Chapter Five: "Natural Therapy"
The hour after Ed's short – albeit much needed – visit with his brother found the Rockbell family, Roy, and the young alchemist himself in the hospital cafeteria. It had been silent upon their initial arrival, but due to the eldest Elric's presence, Roy had very few doubts that it would remain that way.
In truth, being around the two women was something of a relief to him. While it was true that they were the relatives of those he had killed in Ishbal, which by no means was something he enjoyed thinking about, they served to alleviate some of the tension that had developed between Edward and himself during their short time together in Hogwarts. It brought Edward to a reasonably calm state, and that was no easy task. But still, this was Edward. That said, silence did not come easily in his presence.
But it was still quiet.
Roy stole a glance at Edward, using the pretense of coughing to do so. The young man appeared preoccupied; so much so that Roy was a bit concerned himself. Fullmetal kept drawing invisible circles on his napkin, eyes traveling about the room. His foot tapped rhythmically and steadily, not letting up. Roy resisted the urge to stomp the offending extremity.
He wanted a very strong drink. And he wanted it now.
The general turned his glance towards Winry and accidentally caught her eye. She glared at him for a moment, and then pushed the remnants of her chicken to the side of her plate. Roy had gotten the same dish, but he'd found himself unable to eat it. Anything that tasted that much like cardboard, he reasoned, couldn't be good for you.
Ed didn't seem to mind, though. He was still doing all the little twitchy things that gave some reference to his unease, but at least he was eating now. The young man didn't seem to be completely there anymore.
But who could blame him? For the first time in months, he'd gotten an opportunity to see his younger brother again – his precious Alphonse – and that had to be emotionally tolling, regardless of whether it was positive or not. It wasn't like it was the first time that Roy had seen him so quiet, but it perturbed him nonetheless.
And, to his shock, Roy found himself breaking the silence.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Rockbell; I apologize for not saying so sooner," he said, almost mechanically. It sickened him to hear himself being so unreasonably polite, but he could deal with it for now. "How have you been since last time I saw you?"
Winry stiffened a bit and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear; she pulled too hard, though, and it wound up snapping. She growled at it, and Roy couldn't help but mentally berate her obvious poor mood.
Thought, to be honest, it was probably his fault.
"I've been fine, Brigadier general Mustang; just peachy, as a matter of fact. And you?"
Ed finally picked his head up and looked at her. Roy was relieved, but didn't allow that to stop him from replying to the young woman.
"Well, I suppose I've been all right. I have a teaching job at Edward's school; I'm taking a bit of a leave from the military. I've stockpiled vacation days from the course of twelve years, so I can definitely afford to do so. I had intended to go out to see how Alphonse was doing in November, but…" he left the sentence hanging. Pinako was the one who finished it.
"But instead, you're here visiting him on a sickbed. I'm sure he would appreciate the thought, but you're probably causing more harm than good," she muttered, stabbing the last bit of her corn. She met her granddaughter's eyes. "You know how things are."
Ed shifted in his chair and pushed his plate away. He leaned across the table and looked the old woman straight in the eye.
"He's a part of Al's life, Grams; I think he has a right to know how he's doing. As much a right as I do, even," he stated clearly, letting an awkward smile grace his countenance for a moment. "I mean, it's not a bad thing, right?"
Roy considered for a moment how to word what he was about to say, clearing his throat to bring Ed's attention to himself. As he opened his mouth to speak, he braced what little resolve he had left at the moment for Ed's response – whatever it may be – and went for it.
"Alphonse doesn't know me anymore, Fullmetal. He has no memories beyond the age of ten. You know…before that incident," he explained, putting on his most serious face. "He wouldn't recognize me."
Ed sighed, and Roy raised an eyebrow. That was most certainly not the reaction he had expected.
"I kinda suspected that might be the case," the young man murmured, looking at Roy with this 'I've-heard-it-all-before' look on his face. "My father said that the sacrifice required to get Al's body back might have been the past four years of his life – the memories and experiences; people he met, things he did – and seeing him with the same body as back then only strengthened that theory. It'd be pretty awful if he still remembered everything we did."
Ed chuckled and took a drink out of his Styrofoam cup. He grimaced and looked at it again.
"Oh, watered down tomato juice; lovely. About as appetizing as milk."
Winry took a deep, audible breath. Her eyes traveled over Ed's face for a moment, and then she spoke again.
"What don't you want Al to remember?"
Ed froze for a split-second, but Roy caught it. In his own mind, he could see all the things that they had seen or done that had disturbed even him - Nina Tucker's death, the slaughter of Gran, everything at lab five - and he understood Ed's reasoning. Even so, there must have been more to it than the young man was letting on. After a moment or two, Ed sighed and smiled sadly.
"It's not a 'what' question, Winry; it's more of a 'why'," he said, voice straining as he stretched his back. "I mean, if you woke up after four years of being stuck in a suit of armor and found yourself as a ten-year-old, how would you take it? And then, just think about knowing that your brother was gone without a trace," he trailed off for a moment. "Wouldn't you blame yourself? It's better this way."
Winry was quietly staring at a plate that had likely never gotten so much attention and, in all probability, never would again. Her face was contemplative and her hands clenched her napkin tightly enough to crease it permanently. Roy rested his chin on interlaced fingers and observed things carefully; he would much rather do this than speak any more. The young woman's face changed so suddenly that Roy was stunned; at once, she seemed on the verge of tears.
"But it's not fair!" She finally burst out, gaining the unnecessary attention of several others in the vicinity. Roy groaned to himself as what little peripheral vision he had was filled with curious faces. Winry seemed undaunted, all the same. "I mean, he can't remember anything now! Where does that leave you!"
Ed glowered at those staring before answering.
"Life isn't fair, Winry," he stated, deliberately loud. "And he still knows me," he continued, quieting down considerably as the people who had previously been staring returned to their own meals and conversations. "To me, that's more than enough. I can still be his older brother. That's where I'm left."
Roy mentally applauded Edward and allowed himself to smirk. He knew the young man hated the expression, and he knew that he was risking a long string of colorful insults. Sometimes, Ed's intelligence confused him. He had a vocabulary adults would envy, yet he chose to only utilize it in his outbursts.
Ah, and speaking of outbursts…
"What're you smirking at, Professor Cynicism?" He asked, narrowing his eyes. Roy certainly had to hand it to Edward; not many people could concoct an insult that accurate in a split second. His smirk spread into a small grin.
"Ah, nothing. Just considering what Lai would do if he was in Al's position," he expounded. "Knowing him, he'd probably just try to continue with his life. Then again, Lai's never really been anything like Alphonse, so it might be a moot point to think about it anymore. I'll stop now."
Ed's eyes widened for a moment.
"Who's Lai?"
Roy could've smacked himself in the head for his thoughtlessness. Of course Ed wouldn't know Lai. It'd be like asking if Roy knew Hoenheim Elric. But then…Roy had heard of Hoenheim and had known that he was Ed's father. As for Lai – he decided to stop thinking about it. He knew his thoughts would go in circles if he kept it up.
"My younger brother; you two would get along, I think," he smiled, wary of the fact that Winry was gaping at him. Sure, he didn't smile all that much, but it wasn't that shocking when he did. "He's only nineteen years old; Dean Lai Mustang. He's…an exceptionally interesting person. Very eccentric, very bright…"
Ed chortled.
"Nothing like you, huh?" He interjected, and Roy supposed he'd had it coming. He'd been making fun of Ed for years. He could let this slide. "What kind of name is 'Lai,' anyway?"
"It's Xingian," he answered blandly. "You do know that I'm from there, right?"
Edward's eyes had a certain gleam in them and Roy was anticipating a stream of sarcasm. Lo and behold, he was right.
"You're from Xing? Really?" he asked, voice dripping with scorn. "I never would have guessed. I mean, black hair and eyes aren't just native to Xing; even the eye shape is totally androgynous. And you're bilingual to boot; your file says you speak Mandarin and Cantonese in addition to English. Wow, I could never have even suspected that you were of Xingian decent! I'm stunned."
