Promise

So, in response to a point made by Hikaru, I looked up television history. Which is kinda interesting, really, but the point is that by the mid to late 1920’s televisions were working well, if not popular. So, we can stretch history a little tiny bit and give them a tv. Cause everyone deserves a tv. But thanks for the note, it was fun to look it up.

In other relevant news, I’m trying to pull some of the manga in here, tie it up a little. If I totally screw it up, feel free to yell at me, but I’m hoping not to. I managed to find a source of translation, so I’m mostly caught up and will try to work it in. I wasn’t sure if I should or just go my own way, but I think I have a way to do a bit of both, so bear with me and wish me luck.

Now, if you made it this far, you are truly dedicated. So, I won’t hold you up anymore. Enjoy!


Chapter 6 – plot moves ahead! (finally, right?)


A timid knock rang hollow against the door and Roy looked up; any distraction was a good thing. Especially these days, with his staff mostly moved out and Ed avoiding him like he had some nasty disease. “Come in.”

Al’s helmet snuck around the edge and was waved in. “Good morning, Sir.”

“Good morning, Alphonse. What can I do for you?” Slim hands templed over the paperwork he was ignoring and he gave his full attention to the boy in front of him.

The armor shuffled a little, looking at the floor. “Brother’s gone.”

“What? Where?” The brunet sat up a bit straighter, attention more focused.

“Well, that’s the problem, Sir. I don’t know. He left three days ago and didn’t come back.” If armor could blush, Al would have been red. “I thought maybe he went, well, there, but he usually comes back by morning.”

“Have you checked to see if he’s there?” A quick shake of the helmet and noisy fidgeting. “Why are you here, Al?”

The usually soft voice was almost inaudible. “He’s been having nightmares. He wakes up crying and holding his stomach. He threw up the last night he was here. I always pretend I don’t hear anything, because he’d be upset if he knew. He won’t talk to me, I know something happened when you two disappeared and I want you to tell me! It’s not fair, I want to help him, but I don’t even know what’s wrong!” The young man was almost yelling now, a heavy hand on the desk.

Roy leaned back in his chair. “I can’t tell you that. I can go and look for him after work tonight. If I find him, I will tell him you are concerned and to contact you.” Al looked like he wanted to say more but was waved off. “That’s the best I can do. Now, I have work if there’s nothing else.” Red eyes glowed at him angrily, then the suit of armor turned and stomped out, slamming the door harder than his brother ever had. ‘Sorry Al.’

****************

The door opened under the firm knocks and Joey beamed down at the brunet. A brief nod and he moved past to speak with Carmen. “I need to see Edward, please.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know who you’re talking about.” A pleasant smile and she went back to her papers.

“Of course not. Well, if you happen to see him, I’ll be at the bar at Hald. I need to speak to him about his brother.” The blonde looked up briefly, eyed him carefully, and nodded. “Thank you.” He spun on his heel and walked back out, not looking back once.

Half an hour later, Ed wandered into the dim bar and sat across the table from the older man. “So? What do you want?”

“I’ve been sent to tell you your brother is very upset and wants you to come home.” Pale hands rested on the table, loosely clasped.

The blond snorted and pushed back in his chair, splaying his legs in front of him. “Blah, blah, quit with your bullshit. What do you want? I know it’s you, Envy.”

Thin lips tugged up at the corners. “Well, you aren’t as dumb as we thought. I want you to be at Briggs.”

“What’s it to you? I have no reason to go there.” Dark eyes glowed as the brunet leaned forward.

“And if I gave you a reason?” Gold eyed him through narrowed lids. “Just ooonnnne little condition and the information is yours.”

“Why?” Ed leaned forward, placing his face near the familiar one. “Why do you want me there?” They stared into each other’s eyes, neither blinking.

“I want you to get rid of something for me. It’s big, slow, stupid, and we’re done with it. And, if you leave on the next train, you’ll be able to pick it up, destroy it, and still have time to play with your charming new Stone.”

“What about the Stone?” Low giggling brushed warm air over his face. The metal hand fisted in the white shirt, dragging him close enough to touch noses. “Tell me!”

His grip was brushed away like a child’s and Envy grinned at him, teeth slightly pointed, smile flickering at the edges. “Say you’ll do it. Say you’ll destroy it.” Glowing eyes shone in the dim light. “I’ll even let you have the core without telling.” The teasing voice shifted to singing. “You don’t tell on me and I won’t tell on you.” Ed barely contained his reaction; a stone, created and claimable, within his reach, if Envy’s information was correct. It might be wrong to use it, knowing what he did, but if it was already created...

“It’s another of you, isn’t it?” The edges of the pale face flickered. “Fine. Tell me how and what I’m supposed to find up there.” A bright laugh and the homunculus pushed himself to lean the chair over on the back two legs; he began explaining and talked for most of the afternoon.

