Thank you all for being patient. Here it is! Enjoy. :)

Chapter 7: The Date

They passed Roy's car. "Hey, isn't this one yours?" Edward asked.

"Yeah, but we're not using that today." Roy walked on, keys jangling. Then he stopped next to a motorcycle, slung his leg over it, and kicked up the kick stand. Ed tried not to look uncomfortable with this development. Roy looked at him. "Well get on. You did say a 'date'."

"Uh, right. Who's is this?" Ed asked as he carefully got on the back and wrapped his left arm around Roy's stomach. He could feel the muscles through the shirt. He stubbornly placed his right hand on his own knee and hoped he would not fall off.

Revving the engine Roy informed him the bike was Jean's. Then they were off, Edward's coattails flying in streaks of bright red like a bloodstain on the drab gray carpet or the pavement.

They passed the waffle house they had eaten at before and kept going. Ed watched Roy's short hair ruffle, his head splitting the wind just enough for Edward to keep his eyes opened. He wondered how the guy could see without wearing a helmet with a wind shield on it. The road seemed to stretch on and Edward resolutely held his body rigid and away from Roy's. He didn't want to intrude on his personal space. But after a while of thought, Edward came to the conclusion that the point of the motorcycle was probably to force close contact so he hesitantly leaned forward and slowly relaxed. The fingers of his left hand twitched a little, trying to feel that wonderful muscle but he forced himself to stop as they continued on.

Taking note of Ed giving in and the small movement his hand had been making, Roy smiled to himself. He waited for the other arm to encircle him but it never came. He wasn't sure if it was a bad thing but he decided not to think about it as he was just pulling up to the back of the target building. He had chosen the back purposely so Edward wouldn't know what he was in for.

They slipped into the back door of a large older looking brick building. Inside was rather dark and Edward was starting to wonder what he had gotten himself into. They walked down a corridor that had rooms branching off to either side periodically with numbers on the doors. The walls were covered in a black carpet and Edward was starting to think the place was sound proof. The hallway ended in a big room where a desk sat to the side. Roy walked up to the counter and the man behind it looked up.

"Ah Roy, you're a bit early but room 5 is reserved and prepped for you. No Riza today? That girl is unbeatable. Go ahead back, you want the usual time correct?"

"Yes, that is perfect Terry." Roy headed back the way they had come, an even more confused and worried Ed followed. They reached room 5 and Roy opened the door. They were in a small room lined with paintball guns of many varying styles. Edwards face and mood brightened instantly. There were also two piles of clothes sat out on a bench and a few boxes of spare clothes sat nearby. Roy gestured to the boxes. "Good luck finding something small enough. I can see he put out Riza's personal gear, she doesn't use much padding. You could try hers if you want, I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

Edward decided to wear Riza's set and picked it up. He looked around and headed to one of the small stalls he saw on the side of the room. Roy raised his eyebrow but said nothing, though he personally changed into his clothing in the main room.

Edward changed into Riza's gear. The cargo pants had to be rolled up at the bottom. He took his jacket off but opted for his long sleeve shirt and her vest. He was glad he had more than one pair of gloves in his possession back at the dorm. He slid the half fingered paintball gloves on over his own gloves, the white fingers peaking out. Then he stepped out from behind the curtain to find Roy deciding on what gun to use. The face masks awaited them by the door.

Edward and Roy both chose medium sized guns, just large enough that using both hands would be useful but not required. Edward sported green paintballs and Roy's were purple. They put on their face masks and walked into the next room. Roy hit a button on the wall and the lights came on to reveal an obstacle course full of walls, pillar like things varying in height, platforms to climb, rope nets two feet off the floor or leading up to platforms, and more that Edward couldn't see. The air started to fill with smoke.

"You start on the left, I start on the right." Roy stated. "Better run, you have one minute before game start."

Edward slowed his breathing as he squinted, trying to catch movement through the fog. He lay prone on the top of a platform, left hand on the trigger. He felt that it was unlikely for his pray to spot him up here. They were 20 minutes in and though they had spotted each other a few times neither had made the first hit. Ed was pretty sure he had seen motion to the left on his careful way up the ropes. He looked that direction intently.

Suddenly Ed felt a paintball hit the dead center of the back of his vest. He turned to see Roy above him, standing strait with the gun pointed at him with one hand. Edward shot and hit him on the left of his torso. Roy laughed and fell backwards, tucking into a ball and rolling down the ropes he had climbed up. Edward was impressed. So that's how the ropes were used. That's why they were set at an angle and at the bottom the rope was so far off the ground. It wasn't just to make it difficult terrain. Edward took the opportunity to shoot Roy as he reached the bottom of the ropes and leaped off them with ease. He got one more shot in before Roy was lost to the fog. Yet somehow the older boy still managed to see him or at least guess where he was enough to hit him again. Edward decided it would be to his advantage not to stand gawking. He dropped down to a lower platform then down to the floor and took off in pursuit.

Two hours later they sat in the gun room, panting and covered in paint. "Geeze." Roy panted. "I thought you had a 'weak constitution'. How did you keep up so well?"

"HAH! If you thought I was weak why did you choose something so physical? Trying to show off?" Edward shot back.

"No, I would have gone easier on you if you were slower. But I figured out quickly enough I didn't need to."

Edward avoided Roy's questioning gaze and shrugged out of the paint covered vest and the extra set of gloves. "I have my reasons."

Deciding to leave the obviously unwanted topic be for the sake of 'the date' Roy changed back into his own clothes while Ed did the same in the changing room. They had a pretty even amount of paint on themselves though Roy was pretty sure he had won. Ed had gotten in close pretty easily after Roy's initial attack and Roy had had a time shaking the little pipsqueak.

Realizing Ed had worn his own shirt, Roy opted out of going to the park to eat the picnic he had packed. That was to cliché anyway. They ate out on the grass field near the paintball building while they waited for the shirt to dry. Ed took his left glove off to eat with.

"So, are you left handed? I thought you used your right." Roy asked thoughtfully.

Ed looked up. "I'm ambidextrous."

"You are full of surprises." Ed smiled as Roy laughed. They chatted about various things from music to deep alchemical algorithms. Roy was astonished at how intelligent the boy in front of him really was. The boy might even know more about alchemy than he did even without counting the fact Ed could use it without a circle. One day he would have to find out just how he did that. He felt a newfound respect for the freshman and couldn't help but be absorbed in the conversation.

They didn't stop talking until the sun started to set. Ed pointed out the pretty scene and snapped Roy from his daze. They decided to head back. Once again Ed only used one arm to steady himself even though he didn't seem to mind leaning into Roy's back. This left Roy rather confused but when they got back they both acted rather normally and comfortably. He returned the keys to Jean and left Ed to go back to their room first and get a shower. There was paint not just on his clothes but in his hair.

Roy visited with Riza for a while before he returned to the room where he found his roommate already fast asleep. He gave a half smile and headed for his own shower.

I know it's not edited but I doubt there are many mistakes and I wanted to give it to you the second it was done because I waited so long to write it. Just so you know the 27th of November is my birthday and in four days I am turning 21.