Hey, guys. I'm sick and tired and bored. I don't really want to write a new chapter of Shortest Straw while I can barely think, so I'm writing a one shot until I feel better.

Warning: Fem!Ed and unrequited love. Her name is Edaline, nickname still Ed. Oh, and no automail. Sorry.

Pairing(s): EdxHavoc, RoyxEd onesided.

This is very short.

Enjoy. =]

I don't own FMA.

"Just This Once"

Edaline Elric looked absolutely stunning. She was twenty now, and even more gorgeous than when she was at fifteen. The sight took him completely off guard as she sat in the bedroom of hers and Jean's hotel room, looking more nervous than he'd seen her. For once she was wearing makeup, something he never thought he'd see, and the June breeze that came through the open window, her hair quivering in the wind, only half up. The wedding dress went down to the floor and every few seconds her eyes flicked down at the dress, which strapless, as if she thought it was going to fall down at any moment. Roy never thought in a thousand years that he would see her like this, in a flowing white dress, her face a mixture between terror, nervousness, and utter euphoria.

"Roy, what if I mess up?" she asked, and he forced himself to stop subtly staring in awe at the beautiful young women before him and listen to what she was saying. "What if at the last moment he changes his mind and doesn't say 'I do'?" Her voice was filled with excited fear. Reminding himself not to make the gesture anything other than comforting, he placed both his hands on either shoulder.

"Everything will be fine," he said firmly, heart beating so loudly in his chest he was surprised she didn't hear it. "This is your day, understand? Yours and Jean's and there's nothing in the world that could change his mind. He loves you--" and so do I "--so don't worry. And you aren't going to mess up. I promise you."

She looked at him in earnest, hands behind her back and face dead white, a question lingering on her face. He'd seen that look to many times to realize she was hesitant to say something.

"What is it?" he asked softly.

"Roy, could you, could you." The sentence was halting, like she was trying to figure out whether or not to say it. Oh, how he wished he wasn't in here right now, but talking to his own mother, saying the same concerns she was voicing right now. "Could you walk me down the isle? I--I don't want to do it on my own and I'll feel weird asking anyone else. Please?" For one of the first times in her life, she was pleading. Even as his heart sank, and he didn't want to agree, he knew he couldn't deny that face. He'd caved to it too many times.

"Sure," he answered, voice soft. "I'll tell Jean in a moment, so he isn't surprised to see his best man missing." Yes, because he was the best man for a marriage he wished was his. It wasn't fair, he thought childishly, that Jean got the girl. It was always the other way around. And now he'd gotten the one woman that Roy loved more than anything. Was this equivalent exchange, getting back at him for all the sins he'd ever committed? No, that was too cliche. This entire situation was. It was just bad luck. He sighed and removed his hands from her shoulders, wrapping her in a quick hug of reassurance. She hugged back and as they let go, the door opened.

"Hey," Winry greeted as she and Al entered the room. Her gazed flicked over to Roy and he sighed.

"I'll go tell Jean." He gave her a small smile. "Don't worry. I'll meet you downstairs."

"Thanks," she said as he left. "Hi guys..."

He walked downstairs, to where Jean was waiting, looking just as nervous as his bride-to-be. He looked awkward in his suit, smoothing it down, then crossing his arms, then crossing his arms again, and repeating the process. Roy ran his fingers through his hair and took a step towards his friend.

"Hi," Jean said, putting on a weak smile and crossing his arms yet again. "What's up? Is she okay? Does she still want to do this?"

"Hey, and yes and yes," he answered. "She's just nervous. I won't be there rig--"

"You won't be there?" he asked, eyes widening in panic. "I can't do this without you, Roy." He held back a wince. It was almost like he was betraying Jean, because the best man shouldn't be jealous of the groom. Weddings just didn't work that way and neither did life. He let out a small sigh.

"I'll be there, Jean." Relief flooded his friend's face. Roy bit his lip. "Ed just asked me to walk her down the isle. She doesn't have anyone and she doesn't want to mess up."

"So she's okay with this?"

"Yeah."

"Do I look too much like an idiot?"

Roy laughed. "If you keep making the face you will."

Jean took deep breath and leaned against the wall, looking out the window. The day was perfect, filled with dazzling sunlight and warm summer weather. The wedding was outside, and Roy could already see people filing into their seats. There weren't many guests, since Havocs were a small family and Ed only had one person. Most were friends from the military, along with the occasional date of a person. Besides that, it was a few of Jean's cousins, his parents, a few family friends, the Curtis couple, Al and the Rockbells. In all, only thirty-two people. It was a small wedding, compared to others he'd been to, such as the Hughes'.

"Well, I better go. I have to walk down the isle in a few minutes and Ed will probably walk down the stairs in a matter of seconds. Weddings involve too much waiting." He crossed and uncrossed his arms.

"Yeah, bad luck seeing the bride before she walks down after you." Jean shot him another small smile, which Roy returned, and walked away, leaving him on his own.

