The Woman He Loved
Chapter 14: An End…A Beginning!
By claudius
Gaze at Aquroya in the afternoon! The sun shone at its summer brightest. The lake reflected its sparkles a thousandfold. The sand that separated water and land reflected its shine. But see such incandescence eclipsed by the radiance of one woman making a sure stride upon the shore. Gracia wandered in her own world of beauty.
The heat didn't bother her. She felt especially cooler upon the head, and not from her straw hat. People who saw her now would think she pinned all her brown hair into that hat. In truth there was actually little to pin on. The length of her hair stopped at her jaw. The cosmetic change might not have been completely accepted; Gracia could cry over the haircut. But the present news of her life gave little regret for this requirement of change; a change not for Nurse Gracia Stern, but Mrs. Gracia Hughes (Not like Maes had been rather consistent with his appearance…)
For Gracia, she had a change more profound than anything cosmetic or titled. She firmly caressed her stomach. Over the week she still had not bled. So a discreet visit with a physician from another hotel confirmed her suspicions: pregnant. Once the secure lock of this reality set in, the expectant mother basked in the glow of its virtues. Her shorn hair was piffle compared to having a baby. Maes' baby. For a woman known for her calm behavior, Gracia found herself giggling and jumping at every minute. Her hands constantly patted her smooth stomach. A life lived within it. Just think what everyone will say! Her neighbors, her friends, her Aunt. And, of course, her baby's father…
The woman turned up the road aside the sandy beach. The waves were ominous to the city of Aquroya. The resort was supposed to be sinking into the waters. Best to enjoy its natural treasures before it was too late, and Mrs. Hughes certainly did that with her Maes! Such memories carved into her mind. Every place the woman saw with a delightful familiarity. Over there at the shore, Gracia could picture Maes frolicking like a dancer upon the sands! She could feel the water on her legs as she joined her husband, felt the air as he lifted and twirled her, feel the sand when they kissed and made out. And then there was the lovemaking. That part they kept in private, of course, and they had lots of it in private. That day of desperation (and the cause of her new condition) did little to spoil the romantic magic and thrill of their wedding night and honeymoon.
Soon Gracia reached the Hotel Mount. The name came from the building's perch on a hill overlooking the beautiful horizon. Most noticeable of this house was a balcony on its roof: The bridal suite. It was the most coveted place in the hotel. This was Roy Mustang's wedding present.
Gracia entered the hotel lobby. She passed busy bellboys, greeted fellow guests playing cards or relaxing in their chairs. By the stairway she came to her room. A small place, but nicely furnished (bed curtains…) with a nice view of the shore. A look through the Franch windows revealed her husband on the balcony. Maes lay still in his purple trunks, his muscled body glowing like some Bronze statue. A cracked bronze statue. Maes had indeed carried through his promise to never feel anxious about his body ever again. He bore his naked form with such exhibitionism and pride, ignoring the very noticeable scars lining his torso. Gracia endeared to such confidence. Who cared what people thought? They did not exist in the world of the Hughes.
Her husband had another change as well. Dark hair lined his chiseled jaw. Maes had allowed his whiskers to grow, within limits; he still shaved his upper lip and cheeks. Some people did not look good with a beard; Maes somehow succeeded in looking even more handsome.
Gracia hovered over her piece of living human meat. She bowed and kissed his lips. The eyelids stirred and arose to expose striking green-lime eyes. A true smile curved on his lips. "Hey there, gorgeous!" His voice arose with his body. "Everything okay?"
"Yes," Gracia sincerely smiled.
Maes' darkened finger tenderly drew her hand. "Can I improve the mood?"
"Wait!" Gracia resisted with a smirk. "You're all sweaty."
"So will you," he grinned, pulling her for a more awesome kiss. Wistful, the lady separated from her man and walked to the bed. Her hat remained, staying on as everything else left her.
Maes dived onto the bed like it was a pool of water, disappearing within the striped quilt. Out went his swimming trunks. Then he popped from the 'pool,' arms bent and supporting his excited face. "Care for some love in its most wild form?"
