Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“How soon until your train departs back to Central, General Mustang?”

Looking away from the book titles he was perusing on the small office bookcase, Roy Mustang took possession of the folder offered out to him across the desk by the Resembool mayor. “A few hours yet,” and he leafed through the folder briefly before passing it over to where Colonel Maes Hughes sat next to him. “Enough time to find some lunch, I imagine. You have my gratitude for that, most people I’ve been sent to collect this information from have not been nearly so well-prepared.”

The mayor grimaced a bit before smiling wryly across the desk at the two uniformed men, “I’ve always preferred to not keep the military waiting. Especially when I’m told you are coming here, General Mustang.”

“Aww,” Hughes drawled from beside Roy, “your reputation precedes you. You scary pyromaniac asshole.”

Roy rolled his eyes and pointedly stood. “You’ve my gratitude nonetheless. Hughes, shut up and get up.”

“Yes, sir!” Hughes agreed enthusiastically, and jumped to his feet.

The mayor also stood, coming around his desk to shake both the men’s hands in turn. “If it’s not too forward of me, sirs, if you’re in search of food you might join me. In about fifteen minutes there’s a wedding in town, and they’re always whole-town affairs. You’re more than welcome to join us, there will be plenty of food. Otherwise you might find a few places still open in town, but I would not be able to offer guarantees.”

Before Roy could make a polite denial, Maes quickly spoke up with enthusiasm. “That sounds like a wonderful way to pass the time until our train.”

“Splendid!” The mayor approved with a beaming smile.

Which left Roy really no option but to grudgingly agree, causing Maes to continue acting without a shred of Colonel-y dignity. He supposed there were worse things to do while waiting for their train, and that included trying to find a place to eat that was still open if what the mayor said about weddings in Resembool was true.

So the three of them made their way to the local church.

“The marriage is for one of our locals,” the mayor explained as they walked. “Edward Elric. As to the gentleman he’s decided to wed, none of us have met him yet. You may hear some gossip about that, but given the circumstances I hardly know what the more traditional folk of the town were expecting.”

“Why does that name sound familiar…” Roy mused, mostly to himself and with the slightest of frowns.

While from beside him, Maes piped up with a frown, “the circumstances?”

The mayor nodded gravely as he glanced their way. “Prominent alchemist family. Or, was. At least Edward and his brother Alphonse remain the only part of it. Their mother died a few weeks back, and their father, in his grief, locked them all inside and set the house ablaze. Edward and Alphonse barely escaped in time; their father died in the fire.”

“Shit,” Maes breathed with a stunned expression.

Shocked as he was as well, Roy was also remembering and realizing why the name Elric had sounded familiar. Over a decade ago he recalled the military trying, and failing, to convince what must have been the father to become a State Alchemist.

“Yeah,” the mayor agreed, “well, with no house and very little money left in the family account, Edward kind of had no choice. Either get married, or he and his brother would have ended up on the streets. Personally, I think if it were just him he’d not be doing this, but it’s not. And he’s never been the type to rely on charity, much less put his brother at risk, so here we are. Just to give you an understanding as to any remarks you may hear aimed at the couple.”

“Thanks for the heads-up.” Maes told him.

It appeared very much so that the mayor had been telling the truth about the size of the wedding event. And that these were, in fact, whole-town affairs. At this point, so close to the wedding, it was standing room only in the back of the church. And it was there that the mayor excused himself to go find his wife after telling both of the uniformed men to enjoy the festivities.

They’d managed to arrive just in time.

From a door near the front of the church an aging priest had entered, along with two younger men. It was those two men, both blond-haired and dressed in suits just a bit ill-fitting, that Roy surmised had to be the brothers. They just looked too similar.

“Trying to kill your own family,” Maes muttered low enough for Roy’s ears only. “Hope the man suffered in that fire for what he tried to do to them.”

“He did,” Roy confirmed just as quietly, complete surety in his words.

Maes gave him a quick glance, and looked away with an internal shudder.

Roy didn’t notice, he was too busy watching the two brothers at the front of the church. No… that wasn’t right. He was only watching Edward, somehow unable to tear his gaze away.

Edward was waving off something the priest had said, before saying something to his younger brother that caused… Alphonse, Roy thought the mayor had called him, to go sit down somewhere in the front row.

Roy couldn’t explain it, the way everything else went quiet around him, although he knew the church was filled with chatter. He couldn’t explain the way everyone else seemed to fade into the background, save for Edward. All he did know, was that ill-fitting suit or not, Edward was taking his breath away. Honestly, the young blond man could be wearing a potato sack and Roy was certain that Edward would still be the most stunningly attractive man he’d ever laid eyes on.

And because he couldn’t seem to look away, he was among one of the first to notice that something was wrong. Edward hadn’t exactly looked happy, but now he could see a tension creep in as the blond’s gaze seemed to dart around.

Eventually, Maes’s voice, or perhaps it was the subtle elbow driven into his ribs, managed to break through to him.

“Fucking hell, Maes,” Roy hissed, finally managing to wrench his eyes from Edward in order to glare at his best friend. “What?”

Maes gave him an odd look, “you okay, man? You don’t normally zone out like that.”

“I was focusing, not zoning out.” Roy corrected grouchily, “what is it?”

“Something’s not right,” Maes frowned at him, still unsure if Roy was actually okay.

Roy looked away, casting his gaze over the crowd which, now that Maes was bringing his attention to it… perhaps Edward’s tension was related to this. The crowd had fallen silent save for whispers and darting looks around the church, and a few little laughs here and there.

“The other groom should be here by now.” Maes muttered as he checked his watch.

That caused Roy to quickly look back to the front of the church, to where Edward stood. The blond-haired young man was clearly doing his best to seem nonchalant and as if everything was fine, but the tension was still there, and his hands had begun to fidget just enough to be noticeable.

It was about then that someone ducked out of the church, mentioning just loud enough to cause Edward’s head to duck in clear embarrassment and the slightest hint of building frustration, that they were going to go find the other groom.

Which sent off a wave of tittering whispers through the assembled wedding guests, and caused something fiercely protective and indignant to rise up in Roy’s throat. Only strengthened when the reactions of the crowd clearly made Edward all the more uncomfortable. Which Roy felt was entirely a natural reaction to have to this disrespect.

“Poor guy,” Maes whispered next to him, “he’s been through hell and now this happens to him.”

“And he’ll probably still marry the asshole because of that hell.” Roy ground out, not knowing, but also not caring why he was so deeply affected by it. It’s not like he knew Edward at all, he was only here by happenstance… but he still couldn’t shake his irritation at the thought that an asshole who couldn’t be bothered to show up on time to his own wedding, would still marry Edward. Just because Edward had no other options.

The entire church went quiet when the individual who’d gone in search of the other groom returned, alone. They hurried up the aisle of the church to whisper something to the priest and to Edward, the latter’s expression shuttering into blankness by whatever was said.

And Roy didn’t have to hear to know, but all the same the priest’s voice rose up in confirmation.

“Thank you all for being here today. Unfortunately, our other groom seems to have gone missing. So if everyone will wait calmly a bit longer, I’m sure we’ll soon proceed with the day’s celebrations.”

Which only started off a new wave of gossip among those present.

Something that only grated on Roy’s nerves, already humming with irritation at the whole insulting situation that Edward had found himself in. The young man’s mother had died, his father had attempted to murder the rest of the family in a house fire, he and his brother had been left homeless, and Edward had approached the situation the only way he seemingly knew how. By seeking a marriage of convenience, of security, from a clearly worthless stranger, in order to look after he and his brother. Edward hadn’t even been given time to properly grieve the loss of his mother, or process his new reality at all, before another insult was heaped onto his injuries.

And the community who had come out under the guise of showing their support at this, if only so they could have more gossip to keep themselves warm at night, were treating the whole affair like it was prime entertainment. Treating Edward’s humiliation like a spectacle.

“This isn’t right.” Roy ground out, tension causing him to have to fight fisting his hands at his sides.

Maes sighed and cast his best friend a knowing look, “small towns,” was all he said to it.

“Fuck all of these people,” Roy cast a glare over the lot of them before his gaze landed once more on Edward, and the glare faded as something twisted painfully in his chest.

Edward was standing there, alone at that altar, head held high despite the continuous abuses given him by this day. He merely stood there, watching the crowd back with the sort of resigned expression that came with being knocked down so many times that he had no more capacity to feel any more disappointment.

Roy stood there, heart hammering inside his chest, and a tension building inside him to do something. But he couldn’t figure out what it was that his instincts were urging him to do until he once more thought of this asshole of a guy who was wholly undeserving of someone as resilient and beautiful as Edward, showing up now to marry Edward after having subjected him to this embarrassing insult. The mere thought of it stirred his violent, often lethal alchemic tendencies.

It was realizing with a head-clearing epiphany that he was actually ready to set fire to this asshole should he appear and cause Edward to lower himself into marrying him, that Roy understood.

The knowledge of what his instincts were demanding of him to go do really should have given him pause, and no small amount of concern that he was thinking this way, because this wasn’t him at all! And yet, he was being almost overwhelmed by the urgency of need coursing through him now.

And he knew, with absolute clarity, that if he didn’t at least try, he’d kick himself about this for the rest of his life.

“Come with me, now.” Roy slipped past Maes into the aisle.

Maes immediately followed, thinking that Mustang was just planning on slipping out the doors of the church so as not to witness anything further. Only to have to stumble after his best friend in wide-eyed shock and no small amount of confusion when Mustang proceeded up the aisle.

Roy didn’t even notice any of the eyes beginning to turn onto him, he wouldn’t have cared even if he had. He didn’t even notice the gathered guests beginning to fall quieter as more and more took notice of him. His only attention, was for Edward. And as the young blond man turned to look at him in mild confusion, Roy felt his heart skip a few understandable beats. How could it not, when he saw those stunningly golden eyes.

For his part, Edward frowned a bit at the two uniformed men as they came up to stand with him at the altar. “Let me guess, you arrested him and you’re here to give me more bad news?” He could think of no other reason two military men would be at his joke of a wedding, even though he was fairly certain that if he was reading those rank insignias correctly, both of these two men were paid far too well to still be doing grunt work.

Maes, having no fucking clue what was happening right now, stayed silent.

Roy shook his head and glanced briefly at the priest, “a moment alone.”

The priest seemed glad to have a moment to escape the unraveling situation, and ducked aside without argument to leave Edward standing there at the altar with the two uniformed individuals.

Roy shifted his focus back onto Edward, who stood there looking up at him with a mild confusion. And he noticed that Alphonse too, was now approaching again, so he waited to say his piece until the younger brother had joined them. “First,” he began softly, “I’m very sorry about the loss of your mother. And for the loss of your home.”         

“Thank you, sir.” Alphonse spoke up, getting a hushing look from his brother for his words.

“That being said,” Roy continued, his focus not once shifting from Edward who had looked back to him with those devastating gold eyes. “I know why you’re doing this.”

“I fail to see what business that is of the military.” Edward informed him with a narrow-eyed look.

“None,” Roy agreed, even as the part of him that loved a good bantering conversation delighted in the fact that Edward was clearly strong-willed and had no problem standing up to him. “I’m not talking to you in that capacity. I’m talking to you as… just me. And you deserve better than some asshole who would do this to you, who you’re not even surprised would have been arrested.”

“Recruitment numbers must be low as fuck if you military goons are hanging out at weddings now.” Edward snarked as he eyed both the men in suspicion.

Roy chuckled at the thought, because oh was that far more normal-sounding and less likely to make Maes wonder about his sanity than the thought currently in his head. “I’ve already told you I’m not standing here right now in that capacity, and I meant it.”

“I know I deserve better,” Edward hissed at him then, stepping forward to prod a finger into the man’s chest, “our life has gone to hell in a hand-basket ever since our mother died. But I can at least do what I can to ensure my little brother doesn’t end up on the streets.”

“Brother – ”

Edward shushed his brother tersely before whipping his attention back onto the dark-haired man in front of him. “I can tolerate all their judgments,” he gestured vaguely towards the gathered wedding guests, “I couldn’t care less what they think, because you don’t see any of them offering anything else. This is just entertainment for a bunch of small-minded idiots who preach one thing but do another. So why don’t you just go sit down with the rest of them and enjoy the fucking show?”

Roy couldn’t help but smile, and hope. Because fuck was Edward unreasonably beautiful when he was irritated and glowing with indignation. And the tirade was addictive, leaving him wanting more of this fire in his life. “Or, you could marry me instead.”

Edward felt his jaw legitimately drop at the words, eyes going wide and all of his annoyance vanishing in an instant to be replaced with stunned bewilderment.

And he was not the only one. Granted, only Alphonse and Maes had heard the offer Roy had made, but they too were now staring at Roy in various forms of shock. Yet neither of them said anything, instead waiting with bated breath as they looked between Roy and Edward.

“Marry me, Edward. I’ll take care of you, help your brother, and I’ll show you all the respect you deserve.” Roy offered softly, not once looking from Edward’s stunned expression. “And it can be a marriage solely meant for you and, for a time, your brother’s security. That would never change, and nor would I ever touch you without your consent. Although,” he gave the softest of overcome huffs of laughter, “I won’t lie and say I won’t try and win your heart.”

It took a good few seconds before Edward was able to close his mouth, and to his horror he felt his face grow hot. And for the first time, actually looked at the man in front of him. He still had no fucking clue who this guy was, but apparently along with being able to surprise him into speechlessness, he was the living incarnation of tall, dark-haired, and ridiculously handsome with dark blue eyes that watched him with sincerity. A far cry from his original desperate choice of a man.

It was the relief though, the overwhelming relief that closed in on Edward, that kept him from responding right away. Finally though, he managed to find his voice. “I really should know your name, so I can answer you properly.”

Roy could have kicked himself for forgetting his most basic manners, but as things currently stood, an apologetic smile sufficed. “Roy. Roy Mustang.”

Edward blinked in shock as recognition swamped him, hardly needing Alphonse’s surprised squeak next to him. He swallowed all that down though for rumination on later, there was something more important in front of him at the moment. And while the reason he was doing this rather meant there was little surprise to his answer, he felt different this time as he said, “yes. I’ll marry you, Roy.”

Roy couldn’t help the relieved grin that came over him as all his tension about Edward’s previous predicament flowed out of him. Because Edward was his now. And he nodded, “let’s call that priest back over here then and shut everyone up?”

Edward couldn’t help but feel immensely and smugly pleased at the thought of silencing their judgments, but it was Roy’s enthusiasm for it that caused a small laugh to escape him.

“And now I owe my wife money,” Maes sighed, and while admittedly he was still trying to wrap his head around Roy doing this, it was clear to him that the man meant it. Every word. Including his intentions to romance Edward. And really… he was the last person in the world to naysay Roy thinking like this, when he himself had known from the moment he met Gracia that she would be the woman he married. He’d just never expected this from Roy.

“Maes,” Roy finally managed to tear his gaze from Edward to look over at his best friend, “fetch that priest back for us.”

“You got it,” Maes grinned, and darted off to do so.

“I’ll introduce you later, but that right there was my best friend.” Roy informed Edward as he looked back over to the blond, although in an effort to do better with his manners, did switch his attention onto Alphonse and offer out a hand. “You’re Alphonse, right?”

“Yes, sir.” Alphonse shook the offered hand eagerly and with a beaming smile. “Al or Alphonse, I go by either of them.”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Maes suddenly appeared next to the other three, causing them all to startle at his swift reappearance, “but you can meet the family after you marry your husband there. I brought you the priest,” and he clapped Roy on the back saying, “don’t fuck this up.”

“I’m not intending to, you nag. Now go sit down.” Roy scolded him, flushing just a bit as he caught the amused look in Edward’s golden eyes.

Maes huffed, but walked off while snagging Alphonse by the shoulder to steer the younger Elric away as well. “Nice to meet you, I’m Maes Hughes – ”

Roy stopped listening and watching them walk off towards the pews when a throat cleared next to them.

The priest smiled at them both and raised his eyebrows in question. “Shall we begin, gentlemen?”

Edward and Roy exchanged a silent look before looking back to the priest and nodding their consent.

“How exciting,” the priest grinned, “your name, General?”

Roy wanted to smack that grin off the priest’s face, finding it far too similar to someone enjoying a spectacle instead of genuine happiness. Nevertheless, the sooner he complied with the formalities, the sooner he could have Edward to call his. So he gave his name.

Edward heard the undercurrent of stiff warning in Roy’s tone, and he flicked his gaze up to the man’s face before hesitantly reaching out to lightly touch his forearm, and when Roy looked to him immediately, he offered up a small smile. “It’s okay.”