*************

Roy knocked loudly on the small door; it was a bit disturbing how familiar he was getting with this area of the city and his back itched under hostile stares. And it was getting late, that damn paperwork just kept appearing on his desk; if he ever needed proof Riza was pissed, it all bore his signature. A crack of light illuminated his face and he smiled a bit when the large man stepped back and let him in with a grin. “Good evening, Joey. How are you?”

“I’m good. How are you tonight?” He looked very proud of remembering his lines and Roy couldn’t help smiling up at him; he could definitely understand why Ed was so attached to the large man.

“I’m fine thank you.” He continued to the desk and stood waiting for acknowledgement; Carmen was obviously the one in charge around here and it always paid to show respect. The blonde woman just looked him over and went back to her papers, bored and uninterested in his reoccurring appearances. “Good evening, Miss Carmen. Can you have Edward called to see me, please?”

“He’s not here.” Blue eyes were dark with challenge, waiting for him to slip off the path he didn’t know he was walking.

Coal dark eyes narrowed and his mouth tightened; fine, if respect wouldn’t work, two could play that game. “Bullshit.” A pale brow rose at him. “I know he’s here because he hasn’t been home for three days. Either you call him down or I’ll go get him. He will see me and he will talk to me.”

Her fingers flickered and the redhead from his last visit slid into place behind him, hands firm on his shoulders. “He isn’t here.” Before he could answer, screams from upstairs jerked his head around.

The girl behind him loosened her grip for a second and the officer took off, running up the stairs while he yanked on his gloves and pulled his gun from its place at his side; it was definitely Edward’s voice mixed in with that of young women. Light glowed under a partially open door and he shoved it the rest of the way open to watch the flares of alchemy.

The bed was growing, for lack of a better word, lengthening out and curving to form a ball around the blond and a pair of girls. Three others were sprawled on the floor, screaming and scrambling away, mostly getting tangled in each other. A flash of terrified gold and he was gone, hidden in his shield of wood and metal.

“Silence.” Cold authority quieted the girls and they curled on the floor, staring at the stranger as he approached the bed. “You girls go on. Everything is fine.”

A blonde disentangled herself and stood, shaking in her thin nightgown. “No. It’s not ok, we aren’t leaving Eddie alone. He needs us.” Dark eyes skimmed her and recognized her one of the girls from their first night, Pat or Linny; a short nod and he went back to examining the confined area.

“Edward.” Nothing. “Edward, can you hear me?” His ear pressed to the wall and he could make out faint, muffled sobs; his eyes closed for a second in sympathy. “Ed, at least answer me.” A soft call, a girl’s voice, assured him they were fine. “Good. I’m sitting down beside you, the girls are with me.”

The room was silent, the girls wrapped in blankets scavenged from other rooms and curled around the dark haired man. For the first time, Roy found himself surrounded by pretty, half-naked women and didn’t feel a damn thing. Two shied away from him, not trusting him not to touch them, but the third, a short brunette, settled herself in his lap and laid her head on his shoulder; others wandered in and out, some staying for a bit, more just looking in. Finally, the thick voice called that he was undoing the walls and they scattered, backing to the door to allow for errors.

Light flared around Ed and his two companions and they tumbled out, the girls laughing and hugging their friends, assuring everyone they were fine and ‘nyah, I got to spend extra time with Ed!’ Roy stayed back, letting the blond come to him; the girls were eventually shooed out and the door closed quietly.

“What are you doing here?” Tired eyes, blank on the surface, but the older man was used to looking deeper, to staring into haunted eyes in the mirror on bad mornings. “How did you know I was here?”

A small smirk, more playful than taunting. “Where else would you go? Al was in my office this morning demanding I tell him what happened, telling me you’d disappeared for three days.” Pink covered the down turned face. “Edward, just call him occasionally.”

“You act like I don’t know I should. Asshole, you think I want to not be able to look at my brother?” Low, harsh breathing sped up, a catch in the rising voice. “My own fucking BROTHER!” The flesh hand scrubbed harshly at wet cheeks and Roy watched him, waiting. “I, I can’t sleep, food makes me sick, Al just STARES at me and I don’t know what to say, what to do.” Tears were audible now, coursing over the swollen cheeks faster than the blond could wipe them away. “What, what if I, I HURT him? I have to watch him constantly, make sure he doesn’t get behind me, make sure I can see where he is all the time, because I might take him apart by accident, I might, might, oh fuck, I could have hurt the girls, I”

Too much, it was too much and Roy moved, gathering the small body against his. “Shut up. There is no way in hell you could hurt these girls, or Al, or anyone. Where you even awake when you changed the bed?” The too thin body, much thinner than he remembered even from less than two months ago, shivered against him, caught in the fight to run or take the comfort offered. His arms bunched under slim hands, Roy’s long reach letting him clasp the opposite arm in his hands; the metal arm felt strange, cool, hard, and thick compared to the quivering flesh.

