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batsutousaiTitle: Reverti Ad Praeteritum
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood/manga
Author: Batsutousai
Rating: Mature
Pairings: Edward Elric/Roy Mustang, May Chang/Alphonse Elric, Gracia Hughes/Maes Hughes, post-Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell
Warnings: Spoilers like whoa, Ed's potty mouth, canon-typical violence, pile 'o OCs, mute!Ed, original character death, angst, fluff, past dub-con, past adultery, Ed has all the guilt
Summary: Unwillingly forced to serve as a human trial for a crazy alchemist experimenting with time travel, Edward Elric finds himself standing across from Truth in the moment it takes his leg from him. Armed with the knowledge of what's to come and burdened with guilt for the choices he'd made as an adult, Ed sets out to fix every mistake he ever made and save every life they ever lost, no matter what it takes.
Key: "Speech" | 'Mouthing words'
'Writing'
:Sign Language:
"In another language" | 'In another language'
A/N: You want to know what the worst part of writing this chapter was? Effing Hohenheim.
Ah~ PhilosophicNature is working on some awesome fanart of Ed, Al, Nina, and Elicia for this fic! :D You can see the WiP over at deviantArt.
And siri-catriona did another piece of fanart, this time of Ling and May getting doused while they were fighting on the couch! XD You can find that one on her tumblr.
This chapter covers the period of 26 September - 1 October 1914.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
-0-
Ed tried a couple excuses to get out of having to spend any time with Hohenheim that weekend, but neither May nor Ling had been able to get up in time to be dropped past the Hugheses' on Thursday or Friday, and Al had dropped a couple hints, on Friday, that the useless bastard would like the chance for a proper greeting – and did Ed really want that to happen at the Armstrong ball? – so he resigned himself to dealing with the bastard all Saturday.
Roy drove them all over once everyone was up, and Ed kind of hated how grateful he felt about the knowledge that his stupid, bastard of a lover was going to be there with him. (He decided to chalk any needy bullshit up to teenage hormones; at least Roy seemed to like it when Ed came looking for hugs? The idiot.)
When they got there, judging by the placement of qi relative to the kerb, Al, Hughes, Nina, and Elicia were in the back garden, while Hohenheim and Gracia were in the kitchen. Which was...somehow unsurprising; of course the useless bastard would be avoiding children.
As they got out of the car, both Ling and May shot uncertain looks at the house, and May asked, "What is that?"
:Your Philosopher of the West,: Ed returned with a snort, before turning to lead the way up the walk and let himself in with his key, whistling so Gracia knew who it was.
It wasn't Gracia who came to greet them, however, but Hohenheim, wearing an awkward smile. "Hello, Edward," he offered, before his gaze turned a little uncertain as he took in the rest of the guests.
Ed snorted and looked at where Roy was closing the door behind everyone, mostly because Ling and May's qi were both messes of wary awe, and Roy was the most sensible of the lot, anyway. (Which wasn't saying much.)
Roy had his best officer stare on as he stepped forward and stopped just behind Ed, not physically touching, but his qi was curling around Ed's sides possessively. (Ed wondered, a bit belatedly, if Hohenheim could read qi. None of his journals suggested he could, and fuck knew if he'd even be able to sense anything past the souls of his Stone, but he had been around for four hundred years, and had spent a portion of that time in Xing...)
"Van Hohenheim," Roy said, his voice cool, and the useless bastard frowned at him. "I'm Colonel Roy Mustang, and these are Princess May Chang, Xiao Mei, and Prince Ling Yao, of Xing. I believe they had some questions for you."
Judging by the little squeaking noise of approval she made, Xiao Mei very much appreciated getting her own introduction.
Hohenheim cast Ed a brief glance that he couldn't read, then turned his awkward smile on the Xingans. "Hello," he offered in Xingan. "Alphonse told me some about his time in your country. Thank you, Princess Chang, for accepting my sons."
May flushed and shot Ed a slightly panicked look.
Ed rolled his eyes. :I'm happy to punch him, if it'll help?:
May huffed at that. "Do you even know the meaning of respect?"
Ed snorted, while Ling let out a strained laugh.
May huffed again, then turned back to Hohenheim and gave a respectful bow. "It is my clan that is grateful, Honoured Philosopher. For the little they asked, Edward and Alphonse gave us much in return."
Ed grimaced and twisted towards Roy so he could sign, :I think I'm going to hurl.:
Roy coughed, his qi flaring with amusement. :You might be able to find his suitcase?:
Ed fucking loved Roy Mustang.
