Fic: DR-verse - Was It a Dream?
Title: Was It a Dream?
Beta: Betas are overrated.
Genre: Uhh.... I'm not sure. Someone suggest a genre
Characters: Roy Mustang, Edward
Pairing: RoyxEd, sort of
Rating: I'd say PG, I haven't read it in awhile, but I don't remember anything.
Spoiler: It's so AU I don't think there are any?
Timeline: Post series, post fic AU after Edward winds up in fmadressingroom. So, it's an AU of an AU.
Warning: Blatant AU. RoyxOC technically. Homunculus fic. Songfic, technically.
In the end it had required a number of pictures. There was no way to tell how they were going to come out until they were developed, and they wanted to be sure that at least one of them came out decent - so gathered together, like some dysfunctional family portrait they had their photo taken. Roy had agreed to pay for them, made sure that there were several to choose from once they came out, because he knew photographers didn't always wait for everyone to be ready - and with four people in the picture it was hard to be sure that everyone would be ready when the flash did go off.
And there he was, looking at the picture he'd wound up keeping. They'd had enough to hand select their favorites, and his had turned out to be one of the early ones - still getting ready, before the camera should have even gone off and it was the most open and honest photograph of all of them.
Alphonse, expression happy, glad to be doing something normal for the first time in ages - smiling at the rest of them. Winry's ill concealed tension reminded him of days past, automail to be fixed and wrench aimed at a certain careless alchemist's head. He was posed, shoulders back, eyes on the camera - years in the military trained a person to be quick, ready for the unexpected... but he'd forgotten one thing. Last minute, before the flash went off, he'd brushed Edward's loose hair back over his shoulder. His hand had been caught, frozen forever sweeping the strands aside - such an openly intimate touch and the blond's attention was intently on him instead of the camera.
He looked back at the empty bed, the duster folded neatly and left at the foot - probably by Winry after Edward had gone missing. Nowhere to be found, and the General was torn between wondering if the blond had intentionally left to find his own happiness elsewhere, or if something had happened. They'd searched everywhere; in the pouring rain and thunder, in the sunshine - for weeks they did everything short of draining the river that ran along the small town. He was gone, without a trace. As if he had never truly existed, at all.
Even in this house, warm and loving with Winry and Al - the dog he and Ed had adopted for Winry, a few years ago... Before the sickness really had a chance to sink in. He was here, he had a family, he had Ed's family, and he was grateful for it... But, what did Edward have? And for that matter, where could he possibly be?
Had it been wrong of him, knowing that Edward was not the same person- to fall in love with him, after having just lost the only person he'd ever been capable of feeling like that towards? Who would have imagined, that when it was all said and done ... It would have been Edward that he'd love, more than anyone in his entire life? The Fullmetal Alchemist would have scoffed, at that knowledge. He wouldn't have even known how to react to Roy Mustang, in love with a monster that had his face - trusting completely in a creature that was known for betraying their creators, their masters, the people that they got closest to. He'd known all along, how Ed would feel knowing that, and yet... He'd fallen in love, anyway.
Roy set his gloves aside, pulling the small red cloak into his lap and staring at the symbol there, fingers brushing over the fabric lightly. Maybe it had always been selfish of him to want such a wild creature to remain here with him, like a tamed pet. When he would grow old and die, and Edward... would live on, oblivious to aging and human weakness. If not for the framed picture beside the bed, he wouldn't believe that he had managed to keep the blond even for that short amount of time. It all seemed so far away now, as if he'd imagined the entire time they'd had together.
He closed his eyes, bowing his head and exhaling slowly. If he could ensure that Edward was safe, he'd give up anything - his own life - to have him here again. Dark eyes lowered to his gloves again, and the idea came to him as if the decision had already been made. He knew already that he simply did not know how to live without the blond in his life, and if this was permanent... If he didn't return, if he wasn't found- the quickest most effective way to make the pain end, was to follow after both of them. To cease existing, as well.
Roy's gaze returned to the framed picture of all of them together. Slipping on his gloves, hand raised and fingers ready to snap the General paused. Whispering his goodbye, he closed his eyes and before he realized what he'd done - reached out and slammed the photo down face first, surprising himself with the sudden snap as it hit the smooth wooden surface.
The only evidence he had, that he hadn't imagined those months together, hadn't made up the existence of Edward Elric's homunculus and all the time they'd shared together, was this picture. He couldn't bring himself to destroy it, and remove the only certainty he had that it hadn't been temporary insanity caused by grief and his own incapability to move on from yet another death in his life.
Edward had chosen a different picture. A smaller print so that he could keep it on him always, even though he never left the house. A good thing too, considering he wouldn't have had it otherwise, on the day that he disappeared.
