Thank you to everyone who reviewed, alerted, and added this to favourites. I'm very happy with the comments received so far, particularly regarding the first kiss, as I was a little worried about that. Comments are always nice to receive, and help me know that I'm doing a decent job!

I apologise for any particularly long future delays and for the huge delay in getting this chapter out. I'm in my second year of university and the workload overtook my life, leaving me little time for anything else. As much as I hate to put my writing second, If I want to pass my degree I'll have to, at least in term time. Rest assured this will continue, if a little slowly, whenever I have a spare moment to work on it. I have plans to pick up the pace soon and throw some conflict into the story. Anyway, hope the chapter is ok! It's a long one! (Longer than my three degree assignments put together!)

Edward climbed the stairs towards the flat he and Alphonse shared slowly. His mind was still reeling from that kiss. He was trying to get his thoughts in order before he had to face Al. He knew his brother would have questions, and he wanted to answer them the best he could without revealing who his date was. He wondered if he should let his brother know of his interest in another man. Still, that could give it away Ed mused. There were only so many men that they knew. He had promised Al all the details for helping him yesterday though. He decided on telling Al the basics. That they got on well, had an amusing time, and were seeing each other again Sunday. He would leave out the kissing.

Reflecting on the evening again, Ed thought that it couldn't have gone any better. Sure, they hadn't ended up back at Roy's, but to be honest, Ed felt that he didn't want to be just another fling or notch on Roy's bedpost. He was glad Roy was taking him seriously. He had been both surprised and pleased when Roy had leaned over and kissed him, and even more excited when the man had deepened the kiss. He felt butterflies in his stomach. Roy had asked him about again! That must mean that he was interested, and after that kiss, Ed's own interest had increased. He found himself wanting to find out more about his commanding officer, and wondered what Roy had in store for Sunday.

Edward reached the apartment door, and stood, taking a deep breath as he pulled out his key and opened the door. He cautiously stuck his head around the door looking for signs of Alphonse, half wondering if his brother had taken an early night. Leaning into the apartment further and shutting the door softly, Ed saw that he had no such luck. Alphonse was sitting on the sofa under the pretence of reading a book, however his face turned to Ed in expectation when he heard the door shut and he quickly put aside his book. Ed sighed in resignation and walked over to the sofa to sit beside his brother.

'Brother!' Al welcomed warmly, trying to gauge Ed's reaction, and wondering if he needed to tread carefully or not.

'Hey Al.' Ed grinned, reclining on the sofa and putting his feet up on the coffee table. It was hard for him to be unhappy about his brothers desire for details when the night had been so successful.

Al took his brothers relaxed pose and grin as a sign that things went well. It was time to get the details! 'So I take it you had a good time then?' he asked.

'Very much so.' Ed agreed, kicking off his boots. They landed with a thump on the coffee table, spreading dirt everywhere. Ed figured he would clean that up later.

'That's it?' Al pressed, scowling at the mess his brother had made 'Where did you go? What was it like? What was she like? I saw the car outside. She must be older than you if she can drive.'

Ed grimaced at his brothers observation about the car. It was a good job Roy hadn't got out to open the door for him. Al would have been rather shocked. At least he could answer most of the questions honestly.

'We went to a nice steak restaurant a few minutes drive from here. It was great! The food was excellent, and the company was good too. I should take you there sometime.' Ed replied, and, hoping to divert his brother a little, added 'We're going out again on Sunday, though I don't know where. Apparently it's a surprise.'

'If you're paying, I won't say no!' Al laughed as his brother opened his mouth to protest and continued 'She must like you if she wants to see you again, especially if she asked you! She likes to keep you guessing then?'

'It's a guy.' Ed blurted out, unable to stop himself. He just couldn't lie to Al, it felt wrong. They were brothers and they shared everything. He just hoped his brother would understand.

'A guy?' Al asked, intrigued 'An older guy?'

'Yes.' Ed confirmed, trying not to look as nervous as he felt. He liked Roy a lot, and didn't want to have to choose between him and his brother.

'So…you're gay?' Al guessed.

'I'm not sure,' Ed confessed, feeling the need to talk. Al hadn't yet appeared disgusted, so encouraged, Ed continued. 'All I know is that I like him a lot, and that we got on so well tonight! He even didn't mind my outbursts when he called me short! I'm really looking forward to Sunday,' he admitted, blushing lightly. 'I'm glad he agreed to take me out tonight.'

'You… asked him?' Al asked surprised, knowing that this small piece of information meant a lot in relation to his brother. Edward would never consider making the first move unless he really liked someone. 'You must like him a lot.'

'Yeah,' Ed agreed, feeling less worried by the second. A sudden memory of the kiss he had shared with Roy strengthened his resolve and brought a blush to his face. 'I know your probably worried Al, but I want more than anything to give this a go. You don't… hate me do you?' he asked tentatively.

'Of course not. You know I could never hate you Ed!' Al replied, slinging an arm around his brothers back. 'You'll always be my brother, and I'll always be here for you, just like you are for me. It doesn't matter who you go out with, as long as they make you happy. If he ever hurts you though, I'll kick his arse!'

