the hand in his even tighter, having previously even forgotten that the hand was even in his. The metal was biting at his skin, twisting around on his nerves, yet still holding that bond, the attachment to each ligament. It felt as though his skin was being ripped and re-sewn. And although the pain was nothing like the attachment of the nerves, nor the pain of the loss of the leg itself, it was definitely up there.

Ed bit his lip, holding that hand even tighter, not noticing as Roy's other hand came on top of his, cradling it softly.

"See?" Edward leaned forward, seated on a stack of books in front of the burner. He glanced over at Giovanni with a smile, watching the play of emotions over the boy's face, "Everything takes everything. Do you understand?"

Gio looked up at Edward, his brows drawing together.

"You can't create without putting your whole soul into it." Edward pointed at the charred and burned egg, the third attempt by Gio to create what his teacher had asked, "And while not everyone may be the greatest cook, everyone needs to be a great alchemist. If you don't devote your whole soul, your whole being, into alchemy, your failed attempt may be a hell of a lot worse than a burned egg."

Gio's eyes widened, his mouth gaping open in shock as the realization swept through his mind. It was unorthodox and strange, but it gained the desired effect. Edward leaned his elbows on his knees, only miffed slightly when his cast bumped against his port, causing a spark of pain at the healing metal, "You must respect what you are creating, no matter how small. Be it changing grass to bread, or metal into a weapon, you must treat every transmutation with the same respect."

The boy nodded, his eyes never leaving Edward's face, his ears catching on every word and drinking it up. Edward wanted to smirk and comment on how dedicated Gio was, but he couldn't stop now. If he wanted Gio to completely understand everything that came with alchemy in general, he needed the boy to understand and listen. He didn't have time to leave the boy on a island for a month, like his teacher, and he still to this day thought that his teacher's methods were a little unorthodox.

"But, respect does not stop there." He sobered a bit, resting a hand against his stump of a leg, looking at Gio, noting the small spark of realization that Gio had, and the boy's gaze shifted to his automail port, "You must respect what you are creating. You must respect what you have created. You must respect what is going into your transmutation. That egg might've become a chick, in different circumstances. The grass you change to bread would have grown and and been eaten. The bread you are going to create is going to feed someone. Respect alchemy in it's entirety and everything that surrounds it."

Giovanni gaped, his mind racing.

"Do you understand, Giovanni?" Edward questioned, his hand tightening on his automail, his flesh right hand tingling and clenching at the memory of the metal that used to stand in it's place.

"Yes."

"Alright, then."

Edward sat up, letting out a large breath he was holding in his chest. He scooted closer to Gio, leaning back and looking at the ceiling. He could feel the boy breathing next to him, slowly, thinking over what his teacher had just told him. Ed had known it all his life so he didn't know what kind of effect it would have on a person. Especially a person as young as Gio.

"What happened to your leg?" Gio's soft voice broke the silence, and Edward was expecting the question. There were rumors, but nothing of real importance ever left the ears the military. Most the people in the towns thought he lost his leg in war, and that's what he told people. He was positive that if Gio had heard rumors of him, of how he was the Fullmetal Alchemist, heard enough to want to seek out his teachings, then he probably heard the false truth.

Sighing, Edward placed a hand over his port softly, gulping at the words, "I didn't respect alchemy."

Edward stared down at his hand quizzically, a soft blush grazing over his features as he remembered the feel of Mustang's fingers around his, his fingers still warm. He rubbed the pads of his fingers together, running his skin over and over, his brows drawing together.

"So...that Mustang..." Mika mused as he drew the string down Edward's right leg, measuring it carefully. Glancing up as he quickly wrote down the measurement, he smirked, "nice guy?"

"Yeah, great." Edward huffed quickly, crossing his arms as best he could and looking away, a defiant pout and blush on his face as he did, "So, hows the day today? Seems like a nice day, not a cloud in the sky. How's the automail coming?"

Mika laughed to himself, reaching to write something more down. He stayed silent for a few moments more, every once in a while writing something or another down, before measuring something else on Edward's leg. He measured the diameter of the calf, the length of the toes, the size of the foot, everything so that the leg was perfect. He'd already been here for an hour, hovering over Edward's leg, marking things, writing things.

