"I've decided I like champagne."

Ed looked at Al and pulled a face. "Seriously?"

Al shrugged, smiling. "What's there not to like? It tastes nice. Bubbly."

Ed rolled his eyes and scanned the room around them, almost subconsciously looking for a very specific person. "If you have to decide whether to like something or not, you don't actually like it."

"I don't think that's true, Brother."

Where the fuck was he…

There. He was talking to some General. Ed didn't know the names of all these damn people. He'd been here approximately two hours and he wanted to leave already.

Hell, he didn't even wanna come.

He looked back at Al. "I need to provide you with some better food if you think this shit tastes good."

Al sighed, sipping his champagne. As a matter of fact, Al was technically not old enough to be drinking this crap. He turned eighteen in three months. "You're such a pessimist, Brother."

"Do you know what pessimist means?"

Al glared at him, but Ed was distracted, watching as Roy fucking swaggered across the room and smirked at—someone. Everyone looked the same in this damn place, they were all dressed the same. "You're so rude to me."

Ed smiled despite himself, eyes still on the bastard. "I'm rude to everyone, I'm actually nice to you."

Al was silent and followed his gaze. "Nice to me and the General, huh?"

Ed whipped his head around to glare at him, feeling the damning heat on his cheeks. "You're shitting me? I'm especially rude to that bastard."

"Uh huh."

So he couldn't hide from Al. Big deal. No surprises there. Al had known about his stupid crush on this bastard of a man for years. It was impossible to hide from his little brother. That didn't mean he appreciated the teasing though.

Ed harrumphed and turned back to his people watching—or rather, Mustang watching.

Roy had also been looking at him all night. For someone usually so subtle, so careful, he sure was being really fucking obvious tonight. But then again, Ed may or may not have been watching him bullshit everyone in the room one by one. It was weirdly really, really hot.

Because he knew the real Roy. And they didn't.

"You're so easy to tease, Brother," Al all but giggled. "It's no wonder he likes messing with you all the time."

"I take it back," Ed deadpanned. "I'm not happy you're here anymore."

Al threw his head back and laughed, and the sound was truly amazing. "You're always happy I'm here."

Okay, true. It always felt like he was down a limb if Al wasn't close. His right arm maybe. Yeah. Poetic.

And with that, he remembered that Al was planning on going far, far away, and Ed wouldn't be following this time. "You're really gonna go to Xing?"

He'd be worried sick, he already knew that. Hell, maybe his overprotective mind would go into overdrive again and he'd be unable to sleep. He'd had pretty bad insomnia when Al had been in hospital after the Promised Day—it was as though his brain had been on alert for anything that could mean a decline in Al's health. And him going to Xing, where Ed would have no idea what he was doing, if he was okay…He was going to struggle, that was for sure.

Al frowned at his sulky tone and bumped his shoulder with his own as they leaned against the wall. "Yeah, but maybe next year. I still get pretty tired if I exert myself for too long. Don't think I'm ready for that desert yet."

Ed gave him a very pointed big brother side glance of displeasure. "You shouldn't have stayed in Central for so long."

Al scoffed. "I'm fine, Brother. You don't have to worry about me all the time."

"I literally exist to worry about you."

Al smirked. "Ask the General if he agrees with that one."

Ed stared at him. "I hate you."

"Love you too, Brother."

Ed rubbed at his face, accidentally catching Havoc's eye across the room. Havoc waved at him, and he and Breda started making their way over.

"It'll be weird," he said, "Not having you accessible."

Did that sound weird? Maybe. But he and Al weren't normal, exactly. They'd been through too much to be a normal pair of siblings.

Al seemed to know exactly what he meant. Of course he did. "At least you have the General now, though," he said, in such a gentle, empathetic tone that made Ed want to weep a little. "You won't be on your own."

Ed sighed. He knew he was sulking, but it truly would suck not knowing where Al was and when he was coming back. Communications between Xing and Amestris, while not impossible, were a patchy pain in the ass, so it was easier to assume they'd fail than be hopeful and then disappointed.

