A/N: Thanks to all who liked, followed, and reviewed! It warms my heart something wicked that you're giving this a chance!

-Enjoy!

Chapter Two- Instigation

A delicious tremor of pleasure coursed through her body as she arched her back, the sensation of his lips trailing up from her neck to her ear inciting shivers. She could hear his breath against the shell of her ear; its delectable warmth as he nipped it gently was his vain attempt at distraction . She groaned as his deft fingers walked the expanse of her exposed torso, the fine sheen of sweat making its trek all the more alluring. The scent of fire and spices filled the air between them and Ed couldn't help but lick her lips in anticipation. That scent clung to her psyche; even if he'd been nowhere near her, the aroma seemed to follow her, taunting her, enticing her to act on the sinful, salacious visions she'd entertained daily.

Lascivious visions that she had no business having, visions that were apparently about to made a reality.

His fingers hovered, ghosting over the sides of her hips as he leaned in more, swathing her in that decadent scent. In her mind's eye, his inky, tousled hair fell into his dark blue eyes that shone with equal parts of lust and debauchery. The smirk, that goddamned smirk had her quivering with anticipation, it's sheer essence setting her core aflame. If she could, she'd bottle that shit and make a killing but as it was, she was content that the scent, that the man was all hers.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this moment."

She exhaled harshly at his smoky voice, his declaration the confirmation she'd been waiting for.

And she wasn't going to waste time trying to analyze it.

Spurred by his words and actions, Ed took the initiative and flipped him over, her body settling astride his. She grinned wickedly as she leaned down to nuzzle him, that powerful scent of his filling her nostrils. She thrust her hips sharply against his, lifting her head just slightly to nibble at his ear. As close as she was, she could feel the satisfaction rumbling through him. She didn't want to spoil the moment; for as much as she wanted to unleash all of her wanton desires on The Flame Alchemist, she wanted to savor each decadent sensation, revel in finally getting what she had desired for so long.

And there was a wicked part of her that wanted to challenge him for domination.

She dipped her hips deeper into his own and his hands, hot and possessive reached up to cup her. Ed sighed blissfully as she whispered into his ear, "I'm going to show you things that will blow your mind, Mustang."

It was utter perfection, their heat, their scents mingling as their passion threatened to explode with each thrust. That was until a bolt of pain shot through her head. She stopped and took a deep breath, realizing that the scintillating scent that was Roy was somehow...different.

"Is there something wrong, Chief?"

Ed froze.

That voice. It was wrong. The title used, the all too familiar smoker's rumble...

No.

No, no, no, no.

NO!

She was not going to open her eyes and see someone other than Roy Mustang's sexy smirk. She was going to take another deep breath and smell something other than day old alcohol and stale cigarettes.

Going against every fiber of her being, she opened one eye slowly, blinking back the haziness that usually accompanied a night of drinking one too many shots. She sat up quickly and regretted it as the pounding in her head increased. The blurred vision of the man underneath her came into view; his lips cocked at a knowing smile, his blue eyes alight with mirth.

No, she did not just grind all over Lieutenant Jean Havoc.

She stared at him, at his stupid smile.

Havoc.

Jean Havoc.

There were one or two ways to play this; she could discuss the situation with him in calm, mature like manner and hope that he had enough smarts to keep his mouth shut.

Or, she could kick his ass and threaten him with a horrible death if he ever spoke of this to another soul.

The silence stretched between them as she mulled her options. He smiled goofily and began to chuckle. She was definitely going to go with kicking his ass.

"I'm going to show you things that will blow your mind, Mustang."

For all that is holy…she'd spoken that aloud!

Ed reacted quickly, putting as much distance between her and her subordinate as humanly possible. Finding a position at the far edge of the bed, she pulled her legs up and crossed her arms, allowing her throbbing head to rest on her knees. She'd effectively gotten herself into a pickle of a situation this time; how was she going to explain her actions, her words? And that little tidbit about Mustang- there was no plausible explanation for that one. Drunk or not, speaking as she had was far and beyond conduct unbecoming and there were some serious ramifications in store for those found guilty of fraternization, especially with one's superior.

Lesson when drinking: Find a stopping point and stick to it.

"If it makes you feel better, Chief, nothing happened between us." Ed turned her head toward the young man as he lounged against the wall a soft smile on his lips. Silently, he reached for his cigarettes and slipped one out, anchoring it against his lips as he flicked his lighter, the flame dancing briefly before lighting the tobacco. Ed considered him for a moment, her brow lifting ever so slightly as her eyes drifted from his wild blond hair down over his toned chest to where the covers still obscured her view.

All told, she could've done much worst.