With a racy eye, Gracia removed the hat. Her naked shoulders flexed to the oncoming touch of her hair. But because of her actions, nothing came. If anything, Maes' face made the dive. "You cut your hair," he whispered to the sight in mixture surprise and shock. He crawled close to her, fingering the short stubs with dazed realization.
"I thought I needed a change." Gracia suddenly felt a little self-conscious.
After a second, Maes welcomed the change. "You have a way of looking cuter."
"Oh ho?" Gracia's finger drew upon her husband's new hirsute changes.
This tickled Hughes, as if he was a bust to one beautiful sculptor. "Going to mold me?"
Gracia stretched her smile. "The whiskers make you look dignified."
"Really?" Maes' lime eyes glowed at the flattery. "Well, there goes the razor!" He fell back to the bed, legs swinging up. "Y'know, they say when a wife cuts her hair…it means she's unhappy about the marriage."
Gracia bowed before him, her tips touching his chest. "They also say that for a husband with facial hair."
Hughes rubbed his wife's short hair. "So I take it this is our way of saying: Fuck convention!" Those hands enveloped her body, moving closer to his face and their lips. "I'm as happy as I can ever be. No length of hair can change that."
"Me too," Gracia kissed her naked man.
They engaged in the lovemaking for the last afternoon of their honeymoon. The consistency of such actions over the week brought some rue to the wife. How could she have withheld this from her Maes for a year? How did they ever endure it? Still, it did mean Maes loved her for reasons besides rubbing her to make a fire…not that she was against that. Especially not now.
They made up a year of chastity by a week of fulfilling the marriage duties in the consecutive days of their honeymoon. Not that it had been a duty. A lot of it required some new things. The couple had decided to take a few leaves from Chest's naughty little sex book. Hey, it was their honeymoon: Have at it with the naughty bawdiness! For the majority of it, Gracia was graceful and willing. Except for the time Maes wished to photograph themselves in bed. As a postcard for Roy! Gracia had her issues about such exposition to Roy of all people. She only agreed to have an unclad shoulder to show that the otherwise heavily draped Gracia Hughes was naked. Maes, on the other hand, practically exhibited his full body save for his symbol of gender! She could just imagine the Flame Alchemist's reaction when he gets this picture…
Today's particular loving was followed by a nap. Maes fell soundly asleep, while Gracia lay upon his chest, staring at the dog tag around his neck. The wind, the sound of the lake and the birds gave a soothing complacency to their rest. But no matter the comfort of her man and the surroundings, Gracia's mind kept her awake. She remembered her love kissing her belly in romantic fervor. It felt like he already knew.
But the truth is Maes did not know. His wife had been selfish this week. As much importance her pregnancy- whether true or not- reigned, Gracia wanted to Maes to be solely beholden to her this honeymoon week. If she told him her suspicions as soon as possible, it might have caused some problems. Would his wedding her be based on being the responsible man and not a man who wanted to share his life with her forever?
The consequences could be different. Maes had made his wishes to delay having a family. He had to help Roy Mustang's ambition in becoming Fuhrer. This could throw a wrench into things…Gracia mentally shrugged. She was giving Maes little credit. He might be happy about the news. The baby wasn't going to bring disaster to their lives. This wasn't some shotgun marriage. True, the conception occurred out of wedlock, but that was hours before their elopement. No way people can prove the truth! Furthermore…
Still the thinker, Mrs. Hughes? Gracia ended her analysis. This situation did not need any objective thought. Maes will want their child. She just knew it. Her hand rubbed against his cut chest. It received a clasp by her love's somnambulist grip. Her snuggle tightened, waiting to fall blissfully asleep with him in their nakedness.
This ended with the knock on their door. "It is about six o'clock," said the voice of a bellboy.
The eyes of Maes Hughes snapped open. Grabbing his glasses, he sprang out of the bed for his clothes. "C'mon dear! We can't miss the sunset!"
As evening came, the man who grew his hair while his love shortened hers presented their changes together to any witness. Maes' wardrobe consisted of shoes, swimming trunks, and a loudly patterned shirt, buttoned midway. Gracia adorned her swimsuit, a skirt, and a blouse.
