A/N: 'Morning, morning! I finally managed to post this chapter, which is almost as long as the former. It might look more like a filler, or something close, being based on thoughts and insecurities, but I hope you'll still enjoy it. There will be some swears (there always are), everyone is acting irrational and so on. Please don't forget to leave a review, follow and favourite! Thank you so much for reading!

Just as a side note, the action is happening a few months after the previous chapter, at the end of the summer.

No, on with the ride...

Chapter 14 – Secrets and lies

"Sign these too, Sir"

Roy let out a sigh. Another boring day for another substantial pay. He skimmed with practiced speed through the many papers that were resting on his desk like silent mountains or, more accurately, like sleeping monsters. He signed them as if he was in a trance and then put his pen down, the small glimpse of a well deserved break showing its head. At last.

"And these too" Hawkeye opened the door of his office and put some more paperwork on his now fairly empty desk.

He raised his eyes and smiled politely at the blonde soldier. "Thank you, Lieutenant"

'Damn!' he cursed under his breath. He was thankful with all of his being that the woman wasn't going to answer him that he's welcomed, because he could swear his head was going to explode from the repetitive action of signing documents. If he knew that meant to be a commanding officer, he wished he remained at making coffee for the old perverted colonels. It was far more interesting than scratching paper with ink.

His door was soon thrown open and a short silhouette entered like it owned the place, only to stumble in a box of finished paperwork that was strategically posed in front of the door. "SHIT!" the blond alchemist fell forward and landed head first in front of Roy's desk.

"Ah, a presence as always, Fullmetal" Roy bowed over the table top to look at Edward, who was fumbling with freeing his foot that stuck in the box.

"Fuck you too, bastard. Who puts boxes in front of the door anyway?!"

"Heh, insignificant details... doing well down there?"

"Just die already" Ed swore and threw Roy a murderous look.

"I know you love me, wouldn't that be a shame?" the raven haired General said and guiltily brushed some invisible dust off his coat. He should really stop pushing Ed's buttons.

"When I look at you, sometimes I wonder what the hell is going on with my brain" he grunted and put his hands on the table top. Roy pulled his arms up, helping him get on his feet. With much satisfaction, Ed noticed "I see you're doing very well under the papers... and to think I was going to offer my help... not anymore!"

Roy looked at him with big eyes. "Would you do that to me?"

Ed struggled to look mighty, but he gave in. "Clear me some space. I'm going to take a chair. You look too pitiable"

At that, the Flame alchemist jumped on his feet and snatched a chair and offered it to Ed. "You're an angel" he praised silently and returned to his seat. The blond sighed and produced a pen from his pocket and joined his lover in the copious amount of paperwork.

XXXXX

Hawkeye opened the door. "Sir, may I take-" she stopped when she saw Edward lift a finger to his lips to silence her. He moved the finger and pointed it at Roy, whose head was rested on the desk in deep sleep. Next to him, a big pile of documents were stored in perfect order, all signed and good to be used for their written purpose.

The woman curved her lips softly and nodded. She took the papers from the desk and whispered "I'll let you take care of him. But take him home later, I don't want to see him in the morning in the same spot"

"Alright, Lieutenant" Ed replied in a low voice. "He's been working like a maniac, but don't you worry! Now I have a new reason to yell at him. Thanks for your work. Goodnight and see you tomorrow"

She nodded her salute and left with a small smile. 'He's grown up so fast, that boy..."

XXXXX

Roy opened his eyes drowsily. He shifted in his seat, but he was soon stopped by the weight in his lap. Ed fell asleep with his head on his tight, not in a particularly comfortable position. He gently shook his shoulder, and the blond woke up in confusion. "Wha-" he blinked a few times and looked up to see his lover who had a gentle expression on his pale face.

"Hello" Roy whispered and ruffled his blond locks that escaped from his ponytail.

"Urgh, hi" he said and scratched his itchy neck. He didn't mean to fall asleep, but Roy' heat lulled him into a peaceful slumber. "What hour is it?"

Roy shifted his black eyes and searched for his pocket watch. He opened the lid and replied "Three fifty-two"

"Argh, damn. I didn't mean to sleep on you, sorry" Ed said and struggled to rub off the little saliva he left on the taller man's pant. He had a bad habit of opening his mouth when he was out cold.

"Don't worry with that, tomorrow is laundry day, anyway" Roy replied and kissed the top of his head. "I think we should go home"

"Yeah" Ed made and arranged his shirt, which creased in his awkward pose.

They walked hand in hand to their home as the streets were almost completely empty. The night was peaceful and moonless, the heat of the day long gone. It started to smell like rain and the leaves were getting yellow. Summer was leaving the Central City at a fast pace.

They returned to Roy's house, proudly shared with Edward for some considerable time. They lived a pleasant life together, both getting along better than expected. Each of them had their own house chores, the money saved from the lack of needing a housekeeper being used for going out almost every two other nights, sometimes daily when they had they had fairly quiet period at work. They even left the city from time to time, going where their finger first touched the map. Though it was not about the money in particular, because only Roy earned enough to overfeed an entire family of eight and probably two others, but about the principle of normality they tried to bring in their lives.

It was a good life for both of them.

The morning came too fast, just like it came every day. Both of them fell asleep the moment their heads touched the pillow, not bothering with cleaning or changing their clothes. They've been working hard, especially Roy, for making possible some agrarian reforms, much needed for the many farmers of the country. Edward, despite his attributions, helped his lover as much as he could with the legal part, taking care of almost a half of his other papers. Mustang complained half-heartedly, deep down happy with his aide, but accepted the generous offer. He knew he would burn himself out faster than his time if he continued surviving on two or less hours of sleep a day, most done during meal breaks, or sometimes not even during them. Any help was more than appreciated. And Ed has gotten really good at forging his signature that it would be a pity not to use him.

