Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ The Adventures of Roy Mustang: Sex Ed Teacher ❯ Part 19 ( Chapter 19 )

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

Edward was unhappy with the circumstance, but not unhappy with the result. Roy was just fucking hot in his uniform, he always had been. He coyly admired his lover from across the room, sighing heavily and plaintively, pretending to stare down at the comforter, but glancing up at the General to see when he was looking.

Roy looked over at him, offered him an apologetic smile and lift of his eyebrow.

“Including yesterday, but not the weekend, I’ve been out of the office for four days,” Roy said, “and while you deserve for me to take the next ten years off, we have to eat. Plus, I have to see if the office is still standing, my curiosity is piqued.”

Ed felt an unexpected rush of warmth. He was truly home now and Roy was talking about the office; not an office Edward had ever seen of course, but his mind strayed back to a small office and an apartment on the park.

“Surely it won’t fall apart that easily,” Ed said with a smile.

Roy snorted and fiddled with his butt skirt.

“First, I have to make the rounds and see if Breda has insulted anybody, then I have to see if Fuery has found someone new to take advantage of him, and then I have to make sure Falman hasn’t seized up in a corner because someone forgot to follow protocol, although he is getting better at it. He actually let a misfiling go the other day, he didn’t sniffle around the office all day taking it personally,” the General said.

Edward laughed, each face passing over his thoughts as Roy spoke them. He had missed them too, and wanted to see them again when things were settled.

“What about Havoc,” Ed asked, “you left him out.”

“I don’t have to worry about Havoc anymore,” and Roy sounded very proud, “he’s a Lieutenant Colonel now, I let him do most of the lead work.”

“Hawkeye?” Ed said.

“Edward, think about who you’re asking me about. Do you think Colonel Hawkeye still has to baby-sit me? No, she is on her way up. She is the epitome of Military Perfection, she’s as efficient and deadly a Colonel as the big brass could ever hope to have, and she will be transferred out of my office soon, I’m sure, but not before she terrorizes her replacement into keeping me in my place. Her proficiency in all things is quite beautiful and terrible, and she still looks like a statue that speaks occasionally. She’s totally unreadable, I think even to Al sometimes and that is a feat.” Roy shook his head, “She is the most incredible and frustrating woman I’ve ever dealt with,” Roy continued.

“Even in bed?” Ed teased.

“Now in bed it was different, and I’m not a kiss and tell,” Roy smirked.

“Aw, come on, you can tell me just a little,” Ed laughed.

“No,” Roy said, “that is between Hawkeye and myself and will remain there. When she handed me my walking papers, I though she was…reading…me the….” Roy trailed off and stiffened.

Oh, he’d just handed Edward his head on a platter.

“SHE DUMPED YOU, THE GREAT ROY MUSTANG?! LOVER OF WOMEN?!” the blonde on the bed howled in laughter, “Hell Roy, I would have given my left arm to see that!” Ed chortled in evil glee.

“It can be arranged,” his lover growled, tugging at the front of his collar.

“That’s rich, that is just rich,” Ed leaned back, sighing in self satisfied smugness.

“The Rockbells will be here tomorrow,” Roy reminded him suddenly, causing Edward to blanch and scowl.

“HA,” the General said and strolled to the door, pausing to reach back and run his hands under his butt skirt, lift it and lean forward a little to present Edward with his ass.

“I’d kick it and kiss it better if you’d bring it over here,” Edward challenged and threw a pillow.

“No thanks, I saw the way you almost throttled Alphonse, I think I’ll pass. Maybe if you beg me, I’ll come back and kiss you goodbye before I leave,” the General said breezily, “but only if you beg me nicely.”

“I’ll give you a blowjob,” Ed returned.

The General turned around and went over to the bed, leaned in, grabbed Ed’s hand, pinned it to he headboard and proceeded to swab his throat out with his tongue. When he pulled back, Ed was glazed and blinking rapidly. He sighed heavily and didn’t attempt to grab Roy when his hand was freed.

“I’ll be back to kiss you goodbye before I go,” Roy informed him with a tap on his nose, then turned and jauntily went out the door.

***

A phone call had been made. Roy had carried him into his den, which excited Edward for a strange reason, and settled him comfortably in the big leather chair that sat before his desk. Edward immediately began snooping through drawers and Roy had to pry a compass out of his hand and move some other things out of reach while Edward complained in grunts and half growls. Alphonse came behind dutifully and smiled at them, picked up the phone and began dialing a number. Edward gave up his pillaging and sat there grinning like a damn fool, looking all around.

“There’s a couch in here,” he had pointed out to Roy, as if Roy hadn’t moved the couch in here himself, “it’s the one from your apartment,” Edward continued in glee, “it looks good over there by the window. You have art on the walls, how the fuck did that happen? Must have been Hawkeye, and that’s a throw rug? This General gig must pay well. Are those blinds wooden over on the window?”

Roy looked at him, puzzled and bemused, and looked around the room himself. He’d always considered it comfortable, but nothing dramatic.

“So now you’re the Interior Decorating Alchemist?” he’d asked with a smirk; but Edward’s answering attack was cut short by Alphonse proffering the phone receiver to his brother.

“It’s Winry,” Alphonse said with a smile and Edward hesitated. Alphonse shook he receiver back and forth, “she’s very excited and wants to talk to you,” Al said as Edward arched an eyebrow and eyed the receiver like it was a snake. Al stroked the receiver once as if to show Ed it wouldn’t bite him, “You should say hello, brother, it’s been a long time,” Alphonse coaxed gently and then insistently shoved the receiver in Ed’s face, sliding it over to his ear.

Ed made no move to actually take it, but he wet his lips and sort of gingerly put his ear against it, tentatively saying “Hello?”

After a moment, Ed’s expression gentled and he smiled a little. ”Don’t cry, it’s okay. I’m fine, really. I’m sorry I scared you that night.”

Then he was quiet a bit more. “You were wonderful,” Ed glanced at Roy, “the General found me straight away, I missed you too.” He reached up and touched the receiver with one finger and Alphonse seemed eager to give it to him, but he turned his gaze on Alphonse and dropped his hand. Alphonse sighed patiently.

