wishing on a star that's just a satellite;;

"Have you called Alphonse?" Roy asked, loosening his grip on Ed just enough to peer down at his face.

He was pale, and that concerned Roy. Whether it be from lack of sleep or pain, he needed to find out, and he couldn't do that holding Ed. No matter how much he wanted to.

With a barely suppressed sigh of discontent Roy drew back, leading Edward into his sparse lounge and directing him to the sofa. Once the young man was seated, Roy crouched down before him.

"Are you still in pain?" he asked, expression tight with concern.

@ cried wolf

Edward shook his head as he was led to the couch, letting out a small sigh as he was let go, much to his disappointment. Edward sat down with a huge sigh of relief at finally being able to relax, sinking down into the couch. "I haven't called Al, and I don't know if I will, I can't risk putting him in danger. Someone out there tried to kill me, who's to say my brother isn't the next target?" Edward muttered, grimacing as he shifted in his seat.

He let out a small laugh, though regreted it the minute he even moved. Everything on his side hurt, and he was pretty sure he opened the fucking so called stitches. "I got shot and they didn't take me to a real fuckin' hospital, just took the bullet out and stitched me up with some string. You ever had that done while you were awake, only some pain killers in your system? Well, I did and it hurt. Does that answer your question?"

It wasn't that Edward wasn't greatful, he was still alive. He just wished they had actually taken him to a doctor, or at least brought one.

"It answers my question, but it does little to ease my mind," Roy said, brow raised. "Wait here. See if you can remove your bandages yourself, I'll see what I can do if we're to be avoiding hospitals."

He straightened again, walking from the room to collect what he may need.

Painkillers, for a start. And water. He would do well to keep Ed hydrated. More water, hot this time, to clean the wound. Fresh bandages and a change of clean clothes, should Ed want them. And finally the first aid kit Roy kept well stocked. He wasn't a doctor, not by any stretch of the imagination, but he'd seen war and he was trained in the basics. He had the supplies for a few decent stitches at least.

"I'm afraid I've little to eat," Roy told Ed once he'd finished bustling round his home and had bought all he needed round the sofa. "But I can go get something, after. If you'd like."

@ cried wolf

"Yeah, like I'm really going somewhere," he called after him sarcastically, leaning back on the couch, carefull lifting the slightly bloody shirt up and over his head. Edward winced as he saw the bandage, which might explain why he was feeling so shitty. He survived being shot, but what if he got sick?

There was no way he could survive that, but he wasn't about to give up just so soon. Edward removed the bandages and set them off to the side, hissing.

He watched as Roy walked back into the living room, raising a brow as he saw all the stuff with him. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this, Roy. I should've kept playing dead--the more people I drag into this the worse it gets. And I don't want you getting hurt for my sake," he frowned.

"I don't think you're giving me enough credit here," Roy said with a wry smile. He crouched back in front of Ed, eyeing the wound and offering the blonde thr water and painkillers.

"I know I spend an awful lot of time behind a desk, but I have to be at least a little bit competent to hold my position," he teased lightly, although his attention was on the ripped skin marring Ed's side.

He wet a cloth in the warm water and dabbed his side, clearing the mixture of both dried and still seeping blood. He carefully removed what was left of the appalling stitches that had once held the wound shut.

"This is my job, Edward," Roy told him calmly. "And it has been very since I met you. It is my responsibility to help keep you safe, and these burdens aren't for you to shoulder alone." He quirked a grin. "Although I suppose I can see how you got that impression "

@ cried wolf

Edward gave a small chuckle, but that was cut short when a warm cloth was placed on his wound, a small sound of pain escaping him. "Fuck, Roy-- you could be a little more gentle with me," another low moan of pain passed his lips as he removed the shitty stitches from his side, gritting his teeth. Edward knew that Roy had to do this though, there was no easy way to go about it

He quickly grabbed the bottle of water and downed three pain killers, swallowing them down with the help of water, which was gone in about three seconds. "I do have to give you credit for that, you have helped me and Alphonse so much--especially right now," he grunted in pain, the wound in his side throbbed.