Roy chuckled at him; this was the Ed he recognized.
"Oh? I thought you were more observant than that, Fullmetal. Are all non-Xingians this way?" He watched Ed growl.
"You're a complete bastard," the young man hissed. Roy sighed.
"Whatever you want to think," he stated, standing up. "We need to be getting to the hotel; do you know what that bird eats?"
Ed turned his attention to his phoenix and smiled slightly. Roy raised his eyebrow and shot a glance to Pinako. She seemed nearly as lost as he felt. Ed seemed to do a complete 180 when it came to the bloody bird.
Come to think of it, Edward had acted the same way when he'd first seen the damn thing, too. He'd even forgotten that he was on his way to see Alphonse. The only thing that the older alchemist knew about the bird was that he didn't like it. He had known it for all of four hours and had already placed it on the same level as Kimbly, minus all the 'I'll-kill-my-fellow-officers-and-make-them-go-BOOM!'-ness.
Maybe Kimbly wasn't the best example…
"Hagrid said something about phoenix only needing to drink, so I think we're good," Ed finally responded, standing up and picking her from the nest she'd made of Ed's overcoat. She chirped indignantly at the loss, flapping her wings angrily. Ed stroked her beak softly, and she calmed immediately. "Where are we staying?"
Winry interrupted before Roy could respond.
"It's barely noon! Why do you need to check in?" She asked, propping a hand on her hip. "Spend some time with Grams and me. We've missed you."
Roy sensed a very corny, eye-roll worthy scene about to unfold, and thus cleared his throat again.
"I need to check in, but Ed doesn't. You can keep him until nine p.m.; that's Hogwarts' normal curfew. Fullmetal, spend some time with them," he murmured, meeting the young man's eyes for a moment. "You won't get another chance for a long time, I think."
Ed made some sound that might have been a protest, but Roy beat him to saying anything.
"They're your family. Spend time with them. That is an order, Fullmetal," he commanded. The boy glared at him, but turned and walked to the two women nonetheless. Regardless of what he was going to say, Roy knew that Ed wanted to talk with them without him around. This way, there wouldn't be any awkwardness between them when he got back.
Well…maybe just a little.
To his great surprise, Roy found that he had someone waiting for him at the hotel. There, in all her nunny-goodness, stood a very stern-looking McGonagall. She arched an eyebrow at him and her mouth thinned out a bit.
"I thought you were escorting Mr. Elric," she murmured, annoying Roy greatly. "May I ask where he is?"
Roy sighed theatrically.
"He's with his family; the people who are taking care of his brother. Their names are Winry and Pinako Rockbell. I can guarantee that he'll be fine," he said, smiling in a wide, fake fashion. "And, as Edward's guardian, I am authorized to make that decision."
McGonagall shot him a look that made the grin drop right from his face. She cleared her throat.
"You're a lot more than just his guardian, from what I understand," she hissed, gesturing for him to follow her. He did so, walking to the edge of the lobby. Once there, she took a deep breath, face open. "I know about your positions in the Amestrian military. I'm completely aware that you're the Flame Alchemist and that Edward is the Fullmetal Alchemist."
Roy's face slackened for a moment, and anyone could see the wheels turning in his head. McGonagall lowered her gaze to the ground.
"I do a background check on all my staff; when I saw your title, I checked to see if you really had any dependents. Instead, I found an underage subordinate with a well-documented history of service. I don't know where to begin," she continued, eyes still lowered. "I could fire you for withholding information and expel Mr. Elric for his involvement in military work of any kind, but I don't think I'll do that. Instead, I'm going to ask you one thing."
Roy couldn't take it anymore. He sighed.
"Professor McGonagall, if you're going to talk to me…please look me in the eye," he ordered quietly. She looked up, but couldn't seem to keep her gaze steady. "I want to see your eyes when you ask whatever you're asking. If you won't let me do that, then I won't do what you want me to."
She nodded, her two eyes locking onto his one.
"I want you to come clean to the school," she said quickly, obviously nervous about something. "Not right away, but soon enough. The seventh years learn about you in classes that they pay attention in this year, and fourth years will be studying you in History of Magic…any serious students will know you. It's going to be easiest for you to keep face if you tell them yourself."
Roy nodded in understanding. Her logic was impeccable – if a little hasty – and her delivery had certainly been tactful enough. Unfortunately, though, she hadn't come close to timing it correctly.
"I'm afraid that I can't answer that request without Fullmetal here as well," he replied curtly, watching her face carefully. "It's as much his decision as mine; even if I'm his superior officer. I respect him enough to let him choose what to do," he finished, turning and looking toward the counter. "He'll be back by nine; stop by tomorrow, if you can. It'll give him time to think."
McGonagall sighed and inclined her head in agreement. The older woman turned around and approached the fireplace; Roy started towards the counter right away. He knew she wouldn't be there when he was done.
He didn't like her all that much.
Once he'd gotten the keys, dropped his bags off, and had a look around the room, Roy set off on a walk about the area. Having never been in a strictly magical community besides Hogwarts, it would have to be an interesting experience. Maybe the local pub would make a good stop. Bars, he had learned, could provide a quintessentially accurate synopsis of what a town was like. If they were rowdy and fun, the town was usually doing well. On the other hand, a quiet, somber mood usually meant that trouble was brewing. The décor could show if a town was wealthy, even. In any case, he definitely had to make a stop.
But it could wait, he reasoned, until he'd had his fill of the sights.
Many "sights" and a bar later, Roy was beyond exhausted. He'd seen everything from candies made expressly for vampires to twins who finished each other's sentences and had pointed out his age several dozen times to broomsticks that could supposedly reach 80 miles per hour in ten seconds. He forced himself up to the room he and Edward shared, all too aware that he'd only been out for four hours and had already worn himself out.
He hated being old.
The general collapsed into the plush chair near the window, holding his head. Whatever he had expected before had been castrated and shot to hell as soon as he'd gotten out there. It was like some poorly run flea market rather than a self-preserving economy.
It was barely five. He'd already eaten, shopped, and written to Hawkeye; there wasn't much left to do. All he really could do was wait for Edward to get back.
That could take hours.
So, in order to alleviate at least a tiny bit of his boredom, he began a letter to his brother. He hadn't done that – at least, not without some holiday as an excuse – in ages. I must've been…what, two years? He barely knew where to start.
"Dear Lai,
How've you been? I've been okay. A lot's happened since the last time we talked, but I don't think all of it was that important…"
Roy gritted his teeth and erased everything he'd just written. It sounded so damn corny…he could barely stand it. He started again.
"Lai-
I'm out of the country right now, so I figured I might as well write you. I'm currently in a place called 'Scotland' and I've got a teaching position for a year. The school is called 'Hogwarts' and they've got me teaching about life in Amestris. It's really odd, especially since I have to teach it from a civilian point of view. And yes, I am still a part of the military.
As it is, I'm only here because one of my subordinates is, too. They're small, blonde, and a serious pain in my ass; you two would get along. You even share a pastime – you both love getting on my nerves. In fact, I don't know which of you is worse.
There is something odd going on, though…"
The army man seriously debated whether to write it or not, but he eventually decided to do so. Lai wouldn't laugh at him – at least, not openly – and could be depended on for advice in almost any situation. Sometimes, it was hard to believe Roy was the older one.
"See, there's this thing out here that can determine what you want most. Supposedly, it's your 'innermost desire' or whatever, but I don't know what to make of it. Of all things, it showed this subordinate. I don't get it. I mean, they've had a really hard life; I can totally sympathize with them for that. And yes, I'll admit that I wanted them to have it better, but that's normal.
So, Lai…what exactly did it mean? I am reasonably certain that it's referring to the desire to help them get better footing, but I'd like your thoughts on it all the same.
Well, this letter is getting extremely personal, mawkish, and I don't even feel like I wrote it anymore. Respond quickly or I might forget that I ever wrote it.
See you when I get back. Maybe.
Roy.
(P.S.: send your reply back with the bird; it'll know what to do.)