Al then smiled at Roy and gave a little shrug of his shoulders, and Roy smiled back, happy that the family was complete again. The Rockbells and Elrics weren’t really related, but the boys were close to their hearts as if they were kin.

Edward’s expression changed a bit as he furrowed his eyebrows and bit his bottom lip. He gave Al a nervous glance and mouthed: ‘Automail’. Alphonse gave him a little helpless shrug and Edward glanced over at Roy, who raised his eyebrow back.

“About that, see, there were these circumstances…” Ed began, then grimaced, “It’s not like it was something I wanted to give up! NO, it wasn’t willingly!” Ed scowled, “I did NOT sell them! Why would I fucking sell them?! I need them to walk and grab things, you know! And punch people, yes. I’m not goddamn wreckless!”

Now Ed was all agitated and scooting around in the chair. Al had to keep repositioning the phone while Edward grimaced and winced and squinted his eye nearest the receiver. He gave Alphonse an irritated look and Al’s mouth pulled down on one side. He gestured with his free hand, palm up, as if to say ‘what could he do?’

“If you would just…” Ed’s voice was growing in volume, “NO, look…” his face was starting to turn red and Roy felt a little alarmed, but Alphonse just kept glancing over at Roy and smiling reassuringly, and no matter how far Edward leaned away from the receiver, he kept it right against his brother’s ear. Edward was developing an eye tick.

“HA! It came apart right at the elbow! Shoddy! Built to last! Don’t you come at me with that bullshit!” Edward howled. He glanced at Roy and turned his face away as if that meant Roy wouldn’t be able to hear him anymore “I don’t want to talk about it. NO! You can if you think you’re man enough…” Then his eyes got huge, “ OH SHIT, I DIDN’T MEAN IT, DON’T TAKE IT LIKE THAT!” he wailed, turning huge eyes on his younger brother who was leaning back from the receiver now as far as he could and yet still keep it pressed to Edward’s ear. Edward decided to go with self-preservation tactics. “LET ME SPEAK TO GRANNY!” he begged and kicked his foot.

Roy bit the inside of his cheek and turned away, wouldn’t do for Ed to see him grinning at this point. Edward was batting at Alphonse now who kept parrying with his free hand neatly.

Edward panted hard for a moment, then swallowed again and the rolled his eyes toward the receiver, shaking his head.

“She’s yelling,” he told Al and scratched the side of his nose. Then a smile came to rest on his face again, as his voice calmed and he leaned into the receiver a little. Al sighed and tried to grab his hand to make him take it, but Edward shoved his hand under his thigh.

“Hi Granny,” he said, looking at Al again with a half wicked grin. Al flattened his mouth and gave Roy a baleful look. Roy wondered what he’d done this time, because as far as he knew, he was standing way over here minding his own eavesdropping business.

“I’m still taller than you,” Edward said with a half laugh, “I missed you too,” he repeated for her as his eyes dropped to his lap, “I’m sorry to have worried you,” he said in very gentle tones. He listened for a few moments without speaking at all, shifting and glancing at Al. Then he looked away, working his finger in idle circles on the chair arm and looking a little uncomfortable. “Thank you,” he said to the receiver with a lot of emotion he tried to hide by sucking on the inside of his cheek. He tilted his head into the phone once more. “He’s here, you want to speak to him? I want to see you as soon as I can, too,” Ed looked at Al. “She wants to talk to you, Al,” and he turned his head and leaned away from the phone.

Alphonse took the receiver back and put it up to his ear, beginning a conversation to do with travel arrangements and the location of the General’s house. Roy looked back over at Ed who offered him a smile and leaned back in the chair. He looked truly content and relaxed. There was something different about the way he wore his emotions now, something genuine, but there were some things missing that if Roy took the time to ponder it, he thought he knew what those things were.

But Edward was home, plain and simple and he had everything he set out to achieve at the tender age of twelve. (Well maybe he hadn’t set out to achieve Roy, but he had him none the less) Edward finally looked at peace with himself and the world, and for that, Roy Mustang would have walked through fire, and often did.

“So we’ll see you in three days,” Alphonse’s cheerful voice broke the General’s musings, “I’m looking forward to it, and I know brother is too, he’ll love to see you and Winry.”

Edward fixed Roy with a hard stare and leaned forward a little as if to convey urgency.

“Fucking hide me!” he pleaded and made a grabby motion toward Roy with his hand.

Alphonse laughed and said goodbye, batting at his brother. He hung up and gave himself a little shake, making his ponytail swing as he grinned at the General and his sibling.

“It’s so good to hear Granny’s voice,” Al said, “she sounded really relieved.”

“Well yeah, it was good to speak to Granny,” Ed said, “I’m glad we called her.”

“Winry sounded so happy, she was really worried. I love it hear Winry’s voice when she’s happy,” Al continued.

“Yeah,” Ed sneered, “her voice makes me want to take a sharpened pencil and shove it into my ear through to my brain, because let me tell you, it would probably hurt a lot less.”

The General grinned and put his hands on his hips.

“She’s a lovely young lady, Edward,” he said with mischief in his eye.

“If you like homicidal, wrench-wielding maniacs I guess,” Edward grumbled.

***

Roy strode into the kitchen, tugging on his cuffs and reaching up to make sure his patch was straight. It was nice out and the sunlight streamed though the large arched windows over the loveseat along the back kitchen wall. Alphonse looked up from the stove and grinned, sporting his usual short sleeves and ponytail. Roy grinned back.

“His majesty is languishing about in the master bedroom, Alphonse,” the General said, “I’m sure he is awaiting your pleasure and his breakfast.” He gave a mock bow and gestured toward the hall.

Al shook his head and chuckled, shuffling the pan on the eye of the stove.

“Well he’s just going to be lazing around all day and you’re going into the office, so you get breakfast first.” Al lifted and tilted the frying pan over a plate on the counter, sliding two sunny-side up eggs onto it beside toast and bacon.

