A/N: First off, let me explain a few things. In this fanfic, Hughes is alive and well, Ed didn't get transported to the other side of the gate, and Al has his body back. That is all. Done.

Chapter 1

Edward Elric's 20th birthday. That's what day it was. The Hughes household was all dolled up with ribbons and balloons and party favors. Maes Hughes was still carrying around his daughter like she was the belle of the ball. She was turning 8 today. It was easy to decorate despite the age difference in the two guests of honor. Why? Because even at 20, Edward Elric was still a child at heart, and he loved simple, childish things.

He'd grown up considerably, both mentally and physically. Heck, Roy Mustang couldn't even poke at his height these days, least not without a good cause. Ed was almost as tall as the new fuhrer. Yes. You read right. Roy Mustang, in the short four years since the uh... 'tragic' death of Fuhrer King Bradley, had been leading the world as it's new fuhrer. It wasn't hard to prove he was the best choice. He had half the men in the military working for him and several of those half were higher ranked than him.

But enough about Mustang. Today was a day to celebrate. It was Ed's 8th year as a Military Dog, which wasn't seeming so bad nowadays, but some people were still skeptical. It was Ed's 8th year of knowing Roy. More importantly, this marked the end of Ed's 2nd year of being a completely legal adult. A second year that Roy Mustang had wasted by not telling the growing blonde how he felt.

Roy was the first to arrive at the house for the party, purposely getting there a good hour in advanced. He had hoped to get Edward alone and talk to him, maybe get the courage up to tell him. However, Ed and Al were so distracted playing with Elysia that the fuhrer was hardly noticed. He was off duty anyhow and insisted no one close to him should treat him like a fuhrer when he was off duty... so they didn't have to notice him or anything. It just would have been helpful.

When people started showing up, it was like some kind of movie award show. There was cheering and hugging and more cheering, which turned into squealing with the girls. Elysia's friends were like little fangirls for Ed. They all swarmed around him to get a good look or to touch his clothes. Ed had ditched the obvious red coat, but he still loved the black tank top and leather pants. Not that Roy minded. He loved that look on Ed, and it was hot.

Roy didn't have a problem with the incoming guests until Ed's friends started showing up. Friends like Rose from Lior, Claus from that no show town out in the boondocks, and Russell and Fletcher Tringham from Xenotime. Fletcher wasn't an issue, but Roy noticed the look in that cocky 19 year old's eyes as he spoke with Ed. Then again, maybe he was just being paranoid.

"Are you alright, sir?" Riza asked as she walked up to him. "You look tense."

"Fine, Riza. Now don't call me 'sir'. Remember? I'm Roy when I'm off-duty," Roy reminded her with a small smile.

"Of course, Roy," she replied with her own little smile. It seemed they were always doing that, exchanging little smiles. They were comfortable enough around each other to work effectively together and trust each other, but they weren't comfortable enough for showing everything they were feeling at any given time.

As the party began to take off, Roy tried to be near Ed as much as he could. It wasn't hard. He'd heard many people comment on how he must be Ed's best friend what with the way he got under Ed's skin, even now, or how Ed always came to him with problems. So it was easy to flow with the conversation around Ed, no matter how mature or juvenile it became. He would like to say he knew Ed like the back of his hand.

People broke off and Roy lost Ed when the young alchemist ran off to the bathroom. When Ed came back, Roy was caught up speaking with Hughes and little miss Winry Rockbell. He could only seethe silently as Rose chatted it up with the blonde. He wondered if Ed minded that the naive child he was talking to had a child of her own now. Roy gently excused himself from the conversation he was already in.

Ed was completely across the room from Roy so the fuhrer had to ease his way through screaming little girls, tipsy military personnel, and oblivious bystanders to get to him, not to mention the furniture. On the way, he was able to catch the conversation between Claus and that fossil, Pinako Rockbell. He was surprised that old woman was still alive.

"So you traveled the farthest out of all the party guests, hm?" Pinako asked, chewing on a toothpick because smoking wasn't allowed inside the Hughes home.

