Warning: Ed's language, adult situations, and same gender pairing.

Thank you all for alerting to my story. Give a great round of applause to my lovely Beta infallibleangel.

Chapter 6

The sidewalks glistened from a midnight shower, reflecting rays from the early morning sun and creating a field of shimmering beauty in its wake. Crisp, fresh air slowly permeated Roy's lungs as he inhaled a deep breath, savoring the feeling of coolness filling his body and allowing his heart to beat with the steady click of his walk. Tilting his head back, Roy gazed upwards to the cerulean colored sky, intermixed with the occasional wisp of a marshmallow cloud. Bringing his head back to neutral position, Roy started to catch the occasional savory tendril from the bakery across the street. There was nothing better than the smell of fresh baked bread. Just ahead, Roy could make out the silhouettes of two middle-aged women as they stood under the olive awning of the corner store, eagerly awaiting its opening.

It was rare, this time of year, to have a morning as tranquil as this and Roy found himself taking advantage of every moment of it. Walking to work was a secret thrill that he always kept to himself. He enjoyed the 'calmness before the storm,' as they say. It was the moment between the privacy of his home and the chaos of Headquarters. It allowed a small glimpse into the lives of those around him that he would otherwise never see; yet those same people would depend on him to help maintain the security of their seemingly peaceful and routine lives.

Crossing to the other side of the street, Roy found himself thinking back to the incident from the night before. He had just assumed his vision of Edward was his overactive imagination, which only made sense after his heated thoughts about the young man. Yet, there was something still bothering Roy about the whole thing. It was one thing to picture a person before you, and quite another to envision their reactions as if they were real. Roy could still picture the look of surprise in those golden depths and the slacked jaw of panic.

Perhaps Roy was slowly losing his mind. It was almost ironic that his mental demise would rest in the hands of one Edward Elric.

Roy was quickly pulled from his thoughts by the sound of someone calling his name. Stopping in his tracks, Roy turned around. There was no one walking behind him. In fact, the street was nearly deserted, save for the grouping of shop keepers further down.

"Ummm, I guess not." Pivoting on his left heel Roy continued walking down the sidewalk. Taking yet another deep breath of the morning air, Roy nearly choked when in one motion, he whipped around and raised his gloved right hand, ready to snap if provoked. This time he was sure that he heard his name. It was faint, like the wind against his skin, but he knew it was there.

"Who's there?" Holding his breath, Roy slowly turned his body in a full circle, scanning the street and neighboring store fronts. Nothing. Nothing seemed out of place, but he had the sudden feeling that he was not alone. Roy did not like this feeling. He was usually one to face danger with a smirk, but he did not feel threatened. Something about this felt…almost familiar, and that is what worried him the most.

Letting out a sigh, Roy turned and quickened his steps.

His fast paced walk did not end on the street. Once within the confines of HQ, Roy continued his brisk movements down the hall until he turned the corner and was greeted by the familiar faces of his co-workers.

"Good morning Sir." Riza's gentle yet stern voice touched his ears, causing him to turn in her direction. "Good morning Hawkeye," he said in return. Upon hearing his response, she raised her head from behind her desk and she examined Roy with a critical eye. "Are you feeling alright today Sir? You seem out of breath."

Not realizing until that moment that he was indeed slightly winded. These past few days of no exercise must have affected his stamina more than he thought. Roy proceeded to take steady breaths into his lungs. It was only when he was sure he voice was back to normal did he respond. "Yes, very well." Not allowing room for another comment, Roy turned to face the other dish-water blond sharing the same room.

"Havoc, any word about Alphonse?" Startled by the mention of his name, Havoc dropped the magazine lightly clutched by his hands and turned towards Roy. Taking the just lit cigarette from his mouth, Havoc let out a cloud of grey smoke. "Got a call a few minutes ago, Chief. The kid's awake and talking. The Doc said he was asking for his brother. Falman volunteered for first shift."