The first to wake up was the blond, whose side of the bed stood closer to the window. The light played on his heavy eyelids and startled him awake. He slowly lifted Roy's heavy arm from around his waist and left the warm bed. 'I should let him sleep some more, he looks like a ghost. Don't want him to turn into one, no' he thought and cracked a lazy smile. They were both tired, but a vacation was due to come very soon, anyway. They planned to visit Alphonse and Winry, now happily married for almost half an year, maybe put a flower on his parents' graves. Perhaps they could go to Roy's parents' as well... Ed wanted to pay his respects to them, after all, they were his lover's genitors. They deserved some respect.

He undressed and went in the shower. The steam clouded his senses like anaesthesia. He wondered whether Roy's parents would have liked him if they were alive. He was sure they knew about them from where they were; he didn't believe in any God, but he had faith that the soul wasn't wasted after death, maybe they were all next to the Truth, or maybe they still wandered or reincarnated. Whichever it was, he knew they were being watched by their deceased ones, no matter how it sounded.

Perhaps Roy's parents would have liked a high society woman for their son, someone who could give him a great family he could show off when he became a Fuhrer, to raise some black haired brats and send them to school and watch them grow and marry, have grandchildren. He felt selfish for taking away from Roy that possibility, but he wanted to pull off his dreamy romance as long as he could. After all, they made a deal never to leave each other.

All he could hope was to never break that deal.

The water turned colder on his skin. He rotated the water tape and dried himself. He put on some pants and then took a hairbrush from the bath cabinet. He walked on his toes to the bed and tapped Roy's arm slowly. "Come on, sleepy, wake up" He put more force in his push. "Hey, wake up, Roy" He gave up on treating him lightly. "Roy, wake the hell up or I swear I'm kicking you out of the bed, and you won't like that"

Roy grunted. "No..."

"And I'm supposed to be the one with the bratty attitude? Wake up, now. Now, Mustang!" Ed averted. Giving in, Roy lifted his head off the pillow and put his feet on the floor. Mechanically, he snatched some clean clothes from the dresser and paced to the bathroom, not completely awake.

Edward snorted. He enjoyed seeing the untouchable General so vulnerable, so sleepy and absent. There were very few moments he saw him like that, for he usually woke up too late, but the blond grew to like that touch of intimacy. He sometimes outdid himself and managed to be the first who got up just to stare at the sleeping older man, that much of a show was Roy in the morning, with his eyebrows low and slightly curved to follow the line of his long, barely opened eyes, with his black hair in any possible direction, his body moving like a broken toy, nearly breaking the bathroom's door with his head because he usually forgot he had to open it first. He was simply amusing to watch.

He descended and boiled some water for the coffee. He thanked the Truth for Hawkeye's good idea of leaving them doughnuts the previous morning, and he ate two of them almost breathless. That woman was their saviour in times like this. He should make some breakfast, but it wasn't that early to wait for Roy to finish with his morning routine to cook something. Ed gave up preparing any meals long time ago. He wasn't made for anything related to the kitchen. That was Roy's expertise, not his. He was far better at laundry, a domain where he excelled in comparison to the other, who would contemplate in front of a sock for hours, pulling it on his hand and playing with it. His eyes always widened in shock when a shirt was given the rough treatment of washing, almost feeling bad for having to treat it that way. He wasn't one made for cleaning clothes.

Roy came up behind him and hugged him closely, kissing his hair. "Morning, little thing"

"I'm so going to accidentally spill the kettle on you, bastard" Ed growled and shook off Roy's arms. "And good morning. Eat those and drink your coffee, it's in the blue mug"

"Thank you kindly" the General said and ruffled his hair playfully. His fingers stopped in the many knots that formed during the night. "You should brush your hair, you won't be able to tie it otherwise"

"Let me go, and I might be able to do just that. Sheesh, Mustang"

"Yeah, yeah, thanks for the coffee" Roy said and sipped his coffee smiling. Ed left him alone to eat the remaining doughnuts, still pretty much edible. He supposed the blond would bring something to eat later at the office, not that he minded the food he had or that he felt like using him, but Ed was too worried for his own good when it came to his bad habit of eating, or actually the lack of this particular endeavour.

He was surprised when he heard a knock at his door. He looked at the clock to see it was still too early to be Hawkeye, or maybe she wanted to talk to him something urgent? He shrugged and headed for the door, swallowing the rest of his doughnut and bringing his mug with him.

He opened the door and widened his eyes at the sight before him.

"Good morning?" he asked more than said. At his doorstep, Alphonse stood straight, on his face a hint of worry.

"Good morning, sorry for coming so early in the morning..." a loud noise came from upstairs and interrupted the younger blond. "I hope I'm not disturbing something..."

"No, no, not at all. Continue" He prayed for Edward not to come downstairs.

Al nodded to him and then said "You see, Winry and I've just came last night, we wanted to surprise brother, but didn't find him at his usual hotel and I thought maybe you knew where he was..."

"Well, I don't know how I could help y-"

"ROY! WHERE THE HELL IS THE CONDITIONER?! YOU FUCKING MADE MY HAIR WORSE WITH YOUR STUPID HA-" Ed halted his yelling and stopped dead in front of the door, the brush forgotten stuck in his dishevelled hair. He had a towel on his shoulders, his shirt absent not to dirty it when he disentangled his hair.

'Fuck' he thought.

"Hello, brother" Alphonse said with his jaw clenched. Out of all the places he suspected to find Ed, Roy's house wasn't even on the list. The older brother looked sheepishly at him and then moved his eyes at his lover.

Roy wanted to bash his head in a wall. It was the worst moment to have the youngest Elric at his door.

XXXXX

Half an hour ago, in a studio complex

Hawkeye woke up later than usual that morning. She hurriedly dressed and ate some toast she found on the kitchen table, as fast as she could bring her jaws to masticate. She walked to Roy's house, thinking the man needed a walk to get started for the day. Or maybe because she also felt like dozing off, and doing that while driving wasn't an option.

She reached the Mustang residence shortly after. She readied herself to drag Roy out of the house, but she found the door half opened. She touched her gun holster for prevention. She pushed open the door and stumbled into Roy, who stood behind the entrance.

