Edward's hands shoved hard against Mustang's shoulders as soon as he caught sight of the telltale armor of his younger brother, and sent the man toppling over his chair into an undignified heap on the floor.

"…B-Brother?" If Alphonse had eyes Edward was sure they would be bulging out of his head at that moment.

"AL! IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE-"

"I KNEW IT!"

Edward's cliché explanation was cut short as Alphonse pointed accusingly at the two of them (Roy was scowling as he picked himself up off the floor), and then proceeded to burst out into laughter.

"WINRY OWNS ME TEN BUCKS!"

Edward froze, and Roy was busying himself by trying to heal his damaged ego by fixing up his uniform.

"Al…what are you talking about?"

Alphonse paused in his laughter, and took a wary step backwards. The mood in the room was tense as Edward felt like he was about to kill his own brother, Alphonse felt like he was going to die, and Roy felt like he needed some more coffee.

"Well…I had a little bet with Winry that if I went away for two weeks, when I came back you and the Colonel would have gotten your act together, but I had to come back early because I heard you were in hospital! I can't believe you got hit by a CAR brother, you are so stupid! But are you alright? At least you and-"

"Alphonse Elric, you are so fucking dead" Edward went to stand up but was shocked when Roy pushed him backwards back onto the bed.

"Don't be ridiculous Edward, you can't go anywhere with your leg in that state"

Edward scowled and crossed his arms, but a flash of pain crossed his face for a moment as his leg throbbed with pain. Alphonse, (who was backed up against the wall) slumped slightly and rubbed an armored hand across the back of his neck.

"Winry is waiting for me at the station brother, I just came to check you were ok and how things were going…" he slowly edged his way over to the door, and opened it slowly.

"Alphonse, if you tell ANYONE-"

"Bye brother!"

"AL!"

The door shut closed behind Alphonse, and the room was silent once more. To break the awkward silence that followed, Roy righted the chair that he had previously been pushed over, and then turned to face Edward. The blonde alchemist was gingerly touching the purplish bruise on his leg, a twisted expression on his face. As soon as he realized Roy was watching him he lifted the painless mask Roy had seen countless times before.

"Are you in pain Edward?"
A shake of the head, and Ed's gentle hands left his leg, clasping together in his lap as he glanced out the window once more.

"No…I was just checking the bruise"

Roy knew Edward was lying to him. It was a skill Edward had learnt from the Colonel himself, if your enemy cannot decipher the difference between lies and truth, he cannot decipher you.

The Colonel didn't ask why Edward felt the need to attempt to stop him from deciphering his feelings. Because somewhere in his heart he thought he already knew.

--

"Now I don't want you to exercise that leg too much, just rest at home and give it time to heal"

The doctor finished the release slip and handed it to Edward reluctantly.

"Are you sure you want to go now? You should give it some more time before you head home-"

"I'll be fine, thanks" Edward took the slip and folded it, handing it to Roy. A crutch was held comfortably under Edwards right arm, and his leg was bandaged up. Riza stood behind them, holding an ice pack to her temple, but otherwise she was ok.

Leaving the hospital, Riza and Roy both helped Edward into the back of the car, much to his distaste. Havoc sat in the front seat, brushing ashes from his finished cigarette off the dashboard. Once all three were seated comfortably in the car, Havoc set off for Hawkeye's home, where they were going to drop her off.

"Are you planning to hole yourself up in your apartment until your leg heals?" Roy asked Edward quietly. Havoc was smoking another cigarette and Hawkeye was letting her head loll backwards against the headrest. However 'occupied', both of them were listening intently to the conversation.

"What else can I do?" Edward muttered under his breath. Shadows from trees on the side of the road cast across his face as the car trundled past them.

"It's not like I'm going to hop my way to Resembool and stay there or something"
Roy smiled thinly.