Roy cleared his throat and suggested, out loud, "Perhaps we can move out of the entryway?"
"Oh! Sorry," May replied, flushing and shooting Roy an apologetic look.
Ed huffed and motioned for Hohenheim to lead the way into the kitchen and dining room, then for the two Xingans to follow him.
"Where's everyone else?" Roy murmured as the others vanished through the doorway, one hand coming to rest warmly against Ed's side, arm held carefully out of the way of Ed's signing.
Ed shrugged. :Gracia's in the kitchen, everyone else is out back.:
Roy nodded. "Then why don't we head out back?"
Ed felt like a shit-ton of tension had just drained straight out of his spine, and he caught a hand in Roy's shirt over his heart, mouthing, 'Love you.'
Roy's expression eased out into something much warmer than it had been, and he gently squeezed Ed's side. "I love you, too, my sunshine."
Ed made a face and lightly hit him, rolling his eyes when Roy just let out a quiet chuckle at the violence. 'Idiot,' he mouthed.
Roy nodded. "I'm utterly stupid for–"
Ed kissed him to shut him up – he mourned the day he'd realised he'd fallen in love with an idiot who thought corny was charming – then hurried toward the kitchen and the back door, before his idiotic bastard started up again.
Hohenheim, May, and Ling (and Xiao Mei) were seated around the table, May apparently asking about something she'd read in one of Hohenheim's journals.
Ed ignored them in favour of Gracia, who offered him a bright smile in greeting. "Hello, Ed," she murmured, hugging him when he got close enough. "Goodness, I feel like I haven't seen you in weeks."
Ed let out a snort as he pulled back, then signed, :You don't have enough of my family in your hair?:
She laughed at that and shook her head. "Your father's been quite helpful with Elicia and Nina," she said, then signed, before Ed could do more than scoff, :He does seem a little awkward around them and Al, however.:
:Imagine that,: Ed signed back with his best flat expression, as Roy finally joined them.
"Gracia. You look well."
Gracia rolled her eyes and shot Ed a long-suffering look, which he couldn't help but snicker at, then said, "You look a little stiff, yourself. I'm fairly certain my daughters have a ready cure for that, if you wanted to head out back?"
Ling's qi sparked with amusement, suggesting he was splitting his attention a bit. (Ed wasn't surprised; May and Hohenheim were talking alkahestry, and Ling knew only the bare minimum about that.)
Roy coughed. "Speaking of your daughters, do you know who's watching them during the ball?"
Gracia slumped slightly. "No. Worse, neither of us know of anyone we can send them to when the fighting starts."
Ed felt a little like the bottom of his stomach had given out for a second, but then the calm pillar of Roy's qi registered and he looked over at him, unable to keep from looking a little hopeful.
Roy offered him a quick smile, then told Gracia, "I have some contacts in the city who can watch them both times."
That...could actually work out fairly perfectly.
Gracia's qi smoothed out with relief, even as she crossed her arms over her chest and flatly stated, "I need more than that, Roy Mustang."
Discomfort flickered through Roy's qi, and Ed huffed. When Gracia glanced at him, he signed, :His aunt.: Gracia let out a quiet, surprised noise, while Ed looked over at Roy and asked, :They're not planning to evacuate?:
Roy shrugged. :I haven't heard any definite plans, but I assume the children will be cleared out, at least. I expect at least one of the women will be willing to go out to the cottage with Nina and Elicia, and then either come back or flee when we know the outcome.:
Ed frowned and glanced towards the Xingans. :If it comes to it, they can flee to Xing; Al and I'll write a letter to ensure our clan will take them in.:
Gracia's qi flared with gratitude and she stepped forward to hug them both. "Thank you," she whispered.
"They're our family, too," Roy murmured, and Ed nodded.
Out in the garden, Nina's qi sparked with surprise, before blooming into delight, Elicia's qi copying a moment behind. And then Nina moved toward the house.
Ed gave Gracia a quick, one-handed hug, then pulled away and turned to grin as the back door burst open and Nina called, "Big Brother!"
'Nina!' Ed mouthed back.
She giggled, then ran up to him and held up her arms for a hug, which Ed readily supplied, picking her up and squeezing her while she giggled a bit more. When he relaxed his hold, she waved at Roy over his shoulder, saying, "Hi, Uncle Roy!"
Roy snorted. "I see who your favourite is."
"Uh... Big Brother was closer!" Nina insisted.
