Ed had no idea what to expect from the man who had so coldly commanded him to leave then turned around and wanted to spend time with him outside of work. He did as he was told and showed up right as the rest of the office was heading home. No one questioned why he was there; they just said their usual good-byes and left. He ambled into Mustang's office and swung the door shut behind him out of habit. The General was scanning and signing papers and didn't seem to notice that anyone had entered the room. Ed plopped down on the couch, trying hard not to show how nervous he was about the invitation he had received. He leaned back and watched his superior work. The other man looked up for the first time and caught his stare. Ed looked down, but not before he caught the cocky smirk the General had flashed him. He heard a rustle of fabric and looked up again to see Mustang standing before him, hand extended.
"Sorry," the older man apologized quietly, "let's go." Ed hesitated for a moment. He did not believe he had ever heard Mustang say sorry without being sarcastic, especially to him. Uncertainly, Ed grasped the outstretched hand and allowed himself to be pulled easily to his feet. Ed tried to suppress the fluttering in his stomach, but the contact lasted no more than a few seconds. He followed the General out of the office without question, walking faster than usual to keep up. They walked off base and started down the street.
"So, General, where exactly are we going?" Ed inquired, attempting to sound casual.
"Roy," his superior remarked.
"Huh?" He had slowed his step out of bewilderment. Mustang noticed, stopped, and turned, waiting for Ed to catch up again.
"We're not at work. Here, I am not your superior. You can call me Roy." Ed shot a look at Roy, but obeyed.
"So, Roy, where are we headed?" The name was foreign on his tongue, but he found he liked it a great deal more than Mustang or General. Roy smiled.
"You'll see. It isn't too much farther." They walked the rest of the way in silence. They stopped in front of a small bar. Roy held the door and motioned for Ed to walk in. It wasn't hard to find two seats at the bar due to the lack of patrons. There were a handful of people at most, the majority sitting in booths. It wasn't a gloomy atmosphere, but it wasn't bright and happy, either. It was very… neutral. When Roy ordered drinks for the both of them, Ed shook his head.
"Al will kill me if I come home drunk." Roy rolled his eyes as if he had heard the stupidest thing.
"Then don't get drunk. One drink shouldn't hurt… unless you can't handle that much, considering your height and weight." Ed glared.
"I'm not short anymore. I'm almost as tall as you. You may not be able to see that, though. I know your eyesight goes when you get old." Mustang chuckled and held his glass up in a cheers gesture. He took a sip and fell silent. Ed followed in suit, concerned about Roy's sudden mood change.
"So why did we come here?" Ed had never heard of the bar and it was not a military hangout by any means. Roy seemed to be thinking about his answer. He played with his glass, turning it in slow circles with one gloved hand. It was a few moments before he said anything.
"I used to come here. With Meas. We would come after work a lot." Ed immediately thought of the Meas he knew from Germany. He nodded, understanding the importance of the small tavern. The two fell into a more comfortable silence. They sipped their drinks and listened to the soft music flowing from some unseen speaker.
"So what was he like out of work?" Ed asked suddenly. A sad smile came to Roy's lips.
"He was a lot different. He was more serious. He still tried to push baby pictures on anyone who would talk to him, though." Ed laughed quietly, remembering how annoying it had been to be followed around by the intelligence officer, particularly since he barely knew the man. Roy talked more about his old friend, then the conversation switched to the office and other military personnel. The older man became more candid as the duo shared stories of odd or interesting events. There were plenty since most of the staff in Mutang's office were prone to manic episodes and blonde moments. Caught up in conversation, the time flew by. Roy finished the story of how Hawkeye ended up with Black Hayate, then stood to stretch. He turned to look at the clock mounted on the wall behind them.
"We should probably go. We don't want Al to worry." Ed turned on his stool and saw it that was almost 10:00. He nodded his agreement and stood. He reached into his pocket to grab his wallet, but a hand softly grasped his arm.
"My treat," Roy smiled. Ed smiled back and couldn't help the flush that rushed to his cheeks when the older man held on to him a little longer than necessary. They walked back to base, talking intermittently on the way. Ed accepted the ride home he was offered, even though the walk was very short. As Ed exited the vehicle, Roy called out to him.
"Let's do this again." Ed smiled.
"Yeah, it was fun." With that, he turned and walked the two flights to his floor.
x x x x x
Ed walked through the front door and saw his brother sprawled out on the couch reading. Upon hearing the door, Al looked up and smiled.
"Were you with Winry?" Ed shook his head.
"No, why?" Al closed his book and set it down.
"Because you're beaming. Who were you with?" He thought for a second and added in a whisper: "Does Winry know?" Ed waved his hand dismissively at his younger brother.
"I was just with Roy, uhm, Mustang and we had a decent time together. We weren't fighting for once, so it was pretty fun." He mentally kicked himself for calling the man Roy. Al was smarter than that and Ed knew the questions were coming. He hoped that maybe it was missed.