"Where's the little Giovanni?" Mika questioned, changing the subject for Edward, so he wouldn't be subject to any more embarrassment, "Haven't seen him for a while."

"He's just thinking over what I said." Edward rubbed his hand against his shirt, glancing at the door quickly, before leaning back again. He'd been in the hospital for a total of two weeks, and the doctor still wasn't going to let him out. The doctors still wanted to keep an eye on his lungs, and even after the bandages on his forehead were gone, the wrappings around his chest stayed the same. His breathing was easier, yet there was still something wrong with his chest, and his breath would get constricted, so the doctors wanted him to stay.

It was driving him stir crazy, but not nearly as much as he thought it would. There was constantly someone here, be it Mika on his leg, Gio for his training, and now, more often then not, Mustang, just to talk. Mustang had been coming around nearly once a day now. It was nice, to see the familiar face, and actually have a conversation with someone without something holding them back. Roy seemed more calm and collected than ever, and he enjoyed their conversations.

"I'm going to start on your leg this afternoon." Mika started, writing a bit more on his notebook, half of which was filled with equations and transmutation circles, all for Edward's leg in some way, "It's going to take about three days to build the base model, then the fine tunings and details will take no less then four days. After we connect it to the port, I want to make sure everything is running correctly. So your leg should be done in about a week and a half."

"That long?" Edward could have pouted, but he resigned himself to the fact that no matter what he did, he would always be bed-ridden.

Mika smirked, nodding, "Good automail takes time, Edward. I could rush and get it done, but that would bring down the quality. Good automail can't be finished in a couple days."

Edward huffed, murmuring something under his breath before he leaned back against the pillows again, wiggling his limbs around to get a good seat. He was going completely insane in here, sitting on a bed that had practically formed to his ass, the need to take a shower that hadn't been administered by a nurse practically driving him up a wall, and not to mention his lungs would keep him up at night, keeping him from having any semblance of a good nights sleep.

The doctors tried to tell him that it was natural, that his lungs needed to heal. When the concrete had landed on his chest, it had broken three of his ribs, one of which punctured his lungs. It had already been two weeks, but they said the initial surgery had been successful, but punctured lungs could lead to infection, and a whole range of other things that were potentially harmful.

All that meant was that he would probably still be in this hospital bed when his leg was finished, but no doubt he would be gone from this place and checked out as soon as that leg connected.

"Why did you become a automail mechanic?" Edward mused, resting his head back against the headrest, and despite all of his whining and fussing, he felt tired and weary.

Mika glanced up, his smile softening when he saw the fatigue in his friend, "Well, I originally started as an alchemist. By my twenties I was pretty good, and was fascinated with bio-alchemy, healing people. I studied in Xing for fifteen years, and by the time I made it back to Amestris, I had learned all I could in the field of bio-alchemy and Alkahestry. A...a friend of mine lost a limb, and I realized I could do nothing to get the limb itself..."

Mika glanced up, his voice soft, but his words stuck in his throat when he finally looked at Edward, his brows drawing together and his lips forming a soft smile. Edward was leaned against the back of the bed, slumped forward, his head lolled back in his sleep.

"Why ask if you don't plan on listening?" Mika mused as he stood on his weary limbs, feeling all of his forty-five years, stepping over to gently tug at Edward, bringing the man to a laying position, before pulling the blanket up to secure over him. It couldn't be easy for such an energetic person to be bed ridden, but Edward was taking it rather well.

With a new energy in his bones, Mika reached down and grabbed his notebook, flipping it closed. With one last look at Ed over his shoulder, he closed the door, resigned to make the best automail he could, because this time, someone truly deserved it.

Edward lounged happily, taking in the sunshine on his limbs, his hair flaying out behind him and tangling in the grass, his fingers digging into the soil. It was only the hospital courtyard, but he'd only figured out about it today by overhearing one of the nurses wanting to take a patient out there, and it felt like a million dollars. The sun on him was wonderful, and the second he'd gotten out here, he'd fallen asleep, something that astounded him.

