Better Living Through Alchemy - Chapter 20, Part One
Title: Better Living Through Alchemy - Chapter 20, Part One
Pairing: Roy/Ed
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: None
Special Guest Beta: brinylon, much thanks and love!
Previous Chapters of Better Living Through Alchemy can be found on my Master Fic List.
The Official velvet_mace word count this chapter: 22,759. Fic to date: 259,030.
Roy Mustang, General by trade, Casanova by reputation, stood with his hands on his hips and surveyed his temporary domain. It was quite scenic and tranquil, a lush and tree draped vista, with a view of a sparkling lake just in the distance. He took a deep breath and counted himself healthier for it, he turned to grin at his companion, his paramour, his lover, (of whom he intended to take full advantage these scant two weeks away from the world) and cocked an eyebrow.
The gesture said: 'Well, haven't I outdone myself? It's this all I said it would be and more? Aren't you pleased that I would bring you to such a dazzling and overwhelming place of peace and harmony?'
“When are we going to see the inside of this cabin?” the focus of his affections said. “You just going to stand out here on the porch all day? I'm starving, I hope that rinky dink tavern we saw out on the main road serves dinner.”
Roy's eyebrow took a quick side trip back to it's original position and his mouth flattened out.
“Ed,” he complained. “Look at the view! Just look at it! You can see clear down to the lake from here. Look at the trees, all the... wilderness around. Ah! Look, is that a squirrel?”
Ed stared at him blankly for a moment.
“Gee, I don't know. You're the expert since you were so sure we had them in the attic at home last fall. You were really intrepid to go up there with a flash light and I'm sure I only heard you scream like a girl once.”
“You know, there's no need for you to be so pissy because I wouldn't let you drive the convertible roadster. It is rented you know, and all you've ever done is drive into a house.”
Ed almost bared his teeth, but he caught himself at the last moment. They stood for a moment, eyebrows twitching and Ed conceded. After all, this was a vacation, something that they'd never done together. He shouldn't be trying to pick a fight, at least not on the first night.
So, to oblige he took a deep breath and turned to look at the lake. Ok, so it was pretty, but he wasn't going to go spouting that off, because that would make Roy smug again. Not that smug was a bad thing with Roy, per se, it made sex really good at times.
“It's great, isn't it?” there was no smugness in the tone, or arch of eyebrow when the General looked his way.
Defeated again.
“Yeah,” Ed said with a casual shrug of his shoulders. “It's really nice.”
The General's smile was warm and pleased and Ed got a little feeling in his stomach that wasn't so bad.
“Let's see inside the cabin,” Roy said, fishing the keys out of his pocket. “It's suppose to be the nicest on the property.”
Ed was all for that, he went back and grabbed the suitcases from the end of the porch and came over, almost eagerly pressing against Roy's back as Roy worked the lock.
The cabin opened into the main room, it's was large and airy with a high ceiling. To one end stood a rustic, stone fireplace, at the other was a bed. Ed let the suitcases drop and cocked his head at it a little. It was a funny sort of bed, almost round and mounded so high with pillows that you almost couldn't see the mattress at all. The rest of the main room was almost as plush, large cushions were in overstuffed chairs. A rug that looked like it once belong to some mythical bear from the Isle of Overly Fluffy Angora Animals, was stretched between them in front of the fireplace.
Ed turned toward the General slowly and started to open his mouth, but his eyes fell on another room decoration that he found he wasn't opposed to at all. A large fruit basket was sitting on one of the tables by the bed. That made up, in Ed's opinion, for the ridiculous lavishness of a cabin, in the woods on a lake for pete's sake. He stepped around Roy and headed over, sat down on the side of the bed and caused a small pillow-lanche that threatened to bury him.
“Hey, there's a card on this basket,” Edward plucked out the small envelope. “Who would send us fruit? I thought you said you didn't tell anyone but Al where were were going because Al could stand up to torture.”
“I didn't,” Roy said, picking up the suitcases and heading for a doorway off the main room. “I think it just came complimentary, with the cabin.”
Ed read the card, he flipped it over, then back and read it again. He held it up as if he were looking for some secret code in the very paper itself. He sniffed it, he looked slowly around the room, and then he looked at Roy.
Roy raised his eyebrow.
“It says,” Ed growled slowly, “congratulations newlyweds.”
“Well, fancy that,” the General said and turned away quickly, yanked the doorway open, shoving the suitcases in.
“I'm outta here,” Ed leaped to his feet, throwing the little card to the floor. “I don't know what you think you're trying to pull but I ain't having no part of it! Newlyweds!” Ed snorted. “Do I look like a blushing bride to you?!”
“I wanted you to have the best,” Roy cried, spreading his arms. “This was the best cabin on the lake! It has it's own bathroom!” Roy waved his hands toward another door. “All the other ones share public showers and toilets! I wanted this to be special, it's not my fault there is this honeymoon stigma to it! Besides, Ed, I would think that by now, common law...”
Ed's jaw flapped open.
“We aren't married!” he shrieked. “I never said yes and you never proposed!”
“But you have thought about it,” Roy suddenly purred.
Ed went scarlet and backpedaled, the back of his knees struck the bed and he sat again.
The General swung the closet door shut and sauntered across the room. Edward backed up onto the bed and looked anywhere but at the General's face.
“Shall I get on my knees?” the deep, silken voice asked.
“No!” Ed cried and immediately covered his face with his hands. “Look, forget I said anything. You don't got to do nothing!” He squirmed all around, trying to get off the other side of the bed.
Roy caught him easily, hopping up on the bed and crawling over him, straddling his body and looking down at his finger covered face. He could make out the faint blushing between the cracks in Ed's flesh fingers.
“But I want to do it, I want to ask you,” Roy leaned over. His lover was no longer a boy, despite this charming display. “Will you answer me, if I do?”
“Geddoffa me, leave me alone,” Edward huffed, muffled and wiggled. His hip came into contact with the inside of Roy's thigh and he went still. “Why are you doing this to me? You know I hate this mushy shit.”
“Why am I doing what to you?” Roy leaned down and kissed knuckles both flesh and metallic.
“Stoppit,” Ed whined and turned his head to the side, face still covered. Roy reaches and tugged at Edward's flesh wrist until Edward gave in and let him pull it away. Ed turned one eye in his direction, frowning and blushing. Roy leaned over and kissed his cheek and the corner of his lips. From there his lips traveled lower, over a jaw and down the side of Ed's neck. Ed's face was uncovered now, both of his hands rested lightly on Roy's shoulders and he was pursing his lips slightly and then sucking them in and doing it again. Ed had some of the most unintentional endearing habits and Roy didn't dare mention them, because Ed would then make the concerted effort to stop.
Ed arched then, brought his hips up and Roy half moaned. They weren't even unpacked yet, they'd just arrived perhaps twenty minutes prior, and already he wanted to fuck Ed through this ridiculous heart-shaped bed. Damn, lake air must be really good for you.
Ed gave a small, involuntary sound and risked at glance at his face. Roy smiled for him and settled himself down, lying between Ed's legs and along his body. He propped some of his weight on his elbows.
“Hey,” the General said softly.
“Hey,” Ed said in return.
“Would you?” the General said with a soft, teasing grin.
Ed groaned and squeezed his eyes shut and scowled in appropriate Ed fashion.
“You know I would,” he mumbled and tried to sink into the bed beneath him.
Roy pushed himself up, his fingers went to the waistband of Ed's pants.
“What are you doing?” Ed grumbled. “I just got engaged and you already think you own me, I'm starving. At least take me to dinner first.”
“Oh that's right,” the General snorted. “I forgot you were one of those girl-next-door wholesome types who wouldn't let me so much as get to first base without a ring.”
Then the General yelped as the Professor neatly threw him off and he rolled off the side of the bed and thumped on the floor.
**
The rinky dink tavern out on the main road did, in fact, serve dinner. As long as you liked meat. Fried, mostly. Or charbroiled into bits of black soot. The very large and rugged looking gentleman in the cooks window didn't seem to take to any other suggestion lightly. Roy appealed to Ed with his eyes.
“Why don't we drive back to the town that was an hour down the road?” he said.
“Why? This is fine, and it's right here.”
Roy squinted at the tattered and grease stained paper menu again. He scanned it fruitlessly, (and that was literal as well as figurative).
“There doesn't seem to be much of a selection, this is our hon...,” he caught himself at Ed's glare, “our vacation,” he corrected. “You should let me treat you.”
“You are treating me, to this big steak,” Ed said, pointing. “It comes with a potato, that's fancy enough for me. No rabbit food to get in the way.”
Rabbits made no noises that Roy could imitate, so he returned to his glum perusal of the menu. A woman, (at least Roy thought it was a woman, for it's sake he hoped it was a woman) came to linger briefly at the table side and gave them both a slight glare for making her, (or it), do her, (or it's), job.
