Title: Masks and Scars (The Seed of the Fire- Chapter 17)
Author: SeaweedOtter
Pairing: Roy Mustang x Maes Hughes
Rating: NC-17 (Yah! finally!!)
Disclaimer: AU, Set before the anime started, while Maes and Roy were roommates at the military academy.
Author Note: The story will mostly follow the manga, but it may have a bit of both.
Summary: The masks we wear can only hide so much pain. The scars tell the rest of the story.
I have the awesome
johns_elizabeth as my advisor.
Read all of the chapters so far
HERE! By the time the train pulled into the station, there wasn't a single muscle in Maes' body that wasn't stiff and aching. When he stood, he arched his back and stretched his arms upwards, scraping his fingers against the ceiling of the car and feeling and listening to his bones crackling back into place.
"Ow, that even sounded painful." Roy smiled and clapped his friend's back, stretching a bit himself. While they lined up to exit the train, Maes took a look outside the window. It was sandy, devoid of any sort of plant or animal life. It was dry and empty and utterly hopeless looking. Maes' smile dropped, his mood souring almost immediately.
"You okay, Maes?" Roy, who was standing right behind his friend. He had noticed his shoulders slumped and heard the soft sigh.
"I... guess. It is just all hitting me now. We are here. There is nothing left to do but fight, and kill or be killed." They started to move forward a little, slowly but steadily, waiting as all the people in the rest of the cars filed out before them.
Roy shrugged, putting on his best stone mask of indifference for everyone else. "Well, we do what we need to do to survive, and then we get out. That is all we can do. We are here to do a job, and I am going to do it."
Maes had to shiver. He didn't like this new attitude that the alchemist was taking. They hadn't seen any fighting yet, but he was already taking a cold, detached indifference sort of approach, and it worried him more than a little.
The heat started to build the closer and closer they got to the door. They could hear the wind howling outside, and watched the sand swirl in whirling patterns of brown and yellow.
As soon as Maes got to the front door of the train, the first thing that hit him was the heat. It was a dry, oppressive heat that reached out and slapped you- held you and didn't let you go. You could feel it in the air, even though there was no humidity, the air was thick and dense- palpable.
He sucked in a breath and almost immediately started to choke, minute particles of sand filling his lungs. He face stung from the thousands of tiny stings of sand grains grating against his face. It was like rubbing sandpaper against the skin.
Maes did as best as he could to cover his eyes to keep from getting blinded by the sand storm. This was the only time in his life he was glad that he wore glasses. He felt for Roy and the rest who had fight the sand more directly. He stepped off the train and waited for Roy to follow.
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"Yeah, I remember that, Maes. It was so hot, the second I stepped off the train, my shirt immediately stuck to my chest." Maes smiled softly, glad to see that Roy seemed to have some semblance of his former self back.
"I kept having to take my glasses off and walk around half blind, or risk being even worse off wearing glasses that were all scratched up from the blowing sand." He let out a light chuckle and raised the scotch to his lips, grimacing slightly. Even after learning how to drink the stuff while in Ishbal, he still didn't quite have a taste for it.
Roy sighed and put his glass down, the ice cubes inside tinkling softly against each other. "I don't know what I would have done without you there, Maes... All the things that I did, all the pain and suffering and death that I caused. I... couldn't go on."
Maes got up and walked over to Roy. He gave the still sitting man a hug and a soft kiss on the cheek. "I know, Roy. We both saw some awful things. Everyone just deals with it a little differently. Armstrong ran away. Kimbley.." Maes shuddered, "reveled in it. You wore your guilt on your sleeve. You still do. I just laugh and suppress it and try not to let my mind wander back to that awful hell-hole." He put his hand softly on Roy's shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. "We all do what we need to do to survive. You remember telling me that on the train?"
Roy nodded. "Yeah. That was when I was young and stupid, and I didn't know any better. I know now." He took a long draw off the quickly diminishing glass of scotch in his quivering hand.
Maes picked up the glass and put it on the table beside him. "I think you have had enough. Why don't you hit the sack? It has been a long day."
"Yes, mommy."
"Well, if you are good, maybe I will tuck you in and give you a goodnight kiss." Maes grinned and put his glass down beside the other one.
Roy sighed again and rubbed his eyes. "I guess I could use some sleep." he looked around the apartment, cluttered with books, the floor littered with sketches of various alchemic arrays. "I guess I can clean this up tomorrow."
The taller man nodded. "I will try to get off work early and come over. I am sure I can steal a little more time away from Gracia to help you out." He cringed, not missing the painful face that Roy made when he said that. "She worries about you, you know. She doesn't really understand everything we went thru in Ishbal, but she saw how we all changed after coming back."
"Maes?"
"Yeah, Roy?"
"Stay, just for a little bit. I know you have... her to go home to, but please. Just until I can get to sleep." Maes' eyes softened. He had never heard Roy so desperate and utterly vulnerable. He knew the masks that Roy wore. And he alone knew the Roy Mustang behind the facade. He could never say no to Roy Mustang.
