Goodness... okay, to reviews firstly.
moonstone glows: I get the feeling you really don't like Steve. Is it the fact he's a salesman?
B.D.: It always ends sad when it doesn't end with Roy and Ed snogging, wouldn't you say?
accident prone: Roy is offended that you think his chess playing skills are so poor. He is now sulking. But yes, it's hard to watch Roy just be so carefree about himself, even if Ed isn't in love yet. Poor thing.
secret25: Roy's dessert guessing skills are abysmal, that's all there is to it. But never fear, Ed removing the locks in doors is definitely in the planbooks.
Cheru-chan: Jealousy is a sneaky little thing. And yay! I did well on conversations! Always love it when those don't flop XD.
IllusionOfAghony: Would you not be lonely without your personal ghostly companion? Roy just needs to get a clue and realize just how lonely he is without Ed.
GreedxEd: Roy denies your demands that he go to Ed on the grounds that you insulted him over four times in a single review.
luna moon girl: And what do you think the dessert is?
xLacri: Thank you, and I do try for speedy updates... sometimes it's not meant to be though. Unfortunately.
Alyzabeth: Ick, school starting up again is never fun. Good thing you at least had ficcage. Do bad subjects include math? I always did dislike that. I do, in fact, have an idea as to when we'll be seeing Al. Winry is a definite yes for showing up. Izumi, to be honest, I've not come to a final decision on. So we'll see.
mutantpenguins: I hope Ember managed to cut something valuable off that guy, and if not... Raymond will gladly be her hero. He's got a saving complex.
itachigursaiyaku: Thank you, and you know, I never intended the chapters to be so long... but it's working out well! No sense changing a good thing.
SnowDusk: Thank you very much. And yes, I'll always keep writing.
Sailor Silver Rose: Yes, the trip time is approaching. Never fear.
blackrose5130: So you wouldn't date Steve either I take it? I should start a poll and present it to Roy so he has outside feedback...
Koneko: Goodness, out of lurking for another chapter? Hehe. By the way, now you've got me wanting chocolate pudding... so unfair. And yeah, the vacation is taking forever, though only because it takes me at least two chapters to get through an entire day... which isn't too bad of a thing.
black-klepon: Decided to change usernames did we? Hetalia? I've been hearing about that... spammed more likely by my friends. Apparently Turkey belongs to me? I've been told this is a good thing because he's hot... I've not gathered independant proof yet.
DarkWingedAngel: Oh Ed was jealous all right. Roy is his and they should all know it whether they can see him or not.
Barachi: Oh, a shameless Roy fan? I like you even more now XD.
MandaxPanda: Lemons as a dessert thing are awesome. Though I have no clue where you'd think I would possibly write something about lemons... hehe. Speaking of which, I just recently made a lemon sheet cake. It was lovely.
Soaha: Ed being devious just suits him so well. And with his ghostly powers it's even more amusing.
Kristie94: Thank you very much.
Nije vazno: Seeing as how Ed has been dead since he was eleven, and not encountered feelings of love before, I can't quite see how he'd be in love so soon. Yes, there are now 20 chapters to present, but most of the chapters are paired to a singular day. And not to be rude, but everyone else seems to be picking up on the jealousy and shifts of feelings, so I'm not sure where or why you're missing them. Thank you for your review.
Eli: You just want to see Ed totally flip Roy's world upside down... and maybe flip him upside down. You can't fool me, I've known you too long XD.
DragonFire44: No, lasting longer isn't Roy's style. And don't worry, I'll always keep the chapters coming.
purechidori: Thank you very much, eventually I'll get to having the characters answer all those questions.
Barranca: hehe they are very fun characters to shove into interacting with each other. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far.
Well, here I am again. My own personal laptop is still not internet connected, so yeah... waiting sucks for us all.
Though it has been conducive to me working the hell out of a new oneshot that so far is longer than Love Takes Time. And I'm still not halfway through.. I just didn't want to write it for chapters. So in the future be warned, when a new oneshot pops up, take a bathroom break beforehand. It's the fruit of my not being internet connected, which for most of you should explain all.
