Demons and Redemption
Chapter 9
Ed awoke to a sharp pain digging under the small of his back. A quiet grumble escaped as he squirmed, trying to ease the burning sting. After a few seconds, he began to drift again, slipping back into his dream world of muted, swirling images. But just as he found himself on the brink of sleep, the searing pain ground into his back again. Ed sighed heavily as he reached behind himself and swatted away a jagged rock with his automail hand. He smiled in satisfaction when he heard it smash into pieces several feet away. The rock deserved it after all for disturbing his much needed sleep, Ed reasoned. What was a rock doing in his bed anyway? It didn't have a right to be there among the softness of his mattress and warm wool blankets. There was only one problem with his theory. A problem Ed was slowly beginning to realize.
He wasn't sleeping in his bed.
Ed opened his eyes and blinked. This wasn't his mattress. It was cold, it was hard, and it was causing dust to stir up in a small cloud every time he breathed out.
This definitely wasn't his mattress.
The young alchemist sighed. If he wasn't in his bed, then where…? But then he remembered. The inn. Al's disappearance. The mines. And Roy.
Roy.
The heat he had been pressed against all night. The steady heartbeat he had let lull him to his dreams. The one that had come looking for him in the harshness of a late winter storm. Ed narrowed his eyes trying to adjust to the shadowed cavern. He must have shifted in his sleep and was now curled up on his side, knees bent and tucked close to his chest. He couldn't feel the heat of that other body now, and he shivered as a cold draft suddenly brushed against him. Sleep beckoned him again, trying to lure him back, but there were two things that were stopping him: Al and the deep rumbling in his stomach. Only one of those things could be taken care of at the moment.
"Hey, bastard, do you still have a piece of—"
But when Ed turned over as he was probing for a little breakfast, he found he was asking the question to a disheveled pile of dirt.
Roy was gone.
Ed closed his eyes and tried to pretend that his heart wasn't sinking at the discovery. After all, why would Roy follow him on his quest for Al? The man was a dog of the military, a cog in their machine. He didn't have time to scour through every nook in every desolate town trying to find the armor-trapped soul. He had seen that Ed was safe, that the boy was fully capable of proceeding on his own. There was no reason for him to stick around any longer. Not when he had his own problems to rectify back in town.
Ed stretched his arms above his head before slowly rising to his feet. As he reached down to brush off the grime that covered his black pants, he found himself asking just why he was upset. Roy had every right to leave, every reason to walk out of the crumbling mine shaft. The blond braid shook back and forth before Ed finally admitted the answer to himself.
"I needed you, Roy."
The revelation had slipped from his lips unnoticed. Unnoticed by Ed. At least until a soft rustle and the low clearing of a throat betrayed that Ed wasn't as alone as he thought. He swung around, face flushed from more than the bitterly cold winds, and met a pair of onyx eyes.
"I've been looking around the mine." Roy quietly said, his face betraying no sign that he had heard the sentiment. He was holding a small lantern he had found just inside the long tunnel. "I've found something you should see."
Ed nodded, his embarrassment not yet allowing him to use his voice. He brushed the rest of the dirt off of his clothes before walking over to the other alchemist.
"Hungry now?"
The boy drew his eyes to the extended hand and the piece of bread cradled in it. It took a few seconds, but Ed finally accepted the offering.
"Something's happened here."
Ed's brow furrowed as he tore the stale bread in half. "What do you mean?" He asked, shoving the meager breakfast into his mouth.
"You'll see."
They walked in silence. Ed ducked behind the older one, following in his shadow. Every now and then, his golden eyes would dart up and study the jagged walls. It was an oppressively small space, and the slope of the chiseled walls made the tunnel seem like it was growing more narrow with each step. Ed couldn't imagine what it would be like having to spend day after day trapped in this dark place, only earning enough money to put a scanty meal on the table and a patched roof over one's head. He was so focused on the thought that he didn't notice the figure ahead of him had suddenly stopped. Not until he smacked right into it.
"Sorry." Ed mumbled, immediately drawing back.
Roy simply shook his head and gestured to the open cavern before them. "Look."
The massive space was eerie in its emptiness. There were no workers there that day, and by the dust that covered some of the tools, it looked like there hadn't been many there in a while. Pick axes littered the ground and gloves were discarded along side them, as if everyone had left unexpectedly. But those things didn't hold Ed's attention for long. Not when there was something far more ominous along the far wall.
"What….?"
It was blood. Everywhere. Splattered in morbid patterns against the serrated rock of the wall. Dripping gruesome paths along the slope before collecting in large pools at its base. Several sets of footprints that had smudged over one another circled around the pools.