“You made breakfast for me?” this made the General positively giddy; no one ever cooked for him. Well, Edward had tried in the past, and was reasonably good if Roy wanted noodles or something fried to an unrecognizable mass (it was fried, so it tasted good anyway), but this was a real treat. Alphonse was a good cook and would sometimes indulge his Pirate on the weekends he stayed over, but getting breakfast on something as mundane as a weekday was a luxury he could easily grow to live with. He wouldn’t complain at all! Roy sat down at his table, already set for his use with silver ware, butter dish, and salt and pepper shakers. It had been a while since he’d used it, really no need with his bachelor existence. He’d been in the habit of eating in the living room with the coffee table as a resting point for the deli wrappers that covered his dinners most nights.

Alphonse served him up with a flourish, a smile and a cup of coffee with cream, just as he liked. The boy always remembered; it was always so gratifying that he did, it was bliss. Roy leaned over the plate, almost as if to guard it. He almost looped his arm around it, but then he remembered Ed was in the bedroom and no matter how long his reach might have seemed in the past when there was something on Roy’s plate he wanted, it couldn’t reach that far. The smell was so divine, he almost thought it a shame to eat such a lovely meal. Maybe he should preserve it somehow to show to Edward later, because if he was going to be the bread winner, Edward was going to have to learn to cook just like this, or better if possible. Then his mind skipped to an even better idea: with Edward as very tempting bait, maybe he could finally convince Alphonse to move in here, the house was plenty large enough for all three of them. Besides his bedroom, the den, living room, kitchen and Al’s room, the rest of the house sat empty. There had been no good reason to fill it; well, one of the vacant rooms would be filled today. When he heard of the Rockbell ladies’ impending visit, he’d ordered another bed set which was supposed to be delivered and set up by this evening. He glanced over at Alphonse who was now working on a mountain of food for his elder brother.

“Some delivery men will bring in bed furniture today,” Roy said, “Just direct them to one of the empty rooms to set it up.”

“There are four empty rooms, which one do you want it in?” Al asked, looking over his shoulder.

“Just whichever you’d like your family to sleep in,” Roy said, “it matters not to me,” then he picked up a piece of toast, hesitated and gestured with it, “Alphonse, about last night, on the phone…” he started.

“I knew this would come up, I was waiting for it,” Al said not looking at the General, instead peeling an orange to section up for his brother, “but it wasn’t you that gave it away, it was Ed, earlier,” Al continued.

“Well of course,” the General said quietly, “he’s not very good at hiding anything, even the things he wants to, but he expressed some concerns to me about…”

“I know,” Al interrupted, arranging the orange wedges on the plate in a symmetrical fashion, “he made it clear to me he wasn’t ready to share it with me as well and I’m confused as to why. Life is just life and you live it the way you see fit, you just try to be happy,” Al said.

“You are remarkably understanding,” the General said, “and you’ve always been so observant it sometimes makes my skin crawl,” he said with a half smile, “I will tell him you know, if you’d like me too,” he finished.

“I think maybe you better,” Al said, butting toast wedges up against the orange pinwheel, “I can already tell we have a few major battles ahead, what with him telling me I couldn’t date right off the bat when I’d only known him for all of a few hours. He’s very highly opinionated in regards to me, I can already tell. He has some strange idea in his head that I’m this person he has to take care of, but look at him, and not just because he’s missing his limbs- he’s hiding things from both of us and he won’t just give anything up willingly. It’s aggravating,” Al broke some eggs into a bowl for scrambling. For some reason, he didn’t know why, he just knew Ed liked them that way instead of fried. He just knew. These things he knew, but didn’t know, had been coming more and more frequently since Ed came back.

“He’s always been like that,” the General said, making a merry mess of his egg yolks with a toast point, “And why am I not surprised you have him already figured out?” he chuckled, “You’re just a wonder, Alphonse.”

“He’s easier and harder. I have these pre-set expectations and he’s slowly meeting them one by one. I have my observations now and theories being tested, but the results aren’t unfavorable. I have this place in my head, this place that remembers things I never knew to begin with,” Alphonse added some butter to the heating frying pan, “That place coincides with all the slamming-door looks that you and everyone at the office give me when I venture into the great unknown territory of the before. One day I will become a master of torture and get some concrete answers. I’ll torture Feury first, because he’ll be the easiest to break.” All whipped the eggs in the bowl with a fork and added some pepper.

The General almost choked on his coffee and set his cup down. He wiped his mouth with the napkin, not sure what to broach on the subject.

“It’s alright Pirate, enjoy your breakfast. I’ve gone this long with being a mushroom; I can go a bit longer. Brother is home now, so let’s just concentrate on that for a while, but here is another thing: You hear me? You hear me call him ‘Brother’? Like that’s his name? Well that’s another item from the things I never lived, yet know are solid facts. I’ve always called him Edward in every thought I had of him. When I had to address him directly, in ever theory I jotted down that contained a method of finding him, in every conversation spoken aloud on the subject of him, he was always ‘Edward’. But now the name Edward, or Ed if I think about it, is reserved for when I need to get a point across. He’s just ‘Brother’ now.” Al shrugged, “Funny how that worked out the moment I saw him.”

The General just smiled and made a lot of appreciative sounds eating his toast.

“HUNGRY,” came hurtling down the hall, around the doorframe and ruffled Alphonse’s hair.

“’Impatient Jerk’ is leaping to mind, too,” Alphonse said.

The General had once again tried to drink his coffee and nearly drown in it.

***

The General opened the door to his office, leaned in and had a look around. Havoc looked up from his seat behind the General’s very own desk where he had sat to organize the daily paperwork and lifted an eyebrow at him. Breda half turned in his chair and cast him a questioning look that wanted details on the woman who had kept him out of the office for four days (and wouldn’t he just tilt right out of that chair if the General told that this particular woman would gut him for calling him a woman), while Feury lit up like a street lamp in the approaching dusk and stood half way out of his chair with his hands on the table. Roy was always amused (and flattered) by Feury’s devotion and admiration. Though he seemed a bit old for it now, Roy hoped he never outgrew it. Falman did the most amazing bit of quivering with just his nostrils and his mouth flattened slightly. It was a remarkable amount of facial expression that Roy had worked on this long and hard for years, and he felt gratified. Colonel Hawkeye was rare in attendance this early in the morning anymore. She had her own budding staff to deal with and Roy knew, sooner or later, she’d break down and tell him about an impending transfer. It felt funny and it hurt, but it also felt wonderful and happy. However, he wouldn’t deny that it felt relieving, because as much as he admired the woman, he could use a goddamn break. All in all, life was now grand again and he wished he could share just how grand it was with the rest of them, but Edward had tugged on his collar and asked of him a favor.