Now then, I think I'll leave you to the chapter.
I hope you enjoy!
Chapter Twenty
When Edward at last reached home he paused at the door. Like before, he felt his uncertainties come to light. Reaching out a hand he let it rest against the wood, feeling the solidity of the door. The same solidity that every non-living entity had to him. It was a small comfort.
Yet Edward bowed his head as he went no further. Out of all the progresses he had made with acclimating back to a world that did not consist of only what that office could hold, and with being able to leave Roy's side to go on his own through other closed doors… Edward looked back up at this one with untrusting silver eyes. He was still wary of passing through a door when Roy was not in the immediate vicinity.
Taking a deep breath that his body could never need again but for the sense of comfort it gave him, he stepped forward.
The hallway of Roy's home materialized in front of him, and he cast a wry look about it as he hovered in the foyer. It didn't feel the same without Roy anywhere nearby, as familiar as it was to him. But knowing that there was nothing he could do about it, and he couldn't expect Roy home until many hours later, he floated down to step onto the floor and begin walking across it to the sitting room.
He found one of the lights still on, as planned, so he could read or do other things without attracting unwanted attention to the house. Lights turning on and off while no one was supposed to be home would just be a hassle if the authorities were called out to investigate it.
On the top center of the couch, Hazel was sleeping. The squirrel was curled into a tight, furry ball, with his tail wrapped around him to keep his nose and ears warm.
Edward smiled faintly at the furred rodent, and carefully kept his distance so as not to wake the squirrel with his presence as he made his way around the room towards the bookcase where he had set Roy's research when they'd been unpacking. He'd not had a chance yet, and as he located one of the leather bound documents, he knew that now was as good a time as any.
So flipping the cover aside he floated up to hover in a corner of the ceiling to begin reading.
Not even a full page in, he could already tell that Roy was, for lack of another word, brilliant. His research on flame alchemy, and the trials he'd gone through with it whether to come out with error or success was not anything an amateur would conduct. He was beginning to understand why the Flame Alchemist garnered so much healthy respect and a goodly amount of fear as well, Roy knew what he was doing.
The detail and processes were of the level he recalled vaguely from his own father's personal work. It suddenly came as no wonder to him why Roy had once said so assuredly that he was the best alchemist, since they both in their own ways believed Edward's father dead.
And he'd not even seen the man fight yet! Although he doubted that he'd never see such a thing, it was only a matter of time.
Pursing his lips he continued to flip through and read what Roy had written. Finding some amusements here and there at the cataloguing of what had occurred with the failures, but for the most part remaining intrigued and more than a little impressed.
He wasn't sure what time it was getting to, only that he was about halfway through the journal he was on, when the sound of noisy chatters broke through his concentration. Looking up in the direction of them, he saw Hazel was now awake – and on top of the bookshelf staring his way and still chattering excitedly.
"Your owner is a smart man." Edward told the squirrel, though he knew Hazel could not hear. "At least with his alchemy." He sighed and looked towards the grandfather clock in the corner adjacent to him, and his lips quirked in a disappointed seeming smile for the briefest moment upon seeing the time. "Not so much with his love life."
Hazel only continued to chatter in his excitement at no longer being alone, even if he could not see whoever was here with him.
Edward looked back at the squirrel, paused a moment, and then shut the journal with a fond smile. "Have it your way." Floating down he set the bound research documents back where they belonged and then sped off to the laundry room, Hazel bounding after him eagerly.
Grinning as Hazel leapt onto the dryer and began to chatter excitedly up on his hind legs while reaching with both front paws towards the plastic bin that contained his toys, Edward picked it up as the squirrel began to bat his tail up and down through the air impatiently. "It's probably a good thing you're not a flying squirrel, I'd have a much harder time tiring you out."
