Worlds Collide

A/N: nette, I know, Edward's death was hard for me to write, but I did think it was necessary. The Frank and Roy scene was one I had in my head early on, though I didn't know that after all that time of him being a decent guy, it would turn so many against him again. Amethyst-eyed Koneko, I thought it was time for Frank to be a little less serious, unfortunately, he has no idea he kissed Kain. And Frank's going to be protective of Ed, even at the expense of Roy. Oh, and went with one of your suggestions here. Hope you like because it might be a little while for the next lemon or lime. (Otherwise, I'll run out of ideas or an original passage for one long before this story's over). Oh, and the miniskirt idea, it lasted all of about thirty seconds, going from wonder if that would be realistic, to there'd be some funny lines, to Ed doesn't want to be the woman in the relationship here and would just as soon burn a miniskirt as wear one, so there was no worry of it actually happening. Nomme de Plume, Kain and Frank kind of balance one another, I think, but I think the whole thing is going to take some convincing for Frank. Kuragari, thanks. I hoped they'd be funny. Malcara, I don't think Wrath has to be lonely forever, but he still hasn't dealt with his previous crumbling relationship. Hikaru_9, glad you're still reading, I'm not sure I'll rush Frank and Kain, but they just seemed a good balance, like I've said above.

Chapter 24

The Ball

“I look like an idiot,” Ed said, pulling at the cream ascot around his neck. “I look…” He glanced at himself in the mirror, Roy watching as he staggered back looking almost frightened. “My father. I look like my friggin’ father.”

Roy wrapped his arms around Ed’s shoulders, standing behind him. “You resemble him because you’re dressed like him. But believe me, you don’t look like your father.” Roy nibbled on Ed’s earlobe.

“Don’t start something we don’t have time to finish, Mustang,” Ed said, running a hand to the back of Roy’s neck before pulling away. Ed tugged at the black vest he wore, which hugged his V-shaped body. The black pants fitting just snuggly enough over his muscular behind, brand new, crisp cream shirt and ascot hiding the bruises at Ed’s neck. Roy still felt a pang of guilt at that, knowing somewhere that his guilt might not ever really fade.

Ed had decided, since they would be dancing, he would pull his hair back into a careful and tight braid. Roy never really understood when he did this before going out to dance because the two very rarely did any dancing since Ed was far too self-conscious about the possibility of stepping on Roy’s feet. Still, it had been strange to watch Ed take the same meticulous care with his hair that he did with his research when it was usually done so easily. Roy had gotten dressed, watching Ed suck his lower lip into his mouth, teeth seeming to hold it in place without actually biting it, those gold eyes focused on each turn and twist of the honey-colored locks.

Unfortunately, Roy had not paid much thought to the fact that he’d taken the same attitude when preparing his own hair, earning him an all-to-familiar Ed rant for once again putting pomade in it to hold it securely in place. By the time Ed’s somewhat petty little rant was over with, the younger man had unknowingly acknowledged that he didn’t mind the way Roy looked with his hair back, his flesh hand toying with the stubborn strands that remained hanging down over Roy’s forehead. Ed had called it a “masculine look,” and for the sake of his own ego, Roy didn’t ask what Ed would term his “look” without the pomade.

Roy strapped on his patch as he watched Ed pull on his coat, tucking a vibrantly red handkerchief in the front pocket, the only real color in Ed’s entire outfit.

“You know,” Ed said, looking down at the piece of bright fabric, “there are times I miss that stupid coat of mine. Dress clothes are so… dull.”

Roy smiled at Ed, who could be eloquent when he chose or could struggle to string a few sentences together. It was true that Ed didn’t seem to belong in the browns, tans and blacks that made up the typical adult wardrobe, despite the fact that as one, he was expected to dress that way.

Roy held out his hand, knowing that offering an arm would likely get him smacked. “Well, are you ready to go to an incredible waste of time and money?”

Ed’s left hand wrapped itself around Roy’s right. “As long as we have to, I guess I am.”

They left their bedroom, seeing that Aideen was already in the hallway with her brother, the sides of her hair in twin braids that were pulled to the back of her head where the rest remained unbound. Roy still remembered the one and only time they’d tried curling the stubborn mop of hair. It had involved crying and whining on everybody’s parts, and her hair had remained nearly poker straight even after hours of working to make it otherwise.

