Seven years later...
Ever since that fateful day all those years ago, Edward Elric was a changed man. He didn't go on dates, hadn't formed new relationships since then. He didn't even talk to his friends and family, only ever speaking to them when they came over or forcibly dragged him from his small home. You could say he was in a heavy depression. Being abandoned at the altar by the love of your life on your wedding day does that to you. Now, despite all of this, Ed has had some company, but they're usually one-night stands, chosen to satiate his need for touch and the company of other people, as well as needs his family couldn't fulfill...but as soon as morning came he'd feel as empty and as alone as before, only with a warm, naked body in his bed beside him.
He knew it was unhealthy, going to bars, getting drunk, and bringing home a stranger for a drunken and unsatisfying hookup he will regret the moment he realized what he did when he woke up.
This day was no different from any other, at least, not at first. Ed woke up to a splitting headache, reaching for the aspirin and glass of water he had the foresight to leave out the previous night right before leaving for the bar. He looked at his bed, finding a naked woman asleep. He sighed before getting up, putting on some pajama pants, and making his way to the kitchen. He didn't have the patience to cook bacon and eggs like he used to normally do each morning, and instead made cereal for himself, and putting an empty bowl and spoon on the table along with the cereal box for last night's sex partner. This had been his normal routine for the past few years. After he ate, he made his way to the bathroom to shower, hoping the woman would be gone by the time he got out.
But she wasn't. The woman (now dressed) was sitting at the table eating cereal. An open book was also on the table, and a closer inspection told Ed that she was looking at a scrapbook of him and his ex-fiancé, Roy Mustang.
Without a second thought, Ed snatched the scrapbook away. "Where'd you find this?" he demanded.
"You left it lying around on the floor," the woman said shortly.
Ed swore. Dammit, I thought I had it hidden away. For the most part, all evidence of his life with Mustang was hidden away. He never could bear to destroy any of it, or get rid of it, but he did hide it all way. Well, except for this scrapbook.
"Are you engaged?" the woman demanded. She seemed to be pissed at the thought of being the "other woman."
"No, no, he's...out of my life," Ed replied, struggling to keep emotion out of his voice. He must have failed, though, because he saw a pitying look on the woman's face.
He quickly changed the subject. "Look, when you're done eating, you can use my shower, and then you need to go. I'm having some friends over later."
It was an obvious lie, but the woman only nodded.
She was gone in an hour.
Ed sat on the bed and opened the scrapbook. He and Mustang made it when they had gotten engaged. They wanted to document their memories together thus far. At the time, it seemed very sweet and romantic. Now, it just felt like a punch to Edward's gut.
The very first photo was from their very first date ten years ago...
A decade earlier
"Hey, I think that dude across the room likes you," hissed Edward's friend, Ling Yao. They were both underaged, nineteen, but Ling looked at least twenty-two and, being a Xingese prince, managed to score some fake IDs. Ed, who at nineteen looked sixteen at most, wouldn't have gotten in, so naturally, he offered to pay for food and drinks. This was a mistake, as Ling was quite the food and beer glutton.
The 'dude' Ling was referring to was a tall, dark-haired man across the bar room who occasionally looked across the room towards the two minor boys. Really, he didn't seem interested at all, merely scouring the scene (he was clearly not from around Risembool).
"Shut the hell up, Ling, he clearly doesn't," Ed hissed in reply. "And even if he does, I don't like men, soooo..." He trailed off, not sounding convincing even to himself.
"Sure, Ed, whatever you say," Ling retorted condescendingly. "Oh! He's coming this way right now!"
"What? No, he's not-" Ed started in disbelief, but stopped when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to see the tall man next to him, grinning cockily. He sure was handsome, Edward had to note begrudgingly, but he also seemed arrogant and full of himself. Edward decided to dislike the man instantly.
"What do you want?" Ed demanded gruffly. This earned him a jab in the ribs and a hiss of "Edward! Don't be rude!" but the man only chuckled good-humoredly.
