Established relationship (married), '03 canon (whether you choose post CoS or CoS didnt happen, it doesnt matter lmao).
The whole of team Mustang knows very well that while Roy takes his job seriously and works very hard, he would still absolutely take any opportunity in existence to get away from paperwork. Riza knows this a little too well, having had to threaten him to get it done almost since the very moment of his first promotion when he got the opportunity to get out of the field and stay stuck in the office. He's faked injuries, important events and life threatening illnesses to get away from signing forms, one time he even planned a fever with a warm towel and makeup and Riza had almost believed it when she arrived at his house and saw him lying in bed red in the face, sweaty and warm (being awake and lucid had given him away).
So it stands to reason that when he finally shows up to the office with a real runny nose, reddened eye and a consistent cough he would get the fuck back home and spend the day sleeping away the cold. The door to the private office is open as it usually is when he's not doing anything that requires all of his concentration.
"Uh, Chief?" Asks Havoc after the sound of another nasty cough fit makes its way from Roy's desk to where they are checking their own paperwork. "Shouldn't you be resting at home? We can manage for a day or two, yknow"
Roy looks up from his fist, tears at the corner of his one visible eye from the strain of coughing and waves a hand in dismissal, saying with a rough voice that shows how very much NOT ok he is feeling.
"I'm fine. It's just allergies"
Allergies to WHAT? They all think at the same time. There's no way he's suddenly developed an allergy to anything this strong in a single day. Spring is coming to an end, if he was gonna develop an allergy it would've happened two months ago.
Is he not at home because Ed is away on a school trip? Or does he really not realise how sick he is?
They let him be for one single minute, when he begins desperately searching for tissue paper because his face is twisting in advance to a sneeze.
Breda quietly gets up and slides a tissue box on his hand right in time for two kitten sneezes. He manages to turn away from Roy so the General doesn't notice him trying not to laugh. Fuery also hides his mouth between his hands to muffle a snort. Havoc doesn't have such qualms and just laughs freely.
"Sir, you really should go home and rest" Riza takes over. He's starting to look way more pathetic than usual, especially with Edward gone for a week. She walks over to him and puts a hand on his forehead. Her eyes soften against her will. "You're burning up. Go home"
"I'm fine" He repeats then sniffs. Though it sounds more like "Imbime" to her. He hasn't gotten up since he arrived and Riza suspects it might be because he doesn't wanna show how dizzy the fever's making him.
She decides to play a little dirty.
"Edward is gonna be upset when he comes back tomorrow if he finds you in the hospital because you let a cold go unattended for too long"
He looks up at her, betrayal shining in his one eye. It doesn't have the effect he wanted because the eyepatch is wet with sweat and both his nose and cheeks are red. They stare at each other for a long moment until his face twists up again and he has to hurry for a new tissue.
When he's blown his nose as clean as he can without rubbing it raw, he frowns, clearly displeased, and sets both hands on the desk to help himself up.
"Fine" he says with as much anger as his stuffy nose and dry throat lets him, then manages less than three steps away from the desk before swaying and tumbling to the ground.
"General!" Is the last thing he hears before losing consciousness.
He wakes up horizontal on his soft mattress -he knows it is his, he bought it- feeling like someone replaced every one of his limbs with solid steel. Also his chest. And his head. And his stomach. There's a cold wet towel on his forehead so that's nice and his ears pick up the faint sound of someone wringing another towel close to his side. He tries to ask what's going on but his throat is killing him so the tiny groan he makes sends him into a violent coughing fit. He doesn't realise who's pushing him to sit for a bit but then the cold towel falls and a cold automail hand comes in its place. He wants to look at his husband but the coughing is making it a bit difficult.
Edward clicks his tongue, clearly disappointed.
"What were you thinking, you absolute moron?" He asks when Roy finally stops hacking up his lungs.
Roy leans on the metal hand and looks at him. He looks stunning, Roy thinks, as he always does. He is, at this moment, quite literally a sight for sore eyes. Or eye. Details.
"I'm f-" the hard disapproving look the blond gives him stops him right there. He rephrases. "I thought it wasn't that bad"
Edward closes his eyes and takes a deep breath like he can't believe he married such a dumbass. When he opens them again he makes Roy lay back down on his back and replaces the cold wet towel on his forehead. His lips curve in a helpless smile when his husband doesn't bother to hide the adoration in his face. (He hasn't bothered to hide it in many years now but it always gets him)(Perhaps he can actually believe why he married this dumbass).
"Go back to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up." He does have to go check on the soup he's got in the stove but Roy doesn't have to know that right now.
Roy reaches for his flesh hand and tugs until his knuckles are flush against dry lips.
Fuck, Edward missed him too. It was just a week and he did promise his students a field trip so he couldn't back down but these days any length of time away from his husband is torture.
"I missed you too" he uses the hostage hand to caress one cheek and the scar on the missing eye. He continues until Roy is asleep once again, soft and content.
He allows himself a moment to just watch him. Then he hears the pot probably overflowing in the kitchen and runs to turn it off. He's gonna have to remake the soup, damnit.
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