Author's Note - This chapter is the scaled down "R" rated version . If you're old enough and wise to see it in its full NC-17 form you can either head to livejournal to the FMAhet community or colorific community, or you can go to the archive at foreverfandom dot net under this same user name and same title.
Chapter Six
Maes couldn't stay awake for long, not any more. His captors had given him mouthfuls of water, just enough to keep him going but he was so dry, his lips cracked and crusted. Hope had washed away with the storm. He just wished for them to kill him so it would stop.
He was vaguely aware of Fisher starting to warm an iron in the fireplace and he didn't think she was about to press uniforms for her fellow insurgents. He should probably beat the pain and just pass out now. However, he wanted to hear what she and Womack were saying about her encounter with 'the freak,' who Fisher was assuring Womack hadn't been that tough. Hughes couldn't tell if Mustang had survived the encounter or not. If Roy had, then he failed to stop Fisher. Maes' brow wrinkled. Did he just hear a popping noise?
"Did you hear that?" Womack asked, glancing toward the window. It was gloomy out.
"More thunder?" Fisher shrugged.
"Maybe." Womack glanced Hughes' way or so he thought from how the blob shifted. "I don't think we're going to get anything more from this one."
"Doesn't matter. If the freak thinks he can save his friend, he'll try and then we'll have what we need when we grab him," Fisher shot back and Hughes' breath hitched. So, Roy was alive. Maybe not all hope was gone.
"I should have known that woman was wrong. Why would a subordinate know more about Amestrisian plans for domination than his leader?" Womack grumbled, giving Hughes another piece of information should he survive. They were looking for a woman who had given him and his companions up.
"I'll give it another go at getting something out of this soldier." Fisher brandished the iron she took from the fire. "Then we can let in the rats. They'll clean him all up for us."
Hughes screwed his eyes shut, swallowing hard. He didn't argue that he knew nothing. They'd just let the rats have him that much faster. He was tempted just to end it. He couldn't take any more pain but now that he knew that these monsters had dangled him as bait for Roy, he couldn't give in now. He'd make stuff up just to stay alive a little longer.
"Going to cry for me again? You looked so sweet the last time," Fisher leered, bringing the cast-iron clothes-iron so close he could feel the radiant heat.
"I wouldn't give you the pleasure," he said with more bravado than he felt.
"Oh, you will, you most assuredly will." The iron dipped closer. "Maybe I should start with this pretty face of yours."
The popping noises sounded again. Not thunder, Maes thought, gunfire! "Do it and I'll never tell you what you want to know, like who in your group has been selling you to the woman who traded me to you."
"What did you say?" Womack growled, getting up.
"He's trying to trick us," Fisher said, dismissively. "If he really had anything, he would have given it to us already. You should go check on that noise. Something's not right."
Hughes lifted his head, hearing a strange whooshing noise, like all the air leaving someone's body. He knew that noise. He heard it in his nightmares of Ishbal. He started laughing.
She glared at him. "What's so funny?"
"You're so dead," he said, bracing himself, the hysterical laughter still bubbling out of him.
The door exploded inwards, a ball of fire forking into the room. Fisher yelped, dropping the iron. Hughes barely managed to twist away from it. His shoulder and leg screamed as he rolled onto his side to keep from getting burned. As he made out forms from the smoke, he started to cry again, fat tears of relief rolling down his face. It was over.
X X X
"At least it's not raining," Hawkeye whispered as she and Mustang followed Major Lisander Ferrick and several other black uniformed Drachmaian soldiers onto a compound. She had both guns out and both she and Mustang were in uniform.
"Brought the lighter just in case," he shot back then looked over to Lisander. "Major, what do you want me and the lieutenant to do?" he added deferentially. What he really wanted to do was burn the place to the ground but he knew his best course of action was to let the Drachmaians think they were running the show.
"Let us concentrate on the rebels, Colonel. You concentrate on freeing your man," Lisander said then whipped around when one of his men fired.
The soldier glanced back at his commanding officer. "Sorry, sir, but they were about to radio ahead." He pointing to the dead rebels.
