"Clear your night. We're goin' out." Greed bent down, took the book from Ed's hands, and carefully placed the marker between the pages before setting it down.

Ed was lying on the floor, enjoying the warmth of the old fireplace. He had half expected, with all the bluster of Greed's words, that he would have tossed the book off into a corner. The small gentle gesture almost pulled a smile from him. Instead, he rolled over and looked up at Greed to assess how serious those words were.

He had thought Greed would have bothered him sooner considering how their spar had ended earlier. He blamed himself for the shift in mood, although he hadn't intended for it to happen. It had taken him by surprise and inevitably pulled Greed down with it. If he apologized, then he would feel like he owed an explanation. An impossible task when he hadn't fully processed the memory of his legs wrapping around Greed the first time they had fought, back in Dublith, and remembering the crack of Greed's neck...

The image in his mind had been so clear. What confused him was the guilt that had followed considering he had spent days after Dublith thinking over what had happened and what had gone wrong. It hadn't bothered him then. He hadn't been the one to kill Greed.

It had been so easy to justify his actions when it had been Greed who had kidnapped Al, and while Ed could admit—at least in the privacy of his own thoughts—that he had overreacted, he had never felt guilty about it.

Until now.

He ended their spar, came inside, and had shoved his nose in his book to push those thoughts away the best he could.

Greed lightly toed at his side, pulling Ed from his thoughts. An expectant look was directed at Ed followed by Greed folding his hands across his chest and raising an eyebrow.

Ed's expression grew crabby. "Now? But it's," he took out his pocket watch and checked the time, "a quarter till midnight."

"So? You've been stayin' up half the night reading all week. We didn't celebrate your birthday, and I found some fun."

"What kind of fun and where?" Ed suspiciously asked. He was pretty sure his idea of fun didn't exactly match Greed's.

"Through the woods in the opposite direction we came. If you hitch a ride on my back, I can get us there within the hour."

Ed's eyebrows raised. "Uh, 'case you haven't noticed, I'm not the lightest person." Carrying him short distances was one thing, but for the better part of an hour?

Greed only grinned. "It's no thing."

Ed stood up, eyeing his book one last time. He couldn't deny he was curious what plan Greed had cooked up for them both, and it had been a while since he left the abandoned house. "Okay. But we gotta leave when I wanna come back."

"Only if you give at least a couple hours before you decide it's crap," Greed countered.

"One hour, after we get to where you're dragging me." Ed took out his hair tie and pulled it back into a ponytail.

Greed tilted his head. "One hour," he tapped Ed's shoulder, "after we get there."

"You got a deal, though I don't really need to do anything for my birthday." He grabbed his coat and put on his boots.

"Just 'cause you don't need something doesn't mean you don't want it or that it's not good for you. You've been cooped up in this house for almost a week. It's time to get'cha out for a little while."

Ed paused at that. He couldn't deny the truth behind it, yet he also knew where wanting too much had led him before. He hardly felt it worth arguing about, though. Not tonight. "Yeah, sure. Let's go."

"What are we doing here?" Ed tried to keep his voice low but the harsh, embarrassed tone slipped through. "You said we'd be going out to have some fun."

In retrospect, he should have seen this coming, or at least considered the possibility that Greed would try to introduce him to this part of the world, after all, there was rarely a day that went by now where Greed wasn't trying to get Ed to go along with whatever new idea suited his fancy. Eventually, the two were bound to collide.

That didn't stop Ed's face from warming and an odd, embarrassed tingling sensation from moving down his body.

Greed glanced at Ed, then at the wooden sign. "This is the most fun you're gonna find around here."

Ed couldn't even raise his eyes far enough to fully take in the bar… or was it even called a bar? Brothel made more sense. His feet crunched in the snow when he took a step back. Ed pulled his arms closer to his body and considered for a whole second if he wanted to see what lie behind those doors.

His curiosity got lost in how completely embarrassing the situation was for him. Ed shook his head. "I can't go in here."

"It says," Greed tapped a small sign hanging on the door. "Must be sixteen or older."

"I don't mean—" Ed rubbed his temple and sighed. He glanced up at Greed. "I don't mean I can't physically go in there. I mean, I can't go in there." He emphasized the last part, hoping it was clear enough.

A bewildered look came over Greed's face. "Why the hell not?"