'Al!' Ed exclaimed, shocked at his brothers use of language, yet relieved at his acceptance of the whole situation. 'Thanks,' he murmured, laying his head on his brothers shoulder, feeling rather tired.

Al smiled at his brother fondly. 'Are you going to tell me anything else then?' he asked curiously, hoping to get more out of Ed now that he was more relaxed and half asleep.

'He said I looked good,' Ed murmured smiling sleepily. 'And he paid for both of us!'

Al laughed gently, knowing that Ed loved a free meal. 'Come on, lets get you to bed,' he said, helping Ed up towards his room, knowing his brother would sleep on the sofa if left as is. He would find out more about Ed's date tomorrow.

'I can walk myself,' Ed muttered irritably, but made no effort to shrug off his brothers helping hand. Tired and relieved as he was, Ed had no trouble falling asleep.

When Ed was settled, Al retired to his own room, contemplating his brothers revelation. He had no problem at all with Ed's attraction to men. It made a lot of sense now. Ed must have been reluctant to double date with him because of his crush on the guy he was currently seeing. Al was curious as to who it was. He wondered if he knew the guy. Perhaps if he used binoculars next time when he was looking out of the window, he would find out. In his excitement over Ed's date, he had forgotten to mention Winry had called to say she was arriving on tomorrow mornings train. Still, he supposed he could tell his brother in the morning. Sighing to himself, he slipped into bed and fell asleep quickly, eagerly anticipating their friends visit tomorrow.

The day Edward awoke feeling very well rested. He was happy that his conversation with Al had gone well and especially pleased with how well his date had gone. In all honesty, he had been expecting Roy to humour him and at the end of the night tell him that it wasn't going to work. Instead they had talked civilly, eaten a good meal, and Ed hadn't had to worry about restraining his bad habits. Roy it seemed found amusement in his behaviour and had even asked him out again. For now, Ed ignored the voice at the back of his mind questioning how serious Roy was. He didn't think Roy would have asked him out again unless he was serious about giving a relationship between them a go. A man as intelligent as Mustang would have realised that leading Ed on would have disastrous consequences for their working relationship.

Ed rolled out of bed, getting easily to his feet and heading straight to the bathroom. Pausing in front of the mirror, Ed gazed at his reflection. His blonde hair was mussed from moving around in his sleep, sticking out at all angles, and his eyes were tired from just waking up. Ed moved his gaze downwards to look at his right shoulder, metallic and cold in comparison to his skin. He had grown to tolerate and even appreciate his automail over the years. It had saved his life on more than one occasion, proving a useful weapon. There had always been times that his automail had let him down. Such as during the battle with number 48 in laboratory five. There had also been times during the past he had cursed his metallic limbs, which had always served as a reminder of his childhood mistakes. When he was younger, Ed had gone to lengths to conceal his false limbs. However as he had grown older it mattered less that people knew about his automail. His automail was no disability, it had given him the ability to continue his life and achieve his goals. Dressing the way he did at work became habit, rather than a way to cover up his automail, and it set him aside from the military as a defiance of dress code. Personally he would rather dress in something comfortable that allowed him to move around freely and fight easily, rather than those restrictive uniforms.

With a sigh, Edward turned on the tap and cupped some cold water in his hands, splashing it on his face in an attempt to wake himself up a little. He would have more time to sort his hair out and get dressed properly after breakfast, which by the smell of things, was almost done. Moving through into the kitchen Ed followed his nose towards the food Alphonse had left on the table for him. Al was already dressed, Ed mused, as he looked at his brother, confused. It was Saturday, there was really no reason for him to be up and dressed so early.

'Brother! You're finally up!' Al exclaimed, watching as Ed sat down and began to eat his breakfast. 'You're not even dressed yet! Hurry up and eat, then get ready! We have to meet Winry at the station soon!'

'What!?' Ed exclaimed, expecting something, but not that. When Al and Winry got together they could really drive him nuts. It was a good job he had a date to look forward to. 'Since when?' he asked, sighing into his food in resignation.

'Since yesterday. With all the excitement of your date I forgot to tell you,' Al grinned sheepishly, sipping on his tea, having already eaten while Edward was sleeping.

'So you go meet her,' Ed griped 'I'll stay here and wait for you to get back.' He was already half way through his breakfast, and looked at Al sneakily. 'It'll give you a chance alone with her to finally ask her out.'

'Brother!' Al protested, blushing as red as Ed's favourite coat. 'You know I couldn't do that!'

'Why not Al?' Ed asked gently 'We both know you've had a crush on her for as long as we can remember.'

'But so have you!' Al argued 'I couldn't do that to you!'

'That's why you've been taking so long to ask her?' Ed queried, sipping his juice through a straw. 'I'm not interested in Winry that way. I think I lost interest the first time she threw that wrench at me. Since then she's been a good friend to me, but beyond that? She's all yours Al.'

'You're sure brother?' Al asked, trying to contain his excitement. It was true what his brother had said: he had liked Winry for years. Even when he was in a suit of armour she had still treated him the same, but he had always assumed it would be her and Ed that eventually got together. After all, everyone teased his brother about it.

'Positive Al. Winry thinks of me as a brother, and I have interests of my own,' Ed replied, grabbing another bagel and beginning to munch as he thought of the handsome man who invaded his thoughts so frequently.