"Just think Gracia!" Maes joked. "We'll spend our fiftieth anniversary here…on a boat." He then continued on other humor about the resort. Gracia stopped listening; her view had been conquered by the sight of a child. The little golden-haired boy sat on a fence before the windy shore. He twisted petals off a flower, thrusting them into the sky.
This beautiful thing attracted Gracia enough to join him. The child raised his head to her, looking innocent and confused before he resumed its play. Gracia captured the image to her mind and heart. This was her future, she believed. She threw some flowers into the air herself. Gleefully she showed the child her acceptance of such nonsensical fun.
Then she got back to her husband. Maes carried a different expression. No smile. His sad head turned away, as if unable to face something unbearable.
"Maes?"
Quickly the portrait vanished, leading to a restoration of mirthful attitude. "Oh nothing! I thought I was going to crap, but it was only a fart. Sorry."
Gracia was unconvinced. Maes kissed her warmly, slinking his hand through her blouse. This was reciprocated, though she found more skin to caress. Suddenly, Maes grabbed her hand and ran. Dusk was approaching.
Their destination was a rocky cliff, large to everyone but so little to the sky around it. Maes led the way. He climbed an especially rocky terrain, despite the safer path to it. It was this path Gracia followed. Maes may climb things with a skip, but she had to walk safely. Not just for her inexperience, but because of her condition.
"I'm over here!" Hughes stood at the edge, looking like he was ready to dive off the peak.
"I'm coming!" Gracia panted at her effort. The next few months are going to be careful! Will she be vomiting soon? Unfortunately, that ailment will also come with the baby.
Gracia joined her husband, who swallowed her within his arms. They sat down on a rock. Head to head they watched the horizon and the lake. Sure, they were here an hour early, but they spent the time either talking or being blissfully silent to each other's company.
And then it happened! The change of day to night was glorious. A lustrous glow of red and orange hues shined upon the ending. The clouds scattered upon the epic landscape. This was something of a bigger meaning, witnessed by two insignificant people. Hands tightened. Eyes grew wet.
"So the sun sets on our honeymoon," Mrs. Hughes spoke pathos.
"Just wait a few hours," her husband kissed her.
Returning to the hotel, the couple changed for dinner. Nothing too fancy, allowing Maes to wear a suit without a tie. Gracia felt a little tight in her brown dress, for reasons secret to her. The hotel business had given them many activities, from a round tour, to a costume party, to sports. Maes and Gracia did them all. Tonight promised to be a quieter affair. In a porch overlooking the shore, they ate a nice dinner.
And then a wild dance started. People filled the porch. Fireworks lit the dark sky. Maes arose to the wonderful chaos, giving his hand to Gracia.
His partner was reluctant. "Sorry, I can't."
Maes pressed for a change of mind. "C'mon…it's our last night." He knelt to her, squeaking with pleas.
But Gracia was steadfast. "I have a headache. Can we go back?"
Maes sulked a little, but he obeyed. "Sure."
The couple passed through the crowded festivities, returned to their suite. The windows brightened with the fireworks. Maes grumblingly lay on the bed, removing his shoes and coat.
Gracia entered the bathroom. She spied at the mirror. Her hand created space before her stomach, an imaginary measure to its future size. Maes certainly pumped the balloon! Then she removed her dress, revealing something more comfortable.
Which is why Maes' next sight of his wife was her wearing the same tight bustier she wore on their wedding night a week ago. The man, disappointed for a quiet night, stared with wide eyes and a renewed interest.
"This is something I thought to seal the honeymoon," Gracia strode before her.
"What about your headache?" Maes reminded her humorously.
"An excuse to get you here," She coyly pressed against him, touching his exposed neck.
"You manipulator…" Maes exchanged fake confrontation with fake condemnation. Words stopped for the next hour. Surrounded by curtains, the couple lay on different parts of the bed. One on stomach, with the other by side. They were mostly free of the sheets and quilt, but exposing their nakedness to no one but each other.
Maes towered Gracia, his naked face gazing at the new changes she made. His eyes still piercing with interest and happiness, he drew his finger upon her hair. "Reminds me of when I first saw you. Your hair all bundled up…your neck showing." He kissed that neck. Gracia swooned.
Hughes turned his attention to his own hair. "Maybe I should get a haircut too."
