NOTE: This chapter has been revised as of 29/09/09


-11-

By the looks of it, he saw that Edward was getting on extremely well with everyone. Currently halfway throughout the so-called birthday party (which looked more and more like a 'get together' cocktail party), the guests included a variety of people from the company he worked in along with a few unfamiliar faces and of course, their personal persocoms. Upon their arrival, Edward was uneasy being around this many people but as he mingled more and more with them (especially with Havoc, Breda, Fuery and Farman), he almost looked as if he was enjoying himself.

Hughes stood with a couple of people with Elicia on his shoulder as usual. He was flashing them digital pictures of his wife and persocom, gushing lovingly about how much he adored them both. Roy smirked. Hughes sure knew what he was doing. The spectacled family man had invited the company's CEO, Mr. Hakuro and his wife and kids along with some other people who were of high positions. This was the perfect opportunity for impression and good praises.

He cast a look over at Edward, who was somehow boasting his knowledge on the business world to the impressed Havoc, Breda, Fuery and Farman. There was a smug, arrogant look about the blonde's features. Roy snorted. Ed reminded him of someone very familiar there …

He felt something nuzzling his shoe and he looked down and to his shock, saw Black Hayate. By reflex, he jerked his foot back as realisation came to him. When there was Hayate … there was …

"Good evening, sir," greeted the all-too familiar stern tone of Riza Hawkeye.

Roy turned to face the secretary, who was clad in another suit and skirt. Roy suddenly realised that he had never seen the secretary out of uniform before. And even off work hours, she never did.

"Er … hi, Hawkeye. You don't need to be this formal. We're not in the office, you know."

Hawkeye chose not to answer, instead she looked over at the short figure of Edward and then back at her dark-haired superior. "I see your persocom is doing well."

Roy sighed. This party was the best that Edward's been. Compared to the previous few weeks when they were still fighting and shouting at each other and then the strange state of depression, this seemed to be the happiest that Edward has been. Spontaneously, a relieved gladness rose in his chest. He'll need to thank Hughes for this afterwards.

OoOoO

He wasn't aware that he was in high spirits. He admitted he enjoyed seeing those impressed, worshipful looks directed towards him from those idiots. He mused if this was what it felt like to be Roy Mustang.

Speaking of so, Edward glanced around the crowded room to search for the dark-haired man and found him in conversation with Riza Hawkeye. He wondered why Mustang was doing this – arranging this 'birthday' party with Hughes just for him and Elicia. Was it one of his tricks? Was Ed being used for Mustang's advantage?

Even if it was so, he surprisingly found that he wasn't all bothered by the thought. Mustang had given him this opportunity to experience a birthday party that was for him. He found it shockingly nice of Mustang to give him this (even if Ed never asked for it) – and he decided that he actually liked this contribution.

Edward didn't know what he thought of the dark-haired man. He still disliked Mustang for being the pompous bastard he was. The man was annoying and arrogant and loved to think himself as powerful and proud. As for living with Mustang, Ed had been teased, played at and manipulated by him. Hell, Mustang even treated him like a child…!

A child?

Edward averted his gaze from Mustang's form and settled on the figures of Hakuro's children who were getting told off by their grey-haired mother. A thought strayed onto him: Mustang had treated him, Ed, as if he was a human child, a person, not an object. It was a surprising and unnatural coincidence. But why? Persocoms weren't alive so there was no reason for Mustang to treat a non-living thing as human.

Then again… what about Elicia?

Elicia was a portable persocom who belonged to Hughes. Despite being a humanoid computer, Hughes adored her, cared and boasted about her as if she were his own child. Heck, he gave her a damn birthday for all he cared!

He was shaken from his thoughts by the questioning from Havoc. He excused himself from their company and began to wander around the room. The long tables set near the window were piled up with plates of delicious looking food. At the end of the table stood two birthday cakes, their names scribbled in pink icing traced over the creamy surface. On another small table by the wall sat wrapped up presents addressed to Elicia. He rolled his eyes at the stacked up boxes, thinking that the guests wouldn't bother buying him a present because they thought he looked too old for them. No matter, he told himself. Presents are for children. Persocoms weren't made to receive such gifts.

But why were persocoms invented in the first place? he thought suddenly.