It wasn’t, as far as Roy was concerned. But found himself backing down, his dissatisfaction quieting at Edward’s gentle touch. As if his husband-to-be wasn’t certain of his welcome. Deciding that that wouldn’t do at all, he reached up to take Edward’s hand in his, unable but to smile at the flush of color that lit Edward’s cheeks.

Edward was fairly certain his heart had nearly thumped from his chest when Roy’s hand claimed his, and a shy little smile he couldn’t quite help slipped onto his lips as he looked away from the man before he ended up completely red-faced at his own wedding. He held onto Roy’s hand a bit tighter.

The priest remained unaware of what was passing between the newly-formed couple, instead addressing the wedding crowd. “Thank you all for your patience. In a bit of a surprise, Mister Elric has chosen a different spouse.”

Edward rubbed his thumb against Roy’s hand in a pointed attempt to keep the man calm when he felt that hand tense a bit around his.

“We will now begin the wedding between Edward Elric and Roy Mustang.” The priest continued on, to excited tittering from the crowd.

And with that, the wedding ceremony began. And despite Roy’s misgivings about the priest’s conduct, the ceremony was kept entirely normal and simple, with the only deviation being the fact that there were no rings to be given. Apparently that had been the job of the former, clearly useless and undeserving fiancé. However, the priest plowed right on through, apparently determining the issue minor in light of the circumstances and the glare Roy gave him. Regardless, Roy knew he’d be finding a ring for Edward the first moment he got.

Neither of them were given much time to linger over the ring situation though, when the priest came at last to the end.

And Edward knew two things for absolute certain as their eyes met once more. One, that Roy had meant what he’d said about consent, and wasn’t about to kiss him without it. And two, that there was nothing more in this world right now that Edward wanted more, than to kiss this man.

“Why’re you so tall?” Edward whispered with the slightest bit of a nervous laugh.

Roy quirked an eyebrow and reaching up with his free hand, caressed against Edward’s cheek and up towards the shining blond hair as he dipped down enough to rest their foreheads together to whisper back, “so that one day I might get to enjoy my husband climbing me like a tree.”

Edward blushed at the mental imagery that invoked, and if the swooping sensation in his stomach that accompanied it was anything to judge by, he wasn’t exactly finding himself opposed. But he could process all these feelings and thoughts he was having about Roy later.

“Until then… do you trust me?” Roy asked then, softly, wanting desperately to close the distance between them, but unwilling without permission.

The moment Edward gave the smallest of nods, Roy’s lips were on his. Stealing his breath, causing his heart to race, and sending heat flooding through his body as his free hand tangled instinctively in Roy’s dark hair as he melted into his first ever kiss with a soft noise.

A bit of time later and not hardly long enough, it took the clearing of a throat for them to startle apart, having somewhat forgotten they were in a church; but regardless, Roy once more was tempted to smack that damn priest. However, as if sensing the trajectory of his thoughts, Edward’s hand still in his squeezed just enough to be felt.

“Not worth it,” Edward told him softly, flushing just a bit when Roy’s dark blue eyes focused fully on him once more. “And I’m already enough of a spectacle to these people without you scaring the shit out of the local priest.”

Roy wondered if it should concern him how easily he caved to Edward’s desires, but nevertheless he let the matter go. Instead focusing on something else entirely in regards to weddings as all around them people had begun to get to their feet with loud chatter and looks aimed their way while beginning to file out of the church. Not even waiting for them to leave first, as was customary. He couldn’t quite find it in himself to be surprised. “Oddly enough, I ended up here because the mayor said there’d be food afterwards. Where am I escorting you so we can eat while I glare at the entire town on your behalf?”

Edward couldn’t help but laugh at the admission, “you came to a wedding for food?” Because that actually sounded like something he’d have done himself.

“It ended up being our wedding. Honestly, I think coming here for food was the best decision I’ve ever made.” Roy grinned at him, and as Edward flushed again he brought a hand back up to lightly touch one of the pinked cheeks. “You really are beautiful.”

That caused Edward to flush entirely red, and just as Alphonse bounded over to them.

“We can eat now, right? We can finally eat?”

The flustered embarrassment that Roy had awoken in him faded in the wake of shame as he looked over at Al to force a smile and nod. “Yeah. Yeah, we can eat. Sorry, I know you’re hungry.”

Alphonse waved off the apology with a grin as he looked between his brother and his new brother-in-law. “It’s okay. I know you wanted us both to have a good appetite for the reception.”

Roy looked from Alphonse and back to Edward, feeling but not seeing the tension radiating through to him from where their hands remained clasped together. And suddenly it clicked, causing him to feel just a bit sick to his stomach. Yet if Alphonse didn’t know, it wasn’t his place to say anything. Edward’s husband or not. Instead he directed his attention onto Maes who had just joined them, “Hughes, do me a favor and take Alphonse to the reception ahead of us? Edward and I need to sign a marriage certificate still, and Al’s hungry.”

Maes took one look at the expression on his best friend’s face, and he nodded in understanding. “You got it, see you two there. Congratulations! Oh, and Edward?” He grinned as he took Al by the shoulder once more, “I cannot wait to have a proper talk with you. Tell you all sorts of embarrassing shit about Roy.”

“Maes!” Roy barked, only causing the man in question to snicker deviously and steer Alphonse away again. Leaving him alone with Edward once more. Lightly, he gave a tug to the blond’s hand towards the little table where he knew the marriage certificates would be, and as Edward followed him he asked quietly, “is it today that you ran out of money for food?”

Edward couldn’t bring himself to look at Roy, but nor did he hang his head. Instead he picked up one of the pens next to a marriage certificate that had been left out and began to sign his name. “Yes. I don’t want him to know though that that’s why I insisted we not have breakfast.”

“He won’t miss another meal, Edward.” Roy promised softly, and finally had to release Edward’s hand in order to sign the marriage certificate as well.

Edward nodded and as he watched Roy sign the certificate with an unhesitating flourish, he offered a small smile. “Thank you. I promise he’s well-behaved, he won’t cause you any trouble.”

Roy chuckled a bit as he studied Edward thoughtfully a moment before saying, “let him cause me a bit of trouble. That’s normal for his age. He’s what, seventeen, eighteen?”

“Seventeen,” Edward confirmed with a nod.

“Eighteen?” Roy guessed with a smile as he gestured meaningfully to Edward.

“Yes.” Edward shifted a bit self-consciously.

Roy’s smile didn’t fade, he only nodded as he picked up the marriage certificate to hold it up in indication. “I’m not exactly keen to trust anyone here to get this properly filed, do you mind if I have Maes take care of it? There’s someone I work with who can get it filed same-day.”

Edward shook his head in a jerky motion, waving a hand in allowance. “Sure, that’s fine. I uhm… don’t really know much about how all this works. I just knew it was my securest option.”

Roy carefully folded the certificate and tucked it safely inside his uniform jacket, “we’ll go over all of it. But first, I do believe we’re missing our reception.”

Edward could care less about going to a party with that lot, but he wasn’t about to break tradition and have them talk behind his back about that too. Plus, there was food, and he was incredibly hungry. So he nodded and when Roy offered an arm, he took it with a tentative smile and the faintest of flipping sensations once more in his stomach.

Together, they went in search of their wedding reception.

They found it in the usual place, according to Edward. An old barn that had been fixed up and converted for town events. A token effort had been made to decorate the place, but of the food there was an overflowing selection. They were greeted with polite clapping, but Roy was fairly certain that only Alphonse and Maes’s was genuine in any respect.

Roy guided Edward up to the head table that Alphonse and Maes were already seated at, and was glad to see that Alphonse was already working his way through a plate of food. He reached into his uniform jacket to pull free the folded marriage certificate and offer it to Hughes. “Have Riza file this for us at the same time she takes those other documents down to the dungeon trolls in the civic department.”

Hughes took it with utmost care, “consider it already done.” And he carefully tucked it inside his travel briefcase.

“Thanks.” And Roy turned his attention to Edward, “ready for food?”

Edward looked up at him, and nodded with a faint smile. “Yes,” he agreed before looking back to Al, and Maes as well, “we’ll be back in a bit.”

Roy gave them a parting smile before allowing Edward to pull them both over towards the buffet tables of food. And whether it was the fact that they were the newlyweds supposed to be being celebrated, or the fact that Roy’s name intimidated a fair number of people who knew who he was, they had no trouble in acquiring as much food as they wanted without really having to wait.

They returned to the head table after only a few minutes.

Unfortunately, Roy soon discovered that it was going to take him quite a long while indeed to eat his meal. Because every few seconds after getting rid of one person wanting to congratulate and meet him, there was another. But he had decided by the second such person that he’d handle as much of the conversating as possible, in order to give Edward a chance to eat. He took his initial cue on needed tone by the way Edward helped introduce the person, and went from there.

Some, it was clear that Edward felt no intense ill will towards the individual. And truly, there must have been some who hadn’t taken Edward’s plight as entertainment, but had no means themselves of helping the brothers. These were generally the very few friends the two brothers had apparently had while growing up.

But the overwhelming majority of the crowd? Those seemed to be free rein for him to use his work voice on. Which really helped move people along and would earn him little flattered smiles that Edward tried to hide by taking another bite of food.

Now, Roy had no doubt at all that based on how his initial conversation with Edward had gone, that his feisty younger husband was more than capable of putting anyone and everyone verbally in their place. But he also understood that food might very well be more important to his husband right this moment. If he had to guess, he suspected that Edward had probably been cutting back on his own food intake, or even going without, long before now in an effort to stretch whatever little money they’d had.

So he attempted his best to do his husband proud.

And while it took several hours to make it through the line of strangers – save the mayor – who’d wanted to come bother him instead of letting he and his new family eat in peace, Roy did get through it all. And only then, finally began to eat his own dinner, now gone cold.

“Do you want a second reception at home, or just a general welcome party?” Maes asked now, before leaning forward to catch Edward in his view. “What would you like, Edward? Fancy to-do or a relaxed get-together. My wife, Gracia, is going to be ecstatic for you both. Avoiding something entirely will be difficult.”

Edward figured there was no harm in answering honestly, he wasn’t exactly about to turn into a demure wallflower just because he’d gotten married. At least… not now. Not having married Roy. Roy had already been faced with a portion of his temper and came out the other side his husband. Roy knew he wasn’t quiet in his opinions. “I’m not really big on stuff like this. Please tell her not to go to any trouble. Something small is more than fine.”

“I’ll tell her,” Maes smiled, already envisioning the look on her face, and on Elysia’s face, when he told them Uncle Roy had gotten married. “Now, hurry up and finish eating, Roy. I have more pictures to take.”

“Pictures?” Edward blinked.

 But Roy had zeroed in on something else entirely about that, and he gave his best friend a narrow-eyed stare. “What do you mean, more pictures?”

Maes gave him a wolfish and entirely unapologetic grin, “you seriously didn’t think I’d not take pictures of the ceremony, did you? I’m framing them and putting them all over your house at the first opportunity.”

“It’s times like this I continue my internal debate as to whether you’re incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.” Roy told him with a glare.

“I’ll take some copies!” Alphonse piped up with a grin from beside Edward. Had his brother ended up marrying that other guy, he knew he wouldn’t be nearly so pleased at the moment, but he knew he hadn’t imagined the way his brother already seemed far more relaxed. How his brother had seemed far more willing to go through with a marriage when faced with someone who had approached him with respect.

Edward groaned and buried his face in his hands. “Please do not go overboard, Al. Seriously.”

“Personal mementos.” Alphonse scoffed.

“See, Roy?” Maes pointed out deviously, “even your brother-in-law there wants some. You should be grateful I’m always so well-prepared.”

“The difference is, my brother-in-law appears to have some restraint.” Roy informed him.

“Don’t give the kid too much credit,” Edward sighed as he unburied his face in order to look around the reception. “Al, you should go grab some more food if you want it before it all vanishes. The Farnworth brood looks to be pocketing some of the leftovers again.”

Alphonse looked over, grimacing in distaste. “I’m fine, just so long as they don’t touch the cake.”

“That,” Roy decided executively, “will not be happening. Hughes, go get that cake. The whole thing. Bring it over here.”

Maes pushed away from the head table without argument, “sure thing. Al? Mind giving me a hand?”

“Sure,” Alphonse stood as well, and followed after Hughes obediently.

Edward watched them disappear into the crowd before turning his attention onto Roy, and finding the man already watching him with a softness in those dark blue eyes, he tried not to squirm under the attention. “You came here on business, right? Did we need to leave soon? Is that why they’re getting the cake?”

Roy smiled as he shook his head, “I’ve already missed the first afternoon train. We’ll take the next one, which isn’t for another few hours. There’s time still. But we can leave whenever you’re ready. And forgive me but, about the fire… are there any belongings we need to gather for you and your brother?”

Edward smiled thinly and shook his head, his expression twisting in regret as he looked back out towards the crowd. Out to where he could see Alphonse and Maes messing with the cake. “We have a bag of the clothes we were wearing when it happened, that’s it. I had to spend the last of our money getting these suits, and they don’t even fit. But I wanted to at least do a small part of this right.”

“You’ve done amazingly well, Edward.” Roy told him, and when Edward’s response was to glance over at him in mild reproach and some disbelief, he reached out to fully turn Edward’s face so that their eyes met. “Granted, you could be wearing a paper sack, and I’d still have wanted to marry you.”

Edward felt himself flush, and although Roy’s touch against him was gentle and hardly entrapping, he didn’t look away as a smile threatened to break free. “You’re a lot nicer than I would have thought, given the stories.”

“Well,” Roy chuckled a bit, “I’m nice unless provoked, let’s put it that way. You’ll never see that side of me directed at you though, Edward. Ever. I promised you respect, and you’ll have it.”

And as crazy as it really should register for him that he did, Edward believed it. He believed this man he’d only known for a handful of hours, this man who was now his husband. “I wouldn’t take it lying down even if you slipped up.”

“No,” Roy agreed with a warm smile, “no, I expect you wouldn’t.”

“What do you want?” Edward asked in a lower voice than he’d intended, unsure of when they’d shifted so much closer together, but unwilling to put space between them again as he held Roy’s gaze, “from me? I’ll work, I will. But I can do all the housework too, and anything else you want.”

“Equal partnership,” Roy corrected as his thumb lightly caressed against Edward’s face, “I want you to be my husband, not my maid. Even if I wouldn’t say no to seeing you in such an outfit if ever you chose.”

Edward felt his face flush hot, and inwardly shivered with an emotion he couldn’t quite name. It felt almost like anticipation, and certainly not the disgust he knew he’d have felt if his original intended husband had alluded such things to him. Things he would have felt obligated to do. But with Roy… it felt different. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he answered back in a voice barely above a whisper as his heart pounded far louder.

It took all of Roy’s restraint not to close the remaining distance between them, to pull Edward onto his lap and finish the kiss they’d started in the church. It took all of his restraint not to give Edward the answer the blond was seeking with those little darting looks to his lips, those golden eyes bright and absolutely devastating in their beauty. “You’re going to be the death of me, sweetheart.” Roy whispered as his hand moved down to slowly caress against Edward’s neck, feeling the blond’s pulse race. For him.

A massive cake clanged onto the table just in front of them, causing them both to jolt and startle apart.

Maes only smirked smugly in the face of Mustang’s glare, well aware of what he’d interrupted if the color on Edward’s face was anything to go by. “Seduce your husband later, cake first.”

Which only caused Edward to turn an even brighter shade of red, and bury his face in his hands with a groan.

Honestly, Roy completely commiserated with that groan.

Edward pushed his hands back through his bangs to settle himself, forcing in a deep breath and pointedly not meeting his younger brother’s delighted little smirk. Not that he could really blame the kid for being happy that he actually might not be miserable in this marriage. And if the way his heart raced and his body grew hot at the thought of Roy seducing him was any indication… he wasn’t destined to be miserable at all. “Right… cake.”

“Yeah, brother, cake.” Alphonse giggled and offered out the cake knife.

Edward found himself incredibly glad that the cutting of a wedding cake was a two-person affair, because the way his equilibrium was currently shot thanks to Roy, he absolutely needed the man’s help to keep the knife steady.

Somehow they managed to cut the cake, and sliced off portions for themselves plus Maes and Alphonse while the rest of the wedding party was kept at a distance by Roy’s level glare towards them. There was a dessert table, they’d all be fine. As far as Roy was concerned, the wedding cake was theirs.

Plus he had heard tale that they froze nicely.

Edward ended up having two slices of the cake before he noticed Roy pulling free a brass pocket watch that caused his eyes to widen. He’d never actually seen one of the things in person, and while he should have known that Roy would have one, it was still another thing entirely to see it. “Can…” he hesitated when Roy looked over at him, before plucking up his courage again, “can I see that?”