Gracia gazed at her husband's forehead with disapproval. She tweaked his long bang curl. "Cut off more of that, and you'll look like Alex."
A smile of ideals formed in Hughes' pleasured lips. He stood up on his knees, spreading out his arms. Voice and muscle expanded in tone. "Never fear, Milady! Major Hughes the Love Alchemist will flex his great skills for your enjoyment!" He threw many postures of muscle preening, putting his pectorals and tattooed bicep to dance. And Gracia indeed laughed. As present those body scars are, as Maes' performance showed, they might as well be paper cuts to him.
"A rival for Armstrong, huh?" Hughes made out a boyish grin. He got a pillow in the face.
"Yes, cut everything but the curl!" Gracia snickered.
"Forget it!" Hughes socked her with a pillow.
This exciting moment of flesh, feathers, and laughter soon calmed and led to a quieter, sadder comprehension. Their honeymoon was over. The two looked up at their love abode. The curtains surrounding their bed gave the impression of walls; protection from Outside and its dark world. In here, they were safe in their private acts of happiness.
"Ever think we could just stay here?"
"Not a bad idea." Maes didn't sound serious about it. "Mrs. Hughes, are you taking advantage of me?" He asked casually. He broke into a smile. "Keep doing it." He smoothed Gracia's nude back.
Their eyes perched into the ceiling, and the shadows. With the dawn, the night that replaced it would go away too. They would go back to the real world. And the week had been so wonderful. She was happy! She knew it. The possible future of a bad happening made these final hours stick out like a sore thumb. But at the moment, the fears were superficial in the rich emotions she had now. So close to him she felt, not just because of their embrace.
"Tomorrow…"
Her husband hushed her with a kiss to her shoulder. "Don't fret. The party is just beginning. I'll do my best to make you happy. You've done enough for me, sacrificing a lot."
Sacrifices. Gracia bobbed her head closely to her lover's. She listened more to his words, in his true voice. Somber, a little fearful, but determined. His beard added to the drama. "I saw how you clicked with that kid. I know you'd make a great mother." And then came the counter point. "If only the world was good. But it isn't. As much as I believe in a lot of it, I can't forget the other half. The ugly half. It's no place for kids."
Gracia tensed.
"I know you want children. So do I!" Maes spoke with regret, "But not right now."
A chill touched Gracia. But she was not afraid. No more backing away from any problem! She pushed up, looking at him. "Dear, I think you're a little too late for such nobility."
Maes' sleepy eyes ended. Who knew eyes limited in vision could widen with such optical power! Gracia nodded calmly to such melodramatics, though her face carried radiance. It confirmed the truth to her husband, once he put on his glasses.
"H-how did this happen?" He cried, then his face turned to self-rue over such a stupid question. "I mean…are you sure?"
"I've missed my period for more than a month," Gracia explained. "I went to a doctor today."
Maes twitched his eye-popped head like a bird. When the twitching stopped, so did the shock. "Honey…" He hugged his wife, touched with serenity.
Gracia basked in the change of mind. "But you said…"
"Pfff!" Maes sneered at his previous words. "Screw it! Blot it out of memory!"
Gracia was pleased at her confirmation; she saw her naked belly caressed by loving hands.
"Me, a father…" Hughes' realization was a humble kindness. He sprang from the bed, charging toward the Franch windows. He opened them and shouted: "We're having a baby!!!"
"Maes!" Gracia cried with a shock.
Maes stopped, lowering his head about his certain 'wardrobe.' "Oops!" He closed the windows with embarrassment. "Good thing no one's outside." Quickly, the man lessened his nudity with red-checkered boxer shorts. Gracia would never get tired of such a sight. However, her husband's cheer suddenly dimmed into concern. "My dear, you'll catch your cold." Maes marched to the bed. "You have to be very careful from now on." Swiftly he put a pillow behind Gracia. "Okay, lay down."
Gracia obeyed. The sheets and quilt fell on her breasts.
"I'll get your nightgown."
This move was stopped by a warm touch of her hand. "You'll be enough for warmth."