Well … wouldn't that be obvious? Persocoms were tools for humans – man's greatest inventions. They were valuable in terms of quality and cost. They were created to make the quality of life easier. They were just … things. And yet … Hughes saw Elicia more valuable than any of his possessions. He loved her like a person … like a daughter…

Humans were curious, complex creatures. He remembered the first time he was brought to work by Mustang and listened to the man and Hawkeye's confusing confrontation. What Mustang had said … knowing how a person is feeling inside even if they don't say it …

"Hey Ed! How's it going! Enjoying the party?"

"Oh, hello Hughes," Edward replied as he found himself facing the enthusiastic spectacled man, this time without his adorable persocom bouncing on his shoulder. Technically, Elicia was with Hughes' wife, Gracia, who was in deep conversation with some other guests by the table.

"Elicia's having so much fun, it's absolutely killing me to see her so happy!"

Edward sighed at this statement, "Get over it, Hughes. I mean, Elicia is happy all the time. I can't recall a day when she never was!"

"Come on, Ed!" Hughes laughed, clapping a hand onto Ed's shoulder. "This is a birthday party for her and for you, too. All the reason to be cheerful about it! Do you see the new outfit Elicia's wearing? She looks so cute in it! I've already taken a new bunch of digital pictures of her with her birthday cake, her presents, with Gracia …"

As Hughes continued his prattling, Edward took note on how much Hughes cared about Elicia.

"Hughes," he said in a strange tone which rendered the man to stop and listen. "Why? I don't understand why you're throwing a birthday party for Elicia. A birthday for someone is to make that person happy, isn't it? Since Elicia is programmed to always be that cheerful and energetic, what is the point? What is your purpose?"

At first, Hughes looked surprised at the unexpected bombardment of questions. It took him a few moments to gather his thoughts and answer. His face softened as he spoke, "I get what you're on about, Edward. I know Elicia is a persocom whose personality is controlled by her programs. She's always happy with everything and in every situation. But I've given her this party for a reason. It's to make her happy."

"What?" Edward lifted an eyebrow in confusion. "I'm not following …"

Hughes squeezed his shoulder, "Just think of it this way, Ed. I want Elicia to be happy because of me, not just because she was programmed to have a cheerful personality. So knowing that Elicia is glad because I made her so … it makes me feel the same way."

"And treating her like this? You're aware that she's a persocom, right? I don't want to be rude – I just want to know, why do you care about her like a daughter?"

He realised that he was caught up with these questions and knew they wouldn't stop until he got the answers.

Hughes took another few seconds before answering, grasping where Ed was going with this. He sighed deeply before smiling, "It may seem crazy to you when I say this, Ed … but humans … they sometimes need something to care about – whether if it's alive or not."

At once, Edward fell silent as Hughes' words processed in his head.

OoOoO

It was very late when they arrived back home that night. Roy had the opportunity to greet Hakuro and his wife, and the CEO had introduced him to his colleagues, who happened to be top businessmen from around the country. He had charmed his way onto their good sides and earned himself a handful of praises. Edward then blew out the candles with Elicia when it was time for the cakes. Afterwards, the cake slices were passed around followed by more chatting, boasting, dancing and the lot.

It was surprisingly quite tiring after all that.

As Roy hung up his coat and yawned, he listened to Edward's chattering about the party as the blonde pulled off his red coat and made his way to the kitchen. Just as Roy plopped down on the couch, he heard Ed groan loudly in the kitchen, complaining that the forgotten casserole had been left on the stove, now stone cold, and the kitchen counter was still in a dirty mess.

Roy sighed, realising that even after all that excitement, Ed was back to his old, grumpy self. No matter, he still had one task to attend to.

Of course he hadn't forgotten about the ring. He pulled out the small wrapped up package from his pocket. It was the moment he had been waiting for. He now had one good reason why he should hand this thing over right now without being so embarrassed about it. After all, you can't have a birthday without getting a birthday present, right? Rising to his feet, he strolled his way into the well-lit kitchen.

Edward scowled, annoyed that the place was a mess and it stank strongly of the cold casserole. He had dumped the contents of the pan into the bin and was in the process of washing up, trying to scrub off the dried and burnt stains with a sponge, muttering under his breath when he kept being unsuccessful. At the door, he saw Mustang enter.

