Roy makes his way around the boisterous crowd, sending children on their way, picking some up and soaring them over others as he follows the tug of his soulbond to Ed. A year after they've returned, Xerses as a formal waystation between Amestris and Xing is officially open, and the entire city is celebrating.

When he finds Ed tucked into the shadows with a bundle in his arms, he's not surprised.

"What are Maes and Gracia going to do when we go back to Central and they don't have their walking baby sedative to calm her down?" he teases. It's their last week before they go back to Central for reassignment. Though the Fuhrer had been delighted to have them both back, bureaucracy moves at its glacial pace, and they've been just as useful in Xerxes as they would have anywhere else, but the machine does continue on, and so must they.

"I don't know what any of you are talking about," Ed says haughtily, cradling the newborn close. "Nina is a perfect angel."

"For you," Roy points out. Even less than a month old and very dearly anticipated, Nina has been a challenging child, and only Ed seems to be able to calm her. "I'll bet that the Hughes move back with us just to keep you on tap as a babysitter."

Glancing away from her tiny face, Ed looks up at him. He's still so beautiful, it takes Roy's breath away most days, and the evening's firelight seems to dance in his eyes. "Would that really be so bad?" Ed asks.

"Not at all," Roy says, grinning, stepping closer, close enough to feel the warmth of Ed's body.

Ed rolls his eyes, though he's smiling. "You just think it'll increase your public approval rating even more."

Giving Ed his most schmoozy leer, he wraps an arm around Ed's waist. "What are you good for if not being a beautiful ego boost?"

He can see Ed trying not to laugh, and he manages to snark, "Can we go back to the world that thought us being together was weird instead of bumping your public approval rating?" His eyes are laughing, and this close, Roy can feel his amusement hum in the back of his mind.

"You wound me," Roy says in reply.

"Are you sure you're not the trophy wife here?"

"We'd have to be married for either of us to be the trophy, I think," Roy says, both delighted and anxious at the obvious segue.

Ed must pick up on it, because he looks up at Roy and asks, "Roy? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Roy assures. He thinks about how happy he is, how at peace. They still have so much work to do, but they've made incredible strides, even just in the year they've been back. He looks at the fire where military, Xingese, and Ishvallans alike all dance and celebrate together. He doesn't lie to himself and believe that everything is solved—it's not—but it's perhaps a glimpse into what could be, into what he hopes to create. He turns back to Ed, letting his contentment wash through him. "Nothing at all," he says.

Eyes narrowing in suspicion, Ed says, "Is that so?"

"Well," Roy concedes, "it could be a little better."

"And how would it be better?" Ed asks, guarded.

Roy swallows and makes himself say the words calmly. "If you would marry me?"

He feels the shock go through the bond and braces himself, trying to remind himself that he and are literally soulbound so the chances of Ed breaking up with him over this are probably slim.

Probably.

"Holy shit, you're serious," Ed says after a moment.

"About you, usually," Roy agrees, getting quippy in his nervousness.

"You want to marry me?" Ed asks, and there's something distinctly off in where Ed's putting the emphasis on those words.

"I did bind my soul to yours. Marriage seems more of a formality after that," Roy admits. It's a formality that he would really, really like though.

Ed stares at him for a long moment, eyes inscrutable as they reflect the fire. "How long?" he asks.

"How long do you want to be married?" Roy asks.

Elbowing him with his automail elbow, which hurts quite a lot, Ed says, "How long have you wanted to ask me, asshole?"

"How long have we been dating?" Roy replies before he can think about it.

It's not often that he manages to completely blindside Ed. Roy isn't sure if he's pleased or nervous at having done it this time. "You're a fucking idiot, do you know that?" Ed asks after long moments of working his jaw.

Wincing, Roy says, "I was going to say 'hopeless romantic'—" He's silenced when Ed pulls him forward with his unoccupied arm and kisses him hard, driving his tongue into Roy's mouth, claiming it. Roy tries to lean in until he bumps the baby Ed's still holding, and breaks their kiss.

"Is that a yes?" he asks.

"I'm keeping my name," Ed says.

"Of course," Roy says. "So that's a yes?"

Ed gives him a wicked grin that he usually reserves for a more private venue, then says, "Let me go give Nina back to her parents. Then I'll give you a proper answer."

Gulping would be undignified, so Roy doesn't. He does discreetly adjust his pants and says, "I'll meet you in our room?"

Flashing him another grin that does things to Roy, Ed slips into the crowd, looking for Nina's parents.

Later, when they lay sated in one another's arms, Roy has to ask, "Why yes?"

Ed props himself up on Roy's chest to look at him. "Why do you think I'd say no?"

Roy strokes a hand through Ed's hair. He will never tire of touching it. "Because I know how little you think of the institution as a whole."

Rolling his eyes in the distinct way he does when he's thinking for someone so smart, Ed says, "Yeah, I think the whole thing's bullshit. But as some bastard pointed out to me, I already bound my soul to yours. Don't you think marriage is kind of a formality at this point?"

"Kind of," Roy admits.

