Paon: I have, it was my inspiration for many a reason.
Okay, and onto some Roy words of fluffiness. I hope I pulled it off well. And then I have to go answer PM's. Yippee!
Sorry this was up so late, I was having FF issues. It doesn't like me this morning.
Chapter Eight
Dawn hadn't even broke yet, and already two figures moved in the darkness as the first beginnings of a pale midnight blue light crept on the horizon. The air was still with sleep, and almost as if they were afraid to wake the world, the two voices were hushed as the figures moved.
"You think he'll fall for this?" Asked Winry.
Alphonse smiled as he knelt to the dirt, examining it critically. Almost like how one might examine a new car he was considering purchasing. "Of course he will, he has no choice. I'm not as powerful as either he or brother, he'll be sure to sense something. But he should know the feel of my alchemy."
"Alchemy has a feeling?" Winry queried with interest.
"It's kind of like an itch, and each itch is different." Al tried to explain. "I could always transmute a sign that says 'This was done by Al, continue to find Ed,' but somehow that seems less than the subtle touch we're going for."
She had to admit he had a good point there.
Al finished his array in the dirt, activated it, and stepped away as it vanished. "It'll all appear in due time." He said to Winry's questioning look. "Is Pinako going to be able to help us, do you think?"
"She will." Winry said confidently.
"Good, then I shall leave the party preparations to you and meet Roy at the station." Al said as the two of them began to walk back to the house side by side, and hand in hand.
"Yeah, just leave it to me." Winry grinned broadly. "It's about time this town had something to celebrate. I just hope Ed doesn't dig his heels in at the idea."
"I'm not going to leave him a choice." Al smirked uncharacteristically, "or rather, Roy won't."
As they reached the house Winry broke off to go rouse Pinako, while Alphonse went to the phone. Once again he dialed Roy's residence. When he got no response he hung the phone up with a thoughtful look on his face. No one had answered all three times. Even if Roy had not been there, Daphne was still there. Unless, she'd come with Roy. From what he'd gathered of her personality when he met her, and from what brother had told him, she could very well have come. Wanting to see this come to a real close.
"Win?" Al called up the stairs.
She appeared a few minutes later, having successfully roused her grandmother. "What? Did you get an answer?"
"No." He replied with a short shake of the head, "but I think that his mother might be joining him on his trip."
"I'll make a side trip to snatch her away to help with the party." Winry offered as she sat down on the table the phone was set upon, staring down at Al who sat in a wooden chair nearby.
"That might be a good idea. She's probably enjoy that." Al surmised.
Winry perched her chin up on one hand, "you mentioned she's a bit like Ed?"
"Yeah." Then Al recalled something and winked at her, "she seemed curious to meet you. Something about a future Mrs. Elric."
Winry grinned and flushed a bit. "Future, well I won't say anything on that and sound needy or otherwise."
"Wise choice my dear Winry, wise choice." Al grinned back and laid one hand on her knee. "I think you two will get along fine, so long as you don't accidentally throw a wrench at her head."
"Please," Winry scoffed, "if anything she'll be begging for me to teach her my technique so she can have target practice with Mustang."
"Why does that sound so ominous?" Al sighed with a smile as he got up. "Shall we make breakfast then?"
The two of them quickly got to work creating a breakfast worthy of a sacrificial banquet feast. They were both planning ahead to gorge themselves now, because they'd probably not have time for lunch later on. Dinner at the party would be a long time to wait since both planned to be quite busy indeed.
Pinako came down the stairs, cane rapping lightly on the wood flooring. "So what's all this you two concocted?"
"I need your help with one of my little schemes." Alphonse said as he turned to her, after flipping the pancakes on the griddle.
Pinako smiled and took a seat at the table with a yawn. "Of course you do, Al. What is it you want me to do?"
Al grinned and passed the pancake turner to Winry so he could go over and talk to Pinako. Once he'd finished explaining he sat back to await any questions.
Pinako rolled it over in her mind before nodding. "I can do that. Sure he won't try and go around though?"
"Yeah." Al smiled confidently. "He'll know it was me that set that up. He has nothing to be wary about from my end."
