Notes: Yay last chapter! :D Posting this one without a proper beta, cause I wanted to get this finished and up before NaNo kicks off. So apologies for any errors! Enjoy!

Stirring Winds

Chapter 10

Roy was going to need about five more pots of coffee to make it through the day with the way things were going so far. He had only managed about two hours of sleep before his mother had woke him up to tell him about the military police harassing the phone. After the last call, she had politely told them that they could either wait a few hours until someone who could talk to them was awake, or just come by later.

Well. That message had clearly been misinterpreted and gone awry.

It had been a good thing he'd gotten up when he did. He wasn't even up a full hour before one of the girls came up and told him that the military police were there and were demanding to take their prisoner into custody. And for a moment, Roy had been glad he had already talked his mother into going back to bed.

The moment hadn't lasted long, though, and he found not only the military police downstairs, but Ross, as well as a couple of the girls, who were all trying to keep the men from going upstairs to search for the suspect. Who Roy himself hadn't even had a chance to interrogate. Though he had spoken with Al about him when he came down for food while Roy had been making himself a cup of coffee.

What followed was about what he had been expecting the previous night. Ever since Maria had come back to Amestris Douglas had kept an eye crooked in Mustang's direction. His ties with the military police, which had never been all that strong really, had definitely been lost since. Or some of them had anyway. Any pull he had had with Douglas—who had never really liked him in the first place, was gone though. But as he found out last night, there was someone new in charge of Central's military police now, and they actually seemed to be on Mustang's side. Or at least impartial, at any rate. He couldn't figure that Douglas liked being passed over on a promotion and his title handed over to someone of higher rank as a result.

What he hadn't expected was how they'd found Ed. Or at least how he was when Roy had walked into the room. It had been hard to ignore the tent he had going on. He had looked as if he'd been about to burst. His face was even tinged with embarrassment, and Roy couldn't imagine he'd gotten his breathing that worked up over being startled by a door.

Oh way to go Douglas, you just interrupted what must have been one mindblowingly amazing dream, going by the state Ed was in. Though he had a feeling Ed would not have agreed with him right then.

Once he'd gotten Douglas and the others to leave, he had been mildly disappointed to find that Ed's erection had gone as well, but hadn't been able to let it go unnoticed. Ed had naturally flipped out on him in embarrassment and fury. What had made Roy pause was him demanding to know why he'd been using his first name.

The first time he'd done it it had slipped out without his thinking about it. It had been shortly after Ed had come back to the military, and it had been hard to think of him as the same kid that had blown into his office a mere year after losing his arm and leg and demanded he make good on his promise to help him join the military all those years ago. He had grown up, and it was hard to remember that he was still the same Fullmetal, just older.

The difference now was that he wanted to call him by his first name if for no other reason than to acknowledge that he was still there, still human. Pride had referred to himself as Fullmetal after he had taken control of Edward's body and it had bothered Roy to no end. Whether Ed had remembered that or not, or if he'd remembered anything other than flashes of things Pride had forced him to do, he didn't know. He had gotten in touch with Al just after they had removed Pride, and he'd told him that Ed was blaming himself for everything Pride had done, but he was only able to recall the more serious things he had done. His memory from the moment that Pride had taken control had been spotty at best, Al had told him.

He wasn't going to tell Ed that. The Fullmetal Alchemist or Edward, they were one in the same person, and Roy didn't want to dampen his title by telling him. He did owe him an explanation though, and he would be telling him...soon. Sometime. As soon as this day was over.

Though he had to admit, watching Ed squirm had made the name-calling worth it.

He had been surprised when Ed had finally popped off his name when getting flustered about his embarrassment over the dream. And if it hadn't have been for the startled look on Ed's own face when he turned to face him, Roy might have thought that it was about some fling or dream girl that lived only in his fantasies. But the way that Ed had reacted, and how bothered he had been when Roy called him out. ...He couldn't possibly be having the same kinds of dreams he himself had been having, could he?

And maybe that's what the name thing was about for him, really. He was too afraid to act on his desires, so he confused the hell out of Ed by calling him by his name. He was flirting! He nearly laughed out loud as the thought occurred to him.

He didn't though, which was good because he was now sitting in Fuhrer Grumman's outer office, waiting to meet with him. He could only assume he was going to need more coffee after this. Grumman never seemed to have good news lately.

And when Grumman got in, Roy found out he had been right. He was temporarily giving him his old office back, but it would only be for a month, because that was when the Fuhrer would be retiring his seat. He said he needed the people to get used to seeing Roy around a bit before he stepped into the Fuhrer position, but three to four weeks was not a very long time to do that in, and Roy was going to be buried in paperwork on top of everything else to make the deadline in that amount of time. Grumman was adamant about it though, so Roy had nodded and kept his arguments to himself.

The announcement that Roy would be succeeding him was to be made next week. This was going to be great.

They talked a bit about the previous night's events, and a bit more in depth about what had happened with the train bombings and any developments there. (They still didn't know much more than they had.) And Grumman called the military police station up while Roy was there and took care of that situation for him. The Evans kid's arrest would be waived so long as he stayed in their custody and Roy took full responsibility for him. Which he had readily agreed to. (Roy hadn't mentioned how much of a good source of information this Todd kid was proving to be. Or how loyal to Roy's cause he seemed to be.)

Roy had headed back to Madam Christmas's to inform his men, plus Havoc—who hadn't really left them since they'd got in the night before, and who had brought Catalina along; Alphonse—who was just days away from joining his team anyway; his mother and a few of the girls he called his sisters that worked for her.

The mood had gone from companionable—the team had been catching up with Havoc and Catalina while he'd been gone—to somber as their meeting had gone on.

The prospect of having an office was definitely good though, at least they would be able to get out of his mother's hair. She had informed him that any of his people could stay there at her place until they found somewhere to stay, which was kind of her, but he was going to try not to encroach on her hospitality for too very long. Thankfully his men seemed to be of the same opinion.

Ed and Al were already talking about moving into the military dorms on campus until they found an apartment to move into, and Al was already offering to let Todd stay with them, much to Edward's obvious dismay.

It was nearly eight o'clock in the evening by the time they had talked everything through, and Roy was to the point where coffee was no longer having much of an effect. His subordinates slowly trailed out—even Ross and Fuery were moving to the dorms tonight. The Elrics and Todd would be staying there another night, and his aunt had refused to let Roy go anywhere else for the night. He really couldn't argue there, he hadn't been too excited about the idea of going back across town to the dorms himself.

He was sitting at the bar, head propped on his hand as he finished a drink. His mother had pushed one at him when he'd plopped down to talk with her a bit after the meeting with his team. He scanned the room. It was mostly empty now. Only a few of his sisters, his mother, and the Elric brothers, along with the Evans kid they'd assumed custody for were left.

Ed had offered to continue keeping an eye on Evans when Roy informed them of his agreement with Grumman. He had been intending to ask them anyway, but he was kind of thankful he didn't have to. Contrarily he'd figured Ed would have complained about being stuck with him longer. Roy knew he wasn't fond of him initially, which was ironic really, since Todd seemed to be such a fan of his.

Ed glanced his way almost as if he had heard Roy's thoughts. He frowned in question, and Roy shook his head and smiled tiredly to convey that nothing was up. Ed relaxed a bit, then turned and said something to Al and slid out of the booth they'd taken up when the last of Roy's men filed out. He made his way over and sat on one of the stools beside him.

"Everything okay?" he asked, surprisingly sincere, studying him closely.

"Yeah," he paused to yawn. "M'just tired."

Ed huffed a laugh, rolling his eyes. "Not to mention all the shit that's happened over the past couple days, you mean? Or hell, this past week? I'd be surprised if you weren't. Even if you had gotten a full night's sleep."

Ed had a point. It had been one thing after another since his call to Central, and he only seemed to be getting deeper and deeper into the chaos. Every time he thought he couldn't possibly handle more work on his plate, something new turned up to make his life that much more complicated. After spending so much of his time pouring himself into a single cause: the restoration of Ishval, he would almost give anything to go back to it now. At least he got more sleep then. Granted more nightmare fueled sleep than usual, but that was to be expected.

Ed was squinting his eyes at Roy again, scrutinizing him.

He just raised his eyebrows in question.

"Well, I came over to ask if we could finish that conversation we were having earlier, but...you look like hell."

Roy laughed out loud. "How eloquent of you."

Ed just shrugged. Then his eyes widened and he blinked at him. "Wait, no Ed or Edward? Not even a Fullmetal? You really must be tired."