And he opened up the box, being sure to keep it away from Hazel's scampering and questing paws, rummaging through the rainbow of colors until he found a large, clear plastic ball that upon touch, lit up different neon colors each time. Selecting that, he put the lid securely back onto the box and waved the ball around in the air to further cement Hazel's rapt attention, then suddenly darted off into the hallway to toss it towards the front door.
Hazel flew off the dryer to pelt down the hallway at breakneck speed, and as the ball smacked into the door and ricocheted back, he leapt to snatch it in mid-air and tackle it down. Once he'd sufficiently wrestled and kicked the ball into submission he began to bat it back down the hallway towards the presence he could still feel.
Edward obliged as the ball rolled under his feet, sinking down through the air to snatch it back up again. Giving it a few waves to be sure Hazel was paying close attention, he then sent it flying again. And with a satisfied smile he watched as Hazel zoomed after it.
And so began their playtime as they waited for Roy to return home to them.
The moment Roy must have been approaching the doorstep, Edward knew.
Not because he'd heard the man stumbling drunkenly about, but because all of a sudden Hazel's attention flew from the bouncing ball towards the door, and with matching swiftness of redirection, he bolted for it.
"Don't knock him over!" Edward called fruitlessly after the squirrel as he dove through the air to catch the absently bouncing ball. And then his head tilted to the side in contemplation, "on second thought, if he's that drunk go ahead."
Turning around as he heard the key shoved roughly and most likely without coordination into the lock, he floated into the laundry room to take care of putting Hazel's toy away. He had been told the rules about the toys, and he for one wouldn't enjoy searching the house top to bottom to discover where the squirrel had hidden the thing.
Roy entered his house with slight worry furrowing his brows, though surprise chased it away as Hazel suddenly leapt at his head as he was locking the door behind him. "Hazel…" he growled as the squirrel, now perched on his shoulder, began to chatter in reprimanding tones into his ear while grooming paws through his hair. "You're worse than my mother."
Hazel might not have understood the words, but he understood the tone, and chirped indignantly.
Roy listened all of a second more before he swung his opposite hand around to clamp firmly over the squirrel's head to muffle, but not suffocate the furred rodent. "Shut up for a minute!" And he released his pet with a scowl before stepping further into the house with a worried expression swiftly returning. "Edward?!"
When no answer was immediately forthcoming, Roy quickened his step as he made to search the sitting room first. "Ed?!"
"I'm here." Edward said, popping out of the wall next to Roy.
"Fucking hell!" Roy swore as he stumbled to the side in shock.
Edward smirked, crossing his arms across his chest as he watched Roy pull himself back together. "You really are drunk if I scared you doing that."
"Shut up." Roy growled, unable to help himself. "I didn't know where you were, usually I have a general idea."
"I told you I was going home." Edward pointed out, although he knew what Roy meant. The last time he'd waited outside for the man until he'd gotten home. And then his face lit with another understanding, his eyes a bit surprised as his mouth began to twitch in a teasing smile. "Were you worried about me?"
Roy flushed, denial rising to his tongue only to be bit back when he saw the look in Edward's eyes… as if the ghost were pleased about it. It made the truth a lot easier to say. "A little."
Edward nodded magnanimously as if agreeing with something not fully the truth, a teasing gleam entering his eyes as his smile turned happy. "I'm trying to get over my lingering fears… and crossing through a door without you being somewhat close to me is one of those."
At that, Roy broke into a grin that was most likely lopsided. His motor skills were a bit iffy even though it had been almost five hours since his last bourbon. But then, he had had a lot of bourbon before the one that became his last.
"What?" Edward tried not to laugh at the man. "Your grin is creepy when you're still a bit wasted."
"Shut it, ghost." Roy admonished.
"You look like a lecher with that grin added to your reputation." Edward furthered with a growing wicked enjoyment.
"Edward!" Roy swatted at the ghost, though he knew it'd do no good for all that his movements were more stumbling than coordinated even if he could touch his bratty companion, but even he was laughing as Edward floated aside chuckling. "I was just proud of you. I wasn't trying to pick you up."
"You couldn't anyway." Edward smirked through his amusement. "But thank you."