Havoc was unable to place the end of the cigarette back into his parted mouth before the sound of a cocking gun rang through the quiet office. "If I am not mistaken, I warned you not to smoke in this room. If you would like, I could make it so you had no lungs with which to breathe." Hawkeye let the end of her warning hang in the air. Ever so slowly, Havoc reached forward and crushed his unfinished cigarette into the bottom of his empty coffee mug.

Once she was satisfied the small, circular burning end was out, Riza turned her attention back to Roy. "Sir, how should we handle telling Alphonse about how we found him? Surely, it will not take him long to realize his brother is…" Her throat constricted in a tight shallow, "missing." It was rare for her to break from her military protocol and show emotion, but something akin to sadness flashed across her face at that last word.

Midnight black lashes caressed fair cheekbones as he closed his eye. Turning his back on his team, Roy started heading for his office door. "Inform me when Falman calls. He should stand guard and nothing else…I will be the one to talk to Alphonse." His voice gradually became softer nearing the end of his statement. Closing the door quietly behind him, Roy heard the clear "Yes, Sir" issued by Hawkeye.

He could not explain how he knew what he was doing, especially without a corporal body, but Edward found himself walking. Well, as much as he could walk. Looking down at the damp grey sidewalk, littered with remnants of spider web cracks, Ed could clearly make out a distinct separation between the bottom of his sleek black combat boots and the solid pavement. He did not want to describe the motion as floating, since that would require no movement necessary on his part to create advancement. Instead, Ed found the shifting of his legs, from one to the other, a necessity. The lack of contact to a solid surface was simply another downside to possessing a body that was not opaque.

Ed had wasted little time before he tried to once again reach out and 'touch' Mustang. If he had seen him once, there was a good chance to capture his attention again. Although, that was currently proving harder than he thought. Not only did Roy not seem to notice him following in his shadow, but no one else did either.

Knowing that his primary objective was to get Mustang's attention, Ed still could not help the leisurely way his gaze traveled over the back of Mustang's figure. From the way his ebony tendrils fluttered softly around the crown of his head, Ed was able to imagine the feel of a light dust of wind. For his relaxed presence, Mustang's shoulders remained squared and his spine straight, like a sleeping cobra ready to strike. That was one of the many things that Ed admired about Mustang. Even with his arrogant smirking mask in place, Roy always held this unmistakable raw power that resonated throughout his being.

Ed's golden eyes continued their journey down Mustang's spine to the dip in the curve of his lower back. Releasing an internal groan of appraisal, Ed transfixed his eyes to the round ass hidden under the thick navy-colored material of Roy's military blues. However, the fabric did nothing to hide the shapely silhouette as it gingerly moved from side to side with the shifting of Roy's hips. Ed could feel a pleasant electrical buzz dance through his veins. Mustang might be a bastard but the bastard was sexy.

Pulled from his thoughts by Roy's sudden movement, Ed followed Mustang across the empty street. Feeling a cheeky smile pull at the sides of his mouth, Ed had the sudden urge to see those fiery eyes bore into his own, and what better way than to rile the bastard up?

"Hey Bastard, wait up!" Ed was not surprised by Mustang's lack of response. Skipping to close the gap between them, he tried again. "Mustang!" In a fury of movement, Ed got his wish when he found himself staring into Mustang's face. Even with the gap between his shoes and the ground, Edward had grown over the past few years and now the top of his head easily grazed the tip of Roy's nose. He was still short but far out grew any short joke. With his new vantage point, Ed noticed the pitch-black patch that covered Roy's left eye. He had seen hints of it before but was never able to take in the full view. Thinking back to the shower 'encounter,' he still remembered the wicked gash he caught resting under his surprised eye.

So, Mustang did not escape Bradley unscathed? Hmmm…Ed tilted his head to the side as he thought, causing the tips of blond hair, still clasped behind his head in a high pony-tail, to tickle the edge of his tan neck. No, Ed thought that the eye patch was neither a physical weakness nor something of which Roy should be ashamed. If anything, the cover over one eye only created a deeper intensity within the other.