“Steak,” Ed said. “As bloody as he wants me to have it, and the potato since it comes with it. Beer?”
She snorted and nodded and turned her small, slightly watering and slightly swine-ish eyes on Roy.
Trapped. He looked at Ed again, but Ed was set on feeding him to this woman's several sets of jowls. He dropped his eyes to the menu again, searching frantically.
“You boys ain't from around here,” she said suddenly, her delayed epiphany catching up to her. “You staying in the woods at that cabin place? It's fancy and 'spensive. That must mean you want the good stuff. Hey Turk!” she yelled toward the cook's window. “We got big spenders.”
A tiny ray of hope flashed in Roy's head.
“Good stuff? Do you have actual vegetables?” he said, putting on his most charming smile.
“Nah,” she grunted and then grinned. “But we got the high dollar beer like them places in Rockmont,” she nodded sagely. “Locals don't drink it much, but we keep it on hand for the city boys what come to play in the woods.” She grinned, and Roy tried not to stare into the tiny gaps of her missing teeth.
“I'm from Risembool,” Ed said, loftily. “I'm not from the city, he is,” and he looked at Roy, condemning him in a glance. “He's from Central.”
What few pairs of eyes were in the dark and dank little clap trap tavern, turned in Roy and Ed's general direction.
“I..I am,” Roy admitted, feeling this was some sort of crime. “But I can enjoy the countryside and lake, just like anyone else.”
There seemed to be several diversive snorts at this proclamation.
“I got folks out Risembool way,” the woman said. “But over in Doncaster.”
“I know where that is,” Ed said brightly. “I've been through it a few times.”
The two of them chatted for a moment about corn and sheep or corn in sheep, it didn't matter. Roy tried to be inconspicuous and to figure out if he could actually eat anything off the menu or he would be losing a lot of weight over the next two weeks.
“Are you going to eat, or what?”
Roy realized that the woman was actually talking to him now, so in panic he said: “I'll have what Ed is having”, just to escape her scrutiny and she took that for what it was worth and shambled away from the table.
Ed watched her go, turned back to Roy.
“Well, at least the locals seems ok enough. I wonder what the big dollar beer is?”
“Whatever it is, I'm not going to pay some hopped up out of towner price for it, you better believe that. I can't believe they don't even have salads. Do they think potatoes are the only vegetable?”
“You know, you eat steak just fine at home. It comes with steamed broccoli and carrots, but everyone knows that's just there to make the meat look better. No wait, you do actually eat that shit, don't you?”
“Vegetables are good for you,” Roy said in a patient parental tone. “You should eat them more often, Edward...ow! If you have to kick me under table use the right foot, dammit,” he bent over to rub his shin and glared at Ed over the table. Ed didn't look the least bit remorseful.
“Beer,” a voice said out of no where and two large glass mugs with handles slammed down on the table between them. Ed took his eagerly and Roy scrutinized his.
“Trade with me,” he said.
“Huh? Why?” Ed said, stopping mid-way between mug and mouth.
“This mug is dirty,” Roy said and pushed it with his fingertips in Ed's direction, “and you aren't usually picky about this sort of thing.”
Ed just stared at him silently for a moment. Then he slammed his mug down and picked up the one Roy was being so fastidious about.
“It must be fucking love or lunacy, I haven't figured out which,” Ed sneered and took a drink.
**
“That was not a steak, it was a wedge of tar in disguise,” the General groaned, sprawled on his back in the middle of the bed. “And here I didn't pack any bromo... I'm going to die.”
“Don't be so melodramatic,” Ed snorted. “It was a little tough but it was fine, next time we'll try the pork.”
“Next time?” the General whined. “I won't survive until the next time. My innards are already blocked. I'm just going to expand. You'll be cruel of course, tease me about getting fat. But I'll fix you, you'll be sorry when I'm gone.”
“I'm already sorry and you're still here,” Edward snorted and started peeling out of his clothes.
Roy let his next retort die on his lips, and instead watched Edward undress. There was some kind of symphony playing in the background, Roy was sure of it, because for every layer Edward peeled off, Roy could hear the choir. It was like manna to watch him bare himself, and knowing that if he could just get up and move with this tar weighing his body down, he could put his hands on that rapidly appearing skin. He licked his lips and Edward caught him doing it and stopped, pants halfway undone.
At first Ed looked like he didn't know what to do. If he should be offended or pleased and it made for some interesting contortions on his face.
“What are you looking at?” he finally mumbled and worked on his pants, albeit a little more slowly.
“My lover,” the General crooned. “He's glorious when he's baring himself for my pleasure.”
“What? The fuck I am! You're a pervert, a slimy pervert,” Ed growled.
“Not anymore my love, you're legal now,” the General sighed.
Ed half turned his back and pushed his pants down, Roy was always very amused that Edward was still a bit prudish after all this time.
“Besides, you're too injured by steak to get it up, remember?” Ed said over his shoulder.
“I think I'd have to be dead not to get it up at the sight of you,” the voice said behind him.
Ed swallowed a little and slowly finished undressing. He wasn't sure why he did it, Roy was just goading him. He tried and failed to look over his shoulder, to see the smirk and the sparkle in a black eye. He clenched his fists.
“The line of your back is classical,” the voice murmured again. “Let your hair down, let me see how long it's gotten.”
Ed had no clue why he obeyed this disembodied voice giving him the most personal of directions. But he freed his ponytail and felt his hair fall against his bare back and waited.
“It's a little longer I believe, almost to your mid-back. It's still very rich in color, I would have thought it would start to fade more toward white blond by now. Either way it's mesmerizing.”
Ed felt a little trickle of sweat run down the back of his neck. He shifted a bit from foot to foot, what the fuck was he waiting for? More directions?
“It took a while to get here, didn't it? All those hours in that car? I bet you need a really good stretch.”
Ed flared his nostrils, like hell he was going to... and then he did feel a bit cramped, in his lower back and shoulders. This was some kind of verbal subliminal manipulation, Ed could tell. Roy must have mastered it years ago, yes, back in his Lt. Colonel days. So that was the reason everyone followed him around with puppy like devotion. Well, everyone but him, he puppied for no man! He just... laid on his back and spread his legs.
Roy sucked in a small breath. Ed tensed, he could see the play of his muscles all the way from his shoulders to his butt cheeks. Roy felt a bit light headed when Ed flexed those. Ed balled his fists and raised his arms slowly over his head, arched his back and groaned. Roy rolled up onto his side and pushed into a half sitting position on his hip. Ed slowly lowered his arms to his sides, holding them straight out and turned to his left, then to his right. He let his arms hang in front of him then and rolled his head once before straighting back up.
“Was that good?” the General purred.
Yeah, it was good, it was really good. He was starting to feel relaxed and warm despite his nakedness.
“You haven't had a proper work out lately, have you?” the General asked.
Well, no. Not since the Prince and the sparring matches. And he'd been avoiding the Prince for obvious reasons. And the last weeks of school had been hectic, making sure all his boys were ready for the exams. Sweating over their individual performances for the dean and other school board heads. Hoping there would be an alchemy class next year.
He hadn't had time.
“I haven't,” Ed admitted lowly. “But not because I'm lazy or nothing, and I'm not really out shape...” he rushed.
“I know,” the General placated behind him. “Believe me, I know. You're magnificent Ed, but I know how you are. You're a bundle of energy, and when you keep it all inside you're just heading for some sort of explosion.”
“Maybe,” Ed said and rolled his head on his shoulders again an stood up a little straighter. Roy smiled, Ed took to praise like a fish to water. It was nice to watch him preen.
“I know you studied with a martial arts expert as a boy, Mrs. Curtis? Was there a regiment she taught you? Some series of movements?”
Ed nodded and bowed his head. He didn't move for several moments. And when he did, he flowed. He turned his head and took a step to the side and Roy could see his eyes were closed. His arms came up, one hand up, the other fisted and he stretched his other leg back, but seemed perfectly centered. Roy almost forgot to breathe.
The next three movements were all similar in style, a rounded, artistic flair of motion that came to a stopping point just when Roy thought Ed would over balance or break his concentration. Each movement highlighted Edward's body in dramatic repose. Sinew and muscle, each pause and held movement seemed like time held it's breath.
His lover turned as he began to repeat the movements back to his original spot. His eyes were closed and his face serene. Roy heard loud breathing in his ear, and he knew it wasn't Ed's. He felt hot and a bit uncomfortable in his clothing. Once again there had been a power shift. It always amazed Roy how easily and how well he and Edward shared this precarious perch of domination between them.
Edward reached his original spot, came to a halt, then took a deep breath and bowed. When he straightened back up he slowly opened his eyes. But only halfway, he looked relaxed and lazy.
Roy wet his lips and nodded.
