his_choice (his_choice) wrote in elsewhere_rpg, @ 2017-11-08 18:39:00 |
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Entry tags: | attack on titan: captain levi, fullmetal alchemist: alphonse elric, red vs blue: york, tags for admin: character intro, tags for admin: year 01 |
Who: Edward & Alphonse Elric, Levi Ackerman & York
What: Ed wanders into the forest.
When: Nov. 8th, Afternoon
Where: The Woods
Rating: R for Violence
Status: Log - Complete
The forest around the town was large. There were steep mountains that went up at eighty degree angles, there were giant trees that blocked out the sun, there were strange plants and weeds that would snag at your ankles and trip you up as you ran. The forest was not a friendly place, it was no wonder that no one really wanted to go into it. Texas spent most of her time out there and North and York spent more time out there than they should have, but they had their armor. Most other people weren’t that lucky. Sometimes people went into the forest and never came back out. Today would be one of those days for a few unlucky explorers. A group of men from the town had just come out of a portal, their spoils in packs on their backs and in a small wagon that they were dragging along behind them. They were talking and laughing and slapping one another on the back in congratulations. None of them were prepared for the 12-meter tall creature to come running out of the darkness, straight for them. The men were prepared to fight monsters-- they had guns and swords and they fired on the human-like giant as it ran towards them, but nothing stopped it. Nothing slowed it down. A cannon might have, but not those little guns. The men’s screaming could be heard for a mile or more as the titan made short work of them. It ripped a man’s arm off before biting his head clean off his body, then swallowing him down whole. Another man was next, who tried to cut into it with his blade-- that man’s legs were bitten off as he screamed, his friends doing their best to help, but there was nothing to be done. Eventually, the last two men tried to run, but they couldn’t run faster than the giant titan, who easily caught up to them and grabbed one in each hand, devouring the first slowly (first one arm, as the man beat on the titan’s face with his remaining hand), then the other arm, then his legs, before the man was dropped bleeding and in shock. The second man, who was screaming bloody murder, was simply squeezed until everything in him broke and ruptured, and he went limp. The Titan swallowed him whole. The forest had never seen anything like these monsters before. They were giant. --- Ed hadn’t been terribly far from the forest when those screams pierced the air and distracted him from the notebook he’d been writing in not too far away. He’d been wanting to test his alchemy but also make notes of his ability to use it (if he were still able, ed wasn’t even sure it was only theory on paper) and he stood. People around him ran the opposite direction into their buildings and various places of work away from the sound, but Ed wasn’t capable of just burying his head in the sand and pretending he didn’t hear human and inhuman screams alike. The notebook was left abandoned on the bench he’d been sitting on as he rushed toward the sound. His flight instinct never had been very good when it ought to be. Ed silently cursed the fact that trouble just seemed to find him no matter what he did. If those screams were coming from the forest in that kind of volume there would be only a matter of time before whatever it was causing them made it to the town. The place where they’d come to call home. A couple of the local’s even recognized him now. Running was hard, but he pushed through the discomfort those pinched nerves from his new automail caused. Things were getting a little better, but it still wasn’t easy. Automail took time to recover from when it was connected as it was. He didn’t have to go too far before he laid eyes on a scene from a horror movie ahead of him. A pool of blood staining the grassy area between him and the monstrosity that caused it. Ed looked up at the creature that seemed to have no skin to cover it’s internal organs at all and for a moment just stared at the sight ahead of him. What the hell was that? That was no crunchy monster-it almost looked human, but it was eating people, yeah. Ed saw a man’s limbs in it’s teeth. No he wasn’t going to think about it now. --- It was hard not to think about. Especially with the remains of the men left around the area and those wide eyes turning onto Ed. The titan turned its body and headed for the Alchemist, hands outstretched. It made a gurgling sound but no words came out. It couldn’t speak. Leaning forward, it took a few sudden, quick steps and reached for Ed, meaning to grab hold and lift him for a light snack, as well. The titan’s hands were coated in the blood of the men it’d just eaten, blood dripping from its mouth, and the few injuries the men had managed to give the creature? Well, they were healing up as if they’d never happened at all. This giant beast was nothing to be trifled with, that much was certain. And just as the Alchemist was preparing to deal with that monster in front of him? Well, he’d hear the sound of giant footsteps behind him. Another one. --- And here Ed had thought all the freelancers were intimidating in their large suits the first time he and Roy had laid eyes on them. They were ants in comparison. he was microscopic and the thought pissed him off enough into movement as the thing stared him down like he was some sort of fleshy carnival food on legs. The rain of blood from the creature’s mouth reminded him of Envy with Hoenheim stuck between his giant teeth, and Ed couldn’t find words. Fortunately for alchemy he didn’t need any. Clapping his hands together as the thing moved toward him, he pushed them into the bloodied ground beneath him as the creature came close. Two large pointed pillars of Earth speeding upward toward the creatures open eyes as it bent down nearly close enough to grab at him. Ed felt like his body wasn’t moving properly, like things weren’t connecting. Every danger sense he had was screaming at him internally but running away wasn’t working. -- Ed wasn’t alone. Most men who encountered titans had the same response. They froze. What else could you do in that situation? It was horrifying. The titan in front