"Damn ghost." Roy muttered without conviction, before looking over at Hazel to disturb the squirrel out of the grooming he was still being given. "I happen to like the sex hair look, thanks."
Edward's face twisted into a grimace as he laid eyes on the squirrel as well. "Eugh, get off of him. He's all slobbery from drunken kissing." And he jabbed an incorporeal finger at Roy, "shower, before you go around spreading that guy's slobber with others. It's common courtesy."
Roy rolled his eyes but smirked, "I need one, trust me. That Steve guy was one active fellow, you weren't joking when you said he had plans to keep me. Took me forever to tire him out instead of the other way around… had to be quite vigorous about it." He added as an afterthought.
Edward's grimace returned full force.
Roy grinned at the ghost's reaction before turning to head for the stairs. "So what did you do while I was gone?"
Edward followed after him cheerfully enough, "I started reading through one of your personal alchemy research journals before Hazel found me."
Roy felt himself flush a bit at the mention, and pointedly kept his eyes ahead. "And? What did you think?"
"You're brilliant." Edward told him passionately. "You really are! You work at a level I only grew up knowing from my father's alchemy work. No wonder people are frightened of you."
Roy was in a full blush now under the zealous praise, and he glared half-heartedly at the ghost now at his side. "Easier to believe now that I'm the best?"
Edward grinned at him, "don't get cocky… but so far? I think you're brilliant."
"Thanks." Roy mumbled in embarrassment that caused Edward to laugh. "What'd you and Hazel get up to?"
Edward smirked at the quick change of subject, but let it slide. It was more amusing that way. "Just playing with a ball."
Roy snorted immaturely on cue. "Just one? Two is more fun."
"Roy!" Edward protested in a scandalized manner.
"Well it's true!" Roy laughed.
"I wouldn't know, I daresay that's your area of expertise, and I'd love to leave it that way." Edward informed him with a shake of his head. "Honestly."
Roy considered the ghost thoughtfully a moment before asking, "do you have preferences? I mean, if it were at all relevant. What would it be? Or am I just being an ass for asking. I've a looser tongue around people like you when I'm drunk, I've told you before."
"Stop babbling." Edward admonished with a fond smile. "I'm actually not sure. I've never thought about it, it's always seemed a pointless endeavor. I suppose it would depend on the person, not the gender. I mean, love is love. Right?"
Roy nodded with an absent smile as he considered the ghost. "Yep, you are old fashioned."
"Shut up, Mustang." Edward growled through a smile he was failing at restraining. "I may be old fashioned and would have wanted love over lust, but at least I'm not a manwhore."
Roy didn't even bother correcting the ghost this time. His explanations of a healthy sexual appetite were probably the next fodder for psychoanalysis. Except… wait… they already had been, when Edward had been asking if he'd been unloved as a child and thus the reason for all the bedding of multiple partners, and never the same ones. "Nothing against your views, but if I were to wait for love… I'd never get laid. Lust is easier to find and collect on."
"You have a tendency to make it sound unattractively like a business transaction." Edward noted.
"In a way, I suppose it is." He shrugged, and let them into his bedroom. "I'm going to take a shower." He announced needlessly, "and then I am crawling into bed. I'm tired as hell."
"You'll look like hell too come dawn in three hours." Edward pointed out helpfully as he floated after the man.
"Shut it."
Edward laughed, and went to go perch on the bed as Roy disappeared into the bathroom with Hazel who was now asleep on his shoulder. As he waited for Roy to be finished he gazed out the window with a smile playing at the corners of his lips.
Technically, it was already Thursday… which meant that he had Roy all to himself after the man went to work in about four hours. And he planned to utilize that time to the fullest by learning to ride his bike. After all, he had excellent incentive to learn fast.
He really wanted to try out Roy's motorcycle.
When Roy had finished with his shower and had pulled on his pajama pants, he carefully scooped the sleeping Hazel off of the bathroom counter and carried the squirrel who was nestling in the crook of one arm out into the bedroom.
"The man and his manly pet." Edward grinned saucily from the bed.
