Chapter 9

Brothers and Reports

Ed woke to the sound of the shower the next morning. He peered sleepily around the room and made a mental note of the contents. He'd never actually been in Roy's bedroom before and last night, it had been dark. He noted the cream colored sheets, the dark brown duvet covering the soft down comforter. The room was furnished with a sense of masculinity, dark woods and straight lines. Nothing girly about this room, Ed thought, but it was all Roy. There was a single window with dark striped curtains on one side of the bed and two doors. One was opened to the hallway and the other was closed, Mustang's bathroom lay behind it. Ed gazed over at the nightstand next to the bed, the massage oil still sat on top of, next to the clock. A shiver pulsed through Ed's body as he remembered the slick feel of the oil and how it'd felt to be inside Roy. He then realized they would both be a little late for work; it was after eight a.m. already.

Ed climbed out of the bed and walked over to Roy's wardrobe, he didn't feel like putting his old clothes back on yet, he wanted to shower first. The door creaked as he opened the huge piece of furniture and peered inside. He saw Roy's blue minidress inside a basket on the bottom of it and started to chuckle. Then he clapped his hands and reached down to transmutate it back to its original shape. He perused Roy's shirts and pulled a black one down off a hanger and slide into it. After he buttoned the front all the way down to his knees and rolled up the too long sleeves, he pressed his arm to his nose and breathed in deeply. Even though the shirt was clean, it still faintly held the scent of his lover. It calmed him to smell Roy against his skin and gave him a slight smile. He heard the door open and Roy stepped out of the bathroom fully dressed and perfectly coifed. Ed's eyes fondly roamed his stunning lover in the blue military uniform.

"Well, you decided to try a dress on after all?" Roy joked as he tugged on his jacket to make sure it was adjusted just so. He walked toward the young man and waited for his usual outburst.

"Dream on Mustang. You will never see me in a dress. I however, have seen you in one," he teased back.

Roy gave Ed an easy smile, "About that, could you…" he started but was interrupted.

"Already done," Ed acknowledged quickly.

Roy walked over to Ed and put his arms around him, he watched his young lover's amber eyes lift and stop to gaze into his own. Then he reached down and pushed his lips onto Ed's in a tender heartfelt kiss. He felt the blonde's mouth open in an attempt to deepen their connection, but Roy had to leave for work. He pulled away, leaving Ed momentarily dazed. Roy slowly swung Ed back and forth in their embrace as he drank in his lover's beauty. "I have to get to the office, can you take a cab?" he stated bluntly.

Ed was not expecting the question, "that's really romantic. No, 'I love you' or 'you are the light of my life' this morning?" Ed quipped. It had just seemed like Mustang destroyed a perfectly tender moment. Ed pulled away from the embrace and turned around to look out the window, he saw Roy's car in the driveway with someone he didn't recognize in the driver's seat.

"I'm sorry, I guess I have a lot on my mind." Roy replied as he winced. It was only then he realized how cute Ed looked in his shirt. He grabbed the blonde's arm, turned him around and pulled him close again for a quick hard kiss. "By the way, you are the light of my life," Roy advised the young man ardently just before he let him go and headed to the hallway and the waiting car out front.

Ed gasped and his heart melted. Damn Mustang, he thought, the bastard could so easily charm him whenever he wanted to.

xxx

Roy was sitting at his desk glaring at the folder resting on top of it. He knew what the folder contained; it held the report of the family he'd destroyed in the Ishballan war. No one had told him what became of the boy he'd so brutally burned and he hadn't asked. Now the answer to that question was within easy reach. He stretched a hand out and carefully toyed with the tattered edge of the manila file. His curiosity was waging war with his guilt and was winning. He mentally braced himself and flipped the top of the folder open to expose the paperwork underneath. Roy took a deep breath and pushed his face forward enough to clearly read the writing on the page. All his muscles tensed as his eyes fed upon every letter. False alarm, it was only the front page and didn't say anything he didn't already know. Now he'd have to get up enough nerve to actually scan through the contents of the report. He sat back again in his large leather chair and rubbed his face in his hands as he let out the air he held.