And also, he didn't really know how to tell Al that he wasn't sure how long this thing with Roy was going to last.

Ed knew he was obsessed.

He'd always known he had a bit of an obsessive personality, really. He got stuck on things, wanted to know things to the point it became a need to know. He had it with alchemy, for sure. He became obsessed with getting Mum back. Then became obsessed with getting Al back.

He'd also always known his feelings towards Roy Mustang were…complicated. The bastard had made his emotions swing like a yoyo for years now.

So it shouldn't have surprised him so much that he was now obsessed with Roy Mustang.

He wanted to understand him, to know everything about him. His curiosity knew no bounds. Every hour of the day his skin burned, and only Roy's touch could extinguish that fire—ironic.

But even that relief was only temporary. The fire would slowly burn again, even warmer than before, and he'd crave Roy's touch again like a fucking addict.

But how long would it all last? After the bond was broken…He didn't know what sort of reality to envision.

"How long are you staying in Central?" he asked Al instead, not really wanting to have Roy as the topic of conversation right now; too complicated.

Al sent him a knowing look that meant I'll let you get away with it this time and said, "I was thinking of going back tomorrow. Winry's been worried, and I have been a bit tired."

Ed just nodded. Good. Because Al still wasn't as strong as he should be, even though he looked like he could move mountains.

Al cocked his head at him. "I can stay longer if you want me to though?"

Ed frowned at him. "Of course not, I—"

"Yooo."

Havoc.

Ed tried not to sigh. He'd wanted to talk to Al, goddamn it. He felt like they hadn't had a private conversation in ages—and actually, they hadn't. He'd been glued to Roy for the past two months.

But despite his initial restraint to not scowl at Havoc and Breda, he found their presence fun. He'd forgotten how easily they made him laugh.

Until he felt a surge of anxiety through the bond, and he immediately scanned the crowd.

He found him easily, but was surprised to see he was with Hawkeye. What was she saying to him to make him feel this anxious?

He tried to stay put, he really did, but Roy looked like she'd actually shot him and he didn't want to make a scene as he slowly bled out, so Ed sighed deeply and decided to once again be a babysitter.

Not that Roy would ever accept that term. But it was still true.

Ed was so done with this stupid ball. He was done with talking to people he didn't know, about things he didn't care about. Some General's daughter, Camilla, had been talking his ear off for about five minutes before he turned her out. He lasted long enough, really.

He hadn't seen most people who'd even been involved with the actual Promised Day; this event seemed more politically motivated, rather than an actual celebration of Father being dead and Amestris still having a population. But of course, what had he expected? Most people didn't even know about the true importance of that day.

This event was just a celebration of them defeating the 'rebels' trying to overthrow the military or whatever bullshit Roy had fed people.

Speaking of Roy…

There he was. Ed could find him so easily, and it was only partly because of the bond. Lately he'd been feeling like he was developing some sort of sixth sense when it came to that stupid man.

Ed sighed, leaning against the wall.

He couldn't help himself when it came to Roy. Especially now that the soul bond was involved.

It was just so interesting how Roy's face would blank when he was thinking something over, debating how to reply. How he hid the way things caught him by surprise. Ed could practically feel the cogs turning in his head, that overthinking mind of his picking apart every single syllable of Ed's words with those stupid chopsticks of his. It was even more interesting—and incredibly amusing—when the emotions that would flow through the bond were embarrassment, panic, desire, or a lovely cocktail of all three.

And then…The way Roy looked at him, the way he said his name, with that awe and hesitation he seemed unaware he was displaying on his face and in his voice. The way his handsome face scrunched up in pleasure and he finally lost that blank facade…

Yeah, Ed was obsessed. Obsessed with Roy Mustang.

Fuck.

He took a deep breath, swirling the stupid champagne in the stupid glass like he had been for the past…how many hours had he been at the stupid ball?

He caught Roy's eye from across the room.

