Worlds Collide

A/N: Aelia, Thank you so much. Yeah, the babies are not only growing up, but doing it fast. Your suggestion led to a small scene here. Hikaru_9 Thanks. Glad you're still reading. You've been following this beast for a while. Nomme de Plume, I've done that before reading things. And Yeah, even when she isn't there, Raine manages to make Ed uncomfortable. Amethyst-eyed Koneko, no kidding. Bras suck. And daddy has to eventually stop. She's growing up, and as she stops it, Nicholas won't be long to follow. And once you read the last chapter, see, Roy wasn't insanely jealous, just jealous enough to eventually take advantage of the situation. When Kain kisses Frank or shows him affection, Frank can't help that he loses his composure, so he tries to gain it back with jokes and teasing. I'm not sure I could write a believeable spanking scene, but I think a goose in the kitchen works. Ed's mostly a researcher now, with a lab in the backyard so he could work near the children. He has a title and is still a state alchemist and has to lead troops at times, but it isn't his main job in the military. State alchemists aren't so much what they used to be. The Tringhams are both state alchemists and do research as well. Kain's kiss showed Frank affection, something he isn't accustomed to, which is why he kind of lost himself in it. If Raine didn't overstep her boundaries, she wouldn't be Raine. If I were the guys, I'd take advantage of a female doctor in the family, but she really should have asked. I'm glad you liked the little exchange. I wanted to reinforce that it really isn't a big deal that Ed's gay in Amestris. Roy's definitely a hypocrite. And Roy rolled the partition down because they'd gotten back in the car.

Chapter 27

Affectionate Memories

When the doorbell rang about an hour before guests were to start arriving for the twins’ birthday, Roy found both running to the door excitedly, particularly when they realized that the man standing out front was carrying several packages, the two obviously couldn’t contain themselves.

“We have one here from in town, one from Creta, and one from Xing,” the delivery man said, smiling at the twins. “I’m guessing that at least one of these has birthday presents for the two of you.”

Roy knew that there were probably more, but only those from registered addresses were allowed through the door without thorough inspection. He took the clipboard from the delivery man and signed for all three.

“So what do we have?” Ed yelled from the back door where he’d been gathering together a few bushels of apples.

“One from the emissary of Creta,” Roy responded. The man had religiously sent the twins a birthday present each year since his initial visit, always items and books that were unique to his country and its heritage. “One from my cousin in Xing.” It had become a widely publicized fact that Roy’s grandmother had been a Xingian, the reason for his hair and eyes, a few years ago. Honestly, Roy was surprised no one had figured it out based on his appearance, or the fact that since he’d become fuhrer, relations with the country had drastically improved.

“The last one’s from the photography place where we did our family portrait.”

“Oh!” Ed sounded startled, and ran out of the kitchen. “That is a very belated birthday present for you.”

“Can I open it in front of the kids?” Roy asked eyebrow raised.

“Pervert.” Ed shook his head at Roy’s assumption. “It’s perfectly safe. It’s just the studio thought they’d lost the negative for this one. They rushed the order once they found it.”

Roy removed the brown paper covering what appeared to be two framed photos, one slightly larger than the other.
“One’s for the library, now that we’ve got it back and Wrath’s in the guest room. The other’s for your office.”

Roy removed the paper and began to chuckle.

“Let me see!” Nicholas said, craning his neck to look at what his papa was holding.

Aideen, who was taller than him by enough to see the picture, looked surprised. “That’s the photo we messed up. Daddy, you yelled at us for an hour for that.”

Roy noticed Ed smile at the use of Daddy. “I know I did, but your father has a certain fascination with candid photos.”

Roy looked down again at the portrait. He and Ed were both looking down in surprise and disappointment at the twins. To look at Aideen, there seemed nothing wrong, as she had a pleasant smile on her face, and was standing perfectly straight, posture exact. Behind her, however was a set of bunny ears halfway dipped behind her head. To look at Nicholas, the expression of shock on his face was obvious, as Aideen’s right arm had a hold of his shirt, pulling him toward the floor.

