Out of Fire and Ash...(pt 8)
Title: Out of Fire and Ash (the Phoenix Rises)
Author: nimrodel_13
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: RoyxEd (AlxHavoc)
Word count: 4,800
Warnings: mentions and aftermath of rape.
Summary: Caught in a web of despair after being raped, Ed can't find his way back through the darkness. Only Roy is the fire that can burn away the shadows but Ed still needs to get past his fear or the flames will consume him rather than save him....
Chapter 7
Something was amiss.
Al had been acting a little strange for a while now but Ed put that down to the stress that came with changes such as the ones they had to adapt to recently. Usually the younger boy was better with handling such things then most adults they knew but recently he began to notice his little brother acting more and more out of character. He might not have worried because it wasn’t like the boy had changed drastically or had fallen into a depression. It was more subtle than that but after living with him for a long as he had, he could tell when the younger male’s personality tripped, so to speak.
Interestingly enough, it happened the most on the days the boy accompanied him to headquarters. Typically Al was gentle and easy going but he had never been shy. With a brother like Ed, it would have been hard for him to remain so for long, especially living in a suit of armor that attracted as much attention as it did. But when they were around the office, the younger boy tended to be positively reclusive, barely saying two words sometimes for the entire day. It was just…odd. Being what he was, a soul bound to an inanimate object, Al couldn’t have anything such as facial expressions but Ed had come to read his body langue well enough that he almost didn’t need them. And from what he could see, during the times they were at work, he was almost constantly flustered. That was something his younger brother was more prone to but usually he had a pretty good reason for it. As of late, it was just always there, making the poor boy seem even more awkward and painfully innocent. Which he wasn’t. Despite his appearance, Al wasn’t innocent; not after what they had been through.
When he decided to question Roy about it, night had already fallen and they were crowded onto the man’s small couch, his head pillowed on the Colonel’s knees as they both read. He could see Al across the hall, scrunched up in the nook on the window seat, his large body making the space look much smaller than it actually was, staring out the window as he daydreamed. It had been distracting him for nearly an hour and he finally gave up on reading, dumping his book onto his stomach and raising the question to Roy. The dark gaze flickered to the younger boy across the hall who barely even noticed his little cat had just joined him and smirked that wild, sexy smirk of his, making Ed’s blood race.
“Come on, Fullmetal,” the man teased as he looked down at the teen who was utilizing his lap as a pillow, “don’t you recognize the signs of a crush?” and a long finger had traced along the curve of his eyebrow to ease the arching tone, making him want to melt just a little. Surprise flickered through him as he looked back at his brother, craning his neck at a strange angle.
“Really? Al?” he pondered this. It was entirely possible as he himself had fallen for Roy while he was more than a year younger than his brother was now but the thought had never once occurred to him, which made him feel slightly guilty. Just because Al didn’t have a body made of flesh didn’t mean he couldn’t feel the echoes of desire. As a matter of fact, his way was almost better because it wasn’t tainted in any way by hormones and lust. “Huh, I never really thought about that,” he absentmindedly caught the older man’s hand still ghosting over his face and wound it around his own, looking up in time to watch Roy’s smirk soften into a smile that belonged all to him. His own grin was feral, “I wonder who the lucky person is?” but then he lost track of that mystery because the next moment the Colonel had drawn him up so he could kiss him.
“...a strange occurrence with a State Alchemist Hann Wells they called the BloodRose Alchemist nearly five years ago,” Hughes was on the other side of his desk, shuffling through the file he had come across in his search, booted feet propped up on the sturdy piece of furniture as if they were sitting in his own office instead of Roy’s. After all these years, he gave up caring about things like that. Instead he listened to his friend talk, knowing there was a point to everything he was saying but just wishing he would make it already, “They called him that because his specialty was working with plants. At first, I think, it was just messing with the species and making flowers so that they didn’t have to rely on sunlight and soil to live. The “blood” part came later, when he figured out how to infuse steel into the infrastructure of the plant to turn it into a weapon,” Roy’s eyebrows rose but he refrained from commenting, though it did sound a bit arduous. How could a flower be a handy weapon, especially in the middle of a fight? Instead he rubbed his fingers over his eyes, hard enough to see lazily spinning spots and sighed.
“That’s all very fascinating but what does that have to do with Warehouse eleven?” they had started calling the case that because he didn’t want either of the brothers to overhear their names being spoken and thus finding out what he was up to. Ed must know, on some level that he would never let it drop and while the boy hadn’t asked him to, he had also wanted to know nothing about it. Bright green eyes looked at him over two shiny black toes before the man dropped his feet to the ground.
“I’m getting to that. Don’t get you panties in a twist,” the Colonel growled, eyebrow twitching but Hughes wouldn’t let him express his irritation before he was speaking again, pretending he hadn’t said anything remotely out of the ordinary. He supposed, for the Lt. Colonel, it was normal, “Wells was a State Alchemist for nearly ten years before he was suddenly discharged and put in jail. The exact reason has been crossed out and I haven’t been able to find out why but there was apparently a trial and everything,” the information made him frown.
“But what makes you think he was involved with the Elrics getting kidnapped?” he asked, knowing the other man had a point because he always did. He might act like a bit of a moron, what with his fawning over his daughter as much as he did but there was a reason Hughes was assigned to the Intelligence department. A slight frown furrowed the space between the green eyes.
