Promise

Finally, finally, second chapter up! Thank you so much for reviewing! Ursweetheartles, I’ll work on expanding my sex scene, k? What can I say, I think I do better with everyone wanting to play. Goddess Of Fire, don’t worry, Roy is more than willing to go all the way to keep his promise, and hopefully there’ll be room in the next chapter to touch on that. Danielle Anderson, I will post it to LJ when I get a few more chapters out, makes it easier to work with. Meh, oh boy, if you don’t like Roy as a bottom, you’re gonna hate me. Thanks also to michelle, TheSoulmater, yuki, tash1021, flamingpaintbrush, and MELaiya for reviewing.


Chapter 2


Once Roy had gone back to his room, Ed sat and stared at the wall. The pills Jaz had given him were effective but made his head feel fuzzy, the edges of his vision blurring, and he chose not to take them, preferring to be alert. His superior officer had announced his intention to go back by the end of the day and Ed wanted to write a note for Al, to let him know he was alright. His head started to throb in time with the rest of his body at the thought of trying to explain where he was without telling his brother anything.

The door crept open and his hand slid to the array carved into the bedpost. He recognized the heavy shuffle of Joey’s feet and forced himself to relax, a bright, fake smile stretching his lips. “Hey, Joey. Coming in?”

A large grin spread thick lips and the huge man bounded in to throw himself on the bed. His blond friend edged closer to the wall and used his arm to protect his leg. “Eddie! Do you feel better?” His favorite book was clutched to his chest, looking almost like a postage stamp against the wide expanse and brown eyes glowed with hope.

Ed swallowed at the thought of such a huge body next to him when he was so helpless. ‘It’s just Joey, he won’t hurt me.’ He tried to keep the smile and not let his voice waver. “Yeah, I do. Why don’t you read to me, Joey?” Eager nodding and the bed shook while the large body shuffled along to lay beside him, pressed to his side, heavy head on his stomach.

Careful breathing kept the worst of the panic back and the deep, slow voice painstakingly reciting the old story let him fall into the old habit. By the time the book closed, he was running his fingers over the short hair. “Eddie?”

“Yes, Joey.” Question time always followed their reading; it could be anything, from part of the story to a joke he’d heard between visits.

“Jaz said a man hurt you really bad.” Tanned fingers stilled. “Is it like the man who hurt Pat and Linny?”

The blond’s mouth tightened and he balled his hand on top of the large head. A few shuddering breaths and he tried to think of something to say. The truth seemed like the best thing. “Yes, Joey. It’s like when Pat and Linny were hurt.”

Faint humming rumbled through the big chest and over Ed’s hip. “Will you get better?”

A heavy feeling settled in the back of the alchemist’s throat. “Yes, I will.” He didn't have a choice, Al was counting on him.

“That’s good. I’m tired.” The sudden change of topic made the blond smile a bit. Joey rolled a little and swung an arm over the slim hips and closed his eyes. Heavy snores almost drowned out the soft click of the door and the blond head jerked up to look. All he could see was the plain, faintly scarred door but the feeling that their watcher had been dressed in dark military blue persisted.

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Roy was led through a labyrinth of back alleys and side streets to come out a block away from headquarters. His guide, the girl Leah from the evening before, refused to speak, even under cautious questioning. The letter in his pocket was handled briefly and he turned to thank her but she was gone, disappeared without a sound.

‘Damn.’ He started down the street, deciding informing his Lieutenant that he was alive and well took precedence over new clothes. He’d had a bath and new clothes provided, but they were much too big and hung on his slim frame.

Ordered steps came up behind him and a babble of voices reached his ears. “This is stupid, he’s probably sleeping it off at some woman’s.” “Oh good, you take that theory to Lieutenant Hawkeye. You can tell her we didn't find him while you’re at it.” Laughter and teasing followed the comment and Roy looked over to see who it was; he assumed they were talking about him.

One of the officers happened to look over and see him; the young man froze and the man behind him walked into him. The entire group stopped to see what was so interesting and stared blankly at the brunet. The first to recover was a young blond Lieutenant who snapped off a salute. “Colonel Mustang, Sir! We’ve been looking for you, Sir!” The rest of the group followed him closely.

A dark brow rose and he walked towards them. “So I hear.” Blushes all around. “I presume Lieutenant Hawkeye is leading the search?”