Ed coughed and, one-handed, signed, :Nice save.:
Nina giggled again and hid her face against his shoulder, hugging him loosely around the neck.
Ed grinned and made his way out back, Roy following not long after. When Al saw him, he rolled his eyes and shook his head, but didn't actually comment on Ed avoiding their father. Instead, once Ed had put Nina down, Al sidled up to him and said, "I rang Winry last night, and she said she's coming up with a new leg for you. If she managed to catch it, she'll probably be on this afternoon's train."
Ed frowned. :Aren't Teacher and Sig supposed to get in today?: he asked, because Al had rung them as soon as Hohenheim had popped up, and Teacher had apparently said they'd be up as soon as Mason got back from visiting his sick aunt, who was in hospital in South City.
Al grinned and nodded.
Ed sighed. :I'll tell Roy we need to head for the station after lunch.:
"Or I can go, and you can talk to Dad while we're gone," Al suggested.
Ed scowled at him.
"You can't avoid him forever, Brother," Al pointed out, before starting over toward where Roy and Hughes were talking.
Oh, how much Ed wished he could, though.
Nina and Elicia had heard about Xing, certainly, but having actual Xingans in the house was all new kinds of excitement, if the way they spewed questions over lunch was anything to go by. And Xiao Mei was even more awesome, if only because the Hugheses couldn't have pets – Gracia was allergic to both cats and dogs, though not pandas, as it turned out – though they did have to explain more than once that, actually, she wasn't a cat, but a panda. Which was a type of bear. Like the big brown ones in that book about the north, they remembered the one. And, no, Xiao Mei wouldn't get that big. Also, no, they couldn't have one.
Xiao Mei seemed to like Nina and Elicia, at least, but Ed suspected that had more to do with their habit of getting so excited, they dropped food, than anything else. She hadn't tried to bite either of them, yet, but Ed was keeping an eye out, and he suspected Al and May were, as well. (Ling – Ed suspected there'd been a biting incident before they'd got in to Central – made the point of never getting too close to Xiao Mei, which served as great entertainment some evenings – neither Lan Fan nor Fu seemed to know how to handle the potential threat – but ultimately made him useless in protecting others.)
As lunch was finishing up, and Al and Roy rose to head for the train station, Hohenheim cleared his throat and said, "Edward, could we talk?"
Ed sighed and nodded, then signed to May, :Drag Ling out back with you?:
May made a face at him, but agreed, "I guess."
Ed stood and motioned for Hohenheim to follow him to the living room, which seemed to be the signal for everyone to disperse, Roy's qi suggesting he was a little uncertain about leaving Ed alone with his father, but Al chivvied him out the door in that almost-polite way he had.
Ed closed the drapes in the living room, both to darken the room enough to use the argon-shaping array, and to keep people from looking in. Catching sight of Hohenheim's sad stare as he turned back toward the couches, Ed huffed and pressed his hands together, using the array to write, 'I'm not interested in apologies. If that's what this is, I'm leaving.'
Hohenheim tried on a smile that looked strained. "I got that impression," he said, his tone suggesting he was expecting Ed to laugh at that. When Ed just crossed his arms over his chest, unmoved, Hohenheim slumped. "You really do hate me."
Ed huffed and stepped around the couch across the coffee table from his father, flopping back into it as he pressed his hands together again to form the words, 'I'm angry & I'm disappointed, but I don't hate you. If I hated you, I wouldn't have let you near Al.'
Hohenheim winced at reading that last bit. "Disappointed," he said quietly, looking down at his hands. "Yes. I'm–" He stopped and glanced up at Ed, the unspoken apology clear, and Ed grimaced and looked away. Hohenheim took a deep breath, then said, his words careful, like he was weighing each one before he spoke it, "I know – Alphonse told me – that you believe you're too old for a father, but is there any place for me in your life?"
Ed forced himself to give that some thought, rather than just immediately refusing, like he wanted to. He had no interest in having a father, at his age, that was true, but it was also true that Hohenheim had a lot of knowledge, things that no one else knew; alchemy and cultures that had been completely lost to the ages. It was tempting to say yes, but...
He shook his head, then replied, with his best flat stare, 'There isn't. Is that all?'
Hohenheim looked a little like Ed had just punched him again. "Will you at least tell me why not?" he pleaded, sounding so fucking desperate.