I want to tell them all that you are back, it will make them so happy, the General said.

I know, I want to see them all, but for right now, Edward tugged on the General’s collar a little, his fingers still lingering there from where he grabbed it during the first goodbye kiss, I just want to be with you and Alphonse. I want to get myself back together, literally. If you told them, they would want to come and see me, and I’m grateful, I really am, but this is good right now. This is what I want right now. Can you wait a little, would you mind?

He’d asked so damn nicely that Roy figured Alphonse had coached him. How could he say no to that? He acquiesced and took another kiss or two (or three) as payment for his silence and now here he was, the second happiest moment in his entire life and he couldn’t share it.

Second happiest? a blonde in his head questioned, mouth drawing down.

The first happiest is when someone said three little words to me in a hayloft, the General said to the threatening frown.

Kisses four, five, six and seven had followed that.

***

“Are you just going to hang in the doorway, sir, or are you waiting on applause for showing up for work?” Havoc said and rolled his toothpick to the opposite side of his mouth.

The Lieutenant Colonel had developed a very Hawkeye-like attitude to Roy’s work ethics and it was very… annoying, but not undeserved, he supposed. It’s not like practicing Hawkeye’s methods of General wrangling was a bad thing, in fact, Havoc stood to benefit from it in the long run, so Roy had played the better man and let him get away with it. Well not let him per se, Havoc had become wickedly sharp once he realized he was destined for greatness and had whet his wit and his tongue against the then Major General in anticipation, so Roy figured he should really just be used to it by now.

Roy made a flourish with his right hand in acknowledgement of Havoc’s wit. He then straightened and walked in a few paces, spread his arms wide, clapped his hands together, templed them and held them to his chin. He squinted with his one good eye at the ceiling a moment, then dropped his arms and looped them behind his back, lacing his fingers.

“Tell me,” he said, now that they had all riveted to him and his display of posturing for dominance which males often did, especially him, “what happens when your life’s ambitions have been reached?” he said casually, “What happens when the single most obtainable goal in your imagination has been not only met, but exceeded, and you’re left raw and bleeding in it’s wake, never thinking it would happen, because you were sure you’d made that one goal just that side of unattainable?” he took a few more paces toward his desk, which was bigger than any desk had a right to be. It had a marble top because he was a General, and a resting place for a sliver pen, lovingly enshrined in a specially made glass case, because it had finally, truly, died. “What then,” he asked his assembled forces, “tell me, what is left?”

“I need to thank the great hallelujah,” Breda said, “because man, I didn’t think you’d EVER start dating again. This must be one incredible piece of ass to have your peacock tail swaggering all over the office like the old days. Oh you have to spill, you so have to spill,” he chortled, then as an afterthought, “sir.”

“The next unattainable goal,” Feury said, pretending Breda didn’t exist, “You always said that the sky’s the limit. I remember the speech you gave to our class in boot camp after burning down half the rec hall, it was magnificent, I’ve never forgotten it,” Feury saluted, “and good to have you back, sir!”

“You didn’t file any vacation request forms, sir,” Falman said in a trying to be friendly and welcoming back way, but failing miserably, “and you’ve thrown me off schedule because I’ve had to leave the file folder in the slot on top of the cabinets.”

Roy unclasped his hands and bounced a little on the balls of his feet, and then pointed to his stalwart men, one by one.

“Almost, but not quite, Breda. As I told someone else recently, I don’t kiss and tell,” his finger swung to Feury, “You’re a damn fine addition to my team and I will never willingly you let go,” he informed the boy, now man, who was a Second Lieutenant and watched him practically wiggle in glee. His digit then tracked its way to Falman, who stiffened visibly at the onslaught, “I’m sorry that I’ve messed with your routine and I appreciate the attempt at a welcome back. I’ll have Havoc fill them all out for me post haste,” he said. Then, speaking of Havoc, (and having Havoc close to speak to) the General put one hand on his hip and turned back to regard him, still sitting in the General’s own chair behind the General’s own desk.

“Now that we’ve heard from the voyeur, the fan club and…” he stopped for a moment, “Falman,” Havoc concluded, “let me say that while I’m glad you finally decided to grace us with your presence, you have made me a very busy man and I will now take my paperwork-induced wrath out on you. I think you should let us know when the urge to be a complete slacker hits you so we can be prepared in advance. I take it that no amount of huffing and sighing is going to make you spill your guts, but I know for a fact you will tell the Colonel, because you still like your life. I’m exceedingly jealous that she rates an explanation and I don’t, but I’ll let it go for now with the anticipatory evil glee that these backlogs of reports are going to make your eye fall out of your skull and roll around on your marble topped desk, sir.”

“My god, man,” the General said, clearly impressed, “the Colonel HAS gotten her hooks into you. She is a force more deadly than I ever imagined.”

Havoc, with his elbows on the desk, spread his hands in a helpless gesture and rolled his toothpick again.

“It’s hard not to pay attention when she keeps lovingly stroking the pistol at her side,” Havoc said.

“Feel my pain,” the General said, “Now get your ass out of my chair and away from my desk. I’m still the top dog here and you have yet to be able to out posture me,” the General raised his eyebrow, tilted his head and smirked.

Havoc grinned, stood and backed from the chair, bowing toward it and making a sweep of his arm.

“It’s only a matter of time,” he promised, “but for now, I shall let you have the bigger balls and smellier butt, sir.” He bowed his head in mock surrender.

“Ha, ha, ha,” the General said and took his position of honor, immediately slouching in his chair, “bring it on gentlemen, I’m not afraid… I’m not afraid.”

Havoc leaned over and nudged the first stack of paperwork toward him. The General whined.

