Rainjoyswriting - Namesake.pdf - FMA Fanfiction - Mojaunicorn

Namesake

In the kitchen, that song has come on the radio. Ed never does recognise it until too late

and then Roy has already sneaked his arms around him, caught him to his chest, has him

trapped. Ed moans and bitches and wriggles and whines, but Roy just lays his head over

his, hums underneath his breath, dances Ed around the kitchen with every nudge of his

body. Occasionally, quietly and so happily, he laughs into his hair.

Out of the kitchen into the quiet hallway, up the darkened stairs. The doorway to the

nursery hasn't been closed; Ed will look in again before going to bed. Probably twice.

Probably three times, or four, until Roy pries him away with seductive talk of sleep,

which is the thing most likely to get Ed into bed right now . . .

The baby dreams in his cot like sleep personified, soft and small and blanket-wrapped.

"Haaa . . . you're almost as cute as Elysia was at this age. But don't tell your daddy I said

almost!"

Baby Maes wags his head a little in his sleep. The ghost leans over the head of the cot, so

he get the best view of the baby's face; he's a grinning ghost. He has a lot to be happy

about.

"And you're so small . . . I don't think Elysia was ever this little. And when Edward looked

like a beached sea mammal too, I was expecting . . . oh. Did I wake you up?"

Maes blinks drowsy dark eyes at the air over his cot.

"Don't start crying, don't start crying - ha. Look. You have your daddy's eyes . . ."

Maes makes a confused noise. The ghost grins like a lunatic. "Can you see me? Up here,

up here!"

He waves a hand; the baby's eyes focus dazedly in his direction. "Don't start crying, little

Maes." the ghost whispers, and puts a finger over his lips. "Your daddies are worn out

already, don't start crying . . ."

Maes half-raises an uncoordinated little hand at the ghost, who wants to do a little dance

around the room but doesn't want to leave the side of the cot to do it. "You're so cute! So

very, very nearly as cute as Elysia! And I know which of your daddies chose your

name . . ."

Maes makes a tired noise, and yawns. The ghost refrains from falling over. It's not just

the baby, the parents of the baby, the name of the baby, the cuteness of the baby, it's just

- life . It's so goddamn heartbreakingly lung-clenchingly mind-burstingly beautiful .

"Don't start crying, little Maes. You'll need your energy." The ghost folds his arms over

the edge of the cot and leans on them, eyes fixed on the baby blinking his way back

towards sleep. "With your daddies being who they are, you're really going to need your

energy . . . can you believe it? I mean, can you honestly believe it? General Roy Mustang,

the brave and dignified Flame Alchemist - getting yelled at because he's too slow at

nappy changes. And I know he needed, still needs, someone to just affirm to him that all

of this is worth it, that he can do this, that this does get easier, eventually . . . and

Edward . . ."

Maes blows a sleepy little bubble.

"He needed more help." the ghost says quietly, watching the baby with clearer, quieter

eyes now. "He needed more help when he was nineteen and pregnant and frightened

and trying to hold everything inside. And he needed more help when he was so

desperate for a baby and too scared to even mention it to his partner because no would

have killed him. He needed someone to talk to."

The ghost lets translucent grey fingers dangle down for the baby, who turns his head

away and makes a grumpy noise, because he wants to sleep.

The ghost watches the baby, silent for a second, and then says, "I should have been

there."

Ghostly fingertips trail Maes' cheek, and Maes nudges his face against them and blinks

up again.

"But! Everything worked out fine, didn't it? Because there's you now! And you're so cute!

And I don't know why Roy's so surprised at Ed's reaction to all of this, the first time I

made suggestions to my wife after Elysia was born she hit me with the bedside lamp!

Twice! And they'll be fine, they'll be fine fine fine, because they have you . . ."

Maes sighs and closes his eyes again for sleep, as the ghost's knuckles stroke his cheek.

"Roy will be strong, for you. He needs someone to hope for. And Edward will give you

the blood out of his veins. And they'll stop in the middle of the argument they could have,

because they'll know you're here. And they'll cherish little moments alone to talk over

dinner or dance in the kitchen or just make eye contact across the living room, because

you're here. And they will love you and each other so fiercely . . . and they will learn.

There's so much to learn, and not just the nappy changing. Roy will learn what

responsibility really means, since he wants it so much. Edward will learn what it does

mean to give your life for someone you love. And they'll learn that the happiest, the

proudest, the strongest you can ever feel is for your children . . ."

The baby's breathing is even now with sleep.

". . . and they'll learn it all from you because you're so clever, little Maes, you're so clever,

you're going to teach them so much . . ."

In the snap of the electric light there is no ghost, just brightness. Ed stands still for a

second, hand on the switch, because something cold just breathed over the back of his

neck - but then he pads to the cot, he pauses, his heart clenches, he leans down. He

presses his nose behind his arms folded on the edge of the cot, he watches with ever-

wondering eyes because he did something right . For the first time in his life. He finally

did something right, something so right, something breathing soft and gentle and

perfect-peaceful in perfect sleep . . .

He will never stop loving. He will never run out of love. It pumps up out of his heart and

thickens his blood, fills out his veins, drowns him anew every time he sees Maes.

He hears Roy's soft tread, looks up as a hand runs down his back, and Roy kisses him just

over his ear. "Come to bed, love." he murmurs. "You don't want to be tired for him in the

morning."

Ed sniffs, wipes his eyes on the backs of his sleeves. Roy smiles a hopeless smile and

trails his fingers over Ed's hair, sliding his hand down to his shoulder to lead him out. Ed

gives one last glance down into the cot and buries tired eyes in Roy's shoulder; he's so

used to being so exhausted that he can barely stand, and it's nice that Roy will let him

lean on him when he comes home from work, just for a little while.

"I think he tried to say his first word today," he mumbles as Roy presses him towards the

bedroom.

"Hm? What was he trying to say?"

"I dunno," Ed closes his eyes completely, lets Roy lead his steps. "He was just . . . gurgling

really purposefully. "

Roy laughs, gently, and turns the light out as they leave.

The ghost leans again the side of the cot, grinning.

"I told you you were clever," he whispers, and the baby sleeps on.

Rainjoyswriting - Namesake.pdf

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: