Better To Have Loved and Lost
Note: This is a Mangaverse version so it follows where Roy is about to kill Lust. If you haven't read the manga, this is a spoiler. Yes, I know Envy in general doesn't really care for anybody. But I thought it would be fun to see what would have happened if he had seen Lust get killed by Mustang. Comment, rate, do your thing.
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Envy whirled around just in time to see a jet of flame engulf the shapely female Homunculus. Everything went in slow motion for him, time slowing down to a crawl. He saw her body fall, the fire licking furiously at her pale skin. He saw the Flame Colonel snap his fingers – once, twice, three times! More spouts of flame jumped at his beloved and more times she screamed as they ate away at her.
"No!" Envy screeched, the Philosopher's Stone that was his heart wrenching. He leaped towards Lust and held her up, checking to make sure she was all right. She was barely breathing and blood stained her flawless face. He bit his lip as she called his name weakly, a partially gloved hand caressing his smooth chest. He took her hand in his and kissed it, setting the one person in the entire world that mattered to him down on the singed ground. His deep purple eyes grew darker as a surge of fury coursed through him. He was going to make this human pay for what he did!
Envy leapt at Colonel Mustang, shifting into the form of a black panther. He sank his teeth into the flesh of Roy's left hand, damaging the transmutation circle etched onto the skin. Roy cried out as blood spurted from his hand and began to beat the Homunculus back. Envy bit all the harder as blow after blow connected with the top of his head. He wasn't going to give in. He was going to make sure this respected Colonel got what he deserved. He released Roy's hand just enough to slash at him with his claws. The Flame Alchemist leaped away from the strikes, the tail of his coat torn to bloody shreds. He snapped with his good hand, sending a jet of flame at the shape-shifting Homunculus. Envy saw this coming and rolled out of the way, coming up in his "human" form.
Envy cursed foully, spitting a mouthful of blood. Mustang's blood. He never liked getting into fights. He could get hurt, after all. But this one, he reasoned, was justified. He hurt her! He deserves to die!
"Envy," Lust's weak voice carried over to him like a beacon. He turned his head slowly, eyes wide and pupils small. She reached for him, trying to rise in the process, but collapsed, shaking violently. Envy rushed over and he clasped her hand, being careful around the pink, burnt skin. Her touch was soft and burned like cold metal and she reeked of blood. He wrinkled his pointed nose at the strong, coppery stench.
She tried to rise once more, but fell against him in agony, clutching the clingy fabric of his mid-drift shirt. Envy gathered her in his arms and held her head up to his chest. Her face was tensed and charred in several places. She was weak, barely able to heal herself. He swallowed hard. She was mortal - and able to die. I need to get her to Father. He can heal her. Just hang on a little while longer, Lust. Envy stood up, Lust resting comfortably against him. He glared at Mustang and snarled.
"I hate you," he snarled. "I hate you for hurting her!" Without another word, Envy ran out of the building, bent on reaching Father in time. He sped across the city landscape, not bothering to keep to the shadows. He'll worry about being discovered later. He'll probably have Gluttony eat them all to make it easier. That's what he was going to do when all those people watched their battle with that Prince and all them.
"Where're we going?" Lust mumbled. She coughed, a line of blood running from her dark lips. Envy ignored the pit forming in his stomach. They were running out of time.
"To Father," he answered. "He will cure you. Don't worry, Lust. You won't die with me around. Just hang on a little bit longer. Please."
Lust reached up and placed a hand on his shoulder. He winced as the burnt palm touched his pale skin. "Stop. Don't run."
"If I don't run then we'll never get there in time!" he barked. Tears were beginning to spring to his eyes, something he thought he was virtually incapable of. "I can save you! I know I can!" He ran harder still, making it towards a large drainage pipe network that crisscrossed beneath the city. He tucked his head and held Lust closer as they entered one of the branching pipes. It was a tight squeeze, barely enough room for the two of them to fit, but it leveled off at a chamber at the end of the pipe. That chamber was the entrance to their headquarters – and to Father as well.
Lust coughed and held a hand to her mouth. Blood sprayed from between her fingers, catching Envy in the eye. He shook his head, momentarily blinded, and stopped. He sat at the near end of the tunnel, furiously rubbing his eye.
Lust smiled softly and snuggled into his chest, listening to the strong beat of his artificial heart. "I finally got you to stop," she said.