It was not until he was once again looking at Mustang's retreating figure that Ed realized Mustang had heard him, but did not see him. "Mustang!" Nothing happened. "Bastard!" Still nothing. "MUSTANG!"

That got the desired attention. Ed was forced to take a hurried step back, purely a subconscious reaction. There he stood, face-to-face with a stark white and blood-red glove over a strong right hand. Edward had found himself on the wrong side of Mustang's temper many a time, but the sight of Mustang's tense figure, poised hand, and clear, sharp eye still caused Ed to hesitate. "Why can't you see me?" Edward yelled at Roy, eliciting no response. He watched as Roy slowly turned to survey his surroundings. "Mustang?"

Ed stood still as Roy turned and quickened his pace towards HQ.

Once inside the building, Edward tried a few more times to gain Mustang's attention with no success.

It was the ever present voice of Hawkeye that drew his attention from Roy. Standing a few feet from Mustang's shoulder, Ed silently watched their comfortable interaction. Smirking to himself, Ed envisioned another, more pleasant, reason that would cause Roy to be breathless. If only…

It was the next sentence out of Mustang's mouth that caused Ed to lurch forward. "Havoc, any word about Alphonse?"

"Al! What about him? Is he alive? Fucking answer me Mustang!" If he could, Ed was sure he would be climbing on top of Havoc's desk and grabbing at Roy's lapels. The sudden urge to break down in tears filled Ed's every pore when he heard Havoc mention that Al was not only alive but awake.

…"The Doc said he was asking for his brother. Falman volunteered for first shift." After Ed heard the word "brother," the rest of Havoc's sentence fell into a whisper. "He is asking for me? I have to see him!" Turning to make his way out of the office and towards the hospital, Ed only made it fifteen feet before he fell on his ass.

"NO!" Scrambling to his feet, Ed turned towards Mustang. "Fuck, this isn't fair Bastard!" Distraught and confused, he stood his ground and glared at the retreating figure of Mustang as he opened his office door. Before Ed could utter another word, he was harshly yanked forward by what felt like an invisible cord around his chest.

He watched from the inside of Mustang's office as he closed his door and walked towards his desk. "Oh, I see how it is you fucking Bastard! Even as I am now, you have me trapped on a leash!"

Coming to stand in front of Roy's desk, he watched as the man sat and swiveled his chair toward the pile of paperwork, undoubtedly left by one trigger happy woman. As he stood there, he scanned the older man's face with his penetrating sun-drenched eyes. So many emotions were playing over Roy's usually stony visage. Sadness, worry, guilt, and lastly hope.

Breathing in a heavy gulp of air, or what he could assume was air since he wasn't even sure if he was really even breathing, Ed let his anger leave him as he exhaled. Biting the inside of his lower lip, Ed quickly glanced away, staring at nothing in particular.

"This wasn't your fucking fault Mustang. You weren't there." Ed chanced a glance back at Mustang through his semi-closed lashes. "Why do you care so much?" Ed dared to hope that Mustang's reactions were anything more than guilt over a fallen comrade.

By the time Ed returned his full attention back to Roy, he was amused to find the legendary Bastard falling asleep while signing his name to yet another document. Breathing a low chuckle, Ed walked over to Mustang's right side and leaned ever so slightly over the desk. It was amazing how much younger and delicate Roy looked when he thought no one was looking and let himself succumb to the call of sleep.

"Mustang." Edward whispered into Roy's ear. If he could, he was sure the silent pressure of his own breath would disturb the locks of hair that slightly covered Roy's ear. Leaning forward a little more Ed tried one more time. "Hey Colonel Bastard."

Ed's breath hitched as Roy's cherry colored tongue came out to wet partially parted lips. "It's Brigadier General now, Fullm-"

Gasping, Ed watched as Mustang took a startled breath and opened his tired dark iris that swirled with a ring of sapphire, as they connected perfectly with his own.