Disclaimer: Characters are property of the creator of 'FullMetal Alchemist'

Demons and Redemption

Chapter 1

The dying flame of the candle mixed with the shadows as they played against the far wall of the cramped room. Other than the dim light it provided, the only other source was the muted moonlight that slipped in through the small window. Edward's brow furrowed as he drew in a deep sigh. The neatly printed letters on the delicate paper began to blur together, pooling into nothing more than a black mess. The boy blinked a couple of times trying to refocus his golden eyes on the endless lines of words before him.

"Brother….?"

The older one had let another frustrated sigh escape, garnering the attention of his younger brother.

"Yeah, Al?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Of course something is wrong!" Edward snapped, the recent sleepless nights and stunted progress wearing him down. "I've been staring at the same book for over two hours, I'm tired, I'm hungry, and we're no damn closer to finding any clues than we were four years ago!"

A very soft, sad whimper cut through the boy's rants, and he turned to face the glowing red eyes that peeked from behind the metal head a few feet away. Edward held out his gloved hand as a gesture of apology before shaking his head.

"Al….I'm sorry." His voice had softened considerably. "I didn't mean….."

"We'll find the stone, brother." Al assured, fighting to make his voice seem strong. His attempt brought a sorrowful smile to his brother's face. "I know we will. We wouldn't have made it this far…."

Ed watched as his brother carefully closed his book and reached for another. They had been sneaking into the small bookroom in Headquarters for almost a week now, ever since he had overheard Havoc talking about the third floor records room. Every night, just before midnight, they had both slipped into through a rarely used side door at Headquarters and deftly picked the lock of the newly discovered treasure trove.

Oh course, so far, they had only discovered Fool's gold.

Nothing concrete—never anything concrete. Only a snippet of information here and there, only enough to taunt them with its cruel promise. It was always the same—the missions, the books, the hints dropped by a certain smug Colonel. They all were enough to keep the flame of hope flickering alive, but never offered more than a tease of the seemingly unattainable answer. Ed let another sigh escape as he drew his eyes back to his own book, forcing them to focus once again.

"Brother?"

"Yeah?"

"Your stomach's growling."

Ed shrugged as he turned the page. "I'm okay."

A few minutes of thick silence passed, interrupted only by the sound of pages turning and a rumbling stomach.

"Brother?"

A gloved hand reached up to rub aching eyes. "What?"

"It's louder now." Al cautiously ventured. "Your stomach."

Ed opened his mouth to rant about how he couldn't help it, about how it wasn't his fault he didn't like the overcooked noodles they had gotten for dinner. But then he realized—Al was trying to take his mind off of its spiraling path.

"I know, Al, but there's nothing I can do about it right now."

"Well…..I remember seeing an apple in the Colonel's desk this afternoon." The younger boy informed. "Maybe it's still there?"

"I'm not eating that bastard's food!"

"We can always replace it, brother. I'm sure he won't mind if we tell him—"

"I don't care about stealing, it, Al." Edward hotly interrupted. "But the bastard probably poisoned it knowing that I would try to!"

Al suppressed a soft giggle remembering the last time Ed tried to pilfer something from the Colonel's office and ended up drenched in a bucketful of milk. Roy had let slip that he had an important folder in his desk, and of course, Ed had taken the bait. Later that night, after he thought Roy had left, he proceeded to break into the desk only to find a small note instead of the folder.

Look up, shrimp.

That's when the bucket had fallen. All in all, a good prank for the Colonel as it also obliterated his paperwork for the next day, seeing as how it was too soaked to be legible. I'll get you back, bastard! had echoed down the corridors of Headquarters for weeks afterwards.

Of course, that had been long ago. Roy hadn't played a practical joke like that in quite a while. The devious playfulness that had once hid behind his onyx eyes had all but disappeared as of late, replaced by a darkness that almost frightened Ed. Ever since….

Hughes.

Winry had let it slip about his death. Ed had been furious, seething, especially at Roy. But through his anger and grief, Grandma Pinako had tried to justify his actions, had tried to explain how everyone reacts to grief differently. How grief and rage can shape a man's soul instead of destroy it. Even Al understood. But Ed hadn't.

Not yet.

Edward bit his lip as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was hungry after all, and the odds that the Colonel would have any premonition that he would break into Headquarters late at night after not eating his gummy pasta and be in need of his shiny red apple were probably infinitesimal.

