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It was after dinner, and Alphonse was busying himself with cleaning the dishes in his older brother's small apartment while Ed stretched out on the couch that sat not far from the kitchen. Al was happy to finally get the chance to visit his brother, even though he would have to go back to Xing in a week's time.
A comfortable silence stretched between them, and the slight clinking of plates in a tub filled with soapy water was the only sound in the apartment.
“Hey, Al?”
“Hmm?” Al responded, keeping his back to Ed as he finished the last of the dishes.
“Have you ever been in love?” Ed asked idly. He continued on without giving Al a chance to respond. “I don't mean like when you fall in love with a research book that has everything you have been looking for, or a meal that hits every taste bud and, just for a second, you start believing that those religious crackpots might have been on to something—no, I mean being in love with a person. They're all you think about, your hands itch to touch them every chance you get, and you worry about them even though you know they can easily take care of themselves.”
Al chuckled to himself, drying his hands with a towel as he walked over to Ed and stood beside him. “No, I haven't. But it seems that you have.”
Ed didn't respond, but Al didn't miss the smile that shone on his brother's face.
It was such a nice change of pace to see his brother so happy. Ed hadn't yet come out to say he was dating someone, but it didn't take a genius to figure it out, even before tonight's impromptu question. It was rather difficult to send and receive letters to and from Xing in a timely fashion, so Al wasn't surprised that he had been left out of the loop with more than one event going on in Ed’s life. Even though Ed's patience level wasn’t legendary, he still tried to keep Al updated to the best of his abilities, but there was no surprise that some things had slipped through the cracks. Even with the few correspondences that Al received, it was always evident how happy Ed was. Al suspected that it was because Ed had finally found someone special. Ed’s questions proved his theory.
Al strongly believed that Ed deserved to have something to himself for once. Ed was the most selfless person he had ever met, and everyone deserved to be a little selfish every once in a while. But that didn't mean there wasn't a part of him that wanted to know who this mysterious person was who had his brother staring at the ceiling with such a dopey look on his face. Ed was the one who brought it up. Maybe now would be the best time to ask.
“Say, Ed?”
“Hmm?”
“I don't mean to invade your privacy, but would it be ok if I met them? I would love to meet the person who's made you so happy—ooo!” Al exclaimed excitedly. “We could all go out to dinner! Wait, that might be a bit too intimidating…” He brought a hand to his chin in thought for a second. “I got it! How about lunch? That should be casual enough, right?” Al smiled down at his brother.
Ed blinked up at him. “That's actually not a bad idea. I'm sure he’d appreciate a break from his job.”
‘He?’ Al thought.
“I'll give him a call tomorrow and see if he's free before you leave.”
“I can't wait,” Al said, giving him a warm smile. Ed’s smile back was just as warm.
Al clapped his hands together excitedly and exclaimed, “Now that that's settled, and the dishes are done, how about some dessert? Gracia gave me one of her pies when I went to visit this morning.”
Ed shot up and practically ran to the kitchen. “The hell are we doing sitting in here when there's pie?!”
Al didn't respond to the obvious rhetorical question, only followed along with a chuckle and a smile at his brother's antics.
~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~
Central was always so beautiful in the spring. The sun was warm and the air was cool, a stark contrast from the year-round boiling days and freezing nights of Xing. No protective gear was needed to prevent sunburns here. Al was perfectly comfortable in his khaki slacks and pale blue button-down. Ed laughed at his choice of outfit when they left the apartment, but Al brushed him off. This lunch date was important, and he wanted to make a good first impression. His brother, on the other hand, was another story.
Al would never understand his brother's fascination with pants so tight they left nothing to the imagination. There was no way those could be comfortable. Luckily, the deep red T-shirt he wore was a modest fit and not a second skin. Ed had long since retired his trademark braid for a ponytail. Al often told him that the ponytail suited him far better, and he would receive a bright grin in response.
The brothers walked down the street in comfortable silence on their way to the cafe. Not many words were needed; they were content just being in each other's presence. Al took a sideways glance and noticed the confident bounce in Ed’s step. Seeing a small smile on his lips, Al could only imagine the man who had managed to make his brother so happy.
