A/N: So we're in that time of the year again, when it's like Valentine's and again my way of celebrating it is (God forbid not finding a boyfriend! ) writing some Ed/Roy fluff. This year I was like, hey, why won't I make a tradition out of it?! And then I realized that I wrote nothing last year. Apparently, last year I actually gave a damn about my grades. At least in the first semester. Ah, oh well, nevermind that!

This one ended up being some sort of a sequel to my last Valentine's fanfiction, Intervention. But if you haven't read it and don't feel like it, no worries. It's not like you have to read the first one to get this one.

Yeah I'm talking too much. Gomen!

Please enjoy your reading!

Flowers and Kisses

.

Yellow. Yellow meant loyalty, and it was pretty, just like - but no. The yellow had some sickening hue to it. Sickness was the last thing he should convey. He turned his look, his eyes falling on the blue. Oh, perfect. Blue was calm, it fit so well. He was just about to reach and take the blue, but then he could see the blue of the military uniform surrounding his arm, and he brought it back to the side of his body, frowning. Blue was no good. Too close to the military. Maybe white then. White was neutral. It also had no life to it, pale and blank. Like a page. Or a virgin. No, white wouldn't do either. Maybe red. Red was traditional. Passionate. Definitely everything he wanted to convey. Classic red. He reached to grab the red when another thought struck his mind.

Red was, maybe, too traditional. He would be called a sap, he'd get frowned upon, he might even get hit in the nose for it.

No, not the red either.

Maybe the pink - but the thought disappeared as fast as it crossed his mind. If red MIGHT make him get hit in the face, the pink will for sure. Maybe even a more important part of his body.

God, this was so hard. Not that it was the first time that Roy Mustang had purchased flowers; he actually thought of himself as some kind of an expert at picking the right flower to get onto a lady's good side, which usually meant said lady would be lying willing on her back, in his bed; or sitting on top of him, or - well, he wasn't picky, either way.

The problem was that this time it was not a lady he was buying flowers for; it wasn't even a woman, because he did have the unfortune of buying flowers to one bitch or another in the past. And he didn't want to buy the flowers in order to get laid; no, with the person he wanted to buy these flowers for he didn't need anything of the such of flowers. It was safe to say that in order to get sex from Edward Elric, all he needed was more or less - to be present. Even that wasn't necessary at times, but phone sex was hardly something he'd spend money over. Ed wasn't the kind of person who had the delicacy to appreciate romantic gestures. No, with Ed 'romantic' meant, at best, to have dinner before jumping into bed. Roy had no complaints.
But still, as February was drawing closer, and with it their first anniversary, Roy wanted to celebrate it with a small, romantic gesture, even if the hope that it won't go over the blond's head was scarce.

So maybe blue, after all... He thought, and almost reached to it again before a voice cut into his thoughts and actions.

"May I be of any help, Brigadier General?"

It took Roy a second to realize the salesman was talking to him; this rank was new to him. He only got promoted less than a month ago.

"Oh," he exclaimed, feeling somewhat stupid. COULD he help him? With someone like Ed?

"Trying to impress a special someone for Valentines?"

While Roy was completely aware that it was only plausible to ask such a thing, especially since it was, well, Valentine's, and despite the fact that he was a fully grown man, and one with a rather long history when it came to 'special someone's (even though they rarely were 'special' and leaned towards the 'someone' part of the phrase) Roy still found himself feeling somewhat awkward.

"I... Sort of," he replied. Well, Ed definitely WAS special. He crossed his arms over his chest. If he was already sharing, then he might just as well get into his smart-shopper mode. He glanced at the salesperson; a rather young man; he probably wasn't even over the legal age yet. A fake smile was stretched on his lips, his hands stuck in his jeans' pockets, he seemed as if someone forced him to be there. Roy raised an eyebrow. He was probably being forced to be there by his father - a nice old guy Roy already knew quite well. He vaguely wondered what happened with the owner, but didn't dwell on it. He was probably just busy, or maybe not feeling well. After all, lately the weather was acting weird and catching the flu was common during this time of the year.

"Uh... Red's usually good," the teen said, his hand pointing towards the red roses Roy had almost chose earlier. "Everybody likes to get a red rose."

He shook his head. "They're not really a... Traditional kind of person."

"She doesn't like red? Well..." The boy seemed somewhat thoughtful. It seemed as if red was his only plan, and Roy had been the first to ruin it. "What kind of color she likes then? Maybe something like the purple tulip? It's not a rose, but it's, like, pretty, I think."

Roy looked over the end of the buckets of flowers, where a bunch of purple flowers rested. He forgot about purple; but then, wasn't that a girly color? Ed wouldn't like it. "No. I don't think purple would do."

"I see..." The teen was starting to look somewhat annoyed. Roy's lips twitched in a tiny grin. There was no doubt that the kid was not fit to keep the family business. He probably didn't want to, either. Maybe he had a different kind of dream. "Well, does anything here strike your fancy? We've got like, this yellow bunch -"

Roy shook his head. "No, I don't think they'd like the yellow. Too bright."

"Oh. Umm.. Well, how about you look around... I'm here if you need anything, 'kay?"

