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cornerofmadnessSorrow’s Dark Array
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cornerofmadness
Disclaimer - not mine, all characters belong to Hiromu Arakawa et al, Square Enix and funimition.
Pairing – Roy/Riza, Ed/Win (eventually) Winry/OC, mentions of Maes/Gracia and Al/OC
Rating – will vary from chapter to chapter, mostly Pg-13 but will eventually contain well marked adult chapters.
Time Line – anime based, spoilers all the way through the anime and the movie and does have strong manga elements such as Armstrong’s older sister and the land of Xing
Summary – As Roy and Riza prepare for their wedding, while dodging assassins, Ed and Al try to find their way back home.
Author’s Note #1– This was written after much prodding byevil_little_dog as a sequel to the source of sorrow and is now her holiday gift even if she has beta’ed part of it. So thanks to her and lyricnonsense for the beta. You do not have to read the first story to understand this. You’ll quickly pick up that Riza has retired from the military to be Roy’s wife and bodyguard. Olivia Armstrong is now president and she’s assigned Roy as the ambassador to Ishbal; oh and that Roy was severely injured in the destruction of the Gate, requiring some of Winry’s automail.
Author's Note #2 - This is a longer work and like real relationships, the ones listed in the pairings, take time to mend and come together. They have to work at it. Hope you enjoy the ride.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter eight
Chapter nine
chapter ten
chapter eleven
chapter twelve
chapter thirteen
chapter fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
He traveled in order to come home.
William Trevor
“Come on, brother, stretch,” Li-Ying said, poking his side with her bare toe. “Get that scar mobilized.”
Roy’s solitary eye canted up at her as he pulled his feet closer to his head, rocking forward on his belly. The cool wooden floor felt good against his bare flesh. These kinds of stretches were popular in Xing and had been part of his training since he could walk, thanks to his grandfather. He was more than just flames, after all. He could fight. “It hurts, you know.” He hated admitted that. Before that shrapnel had torn through him, he could have grabbed his ankles and planted the soles of his feet on the back of his own head, he was so flexible. Now he had trouble making the bow position. Fire licked along his fresh scars.
“Of course it hurts. You suffered a terrible wound that left you scarred and you know as well as I it’ll only stiffen up more if you don’t stretch it,” Li-Ying said, her voice a mixture of compassionate healer and drill sergeant. “I’ll put ointment on it when we’re done and we can do some acupuncture for the pain. Now stretch that spine, brother. Riza probably loves a flexible man.” Her dark eyes danced.
“Leave my love life out of this. I’m done for the day.” Roy dropped his ankles, relaxing his body. He wanted a shower since sweat trickled along his spine.
“We’re done when I say we’re done. Grab those ankles and stretch or I’ll tell Dev and Ed about the time Mom found you on the side of the road in front of the house naked, telling all the passers-by about your beautiful penis.” Li-Ying smirked.
Roy went pale. “I was three!”
“Stretch or I have Yi-Lan send the pictures!”
Grumbling the Xingese equivalent of ‘bitch‘ under his breath, Roy complied, managing to rock forward enough to touch his toes to his head. Pain lanced in his belly then thunder roared outside, muffling his cry of anguish. The sounds of rain on the slate roof were loud and almost musical. Roy rolled over, clutching his stomach reflexively. “Something pulled bad, Li-Ying
“Roll over.” She gently probed around his scar until she found a place that made him wince. “You busted through some scar tissue. Good for you. You needed to do that.”
“Hurts like hell.” Wincing, Roy gazed at the ceiling, rubbing the sore spot, as Li-Ying popped up to get her needles. “Really coming down out there. Winry and the brothers will be at the train station soon.”
“Is Havoc picking them up?” Li-Ying asked, unfurling her leather carrying tube.
Ed said it was handled and to go stuff myself.” Roy managed to pitch his voice to Edward’s raspy tenor as he repeated the younger man’s words. “He didn’t need my help.” His hand waved languidly, as if shooing something away.
Li-Ying looked over her shoulder, a perplexed expression on her face. “Whatever did you do to that boy, brother?”
“Saved him from someone discovering what he and his brother did and shielded him from retribution,” Roy replied wryly.
“How dare you?” Li-Ying laughed lightly. “All right, brother, why don’t you stretch out on the rug by the fireplace? It looks nice and soft or do you want to go up to your room?”
The doorbell rang before he could answer. “I guess I want to see who’s out in this weather,” he said, rolling to his feet, not as gracefully as he wanted to be. Roy was surprised to see a quartet of drenched Ishbalans on his stoop. Aris and Dev were less of a surprise than Uzziel and Mrs. Jasso. Roy couldn’t help staring at them.
“Don’t just stand there, let us in,” Dev barked, trying to bully his way in. His clothing clung to him like a second skin.
“Always so pleasant,” Roy stepped back, ushering them into the spacious foyer. “Did your car break down?” Water dripped all over the black and white surface, the mud on the Ishbalans’ shoes marring it more.
“We went for a walk,” Aris replied.
Roy glanced at the window. The clouds were thick and heavy and the rain fell steadily from them or something…. “You didn’t see that it’s been threatening rain all day?”
“Desert people, what do we know?” Dev shrugged, standing on one leg as he tried to pry off his wet shoe.
“Enough to get out of the rain,” Li-Ying called from the doorway to the living room.
“I’ll go get you all some towels. I’m not sure that I have anything you’d fit into so we could put your clothes in the dryer,” Roy said, thinking that Mrs. Jasso and Riza were definitely not built alike.
“You’re not sure, little and skinny?” Dev patted Roy’s head. Mrs. Jasso’s jaw dropped at Dev’s cavalier handling of the ‘enemy,’ but she couldn’t manage to speak.
Roy glared up at the taller young man. “You can wait back out in the rain.”
“Why don’t you just dry them off the quick and fast way?” Li-Ying shot her brother a puzzled look.
“Their religion isn’t a big fan of alchemy, remember?” Roy asked even though it was obvious she hadn’t.
“You can dry our clothes with alchemy?” Uzziel asked, surprised, holding his arms out, his sleeves dripping.
Roy nodded. “One of the first things I ever learned. My mentor made me do the household laundry and it was so much easier than hanging things on the line. I just sublimate the water to vapor and you dry off instantly.”
Dev glanced over at Uzziel. Roy knew the boy’s mother would say no and frankly he expected the old priest to disagree vehemently. Uzziel shook his heavy wet robes. “I’ve already gotten blisters from this clinging.” His red eyes regarded Roy curiously.
“It’s not like I’ll tell anyone if you say yes.” Roy figured keeping it a secret would help them to accept the help.
The old man snorted. “I know it’s wrong but I have to admit to being curious about the things Dev and Aris report on.” Aris and Dev both stared at him, shocked at the older priest’s willingness to endure alchemy.
Roy took that as consent and had to resist the urge to clap his hands. He wasn’t ready for them to know how advanced his power was now. He beckoned for them to follow him into the living room. He picked up a tablet off the table and drew the array before utilizing it to dry them and to remove the mud from their clothing.
Uzziel inspected his robes, his expression nonplussed. “I hate to admit it but that was rather handy.”
Roy just nodded. “I’ll call you a cab. Why don’t you have a seat? I can put on water for tea or get you whatever you might like. Dev and Aris know where everything is.” He headed for the phone as his guests sat down.
“I’ll do that, Brother.” Li-Ying turned expectant eyes on their guests.
“That tea would be welcome, if it’s not too much trouble,” Uzziel said, doing the same thing as Dev, taking the time to study her lush female form in detail.
“Not at all.” Li-Ying headed into the kitchen.
Roy rejoined them. “It’ll take a while.”
“Are we interrupting anything?” Aris asked, nodding to Li-Ying’s abandoned needles.
“Just Li-Ying forcing me to do my therapy.” Roy sat on a chair, wishing he didn’t look so weary.
“How is that going?” Uzziel surprised Roy by looking as if he cared. Roy took that as a sign he was making headway with the more hardcore Ishbalans.
“Slow. I feel old,” Roy admitted uncomfortably, his hand floating down to his belly.
“My son did say you somehow managed to cling to life.” Mrs. Jasso’s tone suggested that this greatly disappointed her. Dev’s cheeks turned slightly pink. He nudged his mother gently, moving closer to her on the couch.
If the words hurt, Roy didn’t let it show. “It wasn’t so bad,” he lied.
“What wasn’t so bad?” Li-Ying asked coming back in.
“He’s lying about how badly he was hurt,” Dev replied.
“Not so bad?” Li-Ying tapped her brother on the head. “Let me recap for you, Cricket, you lost some intestine, peritonitis, hemopneumothorax, massive lung infection, blown off automail and massive infection nearly requiring further amputation. Anything I missed?”
“Febrile convulsions and coma but at least that stopped his delirious ravings,” Dev offered, his tone lighter than the words would suggest as he tried to lift the mood a bit.
“So where is the not bad in that?” Her hands on her hips, Li-Ying cocked her head at her brother.
“Um, I don’t remember most of it?” Roy shrugged. “It was harder on you all.”
“Well, there was a silver lining,” Dev said and Li-Ying shot him a curious look.
“Oh?”
“I got to meet you and all your lovely sisters.” He smiled at the woman and she reached over to ruffle his hair. “And you’ve told me so many great stories about his idiot youth.”
Roy snorted. “How is that a silver lining?”
“Did I say it was your silver lining?” Dev smiled pleasantly.
“You go back out in the rain.” Roy pointed to the door.
Li-Ying put her arms around Dev’s neck. “Be nice to him. I like him.”
Dev beamed as Roy rolled his eye. “Take him home with you then,” Roy waved her off.
“You’d miss him,” Li-Ying patted Roy’s shoulder. “You need him here.”
“He needs no such thing. My son already spends far too much time here,” Mrs. Jasso said tightly.
“Mother,” Dev hissed, his blush returning.
“It’s true. You do not need to under this man’s influence any more than you already are.” Her hand swept towards Roy.
“I apologize,” Dev said to Roy.
“You don’t have to. Your mother is entitled to her feelings, Dev. They’re hardly unexpected.” Roy waved him off.
“Don’t patronize me,” Mrs. Jasso glared at him. “I still can’t fathom how my son can tolerate being in the same room with you.”
“Because he wants to help your people,” Roy replied evenly. “He’s been willing to sacrifice quite a lot to accomplish that.”
“None of us should be asked to tolerate you at all to do that. You should have been punished for your crimes,” Mrs. Jasso snarled, her body developing a fine tremor as rage engulfed her.
“Mrs. Jasso, Ambassador Mustang is trying to make up for the things he’s done in the past,” Aris said cautiously but with a sharp look at the woman. It would do no good to start another war here and now.
“She has a point, Aris. I can’t make up for what I did,” Roy said quietly. “I don’t pretend that it can. I want to help and I hope that I am. I hope that we’re making a difference.”
“You are,” Uzziel interjected, surprising Roy again. He could deal with the anger of a woman he had wronged but not the loss of everything he had worked to build with the Ishbalans so he coveted this bit of approval. “I wouldn’t have believed it. You know how I felt about this whole project and I’m very glad to have been proven wrong.”
Roy nodded. “But the truth is, it doesn’t change what I did. Setting Dev up to get automail, having Li-Ying work with him to alleviate some of the scar tissue, none of that changes what I did to him.”
“You ruined my son,” she said and Dev shrank back against the couch, pain blatant in his red eyes.
“No, I didn’t,” Roy replied sharply.
He thought she was going to stand and hit him. “How can you say that?”
“I changed his life and not for the better, I don’t deny that,” Roy said, meeting her gaze evenly. “But he is far from ruined. He’s an intelligent young man with a strong drive. He doesn’t let what happened to him get in his way, even before he got the automail. He has a passion to help his people and a willingness to do more than just complain about what happened to your people. He knows how to love and be loved in return, even if that wasn’t the easiest thing to do and that is more than can be said for a lot of men who don’t have half the obstacles.”
Her mouth opened but Uzziel broke in before she could actually speak. “I have noticed a change for the better in Dev since he’s met you. Sometimes, it helps to realize the thing you’ve most feared is nothing but another person, made of the same flesh and bone you are.”
“I think he’s gotten less angry,” Aris continued that thought and Dev’s face got even more red. He looked as if he wanted to drop through to the basement.
“It’s obvious he’s spent a lot of time filled with rage. I’m sure it did him good to let go of it,” Roy replied, shooting the young man an encouraging look.
“Whose fault is it? Do you have any idea what you put us through?” Mrs. Jasso refused to be mollified as she got to her feet. “Do you know what it was like sitting at his bed side, waiting for him to die, praying that we wouldn’t have to flee again because I knew he wouldn’t survive that? Or what he had to go through to recover, everything he had to endure because his own friends were afraid to even look at him?”
Roy didn’t flinch away. “I can-”
“Did you ever spend a moment’s thought as to what you were doing when you were acting like God, sending your flames down on us?” Dev pulled her back down, wrapping his good arm around her shaking shoulders.