Al had gotten so lost in thought as he busied himself with what this person could possibly look like that he almost missed his brother's call that the cafe was just up ahead. The cafe didn’t look like anything Ed would choose himself. Judging from the outside, it looked far too quaint for Ed’s more… acquired tastes. It was also surprisingly close to HQ. Al made a mental note to check in with the gang before he left.
“I know it doesn’t look like much,” Ed said while grabbing hold of the handle of the glass front door and pulling it open. “But this is where we had our first date, and they have some amazing sandwiches.”
Al hummed in acknowledgment and walked into the small cafe. Once inside, he immediately went to work on scanning the afternoon crowd. Given the time of day, there weren’t that many people. The place was filled with both circular tables for smaller groups and slightly larger, rectangular ones for groups with more than two people. It had a rather cozy atmosphere. The walls were covered in white wallpaper with intricate lavender-colored patterns.
There were a few people sitting alone, but one caught his eye—a man wearing a familiar shade of blue, accompanied by a mop of black hair, who looked idly out the window he sat next to.
‘Huh. The General is here, too,’ Al thought to himself. It had been some time since he had seen the General, and seeing him in uniform brought him back to his childhood. A joyous shout, ignorant of those around them, from right beside him quickly brought Al back to reality.
“Roy!!”
‘Roy?’ Al looked to his brother with his brows furrowed in confusion. He then followed his brother’s line of sight and took notice of the General’s head snapping in their direction. A blank face turned to hooded eyes and a warm smile. It all seemed to click. ‘Ooooooooh!’
Ed practically bounced up to him. The General stood to greet them as they made their way over to the table he had reserved for them. Ed and Roy gave each other a look that Al couldn’t interpret before Roy extended a hand to greet Al. Even though it had been years since he had been returned to his flesh and bone body, touch was something he wasn’t sure he would ever fully get used to. He couldn’t control the shiver that ran up his arm and down his back from the firm handshake.
“It’s good to see you again, Alphonse. I hope that Xing is treating you well.”
“It is, thank you, and Al is just fine,”
“Only if you will call me Roy.” Roy directed a different kind of smile his way. It was still warm, but a different warmth entirely from the kind he directed at Ed.
“Deal.” Al smiled back.
Roy let go of his hand and turned his attention to Ed. He gave Al a furtive look as he rubbed a bare hand up and down the arm Ed clung to. Al barely heard the “Hello, gorgeous” from Roy outside of the din of the cafe. It was endearing that Roy seemed hesitant to show affection to Ed while his baby brother was present.
Al took one of the outer seats, feeling he was interrupting a private moment (in a public place, mind you). He had only looked away for a second, but when he looked back up at the couple, he caught Ed grabbing Roy by the lapels of his uniform jacket and crushing their lips together. Roy wasted no time wrapping his arms around Ed's waist and pulling him close. It was like watching the most beautiful trainwreck, and Al didn’t bother to hold back his smile.
Oh.
Oh.
Yep. Yep, that was definitely a moan.
Well. No matter how beautiful the trainwreck, rubbernecking does get dangerous after a while. Al averted his gaze to the table, or just anywhere that wasn't his brother and his brother’s boyfriend tongue-fighting in the middle of a public cafe.
A waitress with a small notebook in hand began to approach their table from behind Roy, eyes locked with Al’s. Al quickly put his hands in a praying gesture in the hopes that the waitress would get the message to give them a bit more time. She looked confused for a moment, then her eyes made contact with the spectacle in front of her. She turned a bright red, gave Al a sharp nod, and twirled around and went back towards the kitchen.
Al sighed. The noise in the cafe began to soften as more and more patrons stared at the spectacle. He couldn’t see them staring, but he could definitely feel it. Al didn’t want to break up such a happy reunion. He was over the moon at how happy his brother seemed the moment his eyes locked onto Roy; to hell with what other people thought about his brother’s happiness. But Ed was always too much and never fully grasped the concept of the right time and place. He had hoped that Roy would help to curb that, but seeing as he was as lost in the kiss as Ed was (the last time Al dared to look at them), it seemed that that wasn’t going to be the case.
