For Her. For Him.

A/N: Thank you to my reviewers, who have put me over 100. Also, thanks to everyone who's read, by the time this is posted I may very well have over 4,000 hits. milky, I wanted to do a Roy and Maes moment without it being really romantic, figuring these guys could really be that close and just be friends, and I'm happy you liked it. Also, I thought the guys would be able to accept the knowledge and that Roy and Ed could trust them with it, too. E, thank you my 100th reviewer for kind words, and I've tried hard to make it as realistic as possible. animecrazd, I love getting a long review like that, and very pleased you like it so much. Only thing is, just to clear things up for any readers, if I decide Ed gives birth "naturally," the opening is like a vagina and is entirely separate from anything else. (I think others have been confused about that, too.) As for the kissing, yeah, there's more coming in this chapter.) Kasarin-Mustang, yeah, I can't seem to have them have a nice, pure romantic moment without throwing in the humor. I kind of think they'd be dorks about it, and I really wanted Ed to get even with Roy for endless embarrassment. Hikaru!, like I said, love the humor, and I worked very hard to get the guys from the office in character. Nomme de Plume, thank you for being one of my supporters of the slow and gradual relationship. I was so afraid I'd have tons of cries for lemons, but you all continue to read and enjoy. Onee-sama, thank you, and I hope their confrontation satisfied you. Inuyoukaimama, I'm glad you took the time to review. I will willingly accept any criticism you have to offer, and I will apologize for supplying your addiction. cuylerjade, yeah, I liked Ed getting revenge on Mustang. ursweetheartles, I know a lot are waiting for the sex, and this chapter will help progress toward it, but it could still be a while.sami, thank you. COCObean1319 thanks for the glowing review.

Chapter 22

Birthday

Roy stood in front of his office door on Thursday, glaring and admiring the banner hanging over the door. There was an undeniable feeling of being old, no longer the twenty-something quickly pushing his way through the ranks, now a thirty year old man, with two children on the way. Still, the man had all of his jet-black hair, and it remained entirely that color without even the discovery of the first gray hair. He was athletic, possibly more so than a few months before thanks to his teenaged…

No, he still hadn’t come up with a name for what Edward was to him, a fact that had made the explanation to the subordinates following the teen's kiss all the more difficult.

Havoc came behind Roy and put an arm around his shoulders. “So, how do you like the banner?”

Roy didn’t respond, only groaned. He hadn’t exactly planned to announce to the entire Central office that he was thirty today, and at first had wanted to be angry. That was only until he overheard a general talking to his secretary saying he’d thought for sure the young colonel must have been older than that to have risen through the ranks and been so accomplished a soldier. He said he’d had no idea that the Flame Alchemist was still so young. It was rather reassuring. Maybe being thirty-something and moving his way through the upper echelons of the military was still an accomplishment.

Roy entered his office, ignoring Havoc and shutting the door behind him. He was honestly grateful that his most trusted soldiers were able to know of his and Ed’s secret, though he might have preferred delaying letting them know everything.

That night, he’d found himself cornered against one of the still unpainted walls, three of his subordinates surrounding him to defend Ed and insist on knowing the colonel’s intentions. It was like dealing with three older, overprotective brothers. Even Fuery had grown defensive of the young blond, particularly as he had gone through a total of six pregnancies with his older sisters and knew the how hormones and emotions can run high, affecting judgment. The shock that the colonel was interested in a man had seemed to have been ignored to defend that young man.

Standing in his office, Roy felt certain that the only one’s judgment being affected was his own. Every minute seemed to be filled with images of the blond, his smiles, his laughs, the rotten grin on his face before he’d pelted Roy with popcorn. Even the more obnoxious traits, the temper, the stubbornness all became endearing. Surely the colonel had to be going senile with old age.

********

Ed was sitting inside of Dr. Knox’s back office, fidgeting in his seat as the doctor entered the room.

“Hello, Major, how are the babies doing?”

“Very well. Very active.” Ed moved so that the man could feel the two shifting inside. In the last week, they had decided to both take to rolling and punching, so sleep was becoming harder to come by at long intervals, despite the fact that it seemed that more and more Ed needed that sleep.

“That’s good.” Dr. Knox laid his hands on the teen’s stomach, probably not feeling much through the material of his shirt. “It doesn’t surprise me, with their parents.” The doctor moved away and sat behind his desk. “So, what brings you here today?”