"Argh, I'm so s-" she stopped when she saw Roy's hard eyes. She peeked behind him and nodded shortly. "We need to go, Sir, otherwise we'll be late" she said and pulled the taller man out of his own house and closed the door behind them with a thump.

"Good morning my ass" he cursed barely audible and led the way, closely followed by Riza, as silent as a rock.

XXXXX

Edward led his brother to the living room. It has seen better days, it was filled with piles of books and papers were scattered everywhere, some empty mugs were placed on the small coffee table. Some clothes stood inertly on the sofa and some on the floor, some Roy's, some his. And they were quite some outfits, he couldn't just pretend he slept there because he had work to do. He was supposed to clean that very day, but fate decided to be once again cruel with him.

Seeing the rough state of the living room, and remembering the study's even messier appearance from some nights before, the older brother changed his way for the kitchen. At least that was more decent than the rest of the house.

Al took the seat he was offered and watched his brother put on the shirt Roy left him on the table. With a certain target on his mind, he put out a clean cup and filled it with fresh coffee.

"Thanks" Alphonse replied coldly, accepting the drink.

Ed took his red mug and put it in front of himself, on the table. He stood in complete silence. What was he supposed to say to his brother? That he was living with a man, who was as a matter of fact Roy, which meant, in other words - sleeping with his commanding officer? That wasn't a convenient talk.

"Brother" Al inquired eventually. Ed looked in his light caramel eyes. "What are you doing here?"

'Fucking my superior, nothing much' he wanted to say. 'I'm so disgusting, when have I become so vulgar?'

"Well, you see..."

"Don't lie to me. As far as I can see, you didn't tell me more than I thought"

More than he thought? On the phone, he definitely didn't sound like he suspected anything. Since when did his brother start having doubts about him?

All this time, he has been afraid to upset him, and just a small slip was threatening to destroy his hard-built facade. He wanted to announce him in another way, to show him how well he got together with Roy, not to serve him such a scene.

And he hated himself for lying to his brother for so long.

"I'm sorry, Al... you see..."

"Edward, all I'm asking is for the truth"

The damn truth he should have said long ago.

"How should I say it... Roy and I are..."

"Living together?"

"Yeah" It wasn't that hard, he noticed. He had in front of him his own flesh and blood, not some stranger. Sadly, it has been easier to talk to strangers about it.

Al leaned back on the backrest, sighing. "For how long?"

"For...for about an year" There was no need to lie, that was his brother. He should have faith.

"You mean... you mean you came to see us, came to our wedding, in our house, and didn't even bother to tell us, no, ME, your own brother, that you were with him? Oh... now it all makes sense"

"Alphonse, please... brother, don't be like that..." Ed pleaded, not sure what to say and what not to.

"That's why you didn't come for the Winter Holidays? That's why you said you had work to do? What work, Edward? Being a lapdog for your higher ranked?" Al lost his calm. He was so unnerved by his brother for hiding something so important, he became delirious. He had been worried sick for him, thinking he had problems, and he did what? Go behind his back like that?

"No, no, that's not it..." the elder tried to explain.

"Then what is it? Do you know how much I worried for you? I kept on waking up with the thought I would be getting a call about your early death, I was worried that maybe things didn't go well for you, that you were miserable! I searched for you yesterday, you know? I didn't find you at your usual place. I came to see you and spend some time together because I couldn't come for your birthday, to see what?! I'm so glad I didn't come then, who knows what I would've seen?! And-"

"Brother, it's not like that!"

"-then he walks out with his tail between his feet, after the Lieutenant, like the coward he-"

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL HIM A COWARD!" Edward said in a threatening voice that left his brother with his mouth opened. His eyes threw daggers at the younger man, the gold in them boiling with rage.

"You have no right to call him that" He didn't have any. He didn't know that the man almost died protecting him, that made sure he was well healed, that dressed his wounds, that eased his nightmares. He had no right.

"No matter how friendly he might be, you know he is using you, right? He's as low as he could get" Al was no longer thinking clearly. He was blinded by an anger he didn't know he had hoisted deep inside.

"No, no, no. You have no right to say that, you don't know him. You know nothing about him!"

"Yeah? How so? He's a freaking womanizer and manipulator who uses people as he sees fit and-"

"HE FUCKING ISN'T!" Ed said, himself losing his temper. That was enough. When did his brother become so unreasonable? He had Roy officiating his wedding, he had him in his house, yet he spoke like that? What was in his head?

"I know him better than any. There are no women, there are no flirts, there are no great escapes! The only women who ever call him outside of work are Hawkeye to call in sick or to report, his aunt to ask when he'd visit her, and Major Armstrong's sister to complain about instant coffee! He is a damned depressive loner who has a dream! And he shared it with me, his past and his future, his problems and his fears! We've been through so many, I don't know where to start! You don't know shit about him, Alphonse!"

He stopped breathless and stared at his brother. He didn't remember when he started yelling, he didn't realise when he stood up and spilled his coffee on the table. It was as if his primal instincts surfaced and he had no control over them. Over himself.

Al simply gazed. He didn't recognise the person in front of him. It was no longer the petulant kid with great heart and almost sickening sense of justice. It was a mature man with so much to say and too little words. He grew up, and he hadn't been there to see it.

But Roy had seen it. He stood by his side. Who knew how much they had to hide?

It was not his clear mind thinking, it was the blinding jealousy.

Ed seated back on his chair, his features poisoned with guilt. He covered his face with his hands. "I'm so sorry, Al... I'm so sorry" he recited like a mantra. He was desperate.

"Brother, I..."

"I'm sorry for worrying you, please forgive me, but don't do this to me... please" Ed almost begged. With watery eyes, Al asked "Do you really care about him?"

"I fucking love that bastard!" he replied, his voice coarse and tired.

"But does he return your feelings? Do you know that?"

"He jumped in front of that maniac when he tried to murder me, and almost got himself killed! What the hell do you think?"

"He did what?!" Al demanded in shock. When did his brother almost get killed? He didn't remember hearing any of that.

