Waiting: Mother Arc: Chapter 5

"Ed, you're supposed to start applying the break as you approach a stop sign, not when you're already on it."

"Shut up; it's not like your driving's any better."

"I have excellent driving and you know it. If you crash that car don't expect me to come up here to get it working for you again."

"I've never crashed."

"Yet."

Ed grumbled as he opened the front door. "See if I ever pick you up at the station again."

"I'd probably live longer if you didn't—kitty!" Winry dropped her bag in the entry way and crouched to hold out her hand to the little grey and white feline that had come trotting in from the kitchen. "Aw! When did you guys get a cat?"

"Eh. . . ." Ed picked up the dropped bag and watched as Magpie gave the offered hand a polite sniff and then a rub. "Remember that thunderstorm we had about a month ago? Really bad one?"

Winry laughed and scratched the cat between the ears. "That figures. You're lucky you found someone idiot enough to take you in, yes you are! Aw, you're a friendly little guy, aren't you?"

Ed hunched his shoulders and didn't comment as he went to deposit Winry's bag and suitcase in the spare room.

When he came back out he found Magpie giving his friend a very thorough welcome. Ed folded his arms and cocked an eyebrow at the scene.

"Yes, you're very sweet, but you're getting—pft—cat snot all over my face, and —ha ha! That tickles, stop that—"

"You could stand up, y'know."

"Ed's a big meanie, isn't he, you—wagh! Eww, he tried to stick his nose up my nose!"

"Be glad he didn't get your mouth." He reached down and picked up the cat, only to have the adolescent feline attack his automail. He hitched the cat into his left arm and wiggled his right fingers for Magpie to bat at. "Al's working closing at the bookstore and Roy's helping set up for tomorrow, and neither of them'll be home until after seven, so it's up to us to get dinner."

"Can we—pffft—" Winry paused to rub cat fur off her face. "—Can we order pizza?"

"You got a problem with my cooking?"

"Unlike your driving, your cooking is fine. I just haven't had pizza in ages."

Ed grinned and headed for the phone.

* * *

"Mm—no one in Resembool even knows what pizza is, I swear. And it never turns out quite right when I make it."

"'N kno'—" Ed finished his bite and added, "There's some trick to the crust."

"And they've got those big ovens—there must be some way to reproduce those in a smaller scale, it's gotta be in the heat reflection and air circulation—"

"You'd still have to figure out the crust, though." He took another bite, pulling back and breaking the cheese strings with his fingers.

"You better not get cheese stuck in your joints."

"'N na' 'N na'!" he insisted, scrubbing his right hand on a napkin. He couldn't win; if he kept his gloves on, he got scolded for lack of manners and for getting the fabric dirty. If he took them off, he was in danger of getting food in his automail.

"And stop talking with your mouth full."

Ed rolled his eyes and gave up altogether.

"So what's she like?" Winry asked after a few more bites. "Roy-san's mom. Is she nice?"

"I think I know where he gets his sarcasm from. No, she's nice."

"But—?"

He sighed and took a bite. "I dunno," he said after a moment. "I kinda, get the feeling that, she doesn't—doesn't quite like me or something. Not like she hates me or anything, she just—I dunno. 'M not sure she likes me."

"Maybe she wasn't prepared for her son to get involved with a guy."

"Yeah. Not sure if it's that, or . . . something else."

"Probably just has a problem with you."

"Hey!"

"What? You don't always come off well, Ed. I mean, I love you, but I've also known you since forever. You gotta think about what kind of first impression you give people."

He sighed and leaned against his fist. Trust Winry to confirm his fears.

Winry started to stay something more, but they got interrupted by the sound of the door opening and Al's voice calling out "I'm home!"

"Hey Al!"

"Winry! Hi! How was your trip? Were the trains okay?"

"Trains are trains. It was fine, Al."

Ed watched with big-brother amusement as Winry stood to receive a hug from Al. They'd never been a particularly huggy family, but Winry had told him how Al had been almost clingy just after he'd been restored, as if he'd been trying to make up for his years in the armor, the years he couldn't feel, even though he hadn't been able to remember them. Ed wondered now if Winry had noticed that there was a different quality to Al's physical demonstrativeness when she was involved.

Al wasted no time in helping himself to some pizza, and the three of them fell into a conversation on, of all things, pizza ovens. They were discussing whether they needed to be brick or if ordinary home ovens could work just as well when the door opened again.

"Hm, smells like someone ordered pizza," Roy's voice called from the entry way.

"Come get some before these two bottomless pits eat it all," Winry called back.