“Beautiful,” he said.
Ed absorbed this compliment, his eyes slide shut again and he tilted his head back, just a bit.
“Now what do you want me to do?” Ed whispered, on the cusp of husky.
Own me... no wait, you already do that.
“Perhaps you'd like to come over here and help me take my clothes off?” the General suggested casually.
Ed dropped his head back down and opened his eyes.
“I think I can do that,” he said.
And then he came. He was only a couple of strides away, but he filled them with his body and his heat and his sex. Roy felt his chest heave once. Ed was usually a rather demure creature in the bedroom, Roy felt that this was true. Ed was content to let Roy lead him, but on occasion, on those rare occasions when Ed felt his own power, things could be different.
He didn't say anything, instead he bent forward slightly and Roy felt fingers work the button at his throat. He was sure Ed felt it move. Ed worked with silent diligence, unbuttoning Roy's shirt all the way down then gripping it and pulling it out of his slacks and finishing the job. He pushed it open and off Roy's shoulders. Then he caught Roy's hand and lifted it, worked the button loose on the cuff and tugged the sleeve down on that side, then half turned, repeated it with the other. Roy kept looking at Ed's face, watching the concentration and the schooled expression. Ed knew he held the upper hand. Roy lifted his arms when directed and his dress shirt sailed over Ed's shoulder to the floor, followed quickly by his undershirt.
Ed lifted his hands slowly and Roy felt them on his cheeks. Roy felt his lips part to Ed's unspoken request and he leaned up. As they came together Ed opened his mouth, covering Roy's. It was Ed's tongue that sought and gained entrance and it was Roy who shut his eyes first. Ed's fingertips worked small circles on his cheeks and Ed's tongue stroked the roof of his mouth before dipping to nudge his own. Each breath Roy took drank Edward in, each exhale Edward swallowed greedily.
Edward's fingertips moved, skating over his jaw, down the sides of his neck and to his shoulders. Roy wasn't even aware he was being pushed back until he felt the comforter under his spine. Ed braced himself with his hands to either side of Roy's chest and pulled up slowly out of the kiss, tugging the General's bottom lip briefly with his teeth as he did so. Edward's always impressive bangs spilled forward to frame his face as they regarded each other.
“Don't move,” Edward whispered, pushed upright and looked around. He went to hastily retrieve one of the suitcases, dragging it out and unlatching it. He grunted in frustration as he pawed through it, Roy imagined he would just dump it out, because Edward lost all patience when aroused. But he came back, tossing the bottle on the bed next to Roy. He reached down then to undo Roy's belt.
Roy lifted his knees, pressed them to Edward's hips and rearranged himself a bit. Ed deftly opened the buckle on the General's belt and pulled it slowly from the belt loops around his waist. The buckle made a loud clank when it hit the floor.
“You know, I'm usually never without something to say,” Roy said and Ed looked up at him just as his fingers gripped and pulled up on Roy's slacks to undo the button. “But what do you say to the sexiest man in the world when he's standing between your legs undoing your pants?”
Ed's cheeks colored up and he dropped his eyes again, there was a tiny pleased smile on his face.
“And what does it say about me that he's doing it naked?” the General added, because, God help him, he never could resist a tease.
Ed snorted and yanked and the button of Roy's slacks sailed in a graceful arch and bounced once on the comforter before clattering to the floor.
“Please don't break the zipper, I've only just learned to sew buttons back on,” the General pleaded.
Ed smiled overly sweetly and gripped Roy's slacks hard at the top and closed his automail finger over the zipper tab.
“At least be careful of my hair!” Roy yelped.
Ed zipped with much enthusiasm and Roy heard fabric shred and then he was suddenly naked. He decided it best not to question it. Ed put his hands on his hips and let his eyes wander up and down Roy's frame.
“I'm not sure you're up to snuff for the sexiest man in the world,” he drawled. “You look a bit flabby and under defined. You're also an amazing shade of fish belly white.”
Roy's mouth pulled down on the sides.
“That's really cruel, here I've done nothing but drool over you for the past half hour and you think I'm flabby.” Roy leaned up on his elbows and looked down his body. He feared the middle-aged spread with a vengeance, and having Ed around was good incentive not to sit on his couch and eat chips and swill beer most nights. True, he wasn't as active as his younger lover, but he did ok. There were lots of steps at the office, he went up and down them, at a jog, several times a day. He wasn't fat.
Ed looked like he was on the verge of snickering.
“Don't...don't pout,” he got out before bursting into giggles he tried to smother with his automail hand.
Roy flopped back again, scowled at the ceiling and Ed managed to get himself under control.
“Aw, come on, I'm sorry,” Ed said, climbing back up on the bed and straddling Roy's body. “I didn't mean it, come on, look at me.”
Roy kept his head turned to the side, he tried to fold his arms but Ed wouldn't let him.
“Come on, you can say shit to me and I don't pout... ok, I don't pout usually, come on.” Ed wheedled.
“I did nothing but tell you how drop dead gorgeous you are and how much I wanted you from the minute I realized you were taking off your clothes,” the General huffed.
“I know, “ Ed crooned. “I didn't mean it, it's just you offer me a compliment with one hand and then smear it in my face with the other. I'm the one who should be upset,” Ed leaned down and kissed his cheek, his ear, the side of his neck. Ed's hair danced over his chest and Roy wavered.
“You're right, that was rude of me,” Roy murmured and Ed's lips found his adam's apple. “But if you can forget the second part, I mean what I say,” he raised his hands and rubbed Edward's sides, slid them down to his hips to knead.
“Yeah, that's better. We had some hot shit going on there for a few minutes,” Ed growled, “let's get that back. I love it when you make me feel like that.”
Roy slid his hands to Ed's spine, he pressed in on either side and dragged his fingers up and Ed threw his head back and groaned, curling downwards, his hips coming to rest against Roy's.
“Everything I could ever want in this world is hanging above me,” Roy told him. “I am only a breath away from my heaven, even though he doesn't believe in it.” He pushed his fingers back down Ed's spine and Ed's head hung forward, his back arching up now.
“Yeah,” Ed said, “talk to me like that. I fuckin' love that, but you didn't hear it from me.”
“Didn't hear what?” Roy replied smoothly, then he pushed up on his elbows again and he extended his tongue. Ed shuddered and gasped when it slid over his nipple then tossed his head back and bit his lower lip when Roy's lips closed over it. Edward jerked and twitched above him as he suckled slowly, nudging the now hard nub back and forth with his tongue.
Roy pulled his mouth away long enough to whisper: “Do you like that, beautiful?” before taking him in again. Edward twisted above him, but careful not to pull away from Roy's attentions, his hips pressed and ground down and he whimpered his pleasure.
Roy's hands traveled up and down his back, smoothed over his butt cheeks and squeezed lightly. He could feel the head of Roy's cock touching him on his lower stomach and the feel of his own cock, hard and tight; pressed into the crevice where Roy's leg joined his thigh. But Roy's mouth commanded him, drew all those delicious lines of lust together in one spot, under Roy's lips.
When Roy released him, Ed almost sagged. His cock helpfully supplied the knowledge that it was rubbing lightly against warm skin, and it really liked it, could it have more please in a 'harder-faster' way?
It must have telepathically sent this message to Roy's hand, for no sooner than it had finished speaking, there Roy's hand was to comfort it. The rest of Ed's body really liked the Roy's hand/Ed's cock couple and thrust forward eagerly to get them together. This caused Ed's internal fixings to also want to take part, and he gave a happy little yelp before he could get them under control. But the bastard didn't smirk at him, only rubbed him lightly up and down in a terribly, awfully, wonderfully, unsatisfying way.
Roy's eyes were now half mast and he was almost purring. Ed trembled on outstretched arms above him making the most delicious expressions. It felt incredible, to be here in this place in the middle of nowhere, where no one knew them and to have Ed naked and quivering at his touch. He cooed to his whimpering lover, watched Ed thrust and start to sweat lightly, listened to his ragged breaths.
Roy reached up, quickly located the bottle Ed had tossed on the bed earlier. He released Ed and Ed kept thrusting, rubbing the head of his cock on Roy's stomach and Roy snapped the bottle open and wet his fingers with lubricant. With his unanointed hand he grabbed Ed's arm and pulled him forward, made him crawl up Roy's body. He pulled Ed down and Ed came willingly, his hips still rocking and Roy slide his fingers into the cleft of Ed's ass and quickly located his anus, rubbing it back and forth vigorously. Ed half way howled and dropped his forehead to Roy's shoulder, trying to spread his legs wider in invitation.
“You want this,” Roy husked into his ear, then pressed the first finger in, steady pressure to the base. Ed needed little preparation these days, but Roy went through the motions because he enjoyed it. He loved the feel of Ed's muscles around his fingers, the minute jerks of Ed's hips when he was penetrated, all these little things he missed when he just plunged in, cock first.
