Alchemist/Exorcist (FMA: Brotherhood x Blue Exorcist) RinxEd)

Chapter 10

            "Stop squirming, Rin! I almost got it," Yukio grimaced. The next moment, Rin yelped as his brother yanked the bullet from his stomach. Sighing Yukio dropped it in the metal tin beside him, "It was already closing of course. You and your fast healing...so Ed saw your flames?"
             "Yeah," Rin said, sitting up as Yukio instructed.
             "And?"
             He shrugged, trying to force back a giddy smile, "He was scared at first but I think he's...cool with it...kind of."
             Yukio was silent where Rin knew he would be teasing him about the pink on his cheeks.
              "Hey, Yukio, this isn't—"
              "Okumura!" Mustang barked across the room.
              The previously trashed and abandoned entry way was now flooded with officers, equipment, and artificial lights.
               "Just a second!" Yukio finished bandaging Rin's abdomen and peeled off his gloves.
               "Yukio—" Rin started again, grabbing his shirt.
               "We'll talk later. Stay here,"
               Yukio joined Mustang. "Is your brother going to be okay?" the Colonel asked.
               "Yeah...he—uh...he's tough," Yukio scanned the room, "Do you know where Ed and Al are?"
               Mustang pointed to the stairs. Yukio spied the two forms sitting on the first few steps. "They're...brooding," Mustang grumbled, "They're not very good at this."
               "Who can say they are though?"
               "You've seen death, kid?"
               "I don't know if it counts but I've been able to see demons my whole life—is this why you called me over, Colonel?"
              Mustang shook himself, "Oh, no. The girls parents are here...I just thought...it'd be best..."
              Yukio took a deep breath, "I'll talk to them."
               Not a minute past before the whole room filled with an angry, booming voice, "So this is why my little girl's dead?! Her life was in the hands of a bunch of children?!"
               "I'm sorry you feel that way," Yukio said, gently, not hearing the running feet coming up behind him.
               "Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about!"
               Yukio grabbed his brother around the waist and dragged him backwards, "Rin, just leave them be! They're mourning—"
               "I don't give a damn! That doesn't give you the right to trash people who already feel like shit about themselves!"
               Out the corner of his eye, Yukio saw Ed and Al's heads snap up. They were listening.
                "My daughter is dead, because of your negligence!"
                "Say whatever the hell you want about me. But Ed and Al are great at what they do. Hell, Ed saved my ass back there. And Yukio, he's an amazing exorcist! He did everything he could for Katie," Rin's voice softened, "It's just...sometimes there's nothing you can do. Shit happens, people die."
               "Shit happens? That's all you have to say?" the man sputtered, but it was obvious Rin had taken him off guard.
               Yukio successfully pulled Rin away, and apologized profusely to the couple. As they left, he sensed Mustang standing behind him.
               "Your brother needs to get a hold over his emotions,"
               "You have no idea,"

               "Yes...I understand...yes...Thank you, sir. I'll be in touch," Yukio hung up his cell phone and sighed. He sat slumped at the kitchen table. Rin leaned against the back of the couch watching.
              "Well?"
              "They're considering sending more exorcists if we can't—I can't handle it. Senior exorcists, knights..."
              "Anything but that asshole Angel,"
              "Maybe him too, and Shura. She'll find out you drew the Koma sword,"
              Rin stiffened, but didn't reply. Instead he asked, "Where's the other half of this barbershop quartet?"
              "The roof, I think,"
              When Yukio didn't move, Rin swung the Koma sword onto his back and headed up by himself. When he stepped out onto the roof, though he was greeted by Al's voice, "Satan? You're sure that's what he said?"
               "I'm positive," Ed said, "You should have seen him. Covered in these...blue flames...and his face..."
               "Hey," Rin blurted out, deciding to pretend he hadn't heard.
               The two jumped, looking over their shoulders, "Hey," they said simultaneously.
               "Can I sit you with you guys?"
               "Sure,"
               Ed had his legs under the rail that encircled the roof, dangling them over the side, and Al sat cross-legged next to him. Rin sat next to Ed, swinging his legs out over the edge too. He pressed his forehead against the cool metal of the railing and sighed. It was the only sound any of them made for a long while. The silence was broken by the door behind them opening and a soft voice saying, "Hey."
               The other three murmured greetings as Yukio sat beside Rin. After another stretch of silence, Rin grumbled, "What a miserable team we are, huh?"
               No one answered for a moment, before Yukio said, "Guys, I wanted to say I'm sorry. This is my fault. I should have been able to save Katie."
               "You did what you could, man," Rin said.
               "Rin's right," Ed chimed in, "You did more for her than any of us could have. If it's anyone's fault it's mine. I should have gone to her when Rin told me to."
                "No, Ed. You had to stay to save my stupid ass. I went and got myself shot. If I—"
                "Stop it! That's enough!" Al cried suddenly, "Blaming ourselves isn't going to do any good! It won't bring Katie back, and it won't stop anyone else from dying! We have to focus on stopping Victor."
                "He's right," Yukio said. He thought for a moment, "Tomorrow, we should go touch base with Central Command and see what they picked up from the scene...For now, I'm turning in."
                He stood up. Ed stood with him, "I'm calling it, too."
                 They all said their good nights, and then it was just Al and Rin. "You going to bed too?" Rin asked.
                "Oh, I don't sleep,"
                "Oh, I suppose—I'll stay up with you for a while then,"
                "No, that's okay. You should sleep,"
               "I'll just stay up a little while longer. We can watch the sun set together—not in a mushy way or anything,"
               Al laughed, "No, I get it. That would be nice."
               After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Rin asked, "What's it like? Being a suit of armor I mean."
               "It sucks,"
               "I suppose. You don't sleep. You can't eat?"
               "Nope. And that's the tip of the iceberg—I don't really wanna talk about it,"
               "Sure. Sorry,"
               "It's fine...erm...so Ed said you're a demon?"
               "Yeah...does that bother you?"
               Al seemed to consider this, then slowly said, "No. I know you're a good person. That's all that matters to me...You'll have to ask him yourself, but I know Ed feels the same way."
               "Thanks. That means a lot,"
               "Of course. But if you don't mind me asking, if you're a demon, why do you wanna be an exorcist?"
                "A few months ago my father Satan came to bring me back to hell. The man who raised me sacrificed himself to save me. It seemed like the right thing to do next, you know?"
                "Sure, I can see that,"
               "You can laugh if you want, I don't mind, but I'm aiming to become the Paladin someday,"
               "Why would I laugh? I don't know what a Paladin is, but I'm sure you'll be a great one,"
               Rin smiled, "Thanks, man."
               "I'm sorry about your dad,"
               "Thanks," Rin said again, "I'm sorry too—about what happened to you and Ed I mean—"
               "Please don't,"
               "Huh?"
               "You didn't ask to be the son of Satan. Ed and me—we messed with the natural flow of the universe. This—this is what comes of that,"
              Rin was quiet for a moment, before blurting out, "I'm sorry, no offense to your all-powerful science laws—but that's bullshit!"
              "Huh?!" Al yelped, taken back.
              "If I thought I could bring my old man back, I would without a second thought. Even though he'd beat my ass for breaking the rules...and even though I'd immediately find something to yell at him for,"
              Al was silent. After a while, Rin continued, "I'm sorry if that was rude, but I had to tell it to you straight."
              "No, it's okay. It's just no one's ever said anything like that before," Al replied, softly.
              "It's like what you said earlier. You can't blame yourself for doing what seemed best at the time. You just have to move forward...you know?"
              "Yeah, I know,"
              By now the sun had set.