Nicholas’s hair looked somewhat less polished, as it usually did, stray hairs sticking out. Silently, Roy held out a hand, demanding Nicholas’s coat, which he analyzed for firecrackers, smoke bombs, etc. Thankfully, he only found a rather innocuous hand buzzer and whoopee cushion. He then signaled to the boy to empty his pants pockets, finding what looked like the components for firecrackers, which for the little prodigy would be nothing to create. The set of large dark eyes averted from almond-shaped ones.

“Sorry, Papa,” Nicholas said. “I got so bored last time.”

Roy looked at his son, frowning.

“It won’t be that bad, Nicholas,” Aideen said, smoothing out her dress.

Looking at their entire family, Roy saw that Ed had essentially color-coordinated the four in shades of red, cream and black, as Aideen’s dress was a rich red, with an ivory ribbon at her waist and matching lace at the bottom. Roy’s own bowtie was black with thin red thread stripes running through it, and like Ed, he wore a cream dress shirt and red handkerchief. Even Nicholas had a red vest on, along with cream and black everywhere else. It seemed that whenever Ed was given the leeway with color, Ed took the opportunity to ensure the twins at least got a bit more of it than he did.

“Do I really have to go to this BORING ball?” Nicholas asked. “You don’t always make us.”

“But it isn’t always your Papa’s birthday,” Ed said. “And you’re nearly ten. You might as well get used to this kind of stuff.”

“Stop whining, Nicholas. Major Archer’s bringing music he wrote down from his world for the band, and it’s a heck of a lot better than that boring” She began simulating a slow waltz in the hallway. “stuff they usually play.” Aideen then looked down at her new black shoes… with heels. Since they’d been bought, they were all she’d talked about, that she got to wear grown-up shoes that brought her up past Daddy’s chin. Roy hated the idea that Aideen was definitely growing up, but watching her get so excited over an inch heel never failed to draw his lips up into a smile. “And I promise not to make too much fun of your dancing Nicholas.”

********

Frank moved his arms around in the navy blue suit he wore. After years of working with the Thules, he hadn’t really had time to get a nice, tailored wardrobe like this one in a long while. The fabric felt stiff, almost too stiff as he attempted to move in it. Part of him wondered if it would be a terrible faux pas to take the coat off at some point in the evening. He’d been teaching Aideen some of the dances from earth and the little girl was determined to show off at the ball tonight, but the coat would be just a bit constricting for the former spy to attempt swing dancing.

He also didn’t quite understand why he had allowed himself to be dressed, by Kain and Roy’s sister, in a pink shirt with a pink handkerchief, which would get him punched at home.

“Hey Frank,” Kain called from the doorway, “you ready yet?”

Frank turned around, seeing Kain in a pinstripe suit, looking fairly nice, if the older man had to admit it.

“You look good,” Kain complimented.

“Thanks, though I still feel like a pouf in this.”

“Pouf?”

“Sissy and… I think you call it gay.”

Kain looked almost deflated at that response. “Yeah, that’s the term.”

“I mean, I’d just as soon face a rabid dog than call Wrath a pouf,” Frank said, realizing he’d unknowingly insulted Kain. “He’d knock me senseless, but there are others…” He didn’t add that Edward would probably have fallen into that category, knowing somehow it would get back to Ed, be taken as an insult against him, and result in certain injury to Frank.

“Oh.” Kain nodded, but Frank watched him, realizing at that moment that perhaps Kain preferred men, and Frank might have to choose his words more carefully. He was accustomed to speaking freely with Wrath and Edward, even to an extent, Roy and Ed, but it felt awkward with Kain for reasons Frank really couldn’t say.

“You look nice,” Frank said, awkwardly. “When you wear your uniform, you always look like you’re, well, a kid playing dress-up. You pull off a suit well.”

Frank brushed the front of his suit off, only barely registering the slight pink tinge to Kain’s cheeks.

“Well, now that I’m done being a vain priss,” Frank joked, “I think it’s time we go.” He put an arm around the shorter man, this time, taking more notice of the redness in his superior officer’s cheeks and the slight pink color to his ears.