Roy watched as the boy walked away, returning to the short plastic chair he was probably sitting on before he got up to help Roy. He turned his eyes away from him, returning to the flowers. He sensed that he was becoming a nuisance for the teen, who was probably used to easier customers, who'd either choose themselves or take his offer on the red roses. Maybe he should give up on the flowers. Maybe he should, instead, get him a gift. But what could he get Ed? The only thing he could think of that his lover might be happy to accept was a book, preferably about alchemy. But that was hardly romantic, even by Edward's twisted definition, and, besides, Roy doubted he'll manage to find a book about alchemy that Ed haven't read yet, or even one that wasn't readily available either at Roy's house or the Military library. Maybe he could get him food. That was what he usually did when they fought - soothed him with a delicious home-made meal, sometimes a glass of wine, and the evening would end up in bed. But somehow cooking for him didn't seem to be enough today.

Maybe chocolate, he thought, as his eyes trailed around, accidently landing on a bunch of boxes. There was no chocolate in them, nor Roy thought that there should ever be, but chocolate did come in small boxes. Especially the overpriced one meant for Valentine's Day.

Chocolate was definitely a good idea, Roy nodded to himself. There was no doubt Ed was going to like it – food and sweets were always a perfect combination when it came to his sweet-toothed lover. Yes. He should get him chocolate. Expensive, special flavored chocolate, wrapped in a fancy little box with a ribbon circling it in an artistic way. Edward would probably frown upon the overdone packaging, will probably call him some name or another for bothering with such a thing or getting annoyed because he wasn't the kind to appreciate such gestures. Roy could still remember their brief conversation on the subject, exactly a year ago, when they unknowingly were each other's dates: I don't like all this holiday shit, Fullmetal had said back then. Nothing more than a way to squeeze money out of people for stuff they didn't need. Roy agreed with him; back then, and even now, although he was doing just that. The fact that he was fully aware that this was a waste of money didn't change the fact that he wanted to buy Ed something nice.
Made up in his mind to buy chocolate, Roy turned from the piles of flowers, arranged neatly by color and type.

"Oh, decided you won't get her flowers after all?" Came the voice of the teen. Roy turned to look at him, his eyes meeting the boy's. He'd probably never really stopped watching him, most likely wishing he'd decide something and leave already. "Too bad. Thought you, like, really wanted to."

Roy raised an eyebrow. The boy's assumption that it had been a 'she' Roy was buying for was slightly annoying him, but he knew it was the most logical thing to do. When they first started dating Roy was hardly new to the concept of dating men; he'd just never realized he would like to settle with any of them. But then again, he never really thought he'd settle with a woman, either. But he did have one point; Roy did want to give Ed some flowers; that was why he'd stopped here in the first place.

Well, he was going to get scolded anyway; he might just as well get scolded for what he really wanted to do, rather than only half of it.

"Actually, I would like to have some of these," he pointed. "I think that maybe five would be good, what do you think?"

The teen got up from his chair, and walked back towards Roy. "Sure. Five's good. That't be five hundred."

"Perfect," Roy said, watching him fetching the flowers for him and putting them in a nice bouquet, wrapped with a colorful ribbon. Ed was going to kill him, but he didn't care. He loved traditions, and his young lover would just have to live with it.

XXX

Roy sat in his car, waiting. He spent longer than he was used to on his appearance today; dressed in one of his best suits, his hair neatly arranged, and he still somehow managed to be too earlyhe felt like he should put effort today, even though he was pretty sure he will be the only one.

He had been sitting in the car and wondering, for the good part of the last fifteen minutes, whether or not he should get rid of the gifts. Ed seemed, when he spoke to him on the phone earlier, already quite annoyed with the mere idea of doing anything special today, although he did calm down when Roy assured him they'd only be going to his house and won't be facing what Ed had elegantly referred to as 'the fiasco of a bunch of idiots who fell to the biggest scam of the year'.

Will keeping it and letting Edward find out that his lover of the past year was a part of that group he treated as 'idiots' ruin the evening? He was starting to be sorry he bothered; true, he wanted today to be special but Ed wasn't one of his usual past dates. Will he refuse to come over to Roy's place because of it?

But no. This had been something that Roy WANTED to do; not because he felt obliged or forced, but simply because he felt like it, and it took two to tango. Ed wasn't alone in this relationship, and he will just have to deal with it.

Roy tapped on the glass of the driver's seat's window, staring through it on the darkening street surrounding Central Head Quarters. The artificial lights of Central were already on, dim against the dying sun and the ever blinding HQ lights.

The sudden noise of his car's door being opened tore Roy from the window, and a small smile appeared on his lips as he saw his young lover standing there, leaning with one arm against the entrance and blocking all the light that came from the HQ. He was like an angel, a dark shadow surrounded by the halo of orange and his hair shimmering gold around his face.

"Could've called, you know, if you came early," was Edward's greeting. The image of the angel was broken at once. Just like every time Ed was quiet for a long time and then decided to say something. Roy let out a short, soft chuckle. Of course he wouldn't notice a thing. "How long have you been waiting? And what on Earth had gone wrong with your hair – ?"

