Chapter 8

Flynn sat down heavily in the chair at Hughes' desk. She spun around, observing the now bare walls of his office. All of the pictures had been packed up; she had been here for four hours so far and that was all she had accomplished. She spun around again in the chair, closing her eyes. The crying was done, but she still missed him and her heart ached for the hurting wife and daughter who had been left behind. She felt something wet run down her cheek; well, she thought it was done. She stood up, grabbing an empty box. Time to get back to packing. The door creaked open slowly, and Mustang stood in the doorway.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"Hi there yourself," she returned, climbing up the small ladder to reach the books on the top shelf.

"Have you reconsidered quitting?" he inquired hopefully, walking toward her.

"I've thought about it. I don't know. Maybe I should just wait a while before I do anything. I'm just mixed up and confused about a lot of things right now," she said, stretching to retrieve the last book on the shelf which was slightly out of her grasp.

Without thinking, Mustang extended his arm, planting his hand firmly on her butt to push her that extra inch she needed to reach the last book. He was glad she was not a woman who overreacted, or she would have fallen off the ladder.

Flynn felt hot and dizzy now. He was one of the things she was mixed up and confused about and that did not help. She calmly reached for the book before climbing down the ladder.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, his face blazing a crimson red with embarrassment.

"You know, not too long ago, you would have made the most of an opportunity like that," she said more coolly than she felt, sliding the book into the box.

"I guess I'm just not feeling up to it today," he mumbled, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Something has happened to you, Roy Mustang. It's not necessarily a bad thing. I couldn't help but notice the constant flow of bimbos has stopped running through your apartment. What's up with that?" she asked, sitting on top of the desk as she looked at him.

"I've just got a lot on my mind. Hey, I've got to go," he said, attempting to make a quick retreat. "I just wanted to see if you needed any help."

"I do need you – I mean, I need your help," she swiftly corrected herself, hoping he had not noticed or at least would not make a snarky comment. "Can you come back this afternoon and help me take all this stuff to Gracia?"

"Of course. I'll check back with you later." A smile broke across his face after he turned to leave. 'I do need you,' replayed in his head. He stopped at the door, turning back to her. "By the way, I already sent the transfer papers. Until you decide if you will leave or not, you belong to me."

'Nicely put,' she thought to herself watching him leave. Oh, this really sucks. You can't love two men at once – it's just stupid. And that one, Roy Mustang, the most irritating man in Amestris; how could she dare to think she might be in love with him? Now, that is not only stupid, but insane.

Flynn had just climbed back up the ladder to clear off another high shelf of books when Roy burst back through the door. She grabbed the ladder to keep herself from falling off from the shock of his abrupt re-entrance. She blinked in confusion as she watched him slam the door and lock it behind him.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she stammered, as he strode toward her like a man on a mission that no one would deter him from completing. She shrieked when his big hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her from the ladder.

Mustang used his arm to sweep everything off the desk with one big swipe as he held her against him with his other arm. He picked her up, sitting her down on the desk so hard she yelped as pain shot up her back.

"Roy, please," she begged, as he shoved her legs apart and stood between them. "Please, stop! You're scaring me!" She was terrified because she had never seen him like this. It as if he had just suddenly snapped; he did not seem to be in his right mind. She tried to shove his hands away as he grabbed her jacket and deftly unbuttoned it then stripped it off of her roughly. Fear gripped her in earnest now as he ripped her shirt apart, sending the little white buttons flying around the room like projectiles. "Roy, please!" she sobbed, tears flowing freely down her face.

Mustang grabbed her by the back of her neck, bringing her lips to his with a bruising strength. His tongue invaded her mouth assaulting her orally as his hand covered and squeezed her breast.

Flynn pulled away, bringing her hand up to slap him, but he grabbed it and forced it down to the desk. She kicked and pushed, but he was too strong. She grew still under his hands, convulsing slightly as sobs wracked her body. "Please, Roy, stop," she begged, weakly pounding her fist against his chest.

"Flynn, I'm sorry," he whispered, resting his hot, sweaty forehead on her chest. "I'm so sorry."

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, pushing him back from her. Then she heard it: he was making a soft mewling sound like a frightened kitten. The sound grew until it became the most pitiful sob she had ever heard in her life. She pulled him into her as he began to cry. She wondered which was more disconcerting; him acting as if he was going to rape her or crying like a baby in her arms.

"It hurts! It just hurts so damn much!" he yelled, clinging to her as he continued to cry.

'Oh, god help me,' she thought to herself. She wanted to comfort him and make him forget the pain at least momentarily. She was about to do something stupid and she knew it.

"I know. But it won't last forever even though it feels like it will. You'll be okay," she cooed in a soft voice. She kissed his forehead, then each of his cheeks. His tears were extremely salty on her lips. Her tongue darted out to lick his cheek to taste more. 'Oh, here it goes. I'm done,' her mind screamed as an ache started between her thighs when he gasped and shuddered in her arms.

"Flynn, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm –" He was about to apologize again, but she covered his mouth with hers. Her kiss was gentle and soothing as if she were trying to draw the hurt out of him. Her tongue stroked his in an oddly comforting gesture like her fingertips were stroking his face. He broke the kiss, keeping his eyes closed as his lips hovered above hers. He panted to catch his breath as she gingerly pressed tiny kisses all over his face.

"It's tough, isn't it? Feeling something? Experiencing real emotions? Is that why you've ran from it for so long?" she asked, unbuttoning his uniform jacket.