An easy smile slipped onto Roy’s lips and he snapped it closed before offering it over to Edward. “We need to leave in the next ten minutes if we’re going to make it to the station in time for the next train.”

Edward nodded to show that he’d heard, but his attention was mostly on the State Alchemist pocket watch he was now holding as if the thing was made from glass. It was warm from being kept in Roy’s jacket pocket, the metal a bit dulled from age and use, the raised emblem gone a bit flat, but the mechanism was still ticking reliably. “Never thought I’d see one of these in person.”

“I’ll show you my gloves later,” Roy told him warmly and accepted his watch back, “kind of inappropriate to be wearing something meant to attack people when I’m at a wedding. Especially my own.”

After not much longer it was decided that they really did need to be going.

Edward only listened long enough to hear Roy wonder about how to box up the cake before he shooed the man away from it with a smile. “You’re not the only alchemist in this marriage, husband.” He teased with a grin and, eyeing the plastic tablecloth, clapped his hands together before pressing them down onto it.

Whitish-blue light flared up, startling the remaining wedding guests – as well as Roy and Maes – into silence, as when the light died down the tablecloth was gone entirely. It had been formed into a plastic carrying container for the leftover wedding cake, complete with a handle.

Roy was fairly certain his jaw had dropped.

Edward took one look at the expression on Roy’s face, and with no small amount of pride he primly picked up their wedding cake. “We have a train to catch, yes?”

“That…” Roy gaped at the young man he’d married as Alphonse giggled in the background, “you shouldn’t be able to do that!”

“Yes, well,” Edward wasn’t exactly unaware of that, and he shot Roy a wry look, “my dad used to experiment on me. I’m a bit… different these days. It’s how I was able to get us out of the house in time. He hid all the chalk, but he never knew I didn’t actually need it after a certain point thanks to the things he did to me.”

Roy’s amazement had faded into something a bit darker at that knowledge, and suddenly knew that it was a good thing that Edward’s father had perished in the house fire. If he hadn’t… Roy knew he’d have made the man perish in the fire he could create. “Don’t show that to many people, sweetheart.” He cautioned instead, “I don’t want the military trying to get its claws into someone who can do what you can.”

“But you’re military?” Edward frowned in confusion.

“There are a lot of different sides to it, things that no one else sees.” Maes informed him with a somewhat grim smile. “I’m sure Roy can explain it to you after we catch our train. It’s the last one for the day, unless we were all planning to find a place here tonight to sleep.”

“I’d prefer not to spend another night in this place, no.” Edward denied softly.

It was agreed, and the four of them left the remains of the reception without so much as a goodbye to the remaining guests. They had a train to catch, and neither Edward nor Alphonse really felt much attachment anymore to the town after all that they’d been through.

At the train station Roy and Maes retrieved their respective military-issue travel duffels from the lockers, while Alphonse went to a further locker to collect the singular bag of what remained of he and his brother’s belongings.

“Where are we going?” Edward asked as he took the hand that Roy offered him.

“Home, first.” Roy told him with a bit of an apologetic smile, “believe me, if I had things my way I’d be taking you on a honeymoon right now. However,” he enjoyed the flustered but pleased look that crossed Edward’s features, “we need to get your brother settled in first.”

Maes appeared beside them at that, “or you could let me handle that.”

Both Edward and Roy looked over at the man in surprise.

“Seriously, Mustang,” Maes clapped a hand to his shoulder with a grin, “go spend time with Edward. I’ll take Alphonse home with me. Gracia will be delighted to have him stay with us while you’re on your honeymoon, you know she would. Take a transfer when we get into East City in the morning. Hell, go get your car from your place there and drive him wherever it is you have in mind.”

Edward knew when Roy looked his way, gaze questioning but not at all intrusive, that the decision was being left up to him. And after glancing to where Alphonse was already loading onto the train with the leftover wedding cake and their mutual bag, he looked over to Maes; and hardly about to feel shame for wanting to spend time with Roy, nodded. “Thank you.”

And with it decided, they followed Alphonse onto the train as the conductor began to call for last boarding.

Maes hurried down the aisle to snag the younger Elric before Alphonse could try and sling the bag up onto the overhead rack. “Not there, c’mon. Further back. You’re riding with us now, kiddo.”

And Maes led the way down to the rear where the private compartments were and slid one of the doors open. And all four of them filed in, setting their luggage beneath the seats before sitting just as the train began to pull away from the station.

“Your brother and I have things we need to discuss, Alphonse,” Roy began as he looked across the compartment to where the younger Elric sat next to Hughes. “But before he and I go find another place to do that privately, there are some things I need to go over with you.”

Alphonse straightened where he sat, nodding. “Yes, sir.”

“First, you’ll be temporarily staying with Hughes and his family while Edward and I are on our honeymoon.” Roy told him, and didn’t bother fighting back his smile about it, “take some time to think about what you want to do while you’re there; a job, university. Second,” he reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet and open it, rummaging through to pull out several large bills and pass them over, “this is to go get yourself any essentials you need until we get back.”

Alphonse took the money with wide-eyes, and carefully pocketed it. “Th-thank you, sir!”

Edward was trying his best not to be completely in awe of Roy as he stared at his husband in a deeply-felt gratitude.

“Any concerns or questions before I leave you with Maes? Edward and I will be getting off at an earlier stop.” Roy began tucking his wallet back away.

Alphonse quickly shook his head, “no, sir. None. Thank you. I – err… I’m glad it’s you. I haven’t seen my brother look so relaxed in a long time.”

“Al,” Edward hissed in minor mortification, causing Roy’s hand to come and rest gently on his knee. Without much thought he put his own over it, lacing their fingers together.

“I’m glad it’s me, too.” Roy smiled and stood, urging Edward up with him as he shouldered his duffel bag. “Alphonse, we’ll talk more in a week or so.”

Edward shot his brother an easier smile than he’d been able to manage in quite a while, “bye, Al.”

And filled with an odd mix of nerves, anticipation, and relief, Edward allowed Roy to lead him out of that train car and further back into the carriage. This was not at all how he’d foreseen his day going, but every step he was taking with Roy was willing, and not at all filled with the dread he’d resigned himself to feeling about the man he was supposed to have married.

It wasn’t until Roy was opening up a new door to some private seats that Edward realized it.

For the first time in weeks, he felt safe.

And he held a bit tighter to Roy’s hand as he tried to fight back the way his eyes wanted to tear up in relief at his realization.

Chapter Text

Edward lasted all of two seconds before the first tear escaped him.

It was as if just his recognizing that there was pressure there, that there were tears to hold at bay, had caused that dam to crumble. He hadn’t even had a chance to cry when his mother had died, he’d been too concerned with supporting his little brother. And then his life had fully gone to shit and he had been too busy trying to fix it in any way he could that he’d kept repressing everything.

Only to find that the moment he recognized he finally felt safe again, he couldn’t keep it together anymore.

Except even knowing that he felt safe with Roy wasn’t enough to keep him from being horrified it was happening. Doubly so when Roy noticed there were tears now rolling hot and fast down his cheeks.

And he tried desperately to stop them as he pressed his hands to his face with hurried and frantic gasps of, “sorry! I’m sorry!”

Because the last thing he wanted to be seen doing by his new husband, was crying the moment they were alone. The marriage certificate wasn’t even filed! What if Roy took one look at him, at the mess he was sure he looked right now, and changed his mind?

This was Roy Mustang!

The man was a war hero, a State Alchemist, a general, and far too attractive to have even given someone as plain as Edward a second look. He was just a rural nobody who had nothing to his name but the ill-fitting clothes on his back and the loyalty of his brother. And now, here he was, unable to stop himself from becoming a hideous mess with his crying.

Roy didn’t even bother dumping his duffel bag on a seat, it fell straight to the floor as he hurriedly snagged Edward just as the blond made to flee the train compartment. “Edward, it’s okay!” He soothed hurriedly as he gathered his unresisting husband into his arms. “It’s okay!”

The words only made Edward’s tears fall faster.

But it was trusting that Roy would let him go if he truly struggled away, that caused him to openly let his sobs out now as he crumpled into the man’s arms while stammering apologies.

Roy picked Edward up into his arms carefully, one arm beneath his husband’s knees and the other wrapped firmly around his torso to carry him over to one of the bench seats and sit, holding the blond tightly. “You don’t need to apologize,” Roy whispered gently as he extracted his arm from under Edward’s knees in order to slip his fingers into soft blond hair.

Edward felt as if his tears would never end, and sobs shaking his shoulders he finally gave up and pressed his forehead against Roy’s collarbone as his husband held him close and soothed him gently. If Roy hadn’t pushed him away in disgust yet, he was going to press his luck until it ran out and he found himself pushed away.

Only, he didn’t find that at all.

What he did find, was Roy giving him his handkerchief, a monogrammed and beautiful thing that had absolutely no business being near his teary face. He found that head massages felt exquisite, and the neck massage that followed after only further helped calm him and settle his breathing. And he found that the sound of Roy’s heartbeat verged on hypnotic.

Edward found himself slumping in Roy’s embrace as pure exhaustion hooked claws into him, and before he could try and fight it, the world around him faded into a hazy black sleep.

Roy continued to soothe Edward tenderly as he heard the blond’s breaths even out, felt his husband’s body go lax against him. He left off the soothing gentle words of reassurance, but he continued gently stroking through Edward’s hair as he continued to hold him close.

When Edward finally woke, it was with a start.

“You’re okay, it’s okay,” Roy immediately reassured as he kept his hold on the blond.

It took Edward a moment to get his bearings of where he was, only to then remember quite acutely what had happened. His stomach dropped clear of his body as he tensed and tried frantically to think if there was any way to salvage this. “I’m sorry,” he started with in a small whisper, unable to look up at Roy.

“You have no reason to apologize,” Roy denied gently, but firmly all the same.

Edward swallowed hard.

Roy carefully slipped his hand out of Edward’s hair in order to be able to take his husband under the chin and raise Edward’s splotchy and a bit puffy face so that their eyes met. “I mean that, with all my heart. Every word.”

Edward felt like his heart was trembling inside his chest as he clutched for his courage, because while he suspected that Roy wouldn’t push for the reason why he’d broken down like that, he needed to say it anyway. It was less embarrassing to tell Roy the truth now, than have Roy think it was because he was afraid or something to be brought in here alone with the man. “I feel safe with you, that’s what made me start crying.”

Which, admittedly, was not the most comforting opening to his explanation. But Roy remained silent, expression calm and gentle, and Edward’s next words tumbled out in a rush.

“The past few weeks I’ve been scared of what would happen to Al if I didn’t sell myself off. And even when I found a guy who I thought was willing to trade my body for keeping a roof over Al’s head, I was scared that he’d grow tired of me and we’d be cast out.” Edward sucked in a deep breath, then pushed on under a gentle dark blue gaze, “and then he wasn’t showing and deep down under everything else I was feeling about that, I was scared. I’d spent the last of what money we had, what would I tell Al? He was hungry and I was failing him.”

Roy made a mental note to have Maes hunt this former fiancé down, something he’d only toyed with the thought of before now. But now? Now, he was interested in personally ensuring that the man received everything he deserved.

Yes, Roy was forever grateful that all of this had meant he’d been given the gift of asking Edward to be his… but that didn’t mean he was happy that Edward had been caused pain.

“But I hadn’t been actively recognizing that I’ve been scared,” Edward’s voice went soft as he found his gaze dropping, unseeing, to some middle distance between their bodies, “until just then, with you. I didn’t feel scared anymore. I felt safe.”

Roy waited a good long moment to be sure he wouldn’t interrupt, before he spoke up in a gentle tone. “While we didn’t do vows during our ceremony, the promises I made to you when I asked you to marry me will always remain true. This vow, I make to you now,” and he lowered his head to press their foreheads together with eyes half-closed, “I will always do everything in my power to keep you safe.”

Edward hesitated a long moment before admitting a bit shamefully into the small space now between them, “when I started crying, I got afraid that you’d change your mind about me. You’re you and I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m not one of those people who can look pretty when I cry.”

“I don’t care about that, Edward.” Roy answered, drawing away now to meet a somewhat watery and bloodshot golden-eyed gaze. “I care that you’re happy. And please don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re beyond beautiful to me, even when you cry. I could have seen you in that church today, covered head to toe in mud and dressed in a paper sack, and I would have still asked you to choose me instead.”

Edward gave him a somewhat doubtful look, but he felt the beginnings of a smile start to pull at his lips.

“I’m not going to change my mind about you,” Roy continued, “not unless you try to kill me or something equally horrible.”

“I’d never!” Edward spluttered, aghast.

Roy knew he’d failed to keep the utterly besotted look out of his expression as he smiled, based on the way Edward temptingly flushed a bit. And gently carding some of Edward’s hair behind one ear he took a deep breath, “as soon as you choose one, you’re going to put a ring on my finger, Edward Elric. I offered you myself and you accepted, I’m yours. Never doubt that.”

“Mustang,” Edward corrected as he met Roy’s gaze, “the man who gave me the Elric name tried to kill me. I want my name to be that of the man who saved me.”

Roy nodded even as he swallowed hard against the rush of emotion that declaration had elicited, and he took Edward’s hand up in his own to hold it safe within his own. “Edward Mustang,” he agreed in a voice that absolutely betrayed those emotions.

Edward’s smile was a bit shy, but his squeeze to Roy’s hand was firm.

Despite how badly Roy wanted to kiss Edward in that moment, he knew he couldn’t. Not yet. So he cleared his throat a few times to also help clear his mind before he dared speak again, “branching off of that, there are things that we need to talk about.”

Edward nodded, drawing himself up a bit as he took a deep breath. “I should probably get off your lap for this. Have your legs fallen asleep yet?”

Roy snorted and fought against the urge to hold Edward tighter to him. “You’re fine as you are. You can move if you would feel better to do so, but I’m very happy to have you like this. And please don’t get too upset, but you’re far too light to make my legs fall asleep. I’m taking you out for a massive breakfast once we reach East City.”

While his emotions surrounding the state of his food intake as of late were complicated, to say the least, Edward took it in stride. Oddly, after his cry he was starting to feel even better. Although he suspected that Roy’s reassurances after and gentle care during were a large part of the reason his cry was beginning to feel cathartic to him. “I like waffles.”

Roy chuckled as he nodded in approval, and secretly rejoiced that Edward was making no move to get off of his lap. “I’ll make sure the place has waffles,” he promised, before turning his focus to other, just as important, details. “You arranged a marriage for financial security; which does in part include your brother who I did promise to assist. When I told Alphonse to think about what he wants to do next, if he chooses to simply get a job, I will purchase an apartment for him that is close to his workplace and only his name will be on the deed. He will need to pay for everything else after that point, but he will always have a permanent home.”

Edward’s jaw dropped, but clearly his husband wasn’t done.

“If he chooses university, I will pay for his tuition in full, and rent him an apartment in a safe area nearby whichever university he chooses. He will need to get a part-time job for other expenses, but his housing and tuition will be covered so long as he maintains good grades and continues to progress. After his graduation, however, the financial support on my end will terminate. Although by that point, he shouldn’t need it anyway.”

Edward knew he was gaping as he spluttered hurriedly, “I’ll get a job and help pay for his tuition and stuff, I promise! And my share of our bills, too.”

Roy shook his head, “while I will never stop you from getting a job, there’s no need. When I offered you marriage for your security, I did mean it without strings attached for you. I’ll set your brother up to succeed, but ultimately he’s not my husband. You are. So if you want to have a job, I will support you fully in that. However, I’ve no intention to hold you reliant on me for money.”

Now, Edward was just gaping wordlessly.

“You believe he will choose university?” Roy merely asked as he let it all begin to sink in for his husband.

Still more than a little stunned and in awe of the generosity he had not been expecting, Edward nodded, feeling a bit faint. “He’s always wanted to go. We had this friend growing up, her name’s Winry. Her parents were the town doctors until they all moved to Ishval about ten years ago. Al always talked about being a doctor like them, but well… our lives imploded.”

Roy felt that imploded was rather an understatement given the circumstances he and Edward had met under, but regardless, “if he wants to apply to the medical university, he may.”

Edward had no idea how Alphonse was going to react when his brother was told the full details of what Roy had told him to consider, but he imagined that he might have to pry his husband free of a very crushing hug.

“As for your financial security,” Roy continued on to what he felt was one of the most important things he needed to cover and have Edward understand, “again, I’ve no intention to hold you reliant on me for money. I’m going to have a bank account opened for you that half of my pay gets deposited in, and only you will ever have access to that money.”