Ed stared at his father's broken expression for a moment, feeling oddly calm, as though making that choice and sharing it with Hohenheim had finally silenced that tiny part of him that had been so constantly torn up over wanting something with the man. He pressed his hands together and shaped and lit the argon to say, 'Because the clearest memory I had of you, as a child, was you glaring at me & leaving without a word. When I was 15 & we'd beat the Dwarf in the Flask & I was willing to try, you left again without a goodbye. So I'm going to leave first, this time, & I'll at least do you the honour of saying goodbye.'
Hohenheim's eyes filled with tears as he read that and, when he looked past the glowing words at Ed, Ed stood up and gave his father bow in farewell, then walked out of the living room, through the kitchen, and out into the garden, feeling a smile pulling at his mouth when he found Elicia, Nina, and Xiao Mei all engaged in a game of 'Chase Ling Around the Garden'.
Hughes glanced up and smiled at him, coming over to stand next to him. "Good talk?"
Ed shrugged. :Decisive talk,: he decided.
Hughes cocked his head at that, his mouth turning down at the corners a bit. "Are you okay?"
And Ed...actually really appreciated that that was his question. As nosy as Hughes usually was, as much as he drove Ed a little insane sometimes, he cared. He felt his mouth curling with a smile as he signed, :I think I am.:
Hughes considered that for a moment, then nodded. "Good. Can you do something about Bitey McBiter, then? Before she connects and we have to defuse a bloodbath?"
Ed snickered and walked over to the nearest outside chair, where he sat and pulled off his left boot, then whistled and wiggled his metal toes. Because he was actually kind of resigned to Xiao Mei's adoration of his automail limb. (And that Roy apparently found it both amusing and adorable, by his qi, did soften the embarrassment a bit.)
As he'd expected, Xiao Mei made an immediate course correction and attached herself to his foot, settling down and gnawing on his big toe, a bit like a baby would on their fingers.
Hughes let out a rather obvious cough into his hand, and Ed rolled his eyes, then signed, :Take a picture and I'll douse your camera.:
Hughes gave up on all pretences of being a mature adult and chortled.
May joined them as Hughes started calming down a bit, expression sad, but qi amused. "She almost had him."
:Please wait to start a clan war until you're back in Xing,: Ed requested.
She tried an innocent blink and Ed rolled his eyes. She coughed and dropped to sit next to his foot on the grass, reaching out to gently scratch Xiao Mei's head. "But we actually outnumber him, here."
Ed snorted. :At least take out Lan Fan first, so she doesn't start lobbing grenades inside city limits.:
"I don't think I want to know," Hughes muttered, while May let out a strained laugh.
Ed tilted his head slightly as something occurred to him. :May, do you know if she has any light grenades?:
"Light...grenades?" May repeated with a frown, before understanding streaked through her qi. "Oh! The ones that light up when you throw them?"
"Flashbangs," Hughes supplied, and Ed nodded.
"I am near sure she and Fu have a small store."
"And there should be some in the armoury," Hughes added.
Ed nodded. :Good. They can help against Pride, at least some. I'll try to find some carbon for a few personal shields, too.:
Hughes coughed, qi uncomfortable. "We'll just leave all the homunculi preparations to you."
Ed snorted and flashed him a smirk. :Probably best.:
Elicia and Nina were finally drooping like they could use a nap, when Ed sensed Roy and Al returning, with Winry, Teacher, and Sig. He leant forward to gently collect Xiao Mei, who had fallen asleep, and slip his boot back on.
"They're back?" Hughes guessed, as he picked up Nina, who had walked back toward the house with Gracia – who was carrying Elicia – and Ling – who looked a bit like he wouldn't mind a short nap, himself.
Ed nodded as he handed Xiao Mei over to May, then led the way inside.
Hohenheim was at the dining room table, looking sad and pathetic, when Ed stepped inside, but he perked up a bit when everyone piled in behind him. May stopped to talk to him, while Ed made his way into the front hall, and the Hugheses took the girls upstairs for their nap.
Al was the one to lead the way into the house, Winry close on his heels. She grinned upon spotting Ed waiting for them, a mix of pleasure and relief in her qi, and called, "Ed!" as she hurried forward to hug him.
Ed grinned as he hugged her back.
He noticed a whisper of jealousy from Roy, right before Winry's qi flared with annoyance and that intention to damage, which usually preceded violence from her. And then something smacked hard against the back of his head and Winry let go, stepping back a bit and revealing a spanner in one hand, victory mixing with the annoyance in her qi.
Ed fully understood the annoyance, grabbing for the back of his head and mouthing, 'What the actual fuck, Winry?!'
