accident prone: I swear that the only reason we can have "pets" is because half the time they're cute enough to make up for the other half. And yeah, that end scene was just made of fluff. Roy really knows how to be a sweetheart when the occasion calls for it.
moonstone: Hazel would probably gladly help out Ed with the diabolical plan to mess Grand up. And bad homunculus is bad, and Ed knows it. It won't be the first time they have a little reaction to each other, that's for sure.
Animeluver: You're very welcome, and thank you!
SanitysOverrated: Thank you! And they are. Although Roy has a bit of learning to go yet about the manwhoring thing. At least he's making progress, neh?
elemental heiress: And the Gate/Ourobor-I give up will happen again too! -cackle-. You shall be doubly freaked. But cuteness did abound that chapter, that's for sure.
Mesonoxian: That they are, sweetness incarnate, those two.
silvers-edge: Thank you, and Ed is always appreciative of hugs. He does need them often.
black-klepon: I'm sorry math has killed you. I have experienced the pain before. And oooo, boys volleyball? Sign me up to watch.
ZemyxDexion: Thank you, though I am sad that your computer broke mid-review. At least it let you finish reading first?
jdy: I agree, Hazel would be a fun pet to have. Worth it to come back from a trip only to have him be cute to make up for being a tornado of squirrel chaos.
Cheru-chan: Yikes! Good thing Hazel belongs to Roy XDD. And oh no, I've released your theories into the breeding grounds... I feel almost bad for you.
paper wings: I'm glad that it answered some questions for you. Always a good thing with stories like this where questions can abound.
MandaxPanda: Yush, the Fuhrer is an eeevil one who must be vanquished. -cackles-
Koneko: Yes, I think crying over pizza commercials is sufficient for an insanity plea. -hugs- But I'm glad that terror-Hazel could make up for the torture about seals I've caused you. And ugh, Roy is just too adorable for his own good when he's cuddling with his pet. Doesn't he know how sexy that makes him? But don't worry, you're not insane for laughing at Roy's agenda about the Fuhrer, we just know him so well.
GreedxEd: Roy thinks no manwhoring is bad, not good.
Soaha: And we'll get more insight into just how badly ghosts and homunculi don't mix later.
Eli: Don't put Roy petting Ed in my mind, you know what that'll do to me. And don't worry, I'm sure Bradley has been learning from Grand's mishaps.
Adhara: Hazel hd to protest being left behind, as any good pet must XD. And you're the first person to go that much into depth about Bradley's particular homunculus capabilities, very interesting. All I can say is that more will be shown as to that later, and talked about.
gali-o: I'm so very happy you liked that last scene so much, I felt like I was melting in fluff writing it XDDD. Roy really knows how to comfort those he lov-cares about... -shifty eyes-
Kimba Lionheart: Bradley is spooky, I'll agree. He's just one of those homunculi that have that extra something that make them just a bit stranger than the rest.
egyptian1995: Yay! You liked my twist. I couldn't overlook putting one in. And oh if my cats were as cute as Hazel, they'd be less likely to be whacked when they get into my things.
FifthDayofMay: Can't exactly say, but it definitely won't be fading off into the background as a fluke experience.
Finally I have recovered from being sick. That was an adventure. Everyone make sure you stay healthy, huh? Trust me, whatever has been going around sucks. I woke up one of the mornings and felt like I'd been beaten head to toe by a rock. But on the brighter side, I enjoyed the hell out of my midnight HP premier last week.
Oh, and I have recently been introduced to goats. I officially love them. Rascally critters, the lot.
But anyway, I shall leave you to the chapter! Day two of the State Alchemy exams has begun... drumroll? Hehehe.
I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The following morning, Edward was understandably a bit nervous to go to Headquarters with Roy, but even his nerves were not enough to make him do anything but decline Roy's suggestion that he might stay home for the few short hours Roy would be gone.
He wasn't sure what had happened yesterday with the Fuhrer, but he wouldn't let it stop him from staying with Roy.
"It's really strange though," Roy said, out of the blue as they made their way across one of the parks, empty aside from them and a slight rising of mist this early in the morning. "You'd looked at him before, hadn't you? And you must have passed by his line of sight before you even got near that table. So why did you have a reaction so delayed?"
