For Her. For Him. Ch. 3 Her Funeral
Title: For Her. For Him.
Chapter: Her Funeral
Pairing: Roy/Ed, eventual.
Rating: PG-13, eventual NC-17
Summary: after Riza Hawkeye is shot, Ed has to take on new responsibilities. (My attempt at a MPreg with a realistic explanation. Will eventually have lemons.)
For Her. For Him. Ch. 3
Chapter 3
Her Funeral
Roy was finally able to give Riza a proper funeral, doing his best to look stoic, despite the tear stains that belied his true state of mind. Al stood at the rear of the crowd of military personnel, while Ed held a place at the Colonel’s side, daring any of the higher-ups to deny him this place. No one questioned a hidden meaning behind this sudden closeness between the colonel and major, as Riza’s death was expected to either make them hate one another for drawing useful air, or bring them closer, feuding put aside for the grief they now shared.
Ed reached up and placed his left hand on Roy’s shoulder. That tiny gesture was not lost on the Flame Alchemist, who returned the sign of comfort with a hand to the middle of the teen’s small back. Ed’s grip on the older man’s shoulder tightened reassuringly as Roy fought to watch as her casket was lowered into the ground. Roy’s arm tensed and he could feel the hot tears flood down his cheeks. He couldn’t fight the them, but he managed to hold back the sobs, part of him relying heavily on Fullmetal, who was demonstrating a strength Mustang could only wish he had.
The funeral over, Roy and Ed followed Jean Havoc to the colonel’s car, while Major Armstrong pulled Al aside to speak with him. Roy only half-acknowledged Armstrong’s actions, despite the fact that he had been the one to order them. He walked behind Ed, opening the car door for the teen, and attempting to help him in, only receiving a glare for his efforts. Ed wasn’t far enough along in the pregnancy to accept the colonel’s help, and Roy knew there would probably be no point in the pregnancy when the hardheaded teen’s pride would willingly accept the help of another.
Roy took his seat beside Ed, who had now caught sight of his brother and the major. “Colonel, we have to rescue Al. He’ll never get away.”
Winding down the window, Roy yelled out to Armstrong, “Will you drive Al to Ginny’s Dinette?” Armstrong’s response was a shimmering salute to the colonel. Roy wound the window back up and looked to Ed, who, despite watery eyes, was glaring. “He looked as though he needed to talk to Al, and the drive is only five minutes, so it won’t prolong your brother’s agony.”
It amazed Roy that the teen was able to provide such a distraction for him, as he realized again how much he had wanted to continue to cry when he had first sat in the vehicle, as all thought of that was nearly forgotten now. He looked at Ed, who had turned to look out the window on his left, his flesh hand propping up his head, his automail limb rubbing his lower stomach. Roy watched as silent tears rolled down the teen’s cheeks, and once again, the desire to cry rose inside of Roy’s chest. He fought it off, trying to be strong for the sixteen-year-old beside him. He reached out his left arm and put it on Fullmetal’s shoulders.
Nervously, Ed looked over at Roy, then turned in the seat. Yet somehow, rather than being the one giving comfort, he found Fullmetal trying to offer it to him. “Let it out.”
“I shouldn’t. I--” He was cut off as Ed wrapped his arms around him. Roy looked up at Havoc’s surprised eyes in the rearview mirror before he broke down and began to sob onto Fullmetal’s shoulder. “I’m not supposed to…”
“Anyone who gets shit on as much as you do deserves to let the world know it.” Ed’s left hand held onto Roy’s head, the right around his waist. Feeling as though he didn’t need to pretend his heart wasn’t breaking in two, he locked his own arms around the blonde, comforted by the teen’s strength. Strength capable of holding up a crying commander, capable of carrying children that would have otherwise have been lost.
Unfortunately, the same reason Roy had managed to convince Fullmetal to allow his younger brother to ride along with Armstrong remained true. It was only about a five-minute drive to the dinette, and now Roy’s face was red and swollen from crying.
“Lieutenant,” Ed said, still holding Roy, “would you go ahead inside and stall while the colonel can regain his composure?”
“Sure, Boss.” Havoc said, exiting the car.
“You stay here as long as you need to,” Ed said, never releasing his hold on Roy’s head and waist.
“Why?” Roy asked the question, muffled somewhat by Fullmetal’s shoulder, though it was really many wrapped into one: Why are you doing this? Why are you willing to carry my children? Why did Riza have to die?
