Housework

Because I'm a cruel bag, I left you all hanging yesterday. There are still a few chapters, don't worry. And, SEX!!! Yeah, I thought I should warn people, because this is the first shot of smut. Enjoy!! Thank you so very much for the kind reviews, and I'm so glad there are people reading this frequently. Oh, and yes, the last chapters were short, but I found them more effective that way, I mean, look at the responses I got!! *L* This, ladies and gentlemen, is the chapter that started it all. I wrote it on a bored day in an hour, then decided I should write the rest of the story, just for kicks. I got addicted, and here we are, with 23 chapters and a few to go.

Safe and Home

The first year passed quickly, Al regaining his strength and adjusting to the regained feelings. Ed's arm and leg were still auto-mail, but the cost of retrieving them would be to return Al's soul and he wasn't willing to pay it. Even with the stone, the Gate had required a toll. The color had been leached from Al's skin, hair and eyes. He didn't mind, he kinda thought it was neat, to be so different but still himself. The second year was more difficult. Ed wanted to leave, to look for Roy, but Al held him back. What if they left and Roy came home? He might think they'd had left him. They made a deal, wait one more year, and if they didn't hear anything, they'd go for him.

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State Alchemists were considered to be the elite, and had never had high numbers. Therefore, the entire force was only 527, including new recruits. Of that 527, 18 survived Amara. Of course, more returned technically alive, comatose, insane, locked in their worlds where nothing, or everything, hurt them. And, some who returned appearing sane committed suicide within the month; they didn't count those as survivors either. Al searched records and snuck around the Records Building using Maes' spare key to discover the facts he could and get any information about Roy there was to be found.

When Roy returned, he stood outside, watching the house for some sign of life. He wasn't sure what he would do if he found none, he simply had to keep looking. When the door opened cautiously and pale blue eyes peeked out at him, he stared back. When a whirlwind of white blond hair, nearly clear eyes, and pale white skin attached itself to his side, he stood frozen. A second, smaller, whirlwind attached itself to his other side, this one with more familiar gold eyes and hair. The two clung, one crying, the other glaring at him. He allowed himself to be led indoors before collapsing. Roy clung to his bits of sanity, these two beautiful boys, no, young men, he had been gone for nearly two years now. He sobbed there in the hall, holding his saviors, the only things that had remained worth having during the entire nightmare, the only things that kept him moving.

Eventually, after Roy had worn himself out, he was carried into the bedroom. He refused to let go of Ed, allowing Al to settle them and get something to eat. They lay there, Roy still crying faintly, Ed rubbing his back and holding him. Al joined them again and they stayed that way for the night.

The nightmares woke them all, screams echoing throughout the house. Al confiscated Roy's gloves, peeling them off his hands while Ed held him down. He had woken snapping and set the curtains and a chair on fire before they could stop him. He screamed about being defenseless in enemy territory and begun to draw arrays over and over on the blankets with his fingers. All the brothers could do was hold him and offer any comfort their presence might give. Finally, he fell into exhausted sleep, waking at every little movement or sound.

When morning finally came, he still hadn't spoken to them other than rambling during the night. He also refused to let Ed go, he needed to touch him. Al was free to roam, but had to be within calling distance. He retrieved food and fresh clothing for Ed, taking his place while he changed, talking the whole time. Roy watched avidly, ensuring they didn't leave him, petting them to convince himself they were truly there. Once Ed was changed, they fed Roy, bit by bit, nagging and pestering until he had eaten a large bowl of eggs and a piece of toast. He refused to have a bath, stating that getting wet would make him defenseless and he had to return home, so he couldn't die. They settled for a sponge bath and dressed him in fresh clothing.

He insisted on having gloves, so Al found a pair and changed the array slightly to make them useless. They still felt right, and even looked right, but they wouldn't produce fire. Roy was pleased and grateful to put them on; he was much more relaxed, or as relaxed as he could be while eying every corner and shadow for enemy soldiers.

