HOMGZ! It's another update! Anyhoo, nothing much to say this time. Thanks to all those who reviewed. I really appreciate your comments. Now, on with the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist.

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Crimson Sin

Chapter Twenty-One – Pierre de Sang

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For the last time, Edward! We are not there yet!" Roy Mustang exclaimed, putting extra emphasis on the negation. An unpleasant pounding in his head made him let out a small groan. Well, listening to a bothersome teenager could have that effect.

"Awww…" Ed replied, pouting. He crossed his arms across his chest and slumped in his seat, glaring at his superior officer in a childish fashion.

"I give up!" Roy said, throwing his arms up in defeat. He then busied himself with the countryside once more, black eyes fixed on the rolling green pastures. Silence then settled over the two males, giving them time to think.

Edward huffed and sulked in his seat. His expression had darkened considerably and he was in a foul mood. Well, after spending almost ten hours on this hellish machine, Ed had the right to be a little unhappy. He shifted around in his seat for a few moments, but soon gave up on finding a comfortable sitting position. Instead he just flopped down onto his side, his golden eyes fixed upon Roy.

"Hey Roy?" he began.

"Yeah?"

"… Are we there yet?"

"No!" the raven-haired man cried out. Roy swore than his was close to snapping. Then, there was silence once more. It was only shattered by Ed's voice.

"Oh…" A small sigh then escaped the blonde's lips as he let his arm dangle over the side of the seat. His lips were fixed in a frown and he sported a melancholy expression. Was it true what Raith said? Or was the vampire just manipulating him? He suspected the latter, but still…

"Roy?" he suddenly questioned, eyes darting upwards to see the Colonel's face.

"Ed, I swear I'll strangle you if you ask me that same question once more."

"No. It's not that."

"Oh. Then what is it?" the man asked, wondering what Ed wanted to say and if it had any importance.

"Are you afraid that I might hurt you?" There was a small pause. "Are you afraid of being around me?" Edward stared at Roy expectantly, waiting for an answer. The older man took a few moments to think before replying.

"No," Roy replied with such firmness that Ed knew that he was telling the truth. "I'm not afraid of you. What could a shorty like you do anyways?" He smiled warmly at the younger boy, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Hey! I'm still growing!" said 'shorty' retorted, quickly returning to a sitting position. His eyes fixed upon the Colonel and gave him a lengthy glare. Before Roy knew what was happening, Edward had pinned him down and was tickling him.

Edward grinned as he watched the Colonel squirm around underneath him, trying to get away; only Ed knew about Roy's weakness to tickles and he was about to use it to his advantage. Tears came to Roy's eyes as he continued to laugh, eventually becoming quite red in the face.

"Ed!" Roy managed to choke out between fits of laughter, "Stop! Have mercy!" But Ed did not stop until the older man had managed to grab both of his wrists and stop the barrage of tickles. Roy took in a few deep breaths as he sat up, pushing Ed off of him. He knew that the blonde could resume tickling him at any moment. Edward was stronger after all. Faster too. This would take some getting used to.

"Fine," Ed replied, not bothering to rip his wrists free of Roy's grasp. He was sitting on his knees, only then could he remain at eye-level with the Colonel, which made the task of glaring easier. A staring contest soon ensued and Roy was the victor.

"You got lucky," Edward said as the older man smirked.

"Sore loser," Roy retorted, still holding Ed's wrists. The blond 'hmphed' in replied. "You just proved my point."

"Did not!" Edward shot back.

"Did too!" Roy replied.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

The childish battle ragged on. Neither Roy nor Ed was going to give in any time soon. They eventually began shouting at each other, but a sudden jerky movement from the train quickly silenced them and made them lose their balance. Roy soon found himself staring into Ed's face. They stared at each other dumbly, their noses almost touching. Ed could felt Roy's warm breath on his cheeks, which were steadily becoming quite rosy.

"Umm…" Ed began, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the moment. He knew that he could just go ahead and kiss Roy now and the older man couldn't do anything about it. The blush on his cheeks quickly deepened. Soon the teenager was as red as a tomato. "Roy?" he managed to squeak out, but was quickly silence by a pair of lips gently pressing down upon his own.

