Hey 'lo all!
So this is a bit late for a Christmas fic, but i just had to finish it! There's going to be an M rated alternate ending, hopefully that shall be written and up soon!
I hope you all will enjoy this!
Happy Holidays!
~Feli~
Edward shifted around the armchair he was seated in, holding his cup of eggnog close to him. He glanced around the room.
Heymans and Vato were singing a drunken duet of 'Silent Night,' Kain was giving Elysia a piggy-back ride after having a couple of drinks and was tripping and bumping into things. Alphonse had only had a single drink but was snuggling with one of Elysia's stuffed dogs saying, "You're such a cute little kitty! Yes you are! Maybe Winry will let you come home with us!"
Winry and Gracia were by the piano, talking about apple pie baking techniques.
Edward's eyes drifted to a picture of the whole crew on the mantle, easily spotting the three members missing from the Christmas party. Riza, Jean, and Roy had been drafted just a year ago into the war with Drachma.
"Come on, Edward, stop being a downer." A hand was suddenly waving in front of his face, startling him. Edward looked away from the picture to see Winry's worried blue eyes. He shook his head and looked into his drink.
Winry sighed. "Come on, Ed! We all miss them, but they would want us to still have fun and enjoy our time with friends, family, and lov-"
"Loved ones. I know, Winry." Edward stood and brushed his pants off. "Only problem is my loved one isn't here." Though seeing the mild look of hurt on her face, he apologized, "I'm sorry Win. I'm not feeling so great. I'm just going to head home."
Winry didn't try to stop Ed as he went to get his coat off the rack, when he went over to thank Gracia for inviting him, nor when he walked out the door into the snowy Christmas night.
As Edward walked home he thought of when the draft letter for Roy came.
He had just come home from his latest mission; takeout for the two of them in one hand and some gifts for Roy in the other. The house had been dark when he walked in- something Edward found odd because it was late and Roy should have been home by then.
"Roy! I'm home!"
A quiet shuffle came from the kitchen. He slowly took off his coat and made his way to the dimly lit room.
"Roy?" He questioned, his voice softening as he saw the older standing by the counter, his head in his hands and a crumpled letter in front of him.
As if his voice had woken him up, Roy's head snapped to look at Ed. Ed's worried golden eyes locked with bloodshot blue. Before Ed could say anything, he found himself in Roy's arms.
"R-Roy?"
"I'm sorry," Roy's normally rich and deep voice had cracked and was now hoarse, as though he'd been crying all day. "I'm so sorry."
"Roy?" Edward's voice cracked as worry choked his throat. "What's wrong? What's going on?"
Unable to see past Roy's shoulder, he could not see what the letter had said or who it was from.
"I've been drafted…"
Edward and Roy had spent the following week with the other as much as possible, ending with a lonely departure just a week before Christmas.
Edward found himself holding the keys to his house, unlocking the door. He sighed as he pictured the cold, empty house the way he had left it before the party. He had not bothered to decorate; though a tree did sit off to the side of the unused fireplace. Al had insisted and paid for his brother to at least have a tree. Though throughout the Christmas season, it pained Edward to even look toward the damn thing, let alone decorate it because of its position in the living room.
The fireplace had not been touched in over a year now; the last time it had been used was the night before Roy left. The fireplace reminded Edward of his pyro of a lover. Roy would always light it with his ignition gloves and watch the amusement on Ed's face as he did so.
Edward sighed deeply as he turned the doorknob and opened what he was expecting to be a cold house. He stood in the now-open doorway in shock as a wave of warmth enveloped him before it rushed out into the cold December night. Edward blinked several times before stepping into the warm almost welcoming house and closing the door slowly behind him. Once in, he could hear a faint crackle from further within the house. After looking around the entryway cautiously, Ed took off his coat and boots and padded softly toward the living room where he had heard the noise.
Edward gasped in surprise as he took in his now-decorated living room. There wasn't too much that had changed; though the vases were now filled with dark crimson poinsettias, the tree was now decked out with ornaments that he and Roy had picked out the year before; bright glowing lights hung from the branches. But the warm air and the faint crackle that came from the burning logs in the fireplace were what made Ed root to his spot in the open arch doorway of the living room.
Edward's attention was solely focused on the fire so he didn't quite notice the long, black overcoat draped over the back of the couch nor the black-haired colonel he'd so dearly missed sitting in the armchair in the far corner of the room.
Said colonel slowly stood, so as not to startle the young man in front of him. As he made his way toward the younger, Roy saw Ed's gaze shift from the fire to him; his mouth dropping open as he stumbled back against the doorpost.
A soft smile came to Roy's face as he neared his lover.
"R-Roy? Your h-home?" Roy chuckled lightly at the realization and joy in Ed's eyes. When the blonde was within arms reach, he grabbed him and held him tightly to him. The embrace was happily returned; Edward buried his nose into Roy's shirt.
Then Roy stepped back and looked up with a smile. Edward, confused, did so as well, his eyes widened slightly at what he saw.
"Mistletoe," they both murmured, looking back into the other's eyes.
Roy slowly bent down as Ed wrapped his arms around the man's neck. Their lips connected softly for the first time in a year. Tears sprung to Ed's eyes as they pulled apart.
"Merry Christmas, Ed," Roy whispered as Ed hugged him again. He was happy to finally be home and to be spending his first Christmas there with Ed.
