Disclaimer: I don't own FMA or the characters. God, I wish I did though. Maes and Roy would be together, they're canon you know? rambles on about her FMA/yaoi beliefs

Anyhoo...Merry Christmas, Kei!

FAITHFUL

Chapter One: Move On

Roy Mustang took a deep breath and tried to gather his thoughts. 'Just tell him how you feel, Mustang. It'll be fine. He's never denied you before...' The Flame Alchemist thought to himself as the faint sound of ringing resounded in his ears.

Calling his best friend was never this daunting of a task. In fact, it usually happened more often and was rather quite nice for both parties; because a casual phone call always lead to more interesting situations. That is until his best friend got married. Leaving Roy in a rather awkward position, because he and Maes were, after all, longtime lovers.

"Yo!" A familiar, cheery voice answered the phone right away. It was painfully obvious that it belonged to Maes Hughes, for no other person Roy knew answered a phone like his best friend. The Alchemist sighed in relief. He didn't know if he could handle it had Gracia answered one of his spontaneously random late night phone calls. At least, not tonight.

"Hello Maes..."

"Roy!" Hughes whispered excitedly into the phone. "My God Roy! It's been forever, where the hell have you been? I've been worried sick about you! Please, Roy, talk to me!"

Mustang smirked, it was such a comfort to know his friend had been thinking of him. But apart of him was busy feeling the guilt of knowing he caused that worry by irrationally avoiding his once lover. Roy couldn't take the pain of not being the one in the man's arms at night. Couldn't stand thinking about the way Hughes' soft lips would no longer be on his neck, but the slender neck of his wife instead. Hearing the older man's voice only brought back pained, though not entirely forgotten, memories of when they were together.

Roy on his back, moaning in pleasure from the sensual licks and nips to his inner thigh, while a gentle hand roamed over his slick, sweat-covered abdomen. A hot, wet tongue licking and tasting the tip of Roy's hardness before it was enveloped by that talented mouth. Oh, the things that mouth could do.

The almost feral look in Maes' eyes as he rocked into Roy's body; gripping Mustang's sleek hips and dragging him back onto himself, in a rhythm that wasn't too slow, nor too fast. Everything Hughes did was perfect. Even the small pants and sighs Maes made as he came, screaming Roy's name through clenched teeth; perfect.

When all was said and done, bodies tangled in a web of limbs and blankets, Maes would kiss him. A mesh of lips and tongue, always passionate and needy, never forceful. Their mouths just seemed to be made to fit together, like the pieces to a puzzle that could never stay whole.

The Lt. Colonel shifted his stance and thrust a pale hand into his pants pocket, unconsciously fidgeting with a scrap of paper, as he often did when he was nervous. He finally shook himself from the familiar daydream. The memories, though fond they were, haunted Mustang. Some nights he could barely sleep, tossing and turning in his bed, unable to get comfortable because of the complete lack of another warm body lying next to him. Mustang had gotten so used to having someone sleeping by his side during the night, someone he could hold onto, and would watch over him in return.

Mustang spoke slowly, but it was obvious his words were not given time to filter through his head before they fell from his mouth.

"Maes, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you like that. It's just...I miss you so much, Maes! I don't know what to do with myself anymore. Waking up, alone. It's really hard, you know? "

'No, of course you wouldn't, you've got her.' Roy thought miserably. His heart was in his stomach, doing flip flops and somersaults, and he was practically pacing his kitchen floor waiting for a response from the citrine eyed man. Mustang pinched the bridge of his nose in a futile attempt to fend of the inevitable stress headache he felt coming on.

"Oh, Roy. I miss you too. So damn much," the bespectacled man spoke softly and cupped a hand over the speaker of the telephone to prevent his voice from carrying an further than need be. It was obvious there was a pained undertone in his words, and Mustang couldn't help but hear the desperation in his companion's voice.

Roy's heart jumped back into his chest and beat twice as fast, as if to make up for the lost time it was in his stomach.

"Come over, please. Just for tonight, that's all! I'll never ask it of you again. I just...I need you tonight, Maes." When the words that could be formed were said, Mustang held his breath. He was so close, he could feel it, and when Hughes said the word they would be together again. Maes never denied him, right?

Wrong. Dead wrong.

"No, Roy. I can't, not anymore. We both know that's a lie, if I give into you once, it will happen again. Please understand, I'm married now, and Gracia is right here! She's my wife, Roy. My wife! I love her, I really do! What we had, it's over now," A sigh. "I do miss you, buddy, more than anything, but we can't go back to the way things were. I'm so sorry. Please, Roy, don't do this to me, not now." Maes almost choked on the words creeping past his lips.

The man on the other end of the phone line was silent for a moment; not knowing how to react to the sudden burst of emotion that was swelling in his heart. Roy felt like he had been shot with an arrow, straight through said organ. His mouth went dry and his head throbbed with the aforementioned migraine, but still he could not simply take 'no' for an answer.