“Every day,” Roy whispered, shrinking back against the cushion. “I didn’t want to be there doing what I did. I tried my best to help the women and children escape, even if it would have cost me my life. I haven’t slept well in years. I can’t get the screams out of my head. Don’t think it’s any easier on me working with Aris and your son.” Roy’s chin trembled, his teeth chattering slightly. He wiped at his eye. “I know what I’ve done and it hurts to have him here knowing no matter what I do for him now, I can never take back what I’ve done.”
“Stop it,” She stabbed a finger at him. “You have no right to tears.”
A shrill whistling sound echoed from the kitchen. “I have to get the tea,” Roy mumbled, quickly exiting the room.
Dev glanced over at Li-Ying’s stark white face then turned back to his mother, embarrassment and a touch of fear warring in his eyes. Having his work undone by his mother’s emotions wasn’t something Dev could live with. “Mother, you can’t talk to him like that. We’re his guests and believe me, I’ve heard him scream in the night enough to know he knows full well what he’s done. It haunts him. He looked like hell when he answered the door. Bet he was screaming in the night again.”
“He was,” Li-Ying whispered, her eyes on Mrs. Jasso, sadness, rather than anger in them.
“I know you don’t like this, Mother.” Dev tried to take her hand but his mother resisted his attempt. “But I have to do this. Like Uzziel said, it’s working and we need that. Mustang wants to help. He’s really pushing things through on this end and…he isn’t a bad man. I’ve learned that much. Mustang really isn’t. I like him and I never thought I’d say that.”
“Neither did I,” Uzziel said, studying the young man. Dev knew the older priest was well acquainted with his previous less than charitable opinion of Mustang.
Dev started to reply when the front door opened. He jumped up to his feet seeing Winry lugging in her luggage –soaking wet – with the brothers behind her. Li-Ying nearly bowled him over trying to get out the door to wave Havoc down so he could drive the Ishbalans home. All she saw was the tail lights of a cab.
“Damn,” she cursed then shot the Resemboolians an apologetic look. “Sorry but we’ve been waiting on a cab and it’s been slow to come.”
“How are you, Winry? Want me to carry this upstairs?” Dev reached for her luggage, seeing but ignoring Ed’s hostile look.
Winry relinquished it, casting a wary eye over at his mother. Dev knew they had to feel the tension in the room. “Thank you. I’m beat. Where’s everyone else?”
“Riza is at the office, Lt. Colonel Armstrong came for Hughes and Roy is in the kitchen… making tea,” Dev replied, heading for the staircase behind the brothers.
Winry sat down, running a hand through her wet hair.
“Have my brother alchemize you dry,” Li-Ying said, sympathetically.
“Or Ed or Al, should have done that before they escaped upstairs.” Winry smiled wearily. She turned to the Ishbalans. “I’m sorry. I’m being rude. I should have said hello.”
“It’s all right,” Aris said. “We’re very sorry to hear about what happened.”
Thank you.” Her shoulders rose and fell in a soft sigh. “It’s been very hard on Ed and Al.” Her eyes followed after the brothers, though they were already up the stairs.
“A very cowardly act.” Uzziel’s frown deepened his wrinkles. “Mustang said it might have been someone who knew you all well enough to know Dev’s name.”
“We don’t think he was involved,” Winry said hurriedly. “I mean, I know he’s not and I can’t imagine any of his friends would even know about Ed and Al. Some of them don’t like me much but Ed and Al have been out of the country for years.” She paused, turning her gaze to the ceiling, hearing noises from upstairs. “What are they doing?”
“Sounds like arguing but that would never happen.” Aris grinned lightly. “From what I’ve seen, Edward and Dev are both such pleasant, even tempered young men.”
Winry rolled her eyes.
Mrs. Jasso sighed. “I raised my son better than that but…he’s always been temperamental.” She glanced at Winry. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that.”
“Oh, no, ma’am.” Winry gave her a wry grin. “I’ve had to listen to him argue with nearly everyone in earshot at least once.” She twisted back around again, hearing them coming down the steps. Poor Alphonse was between the other two men. She caught his subtle jab to Ed’s kidney to make him move. She could imagine what threat he had used to make Dev heel. “Where’s Roy?”
“Still in the kitchen, making tea. I’ll go check on him,” Dev said, sparing a hostile glare for Edward.
“Sorry, Winry, forgot to dry you off,” Ed said, clapping his hands.
“That’s because you were too busy arguing over who gets to carry luggage,” Al said in disgust and Winry gave Ed a look that he ignored to touch his hands to her clothing.
“Thanks for this.” Winry patted her dried clothing. “And please, Edward, I know we’re all tired but, try not to be cranky.”
Ed shot her a wounded look then turned as if to go. His brother stopped him with a hand on his arm. Al sat next to the fireplace since there was no seats left open. His cool stare made Edward fold up next to him.
Dev came back out of the kitchen. “Li-Ying.” He beckoned her over and said softly, “You should go get your brother. He doesn’t look too good. He’s curled up against the counter.”
Li-Ying nodded. “I’ll go get some snacks to go with the tea,” she said, heading for the kitchen.
“Is something wrong?” Winry asked.
Dev shrugged, seeing Winry had taken his seat. He scowled at the fireplace seating, hating to be anywhere near where a fire could be. He sat down, putting his back to the couch’s arm, his mother on the other side of the arm. “Roy’s having a bad day. He’s not sleeping again and Mr. Hughes got called in to see President Armstrong without him. And then-”
“Hughes is what?” Ed’s golden eyes went wide. “By himself?”
Dev nodded. “She sent for him. Strongarm went with him. It’ll be okay,” he said, not too sure of it. “I didn’t get to say so but I am sorry about your mother’s grave. It’s an awful thing to happen. Something like that happened to my father’s, too, back in the war.” He looked over the arm of the couch at Winry then back at the brothers. “I know someone came looking for me there. I wasn’t involved.”
“We didn’t think you were.” Alphonse met Dev’s eyes steadily before glancing at the other people in the room.
Tension visibly fled Dev’s body. “I just wanted you to hear that from me,” Dev replied firmly.
“No, we knew it wasn’t you,” Roy said, coming back with a tray laden with a dragon tea pot and many cups. His eye was red and swollen. “You’re very direct, Dev. If you have a problem with Elric, you’d just punch him in the face. You wouldn’t sneak around and blow things up anonymously.”
“Thanks…I think.” Dev wrinkled his nose. “Al, Mustang said you tried to draw what the witness saw. Can I see that? Maybe I’d recognize her.”
Al got up. “Sure, it’s upstairs. Though, I warn you, the lady who described her to me was so very near sighted. It could have been anyone.”
“That’s all right, I’d still like to try and help if I can,” Dev said.
“Damn.” Roy scowled. “Sorry about the language. I forgot the sugar. And we have some tea cakes, I’ll get them, too.”
“You don’t need to fuss,” Aris cast a glance over at his companions as if judging if they would even take his hospitality. Mrs. Jasso was pointedly not looking at Mustang.
“I’ll go get it,” Dev rose to his feet. “You sit, Mustang. I know where everything is.”
“I’ll give you a hand,” Ed said, his voice flat.
Dev shot him a surprised look but nodded. Al changed trajectory from the staircase to dog the two men as they entered the kitchen. Dev pointed to the pantry door. “You’ll find a whole host of snacks in there. Mustang likes sweets.” He shot Ed an appraising look. “I could have done this without help, you know
Ed shrugged. “You can’t use that hand yet besides…I wasn’t expecting a whole host of people here or for Winry to yell at me.”
“I doubt that anyone noticed. Everyone’s concentrating on Mom telling Mustang she wishes he were dead, probably waiting for her to start the next war.” Dev sighed, taking down the sugar bowl.
“Your mother seems to really hate Amestrians,” Al said quietly, peering into the cupboard.
“Not all of them but yeah, she’s not fond of them. It’s not like we don’t have reason,” Dev replied without any heat in his voice. “But Mustang did this to me.” He waved his metal hand. “And she isn’t going to ever forgive that.”
“Yeah.” Ed slumped against the counter, letting Al drag out snacks. “I just hate making Winry mad.”
“She’s under a lot of stress. You and I didn’t make it any better by immediately snapping at each other,” Dev said, sounding as regretful as Ed looked.
“You’re under as much stress,” Ed remarked giving Dev a look. “And I have no excuse.”
“Yes, because having failing automail and all but coming back from the great beyond isn’t stressful,” Dev snorted. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle it. Winry liked my idea for what to do if she’s pregnant and that was a big burden off me.”
“What if she’s not?” Ed whispered.
“Then I have a sacrifice to make,” Dev said, studying the counter top. “I didn’t want to let her go but I have a job to do, one that I was barely able to because so many objected to a priest taking an Amestrian woman as his lover, forgetting that we are technically Amestrian.” He shook his head, leaning his hands against the counter. His automail fingers’ servos whined like they wanted to grip it but failed. “I’ve been run out of my home, turned into a living torch, hunted down every place, every encampment we’ve been to. My friends and I dodged people who chased us because we stole food, chased us just to beat someone with red eyes, chased us to rape us because they thought no one would care. I’ve been hungry most my life. I feel guilty about living as good as I do now when most of my people are in barely better than the camps back in our home land. I am in the position to change it. All it costs me is someone I care about.”
“I...had a friend in the other world. Her people were treated a lot like yours.” Ed didn’t look at Dev as he spoke. "The land, Germany, where I was living, looked at anyone who wasn't what they called ‘pure blood’,” he nearly spat out those words, “as tainted. Not worthy of living. I managed to save her once but she still died a horrible death at their hands because they couldn’t look past the differences in her bloodlines to see that she was a good person.”
“I’m sorry. I know what that’s like,” Dev said with a heavy sigh. He finally looked over at Ed. “The stupid ironic thing is, the only person I could talk about this with was Mustang. He’s a mixed blood and hell, he gave up being with the woman he loved for years, nearly lost her forever. I think I knew if I left Winry, it would have to be for good. She wants to stay my friend and I like that but it’s going to be a hard thing to do. Harder still, if she is pregnant, because I’ll always wonder if she regrets marrying me when the man she actually loves is back. It was so much easier when you were gone but you’re back and I have to deal with that.” Dev met Ed’s gaze but the smaller man was slippery. Something indescribable formed in Ed’s golden eyes.
“We never intended to hurt anyone when we came back.” Alphonse's voice came as a whisper. “We just knew we had to come home.”
Ed reached over and thumped Al’s shoulder.
“You didn’t, hurt me that is. I would be in a mess one way or the other. If I were to marry Winry, it ends everything I could do for my people.” Dev shook his head. “Maybe it’s better this way. I can let her go and know she’ll be taken care of, that she’ll be okay at least.”
“Look,” Ed risked a glance at Dev through his bangs, liking the sound of that to some extent, “you can’t say what’s going to happen tomorrow or even a few minutes from now. You just have to keep moving forward the best you can.” He swallowed, looking down at his hands. “If that means you and Winry are going to stay together – it’ll hurt like hell, yeah, but I’ll understand why.”
Dev shifted the sugar bowl a bit. “I do know what will happen to me if I stay with her. I know what will happen to her. I’m supposed to tell people that Ishbala doesn’t give us more than we can handle. Either he thinks I can handle a lot or he’s hated me since I was born.”
Ed snorted loudly, completely drowning out Alphonse's chuckle. “Yeah, well, I don’t really believe in god but I’d swear that if I did, he’d hate me, too.”
Dev curled his lip. “Given what you’ve obviously been through, I can believe that. Come on, we’d better get back in there. It’s too quiet and they might be wondering if we’re grating sugar cane to get this, we’ve been so long.”
X X X
Roy sat back down, glaring back at the phone. “Sorry. The cab company swears then sent someone out. That someone could have driven to Resembol by now.” He reached for the tea pot. “I apologize, I wasn’t thinking. Well, more accurately I was thinking about what would make me feel better and smoked tea is one of my favorites. I should have brewed something milder.”
“Nonsense, it seems interesting,” Uzziel said, leaning over for a good sniff. “Aris is always encouraging us older priests to branch out more.”
“Of course, I think Dev got lost on the way to the kitchen.” Roy glanced back at it.
“I’ll go see what they’re doing,” Winry pushed up off the couch.
Mrs. Jasso watched the girl go then glowered at Roy. “My son knows where you keep your sugar. He confides in you. Tell me, how in the world that happened? Why would he ever talk to you, let alone go to you for advice and don’t tell me he doesn’t. He told me so.”
Roy rolled his shoulders as Li-Ying poured tea. “He knew I could understand about his attraction to Winry. He’s seen how people treat me when I’m out of uniform, especially with my fiancé.”
“She’s blonde,” Aris supplied.
“And now he might have a mixed blood baby to think of. Does he talk to you about that, too?” Mrs. Jasso asked, sounding less angry and more defeated and bewildered.
Roy nodded. “A lot. My sister and I are mixed blooded so we know what it’s like. I think it’s been helpful for Dev to see that point of view, to hear some of the stories. It’s not always been easy but my life isn’t all bad. I’m the baby. Our eldest sister is twelve years older than me. My parents had it rough with people and their bigotry but they were together over twenty years when they died.”
