Birthday Fic (a Day early)
Because if I do go home for the holidays I won't be able to post this tomorrow soooo....
Happy Birthday Evil_Little_Dog !!!!
Hope it's a great one.
Here's your story (and for those who actually care about these things, this is the first fic I've ever wrote that includes slash. Oh yeah, it also contains threesomes. You've been warned.)
If Happiness Forgets You
D M Evans
Disclaimer - not mine, all characters belong to Hiromu Arakawa et al, Square Enix and funimition. Time Line - Post Anime but with a vastly different ending (and hey some elements of the manga in there for good measure including a spoiler for issue #38 and 57
Pairing - let’s just say it’s polyamorous with both m/m and f/m pairings and if that bugs you, please don’t read.
Rating- FRMAO (yes, there's sex, lots of it actually, lots of other stuff too, but there's het sex, yaoi, and threesomes)
Summary - With the government reborn, and the brothers still wanted by soldiers loyal to Bradley’s memory, Roy and Riza have their hands full. The last person they expected to see in Rush Valley was him.
Author’s Note#1 - This was written for evil_little_dog’s birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Author’s Note #2 - Thanks to Mjules for all the betaing and suggestions. The story is better for it. This story is unusual for me since it’s heavily anime influence with just a hint of manga (instead of the other way around), you’ll see some things are very different than the ending of the manga however (like anything pertaining to Earth, the movie or Ed’s fate). I chose this route mostly because I wanted to poke out Roy’s eye and deal with the reality of that loss.
Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it. ~Jacques Prévert
Chapter One
Did he know that man? Mustang wondered briefly, finding himself coming under scrutiny in the crowded streets of Rush Valley. The lanky form seemed somehow familiar as did the loose-limbed walk. The pale, almost white hair wasn’t familiar and Roy couldn’t tell anything about eye color from this distance, not to mention the thick glasses obscuring the view.
The man seemed particularly interested in Roy, enough so that Roy found his thumb resting against his fingers in anticipation and his mind doing quick calculations to be sure to limit any civilian involvement. Roy had to turn his head to track the man.
Damn it! He hated his loss of depth perception and the huge blind spot. His hand involuntarily reached up and touched the patch covering the hole in his head where an eye used to be. The doctors said the socket was still too swollen to have a glass eye put in. Roy wasn’t sure he wanted one. He’d let Riza make the call when the time came. She was the one who had to look at his ruined face when they made love, after all. It bothered her; he knew it did, but for all the wrong reasons.
With a subtle lift of his chin, Roy indicated the tow-headed man to Riza. When the man turned away sharply, Roy caught a glimpse of dark roots in his hair, a bleach job. Was this a man with something to hide or just a man who liked to alter his appearance for vanity?
“A danger?” Riza asked lowly, her hand resting on the butt of her gun.
“Not sure.” It was a concern given how the military was now and how the fledgling government was struggling. Things had been crazy ever since Ed used the Philosopher Stone to call his brother’s body back, losing the stone in the process. Ed remained still half a man but somehow didn’t seem too horribly disappointed. Getting Al back had taken the edge off the young man’s guilt, and made the automail less heinous.
Here in Rush Valley, Ed seemed more self-conscious than other places they had stayed in as they moved about, trying to hide, possibly because the poor boy spent half the time stripped to his shorts in public with automailers oooing and aaaahing over him like love struck girls. Roy almost felt sorry for the young man. Winry didn’t help matters. He was surprised the girl didn’t just parade her creation through the street like a show pony.
Roy had been dispatched, in spite of his rank, to watch the brothers. The new parliament feared that the brothers could be at risk from Bradley’s supporters. Less than half the military actively backed the new government. Another quarter did what it was told without thoughts one way or the other. There were many high-ranking members who had broken away to regroup and try to reclaim Bradley’s dream. No one was sure if they knew Bradley was a homunculus or not; either way, it didn’t change things.
Roy knew this assignment was also to allow him time to heal from his wounds and to hide him as well as they hid the brothers. He had been the one to bring down ‘the evil dictator’ hellbent on wars they couldn’t win. Mustang was a hero to the new parliament and retained his new rank as a brigadier general. His whole team had been promoted, except Ed who was deemed too young. Riza had come with him as his aide and more so because her sharp shooting skills were deemed necessary in protecting the brothers. If anyone suspected she was his lover, it was ignored and if anyone knew she was having severe doubts about herself ever since the incident with Archer, that too wasn’t being addressed either.
Regardless, Roy was now saddled with keeping the boys safe from the remaining homunculi - or homunculus since the only one they knew might have survived was Gluttony - and other threats. He figured Rush Valley wasn’t exactly the most unlikely place to find them if anyone knew about Winry, but it was big enough to hide in well. Roy meant for them to hide, and having some man staring at him was disturbing.
“He looks familiar somehow,” Riza murmured, moving closer to them.
“Yes, and way too interested in us,” Roy said. “Time to get interested in him. Can’t risk anyone following us back to the Elrics.”
Riza nodded and turned, heading off in the opposite direction. She cut up, out of the man’s line of sight, traveling north, paralleling him. Roy would need to herd the man to catch the stranger between him and Riza.
The tall stranger picked up his pace, obviously aware Roy was following him. Roy had two advantages to balance out the other man’s longer strides; the uniform, which cleared the path just by being bright blue and his slight form, which met with far less resistance from the crowded streets. Roy hoped it wouldn’t become a foot chase. He was still in no shape for it, getting easily winded after the damage done to his lung. Riza popped out from the alley a block ahead of them.
The stranger cut hard to the left down another alley but that proved to be a miscalculation. It was a dead end. “Damn.”
“Done running now?” Roy’s fingers twitched, unused sparks forming.
“What do you want with me? Don’t military dogs have better things to do than harass citizens?”
The man’s voice sounded oddly familiar but Roy was sure he didn’t know anyone with a southern regional accent. “With the state of the military today, we’re all a little paranoid, especially when we come under surveillance.” Roy moved closer as he saw the man eyeing the fire escape as a potential way out of the alley.
“No one was looking at you, dog. Shoo, I think your master’s calling you.” The man leapt for the escape.
Roy caught his arm, spinning the man around before he could get a hand on the rung. Roy pressed his fingers together, ready should the man have a hidden weapon. As determined as he was to escape, Roy suspected he did. There was something eerily familiar about the man’s furious face, now that Roy was finally getting a good look at his features. The hair color was wrong. He was too well shaven and the glasses were all the wrong shape. Roy’s gut twisted and his legs could have been stirred with a spoon. He could feel color leaving his face. “Ma-”
The man clamped a strong hand over Roy’s mouth, bearing him back against the dirty wall. “My name is Luc Gibson.”
Roy shook, prying the man’s hand away. “You son of a bitch!” Mustang’s fist lashed out, catching the other man in the eye. Roy suspected Hughes had let him hit him since he barely moved. Roy knew his supposedly-dead friend was a much better fighter than that. Mustang hit him again, wincing a bit, having forgotten how much it hurt when muscle and bone collided. He depended on his alchemy for the most part. He wasn’t a brawler.
Hughes, however, was, as Roy was reminded of this when his friend counterattacked and the battle was joined in earnest. Roy realized he should have gotten away from the wall before hitting Hughes the first time. He was hemmed in and Hughes had the longer, stronger reach and a lot more bare-knuckled talent. He also fought dirty as hell. Two rapid fire blows crashed into the blind side of Roy’s face, which was still very tender, flooding his solitary eye with tears of pain. Those blows were followed up with one to his solar plexus, leaving him sagging, gasping for breath against the filthy bricks.
The cocking of a pistol was thunder sharp in the alleyway. “Back away from him now.”
Hughes complied without taking his eyes off Mustang. “You can relax, Hawkeye. I’m just knocking a little sense into our boy.” He looked over his shoulder at her, that familiar smirk in place.
Hawkeye stumbled back, her gun wavering. “Hughes,” she whispered.
“Don’t know the man. My name’s Luc Gibson.” The smirk widened.
Roy pushed of the wall, wiping a trickle of blood from his lips. “What kind of game are you playing at?”
The smirk disappeared and a very unaccustomed grimness settled over Hughes’ features. “A lethal one.”
“I thought you were dead!” Roy swallowed hard. “How could you fake that and not tell me? How could you do it to your family?”
Hughes tore his shirt up, displaying the scars on his torso. “There wasn’t much faking involved, Roy. The people, and I use that term lightly, who did this had to believe I was dead. It was the only way to keep my family safe.” He let his shirt slide back down. “And I needed you to keep the investigation going very subtly. They wouldn’t expect you to be able to solve it, but I knew you’d figure out something.”
Roy scowled. “I tried.”
“I know. Armstrong and Ross told me.” Hughes said, and Roy felt gut punched again. Armstrong knew? “They tried to feed you what information they could, from what I’ve uncovered. I know how Bradley and the others underestimated you,”
“Eventually I became a threat,” Roy said, his hand floating up to touch the eye patch.
“I heard you’d been hurt but I didn’t realize...” Hughes reached for his friend.
