41Compromise: I was told that the point at which I end the chapter might drive some people crazy. So I offer a compromise: If at least three people tell me to update Chap.4 on Sunday instead of next week then I shall do so. (Icy your review doesn't count, I know your opinion on the matter :-P)
Chapter 3 The Mood
A few minutes before midnight on Friday night Edeline Elric could be seen stomping up the street to her superior officer's house. Despite stomping her steps barely made any noise, giving the impression that she wasn't discrete because she had something to hide but because she didn't want to wake innocent, hard working people who needed their sleep on her way to the one she intended to harass. Grumpy face in place to cover how nervous she was she made her way up to Mustang's apartment. She had only ever been there once before after the Promised Day when they used the place to celebrate their victory and that they regained Al's body, Ed's arm and Mustang's sight. It had been a calm party so they wouldn't overwhelm Al, basically the whole bunch of soldiers and Al and Winry and a few others had just been sitting around, catching on to what had happened to the others during the Promised Day when they were still working in different locations and groups.
Today though Mustang didn't open the door normally and with a friendly smirk but ripped it open looking pissed. "Should have known the one time you listen to me is when you can get on my nerves. Get in so we can get it over with!" he growled. Grinning Ed pushed her way in and Mustang pulled the door closed without looking left or right if someone had seen. Because if someone had seen then it would be a lot more suspicious if he looked around like he had something to keep secret.
The moment the door was closed the black haired man dropped the angry act. He looked rather calm and composed now, Ed had a feeling he had thought long and hard about how to do this best. That didn't help her with getting over being nervous though. She stood there, self-conscious and not really knowing what to do now.
She was a brave girl but this was still a lot scarier than any monster she had ever faced down. Because it was so much more intimate. Fighting a monster was just about hitting it before it hit you, this though... she would have to open up, to let her stubborn spirit be guided, allow herself to be vulnerable for a moment. And that was hard, even if she trusted Mustang.
"Well, good evening," Mustang said calmly. "Let me put that folder away for you." He took the supposedly horrible mission report from her to deposition it on a small table next to the door, leaving her without something to busy her nervous fingers with. She immediately started to fumble with the sleeves of her coat. Her coat.. should she remove it, should she just remove all of her clothes now? Or should she wait until they were in the bedroom? Would they even go to the bedroom or would they end up on the couch, the bedroom too intimate? Though she hoped for the bedroom. Ed didn't expect something totally romantic but the couch just didn't feel right for that first time.
She was interrupted in her thoughts when she felt Mustang step behind her. "Your coat?" he asked, friendly but still a bit amused about her fear frozen state, just enough that he still seemed to be his usual self. And where that usual self normally annoyed her it now calmed Edeline a bit, reminding her that she trusted him. So she started to shrug out of her coat, stopping though when she felt him help her out of it in true gentleman fashion.
"I can take off my coat alone!" she grumbled, her stubborn independence getting the better of her again.
"I know," he answered. She had never heard that warm, explaining tone before from him. Though he didn't sound like he was talking to a kid, because that would be utterly wrong in this situation. He just sounded like he wanted to reassure her and guide her into the right direction because he cared. Mustang slipped the coat up over her shoulders again and continued. "But this isn't about the man thinking the woman can't take off her coat alone. It's just being nice and polite, making it easier, making sure she feels good and cherished. And..." he stepped only an inch closer "...if you do it right..." he reached over, his right hand gently turning her chin so she looked over her shoulder, meeting smoldering black eyes before his gaze wandered to her shoulders, eyelids dropping half closed, thick black lashes framing a dreamy look like he was regarding something totally mesmerizing when it really was just her "...it can also be a question." This time fingertips brushed over her collar bones before curling around the fabric of the coat, making a small shiver race through her body as he slowly helped her out of it, this time meeting no resistance as fingertips kept trailing over her shoulders, following the fabric as it slid off. She was far too fascinated with that expression on his face to be stubborn this time. It wasn't the totally-smitten-with-her kind of mesmerized, it was the curious kind, the kind that wanted to know how this would turn out. She felt challenged and wanted at the same time. Was this what people called a bedroom-gaze? She didn't know, but she liked being looked at like this. She liked her coat being removed like this. She liked the brief touch of his fingers, a question and an offer at the same time.