“And they loved each other a lot,” Li-Ying added, handing Uzziel a cup of tea.
Mrs. Jasso sighed. “I suppose that does make sense. I can’t say he’s worse for it, which is surprising.”
“I think Dev has improved in a lot of ways since we’ve started this project. He’s learned a bit of patience and tolerance,” Aris said, claiming a cup but sitting back to wait on sugar.
“Confidence. He’s gotten that. I’ll be honest, Mrs. Jasso, I don’t like some of his Ishbalan friends. I think they’re mean, especially to him, and I’m not talking about their reaction to Winry,” Roy said, ignoring her heated look. “They’ve made him feel ugly and worthless. I don’t really regret introducing him to people who showed him he isn’t…even though there have been some consequences.”
“Consequences?” Dev asked, coming back with the Elrics and their selection of snacks. Winry trailed after, a bit dazed looking as if she really needed to go nap.
“Of our actions, or more specifically yours ,” Roy replied. “At least you and Winry is something I can’t be blamed for. I only introduced you so you could get a good hand. The rest is all on you.”
Pink-cheeked, Winry rolled her eyes, sitting back down with a cautious glance at Mrs. Jasso. Dev huffed and slammed the sugar bowl down. “It is definitely all your fault, these consequences.”
Roy twisted on the couch, his mouth open. “Care to explain how the hell that’s possible? It’s not like I tied anyone up and forced them to have sex.”
“I took the stupid condom from your room,” Dev said and Winry covered her face. “And the cheap thing broke.”
Ed’s mouth dropped and Mrs. Jasso coughed cutting off Al’s admonishment about embarrassing Winry.
“One, I don’t buy cheap anything. Two, what the hell were you doing in my room?” Roy’s eye narrowed.
Dev blushed. “It was an emergency.”
“I think I remember those emergencies,” Uzziel said dryly, dumping two cubes of sugar into his tea.
Roy snorted. “So you stole mine? Isn’t there something in Ishbala’s rules about stealing? It was probably God getting you back, a priest with such vagrant disregard for the rules.” He glanced over to see if Uzziel or Aris was upset. Aris seemed amused. Mrs. Jasso did not.
“You’re very proud of that one, aren’t you?” Uzziel smiled. “And he does have a point Dev.”
Dev wrinkled his nose. “Like he even missed it.”
“Keep your grubby fingers out of my underwear drawer,” Roy replied.
“Like it wasn’t horrifying enough the one time.” Dev shuddered then snagged a tea cup. He shot Roy an unrepentant look.
Ed and Al sat back by the fireplace again, uncomfortable looks on their reddened faces.
Li-Ying took notice and set her tea cup aside. “Dev, you’ve been busy visiting with your mother. We haven’t had time to work together. That cab is obviously lost in the rain maybe we could do something now.” Seeing his nervous glance at the brothers, she added. “Just your ankle since you’re not dressed in a way that will make anything else easy unless I toss your robe over your head.” She grinned. “Go shimmy out of those pants.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Don’t even think about it.” He took a deep drink of his tea then set it aside. He went around the corner and got out of his pants before laying down on the carpet by the fireplace. Winry brought him over a pillow. “Thanks.”
Li-Ying knelt at his feet, taking off his sandal. Her fingers massaged around his ankle.
“What are you doing to him?” Mrs. Jasso asked. When Li-Ying glanced back, a sharp look on her face, Jasso added. “I’m a nurse but I’ve never seen the Xing healing methods Dev’s been telling me about.”
“I don’t mind if you watch. I’m just loosening up the scar tissue a little bit. Eventually we’ll have it stretched out enough that he’ll be able to stand foot flat,” Li-Ying said, placing Dev’s foot between her breasts and using her weight to press his foot up. “Hold it as long as you can, Dev.”
“I’d forgotten Dev said you were a nurse,” Roy said softly to Mrs. Jasso. His face brightened. “You could help us.” At her knife’s edge look, he added, “Not me, not directly but your son and Aris. One of the first things I wanted to see get built is a hospital or two. We’d provide the staffing until enough of your own people were trained but what we need is someone who knows how hospitals work. Nurses know hospitals better than anyone. It would be a help if we knew what we should get first and help in finding people to train as nurses. I’m working on getting the scholarships for the universities.”
Mrs. Jasso stared at him for a moment. “Are you serious?”
“He’s serious, Hala,” Uzziel said. “He, Aris and Dev have laid out plans for a hospital and a schools.”
“It would be foolish not to use all the available resources. I know you won’t want to work with me.” Roy spread his hands. “But I’m sure you could work with your son and Aris. It would be invaluable.”
Hala Jasso considered that for a few long moments. “I’ll see what I can do. I know some young people who would want to be nurses, if only they could get the training. I’ll give Dev their names.”
“Thank you,” Roy said sincerely, trying to rearrange the journals on the table so to accommodate his tea cup. He winced, his hand trailing along his side.
“I saw that, Brother. Let me fix Dev up with some acupuncture then you lay down by the fireplace and let me work on you,” Li-Ying said.
“I have guests,” he protested.
“We’ll take care of them. You’ll do no one any good if you pass out into the tea,” Li-Ying said ignoring the half amused snorts from a pair of disgruntled young men. “Alphonse, dear, could you get my needle pack for me? It’s atop the mantle.”
“Certainly.” He got up and handed it down to her.
When Li-Ying withdrew a needle, Mrs. Jasso got up from her seat. “What are you doing with that?”
“They’re part of his treatment.” Li-Ying displayed the needle. “I can block some of his pain with these.”
Hala nodded. “I’ve heard of such things but I can’t believe he lets you do that. Dev is afraid of needles.”
“Mom!” Dev sat up quickly and Li-Ying pushed him back down.
Ed snickered until Al elbowed him. “So are you, Ed.”
Ed scowled. “Shut up, Al.”
“That reminds me, Winry when you’re more rested, I’d like to talk to you about Ed’s automail. I could do something for his tight muscles,” Li-Ying said, pushing a needle into Dev’s calf muscle then another at the top of the fibula. “I could put a few more for the pain but they’d need to go in the ankle and I want you to keep moving that. I’m going to put one up higher so you stay nice and still on your side, Dev.”
“Okay.”
“Not a problem, Li-Ying. Ed won’t ever admit he might be in pain.” Winry shot him the stink eye.
“I will so,” Ed said, turning bright red seeing where Li-Ying was hiking Dev’s robe up to. “ Where is she putting that needle?”
“That’s what I’m wondering.” A hint of panic tinged Dev’s voice, his fingers reaching for the hem of his robe.
Li-Ying slapped his fingers. “Just relax. I’m not going to expose you to the world.” She laughed, tucking his robe between his legs. “But be still while I get this one in.” Her fingers felt along his inner thigh.
“Isn’t that close to the main artery in his leg?” Hala asked, seeing where Li-Ying was lining up the needle.
“That’s not the part I’m worried about,” Dev whimpered.
“This is the problem with working with boys,” Li-Ying sighed. “Always worried about their precious pieces. Don’t worry, I’m not going to shove a needle into it. Now stay still.” She placed the needle then took out a final one putting it back in the back of his head.
“That one worries me most,” Hala admitted, her red eyes wide.
“It’s very shallow. Haven’t brain damaged him yet.” Li-Ying grinned. “Brother, you’re not on the ground yet. Waiting for that engraved invitation?”
“The abuse I withstand in my own house,” Roy grumbled, laying right by Ed and Al’s feet. His sister started putting needles into him. Making faces and a little pained noise, Ed turned away, not looking as the long needles were pushed into Roy’s skin. Al, on the other hand, maneuvered so he could get a better look. “I’m not for display, Alphonse.”
“Sorry, sir,” Al said but he only moved closer as Li-Ying told him to feel the spot she was going to put the needle.
“Dev, this really helps?” Uzziel asked, standing to get a better look.
“Yes, actually. Li-Ying explained it as the body having streams of energy in them and they can get snarled. The needles fix the snags,” Dev said. “The most interesting thing about this job is I’m getting to see a host of other beliefs. It’s been…eye opening.”
“I don’t see that as a bad thing,” Uzziel said.
“I’ve met people with roots in more than one world, like Major Miles and this idiot and his sister.” Dev pointed at Roy. “Learned a lot about how sometimes that’s very hard.” He paused for a sad look at Winry.
“No kidding. Well, it could be worse. Pinako likes you,” Roy said. “It could have been like my mother’s family.”
“You’ve never mentioned a problem before.” Winry’s eyebrows raised.
“No one really ever asked and I didn’t think you needed all the bad stuff,” Roy said and his sister made a disgusted noise. “Mom’s parents and her brother and sister told her if she married a Xing, they’d cut her out of the family.”
“She married Dad and they kept their promise. They didn’t even come to her funeral,” Li-Ying grated out, angrier than Winry had ever seen her.
“That’s terrible,” Alphonse blurted out as Edward muttered, “Sorry,” almost under his breath.
“Yeah, they’re here in town. I could care less. But the good part is, our parents loved each other and were marriage twenty years before they were killed in that accident,” Roy said. “I figured you two had enough worries as it was, without hearing that.” He glanced over at Hala. “Though I’m sure it’s gone through their heads.”
“I could never do that to my son,” Hala said, her voice low and rough. Dev sighed a little and Winry looked as if a weight had slid off her. Hala caught Winry’s eyes. “My son cares about you. I’m sure it’s obvious I’m still not comfortable with Amestrians but I know you’re more than just a pretty thing that caught his eye. To be this talented with automail, you have to be very smart and able and that you come out to the desert to help us says something for your kindness and courage. Those are all things I would want for, for my son.”
Winry summoned up a sad smile, trying not to look over at Ed or Dev. “Thank you,” she said softly. “That means a lot.”
“There,” Li-Ying said, finally getting the cotton bits attached to Roy’s needles. “You take care of those, brother. Bring a little light into this dreary, depressing day.”
“I’m not sure this counts as brightness,” Roy tried to spot the candles Li-Ying had glowing around the room. He gestured and fire danced over the air and lit the cotton wads.
“Isn’t that dangerous?” Uzziel’s eyes were huge.
“Heat speeds the healing up,” Li-Ying replied. “I’d use it on Dev but for obvious reasons, he’s not keen on the idea.”
“Keep the fire over there where it belongs,” Dev said, eyeing the flames nervously.
“Sister, call that damn cab company again,” Roy said, shutting his eyes. “These guys are never getting home at this rate.”
“Of course.” Li-Ying got up. “Winry, Ed, Al, you can go up and get a nap. You all look exhausted. I have our guests in hand.”
“We’re fine/” Ed waved her off.
She rolled her eyes and made the call. When she got back into the room, Li-Ying gazed at her brother. “Dev, is he sleeping?”
Dev looked at Roy. “Either that or you hit a major organ with those needles and killed him.”
Li-Ying snorted. “Just keep an eye on him so he doesn’t roll over and set the house on fire.”
“Don’t worry.”
“I wouldn’t have thought he could relax enough with all of us here to sleep,” Uzziel said, flipping through one of the books Roy had moved.
“My brother is exhausted. He’s not much on sleeping but that injury has knocked him down harder than he’s going to admit.” Li-Ying said. “And there has been a lot happening that’s put him under even more stress. I’d let him sleep but…Edward, poke him awake please, when he starts muttering like that, it usually means he’s having a nightmare.”
Al leaned down, before Ed could take Li-Ying at her word, and gently shook Mustang’s arm. “Sorry, Roy, you’re going to be dangerous asleep with fires burning.”
Roy rubbed his eyes. “Cab?”
“Not yet. They claim you never called them,” Li-Ying said.
Roy made a disgruntled sound.
“Mustang? Is this yours?” Uzziel held open one of the journals to a page of art.
“That’s the book he never lets me look in,” Dev said, recognizing the cover.
The older priest blushed. “Sorry, it was sitting on the table. I didn’t know.”
“It’s all right. Dev’s just nosy. It’s good for him to have limits.”
“Is it your alchemy journal?” Ed eyed it covetously.
“Relax, Fullmetal, it’s not what you want,” Roy said, trying to wiggle a little to see Uzziel and failing. “I doodle in there. Mostly what’s in there are the things that make me wake up screaming in the night,” he added bluntly.
“That explains the things on fire.” Uzziel made a face. “You have a good hand at drawing.”
“Alchemists usually do, barring Edward.”
“I lost a hand,” Ed huffed.
“You sucked before that,” Al offered with a smirk and Ed flicked him with a metal finger.
“And now you know why I like Alphonse so much.” Roy chuckled lowly.
“Bastard,” Ed grumbled.
“Always,” Dev agreed.
“This boy.” Uzziel held up the sketch. Hala’s breath hitched at the sight. “Seems to haunt you most.”
“I’d rather not talk about him. That boy never gets too far from my mind,” Roy said grimly, missing the stunned look on Dev’s face. “It was the most unconscionable thing I’ve ever done. I learned from that poor child how to better control my flames so it would never happen like that again.”