Al gave them another minute (more than he should have if he were being honest). He thoroughly inspected each of his nails in excruciating detail. They were starting to grow a bit long for his liking. He would have to take care of that as soon as he returned to Xing. Zhu Li was the only one he trusted with his nail care, and he would be sure that she was his first stop when he returned.
Al finally chanced a look back up at the couple and internally sighed in relief; they had finally stopped kissing. The new sight before him made his heart skip a beat, and he had to force himself not to cry. Seeing two people hug should not have caused him to feel the way that he did, but there was something so soft and loving that there was no other way to react. Roy held Ed tight with his cheek on top of Ed’s head. Wait a minute—Ed had grown quite a bit since the Promised Day. Al was still taller, but Ed wasn’t too far behind. Going off the brief moment the couple stood before each other, Al theorized that Ed wasn’t much shorter than his boyfriend. So why was Ed purposely making himself smaller just to fit under Roy’s chin? Oh… Ed had it bad. With the make-out session finally over, the other patrons went back to their meals, and the earlier noise of the cafe resumed. Al had just barely heard his brother speak, Roy rubbing a hand soothingly up and down Ed’s back. “You ok?”
“Yeah, I’m ok. You?”
“Yeah.”
They stayed wrapped around one another for a long minute before Roy leaned back slightly and tightened his arms around Ed’s waist, squeezing him more and lifting Ed slightly off the ground. Ed’s face brightened as a laugh was pulled out of him. Now seemed like a good time to finally get back on track. After all, they were here for Al to get to know Ed’s boyfriend, not to get an eyeful of the two making out.
Al cleared his throat delicately and stifled a laugh at the startled looks he got from the couple, as if they had forgotten he was even there, let alone the rest of the world. Al tapped on one of the abandoned menus. “I’m truly happy for both of you, but we did come here to have lunch as well, no?”
“Of course,” Roy said at the same time Ed pulled away from him. Roy reached down and held onto Ed’s hand, guiding his brother to the window seat and seating himself across from Al.
Al guessed that Ed’s previous statement about not being able to keep their hands off each other was more than mutual, because not long after they took their seats, Al could clearly see Roy place a hand between Ed and the chair, resting it on Ed’s lower back.
Their waitress braved her way back to their table and took their orders. Ed did mention that they had amazing sandwiches, so Al decided to test that theory. He settled back into his seat once his order was taken and caught a glimpse of the couple staring into each other’s eyes again.
“I’m curious. How long has it been since you two last saw each other? You act as if it’s been months.” Al smiled.
Roy turned his smile to Al. "Actually, it's only been about two weeks. I'm sure Ed has told you that we started working together again. We typically see each other every day, but with your arrival and me being thrown into countless meetings with other generals, we haven’t been able to see each other.” Roy smiled softly at Ed and tucked a strand of hair back behind Ed's ear. "I've become so spoiled by being allowed to see him so often. He's become the highlight of my day, the thing I most look forward to upon waking. These last two weeks have been dreadful without him."
Al had seen Ed blush before for a variety of reasons, typically because he was embarrassed, but he wasn't embarrassed this time. No, he looked at Roy head-on, his smile a permanent fixture on his face. Ed truly was in love with Roy, and he clearly wasn't ashamed to show it.
“Oh,” Roy said, turning back to Al. “It seems I've been rambling. I'm sure you have a lot of questions. Please feel free to ask whatever you want; we have nothing to hide.”
“That's quite alright. You guys don't need me poking around in your relationship.”
“Pfft!” Ed scoffed. “Come off the high and mighty act, Al. We both know how nosy you can be.”
"I am not! I thought I was being rather respectful, even though you refused to tell me you were dating someone."
Oops. He said the inside thought out loud.
"Believe us when I tell you it wasn't our intention to keep this from you. We didn't purposely keep it from anyone. We've just been enjoying ourselves—enjoying this.” Roy gestured between them. “So much so that telling our loved ones didn't cross our minds. It sort of became the elephant in the room, unfortunately. Well… that is what my team has told me."
"Yeah, what he said. Now, just ask your question, already." Ed smirked.