Lisander nodded. "Very well but let's do try to take some of them alive."
Mustang grimaced, wanting it to be over with. Lisander had come for him and Hawkeye before dawn. He was grateful for the early start even though both he and she were exhausted and in all truth no less horny than they had been when they had fallen together during the night. He could see it in Riza's eyes and he had fought with errant body parts all night. The last thing he wanted to do was wander through cold fog, as thick as soup, waiting for a rebel to shoot him. He could have leveled most of this place so easily. The fog could have been transmuted into explosive hydrogen, though if he did that he might take Hughes out with the rebels since he had no idea where his friend was being held. Roy was betting in the big building looming out of the greyness. He was going to get Hughes back, they'd all go home and then Roy would transfer Hawkeye somewhere out of his field of vision because he didn't want to hurt, because he knew he'd like to drag her off to the fens putting out the fog right now, pretend it was a lakeside resort and screw her straight through the ground, providing she didn't toss him on his back and do the same first.
It seemed to take forever to inch their way to the bunker. Lisander had to shoot another sentry. Hawkeye jumped in front of Mustang and shot. He hadn't even seen the second rebel step out of the fog. His heart hammered. "Thanks, Hawkeye," he whispered.
"Any time, sir." She smiled at him, her eyes lingering a bit too long.
"I don't know how we're going to get through that bunker door quickly," Lisander said pointing to the thick metal reinforced wooden door. "We don't want to give them time to kill their prisoners but we might not have a way around that."
Roy smirked. "Allow me, Major."
"What do you have in mind?" Lisander eyed Roy suspiciously.
"I'm the Flame Alchemist." Roy touched thumb to fingers. "Just give me a little space."
Lisander indicated for his men to back up. Roy snapped, barely concentrating on the transmutation. It was second nature to him by now, far from the scared little boy who had first used it in battle against his own father. The door was instantly incinerated. Roy knew he should let Lisander and the Drachmaians in first but to hell with diplomacy. He'd apologize later.
As the smoke cleared from the main room, Roy saw two rebels, both with guns pointing at him. He could hear the scurry of other men deeper in the building. Out of the corner of his watering eyes, he saw his friend chained naked to a bed. Hughes was crying. At least he was alive. Roy kept his attention on the rebels. "Drop the guns and surrender or you'll really make me happy because I want to hurt you." Roy's dark eyes glinted maliciously.
"Like you have time to draw an array, freak," Womack snarled, cocking his gun.
"Oh good." A malicious grin slid like fetid oil across Roy's face. One snap and Womack and Fisher were engulfed in a fast burning fire, leaving them on the floor moaning, charred remnants of clothing clinging to abused skin. "Next snap and I cook you like a holiday roast."
"Could you stop posturing for a moment and get this fucking iron away from my skin?" Hughes growled.
"Take care of your man, Colonel. We'll handle the rebels," Lisander said as Hawkeye pulled the trigger on a rebel who foolishly made himself a target by rushing the room.
Roy ran over to the mephitic mattress Hughes was chained to and tossed the iron to the floor. Hughes collapsed flat onto his back. His watering eyes squinted at Roy, bringing him into focus. A hysterical laugh bubbled out of him.
"Look at your hair! You look ridiculous," Hughes' laughter dissolved into a low-pitched, shaky moan.
"It's okay, Maes." Roy reached down and gently touched his friend's shoulder with his rough gloves. "We're taking you home." Hughes' answer was harsh sob. Roy took stock of the handcuffs holding Hughes down and whipped around. "Where're the keys?"
"You melted them to my thigh, freak," Fisher spat, glaring at him, the frizzled remains of her hair making her look far more comical than threatening.
"Oops." Roy looked more irritated than chagrined at that happenstance.
"You are a train wreck sometimes, Roy," Hughes rasped out.
"Don't worry." Roy went to the main door and pulled off a charred hunk of wood. He knelt next to Hughes and sketched an array in charcoal. "It's not like I'm a one trick pony." He slapped his palm to the array and transmuted the metal cuffs, which crumbled away. Hughes tried to sit up and failed. Roy got up and put his hands back on Maes' shoulders. "Stay down, Maes. We'll get you out. You just rest now."
