Author's Notes:
Soulmates AU prompt: You can see shiny fingerprints on the things your soulmate touched with bare fingers (only for a few moments after which they fade).
I honestly don't remember if either of them saw each other's bare hands actually touch something in anime, but for the sake of this AU I am going to assume that they didn't, cause both were wearing gloves all the time, or just didn't notice, cause it's hard to notice unless you stare at the person's hand.
Set right after the Promised Day.
Ed might seem a bit OOC in the very end, but Idc tbh.
They won, they saved Amestris and probably the rest of the world, and Roy had missed it all. Well, technically he played a big part and was present during the fight, but he couldn't help but feel regretful that he wasn't able to help more, leaving Edward to deal with the self-proclaimed god basically alone.
Roy sighed and shifted uncomfortably on his hospital bed. He long ago already took a grip of his body that for the first few moments of his acquired blindness had been desperately trying to see, opening his eyes wide, like you do in the darkness, in the hope of at least a small flicker of light reaching his retina, and now he was keeping his eyes constantly closed. Open or not, there really was no difference for him either way, but he didn't want others to feel uncomfortable looking into his blind eyes.
Like it always is when we lose something we always took for granted, Roy only now realised how precious his vision was for him. It was logical, and anyone would agree with him, and everyone understood the restlessness that he was trying to contain to appear his usual stoic self, but he apparently was failing from time to time. What they probably wouldn't understand, and what Roy was having troubles admitting to even himself, was that out of all what the inability to see had taken from him, he regretted most the lost opportunity to see Edward with both flesh arms again. No, actually this one they would understand. Roy sighed again and internally groaned.
Ok, scratch that. Most of it he regretted he couldn't see Edward, period.
It was pathetic, really, but now that it was matched with his equally pathetic physical state and the only entertainment here, in this dark void that became his world, were his thoughts and fantasies, he had to face the fact that the main thing on his mind now was his subordinate, who, on top of it, was almost twice younger than him and probably had an equally young soulmate waiting for him somewhere else.
As for Roy, he'd given up on finding his own soulmate a long time ago. Maybe a bit too long, in fact, in the eyes of those, who were not aware of the kind of hell he was unwillingly storing in his mind, that would wake him, covered in cold sweat and trembling from the slowly fading memories of a nightmare, every third or fourth night. Roy was thirty and felt at least ten years older, and he sincerely believed that not a single soul in this world deserved the punishment of being stuck with such a pathetic soulmate as himself.
But it didn't mean he was not interested in relationships, if only short lived ones. He was, and luckily the society didn't mind it when those, who haven't found their soulmates yet, engaged in temporary romantic and/or intimate relationship, for as long as said relationship were not in the way of two souls destined to be together.
And in his fantasies Roy came dangerously close to be self-ostracised for wanting someone who could never be his. Who would never want to be his.
The sound of uneven steps - one leg heavier than the other - reached Roy's ears, and he raised his head, turning it in the general direction of his visitor.
"Fullmetal," he greeted.
The steps stopped, Edward tsk'ed, and answered grumpily, "Stop calling me that, Bastard. I'm not in the military anymore."
"Right. Edward, then." The name rolled from his tongue with the taste of unfamiliarity, and Roy realised, despite the many times he called the young man by his name in his mind, it felt strangely different to actually address him like that outloud. "I presume I can't change your mind in the matter?"
Two more steps, and Edward's cocky voice sounded closer this time.
"Don't tell me you're going to miss me, Bastard."
I will.
"My office will be unusually quiet and boring without you, yes." It was astounding what kind of things Roy apparently could easily admit to Edward when he couldn't see his face. Perhaps he should avoid talking with him on the phone from now on. Not that he actually believed Edward would go out of his way to call him anyway.
Roy heard Edward shift from foot to foot and make another couple of steps closer to him. He was now standing right beside Roy's bed, and Roy suddenly got nervous, clenching his intertwined fingers where his hands had been lying on his laps all this time even harder.
"Wanna see my new arm?" Edward started and tsk'ed again, quickly correcting himself, "I mean, you can't see it, but I talked with Al, and he made me realise that all this time you were really rooting for us to get our bodies back, so…" Rooting was probably not the word Roy would choose here, but he sensed that Edward was not finished yet, so he just waited patiently for him to continue. "Ok, it will sound fucking weird, but I'm offering you this only 'cause you can't see, ok," Edward added quickly, and Roy wished he could see his face at the moment. "So, wanna touch my new arm?"