Roy read over the final line in his note and cursed. 'The bird' was currently at Hogwarts – his assigned owl. He sighed loudly, knowing full well what this would entail. Unless, of course…
He walked straight to the fireplace and pinched a little powder out of a bag on the mantle. Tom had said something about using it if he needed room service or anything of the like; this probably counted. The dark-haired man sighed and tossed the dust into the hearth. The fire crackled and turned green.
"Do you have an owl I can use?" he called in. Not five seconds after he did so, one brown owl narrowly missed his head on its way to perch on his dresser.
That took care of that. Except…all of a sudden…
Was that a chirp?
Meanwhile, Edward was having something of a difficult time with a pair of overly-curious women. He had been asked, demanded, and eventually threatened by the two for his story. No matter what he tried to do or say, they weren't letting it drop without a fight. Winry had made that perfectly clear.
"Look, Winry," he muttered, stealing a glance at the clock; it was sometime close to seven. "It's not important. I just want to eat some dinner and go to bed. Can't we talk about it tomorrow?"
Winry huffed at him.
"You," she said, taking hold of his right wrist. "…wouldn't get out of telling us if Barry the Chopper burst in wearing thong underwear and threatening to force-feed everyone in here my entire tool collection! You're telling us now,"
Ed blanched visibly. Winry had no idea how disturbing that image was. That bloody suit of armor…he could just see it prancing around in a bikini and waving wrenches and hammers. He shuddered; not only had he worn a dress – a freaking dress – when he had first tried to kill him…
He really didn't need that image right now.
The girl sat him down on her bed, sitting next to him. It wasn't unlike she'd done when they were kids; it was oddly comforting.
"We just wanna know because we're worried. You know that," she whispered.
Ed sighed, pulling his arm out of her grasp. Soon, he'd have to ask her to make another arm for him. He really didn't want to think about what she'd say then.
Winry was a great girl, but she could be more annoying than Hell sometimes.
"I already told you. I was in Munich," he stated blandly, lying back on the sheets and stretching luxuriously. "It was this weird town in Germany. It just wasn't…our Germany. It was another one."
Great description. It was about as accurate as saying "I went somewhere up north."
Winry shifted, but he didn't look at her. Instead, he just put his arms under his head. Ever since he'd first gotten the bloody auto-mail, he'd had to be careful how he did that. The first couple times he'd tried, he'd ended up resting the back of his head on something very uncomfortable to rest on. Very uncomfortable, and he'd made absolutely certain that everyone knew. At least, everyone within earshot had some idea of how hard the metal was.
"We don't need to know that yet, Pipsqueak," Pinako's voice said, coming from somewhere to his right. "We want to know what happened down wherever you were before. All we know is what Rose told us, and we don't really know if it's all that believable. She seemed a little bit off on those things."
Ed arched a brow.
"What exactly does she say happened?" he asked, sitting up and looking the old woman in the eyes. She puffed her pipe lightly.
"She said that you disappeared, came back, got killed, and then came back to life. She also mentioned something about Al being the Philosopher's stone and some woman named Dante trying to use him," she murmured, voice gravelly. "None of that's true, right?"
The alchemist chuckled, folding his hands in his lap.
"No, that's mostly true. I got sent through the Gate, ended up making my way back, had a nice fight with a homunculus named Envy, got killed," he watched the women's reaction to this; both looked completely lost, if a little skeptical. "Al brought me back when that happened…since yes, he was the Philosopher's stone…and when I woke up, I was on the ground with both arms and legs completely flesh. I sent Rose up so that she wouldn't see what I was doing…and I did my best to bring Al back. I guess it worked."
He stretched again, staring at the back of his hand.
"But then, I did end up losing my arm and leg again…but I won't go into that."
Yes…he knew why he'd lost them. It was the same reason he'd lost them in the first place. For Alphonse. They weren't a sacrifice for him; not in the least. All he knew was that Al had lost some very important organs. If he was going to survive in his own body, he would definitely need replacements.
It was a damn shame that he could only get enough of the proper elements from two limbs.
Winry was the first to pick her jaw up from the floor.
"You…died? Oh, Ed," she whispered, moving to put her arms around him. He brushed them away. "I…"
Pinako interrupted her almost immediately.
"Well, we'll obviously need to fix you up with some good auto-mail soon; what you've got now is worth shit," the old woman said, yanking his sleeve up and looking over the metal. "It's rusted, creaky, and doesn't move well. How long can you stay?"
Ed glanced at the clock. 7:34.
"Until tomorrow night. I leave in about 23 hours," he replied. This was a very inconvenient occurrence. "Could you just fix these up? I can't afford to miss too much school, you know."
Pinako shot him a dry glare.
"Exactly why do you have to attend this school? It's not as if you need the education. I hate saying it, but you could build up a pretty steady career in the military if you wanted to. Al's been talking – well, back when he was talking – about joining. He doesn't seem to understand why he shouldn't," she growled out, taking a big drag on her pipe. "You two are more alike than you should be. And you're both trouble, too."
Ed narrowed his eyes, studying the sheets.
"Maybe he won't join; I mean, I'm here for him. If he wants to, I could convince him not to," he trailed off, expression hardening. "I think I would know how terrible the military can--"
He was cut off by the sudden parting of his right arm from his body; he resisted the urge to scream his brains out. Instead, he merely waited out the more intense jolts of pain, clutching at his joint. Once they'd finally subsided, he fixed his deadliest glare at the wrench-wielding woman who just so happened to be holding his prosthetic.
"EXACTLY WHAT MADE YOU THINK YOU COULD DO THAT!" he yelled, straightening up. No sooner had the words gotten out of his mouth did he feel the severe pain of his leg parting company with the rest of his body. He let himself scream this time, watching as the corners of his vision became dark. It was all he could do not to pass out, and he found himself panting with the force of the ache.
"Sorry," Winry whispered, pulling her toolbox out of the corner. "I thought it would be best to do it while you were distracted…"
Ed groaned, laying his arm over his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to simply go to sleep at the moment. That, or just take a massive dose of painkillers; he'd taken so many in his life that they didn't take effect easily.
"We might be able to work with this," Pinako admitted, and Ed heard a sound resembling a can being opened. He decided not to look. "It could be done in six hours."
The blonde removed his arm and stared at the ceiling.
"So, what am I supposed to do? Mess around with Lihst or something?" he asked, looking toward his bag.
"…Lihst?"
Roy grumbled at his luck. Ed had put his bloody phoenix in the wrong bag, and it had apparently decided that his clothes would be excellent material for a nest. She chirped up at him triumphantly, shredding a pair of his boxers as she did so. He felt a tic forming in his eye.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he hissed, plucking her out of the duffle. She flapped her wings and let out a series of loud, high pitched squeaks, and it was all Roy could do to avoid strangling the fowl. He glared at it, twisting his mouth into a scowl. She didn't quiet down at all. "Damn it…do you have any idea how long that'll take to fix?"
Lihst let out a resolute chirp; Roy twitched.
"Are you trying to annoy me?" he asked, holding her by the scruff of her neck. She struggled harder against his hold, trying to bite at his wrist. He gave a disgusted sigh and put her on one of the beds.
"Make a nest out of the pillows for all I care; just don't touch my stuff," he warned, crossing his arms. He must've been going crazy. If he wasn't, then he already was; he could've sworn that the bird understood him. She waddled over to the pillow and examined it. She poked at it with her beak, pressed her chest against it, and promptly turned away from it. Roy watched warily as she made her way across the bed again and sighed as she jumped straight for his bag.
"You son of a bitch," he caught her in mid-air and brought her up to eye-level. "I used to think that Hayate was the bane of my existence, but I don't know anymore! You're doing a fine job of replacing him!"
And, as soon as the words were out of his mouth, Roy found a beak clamped very hard over his nose. He let out a string of words that even Edward would have blushed at and yanked the bird away from his face. At least, he tried to; it didn't seem to feel that he was entitled to have possession of his nose again. It seemed to be holding tighter now…
There it was – a drip on the nose, and he felt the pain starting to vanish. The beak left his skin and was replaced by something warm and liquid. He blinked and looked down at the phoenix.
