I'm so happy to be getting so many reviews! Thank you all so much for reading my story! I hope you all enjoy it--and don't get mad at me for being slow sometimes to update...

SoSickOfNyQuil: Thanks--just wondering, but are you sick of the medicine itself, or the commercials?

E.Mahiru: Yes, Colonels make some real cash. Plus, they don't have to pay utilities or rent cause the army takes care of it. And on top of that, Roy doesn't really get much for himself. He already has what he wants, you know? And yes, I'll make Ed bolder (and less bratty) later. gasp Does that count as a spoiler? x.x;;

FMA-SN-FAN: I'll try and update as quick as I can, but I need inspiration, you know? I'll get it done, don't worry!

the Psyche Ward: We find out in this chapter that Ed is sixteen at the moment. Sorry for not mentioning it before. So, technically, he's not LEGAL, but if you go by pre-industrialization standards (which I do, since today's industrialized standards are screwy) he's still an adult, and able to make his own decisions. But, in the eyes of America's court systems, Roy is in fact a pedo. XD Whoops!

Obito-Kun Tobi-Kun: Thanks, I like the title too.

Bar-Ohki : Thank you. I try very hard to make my stories amusing.

VermilianValentine: Thank you--I'm working on it, okay?

Paon: O.O yes, it would be very creepy if Ed was younger than 15. He's 16, don't worry.

I appreciate all of your reviews! Thank you! (and sorry for not telling you Ed was 16 earlier. O.O;; )

Now, to the story!

Chapter Four

The Night Sky Talk

"So," Ed said in a non-caring tone. "do the girls always stare at you, Roy?"

"Hmm?"

Ed and Roy were sitting on the couch and gazing at the stars, and Roy had to shake himself out of a light trance to process Ed's question. Roy glanced at him and raised an eyebrow, wondering why it mattered.

"Yes, always." Roy smirked as Ed's fists clenched. "What do you expect? I'm a sexy beast."

No shit, Ed thought to himself. "Do you have a girlfriend, then?"

"No, but I pretend to; I have an image to uphold at work."

"Why the hell would you need to uphold an image like that?"

Roy was quiet for a moment, unsure of how to answer. He had never really thought about it. "I suppose that people expect it of me."

"Why should you care what other people think?"

"Because I want to become fuhrer."

Ed's eyebrows rose. "That's pretty ambitious. What rank are you now?"

"Colonel."

"Wow. You must get paid a whole lot."

"Yup."

There was an awkward pause until Roy coughed and cleared his throat loudly.

"So, uh, yeah." Roy ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "I, uhm, kinda have work tomorrow."

"Oh?" Edward's heart sank as he realized that Roy was probably going to make him stay home by himself. He didn't want to be alone.

"Yeah. Uhm, do you want to come with me?"

"Really?" Edward's face lit up with joy and he hugged Roy tightly. "I'd love to!"

Roy blushed and smiled. "Great."

"Wait," Ed said suddenly, pulling away from Roy. "What would I do there?"

"Uhm," Keep me company and light up the room with your very presence. "Be my assistant? Wait, how old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Then you'll be my new office assistant." Roy grinned triumphantly. Sixteen was the legal age to work, and now he had an excuse to bring him along. There was no way he was going to leave his wonderful new pet alone at home! "You can read, right?"

Edward smirked. "Yes, I can, and probably better than you." Yeah, he was bragging, but he wanted to impress Roy, to show him that he didn't just help out some street kid that stole his watch.

Roy raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Edward nodded smugly.

"What have you read?"

Ed laughed. "Too many books to count. Most books I've read are about alchemy."

Roy's eyes widened. Alchemy? "Can you do alchemy?"

Instead of answering, Edward clapped his hands and touched them to a plain rock paperweight that was on the coffee table in front of them. There was a flash of red light, and the rock was transformed into a black stone rose, crafted to look fully bloomed. Ed lifted it up and held it under Roy's nose.

"Smell." He ordered the colonel quietly.

Too surprised by Ed's no-circle alchemy to ask him why, Roy sniffed at the rose. It smelled just like a real rose!

"How did you do that?" Roy's amazement must have shown in his voice, because Edward blushed and smiled.

"I told, you, I've read more books than I can count. I take in information, and I don't forget the most important things."

"Wow," Roy smiled and set his newly transformed paperweight on top of some loose papers. "I'll keep this rose forever."

Ed grinned happily. Roy liked his rose! "Can you do alchemy?"

"Yes. I specialize in fire."

"Fire?"

Had he really heard that quiver of fear in the boy's voice? "Yeah. I have special gloves with alchemy circles on them, and when I snap my fingers, the special fabric they're made of creates a spark, and then I manipulate the elements in the air to create paths of fire."

"Were those the gloves you were wearing the night we met? The ones with the red transmutation circles?"

"Yes."

Ed shuddered suddenly. "You could have burned me to a crisp."

"Yes. But I wouldn't."

Edward looked up at Roy with an unfathomable expression on his face. Roy fidgeted uncomfortably and glanced at the clock above the front door. 10 o'clock.

"Well," Roy stood up, stretching. "It's time for bed. After all, we have work tomorrow!"

Edward wordlessly stood up and walked to his bedroom, shutting the door softly behind him.