Edward swallowed thickly, placing a hand down on his shoulder and squeezing. "Thank you," he muttered. "This hurts like a bitch, by the way. I don't recommend getting shot."

"I can be gentle, or it can be quick," Roy said, shooting a concerned look up at Ed's pained expression. "It depends on how long you want it to last."

Roy huffed a soft laugh at his last comment.

"I've been to war, Edward," he reminded the boy gently. "If you wanted to know what it felt like so badly you could have just asked one of us. Although I suppose your love of field testing would have led to this anyway..."

He let the wound be for a moment whilst he fumbled with his supplies, removing a needle and threading it with proper suturing thread.

@ cried wolf

Edward gave Roy a smirk. "Well, if it didn't last very long what would be the fun in--shit--that?" He asked with a small laugh at the slight innuendo in there. The alchemist always tried to make light of a shitty situation, especially when it was one involving himself. "You know, I was stabbed in this side too. I don't think the universe likes my sides very well," he commented, gritting his teeth together when he saw Roy put the proper suturing through the needle, wincing because he knew that was going to be going through him. Maybe he should have taken the whole bottle of painkillers.

He swallowed thickly at the mention of the war, almost wanting to shoot himself in the other side for being so careless. "You guys went through hell and back, so I don't think it's fair of me to be sitting here and whining like a bitch. You know, I haven't slept since this happened? I'll go days wide awake, jerking at every little noise the house makes. I managed to fall asleep at the table in my cereal and nearly stabbed a dude with my metal arm after he tried waking me up," he shook his head.

"It's not fair of me to feel that way when you have been through much worse." He shrugged a shoulder, leaning back on the couch and grimacing as the wound throbbed. Remind him not to piss anybody off ever again.

"I have a certain fondness for your sides," Roy commented as he began to stitch the wound back together, movements near and purposeful.

"I didn't say it to make you feel bad, Edward," he said as he worked, fingers quickly growing sticky with blood, but he ignored it. "I had hoped you may find some reassurance that I knew what I was doing."

He tied off the stitch and began on the second.

"Just because you're not fighting an army, doesn't mean you're not fighting. Traumatic stress can come in all different forms."

Roy tied off the second stitch and focused his attention on Ed, cupping his face with his least bloody hand and running a thumb along the edge of the dark circle below his eyes.

"One more stitch and we'll see if you rest easier here, okay?"

@ cried wolf

Edward raised an eyebrow, and maybe if he wasn't feeling so shitty or his side didn't hurt so damn much he might actually be blushing right now at that comment. It probably wasn't what he meant, just their usual banter that always ensued. He nearly flinched as he felt the needle go through his skin, and although it hurt it wasn't nearly as bad as the soldier's that had stitched him up before with the fuckin' string, Roy's movements were slow and precise. So, maybe he should have given Roy more credit when he was younger.

He cleared his throat when he felt Roy's least bloody head cup his face, running a finger along the dark circle he knew was underneath his eye. It was a gentle caress, one that made him want to nearly melt. "Now I understand why they call you the womanizer," he chuckled softly, leaning his head into the hand Roy provided for him, their bantering and Roy's gentle touches seeming to make him bypass the pain. It was a dull pain in his side, so maybe that meant the pain killers were finally starting to kick in.

"Maybe I could use your shower first? I feel all bloody and gross," he murmured.

Roy chuckled as he turned his attention back to the last stitch.

"Just remember, it was you, not me, who implied you were in the position of a woman just then."

He nodded at the request for the shower, tying off the final stitch.

"Of course, but not too long," Roy told him, moving to sit back on his heels. "I'll put a new bandage on when you're clean, and I suppose it would be the gentlemanly thing to provide you with fresh clothes?