That there was genuine curiosity in that question… Unbelievable.

"Because!" Ed threw his arms up in frustration. "I just can't. I—" He titled his head and lowered his voice to a harsh whisper. "You took me to a brothel."

"What's wrong with a brothel?" Greed declared, loudly. He puffed up his chest a bit as if he were readying himself for a fight. "Something like this beneath you?"

"No, it's not that," Ed grumbled as he kicked at the snow. "I can't-" He puffed up chest to match Greed's. His face felt hot all the way down to his neck. "This isn't-"

Greed gave Ed a skeptical look. "Don't you wanna get a little adventurous for your birthday?"

Ed scowled. "I have more important adventures waitin' for me. 'Sides, I plan on gettin' married after we kick your old man's ass."

"So," Greed stepped closer and grinned. "You already got yourself a girl. That why you never itchin' to get out?"

"No, we're not together yet," Ed hesitated before his expression hardened with resolve. "But we will be after I get Al's body back. Gonna go back to Resembool and ask her to marry me." Ed shrugged. "Not interested in bein' with anyone else. You said go out, not go out and meet other people."

"Don't you ever cut yourself a break?" Greed shook his head and snorted. "Learn to cut loose, have some fun. If you don't have her waitin' for you, what's the big deal?"

Ed scrunched up his nose. "I want it to be special is all."

"Kid, sex ain't some goddamn novel. It's about the experience. It's not gonna be all rose petals and walking on clouds," Greed paused in thought for a moment. "It's not about getting off and movin' on to the next thing either."

That confused Ed a little. And almost contradictory. "What do you mean?"

"Sex isn't about any of that even if it's a one-time thing and with someone I never met and won't see again. It's about the experience, being a part of something, seeing someone else in a way that I don't get to in any other setting. It's different with each person. It's never the same, and you come away feelin' like you have a little piece of that person still with you.

"I told ya to cut yourself break. You worry that we won't beat my old man. This is your chance to forget about what's gonna happen and live in the moment. Feel that kind of connection that you're not gonna get with anything else."

He gave Greed an inquisitive look. Ed had never heard anyone describe sex like that. He recalled the last time sex had come up in their conversation, and he had thought it odd then too, how Greed felt it.

"Never really thought of it like that before… but it doesn't change how I feel. It feels wrong for me to go in there. I don't care if someone else wants to. Doesn't bug me that you and Ling wanna do it. That you like it. Can't explain it any other way." Ed leveled eyes with Greed's. "You said we were gonna have some fun so let's find something to do that we both wanna do."

Greed threw his head back and laughed. "You're fuckin' adorable sometimes. Damn loyal too." He gave Ed a solid pat on the shoulder. "Suit yourself. If you don't wanna go in then we won't go in. Can't say I agree with all that sentimental bullshit, but it's your choice who you wanna fuck or marry and gotta give you credit for stickin' to your morals even if they're boring."

"You're not gonna give me shit for it? Or tease me?" Ed raised an eyebrow. Greed's reaction was not only surprising but the lack of awareness that his own views were sentimental even more so. The thought struck Ed if Greed understood denial or lying to oneself.

"Nah, it's your body, and your conviction, while naïve, is a respectable one by human standards. Can't really fault you for it." Greed paused, giving Ed a serious expression. "Lemmie ask you something. If you haven't asked her yet, why are you so determined to get married once this is all done? You're plenty young and gotta lot of years ahead of you."

Ed scrunched up his nose and mulled over the question. "I… I've known Winry my entire life. I don't see how dating around or exploring other options is gonna change anything. 'Sides, why do you care what I wanna do with my life?"

"Seems like you're willin' to dive right in when you don't have to." Greed shrugged. "I don't get it."

"Because, it's something I want to do," Ed explained.

"To prove that you care, that it's the right thing to do?" Greed asked.

Ed shook his head. "No, I want to. No one ever told me I had to." "I—" Ed never had anyone ask him that before. He often got teased by everyone at the office after Winry visited him. They had all caught on to his feelings and assumed it would happen. "'Cause I always knew I would. When I was a little kid, Al and I used to argue about who would get to marry Winry, and now he doesn't seem interested, and she likes me back."

"Dunno, I think someone like you should live life a little and see where it takes ya. How many years has it been since your top priority hasn't been fixing your brother? Did you even have a childhood? 'Cause I know you haven't had your teenage years yet. Don't'cha wanna go out and see what the world has to offer ya?"

