AN: After an year or so, I finally update. Yay for me! The chapter is not so good, I admit. Still suffering from writer's block and this is all what I could do.

Warning: Rape, yaoi and...blah! You know the rest.

Disclaimer: Don't own FMA.

Dedication: To Fiama D'Wills for encoraging me all the way through.

Chapter-6

"You know, it's been half an hour since we've been standing outside this shit of a door!" Ed fumed, still cold from the dew. He was tired and hungry. Moreover, just when he thought his day couldn't have gone any worse, he became the target of puddle-balls, victimized by some seemingly sweet angels. All those and now, the long awaiting. All these were just too much for a renowned state alchemist.

"Hey! You even listenin' ta' me?" scowled the blonde, unable to get a response from the military man, "Colonel! I'm talking to you!"

Onyx orbs flickered momentarily, snapping back into reality and blinking away the slightest of shock and fear that Ed's rough voice caused him.

"I'm sorry! My mind was somewhere else. What was that you were saying just now?" He said, choosing his words carefully, still unsure of his next plan of action. He soon shook off his thoughts and bringing a smirk-tried-but-failed-smile, he said, reaching for the door, "Well, at least, you don't have to stay outside all night! Come in!" He continued, his nose wrinkling to an awful smell, "And by the smell of things, seems you could be better off taking a shower."

"Yeah, about that," Ed said, a faint blush creeping on to his cheeks, "Puddle attack. I'd become a victim!"

That was supposed to be in a light way...or so Ed had thought, hoping to get a reaction from the older man. However, it evoked more than a reaction in Roy. Yes, Roy did react but not in a way which was expected. The last part made Roy to pause for a split second, right in his tracks, eyes widened by a fraction and a sudden rush of air blowing through the traumatised heart.

However, Roy Mustang was a strong man. He wasn't going to reveal his undergoing that easily. He had done it once and that would be the last time that he'd crack like that. He soon adjusted his reaction as the expression of shock melted away to nothingness. He opened the door to his house, welcoming the blonde to the safe shelter of his home.

"Wasn't Al supposed to come as well?" he said, leading the other to the upstairs room. It wasn't long before he had noticed one of the Elric brothers was absent. After all, how hard would it be not to notice the nonattendance of a seven feet tall mass of movable steel?

"Yeah, about that too," Ed said indifferently, "Al said he was going to stay with the Rockbells for a few days. He said he missed Resembool."

Roy smiled and nodded, relieved that there was no sign of danger for his two young wards. Funny, he used to feel the same way when he was with Maes...

'Maes...'

oOo

"Haven't you figured it out yet? I don't love you! I LOVE your body."

"No…this is not true!"

"Of course it is! Why do you think would I actually /pretend/ to love you?"

'That son of a bitch! How dare he say that to me?' Roy frowned as past thoughts came rushing to his mind. Painful as though they were, still Roy found it hard to believe that it was Maes who had said all those things.

"So...If you never really loved me and /only pretended/ to do so…why did you want to have an affair? When you already have your wife back home, to fulfil your sick desires? You bastard! You have a wife and a daughter!"

"Ah Roy! Why do you think I didn't? Because, it's not the same thrill... And 'sides, who says I'm interested in fucking a girl…When I can have someone so handsome and co-operating, that too, of the same gender!"

'Was it Maes? No, it can't be! He can't be Maes. Maes, my Maes loves me. He doesn't pretend to do so! No hell way! He's not Maes! But then...then who is he? An imposter? So hell perfect of an imposter that I can't even differentiate between the real and the fake one? Is that even possible? If so, then does that mean that this bastard will try to endanger Gracia's life? But that means everyone close to him is in danger! But then, who is his real target? Me? Is he an alchemist then? Holding a grudge against the state...or only myself? Or someone closer to me? But then why would he use Ed? Was it really Ed back there? Or was it someone else? But Ed admitted his doing! So was it just a lie? Why would he lie? This just doesn't make any sense! Or am I just searching the upper layers of a deep truth? Am I going mad?'

