With all that had been going on, Edward had taken to measuring the flying time by his dress fittings. Really, it was the only way he'd managed to keep track as March and April fell away. Now, with just over two weeks left, Ed was heading in to what had better be his last fitting.
He and Alphonse breezed past the secretary, heading straight for the fitting area at the back of the store. They'd been in so often lately, many of the employees recognized them and just let them go about their business. And that was nice, but more than anything Edward was sick of being in the stupid store. Namely because of his masculine shape, adjusting the dress had been much more complicated than was apparently normal.
Mina was waiting for them, as per usual, Ed's dress hanging gently over her arm. "Hey guys! Ready?"
Edward laughed, a breathy, slightly harassed sound, trying to keep the boxes in his hands still as his shoulders shook. "Not really. I'm running on energy drinks here. But for all intents and purposes, yes."
"Poor thing," Alphonse muttered sarcastically. "Don't pretend you aren't enjoying it, Brother."
"Well, I'll enjoy it when it comes together, at least," Ed replied, sticking his tongue out.
"Make sure you at least get some sleep the day before the wedding," Mina said critically. "You don't want to be exhausted on your big day."
"Yeah, I'm setting aside that whole day for sleeping. I need to catch up," Edward agreed. "Anyway, let's get going—I've got to meet up with Roy in a little while for another dance lesson..."
Automatically, Al took up his customary spot on the sofas outside the dressing rooms, crossing his legs. Mina opened a door and Ed stepped in, setting down the boxes stripping his shirt off before she had even closed it again.
"Someone's eager," she remarked as Edward tackled his jeans, yanking his boots off in the process.
"Yeah, well, I've got all the extras here this time, and I'm hoping it will all come together."
"I have to admit, I'm kind of excited to see. You wouldn't tell me anything about your accessories before," Mina pouted, holding out the dress for Ed to step in to.
"I wanted it to be a surprise!" Edward insisted, deftly pulling the fabric up. He'd gotten much more proficient at putting on dresses lately, though he wasn't sure if that was actually something to be proud of. "Besides, you're going to see them now, so quit complaining." Ed waited for Mina to zip him up, waiting for her tugs and pats as she settled the dress to cease before he bent down to retrieve the first box.
"Um, Ed, just to remind you…you can't just bend over like that," Mina giggled.
Oh. Right. Dresses didn't cover hardly anything, so when Edward bent over, his ass was bared. "Yeah, I forgot. I can't believe you guys do this all the time," he muttered, pulling the lid off a box to grab his shoes. "Hey, this is going to be shocking, but don't say anything—I haven't told Al yet." Doing his best to block his actions from view, Ed yanked his shoes on forcefully and stood up, spinning around so Mina could see.
The woman had to clap her hands to her mouth to stop herself from saying anything. "Boots?" she mouthed, eyebrows climbing upwards.
"Yep," Edward responded, now pulling Alphonse's necklace from the other box. "I'll explain in a minute. Could you help me get this on?" he asked, holding the jewelry aloft.
"Ooh, this is lovely!" Mina complimented, taking the necklace and draping it around Ed's neck deftly. "Where'd you get it?"
"Al gave it to me." Edward gave himself a quick once over in the mirror, surprised by the wave of satisfaction that overcame him. The dress, thank goodness, actually fit this time, flaring out gently and shimmering almost unnoticeably. With the boots (white renditions of his usual pair, with a silver band studded with blue stones wrapping around them) and the necklace, he looked…well, Ed didn't know which word to use. "Pretty" came to mind, but he wasn't ready to call himself that.
"Oh, Ed," Mina sighed softly. "You look wonderful!"
"Thanks," he replied, grinning easily. With this reflection looking back at him, it was easier for Edward to feel confident about his decision to wear a dress. Honestly, it just looked so much better on him than any of the tuxes he had tried on. Worth it, totally worth it.
Without another word, Edward turned and opened the door, shouting out, "Al, close your eyes!"
"You're such a hassle, Brother," Alphonse called back, exasperated.
Not bothered by his brother's snarky response, Ed leaned out to check that he was indeed not looking, and then pranced—no, hell no, walked—out, stopping a few feet from Al. "Okay, you can look now!"
Alphonse opened his eyes, unable to hide his eager expression, and gasped, taking it all in. Edward looked down at himself once more, beaming as he did so. He watched as Al gaped, eyes falling to his shoes. Here his brother's eyebrows rose. "Boots? To your own wedding, Brother?"
"I was wondering the same thing," Mina interjected, having followed Ed out of the dressing room.