Edward had wondered the same thing more than once that night, as he watched Roy sleep. And looking over at the man, who was taking a very preoccupied looking drink from his coffee mug, said, "I don't know. But I plan to avoid his front until I do know, at least even a little bit more." Adding in a whisper directed at the grass, "that sort of pain… experiencing it once was enough, but twice nearly unbearable."
"You were shaking pretty bad this last time." Roy noted, giving the apparition a careful once over with his eyes. He'd been worried as covertly as he could be about the ghost ever since yesterday's episode. Even to the point where he almost believed he wouldn't sleep. And though he hadn't gotten what he'd term restful sleep, at least he had slept.
Edward gave him a morose look, "I'm not much of a ghost, am I. I've felt pain before, but when that pain, and that Gate..." he trailed off momentarily, seeming more distraught than before. "The two in combination scare me."
"And then whatever that symbol was." Roy mused, even as he looked around at the drooping ghost as they walked. "Hey," he soothed his companion, "it'll be okay. We'll figure out that symbol, find a way to avoid it happening again. It's what we did the last time." And he smiled bracingly as Edward looked over at him. "And you're the best ghost I know."
"I'm the only ghost you know." Edward corrected, though he had to smile at the gesture.
Roy looked away, still smiling as he led them along. "Which still makes you the best. And it's not like I take just anyone home with me to stay."
"No." Edward agreed with the beginnings of a laugh. "I know that. Your fear that anyone else might see your manly pet."
"Steal." Roy grumbled. "And like I've said, it takes a real man to own a squirrel. You know you'd be sad if Hazel got stolen, you two get along well."
It did the trick, that not quite subtle segue both of them had taken in order to lighten the mood. So while their walk to Headquarters was still one walked in nervousness, it wasn't so prominent in their minds.
Upon reaching their destination, Roy led them to a different area entirely.
"The paper exams are over." Roy explained as he let them inside and found the room still empty and dark. Which would be how it remained for the most part anyway. "Now it's more of an interview session. I never really understood why they bother."
"People lie?" Edward guessed as he followed Roy deeper into the fairly small room – compared to the amphitheater of before.
"Undoubtedly." Roy smirked, "although I can honestly say that the answers I gave were truthful. At that time in my life I wanted to serve the country as nothing more than a blind hound, thinking my superiors had their acts together."
Edward tilted his head as he floated over to consider a strange golden stool, all sinewy curves of metal bars, with three legs placed so closely together he had to wonder as to the sanity of whoever had built it. Yet what puzzled him the most was that it seemed to be standing on its own, despite its clearly flawed design. "So you'd lie now, if you were asked them again?"
Roy smiled as he watched Edward poke at the stool, clearly puzzled by it. The ghost had taken to jabbing at the top of the back of the stool with increasing pressure to make it wobble on its base. "I would." He answered, before walking closer. "It's a special sort of stool, I never really have understood it myself, but apparently if you're meant for alchemy, it won't fall when you sit on it."
"Have you ever seen anyone fall?" Edward wondered as he stopped poking at it, and instead floated around to straddle the stool facing toward its back and leaning his arms on the top as he peered at Roy.
Roy snorted, "of course not. I'm under the impression it's under some sort of strong magnetic pressure that causes it to stabilize." And he walked over to stand next to the silvery apparition. "You think they'd limit their potential numbers through a funky stool? That's what they have the paper and the practical exam for. This is just to try and intimidate and drive away the less sure candidates. See if they can handle being directly addressed, alone, by superiors. You'd be surprised how many cave."
Edward chuckled, he could understand that. "I doubt I'd cave, even being interrogated by you."
Roy rolled his eyes, smiling despite himself. "Well of course you wouldn't now. We do live together. I'd hope you aren't intimidated by me." But he could bet that it wouldn't have mattered… Edward wasn't the type to be easily scared off by anything.
Edward smiled back at him, before looking down to the floor with a small sigh. "Where should I wait for you?" He asked, keeping with Roy's decision yesterday to keep him away from the Fuhrer until they had a better idea of what had happened.
"Wherever you feel the most comfortable." Roy told him gently, "even if that means you feel most comfortable waiting outside and harassing the candidates while they wait their turn to be called in."
An appreciative laugh escaped briefly from Edward, and he turned shining silver eyes up onto Roy. "You aren't worried it will affect their meaningless interview?"
"Why would I be worried?" Roy asked as he looked fondly down at the spirit. "I don't care about them, I've never even met them. But I care about you."
