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Disclaimer: I don't own FMA… sad for me lol

Title: A New College Life

Pairing: Roy x Ed

Summary: Ed leaves his family in Risembol to enter a college in Central City where he learns to become a science major. While in Central City he meets his new friends and starts something new. Unfortunately, with new friends comes new feelings and some things are sometimes best hidden from families.

Info: AU. Ed has real limbs. Everyone in here is in their twenty's for ages. Trisha is still alive in this story and their dad left when they were younger.

Chapter Seven

Jean, Maes and Ed met Alex and Breda at the entrance to Roy's apartment building just before it was time for Roy to get home. Alex and Breda had, for lack of a better term, broken into Roy's place to put up a few decorations around the place before meeting them. They wore smiles on their faces to show that they were successful in whatever their mind had come up with and Ed was slightly worried. The group climbed the two flights of stairs, chatting the whole way until they reached the third floor. Once they reached the last door on the left of the long hallway, Maes pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. Ed was the last one through the door and frankly, he was surprised that the place was a lot simpler than he thought it would be. There was a simple couch and love seat next to a small coffee table. The kitchen was small with a two person table set at the far corner out of the way. As he looked around the place, he had forgotten that he was the only one who hadn't really seen the place before.

"Close the door, Edo," Maes said as he moved into the kitchen. "We want to surprise Roy."

"Oh… yeah." Ed pushed the door closed behind him before he moved further into the apartment. "Where should I put these?" He lifted the bag of movies and his gift.

"I'll take the movies," Jean chirped, grabbing the bag from Ed's gripped before he moved to take a seat on the couch.

"Put the gift on the table," Maes replied, pointing to the kitchen table after he sat the alcohol on the counter. "I'll get the drinks ready."

Ed moved to the table and placed the simple bag next to the couple that were already sitting there. After placing the gift on the table, he walked over to the kitchen and stood next to Maes.

"What are you making?" He asked as he leaned against the counter.

"Have you ever drunk before?" Maes questioned as he set the cups out with the drinks. He knew full well that Roy had taken alcohol to the young man's apartment not too long ago but thought it was a good idea to bring it up.

"Not really," was the reply. "I mean, there was that one night with Roy but…" He paused, his face grew slightly red. "Besides, my mom isn't too thrilled about alcohol and I'm not twenty-one yet."

"Hmm, a newbie then. Well I guess we will see how you handle your alcohol," the man chuckled in reply before turning away from him to throw out the bag.

Ed opened his mouth to say something else but the giggling of the doorhandle earn the attention of everyone in the room. Glancing at Jean, he saw that everyone was now hiding the best that they could from Roy. When he moved to crouch behind the counter with Maes, the man pushed him out in front of the door and hid himself just as the door flew open. Turning to look at Roy, Ed tried to smile as he scratched the back of his head.

"How'd you get in here?" Roy asked as he pushed the door closed and removed his shoes.

"Well, Maes let me in," he replied, not quite a lie.

"Maes, uh? This by chance wouldn't have anything to do with my birthday, would it?" Roy smiled before moving closer to Ed and placing a small kiss on the man's cheek. "Or the fact that there is alcohol on my counter that wasn't there when I left this morning?"

He felt his cheeks grow red as he watched the man pass him and move to this side of the counter.

"Hughes, you know that Ed can't legally buy alcohol so come out of hiding," Roy stated, leaning against the counter a bit to peer over the top.

Maes stood and stuck his tongue out at his friend. "I know but wasn't it a nice surprise to come home and see Edo waiting for you?" This time, he winked at Ed as the younger man's face grew even redder than before.

"Yes it was," Roy replied, glaring at his friend. "Is everyone else here, too?"

Nodding, Maes yelled for the rest to come out of hiding. Alex greeted the man with a tight hug and the others just wished him a happy birthday and rapped him on the back.

Jean soon moved over to Ed and placed his arm around his shoulders. "Do you wanna open your presents, Roy?"

"I don't know if I trust you enough to open them in front of people," Roy mumbled as he turned around and saw Ed just standing there with his shoulder's occupied by the other man's arm.

"Aw, come on now," he laughed in reply. "I didn't get you anything embarrassing this year."

"Jean, you always get him something embarrassing," Maes pointed out, chuckling before walking up and grabbing Ed's hand. "Now, follow me into the kitchen and you and I will get the drinks ready, okay, Ed?"

