Now Roy and Ed have to work around parenting and pretending that they're totally not in love with each other, hope you all enjoy :D


A Streetcar Named Desire

"So seven years old, huh?" Roy asked as he and Ed sat on a bench watching Maes on a small swing set, swinging himself higher and higher a few feet away.

"Yeah," Ed said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"To be perfectly honest I don't think would have believed you if you had," Roy said. He watched Maes begin to slow his swinging until he finally came to a stop, scuffing up the sand with his shoes. "So how did this happen?"

"Right," Ed said, exhaling slowly, "it's a long story."

"I've got time."

"And it's kind of complicated."

"When is anything to do with you ever not complicated," Roy teased.

Ed chuckled at the good natured ribbing. "True."

"So how exactly is this possible?" Roy asked. "I mean he's our child, there's no denying that when you look at him, but I don't quite understand how? Surely it's biologically impossible."

"You remember the last time we saw each other?" Ed asked.

"It was just after the Promised Day Celebration, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Ed said. "And you remember Cass Marshall?"

"I don't think I could forget Cass Marshall," Roy replied with a chuckle. "She turned you into a woman, didn't she?"

"Yeah..." Ed replied, rubbing the back of his neck again. "Remember when we had that fight in your office and we had sex on your desk while I was a woman?"

"Yes," Roy replied sounding nonchalant when in fact he remembered that particular time he and Ed fucked very vividly.

"And you remember how we kind of didn't use any protection, we just sort of went for it," Ed said.

And then everything fell into place in Roy's mind. Of course he and Ed hadn't thought about using protection; it wasn't often something two men did have to think about very often. But that still didn't answer all of his questions.

"But we only did once," Roy said after thinking that over for a moment.

"Apparently having a uterus made of alchemy and magic makes it extra fertile," Ed said, shrugging.

"So when you came to my office telling me you had to tell me something that resulted in us having an argument – that you started I might add – you walking out and disappearing off the face of the earth for eight years, this was what you wanted to tell me?" Roy asked.

"I was going to tell you that I was pregnant, yeah," Ed replied. "Sorry that I ended up shouting at you that day, pregnancy hormones were kind of all over the place and I kind of over-reacted."

"That does explain a few things," Roy chuckled. "I mean I know you always had quite a short fuse but that did seem a little out of the blue, even for you."

"I'm sorry," Ed said again and there was no hint of anger in his voice. He wasn't the same Ed that Roy knew back then, there was something much more mature about him. Probably from having to take care of a child on his own for seven years.

"So where have you been living?" Roy asked.

"Out in Aerugo," Ed replied. "I went out there with Cass when I first found out I was pregnant and I just sort of stayed there once Maes was born."

"How is it?"

"It's nice," Ed said, "but it's nice to be back in Amestris." They'd moved onto the small talk quickly (they had done the hard stuff and now they were as comfortable as they could be under the circumstances) and Ed was quite happy to stay in that zone but he knew that they had to move onto the harder subjects. "So how have you been?"

"I've been good," Roy said. "Aside from going up ranks in the military nothing has really changed much in the last few years."

"Yeah I hear you're a Brigadier-General now," Ed said. God, why does this feel so awkward? Of course it was going to be awkward, it was always going to be awkward because he hadn't seen or spoken to Roy since that argument. It hadn't stopped him thinking about Roy though. Every so often he had allowed his thoughts to turn to him and what he was doing and Ed couldn't help but think about what might have happened if he actually had told him about Maes sooner.

"So has Cass stayed in Aerugo with you?" Roy asked.

"Yeah we've sort of been living together," Ed said.

"Ah so are you and her...?" Roy began.

"Oh no," Ed said shaking his head. "No, nothing like that, we just live together. She was an absolute god-send when I was pregnant. She knew exactly what I was supposed to do while I was just like 'how do I be a girl for nine months?'"

"Well I thought you looked beautiful," Roy teased and leaned over to brush a lock of hair behind Ed's ear. "But, then again, I've always thought you looked beautiful."

Ed blushed and looked away. "Thanks," he mumbled.

"I'm glad you came back," Roy said after a pause.

"I am too," Ed said. "I mean Maes has been bending my ear about meeting you ever since he was old enough to ask about you."

"I'd like to be part of his life," Roy said. "Now that I know about him, I'd like to get to know him properly and see him on a regular basis."

Ed let out a sigh of relief. "Good, I was hoping you'd say that," he said. "He'll be chuffed to bits to know."

