A/N: I think there may or may not be additional chapters. As it stands, this is it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, those rights belong to the one and only, Hiromu Arakawa.
When Riza told Roy she wanted to do a routine for the big day, Roy seriously thought about escaping through the window. He figured there was a significant chance he might actually survive the five-story drop.
"Why? You don't even like to dance."
"That may be true, but we're expected to have the first one. I'd rather do something coordinated than embarrass ourselves," she pointed out pragmatically.
Unfortunately, she had a point, so he could only nod and agree to his fiancée's demands. That's how he found himself in a dance studio, watching old people attempt to move parts of their bodies that they hadn't known still existed after the 1950s. Thankfully it wasn't long before the class was over as the elderly couples took arms and made their way out the glass door. Roy and Riza walked towards the only other people left in the studio. The taller of the two blonds stepped forward. Well tall was relative; the man still only came up to Roy's nose.
"Hi, I'm Ed Elric, your instructor and this is my partner, Winry. I guess you two must be Roy and Riza?"
The couple nodded and the man grinned, there was something feral about it. "Great! I know that you wanna learn a tango routine for your wedding." He waited for Riza's nod before continuing, "I've already choreographed it, so have a seat, Winry and I will demonstrate the first part for you. Don't worry it's easier than it looks." Again the grin. Roy found himself strangely attracted to it, as if it held the promise of exotic danger. He gave Riza a look as they sat down, but her face was unreadable. He leaned back in his chair and waited.
"You ready Winry?" Ed asked as the music started. She didn't answer, but sultrily stepped towards him, shoulders thrown back. They circled once, twice, a third time. Both of them had their brows drawn and a fierce look in their eyes as he pulled her close, faces almost touching. He spun her once before dropping into a low lunge, Winry his mirror. Roy noticed that their gaze never broke and that lent them a crackling intensity that went beyond the seductive roll of the woman's hips. When they came up, Ed pulled her into a series of spins, feet circling the other before stopping short as Winry bent back and slowly came back up. The two glided forward then back, Winry throwing her head and shoulders to the side before Ed pulled her up sharply against him. Another spin and then Ed did a step that made his hips twist far too erotically for Roy. Again the pair was joined at the hip as the two spun four times across the floor ending with Winry arched back again, leg drawn up against Ed's hip. The two broke away and Winry went to turn off the music.
Roy felt out of breath as if he had been holding it this entire time. Winry spoke for the first time and Roy tried to contain his shock at her girl-next-door voice. "It's just the first half of the dance, there's too much to teach all in one go."
"How are you going to teach us?" Riza asked calmly.
"'How am I going to do that lunge' is a better question," Roy said.
"No worries. Like I said, it's easier than it looks. You won't be able lunge that deeply for sure, but the effect will be the same. And to answer to your question Riza, Winry's going to teach you first, while I instruct Roy. We'll then have you two run through it twice before the lesson is over." Riza nodded in understanding, a nearly imperceptible smile playing around her lips. Roy rolled his eyes at her: few people knew how possessive the woman could be, that would be the only reason that she chose an instructor with this teaching method. Winry lead Riza to another studio, leaving the two men alone. Roy finally got a good look at Ed while he put in another CD: he had his waist length hair in a ponytail and wore a simple outfit of black slacks and a black tank, which revealed a very muscular upper torso. A thick scar wrapped unevenly around his right shoulder. I wonder what could've caused that? But was quickly distracted from it when he caught the color of Ed's eyes: pure gold. That wild flash of teeth Roy could only guess was a grin made him pay attention to what Ed was saying.
"Are you listening? Or did you just totally space out on me?" His speech was suddenly less formal and it put Roy at ease as he had the grace to look sheepish. "As I was saying, you have a tough lady, just like Winry, so she's going to try and lead you. But, if you stay strong and stick to your frame, she'll follow willingly. That's rule number one. Rule number two is to never break eye contact unless you absolutely have to. Alright, enough chitchat, let's get started." Ed walked into the center of the floor with all the grace of a predator during a hunt. It was enchanting. Roy followed him and the two began a basic warm up.
"Have you ever done any ballroom dancing?"
"No, not unless you count swaying awkwardly at my high school prom," he said sarcastically.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that doesn't count, haha. Now, the first thing I'm going to teach you is the frame." Ed stood in front of Roy and pulled the man's right hand around and settled it in the middle of his back. Taking the other hand in his, he raised it. "Keep your elbows like that. This is the frame. Now we're just going to do a simple box step…." He was still talking, but Roy couldn't focus, not with that hair tickling the back of his hand. It was so tempting to stroke it, he knew it would feel really soft..."….pull me back. Got it?"
"Uh, yeah."
Ed started counting and when they didn't move, his brows drew down in frustration. "Hey Roy, are you gonna move before we're both old men?" The dark-haired man stiffened at that. He was not old. Unfortunately, in his haste to prove how the fountain of youth sprung forth from his very loins, he botched the first step. Well, botch was an understatement. He royally fucked up the first step, managing to lay Ed flat on his back. And then he stepped on his foot, but, strangely, that didn't elicit any reaction. The smaller man sat up instantly, annoyance painting his brows in a scowl.
"Let me just show you," he ground out. Walking behind Roy so that he had to turn around, Ed took the lead position, resting Roy's left hand on his right shoulder. "Follow." The taller man nodded, apology written all over his face. Ed gracefully led his larger partner through the box step across the studio, accommodating Roy's clumsy footwork with ease. When they returned to their original position, Ed turned them around and dropped his arms. Something felt wrong about not having his firm hand on his back, but Roy couldn't understand why. Most of the frustration was gone when Ed spoke again, "Alright, your turn."
"Right." Roy moved closer to Ed and rested his hand gently in the middle of the blond's back. They got through the step once more with no mishaps. Satisfied, Ed nodded to himself.
"I'm gonna teach you the steps to your routine," he gave Roy a pointed glare. "Please pay attention."
After hurting his knee on the wood floor and a near fist fight over what was and was not appropriate for a man's hips to do, Roy learned the routine.
"Ok, let's do this once more with music," Ed said as he turned on the CD. He dancer's body moved in perfect mimicry of Winry, but somehow it was even more sensuous, more provocative as he stepped towards Roy. The man practically oozes sex. But there was no time to think because Ed was in his arms, eyes locked with his own. When they got to the first dip, Roy felt the distinct urge to lick Ed's neck as the man rolled back up, eyes on fire. Ed threw his head and shoulders to the side and that same fire flared in the pit of Roy's stomach when he pulled the blond back against him. Then the much fought over step, shredded pride stiffening his torso, and then the four turns across the floor. The blond arched against Roy at the end, knee already resting against his partner's hip. Then those gold eyes were locked with his, mouth open and panting. "Good," Ed breathed. Roy's hand slid reluctantly from the other's back as Winry and Riza walked in, chatting amicably.
When he and Riza went through the routine, Roy could only think about that auric gaze watching him with a ferocious intensity, rough-edged voice calling out corrections. Four more lessons. I just have to make it through four more lessons. He knew where this attraction came from, had seen it at work in other people. Some rare individuals simply had a magnetism that drew others, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. What frightened him was that it was happening to him four weeks before his wedding. He knew men, who had been married for years, throw it all away to chase after people like Ed. To chase, not even guaranteed a relationship.
"Alright you two, good work today. See you next week," Ed finished. As Roy left, he cast a glance over his shoulder and caught the other man's eyes again. Next time that golden gaze promised.
A/N: Please review!