The second finger followed the first with almost no pause and Ed thrust hard into his stomach, groaning and Roy reveled in every grimace and every spasm around his fingers.
“You love this,” he whispered against Ed's ear. “You beg for this,” he licked his ear then and Ed sobbed his denial and admission all at once. He moved his fingers, in and out, back and forth and never in the way Ed begged for with his soft cries and hip thrusts. The key was to keep Ed hungry, starving. Just on the edge of his lust and desperate. That was where Ed was most lovely.
Ed tried to reach between their bodies and grab his own cock, but Roy caught his hand.
“No, that's mine. Do you really think I'm going to let you jerk yourself raw when I'd rather you be screaming and riding my cock?” he trilled. “You don't get to come until I say you can,” and he punctuated it with a hard thrust of his fingers and Ed writhed. “You understand me?”
Ed resisted him, grit his teeth and tried to jerk his wrist free of Roy's grip. But Roy hung on tightly and dropped his voice.
“Look at me,” he ordered and when Ed refused he growled and thrust hard with his fingers again. “I said look at me!”
Ed turned his head slowly, he was sweating and his bangs clung to his cheeks and his hair spilling over his shoulders stuck there. He opened his eyes to glare, but a stroke over a very sensitive spot made them pop wide and he trembled.
“Put your mouth over mine and kiss me,” Roy said, the order softer now. “Come on, kiss me.” He felt a surge of pure lust when after a moment, Ed leaned down to obey.
Intoxication, drunk of this man above him.
Ed shook and cried softly into his mouth, pulled up to beg with words since all his yearning wasn't working.
“Roy... I need... “ he sobbed.
“I know what you need, do you think I wouldn't give it to you? But you have to show me you want it, you have to tell me, Ed.”
His own chest was heaving, his own cock was so hot and tight he almost thought it might split. His bravo was fading and he held out as long as he could, eyes focused on Ed's flushed and swollen lips.
“You total bastard,” his lover cooed. “You know I want you to fuck me, why do you make me do this, I don't know,” he sobbed.
Roy pushed Ed up then and Ed's eyes grew wide and wounded. And Roy realized it must feel like some sort of rejection to be shoved away after such an admission, he rushed to mend it before the rift grew.
“Sit up, beautiful, here, lift your hips,” and he grabbed Ed there, pushing upwards and Ed pushed on his knees looking baffled and anxious.
“You get to be on top,” Roy purred, “you like being on top.” He reached between them, the side of his hand brushing along the bottom of Ed's dripping erection and Ed whined and started to push back down.
“Not yet,” Roy scolded mildly and Ed froze and waited.
Roy grasped his own cock and hissed aloud and Ed's eyes slid closed and he moaned at the sound. He lined himself up as best he could and gave Ed's hip a little push.
“Slowly,” he said and Ed began to sink. “That's it, like that...” The head of Roy's cock nudged and pushed into the cleft of Ed's ass and they both paused to shudder at the sensation. Then Roy coaxed again and Ed continued down. The head of Roy's cock locked into the depression there, poised against Ed's anus and Roy released himself and Ed's hip and he waited.
Ed hovered there, breathing in and out deeply, he tilted his head back and shook his hair and Roy groaned at the sight. Ed dropped his chin to his chest and pressed down, just enough to get the head of Roy's cock inside, and he made the most beautiful of grimaces and waited to adjust.
He slowly began to descend, just a bit at a time and Roy thought he would die and die happy by the end of it. When Ed finally settled his ass on Roy's thighs, Roy had already been to heaven and back several times. He reached up, rubbed Ed's hips and immediately took possession of Ed's cock, slick with pre-cum and hot in his palm. Ed jerked forward when Roy touched him and then his eyes widened and he pushed back. Roy forced stillness on his body, no matter its wailed protests. He wanted to move, to thrust and push himself impossibly deep inside Ed's body, into that tight, hot place that was clenched around his cock. Ed rocked his hips, once, twice, experimentally and then pushed up a bit on his knees and sank back down. He made a sound that flayed Roy's very flesh from his bones and pushed himself up again, then rocked forward into Roy's palm and back and down. Slow, agonizing torture that Roy would beg for, scream for, commit any crime for. He was awash in Ed's desire and lust, watching almost detached as the young man who owned his soul arched his gorgeous body and sought his attentions.
Roy brought his other hand into play, cupping Ed's balls, lifting them when Ed pushed up on his knees, as if to somehow urge him along, pressing them when Ed sank back down. Ed gritted his teeth, unsure what to do with his hands. One of them gripped the wrist of the hand Roy had around his cock, the other flattened on Roy's chest.
It wasn't long before Ed upped the ante and he began to move faster, picking up his up and down motion, tugging on Roy's wrist.
“Rub me, bastard, don't just hold it, fuck!” Sweat dripped from Ed's chin onto Roy's chest and Roy made a low sound in his throat, a gurgle-like welling of pleasure. Roy gave him two quick and strong strokes and Ed panted hard and moved harder, the sound of flesh slapping flesh mingled with their breathing. Roy waited and when Ed opened his mouth to beg, he did it again, just two, long and firm, and Ed whipped his head to the side and ground down as hard as he could before pushing back up.
There was no ecstasy like this to be had on his earth. No other person who could entice such raw desire from him. Roy bared his teeth and struggled to maintain himself, teetering here on the edge. Because the sight of his lover working himself to a lather in lust was something he wanted burned into his very retinas. But it wasn't to last, Ed sobbed to him, one last desperate plea and Roy couldn't help but answer. He gave Ed what he wanted, began to build him on long satisfying strokes of his turgid cock, raised his hips to meet Ed's descents. It all became a battle, a race, a conquering neither wanted to win, and when Ed thrust his head back and shouted his completion to the skies, Roy followed soon after and sang his praises to the man he loved and could never live without.
**
The next morning brought Roy a sight he hadn't seen in a long time. The Professor dressed like Ed. A black tank top, as much as Roy thought he wouldn't miss that steadfast piece of a younger Edward's wardrobe, he did. And shorts, when Edward went on vacation, he took it seriously. They had to be hold overs from his younger days. They were long, hit just above his knee and were a little faded and a little frayed at the hems.
Ed had his own thoughts on Roy's vacation wardrobe.
“You're not wearing that down to the lake, are you?” the younger man said with a slight sneer.
Roy paused and looked down at himself. He seemed in order. Linen trousers, short sleeved, button down print shirt, (not quite floral, sort of ferny) and sandals.
“Yes,” Roy said slowly, “is there a problem?”
“Well, yes,” Ed sputtered and waved his hands at Roy's attire. “We're at the lake, not on the back deck of one of your snooty General buddies!”
“This is what I brought to wear,” the General said and restrained himself from putting his nose in the air. “There is nothing wrong with it.”
“Weren't you planning on getting wet?” Ed asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No, should I be?” Roy asked, his own eyebrow raising a bit.
“Tell me something, just why did you want to come to the lake?” Ed said, hands going on hips and hunching his shoulders a little.
“Relaxation mainly,” the General said, putting his hands on his hips. “I was thinking I might spend some quality time with my lover and take in the scenery.”
“You weren't planning on swimming or fishing?” Ed said.
Roy worked his jaw and glanced around the room before settling his sight back on Ed.
“You weren't, were you?” Ed said, exasperated. “What did you think we'd be doing? Hanging around in the cabin fucking all day? Wait, don't answer that.”
“For your information, I was going to see about renting a boat, I saw a sign on the road as we came in. Also, I think it's high time you learn to drive,” Roy threw that in as a peace offering, to waylay any righteous tirade Ed might be formulating to hurl at his head.
“Teach me to drive?” Ed sounded a little breathless and then he suddenly lit up all over. It wasn't a tiny glow, but an angelic shining that sprang to life in his golden hair, ignited his eyes and traveled down his entire frame.
There would be no getting out of it now.
“Yes,” Roy said, as if he'd been planning it all along. “Why do you think I rented the roadster? I'm not going to teach you to drive in that box we take back and forth to work everyday.”
The roadster was insured and not their everyday means of transportation after all.
Ed was looking at him in a most peculiar way.
“That is... if you want to learn to drive,” Roy ventured, uncertain.
“I just have this overwhelming need to have sex with you,” Ed said in an airy way. “I don't know why, but I think we should have sex before we go down to the lake... a lot of it.”
Roy immediately began to strip.
“Is there anything else I can offer to teach you?” the General asked a bit breathless as the Professor's shorts and tank top hit the floor.
“No, I think the driving thing is going to get you more sex than your tongue can handle at the moment,” Ed reassured him.
“Oh good,” Roy said as he was backed to the bed and let himself fall back onto it. “Because I think my tongue can handle a lot.”