"And I hope that being part of his life will mean being part of your life as well," Roy said after another short pause.

Ed bit his lip and looked down at his hands. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

Ed shrugged. "I don't know. I mean this whole thing is really complicated and I don't know if it's a good idea for us to just try and pick up where we left off or anything."

"Well obviously it's a little more complicated than that, that would take time," Roy said, "but I know I don't want you disappearing for another eight years again."

Ed could feel his face flushing. He wanted to, god did he want to just say fuck it and tell Roy that he wanted to pick up from where they left off but he knew he shouldn't. It really didn't help that every time his leg brushed Roy's or their hands touched all Ed wanted was for Roy to take him in his arms and kiss him. Fuck! He still looks so good after all this time...

"So how long are you planning on staying in Central?" Roy asked when Ed made no indication that he was going to say anything else.

"I'm not sure at the moment," Ed replied. "I was kind of waiting to see how you would react before I made any final decision."

"Probably wise."

"But knowing that you do want to be part of his life means we'll stay longer," Ed said.

Roy smiled, turning to him. "Good."

Ed's heart was hammering in his chest. It was taking everything in him to not close the distance between the two of them. Roy had been the only person he had ever been in love with and having him sit there and ask Ed to be part of his life again was difficult.

"Roy, I..."

"Edward..."

Ed's breath caught in his throat as Roy reached up to brush a lock of his hair that had fallen loose from his ponytail behind his ear. Neither of them seemed to know what to say as Roy's hand stayed near Ed's ear just a fraction too long.

"Hey Dad!" Maes' voice cut through the tension building between them. Ed practically jumped away from Roy as if he has been caught doing something he shouldn't. He plastered a smile on his face and turned to Maes.

"Hey Buddy, you okay?"

"Look what I found," Maes said proudly holding out a small flower with blue petals. Ed smiled, picking Maes up and setting him down on his lap.

"That's cool, where did you find that?"

"On the top of the slide," Maes said and pointed back towards the slide next to the swings. "It was just sitting near the top on the plastic."

"Well we can take it home and stick it in your book if you want," Ed said.

"Yes please," Maes said and Ed gave his hair a ruffle and dropped a kiss on the top of his head.

"Maes likes collecting plants," Ed explained, happy to be back onto safe subjects.

"Do you get lots of plants in Aerugo?" Roy asked, directing the question more at Maes than at Ed.

"Yeah," Maes replied. "We have some really pretty flowers that grow out in our front garden. They had some in the hotel we're staying in too."

"Do you have any plans for tonight?" Roy asked, suddenly changing the subject.

"Um not really," Ed replied. "Probably just find somewhere to have dinner and maybe go for a wander around the city."

"There is a Promised Day Victory anniversary party tonight," Roy said. "If you would like to come it would give us a chance to spend some time getting to know each other."

Ed blinked, unsure. "Um..." He remembered vividly what happened the last time he went to a Promised Day Victory party.

Maes wriggled round in his lap so that he could beam up at him with expectant eyes. "Can we go Dad, please?" he asked.

"I can assure you this one will be much more refined than the last one you went to," Roy chuckled at Ed's grimace.

Ed raised an eyebrow at him. "Really?"

"If it helps this one isn't held in a bar," Roy replied.

"Well that's a relief."

"It's more of a ball than anything else," Roy said.

"Please can we go Dad?" Maes asked. "I've never been to a ball before."

Ed sighed. I guess it would be a good chance for Maes to get to know Roy... "Okay," he said finally. "Yeah let's go, it will be nice to see everyone again."

"And I'm sure they'll all be very happy to see you too," Roy said. "When you first left everyone was bending my ear about where you had gone."

"Sorry about that," Ed said, rubbing the back of his neck. "So... er... is this thing like a black tie party?" he asked trying to diffuse the tension.

"It is yes," Roy replied.

"I will see what I can find for us to wear then," Ed said giving Maes a gentle squeeze. "I'm sure we can find something in the city if there's nothing in our suitcases."

"Yay!" Maes cried happily. "We get to go to a party!"

"Yay..." Ed echoed although he didn't feel quite so elated. The prospect of spending and entire evening with Roy was daunting to say the least. There was a part of him that already knew that this was going to be a bad idea but he couldn't say no to Maes, not now that he had met Roy and Roy wanted to be a part of his life. If Ed could just stay out of Roy's way then maybe he could ignore the bubble that appeared every time he had thought about him over the last eight years that was beginning to rise in his chest again.

'A Streetcar Named Desire' by Tennessee Williams