Chapter 2: Moment

"The past has no power over the present moment." –Eckhart Tolle

True to his word, Colonel Mustang stopped by the boys' hotel room that evening. He couldn't concentrate on work for the rest of the afternoon and instead tried to come up with a way to approach the subject with his capricious subordinate without being maimed. The man could only think of things not to say which frustrated him even more. Eventually he decided to just follow Lieutenant Hawkeye's advice- be straightforward yet conscious of Edward's embarrassment.

The dark-haired soldier reached the hotel and sighed heavily before entering the lobby. Just get this over with. "Excuse me," he said to the elderly clerk as he approached the desk. "Could you please tell me what room the Elric brothers are staying in?"

Taking a cursory glance at the blue uniform, the man nodded. "Yessir, room 218. Right up the stairs on your left side."

"Thanks," Mustang mumbled in reply. If I try to joke about something, will that be normal or just awkward? His footsteps were slightly heavy as he reached the door. I have no choice but to just play it by ear. Taking one last deep breath to steel himself, he knocked on the wood.

Muffled talking and clanking was audible until the door opened widely. "Colonel!" Alphonse exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Please, come in!"

He's a pretty good actor. Wonder when that happened? Must be desperation, he dismissed. Well, I'm not a Colonel for nothing- I can act, too. "Hello, Al." Stepping around the bulky armor, he directed his gaze at the blonde sprawled out on his stomach on the couch. "I've come to talk to Fullmetal."

"Okay! Sit down, let me get you something to drink." The boy went over to the table with containers of take-out and bottles of tea.

Golden eyes watched as Roy walked over to their owner and sat down in the armchair across from him. "Why the hell did you come here, Colonel Bastard? I just got back from your useless mission and I'm tired. Can't it wait?" Edward's words didn't really have any bite to them, just a weariness coupled with annoyance.

"Certain things have come to my attention, Ful- Edward." The teen blinked at his name but remained silent. "While you have been away on missions I haven't had a chance to discuss some things with you that shouldn't be put off any longer."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Edward titled his head on his arms so he could fix the man with a curious stare.

Thankfully Roy was saved when Alphonse came over with a bottle of tea. "Here you go, sir."

"There isn't any more tea, brother but I'll get some when I come back, ok?" The armor fidgeted nervously.

"Huh? But there's a bottle right there, Al." Edward pointed at the table where the lone bottle sat, opened.

"Yeah, but it's opened. Who knows how long it's been that way and it's probably not very good anyway," Al said, still fidgety.

Must be twitchy because the he's waiting for me to start getting pissed at the Bastard, Edward brushed off. "So? I probably just opened it earlier today and forgot about it. I'm sure it's still good." He got up and walked over to the table but his brother blocked the way.

"I don't want you to get sick, brother. Please, can you just wait?" The red orbs shifted around and landed on his brother's face at the end.

"Huh? Al, I'm sure it'll be fine if I just opened it today. 'Sides, I got a strong stomach, right?" The blonde smiled up at his younger sibling. "Don't worry about it, 'kay?" He sidestepped the armor and grabbed the bottle, going back to the couch with it.

"Okay." Alphonse acquiesced softly. Once his brother settled into the couch and took a swig of the bottle he turned away. "I'm going to run some errands, brother. I'll be back later."

Edward frowned. "All right, just be careful. I'll see you when you get back."

The armored soul walked to the door, opened it and closed it after him almost silently. He never looked back.

"I… couldn't do it." Al stood outside of the hotel, staring up at the room he and his brother shared. He fisted the leather gauntlets that mimicked real hands. "I'm sorry, brother." He had been waiting for the Colonel to show up and became so anxious when he heard the knock on the door that he had nearly knocked over the table the tea had sat on. He already had poured a small amount of the tincture into the tea but couldn't empty it. He quickly dropped the bottle on the carpet so it wouldn't make a sound and the rest of the drug dripped out. Alphonse hoped that the tincture didn't have a strong scent or someone would notice, so he kicked the tiny bottle under the bed. What am I doing? He had thought. It's not right, I love brother and I want you to be happy… I want to be happy, too; I just… I can't do it.In that moment, he felt such great shame for what he had done that he nearly was tempted to tell Mustang to forget the whole thing.

But he opened the door and invited the man inside anyway, and Edward had taken the tea.

He stood still for a moment hoping that he hadn't done anything irreversible. Alphonse hoped that small amount wouldn't be enough to do anything. It should be okay, right?

You worked so hard only to nearly fail because you are too weak. It's going to happen anyway now. You were too weak to see it through all the way and too weak to stand up to your brother, that voice that had plagued his thoughts hissed.

"I'm sorry…" he said, but he wasn't sure if he was apologizing to himself or his brother. He turned towards downtown, the setting sun making his armor glow a muted orange.

The room was silent after Al left, a sort of awkwardness that had both men moving around in their seats uncomfortably. Once the door closed after the armor, the blonde became tense. "So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" He asked, peering at his commanding officer over the bottle's upended bottom as he took a drink.