“Yes, Sir. She’s at your office coordinating the search parties.” The same blond Lieutenant answered for them all. “Please let us escort you back, sir.” Dark hair tilted at him and the young Colonel led the way, his escort peeling off gradually to inform other groups that the search was off.

They stopped outside the office and Roy stretched quickly, preparing himself. A bright grin and he strode in, flinging his arms wide as he entered. “Ah, so nice to be back, I” The distinctive click of a safety being flipped stopped him in his tracks.

“Sir.” Ice dripped off the single word. “With all due respect, you have been missing for almost three days.”

His grin faltered but he shored it up valiantly. “That long?” He tried to edge out of the direct line of fire but the gun remained focused on his forehead.

“Second Lieutenant Tema, you are dismissed. Call off the other search teams. Thank you.” Roy had forgotten about the blond behind him and licked his lips at the prospect of being left virtually alone with his Lieutenant; the rest of the office staff was even more afraid than he was. The door clicked shut behind him and the gun lowered. “Colonel, where have you been?”

“Well, that’s where it gets interesting.” The casual grin disappeared and he sat behind the large desk, resting his chin on his hands. “The Ishablan Scar grabbed Fullmetal and me in the park. We spent a day or so with him and made our way to a safe place.” His staff crowded around to hear.

Light brown eyes stared at him. “And, Edward? Is he alright?” She left the vague references alone, let him keep his secrets.

“He’ll heal. Broke his leg and his auto-mail will need to be replaced, so better get the expense forms out. But first, we’re going back. Scar is set up near the corner of Garte and Jordet, in the basement of a building half a block West. Find someone who is familiar with the area and set up at least three teams. We’re leaving as soon as we can be mobilized.” His Lieutenant snapped off a salute and closed the door behind her. “Second Lieutenant Havoc, I need a new uniform. And will someone please get me something to eat? Noodles and vegetables are not the thing to live off of.”

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The raid was a dismal failure; Scar was long gone, with no clues left as to where he was headed. The room where they found the chains was 14.5 feet by 6 and Roy made a note to tell Fullmetal how right he’d been in his estimates. Blood spattered the ground and there was no sign of the blond’s auto-mail. They didn’t stay long; his men were leery of being in Taigen very long, with dirty looks following them everywhere and the feeling of hidden eyes on their backs.

Any questioning was met with silence, threats ignored. What Edward had said was true; nobody saw anything, heard anything, or cared enough to be bothered without a substantial reward. Even then, information was scarce and there was no guarantee it was correct. The Colonel called the search off and sent everyone home, insisting even Hawkeye go.

His steps from a few days before were carefully retraced and he knocked on the small door. Joey greeted him with a smile and let him in. Carmen stared at him and he realized he didn’t know what to say. “Ah, I’m here to see Ed. I have some information for him.” He was inspected carefully and a delicate hand waved behind her.

A slender redhead moved behind him, patting him down and removing his gun and gloves, the soft looking hands firm and efficient. The thought that he truly did not want to go against these women wandered through his head, startling him briefly; he’d never been afraid of a woman before. Well, Hawkeye, but everyone was just a bit scared, and there was always the close affection there, peeking around the edges of caution.

“Same room as before.” A cool voice, leaving the hint of a test in the words. He lifted his chin and walked up the stairs, heading straight to the room when his subordinate had been. It was empty and he whirled to see the door slam shut behind him, the click of the lock loud in the silence.

“Damn.” A quick inspection of the door and lock proved it sturdy and he checked the window, which was sealed. He flopped on the bed and heard a crinkle of paper; the pillow was moved and a note settled in his hand.

‘Hey Bastard, I can’t believe you actually let yourself get caught down here. They’ll let you out if you use the same code as when we first came here. Good luck remembering.’

‘That catty little brat. I’ll show him.’ He pressed his ear to the door and heard faint shuffling in the hall; they were waiting. A deep breath and he knocked twice, waited seven seconds, and knocked once. The door opened immediately and he was ushered down the hall to be pushed into a smaller room.

Ed looked up and smirked at him. “Took you long enough.”

A bit of lint was brushed carefully away from the blue sleeve. “Unlike some, I am not accustomed to getting myself into awkward situations. I prefer to use a bit of finesse to free myself, as opposed to randomly knocking things over until I get what I want.” He smirked at the outraged snort.