"See? Nothing wrong with accepting a bit of help," he said, knowingly, slightly amused.
"Okay, I got it," she admitted grumpily. Just because she wanted the bastard to teach her didn't mean she had to be happy when he proved her wrong somehow.
Mustang didn't seem to be fazed. He just smirked his usual smirk and put her coat on the rack. "Take your boots off!" he told her before waving for her to follow. To Ed's surprise they ended up in the kitchen.
"Uh?" she asked intelligently as he leaned against a set table.
"Believe it or not I'm a gentleman," Mustang explained, arms crossed in front of his chest and cocking his head to the side in amusement. "That means I feel bad if I didn't buy at least one drink for my date. So I thought I might offer you a little midnight snack."
Edeline stared at him, for the first time noticing that her superior was out of uniform and wearing black trousers and a simple white t-shirt. Trying to distract herself from wanting to ogle him she peeked around him to what was on the table, seeing there was a plate with fruit pieces transfixed on little wooden spits.
"Uh, okay," she nodded and made to sit down, a bit annoyed by it but enduring that Mustang pulled out the chair for her.
She regarded the fruits and found that her often bottomless seeming stomach liked the thought of eating them very much. The idea of eating the delicious fruits distracted her from her nervousness so she took one of the spits. It pierced a strawberry, a piece of banana and a sweet green grape.
"Would you like something to drink? I do have alcohol but I'd prefer we both keep a clean head for this so you can have either juice or water," the brigadier general offered, still standing and looking into the fridge.
"Some water maybe?" Ed asked. This was becoming so casual, were they really planning to end up in bed?
Mustang placed a filled glass in front of her before sitting down, taking one of the fruit spits himself and nibbling on what looked to be a piece of orange. "By the way, tonight you will call me Roy," he demanded casually. "Just like I won't call you Fullmetal. This has to be separated from work as much as possible."
Blinking she nodded. Should have known this sit down wasn't just about being a gentleman. "Okay. Roy...Roy." She had to say it again, just because it sounded so strange on her tongue. Had she ever called him Roy before? She couldn't remember it ever happening and glared at him as he smirked at her awkward attempts to say his name when her brain was so used to just call him Mustang. Or Bastard. Or Colonel. Hell, it had taken her two months to replace the last one with brigadier-general. Mustang, proud he'd finally been promoted, had been on the verge of flaming her.
"Now... Ed," She really wanted to hit him for copying her tone of hesitant pronunciation of his name while saying hers just to annoy her, but then the brief thought appeared that maybe his hesitation was genuine too, being used to calling her Fullmetal all the time, and she remained still, letting him finish "I don't know what exactly you're expecting of this night but you are aware that since it's your first it might hurt a bit in the beginning, right?"
"I can take that, I've survived my automail," she answered with a shrug.
He nodded, for a moment a certain seriousness about him and she could see that look that all people had when realising or being reminded that she had gotten automail so young. The 'something this horrible shouldn't happen, especially not to kids'-look. Though there was no unattached pity in his eyes, just the true sympathy of someone who cared about her.
"Just making sure you don't think it hurt 'cause I was careless," he then said, the look vanishing as he popped another piece of fruit into his mouth.
"If I'd thought you'd be careless I wouldn't have come to you," she reassured him, her tone also warning him not to get carried away now that she had stroked his ego.
"Then we understand each other." He pinned her with another kind of serious gaze. "Because I have no intention to be careless in any way. So don't you dare be afraid to stop me if you feel uncomfortable or like it's getting too much. I won't think any less of you if you stop it, but I will think less of you if you force yourself through this because of some petty fear to look stupid."
She did trust him to be careful, but she had never thought he'd actually be this serious about making things okay for her. She'd thought that if they were... at it and she was having doubts then he'd tease her until she continued to the end anyway.
