A/N: It snowed in my town today for the first time in years, and it inspired me. I felt that this piece had to be written, especially since I'm all about Ed and Roy atm (expect more of this couple later on!).

Hope you'll enjoy reading it just as much as I enjoyed writing it!

*Slight AU - I pretty much ignore the entire end of Brotherhood.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor the characters.

WINTER NIGHT

It was an exhausting day at work. Ed allowed himself to fall on the bed, too tired and cold to care about taking off his boots before he curled under the thick blanket. Roy would be furious, but he didn't care. It was bad enough the bastard gave him enough work to get him to that level, and on such a cold day, on his birthday! It was only fair he'd mess his usually clean sheets with mud from his boots. It was his little sweet revenge.

They have been together for almost a year now; longer than any relationship Ed ever had, or thought he could have. It started off by mistake, a spontaneous kiss after years of suppressed tension between them, and it had been like a volcano eruption: furious and loud and unstoppable. At the time, Ed was sure it won't last; he was positive it was only that one night, when they finally kissed and were so lost in their passion that neither cared about consequences and they finally gave in to their lust. He kept telling that to himself even when a month passed and he found himself spending more nights in Roy's bed than his own, making up lame excuses for Al every time he caught him sneaking back to their flat during the crazy hours of the dead of the night. Fighting the urge to touch him whenever they met, which happened a lot, obviously.

But then he fell asleep in those strong arms, and when he nuzzled that broad chest and curled up close he could no longer deny it. It wasn't just a passing fling or a one night stand; it slipped out of his control long ago, probably from the moment he finally gave in and attacked Roy's mouth with his own and surprisingly faced the same amount of passion instead of rough rejection. That was when he finally broke and told his brother about Roy. He was amazed at his brother's reaction to the news. He was expecting fury, disappointment or cold scolding; not that warm, knowing smile and the soft admission that he suspected it all along. Too taken aback, Ed asked him why he wasn't mad, if not because he hid it for over a month, then because what he was doing was stupid. Not only was Roy another man – the same gender as himself, and he knew he was a freak for feeling the way he did but couldn't fight it – but he was also his commander, the officer who gave him orders and disciplined him when he wasn't doing what he was ordered to, which was way too often. Leave alone the fact that it was illegal and endangered both his and Roy's positions in the army as well as their reputation. But Alphonse simply said that he'd never paid attention to laws and regulations anyway and with the heavy atmosphere and fierce arguments the two of them were having it was only to be expected. He just wanted Brother to be happy, he said, and he didn't care if spending time with Colonel Mustang was what brought a smile to those lips as long as it was genuine.

But Al's acceptance wasn't the only thing he worried about. It really was illegal and dangerous. Even though Roy's men were peculiar among the other soldiers and were willing to follow their commander even in mutiny if they saw the cause fitting, and they overlooked the tension between the two of them without saying a word – and Ed was sure they knew something was going on even if they didn't guess the true nature of things – the rest of the military won't be the same. So they had to restrain themselves while in Central Command or other people's presence, forced to narrow their attraction to short, meaningful stares and stolen kisses when they knew for sure no one could walk in on them. They never went any farther than that while outside of Roy's house, and Ed had no idea where Roy found self control strong enough to prevent him from fucking him in the office, because if it wasn't for Roy's refusal and logical explanations he would have given in long ago, probably causing their exposure and bringing an end both to their relationship and their jobs.

Somehow, despite their similarity that brought them to arguing every day, the feelings they shared were strong enough to bring them to each other's arms almost every night. Ed was positive something would have broken them long ago – their fights, that more times than not, evolved to verbal and physical violence, the tension in the office, or simply the natural flow of things that might have driven them apart. But the violence often turned into passion, and many times they found themselves lost in the force of their emotions. A hostile touch turned to a tease that sparkled sensation on the skin and awoke certain parts. Countless times one of them found himself pinned against a wall, pressed against the table in Roy's kitchen or thrown to the bed, and nothing in the world could stop them from tearing the clothes off each other's bodies, devouring each other and losing themselves in the fangs of lust and need. The feeling of danger when they were in Central Command, the constant fear that someone would pick up on the change in the air around them, slipping from professional and mutual disrespect to more personal and intimate lines, glares that now contained more than disdain and rebellion, or ambiguous sentences – all of that just fed their relationship, brining in an edge of danger and adventure every time they accidently touched each other, and it didn't matter if that touch was innocent or meaningful, it sparked the same sensations all the same.