Roy chuckled a bit.

“I’m going to hang this up, then I’ll get back to helping you with the party.” Roy quickly kissed Ed. “Thank you.”

“Hey, I’ve learned by now that you like those weird photos.” Ed squeezed Roy’s hand before returning to the backyard.

As Roy went into the library, he heard the footsteps of the twins behind him. “Papa,” Aideen said, “why do you want this photo? It’s all messed up.”

“I want it because it shows the real you, and the real Nicholas,” he said. “I’m not sure I have a new favorite, but I think it’s an awfully close tie.”

“Your favorite? That one of all of your soldiers?”

“That would be the one.”

Roy took it off the wall. “I liked this one so much I still carry part of it in my pocketwatch, along with one of the two of you.”

Roy pulled his leather desk chair away from the desk before sitting down, one twin standing on either side of him. “It is the only photo I have of your mother, your daddy, and my friend Maes. It also has Havoc, Breda, and Fuery.”

“Maes and Colonel Breda are holding Daddy up, and he doesn’t seem very happy about it,” Nicholas said, laughing. The photo had hung up for so long. Why had he never brought it down for them to see?

“He wasn’t because it meant he was too short to be in the shot, and he didn’t like short jokes.”

“He doesn’t get too upset about them now,” Aideen said, tracing a finger over the wildly thrashing fifteen-year-old in the shot.

“Probably because I don’t call him short every other day. I used to tease him a lot.”

“Used to?” Aideen said, looking up at Roy.

“Well, I do, but about different things now.”

“Maes looks like he was a lot of fun,” Nicholas said, almost puffing out in pride that he was the namesake of the man who’d angered his daddy.

“He was, and my best friend. He loved to tease people, especially me. He was always telling me that I needed to get a wife.”

“Instead, you got a husband,” Nicholas said. “You got things messed up a little.” Roy ruffled the blond’s shaggy hair.

“You look so different on here,” Aideen said.

Roy nodded; after all, he didn’t have the patch there.

“Well, yeah, Aideen, he’s young here.”

“I don’t mean that. I’ve seen pictures of him then. It’s just that, even though what’s going on with Daddy is really funny, Papa doesn’t look... well, really happy.”

It was amazing that the children had become accustomed to the fact that Roy’s pictures as a younger man did not have him with a patch, but he was astounded at Aideen’s astute observations. Back then, there was so much hurt that had yet to fade, even just a little, and with no family of his own, Roy’s only source of happiness was the hope that one day he would rise through the ranks and become fuhrer.

"Well, I didn't have the two of you back then. I wasn't even dating your mother or daddy yet."

Aideen’s finger then traced over the blond at Roy’s side in the photo.

“Your mother, on the other hand was absolutely serious, but she was the only person who could keep me from procrastinating. She could scare me half to death when she wanted, but when she wanted to be kind, she could be the gentlest person you’ve ever met.”

“Sounds familiar,” Nicholas said, looking over at Aideen.

“She was a few years younger than me, but we met while I was fighting in Ishbal.”

“She was a sniper there,” Nicholas said. “We know she was one of the best people in the military to use a gun, which is why she was allowed out of the academy early, like you.”

“She was especially good when she was defending someone she cared about,” a voice said from the door. Roy looked up at Ed and smiled. The blond walked into the room and crouched down in front of Roy, putting a hand on either of the children’s backs. “And she was so excited about the two of you. Riza wasn’t a sad person or an angry person most of the time, but something had to be very special to get a smile out of her. When she talked about being a mother, you couldn’t get rid of the grin on her face.”

And even though Roy could see his vision getting blurred by unshed tears, he looked to the twins. “And remember, no tears. Today is your birthday, and I know she’d want you to be happy for at least today.”

Roy shifted, signaling to Ed to move, which he did so that Roy could stand and replace the photo on the wall.

He smiled at his children before taking their hands and leading them out into the yard, giving each tiny hand he held a squeeze.

********

Ed laughed as he watched Aideen tentatively dunk her head in a large tub of water and apples.