"What….happened here?"
The older one's dark eyes narrowed. "Something more than mining."
Ed walked further in, his eyes widening in horror. He had briefly searched the main cavern of the mine when he had gotten there last night, but without the benefit of the Flame Alchemist to light the lantern. All he had seen was what wasn't there. Al.
The boy looked down, brows lowered in shock, and examined the blood-stained dirt. He was vaguely aware of the rustling behind him.
"Ed."
The golden eyes drew to the side, watching as the dark head nodded to the ground beside them. Ed turned and followed the man's gaze, his eyes widening at the sight of a very distinct set of footprints. Ones that had ground heavily into the dirt. Large ones with very pointed toes.
"Al."
Roy slowly nodded as he squatted next to the prints, drawing the lantern closer to inspect them. "He's been here."
Ed turned and looked at the gruesome scene behind him before shakily kneeling beside the older alchemist.
"Wh-Where is he?"
"I don't know, but I think—"
"I'm going to killthem."
"Edward, I don't think—"
"I'm going to find every last one of those military bastards, string them up—"
"Ed!"
The boy looked down at the hands that were now gripping his collar, momentarily snapping him out of his rage. He brushed the gloved hands away before drawing back and crossing his arms over his chest.
"What?"
"First of all, we don't know for sure that the military is involved in this." Roy carefully pointed out. "And secondly, I don't think whoever has Al is interested in experimenting on him. I think they need him."
"For what?"
"His strength." The older alchemist replied. "Do you see how deep the groove marks from the carts are in the dirt? They're mining something much heavier than coal here."
The blond shook his head in confusion. "Why would Al help someone without telling me? He just…..He wouldn't leave me like that."
Roy narrowed his dark eyes and shook his head. "I don't know." He honestly answered. "But when you didn't come back to the inn, he may have thought that you were in custody. He may have been tricked."
The boy's expression changed from worry to absolute guilt. Roy realized his mistake instantly and held out his hand.
"Ed, I didn't mean to imply—"
But the younger one had suddenly turned and bolted, running down the narrow shaft towards the mine's entrance. It took a few seconds before a stunned Roy could react. He caught the boy just as he made it into the heavy snow, wrapping his arms around the slim waist to pull him back inside.
"No!" The older one sharply ordered. "You'll freeze to death out there."
"Let go!" Ed yelled, struggling against the powerful grip. "I have to find Al!"
"Ed, you'll never make it—not in this." Roy calmly countered, his grasp still tight. "Look, he's probably at the prison, and if he is, then he's safe. If they need him, they won't harm him. We need to wait until—"
"Use your alchemy, you bastard!" Ed sharply interrupted. "Melt the damn snow!"
Roy shook his head, wincing as the heel of a heavy black boot made contact with his shin. "I can't do that, Ed." He replied. "I can't—"
"Melt it!"
"Ed!" Roy gave an exasperated sigh as he finally dropped his arms. "It wouldn't help. They're going to be looking for you. You can't go there until—"
But Ed had taken all he could. He swung around, his golden eyes blazing with an unbridled fury, and glared at the older one.
"All you care about is yourself!" He yelled, his guilt over his brother's disappearance manifesting in a feral rage against the only other person available at the moment. Unfortunately for Roy, that person was him. "You don't want me to go to the prison because it'll cost you. You're too worried about getting yourself out of trouble so that you can get another damn star on your shoulder. Well guess what, bastard? You're the one who got us into this mess. You came to us promising everything under the sun so that I would become the next great find, and you would get all the credit. Well you owe Al and me, you selfish bastard. I need you, and you damn well better come through."
There was a thick silence before Roy finally turned and headed from one storm to another. He stood in the mine's entrance, allowing the heavy snow to sting his skin. "You don't need me, Ed." He quietly said, his voice suddenly very hollow. "You need my alchemy."
With that he lifted his hand and slowly snapped, disintegrating the wall of snow with a flash of bright light. He walked a few steps into the clearing and snapped a few more times, making a path towards the prison. Then he lifted up the collar of his coat to shield himself from the pelting snow and headed into the blizzard back to town. He did not clear a path for himself.
XXXXX
Roy sighed as he flipped the page of the report. He had been milling through the recent ledgers and documents from the mines since he had gotten home that night, trying to find any clue as to what was truly going on there. He had discovered that starting nearly a year ago, the number of miners collecting a salary from the state began to steadily dwindle. He also discovered that at the same time, the number of prisoners reported at Youswell began to decline as well. When he began to compare the two, he saw that for every number of miners no longer working, the exact same number was reported as transferred prisoners out of Youswell. Ed had been right. This was something much bigger than they had realized.
