Title: Taken In Hand br 
Author: ursweetheartles (me!) br 
Rating: here R br 
Warnings: D/s, M/s, shouta, AU, slavery, unbeta'd but spelling and grammar checked br br

Part 1: Gifts Given Freely br

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Mustang took a deep breath and steeled his will before he stepped out of the car after his friend Maes Hughes. It had been the other man's idea to come out here to the auctions while he was visiting Mustang in the east, and look at all the merchandise. Roy was uncomfortable here, as he always was, but he humored his friend and always came out with him anyways. Hughes smirked cooly as he gripped the tall bag of popcorn he had bought on the way here, tossing some into his mouth before idly offering the bag to Roy, who took it without thinking, filling his own mouth with the crunchy kernels. Maybe it will help to settle my stomach if I put something in it, the man thought, though he knew he would continue to have that twisting feeling in his gut until they left.

He didn't know why it bothered him, to come out like this. He'd been out here many times, and he'd never bought anything much, only a couple of useless trinkets from the flea market that perpetually ran outside the auction tent. He knew the routine well by now. In the first part of the auction there was the small livestock, then the larger livestock. This was usually politely ignored by the crowds, only the farmers from outside of east city payed any attention to them, drawing them out for much longer than they needed to be for the spectacle of the preparation for the real show.

There was always an intermission between the auctions, where the livestock was herded out of the ring, and those farmers who weren't staying for the main event would collect their purchases and leave. Then the real merchandise was brought out, divided by age and gender, always in two lines, right arms bound to the rope that connected them, forcing them to stay single file and orderly. Each one wore a card around their neck, with a lot number on it, and it was customary during this intermission for the audience to file by the quivering lines and inspect each one, those seriously interested in making a purchase jotting down numbers and descriptions.

Roy jumped when his friend grabbed his arm, pulling him down towards the already lined up stock, being led out in front of the stage area now. Hughes always did this, dragging him down to chat offhandedly with him while he prodded each one, sometimes checking eyes or teeth, all the while lecturing Roy on what you wanted to look for or avoid in your purchase.

"You see that there? There's spotting on the gums, and that's never good, is it? Thats a sign of an oral disease, and you wouldn't want to get something like that without knowing exactly what you're getting yourself into. You'd wanna bring a doctor around if you were interested, see if it was easily treatable if you want to bother with something like that." The man happily chattered, tossing back his crunchy snack merrily, hoisting some off on Mustang every once and awhile. Roy mostly just watched, rather detached, ignoring his dear friend's prattle. He didn't intend to make a purchase while he was here, or ever really. It was a whole lot of responsibility, and he enjoyed living by himself much too much to give it up, even for convenience sake. He let his eyes trail disinterestedly along the line of merchandise before him, just counting down the minutes until he could be out of the faintly stinking, crowded tent and off towards home.

His eyes caught on something then though, a flash of red in the line, unusual as the color was brighter than anything around it. It drew Mustang's bored eyes, until they were staring into pools of liquid amber, seemingly endlessly deep. The contact seemed to last forever, but in reality it was only a second before the head to which the eyes belonged was rapped soundly with a long stick, a handler scowling as he shouted,

"You know the rules boy, eyes down. eyes always down." The boy looked down then, a slight flush coloring his cheeks, and it didn't take long for Maes to reach out a hand and grab the boy's cheeks, turning his head to inspect it closely, like he did with any of them Roy showed interest in.

"This one looks pretty healthy, Roy. The eyes are clear, thats a good sign, and the skin is still smooth, if a little dirty. The hair's a little greasy there, a bit longer than i'd go for but it can always be cut to a more manageable length. All in all I bet he'd clean up real good, with a little time." The man squeezed the tanned cheeks then, forcing the boy's mouth open slightly, to inspect his teeth. "See Roy? A bit yellow here, but look, the gums are all uniformly pink and spongy. Thats a sign of good oral health." Mustang shook his head, smiling slightly.