Roy’s rescue came as the front door opened and Riza came into the room with Hughes behind her. Roy sat up, heedless of the burning cotton on the tips of his acupuncture needles. “Riza, how did you get here?”
“Havoc drove us.” Riza startled at his tone, dropping Hayate’s leash.
“Go stop him!” Roy said as Li-Ying pushed him back flat. “Get him in here.”
“How did it go, Hughes?” Ed asked.
He shrugged, sitting next to the brothers. Hughes took stock of all the Ishbalans in the room shrewdly then offered up a huge grin. “I’m alive. It wasn’t so bad of a meeting, not really. Just long.”
“Good,” Ed said, relief obvious in his eyes.
“Damn!” Dev wiggled, pointing up to where a fat spider was yo-yoing on a web.
“Gah!” Roy flung an arm up and the spider caught fire.
“Is it dead?” Dev asked, panicked.
“It’s in flames,” Al deadpanned.
“Brother, do not set the house on fire,” Li-Ying said. “Just because you’re afraid of spiders.”
“I’m not the only one!” Roy pointed to Dev.
“Li-Ying, get those flaming things off him before he kills us all,” Winry said. “A shoe would have done, Roy.”
“Says you. Those things can jump.” He shuddered. “Nothing should have that many legs.”
Riza came back in with Havoc. “Here he is.” She sniffed. “What’s burning?”
“Spiders,” Winry huffed. “The bane of everyone’s existence.”
“Ah,” Riza nodded as if that made sense.
“Havoc,” Roy said up, dousing the slowly burning cotton himself. “Could you please drive Dev and his mother home with Uzziel and Aris? We’ve called the cab company three times and no one’s bothered to show.”
“Can’t blame them. It’s raining like there’s no tomorrow.” Havoc leaned against the doorframe. “As soon as they’re ready, I’ll take them.”
“Let me get the needles out of Dev before he maims himself jumping around like I told him not to,” Li –Ying said.
She worked quickly and the Ishbalans headed out. Winry knew Dev wanted to linger with her but didn’t have the option. Once everyone was gone, Li-Ying turned to the group and said, “I don’t want to hear any more protests. Ed, Al, Winry, Roy you all need naps. No protests. Roy, you’ve had a horrible day. The rest of you have a stressful series of days. You can ask Meinhard about what happened with Armstrong later. Riza and I can clean up here. I’m tempted to go tie you all to your beds for a least an hour.”
Li-Ying bore up to the grumbling and promised Riza to fill her in on everything that happened once everyone was herded upstairs. She was confident that the rain and exhaustion would soon quiet the whole house. A little rest would do them all some good.
X X X
Winry couldn’t sleep. More appropriately, she had slept too much after Li-Ying had sent her off and now that it was the dead of night, she was awake. Wandering downstairs, she decided Roy’s large home had never felt more empty, even though she knew it was filled with life. Surprised to see a trickle of light beyond the patio doors, Winry went out to investigate. Roy was on one of the lounges, a lantern lit on the table as he stared up at the stars.
“You’re up late,” he said, not really looking at her.
She wondered if he knew who it even was. “So are you.”
He turned a bit to study her. “You know what I’m like but unless you’re pulling all nighters on your work, you’re usually a pretty good sleeper.”
“Too much stress,” Winry admitted. “Between what happened to Aunt Tricia’s grave and just having the brothers back at all, not to mention Dev.” She ran a hand through bed-tousled head. “I was surprised by some of what Mrs. Jasso said to me, in a good way. I mean, she was really willing to try and like me for her son’s sake. Still, I really need to talk to Dev and today just didn’t seem like the time with all the other drama.”
“You heard from your doctor?” he asked cautiously, waving at the lounge next to him.
Winry stretched out and checked out the view he had been admiring. She gazed at the sky for several long moments. “Yes, but I wanted to tell Dev first, before I told Ed and Al.”
“That’s fair. I’m sure if you call him in the morning, he can slip his mother. He’s been pretty good at it since you were gone. And I’m not sure Al ever brought down that drawing. At some point we really do need to get Dev over here to look at that,” Roy said reasonably. He reached over and squeezed Winry’s hand. “Are you okay?
She nodded. “Yes, but a little confused.” Winry glanced at him. “I know you won’t say anything. I’m not pregnant and I’m glad, naturally, since we weren’t ready for that and it complicated everything but….”
“You’re a little disappointed, too.”
“Yes.” Winry glanced up at the stars again. “ Does that make me crazy?”
“No, I guess that might be normal.” Roy shrugged. “Not being a woman, I’m not sure.”
Winry laughed lightly. “I suppose I should save those questions for Riza.”
Roy nodded. “True but I’m sure that it’s not unusual to be just a little disappointed. Most people get fairly excited about parenthood. It made Maes absolutely stupid.”
“I think Ed and Al told me about that.” Winry’s smile was a little bittersweet. “And this Mr. Hughes didn’t get to experience all of it because his...” her voice trailed off, leaving the rest of the words unsaid.
“I know but I think Gracia is accepting him and vice versa. It’s a little odd but I think they might just make each other happy.”
“That would be nice.” Winry sighed. “I’d like to look at the stars for a while.”
Roy gestured to the sky then took her hand, squeezing gently. They both fell silent, lost in their own thoughts until a sharp metallic sound on the brick startled them both.
X X X
Ed stared at the flowers on the wall paper. He was fairly sure they were moving, creeping ever closer. He’d wake up to find them rooted in his organs. Sighing heavily, knowing sleep wasn’t going to find him, Ed rolled out of bed, figuring he could raid the bastard’s library. He regretted forgetting his slippers once he got off the carpeted second floor. His metal footfalls sounded impossibly loud in the house. Spotting a light outside on the patio, Ed went to investigate. To his surprise Winry and Roy were there, their fingers touching. “What the hell?”
Winry twisted on the lounge. “Oh, you can’t sleep either, Ed? Roy and I are stargazing and trying to get sleepy.”
Roy swung his feet down onto the patio and levered himself off the lounge. “I think I’m sleepy now. Riza is going to miss me if I don’t come up there soon.”
Ed watched him go and decided it was in his best interest not to mention he saw them touching. “You okay, Winry?”
She patted the vacated lounge. “I’m fine, Edward. I just got too much sleep this afternoon. Naps suck. They throw off my whole body.”
Ed sat down. “Maybe that’s my problem. That or the horrible flowers. Who knows?” He grinned in the lantern light.
“That room is very awful.” Winry laughed then glanced at Ed. “It’s good news though, about Mr. Hughes.”
Ed nodded. “The best we could hope for, I guess. I hate that we created all this drama. I mean I knew some would have to happen but not like this.”
“We know that, Edward. You don’t have to keep apologizing,” Winry said gently.
Ed slid down on the lounge, crossing his arms over his belly as he considered the stars. “I think maybe I do. Do you know that Dev thinks you love me?” Ed winced. What had possessed him to say that, let alone blurt it out like that?
He could feel Winry’s stare burning holes in his cheek. “I shouldn’t have said anything, I guess,” he said to the sky, “but he said it to me and I didn’t know what to say back.” When Winry remained silent, Ed turned his head just enough to look at her out of the corner of his eye. “I never wanted you to be like Mom, waiting for me and Al to come back but a part of me is selfish enough to wish you had.”
“You’ve said that before,” Winry said wearily. “And I hate that Dev feels that way. I never meant to make him feel second best, like I was settling.”
“I know.” Sighing, Edward lowered his head, staring at his knees. “You’re the best person I know, Winry. You wouldn’t do anything like that.” He wanted to know if she really did love him but Winry didn’t look inclined to say and Ed knew better than to press the matter. “I shouldn’t have brought it up. We’re trying to get sleepy, not work ourselves up.”
Winry reached over and brushed the back of his hand with her fingers. “It’s all right, Edward. I think I did make Dev feel that way, we all did. He does have your personality, even though I know you don’t want to hear that. I think we all made too much of a big deal about it. I feel bad for him.”
“Huh, he’s got my personality...yeah, I feel sorry for him, too.” Ed attempted to not bog down their conversation in sorrow. That had happened far too often since he and Al got back home.
“Personality isn’t entirely why.” Winry grinned. “He’s driven to achieve his goal. You’d understand that.” She ran her hand through her long hair again. “I’m trying not to think about it, trying not to think about anything. Roy was trying to teach me to meditate. I thought it would be easy but it’s not.”
“He’s not as strict as Teacher, probably. She’d smack you in the face with a book or kick you if you weren’t meditating properly.” Ed rubbed his chest in remembrance, as if Izumi’s sandal print was still embedded in his skin. “Here, sit up and give me your hands.”
Winry complied. “Roy is usually very delicate around me, as if he’s expecting Granny and I to change our minds and kill him for what he did. Mostly he’s the overprotective big brother…who sets me up on dates.”
“Didn’t need to hear about the dates part, Winry.” Ed squeezed her hands to let her know he was joking. Kind of. “All right. This is simple. You’re just breathing. Slow, deep breaths, in through the nose, out through your mouth.” He demonstrated, saying, “Breathe in to the count of eight. Exhale to the count of eight, okay?”
“Okay. I’ll keep Havoc’s cousin to myself.” She grinned then took her deep breath in.
“Havoc’s cousin? Ewww.” Ed screwed up his face.
Winry giggles, losing her air. “He was cute, dumb as stump though.”
“Didn’t I just say I didn’t need to know about your dates?” Ed gave her a sour look. “Especially Havoc’s cousin. Hell, any of them. You dating, Al dating...” He shuddered exaggeratedly though his eyes retained a wicked glint in them.
“I feel so terrible for Al,” Winry said softly. “As if he hasn’t suffered enough.”
The gleam snuffed immediately and Edward swallowed hard. “After...afterwards, he told me to take him home. Al meant here.” He squeezed her fingers again, more for comfort this time.
Winry slipped free of his hand, cupping her hand behind his head, his loose long hair slithering through her fingers. “I’m glad you got him here, no matter all the trouble it’s caused. We’re glad you’re home. I’m glad you’re here.” Her eyes narrowed. “But it could be someone isn’t.”
“You mean the bastard who blew up Mom’s grave.” Ed’s jaw tightened at that reminder. “Yeah, someone’s trying to make a point.” He studied Winry’s face as if he wanted to memorize it. “I don’t want whoever it is knowing how much you mean to me and Al,” he said roughly, “but I’m not leaving you out of anything you want to be a part of. Whatever happens, you know we’d,” he hesitated, not able to say that word, even if it was true. He and Al would die to keep Winry safe. Ed settled for, “We’d protect you.”
Winry let her hand drop. “I know that you would but you don’t have to worry about me, Edward. Things aren’t like they were. I work in the Ishbalan desert. I’ve harbored a victim of a terrorist attack. I dared to be seen in public with someone who’s different.” Bitterness wormed through her voice. “I’m familiar with danger. I know you don’t want that for me but that is how it is now.”
Ed knew he was terrible at physical demonstrations that didn’t involve fighting but he slipped over to Winry’s lounge, wrapping his arms around her. “It seems like it’s the same wherever I go. The people I care about the most are put in danger.” He leaned his chin on Winry’s shoulder. “I know it’s just life but I wish sometimes it was easier.”
Winry let him hold her. “You’re not going to like this, Edward, but you could talk to Roy about it, you know. He’s not exactly unfamiliar with the idea.”
Ed snorted. “I’ll think about it, Winry.” As he tried to think of a way to keep holding onto her without feeling like a creep knowing the situation they were all in, lightning forked across the night sky. “Damn, think the rain’s coming back.”
Winry patted his thigh. “We’d better put out the lantern and get back inside. If you’re really afraid of the flowers eating you, Ed, you could sneak in with Al.”
“I think not…could go toss the bastard out of his bed.” Ed’s nose wrinkled. “But then Riza would probably shoot me.”
“There is the couch.” Winry leaned back slightly and Ed let her go, hoping he didn’t do so as reluctantly as he felt. “And two rooms downstairs.”
“I’ll be fine,” Ed said. “I’m going to alchemize those flowers yet. What do I care if Armstrong kills Mustang?” He shrugged as rain started to fall. He tossed an arm around Winry as she blew out the lantern. “Time to run.” They clipped across the bricks, Ed wondering if that was a spark from his foot or not. Ed certainly hoped not. Winry would kill him and leave him to drown in the rain.
chapter sixteen
Author -
cornerofmadnessDisclaimer - not mine, all characters belong to Hiromu Arakawa et al, Square Enix and funimition.
Pairing – Roy/Riza, Ed/Win (eventually) Winry/OC, mentions of Maes/Gracia and Al/OC
Rating – will vary from chapter to chapter, mostly Pg-13 but will eventually contain well marked adult chapters.
Time Line – anime based, spoilers all the way through the anime and the movie and does have strong manga elements such as Armstrong’s older sister and the land of Xing
Summary – As Roy and Riza prepare for their wedding, while dodging assassins, Ed and Al try to find their way back home.
