Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Blind Obsession ❯ Truthful Amendment ( Chapter 13 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

By: ZaKai

Blind Obsession

XIII

Truthful Amendment

Roy stared down at the large manila envelope in his hands and frowned deeply. He wished that he didn't have to be the one to deliver this—wished he could have pawned this unpleasant task off to someone else to save himself from what could end up being a bitter confrontation concerning more than just work. But he didn't have that luxury. As Ed's superior officer, it was his duty to deliver this and to meet with him in person. At least it gave him an excuse to see Ed, and hopefully they'd be able to work out their differences.

And maybe...

“We're here,” Hawkeye said, breaking him out of his thoughts. Roy looked up just as the car stopped in front of the apartment the two Elric brothers shared. He glanced over as Hawkeye began to open her door to get out.

“Lieutenant,” he said easily, opening his own door and putting a foot out. “I think I'll talk to Fullmetal alone.”

She glanced up in the rearview mirror to look at him. Her eyes were full of questions, but instead of prying into matters that weren't her business, she simply asked, “Do you want me to wait out here for you?”

“No, I think I'll just walk back after I'm done. It's not that far.”

“It's almost four in the afternoon, sir. What time can I expect you back?”

“These types of meetings sometimes last for an hour or more,” Roy answered evasively. She turned around in her seat and gave him a bland stare. He returned her displeased look with a wry smile. “You don't believe that I'm coming back to the office, do you?”

Hawkeye raised one eyebrow. “Permission to speak freely?” she asked.

“Denied,” he replied, his grin widening. “I already know what you're going to say.” He climbed out of the car, then leaned down to look at her through the open door. “You're right. There's a good chance that I might not return. There's no point in me coming back for an hour or less.”

Her face radiated a mixture of displeasure and exasperation. He knew she believed that he'd planned it this way to get out of work; but, in truth, it was because he really wasn't sure how long he'd be here, nor did he know if he'd be in the right frame of mind to return to the office today.

“Have a nice weekend, Lieutenant,” he said nicely, trying to soften her disapproval.

Hawkeye turned around and started the engine. “You too, sir. I'll see you Monday.” Her tone was clipped, but there was a note of resignation as well. They both knew he worked hard, but they both also knew he was perfectly willing to cut corners when it suited him.

Shutting the car door, Roy waited until Hawkeye was no longer in sight, then turned and started toward the front door. He felt resigned, but also motivated by the fact that he had given the matter with Ed a lot of thought. He was prepared, not caught off guard like he had been in the hospital room the week before. He was cool and collected, ready to face whatever was thrown at him.

Roy knocked on the door and waited, wondering what kind of reception he'd receive from Alphonse. Would Ed have told him or would he have continued to keep it a secret? He knew that the two had made up, and for that he was glad. Ed deserved a little peace in his life right now. The door opened and Roy wondered for a moment if Ed would be the one to answer, but it was Al who opened the door.

A surprised look crossed Alphonse's face. He opened his mouth to speak, but Roy shook his head and motioned him to come outside. Curious, Al did as he was bidden; and, after he shut the door, said, “Colonel Mustang... This is a surprise.” His eye caught the large envelope Roy was carrying and frowned. “What can I do for you?” he asked slowly as he brought his gaze slowly back to Roy's face.

Roy tapped his fingers on the envelope, then said, “I need to speak to your brother.” He stopped tapping his fingers, then added, “Alone, if you don't mind.”

Again Al's eyes strayed to the manila envelope and the frown deepened. “Is that what I think it is?”

“What do you think it is?” Roy asked evasively.

Al dropped his head to look at his feet, then idly kicked at a small pebble near his shoe before looking back up. “Alchemists aren't quite as useful when they're blind, is that it?”

Roy sighed and gave the teen a regretful look. “It wasn't my decision. I believe Ed is capable enough even without his sight.” He was very aware of how well Ed could learn to adjust to having no vision.

Alphonse looked up at him and nodded thoughtfully, then said, “I'll be honest with you, Colonel, I'm not too disappointed. I've wanted brother to quit the military for a while. He's not happy there. He joined to meet a goal. He met it. He should have moved on, but he didn't.”

“I think you're right,” Roy said mildly.

Al's eyes widened slightly in surprise. “You do?”

Roy nodded. “Yes, I do. Ed hasn't been happy. I don't know why he didn't resign sooner, but at least this way he'll get a nice compensation package from the military.” He paused, then said wryly. “I just hope he'll let me talk long enough to tell him about it all.”

Al glanced behind him at the door, then back at Roy. “I really don't think he'll take it as badly as you seem to think he will, but I'd be happy to grant your request and leave you alone with him. I was just about to take off to go visit my girlfriend for the nigh—a while anyway.”

Roy didn't miss the slip, but he made no sign that he noticed. What Al did with his life wasn't his business, and really this worked out well for him. Or, at least, he hoped it would work out well for him... The proposal he had for Ed, well... that would have to wait until he was sure it would be welcome. And he knew that it might never be.

Turning, Al opened the door and motioned Roy to follow. Stepping inside, Roy looked around and was surprised by how well kept the apartment looked. Had it always been like this, or was Al keeping it clean so that Ed wouldn't trip on anything? He wanted to ask, but had enough tact to keep quiet.

“Brother!” Al called, then looked at Roy. “He's been spending a lot of time in our room—we share one, you know, because it's cheaper.” Glancing at the small hallway, Al called for Ed again. “I'm actually glad you're here,” Al said, turning to look at Roy once again. “This is the first time I'll be leaving him alone since they released him and... well... I just worry.”

“I told you, I'll be fine,” Ed grumbled as he walked slowly down the hallway toward them. One hand slid easily along the wall as a guide. A pair of dark sunglasses sat over his eyes, though Roy could still see some of the wicked marks from the chemicals on his skin around his eyes where the glasses didn't cover and on a few other places. “I may be blind, but I'm not deaf and I'm not incapacitated. So just go.”

“You have a visitor, brother,” Al said patiently.

At that, Ed stopped and scratched idly at his head; slightly displacing the already messy mass of loose hair. “Oh. I thought maybe it was that girl... what's her name again?”

“Claire,” Al answered, then turned to Roy and said, “My girlfriend.”

“Yeah, for this week. Don't worry about remembering the name, won't be the same one by next Friday,” Ed said, making it out of the short hall and now walking a little more cautiously without the wall.

“Don't mind him, he's just cranky,” Al said casually. “Though I usually find him to be really pleasant...” A grin stole across his face. “When he's asleep.”

Ed stopped, folded his arms, and said blandly, “Go the fuck away. Your enthusiasm to see Cassy—”

“Claire,” Al corrected.

“Whatever. Your enthusiasm has reached an unbearable limit. Now go away.”

“He's just jealous,” Al said to Roy.

“Come say that to my face,” Ed snapped, holding up his hands in balled fists and moving his head from side to side.