A horrible yawn contorted Roy's striking face as he finally set the folder down on his desk. It was snowing again, and the oddly shaped flakes were clinging thickly against his window. He reached up and rubbed his aching eyes, startled a little by the whistle of the tea kettle in his kitchen. He had nearly forgotten he had put it on the stove a while ago. Yet he was more startled by the blond alchemist standing by his backdoor staring up at him through slush-covered bangs.
"You left it unlocked."
Roy said nothing as he walked over and turned off the stove. Ed watched as he took two mugs down from the cabinet and carefully placed a fragrant tea bag in each one before pouring in the hot water.
"So…..how much trouble are you in?" Ed asked sheepishly.
Roy stared down at his mug, mindlessly listening to the spoon clinking against the porcelain as he stirred the tea. "The Fuhrer wants you to report directly to Central." He answered, his voice even and emotionless. "There's a train leaving the station at seven tomorrow morning. He wants you on it."
Ed scoffed. "Like that will happen."
Roy simply shrugged. Ed watched as he placed the steaming mug on the table and motioned for him to sit down.
"What, you aren't going to drag me kicking and screaming there?" The blond asked as he settled in one of the uncomfortable chairs.
Roy shook his head. "You're no longer under my command, per the orders of Fuhrer Bradley." He quietly replied. "You're not my concern now."
Somehow, even though Ed had said much more acrid things that morning, Roy's words stung. Bitterly. The younger alchemist lowered his head. "Oh."
"He'll ask you about the prison."
Ed stared down at the cup, allowing its fragrant steam to brush against his face. "I didn't try to go in this time." He answered. "There were too many guards."
Roy lowered his thin, black eyebrows. "They must be starting to transfer them." He whispered more to himself.
The sound of the mug scraping against the tattered oak table echoed throughout the small kitchen as Ed pushed it away from him. Roy stayed standing, with his back to the unusually silent boy.
"Roy…" Ed softly started. "This morning….what I said. I didn't—"
"You can stay here tonight since you have nowhere else." Roy abruptly interrupted. "Do you want the couch or the bed?"
Ed folded his arms on the table and rested his chin on them, staring aimlessly at the cream-colored mug. "The couch I guess."
The older one left an extra pillow and blanket in the den before he walked into his bedroom and slammed the door behind him.
XXXXX
Roy was close to the edge of finding his restless dreams when a sudden jolting of the mattress hurled him back. At first, he thought he had imagined it, that his exhausted mind was trying to trick him. But as he reached out his arm, stretching it before he fell back into a dark sleep, it touched something. Something warm. Something short with a blond braid. Roy's eyes immediately flew open and meet the sheepish gold ones.
"I was cold."
Roy examined the younger one's face, studying the way the moonlight chased the shadows across it. Then he gave a defeated nod and closed his eyes again, tucking his hand under his pillow. He found himself on the brink of sleep once again when a realization crept up and dragged him back. Ed was shuddering from the chill.
"Still cold?" He asked, his voice dry and gravelly.
"Yeah."
Roy sighed before he reached across the smaller frame and grabbed something off of his nightstand. Ed wondered just what he was searching for when a snap answered his question. There was a low hiss, then crackling as flames roared in the fireplace across the room. Roy slipped his glove off and nestled back under the covers, letting his arm drop and remain slung over Ed's waist.
"I guess I do need you for your alchemy." Ed said with a wide grin.
"It was easier than getting out of the bed, pipsqueak."
For once Ed ignored the taunt and tentatively nestled closer. "Admit it." He softly dared. "You did that just for me."
Roy swallowed hard, keeping his eyes closed, then whispered his answer against the boy's neck. "There are a lot of things I do just for you, Ed." The last part of the quiet sentiment went unspoken.
You just don't see them.
The shudder that time was not from the cold.
When Roy felt the jostling next to him again, he didn't have time to ask what was wrong. The soft but urgent pressing of lips against his own stole that chance. He parted his lips, coaxing Ed's tongue to play with his own. Roy moaned softly at the feel of the warmth invading his mouth. His hand came up, wrapping itself around the back of Ed's neck, his fingertips digging into the base of the loosened braid.
As the kiss deepened, Roy shifted so that he was hovering over the smaller alchemist. His fingers slipped from the braid and moved along the boy's jaw, tracing the curve of it. Ed reached up and grabbed a fistful of raven locks, pulling the older one as close to him as possible.