'Great!' Al smiled, finishing his tea. 'Hurry up and get ready then! I promised Winry we would both meet her at the station!'

'Fine,' Ed agreed, finishing up his juice and heading to get ready to leave. He changed quickly into a midnight blue turtleneck sweater and thick black cargo pants. It had rained overnight, and the air was still cool. The last thing he wanted was to get ill before his date tomorrow. Ed pulled on his favourite red jacket and grabbed a hair tie. Al was in a rush and he didn't have time to braid his hair, so he opted instead for brushing it out and settling for a high ponytail.

When he felt presentable, Ed grabbed his watch and money, stuffing them in his pockets and left the room swiftly in search of his boots.

'Are you ready now?' Al called impatiently from the door, where he stood on the threshold ready to leave.

'Just a minute,' Ed called back, 'I can't find my boots!'

'In a heap on the coffee table,' Al supplied helpfully, hoping Ed had the sense to clean up the mess he made before they left.

Ed grimaced as he spotted his mud covered boots on an equally dirty coffee table. He really had to stop taking those shortcuts through the park to work, now he would have to clean his boots. He would sort that, and the mess on the coffee table out later though, Al was in a rush. He snickered at his brothers enthusiasm, pulling on his boots quickly and grabbing his keys from the table. He supposed he should hurry too. If they were late, he could end up getting a wrench to the head. Ed rushed to the door, grabbing another bagel on his way out, and pulling the door shut behind them.

'Hurry brother we're going to be late!' Al worried as Ed locked the door.

'You should have woken me earlier then,' Ed complained around his bagel as they headed outside.

'I would have, but you were moaning in your sleep,' Al teased mercilessly.

Ed blushed and shoved his hands in his pockets trying to ignore his immature younger brother, hoping that he had not been moaning Roy's name in his sleep again. 'I was not!' he denied, stalking off at a fast pace. 'Come on Al, hurry up will you? If we're late Winry will be mad.'

'Right,' Al agreed, snickering behind his hand as he ran to catch up with Ed, who thwacked him upside the head and left him cringing all the way to the station.

Roy awoke with a yawn, and stretched lazily in his king sized bed, throwing off the covers in the process. He gazed blearily over at his beside clock, which read 9.30am. He shook his head in amusement, realising that he had overslept, and slept rather well. He found himself content for once in facing the day, and stood slowly with the intention of getting breakfast as soon as possible. He dressed quickly for the day, in black comfy trousers that he preferred on his days off, and a warm blue sweater, because it was rather cold even around the house.

He mused thoughtfully as he headed down the stairs towards his kitchen in search of food. Tomorrow he had another date with Edward, and he was a little apprehensive. He had yet to make any plans, and felt the need to be a little more original than just another dinner date. Roy really did like Ed's company, and wanted the blonde to know that he meant more to him than just repeating the same evening as Friday. He wanted something different, something…romantic, and it had been a very long time since he had needed to bother with romance. Usually his rank and good looks were enough to get him a partner to warm his bed for the night. However, Edward didn't respect rank, and although his looks had attracted the blonde, Edward did not seem the type to just jump into his bed after a date or two. Roy felt that perhaps with Edward their relationship could run a little deeper than that anyway, if things worked out. He had enjoyed being with Ed immensely, and had found their date a refreshing change of pace.

Roy had reached the kitchen and began to look around for something to eat. After turning out every corner of the kitchen, he groaned in frustration. There wasn't a scrap of anything edible in sight. Roy decided a quick walk into town would do him good, and he could always grab breakfast out while he made an effort to restock his decimated food supply. Grabbing his keys and his long military overcoat, Roy left the house and locked the door behind him, heading out onto the street towards the market.

Reaching the market quickly, Roy realised that he had no idea what he actually wanted to buy. He really needed a little of everything, except for coffee. He made sure never to run out of that. It was an easy task when his office was always full of the stuff and no one seemed to notice exactly how much his office seemed to get through each week, or how much he took home. He began to mull over his options for his date tomorrow, not really paying much attention to where he was going or what he was buying. Roy munched on a doughnut he had picked up for breakfast, wondering what sort of date Edward would like best. The blonde liked to eat a surprising amount for someone so short, so involving food in this date was a good idea, however that left him with a restaurant again, which he didn't want to do. He ran a free hand through his hair in frustration, trying to think of something else. No one had caught his attention like Edward had last night, and he had never experienced such strong feelings from a mere kiss. He wanted to take Edward somewhere where the two could talk and get to know each other more, so that excluded theatre too, another one of his key haunts for dates.

Roy was so wrapped up in his own musings that he didn't notice the woman until he had bumped into her. She was startled, but not enough to lose her footing or drop anything. Being in the military for years sharpened her reflexes.

'I'm sorry,' Roy apologised quickly 'My mind was elsewhere.'

The woman looked up at him and smiled. 'Quite alright General,' she mused, her blonde hair loose around her shoulders.

'Hello Riza,' Roy smiled gently. He looked down to see Black Hayate by her side, and crouched down to scratch him behind his ears.

