When all was said and done, Edeline Elric wasn't sure what to do. She lost her alchemy, lost her place in the military and hardly knew to do anything else but read and research. She did get her brother and arm back though- that held more value in her heart than anything else. Still, all those years focused on doing alchemy with just a clap did their damage. Whenever Edeline wished to do something, her first instinct was to press her palms together and then ultimately fail.
Still, the short girl tried to go on in her life as usual- this time alone. Alphonse was in Xing, studying alkahestry, Winry was too busy with creating new and improved automail. Nowadays, Ed sees her favorite metal head only when her automail leg needs a tuneup- she sees Al even less (maybe two or three times a year). Ed went from loud and obnoxious to a silent little mouse of a girl.
Until a certain General infiltrated her solitary life once again.
It was just a boring Autumn night when someone knocked on Ed's door. Confused and weary, Ed lowered the book she was reading and placed her glasses on the coffee table. When she finally opened the door (after dragging her feet to the entrance), Ed was pretty surprised. Roy Mustang, everyone's favorite pain in the ass, stood there looking like he didn't have a care in the world (except for the white cane in his hands). His smile was as radiant and charming as ever and Ed couldn't help but return it even though Roy couldn't see it. Maybe Riza, Roy's ever faithful and loyal friend and bodyguard, would tell him.
"General Bastard." Edeline laughed and tugged the man inside, wincing when that caused the man to stumble. "I've missed your ugly mug!"
"No longer a general, Ed." Roy corrected her and accepted Ed's help to the couch. "One can't be in the army if one is blind. Wait... Did you just say that you've missed me?"
"Irrelevant." Ed grinned and poured Roy some coffee. It was a good thing her living room was full of coffee cups, glasses and held one more than essential appliance- a coffee maker.
"I have missed you too, Ed." Roy smiled. This smile was so different from Roy's former, smug smirk. It was gentle and so sweet that Edeline's teeth and heart ached. "More than my sight, if you can believe it."
"That's so fucking cute."
"And you're still short."
"No, I am petite."
"Midget."
"Bastard."
"All these years and you're yet to think up some new insults." Roy clicked his tongue, mock disappointed.
"Old habits, Roy."
"How are you after..." Mustang hesitated.
"After trying to keep the balcony from falling on a kid and almost getting us both injured in the process?" Edeline drawled, sitting beside Roy and leaning against him. "Winry almost killed me after for ruining her leg. I had to stay in the hospital a day longer because of head trauma caused by a blunt object."
Roy chuckled, throwing his arm around Edeline's shoulders. He could feel her questioning gaze on him but only secured her better to his side. Fire softly crackled in the fireplace and the heat comforted them both. They had lost so much but their friendship still remained. It was wonderful and if Roy came to visit or called more often then her best friends during childhood- who was Edeline to think it a nuisance?
"Read to me?" Roy whispered, his formerly confident voice betraying how weak he felt just because of that little request.
"I knew you love my voice." Ed joked but took her book and started from the beginning, ignoring a muttered "I love you."
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters."