30 Kisses (PG-13): 16-30
Ed/Roy
30 things a kiss can mean.
Part I(1-15) here.
16.
Ed eased the door shut, stepping carefully inside. The house was dark and silent, exactly what he had been counting on. He tugged his boots off, creeping forward in stocking feet. He was about to throw his coat over the back of the chair when the chair spoke.
"You're late."
Ed dropped his coat on the floor instead. "Things got complicated."
"You were supposed to call if you had any problems." Roy's voice was edged with more than irritation.
Ed tried to control his temper. "I don't need a babysitter."
His only answer was an unexpectedly tender kiss. "Don't you?"
17.
The first time, it surprised him that Ed was hesitant about taking off his clothes. It was only when he drew his finger along the scar between flesh and automail that he understood the combined shame and defiance in Ed's glare.
The second time, he turned his attention to the cool metal, feeling the vibration of gears move as Ed shifted slightly. He placed a small kiss on the knuckles, another on the heavy palm.
The third time, he pulled Ed tight against him, ignoring the bite of steel. He knew it wasn't enough, but it was better than nothing.
18.
Ed drummed his fingers on the bar, ignoring the glower he was getting from the bartender. "How long do we have to stay here?"
A corner of Roy's mouth turned up. "This is supposed to be a date, Fullmetal. Amazingly enough, some people even do this for fun."
The look of contempt Ed gave him made him laugh. "Who asked for a date? I just want to go back to your place and go to bed."
"I thought you might like something different."
Ed's snort was his only warning before he was pulled into a hard kiss. "Different is overrated."
19.
It took Ed years to track Mustang down. His name wasn't Mustang on this side of the gate, but there was no mistaking who he was. His hair was shorter, the uniform was missing, but the smile was the same. So was the voice.
He was constantly surrounded by a respectful circle of young men - his students, who hung on every word he uttered. Ed didn't doubt he had a plan to be running the entire university soon.
Ed never meant to get close to him. He blamed it on that smoky voice. When Ed heard it, he was home.
The classes were large seminars, and Ed found he could sit at the back and be ignored. He let the discussion of rhenium wash over him, straining only to pick up the familiar cadence. He should've realized it wouldn't be enough for long.
At first it was coffee, a professor willing to go over more complicated material with a bright scholar. By dinner he must've known Ed wasn't a student.
Mustang would always hold him in place when they kissed, not grasping but unyielding, not letting him go. In this strange world, that was what Ed wanted most of all.
20.
They weren't speaking at all when they boarded the train. They sat next to each other, anger apparent in their identical postures and crossed arms. Identical scowls were enough to send Al scurrying for a seat at the other end of the car. Their fights were legendary, and Al was a little worried about having to explain any damage to the train.
Once Ed fell asleep Roy relented slightly, draping his jacket across the younger man and briefly touching his lips to blond hair. When Ed awoke, the jacket was gone, as if it had never been there at all.
21.
The doctor was looking Ed over dubiously. "I would advise you to stay. You're not completely healed - "
"I'm fine," Ed interrupted. He tried to pull on his shirt and nearly fell over.
The doctor glanced helplessly at General Mustang for help. "In a few days, perhaps..."
"I'm fine now."
The doctor didn't throw up his hands when he left the room, but he certainly wanted to.
Roy stepped forward to help Ed get dressed. "You're coming to stay with me." He pressed his mouth against Ed's before Ed could argue. It was the best way he knew to win.
22.
To no one's surprise, Edward was not a particularly cooperative house guest. Even when injured. He lay down only after Mustang had threatened to burn the soles of his feet so badly he wouldn't walk for a month.
"Why'd you want me to stay here, anyway?"
"You and Al usually stay in the dorms when you're in Central."
"So?"
"There are stairs, Fullmetal. Unless you don't mind having Al carry you up and down them."
Ed was silent, considering. "That's the only reason?"
Roy smirked, leaning forward so their lips were barely touching. "What other reason could I possibly have?"
23.
"You're resigning?"
"I only became a State Alchemist to find the Stone. Al's got his body back now. I don't need this anymore." The pocket watch clattered on the desk.
"What about your arm and leg?"
A brief flash of regret crossed Ed's face, but he only shrugged. "It's asking for too much. We thought we could beat equivalent exchange if we used the Stone, but in the end we never could. Al's back. That's what matters."
Roy stood very still for a moment before nodding. Before Ed could turn to go, cool lips touched his cheek. "Good luck, Edward."
24.
Ed was too old to make wishes on birthday candles, but Elicia insisted. After wanting one thing for so long, it was hard for him to think of something else to wish for.
