Fullmetal Alchemist characters, settings, and ideas do not belong to me but to Arakawa Hiromu.

Caregiver

By Taliya

It was a quiet evening. Work hours were over, and those that reported directly to him had already gone home for the day, even his ever loyal First Lieutenant. He diligently worked through the stack of papers on his desk, determined to complete a portion of it so that the next day's load would not be quite so severe. In this manner he managed to get through several hours' worth of work undisturbed. The door to his office swung open, yet he did not bother to look up from his papers even though his awareness of his surroundings jumped into hypersensitivity. There was only one person who would visit his office this late in the day, and the footsteps confirmed it. It was a pair of them, one that thudded heavily every other pace and one that clanked hollowly, as they entered his office. He slid the document he just signed onto a pile of other papers with his signature, pulling a new sheet from a separate stack to read. The two sets of footsteps stopped and the squeak of the springs in of one of his visitors' couches complained quietly as they bore the weight of his guests. His focus shifted instantly without any external sign as to why there had not been an eruption of noise alongside the not-near-breaking of his office doors.

"Hagaren," he greeted with a deliberately absent tone of voice, his focus apparently on the document before him, "Alphonse."

"Mustang-Taisa," Alphonse greeted politely.

"Bastard," the other grumbled grouchily, his voice gravelly and unaccustomedly weak and strangely nasal.

Mustang paused, his brow furrowed as his brain processed what exactly was wrong with his subordinate's voice. Setting his pen down with distinct deliberateness, the colonel looked up to observe the two brothers in his care. The younger brother by a year, Alphonse Elric, was a perched on the couch angled towards his older brother. While his body consisted of a suit of armor, it was impressive the array of emotions he could express despite a completely static face. And currently, the colonel was able to read a high amount of worry and distress radiating from the younger sibling. His eyes fell to the older brother, Edward Elric. A State Alchemist since the tender age of twelve, the now sixteen year old menace was slouched into the corner of the couch, head leaned tiredly on the backrest and eyes closed with his arms clasped firmly about his middle. While that in itself was nothing to worry about, the violent shivers that wracked his body, along with the flush of illness in his cheeks indicated otherwise. His eyes narrowed in disapproval.

"Hagaren," he began in a tired tone of voice that hinted at irritation, "while I am always infinitely glad to see you, why are you here?"

"I'm here to report on my mission." Edward favored him with a rather sour look that implied, Duh, yah idiot. He shivered again, hunching further in on himself as he scowled.

"Onii-san," chided Alphonse softly, although there was no heat and absolute concern in his tone. Even with his older brother facing the other way, his younger brother knew him well enough to know what nonverbal messages were being sent.

The colonel observed both his official and unofficial charges for a moment before he stood up and made his way around his desk towards them. The brothers watched his approach, one with heated suspicion and the other with cautious optimism. Edward shoved himself as far into the couch as he could possibly go as the colonel bent forwards to stare at him, their noses inches apart, Mustang's dark eyes staring intently into Edward's partially glassy ones. "Oi," the older boy barked uncomfortably, "get out of my face!"

His mouth tightened in displeasure. "You're ill, Hagaren," Mustang stated flatly.

Edward scowled and took a halfhearted swipe at his superior, which Mustang avoided with ease. "Lay off. I'm fine," he grumbled with a glower that was not nearly as heated as it usually was.

The colonel straightened and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Go to the dorms, your report can wait."

The younger alchemist bristled. "I came straight from the station to give my damned report and you're—" He tried to scream at the man, he really did, but his throat would not tolerate such abuse. His words abruptly dissolved in a series of violent coughs that had Mustang wincing in sympathy and Alphonse rubbing his older brother's back soothingly. Edward gave a strangled groan and clutched his side.

"Alphonse, please take him back to the dormitories," the colonel commanded as he strode to a window, carefully masking his growing concern.

"Ass," Edward muttered after he had recovered his breath somewhat. "I can get there on my own, Al," he said to his younger brother when the suit of armor tried to pick him up. The alchemist stood and staggered towards the office doors. Mustang watched through the reflection on the pane as Alphonse hovered behind his subordinate, eyes carefully noting how Edward favored one side with a fairly well-masked limp. He spun away from the window as the youth suddenly collapsed forward on the floor.

"'nii-san!" Alphonse cried, bending down to carefully roll him face up. His hands fluttered helplessly, unable to feel for any of the signs of illness.

Mustang was by the younger Elric's side in an instant. Yanking off a glove with his teeth, he pressed his hand on Edward's forehead, flinching at the heat radiating off the boy. Glancing up at Alphonse, he explained curtly, "He's running a high fever. Also…" He opened Edward's trademark scarlet coat and carefully slid the boy's black jacket and shirt up, revealing a bloody bandage wrapped about his midsection. Alphonse gasped in horror. "As I thought," the colonel murmured. Covering the boy back up, he carefully picked his subordinate up, staggering under the surprising weight of the automail with a hissed string of curses. Edward's head lolled back, rapid pulse fluttering in his exposed neck. "We're going to the hospital wing, Alphonse."