Roy kind of wanted to talk to him though. Ed always stirred up his emotions and made him forget all his other responsibilities and concerns, whether in anger or amusement or just casual banter, and...well, he kind of needed that right now. He was tired—exhausted, but he had too much on his mind at the moment that even if he tried to go to sleep right now, his thoughts would keep him up for hours. And that was all he needed.

"Which would you prefer?" Roy asked, and it surprised him when he actually wanted to know the answer.

Ed opened his mouth, then closed it as Madam Christmas walked past on the other side of the bar, and glanced around, gesturing over his shoulder. "Can we...?"

Roy nodded, understanding his question, and gestured toward the stairs as he finished off his drink and stood. "We can talk in my room."

They made their way up the stairs and past the room Ed, Al, and Todd were staying in, and Ed stopped at Roy's door to let him open it. His room was much the same as Ed's, but he'd offered his just in case Al or Todd decided they wanted to retreat back to their room or turn in early. Or both, rather. His was more guaranteed privacy.

Ed glanced around, likely noting the similarities in the rooms, and walked over to the sofa and sat. "Huh. Figures. This one is more comfortable, and bigger," he said pushing a little on the cushion beside him with his left hand. Before Roy could ask, Ed frowned and said "Did you pick the furniture out for this place?"

The question was so out of place that his tired mind could only come up with a, "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I mean, you bought this place right?"

"I merely funded the money to Madam Christmas," he told him. "She found the property and furnished it, or found someone to furnish it, I'm guessing."

"Oh. Well. That sofa was really uncomfortable to sleep on."

Roy smirked. "Not that you had any trouble with it once you got to sleep."

"Shut up," Ed said, but his words had no force behind them. "So..."

"So," Roy replied.

Ed sighed, a little exasperated. "The name thing?"

"You never answered my question downstairs," Roy prompted.

Ed stared at him a long moment, then sat back and closed his eyes, taking a breath. Roy thought he had been about to give him his answer, but instead he said, "I asked you first."

"Fair enough," Roy conceded. He still didn't know what he was going to say to him. Not really. He couldn't just come out with 'I say your name because I want to.' or 'I say it because it means you're real.' It was more than he wanted to admit to. Especially since Ed shouldn't—couldn't be sharing his feelings. Roy was fourteen years his senior and far too old for Ed to be lusting after. And he himself was a perverted old man for lusting after Ed.

"Look," Ed said when he hadn't said anything more, "I know it's not just to get a rise out of me. It's part of it, knowing you, bastard, but it's not the whole reason."

There was no bite in Ed's words and Roy stared at him. Wait, was this actually turning into a civil conversation? This was one for the record books...

"It wouldn't bother me so much if you didn't make it a big deal," he continued, frown creasing his brow. "It's like you're flirting with me or something and it's really fucking confusing!"

Roy couldn't think of anything to say to that.

Ed's eyes widened. "You bastard! You are, aren't you?" he said, little amused grin forming on his face at the discovery. "You're fucking flirting with me."

"Would it be so hard to believe that I just like calling you by your name now?" Roy asked instead of confirming or denying Ed's revelation.

"Yeah, it is." Ed frowned at him. "What I don't get is...what changed, Mustang? Or am I supposed to call you Roy now?"

Roy hesitated a moment, but finally closed his eyes and replied, "No. If any of the higher ups heard-"

"I know that!" Ed interjected, cutting him off. "Just, this whole thing has me really fucking confused. I just don't get why! Other than the flirting thing." He paused for a beat and then looked at him seriously. "Is that what it is?"

Roy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Might as well tell him the truth of it then. "I called you by your title once you became a state alchemist because of protocol."

Ed scoffed and eyed him disbelievingly. "Protocol my ass, Mustang. No one refers to you as 'Flame' when they're addressing you. Just like you don't call Major Armstrong 'Strong Arm'. It's always been different, with me."

Roy yawned and raised his eyebrows amusingly, speaking after he'd recovered. "Would you rather me have called you Major Elric? You weren't military trained, and you weren't there for the rank, calling you by your title seemed appropriate at the time." He shrugged and continued after a beat. "Then it just became habit.

"What changed, Edward," Roy caught his eye and gave him a meaningful look, "was you."

