It's... it's a bird! It's a plane! It's... it's... another chapter!
Haha, yes, dearies. Yet another installment to my little fic is here, ready for your eyes to peer! I do believe with this chapter, we are officially moving towards the M rating, though we may not actually be there yet. I must... change it anyways because I fear for the deletion of my story over some mis-rated citrus-y writing. ...maybe it's not all that, but it is, at least, fluff on steroids. Yeah... that's it.
Anyways! I am pleased with this chapter too. Things are moving along, not only in the plot department, but also in our RoyEd department. Ahaha~ On with the reading!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. *sigh* I'm afraid the rapture really would have happened if I did (XD)
Sparks Fly in the Dark
Chapter Nine
It was hot. It was sweltering. It was combustible.
It was a fucking summer day, late mid-day, in the desert. The sun beat down from overhead, trying its damndest to bake every living thing… including Edward and his newfound central traitor.
After the shirtless fiasco, Ed had done his best to ignore the raven-haired bastard. He spoke to the ex-colonel only when necessary and almost never looked at him. They had pushed past the limits of Central by nine (or so the clock at the gates had told them), and hitched a ride on a passerby train until the lush green grass gave way to dead sand. It was then they leapt off, using nothing but the railway tracks for guidance.
Ed knew where he was going. The pilgrimage from Freiheit to Central and back again was one he had made many times. He knew that, if they pushed it, they could make it to the town by nightfall.
Of course, arriving in the town didn't necessarily guarantee their safety, since it was merely a neutral-set town, not to mention off to the west and therefore in the complete opposite direction of his "side." However, reaching the city would be a large accomplishment and would give them the chance to rest properly and prepare for a journey to East City – the rebel's main stronghold and headquarters.
With a pant, Edward shoved his automail, boot-covered foot into the sand, burning it a few inches before kicking it up, flinging the grit upwards into the air. The skin around his ports was the worst off part of him, burning as hot as (he swore) the sun above them. The heat was collecting in the metal, and the prolonged exposure to such high temperatures would eventually burn him and cause the artificial limbs to malfunction. Normally, when he traveled with Winry and had to make it from point A to B, she would force him to bury both limbs into the cooler sand below the burning surface to relieve some heat. But Winry wasn't here because she thought he was dead (and she'd probably kill him once she found out otherwise) and he and Roy had to reach their destination by the end of the day. Without food and. More importantly, water, they would not last another day. They had no choice but to continue moving, and for Ed to suffer in the miserable heat.
"Shouldn't we stop for a break?" Roy questioned, with shirt plastered to his skin once more. Sweat coated him, much like it did Ed. The other man's uniform pants were rolled up, his jacket slung over his shoulder and his long sleeves torn off and discarded. His voice cracked from both lack of use and lack of moisture. He was dehydrating.
Ed shook his head in reply. "No. If we stop, we won't start again." Not an entirely true statement, since Ed was sure he could bring himself to continue walking if he just had a chance to cool down the searing metal attached to his body, but he didn't feel like telling Roy that. "Damn, I wish we had some water," he complained.
Onyx eyes shot a deadly glare his way. "I told you we should have gotten provisions."
"Oh shut up, you fucking dick. You wanted to waltz into a store so every-fucking-body could see you and know who you are and what you are not and what you would have been – dead! You would have blown what little cover we actually have!"
"Well, you have to admit leaving without anything to sustain us in a desert was awfully short-sighted of you."
"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING SHORT? I'M GOING TO TEAR YOUR GODDAMNED LEGS OFF, YOU BASTARD!" Ed made a frantic lunge for the taller man, his eyesight spotted with red rage. Roy easily side-stepped him, and the blonde landed face-first into the hot sand below. The colonel did hiss, however, when Ed's automail arm brushed against his bare one.
"Fuck, that was hot! Was that your arm?"
"Whaddya fucking think?" Ed yelled indignantly from his sprawled-out position on the ground. Ouch, ouch, hot sand. Smoldering sand. "They're made of metal!"
Roy looked down at him, face expressionless, but concern swimming in his eyes. "Isn't there a way to cool it down?"