None of that changed the fact they were too similar for their own good, each stubborn in his own way, but somehow they still managed to last ten wonderful months, and by now were so used to each other, so consumed by their relationship, that Ed wouldn't give it up for anything in the world.

But that didn't mean he couldn't bitch about the missions he was given, his childish stubbornness didn't fade from his actions despite the fact he was just about to turn eighteen. Endless times he did things solely because he knew they would annoy his partner, and his actions were met with just the right reaction; half of the times leading to Ed leaving the house in anger while the other half ended with both of them tangling in white sheets that only God knew how they didn't light on fire underneath them.

Today was probably one of the days that could easily end with the first kind of outcome, but for now Ed fell asleep almost immediately after he landed on the bed, angry and stubborn.

Gentle touch awakened him, and for a moment he allowed himself to give in to it, snuggling closer to the warm body above him and letting out a soft, delightful moan.

"Wake up, beautiful," the words were whispered in his ear, the air fluttering on his skin and sending the first tentacles of lust down his spine and at the same time triggering his fury. Almost a year and Roy still called him these girly, annoying pet names despite his repeated claims that he hated them.

"Shut up," he murmured, not bothering to turn around or open his eyes. He was still tired, and something inside him told him it wasn't morning yet, and it felt more like a short nap that only made him more tired than a fulfilling night's sleep.

"Wake up," the words repeated themselves, and there was an edge to the voice, a hidden layer of amusement that set off Ed's aggressive nature beyond the faint anger he was already feeling. How dare that idiot make fun of him?!

The growl built inside his lungs, but was released with much less force than he thought it would, turning more into a purr than an angry sound. He stopped, and cleared his throat instead. "I don't wanna," he said, his words coming out stubborn and childish.

The hand that caressed him traveled over him until it reached the edge of the blanket, where it clenched and peeled it off Ed's curled body. He growled in protest, and his eyes flashed open when the hand moved along his flesh arm and held his hand, slightly nudging him to get up. "Yes you do."

"Get the fuck off, I want to sleep! What time is it, anyway?"

"Well after midnight."

Oh, great. Well after midnight, that meant he was right and he didn't get more than a couple hours of blessed sleep, and now the bastard was trying to pull him away from this. If he wanted sex he could take care of it on his own, or just wait for morning, he didn't have to wake him up! Besides, he was still mad at him for forcing him to stay on duty until well after the sun went down, on a freezing night such as this one. And since it was already after midnight, it was his birthday, too. What the fuck did he want from him?

"Oh, for fuck's sake, let me sleep. You can masturbate in the bathroom, you don't need me – "

"That's not what I woke you up for, love," Ed was about to protest, but Roy continued before he had the chance to open his mouth. "Just… trust me for once, will you? I promise you won't be disappointed."

The fingers that flattered over his hand's skin were now more demanding, urging him to accept its offer.

"Please?"

With an annoyed snarl, Ed realized Roy won't let him go, and he moved his own fingers to grasp the other hand, holding on it and using it to pull himself up and he swung his legs over to the side of the bed before standing up. Without a word he stood in his place, glaring and waiting.

"Thank you," Roy's gratitude was soft, and he met Ed's frown with a soft smile before he started walking, Ed dragging behind him. Roy led him towards the living room, guiding him towards the door before he opened it.

At first, Ed protested, the chill from the outside world biting at his face and unprotected hand; but then he looked, focusing his eyes on the sight that revealed itself before him.

A white blanket, untainted and calm and perfect, covered the street and small pieces of pureness flattered around in the air, leisurely taking their time as they made their way towards the ground in tiny turbulences.

Snow.

It wasn't the first time he'd seen it. He spent some time up at the North, dealing with the freezing temperatures and the storms of Briggs, and Resenbool had its fair share of frosty winters. But to see Central covered with it, undisturbed and peaceful, that was a rare occasion and he didn't believe he even once witnessed Central being covered in snow ever since he and Al moved here, and the spectacle was breath taking.

Ed felt the annoyance drained from him, replaced by sheer joy. He couldn't take his eyes off it for a moment, every trace of fatigue withdrawing from his bones. How could he feel tired when winter was showing its full force in such a gentle display of glorious power?

"It's gorgeous," he said, no edge of annoyance or anger in his voice. The hand that held his pressed lightly in response to his own hand clenching Roy's without him even realising it, and he turned his eyes towards Roy, a faint smile embellishing his lips.