***

Boredom was evil, especially if it wore the face of Edward Elric. At first it had been pleasant, he was fed a very large breakfast and fawned on by his little brother and that made him happy. Then the General coming to say goodbye for the day had dampened it a little and Alphonse announced that he had to do something terribly important on the other side of the house. As a matter of fact, he had to go outside the house and clear around to the other side, and might not be back for a good fifteen minutes. Edward thought it a little odd that Al would just announce it like that, but then he was happy again because he could kiss the General goodbye a lot, and grope him.

After the General had managed to wiggle himself free, Alphonse came back and set up house on the bed, bringing Ed a lot of books. That was interesting for a bit, but Ed didn’t need to read books anymore, not like he used to, so he pushed them aside and wiggled his toes, but his foot didn’t hold his attention very long either. He was feeling playful and giddy because those emotions had been cooped up too long, and now that they had broken their pen and were running free, there was no stopping them. He began tugging on the end of Al’s ponytail. Al would swat at him and shake his head and snort, because he was writing furiously in a little journal. Edward waited at intervals before going for the long sweep of dark gold hair hanging down his little brother’s back again, doing it enough times that Alphonse scooted out of his reach, so then the teasing had to become verbal.

“What are you doing?” Edward asked.

“Writing in my journal,” Alphonse said in tones that knew he knew Edward knew exactly what he was doing.

“What are you writing about?” Edward prompted.

“Things that have been happening, some observations, some notes for a report I have due,” Alphonse said.

“Are you writing about me?” Edward said, flopping over on the pillows, stretching and trying to catch the edge of Alphonse’s shirt but not quite making it.

“Yes, you’re in here,” Alphonse said in that ‘You’re borderline annoying me right now’ tone.

“What are you saying?” Edward pressed and hitched himself down a little, still trying to catch hold of Alphonse’s shirt.

“It’s my journal, it’s private,” Al informed him, scooting a little further away.

“You can tell me,” Edward said, “I won’t tell anyone. I can keep a secret,” he reached and poked Alphonse in the back with his toes.

“No you can’t,” Alphonse said, “I can tell just by looking at you how lousy you are at keeping secrets,” he never looked in Ed’s direction, but reached behind him and tried to poke the offending foot with his pencil.

“Aw come on, it’s something bad isn’t it, that’s why you won’t tell me, “ Edward teased, “you’re writing bad things about you big brother, you should be ashamed.”

“I’m not going to tell you, you’ll just have to stew. They may be bad or they may be good, I’ll guess you’ll never know,” Alphonse teased right back.

“You picked up a mean streak,” Edward said, “you used to tell me everything. Who taught you to be stingy, I’d like to kick their ass,” he said with a mock huff.

“You’d just like to kick ass,” Alphonse said, “for the fun of it, you have that type of personality. No one taught me how to tease you, I picked that up on my own.”

“I liked you better before,” Edward groused, “when you thought I was the greatest thing on the planet. I guess all good things come to an end, I just wish I’d been around more to see it.”

“Colonel Hawkeye is the greatest thing on the planet,” Alphonse said and then seemed to blush and hunch over his journal, “I mean, the Pirate is, but you’re back now, I’m sure you will take over soon.”

Edward raised an eyebrow. Well, well, well… what was this? That sounded just like a certain other teenage Alchemist having random thoughts about a dastardly dark-haired Colonel. Edward knew a crush, he’d harbored one for a year or two before a fateful night in the bastard’s kitchen, but here was Alphonse, following in his footsteps. He was amused and a little alarmed. Riza Hawkeye wasn’t the type to gently push aside a young boy’s heated glances and mumbled confessions; he didn’t want Alphonse to get hurt, but that wouldn’t keep him from teasing him about it.

“You like Hawkeye,” Edward said sing song, “have you told her?”

“NO,” Alphonse said, cheeks ablaze, “don’t be silly, I don’t like her like that,” he rushed on, “I just admire her is all. She’s smart and self assured and she’s a Colonel and people respect her, so I wish to emulate her is all. I mean not like be her or anything,” Al said.

“Because you’re too busy trying to be me,” Ed interjected gleefully, “and it’s so cute!” he added.

“Shut up!” Alphonse snorted then grimaced, “See? You make say very rude things, you’re such a bad influence, Winry was right!”

“Winry wouldn’t know right if it bit her on the ass, and believe me, that’s all the action she would get. No man in their right mind would come near that without a death wish and a will all made out in advance,” Edward huffed, stretching out and looking at the ceiling.

“That is so mean,” Alphonse said, “she was worried for you, she cried over you at that stupid funeral. I don’t know why you’re so mean to her,” Al groused.

“She came to my funeral,” Ed said, “she probably waited until you were all gone to screech about having to bury such fine automail. Hell, if I was actually in there, she’d have probably dug me back up with her bare hands and snatched it off my body to take home and enshrine the goddamn stuff,” Ed snorted.

Alphonse turned around and popped Edward loudly on his stub. Edward yelped and they both stared at each other, then Alphonse threw his hands in the air.

“NOW see what you made me do! I am never prone to physical confrontation! I swear, around you I lose all decorum!” he accused.

“You could be plenty physical when you needed to,” Edward yelled back, rubbing the smarting spot on his thigh, “You would chortle gleefully while you kicked my ass and dangled me out windows, telling me the whole time it was for my own good!”

Alphonse quieted then and lowered his arms, fixing Ed with such an intense stare that Edward scooted back against the headboard.

“You’re going to tell me things,” Alphonse Elric said, soft and low, “things no one else will tell me, because you’re here now and I want to know. There will be no hiding things to protect my feelings anymore,” Alphonse Elric grinned a grin and Edward Elric swallowed hard. He’d never seen such a look on anyone’s face, it was a look meant to nullify and petrify simultaneously, it was meant to stun its victim into submission, like how a poisonous spider bites its prey and pumps it with venom before moving in for the kill. It was a look that Edward Elric would see in his dreams for years to come, and nothing, not even the memory of the faces of sneering Sins would top it. He pressed himself hard against the headboard and heard a frightened whine. He concluded that it had escaped from his belly and that he could feel his recently dropped balls trying to climb back up into his body.