Sometimes he wondered that if he'd asked Ed to go on a date with him when she was eighteen, rather than deciding to do so when she was nineteen, it could've been him in his friend's place right now. But Jean beat him too it. And now they were getting married. It felt like it had just happened so fast, but two years wasn't exactly a short amount of time. Some would argue that they rushed the marriage--but Roy understood why. The Gate was a cruel thing and she was still paying for bringing back Al. He ran his hands over his face, trying to force himself away from thoughts of Ed dying or how he wished he was in his best friend's place right now. Oh, he was such a bad person.

"I can't believe I'm going to be Edaline Havoc in a few minutes," a voice said from behind him. Roy jumped. He'd been too lost in his own thoughts to notice her.

He forced himself to laugh. "I remember when you were twelve and I'd just given you the title of Fullmetal. It hard for me to believe it too."

"Yeah, I was so arrogant back then, thought I could do anything."

"Ed, you basically can do anything," he pointed out. "You've done things that no one else can."

She bit the inside of her lip. "I know," she answered softly and he couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking. Everyone was an open book to him--everyone but her. She'd been his subordinate ever since he was a Lieutenant Colonel eight years ago, and yet he still couldn't understand her. It aggravated him to no end. "And to think I'm this nervous about a wedding. I wasn't even this bad when I took the State Alchemy Exam."

"What're Al's thoughts on this?" he asked as she threaded her arm around his elbow, like you were supposed to when being walked down the isle, though this was a gesture more commonly given to a father. Was that what he was to her, a parental figure? Wow, he'd had no chance with her.

"He's happy for me. C'mon, it's time." He glanced at her. She looked absolutely terrified.

"Relax, you'll do fine," he reassured just as they hit the end of the isle. The terrified look was replaced with a smile and Jean looked hypnotized by the sight of her. Roy glanced around. On normal occasions, she was far from being the prettiest girl there. On normal occasions, she was covered in cuts and bruises and clothes that he was surprised still stayed together. But for once, she out-shown every other girl there. He felt her let go. They were already up to Jean.

"Thanks," she whispered as they took their places. The wedding started, but Roy barely heard the words. From the guest seats, his date waved to him. They'd been dating for almost a year. Thinking all this was a bit like betraying her too. He felt horrible. Winry, Ed's maid of honor, was crying with happiness. So was Riza, surprisingly. And the rest of women. Jean's father looked disgruntled, but he always did. His favorite pastime was complaining and degrading everyone but his son and wife. When Roy first met him, the man had tried to tell him for an entire hour that he shouldn't let his hair in eyes, not as a military personnel. He hadn't stopped until Jean asked him to. He could only wonder what he was going say to his new daughter-in-law. After all, the Fullmetal Alchemist wasn't exactly unheard of. And not every rumor was a good thing.

He snapped out of it as they kissed. If he were to believe in such things, he would say that his heart broke. This was absolutely ridiculous. Someone should just slap him, he thought. He was dating someone, Ed had just married Jean, and dwelling on things wasn't something he normally did. Edaline and Jean Havoc. Mrs. Havoc. But he supposed that if anyone deserved her, if there was one person he could trust to be good to her, it would be Jean. And they looked the two happiest people in the world. Roy wasn't sure if he'd ever seen Ed have such a genuine smile on her face.

"Congratulations," he said as he reached them. Ed walked over and hugged him. Jean positively beamed at him. "See, I told you you wouldn't mess up," he added as he hugged her back. She was so tiny, looked like a fifteen-year-old, looked too young to be married.

"Thanks," she said again after a moment as they pulled apart. "It would've been awkward to walk down there on my own." Jean placed his arm around her shoulder and she looked up, smiling widely.

"Both of you did fine," he answered. "You look great. And Jean, I see your dad coming over. I'll go disappear now. See you at the reception." He dodged behind Armstrong and made his way along with the rest of the heard people out by the lake.

"It was such a beautiful wedding," he heard Armstrong say to the couple before he was completely out of earshot, drowning out the parents with his booming voice. He'd been the only man crying. "The love you two share is inspiring to us all..." Roy was extremely grateful as Lilly, his date, come up from behind him, so he didn't have to hear the rest of the emotional man's speech.

"I've never seen her in anything other than her red coat before," she said, grabbing his hand and lacing his fingers through his. "And I've never seen him without a military uniform before. They're going to make a good couple." Riza shot him a knowing look as they past her. 'They're going to make a good couple'. Everyone was saying that, and it was true. Now if only he could get his goddamn brain to accept that.

"Yeah," he answered. "A really good couple."

Just this once, he'd let Jean have the girl.

The reception lasted a long time, like most receptions, and most people seemed sorry for it to end. Roy, though he acted like it, was not one of those people, as much as he'd like to be. He wished the happy couple congradulations again and said goodbye before sliding into the back seat of the car, Lilly next to him and Riza driving. It was half an hour before they reached Central, dropped Lilly off at her house. Another twenty minutes and they would reach his apartment building. He couldn't wait. His bed was there and he wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. He leaned his temple against his window, much more tired than when he'd left the party.

"I'm sorry, sir," Riza said from the front seat, voice quiet. He looked up at her through the review mirror. She had a sad, knowing smile on her face.

"For what?" he asked.

Riza didn't answer.

Ah! Epic fail ending. I'll start on the newest chapter of Shortest Straw now. And this was so short. =[