He realized he couldn't do it, not like this. He abruptly shut the folder, picked it up, and stomped out of his office. He nodded as he passed various military personnel on his way out, thankfully he didn't see Hawkeye. He knew she'd question him on the contents he was now holding next to his heart.

He shoved the front doors of Central headquarters open and walked briskly across the street to a pub he frequented, usually at night, in the company of coworkers. It was still mid-morning, but he didn't care. There was no way in hell he was going to get through this day until he'd read the report and no way for him to do that without a stiff drink.

Roy Mustang sat himself down toward a dark back corner of the bar. It was smoky and smelled of stale beer. The dark wood on the bar was comfortable and his past memories of the place still hung on the air. Yes, this was as good a place as any for him to stare down his demons. He ordered a double scotch from the bartender and courageously opened the report back up as he took his first sip. The dark beverage stung his throat as it ran down to his gut. He hissed as he took another deep swallow of it and felt himself flush as the alcohol worked it's magic.

His eyes roamed the page as he sipped, hungrily devouring each word. The first few pages were relatively easy, nothing he hadn't known already, he'd been there. Then he came to the death certificates, he quickly scanned the mother's, then the father's and one small child. The child was only three years old. His heart pounded and almost stopped when he read the age. He hadn't known that, he set the report back on the table and covered his face with his hands. He felt tears close, but he swiped at his eyes and asked the bartender to refill his glass, another double.

The Colonel took two more strong sips of the instant bravery in liquid form and grabbed the folder once again. He turned the page and flinched as he glanced at the next sheet of paper, another death certificate. He slowly read the words, going back over each one a few times before moving on, he was dreading what it said and strangely fascinated at the same time. The one thing he couldn't quite believe even though the certificate stated it clearly was the boy he'd so desperately tried to save died only hours after being taken to the medics. Roy felt hot tears escape down his cheeks as the true tragedy of the boy's short life ripped through his imagined happy ending.

He finally set the folder back down on the table and lowered his head. He gulped the remainder of the scotch in his glass and let his forehead fall to the table as he started to quietly weep. Thankfully, he was the only one in the establishment and he was sure it wasn't the first time the bartender had seen a man cry in his bar.

-O-

Ed got out of the cab in front of his dorm building and made his way up to his room. He was a little anxious to get showered and into the office. The thought of containing his emotions around Roy was worrying him. He wasn't sure exactly how he'd pull that off except to just completely ignore the man or just stay out of sight. He opened his door to find Al sitting at their small table reading.

"Good morning, brother!" Al said cheerfully. He looked his brother over a little suspiciously; he still wasn't sure what a relationship involving two men entailed.

"Morning, Al," Ed responded absentmindedly. He headed straight into their shower and turned the water on. He undressed and stepped lightly into the warm water. He sighed as it cascaded down his body, it washed away any remnants of last night's love making. He'd longed to have Roy again this morning, but he realized the situation just didn't permit it. Still, he had his imagination, he thought, as he smiled wickedly.

He grabbed the bar of soap off the tile holder and slowly rubbed it across his chest, the slick sensation ran over his left nipple and hardened it. The delicious feeling it invoked gave him an idea. He pushed the bar across to the right side and slowly circled on top of his other nipple. The sensation shot down to his groin and he felt himself swelling. He let a soft moan escape and he shut his eyes. What if he imagined Roy was with him, he thought. What if Roy was the one pushing the soap over his hardened nipple? He put his soapy flesh hand down to his member and lightly stroked. What if Roy was licking him, lightly, sensually. He circled the tip with his thumb, it sent a shiver through his body and he felt his knees bend slightly. He leaned up against the back of the shower to steady himself. What if Roy was sucking on him, he thought as he imagined his lover's head between his legs. Ed pumped harder on himself; he tried to match the consistency of Roy's mouth and tongue. He started to thrust gently at first, into the rhythm of his hand. A sound emitted from deep inside his throat and he caught it, he didn't want his brother to hear.

