Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Descent ❯ Manipulation ( Chapter 14 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

By: ZaKai

Descent

Chapter Fourteen

Manipulation

Ed moped down the hallway, thinking about the day. He knew Mustang was angry with him, he'd been able to see it in the man's eyes, but he wasn't exactly sure why the Colonel was upset with him. Did Al say something? Did Mustang know…?

It hadn't taken long for the meeting to break up after Mustang got off the phone. Ed had stayed in the office after the other officers left, but his commanding officer had simply gone back to his work as if the young alchemist didn't exist.

The blond felt dread wash over him. What if Al did tell him? What if Mustang hated him, after all, Ed couldn't see anyone really caring for someone who was capable of beating the shit out of their own brother… Ed figured that once he resigned from the military the Colonel wouldn't want anything else to do with him. He'd tried not to feel hurt at the thought that Mustang probably wouldn't think much of him leaving, but to think that the dark haired man would hate him… It was just too much.

Ed stopped at the door that led to Mustang's office and poked his head in, ready to tell the man he was going to leave, then stopped. The Colonel was just finishing putting on his overcoat. Ed's eyebrows knit together in confusion. Maybe the man didn't stay late on Fridays?

“I'm leaving.” Ed said.

The Colonel nodded and said simply, “Me too.”

“What about that extra work General Hakuro assigned you?” He asked in surprise.

Instead of answering verbally, Mustang picked up a thick stack of folders from his desk, tucked them under his arm, looked at Ed meaningfully, then started toward the door. The blond alchemist moved back into the hall as the Colonel walked out and shut the door behind him.

“Let's go.” The words were clipped and to the point, causing Ed to cringe inside.

The young alchemist shrugged uncomfortably as he followed the older man through the building and outside. His jacket was feeling uncomfortably tight recently… He frowned. Not just his jacket, but his pants were too…

Probably just the humidity... He thought, looking at the sky.

The storm had passed, but there were still lingering dark clouds and a slight wet breeze. He sighed and fixed his gaze on Mustang's back. The taller man had tried several times over the past week to engage Ed in conversation, but he hadn't responded to the Colonel's efforts.

It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to his superior officer… it was just… he'd thought for a long time after he made that call to Rizembool and decided he was definitely leaving the military. He just wanted to leave it all behind him. Everyone would be better off without him. It was the best he could do for them.

He'd caused Al all sorts of problems just by being around, and he'd come to the conclusion that if he stayed in Central, he'd just cause Mustang problems too. He didn't want that. Sometimes he thought of the other man holding him and all he wanted was for that to happen again, but he was afraid. What if he got too attached? What if he couldn't leave when he finished turning in all his papers?

He would only cause more problems for people he cared about.

Besides… He didn't deserve to be cared for like that. Not someone like him…

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

“Hey.”

Winry looked up from the automail she was working on and smiled at the tall sandy haired boy that leaned against the door frame.

“Are you going to stay in here all night?”

She looked over at the clock and was surprised to see that it was already evening. The order they had gotten in the day before was a very complicated piece and she'd been so concentrated on it that she hadn't noticed the time.

She looked at him sheepishly and set her tools down. “Well, I guess it is time for a break…”

“Don't tell me you plan on working on it more tonight?”

She blushed in embarrassment. That was exactly what she was planning.

He shook his head, then beckoned to her. “Come with me.”

Curious, she followed him down the stairs, out the front door and around to the west side of the house. Most of the clouds were gone, and the sky was an amazing array of colors; the sun only just beginning to touch the hills in the horizon.

“Wow. It's beautiful.”

“I thought you'd like it.”

She watched as the sun began to disappear, then looked at Al. He was staring at the sunset with a soft smile on his face. Trying not to think about being too bold, she sidled up next to him and put her hand in his.

He looked down at her in surprise, a faint blush tinting his cheeks as she laid her head on his shoulder.