The blonde stood, brushing the sand from him and gritting his teeth. "Yes, but it includes stopping. Which we are not doing, I'll have you know."
Roy rolled his eyes as Ed growled, "Let's get a move on bastard. I want to get there before we die," before setting off again, stumbling lightly before catching his own balance as the world-turned-oven swayed a bit in his vision.
Freiheit, even by night, was a bustling town full of people, action, and, like its namesake, Freedom. Tucked away in the desert, it was a neutral city that refused to take part in the war or shelter the military. Though, the latter oddity about the town probably was born from the actual needs of the inhabitants of the place – Freiheit was so named because it was shelter to runaways and thieves. If one wanted to escape society and the law, one ran to Freiheit. Thusly, it had gained quite a reputation as a shady place, undesirable to all things lawful and fair. It was said that people were mugged daily (and nightly) on the streets and poverty, slovenness, and avarice were rampart among its people.
But at the end of the day, with the dying sunlight casting red on the wooden shacks and stalls that lined the main street, the town was a godsend and a relief to the ex-colonel. At that moment, it didn't matter the reputation. The town meant salvation, survival, and water. It didn't matter the odd silence that fell as he and Edward walked along the street. It didn't matter the disbelieving glances at the blonde and the hostile glares shot his way. It didn't matter who stepped out into the road and stood in their way…
At least, not until the man pulled a knife. That brought Roy to alert as the metal gleamed in the dying light. The man was taller than Roy, and a bit more built than him as well. His skin was a few shades darker, a more chocolaty color, and his eyes shone out a vibrant green. His hair was a pure black and long enough to rival Edward's; however, it was not confined to any form of braid or tie, so it whipped about in the wind. His face was set in a snarl, pure disgust and mistrust shining in his eyes.
"Woah, woah, Daemon. Put it away. All we want is some water and a place to stay," Ed coaxed from beside Roy, arms outstretched and palms upright. "C'mon. You know me."
"Shut up, you Central scum!" the man – Daemon – roared, "us Easterners are not so stupid! We know the Fullmetal Rebel is dead!" At the man's words, some of the crowd began to chatter in agreement.
"You dumbass. I'm here, I'm alive! Who else do you know has automail limbs?" Ed shot back, anger flaring across his features.
"Then tell us something only Edward Elric would know!" a woman from the crown shouted.
"Yes," Daemon grinned, flicking his knife around in his hand, "tell us about his sibling."
Roy looked at Ed in time to see a wave of semi-carefully hidden pain and guilt swim across the golden pools of his eyes. He knew the others wouldn't see it, but it was enough to anger the older man. Rage soon reflected in the blonde as well. "You only know I have a sibling; you don't know anything about him! That's an irrelevant, unanswerable question you picked to fuck with me, you moron, and you know it!"
Silence followed the blonde's outburst before Daemon laughed. "It's good to see you alive, Fullmetal. Who's you friend?"
Edward sent a half-hearted, somewhat tired glare towards Roy before looking back at Daemon. "That's my business. Just know he's with me, so don't shoot or stab him. He's important to the Eastern cause."
Daemon grinned once more in reply, "You wanted water? Come right this way."
Roy followed Ed and Daemon down the path a little ways before they all headed inside a tavern. He made his way to the bar before sitting beside the blonde, separated from the taller man by the shorter one.
"Hey! Bartender! Beers on the house!"
"Actually," Ed interjected, "My friend and I really need some water."
"Awh, c'mon, Fullmetal," Daemon whined while punching Ed's shoulder, "where's your sense of fun?"
"Behind my sense of survival." Mugs of water were placed before Roy and Ed and the two drank them down with record speed.
"Woah, woah! What'd ya do, walk the way here without water or somethin'?" Daemon asked his face plastered in mock disbelief.
Roy laughed. The absurdity of it all him as Ed begrudgingly replied, "yes…" Daemon laughed, too.
"You're joking, right?"
When both Roy and Ed shook their heads, the Easterner laughed again, the sound rumbling forth and rattling the glass of alcohol before him. "No joke? Holy shit, Fullmetal! You're more crazy than a crate of nuts, and about as rare as one, too!" Then the man collapsed into a fit of incoherent sputtering and gasping as he howled at his own joke. Surely the man was drunk? But so soon?