She was…crying?
Now that he thought about it, she'd done something similar when she'd bitten Ed…a bite, and then a few tears. It didn't make much sense, but his nose really didn't bother him anymore. A quick glance in the mirror showed that it was completely uninjured. He stared at Lihst.
"That," he whispered, setting her on the sofa. "…is a great trick. Excellent, really; if it weren't so damn creepy and if you weren't the one who did it, I'd probably love it. Now, why don't you have fun with my bed?"
Lihst observed him with a sort of "I knew you'd say that" type look on her face and chirped. She turned around and – much to Roy's relief – began shredding the pillow on what Roy had since decided would be Edward's bed for the night.
He really didn't know why he hated this bird so much; he got the impression, though, that the feeling was mutual. Just as well, he assumed; Ed certainly couldn't complain about him disliking his precious pet if said pet hated him back. He wasn't exactly sure why it mattered, though…
In fact, the more he thought about it…the more embarrassing it became. Not only had he spent the better part of ten minutes chewing out a bird, he'd also been thinking about why he hated it. And as soon as that part became clear, the whole thing became absolutely ludicrous.
He hated Lihst because she could calm Edward down. And to Roy, at least, a calm Edward was about as desirable as wet spark-gloves. Almost as useful, too. And then, there was one other reason that he didn't like Ed to be too calm – he wasn't nearly as amusing. A stupid reason, he knew, but he rather liked Ed's temper tantrums.
A loud squawk snapped him out of his thoughts, and he turned to find that Lihst had already destroyed the pillows on Ed's bed. She looked somewhat proud of herself. Roy twitched again.
Thank God she doesn't realize that's not mine…
When Ed finally snuck up to his hotel room at a little past two in the morning – after a great deal of difficulty and a slight headache had run their course – he was greeted by a series of chirps ending in a held out note. The source was very obvious; it was sitting in the middle of a destroyed pillow on one of the beds. There, plump, comfortable, and obviously proud of herself, sat Lihst. Of course, his relief in seeing her again promptly dissolved when he noticed a note affixed to the headboard with what appeared to be the remnants of his toothbrush.
"I BELONG TO A SHRIMP IN MORE TROUBLE THAN A CHERRY ON A WEDDING DRESS," was written across it in brown ink. It seemed like Roy was angry about something.
"Uh…you've been bad, haven't you?" he asked the phoenix, plucking her out of her newly made "nest." She immediately settled against him comfortably, and he sighed. "Whatever you did, I'll be taking the blame. I was already going to be--" he was cut off by a voice from the bathroom.
"You're in twice as much trouble now, Edward; curfew was five hours ago," Roy called through the door. Ed flinched, turning around. To his relief, he found that the shower had suddenly turned on. "When I'm done in here, we're going to have a long talk about you taking care of that bird. She needs to be trained not to destroy all my possessions."
Ed narrowed his eyes.
"Who do you think you are? My mother wouldn't have said that," he growled out, stroking Lihst's head. A scoff came from the bathroom.
"Whatever she would've said doesn't matter. I get to lecture you nowadays, not her. Any complaints may be lodged with McGonagall, the Amestrian parliament, or your father," he called coolly. Ed could've snapped his neck. "Get ready for bed; I'll talk to you later."
Ed grumbled loudly and dug through his bag. As soon as he had a fresh tank-top on, he heard a clicking sound from the direction of the window. Looking up, he noticed a grey owl perched on the sill. It tapped again, and the blonde opened the window for it. It held out its leg, showing him a dirty bit of parchment. He unrolled it and read it.
Elric-
Bring me a cauldron and two bits of boomslang skin. I can get any other material I need in this God forsaken greenhouse. That's all.
Severus
The young alchemist turned to the desk and rooted around until he found the complementary paper hotels had a habit of leaving in extremely inconvenient places. He scribbled a reply down – something vague, something positive – and gave it back to the owl. He really wasn't in the mood to write long, drawn out letters tonight. After giving it a command, he resumed petting Lihst. It wasn't until the door to the bathroom opened that he realized Roy was there.
"Ah, Colonel," he said hastily, glancing up. "I was just--"
And he gaped.
The man before him had on nothing but a faded pair of jeans, hair slicked back and wet. His eye patch was nowhere in sight, and Ed's eyes nearly burst out of his head when he saw what had become of Roy's face. A fair-sized hole took up the space where his left eye should have been, hardened scars surrounding it. The flesh was darkened, giving it a hauntingly burnt look. The teenager had never seen anything so shocking in his life.
His eyes traveled lower of their own volition, and Edward found himself staring at the older man's bare chest. It was peppered with small scars and large ones alike, and one made his breath catch in his throat. It was thin – very thin – and long. It started on the far left side of his chest and ended somewhere close to his heart. It stood out in bas relief from the rest of his skin. It almost scared the blonde to think about what could've brought it to be there, and he took a deep, shaky breath to try to relax.
Roy cleared his throat, and that snapped Ed back to reality. He blushed heavily, but still sent the older man a look that said "what the fuck happened to you, and why haven't you told me about it yet?" and crossed his arms. Said man began to put his patch back on, turning his back to the younger.
"I believe we were going to discuss your punishment?" Roy said, voice steady. Ed swallowed hard.
"Not until you tell me what happened to you," he whispered, unsure of where the words were coming from. It just seemed wrong that Roy Mustang, of all people, could be that badly injured, no matter the circumstances. "Tell me how you lost your eye and got all those scars, and then I'll take whatever punishment you want to give me."
The older man sat down on his bed and eyed Ed warily.
"I don't see how those two are correlated, Fullmetal," he replied, voice dull. He rested his hands on his thighs and surveyed the boy; Ed felt oddly like he was being priced. "Besides, just telling you that would be more punishment than you deserve."
Edward sighed and took a step back, looking at Roy again. He waited for a moment, and then tackled his superior officer, pinning him to the bed and straddling his hips. The man blinked, obviously shocked.
"Just tell me what fucking happened to you, Roy," he hissed, pressing his arms down on Roy's shoulders and tightening his grip on one. "Winry and old lady Pinako just fixed this arm up for me; I'd rather not have to test how well they did right now. Talk, or I'll break every bone I can reach."
Roy raised an eyebrow.
"That would get you a dishonorable discharge and two months of detention, Edward. Are you sure that you want to risk that?" he asked wryly, not struggling at all. Ed shot him a dirty look, and then loosened his grip, slumping in the older man's lap.
"I just want to know, okay?" the blonde replied, only just beginning to realize how awkward a position he was in. Roy sat up, and he found himself flushing upon realizing that their faces were only inches apart. A parade of visions from the mirror – and some that his mind had oh-so-generously decided to create on its own – filled his head, and he fought the urge to punch himself. God damn mirror.
"Curiosity killed the cat," Roy murmured, shifting so that Ed could sit more comfortably in his lap. The young alchemist glared.
"And satisfaction brought him back. Besides, it doesn't matter to me; I'm a dog, remember?" he shot back, ignoring the fact that they he was wearing nothing more than boxers and a tank-top in the lap of someone who he'd been seeing doing naughty things to him in his mind for days. Or, trying to; it was kind of hard to do while he was straddling him and sitting in his lap. This time, he was willing the blood to stay in his face.
Roy sighed loudly and obviously, giving Ed the chance to get a good sniff of his breath. Minty; he'd just brushed his teeth, apparently. How odd; he'd never given thought to it before. He stopped himself in his tracks and looked Roy right in the eye.
"Fine," he murmured resignedly. He shifted just slightly. "I'll tell you, but you have to do something for me. Equivalent exchange, after all," the man finished, and Ed scoffed.
"Okay, then; for your story, I'll explain how there's no such thing as 'equivalent exchange.' Sound fair?" he asked, watching with vague interest as the corners of Roy's mouth twitched. "Now that we've got that settled, tell me how it happened."
The General lowered his eyes.
