Hello again!

I think I'll try for Sunday updates… So definitely come checking about Sunday, possibly Saturday for an update. I'm in Japan and want to update sometime on Sundays Japanese time.

I do have several chapters written, so this won't end any time soon for anyone who was wondering! Plus the updates should be fairly regular for the foreseeable future. ^_^

I see I've gotten quite a few story alerts and one review. Thank you to you all! ^_^ I am wondering if this is a good thing, though, that it's only one review? Ah well, gonna write it either way and am very happy for the alerts and review. I hope everyone has been enjoying this so far! ^_^

Oh, and I just wanted to say, I'm dedicating this to a friend, windrider01 on LJ, because she's brilliant for my muse. Just brilliant anyway! ^_^

Enjoy!

~~Start Story~~

Ed watched in silence as the countryside sped past outside the window. Beside him, the colonel sat reading his paper. They'd left Central about five hours before, so Ed couldn't help wondering why Mustang hadn't finished yet. It wasn't like it was the Sunday edition! Or even the Saturday edition. It was the plain old, skinny Monday morning paper.

In an effort to ward off boredom and to stop himself from glaring a hole in Mustang's paper, Ed checked his schedule for probably the fifth time in nearly as many minutes. Another hour and they'd be there. Finally.

"Why don't you take a nap or read something?" Mustang's voice was only slightly irritated as he spoke, not bothering to glance up from his paper. "What do you usually do when you travel?"

"Play cards with Al or sleep," Ed grumbled. He wouldn't admit that he couldn't do either of those right now. Ed just didn't feel comfortable sleeping without Al there anymore, and he doubted Mustang would put down his paper for cards. (Who really wanted to play with Mustang anyway?)

"Why don't you do that then?"

Ed snorted and shrugged, not wanting to explain. He could feel the man's eyes on him though, so he grumbled, "Why don't you put your paper down for once?"

He heard Mustang sigh, and then felt the man lean in close, wrapping him in the scent of cologne and a warmth that Ed would never admit as being nice.

"Try to look a little happier," Mustang told him softly so that only he would hear. "We're supposed to be running away together, remember?"

Ed snorted again, more softly this time. Who would believe he was running away with this guy?

"And don't forget to call me Roy."

Ed barely resisted glaring at the man as he growled, "I won't…Roy."

Ed felt Mustang linger a moment longer and knew he felt as unnerved at hearing Ed say his given name as Ed felt saying it. Still, Ed was glad they had managed to keep their first names. It made things easier to remember when he didn't have to worry about forgetting his name and screwing everything up.

Then Mustang was leaning back properly into his seat and folding up his paper, replacing it with a book.

Groaning, Ed went back to watching the world go by through his window.

The hour crawled by, but they eventually arrived. Looking around the small settlement, Ed wondered why they were there again. It seemed normal and peaceful enough. What made this case so different it required not one, but two State Alchemists?

Of course, most of his adventures had started this way too.

Perhaps Ed should try reading his case files more thoroughly… Though, normally, he had Al around for taking care of stuff like that.

Ed picked up his bag, vowing to read through the file as soon as they were settled at the hotel, and began heading for the town. He stopped when Mustang's gloveless hand landed on his shoulder. Ed looked around at him in askance.

"Not there, Ed," he told him in a voice he'd never heard the other use before. It was sickly sweet and kind, something like a besotted lover's voice might be. It sent both a shudder down Ed's spine and a soft flush of embarrassment to his cheeks. "This way. We have to take a car there, remember?"

Mustang snatched Ed's luggage away from him and turned to make his way over to an old rust-lined car that looked like it was on its last leg. An old man sat slumped and sleeping behind the wheel. Ed found himself wondering which of the decrepit pair would fall apart first: the car or the man. He wasn't sure he wanted to be around to find out.

"Excuse me," Mustang called out as they drew close. "Are you the transport to Tramston?"

The old man cracked open one eye and turned his head to look at first Mustang and then Ed. A slow grin grew on his face, his eyes lighting with mischief as they both opened to stare at them properly.

"Yessir! I certainly am! Climb on in an' I'll take ya there," he said, his voice a bit wheezy but otherwise strong.

Mustang opened the back door and stepped out of the way to let Ed in first. He climbed in with only a small, token grumble, grabbing his suitcase back as he went.

"Now, now, love," Mustang chided him lightly as he sat beside him and closed the door. "We'll be there soon."

"Ahhh… Some don' travel that well," the older man chuckled as he started the car and began to drive.

"He was fine on the train," Mustang said, shooting Ed a look that promised retribution if he didn't straighten up.

Ed ignored it.

"That's because you were spending the entire time reading the same damn newspaper over and over again," Ed pouted.

He met the driver's pale blue eyes in the rearview mirror.

"He totally ignored me," he whined to the old man.

Their driver laughed and shot Mustang a look of mock reproach as he replied, "Well, he'll jes' havta make it up to ya tonight, won' he?"

"Yes, he will," Ed agreed, feeling triumphant even if it felt odd to be having such a conversation. He just knew the other man had to be fuming though, and that made it all worthwhile. "Won't you, Roy?"

Strangely, the look in Mustang's eyes was more calculating and surprised than annoyed.

"Yes. I will have to do that," Mustang nearly purred at him as he suddenly ran a light hand over Ed's closest thigh.

Ed jumped and stared wide-eyed at Mustang. Seeing the smirk on the man's face, Ed turned a hot scarlet and looked away, just barely noting the deepening sunset as he did so. The driver's laughter resounded in his head as Ed wondered what he had ever done to deserve this.

