Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor any of its characters, because if I did, these smexy characters would be in formal attire more often.
In that moment when it feels as though your heart is breaking, you find solace because you know your heart is mending.
Roy Mustang waltzed across the floor with Lieutenant Hawkeye. It had been a last minute decision, asking Riza, but in a way he found comfort in knowing that she expected nothing more than a few dances and then they would part ways. She was lovely tonight. She was wearing a floor length, hater top ball gown, black at the bottom and white from the waist up, and her hair was down, but it was another blond that caught his eyes.
"Sir," Riza whispered, noticing that Roy had become distracted.
Roy shook his head and continued dancing. He hadn't meant to stare but he couldn't turn away. The awkward beauty had attracted his attention. No, it wasn't the young girl with the long, blond hair and big blue eyes, dressed up to the nines, hanging off the arm of her date. No, it was her date. The young man was dressed in a white tuxedo, a nice change from the customary red jacket Roy noted, with a blue vest and matching blue handkerchief. His shoulder length blond hair, loosed from its normal confines of a braid, was loosely tied at the end with a blue, silk ribbon. A pang of guilt shot through the Colonel's heart at the thought of him running his hands through that mane of gold silk.
Come on, Mustang, pull yourself together. Look at the beauty whose dancing with you. You've always wondered what she looked like behind that façade, so why can't you keep your mind on her?
"Sir," Riza said. "I'm thirsty. I'll be back. Do you want anything?"
"No, thanks." She had called attention to the fact that the song was over. He walked over to the table where his subordinate was sitting. "Hey, shrimp."
No reply.
"Fullmetal?"
No reply.
"Edward."
The young man gasped and looked up. "Mustang."
"What's wrong?" Roy placed his hand on Edward's shoulder.
Edward brushed Roy's hand away. "Nothing."
"Where'd Winry go?"
"She's dancing with Hughes."
"You can't dance, can you, Fullmetal?"
"I didn't say that, bastard!"
Roy chuckled and smirked at Edward, noting the shudder that ran through Ed's body. He held out his hand.
"What, Mustang?"
"I'm doing you a favor, Fullmetal. I'm going to teach you how to dance that way you'll be able to dance with the one you care about."
Edward looked down and blushed. "You promise that the one I care about will dance with me?"
"After taking lessons from me? Of course."
Edward grabbed Roy's hand and stood up. Roy found Ed to be a natural as they swept across the dance floor. Roy noted that Ed was pleasantly the proper height. He had always preferred his women to be slightly shorter than him and Edward fit the ideal height Roy would have looked for in a date. Also, Ed was exceptionally lithe and quick on his feet despite the automail.
Why must so many people be here? Maes is probably going camera crazy, stockpiling enough blackmail to haunt me the remainder of my days. I'll have to listen to his rants about Gracia and Elicia.
They spun once more and their eyes connected. Edward's grip on Roy's tux tightened. Roy was bathed in golden sunlight emanating from Edward's eyes and Edward found himself hopelessly lost in the onyx abyss that was Roy's eyes. A wordless conversation ensued.
Edward, I need you.
I need you, too, Roy.
This isn't right.
I know, but… Roy!
Edward, I'm right here.
I know. You always have been and I want you there forever.
I promise to do my best on that wish.
When the song stopped, the two quickly stepped away from each other.
"You're not that great, Mustang."
"How would you know? You've never danced before."
"True, but I've watched more graceful dancers."
"Maybe it was due to the fact that my partner was a shrimp."
"I'm not a shrimp!"
"Well, there's Winry. Go ask her to dance now."
"Who said I wanted to ask Winry?"
"You said you cared about someone, so I assumed you meant Winry. After all, she is your date."
"Bastard, I never said I like Winry." He hung his head and tears involuntarily trickled down his face.
"Then who, Fullmetal?"
"Don't be a smug bastard about it. You know who it is."
"I'm being serious. Who?"
"You, damn it!" He turned on his heels and started to storm away.
Roy caught Ed by the shoulder and spun him around. "Don't speak to your superior officer like that."
Edward, please hate me, but please love me. I don't know. If you hate me, everything will be so much easier, but if you don't love me, I think I'll die. Make the decision I can't make. That order is an open invitation. Take it how you choose.
Edward gripped onto Roy's tuxedo and looked at him with longing eyes.
So this is your choice, our choice. Roy grabbed Edward's hands and led him to the middle of the dance floor. "You still have a bit more to learn about dancing, Fullmetal, and don't see why we should put it off, considering the fact that we have the perfect chance right now." After that dance, Roy steered Edward towards the door. Along the way, he grabbed Havoc, who was attempting to get a date, by the collar and dragged him out as well.
"Colonel," Havoc whined, lighting a cigarette as soon as they were out of the ballroom, which was a smoke-free zone. "What's the big emergency?"
"I need you to drive Fullmetal and me somewhere."
"Call a cab."
"Too risky. Enough arguing. Hughes has probably already seen us."
The glint of glasses caught Roy's eyes before he was pulled into a one armed hug. "Hiya, Roy, whatcha doing running off so fast? You don't seriously think I'd let you get away without seeing pictures of my darling Elicia, do you?"
"Hughes." Roy's voice instinctively deepened into a low, rumbling growl as he reached for the glove in his pocket.
"Hold on there, Roy. You forget that I have pictures of your little fiasco with Edward."
"It wasn't a fiasco. I was teaching him how to dance."
"Yet, here you are whisking him away, presumably, to your bed."
"Hughes, you know I don't stay long at these things."
"Yeah, but you're usually leaving with your date. What? Riza not willing, so you have to turn to someone you can manipulate?"
"Hughes! That's enough!"
Edward stepped between the two men. "Sorry to disappoint you, Lieutenant Colonel, but I asked to be taken back to the barracks. Mustang was leaving already and graciously offered to escort me back."
