For Her. For Him.

A/N: I am blown away by the positive reviews. This story is half the length of my Inu fic, and I have almsot twice the reviews. (Though they've all been positive for both fics) Hikaru!(Athena), I'm glad you think mine is a good Mprg, and that you think I'm doing okay with Izumi's character. raindrop150 Aren't you glad I haven't killed off Ed or baby? And no, Ed isn't a tranny. Nomme de Plume, love your name (ha) Thank you so much for the praise. Milky, you have been a constant reviewer who is always pushing me on. Kikiko, you have also been a constant reviewer, and I appreciate that you think my story is "right" Colonel Envy, I'm glad you like it. TwilightHunter, I know it was an evil cliffy, and no, I have no intention of changing Ed. I'm glad you like, and aren't angry at me about Al's reaction. Onee-sama, I'm glad you like Mustang in this story. Kumiki, glad you like it.

Chapter 9

Interesting

Roy awoke to the sound of pounding at his door. Realizing that he had essentially entwined himself around the blond, it became his turn to blush. Trying not to jar Fullmetal as he pulled his arms and legs from around him, Roy slipped out of the bed and padded his way out the stairs and down to the front door. He could hear barking outside. Damn it, Havoc was at his doorstep with Black Hayate.

Running a hand through his raven hair, Roy opened the door to face the lieutenant. “Why are you bringing him today?”

“Thought I’d drop him off before work. Let him destroy your house while you’re at the office for once.” Havoc held a cigarette in his lips and looked the colonel over. “You look like shit, Colonel.”

“Thanks, Lieutenant.” Havoc let go of the dog, who bounded off, up the stairs. “I had a rough night. I’m calling in sick today.”

“Well, then it’s good I brought Black Hayate today. You’ll be able to take care of him while you’re home not working like the rest of us.”

Roy rolled his eyes as a voice bellowed from upstairs, “Damn it, even the dog is getting bigger than me.”

“You got somebody here?” Havoc asked, putting out the cigarette on the doorstep before entering, knowing that with it still in his mouth, he would never have been allowed past the threshold. “Who is she?”

“Who you calling a she, Havoc?” Ed asked, strolling through the hall, Black Hayate hopping around him. It was obvious that Ed just woke up, his eyes still a bit puffy from sleep, his hair loose and falling over his shoulders, and the nightshirt looking ridiculously huge on his body.

Roy watched as Havoc’s eyes grew wide. “Boss? Colonel? What the hell is going on?”

“I’ve been staying here while I get over whatever the hell it was I caught out on the battlefield. I get dizzy pretty often, and Colonel Bastard here wouldn’t let me stay at the dorms by myself.”

“Where’s Al?” Havoc asked as Ed patted the large, very happy dog on the head.

“He went to visit our old teacher. I’m not really up to going, and he,” He gestured to Mustang. “didn’t think I could take care of myself.”

“Isn’t that the nightshirt Hughes gave you?” Havoc asked.

Ed looked down at the striped thing that covered him like a tent. “Is that where this came from?” Ed’s eyes quickly flashed up at Roy, glassing over with tears, then looking back down, apparently not wanting to cry in front of the lieutenant. “I got sick last night. Ruined my pajamas.”

“He’s felt pretty bad. Trust me, I know. His medicine is given by injection and he does it without even flinching.”

Havoc smiled, seeming to have believed there was nothing behind any of this. He moved out to the kitchen and began exploring Roy’s cupboards, opening each one. When Havoc would come across a bottle of liquor, he would pull it out and examine it carefully.

“What’s he doing?” Ed asked Roy.

“He would be trying to figure out if I’m drinking myself into oblivion.”

“You haven’t had anything to drink since I’ve been here,” Fullmetal said, walking stiffly beside Roy.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better. Still hurts a little.” Roy rubbed his hand down the teen’s back beneath the curtain of blond hair as Havoc pulled out a bottle of scotch, examining it carefully. “Aside from that, it’s barely noticeable.” He whispered, “At least I don’t have to pee sitting down.”

“Were you afraid of that?”

Ed wobbled his hand to signal “somewhat.”

“Well, Lieutenant,” Roy said, “are you satisfied?”

Havoc nodded as he moved toward Ed. “Is what you have contagious, Boss?” He looked up at Mustang, who was sure he looked like the crap Havoc had told him he did.

“Not according to Dr. Knox.” Ed said as Black Hayate moved under his hands, obviously wanting scratched again.

“Ed, I don’t think he’s going to leave you alone. Why don’t you go ahead into the study? I’ll see if I can find something for breakfast.” Ed nodded and went to the study, probably to the soft leather sofa he’d become so fond of over the last two weeks.

“So, you’ve been playing nursemaid to the Major?” Havoc shook his head as he moved to the door. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

“I wouldn’t be so nice to him if he wasn’t considerably less obnoxious when he’s sick.” Roy smiled good-naturedly. “It could be a while before he’s feeling like himself. Lucky us.” Havoc laughed as he opened the door and left the house.

Roy went back to the kitchen and began making oatmeal for the teen and himself, occasionally stirring the thickening substance on the stove, trying to guess what the heck the teen would want on his hot cereal, which could be anything from bananas to black olives.

“Fullmetal,” Roy asked, sticking his head in the study, seeing the blond, the nightshirt pulling down on his left side, hair twisted and thrown over his right shoulder. Black Hayate had two rather large paws on the sofa and was proceeding to lick every square inch of Ed’s face. Protesting the dog’s actions didn’t work, but Ed seemed to have found a sweet spot on the dog’s head, scratching behind the dog’s ear, making its eyes glaze over in pleasure. “Ed?” Gold eyes looked up at Roy. “What would you like on your oatmeal?”

