"So, I was thinking maybe I could go visit brother this weekend, it's a little earlier than…" The younger Elric trailed off, pulling his eyes from ethereal pinks and oranges of the late evening sunset to glance swiftly at his raven headed lover. He pursed his lips tightly, almost disapproving. Roy sat on the top step of his front porch, his elbow no doubt leaving a red mark on his thigh as he leaned his chin heavily into an upturned palm, expression intent. Alphonse hopped down from the sturdy wooden railing, hands going immediately to his hips. "You're ignoring me completely." He complained. As if on queue Roy's head swiveled around to look up at Alphonse, exchanging his pensive look for half of a smirk.

"Of course I'm not ignoring you," he assured soothingly. Unconvinced, the small blonde shook his head dispiritedly; the long ponytail attached swinging against his shoulders.

"Then what did I just say?"

"You accused me of ignoring you entirely." Al sighed, dropping his hands from his hips instead to fold them against his chest.

"That's not what I meant and you know it." A small smile, less forced, quirked the edge of General Mustang's lips.

"You're right I wasn't paying much attention, should I apologize?" He received and odd look from behind thick lashes.

"You should, but I suppose I won't make you." Alphonse said, tipping his head to the side to study the man before him. "What are you thinking so hard about?"

"Nothing important."

"It's important enough to ignore me for," he reminded, before digging a hand into his pocket.

"What're you doing?"

"Just a sec," after a moment he pulled out a shiny, copper disk and held it out to Roy. "There." The older man took it with a raised eyebrow.

"What's this for?" He asked as Al sank to the stoop beside him.

"You know," he started easily, holding out a hand palm up. "A penny for your thoughts." His smile was soft and familiar as he let the hand come to rest on Roy's knee. "I'm curious." Roy chuckled amusedly.

"I was just focused on the past, nothing to concern you," he answered lightly, "but here's a thought: you're too damned cute for your own good." Al felt his cheeks go from a light pink to red as Roy held the penny back out to him. "How about a thought from you," he propositioned. Alphonse snatched it up between a thumb and forefinger.

"I think that you're absolutely frustrating and I sometimes wonder if you have ever given me a straight answer," he was still smiling but the words were true and he thrusts the penny back to Roy's hand. "What about you?"

"I think," dark eyes leaned in closer, "that you're right and I wonder if there's something more important you want to ask me." The small change migrated back to Al's knee, not because he needed it but more for the sake of the game. He let his long fingers dance over the slightly scathed surface easily.

"I think that you lied to me," Alphonse closed a little more of the space between them, "when you said you were thinking about the past, and I wonder what you were really thinking about." He could now feel the whisper of Roy's even breathing across the heated skin of his cheeks and forehead, and their legs pressed together close enough to slide the penny onto Roy's thigh.

"I think, again, that you're right," Roy flashed a smile that was wide enough to grace a twinkle of white teeth. "And I'm still wondering what you want to ask me so badly that we're passing a piece of copper back and forth like children." But this time as Al reached for the afore mentioned money Roy clasped their hands together, pressing the bit of metal, now warm from being passed from warmth to warmth, between their palms.

"I think," Alphonse licked his lips a little nervously, "that I wonder if you love me."

"Yes," Roy's whisper was almost lost as their mouths met, but Al was glad it wasn't considering that was the only straight answer he'd ever gotten from Roy Mustang.