"It takes a real man to own a squirrel." Roy informed him haughtily as he walked to the bedside and gently deposited Hazel on the section of bed between his pillow and the drop to the floor.
Edward chuckled as he turned to watch Roy climb into bed and draw the covers over himself with a groan of satisfaction. "Just don't ever get one of those tiny dogs. I'm not sure I could stand the high-pitched yapping."
"I'll keep that in mind." Roy chuckled sleepily before he was cut off by an enormous yawn.
Edward smiled at the man who after yawning, was by all appearances, instantly asleep. Shaking his head in humored exasperation he floated forward to flop onto his back next to Roy and stare up at the ceiling. "Just two days left now… two days, and I'll finally see where you're taking me."
The excitement was building inside him.
But even so… Edward didn't notice when his eyes began to slip closed.
At dawn the next morning, Hazel awoke like clockwork.
And like the alarm clock he was, he scurried to his feet before pouncing onto his human's pillow and beginning to systematically groom the black locks of hair between his paws while chattering enthusiastically.
Roy groaned as he began to stir awake, his ears already ringing from the racket Hazel was making, his entire head feeling as if it were being crushed in a vice coated in lemon juice. Rather pathetically he reached a hand up to try and bat Hazel away. "G' on a-a-a-" he yawned widely, "away."
Hazel nipped at the offending fingers.
Roy yelped and whipped his hand back, suddenly fully awake as he pushed himself up to round on his squirrel. And he'd just about opened his mouth to scold the furry rodent for nipping at him, despite the suddenly demure pose the squirrel had adopted to try and charm him, when he caught silver out of the corner of his eye.
Slowly, he readjusted so that his body was facing down, propped up on both his hands, and he stared disbelievingly at the sight beside him.
Edward was asleep next to him on his bed.
"I thought he didn't dare risk sleeping anymore now that he could stay busy." Roy murmured as he stared at the apparition.
Carefully, so as not to jostle the bed too much, Roy scooted himself into a seated position as he gazed down at the slumbering ghost. "That's the second time you've laid there on my bed…" though granted, the first time that Edward had been asleep, "trying to stake a claim?"
Muffling his chuckle Roy quickly turned and clamped his hand over the lower half of the squirrel's head to stifle the noise Hazel was once again making. "Hush, let him sleep." And plucking the squirrel up he hefted the light body onto a shoulder and quite carefully got out of bed so he could get ready for work.
He didn't even bother to wonder where the immediate pain of his hangover migraine had gone, merely grabbed a painkiller and headed down to the kitchen to get some breakfast too.
Edward was still sleeping when he left the bedroom.
In fact, he'd finished with breakfast and had just ventured into one of his old photo albums before Edward made an appearance.
"You wake up okay?" Roy asked immediately as soon as he spotted the ghost come into his peripheral vision.
Edward was more than a little perplexed about having fallen asleep, in a manner of speaking. He'd been highly confused when he'd woken up. But as he floated over he gave a short nod. "Yeah… no nightmares. Which is strange. I'd have thought that the first time I lose touch with reality again that the nightmares would come back immediately to make up for lost time."
Roy smiled up at him, and then the ghost was sinking down to kneel beside him where he sat on the floor. "Good. Did you mean to do that? Or did it just happen?"
"Just happened. Out of nowhere. I didn't even realize it had until I'd come back to." Edward's face was shadowed with his confusion about the whole thing. "I think from now on I'll always bring something to read. I dare not risk it again… I've enjoyed not having those nightmares."
"So I'm guessing the right side of the bed is yours?" Roy grinned at him then.
Edward would have blushed, were he able, but that didn't stop the embarrassment from showing in his face anyway. "Shut up. You always seem to migrate to the left."
Roy laughed openly, but gave the ghost a reassuring smile. "I'll just apologize in advance if I flop around in my sleep and pass an arm through you or something." Before Edward could get any more embarrassed, however, Roy turned back to his flipping through the photo album. "Ah!"