"Should you be wary?" Pinako frowned at him.
Al shook his head, "he'll understand why I'm doing this. It's nothing life threatening. It's just designed to make him really think before he gets to brother." He looked towards the stairs with a sad smile, "the last thing I want is for him to get here and screw things up again."
"We're just preparing him." Winry called over from the stove.
"And what mad scheme are you working on, Winry?" Pinako asked her.
She grinned, "the party for afterwards."
"What's Edward doing in all this?" Pinako asked.
"Just waiting for Roy to show up." Al smiled, "I plan on telling him that we're all going grocery shopping. He won't want to come, trust me."
"I wouldn't want to come." Pinako chuckled. "But I shall do my part and then I'll go find you, Winry."
The three of them had just set up for breakfast and piled the food onto the table on their respective platters when a bed headed Edward emerged looking well rested but bleary eyed all the same.
"Morning brother." Al called out cheerfully.
"Hey Ed." Winry and Pinako smiled at him.
Edward glanced around at the happy faces suspiciously. They normally didn't look so pleased to see him. "Morning…" he said with a bit of a frown as he took his seat.
His eyes glanced over the food appreciatively. He hadn't had so much to eat that looked so good since he left Roy's house. Biting the inside of his lip he tried not to think about that. He was here to get himself back together before he continued to wait for Roy to prove he had gotten his senses back. He might have overreacted a bit, but he didn't feel it was healthy for him to have stayed in that environment. Things were better this way, despite how it seemed.
He wordlessly began to pile food onto his plate along with the others, and just as wordlessly, began to eat. He really didn't feel like discussing his woes or anything.
Through the course of the morning, and onto early afternoon he noticed that the three others of the house were acting progressively strange. By the time that they announced they were going to go grocery shopping he was all too happy to wave them off. As soon as they were gone he rolled his eyes. They were acting very strange, and it was wearing on his nerves.
Shoving his hands into his pockets he went into Winry's workroom to grab blueprint paper and a pen before going back to the kitchen table. Spreading the paper out he clicked the pen a few times to start his brain working on a rhythm before going to work.
An hour passed, but Edward didn't notice. He was busy designing the back yard. Not just any back yard either, Roy's back yard. The one time he'd seen it he'd realized it was probably the only part of that property that was undeveloped. Dead shrubs and vines everywhere. Even the grass was brittle, and the ground dusty.
Why he was designing what he wanted the back yard to look like, he didn't know. At this point he was so absorbed in the work that he didn't notice the steady passage of time where the three others had still not returned from a simple shopping excursion.
Meanwhile in town…
Winry had headed off to visit the baker, butcher, and candlestick maker. Pinako was waiting in the shade where Al had told her to stand. Al himself was waiting for the train to arrive.
When it did, he did not have to wait long to see if Mustang was aboard. The man practically came flying down onto the concrete landing looking rather the worse for wear.
Alphonse tried to hide a smile, and he waved quickly. "General Mustang, sir!"
Hearing his name, Roy turned and spotted Al. "They are here, good." He breathed in relief and hurried over. Consequently forgetting about Daphne. He reached Al, and immediately he started talking rapidly, "why didn't you tell me you knew where he was, and why are you here, where's Edward, is he okay?"
Al held up a hand to stop the flow of words. "Edward wished to be left alone, that's why I didn't tell you he was there. I am here to receive you, and to tell you where Ed is. If you can make it there."
"What?" Mustang gaped at him. What was Al talking about? He just wanted to go get Edward back. What could be so hard about that?
"Isn't it obvious," Daphne said as she walked over. "They're testing you."
"Testing-what the hell?!"
Al smiled and made a courtly bow to Daphne. "Welcome to Risembool, Daphne. I'll take your bag if you wish, it must be heavy."
"Thank you." She beamed at him, and handed it over graciously. "You have better manners than him. Leaving his mother standing on a train platform by herself."
"Don't make it sound so dramatic." Roy growled at her.
"You're the dramatic one." Daphne chastised.
"Screw this stupid argument!" Roy declared and turned to the smiling Alphonse. "Where's Ed?"