Roy finally pulled back, reaching up and freeing his hair from the automail grip. He pushed the hand down onto the pillow, pinning it in place by the wrist. His dark eyes flashed as they studied the flushed face below them. Ed's eyes were wide, their gold suddenly very deep. His lips were parted as he drew in quick breaths. Strands of his blond hair were stuck to his forehead, now sweat-slicked from the heat of the fire and the heat of a certain Flame Alchemist's kiss. Roy suddenly grinned and leaned down for another.
Ed could have easily swatted away the hand holding his automail one, but he decided to let the man think he was in control. But as long as his flesh hand was free, the small blond reasoned, at least it could do some exploring.
Roy smiled into the kiss when he felt fingers tugging at the collar of his shirt. His smile grew to a wide grin when he felt the insistent fingers slip further down, trying to undo the buttons. But Ed being Ed, there was little patience in the act. Roy broke the kiss and drew back when he heard the snap of thread and then buttons flying across the room, finally toppling to the wooden floor below.
"You're going to pay for the tailoring to fix that, Fullmetal."
Ed flashed his lopsided grin. "Take it out of my budget, bastard."
The low growl that was the boy's response turned into a groan when the wandering fingers brushed over a sensitive nipple. Ed felt the soft lips pull from his own before latching onto his neck, gently sucking at the sensitive flesh. His own groan escaped, and his fingers became more daring, yanking the wrinkled white shirt completely open.
As Roy's lips trailed down the soft neck, he felt fingertips tracing the curve of his ribcage. He suddenly pulled back and sat up, struggling to free himself from the shirt. Ed watched as it ended up in a crumpled mess on the floor, surrounded by its loose buttons. He watched, and his breaths quickened even more.
Ed had never seen the raven-haired alchemist without his shirt. A technicality that was kind of ridiculous considering what they had already done together. But there was something about the intimacy of it that struck the boy. Roy was sitting there, looking down at him, the glow of the fire he had created just for Ed surrounding him. His physique matched his personality—subtle but strong. The muscles that shaped his upper arms and his chest were firm but not overstated. Golden eyes absorbed every detail of the smooth skin, drawing down to the faint trail of dark hair that started just below the flat stomach and disappeared into the waist band of the blue boxers. He was snapped out of his admiring trance by a sudden tugging on his black tank.
As Ed was pulling his tank over his head, he felt fingers yanking at the waist of his own boxers. Before he could fumble out of his top, the boxers were already halfway down his thighs, being pulled with an utter sense of urgency. Soon he was completely naked, a sudden flush coloring his face as he watched Roy mapping every inch of him. When he lifted his knees a little, reflexively trying to cover himself, he felt strong hands clamp down on them. The hands then shifted, gently spreading the thighs. The younger alchemist was suddenly very aware of the jagged scars that marred his body, melding flesh with metal. Roy had seen it before, but their last encounter had been frenzied and hurried. Now, the older one was memorizing every inch with a deliberate slowness, making Ed very self-conscious. Roy seemed to sense it and leaned down, placing a tender kiss on the warm forehead. He nuzzled his face against the boy in a silent gesture. One that spoke volumes to Ed.
You're beautiful to me.
The lips then lazily wandered down, stalling for a moment over the pale pink ones before capturing them. The dark head dipped lower, and a warm tongue joined the lips in their exploration of the exposed chest. A lick here, a nip there, and a few well-placed bites elicited low, whimpered moans. Roy suddenly felt hands on his shoulders, gripping them as the intensity of his gentle bites increased. He moved further and further down until his lips at last found the prize they had been seeking all along.
"Roy…."
Ed's back had suddenly arched, bowing up from the soft mattress, and his fingers had dug deeply into the smooth skin they were clutching.
Roy had taken him into his mouth.
"Please…."
The heat of that wet cavern and the softness of the warm breaths had Ed's hips bucking so violently that Roy had to grip them hard to keep the boy against the bed. His tongue teased the head, swirling around and around before it finally relented and slid down the length of the shaft. The pressure of the warm tongue against his throbbing erection was nearly too much for the boy, and Roy could tell that he was already very close. He fumbled for the nightstand and the small jar in it, knocking his gloves to the floor in the process. By the time Roy pressed a slick finger to the boy's entrance, Ed was whimpering with every breath.
The dark head suddenly drew back, and Roy began to slip his boxers down enough to free his own pulsing erection. When he leaned forward, the grip on his shoulders suddenly tightened with an almost painful need.
"Take them off."
The onyx eyes met the golden ones at the breathless command. Ed offered an almost coy smile.