“Well, the circumstances of his arrest were a little strange. It wasn’t like he had any outstanding records and he was completely loyal to the military but it seems some of his alchemical practices were morally questionable. Like I said, I have no idea of the details but I did find out it was one of his colleagues that turned him in. A young alchemist that had worked with him for a little time as an apprentice who was killed in a car wreck a few months into the Wells’ sentence,” it was an intriguing line of thought but he still couldn’t see how that would link the Elrics to the BloodRose alchemist. If he were to hold a grudge that was strong enough to continue after the man who put him in jail had died, any young alchemist would fit the criteria. It would have been so much easier to go after someone who wasn’t connected to the military.
“That’s a very vague connection,” he said into the creases of his folded hands, feeling a headache starting to worm its way into his skull. They had been looking for those responsible for months now and this was the first lead they had come up with. To say it was frustrating was an understatement and he was beginning to have trouble fielding Ed’s questions when the kid started digging. It was obviously clear the older alchemist was stressed about something but he could hardly tell the blond the reality of it. Kissing the boy whenever he wanted was still a novel concept and he would probably break if something were to make the kid retreat back into his shell again.
“That’s not the connection, though,” Hughes was saying, some excitement entering his voice as he dug out another folder and set it on the desk so he could rifle through it. Roy was perfectly aware the other man had already memorized what was already on every one of those pages he had read but he watched in interest as his friend made a show of finding the right pages, “After being released only two years ago, he tried to come up with something new that would allow him to take the State Alchemist test. Again, the details are sketchy but from what I gather, they weren’t even going to consider it until they saw his technique. Must have been something impressive because they made a panel of a couple well known alchemists to decide whether or not he could be considered,” now he remembered. It hadn’t happened all that long ago and it had been so uninteresting, he had forgotten all about it.
“Ed was on that panel because he was driving me insane for not having any more missions for him and I wanted to teach him a lesson,” his voice was a little thin, wondering if it had been his own lack of patience that had started this whole thing.
“And it was Ed who apparently shot him down. The kid was too smart and had already seen Chimeras and the like. Apparently this was something along those lines. Of course, they would immediately reject something like that, what with the bad publicity from the Tucker incident,” Roy was frowning now, staring at the stack of papers that needed addressing on his desk without really seeing them. It made a kind of sick sense, he supposed. He had seen what men would do for perceived power and to be shot down like that, especially by a boy like Ed had to have stung. But to have him kidnapped and held prisoner for weeks, raped, beaten and starved? Perhaps prison had softened the man’s mind, driven him insane. It was difficult to believe they were thinking of granting a criminal the title of State Alchemist at all but then he remembered Kimbly and gritted his teeth.
“So this is a fucked up way of getting revenge for that?” he pondered, trying to stifle the ever present rage that tried to choke him whenever he thought about it. Hughes was rummaging again, features strained with his own form of anger and the Colonel knew that his friend was nearly as enraged by the treatment of the two boys as he was. In fact, everyone who knew the brothers and knew what happened harbored some kind of fury along with the sympathy and the disbelief. How a fellow human being could think to defile such pure souls was unthinkable and was one of the reasons why so many people had volunteered to find out what really happened. Trust Hughes to be the one to find the trail. A picture was thrown on the desk and he picked it up to study it. It was of a tattoo, with bold, sweeping lines that formed a snake wrapped around the hilt of a sword, its single visible eye a burning crimson.
“It’s the sign for one of Central’s gangs, the Serpents’. It would seem Wells was deeply indebted to them after he did his stint in prison and becoming a State alchemist was solely so that he could pay them back. A rather flawed plan, considering but he almost succeeded,” the words rang in Roy’s head like a bell, echoing around and around as his dark eyes burned the image of the snake and the sword into his brain so he would never forget a single detail. Cold fury burned with icy flames around his heart as he silently swore justice.
“So they were used as payment instead,” he whispered, half tempted to set his entire desk on fire, if only to ease some of the rage burning behind his eyes. It had been bad enough thinking someone just wanted to get their sick satisfaction from hurting the two boys but this…this was something else. To be pawned off as payment for something they had no knowledge of, for doing the right thing.
“Yes, I think that’s exactly what happened,” Hughes responded, voice like steel and their eyes met over the small stretch of the desk, seeing the same anger reflected in each other’s gazes.
“Why the warehouse, you think?” he finally asked, afraid of the answer. If Ed had been used as payment for someone, then why had he been chained up in a warehouse? He should have been locked away by then as someone’s prize, though Roy was glad he hadn’t been because then he wasn’t sure they ever would have found him. The very thought nearly made him ill, chained up in some strangers bed room being used for God knows what. Though, that’s exactly what had happened, only worse. This time Hughes looked slightly ill.
“You know Ed,” the deep voice was heavy and the green gaze glinted hard behind the thin glasses, making the room feel strangely cold, “I think they were trying to break him,” Roy crumpled the picture in his hand, not noticing he was shaking.
“Well, it worked,” when their eyes met again, a silent agreement had been struck between them. They would get the people who had done this and destroy them.