He glanced around the table until his eyes met warm dark ones. Mustang was out of uniform for this joint birthday party, and as much as Ed hated to admit it, he looked… good. Just like that, he made his wish.
It took a year, until Ed simply marched into his office and kissed the man himself. Sometimes you had to take fate into your own hands.
25.
Ed knew he was in trouble as soon as he saw the blue uniforms descending upon him.
"Mr. Elric! The Fuhrer requests that you come with us immediately!"
Ed toyed briefly with the idea of telling them exactly where to shove their 'request,' but knew that in the end it wasn't worth the trouble. "Let's get this over with."
Roy was pacing his office when they brought Ed in. He was rarely so openly agitated. Most people would apologize, but Ed fisted one hand in black hair, pulling Mustang down for a soft kiss instead. They had their own language.
26.
"I can't believe you made me dress up for this."
Mustang put down his drink and watched Ed study the crowd in the hall. "There is a dress code, Fullmetal."
"It's not like I'm getting an award. Neither are you."
Roy shrugged. "Senior officers are expected at these ceremonies."
"I'm not a senior officer," Ed grumbled, tugging on his tie. Realization took longer than Roy had expected. "Am I your date?"
"I could've done worse."
Ed gaped at him for a full minute. "That's very open of you."
"I thought it was time." He pressed his lips to Ed's temple.
27.
"Ow! What the hell was that?" Ed tried to twist around to see what was happening, but an iron grip held him in place.
"I told you to stay still." Roy's mouth was next to his ear.
"I told you to be careful. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
The words were forced through Roy's clenched jaw. "Unlike some people, I have done this before."
"Wouldn't have guessed it," Ed muttered, his body slowly relaxing.
Roy pressed his lips to the nape of Ed's neck, feeling the heat of Ed's skin.
"You can be on top next time."
28.
"You could come with me, you know." Ed leaned against his desk.
Roy kept reading the report. Avoiding eye contact was key to not giving in. "It's not that I don't want to."
Ed's tone became petulant. "You're the Fuhrer. You can do whatever you want."
He was sorely tempted. But - "I cannot do whatever I want."
"Winry and Al want you there." Ed leaned forward and trailed a line of light kisses across his cheek. "I want you there, too."
That was new and obviously cheating, as far as Roy was concerned. Not that he was going to complain.
29.
Roy's favourite time of day was the early morning, the only time when Ed was too sleep-befuddled to argue with him. To fight with him. It was the only time that Roy felt he could say any, or all, of the things he normally held back. Not that he ever would - neither he nor Ed were exactly prone to overshare - but knowing he could was enough.
Instead, he would push the tangled sheets out of the way and explore the body before him with his mouth. Gently, reverently.
He supposed that in the end he was telling Ed, after all.
30.
"What the hell is this?" Ed thrust the paper in front of Mustang, knocking everything else that had been on the desk onto the floor.
Roy sighed, adjusted his glasses and peered at the handwritten pages. "That's my account of the second practice campaign," he said dismissively, reaching to pick up the report he had been working on.
"But I'm in there!" Ed jabbed viciously at his name.
"You were there," Roy reminded him, his patience beginning to thin.
"Not officially! It was for military personnel only, and I'd already resigned. You had to hide me in your tent."
"I remember," Mustang said with a smirk.
"So why the hell is this even in there? 'Ed was waiting for me after the second drill, offering encouragement even when things seemed impossible. Without him, I likely would have stopped the entire exercise then.' You don't have to say that."
Roy took the pages from Ed and smoothed out the creases. "I do have to. The people of this country expect a memoir now that I've retired, and I think they deserve one that's honest, for once. It's about time they realized how much they owe you."
"That's stupid," Ed muttered, but his cheeks were beginning to turn pink. "They don't owe me anything. I was only thinking of you, anyway."
Mustang's smirk returned. "I'll be sure to mention that."
Ed shifted his weight from foot to foot, considering. "You're really going to write all that… about us?"
"Would it bother you?" Roy looked at him seriously.
Ed shook his head. "No, you know that. It's always bothered you more than me." He tried to choose his words carefully. "It might make them think of you differently."
Roy shrugged dramatically. "My career is over. The memoir is the last piece of it. I don't really care how they think of me." Both of them knew that that wasn't entirely true, but it was true enough.
Ed leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his favourite retied General's forehead. "I'll leave you to it, then. Just try not to make me look like too much of an love sick idiot, all right?"
Roy grinned. "I'll see what I can do." He was already back at work when Ed shut the study door behind himself.