"It's only fair…." He pointed out.
Roy shook his head as he reached down to slide the cotton boxes off completely, and Ed caught the smile that briefly passed over his lips. After a little awkward shifting and struggling, the boxers found themselves wadded up in a dark corner.
The first contact of skin to skin caused a hiss from both of them. Ed spread his legs wider, allowing Roy to settle between them. Flesh and metal rubbed against one another in anticipation as blond curls mingled with dark black ones. Roy drew in a deep breath and stared down into the wide golden eyes before he gently eased his way in.
Ed gasped loudly, squirming at the intrusion. He tried to find a more comfortable position, and Roy paused, waiting for the body beneath his own to settle.
"More?" Roy finally asked, his voice now rich with a husky tone.
The boy drew in a deep breath and nodded. The older one complied and slid a little deeper, searching Ed's face for any sign that he should stop. But the dancing eyes revealed that was hardly the case. Ed suddenly wrapped his legs around Roy's straight hips, digging an automail heel into the small of his back, trying to urge his thrust to go deeper. Roy reached back with one hand, running his fingers along the boy's thigh before reaching under and tickling the underside of Ed's knee. The sensation caught the younger one off guard, and he lifted his thigh a little allowing Roy to fully penetrate him.
"Are you alright?"
There was something about the sudden tenderness in Roy's voice that struck Ed. Here, now, in his bed, the absolute power of the famous Flame Alchemist was being tamed just for him. Ed reached down and took hold of the hand teasing his knee, intertwining the strong fingers with his own. He felt a gentle kiss against the base of his throat before Roy pulled back and thrust in a not-so-gentle way deep inside him.
The blond head tipped back, and a low groan escaped Ed's lips before they were covered with another pair. Roy was in no hurry this time, and even with the urgent squeezing of the thighs hooked around his waist, he managed to keep a tauntingly slow rhythm. In and out. In and out. Slow and deep. Roy smiled at each breathless plea for him to go faster, and simply shook his head, his onyx eyes flashing. It wasn't until Ed shifted his thighs, raising them a little, that Roy hit him just right inside. The cry that it caused finally urged the older one to speed up his movements. Roy leaned down and buried his face in the pillow beside the loose strands of blond hair and just let go.
It was Ed who came first. The nearly inaudible whimper in the form of his name pushed him over the edge. Roy didn't last much longer, gripping the fingers in his with an unrestrained strength until he had emptied himself completely. Then he collapsed on top of the smaller body, chest heaving as he fought to find his breaths.
Roy wasn't sure just how long they stayed like that, breathing against one another. But when he finally tried to pull back, he felt the flesh fingers disentangle themselves from his own and then join metal ones as they clasped around his neck.
"Don't…." A soft whisper begged him. "Stay like this."
The older one only had the strength to nod.
Ed woke up a few hours later to discover they had shifted in their sleep. They were back to their original positions again, with Roy sleeping on his side and Ed on his back next to him. A heavy arm was draped over Ed's waist, and soft snores tickled his ear. The fire had started to die down, allowing only a muted glow to light the room. Ed carefully turned his head so that he could study the sleeping figure next to him. The thin cotton sheet was partially covering Roy, drawn up to his waist. It slipped a little at his hips, allowing Ed a glimpse of the dark curls that crowned the now sleeping penis. The older one's chest was barely moving as he drew in deep, steady breaths. Ed reached over and let his fingers lightly ghost along the curve of his arm, along his straight hip, and finally along the top of the sculpted thigh. Roy shivered a little from the touch but stayed locked in his dreams.
Ed suddenly drew his hand back and closed his eyes, a sorrowful sigh whispering from his lips. Here, in the quiet solitude of his lover's bed, one very real truth began to emerge.
Equivalent Exchange.
Ed was too….happy. Even with Al missing, he knew deep in his heart that his brother was safe, and that he would find him soon. Especially with Roy's help. Ed hadn't felt this content in a long time. Not with all he had suffered, not with the self-imposed shackles that bound him to his goal. But everything came with a price—that was a lesson the young alchemist knew all too well. If he was happy it meant that sometime soon, there would be suffering to balance it. Equivalent Exchange. The knot in his stomach that was growing tighter with each passing minute told him that something was going to happen. Something would go very wrong. And although the boy tried to shake the feeling as he stared at his lover, at the peace which he had never seen before settling across Roy's striking face, the fact of the matter remained.
Ed was right.
TBC…
A/N: Thanks so much to those who are reading and reviewing! It's so nice to hear feedback about the story. :)