"Maes, what is with you and this teeth thing lately?" The man balked, and started in on another lecture, this time on the importance of oral health. Roy just continued smiling, ignoring the man's words but letting the sound lull him slightly. He felt his mind drift back to those amber eyes, the firm set of the jaw, the bright something that had lurked there. But he just sighed in the end, knowing he wouldn't bid, he never bid.

It took a jostle to his side from Hughes for him to realize the man had been speaking to him. His friend's face was smirking then, as Roy looked up slightly dazed, "What?" he said, trying to sound like he had been paying some attention. The man just shook his head.

"I was talking about this promotion you're up for, now im not really supposed to say anything, but its down to you and one other guy, but he doesn't have much of a chance at this point. He's not an alchemist, and he's been falling off lately at work, and it stands to figure that he'll never stand up against a decorated war hero such as yourself. I'd say its pretty much in the bag for you at this point." The man shoved some more popcorn into his mouth, nearing the end of the bag. He sighed. "This means you'll have to move back to Central City, you know. If you accept it I mean. But why wouldn't you, there isn't much out here to keep you tied down, and you could ask for your subordinates to transfer out with you. It'd be nice to have you in town again, I miss being able to hang out with you like this all the time." Roy smiled, more of a self satisfied smirk really.

"Well, there really wasn't much contest for that promotion, no one can even touch me there you know. I'll be happy to get back to Central too, I miss it out there, I miss you guys and all. Its much too quiet out here in the east, nothing worth anything ever happens." He hadn't really been sure about the promotion until now, and he knew Maes knew that, but he still felt like bragging now was well within his rights. But he looked back up and he saw something in his friends eyes that made him nervous.

"Once you get back to Central, won't be more than a week or two, right? But you should get a nice house, one of those brownstones near the center of town, over by the park. There are a lot of officers who live over there, its a good neighborhood." Roy stood, trying to figure out what his friend was up to when the auction started. He tapped Maes on the shoulder, gesturing vaguely towards the concession stands outside. He didn't like the actual auction, and he always avoided it when they came. It was too loud and chaotic for him, he preferred to wait outside until Maes had burned up his energy. He usually didn't make Roy sit through the whole thing, but he'd done it before.

Mustang browsed through the flea market, now that it had quieted, almost everyone gathered around the spectacle that was the auction. He always enjoyed looking through the trinkets spread across the tables, the furniture, the boxes of books, each piece somehow having an air of holding someone else's memories. It wasn't like he found something he wanted to own very often, usually if he did it was some alchemy book or a sturdy piece of heirloom furniture, but now that he practically knew he was on his way to central city, he knew he would need some new furniture, as he would almost certainly move somewhere bigger than the two bedroom apartment by the base he lived in now. It was tiny, but it was right next to work, and it functioned for what he needed out of it. He would almost be sad to leave it. Almost.

He heard the bustle behind him of the auction getting out and he turned. He was kind of annoyed when he didn't see Maes in that first wave, it meant he had to wait around for him and it would take forever to get out of here. It also meant he had probably made a purchase, something he had done before, but he usually never kept them for very long, as something was always found at fault by his wife, Gracia, and they were resold after a week or two. That always meant complaining over the phone, Maes always saying his wife should be glad for the help around the house, to take care of their daughter.

Roy rolled his eyes as the crowd thinned out and he had yet to see his friend's face. He had bought something alright, and now Roy would have to deal with dragging it home and keeping it for the next couple days until Maes left for central again. Then again, it might be nice to get some things around the house done, maybe he could get help with the packing. Roy wondered around back, forcing a disinterested scowl onto his face when he neared the exits, where the stock was being distributed in numerical order to the person who had made the highest bid. This was where the actual purchase took place, and where the money was exchanged. Many people haggled a little in the end, trying to get the price dropped for some minor imperfection or another. He scanned the small crowd for Hughes' face, but didn't see it.

