The Heart of the Mustang

Disclaimer: I don’t own FullMetal Alchemist (anime or manga), their world or any of the characters there within. I just like to imagine them in my own little world (which is totally of my imagining). No profits are made from this story, just gratuitous pleasure.

Summary: Edward is back from beyond the gate, but something is driving him and he can’t seem to settle down, no matter how hard Al and Winry try. Ed has secrets he can’t tell anyone. Sequel to At Fifteen.

Rating: NC-17

Warning Codes: angst, m/m, anal, oral, language, some minor violence, h/c, waff, yaoi, COMPLETE,

Pairings: RoyxEd

Author’s note: This story is set several years after Ed returns thru the gate. Al and Winry want him to come home, find a nice girl and settle down, but Ed has other plans. But he can’t seem to tell Al and Winry the truth of his situation. And something is driving him and he can’t confide in Roy about that, either. Ed is just full of secrets.

Feedback is appreciated. Your feedback is your gift to me. My gift to you is the story. I hope that you have enjoy reading it. Any comments left are welcome. To all of you who have spent your time writing to me, a really big thank you. It really meant a lot to me.

To Koneko, yes, it was a rather abrupt ending, so I’ve added an epilogue to kind of give it more of a finished feeling. Sometimes, after I’ve reread things (for about the millionth time, I’m really compulsive about that) they just don’t sit well, but I don’t know what I want to do with them. It takes me a little time. Writer’s block or something, I guess. Anyway, I hope this makes it feel a little more complete. I would like to thank you for all of the wonderful reviews you gave me. I did enjoy reading them all. They gave me some new insights that I hadn’t thought about. And thank you for the spelling tip. My spell checker said it was alright, even though I didn’t think so, but I let it pass and never did get back to checking on the actual spelling. (bad ghost!)

*** Thanks for letting me know that part of this was missing. They ran a back up just as I was updating, and I guess it lost something somewhere along the line. But it's all here now. Happy reading. ***

To TrulyWished, Affie and Rysha, yaoigurl06 and Exotic Rose83, thank you as well for the wonderful reviews. I enjoyed hearing from all of you. Your reviews, as well, were much appreciated and inspiring to me.

***If you have enjoyed this series, you might also enjoy: ‘Acting As If… A Passion Play in 5 Acts’ which can be found in the Gundam Wing (yaoi) Universe, or ‘The Tangled Web’ series which can be found in the world of the GetBackers.***

*~*

The Heart of the Mustang

Epilogue

They caught the afternoon train heading back to central headquarters. Once again they had a private compartment and Roy closed the blinds and locked the door. Ed snuggled up against Roy and immediately dozed off, secure in the warm, comfortable arms. Roy relaxed with his flighty blonde lover’s head cradled on his chest, letting his thoughts drift back over the events of the last two days. A lot had happened in those two short days, the best of which was he finally found out what made Edward run so hard.

Now that Ed had a reason to stop chasing the elusive answer to the question that had been driving him for so long, maybe he would be content to stay at home more often. Home, with Roy. Roy planned on making him a permanent occupant of his household and also a permanent member of his office staff. The thought made Roy smirk gently to himself. He knew just what he was going to do with Ed, both at home and at work. Life was going to be very interesting from here on out. It was a good thing that Roy had the rank and the position in the military to pull off the little gambit he was getting ready to run. Rut as long as Ed was willing, and Roy had every reason to believe that he would be now that it seemed as if he had found some peace within himself, things would work out nicely for everyone.

~*~

Roy kissed Ed gently to wake him as the train pulled into the station. Ed blinked up at Roy sleepily, smiled and offered his lover a light kiss. Then he sat up and stretched languidly, like a cat.

“We’re home already?” he asked. “I’m hungry.”

“What do you mean, already? You slept the whole way,” Roy laughed. “What would you like to eat, love?”

“That place where we ate at last week?” Ed responded hopefully.

