Title: Loss

Rating: PG

Pairing: Roy/Ed

Warning: It's kind of sad, but trust me.

A/N: I know there are a lot of run-ons and stuff in here, but I mean it to be that way, I was trying out a new writing style.

There are many stages of loss. First there's denial. Roy knows that Edward isn't dead, he just knows it. Al knows it, too. Soon he'll be found and everything will go back to how it used to be. Roy will joke about how Ed was dead for such a 'short' time, and everything will be better.

But soon, being able to deny the death will wear off and you just know that he's gone. Then you get angry. How dare Ed just leave Roy like that?! He should've waited! They could have come up with another way to get Al's body back, just more research! Roy couldn't even go out for fun anymore, and it was all fucking Ed's fault and, damnit, how dare he?!

Soon the anger gives way to the sadness. Roy cried, he sobbed and he yelled in loss. Riza stopped him from pulling the trigger, held him as he cried. Held him as he sobbed and writhed and cried for Ed to just come back, everything would be okay if Ed just came back. Riza convinced him to live on for Al. To teach him as Ed would have done, and that was all he could do to stave off the tears.

After a while, it just hurts too much to feel anything more. Roy would only eat when Al would come over, and soon Riza found out and took to actually forcing food down his throat, as she soon learned that threatening him at gunpoint no longer worked when he had lost his will to live. Roy went to work every day and signed all his paperwork and he was scaring everyone he knew. He lay in bed all day, sometimes, holding one of the articles of clothing left in his closet by Ed.

One day, when he decided that none of this was even worth it and he had his hand on the trigger and all he would have to do is pull it and he could see Ed again, the phone rang. Please come pick me up, and it couldn't be Ed, but it was, and Roy was hurrying to his car and oh, god, Ed would soon be here. He soon hugged Ed, and oh, he was solid and real and Ed. He smelt like Ed, tasted like Ed, and was only a little taller than Ed.

There are many stages of loss, but there is only one stage of reunion. Pure and utter joy.