**
Ed was still trying to figure out who it was that Al seemed to have a crush on that night, watching his brother when he thought he wasn’t looking with a calculating expression in his gold eyes. They had both witnessed the boy humming loudly as he prepared dinner that night and while neither of them had said anything, they had both shared looks of amusement. It was a lighthearted tone that helped him forget, for just a little while, the dark revelation that had been unearthed today and he was more than glad to relinquish that anger while he was in the blonde’s presence. It had been a near thing, as the younger alchemist had come into his office right after Hughes put all the papers away and they had immediately started talking about Elysia, Roy putting more enthusiasm into it than he usually did. It had given the kid pause but he did no more than give the dark haired men strange looks before dumping a pile of reports onto Roy’s desk. He could remember groaning rather loudly in protest.
“Surely you don’t expect me to do all of that,” he had practically whined and nearly got brained with a metal fist for his trouble. Still, it had eased the atmosphere and allowed the older men to breathe a little easier. It still terrified him to think he would lose Ed and knew anything related to the case would set them back at least a month. He didn’t think he could stop the touches or deny the sweet, honey taste of the blond now that he had them. It would have been a helpful confirmation if they could get the kid to identify the tattoo but this would be one case they would have to go about solving in secret.
Now the blond was sitting beside him at the table, head cocked as he watched his brother while Roy tried to finish off some of the paper work he had been forced to bring home. It was true, Al’s behavior was a little odd but the older man could easily recognize the signs of a crush, even if the boy’s circumstance was a little…unique. What had amused him even more was Ed, who had been completely ignorant of it. It was strange to think he didn’t know what the signs were as he had obviously had the same sort of feelings, considering how he felt about the Colonel. But now that he thought about it, he couldn’t ever remember the blond exhibiting any sings that he had been attracted to Roy. Even thinking back, there was very little evidence. He had always just been Ed. The older man could tell the kid wasn’t much of a romantic, though he was very pound to say that he was romantic enough for the two of them, but he had been blind before Al nearly knocked him over with the truth.
Admittedly, he wouldn’t have it any other way. He put his pen down and watched the blond watch Al, smiling a little. He still looked very young, with a soft smattering of freckles dusting over his straight, narrow nose and his full lips curled up in a bemused grin. His hair was long again, brushing between his shoulder blades in a thick, shining rope and his slender frame had put on some height, standing even with the older man’s collarbones now. But even for his shortness and his youth, he was the most beautiful person he had ever laid eyes on. No, despite everything, he would never wish for anything else. Maybe, in time, Ed would move on. After all, Roy was more than ten years older than him and the kid would still be in his prime while the Colonel would be considered old but for him, he wouldn’t need anything more.
As if he could feel his eyes on him, the gold gaze shifted, lighting up and shining with mischief. Instantly wondering what the younger alchemist was up to, he got up and followed when Ed waved him from the room. Al didn’t seem to notice their departure as he was too busy lost in whatever daydream he was entraining as he stirred something in a pot so that when the blond burst into laughter in the hall, the other boy probably didn’t even hear him.
“Holy shit!” the kid exclaimed as they paused in the hallway, leaning against the wall as he laughed, “I have never seen him that spaced out before! He’s got it bad,” and he sniggered some more, clearly thinking his younger brother being in love was quite hilarious. Roy leaned against the opposite wall, crossing his arms over his chest and allowing himself to get caught up in the humor of the whole situation.
“I’m sure Al wouldn’t think it’s too funny,” he admonished, suppressing his own grin. Ed flashed him a look, sharp and assessing before snorting rudely.
“Believe me, he did his share of laughing when he realized I liked you,” the admission still brought a small blush to the younger man’s cheeks and it was delightfully adorable, making him wonder what else he could get the kid to say so the color could deepen, become that rich hue he was quite fond of, “and besides, I never acted like that!” and he chortled some more, shaking his head slightly. The older man lifted one dark eye brow, wondering if he should be a little put off that the boy had never actively mooned after him. He supposed he wouldn’t be Ed if he had but still, it would have been kind of nice. Especially since Roy knows he had his fair share of longing daydreams starring the boy now standing in front of him in the shadowed hall.
“Indeed. No humming or distant looks from Edward Elric,” he mocked, getting another sharp glare that never failed to make his blood run just a little hotter. Ed really had no idea just how gorgeous he looked when he was wearing that particular expression. It was even better when he was furious, something Roy happily got to see often. Not that he did it intentionally. Of course. “Tell me. How did you pine away? Or is that not a manly enough term for you?” the gold eyes flashed dangerously and he swallowed a laugh, seeing the famous temper beginning to flare.
“That’s none of your business, you bastard. You just must not be worthy of daydreams and all that stupid mushy stuff,” the words sounded like he was very confident with his answer but the wide gaze had wandered off to gaze at a space near the Colonel’s hip and there was a telling blush flaring over Ed’s face again. The older man knew for a fact just how good he looked and had a feeling that was what had drawn the boy in the first place but he didn’t want to make the younger alchemist angry. Instead, he grinned widely, like he thought a cat might do once their prey was cornered and leaned further against the wall, arranging himself so that Ed would just have to look. It had never failed before.