Author’s Note #1– This was written after much prodding by
evil_little_dog as a sequel to the source of sorrow and is now her holiday gift even if she has beta’ed part of it. So thanks to her and lyricnonsense for the beta. You do not have to read the first story to understand this. You’ll quickly pick up that Riza has retired from the military to be Roy’s wife and bodyguard. Olivia Armstrong is now president and she’s assigned Roy as the ambassador to Ishbal; oh and that Roy was severely injured in the destruction of the Gate, requiring some of Winry’s automail.Author's Note #2 - This is a longer work and like real relationships, the ones listed in the pairings, take time to mend and come together. They have to work at it. Hope you enjoy the ride.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter eight
Chapter nine
chapter ten
chapter eleven
chapter twelve
chapter thirteen
chapter fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
He traveled in order to come home.
William Trevor
“Come on, brother, stretch,” Li-Ying said, poking his side with her bare toe. “Get that scar mobilized.”
Roy’s solitary eye canted up at her as he pulled his feet closer to his head, rocking forward on his belly. The cool wooden floor felt good against his bare flesh. These kinds of stretches were popular in Xing and had been part of his training since he could walk, thanks to his grandfather. He was more than just flames, after all. He could fight. “It hurts, you know.” He hated admitted that. Before that shrapnel had torn through him, he could have grabbed his ankles and planted the soles of his feet on the back of his own head, he was so flexible. Now he had trouble making the bow position. Fire licked along his fresh scars.
“Of course it hurts. You suffered a terrible wound that left you scarred and you know as well as I it’ll only stiffen up more if you don’t stretch it,” Li-Ying said, her voice a mixture of compassionate healer and drill sergeant. “I’ll put ointment on it when we’re done and we can do some acupuncture for the pain. Now stretch that spine, brother. Riza probably loves a flexible man.” Her dark eyes danced.
“Leave my love life out of this. I’m done for the day.” Roy dropped his ankles, relaxing his body. He wanted a shower since sweat trickled along his spine.
“We’re done when I say we’re done. Grab those ankles and stretch or I’ll tell Dev and Ed about the time Mom found you on the side of the road in front of the house naked, telling all the passers-by about your beautiful penis.” Li-Ying smirked.
Roy went pale. “I was three!”
“Stretch or I have Yi-Lan send the pictures!”
Grumbling the Xingese equivalent of ‘bitch‘ under his breath, Roy complied, managing to rock forward enough to touch his toes to his head. Pain lanced in his belly then thunder roared outside, muffling his cry of anguish. The sounds of rain on the slate roof were loud and almost musical. Roy rolled over, clutching his stomach reflexively. “Something pulled bad, Li-Ying
“Roll over.” She gently probed around his scar until she found a place that made him wince. “You busted through some scar tissue. Good for you. You needed to do that.”
“Hurts like hell.” Wincing, Roy gazed at the ceiling, rubbing the sore spot, as Li-Ying popped up to get her needles. “Really coming down out there. Winry and the brothers will be at the train station soon.”
“Is Havoc picking them up?” Li-Ying asked, unfurling her leather carrying tube.
Ed said it was handled and to go stuff myself.” Roy managed to pitch his voice to Edward’s raspy tenor as he repeated the younger man’s words. “He didn’t need my help.” His hand waved languidly, as if shooing something away.
Li-Ying looked over her shoulder, a perplexed expression on her face. “Whatever did you do to that boy, brother?”
“Saved him from someone discovering what he and his brother did and shielded him from retribution,” Roy replied wryly.
“How dare you?” Li-Ying laughed lightly. “All right, brother, why don’t you stretch out on the rug by the fireplace? It looks nice and soft or do you want to go up to your room?”
The doorbell rang before he could answer. “I guess I want to see who’s out in this weather,” he said, rolling to his feet, not as gracefully as he wanted to be. Roy was surprised to see a quartet of drenched Ishbalans on his stoop. Aris and Dev were less of a surprise than Uzziel and Mrs. Jasso. Roy couldn’t help staring at them.
“Don’t just stand there, let us in,” Dev barked, trying to bully his way in. His clothing clung to him like a second skin.
“Always so pleasant,” Roy stepped back, ushering them into the spacious foyer. “Did your car break down?” Water dripped all over the black and white surface, the mud on the Ishbalans’ shoes marring it more.
“We went for a walk,” Aris replied.
Roy glanced at the window. The clouds were thick and heavy and the rain fell steadily from them or something…. “You didn’t see that it’s been threatening rain all day?”
“Desert people, what do we know?” Dev shrugged, standing on one leg as he tried to pry off his wet shoe.
“Enough to get out of the rain,” Li-Ying called from the doorway to the living room.
“I’ll go get you all some towels. I’m not sure that I have anything you’d fit into so we could put your clothes in the dryer,” Roy said, thinking that Mrs. Jasso and Riza were definitely not built alike.
“You’re not sure, little and skinny?” Dev patted Roy’s head. Mrs. Jasso’s jaw dropped at Dev’s cavalier handling of the ‘enemy,’ but she couldn’t manage to speak.
Roy glared up at the taller young man. “You can wait back out in the rain.”
“Why don’t you just dry them off the quick and fast way?” Li-Ying shot her brother a puzzled look.
“Their religion isn’t a big fan of alchemy, remember?” Roy asked even though it was obvious she hadn’t.
“You can dry our clothes with alchemy?” Uzziel asked, surprised, holding his arms out, his sleeves dripping.
Roy nodded. “One of the first things I ever learned. My mentor made me do the household laundry and it was so much easier than hanging things on the line. I just sublimate the water to vapor and you dry off instantly.”
Dev glanced over at Uzziel. Roy knew the boy’s mother would say no and frankly he expected the old priest to disagree vehemently. Uzziel shook his heavy wet robes. “I’ve already gotten blisters from this clinging.” His red eyes regarded Roy curiously.
“It’s not like I’ll tell anyone if you say yes.” Roy figured keeping it a secret would help them to accept the help.
The old man snorted. “I know it’s wrong but I have to admit to being curious about the things Dev and Aris report on.” Aris and Dev both stared at him, shocked at the older priest’s willingness to endure alchemy.
Roy took that as consent and had to resist the urge to clap his hands. He wasn’t ready for them to know how advanced his power was now. He beckoned for them to follow him into the living room. He picked up a tablet off the table and drew the array before utilizing it to dry them and to remove the mud from their clothing.
Uzziel inspected his robes, his expression nonplussed. “I hate to admit it but that was rather handy.”
Roy just nodded. “I’ll call you a cab. Why don’t you have a seat? I can put on water for tea or get you whatever you might like. Dev and Aris know where everything is.” He headed for the phone as his guests sat down.
“I’ll do that, Brother.” Li-Ying turned expectant eyes on their guests.
“That tea would be welcome, if it’s not too much trouble,” Uzziel said, doing the same thing as Dev, taking the time to study her lush female form in detail.
“Not at all.” Li-Ying headed into the kitchen.
Roy rejoined them. “It’ll take a while.”
“Are we interrupting anything?” Aris asked, nodding to Li-Ying’s abandoned needles.
“Just Li-Ying forcing me to do my therapy.” Roy sat on a chair, wishing he didn’t look so weary.
“How is that going?” Uzziel surprised Roy by looking as if he cared. Roy took that as a sign he was making headway with the more hardcore Ishbalans.
“Slow. I feel old,” Roy admitted uncomfortably, his hand floating down to his belly.
“My son did say you somehow managed to cling to life.” Mrs. Jasso’s tone suggested that this greatly disappointed her. Dev’s cheeks turned slightly pink. He nudged his mother gently, moving closer to her on the couch.
If the words hurt, Roy didn’t let it show. “It wasn’t so bad,” he lied.
“What wasn’t so bad?” Li-Ying asked coming back in.
“He’s lying about how badly he was hurt,” Dev replied.
“Not so bad?” Li-Ying tapped her brother on the head. “Let me recap for you, Cricket, you lost some intestine, peritonitis, hemopneumothorax, massive lung infection, blown off automail and massive infection nearly requiring further amputation. Anything I missed?”
“Febrile convulsions and coma but at least that stopped his delirious ravings,” Dev offered, his tone lighter than the words would suggest as he tried to lift the mood a bit.
“So where is the not bad in that?” Her hands on her hips, Li-Ying cocked her head at her brother.
“Um, I don’t remember most of it?” Roy shrugged. “It was harder on you all.”
“Well, there was a silver lining,” Dev said and Li-Ying shot him a curious look.
“Oh?”
“I got to meet you and all your lovely sisters.” He smiled at the woman and she reached over to ruffle his hair. “And you’ve told me so many great stories about his idiot youth.”
Roy snorted. “How is that a silver lining?”
“Did I say it was your silver lining?” Dev smiled pleasantly.
“You go back out in the rain.” Roy pointed to the door.
Li-Ying put her arms around Dev’s neck. “Be nice to him. I like him.”
Dev beamed as Roy rolled his eye. “Take him home with you then,” Roy waved her off.
“You’d miss him,” Li-Ying patted Roy’s shoulder. “You need him here.”
“He needs no such thing. My son already spends far too much time here,” Mrs. Jasso said tightly.
“Mother,” Dev hissed, his blush returning.
“It’s true. You do not need to under this man’s influence any more than you already are.” Her hand swept towards Roy.
“I apologize,” Dev said to Roy.
“You don’t have to. Your mother is entitled to her feelings, Dev. They’re hardly unexpected.” Roy waved him off.
“Don’t patronize me,” Mrs. Jasso glared at him. “I still can’t fathom how my son can tolerate being in the same room with you.”
“Because he wants to help your people,” Roy replied evenly. “He’s been willing to sacrifice quite a lot to accomplish that.”
“None of us should be asked to tolerate you at all to do that. You should have been punished for your crimes,” Mrs. Jasso snarled, her body developing a fine tremor as rage engulfed her.
“Mrs. Jasso, Ambassador Mustang is trying to make up for the things he’s done in the past,” Aris said cautiously but with a sharp look at the woman. It would do no good to start another war here and now.
“She has a point, Aris. I can’t make up for what I did,” Roy said quietly. “I don’t pretend that it can. I want to help and I hope that I am. I hope that we’re making a difference.”
“You are,” Uzziel interjected, surprising Roy again. He could deal with the anger of a woman he had wronged but not the loss of everything he had worked to build with the Ishbalans so he coveted this bit of approval. “I wouldn’t have believed it. You know how I felt about this whole project and I’m very glad to have been proven wrong.”
Roy nodded. “But the truth is, it doesn’t change what I did. Setting Dev up to get automail, having Li-Ying work with him to alleviate some of the scar tissue, none of that changes what I did to him.”
“You ruined my son,” she said and Dev shrank back against the couch, pain blatant in his red eyes.
“No, I didn’t,” Roy replied sharply.
He thought she was going to stand and hit him. “How can you say that?”
“I changed his life and not for the better, I don’t deny that,” Roy said, meeting her gaze evenly. “But he is far from ruined. He’s an intelligent young man with a strong drive. He doesn’t let what happened to him get in his way, even before he got the automail. He has a passion to help his people and a willingness to do more than just complain about what happened to your people. He knows how to love and be loved in return, even if that wasn’t the easiest thing to do and that is more than can be said for a lot of men who don’t have half the obstacles.”
Her mouth opened but Uzziel broke in before she could actually speak. “I have noticed a change for the better in Dev since he’s met you. Sometimes, it helps to realize the thing you’ve most feared is nothing but another person, made of the same flesh and bone you are.”
“I think he’s gotten less angry,” Aris continued that thought and Dev’s face got even more red. He looked as if he wanted to drop through to the basement.
“It’s obvious he’s spent a lot of time filled with rage. I’m sure it did him good to let go of it,” Roy replied, shooting the young man an encouraging look.
“Whose fault is it? Do you have any idea what you put us through?” Mrs. Jasso refused to be mollified as she got to her feet. “Do you know what it was like sitting at his bed side, waiting for him to die, praying that we wouldn’t have to flee again because I knew he wouldn’t survive that? Or what he had to go through to recover, everything he had to endure because his own friends were afraid to even look at him?”
Roy didn’t flinch away. “I can-”
“Did you ever spend a moment’s thought as to what you were doing when you were acting like God, sending your flames down on us?” Dev pulled her back down, wrapping his good arm around her shaking shoulders.
“Every day,” Roy whispered, shrinking back against the cushion. “I didn’t want to be there doing what I did. I tried my best to help the women and children escape, even if it would have cost me my life. I haven’t slept well in years. I can’t get the screams out of my head. Don’t think it’s any easier on me working with Aris and your son.” Roy’s chin trembled, his teeth chattering slightly. He wiped at his eye. “I know what I’ve done and it hurts to have him here knowing no matter what I do for him now, I can never take back what I’ve done.”
“Stop it,” She stabbed a finger at him. “You have no right to tears.”
A shrill whistling sound echoed from the kitchen. “I have to get the tea,” Roy mumbled, quickly exiting the room.