"Last winter, when I couldn't come at your place, I wasn't fooling around, fucking him or what the hell you were thinking" Ed started angrily. He never used such words with his brother, he felt so low. He wasn't like that, but he frankly didn't know how to phrase his thoughts. There was no time for sugar coating the truth. It was too late for any of it.

"True, I've spent most of the year's end with Roy. In a hospital" He rose to his feet hastily and pulled up his shirt. He patted his chest "Here, stabbed and burnt" he pointed at his stomach "Other burn marks" he moved to his waist "Bruises. And there is more, if you insist."

"What happened? Why didn't you tell me? I thought-"

"I couldn't, and I can't. It is exclusively between me and Roy, and talking would violate his will. He is the only one who is entitled to talk. All I can tell you the threat has been eliminated" Ed cut off his brother. "But the rest is true, and I've never wanted to worry you"

Al sighed. He didn't know what had happened to him. If he did, he wouldn't have insulted him like that, he would have understood and comforted his brother. He would have been by his side during his recovery. All of his anger was unfounded. Edward had been wrong for hiding what happened to him, but it was his fault for not realising that all he did was to protect him from unnecessary worries. And he didn't want to tell him about Roy because it was too much of a delicate subject.

He should have known better.

Looking at his brother, he saw a worn out young adult who shouldered more than any. He took him away from work for his wedding, and oversaw how anxious he had been for him in the past. How much he wanted him to be happy.

And with a few words, he managed to dismiss of Ed's happiness just like one would throw out garbage.

"I'm really sorry, brother, I didn't know... I-"

"No, Al. It is my fault. I've been lying to you. You didn't know. I'm sorry for yelling, I don't know what've gotten into me... I'm just tired, last night I came home at four in the morning after I've spent most of the day at the headquarters. Roy's been working inhumanly hard, he barely slept in the past few months. He's building bridges with the other nations and making reforms for his upcoming promotion, and I'm helping him with routine paperwork. I just try to take his mind off work and remind him from time to time that eating and sleeping are things humans do, while he gives me a reason to wake up in the morning and make coffee. That's all I have, brother, and I don't want to lose him too"

It was so clear it hurt. Al abandoned his brother and found his own happiness somewhere else, without him. He didn't know he felt so lonely.

"See that thing?" Ed pointed at an empty glass system that looked like a distillatory. "Some months ago, one of Roy's acquaintances sent him a lot of plums. We had no idea what to do with them and, one night after we finished our previous project, we went out with the team at his aunt's bar, came back positively drunk and he thought it was a good idea to make some more booze out of the plums. We used the freaking bathtub to squash the fruits, and I don't remember much after that, but I know we've woken up with way too much drink, way too powerful and somewhat sweet, with a house in complete disaster, with that glass thing and some vases missing. And a massive hangover. But that was so much fun"

"Oh" he remembered. "Last winter, after our wounds healed, we cleaned all the walls and repainted them. We've put wallpaper and rearranged the whole house. It was messy, but we managed to make this thing look somewhat like a place where people live in, not a museum piece. Maybe this sounds irrelevant, but this is my new home, Al, that's what I have now" His eyes read despair as he repeated the last phrase. He looked like someone who was hanging on hope, not ready to let go of the strings.

And Alphonse has just attempted to take that away.

"Are you happy with him?"

Edward looked in his brother's eyes intently. He answered truthfully "Yes" There was no lying about that.

"And do you think it'll work out between you two?"

"As long as he will have me, I will stay by his side. He is my new reason, and I'm his support" 'And we made a promise' he reminded himself.

Al looked at him once more before he sighed and took his hands in his. "Then, brother, I am happy you found your reason"

XXXXX

Winry tiredly looked at the door. She wasn't made for travelling for so long, the train ride has been too much of a strain after all the work she has done in the past few months. During summer, many automail limbs dilated far too much for their capacity, and many users chose her shop to adjust their prosthetics. She was currently working on a model that accommodated any type of weather and her dream was slowly becoming reality.

She limply moved out of the bed and landed on the sofa in front of the window. It was already sometime before noon, she noticed from the position of the sun, high on the blue cloudless sky. She looked around herself with surprise. Where was her husband? He said the night before he would go out in the morning, something about Ed, but he should have come back by then. Oh, she remembered. They were supposed to find Ed... 'Late birthday surprise, yeah...'

"What are those two blockheads doing?" she asked out loud the wrench in her hand. She forgot it in her pocket. She looked at it and nodded. "Yes, we should go out and look for new parts" With a snort, she chuckled. "Now I'm talking with a tool, ain't you a good friend, wrench?"

She jumped from the comfortable cushion and opened the window. The hotel's garden was beautiful and well kept, big bushes of red and white roses adorning the lawn. Some other flowers were grouped in small curvy forms, leading to a tall fountain.

They checked in at a nice hotel for their stay, not wanting to bother Ed with their presence. She suspected the alchemist had a lot of work to do, and the last thing she wanted was to be a nuisance in his schedule. She was certain her friend would never find her as such, but she wasn't that much of a bad person. And about his view on his brother, she didn't need to worry.

The door opened with a low sliding sound. She looked at its generic direction and smiled. "Finally, where have you-" she stopped and looked at Al, who had the grave air of a corpse. "What happened? Did you find Ed?"

"Yeah..."

"And? Shouldn't you be happy? How's he been?"

"Yeah, about that.." he made with a grimace. "It's such a complicated story..."

Winry straightened warily. "Is there something wrong with him? Is he wounded? Is he... dead?"

"No! No, of course not!" Al settled her. Leave Winry to worry for everyone. "No, he's alive and well, it's not that"

"Then?"

"What do you say about some breakfast? I didn't get to eat" he said and mimicked for the door. With a questioning look, she went in the bathroom to change her clothes, thinking of possible scenarios regarding his sour mood. She only could hope there were no problems between the brothers. It wouldn't do.