"Hey Roy!" the familiar voice made him jump. The man was not an intelligence agent for nothing, and he was very good and sneaking up on you. Roy rubbed his temples as he turned around, opening his mouth to chide the other man, but was interrupted before he could even start. "Since you're moving out to central and all, and you're gonna have a bigger place there, I though maybe I'd get you a little something useful, unlike all the dishes and flatware and crap people will give you at the housewarming party. I did tell you Gracia plans to throw you a housewarming party, right?" His eyes snapped over to the man, who was holding on of the leather leads in his hand, leading to the collar of the boy who made Mustang's heart stop. Amber eyes were now downcast, jaw set in an expression of quiet fortitude, cheeks tanned but paling, like he was used to being outside all the time, but lately hadn't seen much sun. Maes came back from his blabbering about his wife's part ideas when he saw Roy watching the boy intently. "Yeah, I saw you looking at him inside, and I thought this would be the perfect time for you to get yourself some help, especially when you move into that big new house. I figure with a few lessons he can probably make a decent cook and clean up around the place." He leaned into Roy conspiratorially, lowering his voice to a mock whisper then, "And he's not to bad looking either, might make some nice decoration if you know what I mean..."

Maes smirked more as his friend colored slightly, sputtering quietly at the implication. It was a fact he kept to himself that he liked men a little better than women, but it wasn't something he'd been able to keep from Maes. Especially considering that many a night in the academy he had found himself flat on his back beneath the other man. but Maes had found Gracia and they both had moved on from there, Maes having moved the furthest, settling down to marry the dear woman sometime last year, and now they were trying for a baby, a fact the man never tired of talking about.

Roy sighed, but cast sidelong looks at the blonde boy, all wrapped up in black, a faded and dirty red coat hanging off his shoulders. He really was attractive, despite the silver gleam at his neckline that indicated automail. Maes knew what to look for in his purchases, he'd give the man that, and he knew what Roy liked. It was clear that the man meant for Roy to take this gift as more than just a household convenience. He sighed, sometimes Maes tried to look after him in ways that made Roy want to slap him. Just because he wasn't married or in a serious relationship, okay any sort of relationship, did not mean he needed something like this to relieve the tensions. Though, he wouldn't mind it in the end, especially for the help with the impending move.

X

Maes stepped out of the car, handing the leather lead to Mustang so that he could waived the military car off, sending it back to base with a small tip for the driver for having put up with them all night. Roy took the opportunity to study the boy some more. He thought the first thing he would do was bathe the boy, get that grime off of his skin and the grease from his hair. Maes had brought up the possibility of cutting it, but Roy was actually quite fond of it's current length, though he might have to get the boy to bind it back when he was working around, so as not to get it in his face and such.

He unlocked the door to his apartment, leading the boy inside, and leaving the door open for Maes who was trailing slightly behind. When the man's face appeared in the doorway he smiled, leering slightly at Mustang.

"You two look good together! The guy there said he has a clean bill of health, and he can understand english fine, he just doesn't speak much. He knows how to do housework, but that wasn't his top selling point if you catch my drift." The man leered again, then backed himself into the kitchen and grabbed two beers from the fridge, popping on open on the spot and chugging a bit before walking the other over to Roy.

"Hey Maes, why don't you settle in on the couch, I'm gonna make sure the boy gets a bath and some clean clothes, I can't let him wonder around my house like this. Then we can have a little talk..."

X

Edward let himself be led upstairs quietly. He had heard the man's tone, this new Roy to whom he had been given. It didn't sound like he was thrilled with the acquisition, like he didn't want someone like him here. It made the boy swallow. This was the kind of house most of the slaves he had been with would kill to get into, and he knew he couldn't fuck this up. It was too good. Besides, he had heard the thinly veiled threats thrown his way when he was sent out to the auction: if he was returned, if he didn't make his new master glad he'd brought him home, they would find his brother themselves, and he would not be glad for it. The blonde focused on Alphonse's face in his mind as he climbed the stairs, ready to do anything in his power to convince the man he wanted to keep him around.

The bathroom door swinging open brought him to the present once again, and he followed the man in with only a slight tug on the lead. The man sat on the edge of the tub then, fiddling with the water taps and testing the temperature before filling the large bath with hot water, tipping a little soap in from a jar on the shelf beside him. Once it was on its way he turned back to Edward, who quickly averted his eyes once more, standing at attention: hands clasped in front of him, head down, back straight. Mustang reached forward then, and touched his cheek softly, the blonde fighting to stay still under the tender fingers. They traced the boy's chin quickly though, falling to his neck, tracing the thick leather collar worn there to the clasp in the back, quickly unbuckling it. This confused Edward, the collar was symbolic, and it hadn't been removed since he had been taken in for training. He winced a little as the gentle fingers traced the now tender skin beneath it, the man shaking his head slightly.