Dev glanced over at Li-Ying’s stark white face then turned back to his mother, embarrassment and a touch of fear warring in his eyes. Having his work undone by his mother’s emotions wasn’t something Dev could live with. “Mother, you can’t talk to him like that. We’re his guests and believe me, I’ve heard him scream in the night enough to know he knows full well what he’s done. It haunts him. He looked like hell when he answered the door. Bet he was screaming in the night again.”
“He was,” Li-Ying whispered, her eyes on Mrs. Jasso, sadness, rather than anger in them.
“I know you don’t like this, Mother.” Dev tried to take her hand but his mother resisted his attempt. “But I have to do this. Like Uzziel said, it’s working and we need that. Mustang wants to help. He’s really pushing things through on this end and…he isn’t a bad man. I’ve learned that much. Mustang really isn’t. I like him and I never thought I’d say that.”
“Neither did I,” Uzziel said, studying the young man. Dev knew the older priest was well acquainted with his previous less than charitable opinion of Mustang.
Dev started to reply when the front door opened. He jumped up to his feet seeing Winry lugging in her luggage –soaking wet – with the brothers behind her. Li-Ying nearly bowled him over trying to get out the door to wave Havoc down so he could drive the Ishbalans home. All she saw was the tail lights of a cab.
“Damn,” she cursed then shot the Resemboolians an apologetic look. “Sorry but we’ve been waiting on a cab and it’s been slow to come.”
“How are you, Winry? Want me to carry this upstairs?” Dev reached for her luggage, seeing but ignoring Ed’s hostile look.
Winry relinquished it, casting a wary eye over at his mother. Dev knew they had to feel the tension in the room. “Thank you. I’m beat. Where’s everyone else?”
“Riza is at the office, Lt. Colonel Armstrong came for Hughes and Roy is in the kitchen… making tea,” Dev replied, heading for the staircase behind the brothers.
Winry sat down, running a hand through her wet hair.
“Have my brother alchemize you dry,” Li-Ying said, sympathetically.
“Or Ed or Al, should have done that before they escaped upstairs.” Winry smiled wearily. She turned to the Ishbalans. “I’m sorry. I’m being rude. I should have said hello.”
“It’s all right,” Aris said. “We’re very sorry to hear about what happened.”
Thank you.” Her shoulders rose and fell in a soft sigh. “It’s been very hard on Ed and Al.” Her eyes followed after the brothers, though they were already up the stairs.
“A very cowardly act.” Uzziel’s frown deepened his wrinkles. “Mustang said it might have been someone who knew you all well enough to know Dev’s name.”
“We don’t think he was involved,” Winry said hurriedly. “I mean, I know he’s not and I can’t imagine any of his friends would even know about Ed and Al. Some of them don’t like me much but Ed and Al have been out of the country for years.” She paused, turning her gaze to the ceiling, hearing noises from upstairs. “What are they doing?”
“Sounds like arguing but that would never happen.” Aris grinned lightly. “From what I’ve seen, Edward and Dev are both such pleasant, even tempered young men.”
Winry rolled her eyes.
Mrs. Jasso sighed. “I raised my son better than that but…he’s always been temperamental.” She glanced at Winry. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that.”
“Oh, no, ma’am.” Winry gave her a wry grin. “I’ve had to listen to him argue with nearly everyone in earshot at least once.” She twisted back around again, hearing them coming down the steps. Poor Alphonse was between the other two men. She caught his subtle jab to Ed’s kidney to make him move. She could imagine what threat he had used to make Dev heel. “Where’s Roy?”
“Still in the kitchen, making tea. I’ll go check on him,” Dev said, sparing a hostile glare for Edward.
“Sorry, Winry, forgot to dry you off,” Ed said, clapping his hands.
“That’s because you were too busy arguing over who gets to carry luggage,” Al said in disgust and Winry gave Ed a look that he ignored to touch his hands to her clothing.
“Thanks for this.” Winry patted her dried clothing. “And please, Edward, I know we’re all tired but, try not to be cranky.”
Ed shot her a wounded look then turned as if to go. His brother stopped him with a hand on his arm. Al sat next to the fireplace since there was no seats left open. His cool stare made Edward fold up next to him.
Dev came back out of the kitchen. “Li-Ying.” He beckoned her over and said softly, “You should go get your brother. He doesn’t look too good. He’s curled up against the counter.”
Li-Ying nodded. “I’ll go get some snacks to go with the tea,” she said, heading for the kitchen.
“Is something wrong?” Winry asked.
Dev shrugged, seeing Winry had taken his seat. He scowled at the fireplace seating, hating to be anywhere near where a fire could be. He sat down, putting his back to the couch’s arm, his mother on the other side of the arm. “Roy’s having a bad day. He’s not sleeping again and Mr. Hughes got called in to see President Armstrong without him. And then-”
“Hughes is what?” Ed’s golden eyes went wide. “By himself?”
Dev nodded. “She sent for him. Strongarm went with him. It’ll be okay,” he said, not too sure of it. “I didn’t get to say so but I am sorry about your mother’s grave. It’s an awful thing to happen. Something like that happened to my father’s, too, back in the war.” He looked over the arm of the couch at Winry then back at the brothers. “I know someone came looking for me there. I wasn’t involved.”
“We didn’t think you were.” Alphonse met Dev’s eyes steadily before glancing at the other people in the room.
Tension visibly fled Dev’s body. “I just wanted you to hear that from me,” Dev replied firmly.
“No, we knew it wasn’t you,” Roy said, coming back with a tray laden with a dragon tea pot and many cups. His eye was red and swollen. “You’re very direct, Dev. If you have a problem with Elric, you’d just punch him in the face. You wouldn’t sneak around and blow things up anonymously.”
“Thanks…I think.” Dev wrinkled his nose. “Al, Mustang said you tried to draw what the witness saw. Can I see that? Maybe I’d recognize her.”
Al got up. “Sure, it’s upstairs. Though, I warn you, the lady who described her to me was so very near sighted. It could have been anyone.”
“That’s all right, I’d still like to try and help if I can,” Dev said.
“Damn.” Roy scowled. “Sorry about the language. I forgot the sugar. And we have some tea cakes, I’ll get them, too.”
“You don’t need to fuss,” Aris cast a glance over at his companions as if judging if they would even take his hospitality. Mrs. Jasso was pointedly not looking at Mustang.
“I’ll go get it,” Dev rose to his feet. “You sit, Mustang. I know where everything is.”
“I’ll give you a hand,” Ed said, his voice flat.
Dev shot him a surprised look but nodded. Al changed trajectory from the staircase to dog the two men as they entered the kitchen. Dev pointed to the pantry door. “You’ll find a whole host of snacks in there. Mustang likes sweets.” He shot Ed an appraising look. “I could have done this without help, you know
Ed shrugged. “You can’t use that hand yet besides…I wasn’t expecting a whole host of people here or for Winry to yell at me.”
“I doubt that anyone noticed. Everyone’s concentrating on Mom telling Mustang she wishes he were dead, probably waiting for her to start the next war.” Dev sighed, taking down the sugar bowl.
“Your mother seems to really hate Amestrians,” Al said quietly, peering into the cupboard.
“Not all of them but yeah, she’s not fond of them. It’s not like we don’t have reason,” Dev replied without any heat in his voice. “But Mustang did this to me.” He waved his metal hand. “And she isn’t going to ever forgive that.”
“Yeah.” Ed slumped against the counter, letting Al drag out snacks. “I just hate making Winry mad.”
“She’s under a lot of stress. You and I didn’t make it any better by immediately snapping at each other,” Dev said, sounding as regretful as Ed looked.
“You’re under as much stress,” Ed remarked giving Dev a look. “And I have no excuse.”
“Yes, because having failing automail and all but coming back from the great beyond isn’t stressful,” Dev snorted. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle it. Winry liked my idea for what to do if she’s pregnant and that was a big burden off me.”
“What if she’s not?” Ed whispered.
“Then I have a sacrifice to make,” Dev said, studying the counter top. “I didn’t want to let her go but I have a job to do, one that I was barely able to because so many objected to a priest taking an Amestrian woman as his lover, forgetting that we are technically Amestrian.” He shook his head, leaning his hands against the counter. His automail fingers’ servos whined like they wanted to grip it but failed. “I’ve been run out of my home, turned into a living torch, hunted down every place, every encampment we’ve been to. My friends and I dodged people who chased us because we stole food, chased us just to beat someone with red eyes, chased us to rape us because they thought no one would care. I’ve been hungry most my life. I feel guilty about living as good as I do now when most of my people are in barely better than the camps back in our home land. I am in the position to change it. All it costs me is someone I care about.”
“I...had a friend in the other world. Her people were treated a lot like yours.” Ed didn’t look at Dev as he spoke. "The land, Germany, where I was living, looked at anyone who wasn't what they called ‘pure blood’,” he nearly spat out those words, “as tainted. Not worthy of living. I managed to save her once but she still died a horrible death at their hands because they couldn’t look past the differences in her bloodlines to see that she was a good person.”
“I’m sorry. I know what that’s like,” Dev said with a heavy sigh. He finally looked over at Ed. “The stupid ironic thing is, the only person I could talk about this with was Mustang. He’s a mixed blood and hell, he gave up being with the woman he loved for years, nearly lost her forever. I think I knew if I left Winry, it would have to be for good. She wants to stay my friend and I like that but it’s going to be a hard thing to do. Harder still, if she is pregnant, because I’ll always wonder if she regrets marrying me when the man she actually loves is back. It was so much easier when you were gone but you’re back and I have to deal with that.” Dev met Ed’s gaze but the smaller man was slippery. Something indescribable formed in Ed’s golden eyes.
“We never intended to hurt anyone when we came back.” Alphonse's voice came as a whisper. “We just knew we had to come home.”
Ed reached over and thumped Al’s shoulder.
“You didn’t, hurt me that is. I would be in a mess one way or the other. If I were to marry Winry, it ends everything I could do for my people.” Dev shook his head. “Maybe it’s better this way. I can let her go and know she’ll be taken care of, that she’ll be okay at least.”
“Look,” Ed risked a glance at Dev through his bangs, liking the sound of that to some extent, “you can’t say what’s going to happen tomorrow or even a few minutes from now. You just have to keep moving forward the best you can.” He swallowed, looking down at his hands. “If that means you and Winry are going to stay together – it’ll hurt like hell, yeah, but I’ll understand why.”
Dev shifted the sugar bowl a bit. “I do know what will happen to me if I stay with her. I know what will happen to her. I’m supposed to tell people that Ishbala doesn’t give us more than we can handle. Either he thinks I can handle a lot or he’s hated me since I was born.”
Ed snorted loudly, completely drowning out Alphonse's chuckle. “Yeah, well, I don’t really believe in god but I’d swear that if I did, he’d hate me, too.”
Dev curled his lip. “Given what you’ve obviously been through, I can believe that. Come on, we’d better get back in there. It’s too quiet and they might be wondering if we’re grating sugar cane to get this, we’ve been so long.”
X X X
Roy sat back down, glaring back at the phone. “Sorry. The cab company swears then sent someone out. That someone could have driven to Resembol by now.” He reached for the tea pot. “I apologize, I wasn’t thinking. Well, more accurately I was thinking about what would make me feel better and smoked tea is one of my favorites. I should have brewed something milder.”
“Nonsense, it seems interesting,” Uzziel said, leaning over for a good sniff. “Aris is always encouraging us older priests to branch out more.”
“Of course, I think Dev got lost on the way to the kitchen.” Roy glanced back at it.
“I’ll go see what they’re doing,” Winry pushed up off the couch.
Mrs. Jasso watched the girl go then glowered at Roy. “My son knows where you keep your sugar. He confides in you. Tell me, how in the world that happened? Why would he ever talk to you, let alone go to you for advice and don’t tell me he doesn’t. He told me so.”
Roy rolled his shoulders as Li-Ying poured tea. “He knew I could understand about his attraction to Winry. He’s seen how people treat me when I’m out of uniform, especially with my fiancé.”
“She’s blonde,” Aris supplied.
“And now he might have a mixed blood baby to think of. Does he talk to you about that, too?” Mrs. Jasso asked, sounding less angry and more defeated and bewildered.
Roy nodded. “A lot. My sister and I are mixed blooded so we know what it’s like. I think it’s been helpful for Dev to see that point of view, to hear some of the stories. It’s not always been easy but my life isn’t all bad. I’m the baby. Our eldest sister is twelve years older than me. My parents had it rough with people and their bigotry but they were together over twenty years when they died.”
“And they loved each other a lot,” Li-Ying added, handing Uzziel a cup of tea.
Mrs. Jasso sighed. “I suppose that does make sense. I can’t say he’s worse for it, which is surprising.”
“I think Dev has improved in a lot of ways since we’ve started this project. He’s learned a bit of patience and tolerance,” Aris said, claiming a cup but sitting back to wait on sugar.