'Roy,' she replied, dropping the formalities and smiling craftily. 'You left us in the lurch the other day, both yourself and Fullmetal taking unscheduled time off. I also heard that you snuck out not long after I left to go on a date the night before.'

'Ah…' Roy began, floored. He had forgotten all about that in his excitement over his date with Edward. He hurried to make an excuse. 'I hardly think that's relevant, considering that I got all the work done,' he replied smoothly.

'While that is true, we barely got anything done yesterday with the both of you off. Monday morning is going to be especially hectic. Not only do you have work to catch up on, but its rumoured we have an inspection from the Fuhrer,' Hawkeye explained, relaying the information that she had learned from her sources.

'An inspection?' Roy raised his eyebrows. Haruko had been watching him like a hawk for sometime now, having suspicions over his involvement in the death of the previous Fuhrer. That infernal man was forever trying to catch Roy out, trying to find a shred of evidence to prove that he was after the job of Fuhrer and had already killed once in an attempt to take the position for himself. Roy was lucky to have loyal subordinates looking out for him. 'I'll be in earlier Monday morning to make sure everything is in order,' Roy proclaimed, 'and make sure the others are aware of the inspection. I want everyone on their best behaviour.'

'Speak for yourself sir,' Hawkeye bit back jokingly. 'Breda says that you and Edward stole a bottle of scotch that he kept hidden under his desk, though if that's the case then I must say I'm surprised that you didn't destroy the office.'

'We got our work done. We were too tired to fight.' Roy admitted, his eyes brightening at the mention on Edward. Riza couldn't help but notice and filed that information away for future reference.

'Yes, you did.' Riza admitted, and then changing the subject asked 'What were you thinking about when you bumped into me?'

Roy thought for a moment. Riza Hawkeye was one of his closest friends. Roy already knew her to be a good confidant, and she may have some useful perspectives on romance to help him along his way to arranging the perfect date.

'Have you got time for a coffee?' Roy asked, indicating to a nearby café. He was sure she would need to sit down for this.

'Sure, why not?' she replied, looking at her watch. She had nothing of note to be doing, and lately the office dynamic had been a little off. Perhaps what Roy had on his mind was somehow related to this, and perhaps she would establish the meaning behind the gleam in his eyes when she had mentioned Edwards name.

The Elric brothers had arrived at the station just in time to see the train arriving . Luckily for the brothers, it had been delayed by ten minutes, and Edward opted for leaning casually against the nearest wall, acting as if he had been waiting there all the time. Al couldn't argue with that approach, as long as Winry didn't know that the brothers had also been late, there would be no problem and no one would get hurt. Al stood next to his brother wringing his hands nervously in anticipation. He couldn't wait to see Winry again, especially now, knowing that his brother had never had any romantic intentions towards her. Al looked over as the train doors opened, and watched for Winry amongst all the travellers. Spotting her behind a group of children travelling with their parents, Al began to weave his way through the crowd towards her. Ed followed from a distance, knowing that this trip would turn into a shopping trip.

'Ed! Al!' Winry called, and upon reaching Al pulled him into a hug. 'I missed you both!'

'We missed you too Winry,' Al murmured against her hair, content to be in her embrace. Edward smirked knowingly.

When they broke apart, Winry turned to Ed, looking him over for a second as if trying to determine that his automail was in good condition. She smiled and stepped forward. Ed wondered for a split second if he should be stepping back, before Winry hugged him.

'Its good to see you Ed,' Winry said, pulling away. 'Are you ready to take me shopping?'

'Shopping?' Ed groaned half heartedly, having already expected this to be the plan for the day. The expectation however did not stop his lament over the state his finances would be in after today. Perhaps he could get out of it…

'Yes, Al promised you would both take me shopping today, and he even said you would buy me anything I liked! Didn't he tell you?' Winry demanded, turning on Al. 'I'm sure I told you when I called last night!'

'I got a little distracted,' Al told her grinning. 'Brother came home from his date and I wanted to know all the details!'

'You had a date Edward?' Winry asked, shocked, before grinning evilly and prodding his chest with her wrench, which she seemed to have procured out of nowhere. 'You better tell me ALL the details then!'

Ed groaned, and Al looked on sympathetically. Winry could be quite the forceful interrogator when she wanted to be.

Trying to save his brother momentarily, Al interjected, linking arms with them both 'Lets go into town before the weather turns bad, I'm sure Ed will be more than happy to tell you on the way.'

'That's fine!' Winry agreed, distracted by the feel of Al's arm brushing against her own. 'I'm more than able to talk whilst we're walking!'

'Great!' Ed groaned sarcastically, starting for the exit to the train station, preparing himself for the longest day of his life.

Roy and Riza found a small table outside the café, and sat down opposite each other, ordering a coffee each. When the coffee arrived, Riza sipped hers thoughtfully, thinking on how to broach the topic of her superior and friends obvious absentmindedness. She was broken out of her reverie when Roy spoke himself, negating the need for herself to start the conversation.

'I've met someone,' Roy began carefully, setting his cup down and looking into Riza's startled gaze, a little apprehensive, but slightly pleased with himself. Riza Hawkeye was not an easy person to shock.

'You met someone?' she asked, hoping he would clarify.