Ed cleared his throat. “The babies are fine, and I feel okay, hormonal, but okay, considering.” The doctor looked at him expectantly. “I was wondering, with the babies and how things have changed, whether or not it would be possible for me…” Ed swallowed. “I mean, I’m starting a relationship with someone, I guess you could call it, and if we should want to…”

“You want to know how you can have sex?” Dr. Knox said with professionalism that Edward was undyingly grateful for. Ed nodded his head. “Well, there is a pamphlet, though I don’t know how much use it will be to you, as a man.”

“I’ve already seen it. Roy grabbed everything from the clinic that had the word ‘pregnant’ in its title. We have two on how to get pregnant, which obviously isn't an issue,” Ed said, smiling at his colonel’s expense.

“Well, you are carrying the babies high, so it might be possible that certain positions you can manage without it affecting things too much.” The doctor re-opened the pamphlet and showed Ed a few pictures that made him blush. “I believe you could manage this,” he said, showing Ed a picture of a man taking a woman in missionary position. Pointing to the man, he added, “Of course, you will want to be careful not to slam too hard should your stomach get in the way. It is also possible that from behind, but both would need to be with very minimal body contact…”

Ed’s thoughts drifted off for a moment, trying to imagine the colonel beneath him writhing and begging, asking him to go harder, faster. To imagine himself inside of the heat of the colonel’s body, the friction. Before he knew it, the doctor was staring at him, finished explaining, and Ed had an aching hard-on. Still, he was with a colonel, and Ed didn’t feel he could really expect to be on top, though images of the raven-haired man flushed and vulnerable did things to Ed that he couldn’t even imagine.

“And if I’m not on top?”

“You mean having a woman on top?” the doctor asked. “I don’t recommend it. That’s a lot of added pressure on your hips and back.”

“No.” It seemed the doctor had only warned Ed not to use the birth canal as a measure of safety, not because he'd actually expected it.

The doctor nodded, knowingly. “Your friend out there? Should he be in here for this?”

Ed’s eyes widened? “Kain? Hell no!” Ed could have doubled over in laughter. “He’s a good friend and knows what’s going on with the babies, but he’s only here so that I don’t have to worry the colonel about an unplanned doctor’s visit. Roy panics a little every time I come here, even if it’s just a check-up.” Ed chuckled, his laughter dying a bit. “Me and Fuery.”

“Fine, then you want to know about you and another man?”

“I know I have to be careful, and I shouldn’t attempt sex with the opening made for the babies.”

“I wouldn’t recommend it, and as the nerves and muscles are lacking there that exist in a female’s vagina, I would not imagine it would be pleasurable for either party.” The doctor cleared his throat, the only sign that he was feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

“But, I mean, there are other ways… I know men have sex with one another, but will it do damage to the new opening?”

“If you are thoroughly stretched and nothing is torn in the process of the act, then, no, I don’t believe it will be an issue, but you will have to have a patient and gentle partner. If there is any sign of tearing, you will have to stop. Not only is this vaginal-like opening somewhat closer to your anus than it is in women meaning a tear could affect both, but tearing could lead to infection which could be very harmful to the babies.”

Then, the doctor looked to Ed seriously, and almost fatherly. “Now, if you are just starting a relationship with this person, I don’t know that sex would be the best option immediately.”

“I don’t either,” Ed answered. “I just wanted to know, for future reference. I don’t think he’d agree to it right away, anyhow. He’s trying to be so careful. I just wanted to know in case.”

Whether Mustang would agree to it or not, the little discussion had put images into Ed’s mind he really didn’t need to be there. He still had a birthday party to throw and a present to prepare, and as long as he was standing at nearly full staff, he wasn’t going to accomplish a whole hell of a lot.

********

Roy was getting home later than he’d hoped. Some birthday. Just before leaving, Havoc had dumped a short, but tedious pile of papers on his desk, telling Roy that they needed to be completed before the end of the day. By the time Roy had completed, he was going to be arriving home at his normal time, rather than the two hours early he’d planned.

When he walked in the door, he was surprised to find the house quite empty, not even the animals there to greet him.

“Edward?” Roy called, stepping through the hall and into the kitchen. “Black Hayate?” Ed didn’t always come when called, but the dog usually did.

He could hear laughter coming from outside and the backdoor opened into the kitchen, showing Roy that on the porch, a party had already begun without him. Roy looked down to find how the door seemed to open on its own, finding Elysia, running to him, arms outstretched for him to pick her up.

“Happy Birthday, Uncle Roy!” she yelled happily as he lifted her into his arms and tossed her into the air.

“Did someone throw a party for me?” he asked her, smiling.

“Mm-hmm.” She smiled. “Big brother Ed has been bossing everyone around.”