"COLONEL!" Roy startled on hearing the sudden jolt of raised voice. He was so deep in his thoughts; he hardly noticed the presence of a now worried Ed, who was gently jerking his shoulder to bring him back to the present world.

"You alright? You don't look so well!" Ed asked worried, unaware of repeating the same question which Roy had once asked Edward, all the while, the youngster was busy gaping at Roy, pondering over his heavy little infatuation.

"I'm fine, Ed." Roy finally replied, after staring into the void for a minute or so. However, he soon shook of the tense feelings as soon as he became aware of the awaiting blonde, still hoping to get a reply from the other.

At last, composing himself to a great extent, Roy fulfilled the young alchemist's wish, "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

"I said," He replied, "You don't have to make dinner for me. I already dined. Not that I mind your culinary skills!"A moment after, softening his voice a little, Ed said a bit more gently, frowning with concern, "You know, sometimes, it really helps a lot if you share what's bothering you with someone you trust." He turned towards his room. "It really helps."

Having said that, Ed waited no longer and headed towards an awaiting bed. He was tired as said before and more over, he knew better to expect an answer from Roy. From the past few years that had passed, Ed had come to know that Roy Mustang was not exactly the type to rant about his sadness and dilemma. Rather, he was more of a silent type when it came to these situations and preferred to sort them out himself.

However, no sooner did Ed take more than three steps, he heard a soft voice whispering out his name. A whisper so small, so barely audible but enough to enter the younger's ears.

'Was it just me or did I hear something? Hmp! Must be the call of the bed!'

Having thought of that, Ed shook his head and continued to go towards the polished piece of wood.

"Ed!"

The voice called again and this time, it wasn't the call of the bed. It was much clearer than before and also, came from the same room, from behind the strolling blond.

Ed stopped in his tracks, as he heard the raven haired man calling him, not summoning, but actually calling him.

"The formalities are restricted while at work."

"Yes."

"Ed?"

"Yeah?" he responded, taking the hint, his back still facing Roy.

"You...you don't need to go to bed right now...if that's not too much of a problem."

Ed paused and stared at Roy, expecting little of the so called request for Ed's company. Drawing in the cool air, he slowly faced the man and walked towards him.

"It's not."

'Ah well! Looks like the bed's gonna have to wait.' Ed thought, as he silently sat beside Roy, a quite smile stretched across his lips.

oOo

Ed kept sitting beside the raven haired alchemist. He had expected Roy to talk but as he had thought before, Roy was truly a hard nut to crack. He took one small glance at the musing man, deep in his thoughts. Figuring that Roy still didn't land on the earth, he breathed out an inaudible sigh and focused on whatever that would be of interest to him. Honey eyes trailed over the shelves and racks full of books, danced over the warm white walls, glided past the laminated picture wrapped in a golden frame and finally came settled over his own pair of dissimilar hand.

He didn't know how long he'd have to wait like this. He decided to wait for another thirty minutes or so. In a time killing suggestion, his minds ordered his fingers to travel up to his sleeves from where, a pair of fingers unmindfully analysed the smoothness of the fabric without taking count of any data in his mind.

'I wonder if the bed was a good option right now.' Ed thought, as he placed his index finger over the window sill, where they were both sitting, making imaginary spirals.

But luckily, he didn't have to wait long. He was in the middle of his twelfth spiral when suddenly, the other gave proof that he was still here.

"You remember when you'd said about not believing the apparent?" Roy said. He continued, after receiving a small nod from the blond beside him, "I think I know whom you had meant."

Ed's finger stopped abruptly for a fraction of a second. Not looking at the man, he said, "Exactly what do you mean by that?"

"Even I'm not sure!" Came the reply in the form of a whisper.

At this, Ed's eyes reflected surprise, an amount almost undetectable by anyone. But it did have its effect on Ed. Weirdly enough, he felt someone pinching his heart and allowing a pencil-jet of air into it, which created an awkward sensation within the young alchemist. However, he soon got over this feeling and drew his attention to drawing spirals on the inner sill. Shifting from spirals to other shapes, Ed's fingers kept themselves busy, trailing and retracing the imaginary piece of art. He slowly glided his index finger over the cool surface and thought of something else to say.