Ed kicked her under the table and promptly got kicked back. That really hadn't been fair, he didn't eat nearly as much as he used to. But Winry wouldn't be Winry if she didn't tease him at every opportunity.

Roy draped his uniform jacket over the back of a chair and leaned one hand on Ed's shoulder as he sat. "How was your trip, Winry-san?"

"Well enough. You'd think with technology nowadays they could make train seats a little more comfortable, but otherwise it was fine."

Roy chuckled and helped himself to the pizza. Ed watched him for a moment before returning to his own slice. The older man was still a little awkward around Winry, but aside from that, he seemed . . . distracted. Ed would have thought that with what took place earlier he'd still be in a good mood.

Sometime toward the end of the meal Winry frowned suddenly. "Oh yeah—I spoke with Ros recently. She said some guy was nosing around Liore. She said Armstrong-san scared him off before he really talked to anyone, but he was asking questions about the military."

Roy nodded. "Mm. Alex told me about that."

Edward narrowed his eyes at his lover. "What's going on?" Unspoken was, what are you keeping from me?

"At the moment, it's nothing," the older man said with a raised eyebrow. He paused for a moment, then continued, "Some of the soldiers who were in Liore are starting to want to come forward about the treatment of the citizens there, but it's . . . touchy. Hakuro still has a lot of support."

"So who was this guy?" Winry persisted.

"Press, I suspect. I counseled the soldiers not to speak to anyone just yet, but this sort of thing has a way of getting out. I'm doing my best to keep it quiet."

"Will Ros-san have to talk to anyone?" Al said, voicing what was on everyone's mind.

"It's difficult to say, at this point, just what actions will be taken," Roy said, slowly. "But some of the people of Liore may be called on to testify, yes."

"She'll do it," Winry said firmly. "If it comes to that, Ros will come forward, I know she will. She'll do it if it helps the people of Liore."

Roy nodded again. "Although I am hoping there's a way to do this without opening too many old wounds."

Ed gave the man a tight frown. Roy's answering look said that he understood the matter had been dropped—for now.

He managed to wait until they were getting ready for bed. "Oi. Just how long has this been going on?"

Roy sighed as he finished changing into his pajamas. "The first one spoke with me about a month and a half ago."

Ed scowled and yanked back the covers. "A month and a half? And you've never fucking mentioned it?"

"There's been nothing to mention." He slid the dresser drawer shut and stepped to the bed, meeting his partner's angry gaze evenly. "We're still in the process of putting out feelers to see how many might come forward. It's touchy," he repeated, "and it's going slowly."

"Month and a half." He folded his arms and stayed were he was as Roy sat down on the bed. "Six fucking weeks. And you never thought to mention it? Never thought I might like to know?"

'I told you, there's nothing to mention, not yet." The older man sighed, and then his expression softened, and Ed saw the mask slip away. "I didn't want to upset you," he admitted.

"I'm not a fucking kid—"

"No. No, you're not. But you are someone who tends to hold onto guilt." He slid his legs under the covers, smoothing the sheet out where it was folded back over the comforter. "There was no point in telling you until we were ready to move forward." Another pause, and then he added, "I know you still feel responsible for Liore."

"Shit." The young man glared off to the side for a long moment, before jerking the covers back again and thumping down onto the mattress. "How long were you planning to wait before telling me?"

"Only until there was something to tell." Roy reached up and tugged at the elastic band still holding his lover's hair back, gently working it free. "Honest."

Ed sighed heavily as the other man ran fingers though his hair, smoothing out the crimp from the ponytail and lightly scratching his scalp. He wanted to stay mad, he really did; this wouldn't be the first time Roy had kept things from him. But that had been before, back when they'd been superior and subordinate instead of lovers. And as much as he hated to admit it, Roy was right. There wasn't anything he could do right now except mull over old wounds and past guilt. He sighed again and leaned into his lover's hand as it scratched over a particular spot behind his ear. The older man smiled at him, one of the small, gentle and completely open smiles he'd come to love over the past year. "What's up with you, anyway? You've been acting funny all evening."

"It's nothing."

"Roy. . . ."

"It's probably nothing, anyway." He sighed and stroked Ed's bangs back, absently twining the cowlick around his fingers. "My mother was acting a little strangely this afternoon, that's all."

"Strangely?"

"Like she does when she has something on her mind, something she's trying to keep to herself."

"Maybe it's gotta do with tomorrow."

"Maybe. I'm sure it's nothing."

Edward reached over and slid the eye patch away, lightly caressing the scar beneath it with automail fingers before tossing the stiffened fabric onto the bedside table. "How come I can't ever stay mad at you the way I used to?"

"Maybe you've finally accepted that I'm right."

"Arrogant bastard."