It was really not what Roy expected Edward to say, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise, almost feeling how Edward was wincing at his choice of words.
"I would be honored, thank you," Roy answered with a smile, not sure what to do next, and just relaxed his hands on his laps.
"Fuck, Colonel, do you really have to be like that… Ah, nevermind." Edward sighed loudly, and Roy heard him move closer. Fingers wrapped around one of his wrists, lifting his hand a bit, but then suddenly stopped, and Edward added passionately, "This is an exclusive offer - I'm not letting you paw over my brother!"
Roy chuckled and tilted his head, suppressing a laugh. "Wouldn't dream of it, Edward," he answered as seriously as he could manage.
Edward puffed out a breath, and lifted his hand more, and when Roy felt the warmth of the skin under his palm, he reached his fingers to it, and Edward let go of his hand. Roy easily enveloped the arm in his palm and lifted his brow in question.
"It's so thin."
Roy felt Edward shift, but he didn't pull his arm from Roy's grip.
"Well, of course it's fucking thin, it's not like Truth has been doing fucking push-ups all this time with it," he answered a bit defensively. "I'll get it in shape in no time, though."
"I don't doubt it, Edward." Now that Roy was allowed to call him by this name, he planned to take every opportunity to do so.
Still holding a grip of one hand around Edward's new arm, Roy raised his other hand and carefully touched his fingers to the bony wrist. The skin under his fingers was warm and he could feel the pulsing of blood in the veins. He smiled, happy for Edward that he finally acquired at least one of his lost limbs, and ran his fingers a bit higher towards the elbow.
The arm in his hands suddenly tensed, Edward hissed in a breath, jerking away, and Roy pulled his hands back, worried that he might have done something wrong.
"I am sorry, Edward, did I hurt you?"
"Ah, no… Yes! Yeah, it's just it's a bit sensitive still, you know, em… Just haven't become used to it yet, the nerves, you know…" Edward's voice now sounded from a good few steps away from where he was standing just a moment ago, and Roy cursed internally. He wasn't sure what exactly it was that scared Edward off like that, but it was definitely something Roy did.
"I apologise, Edward, I didn't mean to cause you discomfort."
"Ah, no, it's not... It's fine, it's just…" Edward was stuttering and sounded positively nervous, and Roy frowned, feeling worry rising up in his chest - he had never witnessed Edward losing his cool in that way. Angry, yes, sputtering curses, screaming, trying to rip his door off of the hinges, upset and quiet even - yes. But nervous to the point where he apparently didn't know what to say - never.
"What is it, Edward? Are you fine?"
"Yeah, totally, I'm cool." He absolutely didn't sound cool, but Roy refrained from commenting. "Em… So when it is you said Marcoh would get your vision back?.."
Roy folded his arms on his chest, feeling now even more uncomfortable than he did before Edward came, worried about Edward's strange behavior.
"He will work with Jean first. Might take another week or two, I suppose."
Edward shifted again and cleared his throat.
"Ah, I see. Ok, em… So, I need to take Al back to Resembool, so we're leaving in a couple of days, so… Hm." He suddenly fell silent, and Roy wasn't sure if it was his cue to answer or Edward was just taking time to collect his thoughts.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Roy decided to break it, and said with a smile, as genuine as he could manage, "Of course, Edward, I understand. Send my regards to your brother. I am happy for the both of you."
"Yeah, sure," Edward answered quietly, sighed and added. "So, see you later… Sometime later. I mean, I don't know…" He trailed off again, and Roy now was positively worried.
"I wish I could tell you the same, but I don't want to jinx it," he chuckled bitterly and heard a short snicker.
"Yeah, sure. Well, bye then, Colonel-Bastard."
"Goodbye, Edward," Roy answered, not even trying to make his sad smile look any more joyful.
The rustle of uneven steps headed to the door, the quiet squeak of the hinges was followed by the equally quite thump of the door being closed uncharacteristically carefully, and with it Edward was gone.
