So, I've read a couple of similar stories, and decided to make my own when this idea popped into my head, so I hope you'll enjoy it!

And all I own is my complete manga box set, nothing more...

And for those that have read my other stories, this is non-violent.

Ed was having a bad day. A fucking bad day. He was sore all over from fighting those stupid human traffickers two days ago, there was a fucking thunderstorm and his stumps were aching like hell, and of course he just had to deliver in his report today. His boots were filling up with water, putting even more of a strain on what remained of his left leg. The wind was blowing too hard to use an umbrella, and the usual short cut back to East HQ was of course blocked off because of road works.

And so Ed was cold, wet, in pain and in a fucking bad temper. And of course the one he had to meet was the bastard Colonel who would just make short jokes while looking at him with his smug face.

Ed was limping by now, and he still had ten minutes left.

Damn that fucking bastard!

And so his boots made small squelching noises as he limped his way through the halls of East HQ when he finally got there. He came to the office, finding it deserted, even Hawkeye was away.

Of course they would have left by now, it was four thirty.

He started opening the door, ready to shout at that bastard for dragging him out here, when he heard voices and the sound of his own name. He paused, listening from the slight crack at the door.

"So how are things with young Elric? Still as much of a pain in the ass?" Ed didn't recognise the voice, but he felt his fists clench at the insult.

"Yes. He's been here for over two years now, and he's just as much of a brat as always." It was the Colonel.

"Frankly Roy, you amaze me. Have you ever considered transferring him?"

"Nah. Would feel too bad for his brother. At least he's a good kid."

"If he's such trouble, why did you even bring him into the military in the first place? He sounds like he would just defect the moment he sees war."

"Guess I felt bad for him. Also, it did help me move ahead in the queue for a promotion. He does have considerable talent after all."

"Wow, Roy, you really do want to climb that ladder."

"Yes, but I have to say that I'm wondering if it was worth it, having to deal with his teenage tantrums at least twice a week. I mean, I'm not his father, thank god, it's not something I should have to deal with." He laughed. "Honestly, I pity anyone who would ever have to raise that brat."

So that's what he thinks, huh? Fine!

Ed threw his report on the floor in anger and stomped out of the office, not caring about the pain that shot up his left leg with each step. He passed Hawkeye in the hallway, she was carrying a mug of coffee.

"Oh, Edward? Is something wrong?"

"Me apparently!"

Then he stormed past her before he left the building all together and went outside into the pouring rain.

"Huh? Well, good luck as always, Roy. I hope I'll see you soon." Roy shook hands with the disgusting Brigadier General with a fake smile.

The man left, finally.

Oh, how Roy hated that man. This had been eighteenth time he had come fishing for a report on Fullmetal's compatibility as a soldier. Those bastards in Central just wanted to sink their claws into his subordinate and so he fed them as much crap as he could about the kid so that they wouldn't want to be in charge of him.

Hawkeye entered the room, picking up something from the floor just outside the inner office. It seemed to be a couple of sheets stapled together. "Sir, did you just say something?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I met Edward in the corridor, he was quite upset."

Roy froze.

Oh god.

Roy stood up from his desk and grabbed the documents in Hawkeye's hand. He read the name on top of the slightly soggy sheets of paper.

Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

He had forgotten about Fullmetal's deadline being today.

"Sir, what's wrong?"

Roy was already throwing on his coat. "Brigadier General Thorns was just here. I think Fullmetal must have been listening at the door."

Hawkeye's mouth opened slightly. Then her eyes burned angrily.

SMACK!

She actually slapped him. "COLONEL! ARE YOU A COMPLETE IDIOT?! YOU KNEW FULL WELL THAT YOU TOLD HIM TO COME IN TO DELIVER HIS REPORT TODAY!"

"I need to find him."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

"I said that I pity anyone who would have to raise him," Roy said in a small voice, too afraid of Hawkeye's wrath to even consider not answering her.

She slapped him again. Harder this time. "OUT OF ALL THE STUPID THINGS YOU COULD SAY! FIND HIM! NOW!"

Roy ran from the office and in the direction of the car, cursing himself.

How could he have forgotten about the report?!

He slammed the car door closed and started the car.

After what Hohenheim did, that was about the worst thing he could have said. It could even be seen as a way to excuse his mother's death too.

Damn!

And now the kid was wandering about somewhere in this storm, thinking that Roy hated him and that he kept him on his team just out of pity.

He slammed his hand on the steering wheel in frustration.

Edward honestly didn't know where he was heading. His leg was killing him and he could barely walk. He was soaked through to the skin and he could barely see five metres ahead of him because of the weather.

Damn that Colonel! Damn him!

Ed had thought that despite the teasing that Mustang actually liked him. But no, apparently it wasn't teasing, it was the plain truth.

He was just like Hohenheim. Just another bastard.

The man was just using him.

So screw him!

But fact was, those words still hurt. And it infuriated him even more.

"I'M NOT A SNOTTY LITTLE KID, DAMMIT!" Ed shouted, kicking at a rock with his right foot. The stump of his left leg screamed at the strain of the extra weight, and he stumbled and fell into the road.

Which just had to be when he noticed the car headed straight for him.

Roy had been searching for about an hour now and the rain took away most of his visibility. Then a flash of lightning lit up the road ahead of him and illuminated the person falling into the road. Roy slammed on the brakes, but he knew that it would be too late.

And worst of all was that he had recognised the boy just before he was about to hit him.

But the impact never came.

The car stopped about five metres away from what should have been a horrible accident. Roy ran out of the car and over to a newly transmuted hole in the ground. "FULLMETAL!"