Since that night he had held her, she'd felt her feelings toward him growing even stronger. She started noticing things that he did, and how he acted, and was thrilled to find that her granny was right. She was finally beginning to see how he acted a little differently toward her than everyone else. When he looked at her his eyes seemed to linger just a little longer. When she came into the room, he would sit up just a little bit taller.

Little things, but outward signs of his feelings toward her.

She frowned. The more she felt for Alphonse, the easier it was to look back and see that, again, granny was right. Ed had never acted that way toward her. It still hurt to realize that, but not as much as it had at first.

When the sun disappeared, Al turned and looked at her, still keeping hold of her hand. He cleared his throat. He was obviously embarrassed.

“I… uh, I have something for you.” He said, then held up a box covered in brown paper.

She looked at the box for a moment then took it. A gift? For her?

Curious now, she unwrapped the package, then took the lid off. Her breath caught as she pulled one of the ratchets from the box. It gleamed dully in the fading light. It was so beautiful… “Oh… Al….” She breathed. “But… when? How? You've been at the house for the last two weeks…”

For a moment he seemed sad, but then it passed and he simply said, “I've had them for a while.”

Putting the ratchet back with the others, she closed the lid on the box, then wrapped her arms gently around his chest, careful not to squeeze his injured ribs too hard. “Thank you so much! I've wanted this particular set for so long!”

She felt his arms wrap around her. He was still a little hesitant, but not as much as he had been before. This time he was a little more sure of himself.

She wasn't sure how long they stood that way, but when her stomach made a loud growling noise, he pulled away and looked down at her with a small frown. “When was the last time you ate?”

“Breakfast… I think…” She responded sheepishly, thinking of how long she had spent working.

He smiled softly, then sighed a contented sigh. “Well we'd better get some food in you then.” He said, before leading her back to the house.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Ed looked up from the couch he was lying on, to where Mustang sat at the table. The man had papers spread out everywhere. He would read a few papers, then sign something, then read more papers, then sign. It looked incredibly tedious to Ed. He was beginning to see why the dark haired man often put this type of work off until the last minute.

The Colonel picked up a glass and took a drink of… well… whatever it was that he was drinking; Ed wasn't exactly sure what. Pouring the drink had been one of the first things Mustang had done when they'd come home, after taking off his overcoat and dropping the files on the table. Well… pouring the first drink, anyway. The Colonel had gotten up twice to refill the glass.

Not that Ed was counting…

The man had been working for nearly three hours, and during all that time Mustang hadn't even looked Ed's way. He wasn't sure why he felt so hurt. After all, he had been giving the other man somewhat of the same treatment all week... but he hadn't ignored the Colonel completely, and he hadn't done it to be mean or anything. He was just trying to do what he thought was best…

Frowning, Ed tried to concentrate on his book, but kept looking over the top to snatch glances of the man at the table. The Colonel hadn't even taken off his uniform or anything! He'd just sat down and begun working. What was the point of bringing home his work anyway? He wondered.

Ed pulled at the neck of the shirt he was wearing; another one of Mustang's tee-shirts, although this one was black and not white. He was also wearing another pair of Mustang's sweats. The last pair had been thrown away after Ed had gotten blood all over them. He liked wearing the Colonel's clothes. When he wore them he could always smell the other man's scent, and for some reason that brought him some comfort…

Finally unable to stand it any longer, Ed shut the book, and threw it on the floor. It landed with a loud thud. When the Colonel didn't even look up, Ed glared in irritation, got up, and walked over to the table. Maybe he could offer to make dinner; not that he could cook very well, but maybe he could get Mustang to stop ignoring him.

He cleared his throat nervously. “Colonel?”

“What is it Fullmetal?” Mustang answered without looking up.

Ed swallowed hard, hurt welling up inside of him. Since that night the man had kissed him and… well… done other things to him, Mustang had called him by his first name whenever they were alone. He hadn't really realized how much it had put him at ease until this moment.

Mustang sighed in exasperation and looked up when Ed remained silent. “Was there something you wanted Fullmetal?”