“WuFei’s it is, then,” said Roy. “We should have a car waiting. Are you ready?”

Ed nodded and Roy escorted him out to the waiting car, then instructed the driver to drop them at the restaurant, but not to wait as they would walk home from there.

They had a leisurely meal, then walked home slowly, by-passing the small pub they had stopped in before. When they reached the house Roy unlocked the door, but stopped Ed before he could enter.

“What?” Ed asked.

“Well,” said Roy, swinging the young man up into his arms, “it is customary to carry the bride over the threshold, love.”

He proceeded to carry his squirming, fighting blonde hellcat through the door before dropping him to his feet inside the house.

“Bride? Bride?” Edward screamed. “We may be ‘married’, but I am NO damned BRIDE, you cold-hearted bastard.”

“Bastard? Cold-hearted? Me?” asked Roy, affecting innocence. “Besides, somebody has to be the bride, and face it, love, you look more like one then I do.”

Ed glared at him, then turned his back and stomped off into the house, muttering to himself. Roy’s laughter trailed after him, tauntingly. Life, it seemed, was back to normal in the Mustang household. It would be quite a challenge, making Ed sweet again, but Roy always loved a good challenge and so went hunting for his irritated lover, finally tracking him down in the guest bedroom.

“Sleeping alone tonight, love?” he inquired.

Ed just growled as Roy approached the bed he had flopped down on, shoes, coat and all.

“Well, sweet dreams, then, Edward,” said Roy, kissing him on the forehead, then departing, shutting the door behind himself.

A few seconds later a loud thump sounded, as if Ed had thrown a boot at the inoffensive door. Poor door, thought Roy, heading up to their bedroom, wondering how long it would take Ed to make his way up to their bedroom.

Roy smirked to himself as he stripped and slid under the covers to wait for his flighty little lover. Edward was so much fun when he was annoyed and it was so easy to get him wound up. It took about two hours before he stomped up the stairs. Roy had dozed off waiting for him, but opened his one dark eye as a very irritated Edward started to strip. Noting Roy watching him, Ed slowed down his undressing, dragging it out for as long as he could, knowing it would drive Roy crazy. The soft moan from the bed confirmed his belief and he turned with a smirk, sliding into the large, comfortable bed. When Roy reached for him, he put out a hand to stop him.

“Sorry, stud, still too sore,” remarked Ed. “You said no penetration, remember?”

“I know, but could you…” Roy responded, then touched a finger to Ed's lips hopefully.

“No, I really don’t feel like it tonight,” answered Ed with a sniff. “I’m really tired after the train ride and all.”

“You’re cold, love,” Roy pouted as Ed turned his back. “The least you could do is let me cuddle with you.”

Roy pulled Ed into his arms, and Ed could feel Roy’s arousal against his backside, but he refused to respond, ignoring Roy’s advances the best he could. But that was almost impossible to do when Roy went into seduction mode, warm hands and teasing lips hitting all of the places that Roy knew Ed couldn’t resist. Giving up, Ed rolled over in his arms and gave himself to his lover with a contented sigh as Roy’s hand closed over his erection, stroking it gently for a moment or two, while his teasing mouth did some wonderful things on its trip down to Ed's waiting cock.

It didn’t take Roy long to bring him to climax, but Roy was left with his desire still raging. As he lay his head back down on his pillow, his hand went down to relieve himself, where it was joined by Ed's soft hand. Together, they brought him to climax.

“I’ll be glad when we can have sex again,” Roy murmured to his sleepy lover. “This just isn’t as satisfying as being inside of you, making love to you. I miss that, and having you so close is driving me crazy.’

“I’m sorry,” replied Ed softly, kissing him sleepily. “I miss your love making, too. It’s hard to wait.”

“Well, get some sleep, love,” said Roy, kissing him back. “I need to go to the office tomorrow, but you can sleep in.”

Ed snuggled close to Roy and drifted off to sleep contentedly, and he never even felt it when Roy got up and left in the morning.