Edward had no idea what the going pay rate was for the Flame Alchemist, but he imagined that he might have a minor heart attack when he found out. Because based on Roy’s prior comments about how he was going to set Alphonse up financially? He suspected the man wasn’t hard up for money. But the thing was… “I really didn’t think financial security would cover much more than a roof over my head and some food,” he admitted guiltily and with no small amount of uncertainty in his voice.

“Perhaps with the brainless idiot who stood you up, that’s all he was willing to provide.” Roy pointed out, not unkindly. Edward didn’t deserve to feel talked down to due to the choices he’d been forced to make. “I told you at our reception that I wanted an equal partnership. That I want you to be my husband. I meant that.”

Edward nodded a tiny nod as he cast Roy a lopsided apologetic smile, “it might take me some time to take it all in. This feels… surreal. Like a dream.”

Roy understood entirely, and he nodded as he gently squeezed the hand he still held while saying in earnest softness, “then let’s not ever wake up. Because from the very moment I laid eyes on you, I was captivated. And I’ve never been so willing to be captured in my life, than by your hand.”

Stunned barely even touched on it, as Edward lost himself in those dark blue eyes, feeling his heart flip inside his chest as a familiar yearning warmed his body. “Roy…”

“I know it’ll take time for you to take it all in,” Roy whispered as he rubbed his thumb across the back of Edward’s hand, “I just hope you know that you need never doubt that I’ll stay by your side.”

“Why?” Edward whispered back, somehow unable to speak any louder as his gaze searched Roy’s. “Why me? You’re Roy Mustang, you’re a war hero… and I’m nobody.”

“Wrong,” Roy denied as he tipped their heads together until their foreheads touched, “you’re my husband. And fuck staying single or being with anyone else, when I could be with you. In whatever way you’ll have me.”

Edward knew right then with heart-pounding clarity, one thing, “I want to kiss you. Am I allowed to kiss you?”

“Yes,” Roy barely had time to get the word out before their lips crashed together in a desperate need for the other.

And unlike in the church, there was no annoying priest to stop them.

Edward lost himself in the hungry give and take of their kiss, in the fire it awoke in his veins as he clung to Roy. He was breathless when they pulled away for more than the briefest of gasps of air, but still somehow found the breath for a shaky whimper of pleasure when Roy’s mouth descended now to his neck. And he arched into his husband, clutching at him and heart racing with a faint moan of Roy’s name.

Roy grinned against the skin beneath his mouth, blood stirring hot in his veins at the sound of Edward beginning to fall apart. Fuck, but Edward truly would be the death of him. How could one man be so absolutely exquisite? But somehow, his husband was.

He lost no time in stealing Edward’s lips once more against his own.

It was the light but firm rap to their compartment door, followed by the muffled words: “dinner service!” that broke them apart minutes later.

“Damn the timing of people today,” Roy swore under his breath with a groan.

Edward began to giggle as color flushed his face, “I could actually go for some more food.”

Roy nodded with an easy smile, “same.” And in one swift movement he deposited Edward off his lap and onto the seat while standing, only to press a kiss into blond hair, “one moment.”

Edward stayed where he was while Roy opened the door in order to speak to the trolley attendant, although he was quick to give his choices after they were all read off. And soon he was being passed all of his food by Roy as they were once again left alone.

Edward stayed where he was, surrounded by food on both sides of the bench seat; Roy took the other bench seat across from Edward, settling down with his own meal after having finally nudged his duffel bag out of the middle of the train compartment floor.

“I never understood why Maes complained about still being hungry after his wedding, until I had my own.” Roy mentioned dryly, although catching the look on Edward’s face, was quick to amend, “I don’t regret for a second all the well-wishers I sent scurrying away so you could have plenty of time to eat a hot meal.”

“I did enjoy watching them scurry,” Edward admitted with the beginnings of an amused smirk. “Thank you, by the way, for handling them.”

“They treated you like a fucking spectacle,” Roy stabbed a bit harshly at a bit of watermelon. “It was my pleasure to see how many of them I could make worry about sudden incontinence issues.”

Edward’s lips drew into a thin, unhappy line about the truth of their treatment of him. “I never want to go back to Resembool again. Ever.”

“While I sometimes must travel for work, and was hoping that you might come with me during those trips, I will never ask you to accompany back to Resembool.” Roy promised him with total sincerity.

Happy enough with the promise that he’d never be taken back to Resembool, Edward found himself pleasantly surprised that Roy wanted his company on work trips. “I’ll go with you,” he promised easily and with a little, flattered smile.

Roy had never really enjoyed his work trips. Unless they were to East City, the trips always took him from his home comforts. And he wasn’t ashamed to admit that he enjoyed them, and felt that he’d more than earned the right to them by this point in his career. But just knowing that he’d now have Edward by his side during them? They didn’t seem as much an imposition.

That did bring up another thing, however, that Roy knew he needed to cover with his husband.

“Back to your security, given that money is a non-issue for me, you’ll never have to worry about being able to eat again. That leaves shelter security. We have a house in Central, where I’m stationed. As Maes did mention earlier, though, we also have a condo in East City. Although I must apologize in advance —  ”

Edward had no fucking clue why Roy had anything to apologize about, he had gone into today hoping only for a roof over he and his brother’s heads. He’d never dared hope that when he was given that, it would feel tangibly his. Secure. Instead of hinging on the whims of another and whether or not he was able to keep his husband satisfied sexually.

“ — neither offer much in the way of home comforts.” Roy confessed with a measure of embarrassment that he was lacking in one of the things he should be providing.

Edward blinked at both the ridiculous reason Roy felt he must apologize, and the realization that his husband genuinely seemed concerned of his reaction over this.

“It’s just that I never really felt the desire to spend much time at home.” Roy’s eyes widened as he heard how that sounded, hastening to add, “at least before you! I never had anyone to come home to, everyone I knew was outside of my home. But not now, now you’ll be there too. So we can redecorate together, make it comfortable for you. I want you to be comfortable.”

Slowly, Edward began to smile. Warmth filling him at both the words, and watching the way that Roy — strong and commanding and steadfast Roy — began to fidget nervously. “I promise if there’s anything I want to add, I’ll let you know and we can add it together. But to be honest,” he ducked his gaze a moment in a rush of his own embarrassment before raising it, determined to be brave, “you bring me the most comfort out of anything.”

Roy flashed back just briefly to Edward confessing that he felt safe with Roy, and in that moment he recognized just how much he was completely and irrevocably in love with his husband. He’d never believed in love at first sight, despite how it had worked out for Maes and Gracia. Because how could someone with as much blood and pain on his hands as he had, ever find the same?

But he had.

He’d found Edward.

And he’d spend his every waking moment living up to his promise to try and win Edward’s heart. To win his husband’s love.

“Roy?” Edward questioned in concern after several long moments of silence.

Roy shook himself out of it, blinking a few times while giving Edward a reassuring, if somewhat apologetic, smile. “Sorry, I’m fine. Just… thinking about something.”

Edward nodded a bit uncertainly, but he didn’t want to pry. Instead he found himself circling back to a concern - or rather not so much a concern but a question that had begun to nudge at him. “You’re a General, right?”

Roy nodded without hesitation, “that’s right. For now.”

“For – for now?” Edward’s train of thought was briefly derailed, but he waved a hand, “we’re coming back to that.” This was just as important a question for him to get answered, “I was under the impression that once you reach a certain rank you end up hosting a lot of get-togethers and parties. Is that something you’ll need me to do for you? Would I be most helpful being a house-husband?”

“Some do, not me.” Roy denied with a flicker of humor at the thought. Fuck, he’d kill half the idiots who entered his house if he did stuff like that… which was why he didn’t. “The only people who ever really come over to the house - and that is rare - are my team at work. I consider them all the closest of friends, and that includes Maes. Sadly, he’s what qualifies as my best friend.”

Edward chuckled as he worked on opening the wrapper to the cookies that Roy had bought for him, “he seems like a good guy.”

“Please don’t inflate his ego too much,” Roy sighed, but smiled softly as he circled back to this concern that Edward kept bringing up about working. “I want you to find something you enjoy doing, Edward. A job, university for yourself, charity work, even being a house-husband. So long as you’re happy doing it, that’s all that matters to me. Anything but the military.”

Edward had never really thought of it before, not having had a choice like this before, but he’d give it some proper thought now that he was more certain of Roy’s stance on it all. Although he was still confused on one of those things mentioned. “Despite me calling the lot of you goons when we first met,” he enjoyed Roy’s humored smirk at the reminder, “why do you want to keep me away from the military so badly?”

“Because,” Roy sighed as he studied Edward, “it’s not safe. Not for you. I regret to say because of me. Quite a few of my colleagues would delight in trying to use threats or outright harming you to bring me down or gain control over me.”

“I see,” Edward glanced towards the floor of the compartment, and was silent a few moments before looking straight up into Roy’s eyes and saying firmly, “try not to worry about me like that. I’m not exactly a damsel in distress when put between a rock and a hard place. And I wouldn’t be all too happy that someone was trying to use me, especially to get to you. But I promise I won’t try and join the military, and I’ll stay clear of the places you need me to avoid.”

“Thank you,” Roy knew there’d always remain some inherent risk, but they’d do what they could to mitigate the chances of anything ever happening.

Edward gave him a faint smile and the smallest of nods before asking, “about the for now bit you mentioned? Unless I’m mistaken there are only two ranks above yours, is that your aspiration? Going all the way to the top?”

“There are, and yes.” Roy confirmed softly, but firmly, “it’s something I’ve been working towards since the Ishval war. And it wouldn’t surprise anyone in the military, given I’ve always been the youngest for any promotion. But I don’t really mention it to anyone except Maes and Hawkeye – you’ll meet her soon enough. And well, now you.”

Edward gave another small nod as he found himself caught in Roy’s gaze, and quite seriously he stated, “no one else will ever know about it from me.”

“Thank you.”

“I know that it won’t seem like the best political aspiration-inspired move, marrying me,” Edward admitted wryly, but his head was held high as he continued to keep Roy’s gaze. “But please don’t worry about me being able to handle anything that’s said to me about it. I can tolerate the judgments of others, for having done what I needed to.”

Roy smiled as he recalled the first time he’d heard Edward state that, standing there at the altar and scolding him beautifully before ordering him to fuck off. “I don’t need a political match in a marriage to get what I want. I can seize it on my own merit and skill. I married you for reasons incredibly removed from all that, removed even from your own. I wasn’t lying when I said I’d endeavor to win your heart, Edward.”

Edward felt his heart skip in his chest at the words, his cheeks warming a bit as memory of the kisses they’d shared only minutes ago flooded back to his immediate thoughts, leaving him feeling warm and just a bit alight with returning anticipation… and something he now recognized entirely, as want. He hadn’t expected to be attracted to the man he married, he hadn’t expected to welcome his touch, to feel actual desire for him… but he had it all the same. Yet before he could say anything, Roy was speaking again.

“From the moment I saw you, I could barely take my eyes off you. It didn’t matter that you were supposed to be marrying someone else. And when it was clear that he wouldn’t show, I knew I had to offer you myself instead. I knew that if I didn’t at least try, I’d kick myself for the rest of my life.” Roy then added a bit quieter but no less assured, “and when I’m Fuhrer, I’ll be honored to have you standing beside me.”

A soft smile slipped onto Edward’s lips, and he gave a few jerky nods as that feeling of safety only wrapped tighter around him. Yet despite all the emotions welling up inside him, all the thoughts, all he could manage to utter was an overcome sounding, “thank you, Roy.”

Roy smiled back just as softly, and nodded. “When we get to East City in the morning, I’ll take you shopping for clothes and anything else you might need. And that does include your wedding ring, so before you start thinking about finding the cheapest ring in the shop - unless you genuinely love it - just remember: I’m obnoxiously rich. As are you, now. I want the wedding ring you allow me to put on your finger to be one you are genuinely happy with.”

“I’ll remember,” Edward promised with a small and happy laugh.

And after a moment spent just smiling contently at each other, Edward realized with a jolt of remembrance that he still had more than half of the dinner that Roy had bought for him, left to eat; causing Roy to realize the same. They both returned to their dinners with laughter and amused remarks about how this time they didn’t even have anyone else to blame about their food going cold before they ate it.

When they both had finally finished their dinners, Roy stood to pull some pillows and blankets from a small cupboard above one of the bench seats while Edward gathered the trash and stuffed it tidily into one corner to be disposed of when they got off the train.

“Here,” Roy passed a pillow and blanket over to his husband.

Edward took them in his arms with a grateful smile, setting them on one of the bench seats. “I really hope I don’t topple onto the floor.”

“I promise not to laugh too much if you do,” Roy chuckled even in the face of the mock withering look he was given.

“You’re so funny.” Edward rolled his eyes, but he was smiling as he sat down and shook out the blanket.

Roy hummed affirmatively, working on slapping his pillow into some semblance of fluffy, “by the way… I know that I’ve thrown a lot at you today. I know that you’ve had a lot thrown at you the past two weeks. And I know that you’ve not had time to truly fully process any of it. So I want you to know that I understand if, for any reason at all and at any time, you need to hit pause on everything. Whatever you need from me; a hot bubble bath, tea, me getting the hell out of your beautiful hair for a day, all you have to do is ask.”

Edward gave him a grateful smile and nodded as he toed his shoes off in preparation of getting comfortable so he could sleep. It wasn’t all that late, but he’d been running on pure determination and anxiety for far too long. It was catching up with him. To him, Roy didn’t look tired in the least, but he wasn’t going to call attention to it. Instead he was far too willing to be silently grateful instead that his husband was being thoughtful enough to realize he might need sleep, even if Edward hadn’t realized it until just now. “Okay. I promise to be open with you.”

“Good,” Roy stood up to draw the window blind, darkening their little compartment, but not nearly enough that they couldn’t still see one another. “Bathroom is down the hall a bit more, but you can wake me for any reason.”

Edward nodded and laid down on the seat, pulling the thin blanket over him and nestling into his pillow as he continued to watch Roy. And while he was sure that his husband had to be aware of the observation, Roy only methodically pulled off his boots and slipped off his military uniform jacket before pulling a small notebook out of a pocket and beginning to scribble through it in the faint remaining light. He listened to the scratch of the pen across the paper, and the rustle of each page as it turned, the sounds lulling him closer into sleep. And he nearly was asleep as he mumbled quietly, “miss having a dog around. Do you like dogs?”

Roy looked up in surprise at the question, smile slipping onto his lips as he set his notebook aside to stand and cross the one step to where Edward lay and kneel down next to him. Reaching out he tenderly brushed some of the loose blond hair behind his husband’s ear as Edward blinked up at him drowsily. “I love dogs,” he answered.

Edward smiled sleepily as he felt his eyes begin to fall shut against his will to stay awake even a moment longer, “ ‘kay,” he mumbled and knew nothing more as he fell into the black embrace of a dreamless sleep.

Roy smiled, truly and utterly besotted, and tucked a bit more hair behind Edward’s ear before leaning down to press a gentle kiss to his husband’s temple. Then getting back to his feet as silently as he could, he went and sat back down to pick up his notebook and flip to the page he had recently begun to add ‘puppy’ to his list.

Chapter Text

It was so early when the train arrived in East City, that dawn was still just a faint smudge of light on the horizon. They’d exited the train without saying goodbye to Alphonse and Maes, having already taken care of that the previous day. Now they were making their way into the city itself at a leisurely pace.

“Bit early to take you shopping,” Roy began through a yawn that he muffled behind one hand, “but not too early for breakfast. And coffee. Lots of coffee.”

Edward was quick to latch on to Roy’s apparent need for coffee, filing the information away with a tiny burst of delight in his chest. He’d often made coffee for his mom, when she’d still been alive, as part of helping her to make breakfast for the family on the weekends. Hopefully, there was a coffee pot in Roy’s — their homes. If not, he’d buy one the moment he could afford one, and start making coffee for Roy. “You won’t hear me arguing about breakfast,” he put in and placed a hand against his stomach, “I’m hungry.”

Roy was pleased to hear it, and also hopeful that there’d be no lasting health complications thanks to his husband now finally getting the calories and nutrition which he feared Edward had been unable to acquire recently. And beyond all that, due to everything Edward had gone through, he was glad that his husband had retained an appetite - it was a good sign. “I’ll take you to a place I came to a lot when I was still stationed here. At least as of four years ago, they served waffles.”

Edward hesitated a moment before firmly telling himself that he’d be finding out eventually, and he’d rather do it now. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-seven.” Roy supplied instantly, following it up with, “joined the military when I was around your age.”

Edward nodded as he tucked that information away as well. Cares about age hadn’t been a luxury for him to consider when he’d recognized marriage as his best option, and he found that even now he was married, he didn’t care. And he could tolerate those judgments too, and would happily tell every single person who judged them to fuck all the way off.