Havoc took a drag on his cigarette, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "I'm just chauffer it seems."
"If you say so," Hughes shrugged and headed back, stopping only briefly to look back and give an all-knowing smile, "Go gentle with him, Roy. I'm sure the Furher would hate to have such a fine alchemist out of commission because he can't walk."
"HUGHES!!!" Roy snapped, sending a giant spark towards Hughes, but Hughes nimbly avoided it. Some time during their debate, Roy had slipped the glove on just in case, but Hughes knew Roy wouldn't purposely hurt him. It was all show. "In the car, Fullmetal," Roy growled a little more roughly than was necessary. "Havoc."
"Sir," Havoc saluted and jumped in the driver's seat.
Hughes pushed his glasses up with his middle finger and chuckled as he watched the vehicle drive away. "Seriously, Roy, I'm doing you a favor. I'm getting you what you couldn't get by yourself."
Gracia met him at the door. "Maes, let's go home. I'm ready to see Elicia, and this poor dear is absolutely exhausted." She nodded to Winry who was leaning on her arm for support.
"Ok, my job here is done." He slung Winry's arm around his neck and helped her to his car.
On the way to their house, Gracia asked, "What exactly were you scheming, Maes?"
"You'll find out soon enough. I'm certain."
"Where you want to be dropped off, Colonel?" Havoc asked.
"The park."
"The park?"
"That's what I said. It's an equal distance from both the barracks and my house. Edward can go to the barracks, I can go to my house, and you can get back to the party."
"Yes, sir."
After Havoc dropped them off and drove away, they stood silent for a long time before Roy finally spoke up.
"You have a decision. You can go back to the barracks and we'll never discuss this night again or you can go with me and we'll talk out…our feelings."
Edward stared at the ground for several minutes and Roy finally got frustrated.
"Fine! Stand here all night like an idiot. I'm leaving. You can follow or you can go home." Roy stormed off in the direction of his house. Please, go the other way. For the sake of everything, don't follow me, Edward. When he reached his front door, he turned and looked. No one was behind. Good boy, Edward. Now we can pretend like this never happened.
He had barely been in his house five minutes when there was a knock on the door. He opened it. Edward was standing on his doorstep. "Come on, get in here."
He ushered the young man into the house and helped him out of the tuxedo jacket. He hung the jacket on the coat rack and motioned for Ed to follow. They came to the living room. It was tactfully luxurious. There was a matching black leather couch and recliner, polished oak coffee table, and a few exquisite paintings. Roy sat on the couch and grabbed the bottle of scotch on the end table. After pouring himself a glass, he noticed that Edward had not sat down. He motioned for him to sit. Ed silently sunk into the recliner.
"Now, Edward, do you want to talk about your feelings?"
"I…" He sighed and looked away.
"Ok, why don't I go first?"
Ed nodded.
"I'm attracted to you, Fullmetal. Right now, I want nothing more than to run my fingers through your hair and kiss you until you nearly pass out from lack of breath. I want you to say you need me, not only with your eyes but also with your words and your touch; because, Edward, I need you. Your turn."
He looked Roy for a second and then looked away again.
They sat like that until Roy had finished his drink and longer, always in silence unless it was the chime of the clock. When a twelfth chime of the clock fell, Roy looked as his silver pocket watch just to double check and it read twelve. Roy stretched and stood up.
"Well, Fullmetal, you can sit there all night if you want. Hell, sleep on the couch for all I care. I'm going to bed because you are obviously a waste of my time."
Roy walked up the stairs to his room, stripped down to his boxers (black silk with flames), and crawled under his black satin sheets. He curled up and closed his eyes. He was just drifting to sleep when he heard Edward's uneven footsteps. He pretended to be asleep.
Edward grabbed the sheets and laid his head on Roy's chest. "Roy, I need you." He started crying, but gasped when hands were put around his wrists and he was pulled onto the bed.
"That's what I wanted to hear."
"Roy!" Edward squeaked.
"Oh, now you want to talk." Roy expertly slipped a hand behind Edward's head and before Edward could reply, Roy had pressed his lips against Ed's lips. His free hand found its way to Edward's dress shirt and started unbuttoning it. Ed flinched at Roy's touch.
Edward pushed Roy away and gasped for breath.
"What's the matter, Fullmetal?"
"I'm scared."
"I didn't think you could be. Well, it's late. I guess you should be getting back to your brother. He's probably worried sick by now. I'll drive you home if want."
"Actually…we planned this, that is to say Lieutenant Colonel Hughes and I planned it, but Al knows about it."
"You planned everything? The dance? Me taking you home?"
"Yeah. I almost blew it, though; while we were waiting in the park, when you offered me a choice to go or come with you, and in the living room. I almost backed out. I'm still afraid to admit that I…I…I love you."
"Edward, that's all you had to say, because now I'm sure of it: I love you, too."
Edward wrapped his arms around Roy's waist and buried his head in Roy's chest.
Roy placed one hand on Edward's back and the other behind Edward's head; and pulled him close. After a few minutes, Roy started crying. The only sign Edward had was the jerking movement in Roy's upper body and the occasional quick intake of air. He looked up into tear-filled, onyx eyes.
"Roy?"
"Edward, I haven't loved someone so much since…my cadet days. When that person broke my heart, I didn't think I'd ever love again. Thank you, Edward."
"For what?"
"Mending the piece of my broken heart."
"Who knew the Colonel was such a soft-hearted bastard?"
"That's enough, shrimp."
"I'm not a shrimp!!!"
"Yeah, you are, but you're my shrimp."
Edward started to say something, but sighed and buried his face back in Roy's chest.
Roy sighed. This was going to be one interesting relationship.