“Really, now. That’s a bit surprising to hear. Are you saying you never once had a fantasy about me?” the way the flush turned from dusky pink to flaring red told him everything, deepening when the gold gaze slid over to where he was standing. Ed opened his mouth to say something only to close it a second later, fiddling nervously with the end of his shirt. He wanted to deny it, the older man could see it on his face but he didn’t. Fascinated, he watched the way the blonde’s tongue ran over his bottom lip as if he was suddenly parched and was nearly over come with a wave of desire, sweeping through his body like a storm. Just like that everything was that much less amusing.
Roy pushed away from the wall and reached out to catch the sharp chin with his hand, making Ed look at him. There was a breathless moment that stretched between them, hovering over their heads like something delicate that was about to shatter, letting himself get swallowed by the swirling color of marigolds before he closed the distance between them, capturing the blonde’s lips in a hard kiss. There was a little noise that sounded like a choked off word before slender hands slid into his hair, forcing him closer. He forgot to think as he slanted their heads, sliding his tongue into Ed’s mouth and melting into the younger man. His bright taste fizzed along Roy’s taste buds and he shivered at the slick feel as he explored the boy’s mouth. It was deep and hot, quickly stealing his breath and his reason. They pressed into one another, desire burning like a living fire between them, loosening his voice so that he could acknowledge the boy’s little half moans with ones of his own. It had been so hard to hold back, so hard to forget how easily this could break but right now he let himself get lost, touching, sharing, tasting.
There was a moment or two when they broke apart for breath and he could remember sweeping his tongue over the boy’s chin so that he might catch the trail of saliva that had escaped. It had been a long time he had ever been like this with someone and the passion shone so bright he could barely see past it. So much so that he wasn’t aware when something changed. By then he had the younger alchemist pressed into the wall, the slim frame molded into his own and his hands tangled in the bright hair, buried deep in its warm thickness. It wasn’t until the hands that had been tangled in his own hair shoved him rather violently away that he realized he had crossed one of their many lines.
Panting, trying to bring some of the heat under control, he looked at the blond who was flushed and just as breathless, bright head bowed so that he couldn’t see his face. Kicking himself for being an idiot, he refrained from reaching out and touching the boy like he wanted to and just straightened his own appearance, hoping that his rather painful erection would ease in a few moments.
“I’m sorry, Ed. Are you alright? I got a little carried away,” the kid seemed to huddle in on himself, looking miserable. But his response surprised Roy, easing his guilt just enough so that he wouldn’t start cursing himself for being an animal. He was quite aware he had been pressing his hips into the kid but at the time, hadn’t known how to stop.
“No, I’m sorry. It was really good and I want more but…” he bit his lip, looking like he was either going to scream in frustration or cry. Judging by the bulge in his own pants, he ventured to guess it was the former. Wishing he could hurt himself for being a bastard, he knelt in front of the boy and looked up under the bright bangs, slipping one hand around the slim waist. In this position, he wasn’t a threat and Ed usually let him the extra contact as long as he knew he could overpower the older man.
“We’ll get there, Ed. I’m sorry I pushed you, though I could blame it on you because half the time I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore,” that earned himself a shaky grin and he sighed in relief that the boy wasn’t shying away from him. He knew pushing the blond against the wall was probably not the brightest of ideas and told himself next time they got carried away, they would have to be somewhere Ed felt safe. Undoubtedly, being trapped against a wall and an equally unmovable man was bound to fail. Slender, mismatched fingers slid into his hair and tilted his head back so that he was looking up at the younger alchemist from a sharp angle. His stomach fluttered at the grin he was being regarded with.
“That’s good to know,” the next thing he knew, he was sprawled on the floor with an enthusiastic blond alchemist straddling his chest and trying to kiss the life out of him. Hm. Well, that works too. He settled his hands on the narrow hips, fingers sliding under the material of the boy’s shirt to glide over warm, smooth skin and just tilted his head back to let Ed have his way. It was hot and slow and perfect, casing away every last thought of darkness and that which had caused it. He had found bliss in the blonde’s lips, his tongue as it slid against his own, his taste and his skin. It was no matter that neither of them wouldn’t find relief from the ache that had coiled in their groins or that they couldn’t yet satisfy the full extent of their passion as it raged through them. It was enough. They didn’t do anything more than an intense round of kissing which, in hindsight, did absolutely nothing for their arousal but they didn’t really need to. They needed each other in more ways than just this and it was not the physical that defined them. Still, when Ed finally pulled away, his lips red and swollen, the older man couldn’t help the pang of disappointment as the boy’s warmth dissipated.
“I think I love you,” he whispered, tracing the shape of the blonde’s face as he looked up at him from his spot on the floor. It was the first time he put into words, at least for Ed, what it was he felt for the boy. There was a short, heavy silence as they stared at one another before the blond nearly blinded him with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. Then he was sprawled on top of the dark haired Colonel, pressing kisses all over his face. It made the older man laugh, heat curling contently in his chest, and he didn’t comment as the warm lips were joined by warmer tears, just pulling the boy back into another long, lazy kiss, wishing they could stay there like that forever.
Eventually Al called them in for dinner, finally breaking them from their tight embrace, but for the rest of the night, Ed never once lost his brilliant smile and Roy realized this was his way of dealing with his own crush. The thought made him grin as he curled his fingers through cool, jointed metal ones while they ate. No matter what might happen or how other people would react, his happiness was linked to Ed’s and he could never, ever let him go...
