(FMA) Touch the Stars
I don't really know where / if this is going anywhere, but it's here, and I'm here, so here it is.
Title: Touch the Stars
Author: lanerose
Spoilers: None at the moment, but I think I'm gonna wave a 51+ flag here.
Pairing: Also none at the moment, although it may be trying to go RoyEd... Maybe
Word Count: ~1300
The first thing Edward Elric noticed as he woke up was that wherever he was, it was warm. The heat that permeated the area carried no uncomfortable weight or humidity, but instead gave just enough warmth to be comforting, calming. The soft, smooth texture of a blanket brushed gently against his bare arm. He inhaled deeply, feeling the rush of moderate air fill his mouth and lungs, then slowly released the breath. With a mumbled sound, he shifted and burrowed deeper into his cocoon.
The faint scent of coffee made its presence known next, tickling his nostrils with its tempting aroma. So what if science had shown that it stunted your growth? Science also seemed to think that milk aided in the lengthening and strengthening of bones, but even that didn’t give Ed incentive enough to drink the damn stuff. It tasted awful, regardless of what benefits it might have had. Coffee, though - coffee was delicious, warm and hot, and just right in the mornings.
Clink! A spoon hit china somewhere nearby, and Ed realized with a start that he couldn’t possibly be alone in the room. Jarring as the thought was, though, that in itself would not be enough to draw him from his pleasantly lethargic state. Footsteps approached, and a cool hand pressed itself gently against his face. A chair scraped loudly against the floor as, with a soft sigh, someone sat beside him. Pages ruffled, and then a voice drifted down to him.
“At that moment a shadow fell over them. The bright moonlight seemed to be suddenly cut off.” The voice began. Like the blankets covering Ed, it was soothing and warm. The tone was rich and smooth, like chocolate. More than that, though, it was familiar. Ed’s eyes shot open. “Several of the Riders cried out, and crouched, holding their arms above their heads, as if to ward off a blow from above.”
The voice continued to speak, but Ed no longer paid it any heed. Instead, he began to slowly withdraw his right hand from its pleasant hollow. Warm as the air was, it still felt cool upon his palm after the blanket. It surprised him to notice how the hand shook as he reached it towards the speaker seated across from him.
“…cloud. It wheeled and went north, flying at a greater speed than any wind-“ Contact, skin touching skin. Ed let his hand fall loosely to the bed as the startled reader looked up from his page. The book dropped from the dark-haired man’s hands as his deep brown eyes stared into the now open golden ones before him. The darker orbs went wide for a moment, the usual covering mask slipping from it just enough for the shock to show through. Just as quickly as it had fallen, the mask readvanced itself over the higher face, a smirk covering any concern.
“Well, Fullmetal,” said Colonel Roy Mustang as he stared at the boy lying before him, “nice to see you’ve decided to join us this afternoon.”
Ed briefly considered glaring at the man and fighting with him, but ultimately settled for drawing his arm back under the blankets and subtly shifting his position on the bed. It was indeed a bed, Ed now realized - which explained the cozy blankets and the soft but supportive pillows beneath his head. The wall behind Roy was cream colored, and when Ed tilted his head back he noticed that the ceiling matched. Ed watched the fan spin in lazy circles, its deep mahogany contrasting sharply.
“What…?” Ed began, startling himself when his voice cracked, dry and strangely brittle. Roy hmphed superiorly, gazing down at the blond stretched out before him. He shook his head lightly, once more stretching forward to lay his cool fingers upon Ed’s brow. The boy leaned into their touch, allowing his eyes to flutter closed. Roy’s hand lingered a moment longer, then pulled back.
“Rest, Fullmetal. That’s an order.” Roy said calmly, almost indulgently, but with an unwavering note of conviction in his voice. “We’ll discuss what happened when you’re not about to pass out… again.”
This time Ed managed a look if not a full on glare, and the twinkle in Roy’s eyes showed that he appreciated the effort. Then the older man rose to his feet, picked the book up from the ground, and headed across the room. Ed followed his progress until doing so would have required him to move, at which point he simply gave up. The blankets were so warm after all…
“Sleep well.” The words came to him from a great distance, seemingly whispered on the wind as the lights dimmed - or was that his eyes closing? - and Ed gave in to sleep once more.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Fullmetal!” The voice said sharply. Ed groaned and rolled over, burying his face in the pillow. Hands came to rest on his shoulders, flipping him over. With a groan, he released the fluffy object and allowed himself to be pulled away from it. Sighing, he opened his eyes.