Nodding, Ed allowed himself to be led into the kitchen away from the other guys. He stood next to Maes by the counter but watched the other guys move to the living room and crowded around the couch. He had noticed the tick in Roy's eye when he noticed Jean's arm around his shoulders but he wasn't quite sure why they man would give him that look.

"Look, Ed," Maes said quietly as he began to pour the drinks. "Roy may be the notorious playboy of the group but he is an incredibly jealous guy when it comes to dating."

"He doesn't have anything to be jealous about," was Ed's reply, shaking his head. "I mean, I don't know much about dating in the entirety of it all."

"Well, there's a lot he doesn't know, too," the older man stated before handing him a glass with a smile. "He's dated a lot which is true but he has only had one other relationship that last more than a month. It'll be good for him. Let's go join the fun."

Ed watched as Maes passed him before he turned to follow him out to the couch. When he got to the couch, Roy had pushed Jean from the seat next to him so that Ed could take his place. Smiling, he took his seat and thanked Roy before he found the cup missing from his hand.

"What are you feeding him, Maes?"

"Nothing lethal, don't get your panties in a bunch."

Roy took a small sip of the liquid in Ed's glass before nodding and handing it back. "I approve."

"What?" Ed took the glass back and stared at Roy for a moment.

"It's okay," the man replied, smiling. "Now, let's have some fun!"

The group crowded around the couch in front of the TV, Roy shoved Jean off the couch so that he and Ed could sit there while the movie played. Jean stuck the first movie into the DVD player and pressed play. He moved back on the floor and leaned back against the couch next to Roy's legs.

"Are you going to be okay, Jean?" Maes teased, pushing the man with his foot.

"Yeah, yeah…" Jean stuck his tongue out at the other before pushing the foot away.

Hours later, Ed found himself sitting on the couch beside Roy with the lights off and the movie on. When Ed glanced down at the two he could see Havoc trying to scooch his way behind Maes, as if to hide himself. Chuckling, he leaned back next to Roy but not close and not far from him. It wasn't long before he found Roy's arm around his shoulders pulling him close.

"I'm not gonna attack you or anything, Ed," Roy whispered into Ed's when he felt the younger stiffen up a bit. "Relax, okay?"

Ed nodded and moved so he could get comfortable leaning on Roy. He had to admit that it was very comfortable and warm leaning against him, not to mention it felt very romantic despite the others being in the room.

"Very good choice of movie," the man added in the same hushed voice, taking a sip of his drink. "Jean, stop pushing on my legs, go find someone else to hide behind."

Raising his eyebrow, Ed glanced down at the man in questioned who had moved a bit away from Roy's legs.

"Jean's afraid of horror movies," Roy laughed. "You wouldn't think it but he is."

"I've never really watched movies before," Ed admitted, staring at the screen. "I was always hanging around with my brother getting into trouble and whatnot."

He heard Roy chuckle. "Don't kill me when you try to hide behind me, all right?"

Turning, he glared at Roy. "What makes you think I will be scared?"

Roy leaned in closer to Ed's face, glancing down to see that Maes was focused on his drink and the TV. "Because," Roy started, "If you are, then I can cuddle up closer to you and have a damned good reason."

A blush crossed over Ed's cheeks.

Planting a feathery kiss on Ed's lips, Roy smiled as he sat back up to watch the movie.

Ed stared at him for a moment longer, before turning to watch the movie. Needless to say, he wished Roy was right and that he did get scared. Even if it was just an excuse to cuddle up more to Roy, he didn't mind. Roy was right about the movie; the more it progressed the more Ed grew scared. Who knew that he would be scared by a movie, he obviously didn't and Roy seemed to be rather enjoying the fact. It didn't help that they were all nearly completely drunk halfway through the movie. Jean had the excuse, during the scarier parts that he was going to go get another round of drinks for everyone before hiding behind Maes. Ed had no such excuse, so he did the only thing he could do. Hide.

Roy kept his arm around Ed, squeezing him tighter when he felt the boy tense at the different parts of the movie. Even through his drunken haze he could still read the Ed's reactions to the movie. When the movie ended, Ed and Jean had managed to get completely behind their "saviors." Both Maes and Roy were laughing now, along with Ed and Jean who were drunk. The others just as drunk as these four and laughing just as much. An entire movie, watched in a drunken haze and they had made it out alive. Now with the lights off, the TV turned off, and the time of day, the room they were in was completely dark.