He cared about his husband far more than he cared about some stranger’s opinion of the safety and happiness he was finding with Roy.

“If anyone gives you shit for marrying someone who’s eighteen,” Edward found himself grumbling quite firmly, “feel free to point me in their direction.”

Roy’s smile was devious at both the thought of setting Edward and his sharp tongue loose on an unsuspecting person, and the enjoyment he’d get from watching his fiery spouse defend their marriage. But then it sunk in that Edward wanted to defend not just specifically their marriage, but to defend him. And that realization almost stopped him in his tracks as happiness burst in his chest.

“About how much further is this breakfast place?” Edward wondered aloud as they continued to walk.

Roy was certain he could walk on air as he happily replied, “just about a minute more. Up to the left.”

Sure enough, about a minute more of walking and they arrived at a cozy diner; and with it being so early in the morning, they didn’t have to wait for a place to sit as they were shown to a small table for two and given menus before being told that someone would be with them shortly.

“It should go without saying, however,” Roy looked at Edward over his menu, “order whatever you like. However much you like.”

Edward met his gaze briefly over his own menu, color flushing his cheeks a bit as he nodded. “Lots of waffles… and I’m thinking some fruit, too. And coffee. Or maybe orange juice?”

“Both.” Roy offered out pointedly, but with a smile.

Edward sent him a reproachful look that was more teasing in effect than anything else, given how relaxed and overall happy he felt sitting here with Roy. He suspected that if he even mentioned the idea that Roy was spoiling him, he’d be firmly but sweetly shut down. He flicked his attention back down to the menu, “and definitely a pastry… let’s see here.”

Roy chuckled a bit and set his menu down to lean back in his chair while he just watched with warmth nestled inside his chest as Edward debated over the menu.

Within a few more minutes a waiter came over to take their orders. And although Edward had flushed the tiniest amount when Roy had given him the tiniest nod of indication that he should order first, he began to read off the menu items he wanted with an initial hesitation that quickly vanished when out of the corner of his eye, all he could see was Roy smiling approvingly at him the more he listed for the waiter.

Roy could barely remember his own order by the time the waiter was ready for it, not because it had taken his husband a good solid minute to put in his choices, but because Roy had been determinedly committing them all to memory. The second he had the chance when they got home to Central, he was going to ensure that they had every single one of these things in the house.

Edward, completely unaware of the trajectory Roy’s thoughts had been taking, had listened closely to how Roy apparently liked his eggs and coffee. He felt absolute confidence that his husband would never expect him to be anything but a roommate, should he so choose… but with Roy?

With Roy he wanted so much more.

“Alphonse and Maes will be arriving in Central within the next few hours,” Roy began as they started the wait for their drinks and their food, “Maes will get your brother settled at his place before he goes into work. Once he’s there, our marriage license will be filed within the hour — knowing Hawkeye — and everything will be official and legal.”

Edward smiled at the news, breathing an internal sigh of relief. “What would you suggest I do as a way to thank Maes and his family for letting Al stay with them while we’re away? And don’t you try and tell me that it’s fine and I don’t have to do anything. I want to, and I’m going to.”

Roy was smiling at not just his husband’s words, but the determination behind them. “Maes is an avid collector of knives. Gracia has a weakness for houseplants; and their daughter Elysia is barely a year old but enjoys over-sized stuffed animals.”

“Thank you,” Edward told him fondly.

Their coffees and Edward’s orange juice arrived to the table, and they both took a pause from their conversation in order to have some caffeine and, at least in Edward’s case, some vitamin c as well.

“Tell me one thing about yourself,” Edward insisted as he set his orange juice back down. “Something more personal than would have been mentioned in the stories I’ve heard of you.”

“You’ll have to brief me on what you’ve heard at some point,” Roy mentioned before complying with his husband’s request. “I like to read cheap mystery books when I’ve the occasion to. And I don’t mean the price, I mean that they’re awful. They’re a guilty pleasure for me.”

Edward laughed a bit, “fair.”

“Now your turn to be fair,” Roy countered with an easy smile, “tell me something about yourself.”

“I…” Edward hesitated a moment as he considered the gulf of difference between not only their age, but the lives they’d been able to lead because of that difference. And the reality that for much of Edward’s life, he’d not been given much freedom outside that of going to school so the neighbors didn’t get suspicious, and being allowed to eat with his family in order to keep his mother unaware of what his father was really doing to him in their ‘tutoring’ sessions. He’d never wanted to test if his father’s promise to hurt her if he told, was real. He’d loved her more than he’d loved the thought of his pain and torment ending. “I love being outside in thunderstorms,” he finally admitted softly as he stared unseeingly down at the table between them, a faint reminiscent smile on his lips.

Roy knew without question that there was something more there to it, but he didn’t push. Not yet. Not when the few suspicions he harbored left him without any measure of doubt that this was a conversation he didn’t want to have with Edward in public. But not wanting to make his husband feel self-conscious, he delicately moved the topic along, “and one thing you don’t like?”

“Milk,” Edward said without delay and a disgusted shudder as he looked back up to Roy, laughing at the miffed look on the man’s face. “It’s gross, and I won’t drink it.”

“Not even chocolate milk?”

“That’s worse.”

Roy couldn’t help but start laughing at the sheer abhorrence in Edward’s voice and the expression on his husband’s face. “I don’t like cranberry juice?”

“Roy,” Edward sighed, “no one likes cranberry juice.”

Which only made Roy laugh more, and caused Edward to roll his eyes with an exasperated but fond smile.

Soon enough the conversation moved to Roy asking after the stories Edward had heard about him, in order to provide context in most cases. And when their food arrived, they added in carefully navigating parts of Edward’s life, as they worked on continuing to get to know each other.

By the end of breakfast, Edward was assured in his impression that Roy was an incredibly talented alchemist and commanding leader, along with being an unfailingly supportive friend. And Roy was now assured without a doubt that Edward was an untried genius whose alchemy ability he wanted to test the first moment Edward felt comfortable enough with him to do so; along with being selfless and kindhearted… with a stubborn and sassy side to match.

“While the shops will be opening soon,” Roy said as he led Edward out of the diner after he’d paid their bill, “we’re going to go to the condo first.”

Edward nodded without complaint.

“I want to get rid of this,” he held his duffel bag aloft in front of himself for a moment, “and then we’ll take the car. Given I fully intend to buy you an entire wardrobe for our place here, and clothes for the honeymoon, and anything else you need, we’ll need the trunk space.”

Edward’s first instinct was to protest, but that instinct was quickly drowned out and soothed by every insistence that Roy had given him so far about their marriage. He wasn’t someone who’d been bought or traded for a price, he wasn’t even a trophy husband.

He was so much more.

And he doubted he’d even been shown the half of what his marriage to Roy truly entailed.

“I think I’ll take you to the high-end hair salon that Riza would always go to out here,” Roy continued to say as he began to lead the way, unaware of the way Edward was looking at him so softly. “Your hair’s so long and gorgeous, you probably need shampoo that’s even better than the kind I use. And conditioner, lots of quality conditioner.”

“It likes egg rinses,” Edward finally spoke up with a soft smile, quickly looking away the moment Roy began to look at him. “Wasn’t able to do it often but… made it very shiny.”

“Also eggs, lots of eggs.”

Edward snorted at the conviction in Roy’s voice just then, and cast a shy but flattered look up at his husband as his heart skipped a few beats. “Do you like my hair that much?”

“Yes,” Roy was quick to confirm, “were I a man of poetry, I’d be embarrassing the shit out of you right now trying to make you understand just how much.”

Edward laughed as he tucked some of his hair self-consciously behind one ear and sent another darting look Roy’s way before softly admitting with a thumping heart, “before you combed your hair this morning on the train, it was a bit… fluffier-looking? I liked that. I mean, I like it like this too, but…” his smile went shy, “I liked that a lot.”

Roy tucked that knowledge away with a warm rush of delight and purpose. While there was a definite dress code when he was in uniform, out of it? It cost him nothing to let his hair be a bit less tamed down, but would mean the world to him if Edward was happy. “Anything else you like about me?” He couldn’t help but tease.

Edward spluttered into red-faced laughter and tried to hide his grin behind one fist as he absolutely refused to look at Roy. “One or two things,” he teased back.

While the urge to push for further admissions was strong and tempting, Roy held himself back. What he’d already been given was gift enough, and he didn’t want to risk making Edward feel like he was demanding anything. He was happy for whatever his husband was willing to give. So instead, he switched into telling Edward a bit about the areas they were walking in as they made their way further and further into the city and closer to the condo.

Edward had noticed as they walked along that gradually the immediate area around them became more residential, but also, the type of residential that was expensive. Growing up, his home had been one of the larger ones in Resembool, and he’d never been left with the impression that they were anything other than very well off as a family. At least until everything was burned to the ground and he was left to discover that there was barely any money in the family bank account. But now, as he looked around at the homes, large but not ostentatiously so, and the other housing that they walked past, Edward was now finding himself quickly reassessing several things.

First, that Roy was probably far richer than he’d previously thought.

Also, that the disparity between what he’d grown up thinking was wealth and what it truly might be, was vast.

And, that his life had been forever changed the moment Roy had walked up to him in that church.

Over the course of his life, his views on certain aspects of life had been forcibly altered by more than a handful of events, starting from the time his father had first called him into the man’s study and locked the door behind him with a smile he still had nightmares about.

He’d learned that his father’s love wasn’t unconditional and instead it was predicated on whether or not he survived the experiments done to him, and whether or not he continued to keep his mouth shut about it to his mother.

He’d learned that his dread that, when his mother died, there’d be nothing left to stop his father from turning his gaze onto Alphonse, had been pointless. He should have dreaded seeing those thick wooden boards be carried in by his blank-faced father, the hammer hanging at his belt. He should have dreaded the vacant tone when his father had asked he and Alphonse to go into the basement to grab more beer for him. He should have dreaded the sound of his boots and the sound of the basement door shutting once they’d gotten to the bottom of the stairs.

And after he’d hauled Alphonse from the raging fire and the choking smoke, he’d learned that no one would help them.

So he’d done the only thing he could think to do, comforting himself with the thought that at least Alphonse would be safe, and offered up the only thing he had left. Himself.

Growing up, he’d always thought he’d live a life where he’d get married because he fell in love, because someone loved him. But that view on life had needed to be forcibly put to rest. There had no longer been room for fanciful dreams like that.

Or… so he’d thought.

Because as he looked over at Roy now, seeing but not hearing as the man continued to comfortably just chat away to him, he’d been wrong.

At least, half wrong.

While Roy hadn’t come right out and said it, and Edward suspected he knew why, he genuinely believed that Roy loved him. That Roy had somehow fallen for him there in that church, because there was no other logical explanation.

And while Edward knew he certainly hadn’t married Roy out of love…

He smiled as Roy gestured wildly about something while laughing.

Love no longer seemed so fanciful and out-of-reach a dream to him.

Reaching out, Edward stole one of those wildly gesturing hands into his own and squeezed as his heart filled to bursting.

Both Roy’s words and his feet stumbled to a halt as he completely forgot what he’d been saying, attention whipping onto Edward as the blond held fast to his hand while stopping beside him to look up at him with a soft expression and a smile that made Roy’s breath catch in his chest.

“I just…” Edward hesitated a moment, a bit of color rising to his face before asking, “is this okay?”

Roy squeezed Edward’s hand in his with a nod as he reassured softly, “always.”

As they resumed walking under Roy’s reassurance that it wasn’t much longer now to the condo, Edward found himself wondering what it would feel like to step in closer and feel Roy’s arm wrapped around him as well. But he contented himself for the time being with holding onto his husband’s hand.

“Right up there,” Roy said while pointing with his free hand as a six-story building came into view.

It looked rather much like all the other multi-family housing buildings they’d passed by. It had a small but well-manicured lawn area, several shady trees, some well-tended rose bushes, and one-way glass that concealed views of anyone inside.

Edward quickly took note of the identifying number on the building and committed it to memory as he was led up to the main doors which remained shut at their approach. But off to the left was a pin-pad that they stopped in front of.

“Our condo itself has an actual key,” Roy began to explain, “but this code will get you into the building.”

Edward paid close attention as Roy punched the code in, committing that number to memory as well. “Got it,” he assured his husband as Roy glanced over at him for confirmation.

Roy nodded and turned them for the doors which had unlocked with an audible clunk. “And as soon as we get upstairs, I’ll give you one of the spare keys.” And taking one of the door handles in hand, he opened it up to let them into the lobby of the condo building.

Edward tried not to stare too agape at the interior that was revealed to him as he stepped into the lobby. It looked like it had come straight out of a magazine. The white floors quite literally had a faint glitter to them, marble support pillars were encircled by plush-looking cream-colored sofas that had been trimmed in gleaming wooden accents, and the sound of gentle splashing was coming from a massive fountain off to one side of the lobby.

“Elevator and stairs are over there,” Roy gestured off to the right. “Mail room is to the left. Although, unless someone writes you a letter here, there shouldn’t ever be any mail to collect. All of my stuff gets forwarded to the house, or to my office.”

“Only person who’d ever write to me is Winry.” Edward said in a contemplative tone as he continued to gaze around the lobby. “I’m assuming you’ve a phone, so Al could just call. I don’t know how I’d go about getting in touch with Winry though about all of this.”

Roy only had time to frown before his questions were being answered.

“I was allowed to write to her, but my father always read it to be sure I never let on about what he was doing to me.” Edward’s hand holding Roy’s tightened a bit as his other arm curled around his middle in a subconscious protective and self-comforting manner. “So he always took the letters to mail them for me, and bring back her replies.”

While there was quite a lot to address there, Roy knew that the condo lobby was the wrong place for it and this wasn’t the right time. There was one thing he felt fine though, to address here and now. “I’ll help you find her; I promise. And honestly, if you’re okay with Maes helping, he’ll probably have found her by the end of that same workday. He’s terrifyingly good at uncovering information for me.”

Edward looked up at Roy even as he nodded, unashamed at how relieved his “please” sounded.

Roy nodded and squeezed Edward’s hand comfortingly, “consider it done. Now, let’s get upstairs and get you your key.”

They loaded onto the elevator, where Edward watched and swallowed his initial rush of surprise when Roy pushed the button for the sixth floor. It did make sense to him with all he was coming to realize about Roy, that his husband wouldn’t have purchased a condo on a middle floor. And if he thought about it even further, it made sense given Roy’s occupation as well.

He imagined the top floor felt more easily defensible a place to be.

What he hadn’t been expecting at all, was for only one door to be revealed to them when the elevator doors swished open. He’d entirely expected that two, if not three other residences would be up here.

“You… it’s the entire top floor?” Edward asked as he followed his husband out of the elevator.

“Yes,” Roy confirmed and looked over at Edward with a warm smile, “bought it with my bonus after I made colonel a few years back.”

Edward swallowed hard as he watched Roy pull out a keyring and begin thumbing through them as they approached the front door of their condo. “You weren’t kidding, you really are obnoxiously rich.”

Roy snorted and then began to outright chuckle as he found the right key and placed it in the keyhole. “I would never lie to you, sweetheart.”

Edward might have found himself flustered at the sound of that endearment coming from Roy again, at least… had his husband not also chosen that moment to gently lead him into one of his new homes.

And Edward’s jaw dropped.

The living room of the condo was sprawled out immediately before him; with gleaming wooden floors and thick woven rugs. There was only one u-shaped sofa, but it was so large that Edward felt certain it would easily sit over ten people. Behind the sofa by a comfortable distance was a hanging sofa swing that Edward was as equally fascinated to try out as he was terrified to sit on it and have it come crashing down around him. Natural light was streaming in from the floor-to-ceiling windows directly ahead of him, and from what looked like it might be the entrance onto a patio off beyond that sofa swing. But none of that was what drew Edward’s immediate need to investigate, because along the wall the sofa mainly faced there was a series of bookshelves that were absolutely filled with books.

Edward toed off his shoes distractedly, not noticing Roy’s rapt attention on him as he did so, and genuine excitement welled up in his chest as he padded forward eagerly in socked feet over to them. He barely even bothered to scan the titles before he was delicately picking one of them off the shelf and opening it in his hands.

Roy was smiling as he bent to work on unlacing and removing his boots, setting them aside before making his way further inside. “I’m going to go put my bag in the bedroom and change out of my uniform.”

Edward nodded distractedly at first, before looking up quickly and with a rush of embarrassment as he closed the book hurriedly. “Right, okay. Sorry.”

“For being excited about books?” Roy grinned and began to make his way towards the left where the bedrooms lay. “I refuse to accept that that even merits an apology. This is your home, feel free to make yourself comfortable, explore, read, whatever you like. I’ll be ready in about ten minutes.”

Edward smiled after the man as his husband disappeared down the hallway past the bookshelves, and looking down at the book in his hands he grinned happily and eagerly turned to go investigate the sofa swing.

In the master bedroom, Roy had dumped his duffel bag onto one of the chairs inside the room before heading into the bathroom to freshen up a bit better than he’d been able to on the train this morning. While he desperately wanted a full shower too, he wanted to get Edward some changes of clothing as soon as possible so that his husband could have the luxury of a hot shower as well.

A few minutes later he was making his way to the closet to grab some civilian clothes.

He stripped out of his uniform and set it aside to put in the wash when they returned later that day, and then pulled on a pair of black slacks that he had been teasingly banned by Maes from wearing around Gracia, while Gracia had rolled her eyes and laughed. He then tugged on a simple dark blue long-sleeved button-up shirt that he left the top three buttons undone on, then tucked the shirt into his slacks before making his way out of the bedroom as he worked on rolling the sleeves of his shirt halfway up his forearms.

Roy walked back out into the living room in search of his husband, only to stop dead in his tracks when he found him.

Edward was curled up on the sofa swing, rocking it slowly, while reading that book and appearing to be completely absorbed in it.

It was the most peaceful he’d ever seen Edward look, and for a long moment all he wanted to do was soak in the sight of it with happiness and relief.

But the last thing he wanted to be caught doing, was standing here just staring at his husband like a besotted idiot. And so pulling himself together with a little shake of his head, Roy walked over towards where Edward sat while making his footsteps loud enough that it would hopefully prevent scaring the blond. “Which one did you choose?”

Edward tore his gaze away from the pages to smile at Roy in welcome, and tipped the book up to the man’s gaze. “One of those cheap mystery books of yours that you told me about at breakfast.”

“Ah,” Roy rested a hand next to Edward’s knee as the gently swinging sofa came to a rest, now that Edward was distracted from keeping up the swaying motions. “I promise I won’t tell you who the murderer is; although if you say Francine — ”

“It’s that Laurent guy, isn’t it.” Edward interrupted quickly as he clutched the book while looking insistently up into Roy’s eyes with a delighted gleam in his own. “It has to be.”

Roy laughed and merely grinned as he gave a shrug of his shoulders, “not telling. Except that it’s not Francine.”

Edward eyed him beadily in suspicion now, trying to fight back a smile. “That sounds like the sort of thing you’d say if you were trying to mislead me.”

“You’re my husband, not Maes.” Roy laughed and shifted his hand up to squeeze Edward’s knee before offering both his hands to the younger man. “Ready to go get something else to wear?”

“Fuck, yes!” Edward groaned through a bit of a laugh and cast the book aside without a second thought. He could read more of it later, and with a flustered thump of his heart he placed his hands inside Roy’s to allow the man to help him back to his feet.

Roy chuckled, “I thought you might.”

Edward’s smile was almost more of a smirk, at least at first. Because now that he was on his feet again and not being distracted by conversation about that book, he actually was looking at his husband. And as his eyes tracked from the bared forearms to the way the silk of Roy’s shirt clung to the clear definition in his torso and then up along the man’s chest where the flash of pale skin where the buttons were undone caused Edward to swallow hard, he felt a yearning tug deep inside him.

But when he finally looked up and met the dark blue of Roy’s eyes, he felt something tremble in anticipation deep inside him at the way Roy was looking back at him. “Roy…” he whispered as he lost himself in that gaze.

“You’re allowed to look.” Roy whispered back as he gently slipped one of his hands free to caress against Edward’s face, thumb stroking close to Edward’s mouth and causing those tempting lips to part just enough to nearly flat-line his brain. “You’re allowed to touch.”

Edward hesitated a beat, before placing his freed hand against the feel of silk and the solid muscle of Roy’s abdomen beneath it. And heart racing, he slowly slid his palm up along Roy’s chest, never once looking away from the intense heat in Roy’s eyes as he caressed his way upwards. Only stopping when his hand came to his husband’s neck, asking softly with a pounding heart, “am I allowed to climb you like a tree?”

Roy barely allowed himself time to feel a flash of humor at Edward having remembered those words he’d uttered in the church, because in the immediate moment following his breathless-sounding “yes,” he was already pulling Edward into his arms as their lips met with an urgent need.

Edward stumbled forward a few steps with Roy in their eagerness for one another, before his husband hit the back of the stationary sofa, causing them to break apart for more than a breath as Edward snickered happily.

“Almost there,” Roy laughed and dipped his hands to pick Edward up under the thighs, groaning as his husband’s legs instinctively locked around his waist. As fast as he dared, he carried his husband to the nearest bit of sofa cushion and sat down with Edward still wrapped around him.

Edward trailed his fingers along the pale skin bared for him by the undone buttons of Roy’s shirt, his gaze locked on Roy’s. “I… I don’t think I’m ready yet for much more than this. The kissing and the,” he frowned a bit as he struggled to find the right words, never actually having done any of this before, “this sort of touching?”

Roy nodded and placed a tender and lingering kiss on Edward’s lips before withdrawing to reassure, “I understand.”

Edward smiled and after a moment of hesitation, was still smiling as he leaned back in to kiss Roy again as thoughts of the shopping they needed to do completely evaporated from his mind as his husband held him close.

Chapter Text

Getting Edward his key for the condo took longer than Roy had initially planned, as did getting the both of them out the door, but considering the reason for the delay… he was hardly about to complain. They both made their way to the elevator holding fast to one another by the hand, and wearing satisfied and happy smiles as they darted looks each other’s way as they walked. So yes, as far as Roy was concerned, he’d have delayed all day if it meant he could have Edward wrapped around him as they kissed.

It only took them a few minutes to get down the elevator and make their way to the garage that housed the few vehicles of the few residents who seemingly had them.

And Edward found himself led over to a fairly nondescript black car.

“Military issued.” Roy said as he walked Edward over to and unlocked the passenger door before meeting his husband’s gaze in seriousness. “If you ever see one of these following you, I want you to do your best to lose it and call me as soon as you can.”

Edward knew that he could protect himself, handle himself; when he’d told Roy that he wasn’t exactly a damsel in distress when put between a rock and a hard place, it had been the truth. All of everything about it aside… his father’s experiments had left him quite capable of defending himself. And while Roy was intelligent enough to have a glimmer of an idea as to his capabilities after what he’d done at their reception, he also knew that his husband cared for him and worried over him. So he gave Roy a reassuring nod as his door was opened for him, “I promise that I will.”

“Thank you.” Roy squeezed Edward’s hand in his before helping his husband into the car.

Edward smiled up at him in the moment before Roy shut the door, then settled himself into the seat while looking around curiously. He’d ridden in a vehicle a handful of times before now, and that old farm truck had been nothing like this. Apparently, military-issue cars were a far sight nicer than beaten-up farm trucks.

Roy got in next to him and started the engine, “do you want to go get stuff for your hair first? Or do you want to go find clothes first?”

“Clothes,” Edward stated firmly as he swallowed back his initial instinct to promise he’d pay Roy back for everything. He already knew how that would end, and he respected his husband enough to not push the issue. Instead, he firmly reminded himself that there was more than one way to pay his husband back for everything the man was doing for him, and he was actually excited to learn all the little ways he would be able to make Roy happy and be as supportive a husband as he could be.

Starting with coffee in the morning.

“As you command.” Roy readily agreed, and began to drive the car out of the garage and out onto the road.

Edward couldn’t help but smile in a little bit of humor at the words, although the look he briefly shot the man’s way was fond. “How long were you stationed here in the past?”

More than happy to give Edward some more details about his life, Roy began to give his husband not only the answer to the question that had been asked, but further stories of his time in the military. Because as much as Roy wanted to ask after more of Edward’s history in return, he would rather wait to ask after those answers when Edward was at home and relaxed and a little more time had gone by to let more of everything process for his husband.

It only took them less than ten minutes anyway to reach the street Roy wanted, and pulling the car up along the curb, he parked it and turned off the engine as Edward looked around curiously.

Edward could see by the shopfront windows visible to him that they had indeed arrived on a street that seemed to exclusively sell clothing. It was a busy area, with plenty of people wandering past to look in shop windows or step inside to look further, and plenty of other cars driving around. So after checking quickly, Edward opened the car door and stepped out, just as Roy came around to meet him. “Logically I knew there’d be a ton of people, but it’s still a bit amazing to see,” he admitted as he gently shut the car door, “I once thought I’d never leave the countryside.”

Roy laughed and looked around as well, “this place is actually small compared to Central.” Then with a smile he looked back to Edward, “I’m glad I got you out of the countryside.”

“Yeah… me too,” Edward reached out to take Roy by the hand and squeeze it meaningfully. “Thank you.”

Roy nodded even as he laced their fingers together, “come on, let’s go get you some new clothes.”

Edward was eager enough at the prospect, but as they began to make their way to one of the shops he drew in a deep breath. “Just warning you, but if anyone gives me any shit about this suit not fitting me well, I’m telling them off. So if it’s a place that you enjoy coming to, I don’t mind if you wait outside so that only I get banned.”

Roy only firmed his grip on his husband’s hand, “any place that would treat you unkindly is not a place I’d ever want to continue to patron myself. We’re a team.”

Really, Edward should have known he needn’t have worried. Because despite the fact that he was wearing clothes several sizes too big for his body, he also entered the first clothing shop hand-in-hand with Roy. And Roy Mustang looked like he belonged wherever the fuck he pleased.

There were a few other shoppers when they entered, and a few employees who immediately looked over at their entrance when the bell above the door chimed. Yet aside from welcoming smiles and some nods, the employees left them alone.

“My arms are at your disposal to hold clothes until you’re ready to start trying things on.” Roy declared while giving a small but reassuring squeeze to Edward’s hand in his.

Edward nodded and took a deeper breath before stepping forward into the shop to begin making his way into the racks of clothing. And at first, all he could bring himself to do was to look. He’d never before seen so many options before in his life, what with the one clothing shop in Resembool specializing in clothing suitable for a rural farming community. But after a time that went unhurried by Roy, he finally reached out his other hand to begin just lightly touching the clothes at first.

Roy was smiling when Edward’s hand slipped free of his own, watching as his husband pulled free his very first shirt to look at closer. He was still smiling when Edward put it back a few seconds later, clearly not pleased by something, only to choose a different shirt to look at.

That shirt, a long-sleeved dark green cotton choice, ended up in Roy’s willing hands so he could drape it neatly over one arm.

From that point on, Edward found his confidence growing as he discovered more that he liked. Gradually, working on filling his enthusiastic husband’s arms until he reached the point where he was reasonably certain he had looked at everything.

“Ready to try them all on?” Roy asked as he watched Edward glance around with pursed lips before nodding to himself.

Edward looked up at him and gave a quick nod, “yeah.”

“If there’s something that you would like to wear out, I’ll arrange it for you.” Roy began to walk over towards the curtained off changing areas near the rear of the shop and separated from clear view of the rest of the shop by a half-wall.

Edward went with him, and choosing an empty room he took the pile of clothes from Roy and set them inside before meeting his husband’s gaze. “Thanks,” and then he glanced over to where a few chairs were placed up against that low wall. “You’ll probably want to sit down for this.”

“Sitting down,” Roy responded obediently, but not before taking Edward gently by the chin to steal a kiss that his husband willingly leaned into while tangling fingers at the back of Roy’s hair.

Edward was left somewhat dazed by the kiss as they separated, Roy to go sit in one of the chairs with a gleam in those eyes that flushed heat through Edward’s body. And he somehow managed to not stumble his way into the changing room and pull the privacy curtain, before he sagged back against the wall with a grin and a racing heart.

At their wedding reception, Maes had told Roy off about seducing his husband later. And with Roy having been the first person he’d ever kissed, he admittedly knew very little about seduction. He wasn’t sure if that’s what this was, but… whatever it was, it was wonderful.

Edward glanced at the privacy curtain with a thoughtful look as a sly smile began to take root on his lips, and suddenly filled with fresh purpose, he pushed away from the wall and began to strip down.

He had a husband to render speechless.

Eventually he stood in front of the mirror in the changing room with a satisfied smile on his face.

Edward turned to grasp the curtain in his fingers and take a deep breath to center his confidence, and his smile didn’t waver as he pulled the curtain back to step out. “Mirror doesn’t go down far enough in here,” he commented as he stepped out in his socked feet to stride over to the floor-length mirror, causing him to pass right in front of Roy.

Yet he didn’t so much as glance at his husband, his smile turning almost playful as he took a moment to admire himself in the mirror a few moments before turning to fix his gaze on Roy. Only, he hadn’t been expecting the monumental effort it would take him to find his voice again when he saw the way Roy was staring at him, and his, “what do you think?” was far less bold than he’d originally intended it to be.

Roy knew that he was staring open-mouthed at Edward, just as he knew that his husband had said something to him. Yet had someone held a gun to his head right then to demand he repeat whatever his husband had said, he knew he’d be unable to do it, because Edward was stunning.

Yes, he’d known that from the moment he’d laid eyes on the blond. But whatever he’d thought then and all the way up to the moment before Edward had pulled back that curtain?

He’d been wrong.

Edward was a fucking vision in a dark red long-sleeve cashmere sweater and black leather trousers that clung obscenely well to every curve; and all Roy could seem to do was stare in open-mouthed awe.

In front of the mirror, Edward’s smile softened despite the thrill and rush of success and happiness that flooded him at having absolutely robbed his husband of words. Briefly, he wondered if this was how he’d looked, gaping at Roy, in the moments preceding their prolonged kissing session on their sofa. Stepping over to his husband now, who gazed up at him, awestruck, he bolstered his nerve with the way Roy was looking at him and bent at the waist to put his mouth right beside the man’s ear as his hands gripped strong shoulders and whispered, “I think I’ll be wearing this out.”

Roy’s breath stuttered out of him as Edward pulled back only enough to let their eyes meet, and finally he found his voice. Although what he said was not at all what he’d intended to say as he breathed out earnestly, “marry me.”

Edward flushed even as he laughed, golden eyes sparkling as he leaned in to rest their foreheads together. “I’d marry you every day of my life, but I think we may get tired of eating wedding cake.”

Roy was left still trying to find his wits when Edward slipped away from him with a flattered smile that left him swallowing hard and unable to keep his eyes off his husband as the blond walked away in those perfectly fit leather pants. Only when the curtain swished closed behind Edward, concealing him from Roy’s gaze, did he finally start breathing normally again even as his heart still seemed to beat too fast in his chest. “Holy fuck,” he finally breathed out and abruptly shook himself.

Meanwhile, inside the changing room, Edward was standing there grinning in delighted success and a happy flush on his cheeks. He’d never before thought he’d take joy in something like this, but then… until Roy, he hadn’t found himself wanting to take anyone’s breath away like that. And he refused to feel ashamed of it.

Taking a deep breath, and still beaming, Edward stripped off the clothes that had caused his husband to propose to him all over again, and grabbed for the next set of clothing. He still had a lot to try on; and provided he liked the way everything looked on him, he had a husband whose breath he needed to take away again.

And for the next hour Edward happily tried on every single piece he’d chosen from the racks. Not all of it passed with him, and ended up being stripped off without his bothering to let Roy see him, but the items that did?

He found himself again and again in front of that floor-length mirror, and in front of Roy.

At the very start of this, when he’d still been choosing clothes to try on, Edward had initially thought that he’d get tired easily from all the dressing and undressing. Except, whenever he’d walk out from behind the changing curtain in another new outfit and see the way Roy would look at him with such wonder, it rejuvenated him each and every time. It was addictive.

Eventually, though, he ran out of new clothes to try on. So gathering up a pile of ones he wanted into one arm, and a pile of the ones he didn’t into another, he ducked his way out of the changing room and made his way over to Roy who immediately stood to meet him.

“I’ll have them ring up the ones you wanted to wear out first,” Roy held his hands out, “you can get changed while they finish with the rest and I pay.”

Edward deposited the stack of clothes he wanted into Roy’s hands with a nod. “Where should I put these?”

Roy nodded his head towards a small table set off to the side.

Edward quickly moved to go put the stack where Roy indicated and then rejoined his husband so they could make their way to the front counter to pay.

As soon as the clothes that had caused Roy to go speechless on him had been passed his way, Edward headed back towards the changing rooms to finally be permanently free of wearing his poorly-fitted suit.

Quickly he dressed once more in the dark red cashmere sweater and the immaculately-fitted leather pants, smiling to himself as he did so. Taking a quick moment to check himself over in the mirror afterwards, he then begrudgingly gathered up his old clothes and carried them out. While he wanted absolutely nothing to do with this stupid suit any longer, he wasn’t about to just leave it lying around for the shop employees to clean up either.