XXXXX

Edward fussed with putting his boots on. He was so angry and frustrated, he felt like strangling someone with the laces. He felt ashamed and humiliated. Al wasn't supposed to find about his relationship like that. They were the ones who should have told him, covering the prohibited act in a fairy tale. Another lie next to other lies, that is, but it would have been a more beautiful lie.

He looked like a slut, yelling after Roy, half naked in his house. He was not, he was the man's lover, wasn't he? Or that's how he thought. Still, if it would have been like that, maybe the raven haired would have stayed with him, trying to explain their situation. He was the best at dancing around the subjects and making shit seem made of gold. Because that's how he felt right then.

He wondered if his brother was upset. Betrayed? He knew he would be, if he were Al. The younger Elric must have been hurt by his lack of trust and honesty. They were supposed to share everything and anything, to fight their problems together, like they've always done. And now, he was the one to distance himself from their relationship. He doubted Al would have looked at him disgustedly if he told him when it was the moment, and didn't hide it from him. He even acted nice with Roy at his wedding, knowing how much it meant for Ed.

Yes, that was the word. Disgust. He was disgusting and vile. He discarded the only blood sibling he had left. No, they were no longer siblings. Al might have looked forgiving, but it might as well have been an act. The younger man didn't deserve such a treatment, he was far too kind and loving for that. It was Ed's fault he landed in a suit of armour, but Al never complained. It was his fault he suffered, but he always said he would support him in his quest. He never complained, and Ed returned his trust with lies.

The person to whom he dedicated his childhood was now no more than a stranger, and it was his entire fault.

XXXXX

Roy bit his pen nervously. He wasn't able to focus on work as he sloppily signed the papers on his desk. His head throbbed like it was about to explode and his blood ran fast and hot through his veins. He wondered how Ed was doing. He felt guilty for leaving him like that, but, at the moment, it seemed like the only way. He would do more harm than good if he got between him and his brother. He was an intruder in their family, after all, and deserved none of their compassion. He dragged those boys through hell for the selfish act of promoting himself on the excuse of helping them, until he fell for one of them, and now it was his fault for ruining their bond.

He knew for a fact that Al wasn't excited about their relationship. His brother was better than that, but still chose him.

"Sir? The Fuhrer is requesting for your presence" Hawkeye announced from the door. She felt like, if she made another step inside, she would be chocked by the tensed air surrounding her commanding officer. She wasn't sure why he was so shaken, she could only assume, but it didn't look good. Not at all.

Roy lifted his head from his paperwork and nodded. With a sigh, he put the pen down and slid from the chair. He straightened his back to a painful extent, his height growing slightly, and paced solemnly to the door.

He was at work. There was no room for distraction.

XXXXX

Winry sniffed her herbal tea with a great smirk. It smelled heavenly, the sweet fragrance of the forest fruits combining harmoniously with the earthy scent of the green tea leaves. She experimentally took a small sip. Its taste was even more divine.

In front of her, Al stared at his black tea like he wanted to murder the cup in a slow, painful death. He absently chewed on his pastries and played with a napkin. More like tearing it in languid, sadistic movements.

He was confused by Ed's confession. He suspected something was wrong with him, avoiding talking about anything of major importance, trying as much as he could to be evasive in explaining, but he didn't expect the secrecy to run that deep. He saw how Roy and Ed looked at each other when they thought they were alone or nobody watched them, but it was for such a short amount of time he couldn't quite put his finger on a certain label regarding those two. He had a hunch that the tension oozing from the subordinate and the commanding officer was a bit less platonic than they left to be seen, but he didn't think it was like that.

Lies and secrets left aside, he was only left with deep worry. He was bothered that, at any moment, Ed could be harmed by his dangerous ties. He said the bastard was dead, whoever he was, but if one attempted an attack to his security, some more could happen sooner than later. That meant he wasn't completely safe, as he pretended to be.

And there was Roy. Did the man really look at him how he was being seen by Edward? Were his brother's feelings really shared? Was there any love at all? Or was the older man just using him for some selfish needs? He knew what Mustang was capable of, he knew about his ruthlessness and unscrupulous nature, he had seen it in front of his eyes. That officer would do anything to accomplish his goals, and the living proof were his crew members. They were so absorbed with executing his orders, their minds would probably stop functioning without them. They were all indebted with something to him, he supposed, and that kept them loyal.

That was cruel. None of them had that kind of relationship with their General. They volunteered to help him and saw him as their mentor and friend. And Ed also saw him like that. But, if his first assumption was true, and the man was no more than a manipulative sociopath, what was Edward's role in the grand scheme? What was his purpose there?

What if he really didn't have any reason to be there? What if he would be thrown away, just like that? That was unreasonable judgement, but it could be true. He didn't know what to think anymore.

The blonde woman eyed Al's broken moves carefully. She sighed deeply and recited monotonously. "Al, if you keep on looking at that poor cup like that, it might shatter"

Al lifted his eyes confused, not realising he was staring at the cup. He was so deep in thoughts, he forgot where he was.

"Okay, stupid boy, what is wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost and you've been acting irrationally all this time. You look like you might want to stab someone!"

Al snorted, struggling to keep a small smile on his face. He just couldn't. "Sorry, I'm just tired. Seems like you were right, I should take things easier"

"Of course I'm right. Now, spit it out. What's up with Ed? It's him, right? You do remember why we've came here?" she averted dangerously. Her husband looked at her incredulously. She was so feral sometimes.

He sighed. "I went in the morning, like you've suggested, to Mustang's house, to ask him if he knew where he was. He mostly said that he didn't know, but then Ed showed up behind him, fussing with a brush or something"

"So?"