Al laughed lightly and Roy had the feeling the banter was friendly at the core. It seemed that they really had made amends. He glanced at Ed, who was now making an obscene gesture with his hand in their general direction much to the amusement of his brother.

“Well, anyway,” Al said, turning to Roy. “I think I'll leave so the two of you can talk.”

Ed dropped his hands and asked, “Wait, who's here?” He seemed to have just realized that he had no idea who the other person in the room was.

“Colonel Mustang,” Al said.

Ed's mouth opened and he simply stood there, then he gritted his teeth and spat, “I'm not in the mood for visitors, so why don't you just fuck off.”

“Brother!” Al chided in an appalled tone.

“Stay out of it, Al,” Ed growled.

Al glanced at Roy and gave him an apologetic look. Roy shook his head as if to say that it was fine. Pulling open the door, Al said, “I'm leaving, brother.”

“Take him with you!” Ed demanded.

“To Claire's?” Al asked smartly.

“You know what I meant!” The sarcasm obviously wasn't appreciated. “Get him out of here! I don't want to be in the same room with him!” Al glanced again at Roy, this time with lips pressed in thought, and Roy knew he was weighing the pros and cons of granting Ed's request.

“I won't be here long,” Roy said to Al.

“Damned right,” Ed spat, turning and starting back down the small hall.

“I think I'm just going to go...” Al broke in, already half out the door.

“Traitor!” Ed yelled. Al opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his head before leaving and shutting the door behind him.

“I'm not leaving until we talk,” Roy called after Ed.

Ed, now at the end of the short hallway and near a door snarled, “Fuck you!”

“Is that an offer?” Roy shot back, speaking before thinking. Ed turned his head toward him and made an obscene gesture with one of his hands before walking into the room and slamming the door behind him.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Throwing himself on his bed, Ed turned so that he was lying on his back with his face pointed toward the ceiling, then viciously pulled the sunglasses off his face and slammed them on the nightstand. Anger coursed through his veins and accumulated with a tight feeling in his chest.

Damn Mustang. Damn Al. Damn everything.

It had been a week since the accident; and, in that time, Ed had experienced a wide range of emotions. Sometimes he was so deeply depressed that he just wanted to sleep the days away; sometimes he was furious with everyone and everything—the unfairness of his situation causing him to lash out at the most unexpected times. Then sometimes he was thoughtful; trying to methodically work out all the problems there were to being blind and how he was going to deal with them.

Al had been wonderful—better than Ed could have asked for. His brother had taken time off of work to be with him. He'd read to him from books when Ed was lethargic and refused to get up, listened and strategized when Ed wanted to figure out how he'd live the rest of his life, and refused to take Ed seriously when he lashed out.

They had also spent a lot of time talking once Ed returned home. At first it had been about more `safe' subjects such as alchemy and science, but they'd eventually stepped into less traveled roads. There had been laughter and tears for their past as they spoke of their childhood, their parents, and their mistakes. They contemplated their time looking for the Philosopher's Stone, and speculated on their future. And of course, they'd talked about more current happenings—the most explored of those being on the subjects of sex, secrets, and lies.

Ed found Al more than willing—eager actually—to talk about his love life, something that had really put Ed off for a while. When he thought of his younger brother, he thought of someone who was innocent and unspoiled by the more vulgar things in life. Not that part of that wasn't true—Al had no taste for crudity—but Ed was finally forced to admit that his younger brother was fully a man now, and he came with the same base needs that Ed possessed.

Alphonse was one who enjoyed a less colorful sex life than Ed in some respects, but not in others. Ed had been shocked to learn his brother had participated in more than one orgy and had a fetish for watching other people have sex—though his `watching preferences' tended to run along the lines of women only.

Ed had been a little more reticent to talk about his own experiences—feeling a little abnormal. It was also almost embarrassing to admit that he'd mostly only been with one person, since Al had enjoyed a far wider variety of partners. Little by little, Al had pulled the story of Ed's affair from him. There had been a choking sound of disbelief from Al when Ed had admitted to letting some stranger come up behind him, blindfold him, then fuck him without even fighting back a little.

But overall, Al had remained mostly quiet during Ed's stories, only interrupting when he had a question; though Ed thought he could detect a feeling of surprised interest at some of the stories he told.

In the end, he'd told almost everything—every meeting with his secret lover, and even the night he'd given Russell a blowjob. At first, it had hurt to even think about those meetings, but he'd found that talking about them helped in some way. He even found himself enjoying revisiting some of the more spicy memories.

What he hadn't told was his confrontation with Mustang in the hospital. The wound that revelation had caused was still too fresh. If Al knew that it had been Mustang... Well, Ed wasn't exactly sure what he'd do. Sometimes he entertained himself with visions of Al kicking the shit out of Mustang. At other times, Ed wasn't sure that he'd want that to happen.

But now, Ed was wishing he had told his brother. If he had, then he was sure Al wouldn't have let Mustang in. If he'd been lucky, Al would have kicked Mustang in the balls and let him whimper on the porch. Ed didn't want to talk to Mustang, but he was sure that he would be true to his word and not leave until they talked; even if that meant him staying all night.

Ed cursed Al for choosing this night to go have a sleepover with his current flavor of the week. There was no helping it. If Ed wanted Mustang gone, he'd have to do it himself.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Roy glanced at the clock on the wall and noted that he'd been waiting for almost two hours. It hadn't been that bad of a wait though. He'd found that the Elric brothers owned a fantastic assortment of books and scientific journals, and he'd been able to find something that interested him fairly quickly. He sighed and returned his attention to the book he'd been flipping through. Ed would have to come out eventually...

Eventually ended up being ten minutes. When he heard the door open, Roy instantly closed the book and waited expectantly for Ed to appear. Finally, Ed wandered into the living room, moving slowly with arms slightly outstretched. Now that Ed was closer and didn't have the sunglasses on, Roy studied him more closely. Ed's eyes were open, but they were obviously seeing nothing. The golden irises looked pale and fogged over, and the scars the chemical burns had left behind still looked tender and painful.

Ed stopped walking, then sniffed lightly. “You're still here.” His tone radiated displeasure. “I mean, I can smell you.”

Roy raised an eyebrow and pulled his jacket to his nose before saying wryly, “I did shower this morning.”

“Don't be a dumb ass,” Ed snapped. “I can smell your cologne. What did you do? Bathe in it?”

Roy frowned as he smelled his uniform, then let go of it. He hadn't put any more or any less on than he usually did. He'd heard that the other senses sharpened when one was taken away and wondered if Ed's body was overcompensating for its loss.

Ignoring Ed's remark, Roy said, “Sit down, Ed. We need to talk.”

Ed didn't reply immediately, but moved over to the couch and said, “About what?”

“I'll tell you after you sit down.”

Ed's head turned toward Roy's voice, then he instantly began to move toward the other side of the couch. “You're a bossy bastard, aren't you?” Ed muttered, plopping himself down, and folding his arms.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Ed wandered over to the couch, then realized he didn't know which side of it Mustang was sitting on. “About what?” he asked, waiting for the reply to gage where Mustang was.