“Are you that much of a wimp that you can’t handle a little water?” Nicholas teased.

Aideen’s eyes narrowed at her brother before she dunked her head fully into the water, coming back up with an apple firmly between her teeth. With a smug look in her eyes, she grabbed hold of the apple and took a bite, a grin on her face that purposely taunted her twin.

Ed rolled his eyes, leaning back on the railing of the porch, head tilted back toward Roy, who was cooking hotdogs and hamburgers at the grill. He smiled, watching Frank Archer, of all people, clocking the kids as each took their dunk in the tub, trying to retrieve an apple. He looked happy, and he supposed the man helping the kids towel off had something to do with it. If Frank looked happy, Fuery looked over-his-heels giddy with the older man, not to mention the strange impression that Ed had that Frank was not the initiator in their relationship, but rather followed Fuery’s lead, giving up just a bit of control, which Ed had learned over the last few months, was not something the older man did easily.

Playing with the younger children, one of them their own, another a very massive toddler version of Armstrong with just a hint of Rose mixed in, Al and Winry seemed to be just as happy. On the porch, Raine was insisting that Falman put on some aloe vera for the sunburn he’d gotten on their vacation. In a far corner, Elysia was still pouting, but trying her best for the twins to look enthusiastic about all of this. Nearby, Jean was cheering on James as he bobbed for apples, Gracia trying to encourage her daughter to try and enjoy herself. Breda was desperately avoiding Black Hayate, standing close to where Sig Curtis was sparring with Wrath at the far end of the yard, Armstrong telling them he’d take the winner and watching as the fight continued. His eldest son, the adoption of Rose’s little boy finally official, stood nearby watching, Phillip seemingly torn between his adopted father and mother, as Rose was yelling for him to give bobbing for an apple a try.

Even across the field, Ed could hear that over-confident voice saying, “Come now, Phillip, it is goes against Armstrong line to step down from a competition.”

The lithe curly-haired brunette looked up at his father, looking just a bit embarrassed before nodding and running over to stand by his mother’s side and patting her arm. When his turn came up, he gave it a try, managing a respectable time, but one that didn’t compare to either of the twins’.

“And the winner is…” Frank looked at the kids, who danced around anxiously. “Aideen.”

“That had to be rigged!” Nicholas blurted out.

“Congratulations, Aideen,” Phillip said, patting Ed’s daughter on the shoulder. Even from the distance he was at, Ed nearly collapsed at the sight that was blatantly obvious.

“Ed,” he heard above him. Once again looking up, Ed saw Roy looking down at him nervously, “Ed, did our daughter just blush?”

“I think she did.”

“Aideen doesn’t blush.” The two fathers nervously made eye contact before they looked over at their daughter. “Ed, I don’t care if they don’t make them, I’m going to make a bra that locks.”

“She’s only ten, Roy, cut her a break.”

“But she blushed.”

“And she’s growing up, all at once it seems.” Ed tried to cover the fact that he felt like there was a giant knot in his stomach at the idea that their daughter apparently had a crush on Rose’s son. Her first one, as far as he knew. Silently, he wondered why these things had to happen in rapid succession. He wasn’t sure he could take it, and guessing from Roy’s intense grip on the railing, neither could he.

********

Never in his life had the fuhrer been so grateful for the doorbell. Feeling as though his world had been turned upside down, he went to the front door, finding the Tringham brothers standing in front of it.

“Hello, Fuhrer,” Fletcher said, Russell only nodding. “I actually managed to tear my brother away from the city, so I hoped the invitation to the party still stood.”

“You know it does.” Roy stepped aside and let the two blonds in, mentally reminding himself that the taller brother had at one time been an object of lust for his husband at one point in time. “Of course, I think you only managed to get Russell away from the underground city in order to find out if Wrath is willing to work with you.”

There was a grin on the older brother’s face. “What can I say? I think the twins are great, but I also know Wrath would be ideal for the research I’m doing.”

Roy couldn’t begrudge the fact that Russell was honest, even if he was using the twins’ birthday as an excuse to get what he wanted.