The first week passed, Roy clinging to the brothers, Ed in particular, and not speaking coherently, rambling for hours about nothing. After a week of plentiful food and rest, things changed.

Ed snapped awake, not moving. Something was wrong. He remained still, scanning the room through sandy lashes. It was still dark, must be late. No movement from outside of the bed, no sounds. There was a warm weight on his left, unusual, but not cause for alarm. Al often got up at night and sometimes came back to the wrong side of the bed. Ed could make out the gleaming white skin under the faint glow from the hall light, confirming his earlier suspicions; Al on the left, Roy on the right. Roy's little noises were disturbing as always, usually filled with pain and fear, but not alarming. The hand wandering down his chest under his shirt was another story.

“Roy.” The blond held still, listening carefully to Roy's murmuring, hearing his name again and again. The hand continued to wander a bit, brushing his nipples lightly, sliding down his stomach. Abruptly, it left his skin and he breathed a quiet sigh of relief before he felt the forearm brush his stomach. What was he.. Oh. The slim hand had moved to Al's stomach and was gently rubbing it.

“Al, Al, get up.” Ed moved his arm to jostle his bother a bit, and Roy pressed closer, moaning softly. Ed squirmed as his metal arm was pressed uncomfortably against his side. His bother didn't move. “Al!” Al's eyes fluttered open, then he jerked away, unused to hands on his body. Roy's hand flailed for a moment, until Ed caught it and replaced it on his stomach. He used his metal hand to pet the older man a bit, running the fingers through his hair, calming him. He snuggled closer and purred a bit.

“Brother? What's going on?” Al watched in alarm, it was unlike either of the others to touch, certainly not intimately.

“It's just something that happens, Al. We read about it, remember? Sometimes people who go through shocks need to be reminded they are alive.” Ed was blushing slightly, the brothers didn't really talk about sex or intimacy.

“You mean? But, but you can't! You're both guys!” At the look on Ed's face, Al realized how dumb that was. “I, I mean, you can't let him do that to you, you'll hate it and he'll hate himself when he realizes. No, we'll just wake him up and find something else for him to do.”

“It's ok Al, I don't mind. I trust him not to hurt me, even like this.” Ed looked down at the man purring in his arms, “See how happy he is? This is the first time he's been anything but upset since he got back, and who knows how long before that. And he's being gentle, it'll be alright. You go to your room, we'll see you in the morning.” Roy was drawing little circles on Ed's chest and petting his stomach while pressing little kisses to his metal shoulder.

“NO! You suffered before because we had no choice, but now we do. I won't let you sacrifice yourself again. Let me help you, we'll help him together.” Al pleaded, already knowing he had lost. Once Ed's eyes got stubborn like that, he couldn't win.

“Al, don't be unreasonable. I can help him, I want to help him. I want this, please believe me. Just go, you can make breakfast and I'll even let you do the dishes.” Ed smiled, teasing gently. “Now, go on. We'll be fine.” He shooed at his brother with his free hand.

Al's head drooped, but he stood and shuffled to the door. He looked over his shoulder at the pair and got a wave and a smile from his brother. The door opened and closed as he left, regretting not being stronger, but he knew his brother loved the older man as much as he did and he couldn't deny him this chance to help sooth him.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Once the door was closed behind his brother, Ed looked down a the man cuddled to his side, surprised to find black eyes examining him closely. He smiled a bit and Roy went back to kissing his shoulder, nibbling at the edge for the auto-mail. Ed reached his flesh hand around and ran it down Roy's side, skimming over the slight body. He could feel thin, slightly raised little scars over the gently curved abdomen, and the fingers running over his own stomach were rough with scars. The blond tried to relax, it had been over four years since he's done this, but it wasn't something he was likely to forget.

He turned to face his ex-guardian and rubbed their noses together, tilting his head so their lips could meet. A gentle kiss, then Roy opened his mouth a bit and licked at Ed's mouth. Ed opened his mouth to receive the tongue he knew was coming, but it didn't. The soft, wet organ stayed at the corners of his mouth, licking gently until he met it with his own, then slid softly inside to explore. A small jolt went through Ed's body, this was slightly new. He'd had tongues in his mouth before, of course, but not gentle like this, or with someone wanting him to participate too. It felt...nice.

