Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ The Storm Within ❯ Flaming Desires ( Chapter 4 )

Hello readers! I'm sorry this took so long to update. I've been having problems with every single computer that I've tried to update this chapter on, including my own. This is my third attempt at writing it. Let's hope three's a charm.

 

Chapter 4: Flaming Desire

 

Hunter felt as though he'd decided to jump off a cliff. It was as if his body was careening to the bottom of a dark chasm, thinking, “Why the hell did I decide to do this again?” He couldn't see into the dark; the end wasn't visible without light. He kept falling, not knowing when he would hit that hard floor and shatter into a million pieces.

 

His hand took a life of its own and lifted into her hair. He tangled his fingers in the streaked strands that were soft as summer grass. When he felt her sigh against his mouth and open hers in invitation, he plunged headlong into her cavern. Before he could completely succumb to his desires, he saw the ground come suddenly closer, and he hit it with an unexpected jolt.

 

Opening his eyes, he let go of her hair and waist and staggered back in shock. Her lips were swollen from his attack and a flush had crept into her cheeks. His breathing was erratic, matching his racing heart beat. He tried to speak, but there wasn't anything he could say to explain his actions without sounding like an idiot. He needed to get out of there before he tried it again. Cursing under his breath, he ran from the room and down the stairs.

 

He stood at the bottom, contemplating what to do next and listening to her reaction. While it was almost nonexistent, he heard the soft click of the lock being put in place after she'd closed her door. He turned to look up at her door again, blinking a couple times to set his mind straight. He knocked himself on the head and started for the living room. “I need a drink,” he muttered.

 

Instead, he sat on the couch to reflect on what he'd done. Since when did he, the Midnight Alchemist, spy supreme, suddenly start kissing women he barely knew? Not only that, but women that also pissed him off; that was a new one. The light in the house was dimming as the sun dipped in the west, but it didn't affect him. He was too busy thinking about his actions and why he'd done them.

 

Closing his eyes, he rested his head on the back of the sofa to try and meditate the girl's face out of his mind. However, her royal blue eyes and how she'd been crying before haunted his memory. With an angry huff, he opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. “Hell of a way to start a partnership, Phillips. I'm in for a gut full of lead tomorrow.” He rubbed his face with his left hand and felt a bruise forming on his nose. He winced and removed the hand. “What should I do? She's bound to be angry tomorrow, that's for sure.”

 

Hunter let his mind drift away for a moment, and he remembered how Celeste had tasted. She'd been sweet, innocently so, with a hint of spicy. That hint was her fire, her deep seated desire sprung to life by him. He imagined taking her mouth into his again, taking the advantage. He pried her lips apart with his tongue, and felt her give in with a moan of ecstasy…

 

He shook his head to rid it off his dirty thoughts. `God, I'm such a pervert!' He stood angrily and walked into the kitchen. Maybe trying to make dinner would calm his over heated blood.

 

***

 

Celeste closed the door softly after he'd fled the room. She put her back against it then and slid to the floor. A hand came up from her lap to touch her lips gently. She could still taste him; his mouth held a wild and dangerous flavor that tingled in her mouth. Putting her chin on her raised knees, she started thinking. Ideas spun about her head, but none of them were logical. Even if she couldn't come up with something rational, she knew she'd never think of him the same way as before.

 

It wasn't long before Celeste wandered over to her dresser to throw on an old t-shirt. Reaching for her book, she settled on her bed, turned on the light, and started reading from it. Ten minutes later, her eyes closed and she fell into a light slumber.

 

The smell of food woke her half-an-hour later. She stretched and stood to head towards the wonderful scent. Having not eaten breakfast or lunch that day, she was famished. Her mind was so focused on getting food that she'd forgotten the entire event with Hunter.

 

Smiling, she descended the stairs and wondered who was cooking. As she entered the kitchen, she thought Damion had decided to take up cooking and was making something for her. Laughing at the idea of her brother cooking, she looked towards the stove…and saw Hunter stirring food that was simmering in a frying pan. She froze and remembered what he'd done to her only a while back. All she knew was how Hunter had tasted.