The suit of armor hurriedly opened the office doors and Mustang swept out, Alphonse on his tail. He called for a doctor the moment he entered the infirmary's threshold and a nurse quickly led him to a room. Mustang set his charge down cautiously on the bed as a doctor entered the room, eyeing Alphonse but offering no comment. The colonel briefed the doctor on Edward's symptoms and injury before allowing the man to do his work. Both Mustang and Alphonse were gently ejected from the room, the younger brother sinking into a plastic waiting chair while the colonel leaned against the wall at the boy's side.

They waited in silence, both anxious about Edward's condition. "He didn't mention a wound to you, did he?" Mustang said, breaking the quiet that hovered heavily between them.

Alphonse glanced at him before looking away. "No. He doesn't ever tell me when he's injured." There was definite hurt in his voice, as though he believed Edward did not trust him enough to tell him everything.

"He wants to be strong for you. He doesn't want you to worry," the colonel countered softly.

"I can't help but worry!" Alphonse responded quickly and passionately, gazing up at him. "How can I not worry when everything he does is for the sake of reclaiming our bodies? I know of the guilt he carries even though he's never told me. He blames himself for the whole thing. He's wrong though. I was a willing and consenting participant, so it's half my fault too! I'm—I…" The suit of armor bent, leaning his helmeted head on his hands. "I'm the reason he lost his arm." The colonel was positive that if he was capable, Alphonse would be in tears at the moment.

"Edward doesn't regret it losing his arm to revive you. I can tell. He'll be fine." He hesitated before reaching a hand out to lay it on the helmet, rubbing it as though he were ruffling the boy's hair. "Are you all right, Alphonse?"

The suit of armor let out a shuddering sigh. "It's been so long since someone's treated me like a kid," he murmured, raising his head a little. "But yes, I—"

"No, Alphonse," Mustang said, squatting down in front of the suit of armor so he could look the boy in the face, his countenance serious and concerned. "How are you doing?"

The boy was silent for several moments. "I—Mustang-Taisa—"

"Roy," the colonel interrupted. When Alphonse responded with a noise of confusion, he clarified, "You aren't in the military, and therefore aren't required to address me as such. Roy will do."

"R-Roy," Alphonse said, testing out the syllable with tentative hope.

A small, kind smile, far from the condescending smirk he tormented his older brother with, creased the corners of his lips. "Yes, that is my name," he commented sardonically. "So?" His hand had slid from the top of the helmet and now rested on his shoulder.

Alphonse could only stare in wonder at the man before him. The hand on his shoulder, though he could not feel it, spoke more than words could ever express. The knowledge that this man cared enough to ask after him—not just his older brother, who was his employee and therefore his responsibility—warmed his metaphorical heart more than the warmest bonfire. He ducked his head, suddenly pleased, embarrassed, and generally overwhelmed by the man's unexpected kindness.

The colonel sighed with a small laugh. "I don't watch out just for Edward, Alphonse. I also watch out for you too." He waited for Alphonse to lift his head up before continuing. "The two of you are a team. If one Elric goes, the other follows. But, that does not mean I do not care for you individually. You are Edward's balance. Without you, he'd be lost, and I'd have immolated him myself a long time ago. For all his faults, I cannot help but care for him, ungrateful, snotty little brat that he is. But I care for you equally. You are correspondingly brilliant, albeit in ways that are not nearly as flashy or obnoxious as Edward's." Here Alphonse could not help but snort, and Mustang grinned. He leaned closer and said quietly, "Don't ever tell Edward this, but watching the two of you as you grow and mature, I cannot help but think that I would have been proud to call you my own."

The younger Elric felt as though his heart could burst. "Roy…" he breathed, completely speechless.

The older alchemist stood, his back popping as he straightened with a wince. "Ah, I'm getting too old for this," he complained with a wink. Alphonse chuckled in response. He rubbed the top of the helmet again affectionately before donning his military persona once more. "I've loitered for too long," he commented blandly, turning and walking back towards his office. "Do let me know when the idiot has recovered enough to give me his report, will you Alphonse?" His footsteps clicked down the hallway.

"Sure, Roy," Alphonse replied easily, his voice buoyed by the man's quiet confession. The suit of armor watched the colonel round a corner, his footsteps fading away. The warmth in his chest, however, refused to leave, and he hugged it gratefully. If he concentrated hard enough, he could pretend he could feel the man's hand on his head, ruffling imaginary hair.

Hagaren – Roy's abbreviation of Edward's full title, "Hagane no Renkinjutsushi" – Fullmetal Alchemist

Taisa – Colonel

Onii-san – Older brother

Author's Note: There are plenty of fics where Roy plays parent to Ed, but what about Al? Might have been a little pointless/plotless, but I wanted to open a small window into the possibilities of Roy playing father figure to both boys, not just one. I hope you enjoyed it.

Completed: 18.11.2013