“I'll tell you after you sit down,” Mustang said, and Ed instantly moved away from Mustang's voice.

“You're a bossy bastard, aren't you?” Ed muttered, sitting down and folding his arms. “I didn't sit down because you told me to; I sat down because I know it's the quickest path to you leaving,” Ed said.

“Of course,” Mustang murmured, but didn't say anything else.

“Well?” Ed asked impatiently. “Why are you here?”

Mustang cleared his throat, and Ed could hear the sound of paper. “I've been given the unfortunate task of giving you these papers...” There was a pause, then, “Would you like me to read the cover letter to you?” His tone was a little morose and regretful, and it dawned on Ed what this could be about.

“Just give me the gist of it,” Ed said quietly, then waited.

Mustang didn't say anything right away, and Ed was about to urge him to go on when he spoke. “You're being released—honorably—from your duties as a state alchemist and as a soldier of the Amestris military. I have the official discharge papers signed by the fuhrer, but I do have a few forms that you need to sign.”

“So that's it...” Ed said, feeling a little anger and shock over the dismissal—even though he'd sort of expected this to happen. He'd put his life on the line and they were just going to throw him away! Yet, Ed was also surprised at the feeling of relief he felt. It was like a heavy burden was being lifted off of his shoulders. He'd hated being in the military, but had felt compelled to stay anyway.

“This wasn't my decision,” Mustang explained, sounding slightly defensive, as if he felt Ed was accusing him for the discharge. “But it's not like you'll be walking away with nothing.”

“I don't want anything from the military,” Ed said tightly.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Stubborn. Ed was so stubborn.

Shaking his head, Roy said, “Don't be ridiculous. You're entitled to specific benefits after you've been with the military for so long—especially when you're an officer and, in your case, a state alchemist. That accident also happened while you were on duty. The military is going to take care of you.” Ed nodded mutely, not giving any indication as to what he could be thinking.

Roy set the envelope and documents on the floor, then studied Ed thoughtfully. Normally, these types of meetings involved a lot of paper reading by the one being discharged as well as thoroughly informing the soldier of his rights. But this wasn't normal circumstances. Ed wouldn't be reading anything today—maybe not ever—and Roy could see Ed wasn't much interested in hearing about his benefits at the moment.

“Are you done?” Ed asked bluntly.

“With the military's business? Yes,” Roy said, deciding that it would be better to have Ed sign the papers later after he knew what was in them.

“Then leave.”

“No.” Ed sat up a little straighter, his head facing in Roy's direction. He was about to speak, when Roy cut him off. “I want to talk about you and me.”

“You mean you want to talk about how you lied to me and used me?” Ed flung back at him.

Roy took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I never lied to you, and I didn't use you.”

“Bullshit,” Ed said, his lips pulling down into a deep frown. “I—” he began, but Roy cut him off.

“You wanted it, so don't you dare accuse me of using you. If you didn't want it, then you wouldn't have come back time and time again,” Roy said forcefully, finally giving voice to the thoughts he'd been having all week. “You never had to come. No one forced you to accept each invitation. You could have stopped coming at anytime, but you didn't.”

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Ed's head reared back slightly. He felt like he'd been slapped. It was true that he had wanted it, but... but...

“You knew it was me all along!” Ed accused angrily, as if that made his feelings justified. “You kept leaving all those marks on my neck then making fun of me because of it!”

“Yes, that's true,” Mustang said simply. “I won't deny it. I enjoyed teasing you.”

Ed's mouth dropped open. Disbelief washed over him and he had difficulty trying to realize his emotions into words. “You... You... You bastard!” To think that the fucker had been doing it deliberately so that he could mess with his head left him flabbergasted.

“Did you expect me to say something different?” Mustang asked evenly. “Why else would I have done it if I didn't enjoy it?” Ed clenched his fists, feeling the urge to strike out—to cause Mustang as much pain as he was feeling. “But...” Mustang continued softly, “I also quit when I learned how much it hurt you. Before you told me, I had no idea it bothered you so much...”

“That's another thing,” Ed cut in, feeling his anger soften somewhat at Mustang's words, and not liking it. He didn't want to cut the man any slack. There was too much he was angry about to let him off about that one point. “You just let me tell you all that stuff! That was private! You knew I would have never said anything if I'd known it was you!”

“That is also true.”

Ed snarled at the calm tone Mustang was using. He wanted to have an argument, he wanted to fight!

“I'm not a saint, Ed. I admit it. I'm a real asshole sometimes. If I was a nice guy then maybe I would have just left you in that motel when you started getting all weepy and pouring your heart out to me. No,” he amended quickly. “If I was a nice guy I probably would never have even gotten involved with you in the first place. Think about it. What type of a person sneaks up behind someone who is pulling themselves to a dirty magazine, blindfolds them, and proceeds to screw them?”

Ed had no answer; and he realized that the more he thought about it, the more Mustang was right. Someone would have to be pretty fucked in the head to do that... but then, someone would also have to be pretty fucked up to let that person do it and then go back for more...

“Or perhaps I was trying to be nice by staying that night,” Mustang added quietly; and, to that, Ed felt a familiar aching pressure in his chest. It had meant a lot to him that his mystery man had stayed. How would he have felt if Mustang would have just left him alone there that night? Truthfully? He would have felt like shit.

Ed hung his head and tried to make sense of everything. He thought over every encounter, every note, every feeling he could remember having during this experience. It had been an amazingly exciting ride and he really had enjoyed it. He'd come to feel some sort of bond with his secret lover, as if he really meant something to someone. It had kept him going when everything else seemed to fall apart, and yet it had also had some less than positive influences on him and his behavior.

It had been a learning experience of immense proportions; but, truthfully, if he had the choice to have not done it... Ed would still have chosen this path. He realized that the thing that was the problem was that it had turned out to be Roy Mustang, not the situation itself. This was not okay. He hated Mustang. He'd always hated him. But in a way, some of the very things he'd hated in Mustang were things that he'd liked in his lover.

Perhaps it was his perception that made the difference... Ed had been willing to accept being `told' what to do by his lover, but by Mustang it had been galling. Mustang's overconfidence that he would be obeyed without question had been a thing Ed had found extremely attractive and arousing when it came to his lover...

Yet there was still the question of why. Why him? Why not just go out and find someone who was... well, better? Ed knew there were plenty of people out there who were better candidates for a lover than he was. He was way too short, and... Ed rested his hand on his automail arm and shook his head slowly. It just didn't make sense...

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Roy watched Ed's face as he digested all that he'd heard. The anger had subsided, leaving a more thoughtful expression. Ed swallowed, then let his head lower as if he was looking down at his lap. The silence stretched on for a long time, but Roy was willing to let Ed think. Ed was smart, and Roy believed that if he was given all the right facts, the logical part of him would overcome the emotional side.