Roy batted his hand away. “ You trusted Armstrong and Ross but not me? What about your wife?”
“She knows,” Hughes replied, not meeting Mustang’s eye.
Roy’s eye slotted. Riza took a step toward him and Roy froze her with a glance. “Then it’s me you didn’t trust.”
Hughes’ lips thinned. “Don’t be stupid.”
“Stupid? Oh, I think I’ve probably been that for a long time now.” Roy pushed past his friend. Hughes grabbed his arm and Roy cocked back a fist. Hughes dropped his hand. “Come on, Hawkeye. We’ve taken up enough of Mr. Gibson’s time.”
“Roy,” she said, holding out a hand to him.
He whirled on her, stunned to hear his name while she was in uniform, furious because he knew she didn’t want to leave this alleyway. “That was an order, Captain.”
She glanced away. “Yes, sir.”
Roy stalked off. He didn’t slow even when he heard Hughes telling him he’d be at the Nobody’s Inn tonight. The invite was clear but Roy didn’t want to hear it.
“Sir,” Hawkeye called after him.
Roy picked up the pace. He hated the fractures building in his pride. Tears trickled down his face, an ugly wash of grief, anger, betrayal and joy. He dashed them away, unsettling the patch over his ruined socket. The eye might be gone but the gland was still there, soaking the black cotton.
Finally, Hawkeye dared to grab his sleeve. “Sir!”
He pulled free. “I’ll be fine.”
“No, you won’t. Roy, I can’t imagine what you’re feeling,” Hawkeye said, her own feelings leaking into her voice. He knew she had been fond of Hughes, too, had missed their odd relationship. “Or what the brothers are going to think.”
Roy shook his head violently. “You can’t tell them, Riza.”
“We have to. He was like a father to Ed and Al.” Her eyes misted up.
“And he’ll guess they’re with us. It’s up to him to tell the brothers,” Roy said, hating himself for it and for what he was thinking. “We don’t know if he even wants to see any of us again.”
“I’d say telling you which bar to find him in is a big clue that he’s not going to just disappear,” Riza replied, cuttingly.
“Hawkeye, I can’t have this conversation now. I just can’t.” He held up his hands. “Please, let it be.”
“Fine,” she snapped. He heard the tears in her voice. Most people would never had understood how he, Riza, Gracia and Maes had fit together but it worked for them. He knew his lover was hurting, too, and he felt terrible because he didn’t have the energy to spare and to help her.
“I’m sorry, Riza. I know I’m being selfish but I can’t help it.” He glanced over at her and saw from her face that she didn’t disagree with his self-assessment. Roy didn’t know how he was going to make it through the day and do his work. There was nothing but chaos inside of him.
Chapter Two
“I’m going out,” Mustang announced to the brothers and Winry, who were cleaning up the supper dishes in the small, plain kitchen of their new temporary housing. “I don’t know if I’ll be back tonight so don’t wait up.”
“Trouble, sir?” Tension sang in Al’s voice and Roy couldn’t blame him; the danger to them was still very real.
Roy glanced over, still not used to Alphonse being a slight young man with sandy brown hair. It never failed to amuse him, however, that Al was taller than his big brother and Roy liked to point that out to Edward whenever things got boring. “No, this is personal.” Roy paused to pull on his coat. Riza came over and touched his cheek.
“Going to the Nobody’s Inn?” Riza’s voice was a bare whisper, knowing the teens were watching.
Roy’s shoulders slumped wearily as he stared at his shoes. She caught his chin, forcing him to look at her. “Need you ask?”
“Not really. Tell him I’ve missed him, too.” Riza’s brown eyes glistened.
Roy bobbed his head, unable to speak.
She fussed with the edge of his eye patch. “I’ll watch over the kids and I’ll call Gracia to let her know he’s here and well.”
“She’d appreciate that.” He squeezed her hand. “Thanks for understanding, Riza.”
She glanced back at the kids then kissed him softly. “If it’s too much for you, Roy, just come back home. I think he’ll understand.”
“I’ll be fine,” he said without conviction. Roy pulled his coat tight around his lean body. The wind bit right through it. He felt strange going out without his uniform on. It had been a long time since he had liberty time. Granted, he had mostly been without the uniform while helping the new Parliament to hide the Elric brothers but it still felt strange. That only made sense since he had spent half his life encased in blue wool.
The last thing Roy needed was this distraction and he hated himself for even thinking it. He needed to let himself enjoy the fact his best friend wasn’t dead. The shock had begun to wear off but he still didn’t know how he felt. The emotions were strong, painful even, and still confusing. The whirl in his mind was so bad that he was numb to everything until he found himself at the Nobody’s Inn. He almost missed the pub. The sign was small, black with white lettering, as unpretentious as the bar itself. The pub was more packed than Roy would have expected and he hoped it helped him to keep his emotions under control. Roy loathed making a scene.
He didn’t have to wonder if Maes would be here. Roy knew his friend would be. He found Hughes in a snug towards the back of the pub. Roy sat down and looked at Maes wordlessly for several long moments. With the bleached hair, strange glasses and no beard, it was still hard to see his friend in the man before him.
“I almost thought you wouldn’t show,” Hughes said, his voice thick with pain.
“I considered it,” Roy admitted as a waitress came over. “Whiskey neat, please.”
“Another beer,” Maes added and she nodded, heading off. His amber eyes turned on Roy. “Did you tell the boys?”
Roy shook his head. “It’s up to you to do it. I have no idea if you’re going to stick around or just disappear from our lives again. I wasn’t putting them through that.” Roy winced at his own words. He was hurting too much for this talk.
Hughes’ lips thinned, his face going pale. “That isn’t fair, Roy. I didn’t ask for this.”
“And you didn’t trust me enough to tell me you’d gone into hiding,” Roy rumbled, his fingers digging into the table. They twitched restlessly and he was glad he didn’t have on his static gloves.
Maes started to reply but paused as the waitress brought the drinks.
“Can you bring me the bottle?” Roy kept his eye on her so he wouldn’t see Maes’ disapproval.
“I’m not supposed to, sir,” the young woman said. Roy fished out his wallet and handed her a sizable bribe. She swept it up, her eyes big. “I’ll get the bottle.”
“So that’s it then?” Maes’ lips skinned back. “Going to just disappear inside the bottle, Roy?”
Roy’s eyes flared. “What do you care?”
“Don’t make me hit you again,” Maes snapped, trembling slightly with rage. “This time I’ll wipe the floor with you. I didn’t tell you because you’re too close to everything, not just to me but to Command and the brothers. I couldn’t risk you dropping your guard. You, of all people, needed to believe I was dead. If someone came for you, and I knew someone might, you had to be able to tell them nothing. Do you think it didn’t kill me inside to keep you out of this, Roy? Do you think I care so little for you? That I didn’t miss you?”
Roy glanced away, slamming back the whiskey. He was thrilled to see the waitress arrive with his bottle and push off so fast she barely had time to set it down. He poured more whiskey and let it follow the first. It hurt so badly and he savored every nuance of the burn.
“Roy, do you think I wanted any of this?” Hughes’ voice was so broken Roy winced, still not looking over.
“No,” he muttered, having to force himself to not just give in and lock his pain away. He needed to move through the emotion or he’d get trapped. “And I know you can only apologize so many times. I’m not looking for that.” Roy slapped his hands down on the table. “I don’t even know what I’m looking for.”
Maes put a hand on Roy’s. “It’s okay, Roy. I’m not expecting you to not be angry. You have every right to be.”
Roy wet his lips, pulling away from Maes. He grabbed up the glass and hurt himself some more.
“Roy...you don’t have to...” Maes pulled the bottle closer to him.
Roy sank into himself, not looking at Maes, not speaking at all.
Maes slowly got to his feet, his face long, dejected, wasted on a friend who wouldn’t even look at him. “Maybe I should g-”
Roy grabbed Maes’ shirt sleeve, hanging on tight. “Talk to me Ma...Luc. Tell me how you’ve been, what you’ve been doing.” He felt desperate, angry at himself for nearly driving his friend away.
Maes settled back into his seat, relief pressing the pain out of his eyes. “I’ve been doing what I can to find out how far the corruption goes, keeping track of the boys the best I can, meeting with Gracia very occasionally...”
“When she comes to visit her friend in the south,” Roy said. “I’ve seen her go off on those trips.”
Maes nodded. “Elicia stays with Gracia’s friend, Marion. We can’t risk her blurting it out that I’m alive. The investigations into what’s going on have not gone as well as I would have hoped. Our...special people.” Maes’ gaze shifted to those around them in the bar to judge if anyone was listening too closely. “The ones with the Ourobourus tattoos...”
Roy’s face pinched. “I know who you mean.”
“Well, they’re too hard to find easily except where the brothers are. One always seems to pop up then.” Maes’ voice roughed with anger. “Couldn’t bring myself to use the brothers as bait.”
“Understood.” Roy’s fingers brushed over the patch.
“How did it happen, Roy?” Maes pointed to the injury with the mouth of his beer bottle.
“Riza,” Roy whispered.
Maes mouth dropped and Roy witnessed a rarity: Hughes struck silent. “What,” was all he managed when his voice returned.