screamed as the pillars stabbed its eyes, but it tore itself back, blood gushing from its face, and it went to grab again for Ed, but missed-- it couldn’t see. Those eyes, though, they’d heal fast.. And while the Alchemist was dealing with the first, he’d smell the stench of blood from behind him, hear the noise, and he’d suddenly be grabbed-- his automail arm snagged and held, he was hoisted off the ground by the 10-meter beast, who lifted him into the air and let him dangle by that arm. Seconds later, with one eye healed, the first titan swept a hand out and was grabbing hold of Ed’s automail leg. Both of them started pulling, each titan trying to win the tug-of-war to eat the Alchemist. His automail creaked and crunched beneath the strength of the monsters who tried to tear him in half. His arm began to give way, pulling loose at the joints. But suddenly, the titan holding onto his arm released him and fell to the ground, letting off steam. And Ed would be dropped to hang from his leg in the grip of the other titan, who held him aloft over its wide, gaping mouth. The blonde would be dropped inside, landing on teeth and tongue, that mouth coming to close down. And as Ed scrambled to grab onto something, the titan’s teeth would crunch down on his automail arm, nearly severing it. Then the titan swayed.. And Ed would feel the sensation of falling. The titan hit the ground and its mouth fell open, the Alchemist left to lay on the inside of the monster’s mouth, on its cheek, coated with saliva and with that hot tongue covering him nearly like a blanket. “Are you alive?” Came a dead-pan question from outside that mouth, a man standing just a foot or two away from the face of the fallen titan-- blood was staining his green uniform, but it was steaming and slowly fading away. He wore knee-high boots with straps that ran up his thighs and around his waist. His swords were tucked away by then, inside the long, metallic boxes that hung at his thighs. Dark blue eyes and jet black hair-- and an expression that gave away nothing. He looked worn, with dark circles beneath his eyes and his brow furrowed into a permanent scowl. “Hey.” He spoke up again when he didn’t get an immediate answer. --- Ed had successfully wounded one. They could feel pain. That was something, now what to do about the other while it was distracted? He couldn’t run. There was no way. They were both fast as fuck and seemed to have some sense of intelligence. That was the terrifying part. They looked human. Ed couldn’t disconnect that part, and his reaction timing was suffering for it. He was trying to snap out of his daze when his arm was grabbed by something so hell bent on ripping it off his body that it caused a cry of pain from the shorter alchemist as a few of his nerves felt like they’d literally been snapped in two. Of course they were likely just bent in all sorts of wrong positions, but his body felt like it was being torn apart and his mind spiraled. This was how he was actually going to die. He wasn’t going to get to see York again, or Al, or even Roy. Ed clapped his still semi working limb to the one that refused to move anymore thanks to the game of tug-of-war to activate Scar’s technique, he couldn’t really do it from the angle he was at-but as he was dropped into the pit of awful smelling darkness he realized where he was. He’d landed on something warm and wet, and had actually been eaten. That was a thing that had happened. One of these monsters decided he was a fitting snack and was trying to fucking eat him. He felt like a rag doll as that body fell, he fell with it. Unable to do anything else except lie on that pile of nerves covered in blood. Mostly other peoples. Automail didn’t have this much blood attached even when pulled like it was practically out of it’s socket which hurt more than pulling it right off if he was perfectly honest. The thing hitting the ground was jarring. So much so that for a moment he was unable to do anything. He was pinned against the rock bottom jaw and tongue and couldn’t even breathe much less fathom that there was anyone outside speaking. The first call went unheard, and the second only responded to by painful sounding coughs from the inside of the dead things mouth. Ed began to force himself up with his flesh arm, but found he couldn’t move either automail limb and fell back against the closed teeth. “Fuck.” Was wheezed out from his lips as he found it nearly impossible to breathe. He rapped a hand on it’s stupid teeth, leaning on them from the inside to keep himself from falling over again. --- Outside of that mouth, the man with the black hair and the dead eyes crouched to look inside at the young man struggling against the tongue, coated in blood and saliva. “Tch.” Standing back up, he planted a booted foot against the bottom jaw and drew one of his blades, swinging it down to cut open the creature’s skin around the mouth, so he could kick the jaw open wider, blood pouring down onto Ed as he did. It was hot, very nearly scalding, and it started to evaporate upon hitting the blonde inside that mouth. Another swing of the blade had the tongue severed partly, and that booted foot was able to kick the tongue aside. And once the obstacles were out of the blonde’s way, the black-haired man took a step back to watch. “Did it sever your limbs?” Was this blonde man just going to bleed to death right here? Like this? Turning his head, the man with the dead eyes gave a whistle and a moment later, a black horse came trotting over to his side, nuzzling at his arm. “It’s time to go.” The dark man told the blonde simply, finally stepping forward and into the jaws of the titan, to reach a hand down and grab Ed’s good bicep, to try and help pull him to his feet. The man couldn’t have been older than Ed, he looked about twenty, but he looked like he’d had a very, very rough life. His eyes were half-lidded, his face worn and blank, those dark blue eyes just as lifeless as a shark’s eyes. He looked like his face would crack if he smiled. Levi Ackerman looked dead inside. --- Ed had only seen two of those creatures and he felt like any sense of happiness was draining away. Like they didn’t just eat people, but souls. His still good arm blocked his face from anymore blood coming at it. As if it would help, but at this point it was just a defense mechanism. With the obstacles out of his way, Ed at least maintained enough willpower to push