"Why?" the other asked. He traced his fingertips against his eyelid and the blood cleared from his eye, his vision intact. "You want to die? I know you don't want to. You're not human yet, darn it! Don't you want to know what it's like to live a normal life? To know how it feels not to be an artificial fabrication? I know you desire that more than anything in the world, Lust! Don't give it all up!" Tears were streaming down his thin face and he wrapped her in a tight embrace. He didn't want to lose her. He loved her!
The female felt the cold sting of his tears falling on her face. They slipped down from her eyes as if they were her own tears. She knew he loved her. She loved him too – which only made this all the more agonizing. She placed a hand gently on the side of his tear-stained face and moved her lips over his. She kissed him softly, barely more than a fleeting touch on the lips, but it was her kiss to give and she wouldn't have had it any other way. "I love you, Envy."
The emerald-haired Homunculus held back a fresh wave of tears. She was giving herself away and he knew there was nothing he could do to bring her back. I have to try! She needs to know what she's about to throw away! "Don't you do that! Don't you say your goodbyes! I'm going to save you, Lust. I'm going to get you to Father and he's going to heal you, just watch. Just don't quit now. Please, I love you too much to lose you!"
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Envy sighed as the gruesome sounds of Gluttony's new meal resonated in his ears. Although he enjoyed seeing the pain and torment of humans, he couldn't help but get a little annoyed at the recurring, bloody mess the gluttonous sin made them to be. Sooner or later it got kind of old.
His attention turned to the beautiful woman standing not four feet away from him. She was talking but he wasn't listening. There was no way he could with the type of eye-candy she was: long, wavy hair the color of obsidian and not the least bit lackluster; a flawless heart-shaped face highlighted by the most glamorous of ruby eyes Envy had ever seen; full, plump lips the shade of blood; very top heavy with a slim waist and rounded hips, resulting in a perfect hourglass shape. Despite himself, a light blush zigzagged across his cheeks.
" . . . He's an important sacrifice and all." Lust blinked at Envy's blank stare and cheeky smirk. She placed her hands on her curved hips. "Are you even listening?"
Envy didn't reply. He eyed her shapely body up and down, his trademark grin expanding. "To tell you the truth," he said, stretching his arms over his head, "no. I'm not." He continued to subtly flex his muscles, taking care to be especially fluid with his movements. Lust raised a thin eyebrow, seemingly unimpressed, as he went into a backbend.
"In fact," Envy said, bringing his well-muscled legs over into a controlled back flip. He walked over to her smoothly, swinging his hips seductively in a feminine manner. Lust leaned back against the stone banister of the balcony, her interest becoming clear. Envy chuckled. He reached up and grasped the strand of hair that had a bad habit of hanging over her shoulder. He twirled it between his fingers before saying; "I've had quite a few things on my mind lately." He smoothly traced his hands down her exposed shoulders, along the sides of her rib cage and love handles before setting them gently at the base of her waist. He chuckled inwardly as she sighed from the pleasurable touch. He had her right where he wanted her. The envious Homunculus leaned in slowly, eyes narrowed and grinning playfully. "Quite a few things."
"Thanks for the meal!" Gluttony's squealing voice came just as their lips were about to meet.
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"Ugly!?" Envy spat as he and Lust walked through the twisting corridors of their base. They managed to ditch Gluttony when he found a decent-sized rat to chase. He crumpled his hands into fists and growled. "Imagine me! Ugly?! Get real!" He turned towards Lust and ran a hand along his collarbone, down his chest, and across his hip. She half-smiled and pulled he lips to one side to match her. "How can something this handsome and cute be ugly?"
Lust came up to him, her movements precise and smooth, almost like water. She lifted his chin up with her pointer finger, staring into his eyes. "Greed was just exaggerating. You know how he is - was." She trailed her finger up to the edge of his pointed chin and pulled him closer. Envy blinked and raised an eyebrow, feeling her breath on his cheek. "Like you said," - she kissed his cheek gently - "how can something this handsome and cute be ugly?"
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"I'm going to gather more information," Lust stated as she began to walk away. She, Envy and Gluttony had been stationed in the underbelly of the Central for quite a while. Their goal was to obtain any information on the Philosopher's stone while inconspicuously within the military. Despite Envy's best efforts to defect to the Military, it all came up fruitless.
Envy snorted as Gluttony followed the only female Homunculus towards the exit. "From your boyfriend?" he asked acidly. "I don't know why you try, he's more dense than a ton of bricks."