"That means way more to me than a piece of paper. But I know that piece of paper means a lot to you." He lays his head back down, ear directly over Roy's heart. Roy thinks the sound of a heart beating that close is kind of creepy, but Ed finds it endlessly soothing. "I'm surprised you took so long to ask."

"I didn't want to pressure you," Roy says. "And also, I don't think it would have felt real… in the other world. It needed to be here."

Ed's chuff tickles the skin of his chest. "Lucky for you, Grumman put that law into effect while we were gone, so we can get married here."

Carding his fingers through Ed's hair, Roy hums in agreement. After a moment, Roy asks, "Do you miss it at all? The other world?"

Ed doesn't answer immediately. "Sometimes," he says, barely a whisper, as though he's almost ashamed to miss the people he'd accidentally made a family.

"Maybe there's a way—" Roy starts to say, but a metal finger stills his lips.

"No," Ed says, solemn and sure. "No more traversing worlds or human transmutation or visiting Gates again. We're home. They're home. We have Maes back, and now there's Nina… I'm not risking any of that. I can miss them and be okay with that. And so can you."

Roy kisses the finger on his lips. "As you wish, my love." He shifts to roll Ed onto his back as Ed rolls his eyes at the corniness.

"Suck a fucking sap," Ed grouses even as a smile pulls at his lips.

"But you love me anyway."

"Yeah," he agrees. "I do."

Mercedes stands over the small plaque that has both Roy Mustang and Edward Elric inscribed on it. It seems wrong to her in some fundamental way she can't explain. A year ago, just as Roy predicted, she'd been contacted regarding the joint estate of one Roy Mustang and Edward Elric, and all that was left to her family. Which was everything. Which turned out to be quite a lot. More than she would have ever accepted for herself, but for others, something she would suck up and abide.

A handsome pair approach her, and she recognizes them from a few other meetings regarding Roy and Ed's belongings. "Agent Jareau. Agent Morgan," she greets, a little cold. They both walk with a slight hitch in their steps, each having lost a leg at the time Roy and Ed vanished. The new said that it was an accident, but she has her doubts.

"Mrs. Adelman," Agent Jareau greets, probably because she's the less threatening of the two.

"It's been a year now," Mercedes says, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. She's got better places to be if they're just going to offer her placations. "Are you finally going to tell me what happened to my friends?"

The agents trade a quick look, and Agent Jareau holds out her arm. "Why don't we find a place to sit?" she offers.

"Are you actually going to tell me anything?" Mercedes demands.

They exchange another look, and this time Agent Morgan says, "I can't guarantee you'll believe us, but we will tell you."

"Ed would want us to," Agent Jareau says. On the wrist she holds out, Mercedes sees part of a tattoo that reminds her of Roy's.

She doesn't take the offered arm, but she does nod for them to lead. They walk silently to a bench, where Agent Morgan sits behind Agent Jareau, both of them turned in to face her.

"Well?" Mercedes prompts. "I'm waiting."

Agent Jareau takes a visible breath, then meets her eyes. "Ed and Roy are from another world," she says, beginning a tale that could belong in a bestselling fantasy or on the big screen. Agent Jareau does most of the talking, words seeming to spill from her mouth like they have to be spoken, like she has to say them. There are gaps where she clearly doesn't understand parts of what was going on around them, but she tells as much as she can.

When she winds down, Agent Morgan pulls an envelope from his pocket. The paper looks old, old-fashioned. "Ed gave us letters to give to people," he says. "He had one for you too, but we didn't want to give it to you until we had a chance to explain everything." When she takes the envelope, it feels heavy in her hand. It isn't sealed, which irks her, but when she opens it, there's only an old-fashioned picture.

"This is—" she gasps, confused, because it can't be. It can't be her niece. Nina isn't that old yet, but even so, the face, the eyes, they're very obviously her. Mercedes flips the picture over and in a clumsy hand is written:

Mercedes,

I never did thank Rachel and Evvie enough for letting me hold Nina all night. If you have any reservations about accepting what Roy and I are leaving, Nina is all the explanation you need. I couldn't save the Nina I knew, but we can give yours every good thing she should have.

For your kindness, compassion, and friendship—Thank you.

It's signed Ed + Roy, though both in the same hand. The tone of the letter sounds more like Roy than Ed, but she has no doubt that it's real.

She turns the photo over again and stares at the image of a little girl to who she has no doubt her niece will be identical in another year or two. Letting out a shaky breath, she tucks the photo back into the envelope, then into her purse with care. Then she faces the agents.

"Tell me again," she says. "Tell me everything."

They exchange a relieved smile, and Agent Jareau starts to tell the story again.

End

Notes:

Oh my goodness. I could have saved the epilogue for next week, but it felt wrong to make you come back for the soft landing of it, so you're getting the last two chapters together. This journey has been absolutely incredible, and I want to thank you all so, so much for taking it with me. I can only hope and pray I stuck the landing.

If you want more Wreckage goodies, you can find them on my tumblr or on Ao3 (I'm AngelSelene in both places). I do intend to write some more smutshots, and I owe people the scene where Roy and Ed soulbonded-that scene will not be posted on FFN. I hope you have enjoyed the ride-it has certainly been a blast from this side.