Chapter 9, 1/2
Author: nimrodel_13
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: RoyxEd (AlxHavoc)
Word count: 4,800
Warnings: mentions and aftermath of rape.
Summary: Caught in a web of despair after being raped, Ed can't find his way back through the darkness. Only Roy is the fire that can burn away the shadows but Ed still needs to get past his fear or the flames will consume him rather than save him....
Chapter 7
Something was amiss.
Al had been acting a little strange for a while now but Ed put that down to the stress that came with changes such as the ones they had to adapt to recently. Usually the younger boy was better with handling such things then most adults they knew but recently he began to notice his little brother acting more and more out of character. He might not have worried because it wasn’t like the boy had changed drastically or had fallen into a depression. It was more subtle than that but after living with him for a long as he had, he could tell when the younger male’s personality tripped, so to speak.
Interestingly enough, it happened the most on the days the boy accompanied him to headquarters. Typically Al was gentle and easy going but he had never been shy. With a brother like Ed, it would have been hard for him to remain so for long, especially living in a suit of armor that attracted as much attention as it did. But when they were around the office, the younger boy tended to be positively reclusive, barely saying two words sometimes for the entire day. It was just…odd. Being what he was, a soul bound to an inanimate object, Al couldn’t have anything such as facial expressions but Ed had come to read his body langue well enough that he almost didn’t need them. And from what he could see, during the times they were at work, he was almost constantly flustered. That was something his younger brother was more prone to but usually he had a pretty good reason for it. As of late, it was just always there, making the poor boy seem even more awkward and painfully innocent. Which he wasn’t. Despite his appearance, Al wasn’t innocent; not after what they had been through.
When he decided to question Roy about it, night had already fallen and they were crowded onto the man’s small couch, his head pillowed on the Colonel’s knees as they both read. He could see Al across the hall, scrunched up in the nook on the window seat, his large body making the space look much smaller than it actually was, staring out the window as he daydreamed. It had been distracting him for nearly an hour and he finally gave up on reading, dumping his book onto his stomach and raising the question to Roy. The dark gaze flickered to the younger boy across the hall who barely even noticed his little cat had just joined him and smirked that wild, sexy smirk of his, making Ed’s blood race.
“Come on, Fullmetal,” the man teased as he looked down at the teen who was utilizing his lap as a pillow, “don’t you recognize the signs of a crush?” and a long finger had traced along the curve of his eyebrow to ease the arching tone, making him want to melt just a little. Surprise flickered through him as he looked back at his brother, craning his neck at a strange angle.
“Really? Al?” he pondered this. It was entirely possible as he himself had fallen for Roy while he was more than a year younger than his brother was now but the thought had never once occurred to him, which made him feel slightly guilty. Just because Al didn’t have a body made of flesh didn’t mean he couldn’t feel the echoes of desire. As a matter of fact, his way was almost better because it wasn’t tainted in any way by hormones and lust. “Huh, I never really thought about that,” he absentmindedly caught the older man’s hand still ghosting over his face and wound it around his own, looking up in time to watch Roy’s smirk soften into a smile that belonged all to him. His own grin was feral, “I wonder who the lucky person is?” but then he lost track of that mystery because the next moment the Colonel had drawn him up so he could kiss him.
“...a strange occurrence with a State Alchemist Hann Wells they called the BloodRose Alchemist nearly five years ago,” Hughes was on the other side of his desk, shuffling through the file he had come across in his search, booted feet propped up on the sturdy piece of furniture as if they were sitting in his own office instead of Roy’s. After all these years, he gave up caring about things like that. Instead he listened to his friend talk, knowing there was a point to everything he was saying but just wishing he would make it already, “They called him that because his specialty was working with plants. At first, I think, it was just messing with the species and making flowers so that they didn’t have to rely on sunlight and soil to live. The “blood” part came later, when he figured out how to infuse steel into the infrastructure of the plant to turn it into a weapon,” Roy’s eyebrows rose but he refrained from commenting, though it did sound a bit arduous. How could a flower be a handy weapon, especially in the middle of a fight? Instead he rubbed his fingers over his eyes, hard enough to see lazily spinning spots and sighed.
“That’s all very fascinating but what does that have to do with Warehouse eleven?” they had started calling the case that because he didn’t want either of the brothers to overhear their names being spoken and thus finding out what he was up to. Ed must know, on some level that he would never let it drop and while the boy hadn’t asked him to, he had also wanted to know nothing about it. Bright green eyes looked at him over two shiny black toes before the man dropped his feet to the ground.
“I’m getting to that. Don’t get you panties in a twist,” the Colonel growled, eyebrow twitching but Hughes wouldn’t let him express his irritation before he was speaking again, pretending he hadn’t said anything remotely out of the ordinary. He supposed, for the Lt. Colonel, it was normal, “Wells was a State Alchemist for nearly ten years before he was suddenly discharged and put in jail. The exact reason has been crossed out and I haven’t been able to find out why but there was apparently a trial and everything,” the information made him frown.
“But what makes you think he was involved with the Elrics getting kidnapped?” he asked, knowing the other man had a point because he always did. He might act like a bit of a moron, what with his fawning over his daughter as much as he did but there was a reason Hughes was assigned to the Intelligence department. A slight frown furrowed the space between the green eyes.