~*~

Roy arrived at his office bright and early the next morning, much to the amazement of Colonel Hawkeye, ready to institute the changes he planned to make. All of his subordinates noted the self-satisfied smirk on his face and they were almost afraid of the gleam in his dark eye. Everyone except Colonel Hawkeye, that is. Roy could never manage to intimidate that self-assured woman, no matter how hard he tried.

“Good morning, General,” said Hawkeye, noting that Roy looked very happy this morning. “Did you and Edward have a good trip?”

“Yes, yes we did, thank you very much. And thank you for all of the arrangements that you made for us. They were superb, as only you could make them,” he replied extravagantly. “And now there are some changes I’ll be wanting to make around here. I’ll need another desk, a smaller one, put in my office, because Edward is going to become a permanent member of our office staff. I am appointing him my personal adjutant and civilian liaison. He will be handling the things that I don’t have the time to deal with personally from now on.”

“Yes, sir. I understand. I’ll see to it right away,” she responded. “And when can we expect Edward to report in?”

“Probably tomorrow. He’s still a little tired after this weekend,” said Roy, casually.

“Will Edward be requiring a room in the dormitory? Or help locating an apartment?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

“No, that’s not necessary,” replied Roy. “His, ah, living arrangements have been taken care of already.”

“I understand,” she replied with a slight smile. “I’ll see to having Major Havoc and Lieutenant Fury get that extra desk for your office, then.”

“Thank you, Colonel. I knew I could count on you to take care of everything for me, as usual,” said Roy. “I’ll be in my office.”

In less then an hour, Havoc and Fury had located and moved the desk, and in less then an hour rumors had started to fly.

~*~

When Ed sauntered in a couple of hours later, dressed in his indecently tight black pants and just a little too short red tee shirt, with his long blonde hair flowing freely down around his shoulders, even more rumors flew as the sharp eyed women in the building spotted the soft golden glow from the ring that he sported on the third finger of his left hand, the one traditionally reserved for a wedding ring.

He walked casually up to Roy’s office and cordially greeted Hawkeye and the others. Havoc and Fury could only gape, as the ring on his hand seemed to confirm the rumors that were running as rampant as a wild fire around the building. Only Hawkeye managed to retained her composure.

“Welcome back, Edward. He’s in his office,” she replied to his greeting. “It will be good to have you back for awhile.”

Ed blushed slightly as he noticed her gazed drop to his hand for a brief instant before she smiled knowingly at him. He stepped up to the door, but before his hand could grasp the knob, the door opened, revealing Roy’s frowning face.

“Edward, I didn’t expect you to come in today,” he said warmly, moving aside to allow the young man to enter.

“I was bored at home, so I thought I’d drop in. Maybe we can go to lunch?” asked Ed hopefully, as Roy closed the door behind them.

“I’m sure that can be arranged. I’m glad you’re here, love. Now that I understand what has been driving you for all of these years, and you know how I really feel about you and your auto-mail I would like to make a proposition to you about a new position, here in this office. Sit with me on the couch,” Roy invited.

“Love? Should you be calling me that here?” Ed asked, sitting on the far end of the couch, avoiding Roy’s arm for the moment. “You didn’t lock the door, you know. And what’s this about a position in your office?”

“You’re right, I shouldn’t call you that here, but it’s hard to resist,” said Roy, smirking just a bit.

“This couch is the first place we ever made love,” remarked Ed, running a hand fondly over the leather, reminiscing.

“I remember,” said Roy, smiling at him. “You came to me a scared, trembling, 15-years-old virgin, asking about sex and love.”

“Well, I didn’t really have anyone else I could ask, now did I?” retorted Ed.

“I remember my heart almost stopped when you wanted to know how to tell a person that you liked them and you wanted to be with them. I was so sure you’d found some pretty little girl,” said Roy. “I think I almost died that day, thinking I’d lost you before I’d ever gotten the chance to have you.”