It's been almost two years since the Elric brothers left Central and since Roy saw Edward or heard anything from him. Only one letter, written in an all too familiar shaky handwriting, was sent to his office not long after Roy had gotten his vision back, a couple of phone calls from Alphonse followed soon after and then a complete silence dropped. Roy didn't know where both brothers were and what they were busy with, but he chose to think, that neither of them were purposely ignoring him and his team, and were just too busy with finally living their lives instead of chasing the ghosts of their past.
He was happy for the both of them, he honestly was, but a spike of hurt would pierce him now and then. He knew that they didn't owe him anything, they weren't even friends to expect them to be in contact with him on a regular basis, but every evening when Roy came back to the empty house from work and was left one on one with all his dark thoughts, his doubts and his demons, that then nothing distracted Roy from, he couldn't help but think of the bright gold of Edward's eyes, wishing to see it again at least once.
Instead, he was drowning his pathetic self in the gold of whiskey on the bottom of his glass.
Thirty-two years old, a General, with good chances to become the next Führer in just a few years - he should've been happy, and yet he had never been so miserable.
It was a Sunday afternoon, and he was half lying on the couch in his living room, staring blankly at the empty fireplace, contemplating if he should light it up to at least have something to look at, or if it was way too early for that and he was way too lazy to move.
The knock at his door cut into his established semi-peaceful musings, and he turned his head to look at it, frowning. He didn't move until another knock, sounding more persistent, followed the first.
Roy groaned, rose from the couch and dragged his feet to the door. The knock, that now seemed to be more like an attempt to smash a hole in his door, sounded at the same time as he turned the handle, and he was greeted with a fist in a white glove that miraculously stopped an inch before it would've collided with his nose.
He moved his eyes to look at the owner of the offending hand, and was greeted by a frown between blond brows and an angry sparkle in the gold eyes, that now were at a slightly higher level than the last time he saw them.
"Fucking hell, Mustang, were you still sleeping or something?!"
Edward slipped in the house past its owner gaping in surprise, and started getting rid of his boots and the coat like coming here was just a routine for him.
"Hello to you too, Edward," Roy said with a chuckle, still startled by the unexpected visit. Edward dropped his boots near the door, glanced around for the crook he could put his coat on, didn't find one, and just threw it across the small sidestand, almost knocking the phone down from it. "To what do I owe the pleasure of such an unexpected visit?"
Edward scowled, as he always did hearing Roy talk like that, tugged his gloves off with his teeth, short-circuiting a couple of parts in Roy's brain, and shoved his hands in his pants pockets. Leather pants of course.
"Why do I need a reason for that, maybe I just missed your stupid face," he said easily, looked around and headed to the kitchen like he owned the place. Startled Roy had no choice but to follow. Not that he minded though, as it gave him an opportunity to ogle Edward's leather covered ass.
Roy mentally slapped himself on the face, and forced his eyes to move higher. Edward would murder him if he only knew. Honestly, Roy wasn't proud of this himself.
In the kitchen Edward stopped, leaning with one hip at the dining table, sliding his eyes slowly around the room. Roy followed inside and walked to the stove, filling in the teapot with water.
"Tea?" he asked avoiding to look at Edward just yet.
"Mm."
"I'll take that as a yes."
Roy put the pot on the stove and turned to Edward, who was looking blankly at the table, frowning.
"Edward?" Roy tried, seeing that there was definitely something on the young man's mind that he came to discuss.
"Mm," Edward said again, but this time lifted his head and looked in Roy's eyes.
Roy was taken aback by the expression on this face. Edward managed to look hopeful at the same time as sad and hopeless, his pupils were barely noticeably twitching, indicating his nervous state, hands still in the pockets, he was shifting slightly from foot to foot as if not sure what to do with his body.
"So, Al and Mei are together now."
"Is that so," Roy answered carefully.
"Yeah, turns out they are soulmates, imagine that," Edward smiled slightly, obviously glad for his brother, but his face was still guarded and he didn't tear his eyes from Roy's.
"I am happy for them. Please, send them my regards," Roy said, starting to feel uncomfortable under such a scrutinizing gaze.
"Yeah, thanks, I will." Edward nodded and then sighed shakily and sputtered in the voice that suddenly sounded hoarse with emotions, "I found my soulmate too."