"It's called a letter, Edward," Winry returned, glaring, and Al let out a groan, his qi sort of drooping with an apology. "It's one of those ways you can tell people things, so I don't find out you're dating someone from an offhand comment Al made."
Oh. Fuck.
"What's this, now?" Teacher practically purred, radiating menace.
Ed looked at Al, but his brother had his own 'oh shit' expression on, because Teacher might have forgiven them for joining the military to fight the Dwarf in the Flask, but Ed dating a military officer? That was not going to go over well. Even if Teacher did, before, eventually decide Mustang wasn't so bad.
"Oh, yes," Winry said in that overly-cheerful tone that meant terrible things were in store for someone. (Ed, this time.) "Al tried to pretend I'd misheard him, but I know when he's trying to lie to me."
Al chose the coward's route and dropped Winry's automail case, then shuffled around to hide behind Ed. The traitor.
(Ed couldn't really blame him.)
"So," Winry continued, turning back to Ed and wiggling her spanner at him, "who is it? Because Al wouldn't tell."
Teacher was standing at her shoulder, looking about ready to throttle Ed if he didn't give up a name in a timely fashion, while Sig stood behind her, looking rather like he was happy to stay out of the whole mess.
Behind Sig, barely visible, Roy cleared his throat – Ed had a second to feel his stomach plummet – and drily commented, "Perhaps, Miss Rockbell, you would care to explain the automail convention down at the station, since you're so intent on answers to burning questions."
Winry's qi developed a decided 'I've been caught' edge, and Ed narrowed his eyes, even as, from behind him, Al said, "I didn't notice anything."
"You were busy attempting to find your guests," Roy reminded him. "I, on the other hand, had plenty of time to people-watch, and I watched far more people than usual with either automail limbs, or what looked suspiciously like an automail mechanic's tools."
:What did you do?: Ed demanded of his mechanic.
Winry cleared her throat and put on a determined expression. "I made a lot of friends in Rush Valley, while you two were off in Xing and here, playing good soldiers, and maybe the military and Central City love Bradley, but the people who've suffered the results of his warmongering, those of us who've profited while watching men and women thrash on our operating tables... There are a lot more people than you think who are ready for a change, and we're not just going to sit idly by–"
"Winry, no," Al tried, while Ed angrily signed, :You have no idea how fucking dangerous–:
Winry stepped forward and took a swipe at his hands with her spanner (which Ed dodged), snapping, "Yes, I do! You told me, Edward! You told me that people died, that you and Al almost–!" She choked, tears springing to her eyes, and tightened her grip on her spanner. She took a shaky breath, then said, quieter, "You've been telling me from the start that my life's in danger just because we're friends, and I know you've been hiding your automail as some attempt to protect me, but I am done sitting back and watching you two make yourselves targets."
:So you're going to make yourself a target instead?: Ed demanded, even though he already knew he'd end up giving in to her; if marrying Winry had taught him anything, it was that he was bound to lose more arguments than he won, against her. Which, he suspected, would hold doubly true, now he couldn't speak over her.
"You don't know how to fight, Winry," Al tried from where he was still half-hiding behind Ed.
Winry huffed and flashed them a slightly strained smile. "You men, all you ever think about is fighting. I'm a doctor."
:Like your parents,: Ed realised, knew he'd lost the argument.
Winry swallowed and nodded. "Yeah," she agreed quietly, before swallowing again and holding up her spanner between them. "Except none of my patients are going to kill me."
Ed would find a way to make damn certain of that.
And then, clearly sensing her victory, Winry pointed her spanner at Ed and said, "I'll bet you're not telling whoever you're dating they need to stay out of the fight."
And Roy – Ed was going to kill him – drily said, "He's not."
Winry stared at Ed for a moment, and then her qi filled with a sort of guilty glee, her cheeks shading pink, and she whispered, "I was right?"
Ed looked askance back at Al, even though his qi was as flummoxed as Ed felt. Al just shook his head and shrugged.
Winry caught his hands in hers, her spanner cool against his skin, and he looked back to find her staring at him, eyes bright over her blush. "Al told me you were staying with Mustang," she admitted.
(Ed was going to kill his brother.)
"It's him, isn't it?"
Resigning himself to the fact that Winry was going to figure it out one way or another, no matter what he did, Ed sighed and nodded.
Inexplicably, Winry hugged him.