He stopped his movement and opened his eyes; he scanned the room for any sign of Al trying to pry the door open. He thought back and remembered that yes, he had locked it. Just in case he'd needed to do this. Who was he kidding, since the first night he'd slept with Mustang it felt like his body was in a constant state of arousal. Roy had awakened some inner sex fiend in him and he couldn't think about anything else but things he'd like to do to and with Roy Mustang.

He leaned back against the tile again and tried to remember where he was. Oh yes, Roy was sucking on him. He closed his eyes and resumed his hand and hip motion, thrusting faster into his hand and stroking with a little more pressure. His breathing grew ragged and he struggled to remain standing. He clenched his teeth and curled his toes in his attempt to keep from making any more sounds, but still short grunts forced their way through. He could feel a persistent tingling start low in his abdomen, when he circled the head of his member, an intense surge pulsed through him and he almost lost control. He stopped and squeezed hard to stop it. Not yet, he thought, he was still imagining Roy with him, fondling and devouring him.

He resumed, more slowly at first, trying to draw out the tension to make the release that much sweeter. His body was shaking and every nerve ending seemed to be on fire, but still he didn't take himself all the way. He teased and lightly touched himself, each time sending a delicious pulse of intensity through his body. He imagined all the pleasure to be coming from his lover. Then quite suddenly he realized there was no way to hold on any longer and he braced himself as he stroked tenaciously on his length. He felt his climax come on forcefully and it was all he could do to remain standing. He brought his metal hand up to his mouth to stifle involuntary moans and short gasps. He surged into his fingers, surrendering to the delicious contractions humming through his body.

-O-

Al tapped his finger on the small table as he attempted to read his alchemy book and wondered what the hell was taking Edward so long in the shower. He sure seemed different now he had a, Al cringed as he thought about it, a 'boyfriend'. He always knew there was something not normal between his brother and Colonel Mustang, but he never thought in a million years they'd be together like this. He wondered, was it really that Ed was in love with another guy that troubled him or was it Ed having anyone besides himself that bothered him? They'd been alone together for so long, it was strange to imagine his brother confiding in someone else. Or for there to be someone else in this world who knew his brother maybe better than he did. He guessed it actually scared him, just a little.

Edward emerged from the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist and wet dripping hair flowing down onto his shoulders. He noticed Al seeming to stare at him with the orbs in his helmet, "What?" he asked irritatingly.

'Oh, nothing," Al sighed.

It was a sure sign to Edward his brother was troubled by something. Ed walked over to the table and took a seat on the empty chair next to the armored boy. "Tell me what's bothering you, Al." Ed requested.

Al smiled internally before he spoke; he knew how to get his brother's attention. "I just, I don't know, I was wondering if you were going to be spending all your time with the Colonel now. I mean I guess that's to be expected, but…" he stopped when he saw his brother shaking his head.

He knew exactly where his younger sibling was going, "Al, Don't worry I won't let this come between us or stop our search to get our bodies back. I can't see him all the time anyway, it wouldn't…look right." Ed explained. He realized at the same time, how much he missed Roy already and how he'd be forced to spend much less time with him than he'd like. Maybe they could take another trip again, soon, he wondered.

"Ed…Ed?" Al saw his brother looking off all of a sudden and tried to get his attention.

"What?" Ed shot back.

"So, how did it happen, how did you two start, I don't know, doing whatever it is you do," he asked, holding back a chuckle. His brother was gay; somehow it was funny.

"I'm not sure I want to go to into details with you, you'll just tease me," Ed replied. He heard his brother's voice falter a bit with retained laughter.

"Are you on top or bottom? Because I think you'd have a really hard time being on the bottom," Al teased as he chuckled. He wasn't sure exactly what it meant, but he'd heard it somewhere.

"See? I knew it," Ed stood up from the table and walked toward the bathroom again. Then he stopped and turned around, "We were forced to sleep in a hotel room together, with one tiny bed, and there were cockroaches all over the floor. So we had to sleep in the bed together, and well…" he tried his best to explain the situation without a detail that would give his brother ammunition.

"And so you jumped him? Just like that? Or did he jump you?" Al offered as he began to laugh.