"I suppose so, but when I got the invitation, I just couldn't say no. It's been so long since I saw Edward," Claus replied, this light little blush covering her cheeks. For anyone else, it may have been cute, but to Roy it was just an annoying sign of her interest in Ed.

"You like our Ed, do you?" Pinako teased with a wicked grin. Claus blushed darker and Roy scowled as little as possible as he continued on his way. "Well our Ed has someone he's interested in... But I wont tell you who. It could be you or it could be anyone. It's for him to reveal in his own time."

Roy couldn't take comfort in that idea. If Ed was interested in someone, that was a less like-ly chance that Roy could tell him his feelings and not get rejected. Roy's eyes glanced to Winry. If old Pinako knew who Ed liked, did Winry? The way she glanced over at Ed every moment or so in an anxious way could mean either thing. There was no way to figure it out unless he asked, and he wasn't going to ask.

A few more steps forward and he was grabbed by the wrist. When he looked at the one responsible for the action, he locked eyes with Russell Tringham. Russell was giving him that serious look that seemed to fall naturally on his features.

"Can we talk?" Russell asked. Roy glanced at Ed out of the corner of his eye before nodding. Ed was still somehow talking to Rose.

"Make it quick. Hughes sounded ready to bring out the cake," Roy replied, making up the random excuse on the spot.

Russell led Roy off to the side of the room where they would have some semi-privacy without leaving anything. Russell pointed out Ed in the crowd, a little more space between him and Roy now than when Russell had grabbed is wrist.

"I get this feeling we're both interested," Russell spoke up. He glanced at Roy and gauged the way the fuhrer was staring at Ed. "So I thought we could talk."

"About what?" Roy asked in a monotonous voice. He looked at Russell and the younger looked away toward Ed. It went silent for a moment and then Russell chuckled.

"You know what? I don't know how to word it nicely, so I'll just say it. When I first saw Ed, after he pulled the blinds away from my eyes, I noticed his frame and his proportions," Russell explained.

Roy had a feeling this boy understood the same feelings as him... only a bit more on the physical side. However, he waited for Russell to continue and never said a word.

"As he was leaving on the train from Xenotime to Central, I remember... all I thought about as we talked through the window was 'I'd love to top him.' You know?" Russell asked, his eyes glued to Ed and, Roy feared, to his butt.

"Hm," Roy replied blandly. Yep. There was no 'nice' way to put that statement.

"Don't tell me you haven't thought about it," of course he had, "And don't think I'm weird for saying it either. He may be a year older than me, but I was much taller than him back then. I'm still taller. So are you. The only difference between us is that I'm a year younger and you're 13 years older." Russell explained.

There was that cocky look in his eyes again. Roy knew his thoughts could only be something along the lines of 'you're an old man, and I'm his age. You don't stand a chance.' Still, Russell's voice was calm and slightly reminiscent. There was no lust in his voice, nor any hint that he had lewd thoughts in his head. Despite the subject, Russell made it sound innocent and even a bit romantic with the tone in his voice.

"What's your point?" Roy asked. The fuhrer adopted a smirk. "You think you have a better shot than I do?"

Russell looked up at Roy, who was only about two inches taller than him. Ed was 5' 6" now. Russell stood at 5' 7" and Roy was 5'9". If Ed grew anymore, he'd catch up to them, but they all sort of liked him a little on the short side. It made him that much cuter.

"Yea, why?" Russell asked, a bit of a glaring glint in his eyes now.

"Think again, kid. You may be closer to his age, but I have experience. Not only that, I also see Ed just about everyday. How often do you see him? Once every few months?" Roy asked in his normal cocky tone. Russell recoiled a little and glared.

"We write letters, alright?" he growled back under his voice. He didn't want to attract too much attention. "I get letters from him all the time. So you got no advantage over me, understand?"

"Wrong again," Roy replied with a devious smirk. "I have one very big advantage over you."

"Oh yeah? And just what would that be?" Russell asked haughtily.

"Something you'll never know," Roy replied smugly and walked away from the teen.

