The Un-fic

A/N: Okay, more of the fic. Thank you all for the kind reviews. I'm glad you're enjoying this. And hopefully, I can manage to get this done. I've got one more chapter and then 2 endings (I couldn't decide happy or sad ending. So I'll let you read them both and pick which one you want to believe really is the way this ends.)

Unworthy Friend

When Maes received the phone call about Ed from Lt. Ross, he couldn’t remember running so fast to his lover’s side. Even Elysia had known something was very, very wrong and was upsetting her daddy. He’d rubbed the little girl’s head telling her he was going to visit Ed at the hospital, but that everything would be fine.

Maes knew he should have been expecting this after Ed had come to him in tears admitting he knew what the philosopher’s stone was, how it was made. Maes had held the younger man in his arms and tried to comfort him, tried to tell him that everything would be okay. He also should have expected Ed to run blindly into Laboratory Five, to get himself hurt, but he hadn’t wanted to.

When Maes reached the hospital, he dismissed Ross and Broche from the room, and Al, kindly, left him alone with the bandaged figure of his brother.

“Ed,” Maes said, taking a chair beside the bed, putting the teen’s hand in his own, “what the hell did you do?”

“No ‘how are you’ or even a kiss for your injured boyfriend?”

“Not when he’s been an idiot. Why didn’t you tell me everything you suspected? I’m in charge of investigations. I could have done something to stop it.”

“And you’d have had to go through the fuhrer,” Ed said. “You can’t tell me you entirely trust him, do you?”

“No,” Maes admitted.

“There you go.” Ed sighed, then his eyes shot open. “Oh, shit, what if this room’s bugged?”

“It isn’t. I’ve already checked.” Again, Ed sighed.

“I damaged my automail,” Ed said. “Winry’s going to be here in about three days. I’m sure I’ll have more injuries after she’s done with me. And Al, he’s not… well, he’s not acting like himself. I think he’s mad at me, and I don’t know why.”

Maes knew how much it meant to Ed to have his brother supporting him, caring for him. Carefully, the older man caressed Ed’s cheek and brushed back his hair. “Do you know what happened?”

“No,” Ed said, “he won’t talk about it. I think he blames me, Maes, for putting him in that armor, for mom, maybe even for being with you…”

Maes kissed Ed’s forehead. “None of those things have bothered him before. It has to be something new, something Al hadn’t considered before or that someone else said. Are you sure he’s mad at you?”

“He’s hardly spoken to me and he only stays in the room because it’s like he feels he has to. Normally, he’d have never left it, even if you were coming to visit me as my boyfriend. You’d have just had to maneuver around him.” Maes nodded and stood. “Where are you going?”

“To talk to your brother. I’ll be right back.”

“Maes wait—” Ed called after him as he left the room to seek out the large suit of armor, not a difficult task, considering the sheer size of Alphonse Elric.

“Alphonse,” Maes said, the tone in his voice that he used on the rare instances he had to chastise Elysia, “you and I need to talk about the way you are treating your brother.”

“Are you even sure he is my brother?” Alphonse asked.

“Al, what are you talking about?” Maes pulled the armor into a nearby storage room.

“Other than a picture of what’s supposed to have been me as a little boy, I don’t have any proof I existed.” There was hurt in the armor’s voice. “And what proof there might have been was in the house when we burned it up. How do I know my brother didn’t make me up? Make a companion to keep with him so he wouldn’t be lonely?”

“Alphonse Elric, if I could smack you without breaking my hand, I would,” Maes growled. “If you were just a made-up companion, would your brother be in the other room half-sick that you hate him, thinking you blame him for putting you in the armor, for trying the transmutation that got you there? Would he be sick because his only family is barely speaking to him when he’s injured?”

“Mr. Hughes, you don’t understand. I don’t have any proof that I was ever alive, that I ever existed, or that I even exist now. Do you know what that’s like? Even brother at least knows he is here.”

“Right,” Maes said, “and the biggest proof is how much he’s hurting right now because of you.” Unfortunately, the older man realized he’d slipped into being an overprotective boyfriend and decided to change courses to try to see things from the point of view of the younger man. “Look, Al, I really believe you are Alphonse Elric, brother to that young man in the next room, but if it helps, I will do some investigation to see if I can find out anything different.”

There was a sigh, though there could be no breath to actually cause it from the armor. “Thank you, Mr. Hughes.”

“Always, Al. Now, get your ass in there with your brother while I ask my team to see what information they can find on you.”

********

It had taken a few days for Maes to find anything, but when he had, he immediately handed over copies of old vaccination records, homeschooling tests, and a birth certificate, all of which proved Al very much existed. It had been a happy moment to be able to prove to the doubting younger brother that Ed really was his brother and really did love him for it. Even Ed, who didn’t always show his gratitude so easily had kissed Maes and thanked him for getting the research done.

Today was Ed’s birthday, Elysia’s too, and at the moment, Maes was playing the perfect father and husband as a dozen four-year-olds ran around his house and their parents obnoxiously tried to carry on a conversation about one meaningless thing or another.

