When he had gotten off at Central Station, he hadn't been surprised that no one was waiting for him. After all, he hadn't told anybody he was coming. He hadn't told them for the simple reason that he was scared, so scared that he almost backed out twice. But he had promised Winry that he'd end this once and for all. He knew very well that he couldn't do this to the two people who claimed they cared for him, who had been there for him. He knew it just wasn't right.

So, here he was at the bastard's house. Knocking on his door. Waiting for the man to answer. Waiting for the rejection that was sure to come. But when the man opened the door, surprise was written all over his face.

"Roy," he managed to mouth, the words catching in his throat. "Hi. Uh, can I come in?"

The man moved silently away from the door and held it open to his guest.

They made their way silently to the kitchen where Roy put on a pot of coffee and then turned to Ed.

"What brings you back to Central?"

Edward squirmed uncomfortably for a few seconds before answering reluctantly, "You."

"Me." the man stated this with some disbelief. "I thought you said something about 'not working' before you left."

"I guess I was wrong. Well, sort of. I mean, well, I did try it with Winry but all I could think about was you, but when I was with you, all I could think about was her...so I was wondering if that was still true..."

"I'm your test subject?"

"No! Not like that, not at all, it's just that it feels like I don't love Winry the same way."

Roy narrowed his eyes at the young man before nodding. "Fine. One chance Edward. And only one."

Ed looked up sheepishly and grinned. "I'm sorry."

Roy shrugged and began to turn away, but Ed grabbed his shirt. "Wait."

The older man looked down at Ed and cupped his cheek softly before kissing him. And the only thing Edward was thinking of was the man kissing him, holding him. No Winry, no one else.

'Huh,' his mind supplied him, 'I guess I felt duty to Winry before...but anything with her is nothing compared to this.'

-

He'd had an uncomfortably hard time telling Winry that he didn't love her in that way. She'd cried, and he'd let her. Let her cry out her sadness, her frustration at him for leading her on. He had continually apologized to her, and she had accepted it, but he knew only time would heal the wounds he'd left her with.

In the end though, it had worked out. It had worked out in the sense that he and Roy were actually seeing each other, not living with each other, and didn't go much farther than groping. Roy had set the standards. He'd said that this was the only way to tell if they truly did want to spend more time with each other.

Roy had seduced him slowly, and Ed had seduced him back. They took turns picking where they'd go for dinner, what they'd do for their date, if they were eating in that night, they compromised.

But they argued. They argued a lot. The first time Winry had seen them argue [a year after he'd told Winry], she'd laughed herself sick. She'd laughed herself straight off the chair and into the floor and had proceeded to writhe there until she managed to get her laughs down to giggles.

When she'd straightened up and was back in her chair she promptly told them, "I'm glad I'm not the one dating Ed anymore. He's far too much trouble and not worth the effort."

Roy agreed with Ed being trouble. He received a whack on the arm for the comment and they ended up tussling on the floor with Winry cheering them on.

Roy always had endless surprises over the past four years, two months and eight days they'd been together, but this?
Ed stared at the man across the table from him. What he had just offered. He swallowed and looked around the room. He flushed from head to toe, but he knew there was only one correct answer.

"Yes."

The End