For just a moment, he wondered if it hadn’t been his references to poufs earlier, but rather Frank himself who was making Kain uncomfortable. Kain was a nice, decent guy, who perhaps liked men, but Frank, well to be honest, Frank did too and was grateful to be in a world where it was safe to be himself, but nice guys and Frank didn’t happen. And Kain was a relationship type. Frank could tell just by looking at him. All the older man had ever had were one night stands, at least that hadn’t ended miserably. Even if he did come to think of Kain as more than a friend, he couldn’t do that to him. He was Frank’s superior officer, and the former spy was almost guaranteed to screw up any kind of relationship he attempted, if past experiences were anything to go by. Frank liked being able to call Kain a friend.

“You can’t just go bugger a friend,” Frank mumbled to himself as he grabbed a stack of sheet music to hand to the band at the ball.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing, Kain, just hoping I don’t bugger my knee dancing tonight.”

********

Dante stood in a darkened corner of the dance hall ballroom, kicking herself for her naiveté. She had actually thought that, with the entire government and military present in that room tonight, she would be able to send through a list of state alchemists and their photos to Frau Eckhart. If enough of those people from the other side, all of whom had to possess some natural ability, could be gathered together, it would be possible for them to open the Gate for at least a small amount of time.

Unfortunately for Dante, though she might be able to sneak away from the people in attendance, her greatest issue would be the people outside, the media and the “adoring public” who would notice her every move. They would want details of what was going on inside and why she hadn’t stayed at the ball and if the fuhrer knew she was sneaking out early. It wouldn’t work.

There was also the realization that, as much as she wanted to, she wasn’t physically capable of standing up to a possible army of invaders from another world by herself if she helped them enough to reach Amestris immediately. She was sure she could leave it to the brat and his husband, and if they got killed, all the better. But honestly, she simply wasn’t sure she was capable of doing any damage or posing any threat outside of her alchemy, and if the weaponry she’d been told of was real, Dante could be dead before she completed a transmutation.

That didn’t mean she was giving up. She wanted the Gate open so she could possess all of the knowledge from the other side and use it to her advantage. She would control the use of the Gate just as she did the philosopher’s stone. She would know the other world’s technology, and prevent stupid humans from trying to use it here, where they had no business doing so. The ancient being who no longer considered herself human, despite her need to “borrow” the body she was currently in, considered herself the means of controlling humankind’s idiotic ways.

The fact was simple, whether they be alchemist or average, humans simply were not capable of handling the mass amounts of power and responsibility they had been given. The sooner they recognized their own need to be kept in check, the better.

As that thought crossed her mind, the fuhrer and the brat passed by her, each smiling, completely obvious.

********

Finally through with the grand total of two dances he could do, Ed watched as the band looked over the strange music that Frank had provided for them. The blond was not about to attempt the dances that he’d seen Frank teaching the twins, since it took every bit of control Ed had just to manage the slower dances without injuring Roy. Ed could fight and move as naturally as breathing, as long as he listened to what his body needed to and could do. Dancing meant following a series of moves and steps that were not always natural for his metal leg.

So together, he and Roy stood, arms around one another’s backs as Aideen waited for the signal from Frank. She looked so happy to be able to show off a talent other than her alchemy. Admittedly, her dancing wasn’t perfect and her legs were still a bit too short, but she looked happy, and the music certainly was a step better than the boring crap that was usually blasted though these state affairs. Ed rested his head against Roy’s shoulder as the older man leaned down and pressed his lips to Ed’s forehead.

“Who knows,” Roy said, “if she doesn’t want to do alchemy for a living, she might have a talent in the arts. She’s rather good at this, and we already know she can sing.”

“Inherited that from me,” Ed said, squeezing his grip on Roy just a bit, “because you’re completely tone-deaf.”

“But she did inherit a more melodic voice, probably from me.”

“You trying to say something about my singing?”

“It’s always on pitch.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.” Ed looked up at Roy. “At least when I sang a lullaby to the kids, they didn’t cry louder, or tell me ‘Please, no’ once they learned to talk.”

The two watched as more people were pulled out onto the floor to either try for themselves or have Frank and the twins—yes, by now even Nicholas had gotten in on it—teach them. The dance floor was growing crowded, and Ed felt it was a safe time to pull his husband out of the main hall.

“What are you doing, Ed?”

Ed slid his grip on Roy until he was pulling the older man by his arms to the coat-check room. Pushing open the half-door, Ed pulled them both inside, pressing Roy against the furthest wall.

“Ed, there are people here, and there isn’t even a full door.”

The blond only rolled his eyes as he began unfastening Roy’s bowtie. “Well then,” Ed pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket before returning to the tie. “I suggest you make use of this. Wouldn’t want them to know the fuhrer can be a screamer.”