'I had a date last night with someone new. I never expected it to happen, but I found myself enjoying their company.' Roy elaborated, knowing his friend would understand the implication of his words. After all, it was rare for him to be serious about someone.

'Are you going out again?' Riza asked, leaning forward in her chair and resting her face in her hands, bemused. This was interesting, and a rare thing indeed.

'Yes.' Roy answered. 'I couldn't resist asking for a second date.'

'Then what did you seem worried about earlier? You were awfully distracted.' Riza pointed out.

'I'm…nervous,' Roy admitted, hiding behind a sip of coffee. 'I want to make this second date different to show that I'm serious about him.'

'Perhaps you could cook a meal for him?' Riza suggested, putting two and two together and guessing that Roy Mustang was seeing Edward Elric. 'Edward is rather fond of food after all.'

She saw Roy's face quickly drain of colour. How on earth did she figure it out already? Roy sighed, knowing he really should have expected it from her. Her perceptive nature was one of the many reasons he kept her close to him as one of his most loyal subordinates.

'I can't very well learn to cook overnight can I?' Roy mused aloud, not denying her accusation. 'I'm seeing him tomorrow.'

'Perhaps another time then,' she smiled. 'I'm not opposed. It certainly explains his strange behaviour and your glazed look at the mention of his name.'

'Perceptive as always,' Roy smiled, then turned serious and asked 'What should I do?'

'Its important that you treat him seriously and don't lead him on. I hear tomorrow is going to be a nice day, perhaps you could take him for a picnic in the park by the river? Edward always struck me as an outdoors type,' Riza commented.

'That isn't a bad idea,' Roy mused, finishing his coffee. He would need to buy a few things to make this idea work, but he had all afternoon to prepare. 'And believe me, I understand how badly this could affect our working relationship if I led him on in any way. I rather… enjoyed his company.'

Riza looked at him for a moment before nodding. 'You two always did appear similar. I hope tomorrow goes well for you.'

'I hope so too,' Roy agreed, his attention distracted as Black Hayate began to whine, irritated at being ignored for so long and having his walk disrupted.

'I had better go,' Riza mused, looking down at her dog. 'Good luck!' she wished, leaving Roy sitting alone at the table. With a sigh, Roy stood, and began to gather a mental list of everything he would need for tomorrows date.

Edward was glad for Al's crush on Winry, for inevitably Winry had bought an awful lot of new tools, and his brother had offered to carry everything for her. They were now resuming shopping after a quick lunch in a nearby park, where Ed had felt calmed by the river. It would be a nice place to spend with someone you cared about, he had thought, as he watched Al and Winry strolling over to get ice creams, arm in arm. Now, as they walked through the decreasing crowds of the afternoon, Ed was wondering if his brother had asked Winry out yet. Al had already offered to give up his room for her and sleep on the couch while she was staying. Edward was pleased that he did not have to give up his own room this time. The last time he had the couch Winry had teased him for weeks when, on a trip to the kitchen in the middle of the night, she had overheard him moaning Roy's name in his sleep. He had at first been surprised that she wasn't angry, since he had long suspected Winry had a crush on him. But Winry had calmly explained that it had always been his brother she had liked romantically, and that she thought of Edward as her brother. Then she had proceeded to tease him mercilessly for his crush on his commanding officer who he had always acted like he hated. She had never judged him for it, and had probably assumed by now that his crush had passed.

'Brother look! It's the General!' Al pointed out, as they were walking along the street opposite the bakery. Roy was approaching them briskly, smiling gently, looking very much like he had rolled out of bed that morning and walked straight out of the house. To Edward he looked sexy when his hair was dishevelled that way.

'Hello Fullmetal, Winry, Alphonse,' he greeted when he was within hearing range. 'May I have a word with you in private Edward? Military business you understand,' he added, nodding to the other two, glad that he had chanced upon Edward this afternoon.

'Of course,' Ed answered, trying to appear professional. 'I'll meet you back at the flat Al, ok?'

'Sure brother,' Al answered, knowing Winry still felt a little weird being around Mustang. He whispered quietly so only Ed could hear, 'Try not to fight with the General too much brother.'

Ed rolled his eyes and pouted. Roy thought he looked unbearably cute like that, and smiled a little. 'We won't fight!' Ed insisted loudly, shooing his brother away with his automail hand, smiling slightly at his brothers ignorance. He would have to tell Al he was dating Mustang someday, if anything just to see the look on his brothers face.

Al rolled his eyes at his brother, before linking arms with Winry and turning to walk away. Winry looked curiously at Ed, then at Roy, before shaking her head at the pair of them and turning to leave with Alphonse. When the pair had merged with the crowds, Ed turned to Roy.

'So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?' Edward asked, curiously, looking up at Roy.

'Actually what I told your brother wasn't too far from the truth,' Roy admitted, looking around to make sure that they would not be overheard. 'Riza has informed me of an inspection taking place on Monday by the Fuhrer. It seems he is suspicious of me.'

'An inspection?' Ed asked curiously, as they started to walk in the opposite direction Alphonse and Winry had just left in.

'Yes, and I hate to ask this of you, but I need you to be on your best behaviour.' Roy did not want Ed to repress his lively personality, and knew Edward would hate his next request even more, but he had no choice. 'I'll need you to wear your proper uniform to work Monday.'