Mustang spoke quietly; a timid, hurt tone to his voice. "No, no Maes. Don't you do this to me! I love you. I love you more than words can say!" He was becoming almost panicky. "Maes, what do you want me to say, huh? What do you want me to do?! I'll do anything, just tell me what! Is it not enough to tell you I love you? That I truly, honestly love you?! What do I do, Maes?! Please tell me, because I'm really not sure I can figure it out on my own anymore!"

And Roy Mustang sobbed. He sobbed to the man he so desperately needed in his arms at that very minute. The man that used to hold him, gently kiss his forehead, and promise to make everything right. The man that could take all the pain away with just a mere touch of his gentle, loving hands. The very same man that sat in Roy's living room, and told him that he would stand beneath the younger and push him to the top.

But this could not be made right, the pain would not go away, and Roy was falling lower than any rank a dog of the military could achieve.

Hughes was amazed, and a little heartbroken, at the control he had over himself to not just break down and cry. He tilted his head back and closed his citrine eyes. A burning sensation rose from his stomach, up to his chest, and into his throat where he tried his best to swallow it back down again. His heart was sinking into an abyss of pain and self-hatred, and he placed a big hand over it to make sure it was still beating.

"Roy, I love you too, you already know that. But you need to move on, you need to let me go!"

Maes thought for a second, staring into the bedroom where his Gracia laid on their queen sized bed. She was positioned on her side, wearing a silky, turquoise-blue nightgown with the maroon comforter tucked snugly underneath her arm. Noticing Maes looking in her direction, she smiled a genuinely heartwarming smile and patted the empty space next to her.

He continued, "It's not fair to Gracia, it's not fair to me, and most of all, it's not fair to you! Babe, you can't do this to yourself. I won't let you do this to yourself."

Mustang flinched as the word 'babe' floated through the phone-line. He never liked the nickname to begin with, but now when Maes used it, it just plain hurt. His mind was reeling and he couldn't slow it down. The sickening pace within his head made the words fall from his dry mouth in a pattern of hurt sobs and broken sounds. Roy needed to get his point across to Maes.

"I-I can't get over you, Maes! Don't you realize that?"

Maes sighed, he was tired, his head hurt, and he just wanted for this conversation to never have happened. "I'm so sorry, Roy. Fate just isn't on our side, buddy..."

"Fuck fate!" Roy screamed into the phone, voice hoarse and gripping the receiver tighter than necessary.

"...good-bye, Roy. I'll call you later. Get some sleep, tomorrow will be better." And with that, the sound of a dial tone was all that was left of Roy Mustang's reality. Eyes too blurry too focus, head too sore, and heart too broken, Roy fell to the floor, allowing the phone to slip from his hand and dangle from the wall. He was too overcome with heartache and confusion to put it back on the cradle. His body trembled and shook as tears flowed from his dark blue eyes, and he lowered his head to rest in his hands.

'Maes, I'm sorry. I do understand, I really do. You're a married man now, you have a wife that loves you more than anything. Nothing can take that away from you.' Roy thought.

The Lt. Colonel balled a fist and thumped it against the hardwood floor. 'But you were mine first! We had everything together, we were in love. It's so hard to give you up Maes, I don't know what I'm going to do without you here to hold me.' Roy felt miserable, his heart was torn apart, his tear-stained clothes were a wreck, and his hair was so out of place he would hardly recognize himself walking down the street.

More tears flowed from obsidian eyes, and Mustang didn't try to hold them back. He sobbed until there was nothing left.

Maes stood next to the small table with the phone rested on it; fingers massaging his temples. He was exhausted from all of the fiery mental hoops his feelings were just forced to jump through. A sweet voice came from behind him and he almost jumped when a tender hand was placed on one of his strong, broad shoulders.

"Honey, is everything alright?" Gracia asked softly. She had never actually seen her usually upbeat husband in such a depressing state, something must really be wrong.

Maes turned to look into his adoring wife's baby blue eyes. "Yes, everything is fine, darling." A lie. "Roy's just a little depressed right now and needed to talk." Well, not a complete lie, but still. Hughes felt guilty about lying to his unsuspecting wife; but he couldn't tell her the honest-to-God truth of the matter. It would most certainly destroy their relationship. The relationship that Maes worked so hard to acquire, and yet seemed to ruin his once most prized bond. But no, Gracia came first. Roy would just have to learn to accept that.

'This way,' Maes thought. 'Things will be better for us all in the long run.'

Maes looked into his wife's eyes, then leaned in and kissed her deeply. Gracia threw her arms around his neck and Hughes carried his wife back to their bed, only turning slightly to shut the bedroom door.

'God, please...please, let Roy be okay.'