"I've seen plenty," Ed grumbled.

"Have you now?" Greed raised both eyebrows and shot Ed a look that said he knew better. "I was lookin' in one of my books and there was a map. Even if my memories weren't stolen from me, it made me realize I haven't lived. I haven't seen the world. Been in the same country, same area for too long. How can someone like you, who's only been around for sixteen years, seen plenty if you're ready to cash it in and be tied down?"

"I'm not gonna be tied down. Just 'cause I wanna get married doesn't mean I can't travel or explore the world. That'll give me more than enough adventures," Ed explained. "Being married doesn't mean my life's gotta stop, and I'm gonna have'ta stay in one spot. 'Sides, it's better to do it right away than wait. I don't want her to think I'm not serious about it."

Greed looked even more puzzled. "So, if you don't rush out and get hitched, you won't be serious about it?"

"Yeah, I—" That wasn't exactly what Ed had meant, but he couldn't figure out another way to explain it. "It's not like that. It's just that… I've liked Winry for a long time and once this mess is over and I get Al back on his feet, I wanna show her I care. She's always been there for me, helpin' me out and gettin' me through my toughest times. Getting' me back on my feet..."

Greed raised an eyebrow to that. "Sounds like you wanna marry her 'cause it's convenient or 'cause it's expected of you."

"What? No, that's not what I said at all." Ed shook his head and scowled. "Where the hell did that idea come from?"

"You haven't really said anything else other than she's always been there for ya and you always thought you would." Greed shrugged. "Usually there's more to it when people talk about someone they're into."

Ed scrunched his nose up. "Like what?"

"Like how she makes ya feel or you can't wait to lift her up in the air and swing her around 'cause you missed her so much or when you see her your heart starts to pound and feels like it might burst or—"

He shoved his hands in his pockets and frowned. "Just 'cause I don't say all that doesn't mean I don't feel it." Ed wasn't sure he did, though. He was sure of his feelings for Winry. He did love her, but he never thought of those things. His attention had been mostly focused on getting Al's body back.

Maybe that would change once they defeated Father and the other homunculi—if they could stop them.

Greed shot Ed a wide grin. "Now a guy like me has no reason to live by human morals."

"I dunno..." Ed's voice grew quiet. Ling explained it all before but never said whether he personally agreed with his father marrying all those women and causing clashes between the clans. "Maybe it's got nothing to do with you bein' a homunculus. Maybe you just want some kind of tangible, physical contact and nothing else." Like when Greed still wanted to sleep next to him.

"Same outcome. The reason doesn't matter." Greed nudged Ed's shoulder with the palm of his hand. "We goin' in or not?"

"I-" Ed shook his head again. "I'm gonna take a pass on it. What else is there to do in this town?"

Greed shrugged. "There's a bar down the street that has a back room for cards."

"I can play cards." Ed grinned.

"Dunno if they'll let you in. It's a regular bar and—" Greed held both his hands out and brought them closer for emphasis. "You're small."

Ed could feel his eyes twitch. "So what? I have money. 'Sides, I won't be drinkin' and I don't think they'll deny me if I'm willing to pay cash for everything."

"And you got your watch," Greed paused, "Although, I don't want you using it."

"Even if it wasn't risky, wouldn't wanna use it anyway. It'll be easier to get in and get them to let us play if they don't know I'm a state alchemist."

"Why not?"

"Because, most people don't like State Alchemists." Ed stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. "The worst they can say is no. Not gonna hurt if we try."

"I getcha." Greed gave Ed a solid pat on the back. "C'mon." He turned Ed around and started walking towards the center of the small town. Ed jogged until he caught up with Greed.

"How much money you got on ya?" Greed asked.

"Hmm, enough." Ed patted his right pants pocket where he had stashed his wallet. "I always keep a little extra on me in case of emergencies. Should be enough to get us in and started on a couple games."

Greed laughed and gave Ed a firm pat on the back. "Let's see what you can do with that money."

Ed sat between two tall men, laughing and joking. None of them had taken Ed seriously when he first laid down his cash for the game, but the kid had been right. While he had lost a couple games, he was taking the others for everything they had.