"Oh, is he?" Teacher said, her qi turning into a sharp point aimed at Roy, who Ed had actually kind of forgotten was trapped between Sig and the front door.
Al whispered, "Shit."
And then, from out of fucking nowhere, Hohenheim said, "Mrs Curtis? I'm Van Hohenheim. Alphonse said there might be something I could do for you?"
Teacher stood still for a moment, her qi curling with indecision, shifting between what Ed recognised as a need to be healthy again, and the (also familiar) urge to give Roy hell. (Which, now Ed was paying attention, she didn't seem like she wanted to kill the bastard, or anything, just freak them all out a bit. Dammit, she was playing them, wasn't she?)
Finally, Teacher shot Roy one last look – Ed was at the wrong angle to see, but she didn't feel angry – then stepped past Ed, Winry, and Al with a polite little smile on her face. "Ed did mention something about that to me a few months ago," she agreed cheerfully.
Sig set down the bags he was carrying, then moved to follow his wife, pausing long enough to lightly clap a hand on Ed's shoulder and, when he offered a crooked smile in return, nod, then kept on into the dining room.
Roy stepped forward with a bit more care than Ed was used to him using, but when he raised an eyebrow at the bastard, Roy offered him a slightly strained smile and shrugged. His qi suggested he was a little bit freaked out and a lot bit wary, but otherwise fine.
:I don't think she's going to kill you,: he offered.
Roy raised an eyebrow at him. "Certain about that, are you?"
Ed shrugged and glanced back at Al. :Did she feel angry to you?:
Al opened his mouth, then paused, turning a bit to look towards the kitchen. "Huh." He glanced back at Roy. "I think she was just messing with you, sir."
And then, without warning, a burst of shock and agony hit Ed, originating from Teacher, followed by a thrum of very real anger and the need for violence from Sig.
Ed staggered a bit, barely heard Al gasp out a, "Teacher?" next to him, then shoved against the wall for momentum and stormed into the kitchen, silently snarling, 'What the fuck did you just do, you–?'
"Brother, no!" Al shouted, grabbing him before he could take more than a couple steps towards where Hohenheim was lying prone on the floor.
"Ed," Teacher called, her voice unexpectedly steady, "I'm fine. I can breathe easier, now."
Ed turned towards her, found her standing next to the table, her hand braced on the back of one of the chairs. There was blood staining the front of her shirt and her lips, but she was...smiling? And her qi was a little surprised, but happy.
Sig, hovering at her side, still looked – and felt – angry, but he was clearly starting to calm down a bit.
"Dad," Al said, an edge to his voice that Ed wasn't used to hearing from him, "next time your idea of healing someone involves visible blood and pain on their part, maybe warn everyone? Especially when you're in a house with four people who can sense qi?"
"Please," Ling agreed tiredly, from where he and May were standing in the doorway into the living room, both looking as strained as Ed felt. "That was extremely unpleasant."
Hohenheim grimaced as he picked himself off the floor, straightening his glasses. "I'm sorry. I forgot about that."
Ed scoffed and would have signed something about Hohenheim's habit of forgetting shit, except Roy's qi chose that moment to curl soothingly around him, and Al let go of him just before the stupid bastard stopped behind Ed, his hands coming to rest warmly on Ed's shoulders. Ed huffed a bit and relaxed back against Roy's chest, couldn't quite find it within himself to care that he felt far calmer at the close proximity; it was totally because of Roy's stupid, half-sentient qi.
"Mrs Curtis," Roy said quietly, "perhaps a change of shirts is in order? It sounds as though naptime has been interrupted, and Nina, at least, won't allow herself to be held upstairs for much longer."
"Sorry," Al whispered, wincing, while Teacher looked down at her blood-stained shirt and grimaced.
"It wasn't just you," Winry pointed out from somewhere behind Roy.
They all moved out of the way as Teacher came toward them, and while she didn't stop to say anything, she did cast a glance between where Roy's hands were resting on Ed's shoulders and his face, which Ed made a face at her for. The sliver of amusement in her qi as she continued past suggested she'd seen it, and Ed glanced at Al, who gave a slightly helpless shrug.
Ed snorted and looked at Winry. :Did you actually bring a new leg for me, or was that just an excuse to keep us from banning you from taking the train?:
Winry scoffed. "Like that would have stopped me."
Al let out a slightly hysterical laugh.
Winry reached over and patted his shoulder, even as she told Ed, "I made some upgrades, yeah. Like I said, Al mentioned you were staying with Colonel Mustang, so I assume you'd rather do the switch over there?"
