And here I am - For any of you who found this alert in you inbox and came to check it out, thanks; I decided to finally write this alternate ending, since Ed and Roy pretty much enjoyed the other ending and I like having them mad at me... Yeah, that makes no sense. ANYWAYS, let's move along. The first bit of this will seem a little familiar.

Around a Year and a Half Later...

Done. It was finished. The vows were read, the rings exchanged, and the cake was cut. Al and Winry, husband and wife, and leaving on a two week trip to Xing.

Leaving the wedding party to clean up the mess from the reception. Which of course they were only too happy to do (thanks to Riza's -er- encouragement). Jean was stacking dishes into dangerous piles, one of which was bound to fall at any moment, and Maria, Riza, and Sciezska were separating the foods into containers for later consumption. Edward seemed content to do dishes without too much complaint, except when Jean deposited a large stack noisily.

Roy observed all this while his own task of trash disposal, manually, since Riza insisted that nothing be burned.

To be fair to the elder alchemist, he hadn't attempted to talk to Ed. It was somewhat of an instinct to stay away from the younger, as well as the subject of their last meeting. Of course, Ed had been avoiding him, but isn't that enough of a warning to let it drop? Still, the two, when forced to interact, were civil and managed to convey to the people around them that the status between them was professional. It was especially trying when both of them, along with Jean, were in the wedding party. But they managed. And since they were professional, Ed seemed to refuse to remember Roy's first name, instead addressing him calmly as 'Lieutenant General Mustang'. Roy had responded in kind, calling Ed 'Colonel' most commonly.

Which rather annoyed Roy. Something about the last time he'd seen Ed was poking at him. What exactly had happened? Who said what that started it? Without an answer, Roy couldn't very well try and figure out what he should do. Something, obviously, since nothing just seemed to result in everything in a mess.

Suddenly a loud crash startled him out of his thoughts. Apparently, one pile of dishes was stacked too high and tipped. Ed was standing over the pieces dining utensils, wondering aloud why they didn't use disposable dinnerware in the first place.

Throwing the last bag of trash onto the pile, Roy walked over to the younger, asking, "Can you handle this, Colonel?

"Yes, Lieutenant General." Was the cool response, as Ed surveyed the damage before deftly repairing it with alchemy.

Roy rolled his eyes, catching site of the over cast sky. It had turned a bit grey half-way through the reception, worrying some. But it had held out so far, though it didn't look like it intended to continue in such a path. Finishing their individual tasks quickly, the remaining people began to leave at their separate times.

Until only Roy and Ed remained. That's when Roy's car decided to die.

"Dammit." Roy muttered, lifting the hood.

His one weakness, cars. Couldn't make heads or tails of them. He understood breaks and oil, tires and gas-lines. But when it suddenly up-and-quits, it confounded him. He check all the obvious areas, to no avail. So, with the thunder grumbling above him ominously, he began poking and prodding at anything that could go wrong. Not the smartest of ideas, but in the present situation, he didn't exactly have anything else in mind to do.

"Well, this is interesting."

Roy almost started when Ed's voice drifted from beside him. The younger was peering intently at the engine, as though it was a particularly challenging puzzle.

"Any idea what's broken?" He continued, not looking at Roy.

With a shake of his head, the elder responded, "No, I can't figure it out."

"Well," Ed muttered, reaching into the mass of machinery, "What does this go to?"

Held between his fingers was a single wire, completely unattached from the rest of the car.

"...Nope."

"And that means you're stuck," Ed decided, "Since I don't know, and the only person in Risembul who could tell us is on her honeymoon."

Roy sighed. "Great."

Ed stared at him for a moment, then turned on his heel, walking towards the house. He was half way there when he glanced back, seeing that Roy hadn't moved.

"Are you coming or not?"

A few bemused blinks, and Roy followed.

--

Why was it so crowded? It felt early, just barely morning. Just like it always did.

I was walking, increasing my pace rapidly. I had to get out of there. I knew every building, I knew what would happen. But Roy...

His building was right there. I tried to turn, but the crowded street pushed me forward.

Smoke filled out of the alley, suffocating me. Tried to scream, tried to call help, but the empty streets gave no reply.

I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I was--

"It's alright, Ed."

The young blonde's eyes snapped open, his breathing harsh and quick. A moment of realization put him in his room, hours after the rain had started. In his bed.

He sighed. 'Another nightmare.'

That's when he realized the voice was also in his room.

Roy was seated behind him, holding him. An arm around the younger's waist, a hand at his shoulder.

"What are you--?"

"You were thrashing in your sleep." Roy interjected in a low voice. "I couldn't wake you up."

The elder expected something, some kind of retaliation and reprimand. Instead, Ed leaned back against him for a moment, regaining his breathing.

"Are you--?"