 

Sensing a presence behind him, he turned and saw Celeste. For a moment their eyes met, and a spark flew between them. She lowered her gaze to the floor, breaking the connection, and started setting the table. She searched for plates and cups and found them without any problem. When she searched for forks though, her exploration took much longer. There was one drawer by the stove, which was also right next to Hunter. `Damn, that's probably the drawer with the silverware.' She avoided it and sat at the table to escape the uncomfortable silence.

 

“If you're wondering where the forks are, they're right here.” He opened the drawer and pulled out two forks.

 

“Oh, thank you.” She got up and took them from him to finish the table.

 

The silence continued to grow into a field of dying flowers. Celeste inspected her nails, pretending to be mildly interested. Then Hunter spoke again. “Celeste, I'm sorry about earlier. You know, for that…moment.”

 

She shrugged. “Okay and you're apologizing for?”

 

“I took advantage of you back there. I probably scared you a little…”

 

“Scared me? I don't get scared when someone kisses me. I admit, I was shocked, but that was it.”

 

Hunter felt anger rise in his chest, but he couldn't understand why. “So you were just shocked? You weren't…I don't know, aroused?”

 

She laughed, but it was forced. “No, no. I was only shocked.”

 

Her casual dismissal of their kiss made his blood boil. He switched the oven off and stomped over to Celeste. “Don't give me that bullshit. You started giving into me before I let go.”

 

“It's a natural instinct when someone kisses you.” She argued, standing and slamming her hands on the table.

 

“There's no way in hell that was a `natural instinct!'” To prove his point, he reached across the table, grabbed the back of her head, and pulled her in for an angry kiss. His lips smashed hers with desperation to make her understand what he was going through.

 

Fury met fury and Celeste pulled away from him. Tearing her lips from his, she smacked his face with an open palm. Before she could retaliate with a smart remark, he shoved the table away from between them. With the physical barrier removed, all he had left to get rid of was Celeste's mental barricade. He felt power when he saw her eyes go wide as he advanced on her. Her back hit the wall, and now he had her cornered. Caressing her cheek with one hand, the other resting on her hip, he lowered his lips over hers.

 

She resisted, standing stiff and clamping her mouth closed. Her resolve disappeared when his anger diminished, and his kiss became gentler. Sighing, she parted her lips for him to enter. She relaxed against him, allowing one of his legs to rest on the wall between her own.

 

All of his passion and frustration was poured into her through the kiss, and when he felt her giving more of herself, he reigned himself in before he took her against the wall. While he left his leg where it was, he slammed both hands on either side of her head. He was breathing hard again, forcing the logical side of his brain back to the top of his head instead of below the belt. He cursed under his breath and shoved himself away from her. When had he become so…reckless with women? True, he hadn't had a woman in a month or so, but this was absolutely ridiculous!

 

Not knowing what to do next, he marched to the stove and took the food off of it to place it on the table. His simple concoction of beef and veggies steamed like his blood as he realized that the table had been flipped over, and the dishes were scattered on the floor. Celeste had knelt to start cleaning it, so he set the frying pan on the counter to help. Noticing that there were shards of broken glass, he warned, “Look out for sharp edges.”

 

Despite his warning, the next piece she picked up cut her palm. She yelped a tiny bit, hoping he didn't notice it. He hadn't missed it. “I told you to watch out!” He pulled the injured hand toward him and inspected it. “It's not deep, but you should clean it nonetheless.” Blood dripped down her arm as he raised her from the floor to bring her to the sink. After he'd washed it, he gave her a cloth to hold. “Wait here. I'll go get a bandage to keep that clean.”

 

“I can get it myself.” She left the room to head up the stairs, intending on retreating for the night without supper. Instead, he stopped her.

 

“Celeste, don't be afraid of me. I'm not entirely sure what's going on between us, but I know that it's more than simple attraction to the opposite sex. You can feel it too, can't you?”

 

She stood still, clutching her hand to stop the bleeding. She didn't speak as he laid a hand on her shoulder and continued, “I want you, Celeste. It's plain and simple as that.”