“It was an accident. I was already bleeding very badly after the fight with Pride...Bradley, whatever you want to call the Fuhrer. I was trying to pull his son out of the house. Bradley strangled the boy, nearly killing him in front of me then Archer stopped me.” Roy’s face screwed up at the memory and he took a cautious sip of whiskey. He reached a finger under the patch, touching the scars. “Archer was horrifying, more machine than man. I don’t even know how he was functioning. It should take years to adapt to automail but...” Roy shook his head. “He would have killed me. I was barely able to walk. Probably would have blown myself up at that point if I tried alchemy. My brain was scattered and I was pumping blood all over.”
“And Riza tried to kill Archer,” Maes surmised, adding a shot of whiskey to his beer. Armstrong hadn’t told him any of this. Maes wondered if anyone but the heads of parliament knew what really happened.
“She did kill what was left of him...but a bullet ricocheted off the automail and right through my eye. I got lucky. The angle was very oblique and the velocity low. It went through the eye and just part of the socket. Any other way...well, you’d be the one visiting my grave,” Roy said soberly.
“Riza has to be so torn up.” Maes’ voice shook, pity for his friends blatant in his eyes.
“She is. She pretends to believe me when I say that I don’t blame her, which I don’t. She did save my life. The eye is a small price to pay,” Roy said, wondering if he sounded honest about that. He did feel that way but he couldn’t help being just a little bitter. “Riza can hardly look at me some days and she doubts herself. Oh, that scares me, Mah...Luc. Not that I and the brothers can’t take care of ourselves but damn it, if I have to worry about her freezing up, it’s just not good.”
“Have you spoken to her about it?” Maes felt a little queasy at that thought. If Riza did freeze up and lose someone, she would never forgive herself.
“Not directly. I keep hoping...if it continues, I’ll have to. If she doubts herself, there’s no point in it. Worse, they promoted her for helping me to overthrow the Fuhrer. Funny how that works. He was great while he was in power and now...nothing but a symbol of what went wrong, something the parliament can point to and say, ‘see, we’re better?’ Admittedly, I agree with that but still...and now Riza has to deal with the thought of ‘I made captain by shooting Mustang in the head,’ which is a load of shit but you know how minds work.” Roy sighed and almost poured some more whiskey. He looked at the bottle and set it aside.
Maes nodded. “I’m sorry, Roy. I didn’t know about any of this. I had no idea you’d been hurt this badly. Armstrong was having trouble getting information to me once the whole overthrowing started.”
“Has he told you all about what our “special friends” were up to? No, well I’ll tell you later I guess. It has to do with why Hughes was....killed,” Roy said with a shake of his head. “You probably uncovered one of the biggest, most dangerous corruptions of our time.”
“And dragged you all down with it.” Maes’ eyes sheened as his voice went heavy with regret. “I guess me being dead or alive didn’t matter as much as I hoped. Might be time to reinvent Gracia and Elicia and take them as far away as I can, or are they safer now with the new parliament in charge?” Hughes drooped as if the weight of the world had just been slammed onto his shoulders. Roy reached for the whiskey again and Hughes let him take it. “There has to be something we can talk about, Roy, that isn’t so depressing.”
“Alphonse,” Roy replied without hesitation. “There is almost nothing depressing about him, other than we nearly lost him in the transmutation.”
Maes smirked. “Never thought I’d see you excited about kids.”
“They’re not really kids, are they? Young men. The stone...it nearly pulled him apart but everything is okay now. Everything is so new to him all over again, food, sleeping and all the inconveniences of being human, too. He’s thrilled even with those inconveniences. I gave him a book or two so he could enjoy all the other things he missed out on not having a body, things teenaged boys like to do. One look at those garden delights positions and Ed nearly went ballistic.”
Maes laughed. “Evil, Roy, evil.”
“I figured Al could use some fun after what he went through,” Roy replied, smirking.
“We are frail, aren’t we?” Maes asked, ruefully.
Roy touched his eye patch again. “Too frail. The boys would like to see you, I’m sure. They took...Hughes’ death very hard,” he said softly, his head bending forward like a wilting flower. “We all did. I don’t know how Gracia made it through with....no, I don’t want to talk about this.”
“Take me home tomorrow. I want to see them.” Hughes reached for Roy’s hand.
Roy pulled away, running his hand through his hair. “I will if....” His throat constricted.
Maes’ eyes narrowed. “If what?”
“Nothing. Sorry, no strings attached. Tomorrow will be fine.” Roy looked away.
Hughes tapped Roy’s arm. “Want to get out of here and go somewhere private so we can just talk?”
Roy nodded, swallowing past the boulder that formed in his throat. “How far is it to your place?”
“Not far. It’ll be more comfortable there without all the...extra ears.” He glared at some of the nearby patrons who were too curious for their own good.
“Good.” Roy got up and snatched the whiskey bottle off the table. Hughes shot him a disapproving look but said nothing as he led the way outside. It was a short walk to his little house. It had seen better days. The wooden porch sagged a bit, and looked foreboding in the dark, like now. Even in the light of day, it looked like it had shadows clinging to it.
Roy slammed the bottle on the living room table and ripped off his coat. “Do you know how furious I am with you?”
“I was sort of hoping you had let that go in the bar,” Maes replied, trying to keep the irritation off his face as he took his coat off as well. Apparently Roy took privacy as an excuse to really vent.
Roy turned his back on him, his arms crossing over his chest like armor. “This isn’t something you just let go that easily.”
Maes’ shoulders slumped. “Then I’d better hope you’ve learned to be more forgiving.”
Roy spun on his heel and grabbed Maes by the lapels. He crushed his lips to Maes’. Hughes tensed for a moment then melted into the smaller man.
“Guess that’s a yes,” Hughes said breathlessly when Roy let him up for air.
“Shut up,” Roy growled, dragging Maes back down to his hungry mouth.
Maes felt the press of Roy’s erection digging into him as their tongues fenced. He had missed the feel of this tight little body against his. He missed their time alone, the nights of blind lust and unconditional love. Even better were the nights spent with Riza and Gracia, an illicit group so in synch, so in love that he knew he’d never find anything like his family no matter where he went in this world. Maes hadn’t been aware of the ache inside him until he had Roy’s wiry form in his arms, smelling the heavy musk of him. His cock felt heavy and hot as he rubbed it against Roy.
Roy pulled away. Maes chased after him, not letting him out of his arms. “No, let me go, Maes. Please!”
Hearing the panic in his friend’s voice, Maes dropped his embrace. “What’s wrong?”
Roy rubbed his face. “I didn’t want to do this. I promised myself this wouldn’t happen.”
Maes put a hand on Roy’s arm. “Roy, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. I’m so...” He gestured downwards. “This is not why I came here.”
“You think I don’t know that, Roy?” Maes couldn’t keep the edge out of his voice. He squeezed Roy’s biceps. “I know I mean more to you than sex. Maybe we’re both just a little too raw for anything else. Sometimes it’s okay to give in to need.” Roy drew a ragged breath and Maes thought maybe he’d break down crying again. He reached out and touched Roy’s cheek. “Is Riza expecting you home soon?”
“I told her I wouldn’t be home tonight.” Roy dropped his gaze. “So either I was expecting this or...”
“Or you were expecting to get blind drunk and unable to find your way home,” Hughes replied, knowing the dark moods his friend could get into. He wasn’t going to allow that. “If it matters, I want you to stay, Roy. No strings. If you just want to talk, fine. You could sleep on the couch if you want.”
“I need you to...” Roy shook his head.
Hughes could fill in the rest of the desire. He put his arms around his friend and simply held on. Roy rested his head against Maes’ shoulder. “Life needs to be more gentle with us, doesn’t it?”
Roy laughed bitterly. “Yes, it does.”
Hughes pulled Roy down onto the couch. For several minutes neither man said a word, just resting against one another, grateful for the chance to be able to touch, to know the other was safe.
“I know people thought you weren’t looking after Gracia and Elicia but I know better.” Maes toyed with Roy’s soft hair, like silk. “I appreciate you taking care of my girls.”
“I love them, too. It killed me to have so many people thinking I didn’t care,” Roy said, his body quivering.
“Roy, the people who matter knew the truth.” Maes leaned over, kissing Roy lightly. When Roy didn’t pull away, Maes traced the bow of his friend’s upper lip with the tip of his tongue. A soft sigh escaped from Roy. Maes grew bolder, reaching under Roy’s shirt to rest the flat of his hand on Roy’s smooth belly. He rubbed a thumb over the hairless flesh. “I want you, not just for the night, you know that.”
“I know,” Roy whispered, shifting under Maes’ hand to give him better access. “I want this. I can’t talk, but this I can do.”
“Good.” Maes scooped Roy to him, pulling him onto his lap. He rubbed Roy’s back as their mouths met, greedy and hot. Roy rocked against him. Maes knew once they got to it, neither of them would last long. Sheer desire made him so hard, so on edge, he’d be happy to get his pants off before he came. Roy’s tongue danced over the skin of Maes’ neck.