He left Russell to try and figure out what it was that Roy had over him. It would probably bug him forever. Why? Cause Roy didn't really have anything else. He still considered seeing Ed everyday and joking with him to be the biggest advantage of all. He thought knowing everything about Ed's past and having seen Ed half naked already when he'd been hurt was a great advantage. Russell had nothing Roy couldn't beat. That's all he knew, and that's all that mattered.

So Roy walked over to Ed. Rose must have spotted him, because she excused herself from Ed and walked away quickly. Ed seemed a little confused due to her sudden exit.

"I don't think she likes me," Roy commented with his teasing tone. Ed jumped and spun around to look at him.

"Oh hey, Roy. I didn't hear you coming. Yeah, Rose is still a bit skiddish around older soldiers," Ed explained, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb toward Rose. She'd joined Winry on the other side of the room.

"So I gather. What were you talking about?" Roy asked, making it seem like a completely innocent question.

"Oh, nothing special. She said she found a new boyfriend. Heh. But she made sure I knew she still loved me more," Ed joked with a little laugh. Roy smiled.

"Well aren't you the popular guy. I guess even midgets can find true love," He replied smartly.

"Oh shove off, Mustang!" Ed argued back. "I'm not even short anymore! Besides, I don't believe in true love," Ed finished, his voice back to normal with his change of subject, but it still held the angry tone to it.

"Oh? Why not?" Roy asked. Ed didn't believe in true love? It was a bit of a shocker. Ed was such a dreamer and not believing in true love would make it harder on Roy - besides making it harder to tell Ed how he felt, it was just hard to take that fact mentally.

"It's completely illogical. There's only one person in the world who fits me perfectly? That would just make everything harder. What if the person I like isn't my 'true love'? Then, if I follow that idea, the person I think I love isn't the one for me. See? It makes everything too complicated, and it has no logical or scientific basis," Ed explained, crossing his arms.

"But then what about the people who believe in true love? Are they illogical too?" Roy asked curiously.

Ed narrowed his eyes as he thought. A moment passed without either saying anything. The sounds of the party sounded around them, children laughing and glasses clinking. Al was tackled by the little girls. They tickled him ruthlessly, and he begged for help until Maes decided his daughter's friends had teased the younger Elric enough. Suddenly, Ed gasped and looked up at Roy.

"Wait a second! Are you saying Roy Mustang believes in true love?" he asked incredulously. Roy was shocked.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"What do you mean what do I mean? You're Roy Mustang! You hit on any girl with big boobs and a short hem line!" Ed exclaimed but tried not to make a big scene. He'd caused too many problems by making scenes.

"Is that all you see me as, some drooling gigolo?" Roy asked, a little hurt that Ed didn't know him better.

"'Course not. You're a lot more than that, but when it comes to relationships... yeah. I haven't seen you do any different," Ed explained. "Like your dream of all the girls wearing tiny miniskirts in your army."

"Ah, but I have yet to enforce that one, remember?" Roy replied with a smug smirk. "Although... I could always order you to wear one instead."

"What?!" Ed exclaimed, jumping back from Roy.

"Joking, Fullmetal. Calm down," Roy laughed.

Ed pouted and grumbled. He turned away from Roy and took a step. He told Roy, very grumpily, that he was going to go talk to Al. As the shorter blonde left him, Roy thought he heard something like 'I must be a masochist,' but since Ed was muttering and getting farther away... well Roy couldn't be sure what had been said.

"See, Mustang? You annoy him just as much as you entertain him. We're on even ground," Russell Tringham's voice sounded from behind him. Roy glared over his shoulder at the younger man. However, he dropped the glare quickly and adopted a bored look. He stared after Ed, almost looking a little remorseful.

"Keep thinking that, Tringham. Keep thinking that," he replied, walking away to go mingle.

A/N: Okay, so it originally wasn't supposed to go past one chapter, but I decided that was a good stopping point for a story that was obviously going to extend longer than the one chapter I had originally planned on. So did you like it so far?