Edward was grateful for the opportunity to focus on something else as he directed his gaze down to what Roy was doing. "What are you –?"
Roy smiled faintly as Edward abruptly stopped talking, the silver eyes riveted now on what he was holding up for the ghost to see. "I promised I'd let you have it."
Edward slowly reached forward to gingerly take the photograph from Roy. There on the aging photo paper, was a picture of his father. A younger version than the man he remembered, but he'd know his father anywhere. "When…?"
"When I was just starting the military." Roy answered gently. "It was taken at East Central, in one of the courtyards. Maes was going camera happy getting pictures of everyone. I saved that one though… I told you that I knew your dad briefly? Figured it was worth hanging onto."
Edward studied the photograph. His father there standing on a grassy lawn, looking quite self-assured but still smiling. The man was a great alchemist, that he knew. But a terrible father. "He seems happy." Edward observed quietly.
"We had no idea a war was on the horizon in less than five years." Roy replied in a subdued tone. "We were all happy back then. Happy in our ignorance of what was waiting for us all."
Edward looked up from the photograph then to look into the distant black eyes. "Are you no longer as happy as you once were?"
Roy snapped his focus back to Edward, becoming aware of the silver eyes he'd been gazing off into. "Not the same sort of happiness. It never could be." He began to smile at the ghost as he relaxed into the spirit's presence. "But I am happy, yes."
Edward smiled brightly at that, "good. You sound too much like an idiot when you're not."
"Hey!" Roy protested through a smile.
"Well you do!" Edward laughed, before turning his gaze back to the photograph with pursed lips.
Roy shook his head with a roll of his eyes. "Where do you want to keep it? I don't mind making a part of the house yours for things that you want. I mean, you live here too."
Should he feel so domesticated by saying such a thing? Hell, he may as well offer to let Edward have half of his closet too. But with a roll of his eyes, he abstained.
"I'm not sure." Edward admitted as he contemplated the photograph in his grasp. On one end, he harbored anger towards his father, and on the other… well, the other was the side of him that didn't have anything to remind him of family. Until now.
"Well," Roy began as he thought about it, "how about for now we leave it in the album until I can buy a frame to protect it in. And then we can worry about where to put it."
Edward nodded after a moment, taking a last look at his father before offering the photograph out to Roy. "Thank you."
Roy knew exactly what Edward was thanking him for, and he accepted the photograph with a smile and an understanding nod. "You're welcome." And slipping the photograph back so that it could be protected, he put the photo album back away and then stood up. "Are you ready to go to work with me?"
Edward floated up off the floor instantly. "Of course I am. I'm sure not staying here." He stated adamantly. "Besides, without me there your work won't get done on time, I won't get my chess game, and I'll drive myself crazy here by myself waiting to ride my bike!"
Roy laughed, "point taken. Okay, let's go." And he led the way, Edward close behind him. "By the way, when did you want to make a cake with me? Tomorrow night? Or after we get home from our weekend trip?"
"Tomorrow!" Edward declared excitedly. "I'll forego bike riding to make a cake with you. Trust me, we'll need the entire evening."
"Just what kind of an exotic cake do you have planned?" Roy asked in well deserved curiosity.
Edward merely smirked at him. "You'll find out tomorrow night."
"Oh, so it is exotic." Roy noted with a grin. Well, he was all for it. He did promise after all… and honestly, he was looking forward to eating something he'd made with Edward.
The walk to Central Headquarters was a silent one by necessity, as was the walk up to Roy's office complex, but they eventually made it. On time as well, despite their non-rushed attitude about it this morning.
When they got there it was empty, as they'd come to expect, and Roy let them into his office.
Edward immediately zoomed through the air to plop himself in Roy's desk chair with a delighted smirk as he reclined back with a satisfied exhale of breath.
Roy snorted as he made his way over. "Come on you, up." He demanded of the ghost. "You know that's my chair."
"Your office, my home for the past seven years. I think I trump you there." Edward argued with a devious smile.