Winry's expression was softer, relaxing and finally getting into the joy of the occasion - pleasant, happy in a way that he'd never seen her since his birth. Al wasn't really paying attention, glancing off camera somewhere, although equally as happy. Edward's gaze was on the camera, posed as the camera man had asked him to sit - after weeks of training, Roy showing him what would be expected and how he needed to act, he was the only one ready immediately to sit and take the picture. Roy, on the other hand, in this image had already swept aside blond strands and was resting a hand on Edward's shoulder instead - smiling ever so slightly, as if he had some master plan in the works that no one else knew about. In a sense it was like he did, which was proven once the film had been developed.
It was the only link he had to his home, once he wound up in Central. And still, he felt the same as he had from his birth. In Roy's presence he'd wanted nothing but the man's attention and love, like an adoring puppy that knew only how to please their master - and now without him, he'd returned to the way things had been before he'd met him. Empty, as if something was missing, only this time he could actually place what - or who - it was.
When he'd first met the human, Edward had insisted that he loved him - and Roy, patient but wary had told him to wait, and rethink those words. To only say them again once he knew what it meant, and could honestly love him. Edward had eventually figured out what it meant to love Roy himself, and when he did he realized that being trapped in a house on the countryside was no way for a human to live - even if what he wanted hadn't changed from the day that he was born, he knew that it was a selfish desire to want him in a way that restricted the human from having a normal life. Still, it hadn't stopped him from wanting to have Roy in his life, and for Roy to feel the same way in return... Or, at the very least, simply to pretend to when they were together.
And even now, that was all he wanted. Here, without him, Edward only wanted Roy. Or, at the very least for Roy to be happy now that he was gone and unable to distract him from living a normal life. In fact, it occurred to the homunculus, that the General might very well be better off without him there. Which worked for him, because he could have a life here like he could never have back on his own world, restricted to Risembool and the Rockbell-Elric home until enough time had passed that he wouldn't be mistaken for a human who was supposed to be dead and gone. Here, he could walk the streets every day, return to this apartment with Alfons and Alphonse until one or both of them disappeared like the Ed they'd also lived with had. Here, he wasn't trapped in a bedroom - comfortable as it was, happy as he had been to stay closed up in that house before he'd had a taste of freedom and friendship that stemmed from something more than obligation.
For the first time, able to wake up every day without wondering whether killing himself or his creator would finally make one of them happy, where neither truly seemed to be, as things were. Looking at the picture, Edward could pretend - did pretend - that they were all happy together.
The picture - Roy, Winry, Al and himself - the only proof he had, that he hadn't made up the only life he remembered having, before he'd arrived. All he had to assure himself that Roy was alive somewhere, and that even though he wasn't here, Edward hadn't fabricated his whole existence before coming here. That somewhere, he actually had a home to return to if he ever did leave this place.
Beta: Betas are overrated.
Genre: Uhh.... I'm not sure. Someone suggest a genre
Characters: Roy Mustang, Edward
Pairing: RoyxEd, sort of
Rating: I'd say PG, I haven't read it in awhile, but I don't remember anything.
Spoiler: It's so AU I don't think there are any?
Timeline: Post series, post fic AU after Edward winds up in fmadressingroom. So, it's an AU of an AU.
Warning: Blatant AU. RoyxOC technically. Homunculus fic. Songfic, technically.
In the end it had required a number of pictures. There was no way to tell how they were going to come out until they were developed, and they wanted to be sure that at least one of them came out decent - so gathered together, like some dysfunctional family portrait they had their photo taken. Roy had agreed to pay for them, made sure that there were several to choose from once they came out, because he knew photographers didn't always wait for everyone to be ready - and with four people in the picture it was hard to be sure that everyone would be ready when the flash did go off.
And there he was, looking at the picture he'd wound up keeping. They'd had enough to hand select their favorites, and his had turned out to be one of the early ones - still getting ready, before the camera should have even gone off and it was the most open and honest photograph of all of them.
Alphonse, expression happy, glad to be doing something normal for the first time in ages - smiling at the rest of them. Winry's ill concealed tension reminded him of days past, automail to be fixed and wrench aimed at a certain careless alchemist's head. He was posed, shoulders back, eyes on the camera - years in the military trained a person to be quick, ready for the unexpected... but he'd forgotten one thing. Last minute, before the flash went off, he'd brushed Edward's loose hair back over his shoulder. His hand had been caught, frozen forever sweeping the strands aside - such an openly intimate touch and the blond's attention was intently on him instead of the camera.
He looked back at the empty bed, the duster folded neatly and left at the foot - probably by Winry after Edward had gone missing. Nowhere to be found, and the General was torn between wondering if the blond had intentionally left to find his own happiness elsewhere, or if something had happened. They'd searched everywhere; in the pouring rain and thunder, in the sunshine - for weeks they did everything short of draining the river that ran along the small town. He was gone, without a trace. As if he had never truly existed, at all.
Even in this house, warm and loving with Winry and Al - the dog he and Ed had adopted for Winry, a few years ago... Before the sickness really had a chance to sink in. He was here, he had a family, he had Ed's family, and he was grateful for it... But, what did Edward have? And for that matter, where could he possibly be?