“Slowly,” Maes rasped. “I’ll come too fast if you keep doing that.”
“You need to touch me. I need you, Maes,” Roy begged.
Maes eased Roy off his lap, rubbing a hand over Roy’s tented crotch. He watched his friend’s eye close, his breath hitching in anticipation. Maes stood up, giving his hand to Roy.
They went to his bedroom. Roy twisted, letting go of Maes’ hand so he could tug up Maes’ shirt. He licked over Maes’ collarbone. Maes slid Roy’s shirt up over his head then pressed him down on the bed. Maes hesitated, seeing the red snake of a scar that slithered along under Roy’s collar bone, puckered and viciously red. Maes trailed a finger over it and Roy’s flesh twitched. Maes saw pain in Roy’s eye. “Are you sure you’re all right, Roy?”
“It gets tender but I’m fine,” Roy lied. If he told Maes how easily his strength left him, it would end now and he needed this. He and Riza had made love a few times since it happened and he was fine then.
“If you’re sure.” Maes dropped a kiss on the scar.
Roy’s fingers traced the new scars on Maes’ chest, slowly, then his hands went to the even bigger scars on Maes’ back. Maes let him explore these new and terrible additions to his body. It gave them time to calm their over heated bodies and let them get to know each other again. Maes’ fingers found the second serpent of scar tissue on Roy’s back. Damn him, he hadn’t said he’d been hurt this badly. This was a knife wound - no, sword. Maes could just imagine Bradley’s blade penetrating Roy straight through and then slicing away at him. Tomorrow, he would have a long talk with Roy about downplaying things, but he was hardly one to talk; he’d done the same thing with Gracia the first time after he’d been shot. Besides, he and Roy were too far gone for sensible things like stopping.
Explorations done, Maes stretched out over Roy, their bellies rubbing as he flexed his hips against Roy lightly. Roy reached for Maes’ glasses but Maes caught his hand. “Leave them. I like seeing you,” Maes said, his voice like velvet. He licked a trail over Roy’s cheek then down his neck. He pressed his lips to one of Roy’s hardened nipples, sucking gently until his friend was arching and moaning.
Roy squirmed out from under him and reached for his friend’s zipper. Maes’ cock arched up to greet Roy as he freed it. Moisture wept against Roy’s lips as he placed a kiss against the tip of his lover’s penis. Roy’s tongue peeked out, probing the slit in Maes’ cock. Maes tried not to pump his hips, letting Roy work. He enticed Maes, rimming his cock with his tongue, tickling the sensitive spot under the head.
Maes groaned loudly, the sheets bunching up in his hand. “Ahhh, damn Roy, you’re still a little tease.”
“Always.” Roy grinned then swallowed Maes deep into his throat.
Maes groaned as Roy’s head moved up and down slowly, his tongue circling around Maes’ cock. He reached down and yanked Roy’s belt open then freed his penis. Maes rubbed his thumb over it, smearing the dew around the head before he let his palm smooth up over it, the familiar topography of veins exciting him more. Roy’s member quivered under his touch, hardening further as Roy gave a full-mouthed moan.
Maes ran his other hand through Roy’s thick hair, gently tugging him away from his cock. “I can’t last long if you keep that up.”
Roy sat up, licking his lips, then pressed them against Maes’ larynx, sucking gently.
Maes embraced him. “I need to be in you. You all right with that?” Roy sucked one of Maes’ earlobes then whispered his assent. Maes eased out of his lover’s arms. “Got to get something for us,” he said, reluctant to leave the bed. When their relationship had been ongoing they’d have been prepared for the storm but he hadn’t been caught in this sort of weather in a long time. Maes headed for the kitchen and came back with a bottle of cooking oil and a hand towel. “Sorry, it’s the best I could do.”
Roy just shrugged, relaxing back against the plain white sheets, smiling. He had stripped off the remains of his clothing and shoes. Maes shimmied out of his pants then sat on the edge of the bed. He poured a liberal amount of oil into his palm. It felt cool against his hot flesh as he slicked his cock then rubbed the remains over Roy’s opening. Roy handed him the towel then nuzzled his neck as Maes cleaned his hands.
Roy laid back, moving to roll onto his belly. Maes stopped him. “I want to see your face,” Maes said softly.
Roy’s smile was gentle as he flipped onto his back. “I like that, too.”
Maes leaned forward, kissing Roy. He felt Roy’s penis digging into his belly. Maes drew back a bit, the head of his slicked cock pressing against Roy’s tight ring of muscle. He eased into Roy, listening to his friend’s breath hitching. Roy’s eye screwed shut. “You okay, Roy? Am I hurting you?”
Roy grabbed Maes’ neck, dragging him down into a kiss. “It’s okay. You need to move, Maes.”
Maes fully sheathed himself in Roy, sucking in the smaller man’s soft moan. Maes knew it hurt him a little. It had been awhile, after all, and all they had was make-shift lube. Roy whispered encouragements in his ear. Maes pumped into him harder, his belly gliding over Roy’s cock as he did so. He adored the sounds Roy made when they made love. Maes felt Roy’s whole body tightening under him so he pulled out and squeezed gently on Roy’s cock. “Not yet, Roy. Hold on for me.”
He wasn’t sure if Roy’s moan was assent or disappointment. He ran a hand over Roy’s heaving chest. His lover’s coloring, like a fresh pink rose, seemed simply beautiful to Maes. He had missed this so much. Maes had been so afraid tonight that Roy would just walk out, too furious to allow himself to be happy.
The look on Roy’s face usually put Maes in mind of someone who happiness forgot but at times like this, love and lust and joy all mixed in Roy’s face. All the masks were gone. This was why Maes enjoying being above him, watching. It was why he was reluctant to let Roy roll over to decrease the stimulation on him but it was unavoidable. Once Roy was settled face down on the sheets, Maes sank back into him. Maes grabbed Roy’s hips, thrusting faster now. Maes shifted, looping an arm under Roy’s chest, feeling the thunder of his heart. He wanted Roy away from the sound-muffling pillows. Roy obliged, pushing up on his elbows. His neck arched, giving voice to staccato cries of pleasure as Maes pumped into him.
Maes ran his one hand over Roy’s chest, toying with his nipples, occasionally straying lower to keep the fire banked. Feeling the edge rushing up at him, Maes sat back, taking Roy with him, Roy’s legs splaying over his. Roy reached back, pulling Maes forward, twisting so their mouths could meet.
Maes emptied into him. Roy slipped away from him as Maes fought to recapture his breath. Roy flashed his cat-like smile as if to say ‘good, huh?’ Maes pressed him flat, then shifted positions. He licked the weeping tip of Roy’s cock, which had gone the color of the purple-pink roses in the florist shop down the way. Maes slipped Roy’s legs over his shoulders as he licked his lover’s cock up and down like a kid with a candy cane. He pushed Roy’s hips firmly into the mattress to keep Roy from being a little too greedy and pumping too hard. From the way Roy writhed and moaned much more freely than usual, Maes knew Roy would be in free fall in a moment or two.
A few more tongue tickles under Roy’s sensitive head and his lover spilled into his mouth, Swallowing, Maes licked his lips; salty, musky, it had been too long since he had tasted this. He looked longingly at Roy. He wasn’t sure he knew anyone more beautiful in bed. Maybe because this was the only time Roy let his masks go, that he was that much more lovely for it. Gracia at least always shared her feelings. Maes didn’t have to wait to catch rare glimpses of her beauty.
Maes laid back on the pillow, running a hand along Roy’s neck. The smaller man leaned in for a kiss, never shy about that, even after things like Maes had just done and neither was Maes. He skimmed a hand over Roy’s sweaty back. “You okay?” He worried. He couldn’t help it.
Roy stretched like a cat being petted. “Perfect.”
Maes rolled up on one elbow and kissed Roy’s cheek. His hand strayed to the slightly eschewed eyepatch and started to take it off. Roy stopped him.
“Don’t.”
“Shh, it’s okay.” Maes nudged Roy’s hand away and pulled the patch off. The eyelid drooped over the ruined socket. The skin around it was red and puffy still. Maes kissed Roy over the brow then fluttered kisses all around the missing eye. Roy’s chest heaved and he started to cry. Maes pulled Roy to him, letting him weep softly until he cried himself out.
“Sorry,” Roy mumbled, pulling away from him.
Maes handed him back the patch. “It’s all right, Roy.”
“Sometimes I think things will never be all right again,” Roy muttered, putting the patch back on.
Maes stroked his damp hair. “You have to believe they will be, Roy.”
Roy buried his face in the pillow, seeming so dejected Maes could feel it in his own veins like poison. “I need you to remind me of that. Riza tries but she’s a little too much like me.”
Maes wrapped his arms around Roy, tucking his chin over Roy’s shoulder. “I’m back now. You lean on me as much as you need to.”
“I will,” Roy replied sleepily.
“You’d better,” Maes said, trying to put his glasses on the bed stand without dropping them over the side. He snuggled up with Roy. It had been a long time since he had another heart pressed up against his, either Roy’s or Gracia’s, since it had been a long while since her last visit. Maes simply luxuriated in the feel of it, thoroughly content.
