Authors note: This time I will remember to add a disclaimer! I was so excited to finally post something that I forgot. Anyway from here on the chapters get longer (around twice as long actually, the first chapter started as a one shot, then I got carried away) and the updates will try to be around once a week. As I write this I'm sitting in a wonderful coastal location overlooking the beach and sea. The weather is fantastic and very inspirational Anyway, onto chapter 2, which I would like to dedicate to my first reviewer, heavensangelQ! Thank you for your support

Disclaimer: I really wish I owned Fullmetal Alchemist. It genuinely is the most amazing series I've ever seen. Unfortunately, unless I win a huge amount of money any time soon and buy the rights, I'm poor, and can't afford to own even as much merchandise as I want to. This is a fan created fiction, and I own nothing!

It had been two days. Two days since Edward had decided to play Roy at his stupid game and wait until he was twenty seven to approach the man again. Only so far, these two days had been absolute hell. He had to work with the man everyday, and just seeing him made his stomach turn. It wasn't fair! He didn't ask to feel like this! At first he'd figured it was only hormones, after all, he had read in books about being a teenager, and this was what growing up was about. However, Edward had, as far as he was concerned, already had his fair share of random crushes, and this felt different. Roy was... something else.

Edward Elric was not a patient person at the best of times, but when a problem presented itself, he could have the patience of a saint. Research! Yes… perhaps there was a way he could MAKE himself 22 years old, then, he mused; he would cut out the part that required waiting. After all, he wanted Roy now! His resolve renewed, he stood, mumbled excuses to Hawkeye, and dashed out of the office before anyone could so much as begin to protest. Reaching the library, Ed pushed his way inside. Technically, making himself older was human transmutation, and he would need the restricted section of the library for that, and special clearance from his commanding officer to even LOOK there. Edward scolded himself for forgetting this, and let his head bang against a bookshelf. Now what was he going to do?

Alphonse Elric was beginning to think there was something terribly wrong with his elder brother Edward. They'd got their bodies back now, and could enjoy the life they worked so hard to gain, and yet in Al's opinion, Ed wasn't really living. His brother still oftentimes could be found with his head in an alchemy book, or sneaking out at all hours to the library to research a theory. And it wasn't just work stuff either. His brother was obsessed. Obsessed with alchemy. It was really no wonder he never got any dates. Al sighed gently as he wandered away from the local grocery store, where he had encountered two beautiful young blondes who had agreed to double date himself and his brother. He just hoped it went ok, after all, Ed could be a real handful sometimes, and oftentimes resented it when Al tried to fix him up with anyone. Lately his brother seemed more reclusive than ever, reluctant even to go to work. Yes, Al decided. Ed needed a girlfriend. It would do him good. Perhaps if this date went badly he would invite Winry to stay, after all, she always seemed to cheer up Ed and maybe this time his brother would admit his feelings for her. 'Before I go crazy and tell her that I like her' Al thought grimly. He really didn't want to take his brothers only potential girlfriend away, but he couldn't deny his own feelings for Winry much longer.

Roy Mustang was jolted awake as his door banged open and fell off the hinges. He made a grab for his pen to pretend to be working and not sleeping, before realising it was just his diminutive blonde torment again.

'Ah, Edward, what can I do for you?' Roy asked, trying to be polite, then realising his mistake, as Ed began to stomp towards his desk.

'A date would be nice, but if you still think I'm too young, then you can just sign this permission slip for me, and I won't bother you anymore' Ed groused. He couldn't believe he was actually asking the bastard for permission to look at books on the very subject that had gotten him stuck with this rotten job in the first place.

'Still too young Edward' Roy muttered, wondering when the blonde was going to give up, shut up, and give him a break. He should have realised then that that was never going to happen considering Edwards persistence. He took the pre-offered slip of paper, and scanned over it, before his eyes widened considerably as he realised what it was Fullmetal was asking. 'You know I don't think this is something I should be authorising...' Roy began, but was interrupted by Ed

'It's not for anything practical! It's just for a bit of background research I'm doing!' Ed protested rolling his eyes in what he hoped looked like annoyance, to cover the fact that he was lying.