Ed swallowed again, trying to keep the tears from coming. He hated this! He hated being ignored… But he hated being treated so coldly even more… And for what? Why was he being treated this way? What had he done wrong? The thought came to his head that Mustang must know what he'd done to Al. His brother probably told the Colonel and that's why the man was being so… so…

The short alchemist shook his head and whispered, “No…nothing…” before walking swiftly to the bedroom and quietly shutting the door behind him. He threw himself on the bed, grabbed a pillow and buried his face in it.

He wasn't going to cry…

Or at least…

He wasn't going to let Mustang know he was crying…

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Roy watched Ed leave the room and heard a click as the bedroom door closed. He sighed, took a sip of the bourbon and looked down at the documents. He'd actually stopped reading the mundane reports two hours ago and had settled on thinking about Ed for a while before signing each one.

His anger and hurt at Ed not trusting him had helped him deal his guilt of manipulating the vulnerable boy's feelings in order to get him to open up. He really was a despicable person. He couldn't help feeling as if he were acting selfish and childish.

Perhaps he was.

`You'd be no good for Ed.' Maes' words from so long ago rung clearly in his head. `He doesn't have any experience in relationships. He's too innocent. He doesn't have any defense against you.'

`I would never hurt him, you know that.' He had replied.

Maes had looked at him sadly and said, `You wouldn't mean to, but Roy... sometimes you want things to go your way so much that you justify manipulating the people you care about.

`What do you mean by that?' He had asked and his friend had only stared dolefully at him. `I've never manipulated you.'

Maes had chosen to ignore the blatant lie and said instead, `You would have too much control in the relationship. You'd have the power to make him or break him. Besides...'

`Besides?'

Concern had filled Maes' eyes. `Do you still drink everyday Roy?'

He took another sip, resisting the urge to just gulp the strong drink down in an effort to forget the memory, then began cleaning up the paperwork. He was finished for tonight. He didn't want Ed falling asleep before he had a chance to talk to him. It was for Ed's own good anyway. The boy needed to talk, even if he didn't know it.

Taking his drink, he walked toward the bedroom and quietly opened the door. Ed was curled up on the bed, his head pressed into a pillow. The boy's body was shaking slightly, and Roy had no doubt that the blond was crying.

Roy undid one of the buttons on his uniform, took a sip of the bourbon, then walked over to the bed. Setting the glass down, he sat on the mattress; keeping his eyes on Ed. When the teen had realized Roy was in the room, he'd squeezed the pillow tighter and his body had tensed.

Roy reached over and began stroking Ed's blond hair. It felt a bit rough and slightly greasy. The kid needed a shower… For a moment the boy's body remained stiff, then Ed lifted his tear stained face from the pillow and looked up; a hurt bewildered look on his face.

Roy crawled onto the bed, laid down behind Ed and pulled the short alchemist close. Ed sniffled, but didn't continue crying as Roy put his arms around him.

“Ed” The dark haired man began. “I'm sorry.” I'm sorry I'm such a manipulating bastard. “I've been a little uptight today.” I've wanted to strangle you all day. “There's been a lot of pressure on me lately.” Pressure as in, physical pressure. Do you know how fucking hard it is to wake up with you next to me every morning and not be intimate with you? “Especially with what is happening in the east.” What if you leave the military and I have to go to war without you? “I don't know if we'll be deployed or not.” What if it's too late for you to get out, and you have to go through all the horrible things I did? “And I am a little hurt that you won't trust me enough to tell me what's going on with you and Alphonse.” I'm pissed, and if this doesn't work I just might beat it out of you. “You know I could have just asked Al what was going on.” I still might if you don't talk to me.

Roy kissed Ed on the ear then turned the boy around to face him. Their eyes met for a moment before the blond alchemist looked away.

“Edward.” Roy whispered. Ed turned his eyes back up and he could see the golden orbs swimming behind unshed tears. “Tell me what happened between you and Alphonse.”

---

Thanks to:

MasamuneReforged for being my beta.

Please don't kill me for ending there…

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