Alphonse leaned toward him then, one hand on the bed. The grin was still there, but now it was getting closer and Edward scrabbled with his one hand and one leg but could not force his matter through the headboard. He wondered if he could claw and alchemic array with his fingernails on the headboard in time, but it was looking more and more unlikely the closer Alphonse leaned.

“It won’t be so bad, brother,” Alphonse said, voice belying the putrefying evil curve that was this grin from hell, “it will be just like old times.”

Edward Elric did the only thing he could think of to do, he had a spasm, windmilled and screamed.

“I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM,” he shrieked, “AND THE GENERAL ISN’T HERE WHY ISN’T HE HERE NEVERMIND YOU’LL HAVE TO TAKE ME!”

Alphonse blinked and the grin went away. He looked bemused and sat back a little.

“Well there is no need to shout,” Al said, sliding off the bed and holding out his arms, “Come on, let’s go.”

***

Of course fate decreed that the furniture show up as Ed was on the can. Al went to let them in and then changed his mind three times about which room the furniture was to go into, so Ed was left to sit and ponder in an appropriate place to do so.

Alphonse was smart, much smarter than Ed himself he gave in grudgingly, but obviously the General had been able to withhold information. His brother had what no other being had ever had before, he had gotten to start over. So was it really safe and wise for the Alphonse of now to remember the Alphonse of before? Alphonse had two lives, running parallel to each other from the age of ten on, and just from the differences Ed had already run into, he knew that Al’s experiences outside of Ed’s influences were vastly different. As much as that hurt, here was an Alphonse who had grown up on his own. Not that he wasn’t magnificent of course, but he was different. He didn’t ask Ed’s opinion, he didn’t take Ed’s teasing with only good humor to show for it, he didn’t run to Ed with questions immediately (in fact, only when he figured out Ed was helpless, trapped and the only one who could answer his questions, had he broached that), he didn’t look to Ed first. He looked… to Roy.

He’d looked to Roy, saluted Roy in the living room when they saw each other in the flesh again at long last. He’d run to Roy when Ed’s presence had confused him when they’d first tried to talk and he turned to Roy in every decision they had made since Ed had gotten back. It was his ‘Pirate’ he deferred to in a way achingly familiar when the word ‘Brother’ used to leave his lips first, but that shouldn’t bother Ed. After all, he wasn’t here and he should be grateful that Al has someone as wonderful as Roy to look out for him in Ed’s absence, right? He rubbed his knee in agitation. That’s not really what he was trying to figure out was it? No, he was trying to figure out how dangerous it might be if Al did regain his memories. He would have to talk to… Roy about it. It seemed they were both running to him now.

He was chewing his lip when the bathroom door opened. He jumped and almost yelled “Occupied!” but then remembered it was just Alphonse and that he was done ages ago. As Al grunted and helped him hop from the bathroom, Edward found he didn’t want to return to the four walls of inner turmoil-inducing dilemma that the bedroom could be, since he had little to do than sit there among Roy cologne-scented pillows. So, “Take me to the den.” he said. Al had looked at him, but then nodded and they got about halfway down the hall before Ed over balanced himself and smashed them into the wall. Some negotiating and rearranging followed, and off they went again for a few feet, only to hit the wall once more. Alphonse was a bit taller than Ed, but Ed was broader and heavier, and his arm was on the wrong side of his body to be of any help, like say hooking over his little brother’s shoulders. Alphonse propped him on the wall, stood back and rubbed his chin, then he took his elder brother’s shoulders and pressed down. Ed protested to begin with, but wasn’t in a good position to maintain it and was soon sitting on his ass on the hardwood floor. Al then turned him around, got one hand under the arm that had an armpit, the other lightly gripped the automail port and Alphonse dragged his brother backwards down the hall, sliding him on his ass.

They proceeded down the long hall in this manner and Ed complained the entire time, but they made it to the den and with some hoisting and straining on Al’s part, they even got Ed up into the big leather chair that sat before the desk. That is when they discovered it had wheels and they both grumbled over it, but at least if they needed it, they would have the knowledge now. Edward looked around the room and then at his brother and sighed.

“Bored of the bedroom?” Al asked with a smile, “let’s find something for you to do and I’ll go make you some lunch,” he offered.

Edward nodded and sort of pushed himself around in the chair. He spied a familiar wooden box, sitting on the credenza under the big window.

“Hey I know,” Ed said, “let’s play the phonograph.”

Al turned to look at the phonograph in its place of honor. He was a little uneasy about it, it was one of the few things the General showed a true possessiveness over, especially one certain disc in the collection that must have been pressed from the rarest materials on earth, from the way the General handled it and had, without trying to seem obsessive, asked Alphonse not to touch.

“I don’t know,” Al said hesitantly, “the General is very fond of it and he doesn’t really like for me to touch it. Let’s do something else,” he looked at Ed hopefully.

“No, it will be fine,” Ed reassured, “I’ve used it before. If you’re nervous, bring it over here to the desk and I’ll work it.”

“I can work it,” Al huffed. Ed wasn’t the only prodigy in the family, “it’s just… okay, fine,” Al walked over to where the phonograph sat and opened the lid. It was very plain. Its crank had a porcelain handle, but the flowers that were painted on it were worn off in a couple of distinct spots. Alphonse remembered the first time he’d turned the crank and how he’d tried to match his palm and the thick of his thumb with the spots the General had worn on it. The box the discs themselves were in was one of Alphonse’s own alchemic creations and was just tall enough so only enough of the discs stuck over the top to get a good grip. It was solid and wooden and it had some fanciful flames running along its edges that weren’t very good, but the General had been very pleased when he’d received the box for his birthday. Alphonse of then, thirteen years old, had watched the General take all the discs out of the old holder and place them one by one in the new one. Then Alphonse cranked the handle and they played the special disc that made the General look soft and sad after a while. Alphonse had liked the song at the start, but by the end he wished they’d never listened to it because of the way it made his Pirate look.

Al felt in a way he had more of a right to work it than Ed, he fingered the top of the discs.

“Play that song the bastard likes,” Ed said behind him, “you know the one, he used to listen to it all the time. The one that woman sings, about blue skies.”

