Chapter Text
The first week Roy Mustang brought the Elric brothers home with him made him question whether this had any chance of working. And every time he thought this, he told himself his new mantra. Baby steps. We all need to adjust and give this some time. It didn’t help that people were in and out of the house that entire first week. The Elric brothers had touched many people during their years of service to Amestris and so many people proceeded in and out of Roy’s door - he felt as if he would begin lighting fires to get those very people out of his house.
He also hadn’t expected that all three of them would have vicious nightmares. The first night Alphonse had insisted on sleeping in his own room to try and give his brother and Roy some space. Well intentioned as that was Edward had a difficult time settling down to sleep even with Roy’s familiar scent next to him. Roy had decided almost as soon as the brothers arrived safely on this side of the Gate that intimacy was going to wait until all parties were settled and comfortable. At the current rate that was going to take a very long time.
Roy was woken by Edward screaming beside him and Alphonse running into the room moments later. “Brother, you’re safe. We’re here with you, please open your eyes. Listen to my voice,” the younger Elric then turned to hiss at Roy “say something so he can hear you.”
Roy immediately began to murmur quietly in the same sort of way Alphonse was. He noticed the younger Elric was holding his brother’s flesh hand and with a quick glance at Alphonse laid his own hand against Edward’s hip and began rubbing soothing circles. Edward stopped struggling as much once they were touching him and soon opened his eyes.
The two brothers locked eyes immediately while Edward tried to slow his breathing. “Al?” he whispered then turned to look at Roy when Alphonse shifted his eyes slightly. “Oh thank fuck we made it. We were stuck in the Gate and that fucker was taking you apart again…” his voice trailed off as it finally clicked that Roy and Al were looking at him with growing relief.
“Well this isn’t at all awkward,” Al laughed ruefully as Roy raised a hand to play with Ed’s hair. Roy smiled in turn and admitted “I’d be lying if I said Edward hasn’t woken me from nightmares. Do you have them as well?”
“Yes.” Alphonse said simply. He drew in a deep breath and smiled gently at his brother and his brother’s lover. “I’ll be going back now Brother. Roy can keep you from the nightmares just as well as I can.”
Ed failed to hide the involuntary noise that came out at the thought of Al leaving. Roy thoughtfully looked to the younger of the two before asking “How did the two of you handle the nightmares on the other side of the Gate?”
Al reminded himself Roy already knew he and Ed were intimate, but it still took a moment before he could answer. “In the beginning we just pulled our beds close together, but we found it was much easier to just sleep in the same bed. We were able to calm each other down much more quickly that way,” he ended on a mumble.
“Ah. Well yes I can see how that would be more effective. Edward would you like Alphonse to stay here with us tonight?”
The look on his face very much said that yes, he wanted Alphonse to stay, but he didn’t want to upset Roy by saying so. Alphonse tried to head off the idea, but Roy was exhausted and tired of seeing both of the brothers so anxious. “Why don’t we try it for tonight and see how we all sleep? The bed is more than big enough and I don’t know about the two of you, but I’m exhausted.”
Edward relaxed against him as Alphonse’s uncertain gaze met his. Are you sure about this those bronze eyes seemed to be asking. Roy shrugged back in answer. After receiving a small smile Al murmured something about retrieving his pillow.
Edward turned his head into Roy’s chest while said pillow was being retrieved. “Are you really okay with this?”
“I have no idea what I’m okay with Edward. But the three of us need sleep and apparently that means we’ll be sharing bed space for the time being. We’ll work the rest out as it happens.”
Ed nodded against his chest as Al came back in and turned off the overhead light. Hesitantly he moved into the bed behind his brother while Roy scooted himself and Ed further over to make room. Once all three were situated comfortably Ed heaved a sigh and fell immediately asleep. The two remaining denizens of the bed regarded each other over golden hair until Roy murmured “Go to sleep Alphonse. We’ll figure it out later.” Tired bronze eyes blinked in acknowledgement before closing. Roy slowly relaxed after Alphonse had fallen asleep and allowed himself the same.
Alphonse woke before the others and gave himself a moment to just look at the other two. Roy’s looks had always drawn people in by themselves, but next to Ed the two practically glowed. They were beautiful together and Al just hoped the new connection he had with Ed wouldn’t cause any issues for Roy and Ed. Slowly he moved himself backwards off the bed and out of the room. Once that had been accomplished Al visited the bathroom to empty his bladder. Apparently the trip through the Gate had decreased his usual hormonal issues which he had no problems with.
Al quietly made his way downstairs and briefly wondered if Roy would mind him making the two of them breakfast. The older man had basically said to make themselves at home, so he began to slowly explore the kitchen to see what was available. By the time Al heard steps on the stairs he’d already started coffee and was making his way through cooking bacon and eggs.
Roy raised impressed eyebrows when he saw Alphonse was far ahead of him with breakfast preparations. Al smiled nervously then turned to start some toast. “Did you sleep well Roy? I mean, after Brother went back to sleep?”
