Far longer than forever…
Roy Mustang stares at the snow covered mountains before him.
It had been a year, to the day, since Ed had left to close the gate. A year since he'd watched the blonde boy, no man, disappear into the sky with his brother.
He hugs his coat closer to himself.
He'd left after that. He'd resigned his post as General and volunteered to live in the mountains and watch the pass between Amestris and Drachma.
His ex-subordinates had pleaded with him, but in the end he'd still left. It didn't matter anymore. There was no reason to stay.
A single tear runs down his cheek, but he doesn't wipe it away. He lets the frigid air freeze it to his face.
He'd given up alchemy and his license as a state alchemist. He'd given up his dreams of becoming furher. He'd left his family and his friends, and he'd left all hope of ever seeing Edward again, behind him.
His face had haunted Roy where ever he went. He'd catch a glimpse of blonde hair and whirl around, hoping, praying, that Ed would be there laughing at his flurry of movement. It never had been and each time his heart had broken even more.
He'd waited too long. As Ed was telling him what to do he'd pulled the younger man into a fierce hug and clung to him. He'd begged him not to go. There had been so much he'd wanted to say, but there was so little time…so little time to say everything he'd needed Ed to know…
He stands in the snow until ice starts to gather on his dark locks, under his hood. He stares into the blizzard. He can almost see Ed, if he looks hard enough. He can see him and Al. They're running down the broken streets of Central. They're laughing, both whole and safe. They're running at him this time, instead of away from him. He opens his arms to catch Ed in a hug. He can see his smile. He can almost feel his warmth, and then he disappears.
There is only snow.
A sob is ripped from his throat and he looks up at the sky.
"Why did you take him away from me!" He shouts. "Why? Why can't you have left him alone!"
"I would have loved him! I would have kept him safe!" His voice breaks and he falls to his knees.
"I would have made sure he was happy…for the rest of his life. I would have been there." He's whispering.
"I would have woken up, each morning, and told him I love him…because I do love him. I always have."
He looks into the snow again. Tears are falling down his face and freezing against his skin.
"I always will…." He says as his legs start to feel warm and his eyes start to drift shut.
The snow keeps falling but he doesn't notice. He doesn't notice the pain leave him and he doesn't notice when the tears finally stop.
Edward wipes the water out of his eyes and pretends that it's not as salty as it seems.
It was raining again. It had been raining since he had returned to his home, in Venice, earlier that week.
He's standing on the deck and staring out at the ocean. Gray clouds are blocking the normally blue sky and there is no one on the canal. The Gondoliers had given up hope that the rain would stop anytime soon.
He sighs and lets the rain beat down on him. He was invading his thoughts again…
Not a day had gone by that Edward hadn't thought about a certain Roy Mustang and how it had felt to finally be in his arms. Too bad it had been only seconds before he'd gone back to Germany.
The look he'd seen in Roy's eyes still haunted his dreams and he still woke up at night, crying out for the man he'd left behind.
He wipes viciously at his eyes. It was stupid to cry. It never helped.
"Stupid Mustang…why couldn't he have done that sooner?" He mutters to himself.
He'd seen it that day, the love he'd been searching for. He'd seen it and it had been too late.
He clenches his fists.
"Why didn't you tell me you loved me?" He asks for the hundredth time only to receive the same silence in reply.
"Why?"
He turns and stalks into the house. He can't stop the tears of anger and pain from streaming down his, already wet, cheeks.
"Why did you make me wait?" He shouts at the wall. "Why didn't you tell me sooner, you bastard colonel?"
He picks up a vase and hurls it at the wall.
"You stupid, selfish, bastard! You coward! You waited too long! I had to leave and you knew it!"
He picks up a glass and it follows the vase.
"I hate you! Do you hear me, you bastard? I hate you!" He's screaming now and more worthless ornaments have become shards of glass.
He yanks the pictures from his wall and throws them at the ground. Lightning crashed outside and drowns out his sobs.
"I hate you," he says quietly. His voice is broken and empty. "I hate you, but I love you."
He walks toward the door and slips on shattered glass. He lands on his back with a curse but he stays there, staring that the ceiling.
"I love you," he sobs. "I always have…I always will…"
He curls up and hugs his knees to his chest. There was nothing left. No more tears to cry, no more anger to shatter glass with. No more hope.
His sobs quiet slowly and he closes his eyes.
He can see Roy. He's standing in front of him and he suddenly flings his arms around him…
"Roy," he murmurs.
"I'm here Ed…I'm here. You can let go now…"
Ed's tears slowly subside and his back becomes warm. He can feel hands caressing his back as he listens to Roy's voice and lets go. Of all the pain, and all the hurt. He lets everything go until there truly is, nothing left.
"Roy," he says. "I…I need to tell you something."
A small smile touches the older man's lips. "I need to tell you something too."
He takes Ed's hand and kisses each one. "I've needed to tell you something from the moment I met you. I was stupid…I love you Ed, I always did. I always will."
Ed leans up and pushes his lips lightly against Roy's.
"I love you too…"
They stand together, hand in hand, with Ed's head on Roy's chest and no intentions of letting go.
"Ed?"
"Yes, Roy?"
"Will you love me…forever?" He asks hesitantly.
Ed looks up into the other's dark eyes and smiles.
"Far…far longer than forever, Roy."