Mustang noticed Edward wasn't wearing his usual leather and tank top ensemble. He was wearing dark jeans with a navy button-up shirt with his hair up in a simple, loose ponytail. The golden-eyed teen looked good, and that thought shocked him. Maybe it was because the Fullmetal Alchemist was relaxed that Roy could see how Edward's face was more mature; still rounded in some areas but now more angular with maturity. Al was right, the man noted. The Colonel tapped his fingers against the glass of his drink before taking a gulp of the semi-cool liquid, trying to settle his thoughts.

"Edward," the man started. "You're almost seventeen now, right?"

A blonde eyebrow was raised. "…And?"

Edward watched his commanding officer shifting slightly on the couch. What is that bastard trying to get at? My military contract? His eyebrows furrowed at that thought. I still have a year until it's up and I'll probably have to renew it if I can't get Al his body back before then. That's probably-

The dark-haired man interrupted his subordinate's musings. "You're pretty much an adult now. You and your brother have been traveling and searching all these years as you grow up and mature. I'm sure your body has also endured certain, ah, changes in all this time…" Mustang put the bottle to his lips and drained his glass before continuing. "Look, have you ever experienced any… urges before?"

The teen froze, eyes widening as in shock. "A-are you trying to ask me…" Edward looked away suddenly. "Why are you asking me about that?"

"Because," here Roy looked away as well. "I'm not sure if you've ever talked with anyone about these… issues before and I wanted to tell you that I'm here if you have any questions." In the silence that followed Ed had also finished his drink and put it on the floor before glaring at his commanding officer.

"You think I would talk to you about those things? We barely act civil towards each other!"

Ebony eyes met golden ones. "That doesn't mean I don't care about you! You're my subordinate and-" he took a deep breath. "Listen, I've been where you are right now. I do understand, probably better than you realize." Roy felt his face heating up and willed the embarrassed flush away. "You're not alone. There are other people who like both sexes, Ed-"

"WOAH, WOAH!" Edward was panting as he stood up, the blush across his face spreading rapidly. "I-I'm not…"

"Not what, Edward?" Roy asked softly.

Silence. Edward was frozen in place. He felt a slight jolt in his stomach as he stared down into dark eyes. A sudden chill ran up his spine and he fought the shiver away.

"How… how is it possible?" the blonde whispered.

Colonel answered, "It just is. I can't explain it. You're not alone," he repeated. I can't tell him his brother told me and was worried.

This made Ed sit back down in slight shock. "You mean you can just tell if someone's…" he couldn't finish. Clenching his hands tightly he fought the urge to put his head in his slightly shaking hands.Could Russell tell?

"Not everyone can tell, Ed. It was just a guess. I guessed because I," he paused and let out a deep breath. "I'm bisexual. I know that I was afraid to be with anyone, man or woman, for the longest time. I know you've been busy with the military and your brother but you haven't shown the slightest interest in anyone. I've seen you looking at both sexes, Edward. It's nothing to be ashamed of at all."

Golden eyes widened for a second before blinking. "Oh," Edward eloquently responded.

Torn between rolling his eyes and a nervous blush he couldn't quite help, Roy simply sat in the armchair.

"So, uh, how did you know? That you were bisexual." The blonde looked down as he asked the question.

Roy had not expected Edward to be so open and so he was silent for a moment. It wasn't until he realized that his subordinate wouldn't have talked to anyone about this so he shouldn't be so surprised, he reasoned.

"The first person I ever liked, and dated, was a guy. It was disturbing at first; I didn't know how to act. It's all the normal signs of liking someone but just not with anyone you ever expected to." The dark-haired man nodded at his own explanation. It was the truth. "I thought that was it, that I was gay until I realized I was also attracted to women when I dated them as well. I had no one to turn to at first and it was a really rough time for me, having no one to talk to. I don't want you to go through the same thing, Ed." The Colonel finished quietly.

Edward fidgeted. He felt very warm all of a sudden and his breathing was not quite steady. He wanted to reach across and put his hands through ebony locks and get lost in matching onyx eyes and when the fuck did I start thinking this? Before he could fight against his impulse he did reach across the room and made to stand before locking his muscles.

Roy watched the teen confusedly. "Are you okay?"

Fiery suns met his eyes and they were reduced to a band around blackness. Roy could see his reflection in them and was lost for a moment before jerking slightly when warmth and coolness met his clothed chest. He was still staring into the teen's eyes but hadn't even noticed when Edward had moved.

"Ed?" Roy breathed. He was so close, too close… but he couldn't move. Those flushed cheeks and parted lips came closer to his own as those glorious golden eyes were half-hidden by heavy lids. The Colonel put a hand on the blonde's shoulder to push him away but Ed sat his knee between the older man's thighs and leaned more weight on the man's chest. It was suddenly hard to breathe, that weight holding him down and up all at once; it was wrong, he had a responsibility and was just trying to help and they would get into a lot of trouble if anyone found out- and suddenly, warm and slightly chapped lips met his and he could not think of wrong anymore, he could only feel right.