“You told me what to say and how to say it,” said Ed, smiling fondly at Roy, taking his hands. “So, I gathered up all of my courage and that’s what I did.”

“I was so shocked, I didn’t know what to say,” confessed Roy.

“I know. I thought you didn’t want me, that you were rejecting me. I was about to run away when you kissed me. That was all it took for me. I was so in love with you, and you were so gentle and sweet, it was like a dream to me,” Ed told him with a soft smile on his face.

“It was like a dream come true, to me,” responded Roy, “and I was afraid I’d wake up and that you’d be gone. To think that you would confess to me, of all people. I wanted your first time to be good.”

“It was,” said Ed. “It was so good, I kept coming back for more. I couldn’t seem to get enough of you. I don’t know what you did to me, but I’m glad you did it.”

“I just took a sweet, virgin boy and made him my own. You were everything that all of those insipid girls weren’t. Alive, fiery, hot-tempered, quick to respond, in anger or in love, smart, funny, someone I could really talk to. You were a challenge to me. You still are a challenge to me. Everyday, it’s like I have to win you all over again,” said Roy, the light glowing in his one dark eye. “Those girls, they just spread their legs for me. All they wanted was stud service, and that’s what I gave them. That’s why there were so many of them. They were all so dull and boring; it was always the same thing. And that’s why you wear my ring and none of them ever had a snowball’s chance in Hell of doing so. You alone are so much more than all of them put together. Never forget that, love. And don’t ever change.”

“Don’t worry. This is what you got, stud, and this is what you have to live with,” answered Ed. “But I love you for all of the same reasons, Roy Mustang, and I don’t plan on ever taking off this ring.”

Ed moved closer and Roy took him into his arms and the two shared a deep kiss, then broke apart to look into each other’s eyes, liking what they saw there.

“Anyway, about this position. Since your question really doesn’t need the answer that you’ve been searching for, since I’ve given you a different, and I hope much better answer, I would like to keep you near me, I would like to make you my personal adjutant and civilian liaison,” Roy told him as they separated a bit.

“You mean I would get to do all the crap you don’t want to do, don’t you?” challenged Ed.

“Edward, love, would I do something like that to you?” Roy asked, trying to effect innocence.

“Any chance you can get,” retorted Ed, narrowing his eyes at his lover. “I remember some of the crap jobs you sent me and Al on when we were young.”

“Edward, I’m hurt that you would even think that,” said Roy, trying to keep from laughing. “And those jobs were all important ones.”

“Yeah, well you just better not give me a bunch of crappy jobs now, or I’ll make you regret it at home,” Ed warned.

“Are you threatening our love life?” asked Roy, shocked.

“If it works,” said Ed, blandly.

“You’re cold, love,” Roy laughed, and grabbed the younger man, giving him a long, lingering kiss. “You’re lucky you can’t have sex right now, or I’d show you how to use sex as a weapon.”

“You’d better not make a habit of this, or Hawkeye will shoot us both,” said Ed, cuddling close and kissing him back.

“So, love, how about lunch?” Roy asked, after another kiss.

“Sure. Where are we going?” Ed asked.

“Let’s just go to the cantina. It’s closest,” Roy replied.

“Alright. You’re paying, right?” asked Ed, in a rather cheeky tone.

“Don’t I always?” replied Roy.

“Yeah, but I just wanted to check,” said Edward, airily.

~*~

They walked out of the office and Roy told Hawkeye they were going to have lunch, then they headed off toward the cantina, talking softly about Ed's new position.

Ed seemed oblivious to the looks from the young women that they passed in the hallways, but Roy was taking note of them, seeing as how most of the looks were a bit hostile. It seemed that the women resented Ed for taking the most eligible bachelor out of circulation. It almost didn’t seem like they minded so much that Roy was with a man, just that he was now with someone permanently. That was just a bit mind boggling for the general. After all, even though he and Ed had never flaunted it, they had never actually hidden the fact that they had been together for several years, either. It just seemed as if the ring on Ed's hand made it permanent in the women’s minds, and therefore made him off limits to anyone else.