That was another thing. It was always Roy now—not Mustang, not Colonel, and certainly not General. It was surreal, that those three letters were now in his head constantly, that he would so freely allow himself to even think them, let alone say them. He'd only ever allowed himself the taboo of calling him Roy when he'd been in bed with his hand in his boxers, when the darkness of the night hid his shameful secret.

Roy was currently leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the relatively small room—compared to the rest—and staring right at him as he sipped his champagne. There was an undercurrent of desire flowing through the bond, but it was overpowered by a curiosity as Roy watched him, as though he was gazing at Ed in wonder.

Ed would potentially give a limb to know what went on in his head.

He'd always thought the notion that Roy would want him to be ridiculous. And, really, he'd been right for a long time. There had been no chance of anything happening between them for years; not when Ed was a teenager, running around the country and simply—insanely—horny for his commanding officer. Roy would've never. Ed didn't think he'd even noticed the effect he had on Ed. He'd just never viewed him that way. Ed's interest had been one sided for a very long time. He'd been prepared for it to be one sided forever.

When it stopped being one sided though was a mystery to him. And, knowing Roy, it was probably a damn mystery to him too.

A woman in a pink dress approached Roy, and for a moment he didn't even seem to notice as his eyes stayed fixated on Ed. But then he turned his head and spoke to her.

Ed watched with a sort of fascinated curiosity. There was not a shred of desire through the bond as Roy undeniably flirted with her. It was all over his face, his stance, his body language. It was slightly amazing how he just shifted like that, how he adapted to every single person when they were in front of him and catered to what they wanted him to be. It was also kind of sad, that he felt he had to do that to the point where it came instinctively to him.

He caught Ed's gaze again and smirked. Ed couldn't help rolling his eyes. Roy was trying to make him jealous again. Why was he even bothering with that? Ed had felt jealous that one time, when a girl had called him in the office, and Roy'd felt that fondness—he knew this girl, and liked her. But that had been before Ed had truly experienced Roy Mustang; how he was when he completely let go, when he just was.

And he knew for a fact that Roy wasn't like that with anyone else. The Roy he knew…Roy was getting to know him as well. He seemed surprised by his own actions sometimes, his own words. As though the filter that dominated his life had malfunctioned and what came out was purely Roy.

Ed had always thought Roy was closed off with him, that Ed was part of work and the moment he was off the clock he turned into someone else. He'd thought that random women knew the real him, and Ed didn't and was left to wonder. And he'd been jealous of that, so fiercely jealous he despised it.

But he had realised that Roy was just…closed. Tightly wound to the point where he didn't even know himself. But he let Ed see him—how kind he could be, how gentle, how anxious and irritable and sleepy and cuddly and funny. A massive idiot all the same, but Ed just couldn't overlook the rest of it, even if Roy was an asshole, even if he panicked and pushed Ed away and it fucking stung—Ed just couldn't dismiss the other traits he'd discovered that made Roy Mustang human and just—

Ed was in love with him. That was why the bond had acted up, that day in the office.

The realisation that Ed had fallen in love with fucking Roy Mustang had hit him like a wrench to the head, like these things usually did. He'd made such a damn fool of himself that day, how fucking embarrassing. He'd probably looked like an idiot, staring at Roy with a dumbfounded expression as his brain just short-circuited because holy shit he was in love with him.

He was slightly grateful the bond had stolen the spotlight from Ed's melted brain.

Ed felt guilty for lying to him. For not telling him why the bond had acted up. Even though, really, technically, he could only theorise as to why the bond had acted up. But he was pretty positive he knew why.

The souls will break the bond when they feel secure enough that they won't be denied each other again.

The bond will be broken when it is replaced by another, stronger bond.

Those words, uttered by Shan Young weeks, months ago, had suddenly made a painful amount of sense. The bond wanted them to fall in love, and on top of that be so undeniably sure that they never wanted to be apart ever again. How cute, how sappy, how—ugh.