Greed had never seen Ed in his element until now. Maybe he had seen a glimpse a few times before when they had fought or when Ed would get a really good idea or even earlier when they had sparred. All those moments brought something out inside Edward Elric that was kept mostly hidden behind crabbiness and glares. It didn't matter if the fuse had been lit by anger or excitement. The results were the same. It bathed him in an ethereal glow.

He knew what qualified as a finer thing in life, and Edward Elric was a rare human. Outside of his brother, their dad, and the homunculi, no one else had Xerxian blood in them, but unlike Greed and his siblings, Ed looked the part and his brother probably would too if he had a body. Rare commodities that someone like him wanted to keep close, but unlike Alphonse, there was something additional about Ed that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

The intellect and intelligence the kid had was unmatched by anyone he had met. Ed made the perfect right-hand for Greed. His side-ways thinking and ability to quickly problem solve would help elevate Greed to the statis he craved. Together they could get rich, eventually rule the world, and all Ed wanted to do after they defeated his old man was go home and settle down. All that talent shelved for a normal, boring life.

What a waste.

A loud laugh pulled Greed from his thoughts. His attention turned to the table again.

Ed was laughing again. Not the usual grin or normal laugh he usually saw. This was different. He had his hands on his stomach and his eyes were crinkled shut. The smile on his face lit up the room. Greed tilted his head a little. A thought struck him, suddenly. Ed was going to turn heads. Not just a little either. The longer Greed stared, the more he could see the adult Edward Elric was going to become.

He could work that to his advantage. Ideas of how Ed would be able to get what he wanted to benefit their team ran through his mind, although Greed wasn't convinced the plan would work. Maybe if he kept it easy and without any obligations.

Greed chuckled. There were going to be a lot of disappointed people since the kid has his heart set on someone already. Then he frowned. If Ed did go off and get married, then that meant he'd probably stay in Resembool, or at least feel obligated not to stray too far from there.

This wasn't the first time the thought had grabbed a hold of Greed. He wasn't dumb enough to believe that once this was over, their group would stay together no matter how much he wanted them to, but a part of him had held onto the possibility that maybe Ed would stick around after he got his brother squared away.

Their conversation earlier almost killed that. Except that Ed had said he still planned to travel and see the world—they could go together—but now, watching Ed, here, playing poker, seeing Ed the happiest he had been since their group formed, felt like a knife twisting in Greed's gut.

That hope was a lie.

Suddenly, he wanted to take Ed and leave, go somewhere far away where they wouldn't have to deal with his old man or any responsibilities. Greed knew he couldn't do that, though. Not without Ed hating him for it. Even he realized there was no point in having a crew work for him if they hated him.

Greed paused his thoughts when Ed grinned at him. He couldn't help but feel a bit of satisfaction that he was the one who caused it. He had decided to take Ed out tonight. This was his idea just as much as Ed was his.

If the kid wasn't so damn happy sitting at that table, Greed would have pulled Ed away and left, back to the abandoned house where he could soak up all the attention from his favorite possession.

Something in his thoughts stirred. For a second, Greed thought it might've been a memory trying to claw its way to the forefront of his mind. It slipped away before he could grasp onto it. The oddity of it made him backtrack. He knew he had met Ed before. Greed had seen flashes of that in his head. They had nothing to do with now. This feeling was different yet familiar. There was a slight buzzing noise inside his head, overriding the souls that lived there.

Greed rubbed his temple in an attempt to make it stop.

'Humans aren't possessions to keep.'

He grunted. The brat prince had no right to tell him what was or wasn't his.

'If you try to keep him, Ed will fight you.'

He knew Ed could take him, which was why Greed needed it to seem like a good idea for Ed to stick with him. He needed a plan, something that would grab Ed's attention and hold it. Greed wouldn't make any promises he couldn't keep so he needed to come up with something simple yet enticing.

The problem was that Ed didn't want much. He had never met someone who craved so little. Greed had thought the temptation of seeing the world would have been enough, and maybe after Ed achieved his goals it would be.

Uncertainty wasn't acceptable to him. Greed needed to know now, before they left to fight his old man.

When he turned back to the game Ed had just won, Greed's thoughts resumed. Ling was oddly silent now. It surprised Greed that the brat hadn't argued it wouldn't've mattered anyway since they would be in Xing. Greed wasn't completely sold on that idea. Ruling one country was not only too small for him, but this was his home. These were his things. If he left Amestris behind, he wouldn't be able to take it all with him.