The blonde held up the dirty pan to Mustang. "See this?" he grumbled. "From now on, I'm never going to make you that gross casserole again. It's making me do extra work for scrubbing it off. Do you know how much power it takes off my batteries? Next time you should at least warn me if you're going to eat at someone else's house. That way, I don't have to waste my energy to cook for you and then clean it afterwards."

Roy felt a small smile crawl up his lips. Some things just don't seem to change, huh? He reached out and lightly tapped Edward's shoulder in order to get the blonde's attention. The persocom stopped his work, turning to face him as his golden eyes rose to meet his. Roy held out his hand, presenting the small package that sat on his palm.

The golden gaze dropped to meet the sight of the box offered to him. The box was square and wrapped up in a plain red packaging. Ed took a few seconds to stare at it before asking, "What's this?"

Roy sighed, thinking that Ed was a little dense tonight after all that excitement at the party. "It's your present, Ed. Take it and open it."

Edward startled, his eyes widening at the words delivered smoothly out of Mustang's mouth. He couldn't believe all this was happening!

"What -?" he stared perplexedly up at the dark-haired man, not moving at all. "First a surprise birthday … now a present? What's … what's all this about, Mustang?"

Mustang just shrugged, "Why not, Ed? You've been looking obnoxiously down in the dumps for the past few days. I thought this would at least cheer you up a bit."

Edward frowned slightly. Mustang was still bugging him on that? Hadn't Ed told him to drop it already? What was wrong with the guy when he had specifically stated that he didn't want any help? He glared back at Mustang and remembered his enjoyment at the party. Mustang had given him that party and now, he was giving him this present …

Roy began to feel uneasy as he stood there, holding out the box. His lips pursed as he waited for Edward to say something. They had been silent for almost thirty seconds now. Just as he thought so soon, Edward reached out, snatched the box and began to tear off the wrapping. Roy felt himself lightly relax as the tension on his shoulders was lifted. He blinked when he noticed the excitement burning in Edward's golden eyes. Once all the wrapping was off, Edward was holding the little velvet box. The blonde slowly opened it as the dark-haired man standing in front of him nervously waited for his reaction.

Edward gasped when he found the familiar silver ring sitting inside. Just like in the department store, he watched the dazzling lights reflect off the silver surface from the ceiling lamps of the kitchen. He stared at it for a moment, feeling the strange emotions of surprise and disbelief wash over him. It was then when he realised just what Mustang had got him that caused him to look up at said man with narrowed, annoyed eyes.

"Whatis this?!"

Roy had watched Edward's reactions with amusement, noticing how the blonde's expression had changed from surprise to disbelief, delight and finally, realisation and annoyance. He laughed as the blonde fumed at him, "Why, it's a ring, Edward. Can't you see that?"

He watched as Ed hesitated before yelling at his face, "Is this some sort of a JOKE, Mustang? Rings are for women!!"

The dark-haired man smirked. Even if Edward tried to deny it, he had a lot to learn about trying to conceal it from him. Roy just knew when the first time the blonde had laid eyes on his present that he liked it. Roy crossed his arms as he gazed coolly back at Ed. "So you don't like it?" he answered. "Funny, I thought you wanted it when you stood in front of that display and stared at this ring–"

"WHO THE HELL SAID I WANTED IT?!"

Knowing that he had strayed into bad territory, he reassured, "Calm down, Ed. I didn't say you wanted it. I meant you looked as if you wanted it. Didn't you?"

He had hit the right spot because the angry expression faded from the blonde's face as Edward continued staring up at Roy with wide eyes. Again, he was speechless. Roy had given him something that Ed hadn't demanded. It was half true about the ring though. He indeed liked its beautiful appearance, maybe had the thought of having it as his own … but he never mentioned wanting it. He really didn't have the intention of getting it anyway. But why was Mustang being so nice to him? Why would he go to all this trouble to cheer Ed up? Why did Mustang care about what he felt? About him?

Because he was human. An echo of Hughes' words answered his question. Because Roy Mustang was human so he couldn't help caring for Ed, worrying about him … it didn't matter if Ed was a persocom, whether he was alive or not ... human beings cared because they just did.