"Okay. Come on, get out of those clothes. They are filthy." Roy got up and Maes followed a few steps behind when Roy walked to his bedroom. It was just as unkempt as the rest of the apartment, unwashed clothes laying on every surface, and empty and half empty glasses of some unknown, but probably alcoholic beverage sitting on various tables and chairs.
He watched as Roy slowly unbuttoned the dirty white shirt that he always wore under his dress blues. The scars of war were written like a history book across his bare back- the bullet wound that grazed his side, the stab wounds he had received from a child who was too young to know better than to try to fight, and all of the small abrasions and cuts and old bruises that never quite healed properly.
Unconsciously, he rubbed at his side. Through the fabric he could still feel the angry mound of flesh that marked his own wounds. Everyone has scars. Mental scars, physical scars, things they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
But some people are better at feeling their scars than others.
Roy sat down on the bed and pulled off his boots, then his long socks, adding them to the growing pile of clothes at the side of his bed. He paused for a moment to look up at Maes, who was still standing in the doorway of the bedroom. Roy looked like a child,
waiting for a parent to tell them that it was okay to continue. He seemed scared, hesitant, something that Maes had seldom seen from him before.
"Please, Roy. It is okay. I know things have... changed between us, but it is alright."
The alchemist nodded and let out a soft breath and pulled his dress blue pants off, sitting on the edge of the bed with nothing more than his boxer shorts and his dog tags jingling lightly against each other with each slight movement that he made.
Maes gulped, his throat tightening. It had been so long, so terribly, terribly long since he had seen so much of the man that he still cared for. Everything had changed for them, and not for the better, it seemed. He had forgotten how much he missed the gentle curve of Roy's back, or the little freckle right above where the top of his boxers sat low on his thin hips. He shifted his weight back and forth from foot to foot and hoped to some deity above that Roy didn't notice his tightening pants.
If Roy noticed, he said nothing. He got into bed and slid under the cool, light sheets, then patted the empty spot next to him. Maes hesitated for a moment. He knew he
shouldn't do it. He had a woman that he adored, and she adored him back. He should get into bed with her.
But it was Roy, and he couldn't say no. As much as he tried to deny it, he knew that he loved his man, deeply. He could never change that. He was a broken solider, a killer
with the eyes of an angel. And he could never say no.
"Alright. For a few minutes." Maes took off the red jacket he was wearing, and kicked off his black loafer shoes, but kept his white shirt and black pants on when he climbed
into bed next to Roy.
He wasn't surprised one bit when Roy pushed himself closer, spooning his body up against Maes. He felt cold and clammy, his skin was pale and his hair was messy and unkempt. This wasn't the solider that he knew... and loved. He let his breath out slowly, relaxing his muscles under his lover's touch.
Roy draped his arm over Maes' chest, using the flat of his hand to press the soft material against his skin. Maes groaned lightly. Even the slighted touch from Roy's hand made a shiver run up his spine. He fought the urge to unbutton his shirt and give Roy full access to his torso.
A gentle kiss against the side of his neck. Then another. Maes wanted to fight it, but his body wouldn't respond. His eyes thinned and he sighed, taking his glasses off and
laying then on the table by the bed. Against his better judgment, he leaned his head forward, giving Roy more access to his sensitive flesh.
The response was immediate. Teeth bore down on his neck, nibbling and sucking at the skin, drawing it into his mouth and holding it taught. Maes whimpered loudly and pulled
away, causing Roy to sit up straight, his face a mask of confusion.
"Roy.. please.. I... I cant go home with marks on my neck." He sighed loudly, hating that he had to stop him. She knew about Roy, but she wasn't sure where they stood now,
and he didn't want to have to explain to her about what he did in a moment of weakness. There was no way he could lose them both.
To his surprise, instead of feeling guilty and moving away, or getting angry, Roy only stayed shocked for a second, then a gleam hit his eye. This was the young, spry Mustang that could get any girl at the academy, the smug, confident look that he had been missing for months now.
"I guess I will have to leave marks elsewhere, then."
Even more to his surprise, Maes found himself nodding his head and starting to unbutton
his shirt quickly with his fumbling fingers. He quickly pulled it off and tossed it
towards a chair, where it missed horribly and fluttered to the floor. The shirt had
hardly hit the floor before Roy leaned over and opened his mouth, and took the closer
of Maes' nipples in his mouth, suckling lightly.
"Mmmmmm.." Maes moaned out. His mind was yelling at him that this was all wrong, but the tightness in the pants that he still wore just proved that he wanted more. He closed his eyes and rolled onto his back, giving Roy better access to his chest. He felt the rough fingers of his lover caress his stomach and gently roam around his navel. He knew where Roy was heading, and he wanted to stop it as much as he never wanted it to end.