Messy hair snapped back and gold stared up, wide and a bit wild as he struggled with himself. “No, I, I was trapped and, and that makes it worse. I could have killed them and not even known it.” Tight shoulders relaxed fraction by fraction, easing into the stronger body. “I can’t come here anymore.” A short swallow and he started to tense up again.

“Edward, you carefully transmuted, even half asleep. No one was hurt, the girls were laughing, once they calmed from the initial shock. They’re tough, they can handle a surprise or two.” Both sets of lips tilted at that. “And I’m pretty sure if you tried to stop coming, they’d find you and drag you back.” A soft laugh from the younger alchemist and he wiped his eyes with the lapel of Roy’s uniform. “Hey, that has to be specially cleaned you know!” But to hear the lilt of laughter, a sound he was rarely graced with, the bill would be worth it.

A cocky smirk and the blue coat was carelessly flicked. “Nope, wouldn’t know a thing about that, not owning one or anything.” It was so easy to slide back into familiar roles, teasing and taunting, softer than it had been but still there, comforting.

“That can be changed.” A mock snarl teased some light back into reddened eyes. A gentle nudge and they backed to the bed, sitting side by side. The gloved hand brushed long bangs back and the frail body curved to the larger man’s side. “Al is very worried about you. He yelled at me this morning.”

“I know.” The hint of laughter disappeared as if it had never existed, gold falling to stare at the floor. A blue clad arm slid around the slim waist, warmth radiating through the heavy cloth, and Roy pressed his forehead to the mussed hair; Ed’s back stiffened a bit but he didn't push away or try to escape.

A minute of silence and Roy moved his hand gently, rubbing tiny circles on the smaller man’s side and lower back. Tension eased out of thin shoulders and he leaned back, turning a little to rub more firmly into the touch. Soft purring and he tilted sideways, rubbing his head on his superior’s shoulder.

The second hand brushed long bangs aside and tilted the delicate chin upwards; a slight hesitation and noses touched lightly, rubbing the tips. Roy wasn’t sure why he did it, Ed was just so beautiful and the blond didn't pull away and no matter how wrong it was, he couldn’t resist. Chapped lips opened under his slowly, letting him wet them with his tongue without protest.

Light, light pressure, soft as air until he met a quick little tongue, inexperienced but curious. When they touched, warmth curled in his stomach, not just arousal but affection, pleasure that they were doing this. Faint vibrations moved into his mouth, following a light moan and he nuzzled closer, touching a bit more firmly, hand moving over the wide back and up to press the smaller man against him.

He came willingly, leaning in and up, small, capable hands brushing the stiff white shirt, accidentally rubbing it over sensitive pink nipples. The groan was stifled and Roy kissed him more firmly, running his hands over smooth sides, squeezing gently while he sucked lightly, pulling the little tongue into his mouth.

There had been a split second, an instant where he could have said no, but Ed couldn’t make his mouth move and then it was covered, lightly, gently, soft lips moving over his, and it tasted sweet in the way cinnamon is, with a bit of bite afterwards. Warm hands moved over his back and sides and he resisted the urge to pet, move his own hands over the broad chest pressed to his.

The blond gave a soft moan when his tongue was sucked across the line of their lips and gave in, hesitantly running his fingers over the white shirt, feeling the flex of strong muscle, more firm than he’d thought it would be. There was a soft place under his fingertips and he brushed it again, making the brunet groan into his mouth as that delicate area hardened. Red flushed his cheeks when he realized what he was doing, touching, but he couldn’t seem to stop, it was sweet to hear the faint groans and know he caused them.

Roy pulled away a bit and the younger man followed, clinging to his shirt and whining when their lips parted. “Edward.” He couldn’t finish his sentence, the damp, swollen mouth covered his again and he couldn’t find the willpower to pull away again. He swayed under the inexperienced assault and tipped backwards to land flat on his back, the small body sprawled over him.

It was more difficult to control kisses from there and he rolled, pinning the blond under him. An instant of wide eyes and harsh pants and the young man shoved, fighting frantically to be freed. “Ed, it’s alright, calm down.” Roy rolled off immediately, pulling Edward onto his chest and letting him pant down at him, hands still fisted in his shirt. “Alright, it’s just me.” Though he wasn’t certain how calming that would be.

Tightness clutched at his chest and Ed struggled just to breathe; trapped, he was trapped and there was weight on him, he couldn’t move and then it was gone and a soothing voice was whispering to him. Panic was forced down and he lay quietly, letting the warmth from the man under him seep into his body, the feel of gentle hands rubbing his back and shoulders relax them.