Nodding a bit overwhelmed she watched as he ate another piece of fruit, looking like he was thinking about if there was anything else he should mention or if he said everything needed.
"So you're still sure?" Mustang – Roy finally asked, continuing with the next piece of fruit on the spit.
Edeline thought back to the moment when he had taken her coat off, now knowing he had given her a small peak of that feeling to allow for her to still chicken out. But did she want to chicken out? She watched as he ate another piece of fruit, lips closing around it and tongue darting out to lick away a bit of juice. She knew kissing wasn't really necessary for sex but she still thought about how it might be to feel those lips. Would he kiss her? Would she want that? Or would they just touch with hands? She had liked the ghosting feeling of his fingertips on her shoulders, she hadn't put on her black jacket so he had been able to touch the skin that wasn't covered by her black top's straps. And that skin had tingled and wanted more...
She ate another two pieces of fruit, waiting to see if Mustang would offer an opinion but he kept quiet, eating his fruits. Was he doing so because he was nervous too and needed something to keep him busy? No, he looked like he just enjoyed the fruits. She drank from her water then finally decided on, "Yes, I'm still sure."
He looked at her and chuckled. "This is going to be so weird." He laughed to himself, but he seemed to be more amused and taking it as a challenge than being afraid. Well, he was the one with the experience. Ed gulped down some more water, her mouth suddenly dry. Oh god, she was going to do it, she really was!
Mustang swallowed the last fruit on his last spit then stood before her, holding out a hand. "Well, let's do this then."
She stared at his hand, knowing it was the first step and meant to breach their bubbles of personal space. The man too looked a little bit nervous now but he still kept calm and she was sure his nervousness wouldn't stop him from doing things right and self confidently. He wouldn't lose his head, he would guide her through this. So she nodded, determined, and took his hand, marvelling at the warmth and the feel of slender yet strong fingers closing around her smaller hand. To her surprise he pulled her flush against him, then let go of her hand and reached around her to grab the plate with the remaining fruit pieces. "Shouldn't leave these out..." he explained, smirking ever so slightly as he stepped away from her again to put the fruits in the fridge, leaving her without the close contact he had just introduced her to so she could recover and still complain should she not like it. But she didn't complain.
Though red in the face and with nervous butterflies in her stomach, when he took her by the hand again Ed squeezed back. Because her body was starting to heat up, the warmth of that strong male figure, so close to her even if only for the short moment, turning her on. She had been pulled into a solid chest, giving her a taste of how well trained Mustang's body was and while she didn't care about how that made him able to protect her, something that held an appeal to most other woman, Ed cared about how that meant she wouldn't be able to hurt him that easily should her rough nature get the better of her. She didn't need a strong partner to be protected, she needed a strong partner so they would be equal. On more than only the physical level.
And trust. Trust was needed and she trusted Mustang enough that she had just simply followed the tug of his hand into the the bedroom without thinking about it, despite all her subconscious urges to stay in control. Maybe that was while she didn't get along with all the boys she had met so far? Not enough trust for her to give in to their lead.
Roy had left the light in the kitchen on and when they stepped into the bedroom one of the bedside lamps was already casting the room in a dim warm shine, confusing everybody who cared for the lights behind the windows with the drawn curtains about their location, making them assume the brigadier general just forgot to turn off the small light in the bedroom and was arguing with Ed about the report in the kitchen.
"Complete darkness would probably make it less awkward between us but I'd rather be able to see you. While I can gauge a lot from feeling alone I'd be much faster in realising what you don't and what you do like by seeing the body language," Mustang explained. He had taken on that soft warm tone again and Ed briefly wondered if that was his true, caring self and if he normally hid it away because he couldn't afford being caring in the military.
But then she was distracted by him pulling her close again, arms around her, hands roaming her back a bit, though not greedily, just testing, asking. When she just stood still, staring at his white clad shoulder, concentrating only on the feeling of arms around her and hands moving over her he leaned down. She could feel his warm breath whispering over her skin, his lips only a hair's width above the skin on the juncture between her left shoulder and her neck.