'Ah, Edward, I've known you too long I'm afraid' Roy said, seeing straight through Edwards lie, though having no idea what practical implications the blonde hoped to achieve. 'I simply cannot authorise this' Roy noticed the blonde was about to protest, so he quickly added, to finalise the conversation, 'And that is my final word on the matter Fullmetal, if you don't mind I'm very busy'

Roy even looked down to his paperwork and pretended to read it, watching the blonde from the corner of his eyes. Edward was seething now, Roy's abruptness settling heavily on his chest. He grabbed the request, along with some of Roy's paperwork, tore it into tiny pieces, scattered it over Roy's head, and tore off out of the now broken office door, but not before Roy noticed the tears in his eyes threatening to spill. Roy groaned, wondering what he'd done now. It was then that he noticed Hawkeye staring menacingly at him though the now off the hinges door. She looked ready to kill, probably because of the torn up paperwork making confetti over his desk. He would be working late tonight again…

Edward arrived back at the flat he shared with Al, ready to just curl up and cry. There went that idea, blown away by the very man he wanted so badly, but that no one knew he wanted. He stalked across the room, intent on throwing himself to his bed and wallowing in his own misery for awhile. His plan was thwarted.

'Welcome home brother!' Al chirped from the couch.

'Hey Al' Ed replied, trying to compose himself and control the tears that still threatened to spill, before plonking down on the couch beside Al. At least, Ed mused, his little brother was happy, even if he himself was feeling miserable as sin at the moment. Al could always cheer him up, even when he was at his lowest.

'Good day? Al asked, turning to look at Ed. His brother looked slightly dishevelled, and Al thought it looked like Ed was disturbed by something.

'Bastard was being a bastard again' Ed shrugged, trying to sound like he couldn't care less. 'Wouldn't authorise access to some research materials I wanted'

'Aw too bad' Al sympathised. He really couldn't understand why Ed hadn't quit the military already. After all, all he did was complain about the General all the time. 'Cheer up; I have some news that will make you feel much better!'

Ed groaned. He knew what was coming. Another attempt by Al to set him up with girls he couldn't care less about. Not that they weren't nice girls. In fact, Al only ever dated nice girls. The only problem was his younger brother didn't have a clue that Ed wasn't interested in nice girls; he was much more interested in his male bastard general. 'What now Al? Is this another one of your schemes? I'm really not in the mood ya know' Ed began to protest, wanting nothing more than to be left alone with his thoughts, and to try and find a way to move forward from all this.

'Brother you're never in the mood!' Al retorted. 'We're going to a lovely restaurant as a double date. They're sisters, both blonde, both beautiful, and we are going to enjoy ourselves! I'm sure you'll love them! Lizzie is really interested in alchemy, and Beth is a wonderful cook so I'm told! You deserve a break from your research, and I'm sure a nice relaxing date will make you forget all about your problems at work! I'm paying!' Al added, in a last ditch attempt to convince his brother this was a good idea.

Al had a point he supposed… maybe a date would clear his head and help him think of a new strategy for seducing the General. Besides, if Al was paying, and if he knew Al, which he liked to think he did, they would likely be going to the steak house. Yes, this was a good idea. A nice meal in his favourite location with his little brother would do wonders to make him forget Roy, at least for one night. Then in the morning when he felt refreshed, he could think of new ways to tackle the issue of getting a date from Roy. No one was saying he had to LIKE the girls they were going with.

'Ok, ok, you win Al, I'll go get ready' Ed decided, and watched Al whoop for joy at getting his anti-social elder sibling out of the flat for the night. Edward skulked off to change, intent on making as little effort as possible so that the girls would be put off at first glance.