‘What the fuck? How could I just sit there and let him kiss me?’ A sharp elbow from a little part of his mind, the one he hated to listen to because it was always right. ‘Why did I kiss him back? Oh shit, I practically attacked him!’

Roy didn't move, just rubbed lightly and let him think it out. “Mustang?” Hard elbows balanced on his shoulders and he tried not to wince away from them. “Um, what was that?”

How unlike Ed, to be so intimate, and how like him, to be so curious and straight-forward. “Well, I would say that was kissing, Fullmetal.” Trembling started and perhaps teasing him wasn’t that great of a plan at the moment. “Did it hurt?”

“N, no.” His face would burn and peel off, he just knew it. “Why?”

‘Always have the hardest questions, don’t you Ed?’ Warm air puffed out and moved the long bangs before he turned a little, sliding the small body to the side; even with the recent weight loss, he was a bit much to have planted on his chest. “Because I wanted to. Because you wanted me to. Because it felt good.” Pink burned at delicate ears and he ran a finger over one. “You told me it was ok when I touched you, has that changed?”

Red was fading under the purple of humiliation. “Wh, what? When did I say that?” He suddenly remembered vague, drunk ramblings into a white shirt and soft lips on his. “Fuck.” His nose buried in the white shirt against his cheek and felt a shiver of laughter.

“Ah, you do remember. Good.” The finger of a glove was nipped and dragged off then the hand returned to run along the lean side. “So?”

“Ss, so? So what?” What the hell was he supposed to say? Yes, Roy, it’s fine when you touch me because there’s something wrong with me, I’m sick in my head? Because normal guys don’t DO things like that, not with other guys, and not with infamous womanizers either.

As always, Roy read his mind. “It’s not wrong to like guys, Edward, just like it’s not wrong to like girls, or even both.” Odd, it was odd to talk like this with Fullmetal, volatile, antisocial, shy Fullmetal. And he was shy, brash though he seemed, moving away from physical contact, forming few personal bonds with others, making few friends. “As to so what, do you want to continue this?” Heat transferred through his shirt with the furious blush. “Not right away, eventually. Once you get Al back and finish your term of service.”

Bright eyes peeked up at him. “What?”

A bit of a smile, a little sad at the edges. “Edward, we can’t do this, not now. It would destroy both of us, I’d be thrown back to Private, if not just taken out back and shot to save them the embarrassment, and you’ll be passed off to someone else, kept on a tight leash.” His hand stroked again, gentle and firm. “If you don’t want to or change your mind, it’s fine. But you need to focus on Al now, get him back, then return.”

“Blah, blah, I don’t need you lecturing me on duty!” The slightly crooked little nose wrinkled at him and he smiled down. “We’re leaving, Al and me. I got a tip.” The blond pulled away and pushed a little to he could sit.

“Oh? Then you won’t want the information I came to give you.” Keen gold flicked to him, that edge returning, the one that kept Ed running full steam ahead. “There has been, a change. My staff has been relocated and I called in a friend. He had information on Scar’s whereabouts.”

“What? Where did they go, what happened?” Roy just shrugged. “How come nobody told me?”

A hint of smirk moved thin lips. “Now Fullmetal, don’t meddle in the affairs of adults.” Snarled curses and he flashed a grin at his subordinate. “There is reason to believe Scar is headed North.”

Ed perked up, antenna alert for the first time in nearly a year. “Us too. We’re going to Brigg’s.” A slim hand waved him on. “No, it might be nothing. I’ll tell you all about it when we get back.” Dark eyes narrowed at him and he swallowed. “I think I figured it out. I found a way but.” His mouth tightened. “No buts, I found a way and it’ll work. Then we’ll be back, me and Al.” A firm nod but Roy could see the doubt and fear hidden under the stubborn belief.

It was tempting to harass him into telling; not knowing drove Roy crazy. But, perhaps it would be best if he didn’t know; he had his own plans to form and put in place and couldn’t be distracted by Ed. A light push and he was standing, brushing his pants fastidiously. The door opened easily to find a small group of girls waiting outside, fidgeting.

He stepped back to let them in and they tumbled over each other to get to the bed where Ed let them crawl on him and settle around him like living blankets. “And Fullmetal, you still owe me 520 cens.”

Mismatched hands patted his pants looking for pockets. “Nothing, I’ll have to get that to you later.”

“You do that. Don’t forget.” A small smirk and he closed the door quietly.

Ed stared after him, fighting the urge to run after him. “You neither, Bastard.”



Holy shit, that took forever. I’ve had this mostly written for a while, but it just wouldn’t move along nicely. I’m not sure I like it yet, but I should post anyways and let you guys sort it out for me. Let me know what you think, please!