Roy honestly couldn't remember the last time he had seen Ed blush like this. If he ever had at all. Thanks to their driver's comments, the boy hadn't stopped blushing the entire ride to the small town they were going to be staying in. Unfortunately, it was dark by the time they had arrived, but as the innkeeper (who was also the bartender for the inn's pub) led them to their room, Roy could still see traces of it lingering over his cheekbones.

"You're such a cute couple," the innkeeper told them with a light smile, startling Roy out of his thoughts. "It's already late, so I'll send your dinners up to you. You can eat and rest up tonight. The mayor will want to meet you first thing tomorrow."

"The mayor? Why? Does he usually meet new residents?"

Roy was happy to see that despite his discomfort, Ed was still as sharp as ever. Then again, with all that Ed had done and survived, he'd be disappointed if it were otherwise.

"Yes, of course," the innkeeper told them. "We can't have just anyone moving into our little town. As you know, we're a little out of the ordinary. It'd be easy for someone to come here with the intention to abuse our open-minded policies. And the last thing we'd need is the military coming in to hunt down a criminal." He said this last with an obvious distaste that left Roy glad the innkeeper didn't know he and Ed were soldiers.

Nodding sagely in tacit agreement, Roy nearly groaned at Ed next question.

"Would it really be that bad?"

Roy glanced over to Ed at his question, but kept his eyes mainly on the innkeeper. So he didn't miss when the man shot Ed an irritated and suspicious look. Sighing, Roy resigned himself to damage control.

"You'll have to forgive my husband. He's a bit idealistic. It's a trait that I love about him, but it can still be irritating at times."

Ed gave a small growl, but Roy noticed he was wearing a look that was half pout. The look would have been cute on him if Roy didn't know it was born from the boy fighting a scowl and vitriolic rant.

Then Roy realized what he was thinking and shoved the unwelcome thoughts away.

The innkeeper, thankfully, looked much happier with them when he finally stopped in front of a room and turned to look at them.

"Thank you for your kindness in warning us," Roy told him sincerely. He wrapped an arm around Ed and pulled the boy in against his side. "We'll head over there first thing in the morning to introduce ourselves. I'm sure the mayor will find no fault with us."

At least he'd better not, given that it was his fault they were there to begin with.

The innkeeper nodded, his sharp eyes taking in Ed's stiff posture and renewed deep blush. Frowning, he looked back up at Roy, a calculating look in his eyes.

"We were not approved for being together by our families," Roy told him with a sigh that he quickly followed with a besotted, happy smile. "It will be nice to finally be able to let ourselves be more open with each other finally. We've had to hide it until now."

He felt Ed finally relax into his side and breathed a silent breath of relief.

"Yeah," Ed chimed in tightly, but still passably shy. "I'm not used to this yet."

This seemed to satisfy the innkeeper who pulled out a key from his pocket. He unlocked the door he was standing in front of, Room 205, and pushed it open.

"Until tomorrow then," he said with a friendly smile as he waved them in. "Sleep well!"

Roy reached out and caught the door as it began to swing shut. The innkeeper moved out of the way, and Roy shifted over to let Ed enter first. Ed did so, throwing Roy a scowl that deepened at the innkeeper's laughter. Roy followed him in, keeping one ear firmly cocked to listen to the innkeeper's retreating laughter as he returned to his bar below.

The door swung shut after Roy was inside and he flipped on the lights immediately after. Ed flung himself down on the sofa, somehow taking it up entirely despite being so small.

"I suppose you'll want the bed then?"

Ed's eyes looked like molten gold in the dim lamplight as he spoke. The boy stretched out like a cat and shut them in a huge yawn before looking back at Roy again, like a lazy lion dozing in the sun. If the sun was so dim as their cheap lamplight, that was.

Roy frowned at how Ed had said that so loudly and even simply assumed it to be true. He reminded himself that this was the first time Ed had ever been on a mission like this. Of course the boy would be making a few mistakes. Roy just had to see to it that Ed didn't make too many or too fatal mistakes.

"No. We'll both be sleeping in the bed. After all, we're finally able to be together now," he told Ed with a slight smirk. His smirk grew at the sight of Ed's confused look that swiftly changed into one of annoyance. He found it both disheartening and satisfying to know that he'd been able to protect Ed from the world at least enough that he didn't suspect everything at all times quite yet.

Pulling a chair right up against the end of the sofa by Ed's head, Roy sat gingerly, his muscles screaming after such a long ride in the unyielding train car seats, and leaned down closer to Ed.

"Remember our mission," he told Ed softly. "We have to keep up the pretence at all times. So lower your voice and get close to me when you refer to our actual relationship."

Why did that statement send shivers down Roy's back? This wasn't Ishbal, where those shiver had been great indicators of danger. This was only Ed in a tiny, backwater town. No serial killer would ever get the better of Colonel Roy Mustang here!

Ed scowled up at him with another blush (When had the boy started blushing so much?), but nodded anyway.

"Have you ever shared a bed with anyone before?"

"With Al," Ed snapped. "Who else would I share one with?"

Roy raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't comment. He really should have guessed it anyway. After all, Ed couldn't identify the attention the secretaries and Saxson gave him.

"I think it may be about time you started dating," Roy told him. "You'll find a whole new world out there if you do."

Ed glared at him for several long moments.

"I don't have time. I still have to fix Al."

Roy shrugged. It was a shame for Ed to close himself off like this, but Roy could understand it. He even admired it in a strange sort of way. However, it also saddened him for another vastly different reason.

He'd once felt love like the one Ed felt for his brother. It was, and had been, a love that transcended the physical and found its way into his mind and soul as well as his body and heart. Roy only hoped that Al realized just how lucky he was.