Happy Birthday Evil_Little_Dog !!!!
Hope it's a great one.
Here's your story (and for those who actually care about these things, this is the first fic I've ever wrote that includes slash. Oh yeah, it also contains threesomes. You've been warned.)
If Happiness Forgets You
D M Evans
Disclaimer - not mine, all characters belong to Hiromu Arakawa et al, Square Enix and funimition. Time Line - Post Anime but with a vastly different ending (and hey some elements of the manga in there for good measure including a spoiler for issue #38 and 57
Pairing - let’s just say it’s polyamorous with both m/m and f/m pairings and if that bugs you, please don’t read.
Rating- FRMAO (yes, there's sex, lots of it actually, lots of other stuff too, but there's het sex, yaoi, and threesomes)
Summary - With the government reborn, and the brothers still wanted by soldiers loyal to Bradley’s memory, Roy and Riza have their hands full. The last person they expected to see in Rush Valley was him.
Author’s Note#1 - This was written for evil_little_dog’s birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Author’s Note #2 - Thanks to Mjules for all the betaing and suggestions. The story is better for it. This story is unusual for me since it’s heavily anime influence with just a hint of manga (instead of the other way around), you’ll see some things are very different than the ending of the manga however (like anything pertaining to Earth, the movie or Ed’s fate). I chose this route mostly because I wanted to poke out Roy’s eye and deal with the reality of that loss.
Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it. ~Jacques Prévert
Chapter One
Did he know that man? Mustang wondered briefly, finding himself coming under scrutiny in the crowded streets of Rush Valley. The lanky form seemed somehow familiar as did the loose-limbed walk. The pale, almost white hair wasn’t familiar and Roy couldn’t tell anything about eye color from this distance, not to mention the thick glasses obscuring the view.
The man seemed particularly interested in Roy, enough so that Roy found his thumb resting against his fingers in anticipation and his mind doing quick calculations to be sure to limit any civilian involvement. Roy had to turn his head to track the man.
Damn it! He hated his loss of depth perception and the huge blind spot. His hand involuntarily reached up and touched the patch covering the hole in his head where an eye used to be. The doctors said the socket was still too swollen to have a glass eye put in. Roy wasn’t sure he wanted one. He’d let Riza make the call when the time came. She was the one who had to look at his ruined face when they made love, after all. It bothered her; he knew it did, but for all the wrong reasons.
With a subtle lift of his chin, Roy indicated the tow-headed man to Riza. When the man turned away sharply, Roy caught a glimpse of dark roots in his hair, a bleach job. Was this a man with something to hide or just a man who liked to alter his appearance for vanity?
“A danger?” Riza asked lowly, her hand resting on the butt of her gun.
“Not sure.” It was a concern given how the military was now and how the fledgling government was struggling. Things had been crazy ever since Ed used the Philosopher Stone to call his brother’s body back, losing the stone in the process. Ed remained still half a man but somehow didn’t seem too horribly disappointed. Getting Al back had taken the edge off the young man’s guilt, and made the automail less heinous.
Here in Rush Valley, Ed seemed more self-conscious than other places they had stayed in as they moved about, trying to hide, possibly because the poor boy spent half the time stripped to his shorts in public with automailers oooing and aaaahing over him like love struck girls. Roy almost felt sorry for the young man. Winry didn’t help matters. He was surprised the girl didn’t just parade her creation through the street like a show pony.
Roy had been dispatched, in spite of his rank, to watch the brothers. The new parliament feared that the brothers could be at risk from Bradley’s supporters. Less than half the military actively backed the new government. Another quarter did what it was told without thoughts one way or the other. There were many high-ranking members who had broken away to regroup and try to reclaim Bradley’s dream. No one was sure if they knew Bradley was a homunculus or not; either way, it didn’t change things.
Roy knew this assignment was also to allow him time to heal from his wounds and to hide him as well as they hid the brothers. He had been the one to bring down ‘the evil dictator’ hellbent on wars they couldn’t win. Mustang was a hero to the new parliament and retained his new rank as a brigadier general. His whole team had been promoted, except Ed who was deemed too young. Riza had come with him as his aide and more so because her sharp shooting skills were deemed necessary in protecting the brothers. If anyone suspected she was his lover, it was ignored and if anyone knew she was having severe doubts about herself ever since the incident with Archer, that too wasn’t being addressed either.
Regardless, Roy was now saddled with keeping the boys safe from the remaining homunculi - or homunculus since the only one they knew might have survived was Gluttony - and other threats. He figured Rush Valley wasn’t exactly the most unlikely place to find them if anyone knew about Winry, but it was big enough to hide in well. Roy meant for them to hide, and having some man staring at him was disturbing.
“He looks familiar somehow,” Riza murmured, moving closer to them.
“Yes, and way too interested in us,” Roy said. “Time to get interested in him. Can’t risk anyone following us back to the Elrics.”
Riza nodded and turned, heading off in the opposite direction. She cut up, out of the man’s line of sight, traveling north, paralleling him. Roy would need to herd the man to catch the stranger between him and Riza.
The tall stranger picked up his pace, obviously aware Roy was following him. Roy had two advantages to balance out the other man’s longer strides; the uniform, which cleared the path just by being bright blue and his slight form, which met with far less resistance from the crowded streets. Roy hoped it wouldn’t become a foot chase. He was still in no shape for it, getting easily winded after the damage done to his lung. Riza popped out from the alley a block ahead of them.
The stranger cut hard to the left down another alley but that proved to be a miscalculation. It was a dead end. “Damn.”
“Done running now?” Roy’s fingers twitched, unused sparks forming.
“What do you want with me? Don’t military dogs have better things to do than harass citizens?”
The man’s voice sounded oddly familiar but Roy was sure he didn’t know anyone with a southern regional accent. “With the state of the military today, we’re all a little paranoid, especially when we come under surveillance.” Roy moved closer as he saw the man eyeing the fire escape as a potential way out of the alley.
“No one was looking at you, dog. Shoo, I think your master’s calling you.” The man leapt for the escape.
Roy caught his arm, spinning the man around before he could get a hand on the rung. Roy pressed his fingers together, ready should the man have a hidden weapon. As determined as he was to escape, Roy suspected he did. There was something eerily familiar about the man’s furious face, now that Roy was finally getting a good look at his features. The hair color was wrong. He was too well shaven and the glasses were all the wrong shape. Roy’s gut twisted and his legs could have been stirred with a spoon. He could feel color leaving his face. “Ma-”
The man clamped a strong hand over Roy’s mouth, bearing him back against the dirty wall. “My name is Luc Gibson.”
Roy shook, prying the man’s hand away. “You son of a bitch!” Mustang’s fist lashed out, catching the other man in the eye. Roy suspected Hughes had let him hit him since he barely moved. Roy knew his supposedly-dead friend was a much better fighter than that. Mustang hit him again, wincing a bit, having forgotten how much it hurt when muscle and bone collided. He depended on his alchemy for the most part. He wasn’t a brawler.
Hughes, however, was, as Roy was reminded of this when his friend counterattacked and the battle was joined in earnest. Roy realized he should have gotten away from the wall before hitting Hughes the first time. He was hemmed in and Hughes had the longer, stronger reach and a lot more bare-knuckled talent. He also fought dirty as hell. Two rapid fire blows crashed into the blind side of Roy’s face, which was still very tender, flooding his solitary eye with tears of pain. Those blows were followed up with one to his solar plexus, leaving him sagging, gasping for breath against the filthy bricks.
The cocking of a pistol was thunder sharp in the alleyway. “Back away from him now.”
Hughes complied without taking his eyes off Mustang. “You can relax, Hawkeye. I’m just knocking a little sense into our boy.” He looked over his shoulder at her, that familiar smirk in place.
Hawkeye stumbled back, her gun wavering. “Hughes,” she whispered.
“Don’t know the man. My name’s Luc Gibson.” The smirk widened.
Roy pushed of the wall, wiping a trickle of blood from his lips. “What kind of game are you playing at?”
The smirk disappeared and a very unaccustomed grimness settled over Hughes’ features. “A lethal one.”
“I thought you were dead!” Roy swallowed hard. “How could you fake that and not tell me? How could you do it to your family?”
Hughes tore his shirt up, displaying the scars on his torso. “There wasn’t much faking involved, Roy. The people, and I use that term lightly, who did this had to believe I was dead. It was the only way to keep my family safe.” He let his shirt slide back down. “And I needed you to keep the investigation going very subtly. They wouldn’t expect you to be able to solve it, but I knew you’d figure out something.”
Roy scowled. “I tried.”
“I know. Armstrong and Ross told me.” Hughes said, and Roy felt gut punched again. Armstrong knew? “They tried to feed you what information they could, from what I’ve uncovered. I know how Bradley and the others underestimated you,”
“Eventually I became a threat,” Roy said, his hand floating up to touch the eye patch.
“I heard you’d been hurt but I didn’t realize...” Hughes reached for his friend.
Roy batted his hand away. “ You trusted Armstrong and Ross but not me? What about your wife?”
