The newly promoted general twisted his head around as he looked for his wayward lover. However, the young man was nowhere to be seen. Just in case he'd somehow missed the little bugger, he glanced over at the banquet table. But, Edward wasn't there either. If it had been anyone else but Edward, he wouldn't have worried. But it was Edward…and trouble tended to be attracted to Edward.
His hands tangled in the pillow, eyes closed, feet slipping against the sheets, golden hair a spray about his head, Edward was the most beautiful thing he'd seen. Eyelids opened to reveal hazy gold and the mouth tipped up into one of those infuriating and desirable smiles he was so rarely graced with. Then those hands rose and closed around his shoulders, and pulled. Warm skin, warm smile and he was lost in a sea of feeling.
He tapped his fingers on his thigh as he smiled politely at one of the generals whom was talking to him. When the man paused for a moment, Roy murmured a polite, "Excuse me," and slipped out of the hall to look for the Fullmetal Alchemist. He found Edward in a side garden – but he wasn't alone. Another man hovered over him - and at first Roy thought he was simply making small talk, but when the man placed a hand on Edward's shoulder and slid it down towards his wrist he realized it was rather something different. He watched as Edward drew back into himself and pulled away a bit, trying to shrug off the grip on his other arm. He could feel Edward's anger radiating from where he stood, but Ed didn't throw any punches? Why? Edward had never been afraid of hitting a general or two, he often said it kept them in their place? What was so different this time?
Angry eyes, fearful eyes. The look suggested he was the villain – the man who was usually doomed to fail in those newfangled moving pictures. The young man was tense – and scared, even if he wouldn't admit it. "Edward…" Hissed and low, "Don't!" and the glitter at the edge of his eyes. Tears, he thought wildly, he's crying. Ed lifted his hand to his face and touched the fluid on his cheeks with a finger and for a moment he looked surprised. Then he was just angry, angry, angry. And then Ed's shoulders slumped as if he were giving up…and he reached out, before letting his hand drop forlornly at his side. This time, soft and hurt, "Why?" There was no easy answer, nothing that he should say, because he couldn't – shouldn't – and then it was slipping out, "I love you."
The other man looked up and Roy got a good look at his face and felt his heart freeze. Fuhrer Hieve reached out to Edward's cheek, and this time Edward knocked his hand away not roughly, but neither was it gentle. Hieve looked annoyed for a moment, and then leaned forward again. Edward took a half step back and seemed to become increasingly nervous. His fingers clenched and unclenched and in that moment Roy realized something he tended to overlook. Ed had learned restraint – restraint that he must have worked hard at.
Ed's eyes were soft and the color of honey as he sat there in the sun, the light reflecting off his hair and making it shimmer. He shifted in the light and stretched up towards it. His smile was quick and relaxed as he saw Roy standing there. "Hi," he said quietly and tilted his face back towards the sun. Legs crossed, and arms hanging loosely in his lap he looked utterly content. Roy moved to stand next to him. Ed said, "I suppose I owe you a congratulations." Another smile, just as quick and beautiful as the last one. Roy let one hand rest on Edward's head for just a moment before saying, "Let's go home."
The young man who hadn't done anything objectionable, the young man who hadn't gotten into trouble or destroyed things in the past six months, the young man who had simply sat quietly in the library and watched through the windows.
Oh Edward, Roy thought to himself. I never thanked you, did I? And here you are again, not defending yourself because if you do you think it'll hurt me. Darling, you have no idea how much I love you do you? How much I want to give you the perfect world, a world that you desire more than anything for not only yourself, but for all the weak, all the innocent?
Roy stepped out of the shadows, "Edward," he called. Ed looked up and Roy felt his heart squeeze at that fleeting and bright smile. But in an instant it was gone and his face became strained.
"General Mustang," the Fuhrer seemed to purr. Roy's mouth thinned into a hard line and he took another step forward.
"Fuhrer Hieve. Just what do you think you're doing with my lover?"
Hieve drew back in surprise as Roy continued to advance. "I do so hope that you remember what happened to the last Fuhrer who...hurt…myself and Edward." Roy gave him a bland smile. "Things never tend to go well for people if they're on the wrong side of either one of us."
The Fuhrer looked a little pale and he took a step back from Edward. "I trust my point is clear," Roy said softly as he moved to stand by Edward's side. "Because if it's not, I can make sure you remember it."
"N-no. I'm clear." The Fuhrer's eyes were slightly wide as he gestured back towards the hall and said, "Why don't we go back inside and enjoy the festivities?"
"I think we're done tonight, but it was lovely." As Roy passed Hieve he closed his fingers rather too tightly about the Fuhrer's wrist. "Don't forget this conversation."
Sweetness this time, it left sticky trails on Ed's fingers, wrist and arm as it slowly trickled downwards, but Edward was laughing and smiling and Roy enjoyed seeing him so happy. Edward took a last sloppy lick of the quickly melting ice cream, finishing his. Edward grinned when they passed a fountain and quickly dipped his fingers in before flicking them at Roy who didn't quite dodge in time. Roy smiled too and took Ed's hand in his.
Roy felt Ed's finger's lace with his as they walked down to the sidewalk. And this time when Edward looked up and smiled at him, it didn't disappear.
"Did you know," Edward said, "that in some ancient society there was this stupid king who decided that he wanted some important man's lover – and tried to get him? It didn't end well because the man and his lover killed the king. But they were banished from their city and were called tyrannicides. Tyrant-killers, king-killers."
Roy stopped and looked down in his face. "I would kill to protect you in a heartbeat." Roy watched as Edward's breath caught and those eyes sun-gold eyes brightened. Strong fingers tightened in his and then Edward was kissing him.
Roy freed his hands and let them close around Edward's hips as Ed's went around his neck. He pulled Edward into a tight embrace and felt Edward's head rest against his shoulder. Then whispered so softly Roy could barely hear, "I love you."