He wouldn't be able to take Ed with him. He would have to leave behind everything and everyone he had known, even if that was a short existence, but the idea of leaving Ed behind left a bitter feeling in him. Had he been this attached to his old crew? Deep down, he had a feeling he had, given what those bits of memories had done to him.

Out of his small group, Ed was the closest thing he had to that feeling. All he had left of his former life were small pieces to a puzzle he might never get back, but the feelings attached to the flashes of memory were intense. He had a family once, outside of the one his old man had given him, and it burned knowing it was gone, and he had nothing more than anger, regret, and self-loathing to show for it.

Ling had been right. He didn't deserve to call himself Greed if he couldn't take care of his own. He wouldn't make that mistake again even if it meant giving up some of what he wanted. He'd let Ed go and marry the girl to keep him in his close circle, and he would also make sure to collect him on the interest incurred once he got his brat prince squared away.

"Hey, something wrong?"

Greed looked up only to find Ed standing over him. "What about your game?"

"It's been over for a while now." Ed frowned. "You kinda been out of it. You okay?"

"Yeah, it's cool." Greed grinned. "You done cleanin' house?"

Ed chuckled. "I think so. If I take any more of their money, it's gonna piss 'em off and gonna get us into a fight."

Greed stood up. "A tussle would be fun." Although, he already knew the answer.

"Yeah, maybe." Ed shrugged. "I'm ready to go back. It's gettin' late anyway."

"Go get my money." Greed nudged Ed back towards the poker table, where the men were crowded around in a huddle.

He watched as Ed went to grab his winnings only to have three of the men block the table. An argument ensued but Greed didn't pay attention to what was being said but rather how the men reached out to grab and push Ed. His fingers curled up into fists when Ed started pushing back.

That was enough. No one manhandled his possessions. Greed moved in, but before he could do anything, Ed clapped his hands and smashed them against the table. A wooden wall shot up, separating the men from Ed and the money.

"I wasn't askin' for your permission to take what I've won." Ed jerked his pointer finger at the table. "If you don't like it, I'll kick your ass all over this table then wipe the floor with your face."

"You should listen to him." Greed growled. He let part of his shield start to cover his hand. "You deal with one of us, you gotta deal with us both."

Their eyes widened with surprise and two of them took a step back away from Greed.

Ed took the money and stuffed it into his coat pocket while they were distracted by Greed's hands.

They left the bar before the tension worsened. A part of Greed wanted to stay, teach those men a lesson. Who were they to try to keep Ed from his winnings? He almost hated sore losers as much as he hated liars.

"We should do this again," Ed suggested. "Kinda fun watchin' you scare the piss out of them,"

Not a total loss considering Ed's mood hadn't dropped.

"But next time if they try to stop us, we'll kick their asses," Ed added with a chuckle.

Greed grinned. "We can go back."

"Nah. As much as I'd love to teach 'em a lesson, it's not worth the risk. Not while we'll still layin' low."

This was why Ed was his best minion. A good right hand to have by his side. "How much money did you win me?" Greed nudged Ed's shoulder as they walked away from the town.

"Hate to break it to ya but this is my money." Ed causally ducked out of Greed's reach. "If you wanted to win some for yourself, you should've played."

"As my best minion, it's your job to make me money."

"That so? Yeah, well, you took me out for my birthday, and I still had to do all the work so it's only fair I keep it."

"Fine, keep it. Next time I'm gonna make sure to collect."

Ed bumped into Greed's shoulder. "Next time, you should play longer instead of watching. If we both play all night, think of all the money we could win."

It was not lost on Greed that Ed purposely ignored all the games Greed had lost. "Nah, it's your job to make me money while I sit and reap the benefits." He grinned. "That's how it works so you better get used to it."

"Keep thinkin' that but not gonna let go of what's mine so easily." Ed laughed and bumped into Greed as they headed out of the small town.

They both heard yelling and turned to see a small crowd exiting the tavern. Ed snorted, clapped his hands, ducked down, and touched the snow. Large white puffs lifted into the air, covering the streets before falling on the men.

Greed lifted Ed up over his shoulder before anyone saw them and headed back the way they came, the sound of laughter being the only thing the men heard in the night.