Finally, Ed rested his hand on his automail arm and shook his head before asking quietly, “Why me? I mean... It's not like I'm something really special... I just don't get it...”

“Why... the first time, or why did I continue it, or... what?” Roy asked, feeling a little confused by Ed's vagueness.

“All of that,” Ed said quietly.

Roy nodded in understanding. “At first... Well, you were there, and I was horny and drunk. I was taking a chance that you'd let me have my way with you.” The answer was tactless, but with Ed, direct was often the best course of action. “I liked it. You were...” He thought back to that night and smiled. “You were very... good. Your dirty language and unabashed willingness was exhilarating. I wanted more, and since then I've never able to get enough of you.” Of course, Roy had other reasons, deeper reasons, but this was enough for now. “I assumed you were enjoying yourself as well,” he added, when Ed didn't say anything.

Ed chewed lightly on his lip for a moment, then nodded. “I did... I...” And now color crept up to Ed's cheeks and up to the scars near Ed's eyes. “You always came up with the best shit.” At that, Roy smiled; glad to know his kinks were appreciated. Ed lifted his head and hooked some of his loose hair behind an ear. “So... what now?”

Roy blinked in surprise. “What do you mean?”

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Ed frowned. “Well, I'm not as pissed at you as I was... I mean, you were a bastard, but I already knew that... And... you're right, I did want it... and...” Ed trailed off, trying to put his new found realization into words. He wasn't one to hang onto ideas and grudges when he'd been proved wrong. “I guess what I'm trying to say is...” Again he trailed off. He wasn't really sure what to call what they'd had and what to do with it now. “You... and me...”

Ed let his head drop back down and began to nervously rub the bottom of his shirt between his real fingers. He still wasn't sure how he felt about it being Mustang, but there wasn't anything he could do to change what was. His mind was also prodding at him, telling him that all that time it had been Mustang, so what difference did it make that he was aware of it?

It was all so confusing, and yet the most straight forward path seemed to be finding out what was going to happen now, because it sure was fucking awkward to be with Mustang now that he knew who he was. Embarrassing too, since he'd shared so much personal information with his secret lover as well as sex.

“Are we... now that I know it's you... or were we ever... you know...” Ed felt stupid, but at the same time he had to know if there was anything more to what they had. Did Mustang feel anything for him or was he just using him for sex? Not that it mattered, Ed thought. It wasn't like he felt anything for Mustang...

There was a sigh, then, “I don't know, Ed.”

“How can you not know?” Ed said in surprise. “You know if you... well, anything for me...”

“Ed... What do you want me to say? That I love you?” Mustang paused, and Ed felt a little numb. Love? No. No... if Mustang said that, Ed would never have the nerve to face him again. He didn't want Mustang to love him. He most certainly did not love Mustang. But... he did feel something for him... Or, rather, he'd felt something for the unknown man who had always seemed to be there for him. Not love, but... `attachment' might be the best word for it. He felt attached to that man, as if they had some sort of bond...

“Or maybe you'd like me to bring you flowers and parade you around as my lover?” Mustang asked mildly.

At that, Ed felt blood rush to his face. He gave an embarrassed half-smile and said, “No... That would be...” He paused. It would be humiliating. There was no way he'd let anyone parade him around on their arm like some sort of pet. But the idea of Mustang bringing him flowers was very amusing—odd, but amusing nonetheless.

“Uh, no,” Ed finally settled on. “No love and no flowers.”

“Then what do you want from me?” Mustang sounded relieved, but also insistent.

“I...” Ed frowned. “I don't know.” He folded his arms and let his head lower in thought. He felt torn between wanting his `mystery man' to hold him, touch him, and... other things... and wanting to slam his automail foot against Mustang's nuts. Though, truthfully, the first option was much more appealing at this moment...

But knowing that made him feel angry and embarrassed all over again. Unfortunately, the stupid colonel had come in and calmly pointed out the flaws of his thinking, and Ed had realized that maybe he'd really been upset because he was mortified that someone he knew—and hated, for that matter—had seen him act in such an undignified and... well... slutty... manner.

It was supposed to be his secret—something no one else knew... his own personal escape from reality. Maybe he'd been angry—still felt slightly angry—that his fantasies had been taken from him in such an abrupt and cruel manner.

Maybe.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Roy watched silently as Ed sat unmoving. With his face hidden from view by his hair hanging in a messy curtain over it, Ed looked vulnerable in a way that Roy had only seen a couple of times before. Part of him felt compelled to comfort Ed, but didn't know if it would be welcome. He also wanted to continue their discussion. He'd made some decisions in the last week—and if Ed would agree to them... Or he might get punched in the face for even mentioning them, but that was a risk he was willing to take.

Leaning forward, Roy touched Ed's real hand. It flinched slightly, but Ed didn't pull it away—something he would have taken for a sign that Ed wouldn't be open to his ideas. He caressed Ed's hand for a moment, then said quietly, “I don't want to stop.”

Ed lifted his head slightly, frowned as if realizing that wouldn't allow him to see, then dropped his head again. “What do you mean?” he asked, his voice sounding slightly muffled.

“I mean, I don't want to stop...” He paused, trying to decide on the most tactful way to say it. “I don't want to stop what we had before.” He silently congratulated himself on the wording, then waited for Ed's answer.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Ed wasn't sure he believed what he'd just heard. Mustang wanted them to keep screwing around? Even after Ed had been pissed at him? “Are you crazy?” he asked in shock.

“Not at all,” Mustang said in that dammed calm tone of his.

Lifting his head—so that Mustang could get a full view of the glare he was putting on his face—Ed said, “I'm not interested in having a relationship with you.”

“That's not what I was saying,” came the calm reply.

Ed sat there for a moment, then rubbed at his forehead. “I thought you just said—”

“I'm not saying I want you to be my `boyfriend' or anything like that,” Mustang pointed out. “I'm saying that I want to keep having sex with you. This doesn't require a commitment on either of our parts. This whole thing started out because we both wanted sex.” A pause, then Mustang continued in a wry tone, “I don't know about you, but my need for sex hasn't gone down since then.”

“That's crazy,” Ed said, feeling confused, shocked, and a little eager at the same time. Batting away the hand that was touching his, Ed said, “I'm not interested in being your sex toy.”

The hand instantly came back, followed by, “Yes you are...” It was said quietly—seductively. Ed would have never believed he could feel excited by Mustang speaking to him, but he was being proved wrong. The hand slid along his arm, then touched his cheek. “You want it, but you can't bring yourself to admit it.”

His skin tingled where Mustang had touched him and the place where Mustang was caressing his cheek seemed to be connected directly to his heart, making it beat fast and hard.

“I... No, that's not...” Ed stuttered, feeling at a loss. He didn't want to keep fucking around with this man, knowing who he was. Or... did he...? If he didn't, then why wasn't he pushing his hand away or punching him in the face? Why was excitement and elation coursing through his veins?