Ed sighed and nodded; he loved the Hugheses and all, but it was getting more than a bit crowded, and he didn't particularly want to be stuck on a couch when Hohenheim was hovering nearby. (To be fair, he didn't really want to be stuck while Ling and his entourage were nearby, either, but he felt far more secure in his ability to scare the Yaos away than he did his father.)
Winry nodded back. "And then I should probably find a hotel."
:No,: Ed signed, while Al said, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
Roy coughed and squeezed Ed's shoulders. "We're running out of room," he pointed out, way too logical. "Unless Princess May and Lan Fan are willing to squeeze one more into their room, it'll have to be a hotel; unlike Maes, I'm not intending to give up my living room."
Winry had perked up at the mention of May, her qi filling with equal parts delight and mischief. "Oh? You mean I can finally meet Al's Xingan princess?"
"Why is she my princess?!" Al complained, flushing.
Across the room, May's qi had filled with embarrassment and a whisper of pleasure, while Ling's qi was bright with amusement.
Ed reached out a fist and Winry bumped her own back against it, grinning widely.
"Brother!" Al complained, covering his face with his hands. "I can't believe you two." He peeked out towards Winry. "Couldn't you at least torment Brother about dating the colonel, too?"
Roy cleared his throat a bit pointedly.
Al slowly looked up, horror mixing with his embarrassment. "Sorry, sir," he whispered.
Ed, because he could, threw his head back against Roy's shoulder and laughed.
"I'll get you back for this," Al promised in Xingan.
Ed couldn't quite bring himself to be sufficiently concerned, probably because Al was still blushing and looking more than a little bit cowed by whatever expression Roy was aiming at him.
(He really couldn't have asked for a better ally against his brother.)
The Hugheses and Teacher all came back in about then, making the dining room/kitchen extremely crowded. Introductions – reintroductions, in some cases – went around, and Teacher suggested she and Sig and Winry aim to get rooms next to each other at the same hotel, which did ease Ed's – and Al's, by his qi – paranoia a bit.
They headed out after not too much longer, Hughes going to borrow a car from the military carpool, so he could drive the Curtises over to the hotel they'd all settled on, while Roy, Ed, Winry, and the Xingans piled into Roy's car to go back home.
Roy and the Xingans ended up staying downstairs, while Ed led Winry up to his and Roy's room. "It's nice," she commented, looking around, while Ed undid his sash and kicked off his trousers.
He shrugged and, when she looked back at him, signed, :It's sufficient.:
Her mouth twisted with a crooked smile and she signed back, :Lying.:
Ed sighed and shrugged again as he climbed onto Roy's side of the bed, laying out a towel he'd grabbed to protect the sheets against any oil stains.
Winry huffed a bit and dropped her automail case onto the bed next to him, then signed, :Are you happy?:
Ed tilted his head as he considered her, taking in her slightly helpless smile and the fond resignation in her qi. :Yes,: he admitted. And then, because this was Winry and she was his best friend, after Al, he added, :I love him.:
She blinked a few times, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Oh," she whispered, and it was only because he could sense her quiet pleasure that he didn't start worrying. "And does he...?"
:Love me?: Ed finished when she didn't continue. :Yes.: He quirked a smile that felt a little helpless. :He's terrible at hiding it. I had to tell the Xingans everything, because I knew they'd catch him out first thing.:
She smiled, then, and leant forward to hug him. "You do look happier," she admitted as she pulled back and wiped at her eyes. "Was he who you–?"
Ed grimaced. :It's complicated. Ask me again once you've settled down with someone?: Because she deserved to know, just like Roy had, but he wanted her to find someone who loved her as much as she deserved to be loved, before he told her how badly he'd fucked up with her, before.
(Maybe, just a little bit, Ed was starting to forgive himself for that whole mess. Like finding he and Roy could work – did work – meant he could stop hating himself quite so much.)
She frowned, but nodded. "Okay. I'm going to hold you to that."
He sighed and nodded. :I know.:
Winry nodded again, then pulled back and opened her case. "So," she said, slipping into a business tone, and taking out the new leg to show it to him; it didn't look obviously different from his current one, but Ed suspected that was deceptive, "it probably isn't noticeably lighter, or anything, but I did use some of Dominic's tricks to both lighten and strengthen it a bit, and – don't start complaining – I added a spring mechanism, so you can jump a bit higher, because Al was saying you keep doing crazy things, like jumping across gaps between roofs."