"Hm. And when did you start calling him Roy?" Ed sighed.
"Tonight. He said since we weren't at work, that's what he wanted me to call him. And before you even ask, I was probably beaming because I've never gotten along with him and I found out he's a pretty good guy. It makes me happy to know I'm not working for a pompous asshole. That's it." Al looked skeptical at the mini-outburst, but said nothing more about it.
Ed prepared for bed and went to sleep thinking about how just spending time with Roy Mustang could make him feel like everything when all he could think about while with Winry was how he was betraying his heart. He knew the reason, but he refused to accept it. Puppy love could be forgotten, but hurting his best friend couldn't. Unsure of what to do, he came to the same conclusion he had found before: wait and see what happens.
x x x x x
Even though Winry had moved to Central to expand Pinako's automail business to the city, the woman was not getting any younger and sometimes required Winry's help at home. This was what she told Ed on the phone the next day. She apologized and said she should be back in a week or two, but made no mention of their date. She did say that she would miss him and he assured her that it would be different without her around. He didn't have the heart to tell her he was secretly relieved to have some time to think. Although he did think a lot about what he would do, his heart remained in turmoil. On one side was his best friend and on the other was the man he was pretty sure he loved. When Mustang had said he wanted to go out again, it came sooner than Ed expected. They went out about three times a week for two weeks straight. Every time Ed went home after being with Roy, he made up his mind to let Winry know how he really felt. Ed and Roy had gotten more personal the more they talked and he found himself throwing innuendos out, half in jest. They were always returned lightheartedly, but it was enough for Ed to hope it was a hint and not a joke. He wanted to explore how far he could go, but did not want to be rejected and lose the connection he was making with his crush. Nor did he want to "cheat" on Winry, even if she informed everyone but him that they were "together." Every time he had her on the phone, her constant reassurances of love and missing him terribly kept him from telling her what he wanted to say. Winry phoned near the end of her second week in Risembul and told him that she was coming down with something and she wanted him to take some time off from working so hard to see her. He felt concern, but yearned to stay in Central. Ultimately, he agreed and convinced Al to come along with him.
The train ride was longer than he remembered and was glad when it finally pulled up to the Risembul platform. Winry wasn't there to greet them, which seemed odd. Al voiced his concern and the pair rushed to their friend's house. They entered the mostly dark house without knocking. Granny Pinako sat at the dining room table, just beyond the door. She looked the two boys up and down, smiling.
"Well, it took you long enough to come back." They both smiled and apologized for staying away for so long. In an instant, the outspoken old woman turned very serious.
"Winry's upstairs in her old room. I think you should go see her," she stated, nodding at Ed. Worry was plastered all over Al's face.
"Is she ok?" Ed looked towards the stairs.
"I think you should ask her." Ed nodded and the two started towards the steps. Pinako called after them:
"Alphonse, you stay. You can help an old woman get around." Al took the hint and moved back to the table. Ed climbed the stairs, hoping Winry wasn't a lot worse than she was letting on. He knocked softly on her door and without waiting for a response, entered. Winry laid in her bed, looking pale. She had a basket sitting next to the bed, which indicated she was not doing so well. He sat next to her and looked questioningly into her worried face.
"What's wrong?" She bit her lower lip in lieu of answering. She placed a hand on his and sat up.
"I think, no… Granny knows…" a small sob escaped her throat and she gripped Ed's hand tight. He gave a little squeeze back and waited patiently for her to finish. She looked terrified, but she caught Ed's gaze and held it.
"I'm pregnant." Ed's jaw dropped. Winry, looking small and defeated, not at all like herself, removed her hand and placed it in her lap. A million thoughts ran through his head, but Ed knew that he couldn't just tell her everything now. He had to be there and not run away from his mistake. Above all else, he did not want his child to not have a father. He nodded slowly, trying to process the information. He took the hand Winry had placed in her lap and kneeled at her bedside.
"Will you marry me?" He couldn't believe the words as they tumbled out of his mouth. Winry was equally shocked, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Really?" she asked in a small voice. Ed nodded.
"Yes." Winry looked like she was going to cry.
"Oh, God, I never expected that reaction from you." She held his hand in both of her hands and leaned in close to press her forehead against his. Ed was mildly surprised by the comment.
"Why not? I'm here for you. We're in this together." She nodded and kissed him softly on the lips.
"I would love to be your wife." The word 'wife' hit Ed a little hard and he felt a twinge in his chest. Winry collected herself and the couple descended the stairs to announce the news.
x x x x x
A/N: Once again, I'm writing this sort of late, so if you spot any errors blah blah blah. I agree wholeheartedly with Pojo: Poor Roy. In any case, I absolutely love reviews and would like to know your comments on the story thus far. I'm already working on the next chapter so it should be up soon