“Hope it's been working out,” Ed growled and covered the General's mouth with his own.
Onward to Part Two
Pairing: Roy/Ed
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: None
Special Guest Beta: brinylon, much thanks and love!
Previous Chapters of Better Living Through Alchemy can be found on my Master Fic List.
The Official velvet_mace word count this chapter: 22,759. Fic to date: 259,030.
Roy Mustang, General by trade, Casanova by reputation, stood with his hands on his hips and surveyed his temporary domain. It was quite scenic and tranquil, a lush and tree draped vista, with a view of a sparkling lake just in the distance. He took a deep breath and counted himself healthier for it, he turned to grin at his companion, his paramour, his lover, (of whom he intended to take full advantage these scant two weeks away from the world) and cocked an eyebrow.
The gesture said: 'Well, haven't I outdone myself? It's this all I said it would be and more? Aren't you pleased that I would bring you to such a dazzling and overwhelming place of peace and harmony?'
“When are we going to see the inside of this cabin?” the focus of his affections said. “You just going to stand out here on the porch all day? I'm starving, I hope that rinky dink tavern we saw out on the main road serves dinner.”
Roy's eyebrow took a quick side trip back to it's original position and his mouth flattened out.
“Ed,” he complained. “Look at the view! Just look at it! You can see clear down to the lake from here. Look at the trees, all the... wilderness around. Ah! Look, is that a squirrel?”
Ed stared at him blankly for a moment.
“Gee, I don't know. You're the expert since you were so sure we had them in the attic at home last fall. You were really intrepid to go up there with a flash light and I'm sure I only heard you scream like a girl once.”
“You know, there's no need for you to be so pissy because I wouldn't let you drive the convertible roadster. It is rented you know, and all you've ever done is drive into a house.”
Ed almost bared his teeth, but he caught himself at the last moment. They stood for a moment, eyebrows twitching and Ed conceded. After all, this was a vacation, something that they'd never done together. He shouldn't be trying to pick a fight, at least not on the first night.
So, to oblige he took a deep breath and turned to look at the lake. Ok, so it was pretty, but he wasn't going to go spouting that off, because that would make Roy smug again. Not that smug was a bad thing with Roy, per se, it made sex really good at times.
“It's great, isn't it?” there was no smugness in the tone, or arch of eyebrow when the General looked his way.
Defeated again.
“Yeah,” Ed said with a casual shrug of his shoulders. “It's really nice.”
The General's smile was warm and pleased and Ed got a little feeling in his stomach that wasn't so bad.
“Let's see inside the cabin,” Roy said, fishing the keys out of his pocket. “It's suppose to be the nicest on the property.”
Ed was all for that, he went back and grabbed the suitcases from the end of the porch and came over, almost eagerly pressing against Roy's back as Roy worked the lock.
The cabin opened into the main room, it's was large and airy with a high ceiling. To one end stood a rustic, stone fireplace, at the other was a bed. Ed let the suitcases drop and cocked his head at it a little. It was a funny sort of bed, almost round and mounded so high with pillows that you almost couldn't see the mattress at all. The rest of the main room was almost as plush, large cushions were in overstuffed chairs. A rug that looked like it once belong to some mythical bear from the Isle of Overly Fluffy Angora Animals, was stretched between them in front of the fireplace.
Ed turned toward the General slowly and started to open his mouth, but his eyes fell on another room decoration that he found he wasn't opposed to at all. A large fruit basket was sitting on one of the tables by the bed. That made up, in Ed's opinion, for the ridiculous lavishness of a cabin, in the woods on a lake for pete's sake. He stepped around Roy and headed over, sat down on the side of the bed and caused a small pillow-lanche that threatened to bury him.
“Hey, there's a card on this basket,” Edward plucked out the small envelope. “Who would send us fruit? I thought you said you didn't tell anyone but Al where were were going because Al could stand up to torture.”
“I didn't,” Roy said, picking up the suitcases and heading for a doorway off the main room. “I think it just came complimentary, with the cabin.”
Ed read the card, he flipped it over, then back and read it again. He held it up as if he were looking for some secret code in the very paper itself. He sniffed it, he looked slowly around the room, and then he looked at Roy.
Roy raised his eyebrow.
“It says,” Ed growled slowly, “congratulations newlyweds.”
“Well, fancy that,” the General said and turned away quickly, yanked the doorway open, shoving the suitcases in.
“I'm outta here,” Ed leaped to his feet, throwing the little card to the floor. “I don't know what you think you're trying to pull but I ain't having no part of it! Newlyweds!” Ed snorted. “Do I look like a blushing bride to you?!”
“I wanted you to have the best,” Roy cried, spreading his arms. “This was the best cabin on the lake! It has it's own bathroom!” Roy waved his hands toward another door. “All the other ones share public showers and toilets! I wanted this to be special, it's not my fault there is this honeymoon stigma to it! Besides, Ed, I would think that by now, common law...”
Ed's jaw flapped open.
“We aren't married!” he shrieked. “I never said yes and you never proposed!”
“But you have thought about it,” Roy suddenly purred.
Ed went scarlet and backpedaled, the back of his knees struck the bed and he sat again.
The General swung the closet door shut and sauntered across the room. Edward backed up onto the bed and looked anywhere but at the General's face.
“Shall I get on my knees?” the deep, silken voice asked.
“No!” Ed cried and immediately covered his face with his hands. “Look, forget I said anything. You don't got to do nothing!” He squirmed all around, trying to get off the other side of the bed.
Roy caught him easily, hopping up on the bed and crawling over him, straddling his body and looking down at his finger covered face. He could make out the faint blushing between the cracks in Ed's flesh fingers.
“But I want to do it, I want to ask you,” Roy leaned over. His lover was no longer a boy, despite this charming display. “Will you answer me, if I do?”
“Geddoffa me, leave me alone,” Edward huffed, muffled and wiggled. His hip came into contact with the inside of Roy's thigh and he went still. “Why are you doing this to me? You know I hate this mushy shit.”
“Why am I doing what to you?” Roy leaned down and kissed knuckles both flesh and metallic.
“Stoppit,” Ed whined and turned his head to the side, face still covered. Roy reaches and tugged at Edward's flesh wrist until Edward gave in and let him pull it away. Ed turned one eye in his direction, frowning and blushing. Roy leaned over and kissed his cheek and the corner of his lips. From there his lips traveled lower, over a jaw and down the side of Ed's neck. Ed's face was uncovered now, both of his hands rested lightly on Roy's shoulders and he was pursing his lips slightly and then sucking them in and doing it again. Ed had some of the most unintentional endearing habits and Roy didn't dare mention them, because Ed would then make the concerted effort to stop.
Ed arched then, brought his hips up and Roy half moaned. They weren't even unpacked yet, they'd just arrived perhaps twenty minutes prior, and already he wanted to fuck Ed through this ridiculous heart-shaped bed. Damn, lake air must be really good for you.
Ed gave a small, involuntary sound and risked at glance at his face. Roy smiled for him and settled himself down, lying between Ed's legs and along his body. He propped some of his weight on his elbows.
“Hey,” the General said softly.
“Hey,” Ed said in return.
“Would you?” the General said with a soft, teasing grin.
Ed groaned and squeezed his eyes shut and scowled in appropriate Ed fashion.
“You know I would,” he mumbled and tried to sink into the bed beneath him.
Roy pushed himself up, his fingers went to the waistband of Ed's pants.
“What are you doing?” Ed grumbled. “I just got engaged and you already think you own me, I'm starving. At least take me to dinner first.”
“Oh that's right,” the General snorted. “I forgot you were one of those girl-next-door wholesome types who wouldn't let me so much as get to first base without a ring.”
Then the General yelped as the Professor neatly threw him off and he rolled off the side of the bed and thumped on the floor.
**
The rinky dink tavern out on the main road did, in fact, serve dinner. As long as you liked meat. Fried, mostly. Or charbroiled into bits of black soot. The very large and rugged looking gentleman in the cooks window didn't seem to take to any other suggestion lightly. Roy appealed to Ed with his eyes.
“Why don't we drive back to the town that was an hour down the road?” he said.
“Why? This is fine, and it's right here.”
Roy squinted at the tattered and grease stained paper menu again. He scanned it fruitlessly, (and that was literal as well as figurative).
“There doesn't seem to be much of a selection, this is our hon...,” he caught himself at Ed's glare, “our vacation,” he corrected. “You should let me treat you.”
“You are treating me, to this big steak,” Ed said, pointing. “It comes with a potato, that's fancy enough for me. No rabbit food to get in the way.”
Rabbits made no noises that Roy could imitate, so he returned to his glum perusal of the menu. A woman, (at least Roy thought it was a woman, for it's sake he hoped it was a woman) came to linger briefly at the table side and gave them both a slight glare for making her, (or it), do her, (or it's), job.
