tenshishanai

Chapter 19 – A step forward

“Dull. Dull. Dull.” Roy laid his head on the desk and sighed heavily. Why on earth had he been to be here? It was so nice outside. He could be with his husband and daughter in the park making a picnic or something. He glared at the paperwork lying in front of him. Why did he need to do such dull things like signing papers? He pouted some more and laid his head back on the table. It was the end of June and it was incredible warm outside like the fist summer they spent together as a couple. He closed his eye and listened to sounds in the room. It was quiet and he couldn’t even hear the guys talking outside. He sighed and straightened again. The dark-haired man took the pen into his hand and looked over the first paper from the pile and looked over it, another request for fresh clothing of some Corporal. He didn’t even read over this, signed it and put it on the stack of approval. Really they don’t have to fill in every form to get something as ordinary as fresh clothing. Ed never requested anything he just took it and told the man on duty that Colonel ‘the bastard’ Mustang would take responsibility. Really this kid was annoying. He looked at the silver band on his left ring finger.  He smiled and went back to work as somebody knocked on his door.

Please don’t let it be some superior. I’m not in the mood to run some errands for them now. The young Brigadier General straightened up. “Come in.”

The door opened slowly and at first he thought nobody would come in at all. He quirked his visible eyebrow and leaned forward to have a better view. Then his eye went wide. Giggling and laughing his little daughter came in – on her own. She just took a few steps, fell on her knees and crawled up to him. Roy was immediately on his feet walking over to his small princess. He got her into his arms and hugged her close.

“Hey little love what are you doing here?” He kissed her on her nose and looked back to the door where Ed was leaning on the doorframe. He made his way over and kissed his husband.

“’Thought you would need some refreshment and a bit of change of routine.” He smiled up to the taller man.

“Doesn’t Nina need her nap?” The couple walked over to the couches and sat on one of them. Ed leaned his head back and sighed.

“Normally yes. But it’s too hot and she couldn’t fall asleep. It’s much colder in your office. Maybe she could sleep here.” The older man looked to his lover. He was surprised to say at least. Having them over reminded him of the times when Ed would come from the lab every time Roy had to work overtime. He smiled at the memory.

“I think I could get a blanket and a pillow.” He gave the little girl back to her daddy and made his way outside. He came back some minutes later with a small blanket, a pillow and what looked like something cold to drink and two cups. Roy put the things on the table and Ed prepared a bed for Nina as the taller man poured some of the lemonade into the cups. The dark-haired little girl was asleep in mere moments.

“_’Seems like she was exhausted.” Ed drank some of the cold liquid and leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

“You could sleep here too a bit. You haven’t slept properly in the last few weeks and it wasn’t the first time and it won’t be the last time.” He kissed the blonde who already was near sleep. “I’ll go get another blanket and pillow and then you will take a nap.” Ed just nodded and waited for him to come back. He was already asleep and didn’t notice as Roy laid him done with the pillow under his head and the little blanket dragged over his body.

The sun was already setting as Ed woke up. He looked over to the other couch where he supposed his daughter was sleeping but it was empty. He jerked up and looked around searching for any sign where the little girl was. He stopped as he saw here in Roy’s arms drawing on a small paper. The smaller man relaxed and sighed heavily.

“Good afternoon, my love. Have you slept well?” Roy looked up at him and kissed his daughter’s cheek in the process. Ed nodded and stood up.

“I haven’t slept this well for a long time.” He leaned over the table and stroked over Nina’s head. “Thanks to you my precious daughter.” He straightened and yawned.

“Gracia told us that when she would get her teeth it would be kind of hell. We were prepared.” The little girl looked up to her Papa and then over to her daddy.

“I know. I know. Just didn’t think it would hurt her this much.” The blonde turned around and got himself a cup of lemonade which was still standing on the table. It was lukewarm and he grimaced but drank it nonetheless.

“Just another two months and she will be a year old.” The teen turned around again and smiled. Ten months have already passed from the day she was born. They were married nearly two years and he hadn’t seen Al in over two and a half years. His smile was sad and Roy knew from experience not to ask him about it. The answer would be the same as ever: Alphonse. There wasn’t a day his younger lover didn’t think about his younger brother. It hurt whenever Hohenheim, Izumi or the Rockbells told them that Nina had inherited some of her uncle’s features. Ed would always smile and say ‘Thank you!’ but it made him sad. He sighed and got up from his chair. “What about going out tonight? Just the three of us? I know a great family restaurant outside town.” Ed looked up and nodded.

“Sounds good.” He got his daughter in his arms. “I’ll just go to the toilet with her before we go.” He kissed Roy and left with his daughter to go to the restroom. The older man sighed again. If he just could do something to shorten the distance between the brothers who were so close once.

After their dinner at the small restaurant they went home to get the little girl into her bed. It had already cooled down a bit and it helped that they had opened most of the windows. Even with the opened windows the alarm device still worked so that nobody could come inside and actually nobody dared to break into the house of the former Fullmetal Alchemist and the Flame Alchemist. Roy sighed as he found Ed already asleep on their bed still dressed. The older man had just gone to the bathroom for some minutes. He undressed the blonde and got him into an old dress shirt of himself and laid him under the cool linen sheets. He got out of his clothing as well but went down again. He had to try something. Anything would be fine. He got to the telephone and dialled the number of Hohenheim in Resembool. After the second dial tone somebody answered it.