“Well, the circumstances of his arrest were a little strange. It wasn’t like he had any outstanding records and he was completely loyal to the military but it seems some of his alchemical practices were morally questionable. Like I said, I have no idea of the details but I did find out it was one of his colleagues that turned him in. A young alchemist that had worked with him for a little time as an apprentice who was killed in a car wreck a few months into the Wells’ sentence,” it was an intriguing line of thought but he still couldn’t see how that would link the Elrics to the BloodRose alchemist. If he were to hold a grudge that was strong enough to continue after the man who put him in jail had died, any young alchemist would fit the criteria. It would have been so much easier to go after someone who wasn’t connected to the military.
“That’s a very vague connection,” he said into the creases of his folded hands, feeling a headache starting to worm its way into his skull. They had been looking for those responsible for months now and this was the first lead they had come up with. To say it was frustrating was an understatement and he was beginning to have trouble fielding Ed’s questions when the kid started digging. It was obviously clear the older alchemist was stressed about something but he could hardly tell the blond the reality of it. Kissing the boy whenever he wanted was still a novel concept and he would probably break if something were to make the kid retreat back into his shell again.
“That’s not the connection, though,” Hughes was saying, some excitement entering his voice as he dug out another folder and set it on the desk so he could rifle through it. Roy was perfectly aware the other man had already memorized what was already on every one of those pages he had read but he watched in interest as his friend made a show of finding the right pages, “After being released only two years ago, he tried to come up with something new that would allow him to take the State Alchemist test. Again, the details are sketchy but from what I gather, they weren’t even going to consider it until they saw his technique. Must have been something impressive because they made a panel of a couple well known alchemists to decide whether or not he could be considered,” now he remembered. It hadn’t happened all that long ago and it had been so uninteresting, he had forgotten all about it.
“Ed was on that panel because he was driving me insane for not having any more missions for him and I wanted to teach him a lesson,” his voice was a little thin, wondering if it had been his own lack of patience that had started this whole thing.
“And it was Ed who apparently shot him down. The kid was too smart and had already seen Chimeras and the like. Apparently this was something along those lines. Of course, they would immediately reject something like that, what with the bad publicity from the Tucker incident,” Roy was frowning now, staring at the stack of papers that needed addressing on his desk without really seeing them. It made a kind of sick sense, he supposed. He had seen what men would do for perceived power and to be shot down like that, especially by a boy like Ed had to have stung. But to have him kidnapped and held prisoner for weeks, raped, beaten and starved? Perhaps prison had softened the man’s mind, driven him insane. It was difficult to believe they were thinking of granting a criminal the title of State Alchemist at all but then he remembered Kimbly and gritted his teeth.
“So this is a fucked up way of getting revenge for that?” he pondered, trying to stifle the ever present rage that tried to choke him whenever he thought about it. Hughes was rummaging again, features strained with his own form of anger and the Colonel knew that his friend was nearly as enraged by the treatment of the two boys as he was. In fact, everyone who knew the brothers and knew what happened harbored some kind of fury along with the sympathy and the disbelief. How a fellow human being could think to defile such pure souls was unthinkable and was one of the reasons why so many people had volunteered to find out what really happened. Trust Hughes to be the one to find the trail. A picture was thrown on the desk and he picked it up to study it. It was of a tattoo, with bold, sweeping lines that formed a snake wrapped around the hilt of a sword, its single visible eye a burning crimson.
“It’s the sign for one of Central’s gangs, the Serpents’. It would seem Wells was deeply indebted to them after he did his stint in prison and becoming a State alchemist was solely so that he could pay them back. A rather flawed plan, considering but he almost succeeded,” the words rang in Roy’s head like a bell, echoing around and around as his dark eyes burned the image of the snake and the sword into his brain so he would never forget a single detail. Cold fury burned with icy flames around his heart as he silently swore justice.
“So they were used as payment instead,” he whispered, half tempted to set his entire desk on fire, if only to ease some of the rage burning behind his eyes. It had been bad enough thinking someone just wanted to get their sick satisfaction from hurting the two boys but this…this was something else. To be pawned off as payment for something they had no knowledge of, for doing the right thing.
“Yes, I think that’s exactly what happened,” Hughes responded, voice like steel and their eyes met over the small stretch of the desk, seeing the same anger reflected in each other’s gazes.
“Why the warehouse, you think?” he finally asked, afraid of the answer. If Ed had been used as payment for someone, then why had he been chained up in a warehouse? He should have been locked away by then as someone’s prize, though Roy was glad he hadn’t been because then he wasn’t sure they ever would have found him. The very thought nearly made him ill, chained up in some strangers bed room being used for God knows what. Though, that’s exactly what had happened, only worse. This time Hughes looked slightly ill.
“You know Ed,” the deep voice was heavy and the green gaze glinted hard behind the thin glasses, making the room feel strangely cold, “I think they were trying to break him,” Roy crumpled the picture in his hand, not noticing he was shaking.
“Well, it worked,” when their eyes met again, a silent agreement had been struck between them. They would get the people who had done this and destroy them.
