Happily Never After

Chapter #2

Roy Mustang peeked over the morning paper to glance at the person sitting across from him at the breakfast table. Riza was calmly eating breakfast without looking up in his direction. He went back to staring at the paper, awkwardly trying to think of a way to start a conversation.

He loved his wife, he really did. He wouldn’t be able to survive without Riza, he was sure. But for some reason…for some reason things had just gone bad between them. And he was almost entirely certain that it was all his fault. It couldn’t be Riza’s. She was too beautiful, too perfect to have done anything that would make things happen like they were. Besides, he wasn’t angry with her. She seemed to be the one who was angry with him.

It had all started after they’d gotten married. He knew that much. The first year or so was wonderful but then… Something happened, he wasn’t sure what, and suddenly she’d become cold and distant. He had tried to work things out at first but it seemed that the more he had tried, the more she tried to distance herself from him.

And so, naturally, he’d started seeing Ed.

It was wrong, he knew, but Riza had been the one who had practically suggested it. They’d had an argument and she’d told him that he might as well go off and find someone else. Well, he didn’t want to just give his wife up but after he’d tried time and time again… And Fullmetal had always had a crush on him. It was all too easy. Until he’d started actually falling for Edward and then he’d caught himself in a real predicament.

And Edward was full of problems, which only added on to things. He and Alphonse always seemed to be having a disagreement and the young man would never allow Roy to come over to his house. He was also twitchy and Mustang felt he was withholding information from him sometimes. And then there was the fact that he was the Fuhrer and Ed was a Major General…

The thing that really bothered Roy about his relationship with Edward, however, was the effect that it had on Riza. He’d gone and told her that he was sleeping with him. And what had she done? Nothing. It was like she didn’t even care what he did any more. And that cut him very deeply.

Mustang let out a breath and tried to clear his mind. He’d have to try to talk to Riza at least. Edward had suggested it and it couldn’t hurt to try. In the worst-case scenario, she’d tell him to fuck off and die and in the best-case scenario they’d work things out. He had tried this before and it couldn’t possibly hurt to try again. Mind you, Ed talked to his brother daily but that always lead to argument. He gave his head a shake.

He set the newspaper aside and cleared his throat, looking to his wife. She stopped eating and looked at him in that way that just made his feel completely uncomfortable and out of place. He managed a small smile.

“How’s breakfast?” he began. Not the best way to start but it was a start nonetheless.

“Good,” she responded.

He waited for her to say something else but nothing came. He liked his lips and began again.

“That’s good. If there’s anything else you want or have a craving for…”

“I’ll be sure to ask,” she said.

He bit his bottom lip. Damn, this was awkward! He didn’t know what to say!

Riza was silent for a long moment as she ate more of her breakfast but then she set her utensils aside and asked, “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes!” he responded a little too eagerly. “Yes, I did. What about you?”

“Well enough,” she responded coolly. “Though, judging by the fact that you spent the night in the spare room, I assume that you slept better than I did.”

He blinked. That didn’t sound good. “Ah… I suppose so. I was a little uncomfortable but then I never did like the spare room’s mattress.”

“In that case, it’s funny that you take to sleeping in the spare room more often than your own,” Riza said. “But I suppose that you just go to whichever room Edward’s in, regardless of how uncomfortable the bed is.”

No, this wasn’t going over well at all. Damn Edward for suggesting that he should talk to Riza! It was a stupid idea in the first place! Hadn’t he tried to talk things over before? Hadn’t he failed miserably at it every single time? Damn in all!

“Well, have you considered that maybe it’s too difficult to share a room with you anymore?” he huffed. “Because when I do, you lie as far away from me as you can. It’s like you can’t stand the thought of me even touching you. We never spend time together, we never talk, and we…we never do anything together anymore! It’s like you hate me! And I’ve tried to work things out, I really have. But you always just give me the cold shoulder!”

She stood up and glared at him and for a moment he really believed that she did hate him.

“Well maybe I don’t like the fact that you’re sleeping around with men fourteen years younger than you, have you considered that?!” she cried. “And then I wonder, how many others have you been with?! Who else have you been fucking in our bed?! And the only reason that we don’t talk about anything is because you avoid the subject! You’re always too busy governing the country! The great Fuhrer can’t even bother talking to his wife! But at least he’ll shag just about anyone!”

Mustang was enraged. And a touch hurt, not that he would dare let that show.

“Well, by now I’ve given up on you!” he snapped. “You obviously don’t want anything to do with me so why should I even bother to try?! I can’t fix this alone! I need you to at least tell me what I’ve done wrong but you won’t even do that much!”

She looked like she wanted to say something and she opened her mouth. But something must have changed her mind because closed it again. When she finally did speak, her words were dripping with venom and about as cold as ice.

“I’m finished.”

And with those to words, she stormed off.