“First of all,” Roy said, between gasps as Ed nuzzled against his now bare chest, leaving the occasional lovebite as he went, “I am not a screamer. Secondly, you are.”

Ed looked up at Roy with a smirk before unfastening the older man’s pants. “I’m figuring I’m going to be otherwise occupied.”

With a smile, Ed saw that Roy was already hard. They were going to have to make this fast. He knew that, but there as a bit of a sadist in the blond that wanted to make Roy suffer for just a moment. Ed started to put the boxers back over Roy’s straining member.

“What are you doing?”

“We shouldn’t do this in public. You’re right.”

Roy leaned down and firmly kissed Ed, his tongue requesting entrance, and simulating what the lower portion of his body seemed to want to do to the blond’s waiting mouth. Ed pulled away and tucked his head beneath Roy’s for a moment, silently grateful for the difference in height. He hated admitting that he liked how well they fit together, how little it took for Roy to lift his head and Ed to tuck his own to press their entire bodies against one another as they were at the moment.

Ed had planned this to be a frantic, passionate show of spontaneity—despite anticipating doing it for about three days—but somewhere along the line, affection had come into play, regardless of the very firm reminders of intent at Ed’s stomach and Roy’s thigh.

Remembering why they were there and how little time they had together, Ed began to slide within Roy’s embrace, moving to his knees and removing his own straining cock and a condom. He couldn’t afford to make a mess, and he seriously doubted that they were going to have time for the birthday boy to reciprocate. In the back of Ed’s mind had been the prospect of them both doing one another, but the room was small, and Roy had to awkwardly arch his back to ensure they both fit with one another—moments like those, Ed once again cursed his lack of height.

Carefully slipping the condom on himself, looking up at Roy all the while, Ed watched as the older man looked down at him, his hands once again removing the boxers Ed had replaced. While he tried to look as sexy as possible, Ed prayed he managed to get the damn thing on properly. Being that he and Roy were married and clean, there was rarely the need for one, and doing it single handedly didn’t make it any easier.

The condom in place, Ed carefully brought his right hand to Roy, grateful that his husband trusted him enough not to injure anything with the automail. Ed wrapped his left hand around himself as he guided Roy’s leaking phallus to his mouth, first darting out his tongue to toy with the slit at the head, then circling round the mushroom-shaped tip, hearing a muffled moan from above. Glancing up, Ed saw the bright red fabric in Roy’s mouth, his hands gripping it in place for lack of something better to hold on.

“And keep your hands away from my hair. You’ll mess it up. That would be a dead giveaway of what we’re doing.”

There was a grunt of acknowledgement from above as Ed opened his mouth and took the head of Roy’s impressive length into his mouth, his own left hand pumping his own member. Tortuously slow, Ed took more and more of the man into his mouth until it hit the back of his throat. His head bobbed back, working to take a little more of him this time, as he watched Roy, mouth clenched around the red fabric, head back, and eyes shut.

Most would guess that as fuhrer, Roy held the power, and looking at this scene, Ed was sure they would have been certain of it, but even though Ed was kneeling in front of Roy, a good five inches of the man in his mouth, he felt like he had power. He was making Roy’s knees weak, he was making his husband writhe against the hard wall of the coat check room, and he was getting off on it.

He relaxed his jaw and throat until he could manage all of the man he loved, knowing that he needed to rush this more than Roy might have liked, bobbing his head, the speed at which he was pumping his own member increasing. At his own ministrations, Ed was beginning to moan around Roy’s cock, feeling his husband stiffen, the muscles in his abdomen tensing.

He didn’t have long now, so he increased his speed, eyes looking up at the wanton form of the Great Fuhrer of Amestris, desperately trying not to cry out and reveal their activities to the rest of the Amestris government. A few more pumps and bobs, and the two were crying out around the objects in their mouths, Ed desperate not to choke as he did.

Releasing Roy with a slight pop, Ed licked the corners of his mouth, trying not the twist his face up in distaste. He swore, the only time he hadn’t minded the flavor had been while he was pregnant, but after catching Roy make the same expression a few times when he thought the younger man wasn’t looking, he figured it was fair enough. Both liked seeing the other swallow, and neither one really liked doing it.

