DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, and I am in no way affiliated with the author(s), producer(s) or publisher(s). I am writing strictly for entertainment purposes with no material or monetary gain.

The grass was so brightly green in the summer. In the morning breeze it stirred only slightly, each blade heavy, laden with the rain that had fallen earlier that morning. As Roy walked, the water slicked the sides of his boots, the grass happy to leave him to carry their heavy burdens. The air was still wet, as well, and pleasantly cooling in the midst of a hot season. As he walked the well-memorized path, he looked up to see his friend waiting for him beside the familiar white fence, and a smile touched his lips. Maes always knew when something was up, even if it seemed impossible for him to know.

"You're early," remarked the man, pushing his glasses up his nose as he watched his approach.

"So are you," Roy pointed out, coming to a stop before him.

"I won't even try to tell you what circular logic that is," he scoffed, shaking his head. Roy shrugged and gestured to the bouquet in his hand.

"I thought I'd try something different today."

"Lilies, hmm? I'm sure she'll love them," Hughes said, smiling fondly as he spoke of his wife, though he made no move to take the flowers.

There was a moment of silence, filled only by the sound of the birds that lived in the nearby trees, going about their daily business.

"I've…I've never seen her reaction to them, but I suppose I'll take your word for it."

Hughes' eyes narrowed knowingly.

"You're stalling," he said in a sing-song voice, and he smiled as he rubbed at his bearded chin, as though trying to see right through Roy and get answers from his bones. "Just get out with it already. Your eyes are red and you got here early even though you were out of the house until late last night. You must have been thinking about it all night."

Roy scoffed and shifted the bouquet to his other hand, uneasy about how accurate his friend's words were, just as they always had been. Even if he didn't think too hard about how Hughes could not have known that….

Finally, he spoke, looking out over the damp green foliage around them to avoid meeting Maes' sharp gaze.

"I spent some time with…with an acquaintance of mine last night," he began haltingly, but never had the chance to finish.

"Oh-ho, so this has to do with our little blond prodigy, does it?" he grinned, and Roy turned his face away with a frown.

"Maes…."

"Well it does, doesn't it?" He shrugged, leaning his elbows back on the fence. "No point in beating around the bush. So what's the problem? That pesky conscience getting in the way of things?"

Roy shot him a look, equal parts wounded and annoyed.

"Oh, come off it," Maes laughed, shaking his head. "You know I don't mean it. You didn't used to be so sensitive. And if it's him you're worried about, he can more than take care of himself, even against you. In fact, I'd put him up as one of the few people who'd be able to pull your inflated head out of the clouds…and maybe even the stick out of your ass."

The general did manage to smile at that, but his expression turned sober once more as silence stretched again. Hughes let it, watching his friend battle his own thoughts. This was the point in their conversations where he'd finally be able to get out exactly what he had paid him a visit to say. Roy turned to rest his own arms on the white picket boundary, looking beyond it toward the adjacent park.

"I just…I need to know you really approve."

"Approve?" he repeated in disbelief, straightening up off of the fence. "Approve of what? Of Edward finally having someone to hold onto that he can really trust will love him for who he is? Of him having someone to ground him and help him cope with the tragedy in his life? Of you having that person? Of you finally being able to move on, and find some happiness and stability after all these years?"

Roy hanged his head, mouth tightening as he stared sightlessly at the chipping white paint covering the wood.

"I…I need to know, Maes."

"You need to know, or you need me to approve?" he asked shrewdly."There's quite a bit of difference there, Roy."

He didn't answer at first, keeping his gaze lowered, and Maes raised an eyebrow.

"Well?"

"…Both? I don't…." He broke off with an aggrieved sigh. Dragging his free hand over his face, he stated hesitantly, "If you… told me not to…."

Hughes' mouth thinned in displeasure, and he folded his arms over his chest.

"Don't you start that, Roy. You know perfectly well I don't want that. You need to make this decision for yourself, not for me. It's not my life, it's yours."

Lifting his head, Roy turned at last to look at his friend.

"It could have been," he said softly, dark eyes more reminiscent of the grief of years past than the present. "It could have been ours."

"But it isn't," he replied gently, gaze falling to his wife's flowers, the physical proof of the truth of his words. "It never can be. And what about Ed? Are you going to leave him for something that 'could have been?' Leave him for too many bottles of whiskey and old photographs?" Hughes shook his head. "He deserves better than that. He's offered you everything, and the very least he deserves a whole-hearted decision from you. I won't tell you what to do, but don't do anything for me. It's your life. Don't keep ruining it, don't make yourself miserable just to prove you've lost something. You've spent enough time at that."

A breeze blew past, ruffling Roy's hair the way Hughes wanted to, as he watched him think hard on his words. Although he would never wish any more uncertainty on Roy that he had already suffered, this deep thought was one of Maes' favorite expressions on his face: Eyes reflected inward, seeing things a million miles away from the bright summer grass before them. The sun had finally managed to lose the sheer veil of clouds that had swathed it, and was warming the rain from the grass and trees.

Finally, Roy nodded, face determined. Maes smiled, confident he'd come to the right decision. Roy almost always did, he just needed a little extra push to get him going. Hopefully, from that day on that would be Edward's job. Moving to stand close beside his best friend, Hughes studied his face and was pleased to see a sense of relief written on his features.

"You really are an idiot sometimes. You love him, he loves you. Things couldn't have worked out better if I'd planned it myself."

Roy smiled slightly.

"If you're not careful, I might start to suspect you did just that."

Hughes laughed, and swiped at his friend's head, not making contact though Roy didn't even try to dodge it. "If I had the power to move the immovable Edward Elric, I'd have conquered the world by now. No, he fell in love with you all by himself. And speaking of which, what are you doing hanging out here with an old, married fart like me? Go enjoy this beautiful day with your lover."

"I should say the same to you," Roy grinned, and straightened up from the fence, but Maes was already gone. His smile faded a bit as he looked at the spot he'd seen him. That moment would never stop being painful, but that day the sting wasn't quite so bad. Walking over a few paces, he bent down to set the flowers on the smooth, cool surface of the stone lying there, and wondered if Gracia really would like them. Brushing away a couple stray blades of grass from his old friend's name, he ran his fingers over the letters gently. The memory of his face, his sharp green eyes and sharper wit made his lips curve upward faintly, even as his eyes began to feel wet.

"Thank you," he said softly.

Standing up, he looked over the green hills of the cemetery toward the road where his car was parked. The sky was a deep, pure blue, and the few clouds left were bright and high in the sky, no longer any threat of rain. The grass stood straight and gracefully, grateful to be free to stretch toward the sky. The gardens nearby bloomed vividly, heedless of his presence, and the breeze rippled the grass and made the trees sway gently. The cemetery had never seemed so beautiful before, or so peaceful. With one final smile at the place he had so long haunted, Roy turned and went to find Edward, and begin their new life together.

* * * * * *