"Why don't we get you into the water now, see if we can't clean you up a bit." It was a tentative command, but a command nonetheless, and Edward complied immediately. His hands went to the red fabric of the coat, watching the man from the corner of his eyes to gauge his reaction to the skin revealed. If the man desired him in a sexual way this would all be a whole lot easier. When the red coat fell away to reveal the tight black clothing underneath all looked good, but he hesitated a second over the hem of his shirt. He was concerned about revealing the automail. He hated the metal limbs, thought they were heavy and ugly and clunky, even as they allowed him to move normally. If the man disliked the limbs all would be lost, he would have hope of being useful as a household servant and not much else. But as the metal of his shoulder port and arm came into view, the man started slightly, but his expression did not change much. This could be good. br br 

It was at the buckle of his belt that he focused on the man intently again. He saw the man dart his gaze away and he thought all was lost but as he slid the black leather of the pants down over his hips he felt the man's eyes on him again, though the face was pointed away. He felt a small jump of hope in his stomach, this could work out in the end after all. He let the leather fall to the floor and bent forwards to tug the ends of the pant legs past his feet, then stood again, naked now before glancing expectantly over at the man. br br 

"R-right, well then, get in the tub so we can get you cleaned up." This was a firmer command than the last, which made Edward all the more comfortable in following it. He knew it would turn out better if the man learned to give commands well, if he fell comfortably into taking charge of the situation. He had an aura of control around him, and as a now General in the military he should be used to giving commands in a professional sense at this point. Edward hoped it wouldn't take him too long to realize this potential in his private as well.

The boy flinched slightly at the temperature of the water but sunk into it anyways, allowing the heat to soothe his muscles and loosen the tension in his limbs. He let his eyes fall closed then, and was thus surprised when a washcloth touched his back gently. He jumped away from the touch slightly startled, but mentally beat himself for it when the hand was withdrawn. He let out a small keening noise and opened his eyes, pleading with the man to bring the cloth back, and he did, hesitantly at first, but as the boy leaned into the touches now they became firmer, more comforting and less tentative. Edward enjoyed the feeling of the cloth on his shoulders and back, spreading the soap on his skin and rubbing it clean gently. He waited patiently until the man had finished all of his back that was in reach before he moved slightly, facing the man now, so that he could clean his chest. Edward leaned back then, dipping his hair beneath the water, and coming up with it dripping down over his shoulders.

Mustang took this as an invitation to drop the cloth into the water in front of the boy and grab some of the soap off the shelf. He worked in between his hands briefly before bringing it to the blonde hair, now hanging heavy and loose around the boy's face. Edward couldn't stop the small purr that came when the man started to massage the suds into his scalp, trying to resist the urge to snuggle into those hands. This was a sure and gentle touch the boy was no used to, none of the trainers or handlers had treated him with such care. He had been just one more piece of merchandise to them, and it was clear that this man found him more precious than that.

The hands left his scalp entirely to soon for Edward's liking, one combing gently through the hair, the other pushing him backwards lightly on the forehead, guiding his head back under the water to rinse his hair. When eh sat back up, the locks seemed brighter. He opened his eyes to look at the man, he had pushed his sleeves up and was now wet up to the elbows from the sweetly scented bath-water. His face was beautiful then, the hesitancy of the ride home had vanished, a sense of care taking its place. The eyes were deep and soft, and the hair was mussed delightfully, falling every which way on his head. It made the boy's breath catch for just a second. The man leaned forwards then, closing the distance between them to lay a quick kiss on the boy's open mouth. It was chaste and light, but the boy still closed his eyes, receiving it like a baptism or benediction.

A/N: any feedback appreciated, will continue as i have time (i have so many other projects i should be working on but this one loves me the most right now