The blonde couldn't help but take in a sharp intake of breath. Was this truly happening? Was Roy Mustang truly kissing him? He paused for a moment, but soon found himself giving in to the kiss. His eyes slipped closed and he kissed Roy back.

After what seemed like an eternity, the raven-haired man pulled away, causing Ed's eyes to slowly drift open. His cheeks were tinged with light pink and a small shy smile played upon his lips.

"Edward," Roy breathed, "I love you."

"I love you too," he whispered back as he pulled his wrists free of Roy's grasp and wrapped his arms around the older man's neck. Ed then kissed Roy. However, it wasn't as practiced as the Colonel's. This was his first real kiss after all.

The second kiss was even sweeter than the last one, which had been cautious. This one was more confident. Ed let his eyes slip closed once more as he felt the Colonel's arms wrap around his waist, pulling him closer. The blonde could feel the heat radiating from the two of them. It was comforting and secure. It was then that Ed knew that he was never going to leave Roy.

Ed stiffened slightly when he felt Roy's tongue brush against his lips. He quickly relaxed and granted the man he loved access, parting his lips slightly. The kiss was then deepened and Edward felt himself melting away from the sweetness. He wished this moment could last forever, but it ended all too quickly.

The two of them broke the kiss, but they still remained in each other's embrace. Ed's face was red and he was sure that he could see a slight blush on Roy's pale cheeks.

"Wow," Edward finally whispered, still entranced by the kiss. His fingers brushed against his lips. Moments before, Roy's own lips had been there.

"I see that my kissing skills are to your liking," Roy replied, smug as ever.

"Yeah," Ed replied, still slightly dazed.

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The train suddenly jerked to a stop, causing Roy's eyes to snap open. He looked around, clearly confused, but soon everything started to make sense. They had finally arrived. He then became aware of the unfamiliar warmth resting against his chest. His eyes traveled downwards and a small smile played upon his lips when he saw Edward curled up against him, head resting against the Colonel's chest and arms wrapped around Roy's torso as well.

"Ed?" Roy whispered in the blonde's ear, causing him to stir slightly. "Ed? We're here?"

"Hmm?" Ed said as he opened his eyes and sat up, pulling away from the Colonel. He yawned and rubbed the last traces of sleep away from his eyes.

"We're here," Roy repeated.

"Oh," Edward replied and stretched.

"Let's go."

"Okay."

Soon the two of them were standing outside in Pravek's train station. Pravek was a small town. It had cobblestone streets and houses made of cream-colored stone. The roofs were made of orange tiles and a large fountain stood in the city square. One might call it picturesque or quaint. There were almost no cars. People got around on foot, on bicycle, or by horseback.

Ed looked around, taking in everything he saw. It was safe to say that he liked this town. The air was clean and everyone seemed happy. But there was one thing he didn't quite understand.

"Why are we here?" he asked, putting his hands on his hips in a demanding manner. This earned a chuckle from Roy. It was Ed's stubbornness that appealed to him in so many ways, but he had found that the blonde could be quite cooperative at times. They were alike in so many ways.

"The stone," Roy replied simply, causing Ed to raise one eyebrow in question. Such a vague reply would clearly not do.

"Well?" the teen pressed, hoping to get an answer out of the Colonel.

"The Pierre de Sang," the older man replied. He paused for a moment before elaborating. "A man who went by the name of Charles Rochenfeld created a stone that had certain properties that made it very valuable. No one knows how he created the stone, but it definitely existed. That stone is the Pierre du Sang, or Blood Stone. It's also called the Blood of the Damned. Said stone might be a way to help you revert back into a human."

"Alright," Ed replied slowly after he listened to Roy's explanation. "But why are we here?"

"This town is where he was born."

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Mmkay, gonna stop there. I know this chapter is kinda short, but I hoped you enjoyed the nice fluffy bits. If you don't like RoyxEd then please take your complaining elsewhere. By reading this far you only tell me that you like my story and actually bother to read it even though the pairing is not to your liking. So, if you do not like RoyxEd then go bug someone who cares. Flames only succeed in pissing me off. I'm already feeling really sick so don't make things worse. Anyways, on a happier note, please please please review! I really like getting reviews.

Next Chapter:

Chapter Twenty-Two – Traveling Beyond the Bounds