"Okay?" he asked and she shivered and nodded.
Lips touched her skin, a foreign feeling, but it soon turned pleasant as he kissed butterfly kisses, then started to nibble a bit on the skin.
"Will that leave marks?" she asked, her curious mind strangely detached from her heating body as she asked him the question.
He chuckled against her skin, warm breath making her shiver again. "You want a mark?"
"Uh no I guess."
"Then I won't leave one. All I have to do is not be harder on your skin than that." He sucked hard and then bit down gently on the same spot of skin, making Ed gasp. "Please don't leave marks on me either," he then added, going back to gentle butterfly kisses to soothe her skin.
"Okay," she breathed, trying to make up her mind about if that meant she could kiss him like that too and if so if she wanted it. If she dared to try it. While thinking she fought the urge to tip her head to the side and give Mustang more access to her neck. That would leave her so vulnerable...
"Don't cramp up like that... Didn't you say you trust me?" he reminded her gently, almost sounding a bit hurt or disappointed underneath the warmth of his voice.
Edeline took a deep breath and fisting her hands into his shirt she relaxed the rest of her body, turning her head, allowing him more access to her sensitive neck. Roy – how was it so easy to call him that? – rewarded her by making the skin around her pulse tingle. Liking the feeling very much she shyly leant forwards, more into him.
"The neck is very sensitive and by treating it well you can forge trust," he explained softly, lips moving against her skin while talking. "Also it can be quite the turn on when you start here..." he kissed right behind her ear "and then go lower" he moved down her neck "and lower" her collar bone" and lower." he stopped though, his nose almost between her breasts. And she stared at him, a thin layer of sweat breaking out on her body, heat swirling through it. She watched with big eyes as he straightened again, gracefully covering up that bending down so far because she was so much smaller than him wasn't very comfortable, so as not to ruin the mood with one of her rants and then went back to kissing right behind her ear, murmuring, "And we need a bit of turn on for this to work out..." She felt her hair-tie being removed by practised fingers, her braid falling open "...the body won't react to its fullest if you don't tell it it's allowed to."
"Goes for you, you're out of the crazy hormone phase!" Her cheeks burned from her blush.
"Hm, I can still go crazy, I'm a hot blooded man," he chuckled.
Ed gulped and he chuckled once more. "Don't worry I have enough self restraint not to go crazy on you."
The amused statement calmed her worries. Yes, she trusted him.
"Now..." Roy began and god his voice had dropped into a deeper tone that had her breath hitch and then his hands moved to her hips, resting there as he kept explaining in that still warm but now oh so wonderfully deep voice, making something that should be awkward sexy. Edeline couldn't explain why but his steady guidance turned her on. It was probably the same way how phone sex worked she thought, inwardly chuckling at her crazy chaotic brain to think like that now.
"...pants are easiest removed when you're still standing." His hands caressed her hips for a moment before sliding to the front, undoing the button and then taking her hands from his shirt and placing them at the sides of her leather trousers so she had a bit control about how fast they went down. She hooked her thumbs in the waistband and taking a deep breath shoved the pants down a bit, his hands still over hers, following, while simultaneously he leant down again to press another kiss to her neck.
And then her leather pants were gone, dropped to the ground around her ankles and all she was still wearing was her underwear and her black tank top. But she had no time to be embarrassed, he was tucking her forward one step by her hips, making her step out of the pants and then he placed her hands on his own hips. The moment he had his button undone she tucked his trousers down, nervous anticipation making her want to do so fast and also her hands felt right sliding down this way, making their status of clothing equal.