There was an angry murmuring as they stepped into the cantina and Ed stopped in confusion as suddenly there was a young woman standing in front of them, anger evident in her face, hate in her eyes.

“You little slut,” she hissed in an angry, low voice, her hand raised to slap Edward.

“That is considered assault and battery, and you could be charged and finding yourself spending some time in jail for striking Mr. Elric if you persist in your current course of action. You might wish to reconsider,” said Roy in a soft, menacing voice, catching her arm in a tight grip. “And, while he might not press charges, you would find yourself without a job here in the future. You would do well to remember this and to pass it on to all of the other young ladies here at Central. Mr. Elric is to be treated with all due respect.”

The young woman flushed an ugly shade of red as Roy dropped her arm and she stood trembling in her embarrassment when Roy escorted Ed on to the food line, where they stood silently. They got their food and took it to a table in the back corner, and sat to eat, once again talking softly.

“Looks like they don’t like you very much, love,” Roy commented, looking around the room at the angrily glaring young women.

“So? As long as they keep their hands to themselves, who cares?” said Ed, shrugging it off. “And you’d just better keep your hands to yourself, too.”

“Of course, love,” said Roy. “I would never dream of cheating on you. Not as long as you wear my ring.”

“Good, don’t forget that,” said Ed, looking his lover in the eye. “Now, about this new job. Just exactly what am I going to be doing?”

They had been talking for quite a long while when Colonel Hawkeye and Major Havoc asked to joined them. Havoc glanced at Hawkeye, who nodded her head slightly. Havoc cleared his throat nervously.

“What is it?” asked Roy, impatiently.

“Well, ah, it’s about your, ah, new, ah, ah…” Havoc stuttered and paused. “Ah, your new bride.”

“What about him?” asked Roy, rather curtly.

“I am NOT a BRIDE….” Ed started to scream, only to have Hawkeye cover his mouth.

“Hush,” she commanded. “Just hush and listen.”

Ed glowered, but sat silently, sulking.

“Ah, well, it’s the women around here,” Havoc resumed. “They hate him like poison, sir, and I’ve heard some really nasty muttering. I don’t think they could hurt him, physically that is, but their tongues can get really sharp and nasty, if you know what I mean.”

“Hate me? Why? I know they sounded a bit angry when we walked in, but hate me?” asked Ed, stunned, remembering the young woman as they entered the cantina.

“It’s that little gold band you wear on your left hand,” said Hawkeye, simply.

“My… my ring?” said Ed, still puzzled.

“Yeah, your ring,” answered Havoc. “With that ring, you’ve taken General Stud-muffin here off of the playing field…”

“Stud-muffin?” asked Roy, incredulously.

“Ah, not my name for you, sir,” said Havoc, quickly, holding his hands up in innocence. “That’s what all of the girls call you. Anyway, with General Stud-muffin running free and unfettered, they all felt that they had an equal opportunity to try to catch him. And with him never showing any interest in settling for any one particular girl, they were all happy with the status-quo.”

“But I always stayed at his house whenever I was here,” protested Ed. “We never made any real secret about that.”

“But you were only here a day or two at a time, and it was usually weeks between visits,” said Hawkeye. “Hardly enough time to even be notice, let alone be remarked on by anyone. It could be construed that it was merely for convenience.”

“So the girls never even considered me being involved with him?” asked Roy.

“If they thought that you might have been, they probably chalked it up to a fling, a passing fancy,” commented Havoc. “He was never even considered to be a serious threat.”

“But what makes it so different now?” asked Ed.