Roy pulled his robe tighter around himself and walked over to lean against some of the counter space Alphonse wasn’t currently occupying. “I slept surprisingly well, thank you. And you, Alphonse?”
After another nervous look at the older man over his shoulder Al turned back to the eggs he was scrambling. “I slept better than I expected to.”
Roy turned to get coffee mugs down for the three of them, then gathered sugar and creamer. “I know you’re feeling a bit uncomfortable and it would really help me if you could tell me what might make that better for you Alphonse. This is your home now, not just Edward’s. You shouldn’t feel as if you’re walking on eggshells here.”
Al shook his head slightly before turning to give Roy his full attention. “I just don’t want to get in the way. It’s one thing for you to know what happened on the other side of the Gate and another for you to accept it. Brother and I knew things would be different here, and I really want the two of you to have time to get to know each other again. So I just need to find some way to occupy myself while that happens.”
“While at the same time keeping the necessary contact between yourself and Edward. I’ll admit there will be some awkwardness until we’ve all adjusted, but you’re not going to make yourself sick on my account Alphonse. I think we should keep the same sleeping arrangements we had after Edward’s nightmare for the time being. After some time we’ll see about perhaps using the second bedroom, but for now the two of you need to be in close contact with each other.”
Al felt his shoulders get tense before he turned back to the food he was preparing. “I still want to give you some time to yourselves.”
Roy let out a small breath and left off with the coffee makings. He slowly walked over to Alphonse and laid a hand on his shoulder. Bronze eyes met his in surprise before the younger man could school his expression. “Thank you for caring so much for both of us. There will come a time when having time to ourselves will be appreciated, but for now Edward needs to have both of us. I think he’s terrified one of us is going to disappear and we need to help him get over that before we do anything else.”
The younger man’s face shifted slightly as he processed this. Finally he nodded in agreement. “But once this adjustment period is over I think it might be best for all of us to have a schedule of sorts. It’ll drive Brother crazy, but I think it might help both of us. And I do want all of us to be happy, Roy. Right now I just don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing,” he finished quietly.
“I think as long as we allot ourselves the ability to take small steps we’ll be doing the best we can. And making breakfast is always a good step,” Roy pronounced with a smile. “Now, how do you like your coffee?”
“Actually I prefer tea,” Al smiled slightly. “Brother never understood that, but I do like coffee with lots of milk and sugar if there’s no tea available. France wasn’t the best place to get tea,” Al finished with a grimace.
“You know, I think the three of us should go to the store,” Roy murmured thoughtfully. “I have no idea what either of you like to eat.”
“In Brother’s case anything edible usually works, but I think you’re right. Shopping for food may add some normalcy to our lives, and right now we’re very much in need of that.”
The thud of two different feet was hear on the stair case with golden hair appearing shortly afterward. “Is that coffee?” the owner of the golden hair mumbled sleepily.
Roy and Alphonse blinked then grinned at each other as they realized they now had an ally in dealing with Edward first thing in the morning. The Fullmetal Alchemist had never been a morning person and so the two most important people in his life began the arduous process of convincing him morning was not the vilest thing ever.
The market proved both an illuminating and normalizing experience. Ed vehemently protested the inclusion of milk, greens, and squash while grabbing as many different types of bread as possible. Al patiently admonished his brother on the need for milk and some greens while agreeing with the exclusion of squash after consulting with Roy. Al gathered several types of tea for himself, which Roy noticed with amusement Ed scowled at. For the most part Roy was content to follow behind the brothers and observe their bickering over what to get while feeling the tension leave his shoulders.
Alphonse being the more observant of the two noticed the more relaxed air around the older man and sent an understanding smile in his direction. Something as easy as this was essential right now. And they really did need to figure out what kinds of food they all liked.
Roy paused before the meat selection and Ed stopped still. A strange expression crossed his face before he opened his mouth. Roy realized what this was about moments after Al, but hearing the siblings talk about their late Teacher made him realize yet again just how extraordinary this moment was. Izumi Curtis had studied alchemy for a much longer time than either of the Elrics, but she had been unable to avoid an untimely death via the Gate’s machinations.
Roy smoothly moved behind the brothers and draped an arm over each shoulder. “Mrs. Curtis would have been so proud of you both for coming home. At some point you’re going to have to let me know just how you managed to do that,” he added with a roguish smile.
Ed and Al blinked at each other. Ed scowled as he realized he’d have to admit requiring the help of a goddess. Al couldn’t help the laugh as he correctly read his sibling’s face and interpreted the reason behind the scowl. “Brother met an actual goddess, Roy. Well two gods, actually. It was rather difficult for him to admit that gods really do exist, but we wouldn’t have been able to travel back through the Gate without their help. I wonder if there are any mythology texts here in Amestris that cover them,” he mused.
Looking over the rather large amount of food stuffs the three of them had gathered Roy murmured “I’d love to hear all about it when we get back to the house. Is there anything else either of you would like before we leave?”