“Alright, fine! Who said ‘I love you’ first?”
Ed burst out laughing, but Roy didn't miss a beat. They responded at the same time.
“That's what you want to know?”
“Your brother did.”
“Really?” If he were being honest, Al would have put money on Roy confessing first. Ed wasn't the type to outwardly show his emotions. Then again, this entire afternoon had been an upset to how he viewed his brother’s emotional intelligence.
“Yes,” Roy replied. “On our first date, as a matter of fact.”
“Oh,” was all Al could say for a moment. “Um… how did that go?”
Ed finally seemed to get his giggles under control. "Sorry to break it to you, but there isn't much to tell. He walked me home after the first date ‘cause he's a sap, and I told him.” Ed shrugged. “We’ve already wasted so much time, and I didn't feel like doing that anymore." Ed looked back at Roy, then reached out to play with the hairs at the base of Roy's neck. Roy leaned into the touch.
It really was a cute sight, even if Al was starting to get a toothache from the overexposure.
"And then he said he loved my socks."
Roy grimaced. And was that a blush? "In my defense, I thought I was saying the right thing. You didn't need to laugh in my face after I just confessed to you."
Ed laughed again. "Sorry, babe. You were so confident and so wrong at the same time that I couldn't help it. He turned his attention back to Al. “He tried to say ‘I love you’ in Cretan—I’ve been teaching him—and ended up mixing sock with love.”
Al nodded in acknowledgement.
“In my defense, the words are rather similar.” Roy looked as if he was trying to will away the blush that was slowly getting brighter on his pale cheeks.
“Sure they are, babe.” Roy only huffed, signaling the end of that conversation. “Got anything else?”
It took a second for Al to catch on that Ed was talking to him. “Huh? Oh! Um, are you planning on moving in together?”
“Nah.” Ed shrugged again, placing his elbows on the table. Al would excuse his brother's terrible etiquette, just this once. “I like my space.”
“Even though you're rarely there?” Roy countered with a smirk.
“Can you blame me? You’ve got a good book selection.”
“Ah, yes, that's the only reason you come over so often.” The grin on Roy's face turned from something playful to almost dangerous.
Al opened his mouth in hopes of digging for more information—he wasn't nosy, damn it!—but was interrupted by the waitress placing their orders in front of them. It was fine. He wasn’t nosy like Ed insisted he was. He could wait for another time to ask them.
The conversation flowed easily between them as they ate. Al was formally caught up on all the little things that had happened in Central since his last visit and what Ed hadn’t added in his letters. He found out that First Lieutenant Havoc had finally gotten a steady girlfriend and was understandably quite happy about it; Ed’s work in Central helping with the translation efforts had been going exceedingly well; things had been going as well as they could be with the Ishval restorations; Ed and Roy had only been dating for six months, and even Rose had found love after the death of her boyfriend so many years ago, with Major Armstrong of all people.
During the entire conversation, Al noticed the subtle arm movements and not-so-subtle glances that the couple gave each other. Al didn't bring attention to it, though he felt his smile grow each time it happened. Ed laughed more, too, as did Roy, which was odd to see. Al could hardly believe it. After everything that happened, Ed was finally at ease and happy, as were all their friends. It did hurt a little that Al was missing all this, but he was also content with his life in Xing and wouldn't change it for the world.
After some time had passed and their meals were finished, Roy checked his pocketwatch and frowned. “Looks like I need to get going,” Roy announced as he pocketed his watch. “If I’m any later, the Captain will have my head.”
“We can go with you.” Ed started to stand, but Roy gently placed a hand on his shoulder, putting Ed back in his seat.
“It’s not often that Al gets to visit. Spend as much time with him as you can. I’ll still be here, love.”
No matter how much his brother would deny it later, he was definitely pouting right now. Cute.
The only acknowledgement Roy gave Ed’s pout was a fond, small smile, and he raised a hand to cup Ed’s left cheek. “I promise that we will see each other again soon, ok? I love you.”
It was clear to Al that Ed was fighting to keep his earlier frown in place and losing. “Love you, too.”