Roy was waiting by the shop entrance with two large paper bags in one hand, and found himself no less robbed of breath when Edward approached him the second time in those clothes. There was just something about how the dark red color brought out the shining gold of Edward’s eyes and hair that left him overcome — and he dared not reflect too long on how those leather pants threatened to affect him, not while he was in public. He swallowed hard and opened up one of the paper bags as his husband reached his side, “the next shop awaits.”

Edward let out a huff that was part laughter and gave the slightest nod. Even though this had taken quite a while, he knew there was still a ways to go even by his own standards — he wasn’t even about to try and fathom Roy’s standards on something like supplying a wardrobe. But even he could agree that he still needed socks and pajamas and all sorts of other things. “Let’s go,” he agreed.

And for the next several hours they made their way around and through various other clothing shops, gradually buying everything that Edward could possibly need for whenever he was in East City with Roy, but also that which he’d be taking with them on their honeymoon and later to Central.

Everything that is, but one last thing.

“Being married to me,” Roy began as he led the way to their next destination, “you will need a suit. There are just occasions where it will be a necessity. And while I’m more than happy to have your current one altered, I’m just as happy to purchase one that you prefer.”

“And I’d be more than happy to see you burn my current one,” Edward muttered as he shifted a bit uncomfortably as they walked. “I know I married you in it, and I don’t regret that for the world, but… burn the damn thing. The marriage I bought that suit for isn’t this one.”

Roy nodded agreeably, but found himself mildly frustrated that he was entirely loaded down with shopping bags when all he wanted to do in that moment was reach out and squeeze Edward’s hand in comfort. “Then a new suit it is.”

Edward sent him a grateful look.

“Speaking of your old one though, the process for a properly-fitted suit is different than how I’m assuming you purchased the old one.” Roy started in as they began to cross the road after the last car went by. “A proper tailor needs to take measurements, and as such there is a lot of physical contact that will happen; but at no point have I ever even heard a rumor of him being inappropriate with a client. I’ll be putting you in the hands of a tailor I trust. I’ve always gone to his shop once I found him, and not only are the suits beyond compare in this city, but he’s a professional. Regardless, if at any point you feel uncomfortable you can end the appointment. And if you want me to be in the room with you, I will be.”

Edward smiled a bit to himself before directing that smile up at Roy beside him, “thanks for the heads up. I’ll be fine. Promise I won’t punch your favorite tailor because I’ve misread the situation.”

“Well, if anyone ever touches you inappropriately, absolutely do.” Roy frowned.

Edward brushed a light touch to Roy’s arm in reassurance before he needed to reach out and open the door to the next shop, making sure Roy got in first okay given how loaded down with bags he currently was, and then following in behind.

It was a warmly lit shop, and absolutely filled with suits and bolts of material and every accessory that could ever be wanted or needed. And it was quiet. Far quieter than any of the others, but in a way that felt more relaxing than suspicious.

From back in the bowels of the shop appeared an elderly man whose hair had long since gone completely white with age, but his eyes were sharp as they lit in recognition and a truly welcoming smile lit his face as he approached. “General Mustang! I hadn’t thought you were back. Good to see you again, sir.”

“Henry,” Roy greeted back cheerfully before correcting, “I’m only back for a few days. My husband needs a suit, and I’ve promised him that you’re the man for the job.”

Edward met the surprised look that was turned on him, and tried not to feel too relieved when that surprise melted away into an almost instant genuine delight. “Hi,” he spoke up with a smile that was still just a bit uncertain despite the positive reaction, “I’m Edward.”

If the tailor was shocked in any way by the announcement of Edward being the General’s husband, he didn’t let it show. He only continued to smile in welcome. “If you’ll come this way, sir,” he beckoned, half turning, “and I’ll begin by getting your measurements while we discuss what you’d prefer.”

Edward nodded, and trading a quick parting glance with Roy, he followed after the tailor promptly.

With Roy’s prior explanation about the process, Edward wasn’t startled at any point in it. If anything, it was a bit odd and a little fascinating to him. And Roy’s assurance that the tailor, Henry, was a professional and not about to grope him in an inappropriate manner, was proved correct. And soon enough all of Edward’s measurements had been scrawled onto a little notepad.

“Wait here for a little while, sir.” Henry bade him with a smile as he tucked his pen away but kept hold of the notebook, “I’m going to pull the items that will fit you with alterations I can do while you’re here today.”

Edward nodded and walked over to take a seat in one of the chairs in the small room he’d been taken to.

And true to Henry’s word, he was back in only a few minutes.

Edward’s eyes widened at the amount of suits draped over the elderly man’s arms, and he practically bolted from his chair in a desire to help.

“You’re very kind, but I’m truly fine.” Henry laughed and began to hook the suits onto a metal rod to begin displaying them. “All I want you to worry about, is choosing which one you’d like to try on first.”

Edward stepped back a bit to look at all of them as they were hung, waiting until Henry was done before he moved towards them in order to reach out and touch one in particular that his eyes had immediately gravitated to.

Like nearly all of the suits that had been brought for his appraisal, it was black. Yet this one had the extra detail of a silk lapel and cuffs - and, he imagined, lining as well. The rest of the fabric felt incredibly soft under his fingertips, and were he feeling the fabric blindly he’d have assumed it silk as well.

“Finest wool I’ve ever purchased,” Henry spoke up as his client continued to look solely at only that one suit. “Soft and extremely durable.”

“I used to have wool things, once,” Edward muttered, almost to himself. “They never felt like this.”

Henry didn’t comment on that, only smiled as he inquired, “would you like to try it on?”

Edward nodded and looked over at Henry in determination and with a burst of enthusiasm in his golden eyes. “Yeah, I think this might be it.”

He hadn’t even wanted to look twice at the other suits. There was just something about this one that drew him in. And so he undressed, carefully folding and setting his clothes aside before choosing a white button-up shirt for underneath and shrugging it on. After which he began to dress himself in a suit of a quality that before today, he’d have never even dreamed of being able to put on his body.

And throughout the entire process of dressing, Henry never once allowed him to look in the mirror.

It wasn’t until Edward had chosen a deep red tie and been patiently taught by Henry how to tie properly, and then been allowed to choose a pair of cufflinks that were smoothly affixed into place, that Henry gave a nod towards the nearest mirror with a pleased smile.

“I’ll need to take the jacket in at the waist a bit, if this is the one you choose.”

Edward had no idea where on his waist there was anything to take in, as he was fairly certain the jacket already fit him well enough, but regardless he turned to look at himself.

And stared.

Edward was aware that his mouth had dropped a bit, because he could damn well see it in his reflection, but he felt he couldn’t be blamed. He’d never once in his life thought that he would ever be the sort of man who could wear a suit and look good in it. Yes, he’d bought one for his wedding because he’d wanted to try and do part of all of it right… but he’d never once thought he looked good in that suit.

But looking at himself now?

“Holy shit,” Edward whispered as his heart pounded in his chest.

And slowly, he began to turn this way and that, checking himself out at every angle in stunned disbelief that the person looking back at him was him. Earlier today he’d come to realize that with clothing that wasn’t standard-issue Resembool utilitarian, he was actually attractive in clothes.

But in this suit? He could only stare in amazement. Because he’d never once considered himself sexy, ever… until now.

Henry watched with a knowing smile. He’d been doing this job long enough, going on almost sixty years now, that he knew the manner of someone who was in surprised awe of themselves. “Would you like to show your husband?”

Edward didn’t answer right away as he continued to look at himself in the mirror, and a somewhat shy but hopeful smile crossed his lips as he shook his head. “No… no, I think I’d rather surprise him later. Special occasion.”

He’d rather witness the way Roy would look at him, the way he hoped Roy would look at him when his husband saw him dressed like this, in private.

“Then I’ll do the alterations and box this up for you. The alterations shouldn’t take but a few minutes.” Henry assured as he got a needle and thread and stepped back over to his client to begin.

Edward had stripped out of the suit jacket first, passing it to Henry, and then stayed as he was to wait for the man to be done. Not that he noticed the passage of time very much, not when he was standing there gaping in amazement as the elderly tailor wielded a wickedly sharp needle with lightning efficiency through the fabric without so much as a single pause.

After Henry was done he helped Edward back into the suit jacket, letting his client fasten it up again before stepping back to nod in approval. “And it’s done.”

Edward had to admit that it fit him like a glove now, and had no complaints whatsoever as he finally stripped the suit off along with the shirt and tie for Henry to box up. Then he was redressing in his clothes and following Henry back out into the main part of the shop where Roy had been patiently waiting in a nearby chair.

At their appearance Roy stood immediately, “you found one you liked?”

Edward nodded happily as he walked over to his husband, “and if you so much as peek into the box I’m going to be annoyed with you. I want it to be a surprise.”

Roy grinned as a chuckle escaped him, and he found himself nodding obediently. “I’ll contain my curiosity, I promise.”

Edward smiled back at him and then together they stepped over to the counter to pay while Henry finished putting the suit box into a brown paper bag. He reached out to accept it with a quick “thank you” when the tailor passed it over to him.

Roy meanwhile pulled his wallet out. And while Edward went almost petrified in shock at the price that was told to them, Roy only smiled and pulled out several large bills to pass them over. “Thank you, Henry. As always.”

 Edward stumbled after his husband once Roy had collected his change and turned to leave, and he managed to wait until they were out of the shop before he nervously spoke up. “I really didn’t know it was that much money. I’m sorry.”

Roy immediately shook his head in refusal of the apology as he stopped right there in the middle of the sidewalk to turn and catch Edward’s guilty golden-eyed gaze. “That suit will last you a lifetime,” he argued, before amending with a thoughtful frown, “unless you have a late growth spurt now that I’m able to take care of you.”

“I’m plenty tall!” Edward spluttered.

“And,” Roy continued with a smile, “that was actually on the low end for him. I think he gave you a discount. Probably because he, like many older people, have little better to do than pester others about when they’re going to settle down and get married. I think most of them threw in the towel with me. But regardless, Edward, I don’t want you to worry about price. That being said, if it would make you feel better, after our honeymoon we can sit down and I’ll lay out all the finances for you so that you can see why and trust me when I say that money isn’t an issue for me.”

Edward worried his lower lip a moment before he nodded and tried for a smile. “Yeah… yeah that’d make me feel better. Thanks. I just… I just have never wanted to be a burden and regardless of the situation that drove me to get married, I guess I just don’t want you to think I’m a gold digger or something.”

“I know that you’d have married someone who’d have given you far less, and taken far more from you,” Roy replied softly and with a worried regret in his expression. “And had I not been there, chances are you would have still married him whenever he finally turned up.”

Edward didn’t argue it.

“I know that you were ready to pretend that scraps were a feast and make a show of being happy. And as much as it pains me, I know that you’d have accepted the same disrespect from me and more.” Roy paused a moment to take in a settling breath as a lopsided smile crossed his lips, “and I know that because of everything you’ve been through it’ll take time but… I hope that one day soon you’ll believe without doubt that I’d rather care for and respect you, and see you one day being genuinely happy. I don’t want to give you scraps, Edward, I want to give you the whole damn feast every moment of every day.”

Edward couldn’t seem to find his words, could only nod jerkily as he tried to blink back the sudden pressure behind his eyes. Yet he still felt as if even that didn’t suffice, and it certainly didn’t for him when he realized that all he really wanted to do was be close to Roy. And so despite the fact that both of Roy’s hands were loaded down with shopping bags, and he himself was carrying one, he stepped forward to wrap his free arm around his husband’s waist and rest his forehead against Roy’s chest to whisper a soft, “thank you.”

Roy wrapped his arms around Edward, shopping bags and all, to hold him close as he pressed his face down into blond hair and closed his eyes. “Besides,” he mumbled into his husband’s hair with a smile, “we’re alchemists. We can always transmute more gold.”

“That’s illegal,” Edward giggled into Roy’s chest, “and you’re a general.”

Roy smiled at the sound of Edward’s humor, warmth nestling in his chest at the sound of his husband relaxing and calming from his previous tense guilt and concern. “Then how about we put these bags in the car and go get some lunch instead? I’m getting hungry, and all I’ve been doing is sitting around admiring you.”

Edward smiled unseen, but his arm around Roy tightened just a fraction.

“I’m sure you’re even hungrier,” Roy continued. “And then, we can go buy our wedding rings.”

Edward nodded against Roy’s chest and reluctantly pulled away, but he was still smiling as he met Roy’s gaze with the faintest of happy flushes on his face. “Can we go somewhere for lunch where we can sit outside?”

Hardly opposed to being able to watch the sunlight gleaming in Edward’s hair while they ate, Roy nodded in instant agreement even as he turned to begin leading them back to the car. “One of these days I’ll take you on a picnic, would you like that?”

Falling into step with Roy, Edward smiled softly down at the sidewalk before looking over to gaze at his husband’s profile in contentment. “Only if it involves a wicker basket and a quilt that’s ridiculously large.”

Roy grinned as he couldn’t help but feel he’d just successfully asked his husband out on a date, “can the basket be ridiculously large too?”

“Well now it had better be,” Edward laughed.

And as they loaded up the trunk of their car with all of the shopping bags filled with Edward’s new clothes, Edward couldn’t help but keep stealing smiling looks over at Roy. Never before had he felt so much raw happiness in his life. He was still smiling as they got into the car and Roy began to drive them away, off to get some lunch.

But this time, every so often Roy would catch him stealing those smiling looks and they’d end up gazing at each other until the vehicle behind them would honk to inform Roy the light had long-since changed color.

Chapter Text

Chapter Five

Roy knew of quite a few places in East City that offered outdoor seating. He knew of even fewer that offered decent food along with that outdoor seating. But there was only one that he knew wouldn’t be too busy at this time of the day, and while Edward hadn’t come right out and said it, he had a suspicion that his husband needed some quiet time to decompress a little. Between all the activity of a bustling city, something that Edward had never experienced before, layered on top of all the shopping, and then culminating in the minor panic his husband had had about the price of his new suit, Roy felt that anyone would need a break.

So when he and Edward sat down in the mostly empty patio area of a quiet bistro and he saw Edward’s shoulders relax, relief of his own settled around Roy.

“While you of course may order anything you like,” Roy spoke up as they both took one of the little folded paper menus from the wire holder, “I recall the iced fruit teas being particularly good.”

Edward flipped the little menu over so he could scan over the beverage options, even as he knew he’d more than likely take Roy’s recommendation. And sure enough he did, only really taking a moment to choose what flavor fruit he wanted. Finding that Roy was also taking his own recommendation when a waiter briefly appeared to take their drink orders before disappearing again to give them time to decide on their food.

Not that Edward needed long at all to decide what he wanted to eat. Roy had been correct earlier, he was hungry. He set his menu back in the wire holder and patiently waited for his husband to do the same, taking the chance to just sit back and look around. Eventually finding that when he looked back, Roy’s eyes were on him.

His heart seemed to thump a bit harder as something electric and pleasant tightened around his chest, and Edward found himself unable and yet all the same unwilling to look away from the dark blue softness of his husband’s gaze. “So why were you in Resembool in the first place?” He found himself asking in sudden curiosity. Roy had already told him that he and Maes had ended up at the wedding because of the prospect of food, but he’d never actually inquired as to why they’d even been there. “I mean,” he added quite quickly as it occurred to him, “if it’s anything I’m even allowed to know about.”

“Collection of records that are too sensitive to send through the mail. Things like number of residents and their identifying information, tax records for the year, boring stuff. But important.” Roy answered without the slightest hesitation. “Normally someone quite a few ranks below my own is sent, but the last person to be sent to collect the information from the southern towns ran into some trouble with one of the mayors. The Fuhrer thought it best to send me instead to remind that mayor that scarier versions of the military do exist.”

Edward couldn’t exactly find fault with choosing Roy for that sort of demonstration. For all that his husband had been nothing but gentle and kind to him, he wasn’t suffering under any illusions that Roy was like this to everyone else - especially while on the job.

“For several reasons I didn’t mind being assigned the task,” Roy continued as he watched Edward thoughtfully, “at the time, mostly due to allowing me a good opportunity to investigate a few things related to my own personal goals regarding career advancement. A chance to get out from behind my desk a bit. And later, allowing me the opportunity to meet you.”

Edward smiled at the last, even as he focused more on another part of all that. “If there’s anything I can do to help support you, you only have to ask. I know that I’m not quite entirely myself again yet, after everything, but my alchemy…” he hesitated a moment, his fingers repeatedly curling and uncurling almost unconsciously before he met Roy’s gaze with complete seriousness, “I’m stronger than I seem.”