“Steak,” Ed said. “As bloody as he wants me to have it, and the potato since it comes with it. Beer?”
She snorted and nodded and turned her small, slightly watering and slightly swine-ish eyes on Roy.
Trapped. He looked at Ed again, but Ed was set on feeding him to this woman's several sets of jowls. He dropped his eyes to the menu again, searching frantically.
“You boys ain't from around here,” she said suddenly, her delayed epiphany catching up to her. “You staying in the woods at that cabin place? It's fancy and 'spensive. That must mean you want the good stuff. Hey Turk!” she yelled toward the cook's window. “We got big spenders.”
A tiny ray of hope flashed in Roy's head.
“Good stuff? Do you have actual vegetables?” he said, putting on his most charming smile.
“Nah,” she grunted and then grinned. “But we got the high dollar beer like them places in Rockmont,” she nodded sagely. “Locals don't drink it much, but we keep it on hand for the city boys what come to play in the woods.” She grinned, and Roy tried not to stare into the tiny gaps of her missing teeth.
“I'm from Risembool,” Ed said, loftily. “I'm not from the city, he is,” and he looked at Roy, condemning him in a glance. “He's from Central.”
What few pairs of eyes were in the dark and dank little clap trap tavern, turned in Roy and Ed's general direction.
“I..I am,” Roy admitted, feeling this was some sort of crime. “But I can enjoy the countryside and lake, just like anyone else.”
There seemed to be several diversive snorts at this proclamation.
“I got folks out Risembool way,” the woman said. “But over in Doncaster.”
“I know where that is,” Ed said brightly. “I've been through it a few times.”
The two of them chatted for a moment about corn and sheep or corn in sheep, it didn't matter. Roy tried to be inconspicuous and to figure out if he could actually eat anything off the menu or he would be losing a lot of weight over the next two weeks.
“Are you going to eat, or what?”
Roy realized that the woman was actually talking to him now, so in panic he said: “I'll have what Ed is having”, just to escape her scrutiny and she took that for what it was worth and shambled away from the table.
Ed watched her go, turned back to Roy.
“Well, at least the locals seems ok enough. I wonder what the big dollar beer is?”
“Whatever it is, I'm not going to pay some hopped up out of towner price for it, you better believe that. I can't believe they don't even have salads. Do they think potatoes are the only vegetable?”
“You know, you eat steak just fine at home. It comes with steamed broccoli and carrots, but everyone knows that's just there to make the meat look better. No wait, you do actually eat that shit, don't you?”
“Vegetables are good for you,” Roy said in a patient parental tone. “You should eat them more often, Edward...ow! If you have to kick me under table use the right foot, dammit,” he bent over to rub his shin and glared at Ed over the table. Ed didn't look the least bit remorseful.
“Beer,” a voice said out of no where and two large glass mugs with handles slammed down on the table between them. Ed took his eagerly and Roy scrutinized his.
“Trade with me,” he said.
“Huh? Why?” Ed said, stopping mid-way between mug and mouth.
“This mug is dirty,” Roy said and pushed it with his fingertips in Ed's direction, “and you aren't usually picky about this sort of thing.”
Ed just stared at him silently for a moment. Then he slammed his mug down and picked up the one Roy was being so fastidious about.
“It must be fucking love or lunacy, I haven't figured out which,” Ed sneered and took a drink.
**
“That was not a steak, it was a wedge of tar in disguise,” the General groaned, sprawled on his back in the middle of the bed. “And here I didn't pack any bromo... I'm going to die.”
“Don't be so melodramatic,” Ed snorted. “It was a little tough but it was fine, next time we'll try the pork.”
“Next time?” the General whined. “I won't survive until the next time. My innards are already blocked. I'm just going to expand. You'll be cruel of course, tease me about getting fat. But I'll fix you, you'll be sorry when I'm gone.”
“I'm already sorry and you're still here,” Edward snorted and started peeling out of his clothes.
Roy let his next retort die on his lips, and instead watched Edward undress. There was some kind of symphony playing in the background, Roy was sure of it, because for every layer Edward peeled off, Roy could hear the choir. It was like manna to watch him bare himself, and knowing that if he could just get up and move with this tar weighing his body down, he could put his hands on that rapidly appearing skin. He licked his lips and Edward caught him doing it and stopped, pants halfway undone.
At first Ed looked like he didn't know what to do. If he should be offended or pleased and it made for some interesting contortions on his face.
“What are you looking at?” he finally mumbled and worked on his pants, albeit a little more slowly.
“My lover,” the General crooned. “He's glorious when he's baring himself for my pleasure.”
“What? The fuck I am! You're a pervert, a slimy pervert,” Ed growled.
“Not anymore my love, you're legal now,” the General sighed.
Ed half turned his back and pushed his pants down, Roy was always very amused that Edward was still a bit prudish after all this time.
“Besides, you're too injured by steak to get it up, remember?” Ed said over his shoulder.
“I think I'd have to be dead not to get it up at the sight of you,” the voice said behind him.
Ed swallowed a little and slowly finished undressing. He wasn't sure why he did it, Roy was just goading him. He tried and failed to look over his shoulder, to see the smirk and the sparkle in a black eye. He clenched his fists.
“The line of your back is classical,” the voice murmured again. “Let your hair down, let me see how long it's gotten.”
Ed had no clue why he obeyed this disembodied voice giving him the most personal of directions. But he freed his ponytail and felt his hair fall against his bare back and waited.
“It's a little longer I believe, almost to your mid-back. It's still very rich in color, I would have thought it would start to fade more toward white blond by now. Either way it's mesmerizing.”
Ed felt a little trickle of sweat run down the back of his neck. He shifted a bit from foot to foot, what the fuck was he waiting for? More directions?
“It took a while to get here, didn't it? All those hours in that car? I bet you need a really good stretch.”
Ed flared his nostrils, like hell he was going to... and then he did feel a bit cramped, in his lower back and shoulders. This was some kind of verbal subliminal manipulation, Ed could tell. Roy must have mastered it years ago, yes, back in his Lt. Colonel days. So that was the reason everyone followed him around with puppy like devotion. Well, everyone but him, he puppied for no man! He just... laid on his back and spread his legs.
Roy sucked in a small breath. Ed tensed, he could see the play of his muscles all the way from his shoulders to his butt cheeks. Roy felt a bit light headed when Ed flexed those. Ed balled his fists and raised his arms slowly over his head, arched his back and groaned. Roy rolled up onto his side and pushed into a half sitting position on his hip. Ed slowly lowered his arms to his sides, holding them straight out and turned to his left, then to his right. He let his arms hang in front of him then and rolled his head once before straighting back up.
“Was that good?” the General purred.
Yeah, it was good, it was really good. He was starting to feel relaxed and warm despite his nakedness.
“You haven't had a proper work out lately, have you?” the General asked.
Well, no. Not since the Prince and the sparring matches. And he'd been avoiding the Prince for obvious reasons. And the last weeks of school had been hectic, making sure all his boys were ready for the exams. Sweating over their individual performances for the dean and other school board heads. Hoping there would be an alchemy class next year.
He hadn't had time.
“I haven't,” Ed admitted lowly. “But not because I'm lazy or nothing, and I'm not really out shape...” he rushed.
“I know,” the General placated behind him. “Believe me, I know. You're magnificent Ed, but I know how you are. You're a bundle of energy, and when you keep it all inside you're just heading for some sort of explosion.”
“Maybe,” Ed said and rolled his head on his shoulders again an stood up a little straighter. Roy smiled, Ed took to praise like a fish to water. It was nice to watch him preen.
“I know you studied with a martial arts expert as a boy, Mrs. Curtis? Was there a regiment she taught you? Some series of movements?”
Ed nodded and bowed his head. He didn't move for several moments. And when he did, he flowed. He turned his head and took a step to the side and Roy could see his eyes were closed. His arms came up, one hand up, the other fisted and he stretched his other leg back, but seemed perfectly centered. Roy almost forgot to breathe.
The next three movements were all similar in style, a rounded, artistic flair of motion that came to a stopping point just when Roy thought Ed would over balance or break his concentration. Each movement highlighted Edward's body in dramatic repose. Sinew and muscle, each pause and held movement seemed like time held it's breath.
His lover turned as he began to repeat the movements back to his original spot. His eyes were closed and his face serene. Roy heard loud breathing in his ear, and he knew it wasn't Ed's. He felt hot and a bit uncomfortable in his clothing. Once again there had been a power shift. It always amazed Roy how easily and how well he and Edward shared this precarious perch of domination between them.
Edward reached his original spot, came to a halt, then took a deep breath and bowed. When he straightened back up he slowly opened his eyes. But only halfway, he looked relaxed and lazy.
Roy wet his lips and nodded.
“Beautiful,” he said.