"I thought you'd be happy to see it. It started snowing about an hour ago, and it caught up immediately, probably because it was so damn cold," there was a hint of apology in Roy's explanation, but Ed found he wasn't really mad at him for making him stay so long in the office anymore. After all, the work had to be done, and Roy himself had stayed hours after him. He felt the sting of embarrassment and knew his cheeks were coloured with shame at his earlier childish rage, bur Roy just smiled at him and brought his hand up to Ed's chin, gently pressing to force the younger man to look up at him. "I think it's the first time Central has snowed in ten years or so. I think it's fitting that it does, today out of all days."

Ed's smile faded lightly, making space for a confused frown instead. Roy wasn't supposed to know, he'd never told anyone the date of his birthday. He assumed the office knew it was sometime around winter, it was only logical the subject came up one time or another, but he certainly didn't recall being specific about it – or otherwise his comrades should have brought him presents, and they never did. So what exactly did Roy refer to?

Roy pulled him closer so there was no distance left between them and placed his lips on top of Ed's. It was a gentle kiss, romantic and soft and loving, the kind of kiss that was meant to show care rather than set a spark in the pit of his stomach and lure him to bed, and the tenderness melted his heart and he moved his hands to cling on Roy's body, desperate for more closeness. He could feel Roy's other hand resting on the small of his back, caressing him lightly before he broke away and looked at him with a smile.

"Happy birthday, Ed."

"How did you know?"

"You're my partner, and my subordinate. Isn't it part of my job to know everything about you?"

"You don't know everything about me," Ed mumbled in response. The situation was alien to him; he'd never had to deal with anyone referring to his birthday besides Al and Winry ever since his mother died, and they already knew he wasn't going to show any gratitude at their efforts. How the hell was he supposed to react to Roy?

"You're right," the soft agreement drifted above his head and he looked up at Roy, slightly puzzled. Wasn't he supposed to roam? To claim he did know and Ed was simply too blind to see it? "But I'd love to learn. I love you, Ed."

Ed's eyes went wide and he looked at Roy's face, honest dark eyes staring back at him. It was the first time he actually said it like that; sure, there were those pet names that annoyed the shit out of him and the obvious need of his presence, but he had never put his feelings into words like this, and the expression of these three simple words shook Ed's existence. He was used to the unconditional love of family – his mother and his brother, and even Winry fell into that category, having grown up together and spending most of their childhood together, including the painful turn of events when all three kids lost their parents. But this kind of feeling? Someone outside of their little bubble, someone who could choose to walk away whenever he felt like it and had absolutely no obligation towards him? That was strange to him, and it filled him with unfamiliar warmth. Sure, they kissed and caressed and made love, but it was always about need and want and lust, and even when Ed realized it was something more than just animalistic instinct, he never dared to hope it was anything more than that.

Was he ready to admit it? To face the fact that it was more than sex and the comfort feeling of someone next to him?

"I…" he started, his thoughts still confused and blurred; he was happy, but will that happiness stay if he gives in to the true depths of his feelings? And what if Roy got tired of him eventually? But it wasn't right to leave Roy hanging like this. In all his years as an alchemist he learned one thing, that there was nothing stronger than the law of equivalent exchange. If Roy confessed his feelings like this, it was only right that he'd do the same and expose himself the same way, regardless of his own will. He opened his mouth to continue and was surprised when he heard Roy shushing him, and felt himself being pulled towards the other man, embraced in a hug.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. It's alright, Ed, you can take as long as you need. I'm here, and I can wait. Don't force yourself out of obligation."

"Thank you," Ed said quietly, and he wasn't sure he was even heard, his words muffled by the fabric of Roy's uniform. He rested his head against his solid chest, and heard the door being closed gently before Roy's hand rested on him again.

"Don't worry about it. I'll always be here for you, Ed. But you are going to have to clean the mess you made on the sheets with your shoes."

Ed pushed himself away. He almost forgot about it, the sleep and Roy's gentle request and the snow pushing his little revenge away from his conscious mind.

"It's my birthday," he said childishly, hoping that maybe that simple fact was enough of an excuse to let him slip away from the inevitable task.

"And that was a new set I just applied this morning. Go and changed them, then I'll give you your real present."

There was an unmistakable hint in his tone, a promise that stirred butterflies to life in the pit of Ed's stomach and his body reacted to that, heat spreading between his legs in anticipation as he walked towards the bedroom.

THE END

A/N: please don't forget to leave a review and let me know what you thought of this story! It's my first attempt in the FMA fandom after recently re-watching the entire series again and developing a horrible addiction to it, as well as an irrational love to Ed and Roy as a couple, and would love to receive some feedback :)

Thank you for reading:)