Four hours from Central to some oddly remote city in Xing wasn't really that long a flight…but somehow, stepping off the plane, Ed still felt groggy and unaware, almost as though he were jetlagged, though he knew that wasn't the case. He stretched, bending backwards until he was past parallel with the floor as soon as they were outside and out of the way of the crowds of people in the airport. It was funny, for the first time in his life, Edward was in a different country…but it still looked similar, felt similar. The breeze on his face was the same, and the airport, at least, looked just like the one back home.

Of course, soon enough Roy would be taking him to an undisclosed location that he was sure was very different from what he was used to, but for the moment it was extremely disorienting to have just flown for hours and not feel like he'd gone anywhere.

"You alright?" Roy asked, grinning in amusement as he watched Ed pull himself back into a upright position.

"Yeah, just a little stiff, is all," Edward replied, rolling his head. "I knew I shouldn't have slept on the plane. Not at all as comfortable as a bed." Suddenly he squinted, suspicious. "Please tell me there's going to be a bed where we're headed."

"There is," Roy confirmed, laughing as he began walking to the ring of waiting taxis nearby. "Don't worry. I'm not that mean."

"I don't understand why you can't just tell me where I'm going."

"Because surprises are fun, and you're cute when you're irritated.

Edward slipped automatically into a pout before realizing, at Roy's grin, that he had just proved his husband's point perfectly. Harrumphing and raising his chin, Ed slid into the open taxi door Roy offered with as much grace as possible…not that that said anything.

He perked his ears as Roy leaned forward from the backseat, straining to hear their destination…but nothing. No sound at all, only all of a sudden they were moving. Settling back, Roy smiled craftily at Ed's questioning expression. "Paper, Ed. I wrote it down. You didn't really think I would make it that easy, did you?"

That was true. Roy always thought of everything—it's what made him such a good officer. Really, Edward didn't have a hope of getting to any information Roy wanted hidden. Sighing, resigned, Ed slid sideways so that he was leaning up against his husband and took to looking out the window.

It didn't take long for the scenery to change dramatically. While the airport had looked identical to the one in Amestris, the city surrounding it had much more cultural flair. People were bustling all around, stopping at vendors that were dotted here and there along the roadside and squished in between buildings that had a peculiar, distinct sort of architecture. Curious, Ed rolled the window down just slightly, breathing in the scent of Xingese food. It was enough to make his mouth water—they frequently went out for Xingese back at home, but Edward had already known the authentic version would be better, and that smell promised to not disappoint.

Before long, they were leaving the city behind, and the buildings gave way to bamboo forests that were strikingly different from the forests in Amestris. There were strange flowers interspersed between the stalks, and the sky was clear and cloudless. Ed couldn't deny that the area was absolutely beautiful, though it was strange in how otherworldly it all seemed, especially once they started to drive up a rickety gravel path on a mountainside. Mosses became more abundant, and they seemed to pass waterfall after waterfall.

On and on they drove, for a solid hour, before the taxi turned into a wide gravel clearing. On one end of the elliptical area sat a group of buildings, perched just so on what seemed like the very edge of the mountain. Edward couldn't help but wonder, as he stepped out of the vehicle, just how high up they were. It felt high, with the strangely dim, misty atmosphere, but at the same time, it didn't seem like they had gone all that far up at all, with the way the side of the mountain continued upwards. Clueless, he followed Roy as the man walked up to the first building, knocking lightly before entering.

From the outside, the building had been clearly different from those in the city, with its smaller size and oddly sloping roof. Inside, this remained true. It was lit exclusively by fire, with no electric lights to be found. Still, it was, in functionality, reminiscent of a hotel lobby, and Roy walked up confidently to a woman who sat behind an ornate desk.

"Hello," he began pleasantly, pulling a tiny, decorative card out of his pocket and holding it up for the woman to see. "It says on here that we're in building seven, could you point us in the right direction?"

"Just follow the path, and when it splits, take the left side."

"Thank you."

Silently, Ed followed Roy back out of the building and down a rocky path, waiting impatiently for some sort of explanation. Sure, it was a scenic area, but what was the point of renting a room or building or whatever here as opposed to…well, anywhere else?

Roy, though he had to feel the questioning looks Edward was giving him, didn't seem inclined to explain anything at the moment. He continued walking along the designated path and to building seven, which was designated with a large numbered sign hung on the outside wall. Ed's husband led him in, holding the door open to reveal a dark room, lit only by the faint light from outside, taken up almost entirely by a massive bed. Hmm. That bed alone could explain why they were staying there—it was so inviting, warm looking and covered in velvet blankets… Edward walked up to it, stroking the covers, when Roy snuck behind him and kissed the back of his neck. "Not yet," the man murmured. "There's something you need to see around back first."

"What?"

Rolling his eyes, Roy smirked, tossing off his shirt. "Get undressed, then I'll show you."

Now, Ed was down for a lot of things, but walking around naked where other people could see was not one of them. Exhibitionism wasn't quite his style. "Why?"

"There's no one around to see," Roy laughed, pulling down his pants in one deft movement. Edward gulped. "Trust me."

Sighing, Ed gave in. While he wasn't precisely comfortable, not understanding what he was getting naked for, he did know better than to think that his husband would purposefully do anything to seriously upset him. Quickly, Edward tugged his tee over his head and his shorts down below his ankles. Once he was standing in the nude, Roy exited the building the same way they had come in, though instead of walking back down the path, he led Ed to around back.

Instantly, Edward understood why he'd been brought here. Sitting behind the building was a hot spring, steam rising off the water in lazy clouds. "Oh," he breathed, padding over to the edge of the pool and dipping a finger in.

"Go on, they're supposed to be the perfect temperature. All natural, too."

Ed slipped his feet into the water, sighing as he did so. This was a thousand times better than a hot tub. Without further ado, he slid the rest of the way in, all the way up to his neck, slouching against the rock and humming contentedly as Roy entered next to him. "You like it?" the man asked, throwing an arm around Edward's shoulder.

"Definitely," Ed confirmed, turning to snuggle into Roy's side. "You're pretty good with surprises, I'll give you that."

Though he couldn't see his husband's face, Edward could hear the faint exhale of breath as Roy smiled. "Glad to hear it."

They sat there, silently enjoying the water for several minutes. Ed was rather torn—on the one hand, he felt that this would be an extremely interesting place to, ahem, celebrate their marriage…but on the other hand, the simple act of traveling had thoroughly tired Edward out, and he was more than content to just sit there cuddling. "How long are we staying here?"

"Three days," Roy answered.

"Good," Ed mumbled back, yawning. "I'm too tired to fuck you right now."

Beside him, Roy shook with laughter. "Why don't we get you inside?" he suggested once he could speak again. "Plenty of time for that later." Edward nodded, leaning up for a quick kiss and not resisting as Roy helped him out of the water. They dried off quickly with towels they found inside the building, curling up in the bed afterwards without bothering with pajamas.

And it was funny, because though this bed was comfortable, it wasn't Ed's bed. He was sleeping, for the first time, in a foreign country, further away from home that he'd ever been. But even so, he drifted off peacefully and with ease, because Roy's arms were tight around his waist and that alone was close enough to home for him.