He led the brothers through the house and out to the party.

“You know, Roy,” Ed said in a chastising tone, “if you’re going to walk away, don’t do it while you’re cooking.” He smiled when he saw the other blonds. “Hey guys, did you finally drag yourself out of the caves to the real world?”

“Did you finally get out of your lab researching the Gate to throw this party? Or do you have an experiment going on in there,” He pointed to the lab at the edge of the yard. “and you’re just waiting to pick up with it after the party,” Russell joked.

“Fletcher!” The twins yelled in near unison.

Roy looked up to Russell to say something, but the blond cut him off. “Don’t worry about it. I’m used to it. Fletcher’s better with kids. Not that the twins aren’t great, but Fletcher’s always been closer to them.”

The twins hugged the younger Tringham, gladly taking the presents from him to put with the others.

“You two made it here in time,” Ed said before turning to the group of kids and adults. “Food’s ready.”

A herd of children ran onto the porch, grabbing plates, silverware. Some were so anxious to get food that they even disregarded the fact that Roy was fuhrer as they pushed by him.

“Oh, Aideen, let me help you with that,” Phillip bent down and handed her a napkin.

Why did such a simple act, something Alex Armstrong was certain to engrain in the boy he’d raised for the last three years, make Roy want to barricade her away from the entirety of the male population. Was it hypocritical? Of course. But did he care? Hell, no.

Then, the dread that had grasped him years ago when Armstrong had been pursuing Raine reappeared. Because Rose’s son had been adopted by Armstrong, if Phillip and Aideen did somehow end up together many, many, many years from now, Roy would actually be related to the overly friendly giant. He visibly shuddered at that thought.

“Well, Wrath,” Russell said, leaning over the railing just a bit as he saw the sweaty, muscular brunet approach, "have you made your decision? Will you help us?”

A set of violet eyes looked up at the rather tall blond standing near Roy, then down at the Tringham near his own age standing beside him.

“I would appreciate it, Wrath,” Fletcher said. “I could use a buffer down there. Right now, it’s mostly me and my brother.” The braided head nodded. Fletcher patted him on his bare back. “It will be great to have you there.” He rubbed the same hand, mosstlikelly covered in sweat, on his pants, looking a bit disgusted.

********

Frank laced his hand in Kain’s, walking down the streets of Central, enjoying as the street lights flickered on, the sky growing darker. Like it or not, there was still a part of Frank that felt strange being able to show affection in public. He was pondering this difference between the worlds as he continued to walk beside the younger man. The next thing Frank knew, he was being pulled into the doorway of a store that was closed for the evening, Kain wrapping his arms around Frank’s neck, slowly coaxing the older man’s head down.

“You were so great with the kids today. It was so sweet,” Kain said, his fingertips gently tickling Frank’s neck.

“What can I say? I love those twins.” He bent down and nuzzled his head into Kain’s neck. “Pretty fond of you too.” Kain turned his head, pressing their lips together, Frank moving his hand up to the black locks and holding Kain in place. He opened his mouth to intensify the kiss, feeling the younger man’s tongue slipping past his parted lips, his own moving through Kain’s, massaging, rolling over one another.

With a shared smile, the two parted, Frank grabbing the smaller man and holding him to his chest, wondering when the last time he’d had this, if he’d ever. He kissed Kain’s hair, wanting to thank whatever fate or god had sent him there to the world where he could stand on the street, embracing his boyfriend without shame or fear. With his lips still against the man’s head, he smiled.

He had a boyfriend, one who stood up for him on multiple occasions, one whom he trusted. One who made him happy.

And for the first time, he was given the opportunity to get to know someone he cared about outside of sex, something the two were trying to refrain from to let the idea sink into Frank’s thick skull that they were a couple, and this wasn’t a matter of sex or a one-night stand.

“You know,” Frank said, “eventually, we have to get back to our apartment.”

There was a groan of protest, Kain pulled back, once again rubbing his slightly calloused hand down Frank’s cheek, making Frank almost ask if they could just stay in that doorway the rest of the night.