Ed grimaced and make a face of disgust that made Roy chuckle lightly. Ed heard him and directed a half hearted glare at Roy before giving a sigh of resignation. 'I suppose its just one day,' he said running his hand through his hair in exasperation. 'Don't worry, I'll be on my best behaviour. I wouldn't want you to lose your job.'

'Thank you,' Roy replied, surprised again by the maturity Edward was showing. 'I'm not keen on losing my job either.'

'So what's in the bag?' Ed asked, his curiosity getting the better of him as he tried to sneak a peek.

Roy moved the bag behind his back and away from the nosy alchemist quickly. 'Just a few things for tomorrow,' he said winking at Ed. 'I need to change the time though, to five rather than seven, I have something slightly different planned.'

'That's no problem,' Ed replied, very curious about the contents of the bag now. 'I'm sure Al will be pleased to get rid of me earlier so that he has some time alone with Winry. What should I wear?'

'Just dress casual,' Roy decided, smiling at Ed's curiosity toward the bag.

'Casual, got it,' Ed replied, as they stopped walking. 'I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?'

'Yes, I'll call for you around 5pm,' Roy agreed, looking forward to what he had planned and hoping Edward would like it.

They parted reluctantly, each glancing back to look at the other before Edward waved and turned to jog in the direction that Al and Winry had left in. Roy smiled and concentrated on making his own way home to complete his preparations for tomorrows date.

It was the next evening and Edward was waiting impatiently for Roy to pick him up. He had spent the time since he saw Roy last trying to fathom just what the man had planned. Roy thought that he hadn't seen into that bag, but Ed had glimpsed a couple of interesting things before Roy had yanked the bag away and out of sight behind his back. This did not make him any closer to knowing what Roy had planned though, for all he had glimpsed were food bags buried under a blanket. This had piqued Edward's curiosity, and the waiting was torture. Normally when Ed was curious about something, he could find the answers in the library, but this was a different matter entirely.

Ed had taken Roy's advice to dress casually and had opted for wearing his usual black leather pants and a red button up shirt that he had borrowed from his brother. He had pulled his hair back into a braid and, at Winry's suggestion, tied it with a red ribbon which he felt looked ridiculous but Winry insisted looked cute. Edward had felt arguing wasn't worth the inevitable wrench to his head, so agreed half heartedly.

Speaking of Winry, she and Al had been incessantly nagging him to introduce them to his date tonight. He was a little apprehensive about that at first, but had since decided that seeing the shocked looks from Al and the surprise from Winry would definitely be worthwhile, so if Roy came to the door, Ed would oblige them. If not, they could spy out of the window just like Alphonse had attempted to do the last time.

Edward was startled out of his reminiscence by a sharp rap at the door and a scrabbling from the next room as both Alphonse and Winry attempted to answer it. Ed sighed and joined the fray, shoving his brother away from the door and grabbing the handle to stop him from opening it. Composing himself for a second or two, Ed paused dramatically before swinging open the door.

The look on his brother and friends face was priceless. Al blinked, stared, and shook his head a few times as if in disbelief of what he was seeing. Roy looked startled briefly before regaining his composure. Winry just looked bemused, and somewhat knowingly at Ed.

'You're dating the General?' Al exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief and shock.

'Yes,' Ed replied carefully as he stepped through the door and away from Al to stand beside Roy, who inclined his head to kiss Edward tenderly on the cheek and slip an arm around the young mans waist.

'I'm really surprised,' Al began hesitantly, knowing how much Edward always complained about the man in front of them. Then, remembering his conversation with his brother the night before and how happy Ed had seemed, continued more confidently, 'I'll admit I'm shocked, but I can accept this if its what you want brother.'

'I'm not surprised Ed,' Winry added smirking, and Ed silently willed her not to mention his dreams. 'Don't worry, I'll support you too.'

'Thanks,' Ed nodded to them, before turning to face Roy 'Shall we go then?'

'Yes, lets go,' Roy agreed, and nodded to Winry and Alphonse as he walked with Edward away from the apartment.

'Well that was surprising,' Al muttered, as he shut and locked the door. 'Who would have thought that those two actually liked each other?'

'Actually Al, I knew a while back that Ed liked the General,' Winry commented, grabbing a glass of juice from the kitchen.

'You knew?' Al asked incredulously, taking a seat at the kitchen table opposite Winry. 'Why would brother tell you and not me?'

'He had no choice,' Winry assured Al, and began to relay in detail the story of her discovery of Edwards crush on his commanding officer.

Central was generally deserted on Sunday evenings, and tonight was no different, Roy was sure that no one of consequence was around to witness any affection between himself and Edward so he left his arm at the blondes waist as they made their way down the street. They would have to be a little careful, at least until he became Fuhrer. Roy had slowed his own pace slightly so that Edward would not struggle to keep up with him. Shortly after leaving the house Ed's arm had come to rest around Roy's waist and his head was almost resting on Roy's shoulder. It was a mild summer night, and the sun had yet to set. The weather couldn't have been more perfect.

'You're brother and Winry took us fairly well,' Roy commented as they walked along the street.

