Comfort
by Aimless
AN: This takes place During Meine Liebe Weider after Ed’s step mother goes insane and tries to shoot him. I hated the way the anime handled such a traumatic event so I wrote my own spin on the events of that day. Bear in mind this is slightly AU since at the time it was written I did not have a translated episode.
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Orpheus followed Eduard out of the room. He knew an explosion was immanent by the tenseness that fairly vibrated off the young man who walked by his side. Orphe also thanked God that he had gotten there in time to distract Ed’s stepmother enough so his lover could grab the gun.
When he had ridden up to the mansion he knew something was dreadfully wrong. He could feel it and was desperate to find Ed. The butler answered the door almost before he’d put his hand on the door knob. Orphe rudely shoved the man aside and demanded to know Ed’s location. The stunned man stammered out that he was in the library with his step mother. Orphe had raced down the hall and burst through the doors. His heart nearly stopped dead in his chest when he had seen the gun leveled at the young man that was his constant companion.
His shout had startled the woman enough for Ed to act. The gun had gone off but it impacted harmlessly off the ceiling. The weapon dropped to the floor and Orphe found he could breathe again. Ed’s father came in a moment later and had taken the distraught woman in his arms.
Only Orphe had seen the hurt in his lover’s eyes as he was pushed aside in favor of the woman who had tried to kill him.
Orphe longed to hug the young man and soothe away the hurt like Ed had done for him so many times in the past. But Ed would not have wanted to look weak in front of the man whose approval he so desperately wanted. Plus if they found out he had a male lover it would just add fuel to the fire that Ed was unsuitable as his father’s heir.
So Orphe kept his distance. He even walked slightly behind Ed as they went upstairs to his room.
Once behind the closed and locked door Ed gave way to the tumultuous maelstrom of emotions that he’d managed to keep in check. With a cry of rage he made a fist and hit the wall near the door. The plaster cracked from the impact and before Orphe could stop him he hit the wall again. This time leaving a bloody smear behind. Ed reared back to hit the wall again and his hand was gently intercepted. Orphe stood between him and the target of his rage. The blond cradled Ed’s injured hand in his own as his lover looked at the floor. His chest was heaving from unspent anger and frustration.
“How… How could he do that? Go to her and comfort the bitch. She tried to kill me! Don’t I mean anything to him at all? Why did he treat me like that? Why Orphe? Don’t I deserve to be loved? I thought in time she would care about me too. I wanted her to care. To show me the slightest bit of affection. What’s wrong with me? Damn it! I… I can’t take it anymore.” Ed’s head was bowed as he shuddered. He really did not want Orphe to see him cry. To have him think he was weak too.
Orphe watched as his lover seemed to wilt. The anger draining away and leaving sorrow in its wake. Carefully, he reached out and placed his hand on Ed’s shoulder. When those tear filled green eyes met his, Orphe wanted desperately to take away the pain of rejection. He wanted to beat the man down stairs to a bloody pulp for picking that murderous witch instead of his own son. All he could talk about on the train was memories of his wife and how happy they had been together. Couldn’t he see the woman was sick and should be locked away somewhere?
“Orphe?” Ed whispered uncertainly and held out his arms.
Without a second thought the blond gathered his lover into his arms and steered him over to the bed. They sat as Ed sagged bonelessly against him and cried. It nearly destroyed Orphe to see him like this. Ed was the happy one, the one always ready to cheer him up, the one that made Camus laugh and Naoji smile. Not this sobbing wreck he held onto tightly. He’d give anything to see that bright smile.
“Why? Why Orphe? What have I done wrong?” Ed’s muffled voice could barely be heard from where his face was buried against Orphe’s neck.
“Shh… It’s alright Ed. I’m here. They don’t deserve you and if your father can’t see what a brilliant son he has well then fuck him.” Orphe replied grimly. He still wanted to mete out some much deserved justice. It would never happen though. The scandal would devastate the family. They would cover up that fact that his own stepmother tried to murder him. All for the sake of propriety.
Ed raised his head and looked at the blond. Orphe never cussed and it stunned him a bit to hear those words. “Don’t be mad on my account perhaps I am worthless…..”
Orphe frowned and stared incredulously at his lover.
“Don’t you dare say you deserved to be treated like that. You’re worth more than all your sisters combined. You’re worth everything to me. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you. Do you understand?” Without meaning it Orphe squeezed Ed’s shoulders a bit too hard.
He let go when the young man hissed in pain.
“Are you hurt? What happened? Did she do this to you?”
“I was riding back. I had to get home in time to see father. The letter said he was hurt badly. I was so afraid I would not get home in time. It was raining and the road was a churned up muddy mess. I…I heard an odd noise and all of a sudden the horse reared and I fell off and hit my head. The next thing I knew I woke up in a ravine. It hurt but I had to get home… to see father.” Ed flinched again as Orphe’s gentle fingers traced the lump on the back of his head.
“How bad is it? Let me see… Didn’t anyone help you?” Orphe carefully unbuttoned Ed’s shirt and spread it open.