The girl was nice enough. He dated her frequently whenever he needed to take his mind off something. The only problem with her was that she talked too much, wore too much makeup, and had the brainpower of a dead goldfish. Yes, Roy mused, ok maybe there were a lot of things wrong with this particular woman. But truth be told, she had a good pair of breasts and a nice firm arse, and if all went well, it would be another fine evening. She would talk, and he would pretend to listen whilst taking in the eye candy and hoping that he would get laid tonight. Yes, a perfect ending, even if it meant that he had to endure the torture of spending the evening in her not so pleasant company to get what he wanted. After all, a meaningless fling was the perfect way to take his mind off the young blonde demanding even more attention than usual. Roy's mind began to wander, as she began to talk about the latest fashions in Central. Roy glanced around the restaurant in search of a waiter. He needed something stronger than white wine if he was going to get through this evening.

At the other side of the restaurant, a disgruntled short blonde teenager reluctantly followed his younger brother across the crowded restaurant, dressed, much to his despair, in some of Al's finer going out clothes. He wore a shirt that was the same colour red as his usual cloak, the top two buttons left open, in a look Al had insisted was 'sexy,' and loose black jeans that were a little tight at the back. He wondered where his brother had got the idea that this sort of thing looked good. All Ed felt was self conscious. He tugged at the hem of his shirt again nervously, as the waiter took their coats, and smiled shyly as two beautiful blondes approached the pair. As much as he hated to admit it, Alphonse had impeccable taste, even if his efforts were completely in vain.

'This must be your brother' one of the girls smiled. 'I'm Lizzie' she said holding out her hand for Ed to kiss.

'Edward' Ed acknowledged her, taking her hand and shaking it, deciding to at least be polite. She looked a little surprised, before covering this with a smile. Alphonse groaned silently, shaking his head at his socially inept elder brother, before introducing the girl who was now on his arm as Beth. The waiter led them to a table on the left hand side of the restaurant, on a raised area far from the door. It was a secluded area that allowed them to view the rest of the brightly lit green and blue hues of the restaurant easily, without feeling too overlooked. Al nodded his approval to the waiter, and Ed noted that his brother must have brought dates here before. Normally when the two came alone they would sit in a secluded booth so they could talk freely without disturbing the other patrons. Edward moved to sit next to his brother, but Al coughed and gestured discreetly that his brother should sit next to Lizzie. Ed grumbled, and moved to the other side of the table, slumping down in his seat, ignoring that Lizzie was waiting for him to pull her chair out. Al made a sympathetic face, before pulling out Beth's chair for her, and then sitting down. The waiter came over to take the drinks order, and left them with the menu to make there choices.

'Well' Al addressed the table. 'What is everyone having?'

'I'll be having the salad' Lizzie said, sharing a glance with her sister. 'I'm on a diet' she explained. Ed scoffed into his hand. It was fine to be on a diet, but when you were out with friends, things like diets could and should be ignored. Al noticed his brothers disdain, and kicked him hard in the shin under the table, thankful that his brother no longer had an automail leg. He saw Ed wince, and shrug his shoulders, as if to say, 'What?'

'I'll have the salad too' Beth told Al, following the lead of her sister. Al smiled sweetly, before turning to Ed.

'I take it your having the steak, brother' Al asked, and Ed smiled for the first time that evening. The thought of steak almost made him drool.

'Of course!' Ed exclaimed happily. 'Do they still do the 15oz fillet?'

Al groaned inwardly. Trust Ed to pick the most expensive thing on the menu. This was his punishment for trying to help his brother. Still, if he hadn't offered to pay, chances were Ed would still be at home moping, or in the library, reclusive as ever.

'Yes,' Al replied, 'they still do the 15oz. I think I'll have the 8oz steak myself' Al signalled the waiter and related their order, before turning to Beth and smiling. 'I hope this will be as good as you're both used to at home'

'Beth's cooking is wonderful, but I'm sure this place will be good too' Lizzie smiled

'Of course it will be good!' Ed interjected; taking insult in Lizzie's words 'This is one of the best eateries in town!'

Al was already feeling embarrassed by his brother. He was beginning to remember why he didn't like Ed to meet his dates.