“Hey!” shouted a pseudo-hurt voice from the porch. He walked over to Roy and the girl, poking her in the stomach and tickling a bit with his left hand. “I’m not being bossy.” The little girl squealed and squirmed in Roy’s arms, laughing as she did.

Ed smiled broadly at Roy, pulling the older man down to place a feather-light kiss on his cheek. “Happy birthday, you old fart.”

“Ed said fart!” Elysia said laughing even harder.

“You’re going to teach her some very bad habits,” Roy said, setting the girl on the wooden floor of the porch. While he was crouched down, Roy turned to Ed’s stomach, talking into it. After Ed’s last official doctor’s appointment a few days before, Roy had been informed the children’s ears were almost completely developed and capable of hearing him. Ever since, he’d been using that small dodge ball-sized stomach like a microphone. “Hello Nicholas. Hello Aideen. It’s your papa’s birthday today, and your daddy’s being a real jerk calling him old.”

“Don’t call me a jerk to our kids.”

“Dr. Knox said they could hear me, not understand me, Ed.” Roy began rubbing the belly, rising back to his full height as he did. He placed a kiss on the top of the blond hair, then turned to the others standing on the porch. Breda was downing a beer, two pointed birthday hats on his head like two horns. Roy knew he’d been off work for at least two hours, and in that time, he wondered how many beers the auburn-haired man had managed. Beside him, Fuery was distastefully milking a beer, not his favorite drink as Roy remembered--he said it looked and smelled too much like pee. He’d have to tell the young master sergeant there was an unopened bottle of vodka and some various sodas and juices the man could mix it with in the kitchen. He saw Havoc standing at a charcoal barbeque, cooking what looked like steak, with Gracia standing by, talking to the taller blond, holding a pan of sauce while the blond brushed it on the sizzling steaks.

“Is this why you piled all of those papers on my desk?” Roy asked.

“I could have done them myself, but the boss asked me to play chef, so you got to finish them.” Roy saw two piles of gifts sitting against the banisters of the porch.

“They’re using this as an excuse to have a baby shower,” Ed explained. He pushed Roy back inside the kitchen. “Why don’t you get something on that’s more comfortable than your uniform so you can enjoy yourself?” Then, Ed wrapped his arms around Roy’s neck. “I know they all know, but I’m not sure how comfortable they are yet.” He stood again on tiptoe. “Damn, I wish you weren’t a head taller than me.”

“Actually, Ed, I’m not, not anymore. You coming close to my bottom lip now, I think you may have grown an inch.”

“Big deal. A whole inch. It’d be nice to actually look you in the eyes.” Roy bowed his head down so they were doing exactly that, meeting at their foreheads, noses pressed against one another.

“Like this?” the colonel asked before tilting his head and kissing the young blond. He darted his tongue out slightly, finding that Fullmetal had already parted his lips, anticipating his actions. Ed tilted his head to the side, to allow them both greater access as their tongues explored their mouths. Though the kiss and the teen’s gentle moans were absolutely arousing, the faint tinge of vinegar and salt from the pickles he constantly ate was somewhat unpleasant. Flesh and metal hands began sliding their way under Roy’s uniform coat, skimming around on the white dress shirt, and all thoughts about the faint flavor of pickles vanished.

Surprisingly, it was Ed who ended the kiss, pulling back, lips puffy and a flush to his face. “Roy, you need to go and get changed, and I need to get back out there. If I don’t, they’ll think we were doing something in here more than just kissing.”

Not that Roy would mind doing a little more, but he didn’t dare say that to the teen. He didn’t want Ed to feel obligated, and he didn’t want to speed the blond into another first time, he’d done that enough already.

Roy walked away from the blond, unwillingly and went to his bedroom to change.

********

The meal had been pretty good. Ed doubted Havoc would have done such a good job at cooking if Gracia hadn’t been there to guide him, keeping him from burning them to a crisp. Still, Havoc received the credit, while everyone silently told Gracia they appreciated her part in this. After sitting in the wooden chair for so long, Ed could hardly move, his flesh foot swollen and stiff. Roy offered Ed an arm to lean on once he got to his feet and walked him to a comforter stretched out on the grass of the back yard. The older man lowered him down gently. Gracia took a seat beside him while Black Hayate came running over, ball in his mouth.

He plunked the ball at Ed’s side. “I’m sorry boy,” Ed said, scratching the dog behind the ears. “I need to stretch out my leg.”

The large dog nudged the ball against Ed’s thigh. Roy bent down and picked up the ball. “Come on, boy. You want to play?”