Naturally, he wanted to celebrate the two birthdays, but when these couples were prattling on about the rising cost of milk or their latest promotion at work, he could hardly keep himself from pointing out just how stupid they were all behaving. He knew something was wrong with the Furher’s secretary and had some serious doubts about what might or might not be wrong with the Fuhrer, himself. He knew that no matter what it was that was going on, it would mean very bad things for his boyfriend and his best friend. Something very bad was on the horizon, and he could feel it.

At the moment, he was trying to ignore the parents of one of the brattiest little boys Maes had ever met. It was nearly time to open the presents, after which, he would go and visit the young man he’d fallen very much in love with.

The door opened to the crisp and cold air as Winry Rockbell stormed through, only managing a few brief hellos to Maes’s family before heading upstairs to the guest room where she stayed. With a sidelong glance at Gracia, Maes signaled that he was going to see what was wrong with the teenager and was following behind her.

“Miss Rockbell,” Maes said as he knocked on the door. “Winry?”

“You can come in, Mr. Hughes.”

Maes opened the door to find the young woman packing. “Leaving so soon?”

“I can’t stay,” she said, looking as though she was going to cry. “I just can’t.”

“Did Ed say something to you that a wrench to the head couldn’t fix?” Maes asked, trying to sound jovial about the method of abuse his boyfriend regularly suffered under at Winry’s hands.

“It wasn’t something he said,” Winry answered, folding her robe into the suitcase. “It was Al. He was talking to Ed about how much better he felt about things, that Ed’s…” She paused. “I’m not happy with Ed now, but you can’t say anything about this, Mr. Hughes. Please promise me that.”

“Of course,” he said, curious what exactly had gotten her so upset and concerned about other people finding out.

“He said that Ed’s boyfriend had found out information about him so that their fight would stop. I thought Al was joking, that Colonel Mustang or someone that Ed spends a lot of time around had found the information, but Al actually meant a boyfriend. Ed didn’t even deny it.”

“Was he supposed to?” Maes asked, trying to keep his tone even.

“He would if he had any decency.” Winry’s jaw was set tightly. “People aren’t supposed to be… that way.”

“Really? From my understanding, a decent percentage of the people of Amestris are ‘that way,’ as you put it. I think it would be even higher if there weren’t so many people in the world who showed the very kind of disgust you are displaying tonight.”

“Are you saying that you actually approve of the way Ed is?”

“Absolutely,” Maes said, glaring at the girl, too far gone to try to hide how much he hated her at the moment for the words coming out of her mouth and for what she undoubtedly said to Ed. “I see you are packing, Miss Rockbell, and I am grateful for it because I do not want someone with such prejudices having any influence over my daughter. You will finish packing your belongings, say goodbye to my daughter because she still looks up to you, and get on the first train out of Central. If you decide to come back, I guarantee you that this house will not be open to you unless you attitude has taken a drastic shift.

“I have known about Ed for some time, and if I hear you are making any trouble for him either by telling him how much it disgusts you that he prefers his own gender or by telling anyone else that he does, I swear to you, I will dig up whatever dirt I can manage to find on you, your family and the business you share with your grandmother. Your life will be ruined far faster than you can blink.”

Winry looked at him blankly for a minute in shock. Rather than wait to hear what new filth might leave her mouth, Maes left her gaping in shock and walked out of his house.

********

Arriving at the hospital, Maes climbed up the stairs to the roof, where he’d spotted the two brothers sparring, obviously to let Ed take out some of his anger in a more constructive manner than he was probably considering at the moment.

He watched as Ed cursed at Winry, at himself, at the world as he kicked and punched at the suit of armor who willingly took each blow, putting up only necessary defense.

“Ed?” Maes said, softly. Ed stopped what he was doing and looked over at the older man.

“Mr. Hughes,” Al said, “Winry was here—a” Ed practically growled at the mention of Winry’s name. “—and she said some things about Ed being gay.”

“I know. I just tossed the obnoxious teen out of my house.” Maes made the short distance over to Ed. “She won’t be staying with me, and we’ll find someone who’s just as good or better to repair your automail from now on, Ed. I swear it.” At that, he pulled the blond into his arms, holding the teen tightly to his chest. “Ed, don’t let her or people like her ever make you feel bad about what you are.”

“She was my oldest friend,” Ed said, his voice cracking as he tried not to cry.

“Yes, and she is also blind in her prejudice. When she realized you were gay, everything about you disappeared to her. She may one day realize how foolish she is, but trust me that it is her own fault for not seeing the brilliant young man whom I love.”

The blond head snapped up. “I love you, too.”

Maes kissed Ed softly, reminded only by the noise of awkwardly clanking armor that Al wasn’t quite comfortable being present for this tender moment. The kiss ended, and Maes once again held tightly to the smaller body.

“Mr. Hughes is right, Ed. Winry is being very stupid, especially on your sixteenth birthday to say those kinds of things.”

“Remember, Ed,” Maes said, “you’ll always have Al and I, even Gracia and Roy who love you regardless.”

Ed squeezed tightly to Maes. “Thank you. Both of you.”