Well naturally, Ed would hone in on just the song Alphonse had just remembered disliking. It was that disc. Better to just lie than argue with him.

“I don’t know what you mean,” he plucked a disc out at random, carefully avoiding that disc in the back, “he listens to this quite a bit,” Al unsleeved it, put it carefully on the turntable and began to crank the handle.

Ed wrinkled his nose as the swing jazz filled up the room, cocked his head, listened and shrugged. Al figured this was a sign of approval. So, Edward had heard the phonograph before. He knew what it was to the General and he had cranked the crank as well. Would there ever be anything in Alphonse’s life that Ed hadn’t done first? Al rubbed the back of his neck and scolded himself. Really, it’s not like they were in a competition, they were brothers and Edward was the eldest and had done things first. It used to be that Alphonse preened when he was compared to his legendary elder brother, but now that his brother was all too flesh and blood and there, in the General’s house, so familiar with the General’s things, so familiar with the General in a way that wasn’t… right…

“I’ll get lunch,” Al said briskly and strode out of the room before Ed had a chance to object.

***

The Colonel stopped by just before the General was leaving to go home. She came in and chased Havoc out with her eyes, then approached the big desk and snapped a salute. The General stood, snapped a salute back and they looked at each other for long moments. He finally broke the silence.

“You spoke to Al,” the General asked.

“I did, sir,” the Colonel said, “I am relieved that Edward has been retrieved safely,” she said.

“It’s a miracle,” the General said, “and no one retrieved him, he did it all on his own,” then he leaned forward a little, “he’s asked me to keep it under wraps for the moment. I know he doesn’t mean it as any slight to anyone, especially not to someone who cared for his little brother in his absence.”

“I would never impute his intentions, sir. After all, as he has taught us all, Edward Elric knows what is good for Edward Elric. Returning from the dead is no small feat,” she was still beautiful and hard, but not as hard as she had been, and her eyes showed her gratitude for Roy’s bit of explanation.

“I’m sure Edward wouldn’t mind if you knew,” the General furthered, “I know that Alphonse’s trust is well placed. After all, you’ve held my own life in your very capable hands more than once,” He allowed himself a smile, “You’ll be leaving me for the East soon,” he continued and held up a hand to silence her when she moved her mouth to speak, “and my congratulations are in order to you, no one deserves it more, but I will miss you very much around here. It won’t be the same.”

“Sir,” she said, then looked up at him, “and sir, I’m happy for you. That Edward has come back… to you,” she said it carefully, schooled the emotion just right so it was not much of a breech of her self maintained protocol.

“Colonel, I would kiss you,” the General said, “but then you’d write me up and Falman would have more work, so I’ll refrain.”

She snapped her razor salute again.

“Good evening, General,” she said and turned to go.

“And to you Colonel,” Roy said as she walked away.

***

He danced in the front door, humming. The music had waved through the mail slot as he approached the house. She had laughed huskily and told him in that silky voice that he was just the thing she needed to chase the blues away. Oh how he believed her and what a nice way to come home and OH MY GOD, my phonograph! Then, even as she tried to soothe him, he was dashing down the hall while a movie of a very drunk, very beautiful, fifteen year old was playing through his head, having been abandoned by his brother and wearing his uniform like a five-year-old girl wears her mother’s dress. He’d been so alluring and so flushed, but all of Roy’s discs were all over the floor and the living room had been nothing short of Armageddon.

He stopped in the doorway of the den, panting, afraid to look really, but knowing he had no choice. Ed and Alphonse blinked up at him from where they sat on the floor, both on cushions they had pulled off the couch, a chessboard between them. The den was a bit messy, books were opened and it looked like Alphonse had suffered one of his infamous theory-writing seizures, because little stacks of paper were also on the floor, but arranged so neatly as to be the tidiest mess the General had ever seen. Dirty dishes that held the remainder of lunch sat abandoned on the coffee table and Ed had a cigar clenched in his teeth. Roy raised his eyebrow, but then remembered he had a box from a few years ago stashed in one of the desk drawers. Why Ed was clenching it in his teeth, Roy did not know. The phonograph looked fine, though. No discs where scattered about, it all looked so… homey and natural.

Alphonse sat up on his knees suddenly, reached down and moved a chess piece. “Checkmate”, he said casually, climbing to his feet. He crossed over to Roy in the doorway, smiled and pushed past him. Roy turned and watched him walk down the hall toward his room, then looked back at Ed, but Ed was scowling at the chessboard as he bounced the cigar up and down in the corner of his mouth like a yoyo, so Roy stepped into the den and retrieved the dirty dishes.

“How does he always fuckin’ do that,” Ed mumbled, but not directly at the General, so Roy shrugged and carried the dirty dishes to the kitchen, putting them in the sink. Then remembered he still had his coat on and shrugged it off, heading for the foyer, meeting up with Alphonse in the hallway. Alphonse had his shoulder case and smiled pleasantly enough, still not saying anything. Neither one of them had extended a greeting home, which was a bit odd, and Al went and knelt in the den, gathering up his papers.

“Well good evening, you two,” the General called down the hall from where he was hanging his coat, “I’m home in case you missed my entrance the first time,” he furthered.

“Evening!” Ed called out and knocked over his King on the chessboard.

“Evening!” Alphonse called out, snapping his shoulder case up and climbing to his feet again.

Roy went back to the den and clapped his hands together, looking at the brothers. They looked at him, then at each other for a few moments, then away again.

"Well, are we having dinner?" the General asked, feeling as if he'd walked in on something other than what it appeared and felt the need to speak out loud to worm his way in. Ed shrugged and plucked the cigar from his mouth, tossing it at the coffee table. Al half smiled.

“I have a report due,” Al said, “now that you’re back, I think I’m going to head for the dorms,” he looked over at Ed when his elder sibling made a protesting noise, “I can’t get anything done here because the attention whore won’t let me, so I leave him this evening to you, General. I know that Winry and Granny will be here tomorrow and I’ll come over once I’ve handed in my report. Could you possibly go in late and stay with him until one or the other of us arrive?”