“Listen, Mustang,” Ed said, almost authoritatively, “I know what it means to do something stupid and desperate because you miss someone, and I also know she loved you as much as you loved her. All you had to do was look at her face when she talked about you. Do you really think that someone who tried so hard to protect you would actually want to wallow in pain? You need to cry, to let it out, but you have to live. You’re going to be fuhrer one day and change this whole country. You’re going to make all the women wear a mini-skirt, remember?” Ed chuckled. He pulled back a little. “And I’ll swear to you, I will do another human transmutation if you try and leave me to deal with this,” He looked down at his stomach. “alone.”
Roy reached into his pocket to pull out a handkerchief to wipe his face while Ed slid his red jacket onto the back seat. “Better leave this here,” Ed said. “You pretty much soaked it.” Grabbing one of the sleeves, he wiped his own face. Roy leaned back against the seat, fighting of dry sobs. “Feel better?”
“Yes. No.” Roy jammed the handkerchief back in his pocket, once again looking at Fullmetal. “Thank you.”
“Anytime, old man.”
Roy opened the door, sliding out and this time didn’t offer to help his subordinate exit, only waiting for him. As Ed rose to his feet, he stumbled, grabbing onto Roy as he did. “Lightheaded again?” Ed nodded as he leaned on the older man for support.
“Brother!” came an echoing voice from just down the street. There was the noise of clanging metal as Al came running toward the two alchemists.
“I’m okay, Al, just a little dizzy.” As Roy grabbed one of Fullmetal’s arms, Al grabbed the other. Looking up at the suit of armor, Roy would have sworn if it could glare, it most certainly was at the moment. He was fairly sure that a great deal of the anger radiating form the younger Elric had originated in the conversation with Major Armstrong, but it wasn’t as though Al had been too happy with Roy over the last two days. The way he acted, one would have thought Roy went and knocked Ed up.
“Is something wrong with young Elric?” Armstrong asked.
“He hasn’t been eating right since he got out of the hospital,” Roy said. “We need to get him a little something.”
“Who you calling so small he could make a feast on a grain of rice?” Ed asked, his hand clenching onto the colonel’s arm.
“See,” Roy said, grateful he was on Fullmetal’s left for only a moment as he remembered the automail foot, which soundly kicked his shin. “Perfectly normal.”
“I’m fine now,” Ed said, shaking free of each who flanked him.
Roy walked behind, looking up at Armstrong expectantly, who nodded his head in response.
Chapter: Her Funeral
Pairing: Roy/Ed, eventual.
Rating: PG-13, eventual NC-17
Summary: after Riza Hawkeye is shot, Ed has to take on new responsibilities. (My attempt at a MPreg with a realistic explanation. Will eventually have lemons.)
For Her. For Him. Ch. 3
Chapter 3
Her Funeral
Roy was finally able to give Riza a proper funeral, doing his best to look stoic, despite the tear stains that belied his true state of mind. Al stood at the rear of the crowd of military personnel, while Ed held a place at the Colonel’s side, daring any of the higher-ups to deny him this place. No one questioned a hidden meaning behind this sudden closeness between the colonel and major, as Riza’s death was expected to either make them hate one another for drawing useful air, or bring them closer, feuding put aside for the grief they now shared.
Ed reached up and placed his left hand on Roy’s shoulder. That tiny gesture was not lost on the Flame Alchemist, who returned the sign of comfort with a hand to the middle of the teen’s small back. Ed’s grip on the older man’s shoulder tightened reassuringly as Roy fought to watch as her casket was lowered into the ground. Roy’s arm tensed and he could feel the hot tears flood down his cheeks. He couldn’t fight the them, but he managed to hold back the sobs, part of him relying heavily on Fullmetal, who was demonstrating a strength Mustang could only wish he had.
The funeral over, Roy and Ed followed Jean Havoc to the colonel’s car, while Major Armstrong pulled Al aside to speak with him. Roy only half-acknowledged Armstrong’s actions, despite the fact that he had been the one to order them. He walked behind Ed, opening the car door for the teen, and attempting to help him in, only receiving a glare for his efforts. Ed wasn’t far enough along in the pregnancy to accept the colonel’s help, and Roy knew there would probably be no point in the pregnancy when the hardheaded teen’s pride would willingly accept the help of another.
Roy took his seat beside Ed, who had now caught sight of his brother and the major. “Colonel, we have to rescue Al. He’ll never get away.”
Winding down the window, Roy yelled out to Armstrong, “Will you drive Al to Ginny’s Dinette?” Armstrong’s response was a shimmering salute to the colonel. Roy wound the window back up and looked to Ed, who, despite watery eyes, was glaring. “He looked as though he needed to talk to Al, and the drive is only five minutes, so it won’t prolong your brother’s agony.”