The brothers both glanced into the cart and shook their heads no. Roy was extremely grateful for the money he’d begun placing into savings after the first time Al had contacted him. It was going to be much more expensive to feed the three of them than it was to care for his needs only. Bemused, Roy led the two, who had predictably found some other topic to bicker about, towards the cashier to pay for their goods.
The drive home was uneventful until the house came into sight. At the sight of a large man in civilian clothes with prerequisite sparkles sitting on the front steps Ed immediately began trying to climb out the back window. Roy sighed inwardly as Al clamped onto his sibling’s arm. “Brother you knew we’d be seeing Mr. Armstrong again sometime soon. I seriously doubt Roy would let him hug either of us to death, so it’ll be fine. Brother stop trying to go through the window!”
It was impossible to stop the laughter and relief at such a normal Ed reaction. Roy pulled the car to a stop and reminded himself to take things one step at a time before turning the key to shut off the engine. “Hello Alex, it’s so nice to see you,” the General said warmly as a voice squawked indignantly in the back of the car.
“I wouldn’t have had to hit you Brother if you’d just sit still. Honestly he’s not going to hurt you!”
“But he will, Al…he’ll hurt us with all the love going back through generations of overbearing Armstrong hugs,” Ed mumbled back.
After the obligatory visit with Alex Louis Armstrong, Roy suggested another drive into town so the Elrics could access their bank account. Blank stares met the suggestion as neither of them had given any thought to finances yet. Roy smiled before explaining he’d had all of Edward’s military funds transferred into a trust fund for Alphonse. Now that Edward was back there was no need for Alphonse to reach the age of 18 to access the funds.
“Wait a minute. How long did the military pay me before cutting it off?” Ed questioned suspiciously.
“Surprisingly enough they paid into your account for eighteen months after your disappearance. When you consider the amount you had before you left, the additional funds, and all the interest it’s been gathering the two of you have quite a bit of income at the moment. And it might be a good idea to get some more clothing for the both of you with some of it.”
Al pursed his lips thoughtfully. “That’s a good idea. The clothes Maria and Hawkeye got us aren’t going to be enough Brother.”
Ed had a positively wicked look on his face when he turned to Roy. “You’re gonna let me drive the car, right?”
Al almost fell over laughing at the horrified look on Roy’s face. “Brother learned how to drive on the other side of the Gate, but I can understand why you wouldn’t want him touching your car Roy. It’s very nice and Ed tends to drive recklessly most of the time.”
Ed pouted a bit at that. “I do not! I drive very carefully when I want to.”
Roy rubbed the back of his neck during this exchange. “When you’re a bit more comfortable with the city’s layout we’ll take turns driving, Edward. For now why don’t you let me take care of it so you can learn where everything is located,” he suggested smoothly. “And we can grab something for dinner while we’re out.”
At the mention of food Ed predictably perked up. “Yeah okay. But I’m riding in the front this time.”
Roy and Alphonse shared an amused look as they both thought what Edward wouldn’t say out loud – he wouldn’t admit he had trouble seeing over the front seats when he was in the back.
When the ever present dreams of Ishval seized Roy that night he found two very similar sets of eyes worrying over him as he awoke. Ed was practically laying on top of him while Al had his wrist trapped. “It’s a good thing you never wear your gloves to bed,” Ed spoke quietly while rubbing the back of Roy’s neck with his flesh hand.
Once they were sure Roy was awake and with them again Al let go of his wrist. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” The younger man asked quietly.
Roy took another breath to help calm himself down before shaking his head. “No Alphonse you didn’t. I’ve dealt with these damn dreams so long I forgot what it’s like to have someone else here to wake me from them.” Silently he held out the hand Al had been restraining for the younger brother.
Dubiously Al moved a bit closer, but it was clear he didn’t know what Roy wanted him to do. Ed made an irritated noise and pushed Al closer. “For fucks sake, Al. Give the man a hug or something. You’re good at that shit.”
Hesitantly Alphonse leaned into Roy’s space and gave him a hug. Roy gradually relaxed between the two of them until he felt like he might be able to sleep again. Al made to go back to the other side of the bed when Roy’s arm tightened around him.
Drowsily the older man murmured “You can stay here if you’d like Alphonse.”
Startled bronze eyes flew up to meet the dark blue one. Briefly Al looked over at his brother who was already relaxing into Roy’s other side before he, too began to relax.
It didn’t take long for the three of them to fall into a peaceful sleep. When Roy woke between the two brothers in the morning he lay quietly for a moment just savoring the feeling. He wasn’t entirely sure what the feeling was yet, but it was beginning to feel like home.
Because of the very underage nature of this series I looked up what the age of consent was in different countries. Finding out the age of consent in Japan was thirteen explains so very much about some of the behavior in some of the animes. Here's the link if anyone cares to take a look:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/what-age-consent-around-world-2802173