Work Text:
Ed didn’t understand relationships.
No, actually, he didn’t understand certain types of relationships. Because there were definitely different types.
There were family relationships, like with Al, who he would literally die for.
There were friends that were like family, like the Rockbells and the Hugheses, who he would always be there for and who he knew would be there for him.
And there were friends, like Ling and Mei, who he knew would help him out if he was in a pinch.
Then there was Roy, who had recently moved from the friend category to the boyfriend category. He was the only one besides Al to have a category all to himself, and Ed wasn't sure what to think of that. He’d never had anyone in the boyfriend category before. First, he’d been too focused on getting Al’s body back, then on stopping Father, and then Al’s rehabilitation.
And then suddenly, he was moving back to Central with Al and being talked into being a consultant for Roy’s team. That led to going out to drinks with the team, which led to drinks with just Roy, which led to dinner together and calling each other by first names.
And that all led to Ed standing on Roy’s doorstep and wondering how big of a favor he could ask for from someone he’d been dating for a month.
He looked down at the puppy in his arms.
“You’re cute,” he said to small ball of fur. “That’s gotta earn us some extra favor points, right?”
He only got a face full of puppy breath in return, but Ed was taking that as agreement.
Knock, Knock.
After an unbearably long wait that was still somehow too short, the door swung open to reveal Roy’s handsome face.
“Edward,” he said as his face lit up with a smile. “What a pleasant surprise.”
Ed couldn't help but smile, and damn but it was still weird to smile at the sight of Roy Mustang. But that was probably the kind of thing that happened when someone got their own relationship category.
“Can I come in?” Ed asked because this wasn't the sort of favor you should ask on the doorstep. Probably.
Ed followed Roy into the house and wondered how exactly he was supposed to bring this up now that he was out of ways to stall, but Roy brought it up for him.
“Who do we have here?” he asked as he reached out and pet under the puppy’s chin.
Ed handed Roy the puppy so that he could experience a full dose of cuteness as he heard the story.
“I found this little guy trying to cross the street and worried he was going to get hit by a car, so of course I grabbed him, right?” Roy nodded as Ed paused, which was a good sign. “And I would have brought him home, but Al and I can’t have pets in the apartment.”
And then I thought of all the stray kittens I wouldn't let Al keep when we were traveling, Ed thought but didn't say. How many times had Ed told Al no? How many strays had they returned to the streets because they were staying in a hotel or about to board a train or chasing down a crazed alchemist? And then there was this little puppy, staring at Ed with enough hope and trust that he didn't want to say no again. They weren’t traveling anymore. He had options now.
“So, I thought to myself,” Ed continued. “You know who has a house and can take in a dog? Roy.”
That got Roy looking away from the puppy and back to Ed. “You want me to adopt him?”
Ed nodded and smiled and tried with every fiber of his being to project ‘this is a good idea’ vibes. “You like dogs, right?” Ed had seen Roy play with Hayate enough to know that he may even love dogs, so this felt like a safe bet. “So, I didn’t think you’d mind.”
Roy went back to looking at the puppy, who he had lifted to face level, so Ed rambled on. “I’ll help, of course. Your hours are crazy, but I’ll have time to feed him every day and walk him and train him.”
Roy brought the puppy back to his chest to snuggle against him. “So,” he asked, “you want us to adopt him?” It felt like a significant question, but Ed wasn't sure why. Agreeing would help his cause, right? Shared responsibility meant less burden for Roy so more chance of agreement.
“Yeah,” Ed said, nodding eagerly. “He’ll be like our dog…who lives here.”
Roy smiled. Not even his ‘it’s going to be so fun explaining how wrong Ed is’ smile. It was softer. Ed really hoped it was a ‘my boyfriend is brilliant, I love how he brings me small animals’ smile, but he didn't have much of a reference to compare against.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Roy said, voice just as soft as his smile. “But I need to give you something first.”
Before Ed could even begin to question that, he found a key in his hand.
“So you can get in even when I’m not home,” Roy said when Ed just blinked at him. Now that really felt significant, but Ed wasn't going to draw attention to it.
Instead, he cleared his throat, which felt traitorously tight, and asked, “What should we name him?”