"Oh! Wait!" Roy cut through the teen's question in panic and reached forward with his hands to stop Ed, noticing the danger when he left his position at the entrance and was about to enter the vehicle. Ed jumped, startled at the fierce warning, and stood again at the door.

"What?" he asked, his voice now sounding somewhat annoyed. It didn't take any of his gorgeousness.

Not afraid anymore for the chocolate's safety, Roy took the box from off the passenger's seat. The car was suddenly full of creaking and rustling noises. Looking up, Roy could see the look on Edward's face, with his eyebrow raised.

"Balloons, Roy? Really?"

The older man couldn't help an apologetic smile. "Yes. They're for you," he said, reaching forward with his hand again, handing him the bouquet. "These are, too, and that," he handed him the box of chocolate as well, using the rather shocked state the teen had been in to force it into his hands. "And there's nothing wrong with my hair."

"So why does it look so ugly? You know I hate it when you put an entire jar of gel on it. Now, are you trying to kill me from humiliation?" Ed hissed, although Roy could barely hear him, hiding behind everything that Roy had given him. Behind him, he could see the guards at the gate stepping out of their little cabin, probably curious. This was starting to get a little dangerous; he didn't expect to give all of this to Ed while he was still outside the car.

"I think it looks good. Well, you can get inside the car and humiliate yourself, as you said, with my presence only, instead of letting whoever's still here see you holding that. Can you imagine what they'd say tomorrow at work if someone recognizes – "

That was all that was needed for Ed to stop delaying at the door, and he quickly entered the car, sitting in the passenger's seat and hastily closing the door behind him, making sure that all the balloons were inside with them. "Asshole," he muttered.

"Happy anniversary to you too, love," Roy replied, smiling, yet his sarcasm clear in his voice.

A short, somewhat awkward silence stood between them for a second. "Oh. Right. Happy anniversary, Roy. Hey – are those roses?" Roy didn't even have a second to enjoy the unsentimental expression from Ed before he moved into a completely different tone, his voice now judgmental. "You actually brought me roses?"

Roy frowned. "Well, yes. Is that a problem?"

Ed looked up at him. "Do I strike you as the kind who wants to receive red roses?"

Roy chuckled, and started the engine. At least he wasn't receiving a punch to his face, which, in Ed's scale, was considered a success. "No," he replied simply, releasing the arm breaks and giving a first push to the gas pedal. "But I wanted to. Am I not allowed to?"

Smirking, he could feel the somewhat uneasiness rising from the seat next to him. "Uh… yeah, sure you are… but – "

"Then shut up and accept them. You have something else there, I think you'd like that better. Found it?"

He could hear the rumbling sound as Ed was searching, causing, in the process, the balloons to come and interfere with Roy's field of vision. He pushed them out of his way with one hand, using the other to steer the wheel as he made a turn.

"Food!"

Roy laughed. "It's not food, it's chocolate. And keep that closed, will you? It's your dessert for after your real food. I made you a nice dinner and I don't want you to be full from that."

He glanced quickly at Ed, and saw his smirking between all the balloons and eyeing the little box as if it were some kind of treasure. He felt his lips twitching in a smile. "Don't worry, it takes much more than a little box of chocolate to fill me up."

"Oh, I know that, trust me," Roy said. That was true; it took him exactly two dinners to stop making the mistake of assuming Ed had the capacity of a normal human being. He'd learned that when he cooks for Ed, he should assume he's cooking for at least a family of three.

"So why can't I eat it now?"

"Because I asked you nicely."

"Just one? To make up for the embarrassment at the HQ's gate?"

Roy shook his head slowly, smiling. Really, he will never understand Ed's love for food. He'd long ago abandoned the attempt to compete with it, facing defeat as second place in Ed's heart. "Fine," he said eventually. "But you give me one too, because I'm the awesome boyfriend who bought you flowers and balloons and chocolate."

From the corner of his eye, Roy could see Ed looking at him for a short moment, as if considering that offer. A second later he already heard him fumbling with the paper wrapping of the chocolate box. "Okay. But just because you got me the chocolate and because you cooked me dinner. We've already agreed that the flowers and balloons are for you."

"Sure, love."

"There," he could hear a few seconds later, Ed's voice already muffled by the piece of chocolate Roy knew was already in his mouth. He was amazed, every time anew, how fast Ed could be when it came to food. Lucky he wasn't as quick in some other aspects of his bodily functions.

"Can't, I'm driving," he said, smirking. "You're gonna have to feed it to me."

"Sneaky bastard," Ed said, but despite his words Roy could feel the sweetness of the chocolate pressed against his lips, just as predicted. His smirk widened before he parted his lips, letting his lover push the squared piece into his mouth. He used that opportunity to drag the fingers that held the chocolate into his mouth as well, tasting the slight saltiness of his skin alongside. He could hear Ed's intake of air, and smirked over his fingers, closing his mouth a bit tighter as he felt them sliding out.

"You're going to pay for that."

Roy moved his tongue over the chocolate, pausing just long enough to be able to speak clearly again. "I can't wait."