"Don't fucking choke." Ed looked over to Roy and then back to Daemon while Roy quietly ordered himself food. He was actually surprised the younger man hadn't done so already, considering it had been his main topic of convers—well, complaining for the previous few hours of travel.
At the sound of Roy's voice, Ed turned his rapt attention to the bartender and followed pursuit in the raven's attempts to gain some form of nutrition. Meanwhile, Daemon's ruckus died down to mere snickers and, between them, managed to say "d-don't tell me you haven't eaten, either..?"
With annoyance apparent, Ed replied, "Yes, you fucking shit. Do you really think we'd bring food but forget to bring water to a fucking desert? Shut the fuck up or go away, before I beat your ass into the brewing barrels back there and poison the whole town with your stupidity."
"Okay… Okay…" Daemon weezed between chuckles, "Someone's in a terrible mood today. I'll just leave you be, since you so hate my company."
Edward rolled his eyes before saying, "One thing: hotel."
To this, Daemon grinned once more (had it really ever left his face? Roy wasn't sure). "Just the main one open tonight, and they're pretty full. Come find me if you can't get a room. You remember where I live, right? But you're gonna have to be awfully nice about asking me…"
"Fuck off," Ed spat. The blonde's demeanor changed, just like that, however, when a heaping plate of food was placed between him and Roy.
"…just one plate?" Roy questioned, looking towards Edward.
"It's how the restraints don't go out of business here. You get half of your food, pay, and get the other half," the blonde explained between bites of noodles, "We have so much because you and I both ordered and we are on the same bill." When Roy raised an eyebrow in question, the younger man continued, "I don't have any money and you fucking know it, bastard. Just be grateful this town of thieves still uses the cenz-marks currency instead of pure gold like how they want to."
"The great Fullmetal Rebel has no money?" Daemon butted in, "surely something is wrong in the world!"
"Why haven't you left yet?" The blonde growled, eliciting a smirk of amusement from Roy.
The dark Easterner stood and backed away, his eyes suddenly trained on Roy. The raven blinked, and kept his face an apathetic wall as he observed the emotion bled into the gaze. The other man was jealous of Roy! It seeped from his body language, exuding from every pore, visible seemingly only to Roy. It was a dark glare, full of malice. Did… Daemon have something to do with Edward? Were they involved and Roy stepping in? Or was it all unrequited for the green-eyed man? From Ed's actions and words, Roy was willing to bet it was the latter of the two possibilities. After a moment, the ex-colonel turned his back, igniting anger in the other man while picking up his fork. He knew the dismissal would only serve to irritate the Daemon, but Roy was so hungry and the blonde beside him had already devoured over half the plate in the short amount of time that had passed. Besides, Roy was sure that, should Daemon attempt to harm him, the Easterner would lunge in a violent and, more vitally, loud way.
However, his doubts and speculations were silenced when the tavern door slammed and his full attention was allowed to fall upon his meal.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU ONLY HAVE ONE FUCKING ROOM? WITH ONE BED? DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH TO GET HERE?" Ed yelled as he stared at the man across the desk. "I'VE HAD TO CROSS A DESERT WITH," he pointed to the silent raven beside him, "THIS BASTARD AND YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT I HAVE TO DEAL WITH HIM ALL NIGHT AS WELL?"
"Don't yell at me," the clerk hissed, clearly disgusted, "It's not my problem you got in so late."
"Got in so – GOD DAMMIT, I'M SUPPOSED TO BE YOUR PATH TO SUCCESS!"
"Please keep in mind that Freiheit is a neutral city and refuses to take part in the war. So no, you are not a path to my success and thus shall be treated as any other customer. That means I will not boot anyone out of their rooms for you, nor will I force them to sleep on the floor so you may have a second bed. You will pay full price for a single room and either share it with your buddy there, kick him out and take it for yourself, or find someplace else to stay."