through toward the bloodied grass. It felt like there were places blood was in where he didn’t know blood could get to. He probably didn’t look much better than the waterfall of blood from the monsters mouths. A sharp sound of pain escaped him as he landed outside the mouth not very gracefully at all. He was in shock, alive and moving on autopilot and his own stubbornness to live but in shock nonetheless. Looking up at the young dark haired man, he nodded but still managed to try to force himself up. Words weren’t a thing he was able to come by. His entire body was on fire. He wasn’t bleeding his own blood as much as he probably should have been, but it wasn’t likely it went noticed amongst all the other blood that was on him anyway. Ed didn’t fight Levi reaching for him and trying to lift him (though he’d find him a lot heavier than the average adult) and tried to help the best he could. He felt sick. If Levi let go, he would collapse again but if he didn’t Ed could stand a little. “I can’t walk.”He finally managed. --- He was very heavy. It had Levi grunting and moving in, so he could better grasp around the young man’s waist and hoist, to get him up to his feet. Well, as best he could, anyway. “You need to cut down on the sweets,” he declared in a sharp tone, “You fat bastard.” Still he’d pull his horse closer with one hand and press Ed forward. “Grab the saddle.” A demand as he bent and grasped onto Ed’s good leg, giving him a boost and hoisting him up into the saddle. The black horse shifted some and snorted, protesting the weight, but then it fell still again and just stood there, waiting. “Don’t die, or I’ll leave your body in the woods to be eaten by wolves.” A demand and command rolled into one, as the black-haired man hoisted himself up onto the horse behind Ed-- his weight wasn’t much less than Ed’s, honestly, at very nearly a hundred and fifty pounds. It was a lot for a man of such small stature, but every inch of him was muscled and toned. It had to be. Reaching his arms around the soaking, bloody man in front of him, Levi grabbed hold of the reins and would nudge the horse into a walk, then into a gallop. He just wanted to get them out of this forest and find the Wall. He didn’t know what this idiot was doing out beyond the Wall-- he wasn’t part of the Survey Corps. Levi had plans to find out just exactly what was going on here. --- If Ed had the energy he might have punched the new guy for insulting him, but he didn’t. He felt himself fading in and out of consciousness. “Asshole.” Everything hurt, but with his flesh hand he did manage to hold on at least a little.He practically slumped forward on the horse as he was lifted onto it. He felt sick. That thing had eaten some of the villagers, that thing had eaten him. Ed could barely keep his eyes open much less talk to the irritating man. He surprisingly wasn’t in danger of dying in spite of the fact that he probably should have been considering the amount of blood on him “Northeast.” Ed pointed with a shaky hand toward what was likely the town, but he couldn’t elaborate. If Levi could get there of course there would be a hospital. “Town.” He breathed, his chest hurt.He knew that pain from his first six months on the stupid space head. --- Town? To the Northeast? The dark man’s eyes turned that direction and with a gentle shift of his hands on the reins, the animal was headed that direction. Maybe this guy was delusional. Maybe he had no idea he was outside of the wall. What was he going on about, a town? As the horse took them out of the forest at a gallop, Levi soon found out. A town. There was no wall, not anywhere. Not close, not off in the distance.. But just a town and more forest. Where.. Was he? Slowing the horse down, he turned his head to look around, the houses, the businesses, the statues. What was going on here? “...Is there a hospital?” He asked of the blonde in front of him, the horse still moving at a slow but steady trot along the road. He knew a lot of that blood was another person’s blood, but some of that blood was most definitely the boy in front of him. He needed a doctor. --- That gallop hurt. Hell, blinking hurt. Ed half felt like telling Levi to leave him to the wolves after all, but somehow he doubted his humor would get across in his state of pain. Levi would probably actually leave him and not pick up on the sarcasm. Plus Ed was struggling to find the energy to say anything at all much less humor. He couldn’t reach the ground, he couldn’t make a physical map for the asshole to follow so all he could do was give spoken directions. “Past the town.” Simple, straight forward. Ed was losing some of his own blood in the process too. His words were slurring together a bit. --- Levi was sure that everything hurt on the young man he’d just pulled from a Titan’s mouth. It wasn’t everyone who lived through such an experience. But taking the direction, he would maneuver the horse through the mostly empty streets, to the large, creepy brick hospital, looming at the edge of town. Ed might be surprised that he didn’t stop several feet away. He might be surprised that Levi didn’t even stop at the door. The horse was clearly used to tight spaces and running into objects, because it slammed chest-first into the door, knocking it open and allowing the two of them entrance into the hospital. It was only after coming a few steps in, on horseback, that the dark man dismounted from the animal and called into the desolate looking building. “I need a doctor!” It was more a command than anything else. It was a few seconds before a tall blonde appeared around the corner at the end of the hall, his eyes widening when he saw the horse. “What the--” But then he saw Ed sitting atop it and was taking off at a jog for the animal. “What happened?” He reached up to press a hand over Ed’s cheek, lifting his face some to check his eyes, and then he was pulling the young man from the horse and into his arms like a bride. “He was attacked by a titan.” Levi informed the doctor calmly. “A what?” York asked, but he was already turning to carry Ed down the hall. “Get that damn animal out of here!” A demand back to the man and his animal, as he took the Alchemist off to a room to get him sorted out. Levi lingered there in the hall for a few seconds.. But then turned to leave, taking the beast with him. He’d done all he could do. --- Ed had passed out when they entered the place. He didn’t