"I got them in a fight with the homunculus Bradley," Roy replied, a detached look appearing on his face. "In his house…the basement – no, the wine cellar; I almost got killed in a wine cellar. Twice, now that I think about it; I should avoid them. Anyway, I managed to get him alone, so we started fighting.
"He manipulated the air with me, so I couldn't attack him well. Even when I hit him, he regenerated again. He kept slashing at me with his sword…all over," he trailed off, tracing the scar that had originally caught Ed's eye. He pulled the younger man's right hand to his chest, ignoring the protests, and guided his finger to the left edge of the mark. The digit was pressed against it, and Ed's breath caught again.
"He stabbed me here," he pushed Ed's finger against the flesh harder to get his message across; the teenager felt slightly sick. Then again, he had demanded to know, so he really had no right to stop him now. "And spoke of how insignificant humans were. Then, he started to drag it towards…"
Roy trailed off again, sliding Ed's metal finger across the scar slowly; Ed flinched. He reached the end, and then held him still.
"…and by that time, I couldn't do much of anything. But then, his son came in. He was carrying something in a white cloth; I couldn't see what it was," his voice faltered, and Ed could see the discomfort he felt. "He said something about a 'treasure' and apologized; Bradley touched him and froze, and then snapped the kid's neck. I couldn't do anything at all."
He let go of Ed's hand and instead gripped his wrist, knuckles white.
"I managed to hit him with an attack, and…well, he actually died. I took what the kid had brought in – a skull – and burned what was left of him with it. Then, I…I couldn't leave the kid there, so…I took him up with me…to the landing," Roy's breathing was erratic, and it almost scared Ed to hear him sounding so…raw. "I got up there, and Archer was waiting for me. He held up a gun and…"
He brought Ed's hand to his eye patch, and Ed almost lost it. The older man didn't say anything for a moment.
"I don't remember much…just Hawkeye screaming my name. The next thing I knew, I was in the hospital. They told me that Alphonse had been found – a real body – and that you'd vanished. After that, Hawkeye tried to nurse me back to health; I guess she did a decent job, too. She stopped staying with me when I was better; that was about a week before you reappeared. Now you're up to date."
A lifeless look was on Roy's face; Ed swallowed hard.
"I guess I…owe you the truth, too," the young man whispered, pulling his hand away from Roy. "About what happened to me and Al. That, and about equivalent exchange."
Roy nodded, and Ed started his story.
"My father is over 400 years old; I guess that's a good place to start," he murmured; Roy didn't seem fazed, so he continued. "He was married to a woman named Dante, and they had a kid. It died of mercury poisoning, though…and I guess he felt that he had to bring him back. He failed, though, and created a homunculus named Envy. He also found that he could prolong his life – and Dante's – by using the Philosopher's stone to switch bodies.
"He and Dante parted ways, and she tried to make a new stone by manipulating the homunculi. They, in turn, manipulated Amestris – and us – and found a way through Scar," he shivered slightly. Roy watched him. "I'm not good at explaining this…I only know what Al told me about this part, but apparently, Scar's arm was where the stone was being formed. But…Kimbly wounded scar…fatally wounded him…and then, the soldiers were sent in…"
He didn't want to think about what he'd seen, and he certainly didn't want to remember the faces all around him. The terror, the deaths; they were imbedded permanently in his memory. It had plagued him for weeks.
"Scar…made Al into the Philosopher's stone," he whispered. Roy's eyes widened.
"You're kidding," he said, breathless. "Go on."
"After the array he'd made in Lior was activated, Al and I met up again. We escaped, went to Resemboole…you know all that. Anyway, some shit happened…and we ended up below Central with Rose, Dante, a few homunculus, and a baby. Dante was all set to use Al to take Rose's body as her own, but I couldn't let that happen. She sent me through the gate – I'll tell you more about it later – and I was in another world.
"I met my father again," he said, voice inadvertently soft. "He explained to me about equivalent exchange. Apparently…no, I'll tell you later. Anyway, I was in someone else's body at that time – someone from that world. An aircraft came down on me, and I guess he died. That let me come back to Amestris. I got in a fight with Envy…and he's a shape-shifter. I don't know if I mentioned that. Anyway, at that point, I had no idea who he really was. He kept changing his face while I punched him – he became Mom, Marco, Hughes, you – and I told him to show me his real face. He did, and…"
Ed felt himself grit his teeth as he found himself finally saying it aloud.
"He's my older brother. He told me that, and then he…killed me," he felt himself shaking, and Roy put his hands on his shoulders. The young man looked up to see a look of shock and anxiety on the elder's face. "He stabbed me right through the heart. It was…oh, God; I'd never imagined it would be as it was.
"Dying was…it was the saddest thing that had ever happened to me. You know how people always say that their life flashes before their eyes? It doesn't. All you see is the people you care about. People who matter. People that you would miss. And then, I felt lonelier than I'd ever felt. It was cold…white…and I saw the gate. Then, I saw Al and Envy. Envy forced his way through, and I woke up. Al was gone."
Ed swallowed hard, looking at his arm.
"My arm and leg were real, and Rose told me about what Al had done. I started to look for him, but she stopped me. Then, I told her some bullshit about destroying the place, and I sent her out. I made the array…and offered myself up to bring him back," he chuckled at the irony of it. "And I lived. I woke up in some other world's version of Munich. I lived with Dad and some guy who looked just like Al. It wasn't a bad place, but I wanted everyone I knew. I wanted to be home."
He met Roy's eyes briefly.
"The other world had a Hughes; he wasn't married and he was more serious, but it was definitely the same Hughes. There was another Gracia, another Fury…everyone seemed to have a double there. It was so weird," he looked at his hands. "But I wanted out. I found this place called the 'Bermuda Triangle' out in the ocean. It was rumored that anything that went over it vanished. I boarded a plane – a machine that can fly – that was carrying convicts to a high-security prison out there. Sirius Black was with me, so when I went to jump out of the plane, he jumped with me. We hit the water and I woke up outside Hogwarts," he whispered. "Now you're up to date."
Roy nodded, waiting. It took Ed a moment before he realized what he was waiting for.
"As for equivalent exchange," he started again, taking great care to not move. "It's complicated. It exists and functions, but there are more rules than we'd ever imagined. I can explain it, I think…but it'll be hard to understand. Are you up for some hard thinking?"
When the General gave the affirmative, Ed took a deep breath and set his gaze on the man's eye.
"We need to start with the basics that everyone knows – the standard rules of equivalent exchange. You know the stuff; to obtain, something of equal value must be lost. The material being constructed must be of the same elementary breakdown as the material being deconstructed. Mass must remain the same, as must the original elements. Bearing that in mind, think to the process of transmutation and try to consider the one source that's unaccounted for."
The blonde observed the dark-haired man's reaction. He seemed to think for a moment, and then shook his head. Ed continued.
"To transmute, an array is usually needed. Ignore my case for the moment," he added at the inquisitive look Roy gave him. This was getting irritating. "Now, think about what an alchemist does to activate the array. He presses a part of his body – usually his hands – to the mark and puts the necessary amount of energy in to complete the transmutation.
"Where does that energy come from?" he asked, shifting almost absentmindedly. He wasn't used to denim. Come to think of it, he hadn't worn any in the past six years, almost. He tried to focus again. "Any ideas?"
The man before him pondered it for a moment, and then spoke up in an authoritative voice.
"It comes from the electrical field that surrounds the body. It's a well known fact that living human beings have a natural electrical charge; levels vary from person to person," he stated, and Ed suddenly became very conscious of a steadying hand on his lower back. "Experiments have shown that these levels shoot up dramatically during a transmutation and recede to almost nothing directly thereafter. The source isn't unaccounted for."
Ed raised an eyebrow, and the older man waited for him.
"So, have you thought at all as to how that energy is any different from normal electricity? How is the electrical field around the human body unlike the energy we use to heat our homes, to turn on lights, or to cook or clean?" he asked, looking the man in the eye.
"It isn't," Roy replied, staring right back. Ed let out a quiet chuckle.
"All right, then; why can't we use regular electricity to power transmutations?" he questioned; after all these years, it felt creepy to be talking down to the older man. Edward watched, amused, as Roy's face went slack.