But that was what Ed had felt that day. The realisation that he was in love with Roy, and the fact that he'd do anything—anything—for this to work. Forever. Because the alternative—that Ed experiencing Roy wholly had an expiration date—was unbearable to think about.

He didn't want to have an expiration date. He wanted to sleep in Roy's arms forever.

And then the bond had sparked.

But the problem with that was…Ed didn't think Roy would fall for him, not like this, not as catastrophically as Ed had let himself fall. Roy was too guarded, too careful. His mind was elsewhere; he had serious shit to think about—about his career, his reputation. And while he wanted Ed for now, Ed wasn't naive enough to think he'd put Ed first if those things were threatened.

And Ed understood; if Al hadn't been restored, and there had been a chance his relationship with Roy could ruin the possibility of getting Al back, he would've broken it off too.

He understood, but that didn't mean it didn't shred his heart into tiny little pieces. How did he always manage to get himself in these situations?

But that was why he hid his discovery from Roy. He couldn't exactly say Hey so you just need to fall in love with me and want to be with me forever and genuinely mean it and the bond will break, easy! And by the way the reason I know this is because I already feel like this! I love you, surprise!

He'd rather lick the bottom of his shoe than say those words. Roy would run so far and so fast he'd put homunculi to shame.

So he pretended. It wasn't often Ed was in denial about things, but damn if he wanted to pretend that he'd never realised any of this.

"He never does go home with them you know."

Ed nearly jumped out of his fucking skin.

He looked to his left with wide eyes, where Hawkeye had somehow snuck up on him.

She chuckled, looking at Roy flirting with that woman. Ed stared at Hawkeye until he realised he probably looked like a fucking idiot.

He cleared his throat, forcing his brain to fucking work. "Sorry, was just lost in my head."

She smiled at him warmly. Hawkeye had always been nice to him. He'd always liked her. And she was close to Roy, more so than he ever realised. Just how close were they? It was a question Ed hadn't really asked himself before, but he was curious. About how well she knew Roy. She'd been loyally at this side for way longer than Ed had known him for.

They absently watched Roy and the woman converse in silence for a moment, and Ed was wondering what the hell was going on.

"He goes on dates though," she continued, and Ed glanced at her unsurely. Where was she going with this? She smiled at his hesitant glance. "When he has to go out with his sisters to make people believe he's dating women you start being suspicious, when you've known him as long as I have."

Ed became aware of every part of his body. He swallowed. Was she trying to get Ed to confirm or deny her suspicions? Ed wasn't good at this word play.

What did Hawkeye know? Ed had to be careful here. He knew for a fact Roy would never forgive him if he fucked this one up.

Ed took a breath. "He, uh, cares what people think of him a lot."

Riza smiled at him again, and Ed's heart was going to beat out of his chest. Fuck, what had she even said to Roy before if Ed was feeling this anxious right now? Maybe Ed was the one needing rescuing now.

"He's…" She paused, picking the words carefully. "A complicated man."

"He's a prick." There, familiar territory.

Riza smirked, and it was unnerving. "He has his moments."

Ed snorted despite himself. "Moments where he's nice?"

She seemed amused. "Moments where he's a prick."

A laugh escaped him at the sheer incredulity of Hawkeye calling Roy a prick.

The woman pulled Roy towards her by his shirt, and for a moment Ed stopped breathing, thinking she was actually about to kiss him and oh Ed was going to cause hell—

"Give him time." Ed's head whipped to her before he could stop it, his heart in his throat. Did she know about him and Roy? He'd suspected that maybe she did, but how would she know? Roy had definitely not said anything—

"He's been through a lot," she continued, and Ed decided to keep his mouth shut, just in case he said the wrong thing. Roy would be proud. Al too, probably.

"If it makes you feel better," she said, twirling the champagne in the glass like Ed had been doing. She didn't seem to be drinking it either. "It was him that gave it away, not you."

Ed blinked. Swallowed.

She looked amused again. "He's so obvious when you know where to look."