know how far Levi had gone, only that they’d at least made it when the young man dropped him off. His clothing was once again torn up, but at the very least he hadn’t lost another coat-he wasn’t even wearing his or the one Al had given him all those years ago. He’d been wearing his white button down shirt, but it no longer looked white. It was drenched in blood. It looked like something out of a horror flick when he slumped over on the horse like he did after giving that direction. Poor creature was probably going to need a bath. The blonde alchemist only stirred as much as automatic response required him to when York checked his eyes. He wasn’t brain damaged at least, so small miracles-but he wasn’t exactly out of the woods either. As he was shifted toward York, his head fell against him. He really didn’t have any control over what it did at this point and probably wouldn’t for a few hours yet. --- When Ed woke, it was in a private room in the hospital, with Alphonse at his side looking worried. He was holding onto his brother's hand, and his entire face brightened when he saw those golden eyes open. Of course, when Ed tried to move his automail arm, he would find it missing. Al had removed it while Ed was sleeping. It was just better that way. The leg had been crushed badly as welk, but he'd repaired it as best he could instead of removing it all together. The arm was a total loss. “Brother, how are you feeling?” He asked, sounding surprisingly eager. His hand tightened on Ed’s. “York told me what happened, he's with someone else right now, but he'll be back soon.” Just so Ed knew what was going on. He didn't want to leave him in the dark. --- The amount of blood Ed had lost wasn’t anything to cause any sort of real alarm, nor was the actual injury to his person. Once the blood on him had been washed away it was pretty clear that it belonged to someone else. Lots of someone’s. He’d been in a pretty disgusting state having been nearly eaten. He didn’t have many words to say, in fact he wasn’t entirely sure his voice still worked. Blurry vision locked onto Al. York told him what happened. What had happened? He remembered a lot of blinding pain and a disquietingly fleshy giant that put York’s height to shame. After that it was like his brain was trying to do him a favor in making him forget for a moment, but it only lasted that moment. “...I’m fine.” He wasn’t. He was embarrassed and angry, and many other things that were the opposite of fine. --- “You’re disgusting.” Al told him with a little smile. They’d cleaned him off as best they could with sponges and rags, but the poor man needed a shower. Desperately. “We were hoping you’d wake up soon, you smell pretty bad.” That was an understatement. He reeked of titan spit. It was awful. “This room has a private bath, there’s a shower, too. I’ll help you get one, if you want? I have to leave in a little bit, though, and go see the mechanic who’s putting together the intricate bits of your new automail. It should be ready by tomorrow.” Yes, Ed, you were missing an arm. Try not to think too hard about it. Al knew what it was like to be missing a limb, so he could understand wanting it as quickly as possible. --- Ed wasn’t terribly talkative, but was he ever? He looked down at much of the remaining grime on him and frowned. Not making any comments about his arm missing or really much at all as he began to push himself upward. “..I can get it.” Maybe a shower would snap him out of his state of shell shock. It was nearly impossible to get up. All he wanted to do was shower alone and he couldn’t get up and do that. There was an anger boiling there. He didn’t want to take it out on Al, he just wanted his damn shower. “Fine.” Lack of being able to stand, required help. Every bone in his body said he didn’t want to accept help or be helped. Missing a limb had taken a bite out of his pride. --- With his brother agreeing to take his help, Al leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek, before getting up and helping Ed up, also. He struggled a little under the weight, but he soon had Ed up and the two of them were making their way to the small, private bathroom. It dawned on him for just a moment that maybe Ed wouldn’t want him helping to undress him, but.. Well. That second passed and Al was helping the older man sit down on the closed toilet, before he was reaching out both hands to help him undress. It’d be easy, thankfully-- Ed wasn’t in his own clothes, but scrubs. York had changed his clothes while he’d been out. “If you’d rather I get York for this..?” Al managed once he’d gotten Ed’s shirt off, large bronze eyes settling onto gold. --- “What’s it matter? The outcome is the same.” Why not let the world see him naked. He already felt angry and worthless. Why not add more embarrassment to the list. Being without an arm wasn’t helping his mood. Rational thinking was not something easily achieved when a giant thing had just tried to eat him and what he was washing out was saliva. He just wanted to be left in the shower. He felt dirty, physically and mentally just..dirty. Ed looked down at his one flesh arm, unable to see the second and so much hatred rose to the surface for those things he hadn’t been able to defend against. And for himself for feeling so damn weak. The last thing he wanted was to be taken care of just then. He felt like a burden and this hadn’t helped. --- “Hey.” Al said with a frown touching his lips. “It matters to me.” Sure, Alphonse had seen his brother without clothes countless times. As boys. As teenagers. They’d swam together in creeks, in lakes, they’d showered in the same locker room after training sessions. His brother had never been shy about it. Not with Al. Hell, they’d rough-housed around before, shoving and pushing and even wrestling one another to the ground while showering. So the fact that Ed seemed so despondent now, like it was some sort of punishment, or disservice to be seen bare by his brother? Well. It made Alphonse’s stomach sink. Because while he and his brother had been bare together countless times before, this was not his brother. Ed reminded him a hundred times a day, in tiny little ways, that he wasn’t Alphonse’s Edward. It was just particularly hard to stomach today, for some reason. “I’ll get York.” Leaning in again, he pressed his lips to Ed’s cheek and lingered there a few long seconds, before he pulled away and stood up, to