Al lifted his eyebrows. "So? You don't see? I mean, his house was full with Ed's belongings, and it seemed-"

"Al, you're so overprotective! And you two were accusing me that all I do is worry!" Winry exploded, making some of the coffee shop's clients eye her suspiciously. She shook her head and rose to her feet. "Come on, we're eating while walking" Al looked at her with a pastry hung in one hand. "Come on, we need to talk, and here's not the place"

They left the shop and walked silently to a small park close to their location. They seated on the warm, clean grass. Gathering her feet under her, Winry propped her head on her palms and leaned forward to look in Al's eyes. "You may continue"

Al was at a loss of words. The usually cloud-headed blonde was suddenly so serious and professional he nearly didn't recognise her, and that sent a cold shiver down his spine. "Well, as I was saying... I found brother at Mustang's house, and it looked like-"

"They're lovers? Fuck buddies? Share an apartment – well, house, whatever?" she deadpanned. She was anything but a patient person.

"Huh?"

"Man, you're so smart, but sometimes you can be such an idiot! Sheesh, Al, do you think Ed is a saint or something? Of course he would get, sooner or later, someone to be with! It's only normal, dumb head! There's no need to monopolise him or something!"

"No! Of course I want him to find someone nice, and I've never thought of monopolising him, but I never would have guessed that he would... would..."

"Sleep with Mustang? Spend his money? Trash his house? Do his laundry or what the hell he's doing there? Come on, you need your eyes checked. Those two have been jumping at each other's throat since forever! Of course it changed into something less friend-like, I mean, even a blind man could see the damn sexual tension between them! It was palpable! It was only obvious they would jump in each other's pants sometime soon! Sheesh, have you never heard of such thing, you know, like pent up frustration or attraction or, I don't know, lack of a hobby?!" Winry said in a breath. Damn, Al was so stupid when it came to his brother.

"Win, don't be so crass! Of course I heard of that, but not with him! Not with that man!"

"We decided to invite him at our wedding as an honour guest, and he helped us so much, and you think that of him? Don't forget, he was the one who pushed you forward when you stumbled years ago, he gave you a chance to get closer to the truth! You regained your body because of him! Well, sort of"

"Yeah, but-"

"No 'but'!" Winry cut him off. "Tell, me, Al, how did Ed look when he told you that? How did he talk? I bet he was enamoured with his words. By the way, how long?"

"How long what?"

"Dummy, how long have they've been together, or what the hell they are doing in private?"

"He said about an year" Winry slapped her forehead and shook her head disapprovingly. "For that little? They sure piled a lot behind them. I thought they've been doing it for longer. I mean, wow, one year only?"

"Winry, how can you be like that! That is... argh! I'm just worrying for him! He told me he couldn't come home last winter because he's been in hospital!"

Winry snorted. "What, too much of a strain on his body? Well, seeing how tall he is, I bet Roy is really bi-"

"Winry, just stop! Just stop" Al made and covered his face. He rubbed his temples and then put his hands on his lap. Suddenly, waves of exhaustion washed away the little energy he had. The past few months have been rough, the planning for his new job as a teacher being really tricky. He managed to do it, however, and the final result looked flawless. Children would love his classes, he was sure.

"He told me his life was put in danger, that someone, apparently related to Mustang, tried to kill him. From what I've understood, the individual is dead or in a state close to it. That is what bothers me, beside everything"

Winry leaned back on her elbows. She looked up at the sky, contemplating her words. "I see... have you thought that maybe he didn't want you to know? I understand you, really, it infuriates me that he didn't tell us about this whole affair, but you do realise you would've panicked if he told you he was injured. He was, right? What I'm trying to say, I would've been rather erratic if I heard about it, and most likely I would've strangled Roy a bit and hit Ed's head with a wrench a few times"

He measured her with his eyes. "You say it is better?"

"Perhaps, I don't know. And about him and General 'I'm so fabulous' – I think they wanted to live for a little while the thrill of a covered relationship. You know what I mean, don't you?"

He sighed all-knowingly. "You might be right" Winry shook her head and took his hands in hers. "That's why I'm the woman in here" She leaned on her back. "I don't understand how males can be so freaking stupid. It is in every fucking species. Do you?"

Al chuckled and laid next to her. What could he say?

Life as a suit of armour had been so simple... what was wrong with humans, making their existence so complicated?

XXXXX

Roy knocked at the office door before entering. A blow of warm aromatised air blew in his face, making his stomach churn. He looked around the jungle that was labelled as 'Fuhrer President E. Grumman'. That room looked more like a drugs smoking room than an official office, with the ever present ferns in big pots and queer looking statuettes.

What an old foxy character, that con of a man. That's exactly what Roy appreciated in his military mentor – he knew how to fool the untrained eye. He wasn't young anymore, but he was as sharp as ever.

He wondered what the man wanted with him.

"Sir!" he saluted sternly.

"Dammit, Roy, stop with the formalities! I've seen you spoon-fed and sponge bathed. I can take worse, like you pulling out that stick!" Grumman gasped. "Come on, take a seat"

"Thank you, Sir"

"Roy..."

"Fine, fine, I'll be seated" Roy said and accepted the offered seat. "What is the reason of your sudden summon?"

The old man sneered. "Frankly, I can't tell you the reason without lying, because there isn't one. But I think I wanted to congratulate you on your very hard work" he said and leaned on his elbows thoughtfully. "It appears to me that you started making moves of your own"

"On this matter-"

"No, no, no need to explain yourself. It is good that you took your role seriously and you decided to act independently. Don't stop, I'm not hindering your work, I support it, as long as it is within my reach. Just don't cross the line and have unexpected repercussions"

"I wouldn't even think of such"

"Good, very good, son. I'm starting to think you are getting closer and closer to the moment you will be able to make a stand and get in my place. What do you think?"

Roy's eyes twitched imperceptibly. Yes, the command was closer than ever, and he felt it in his very breath. The people were seeing him as a good future leader, and they were being supportive. He was already a hero of sorts. "I believe there is no rush into even considering going higher on the hierarchy. You make a better leader than anyone, Sir"

"Nonsense. I simply took advantage of the situation, after Bradley died. I merely warmed up your seat, Roy, we both know that"

"That is not within my attribution to speak"

"Yes, you and your dignity. I get it, I get it. But there is only one thing that really bothers me, the thing that doesn't let me to give you my position just yet"

"When the time will come, we all shall know" Roy replied diplomatically. He didn't need any pats on the back or praise, he only needed to be left alone to make a good impression on the masses. Or simply be left alone. Apparently, it was too much to ask.

