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"I think we're lost," Ed says.
It feels like they've been walking through the forest for hours, though he logically knows that it can't have been more than half an hour.
"You're so patient, dear," Roy says, and he's teasing him, because Roy's a bastard that gets off on pushing Ed's buttons and watching him get worked up. Not that Ed's any different. He likes pissing Roy off, because a Roy that's just slightly annoyed gives as good as he gets. They trade barbs back and forth, and it usually ends in a makeout session. It's great.
"It's not my fault you dragged me out to the middle of nowhere under the guise of getting some exercise," Ed grouses. "I had enough of forests during the eight months I was on the run trying to not be hunted down by the fucking military."
"So you've told me. Extensively even." Roy's not taking the bait, but he does grab for Ed's hand. His left one, because Roy's a gentleman and knows that grabbing onto Ed's automail one does nothing for Ed. The pressure sensors that are wired into his nerves can't recognise the touch unless Roy's grabbing on so hard that it becomes uncomfortable for him.
The forest is pretty, if he has to admit it. The sun hits the leaves of the trees and disperses in long lines and speckles across the green and brown ground, fallen leaves and moss covering up the majority of the path that they've been covering for a while now.
The sunlight also hits Roy's hair, making the dark hair look almost purple and white. Gorgeous.
He can't believe that Roy looks at home in a place like this, in a forest where people rarely tread because why in the world would the city people of Central leave the comfort of their bustling urban centre to go frolicking in the middle of nowhere? But Roy looks content to be out here, happy in a way that he usually isn't. For a city boy, he looks at home out here in the wilderness, on the hunt for one of the Armstrong cabins. It's been, like everything else related to that family, been passed down the Armstrong line for generations.
Armstrong has loaned it out to them for the long weekend, claiming that four days away from civilisation will do them some good. Allow them to calm down from what's been a busy few months of work, what with the peace treaty they've just signed with Aerugo.
It's not that Ed necessarily disagrees. The two of them, along with the rest of the team, as well as Al (because he just can't keep his nose out of things when it comes to Ed), have been running more on sugar and caffeine for half a year. This is good for them.
He smiles to himself, knowing that Roy, who is too focused on their destination, won't see it. Roy looks good out here.
Even— or perhaps even because —they're in the middle of nowhere.