head for the door. --- Ed hadn’t intended to make him upset. He’d been fucking eaten. He hadn’t intended for that to happen either, but it had. His arm was missing, again. His own brother was probably dead. Yeah, Ed was angry. It wasn’t directed at Al, but he couldn’t seem to do anything right anyway so he sat in silent anger unable to comfort him while he felt this worthless and broken. “Just leave me here. I’ll do it on my own.” He needed to. For a while he would just stew there angrily. Angry at the world and angry with himself for feeling so insignificant in it. As Al left him to do whatever he’d decided, Ed looked around. He’d need something to help him walk. He couldn’t transmute anything to do it. Nearby him there was a metal rod on the wall to normally help people stand in his sort of situation but that wouldn’t get him very far as it was but it would do. He could work with that.Ed reached his flesh arm over to test its strength, and it didn’t seem that hard to yank out of the wall. His entire body hurt, but he didn’t care. It wasn’t the nudity that bothered him, it was the fact that he needed help to even get that way in the first place. Ed took a breath in to brace for the searing pain he knew was coming as he reached out to grab the metal bar, he pulled and pulled until it finally began to budge and then he pulled again one last time with a lot more force at it’s weakest point. The thing pulled right off the clips it hung on. Ed had gotten stronger physically since they’d seen him last too Right now he needed to feel that way. He needed to be in control at least a little. Using that heavy pole was perfect. He was able to push himself up on his good leg and slowly inch his way forward probably causing a lot of noise in the process as he turned on the bath water and plugged the drain by propping himself up against it. A shower was out of order if he wanted to do it alone, he wouldn’t be able to stand in it. Ed found a dilemma when it came to removing his pants that was a little more difficult, but he found a way using the bath as a brace to move and then he crawled into the filling water. Maybe being clean would help a little. --- Ed would be sitting in the bath water by the time he heard York’s voice from the doorway. He filled nearly the whole thing, his shoulder leaned against the door jam, his arms crossed over his chest, and those oddly mismatched eyes pinned onto Ed. There was a little smile on his lips. “You realize you’re just sitting in your own filth, right? That’s pretty gross, Ed. Even for you.” He didn’t move from the doorway, though. He’d had a short talk with Al, who’d been relatively upset. So, he’d comforted the youngest Elric the best he could and had come to see Ed, who (he suspected) was feeling pretty useless by now. He knew the feeling. --- A pair of golden eyes flickered up toward the Spartan as he tried to do what he could to feel less disgusting and narrowed on him. “Yeah well I can’t stand, so it’s the best I can fucking do.” Ed didn’t like baths. It wasn’t his favorite thing in the world and York knew it but he needed to do something easier with his entire body aching. Standing on his own didn’t seem like a grand plan in that condition. “Unless you wanna stand somewhere and be a post, it’s what I’ve got.” Feeling useless and being Ed were complicated and messy things. They often ended up with someone else in tears or upset. “But you probably should just leave me alone.” He suggested as an alternative as he tried to get a little of the nasty feeling off his body. He felt dirty, that much was physically obvious. --- “I make a good post.” York assured with a smile, pushing out of the doorway and closing the door behind him to give them some privacy. He knew Ed liked things like privacy. York didn’t get it. But, he didn’t need to get it to be able to abide by it. “Come on, stand up.” He came to the edge of the tub and offered a hand down to him. “I’ll get the tub drained and we’ll get you a proper shower, so you can get that crap off of you. I know Al will appreciate it, he’s been making a face at the smell all morning, but he refused to move from your side.” As if that was surprising in any way. The Spartan tilted his head some at the blonde in the tub. “Let’s go. Up.” --- Any sense of privacy Ed felt was fleeting at the prospect of cleaning himself. He couldn’t properly convey the words to Al that he’d needed to do it on his own considering the flood of unpleasant memories that resurfaced with his own brother but they should both know words weren’t his strong suit. Under other circumstances Ed might have felt shy around York like this, but he wasn’t feeling in the least bit sexy or loveable then. The last thing he was thinking about was any of his weird York feelings. No, Ed was thinking about every nerve in his body catching fire as he stood, using York to lean on rather than that skinny balance bar he’d torn off the ground. The water rushing away didn’t feel great, it felt nasty again and Ed watched as it fell back into the bathtub in frustration. York didn’t seem to catch the fact that Ed had told him he probably should go away too. He stared at the bath, unable to just use his leg to get out, he was forced to use York to do so. “He probably won’t care now.” Ed shrugged as he used that hand but didn’t let York just lift him. --- When had York ever caught onto the fact that Ed told him to go away? When had York ever gone away when he’d been told? In fact, when did the soldier do anything Ed told him? It was like he was hardwired to ignore the Alchemist’s bullshit and just do what needed to be done, what he wanted to do. “He won’t care about the stench because it’ll be gone. I asked him to change the sheets on your bed so you can go back to a clean one.” With Ed on his feet, and the Spartan just offering that rock-solid support of his hand (he was certainly strong enough he could have lifted Ed with only that single hand, owed to the size of his biceps), he flicked on the shower and it’d hit the poor, short blonde directly in the face, causing York to laugh softly. “Sorry.” His free hand came up to direct the spray of the shower down a bit further, so it’d hit Ed in the chest, instead. “I’m gonna have you hold onto my shoulder, so I can wash you off with the soap, okay?” Lifting Ed’s hand, he’d bring it towards his cotton-covered shoulder and would wait for Ed to get a grip before that opposite