This time Ed cut him off with, "I'm fine, just a... a flashback."

Ed was pulling away now, rubbing his eyes listlessly. With a half-sheepish grin, he muttered, "Did I wake you up?"

"Hardly." Roy returned, "It was Den, he had one of my shoes. I went after it and passed your room."

"Stupid mutt." Ed muttered.

Roy was studying the other cautiously. "Ed, are you sure your...?"

Ed sighed at the trailing question. "I'm fine, you should head back to sleep."

Roy was settled back on the old couch a few moments later. Something wasn't sitting right with him. Yeah, it could have been a flash-back. Hell, there were plenty of instances in Ed's life that could give someone a turn upon memory. But...

'He wasn't breathing.' Roy thought to himself. 'Was it a nightmare about...'

... sat in bed at night, gasping for air, thinking about how you might as well just end it...!

Roy groaned, muttering under his breath, "That lying idiot."

Thmp.

He glanced at the ceiling, confused.

thmp-Thmp-thmp-Thmp.

'He's pacing.' Roy realized.

It made sense, really. A loud thump from his automail, a softer one from his right leg. Around in a circle, pausing at either end of the room. Roy found himself drawn into following it, endlessly, before he sighed and stood. Now or never.

He walked back up the stairs, his heart beating irregularly. That must have been something akin to adrenaline, since he knew it was stupid to go talk to Ed right now. But he went anyways, also knowing neither of them would get any sleep otherwise.

Pausing to listen at the door, Roy could still hear the dull thmp of the younger's footsteps on the floor. Rather than risk death versus injury, he knocked.

Ed opened the door, looking confused. "You're still up?"

"So are you." Roy quipped.

To which the younger muttered, "Yeah, I noticed," while walking away from the door.

"Any reason why?" Roy asked, leaning casually against the door frame.

Ed remarked, "As if you don't know."

It wasn't cruel, wasn't sneering. Just truthful. Roy watched as Ed settled in the bay window, staring over the flat landscape of Risembul.

"So then I was right" Roy continued quietly. "It was about the shooting."

A small scoff. "Yeah, that's it."

"But you're fine." The elder added with slight sarcasm.

Ed glared at him, saying, "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just fine with it for two years, I think--"

"The scars say otherwise, though." Roy interjected. "Don't they?"

He was walking towards the window as well, not truly intending to but going none the less.

"Yeah, but I'm still here." Ed countered.

Now standing over the younger, Roy said in a low voice, "But how much longer would that have lasted if we hadn't found you?"

"You know what," Ed began angrily, standing up, "I don't want to deal with you right now! What gives you the right to come in here and scold me like some spoiled child caught with their hand burned because they tried to steal a hot cookie?"

He was pacing again. Roy was surprised at the speed at which Ed stomped, flinging arms left and right in vehemence and gesticulation as he recanted,

"And yeah, I realize it was stupid, but what does that have to do with now? It was a frickin nightmare, not a premonition or a sign or something!" He turned to Roy, adding, "You can sit down you know."

Roy sat. Confused, he sat, wondering why Ed bothered with the not-quite polite remark as he's yelling at the elder. But none the less, Roy sat quietly enduring the abuse.

Ed watched and sighed when he noticed the look Roy gave him. "And I don't make any damn sense anymore." He continued pacing.

"So maybe you should get some sleep." Roy suggested quietly, testing the waters.

Ed scoffed. "I could say the same to you. What's your excuse, Mr-Lieutenant-General-Flame-Alchemist-Roy-Mustang?"

"You were pacing." Roy replied. "Loudly."

After stuttering incoherently for a moment, Ed rounded in another bout of pacing. "And of course it's my fault! God forbid anyone sleep through footsteps!"

"I didn't mean--" Roy began, only cut off by,

"Well I guess I'm sorry, Lt. General! I'll remember to wear slippers next time I decided to almost die in my sleep!"

When Ed passed Roy that time, the elder reached out to grab the hand swinging agitatedly. He intended on pulling Ed back to explain, but pulled a little too much. When Ed realized he wasn't moving, he was lying backwards across Roy's lap, staring in surprise at the equally surprised Roy.

Before Ed could start yelling again, Roy said, "Maybe next time you should just tell someone when you're scared."

"What...?" Ed muttered, not really focused, just staring hazily at the elder's eyes.

Rather than answer him, Roy brushed a thumb over Ed's lower lip, bringing the younger back to the current situation. Ed started, but didn't say anything; didn't encourage, didn't object. So the other leaned, very slowly, to almost press their lips together. But he stopped, giving Ed the choice.

He closed the distance, tentatively. Pressing, pulling back, pressing again.

There was no second guesses.

---

Well, there you go. Not the best, not the worst. But yeah, hope you liked it, and if you didn't... yeah. Thanks again for all the reviews and encouragement!