Edward inexplicably found himself at a loss for words, and for what felt eternity he could only look up at Roy as happiness filled him. Somehow, it seemed different than how Roy usually said such things to him, something in the way he'd said them, and the way Roy was looking at him.
Roy flushed slightly, finding himself looking away from the vibrant gaze Edward was looking at him with. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on Grand and the Fuhrer. I won't cause you to worry, even if I doubt they'll try anything."
"I'll worry anyway, you know that." Edward muttered, floating to his feet. He knew he would rather leave before anyone else came in, if only so that he could have a response when he said goodbye to Roy.
"Yeah, I know." Roy smiled as he met Edward's eyes again. "Be careful out there. These shouldn't take too long, there are rarely more than fifteen or so candidates kept over after the written exams."
"There might be fewer by the time I'm done with them." Edward corrected in laughter, before smiling at Roy as he floated towards the door with an uncertain speed. "I'll see you after?"
Roy walked after him, and as Edward halted in midair, he smiled reassuringly back at the apparition as he held out his hand. "You know I'd never leave you." He replied in quiet tones, his dark eyes meeting silver.
Edward felt something inside him tighten at the same time it rose up within, feeling like a strange sort of hope. One he couldn't put his finger on, and he glanced down to Roy's hand, looking back up with a smile. "I know where you live." He replied with a flash of humor, and held his hand out in turn.
And very much like all the times before, when they'd been able to step into the world together away from the office, Edward's hand met Roy's just enough, yet this time, passed through.
"Be careful." Edward said at last, before drawing away and floating quickly towards the door.
Roy watched him go, a faint smile playing on his lips. He actually wasn't sure if Edward would prank any of the contenders of this year's exam. Not entirely sure if the suggestion had been meant to merely make him feel less worried at being away from the ghost. But if Edward did decide that pranks were in order, and found a suitable opening, he knew that the hopefuls would be coming in a bit more harried than normal.
Meanwhile, Edward found himself perching up in a tree outside. It was a good vantage point to be up and out of the way and still watch the door, even if he couldn't actually touch the living tree. But it gave him a sense of secrecy that would have been hard to find there on the ground.
He knew that Roy was most likely giving out an underhanded insult to Grand when the first of the remaining candidates began to gather out front of the door where not too earlier, a man who would seemingly be serving as the single proctor had gone to stand. He knew, sensibly, that Roy was all right. Even Grand couldn't be so foolish as to start something now. But still, much of his attention lingered on Roy as he waited for all the candidates to gather.
The proctor was checking names off on a short list as one by one, those still remaining from the pool of hopefuls began to approach to stake their right to take the second leg of the exams. And once a name was checked off, that person more commonly than not, went off a distance in order to do whatever it is they did. Pray, most likely.
Yet they never strayed far from the door. Clearly unwilling to miss their one chance of their name being called by the proctor.
And Edward floated down from the tree at last when the door opened to admit a hand which passed through a folded envelope to the proctor waiting outside.
The proctor slit the envelope and pulled out the list of names in the order they'd be summoned in for their interviews, and with a brief clearing of the throat, announced, "Kipske, Christopher."
Edward watched with a speculative gaze as the individual strode forward, an air of confidence wavering above the nervousness that he could clearly see. "Putting on airs?" Edward questioned softly, a smirk beginning to grow. "Roy'll see right through you."
As the door closed behind Christopher, Edward made his way over to where some of the contenders had huddled for what looked like a last minute pep talk for each other. And seeing as how they were so involved, it seemed fairly a crime not to take advantage of the situation.
With his smirk growing, Edward slunk through the air to flip himself sideways and facing towards their turned backs. And one by one, he circled around them in this fashion to carefully pick their pockets of the chalk that had left residue stains on the outside lapels from where they'd hurriedly inserted it. Each piece of chalk he'd chucked over his shoulder to wherever, noting absently a few times that the flung pieces must have hit someone. There were a few startled yelps, even from the proctor.
Next, he worked on untying their shoelaces, as they still stood huddled, clueless of the minor irritations their stolen chalk had caused among the other candidates. Those who did not have shoelaces, or those whose laces were so tight that they'd have felt his actions, he left alone. But for those select, fortunate few, Edward quickly bound the laces of different victims shoes together.
Leaving them to their tangled fate, he headed off to go see what he could do about finding himself some more chalk.
