Roy sat in the hospital on a chair next to Edward's bed since he had brought the small blonde here. The boy was still unconscious, but the doctors had told him that Ed's just sleeping, nothing unusual or dangerous.

The colonel sighed and watched the sleeping boy. He had a lot of time to think while he was waiting for Edward to get up, so he started with looking at his little wonder. He noticed some small, odd things which he didn't paid attention to when he found Ed on the graveyard.

Ed's hair wasn't bound in his usual braid or at least a high ponytail, no it was completely short. So short, that you couldn't even put a scrunchy in it. Even his bangs were shorter, barely reaching his chin. Only Ed's lovely famous antenna still pointed out from this head as usual.

Also, Edward wore different cloths. No big surprise since much time has passed since their last meet, but the cloths just didn't seem Ed-like. You know the boy with his iconic red coat, the black jacket, top and leather-pants, his platform boots and his big ass belt. But that? A plain white shirt with a dark grey west, grey trousers who seemed a bit to big for the shorty and a brown coat? Since when does Ed wore so... normal cloths in such dull colours?

The feeling that something was off with the boy got even bigger when he noticed that Edward wasn't waring his usual gloves either. Roy took the blondes hands into his own and saw to his surprise that both looked the same. No automail to be seen, just two normal, fleshly warm hands. Confused Roy pulled his right sleeve up, but still, Edward's arm was just as normal as his left one without a hint of there ever being an automail.

Did Edward get his arm back? But how? Maybe when Alphonse brought Ed back to life, preventing the Alchemist from going to through the gate and dying? It would make sense, since as far as Roy knew, Ed's arm was the prize taken for the binding of Alphonse's soul to the suit of armour. So when Al gave his own life, breaking the bound of his soul, Edward's arm must have returned.

He should definitely talk with that Rose-girl again, the one from Liore which was there when it happened. Maybe she knew more.

"Hmgh..."

The general immediately looked towards the blonde's face which seemed filled with pain and horror. He still had his eyes closed, so Roy assumed he was still sleeping and having a nightmare.

Pity filled Roy's own dark eye as he was watching the small alchemist, before he carefully lifted the boy up and hugged him tightly, but still softly. He leaned Edward against his chest, carefully brushing his soft hair while whispering calming words.

"It's alright, Edward... I'm here, I'll protect you... It's alright, it's okay... Relax, everything will be fine..." He said with a little smile on his face. Even though things seemed off about Ed, he didn't want to destroy his own hope. He wanted to believe that his was his Edward, that Ed was back at his side, that he finally got the small blonde boy back in his life.

Edward seemed to get calmer and slept more peacefully, so Roy carefully let him down on the bed again. The general looked at the boy, brushing a strand of his short blond hair out of his face.

"Please, wake up soon, Edward. I beg you, please wake up. And please don't go again. Don't leave us all again." Roy lowered his head in sorrow until he rested it on Edward's hospital bed. Without the intention to cry tears suddenly started to roll down the raven's cheeks, wetting the bedsheet beneath him.

Pathetic, he thought. I'm pathetic again, just like I told Hughes. But even though he felt shame about crying like a baby, a little bit of relief filled him as he could finally show his emotions more openly. It felt good to let his feelings out, to cry and to smile, to live.

Roy didn't know how long he sat there with his head on Ed's bed crying like a five-year-old, but suddenly he felt a warm hand on top of his head. He flinched in surprise and immediately snaped, sitting straight and looking with a big eye at the blond boy.

Ed's hand fell down from Roy's head, now laying on the bed. The boy smiled at him with his eyes barely open, still looking sleepy and tired.

"E-Edward!" he exclaimed happily, taking the boy's hand in his own two. "You're awake! You're awake! Edward!" More tears formed in his eye, but this time out of joy. He must have looked like an exited puppy, jumping around because his human has returned home, but Roy just felt so relieved that he couldn't help himself.

"Roy..." Edward answered, his voice sounding a little broken and raspy, so Roy immediately grabbed the water bottle and the glass that stood ready on the small desk next to the bed. He filled water in the glass and gave it to Ed, still holding the glass to help him, since he wasn't sure if the boy was strong enough to drink on his own. Charily he helped him drink, before placing the glass back on the desk. "Better?" he asked smiling.

The blonde nodded, returning the smile, before looking around with a questioning gaze. "W-Where are we...?" he asked confused.

"In the hospital." The raven haired man answered. "In the Central City Hospital. I found you on the graveyard and you were unconscious, so I brought you here and had you checked by the doctors."

"Central City...?" Edward seemed even more confused. He looked at the general, reaching out with one hand. Roy watched him perplex as he felt Ed's hand on his eyepatch. "What... happened to you...?"

His dark eye filled with regret, but he still managed to smile a little, placing his own hand over Edward's. "Just a little accident. Don't worry, I'm alright. It's alright."

"Roy..." Edward looked sadder, leaning more towards the dark-haired man, before cuddling onto him. Roy, who was a little bewildered about the way Ed addressed him, slowly returned the gesture and embraced the boy softly.

"Edward..." he sighed in relief. The feeling of having the boy so close to him made his heart bump in happiness as it was filling with peace. "Edward... I'll never let you go again... Please, stay here... Stay with me..."

"Roy..." Again, Roy wondered when the boy had started to call him by his first name. And a small part of him questioned why he was pronouncing it... differently than usual. But he couldn't care less about this now. All he wanted for so long, since the day he fought the Fuhrer, was finally his. He finally had Edward back.

He didn't quite control himself, so he unwantedly spoke some of his thoughts out loud.

"I love you."

And he even got an answer.

"I love you too."