It dawned on Ed all at once, and mixed emotions flashed across his face. He looked away almost shamefully as he whispered, "Pride."

"No," Roy said firmly, and Ed's eyes shot back to him at the force of his words. "You. You changed, Ed. Partly because of what Pride did to you, yes. But it wasn't him specifically. It was you. And now..." You've grown up. Into a very attractive man, Roy wanted to say, but didn't.

"And now?" Ed prompted.

"Do you remember much of what Pride said while he possessed you?" Roy asked, diverting the question and ignoring the wince he got at his words.

"Only what he let me see and hear." Ed frowned. "It's hard to explain. It was like being trapped inside yourself with no connection to the outside world. All your senses are set to off unless the thing in control of you flips the on switch. You're just...there. Stuck inside of the stupid homunculus' mind. Existing. You can talk to him, but other than annoy the fuck out of him—which I did—there wasn't much else I could do."

Roy nodded, listening. This was the first time Ed had ever opened up to him about what he'd gone through with Pride. Roy himself tried to refrain from bringing it up around Ed because of how haunted and guilt-ridden it made him when he thought about it.

Suddenly Ed turned away from him, looking toward the wall. "It's something I did, isn't it? While I was being mind-fucked by that thing."

"No," Roy interjected. "It's not anything you did. ...Pride...well, he gloated and called himself by your title. The few times we got through to you in the short time I was there it was only by calling out your name."

Ed whipped around, glaring at him. "I'm not possessed anymore, Mustang," he said lowly.

"I know that," Roy replied, a little rougher than he had intended, and he sighed to try and take the bite out of his words. "But that's why. I know Pride is gone and you're here, but...it helps. I can go back to calling you Fullmetal if you want," he offered.

"No," Ed responded almost immediately, and Roy stared at him. "It's just, well, I don't mind it all that much when you do. It's kind of...nice, actually." His smile was nervous and twitchy and Roy couldn't help but think of how adorable Ed looked when he was stumbling over what he was trying to say.

And then he realized what he was thinking and tried to divert his thoughts to something else. He was tired, and being tired was like being drunk. He was more prone to giving in to his temptations like this. He couldn't let this conversation go on much longer.

Metal glinted across his vision, and Roy blinked.

"Still with me here?" Ed said, waving his automail hand in front of Roy's face.

He shook off his thoughts (all of them), and told him, "Yeah, I'm just tired."

Ed tipped his head toward the door. "I should go. Let you sleep."

Roy nodded, against everything he wanted to say or do, and Ed stood, but made no move toward the door.

"Yes, Edward?" Roy asked as he got to his feet. "Was there something else?"

Ed shook his head, and, for some reason, flushed a bit, before turning away from Roy. "No, there wasn't anything else. Just...have a good night."

"Yeah, you too." Roy answered.

And the moment was broken. Whatever had been holding Ed in place was gone as he walked over to the door. He turned and smiled as he opened it and said, "Thanks, Mustang. For telling me."

Roy smiled. "Goodnight, Ed."

"Night," he replied and walked out.

Roy shook his head and ran a hand over his face as soon as the door snicked into place, sighing through his fingers. If Ed had stayed much longer… No, he couldn't go there. He just needed to get some sleep, he reasoned with himself. He was bone tired now, and had a good chance at a full night's sleep, and a clear head in the morning. This...thing would be easier to deal with tomorrow. And yet he hadn't moved since Ed had wandered out of his room.

He was quietly listening for the retreating footsteps either going the short distance to the room Ed was in or on down the hall back downstairs, but there had been nothing. No sound from the other side of the door.

Blowing out his breath after nearly a minute of waiting, knowing the risky game he was playing, Roy gathered his wits and crossed to the door, stepping as lightly as he could. He thought of pressing his ear to the crack to try and gather what Ed was doing, but dismissed it as soon as it had come.

Finally, he slowly and gently opened the door, not knowing what to expect on the other side of it.

Ed was staring at him in mild surprise and embarrassment, before turning slightly and thumbing over his shoulder. "I'll just-"

Roy hadn't been aware of what he was doing until his fingers closed around a sleeve and tugged. Ed had flowed forward before he'd had a chance to put any force behind the pull. Before he knew it, Roy's back hit the wall inside his room and he came to his senses and held out a hand before anything more could happen. Ed's chest crashed into it and he immediately stepped back frowning.