Roy got up into a kneeling position and straddled his legs over the prone Maes, his mouth moving up to dry lips and pressing close. The alchemist's hands gently wandered over the flat planes of his chest, while his tongue gained entrance into his mouth, muscle and flesh pressing close to muscle and flesh.
"We.... shouldn't..." Maes whispered, his voice hot and husky. It had no malice nor conviction to it, it was more of a plead than a command.
"If you tell me to stop.." he stopped to lay a kiss on Maes' neck, "I will stop." He moved his head down and kissed the cold area of his collarbone where his dog tags lay.
There was a pause, no more than a heartbeat, where time stood still for Roy.
"Please.. don't stop.."
Nothing more had to be said. They both knew it was wrong, but they didn't want to say any more or think any more about that. All they had was the here and now, and it was just them, and it was perfect.
Roy shifted his body until he was straddling Maes' legs instead of his chest. His hands went to the man's belt, fumbling, trying to unlatch it. Maes tried to help, and between them they finally got it undone. Anxiously Roy unbuttoned the pants and pushed them down below his knees. He smiled slightly, a mischievous smile that Maes had seen, and feared many timed before. The thin fabric of his boxers showed full well how much he enjoyed being close to him.
With expert hands, Roy pulled down the boxers as well, groaning softly at the sight that he beheld.. "Perfect.." he mumbled. He shifted downwards again so he could lean down and give some attention to the throbbing body part below him. Roy leaned down, giving the tip of Maes' length a light kiss, making the man shiver under him.
"Wait one moment." Roy said, and he got up off the bed. Maes watched him, utterly confused, head towards the bathroom and emerge a moment later with a shampoo bottle. "I am sorry, it is the best I have." Maes nodded and smiled.
Roy kneeled on top of Maes again and squirted a little of the shampoo in his hand, then softly started to stroke his lover's length. Maes shut his eyes tight bit his lip and gripped the sheets tight. "Oh.... God... Roy.."
The alchemist smiled. There was nothing better to him than to hear Maes say his name with lust and need and love. It was enough to drive him to the edge of sanity. He gave Maes a few extra strokes than he needed to actually get nice and lubed, then he took a little more shampoo and put it on his hand.
When Roy's hand was sufficiently lubricated, he reached behind himself and pressed a finger inside. He groaned and arched his back slightly. Maes reached up and rubbed a hand against his chest, encouraging him even more. He slipped a second finger in just a few moments after the first, his body shivering at his own touch.
"Please... Maes... Please fill me. I am so empty..."
Maes leaned up and gave him a long kiss on the lips. "Okay..." The smile on Roy's face was enough to melt the man's heart.
Roy moved his body, positioning himself until he was kneeling over his lover's cock, it was throbbing softly with each heartbeat, full and ready. Slowly, ever so slowly, he started to move downwards, using one hand to guide himself inside.
"Oh... Maes..." Roy gritted his teeth. It had been a very long time since he had been the recipient of another. He had forgotten the burn, but it was a pain that he longed for, pain and pleasure mixed in some perverse dance that made his heart race.
It was only a few brief moments before they were together fully, two bodies becoming one. They started into a rhythm, a dance that they had shared years before. They were like one soul, matching each other's movements perfectly like it was something that they had practiced yesterday.
Maes closed his eyes tight and arched his back upwards, thrusting his hips into his lover, his hands gathered the sheets under him. His whole body stiffened. He wanted this to last forever, but it had been so long since he had felt himself together with the man he loved, it was like being a horny teenager again. He knew he wouldn't last long.
"Rrrf... Roy.. more, please.. I.. want you... " he gasped, his body starting to shake. The alchemist picked up the pace, gripping his lover's chest for balance.
"R-r-r-oy.. ROY!!!!" Maes yelled just a few moments later, pushing his hips up as hard as he could go, feeling pleasure wash through his body, leaving his head reeling and his eyes unfocused, with each heartbeat his essence flowed.
The alchemist felt his lover deep inside of him, felt the heat and fire, he couldn't hold himself back. "Maaaaaes!" He yelled out, feeling himself falling into the abyss of the ultimate pleasure.
It must had seemed like an eternity before they could see straight, or get their breaths back. Roy collapsed to Maes' side, trying to get his heartbeat back to normal. A fine sheen of sweat formed on his brow, and Maes kissed it gently, his face already souring.
"Roy, you know I can't stay. I am so, so sorry." He sat up in bed and gave Roy another long kiss on the lips, fighting the wetness gathering in the corners of his eyes. "I am sorry. Please tell me you will be alright."
He nodded his head slowly, his eyes closing just a little. "I.. will Maes. I... I love you."
Maes kissed him one more time, then stood up and started to get dressed again. "I love you too, Roy. You know that. But I have to get... back home." he sighed and put on his jacket, then headed to the door.
"Goodbye, Roy." he said over his shoulder, closing the door of the apartment behind him.
"Goodbye.... Maes."