metal heart║edward elric x reader [fullmetal alchemist]

Chapter 11: In Which Edward Doesn't Learn His Lesson

A/N: Hey all! Just wanted to drop a little note because some comments on this story made me realize that I never explained why Al didn't go with you and Edward to the Unit. So I'm gonna add a few lines back in chapter whatever to explain that Al was there until they got on Festus, and then he couldn't go with them because Festus couldn't carry that much weight in her damaged state. It's not that important really, just thought I'd let y'all know.

Enjoy this (late) update!

Love,
Ica

Chapter 11: In Which Edward Doesn't Learn His Lesson

YOU'D REALLY THINK Edward would have learned his lesson last time, but apparently not.

When you slipped out of unconsciousness, head aching and mouth dry, to see a vague form hovering over you, you didn't stop to consider that it might be friend instead of foe before your fists flew.

"Ow!"

"Edward?"

"You've really got to stop greeting me like this..."

"You've got to stop watching me sleep!"

"I wasn't watching you! I was only checking on you because you were crying!"

"I was?" You reached up to touch your cheeks, which were indeed damp. Immediately you turned away and wiped your face on the sheets that covered you.

"It's true," said a soft voice. "Brother wasn't watching you sleep, he only went over there a minute before you woke up, to make sure you were okay."

You looked up to see a suit of armor perched precariously in one of two chairs positioned by the window on the far side of the room, which you now recognized as your own room. You forced your bleary brain to put a name to the armored face. "Al?"

Al nodded. "[F/N]. We're so glad you're awake."

Now that you'd established the two brothers were the only ones in the room and you weren't in immediate danger, another concern forced your parched mouth open again. "Water?"

Edward scrambled to grab a glass resting on your nightstand, almost spilling its contents over both of you in the process. "Here," he said, shoving it into your hand.

Once you had downed half the glass, somewhat reducing your pounding headache, you looked over at Edward, who was still standing near your bed, looking uncertain. "What happened?" you asked. "Did you catch--" Your mouth filled with a sour taste at the memory of that face. "Did you catch any of them?"

"When you passed out, the woman ran for the door. She escaped." Edward's fist bunched a handful of his red cloak.

"You didn't run after her?" you demanded, your voice coming out harsher than you intended, your reeling thoughts hampering your control over your emotions.

A tiny flash of hurt colored Edward's eyes so briefly that it might have been a reflection of sunlight or a blink or anything else. "By the time I had made sure you were still breathing, she was too far ahead for me to catch up."

Oh...he had lost her because he was taking care of you. Any irritation you harbored morphed into a strange warm feeling in your face and torso.

You were on the verge of apologizing for your sharp tone, but Edward had already started talking again.

"The military arrived right after that woman disappeared. Apparently the Colonel didn't believe the report those guys faked saying there was no break-in at the Unit and he brought some troops anyway. I told the Colonel what happened and he sent search parties into the woods. As far as I know they haven't found anyone. But the guy I knocked out, the really big musculy one, was still unconscious and they put him under arrest. Ever since we got back we've been waiting for you to wake up."

"It was Brother's idea to stay here until you woke up," Al informed you with a hint of smugness in his voice.

"Shut up, Al!" Edward whined. "It's not like we had anything better to do!"

"Yeah, there's nothing else we could have been doing," Al agreed. "Except for helping the Colonel look for those criminals, searching for the Stone, training--"

"Okay, okay, I get the damn point!" Edward interrupted, raising a hand to his face in an attempt to hide that his cheeks were nearly the same shade as his cloak. "I just wanted to make sure Meddlesome was alright, is that a crime?"

"For the millionth time, it's Mechanical," you said with a roll of your eyes. "But anyway, thanks. Both of you. I really appreciate this."

"Yeah, whatever." Edward shrugged, tugging on his hair as he turned and strode toward the door. "So I guess we'll get going now."

"Are you going to help the Colonel find those criminals?" you asked, swinging your feet over the side of your bed and grimacing when the motion caused your temples to throb, signaling that the effects of the sleeping gas would be with you for a while longer. "I'm coming too."

You stood up and then almost fell over again. Edward looked like he was about to run back to help you, but Al was closer and when you pitched forward dizzily you were able to catch yourself on his armor. Your palms hit Al's side with a hollow thunk.

Hollow?

"Well, come on then," Edward said, his cloak swirling behind him as he left the room. Al stayed close to you as you walked forward, but the dizziness seemed to be over and you didn't need to lean on him again.

"Geez Fullmetal, wait up!" you huffed as you and Al hurried down the hallway.

"He's upset that two of the criminals escaped," Al explained quietly, but Edward heard.

"It doesn't matter, we'll get 'em next time for sure!" Edward's voice was determined and more than a little bitter. "I wish you had been there, Al. The sleeping gas wouldn't have bothered you."

You frowned. "Why wouldn't the gas have bothered Al?"

"Uhh...look, there's the Colonel's office!" Edward said the last part unnecessarily loudly as he rushed to the door that bore the Colonel's name plate.

Immunity to gas...the hollow noise Al's armor made...you were forming your suspicions, but you set them aside for now in favor of finding answers to more pressing questions, namingly the Unit situation and how she was involved.

"Ah, you three," the Colonel said when you all entered. "I'd hoped you would be back soon, we've got quite the situation going on here. And you," he nodded to you, "I need to hear your story."

"I've already told the Colonel everything I saw and heard," Edward explained to you. "But I hardly saw the faces of any of those three except for the man I fought."

"I was hoping you could give me more detail on Edward's description of the woman, Verlene, as he told me she was called, as well as the other man, Purvis." The Colonel poised a pencil over a pad of paper, ready to write down whatever you said.

"The man, Purvis, he was already gone when I went into the room," you said. "I think he might have taken something."

The Colonel nodded. "We also suspected as much. We have people checking the files to see what, if anything, is missing."

You were silent, unable and unwilling to answer what you knew the Colonel was going to ask next.

"And the woman?" he prompted.

You closed your eyes and forced out the words.

"She was my mother."

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