“She knows,” Hughes replied, not meeting Mustang’s eye.
Roy’s eye slotted. Riza took a step toward him and Roy froze her with a glance. “Then it’s me you didn’t trust.”
Hughes’ lips thinned. “Don’t be stupid.”
“Stupid? Oh, I think I’ve probably been that for a long time now.” Roy pushed past his friend. Hughes grabbed his arm and Roy cocked back a fist. Hughes dropped his hand. “Come on, Hawkeye. We’ve taken up enough of Mr. Gibson’s time.”
“Roy,” she said, holding out a hand to him.
He whirled on her, stunned to hear his name while she was in uniform, furious because he knew she didn’t want to leave this alleyway. “That was an order, Captain.”
She glanced away. “Yes, sir.”
Roy stalked off. He didn’t slow even when he heard Hughes telling him he’d be at the Nobody’s Inn tonight. The invite was clear but Roy didn’t want to hear it.
“Sir,” Hawkeye called after him.
Roy picked up the pace. He hated the fractures building in his pride. Tears trickled down his face, an ugly wash of grief, anger, betrayal and joy. He dashed them away, unsettling the patch over his ruined socket. The eye might be gone but the gland was still there, soaking the black cotton.
Finally, Hawkeye dared to grab his sleeve. “Sir!”
He pulled free. “I’ll be fine.”
“No, you won’t. Roy, I can’t imagine what you’re feeling,” Hawkeye said, her own feelings leaking into her voice. He knew she had been fond of Hughes, too, had missed their odd relationship. “Or what the brothers are going to think.”
Roy shook his head violently. “You can’t tell them, Riza.”
“We have to. He was like a father to Ed and Al.” Her eyes misted up.
“And he’ll guess they’re with us. It’s up to him to tell the brothers,” Roy said, hating himself for it and for what he was thinking. “We don’t know if he even wants to see any of us again.”
“I’d say telling you which bar to find him in is a big clue that he’s not going to just disappear,” Riza replied, cuttingly.
“Hawkeye, I can’t have this conversation now. I just can’t.” He held up his hands. “Please, let it be.”
“Fine,” she snapped. He heard the tears in her voice. Most people would never had understood how he, Riza, Gracia and Maes had fit together but it worked for them. He knew his lover was hurting, too, and he felt terrible because he didn’t have the energy to spare and to help her.
“I’m sorry, Riza. I know I’m being selfish but I can’t help it.” He glanced over at her and saw from her face that she didn’t disagree with his self-assessment. Roy didn’t know how he was going to make it through the day and do his work. There was nothing but chaos inside of him.
Chapter Two
“I’m going out,” Mustang announced to the brothers and Winry, who were cleaning up the supper dishes in the small, plain kitchen of their new temporary housing. “I don’t know if I’ll be back tonight so don’t wait up.”
“Trouble, sir?” Tension sang in Al’s voice and Roy couldn’t blame him; the danger to them was still very real.
Roy glanced over, still not used to Alphonse being a slight young man with sandy brown hair. It never failed to amuse him, however, that Al was taller than his big brother and Roy liked to point that out to Edward whenever things got boring. “No, this is personal.” Roy paused to pull on his coat. Riza came over and touched his cheek.
“Going to the Nobody’s Inn?” Riza’s voice was a bare whisper, knowing the teens were watching.
Roy’s shoulders slumped wearily as he stared at his shoes. She caught his chin, forcing him to look at her. “Need you ask?”
“Not really. Tell him I’ve missed him, too.” Riza’s brown eyes glistened.
Roy bobbed his head, unable to speak.
She fussed with the edge of his eye patch. “I’ll watch over the kids and I’ll call Gracia to let her know he’s here and well.”
“She’d appreciate that.” He squeezed her hand. “Thanks for understanding, Riza.”
She glanced back at the kids then kissed him softly. “If it’s too much for you, Roy, just come back home. I think he’ll understand.”
“I’ll be fine,” he said without conviction. Roy pulled his coat tight around his lean body. The wind bit right through it. He felt strange going out without his uniform on. It had been a long time since he had liberty time. Granted, he had mostly been without the uniform while helping the new Parliament to hide the Elric brothers but it still felt strange. That only made sense since he had spent half his life encased in blue wool.
The last thing Roy needed was this distraction and he hated himself for even thinking it. He needed to let himself enjoy the fact his best friend wasn’t dead. The shock had begun to wear off but he still didn’t know how he felt. The emotions were strong, painful even, and still confusing. The whirl in his mind was so bad that he was numb to everything until he found himself at the Nobody’s Inn. He almost missed the pub. The sign was small, black with white lettering, as unpretentious as the bar itself. The pub was more packed than Roy would have expected and he hoped it helped him to keep his emotions under control. Roy loathed making a scene.
He didn’t have to wonder if Maes would be here. Roy knew his friend would be. He found Hughes in a snug towards the back of the pub. Roy sat down and looked at Maes wordlessly for several long moments. With the bleached hair, strange glasses and no beard, it was still hard to see his friend in the man before him.
“I almost thought you wouldn’t show,” Hughes said, his voice thick with pain.
“I considered it,” Roy admitted as a waitress came over. “Whiskey neat, please.”
“Another beer,” Maes added and she nodded, heading off. His amber eyes turned on Roy. “Did you tell the boys?”
Roy shook his head. “It’s up to you to do it. I have no idea if you’re going to stick around or just disappear from our lives again. I wasn’t putting them through that.” Roy winced at his own words. He was hurting too much for this talk.
Hughes’ lips thinned, his face going pale. “That isn’t fair, Roy. I didn’t ask for this.”
“And you didn’t trust me enough to tell me you’d gone into hiding,” Roy rumbled, his fingers digging into the table. They twitched restlessly and he was glad he didn’t have on his static gloves.
Maes started to reply but paused as the waitress brought the drinks.
“Can you bring me the bottle?” Roy kept his eye on her so he wouldn’t see Maes’ disapproval.
“I’m not supposed to, sir,” the young woman said. Roy fished out his wallet and handed her a sizable bribe. She swept it up, her eyes big. “I’ll get the bottle.”
“So that’s it then?” Maes’ lips skinned back. “Going to just disappear inside the bottle, Roy?”
Roy’s eyes flared. “What do you care?”
“Don’t make me hit you again,” Maes snapped, trembling slightly with rage. “This time I’ll wipe the floor with you. I didn’t tell you because you’re too close to everything, not just to me but to Command and the brothers. I couldn’t risk you dropping your guard. You, of all people, needed to believe I was dead. If someone came for you, and I knew someone might, you had to be able to tell them nothing. Do you think it didn’t kill me inside to keep you out of this, Roy? Do you think I care so little for you? That I didn’t miss you?”
Roy glanced away, slamming back the whiskey. He was thrilled to see the waitress arrive with his bottle and push off so fast she barely had time to set it down. He poured more whiskey and let it follow the first. It hurt so badly and he savored every nuance of the burn.
“Roy, do you think I wanted any of this?” Hughes’ voice was so broken Roy winced, still not looking over.
“No,” he muttered, having to force himself to not just give in and lock his pain away. He needed to move through the emotion or he’d get trapped. “And I know you can only apologize so many times. I’m not looking for that.” Roy slapped his hands down on the table. “I don’t even know what I’m looking for.”
Maes put a hand on Roy’s. “It’s okay, Roy. I’m not expecting you to not be angry. You have every right to be.”
Roy wet his lips, pulling away from Maes. He grabbed up the glass and hurt himself some more.
“Roy...you don’t have to...” Maes pulled the bottle closer to him.
Roy sank into himself, not looking at Maes, not speaking at all.
Maes slowly got to his feet, his face long, dejected, wasted on a friend who wouldn’t even look at him. “Maybe I should g-”
Roy grabbed Maes’ shirt sleeve, hanging on tight. “Talk to me Ma...Luc. Tell me how you’ve been, what you’ve been doing.” He felt desperate, angry at himself for nearly driving his friend away.
Maes settled back into his seat, relief pressing the pain out of his eyes. “I’ve been doing what I can to find out how far the corruption goes, keeping track of the boys the best I can, meeting with Gracia very occasionally...”
“When she comes to visit her friend in the south,” Roy said. “I’ve seen her go off on those trips.”
Maes nodded. “Elicia stays with Gracia’s friend, Marion. We can’t risk her blurting it out that I’m alive. The investigations into what’s going on have not gone as well as I would have hoped. Our...special people.” Maes’ gaze shifted to those around them in the bar to judge if anyone was listening too closely. “The ones with the Ourobourus tattoos...”
Roy’s face pinched. “I know who you mean.”
“Well, they’re too hard to find easily except where the brothers are. One always seems to pop up then.” Maes’ voice roughed with anger. “Couldn’t bring myself to use the brothers as bait.”
“Understood.” Roy’s fingers brushed over the patch.
“How did it happen, Roy?” Maes pointed to the injury with the mouth of his beer bottle.
“Riza,” Roy whispered.
Maes mouth dropped and Roy witnessed a rarity: Hughes struck silent. “What,” was all he managed when his voice returned.