 

Closing her eyes, she admitted to herself that he was right. Still, she contradicted his last statement. “No Hunter, it's not that simple.”

 

“Celeste, I don't…”

 

“No, you don't. You don't really know who I am.” She shrugged his hand off and ran the rest of the way to the bathroom like frightened bird.

 

He put his hands in his pants pockets. “What a great way to start a professional partnership. First I get kicked in the nuts by her, we get thrown into a house together, kiss her twice, followed by telling her I want to sleep with her.” He sighed, “Real smooth, Philips.”

 

***

 

The next few days went by smoothly and quietly. Hunter noticed that Celeste was outright avoiding him, a sure sign that he'd scared her shitless. He'd make breakfast in the morning, tell her it was ready and wait. She would never come down. After he would eat, he'd leave the food out for her and go take a shower. Every time he came out he saw that the food was gone and the dishes done. He decided to wait one day to see if she'd come out at a certain time. A sandwich waited on a plate in the kitchen for her, but she never emerged while he sat and read a book in the living room.

 

He figured she'd taken to doing everything at night or when he wasn't looking. Either she didn't shower at all, or she did it while he slept. She had to eat to stay alive, so she probably did that when he was in his bedroom doing paper work.

 

However, he was a patient man. He'd let her avoid him until they were forced to be around each other when they were sent on a mission. Then after getting back home, he might try to gently persuade her out of her silence. Time permitted, he'd find a way to get her in his bed. Of course that was only if she let him. Definitely only if she let him. He'd never force himself on a woman, especially one that he seemed to like a lot.

 

Hunter sighed as he relaxed in the living room, reading a book. He needed to gain her trust first, which after a couple days ago had basically gone down the drain. She probably thought he was some perverted man who slept with any woman that struck his fancy. Wasn't that a nice first impression?

 

For what felt like the millionth time that morning, he looked up at the closed (and locked) door at the top of the stairs. Every time he did, he wondered what she did to keep herself occupied for such long time periods. He pushed himself up from the couch and decided a long jog was in good order.

 

The sidewalk outside seemed cooler now that summer was winding down. As he walked, then went into a jog, he finally started to think. What made Celeste Dominique, a trainee and inexperienced girl, so damn attractive? She wasn't a raving beauty like his past girlfriends; she had the worst temper he'd ever seen; she'd knocked him to the floor; she claimed to hate him…Okay, she hadn't said that, but given she was avoiding him she at least disliked him. He contemplated what he saw in her that made him want to lunge after her and kiss her senseless. Nothing added up.

 

Even after jogging for an hour, he'd come up with no reason for his attraction to Celeste. His head ached terribly and all he wanted was some whiskey straight up to calm his nerves. Opening the door, he saw the last person he expected to see downstairs. Celeste was dressed in her uniform and waiting patiently by the couch. He smiled, but she didn't return it. “Well, good to see you're still alive,” he joked.

 

“There's no time for jokes, Officer Phillips.” Her face was cold and showed no emotion. “Our unit was dispatched ten minutes ago.”

 

His smile was quickly covered with rock hard seriousness. “I won't change today, but just let me grab my gun.” He took the stairs two at a time to his room. Now was no time to be thinking about feelings. When he'd grabbed his gun, he rushed down the stairs and motioned for her to follow.

 

***

 

There was no body, only a wash of blood on the street and sidewalk. Celeste turned away from the sight, bile rising in her throat.

 

Hunter put a hand on her shoulder to lead her into the scene. He felt guilty for taking her into it; she obviously needed the experience, but this wasn't something she should see as a trainee.

 

She pushed her fear down with a hard fist and looked at the devastation. “Who…who could've done such a thing?” The red sea of blood made her woozy; she never could stand the sight of it, even as a child.

 

“It might have been a Homunculi.” Hunter took a piece of evidence from another Alchemist. “Specifically Gluttony.”

 

“Homunculi? But that's impossible. People are born, not made through Alchemy.” Her muddled head tried to clear itself, but the world tilted and her eyes blurred.