@ cried wolf

"Fuck you," he sputtered, breathing out a sigh of relief as Roy finished off the last stitch, hoping now the discomfort he felt would be put at ease now that he was done poking at his side with that goddamn needle. "For your information, I'm very manly." He grunted, shifting on the couch as he braced his arms on the cushions, helping himself to stand up. Okay, so that part was over, now he just had to get himself around.

Edward sighed as he glanced over at Roy. "Why is your house so goddamn big? Wait, I have an idea--since I'm so injured, you should probably just carry me to the bathroom," he shrugged casually, glancing down at his stitched up side, which looked so much better compared to the job those assholes did before.

"Never on the first date," Roy shot back, brow raised and half a smirk across his lips.

Roy stood as Ed got to his feet, standing back and eyeing his unsteady ascent into uprightness.

"Well, if that's what you want," he said lightly at Ed's idea.

He slid an arm under Ed's, another under his legs and swung him up into his arms. He was heavier than a man his build should be, the automail weighty in his arms.

"Never say I don't do anything for you," Roy said as he made his way to the bathroom. "You're rather heavy, you know."

@ cried wolf

Edward coughed awkwardly, eyebrows raising. "You call this a first date? Never mind, I retract my statement about you being a womanizer," he snapped. "And what the hell do you--hey! Put me down you bastard, I didn't mean it!" He spat, face turning a bright red as he was picked up, much like a woman would be. His golden eyes narrowed at Roy, huffing loudly. Okay, so this wasn't exactly what he had in mind, but he supposed if Roy was offering.. who was he to refuse?

"My automail kind of adds and extra thirty pounds," he mumbled, shifting his gaze down to his automail hand. "I'm sorry, you can put me down if you want, I can walk."

"I think I can handle it," Roy said, ignoring Ed's protests as he made his way up the stairs with the young man in his arms. "I'm not that old and out of shape just yet."

It still required a little effort on his end though, and he fell silent for the last few steps until they reached the bathroom door.

"If you could be so kind?" He asked, nodding towards door handle. "My hands are somewhat full."

@ cried wolf

Edward once again gave him a harsh glance before grabbing for the door handle and opening it. "Alright, alright you can put me down now. Just because I am..horizontally challenged doesn't mean I wanna be picked up all the time, you old bastard," he grumbled, kicking off his signature black boots, shifting when his non automail foot hit the cold floor.

"And unless you wanna add voyeurist to the things that I dislike about you, get out. I'm not gonna take my pants off when you're watching me,"

"All the time?" Roy echoed mildly. "I recall it being just the once... unless you've been thinking of such things..."

He held his hands up placating, stepping back out the door.

"Did you want a fresh change of clothes before you cast me out as a voyeur? Or would you prefer to navigate my home in a towel?" He quirked a smile. "I think I should have some pyjama pants somewhere you'd only have to roll up a little should you want something comfortable to wear?"

@ cried wolf

Edward was probably a shade darker than his signature red jacket right about now, a spluttering mess and if he wasn't injured he may just kick Roy's ass. "If I wasn't recovering from a gunshot wound, I would kick your pathetic ass into next week." He spat, arms folding across his chest as he cast his glance towards Mustang.

"Just.. go get the clothes, dammit. I'm gonna clean up," he grumbled, feeling the tips of his ears turn pink. "That would probably be the best option, seeing as I don't think you could control yourself if I just walked around in a towel," he raised a brow.

Roy threw Ed a mocking salute and he turned and left for his bedroom.

Rooting about the drawers he found a soft pair of pyjama pants and a tshirt. He doubted Ed would be off anywhere soon, especially with the state he was in. Roy gave himself a moment to metaphorically catch his breath. This morning he'd thought Edward dead. And now the young man was cursing at him from his own bathroom.

It was almost too good to he true, but he wasn't sure that even his mind could summon such a perfectly stubborn replica of the young alchemist.

He returned to the bathroom, laying the clothes on the closed toilet seat before back out the bathroom again.

"Do try to not slip and impale yourself on anything," Roy said to him. "And if you need me, just shout."