"Well in case it slipped your notice, I relocated you into a proper home." Roy smirked back, and waved a hand flippantly at the ghost. "Now up."
Edward floated off with grumbling growls so that Roy could take possession of the chair while he went over to sink down onto his preferred black leather couch. "Just make sure we have enough time for chess."
Roy glanced up at the ghost who had gone in search of a book, smiling quickly in amusement before he turned to checking his phone messages while he waited for Hawkeye to appear with his daily work.
Not long later, she did.
"Sir," she began as she walked in to see the sight she still hadn't quite gotten used to, "you say it's not because of a date that you've been getting all your work done, and early for that matter… but just what has gotten into you?"
Roy barely blinked as the stack of paperwork thumped to his desk, reflexively grabbing a pen to begin. "Sometimes, Hawkeye, you just have to let a good thing be. No matter what caused it. It's like the sun rising every day. It's a good thing, but you needn't analyze why it deems to do so."
She snorted, "yes, you've such a sunny disposition."
"Of course!" Roy grinned at her cheekily. "Now to work with you."
"Well just so you know," she said, midway between beating a retreat, "in the gambling pool, my money is on your mother harassing you more than usual to make you want to get a move on."
Roy smirked at the file he was currently perusing. "I hope you aren't wagering too much then."
Hawkeye only laughed before making her way out of the office, closing the door quietly behind her.
"You should affect their bets." Edward suddenly suggested from where he'd retrieved his book from the floor upon Hawkeye's entrance.
"How do you mean?"
"None of them are going to guess what it really is." Edward pointed out needlessly, "but, that doesn't mean you can't have fun messing with them all. Say… for each person find out what the wager and idea is, and then influence them all secretively that they might be right so that they lose more money."
"And place a bet myself that it'll be proven to be none of those things if they launch an investigation at the end of the betting period?" Roy guessed with a growing evil glint to his eyes.
"Exactly." Edward laughed. "You'll come out with a lot of money."
Roy looked up then to contemplate the ghost with a growing smile. "You're positively wicked sometimes, do you know that? Troublesome ghost."
"As you said," Edward grinned back, "I am a ghost. Therefore, being troublesome and positively wicked is rather in the definition."
Roy couldn't help but grin through his laughter at that, and turned back to his paperwork with a shake of his head. Sometimes Edward came up with the most tantalizing ideas.
The hours passed, filled with the sounds of flipping pages and the scratching of pen across paper. Until at last Roy noticed that it was nearing that time of the day where he'd probably be under siege by someone of his team wanting to know if he was going to join them for lunch.
"Edward?"
No answer. The ghost still read on, and Roy smirked as he tried again.
"Ed?"
Nothing. Roy fought back a chuckle.
"Eddie?"
Edward's head jerked up from the book that had been resting across his lap to glare at the man. "I was trying to finish that paragraph, and don't call me Eddie!"
Roy grinned at him unabashedly, but raised his hands in submission to the request. "It's about lunch time."
"That's fantastic, but if you recall I'm incapable of consuming food." Edward retorted back sassily.
"Did you want me to order in, or did you want to go out to eat again with the others?" Roy asked, ignoring Edward's cheek.
Edward tilted his head in consideration before saying, "out... it lets me see more places."
"Then it's settled." Roy leaned back in his chair with a partial yawn and contemplated the ceiling tiles. "Hey, Ed?"
"Hm?" The ghost hummed in response, eyes not lifting from the book.
"Did the ceiling tiles ever get dirty too?"
Edward looked up at them with a thoughtful expression as he thought back through the duration of the seven years he'd spent trapped here. "I can't ever recall anything being splashed up onto them. Just normal dirt and dust. The one guy who tried to aim for the ceiling, I'll let you fill in the details… he fell kind of short and got the window instead."
"Amateur." Roy muttered.
Edward heard him anyway, eyes narrowing. "Don't you be trying something like that! We may live together now, but there are parts of you that should stay covered in my presence."
"Calm down." Roy chuckled and righted himself in his chair. "I'll always keep my socks on."