Roy tossed the ball, his lean, slightly more muscular body moving in perfect form as the ball left his right hand and landed across the lawn. He was wearing a lightweight black shirt, and a pair of tan pants that clung just enough to the lower half of his body to make Ed enjoy every throw of the ball, every shift and every toss. It wasn’t long before the other men found another ball nearby and began a friendly game of a sport Ed had never seen before and doubted really was a game. More than likely, it was something Breda and Havoc had created as an excuse to tackle Falman. Though Fuery played, it seemed all he had to do was flash a wide-eyed expression at the others to make them halt just long enough for him to pass the ball to someone else.

“You wish you were out there, don’t you?” Gracia asked.

Ed looked over at her. “I’m beginning to feel a bit useless, you know. Roy and I can’t even spar now. All we get into are slap fights. It’s a little embarrassing, even if it does manage to keep my hand-eye coordination strong.” The only plus was that the little battles usually ended in a kiss or a soft caress.

“It’s never easy being active and suddenly feeling like you’ve got a sack of potatoes attached to your midsection.” Gracia said, lying back on the comforter as Elysia ran to get the ball once Black Hayate had tired himself out. Roy tossed the ball to the girl a few times before she, too, tired of the game and went to find the big black and white dog.

Roy returned to the comforter and walked behind Ed, sitting directly behind him, a leg on either side of the teen’s body. “Thought you might want a backrest.”

Ed looked back to the colonel, who was gradually easing Ed’s back onto his own body. Though he didn’t exactly feel like having one more person rubbing his stomach, Ed didn’t mind as Roy rubbed along the teen’s sensitive sides and splayed his fingers across the rounded belly.

“I’m okay if you want to play with the other guys.”

Roy rested his chin on Ed’s head, not too hard, but enough that the pressure increased as he spoke. “I’d rather be here. As long as I’m here, I don’t have to get myself tackled or listen to them saying I’m too old to take it, like they’re doing to Falman. It’s been about ten years since I really got into that game.”

Reclined between the man’s legs, images once again surfaced, this time of Roy taking him from behind, gently sucking at his neck, kissing, nibbling. His hands would shift from Ed’s stomach to his hips guiding the speed and rhythm. Ed realized that once again his wandering mind was causing problems in his nether regions and he began to twitch and shift in the colonel’s lap, pulling his own legs up, honestly grateful, for once that the belly was there, helping to shield the straining erection in his pants.

As he moved, he almost gasped, realizing that behind him, there was something poking him at the small of his back that hadn’t been there a few minutes before. Ed tilted his head back, and saw the colonel had grown quite red and was averting his eyes, moving his hands away from Ed. The blond grabbed those hands and squeezed.

“I’m sorry. I’m moving too much. You have to be uncomfortable. I’ll try to stay still.”

The colonel had obviously gotten Ed’s meaning and placed a light kiss to the forehead below him. Ed reached into the pocket at the front of his shirt. “I want to give you your present from me before you open up the rest of them.” He pulled out a pair of white gloves with a red piece of string wrapped around them. “I’m not much at wrapping.”

Roy untied the string and looked over the gloves. Ed couldn’t really see his face, but guessed he wasn’t spotting what the young alchemist had done.

“I changed the symbol just a little. You were so close with your research, and with the free time I’ve had, I figured out how you could enhance the array on the back. Now, you should be able to change water into hydrogen and oxygen, making it a highly flammable gas, even with minimal spark.”

Ed had hoped that changing the colonel’s arrays didn’t hurt his pride too much, but when he felt the colonel genuinely embrace him from behind, thanking him, he felt certain that he hadn’t offended the man.

It was then that Ed heard the faint ringing of the front doorbell. Roy pulled away, helping Ed rise as he did. “Havoc, can you help Ed into a seat at the corner of the porch and put the table in front of him while I find out who’s at the door.”

********

As his subordinates did as he’d instructed, Roy stood in front of the door, grateful he was no longer standing at half-mast, the idea of Ed getting caught working just as well as a bucket of ice cold water. Roy walked through the kitchen, spotting Carlida curled in a ball on top of the icebox. Disturbing her slumber, he scratched the cat between her ears, earning a green-eyed glare from the medium-sized cat.

Roy made his way to the hall and reached the front door, opening it and finding himself eye to nose with a somewhat taller, aqua-eyed man.

“Lieutenant Colonel, what are you doing here?”

“I came here bringing a present, Roy,” Archer said, holding out a crudely wrapped gift. “Had it not been for that banner at the office, I might have forgotten. Hard to believe the wunderkind of the military is now thirty years old.” Roy didn’t move from his place at the door, looking suspiciously at the gift, certain he’d heard a noise from inside. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”