Lust stopped in her stride to glance over her shoulder. Envy was standing with his strong arms crossed over his chest and a deep glare contorting his features. He only stood like this when he was particularly livid by something – or, more accurately, someone. Lust half-smiled and asked Gluttony to wait outside for her. The overweight sin frowned and mumbled a few whines, but Lust was firm. She pointed to the door and Gluttony obediently stepped out, leaving the other two sins alone.
Lust turned on her heel and placed the knuckles of her hand underneath her chin. "You sound bitter, Envy. Tell me why that is."
Envy rolled his eyes and jerked his body away from her. "Nothing for you to know. Go out and seduce that airhead of a lieutenant. It'll all be for naught."
Lust raised an eyebrow, amused. Was Envy jealous of the lieutenant? The thought amused her and decided she would have to find out for certain. She came up behind the androgynous sin and slid her arms around his neck until they hung loosely over his shoulders. Envy stiffened, but made no move to remove her. She took that as a good sign.
Resting her chin where his neck and shoulder met, Lust said, "Maybe so. But if that's the only reason," – she lifted her head so her lips hovered just beside his ear – "no need to feel . . . threatened."
Envy inhaled sharply as a cool wetness dampened his ear. He could feel the tip of her tongue tracing the curves from the highpoint all down to the earlobe. He gasped and changed seven shades of red when she sucked his earlobe, those perfect, cherry-red lips grazing the flesh tenderly. She was teasing him and he was falling for her.
"Close your eyes," Lust whispered. Her breath tickled his ear, making it prickle with tiny goosebumps. Slowly and sensually, Lust ran her hands up and across his chest all the while maneuvering around his body so that she was facing him. By this time, Envy was quivering slightly and sweating nervously. Lust placed a finger to his lips.
"Relax," she soothed. She smiled at how soft his lips were and smooth, too, like a newborn's skin. She suddenly found herself wondering what it would be like to have them moving against hers.
Envy tried to peek a glance, but was blinded when a hand slipped over his eyes. "No peeking," she scolded him playfully. Envy shut his eyes tighter, waiting silently and anxiously. Finally, the moment came when all his annoying fantasies and desires became reality. Lust kissed him, fully, on the lips with the same fire she had always been known to possess.
At first, Envy goes rigid and even attempts to push her away, but soon relaxes into a state of submission and pleasure. This is what he had been waiting for since he saw her created – the chance when they would at last be alone and in each other's arms pretending as if nothing else mattered. He kissed her back with zeal, spurred on by an emotion long forgotten – or maybe wasn't even there to begin with. Taking a chance, he eased his string, protective arms around her waist even as she coiled him into a sensitive neck hug. She was warm and soft to the touch, much more than she had ever been in his dreams. This is what he had been waiting for since he saw her created. The one moment their actions have been hinting at for so long: A chance when the two of them would be alone and in each other's embrace.
Lust unexpectedly pulled away, leaving Envy bewildered and lost in a world of haze. He opened his eyes half-way and smiled at her. Lust returned the gesture and pulled him into a comforting hug, coiling her arms around his waist. Envy laid his cheek on her head and hugged back. Usually, he was shorter than she was, but he decided he should be taller today. Lust breathed in his scent, savoring his odor. He must have had his dose of chocolate parfait today because he smelled like a freshly split cocoa bean. She didn't say a word, refusing to break the harmonious silence, but when she threatened the soundless noise, it was Envy who beat her to the punch.
"Lust . . ." he said softly.
Lust sighed and smiled. His voice was dripping with honey. "Yes?"
"I . . . I think I'm in love with you."
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"I know you do." Lust smiled and kissed him again, deeper than before. Envy screwed his eyes shut and kissed her back, tears leaking out once again. He didn't want to let go. He couldn't let go. He had given her his heart and it was breaking. He was going to make every last moment with her count, even if it meant making this one last kiss last forever.
He kept his lips glued to hers even after they had gone cold. Her hand slid from his face and landed across her stomach with a slight plop. Eventually, Envy ran out of breath and had to let her go, all attempts to try to breathe life back into her failed. She was not coming back and no matter how hard he tried, he knew he never would.
Envy shifted against the narrow pipe, coming at an angle with his back hunched and legs bent upwards. He moved Lust's body in a way that her head was on his chest, her thick curtain of hair fanning out across his exposed stomach. Envy coiled an arm around her shoulders and kissed her head. Slowly, he closed his eyes, crying himself to sleep.
They saw that it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. He couldn't think of any other ways how that saying could be so wrong.