hand came out again. It didn’t reach for the shampoo yet, though. Instead, he tilted Ed’s chin up and leaned in (though not as low, because the tub gave Ed a few extra inches) to press his mouth against the younger man’s. --- He gave a light sigh as he didn’t move. York didn’t even make an attempt to leave, nor did he even seem upset by the fact that Ed just told him to go way. Ed had half a mind to say it again if York wasn’t interested in listening the first time, but Ed needed that shower. He needed it to wash away the bad feelings he felt toward everything, so he just accepted the fact that York didn’t seem to listen with exasperation this time. As that water hit him in the face, Ed frowned a little darker. He didn’t feel very much like laughing about it. He felt like hitting something. How had that guy killed that thing? Ed tried to remember but a lot of the memories were fuzzy. Like his mind was trying to protect him. Problem was, Ed didn’t want to be protected. He’d been about to say something, likely in protest to York helping when he found York’s lips against his. He felt like a burden, but still York wanted to touch him. Part of him wanted to yell at the world, but it was silenced. His brain tried to catch up to exactly what was happening there. When it connected, he responded. His hand gripping York’s arm a little more. --- With Ed responding, York’s arm slid around his waist, ignoring the spray of water that hit his arm and shoulder and he pulled the younger man in closer, until their chests impacted and he was able to hold the Alchemist there and just kiss him. The kiss didn’t last too long, though, and the soldier was finally parting it and pressing his slightly scruffy cheek to Ed’s smooth one, closing his eyes. “When I saw him bring you in, I thought you were dead.” He admitted in a whisper. “I was so scared.” They were quiet words, just between the two of them. “Don’t ever do that to me again.” As if Ed could have really helped it-- but right then, the Freelancer just wanted to get his point across. Ed wasn’t ever allowed to get hurt again. He certainly wasn’t allowed to die. Not while York was alive. --- Ed felt bad all around, but York’s touch was helping to lift some of those feelings away. Certainly stopped him from saying things York probably would have punched him for at least. There were ways to get both of them to shut up apparently. York initiating that kiss seemed to ease some of those worthless feelings he initially felt when the Spartan had entered that room. Sure, some of them still lingered but not enough to push him way again. His good arm rested on York’s much larger bicep as he was held like that. A lot of those voices that tried to convince him he deserved to die were silenced by York’s touch. “I thought I was dead.” As if that comment helped, but it was more than he’d said in the last hour he’d been awake. “I don’t have plans to.” No, next time he’d be killing that thing. If there was a next time. It’d killed people he knew, or at least knew of. Human looking or not it was a monster and nothing less. There was regret in his eyes when York moved in that close, the thing that fueled the initial anger. He couldn’t do anything about those things Or the people that were just gone now. “It ate people whole…”Likely even York would have been snapped at if he’d come in the room first. Ed had been in a state of shock. -- “It’s okay.” He promised softly, one hand coming up to cup the back of Ed’s head and hold it there in place over his shoulder, ensuring that the two of them wouldn’t be parted. They were both getting soaked. It didn’t matter. “You’re safe now. And when you’re better, we’ll go back into that forest and kill whatever it was.” This time, York would be going with him. He’d bring along Tex and North, too. They’d make short work of it. He had no idea that even the Spartans would be no use against the creatures. Only one thing worked against them. “It’s okay now.” He promised again, quietly. Ed felt different in his arms, somehow. Like, somehow, he’d lost a piece of himself to that thing-- whatever that thing had been. York wished he’d been there to see it, or at least had the piece of mind to grab that man who’d dropped Ed off and demand more answers. He hadn’t gotten much information, save that Ed had nearly been eaten, but that he would likely be alright. --- York hadn’t let go of him, and Ed didn’t know what to think of that. He let his cheek rest against York’s chest, eyes just watching the water drop down around them. He hadn’t been able to do anything. “I’m a burden.” The words escaped his lips before he could stop them. The water should have been a comfort, but it was warm and reminded him a lot of the blood that’d fallen down on him. His hand gripped at York a little more and his eyes closed against that shirt. Why did York still even want to be around him? He didn’t want to be that to anyone much less York. He didn’t want York to have to think he had to protect him, that was probably why Roy treated him the way he did. He still saw Ed as that little kid that needed protecting Eyes closed as he tried not to think of the random body parts hanging out of the things mouth, but he couldn’t get the ghosts of those people out of his head. --- “No you’re not.” York assured him quietly, turning his head so his lips brushed against Ed’s ear as he spoke. “You’re not a burden. You’re strong, so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. And you’re brilliant, so much smarter than I am. And you’re brave, and loyal, and you’re a good man.” That hand on the back of Ed’s head slowly moved away enough that he could pull the tie loose and let that blonde hair spill down over bare shoulders. He turned his head a bit and breathed in, then coughed a little, turning his face away. “And you smell-- good Lord, do you stink--” It couldn’t be helped. Nor could the grin that appeared on the Spartan’s face. “Can I wash your hair?” He always asked, even if he’d done it a dozen times. Maybe, just for a little bit, he could distract Ed from thinking about the worst of what had just happened to him. --- Ed always pretended like he didn’t care about people, but if that were true the fact that those men had just been eaten in front of him wouldn’t have even caused the alchemist a single afterthought. And yet there were several terrible after thoughts. Several memories he wished he could wash away from him as