“Alphonse Elric speaking.”

Roy took a deep breath. He hadn’t thought how to address Al or how to say who he was.

“This is Roy Mustang speaking.” He heard the teen swallowing before he spoke again.

“My father isn’t at home tonight. You should try it tomorrow.”

“Actually I want to talk to you.” Some moments of silence followed. “Please Alphonse. I know that you love your brother and that wasn’t something I wanted to happen but…”

“You don’t understand anything. You can’t understand it. I’ll hang up now.”

With that said the phone went silent and Roy put the receiver back onto the handle. He looked at the phone for some minutes. Was it regret he heard in Al’s voice? He sighed heavily. If it was regret then there was the possibility that Al would one day see what he had missed and come for it. He sighed again and made his way up to the man he loved more than his own life.

Two months later (1 day before Nina’s birthday)

Ed looked to the other teen who went on and on about the party he, Winry and Gracia had planed for Nina’s first birthday. It sounded actually as if Russel had done everything himself. He sighed and tried to keep awake. Really how much could one person talk? He never had been one to talk much. He didn’t need to talk much in his relationship with Roy.

“…and Gracia thought about a cheese cake. She hadn’t made some in years but she will try for Nina…” He looked to Ed whose eyes were half-lidded. “Are you listening?” Ed jerked up.

“Oh err sure.  You said Gracia would make a cake and all the guests will have to bring presents.” Russel rolled his eyes.

“These were just the last two sentences. Did you pay attention to anything I said before?” Ed thought really hard. He had shut down the minute as Russel entered his home. He looked to the other teen and smiled innocently.

“Well I told you I’m not good at preparing a party so I gave the task to you. You guys are free to do whatever you want.” He fumbled with his thumbs. At that moment they heard the faint whimpering of Nina who woke up from her afternoon nap. Ed stood up immediately and went to his daughter.

“I’m glad he’s paying attention to his daughter.” He muttered under his breath and walked into the kitchen. He looked around and poured himself a glass of water. He leaned against the kitchen counter and waited for the other teen to come down again. The smaller teen put his daughter into the playpen and walked over to Russel who was still eyeing the table.

“Why are you eyeing the table?” The taller blonde looked down and shrugged.

“Nothing much. I was just curious.” Ed quirked an eyebrow.

“Curious? What about?” Russel shrugged again and drank some of the water.

“How often did you do it in the kitchen?” Ed blushed heavily and looked away.

“I hope you don’t mean what I think you mean.” He looked up again. Russel didn’t seem to joke.

“Honestly. How often did you do it here? I mean you’re young and Roy isn’t that old. You can’t just probably just do it in the bedroom.” How casual can you talk about something like that? Ed looked away again and mumbled something inaudible. “What was that?” Ed blushed some more and looked to his feet.

“I said: We didn’t do it here. It didn’t feel right to do it on the table we eat on. We just did it on… other places.” He swallowed and hoped to not get asked any further. But this is Russel standing next to him.

“What other places?” He drank some more water but was flushed a light pink. Ed glared up at him and shook his head.

“As if I would tell you that.”

At that moment the phone started to ring. Ed felt relieved and went over to answer the phone.

“Edward Elric-Mustang speaking.” There was silence on the other line and some moments later the other person hung up. Ed looked at the receiver, shrugged and put it down on the handle.

“Who was it?” Russel had come out of the kitchen and played with his goddaughter.  The smaller teen shrugged.

“Don’t know. The other person hung up before he or she said anything at all.” He sat next to Russel on the floor. The taller teen smirked evilly.

“Maybe an old girlfriend of your husband. She didn’t know that he was married and as you answered the phone her hope was crushed.” Ed rolled his eyes.

“You’re listening to too much radio dramas.” The younger alchemist shrugged.

“Can’t help it. They are so captivating. Come to think of it. Ever tried bondage?” Russel got one of the pillows into his face and Ed blushed heavily.

“Don’t say that in front of my little daughter.” The other teen shot the pillow back.

“As if she would understand what ‘bondage’ means.” The smaller blonde crossed his arms over his chest. Russel was right and he knew it but this was a matter of principle.

“Just don’t say it.” He looked away and pouted. Russel smiled and hugged the little girl close. He couldn’t be with her daddy but he could be the best godfather in the world and a substitute uncle as long as the ‘real’ uncle didn’t want to know anything about her.

The next day was sunny but not as hot as two months ago. The birthday girl received lots of presents from her family and friends of the family. Even Maria Ross and Danny Broch paid a visit to the Elric-Mustang household.  It was late evening and Nina was already in bed as the telephone rang. Roy got to answer it.

“Roy Mustang speaking.” Again there was silence on the other line. “Hello? Is there anybody?” Still the line kept silent.  He sighed and hung up.

“Who was it?” Ed was leaning against the doorframe with some mugs in his hands. The older man shrugged.

“I don’t know. Maybe the person had dialled the wrong number.” They walked together into the living room where their family waited for them. They talked for some time before they went to bed themselves. As the couple was about to walk into their bedroom they were stopped by Hohenheim.

“I forgot to tell you. Al is going on a journey again. He said he wanted to meet with old friends and discover his own past.” Ed just nodded and went inside their bedroom. Roy looked helplessly to their door and sighed. Maybe this was the step forward they needed. He wished his father-in-law a good night and followed his younger lover.