Tourniquet (Royed)

Cover My Eyes

For some strange reason Ed felt at ease when he was in Roy's office, he could sleep well without having the nightmares again, like a Tourniquet giving him temporary relief from his pain. He never did speak to him about what was bothering him but he did sleep in his office from time to time trusting the Flame Alchemist slowly despite his incident from before with him. "Still won't talk about what's on your mind Edward?" Roy said to Ed who sat down silently on the couch yawning stretching his arms looking over to Roy, "No. There's nothing to tell you.". Roy just sighed pausing at his paperwork massaging his head, "Do you at least talk to Alphonse? He is your brother after all." Getting Ed quiet, "There's nothing to tell him, but do you think Al ever- Never Mind." He said quickly. "Does Al ever what?" Roy asked looking over to Ed who had looked away, "Nothing, It's nothing." He said looking down, "Edward...", "I have to go, I have to meet Alphonse." Ed said excusing himself leaving. Roy made a face when Ed suddenly left massaging his head more, "He'll break if he keeps that up... I have to stop stressing it's not healthy." Leaning back against his chair sighing when the blonde lieutenant walked in. "Edward was in here the whole time Sir?" She asked going to his side, "Between me and you he's been sleeping in here, he's a handful he doesn't talk much." He said with a sigh. "So he's having trouble sleeping after all? Alphonse told me me that he's been noticing that Ed hasn't been sleeping cause he always wakes up in a panic, so he never goes back to sleep." She said picking up his paperwork. The new information sparked something for Roy, "Nightmares maybe?", "Most likely Sir." Looking over to Roy who looked exhausted, "Are you alright Sir?" She asked casually. "I'm just tired is all." He said simply, like he was going to say that he was worried over Ed's well being, "So he doesn't tell Al anything at all, that's like him to be selfish just so he won't worry his Brother.". The blonde Lieutenant just looked at Roy when he rested against his chair massaging his head, "He's stressing... But Edward does look more at ease when he leaves here, so in other words Roy's the Tourniquet to his pain.".

  "Brother, we have to leave again?" He asked listening as his brother spoke, "Yeah we may have found a lead for the stone." Looking up to the suit of armor who was just looking at him, "What is it Alphonse?". "Oh nothing I was just thinking about something..." He said turning away, "...Well can't you tell me?" Ed asked with a raised eyebrow when Al stood quiet, "I take that as a no...". Al wanted to ask why Ed couldn't sleep and why he wouldn't talk to him as much as before, "He always keeps things to himself, I wonder what he wanted to tell me the other time." He thought catching Ed seeing a glimpse of a small child around Nina's age. "...He still blames himself doesn't he..." He thought seeing Ed's saddened expression feeling bad, "I want to help him, but he never talks about what's bothering him even if I asked him.". "So you and the Colonel are getting along better now a days." Al said changing the topic to change the atmosphere finally getting a reaction from Ed, "Huh?!... More or less." He said almost mumbling as they walked by the by the shops. "I guess he's finally taking it easy on me." Ed said simply, "Well that's great." Al said a bit surprised, "You have something on your face Brother." Rubbing something off of Ed's cheeks making Ed react and back up, "...Sorry, you startled me.". The rub on the face reminded him of when Roy has done it to him the first time he had fallen asleep in his office, "Get a hold of yourself!" He thought looking up at Al who was surprised, "I'm sorry Brother." He said apologetically. His brother's quick reaction to his touch surprised him, "Maybe I shouldn't have done that without telling him... But that isn't like him to react like that." He thought looking over Edward who was looking through his pockets. Just as Al was about to ask he heard the sound of the train and felt Ed pull at him grabbing his suitcase than running turning to him, "Come on! We'll going to miss the train Al!" Following behind Edward stuck with his question again.

  "Ed and Al have been gone for a few days, they must be on a mission for the stone." The blonde Lieutenant said to the Flame Alchemist as they walked down the hall of Central. "More than likely, hopefully Edward isn't being too much trouble for Al considering his sleeping troubles." He said as they walked in the office where the rest of his team was grabbing some paperwork off his desk. "I'll be in my office. If Ed and Al happen to come by tell them to drop by office alright Lieutenant." He said to Riza who just saluted him, "Yes Sir, I'll keep an open eye for them." She responded back before getting to work. "I didn't get any sleep this last few days..." The small blonde thought as he leaned back against the chair of the train looking out the window lazily turning when he heard Alphonse, "Brother it's your turn.". "Oh right sorry, I just got distracted." Looking down at his set of cards slowly chewing on a piece of bread, "You mean you're tired..." The suit of armor thought keeping his thoughts to himself surprised when Ed had beat him easily. "Huh?! How did I lose so easily?!" He asked looking at Ed grin at him, "I just had a really good deck of cards is all." He declared happily, "Another round of cards Al?", "No... You'll just win again Brother.". "Suit yourself." Ed said putting the cards away, "Hey Ed...", "Hm? What is it?" He asked looking up to Alphonse, "If something was bothering you, you would tell me right?" He asked simply. Al's question made him choke on his bread a bit from the guilt of never telling his brother anything, "O-Of course I would, you know that Al." Dropping the cards from getting nervous, "Because you're all that I have left, so of course I'm going to be honest with you.". Ed's answer let Al know that Ed would probably lose it if he lost him for a second, "I feel like I cause him pain sometimes..." He thought looking at his brother helping him pick up the cards. It was true If anything Ed was terrified of losing Alphonse because they only had each other to support at this point taking the cards from Al, "Though I accidentally called the Colonel 'Dad' the other day..." He thought remembering a few days back. "Hey dad-" pausing at what he had just said to Roy blushing a bit from embarrassment, taking the Flame Alchemist by surprise, "Yes son." Roy had said jokingly laughing making the small blonde blush more. "The Colonel didn't even mind... He's been joking with me a lot lately." The small alchemist thought getting back in his thoughts, "But I can't help but feel like I'm a bother to him sometimes.".