"What? Isn't this-" He cut himself off as he looked away, glaring at the floor. "You pulled me! What was I supposed to think?"

Well this had turned into a mess. Roy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I...shouldn't have done that."

Ed was staring at him, eyes searching his own. "What do you want, Roy? Cause if that was supposed to lead me to believe anything else, I'm really fucking confused."

"It's-that-" He fumbled over the words. He was much too tired for this kind of conversation. Finally, he settled himself, looked straight at Ed and said, "We can't do this, Ed. I can't do this. The country comes first and there's too much g-"

He stopped at the sight of Ed's hand held up between them.

"I got it. Okay? I know duty comes first, especially with you." Ed's words were bitter and Roy could see the hurt he'd put there under the glare in his eyes. "Just don't act like this-and flirt, and then just expect…"

The air rushed out of him harshly and he stood there staring for long enough that Roy expected him to go on with his rant. That he was entirely justified in having! A part of Roy wanted to rally with Ed and let him press him into the wall. But then Ed's eyes slid past Roy to the door, and Roy knew he was done talking.

"Just let me know when you sort yourself out, Mustang," he uttered incredibly calmly as he made for the door.

Roy didn't even turn until he'd heard the door close.

In the days that followed, Ed had managed to completely avoid him. It was now nearly a week later, and Ed hadn't so much as spoken to him outside of team meetings or matters that were strictly business. They'd all been so busy, especially Roy himself, that no one had had any time for personal matters anyway.

Ed wasn't talking much in the meetings, letting Al answer most of the questions pertaining to Todd, and only giving his own input when needed. He'd hardly even looked in Roy's direction since that night in Roy's room, and to say that it bothered him-well, it did. But they both knew that what he'd said was the truth. He couldn't afford the distraction of a relationship, and especially one the likes of which they would have. It wasn't the time or the place for it. So Roy let him ignore him and pretend there was nothing there. So long as they could still work together, that was what mattered now.

No matter how he felt about it.

Grumman's announcement of his successor came with a mixed reaction. Some were happy to hear that Roy would be taking the seat. Others were worried he wouldn't be able to handle it, and still more seemed to be against it.

The papers the next day gave them a good feel for the temperature of the country. The support for Mustang was there, but it was dulled by the negative opinions and rants about his character and young age.

He's too young! The murderous Flame Alchemist of Ishval couldn't run a country!

"You're going to need to step up security, Sir," Hawkeye told him.

"No."

He knew exactly what she meant. He didn't need a bodyguard, he was the Flame Alchemist! He could handle himself.

He didn't have to say any of that. The sympathetic look she gave him, although tinged with annoyance, let him know she already knew.

"This isn't about your ego, Sir. It's about your safety. You should have someone with you at all times."

Roy raised an eyebrow and her serious demeanor cracked a bit as her lips quirked at the corners. "You know what I mean. People can sneak in while you're at home and-"

Roy was shaking his head. "I'm not the Furher yet, Hawkeye. I don't need a bodyguard. I'll be fine." He held up a gloved hand in hopeful reassurance.

Her frown deepened and he continued before she could lecture him more. "When it comes up on the ceremony, and thereafter once I'm Fuhrer, yes, I'll keep someone around. Though maybe not in my room," he added, eying her pointedly.

She did smirk now, but it fell away rather quickly and he could see her conceding defeat on the topic.

"Can't I enjoy my freedom a little while longer?" he asked.

Her eyes were soft, yet tinged with worry as she looked at him. "Just be careful, Sir. We're too close now."

He smiled, touched by the trust she was granting him.

"I will, Hawkeye. I will."

Notes: ...Story to be continued in Tides of Change

Wow. So this a big accomplishment for me. I have never finished a chapter fic before! Granted I know I turned this one into a series (oops), but I've always had the worst luck with *finishing* chapter fics. (If you've ever wondered why I have so many oneshots, that would be the reason.) Yaaaaaay! \o/

Thanks for reading, guys. All of your support for this has meant so much to me. Tides of Change is currently a work in progress, set to pick up around a month later in this 'verse, and is my planned project for NaNoWriMo this year, so hopefully I'll be posting that one up in the next couple months or so! So if you want to find out what happens next (and finally see some of that UST resolved), keep an eye out!