As Roy leaned in for a kiss, a small pang of panic rushed through Al. ‘Not again!’
Luckily for him, the kiss was merely a chaste one and not a full-blown makeout like last time. ‘Looks like they do have some self-control, after all.’ Good. Al didn’t think he could handle seeing his brother’s tongue down someone else's throat again.
When they were finished, Roy rubbed a thumb along Ed’s cheek, and the look the pair gave each other pulled at Al’s heart. Roy turned and offered Al pleasantries, shook his hand, and wished him well on the rest of his trip in Amestris and also in Xing.
Ed kept his eyes on Roy until the other man was out the door. He looked down and fiddled with the crumbs on his plate idly.
He was pouting again. Cute.
Something caught both their eyes, and they simultaneously looked out the bay window and saw Roy standing on the sidewalk, hands in his pockets and staring at Ed, with what looked like a fond expression. Ed returned it.
Al watched as the two seemed to, again, forget the existence of the rest of the world. It was definitely more than the tea he ordered that had Al feeling warm all over.
Roy pulled a hand from his pocket and blew Ed a kiss. Al didn't miss the bright shade of red his brother turned. Roy didn't leave even though he was well past his lunch break. It was as if he were waiting for something. The fond smile turned into an overly dramatic pout. Ed shook his head viciously and mouthed ‘No!’
Al looked at his brother, then back at Roy. He narrowed his eyes in disbelief when he saw the most pathetic puppy-dog eyes he had ever seen. This was the most expressive he had ever seen the General, and it was a bit unnerving, if he was being honest.
Al looked back at Ed. His brother stood firm for a moment before sighing and bowing his head in defeat. He gave a quick scan of the cafe to make sure no one was watching, but the other patrons were too focused on their own surroundings. Ed looked nervous, and his cheeks were redder than they were before. Quickly, he brought a hand to his lips and blew a kiss right back to Roy.
Not a second later, Roy shoved his hands into his pockets, threw his head back with a hearty laugh that Al could faintly hear from inside the cafe, and sauntered back towards Command.
Just as Roy walked away, Ed pushed himself to his feet, hands slamming on the table, dishes clattering, and shrieked “ASSHOLE!!” to his boyfriend.
Everyone was already staring at them, so Al did his best to stifle his laughter. He was honestly surprised that Ed had done such a sappy gesture, and without much fuss. Who would have thought that Roy Mustang would be the person to get Ed to open up so much? Definitely not Al.
Ed gave another exasperated sigh and fell back into his seat, mumbling something about bastardly generals.
“So… Roy?” Al asked with a smile before taking a sip of his drink.
Ed rested his chin in the palm of his hand and gave his brother a warm smile. “Roy.”
“You seem really happy, brother. I'm happy that he makes you so happy.”
“That’s a lot of ‘happy’s.” Ed chuckled.
“'Cause it’s true.”
Ed laughed again. “So am I.”
“Oh, I didn't get the chance to ask while he was here, but how did you two get together?”
“I'm pretty sure I told you about the city wanting to be more welcoming to the surrounding nations. The remaining higher-ups from Bradley’s regime weren't too keen on that, but Roy was able to meet them in the middle by having more than just Amestrian on everything—signs, packaging, announcements at the train station, shit like that.” Ed counted each example with his free hand.
Now that Al thought about it, it was interesting to hear the train announcements in Xingese and Cretan when he had arrived a few days ago.
“The problem at the time was that they didn't have anyone to head the new department who was also willing to work with the military. Not a single soldier was fluent in anything other than Amestrian. Can you believe that? These old bastards have done tours in other countries but never once decided to pick up the language!”
Al smirked. “I take it Roy is a part of that?”
“Of course, he is!” Ed sat up, letting his arm flop on the table. “The difference is he wants to learn a new language, but since his promotion, he hasn't had the time.”
“Is that where you come in?”
“Sure is! When I left Xing, I came straight here to visit everyone, and that's when I learned about Roy's plan. I told him I was fluent in Xingese and Cretan, and he practically begged me to help him. That's how I ended up heading the Linguistics Department. That micromanaging bastard wanted to be a part of the entire process, so I gave him lessons a few times a week, and we would hang out afterwards. He still isn't fluent, but he definitely knows more than he did before; that should help him a lot with his goals.” Ed sat back in his chair in silence for a moment.