"It's easier to not feel anything. You don't get hurt," he said, shrugging off the jacket while her fingers went to the buttons on his shirt.

"But you don't feel the joy either. You can't have the good without the bad. The negative experiences make you appreciate the good," she whispered, opening his shirt to expose his chest. He wasn't the same golden color as Jean, but he was no less muscled. She bit her lip, running her hands over his broad chest. His skin was amazingly soft; she almost expected him to be tough and leathery like his attitude.

"Flynn, stop," he whispered as her tongue darted out to lick his nipple. "Sweetheart, please, before I can't tell you no. What about Jean?"

"Roy Mustang! The easiest and most oversexed man in Central! Are you telling me no?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she leaned back on her hands, her breasts completely exposed for him to see.

"I'm not telling you no. I'm telling you we shouldn't because you're engaged. You have no idea how many times I've fantasized about you - how many different ways I've taken you and made you call out my name. But you can't break someone's heart by thinking about it," he said, pulling her torn shirt together to cover her bare breasts. He wondered if the woman knew what a bra was. "Go home, sweetheart. You can finish packing his office tomorrow. Besides, you need a new shirt. I apologize for that."

"Roy, I-"

"Please, just go. I'll talk to you tonight when I get home." He put his hand on her shoulder, placing a quick kiss to her cheek before he walked out.

Flynn smiled despite herself. The way he said that made it sound like he was coming home specifically to her not just next door to his own apartment.

"How did you get over here?" Roy asked when he found her sitting on his balcony waiting for him.

"I jumped," Flynn answered, leaning back with her feet propped on the railing.

"You can't be serious. With those short legs?" he teased.

"Ask Ed or Al. Al was waiting below to catch me if I fell, and Ed was waiting over here."

"Hate I missed the circus performance."

"Are you okay?" she asked when he sat down next to her.

"I think so. Are you? I'm really sorry. I don't know what came over me," he said, putting his arm around her.

"Roy, stop it. Just stop okay? Everything is all right between us. It's actually more than all right. We're getting along. Can you believe it?" she asked with purposely exaggerated excitement. She turned her face toward his and her nose brushed across his they were so close.

"It's truly unbelievable," he murmured, nuzzling her nose before sitting back in his chair. "So where's Havoc?"

"He'll be over later. He's moving in next week," she blurted. There would probably never be a good time or an appropriate moment to ease that information into a conversation. She wondered why she even cared what he thought; Jean was her fiancée after all.

"Oh, you really are about to become an annoying neighbor. All that noise," he mumbled. Somehow, nothing was funny right now.

"Roy, tell me honestly, how do you feel about me?" She bit her lower lip nervously, avoiding his penetrating black eyes.

"I think you already know. I'm not going to hurt us both by doing that. Sometimes what we want isn't what we need. Jean's a good man, and he loves you more than you know. You need him as much as he needs you. We should just go back to agitating the hell out of each other," he said, running his fingers through her hair.

"Flynn?" Jean called from her balcony, frowning when the two of them jumped apart. His frown deepened at the two of them when they turned to look at him.

"Wanna come over here or do you want me to come back over there?" Flynn asked innocently, noticing his face was turning pink.

"You look quite happy where you are. Why don't you stay there, and I'll just leave," he snapped, walking back into her apartment.

"Jean, Jean!" she yelled, climbing up on the railing to make the leap back to her balcony. In her haste, she did not quite get her footing before she pushed off to jump.

"Flynn!" Roy bellowed in fear when she came up short, but managed to grab two of the posts of the decorative iron railing. Her hands slid down the smooth bars and clung to the bottom of the posts while her legs dangled beneath the balcony. "Havoc!"

Flynn gritted her teeth as pain shot through her shoulders, and her arms burned where they had slid across the cement of the balcony. She attempted to pull herself up, but it was impossible on the smooth metal posts. She had to wait to be rescued.

"Flynn, honey, what the hell did you do?" Jean asked on the verge of panic when he returned to the balcony. He reached through the bars to grab her wrists to hang onto her. He tried to pull her up but the position was just too awkward, and he could not get enough leverage since he was on his knees.

"Move over," Roy ordered as he crouched down beside him. They both reached through the posts grasping her wrists. "You take one wrist and I'll take the other. Start pulling when I tell you. Go!"

Flynn bit her lower lip to keep from screaming because it felt like they were ripping her arms out of her shoulder sockets as they slowly pulled her up. She tried to stay completely still as they raised her up so she would not cause any extra strain on them or herself.

"When we get her to the top, hang on to her while I reach over the top rail to grab her. Don't let go no matter what!" Roy said to Jean as they neared the top rail with her hands. They stopped momentarily, panting slightly as they tried to catch their breath.

Flynn whimpered because her arms and shoulders were burning as if they had been set on fire. She was sure they were experiencing strained and painful muscles as well so she refused to whine. It was her stupid fault they were in this mess. She heard Roy take a deep breath before he let go of her wrist and swiftly reached over the rail her grab her forearms. She cried out when she felt herself drop as Jean let go and did the same thing, seizing her wrists. They both pulled hard, jerking her up and over the top rail. Her ribs received a sharp jab from the railing as she was dragged across it, but she did not care. A broken rib would heal before a brain injury or a broken back or worse. They all landed in a heap together with her stretched across both of them. Not one of them moved as they lay there in the awkward position, and nothing could be heard but their labored breathing.

"Hey, Havoc," Roy said, "Do me a favor."

"What's that boss?" Jean asked.

"Hurry up and marry her before she kills us both."

"Yes, sir!"