RoyEd Week 2018

Day 4 – Beginnings/Endings

They Were The Best of Times

The grass beneath him was damp, and it was beginning to soak into his trousers but he didn't pay it much attention. The sky above looked heavy and dark with threat, and Edward could feel the storm coming in his bones, and the way the automail pained him; he should go home, but he wanted to stay here just for a bit longer. He lay there, staring up at the sky and watching as the clouds rolled over central as he plucked a blade of grass. Roy would be useless in the rain, the pyromaniac always was. He could use a bit of fire right about now, something to chase away the cold and the storm, something to keep him feeling warm and alive.

Edward remembered the first time that they kissed, Roy's lips were softer than they looked, and Edward was surprised by the gentle way Roy had kissed him. He had expected, that after months of sexual tension, that the kiss would be fierce and passionate. It wasn't. Roy had kissed him slowly, lovingly. Roy kissed him like he was the only thing that had ever mattered, like he was precious and fragile. Strong hands had cupped his face, tilting it upwards slightly so that Roy could take his breath away with those warm lips. Edward had known in that moment, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with the man that was kissing him. Not every kiss was as soft and loving – a lot of their kisses since had been desperate and lust-driven, stolen in dark corners of Command or trailing down naked skin.

The first time they had slept together Edward had been drunk. It took him hours to convince Roy to sleep with him, the bastard was forever a gentleman and hadn't wanted to take advantage of Edward. The blonde had almost begged him, he only needed the alcohol the first time. Just to give him the confidence to actually make a move on Roy, and the older man had finally relented, but he let Ed fuck him. Since Edward had previously been on the receiving end he wasn't sure how good he was going to be, but it was a compromise; Ed would top, and that way Roy felt that Edward was more in control of the situation. He couldn't take advantage if he let Edward set the pace.

Roy had been at his side for years, and they had held each other up in times of need. Roy had achieved his goal, and he was working towards fixing this messed up country, and Edward couldn't have been prouder. He remembered the party to celebrate Roy's win vividly. The drink was all free, and it was pretty damn good too. The food was a bit too fancy for Ed's liking, but it all tasted nice enough; even if he didn't know what it was half of the time. Al and Winry had been there, and May, Ling and Lan Fan had made it across to congratulate Roy on his victory. It was a surprise to Ed that there had been any food left at the end of the evening, but he had listened to his boyfriend discuss politics with Ling until Winry pulled him away from Roy to dance with her. May was already giggling in Al's arms and Edward knew that his baby brother was completely in love with the girl. He'd spent years in Xing with her, and she was as devoted to him as he was to her.

They had danced as a group, and then as couples for hours. At some point Roy had asked to interrupt him and Winry and she happily let him, moving to Al and May. Roy looked delicious in his suit, and Edward wanted to do unspeakable things to him. He just had to get him alone; but Roy didn't let him drag him off for a quickie on the balcony, much to Ed's disappointment. Edward looked down at the grass in his hand, his mind snatched away from the blissful memory as the first splash of rain landed on his skin. The water bounced off of the ring he wore; the ring that Roy had given him a year ago, and Edward wasn't sure if it was rain or a tear that slipped down the side of his face. Roy had proposed to him that night, after all the speeches and dancing, Roy had led Edward out to the balcony where he had set up a table with two flutes of champagne and flickering candles. Edward had laughed at them – Roy was such a sappy shit that it still amazed him.

As he had turned around to tell Roy as much, Edward froze at the sight in front of him. Roy had dropped down to one knee, a small box in one hand as his free hand reached for Ed's. It was like everything had stopped and Edward couldn't take his eyes off that damn box. What the hell was Roy thinking? What was he doing? Oh god, Edward was freaking out and he was breathing too fast; or not at all, and he was going to pass out and ruin this whole stupid romantic moment that Roy had planned and organised and that would just be too bloody embarrassing to come back for.

"Edward, love, breathe." Roy had said, a small knowing smile on his lips and that had answered Ed's question of if he was breathing or not. "Edward, I just wanted to tell you all of the reasons that I love you, but I know you'll get bored a lot sooner than I will if I do that. You never think the best of yourself and that is possibly the saddest thing I've ever heard of. Life hasn't been easy for either of us, but with you by my side these past few years I have never felt as strong. You helped to get me to this point, and I'm not sure that I could have done it without you by my side, Edward. You are the most brilliant person I know, stunningly beautiful with a mind as sharp as a razor. You're fiercely loyal, and brave and strong and honestly probably the most infuriating man alive, but I love you Edward Elric."

Edward wasn't crying, he wasn't. Roy squeezed his hand, blinked back his own tears and then opened the box in his hands and Edward was definitely not crying now at the sight of the steel ring – the same material as his automail leg, Edward would know that steel without a doubt – and with the same flamel symbol that he and Al had used during their childhood, a nod at his alchemy and teacher. The ring was a piece of art, clearly hand made and customised just for him. One and only, and Roy had went to all this trouble just for him.

"Will you marry me, Ed?"

Edward covered his mouth with a hand, and let out a small tearful laugh into his palm. The vision of Roy was a little blurry due to the tears in his eyes and he hated himself for such a girly reaction, but damn he really had no choice did he? Not with Roy and everything that the bastard had said and done. Edward didn't trust his voice, so he just nodded until Roy grinned up at him; as if he had just given him the world and all the power within it.

"Yes." Edward whispered even as Roy slipped the ring onto Ed's finger, and without warning he was pulled towards Roy, their lips crashing together as Edward sobbed the same three letter word over and over again, the noise lost again his fiancé's lips. Roy had wrapped his arms around Edward as they kissed, and he tasted like champagne and tears and if that wasn't just Roy and Ed in a nutshell, Ed didn't know what was. "I love you, Roy."

"I love you." Edward mumbled, his gaze moving back up to the sky that was crying on him now. The ground was cold beneath his back, but it served as a reminder that he was alive, that he was real and breathing and that this whole thing wasn't a total nightmare that could wake from. Edward shut his eyes against the tears that burned his eyes and forced himself to take a deep breath. It was stuttering and he let the tears escape as he rolled onto his side, pulling his knees up. It felt like he was dying, he kind of wished that he was. "You're my favourite thing about me, Roy. Please don't go." He whispered, flesh fingers reaching out to brush against the marble stone in front of him.

"Don't go where I can't follow." He begged through the tears, his fingers tracing the name in front of him as thunder clapped along the sky. "You need to come back, Roy. You need to fix this country, I need you. You had all these stupid plans for our wedding. What am I meant to do now? I had my heart set on you, I can't just let you go, Roy."

A hand on his shoulder made Edward look over his shoulder as he pushed himself up onto his knees in the mud. Alphonse crouched besides him while Winry waited on the path beneath an umbrella. Edward collapsed against his brother, sobbing into his coat as Al tugged him close. "We thought we'd find you here, brother." Al's voice was soft, quiet. It surrounded Edward and it used to make him feel safe and confident but all he felt now was the searing agony of having Roy ripped from him. He turned his head to look at the fresh grave at his side, and Edward had thought he had stopped wanting to bring back the dead. "Come on, you need to come home, Ed." Al tried, pulling Edward to his feet but the older brother didn't move. He felt Winry move to his side, rather than heard her and she was slipping her hand into his as Al hugged his other arm.

"Why did he have to leave me?" Edward sobbed, letting his family wrap him up in their arms as his world burned and fell around him.