Disclaimer: I do not own FMA or any of the characters I use in this story. If I did Maes would be with Roy instead of Gracia and he would not be dead.

Story Summary: A picture is worth a thousand words.

Chapter Summary: Roy hates birthday parties, but he goes to Maes' anyways.

Birthday Blues

Roy Mustang hated birthday celebrations. Attending the parties just made his skin crawl. The balloons that loomed around the room just threatening to pop and scare someone made Roy flinch. The constant chatters that took place everywhere in the room made his freak.

Roy hated attending birthday parties but he loathed attending Maes' birthday party more than any other party.

It wasn't that he didn't like Maes, anything like that, it's just he really hated the people who were taking Maes' attention away from him.

They were like mosquitoes, Roy had decided while watching them laugh and joke with his boyfriend. They sucked Maes' attention like those pesky bugs sucked away at a person's blood. Worst of all they came back just as fast as those blood suckers. You finally get one away and the next one just comes right up to take its place.

Sighing deeply, Roy tore his gaze away from the star of the show and tried to find someone to talk to. He spotted Havoc talking to a young blonde, and was seemingly failing at wooing her.

'Good, at least I'm not the only one being rejected.' A small voice in his mind whispered.

He felt horrible for even thinking that as soon as that thought crossed his mind. It wasn't Havoc's fault that Maes was such an attention whore. Maes was always the center of attention in every place he went to.

Roy was so deeply buried in his own thoughts of depression that he didn't even notice Maes had finished talking with his groupies and had walked up right behind him. He would have remained clueless as the other man's whereabouts had not the light of the camera attracted his attention.

"This picture is a keeper," Maes whistled as the photo slide out of the instant camera.

Roy frowned. Not so much because his train of thought was interrupted, but more because he had let his guard down.

"Don't look so down," Maes said as he saw the expression on Roy's face. He hated to see the person he cared about in pain. "You couldn't have notice. There was too much commotion to notice every single thing."

Roy shook his head. "I can't afford to make those kinds of mistakes and you know it."

"Don't worry so much. Nothing bad will happen to you as long as I am here," Maes said with affection as he moved forward and held Roy's chin. He looked into Roy's eyes and pressed a soft kiss to Roy's lips. "I promise."

Roy felt a smile come onto his face, despite his efforts to resist it.

"Thank you," he whispered softly, as he pulled Maes closer to him and pressed his face into Maes' chest.

Maes wrapped his arms around the smaller man and laid his head on the top of the other man's head. The comfortable embrace was the best present he could receive.

They stayed like that for a while until they heard Farman shout for Maes to open his presents.

As he watched Maes walk back to everyone, Roy realized the reason he hated birthday parties was because he had to share the attention, the spotlight. And he realized the reason that he hated Maes' birthday so much was because he had to share Maes.

As his eyes followed Maes' every movement he was shocked with a pleasant feeling as he watched Maes raise a hand and beckon him over. Roy reasoned with himself that as long as he know that a part of Maes always belonged to him he would be glad to share Maes' attention, if only to see the slight smile that graced Maes' face.

That's it for this chapter… I realize that this isn't really a thousand words, but I couldn't write anything more. Hey it's been a while since I have written a fanfiction.

Next Chapter: Failing at Your Best: Roy is not first in his class for the first time in his life, and he feels like his dreams have shattered.

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