“It was an accident. I was already bleeding very badly after the fight with Pride...Bradley, whatever you want to call the Fuhrer. I was trying to pull his son out of the house. Bradley strangled the boy, nearly killing him in front of me then Archer stopped me.” Roy’s face screwed up at the memory and he took a cautious sip of whiskey. He reached a finger under the patch, touching the scars. “Archer was horrifying, more machine than man. I don’t even know how he was functioning. It should take years to adapt to automail but...” Roy shook his head. “He would have killed me. I was barely able to walk. Probably would have blown myself up at that point if I tried alchemy. My brain was scattered and I was pumping blood all over.”
“And Riza tried to kill Archer,” Maes surmised, adding a shot of whiskey to his beer. Armstrong hadn’t told him any of this. Maes wondered if anyone but the heads of parliament knew what really happened.
“She did kill what was left of him...but a bullet ricocheted off the automail and right through my eye. I got lucky. The angle was very oblique and the velocity low. It went through the eye and just part of the socket. Any other way...well, you’d be the one visiting my grave,” Roy said soberly.
“Riza has to be so torn up.” Maes’ voice shook, pity for his friends blatant in his eyes.
“She is. She pretends to believe me when I say that I don’t blame her, which I don’t. She did save my life. The eye is a small price to pay,” Roy said, wondering if he sounded honest about that. He did feel that way but he couldn’t help being just a little bitter. “Riza can hardly look at me some days and she doubts herself. Oh, that scares me, Mah...Luc. Not that I and the brothers can’t take care of ourselves but damn it, if I have to worry about her freezing up, it’s just not good.”
“Have you spoken to her about it?” Maes felt a little queasy at that thought. If Riza did freeze up and lose someone, she would never forgive herself.
“Not directly. I keep hoping...if it continues, I’ll have to. If she doubts herself, there’s no point in it. Worse, they promoted her for helping me to overthrow the Fuhrer. Funny how that works. He was great while he was in power and now...nothing but a symbol of what went wrong, something the parliament can point to and say, ‘see, we’re better?’ Admittedly, I agree with that but still...and now Riza has to deal with the thought of ‘I made captain by shooting Mustang in the head,’ which is a load of shit but you know how minds work.” Roy sighed and almost poured some more whiskey. He looked at the bottle and set it aside.
Maes nodded. “I’m sorry, Roy. I didn’t know about any of this. I had no idea you’d been hurt this badly. Armstrong was having trouble getting information to me once the whole overthrowing started.”
“Has he told you all about what our “special friends” were up to? No, well I’ll tell you later I guess. It has to do with why Hughes was....killed,” Roy said with a shake of his head. “You probably uncovered one of the biggest, most dangerous corruptions of our time.”
“And dragged you all down with it.” Maes’ eyes sheened as his voice went heavy with regret. “I guess me being dead or alive didn’t matter as much as I hoped. Might be time to reinvent Gracia and Elicia and take them as far away as I can, or are they safer now with the new parliament in charge?” Hughes drooped as if the weight of the world had just been slammed onto his shoulders. Roy reached for the whiskey again and Hughes let him take it. “There has to be something we can talk about, Roy, that isn’t so depressing.”
“Alphonse,” Roy replied without hesitation. “There is almost nothing depressing about him, other than we nearly lost him in the transmutation.”
Maes smirked. “Never thought I’d see you excited about kids.”
“They’re not really kids, are they? Young men. The stone...it nearly pulled him apart but everything is okay now. Everything is so new to him all over again, food, sleeping and all the inconveniences of being human, too. He’s thrilled even with those inconveniences. I gave him a book or two so he could enjoy all the other things he missed out on not having a body, things teenaged boys like to do. One look at those garden delights positions and Ed nearly went ballistic.”
Maes laughed. “Evil, Roy, evil.”
“I figured Al could use some fun after what he went through,” Roy replied, smirking.
“We are frail, aren’t we?” Maes asked, ruefully.
Roy touched his eye patch again. “Too frail. The boys would like to see you, I’m sure. They took...Hughes’ death very hard,” he said softly, his head bending forward like a wilting flower. “We all did. I don’t know how Gracia made it through with....no, I don’t want to talk about this.”
“Take me home tomorrow. I want to see them.” Hughes reached for Roy’s hand.
Roy pulled away, running his hand through his hair. “I will if....” His throat constricted.
Maes’ eyes narrowed. “If what?”
“Nothing. Sorry, no strings attached. Tomorrow will be fine.” Roy looked away.
Hughes tapped Roy’s arm. “Want to get out of here and go somewhere private so we can just talk?”
Roy nodded, swallowing past the boulder that formed in his throat. “How far is it to your place?”
“Not far. It’ll be more comfortable there without all the...extra ears.” He glared at some of the nearby patrons who were too curious for their own good.
“Good.” Roy got up and snatched the whiskey bottle off the table. Hughes shot him a disapproving look but said nothing as he led the way outside. It was a short walk to his little house. It had seen better days. The wooden porch sagged a bit, and looked foreboding in the dark, like now. Even in the light of day, it looked like it had shadows clinging to it.
Roy slammed the bottle on the living room table and ripped off his coat. “Do you know how furious I am with you?”
“I was sort of hoping you had let that go in the bar,” Maes replied, trying to keep the irritation off his face as he took his coat off as well. Apparently Roy took privacy as an excuse to really vent.
Roy turned his back on him, his arms crossing over his chest like armor. “This isn’t something you just let go that easily.”
Maes’ shoulders slumped. “Then I’d better hope you’ve learned to be more forgiving.”
Roy spun on his heel and grabbed Maes by the lapels. He crushed his lips to Maes’. Hughes tensed for a moment then melted into the smaller man.
“Guess that’s a yes,” Hughes said breathlessly when Roy let him up for air.
“Shut up,” Roy growled, dragging Maes back down to his hungry mouth.
Maes felt the press of Roy’s erection digging into him as their tongues fenced. He had missed the feel of this tight little body against his. He missed their time alone, the nights of blind lust and unconditional love. Even better were the nights spent with Riza and Gracia, an illicit group so in synch, so in love that he knew he’d never find anything like his family no matter where he went in this world. Maes hadn’t been aware of the ache inside him until he had Roy’s wiry form in his arms, smelling the heavy musk of him. His cock felt heavy and hot as he rubbed it against Roy.
Roy pulled away. Maes chased after him, not letting him out of his arms. “No, let me go, Maes. Please!”
Hearing the panic in his friend’s voice, Maes dropped his embrace. “What’s wrong?”
Roy rubbed his face. “I didn’t want to do this. I promised myself this wouldn’t happen.”
Maes put a hand on Roy’s arm. “Roy, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. I’m so...” He gestured downwards. “This is not why I came here.”
“You think I don’t know that, Roy?” Maes couldn’t keep the edge out of his voice. He squeezed Roy’s biceps. “I know I mean more to you than sex. Maybe we’re both just a little too raw for anything else. Sometimes it’s okay to give in to need.” Roy drew a ragged breath and Maes thought maybe he’d break down crying again. He reached out and touched Roy’s cheek. “Is Riza expecting you home soon?”
“I told her I wouldn’t be home tonight.” Roy dropped his gaze. “So either I was expecting this or...”
“Or you were expecting to get blind drunk and unable to find your way home,” Hughes replied, knowing the dark moods his friend could get into. He wasn’t going to allow that. “If it matters, I want you to stay, Roy. No strings. If you just want to talk, fine. You could sleep on the couch if you want.”
“I need you to...” Roy shook his head.
Hughes could fill in the rest of the desire. He put his arms around his friend and simply held on. Roy rested his head against Maes’ shoulder. “Life needs to be more gentle with us, doesn’t it?”
Roy laughed bitterly. “Yes, it does.”
Hughes pulled Roy down onto the couch. For several minutes neither man said a word, just resting against one another, grateful for the chance to be able to touch, to know the other was safe.
“I know people thought you weren’t looking after Gracia and Elicia but I know better.” Maes toyed with Roy’s soft hair, like silk. “I appreciate you taking care of my girls.”
“I love them, too. It killed me to have so many people thinking I didn’t care,” Roy said, his body quivering.
“Roy, the people who matter knew the truth.” Maes leaned over, kissing Roy lightly. When Roy didn’t pull away, Maes traced the bow of his friend’s upper lip with the tip of his tongue. A soft sigh escaped from Roy. Maes grew bolder, reaching under Roy’s shirt to rest the flat of his hand on Roy’s smooth belly. He rubbed a thumb over the hairless flesh. “I want you, not just for the night, you know that.”
“I know,” Roy whispered, shifting under Maes’ hand to give him better access. “I want this. I can’t talk, but this I can do.”
“Good.” Maes scooped Roy to him, pulling him onto his lap. He rubbed Roy’s back as their mouths met, greedy and hot. Roy rocked against him. Maes knew once they got to it, neither of them would last long. Sheer desire made him so hard, so on edge, he’d be happy to get his pants off before he came. Roy’s tongue danced over the skin of Maes’ neck.
“Slowly,” Maes rasped. “I’ll come too fast if you keep doing that.”