easily as the water made it seem-but Ed couldn’t get them out of his mind. He could only close his eyes there as he listened to York go on about how smart he was and it brought a little smirk to his lips. “I’m an idiot. “ He was just too nice to say so. If he’d been faster maybe that thing wouldn’t have been able to eat people. Eat people.. Ed shuddered slightly curling into York as if trying to get a little closer and away from that water for a moment. Using him as a shield from it. “You try smelling good after being eaten.” His eyes narrowed up at York as he pressed his face back against him a moment later instead with a defeated sigh. There was no escaping the water, at least not there by York. “..Fine.” If it would get him to stop grinning like he’d just stepped in something gross, Ed would support it. “My leg hurts.” No, hurting was when he stood debilitating was this. --- “Next time I get eaten, I’ll give it a try.” He stole another brief kiss before giving Ed another smile and slowly drawing back, removing the shield Ed had put between himself and the warm water. “I know it does, just stay on your feet a bit longer. Hold onto me, okay?” He urged that hand back to his shoulder before dipping to grab up the shampoo and taking down the shower head so he could wet that longer hair without making a huge mess. With that done, he’d start soaping up the Alchemist’s hair, working his hands through it expertly, scrubbing out all of the grime and blood from where it’d caked at his roots and scalp, all the saliva having become crunchy as it dried. It’d take a few minutes for him to get that hair clean, and wash out the shampoo, but then he was onto Ed’s body, taking his time to make sure he washed down all of him, even telling him to close his eyes and scrubbing his face up with soap properly. This time, he didn’t stop at his waist, however. He did, though, give poor Ed some warning. “Sorry about this.” There was a slight smile to his tone, though, as he scrubbed the soap down over Ed’s rear end and then between his legs, doing his best to be as quick and efficient, while remaining gentle, as he could. Soon, he was onto those legs, crouching some and moving a hand up to take Ed’s and hold it aloft to keep him on his feet, while he washed those legs with just one hand. It was probably surprising how good he was at this. The Spartans were well practiced with helping one another when it came to things like this. --- “...Don’t.” Don’t get eaten, or don’t joke about getting eaten, one of the two. Whichever one though Ed wasn’t sure. Both probably. He didn’t want York to experience what he had. He didn’t want Al to either. He didn’t know how many of those things were left, or if there were any at all. He didn’t see the final outcome very well having been in the process of losing consciousness and all but he worried about it. What if the next person tried to dip into the forest and ran into those? Ed couldn’t even remember making a dent in them (because he didn’t). The image of those gruesome things lurked in his mind, he couldn’t unsee that. Ed rarely commented on his pain with his automail, but it was becoming unbearable to stand up on. He felt like he was going to pass out again, and he’d rather not end up doing so naked. As if it weren’t awkward enough. Those simple kisses seemed to keep his mind from slipping away, his cheek rested against York’s chest, letting him do what he needed to do at first until he felt his hands dip lower on him. He didn’t say anything yet, only heat rose to his cheeks as he couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. He couldn’t even really enjoy his touch, he felt disgusting. He hid his face against York’s chest again, closing his eyes as if that would block out the fact that York’s hand was literally everywhere. He chewed at his lip awkwardly as he felt York reach down below his waistline. This wasn’t how he’d imagined York touching him like that would have gone. His hand gripped a little more at York’s arm as he tried to focus on something else, anything, but he found nothing. --- “I’m sorry.” He repeated again, more quietly this time, as he finished up washing the Alchemist and grabbed the shower head to once again rinse Ed off. He did so thoroughly, and quickly, then hung the head back up and flipped off the water. As soon as he’d done that, he collected Ed into his arms and hoisted him up like a bride, as if the younger blonde weighed nothing at all. Tucking him in close against his soggy chest, he just held onto him for a moment, cheek resting on his damp hair, those oddly mismatched eyes closing. For a moment, he just stood there holding the smaller man and breathing. Then, collected as best he could, he turned and snagged a towel, throwing it down, folded, onto the closed lid of the toilet. That was where he gently set Ed down, before turning to grab another towel and draping it around the young man’s shoulders, wrapping him up in it. A third and final towel (the last one in the bathroom) was grabbed and York crouched down, his knees falling to the tile floor, spread around Ed’s legs and the toilet, so his chest brushed against Ed’s knees. Then he was reaching up to start toweling off that long, blonde hair. Once he had it mostly dry, he carefully began to dry the younger man’s body off, using the towel draped around his shoulders. Neck. Arm. Chest. Back. Abdomen. He even patted his lap dry before moving to his thighs and down his legs. He paid special attention to the automail to ensure no water was left there. But then he paused, eyes lingering for a moment on where the metal joined skin. Leaning forward slowly, he pressed his mouth to the skin of Ed’s thigh, just above that automail, before turning his head and setting his cheek there, though he didn’t turn his face towards Ed’s lap, he turned it away to the shower. His arms snaked around that thin waist and for a moment, York just held on like that, his soggy chest pressed against Ed’s legs. Just give him a moment. He’d been really scared. --- He wasn’t ready to laugh about it yet, it was still too fresh in his mind. Ed was mainly quiet while York helped him, not sure what to say during something like this, not sure how to respond except to let him do what he felt like he needed to do. He felt a little better, but there were still those nagging words in the back of his mind that tried to tell him he was worthless and deserve to be