"Stop it, Al." Ed replied, as he grew irritated again. Then an evil grin spread on his face. Ed walked slowly back toward his brother, "Actually Al, he jumped me first, then I jumped him. I kissed him and put my tongue in his mouth and grabbed his…"

"Yuck brother, shut up!" Al shouted as he raised his gloved hands and covered what should have been his ears. As the metal boy watched his brother smugly head toward the bathroom again, he added, "I think you corrupted my innocent mind!"

xxx

Roy stumbled out of the pub, he'd had two more double scotches and the bartender had cut him off. He gripped the folder to his chest in one hand and held the other up to his forehead to block the mid-afternoon sun from stinging his eyes. He squinted anyway as he gazed up and down the street. He wasn't sure where he wanted to go, but he was sure he couldn't head back to the office as drunk as he was. He briefly thought about Edward, what was it Ed told him? He'd be his reason for living if he ever got like this again. But how could Ed really understand his pain, the blonde had never killed the way he had. No, he couldn't see him, not yet. Although his arms ached to hold his young lover, to feel his body pressed up against his. He shuddered when he thought of Edward's soft kisses taking the pain away. But, this was something he had to come to terms with on his own, plus he didn't know how to find Edward without alerting the whole military to his condition and the relationship between them. So, instead he ambled off down the street to mull things over in his alcohol soaked brain.

-O-

Edward walked uneasily through the hallway of Central headquarters. He'd been in the library doing some research when he was told by an enlisted man Hawkeye needed to see him. He passed by Roy's office and stole a glance into the room, hoping to get a glimpse of his lover. His heart pounded, but the chair behind his desk was empty and disappointment took in residence on his expression. He hardly noticed the blonde assistant staring at him.

"He's not here, Edward, which is what I want to talk to you about," Hawkeye stated calmly.

Ed was stunned; did she know something? What is that obvious already to her something happened on their trip? And where the hell was Mustang anyway? His mind raced with questions and possibilities. "Uh, what? Why would you want to talk to me about Roy… shit! I mean Mustang?" he shot out, wincing at the obvious blunder. He had a very bad feeling about whatever it was she had to say.

Riza Hawkeye approached the young man and grabbed him by the elbow. She led him into Roy's office and closed the door before facing him, "What's the matter Edward? You look like a deer caught in someone's headlights," she exclaimed, smiling at him. She didn't understand why Fullmetal had been calling The Colonel by his first name lately; it was so unlike him. And why did he feel the need to correct himself? She scanned him up and down, taking in his attempt to change his expression and hide his emotions. "Do you know where Colonel Mustang is?" she asked eying him suspiciously.

"God no! How the hell would I know where he is? He's probably just trying to get out of doing his damn job, he's so lazy," he blurted out, a little too quickly.

Hawkeye paced in front of Edward as she studied him and noticed a slight shakiness in his hands. He must know something, she thought. She stopped her movements and looked him directly in the eye, "Well, someone apparently left the report of the Ishballan family he killed on his desk. He was last seen carrying it out of the building and we haven't been able to locate him since. This all happened approximately four hours ago."

Ed gasped internally and struggled to maintain a sense of indifference. "So, what are you saying, he's gone AWOL? You're not concerned he'd try to hurt himself again…are you?" Ed's voice wavered slightly with the last few words. Of course she was, there was obviously some sensitive information in the folder she didn't think he could handle. Ed started to shift his weight from one foot the next; he grew anxious knowing Roy could be out there in trouble again somewhere.

"I…don't know. I just don't like it, the way he left without telling anyone. He always tells me his whereabouts, it's just not like him to leave like that," she admitted. Her voice held more emotion in it than she'd meant to portray. She nervously feigned a light cough into her gloved hand. "Can you find him?" she implored, locking onto his eyes again.

Ed wasn't sure what to make of it, either Hawkeye knew something was going on between them, or she just plain trusted Ed to handle it after what happened in Drachma. He preferred to believe the latter. "Of course, I'll get right on it," he stated firmly before he grabbed her arm in reassurance. "I'll find him," he vowed before he slammed the door open a little too hard and ran a little too fast into the hallway.