Author's Note: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist or anything associated with it. Wish I did, but I don't.
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Roy Mustang and Maes Hughes had been living together just outside of Armestris for almost a year. They had a nice, two-story house that was big enough so they could have their friends over, but small enough for the two of them when the house was empty. Maes and Roy adored celebrating their first everything in the house as it was something they no longer had to hide.
Maes' birthday was coming around the corner and Roy wanted desperately to make it something special. He wanted to invite the Lieutenant Colonel's friends and family over, have a nice sit-down dinner (with preferably very few outbursts from the pipsqueak alchemist), and make a cake. Of course, Roy was an over-achiever and did not realize the work that one had to put into such an event, regardless of how small it was intended to be.
The day of his lover's birthday, Roy was on a mission. First, he went to the local party store early in the morning to surprise Maes with balloons. He had been saving up part of his pay check for the past few weeks so he could really splurge on some decorations and little things that he knew Maes would swoon over. After that and picking up a single red rose, he managed to put all the balloons inside the house, which was a feat in and of itself as he managed to pop all of two and lost all of one, he made breakfast for Maes. It was his favorite breakfast, too: two eggs, two pieces of toast with butter and cinnamon, two pieces of bacon, and an orange. Roy put the breakfast on a tray and decorated it with a small vase with the single red rose, then brought it up to his beloved.
Maes was delightfully surprised, waking up to a good-morning-and-happy-birthday kiss and breakfast in bed.
"Roy, you really didn't have to!" Maes smiled while returning the kiss.
"Of course I did, it's your birthday. I'm going to make it your best birthday thus far. I promise."
"Hm... really? Well, it's pretty awesome already. The breakfast is great, my favorite! Then there's you beside me, in our bed, looking more handsome than ever. I'd say I'm content, but I have a few ideas about how it could start off with a bang..." Maes said seductively while licking off some cinnamon from his finger.
The double entendre was not missed by Roy, and the sight of Maes licking anything gave him more than enough impetus to jump him (just maybe it wouldn't be a finger the next time...). If anyone were to have walked in at that moment, Roy would have said it was Maes' fault for making him ravage the birthday boy with relish.
He and Roy snuggled a bit while the afterglow lingered before Roy realized it was almost one in the afternoon. The Colonel then shooed his very happy lover off to the beach for a while. Once Maes was out of the house, Roy quickly cleaned over the already spotless house and started checking up with all the invited guests, saving Edward for last.
"Edward, you realize you have to be on your best behaviour, right?" Roy said in a low, threatening voice.
"Listen you bastard, I wouldn't ruin anything for Maes. I like him. Which is more than I can say about you sometimes..." Edward retorted, his smirk was practically traveling through the phone.
"I'll let that remark go, but one thing, ONE THING, and I'll barbeque you. This is very, very important. See you when you get here."
Roy promptly hung up the phone before Edward could have the last word and set the table up for the dinner. By that point it was around three in the afternoon, and Mustang made sure everything was set before he started working on the birthday dinner. Seeing as how it was going to be an early meal, Hawkeye had been nice enough to come over and help with getting everything ready. The dinner was supposed to be a three course meal: salad, a small bowl of pasta, and then some chicken marsala that Roy and Riza had cooked up.
Soon after Roy and Riza put the chicken marsala into the oven and put on the water to boil the pasta, a very tanned Maes walked in the door and kissed Roy after being gone for so long. Maes could smell the chicken cooking, so he decided to go hop in the shower and then change before the guests arrived. Riza was on pasta duty, and once the water got boiling, she noticed something was missing.
"Sir?" she asked while looking through the pantry and all the cabinets, "Where were you keeping the pasta?"
"Did you check the cabinet to your right? I usually keep all dry foods there..."
"It's not in there, sir..."
He thought for a moment as to where he could have put them last, and then it hit him like a ton of bricks. It was then that Roy realized he forgot to buy the pasta for the second course. 'Oh no,' he thought. But then he figured that since there was more than enough salad for ten guests plust themselves and enough chicken marsala to go around, that he shouldn't worry. It wasn't even that necessary to have three courses, so he just shrugged it off and told Riza to turn off the stove for the boiling water.