Mustang's voice brought him back to the present, "Oh well... shame though to waste all that money for a present you don't want. I guess I'll have to give it back now–"

"Alright, Mustang. I'll have it!"

Roy smirked, "Good. I knew you'd say that."

"Don't you start with that crap," Edward growled as he pulled the ring out of the box and examined it, mesmerized again by its splendour. He noticed that the silver had been carved with curling patterns and swirls before realising something utterly ridiculous.

He didn't know how to put on a ring.

It was so stupid! How could he not know! He'd seen how the rings were worn by women before. It's not like there was a book that had instructions on how to put on your ring, right?!!

Roy noticed the blank, lost expression on Edward's face. He sighed before reaching over to grab the blonde's left hand and the ring.

"Hey! What the -!" Edward started protesting before Roy shoved the ring into his left ring finger (he thought the right metal hand wouldn't suit) and firmly held his hand up for him to see. The golden eyes belonging to the persocom widened as he stared admiringly at the ring on his finger, not even aware that Roy was still holding onto his hand. The dark-haired man smirked at the way the blonde was staring now. At the moment, Roy cherished how pleased he was with his plan.

Then, Edward shifted his gaze onto him. As if suddenly held by some force, he found his eyes locked on that golden colour, those eyes, staring straight back at him. He wasn't even aware that his breathing had slowed down and that he wasn't able to look away. A gentle, mutual understanding briefly passed between them, connecting them for that moment. A moment which was followed by a curiously long silence as the two continued staring at one another. Roy, unaware that he was half-conscious, tilted his face towards Edward's, almost as if he was trying to lose himself in those endless pools of gold.

Edward's lips moved, "Mustang."

All of a sudden, they were back in reality. He recognized that they were standing by the sink and that the front of Edward's jacket was wet from the washing up. He noticed that his hand was still holding up Ed's.

The blonde unexpectedly pulled his hand out of Roy's grasp and looked down at the ring he was wearing. There was a peculiarly odd look on his face and it seemed as if the blonde was trying not to look at him. Roy realised that he was trying not to look at Edward as well and that his head was feeling weirdly light all of a sudden.

"Mustang, you should go to bed. I need to go back to work."

Roy found that he didn't quite feel like going upstairs. Somehow, he wanted a quiet time to himself right now. "Ed, I think you should go and recharge. I'll clean up. Besides, you can't wash up if you're wearing a ring."

Edward slowly looked up and met his gaze. The blonde looked surprised at the offer. Then, he nodded and passed Roy, heading towards the door.

"Mustang?" Roy stilled in attention without turning around to face Ed. Somehow, he knew that Edward wasn't even looking at him as he spoke.

"Thanks. I really like the ring."

Then he left.

In the silent, well-lit kitchen, Roy hadn't moved from his spot. He was staring at nothing in particular although his mind was deep in mixed thoughts: about the party, Hughes, Hakuro and the other businessmen, the ring, Edward's reaction, the strange, understanding silence between them, Edward actually thanking him for his present …

A small, celebrated smile crawled up Roy's lips and followed by a tiny hint of a blush. It was nice to know that Edward was happy because of him.


(end chapter)


Notes:

Wow, that was a surprisingly fast update – two chapters posted! You LUCKY PEOPLE! I was motivated! I found this chapter extremely hard to write, especially about Ed's questions. I got the meaning but I couldn't describe it in words so please forgive me if you don't understand this chapter. You can ask me if you're still confused. The last sentence of this chapter: "It was nice to know that Edward was happy because of him"links to what Hughes had said earlier, notice that? Of course you do, you clever people!

I noticed the party was quite uninteresting. I just can't bear thinking of all the adults there singing happy birthday to Ed – it sounded so cheesy. I only planned to give Ed a birthday party so he could learn more about being human and of course, experience a nice moment with Roy. I actually really liked the way Roy just slipped the ring onto his finger and held it up for Ed to see it. And then after that moment is broken, they're both left feeling strange and light-headed.

Aanyway, I bet you all thought they were going to kiss, huh? Unlucky! (laughs cruelly)

Please, please tell me your views on this chapter before reading the next one! THANK YOU!