“What do you want?” Ed asked, blinking at the man irritably. Roy merely arched an eyebrow at the younger man superiorly. With a put upon sigh, Ed started to sit up, only to wince and give up the effort halfway, collapsing back upon the pillows as his face twisted in a grimace.
Roy watched him struggling, waiting for the boy to regain his composure. Ed once more glared at the man, who stared at him from beyond an unblinking façade. When at last the smaller alchemist’s expression cleared, Roy said nothing, merely reached down and pulled him quickly but carefully upright before stuffing an extra pillow behind his back. Ed clenched his jaw and fidgeted a bit before taking a slow breath.
“What are you doing here?” Ed asked, meeting the older man’s gaze steadily. Roy watched him carefully a moment longer, then allowed the corner of his mouth to quirk upwards.
“Well, Fullmetal, I see your skills in observation are as sharp as ever.” The colonel said dryly, turning away and walking from the bed. He meandered slowly across the room to a table, on which Ed could see a small tray, now that he looked. It was functional and frill-less, but as he inhaled he caught the undeniably tantalizing scent of freshly made eggs.
With the same alacrity that had brought him to the tray, Roy returned to Ed’s bedside and placed it before him. Ed looked up at his superior for a moment, then reached out and grabbed the fork on the tray with his right… hand…? He froze, sitting perfectly still for a moment, then raised his head.
“Where’s Al?” He asked, his voice calm in a frozen sort of way, his golden eyes meeting the other man’s darkened orbs fixedly. Roy glanced down and away.
“Al! Where’s Al? What happened to him?” Ed’s voice rose in pitch and speed as the man still did not respond. He shook his head frantically, pushed the tray started to rise, eyes wide, muscles screaming, threw the tray aside not fast enough where -
“Stay, Fullmetal.” Sharp and crisp words, hands on his shoulders, his right shoulder he could feel the hand Al!
Ed’s eyes went wide as a blow caught him harshly across the face. He reeled a bit, but shook off the pain. Al! Where was he, where was he where was he wherewashe? Al! Al! Eyes darted wildly about the room. Armor, where was the armor? Didn’t see it, couldn’t find it, where?
At a great distance, Ed could vaguely hear a voice shouting at him as he fought off the hands that held him, finally landing a blow and getting a start on moving forward. Then there was pain, and darkness.
Title: Touch the Stars
Author: lanerose
Spoilers: None at the moment, but I think I'm gonna wave a 51+ flag here.
Pairing: Also none at the moment, although it may be trying to go RoyEd... Maybe
Word Count: ~1300
The first thing Edward Elric noticed as he woke up was that wherever he was, it was warm. The heat that permeated the area carried no uncomfortable weight or humidity, but instead gave just enough warmth to be comforting, calming. The soft, smooth texture of a blanket brushed gently against his bare arm. He inhaled deeply, feeling the rush of moderate air fill his mouth and lungs, then slowly released the breath. With a mumbled sound, he shifted and burrowed deeper into his cocoon.
The faint scent of coffee made its presence known next, tickling his nostrils with its tempting aroma. So what if science had shown that it stunted your growth? Science also seemed to think that milk aided in the lengthening and strengthening of bones, but even that didn’t give Ed incentive enough to drink the damn stuff. It tasted awful, regardless of what benefits it might have had. Coffee, though - coffee was delicious, warm and hot, and just right in the mornings.
Clink! A spoon hit china somewhere nearby, and Ed realized with a start that he couldn’t possibly be alone in the room. Jarring as the thought was, though, that in itself would not be enough to draw him from his pleasantly lethargic state. Footsteps approached, and a cool hand pressed itself gently against his face. A chair scraped loudly against the floor as, with a soft sigh, someone sat beside him. Pages ruffled, and then a voice drifted down to him.
“At that moment a shadow fell over them. The bright moonlight seemed to be suddenly cut off.” The voice began. Like the blankets covering Ed, it was soothing and warm. The tone was rich and smooth, like chocolate. More than that, though, it was familiar. Ed’s eyes shot open. “Several of the Riders cried out, and crouched, holding their arms above their heads, as if to ward off a blow from above.”
The voice continued to speak, but Ed no longer paid it any heed. Instead, he began to slowly withdraw his right hand from its pleasant hollow. Warm as the air was, it still felt cool upon his palm after the blanket. It surprised him to notice how the hand shook as he reached it towards the speaker seated across from him.