And several minutes later promptly perched himself cross-legged just over the proctor's head as he watched with a manic grin as the fruits of his labor unfolded.
" – the fuck! Who keeps throwing the fucking chalk?" One candidate finally exploded, after having been hit in the ear with one such piece only seconds before Edward fled to his current location.
There were some murmurs of angry agreements from others standing off in their own little areas of the grass, they too had been victims of getting chalk smears on them from flying pieces.
"Where is my chalk?" One of those over in the huddle, who had been the first victims of the pick pocketing suddenly exclaimed.
"It fucking hit me in my ear! You want it back, you ass?" Was the angry retort.
"I didn't throw anything at you!"
Edward tipped his head down to see that the proctor really didn't seem to care what they were doing even despite also having been a victim, and wondered if things like this exploded between the candidates most years.
"YEEEE-YAAAH!"
And suddenly five people toppled down to the grass on top of each other in an awkward and jabbing flail of limbs and crunching of bodies.
At this point Christopher, the first to enter for the interview process, walked out looking pale and a bit green around the edges. And didn't even really stick around to see what the growing chaos was about as he headed away looking dazed.
The proctor's throat cleared loudly, and shouting over the fray, called out: "Sampson, Leila!"
As Leila Sampson disentangled herself from the mess, she fairly fled into the interview room, if only to escape the madness outside.
The proctor sighed, crossing her name off the list. "I really need to get paid more for this."
Edward floated down to stand beside the proctor, shooting over a sympathetic look. "Least you're not Basque Grand." And floated off through the air to go find where some of the chalk had landed and use it as projectiles again.
This group responded well to projectiles.
Three interviews and about an hour of off-and-on chaos later, Edward spotted a military dog.
No. Not the ones that Roy was prone to referring to in mutterings while he was doing paperwork. This was an actual military dog, and it was being walked on a leash by its unsuspecting handler.
Within minutes, the large canine had yanked free of its handler, and was tearing after the presence it couldn't see. Barking loudly as it shot heedlessly towards the group of candidates who were now scattering even more as they tried to avoid the out of control dog.
Edward merely continued to laugh, wondering how it was that it was so easy to get an animal to chase after him, but not at all minding that ghostly presences seemed to have that effect in animals. And he continued to dart around the alchemists, the dog in hot pursuit as its handler chased and yelled ineffectively.
Candidates were led into each other with smacks as they whirled to escape the canine. Others were upended as the dog knocked their legs out from under them. The proctor nimbly stepped out of the way each time the dog came near. And as a whole, the candidates were in a state of disarrayed confusion and curses.
Finally, when Edward believed they'd had enough, he escaped up to the nearest tree once more. And as the dog barked up at him, trying to climb the tree, he waved down at it. "Thanks! Hope you don't get in too much trouble!" He got in a few more chuckles as the dog was finally led away with profuse apologies by its handler.
As the contenders finally quieted down, though they looked greatly the worse for wear, Edward smirked at them. "Poor things." He purred laughingly. "They look absolutely exhausted."
But the games did not stop until the last person had gone through that door, and by then he had floated over to stand underneath the tree to anxiously wait for Roy. He felt he'd done well at harrying the State Alchemist hopefuls, and as none of them had been foolish enough to stick around for more, he was more than content to wait for Roy.
The proctor left after a while, clearly done with his duties for the day.
Edward watched him go only to the extent that he made sure the proctor had indeed gone before he resumed his wait for Roy. And when the door swung open to admit out the last candidate that had entered, his anxiousness only grew.
Not long later, the door swung open again, this time ushering out the one person Edward had been waiting for. And a brilliantly happy grin took over his face as he called out excitedly, "Roy!"
Roy flashed a grin as he quickly made a beeline for his silvery companion, unable not to be affected by Edward's clear happiness to see him. A happiness, he admitted, he shared.
"So what happened?" Edward enquired eagerly as he floated quickly to meet the man halfway.
Roy couldn't help but continue to smile, the ghost was infectious. "Naturally I'm okay. But come, you can tell me on our way home what you did to those poor people."
Edward's grin turned wicked, and he let out another brief laugh at their expense. "You know you loved watching them come in." He teased, and happily fell in to float beside Roy as they made their way back towards the main gates so they could leave.
Roy only smiled, making a low grunting noise in his throat to show his agreement.
