Ed awoke to the sound of a ringing phone, only to find that Roy was gone, his comfortable warmth absent. He sat up, blankets falling from his body, and yawned, rubbing his eyes. He could faintly smell cooking eggs and bacon from the kitchen. Roy answered the phone,

"Hello? Yes, he's here... I know... I understand... I'll tell him you called, all right? Bye." He hung up. Ed knew who it was even without asking: it was Al, no doubt wondering where Ed had ended up at. He was still a little unhappy with his brother's reaction to his completely truthful statement, but he could never hate him. Ed swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing and heading out to the kitchen. Sure enough, Roy was cooking bacon in one frying pan, eggs in another. When he took a look at the boy's sleepy face, hair falling out of its tie, he smiled.

"Good morning, Ed. How do you like your eggs?"

"Uhhh... Any way you'll make them. I'll have whatever you do," he took a seat at the dining room table, and watched his lover's back as he shifted from pan to pan, tending to the food in a way that made Ed smile. It was kind of cute, actually, thinking of Mustang in an apron making dinner for the two of them, though right now he was just his shirtless, pale-skinned self, a kitchen towel slung over one arm so he could wipe his hands after handling the bacon. He'd flip the eggs, slide the bacon from the pan, add more bacon, and then transfer it all to a plate. It was set on the table in front of Ed, and then he grabbed his own, turning the knobs of the stove to 'off' before he came and sat down too. The Fullmetal Alchemist wasted no time in wolfing down his food like he usually did, and it was Roy's turn to smile. He always liked that about Ed. Not picky. He'd eat anything put in front of him as long as it was edible.

"I'm going to take you somewhere tonight, but it's a surprise. We have some shopping to do after breakfast."

"What kind of shopping?"

"You'll see. Just get dressed when you finish."

Ed did so, tying his hair back like always, pulling his dark vest over a white shirt, which had been tucked into his black pants. The cuffs of his shirt were rolled back, buttoned up near his elbows, and his shoes pulled on his feet before Roy had even gotten out of the shower. Well, he supposed he now had time to do whatever he wanted... Hmm... He flopped down on the couch, resting his arm on the rest beside him, and simply stared as he allowed his mind to wander off on its own. In doing so, he found himself asking exactly WHAT he was going to do about Al and Darlah. Should he let Al make the mistake, like Roy had said, and then pick up where she had left him, or save him the heartbreak now? If he were to do that... Al might not speak to him for a long time, but that option could be better than dealing with a broken-hearted younger brother who had the mind of an eighteen-year-old, but a body of only fourteen. Anger was easier for him to deal with than depression.

"What are you doing, Ed?" Roy had come out, breaking Ed's train of thought.

"Hm?" he looked up, "Oh... Just... Just thinking about Al..."

"He'll be all right, don't worry," he gave that reassuring smile again, "Just be there for him and everything will go all right. Now, come on, we need to get there before lunch or they'll never finish it in time.

"Finish what?"

"I said you'll see. Now, come on!" Ed got up, and followed Roy to his car, climbing in the passenger seat and occupying himself with staring out the window as Mustang started the car, and drove off. They didn't talk much that time, but Ed was far to busy wondering where the hell Mustang was taking him to say anything. The Colonel seemed to be a little preoccupied as well, muttering things under his breath. Roy had parked before Ed had noticed, got out, and opened the door for Ed.

"Close your eyes. If you see, it'll give it away."

"Oh, come on. What the hell are we doing?"

"No complaints. Just do it. For me." Ed gave an irritated sigh, but closed his brilliant golden eyes all the same. Roy put his hand on Ed's shoulder, leading him inside a building of some sort, the tinkling of a bell heard in the back when the door opened and shut. The sound of footsteps on the carpeted floor caught Ed's attention, and a man's voice, slightly elderly, greeted him.

"Roy! Good to see you! What can I help you with today?" Mustang leaned over, and whispered something in is ear, making sure that Ed couldn't hear. "Ah, I see! Well, take the boy over there, and I'll get my measuring tape." Roy directed Ed to where he needed to stand, and the man returned. He measured how tall Ed was, had him spread his arms to measure the distance, measured his legs, which was ever so slightly awkward, and measured the circumference of several points around his torso. Again, Ed wondered what was going on, but refrained from asking, as he knew he' figure it out soon enough. As long as he wasn't being measured for lingerie, he'd be fine. Oh, God... He hoped like hell that wasn't why he was being measured... He'd kill Mustang first.

Finished, Roy guided Ed out of the building, "I'll have that ready by five tonight, Roy, so don't forget!"

"I won't. We're going to use it this evening, so I'll be back. See you!" he called over his shoulder, leading Ed back to the car, and as they drove off, Ed spoke,

"Can I open my eyes now?"

"Yes."

"So, now can you tell me what we went there for?"

"You'll see, Ed. You'll see," he smiled. Ed eyed him suspiciously. He had something up his sleeve... And he was really starting to wonder what it was.