“Look at it this way,” said Havoc. “All of the single girls around here looked on the General as their own personal plaything, sort of a free-range stud, so to speak. And, as long as he was running free, even if he wasn’t bedding all of them, they all had a chance to have him. And he was more then happy to have the ones that wanted to give themselves, even it they were only meaningless, one night stands. The girls could always dream that one day, one of them would be Mrs. Roy Mustang.

“And then who should appear on the scene again but the pretty, petit state alchemist, Edward Elric, with his long blonde hair, deep golden eyes and those damn tight pants you always wear.” Havoc stopped, drawing his breath in with an appreciative hiss. “Ummm...”

“Let’s face it, Edward, you are hot stuff. And if General Stud-muffin here hadn’t snapped you up at the tender age of fifteen, I would have made you mine, you’re that hot…” Havoc leered at the young man, which got him a blush from Ed, a murderous glare from Roy and a slap in the head from an irritated Hawkeye, along with a glare that had a bullet in it.

“You came back even hotter at twenty-three then when you left at seventeen, and you started to take away some of the General’s attention from the girls. They weren’t too happy about it, but I guess they all felt this pretty blonde upstart couldn’t pose too much of a threat because he never seems to be around long enough to really make any kind of permanent relationship happen, so the status-quo wasn’t too badly shaken. They could live with it,” said Havoc. “So life went on in uneasy peace for the last few years.”

“They still had hopes of catching the elusive Mustang, even if he didn’t actively date and hadn’t had a woman in his bed for years. Everyone chalked it up to his promotions and his ambitions, that he didn’t have the time, but figured that one day he was going to need a wife to make his position secure. And you, Edward, didn’t fit the bill as a wife, so there was no real threat there,” he nodded knowingly. “So, even if you stayed did at his house every now and then, it was the same as if one of them had scored.”

“Then, suddenly, you breeze into town last Thursday,” Havoc continued, “you’re seen playing tonsil hockey with General Stud-muffin at a local pub that he frequents, something that has never happened before, and on Friday afternoon the two of you take off for the weekend together, on what is obviously not a military mission because you’re both dressed in civilian clothes. And your destination is your home town, Ed.”

“And when you came in today, General, you looked like the cat who just ate the canary,” said Hawkeye. “You started making immediate changes, appointing Ed as your personal adjutant and civilian liaison and giving him a desk in your office. And it was very quickly noted that Edward was not needing a room in the dormitory, nor did it seem he had gotten himself a place in town, that he was, in fact, taking up residence with you, General, although, up to this point, that was all just rumor. Still, rumors have a way of traveling fast. Then Edward showed up.”

“Yes. Edward showed up,” said Havoc with a smirk. “Long blond hair, wearing those damned tight pants, looking way too sexy and sporting a pretty gold band on the ring finger of his left hand. A wedding band, for all intents and purposes, and foul rumor ran before him like wildfire. It was all over the building before he ever even got to your office. So, you need to take care, General. We don’t want to see any of those broken hearted babes that think they have an axe to grind trying to hurt Edward.”

“Jean, Riza, thank you for telling us this,” said Roy. “I knew it would be a shock and hard for some of them to accept. In fact, we’ve already had a run in with one young lady. Hopefully she will pass the word on that it would be unwise to pose any threat to Ed, but if you could perhaps spread the word as well, I would appreciate it. I don’t want to have to take action against anyone, but I won’t stand for anybody trying to hurt Edward.”

Roy smiled at his glowering lover, knowing that Ed was angry, but also knowing it would eventually pass. He stood up and the others rose with him.

“Well, all things considered, I think I’ll escort my bride home, then,” he smirked at Ed.

“I am NOT a BRIDE, quite calling me that or YOU are going to be sleeping on the couch ALONE tonight,” Ed snapped at him.

Ah yes, Roy sighed happily. Life was back to normal and he looked forward to many years of fighting and lovemaking with his flighty little FullMetal Alchemist. His beloved Edward Elric.

~*~

Thanks for staying with me on this emotional and sometimes crazy rollercoaster. I hope the ride was a good one.