Edward snorted behind him, and shifted around on his couch pillow to face them better.

“Some way to refer to your older brother, I told you I would help you write your report if you recall, but that didn’t satisfy you. You’re the one who suggested you beat me at chess several times,” Ed sniffed, “and did,” he grumbled.

So it wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. Alphonse was different, Edward was different, they were going to have to get used to each other again and that was just the way it was going to be. Time apart was a great way to get to know you’re feelings, Roy knew he’d become an expert on this in the last six years, so he clapped Alphonse on the shoulder and nodded.

“I’m pretty much a big cheese now and can go into the office when I want, so that will be fine Alphonse, just call…” he started.

“And let you know when I’m coming,” Alphonse finished for him with a smile, “Of course General, just like always.”

Roy squeezed his shoulder and Alphonse turned to Ed, offering a smile that said he was sorry to go (but not too much) and raised his hand.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, brother,” he said and Edward began a series of scoots using his heel and the sofa cushion. Roy and Al just stood and watched him while he got up pretty good speed. He managed to get over to where they were and grab Al around the leg with his arm, and Al realized he’d gotten himself into a trap. For the next few minutes, Roy stood back grinning while Alphonse dragged Edward from the den, into the hall and down to the front door, grunting the entire time he did.

He finally won his freedom by whining and trying to slam Ed’s arm in the front door. When he was gone, Ed sighed heavily, looked at Roy with many pitiful expressions and Roy sighed as well. “You need a bath,” He said.

“You think I smell.” Ed replied.

***

It was the true measure of the man.

Where Edward had fit so neatly under his chin before, Edward’s hair now tickled his nose, he had to drape his legs farther over the side of the tub and it was a more of a weight against his chest, but he didn’t mind. No, he would never complain at all.

It was a nod to his maturity that was only natural with the passage of time.

Roy was a man of authority. He was used to being in command, but now his hands were being directed. The flush was still there, but it had different meaning on the young man’s cheeks and the moans where heavier, the need more pronounced. Sexual maturity looked good on Edward Elric and the way he gripped Roy’s wrist tightly and directed the action while he got a leisurely bathtub hand job was almost as erotic as the act itself.

In the lazy afterwards, Edward tilted his head back on Roy’s shoulder, on his left side, and eyed the patch.

“Tell me what happened,” Edward said. Roy knew he would eventually have had to give an explanation and now was as good a time as any. He told Edward of a mansion and a child and a monster, of a wine cellar and blood and fire. He told him of the rage and the horror and the helplessness, and why he had that long scar on his shoulder. He haltingly told him of a small, lifeless body he clutched as he stumbled through the fire, that tiny child who in the end had been his savior at the price of his own short life.

Then, when freedom of the nightmare was gained, like every good nightmare should, it came again in the form of a twisted mad man and a gunshot. He really didn’t remember much after that, until the hospital and the pain and the loss and the grief. He didn’t spare many details on those things; he’d already lived them enough. Edward was quiet as he had been through the whole stumbling explanation, gently rubbing his fingers around the arm resting around his abdomen and trailing them down to the hand lying on his stomach. He turned his forehead against Roy’s jaw and sighed.

“I wish that I had been there for you, to protect you like I promised,” he said softly.

“You were off doing what needed to be done, the same as I was. You didn’t go back on your promise, Edward, you never have and you never will,” Roy murmured, his own fingers moving slowly back and forth over Edward’s belly, “You went off and found us Alphonse,” he continued, “and we’re all richer for that.”

Edward lifted his hand then, reaching up and back, fingertips pressed to the eye patch. Roy immediately turned his head and reached up to brush Edward’s hand away.

“It’s funny to wear it in the tub, take it off,” Edward said.

“No,” Roy returned and tightened his jaw.

“Why not, take it off,” Edward continued, “you’re not going to be able to sleep in it.”

It then occurred to Roy that since Edward’s return, he hadn’t slept with him. The first couple of days, Edward had been exhausted and Roy had slept in Alphonse’s room to let the young man rest undisturbed. Then Alphonse himself had been there every night since until tonight, sleeping at his brother’s side, and Roy hadn’t begrudged them the comfort of each other’s presence. But tonight, for the first time since his return, Roy would be sleeping at his lover’s side. He didn’t turn his face back to Edward’s hand and he made no reply to Edward’s statement, he’d just have to try it and see how it worked out, if he could sleep with it.

“Why won’t you show me,” Edward asked suddenly, “why, do you think I’d turn away?”

Roy mulled that over, but he knew the answers. It was his personal demon. It wasn’t something you just gave the world, all this darkness and inner turmoil, it wasn’t something that should be shown the light. Behind his eye patch lurked a monster, one that spouted philosophy and ran a country and murdered his best friend and snapped the neck of his own child. He still lurked there and if Roy let Edward see him, then he might lose sight of Edward too, and that he would never allow to happen; never again. Behind his monster was a man, desperate and frightened, who knew he’d taken on too much and the only thing that saved him was the sacrifice of angels. Behind the man were memories, of pain and hospitals, hopelessness and longing, and the sense of utter desolation at what his life had become, because at the time, all of it meant nothing, for the want of one blonde haired boy who’d run off into the sunset, and that was selfishness he’d never show the world.

The General wasn’t allowed to be selfish and his eye patch reminded him of that, so if the time ever came again, all he’d have to do is let himself feel it against his cheek, and in that moment he could let go of everything.

As he sat in the tub, with the water cooling and everything leaning against his chest, he had no words to tell him and so he let his silence settle between them and prayed that Edward let it go. But, he reminded himself as he thought of who he was thinking about, that wouldn’t be enough, for Edward was the personification of determination who had conquered personal demons and to a man like him, Roy’s might mean nothing, so he tried to reason out some way to satisfy him and keep his eye patch at the same time.

“I don’t have to give you everything, Edward,” he said and marveled at his selfishness. It was truly a flaw that he shouldn’t be allowed.

The same nod to Edward’s maturity saved him once again.

“I understand,” Edward said, lowering his hand, “maybe one day you’ll let me see and let me share what you’re hiding.”

It was always the angels to his rescue, the General thought wryly. Why, he’d never understand.