Jean stood to move toward the wall to turn on the light but managed to trip over the coffee table causing him to fall to the floor. Maes was laughing too hard to care about the fact that it was completely dark and that Jean had just fell. He fell onto his side, laughing. Roy stood up off the couch and turned around, thinking it best to stay near the couch or else he would end up on the floor as well. Of course, when a group of guys are in one room and drunk, nothing good can come from it.

Ed made the mistake of moving right after Roy had gotten up, not know that Roy was in front of him. He knocked over Roy, who incidentally fell over Maes who was lying on the floor. With a few loud bangs and such, the floor was now littered in drunken guys, laying all over each other. Laughter filled the small room.

"Oye, Jean, get your foot out of my face," Maes said, laughing.

"Roy? Are you okay?" Ed asked with laughter in his voice. He had never really felt like this, his head was light and he didn't really care about anything at the moment.

"Come on, guys," Roy said, grunting as he tried to move but found himself laying on top of Maes with Ed on his back. "We shouldn't be laying on each other."

"We're drunk," Jean nearly yelled, "what do I care?"

Another round of laughter and Ed managed to get himself off of Roy long enough to get back onto the couch. He could feel his head beginning to get light, though he enjoyed the feeling a bit. Felt as if there was some weight lifted off his shoulders, guess that's what getting drunk does to a person. He felt the other end of the couch move and glanced down to see only the outline of a figure sitting on the last cushion.

"Roy?"

No answer.

"Roy?"

More movement came and he found himself underneath Jean who thought that Ed needed a major tickle attack at that moment. Laughter rang out throw the room as Jean tortured Ed with his tickle attack which he named "Tickle attack of doom." The man was insane, not much more to say about it. Jean managed to get Ed onto the floor where Maes seemed to think they were wrestling and joined in on the act, much to Ed's dismay. Alex and Breda sat back and laughed at the pile of guys on the floor. Now it was a battle of two against one and Roy seemed to have gone missing.

"Roy!" Ed yelled, his voice slurred, between fits of laughter. "Roy, help me!"

"Mwahahahaha," Maes laughed, standing up and swaying while he did so. "Roy will not save you, his is in the bathroom!"

"No," Ed managed to get out, wiggling out of Jean's hold. He couldn't stop his laughter, they were torturing him, yes but he was having fun. "Can't catch me!"

On wobbly feet, Ed managed to get away from the two and found himself leaning against the door of a very clean bedroom. He could hear Jean and Maes arguing on the other side about whether just to leave him in there and wait for him to come out or to try to get the door open. After a short while, he heard them agree to get another drink while they wait for their victim to come out. Breathing a sigh of relief, at least he would have a little bit of peace; he moved away from the door and moved around the room. As he moved around the room, he held onto the furniture, trying to keep himself stable. He knew he was safer a bit longer before the other two would come and find him again once they have had their drink.

Letting go of the dresser, he stumbled over to the bed and fell on top of it, finding it very soft. Swinging his feet up, he lay on the bed, smiling.

This alcohol is really getting to me, he thought to himself. I smell Roy.

As he lay there, lingering in the smell of coffee and cologne on the bed sheets his mind wandered to the man in the bathroom. It wasn't long before his eyelids grew heavy and he drifted off into a dreamless sleep, completely unaware of the company he had.

"Should we wake him," Jean asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"No," Roy said in a surprisingly smooth voice. "It's late now; you guys should go pass out in the living room."

Maes laughed quietly, patting him on the back. "Don't have too much fun, there, Royboy."

Roy shook his head as he pulled the door closed behind him and made his way over to the bed. Smiling, he leaned down and placed a kiss on Ed's forehead before climbing in bed on the other side. He felt the smaller man shift as the bed moved and soon felt a body very close to his own. Carefully, he reached his arm over and wrapped it around Ed's waist and pulled him in closer to him. The warmth was nice and the feeling of love was even better. For him, the party had been a success, he just wanted really one thing for his birthday and that was Ed. He soon drifted off into the same dreamless sleep.

AN: It took a bit longer than I wanted to get this one out than I wanted but life interrupts sometimes. I am sorry! Please review this and let me know what you think. The next chapter will jump a bit but that will be explained at the beginning of the next chappy! :D Thanks for reading!