Roy's hands slid over Ed's chest, stopping to push at his tank top. Ed sat up, nudging Roy off and dragged his shirt over his head. He grabbed the bottom of Roy's shirt and tugged. “Up, Roy.” Ever obedient, Roy's arms lifted above his head and the shirt slid off. His hands wrapped around Ed again, rubbing his back and slipping down to his ass. They cupped the tight globes and kneaded smoothly.

Ed ran his hands over Roy's chest, exploring the new scars and discovering sensitive areas. He stopped at the pink nipples, pinching them and dipping his head to lick and suck. Roy groaned and pressed up, seeking more, which Ed was happy to provide. This was the easy part and he didn't mind, as long as Roy was enjoying it. His mouth slid further down the slim chest in front of him, licking and nibbling at the navel, then further down to the edge of the boxers. A hand found it's way into his hair as he slid the boxers down with his teeth and nudged the smooth erection with his nose.

The thin hips arched under his touch and he moved his hands to them before taking the swollen head into his mouth. His arms bunched as he held the hips down when he swirled his tongue along the delicate ridge and into the tiny slit. Ed opened his mouth wider and slipped the entire length into his mouth, using his throat to work the delicate skin. Cries of encouragement slipped past Roy's lips and his hands massaged Ed's head. Ed could feel himself reacting, getting harder, from the sound of Roy's pleasure. Something else new, but not unpleasant. Suddenly, the hands in his hair grew demanding, pulling him up and off, dragging him up to meet Roy's mouth in an open kiss. Their chests pressed together, their groins touched, and Ed rubbed against his older lover, hands wandering his body.

Roy was ready and Ed rolled them so he was on the bottom. He pushed the alchemist onto his hands and knees and flipped himself over, raising his body to press his back against his partner's chest. He could feel Roy's erection, hard against his ass and gritted his teeth, forcing his body to relax. Roy pressed tightly against him, sliding his length between his cheeks. He stayed like that, pressed close to the smaller man, then reached his hands around and grasped Ed's cock, coaxing it to full hardness with firm strokes and gentle fondling of his balls.

Ed moaned and pressed back harder. He was a bit confused, this was something completely new, it had never felt good to be touched before, and until it hurt, he would allow it. Roy's hands left him and he pulled away. Ed looked over his shoulder in confusion. What was he doing? He was digging in the drawer of the night stand and held up a bottle of lotion before crawling back. He pushed Ed onto his back, settling between his legs.

Warm hands and a hot mouth descended on Ed's chest, licking and nibbling, testing new territory. Ed arched, crying out at the new sensations, his nipples peaking and pressing back against the tongue that ran over then. Lotion, cold and slippery, was poured onto the younger man's stomach. Roy rubbed it in, warming it with his hand before sliding it between his legs. He paused over his lover's cock, sliding his hand up and down a few times, making it's owner arch to him. He took advantage of it, sliding his hand under and between the tight cheeks. Ed tensed and Roy bit his chest gently, licking when he relaxed again. Again and again as Roy circled the tight opening, the little marks were added. Finally, a finger slipped in. Ed cried out, raising his hips. It was amazing, no pain, only pleasure. A few strokes, and a second finger joined the first, sliding in and out carefully. That one was slightly uncomfortable, it felt very full, but it didn't hurt, not really.

A third finger was added, and Ed shifted uncomfortably, wiggling a bit until the fingers hit... something. Little flashes of light appeared in front of Ed's eyes and his head snapped back as Roy pressed his prostate again and again. Tiny moans and fast gasps were the encouragement Roy needed, and he slicked lotion onto himself before pressing carefully in. It was full, tight, and Ed couldn't help wiggling a bit at the feeling.