He could feel Mustang moving closer to him, then he felt hot breath tickling his face. “I know you better than anyone,” Mustang whispered smoothly. “No one is going to be able to satisfy you the way I can.” A thumb ghosted over Ed's lips and he let them part slightly so that he could breathe in more air. “You know it's true...”

Ed's brain seemed to be on overload. This wasn't quite what he'd expected to happen. He'd expected Mustang would try to leave on good terms with him, but this? This wasn't Mustang leaving. This was Mustang staying. This was Mustang wanting to be more than on good terms with him. This was...

Mustang's fingers slid under his chin, and Ed felt him move in so that Mustang's mouth was next to his ear. “Say you'll do it. Don't turn me away, Ed...” Mustang's voice was soft and as easy to hear as silk was to touch. Hot breath tickled his skin, then he felt a tongue lightly touch the outside contours of his ear.

“I...” Ed gasped. Was this what he wanted? Could he really allow himself to have sex—knowingly—with Roy Mustang? How could he ever possibly let himself feel free to do all those wild and crazy things with him? But... Mustang already knew him—already knew him on an intimate level. He was right. He did know more about him than anyone else—except maybe Al. No... even more than Al. The things he'd let slip in their one way conversations, and the things they'd done together... Maybe Mustang and Al knew him equally well, just in different areas.

Another hand slid down between his inner thighs and Ed gasped lightly. “I'll stop if you want me to,” Mustang practically purred. “You know I will. All you have to do is say the word.”

Yes... Mustang would stop. Ed knew that. It was something that he'd trusted in... But it felt so good... The familiar touch of that hand sliding up his leg, moving closer and closer to his already half-erect penis... It felt so damned good! His earlier indignation was all but gone by this point and being replaced with daring and lust.

“I don't want you to stop,” he finally said. “I... okay, yes.” Mustang was right. He could please Ed in all the right ways. He knew what Ed liked and what he didn't. And he was creative and commanding without overstepping his bounds. He was everything Ed had come to enjoy about his secret lover...

Ed heard a small growl of desire from Mustang, then felt the cushions on the couch shift as Mustang moved nearer. The man's lips were instantly on his neck below his ear, planting wet, passionate kisses to his jaw, then down his throat. He felt a hand on his arm, then the hand in-between his legs moved in and fondled him through his sweats.

“Right now...?” Mustang asked, as if it was really necessary.

“No, maybe tomorrow,” Ed said flippantly. “I'm not sure if I feel up to it today.”

Mustang squeezed his hard penis lightly and murmured, “I have definite evidence to the contrary.”

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Ed bucked his hips a little. “Damnit... you know how I hate to be teased!”

Roy grinned as he took one last nip at Ed's throat with his lips, then slipped a hand under Ed's shirt. “I like to tease you...” he murmured, eyes fixed on Ed's squirming body. The sight made him almost instantly hard. The way Ed moved, the way he breathed, everything about him...

“Fuck you,” Ed snapped, though the effect was ruined somewhat by his heavy breathing.

“Oh... no, no, no...” Roy said, then lightly pinched one of Ed's nipples. “It will definitely be the other way around...” Ed pressed his lips together to keep in the sound, but the small noise of pleasure was still audible. His nostrils flared as he tried to breathe in enough air, then seemed to give it up and opened his mouth again.

Leaning in, Roy let his hand slide down, then wriggled his fingers between the couch and Ed's ass. “You want my cock inside of you... don't you, Ed...?” he purred, bringing the hand from Ed's chest down to fiddle with the waistband of Ed's sweats. He gasped as Roy slid his hand down beneath the waistband and was also finally able to wriggle his fingers down enough so that he could press on his opening through the sweats.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

“Holy shit...” Ed breathed. He'd thought that what he'd experienced before was good, but he'd never had any audio to accompany it. Reaching out with shaking hands, Ed's fingers met the stiff material of the military jacket Mustang was wearing. Military sex. The thought was almost funny, but another meaning behind it made Ed suddenly want this all the more. For now, until he signed the papers, Ed was still Mustang's subordinate. This was fraternization... This was forbidden by military law...

He could feel the tip of one of Mustang's fingers push the fabric of his pants inside of him slightly as the other hand slipped easily down the shaft of his trapped cock, and Ed couldn't hold back a groan.

“I'm going to start with my fingers, Ed...” Mustang said smoothly, pushing in a little more for emphasis. “Maybe I'll even thrust my whole hand up your ass...” An impossibility, given their size differences, but the image of Mustang wrist deep inside of him made Ed whimper with hot need.

“Yes...” Ed finally said as he reached the top snap on the jacket and undid it. “Colonel... sir...”

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Roy grinned widely at the form of address. Ed had never before shown him that much respect and it was ironic that he'd only do so as part of some sort of sexual kink. Well, Roy wasn't one to let opportunities go to waste.

Leaning in, Roy whispered in Ed's ear, “Oh yes... I'll be shoving myself into you soon enough, but that's a privilege you're going to have to earn... Fullmetal...” He shuddered slightly at using that name in this setting. Ed undid another snap on his uniform and the jacket hung open easily so that Ed could reach inside and touch his chest through the white button-up shirt he was wearing.

“Well, Colonel...” Ed said a little breathlessly, “You know I'm not the type to just do whatever you say.

Roy slid his one hand out of Ed's pants and brought the other out from beneath him, as Ed bent forward to push the jacket off of Roy. Ed had to reposition himself so that he could pull the jacket completely off.

With a smirk, Ed pressed the jacket against his body, letting it cover from his neck to his thighs, and began to rub his hands over where the jacket covered his chest. After a moment, Ed slid his real hand down to his crotch where he fondled himself through the jacket and his own sweats.

Roy would never be able to look at that jacket the same way...

But the show only lasted a few moments before Roy grabbed the jacket and tossed it aside. He was more interested in Ed taking off the clothes he had on than him adding to his attire. Grabbing the hem of Ed's shirt, Roy pulled it up over his head, then tied Ed's hands together above his head with it. He stood up and brought the hands forward, then pulled Ed to a standing position with them.

“You've gotten yourself into a bind, haven't you?” Roy said in amusement.

“Very witty, Colonel Smartass,” Ed said, dropping the polite pretense. Walking around Ed, Roy smacked him on the rear, before moving back in front.

“That's no way to talk to your commanding officer, Fullmetal.” And just for good measure, Roy gave Ed's right butt cheek a small pinch.

“Ow! Fuck... Maybe you're just not commanding enough, sir,” Ed said stubbornly, grinning widely.

Stepping forward, Roy pressed the front of his body against Ed's and said quietly, “Maybe you just need a little more discipline...”

“And you're just the person to give it to me, right?”

Instead of answering, Roy tapped Ed on the end of the nose. Ed frowned slightly and pulled away a little, giving Roy the impression that the scars around his eyes were still tender enough that the light tapping made them ache a little. “Very good,” he said, making a mental note to remember not to touch so close to Ed's injuries. “Now, bend over and lick my boots.”