Ed winced a bit, but nodded; it was true that a bit more height and distance to his jumps could help a lot, and just because she'd added a feature...
"You can lock it, if it causes problems," Winry added, as she showed him the locking mechanism, which was in just about the right spot to fall at the top of his boots, limiting the chance that anyone would spot the automail when he wanted to fuss with it, because she clearly knew him a little too well. "And I fine-tuned the shock absorption, some, to off-set the added height, so you shouldn't notice much difference in how you land." And then she shot him a sharp look. "Assuming you haven't worn out your current shock absorber and forgot to tell me?"
Ed had actually done that once, before, when he was chasing crazy alchemists instead of being home with Winry and their kids, and it had...not been fun. The sensation, mind, but also Winry's reaction when he finally limped home and admitted he'd been running on a broken shock absorber for almost a week.
At any rate, it hadn't been a pleasant experience, and Ed had no interest in repeating it. :I swear I'll call you and stay off it if that ever happens.:
Winry eyed him a bit suspiciously for a moment, then huffed. "Sometimes," she said flatly, as she set the new leg down on the towel, "I'm really glad I didn't have to deal with whatever things you did before that has you so good about caring for your automail now."
Ed was absolutely in agreement, there, if only because his skull had a lot fewer cracks from her spanners, this time.
Winry quickly and expertly removed his leg then lined up the new leg and, after some quick adjustments to account for whatever height he'd gained in the past year, glanced up at him, a crease between her brows that he knew meant she was upset that she had to hurt him, but Ed suspected most people would assume meant she was concentrating on her work. "Ready?"
Given the shock they'd all just suffered from Teacher's pain, and aware of how much this was going to fucking hurt, Ed closed his eyes and blocked off his qi as much as possible, then clenched his jaw and nodded.
Pain raced through his nerves, thankfully shorter than the last time she'd connected a new leg for him – she was improving – and Ed let out a strained breath as it let up and he could finally unclench his jaw, still trying to keep a tight rein on his qi.
"Edward?" Roy called from out in the hallway, concern in his voice.
Ed glanced down at Winry and found her watching him, her eyebrows drawn close together. He gave a tight nod and she called, "You can come in, if you want."
Roy poked his head into the room, wearing a strained smile. "Hey. The others said your qi just sort of...stopped."
Ed huffed out a laugh – having been nearby when someone blocked their qi before, he suspected it had felt a bit more like it had just gone flat – then reached out a hand toward Roy, wincing as an aftershock sparked through his nerves.
Roy stepped quickly over to his side, while Winry stood and started packing up. His qi curled around Ed, soothing and worried and full of so much fucking love, while the bastard caught his hand and brought it to his lips to kiss it.
Ed felt his cheeks warm and hit the bastard with his free hand, mouthing, 'Idiot.'
Roy smiled down at him, concern still visible in the lines around his mouth. 'Your idiot,' he mouthed back, then looked over when Winry closed her automail case.
"He'll be fine," Winry promised, even as Ed winced at another aftershock. "He knows he needs to stay put for his nerves to settle."
Ed snorted at that.
Roy squeezed his hand and nodded. "Do you need me to drive you to the hotel?"
Winry glanced at their joined hands and shook her head. "Not right this moment. As many times as I've heard Al go on about how Ed can cook, it might be nice to experience it myself." She flashed Ed a bright smile.
Ed rolled his eyes and made a pointed motion with his free hand that she should leave.
Letting out a huff that Ed was fairly certain was for show, Winry picked up her case and vacated, leaving Ed with just Roy.
Roy, who leant forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead, then asked, "Okay if I join you?"
Ed nodded, because that actually sounded pretty awesome, and Roy wasted no time in climbing onto the bed and reclining next to him. Ed twisted, grimacing as his stupid leg twinged, and slotted himself into the bastard's embrace, letting himself relax into his presence.
After a long silence, during which Ed caught himself dozing off a bit, Roy murmured, "I suppose I can resist flying into a jealous rage."
Ed couldn't quite keep from snorting, which twisted itself into a snicker, then outright laughing, muffling the wheezing sounds he couldn't help against Roy's shirt.
Roy chuckled in return and, as Ed started to calm down, tugged on his hair a bit until he looked up, then pressed a brief kiss against his mouth. "Hello, gorgeous," he murmured.
Ed hit him, then kissed him properly, rolling his eyes when Roy laughed against his mouth.
His lover was such an idiot.
Chapter Twenty-Seven, Part Two
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