“I liked him long before this whole translation thing happened, but it wasn't like I had time to act on it, let alone think about it. I had forgotten about it while I was traveling, but being back here… everything came flooding back. The more time we spent together, the more I realized that I didn't need a relationship with him. I was happy with how things were. As long as I got to be in his life, I was happy. But one day, he asked if he could kiss me. There was only one answer I could possibly give, and it felt so natural to say—I said yes, and the rest is history.”
Ed laughed to himself like he couldn’t believe it. “He’s still very much a scheming bastard, but… He’s a really nice guy, Al, and he cares about me, and I care about him. We’ve spent hours just reading together and never saying a word. Even when he’s exhausted from work, he always makes time for me. He’ll listen to me go on and on about alchemy and new theories, even if he’s heard them all before, and it’s always with a smile on his stupid face.”
Al smiled at the smile Ed had on his own stupid face.
"He's the most selfless person I've ever met, Al. I got really sick once, and he refused to leave me alone, no matter how much I yelled at him—or tried to. The bastard kept coming by on his lunch break and after work to check on me and bring me different soups he made since I couldn't make anything to eat myself. They all tasted like shit." Ed laughed. "Oh, and get this! That asshole ended up catching what I had, so then I had to take care of him. I swear he planned it. He's so pathetic when he's sick. You would completely forget that he's this high-ranking and incredibly powerful state alchemist!"
Al laughed along with his brother. It felt good to sit and laugh with Ed like this. All the hardship they had gone through had been worth it.
“Wow, brother, I’m surprised you even told him you were sick. I usually have to beat it out of you just to admit it.”
“Like hell I told him! Roy’s got eyes and ears everywhere! He popped up at my apartment one day when he should have been working, and it was murder to get him to leave!” “Brother, you work together. It would only make sense that he would know when you’re missing.” Al shook his head.
“That’s what he said, but I’m still not buying it,” Ed argued playfully.
“Anyway, if I’m being honest, I’m surprised. I never would have guessed that the General—Roy—would be so… soft. I remember hearing about his, um... reputation when we were kids, so I guess the sweetness balances that out.”
"Uh... yeah, about that..." Ed scratched the back of his head nervously. "I know we've been together for six months now, but we haven't done that yet."
That was surprising, given what Roy had suggested earlier. "How come? Do you not want to?”
"It’s not that, it's just that we haven't been thinking about it, is all."
"How can you be so sure he isn't?"
"I'm not, but I have a pretty good feeling we're on the same page. He hasn't tried to do anything, and there hasn't been any awkwardness when we're around each other. We're just happy to spend any time we can around each other. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't say no if he initiated—hell, if he asked me to marry him, I would say yes without a second thought—but I'm happy with how things are. And I think he is, too.
There was silence for a moment.
“Don’t cry, Al,” Ed said fondly.
Shit. He hadn’t realised he had been crying. “Shut up!” he exclaimed through tears, while wiping them away with the heel of his hand. “You’re not the boss of me.” That got a hearty laugh out of Ed. “I kind of am.” “I’m serious.” He didn’t even bother opening his eyes, but he kept trying to wipe away each new tear that fell. "I've always wanted this for you, Brother. You've given up so much and you're finally..." Al had to take a moment to catch his breath. “I’m so proud of you, you stupid idiot. You have a job, someone who loves and cares about you so much, and even a home! When we were kids, we never thought any of this would happen. Sure, we hoped it would, but everything was so damn bleak! I’m just so happy that you're happy.” In the back of his mind, he remembered that they were still in public and he was currently sobbing over his empty plate, but—fuck it! Nothing mattered right now except for Ed’s happiness.
“Thanks, Al, I am happy. Roy makes me happy.”
“He’d better! I’m not always the nice one.”
Ed chuckled. “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that. And what about you? I’m not the only one living it up. You live in a palace, and you work right alongside Ling. And what about Mei?”