What the hell.

"Alright, Al." The older one said with a sharp nod. "You'll be okay for a minute?"

"Of course, brother."

"Don't go anywhere."

"I promise."

Ed nodded as he headed for the door. "I'll be back soon, Al, okay?"

"Okay, brother!"

Ed's hardened eyes softened a little. The same cheeriness always pervaded that voice. No matter what. The teen didn't realize the smile that teased his lips as he headed down the hall.

The halls were dark, lined with shadows and emptiness. Ed found the door quickly, feeling in his pocket for the sharp pin they had used as makeshift key. But as soon as he grabbed the brass knob, the door slowly creaked open.

Ed drew back.

Damn.

Roy never left his office unlocked, not unless….

Damn.

The dark shadow that had shifted against the far wall revealed that Ed was not alone. A soft snore, however, also revealed that Ed could abandon the list of excuses that he was methodically running through to explain his presence in the Colonel's office after midnight. Roy was fast asleep.

A twisted grin briefly played against the boy's lips as he shook his head.

"Get kicked out of a girlfriend's bed and couldn't find your way home, bastard?"

A sudden buried twinge of jealousy burned in the boy's heart as he whispered the words—one he refuse to acknowledge. He took a few cautious steps forward, gauging each step of his heavy black boots so he wouldn't make any noise. He briefly entertained the notion of turning and closing the door, returning to the cramped room empty handed. But his growling stomach reminded him that it was hungry, that he was Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist, and that he never backed down from a challenge.

All he had to do was slip into the bottom drawer, grab the fruit, and leave. That simple. No problem. No problem at all.

Edward didn't really even look at the young man propped in the hard wood chair, just a quick glance to make sure his eyes were closed. He could hear the other's jagged breaths and the occasional snore, so he knew Roy was indeed in his own dream world. As he stepped closer, the permeating smell of scotch revealed just how the man had gotten there.

"Damn…."

The drawer was locked. Edward fell to his knees, scrunching down to inspect the lock. It only took a few seconds for his pin to work its magic, and then he carefully opened the drawer.

"Aha!"

Al was right—the bright fruit, whole and unbruised was sitting there waiting for him. Edward reached in, grabbing it with his flesh fingers, when they brushed against something else. Something cold. Edward peered over, realizing just what it was. A silver picture frame. It was balanced on an empty crystal glass next to a nearly empty bottle of scotch. Ed swallowed as he gingerly pulled it out, staring at the frozen images that smiled back at him.

Maes and Roy. Both looked very young, probably just out of their teens. Both were dressed in the deep blue of a military uniform and were leaning on their tall guns, grins lighting their faces. Hope and wonderment filled the two sets of eyes, hope that had been vanquished with the spark of a flame and the echo of a gun. It struck the boy then, just how haunted the dark eyes were now. How haunted and empty.

Edward sighed. He hadn't gotten the chance yet to tell Roy that he was sorry. Sorry for the loss of such a good friend. He had spoken to everyone else. Gracia. Hawkeye. Even little Elicia. But not Roy. For some reason whenever he looked into those haunted eyes, his words stuck in his throat and refused to come out. No matter how many times he swallowed, he could never relax his throat enough to say them. The picture was suddenly replaced and the drawer quietly closed. Ed slowly rose to his feet and finally allowed his golden eyes to fall on the sleeping man.

The silver light afforded by the moon cast an eerie glow on the older one's face, giving it an almost tranquil appearance. The lips that were so often lifted into a subtle but often-present smirk were now slightly parted as they drew in deep, uneven breaths. Roy's dark hair was a stark contrast to the pale face, and before Ed realized it, he had reached out and gingerly pushed a fallen strand from the cool forehead.

Wait. Ed thought, yanking his hand back as if he had just touched fire. Did I just touch his hair? I really need to get some sleep. Really. Really….

Still, Ed couldn't help but think how…..well, how strangely beautiful the man looked like this. Serene. Exotic. Vulnerable.

The boy suddenly shook his head, mentally snapping himself free from these thoughts that had involuntarily invaded him.

Really, really need to get some sleep….

A sudden chill slipped through the window, causing the sleeping man to shudder. Ed shimmied out of his own red coat and without another thought, carefully covering Roy with it. He watched with an unrealized smile as the man sleepily nestled under it.