"Indeed we shall. But let me tell you a story. When I was just a stupid teenager, there was a girl I was head over toes with. She was beautiful, kind, just the kind of woman any man would want. Obviously, I wasn't the only one who was looking at her that way. There were so many who courted her, I don't have enough fingers to count. I had no hope to even think I could get in her graces. I was too embarrassed to talk to her! Years passed, and she didn't choose anyone to date. She was the same flower, without a gardener to cut her wittered leaves. Independent and certain on her feet. One day, during lunch at the academy, she came to me. You see, she was a trainee as well. We took lunch together, and the whole meal I struggled not to throw up from the excitement of being able to talk to her. She was divine, I'm telling you. Long story short, because there's no need for me to bore you with my old school romances, I found it in me and I asked her out. We started dating, and, two years after we graduated, I asked her to marry me. Years later, she gave birth to Riza's mother, and if I may say – I've been the happiest man on the planet. I was so sad when my daughter passed away, and a part of me died as well when my wife left the land of the leaving, but they kept me going, even in death. They gave me a reason to live, to go on"

He looked deep in Roy's eyes. "The point of my long story is that not work kept me going forward, not my intellect, not my resolve. But the people I gathered around. Roy, this is what you are lacking. This is the only thing that doesn't allow me to promote you in my place – you need to find those people. And not a team – you have one and you work very well with it, but someone to give you a reason to wake up in the morning. If you will be able to accept this truth and welcome it in your life, then you will be fit as a leader. Empathy, my boy, is what you are lacking at times"

Mustang's eyes turned a few shades darker, if that was possible. He looked down at his hands. A reason... he had a reason in life. To become Fuhrer and continue the blooming of his country. But he wasn't sure he had someone to celebrate it with. Someone who would wait for him at home and lean on when things got difficult. He thought of Edward, who he was determined to protect with all he had, but he didn't know if the blond would agree to stand by his side for that long. Maybe it was just a passing folly, not the love he hoped it was.

He needed to find out.

"And Roy? You should really make a stand if you want to keep that blondine close. He might be the loyal type, but you never know"

'Ah, thank you for reading my mind, old man' Roy thought and smiled.

"Sir, I shall consider you advice"

"Well, you should" Grumman said and dismissed his protégé with a grin. 'Youth, so beautiful and foolish'

XXXXX

"ACHOO!" Roy sneezed powerfully, scarring Hawkeye who was patiently shuffling through some documents.

"Bless you?" she said surprised. "Did you catch a cold, Sir?"

"I don't know, I might have. Who knows?"

"You should be more careful with your health, it wouldn't do to burn out before you reach your goal"

"Yes, Lieutenant, I shall mind that. So, did we get the support from the brass?"

"Obviously, you've been very persuasive. Oh, and I think this would be all for today, I have no more papers for you"

Roy smiled. He was getting tired, his mind twisting and turning when he thought of what Ed accomplished with his brother. He couldn't wait to see the blond and listen to the day's events. He hoped it all went well, though he doubted it. If it contained Edward's name in it, it wasn't going to be an easy fight.

Hawkeye let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her superior was starting to act his normal careless way, probably meaning things became clear once again. She wasn't especially keen on finding out what happened that morning, and she didn't want to know what her grandfather told him either. It was better to live in oblivion than to know what those mad men had in store.

A loud knock resonated through the room. She turned on her heels to open the door, and that with great surprise. "Good evening, Lieutenant! Is Mister Mustang in here?" a loud feminine voice echoed.

Roy moved from his seat to look at the door. Winry stood with her hands around her waist, expectantly. So much for going home.

"Yes, I am here. Lieutenant, thank you for today. I will see you tomorrow"

"Sir" Hawkeye saluted and left them alone to talk.

XXXXX

Five hours before

Winry straightened her white top and pulled her pony tail a little higher on the top of the head. She closed her eyes, breathed in, and then out. She opened her eyes.

She was ready for action.

Al left for the library, from where he wanted to research for some books he couldn't find in Resembool. On the pretence of going to search for automail parts, Winry headed straight to Roy's house, where she supposed she would find Ed, if he didn't go to work. She could at least try. After putting some sense into Al's head, she needed to do the same with his brother. He hated seeing them at each other's necks.

She has never seen Mustang's residence before, but she knew it was somewhere close to the headquarters, in the higher class neighbourhood, where houses were quite expensive. With a bit of wandering around, she found a holding that screamed Roy from miles away – a nearly isolated in plain sight one-story house with a large garden far too well kept for one to actually spend time in. It looked more like a catalogue building than anything. She saw a nice looking old woman talking to a child and asked if it was the house of an officer. She nodded and told her a General was living there, as far as she heard.

She jumped the fence, not bothering with opening the gate with her picking locks. Screw the laws of trespassing, she was a woman with a mission. At a second glance, she noticed it was opened, and that only meant someone was home. What a sheer luck.

She clenched her hand in a fist and knocked at the door. She looked at the doorframe and saw a bell, which she pushed after. She should be more attentive at obvious details, she reminded herself.

After some thumping sounds, the big door opened to reveal a pissed blond haired man. He widened his eyes "Winry? What's with you here?" he gathered his arms over his chest. If she wanted to make a scene as well, he swore he would-

"Nothing much, just talk. May I?"

He sighed. "Sure, come in. Pardon the mess, it's the first time I'm home for more than ten minutes in a long while"

The mention of 'home' made Winry smile uncontrollably. He saw that place as his own, how could she not be happy he found a way? Whatever it was.

"I missed you, Ed" she said and hugged her friend tightly. He returned the hug reluctantly, not sure what was the reason of the sudden appearance.

"Don't worry, silly, I'm not here to scream at you. I've spent the whole morning screaming at Al, I just don't feel like doing it anymore"

He chuckled. "That's the Winry I know"

"Duh, I'm the only one. Actually, do you know anyone with this name?" she asked sheepishly. He snorted and caressed her shoulder. "No, obviously. Want something to drink?"