30 things a kiss can mean.
Part I(1-15) here.
16.
Ed eased the door shut, stepping carefully inside. The house was dark and silent, exactly what he had been counting on. He tugged his boots off, creeping forward in stocking feet. He was about to throw his coat over the back of the chair when the chair spoke.
"You're late."
Ed dropped his coat on the floor instead. "Things got complicated."
"You were supposed to call if you had any problems." Roy's voice was edged with more than irritation.
Ed tried to control his temper. "I don't need a babysitter."
His only answer was an unexpectedly tender kiss. "Don't you?"
17.
The first time, it surprised him that Ed was hesitant about taking off his clothes. It was only when he drew his finger along the scar between flesh and automail that he understood the combined shame and defiance in Ed's glare.
The second time, he turned his attention to the cool metal, feeling the vibration of gears move as Ed shifted slightly. He placed a small kiss on the knuckles, another on the heavy palm.
The third time, he pulled Ed tight against him, ignoring the bite of steel. He knew it wasn't enough, but it was better than nothing.
18.
Ed drummed his fingers on the bar, ignoring the glower he was getting from the bartender. "How long do we have to stay here?"
A corner of Roy's mouth turned up. "This is supposed to be a date, Fullmetal. Amazingly enough, some people even do this for fun."
The look of contempt Ed gave him made him laugh. "Who asked for a date? I just want to go back to your place and go to bed."
"I thought you might like something different."
Ed's snort was his only warning before he was pulled into a hard kiss. "Different is overrated."
19.
It took Ed years to track Mustang down. His name wasn't Mustang on this side of the gate, but there was no mistaking who he was. His hair was shorter, the uniform was missing, but the smile was the same. So was the voice.
He was constantly surrounded by a respectful circle of young men - his students, who hung on every word he uttered. Ed didn't doubt he had a plan to be running the entire university soon.
Ed never meant to get close to him. He blamed it on that smoky voice. When Ed heard it, he was home.
The classes were large seminars, and Ed found he could sit at the back and be ignored. He let the discussion of rhenium wash over him, straining only to pick up the familiar cadence. He should've realized it wouldn't be enough for long.
At first it was coffee, a professor willing to go over more complicated material with a bright scholar. By dinner he must've known Ed wasn't a student.
Mustang would always hold him in place when they kissed, not grasping but unyielding, not letting him go. In this strange world, that was what Ed wanted most of all.
20.
They weren't speaking at all when they boarded the train. They sat next to each other, anger apparent in their identical postures and crossed arms. Identical scowls were enough to send Al scurrying for a seat at the other end of the car. Their fights were legendary, and Al was a little worried about having to explain any damage to the train.
Once Ed fell asleep Roy relented slightly, draping his jacket across the younger man and briefly touching his lips to blond hair. When Ed awoke, the jacket was gone, as if it had never been there at all.
21.
The doctor was looking Ed over dubiously. "I would advise you to stay. You're not completely healed - "
"I'm fine," Ed interrupted. He tried to pull on his shirt and nearly fell over.
The doctor glanced helplessly at General Mustang for help. "In a few days, perhaps..."
"I'm fine now."
The doctor didn't throw up his hands when he left the room, but he certainly wanted to.
Roy stepped forward to help Ed get dressed. "You're coming to stay with me." He pressed his mouth against Ed's before Ed could argue. It was the best way he knew to win.
22.
To no one's surprise, Edward was not a particularly cooperative house guest. Even when injured. He lay down only after Mustang had threatened to burn the soles of his feet so badly he wouldn't walk for a month.
"Why'd you want me to stay here, anyway?"
"You and Al usually stay in the dorms when you're in Central."
"So?"
"There are stairs, Fullmetal. Unless you don't mind having Al carry you up and down them."
Ed was silent, considering. "That's the only reason?"
Roy smirked, leaning forward so their lips were barely touching. "What other reason could I possibly have?"
23.
"You're resigning?"
"I only became a State Alchemist to find the Stone. Al's got his body back now. I don't need this anymore." The pocket watch clattered on the desk.
"What about your arm and leg?"
A brief flash of regret crossed Ed's face, but he only shrugged. "It's asking for too much. We thought we could beat equivalent exchange if we used the Stone, but in the end we never could. Al's back. That's what matters."
Roy stood very still for a moment before nodding. Before Ed could turn to go, cool lips touched his cheek. "Good luck, Edward."
24.
Ed was too old to make wishes on birthday candles, but Elicia insisted. After wanting one thing for so long, it was hard for him to think of something else to wish for.