"One moment and I shall explain." Al said and turned back to Daphne. "If you would not mind waiting here while he goes to find Ed? I have something to ask you privately."
"I can manage that." Daphne smiled at him.
"Great! Fantastic! Now where is he?" Roy nearly screeched.
"He's at Pinako and Winry's place." Al smiled and suddenly reached out to seize Roy's arm as the man tried to dash off. "Not so fast. Just answer me this. Why'd you come after him?"
Roy blinked down at him owlishly. "Because I love him, and I don't want to lose him."
Al smiled and released his arm. "Off you go then. Stay on the road please and off the grass."
Roy gave him a strange look before dashing away.
Al stared after him, "he can move fast when he wants to."
"Well, I believe Ed is a good motivation to run fast." Daphne noted. "Is he doing all right?" She asked Al now. She'd been concerned about Edward since he'd run off. Truthfully she'd grown very attached to him, even now she still thought of him as part of the family.
Al met her eyes and shrugged a bit. "It's hard to know. I think he is, but he misses being with Roy."
"He did what he had to do." Daphne decided, "after all, look how well it worked to get a fire lit under my son's ass."
Al had to agree there. "Now then, it should take Mustang about half an hour to get to the house. What happens when he gets there is going to be hard to predict. So we've got to get these preparations moving."
"Just tell me what to do." Daphne grinned.
"We're going to throw a party. Winry is working on that currently, so let's go find her and she'll put us to work." Al said and together the two began walking into town.
"A party? You're that certain Roy will win Ed back?" Daphne asked.
"Aren't you?" Al grinned at her.
"Absolutely."
Together they found Winry, and once she and Daphne had been introduced, they started back to work getting the party ready to go as soon as Edward and Roy were fetched.
Speaking of Roy…
Roy Mustang was walking as fast as he could without breaking into a run. The scenery was just a blur that he paid no attention to. Fortunately Risembool was probably the least likely place one could ever be ambushed. Otherwise the preoccupied general would have made a marvelous target at first sight.
In hindsight after such an individual was charred to a human crisp, he would have appeared a less appealing target.
He was glad he'd been there before, otherwise he might have gotten lost, with all the roads that branched off here and there. But even in his distracted frame of mind he managed to find his way. He did not encounter another person until he was nearly to the house. As a matter of fact, he knew it was just over that hill maybe a mile off.
And then Pinako was there.
Roy hadn't even seen her, but at the same instant a wall of solid earth sprang up in front of him, Pinako had whacked him in the backs of the knees with her gnarled cane.
Roy fell to the ground with a pathetic sounding squawk of indignation, and sprawled on his back he glared up at the old woman who peered down at him. "What's the big idea?!"
"Al's idea, not mine. And it's hardly that big." Pinako shrugged.
"What?" Roy sat up and stared at the wall of earth. "That's an effective roadblock, you didn't really have to hit me."
"Of course I did. You're a State Alchemist." Pinako said as if this should be obvious.
"What's that got to do with anything?!" Roy flared up, and yelped as he was rapped sharply on the head with the cane.
"Quiet down. You'll wake the neighbors." Pinako told him. "Don't worry, I didn't hit you hard enough to leave a bump. Though you might deserve it."
"I've already suffered for what I said to him." Roy snapped at her as he got to his feet.
"As you should have." Pinako agreed. "However Al I am sure told you to stay off the grass?"
"He did."
"Good." Pinako nodded, and then motioned to the earthen wall. "This thing will only go away once you answer three questions. Again, Al's doing, not mine. Then you will be free to go try and convince Edward to listen to you."
"Ask me your questions then." Roy demanded, whilst wondering what the heck Al had been smoking lately. Perhaps he'd allowed the youth to have a bit much to drink while he'd been over at his house. The kid was losing brain cells or something.
Pinako smiled then nodded slowly. "Now what was the first one…" She drawled out purposefully.
"Oh come on!" Roy barked in agitation.
Pinako smiled, "State Alchemists… it's a wonder Ed has managed to stay true to himself."
"He's too damn stubborn to change." Roy told her, "and frankly I wouldn't have him any other way."