Edward didn't even dignify that with a response as he rolled his eyes and went back to his book.
Not long later the door to the office opened, and Breda was ushered inside.
"Yes, I'm coming with you all out to lunch," Roy informed him before he could be asked. And smiled as the startled look graced his team member's face. "Well you lot have gotten rather predictable."
"Well Fuery got a muffin down at the mess hall this morning and is still in the infirmary filling buckets," Breda told him with a sympathetic grimace. "We're all a bit wary now of the food there."
Roy grimaced a bit too. "Well I won't be too surprised then if he doesn't show up tomorrow. Good thing it's a Friday."
"He's not the only one grateful for that." Breda muttered before giving a sharp nod. "We were planning to leave in about ten minutes."
Roy nodded, waving him off, and as soon as the door shut he turned to Edward. "So will he be backed up for a month too?"
"He just doesn't know it yet." Edward agreed with a sympathetic nod of his head. "There's a reason the food is cheap down there. So cut him some slack if you make them run laps or do pushups or anything for punishment if they misbehave."
Roy grinned at the mental image of having them do that. "Actually not my normal routine, but now I'm tempted to try it. Shame they're usually very well behaved."
"Not like me?" Edward grinned at him wickedly.
"Definitely not at all like you. As much as they'd love to attack General Grand, they wouldn't. You on the other hand…"
"As I told you before," Edward jumped in with a warm smile, "I see no reason that just because I'm dead, I shouldn't be allowed to protect what matters most to me."
And like before, Roy couldn't help but feel that warm flair of happiness rise within his chest. The knowledge that he was what mattered most to the ghost… he'd never had that sentiment come from anyone who wasn't family before. It was a feeling that he couldn't compare to anything else, only that it made him feel light in a way he never had before.
"You're…" Edward continued hesitantly at first, but then brightened with another smile, "you're my world. You brought it back to me."
Roy was motionless a moment longer before he pushed back from his desk. And ignoring the curious look he was being given, crossed the room to sit beside Edward on the couch, whereupon he caught the gaze of the silver eyes with his own. "I've never given anyone an entire world before… but," he smiled faintly, "if anyone were ever to deserve it, it's you."
Edward blinked, unsure of just what to say to that. He felt rather dumb, just sitting there staring back at the man while his mouth began to gradually pull into a smile.
"Come on," Roy said, suddenly self-conscious as he ducked his head away from that penetrating gaze as he rose to his feet. "We should go meet them, perhaps it'll hurry them along."
Edward quickly floated after the man after a second's delay.
Roy made sure the door stayed open long enough for Edward to slip through, but his attention was already on his staff. What of it remained with Maes off spying and Fuery off hurling.
"Give us two minutes." Hawkeye admonished him fondly, "we're not all as crazy as you at powering through work these days."
"By all means, continue slacking at your glacial pace." Roy grinned at her, his grin not once wavering under her scowl.
"They don't have ghosts to play chess with, give them a little bit of room to breathe." Edward smirked over at him, feeling less off-balance in the switch of environment.
Roy could only smile in agreement.
Once the few minutes had elapsed, Roy ushered them through the doors so they could go seek out some lunch. Now that his stomach was informed that it would be on the way, he was getting quite hungry. Besides, he'd exerted a lot of energy last night, and not eaten much at breakfast, so a large lunch was definitely looking up to be a good thing.
Especially considering he doubted an excited Edward would let him take his time cooking a large dinner and sitting down to properly enjoy it. No… the ghost would likely want to start trying to ride that bike right away.
And he didn't want to miss a single solitary moment of that!
A devious smile beginning to play along his lips, he led the group out and off of Headquarters' property before turning to Havoc at his shoulder. "So where to this time? O' genius of the sandwich shop from yesterday."
"Don't tease him like it was a bad thing!" Edward piped up from where he floated above their heads, "that place was fun!"
Roy barely kept from laughing, but as it was, he was unable to stop the wide amused grin that took over his face. Yes… for them, it had been fun. He couldn't say the same for the others… but they'd had fun.