"That was good. Never be shy about helping your partner undress unless they tell you otherwise." The praise made a small flower of pride bloom inside of her, fuelling the heat raising inside of her even more. Ed chewed on her lips, wanting to look down and, well, have a look at him even though he was still wearing boxers. She was distracted when he pulled her in again, her bare thighs against his which were a bit more covered from the boxers. Roy leaned down again and this time she welcomed the attention to her neck, turning her head and shyly arching a bit against him. He hummed his appreciation and then pulled back a bit, the hand behind her back tugging a bit at her loose hair, asking her to offer the other side of her neck. She did so, though the hands fisted in his shirt again twitched in uncertainty, not sure if she should grab tighter and tug closer or splay her fingers against him and shove backwards because on this side at the junction between neck and shoulder the scars from where her automail arm had been started.
"Scars are a delicate issue." He spoke like he knew and he could speak like that because he did know, just a bit to the side to where she was clutching his shirt lay the burn scar from the day he defeated Lust, Alphonse told her about what happened to him that day. "Though people react differently to them being touched. Some don't like it, some think it's rather pleasurable, because the skin there reacts more sensitively to every touch. Or the skin is too damaged to feel at all, then they don't care or don't like it. It always depends on the individual. Tell me what you think..." and he went down on the scars and she couldn't help but gasp what sounded like the start of a moan and arch even closer because, damn, she seemed to be one of those people with very sensitive scar-tissue that made the signals from his touch echo through her brain, stoking up the pleasure.
Embarrassed, she clapped a hand over her mouth but dropped it again when she realised the soft wanton sound hadn't caused any sort of negative reaction from Roy, actually he had pulled her even closer, kissing and softly biting the scar like he was trying to get another sound like that out of her. Edeline's breathing increased and she felt his hands roam again, this time a bit more boldly, going so far as to slip down and cup her butt. She jumped in surprise.
"Sorry, got carried away." His hands went back to her slim waist and he touched her in a shyer way again.
Ed blinked, momentarily surprised to hear an apology from Roy Mustang because that didn't happen every day. "No, it's all right!" And it really was, "I'm just... not used to.. well.." She let her head fall against his chest to hide her blush. That didn't help the redness vanish though because now she realised he smelled rather good, like clean sparks and soap and something she couldn't name but really liked. "Just uh... touch- wherever you- butt -" she stuttered, wishing she'd just shut up.
"More slowly." He got the gist of her words anyway and with a light chuckle agreed softly, his hands slipping down again, this time slowly enough for her to predict where they where going.
She let it happen, curious this time, relaxing when his hands went up and down her body several times, discovering she wanted to jump up and wrap her legs around him when he gave a little upwards push to her buttocks. She knew people did that, but could she just do it?
"Roy...?"
"Get up," he demanded gently, giving her behind the same sort of squeeze again. Edeline happily complied, wrapping her arms around his neck – damn, why hadn't she done that before, it felt so much better now – and jumped up, her legs wrapping around him. Roy swayed a bit from having to readjust his balance but securely wrapped one arm around her, the hand of the other hooking around her flesh leg. The only reason she didn't drop down again immediately, because the moment their bodies connected this close was when she realised that he was right between her legs now.
"Everything all right?" he asked and she marvelled at the fact that their eyes were at the same height now. Those black eyes were attentive and caring but at the same time something hungry, mind clouding was hidden deep in their backs. Roy adjusted her weight again and her breath hitched as the insides of her thighs and a even more sensitive region rubbed against his sides and front before he had her in a more comfortable position.
Edeline could only nod and cling tighter, not wanting to give into the urge to squirm and rub against him again. It didn't matter that this was Roy Mustang and it should feel awkward, the feeling of this heat and closeness was awesome and she wanted more. But Roy didn't do anything more yet. She stared questioningly into his eyes – still fascinated she could do this without having to look up now – silently telling him that really everything was all right and he could go on. Holding her gaze for a moment then starting to nibble at the sensitive lobe of her ear he complied, his hand stroking up and down her thigh where he had only held her knee a second ago. And since she was in a higher position now she had a wonderful view on his strong shoulders and neck as he leaned forward to render her brain useless with those talented lips and tongue moving right behind her ear now. His shoulder was still covered by the t-shirt but the neck...