"Okay, look," Edward began. "I'm wearing a dress, and I love it, but it's girly as it gets. And then you added this necklace, Al, and it's gorgeous and matches perfectly…but that just makes me look even more feminine. So I wasn't about to wear heels as well—hell, I wouldn't be able to walk if I did. The boots kind of tone it down a bit, plus they match…plus if I have to kick someone in the ass, they'll be nice and convenient."
No one seemed able to argue. "Spin around, Brother," Al finally requested.
Feeling slightly ridiculous, Edward complied, twirling and causing his dress to fan out pleasantly. Giggling, he couldn't stop himself from doing it again. And again.
"You can stop!" Alphonse laughed. "I like it, Brother. And I think Roy will, too."
"He'd better!" Ed growled playfully. "After all this work!" His laughter died down and Edward turned suddenly serious. "Really, though, I hope you're right. I feel great, and I want him to enjoy it too." Honestly, the thought of Roy seeing Ed in this dress made him shiver, excitement coursing through him at the idea of the man's reaction—especially to the little surprise Edward had come up with.
"I'm sure he'll love it, Ed," Mina said, smiling softly. "I don't know him, but I also don't know how anyone could not think you look amazing."
"Speaking of Roy, you've got to get going, Brother," Al piped up. "You've got that dancing thing, remember?"
"Ah, shit, you're right."
"Come on, then, let's get you back in your normal clothes," Mina suggested, pulling Ed back to the dressing room.
"Hey, Mina?"
"Hm?"
"I just wanted to say thank you." Edward coughed, fighting back emotion. "I mean, you've really helped me with this whole dress thing, and I think it's going to make my wedding the best it could possibly be…so, thanks."
The woman beamed at him, pulling Ed into a quick hug. "That's my job, silly. But you're welcome."
"Sorry!" Edward gasped, stumbling into the dance studio where Roy and Robyn, their instructor, were waiting. "I ended up taking the dress home, so it took a little longer than I thought it would…"
"No problem," Robyn replied, waving him off and grinning at him. "I don't have anything else scheduled today anyway."
Nodding, thankful that he wasn't causing anyone a problem, Ed stepped forward into his typical place, intertwining his fingers with Roy's. Taking a moment to circle the two, Robyn walked off, satisfied enough with their form to start the music. Edward counted in his head (the beginning always being the part he messed up on the most) and took his first steps—in time, for once.
"So," Roy began, smiling as they started the dance, "how did it go?"
"Awesome—but you already know that. I told you I brought the dress home," Edward reminded him, though he doubted Roy had actually forgotten. He had to be on his toes; Roy had picked up the dance much quicker that Edward had, having taken some classes beforehand for other events. Therefore, the man didn't have to concentrate as much on his feet as Ed did, and it would be just like Roy to try to sneak a description out of him when he wasn't paying enough attention.
"Yes, you did say something about that…" Roy murmured, his expression taking on a crafty edge. "Where did you put it, exactly?"
"At Al's apartment," Ed replied bluntly. "You didn't really think I was going to let you anywhere near it, did you? You can wait two more weeks."
"What makes you think Al's place is any safer?" Roy teased even as he raised his arm, allowing Edward to spin away from him before pulling him in closer once more.
"Well, I did give Alphonse permission to call in reinforcements should you try to see anything before you should. So, if you do manage to get a peak at the dress, you'll also end up spending the night in a cell, if I pull some strings."
"If it's just a night—"
"And the next month on the couch. Alone."
"You don't sleep well without me," Roy replied dubiously, doubt coloring his voice. Good. He was taking Edward's threats seriously, as he should.
"Which will be distressing, sure, but keep in mind that I managed for a while without you—"
"Pacing, Ed! Slow down!" Robyn called, interrupting him. Ed adjusted himself as instructed.
"—and I can do it again. Besides, you love curling up with me. So I would say a night in a cell, and a month without being able to hold me plus knowing how upset I am in the next room…well, that should be enough."
"You're right," Roy agreed, sighing as he bent down, supporting Edward with a hand on his waist. "I can't risk all that. You're diabolical, you know that?"
"I know," Ed confirmed, grinning. Roy growled, leaning forward just slightly for a kiss as the song came to an end, only breaking away when Robyn began to clap.
"Really good, guys, you've improved a lot since last time," she called out happily. "Let's run through it again, okay? You still have to make sure you aren't rushing things, Ed."
"Yeah, alright," he answered, stepping to the starting position again.
"I can't wait until we get to do this for real," Roy breathed, leaning close as the notes once again began to drift through the air. "Two weeks seems like forever."