-Mirror 2-

A/N: I was asked to write a sequel to Mirror. Here it is.

Parental!Roy/Ed

- - - - - -

Mustang returned to his seat as the opposite end of the couch from Edward. He had finished putting away his first aid kit after cleaning the glass shards from the teen's hand. About ten minutes earlier, Ed had decided to destroy all the mirrors in the men's restroom.

After the older man had finished doctoring his flesh hand, Edward sat sulking. His arms were crossed over his chest and his chin was resting on his collar. He felt the couch shift as Roy took a seat, and could sense the other man's intense gaze. He had already said too much when he answered the question presented to him moments before, when he was asked for his reason behind smashing the mirrors. He didn't want to be able to confide in Mustang, but the man had made it so easy. He hated men, thanks to his father, and wanted nothing more than to shift that feeling over to the next closest thing he had to a father figure. However, he knew it was true that Mustang had never gone out of his way to betray him, nor had he abandoned him. Considering all this, Edward decided that sometimes, it hurt less to hate people than to love them, which is why he always kept anyone who ever showed an interest in his well-being at arm's length.

The only exception to this self-imposed rule was his younger brother, Alphonse. All the same, there were times that he felt obligated to care for his younger sibling, since he was the one at fault for the state Alphonse lived in.

Unfortunately, keeping everyone at a distance meant he had no one to cling to during the times he felt hopelessly lost. Only Al fought his way through Ed's defenses, and every time he did, the blond prodigy was extremely grateful.

"Do you want to talk about it, Edward?" Roy questioned gently.

"No," Ed snapped.

"Why not?" the older alchemist pressed.

The blond turned on the older man. "You're forcing me to face myself, and I'm not ready to do that."

Mustang cleared his throat. "You're going to have to explain yourself soon enough, anyway."

"Shut up! I told you I'm not ready!" Edward bellowed.

"So," Roy started, "you don't want to face yourself. I can see the symbolism behind shattering the mirrors, in an almost literal sense."

Edward pressed his fists to his temples. "Stop it! Shut up! You make it sound so damn poetic!" he spat. "I'm just a stupid, angry teenager, so hurry up and lecture me so I can go."

"I'm not going to lecture you. Furthermore, I never want to hear you say that about yourself again. You're not stupid. You simply make bad decisions. However, it's not just you... Everyone makes mistakes. It proves you're human."

The teen sneered. "Shut up, Colonel. I'm sick of listening to you talk."

Roy smirked. "Well, you did ask to be lectured."

"Every time you open your mouth, you piss me off," Edward snarled.

The two alchemists sat on the couch. Roy was looking at Edward from the corner of his eye and Edward was glaring at the floor.

"So... Why exactly do you feel the way you do about your father, Ed?" Roy asked, breaking the tense silence.

Edward sighed, not wanting to have this conversation, but indulging Mustang nonetheless. In his mind, he chalked it up to 'Equivalent Exchange.' The colonel took care of him and Al, so Ed would do what he could, as insignificant as it may seem at the time, to pay the man back. "It's not just my father. I don't like most men."

"What about me?" Mustang asked softly. He could guess what the answer would be, but by Ed's posture, he knew the boy would be forcing the words from his mouth. He didn't flinch when the words finally came.

"I hate you, too, Colonel. And Hughes, and... and... everyone..."

"Why do you hate Hughes?" Roy asked, shocked that anyone would feel such negativity toward the doting father. Mäes had wanted nothing more than to show off his precious little princess to anyone who would listen to his prattle, and even those who refused. However, his life had been stolen from him in the middle of the night, and Roy still hunted for the murderer of his best friend. He wasn't sure he would do once he caught the party responsible, but he hoped he would be able to keep his wits about him when that day came. He was forced from his thoughts when Edward spoke next. It was one of the most innocent things he had ever heard the boy say.

"Because he left..."

Roy blinked. "That wasn't his fault... You can't really blame someone for dying on you. Do you blame your mother for dying?" he asked, playing the guilt card. He knew how Edward felt about the subject, and decided to tread on the dangerous ground anyway.

"She-she... She's different!" Edward bellowed, jumping to his feet.

"Because she's a woman?" Roy defended his verbal stance.

"That has nothing to do with it!" He shoved his hands in his pockets and started pacing.

The dark-haired man watched the boy stomp back and forth a few times before speaking. "I've seen you blow up at men who... make mention of your... ah... stature. Myself included. But, I've rarely seen you get mad at a woman who does the same thing," he pointed out.

"Like who?" Edward turned and glared at the older man.

"Hawkeye."

Edward blanched. "She has guns."

"Winry."

The blond chuckled. "I get mad at her. Especially when she hits me with a wrench. Stupid woman."

"What about your alchemy teacher?" Roy smirked. He didn't know the woman, but he'd Edward and Alphonse speak of her on occasion, and knew how much they feared and respected her.

"She scares the shit out of me! I would never, never blow up at her..."

"What about Al? He's part of 'everyone'... Do you hate him?"

Edward faltered, guilt etched on his features. "...S-sometimes..." he stammered.

"Why?"

"He should have been stronger... He had a bad feeling about that night, and... He was right... He should have stopped me..." Edward whined.

"Al loves you. He trusts you."

"I know... That's why he can never know that I hate him sometimes. I love him so much, it hurts, and I would do anything for him... My love outweighs my hate. Another thing about Al... He... We're always together, and yet, anytime anyone makes an asinine accusation about me, he always takes their side." The teen threw his hands in the air. "I don't know if he's joking or not, but it hurts... You know? Because we're always together, there's no way I could do half the things people accuse me of. Why can't he believe in me? I'm not going through all this suffering for fun, you know!"

"I know, Edward. Believe me, I know." The dark-haired man's voice was soft.

Edward looked over the older man, who still sat on the couch. He saw the pain shining in the other's eyes, and wondered what he was remembering. "Colonel?"

Roy sniffed. "It's nothing." He shook his head, turning his gaze to his young subordinate. "Just... seeing you like this reminded me of Mäes. But, let's not talk about that now. This is your time, and I'm here for you if you need me. Anything that happens in this office, stays in this office."

Edward scoffed. "Who says I need you?"

The colonel sighed. "Don't be so proud, kid. Crying is healthy," he wiped his eyes and held out his damp fingers for Ed to observe. "See? Even I cry sometimes..."

"This isn't about pride, Colonel. I think..." Edward paused. "I think I've forgotten how to cry..."

"Edward?"

"It's been so long since I last cried... My mother's funeral. But, I had a reason to cry... then. And, when I came up with the idea to bring her back... I was afraid. She left us alone, and that meant I had to take care of Al... I was scared... I was ten! I couldn't take care of Al by myself."

"The Rockbells were there! They could have helped you! I know it," Roy insisted.

"I just didn't want to be... alone... It's what... It's what I'm most afraid of," Edward choked out, tears welling in his eyes. "I was... SO SCARED!" he screamed, rounding on the colonel, who threw his arms around the boy and pulled him close.

"It's okay, Edward."

"No, it's not! I screwed up so many lives!" the blond sobbed into the thick blue fabric of Roy's jacket. "I couldn't go to Winry's house because it would have felt like I was replacing my mom!"

"What about that little girl? What was her name?"

"N-Nina..." Edward stuttered.

"I remember watching you sit in the rain, crying... because..."

"I don't want to talk about that!" the blond wiped his face on Roy's jacket.

The raven-haired man wrinkled his nose at the teen's action, but decided not to call him on it. The boy needed this emotional release, and he wasn't going to get in the way of something that was so desperately required. He wrapped his arms more firmly around the boy's shoulders and simply let him cry.

- - - - - -

"But Ed... We're brothers. It's okay to hate each other once in a while," Al whispered from where he stood outside the office door. He hadn't meant to overhear the things his brother had confessed to the colonel, but was glad he did. He couldn't blame Edward for how he felt, figuring it was simply Edward allowing himself to feel human emotions.

He backed away from the door, turning quietly. He made his way out of the office, holding up a silencing hand when Lieutenant Hawkeye stood from her seat. "Alpho-?"

"It's okay. Brother's... He'll be okay. I'll see him when he gets home tonight."

"Okay," the sharp shooter sat down again. "Well, have a good day, then."

"I will, thank you. You too, Lieutenant," Alphonse and exited the office.