Pinako eyed him critically before shrugging. "First question, why do you have such a large home, but you never have anyone over?" Gleaning the look in his eyes she shrugged again. "Don't ask me, Al made up the questions."
Roy thought about it for a moment, then suddenly caught on. But how would Al know the state of his house unless Ed had told him? That had to be it, these questions were indirectly relating to something Edward had told Alphonse. He wasn't sure how anyone would know if he answered them honestly, but he was going to do so anyway. Look at the last mess his trying to not accept the truth had led him into. "I never wanted it to be so empty. But until now I haven't found the person I want to share it with. I never wanted to let anyone in for too long, because I was afraid I'd grow so accustomed to them being there that I'd never want them to leave."
Just like what had happened with Edward.
He couldn't even do the dishes now without him. He had grown so used to Ed being there that the house seemed empty without him. He wanted someone else there with him. He wanted all that space to be properly used. He wanted a family.
He wanted a family.
And he wanted Edward to be the first part of that family.
His answer seemed to appease Pinako, for she nodded gruffly and continued with the next question. "Why is the stone in Edward's engagement ring the color of his eyes?" Pinako had to admit, these were the weirdest questions she'd ever asked a man. Much less a general of the Amestris military. She should get a medal for this performance, especially considering how personal these questions were.
Roy thought about that one for a minute. He'd been asked that before. He hadn't had a proper answer for it then. But he felt he had some idea now how he'd been able to manage that phenomenon. "All I could think about when I made it, was Edward."
He loved those eyes, he loved the feeling of wanting to gaze into them for hours on end. The way they so clearly reflected the emotions he'd keep hidden behind that unapproachable exterior he showed to strangers. Those rare gold colored eyes, he wanted to see them again. Desperately.
"Can I see the ring?" Pinako asked, stretching out her hand.
Roy hesitated, before drawing it out and handing it over. "Please be careful."
"Don't worry." Pinako grouched as she looked it over. "It really is, how sweet." She handed it back with a smile. "Now, last question-"
"Wait, you asked three already!" Roy protested.
"I did not label that as an official question." Pinako told him reasonably. "Now pay attention."
"Yes ma'am." Roy sighed. One more, he could do one more question. Couldn't he? He'd have to. He was so close to being able to see Edward again that he could barely stand it. It was like having the urge to pee, but not. His mind didn't even begin to fathom that strange analogy.
"Why should Edward believe you, when you tell him that you love him?"
"Because it's true!" Roy groaned, and quickly corrected himself at Pinako's look. "Because, when I see him smile at me, it's the only time I remember ever being truly happy. Without him I have no reason to be that happy anymore. I've spent two and a half days trying to find him again to make up for my mistake. I can't imagine my life without him in it anymore."
Pinako waited until it appeared he was finished before chuckling to herself. "I need to go solder something after listening to all that sap. Grow my balls back."
Roy glared at her. "You have no balls."
"Are you brave enough to find out for sure?" Pinako joked and motioned to the road ahead, the earthen wall now gone and allowing Roy to move forward. "Off you go. Do try and not behave yourselves while in my house."
Roy blushed and would have made a retort, but he chose to hurry off down the road instead.
Edward looked up at the knock on the door. Glancing back down at the blueprint he had nearly finished he capped his pent and got up. They probably had too much to carry to open the door. Walking over he tugged it open, getting ready to step aside, when he froze. "Roy?"
He suddenly felt his pulse race faster, and his insides seemed to be doing weird things as he stood there, eyes locked to those black ones.
"Edward." Roy replied and suddenly bowed his head. "I wish I could fix what I've done with an apology, but I've done that too often."
"Too right." Ed agreed and suddenly stepped aside, "come in."
Roy looked at him sharply, "are you sure?"
"I would rather hear you out while you're not clogging the doorstep." Edward half smiled. "You look silly like that."
So Roy stepped inside, and sat down on the couch with Ed. While he desperately wished he could look away from those golden eyes boring into him, they held him entranced as a flush came over his face. "Ed, when you left, I can't begin to explain how it tortured me. I've spent two and a half days trying to find you. I realized just how deep the relationship between us I foolishly tried to ignore had become. You were right, about all of it."
