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“Al, why do we even need to be here?” Ed groaned in the empty and quiet waiting room.
Al would’ve rolled his eyes if he could’ve.
“For the last time, we need to see if Colonel Mustang is going to be okay!”
“He was able to walk to the car. He’s fine!”
“He couldn’t have if Lieutenant Hawkeye wasn’t helping him!” Al huffed, metal shoulders slumping with a creak. “If all you’re going to do is whine, then go back to the dorms. I’ll be there once I know he’s okay.”
The finality in Al’s voice made Ed’s eyes widen and signaled the end of the discussion. Al had only raised his voice on a handful of occasions. Crossing his arms, Ed slouched back down in the chair. The two brothers were silent as they waited.
Al sighed and stared down at his massive hands.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. It was just a simple assignment to catch a few robbers. Colonel Roy Mustang wasn’t supposed to wind up in the hospital.
Not for Al.
*break*
“C’mon, Al! They’re heading around back!”
“Shouldn’t we wait for backup? Those were the Colonel’s orders!
“Dammit! We don’t have time if we want to catch these guys!”
Al risked a glance behind him and saw a few cars pull up to the front of the bank before racing after his brother. He shoved his annoyance at the fact every one of Roy’s orders seemed to go in one of Ed’s ears and out the other aside. These men were armed. Although, that fact hadn’t stopped his brother from running out of the office before Roy had finished giving orders.
He needed to remain vigilant, scanning the shadows with every step they took down the alley for any sign of their culprits.
“There they are!” Ed yelled as they rounded the corner at the end of the alley.
Blue light illuminated the street as Ed slammed his hands down. The three running men were each encased in a concrete fist. Al tilted his head.
“Aren’t there supposed to be four of them?”
Someone emerged from the alley behind them, gun raised pointing straight at Al’s chest plate. He could hear rapidly approaching footsteps behind them.
“Alphonse!”
All he could see was a blue uniform jumping in front of him as a gunshot rang out through the night.
*break*
“Lieutenant Hawkeye!”
Al stood up as Riza approached the two brothers. Ed barely stirred from his slumped position in the chair, having fallen asleep.
“Is Colonel Mustang—”
“He’s fine, Alphonse,” Riza assured. “The bullet just grazed his side. He had to get some stitches and will need to take it easy for a couple days, but that’s it. He’ll be going home tonight.”
Al perked up.
“Really? That’s so good to hear….” He trailed off, briefly looking down at the floor before he shifted his gaze back to Riza. “Would…would it be all right…can I see him?”
Riza’s lips curled up into a small grin.
“I don’t see why not. I’ll take you to his room.”
Al glanced back at Ed, still asleep in the chair, and followed Riza down the hall. His heavy footsteps echoed as they made their way to Roy’s room. They stopped in front of the door.
“Why don’t you go on in?” she suggested. “I’ll see if I can get his discharge papers in order.”
She was already walking back down the hall before Al could say anything else. He stared at the door in front of him. After a moment of hesitation, he opened it and gasped at the sight of Roy struggling to put on his shirt. Roy’s teeth were clenched as he tried to pull his left arm through the sleeve. A few droplets of sweat had formed on his temple. He stopped when he realized someone had opened the door.
“Alphonse?”
“Don’t strain yourself! Let me help you!”
He took a few careful steps toward the bed, his gaze never leaving the bandages covering Roy’s side. He grabbed the shirt sleeve, holding it out so Roy could easily slip his arm in.
“Thanks,” Roy sighed.
Al kept a gentle, metal hand on Roy’s shoulder as he slipped his right arm through the other sleeve and buttoned up his shirt.
“Lieutenant Hawkeye told me you had to get stitches. She’d probably be upset if she saw you straining yourself like that.”
Roy smirked.
“Why do you think I waited until she left? In my defense, I truly thought I wouldn’t need help….” Roy trailed off when he realized the metal hand was still on his shoulder. “Al, is everything—”
“Why did you do it?” Roy’s eyebrows furrowed. “Why did you jump in front of me like that? The bullet would’ve ricocheted off me.”
Roy chuckled.
“I guess you’re right. I wasn’t thinking.”
“You have to be more careful, Colonel! There are a lot of people counting on you! I’m just a suit of armor. I don’t need you to—”
“Don’t ever say that again! You have to know that’s not true, Al.”
Al finally released Roy’s shoulder and backed up.
“But it’s true, sir. Several people are counting on you.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
A tense silence hung between them, but the fire remained in Roy’s eyes. Al couldn’t even look at Roy anymore and settled for staring down at the floor. He only ever saw that fire when his brother got reprimanded for not following orders, or when Roy chewed them out for doing something reckless.
“Al.” He wouldn’t look up. “Alphonse?”
He finally mustered the courage to meet Roy’s gaze.
“You’re not just a suit of armor. You’re a person. Just like me. Just like your brother.”
“I don’t have a body.”
“But that doesn’t make you any less human than the rest of us.”
Al remained silent, not knowing what to say. Roy stood up, and he couldn’t hide the grimace that crossed his face. He reached out and rested his hand on Al’s chest plate.
“You still have a soul, Alphonse Elric, one of the kindest souls I’ve ever met. It’s easy to forget you’re practically indestructible for now. When I saw that man raise that gun at you…I just can’t stand to think about any of my men getting hurt.”
“I’m not even in the military.”
“That doesn’t mean you’re not part of my team.”
“Sir,” Riza greeted as she entered the room. “I’ve filled out all the paperwork. I can take you home whenever you’re ready.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.” Roy turned back to him. “Will you and Fullmetal be needing a ride back to the dorms?”
Al shook his head.
“It’s not a far walk from here, and it’s no trouble at all for me to carry my brother.”
“Are you sure?”
Al nodded.
“Thank you for the offer. Please take it easy and get better soon!”
With one last wave and Roy and Riza, he left and made his way back to the waiting room. For the first time, he didn’t mind the clanking metal with every step he took.
“That doesn’t make you any less human than the rest of us.”
He didn’t mind having to move out of the way so doctors and nurses could walk by him down the hall.
“But that doesn’t mean you’re not part of my team.”
Because he was more than just a suit of armor.