"Well first I started on this – "
"Roy!" Came the faint shout at first, and then louder yet, "Roy! Hold up, Mustang!"
Roy tilted his head to the side a bit, sharing a quick smile with Edward. "Hold on, I think I know that voice."
Edward snickered, "that's what you get for blowing him off yesterday."
"I was with you." Roy replied simply, before giving the ghost a quick wink and turning about to raise an eyebrow in inquiry as his best friend came running over with a waving hand above his head. "Yes? Do you have a question, Mr. Hughes?"
"Shut up." Maes rolled his eyes as he lowered his hand from its waving and came to a somewhat panting halt in front of his friend and superior officer. "How am I supposed to talk to you when you avoid me?"
"Hence the avoiding." Roy smirked, but quickly added as Edward laughed, "sorry, but I've had a lot on my metaphorical desk. What's urgent?"
Maes peered at his friend suspiciously over his glasses. "What were you doing going to Risembool?"
Roy's smile thinned, and he remained silent a moment before finally giving in. "I'm sure you can guess. We both know you're not whored out to the investigations department for no good reason."
"Don't get me wrong, Roy," Maes began, his eyes worried, "it's good if you're trying to make amends in your own way. But you weren't in a good place after those deaths."
"Don't worry." Roy reassured him with a slight sigh as he glanced away towards the sidewalk with darkened eyes. "I'm not at risk for doing anything stupid. Not anymore. And I thought I told you I went for friend related reasons? Nothing much dangerous there."
Maes snorted, not yet convinced. "We both know you don't have any friends in Risembool."
A hand quickly gripped Roy's heart as he gaped in wounded hurt. "Maes! Don't be so mean."
"Don't be so dramatic." Maes retorted.
Roy rolled his eyes with another sigh, his hand falling back down as he gave his friend a sad smile. "You ought to know by now that there are some secrets I choose to keep to myself."
Maes considered for a long while, silently, before giving a short inclination of his head and a smirk. "And you ought to find yourself a wife." And he got in the beginnings of a laugh before he yelped a sudden "OW!" and ducked in on himself as he held his head.
Roy smirked, "you're lucky I'm saving an impressive fire demonstration for someone, and I'd hate to waste it on you." He announced loftily, before sweeping off again to leave his friend there nursing a growing lump to the head.
"Who?" Maes called after him ineffectively.
Edward was chuckling softly as he fell back in beside Roy, and smiled over at him. "You want to impress me, do you?"
"I always want to impress you." Roy answered, returning the smile quickly before slipping his hands into his pockets as he led them away. "So continue with your story?"
Edward did. And he related the entire thing for Roy, who was trying not to openly laugh too much on the streets of Central, as they made their way down them. Which only inspired Edward's competitive side as he tried as hard as he could to get Roy to burst out laughing at the most inopportune moments. Unfortunately he had no idea where Roy learned to have such a mask, but it wouldn't have been as much fun if it weren't a challenge.
It was nearing the end of his relation of the events he'd brought about, when he noticed that they were going up the steps of a building that was most definitely not their home.
"Where are we…?"
Roy smiled as he heard Edward trail off beside him, and chanced a glance over at his companion. "I promised you, didn't I?"
Edward could only stare numbly as he stared up at the massive grey building before him; the deep etchings of letters above the lintel of the doorway proclaiming it the 'Central First Library'. And as he registered Roy moving again, he raced after him as sudden excitement began to spring up within him.
Roy was let in without question, although he did spare a courteous nod to the guards who made sure the library stayed strictly open to only State Alchemists. And as he entered through the grand doors, he breathed in deeply the familiar smell of old paper, ink, and leather bindings.
"I'd been having so much fun with you that I forgot." Edward whispered at last as he too looked around, and up. There was even another floor, and from what he could tell, this library was fairly filled to bursting with bookshelves that no longer had much space.
"Between the two of us." Roy smiled, remembering fondly the previous time such a lapse in Edward's memory had happened, and they'd ended up having their lunch outing interrupted by geese. "Seemed like a good time to bring you here… we've a long time until dinner."
Edward looked over at Roy, fairly brimming with excitement at the prospect of so many books. "Come on then! Let's try this way!" And he pelted headlong as far as he could down one row of bookshelves, and as the entire thing was revealed to him as Roy followed with a chuckle, he eagerly began zipping along all the shelves looking at titles of alchemy texts and research.
