Authors note: This is actually not just a Roy/Ed fanfiction…it mentions other people…for once. As usual, this is unbeta'd.

Theme: #278 Laugh

When Edward laughed, he had the most startling laugh. When Roy laughed, he had a husky, bedroom laugh that sometimes became full blown out chuckles.

Ed had made it a point to convince Roy to laugh whenever he could.

Roy wanted to hear Ed laugh too.

So, it became a game.

Who will be the first to laugh that day? Whoever laughed the most gained points. The person with the most at the end of the day had to do the chores. (although the other would usually help out anyways)

For them, it was a ritual and any other person peaking in would undoubtedly be confused by such antics.

What would draw a person like those two together? For them, it was simply understanding and knowledge that had led them to seek the impossible with each other.

And anything Ed touches can be possible.

When Roy was forced to give Ed long missions, he wallowed in unhappiness until Edward came back, or he worked to the point that there was no paperwork left to do. This impressed Hawkeye immensely, and made her agreeable for the next couple of days.

However, Hawkeye was always annoyed with Edward who somehow always managed to avoid his paperwork. If it hadn't been for Al, she doubted Ed would actually get any of it done at all.

And when on mornings like these when the two men would walk in laughing together, she understood the reason she didn't shoot them both.

Because more than anything else she loved to see them together, happy, caring, freely laughing.

And they always were when they were together.

She knew of the game of course, and knew very well that the both of them never won, that they always tied. That that it was supposed to be that way, the two of the twined together, their love for each other enormous.

Ed didn't want to quite admit that he enjoyed Mustang's company – even if he was living with the man. No, he wouldn't admit it. Not yet at least.

Roy had no problem waiting for Edward, knew that the young man was still feeling his way through this new relationship (which wasn't so new anymore) and always gently prodded him to say what he wanted.

It was one of those days, the days when Edward was gone, and Hawkeye was just putting more paperwork on his desk that he noticed Edward had left him a note on his latest report.

He picked it up, hands opening the flimsy envelope.

Written in scrawling letters that could only belong to Ed were the words I love you.

Roy smiled and laughed beneath his breath as he mouthed the words.

Edward on a train from Central stared out the window, breath frosting the glass, a large grin on his face as the snow blew past. He swore he could hear Roy's voice telling him

I love you too.

And he laughed the laugh Roy loved so much, bright and loud on the full train, and couldn't wait to get back home.