Ed absorbed this compliment, his eyes slide shut again and he tilted his head back, just a bit.
“Now what do you want me to do?” Ed whispered, on the cusp of husky.
Own me... no wait, you already do that.
“Perhaps you'd like to come over here and help me take my clothes off?” the General suggested casually.
Ed dropped his head back down and opened his eyes.
“I think I can do that,” he said.
And then he came. He was only a couple of strides away, but he filled them with his body and his heat and his sex. Roy felt his chest heave once. Ed was usually a rather demure creature in the bedroom, Roy felt that this was true. Ed was content to let Roy lead him, but on occasion, on those rare occasions when Ed felt his own power, things could be different.
He didn't say anything, instead he bent forward slightly and Roy felt fingers work the button at his throat. He was sure Ed felt it move. Ed worked with silent diligence, unbuttoning Roy's shirt all the way down then gripping it and pulling it out of his slacks and finishing the job. He pushed it open and off Roy's shoulders. Then he caught Roy's hand and lifted it, worked the button loose on the cuff and tugged the sleeve down on that side, then half turned, repeated it with the other. Roy kept looking at Ed's face, watching the concentration and the schooled expression. Ed knew he held the upper hand. Roy lifted his arms when directed and his dress shirt sailed over Ed's shoulder to the floor, followed quickly by his undershirt.
Ed lifted his hands slowly and Roy felt them on his cheeks. Roy felt his lips part to Ed's unspoken request and he leaned up. As they came together Ed opened his mouth, covering Roy's. It was Ed's tongue that sought and gained entrance and it was Roy who shut his eyes first. Ed's fingertips worked small circles on his cheeks and Ed's tongue stroked the roof of his mouth before dipping to nudge his own. Each breath Roy took drank Edward in, each exhale Edward swallowed greedily.
Edward's fingertips moved, skating over his jaw, down the sides of his neck and to his shoulders. Roy wasn't even aware he was being pushed back until he felt the comforter under his spine. Ed braced himself with his hands to either side of Roy's chest and pulled up slowly out of the kiss, tugging the General's bottom lip briefly with his teeth as he did so. Edward's always impressive bangs spilled forward to frame his face as they regarded each other.
“Don't move,” Edward whispered, pushed upright and looked around. He went to hastily retrieve one of the suitcases, dragging it out and unlatching it. He grunted in frustration as he pawed through it, Roy imagined he would just dump it out, because Edward lost all patience when aroused. But he came back, tossing the bottle on the bed next to Roy. He reached down then to undo Roy's belt.
Roy lifted his knees, pressed them to Edward's hips and rearranged himself a bit. Ed deftly opened the buckle on the General's belt and pulled it slowly from the belt loops around his waist. The buckle made a loud clank when it hit the floor.
“You know, I'm usually never without something to say,” Roy said and Ed looked up at him just as his fingers gripped and pulled up on Roy's slacks to undo the button. “But what do you say to the sexiest man in the world when he's standing between your legs undoing your pants?”
Ed's cheeks colored up and he dropped his eyes again, there was a tiny pleased smile on his face.
“And what does it say about me that he's doing it naked?” the General added, because, God help him, he never could resist a tease.
Ed snorted and yanked and the button of Roy's slacks sailed in a graceful arch and bounced once on the comforter before clattering to the floor.
“Please don't break the zipper, I've only just learned to sew buttons back on,” the General pleaded.
Ed smiled overly sweetly and gripped Roy's slacks hard at the top and closed his automail finger over the zipper tab.
“At least be careful of my hair!” Roy yelped.
Ed zipped with much enthusiasm and Roy heard fabric shred and then he was suddenly naked. He decided it best not to question it. Ed put his hands on his hips and let his eyes wander up and down Roy's frame.
“I'm not sure you're up to snuff for the sexiest man in the world,” he drawled. “You look a bit flabby and under defined. You're also an amazing shade of fish belly white.”
Roy's mouth pulled down on the sides.
“That's really cruel, here I've done nothing but drool over you for the past half hour and you think I'm flabby.” Roy leaned up on his elbows and looked down his body. He feared the middle-aged spread with a vengeance, and having Ed around was good incentive not to sit on his couch and eat chips and swill beer most nights. True, he wasn't as active as his younger lover, but he did ok. There were lots of steps at the office, he went up and down them, at a jog, several times a day. He wasn't fat.
Ed looked like he was on the verge of snickering.
“Don't...don't pout,” he got out before bursting into giggles he tried to smother with his automail hand.
Roy flopped back again, scowled at the ceiling and Ed managed to get himself under control.
“Aw, come on, I'm sorry,” Ed said, climbing back up on the bed and straddling Roy's body. “I didn't mean it, come on, look at me.”
Roy kept his head turned to the side, he tried to fold his arms but Ed wouldn't let him.
“Come on, you can say shit to me and I don't pout... ok, I don't pout usually, come on.” Ed wheedled.
“I did nothing but tell you how drop dead gorgeous you are and how much I wanted you from the minute I realized you were taking off your clothes,” the General huffed.
“I know, “ Ed crooned. “I didn't mean it, it's just you offer me a compliment with one hand and then smear it in my face with the other. I'm the one who should be upset,” Ed leaned down and kissed his cheek, his ear, the side of his neck. Ed's hair danced over his chest and Roy wavered.
“You're right, that was rude of me,” Roy murmured and Ed's lips found his adam's apple. “But if you can forget the second part, I mean what I say,” he raised his hands and rubbed Edward's sides, slid them down to his hips to knead.
“Yeah, that's better. We had some hot shit going on there for a few minutes,” Ed growled, “let's get that back. I love it when you make me feel like that.”
Roy slid his hands to Ed's spine, he pressed in on either side and dragged his fingers up and Ed threw his head back and groaned, curling downwards, his hips coming to rest against Roy's.
“Everything I could ever want in this world is hanging above me,” Roy told him. “I am only a breath away from my heaven, even though he doesn't believe in it.” He pushed his fingers back down Ed's spine and Ed's head hung forward, his back arching up now.
“Yeah,” Ed said, “talk to me like that. I fuckin' love that, but you didn't hear it from me.”
“Didn't hear what?” Roy replied smoothly, then he pushed up on his elbows again and he extended his tongue. Ed shuddered and gasped when it slid over his nipple then tossed his head back and bit his lower lip when Roy's lips closed over it. Edward jerked and twitched above him as he suckled slowly, nudging the now hard nub back and forth with his tongue.
Roy pulled his mouth away long enough to whisper: “Do you like that, beautiful?” before taking him in again. Edward twisted above him, but careful not to pull away from Roy's attentions, his hips pressed and ground down and he whimpered his pleasure.
Roy's hands traveled up and down his back, smoothed over his butt cheeks and squeezed lightly. He could feel the head of Roy's cock touching him on his lower stomach and the feel of his own cock, hard and tight; pressed into the crevice where Roy's leg joined his thigh. But Roy's mouth commanded him, drew all those delicious lines of lust together in one spot, under Roy's lips.
When Roy released him, Ed almost sagged. His cock helpfully supplied the knowledge that it was rubbing lightly against warm skin, and it really liked it, could it have more please in a 'harder-faster' way?
It must have telepathically sent this message to Roy's hand, for no sooner than it had finished speaking, there Roy's hand was to comfort it. The rest of Ed's body really liked the Roy's hand/Ed's cock couple and thrust forward eagerly to get them together. This caused Ed's internal fixings to also want to take part, and he gave a happy little yelp before he could get them under control. But the bastard didn't smirk at him, only rubbed him lightly up and down in a terribly, awfully, wonderfully, unsatisfying way.
Roy's eyes were now half mast and he was almost purring. Ed trembled on outstretched arms above him making the most delicious expressions. It felt incredible, to be here in this place in the middle of nowhere, where no one knew them and to have Ed naked and quivering at his touch. He cooed to his whimpering lover, watched Ed thrust and start to sweat lightly, listened to his ragged breaths.
Roy reached up, quickly located the bottle Ed had tossed on the bed earlier. He released Ed and Ed kept thrusting, rubbing the head of his cock on Roy's stomach and Roy snapped the bottle open and wet his fingers with lubricant. With his unanointed hand he grabbed Ed's arm and pulled him forward, made him crawl up Roy's body. He pulled Ed down and Ed came willingly, his hips still rocking and Roy slide his fingers into the cleft of Ed's ass and quickly located his anus, rubbing it back and forth vigorously. Ed half way howled and dropped his forehead to Roy's shoulder, trying to spread his legs wider in invitation.
“You want this,” Roy husked into his ear, then pressed the first finger in, steady pressure to the base. Ed needed little preparation these days, but Roy went through the motions because he enjoyed it. He loved the feel of Ed's muscles around his fingers, the minute jerks of Ed's hips when he was penetrated, all these little things he missed when he just plunged in, cock first.