 

As she swayed, Hunter muttered a curse and caught her before she fell. Taking her away from the scene, he carried her to a crate by his car. He shoved her head between her legs and held it there until she started breathing normally again. “Could you warn me the next time you're going to faint?”

 

Her face was deathly pale, white as the full moon. “I'm sorry Officer Phillips. I can't stand the sight of blood; I've never been able to.”

 

His heart flipped in sympathy. “Don't apologize. Stay here while I go talk to Colonel Mustang.”

 

Celeste only nodded. He patted her shoulder and walked to the Colonel. It was only then that she let loose a breath she'd been holding subconsciously. Even though she'd been near fainting, she had noticed Hunter's body the entire time. His muscles had been taunt as he carried her from the crime scene to his car. He hadn't even broken into a sweat.

 

Her attraction ran deeper than his body though. His personality was another story. He'd felt compassion for her when she's started fainting, understood her when she'd said that the sight of blood made her queasy. She smiled as she watched him talk to Roy and explain the details of the crime scene. It was funny how he could be joking around one minute and then suddenly serious the next. She thought it made him more unique than being all business or all jokes.

 

A woman dressed in a plain beige skirt and a pink top approached Celeste from behind. “Excuse me, but would you mind helping me?”

Having been startled by the woman's voice, Celeste almost yelped. She composed herself, and then turned to face the brown-haired woman. The Pendant of the Gods started to quiver on her chest, but she chose to ignore it and listen to this woman's request. “What do you need?”

 

“My son hurt himself. Could you come look at him for me?” Her eyes were watery, pleading with Celeste to help her.

 

She looked over at Hunter, but he was too distracted with Roy as he continued to explain the situation. Her pendant continued to pulse like her heart did after a long run, but she ignored it completely. “Sure, I'll go help you.”

 

***

 

“Gluttony would do something like this, sir. He's been known to do it in the past, so it's logical.” Hunter explained, holding out the only piece of evidence: a perfectly sliced fingertip that had been gnawed on before being discarded.

 

Roy Mustang nodded, taking the evidence which was concealed in a plastic bag. “That's true. Gluttony is the only Homunculi that eats other human beings and leaves a wash of blood in his wake. What's your call…Wait, where's Artillery?”

 

“She almost passed out. Last time I checked, she was sitting on a crate by my car.” He turned to look back at her, but all he saw was the crate and his car, no woman. “Miss Dominique?” He jogged to where she'd been sitting, looking in the car and finding it empty. Panic rose like water in a deep well after a drought. Before he could rush back to Roy, his commander was beside him. “She's gone.”

 

“Gone?” Roy stole a look in the car, his cobalt eyes searching its interior. There was no sign of a struggle; it was as if she'd just walked off. Unfortunately, she wasn't known to do that.

 

“Maybe she couldn't handle to blood. Should we look…?”

 

“She's smarter than you give her credit for, Phillips. Artillery wouldn't just get up and walk off without telling another officer.”

“There's no sign of a struggle…”

 

“She went willingly, but unknowingly, into a trap.” Roy slammed his palm on the side of the car. “Damn it Midnight, did you have to leave her alone at the crime scene a Homunculi caused?”

 

“Sir, what motive did they have to take her? There's no reason they would want her.”

 

Roy sighed and looked at Hunter. “Actually there is.” He dug out a picture of the pendant Celeste had been wearing. They'd taken the picture while she'd slept in the hospital bed during her recovery. “This is the Pendant of the Gods, a powerful imitation of the Philosopher's Stone. She has this around her neck and she's lucky to be alive since most people who put it on die instantly. Still, she may not live very long; that pendant will kill slowly kill her. It'll go all the faster if she utilizes it too much.”

 

Hunter inhaled sharply. `That day, in her bedroom,' he flashed back to her standing before the mirror, clutching something on a chain and crying. `That's why…!' “We need to find her!”

 

“Hunter, wait!” But Roy's call came too late. Midnight rushed away before the shout could be registered.