Roy's heart dropped to his stomach and he pushed down the urge to clench a fistful of his shirt at his chest. He noticed that he stopped breathing after his last exhale, and carefully drew in a breath. It was expected, he'd played this scenario more than once in his head, he knew how stupid it was to fall for someone who wasn't your soulmate, but it couldn't been helped, and never in his musings, imagining this moment, he felt as bad as he did now.
He opened his mouth to answer ― something, anything ― but there was a lump in his throat and he had to swallow twice to get rid of it. He partially expected Edward to keep talking, but he was unusually quiet, still watching Roy carefully with now some uncertainty in his eyes.
"This is great, Edward," Roy said finally, once he gained control of his voice and was sure it would not shake. "I am happy for you." He was, and at the same time every word was a knife shoved under his ribs. Why did he have to fall in love with this boy, why couldn't he at least get rid of this feeling during these last two years that he hadn't seen him, why―
"Are you?"
"What?" Roy asked in a small voice automatically, cringing internally at the way it sounded.
Edward opened his mouth, closed it, and suddenly looked down, mumbling, "Nevermind."
The whistle of the teapot distracted Roy for a moment, and he took it from the stove, setting it to the side. He grabbed two cups from the cupboard, wondering why his hands were not trembling, when all of his insides were shaking violently, and poured them both tea. When he turned around, Edward's hands were out of the pockets, palms flat on the table surface, and he was staring at them as if it was the first time he ever saw them.
Roy set the cups on the table and looked at Edward in question. The frown between his brows was even deeper, and Roy couldn't understand what was causing the young man such distress.
"You haven't actually seen my new arm yet, right," Edward spoke quietly, still looking at his hands. "There, see, they are equal now, told you I'd get it in shape." There was something in his voice that made Roy think that he had more to say, but he didn't question, and just nodded, though Edward couldn't see it.
"Yes, they are."
"Yeah," Edward breathed out shakily and slowly lifted his hands from the table.
Ten golden fingerprints shone on the surface and then slowly faded into nothing, and Roy was staring dumbfoundedly at the now empty table.
His heart made a sickening flip in his stomach and jumped to his throat, and he swallowed twice to no avail, trying to remember the signs of a heart attack to determine if he was having one. His mind refused to cooperate though, and he looked up in the now clearly worried pair of golden eyes.
This could absolutely not be happening. He wouldn't deny that he fantasised of Edward being his soulmate once or twice, but he'd given up on the idea fast enough.
He was silently looking at Edward, feeling his mind slipping in denial, because he absolutely was not ready to deal with this now, moreover he wasn't sure that he was able to process this highly unexpected discovery.
The question in Edward's eyes changed to disappointment and then to irritation.
"Oh, for fuck's sake, Mustang!" Edward looked at him furiously, slamming his palm at the counter. Roy glanced at it right when Edward lifted his hand only to leave five shiny fingerprints on the surface. Roy stared at them before they faded, probably a bit too long, because Edward snapped his fingers under his nose with "Oi, Bastard, wake up", drawing his attention back to him.
When Roy looked at him, Edward grabbed his hand, raising it almost under Roy's nose, and quickly tapped his fingers on Roy's palm, leaving numerous golden spots on it.
Roy didn't notice when he started smiling, but Edward apparently did, letting go of Roy's hand only to have both of his hands enveloped by Roy's larger ones, who kept touching Edward's fingers with his, fascinated by the golden lights appearing on his skin. He was playing with this like a child who just got a new toy, but he was drunk with all the emotions suddenly filling him and just couldn't stop.
One of Edward's hands slightly trembled, and Roy looked up, instantly taken aback by the smile on his lips and in his eyes that were looking at him. Edward's cheeks had a blush on them, and he was absolutely beautiful.
"Do you see―" Roy started, but wasn't able to finish, Edward interrupting him with,
"Yours? Of course I do, it's how it works. They are deep orange, almost red, like little fires."
Fire, of course.
Roy smiled wider, tightening his grip on Edward's hands, not willing to let go yet, and his heart fluttered a bit, when Edward adjusted his hands to be able to hold Roy's fingers in his too. He felt like a teenager, and he wasn't sure he ever felt like that when he actually was a teenager, and this feeling was absolutely intoxicating.
He realised suddenly, that since the moment he saw Edward today, Roy hadn't been wearing gloves, and Edward definitely had seen his fingerprints, but hadn't reacted any how. That only meant that he'd known before he arrived today.