“Now we have to get ourselves cleaned up, and you might want to wipe up that sweat,” Ed said, taking not that once again, his voice had gone from raspy to almost gravelly. “Though I don’t know why you're sweating so much. I did all the work.”

********

Wrath didn’t even want to admit he’d heard what he did from the coat room, or that he know damned well who it was inside. He’d been back in this world a month, and the two had been going at it like rabbits. Roy should have been glad Ed was a man, or else the two of them would certainly have had more than the twins to deal with.

At least now, it didn’t hurt so much to know the two of them were together. They were family, not quite brothers, but close enough. They were happy and had been for most of Wrath’s conscious existence. He didn’t for a moment begrudge the couple that.

He returned the dance hall, watching as Frank and the twins continued to teach those in attendance. Watching as Frank pulled Kain out onto the floor, Wrath couldn’t help but smile. Frank had been a good friend for many years. Wrath was somewhat amazed at how quickly Frank had adjusted to this world, wondering if perhaps, it had been something that Frank had needed as much as Edward, a place where he could be free to be himself without judgment. The former spy certainly looked at ease on the dance floor for everyone to see with his nervous commanding officer moving at his will.

Given the chance, Wrath would have been out there himself, but until his body was moving a little more easily on its own, he wasn’t taking the chance.

“Where’d you disappear to?” he heard Roy say behind him, making Wrath glance over his shoulder just a bit.

“Went to the bathroom to… dispose of things.” Wrath winced in disgust. It was one thing to support them, but another entirely to hear details. “Also, used the mouthwash.”

Mental pictures Wrath didn’t need appeared, so he moved further into the crowd, noticing that Aideen suddenly looked uncomfortable with her dance partner. She’d been dancing with the young man for quite some time, but now looked as though she was ready to move to another, to teach someone else, but he wasn’t letting her go. He tried to get through the dancing couples and not get himself pushed or kicked, but heard a cry of pain and found Frank had the man by the collar of his shirt.

“She told you your turn was up. Why wouldn’t you stop?”

“He kept asking questions about my fathers and about the government,” Aideen said, looking up at the older man angrily. “When he wouldn’t let me go, I stomped on his foot. Heels are good for more than just making me taller.”

“A spy?” Frank asked.

“No,” one of the senators said, “a want-to-be freelance journalist and my idiot son.”

By this point, both Ed and Roy were at the center of the parted crowd, Roy protectively putting his arm around Aideen’s shoulders, Ed grabbing hold of the young man’s necktie.

“I allow the legitimate reporters because, despite being obnoxious, they do their job professionally, but it’s you freelancers and mudrakers desperate to make a buck that I would love to see thrown out of the country for good. This little girl is not a source, nor is she a potential interview, nor is she someone who has chosen her fame and the spotlight of the media that goes with it,” Ed pulled the man down look him in the eye. “She is my daughter, and she deserves an apology. Now.”

“S-sorry.”

“Now, if you think you’re going to make any extra money off of this moment,” Roy said, rubbing his daughter’s arm, “you are mistaken. Not only will we give a press conference immediately to the waiting media concerning you in what I believe is called a ‘scoop’ in the business, but you’re going to spend a few days under strict house arrest for harassment. Just long enough while the intensity of this dies down and no one is willing to pay for this story.”

“And if you try that again with me or my sister,” Nicholas chimed in from the crowd, “we’ll beat you up before you can do anything about it.”

“And since we’re only kids, they won’t charge us with anything,” Aideen added with a devious little twinkle in her fiery eyes.

The man looked around the room, centering on two aunts, an uncle, and whatever Falman was to the twins, as well as three very stern-looking young cousins in front of them. All seemed to be silently cursing and bringing down plagues on the man at the center of the crowd.

Ed released the senator’s son and had him carted away by the military police. As the man walked by, Wrath “accidentally” let his cane go too far into the man’s path, tripping him to land solidly on his face, then making an expression of obviously fake apology.

“Well, now that that’s over,” Roy said, “I think my daughter needs to teach me how to do these dances.” He turned to the bandstand. “Maestro, if you would please.”

Ed quickly knelt down to hug Aideen, telling her he was proud of her before the music started and he bolted off the dance floor.

“Strange, isn’t it,” he said as he stood by Wrath on the sidelines, watching his daughter and husband. “She can defend herself, and we all know it, but it doesn’t stop her extended family from trying to protect her.” Ed patted Wrath’s arm. “Oh, and the move with the cane was brilliant.”