 

***

 

Down the darkened alley, Celeste stopped to catch her breath. Her body felt as though it were a raging inferno. On her chest, she felt the pendant pulsate even faster, almost choking off her air supply. “Ma'am, I'm sorry, but could we rest a while?”

 

The woman turned to the girl as she leaned against the wall of a building, catching her breath and holding her chest. “Of course.”

 

She muttered a thanks and slid down the wall to sit on the hard pavement. “I won't take long. I think I'm still woozy from…” her sentence stopped short. Behind the woman a presence lingered. Two eyes sparkled in the darkness, a large shadow encompassing the area with a wide berth. Beside it was a slimmer, more womanly figure. Celeste focused her eyes back on the woman in front of the shadows and stared in shock. She was meekly smiling, as if there was nothing behind her that looked sinister. “Who are you?” She wheezed out.

 

A woman in a dark green dress stepped out from the shadows. Her wavy black hair gave her pale face a gothic look; her black lips turned up in a smirk so wicked she could've been the next Hitler. “Artillery, it's a pleasure to finally meet you.” Her voice was deep and husky, menacing even.

 

She was speechless. Celeste felt her airway become constricted as the Pendant of the Gods fluttered under her hand. She felt her eyes blur, but she managed to stand. Her body felt as though it weight ten times what it usually did and it took all her strength just to remain standing.

 

The woman in the green dress laughed, reached back and dragged out another being. He was short and fat with beady little eyes. His wide mouth was covered in blood from his previous kill and it salivated relentlessly. He smiled and asked, “Can I eat her?”

 

“No, Gluttony. She's an especially important asset.” She looked to the other woman. “Thank you Sloth, that'll be all.”

 

Gluttony, Sloth? What kind of names were those? Celeste put a hand out on the wall to steady herself. Her vision was becoming darker by the second, but she couldn't pass out. Not without knowing who-or what-her assailants were. “Answer my question: who are you?”

 

Gluttony smiled even wider. “She looks so delicious. Why can't I eat her?”

 

Sloth put an arm on his shoulder. “Lust said no. She needs to get the girl's pendant first.”

 

Celeste's eyes widened. `My pendant? It must be reacting to these…things.' She turned to run. `I can't let them have it. It's too powerful to be in their hands.'

 

“Hold on there girl.” The woman called Lust was suddenly in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. She was much taller than Celeste, and on the woman's chest she saw an Oruboros.

 

Lust put one hand on Celeste's shoulder and her body reeled. She fell back onto the pavement, her pulse racing and chest burning as the Pendant of the Gods continued to throb on her skin. The metal was turning into a piece of molten lava as it burned with life. `What's…happening to me?' Her vision blurred further. `This woman's a Homunculi. That tattoo on her chest must mean that…but why is the pendant reacting to them?'

 

“Give us the Pendant of the Gods Artillery.” Lust bent down by her, and Celeste backed away with what little strength she had.

 

“I can't…I won't…” She closed her eyes and looked away.

 

Lust brought Celeste's chin back up so their gazes met. “I want that necklace. Now give it to me and we'll go.”

 

“No!” She slapped her hand away. Using her other hand, she transmuted a gun from the ground and held it up. Her reaction was instant; she pulled the trigger and felt the gun explode with life as the bullet cut a path into Lust's forehead.

 

***

 

The gun shot startled Hunter as he ran down the streets. It wasn't something he could just ignore; Celeste specialized in weapon transmutation, and if she was defending herself, then he needed to follow that shot.

 

Four more rounds went off in the same direction. Panic made his legs jolt faster down the street. He finally heard the last round by a concealed alley. With his back against the wall of a building, he listened for any conversation or movement. All he heard was a startled gasp and a short burst of maniacal laughter.

 

“I'm not human, Artillery. You can't kill me.” A woman's deep voice stated with mild humor.

 

There was silence, and Hunter realized that Celeste wasn't talking back. He grit his teeth together and took his gun out. `It's a damn good thing I wore black today,' he thought as he climbed a rusty fire escape ladder.

 

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