"After the Promised day, when you let me touch your arm, is that when you saw it?" he asked, and Edward looked to the side, biting his lip.
"Yeah," he answered quietly, and then looked back at Roy, pulled one of his hands out of his grip, and shoved Roy in the chest half-heartedly. "Stupid Bastard, always wearing your fucking gloves!"
Of course, offense was the best defense for Edward.
"You wore gloves all the time too, Edward," Roy answered with a laugh.
Edward shoved him in the chest again, and left his hand there, clutching a handful of Roy's shirt. "I had a fucking automail! And one glove would've looked fucking freaky."
"Of course, Edward," Roy smiled and carefully lifted one of his hands, brushing a loose strand of golden hair from Edward's face, that reddened even more. "Why didn't you tell me then? Or later, when I got my eyes back?" he asked seriously, and Edward averted his eyes, but didn't pull away, when Roy rested his palm on the side of Edward's neck, softly caressing his jaw with his thumb. "Two years, Edward. Not even a call. I am not blaming you in anything, I am merely asking."
Edward sighed and looked up at him again.
"Got to think, you know. It was too sudden, I wasn't ready, and I had to take care of Al, and…" he sighed, let go of Roy's shirt and then grabbed it again, pulling Roy closer and almost screaming in his face, "I've had a crush on you the size of fucking Drachma since fucking forever, Roy!" The sound of his name said for the first time with this voice, sent a warm feeling through Roy's body, and he couldn't help but to step closer. "I was a kid, and acted like one, I realise that now, and then I saw your fucking fingerprints, and I was scared, ok, I was scared, because if you wouldn't want me, I don't know, I―"
"I've been in love with you for at least three years now, Ed," Roy said softly taking another short step forward.
Edward gasped but didn't answer, and for the first time in his life, Roy couldn't find the words to express everything he wanted. He was filled with love and happiness to the brim, and more than anything wanted to share it with his soulmate.
Golden eyes glanced quickly at his lips, the warm fingers around his tightened, and Roy slid his hand where it was resting on Edward's neck, further to run his fingers through the hair on the back of Edward's head.
Edward breathed out slowly, when Roy lowered his face closer to his, feeling the warm breath on his lips, before pressing forward to meet Edward's lips with his. He closed his eyes, feeling Edward's fingers trembling. He moved his lips, and Edward followed, hot breaths mingling together. A shudder ran down Roy's spine, and he gently scratched Edward's head with his fingers, feeling him gasp, opening his lips for him, and Roy deepened the kiss, and his head reeled at all the sensations and at the sound of Edward's quiet moan when their tongues met.
He didn't know how long they were standing like this, kissing slowly, but he pulled back eventually, almost dying at the view on Edward's face, cheeks flustered, eyelashes trembling slightly, and lips so soft and red and welcoming.
Two half lidded golden eyes looked at him, and Edward smiled widely.
Roy let go of Edward's hand and cupped his face with both of his palms, not feeling strong enough to tear his eyes from the two golden shining pools. He felt Edward's hands rest on his waist, smiled, and pressed their lips together in a short kiss.
"For how long do you plan to stay in Central?" Roy asked.
"Didn't have a solid plan, but I'll be bored out of my ass in a couple of months anyway. I arrived from Creta by the way, was thinking to visit Xing next," Edward answered and then hesitated and added, squinting his eyes at Roy. "You don't mind, do you."
It didn't even remotely sound like a question, and Roy laughed shortly. "Wouldn't dream of trying to hold you in one place against your will, not that I would succeed anyway."
"Well, you may certainly try. Perhaps I can be convinced one way or another," Edward answered with a dangerous flicker in his eyes and a smile that could not be anything else but seducing, and Roy swallowed nervously, wondering where Edward managed to learn that. He would need to ask him later.
"Where are you staying?" Roy asked instead, not fully ready to face Edward in his apparently newly acquired seducing mode, choosing to ask a more innocent question.
Apparently he was losing his grip, because Edward's smile widened, his arms around his waist tightened, and he pressed himself closer.
"You tell me, Colonel-Bastard."
"General," Roy corrected automatically, leaning to brush his lips along Edward's.
"Roy," Edward whispered before their lips met, and Roy felt his smile in the kiss.
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