Edward stared daggers at the man, trying to get him to concede to his demands. When that failed, he opened his mouth to argue once more when we was shoved backwards by the bastard Roy, who pushed his way to the desk and, in a deep voice that made part of the blonde want to shiver, said, "We'll take it. Don't mind him; he's a bit short-tem-"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT?"
"—ered and is, right now, a bit past the point of exhaustion. Here's the pay," Roy handed the man a handful of marks, "give us our key, and we'll be on our way."
The clerk gaped at him for a bit, moving his hand absentmindedly over the piles of papers and other various objects on his desk for the room key. Once he found it, he handed it to the black-haired bastard. Ed couldn't (and quite frankly didn't want to) understand how or why, but what was it to him if the other man's charisma got them what they needed? Not that it made the situation any better, seeing as they still had to share a room.
A walk up creaky old stairs led to their destination: a small room with a main feature consisting of…
A twin-sized bed.
He'd be damned if he was sleeping on the floor. "I call bed," he called with a smartass grin as he leapt past Roy and jumped onto the mattress. All his. A bed, all his own. It'd be great after sleeping on concrete the night before, and sleeping on the shitty Amestrian military-issue cots before that.
In fact, the last time he had slept on something even remotely comfortable (he quickly killed the memory of how he had woken up that morning, refusing to acknowledge it had ever happened) was the last time he had been in a proper "living space" with Roy.
How fucking ironic was that?
"So I am left to the floor?" Roy stared at him from the doorway, irritated.
"That sounds about right." Ed looked up at him from his place on the bed, "Hey, don't look at me like that. I got us here safe."
"I bought the room." The older man walked over to the bed, thoughts racing across his eyes too quickly for Ed to comprehend.
"I made sure you weren't killed by the people out on the street."
"I'm only here because of you," Roy shot back.
"You FUCKING BASTARD!" That was it! Edward launched himself at Roy, intent on ripping his head off and silencing him for good. There was a moment of flight, and then his body made contact with another, and then the sensation of falling. On the ground and on top of the other man, Ed aimed a punch with his flesh arm, only to be hampered by a pale hand gripping and preventing him. The blonde tried his other arm, only to be flipped over and pinned to the floor, Roy's dark figure above him, smirking down.
"I get the bed."
"YOU! YOU! GOD DAMN YOU!" Ed sputtered, knowing he was quickly losing whatever argument he had. He was being childish and he knew it, but it was impossible to keep himself from lashing out like that at the other man! He was just so damn provoking. He glared up at Roy, trying to burn holes through his head with his stare and, once again, finding that his eyes lacked the superpower to do so.
And then, the raven's head dropped, slowly inching its way downwards to Ed's face. He felt his breath hitch, his body tense and then relax, and a silent moan rack his body as his lower, more carnal section rubbed harshly against Roy's leg. Shit. When had he become hard? When had the anger turned to desire?
He watched, as if in slow-motion, as Roy's eyes of onyx widened and the smirk lost some of its bastardliness. Obviously he had not been expecting this as well.
Then, Roy kissed him, and nothing mattered anymore. It was lips on skin, and motion, and the need to get closer. It was burning need and instinct and shit it was about releasing the building pressure inside of him. The raven ground his hips against Ed's and he moaned, unable to hold it back. The other man was just as aroused as he was. Oh, Gate, it felt amazing. "F-fuck…" he gasped through a ragged breath. "R-roy…"
He wanted to forget it all. Lose himself in the man.
But…
He couldn't.
"G-get… off… you shit..!" His self-control amazed even himself as he pulled away, trying desperately to get out of the situation. He couldn't let himself become involved with anybody, not even Roy. Roy, who lead him by the hand through mountains of emotions, sorrow and pleasure and anger and desire. Roy, who made him want something else almost as much as he wanted his brother back. Roy, who had saved his life and kept him brimming with some sort of energy. Roy, who stood on the board with him, who held the key to the end of the war, who could charm anyone into giving him what he wanted.
Roy pulled away.
And Ed never felt colder.
Please review! Oh, please, please, please review!
AND: Shameless plugging time.
If you have not yet been forced to read my latest oneshot... I adore it to bits! If you like Sparks, it just might be worth your while to glance "Reading with Colonel Mustang" over.
Yes, I really just did that. xD