The salad they had made was pretty much set, the chicken was done and sitting in the warmer and it was barely quarter after four. Riza sat down on the couch for a while and let the Colonel make the last few touches on everything. He had told her earlier in the day that he wanted to make a cake for Maes, as he thought buying one wasn't personal enough. Roy pulled out the cake mix and had everything ready to go in the oven when people started to arrive. First was Havoc, followed by Breda, Fuery, and Falman who each carried a rather decent sized gift under their arms. Not long after came Major Armstrong with Second Lieutenant Ross, both with bottles of champagne in their hands. Lastly came Ed, Al and Winry, bringing a whole pile of gifts for their favorite Lieutenant Colonel (and in Ed's opinion, their favorite military officer whose rank includes the word Colonel whatsoever). Combined with Riza, Maes and Roy, all guests were in attendance.
After putting everyone's presents down near Maes' favorite chair, he opened up a bottle of wine, saving the champagne for dinner. Once everyone was happily mingling, Roy took out the chicken and tossed the salad. He plated all the salad and left the chicken on the counter to cool down just slightly so he could put the cake in the oven. While the birthday cake was being baked, Roy put the plate of chicken in the middle of the table had everyone sit down to eat. Maes, of course was at the head of the table, with Roy right by his side. Chilled champagne was opened, everything was perfect until Edward decided to stand up with his glass.
"I would like to make a toast..." he started.
Roy couldn't help the sudden fear bubbling up in his stomach, regardless of what the shrimp had said on the phone earlier.
"...To Maes, on your birthday: You're the coolest guy we know, you keep our bastard Colonel from turning us all into funeral pyres even when we don't always deserve it," and at that point either Ed knew how to read minds and caught Roy's thought of 'Keep going and he won't be able to do much for you...' or he could feel the man's stare digging into him, causing him to clear his throat, getting to the end of his toast. "and you always know how to make everyone feel at home. Happy birthday, old man!"
Everyone chuckled at the lighthearted remark, none more heartily than the birthday man himself, and clinked their glasses together, causing Roy to lighten up slightly. The salad and dinner went by without a hitch, there were jokes and memories being told, and Maes had a smile that wouldn't quit. Roy couldn't help but watch the man beside him smile and look at him with his twinkling emerald eyes without feeling so warm inside. 'Alright, maybe the pint-sized one had a point, he does know how to make someone feel at home,' Roy thought.
All of a sudden, he smelled something very similar to smoke. Being from the pyromaniac that he was, it wasn't similar to smoke, it was smoke. 'Oh no, oh no, oh no, I lost track of time, OH NO! THE CAKE!' his mind screamed at him. Before he could even get up, smoke started trailing into the dining room and the smoke alarms for both there and the kitchen went off. While Maes turned both alarms off, Roy rushed to see if he could salvage the cake.
To get into the kitchen, he swatted at the smoke with his hand and the closest towel he could find. He opened the oven, took out the cake with the towel in his hand, and set it on the counter. In attempts to get rid of the rather obnoxious smoke, he opened up all the closest doors and windows, even turning on some fans. It took a few seconds before the smoke passed and he could see clearly, but he almost wished he couldn't. The cake he wanted to be just perfect for his Maes sat there on the counter, blackened and burnt to a crisp. Roy hung his head in defeat, feeling very disappointed in himself for missing the timer.
He went out to the dining room to tell everyone that everything was fine, but he couldn't bring himself to tell Maes that his birthday cake was ruined. Roy then felt a pair of eyes on his back, and turned around. Maes stood there, just watching with what Roy thought was disappointment, and Roy thought he was about to cry. Maes walked over, wrapped his arms around Roy, and leaned his head upon the younger man. "It's alright, it's alright Roy," he said with a smirk that Roy couldn't see what with being buried in his chest.
"Aren't you disappointed?" his younger lover asked.
"No, Roy, I'm not. You still tried! And you made me an absolutely wonderful dinner with all my friends. My day has been wonderful, do you really think that cake would have been the final decision?"
"Well... no... but I wanted it to be perfect and with that and not having the pasta it just --"
"It was perfect. I got to share it with you."
With that last comment, Maes kissed Roy to let him know just how much he and all the things he did meant to him. With a sigh and a slight chuckle at having been upset over a burnt cake, Roy went out to the dining room and told everyone what happened. Hawkeye and Winry understood while all the other guys laughed with Roy over the situation in and of itself.
Once all the presents were opened, thank you's were said, and the guests went back to their respective households, Roy and Maes relaxed on the couch to watch some television. "Happy Birthday Maes," yawned Roy before falling asleep on the older man's arm. Maes was in heaven by that point, since the sight of Roy happily curled up next to him was present enough. However, tingles started traveling up and down Maes' right arm.
"Roy... Roy..." he purred, trying to gently pull his arm back, "Babe, wake up... my arm fell asleep."