Here we go! I think my chapters are getting shorter, but that's because it takes so long for me to type them up. I can type around 80 wpm, but not if I'm looking back and forth from very messy notebook to screen! Arrgh. So anyway, that's my excuse.

Disclaimer!! OH! I've been insulting Ed, letting anyone think that I might own him or his friends. I don't think he'd mind if I could own and control Mustang though...

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They hadn't really gone far from the house, and they were already on Roy's street. Ed picked up his pace to come alongside Roy, having had enough of Roy dragging his arm out of its socket. Roy glanced down at him and Ed looked up, more to see how angry he still was than to meet his gaze. Roy's face was a mask, but his eyes were still angry. He looked away.

As they came closer to the house, Ed tried to lighten the mood a little.

"Hey, Roy?" He didn't respond.

"Roy?"

"My first name, huh?" Ed tripped, almost falling on his face but Roy lifted his arm and held him up.

"Hmp. Why did you paint your mailbox like that?"

"Why? I am a pyro, aren't I?"

"I guess..."

"Ha. No really. It was a birthday present from Hughes. I hate it but if I ever tried to paint over it, he'd show up the next morning to 'visit'." Ed snorted.

"He gave me the nightclothes too."

Ed started laughing. He knew there had to be something up when Roy Mustang started wearing fire station pajamas.

"Did he give you anything else?"

"Over the years he's given me a toaster, a toothbrush, a tie, a pair of shoes and believe it or not, a car."

"But your car's-"

"Black yes. It was red until Hughes came in the dark hours of my birthday morning and repainted it. On that one I set my foot down, but the car looked terrible once we'd scraped all the flames off, so I repainted it black because apparently no one in Amestris sells red permanent paint."

"Where's your car from then?"

"Drachma. When we signed our temporary peace treaty with them, everyone was encouraged to buy their goods."

"How lo-ah-ah ACHOO!" Ed was interrupted by his nose.

"Your hair is still wet." Roy said, grabbing Ed's hair at the nape of his neck.

"Oh yeah." Ed shook his head free of Roy's grip as he went in the door.

"Brother! First you fall asleep in the bath and then you go outside with wet hair? Don't you know how people get sick?" Al greeted them irritably.

"You worry too much Al."

Roy snapped his fingers, sending the fireplace into an uproar. Ed took the towel Al was forcing on him and rubbed his head while Roy made some tea. When he came back with two cups, Ed was yanking a comb roughly through his hair, sitting in front of the fireplace. Roy handed him a cup and nodded at Ed's shy thanks. Ed went back to yanking the comb through and spontaneously, Roy and Al shared a look. Roy started counting "3, 2, 1-"

"What are you-ow!" Ed had gotten the comb firmly stuck. Roy counted again. "3, 2, 1-"

Snap! The comb broke in half. Ed glared at Roy.

"You made me do that!" Roy didn't even bother answering, just pulled a comb out of his pocket and sat down on the floor behind Ed, pulling his hair back and removing the broken comb. "H-Hey! I can do it myself!" Ed yelled. Roy grabbed his hair into a tight ponytail and pulled Ed back until his head was on Roy's chest and Roy could look down into his face. "Would you just calm down for once and let someone help you?" He said, seeming gently annoyed and affectionate.

He pushed Ed forward again and Ed gave in and relaxed, slumping forward slightly as Roy gently released strands of golden hair apart from eachother.

When Roy had completely tamed Ed's unruly mop, he let go of it and told Ed "You can go now."

" 'Kay." Ed sighed, slowly standing. Al had gone up to his room a little while ago and Ed started up the stairs after him. Roy had heard the sigh in his voice though and before Ed could go up he told him "But you didn't have to leave." Ed glared at him. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm just glad you calmed down. For a minute there I thought you were just going to pop like a balloon." Ed grinned, narrowing his eyes as he changed the subject. Roy's expression went blank for a moment.

"As much as you deserved it, I should tell you that I was more scared than angry, Ed. It wasn't just that I saw a building collapse on my brother. I sent him into it." Ed's face was blank now, his eyes hiding his thoughts. He started to come back toward Mustang who was still sitting on the floor. Roy smiled at him. A human smile. Mustang was no more a weapon or a tool or a dog than Ed was. He made mistakes. He'd done things he had no excuse for. And he knew it. And he regretted it. Ed wasn't sure what to do. He'd wanted to comfort Mustang, but he couldn't just go and hug him or something like that. He sat near him on the sofa instead, still unsure.

"I was always teasing him and making him angry because I was 3 years older. And because he followed me in everything except alchemy. When I joined a soccer team, so did he. And...When I joined the military, so did he. But then he got killed and I didn't have anyone to follow me anymore." Roy stared at the wall. Ed hated everything intensely for a moment. How many times would he bring pain to others and then realize he couldn't do anything for them?

"Go to bed Colonel." Ed stood and walked away, climbed the stairs and curled into bed himself.