Hearing the soft footfalls as someone came up to him, Edward opened his eyes slowly, squinting in the sun as he saw a figure standing over him. Raising a hand to cover his eyes, the silhouette of the figure laughing as he continued to stare down at Edward, "I was wondering when you'd figure out they had a courtyard."

"Damn it, that's part because you didn't tell me!" Edward yelled, wiggling around with annoyance.

Roy chuckled to himself, yet again shrugging off his jacket as he took a seat next to Edward's torso, leaning back on his hands and sighing in the sun, "It's a very nice day."

"Agreed." Edward sighed, resting his wrist against his eyes, letting out a long breath as the fresh air made his lungs feel wonderful, "What have you been doing lately? You didn't come see me yesterday."

Roy gulped, a soft flush covering his cheeks as he glanced at Edward. Covering up his reaction quickly, he smirked, "What? Miss me? I don't spend all my time visiting you. I do have a job, you know."

"You made an obligation, Mustang." Edward wiggled around again, particularly enjoying it when a soft breeze brushed past him, rustling his hair and cooling his overheated skin, "You need to come visit me. Gio and Mika are nice and all, but Gio can't hold a conversation if his life depended on it, and Mika either gone working on my automail or is too busy thinking about my automail to talk."

Mustang could only chuckle. He did look forward to his talks with Edward, but they were cutting into his duties as a Major General, and that wasn't something the Fuhrer wanted to see. Roy may have been close friends with the Fuhrer, but that didn't mean he liked seeing his men slack off just to go visit someone.

"There has been a lot of tension on the border of Aerugo." Roy sighed, his shoulders slumping at the mere mention of work and his duties, "I've been keeping in contact with the soldiers down there and things haven't been going well."

"Another uprising?" Edward sat up carefully, looking up at Roy, squinting in the sun, "It can't be that bad, can it?"

"War is inevitable, Edward." Roy looked down at the man, searching his eyes with a pained resolution, "No matter how hard we try and stop it, war is going to happen. There are four countries around us, and three out of the four want conflict." He chuckled to himself, "I just have to think that we're lucky Xing doesn't want a piece of us, too."

"Ling wouldn't wage war on us if his life depended on it." Edward sighed, looking all around him for a possible escape into some shade. Catching sight of a tree, Edward planted his hands on the ground and scooted backwards, inching his way toward the precious shade.

Roy took no time in laughing at him, standing to his feet and patting off his bottom, his smirk full force as he watched Edward do a very good impression of a caterpillar, inching his way over the grass. Roy smirked, "Wow, Edward. You've finally lowered yourself to the position of a caterpillar. Maybe someday you'll become a beautiful butterfly, if you dream hard enough."

"Shut it, Mustang!" Edward wiggled around again, shooting a seething glare at Mustang as he continued his trek, "Stop calling me a lowly earthworm! You'll see!" His anger wasn't as fueled as his other times, but his rant was just as impressive, "When I do become a damn butterfly, I'll fly so high you can't even see me!"

"And you'll always be a speck."

"Who are you calling a small speck on the grass that can't even make his own way to some shade without being compared to a small, minuscule caterpillar!"

Roy chuckled fondly, reaching down and picking Edward up by the arm, getting the man to his foot rather quickly. Wrapping an arm around Edward's waist, Mustang looped Ed's arm around his neck, holding tightly to Ed's hip. Smirking yet again at the defiant blush that was covering Ed's face, Roy made his way forward.

"H-Hey!" The stutter made him blush harder, but as he hopped forward with Roy's help, he couldn't help it, "I can make it on my own."

"Oh, sure you can." Roy nodded in agreement, "I'll meet you over there in, what, December?"

The shade was more welcome than Edward thought it would be, and the couple degrees difference made him sigh in relief. It was a very nice day today, but seeing as it was the middle of the summer, the sun didn't want Edward to have any relief. His skin sang, and it looked as though he were glowing. He'd been sitting out there long enough to get a good summer tan, but not long enough to burn.