Ed snorted, then said smoothly, “Make me...”

Reaching around behind Ed's head, Roy gently pulled forward. Ed resisted, but only a little. He allowed himself to be bent over half way before being pushed to his knees, where he brought his face close to Roy's boots. Sticking out his tongue, Ed gave it a quick swipe.

“Ew, fuck that's nasty... Don't expect me to do that again,” he complained, then sat up, scooted forward, and rubbed the crotch of his sweats against where he'd licked, thrusting his hips in an erotic fashion. “There you go, Colonel. All nice and squeaky clean.”

“I suppose that will do. I think I have better uses for your mouth anyway,” Roy said, watching as Ed freed his hands from the shirt Roy had tied around them. Putting his palms against Roy's leg, Ed brought them up until they were at his groin. Roy bucked his hips slightly as Ed spent a small amount of time fondling him through his pants, then moved his hands to the shirt while getting to his feet.

Ed pulled on the white shirt until it was half untucked, then said smartly, “Here, let me unbutton this for you.” Yanking each side of the shirt near each button, Ed tore the buttons from the shirt and Roy watched them bounce on the floor.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

“How kind of you...” Mustang murmured with a slight tone of displeasure.

Ed smirked. “I'm just being efficient. The military likes their soldiers to be efficient, right? Besides,” Ed added, touching Mustang's chest with his real hand. “Those damn little things just get in the way. Think of the time we could spend fucking that we'd have to waste on unnecessary tasks like undoing buttons.”

Ed let the tips of his fingers move lightly over Roy's chest, feeling the fine hairs and the warm skin beneath. He knew this chest so well, had felt it so many times, and yet this time it was different because this time he knew just who it belonged to.

I'm touching Roy Mustang's chest... Ed thought, feeling more than a little bit of strange wonder at it. He leaned in closer and dragged his tongue over Mustang's breastbone, then planted a small kiss on his skin before pulling away.

“You taste the same as always...” Ed said quietly. He felt suddenly subdued. It wasn't as if he hadn't already known that the two were the same, but... there was something about getting close and personal like this that really drove it home.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Roy stared down at Ed, feeling a little confused and put out at the sudden change in his demeanor. Gently, he touched Ed's cheek. “Ed...” he murmured.

“You taste the same,” Ed repeated. “You... you feel the same, you taste the same, you smell the same...” His hand slid up and touched Roy's throat before moving up to his hair, then gave a small, divisive laugh. “I just can't believe I didn't figure it out before... It should have been so obvious...”

Roy shook his head, then reached up and grabbed Ed's hand and brought it to his mouth, giving it a small kiss, before sucking lightly on the pointer finger. He let the sides of his tongue curl up around Ed's finger as he sucked and enjoyed the look of desire that was forming on Ed's face.

Pulling it slowly out of his mouth, Roy gave the finger one last lick, then said, quietly, “I believe we usually have passionate, kinky sex before the heartfelt talk.”

Ed's mouth dropped open slightly, then his cheeks dusted with pink. “Ah... yeah...” He gave a small, sheepish smile, then it turned into one of mischief. “You're right,” Ed said, then Roy felt Ed's automail hand touching the inside of his left thigh. His penis, which had softened a little by the interruption, hardened almost instantly.

“Hey, Mustang...?” Ed asked curiously, a lewd grin forming on his face.

Roy bucked his hips a little, wondering if he'd have to tape Ed's mouth shut so that he could get laid. “Hmm?”

Ed's automail hand slid around Roy's hips and rested on his rear. “How come I'm the only one ever getting fucked up the ass?”

Roy frowned slightly. He hadn't expected that question and the answer was more along the lines of having never really given the idea of him being the bottom any thought. It just didn't happen. He topped. He controlled. The thought of him being the one to submit was just ridiculous.

“Why?” he asked suspiciously.

The grin widened. “Cause... I have this really awesome idea, but there's no way in hell you'd be able to do it as the top.”

“I'm sure I could manage it,” Roy said, not thrilled about Ed hinting that he wanted to be on top.

Ed shook his head. “You're not flexible enough.”

Roy considered the idea briefly. He'd stuck a finger or two up his own ass when getting himself off, but he'd never relinquished himself to another person. An image of him on his hands and knees, ass in the air while Ed did him was not very attractive.

“You'll like this. I swear,” Ed assured, seeming to sense his reluctance. “I think it's a pretty damn hot idea and if I thought you could do it I'd totally let you,” he added. “Actually, I don't even know if this will work how I want it to... I've obviously never tried it before...”

“Tell me what it is and maybe I'll grant your request, Fullmetal,” Roy said, trying to show that he was still the one in control here and if it happened, it would be because he wanted it to.

Grinning toothily, Ed quickly told him what he had in mind and Roy had to admit it really did sound delicious. And, Ed was right, there was no way in hell he'd ever be able to do that. Most people wouldn't be able to do that. If Roy didn't know through experience just how flexible Ed was, he wouldn't even consider trying it.

“Alright, I'll allow it this once,” Roy said, maybe more than once if it was as good as it sounded.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Ed felt pleased that he'd been able to come up with something new. He wasn't quite as creative as Mustang seemed to be with these types of things, but this was something that he'd thought about ever since the day he and Mustang had been together at the river pavilion. If he could suck his own cock, then he could surely do this. In a way, he was sort of jealous that Mustang would get to feel what it was like.

Feeling around, Ed grabbed the man's hand and started slowly around the couch and to the hallway. “I know the perfect spot for this too,” he said, feeling more amused than he probably should have. Once he reached the hall, Ed was able to feel the wall with his other hand, and he walked with more confidence down toward the bedroom he and Al shared.

“Okay, see those two beds?” Ed asked, waving vaguely into the room he couldn't see. “The one near the door is mine. The one on the other side of the room is Al's.” He smirked. “That's the bed we're going to do this on.”

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Roy chuckled. “You really are a dirty, little shit, aren't you?”

“Maybe,” Ed said smartly.

Reaching into his pocket, Roy pulled out a small tube of lube and pressed it into Ed's palm, then smacked his ass and pushed him toward the bed. “Let's do this,” he said. “If you think you can.”

Ed turned and scowled at him, then dropped his head as if looking at the bottle in his hand. “You knew we were going to end up fucking... didn't you...?”

“Well, I'd hoped, but I usually carry that on me at all times. You never know when the right opportunity will suddenly present itself.”

Shaking his head, Ed brought his head up to face in his direction. “I can't believe what a horny, old man you are.”

In one fluid motion, Roy pushed Ed backward onto Al's bed and trapped him under his body weight. “I may be older, but that's only in your benefit. You're lucky to have such a knowledgeable lover who can keep up with you,” he murmured, rubbing his groin against Ed's body. “Now, let's see if you're as good at fucking as you are at being fucked.”