“You need to touch me. I need you, Maes,” Roy begged.
Maes eased Roy off his lap, rubbing a hand over Roy’s tented crotch. He watched his friend’s eye close, his breath hitching in anticipation. Maes stood up, giving his hand to Roy.
They went to his bedroom. Roy twisted, letting go of Maes’ hand so he could tug up Maes’ shirt. He licked over Maes’ collarbone. Maes slid Roy’s shirt up over his head then pressed him down on the bed. Maes hesitated, seeing the red snake of a scar that slithered along under Roy’s collar bone, puckered and viciously red. Maes trailed a finger over it and Roy’s flesh twitched. Maes saw pain in Roy’s eye. “Are you sure you’re all right, Roy?”
“It gets tender but I’m fine,” Roy lied. If he told Maes how easily his strength left him, it would end now and he needed this. He and Riza had made love a few times since it happened and he was fine then.
“If you’re sure.” Maes dropped a kiss on the scar.
Roy’s fingers traced the new scars on Maes’ chest, slowly, then his hands went to the even bigger scars on Maes’ back. Maes let him explore these new and terrible additions to his body. It gave them time to calm their over heated bodies and let them get to know each other again. Maes’ fingers found the second serpent of scar tissue on Roy’s back. Damn him, he hadn’t said he’d been hurt this badly. This was a knife wound - no, sword. Maes could just imagine Bradley’s blade penetrating Roy straight through and then slicing away at him. Tomorrow, he would have a long talk with Roy about downplaying things, but he was hardly one to talk; he’d done the same thing with Gracia the first time after he’d been shot. Besides, he and Roy were too far gone for sensible things like stopping.
Explorations done, Maes stretched out over Roy, their bellies rubbing as he flexed his hips against Roy lightly. Roy reached for Maes’ glasses but Maes caught his hand. “Leave them. I like seeing you,” Maes said, his voice like velvet. He licked a trail over Roy’s cheek then down his neck. He pressed his lips to one of Roy’s hardened nipples, sucking gently until his friend was arching and moaning.
Roy squirmed out from under him and reached for his friend’s zipper. Maes’ cock arched up to greet Roy as he freed it. Moisture wept against Roy’s lips as he placed a kiss against the tip of his lover’s penis. Roy’s tongue peeked out, probing the slit in Maes’ cock. Maes tried not to pump his hips, letting Roy work. He enticed Maes, rimming his cock with his tongue, tickling the sensitive spot under the head.
Maes groaned loudly, the sheets bunching up in his hand. “Ahhh, damn Roy, you’re still a little tease.”
“Always.” Roy grinned then swallowed Maes deep into his throat.
Maes groaned as Roy’s head moved up and down slowly, his tongue circling around Maes’ cock. He reached down and yanked Roy’s belt open then freed his penis. Maes rubbed his thumb over it, smearing the dew around the head before he let his palm smooth up over it, the familiar topography of veins exciting him more. Roy’s member quivered under his touch, hardening further as Roy gave a full-mouthed moan.
Maes ran his other hand through Roy’s thick hair, gently tugging him away from his cock. “I can’t last long if you keep that up.”
Roy sat up, licking his lips, then pressed them against Maes’ larynx, sucking gently.
Maes embraced him. “I need to be in you. You all right with that?” Roy sucked one of Maes’ earlobes then whispered his assent. Maes eased out of his lover’s arms. “Got to get something for us,” he said, reluctant to leave the bed. When their relationship had been ongoing they’d have been prepared for the storm but he hadn’t been caught in this sort of weather in a long time. Maes headed for the kitchen and came back with a bottle of cooking oil and a hand towel. “Sorry, it’s the best I could do.”
Roy just shrugged, relaxing back against the plain white sheets, smiling. He had stripped off the remains of his clothing and shoes. Maes shimmied out of his pants then sat on the edge of the bed. He poured a liberal amount of oil into his palm. It felt cool against his hot flesh as he slicked his cock then rubbed the remains over Roy’s opening. Roy handed him the towel then nuzzled his neck as Maes cleaned his hands.
Roy laid back, moving to roll onto his belly. Maes stopped him. “I want to see your face,” Maes said softly.
Roy’s smile was gentle as he flipped onto his back. “I like that, too.”
Maes leaned forward, kissing Roy. He felt Roy’s penis digging into his belly. Maes drew back a bit, the head of his slicked cock pressing against Roy’s tight ring of muscle. He eased into Roy, listening to his friend’s breath hitching. Roy’s eye screwed shut. “You okay, Roy? Am I hurting you?”
Roy grabbed Maes’ neck, dragging him down into a kiss. “It’s okay. You need to move, Maes.”
Maes fully sheathed himself in Roy, sucking in the smaller man’s soft moan. Maes knew it hurt him a little. It had been awhile, after all, and all they had was make-shift lube. Roy whispered encouragements in his ear. Maes pumped into him harder, his belly gliding over Roy’s cock as he did so. He adored the sounds Roy made when they made love. Maes felt Roy’s whole body tightening under him so he pulled out and squeezed gently on Roy’s cock. “Not yet, Roy. Hold on for me.”
He wasn’t sure if Roy’s moan was assent or disappointment. He ran a hand over Roy’s heaving chest. His lover’s coloring, like a fresh pink rose, seemed simply beautiful to Maes. He had missed this so much. Maes had been so afraid tonight that Roy would just walk out, too furious to allow himself to be happy.
The look on Roy’s face usually put Maes in mind of someone who happiness forgot but at times like this, love and lust and joy all mixed in Roy’s face. All the masks were gone. This was why Maes enjoying being above him, watching. It was why he was reluctant to let Roy roll over to decrease the stimulation on him but it was unavoidable. Once Roy was settled face down on the sheets, Maes sank back into him. Maes grabbed Roy’s hips, thrusting faster now. Maes shifted, looping an arm under Roy’s chest, feeling the thunder of his heart. He wanted Roy away from the sound-muffling pillows. Roy obliged, pushing up on his elbows. His neck arched, giving voice to staccato cries of pleasure as Maes pumped into him.
Maes ran his one hand over Roy’s chest, toying with his nipples, occasionally straying lower to keep the fire banked. Feeling the edge rushing up at him, Maes sat back, taking Roy with him, Roy’s legs splaying over his. Roy reached back, pulling Maes forward, twisting so their mouths could meet.
Maes emptied into him. Roy slipped away from him as Maes fought to recapture his breath. Roy flashed his cat-like smile as if to say ‘good, huh?’ Maes pressed him flat, then shifted positions. He licked the weeping tip of Roy’s cock, which had gone the color of the purple-pink roses in the florist shop down the way. Maes slipped Roy’s legs over his shoulders as he licked his lover’s cock up and down like a kid with a candy cane. He pushed Roy’s hips firmly into the mattress to keep Roy from being a little too greedy and pumping too hard. From the way Roy writhed and moaned much more freely than usual, Maes knew Roy would be in free fall in a moment or two.
A few more tongue tickles under Roy’s sensitive head and his lover spilled into his mouth, Swallowing, Maes licked his lips; salty, musky, it had been too long since he had tasted this. He looked longingly at Roy. He wasn’t sure he knew anyone more beautiful in bed. Maybe because this was the only time Roy let his masks go, that he was that much more lovely for it. Gracia at least always shared her feelings. Maes didn’t have to wait to catch rare glimpses of her beauty.
Maes laid back on the pillow, running a hand along Roy’s neck. The smaller man leaned in for a kiss, never shy about that, even after things like Maes had just done and neither was Maes. He skimmed a hand over Roy’s sweaty back. “You okay?” He worried. He couldn’t help it.
Roy stretched like a cat being petted. “Perfect.”
Maes rolled up on one elbow and kissed Roy’s cheek. His hand strayed to the slightly eschewed eyepatch and started to take it off. Roy stopped him.
“Don’t.”
“Shh, it’s okay.” Maes nudged Roy’s hand away and pulled the patch off. The eyelid drooped over the ruined socket. The skin around it was red and puffy still. Maes kissed Roy over the brow then fluttered kisses all around the missing eye. Roy’s chest heaved and he started to cry. Maes pulled Roy to him, letting him weep softly until he cried himself out.
“Sorry,” Roy mumbled, pulling away from him.
Maes handed him back the patch. “It’s all right, Roy.”
“Sometimes I think things will never be all right again,” Roy muttered, putting the patch back on.
Maes stroked his damp hair. “You have to believe they will be, Roy.”
Roy buried his face in the pillow, seeming so dejected Maes could feel it in his own veins like poison. “I need you to remind me of that. Riza tries but she’s a little too much like me.”
Maes wrapped his arms around Roy, tucking his chin over Roy’s shoulder. “I’m back now. You lean on me as much as you need to.”
“I will,” Roy replied sleepily.
“You’d better,” Maes said, trying to put his glasses on the bed stand without dropping them over the side. He snuggled up with Roy. It had been a long time since he had another heart pressed up against his, either Roy’s or Gracia’s, since it had been a long while since her last visit. Maes simply luxuriated in the feel of it, thoroughly content.