"If you could make me a coffee, you'd be my personal angel"

"Got it" he said and left for the kitchen. Winry pulled off her leather boots and looked around herself. True to his words, the house has seen far better days in terms of tidiness. It wasn't dirty, but in quite some disorder. It looked like a small tornado passed through there, clothes and various objects were scattered all across the large rooms of the holding. Underneath the mess, the house seemed nice and well equipped, really cosy. She chose to enter a room that looked like a living room, already cleaned. She wondered around, looking at the decorations and furniture, until she saw another door.

In the kitchen, Edward poured the coffee in the service cups. It might as well have been his fifth cup of coffee, or more accurately his first, as for the first two drinks, he drank them from a mug, and the next two directly from the pot. He didn't know what to do with himself, so he just drank coffee to strain his nerves even more. He started cleaning the mess him and Roy managed to make during the past month. He should set the alarm earlier, they always ended up trashing the house in the mornings and didn't find the time to clean it later.

He walked to the living room, thinking he would find his friend in there. She was nowhere in sight. Light crept from underneath the study's door, so he went there.

He found the blonde looking at the many photos hanging on the walls. There were some new ones, with him and Roy in the most stupid poses they could get their bodies to make. On his cramped up desk, a large frame stood proudly in the middle, held into position by a pink unicorn. Winry wondered how the plush ended up there, but it wasn't her place to question.

The frame, red with blue dots, most likely painted over, held a picture of Ed, well wrapped in a long red scarf, almost lost in his heavy coat. Roy held his chin on top of his head, clearly mocking his height, and had his own dark blue scarf tied around the blond's arms, lifting them up like he was a puppet. Ed's left hand, clothed in a fluffy two-fingered glove, was planted under the taller man's chin, like he tried to push him away. The two figures were smiling dumbly to the camera, their happiness almost vibrating out of the distasteful frame. It was like it didn't show a picture of a cold winter, with big snowflakes pilling on their shiny hair, but a torrid summer. It was overwhelming.

"You two sure look stupid" she said absentminded. "I think it's cute"

"Hm?" Ed made and gave her one of the cups.

"Yeah, I mean you look good together. He's tall and handsome and all, and you are... well, a short pain in the ass. I think it's cute"

Ed snarled. "You're so sweet, just don't choke on it"

"Oh!" she made in awe. "Your insults have gone so academically! I sure see the change!"

"Hah" Ed chuckled and hid his smile behind his long bangs. Living with Roy has changed a lot in him, shaping him into a grown man. He still had his moments, but he learnt how to accept his pros and cons, to see himself as what he was. It was like he saw the world first time.

And he loved every moment of it.

Winry looked at every photo with a critical eye, commenting on them. She felt like she was a distant observant over the couple's life, or at least the better part of it. "I think you should lock this door, someone might think it's the house of a stalker" she said.

"Maybe"

"Well, what do you say if I help you tidy the house?"

Ed watched her surprised. "How come? Why are you so kind? It's strange"

"What? I'm always kind!" He made a disapproving face. "Neah, I was wrong. You're still the same royal pain"

He hummed in approval. They rearranged the disorder and, in no time, the house looked spotless. Winry kept him company for another hour or two, and then excused herself to make sure Al didn't get lost in the city.

"He knows the city as well as I do, Win. I don't think he'd ever get lost in it"

"Neah, I suppose you're right. Well, then, I'll be on my way"

Ed nodded and smiled. "Thanks for the help, I didn't even notice the house has gotten like that before today"

"It happens. So, Ed, make sure you get some rest, and, just between you and me – I kinda like Roy. I mean, in the most platonically and ethically way possible. And about that brother of yours? He's just over thinking things, he'll be just fine"

"Thanks, Winry, for your support"

"Anytime. Anyway, I wouldn't have seen you with a girl"

Ed lifted an eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, you aren't the type to settle like any person would do. You need the thrill, something more, I don't know, something... brawny? Is Roy brawny?"

"Winry!"

"And, oh, about Roy? He doesn't look like a guy who would be fawning over a woman, I don't think he would fawn over anyone if it's not for the job. But he's a softie, I'm sure"

"Perhaps" Ed hummed in approval.

"Oh, and he sure seems like the wild stallion he's named after, I think he's quite a rider, I bet he's so fucking good in-"

"Winry, get the fuck out!" Ed grunted and showed her the door.

"Whoa, there! I bet it's been a long time since- Okay, I get it, I'm out. See ya, Ed! Kiss Roy for me! Not like you wouldn't do that anyway" she commented giggling. Without waiting for a reply, which might as well have been a kick out through the door, Winry left the house. She turned and waved her hand at Ed, who returned the gesture with a sigh.

Winry had a way to melt his heart and bring him comfort. And to annoy the hell out of him, but that was just what friends did on a daily basis.

XXXXX

Roy returned to his seat and gathered his hands under his chin, expectantly. With a small gesture, he showed Winry to an empty chair in front of his desk. "How can I help you, Winry?" he asked, his smile polite and trained. She didn't take the seat.

"Spare me that. I don't want anything from you, but I came to tell you one thing. And listen to me carefully. I have nothing against you and Ed, but if you, voluntarily or involuntarily or whatever, you break my best friend's heart, I am going to stab you with my chisel till I can't say if you're made of dye or flesh. Now, have a nice day! See ya 'round!" she said cheerfully and left the office whistling.

'Goddammit, Rockbell, you sure are out in the fields chasing mongrels' he thought and put his pen back to its case smiling.

From a mentally stable, normal and decent person, that would have sounded like a threat to his life that he shouldn't treat too lightly. From Winry, it was the warmest and gentlest 'Welcome to the family' he would ever get.

What a miracle, love. It didn't kill you, but the siblings sure did.

A/N: That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed, and as usual, don't forget to leave a review, follow and favourite! It makes my day better, seeing your response to the story. Thank you so much for reading! :D

Till the next time, bye bye!