“Bananas and some sugar. I feel like eating normal this morning.”

Roy disappeared into the kitchen, preparing Ed’s cereal, then fixing his own with milk and brown sugar. Roy returned to the study, finding Black Hayate curled up in a ball below the foot of the sofa, looking quite at home. Ed took the bowl from Roy, but immediately set it on the nearby table. “I want to show you something. I don’t know how well you can see it through the nightshirt, but since it’s the only clothing I’ve got on, it isn’t coming off.” Ed smoothed the shirt over his stomach, revealing a tiny bulge in his lower abdomen.

“Is that…?”

“According to what doc told me to expect, and what I’ve read, mostly fluids and the parts I’ve been growing, but somewhere Maes and Riza are in there, about the size of those banana slices.” Ed’s hand trailed over the tiny lump. “Guess now that all of the parts are there, this started to show.”

Roy stood still for a moment, looking down at the teen’s stomach. “Can I--” Roy held out his hand, almost retracting it before Ed grabbed hold of it, pulling both hand and man down toward him. His hand pushed to the bump, Roy could feel something about the size of a grapefruit beneath the warm fabric. “Does it feel strange to you?” Roy asked, unable to pull his hand away from the growing miracles beneath it. “That being there?”

“Mustang, nothing has felt normal for two weeks.” Ed shifted. “Our breakfast is getting cold.” Fullmetal pulled his legs up toward his body, a signal for Roy to sit beside him. “Dr. Knox wants to see me today. Since you’re calling in sick, do you want to come along?” Ed shoveled the cooling oatmeal into his mouth.

“I’d really like that.”

********

After breakfast, Ed and Mustang had both gone back to their respective beds to rest for a few hours before Ed went to Dr. Knox. After a few hours of restful sleep, and numerous trips to the bathroom, Ed awoke to the smell of food from downstairs.

“Well,” he said, patting the new bulge on his lower abdomen, “if I had to have someone’s babies, at least it’s someone who can cook.”

Ed went to the closet, looking for anything that would fit over his wide hips and wouldn’t add to the easing discomfort between his legs. He noticed sitting on a chair were a pair of black cotton pants and a green sweater. Ed looked them over, deciding they had to be Mustang’s, though the colonel had obviously cut off the bottom of the pants and hastily hemmed them.

“Well, at least he can cook,” Ed said as he pulled on a pair of boxers then the soft and comfortable pants. He pulled the sweater over his head, then rolled up the sleeves, so his hands could at least peak out.

Ed was about to head downstairs when he heard the phone ring. It was noon, and that meant it was Al calling again. Roy wouldn’t answer, knowing the younger Elric always called at noon to check in on Ed, but still the blond found himself rushing to the phone on the beside table.

“Hello, Al?” Ed said as he grabbed the receiver.

“Brother, how are you?”

“I had a rough night last night. Remember how doc said he wasn’t sure how things would come out? Well, we found out last night. There was a lot of blood.”

“Blood? Brother, are you okay? Do you need me there?”

“I’m feeling better today,” Ed said. He wasn’t going to tell his little brother he needed him there. In truth, it was more that he wanted him there than needed him. “Dr. Knox is checking me up this afternoon just to make sure.” Ed hated having to be so vague, but there was no determining if the line was secure. “How are things with Teacher?”

“Interesting.” Ed didn’t have to be overly perceptive to know how loaded that single word was. “Teacher has another guest here. I’d like for you to meet him.” Ed wanted to ask for more information as he heard a rap on the door.

“Edo, when you’re done on the phone, Lunch is ready.”

“Colonel, come in, and don’t call me Edo.” Roy opened the door and looked at Ed. “I won’t be on for long, but Al said things are interesting with teacher.”

Mustang nodded, understanding.

“Tell Al, I’d like to talk to him…” The colonel was thinking, calculating. “Thursday, call my office.” Ed nodded, knowing Mustang’s office had a secure line.

“Did you get that, Al?”

“I got it. I’ll call here again tomorrow, just to check up on you. Let me know what Dr. Knox says.”

“I will, Al. Be good .”

“Of course, big brother.”

Ed hung up the phone, wishing tomorrow was Thursday. He went downstairs, where Mustang already had food prepared along with an array of unusual condiments.

“Sorry I can’t get you to talk to your brother right away,” the older alchemist said. “I’ll need the wire tapping equipment to listen in and make sure no one else is, and that’s the soonest I can guarantee it.”
Roy sat at the table across from Ed’s seat. “So, did the pants fit?”

“They’ll work, but you can’t sew worth crap.” Ed looked down and saw a pillow on his chair. “What’s this for?”

“Aside from letting a shrimp like you see over the table?” Ed scowled. “I thought the hard, wood chair would be uncomfortable.

“You are creepily thoughtful, you know that?” Ed began to tear up.

“Ed, what is it”

“Damned hormones!” Ed said, sobbing. “You got me clothes, a pillow for the chair, and you are arranging so I can talk to Al. You’re being so nice, it’s making me cry like a baby.” Ed wiped his eyes with his shirt sleeve. “I’m one hell of a mess.” Ed slumped down in the chair, putting his head in his hands, crying uncontrollably. “This isn’t fair.” Ed could hear movement from the other side of the table. He felt a hand stroking his still unbraided hair. Roy was being so kind, so understanding, so accommodating. It only made Ed cry harder. “Shit!”