Ed's lips twitched up. That was true. He wasn't an expert yet, he was still figuring him out, but he wanted to know everything. He wanted to look at Roy and know—what he was thinking, what he was feeling, even if he tried to hide it. The bond was helping, but they wouldn't be soul bonded forever.

He needed to change the topic before he slipped up and revealed something he would never be able to take back.

"Your dad was a dick."

Ed froze. Holy fuck Al would've kicked him for that one.

Speaking of Al, where was the little fucker when Ed needed him?

Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline and Ed was sweating. She hadn't brought her gun tonight, right? Shit, no, of course she'd have a gun somewhere. Hawkeye always had a gun, dress or no—

After a moment, she laughed quietly. "That," she said, "He was."

He had to shut up. Desperately.

Hawkeye looked at him for a moment. "He told you about him?"

"Uh." Ed bit the inside of his cheek. "Something like that."

Riza nodded and looked at her drink. "My father was a brilliant alchemist but not a very good dad."

Ed scoffed as the image of her back flashed in his mind. He was definitely not bringing that up, even though the curiosity was agony. "We have that in common."

Riza smiled at him and Ed smiled back.

She grasped his shoulder and squeezed comfortingly. "I'm here if you need someone to talk to who understands." Ed blinked at her, and recalled their conversation about Ishval in her apartment. "I know some things you learn about him can be a lot."

Ed fumbled for words. "T-Thanks."

Riza smiled at him again. "I know you'll keep him in check." And then she was walking away, towards Falman and Fuery by the buffet.

Ed looked back to Roy, pondering Hawkeye's words. He'd wondered if the team would be okay with him and Roy being a thing, but Hawkeye had surprised him. She didn't seem surprised or disgusted; in fact, she seemed to get it more than Ed himself did. He often had moments where he thought about his and Roy's current situation with incredulity, with sheer disbelief that it was actually happening. But Riza seemed to think she knew how it worked.

Fuck, he wanted to leave this stupid ball. He wanted to tuck himself into Roy's arms and dump ideas on him and stay there forever.

Ed had never thought of himself as needy before—before this man. Before this stupid, gorgeous, bastard of a man.

He took a deep breath, suddenly feeling way hornier than he should in the current surroundings, and decided to walk away. Roy was still with that woman, but he'd follow.

Ed knew he'd follow. And not give a shit who he'd been talking to.

He'd follow Ed like a lost puppy.

Ed smirked at his thoughts, abandoning the stupid champagne glass on a buffet table as he walked out the room. He walked down a hallway, away from the rest of the people—and it was quieter here, the chatter and music duller. The stab had made itself known brutally, but Ed couldn't stop smirking, couldn't stop his heart from pounding in anticipation.

He opened a door to his left and peeked in—a janitor's closet. Perfect.

He chuckled as he entered, closing the door behind him. He leaned against the wall in the corner, grinning in the darkness like a fucking lunatic, and waited.

He waited as the stab in his chest lessened in severity, as it slowly became a tug. Roy was coming.

Of course he was.

His heart was pounding—in anticipation, in desire, in a certain feral possessiveness he only ever felt with Roy. For Roy.

The door opened, the light from the hallway filtering in. Ed looked towards it and—

There he was. Handsome and tall and bathed in the light of the hallway and looking at Ed blankly. But the bond betrayed the curiosity, the confusion and the slight concern he was feeling.

"Is there a reason you're in a storage room in the dark?"

Ed rolled his head against the wall to grin at him. He nodded at the door. "Lock the door."

Roy narrowed his eyes. Looked at the door, then back at Ed. "You want me to lock you in?"

Ed smirked. "It's different when I'm asking you to."

Roy didn't look impressed as he said, "I must've missed the question aspect of your request." He clapped, blue light blinding for a second before he heard the distinctive click of the lock.

His blood was burning, thrumming through his veins as he grinned almost giddily at the idea of being locked in a room with Roy—at the fact that Roy locked them in a room when they were at a stupid military event.