Ed nodded slightly. 'Especially Al. I thought he would have tried to knock some sense into me given that…well...' Ed faltered, not sure if mentioning all the complaining he did about Roy to the man was the best idea in the world.

'Given what?' Roy asked, curious

'How much I used to complain about you,' Ed sighed, deciding that he may as well be honest and that he would rather be open with Roy.

Roy smiled a little for he knew it to be true. Edward had complained about him from the beginning. Shaking his head in amusement, he supplied helpfully, 'I know all about that. You're so loud the entire office can hear you complain.'

'Really?' Ed had the decency to blush a little. 'You know I didn't mean it right? Well.. Most of it. Sometimes you can be a real jerk!'

Roy laughed ' A jerk who agreed to take you to dinner, paid for it, and always has your best interests at heart?'

'You had a strange way of showing it,' Ed murmured thoughtfully and added ' You really looked out for me though.'

'Always,' Roy confirmed, stopping and pulling Ed around to face him and placing a tender kiss on his lips. 'I think part of me was always aware that I cared for you.'

'That's the cheesiest thing I've ever heard,' Ed grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest, however Roy could make out the shadow of a smile on the young mans face.

They walked along in silence a little further, Roy hoping that Edward would like the date he had planned and Edward contemplating Roy's words. Ed was the first to break the silence.

'You know I care about you too right?' Ed asked, turning to Roy and adding 'This isn't some crush. I really do like you.'

Roy turned to Ed to look him in the eyes and was drawn in by the intensity of the blondes gaze. Edwards eyes were sparkling with honesty and determination. He was telling the truth, of that Roy had no doubt.

'I know,' Roy whispered as he pulled Edward into an embrace. 'I really like you too, and I would never have taken you out again tonight if I didn't. I enjoy your company.'

Ed revelled in the feeling of Roy's arms around him, embracing the man back and lifting his head to look into Roy's eyes. 'Shall we get going then?'

Roy nodded, and they continued down the street.

'So where are we going?' Ed asked, relieved and happy as he walked beside Roy.

'To the park actually,' Roy revealed, a little nervously. 'I wanted to do something different, so I got us some food to eat by the river.'

'Sounds nice,' Edward admitted, surprised at Roy's choice of date, but intrigued by the idea of eating alone with Roy in the park. It seemed somewhat romantic, and he had even been thinking so earlier. Looking up, Ed spotted the entrance to the park and exclaimed enthusiastically, 'Lets find a place to eat! I'm hungry!'

'Sure,' Roy agreed, as they began to scout along the riverbank for a suitable spot. Roy was glad that Edward seemed to approve of his idea, and was pleased to see that the park was just as deserted as he had hoped. They came upon a sheltered spot underneath an oak tree that stood in the evening sunlight overlooking the river. Retrieving a blanket from his bag and spreading it under the tree, Roy removed his jacket and settled against the tree trunk. Edward discarded his own jacket and sat beside Roy who was pulling food out of his bag. Edward grinned and tried to grab some food bags to see what was inside, but Roy slapped his hands away playfully.

'Patience Edward,' Roy scolded, pressing his mouth against Ed's and slipping his tongue in for a taste. Edward moaned into the kiss, competing with Roy for dominance before his stomach growled and he came to his senses and pushed Roy away gently.

'Plenty of time for that later. Right now I'm hungry!' Ed demanded, looking towards the food. When he got no response, he looked back at Roy who was looking a little downcast.

'Patience Roy,' Ed grinned, knowing that the man was used to getting his own way on dates. He leaned over and gave Roy a lingering kiss, and slipped his arm around him, looking at him expectantly. Roy sighed dramatically and took the hint, getting out the food and wondering what had happened to his irresistibleness.

'I know you'll eat anything, but I took the liberty of ordering noodles, since I heard you're fond of those,' Roy explained. He knew his source was a good one. It was rare that his first lieutenant got her facts wrong.

Ed examined the food carefully before grabbing a container and a plastic fork.

'Looks great!' he contemplated, sniffing at the food, 'Smells great,' he added, getting a forkful to taste 'And tastes great!' he concluded through his mouthful.

Roy laughed. It seemed Edward was scientific about everything he did. He hoped his own cooking could live up to Edwards standards if the blonde agreed to see him again Friday. Normally, Roy preferred takeout. He was a hopeless cook, except when it came to barbeque.

They ate quickly and silently, content for the moment to enjoy the food and the closeness that they shared, each revelling in the warmth of the other. Edward was the first to finish eating, and stretched his arms above his head, yawning, as he let his arm fall down over Roy's shoulders. Roy smiled and leaned over to kiss Ed's forehead, then finished his own food and basked in the comfortable silence, wondering how with Edward, this seemed so easy, so right, compared to any other dates he had been on.

'Did you bring dessert?' Ed asked curiously, breaking Roy out of his reverie, and leaning over Roy to try and nose through the bag.

'You know, you eat an awful lot for someone so small,' Roy teased, and grinned as Ed stopped trying to reach the bag and glared at him.

'I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that,' Ed bit out, controlling himself. He didn't look particularly menacing leaning over Roy like that anyway. Roy thought he looked stunning.