Roy could only grin as his arms were loaded up with books upon books that Edward wanted to look at. He had a feeling that he'd need to buy a whole library one day, just for the ghost. Although then he might never get Edward out of it.
Edward finally exhausted the first bookshelf of everything he found interesting, and promptly found himself a table off in a secluded corner where he could begin reading. And he eagerly reached for the first book that came near to him as Roy dumped the lot onto the table. "Careful!" He chastised, but was so engrossed already in reading, that he barely remembered he'd said it at all.
Roy chuckled quietly as he slid into the seat next to Edward, pulling a book towards him and opening it. "We're leaving in five hours. What you don't finish I'll check out so you can take them home." And he began to read peacefully enough beside the silvery spirit.
This was a good way to end their day. Calm Edward down after his antics of earlier. And a good way to bring Edward back into some sense of a more secure peace after his scare yesterday. Hell, a scare for them both.
For five hours they sat there at their table, changing books as they might finish, or changing positions. Every so often they'd debate in hushed whispers – at least from Roy – about a certain alchemy theory or transmutation circle or some other item for debate. And they both enjoyed it greatly, already knowing that their debate partner was just as intelligent about alchemy as they were.
"Do you have any research manuscripts in any of the military libraries?" Edward asked, after just having gotten through another such manuscript written by another State Alchemist – long dead according to the publish date.
"I do." Roy admitted as he turned another page in the advanced alchemy text he was browsing through and recalling old memories. "None like what I have at home though. What I have in the libraries for others to view is generic at best. Just good enough to satisfy the quota that I did one, but they contain none of my secrets."
"Smart." Edward agreed.
Roy glanced over at him with a smile, "I bet you'd have written a good alchemy text. Not some silly research manuscript that we only do either to fulfill a requirement, or word such that it's near impossible to decipher without giving the reader the necessary key."
"I haven't needed a key yet." Edward snorted.
"No. But then, your mind works fast that way." Roy pointed out. "But I do think you'd have created a good text for alchemists to learn from."
Edward smiled over at him then. "Perhaps. But I doubt I'd have met you if I had lived to grow up doing something like that."
Roy rested the side of his head on one hand as he leaned forward over the table to look at Edward. "I'd like to think that I would have. But as long as we're together here and now, I'm just happy knowing that."
"Even if I harass future State Alchemists?" Edward asked with a mischievous smile.
"Even that." Roy grinned back, "you're such a brat of a ghost."
Edward laughed at the accusation, a very accurate one he had to admit. "Did any cave during the interview? Did that weird stool fall down?"
"Yes and no." Roy straightened in his seat and leaned back against the back of the chair as he covertly made sure they were still alone and that both librarians were still at their desk. "A few did cave, I'm under the impression we have your messing with their nerves to thank for that."
Edward smirked.
"But the stool did not fall." Roy finished with a shrug. "I'm still under the impression it's heavily magnetized once it encounters a certain degree of weight." And then he grinned suddenly at Edward. "Although if someone as small as you were to ever take the exam, it just might topple from lack of weight."
Edward smacked the nearest book on top of Roy's nearest hand, relishing in the indignant and stifled yelp. "I am not small!"
"Small." Roy held a hand up to the middle of his chest, and quickly leaned to the side to avoid another whacking by book.
Edward rolled his eyes, setting the book down with a harrumph and opening it to the first page. He was determined to ignore the idiot he lived with. At least until he could hold out no longer, but he was unwavering in his desire that it wouldn't happen at least until they had to leave to go home.
They went undisturbed in their reading. The library being not very busy at the time, and the librarians with plenty of work to do. And they stayed there until at last, his butt long past having gone numb, Roy pushed away from the table to stand and stretch with a groan and several popping bones.
"You should keep in better shape." Edward admonished as he floated up as well to begin organizing the books into two piles. One he planned to have Roy check-out for him from the library.
Roy scowled, "so says he without a corporeal body."
"Hmm…" Edward mused with a slight smile. "You have a point."
Roy grunted and looked down to the smaller stack of books. "That should keep you busy for a few days." And he scooped them up into his arms so that he could take care of checking them out onto his account.
The librarians were happy to see him, as always, and they spent Roy's time at the checkout counter flirting shamelessly with him as Edward wondered if Roy would get mad if he tipped a very precarious looking pile of books onto them. Unfortunately there was no pile near enough to Roy.