The air was getting tense and heavy and the pregnant silence from both of them added more to the already humid atmosphere. It was Ed this time who finally burst the balloon of stillness. He adjusted his voice to sound as gentle as possible before he turned to Roy and said, "So...what are you going to do now?" He lifted his hands from the sill and placed them on his shirt. Holding it gently, he continued once more, "Are you going to take steps against that person? Are you going to send him to jail or something?" Clenching the piece of fabric, he went on, "Or are you simply going to drive him out of the country by employing him some assignment?"

Ed had hoped for Roy to reply to this and he did. But the kind of reply which he gave wasn't as expected by Ed. He had hoped for something else as a reply but not the one which he had received.

"I can't say anything yet, Edward. I can't act so rashly. I need more evidence before I finally come to a conclusion." Verbalised the older man. While he did so, Ed noticed, by one of his many sneaky stares, that a delicate sheet of sparkling gel coated the beautiful onyx orbs.

Roy was trying very hard not to cry in front of Ed. He was trying his best to hold his cool and composed image in front of the teen, something which deserved credit after all that had happened to him. And the way Roy was whispering and profoundly blinking, Ed could make out well, whom Roy was suspecting...or rather thinking about.

'After all that he has done, still the Colonel can't stop thinking about him?'

Hiding away what he thought, Ed stole one more glance at Roy and saw the other struggling to keep his eyes dry. Sometimes Ed wondered whether Roy would ever be over that special person! Weird as it was, the very thought of him brought a piercing sensation in Ed's heart. As if, thousands of needles were being stuck in his heart and more Ed tried to think about it, more became the number of needles.

Ed clenched his shirt harder and kept his eyes fixed on the floor. Honey-orbs narrowing by a fraction, Ed realized that Roy would probably never get over this incident. And come to think of it, neither would he!

So strange is fate. Once Ed had been deeply, madly crushing over the raven haired man and now...and now, there he was, sitting right beside the once man-of-his-dreams, who, by a sudden twist of fate, was there, separated from him only by an inch or so, who would probably touch him someday, after he got over his apephobic distraught, but as a father, a guardian, not as the one who Ed would like him to be. And as for Ed himself, he never really had a chance with that man, not then, not even now...as he had legally become his son- adopted and to be taken care of by the man, who was once the reason for his increasing heart-throbs.

'What an irony!'

Soon after, Ed turned his gaze outside the window to view anything new from outside. The houses were all dark and only a handful still had their lights on. The road was empty with one or two cars passing over it, probably returning to their respective garages. No other being could be seen on the streets, save for two dogs that were oddly in the mood for some merry-making. The moonlight shone mostly divinely upon the mentioned landscape, nullifying the artificial illumination coming from the street lights. It was then when Ed realized how much time had passed by. It was most certainly past his bedtime, if he had any like all the other decent kids and was probably approaching dawn.

The clock tick-tocked its own monotonous song and refrained from ceasing to serve its purpose for which it had been invented.

1:30 a.m.

Ed caught Roy's attention as he rose from his seat and stretched himself as much as his body would permit. He let out a humongous yawn and answered Roy before the man had any chance of voicing his query.

"I'm gonna turn in to bed now. It's getting pretty late."

Roy nodded at his answer before he voiced a 'good night'. He was also going to turn in soon. He was too god damn tired that day. He wished for his bed and most definitely more silence so as to plan what he would be doing next. He changed into his pyjamas, brushed his teeth, took care of his hygienic habits and headed towards his bed.

Finding a comfortable position to lie down, he now held a pillow against his chest and chalked out his routine for tomorrow. He was going to investigate on his own. To see if Hughes was the criminal or not. He prayed to God desperately for the sinner to be someone else. But to be absolutely sure, he needed to go to H.Q as early as possible. And hopefully, he would know the pure truth.

Time was closing in. He could feel the nearness of the veracity. It was just a matter of time, only a few more hours to pass before the reality would unfold itself before him...

oOo

That was it. I'm not satisfied with this, to be honest. But I hope it's worth some reviews. Please do let me know how well you digested this chapter. See you soon!

~Euphoria