Rolling off of Ed and onto his back, Roy stretched his legs off the bed and said, “Take my pants off, Fullmetal.”

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

`Take them off yourself,' instantly came to mind, but Ed held back the retort. Standing up, Ed felt around for Mustang's legs—which were hanging off the side of the bed—then moved in-between them. He undid the buttons and straps at the waist, then pulled the pants and buttskirt down to Mustang's ankles, then realized he'd made a tactical error. With a grunt, Ed undid the ties on each of Mustang's boots and pulled them off before removing the pants the rest of the way.

“No underwear?” Ed asked, running his hands up the man's legs and to his naked pelvis.

“Why bother with an extra barrier?” Mustang said lightly. “It's me being `efficient',” he added smartly. “Think about all the time we would waste by having to remove a pair of boxers.”

Ed snorted then pushed Mustang's legs up so that his feet were now on the mattress, then paused again as he thought through the logistics of this. If only he could see what he was doing... He gave a small sigh. It was so much easier in his fantasies.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Roy fought the almost overpowering urge to start giving Ed directions. It was painfully obvious that Ed was having a few difficulties, but Roy had the feeling Ed wouldn't exactly appreciate the help. He was starting to wonder if this had been such a good idea after all. Not that he wasn't used to awkward sex—he and Ed had certainly had their fair share of that—but he'd never been on this end of it.

Finally, Ed lifted Roy's legs so that they rested on Ed's shoulders, then he heard the cap on the tube flip open. “This might be a little bit messy and... well...” Ed made a sound of exasperation. “It's not like I can see what I'm doing, so it might take me a bit to get it all worked out.”

It was probably a good thing that Ed couldn't see Roy's face, which he knew had donned a look of nervous apprehension. He was just on the point of saying that they might want to try this another time, when Ed pushed a slick finger inside of him. Ed's other hand moved to his groin in an effort to bring Roy back to the point of raging lust—something that had greatly diminished in the last five minutes.

Ed was quiet for once as he concentrated on what he was doing. There was no dirty talk, no glib comments, not even complaining. Roy would have preferred something, but he realized this also gave him a bit of a chance to focus on this experience—focus on what Ed had all those times when Roy wasn't able to speak to him.

Another finger was worked into him in a studious manner before Roy decided that this would probably be fine. Ed's cock wasn't that big anyway. He wanted to get this party started. Later, he would teach Ed some great preparation techniques, but this wasn't the time for that.

“That's enough. If you're going to fuck me, then do it. No more of this poking and prodding,” Roy said, a hint of impatience in his tone.

“Grouchy, aren't you? And here I was just trying to be nice, but fine.” He pulled his fingers out and a moment later Roy felt the head of Ed's cock touch him. “You want it now? I can do that.”

Roy gripped the bedding tightly as Ed grabbed his legs, then plunged inside of him. It was funny how Ed felt a lot bigger at the moment than what he really was. He sucked breath in through his teeth, making a hissing noise at the stinging pain, then it started to ebb away as he got used to Ed being inside of him.

“You okay?” Ed asked, sounding a little unsure.

“Mmhum...” Roy breathed in a higher pitch than he might normally have used. That was the last time he was going to underestimate the size of any man's cock.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Ed wanted to be sure that Mustang was okay; but, at the same time, if he said he was fine, then he probably was. Besides, the feel of himself sheathed within Mustang's body was...

“Wow... this is pretty damn fine...” Ed murmured, pulling his hips back and pushing them forward once. He was going to have to push for being the one doing the fucking more often... He couldn't believe how tight and warm it felt...

“I'm not going to last very long,” Ed observed out loud before doing what he'd said he would. Grabbing Mustang's cock in one hand to keep it where he could get at it, he bent over and slipped his mouth over the head. He had to pull out of Mustang about half way so that he could reach it, but he could reach it in this position—that's what mattered.

So there he was, Mustang's cock in his mouth and his cock in Mustang's ass. He could only imagine how hot it must look, and how deliciously pleasurable it must feel. He slid his hands up Mustang's chest and was pleased to find that he could barely reach the man's nipples. Well, lucky Mustang... Ed doubted he'd be the only one who didn't last very long.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

While Ed may not have been the best at preparation, he did know how to go down on someone, and he had a good idea of what to do with his hands that felt good—things he'd probably picked up from Roy himself.

The feel of Ed's cock thrusting into him, of Ed's lips and tongue paying some extra special attention to his erection, and the feel of Ed's fingers touching his chest and stimulating his nipples...

It was heaven.

No, it was better than heaven.

Roy's mouth opened and a moan of pleasure—one he didn't recognize as his own—escaped him. The pleasure was mounting at such an incredible pace that he wasn't sure if it was real.

“Ed,” he breathed. “I swear if you cum before I do, I'll beat your ass...” He wanted to cum with Ed's cock hard and thrusting into him. Ed also had a habit of becoming a boneless mass for a few minutes after cumming. That would definitely kill the moment for him.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Ed gave a small whimper at Mustang's statement. Not because he feared anything the man could or would do to him—even blind, Ed felt confident that he could defend himself against someone as unskilled in hand-to-hand fighting as Mustang—but because he really was close to blowing his load.

He'd never had to hold back for someone else's pleasure before, and he had a feeling that if he wasn't able to hold back long enough, his chances of ever convincing Mustang to let him top again would be zero to none.

Mustang's hips rocked and his body thrashed slightly in a way that Ed had to work hard to keep himself inside and keep Mustang inside of his mouth. The man's cock throbbed and pulsed against his tongue in a familiar way, and Ed knew that it was probably only a matter of seconds before Mustang came. A couple of seconds, but it still seemed like an eternity.

“Ed... aaahh... mmm... Ed... don't stop...” Mustang moaned and gasped through unsteady breaths. “You... ah... oh my... uh ah... ho... shi...”

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Roy had planned on something far more dignified for their first time together with Ed knowing that his secret lover was him, but Ed's suggestion had intrigued him. When he'd agreed, Roy had thought he would give Ed some dirty talk to digest as he blew and fucked him.

The small gasps and mindless babble that were coming out of him now had not been part of the plan. He'd never felt so much concentrated stimulation and pleasure in his life and it was overwhelming his senses and destroying his ability to think and speak.

The buildup was so amazing that he wanted it to last forever, but he knew instinctively that the climax would be much more astounding—though devastatingly shorter—than the buildup. His body desperately cried out for release; and, seconds later, it got it.

Roy's mouth opened wide and his breath caught in his throat as the moment came. He lifted his head and stared at the way Ed was leaning over him, sucking his cock and arms stretched out across his chest. Then with the force of a train, the muscles in his body reached the pinnacle of pleasure and then released him. His head flopped back down on the bed and he closed his eyes in pure, unadulterated bliss.