"You could stay at my house"

The car jolted slightly as Havoc pressed the brakes a little too harshly, and he gave the two injured occupants an apologetic grin. Roy glanced at him, and then at Hawkeye who was suddenly very interested in a moth that was crawling up the outside of her window.

Rolling his eyes, Roy sighed over-dramatically.

"Incase you two didn't hear correctly, I just invited Fullmetal to stay at my house for the duration of time it takes for his leg to heal. I do not plan on molesting him in any way, shape, or form. I would also appreciate it if you two tried to conceal the fact that you are listening to our private conversation with some dignity, as both your acting skills are atrocious. Have I left anything out?"

The two blondes shook their heads, an embarrassed blush crossed Hawkeye's face.

"Good. Now, Fullmetal, what do you say?"

Edward was silent for a moment "Okay…I guess," he saw Hawkeye smile slightly "But that's only because It'll be hell trying to climb up all the stairs to my dorm room!"

Roy nodded, once, and reminded himself to burn Havoc to a crisp if he ever heard him snicker again like he was then.

They pulled up outside Hawkeye's small beige house – cramped in between two tall gray slabs that looked like they were an extension to the Military dorms. Roy handed her the icepack and she saluted to him shortly, before stepping out of the car and heading inside.

"You want me to drop you two off at your house then Sir?" Havoc asked, cigarette wobbling dangerously out of the corner of his mouth.

"Yes thank you Havoc. After you drop us off could you please stop by the male dorm to pick up Edwards clothes?"

Havoc sighed and then nodded "Yes sir, will do sir"

They reached what was supposedly Roy's house. Edward placed his hands against the window and stared, open-mouth.

"Holy fuck Mustang…" he breathed, and his breath fogged up the glass.

Roy's house was two stories and had a large balcony on the second floor. Through the windows he could see soft white drapes and the front door was polished white wood – a brass knocker hung on the door. It looked like a house that had been plucked out of a designer magazine.

Roy opened the door and held out an arm for Edward.

Scowling, Edward took it and let Roy pull him to his feet, wobbling slightly as he righted the crutch under his arm. He hopped out of the gutter and stretched.

"It shouldn't take too long for Havoc to get your stuff" Roy said, as the car drove away down the street. Edward nodded and glanced at the house again.

"I'm going to assume you have a spare room somewhere in there"

Roy smiled thinly.

"Of course I do Edward, I am not usually apt to having guests, but I always have a room set up just in case"

"I'd think you would have guests all the time, with your," Edward scrunched up his nose in a frown as Roy unlocked the front door "Interesting social life"

Roy paused, glancing down at the blushing blonde.

"You mean my social life with women"

Edward tossed his head in a half nod; blonde strands blowing across the bandage on his cheek where bloodstains could still be seen. His gaze was averted, golden spheres seemingly hypnotized by the white curtains that fluttered slightly in Roy's windows.

Roy didn't look away.

"I see that you are under the similar impression that many other military personnel seem to have. That I am a womanizing man with a new partner every week," the look on his face was pure seriousness "I was under the impression that you weren't that shallow"

Bang.

Roy flinched very slightly as Edward slammed his fist against the polished white door, leaving a mark on both the door and his knuckles.

"Don't call me shallow," Edward hissed "I was under the impression that you were a womanizing bastard up until the other day when we had lunch"

There was a heavy break in his words, while Roy waited for him to continue. Perhaps he would curse at Roy, punch him even, yell at him for a while and storm off. They hadn't even made it through the door to his house yet and already he had managed to make the blonde furious.

"But I suppose that was all just another game to you" Edward said very quietly. Roy blinked, that was something he definitely hadn't predicted, he went to protest but Ed cut him off, turning his head away.

"If it was I don't want you to do it ever again"

The last few days Roy had become accustomed to silences that fell between Edward and himself, but nothing compared to the one that hit them now. It was chilling, empty, and gave Roy the feeling akin to something cold sliding down the curve of his back.

There was a splintering crackle overhead, and rain began to fall down again.