“I staggered in the door wet and muddy. They didn’t really seem to care. I asked about father and they looked at me like I was insane. I was told he was fine. I’d had enough. I changed my clothes and retreated to the conservatory. I played the piano to take my mind off what had happened. All the servants cater to mother’s every whim so I knew I’d get no sympathy there. I wanted to go back to the academy. Back to you. It was getting late though and the rain was really coming down.” Ed let his lover take the shirt completely off of him as he sat looking down at the bedspread.
Orphe hissed in sympathy at the deep bruises that mottled his torso. It was a miracle that Ed had not cracked any ribs. Still the marks looked livid and extremely painful. One of the welts on his hip extended below the waistband of his pants. The skin was raw and abraded and the gravel from the road had really torn him up a bit. Orphe thanked god again that Ed had not broken his neck. He was well acquainted with that road and knew how steep the ditches were that lined it. The blond leaned forward and placed a light kiss on Ed’s forehead.
“What are you thinking love?” Orphe asked softly when he heard his lover sigh dispiritedly.
Ed looked around his room. It did not feel comforting anymore. He felt like a stranger in his own home. He knew now that his step mother would never welcome him with open arms. She would never embrace him like she did her daughters or tell Ed that she loved him. The woman was so full of jealously and hate. The red head had also lost all faith in his father. The man who he’d looked up to for years and tried to emulate. Even if his father came to him and apologized the fact remained that he picked his wife over his son.
“I… I don’t belong here anymore. This place does not seem like home. I feel so lost. I want to leave and not come back but what do I have left? I guess I’m just the bastard son after all.” Ed turned away from Orphe and tried to get up.
The blond reached for Ed’s hands and would not let him leave.
“I will not sit here and listen to you speak that way! What about me? What about Naoji and Camus? Aren’t we your family? You’re not a bastard Eduard. Did you know Camus collapsed when you were in danger? He felt that even though you were far away. We are all he has too, we depend on each other. If not for us, Naoji would spend all his time alone. You know how withdrawn he gets. You make him laugh and are one of the few people to ever do so. Even Lui would miss you.”
Orphe smiled at Ed’s disbelieving snort.
“Really he would. Who else would he have to argue with? He loves to piss you off just to see what you’ll do next. Plus he values your friendship with Naoji. Lui realizes that he tends to be morose and Naoji should not spend all of his time with him.”
Ed sighed and took another look around the room as if burning it into his memory. The large space still held many treasures from his childhood. Looking at the bits from his past reminded Ed of how lonely he’d been in this room. The long nights with no one to comfort him and tell him he was loved. That is until he’d met Orpheus. They were immediately drawn to each other and became best friends. Ed was intrigued by the sad little boy and had made it his goal to bring a smile to that angelic face and a sparkle to those ice blue eyes. Then later it had developed into quite a bit more.
There was really no reason for him to come back here. His father would continue to pay tuition and Ed would continue to pretend like he was part of the family for decorum’s sake. Ed would play the good dutiful son but it would take a hell of a lot to get him to step back into this house with the woman who tried to kill him.
Ed was pulled back from his sad musings by warm lips on his bruised knuckles. Orphe held his hand and gently traced the torn skin with his mouth as if to soothe away the hurt. Ed was taken a bit aback by the smoldering look the blond gave him.
“Orphe?” Ed was not quite sure what the blond wanted but when his fingers were drawn into Orphe’s mouth and playfully sucked on he had a pretty good idea.
The blond let go of Ed’s hand and scooted closer so he could wrap his arms around the red head’s waist. “Ed… I want you.” Orphe whispered. “I want you to take a pleasant memory away from this place. Make love to me.”
Ed shuddered at the intensity of Orphe’s words and placed his hands on the slightly damp fabric of the blond’s uniform. That the aristocratic Strahl candidate wanted him touched Ed to the point where he had to will his fingers not to shake as he slowly undressed his lover. He kissed each inch of pale skin as it was revealed and when he claimed Orphe’s mouth they were both groaning with desire.
Lips met in a slow sensuous slide neither battling for dominance as tongues intertwined. Hands taught by trial, error and exploration sought out the sensitive areas that made them both gasp and moan. Ed’s injuries were forgotten in a heated rush of passion as he made Orphe writhe beneath him. When Ed slowly sank into his well prepared lover and heard Orphe moan his name over and over he knew he was home. When the blond’s gasping breath and velvet heat welcomed Ed as he began to thrust he knew contentment. Then finally as he found his release inside his lover, carrying Orphe over the edge with him, he felt truly at peace.
Afterward as they lay spent and replete in each other’s arms Ed knew he would have the courage to face the future as long as Orphe was there at his side.
The next morning, a carriage arrived to pick Orphe and Ed up and take them back to Rosenstolz. His step mother was absent from the few people gathered to see Ed off. His father was there but he fairly radiated guilt. Ed stood tall and gravely shook his father’s hand where once a hug would have been exchanged.
Orphe was so proud of Ed at that moment because he still wanted to punch the man right in the face. Orphe laughed to himself… and they called him the calm one.
Once inside the fancy rig and away from prying eyes Edward sagged against his blond lover while Orphe gently stroked his hair. They rode in companionable silence exchanging light caresses and playful kisses. By the time the carriage pulled up to the academy, Ed’s smile was once more back on his handsome face.
As they stood looking at the massive gates Ed knew that this was home and as long as he had Orphe, Camus, Naoji, and yes even Lui, he would never truly be alone.
~ end ~