“Whatever, you bastard. What are you doing back here?” Blankets shifted over his waist and the book was set on the table beside the bed.

Roy looked around and spotted a chair; it was dragged over and he sat facing his alchemist. “I brought back a few men but there was nothing there.”

“There wouldn’t be. He was probably gone by the time Jaz saw us. You guys keep underestimating him; he’s sharp, a trained warrior, smart, ruthless. Even if you’d found him, there’s no guarantee he wouldn’t have just ripped you apart.” They stared at each other, eyes narrowed.

Roy changed the topic, not wanting to clash so quickly. “The room was almost exactly as you guessed; very accurate.”

A bit of red flushed the tanned cheeks. “Yeah, well, I’m use to stuff like that. If you’d get off your lazy ass, you would be too.” The compliment was deflected quickly and an insult thrown in to shift the focus; the brunet didn’t take offense, it was always the same with Edward.

Silence reigned for a few minutes. “I sent the note to Alphonse for you, Fuery took it and agreed to stay and keep him company until you get back.” A glance was cast at the light colored cast and he started, then looked closer. “What is that?”

Ed’s entire face burned. “Ah, well, the girls wanted to sign it and they all drew little pictures. Joey did this one, see?” He leaned forward and pointed to a green, thing. “I think it’s a rabbit, but I’m not sure. He was pretty pleased though. And here, Rose drew me a flower, because she can’t write.” A few other doodles were pointed out and explained, a relaxed smile overcoming his embarrassment.

The change was amazing; the tight lines of stress and exhaustion that Roy had always thought were just part of the blond disappeared and his face opened up, eyes shining, clear of pain or anger. His shoulders were relaxed, making him appear older and less the child he so often acted. Strangely colored eyes looked up at him curiously and caught him staring.

A hint of blush tinged pale cheeks and he cleared his throat uncomfortably. “When will you be seeing Miss Rockbell for repairs?”

The young man looked away and fiddled with his blanket. “I don’t know, I won’t be able to walk again until I’m fully healed. Maybe I’ll just write to her and have her make a new set and do the final measurements later. I was in for an adjustment last month, so she has the most recent sizing.”

“Perhaps it would be best to see her.” He didn’t want to say anything, but the comfort of his friend and sweetheart might prove useful. Wide shoulders rolled in a brief shrug. “Of course, it is up to you. Will you be staying here?”

Long bangs shook slowly, a bit reluctant to leave his safe place. “No, I have to go back to Al. He’s probably worried and will want to see me.”

“I could put him off a bit, ask him to go to Rissembool with your order.” No matter how hard he tried to hide it, the blond was clearly not looking forward to seeing his little brother again.

A tiny smile, faintly grateful. “Naw, I have to go back. I’ll need a car to meet me somewhere, within Taigen. Joey can’t leave here, he won’t find his way home, and he’s the only one who’ll be able to carry me.” Dark eyes looked him over and the older man heard the unspoken amendment; the only one who is allowed to carry me.

“Of course. Two days from now at the corner of Chodat? I’ll send Breda around, he’ll take you to one of the safe houses.” It was a reasonable place, far enough to not give away the location of Ed’s place, but near enough to not be too difficult for Joey to carry him or for the large man to find his way back.

“No, I can go back to dorm, Al will look after me. Tomorrow, might as well get going.” He leaned over and tried to reach a notebook and pencil on the table. The motion overbalanced him and he started to slide to the edge of the bed.

Roy reached out to steady him and the blond jerked back, flailing wildly in his rush. The table tipped, toppling the books and pencil to the floor with a clatter. They stared at each other, Ed’s face red, his eyes wide with fear, and Roy’s mouth tight. “I, I’m fine, I don't need your help.”

“Of course, Fullmetal.” The older man stood and turned to the door, opening it quickly. “Get some rest, you are on leave until you report to me.” The door closed softly behind him, leaving the blond staring blankly after him.






So there we are, second chapter. I suppose not all that much happens, but building a relationship from nothing takes a little time and I’m trying to set the ground work. For some reason, this story hates me and does not wish to be written, so it’s taking along time between chapters. Oh well, hopefully the next one will be faster.