This thing just demanded to be written after listening to sad music and browsing heartwarmingly sad pictures of Ed on deviantart, soooo...yea XD

It almost seemed like a dream, all that had happened. Almost like, one day, he was coldly lifting a crippled little boy out of a wheelchair to yell at him, and the next that little boy had become a man, his goal complete. It was almost as if he had never met the golden-haired boy. Even though everything had changed, it was as if nothing had ever happened.

Four years was an impossibly short term in the military. Without knowing it, those years had slipped by impossibly fast and no-one had known how much they cared for the brat until he wasn't there anymore.

Roy realized this the day the Fullmetal Alchemist was honorably discharged from the military, his arm and little brother restored. The country was healing, as well as the many soldiers who fought and the main event themselves: the Elric brothers. That day, every time Mustang looked at his youngest subordinate, he couldn't help but get sentimental. It was ridiculous. Edward had even asked him about it, but of course Mustang had simply said that his newly healed eyes tended to get watery. Somehow, he knew that Fullmetal didn't completely buy into it. And somehow, that wasn't a bad thing.

It had been a strange feeling, though. Like Roy never wanted to be fully healed, because that meant things would go back to normal, even though they weren't. Because he would be Fuhrer and Edward would be gone. There wouldn't be any more slamming doors, or shouting, or snide remarks or short rants or new leads to follow or bantering or smirks that secretly translated to smiles or 'welcome back's' disguised as 'come up short again?'s' or tacky red coats or determined, blazing eyes or clinking metal or...or...anymore Fullmetal. Everyone could try to return to their normal lives, but that was impossible. No one could remember what 'normal' was before Fullmetal. It was almost as if he had always been there, but like he never even existed.

Roy Mustang would had known Edward like a son, second in his knowledge only to Alphonse. He would never admit this, not on his dying breath. But at the same time, it was all he wanted to say and more when that day finally came. And again, as if nothing was happening, the usual ensued.

"So I take it your heading back to your home town, Fullmetal?"

"I told you, it's not Fullmetal anymore. I can't do alchemy and I'm leaving the military."

"Yea, but you'll always be the Midget Alchemist."

"I'M PRACTICALLY AS TALL AS YOU NOW YOU-"

"So when are you leaving?"

"Eh? Oh, Al and I've gotta catch the train later today."

"I see. It'll be nice not having doors slammed into the wall now. Do you have any idea how much money I had to pay in repairs for the holes you made in the wall?"

"Don't know, don't care."

"A whole lot less extra paperwork too."

"Don't Fuhrers get like, way more than Colonels do?"

"Well, considering the subtraction of your papers from the typical Colonel amount, 'way more', as you say, shouldn't be that much."

"I didn't even cause that much damage. You all just overreacted half the time."

"Oh definitely. I can't believe how so many people were overreacting when you blew up half of Ross town."

"That wasn't even my fau-!"

"Brother! The train is leaving in an hour! You need to get packed up or we'll miss it!"

"Okay! I'm coming!"

"Hey, Fullmetal."

"What?"

"Hurry up and man up to that Rockbell girl."

"W-whatever! I could say the same for the Lieutenant!"

"Yea right!"

"..."

"..."

"I'll...I'll see you around, Colonel Bastard."

I know you'll be a good leader.

"You as well, pipsqueak."

You have a good life, now, Ed.

Ok, I know it probably wasn't great, but it was just kind of a brain dump because I needed to get out my Parental!Roy feels.

Feel free to leave feedback! :)

-ImperialAffliction