Edward opened his mouth to speak, but fell silent as Roy shook his head.
"No, please, let me finish." He requested and suddenly slid down onto his knees facing Ed and holding his hands. "Edward, I can't imagine my life anymore without you in it as the one I love. I belong to you, and I won't ever be complete again without you. I'm yours, if you'll have me."
Edward waited for a moment, trying to hide his smile before speaking. "Are you done now?"
"No, I could blather on and on and make odes to everything about you. But I would rather stop while I might be ahead." Roy admitted.
"Even to my hair?" Ed asked intrigued.
"Even to your hair."
Ed let a smile slip through. "Did you go visit a girl that morning?"
"I did." Roy said instantly. "I went to talk to Hawkeye about your actions the previous night. I'm sorry for not telling you, I was being a fool that morning. I have no excuse."
Edward freed one of his hands to brush it along Roy's tired looking face. "I need none." He said as he leaned forward. "I only need you." In a feat of self control, Edward tilted his head just enough so that their kiss that had been brewing for days now did not meet. "Do you love me, Roy?"
"I do, I love you, Edward."
In Edward's opinion, the wait had been worth it. Their lips met in a searing kiss fueled by the built up passion that had accumulated between them. Their bodies seemed to be feeling extra sensitive to the searching patterns the hands wove on each other's bodies. Somewhere along the line a heated battle of tongues had begun, and it was a battle they planned to see to an end as Roy seized Edward by his hips and pulled the younger man down to the floor with him.
Back in town, Pinako had finally reached where Al, Daphne, and Winry sat while the outdoor grills began to get set up by their owners. Most of the town had eagerly pitched in once Winry had explained what they'd be celebrating.
"How'd it go?" Al asked as Pinako sat down with them at the shaded outdoor table.
"Fine, I imagine they're probably doing hormonal reunion activities." Pinako grinned wickedly.
They all chuckled a bit, and Daphne smiled. "How long do you think we should give them?"
"Oh, a few hours at least." Winry yawned, leaning back in her chair. She'd been hard at work. "Then I think I nominate Al to go collect the happy couple."
"Why me?" Al sighed good naturedly.
"Because you're the only male left." Pinako smirked. "I'm not about to chance walking in on them while they're having fun."
"Ever heard of knocking at the front door?" Al rolled his eyes.
They sat and talked for a while longer, before getting back to work setting up for the party. Finally Alphonse left with a wave, heading off to go collect his brother and Mustang. He departed to cheers and clapping.
Edward and Roy were currently curled up in each other's arms contentedly, talking quietly to each other.
"What was the real present I was supposed to get yesterday?" Roy asked, his head resting against Edward's.
"Did you open what I gave you?"
"Just the card."
Edward smiled. "We'll open it when we get home then. And then I'll tell you what your real present is."
"Home? We?" Roy teased.
Ed chuckled, and resisted the urge to hum happily. "Yes, we. I'm moving myself in."
"Good, it'll save me the trouble of pressuring you into it."
"Oh please, you jest." Ed grinned and readjusted his hold around Roy. "I'm thinking I'll redo your back yard too."
"Why?"
"Because, it's ugly. I'm not putting your real present in an ugly back yard."
Roy gave him an odd look, pulling his head away a bit to do so. "What is it?"
"Just trust me, hm?" Ed requested and leant forward to kiss him into agreement, before pulling away as there was a knock on the door. "I'll be back."
Roy groaned as Edward left his side, and he couldn't help but get up to follow after his Ed, much to the other man's amusement.
"Can't get enough of me?" Edward teased as he opened the door. "Where are the others?"
Al grinned and looked between the two. "Waiting for you two." He said, and tossed Daphne's bag inside, having hauled it around all day. "Come on, we're going to go celebrate."
"Celebrate what?" Roy asked as Ed yanked him outside.
"Don't tell me you're that tired, darling, that you can't guess." Ed teased.
"Back to the pet names already?" Roy groaned, but allowed himself to be led along, his hand entwined with Edward's. He wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon.