Someone was knocking on his front door. Someone was knocking on his front door at three in the morning. Someone really had a death wish. Who the hell shows up to someone's house at the three in the fucking morning? Roy pulled himself out of bed and clumsily slipped his gloves over his hands and threw his robe over himself. He tried getting his feet into the slippers but it seemed they wanted to do anything but cooperate so he gave up. His feet dragged across the hardwood floor of his room as he slowly made his way to the stares, the steady knocking on his door reminding him why he was awake at this hour.

He was going to roast whoever was at his door and he was going to enjoy every second of it because dammit he needed his beauty sleep.

"I'm coming! Shut up!" Roy scratched at his stomach, the robe sliding down one of his shoulders and laying open to show that Roy Mustang slept only in his boxer shorts.

Soon enough he'd made it to his front door and it felt like it'd taken him quite a bit of time to get down the stairs. His legs were still heavy and his eyes still wanted to close and considering his current attire his gloves must've looked completely ridiculous. Who cared? As long as they could catch stuff on fire he couldn't care less how they made his 'sleep wear' look.

Roy yanked the door open, throwing on his best angry expression for whoever the hell dared wake him.

It was Ed.

And he was bleeding.

It was Edward Elric standing at his door at three in the morning bleeding on his stoop.

"About fucking time..." Ed ground out, left hand pressed to his right side in an attempt to staunch the blood flow. It was fucking everywhere. The once gray steps leading up to Roy Mustang's apartment were now turning a bright color red and Ed's face was paler than death.

"Shit!" For a moment Mustang forgot sleep and forgot burning up the disturber of his sleep because Ed was bleeding and this was more damn important than his stupid sleep. Roy hefted Ed up into his arms the best he could, his back aching from the strain. He barely got him inside and shut the door when Ed put his feet to the ground and took a few shaky steps in the direction of the couch. He didn't make if far before he collapsed in a graceless heap on the floor.

"Fucking hell," Mustang cursed, gathering Ed back up in his arms and making his way to the stairs the best he could.

"Not a fucking girl," Ed muttered, taking a deep breath as his features pinched with pain, "don't have to carry me."

"You can't walk let alone stand. Shut up and deal with it."

Ed grunted in what Roy thought was supposed to be indignation but really was just a tired and beaten noise.

Roy had seen the young man bean and battered before, lying in a hospital bed with numerous bandages covering numerous wounds but never had he seen him so bad he couldn't stand. He wasn't sure if he was shaking from the weight of Edward or the weight of the situation. He readjusted Ed in his arms, bouncing him a bit to get a better hold on him and Ed hissed a few curses at him. He slowly made his way up the stairs, going up each step with as much care as he could. He'd never seen anything bad about an upstairs area in his home but now he was beginning to think it was more trouble than he needed.

The bathroom wasn't far now, just a little ways down the hall and it should be easy to reach now that he'd conquered the staircase. Roy could feel the blood smeared across his abdomen, his nose filled with the stench and if it wasn't for the matter at hand he might have been inclined to get sick.

Right now he needed to get to the bathroom. He only hoped the wound wasn't as bad as it seemed.

Edward had grown quiet, something he rarely did and it was making the apartment far too quiet. Roy needed him to say something, anything just so he knew he hadn't died in his arms.

"Fuckin' think," Ed husked, licking his lips before continuing, "I'd be used to this shit."

"Even you can't just keep going in the state you're in," Roy muttered. He was thankful that in his sleep hazed mind he'd forgotten to close the bathroom door fully as he pushed it open with his foot, turning and walking through the doorway sideways.

His back thanked him when he sat Ed on the toilet and went to remove his shirt. His hand was batted away and golden eyes glared into his own.

"I can fucking do it," he ground out, peeling the shirt from his body and wincing when it pulled at the wound.

The gash there was nothing short of horrific.

"We need to get you to a hospital Edward."

Ed shook his head and licked his lips again. "No. It's too late. Can't make it to the car anyways."

"Edward I have nothing in my house suitable for cleaning gashes!"

"Just fuckin' find something and use it before I bleed out!"

Roy pinched the bridge of his nose and ground his teeth together. Even covered in blood and sheet white, Ed still insisted on being a pain in his ass.

He dug through his medicine cabinet, finally retrieving his infection cleaning solution and a spare rag near the sink. "I don't even know if this will help," Roy ground out, pouring the stuff onto the rag and carefully pressing it to Ed's side.

"Careful! Fucking bastard! Is it supposed to sting like that?"

"Usually means it's working. Hold still!"

"How can I when you keep stabbing it with your finger?"

"I'm trying to clean it and if you keep moving it's only going to bleed more!"

Ed turned his head to the side, glancing around the bathroom as he bit back the insults he wanted to fling. He had to remember that he was the one who showed up at a terrible hour and bled all over Roy's stoop. The least he could do was cooperate.

Silence didn't help Roy's head stop aching or fill in the answers to every question that presented itself. Ed had been in some dangerous situations before while out on missions or even just out information hunting, but even so it was rare for him to be injured in his down time and to this degree. Roy wanted to yell at him for being stupid enough to nearly get himself killed again, wanted to smack him upside his head for being foolish enough to come here instead of going to a hospital.

Why had Ed come here of all places? He could've just as easily gone back to his apartment that he and Al shared together so why his home?

His mind reeled and his heart raced from the possibilities as he wrapped the bandage around Ed's waist and tried to the hide the heat in his cheeks as he stared down at the young man's abdomen. Roy stood and moved to haul Ed up and carry him again but Ed stood and took a step forward, his legs shaking from the strain. Roy hooked Ed's flesh arm around his shoulders and held him.

"I'm not a goddamn-"

"Girl, I know. Just let me help you into bed at least."

Ed nodded, face hidden behind his bangs and they carefully walked to the bedroom down the hall and Roy deposited Ed in his bed.

"What the hell did you do to get yourself in trouble this time?"

"You won't believe it," Ed muttered, eyes already half mast, "but I didn't do anything."

"You're right. I don't believe it."

Ed groaned, shakily running a hand through his bands. "I went for a fucking walk and some asshole out of nowhere attacked me," Ed explained, stopping to gather the strength to speak again, "Knocked the fucker out and walked off. Then I was in front of your place."

Roy sighed and pulled the covers out from under Ed, who promptly burrowed down inside of them as soon as they were offered to him. "Get some rest. I'll just get some blankets and go to the couch."

"Stay."

Roy knew he'd heard wrong. Edward Elric had not just asked him to stay in the same room as him.

"Can't kick you out of your own bed can I?" Ed joked, voice barely more than a whisper as his eyes slipped shut and his breathing evened.

If it kept him from trying to walk around and aggravate the wound then Roy guessed he could endure a night with the oldest Elric brother in his bed. As soon as he climbed in, Ed curled towards the warmth, clinging to Roy like a child starving for comfort.

Roy let him and thought absently that he must be getting too soft as he aged.

**

Despite the early wake up call, Roy hadn't slept much longer after getting back into his bed. He was too damn worried to stay asleep for long and so he stayed in the bed watching Edward as he slept. His hair had fallen from it's braid during sleep, ending up as a tangled mass of gold planted firmly on the younger's head. His breathing had been labored throughout the night but that really was no surprise considering the extent of Ed's injury.

He knew Ed would pull through regardless.

He hoped he would anyways.

Ed's automail arm was draped along his stomach, cool but not in the undesirable sense. Roy wondered how that could be, wondered why he didn't mind Ed pressed against him, his breath fanning across his neck and chest in frequent puffs. He swallowed trying to get a handle on his thoughts and just grasp something that made any sort of sense. Edward's lips were pursed and his brow furrowed as if in a deep confusion and Roy wondered what it would be like to take those lips and claim them as his.

Something was definitely wrong with him. He wasn't supposed to be thinking this way or staring at Edward's sleeping face.

He wasn't supposed to be moving downwards towards him.

And he sure as hell wasn't supposed to be kissing him.

Golden eyes fluttered open, blinking up at Mustang as Roy's lips gently caressed his and what Roy had been expecting was not this calm acceptance but a punch to his jaw from a raving blond. Ed's eyes had slipped shut again and his automail had moved to carefully tangle in dark locks, pressing the older alchemist closer to him. The kiss started off slow and careful, testing new ground and how far they could go. Soon it became a messy clash of teeth and tongues and only Ed's injury was keeping Roy from attempting to strip him naked right now.

The kiss was so different from any he'd shared with those many women he'd gone home with. Those were one night deals, temporary before they even began but this, this was so much more. It was far from the perfect kiss, spit dripped down their chins and more than once their teeth knocked together in an almost painful way but it was bliss. Ed tasted better than any woman ever had.

Roy gasped as they parted, hungrily sucking in air as Ed panted with his head against his chest.

"Holy shit," Ed rasped, swallowing and gulping down more air.

Roy chuckled. "Beautifully put."

"Shuddup. You kissed me first anyways."

"I didn't see you trying to push me away Edward," Roy retorted, smirking down at the grimacing blond.

"Yeah well I'm not stupid enough to stop something that feels good," Ed said with a slight hint of pink to his cheeks, "and that felt really good."

"Agreed."

"Now what?"

"How about doing it again?"

"You might be able to twist my arm Mustang." Ed grinned, pulling Roy's mouth down on his again as he attempted to assert his dominance over the older male.

Roy pulled back again, regaining enough of his mind to remember the real issue here. "How's your wound?"

"Oh that? It healed overnight because I have these super sweet healing abilities. What do you think?"

"I'm being serious. I really think you should go to the hospital."

"Don't you dare take me there," Ed hissed, teeth bared, "I fucking hate those places. Besides, I have you to play nurse."

"You better not be thinking you'll be getting to see me in one of those outifts."

"Naw. I don't think you could pull it off. You're too..." Ed started, looking thoughtful for a moment before smiling, "bulky."

"I am not bulky. I am toned and well muscled. Not bulky."

Ed snickered. "You are so bulky. Your arms and legs would look fuckin' weird in a nurse outift."

"Getting away from that topic I guess you can stay here, but if it gets any worse it's straight to the hospital."

"Oh yeah? And what the hell are you gonna do if I refuse to go?"

"I'll get Al over here."

"Fine," Ed growled. "Bastard."

"Good. Now get some more rest while I go clean myself up."

"Yeah yeah."

Ed watched as Roy left the room for the bathroom and only when he was sure he was gone did he curl up in the blankets and smile like a fool. He might have been injured but he could be somewhere worse. His eyes slipped shut as he breathed the scent of Roy in from the bedding and snuggled deeper into the bed.

Roy smiled and decided that despite the hassle Ed caused him, it was worth it if this is what he got for it.