Roy laughed, and decided to have a little fun. 'So you're a deaf midget then?' he teased, watching and waiting for Edward's reaction.

Edward growled and got to his feet. 'You asked for it!' he exclaimed, bringing his hands together to clap as he moved menacingly towards Roy, flinging himself towards the man.

Roy was up and on his feet in a flash, almost expecting this and dodging to the side, hoping he had remembered his gloves. He smirked in triumph as he dug into his pocket and felt the familiar ignition cloth. Pulling out the gloves, he fitted them to his hands and turned with the intention of sending a fireball hurtling towards Edward, only to realise that he did not know where the blonde alchemist was. Turning slowly and cautiously in a circle, Roy scanned the area with his eyes as he tried to determine Edwards whereabouts.

Ed meanwhile was trying to sneak up on Roy from behind, calculating the distance and wondering if he could catch the man unawares. Deciding that his chances were high if he moved fast enough, Edward darted out from under the cover of the hedge he was hiding behind, and made a dash towards Roy, who had his back turned.

Roy was beginning to turn to search the area again, when he found himself barrelled over by a blur of red and blonde. They fell to the soft grass in a tangle of limbs, and struggled for a brief moment to determine who had the upper hand, before Ed grinned triumphantly and pinned Roy to the ground. Roy stared up at him, and was captivated by his golden eyes.

'Take it back!' Ed growled, menacingly, although the twinkling of his eyes betrayed his amusement.

'Why should I?' Roy argued, amused. The blonde was stronger than he appeared.

Ed seemed to contemplate this for a moment, before grinning, and reaching his hands to Roy's sides and beginning to tickle him mercilessly. Roy struggled, and began to laugh, trying to dislodge the blonde above him, however Edward was not giving up that easily, and his automail made pinning Roy down easy. Roy couldn't help himself as he burst out laughing, and, still failing to dislodge Edward, cried out through his laughter 'Get off, get off!'

'Do you surrender?' Ed asked gleefully.

Roy thought about it for a moment, and then, as Edward moved to resume his attack, called out 'Fine, fine, I surrender!'

'Good,' Ed nodded, as he got up and offered his hand to Roy. Roy pulled himself up and pulled Edward into an embrace, whispering seductively into the blonde's ear.

'If you were an inch taller you wouldn't fit into my arms so well.'

Ed blushed, looking up into Roy's eyes as they linked arms and began to head back to the blanket. 'You really are a hopeless romantic,' he grinned and added, 'and a tease.'

'Somehow, I can't help it when I'm around you.' Roy murmured thoughtfully. 'Am I forgiven?'

'Of course.' Ed concluded as they arrived back at their picnic spot. 'I want to see if you actually did bring dessert!'

They sat themselves down together and Roy leaned his head on the shorter mans shoulder, panting, slightly breathless. He had made out in this park, he had even fumbled in this park, but never had be been chased around it and tickled into submission. Leaning over to kiss Ed's cheek, and gently nuzzle his nose into Ed's hair, Roy breathed a deep sigh.

'I really enjoyed that,' Roy admitted, moving his mouth down to kiss Ed's neck.

'Me too,' Ed agreed, ruffling Roy's hair tenderly and snuggling closer to the man.

They stayed that way for a few moments, before Edward remembered suddenly that they still hadn't had any dessert. Ed nudged Roy gently with his elbow to get the mans attention and Roy looked up at him questioningly.

'Where's dessert?' Edward asked in answer to Roy's unspoken question.

Roy shook his head and reached over into the bags that had lain forgotten during the chase through the park. 'Right here!' he announced triumphantly as he pulled out some strawberries, a bottle of red wine, and two glasses from the bag.

'Good enough?' Roy asked, as he opened the bottle and poured them both a glass.

Edward picked up his glass and sniffed it cautiously, before taking a sip. The wine was light and fruity and rather to his taste he concluded. 'Its nice.' he admitted.

Roy removed his gloves and offered Edward a strawberry, watching transfixed as Edward took a bite, his lips grazing Roy's fingers as he opted to eat out of the mans hand, rather than taking it in his own. Roy was left with the stalk, and a tingling feeling in his stomach. Ed looked amused, and helped himself to another strawberry, eating slowly and deliberately, licking his lips slowly when he was done, watching for Roy's reaction. The next strawberry he offered to Roy, who felt a little silly eating out of Edward's hand, but did so anyway. They ate slowly, teasing each other, and, when there was no more, sat looking over the river, which sparkled in the low sunlight.

As the sun began to set, Roy leaned his head on Edwards again, and slipped an arm around his shoulders, as they watched the sun set below the skyline of Central city.

'Would you like to come to my house on Friday night?' Roy asked.

Edward contemplated the offer for a moment, then looked up at Roy and smiled. 'I'd like that,' he replied, and asked cheekily 'Are you cooking then, Flame?'

'Yes, I am,' Roy admitted. 'Don't worry, it won't be THAT bad,' Roy added, seeing the look on Edward's face, and hoping that Riza would be a good teacher.

'I'll just come over after work then,' Edward mused, huddling closer to Roy as the sun descended completely, and the temperature began to drop. He was beginning to look forward to Friday. They did have to make it through the inspection first however, but that thought was far from their minds for the moment.