"You look a little young to be in a bar," the man said. His voice was very deep, and despite himself, Ed felt butterflies in his stomach. Nonetheless, he scowled.
"Yeah? Well, I'm not," he said defensively.
The man only laughed again. "Okay, I'm sure you're not," the man lied smoothly. He sat down on the barstool next to Ed's. "I'm Roy. Roy Mustang." Mustang held out a hand.
Ed merely stared, making Mustang lower his hand awkwardly.
"Don't mind my friend here, he's just shy," Ling interjected. He "gently" prodded Ed. "C'mon, tell the nice man your name. Don't be rude!"
Ed sighed. "I'm Edward Elric. Happy now?"
Mustang grinned in response. "Very," he replied. "May I have your number?" he inquired.
Ed shook his head, but as soon as the word "No" left his lips, Ling passed a napkin with his own number on it to the man.
Mustang smiled and returned the favor. "Call me," he said to Edward, before leaving.
Ed whipped around to glare at his friend. "What the hell, Ling?!" he snapped.
"You need to get laid, Edward," Ling explained. "You're too high-strung."
"Like hell I am," Ed snapped. "And even so, why him?"
"You don't even know him," Ling countered.
"And you do?" Ed challenged.
"Yes, I do," Ling said matter-of-factly, much to Ed's surprise. "Top secret military matters," Ling added, seeing the look on Ed's face.
"You're unbelievable," Ed grumbled.
"Look, you just need to trust my judgment, Edward. When have I ever steered you wrong?"
Ed opened his mouth, ready to list all the times Ling steered him wrong, but Ling quickly said, "Don't answer that. He's a great guy, believe me. You'll thank me later."
Ling looked around. "Now, let's get outta here. I think some of the customers are getting a bit suspicious."
Ed quickly pulled out a fifty to pay for the drinks and food, laid it on the bar, and followed Ling out of the bar.
Present day...
"You'll thank me later." Yeah, and look how that turned out. Mustang had pursued him relentlessly, calling him every day, until one-day Ed accepted his proposal for a date. Mustang had taken them to a carnival...
Ten years ago...
"Here's the deal: if I win you a stuffed animal from every one of these games-and I'm talking a big one, not some pathetic, cheap thing-you will agree to a second date with me," Roy proposed. "And, by the end of the evening, if I haven't won a single game, I will leave you alone. That is, unless you've had so much fun and want another date anyway."
Ed rolled his eyes. "That ain't gonna happen. These games are rigged," Edward said cockily.
"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure, Edward," Roy said, grinning. "I've been known to be exceptionally good at these games."
"Sure," Ed said disbelievingly.
"Does this mean you accept the bet?"
Ed only thought about it for a second before nodding. "You're not going to win. I've seen with my own two eyes how they rig these games."
"Then you're sure to win, if that's the case."
The first game was simple enough: one of those fishing-type games that were always easy to win. Sure enough, Roy did win a giant snake, which he handed to his date.
"Thanks, Roy," he said, only half-snarkily. "Am I to hold all these animals the whole night?"
Roy rolled his eyes. "Of course not. My car is very near for this reason. Who do you think I am, an amateur?"
They decided then to get something to eat. Roy decided on funnel cake, whereas Ed had nachos. They both got Cokes. They went to sit at a nearby picnic table.
"I'm having fun so far," Roy said. "How about you, Edward?"
Ed hesitated for a moment, looking away. "Yeah, I guess so. You're not so bad when you stop acting like a cocky know-it-all. And I guess you're kinda good-looking. I guess," Ed replied, adding the last part to not let Roy know how attracted he was to him.
It didn't work.
"Oh, you guess?" Roy teased, smirking. "Well, then I guess you're not totally a cocky brat after all."
Ed scowled. "If you're gonna be smug every time I try to be nice, you can forget it," he groused.
Roy rolled his eyes.
"Well, what's next on the agenda, Colonel Smartass?"