eaten. Deserved to be left behind. He couldn’t even do anything for the people who had gotten eaten, they probably had families or something. Maybe he’d find them and tell them, maybe they wouldn’t want to know--he wasn’t very good at this humanity thing but he was trying. Ed knew at least one of the families left behind. It was the man who worked at the library, or used to. Ed wasn’t even sure if he still did anymore since he hadn’t been by to visit it lately. He’d been pretty distracted since telling York how he felt. As the spartan gripped at him like that Ed placed a hand ontop of his head. “Me too.” He didn’t know if he would see him again. That thought was a little hard to swallow after he’d finally managed to get the courage to tell him in the first place. It was a little awkward with York being there between his legs like that, naked. His hand rested on York’s own wet hair quietly. --- The Spartan was far more comfortable with nudity than Ed was, it was painfully obvious. But after holding on for a little bit, he pulled back and smiled up at the younger man, before pushing up onto his knees again and leaning in to press his mouth against where the metal joined with the skin on his shoulder. And up a little higher, then closer to the shoulder, before he was craning his neck to kiss Ed gently on the mouth. “I brought clothes. You stay here.” He’d go get them. Up onto his feet, the Spartan headed for the door and would slip out, closing it behind him. A moment later, though, he was back with scrubs and would begin the delicate task of getting the Alchemist dressed. Only once Ed was dressed did York peel off his own shirt and tug a larger blue shirt over his head-- also scrubs. His pants were still wet, but he didn’t care, he’d get to it later. With Ed hoisted back into his arms, he’d carry him back into the room and lay him carefully on the bed, then pull the sheets back up over his legs. “Are you hungry? You want anything to eat?” Alphonse was sitting in the room, in the chair near the door, just waiting quietly. He didn’t want to disturb the two of them. --- Ed didn’t have many words to say, but what did one say after being eaten? Or after something had attempted to anyway. Watching York touch the places that made him generally the most uncomfortable in his own skin so willingly, softened something inside where those walls had built up previously. York didn’t find him disgusting or strange to touch. York might be the only one save maybe Al. Everyone else he’d always kept at an arm’s length, having not wanted to let them see and judge him for how he looked. He didn’t like how scarred his skin looked around the connection places for his automail, but York touched them without hesitance or any real sign of disgust, and wanted to be close. It put a lot of his confidence in York, which was something Ed hadn’t ever allowed himself to do with anyone. He’d always relied on himself or Al. He wasn’t ready to share their relationship with the world, but in private? York was his. Not because he was ashamed, but because he was cautious. Good things didn’t last long for him usually, he didn’t want to risk giving it more fuel to burn out. Everyone he loved had died of some sickness or another before he even could really enjoy their presence, so he wanted to keep this for himself. Just a little longer. When York placed him back down on the bed and asked him if he was hungry, he made a face.”Not hungry.” Nope. Watching that thing eat people had sufficiently killed any amount of hunger he might have been feeling before hand, but he was tired. The bed smelled better. But maybe it was also him smelling better. He glanced over at Al and gave him a ghost of a smile, though he really didn’t feel like smiling much at all, he felt bad still. Just all around. For upsetting Al, for being eaten, for many things. --- There was a long silence in the room as York situated Ed and opened the window to let in some fresh air, then went to clean up the mess in the bathroom. It gave Alphonse time to climb from his chair and move to his brother’s bed. He was climbing onto it before he even asked the question: “Can I lay with you awhile? I’ll be quiet and still, I promise.” But he wanted to be close, and he knew York had to go back to work.. So it was now or never. A few moments later, the Spartan came out, holding the damp towels and smiling some at the scene he found, with Al pressed close to Ed there in the hospital bed. “You won’t be here long.” York promised him. “Al says your Automail should be ready tomorrow, he’ll get it on and I’ll throw your ass out. Give the bed to someone who really needs it.” Coming to the bed, the tall blonde bent and kissed Al on the head, causing the boy to smile. Then he moved up and gave Ed a kiss. On the mouth. It had Alphonse’s eyebrows going up. “You two rest, I’ll be back later to check on you.” That said, he was turning to head out and let the brothers relax. --- Ed didn’t seem to have any real protests to Al laying quietly with him, he just didn’t have much to say if the boy was looking for conversation. He didn’t mind York’s hands touching him in various places he might have protested under before either, he let York do what he needed and watched idly. Shifting some if a place he landed on ended in pain. Some of his nerves would need to heal and would likely be tender for a while-but he really hadn’t suffered that much injury in spite of how he’d looked when he came in. A little blood loss, but not enough to warrant anything serious, no transfusion necessary or anything to that degree. The older blonde wanted him to stay, but York had things to do and he was getting tired as the clean shifts touched his skin his body felt heavy with exhaustion. “Your bedside manner needs work Doctor.” He smirked as York leaned in and Ed responded to that kiss, though this time a little more shyly than he might have in private. He’d have to talk to York about that later, but it wasn’t like Al wouldn’t find out eventually anyway. His head fell gently back to the pillow near Al, suggesting that he didn’t seem to mind him there. Even used his shoulder as a pillow. --- As York left them alone, Al curled an arm around his brother and held on, pressing his cheek to his hair and closing his eyes. He wasn’t going to mention anything. They didn’t need to talk about what he’d seen, his brother’s reaction had given him all the information he needed. |