He was so fucking gone for this man.

Another click had him blinking against a dull, flickering yellow light, and both him and Roy looked at the light bulb hanging from the ceiling.

"Better than nothing," Roy muttered, and Ed's grin widened.

He bit his lip to stifle it and jerked his head. "Come here."

Roy was still suspicious, still a bit confused, but the desire was there, unmistakable, swirling inside him and flowing through the bond to Ed.

It was what happened, really, when they were alone together.

Roy walked closer to him, and shit, Ed could already feel his cock hardening in his pants, just from the idea of this man.

Roy stopped when he was right in front of him, all dark eyes and expression so blank it was almost ominous. His hands came to rest on the wall, on either side of Ed's body, caging him in.

Ed's heart was gonna beat out of his chest. The grin was back in full force; he couldn't even attempt to stop it.

"Surprised you followed me," he said, the fingers of his right hand teasing a button on Roy's shirt. "You seemed kinda busy."

Roy smirked, and it was wild how that expression made Ed both want to punch him and kiss him senseless. "Jealous?"

His grip on Roy's shirt tightened, and he pulled him closer, until he could feel his body heat. Fuck he smelled good. "You already know the answer to that."

Roy's smirk left. His eyes were now on Ed's lips, and Ed wondered, once again, if he was aware. Aware of how much he gave away sometimes.

Ed waited, but Roy seemed to need some coaxing. "Are you gonna kiss me or what?"

"We're in a storage room."

"So?"

Roy kissed him. Ed was surprised for about one second, that Roy was that easy to convince, before his mind blanked beautifully and he let himself enjoy Roy's mouth.

Kissing Roy usually tasted like coffee, to the point where Ed was starting to like the taste of coffee, but now he tasted of champagne. Ed didn't hate it; he didn't think he could hate anything when it came to Roy's body.

His cock was officially throbbing in his pants, demanding it be freed and touched by Roy Mustang.

He threaded his fingers through Roy's hair, slightly pulling. His hair was softer than Ed had imagined it would be, but it shouldn't have been surprising; Roy was the epitome of fancy—from his clothes, to his hair products, to his coffee. Nothing was ever out of place, everything was the best quality.

And yet Ed managed to reduce him to some wild, desperate animal with no composure whatsoever, and it was the best fucking thing ever. He wanted him on his knees, in this dusty closet, with Ed's cock down his throat and looking absolutely unfairly fucking gorgeous while the military assholes were just down the hallway.

And he knew he could make it happen. He probably wouldn't even have to ask.

Roy pushed himself against Ed until their bodies were flush against each other—and Roy was equally hard, and fuck sometimes he wondered if this was all a dream. If he'd finally lost it and he convinced himself his daydreams were real.

He wanted to do so many feral things to Roy Mustang. And, well, he wanted Roy Mustang to do a lot—a lot—of feral things to him.

Roy's hands began undoing the buttons of his shirt, and Ed smirked against his mouth. He pulled back, his heart pounding, his cock throbbing, and a giddiness to tease Roy that was borderline insanity.

"We're in a storage room," he gasped, mock-affronted. If his smirk didn't give him away, the amusement he was feeling certain did.

Roy's hands paused, and he shot Ed a dark look.

Ed laughed. "Am I corrupting you, General?" he teased, his own hands working to pull Roy's shirt free from his pants.

"Shut your mouth."

Ed paused as he noticed a smudge of pink on Roy's collar. The scowl was on his face before he could reign it in. "You have lipstick on your shirt."

Roy smirked, but then his hands were on Ed's bare chest and Ed wasn't really that mad anymore. "It'll wash off."

Ed kept the scowl up because he was feeling petty. "You know, I think you actually like being a bastard. You get a kick out of it."

Now the bastard was amused. "And you seem insane enough to like me anyway."

Ed scrunched his face up at the miserable reality of that statement. "Actually, I kinda wanna punch you when—"

"Shut up, Ed."

Then Roy kissed him again, and well, Ed shut up.