"That ring toss game over there looks easy," Roy suggested, pointing behind Edward, who then turned toward where his date was pointing.
Ed scoffed. "If you insist."
Five minutes later, they were hauling a medium-sized stuffed dragon to Roy's car. Ed was still amazed that Roy could win at ring-tossing, and so quick, too. He only had one try.
"You should ask me about my secrets later if you're interested," Roy said, winking, having seen the look on Ed's face.
Ed rolled his eyes, for what felt like the fiftieth time that night. "Don't get cocky, bastard." Regretfully, the way he said 'bastard' almost sounded like a pet name, and he hoped Roy didn't notice.
Roy did, in fact, notice, but decided not to say anything to spare the poor brat's pride. He noticed he thought the word 'brat' as a pet name.
"Anyway, next up is the teacups ride. You think you're up for that?" Roy teased.
Ed snorted in response. "'Course I am, bastard. What do you think I am, some stupid child who can't handle a dumb kids' ride?"
As it turns out, yes. Because only a minute and a half into the ride starting, with the teacup they were sharing starting to move at a seemingly impossible speed, Ed was starting to feel somewhat faint. And his vision was starting to be blurry; he thought he saw a McDonald's nearby, but when he pointed it out to Roy, the older man made a noise that sounded faintly alarmed (Ed's hearing capacities were also limited at this time). Feeling tired, Ed rested his head against his date's shoulder and let himself be guided into unconsciousness.
In other words, he fainted. Within two minutes of the ride starting.
Roy, for his part, called for the ride to be stopped, and as soon as it was fully stationary, draped one of Edward's arms over his shoulders, placing one arm around Ed's waist and hauled the younger boy off the ride and to a nearby bench.
Ed was coming to by the time they were seated. "Wha-? What's goin' on? Why'd the ride stop?" he asked groggily.
"Hey, it's okay, Edward," Roy said gently. "You fainted on the teacup ride, remember? I had to drag you off."
Ed groaned as he started to remember. "Shit. Shit. I passed out again?"
Again? Roy wondered. "You mean this has happened before?" he demanded.
Ed shook his head. "N-not often, but every time I ride one of these rides," he admitted.
Roy pinched the bride of his nose in frustration. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I hadn't ridden in one of these since I was twelve. I figured I'd outgrown the dizziness."
Roy sighed. "Okay, fine. Let's call it a night?" he suggested.
"Yeah, sure. Wait, no, we didn't go on the Ferris wheel," Ed pointed out.
Roy was, for the fifty hundredth time that night, shocked.
"Are you feeling up for that? We can come back. The carnival will be in town for four more days," Roy said.
"I'm only sick on those teacup rides. Ferris wheels are a piece of cake. And no, I don't want to come back for just the Ferris wheel later."
"Okay, if you insist."
They were silent as they headed over toward the Ferris wheel, and quiet still as they got on. Once they were halfway to the top, though, Ed finally broke the silence.
"I…I had a really good time tonight, Roy," Edward said. He was looking away sheepishly and half-mumbling, but Roy heard what he said with full comprehension and could tell the younger man was blushing.
"I did too, Edward. Does this mean you want a second date?" Roy inquired.
Ed sputtered. "What -what gave you that idea?' Roy just looked at him. Ed sighed. "Fine. But don't go getting a big head over this, you bastard. I just-"
Ed's words were cut off abruptly by Roy's lips crushing his own.
That's how the night ended, the beginning of a long and beautiful relationship that ended hideously.
Ed was started out of his reminiscing when he heard a sharp knock at the door. He briefly panicked, thinking he had some obligation he had forgotten last night when he was out partying. When it was established he didn't, he was incredibly confused.
With a grunt, he managed to pull himself from his bed and headed for the door. He expected the person knocking to be some Jehovah's Witness or Mormon (were there even Mormons in Risembool?), but…
He felt his heart drop and his face go white.
The person at the door was someone he had known. It was…
"Roy," Ed breathed.