"How has Hawkeye been?" Edward asked softly, blushing only a bit when Mustang sat close to him, their shoulders brushing together as he did, "And the others?"

"The other's are doing alright." Roy mused softly, leaning against Edward's shoulder, feeling more tired than he had in a while, "Just fine."

"Hey, you okay?" Edward looked over at Roy with a raised eyebrow, nudging the other carefully, "You've been acting weird."

"I already said." Mustang smirked, looking over at Edward, trying not to let the fact that their faces were mere inches apart make him squirm, "The rebellion on the borders are taking a real toll on me. I've had to go down to the border of Aerugo in five different locations all within the last three months, all to beef up security. They almost made it through into Amestris once."

"I didn't think it was that bad." Edward inquired, reaching up absently to run a hand through his hair, lips pursing slightly when he felt the damp strands due to sweat. His hair brushed over his shoulders, and some of it onto Mustang's shoulders, making him just that much more aware of how close they were seated. He gulped, taking a deep breath, hoping that his voice didn't come out as weak and scared as he thought it would, "It's...it's not like last time, is it...?"

Roy met Edward's eyes, searching them deeply, his frown in place as he tried to analyze just what the Elric was thinking. The man never let any emotions through, and even as he sat there, worried about the impending war, Edward's eyes were strong and warm. His brow was furrowed slightly, and his lips were parted in uncertainty, and Roy was sure that it was only due to their proximity that he was able to tell. Ed was a very strong person, Mustang wouldn't deny that, but there was always an edge of uncertainty that Edward had around people he was comfortable with. He wold show his true self with people he knew, and liked.

It pleased Roy to no end to be one of those people.

"No." And Roy's hand sought out Ed's once more, taking it softly, "This is nothing like that time, Edward. Everything's going to be fine."

Edward sighed with a soft smile, nodding and leaning to the side, leaning his head on Roy's shoulder, a smile and flush still on his face.

"Why don't you speak to your brother anymore?" Gio questioned, flipping to a new page of his notebook, of which was full of various different transmutation circles, all of which Edward had deemed unworthy.

Edward scowled, leaning back against a tree in the middle of the courtyard, the air soft and cool due to the sun setting in the West. It was getting a bit dark, so Gio couldn't see the look of hurt and distain crossing Ed's face. Ed was only curious about how Gio even knew he had a brother for only a second. It was probably due to the rumors, they were mostly about Edward, but they mention his younger brother from time to time. Edward shrugged, looking away, "No reason. Get back to drawing."

Edward could still remember the day when he and Al had met up to go back to Winry's, even though it was nearly two years ago. There had been an edge of tension in the train when they'd headed back, and Edward and Al hadn't spoken a word to each other. The walk to Winry's house had been even worse. She didn't smile as she opened the door to them, and Al had been the first one to ask if something was wrong. Ed didn't hate her, it was the opposite. He did love her, but she didn't understand that his love for her was that of one for a sister. They had spoken, and in the end, they'd ended up screaming. Alphonse knew of this, and he grew silent. Edward hadn't known of how much he knew, but it was enough.

It wasn't long that they were in the house before they started screaming at each other. Al, for once in his life, had started the argument. His temper could be just as bad as Edward's, but it wasn't as easily provoked. This time, Ed had said one word, and Alphonse had started his screaming.

You're just jealous! Jealous, that for once in our lives, I'm better than you! And you can't stand it!

Alchemy is the thing that started this all! Yes, I'm glad you can't use it anymore, Edward!

Their voices still stuck in his brain, and he could still remember the ice and fire in his veins at their words. Looking down at his hands as he thought about the fights, the yelling, the screaming, he still thought about alchemy. He would still clap his hands together sometimes, even though he knew nothing would come out of it when he pressed his hands against the ground. He still clapped, hoping against hope that he'd see that illuminating blue light and, despite how much he told himself not to, he would get his hopes up. And when his hands pressed against the ground, and nothing happened, nothing but a breeze of the air, he felt the pain of the loss again.