“Confidence. He’s gotten that. I’ll be honest, Mrs. Jasso, I don’t like some of his Ishbalan friends. I think they’re mean, especially to him, and I’m not talking about their reaction to Winry,” Roy said, ignoring her heated look. “They’ve made him feel ugly and worthless. I don’t really regret introducing him to people who showed him he isn’t…even though there have been some consequences.”
“Consequences?” Dev asked, coming back with the Elrics and their selection of snacks. Winry trailed after, a bit dazed looking as if she really needed to go nap.
“Of our actions, or more specifically yours ,” Roy replied. “At least you and Winry is something I can’t be blamed for. I only introduced you so you could get a good hand. The rest is all on you.”
Pink-cheeked, Winry rolled her eyes, sitting back down with a cautious glance at Mrs. Jasso. Dev huffed and slammed the sugar bowl down. “It is definitely all your fault, these consequences.”
Roy twisted on the couch, his mouth open. “Care to explain how the hell that’s possible? It’s not like I tied anyone up and forced them to have sex.”
“I took the stupid condom from your room,” Dev said and Winry covered her face. “And the cheap thing broke.”
Ed’s mouth dropped and Mrs. Jasso coughed cutting off Al’s admonishment about embarrassing Winry.
“One, I don’t buy cheap anything. Two, what the hell were you doing in my room?” Roy’s eye narrowed.
Dev blushed. “It was an emergency.”
“I think I remember those emergencies,” Uzziel said dryly, dumping two cubes of sugar into his tea.
Roy snorted. “So you stole mine? Isn’t there something in Ishbala’s rules about stealing? It was probably God getting you back, a priest with such vagrant disregard for the rules.” He glanced over to see if Uzziel or Aris was upset. Aris seemed amused. Mrs. Jasso did not.
“You’re very proud of that one, aren’t you?” Uzziel smiled. “And he does have a point Dev.”
Dev wrinkled his nose. “Like he even missed it.”
“Keep your grubby fingers out of my underwear drawer,” Roy replied.
“Like it wasn’t horrifying enough the one time.” Dev shuddered then snagged a tea cup. He shot Roy an unrepentant look.
Ed and Al sat back by the fireplace again, uncomfortable looks on their reddened faces.
Li-Ying took notice and set her tea cup aside. “Dev, you’ve been busy visiting with your mother. We haven’t had time to work together. That cab is obviously lost in the rain maybe we could do something now.” Seeing his nervous glance at the brothers, she added. “Just your ankle since you’re not dressed in a way that will make anything else easy unless I toss your robe over your head.” She grinned. “Go shimmy out of those pants.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Don’t even think about it.” He took a deep drink of his tea then set it aside. He went around the corner and got out of his pants before laying down on the carpet by the fireplace. Winry brought him over a pillow. “Thanks.”
Li-Ying knelt at his feet, taking off his sandal. Her fingers massaged around his ankle.
“What are you doing to him?” Mrs. Jasso asked. When Li-Ying glanced back, a sharp look on her face, Jasso added. “I’m a nurse but I’ve never seen the Xing healing methods Dev’s been telling me about.”
“I don’t mind if you watch. I’m just loosening up the scar tissue a little bit. Eventually we’ll have it stretched out enough that he’ll be able to stand foot flat,” Li-Ying said, placing Dev’s foot between her breasts and using her weight to press his foot up. “Hold it as long as you can, Dev.”
“I’d forgotten Dev said you were a nurse,” Roy said softly to Mrs. Jasso. His face brightened. “You could help us.” At her knife’s edge look, he added, “Not me, not directly but your son and Aris. One of the first things I wanted to see get built is a hospital or two. We’d provide the staffing until enough of your own people were trained but what we need is someone who knows how hospitals work. Nurses know hospitals better than anyone. It would be a help if we knew what we should get first and help in finding people to train as nurses. I’m working on getting the scholarships for the universities.”
Mrs. Jasso stared at him for a moment. “Are you serious?”
“He’s serious, Hala,” Uzziel said. “He, Aris and Dev have laid out plans for a hospital and a schools.”
“It would be foolish not to use all the available resources. I know you won’t want to work with me.” Roy spread his hands. “But I’m sure you could work with your son and Aris. It would be invaluable.”
Hala Jasso considered that for a few long moments. “I’ll see what I can do. I know some young people who would want to be nurses, if only they could get the training. I’ll give Dev their names.”
“Thank you,” Roy said sincerely, trying to rearrange the journals on the table so to accommodate his tea cup. He winced, his hand trailing along his side.
“I saw that, Brother. Let me fix Dev up with some acupuncture then you lay down by the fireplace and let me work on you,” Li-Ying said.
“I have guests,” he protested.
“We’ll take care of them. You’ll do no one any good if you pass out into the tea,” Li-Ying said ignoring the half amused snorts from a pair of disgruntled young men. “Alphonse, dear, could you get my needle pack for me? It’s atop the mantle.”
“Certainly.” He got up and handed it down to her.
When Li-Ying withdrew a needle, Mrs. Jasso got up from her seat. “What are you doing with that?”
“They’re part of his treatment.” Li-Ying displayed the needle. “I can block some of his pain with these.”
Hala nodded. “I’ve heard of such things but I can’t believe he lets you do that. Dev is afraid of needles.”
“Mom!” Dev sat up quickly and Li-Ying pushed him back down.
Ed snickered until Al elbowed him. “So are you, Ed.”
Ed scowled. “Shut up, Al.”
“That reminds me, Winry when you’re more rested, I’d like to talk to you about Ed’s automail. I could do something for his tight muscles,” Li-Ying said, pushing a needle into Dev’s calf muscle then another at the top of the fibula. “I could put a few more for the pain but they’d need to go in the ankle and I want you to keep moving that. I’m going to put one up higher so you stay nice and still on your side, Dev.”
“Okay.”
“Not a problem, Li-Ying. Ed won’t ever admit he might be in pain.” Winry shot him the stink eye.
“I will so,” Ed said, turning bright red seeing where Li-Ying was hiking Dev’s robe up to. “ Where is she putting that needle?”
“That’s what I’m wondering.” A hint of panic tinged Dev’s voice, his fingers reaching for the hem of his robe.
Li-Ying slapped his fingers. “Just relax. I’m not going to expose you to the world.” She laughed, tucking his robe between his legs. “But be still while I get this one in.” Her fingers felt along his inner thigh.
“Isn’t that close to the main artery in his leg?” Hala asked, seeing where Li-Ying was lining up the needle.
“That’s not the part I’m worried about,” Dev whimpered.
“This is the problem with working with boys,” Li-Ying sighed. “Always worried about their precious pieces. Don’t worry, I’m not going to shove a needle into it. Now stay still.” She placed the needle then took out a final one putting it back in the back of his head.
“That one worries me most,” Hala admitted, her red eyes wide.
“It’s very shallow. Haven’t brain damaged him yet.” Li-Ying grinned. “Brother, you’re not on the ground yet. Waiting for that engraved invitation?”
“The abuse I withstand in my own house,” Roy grumbled, laying right by Ed and Al’s feet. His sister started putting needles into him. Making faces and a little pained noise, Ed turned away, not looking as the long needles were pushed into Roy’s skin. Al, on the other hand, maneuvered so he could get a better look. “I’m not for display, Alphonse.”
“Sorry, sir,” Al said but he only moved closer as Li-Ying told him to feel the spot she was going to put the needle.
“Dev, this really helps?” Uzziel asked, standing to get a better look.
“Yes, actually. Li-Ying explained it as the body having streams of energy in them and they can get snarled. The needles fix the snags,” Dev said. “The most interesting thing about this job is I’m getting to see a host of other beliefs. It’s been…eye opening.”
“I don’t see that as a bad thing,” Uzziel said.
“I’ve met people with roots in more than one world, like Major Miles and this idiot and his sister.” Dev pointed at Roy. “Learned a lot about how sometimes that’s very hard.” He paused for a sad look at Winry.
“No kidding. Well, it could be worse. Pinako likes you,” Roy said. “It could have been like my mother’s family.”
“You’ve never mentioned a problem before.” Winry’s eyebrows raised.
“No one really ever asked and I didn’t think you needed all the bad stuff,” Roy said and his sister made a disgusted noise. “Mom’s parents and her brother and sister told her if she married a Xing, they’d cut her out of the family.”
“She married Dad and they kept their promise. They didn’t even come to her funeral,” Li-Ying grated out, angrier than Winry had ever seen her.
“That’s terrible,” Alphonse blurted out as Edward muttered, “Sorry,” almost under his breath.
“Yeah, they’re here in town. I could care less. But the good part is, our parents loved each other and were marriage twenty years before they were killed in that accident,” Roy said. “I figured you two had enough worries as it was, without hearing that.” He glanced over at Hala. “Though I’m sure it’s gone through their heads.”
“I could never do that to my son,” Hala said, her voice low and rough. Dev sighed a little and Winry looked as if a weight had slid off her. Hala caught Winry’s eyes. “My son cares about you. I’m sure it’s obvious I’m still not comfortable with Amestrians but I know you’re more than just a pretty thing that caught his eye. To be this talented with automail, you have to be very smart and able and that you come out to the desert to help us says something for your kindness and courage. Those are all things I would want for, for my son.”
Winry summoned up a sad smile, trying not to look over at Ed or Dev. “Thank you,” she said softly. “That means a lot.”
“There,” Li-Ying said, finally getting the cotton bits attached to Roy’s needles. “You take care of those, brother. Bring a little light into this dreary, depressing day.”
“I’m not sure this counts as brightness,” Roy tried to spot the candles Li-Ying had glowing around the room. He gestured and fire danced over the air and lit the cotton wads.
“Isn’t that dangerous?” Uzziel’s eyes were huge.
“Heat speeds the healing up,” Li-Ying replied. “I’d use it on Dev but for obvious reasons, he’s not keen on the idea.”
“Keep the fire over there where it belongs,” Dev said, eyeing the flames nervously.
“Sister, call that damn cab company again,” Roy said, shutting his eyes. “These guys are never getting home at this rate.”
“Of course.” Li-Ying got up. “Winry, Ed, Al, you can go up and get a nap. You all look exhausted. I have our guests in hand.”
“We’re fine/” Ed waved her off.
She rolled her eyes and made the call. When she got back into the room, Li-Ying gazed at her brother. “Dev, is he sleeping?”
Dev looked at Roy. “Either that or you hit a major organ with those needles and killed him.”
Li-Ying snorted. “Just keep an eye on him so he doesn’t roll over and set the house on fire.”
“Don’t worry.”
“I wouldn’t have thought he could relax enough with all of us here to sleep,” Uzziel said, flipping through one of the books Roy had moved.
“My brother is exhausted. He’s not much on sleeping but that injury has knocked him down harder than he’s going to admit.” Li-Ying said. “And there has been a lot happening that’s put him under even more stress. I’d let him sleep but…Edward, poke him awake please, when he starts muttering like that, it usually means he’s having a nightmare.”
Al leaned down, before Ed could take Li-Ying at her word, and gently shook Mustang’s arm. “Sorry, Roy, you’re going to be dangerous asleep with fires burning.”
Roy rubbed his eyes. “Cab?”
“Not yet. They claim you never called them,” Li-Ying said.
Roy made a disgruntled sound.
“Mustang? Is this yours?” Uzziel held open one of the journals to a page of art.
“That’s the book he never lets me look in,” Dev said, recognizing the cover.
The older priest blushed. “Sorry, it was sitting on the table. I didn’t know.”
“It’s all right. Dev’s just nosy. It’s good for him to have limits.”
“Is it your alchemy journal?” Ed eyed it covetously.
“Relax, Fullmetal, it’s not what you want,” Roy said, trying to wiggle a little to see Uzziel and failing. “I doodle in there. Mostly what’s in there are the things that make me wake up screaming in the night,” he added bluntly.
“That explains the things on fire.” Uzziel made a face. “You have a good hand at drawing.”
“Alchemists usually do, barring Edward.”
“I lost a hand,” Ed huffed.
“You sucked before that,” Al offered with a smirk and Ed flicked him with a metal finger.
“And now you know why I like Alphonse so much.” Roy chuckled lowly.
“Bastard,” Ed grumbled.
“Always,” Dev agreed.
“This boy.” Uzziel held up the sketch. Hala’s breath hitched at the sight. “Seems to haunt you most.”
“I’d rather not talk about him. That boy never gets too far from my mind,” Roy said grimly, missing the stunned look on Dev’s face. “It was the most unconscionable thing I’ve ever done. I learned from that poor child how to better control my flames so it would never happen like that again.”
Roy’s rescue came as the front door opened and Riza came into the room with Hughes behind her. Roy sat up, heedless of the burning cotton on the tips of his acupuncture needles. “Riza, how did you get here?”
“Havoc drove us.” Riza startled at his tone, dropping Hayate’s leash.
“Go stop him!” Roy said as Li-Ying pushed him back flat. “Get him in here.”
“How did it go, Hughes?” Ed asked.
He shrugged, sitting next to the brothers. Hughes took stock of all the Ishbalans in the room shrewdly then offered up a huge grin. “I’m alive. It wasn’t so bad of a meeting, not really. Just long.”