"Don't forget to get it back." Ed reminded himself as he grabbed the apple and headed for the door. He turned before he reached it, allowing his golden eyes to watch the slow rise and fall of the chest now buried under the red wool coat.

Ed shook his head and opened the door. "Don't forget….."

XXXXX

A sharp pounding roused the teen from his deep, listless dream. Ed snarled as he grabbed his black pants, slipping them over his boxers as he stumbled towards the door. Who would be there so early? Who would be stupid enough to wake a certain grumpy, unpredictable young alchemist after just one hour's worth of sleep?

Ed would find his answer soon enough.

Roy.

Edward's face was momentarily contorted by a horrendous yawn as he warily glared at the figure on the other side of the door.

"Fullmetal."

"What do you want, bastard?" He asked. "It's barely dawn yet, and you're already here to ruin my day?"

Roy was standing very still, his hands clasped behind his back. His normal blue uniform was partially obscured by the dark gray jacket that fell to the tops of his black boots.

"You left this in my office." The older one stated, now holding out a neatly folded red coat. Ed tried hard to stifle a gasp realizing he had forgotten to retrieve it before they left. The boy forced an indignation to his wide eyes before he snatched it from the man.

"Is that all?"

Roy furrowed his brow for a moment, feigning concentration. "I seem to remember you wearing it when you left last night." He quietly observed. "Care to explain how it ended up back in my office?"

"How the hell should I know?" The boy snapped, trying to fight the flush he knew was rushing to his face. "Maybe it was lonely and flew there by itself."

"Ah, so you can transmute your coat into a living object now?" Roy chuckled as he raised a thin, dark eyebrow. "Interesting, Fullmetal."

"Look, you can go now. I don't need—what are you doing?"

Roy had sidestepped the smaller frame and slipped into the room, shocking the boy. Ed watched as the man stood with his back to him, hands now returned to their position clasped behind him.

"Look, Ed….." Roy quietly sighed as he studied the room. It was the first time he had seen this dorm room. It struck him how it reminded him very much of its owner. Papers and books flung everywhere in a frenzied chaos. Roy swallowed before lowering his head. "There's no reason to break into my office. If you need something, you just have to ask."

Ed's scoff stated that the boy thought otherwise. But then it occurred to Ed—Roy didn't know about the records room. He thought they had just tried to pilfer his desk for some stray information. Their secret was safe….for now.

"Yeah, well…..I couldn't sleep, and I thought I heard something about the Homunculi that you had." Ed lied.

Roy turned his head to the side just slightly, causing his raven hair to slip into his eyes a little.

"I don't have any information about them that would help you."

Ed nodded, hoping the man would leave now. "I was hungry, and I ate the apple you had. I'll get you another."

It took all the boy had not to cover his mouth in shock. Why had it that popped out?

"Apple?"

"In your desk." The boy explained. "I….I must have dropped my coat on you when I tried to get it."

Sure….that sounded like a reasonable explanation.

Roy sighed and turned back around, heading for the door. "I know how much the jacket means to you." He suddenly whispered. "I wanted to return it."

Ed watched as he reached for the brass door handle.

"Colonel?"

The dark head shifted a little to the left as the gloved hand gripped the doorknob.

"Hm?"

Ed drew in a deep breath and lowered his eyes.

"I, uh…..I'm sorry about Hughes." He managed to finally whisper. "I never got a chance to tell you—"

"Don't worry about the apple, Fullmetal." The voice that had so sharply interrupted him was suddenly very void. The emptiness that echoed within it frightened the younger one. "I don't need another."

Then he was gone. Ed stared at the door for a few minutes before he reached down and hugged the soft red jacket closer to him. A hint of faded cologne mixed with scotch wafted from its fibers to the boy's nose.

Roy's scent.

Ed lowered his head, unconsciously nuzzling his face in the soft collar. He wasn't sure why, but that scent soothed something inside him. Something buried deep in his tortured soul. He closed his golden eyes and drew in as deep as breath as his lungs would allow, not realizing the soft whimper that had escaped as he finally let it back out.

TBC….

Author's Notes: This is a reposting of my story under my old myrina account I removed from some time ago when I left. Since my renewed interest in FMA, I decided to finish the fic. Please enjoy!