Al could hear the cheekiness in the last question. The laugh that he was able to choke out helped to break up the onslaught of tears streaming down his face. “She’s just a friend.” “Yeah, try telling her that,” Ed interjected.
Al worked on wiping away the last remaining tears. “And I only live in the palace cause Ling refused to let me live anywhere else.”
“Yeah, probably for Mei’s sake.” He didn’t appreciate the cheeky look on Ed’s face. “She doesn’t even live in the palace, brother.” Al rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, Al.” Ed smiled, finishing off the rest of his drink.
Before his brother could embarrass him any further, someone called out to them, suddenly grabbing their attention.
“Ed? Al? Is that you?” A very pretty brunette was quickly making her way to their table.
“Sheska!” Al said brightly. He could tell he was beginning to blush, and so could Ed if the kick to his shin meant anything, but he ignored his older brother for the sake of his sanity.
Ed greeted her, too, before she continued. “I haven’t seen you in so long! What are you doing here?”
Al didn’t bother holding back his smile. Sadly, Sheska was one of the many people he had lost contact with over the years. He still considered her a good friend, despite all that, and it was good to see her again. Her military uniform still fit her perfectly, as always. “Oh, um… I’m just visiting. I’ll be leaving in a few days—we came here for lunch, actually!”
‘Don’t look at Ed! Whatever you do, don’t look at him and his stupid smug face!’ “What are you doing here, Sheska?” He gave a laugh that erred more on the side of nervous in the hopes that it covered up how he was actually feeling inside.
“Oh, o-one of my superiors asked if I could get them coffee even though they could have done that while they were on their lunch break, but I guess it doesn’t matter since I’m here—and hey! I got to see you again, Al, and that’s pretty great, right? Crap! I should probably get back to work and give them this, huh?” Sheska nervously gestured at the foam cup filled with coffee. “It was great seeing you again, Al. I’ll see you around, Ed.” Ed waved her off, and just like that, she was gone.
“So… Sheska?”
“Shut up.” Al said defensively, even though he could feel his own face heating up to a million degrees.
Al focused on taming the heat in his cheeks while Ed laughed at him like the jerk he was.
“Well, we should probably get going, too. You still up to head to the library? Who knows, maybe we’ll run into Sheska again.”
Al rolled his eyes and ignored the latter half of what his brother said. “Yes, I’m ready to go.”
Luckily, that’s where the teasing ended. Al watched as Ed leaned forward slightly and reached for the wallet in his back pocket.
“I can help pay,” Al reassured.
“Nah, I got it. You’re visiting, so it's fine.” Al didn’t bother to fight Ed on the matter.
Just as Ed rifled through his wallet for the appropriate amount of Cenz, his face scrunched into a frown, his eyes locked onto the plate in front of the chair Roy had previously been sitting in. “That asshole,” Ed muttered.
Following Ed’s line of sight, Al noticed what had caught Ed’s attention. They had somehow missed the stack of bills hidden under Roy’s plate. When did he have time to do that? Ed closed his wallet, setting it on the table, and pulled the money out from under the empty plate and quickly shuffled through the bills, then cursed again, louder, once he was done. “Asshole!”
“What?”
“That—when did he have time to do this? He paid for the whole meal and left a huge tip for the waitress!”
“Well, that was nice of him.”
“He does this all the time!” Ed exclaimed, still looking down at the cash in his hands. “He never lets me pay for anything! He acts as if I don't have a full-time job. Stupid of me to think that he wouldn’t do it this time.” There wasn't any bite to Ed’s words, however.
“It's not that big of a deal, Ed.” Al shrugged nonchalantly. That got Ed to give him his full attention. “Let him spend his money; that way, you have more of your own to spend.” The smirk Al gave him made Ed visibly shudder.
“You really aren't the nice one,” Ed muttered. “Come on, let's go.” Ed pulled out a few Cenz from his wallet and threw them on top of Roy’s amount, then began walking towards the exit while shoving his wallet back into his pocket.
“Right behind you.” Not to be outdone, he left his own stack of bills on the table before following his brother out of the cafe.
The waitress deserved a nice tip after being forced to witness a deeply in love couple try to eat each other's faces off.