“…cloud. It wheeled and went north, flying at a greater speed than any wind-“ Contact, skin touching skin. Ed let his hand fall loosely to the bed as the startled reader looked up from his page. The book dropped from the dark-haired man’s hands as his deep brown eyes stared into the now open golden ones before him. The darker orbs went wide for a moment, the usual covering mask slipping from it just enough for the shock to show through. Just as quickly as it had fallen, the mask readvanced itself over the higher face, a smirk covering any concern.
“Well, Fullmetal,” said Colonel Roy Mustang as he stared at the boy lying before him, “nice to see you’ve decided to join us this afternoon.”
Ed briefly considered glaring at the man and fighting with him, but ultimately settled for drawing his arm back under the blankets and subtly shifting his position on the bed. It was indeed a bed, Ed now realized - which explained the cozy blankets and the soft but supportive pillows beneath his head. The wall behind Roy was cream colored, and when Ed tilted his head back he noticed that the ceiling matched. Ed watched the fan spin in lazy circles, its deep mahogany contrasting sharply.
“What…?” Ed began, startling himself when his voice cracked, dry and strangely brittle. Roy hmphed superiorly, gazing down at the blond stretched out before him. He shook his head lightly, once more stretching forward to lay his cool fingers upon Ed’s brow. The boy leaned into their touch, allowing his eyes to flutter closed. Roy’s hand lingered a moment longer, then pulled back.
“Rest, Fullmetal. That’s an order.” Roy said calmly, almost indulgently, but with an unwavering note of conviction in his voice. “We’ll discuss what happened when you’re not about to pass out… again.”
This time Ed managed a look if not a full on glare, and the twinkle in Roy’s eyes showed that he appreciated the effort. Then the older man rose to his feet, picked the book up from the ground, and headed across the room. Ed followed his progress until doing so would have required him to move, at which point he simply gave up. The blankets were so warm after all…
“Sleep well.” The words came to him from a great distance, seemingly whispered on the wind as the lights dimmed - or was that his eyes closing? - and Ed gave in to sleep once more.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Fullmetal!” The voice said sharply. Ed groaned and rolled over, burying his face in the pillow. Hands came to rest on his shoulders, flipping him over. With a groan, he released the fluffy object and allowed himself to be pulled away from it. Sighing, he opened his eyes.
“What do you want?” Ed asked, blinking at the man irritably. Roy merely arched an eyebrow at the younger man superiorly. With a put upon sigh, Ed started to sit up, only to wince and give up the effort halfway, collapsing back upon the pillows as his face twisted in a grimace.
Roy watched him struggling, waiting for the boy to regain his composure. Ed once more glared at the man, who stared at him from beyond an unblinking façade. When at last the smaller alchemist’s expression cleared, Roy said nothing, merely reached down and pulled him quickly but carefully upright before stuffing an extra pillow behind his back. Ed clenched his jaw and fidgeted a bit before taking a slow breath.
“What are you doing here?” Ed asked, meeting the older man’s gaze steadily. Roy watched him carefully a moment longer, then allowed the corner of his mouth to quirk upwards.
“Well, Fullmetal, I see your skills in observation are as sharp as ever.” The colonel said dryly, turning away and walking from the bed. He meandered slowly across the room to a table, on which Ed could see a small tray, now that he looked. It was functional and frill-less, but as he inhaled he caught the undeniably tantalizing scent of freshly made eggs.
With the same alacrity that had brought him to the tray, Roy returned to Ed’s bedside and placed it before him. Ed looked up at his superior for a moment, then reached out and grabbed the fork on the tray with his right… hand…? He froze, sitting perfectly still for a moment, then raised his head.
“Where’s Al?” He asked, his voice calm in a frozen sort of way, his golden eyes meeting the other man’s darkened orbs fixedly. Roy glanced down and away.
“Al! Where’s Al? What happened to him?” Ed’s voice rose in pitch and speed as the man still did not respond. He shook his head frantically, pushed the tray started to rise, eyes wide, muscles screaming, threw the tray aside not fast enough where -
“Stay, Fullmetal.” Sharp and crisp words, hands on his shoulders, his right shoulder he could feel the hand Al!
Ed’s eyes went wide as a blow caught him harshly across the face. He reeled a bit, but shook off the pain. Al! Where was he, where was he where was he wherewashe? Al! Al! Eyes darted wildly about the room. Armor, where was the armor? Didn’t see it, couldn’t find it, where?
At a great distance, Ed could vaguely hear a voice shouting at him as he fought off the hands that held him, finally landing a blow and getting a start on moving forward. Then there was pain, and darkness.