"The energy found in the human body isn't what fuels the reaction, Roy," he managed, feeling himself shiver. He really didn't know why. "It only allows us to access the source of the real energy we need.
"The Gate leads to another world; I told you that, right? While I was there, I took the body of someone native to that place. My body was trapped somewhere inside the Gate itself. When my father told me that, I didn't know how to get back. I couldn't perform alchemy at all," Ed swallowed, allowing himself to pause. "As I was figuring out how to get back, a huge aircraft came down on me. I couldn't get away. The next thing I knew, I was coming back out of the Gate and into our world again."
And then, he was silent.
For the first time in his life, Edward was afraid to speak. Putting the truth into words would mean admitting what his science actually was. To say what he needed to say meant that he had to acknowledge that sin.
It scared him to death, but it had to be done.
"I came back because of the sacrifice of his life. I was only able to return because he had died. What my father had said made sense," he whispered, barely able to get the words out. Somehow, though, he had to. "He told me that we open the gate inside of our bodies when we perform a transmutation. The energy that comes out of the gate is…it's…"
Roy tilted the young man's head up so that he was looking him in the eyes again. Ed had barely realized he's looked away.
"The lives of people who die in the other world," he whispered, slumping. "Their lives are what fuel our transmutations – from serious ones to trivial ones, all transmutations are done with their energy. What we pay is nothing compared to what they give us."
There was a brief silence that followed Ed's words, and he found himself stunned by the look on Roy's face. The older man looked like someone had accused him of mass murder – and, by all rights, Ed probably had…in a way. And now, the guilt the boy knew the older man felt about having killed with alchemy was undoubtedly multiplied at least tenfold. Killing for something to kill with…there was no way he wouldn't make the connection.
And, at once, Ed found himself crushed to the older man's chest. He wasn't sure what it was – his lungs constricting out of nervousness, his fatigue from saying such stressful things, or just Roy's powerful arms holding him – but he could barely breathe. His arms were both dangling limp at his sides, and he could feel the left one beginning to go numb. All the same, he didn't fight back. He couldn't fight back when the man before him was so vulnerable.
He couldn't do anything.
It wasn't guilt or anything of the like that prevented him from retaliating. Far from it, he needed this, too. It had been too long since he'd had a comfort like this, too many days, weeks, months since he'd been able to feel guilty in a fair way.
But it suddenly changed, and Ed didn't know what to do anymore. All of a sudden, he was pressed against the sheets, pinned by strong arms. The older man was straddling him, now, and he felt completely defenseless. He would've tried to fight back, of course, but the look in his superior's eye stopped him before he even started.
He'd never seen anyone who looked so lost.
Ed didn't resist at all when Roy tugged at his tank-top. He couldn't resist someone who looked like they'd lost everything, even if it was in a situation like this one. Roy was someone he trusted, and that wasn't something to put aside lightly.
So, the teenager decided to wait.
Roy ran his hands over the metal gears at the younger man's shoulder. It seemed almost like he was exploring, his fingertips raking over the screws and bolts before tracing the edge. The sensitive skin surrounding the limb was barely being touched, but it sent waves of sensation through Ed's body. He swallowed hard, lying passively and struggling to keep control of himself.
He would trust the older man.
The dark-haired man finished his examination of the fake limb and moved on. He traced over a small scar on Ed's other shoulder and kept at his steady exploration. A hand trailed down the blonde's chest, and Ed fought to keep himself from arching into the faint touch. As much as his mind screamed at him for letting Roy have his way like this, his body's call was much easier for him to hear and understand. It was telling him that what the older man was doing would be pleasant and incredible, and that he should let him do what he wanted. It made more sense to him that the protesting his mind made.
The touches grew more daring, fingers pressing harder against the skin. Ed was surprised to find that his breathing was growing heavy, and his blood was settling in a part of his body that ached for the attention the other parts were getting. Roy leaned in and rested his chin on the teenager's shoulder, his own breath slightly labored and his lips just barely brushing the side of Ed's neck.
That simple touch sent sparks traveling full speed from the area of contact to his groin. Ed resisted the urge to groan.
As suddenly as it had begun, though, it stopped. Roy's hand stilled and his face focused in again. Ed met his eye, and although he was a little fuzzy, he could still see the absolute shock on the older man's countenance. Said man pushed himself up, looked straight down at the teenager, and immediately collapsed atop him.
"What the fuck was I doing?" he asked, and Ed barely heard him.
"Why did you stop?" the blonde replied, and he could feel Roy stiffen above him. And speaking of stiff, there was a betraying hardness pressed up against his thigh; Ed may have been a virgin, but he definitely knew what it meant. Roy took a deep breath.
"You're only 16, Ed; it's illegal for me to even touch you," he whispered, breath tickling the younger man's ear. Ed shivered, and Roy paused. "Besides, you don't know what you really want – your hormones are driving you. I shouldn't have done what I did. I really shouldn't have, and I'm going to get up right now so that nothing happens that shouldn't."
As soon as Roy said this, Ed wrapped an arm around his lower back, preventing him from going anywhere. Yes, Ed could understand what the man was saying; he knew perfectly well how wrong this was, but he couldn't help it. There was no way it couldn't be good; they were both obviously hot and ready…even if he understood, he couldn't let this stop now.
"Fullmetal," he started, trying to push himself up. Ed held strong and kept him where he was. "Fullmetal – Ed, please; I need to talk to you. If we really want to do this, we need to talk."
Ed kept his hands where they were.
"We can talk like this," he whispered, and Roy went slack. After a few seconds, he loosened his grip, and the moment he did so, Roy was sitting up and pulling him into a sitting position as well. The older man's face was flushed.
"Sex is serious, Edward; believe me. It changes everything," Roy said steadily, running a hand over the bedspread. Ed imagined there was about sixteen inches space between them. "It can ruin good relationships and destroy comfort levels between people. Not only that, but it's illegal for someone my age to screw someone yours. Do you think you risk that?"
Ed nodded, dropping his gaze to the man's lips before speaking again.
"Not a word will come out of my mouth about it, I promise. Besides, wizarding 'legal' is 17; I'll be that in a month. And—well, since when have I been anything close to a normal teenager?"
Roy stood up and walked to the bathroom, and Ed let his face drop. So his answer hadn't been good enough…it was quite a blow. However, when he returned after only a few seconds, the blonde let himself raise an eyebrow.
"I was getting something," was all Roy said before pinning Ed again. Whatever he'd taken from the bathroom was placed at the head of the bed and ignored. The teenager felt a degree of glee as well as a lot more pleasure than he expected when the General's lips fell to his neck.
While the older man's actions had been slow and careless before, they certainly weren't now. He licked up Ed's neck – still slightly slower than Ed would've liked, but not all that slowly. All the tension Ed had been feeling from the stress of the day was finally going away. His shoulders relaxed and he let his fingers travel up to trace the scars over Roy's torso. A pinch on his nipple made him pull his hands up.
Ed couldn't help but watch as Roy gently moved in to suckle the nipple he'd just pinched, and he arched as unfamiliar feelings hit him in an enormous wave of sensation. His hands clenched the blankets beneath him and he tried not to buck his hips against the older man's. The other nipple was given the same treatment, and Ed again had to do his best to not move too much. The sensations were unlike anything he'd ever felt before, but they felt so natural…
And they were only for this man above him.
Ed tentatively ran his fingers over Roy's shoulders and carded his hands through the thick black hair. It wasn't soft, but by no means was it coarse; if anything, it was just cool and full. The older man licked down his chest, and Ed found himself unable to hold back a small moan, massaging the scalp in his hands. He felt his superior officer smirk against his skin.
"Don't be afraid to make noise, Ed," he whispered, the vibrations traveling right down to his groin. The blonde moaned again, arching his hips and connecting them with the older man's. That movement bore a strangled groan from his partner.
Roy slid his body further down Edward's, stopping when his head was directly over the younger man's hips. He looked up as if to ask permission, and Ed nodded. He slowly pulled the boxers down and tossed them to the other bed, where all of Ed's clothes had wound up. The man leaned in, and all coherent thought left the blonde.