“You’ve never once appeared anything but in my eyes,” Roy responded honestly and with the slightest of frowns as he reached across the table to lay his hand gently over one of Edward’s. “And that isn’t me pandering, or being hyperbolic.”

Edward stayed silent even as he turned his hand over to grasp Roy’s.

“Not only would I never disrespect you like that, but it’s impossible to see you as weak when you’ve done the things you’ve done even after being through pain you’ve only hinted at to me.” Roy lightly squeezed Edward’s hand in his before saying softly, “and when the time comes that you feel safe enough with me to hand me the alchemy battle ass-kicking I wager is in my future — ”

Edward couldn’t help but smirk a bit.

“ — I’ll be singing your praises then, too. If you want to support me,” Roy threaded their fingers together, “stay by my side just being yourself. I have no doubts and utter faith in you that you’ll know how to support me when I’m not even realizing I need it.”

Edward remained silent a moment longer, a smile slowly curving his lips, before he rubbed his thumb a bit against Roy’s. “The ass-kicking will be worse if you don’t give it your full effort.”

“Yes, dear.” Roy chuckled a bit, enjoying the slight flush his words brought to his husband’s face.

Luckily for Edward’s complexion, their drinks arrived and the waiter took their meal orders before vanishing again. And by that time he’d wrestled the heat in his face under control again, even if his insides still felt warm from the simple endearment… because it hardly felt simple, when he couldn’t deny that what he’d realized at their reception was still true: he was attracted to Roy and did feel desire for him… but he still wasn’t ready to fully explore these feelings.

It was just too much too soon on top of everything else he still hadn’t processed.

But he was still holding onto Roy’s hand.

“Do you know how to swim?” Roy asked as he picked his drink up with his free hand, taking a long sip.

Edward had just set his own drink back down, and while he blinked a bit at the question, he didn’t hesitate to answer. “Yes, of course. Back before,” his expression twisted a bit and he found himself holding onto Roy’s hand just a bit tighter, “before things changed, my dad did teach my brother and I.”

Roy nodded, “and do you like to swim?”

Finding himself laughing a bit, Edward nodded. “I didn’t do it much, but yeah. We really only had the local pond though, and it wasn’t too deep. But it was a lot of fun, except when a fish would brush against you.”

Roy chuckled and couldn’t help but silently agree that he wouldn’t enjoy that either. “I ask because the place I want to take you for our honeymoon does have a very nice pool, among other things. You can buy something to wear in the pool when we get there, if you decide it’s something you want to do.”

With a curious tilt of his head, Edward asked, “where are you taking me?”

“A resort in the mountains about a half-day drive from here. Very secluded, and at this time of year it will be fairly quiet as well - between busy seasons. All sorts of activities if you’re inclined, or you can just relax.”

Edward gave a slow, thoughtful nod. “For how long?”

“Four days, three nights, if we leave sometime tomorrow. And then I’m afraid that I absolutely must report in at the office.” Roy’s expression twisted a bit guiltily. “I wish I could give you more, but being I didn’t officially ask for this extension, even for something like this, I can only push it so far before I’d earn myself a few days in lockup as punishment. And while I’d happily suffer through the boredom of lockup for spending time with you,” he grinned a bit as Edward looked instantly horrified, “I know that wouldn’t make you happy.”

Edward shook his head quickly in vehement agreement to that, “please don’t get into trouble because of me. You’re already — it’s already enough, Roy. I want you home every night that you can be; and if you can’t be, I don’t want it to have been because of me.”

Roy rubbed his thumb lightly against Edward’s hand as he nodded, “if that ever has to happen, where I can’t make it home to you one night, I’ll call and explain so that you don’t worry. Or send someone from my team to tell you.”

Edward hadn’t even realized he’d wanted to have that security from being worried about his husband until he was being given it, and internally he felt some sort of weight leave him. Fuck, he hadn’t even known Roy for more than a matter of a few days. And already he was finding that he cared more about Roy, than an entire lifetime with his first choice of husband would have created.

For some reason, it felt humbling to him.

And hopeful.

Far more hope than he’d felt in a very, very long time.

Their food arrived soon after, and further conversation slowed as they ate — Edward having realized that he was hungrier than he’d initially thought as he fought not to eat too quickly and make himself sick.

His appetite really was beginning to return.

Eventually though dessert needed to be waited on, and their words flowed more freely.

“At some point when we get to Central I want to go get a library card. I’m sure once we’re there you’ll be really busy with work, especially considering you spontaneously took time off because of me, so could you just point me in the right direction?” Edward broached hopefully.

“First,” Roy corrected in a gentle tone, “I didn’t take time off because of you. I took time off for us.”

Edward found himself shifting in his seat a bit, not because he was feeling chastised, but happy at the correction.

“And second, I’d be happy to. Anything you want or need, just let me know and I’ll either point you to where it is, or we can take care of it together.” Roy assured him before questioning, “what sort of books are you after?”

Which was all it took for Edward’s expression to light up as he began talking about books and reading and growing more and more animated as Roy only fed his enthusiasm with questions and sometimes brief discussions about certain titles or subjects.

By the time dessert arrived, Edward was so deep into the discussion of books that he carried on talking about them even as he shoveled ice cream-covered brownie into his mouth — Roy taking far more delicate bites.

It wasn’t until dessert had been finished, the meal paid for, and they were both back in the car that Roy noticed Edward had fallen silent again.

Edward was sitting there with his hands clasped in his lap, an intense look of concentration on his face as he stared out the windshield.

Roy turned the car on, but didn’t make any move to begin driving again as he asked, “what is it? All out of books to recommend to me?”

A quick smile and a brief laugh and Edward took a deep breath before looking over at Roy, “it’s just… before I didn’t care about my wedding ring. I just wanted the security that it would give me. Give my brother.”

Roy nodded wordlessly.

Edward paused a moment to just gaze at the man sitting next to him, to feel that warmth well up in his chest and quicken his heart, and his expression went as soft as his voice as he admitted, “but I care now. Not so much about what it might look like, you could put a plastic ring on my finger and I’d be happy. I’d be happy because it’s you, and you want to be married to me.”

Roy found himself rendered speechless for several long moments, moments he filled by reaching out to caress lightly against one of his husband’s flushed, but smiling cheeks. “Yes,” he agreed once he’d finally found his voice, “yes, I do.”

Edward found himself leaning in just a bit, into Roy’s touch as he confessed softly, “and I want to be married to you, too. Genuinely, I do.”

And Edward didn’t resist, didn’t do anything but lean in to meet Roy’s kiss. And while the kiss was unhurried and almost tender, it somehow affected Edward far more deeply than any of the more passionate kisses they’d shared. When their lips parted a shaky breath escaped him as their gazes locked and Roy’s thumb caressed against his flushed cheek.

“I think we’re overdue for a ring exchange,” Roy observed a touch breathlessly.

“You should start driving,” Edward agreed with a soft laugh as his eyes shone brightly in his happiness.

Hardly adverse to following good advice, especially from his husband, Roy immediately withdrew in order to do as suggested.

This time they drove to a part of the city where all sorts of shops were crammed in beside one another, anything from bakeries to pharmacies. The car wasn’t pulled over and parked, however, until it had pulled in front of a shop with jewelry displayed in its windows. It was there that they got out again, and Edward walked around to meet Roy at the sidewalk in front of the jewelry shop, his hand slipping into Roy’s almost without thought.

Standing there on the sidewalk, Edward stared ahead at the jewelry shop and took a deep breath to settle his nerves in the moment before Roy led him forward. For all that Roy had told him at one point that the wedding ring he chose for himself should be one he was genuinely happy with, that had only added pressure despite his earlier claim about being happy with just a plastic ring, because he sincerely doubted a place like this sold something like that. And ultimately, it also would have been simple to choose a wedding ring for a husband he felt nothing for.

But Roy?

He felt things for Roy he’d never felt before in his life. Wonderful, exciting things that caused his heart to race and his breath to catch and his skin to sing whenever Roy touched him. To say nothing of the sensations that had coursed through him when they’d been lost in each other, kissing, on the sofa earlier. Or of the way his knees had gone weak under the heat of Roy’s gaze whenever they’d managed to pull apart for more than a breath, leaving him grateful he was already safely straddling his husband’s legs.

But it wasn’t even just that, as wonderful as it all was.

Because he felt safe with Roy. When from the moment he’d first been called into his father’s study and that horrible door had been locked behind him, he hadn’t believed he could ever feel truly safe ever again.

And then he’d married Roy.

How could finding a wedding ring be simple, when what he felt for Roy was anything but?

Edward took another deep breath as he followed Roy into the jewelry shop. He’d try. He’d not settle, like Roy had been worried about and probably was still a little worried about. He couldn’t disrespect Roy like that, he wouldn’t. He’d do his best to find one he liked, one that was worth what he felt for the man who stood beside him.

Instantly upon entering the jewelry shop they were greeted cheerfully by a man stood behind one of the counters - in fact he was the only other person in the shop.

Roy instantly steered them over. “Yes, afternoon,” he greeted back, “we’re here to pick out wedding rings.” And while he knew that this had the high potential of distressing Edward, added, “there is no budget.”

Edward swallowed a bit hard, but even thoughts of money weren’t enough to overcome his concern that he’d not find a wedding ring.

The jeweler nodded and motioned off towards another counter on the left, “over here you’ll find all of the mens wedding rings I have. If there are any that you want to look at closer, or try on, I’ll pull it out for you.”

Roy nodded, and together he and Edward walked over to a decently large semi-circular display counter with multiple levels of shelves beneath the security glass, and on each shelf there were dozens upon dozens of velvet lined ring displays in which a multitude of gleaming wedding rings were set.

Far more than Edward had actually anticipated. He would have thought that the mens selection would have been rather small compared to the womens, but he certainly wasn’t complaining that there were now more options than he’d expected. It did take a small sliver of pressure off of him that he would find a wedding ring that he would be happy with.

“Take a look around,” Roy told Edward with a gentle squeeze to the hand he’d still held before he now forced himself to give it up. “I’ll do the same.”

Edward nodded a bit distractedly as he continued to look.

There were plenty of simple and plain wedding rings, from the golden kind that Edward could recall his mother had worn, to ones that appeared like they were actually carved from… wood? But he passed those by quickly enough.

There was nothing simple in what he felt for Roy.

And… he didn’t feel too good about wearing the same kind of ring that his mother had. Not when it would only remind him of his father by association.

So Edward continued to look, gradually making his way along the rows upon rows of rings.

Roy had stayed a little off to one side, enough to arguably be looking at rings himself. But truthfully, the only thing he was looking at was Edward. He’d already decided on what wedding ring he wanted, before he’d even laid eyes on any of them. Whichever ring Edward chose, he knew that he would want the same for himself. Simple or extravagant, he didn’t care. He just knew that it would feel right to him to have matching rings.

But he wasn’t about to add that pressure to his husband.

He’d have to admit to it later, but he wouldn’t just yet.

Edward was doing his best to keep his mind clear and calm as he browsed the wedding rings, trying to trust that if he did that, that he’d know his ring when he saw it.

And almost ten minutes and six different jewelry cases later, he did.

“Can — I want to look at that one,” Edward looked up towards the jeweler and pointed a bit nervously down into the case. “Second shelf down, two from the left.”

Roy found himself immediately intensely curious, but he fought back the urge to rush to Edward’s side. He wanted Edward to feel supported by his being nearby, but not pressured by him suddenly being right there. So he contented himself with eyeing his husband from the corner of his eye and at a slight distance.

“If it’s not already your size, it can be resized in a matter of moments.” The jeweler assured as he set a display case containing six different rings on the glass counter between them.

Edward nodded distractedly as he reached out to one particular ring, picking it up.

The gold band was encircled with an inlay of diamonds down the middle, and an inner lining of crushed sapphires.

On the surface it would appear fairly ordinary as wedding rings went, but beneath it all and hidden against his skin would be the same dark blue color as the military uniform that Roy had worn to their wedding.

Edward touched that sapphire surface lightly, distantly hearing the jeweler saying something  about it, but he wasn’t listening. His only focus was in trying to stop his hands from trembling. This was it. He knew this had to be it.

It took Roy only a half-second of covert observation to notice it, but once he had he was immediately turning to go to Edward’s side and take his husband’s hands in his for a moment to steady them before looking up into the golden eyes that were now fixed on him. “This one?”

It was phrased as a question, but it really wasn’t one.

Edward let his husband help steady the shaking of his hands that he didn’t quite understand, and he looked down at the ring he held between his fingers to nod. “This one,” he confirmed as he tilted it enough that the light caught along the diamonds in a brilliant gleam.

Roy didn’t take his eyes from Edward, but his words were for the jeweler. “Measure my husband’s ring size, he’ll take this one.”

“Right away, sir.”

Edward managed to keep his hands steady as he passed the wedding ring back over to the jeweler, before holding his hand out as requested so that his ring finger could be measured. The entire time feeling relief coursing through him, and happiness that it all hadn’t been for naught. That he’d found a ring that reminded him of the man who stood beside him, the man who’d asked to marry him in front of an entire fucking town to offer him everything while asking for nothing in return but his happiness.

He swallowed hard as he found himself suddenly hurriedly blinking back the hint of tears.

Roy waited until the jeweler had finished with measuring Edward’s finger and had gotten halfway to the back work area to resize the ring, and then he made his move. “If you could size me while you’re at it, actually,” he insisted in a low voice. “And I’ll take the match to what he chose.”

The jeweler nodded in instant agreement, already reaching into his pocket to extract the measuring tool. “Which color would you prefer for the lining? Same? I can also put it in opal, jade — ”

Roy glanced back only briefly to see Edward watching him curiously, but waiting patiently as if sensing that maybe this part was meant to be a surprise. Watching him, and wearing that dark red sweater that had made a simpleton out of him the first time he saw his husband in it, “do you have it in ruby?”

The jeweler glanced once toward Edward, then back to Roy as he smiled in complete understanding. “I’ll set the arrays, sir.” And then he hustled off to the back to get to work.

Roy nodded and turned to make his way back to Edward’s side, smiling as his husband reached out for him and instantly taking Edward’s hand. “Should only be a few minutes.”

“Have you found one you liked as well? Or did you ask for something custom.” Edward could easily see someone like Roy, with apparently as much money as Roy had, doing the latter. A prospect that hadn’t honestly crossed his mind until now, but all the same, one that didn’t interest him at all. Not when already he wanted that ring, his ring, back. It was already perfect.

“A bit of both, really.” Roy smiled easily and squeezed Edward’s hand, “you’ll see.”

Fairly accurate to Roy’s prediction, the jeweler reemerged about five minutes later with two ring boxes. One, he immediately passed into Edward’s hands, the other to Roy. “If you’ll just check them over, and then I’ll take payment over at the other counter.”

Roy only opened the box long enough to verify that his ring was as he’d specified, before immediately pocketing the box with a satisfied smile and following the jeweler over so that he could pay.

Edward was still gazing at his own ring, nestled in its little box, and he smiled. As much as he wanted to slip it onto his finger… he looked after Roy, as his husband stopped at the other counter while pulling out his wallet. Roy hadn’t put his on yet either. And while Edward wasn’t sure if it was wholly for some sort of surprise to reveal what he’d chosen… a part of him, a large part of him, hoped it was because Roy wanted to do this the way they hadn’t been able to at their wedding.

He snapped his own ring box closed and tucked it carefully into his pocket before making his way to Roy’s side.

The purchase was finalized only a few seconds later, and once Roy had tucked the receipt he carefully kept from Edward’s view into his wallet, they left the jewelry store.

But it wasn’t until they were sitting in the car again, that Roy turned to Edward.

“I know that we both want nothing more than to get these rings on our fingers — or, at least I feel that way.”

Edward couldn’t help but laugh, flushing a bit as he rolled his eyes.

“But,” Roy paused with a smile as he took a moment just to soak Edward in, “if you’ll give me until tonight, I’d like to make it special for you. More special than in a jewelry store, or in the car. It’s just… our wedding started out with you being disrespected publicly by nearly the whole damn town. This is the only part of our wedding we weren’t able to do, and I just feel you deserve it to be private and special. Just us.”

Edward gazed at Roy a long moment, warmth nestled deep in his chest and tight around his heart, and he slipped his hand into his pocket to retrieve his ring box. He didn’t even glance down at it, just offered it across the car to his husband. “I won’t look at what you chose. Not until it’s time.”

“I chose you,” Roy answered softly as he watched those entrancing golden eyes shine somehow brighter at his words; and knew that while it would take until tonight for Edward to fully understand his meaning, it would be worth the wait.