Edeline leaned down, deciding to try on him what he did to her, after all she was here to learn too. His skin felt rough and smooth at the same time as she pressed a butterfly kiss there and when he didn't protest she became bolder, nuzzling him so he would turn his head and give her more access like he had done to her. He had to stop his administrations to her body and for a moment she was hard pressed to stop her experiment and get him to make her skin tingle again but curiosity won and so she started at his exposed neck, bared to her to return the trust she had placed in him when leaning her head to the side and let him have his way. Butterfly kisses were what she started with, but soon she tried sucking and nibbling, almost biting a bit. His skin tasted salty and clean and after the first few unpractised attempts he mumbled a soft "Go a bit higher"
She moved up and he gave a pleased hum and stretched his neck some more. She smiled a bit, then smirked and became a bit rougher. Roy's hand, still at her leg, tightened and his hum turned into a chuckle. "Fast learner, but that still doesn't mean I will take a hickey from you!" he said playfully and nuzzled her head back to the side again with a low growl before turning her putty in his hands, going for her sensitive automail scar again. It was like playing with a tiger, she thought while pleasure hazed her mind. Ed had awakened the predator she had seen in that bar, she realised. Chase him and he'll chase you. Bossy brigadier general liked to be the one on top and in command.
Well, if she ever ended up in his bed again after this night and had collected enough experience to do so, then she'd put up a good fight.
Now though she didn't mind to just be putty because it felt too damn good and she wanted it all. A sound that made her want to cover her mouth again slipped past her lips and she just stopped herself from squirming. Roy sucked on her collarbone, making her tip her head back and arch against him. He moved, her weight obviously not bothering him apart from the automail that kept dragging him to the side, and she almost yelped in surprise when he gracefully fell back and landed sitting on the bed, Ed placed perfectly in his lap.
"Bend your legs like this, it allows you to move easier," he told her, carefully guiding one of her legs so her shin was on the mattress. She brought her automail leg in the same position and that way would have been kneeling with her bottom on her heels had it not been for his thighs between her legs. This way she was sitting with her hips and upper body flush against his.
"Perfect to get rid of tops, if you ask me." He smirked a bit and while one arm held her in place the hand of the other sneaked up underneath her top. "And these..." his fingers rested on the fastener of her bra, fingertips tapping against it, questioning. Though Edeline was too distracted by something else to answer. She was just realising that she sat right above his manhood. And it was beginning to strain against his boxers. Actually it wasn't beginning anymore. It was straining already.
"And there you got me," Roy said, slightly amused about her bright red face and wide eyes staring down on her own lap covering his. "You know, you shouldn't stare like this with another man, they might get the impression you're afraid of their di-"
"I'm not scared!" she interrupted, annoyed he would even suggest that. "Just- couldn't you have warned me?!"
He stared at her incredulously. "Warned you that I might get hard when I have a woman in my lap and am about to take off the rest of her clothes?! I kind of thought you knew this would happen because it's perfectly normal and necessary because how do you expect penetration to happen with a soft- "
"ARGH JUST SHUT UP, UNCLIP THAT BRA AND GET GOING!" she growled in frustration about having made this so complicated when just a moment ago it felt perfectly fine and hot.
"Are you sure?" his tone was softer now.
"Yes... It was just weird to suddenly realise you're feeling your commanding officer's hard on against you, is all," she mumbled, pressing her eyes against the arm still around his neck.
"Well, I admit it's awkward... but there's nothing we can do about it but ignore it or stop," he said with a light shrug, his hands oddly enough circling on her back in a comforting movement.
Edeline relaxed against him. The straining erection underneath her had softened a bit she realised and she felt a bit guilty about bringing him down like this. She had really ruined the mood now. But she'd get it going again because now with the initial surprise gone she felt that her body was still hot and wanting and she still felt safe with Mustang and if... "Just keep distracting me and make sure I'm too busy marvelling at your actions and it will be fine," she said, determined.
He looked her in the eyes for a moment, contemplating, and then unclipped her bra.