Edward stared at the ground, his hands pressed together in front of his chest, having to adjust slightly due to his cast. Closing his eyes, he thought long and hard about it. It wouldn't work, it wouldn't work, no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't work. Yet, he still pressed his hands against the grass in front of him, clenching his teeth so tight it hurt, his fingers digging into the dirt, feeling the grass tickle his tense wrists and arms. He wished so hard that it hurt, wished with his entire being that it would work. He dug his fingers into the soil, poured everything he had into this single moment.

And it didn't work. The grass was still grass. The breeze pushed past his face, mocking him. There was no blue light that he'd grown so fond of, there was no tingle in his fingers at the power coursing through them, there was absolutely nothing.

It killed him every time.

Giovanni clenched his pencil tightly in his hand as he stared at his teacher, his lips pursing at the look of sheer pain on his teacher's face. Reaching forward, Gio placed a small hand on Edward's leg, pressing to get Edward's attention, "Edward?"

Ed jumped, looking down at his protege, painfully uncurling his fingers from the grass and dirt. His face slowly morphed into a soft smile, dipping down to Gio's eye level, reaching a shaking hand to rest his chin in his hand, "I'm fine, Giovanni."

Shaking his head, Gio slid forward, pressing his notebook on Edward's leg, drawing a quick circle, glancing up at his teacher, before continuing. Edward still had that small smile on his face, and it was at that moment that Gio decided. He was going to see his teacher smile...smile for real.

His hair flayed out around him, scattered on the pillow and bed around him, only shifting slightly when he pushed further into his pillow, completely oblivious to the rest of the world in his deep slumber. It was nearing midnight, and he'd had quite the day, so he'd been deep in his sleep since early evening.

Mika had come by, and to Ed's despair, only carrying a shell of what his leg should be. It was thin, wires were sticking out everywhere, and there was no foot. Edward whined the whole way, and Mika pretended not to notice. He'd merely come to attach the leg, check if everything was working okay, and to check if his alchemically changed port was doing alright. It was bleeding only slightly, some of the ligaments of skin tearing due to the strain. Mika insisted that this was completely normal, but he still healed the injury with alkahestry, a steady frown on his face the entire time he was in the room.

When they connected the port to the draft leg, it hurt just like Edward remembered it would. Just because Mika was a better automail mechanic, and just because Mika knew Alkahestry and Alchemy, didn't mean that it would make connecting to the port any less painful. It was almost like he could feel every nerve connecting to the metal, every connection snapping into to place. It was like his leg was being cut off all over again, and it was always painful, all the time.

Mika was gone as soon as he had come, and he took the leg with him, his brow set in a determined frown. He said that he would be back within the week with the finished product, and Ed was more than elated.

Gio had come down a while into Mika's check up, and Edward immediately had him start a transmutation. The day before Gio had drawn a perfect transmutation circle, and Edward was surprised. He didn't expect the boy to progress so quickly, but he took it in stride, and immediately told the boy to go to the market and buy various things. Yet again, Armstrong was the scapegoat for the expenses, but Edward chalked it up as pay-back for the man not having come visit him for a while.

His first transmutation was a success, but Edward couldn't really rejoice with the boy. Just the sight of the lightning-like blue lights was enough to send him back in thought, and he tried to smile, he tried to be happy, but all he could feel were ugly emotions. He hated himself for that, and when Gio excitedly held up the small form of a dog he'd created, Edward smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Gio soon claimed that he was tired and left, despite Edward's protests. The dog was left on his bedside table, and Edward turned so his back was facing it.

It was a day that he really wanted to just go out into the courtyard, have Mustang come and talk to him, or even Armstrong, but no one came through that door. It was the middle of the afternoon, and he wanted to move, get this stupid depression out of his system, but he couldn't. He was forced to wallow in it.

As he went to bed that night, taking out his trademark braid, he felt his lungs constrict and release with every breath. It was as though he were breathing in a constant haze, and he couldn't take in a full breath. As soon as his head hit the pillow, the fire in his lungs died out, and he fell asleep instantly.