He glanced around the table until his eyes met warm dark ones. Mustang was out of uniform for this joint birthday party, and as much as Ed hated to admit it, he looked… good. Just like that, he made his wish.
It took a year, until Ed simply marched into his office and kissed the man himself. Sometimes you had to take fate into your own hands.
25.
Ed knew he was in trouble as soon as he saw the blue uniforms descending upon him.
"Mr. Elric! The Fuhrer requests that you come with us immediately!"
Ed toyed briefly with the idea of telling them exactly where to shove their 'request,' but knew that in the end it wasn't worth the trouble. "Let's get this over with."
Roy was pacing his office when they brought Ed in. He was rarely so openly agitated. Most people would apologize, but Ed fisted one hand in black hair, pulling Mustang down for a soft kiss instead. They had their own language.
26.
"I can't believe you made me dress up for this."
Mustang put down his drink and watched Ed study the crowd in the hall. "There is a dress code, Fullmetal."
"It's not like I'm getting an award. Neither are you."
Roy shrugged. "Senior officers are expected at these ceremonies."
"I'm not a senior officer," Ed grumbled, tugging on his tie. Realization took longer than Roy had expected. "Am I your date?"
"I could've done worse."
Ed gaped at him for a full minute. "That's very open of you."
"I thought it was time." He pressed his lips to Ed's temple.
27.
"Ow! What the hell was that?" Ed tried to twist around to see what was happening, but an iron grip held him in place.
"I told you to stay still." Roy's mouth was next to his ear.
"I told you to be careful. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
The words were forced through Roy's clenched jaw. "Unlike some people, I have done this before."
"Wouldn't have guessed it," Ed muttered, his body slowly relaxing.
Roy pressed his lips to the nape of Ed's neck, feeling the heat of Ed's skin.
"You can be on top next time."
28.
"You could come with me, you know." Ed leaned against his desk.
Roy kept reading the report. Avoiding eye contact was key to not giving in. "It's not that I don't want to."
Ed's tone became petulant. "You're the Fuhrer. You can do whatever you want."
He was sorely tempted. But - "I cannot do whatever I want."
"Winry and Al want you there." Ed leaned forward and trailed a line of light kisses across his cheek. "I want you there, too."
That was new and obviously cheating, as far as Roy was concerned. Not that he was going to complain.
29.
Roy's favourite time of day was the early morning, the only time when Ed was too sleep-befuddled to argue with him. To fight with him. It was the only time that Roy felt he could say any, or all, of the things he normally held back. Not that he ever would - neither he nor Ed were exactly prone to overshare - but knowing he could was enough.
Instead, he would push the tangled sheets out of the way and explore the body before him with his mouth. Gently, reverently.
He supposed that in the end he was telling Ed, after all.
30.
"What the hell is this?" Ed thrust the paper in front of Mustang, knocking everything else that had been on the desk onto the floor.
Roy sighed, adjusted his glasses and peered at the handwritten pages. "That's my account of the second practice campaign," he said dismissively, reaching to pick up the report he had been working on.
"But I'm in there!" Ed jabbed viciously at his name.
"You were there," Roy reminded him, his patience beginning to thin.
"Not officially! It was for military personnel only, and I'd already resigned. You had to hide me in your tent."
"I remember," Mustang said with a smirk.
"So why the hell is this even in there? 'Ed was waiting for me after the second drill, offering encouragement even when things seemed impossible. Without him, I likely would have stopped the entire exercise then.' You don't have to say that."
Roy took the pages from Ed and smoothed out the creases. "I do have to. The people of this country expect a memoir now that I've retired, and I think they deserve one that's honest, for once. It's about time they realized how much they owe you."
"That's stupid," Ed muttered, but his cheeks were beginning to turn pink. "They don't owe me anything. I was only thinking of you, anyway."
Mustang's smirk returned. "I'll be sure to mention that."
Ed shifted his weight from foot to foot, considering. "You're really going to write all that… about us?"
"Would it bother you?" Roy looked at him seriously.
Ed shook his head. "No, you know that. It's always bothered you more than me." He tried to choose his words carefully. "It might make them think of you differently."
Roy shrugged dramatically. "My career is over. The memoir is the last piece of it. I don't really care how they think of me." Both of them knew that that wasn't entirely true, but it was true enough.
Ed leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his favourite retied General's forehead. "I'll leave you to it, then. Just try not to make me look like too much of an love sick idiot, all right?"
Roy grinned. "I'll see what I can do." He was already back at work when Ed shut the study door behind himself.