**
Ed was still trying to figure out who it was that Al seemed to have a crush on that night, watching his brother when he thought he wasn’t looking with a calculating expression in his gold eyes. They had both witnessed the boy humming loudly as he prepared dinner that night and while neither of them had said anything, they had both shared looks of amusement. It was a lighthearted tone that helped him forget, for just a little while, the dark revelation that had been unearthed today and he was more than glad to relinquish that anger while he was in the blonde’s presence. It had been a near thing, as the younger alchemist had come into his office right after Hughes put all the papers away and they had immediately started talking about Elysia, Roy putting more enthusiasm into it than he usually did. It had given the kid pause but he did no more than give the dark haired men strange looks before dumping a pile of reports onto Roy’s desk. He could remember groaning rather loudly in protest.
“Surely you don’t expect me to do all of that,” he had practically whined and nearly got brained with a metal fist for his trouble. Still, it had eased the atmosphere and allowed the older men to breathe a little easier. It still terrified him to think he would lose Ed and knew anything related to the case would set them back at least a month. He didn’t think he could stop the touches or deny the sweet, honey taste of the blond now that he had them. It would have been a helpful confirmation if they could get the kid to identify the tattoo but this would be one case they would have to go about solving in secret.
Now the blond was sitting beside him at the table, head cocked as he watched his brother while Roy tried to finish off some of the paper work he had been forced to bring home. It was true, Al’s behavior was a little odd but the older man could easily recognize the signs of a crush, even if the boy’s circumstance was a little…unique. What had amused him even more was Ed, who had been completely ignorant of it. It was strange to think he didn’t know what the signs were as he had obviously had the same sort of feelings, considering how he felt about the Colonel. But now that he thought about it, he couldn’t ever remember the blond exhibiting any sings that he had been attracted to Roy. Even thinking back, there was very little evidence. He had always just been Ed. The older man could tell the kid wasn’t much of a romantic, though he was very pound to say that he was romantic enough for the two of them, but he had been blind before Al nearly knocked him over with the truth.
Admittedly, he wouldn’t have it any other way. He put his pen down and watched the blond watch Al, smiling a little. He still looked very young, with a soft smattering of freckles dusting over his straight, narrow nose and his full lips curled up in a bemused grin. His hair was long again, brushing between his shoulder blades in a thick, shining rope and his slender frame had put on some height, standing even with the older man’s collarbones now. But even for his shortness and his youth, he was the most beautiful person he had ever laid eyes on. No, despite everything, he would never wish for anything else. Maybe, in time, Ed would move on. After all, Roy was more than ten years older than him and the kid would still be in his prime while the Colonel would be considered old but for him, he wouldn’t need anything more.
As if he could feel his eyes on him, the gold gaze shifted, lighting up and shining with mischief. Instantly wondering what the younger alchemist was up to, he got up and followed when Ed waved him from the room. Al didn’t seem to notice their departure as he was too busy lost in whatever daydream he was entraining as he stirred something in a pot so that when the blond burst into laughter in the hall, the other boy probably didn’t even hear him.
“Holy shit!” the kid exclaimed as they paused in the hallway, leaning against the wall as he laughed, “I have never seen him that spaced out before! He’s got it bad,” and he sniggered some more, clearly thinking his younger brother being in love was quite hilarious. Roy leaned against the opposite wall, crossing his arms over his chest and allowing himself to get caught up in the humor of the whole situation.
“I’m sure Al wouldn’t think it’s too funny,” he admonished, suppressing his own grin. Ed flashed him a look, sharp and assessing before snorting rudely.
“Believe me, he did his share of laughing when he realized I liked you,” the admission still brought a small blush to the younger man’s cheeks and it was delightfully adorable, making him wonder what else he could get the kid to say so the color could deepen, become that rich hue he was quite fond of, “and besides, I never acted like that!” and he chortled some more, shaking his head slightly. The older man lifted one dark eye brow, wondering if he should be a little put off that the boy had never actively mooned after him. He supposed he wouldn’t be Ed if he had but still, it would have been kind of nice. Especially since Roy knows he had his fair share of longing daydreams starring the boy now standing in front of him in the shadowed hall.
“Indeed. No humming or distant looks from Edward Elric,” he mocked, getting another sharp glare that never failed to make his blood run just a little hotter. Ed really had no idea just how gorgeous he looked when he was wearing that particular expression. It was even better when he was furious, something Roy happily got to see often. Not that he did it intentionally. Of course. “Tell me. How did you pine away? Or is that not a manly enough term for you?” the gold eyes flashed dangerously and he swallowed a laugh, seeing the famous temper beginning to flare.
“That’s none of your business, you bastard. You just must not be worthy of daydreams and all that stupid mushy stuff,” the words sounded like he was very confident with his answer but the wide gaze had wandered off to gaze at a space near the Colonel’s hip and there was a telling blush flaring over Ed’s face again. The older man knew for a fact just how good he looked and had a feeling that was what had drawn the boy in the first place but he didn’t want to make the younger alchemist angry. Instead, he grinned widely, like he thought a cat might do once their prey was cornered and leaned further against the wall, arranging himself so that Ed would just have to look. It had never failed before.