So he didn't notice when Roy Mustang slowly slid into the room in the night, his face tired and withdrawn. He didn't really know what brought him here, other than the fact that the thought of seeing Edward made his day bearable. It truly had been a bad one. The Fuhrer had wanted to speak with him first thing in the morning, and it wasn't a good talk to put it lightly. Soon after he was put on a train heading to the border of Aerugo, for what seemed like the millionth time, and when he got there, he was immediately thrown into a struggle that he didn't see coming. Aerugo was throwing everything it had against the Amestris army, and although they were doing a good job holding them back, it had escalated far past the point Mustang ever thought it would.

He tried to arrange a talk with the Aerugian leader, but his hopes were shot down again as the Aerugo army general declared that it was a no-holds-bard uproar from their part. Mustang didn't even know what they were upset about anymore, and he was fairly certain it wasn't because of water rights or land anymore.

The day, to say the least, had gone down from that point. He didn't make it back to the Fuhrer's office until the afternoon, and the Fuhrer wasn't happy at what he was hearing. The Aerugo-Amestris border was something that none of them liked hearing about, and it was definitely a sensitive subject.

Roy had a rough day, and for some reason, seeing Edward was the only thing he wanted to do. Standing over the boy's bed, looking down at him, he realized how beautiful he was. It wasn't something he often thought about another man, and even now it felt strange and weird, but he couldn't help the thoughts flooding his head when he saw Edward lying on the bed, his golden hair flayed about him.

Roy's lips pursed together as he heard Edward's struggled breaths, almost sounding as if he were breathing water, his chest rattling. Reaching out, he slowly pressed his hand against Edward's hair, drawing it down, to feel the soft locks. Edward shifted in his sleep, a soft smile on his face, and as Roy's fingers drew down his hair and onto his cheek, he knew why he wanted to see Edward of all people right now.

Sighing, Roy pulled up Edward's blanket around his shoulders, running his hand through Ed's hair once more, before turning and walking out of the room, feeling worlds better.

"...Roy?"

Roy glanced back over his shoulder, seeing Edward push himself up on his forearms tiredly, his sleep-deprived face framed by his long and sleep-tousled golden hair. His eyes were half closed and drowsy, "What...what're you doin' here? It's the middle of the night."

"Nothing. Just checking up." Mustang smirked, his hand still resting on the doorknob, ready to push it open and leave, "Now go back to sleep, Edward."

Edward didn't argue, instead choosing to nod, flopping down and burrowing deeper into his pillow, asleep in seconds.

Roy let the door close softly behind him, a smile crossing his face as he sauntered down the hallway.

When Edward woke the next morning, it was like his whole body was covered in a haze. He wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, fall into an unconscious state where he wouldn't be assaulted with the pure struggle that was associated with breathing. His limbs were stuck to the bed and his attempts to move them were in vain as it felt like his whole body was rusted steel. When he opened his eyes, he could see the ceiling above his head, but his brain throbbed and pulsed in pain.

"...Teacher?" Gio's soft voice met his ears, and he was actually glad to hear it. As much as he hated showing weakness in front of others, he really didn't want to be alone, not now.

It didn't hurt as much as he thought it would to turn his head to look at the boy, but he had the urge to take a deep breath afterwards, of which was nearly impossible. He smiled warmly, but it was small, "Hey, Gio."

"Are you okay...?" Gio didn't like the sound of his teacher's breathing, it sounded unnatural and strange, and his teacher wasn't moving. Usually by now, he would be up and jumping around.

Edward coughed a bit, feeling his lungs loosen, "I'm fine, Gio."

Gio leaned against the bed, his lips pursing together in annoyance. His teacher's breathing was slightly better now that he was up, but it wasn't the best, and Gio knew that if someone sounded like that while trying to breathe, it wasn't a good thing. His teacher wasn't doing too good, and he'd only heard bits and pieces of what happened to him, but there had to be a reason as to why Edward was bedridden for so long.

He stayed lying there for a good thirty minutes, waiting for his limbs to stop hurting. Gio was off in the corner practicing his transmutations, and by the time he wandered over again, Ed had pushed himself up to as seated position. This was one of the few days where he was glad to be stuck in a bed, using it as an excuse to not move. He knew that Mika wasn't going to come in and visit for another week, that was good. One less person to worry about him.