That's not the point, idiot, Ed chastised inwardly. She watched as Havoc took a long drag before exhaling, a cloud of smoke filling the air between them. The silence stretched and Ed found herself squirming under the pressure; sure, they were teammates and had each other's back on the field but when it came down to it, could she trust him with her deepest secrets?

Of course, that question was null and void, considering she'd been dry humping him not five minutes ago. Not to mention her careless declaration...

Okay, focus, Ed.

Ed exhaled heavily and turned to face Havoc completely. To move past this, she had to stay sharp, gather as much Intel as possible and execute a plausible endgame. There was absolutely no telling just how much trouble Ed got into last night; judging by her location, the magnificent headache she was suffering, and state of undress, she hedged her bets that it was more than a little mischief on her part. Ed smiled warily and ran her hand through her hair, grasping at its strands tightly. She managed to find herself in the tightest predicaments.

"Obviously, I had an interesting night."

"Understatement of the century there, Chief," Havoc remarked drolly. He grinned as he flicked the ashes off of his cigarette, "Thought we were going to have to stage a coup to get you out of the club last night."

Ed closed her eyes and groaned. There was little that she remembered of the previous night and all of it was before Mustang had made his appearance. Trying to sort through the murky memories made her headache worse and stage two of her hangover was about to commence. Tarrying over the inconsequential would be futile and a waste of time. She had to know what she'd done before she faced the world, faced him again.

"Start from the beginning, Havoc. And no embellishment," Ed warned.

Havoc snickered as he reached for another cigarette, " As if you need it." Ed glared at him and he sobered, clearing his throat, "By the time I got involved, you were well and plastered and making more than your share of ruckus. I'd say to get the entire story the best person to ask would be Major Hughes."

Ed seethed. Hughes... this was his entire fault. All of it was his fault. Well, not all of it; Ed could take the blame for deciding to help Hughes in his quest, hell, she could even cop to dress. But everything else was squarely that busy body's fault.

"Well, Hughes isn't here, is he? Just tell me what you know, Havoc."

"Alright then..."

The sun had begun to rise as Havoc regaled her with the incidentals of the night. She'd listened to each detail, horrified. After he'd finished, Ed lowered her head sheepishly and offered a soft apology for her behavior. In turn, Havoc gave her a playful nudge and offered to escort her to her apartment before getting ready for work. She quietly declined. She'd gotten herself into this mess, after all.

In hindsight, the evening it hadn't been as bad as an idea as she'd thought it was.

It was actually much worse.

And now she'd have to face the music- and Mustang in less than three hours.

It could've gone slightly better.

He'd underestimated a great many things the previous night. First and foremost, Ed had not been as prepared to engage the mark in closed quarters and under such duress. When he'd made the call, she'd assured him that she could do this with her eyes closed. This was "small potatoes" considering what she'd been pitted against in the past. If she could take down cold blooded killers, surely, she could take on Mustang.

It had all been lip service and he'd been inclined to believe her- before Mustang actually entered the club.

The moment the dark haired man entered with a tall, dark haired, effortless beauty that practically oozed sex, Ed had changed. The self-assured swagger, the confidence that Elric was known for had dissipated and in its wake, uncertainty and reluctance had taken hold. As she stared at Mustang, Maes considered how she'd focused on him, the disbelief evident in her golden gaze, licking her parched lips. He'd been willing to bet that this was the first time Ed had seen Mustang in his civvies. For as long as he'd known the young Colonel, his charisma had been his weapon long before he'd had the power to manipulate the flame. Coupled with that devil may care smile and haughty arrogance, his presence was like an untapped aphrodisiac to any female within a short radius. Ed was a goner long before she'd taken the initiative and drunkenly sauntered over to their table under the pretense of greeting the formidable couple.

Yeah, he probably should've extracted Ed right along there. The evening had gone downhill from that point; the greeting had turned into a war of words and sharp insults culminating with one of her famous short rants and a cheap shot at Mustang's date. Oh and that was before Ed had gotten the bright idea of pulling one of her subordinates in on the fun. Maes watched helplessly from the shadows as Ed had singlehandedly flushed all of his efforts thus far down the toilet with her hilarious attempts to make Mustang jealous by practically flinging herself on poor Lieutenant Havoc.

Yes, judging by the previous evening, Maes' labors seemed a distant at best.

But…he wasn't one to give up without a fight. The future of his country depended on the success of the mission. He had plans for his best friend; he'd expected a kink or two in his mighty quest. It only took one moment, ripe with opportunity, to change the tide of any conflict.

Maes placed a gentle kiss on Gracia's cheek and smiled down at his sleeping beauty. Spurred by his blissfulness, he shoved the covers away and stood, clear of mind and heart. Last night may have been a disaster but he was more than prepared to go the distance.