The second finger followed the first with almost no pause and Ed thrust hard into his stomach, groaning and Roy reveled in every grimace and every spasm around his fingers.
“You love this,” he whispered against Ed's ear. “You beg for this,” he licked his ear then and Ed sobbed his denial and admission all at once. He moved his fingers, in and out, back and forth and never in the way Ed begged for with his soft cries and hip thrusts. The key was to keep Ed hungry, starving. Just on the edge of his lust and desperate. That was where Ed was most lovely.
Ed tried to reach between their bodies and grab his own cock, but Roy caught his hand.
“No, that's mine. Do you really think I'm going to let you jerk yourself raw when I'd rather you be screaming and riding my cock?” he trilled. “You don't get to come until I say you can,” and he punctuated it with a hard thrust of his fingers and Ed writhed. “You understand me?”
Ed resisted him, grit his teeth and tried to jerk his wrist free of Roy's grip. But Roy hung on tightly and dropped his voice.
“Look at me,” he ordered and when Ed refused he growled and thrust hard with his fingers again. “I said look at me!”
Ed turned his head slowly, he was sweating and his bangs clung to his cheeks and his hair spilling over his shoulders stuck there. He opened his eyes to glare, but a stroke over a very sensitive spot made them pop wide and he trembled.
“Put your mouth over mine and kiss me,” Roy said, the order softer now. “Come on, kiss me.” He felt a surge of pure lust when after a moment, Ed leaned down to obey.
Intoxication, drunk of this man above him.
Ed shook and cried softly into his mouth, pulled up to beg with words since all his yearning wasn't working.
“Roy... I need... “ he sobbed.
“I know what you need, do you think I wouldn't give it to you? But you have to show me you want it, you have to tell me, Ed.”
His own chest was heaving, his own cock was so hot and tight he almost thought it might split. His bravo was fading and he held out as long as he could, eyes focused on Ed's flushed and swollen lips.
“You total bastard,” his lover cooed. “You know I want you to fuck me, why do you make me do this, I don't know,” he sobbed.
Roy pushed Ed up then and Ed's eyes grew wide and wounded. And Roy realized it must feel like some sort of rejection to be shoved away after such an admission, he rushed to mend it before the rift grew.
“Sit up, beautiful, here, lift your hips,” and he grabbed Ed there, pushing upwards and Ed pushed on his knees looking baffled and anxious.
“You get to be on top,” Roy purred, “you like being on top.” He reached between them, the side of his hand brushing along the bottom of Ed's dripping erection and Ed whined and started to push back down.
“Not yet,” Roy scolded mildly and Ed froze and waited.
Roy grasped his own cock and hissed aloud and Ed's eyes slid closed and he moaned at the sound. He lined himself up as best he could and gave Ed's hip a little push.
“Slowly,” he said and Ed began to sink. “That's it, like that...” The head of Roy's cock nudged and pushed into the cleft of Ed's ass and they both paused to shudder at the sensation. Then Roy coaxed again and Ed continued down. The head of Roy's cock locked into the depression there, poised against Ed's anus and Roy released himself and Ed's hip and he waited.
Ed hovered there, breathing in and out deeply, he tilted his head back and shook his hair and Roy groaned at the sight. Ed dropped his chin to his chest and pressed down, just enough to get the head of Roy's cock inside, and he made the most beautiful of grimaces and waited to adjust.
He slowly began to descend, just a bit at a time and Roy thought he would die and die happy by the end of it. When Ed finally settled his ass on Roy's thighs, Roy had already been to heaven and back several times. He reached up, rubbed Ed's hips and immediately took possession of Ed's cock, slick with pre-cum and hot in his palm. Ed jerked forward when Roy touched him and then his eyes widened and he pushed back. Roy forced stillness on his body, no matter its wailed protests. He wanted to move, to thrust and push himself impossibly deep inside Ed's body, into that tight, hot place that was clenched around his cock. Ed rocked his hips, once, twice, experimentally and then pushed up a bit on his knees and sank back down. He made a sound that flayed Roy's very flesh from his bones and pushed himself up again, then rocked forward into Roy's palm and back and down. Slow, agonizing torture that Roy would beg for, scream for, commit any crime for. He was awash in Ed's desire and lust, watching almost detached as the young man who owned his soul arched his gorgeous body and sought his attentions.
Roy brought his other hand into play, cupping Ed's balls, lifting them when Ed pushed up on his knees, as if to somehow urge him along, pressing them when Ed sank back down. Ed gritted his teeth, unsure what to do with his hands. One of them gripped the wrist of the hand Roy had around his cock, the other flattened on Roy's chest.
It wasn't long before Ed upped the ante and he began to move faster, picking up his up and down motion, tugging on Roy's wrist.
“Rub me, bastard, don't just hold it, fuck!” Sweat dripped from Ed's chin onto Roy's chest and Roy made a low sound in his throat, a gurgle-like welling of pleasure. Roy gave him two quick and strong strokes and Ed panted hard and moved harder, the sound of flesh slapping flesh mingled with their breathing. Roy waited and when Ed opened his mouth to beg, he did it again, just two, long and firm, and Ed whipped his head to the side and ground down as hard as he could before pushing back up.
There was no ecstasy like this to be had on his earth. No other person who could entice such raw desire from him. Roy bared his teeth and struggled to maintain himself, teetering here on the edge. Because the sight of his lover working himself to a lather in lust was something he wanted burned into his very retinas. But it wasn't to last, Ed sobbed to him, one last desperate plea and Roy couldn't help but answer. He gave Ed what he wanted, began to build him on long satisfying strokes of his turgid cock, raised his hips to meet Ed's descents. It all became a battle, a race, a conquering neither wanted to win, and when Ed thrust his head back and shouted his completion to the skies, Roy followed soon after and sang his praises to the man he loved and could never live without.
**
The next morning brought Roy a sight he hadn't seen in a long time. The Professor dressed like Ed. A black tank top, as much as Roy thought he wouldn't miss that steadfast piece of a younger Edward's wardrobe, he did. And shorts, when Edward went on vacation, he took it seriously. They had to be hold overs from his younger days. They were long, hit just above his knee and were a little faded and a little frayed at the hems.
Ed had his own thoughts on Roy's vacation wardrobe.
“You're not wearing that down to the lake, are you?” the younger man said with a slight sneer.
Roy paused and looked down at himself. He seemed in order. Linen trousers, short sleeved, button down print shirt, (not quite floral, sort of ferny) and sandals.
“Yes,” Roy said slowly, “is there a problem?”
“Well, yes,” Ed sputtered and waved his hands at Roy's attire. “We're at the lake, not on the back deck of one of your snooty General buddies!”
“This is what I brought to wear,” the General said and restrained himself from putting his nose in the air. “There is nothing wrong with it.”
“Weren't you planning on getting wet?” Ed asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No, should I be?” Roy asked, his own eyebrow raising a bit.
“Tell me something, just why did you want to come to the lake?” Ed said, hands going on hips and hunching his shoulders a little.
“Relaxation mainly,” the General said, putting his hands on his hips. “I was thinking I might spend some quality time with my lover and take in the scenery.”
“You weren't planning on swimming or fishing?” Ed said.
Roy worked his jaw and glanced around the room before settling his sight back on Ed.
“You weren't, were you?” Ed said, exasperated. “What did you think we'd be doing? Hanging around in the cabin fucking all day? Wait, don't answer that.”
“For your information, I was going to see about renting a boat, I saw a sign on the road as we came in. Also, I think it's high time you learn to drive,” Roy threw that in as a peace offering, to waylay any righteous tirade Ed might be formulating to hurl at his head.
“Teach me to drive?” Ed sounded a little breathless and then he suddenly lit up all over. It wasn't a tiny glow, but an angelic shining that sprang to life in his golden hair, ignited his eyes and traveled down his entire frame.
There would be no getting out of it now.
“Yes,” Roy said, as if he'd been planning it all along. “Why do you think I rented the roadster? I'm not going to teach you to drive in that box we take back and forth to work everyday.”
The roadster was insured and not their everyday means of transportation after all.
Ed was looking at him in a most peculiar way.
“That is... if you want to learn to drive,” Roy ventured, uncertain.
“I just have this overwhelming need to have sex with you,” Ed said in an airy way. “I don't know why, but I think we should have sex before we go down to the lake... a lot of it.”
Roy immediately began to strip.
“Is there anything else I can offer to teach you?” the General asked a bit breathless as the Professor's shorts and tank top hit the floor.
“No, I think the driving thing is going to get you more sex than your tongue can handle at the moment,” Ed reassured him.
“Oh good,” Roy said as he was backed to the bed and let himself fall back onto it. “Because I think my tongue can handle a lot.”
“Hope it's been working out,” Ed growled and covered the General's mouth with his own.
Onward to Part Two