Had it been wrong of him, knowing that Edward was not the same person- to fall in love with him, after having just lost the only person he'd ever been capable of feeling like that towards? Who would have imagined, that when it was all said and done ... It would have been Edward that he'd love, more than anyone in his entire life? The Fullmetal Alchemist would have scoffed, at that knowledge. He wouldn't have even known how to react to Roy Mustang, in love with a monster that had his face - trusting completely in a creature that was known for betraying their creators, their masters, the people that they got closest to. He'd known all along, how Ed would feel knowing that, and yet... He'd fallen in love, anyway.
Roy set his gloves aside, pulling the small red cloak into his lap and staring at the symbol there, fingers brushing over the fabric lightly. Maybe it had always been selfish of him to want such a wild creature to remain here with him, like a tamed pet. When he would grow old and die, and Edward... would live on, oblivious to aging and human weakness. If not for the framed picture beside the bed, he wouldn't believe that he had managed to keep the blond even for that short amount of time. It all seemed so far away now, as if he'd imagined the entire time they'd had together.
He closed his eyes, bowing his head and exhaling slowly. If he could ensure that Edward was safe, he'd give up anything - his own life - to have him here again. Dark eyes lowered to his gloves again, and the idea came to him as if the decision had already been made. He knew already that he simply did not know how to live without the blond in his life, and if this was permanent... If he didn't return, if he wasn't found- the quickest most effective way to make the pain end, was to follow after both of them. To cease existing, as well.
Roy's gaze returned to the framed picture of all of them together. Slipping on his gloves, hand raised and fingers ready to snap the General paused. Whispering his goodbye, he closed his eyes and before he realized what he'd done - reached out and slammed the photo down face first, surprising himself with the sudden snap as it hit the smooth wooden surface.
The only evidence he had, that he hadn't imagined those months together, hadn't made up the existence of Edward Elric's homunculus and all the time they'd shared together, was this picture. He couldn't bring himself to destroy it, and remove the only certainty he had that it hadn't been temporary insanity caused by grief and his own incapability to move on from yet another death in his life.
Edward had chosen a different picture. A smaller print so that he could keep it on him always, even though he never left the house. A good thing too, considering he wouldn't have had it otherwise, on the day that he disappeared.
Winry's expression was softer, relaxing and finally getting into the joy of the occasion - pleasant, happy in a way that he'd never seen her since his birth. Al wasn't really paying attention, glancing off camera somewhere, although equally as happy. Edward's gaze was on the camera, posed as the camera man had asked him to sit - after weeks of training, Roy showing him what would be expected and how he needed to act, he was the only one ready immediately to sit and take the picture. Roy, on the other hand, in this image had already swept aside blond strands and was resting a hand on Edward's shoulder instead - smiling ever so slightly, as if he had some master plan in the works that no one else knew about. In a sense it was like he did, which was proven once the film had been developed.
It was the only link he had to his home, once he wound up in Central. And still, he felt the same as he had from his birth. In Roy's presence he'd wanted nothing but the man's attention and love, like an adoring puppy that knew only how to please their master - and now without him, he'd returned to the way things had been before he'd met him. Empty, as if something was missing, only this time he could actually place what - or who - it was.
When he'd first met the human, Edward had insisted that he loved him - and Roy, patient but wary had told him to wait, and rethink those words. To only say them again once he knew what it meant, and could honestly love him. Edward had eventually figured out what it meant to love Roy himself, and when he did he realized that being trapped in a house on the countryside was no way for a human to live - even if what he wanted hadn't changed from the day that he was born, he knew that it was a selfish desire to want him in a way that restricted the human from having a normal life. Still, it hadn't stopped him from wanting to have Roy in his life, and for Roy to feel the same way in return... Or, at the very least, simply to pretend to when they were together.
And even now, that was all he wanted. Here, without him, Edward only wanted Roy. Or, at the very least for Roy to be happy now that he was gone and unable to distract him from living a normal life. In fact, it occurred to the homunculus, that the General might very well be better off without him there. Which worked for him, because he could have a life here like he could never have back on his own world, restricted to Risembool and the Rockbell-Elric home until enough time had passed that he wouldn't be mistaken for a human who was supposed to be dead and gone. Here, he could walk the streets every day, return to this apartment with Alfons and Alphonse until one or both of them disappeared like the Ed they'd also lived with had. Here, he wasn't trapped in a bedroom - comfortable as it was, happy as he had been to stay closed up in that house before he'd had a taste of freedom and friendship that stemmed from something more than obligation.
For the first time, able to wake up every day without wondering whether killing himself or his creator would finally make one of them happy, where neither truly seemed to be, as things were. Looking at the picture, Edward could pretend - did pretend - that they were all happy together.
The picture - Roy, Winry, Al and himself - the only proof he had, that he hadn't made up the only life he remembered having, before he'd arrived. All he had to assure himself that Roy was alive somewhere, and that even though he wasn't here, Edward hadn't fabricated his whole existence before coming here. That somewhere, he actually had a home to return to if he ever did leave this place.