Sanity returned to the dotting daddy-to-be. "Oh, okay!" He pressed himself and the sheets closer to Gracia. He wound an arm upon her belly. "Okay, snug as a bug." He heaved some snickered breaths, fighting the excitement from this news. Gracia found she was even more kissable than before. Then he moved above her, stopping like an arch. "Uh dear…maybe we should look at that book again. My rock-hard abs might crush junior."
Again the lovemaking led to a nice sleep that Gracia found way too brief. Part of her awakening was her lack of contact with her bed partner. He went missing. She found this to be never a good sign. Her husband was probably awake, moping about something thru the night.
Fortunately, she saw a dark outline through the windows. Gracia donned a robe and strode to the balcony. Maes lay on his chair, wearing boxers and a robe this time. The opened garment gave his torso muscles a bulging look. But Gracia was more interested in her husband's quiet visage to the sky. He looked at her, his grim face offsetting a bright glow on it.
"Didn't mean to wake you," Maes sat up. His lack of glasses exposed his eyes and their vulnerability. The new beard also gave a new maturity. "It's my turn to think a lot. Especially after the surprise you gave me."
Gracia sat next to him. "I wanted to tell you before, but I just wanted this time to be about us. Now that it's over, I feel selfish."
Maes fell into accusation. On himself. "No, I'm the self-absorbed asshole here. I demanded too much from you."
"You were being noble, thinking about the child's safety."
"No, that was me being selfish. Now that I think about it, it's not the world I'm fearing for the kid. It's me," he rubbed his face. "I don't deserve to be a father."
Gracia leaned closer, ready to share strength.
"I killed people, Gracia," Hughes grew sadder. "And one of them was a father. When you think about that, then what right do I have becoming a father? Should a murderer give life? One day the kid is going to ask me on what I did during the war. What do I tell junior?" His face bordered on the possible hatred, dropping down.
Gracia took this news with lesser weakness. It was up to Mrs. Hughes now! She grabbed both her husband's hands. "Maes, the bread isn't out of the box yet. And you are not some abusive monster of a father. I've seen you connect with children more than any man I know. As for what you did…haven't you been doing all you can to make up for it? As far as I'm concerned, that's the makings of a father any child would be proud of."
But Maes kept his head bowed. Gracia lifted it up. "Maes, this child's not a warning. It's a hope for the future."
Maes' eyes leaped around. Not in insolence but in willing acceptance. He sighed. "Thanks, I needed that. Why do you always make me believe these things?" He lay down, coddling Gracia with him. "This is going to be a large responsibility. I hope I'm up to it."
He changed the subject! Gracia noted the secrecy of her husband's other fear: The Hughes family's knack for being raised by only one parent. She will not believe it. She and Maes will see their grandchildren.
Maes didn't cover that issue, restoring to a snuggly happy sigh. "Enough with the self-pity! Time to enjoy the feeling!"
The change of direction didn't bother Gracia. She certainly didn't want to hear about childbirth deaths. "Then enjoy it, Maes," Gracia said. "I want to have your child. Say you will too."
"Yes, honey. You win." He sighed. "Boy, it doesn't let up! Being a major, a supporter for Roy's campaign, a husband, and now a father! I'm going to have a lot on my plate."'
"You're not alone, Maes."
"I hope so!" The expectant father took on an excitement. "I'm gonna need your advice! I know zip about raising a child!"
"You'll learn, darling." Gracia snuggled closer. "Just learn the right way. There are different kinds of parents: Parents who don't want children and don't love them."
"Parents who want children," Maes added, "but only see them as an heir and nothing else."
"Parents who don't want children, but still end up loving them." Gracia felt Maes' hand rub her stomach.
"And parents who want children," the expectant father concluded, "and will love them with all their hearts."
The two gazed at each other with their united choice. "D!" They lay together on their seat, watching the starry sky. Soon the sun will rise. Every ending has its beginning.
To be continued
I deliberately misspelled "French Windows,' since France does not exist in the FMA world, and I still wanted to use the word regardless.
Next time: This story now reaches the beginning of Fullmetal Alchemist Anime1! See the aftermath of Bald's hijacking attempt, much to Gracia's distress! Then the newlyweds come to the most happiest change in their lives, only to be threatened by a dark event concerning a witness to their beautiful moment…