He was suddenly aware of the sweat on his skin, of Ed bringing his hands to grip his legs, of releasing his cock and thrusting hard into his body... once... twice... that's all it took. Roy wanted to lift his head back up and watch as Ed came inside of him, but he was too worn out and the contentment from his release was still too powerful.

Roy felt Ed sag against him for a moment, then slowly pulled out and took his legs off his shoulders with a small groan. Within a moment, Ed plopped down beside him on the bed and there they stayed, lying sideways on Alphonse Elric's bed, legs dangling off the side, each with faces pointed toward the ceiling—whether they could see it or not.

Then, without warning, Ed moved over, resting his head in the crook of Roy's arm and laying his own arm across Roy's chest. He'd wondered if they would still do this... Pulling him in, Roy kissed his sweaty forehead, then said, “That was simply amazing.”

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Ed laid there on his back, face toward the ceiling, breathing hard and fatigued, but feeling so very good... He turned his face to where Mustang was laying and frowned. They'd gotten into the habit of sort of... snuggling... together afterward... Snuggling and talking... It was something that Ed had come to enjoy and look forward to.

But now... Now it was Mustang... How would it seem if he did that now? He didn't want to be made fun of. Yet, it was something his secret lover had accepted and even started on his own a few times. After a little more internal debate, Ed decided that he wanted that down time and if Mustang said anything snide about it, he'd introduce him to the front end of his knuckles.

Scooting over, Ed laid his arm over Mustang's chest and rested his head on his arm. He felt uncomfortable for about a second before Mustang pulled him closer, kissed his forehead, and said, “That was simply amazing.”

Amazing? He had been amazing? Ed smiled, feeling a little dazed and pleased with himself. He had been amazing... He had amazed Roy Mustang—his kinky and knowledgeable not-so-secret lover—in bed...

“Does that mean I get to do you again?” he asked, then grimaced at the blatant eagerness in his voice.

Mustang chuckled. “We'll see.”

Ed nodded against Mustang's arm. He felt content with that—content with the whole world to be exact.

“I haven't told Al about you...” Ed finally said after a long silence. “I mean, I told him about what happened and our meetings and stuff, but I didn't tell him about you.” He paused, wondering if what he was going to say would even be relevant or not. Would Mustang demand that his identity be kept a secret? Would he want to keep sneaking around? Not that Ed had any plans to announce what they were doing to the world, but they could at least be friendly with each other, right?

Ed waited to see if Mustang would say anything, but when he didn't, Ed continued. “Some of the problems me and Al were having were `cause we weren't being very honest with each other. You probably don't want other people to know about us fucking, but it would be a little hard to keep it from Al; `cause, as you might have noticed, I don't exactly have the ability to sneak around at night anymore...”

He slid his hand up from where it was dangling on the other side of Mustang's chest and began to idly run it over Mustang's collarbone. “Even if that wasn't so, I don't want to keep this from him. I mean... if we're really going to keep this up...” He trailed off. There were so many questions flying around in his mind, but he didn't know how to ask them, and he didn't want to seem as if he was becoming too attached.

The silence dragged on and Ed was starting to feel a little antsy when Mustang finally spoke. “Exactly how much did you tell him about our meetings...?”

“Ah...” Ed cleared his throat. “Well... He wanted a lot of details...”

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Roy wasn't sure if he felt flattered that their meetings had been good enough to retell or embarrassed that Al now knew such a personal aspect of his life.

“Was he upset about what you were doing?” he asked, then realized this was the first time he'd been able to actually take part in the `after sex' discussion. He kind of liked it...

“Well, yeah, a bit. `Cause he was worried about me and stuff, but he's pretty cool with it all. I mean... he's hardly a blushing virgin...”

Roy smirked, thinking of when Ed had told him about the time he'd spied on his brother having sex with a girl on his bed. Then the irony came to him and he asked, “Did we just have sex on your brother's bed as a way of paying him back?”

He glanced over and saw that Ed was grinning. “Maaaaaybeee...” Ed paused, and the grin grew wider. “Do you think I should tell him what we did?”

At that, Roy laughed, then brought his hand up and lightly ran his fingers along Ed's arm. “You can tell Al about me if you want to, but I don't want you to make it out as if I'm the bad guy.”

“I won't,” Ed said. “I think I've gotten over that... I was just kinda embarrassed and stuff. But I'll be sure to tell him we `talked' about it and decided mutually that we wanted to keep it up.”

Ed's hand, which had been gently tickling his collarbone, moved down to his chest where he laid his hand palm down. “This isn't like dating or anything,” Ed said. “I mean... I don't consider you my boyfriend or whatever.”

Roy nodded. “The feeling is mutual.”

“But... well... I still can't get over the fact that you're an asshole and that I should hate you. So, I'd kinda like to get to know you better. I want to at least be friends... I don't think I want to keep having sex with someone I hate...”

Roy, eyes fixed on where he was touching Ed's arm, moved his gaze away to look at Ed's face. There was no anger there; no stubbornness or vindictiveness. If anything, Roy would say that Ed seemed thoughtful and sincere.

Well... and why not? Why not get to know each other better? It was true that Ed couldn't possibly continue meeting him all over the city now that he was blind—maybe when he felt more comfortable enough with himself and his surroundings, but not now. And Ed was being released from the military. It wasn't exactly out of line or odd to have a friendship with him now that he was no longer his superior officer.

“As long as it's understood that it's nothing more than that,” Roy finally said. “If I visit, if we get lunch together, if we spend the night together, it's just a mutual friendship. We're both free to date and have sex with other people. There is no commitment.”

Ed nodded. “That's how I want it.”

Roy smiled and leaned in to kiss Ed on the lips. He felt satisfied with their arrangement. No commitment, no being tied down. “Alphonse isn't coming back tonight, is he?” Roy finally said, more to confirm what he already suspected than to actually ask it as a question.

A grin pulled at Ed's lips. “Not that I know of.”

“Well, I could get ready to go right now, but that means I'd have to shower. Then I would have to find all the buttons to my shirt and then fix it—or have you fix it, since you're the one who decided to destroy it—and then I would have to walk home, because Hawkeye drove me here... But that's just a lot of bother,” Roy said, then added, “Plus, I would hate to leave you here all alone—this being your first night out of the hospital without your brother. I should probably stay the night, don't you think?”

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

“I don't know... Can you cook?” Ed asked, licking his lips. All this fucking and stuff had made him hungry and while he could eat what Al had left out for him, there was no reason why he couldn't try to get more out of this deal.

“Not at all,” Mustang said, humor filling his voice. “But I can order delivery.”

Just what Ed had been hoping for. “Then I suppose it wouldn't be too much trouble for me to have you stay here,” Ed said with an exaggerated air of being put out.

A moment later he felt Mustang lean in and lick at his neck. “I know exactly what I'm going to order,” he murmured hungrily. “And I think we'll have a lot of fun eating it.” Threading his fingers through Mustang's hair as he nibbled at his neck, Ed had no doubt that dinner would be a very exciting experience indeed.

—

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