About a metre down in the ground, Fullmetal was sitting, glaring up at him, his golden eyes filled with hurt and anger. "So you just decided you'd get rid of me for good, is that it?! No more pitying the poor orphan boy?!"

"Edward, let me explain…"

"NO! YOU'VE EXPLAINED ENOUGH! NOW GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!"

"Edward…"

"I'M NOT LISTENING TO ANYTHING YOU HAVE TO SAY YOU BASTARD! YOU JUST WANNA SAVE YOUR ASS SO THAT YOU CAN GET A PROMOTION!"

"Edward, I swear…"

"NO! JUST GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME AND MAYBE I'LL SHOW UP FOR WORK TOMORROW BECAUSE I STILL NEED TO GET AL'S BODY BACK!"

"Edward…"

"NO! I'VE LISTENED TO YOU ENOUGH FOR TODAY!"

"Edward, you're getting out of there and into the car and that's an order!" Roy was getting anxious, the hole in the ground was quickly filling up with water because of the masses of rain that came running down the street, but the boy didn't even seem to notice. He must be freezing.

"YOU BASTARD! WHAT DO YOU EVEN WANT WITH ME?! YOU CLEARLY DON'T GIVE A DAMN!" Edward was nearly crying, but he still slammed his hands together and transmuted the road back to normal. "YOU HAPPY NOW?!" he shouted, still not getting up. In fact he hadn't moved the position of his left leg a all.

"Edward, what's wrong with your leg?" Roy asked, kneeling down in front of him, putting a hand on his left shoulder.

"GET OFF!" he shouted before he slammed his right fist into Roy's face.

It was one hell of a punch, but thankfully no loose teeth or broken jaws.

"THERE! NOW YOU CAN COURT-MARTIAL ME AND BE RID OF ME JUST LIKE YOU WANT TO!"

"I don't," Roy said, staring into his eyes.

"OH, NO! I FORGOT! AL IS OKAY! IT'S ONLY ME THAT'S SHIT!"

"Edward, I didn't mean any of it, now we need to get you warmed up."

Roy was alarmed by the faint blue-ish colour of his lips.

"NO!"

"Edward, please come with me, and I'll explain."

"Fuck you, Mustang!" Ed growled.

Well, at least he isn't shouting…

Roy just sighed and then he put his arms under the boy and lifted him up, trying to restrain his automail fist from hitting him again.

"LET ME GO, YOU BASTARD!"

"No, now I'm getting you somewhere warm and then we'll talk about this."

Roy knew that explaining things right now was foolish. The boy was too cold and obviously in too much pain to actually think clearly.

He lay him down in the back seat. "Now stay there until I move you again, and that's an order."

The kid didn't say anything for the ride back to Roy's house, which was thankfully just ten minutes away.

When he got there, he lifted the boy back up in his arms, noticing the way he was shivering violently. He needed to get him out of those soggy clothes and get him warmed back up again.

Roy carried him into his own bedroom, seeing as how it had the luxury of a small fireplace. It was hard work to get him up the stairs, the automail weighed a ton, but he managed it somehow.

The boy seemed to be ignoring him which both hurt him more than and less than the shouting had.

"Okay, Ed, we need to get you out of those clothes," Roy said, putting him down on the floor.

The boy didn't speak and didn't move either. Roy went over to his closet to find some of the things he sometimes wore during undercover missions. He found a green hoodie and a pair of sweatpants, they were going to have to do. At least they could be tied to fit the kid after all.

"Ed, take these and change into them." He handed him the garments.

Or tried to. The boy was just lying on his side, his arms crossed, staring in the opposite direction.

"Edward, if you won't do it yourself, then I'm doing it for you," Roy threatened.

"Why?" It was barely audible.

"Why what?"

"Why do you pretend to care?" Once again it was just a whisper.

"Edward, I'm not pretending. I care about all of my subordinates."

"Then why did you laugh? If you did care, you wouldn't have laughed."

Roy suddenly understood why the boy was speaking so quietly. Roy had hurt him deeply and the moment he had carried him inside his home he had basically stripped him of the last bit of pride he had left. And so he wasn't even angry anymore. He was just a boy that suddenly felt like the last two years of his life were a lie. He must be questioning what the rest of the team thought about him too. And Roy understood the weakness in his voice.

God. I made Edward Elric cry.

And then Roy just acted instinctively. He kneeled town in front of the kid, removing his soggy coat, jacket and tank top. Then he pulled him into a hug. A long, warm hug.

"Edward. I never meant it. Any of it. I swear."

"Then why did you say it?" The boy was just sitting limply in his arms, not accepting Roy's warmth.

"Because those bastards in Central where trying to take you away from me. I only said it to keep you safe. To keep you here."

Ed didn't say anything.

"Do you have any idea how much I've had to work to keep you? I'm just a Colonel. If even one general decides that they want you, I'm powerless. And so I tell them about what a brat you are in order to keep them away."

Still nothing.

"But it's not true. You're my subordinate and I care so much. Everyone does. Hawkeye even slapped me. Twice."

"You know, for a Colonel, you sure let yourself get beaten around by your subordinates," came a small voice.

There were a few seconds, and then the boy began shaking.

Then he giggled.

A lot.

And Roy couldn't help but laugh along with him.

"You suck at apologies."

"But do you forgive me?"

"Yes, you bastard. And if you ever tell anyone that you hugged me, I'll order Al to sit on you."

"Deal."

So, there you go!

I hope you enjoyed this little idea of mine, and if you think it was OOC, then I apologise. But also, aren't all parental stories OOC? I think you should be allowed to just toy with their emotions a bit, and really, hearing Roy laugh must have hurt a tonne.