“Really, now. That’s a bit surprising to hear. Are you saying you never once had a fantasy about me?” the way the flush turned from dusky pink to flaring red told him everything, deepening when the gold gaze slid over to where he was standing. Ed opened his mouth to say something only to close it a second later, fiddling nervously with the end of his shirt. He wanted to deny it, the older man could see it on his face but he didn’t. Fascinated, he watched the way the blonde’s tongue ran over his bottom lip as if he was suddenly parched and was nearly over come with a wave of desire, sweeping through his body like a storm. Just like that everything was that much less amusing.
Roy pushed away from the wall and reached out to catch the sharp chin with his hand, making Ed look at him. There was a breathless moment that stretched between them, hovering over their heads like something delicate that was about to shatter, letting himself get swallowed by the swirling color of marigolds before he closed the distance between them, capturing the blonde’s lips in a hard kiss. There was a little noise that sounded like a choked off word before slender hands slid into his hair, forcing him closer. He forgot to think as he slanted their heads, sliding his tongue into Ed’s mouth and melting into the younger man. His bright taste fizzed along Roy’s taste buds and he shivered at the slick feel as he explored the boy’s mouth. It was deep and hot, quickly stealing his breath and his reason. They pressed into one another, desire burning like a living fire between them, loosening his voice so that he could acknowledge the boy’s little half moans with ones of his own. It had been so hard to hold back, so hard to forget how easily this could break but right now he let himself get lost, touching, sharing, tasting.
There was a moment or two when they broke apart for breath and he could remember sweeping his tongue over the boy’s chin so that he might catch the trail of saliva that had escaped. It had been a long time he had ever been like this with someone and the passion shone so bright he could barely see past it. So much so that he wasn’t aware when something changed. By then he had the younger alchemist pressed into the wall, the slim frame molded into his own and his hands tangled in the bright hair, buried deep in its warm thickness. It wasn’t until the hands that had been tangled in his own hair shoved him rather violently away that he realized he had crossed one of their many lines.
Panting, trying to bring some of the heat under control, he looked at the blond who was flushed and just as breathless, bright head bowed so that he couldn’t see his face. Kicking himself for being an idiot, he refrained from reaching out and touching the boy like he wanted to and just straightened his own appearance, hoping that his rather painful erection would ease in a few moments.
“I’m sorry, Ed. Are you alright? I got a little carried away,” the kid seemed to huddle in on himself, looking miserable. But his response surprised Roy, easing his guilt just enough so that he wouldn’t start cursing himself for being an animal. He was quite aware he had been pressing his hips into the kid but at the time, hadn’t known how to stop.
“No, I’m sorry. It was really good and I want more but…” he bit his lip, looking like he was either going to scream in frustration or cry. Judging by the bulge in his own pants, he ventured to guess it was the former. Wishing he could hurt himself for being a bastard, he knelt in front of the boy and looked up under the bright bangs, slipping one hand around the slim waist. In this position, he wasn’t a threat and Ed usually let him the extra contact as long as he knew he could overpower the older man.
“We’ll get there, Ed. I’m sorry I pushed you, though I could blame it on you because half the time I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore,” that earned himself a shaky grin and he sighed in relief that the boy wasn’t shying away from him. He knew pushing the blond against the wall was probably not the brightest of ideas and told himself next time they got carried away, they would have to be somewhere Ed felt safe. Undoubtedly, being trapped against a wall and an equally unmovable man was bound to fail. Slender, mismatched fingers slid into his hair and tilted his head back so that he was looking up at the younger alchemist from a sharp angle. His stomach fluttered at the grin he was being regarded with.
“That’s good to know,” the next thing he knew, he was sprawled on the floor with an enthusiastic blond alchemist straddling his chest and trying to kiss the life out of him. Hm. Well, that works too. He settled his hands on the narrow hips, fingers sliding under the material of the boy’s shirt to glide over warm, smooth skin and just tilted his head back to let Ed have his way. It was hot and slow and perfect, casing away every last thought of darkness and that which had caused it. He had found bliss in the blonde’s lips, his tongue as it slid against his own, his taste and his skin. It was no matter that neither of them wouldn’t find relief from the ache that had coiled in their groins or that they couldn’t yet satisfy the full extent of their passion as it raged through them. It was enough. They didn’t do anything more than an intense round of kissing which, in hindsight, did absolutely nothing for their arousal but they didn’t really need to. They needed each other in more ways than just this and it was not the physical that defined them. Still, when Ed finally pulled away, his lips red and swollen, the older man couldn’t help the pang of disappointment as the boy’s warmth dissipated.
“I think I love you,” he whispered, tracing the shape of the blonde’s face as he looked up at him from his spot on the floor. It was the first time he put into words, at least for Ed, what it was he felt for the boy. There was a short, heavy silence as they stared at one another before the blond nearly blinded him with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. Then he was sprawled on top of the dark haired Colonel, pressing kisses all over his face. It made the older man laugh, heat curling contently in his chest, and he didn’t comment as the warm lips were joined by warmer tears, just pulling the boy back into another long, lazy kiss, wishing they could stay there like that forever.
Eventually Al called them in for dinner, finally breaking them from their tight embrace, but for the rest of the night, Ed never once lost his brilliant smile and Roy realized this was his way of dealing with his own crush. The thought made him grin as he curled his fingers through cool, jointed metal ones while they ate. No matter what might happen or how other people would react, his happiness was linked to Ed’s and he could never, ever let him go...
Chapter 9, 1/2