"It hurts...everywhere," Hughes admitted.
Roy's eyes raked over his friend, seeing the bruises, the abrasions, the blisters over parts best not ever burnt and the ugly, red bullet wound and the swollen thigh around it. He slipped his coat off and draped it over Hughes' waist. "I'd let you wear it but..."
"You're skinny and short." Hughes smiled.
"I was about to use different adjectives." Roy gave Hughes the fish eye then glanced over to the Drachmaians who were still mopping up the rebels. "Major, how goes it?"
"You and your lieutenant can take your man out now, Colonel. We have things under control. Thank you for your assistance in this matter. I'll be by the hotel tonight to finish our business," Lisander said. "Hogarth, Foster, help the Colonel get his man to a truck."
Roy slipped an arm under Hughes' shoulder. "Just hang on a little longer for us, buddy." He glanced over his shoulder. "Hawkeye, you're with us." Roy lifted Hughes' shoulders up while the two Drachmaians supported the man's legs and torso. Hughes cried out once then his eyes rolled back as consciousness left him.
Hawkeye went ahead of them, guns drawn just in case they had missed a rebel or two. The men muscled Hughes into the bed of a canvas topped truck. Hawkeye jumped in the back and reached for the med-kit. She met Mustang's eyes. "You drive, sir. I'll tend to his injuries as best I can."
"Thank you, Hawkeye." Mustang turned to the two Drachmaians who were already heading back. "Thank you for your help, soldiers."
One of them raised a hand in acknowledgment and Roy slid behind the wheel. He tried to find a speed that satisfied his need to rush his friend to a hospital without catapulting Hughes and Hawkeye out of the bed. He was only just successful but once the orderlies bore Hughes away, Mustang allowed himself to relax.
He felt a hand in his as he paced the waiting room. He glanced over at Hawkeye who pulled him towards the chairs and thrust a cup into his hands. "Sit, sir. You're making everyone nervous." She gestured to the various people around the casualty ward who had worries of their own being treated.
He slumped down and sipped the tea. Roy grimaced. "Bitter."
"It's good for you," she insisted, sitting next to him.
"I notice you don't have any," he said wryly.
"I knew I'd need a free hand to deal with you," she replied, then plucked the cup out of his hand and took a swig before passing it back to him.
Roy snorted. "Is that insubordination I hear?"
"No, sir." She smiled faintly.
He returned it. "Thanks for all your help out there, Riza."
"You're welcome, sir." Her eyes canted towards the doors Maes had been taken through. "He'll be all right now."
Roy thought about the bullet wound and the redness and wondered if Maes wouldn't be staring an automail replacement in the face. Still, better that than death. "I know. You look exhausted. Go catch some sleep."
She eyed him sourly. "I look fresh as a daisy compared to you, sir. I think I'll stay."
Roy just rolled his shoulders and couldn't help noticing she was leaning against him. He eventually put the tea down as they waited on the surgeons, feeling Riza leaning more and more heavily on him, or was he leaning on her? The next thing he was aware of was a surgeon shaking him awake. His head was in Hawkeye's lap and her hand was resting against his cheek as she slept soundly sitting up. How embarrassing! Roy sat up, rubbing his eyes. When he moved, Hawkeye woke up with a start. "Doctor?"
"Your man will be fine, Colonel," the surgeon said, with a tired look in his eyes
"And his leg?" Roy asked, not sure he wanted to know.
"It was beginning to get infected but we've cleaned it up. I think we caught it in time. The bullet was a through and through of the muscle, missing the major nerves and arteries. He was a lucky man in that respect, though given what he just went through I'm not sure he'd agree." The surgeon looked grim. "The rest of it should heal without much problem, though that broken rib is going to bother him for a while."
"I'm glad it's not worse. Can I see him now?" Mustang stretched.
The surgeon wagged his head. "With the amount of pain killers we pumped into him and the ether we used to put him out for the surgery, he's going to be unconscious for some time. Why don't you two go home, get some rest and come back later. He might be awake then."
"That's okay, I can wait with him," Roy argued.
"I really don't think that's in your best interest," the surgeon said, his brow knitting.
Riza put a hand on Roy's wrist. "We'll come back, Doctor."
Roy sighed and nodded. "Thank you, Doctor."
Mustang followed Riza back to the truck. Neither of them spoke as she drove to the hotel. Both passed on the delectable-smelling lunch wafting from the dining hall as they trudged towards their room. Neither managed to get their boots off before collapsing on the bed and passing out.
X X X
Riza woke up, feeling crusty and still groggy. She knew a bath would make many things right in her world. Next to her, Mustang was still sleeping soundly in the strangest sleep posture she had ever seen, flat on his back, one leg bent so his foot was flat on the bed and one arm thrown over his nonexistent belly. Riza wanted to drag herself out of the bed immediately, to take herself away from temptation because the urge to reach down and see how he measured up to the handful test was overwhelming.
If he could resist his sexual urges, albeit not as well as he would like her to believe, so could she. If lust was all it were, she could walk out that door and get her transfer once they reached Central again. Why did he have to start babbling about falling? She knew what he meant. She felt it, too. She didn't have to wonder why they called it falling in love. Riza knew all too well. How could she be such an idiot to fall for a man like him? How could he have fallen for her? Even if she transferred now it was going to hurt.
She managed to get out of bed and picked up her book of poetry off the stand. Riza went into the bathroom and poked through all the supplies Dori had stocked the place with. No doubting this was meant for lovers. There was a basket of bath oils, all promising love and romance, and Roy had been right about one thing; the tub was built for two. Riza set out a thick towel and plush bath robe then drew the bath, dumping in some of the least dangerous sounding mix of roses, lavender and jasmine oils from the package that included two candles and some dried rose petals. Dori expected her customers to go all out.
Riza lit the candles and set them in the holders on the wide lip of the tub then stripped. She sank gratefully into the steaming water. Her battered body relaxed in slow measures as the rich scents wafted up around her. This would be a wonderful thing to share with someone. For an insane moment she thought about rousing Mustang. Instead, she wisely picked up her poetry and slipped down until her chin was touching water and began to read.
Riza had lost track of how long she was soaking when the door opened and Mustang stumbled in, his eyes more or less still closed. They flew open when he realized he didn't have the bathroom to himself. His hand froze on the door.
"Sir!" She couldn't even decide what to try and shield of herself with her book.
"Sorry!" he managed to rasp out but he made no attempt to leave. "I can't make myself move."
"Mustang!" she snapped, not even having bubbles to hide under.
He swung back out and Riza clamored out of the tub, tossing the robe around herself, still dripping wet. He needed the bathroom after all, not the time to be slow and dry off. She opened the door and tried to look nonchalant in spite of the vicious blush that had to go from ankle to eyebrow.
"I'm so sorry," he muttered then ducked into the bathroom.
She leaned against the wall, her head thumping back hard. Here she was dripping everywhere, smelling so sweet she barely recognized herself, mortified to be caught naked by her commanding officer and the only thing really on her mind was the throbbing between her legs and the desire to have him inside her. Worse, she wanted him in her life, even if she couldn't have him. She didn't want transferred out.
When he opened the door again, his hair was back to black. It was a definite improvement. She sidled past him since she needed to get back to her clothing. Roy reached out to her, touching her hair, his other hand resting on the array he had sketched onto the vanity. She watched in the mirror as her hair faded back to gold.
"Thanks," she murmured.
"Sorry again," he said, going for the door.
"Roy."
At the sound of his name, he turned and looked at her. Riza knew she was going to do something very stupid but her heart didn't much care. She had never felt like this about anyone. She grabbed his hands, shoving him back against the door, closing it with his body. Her mouth met his in a ravenous clash as she tore his shirt up out of where it was tucked into his trousers, her robe starting to slid down off her shoulders in the struggle.
He managed to evade her mouth for a moment, pushing on her bare shoulders. His hands felt hot against her slippery skin. Mustang began, "Hawkeye, we said-"
"Shut it, sir. I don't care." Hawkeye reached down cup him through the rough material of his uniform. His eyes widened as a little gasp escaped his lips. She felt his flesh stir as she fondled him.
His mouth clamped back over hers as her robe succumbed to gravity, puddling on the floor. The kiss was brutal, tongues fighting, exciting. She buried her fingers in his hair, drawing him in, melding into him.
She slipped free momentarily, swinging him away from the door. "Too much clothing," she growled, need bare in her eyes. Hawkeye groaned, seeing he still had on those damnable combat boots. She needed to sit him down, more easily accomplished than she would have guessed. Under the uniform, he was lean and light, easy to maneuver. His hand flailed for the wall as she shoved him down between the lit candles. He missed his support and slid right into the tub, nearly taking her with him. Riza stepped back, laughing hard. Roy looked up at her, opened mouthed for a moment before he started laughing too. His hand slapped the cooling water as he squirmed to right himself. "Stay," she ordered, kneeling so she could tug his boots off, still giggling.
"Riza, are you sure?"
She tossed one boot aside then stood, grabbing his ankles so she could yank his legs up. She looked down at him sprawled in the tub. There was so much she wanted to tell him, about the first time she ever saw him, the things she had been wanting to do, all her fears and joys but all she said was, "Do I look unsure?"
He shook his head and let her take off his other boot. Riza hauled him back out of the water, soaking the throw rug. As he tried to peel out of the wet wool, she decided the tub looked very inviting. She threw in some more oil and freshened the water until it was steaming. Roy dropped his sodden pants in the sink, snagged the neglected flower petals off the counter. He let them fall into the water, a smirk playing on his lips. Getting back into the tub was more sedate, less dangerous.
X X X
The love play had moved at some point from the tub to the bedroom. Riza stroked his damp hair, plucking stray rose petals from it. She drew him up over her body, her lips meeting his in a long slow kiss. She wrapped tight around him. "Ready or not, I think we're in love," she whispered.
"Free fall," he replied, his fingers brushing over the sensitized skin of her arm. "Only we didn't crash."
"We learned to fly," she finished for him, kissing him again.
Roy pulled away from her just long enough to ease the prophylactic off and toss it in the trash. He snuggled back into her arms. "Don't have any more of those. Wasn't expecting this on a mission."
"Betting Dori stocks them in this hotel," Riza smiled. "If not, then it'll be my turn to show you what I can do with my mouth."
He grinned. "Either way, I want to learn that." Roy moved in for another kiss but froze hearing a knock on the door.
"Excuse me, sir, ma'am. Ms. Dori sent me up. Major Ferrick is here. Ms. Dori said you'd know why," someone called through the door.
"Oh, damn! Tell the major to give me a few minutes and I'll be down!" Roy called back. He gave Riza a stricken look. "I forgot all about the debriefing."
She ran a hand over his cheek. "I'll go with you and I know you'll probably want to go to the hospital too."
"I wanted to be there when Maes woke up but then I got incredibly distracted." He smiled at her.
Riza kissed him. "I'll let you go to the hospital by yourself. I'm sure Hughes would be grateful."
"Thanks, I appreciate it." He kissed her and rolled out of bed. "I'd rather he didn't..."
"Know about us?" She couldn't quite keep the disappointed look off her face.
"Oh, he already knows how I feel. I'd just rather not have him concentrating on that or thinking that's what I was concentrating on while he was being tortured." A hint of self recrimination snuck into his voice.
She got up, putting her arms around him. "You weren't."
"There were stray thoughts of you," he said, covering her hand with his. "I wish we didn't have to hide this, you know that, right?"
She kissed his shoulder blade. "I do. And I know why we have to. I don't mind if Hughes knows because I know you trust him not to hurt us with this."
Roy turned in her arms. "He would never hurt us."
"I know. We'd better get downstairs before the Major sends out another search party for us." She smiled.
Roy laughed and let her slide past him into the bathroom to freshen up.
TBC