As if sensing impending danger, Roy hurried along the process and fairly chased the ghost from the library. Harder done than said, as once Edward caught better sight of the top floor the chasing process got tricky.
When they finally arrived home, Roy was finally able to dump the books onto the coffee table, smiling as Hazel immediately leapt on top of the pile to investigate. Followed shortly by Edward, who helped the squirrel sort through the pile.
"Will you be okay if I go out tonight?" Roy asked at last, when Edward was nearly through with sorting.
Edward's head jerked up at the question, his eyes confused if not a bit startled. Then it came to him what Roy meant, and he looked back down again to hide the pull of disappointment at the corner of his mouth. "Yes. Of course." He assured the man, forcing his voice to stay level. "I'm perfectly fine and safe here."
"That's not what I meant." Roy argued quietly, kneeling down next to the ghost. "You had a bit of a scare yesterday."
"And I'm fine now!" Edward forced out a laugh, turning what he hoped was an amused look on Roy. "Really, I am. And it's not like you won't come back home afterwards." And added a bit mischievously. "You'd miss me too much."
Roy smiled, although he still studied Edward closely. "I would."
Edward smiled back at him, "really, Roy, I'm fine. I know you need nights to yourself like that. That I don't get to monopolize your life, so don't tempt me into wanting to."
At last, Roy gave a slow nod, giving in. "Okay. I'm going to go get changed then." He said as he rose to his feet again.
Edward watched him go from underneath his fringe of silvery hair, noting the last look Roy had given him before disappearing with a bit of a smile. And once he heard Roy's footsteps on the stairs, he looked over at Hazel with a wry smile. "It's hard to ask him to stay."
Upstairs Roy finished getting changed into clothes more appropriate for his intentions tonight, knowing he needed an outlet for the pent up frustration that going days without any sexual contact at all had brought upon him. And he planned to get those frustrations out and come home for a piece of cake.
Although he had been prepared to have asked Edward to stay out of his bedroom until he said otherwise if Edward had had another trying day. But the ghost hadn't… and had spent the better part of the day terrorizing the State Alchemist candidates, and so with that being the case, he'd leave his own personal toy box under his bed.
Shaking his head with a smile, Roy stepped into the bathroom a moment as he reflected back on what Edward's antics had caused. It would be interesting to see how many were held over for practical exams. Yet if the Fuhrer did gain knowledge that the candidates were harassed by a runaway dog, leniency might be given for the poor performances of today.
Either way, he was looking forward to tomorrow for several reasons, and intended to keep Edward firmly beside him during the practical exam so that the ghost could watch. There would be less chance of something happening because the Fuhrer and Edward might react again. At the practical, Edward's best vantage point to watch would be beside him, and he hoped that remained a safety spot for the ghost.
Once he felt his hair was properly behaving, Roy turned to make his way back downstairs to find Edward again.
"You want to walk with me to the bar?" He asked as he finished trotting down the stairs and swung around into the entry to the sitting room.
Edward looked up from where he'd been carrying Hazel around through the air by means of a thick alchemy tome, and smiled. "You know I do." He said, even as he gave a careful twirl to swing Hazel about. "I get to watch your terrible, no, nonexistent attempts at flirting. Not to mention I'll get to see more of the city."
Roy stuck his hands on his hips indignantly. "I can't help it if I don't have to try hard. It's not my fault that I'm just that good looking."
"Smug one, aren't you?" Edward retorted with a smirk as he guided the book back down to the coffee table so that Hazel could leap off after the flying lesson. And he turned to consider the man, mimicking Roy's stance with his own hands on his hips. "I guess you don't look too unfortunate."
Snorting mildly, Roy turned to go in search of his jacket. Just in case. And they were fun to let people get him out of. "Come on, brat." He called as he found it and made his way to the front door.
Edward smirked, and promptly dove out the outer wall to meet Roy on the doorstep as the man locked up the house. "I'll consider it justice when you have to flirt to actually get someone into bed."
Roy shrugged as he turned to lead them down the path to the front gate. "Won't happen. Too synonymous with commitment in my mind. If I have to work to get them into bed, I'll have to work to get them to leave it."
Edward only rolled his eyes, but left the subject where it was as he followed along with the man. He was very interested to see what happened this time, and vowed that if Roy let someone almost sit on him again, he'd take drastic measures.