“Good,” Ed said, relief obvious in his eyes.
“Damn!” Dev wiggled, pointing up to where a fat spider was yo-yoing on a web.
“Gah!” Roy flung an arm up and the spider caught fire.
“Is it dead?” Dev asked, panicked.
“It’s in flames,” Al deadpanned.
“Brother, do not set the house on fire,” Li-Ying said. “Just because you’re afraid of spiders.”
“I’m not the only one!” Roy pointed to Dev.
“Li-Ying, get those flaming things off him before he kills us all,” Winry said. “A shoe would have done, Roy.”
“Says you. Those things can jump.” He shuddered. “Nothing should have that many legs.”
Riza came back in with Havoc. “Here he is.” She sniffed. “What’s burning?”
“Spiders,” Winry huffed. “The bane of everyone’s existence.”
“Ah,” Riza nodded as if that made sense.
“Havoc,” Roy said up, dousing the slowly burning cotton himself. “Could you please drive Dev and his mother home with Uzziel and Aris? We’ve called the cab company three times and no one’s bothered to show.”
“Can’t blame them. It’s raining like there’s no tomorrow.” Havoc leaned against the doorframe. “As soon as they’re ready, I’ll take them.”
“Let me get the needles out of Dev before he maims himself jumping around like I told him not to,” Li –Ying said.
She worked quickly and the Ishbalans headed out. Winry knew Dev wanted to linger with her but didn’t have the option. Once everyone was gone, Li-Ying turned to the group and said, “I don’t want to hear any more protests. Ed, Al, Winry, Roy you all need naps. No protests. Roy, you’ve had a horrible day. The rest of you have a stressful series of days. You can ask Meinhard about what happened with Armstrong later. Riza and I can clean up here. I’m tempted to go tie you all to your beds for a least an hour.”
Li-Ying bore up to the grumbling and promised Riza to fill her in on everything that happened once everyone was herded upstairs. She was confident that the rain and exhaustion would soon quiet the whole house. A little rest would do them all some good.
X X X
Winry couldn’t sleep. More appropriately, she had slept too much after Li-Ying had sent her off and now that it was the dead of night, she was awake. Wandering downstairs, she decided Roy’s large home had never felt more empty, even though she knew it was filled with life. Surprised to see a trickle of light beyond the patio doors, Winry went out to investigate. Roy was on one of the lounges, a lantern lit on the table as he stared up at the stars.
“You’re up late,” he said, not really looking at her.
She wondered if he knew who it even was. “So are you.”
He turned a bit to study her. “You know what I’m like but unless you’re pulling all nighters on your work, you’re usually a pretty good sleeper.”
“Too much stress,” Winry admitted. “Between what happened to Aunt Tricia’s grave and just having the brothers back at all, not to mention Dev.” She ran a hand through bed-tousled head. “I was surprised by some of what Mrs. Jasso said to me, in a good way. I mean, she was really willing to try and like me for her son’s sake. Still, I really need to talk to Dev and today just didn’t seem like the time with all the other drama.”
“You heard from your doctor?” he asked cautiously, waving at the lounge next to him.
Winry stretched out and checked out the view he had been admiring. She gazed at the sky for several long moments. “Yes, but I wanted to tell Dev first, before I told Ed and Al.”
“That’s fair. I’m sure if you call him in the morning, he can slip his mother. He’s been pretty good at it since you were gone. And I’m not sure Al ever brought down that drawing. At some point we really do need to get Dev over here to look at that,” Roy said reasonably. He reached over and squeezed Winry’s hand. “Are you okay?
She nodded. “Yes, but a little confused.” Winry glanced at him. “I know you won’t say anything. I’m not pregnant and I’m glad, naturally, since we weren’t ready for that and it complicated everything but….”
“You’re a little disappointed, too.”
“Yes.” Winry glanced up at the stars again. “ Does that make me crazy?”
“No, I guess that might be normal.” Roy shrugged. “Not being a woman, I’m not sure.”
Winry laughed lightly. “I suppose I should save those questions for Riza.”
Roy nodded. “True but I’m sure that it’s not unusual to be just a little disappointed. Most people get fairly excited about parenthood. It made Maes absolutely stupid.”
“I think Ed and Al told me about that.” Winry’s smile was a little bittersweet. “And this Mr. Hughes didn’t get to experience all of it because his...” her voice trailed off, leaving the rest of the words unsaid.
“I know but I think Gracia is accepting him and vice versa. It’s a little odd but I think they might just make each other happy.”
“That would be nice.” Winry sighed. “I’d like to look at the stars for a while.”
Roy gestured to the sky then took her hand, squeezing gently. They both fell silent, lost in their own thoughts until a sharp metallic sound on the brick startled them both.
X X X
Ed stared at the flowers on the wall paper. He was fairly sure they were moving, creeping ever closer. He’d wake up to find them rooted in his organs. Sighing heavily, knowing sleep wasn’t going to find him, Ed rolled out of bed, figuring he could raid the bastard’s library. He regretted forgetting his slippers once he got off the carpeted second floor. His metal footfalls sounded impossibly loud in the house. Spotting a light outside on the patio, Ed went to investigate. To his surprise Winry and Roy were there, their fingers touching. “What the hell?”
Winry twisted on the lounge. “Oh, you can’t sleep either, Ed? Roy and I are stargazing and trying to get sleepy.”
Roy swung his feet down onto the patio and levered himself off the lounge. “I think I’m sleepy now. Riza is going to miss me if I don’t come up there soon.”
Ed watched him go and decided it was in his best interest not to mention he saw them touching. “You okay, Winry?”
She patted the vacated lounge. “I’m fine, Edward. I just got too much sleep this afternoon. Naps suck. They throw off my whole body.”
Ed sat down. “Maybe that’s my problem. That or the horrible flowers. Who knows?” He grinned in the lantern light.
“That room is very awful.” Winry laughed then glanced at Ed. “It’s good news though, about Mr. Hughes.”
Ed nodded. “The best we could hope for, I guess. I hate that we created all this drama. I mean I knew some would have to happen but not like this.”
“We know that, Edward. You don’t have to keep apologizing,” Winry said gently.
Ed slid down on the lounge, crossing his arms over his belly as he considered the stars. “I think maybe I do. Do you know that Dev thinks you love me?” Ed winced. What had possessed him to say that, let alone blurt it out like that?
He could feel Winry’s stare burning holes in his cheek. “I shouldn’t have said anything, I guess,” he said to the sky, “but he said it to me and I didn’t know what to say back.” When Winry remained silent, Ed turned his head just enough to look at her out of the corner of his eye. “I never wanted you to be like Mom, waiting for me and Al to come back but a part of me is selfish enough to wish you had.”
“You’ve said that before,” Winry said wearily. “And I hate that Dev feels that way. I never meant to make him feel second best, like I was settling.”
“I know.” Sighing, Edward lowered his head, staring at his knees. “You’re the best person I know, Winry. You wouldn’t do anything like that.” He wanted to know if she really did love him but Winry didn’t look inclined to say and Ed knew better than to press the matter. “I shouldn’t have brought it up. We’re trying to get sleepy, not work ourselves up.”
Winry reached over and brushed the back of his hand with her fingers. “It’s all right, Edward. I think I did make Dev feel that way, we all did. He does have your personality, even though I know you don’t want to hear that. I think we all made too much of a big deal about it. I feel bad for him.”
“Huh, he’s got my personality...yeah, I feel sorry for him, too.” Ed attempted to not bog down their conversation in sorrow. That had happened far too often since he and Al got back home.
“Personality isn’t entirely why.” Winry grinned. “He’s driven to achieve his goal. You’d understand that.” She ran her hand through her long hair again. “I’m trying not to think about it, trying not to think about anything. Roy was trying to teach me to meditate. I thought it would be easy but it’s not.”
“He’s not as strict as Teacher, probably. She’d smack you in the face with a book or kick you if you weren’t meditating properly.” Ed rubbed his chest in remembrance, as if Izumi’s sandal print was still embedded in his skin. “Here, sit up and give me your hands.”
Winry complied. “Roy is usually very delicate around me, as if he’s expecting Granny and I to change our minds and kill him for what he did. Mostly he’s the overprotective big brother…who sets me up on dates.”
“Didn’t need to hear about the dates part, Winry.” Ed squeezed her hands to let her know he was joking. Kind of. “All right. This is simple. You’re just breathing. Slow, deep breaths, in through the nose, out through your mouth.” He demonstrated, saying, “Breathe in to the count of eight. Exhale to the count of eight, okay?”
“Okay. I’ll keep Havoc’s cousin to myself.” She grinned then took her deep breath in.
“Havoc’s cousin? Ewww.” Ed screwed up his face.
Winry giggles, losing her air. “He was cute, dumb as stump though.”
“Didn’t I just say I didn’t need to know about your dates?” Ed gave her a sour look. “Especially Havoc’s cousin. Hell, any of them. You dating, Al dating...” He shuddered exaggeratedly though his eyes retained a wicked glint in them.
“I feel so terrible for Al,” Winry said softly. “As if he hasn’t suffered enough.”
The gleam snuffed immediately and Edward swallowed hard. “After...afterwards, he told me to take him home. Al meant here.” He squeezed her fingers again, more for comfort this time.
Winry slipped free of his hand, cupping her hand behind his head, his loose long hair slithering through her fingers. “I’m glad you got him here, no matter all the trouble it’s caused. We’re glad you’re home. I’m glad you’re here.” Her eyes narrowed. “But it could be someone isn’t.”
“You mean the bastard who blew up Mom’s grave.” Ed’s jaw tightened at that reminder. “Yeah, someone’s trying to make a point.” He studied Winry’s face as if he wanted to memorize it. “I don’t want whoever it is knowing how much you mean to me and Al,” he said roughly, “but I’m not leaving you out of anything you want to be a part of. Whatever happens, you know we’d,” he hesitated, not able to say that word, even if it was true. He and Al would die to keep Winry safe. Ed settled for, “We’d protect you.”
Winry let her hand drop. “I know that you would but you don’t have to worry about me, Edward. Things aren’t like they were. I work in the Ishbalan desert. I’ve harbored a victim of a terrorist attack. I dared to be seen in public with someone who’s different.” Bitterness wormed through her voice. “I’m familiar with danger. I know you don’t want that for me but that is how it is now.”
Ed knew he was terrible at physical demonstrations that didn’t involve fighting but he slipped over to Winry’s lounge, wrapping his arms around her. “It seems like it’s the same wherever I go. The people I care about the most are put in danger.” He leaned his chin on Winry’s shoulder. “I know it’s just life but I wish sometimes it was easier.”
Winry let him hold her. “You’re not going to like this, Edward, but you could talk to Roy about it, you know. He’s not exactly unfamiliar with the idea.”
Ed snorted. “I’ll think about it, Winry.” As he tried to think of a way to keep holding onto her without feeling like a creep knowing the situation they were all in, lightning forked across the night sky. “Damn, think the rain’s coming back.”
Winry patted his thigh. “We’d better put out the lantern and get back inside. If you’re really afraid of the flowers eating you, Ed, you could sneak in with Al.”
“I think not…could go toss the bastard out of his bed.” Ed’s nose wrinkled. “But then Riza would probably shoot me.”
“There is the couch.” Winry leaned back slightly and Ed let her go, hoping he didn’t do so as reluctantly as he felt. “And two rooms downstairs.”
“I’ll be fine,” Ed said. “I’m going to alchemize those flowers yet. What do I care if Armstrong kills Mustang?” He shrugged as rain started to fall. He tossed an arm around Winry as she blew out the lantern. “Time to run.” They clipped across the bricks, Ed wondering if that was a spark from his foot or not. Ed certainly hoped not. Winry would kill him and leave him to drown in the rain.
chapter sixteen
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Date: 2008-06-27 04:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-27 04:22 am (UTC)for that matter so is Dev
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Date: 2008-06-27 11:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-27 01:44 pm (UTC);-)
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Date: 2008-06-27 03:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-27 04:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-27 04:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-27 04:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-28 02:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-28 03:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-28 09:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-28 10:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-21 11:00 pm (UTC)But a possible typo:
Winry giggles, losing her air. “He was cute, dumb as stump though.”
dumb as a stump, maybe?
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Date: 2008-07-22 01:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-23 04:46 pm (UTC)Now that we now Winry's not pregnant, you have me kinda worrying about what's wrong, but I'm trusting it not to be life-threatening.
Oh, yeah, one other thing: I thought Ishbala was a godess - you know that thing about 'the entire world rests within the bosom of Ishbala' -- vol.4, p.170. But you were talknig about he. so I just thought I should point that out.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-23 06:43 pm (UTC)bosom doesn't really denote the feminine. it simply refers to the chest or a tight emotional bond.
Hmm you know I'm not sure i ever even say what was wrong with Winry (okay that is major fail) she just skipped a month. pretty common
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Date: 2008-09-23 08:15 pm (UTC)Good to her Winry's ok. ^^
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Date: 2008-09-23 10:47 pm (UTC)