"Do you like Mika?" Gio asked, not bothering to show Edward the doll he'd transmuted, just knowing that Edward would have something bad to say about it. He set it on the bedside table, next to the various sized dogs.

Edward glanced over, raising a brow, "Yeah, he's a nice guy. Why?"

"Just wondering." Gio leaned on the bed, twirling his fingers around in the sheets, looking away for only a moment before looking back up, "Why don't you just go back to your old automail mechanic?"

Edward really wasn't in the mood for this, he sighed as he leaned his head back painfully, his hands clenching as he took another deep breath. He wasn't in the mood for these stupid questions and he really didn't want to think about it right now. Closing his eyes slowly, he tried to take a breath, "I just don't want to. Mika is better. Get back to your transmutations."

Gio scoffed, turning around slowly and going back to his paper, wondering what he'd transmute now. He knew the basics of alchemy already, when would Edward get to teaching him the good stuff? He didn't want to transmute dolls and clay figures anymore, he wanted to get into the real stuff.

"Hey, teacher..." Gio started slowly, wondering if Edward would get mad at him, "I want to learn more."

Edward snorted, taking a shuddering breath as he looked over at the boy, "You want to learn more?"

"Yes, teacher."

He really wasn't in the mood for this. Edward pulled himself up further, his body slumping forward, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep. Wasn't that the point of a hospital, anyway? He raised his hand wearily to rest his chin on his hand, "You really want to know more? Okay. Listen up."

Despite everything, Edward talked. He just spoke, telling Gio what he knew and more. It wasn't something that was easily taken in, but Giovanni was just sitting there, soaking it in, eyes wide in wonder at Edwards words. Despite his lungs burning, and how much energy it took to just say one word, Edward spoke. It felt like days that he told Gio everything, his mouth spewing everything he could think of. He didn't even remember knowing this much, but he continued to just talk and talk, coming to conclusions instantaneously, realizing things, talking and figuring at the same time.

"No matter how hard you try, becoming good ad alchemy isn't an overnight act, Giovanni." Edward finally finished, taking a deep breath (as deep as he could), looking over at the boy with his dull and tired golden eyes, and even then, there was a deep spark that had them always glowing, "Alchemy is obtained over time, no one is instantly good at it. It is a vast and infinite world of knowledge that even now, there are some things that people haven't discovered. Infinite worlds of knowledge. Do you know that?" Edward's lungs quivered at their exertion, and he felt as though his whole body was screaming at him, and he hadn't even moved, "It's larger than me. Larger than you."

"It may be larger than me, teacher." Gio started hesitantly, still trying to wrap his head around all that his teacher had just told him, "But I can still try. It's always going to be bigger than me, I'm not trying to surpass it. I'm just a small little speck on this world, and compared to Alchemy, I'm a speck on the speck. I know that in my lifetime, I'll only learn a fraction of what I could about the world and alchemy, but that doesn't mean I can't learn all I can. I can search and search, and learn until I'm sated."

Edward's eyes grew wide at Gio's words, the small boy's eyes hard in determination, his hands clenching at the fabric under them. He was old for his age, and had been through quite a lot. He had his share of emotional baggage, but his mind was still straining for the things he didn't know. How could such a young boy want to know so much about such a large subject that was alchemy? Shouldn't he be at home having fun with his friends?

Edward snorted when he realized that Gio was just like himself. A small, dark-haired, green-eyed version of himself when he was just small, wanting to learn all that he could.

So, when Ed placed a hand on Gio's head, rubbing down like you would a child, he wasn't thinking such. All the things he could teach Gio, and the boy was willing to learn. Ed's hand was warm against his head, and he was elated and surprised at the same time at the friendly action. This was the most affection Ed had shown him, and it was welcome. Glancing up at his teacher, Gio only saw Ed's head tipped back toward the ceiling, his eyes closed and his lips parted in a sigh.

Thank you for reading. :) Please review, if you have the time.