Beth laughed. Edward was an amusing person, she decided. 'I take it you two come here often then?' she asked. Al opened his mouth to answer, but Ed beat him to it.

'All the time' Ed answered 'but that's only because Alphonse doesn't know how to boil an egg, let alone cook a meal!'

Beth was laughing. At his expense. Al smiled sheepishly. He didn't know his brother would embarrass him like this. It was bad enough he was making an idiot out of himself.

'Cooking is easy!' Beth said, smiling 'You just need to follow the recipe'

Ed nodded, agreeing. 'Its just like alchemy really, formulas, ingredients, then mix it altogether'

'Your brother says you're a fairly good alchemist' Lizzie stated, taking a sip of water, and beginning to warm up to Edward now he was acting a little more friendly.

Ed nodded, sipping his juice before launching into a complicated explanation of alchemy, not used to talking to people who did not understand the basic concepts of the science.

Roy couldn't believe what he was seeing. Edward Elric was on the opposite side of the restaurant, talking quite animatedly to a young blonde girl. Well that was better, Roy decided. It looked like Edward had finally taken the hint. It was then Roy spotted Alphonse and that led him immediately to think that this was his idea, particularly with the state Ed had left his office in earlier. He stared a little longer, deciding that watching Edward was a little more interesting than watching and pretending to listen to his date talking more garbage. Ed was dressed differently, and this surprised Roy. The girl must have been pretty special for Ed to make that much effort, particularly when Roy only ever saw him wearing one outfit. Ed was wearing a red shirt that complimented his hair and eyes perfectly and he had left those tight leather pants at home for once, in favour of something that had to be more comfortable. He couldn't take his eyes off the blonde, and found himself wondering what it would be like to run his fingers through those gorgeous locks. His thoughts were interrupted before he could criticise himself, as the waiter arrived with their food. He took one last longing look at the blonde before pulling himself back to his date. After all, tonight he was supposed to be forgetting about Ed, despite wondering how it would feel if he was the one sitting next to Ed instead of the blonde girl.

Al groaned, and watched as the girls started by listening intently, and then rapidly got lost in his brothers technical ramble. Lizzie had a glazed look, and Beth was glancing at Al pleadingly, begging him to change the subject. Luckily, the food arrived, and this was more than enough to keep Ed from talking for awhile, giving Al time to make polite conversation with his date while his brother inhaled his food. Lizzie was making a great effort to hide her disgust at Edwards eating habits, and Al, irritated by the way the evening was going, gave Ed another hard kick in the shin. Ed growled, and made a move to kick Al back, but missed, and instead hit Beth in the leg. She yelled, and Al glared at Ed, but saw that his brother had already returned to eating his meal, completely oblivious. Ed looked up grinning and Al prepared to glare at his brother and reprimand him publicly for his behaviour, but saw Ed's grin noticeably falter as Ed appeared to notice something behind him on the other side of the restaurant. Ed growled low in his throat as he watched Roy Mustang with a stupid tart at the other side of the restaurant as he paid for the bill. The girl put her arm through his as they left the restaurant, Roy grinning stupidly. Ed heard Al ask if he wanted dessert, but he felt himself loosing his appetite rapidly. He stood abruptly, knocking his chair back and Lizzie's glass of water over her. She swore, finally fed up with Ed's behaviour, and turned to scream at him, but he was already stalking off quickly towards the entrance. Roy was with someone else... some stupid tart, some stupid women, some pretty… sexy women, and not with him. Frustrated with himself, Ed realised he was crying, having finally given in to the tears that had threatened all day. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, frustrated and angry. This was not worth it dammit! He was Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist, and he most certainly did not cry over Roy Mustang. Ed scowled as he stalked down the streets, trying to quiet his sobbing, and convince his heart that it wasn't broken in two.

Thank you for all the reviews so far, please continue to support this work of fiction by reviewing Chapter 2! Next update will probably be some time next week now that the chapters are getting longer!