~o~0~o~

Edward sat on the park bench, idly watching a butterfly as it fluttered past him. It was, thankfully, too early in the morning for man people to be wandering about so he was nearly alone. Just him, the small butterfly, and his suitcase.

Alphonse hadn’t pursued him the other night. He’d probably been in shock. So, after quickly packing all of his more important belongings, he’d slipped out of his bedroom window and found this park bench. He’d been sitting on it since, trying to figure out what to do.

Call it running away, but Ed did not want to have to deal with Al this morning. He had been called a faggot enough times in his life to know what to expect and it would just hurt too much coming from his younger brother. He loved Al and so if things we going to turn out this way it was probably better for Ed to just leaved town. He’d miss Roy but at least this way the man might be able to fix some of his relationship with Riza.

That was all his fault, he knew. He should never have taken up Mustang’s offer. The sex was great, naturally, but it was too painful. It hurt Roy, it hurt Riza, and knowing that it hurt them was what hurt Ed. He was ruining their relationship and it was better for him to just butt out.

But there was always the question of where was he going to go now? There was always Briggs but General Armstrong had never like him much and she was sure to tell Mustang of his location. But then, nowhere in Amestris was particularly safe… Xing wouldn’t be bad. Ling was the Emperor now and Edward was sure that he could probably get a job at the palace if he asked his friend nicely enough.

“Are you ‘finished’ with me too, then?”

The voice started Ed and he looked behind himself to find Roy standing there, looking like shit. He relaxed at little and considered the man’s words.

“Why? What happened?” Edward asked.

Mustang heaved a sigh and came and sat down beside him. “We got into an argument, Riza and I. I think she’s leaving me now. So much for ‘talking it over’.”

Ed cringed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. It wasn’t my place.”

“It’s fine. I think I would have ended this way no matter what had happened,” Roy said with a sigh. “So what’s with the suitcase?”

“What’s with the Fuhrer walking around without his guards?”

“Don’t avoid the question.”

Edward let out a long sigh. “Alphonse and I, as per usual, got into an argument.”

“And so you’re leaving over that?” Mustang asked, sounding a little hurt.

“No. I told him I was gay,” the young man explained, laughing a little. “I ran and hid after that, like the coward I am. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to show my face to him again. Couldn’t stand to hear him, of all people, criticize me.”

“If he really loves you than he’ll probably accept it.”

“Winry once confessed her undying feelings for me,” Ed began with a shaky breath. He hadn’t told this to anyone before and it hurt him to say it. “She said she loved me from the bottom of her heart. I told her that I loved her too, but as a sister. I told her that she was beautiful and sweet but I was gay so I just didn’t like her that way and that I was sorry. At first she thought I was joking but when she figured out that it was the truth she told me to go find another automail mechanic. She really loved me and Al does too. So what’s to say that he won’t have the same reaction?”

“He’s your brother,” Mustang stated but to Ed it sounded like a weak argument.

“Yeah, and Winry wanted to marry me, be my partner in crime ‘till death do us part.”

“I can’t say anything against her but to be honest, I don’t think that she really ever loved you. I would know. Because I do.”

Edward turned to look at him, trying to figure out if he was really sincere. He was never sure with Mustang. But the look the man was giving him seemed genuine enough so he smiled a little. Even if Roy didn’t love him, Ed loved Roy. It didn’t matter to him.

Mustang leaned down, brushing his lips against Ed’s and the young man pressed back more firmly. The older man let out a snort of amusement, swiping his tongue across Edward’s lips so that he would part them. Soon the kiss was much more deep and becoming hotter and more passionate by the second. After a bit though, the young man pushed Roy away.

“As much as I’d like to continued and go further,” Ed began. “Let’s not, okay?”

“Why not?” Mustang inquired innocently.

“First of all, there’s no way I’m having sex with you in public, no matter how hot it would be. And second, you have to go and fix things with Riza.”

“Why bother?” Roy asked, his expression darkening. “She hates me now and I bet you anything that she’s walking out the door as we speak.”

“She’s your wife and she’s pregnant with your child. Go after her.”

Mustang huffed and turned away from him. “Sometimes, I don’t know whose side you’re on.”

“The side that make more people happy,” Ed explained. “Besides, Riza and I were friends once. We told each other how much we both wanted you. If she can somehow instantaneously fall out of love when she wanted you so badly before then I really want to know what she’s on.”

Mustang heaved a sigh and then shot Edward a look. “Fine. But I’m not leaving you here. I know you better than that; you’ll take off if I do. You’re coming with me.”

The young man bit his bottom lip and considered what the older man was saying. If he came along he would just piss Riza off. But on the other hand, he did owe her and apology. And a really big one at that. Maybe he could even get a chance to talk to her in private and tell her that he was leaving, that he wouldn’t mess around with her husband anymore.

“Fine,” Edward said. “I’ll come with you.”