Taking Off the Masks
Music flooded the room, and lights sparked off decorations. Roy stood in the doorway, trying to take it all in. There were people, more than he'd expected, all dressed in fantastic costumes. He spotted a lion dancing with a Xingese princess, or what would pass in Amestris as a Xingese princess, and what appeared to be a series of people impersonating a rainbow. Someone dressed in a double horned hat appeared within his field of vision and Roy nodded, recognizing the wide shoulders and lanky build. Maes. He strolled toward the jester, watching the eyes behind the half-mask.
Maes's usual mocking smile was absent but Roy could feel his eyes like a physical weight as he approached. "So," he said, "it really is a party."
"What did you expect, Roy?" Maes's voice wasn't pitched as high as normal. "I invited you to a costume party."
"You did," Roy agreed, glancing around. "So, what are we supposed to be doing here, anyway?"
Maes draped an arm around his shoulder. "I'll show you." Guiding Roy across the floor, Maes took him down a hall. The music faded as he opened a door, bowing as he ushered Roy through it.
"Cut it out, Hughes," Roy said, then stopped abruptly as he realized what Maes had set up here. A bed, luxurious with pillows, a table with strawberries and grapes, an array of candles set in front of a mirror that reflected the bed back. "What is this?"
Maes grinned, pulling the feather from Roy's hat and tickling the back of his neck. "It's payback for saying I'm not romantic enough, dummy. Now get on the bed, and let's have some fun before we join the party."
Roy wasn't about to disagree.