It amazed Roy that the teen was able to provide such a distraction for him, as he realized again how much he had wanted to continue to cry when he had first sat in the vehicle, as all thought of that was nearly forgotten now. He looked at Ed, who had turned to look out the window on his left, his flesh hand propping up his head, his automail limb rubbing his lower stomach. Roy watched as silent tears rolled down the teen’s cheeks, and once again, the desire to cry rose inside of Roy’s chest. He fought it off, trying to be strong for the sixteen-year-old beside him. He reached out his left arm and put it on Fullmetal’s shoulders.
Nervously, Ed looked over at Roy, then turned in the seat. Yet somehow, rather than being the one giving comfort, he found Fullmetal trying to offer it to him. “Let it out.”
“I shouldn’t. I--” He was cut off as Ed wrapped his arms around him. Roy looked up at Havoc’s surprised eyes in the rearview mirror before he broke down and began to sob onto Fullmetal’s shoulder. “I’m not supposed to…”
“Anyone who gets shit on as much as you do deserves to let the world know it.” Ed’s left hand held onto Roy’s head, the right around his waist. Feeling as though he didn’t need to pretend his heart wasn’t breaking in two, he locked his own arms around the blonde, comforted by the teen’s strength. Strength capable of holding up a crying commander, capable of carrying children that would have otherwise have been lost.
Unfortunately, the same reason Roy had managed to convince Fullmetal to allow his younger brother to ride along with Armstrong remained true. It was only about a five-minute drive to the dinette, and now Roy’s face was red and swollen from crying.
“Lieutenant,” Ed said, still holding Roy, “would you go ahead inside and stall while the colonel can regain his composure?”
“Sure, Boss.” Havoc said, exiting the car.
“You stay here as long as you need to,” Ed said, never releasing his hold on Roy’s head and waist.
“Why?” Roy asked the question, muffled somewhat by Fullmetal’s shoulder, though it was really many wrapped into one: Why are you doing this? Why are you willing to carry my children? Why did Riza have to die?
“Listen, Mustang,” Ed said, almost authoritatively, “I know what it means to do something stupid and desperate because you miss someone, and I also know she loved you as much as you loved her. All you had to do was look at her face when she talked about you. Do you really think that someone who tried so hard to protect you would actually want to wallow in pain? You need to cry, to let it out, but you have to live. You’re going to be fuhrer one day and change this whole country. You’re going to make all the women wear a mini-skirt, remember?” Ed chuckled. He pulled back a little. “And I’ll swear to you, I will do another human transmutation if you try and leave me to deal with this,” He looked down at his stomach. “alone.”
Roy reached into his pocket to pull out a handkerchief to wipe his face while Ed slid his red jacket onto the back seat. “Better leave this here,” Ed said. “You pretty much soaked it.” Grabbing one of the sleeves, he wiped his own face. Roy leaned back against the seat, fighting of dry sobs. “Feel better?”
“Yes. No.” Roy jammed the handkerchief back in his pocket, once again looking at Fullmetal. “Thank you.”
“Anytime, old man.”
Roy opened the door, sliding out and this time didn’t offer to help his subordinate exit, only waiting for him. As Ed rose to his feet, he stumbled, grabbing onto Roy as he did. “Lightheaded again?” Ed nodded as he leaned on the older man for support.
“Brother!” came an echoing voice from just down the street. There was the noise of clanging metal as Al came running toward the two alchemists.
“I’m okay, Al, just a little dizzy.” As Roy grabbed one of Fullmetal’s arms, Al grabbed the other. Looking up at the suit of armor, Roy would have sworn if it could glare, it most certainly was at the moment. He was fairly sure that a great deal of the anger radiating form the younger Elric had originated in the conversation with Major Armstrong, but it wasn’t as though Al had been too happy with Roy over the last two days. The way he acted, one would have thought Roy went and knocked Ed up.
“Is something wrong with young Elric?” Armstrong asked.
“He hasn’t been eating right since he got out of the hospital,” Roy said. “We need to get him a little something.”
“Who you calling so small he could make a feast on a grain of rice?” Ed asked, his hand clenching onto the colonel’s arm.
“See,” Roy said, grateful he was on Fullmetal’s left for only a moment as he remembered the automail foot, which soundly kicked his shin. “Perfectly normal.”
“I’m fine now,” Ed said, shaking free of each who flanked him.
Roy walked behind, looking up at Armstrong expectantly, who nodded his head in response.