The General gripped the base of Ed's erection, licking lightly around the tip. Edward, for his part, pressed both hands to his mouth to prevent any sounds from escaping, shifting ever so slightly. It was maddening to him; Roy may have done this before, but this was his first time. He couldn't possibly hold out as long. Roy finally wrapped his lips around the tip, sliding the length down toward his throat. Ed arched again, muffling a shriek.
The man sucked once, heartily, and then pulled back. Ed whimpered at the loss of contact, closing his eyes. He felt Roy shift above him, and then there was nothing; he was about to ask what was going on when he felt feather-light touches around his entrance. His eyes snapped open again, and he stared at the older man's face.
"I need to loosen you up if we're going to do this, Ed," Roy explained, gently pressing his finger against the opening. "It may hurt a little, but it'll make it easier when I'm inside."
The very tip of the finger slid inside him, and Ed couldn't imagine how he could possibly take a full erection. Roy twisted the finger slightly, and then pulled it out to spread more of what was revealed to be complimentary hotel lotion. He slid the finger in again, this time inserting it halfway. Ed squirmed in slight discomfort, but didn't say anything. It really didn't hurt too much—
And there was the pain; it came slowly, but it was building. Roy had slipped a second finger into a hole big enough for maybe one, and Ed could feel himself being stretched. He kept his face straight, fully aware that it would only get worse.
At least, that's what he thought. Roy wasn't scissoring like he thought he would, though; instead, he was rubbing the fingers inside of him, like he was looking for something. Ed was going to ask what, but a shot of intense pleasure – far greater than any pain he'd felt thus far – made his first word turn into a scream.
Roy smirked down at him, and the teenager was certain he'd never been more confused. He continued to rub against the spot with one finger, the other scissoring him. It should've hurt, he knew, but it felt so good; the pain was insignificant. A third finger slipped in, but Ed barely noticed. He was too far gone, bucking his hips in time with the strokes to his 'spot.' When Roy pulled his fingers out, Ed groaned in disappointment.
"Roy," he moaned, and the older man simply reached above him. He lifted Ed's hips and pressed a pillow beneath him. With that, the blonde's hips fell open wider in compliance. Edward closed his eyes for a moment, and heard a zipper going down.
This was it.
Ed didn't dare watch as Roy prepared himself; instead, he gripped the blankets and tried to relax as much as possible. A touch at his entrance made him hold his breath.
"This part will probably hurt," Roy informed him, and with that he began to press it. At first, it wasn't so bad; if anything, it was just a light pressure. It got worse almost immediately, and he whimpered loudly. The older man looked Ed in the eye.
"Do it fast," Edward whispered, hips twitching. "Please, just do it fast."
Roy nodded, bracing his hands on either side of Ed's waist. Ed prepared himself, and with a sudden, hard thrust Roy was completely sheathed.
Edward screamed, sound muffled only by his own hands over his mouth. It hurt, but he knew it had to get better. It had to. Roy held still for a moment, and then carefully wrapped his hand around the younger man's weeping erection. Ed didn't buck up – he knew it would hurt if he did – but he did moan out lightly. The older man slid his hand up and down, the pre-cum lubricating each stroke. As he did this, Ed could feel him slowly pulling out, and then quickly thrusting back in.
"Aaaaah!" Ed let out a shout, one that was one part pain, two parts pleasure. The pain was nearly gone, and he was certain that he'd never felt anything like it. "God!"
Roy seemed to take this as a sign, starting to thrust in a steady rhythm. Ed moaned loudly with each thrust, bucking up into Roy's willing hand. The military man sped up, and was soon slamming into the teenager; the blonde couldn't help but clutch at the broad shoulders above him. The sounds coming from his mouth were in no way making sense, but he couldn't care less at the moment.
He panted and moaned, all too aware of the growing pressure in his stomach. Roy as moving faster than ever, and Ed wasn't sure if he could last much longer. It was dizzying, incredible – he wanted it to go on forever, but never end.
And suddenly, his world exploded. He felt himself go over the edge, screaming Roy's name as he was wracked with spasm after spasm, body locking and relaxing over and over. Then, just as everything was starting to right itself, Roy slammed in to the hilt, groaning out his name, and Ed felt hot cum warm up his insides. That alone brought him to what felt like a second climax, and he could've sworn he blacked out for a moment. When he came back to consciousness, Roy was pulling out; he collapsed to the side of him, panting.
For a few moments, the two simply lay there; Ed couldn't believe it. He'd just lost his virginity to the most arrogant bastard in the world – and he'd enjoyed it. Part of him was saying "I told you so!" and the other, more logical part was telling him that he really needed to get his boxers on again.
Then, Roy slowly pushed himself up. Ed watched, not at all uncomfortable about doing so, as the older man walked naked to the bathroom. He heard water running, and then Roy walked out with a wet washcloth in hand. The teenager started to sit up, but his superior officer shook his head, sitting on the bed. He carefully wiped Edward's stomach, and Ed began to realize just how messy their sex had been. Apparently, he'd shot cum all over his stomach, chest, and a good potion of Roy's front as well. He was embarrassed.
"Get dressed while I clean myself off," Roy murmured, clapping Ed on the shoulder. The blonde nodded, careful not to look at the older man as he did what he was asked to. He heard rustling sounds and knew that Roy was doing the same thing he was. Oddly, though, Ed couldn't find his tank-top.
"I guess it's bedtime," he joked, searching the area around his bed for his remaining clothing. "But I can't figure out where you threw my shirt."
A hand on his hip made Edward turn around, and he was promptly pulled into bed with an obviously exhausted Roy. He started to protest, but his words died on his lips as Roy claimed them with his own. The older man pulled away after a moment, pulling up the blankets around them. One of his arms wrapped itself around the teenager's waist, and Ed found his face buried comfortably in the General's chest.
Ed glanced at the clock just before sleep claimed him.
4:43 a.m.
When Roy awoke, he felt something was off. He wasn't a morning person – many around the office knew that – and for him to even notice something was wrong was inconceivable at best. After a few seconds, he realized exactly what was different. Smooth breaths ghosted across his right forearm, and he was able to groggily trace the source.
Edward.
Roy blinked a few times, memories of what had transpired the previous night coming back in a flash. He sighed heavily and yawned, altogether too comfortable with the situation.
He'd done things that he knew he shouldn't have done for five reasons. And he had loved doing it; the reasons were simple. He should never have:
Fucked a minor.
Fucked a subordinate.
Fucked a man.
Fucked a student.
Fucked someone 14 years younger than him.
It was true that a few of the reasons seemed pretty repetitive, but it was a decent list. All the same, he was fine with it. He knew that screwing Edward would have been problematic, to say the least, but he couldn't care less.
It had been the best lay he'd had in months.
Roy glanced at the clock, trying to figure out exactly how long he'd been out of it. It said that it was 9:17. Hell; he had a day off, and he'd only gotten a few hours of sleep. He could get up and get something to eat…maybe some coffee, too. Then again, that would involve waking the human sandbag that was Edward. He scolded the boy internally for falling asleep on him.
Although…given what they had done last night, it would be very bad judgment to call him a "boy" anymore. He would have to think up more titles.
Screw it all.
Just as he was preparing to get up, Roy heard a sharp rapping at the door, followed by a voice. His blood ran cold.
"Professor Mustang, are you awake? I thought we agreed that we would meet at 8:30 to discuss your positions," the dissonant voice of Professor McGonagall called. "I'm coming in."
Ed shifted quickly, and Roy tried his best to do the same. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and looked at the younger man. Ed was wide eyed, clutching a blanket to himself and covering his auto-mail arm. The General wondered exactly when he'd woken up.
The door clicked and opened, and both stared up at the people outside.
There stood McGonagall, of course, but with her were three other people. People Roy really didn't want to see him half-naked in a bed with a teenager; he was absolutely mortified. Pinako and Winry Rockbell were right behind her, and that Neville kid Ed had pointed out was speaking to them, apparently nervous. McGonagall's eyes could've popped out of her head.