It wasn't bad, just, unexpected. Always before, the pain had blocked everything else out. Then Roy moved, and Ed's concentration shattered. There was nothing but Roy; his hands, his lips, his length deep inside. They moved together, quickly climbing to the edge, holding fast to each other. Their mouths met and they caught and swallowed each other's screams when they came.

Ed cleaned them up with the edge of his shirt and cuddled Roy while he slid back into sleep, listening to his murmuring. The last thing he said before falling asleep was “love you Ed.”

Ed pressed his forehead to his lover's, “Thank you, Roy.” He lay and considered this new change in his life before untangling himself and moving to the shower.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

After he was evicted from the room, Al wandered the house. He wasn't sure how to feel; upset and worried for his brother, of course, but he was also glad their Colonel was showing what he hoped were signs of coming out of shock. Since his return, he would just sit wherever they put him until they told him to move, getting upset if left alone, but showing no initiative in anything else. Al shook his head, no point fussing, what was done was done.

He grabbed an old sweater of Roy's from the couch where it had been forgotten and set himself to cleaning the house. It had been a week, Roy distracting him from the usual chores and he was getting an itchy feeling in his palms He gathered dishes from the living room and picked up the takeout containers from the floor. He braved Ed's room, finding it shockingly non-toxic, most likely due to it having been cleaned a day before Roy's return and not being used since. The pale boy spent half an hour tidying, then returned to the living room. As he passed the kitchen, he noticed an old, worn blue duffel bag kicked under a chair. He dug it out, reading the tag. 'Roy Mustang'

'He must have dropped it here when he came home. I should open it and see if there's anything salvageable.' He opened it quickly before the guilty voice in the back of his head could stop him. It was nearly empty; a tattered shirt, a few stray bullets, extra gloves and two canvas bags. One was titled 'Central Head Office' and clinked when he lifted it. Al opened it to see dozens of small metal tags. He closed it quickly, feeling slightly ill. The second bag was larger and rustled softly. When opened, several envelopes fell to the ground. Letters, handfuls of them, all sorted and tied together by who had written them. Al sorted them into piles for mailing, recognizing handwriting and names. A few were new, but they were addressed and he set them aside as well. Two of the envelopes on the floor were from Maes, one each for Gracia and Elysia. The other two were addressed to himself and Ed, in Roy's familiar hand.

Al sat on the floor, holding the letters. He debated with himself as to whether to just throw them away or not; after all, Roy had come back. But, what if he didn't recover? He argued silently with himself until he heard the shower start. That's it, he would ask Ed and let him decide. After all, what were big brothers for? He set Maes' letters on the table to take over later and headed for Roy's room. He knocked gently and peeked in cautiously when there was no answer. The oldest alchemist was sprawled on the bed, covered carefully with blankets. The shower was still running and Al crossed the room silently to open the door and call gently to his brother.

“Ed, are you ok?” He couldn't hide the worry, so he didn't even try.

“Yep, just a sec. I'll be right out.” The gravelly voice still made the younger brother wince occasionally. Ed stepped from the shower and toweled off quickly. Al silently handed him his boxers and shirt, noting the small bruises on his chest. “I'm fine Al, he didn't hurt me.” As usual, his brother had read his face even when he tried to hide.

A change of topic was in order. “I found the Colonel's bag, the one he brought back home with him. There's some stuff for Head Office and some letters. I'll put it in the post in the morning. There were some for us.” He watched his brother nod and start for the bedroom.

“Oh? Who from?” Curiosity stopped Ed in the door, his head cocked. Who would send their last letter to them?

“Roy.” Ed stared at him, then moved to look at the man sleeping restlessly.

“What did it say?”

Al stuttered a bit at the bluntness. “I, I don't know. I didn't open them. I wanted to talk to you about it first. Do you think we should? I mean, he is going to get better, isn't he?”

“Of course he will! He's strong, we just need to be patient and support him until he can do it himself. Give me my letter. I'll read it. You'll have to decide if you want to read yours or not.” Ed walked to the desk and pulled the chair over to the bed. He reached out and held Roy's hand, stroking his palm with the flesh thumb while Al handed him his letter and left the room.