"What…in…blazes…is going on?" she shrieked, and that brought the unnecessary attentions of the three behind her. Neville gasped, Pinako blinked, and Winry…well, she just went crazy.
"Edward? What the hell is THIS?" she screamed, marching into the room. Before anyone could get a word in, she had slapped Roy. "I knew something was wrong! I knew it! How could you do something like this? This is…it's…this is so wrong I don't even know what to say!"
Roy rubbed his cheek, relieved that she had only hit him once. It must've been all the time doing mechanical work that had done it – she was strong. McGonagall crossed the room and touched Ed's visible shoulder.
"Are you decent under those blankets?" she asked, and when Ed nodded, she yanked him to his feet. "Good; I can only imagine--"
Roy didn't need to ask what had made her go quiet.
"Your arm…it's really metal," she said, voice softer than before. Neville's jaw was threatening to hit the ground, and Roy could almost see the fear in his eyes. "So it is true; your friend told me about it, but I wasn't sure if she was telling the truth. I suppose it shouldn't be surprising."
Roy let his gaze shift back to Edward; he was standing next to the other side of the bed, a black cloak draped around his shoulders. A faint blush was on his cheeks, and when he saw Roy looking at him, he immediately looked away.
"Have you been…crying?" Neville suddenly asked, and Roy blinked. Sure, he'd noticed the symptoms, but they weren't from crying. The puffy eyes were from a lack of sleep, the blush was…well, it was there because of him, he was sure…and the situation suddenly became its own alibi. The military man smirked internally, but sighed outside. To his delight, attention was turned to him.
"As I would have explained if Miss Rockbell hadn't hit me," he began putting his hands on his hips. He could only hope Ed would go along with this. "Edward had a pretty rough night. Seeing Alphonse again was…emotionally taxing. Soon thereafter, he insisted on knowing what had happened to me since he'd seen me. I realize now that I should have waited until he was more stable, but I'm afraid I didn't last night. I hadn't meant to make accepting what had happened any harder than it already was."
McGonagall seemed skeptical, but everyone else seemed to be buying it. Even Pinako was nodding, pipe dangling from her fingertips. Ed blushed more heavily and looked away from everyone.
"You had a pretty rough night, too," he muttered, sitting down again. "And it will never happen again. I guarantee it."
That seemed to appease McGonagall, and she began a conversation with Edward and Neville – though Roy had no idea why she was including the boy – about Ed's military service in Amestris. Th older man was only half-listening, too preoccupied with his own thoughts to pay any real attention.
Ed had just made it clear that their session the previous night was a one-time thing. Roy could respect that, and he planned to do so. Nonetheless, it seemed somewhat odd to him that the boy could be so unattached. As he'd said before, sex was big. It did change things, and he knew it all too well. Given that Edward was just a teenager, it was even bigger. It was something enormous.
But he really wasn't acting like it. To Roy, at least, he seemed completely calm. The only indication that he had even been the slightest bit embarrassed was the fact that he had blushed. It was like he was hardly affected.
It was different for Roy.
He'd never look at Ed the same way again, and he knew it. When he looked at him, he would really look at him. He wouldn't see some fuming blonde teenager or subordinate. Ed was no longer just some boy, just someone he could think of like a family member. Now, he was more.
Now, Roy knew, he would see him as a mature young man. He was passionate, sexual, emotional to a point that exceeded anything he'd previously seen from the boy, and – he had to admit it – attractive. Ed hadn't been changed, other than the fact that had he been a virgin (and he really didn't know whether or not he was), he wasn't anymore. All the same, he had changed dramatically in Roy's eyes.
And, he realized as Edward managed to "sneak" a look at him, a look that he saw immediately, it was likewise.
Thus a wonderful day in the life of Roy Mustang.
,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,Okay – it's FUN TIME! (Read: I didn't want to include a visit in chapter five, so we get this).,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,
While Edward was visiting Alphonse again – family only hours, unfortunately – Roy had been subjugated to the worst possible job. He would've gone through a thousand hours of paperwork just to avoid it. This had to be his punishment for sleeping with Ed.
"Professor Mustang?"
Roy blinked, turning his attention back to a certain Neville Longbottom and trying to avoid having an "I've been lamenting over the fact that I'm stuck with you" look on his face. He cleared his throat.
"Anyway," he murmured, standing straight up in front of Neville. "In Amestris, the military is a major part of everyday life. Now, though, we rely on a parliament."
Neville scratched some notes down, and Roy caught a glance at the clock. He still had 45 minutes before Ed came back. Forty-five minutes of teaching an imbecile Amestrian culture for "extra credit."
Ed's "extra credit" had been way more fun.
He caught himself just as Neville looked back up and immediately began speaking again, trying not to let his mind wander.
"We rely on a parliament because our previous leader, Fuhrer King Bradley, vanished. It was later revealed that he had been planning to undermine the military and take full control of Amestris."
Under…Ed writhing, sweating; moans and gasps as he—
"In addition, we have completely revised many of our laws. Some regarded complex things – such as policy for handling a rebellious group when they pose a threat to our security as a nation – and some were less complex. A good example is our definition of marriage: a union of two people, homosexual or heterosexual."
Tight, hot walls…blonde hair trying to escape its bondage – bondage—
"Also, our policies regarding State Alchemists have been revised. A new law proclaims that--" Neville cut him off.
"Um…Professor Mustang, isn't Edward a State Alchemist?" he asked; when Roy nodded, the boy seemed tentative about something. "Then…how old do you have to be to become one?"
"Eighteen," Roy answered. "But Edward's case is different. He was allowed in because he provided a service to a higher-up and to our nation. All the same, he has more restrictions placed on his missions than a lot of us do. For example, he's not allowed into a combat zone unless accompanied by four other State Alchemists."
Neville considered this, and Roy's mind wandered again.
Panting, moaning, hard thrusts; screaming, the rush of—
StopthinkingaboutitStopthinkingaboutitStopthinkingaboutitSTOPTHINKINGABOUTIT!
"Professor?"
Roy shook his head, running a hand through his hair. This was ridiculous! He wasn't some hormone-driven teenager; he was a grown man. He should have some control over his libido by now.
"Yes, anyway…Ed's case is special," he finished blandly, looking at the clock again. Thirty-five minutes. "Any questions?"
Neville nodded.
"One; I was just kind of wondering…why live in Amestris? It sounds like it's all war and desert and bad stuff," the boy murmured, cocking his head. Frustration and annoyance burst out consecutively from the older man.
"Amestris is not at all like that! While it does have its downsides, it is a fine place to live, and as a member of its military, I have a right to say it!" he erupted, positively fuming. "And anyone with a spec of Amestrian pride would tell you so!"
The boy nodded, completely silent. Roy sighed.
"Lesson adjourned."
,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.Author's Notes,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,
Yo! Sorry about the wait…I've been busy. I got a second job to earn tuition money and stuff, so…yeah. I have problems.
Anyway, I've gotten mixed feedback on the topic of MPREG vs. Non-MPREG, so I've come to a conclusion to appease both the masses. I shall create…two stories! I'll post the MPREG version here – in this particular story – and label the non-MPREG version as a "Sequel" to "Grindewald" named "Grindewald: Redux" or something. It'll split ways later, so this will be THE story for a while.
More work for me, but that's okay. Whatever makes the readers happy.
Moving on, opinions are welcome! How's Roy's brother sound? He doesn't play a major role, really – yes, he makes some appearances, but nothing huge – but I like his character. And…Ed never explained how equivalent exchange does exist. Look forward to that in chapter seven.
Oh, and regarding the lemon…I had planned to stop it after the whole shirt-removal thing, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. So, diverting from the plan, I have brought the initial lemon in five chapters early. It was unplanned, in other words, so I'M SORRY IF IT SUCKS. But, on the plus side, INITIAL lemon indicates more!
(If anyone reports me, I'm gonna be pissed. One more infraction and I'm off is said and done. Review!
Thank you.